WO2008029134A1

WO2008029134A1 - Improvements in or relating to cartons for holding food or other commodities

Info

Publication number: WO2008029134A1
Application number: PCT/GB2007/003348
Authority: WO
Inventors: Quang Phung
Original assignee: Rapid Action Packaging Limited
Priority date: 2006-09-05
Filing date: 2007-09-05
Publication date: 2008-03-13
Also published as: GB0617488D0; GB2441523A

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a carton for holding food or other commodities comprising a box form container (10) formed from a one piece cardboard blank. The container has a rectangular base (11) with folded up front (15), back (17) and side walls (16) having out-turned flanges (19, 20, 21) at their upper edges, and a lid (23) hinged to the back wall having an outer periphery overlying said flanges so that front and side edge portions of the lid can be secured to the flanges to close the carton. The lid has lines of weakness (27) extending from a front edge of the lid inside the side edge portions towards the hinge whereby when the lid is lifted to open the container the central portion of the lid within the side edge portions separates along the lines of weakness leaving the frame along the sides and back of the lid adhered to flanges of the side walls to support the walls of the container.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CARTONS FOR HOLDING FOOD OR OTHER COMMODITIES

This invention relates to cartons for holding food or other commodities.

The invention provides a carton for holding food or other commodities comprising a box form container formed from a one piece cardboard blank, the container having a rectangular base with folded up front back and side walls having flanges at their upper edges, and a lid hinged to the back wall having an outer periphery overlying said flanges so that front and side edge portions of the lid can be secured to the flanges to close the carton, the lid having lines of weakness extending from a front edge of the lid inside the side edge portions towards the hinge whereby when the lid is lifted to open the container the central portion of the lid within the side edge portions separates along the lines of weakness leaving the frame along the sides and back of the lid adhered to flanges of the side walls to support the walls of the container.

The front edges of the lid preferably has notches leading into the lines of weakness to assist the central portion in detaching from the side edge portions of the lid. In the latter arrangement the corners of the blank each have a square portion hinged to the adjacent walls and having a diagonal hinge extending from the corner of the base to fold inwardly when the walls are folded up and to be adhered to one of the walls to assist in supporting the side walls . More specifically the square portion at each corner may have at least one tab which projects upwardly when the corner portion is folded inwardly between the side walls, the tab being folded over the flange of one of the side walls to be adhered with the peripheral frame of the lid to the flange to assist in supporting the side walls.

For example the folded in square portion at each corner is folded alongside one of the walls at the corner, the inner part of the portion is adhered to that wall of the corner and the outer part has the projecting tab which is adhered to the flange of that wall to support the walls at the corner. In any of the above arrangements the central portion of the lid of the container may have a window to enable the goods in the container to be viewed.

By way of example the window may be formed by an aperture in the lid and a sheet of transparent material may be adhered to the lid across the aperture.

According to a further feature of the invention, the flanges on the side walls engage the underside of the lid to hold the lid open for filling the container prior to securing the lid to the flanges to close the container.

The following is a description of some specific embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a food pack in the form of a box form container formed from a one piece cardboard blank and having an openable lid with a viewing window;

Figure 2 shows a blank cut from a web of cardboard material ; Figure 3 shows the blank folded for stacking prior to erection and filling; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the container partially erected;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the container ready for closing and sealing of the lid; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the container with the lid partially opened after being sealed closed.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings there is shown a square shaped box indicated generally at 10 formed from a cardboard blank. For a "standard" box, the board used is a polyethylene coated folding box board (FFB) , a polyethylene coated kraft (brown board) or a polyethylene coated solid bleached sulphate board (SBS) . By way of example the board may be a 400 micron thick folding box board with a 15 g polyethylene coating on one face to be on the inner side of the box. The blank includes a square base 11 having a front edge 12, side edges 13 and a back edge 14. A front wall 15 of the box extends along the front edge 12, side walls 16 of the box extend along the side edges 13 and a back wall 17 of the box extends along the back edge 14.

The front wall 15 of the box has an upper edge 18 and an upstanding flange 19 is formed along the upper edge. The side walls 16 of the box have upper edges 20 along which upstanding flanges 21 extend. The back wall has an upper edge 22 from which a lid 23 for the box extends to close the box. The upstanding flanges 21 on the side walls engage the underside of the lid to hold the lid open for filling the container before the lid is sealed to the flanges as described later. An elongated aperture 24 is formed in the lid 23 and extends into the upper part of the back wall 17 as indicated at 25. A strip of transparent plastics film 26 is secured - A -

to the inside face of the lid to form a window through which the contents of the box may be viewed. By way of example the film may be a 36 micron thick polyester film having an anti-mist coating. The lid 23 is formed with lines of weakness 27 extending parallel to the side edges of the lid and aligned with the side walls 16 of the box and notches may be formed where the lines of weakness meet the front edge of the lid. After filling the box the lid is secured to the front 19 and side flanges 21 by pressing the lid down onto the flanges until they lie flat against the underside of the lid. The lid is then heat sealed to the flanges to seal the box closed to preserve the contents of the box. Figure 5 shows the carton immediately before closure of the lid. The lid has a projecting tab 40 which is grasped to open the lid and the lid is pulled upwardly and rearwardly severing the lid through the lines of weakness and leaving the outer portions of the lid secured to the flanges of the side walls to help stiffen and support the side walls. The lines of weakness in the lid may be formed by continuous partial cut lines in the lid, discontinuous full cut lines, or lines of weakness created by the "Concora" system. In this case each line of weakness comprises a pair of parallel lines of partial sever are formed in opposed sides of the lid by oppositely facing cutting strips. The lid splits between the parallel cuts when it is torn open as can be seen in Figure 6 leaving edge portions of the lid on the side flanges 21 as described earlier.

Reference is now made to the one piece blank illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings from which the box is formed. As indicated earlier the cardboard has a heat- sealable material coated on the surface of the card which is on the inside of the box to enable the underside of the lid of the box to be heat-sealed to the upwardly facing surfaces of the out-turned flanges on the front and side walls.

It will be noted that at each corner of the base 11 there are square corners 30 between the front and side walls 15, 16 and between the back and side walls 17, 16. The corner pieces are formed with diagonal fold lines 31 extending from the corners of the base to the opposed corners of the pieces 30. When the front wall 15 and side walls 16 are folded upwardly to form the box, the corner pieces are folded inwardly about the diagonal fold lines 31 and the fold lines between the corner pieces and respective side and front walls to form triangular shaped gussets lying alongside the side walls 16 of the box to create the bottom tray of the box. The gussets are adhered by glue to the inside faces of the side walls 16 to hold the front, back and side walls together to form the tray of the box.

It will be understood that the erected box is not readily stackable before filling and closure in its erect form. To enable the box to be conveniently folded flat for compact stacking, each side wall 16 is formed with angled fold lines 35 extending from the corners of the base to which the side wall is hinged and converging towards the upper edge of the side walls. The fold lines 35 enable the front wall 15 to be folded downwardly over the base about the fold line 35 and likewise the back wall 17 and with it the lid 23 to be folded downwardly over the base to form the folded container as illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 4 of the drawings shows the container partially erected after folding with the front wall 15.

The flanges 18 on the front wall and 21 on the side walls are folded outwardly and the outer edge portions of the lid - G -

are heat-sealed to the flanges to close the box once the food item or items have been placed in the box. The box then forms a sealed enclosure for the food items for use at point of sale and which protect the food items from deterioration as a result of contact with the atmosphere .

The box thus provides an easily erected and sealed container capable of preserving food item or items from contact with the atmosphere and enables the food items to be viewable by perspective purchasers. It is also possible to form the box from a

"compostable" board having heat sealing, moisture and grease resistance. For example, a board sold under the name "Tecta Vapour" 410 microns thick is suitable. The film for the window to be used in conjunction with this board may be a compositable plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) with or without an anti-mist coating. A 40 micron thickness film is suitable .

A laminated board can also be used such as a packaging board of 150 gsm to 500 gsm with a film laminated to it. For example a 400 micron folding box board may be used having a 20 micron polylactic film laminated to the board.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A carton for holding food or other commodities comprising a box form container formed from a one piece cardboard blank, the container having a rectangular base with folded up front back and side walls having flanges at their upper edges, and a lid hinged to the back wall having an outer periphery overlying said so that front and side edge portions of the lid can be secured to the flanges to close the carton, the lid having lines of weakness extending from a front edge of the lid along the inner peripheries of the side edge portions towards the hinge whereby when the lid is lifted to open the container the central portion of the lid within the side edge portions separates along the lines of weakness leaving the side edge portions of the lid secured to the flanges of the side walls to support the side walls of the container erect.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front edges of the lid having notches leading into the lines of weakness to assist the central portion in detaching from the side edge portions of the lid.

3. A carton as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the corners of the blank each have a square portion hinged to the adjacent walls and having a diagonal hinge extending from the corner of the base to fold inwardly when the walls are folded up and to be adhered to one of the walls to assist in supporting the side walls.

4. A carton as claimed in claim 3, wherein the square portion at each corner has at least one tab which projects upwardly when the corner portion is folded inwardly between the side walls, the tab being folded over the flange of one of the side walls to be adhered with the peripheral frame of the lid to the flange to assist in supporting the side walls.

5. A carton as claimed in claim 4, wherein the folded in square portion at each corner is folded alongside one of the walls at the corner, the inner part of the portion is adhered to that wall of the corner and the outer part has the projecting tab which is adhered to the flange of that wall to support the walls at the corner.

6. A carton as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the central portion of the lid of the container has a window to enable the goods in the container to be viewed.

7. A carton as claimed in claim 6, wherein the window is formed by an aperture in the lid and a sheet of transparent material adhered to the lid over the aperture.

8. A carton as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the flanges on the side walls engage under the lid to hold the lid open for filling prior to the lid being secured to the flanges to close the container.