WO2015137798A1

WO2015137798A1 - Package for food items, fabrication method therefor and filing method therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2015137798A1
Application number: PCT/NL2014/050138
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan Boerman
Original assignee: Beheer Familie Boerman B.V.
Priority date: 2014-03-10
Filing date: 2014-03-10
Publication date: 2015-09-17

Abstract

The invention relates to a package for food items, comprising a tray having a rectangular shaped bottom, four sidewalls comprising a moveable sidewall and three interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls, a first gusset in between the moveable sidewall and one of the two adjacent sidewalls, and a second gusset in between the moveable sidewall and the other one of the two adjacent sidewalls, wherein the moveable sidewall and the first and second gusset are moveable between an open position in which the moveable sidewall extends substantially in a plane defined by the bottom, and a closed position in which the moveable sidewall extends upward from the bottom and in which the first and second gusset extend outwards, wherein the bag is configured to enclose the tray, and wherein the bag has an opening side to gain access to the package, which opening side faces the moveable sidewall of the tray.

Description

Title: package for food items, fabrication method therefor and filling method therefor The invention relates to a package for food items, in particular food items such as cookies, comprising a tray for receiving the food items and a flexible bag for enclosing the tray.

Using a tray in a flexible bag is already known in the prior art as a package. The tray usually comprises a bottom and four sidewalls extending from the bottom to form a cavity for holding items, such as food items, and to protect the items when the package is handled, e.g. during transport. The flexible bag is configured to provide a closure around the tray and in case of food items to prevent the food items from being exposed to outside air and moisture until the flexible bag is opened for consuming the food items. The flexible bag may further be used for advertising and information purposes by providing, e.g. printing, the information or advertisements on the outside of the flexible bag.

A disadvantage of this package is that upon opening the flexible bag the tray usually has to be removed from the flexible bag in order to reach the food items in the tray. When not all food items are consumed and users want to put the tray back into the flexible bag for storage purposes this is found to be challenging or at least frustrating for most users, especially children, elderly people and/or disabled people.

Hence, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved package allowing to easily take the content out of the package while also allowing to easily store remaining items.

This object is achieved by a package according to claim 1 , characterized by a tray having a rectangular shaped bottom, four sidewalls extending from the bottom and comprising a moveable sidewall and three interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls, a first gusset in between the moveable sidewall and one of the two sidewalls adjacent the moveable sidewall, and a second gusset in between the moveable sidewall and the other one of the two sidewalls adjacent the moveable sidewall, wherein the moveable sidewall and the first and second gusset are moveable between an open position in which the moveable sidewall extends substantially in a plane defined by the bottom, and a closed position in which the moveable sidewall extends upward from the bottom and in which the first and second gusset extend outwards from the tray, wherein the bag is configured to enclose the tray, and wherein the bag has an opening side to be opened to gain access to the package, which - - opening side faces the moveable sidewall of the tray in the closed position when the tray is enclosed by the bag.

An advantage of the package according to the invention is that it is no longer required to remove the tray from the flexible bag to get easy access to the content held by the tray. Instead, when opening the flexible bag at the opening side thereof the moveable sidewall, which is initially in the closed position, can be moved to the open position thereby moving the moveable sidewall out of the way and allowing to pass the moveable sidewall to reach the content held by the tray. If a user decides to leave some items behind and store the package including remaining items, the moveable sidewall can easily be moved back to the closed position and the combination of flexible bag, tray and remaining items can be put away for storage as a single element.

Another advantage may arise in case the flexible bag at the opening side is preferably held in a particular shape, e.g. for advertising purposes. Due to the flexible nature of the bag, it may be difficult to keep that particular shape in place especially during transport. However, in the package according to the invention the first and second gussets adjacent the moveable sidewall and extending outwards from the tray may advantageously be used in the closed position to keep the flexible bag substantially in a desired shape.

In an embodiment, the tray comprises additional gussets in between the three

interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls, and wherein said additional gussets are folded to lie against an adjacent sidewall thereof and are connected thereto to form the three interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls.

In an embodiment, said additional gussets are folded to lie against the respective sidewalls that are adjacent to the moveable sidewall. This leaves the sidewall opposite the moveable sidewall free of additional material and connection elements, so that the package can be stably held in an orientation in which the package is supported by the sidewall opposite the moveable sidewall. The same may apply to one of the other sidewalls if it is desired to stably support the package using one of the other sidewalls.

Hence, in an embodiment, the additional gussets are folded to lie against the sidewall that is non-adjacent the moveable sidewall.

In an embodiment, the three interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls may be connected through one or more of the following connection principles: - -

- gluing;

- stapling;

- taping;

- clamping; and

- tongue-and-slot.

Although it may not be preferred, it is explicitly mentioned here that the additional gussets may be connected to an adjacent sidewall using different connection principles. Said additional gussets may be folded inwards to lie against an inwardly facing surface of a respective adjacent sidewall, or may alternatively be folded outwards to lie against an outwardly facing surface of a respective sidewall. In an alternative embodiment, one gusset is folded inwards and the other gusset is folded outwards. In an embodiment, in the closed position, the first and/or second gusset extend parallel to the adjacent sidewalls of the moveable sidewall.

The invention also relates to a fabrication method for fabricating a package according to the invention, wherein said method comprises the following steps:

a) providing a blank with:

i. a bottom;

ii. four sidewalls with a moveable sidewall;

iii. a first gusset between the moveable sidewall and one of the two adjacent sidewalls thereof;

iv. a second gusset between the moveable sidewall and the other one of the two adjacent sidewalls thereof,

b) folding the sidewalls except the moveable sidewall upwards;

c) interconnecting the upwardly folded sidewalls to form three interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls;

d) folding the first and second gussets outwardly such that said first and second

gussets and moveable sidewall are moveable between an open position in which the moveable sidewall extends substantially in a plane defined by the bottom, and a closed position in which the moveable sidewall extends upward from the bottom and in which said first and second gusset extend outwards from the tray.

In an embodiment, at least the steps b-d are carried out by a machine that is preprogrammed to perform these steps. - -

The invention further relates to filling a package according to the invention, wherein said method comprises the following steps:

a) fabricating a tray in accordance with the invention;

b) positioning the moveable sidewall in the closed position;

c) filling the tray with food items;

d) enclosing the tray with a flexible bag, such that an opening side thereof faces the moveable sidewall in the closed position, wherein the opening side is to be opened to gain access to the food items.

In an embodiment, the step of enclosing the tray with a flexible bag comprises the following steps:

a. providing a sheet of flexible material on a side of the tray;

b. folding the sheet of flexible material around the tray about a folding axis until two opposite ends of the sheet of flexible material meet each other;

c. connecting the two opposite ends of the sheet of flexible material to form a tubular shape with open ends around the tray; and

d. closing the open ends of the tubular shape.

The invention yet also relates to a method for using a package, comprising the following steps:

a) filling the package according to the invention;

b) opening the opening side of the flexible bag;

c) moving the moveable sidewall to the open position;

d) removing a food item from the package.

In an embodiment, the method further comprises the following steps:

e) moving the moveable sidewall to the closed position;

f) closing the opening side of the flexible bag; and

g) storing the package.

The invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which like parts are indicated by like reference symbols, and in which:

Fig. 1 depicts a flat blank be erected to form a tray of a package according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 depicts the blank of Fig. 1 after some initial folding steps; - -

Fig. 3 depicts the blank of Fig. 1 after the formation of three interconnected

upwardly folded sidewalls;

Fig. 4 depicts the blank of Fig. 1 after completely being transformed into a tray; Fig. 5 depicts a side view of the tray of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 depicts a cross sectional side view of a closed package according to an

embodiment of the invention in which the tray of Fig. 4 is enclosed by a flexible bag and in which the tray holds food items; and

Fig. 7 depicts a cross sectional side view of an opened package of Fig. 6. Figure 1 depicts a blank BL as a starting element to form a tray of a package according to an embodiment of the invention. The blank BL may be made from any material, including paper, paperboard, corrugated fibreboard, plastic, etc., as long as the material can be folded into the tray. The blank BL may be die-cut from a larger plate-like element. The resulting outer contour OC of the blank BL is indicated by a solid line. The blank BL comprises multiple folding lines, indicated by the dashed lines, that divide the blank BL into multiple regions. These regions include a rectangular bottom BO in the middle, four sidewalls respectively indicated by reference symbols SW1 , SW2, SW3 and SW4, and four gussets GU1 , GU2, GU3 and GU4 in between the four sidewalls SW1-SW4. The four gussets GU1 - GU4 are each divided into two equally sized portions by a respective folding line GFL1 , GFL2, GFL3, GF4.

The folding lines may be formed by scoring the material, thereby locally weakening the material that allows the material to fold. Hence, materials that can be folded only once the material has been scored are also materials suitable for forming the tray according to an embodiment of the invention.

The bottom, sidewalls and gussets are in this embodiment formed by providing four main folding lines MFL1 , MFL2, MFL3 and MFL4.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1 it can be clearly seen that the blank BL has four rounded corners, i.e. the gussets GU1 - GU4 are rounded. Said gussets may have other shapes as well. As will be seen later on, the shape of the gussets can be adapted to the manner in which the flexible bag enclosing the tray has to be supported.

The tray according to an embodiment of the invention can be formed by folding the adjacent gussets GU3 and GU4 inwards or outwards along the respective folding lines GFL3 and - -

GFL4. In this embodiment, the gussets are folded outwards which results in the three sidewalls SW2, SW3 and SW4 to be folded upwards as can be seen in the top view of Fig. 2. As the gussets are folded outwards, they extend outwardly from the sidewalls as shown in Fig. 2.

Gusset GU4 can subsequently be folded to lie against sidewall SW3 or sidewall SW4.

Gusset GU3 can subsequently be folded to lie against sidewall SW2 or sidewall SW3. In order to form three interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls SW2, SW3, SW4 the gussets are connected to the respective sidewall they lie against. From a connection point of view it is irrelevant for the invention to which sidewall the gussets GU3, GU4 are connected. In this embodiment, the gussets are both connected to sidewall SW3 as shown in Fig. 3.

Connecting the gussets to sidewall SW3 may involve gluing, taping, tongue-and-slot, clamping and/or stapling.

The three sidewalls SW2, SW3 and SW4 form three interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls. The sidewall SW1 and the adjacent first gusset GU 1 and second gusset GU2 are still free to move between an open position as shown in Fig. 3 in which the moveable sidewall SW1 extends substantially in a plane defined by the bottom BO, and a closed position as shown in Fig. 4 in which the moveable sidewall SW1 extends upward from the bottom BO and in which the gussets GU 1 and GU2 extend away from the tray substantially parallel to the adjacent sidewalls SW2, SW4 of the moveable sidewall SW1.

Moving the sidewall SW1 from the open position to the closed position the first time requires folding the gussets GU1 and GU2 outward along respectively the folding lines GFL1 and GFL2.

The result of the folding sequence described in relation to Figs. 1-4 is a tray configured to hold food items, especially when the sidewall SW1 is the closed position, as the sidewalls SW1 , SW2, SW3 and SW4 then delimit a cavity for receiving the food items.

It is explicitly noted here that the described folding sequence does not necessarily have to be performed in the described order. Another folding order, e.g. one where the sidewall SW1 is folded to the closed position first, is also envisaged.

The folding sequence described above may automatically be carried out by a dedicated folding machine. - -

Fig. 5 depicts a side view of the tray in the closed position of the moveable sidewall SW1. The closed position of the moveable sidewall SW1 may alternatively be referred to as the closed position of the tray.

In Fig. 5 the moveable sidewall SW1 is indicated by a dashed line, so that it is clear that all sidewalls SW1 - SW4 extend upward from the bottom BO to form a cavity CA that is accessible in the closed position from above. Fig. 6 depicts a cross sectional side view of a package PA according to an embodiment of the invention. The package comprises a tray TR formed in accordance of Figs. 1-5, wherein the tray is in the closed position and holds food items Fl, e.g. cookies.

The tray TR is enclosed by a flexible bag FB, which has an opening side OS to be opened to gain access to the package. In Fig. 6 the opening side is closed, so that there is no access to the food items, and preferably also no air is able penetrate the package to preserve the food items Fl. The moveable sidewall SW1 of the tray is in the closed position as indicated by the dashed line. When the sidewall SW1 is in the closed position, the opening side of the bag FB faces the sidewall SW1 or in other words, the opening side OS of the flexible bag is adjacent the sidewall SW1 , so that in the closed position the sidewall SW1 prevents a user from reaching the food items in the tray via an opened opening side of the bag.

In order to get access to the content of the package, i.e. the food items, a user will have to open the opening side OS of the bag, reach into the package and move the moveable sidewall SW1 from the closed position to the open position as shown in Fig. 7. This will move the sidewall SW1 out of the way, so that the food items can be reached by a user via the opened opening side OS of the flexible bag FB. When the user wants to store remaining food items, this can easily be done by moving the sidewall SW1 back to the closed position as depicted in Fig. 6 and closing the opening side of the flexible bag.

The main advantage of the package according to the invention is that for removing the food items from the package and for subsequently storing the remaining food items, the tray does not have to be taken out of the flexible bag. Another advantage is that the flexible bag usually has an empty space at the opening side. Due to the first and second gussets GU1 - - and GU2 extending away from the tray in the closed position, they act as a reinforcement of the flexible bag so that the flexible bag is supported and kept in the desired shape, e.g. for advertisement or information purposes. If the gussets would not be positioned in that area, as is done in the prior art, the flexible bag is able to collapse onto the tray.

In the drawings, the additional gussets GU3 and GU4 are connected to the sidewall SW3 opposite to the moveable sidewall SW1. However, in an alternative embodiment, the additional gussets may also be connected to respectively sidewalls SW2 and SW4. This allows to stably support the package using sidewall SW3.

As depicted in the drawings, the food items preferably do not extend to above the upwardly folded sidewalls, so that the risk of damage to the food items is minimal.

The bottom is indicated as being rectangular shaped. It is explicitly mentioned here that rectangular shaped also includes square shaped.

The sidewalls and bottom of the tray do not necessarily have to be solid. It is possible that they are provided with a pattern of one or more holes. Especially for the moveable sidewall this allows to see the content of the package while the moveable sidewall is in the closed position. Alternatively or additionally, the sidewalls comprise transparent material.

For transport reasons, the first and second gusset may be configured to temporarily lie against or nearly lie against an adjacent sidewall to minimize the required space for transport.

Claims

A package for food items, comprising a folded tray for receiving the food items and a flexible bag to enclose the tray, said tray comprising:

a. a rectangular shaped bottom;

b. four sidewalls extending from the bottom, comprising a moveable sidewall and three interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls;

c. a first gusset in between the moveable sidewall and one of the two sidewalls adjacent the moveable sidewall; and

d. a second gusset in between the moveable sidewall and the other one of the two sidewalls adjacent the moveable sidewall,

wherein the moveable sidewall and the first and second gusset are moveable between an open position in which the moveable sidewall extends substantially in a plane defined by the bottom, and a closed position in which the moveable sidewall extends upward from the bottom and in which the first and second gusset extend outwards from the tray,

wherein the bag is configured to enclose the tray, and wherein the bag has an opening side to be opened to gain access to the package, which opening side faces the moveable sidewall of the tray in the closed position when the tray is enclosed by the bag.

A package according to claim 1 , wherein the tray comprises additional gussets in between the three interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls, and wherein said additional gussets are folded to lie against an adjacent sidewall thereof and are connected thereto to form the three interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls.

A package according to claim 2, wherein said additional gussets are folded to lie against the respective sidewalls that are adjacent to the moveable sidewall.

A package according to claim 2, wherein said additional gussets are folded to lie against the sidewall that is non-adjacent the moveable sidewall.

A package according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the three

interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls are connected using one or more of the following connection principles: stapling, gluing, taping, tongue-and-slot and clamping.

A package according to any of the preceding claims, wherein in the closed position the first and/or second gusset extend parallel to the adjacent sidewalls of the moveable sidewall.

A method for fabricating a package, said method comprising the following steps: a. providing a blank with: i. a bottom;

ii. four sidewalls with a moveable sidewall;

iii. a first gusset between the moveable sidewall and one of the two

adjacent sidewalls thereof; and

b. folding the sidewalls except the moveable sidewall upwards;

c. interconnecting the upwardly folded sidewalls to form three interconnected upwardly folded sidewalls;

d. folding the first and second gussets outwardly such that said first and second gussets and moveable sidewall are moveable between an open position in which the moveable sidewall extends substantially in a plane defined by the bottom, and a closed position in which the moveable sidewall extends upward from the bottom and in which said first and second gusset extend outwards from the tray.

A method according to claim 7, wherein at least the steps b-d are carried out by a machine that is pre-programmed to perform these steps.

A method for filling a package, said method comprising the following steps:

a. fabricating a tray in accordance with claim 7 or 8;

b. positioning the moveable sidewall in the closed position;

c. filling the tray with food items;

d. enclosing the tray with a flexible bag, such that an opening side thereof faces the moveable sidewall in the closed position, wherein the opening side is to be opened to gain access to the food items.

A method according to claim 9, wherein enclosing the tray with a flexible bag

comprises the following steps:

a. providing a sheet of flexible material on a side of the tray;

d. closing the open ends of the tubular shape.

A method for using a package, said method comprising the following steps:

a. filling the package according to claim 9 or 10;

b. opening the opening side of the flexible bag;

c. moving the moveable sidewall to the open position;

d. removing a food item from the package.

12. A method according to claim 1 1 , further comprising the steps: e. moving the moveable sidewall to the closed position; f. closing the opening side of the flexible bag; and g. storing the package.