FR2903041A1 - Manufacturing a container or a lid for a package, comprises injecting a polypropylene material and a biodegradable material, forming a label using high density polyethylene, and placing a label in a mold - Google Patents

Abstract

The method of manufacturing a container (100) or a lid for a package, comprises injecting a polypropylene material and a biodegradable material, forming a label (200) using high density polyethylene, strippable polypropylene and strippable varnish, and placing the label in a mold so that it is solidarized on an external face of a wall (110) of the container or the lid. The label manufacturing step comprises co-extruding or inducting the materials, and contacting a coat of the label with the container or lid. The strippable varnish is printed at the back of the label. The method of manufacturing a container (100) or a lid for a package, comprises injecting a polypropylene material and a biodegradable material, manufacturing a label (200) using high density polyethylene, strippable polypropylene and strippable varnish, and placing the label in a mold so that it is solidarized on an external face of a wall (110) of the container or the lid. The label manufacturing step comprises co-extruding or inducting the materials, and contacting a coat of the label with the container or lid. The strippable varnish is printed at the back of the label for the manufacture of label coat. An end of the label is placed in outside of a mold cavity forming a gripping strip (220) of the label on the container or lid. The end of the label is folded on its external side to prevent the contact of gripping strip with the injected material. An independent claim is included for a container or lid.

Description

The present invention relates, in particular, to a manufacturing method

  a container or a lid for a packaging by injection of a plastic material, said method using a mold in which is placed a label so that it can be secured to the outer face of a wall of said container or lid. To manufacture a package whose constituents, container and / or lid, can be covered by a label, said label can be reported on the constituent (s) after manufacture thereof. This removable label can be made by providing it with a gripping tab. This is interesting when, for example, the label covers a vent hole of the container. Removal of the label facilitates demolding of the product contained in the container. However, since the wall of the component is no longer flat or if it has several faces, there are difficulties in performing the installation of the label. In order to manufacture a component of a package and which can be provided with a label, it is still possible to use an overmolding process known as (IML), which means In Mold Labeling in the English language. In this process, a label is placed inside the mold so that it can appear on the outer face of a wall of the finished component, then the mold is closed and the material is injected. plastic in it to make the package component. The label, manufactured in the same material as the component is bonded to the component by an overmoulding operation so that the label is irremovable. Indeed, the heat and the pressure implemented in the mold during the overmolding step cause an intimate bonding of the label and the constituent. However, a label can be placed without difficulty on walls of non-planar shape, for example of conical or parallelepipedal shape. The plaintiff sought the benefits of both methods. Also, the object of the invention is therefore to propose in particular a method of manufacturing a constituent for a package that can allow the installation of a removable type label on the constituent and capable of being provided with a complex-shaped wall . For this purpose, there is provided a method of manufacturing a container or a lid for a package by injection molding of a plastic material, said method using a mold in which is placed a label so that it can be used in the case of a plastic container. 2 that it can be secured to the outer face of a wall of said container or lid at the end of its manufacture. According to the invention, the method consists in choosing for the manufacture of the label a material different from that intended for the manufacture of said container or lid.

The label can thus be removed from the container or lid just after the sale of the package or after its use. It can be manually removed in the same way as an attached label. According to an additional characteristic of the invention, the method consists in choosing injected polypropylene for the manufacture of said container or lid and in choosing high density type expanded polyethylene for the manufacture of the label or an underlayer of said label intended to be brought into contact with said container or lid. According to an additional characteristic of the invention, the process consists in choosing injected polypropylene for the manufacture of said container or lid and in choosing peelable polypropylene manufactured by a coextrusion process or by a coating process for the manufacture of the label or a sub-layer of said label intended to be brought into contact with said container or lid. According to an additional characteristic of the invention, the process consists in choosing injected polypropylene for the manufacture of said container or lid and in choosing a peelable, solid or screen type varnish printed on the back of the label for the manufacture of a sub-layer of said label intended to be placed in contact with said container or lid. According to an additional feature of the invention, the method comprises placing an end of the label outside the molding cavity so as to form a tab for gripping the label on said container or lid. According to an additional feature of the invention, the method consists in folding one end of the label on its outer side to prevent the gripping tongue thus formed from being brought into contact with the injected plastic material.

According to an additional characteristic of the invention, the method consists of using a biodegradable material for the manufacture of said container or lid. A container or lid made of plastic by plastic injection into a mold and at least one wall of which is externally covered by a process label (IML / In Mold Labeling) is also part of the invention. According to one of its characteristics, the material of the label is different from that of the container or lid. According to an additional feature of the invention, the container consists of a peripheral wall in the form of a truncated cone, bordered on one side by a bottom wall and on the other by an opening, the label covering the entire outer face of the peripheral wall. According to an additional feature of the invention, the container is a faisselle whose peripheral wall is perforated holes. According to an additional characteristic of the invention, the label is an integral piece, and in that it is split transversely of a cutoff to allow its removal without tearing it. According to an additional characteristic of the invention, the label consists of two parts separated by two cuts. According to an additional feature of the invention, the bottom wall of the container is provided with a demolding orifice, a label covering at least locally the outer face of the bottom wall and in particular the demolding orifice. A lid made by the method is also part of the invention. According to one of its features, it consists of a closure wall lined with a peripheral shell, a label covering the outer face of the closure wall. Another type of container manufactured according to the method is also part of the invention. According to one of its characteristics, it is of parallelepipedic type, a label, covering at least locally some of the outer faces of its walls. According to an additional characteristic of the invention, the container consists of a peripheral wall comprising a plurality of facets and which is bordered on one side by a bottom wall and on the other by an opening which is surrounded by a rim, the container having a slot cutting it transversely except on its rim. According to an additional feature of the invention, the label which is provided with each container or each lid is provided with a gripping tab. The characteristics of the invention mentioned above, as well as others, will emerge more clearly on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, said description being given in relation to the attached drawings, among which: FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a frustoconical-shaped container whose peripheral wall is covered externally by a removable label according to the invention, FIG. lb is a view of the container of FIG. 1a and whose label is being removed according to the invention, FIG. 2a is a perspective view of a frusto-conical container whose peripheral wall is externally covered by an alternative embodiment of a removable label according to the invention, FIG. 2b is a view of the container of FIG. 2a and whose label is being removed according to the invention, FIG. 3a is a perspective view of a frustoconical container of the drainer type, the peripheral wall of which is externally covered by a removable label according to the invention, FIG. 3b is a view of the container of FIG. 3a and whose label is being removed according to the invention, FIG. 4a is a perspective view of a truncated cone-shaped container whose bottom wall is covered externally by a removable label according to the invention, FIG. 4b is a view of the container of FIG. 4a and whose label is being removed according to the invention, FIG. 5a is a perspective view of a flat-type cover whose wall is covered externally by a removable label according to the invention, FIG. 5b is a view of the lid of FIG. 5a and whose label is being removed according to the invention, FIG. 6a is a perspective view of a flat-type cover whose wall is covered externally by an alternative embodiment of a removable label according to the invention, FIG. 6b is a view of the lid of FIG. 6a and whose label is being removed according to the invention, FIG. 7a is a perspective view of a butter-type container, some of whose walls are externally covered by a removable label according to the invention, FIG. 7b is a view of the container of FIG. 7a and whose label is being removed according to the invention, FIG. 8a is a perspective view of a butter-type container, capable of opening and some of whose walls are covered externally by a removable label according to the invention, FIG. 8b is a view of the lid of FIG. 8a and whose label is being removed according to the invention, FIG. 8c is a perspective view of the lid of FIG. 8a in an open position according to the invention, FIG. 9a is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a butter-type container, capable of opening and some of whose walls are covered externally by a removable label according to the invention, FIG. 9b is a view of the container of FIG. 9a and whose label is being removed according to the invention, FIG. 9c is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 9a in an open position according to the invention, FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a mold for manufacturing a container and a removable label according to the invention, FIG. 1 a represents an enlarged sectional view of a wall of a container 20 or a lid whose outer face is covered with a removable label according to the invention, FIG. 1 lb. is an enlarged sectional view of a wall of a container or lid whose outer face is covered by a first embodiment of a removable label according to the invention and FIG. 11c is an enlarged sectional view of a wall of a container or a lid whose outer face is covered by a second embodiment of a removable label according to the invention. The applications targeted by the invention relate to the field of food packaging. Although only these applications are described in the rest of this disclosure, other applications covering all types of packaging are concerned by the present invention. On the packaging components presented in FIGS. 1 to 9, and for clarity, do not include the functions of stacking, sealing and closure generally provided thereon.

The container 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a frustoconical food pot. It is intended to contain a food preparation. It thus consists of a peripheral wall 110 having the shape of a truncated cone, bordered on one side by a bottom wall 120 and on the other by an opening. A lid, not shown, normally closes the container opening to thereby form a food package. The peripheral wall 110 is covered by a label 200 which is of removable type. It covers here the whole of the outer face of the wall 110. The label 200 is intended to present, for example, a decor and information for consumers or regulatory information. In Figs. 1, the label 200, in one piece, is slotted transversely of a cut 210 to allow its removal without tearing. It is provided, for this purpose, a tongue 220 gripping for removal from the container 100 as shown in FIG. lb. In FIG. 1a, the periphery of the tongue 220 15 matches the contour of the cut 210. The removal of the label 200 makes it possible to eliminate any marking on the container 100. The user can thus depersonalize the container for reuse at his convenience. . In Figs. 2, the label 200 also covers the entire outer face of the wall 110. However, it consists of two parts 200a and 200b separated by two cuts 210a and 210b. The tongue 220a here extends the portion 200a of the label 200 outside the wall 110. The removable portion 200a of the label 200 may present a voucher or any other commercial proposal that the user can then detach and use .

In Figs. 3, the container 100 shown is a faisselle frustoconical appearance and whose peripheral wall 110a is perforated with holes 112 to allow drainage of its contents. The tag 200 has the same structural characteristics as that shown in FIG. 1. It may or may not have a marking. Its removal 30 by the user allows to clear the holes 112 to drain the contents of the faisselle. In Figs. 4, the container 100 presented is a timpani adapted to allow the demolding of its contents. It is of the same type as that shown in FIG. 1. It is presented 2903041 7 to these Figs. 4, that is to say in its demolding position. Its bottom wall 120a, however, is provided with a demolding orifice 122. A label 200 covers the outer face of the bottom wall 120a and in particular the demolding orifice 122. It is provided with a tongue 220a which overflows outside the bottom wall 120a. Its removal by the user makes it possible to release the demolding orifice 122 to unmold the content of the timbale. The label 200 may or may not have a marking. In Figs. 5 and 6, the cover 300 presented is intended to cover a container to close it. It consists of a closure wall 310 which is here planar and rectangular and which is bordered by a peripheral ring 320 intended to cover the opening of the container. A label 200 covers the outer face of the closure wall 310, except at its periphery. The tag 200 is provided with a tab 220a that projects outside the closure wall 310. The tag 200 is intended to have a tag. The user can choose to remove the label 200 to remove any marking on the lid and reuse the lid at his convenience. In Figs. 6, the label 200 is provided with an extended tab 220b. The tongue 220b thus covers in FIG. 6a, the peripheral ring 320 in its height 20 and overflowing thereof to allow gripping. In the same spirit, the invention is applicable to a mold or a tray, not shown, and whose bottom wall is covered externally by a label. In Figs. 7, the container 400 presented is parallelepipedic type. It is suitable for example to contain a terrine. It consists of a peripheral wall 410 comprising a plurality of facets and which is bordered on one side by a bottom wall 420 and on the other by an opening which is surrounded by a rim 430. The container 400 is here presented in an upturned position. A label 200 at least locally covers some of the outer faces of the walls of the container 400. In FIG. 7a, it covers transversely the container 400, on its bottom wall 420, on two opposite facets and on the flange 430. The label 200 is provided with a tongue 220a which projects beyond the flange 430 to allow gripping. It is intended to present a marking. The user can choose to remove the label from the container to make it stand out.

In FIG. 8b, the container 400 has a slot 450 cutting transversely except on its flange 430 thus forming two parts 400a and 400b articulated at the edge 430. The slot 450 is formed in a median plane of the container 400. The label 200 covers the less locally the outer faces of the container 400 in the same manner as shown in FIGS. 7. In FIG. 8c, the withdrawal of the label 200 by the user discovers the slot 450 to further open the slot 450 by spreading the two parts 400a and 400b around a fold 432 of the flange 430. The product may be placed in the container 400 can thus be easily removed from the mold.

In FIG. 9b, the slot 450a cuts the container 400 into two parts 400a and 400b articulated at the flange 430 and which is offset laterally with respect to that shown in FIG. 8b. In FIG. 9c, the removal of the tag 200 makes it possible to open the container 400 at the end to unmold its contents by its open lateral side. In FIG. 10, there is shown a mold 500 for manufacturing a container for a package and in particular a frustoconical-shaped food pot such as that shown in FIGS. 4, and its covering label of its bottom wall. A mold with similar operation but of suitable design to make a lid of a package is however within the scope of this invention.

The plastic injection molding mold 500 comprises a first element 510, a slide 520 and a second element 530. A label 200 is placed in the mold 500 against a molding wall of the first element 510 so that the face external of the label 200 is brought into contact with a molding wall of the first element 510, then the mold is closed by bringing together the two elements 510 and 530. In this embodiment, an end of the label 200 is placed outside the molding cavity and is here held captive between the first element 510 and the drawer 520 so as to form a tongue 220a for gripping the label 200 on the constituent at the end of its manufacture.

In another embodiment, not shown, an end of the label is previously folded on its outer side to form a gripping tab and to prevent this tab is brought into contact with the injected plastic material. This folding is preferably performed just before the injection of the material.

Plastic is injected through a nozzle 540 and then creeps into the molding cavity, i.e. into the free volume between the first element 510, the second element 530 and the drawer 520 to make the container.

The portion of the face of the label 200 exposed in the free cavity of the mold is covered by the flow of molten material so that the label becomes integral with an outer face of a wall of the container. An important feature of the invention is discussed here. To prevent the label 200 from being welded to the container under the effect of the pressure and the injection temperature of the material, which would lead to no longer being able to remove it from the container at the end of its manufacture, the label 200 is manufactured in a material which is different from that of the container. In FIG. 1 the label 200 consists of a sub-layer 230 and an outer coating 240 of appearance. The underlayer 230 is intended to be bonded to the outer face of the body of a container 100, 400 or a lid 300, hereinafter referred to as a component. The material chosen for the manufacture of the component is injected polypropylene, while for the manufacture of the underlayer 230 of the label 200, high-density type expanded polyethylene is chosen. The outer liner 240 is made of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate or other material. The combination of these two materials provides a weaker bond than a solder so that the tag 200 can be manually removed from the component without being torn. In a first embodiment shown in FIG. 1b, the material selected for the manufacture of the underlayer 230 'of the label 200 is a peelable type polypropylene made by a coextrusion process or by a coating process. The material chosen for the manufacture of the constituent is always injected polypropylene. In a second variant embodiment shown in FIG. 11c, the material chosen for the manufacture of the underlayer 230 "is a peel-off, solid or screen-type varnish printed on the back of the label.It should be noted that the label could consist of a single layer made from a material different from that used for the manufacture of the constituent.

The method of the invention makes it possible to apply labels that can be removed on containers or lids of simple or complex shape. The container or the lid provided with such a label supports the passage in the dishwasher.

Furthermore, no glue or chemical substance is used for the adhesion of the label to the container or lid. A non-biodegradable label may be assembled with a package component and made of a biodegradable material to promote component recycling without detracting from the marketing and regulatory functions assigned to the label.

Claims (17)

  1) A method of manufacturing a container (100, 400) or a lid (300) for a packaging by injection of a plastic material, said method using a mold (500) in which is placed a label (200) so that it can be secured on the outer face of a wall (110, 110a, 120a, 310, 410, 420) of said container (100, 400) or cover (300) to the resulting from its manufacture, characterized in that it consists in choosing for the manufacture of the label (200) a different material from that intended for the manufacture of said container (100, 400) or lid (300).   2) A manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists in choosing polypropylene injected for the manufacture of said container (100, 400) or lid (300) and to choose high density polyethylene foam for the manufacturing the label (200) or sub-layer (230) of said label (200) to be contacted with said container (100, 400) or lid (300).   3) A manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists in choosing injected polypropylene for the manufacture of said container (100, 400) or cover (300) and to choose peelable type polypropylene, manufactured by a coextrusion method or by a coating process for the manufacture of the label (200) or a sub-layer (230 ') of said label (200) intended to be brought into contact with said container (100, 400) or cover (300).   4) A manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists in choosing injected polypropylene for the manufacture of said container (100, 400) or lid (300) and to choose a peelable type of paint, solid or screened, printed on the back of the label (200) for manufacturing a sub-layer (230 ") of said label (200) intended to be brought into contact with said container (100, 400) or cover (300).   5) A manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that one end of the label (200) is placed outside the molding cavity so as to form a tongue (220, 220a). 220b) for gripping the label (200) on said container (100, 400) or lid (300).   6) A manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that one folds an end of the label on its outer side 2903041 12 to prevent the gripping tongue thus formed can be put in contact with the injected plastic material.   7) The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it consists in using a biodegradable material for the manufacture of said container (100, 400) or lid (300).   8) Container (100, 400) or cover (300) made of plastic material by plastic injection in a mold (500) and at least one wall (110, 110a, 120a, 310, 410, 420) is covered externally by a process label (200) (IML / In Mold Labeling), characterized in that the material of the label (200) is different from that of the container (100, 400) or the lid (300).   9) container (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that it consists of a peripheral wall (110, 110a) having the shape of a truncated cone, bordered on one side by a bottom wall ( 120, 120a) and the other through an opening, the label (200) covering the entire outer face of the peripheral wall (110).   10) Container (100) according to claim 9, characterized in that the container (100) is a faisselle whose peripheral wall (110a) is perforated with holes (112). 20   11) container (100) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the label (200) is a single piece, and in that it is split transversely of a cut (210) to allow its withdrawal without tearing it.   12) container (100) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the label (200) consists of two parts (200a, 200b) separated by two cuts (210a and 210b).   13) container (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that its bottom wall (120a) is provided with a release orifice (122), a label (200) covering at least locally the outer face of the wall of bottom (120a) and in particular the demolding orifice (122). 30   14) Cover (300) manufactured according to claim 8, characterized in that it consists of a closure wall (310) surrounded by a peripheral shell (320), a label (200) covering the outer face of the closing wall (310). 2903041 13   15) Container (400) manufactured according to claim 8, characterized in that it is of parallelepiped type, a label (200), covering at least locally some of the outer faces of its walls.   16) Container (400) according to claim 15, characterized in that it consists of a peripheral wall (410) comprising a plurality of facets and which is bordered on one side by a bottom wall (420) and on the other by an opening which is surrounded by a flange (430), the container (400) having a slot (450, 450a) cutting it transversely except on its flange (430).   17) container (100, 400) or cover (300) according to any one of claims 8 to 16 characterized in that the label (200, 200a) is provided with a tongue (220, 220a, 220b) of gripping.