ITUB20155499A1 - PACKAGE FOR FOOD PRODUCTS - Google Patents

Description

"Packaging for food products"

TEXT OF THE DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a package containing food products which have fragile edges or ends, in particular confectionery products.

Known technique

With particular reference to products intended mainly to be consumed as a snack, the so-called snacks, these are usually packaged individually in wrappers, for example flowpack-type wrappers, and arranged in several units inside containers to be sold in batches.

For the storage and transport of the containers in guestione, these are in turn placed inside packaging within which they are moved along the entire distribution chain to the final points of sale. The distribution phase obviously constitutes a very delicate phase, above all for the fragile products of interest here and so far this problem has been tackled by focusing attention above all on packaging.

To complete the picture, at least for the aspects that interest us here, it should be noted again, in relation to the packaging indicated above, that one of the most common types of container in this field is certainly represented by paper containers consisting of one or more rigid or semi-rigid sheets. folded up. Today, however, the types of snacks on the market are increasingly numerous and there is therefore the need to provide new containers capable of satisfying the various needs in terms of format, opening methods, product protection, etc. imposed by the new types of products.

Purpose of the invention

In this context, the Applicant has proposed the purpose of making a container capable of safeguarding the integrity of the products, with particular reference to those products which have particularly fragile edges or ends, such as, for example, products consisting of shells or half-shells. of chocolate, wafers, etc ..

Summary of the invention

The indicated object is achieved by means of a package having the characteristics indicated in claim 1. The present invention also relates to a container according to claim 7 and a sheet according to claim 10.

The claims form an integral part of the technical teaching administered herein in relation to the invention.

Detailed description of some embodiments Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become evident from the following description with reference to the attached drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 represents an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the package described here;

figure 2 represents a sectional view of the package of figure 1;

Figure 3 schematically represents, in partial section, various embodiments of the bottom of the container illustrated in Figure 1.

The following description illustrates various specific details aimed at an in-depth understanding of the embodiments. The embodiments can be made without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components or materials etc. In other cases, known material structures or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the embodiment.

The references used are for convenience only and do not define the scope of protection or the scope of the embodiments.

The described package gui constitutes a packaging set for food products which has been specifically made for use in the packaging of so-called snacks, or products intended to be consumed as a snack.

In general, the package described - indicated in the figures as a whole with the reference number 10 - comprises a container 2 consisting of a folded rigid or semi-rigid sheet, for example of paper or cardboard, and a plurality of products 4 arranged according to one or more file inside the container. Preferably, the individual products are contained within wrappers 6 so that once the container is opened, the consumer can be free to consume the individual products at different times and in particular can take them with him individually or in subgroups, to consume them during the day. .

It should be noted that the wrapping of the individual products constitutes only a protective membrane which separates the product from the outside but which on the other hand does not provide any mechanical protection. 1 / the wrapping in guestione can of course be of any known type currently used in the field of packaging food products; the use of hermetic flowpack-type wrappers is preferably foreseen due to the simplicity of their manufacturing process and the high protection they guarantee to the product. Depending on the type of product, it is also possible to provide non-hermetic packaging.

As mentioned above, the package described above has been designed especially for products having particularly fragile edges or ends which are therefore more susceptible to breakage during the handling and transport of the package. The products in guestione are, for example, represented by products consisting of a shell or half-shell in rigid non-elastic material, wafer guavas, chocolate, etc.

In the package described, the bottom of the container has one or more channels 20, each defined by at least one inclined wall 22 provided on the bottom of the container, and the inclined wall in question is configured to support the products in correspondence with a region thereof close to the edges or ends indicated above, but in such a way that these edges or ends are housed inside the channel without being in contact with any wall or other part of the bottom.

In this regard, Figure 2 illustrates how the products 4 rest on the walls 22 in correspondence with their end regions but without however coming into contact with the points 4 'which constitute the most delicate part of the product. Overall, the single product is thus supported, at the bottom, by the inclined wall of the channel, and, laterally, both by the side walls of the container and by the other neighboring products.

As illustrated in the figures, the products 4 are arranged in a row along the channel, one next to the other, and the number of channels provided on the bottom of the container is solely a function of the number of products that the container is intended to house.

Thanks to the characteristics indicated, it is therefore possible to arrange the products 4 inside the container 2 in the most advantageous way from the point of view of the exploitation of space and accessibility to the products, while at the same time safeguarding the integrity of these.

In particular, it will be understood that whatever impact the products contained inside the container may be subjected to, their most delicate parts are in any case safeguarded and it is guaranteed in all circumstances that the products arrive in the individual points of sale perfectly intact.

The ways in which to create the channel or channels in guestione can be the most varied depending also on the number of channels that must be obtained on the bottom. In this regard, Figure 3 illustrates three different examples of containers provided with one, two, and three channels 20 respectively. In the solution with one channel (image A), the latter is obtained simply due to the inclined condition of the bottom with respect two opposite side walls of the container, the bottom which in this case is identified in all its extension by the inclined wall 22. In the other two solutions with several channels, the bottom is instead folded into a bellows so as to define a plurality of inclined walls. In the solution with two channels (image B), each of them is defined by an inclined wall and by the side wall corresponding to facing each other. In the solution with three channels (image C), the external channels are each defined by the corresponding side wall and by the inclined wall facing it, while the central channel is defined by the two central inclined walls, diverging upwards.

Preferably, the container 2 consists of a single cut and folded sheet. In any case, it is clearly possible to provide alternative embodiments in which the container is made up of several assembled sheets, for example one of which is specially provided to constitute only the bottom of the container.

Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary, even significantly, with respect to what is illustrated here purely by way of non-limiting example, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention. , as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS 1. Packaging containing food products with fragile edges or ends (4 '), in particular confectionery products, of the type comprising: - a container (2) consisting of at least one folded rigid or semi-rigid sheet, and having a bottom and side walls surrounding said bottom, - a plurality of said products (4) contained in said container; characterized by the fact that: the bottom of said container has one or more channels (20) each defined by at least one inclined wall (22) provided in said bottom, in which said inclined wall is configured to support said products (4) in correspondence with a region thereof close to said edges or ends (4 '), but in such a way that said edges or ends are housed inside said channel without being in contact with any wall or other part of said bottom. 2. Packaging according to claim 1, wherein said bottom is constituted by a sheet, or portion of sheet, which is folded into a gusset and identifies a plurality of inclined walls. Packaging according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said channel (20) is configured to receive only respective end portions of said products, which have said edges or ends (4 '). Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said bottom has a plurality of said channels (20) extending parallel along said bottom. 5. Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said products are contained in respective wrappers (6). Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a row of products (4) is arranged in correspondence with said channel (20) in the condition in which said products are supported by said inclined wall (20) and the respective edges or ends ( 4 ') of said products are housed inside said channel (20) without being in contact with any wall or other part of said bottom. 7. Container for a package according to any one of the preceding claims, said container being constituted by at least one rigid or semi-rigid folded sheet, and having a bottom and side walls surrounding said bottom, said container (2) being characterized in that said bottom has one or more channels (20) each defined by at least one inclined wall (22) provided in said bottom, in which said inclined wall (22) is configured to support the products ( 4) of said package in correspondence with a region thereof close to said fragile edges or ends (4 '), but in such a way that said edges or ends are housed inside said channel (20) without being in contact with any wall or other part of said fund. 8. Container according to claim 7, wherein said bottom is constituted by a sheet, or portion of sheet, which is folded into a bellows and identifies a plurality of inclined walls (22). Container according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said bottom has a plurality of said channels (20) extending parallel along said bottom. Rigid or semi-rigid sheet provided with a perimeter contour and pre-formed fold lines, which are configured to make a container (2) according to any one of claims 7 to 9.