GB2339755A

GB2339755A - Packaging of food item

Info

Publication number: GB2339755A
Application number: GB9815680A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Julian David Kyrle Money
Original assignee: Pethick and Money Ltd
Current assignee: Pethick and Money Ltd
Priority date: 1998-07-17
Filing date: 1998-07-17
Publication date: 2000-02-09
Also published as: GB9815680D0

Description

2339755 IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATIN(3 TO COFTAINEPS FOR ARTICLES.A.NTD

METHODS OF PACKAGING THEREOF This invention relates to a package for a food item such as a baguette, roll or the like, comprising a combination of a sleeve and wrapping material or film, and provides a simple, neat and time efficient method of packaging articles.

This invention produces a container within which its contents are both protected from damage by a sleeve and protected from contamination by a film, whilst giving a visually attractive, tidy, and uniformly packaged article. This invention would be particularly useful to the fast food industry which require a high turnover of packaged articles which are uniform in appearance, protected from pollutants and can be stacked without damaging the products contained within. In addition, the container must be space efficient both for storage before and after the products have been packaged.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a package for a food item such as a baguette, roll or the like comprising a sheet of wrapping material to enclose the food item and a sleeve formed in card or the like to receive the wrapped food item, the sleeve having a closure for one end and being open at the other end to allow the food item to project therefrom, wherein the sleeve is formed from a blank of card or the like having at least two side walls hinged together at a fold line to form the sleeve with an end wall hinged to at least one of the side walls to form said end closure, the sheet of wrapping material being larger than the blank and at least one side wall of 2 r-'-e!-,lank being adhered off-centre to the sheet with a free edge of said one side adjacent one edge of the sheet so that when the sheet is wrapped over a food item, folding said one side of the blank over the food then automatically wraps the sheet adhered thereto over the food item, and means to adhere the free edges of the side walls together.

Preferably, wherein the end walls on both side walls fold into overlapping returns.

Advantageously, wherein the or each end wall hinge has a concave profile extending into the respective side wall and the free end of the end wall has a convex profile so that when the end wall is folded inwardly of the side wall, the side wall is caused to bow outwardly.

Preferably, wherein the free edge of at least one end wall contains a recess suitable for insertion of an object, such as a finger, to ease re-opening of the end wall.

In one specific embodiment, a package wherein the fold lines may be perforated or creased. Specifically, wherein the or each end wall hinge fold line is formed by a line of perforations.

Preferably, wherein the means of adhering the wrapping material to the blank is an adhesive. Specifically, wherein the wrapping material is adhered to all the side walls of the blank.

in another specific embodiment the present invention provides a package, wherein at least one side wall is rectangular in shape, with the other side walls located along the longer edges of the rectangular side wall.

Advantageously, wherein at least one of the side walls are longer than the remaining side walls, such that when the remaining shorter side walls are folded over to encase the food item within the package, the top of the food item protrudes above the shorter side walls, with the food item still supported by the longer side wall.

Specifically, wherein an increased portion of the wrapping material overhangs the top of the side wall rather than the bottom end wall.

Preferably, wherein upon folding, one side wall does not extend fully across an adjoining side wall to which it is hinged.

Advantageously, wherein the side walls are releasibly adhered using an adhesive label.

In another specific embodiment the present invention provides a package wherein one edge of the wrapping material aligns parallel with the free edge of said side wall to which it is adhered.

Specifically, a package wherein the wrapping material is rectangular in shape.

Preferably, wherein the wrapping material is made from a clear or colourless material. Specifically, wherein the wrapping material is made from a clear or colourless plastic.

4 The present invention provides a con--ainer formed.from a package as described previously.

The following is a description of a specific embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a sheet of material scored with fold lines, used to form a sleeve; Figure 2 is a plan view of a sheet of material scored with fold lines, in combination with a film; Figure 3 is an illustration of a sheet of material scored with fold lines, in combination with a film, in the flat pre-packed condition; Figure 4 is an illustration of a sheet of material scored with fold lines, in combination with a film, in the flat pre-packed condition, with an article placed on the film in a position over the base of the sheet of material; Figures 5-8 illustrate a packing sequence which may be used to wrap an article placed in a position as shown in Figure 4, such that a container is formed around the article as it is wrapped into the film.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the sheet of material 1, used to form the sleeve 20, has lateral fold lines 3 and 4 joining a base 7, to two lateral wings 8 and 9 respectively. In addition, there are two further curved bottom fold lines 5 and 6, which join the base 7 and one lateral wing 9 to bottom wings 10 and 11 respectively. Another feature of the sheet of material 1, is an recess 12 on the bottom wing 10, which may also be located on bottom wing 11. The recess 12 facilitates re- opening of the bottom of the sleeve 20 following construction from the sheet of material 1. The sheet of material I shown is made from cardboard.

All fold lines are such that they allow turning of the wings towards the same direction. In Figure 1, the fold lines are such that the wings are all turned down into the plane of the paper. Any of the fold lines 3, 4, 5 or 6 may be perforated or may be crease lines, but it may be particularly useful to perforate fold lines 5 and 6.

Figure 2 shows the sheet of material 1 in combination with the larger rectangular film 2, located in a position off-centre of the film 2. The film 2 may be combined with the sheet of material 1 by applying glue between certain regions of the two surfaces, for example on the base 7 and/or on any of the lateral wings 8 and 9. In the example shown in Figures 3-8, glue has been applied on the base 7 and lateral wing 9, and the film 2 placed on top in alignment with the sheet of material 1. The film 2 has been placed on the inner surface of the sheet of material 1 such that, once made, the sleeve 20 encloses the film 2.

Figures 3-8 show an example of a wrapping sequence for packing an article of food 23, more specifically a roll. However, gift articles, including neck ties, can be similarly wrapped. The film 2 may be opaque, or clear to allow viewing of the article 23 contained within.

6 As shown in Figure 4, the article 23 is first placed in position, on the film 2, over the base 7 of the sheet of material 1. The free end of the film 2 which is not attached to lateral wing 8, is folded over the article 23 and then tucked underneath, as shown in Figure 5. As shown is Figure 6, the bottom end of the film 2 is then folded back over the article 23. Following this procedure, as shown in Figure 7A, lateral wing 9 is folded over the article 23, to encase the folded ends of the film 2. The bottom wings 10 and 11 are subsequently turned in to form a base, as shown in Figure 7B. The final steps comprise turning in the lateral wing 8, as shown in Figure 8A, and applying an adhesive label 21 to retain the two lateral wings 8 and 9 over the article 23 and thus completing the formation of the sleeve 20, followed by folding in the remaining free end of the film 2 under the article 23 and placing this between the article 23 and the back of the sleeve 20, as illustrated in Figure 8B. An elongated base 7 facilitates this final tucking in procedure.

Thus, the invention combines a film and a sleeve, to form a single packaging system, to provide both protection from contamination and damage, for articles stored within, whilst providing a time efficient and simple packaging process. Other advantages include minimal storage space required for the packaging system prior to construction of the container, and production of a visually attractive, uniformly shaped package which displays the articles stored within.

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

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Claims

1. A package for a food item such as a baguette, roll or the like comprising a sheet of wrapping material to enclose the food item and a sleeve formed in card or the like to receive the wrapped food item, the sleeve having a closure for one end and being open at the other end to allow the food item to project therefrom, wherein the sleeve is formed from a blank of card or the like having at least two side walls hinged together at a fold line to form the sleeve with an end wall hinged to at least one of the side walls to form said end closure, the sheet of wrapping material being larger than the blank and at least one side wall of the blank being adhered off-centre to the sheet with a free edge of said one side adjacent one edge of the sheet so that when the sheet is wrapped over a food item, folding said one side of the blank over the food then automatically wraps the sheet adhered thereto over the food item, and means to adhere the free edges of the side walls together.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end walls on both side walls fold into overlapping returns.

3. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the or each end wall hinge has a concave profile extending into the respective side wall and the free end of the end wall has a convex profile so that when the end wall is folded inwardly of the side wall, the side wall is caused to bow outwardly.

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4. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the free edge of at least one end wall contains a recess suitable for insertion of an object, such as a finger, to ease re-opening of the end wall.

5 5. A package as claimed in of the preceding claims, wherein the fold lines may be perforated or creased.

6. A package as claimed in of the preceding claims, wherein the or each end wall hinge fold line is formed by a line of perforations.

7. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the means of adhering the wrapping material to the blank is an adhesive.

8. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapping material is adhered to all the side walls of the blank.

9. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one side wall is rectangular in shape, with the other side walls located along the longer edges of the rectangular side wall.

10. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the side walls are longer than the remaining side walls, such that when the remaining shorter side walls are folded over to encase the food item within the package, the top of the food item protrudes above the shorter side walls, with the food item still supported by the longer side wall.

11. A package as claimed in any of the preceding clair.s, wherein an increased portion of the wrapping material overhangs the top of the side wall rather than the bottom end wall.

12. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein upon folding, one side wall does not extend fully across an adjoining side wall to which it is hinged.

13. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherei n the side walls are releasibly adhered using an adhesive label.

14. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein one edge of the wrapping material aligns parallel with the free edge of said side wall to which it is adhered.

15. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapping material is rectangular in shape.

16. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapping material is made from a clear or colourless material.

17. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapping material is made from a clear or colourless plastic.

18. A container formed from a package as claimed in any of the preceding claims.

19. A package substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. A container formed from a package substantially as -hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.