MXPA99003261A - Mixed body container for packing the production vacuum - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container of mixed body for vacuum packing of products and consisting of: a hollow body portion defining a desired shape for the container and having an internal surface, a layer of liner in position superimposed inside of the body portion and covering the inner surface to receive the product within the liner layer and the body portion of the container, and an elastic material placed between the body portion and the liner layer to movably adhere said layer of body. lining the body portion in the superposed position while allowing the lining layer to shrink and withdraw from the body portion by stretching the elastic material when a vacuum is formed on the product packed in said container and then allowing the lining move back to its position superimposed within the body portion of the container by retraction of the elastic material when the container is opened and the vacuum on the product is removed

Description

MIXED BODY CONTAINER FOR PACKING TO THE VACUUM OF PRODUCTS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a mixed body container for product vacuum packaging and having a loose liner thereon to shrink and withdraw from a body portion of the container when a vacuum is formed on the product packaged in the container and that it has a retraction system for moving the liner back to its superimposed position with the inner surface of the body portion of the container when the container is opened and the vacuum on the product is removed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Mixed body containers have been used instead of metal, plastic or glass containers in many cases for packaging of various products including food products due to their cost efficiency, etc. If these products are packaged with an internal vacuum, problems have arisen with respect to the strength of the body portion of the mixed body container to maintain its shape after a vacuum is applied to the product.

In an effort to overcome this problem, a loose liner system has been used in these mixed body containers, as described in U.S. Patent 4,158,425, assigned to the owner of this invention, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. by reference. As can be seen in this United States patent, a liner is used within the mixed body container which is secured only at the opposite ends thereof for a free inward collapse of the liner with the product being packaged with a vacuum that is applied about the product. However, this mixed body container with a loose liner system causes additional problems. When the vacuum is released on the product after the opening of the mixed body container, the incoming air does not push the liner back to its original position superimposed against the interior of the body portion of the container and the liner remains shrunk or pushed against the product. This causes the volume available for the product inside the container to remain small and does not allow the product to settle within the container. The product is in or near the container opening and causes difficulty in spooning or shoveling the product without spillage. The product is also pressed against the lining and the end locks when it is under vacuum and embedded in these materials. When the vacuum is removed, some of the product remains stuck to the lining and to the ends of the lock which causes spillage of the product. In addition, the liner inside the container looks bulged or loose when the product is removed, providing a bad impression to the consumer.

OBJECT AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The object of this invention is to provide a mixed body container for product vacuum packaging using a loose liner system that can be shrunk and removed from the body portion of the container when a vacuum is formed on the product packaged in the container for avoid distortion of the shape of the container and overcome the problems discussed above with previous loose liner systems. It has been discovered by this invention that the above object can be achieved by providing a mixed body container for vacuum packaging of products comprising the following components. A hollow body portion defines a desired shape for the container and has an internal surface. A liner layer is placed within the body portion in superimposed condition with the inner surface to cover the inner surface and to receive the product within the liner layer and body portion of the container. An elastic material is positioned between the body portion and the liner layer to adhere the liner layer to the body portion in the superimposed position while allowing the liner layer to contract and withdraw from the body portion by stretching the material elastic when a vacuum is formed on the product packed in the container and then allowing the container to return to its superimposed position within the body portion of the container by retracting the elastic material when the container is opened and the vacuum on the product is removed . Preferably, the body portion of the container is formed by spiral winding of paperboard strips to form a generally cylindrical shape. The end locks are preferably placed on open ends of the body portion to seal the body portion. The liner layer is preferably a flexible hermetically wound layer wound on a spiral. The elastic material may preferably consist of a covering of the elastic material substantially covering the inner surface of the body portion and the outer surface of the lining layer or the elastic material may consist of a pattern of deposits of such elastic material which may be already either a predetermined pattern or a random pattern of points, strips, etc. The elastic material may preferably consist of any suitable elastic hot melt adhesive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings forming part of the original description of this invention: Figure 1 is an elevation view of the container of this invention with a cutout portion.

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view of a left upper corner of the container of Figure 1 and illustrating the lining thereof in a shrunken position and away from the body portion of the container by stretching the elastic material when a vacuum is formed on the product packed in the container. Figure 4 is a view, like Figure 1, and illustrating the liner of the container moved back to its position superimposed within the body portion of the container by retraction of the elastic material when the container is opened and the vacuum on the product is remove. Figure 5 is a view illustrating the application of elastic material in a structured pattern of dots to a paperboard strip used to form the body portion of the container 10; and Figure 6 is a view, like Figure 5, illustrating the elastic material being applied in the form of a complete coating to a strip of paperboard used to form the body portion of the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES In the following detailed description, the preferred embodiment or embodiments of the invention will be described. However, it should be understood that the invention should not be limited to this preferred embodiment or modalities and that although specific terms are used in the description of these elements, these terms are for illustration purposes only and not for limitation purposes. It will be apparent that the invention includes various alternatives, modifications and equivalents within the spirit and scope as will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art. Referring first to FIGS. 1-4, there is illustrated a mixed body container, generally designated 10, and constructed in accordance with this invention for vacuum packing of products P. This container 10 consists of a hollow body portion 12 which defines a desired shape for the container 10 and having an internal surface 13. The body portion 12 of the container 10 is preferably formed by spirally wound paperboard strips to define a generally cylindrical shape for the container. An outer label layer 14 can be used and is preferably entangled spirally on the outside of the body portion 12 in a manner well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art (to be discussed more fully below). The paperboard strip forming the spirally entangled hollow body portion 12 can be advantageously composed of conventional spiral entangled paperboard or cardboard having a thickness of between 0.25 and 0.88 cm, preferably between 0.38 and 0.76 cm, for example, 0.53 cm. Cartonboard conventionally used in the manufacture of spiral entangled mixed-body containers is commercially available from various manufacturers including Sonoco Products Company, Republic Paperboard Corporation and Middletown Board Corporation. In order to function advantageously as the hollow body portion of spirally wound paperboard, the paperboard is typically composed of kraft or recycled paper and can typically be in the range of 22.67 to 45.35 kgsJresma. In some cases, the paperboard may include a weak outer layer, for example an exterior of .007 cm. The label layer 14 is conventionally constructed of suitable materials, such as kraft paper, a polymer / sheet laminate, a kraft paper / sheet laminate, or the like. The container 10 also includes end locks 20 on each open end of the hollow body portion 12 to close hermetically the body portion 12. These end locks 20 can be double stitched with the open end portions of the hollow body portion 12 in a manner well understood to those skilled in the art. The lower end lock 20 can typically be constructed of steel or aluminum plate with applied coatings and / or electrolytic tinplate. The upper lock 20 can be of a steel or aluminum plate with applied coatings and / or electrolytic tinplate with a central panel of a flexible laminate made of films, sheet metal, and / or extruded polymers, or can be made entirely from a flexible laminar unit made of films, sheet metal, and / or extruded polymers heat sealed or adhered adhesively to the can body. A liner layer 30 is positioned in overlapping relationship within the hollow body portion 12 and covers the interior surface 13 of the hollow body portion 12 to receive the product P within the liner layer 30 and the hollow body portion 12 of the container 10. The liner layer is preferably a flexible hermetic liner layer which may be spirally entangled with a continuous strip and is secured to the body portion 13 only in the areas of the open ends thereof by any suitable means including an adhesive, heat fixation and / or through double stitching of the lining layer 30 with the lock ends at the outer open ends of the body portion 12 as described more fully in U.S. Patent 4,158,425 noted above. The lining layer 30 may advantageously be a flexible shell, barrier type, such as a polymer / sheet laminate, kraft / sheet / polymer, polymer / polymer or kraft / sheet metal. According to this invention, an elastic material 40 is placed between the body portion 12 and the liner layer 30 between the open end areas of the body portion 12 (wherein the liner layer 30 is preferably secured to the body portion 12) for movably adhering the liner layer 30 to the body portion 12 in the superimposed position. This elastic material 40 allows the liner layer 30 to shrink and withdraw from the body portion 12 by stretching the elastic material 40 when a vacuum is formed on the product placed in the container 10 (as illustrated in Figure 3) and it then allows the liner layer 30 to move back to its superimposed position within the body portion 12 of the container 10 by retracting the elastic material when the container 10 is opened and the vacuum on the product P is removed (as shown). in figure 4). This avoids the problems discussed above with respect to the previous loose liner systems in mixed vacuum body containers of United States Patent 4,158,425. The elastic material 40 may include any suitable type of elastic material that will be stretched and retracted to perform these desired functions discussed above and may include hot-melt or rubber-based polymer adhesives or cold elastic elastics and the like. The elastic material 40 can be placed between the body portion 12 and the liner layer 30 in any suitable pattern of deposits including a random or structured pattern of lines, dots, etc., or it can be in the form of a complete coating between the lining layer 30 and the body portion 12. As can be seen in Figure 5, the elastic material 40 is being applied to a strip of paperboard used to form the body portion 12 in a pattern of deposits in the form of a structured pattern of dots. In Figure 6 the elastic material 40 is illustrated as being applied to a strip of paperboard to form the body portion 12 in a pattern of deposits in form of a complete coating. When the liner layer 30 is spirally entangled over the body portion 12, in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art, the elastic material 40 will be placed therebetween, as illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4 .

For this invention, a mixed body container 10 for vacuum packing of products P has been provided which includes a liner layer 30 movably adhered by elastic material 40 to the interior of a body portion 12 and which can be shrunk and removed from the portion of body 12 when a vacuum is formed on the product P packed in the container 10 which will be moved back to its superposed position with the body portion 12 of the container 10 when the container is opened and the vacuum on the product is removed. This construction overcomes the above problems with mixed body container for vacuum packaging of products. The invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to its preferred embodiment or modalities. However, variations and modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention, as described in the aforementioned specification and as defined in the following claims.

Claims (5)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A mixed body container for vacuum packaging of products and comprising: a hollow body portion defining a desired shape for the container and having an internal surface; a liner layer in position superimposed within the body portion and covering the inner surface to receive the product within the liner layer and body portion of the container; and an elastic material positioned between the body portion and the liner layer to movably adhere said liner layer to the body portion in the superimposed position while allowing the liner layer to shrink and withdraw from the body portion by stretching the elastic material when a vacuum is formed on the product packed in said container and then allowing the liner to move back to its superposed position within the body portion of the container by retracting the elastic material when the container is opened and the vacuum on the product is removed.

2. A container of mixed body for vacuum packaging of products and consisting of: a hollow body portion of twisted paperboard that defines a generally cylindrical shape for the container and having an inner surface and open outer ends; end locks on each open end of the body portion for sealing the body portion; a flexible airtight layer in position superimposed within the body portion and covering the inner surface and being secured to the body portion in the open end areas to receive the product within the liner layer and the body portion of the container; and an elastic material placed between the body portion and the liner layer between the open end areas to movably adhere said liner layer to the body portion in the superimposed position while allowing the liner layer to contract and remove from the body portion by stretching the elastic material when a vacuum is formed on the product packed in the container and then allowing the liner to move back to its position superimposed within the body portion of the container by retracting the elastic material when the container opens and the vacuum on the product is removed.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that the elastic material consists of a coating of elastic material.

4. A container according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that the elastic material consists of a pattern of deposits of elastic material.

5. A container according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that the elastic material consists of a hot melt elastic adhesive.