FR2513595A1 - PACKAGING OF CONSUMABLES, IN PARTICULAR FOODSTUFFS, SUCH AS BEVERAGE PREPARATIONS - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Packaging for soluble consumable products, in particular food products, such as preparations for beverages, intended to be filled, in order to be dissolved, into a food container (8) which is open at its upper end and formed by a finished package shaped like a bowl (1) with a flange (4) closed by a tear-off covering (6) having a format basically the same as that of the opening of the food container (8) so as to be capable of fitting it with its flange supported on the rim of the opening of the food container, means being provided for holding the bowl (1) in the container (8), said finished package being characterized in that said means are exclusively provided on the outer periphery of the lateral wall (3) of the bowl (1) and are formed by bulges (10) or projections ensuring elastic pressure against the inner wall (21) of the food container (8).

Description

PACKAGING OF PRODUCTS CONSUMABLE

  IN PARTICULAR FOOD, SUCH AS PREPARATIONS FOR BEVERAGES.

  The present invention relates to the field of

  consumables, including food

  such as drinks preparations.

  The products in question may be edible or not and be in solid form (compact or divided into pieces,

  grains or powders), only in the form of viscous or pasty liquids.

  The invention relates more precisely to the packaging of the products, among those of the aforementioned type, which, to be consumed, must

  be placed in a suitable container for this purpose, that is to say

  an opening to allow consumption, and in which the products are usually mixed with a diluting or

  dissolution, which, most often, is a liquid for example water.

  The typical case in this respect is that of reconstituted

  from dehydrated powder concentrates dissolved in a volume of water in a cup, cup or other container

open of the 9th kind.

  In this case, but not exclusively, the invention is

  involves the packaging of hot or cold beverage preparations in the form of powdery concentrates (coffee, chocolate, milk, soup, fruit juice, etc.) intended in particular for distribution

automatic in individual doses.

  Beverage vending machines that

  currently found in companies or in the homeless sector.

  most of the two major drawbacks

  the mode of conditioning adopted for the materials.

  On the one hand, their technological sophistication imposed by hygiene requirements leads to a generally high cost and

sustained maintenance.

  These devices, in fact, deliver on demand a boieson

  ready to eat in a cup, from a set of hoppers containing

  solids, abide by a very refined treatment protocol (dosage, transport, filtering, homogenisation) often at a

  as they have been rightly described as

  combining the most complex techniques "(Journal" Industries and

  Techniques ", 1977, No. 339, pp. 71 to 91).

  The second disadvantage results precisely from the fact that these

  appliances deliver ready-to-drink beverages, thus imposing

  the immediate consumption on the spot, in particular because of

  inconvenience to carry them with you, or because of their vulnerability

  pollution, which, in particular in workshops or factories, would make it more or less rapidly unsuitable for

the consumption.

  Another disadvantage, induced by the preceding ones, may

  should not be felt by company managers because these

  In some cases, this equipment becomes a meeting place

lined for the staff.

  French Patent Nos. 2171306 (SIC) and 2310733 (Compact Industries) describe a packaging according to which determined quantities of powder, corresponding to individual doses, are predisposed in the bottom of the cups, the setting of which in the dispenser guarantees necessary sealing and protection during

  storage with efficiency comparable to conventional hoppers

c.

  This type of packaging has the appeal of simplicity

  of cost and reduced maintenance of the

distribution.

  However, the problem of immediate consumption remains unanswered since, once the goblet is empty, the material it

  contains is left without protection.

  A solution has already been proposed which consists of covering the

  lower part of the cups containing the doses by a thermal seal

  mosoudé on the inner wall of the cup and can 9 be torn off by a tab.

  However, such a solution is largely

  to place the problem without really solving it.

  The immediate non-consumption, after reception of the cup, permitted in principle thanks to the presence of the protective cap, actually results in a risk of defilement of the cup itself, which

is no longer protected.

  In addition, the tear strip of the lid is really effective, if it is short enough to grasp it, the consumer is therefore brought to introduce his fingers into the cup, thereby unintentionally contributing to degrade the quality of the drink. On the other hand, tearing of the operculum is rarely perfect, in that more or fewer beards remain

  attached to the container wall.

  Moreover, this technique is not without influence

  on the cost of production, since it seems necessary to take

  inside the cup with a layer of food grade food grade

to the weldability of the seal.

  In addition, it must be considered that the operculum itself

  can constitute a wurce of environmental pollution in the

  the consumer, after having torn it out, is inclined to

  to get rid of this useless object by simply throwing it to the ground,

often.

  The present invention aims to allow the distribution at the least cost of individual doses that can be carried for future consumption, at a time and place left to

  free choice of the consumer and this in the strict respect of

  severe hygiene practices while avoiding the disadvantages of

known premientndes.

  For this purpose, the object of the invention is a packaging of consumable products, particularly edible products such as beverage preparations, intended to be consumed in a container which is suitable for this purpose, packaging characterized in that it consists of a prepackaging in the form of a flanged bowl, closed by a tear-off lid and having a size substantially equal to that of the opening of the consumption container so as to be able to adjust to it by being supported by the flange on the edge the opening of the container, and in that means are provided on the bowl for

  keep it in position in the container by tightening

  than against the inner wall of the latter.

  According to one embodiment, the clamping means are constituted by bosses formed on the periphery of the wall of the bowl. Salon another variant, the bowl presents locally,

  on the periphery of its wall, a recess defining with the wall

  the container of consumption a space of separation.

  As may have been already understood, the basic idea of the invention consists in some way in being able to place the dose of consumable product in a waiting (or storage) position and not in the bottom of the consumer container, but the opposite, that is to say, the upper end of the container, at its opening. Thus, the invention, in its essential characteristics, performs a pre-packaging of materials to be consumed which is also and

  at the same time a protective cover of the con-

  somation. In this way, in addition to its function of-conditioning consumables the pre-packaging according to the invention is of nature to ensure first the protection of the empty container waiting to be used against any risk of soiling, then that of the container and

  its content ready to be consumed, or msme being consumed.

  The lid-bowl according to the invention thanks to its adhesive-

  rette support, is very simply placed on the opening of the consumer container in which it is adjusted by marrying the shape of the container at this location while cooperating with the inner wall of it by bosses, or any other means equivalent which ensures

  its holding in position by clamping, easily allowing its separation

  ration of the container, when the consumer so desires.

  As for the planned withdrawal locally on the periphery of the

  king of the bowl, this disposition, which breaks the corncide locally.

  Moreover, the conformational degree sought between the bowl and the container has in fact multiple functions and advantages which

  will be described later, in the light of the following description given in

  reference to the attached single drawing plate in which: Figure 1 shows the lid-bowl according to V'inventiom seen from below;

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view slightly of the

  above the cuvette bowl and the configuration of its

  indoor lume storage consumables;

  FIG. 3 is a partially broken elevational view.

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  showing the bowl in the lid position in the opening of a

consumer container.

  In all the figures, the m 8 my elements are designated by

identical references.

  As can be seen, the prepackaging according to the invention is therefore constituted by a dish 1 with a flat bottom 2 and of low height, and

  the side wall 3 has at its free end a flange 4.

  The bowl defines an interior volume for storage of consumables 5 which will be assumed to be a beverage powder concentrate and which has been schematized by transparency in FIG.

  do not affect the clarity of the figures.

  The interior volume of the bowl is closed by a lid

  6 of protection of the products, fixed on the upper face of the glue-

  Rette and provided with a tear-off tab 7.

  Also for the sake of clarity of the figures, 1 the percussion

  6 has been shown in Figure 2 by transparency and half-torn.

  0 As can easily be seen, the bowl

  is shaped and dimensioned to serve as a nesting cover

  on a drinking cup 8.

  The cup retained in this example is of a disposable type of plastic, slightly frustoconical shape commonly equipping

  vending machines for drinks.

  Of course, the bowl according to the invention is of a nature to

  serve as a cover for any other consumer container in the

  sure o it has an opening of size compatible with the size of a bowl that can contain at least one individual dose

consumables.

  Under these conditions bowl 1 fills its r 6

  8 of the cup by the set of two functional means combining their action for this purpose: First, it is the collar 4 that it comes from its lower face abutting against the end bead 9 of the

  cup, ensures the blockage at the depression of the bowl.

  Furthermore, bosses 10, provided on the outer circumference

  the side wall 3 of the bowl, allow the light

  by force of the latter in the opening of the cup and ensuring, thereby, maintaining the clamped position of the bowl by clamping

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  elastic against the inner wall of the cup.

  These bosses are advantageously regularly distributed around the periphery of the wall 3 to obtain a good stability of the

bowl in place in the cup.

  Preferably, the bosses 10 have a front face 11 whose shape matches that of the inner wall of the container to

  to offer a maximum contact surface # therefore a tightening effect

  even with a limited number of bosses (four in the example).

  In the present case, in view of the frustoconical shape of the

  8 pits, the front faces he bosses are slightly curved and

  incidentally slightly inclined in the vertical direction.

  The realization of these bosses can be obtained

  tagously by local deformation of the side wall 3 so as to

  reveal on the inner side of this wall hollows cor-

  12 which increase the capacity of the bowl.

  * A c 8 of these two essential functional means (support flange and clamping bosses) the lid-bowl, in its form of

  optimal realization - the best that the inventor

  a particular conformational characteristic which, in

  some cases, is not essential hands, but which, anyway, induces

  a sum of benefits giving it a primary interest.

  The characteristic mentioned above, and already indicated

  previously, is to provide locally on the periphery of the wall 39 a recess 13 which, on the one hand, reduces the volume of the bowl and, moreover, household between it and the inner wall of the container a

separation area 14.

  This space is thus left available for the end

  high of a spatula of tuillage 15 generally provided with the go-

  belet 8 and which, at least in the case of small cups,

  extends from the bottom to the immediate vicinity of the opening.

  It is understood that in this regard, the withdrawal 13 prevents the spatula 15 obstructing the correct installation of the bowl 1

in the cup.

  Another interest of this withdrawal is to allow,

  given material, to increase the height of the bowl, so also improve its maintenance in the cup, without creating

  dead volumes for product storage.

  The profile and the location of the recess 13 on the bowl can be of any kind. It is of course important that it be free of

  clamping bosses which in this place would be useless or even

Bibles

  In the case of a round bowl, as represented

  felt in the figures, this restrue 13 may advantageously be realized

by a flat.

  For other bowl conformations, for example a cu-

  square or rectangular perimeter, the withdrawal may be sim-

  obtained by chamfering a corner.

  It must however be observed that the shape of the bowl

  cover, according to the invention, normally having to conform to that of the

  container, the case of bowls other than circular

  In these circumstances, it would be very rare.

  However, the invention does not exclude the possibility of

  polygonal perimeter, intended to serve as a cover for a

  conventional circular pencil, in which case the clamping bosses may be naturally formed by the corners of the polygon whose faces

  would represent as many similar withdrawals to the flat 13.

  "Polygonal perimeter%" means geometry

  from the triangle to an indeterminate number of faces, the circular form

  re restraint for the figures before in this case be considered as the

  upper limit to the number of possible faces.

  We will now describe other advantageous provisions related to the withdrawal that will be considered, for simplicity, be constituted

  by the flat portion 13 of the circular bowl I illustrated in the figures.

  The connection angle 16 with the wall 3 constitutes

  tagously a spout for the release of the powder to consume 5 out of the bowl The discharge of this powder into the cup 8

this is facilitated.

  It is therefore recommended, as shown in Figure 1, that

  put the tear strip 7 to the right of the pouring spout 16 In these conditions, in fact, the degree of tearing of the cap 6 necessary to allow a fast déverasement and s Or the powder can-4 be

  obtained by a very limited tearing stroke of the tab # par-

  -example 1 cm only That being so, the torn part can by following

  you have to be folded to reconstitute temporarily the protective cover, which allows in particular to preserve, if desired,

  a portion of the amount of powder, sheltered in the bowl.

  In other words, it can contain several doses

  S individual or, what amounts to mime, an individual dose to

  fractional summation over time.

  On the other hand, the lid is in no way complete

  detached from the cuvette, the risks of pollution by the seals

  thrown to the ground no longer arise.

  The "pourer" effect of the connection 16, and the resulting advantages given above, can be further amplified according to another accessory feature of the invention consisting in providing

  a boss 10 in the immediate extension of the flat part 13.

  Thus, the corresponding depression 12 which appears in the

  inside the bowl, constitutes at the time of the transfer, a small reservoir which collects the powders at the place of the spout and

  thereby further facilitates the spill.

  Another advantageous embodiment resulting from the presence of the flat part 13, this time consists # to provide a flange 4 whose range (denoted 17), widened due to the withdrawal provided by the flat part 13, is pre-cut or weakened by material shrinkage.

18 to the latter's right.

  This particular feature allows, when the wood-

  The sound to be consumed has been reconstituted in the cup by mixing the powder with water, for example to remove without difficulty the pad 17 so as to provide a consumption opening while continuing to benefit from the protection afforded by the lid 1. placed then

permanently on the cup.

  In other words, it will have been understood that the pre-emptive

  according to the invention may constitute a means of protection, not only

  until the moment of consumption but also during

until the end of it.

  It goes without saying that the invention can not be limited to the examples described above, but extends to many other variants or equivalents to the extent that the characteristics are respected.

  set out in the appended claims.

  In particular, the bosses 10 may be replaced by other means ensuring the function of holding the bowl by clamping in the container It is important however that the means used remain compatible with the necessarily removable character

  of the bowl as a protective cover of the container of con-

  summons. On the other side, to facilitate the removal of the bowl

  out of the container, we will have an advantage, as shown by the clear

  3, to provide a flange 4 slightly overflowing

container limits.

  However, in the case of a bead cup 9, as described above, an overflow of this nature is not necessary,

  precisely because of the rounded shape of the bead.

  Moreover, it is also not obligatory for the col-

  lerette 4, resting on the edge of the container, is placed in the

  free end of the side wall of the bowl.

  We can indeed, very well consider # without leaving the frame

  of the invention, a disposition of the collar at a certain level

  in such a case, the bowl

  passes from the upper limit of the cup, which in particular makes it possible to

  easily grasp the bowl for removal.

  The bowl-lid according to the invention meets the most stringent requirements of protection, sealing and cleanliness with regard to

  consumables that it contains.

  Although originally designed for the packaging of

  food products, it applies in fact to all consumer products

  maize, edible or not, for which the respect of such conditions

  tions is desirable or necessary.

  It can be manufactured very simply in one piece and in several copies in the faith, by press stamping a sheet of food-grade plastic, which is

  found in the trade, for example polychloride

  vinyl (PVC) The desired rigidity of the bowl is obtained both by its mime technique (stamping), by the presence

  bosses 10 on the wall and if necessary by corrugations

  such as 19 which may be provided for in substance.

  As a result, the tear-off lid 6 can be cut into a

  metallo-plastic heat-sealable composite strip.

lo

  Moreover, applied to the field of self-distribution

  drinks in the enterprise, the invention allows the use of

  a low-cost vending machine which can then be

  supplemented by several hot and cold water fountains distributed

  diciously in different places. fountains of this type are currently found on the market

  relatively inexpensive type, so that the distribution system

  tion mentioned above can, without implying a financial burden that is too heavy, offer many advantages for the company, for example by the fact that it avoids creating a place for

encounter too prolonged.

  In addition, the invention is advantageously applicable to

  free tribution of beverages by single cuvettes or by grouping of several cuvettes, stacked under wrapping sheets, or arranged

in bulk in sachets.

  Finally, it should be observed that the bowl illustrated in the figures is advantageously represented in full size, eo particularly precisely when it is intended for distribution

automatic drinks.

Claims (8)

  1) Packaging of consumable products, particularly food   Such preparations, such as drink preparations, intended to be decanted for consumption into a suitable container provided with a consumer opening, characterized in that it constitutes a pre-container in the form of a bowl (1). flange (4), closed by a tear-off lid (6) and presenting   a size substantially equal to that of the opening of the container of con-   (8) so that it can be supported by the flange (4) on the edge (g) of the opening of the container (8) and in that means (10) are provided on the bowl ( 1) to ensure its holding in position in the container (8) by elastic clamping against   the inner wall of said container.   2) Packaging according to claim 1 caractdriàé in that the elastic clamping means are constituted by bosses   (10) distributed around the perimeter of the side wall (3) of the bowl (1).   3) Packaging according to Claim 2, characterized in that the bosses (10) consist of localized deformations of the lateral wall (3) defining inside the bowl (1) corresponding hollows (12).   4) Packaging according to claims 1 2 or 3 carac-   characterized in that the bowl (1) presents locally around the periphery of   its side wall (3) is a recess (13) defining with the wall   consumers (8) a separation space (14).   ) Packaging according to claim 3 characterized in that the shrinkage formed around the periphery of the side wall (3) of   the bowl (1) is constituted by a flat (13).   6) Packaging according to claims 4, 5 or "3" characterized   characterized in that a boss (10) at the moains is disposed on the side wall.   (3) in the immediate extension of the withdrawal (13).   7) Packaging according to claims 4 5 or 6 ca-   characterized in that the lid (6) for closing the bowl comprises a tear-off tab (7) arranged on the right of the extradition of the withdrawal (13).   8) conditioning is claim 2 characterized in that the bosses have a front face (11) which marries the   shape of the inner wall of the consumption container (8).   9) Packaging according to claims I and 4 carao-   characterized in that the flange (4) has the right of withdrawal (13)   a beach (17) having means (18) for enabling its removal mation.   Packaging according to any one of the claims   previous characterized in that the bottom (2) and the side wall (3) of the bowl (1) are formed of a single species N plastic material   food grade, especially polyvinyl chloride.