JP2002538052A - Carton with seal to separate utensils from contents - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] A product package is provided. The package has a container (21) for storing the product. The container has an opening (56) from which the product (34) can be removed in use. A lid (22) is attached to the container by a hinge (48), the lid closing the opening when it is in the closed position. A seal (50) extends across the opening to isolate the product stored in the container from the surrounding environment, thereby maintaining the freshness and integrity of the product in the package. The seal has a recess (72) for receiving the tool (64) such that the tool is separated from the product in the container. This arrangement allows the user of the package to easily find the brand new or unused equipment when the package is first opened.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to the field of cartons, and more particularly, to an open carton with a seal that separates a tool, eg, a weighing instrument, from the contents of a container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For many years, reclosable cartons have been utilized to store products, for example particulates such as laundry detergents. These cartons are typically made of cardboard,
It may have a seal to separate the utensil from the product stored in the package. For example, PCT / EP98 / 00466 discloses a container with a cardboard frame with a window sealed with a tear sheet. The frame is welded inside the container and the utensils are stored in sheets.

[0003] Some conventional cartons have a seal to separate the utensil from the product in the carton, making it easier to manufacture and to remove the product stored in the carton after removal. There is a need to provide a carton with a simplified seal structure. Further, there is a need to provide a carton with a highly flexible seal for accommodating tools of various sizes and shapes. Further, there is a need for a carton that can be adapted to an improved method of attaching the seal to the package and that reduces the required joint between the seal and the carton.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A package of a product is provided. The package has a container for storing the product. The container has an opening through which the product can be removed in use. The lid is
Attached to the container by a hinge, the lid closes the opening when it is in the closed position. A seal extends across the opening to isolate the product stored in the container from the surrounding environment, thereby maintaining the freshness and integrity of the product in the package. The seal has a recess for receiving the tool so that the tool is separated from the product in the container. With this configuration, upon initial opening of the package, the user of the package will be able to easily identify unused or clean equipment (eg, equipment that has not touched the product in the package).

[0005] The container comprises four interconnected side panels and a base interconnected to each of the side panels, the opening being provided on the opposite side of the base. The seal may be formed as a single layer or may be formed from multiple layers.

While the specification includes claims that set forth and distinctly claim the subject matter of the present invention, the subject matter of the present invention is better understood upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Let's do it.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The presently preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and in which the same reference numerals are used. Indicates the same element, and the same reference numerals (eg, 20, 120) in the last two digits indicate similar elements. As will be described in more detail below, the present invention provides for an unused or clean device (e.g., not touching the product of the package) that allows the user of the package to easily locate the location when first opening the package. )). In addition, the present invention can maintain the freshness and integrity of the product in the package (eg, by preventing unwanted components, such as moisture, from entering the product from the surrounding environment, or, It provides a simple structure for packaging (by preventing the scent from escaping from the product to the environment). Further, the present invention can prevent unwanted leakage of the product from the package before opening. As will be better understood in the following description, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an inner seal that separates the utensil from the product and prevents unwanted leakage of the product from the package prior to the first opening of the package. .

An exemplary carton or package 20 constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. Package 20 is shown as a six-sided parallelepiped carton with lid 22 interconnected with container 21. The container 21 is formed from a bottom 24 and side panels 26, 28, 30, 32. The lid, base and side panels each have an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface being located inside the package 20 and the outer surface being located around the outside of the package (only the outer surface is visible in FIG. 1). Container 21 and lid 22 can be made of a variety of materials, including plastics, cardboard or moisture-proof materials, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, varnish, or laminated or other materials known in the art. Examples include, but are not limited to, coated cardboard.

The package 20 is preferably used to store a powdered or granular product 34 (FIGS. 2 and 3), examples of which include laundry detergents, food products, cleaning products, and the like. In addition, the package 20 may be optional if it is desired to provide a freshness-keeping seal, do not want to expose the product to unwanted components (eg, air or moisture), and / or separate the implement from the product stored in the package. Can be used to store other products. The terms “granular” and “powder”
As used herein interchangeably, it refers to any product containing solid or semi-solid particles. Although the present invention is described in connection with the exemplary six-sided package of FIG. 1, the present invention can be used in other forms and shapes for packages. For example, the present invention can be used in packages having one or more curved or curved panels or the like. Further, the present invention can be used in top-fill and side-fill cartons.

The lid 22 has side flaps 40 and 42, a top flap 44 and a front flap 46. The lid 22 is connected to the side panel 32 by a hinge 48, which is located between the top flap 44 of the lid and the side panel 32 to allow the lid 22 to be raised and lowered, thereby allowing the container 21 Is exposed or sealed from the environment. As will be understood,
Hinge 48 may be integrally formed with lid 22 and side panel 32, or may be provided as a separate structural member, as is well known in the art. The lid side flaps 40, 42 and front flap 46 overlap the side panels 26, 28, 30, respectively, when the lid 22 is in the closed or lowered position. Lid 2
Although package 20 is shown in FIG. 1 with 2 located at the top of the carton, it is possible to place the lid 22 elsewhere, provide multiple lids, and employ other lid configurations. Well, this is within the scope of the present invention. The lid and various panels of the container 21 can be formed as is known in the art. Further, the container 21 and the lid 22 may have various closure structures to recloseably close the lid and the container, some such structures being provided by Paul Hefte on March 4, 1999 by express delivery. (Tag No .: EL251623226US) filed on the same day as the present application and described in the US Patent Application (Title of Invention: SIFT-RESISTANT CARTON HAVING SLOTTED CLOSURE STRUCTURE), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Are cited here as forming.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, according to one aspect of the present invention, the container 21 has a seal 50 with an inner surface 52 and an outer surface 54, the inner surface 52 comprising an opening in the container 21. It is sealed adjacent to the portion 56. As will be described in detail below, the seal 50 may be provided in various forms, such as mechanically, to provide a place to store the utensil away from the product 34 of the container 21. Examples include, but are not limited to, single-layer or multi-layer configurations that accommodate various modifications. The seal 50 extends across the opening 56 to the side panel, thereby sealing the product 34 from the surrounding environment. This is advantageous because the freshness of the product 34 can be maintained by preventing the components from entering and leaving the container 21. In addition, it becomes a misalignment prevention package that prevents the product 34 from leaking during shipping and distribution. After removal of the seal 50, the product 34 can be removed from the container 21 via the opening 56. A portion of the inner surface 52 of the seal 50 is also attached thereto adjacent a portion of the outer surface 58 of the side panels 26, 28, 30. Although the seal 50 is shown attached to a portion of the outer surface 58 of the side panels 26, 28, 30, the seal of the present invention may be applied to a portion of the inner surface 60 of any of the side panels (i.e., FIG. 3A can be mounted along the inside perimeter of the container 21) or along the top perimeter 62 of the side panels, or any combination thereof. Additionally, a seal 50 may be attached to the top flap 44 of the lid to provide a more complete seal around the opening 78 of the container 21. The seal 50 may include a tabbed structure that facilitates complete removal from the container 21 by peeling, or the seal 50 may be attached to one of the side panels or top flaps 44 of the lid. It can be left open, so that it can be used again after the initial opening of the container 21 to reseal the container and keep the implement away from the product during use.

According to another feature of the present invention, seal 50 also allows storage of utensils within container 21. Specifically, the tool is provided in the form of a scoop,
An exemplary scoop 64 is shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B and has a bowl 66 and a handle 70 for scooping the product 34 from the container 21. As will be appreciated, this form of package provides the user of the package 20 with a scoop that does not need to be scrutinized upon initial opening of the package 20 (ie, the scoop is not soiled by the product and yet (You don't have to scrape the scoop to find where the scoop is.) For ease and simplicity, the scoop 64 is used in the following description.
It will be appreciated that the invention can be used with other scoops of various sizes and shapes. For example, the scoop may have a lip or may have a curved or uneven handle. In addition, other tools can be used, such as spoons, forks, other types of measuring and scooping instruments, and the like.

The seal 50 is preferably substantially flat across the opening 56 except for a recess 72 provided in the seal 50 for receiving at least a portion of the scoop 64. The recess can be provided anywhere along the seal 50, but is preferably located in the center of the opening 56 of the container 21. The inner surface 74 of the recess 72 has the same shape as the outer surface 76 of the bowl 66 of the scoop 64, and the seal 50
Opening 78 is sized and shaped to receive the bowl 66 of the scoop 64 in its inserted condition. The seal 50 supports the scoop 64 at the bottom of the bowl 66. Alternatively, the recess 72 may be sized to receive the entire scoop 64. For example, the size and shape of the recess 72 may be substantially comparable to the overall size and shape of the scoop 64, or the recess 72 may be of a conventional geometry with sufficient volume to receive the entire scoop 64. It may be provided in the form of a geometric shape (for example, a depression in the form of a polyhedron, for example a cube).

The seal 50 further includes one or more downwardly depending extensions 80, which are located adjacent the outer surface 58 of the side panels 26, 28, 30. The length of the extension 80 needs to be sufficient to provide a satisfactory surface for attaching the seal 50 to the side panel. More preferably, the length L of the extension ranges from about 0 mm to about 50 mm for a package containing about 1 kg of product.
mm.

The seal 50 is preferably made of a flexible thermoplastic polymer so that the recess 72 can be formed using a thermoforming method. Specifically, a film of thermoplastic material is heated (e.g., from about 50 <0> C to about 300 <0> C) and pressed against the contours of a scoop 64 shaped mold. The film is allowed to cool, eventually retaining the contours of the mold, and is then removed and trimmed to the size of the seal 50. During the molding process, the heated film may be pressed against the forming mold by vacuum, air or mechanical means. The molded seal 50 is then partially applied to the outer surface 58 of the side panels 26, 28, 30 using an adhesive, such as a cold adhesive (eg, a suitable aqueous adhesive), hot melt or heat sealing layer. Attach.
The soundness of the attachment of the seal to the container 21 can be measured by the peel strength (unit: kgf) of the seal after the attachment. Preferably, the peel strength is at least about 0.2 kgf, more preferably at least about 0.4 kgf.

The seal 50 may be formed from one or more materials as a single layer, for example, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. For example, seal 50 may have a single layer of a single material as shown in FIG. 3A (eg, made from linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE)). Alternatively, a seal 150 (FIG. 3B) comprising two or more materials (eg, sealing material 79 and thermoformable material 81) may be provided, and these materials may include
As shown, they are substantially flat and located adjacent to each other. In a single-layer seal 50, the material forming the seal 50 is preferably compatible with thermoforming of the depression, and yet is attached to the container 21 by softening or melting when applied to a conventional heating device, such as an iron. Have a softening temperature suitable for As used herein, the term "softening temperature" refers to the temperature at which a material, e.g., a polymer, begins to deform without an initial external load. For example, such materials become soft and sticky once their softening temperature is reached or exceeded,
Alternatively, a phase change starts from a solid phase to a liquid phase. The single-layer seal 50 is
A suitable inner seal for the container 21 by heating the seal 50 and
The iron attached to the iron usually prevents the seal 50 from sticking to the iron,
This is protected (e.g. by using wax paper or the like) to avoid complicating the mounting method.

In order to overcome the aforementioned material sticking problem by using a heating device, a seal 50 may be attached to the container 21 by an adhesive around a portion of the outer surface 58 of the side panel. The adhesive may be provided as part of the container or as part of the seal, or may simply be applied during installation. Alternatively, a portion of the outer surface 58 of the side panel may be coated with a sealing polymer, such as polyethylene, that can be heated to its softening point to attach the seal 50 to the outer surface. In this latter case, the material forming the seal 50 is above the softening temperature of the sealing polymer attached to the container 21, but preferably has a softening temperature suitable for thermoforming. With respect to the seal 150, the sealing material 79 is preferably a seal 150 to the container 20.
The thermoformable material having a softening temperature compatible with the mounting of the
Have a softening temperature that allows for thermoforming of The material 79, 81 of the seal 150 may be joined before or after the thermoforming step to form the depression 72. Also, as further described above, the seals 50, 150 may be mounted inside the package 20 or along the top perimeter 62 of the panel, in which case an adhesive or sealing polymer (both generally designated in FIG. 3B). (Shown at 83) around a portion of the inner surface 60 of the panel would facilitate attachment to the container 21.

[0018] The degree of material sticking to the heating appliance can also be improved by employing a seal formed by co-extruding and / or laminating two or more thermoplastic layers on top of each other. Exemplary three-layer seals that can be mitigated are shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C. The seals 250, 350, 450 have a sealing layer 82, an interconnecting layer 84, and a blocking layer 86. As used herein, the term "sealing layer" refers to a layer that joins layers, materials, or structural members together. For example, when the seals 250, 350, 450 are attached to the container 21, a sealing layer 82 is provided adjacent to both the outer surface 58 of the side panel and the opening 56 of the container 21 and the sealing layer is heated to its softening temperature. This then enables the seals 250, 350 to be joined or otherwise attached to the container 21. As used herein, the term "barrier layer" refers to a layer that, when joining the seal to the container 21, can soften to the temperature of the appliance that heats the seal 250, 350, 450 and withstand without melting or sticky. Means As used herein, the term "interconnect layer" refers to a layer that can be thermoformed to form a depression.

The seal 250 is preferably co-extruded or laminated, after which the multi-layer seal is subjected to the thermoforming process described above to form the recess 72. As described above, the sealing layer 82 is used to removably attach the seal 250 to a portion of the outer surface 58 of the side panel when the sealing layer 82 is exposed to sufficient heat to reach its softening temperature. Serves as an adhesive and / or sealant. Specifically,
The softening temperature of the sealing layer 82 is lower than the softening temperature of the barrier layer 86, so that the sealing layer 82 is physically softened, becomes numb or molten and the barrier layer 86 does not reach its softening temperature. This joins a portion of the outer surface 58 of the side panel. The softening temperature of the interconnect layer is preferably greater than or equal to the softening temperature of the encapsulation layer 82, so that it does not soften or melt when exposed to temperatures sufficient to soften the encapsulation layer. Will not be. Thus, the barrier layer 86 can be exposed to a temperature sufficient to soften or melt the sealing layer 82 without softening itself and / or without stickiness. In this manner, the sealing layer 82 can be heated to be attachable to the container 21 without the seal 250 being attached to an appliance that heats the seal. Specifically, one or more of layers 82, 84 and / or 86 may also include air, moisture, chemicals, or any other material that adversely affects the freshness or utility of the container stored within container 21. Makes it difficult to pass ingredients. The portion of the outer surface 58 of the side panel to which the sealing layer 82 is attached is preferably substantially flat or flat. However, this may be a variant. In this case, the seal 250
The device used to heat and attach it to the container 21 is preferably of a variant that matches this to ensure proper bonding.

After co-extrusion or inter-lamination of the various layers as shown in FIG.
Although it is preferable to form a multilayer seal, other methods of forming the depression may be used. For example, referring to the seal 350 of FIG. 4B, prior to laminating the barrier layer 86 and the sealing layer 82 to the interconnect layer 84, the recesses may first be formed using a thermoforming method to the interconnect layer 84 (or other layer). ). The relatively flat encapsulation layer 82 (which has not been thermoformed) can accommodate the depression forming part of the interconnect layer 84, so that it is the same size or the size of the depression footprint. More notches or holes 88 are formed in the sealing layer 86. The recess 272 is formed in the interconnection layer 8.
When 4 is attached to the sealing layer 82, it penetrates the hole 88. Another hole 90 is provided in the barrier layer 86 to allow the scoop 64 to enter through the recess 272 for storage. As will be appreciated, the dimensions of the holes 88, 90 may vary, and the edges of the holes need not abut the recess 272. In fact, the edges may be placed close to the inner surface 60 of the side panel if desired. Similarly, the outer edges of the interconnect layer 84 need not extend completely to the side panels of the container 21.

Although only three layers are shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C, additional layers may be provided if desired. For example, more than one encapsulation layer may be provided, in which case the material used for the encapsulation layer is the material that is joined or attached by the encapsulation layer (eg, joining polymer to polymer or polymer to cardboard) Case). Thus, seal 450 (FIG. 4A) joins sealing layer 82 (eg, ethylene vinyl acetate) joining seal 450 to container 21 and joining sealing layer 82 to interconnecting layer 84 (eg, linear low density polyethylene). Sealing layer 182 (eg, low density polyethylene), and sealing layer 182 joining interconnecting layer 84 to barrier layer 86 (eg, cast polypropylene). Further, the order of the layers may be changed while still exhibiting the desired functionality. The seal 550 of FIG. 4D illustrates a three-layer configuration in which the sealing layer 82 and the blocking layer 84 are not separated by the seal 250 but are positioned adjacent to each other.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, exemplary two-layer seals 450, 550 are shown. These seals can be formed in the same way as a three-layer seal, in which case the seal 45
0,550 has a sealing layer 82 and a blocking layer 86. The barrier layer 86 is also preferably heat deformable so that recesses 372, 472 can be formed therein. The softening temperature of the blocking layer of the seals 450, 550 is preferably above the softening temperature of the sealing layer 82 of the seals 450, 550, and the sealing layer is heated to its softening temperature without the blocking layer sticking to the heating equipment. You can do it.

More specifically, the sealing layer 82 is made of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) or polyolefin, and the interconnecting layer 84 is made of linear low density polyethylene (LL).
DPE), and the barrier layer 86 is made of cast polypropylene (CPP) or low density polyethylene (LDPE). To achieve proper processing, sealing and barrier properties, the overall thickness of the seal before thermoforming is preferably from about 50 μm to about 300 μm, more preferably from about 100 μm to about 150 μm. Most preferably, the seal 250,
350 has a single layer of polyolefin (about 30 μm in thickness), an interconnect layer of LLDPE (about 80 μm in thickness), and a barrier layer of LDPE (about 20 μm in thickness), where LLDPE The layer and the LDPE layer are co-extruded and the polyolefin layer is laminated to the LLDPE layer. The sealing layer of polyolefin may be thermoformed at a temperature of about 45C to about 250C, more preferably at a temperature of about 45C to about 130C. The sealing layer is heated to a temperature of about 80 ° C. to about 300 ° C., more preferably about 100 ° C. to about 250 ° C., to attach or join the sealing layer to the package container 21.

It will be appreciated that the above-described most preferred materials forming the sealing, interconnecting and barrier layers may be mixed with other polymers or components, as long as the properties of the seal are not compromised. Other polymers may be used for the barrier and sealing layers. For example, the sealing layer 82
May be formed from an ionomer, ethylene ethyl acrylate copolymer or low density polyethylene (LDPE), and the barrier layer 86 may be made of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PED) or nylon (eg, nylon 6, nylon 6/66 copolymer, It may be made of nylon 6/12 copolymer, nylon 66 or nylon 12). The interconnect layer may be made of nylon or PET.

The seal of the present invention is provided by heating the sealing layer adjacent the container 21
Preferably, it is attached to However, it will be appreciated that the seal may be mounted using an adhesive applied to either the seal or the container 21 as described above. Further, although it is desirable to attach the seal to the container 21 as a multilayer unit, the layers may be attached separately, which is within the scope of the invention. For example, first of all, the sealing layer may be heated 21
The barrier layer (after thermoforming) may then be attached to the sealing layer by heating the two layers or by using an adhesive.

The above description of a preferred embodiment of the invention is by way of example only. The present invention is not limited to the disclosed form itself. The above embodiments have been selected and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the present invention and its fields of use, as those skilled in the art will recognize various modifications or adaptations in light of the above teachings. Things. The scope of the present invention is determined based on the description in the claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred package constructed in accordance with the present invention with the lid in a closed position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package of FIG. 1 with the lid in a raised position so that the internal seal is visible.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of the package of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3, showing that the seal comprises a single layer. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the package of FIG.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view as taken on line 3 showing that the seal consists of a single layer connected to the interior of the package.

FIG. 4A is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of a preferred three-layer seal suitable for use in the package of FIG. FIG. 4B is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of a preferred three-layer seal suitable for use in the package of FIG. FIG. 4C is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of a preferred three-layer seal suitable for use in the package of FIG. 2, showing the sealing layer and the barrier layer positioned adjacent to each other.

FIG. 5A is an enlarged partial end view of a preferred two-layer seal suitable for use with the package of FIG. 2; FIG. 5B is an enlarged partial end view of a preferred two-layer seal suitable for use with the package of FIG.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (81) Designated country EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE ), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID , IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, (72) Invention NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW Inventor Kimiko Fukushima 2-1-19 Koganedai, Tondabayashi-shi, Osaka 8-14-1 Shinryodadai F term (reference) 3E067 AA05 AA11 BA05A BB01A BB14A BC06A EA04 EA29 EA32 EC31 EC36 EE23 FA02 FC01 3E084 AA05 AA14 AB07 BA01 CA03 CB03 DB18 FA01 GA06 GB06 JA01 LA18 LB02

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A package of a product comprising a container for storing the product, a lid attached to the container by a hinge, and a seal extending across the opening to prevent the product from leaking out of the container. The container has an opening through which a product can be taken out when used, the opening is partially constituted by a side panel of the container, and the lid is the lid A package closing the opening when is in the closed position, the seal having a recess for receiving at least a portion of the implement. 2. The package of claim 1, further comprising a tool housed in said recess. 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises four interconnected panels and a base interconnected to each of the panels, and wherein the opening is provided on an opposite side of the base. The package according to claim 1, wherein the package is a package. 4. The package according to claim 1, wherein the seal is formed of a plurality of layers. 5. The package according to claim 1, wherein the seal has a sealing layer for attaching the seal to the container. 6. The seal according to claim 1, wherein the seal has a blocking layer attached to the sealing layer, and the blocking layer has a softening temperature equal to or higher than a softening temperature of the sealing layer. Items 1 to 5
The package according to any one of the above. 7. The seal has an interconnect layer provided between the sealing layer and the blocking layer, and the interconnect layer joins the blocking layer and the sealing layer. The package according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: 8. The sealing layer according to claim 1, wherein said sealing layer is made of ethylene vinyl acetate, polyolefin, ionomer or ethylene ethyl acrylate copolymer.
The package according to any one of the above. 9. The package according to claim 1, wherein the barrier layer is made of cast polypropylene, low density polyethylene, nylon or polyethylene terephthalate. 10. The package according to claim 1, wherein the interconnect layer is made of linear low density polyethylene, nylon or polyethylene terephthalate.