Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
  • B65D5/02—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body
  • B65D5/06—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body with end-closing or contents-supporting elements formed by folding inwardly a wall extending from, and continuously around, an end of the tubular body
  • B65D5/067—Gable-top containers
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T156/00—Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
  • Y10T156/10—Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
  • Y10T156/1002—Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
  • Y10T156/1036—Bending of one piece blank and joining edges to form article

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a container, in particular for preserving food products, and to a method of manufacturing such a container.
• the present invention is applicable to the food sector, and in particular to the preserving of liquid food products such as milk, fruit juices, yoghurt, mineral water and the like, of which the chemical and organoleptic properties can easily be adulterated and degraded.
• These containers are generally erected from flat blanks cut from a roll of continuous strip material carried by a reel.
• Each blank prepared in this way will also undergo a scoring operation that serves to impress a plurality of crease lines defining the shape of the container being manufactured. More particularly, each blank emerges from the scoring operation presenting longitudinal, transverse and angled crease lines.
• the longitudinal crease lines extend generally along the full length of the blank so that it can be caused by an initial bending operation to assume a substantially tubular shape that will be fixed permanently by a seal or weld applied along one overlapping longitudinal side edge of the blank.
• transverse crease lines are located generally near the free transverse edges of the blank and will extend across the full width of the material in such a way as to delimit two opposite end portions which, when subjected to further bending and sealing operations, will establish a closed bottom end and a top outlet portion of the finished container.
• the angled crease lines extend typically across the end portions of the blank, between the transverse crease lines and the free transverse edges, and serve to facilitate the steps of forming the bottom end and the outlet portion of the container in production.
• this will be accomplished generally by bending and folding the respective end portion along mutually opposed segments of the relative transverse crease line.
• the structure of the end portion can be forced perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the relative container, appearing initially as two matching and partly overlapping halves of trapezoidal outline.
• the two trapezoidal halves are sealed along the line of the overlap so as to create a square central portion, corresponding to the bottom end of the container, flanked by two lateral portions of layered structure and triangular outline identifiable as respective stiffening elements, projecting perpendicularly from the structure of the container in production.
• each triangular stiffening element coincides typically with a respective segment of the transverse crease line delimiting the relative end portion, so that the stiffening elements can be bent along the respective longer bases and folded into a position within the outline of the square central portion, each occupying a plane substantially parallel to the plane occupied by the selfsame central portion.
• the stiffening elements are directed toward one another, converging on the middle of the square central portion.
• the stiffening elements undergo a sealing operation by which they are anchored to the middle of the square central portion, thus completing the bottom end of the respective container.
• the semi-erected container now undergoes a further bending operation serving to form the outlet portion, which can either be sealed permanently in a totally enclosed configuration or furnished with a neck piece incorporating a removable closure.
• the structure of such conventional containers presents one or more interstitial spaces created by the stiffening elements and affording gaps in which undesirable liquids such as cleansing or flushing fluids can collect and remain trapped until the moment when the container is filled with the liquid food product. Needless to say, the food product will mingle ultimately with these trapped fluids, becoming irreversibly contaminated and degraded.
• the object of the present invention is to overcome the problems presented by the prior art by providing a container, in particular for preserving food products, such as will be devoid of interstitial spaces and offer comparatively modest production and marketing costs. Disclosure of the Invention
• a container in particular for preserving food products, consisting in a hollow structure obtainable by bending and sealing at least one substantially flat blank and comprising: a containing portion providing an enclosure in which to accommodate at least one preservable product, presenting at least one side wall furnished with at least one end portion adaptable by bending and sealing operations in such a way as to fashion a bottom end; and an outlet portion located at the end opposite to the bottom end, permanently associated with the side wall of the containing portion and combining to establish the enclosure at least in part, characterized in that the bottom end fashioned from the end portion of the side wall presents at least one area of layered structure delimited by at least one seal positioned to isolate the selfsame area of layered structure from the enclosure of the container, thereby ensuring that the enclosure encompasses a volume devoid of interstitial spaces and/or stagnation points.
• the aforementioned objects are realized similarly in a container, in particular for preserving food products, consisting in a hollow structure obtainable by bending and sealing at least one substantially flat blank and comprising: a containing portion
• ⁇ providing an enclosure in which to accommodate at least one preservable product, presenting at least one side wall furnished with at least one end portion adaptable by bending and sealing operations in such a way as to fashion a bottom end; and an outlet portion located at the end opposite to the bottom end, permanently associated with the side wall of the containing portion and combining to establish the enclosure at least in part, characterized in that the outlet portion presents at least one spout, by which the food product in the container can be caused to follow a predetermined preferential flow direction, and in that such a spout consists in a part of the outlet portion furnished with at least two crease lines extending divergently toward a free edge of the outlet portion and capable of alternating between a non-operating condition in which the container is closed with the spout retracted into the outlet portion and presenting a substantially flat configuration, and an operating condition in which the container is open with the spout projecting from the selfsame outlet portion.
• the objects of the present invention are realized likewise in a method of manufacturing containers, in particular for preserving food products, utilizing a substantially flat blank of material presenting a plurality of crease lines generated by a scoring operation, and comprising the steps of: causing the blank to assume a substantially tubular shape establishing at least one side wall of the container in production; fixing the blank to retain the tubular shape; bending the tubular blank along at least two mutually opposed segments of a transverse crease line delimiting an end portion of the side wall so that the end portion is caused to bend along angled crease lines departing from the transverse crease line and extending convergently toward a free transverse edge of the tubular blank, in such a way as to create a bottom end of the container in production, and at least two mutually opposed stiffening elements of layered structure; fixing the bottom end and the stiffening elements by sealing together at least two joined faces of the free transverse edge presented by the tubular blank; bending the end portion further along mutually opposed segments of the transverse crease line de
• -figure 1 is a perspective view of a container according to the present invention, illustrated in a first embodiment;
• -figure 2 illustrates a blank from which to fashion the container of figure 1;
• -figure 3 is a perspective view of a partly formed container as in figure 1;
• FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a container as in figures 1 and 3, shown up-ended and with a bottom end partly formed;
• FIG. 5 is a second fragmentary perspective view of a container as in figures 1, 3 and 4, shown up-ended and with the bottom end nearly formed;
• FIG. 6 is a further fragmentary perspective of the container as in figures 1 to 5, shown up-ended and with the bottom end completely formed;
• -figure 7 is a perspective view of a container according to the present invention, illustrated in a second embodiment;
• -figure 8 illustrates a blank from which to fashion the container of figure 7;
• -figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a closed container according to the present invention, illustrated in a third embodiment;
• -figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the container in figure 9, shown in an open condition;
• 1 denotes a container, in its entirety, and in particular a container for preserving food products according to the present invention.
• the container 1 comprises a containing structure 2 obtainable by bending and sealing at least one flat blank la that will be described in due course.
• the containing structure 2 of the container 1 comprises a containing portion 3 establishing an enclosure 4 (figure 3) such as can be filled with at least one liquid food product, and an outlet portion 5 by way of which the food product occupying the enclosure 4 can be poured or otherwise extracted.
• the containing portion 3 comprises at least one side wall 6 presenting an end portion 7 such as can be adapted by a sequence of bending and sealing operations to form a bottom end 8 disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the container 1.
• Figure 1 and figures 3 to 6 illustrate a first embodiment of the invention in which the side wall 6 of the containing portion 3 presents a preferred geometry of substantially prismatic outline and square cross section, with four substantially identical and rectangular faces 6a. Similarly, the end portion 7 (figure 3) of the side wall 6 presents four faces 7a extending from the respective faces 6a of the side wall 6 along the longitudinal dimension of the container 1, with no break in continuity.
• Figure 7 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention in which, by contrast, the side wall 6 presented by the containing portion 3 of the container 1 is substantially cylindrical and of circular cross section.
• the aforementioned outlet portion 5 extends from the end of the containing portion 3 opposite to the bottom end 8, and encompasses the enclosure 4 at least in part. More exactly, the outlet portion 5 presents four faces 5a integral with and angled in relation to the side wall 6, combining to create a substantially frustopyramidal and funnel-like element tapering away from the side wall 6.
• the container 1 is furnished preferably with at least one neck piece of substantially tubular embodiment, denoted 9, secured to the topmost extremity of the outlet portion 5 remote from the containing portion 3, and a relative closure element or cap 9a fitted over or screwed onto the neck piece 9 in removable fashion so that the container 1 can be securely closed.
• the container 1 can be furnished with an outlet portion 5 fashioned as in figures 9 and 10, that is to say with a familiar gable top, secured by a seal effected along a raised seam closure 5b extending across the full transverse dimension of the container 1.
• the outlet portion 5 affords crease lines 5c serving, when the container 1 is opened typically by separating and spreading the joined parts of the raised seam closure 5b, to create a pouring spout 5d such as will allow the food product to follow a predetermined preferential flow direction when dispensed.
• the pouring spout 5d is capable of alternating between a non-operating condition, in which the container 1 is closed and the spout 5d is folded flat into the raised seam closure 5b of the outlet portion 5, and an operating condition in which the container 1 is open and the pouring spout 5d projects from the outlet portion 5, presenting a substantially Vee-shaped cross-sectional profile.
• each stiffening element 10 presents a layered structure consisting in two thicknesses of material, produced as a result of the end portion 7 being folded double, and a substantially isosceles triangular outline of which the base coincides with one corresponding side of the bottom end 8 and the vertex 10b opposite the base 10a is directed toward the middle of the selfsame bottom end (figure 6) . Once folded into this position, each stiffening element 10 is sealed to the bottom end 8 at one or more points to ensure a permanent bond.
• each stiffening element 10 is totally enclosed around the periphery, since the only side left open initially during the bending operation by which the end portion 7 of the side wall 6 is folded and flattened, in other words the base 10a of the triangle, will be closed off by a relative seal 10c effected along this same base 10a (figure 5) .
• the bottom end 8 of the cylindrical container 1 illustrated in figure 7 presents a similar structural configuration obtained preferably by bending and sealing the end portion 7 of the side wall 6 in the same fashion.
• the blank la utilized in manufacturing the container 1 of figures 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 is of substantially rectangular outline and presents a plurality of crease lines 11 generated by means of a scoring operation.
• the blank la presents four longitudinal crease lines 11a extending along its entire length and delimiting the faces 5a, 6a and 7a of the outlet portion 5, the side wall 6 and the end portion 7 of the side wall, respectively.
• the blank la also presents two transverse crease lines lib extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal crease lines 11a and at a short distance from respective free transverse edges 12 of the blank. Observing figure 2, it will be seen that the transverse crease lines lib extend the full width of the blank la, separating the outlet portion 5 and the end portion 7 from the side wall 6 of the container 1.
• the blank la presents a set of angled crease lines lie both on the outlet portion 5, serving to determine the shape of this same portion, and on the end portion 7 of the side wall 6.
• each face 5a of the outlet portion 5 presents a pair of angled crease lines lie departing from respective points of intersection between the transverse crease line lib and the corresponding longitudinal crease lines 11a, and extending convergently toward the respective free transverse edge 12 of the blank.
• Each angled crease line lie thus combines with the relative longitudinal crease line 11a to delimit a triangular area 13 that will be offered flat and sealed to a corresponding triangular area 13 delimited by the selfsame longitudinal crease line 11a and an angled crease line lie presented by the adjoining face 5a.
• the angled crease lines lie presented by the end portion 7 of the side wall 6 occupy only two faces 7a of this same portion.
• the faces 7a of the terminal portion 7 exhibiting the angled crease lines lie are arranged alternately with the two faces 7a having no angled crease lines lie.
• the angled crease lines lie of the end portion 7 depart from respective points of intersection between the transverse crease line lib and the corresponding longitudinal crease lines 11a, and extend convergently toward the respective free transverse edge 12 of the blank, in this instance meeting at the selfsame edge 12 and thus delimiting three triangular areas 14 on each of the two faces 7a that will be folded ultimately to create the respective stiffening elements 10.
• the cylindrical container 1 of figure 7 is fashioned from a blank la without longitudinal crease lines, presenting two transverse crease lines lib of substantially curvilinear and irregular appearance delimiting the outlet portion 5, the side wall 6 of the containing portion 3 and the end portion 7 of the side wall, respectively.
• the transverse crease line lib delimiting the outlet portion 5 of the container 1 extends the full width of the blank la along consecutive curved segments lid each coinciding with the base of a respective face 5a presented by the outlet portion 5.
• the transverse crease line lib delimiting the end portion 7 of the side wall 6 extends the full width of the blank la along consecutive curved segments lid each coinciding with the base of a respective face 7a presented by the end portion 7.
• the blank la presents a set of angled crease lines lie departing from respective points of connection joining the curved segments lid of the transverse crease line lib and extending toward the relative free transverse edge 12.
• two angled crease lines lie will depart preferably from each point of connection joining the curved segments lid and extend divergently toward the transverse edge 12 of the blank la, one on either side of a longitudinal crease line 11a.
• the longitudinal crease line 11a combines with the two angled crease lines lie to create respective triangular areas 13 that will be offered flat and sealed one to another.
• the blank presents a set of angled crease lines lie departing from respective points of connection joining the curved segments lid of the transverse crease line lib and extending toward the relative free transverse edge 12 of the blank la.
• the angled crease lines lie presented by the end portion 7 occupy only two faces 7a of this same portion, departing in pairs from respective points of connection joining the curved segments lid and extending convergently from the selfsame segments to meet at points coinciding with the relative transverse edge 12.
• the angled crease lines lie will be seen in figure 8 to define two substantially triangular areas 14 and two substantially se i- elliptical areas 14a arranged in alternation one with another.
• the blank la used to manufacture the container 1 of figures 9 and 10 appears much the same as the blank la (figure 2) used to manufacture the container 1 of figure 1, at least in terms of the side wall 6 and the end portion 7.
• the blank la presents an auxiliary crease line 12a interposed between the relative transverse crease line lib delimiting the outlet portion 5 and the relative free transverse edge 12 of the blank. More exactly, the auxiliary crease line 12a extends substantially parallel to the transverse edge 12, delimiting the area 5b of the outlet portion that will be sealed ultimately to close the container 1.
• the blank la also presents a set of angled crease lines lie placed differently to the angled crease lines lie on the outlet portion 5 of the blank la shown in figure 2.
• each face 5a of the outlet portion 5 presents a pair of angled crease lines lie departing from respective points of intersection between the transverse crease line lib and the corresponding longitudinal crease lines 11a, extending convergently toward and meeting at the auxiliary crease line 12a in such a way as to create three substantially triangular areas 13.
• the blank la also presents angled crease lines 5c extending between the auxiliary crease line 12a and the relative free transverse edge 12, that is to say across the area that will be sealed to provide the seam closure 5b. It will be seen from figure 11 that these angled crease lines 5c are associated with only two faces 5a of the outlet portion 5, arranged in alternation with the two remaining faces 5a.
• the angled crease lines 5c occupying the area of the seam closure 5b extend substantially in divergent pairs toward the transverse edge 12 of the blank la in such a way as to define respective triangular areas, each constituting a relative pouring spout 5d of the container 1.
• the blank la also presents a central fold line 12b associated with each pair of angled crease lines 5c occupying the area of the seam closure 5b.
• the fold line 12b in question bisects the area compassed between the pair of angled crease lines 5c so as to establish the preferential flow path afforded by the spout 5d.
• the relative blank la (figure 2) is bent initially along the longitudinal crease lines 11a to produce an element of substantially tubular configuration (figure 3) .
• the blank undergoes a sealing operation serving to anchor one overlapped longitudinal edge 15 and thus fix the tubular shape produced by the initial bending step.
• the longitudinal crease lines 11a will provide four corner edges combining to establish the shape of the container 1, at least in part.
• the step by which the end portion 7 is bent will be performed preferably on the segments of the crease line lib coinciding with the faces 7a of the selfsame portion devoid of angled crease lines lie.
• the faces 7a in question are rotated inward and toward the enclosure 4 to the point at which they are positioned substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the container 1.
• the faces 7a of the end portion 7 furnished with angled crease lines lie will be forced to deform by the displacement of the first two faces 7a, and to bend ultimately along the selfsame angled lines lie. In this way, the end portion 7 assumes an outline and a position different to those of the initial tubular configuration .
• the faces 7a of the end portion 7 not provided with angled crease lines lie assume a position perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the container 1 and compassed within its cross-sectional area, their edges joined along an area denoted 16 coinciding with a median plane of the selfsame container.
• the faces 7a scored with angled crease lines lie are bent double and caused to assume a substantially triangular shape generated by the various triangular areas 14 of the blank la.
• These faces 7a likewise are caused to assume positions perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the container 1, albeit externally of the square cross- sectional outline.
• the triangular areas 14 are joined in part along a direction coinciding with the aforementioned joined area 16, so that this same area is extended on either side with no break in continuity.
• each stiffening element 10 is isolated from the enclosure 4, which as a result presents an internal space of substantially prismatic geometry having no interstitial spaces or cavities.
• each stiffening element 10 is rotated about the relative base 10a through 180° and flattened against the bottom of the container with its vertex 10b directed toward the element 10 opposite. In this position, the stiffening elements 10 are secured permanently to the bottom end 8 by a further sealing operation.
• the outlet portion 5 will likewise be folded and secured by further bending and sealing operations, which in the case of a container 1 as illustrated in figure 1 will include the additional step of fitting and securing a neck piece 9 to the outlet portion 5.
• a container 1 according to the invention ensures that liquid food products can be kept over time in optimum condition, and not only products in general, but also those which are particularly delicate and/or perishable.
• seals 10c applied selectively to areas of layered structure associated with the bottom end 8, namely the stiffening elements 10 created by double-folding the end portion 7 of the side wall 6 and incorporating interstitial spaces, these can be isolated from the main volume of the enclosure 4 and thus prevented from retaining droplets and/or residual traces of undesirable liquids, such as flushing fluids used to cleanse the inside of the container 1, or of the food product itself.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Cartons (AREA)
• Making Paper Articles (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)

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Citations (5)

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• 2002
  • 2002-07-25 IT IT2002BO000487A patent/ITBO20020487A1/it unknown
• 2003
  • 2003-07-14 JP JP2004524017A patent/JP2005533728A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-07-14 CN CNB038177404A patent/CN100368266C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-07-14 AU AU2003281665A patent/AU2003281665A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-07-14 US US10/521,157 patent/US20050236463A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-07-14 WO PCT/IB2003/003206 patent/WO2004011341A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 2003-07-14 AT AT03741028T patent/ATE409648T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-07-14 EP EP03741028A patent/EP1527002B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-07-14 MX MXPA05000999A patent/MXPA05000999A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2003-07-14 DE DE60323840T patent/DE60323840D1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-07-14 BR BR0312864-4A patent/BR0312864A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-07-14 RU RU2005101321/11A patent/RU2323142C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-07-14 ES ES03741028T patent/ES2315512T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime

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