GB2302322A

GB2302322A - Packaging containers

Info

Publication number: GB2302322A
Application number: GB9611615A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey John Radley; Duncan Bradbury Robinson
Original assignee: Waddingtons Cartons Ltd
Current assignee: Waddingtons Cartons Ltd
Priority date: 1995-06-20
Filing date: 1996-06-04
Publication date: 1997-01-15
Also published as: GB9512528D0; GB9611615D0

Abstract

A packaging container which is supplied as a flattened tube is erected by pushing the sides together so that it takes up a tube form, in which form the contents, such as a chocolate Easter Egg are inserted. One of the sides has a multi-sided aperture 36 through which the contents can be viewed, and around this aperture are panels 28,38,40 which incline inwards to simulate picture frame panels. The picture frame panels 28,38,40 preferably are self erecting as the blank is moved to tubular form.

Description

Improvements Relating to Packaging Containers This invention relates to packaging containers, especially those containers which are produced from cut and creased sheet material such as cardboard.

With the proliferation of the marketing of products in different forms and containers, there is a constant demand for producing packaging containers for products (or contents) which possess some novelty of appearance or construction. These containers are used for the packaging of large numbers of similar articles, and are produced therefore in large quantities. The containers are traditionally produced by a manufacturer who is referred to as a converter as he converts the basic raw material such as cardboard from sheet into containers or container blanks.

The containers or blanks are then supplied to what is referred to as a packer, and the packer puts his products into the containers which are then delivered to a retailer for sale to the consumer for example by being displayed for example on supermarket shelves.

There is considerable competition of course between converters and packers and there is a constant effort to generate increased sales of packaged products or to increase their profitability. Sales can be increased by improving the appearance of the packaging, and increased efficiency can be achieved for example by reducing the quantity of packaging material which needs to be used for a required effect, by constructing the packaging container so that it can be erected more simply, and/or by constructing the packaging container so that when it is erected from a blank it can be erected more quickly.

In practise, because converters do not like to transport air, the packaging containers are produced as blanks and are erected by the packer at the packer's facility.

The present invention is concerned with providing a novel form of packaging container on the one hand, and at least in preferred embodiments, a packaging container which is capable of easy erection by the packer for the charging of his contents thereinto.

In accordance with the present invention, in a general aspect thereof, the packaging container is constructed as a "tube" type blank so that it can be erected by pushing the edges of the flattened tube together, and one face of the container has an aperture through which the product contents can be viewed by the consumer, and around said aperture at least on some of the sides thereof are frame panels which in the erected container extend inwardly of the container to simulate picture framing.

Preferably the said frame panels are on three sides of the aperture.

The frame panels may be interlocked manually after initial erection of the blank, but preferably at least one of the panels is provided with an integral lift section which is adhered to an adjacent wall of the container, so that when the container is erected from the flattened tubular form, the frame panel connected to said lift panel folds to said inward disposition, and preferably, simultaneously, adjacent frame panels on adjacent sides of the aperture are automatically erected.

The inner edges of the frame panels may be profiled in order to receive and hold the container contents which may comprise a the rmo formed insert containing for example a chocolate Easter egg, and confectionery bars or loose confectionery items such as sweets.

The container may be provided at one end of the tubular configuration with panels defining an automatically erecting base, whilst at the other end the tubular configuration has fold over cover panels adapted to close the container after insertion thereinto of the container contents.

The container preferably is constructed from a single blank of cut and creased sheet material, specifically cardboard.

The invention has several advantages including that erection, especially erection of the preferred embodiment of the invention, when the frame panels erect automatically, is quick, and secondly, the resulting container presents a novel appearance in having said frame panels at the sides of the aperture through which the product is viewed.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows a conventional container in side view which embodies a chocolate Easter egg and chocolate bars; Fig. 2 is a blank erectable into a container according to the embodiment of the invention; Figs. 3 and 4 show the method of folding and gluing the blank of Fig. 2 to produce a flattened tube which can be erected by the packer for filling with the container contents; Fig. 5 is a perspective view to illustrate how the flattened tubular container can be erected to tubular form; Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional elevations taken on the line X X in Fig. 5 to show how the container erects; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the fully erected container; and Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the container according to the embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a cardboard blank in Fig. 2 is illustrated by reference numeral 10, and in this example it is for erection into a rectilinear box suitable for holding a chocolate Easter egg and some other items such as chocolate bars. The Easter egg and chocolate bars will be held in a plastic moulding insert which is not shown in the drawings, but which is now conventionally used. It is to be mentioned that the contents of the container can be any suitable, in which case the shaping of the plastic insert and parts of the container blank would be varied accordingly.

The blank 10 is of cardboard and is cut and creased, the cut lines being shown in full lines in Fig. 2, and the crease lines being shown by dotted lines.

The blank comprises two rectangular side panels 12 and 14, and end panels 16 and 20. End panel 16 joins side panels 12 and 14 by crease lines 18 and 20, whilst panel 20 is connected to panel 14 by crease line 22.

At its free edge panel 20 is provided with an extension 24, the purpose of which is to assist in erection of certain panels formed within panel 12 as will be described hereinafter, to provide a "framing" effect in the finished product.

Extension 24 comprises a glue strip 26, a frame strip 28, and a lift section made up of strips 30, 32 and 34 which are hinged together by the hinge lines as shown.

In the panel 12 is provided a viewing window 36 of which a pair of opposite edges are provided with framing panels 38 and 40, each of which is arcuately profiled at 42 and 44 for engagement of a part of the plastic insert which conforms to the shape of the egg. These arcuate portions engage and hold the insert in a particular disposition. Also for this purpose, the extension 24 is provided with a somewhat elliptical cutout 46 along the hinge line between strips 28 and 30.

Conventionally, the top ends of the panels 12, 14, 16 and 20 are provided with cover flaps 48, 50, 52 and 54 which serve to close the container when it is in the erected form, and after the contents have been placed therein. The lower ends of these panels are provided with base closure flaps 55, 56, 58 and 60 which are of conventional construction and form what is sometimes referred to as a "swifty" base, which erects automatically with erection of the container to form a closed base. These base panels are conventional in nature and operation, and will not be described further.

In order to erect the blank shown in Fig. 2 to tubular flattened configuration, panels 12 and 16 are folded about hinge line 18 so as to overlie the other two panels 14 and 20 as shown in Fig. 3, the base panels 54 to 60 having been initially folded upwardly onto the respective panels to which they are hinged.

Strip 26 has glue applied thereto, and the strips 32 and 34 of the extension are folded onto the remainder of the extension as shown in Fig. 3, and strip 34 has adhesive applied thereto. The adhesive is indicated in each case by lines of crosshatching.

Finally, the extension in the condition shown in Fig. 3 is folded onto the outside of panel 12, and this means that the strip 26 adheres to the outside of panel 12 in region 66, but the glued strip 34 in fact adheres to the inner surface of panel 20, through the aperture 36. The strips 28 and 30 of the extension 24 overlie the edges of the frame panels 38 and 40 of panel 12. In this form, the container is of flattened tubular configuration, and it is in this form in which it is dispatched to the packer for erection and filling.

Fig. 5 shows the flattened tubular container in perspective view, and is included to illustrate how the container is erected from the flattened form to the rectangular form.

Quite simply, the packer pushes the edges 68 and 70 of the flattened tubular form together which causes erection of the panels 12, 14, 16 and 20 to the condition shown in Fig. 8.

During this erection process, by virtue of the extension 24 and its method of connection to panel 14, the strips 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 fold relative to each other so that strip 28 forms a framing panel, strip 30 folds back towards the adjacent end panel 20, and strip 32 takes up the position lying at right angles to the panel 20, and by virtue of the angling between the panels 28 and 30, the elliptical cutout 46 in fact defines a pair of support edges 70 and 72 (Fig.

8) which engages on the egg shape part of the insert when it is placed into the container, assisting in holding such insert and its contents in the correct disposition. At the same time, by virtue of the folding of the strip 28, the framing panels 38 and 40 which underlie this strip at the ends thereof, are folded inwardly as shown especially in Fig. 7 by the panel 40.

The net result is as shown in Fig. 9. The framing panels 28, 38 and 40 give a picture effect which enhances the appearance of the complete package as can be seen by comparing Fig. 9 with the container shown in Fig. 1 which is a conventional container which has no framing panels.

Particular advantage of the arrangement described is that the container is the tube type insofar as the blank can be erected into a flattened tubular configuration as shown in Fig. 4, so that erection is simplified, and furthermore by virtue of the construction, the framing panels erect automatically with the erection of the tubular form container.

Closuring of the top of the container takes place after insertion of the insert with its contents, and closure panel 58 is provided with a locking tongue 74, which is engagable in a locking slot 76 along the hinge line between panel 50 and panel 40.

Although the embodiment of the invention described has particular advantage, and provides for automatic erection of the framing panels, in another embodiment of the invention, the framing panels may be designed and arranged to be erected manually after the erection of the container from the tubular form, and with said manual erection, the framing panels can be caused to interlock to remain in the inclined framing position.

Claims

1. A packaging container constructed as a "tube" type blank so that it can be erected by pushing the edges of the flattened tube together, and one face of the container has a multi-sided aperture through which the product contents can be viewed by the consumer, and around said aperture at least on some of the sides thereof are frame panels which in the erected container extend inwardly of the container to simulate picture framing.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the said frame panels are on three sides of the aperture.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the frame panels are interlocked manually after initial erection of the blank.

4. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the panels is provided with an integral lift section which is adhered to an adjacent wall of the container, so that when the container is erected from the flattened tubular form, the frame panel connected to said lift panel folds to said inward disposition.

5. A container according to claim 4, wherein, when the said one panel erects, simultaneously adjacent frame panels on adjacent sides of the aperture are automatically erected.

6. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the inner edges of the frame panels are profiled in order to receive and hold the container contents which may comprise a thermoformed insert containing for example a chocolate Easter egg, and confectionery bars or loose confectionery items such as sweets.

8. A container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the container is provided at one end of the tubular configuration with panels defining an automatically erecting base.

9. A container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the container is provided at one end of the tubular configuration with panels adapted to close the container after insertion thereinto of the container contents.

10. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container is constructed from a single blank of cut and creased sheet material, specifically cardboard.

11. A packaging container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A packaging container constructed as a "tube" type blank so that it can be erected by pushing the edges of the flattened tube together, and one flat face of the container has a multi-sided aperture through which the product contents can be viewed by the consumer, and around said aperture at least on some of the sides there are regions of said face from which extend frame panels which in the erected container incline inwardly of the container and said regions and said frame panels together simulate picture.

4. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the frame panels is provided with an integral lift section which is adhered to an adjacent wall of the container, so that when the container is erected from the flattened tubular form, the frame panel connected to said lift panel folds to said inward disposition.

7. A container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the container is provided at one end of the tubular configuration with panels defining an automatically erecting base.

8. A container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the container is provided at one end of the tubular configuration with panels adapted to close the container after insertion thereinto of the container contents.

9. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container is constructed from a single blank of cut and creased sheet material, specifically cardboard.

10. A packaging container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.