GB2239860A

GB2239860A - Packages

Info

Publication number: GB2239860A
Application number: GB8925493A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph Peter Singleton
Original assignee: Marks and Spencer PLC
Current assignee: Marks and Spencer PLC
Priority date: 1989-11-10
Filing date: 1989-11-10
Publication date: 1991-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 2009-11-10
Also published as: GB2239860B; GB8925493D0

Abstract

A tray member 1 is held within an open-ended carton board sleeve 2 by folding up the end margins 12 of the bottom of the sleeve to lie against the ends of the tray. This configuration is tamper-evident especially at 14 where the sleeve side walls and end margin are folded together and optionally adhered at 13. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements in Packaging This invention relates to packaging for foodstuffs and the like of the type in which a foil tray or synthetic polymer a like loaded and slippery, container is packed for storage, transit, and point of sale advertising in a surrounding sleeve of carton board.

It is known to hold such a tray in a sleeve with cuts at the ends of the base of the sleeve such as to define upwardly foldable stops to the slippery and heavy filled tray. However, such packaging is not secure against accidental loss, and it is not tamper proof or tamper evident.

The present invention sets out to provide an assembly with a more secure, and tamper evident, surrounding sleeve.

The invention consists in the assembly of a tray member within an open-ended carton board sleeve in which the end margins of the bottom of the sleeve are folded up to lie against the ends of the tray as a tamper evident wall.

The tray is usually composed of metal or synthetic polymer and preferably has inwardly sloping ends and sides with a surrounding folded margin at the top for holding the edges of a covering card. In such a case, the sleeve has an overall length corresponding to the overall length of the top of the tray whereby two free margins are left at the bottom of the sleeve to fold and form the end walls. When this is done, bottom corner portions of the side walls of the sleeve, which are folded together as a consequence of folding in each wall can be adhered to maintain the structure.

Because there is typically a gap between the sleeve and the side walls of the tray (due to the projection of the rim) there is a typically creased transition piece between the adhered zone and the upstanding wall. This region is particularly tamper evident after the wall is torn to free the tray.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of prior art packaging; Figure 2 is a section along lines II-II of Figure 1: Figure 3 is an end view of the packaging shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section through part of the packaging along the lines IV-IV of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective end view of packaging in accordance with the invention; Figure 6 is an end view of the packaging shown at Figure 5; Figure 7 is a partial sectional view of the package shown in Figure 5 along VII-VII.

The prior art, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, comprises a pack with a foil tray 1 surrounded and retained by an outer card sleeve 2.

Tray 1 is rectangular, with inwardly sloping walls 3 at the side and 4 at the ends. At the top it is deformed at 5 into the marginal region holding the edge of a card 6 or a like cover for the contents.

Typically, the tray will be used to contain pre-cooked and chilled dishes, made up meat products, or the like food products, and is accordingly fairly heavy. Sleeve 2 is dimensioned and folded to fit around the tray 1 at an open-ended sleeve securely glued together at 7. In order to hold the relatively heavy and slippery filled metal foil or synthetic polymer tray 1 the sleeve is provided in four places with communicating slots 8 and 9 which at the free end 10 of the sleeve where left uncovered by the base of the tray define an upwardly foldable stop 11.

The disadvantages to this known system are that the tray can be too heavy, so that it pushes past the flimsy stops and falls out of the sleeve, and that the assembly is not resistant to theft nor immediately tamper evident.

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7. The tray 1 is exactly as before.

The modified sleeve 2a is generally similar to sleeve 2 but has a different retaining configuration at the ends. The sleeve is still generally glued together at 7, but possesses at least an upwardly and inwardly folded wall 12, generally vertical, which is held in position by adhesion at the side walls at 13 and so located (see also Figure 7) as to locate and immobilise the tray.

Such a configuration is much more resistant to casual loss occasioned by the tray slipping out of the glued end, and much more resistant to theft by unauthorised removal. Also, if a tray is stolen from the sleeve, the wall must be torn back at the intermediate zones 14 which curve around and crease to join the adhered patches 13 to the wall 12. Such a tear, and the consequent configuration of the wall, is immediately tamper evident.

The sleeve itself can be readily made by simple folding and adhesion before general pack assembly.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An assembly of a tray member within an open-ended carton board sleeve in which the end margins of the bottom of the sleeve are folded up to lie against the ends of the tray as a tamper evident wall.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the tray is composed of metal.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the tray is composed of synthetic polymer.

4. An assembly as claimed in claims 1, 2, or 3 in which the tray has inwardly sloping ends and sides with a surrounding folded margin at the top for holding the edges of a covering card.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4 in which the sleeve has an overall length corresponding to the overall length of the top of the tray whereby two free margins are left at the bottom of the sleeve to fold and form the end walls.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 in which bottom corner portions of the side walls of the sleeve, which are folded together as a consequence of folding in each wall are adhered to maintain the structure.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.