SE1651162A1 - A packaging container comprising a paperboard container bodyand a body blank for forming a container body. - Google Patents

Abstract

A packaging container (500) comprising a paperboard container body (502) having a bottom end (526) and a top end (527). The container body (502) comprises three to eight wall portions (503a, 503b, 503c, 503d) extending in a height direction (H) of the packaging container (500) from the bottom end (526) to the top end (527) and being separated by corner portions (529). The packaging container (500) is closed at the bottom end (527) by a bottom disc (509) which is attached to the container body (502) and is closed at the top end (526) by a top end closure comprising an openable and reclosable lid (514). In each corner portion (529) are 2 to 20 fold lines (528) arranged which extend parallel to each other in the height direction (H).

Description

PG20756SE00 A PACKAGING CONTAINER COMPR|S|NG A PAPERBOARD CONTAINER BODY ANDA BODY BLANK FOR FORMING A CONTAINER BODY TECHNICAL FIELD The invention pertains to a packaging container comprising a paperboard container bodyhaving a bottom end and a top end, the container body comprising three to eight wallportions extending in a height direction of the packaging container from the bottom end tothe top end and being separated by corner portions, the container being closed at thebottom end by a bottom plate which is attached to the container body and being closed atthe top end by a top end closure comprising an openable and reclosable lid. The inventionalso pertains to a rectangular blank for forming a container body in a packaging containeras described herein, the blank having a first and a second parallel end edge extending ina first direction and first and a second parallel side edge extending in a second direction and perpendicular to the first direction.

BACKGROUND Disposable packaging containers, such as containers for bulk solids, are containers whichgenerally are discarded once they have been emptied of their contents. Containers of thistype may be made from paperboard materials which can be produced from readilyavailable low-cost raw materials using well-known papermaking and laminationtechnology while the use of more expensive components such as molded plastic details iskept to a minimum. ln paperboard packaging containers, it is a concern that thecontainers have sufficient rigidity and shape stability to withstand deformation duringtransport and storage. Containers for bulk solids are usually emptied by taking out onlypart of the packaged contents at individual dispensing occasions which are distributedover a time period which may span several days, weeks, or even months. Suchcontainers should also be resistant to wear during the full service life of the container andallow repeated opening and closing and other handling without detriment to its function and overall appearance.

Paperboard packaging containers of this type and the manufacture of such containers aredisclosed in WO 2005/07314 A2, WO 2013/009226 A1, WO 2013/009227 A1, WO2016/126191 A1 and WO 2016/126193 A1.

PG20756SE00 A further demand on disposable packaging containers is that they can be made at low cost, using efficient, high-speed production process with minimal waste.

Hence, there is a continuing need for an improved disposable packaging container whichcan be efficiently produced using commonly available materials and productiontechnology and which offers enhanced performance during transport and storage as well as at the user end.

SUMMARY One or more of the above objects may be achieved with a packaging container inaccordance with claim 1 or a blank for a container body in accordance with claim 12.Further embodiments are set out in the dependent claims, in the following description and in the drawings.

A packaging container as disclosed herein comprises a paperboard container body havinga bottom end and a top end, the container body comprising three to eight wall portionsextending in a height direction of the packaging container from the bottom end to the topend and being separated by three to eight corresponding corner portions, the containerbeing closed at the bottom end by a bottom plate which is attached to an inner surface ofthe container body and being closed at the top end by a top end closure comprising anopenable and reclosable lid. The container body has 2 to 20 fold lines arranged in each corner portion, the fold lines extending parallel to each other in the height direction.

A packaging container as disclosed herein has a modified polygonal cross-sectionalshape, such as a modified triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal oroctagonal cross-sectional shape or a modified irregular polygonal shape, e.g. a modifiedtrapezoidal shape. Modified rectangular cross-sectional shapes include modified squareshapes. A modified polygonal cross-sectional shape may also be referred to as thepackaging container having a modified polygonal foot print with curved corner portionshaving at least two fold lines such that the corner portions are bent in a step-wise mannerinstead of at a single fold line. Depending on the number of fold-lines and their spacing,the curve shape of the corner portions may be to be more or less distinctly stepped PG20756SE00 3 The width of each wall portion, as measured perpendicular to the height direction of thepackaging container is greater than the spacing between the fold lines in the corner portions. ln a packaging container as disclosed herein and having four wall portions, the wallportions may be a front wall portion arranged opposite a rear wall portion and twoopposing side wall portions extending between the front wall portion and the rear wallportion. The body wall portions are connected at the corner portions which may be curvedcorner portions providing the packaging container with a soft, slightly roundedappearance. The shape of the wall portions may deviate from a planar shape, with one ormore of the wall portions having a slight outwardly curved shape. As used herein, acurved corner portion is a corner portion having at least two fold lines. Enhancedconformation to a true curve shape may be obtained by increasing the number of foldlines and/or by decreasing the spacing between the fold lines. A smooth curve shape, withlittle perceived angularity may be obtained when the number of fold lines in each cornerportion is from 5 to 20, and the spacing between the fold lines is from 0.5 millimeters to 6 millimeters, ln disposable paperboard containers, there is a conflict between minimizing the amount ofpaperboard material used in the containers and making the containers sufficiently rigid toavoid that the containers are damaged or that they collapse, e.g. when stacked duringtransport and storage. lt has been found that by arranging fold lines in the corner portionsof the container body, shape stability and rigidity of the packaging container may beconsiderably improved as compared to conventional packaging containers without fold-lines in the corner portions. ln particular, the crush resistance of the packaging containerin the height direction may be improved. Consequently, paperboard packaging containershaving adequate rigidity and crush-resistance may be made using thinner paperboardsheets than in a paperboard packaging container having curved corner portions withoutfold lines. The fold lines may further aid in improving the resistance to sagging when thepackaging container is exposed to moisture, such as when the packaging container is kept in a humid environment.

The number of fold lines in each corner portion of the container body may be from 5 to 9.By way of example, for containers having a rectangular foot-print and where the aim is to achieve a corner curvature corresponding to a radius of curvature in the order of 20 PG20756SEOO 4 millimetres it has been found that 7 fold lines provide a particularly good curve shape when the spacing between the fold lines is in the order of 5 millimeters.

The fold lines may be separated by a distance between adjacent fold lines being in therange of from 0.5 to 20 millimeters, such as in the range of from 1 to 10 millimeters, suchas in the range of from 4 to 8 millimeters. ln a container body having a large number offold lines in each corner portion the spacing between the fold lines will generally besmaller than when the number of fold lines is small. Likewise, large containers maygenerally have greater a spacing than smaller containers at an equal number of fold lines in each corner portion.

The fold lines may extend all the way from the lower edge of the container body to theupper edge of the container body, or may terminate at a distance from the container bodyedge at one or both of the bottom end and the top end of the container body. The fold linefree distance at one or both of the ends of the container body may be from 10 to 50millimeters, such as from 15 to 30 millimeters, thereby leaving one or both end-portions ofthe container body free from the fold lines. The distance which is free from fold lines maybe different at the different ends of the container body. By way of example, the fold linesmay terminate at a shorter distance from the lower edge of the container body than fromthe upper edge of the container body as it is common to attach a sealing member to thecontainer body wall at a distance which is sufficiently large to allow a scoop or similaraccessory to be accommodated in a top space created between the container lid and the sealing member.

The provision of a limited embossing free area at one or both end-portions of thecontainer body may be beneficial when attachlng add-on elements to the container bodysuch as a bottom rim, a top rim, an inner sealing member, a bottom disc, etc. ln particular,it may be preferred that an attachment area for fastening of an inner sealing member isfree from fold lines as it may be easier to form a tight seal between the inner sealingmember and the inner surface or the container body when the inner surface of thecontainer body is free from irregularities such as fold lines. An attachment area for anelement which is to be fastened on the inner wall of the container body may alternativelyor as a complement to leaving an end portion of the container body free from the fold lines be provided as an interruption in the fold lines. The attachment area may extend as a PG20756SEO0 5 band shaped fold line free area at a suitable level in the height direction of the packaging container.

The fold lines may be equidistantly spaced in the corner portions. Alternatively, the foldlines may be placed with differing spacing in the corner portions. in the latter case, thenumber of fold lines is at least 3 and may be between 3 and 15. The distance between afirst pair of adjacent fold lines is different from a distance between a second pair of adjacent fold lines.

A plastic reinforcing rim may be attached to the container body edge at one or both of thebottom end and the top end of the container body. The provision of fold lines in the cornerportions, contributes to impart a correct tubular shape to the container body duringproduction of the packaging container which closely matches the shape of a reinforcingrim. As set out herein, the fold lines aid in conforming the container body to the shape ofauxiliary elements such as reinforcing rims and sealing members and thereby facilitaterapid attachment of such elements while minimizing the risk of damaging the container body edges. ln addition to the openable and reclosable lid, the top end closure may comprise a sealingmember which is attached to the inner surface of the container body at a distance fromthe container body edge at the top end of the container body. The sealing member ispreferably attached to the inner surface of the container wall which is free from the foldlines and forms a cross-sectional transport seal between an interior storage compartmentin the container body and the container opening and can be fully or partly removed by auser in order to provide initial access to the interior compartment either by breaking a sealbetween the sealing member and the inner surface of the container wall, or by tearing orotherwise breaking the sealing member itself. A tearable sealing member may beprovided with one or more predefined weakenings, such as perforations or a cut partlythrough the sealing member. The sealing member may further be provided with a gripping tab, a pull ring, or other means for facilitating removal of the sealing member.

The sealing member may be inserted into the container body and attached to the innersurface of the container body either from the top end of the container body or from thebottom end of the container body. ln order to gain a first access to the packaged goods inthe inner compartment, a user opens the lid and exposes the packaged goods by fully or PG20756SE00 6 partly removing the sealing member. The paperboard packaging container may be a gas-tight container and the inner sealing member may be a gas-tight peelable or openablesealing member. The sealing member may be of any type as known in the art, and usuallycomprises a base layer such as a paper sheet, a plastic film or a metal foll which is coated or laminated with additional layers such as barrier layers, sealing layers, etc.

The closure arrangement on the paperboard packaging container as disclosed herein mayfurther comprise a locking arrangement which is configured to maintain the lid in a closedposition at a container access opening. ln addition, the closure arrangement may include tamper evidence means, as known in the art.

The locking arrangement may comprise a first locking element arranged on the containerbody or on an edge rim and a second locking element arranged on the container lid. Thefirst and second locking elements may be mating locking elements, such as female/malelocking elements including hooks and other protrusions which are arranged to interengagewith ridges, hooks, tracks, holes, cavities, loops, etc. By way of example, a lockingarrangement may be provided by a locking flap or clasp closure extending from theforward edge on the lid and comprising at least one locking element which can befastened into or onto a corresponding locking element on the container body or on anedge rim attached at the container opening. Alternatively, a locking flap or clasp mayextend from the container body or an edge rim and may comprise at least one lockingelement which is arranged to be fastened into or onto a corresponding locking element onthe lid. The locking elements are preferably designed to allow repeated opening and closing of the locking arrangement.

The packaging containers as disclosed herein are paperboard packaging containerswherein at least the container body is formed from a paperboard material. Thepaperboard material is provided in the form of a rectangular paperboard blank which isbent into a tubular shape, whereafter the tube is closed by joining overlapping or abuttingside edges of the blank to form a body tube. The fold lines as disclosed herein have beenfound to be particularly effective in promoting shaping of the closed body tube into ashape having distinct wall portions connected by distinct curved corner portions when thejoin between the side edges is formed using a sealing strip. Joining of the material edgesmay be made by any suitable method such as by adhesive or welding, with weldinggenerally being preferred. The paperboard containers may comprise add-on components PG20756SE00 7 which are predominantly made from other materials such as reinforcing rims, a plastic, alid, a spout, sealing discs, etc. Such add-on components may be made from plastic, metal, wood, etc.

As used herein, a paperboard material is a sheet material predominantly made fromcellulose fibres or paper fibres. The paperboard material may be a single ply or multi plymaterial and may be a laminate comprising a base sheet made predominantly fromcellulose fibres or paper fibres, and one or more layers of materials such as polymericfilms and coatings, metal foil, etc. The polymeric films and coatings may include or consistof thermoplastic polymers. The paperboard material may be coated, printed, embossed,etc. and may comprise fillers, pigments, binders and other additives as known in the art.The paperboard materials as disclosed herein may also be referred to as cardboard or carton materials.

The packaging containers as disclosed herein may be containers for bulk solids. As usedherein, the term “bulk solids” refers to a solid bulk material from which a desired amountof the product may be poured, scooped or taken by hand out of a packaging container.The bulk material may be dry or moist. The bulk solids which are suitable for packing inthe paperboard packaging containers as disclosed herein include any material in the form of particles, granules, grinds, plant fragments, short fibres, flakes, seeds, pieces, etc.

The containers are generally disposable containers, which are discarded when they have been emptied of their contents.

The paperboard packaging container as disclosed herein may be a container foralimentary products such as infant formula, coffee, tea, rice, flour, sugar, cereals, souppowder, custard powder, pasta, snacks, or the like. Alternatively, the bulk solids may be non~alimentary, such as tobacco, detergent, fertilizer, chemicals or the like.

The bottom disc may be made from paperboard, plastic, metal, etc., as known in the art.The lid may, for instance, be made from plastic or metal or may be made from paperboardor from a paperboard/plastic laminate. Plastic lids may be preferred as they can be maderigid, durable and water resistant, and as they can be produced in any desirable shape by well-known production methods such as injection moldlng.

PG20756SE00 8 The openable and closable container lid may be arranged to engage with an upper edgerim to form a closure on the container. The closure between the container lid and theupper edge rim is preferably a sift-proof closure, more preferably a moisture-proof closure and most preferably a gas-tight closure.

The container lid may be provided as a separate component which can be completelyremoved when opening the container. Alternatively, the container lid may be attached tothe container body or to the edge rim by means of a hinge. The hinge may be a live hinge,i.e. a bendable connection between the lid and the container body or upper plastic rim. Alive hinge may be formed integral with the lid and/or with a plastic or metal edge rim or anupper edge portion of a container body or may be a separately formed element which isattached to the container lid and to the container body or an edge rim. Alternatively, thehinge may be a two-part hinge, with a first hinge part arranged on the container lid and a second hinge part arranged on the container body or on an edge rim.

A tight closure between the container lid and the upper edge rim may be accomplished bymating contours on the lid and on the rim and may include snap-lock or press-in features such as interengaging ridges and tracks or protrusions and holes/cavities, etc.

The packaging container as disclosed herein may comprise mating stacking members forallowing two or more of the packaging containers to be arranged in a stackedconfiguration. The mating stacking members are arranged at the container bottom and atthe container opening. A stacking member or stacking members at the container openingmay be arranged on the container lid and/or on an edge rim surrounding the opening inthe packaging container. The container lids may be provided with mating stackingmembers arranged on the upper outer surface and on the inner lower surface of each lid,making the lids separately stackable before being applied to a packaging container, e.g. in a process for producing the packaging containers as disclosed herein. ln a packaging container as disclosed herein and having a modified rectangular foot-print,the corner portions of the packaging container as disclosed herein are preferablyarranged to conform to a curve-shape having a radius of curvature in the range of from 5 to 60 mm, preferably from 10 to 40 mm, more preferably from 15 to 30 mm.

PG20756SEO0 9 Disclosed herein is also a rectangular paperboard body blank for forming a container bodyin a packaging container as disclosed herein. The body blank has a first and a secondparallel end edge extending in a first direction and first and a second parallel side edgeextending in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction. The body blank isdivided in the first direction into four to nine wall segments extending in the seconddirection from the first end edge to the second end edge, the wall segments beingseparated in the first direction by three to eight corner segments, corresponding to thenumber of wall segments, wherein 2 to 20 fold lines are arranged in each corner segment, the fold lines extending parallel to each other in the second direction.

When formed into a container body as disclosed herein, the body blank is bent into atubular shape and the side edges of the body blank are brought together and aligned withone another either with a slight overlap or edge-to-edge. The side edges of the body blankare then attached to each other either by welding or gluing. ln the case where the sideedges of the blank are aligned side-by-side, a separate sealing strip is used to connectthe side edges. Attachment by welding requires that weldable material, such as athermoplastic polymeric material is present in the weld seam. The join between the sideedges of the body blank will extend in the height direction of a packaging container asdisclosed herein, while the first and second end edges form an upper and a lower end edge of the container body. ln particular when using a separate sealing strip for closing the blank into a tube it hasbeen found that a tube made from a conventional, non-embossed body blank tends toadopt a drop-shaped cross-section with a peak at the sealing strip and an outward bulgeopposite the peak. The drop-shape causes problems in the subsequent processing of thecontainer body into a fully assembled packaging container having distinct wall portionsand delimited by corresponding corner portions as the body tube has to be reshaped intothe intended shape before it is possible to attach additional components such as thebottom plate, the lid, a reinforcing rim, inner sealing member etc. which need to be fittedto the container body. lf the shape of the container body deviates considerably from theintended shape of the container body during processing, the exposed paperboard edgesof the container body may be damaged by plungers, or other hard machine elements, resulting in deficient packaging containers which have to be discarded.

PG20756SEOO lt has now been found that fold lines arranged in dedicated corner segments of the bodyblank not only provide the packaging container as disclosed herein with improved crushresistance in the height direction but also promotes controlled bending of the body blankinto a body tube having a shape with a predetermined number of wall portions andintervening corner portions. This self-adaptation of the embossed body tube to apredetermined and desired shape makes it possible to simplify subsequent assemblysteps without increasing the risk of damaging the body tube in the production process.Use of the embossed body blanks as disclosed herein potentially offers the possibility of increasing production speed without risking an increase in production waste.

The fold lines have also been found to counteract or even eliminate the formation ofcracks in the corner portions of a packaging container as disclosed herein. The fold linespromote predetermined and controlled bending of the body blank in the corner segmentsof the body blank which results in a packaging container having a neat curve shape in the corner portions without cracks or unintended folds.

The number of fold lines in each corner segment of the body blank may be in the range offrom 5 to 9.

The fold lines may be separated by a distance between adjacent fold lines being in the range of from 2 to 10 millimeters, such as from 4 to 10 millimeters.

The fold lines may terminate at a distance from one or both of the first end edge and thesecond end edge, the distance being in the range of from 10 to 30 millimeters, such asfrom 15 to 25 millimeters. When the fold lines terminate at a distance from both endedges, the distance at the first end edge may be different from the distance at the secondend edge.

The fold lines may be equidistantly spaced in the corner segments.

The number of fold lines may be between 3 and 20 and the distance between a first pair of adjaoent fold lines may be different from a distance between a second pair of adjacent , fold lines.

PG20756SEO0 11 The fold lines may be made by any suitable method such as embossing or corrugating ofthe paperboard material in the body blank. An embossing process generally results in alocal densification of the material in the fold line with a groove being formed on one orboth surfaces of the material. The embossing process may involve forming a groove onone surface of the material and a corresponding ridge on the opposite surface. Acorrugating process results in an out-of-plane deformation of the material in the fold linesuch that a ridge is formed on one surface of the material and a corresponding groove isformed on the opposite surface with no or only negligible increase of the density of the material.

BRlEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be further explained hereinafter by means of non-limiting examples and with reference to the appended drawings wherein: Fig. 1 shows a top view of a prior art container body during production of apackaging container; Fig. 2 shows a body blank for a packaging container as disclosed herein; Fig. 3 shows a container body for a packaging container as disclosedherein; Fig. 4 shows a detail of a corner portion of a container body as disclosedherein; and Fig. 5 shows a packaging container as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION lt is to be understood that the drawings are schematic and that individual components orfeatures, such as layers of material or fold lines are not necessarily drawn to scale. Thepackaging container and body blank shown in the figures are provided as examples onlyand should not be considered limiting to the invention as disclosed herein. ln particular, itis to be understood that relative dimensions, the number of fold lines, the size, the closure construction, the provision of reinforcing rims and their particular design, etc. are non- PG20756SEOO 12 essential features of the invention and may be varied within the scope of the claims.Furthermore, it is to be understood that the provision of fold lines in the corner portions ofa packaging container or in the corner segments of a body blank is applicable to anypackaging container having a polygonai foot-print or to a body blank for the production of such a packaging container. ln the manufacture of paperboard packaging containers, as disclosed, e.g. in WO2013/009226 A1 and WO 2013/009227 A1, containers bodies 2 are formed from planarpaperboard body blanks 1 which are bent into a tubular shape and seaied along adjoiningside edges 16,17 as is shown in Fig. 1 to form a body tube 23. The seal may be madeusing a seaiing strip 25 which is weided to the inner surface 7 of the body tube 23 andwhich overlaps the join between the side edges 16, 17. Afterjoining of the side edges16,17 of the body blank 1, the body tube 23 adopts a drop-shaped cross-section, with apeaked portion 18 at the seaiing strip 25 and an outwardiy buiging, rounded portion 19opposite the peaked portion 18. The drop-shape compiicates the subsequent productionsteps, such as the application of a rectanguiar end seal, e.g. a bottom disc 9 as is shownattached to the bottom end 26 of the prior art body tube 23 shown in Fig. 1 or a seaiingmember applied at the top end 27 of the body tube 23.

As is iilustrated by Fig. 1, the open top end 27 of the body tube 23 retains the drop-shaped cross-section even after application of the bottom disc 9 which has a modifiedrectanguiar shape with rounded corner portions. ln order to be able to apply furtherpackaging components, such as an inner seaiing member, an upper rim, a lid, a rim-lidcomponent, etc., the open end of the body tube 23 has to be imparted with a cross-sectional shape corresponding the shape of the component which is to be fitted into oronto the open end of the body tube 23. A poor match between the cross-sectional shapeof the body tube 23 and the applied component may cause damage to the paperboardmaterial in the process of inserting the component into the body tube or attaching it to theupper edge of the body tube. ln order to avoid such damage, the packaging machines areprovided with shaping means for forming the body tube 23 into the desired cross-sectionalshape before application of further components. There is also a risk that the body tubebecomes slightly twisted such that an element applied to the lower end is misaligned with an element applied to the upper end of the body tube 23.

PG20756SE00 13 ln Fig. 2 is shown a rectangular paperboard body blank 101 which can be used forforming the container body 102 which is shown in Fig. 3. The body blank 101 has first andsecond parallel end edges 120, 121 extending in a first direction X and first and a secondparallel side edge 116, 117 extending in a second direction Y perpendicular to the firstdirection X. The body blank 101 is divided in the first direction X into five wall segments103a, 103b', 103b”, 103c, 103d extending in the second direction Y from the first endedge 120 to the second end edge 121. The wall segments 103a, 103b”, 103b", 103c,103d are separated in the first direction X by four corner segments 1242 wherein 2 to 15fold lines 128, such as 5 to 9 fold lines 128 are arranged in each corner segment 124”.The fold lines 128 extend parallel to each other in the second direction Y and are spaced-apart in the first direction X. The spacing between the fold lines 128 may be in the range of from 2 to 10 millimeters.

The fold lines 128 terminate at a distance d1, d2 from one or both of the first end edge120 and the second end edge 121, the distance d1, d2 being in the range of from 10 to30 millimeters, such as from 15 to 25 millimeters. The edge portions of the body blank 101which are free from fold lines 128 provide a smooth surface which may promote a tightseal between the body blank 101 and an end seal such as a bottom disc, an inner seaiingmember, a reinforcing rim, etc. As set out herein, the fold lines 128 may alternativelyinterrupted in the height direction H of the packaging container, and/or may extend all theway to the end edges 120, 121 of the body blank 101 and the container body 102.

The fold lines 128 are shown to be equidistantly spaced in the corner segments 124”. lt isto be understood that the fold lines 128 may alternatively be placed with differing spacingin the corner segments 124”. ln the latter case, the number of fold lines has to be at least 3 and may be between 3 and 15.

As set out herein, it is further to be understood that the number of fold lines 128 in eachcorner portion may be different from the 7 fold lines 128 shown in the figures.Furthermore, the proportions between the end edges 120, 121 and the side edges 116,117 may be different from what is shown in Fig. 2 depending on the shape and size of thepackaging container which is to be produced from the body blank 101. The packaging containers as disclosed herein have a modified rectangular cross-sectional shape as PG20756SEOO 14 defined herein. The wall segments 103a, 103b', 103b”, 103c, 103d may form front andback wall portions 103a, 103b and side wall portions 103c, 103d, as shown in Fig. 3.

Generally, the join between the side edges 116, 117 of the container body 102 is placedat the rear of the packaging container implying that the front wall portion is formed by thewall segment 103a, the wall segments 103c and 103d form side wall portions and the wallsegments 103b' and 103b” which are arranged at the side edges 116, 117 are joined toeach other along the side edges 116, 117 and together form the rear wall portion 103b. lnthe body blank 101 shown in Fig. 2, the wall segments 103a, 103c, 103d are shown withequal extension in the first direction X while the wall segments 103b', 103b”at the sideedges 116, 117 of the body blank 101 each have an extension in the first direction Xwhich is half of the extension of each of the other three wall segments 103a, 103c, 103d.Thus, a container body formed from the body blank 101 in Fig. 2 will have a modifiedsquare foot-print as illustrated by Fig. 3. lt is readily understood that other rectangularfoot-prints may be obtained by changing the lengths of the wall segments. Accordingly, acontainer body having two sides of a first length and two sides of a different length may be obtained by a simple modification of the body blank 101 shown in Fig. 2.

As is seen in Fig. 3, when formed into a body tube 123, the body blank 101 bends in acontrolled manner along the fold lines 128 in the corner segments 124 such that thecorner segments 124 of the body blank 101 form curved corner portions 129 between thewall portions 103a, 103b, 103c, 103d of the container body 102 as is seen in detail in Fig.4. The body blank 101 of the invention bends in a predetermined and controlled mannerinto a body tube 123 having a modified rectangular foot-print and can be easily providedwith additional packaging components without reshaping of the body tube and withminimal risk of damaging the body tube 123 during subsequent production steps.

The corner portions 129 may be arranged to bend into a curve-shape having a radius ofcurvature, r, in the range of from 5 to 60 mm, preferably from 10 to 40 mm and morepreferably from 15 to 30 mm. ln the illustrated example, with 7 fold lines arranged in thecorner portions 129 and with a spacing between the fold lines in the order of 5 millimeters,the corner portions 129 may be provided with a radius of curvature in the order of 20 millimetres.

PG20756SEO0 The body blank 101 is generally made from a laminated paperboard material comprisingat least one base layer of cardboard, and in addition one or more barrier and/or binderlayers such as a layer of aluminium foil and polymeric layers. Usually, the surface of thebody blank 101 which is to form the inner surface 107 of the container body 102 is formedby a thermoplastic polymer which is compatible with the material in the sealing strip andcan be thermowelded to the sealing strip and to a sealing layers on e.g. a bottom disc, aninner sealing member, a rim formed from thermoplastic material, etc. The fold lines 128 asdisclosed herein may be used on any kind of paperboard material as defined herein, suchas simple materials consisting of only a cardboard base layer or a material having only apolymer coating on one or both surfaces. The fold lines 128 have proven particularlyeffective in preventing the formation of unwanted creases and cracks in paperboard materials which do not include an aluminium foil.

The fold lines are preferably continuous fold lines extending between the bottom end 126and the top end 127 of the container body 102, as shown in Fig. 3. However,discontinuous fold lines consisting of multiple individual embossing elements mayalternatively be used. lt is further conceivable to use fold lines 128 which are interruptedbetween the ends of the fold lines 128 in one or more portions of the container body 102located between the bottom end 126 and the top end 127 as long as the fold lines 128 arepresent at both the bottom end 126 and the top end 127 where they can contribute toimpart the openings in the body tube 123 with the desired modified polygonal foot printsuch as the modified rectangular foot print shown in the figures. An interruption in the foldlines may provide a smooth surface which may be beneficial if the outer surface 108 ofthe container body 102 is provided with print and/or may provide an attachment area foran add-on component, as set out hererin. The interrupted part of the fold lines mayconstitute at most 1/2 of the distance between the ends of the fold lines 128, preferably atmost 1/3 of the distance between the ends of the fold lines 128, the length of the fold lines128 on either side of the interruption being at least 1/4 of the distance between the endsof the fold lines, preferably at least 1/3 of the distance between the ends of the fold lines.

The fold lines 128 may be formed from the side of the body blank 101 which is to form theouter surface 108 of the container body 102, whereby the fold lines appear as grooves onthe outer surface 108 of the container body 102 and as raised ridges on the inner surface107 of the container body 102 as illustrated in Fig. 4. Although the fold lines 128 mayalternatively be formed from the inner surface 107 of the container body 102, this is PG20756SEOO 16 generally less preferred as it entails a risk of damaging a barrier layer or barrier layersapplied on the inner surface 107. Furthermore, ridges on the outside of the packagingcontainer may become chafed or othenrvise damaged during handling of container whichmay considerabiy detract from the appearance of the packaging container and maynegatively affect a user's apprehension of the packaging container as being reliable for storage of sensitive bulk goods, e.g. children's formula.

With reference to Fig. 5 there is shown a paperboard packaging container 500, which isparticularly useful for packaging of pourable or scoopable bulk solids. The particularshape of the container 500 shown in Fig. 5 should not be considered limiting to theinvention. Accordingly, the paperboard packaging container according to the invention may have any useful shape or size, as set out herein.

The packaging container 500 comprises a container body 502 having a tubular containerwall 503 including a front wall portion 503a, a rear wall portion 503b and two side wallportions 503c, 503d. The container wall 503 extends from a container bottom 504 to acontainer body opening 506 in a height direction H of the packaging container 500. Thecontainer wall 503 has an inner surface 507 facing towards an inner storage compartment511 in the packaging container 500 and an outer surface 508 facing away from the innercompartment 511 and being exposed to the exterior of the packaging container 500. Abottom disc 509 is positioned at the bottom 504 of the container body 502. The containerbody 502 is made from paperboard material as defined herein. The container body 502has been formed by bringing together the side edges 116, 117 of a paperboard bodyblank, as disclosed herein such as the body blank 101 shown in Fig. 2, causing the bodyblank material to assume a tubular shape, whereafter the side edges 116, 117 of the bodyblank are sealed together. Sealing of the side edges 116, 117 may be made by anysuitable method as known in the art, such as by welding or gluing, with welding beingpreferred. Sealing of the side edges 116, 117 of the container body web may involveusing a sealing strip. The bottom disc 509 may be made from paperboard, metal, plastic, or from any suitable combination of such materials as known in the art.

The container body 502 has a bottom end 526 with a bottom end edge 526' and a top end527 with a top end edge 527”. The four wall portions 503a, 503b, 503c, 503d of thecontainer body 502 extend in the height direction H of the packaging container from thebottom end edge 526' to the top end edge 527' of the container body 502 and are PG20756SE00 17 separated by four corner portions 529 with 2 to 20 fold lines 528 being arranged in eachcorner portion 529, the fold lines 528 extending parallel to each other in the heightdirection H.

The fold lines 528 contribute to providing the packaging container 500 with enhancedcrush resistance in the height direction H while promoting controlled bending of the paperboard material in the corner portions 529 of the packaging container.

The bottom end edge 526' of the container body 502 is reinforced by a plastic bottom rim510 which is applied to the inner surface 507 of the container wall 503, on the outside ofthe bottom disc 509 and which has an outwardly directed flange which covers thepaperboard edge of the container bottom 504 and forms a plastic lower edge 513 of thepackaging container 500. The bottom rim 510 reinforces the paperboard edge of thecontainer wall 503, stabilizes the shape of the container body 502 and protects the bottomedge of the container wall 503 from mechanical deformation. The plastic bottom rim 510also serves as a protective barrier against water and other fluids which may be present ona surface on which the packaging container is placed. The bottom rim 510 delimits adownwardly open space between the bottom disc 509 and the lower edge 513 of thepackaging container 500 which may be used to accommodate stacking elementsarranged at an upper end of another packaging container when stacking two or more packaging containers on top of each other.

As an alternative to a plastic bottom rim, the bottom end edge 526' of the container body502 may be formed by a rolled edge of the paperboard material, or may be provided by asimple, non-rolled join between the bottom disc 509 and the container body 502.

The paperboard packaging container 500 is provided with a closure arrangementcomprising a lid 514 and an inner top rim 515 extending along the upper edge of thecontainer wall 503.

The upper reinforcing rim 515 is preferably a plastic rim, most preferably a thermoplasticrim. The inner top rim 515 is attached to the inner surface 507 of the container body wall503 at the container body opening 506.

PG20756SEOO 18 The inner top rim 515 is joined to the inner surface 507 of the container wall 503 bymeans of a weld seal extending around the container opening 506. The weld sealpreferably extends continuously around the container opening 506 and is a sift-proof weldseal and is preferably also a moisture proof weld seal and most preferably a gas-tight weld seal.

The weld seal is formed by supplying energy to heat and locally soften or melt one ormore thermoplastic components in the inner top rim 515 and/or in a coating or film on theinner surface 507 of the container body wall 503 and by pressing the inner top rim 515 and the container wall 503 together in a direction perpendicular to the container wall 503.

As an alternative to a plastic top rim 515, the top edge 527” of the packaging containermay be formed by a rolled edge of the paperboard container body 502.

The lid 514 is formed from an outer lid part 514a and an inner lid part 514b. The outer lidpart 514a is a profiled part with a three-dimensional shape. The inner lid part 514b is aplanar disk. The inner lid part 514b against an upper edge of the inner top rim 515 whenthe lid 514 is in the closed position as shown in Fig. 5.

The outer lid part 14a is connected by a hinge (not shown) to a frame structure 530, thelid 514 and the frame structure 530 together forming a lid component 531. The hinge maybe a live hinge, formed integrally with the upper lid part 514a and the frame structure 530as a flexible connection between the upper lid part 514a and the frame structure 530. Asset out herein, a live hinge is only a non-limiting example of a useful hinge and it shouldbe understood that any other type of functional hinge may be used for the connectionbetween the frame structure 530 and the lid 514. Moreover, the lid 514 may be of theremovable kind, without any permanent connection to a frame structure 530, an inner top rim 515 or to the container body 502. ln the packaging container 500 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the frame structure 530 is appliedto the packaging container at the upper edge of the container body 502 and ismechanically attached to the inner top rim 515 by a snap-on connection. The framestructure 530 may be attached to the inner top rim 515 after the inner top rim 515 hasbeen welded to the inner surface 507 of the paperboard container body wall 503. Theframe structure 530 is applied to the inner top rim 515 by pressing the frame structure 530 PG20756SEO0 19 down over the upper edge of the inner top rim 515 until the frame structure 530 locks inplace on the inner top rim 515 by means of mating snap-in features on the inner top rim515 and the frame structure 530. When the frame structure 530 has been attached to theinner top rim 515, it can only be removed again by breaking or damaging the snap-inconnection between the inner top rim 515 and the frame structure 530. it is further to beunderstood that the closure arrangement as shown in Fig. 5 is non-Iimiting to the claimedinvention and that the fold lines as disclosed herein may be used in packaging containershaving other types of closure arrangements such as closure arrangements wherein a lidcooperates with a single rim or with an upper edge of the container body to close and open the packaging container.

The storage compartment 511 is sealed with a fully or partly removable sealing member533 which is applied over the packaged goods in the packaging container 500 and whichis sealed to the inner surface 507 of the container body wall 503. The removable sealingmember 533 may be attached to the container body wall 503 either by being inserted fromthe top end of the container body 502 or from the bottom end of the container body 502, inwhich case it is attached before attaching the bottom disc 509. Depending on whether thesealing member 533 is inserted from the top or from the bottom of the container body 502,it will be attached to the inner surface 507 of the container wall 503, within a band-shapededge portion of the sealing member 533 which is directed upward if the sealing member533 is inserted from the top and downward if the sealing member 533 is inserted from thebottom. ln order to gain a first access to the packaged goods in the storage compartment 511, auser needs to open the lid 514 and then expose the packaged goods by fully or partlyremoving the sealing member 533. The sealing member 533 may be arranged to bepeeled away from the wall 503 of the container body 502 or may be arranged with meansfor breaking the sealing member 533 so that it can be at least partly removed from thecontainer opening. Such means may be in the form of one or more predefinedweakenings, such as perforations or a cut made partly through the sealing member 533.When the sealing member 533 is of the tear-open type, a narrow edge part of the sealingmember 533 may be left at the inner surface 507 of the container wall 503. Any suchremaining part of the sealing member 533 should preferably not be so large so that it unduly restricts accessibility into the storage compartment 511. Although generally PG20756SE00 preferred, the sealing member 533 is an optional feature of the disclosed packagingcontainer 500 and may be omitted.

Once the sealing member 533 has been removed, it is sufficient to open the lid 514 inorder to gain access to the packaged goods in the storage compartment 511 through the container opening 506.

The closure arrangement on the paperboard packaging container 500 as disclosed hereinfurther comprises a locking arrangement which is configured to aid in maintaining the lid514 in a closed position over the container opening 506. The closure arrangement is an optional feature of the packaging container.

The locking arrangement which is shown in Fig. 5 comprises a first locking element 541which is arranged on a locking flap 540 extending from the frame structure 533 upward inthe height direction H and a second locking element 542 arranged on the container lid514. The first and second locking elements 541, 542 may be mating locking elements,such as female/male locking elements including hooks and other protrusions which are arranged to interengage with ridges, hooks, tracks, holes, cavities, loops, etc.

Another example of a useful locking arrangement is a locking flap or clasp closure actingin the opposite direction, i.e. extending from the forward edge on the lid and comprising atleast one locking element which can be fastened into or onto a corresponding lockingelement on the container body or on an edge rim or frame attached at the container opening.

Claims (19)

1. A packaging container (500) comprising a paperboard container body (502) having abottom end (526) and a top end (527), the container body (502) comprising three to eightwall portions (503a, 503b, 503c, 503d) extending in a height direction (H) of the packagingcontainer (500) from the bottom end (526) to the top end (527), the wall portions beingseparated by corner portions (529), the packaging container (500) being closed at thebottom end (527) by a bottom disc (509) which is attached to the container body (502)and being closed at the top end (526) by a top end closure comprising an openable andreclosable iid (514), characterized in that 2 to 20 fold lines (528) are arranged in eachcorner portion (529), the fold lines (528) extending parallel to each other in the heightdirection (H).

2. A packaging container (500) according to claim 1, wherein the corner portions (529) are curved corner portions (529).

3. A packaging container (500) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of fold lines(528) in each corner portion (529) is from 5 to 9.

4. A packaging container (500) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein thefold lines (528) are separated by a distance between adjacent fold lines (528) being in therange of from 0.5 to 20 millimeters, such as in the range of from 1 to 10 millimeters, such as in the range of from 4 to 8 millimeters.

5. A packaging container (500) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein thefold lines (528) terminate at a distance (d1, d2) from a container body edge (5261 527') atone or both of the bottom end (526) and the top end (527) of the container body (502), thedistance (d1, d2) being in the range of from 10 to 50 millimeters, such as from 15 to 30 millimeters.

6. A packaging container (500) according to any one of ciaims 1 to 4, wherein the foldlines (528) extend all the way to one or both of the bottom end edge (526') and the topend edge (527'). PG20756SE00 22

7. A packaging container (500) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein thefold lines (528) have one or more interruptions between the bottom end edge (526) andthe top end edge (527').

8. A packaging container (500) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein thefold lines (528) are equidistantly spaced in the corner portions (529).

9. A packaging container (500) according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the number offold lines (528) is between 3 and 20 and the distance between a first pair of adjacent foldlines (528) is different from a distance between a second pair of adjacent fold lines (528).

10. A packaging container (500) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein aplastic reinforcing rim (515) is attached to the container body at one or both of the bottomend (526) and the top end (527) of the container body (502).

11. A packaging container (500) according to any one of the preceding claims, whereinthe top end closure comprises a fully or partly removable inner sealing member (533)which is attached to the inner surface (507) of the container body (502) at a distance from the container body edge at the top end (527) of the container body (502).

12. A rectangular paperboard body blank (101) for forming a container body (102) in apackaging container (500) according to any one of claims 1-11, the body blank (101)having a first and a second parallel end edge (120, 121) extending in a first direction (X)and a first and a second parallel side edge (116, 117) extending in a second direction (Y)perpendicularto the first direction (X), characterized in that the body blank (101) isdivided in the first direction (X) into four to nine wall segments (103a, 103b', 103b”, 103c,103d) extending in the second direction (Y) from the first end edge (120) to the secondend edge (121), the wall segments (103a, 103b', 103b”, 1030, 103d) being separated inthe first direction (X) by corner segments (124'), wherein 2 to 20 fold lines (128) arearranged in each corner segment (124'), the fold lines (128) extending parallel to each other in the second direction (Y).

13. A rectangular paperboard body blank (101) according to claim 12, wherein the numberof fold lines (128) in each corner segment (129) is from 5 to 9. PG20756SEO0 23

14. A rectangular paperboard body blank (101) according to any one of claims 12 to 13,wherein the fold lines (128) are separated by a distance between adjacent fold lines (128)being in the range of from 0.5 to 20 millimeters, such as in the range of from 1 to 10 millimeters, such as in the range of from 4 to 8 millimeters.

15. A rectangular paperboard body blank (101) according to any one of claims 12 to 14,wherein the fold lines (128) terminate at a distance (d1, d2) from one or both of the firstend edge (120) and the second end edge (121), the distance being in the range of from 10 to 30 millimeters, such as from 15 to 25 millimeters.

16. A rectangular paperboard body blank (101) according to any one of claims 12 to 15,wherein the fold lines (128) extend all the way to one or both of the first end edge (120)and the second end edge (121).

17. A rectangular paperboard body blank (101) according to any one of claims 12 to 16,wherein the fold lines (128) have one or more interruptions between the first end edge(120) and the second end edge (121).

18. A rectangular paperboard body blank (101) according to any one of claims 12 to 17,wherein the fold lines (128) are equidistantly spaced in the corner segments (129).

19. A rectangular paperboard body blank (101) according to any one of claims 12 to 18,wherein the number of fold lines (128) is between 3 and 20 and the distance between afirst pair of adjacent fold lines (128) is different from a distance between a second pair ofadjacent fold lines (128).