GB2322843A - A container held within a sleeve - Google Patents

Abstract

A package comprises a sleeve (11) and a container (41) which is slidably removable from the sleeve which includes at least one tamper evident device (24-27) integral with the sleeve and which engages with an exposed rim (42) of the container (11). The container (11) can be slidably removed from the sleeve only after damaging a tamper evident device (24-27), each of which comprises a tongue (24,25,26 or 27) foldably connected to a central panel (12) of the sleeve and which is folded to engage the rim (42) of the container. Each tongue is connected to a comer of the central panel (12) of the sleeve blank by a fold line (32) biased at an angle A.

Description

A Package This invention relates to a package comprising a container having a protective sleeve, and a blank for the sleeve.

Foodstuffs are sometimes packaged in dish-like or tray-like containers which are typically formed from a plastics material or from aluminium foil and are usually square or rectangular in plan view. The containers are generally sealed with a removable cover and surrounded by a decorative and/or protective cardboard or paper sleeve. The sleeve generally carries information relating to the product stored in the container e.g. cooking instructions, price etc. as well as protecting the removable cover. The container is generally removed from the sleeve by sliding the container out of one of the open ends of the sleeve.

A problem with this type of sleeve/container combination is that the container may accidently slip out of its sleeve and become separated during handling so that the product in the container is unidentifiable prior to opening. A further problem is that unauthorised persons may remove the container from its sleeve for either tampering with the contents or substituting a different container of higher priced goods since it is generally the sleeve that displays the price.

One method of preventing accidental separation of the sleeve and container is to form in each open end portion of the sleeve an articulated section which on assembly of the sleeve around the container can be configured to act as an abutment and hold the container within the sleeve. A disadvantage of this articulated type of retainer is. that it is easily displaceable by unauthorised persons allowing the container to be removed from the sleeve.

Accordingly there is provided a package comprising a sleeve and a container which is slidably removable from the sleeve, wherein the sleeve includes at least one tamper evident device cut from and integral with the sleeve and which is fixedly secured to engage with an exposed end of the container to hold the container within the sleeve, the container being slidably removable from the sleeve only after damage and/or rupturing of the tamper evident device.

The tamper evident device is preferably a tongue connected to a panel of the sleeve and which is folded to lie between a container and the sleeve and engage a portion of the container. Preferably the central panel is square or rectangular and overlies a container having a rim around its opening and each tongue extends from the central panel and engages a portion of said rim.

Also according to the invention there is provided a blank for a sleeve wherein said blank comprises a central panel having a pair of side walls foldably connected to opposite sides thereof through a first fold line, a bottom panel connected to each sidewall through a second fold line, the bottom panels being connectable to one another to form the sleeve, and a pair of tongues at each end portion of the central panel which extend away from each other and which are foldable across the central panel along a bias fold line so that a portion of each tongue forms a tamper evident device.

Preferably the first fold lines extend across their respective adjacent tongues.

The tongues are cut out of the material of the blank and extent alongside one end of a side wall and connected bottom panel. The length of each tongue is less than one half of the distance between the first fold lines. The bias fold line for each tongue preferably makes any bias angle as is required for engagement with the container, typically in the range of 30 to 60 degrees and preferably 45 degrees, and preferably 45 degrees with the respective first fold line.

Also according to another aspect of the invention there is provided a sleeve for use in the above package, said sleeve comprising a central panel for overlying the container opening, a pair of side walls extending away from the central panel and connected to opposite sides of said panel through first fold lines, bottom panels connected one to each sidewall through second fold lines and being folded back across the container to overlap one with the other, and a pair of tongues attached to each end portion of the central panel through respective biased fold lines, said tongues extending inwardly adjacent the respective sidewall, and the portion of each tongue adjacent the biased fold line forming a detent for securing a container within the sleeve.

The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a view of a sleeve blank according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is an end view of a package according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one end portion of the package as shown in Fig. 2.

Now with reference to Fig.l there is shown a cardboard sleeve made of 150 to 700 micron board, and in this example 450 micron board. The sleeve 11 comprises a central panel 12 which is rectangular or square or any other desired shape having two opposite parallel sides. For the purposes of the present invention the term " "Rectangular" will hereinafter include a square.

A pair of sidewall panels 13 and 14 are each connected to an opposite side of the central panel 12 by respective first fold lines 15 & 16. Each sidewall panel 13 & 14 is further connected through a respective second fold line 17 & 18, on its side opposite to the respective first fold line, to a bottom panel 21 or 22. Adhesive may be applied to the free end portion of one bottom panel 23.

The sidewall panels 13,14 and bottom panels 21,22 are shorter in length than the central panel 12 so that the two end portions of the central panel 12 are each connected to a pair of oppositely extending tongues 24,25,26,27. The tongues 24-27 extend normal to the first fold lines 15 & 16 and are separated from the adjacent sidewall panels and bottom panels by cuts 28,29,30,31 respectively extending normal to the respective first fold line.

Each tongue is connected to the central panel 12 by a respective biased fold line 32 which is biased at an angle "A" to the adjacent first fold line and which extends from the intersection of each respective cut 28-31 with its respective first fold line 15 or 16 to the free edge of the central panel to make an obtuse angle relative to the respective cut. The angle "A" will be determined by the overall size and shape of the package, and will typically lie in the range of 30 to 60 degrees. In this embodiment of the invention the bias angle is 45 degrees. The bias angle of the fold lines 32 enables the tongues to be folded to overlie the central panel 12 substantially parallel to the adjacent fold lines. Each fold line 15 & 16 also extends transversely of the adjacent tongues 24,26 and 25,27 respectively. The edge of each tongue 24-27 adjacent its respective cut 28-31 is formed with a notch 33 in its edge.

Now with reference to Fig.2 and Fig.3, there is shown a package 40 including a dish-like or tray-like container 41 and a decorative and/or protective sleeve 11 which is formed from the sleeve blank 11 shown in Fig. 1 and therefore the same reference numbers will be used where appropriate.

The container 41 has a substantially rectangular overall plan view with a opening which is sealed by a removable cover and which may be surrounded by a rim 42. The container 41 may be made from aluminium foil or a suitable plastics material e.g.

PET, which is suitable for use in micro-wave ovens.

The sleeve 11 is arranged with its rectangular central panel overlying the container opening and the sidewalls 13 and 14 are turned down around the container with the bottom panels 21 and 22 folded back underneath the container 41 towards each other. The bottom panels 21,22 overlap and are secured together by adhesive applied in the region 23 on bottom panel 22.

The tongues 24-27, only two of which are shown at one open end of the sleeve 11, are folded back downwards around the bias fold lines 32 and inwards around the transverse extensions of fold lines 15 & 16 to lie adjacent the respective sidewalls 13 & 14. The tongues 24-27 lie substantially flat against their respective sidewalls and extend downwardly and inwardly at a bias angle to the central panel 12. The free ends of the tongues 24-27 may be tucked between the container 41 and bottom panels 21-22, depending upon the length of the tongues and the bias of the fold lines 32.

The tongues 24-27 each have a triangular portion 37 between the two fold lines 32 and 15 or 16 as appropriate. This portion 37 serves as an abutment or detent holding the upper corner portions of the container 41.

If an attempt is made to remove a container 41 from its sleeve 11 the free ends of the tongues 24-27 are surprisingly held by friction and the tongues are not easily withdrawn without rupture or other damage to the abutment portions 37.

Even if individual tongues can be prised out of the package it is impossible to replace them in their original positions without leaving some evidence of tampering. However to prevent this possibility the free ends of the tongues may be fixed in position adjacent the respective sidewall by adhesive. If adhesive is used, a small blob of adhesive will be applied to the side walls in the desired location before or during assembly of the sleeve around a container. The notches 33 allow the tongues to pass over the blobs of adhesive during the assembly process without picking up adhesive.

Claims (17)

Claims

1. A package comprising a sleeve and a container which is slidably removable from the sleeve, wherein the sleeve includes at least one tamper evident device cut from and integral with the sleeve and which is fixedly secured to engage with an exposed end of the container to hold the container within the sleeve, the container being slidably removable from the sleeve only after damaging of the tamper evident device.

2. A package as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each tamper evident device comprises a tongue connected to a panel of the sleeve and which is folded to lie between the container and the sleeve and engage a portion of the container.

3. A package as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the container has a rim around its opening and each tamper evident device engages a portion of said rim.

4. A package as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the sleeve has a central panel that overlies the container opening, sidewalls connected to opposite sides of the panel through first fold lines, and bottom panels each connected to a respective sidewall and which are folded around the container to overlap one with the other, wherein tamper evident devices are foldably connected to the central panel and are folded to lie between a sidewall and the container, and engage the container rim.

5. A package as claimed in Claim 4 in which the container is rectangular and the tamper evident devices engage with the corners of the container.

6. A package as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the tamper evident device is adhered to the sidewall.

7. A package as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the container is a foodstuffs container suitable for placement in a microwave after removal from the sleeve.

8. A blank for a sleeve as used in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein said blank comprises a central panel having a pair of side walls foldably connected to opposite sides thereof through a first fold line, a bottom panel connected to each sidewall through a second fold line, the bottom panels being connectable to one another to form the sleeve, and a pair of tongues at each end portion of the central panel which extend away from each other and which are foldable across the central panel along a bias fold line so that a portion of each tongue forms a tamper evident device.

9. A blank as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said first fold lines extend across the tongues at the ends of each respective sidewall.

10. A blank as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the tongues are each separated from the adjacent end of the side wall and bottom panel by a cut which extends up to the first fold line to intersect the respective bias line.

11. A blank as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 10, wherein the length of each tongue is just less than one half of the distance between the two fold lines.

12. A blank as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the bias fold line for each tongue is biased at an angle of between 30 and 60 degrees to the respective first fold line so that each tongue can be folded to be substantially parallel to its adjacent fold line.

13. A blank as Claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 12 wherein the free end portion of each tongue has a notch formed in one side thereof.

14. A sleeve for use in the package of claim 1, said sleeve comprising a central panel for overlying the container opening, a pair of side walls extending away from the central panel and connected to opposite sides of said panel through first fold lines, and bottom panels connected one to each sidewall through second fold lines and being folded back across the container to overlap one with the other, and a pair of tongues attached to each end portion of the central panel through respective biased fold lines, said tongues extending inwardly adjacent the respective sidewall and the portion of each tongue adjacent the biased fold line forming a detent for securing a container within the sleeve.

15. A sleeve as claimed in Claim 14 wherein each tongue has a second fold line extending transversly of the tongue allowing the tongue to lie flat against the adjacent side wall.

16. A sleeve as claimed in Claim 14 or Claim 15 wherein the free end of each tongue is adhered to the adjacent side wall.

17. A sleeve as claimed in any one of Claims 14 to 16 wherein the sidewalls and bottom panels are shorter in length than the central panel.