GB2234741A

GB2234741A - Packaging for foodstuffs and the like

Info

Publication number: GB2234741A
Application number: GB8916793A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Donald Rider
Original assignee: ADAMS FOODS Ltd
Current assignee: ADAMS FOODS Ltd
Priority date: 1989-07-21
Filing date: 1989-07-21
Publication date: 1991-02-13
Also published as: GB8916793D0

Abstract

Tamper evident packaging, e.g. for wrapped choose portions or other dairy products, has a container body (10) with a rebated rim (14) to receive a press-fit lid (12), the lid including one or more pull tabs (18) which are defined at least in part by a line or zone of weakness (20) between the tab and the rest of the lid whereby an attempt to free the lid by pulling the tab will cause readily visible tearing or creasing of the lid. <IMAGE>

Description

PACKAGING FOR FOODSTUFFS AND THE LIKE.

This invention relates to packaging for foodstuffs and the like; more specifically to non-hermetically sealed lidded containers as used for packaging wrapped portions of cheese spread and similar dairy and other produce.

Recent occurrences of tampering with packaged foodstuffs in supermarkets or other shops or otherwise between leaving the manufacturer and use by the consumer, or simulations or rumours thereof, sometimes accompanied by blackmail type threats or demands against the manufacturer or supplier has led to the need for packaging which is "tamper evident".

No packaging can be devised, particularly for mass produced low price products, which is completely proof against all tampering or which will ensure that any tampering or attempt thereat is readily detectable.

However packaging which cannot be opened quickly and/or without special equipment and skills except by readily noticed tearing, distortion or other physical change of the outward characteristics of the packaging will act as a strong deterrent to many actions of the above kind and will facilitate early detection e.g. on the shelf or at the point of sale; and packaging having such characteristics is hereinafter referred to as "tamper evident packaging".

The object of the invention is to provide tamper evident packaging which is inexpensive and economical to manufacture and use, which can maintain the traditional shape and appearance of well known forms of packaging; which does not cause undue difficulty or inconvenience to the end user; and yet which is particularly effective.

According to the invention there is provided tamper evident packaging for foodstuffs and the like comprising a container body having a mouth with a rebated rim forming an internal seating, and a closure which is a press-fit in said seating so as to locate firmly within the rim characterised in that the closure includes a pull tab for use in displacing the closure from the rim defined at least in part by a line or zone of weakness between the tab and the remainder of the closure which line or zone will be visibly distorted or torn when force is applied to the tab for removal or attempted removal of the closure from the body.

The closure may include more than one pull tab.

Conveniently the closure, including its tab or tabs, is formed from flat sheet material, e.g. card, and preferably the tab or tabs will lie in co-planar relationship to the remainder of the closure, e.g.

projecting laterally from an edge or edges thereof.

The container body may take various forms and be made of various materials depending on the desired shape and volume and the type of foodstuffs or other contents.

Typically it may be a circular or other shaped tray or dish vacuum formed or otherwise manufactured from plastics material.

The rim may have a rebate of somewhat undercut profile in cross-section so that the edge or edges of the closure snap-fit therein.

Projecting end portions of the tab or tabs may be received in a notch or other cut-out of the rim, preferably so that they do not project laterally beyond the general envelope of the container, e.g. beyond the outward projection of the rim, to reduce the likelihood of accidental pressure thereon or displacement thereof during normal handling.

The line or zone of weakness may form a continuous boundary between the tab and the remaining area of the closure e.g. so that the closure will tear along a defined line to separate the tab from the remainder of the closure; or it may have a more limited extent so that there is no defined boundary between some part or parts of the tab and the remainder of the closure.

embodiment of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of assembled packaging for wrapped portions of cheese spread or the like ; Figure 2 is a like view showing the packaging in course of opening; Figure 3 is a plan view of a body and lid of said packaging shown separated prior to assembly; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of assembled packaging.

The packaging comprises a dish-like container body 10, in this example circular in plan though it will be appreciated that the invention can readily be applied to other shapes of container, e.g. rectangular; and a closure in the form of a flat lid 12.

Body 10 is vacuum formed from semi-rigid sheet plastics material in known manner and includes a radially outwardly and upwardly projecting rim 14 having a stepped internal profile in the form of an undercut rebate 16 (Fig.3) providing an internal seating for the edge of lid 12 which is a press-fit to snap-engage in rebate 16. Lid 12 is formed from flat card, the upper face of which may be printed with particulars of the contents of the packaging etc in known manner.

As thus far described the packaging is the same as that already known and familiar for cheese spread portions. In the known packaging, to facilitate removal of the lid, the edge of the latter is provided with a nptch or cut-out which extends radially inwardly of rebate 16 so that the lid can be levered out by the tip of the finger. If this is done with a little care the lid can speedily be removed and replaced without any apparent creasing or distortion, thus it would not be evident that a package had been clandestinely opened and closed again e.g. for tampering with the contents.

In the case of the invention no such cut-out is provided making it extremely difficult to prize the lid out of the rebate without the use of some pointed instrument or the like which would cause apparent damage or distortion to the lid edge and/or body rim.

Instead lid 12 includes a pair of pull tabs 18 at diametrically opposite sides of the lid. It is to be understood that for some applications a single such tab could be used or there could be more than two tabs.

Each tab 18 is co-planar with the remainder of lid 12 and is manufactured integrally therewith i.e. from the same single sheet of card for greatest economy and also to facilitate storage and handling prior to assembly of the packaging in that the flat card will stack and can be cut and formed in a single die cutting process.

The tab 18 has an outer end portion which is rectangular in shape and which projects radially beyond the edge of the remainder of the lid. These projecting parts are received closely in notches cut in the upstanding part of rim 14 and they are dimensioned so that they do not project radially beyond the radially outer edge of the rim.

The area of each tab radially inwardly of said outer end is defined by a line of weakness 20 extending back from the outer end to a semi-circular inner end within the main area of the lid. In this example the line of weakness consists of a series of closely spaced knife cuts forming partial perforations running continuously around the area of the tab.

The tab must be pulled upwards out of the plane of the lid to free the latter from rebate 16 and the force so applied will tear or deform the line of weakness 20 at least in part eg. as seen in Fig. 4 and will also cause localised creasing of at least the tab in most cases. It is impossible to restore the lid to its original condition and the tearing and/or bending and creasing will be apparent on inspection even if the lid is pressed back in place. When the packaging is to be opened legitimately, e.g. by the end user, such tearing or distortion does not matter; even if a tab 18 is pulled completely away from the remaining part of the lid the opening so formed in its edge can be used to raise or lever the lid off e.g. by the fingertip.

It is to be understood that the line or zone of weakness could take other forms, for example it could be a continuous scoring or knife cut part way through the thickness of the lid material and/or it may run only partly around the tab area leaving part of the border between the tab and the remainder of the lid undefined.

For example short lines of weakness could extend inwards from the edges of the protruding outer end portion of tab 18 but without being continued further than a short distance from the lid edge leaving the inner end of the tab undefined. Pulling such tab upwards would bend it and tear it along those lines. In some cases a single short line of weakness e.g. from one side only of the protruding part of the tab could be sufficient. The line of weakness could be defined by a series of perforations right through the lid material.

It is also contemplated that the line or zone of weakness could be provided by making a tab portion of the lid or other closure have different resistance to tearing or deformation compared with the adjoining regions of the closure, for example by providing a reinforcing lamination, e.g. an additional layer of cord or a plastics laminate bonded to the tab area, or to the surrounding area of the closure so that tearing or distortion will occur due to concentration of forces at the edges of the reinforcement and/or possibly by splitting of layers of the closure in or adjacent to those areas. However this will add to the cost of manufacture and may complicate handling eg on the packing line. Thus the simpler form of the invention described above will be preferable for many applications.

For added security, as shown in Fig.4, a band 22 of adhesive tape may be passed diametrically across lid 13 over the tabs 18 and around or partly around the base of body 10. Alternatively shorter sealing strips could be secured between each tab 18 and the side wall and/or base of the body.

Claims

1. Tamper evident packaging for foodstuffs and the like comprising a container body having a mouth with a rebated rim forming an internal seating, and a closure which is a press-fit in said seating so as to locate firmly within the rim characterised in that the closure includes a pull tab for use in displacing the closure from the rim defined at least in part by a line or zone of weakness between the tab and the remainder of the closure which line or zone will be visibly distorted or torn when force is applied to the tab for removal or attempted removal of the closure from the body.

2. Packaging as in Clairn 1 wherein the closure includes more than one pull tab.

3. Packaging as in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the closure, including its tab or tabs is formed from card or other flat sheet material.

4. Packaging as in Claim 1 2 or 3 wherein the tab or tabs lie in co-planar relatisnship to the reimaincUr of the closure.

5. Packaging as in Claim 4 wherein the tab or tabs project laterally frot: an edge or edges or the closure and are each received in a respective notch or other cutout of the rim.

6. Packaging as in any preceding claim wherein the container body is a circular or other shaped tray or dish vacuum formed or otherwise manufactured from plastics material.

7. Packaging as in any preceding clait- wherein the rim has a rebate of somewhat undercut profile in crosssection so that the edge or edges of the closure snds-fit therein.

8. PAckaging as in any preceding claim. Lm~rein the line or zone cf weakness forms a continuous boundary hetucen the related tab and the remaining area of the closure.

9. Packaging as in any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the line or zone of weakness respective to each tab has a limited extent so that there is no defined boundary between some part or parts of the or each tab and th remainder of the closure.

10. Packaging substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.