GB2160510A

GB2160510A - Ventilated container

Info

Publication number: GB2160510A
Application number: GB08515633A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony John Sharp
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-06-20
Filing date: 1985-06-20
Publication date: 1985-12-24
Also published as: GB8415715D0; GB8515633D0; GB2160510B

Abstract

A thermoformed container comprises two parts (1, 2) with means (10, 21) for fastening the two parts together to close the container with confronting margins (3, 4) to define an interior space for containing soft fruit. Webs defining the margins (3, 4) are provided with grooves (12), the grooves extending from the exterior of the container when closed to the interior space to provide ventilation passages, the container also being provided with ventilation holes (16) in portions of each part spaced from the margins thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container The present invention relates to a container having two separable parts and particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for soft fruit.

Containers for soft fruit desirably have the following characteristics (a) They should completely surround the fruit so that the fruit is securely held in the container and individual fruits cannot be lost but they should be readily closable by unskilled labour and easily openable by a customer.

(b) They should have no sharp edges, inward protrusions or other parts which could physically damage the fruit.

(c) They should be of self-supporting material (i.e.

rigid or semi-rigid material) so that they can be made to uniform dimensions and can be packed pressing against each other in a layer and stacked without crushing the fruit.

(d) They should have adequate ventilation so that the fruit does not suffer damage, such as mildewing or rot, by reason of the presence of condensation or other dampness.

(e) They should enable the fruit in the container to be visible without opening the container.

(f) They should present an illusion of "fullness" to a potential customer.

(g) They should be easily manufactured, i.e.

manufactured at low cost.

Simple netting bags are unsuitable for soft fruit, although they provide excellent ventilation for the fruit and the fruit is fully visible, because the mesh tends to cut into the fruit and the fruit is not protected against crushing.

Thermoformed plastic containers having a base part and a separable lid part have been used for soft fruit. Such containers enable all the desired characteristics (a) to (f) listed above to be attained except that it has not hitherto proved possible to provide economically both characteristics (b) and (d) in the same container. Ventilation holes may be economically provided by punching holes in the upper web of the lid part and the lower web of the base part but such holes do not provide sufficient ventilation and it is not possible to punch holes in the sides of the container. To provide adequate ventilation it has been proposed to make the container with lattice-like sides but the lattice work tends to cut into the fruit.

The present invention aims to provide a container which may have all of characteristics (a) to (f) listed above.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a container comprising two parts both made by thermoforming thermoplastic rigid or semirigid sheet material and being provided with means for fastening the two parts together to close the container and so that margins of each part are adjacent margins of the other part and an interior space for containing soft fruit is defined within the container, the margins at least at opposite edges of the container being provided by webs, the webs of one part facing the webs of the other part when the container is closed and at least one of each pair of said facing webs at opposite edges of the container being provided with at least one groove, the grooves extending from the exterior of the container when closed to the interior space to provide ventilation passages, the container also being provided with ventilation holes punched in portions of each part spaced from the margins thereof.

Preferably the two parts are hinged together. This may be achieved by making the two parts by thermoforming a single sheet of material, at least one hinge line being formed between the two parts.

Preferably the means for fastening the two parts together to close the container comprises at least one pair of formations constituted by a projection on one part and socket or recess on the other part, the projection being a friction fit or snap fit in the socket or recess.

One or both of said parts may have a cavity bordered by the webs of that part, the webs being effectively in the form of flanges, and the interior space when the container is closed being formed by the cavity or cavities.

Preferably each part is formed with one of said cavities and preferably one of the cavities is deeper than the other.

Preferably each part is substantially square or rectangular and the respective webs extend along at least three sides thereof and ventilation passages are provided when the container is closed at said three sides.

At least one of the webs may have a portion formed with an aperture so that the web may function as a handle.

Preferably the portion of the container surrounding each ventilation hole is belled outwardly so that the edge of the hole is prevented from cutting into soft fruit in the container.

Preferably at least one of the parts comprises, at the bottom of the cavity, a web spaced from the plane of the aforementioned webs thereof and in which said ventilation holes are punched. The web at the bottom of the cavity is preferably parallel to the webs.

The invention is further described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of a first container according to the invention in opened condition; Figure 2 is a side view of the first container in opened condition; Figure 3 is a side view of the first container in closed condition; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the first container in closed condition; and Figures 5 to 8 correspond to Figures 1 to 4 but relate to a second container according to the invention.

In the drawings like reference numerals denote like parts.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, the first container shown therein is made by thermoforming a single sheet of semi-rigid thermoplastic material.

When open the container is substantially rectangular in plan and has two rectangular cavities 1 and 2, surrounded by webs 3 and 4 respectively. The webs 3 and 4 lie, except as described below, in a common plane. The cavity 1 is deeper than the cavity 2.

The webs 3 and 4 are interconnected by a channel-shaped portion 5 of the container providing hinge orfold lines 6 and 7 and, together with the webs 3 and 4, hinge or fold lines 8 and 9.

A wide portion 3a of the web 3 is formed with two circular recesses 10 which project below the plane of the web 3 (as viewed in Figure 1). A similar wide portion 4a of the web 4 is formed with hexagonal bosses 21 which project above the plane of the web 4.

Each of the portions 3a and 4a is provided with an aperture 31 and 32 respectively.

Portions 3b and 4b of the webs 3 and 4 are formed with grooves or channels 12 which extend from the free edges of the webs to the corresponding cavity 1 or2.

Portions 3c and 4c of the webs 3 and 4 are disposed in a plane slightly below the general plane of the webs 3 and 4 (as viewed in Figure 1) to provide wide grooves or channels extending from the apertures 11 and 12 to the corresponding cavity 1 or 2.

Each cavity 1 and 2 has a bottom web 14 and 15 respectively parallel to but disposed below (as viewed in Figure 1) the general plane of the webs 3 and 4, the plane of the web 14 being disposed below the plane of the web 15. In eachweb 14and 15 ventilation holes 16 have been punched out. Each ventilation hole 16 is surrounded by an outwardly belled portion 17 of the corresponding web.

Each cavity 1 or 2 has four side walls extending from the web 3 or 4 to the web 14 or 15, the side walls being inclined inwardly slightly, relative to each other. The side walls are provided with ribs or grooves 18 which, in the case of the side walls extending from portions 3b and 4b of the webs 3 and 4, are continuations of the grooves 12.

To close the container, the container is folded about the portion 5 to bring the web 3 facing the web 4 an d the bosses 21 are frictionally engaged in the recesses 10 thereby fastening the container closed.

The apertures 31 and 32 are in registry when the container is closed and the web portions 3a and 4a thereby may function as a carrying handle for the closed container.

When the container is in closed condition, the sides of the container are considered to be the webs 14 and 15, the bottom of the container being the portion 5 and the wide portions 3a and 4a of the webs 3 and 4 are considered to be at the top of the container. However, twill be understood that when the container is open and being filled and when it is being closed after being filled it is disposed with the web 3 substantially horizontal and with the cavity 1 depending therefrom.

When the container is closed, the grooves 12 of the web 3 are in registry with the grooves 12 of the web 4 and define ventilation passage 12' extending from the edges of the container to the interior space formed by the combined volume of the cavities 1 and 2. These ventilation passages 12' enable ventilation airto passfreelythroughthecontainerfrom one edge of the container to the opposite edge.

Also the ventilation holes 16 enable ventilation air to pass freely through the container from one side to the other.

The wide channels formed by the portions 3a and 4a of the webs 3 and 4 are also in registry when the container is closed to define a ventilation passage 12" extending downwardly from the apertures 11 and 12 to the interior space ofthechanger.

Thus through ventilation of the closed containers is provided in two mutually perpendicular directions (by the passages 12' and the holes 16) and further ventilation is provided at the top of the container (by the passage 12").

There are no parts of the container which can cut into or press into soft fruit in the container to physically damage it. In particular the belled portions 17 serve to prevent fruit being pushed into the holes 16 and cut by their edges.

The recesses 10 and bosses 11 enable the containerto be easily closed and opened by unskilled persons. The container when closed is quite rigid, its rigidity being enhanced by the external ribs formed by the material defining the grooves 18 and can be placed on its side and packed in a layer pressing against other like containers and stacked with other like containers without crushing soft fruit contained therein.

The container may be made of transparent material so that soft fruit contained therein is visible without need to open the container.

If soft fruit is put into the cavity in an amount to more than fill the larger cavity 1 and the container is closed and placed on its side with the web 15 lowermost then the fruit projects as a heap or pile into the cavity 2 and gives an illusion ofthe container containing more fruit than it really does.

The container may be economically and easily manufactured by thermoforming, the ventilation holes 16 being easily made by punching at the completion of thermoforming.

The second container is similar to the first container except as described below.

Referring to Figures 5 to 8, the circular recesses 10 are formed adjacent the cavity 1. Similarly the bosses 21 are formed adjacent the cavity 2.

The apertures 31 and 32 are substantially rectangular and the portions 3c and 4c of the webs 3 and 4 are narrower than the corresponding portions in the first containeer.

The portions 3b and 4b ofthe webs 3 and 4 are disposed in a plane slightly below the general plane of the webs 3 and 4 (as viewed in Figure 5) to provide wide grooves or channels extending from the cavity 1 or 2 respectively to the free edges of the webs 3 and 4.

When the container is in its closed condition, the wide channels of the webs 3 are in registry with the wide channels of the webs 4 to define a pair of ventilation passages 12' extending from the edges of the container to the space formed by the combined volume of the cavities 1 and 2. The ventilation passages 12' enable ventilation air to pass freely through the container from one edge of the container to the opposite edge.

The portions 3a and 4a of the webs are formed with grooves or ribs 23 which when the container is closed extend along the carrying handle above the apertures 11 and 12 to assist in rigidifying the handle.

Claims

1. A container comprising two parts both made by thermoforming thermoplastic rigid or semi-rigid sheet material and being provided with means for fastening the two parts together to close the container and so that margins of each part are adjacent margins of the other part and an interior space for containing soft fruit is defined within the container, the margins at least at opposite edges or extremities of the container being provided by webs, the webs of one part facing the webs of the other part when the container is closed and at least one of each pair of said facing webs at opposite edges of the container being provided with at least one groove, the grooves extending from the exterior of the container when closed to the interior space to provide ventilation passages, the container also being provided with ventilation holes in portions of each part and spaced from the margins thereof.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the two parts are hinged together.

3. A container according to claim 2, wherein the two parts are made by thermoforming a single sheet of material, at least one hinge line being formed between the two parts.

4. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the means for fastening the two parts together to close the container comprises at least one pair of formations constructed by a projecton on one part and a socket or recess on the other part, the projection being a friction fit or snap fit in the socket or recess.

5. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein one or both of said parts has a cavity bordered by the webs of that part, the webs being in the form of flanges and the interior space when the container is closed being formed by the cavity or cavities.

6. A container according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the parts comprises at the bottom of the cavity thereof a web spaced from the plane of the webs of the part and in which at least one said ventilation hole is provided.

7. A container according to claim 6, wherein in at least one of said parts the web at the bottom of the cavity is parallel to the webs bordering the cavity of that part.

8. A container according to any of claims 5 to 7, wherein each part is formed with one of said cavities.

9. A container according to claim 8, wherein one said cavity is deeper than the other said cavity.

10. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein each part is substantially square or rectangular, the respective webs extend along at least three sides thereof and said ventilation passages are provided at said three sides when the container is closed.

11. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the portion of the container surrounding each ventilation hole is belled outwardly so that the edge of the hole is prevented from cutting into soft fruit in the container.

12. A container substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.