EP1719708B1 - Tray made of semi-rigid material, lined with a thermoformed inner film of thermoplastic material - Google Patents

Abstract

The tray has two distinct compartments (22) having respective adjacent walls (4, 5), where the tray is made of a corrugated board. The walls are constituted of a deformable thermoformed thermoplastic material film and are perpendicular to base parts which are not provided with a support. The film connects the walls at an upper part of the compartments by forming a flat band (23) parallel to the parts. The band is arranged at a distance from the parts so that a closing lid takes support on the band and integrates with the band. An independent claim is also included for a method for forming a tray.

Description

The present invention relates to a novel tray made of a semi-rigid material, such as cardboard, corrugated cardboard or other packaging material, internally lined with a film of thermoformed thermoplastic material, a biodegradable film or the like.

Trays of this general type are well known in the art and the Applicant, who markets them under the generic name PUR 'T (registered trademark), has described them in various patent applications (see, for example, EP-A-387 133 ), as well as the filling of such trays, closed at their upper part by a lid of pastic material, biodegradable material, paper complexed or other, with a gaseous atmosphere inert to the packaged products (see, for example , FR-A-2,595,583 and FR-A-2,597,833 ).

These products are generally perishable foodstuffs or products requiring a sterile, dry or special atmosphere, pharmaceutical products or industrial products, for example. To isolate these products from the ambient atmosphere, the tray therefore usually has, at its upper part, flat flanges, continuous or not, called "sidewalks" in the art, which serve as a seat for a plastic closure cap or paper and support stacking superior packaging.

The need has long been felt to have trays of this type comprising two separate compartments, separated in a sealed manner from one another and which may contain identical or different products, these compartments preferably being separable from one another. the other by the user at the time of use, without altering the structure of each party.

To the knowledge of the Applicant, however, the production of such double trays could not be considered industrially, because of the difficulty of thermoforming a film of thermoplastic material common to both compartments of the tray, which can constitute a connecting member between them and which is nevertheless of sufficient flatness to receive a closure seal common to these two compartments and capable of ensuring their seal.

The work carried out by the Applicant has led to the design of a new tray of this type and a method of manufacturing thereof, which meet the manufacturing requirements mentioned above.

For this purpose, the first object of the invention is a tray made of a semi-rigid material such as cardboard, corrugated cardboard or the like, comprising at least two distinct compartments, adjoining two by two and each coated internally and along their upper edge. a film made of a deformable material, in particular a thermoformed thermoplastic material, each compartment comprising a bottom part arranged in line with that of the adjacent compartment, while their adjoining side walls are arranged in the extension of one another, or adjacent and then equipped with manual separation means, the compartments may be arranged or not symmetrically with respect to a median plane of the tray perpendicular to their bottoms, this tray being characterized in that each compartment has in the vicinity of the adjacent compartment a wall perpendicular to the bottom, which is devoid of a cardboard support o it consists of only said film of deformable material, and in that this film joins the two contiguous walls of the two compartments, at the upper part thereof, forming a flat strip parallel to their bottoms and situated at a distance of these that a closing cap of the tray can bear on this strip and be made integral, in that a cutout is formed in the bottom portion of a semi-rigid material parallel to the adjacent walls, au- below said flat strip, in that along the lateral edges of the cut are articulated by folding lines of the flaps movable relative to the bottom portion and whose width is equal to half that of the cut, and notches are formed at the upper part of the side walls contiguous to the ends of the cut.

The subject of the invention is also a blank made of a semi-rigid material such as cardboard, corrugated cardboard or the like, of such a tray, this blank having the shape of the usual trays comprising a single compartment, with a bottom part and side walls erected perpendicularly or obliquely thereto, and having a median plane of symmetry perpendicular to said bottom, said blank being characterized in that, in its bottom portion, parallel to the plane of symmetry, is provided at the less a cut extending in the direction thereof, between two opposite side walls of the blank, so as to introduce through this opening, perpendicularly to the bottom, a tool whose largest dimension in the plane of symmetry is less than or equal to that separating said opposite walls, and that in the upper part of said opposite walls, in line with the ends of said cutout, are formed from their upper edge openings for engaging controlled movable parts of said tool.

The invention also relates to a pre-cut blank and repressed in a semi-rigid material such as cardboard, corrugated cardboard or the like, for producing the above blank, this blank comprising a panel of generally rectangular shape , possibly truncated in the corners, intended to form the bottom of the blank, and panels articulated by fold lines along the edges of the rectangular panel, this blank being characterized in that, in this panel is formed, parallel to the edges according to which are articulated two opposite panels, at least one cutout extending between the panels articulated along the other edges, perpendicular to the fold lines by which these panels are hinged to the bottom panel, and in that in the extension of the two notches are cut out along the edges that are not contiguous to the bottom panel, panels between which this cutout extends.

Finally, a subject of the invention is a method of manufacturing the tray with at least two compartments defined above from the blank which has just been mentioned, by forming a film of a deformable material at the same time. interior of this blank, in particular by thermoforming a thermoplastic film, this method being characterized in that, prior to the forming phase, is introduced into the blank, through the cutouts or cutouts in the bottom thereof and perpendicularly to this bottom, a tool having a strip-shaped flat surface, which is brought flush parallel to the bottom the upper part of the walls of the blank disposed at each end of the blank and which extends continuously between these two walls, in that one brings two movable members of said tool facing, respectively, openings formed in the upper part of said walls to engage in these openings, each of these members having a planar portion, which in this position is arranged without discontinuity in the extension of the flat surface of the upper part of said tool, in that the forming of the deformable film in the two compartments defined in FIG. roughing by said tool, so that said film forms on its own, for each compartment, a wall contiguous to said tool, these two walls being joined by the portion of said film extending on the flat surface of the upper part of the tool, and in that, after stiffening said film, said tool is removed from the inside of the tray to at least two compartments thus made, through the cutout separating the funds of these compartments.

The trays with at least two compartments made by this method are, of course, within the scope of the invention and are recognizable by the cut-out (s) separating the bottom of the two compartments and by the openings made in the upper part of the walls of these compartments. , below the band of the thermoformed film that joins them together.

• La figure 1 est une vue en plan du flan de carton ondulé dont est issue l'ossature de la barquette, ossature sur laquelle est ensuite thermoformé un film thermoplastique ;
• La figure 2 est une vue de la barquette à deux compartiments réalisée à partir du flan de la figure 1 ;
• Les figures 3 et 4 sont des vues schématiques en élévation, illustrant la réalisation de la paroi de chacun des deux compartiments de la barquette, constituée uniquement du film de matière thermoplastique thermoformé.

A two compartments tray according to two compartments of the invention and its manufacturing process will now be described below in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings. On these drawings:

• The figure 1 is a plan view of the corrugated cardboard blank from which is derived the frame of the tray, frame on which is then thermoformed a thermoplastic film;
• The figure 2 is a view of the tray with two compartments made from the blank of the figure 1 ;
• The Figures 3 and 4 are schematic views in elevation, illustrating the realization of the wall of each of the two compartments of the tray, consisting solely of the film of thermoformed thermoplastic material.

The corrugated cardboard blank 1 of the figure 1 comprises a bottom 2 of generally rectangular shape, here truncated at 3 in its corners, on which are articulated by fold lines, along the sides of the rectangle, two transverse walls 4 and two longitudinal walls 5.

Each transverse wall 4 is extended at its ends by corner walls 6 articulated on the wall 4 associated with a fold line, which, when the blank is shaped, is substantially perpendicular to the bottom, the base of the panels 6 then coinciding substantially with the truncated edges 3 of the bottom 2. On the panels 6 are articulated in a similar manner, by a fold line, flaps 7, intended to be applied against the inner face of the longitudinal wall 5 contiguous, two 8, articulated by double upsets at the upper part of each wall 5, which can be folded against the flaps 7 and locked in this position by engagement of lugs 9, 10, in cutouts 11, 12, formed in the bottom 2, at the base of the 5. Other mounting systems could of course be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

Entanglements 13 are attached by a fold line to the walls 5 and are intended to be folded perpendicular to these walls in the corners, to form "sidewalks", which after shaping the tray and thermoforming a film made of thermoplastic material, will serve as a seat for a closure cap and as a support for stacking other similar trays.

The walls 4 and 5 may be perpendicular to the bottom 2 or arranged obliquely to it, being inclined outwardly or inwardly of the tray, depending on the needs and depending on the packaged products.

According to the invention, in the bottom 2 is formed a cutout 14, which extends between the walls 5 and divides the bottom 2 into two equal parts 2 a , 2 b . In the embodiment of the drawing, as seen on the figure 1 , The cutout 14 is partially closed by two movable flaps 15 hinged to the bottom portions 2 a, 2 b, by fold lines disposed midway between the walls 4, each flap 15 having a width equal to half that of the cut 14.

As will be seen in more detail below, the cutout 14 is intended to allow the introduction into the vertical, in the pre-assembled corrugated cardboard tray, of a tool 16 for separating the tray into two compartments.

At the upper part of the walls 5, from their edge and between the overlays 8, is formed a notch 18, disposed substantially equidistant from the ends of the walls 5. In each of these walls 5 is provided a tear strip 19 extending substantially from the cutout 14 to the notch 18 of this wall. This band 19 is limited laterally by lines of failure primers, which allow to separate the wall portions 5 respectively associated with each of the compartments.

The tool 16, here of trapezoidal shape, has two lateral faces 20, planar and parallel to each other, facing respectively to each of the walls 4, and a band-shaped flat upper part. parallel to the bottom 2. It is equipped laterally with two lugs 17 mounted sliding, actuated by a motor system housed in the tool 16 and directed towards the walls 5 of the cardboard tray. These lugs also comprise a flat upper part, parallel to the bottom 2, which can be brought into the extension, without discontinuity, of the corresponding surface of the tool 16, the lugs 17 coming into this position in the notches 18 .

• d'une part, sans y adhérer, les deux faces latérales 20 de l'outil 16, pour former ainsi à l'intérieur de la barquette résultante (voir figure 2) deux cloisons souples 21, parallèles aux parois 4 de l'ébauche en carton ondulé, qui réunissent les parties des cloisons 5 séparées par la bande 19, elles-mêmes gainées du film thermoplastique, en délimitant ainsi deux compartiments distincts 22 ;
• d'autre part, la surface supérieure plane de l'outil 16 et des ergots 17, pour former une bande continue 23, qui est raccordée latéralement aux cloisons 21 et qui réunit les rebords supérieurs des parois 5 opposées.

The presence of the tool 16 inside the corrugated cardboard tray, previously shaped, has the effect that the thermoplastic film that is thermoformed sheath not only the inner surface of the tray and its upper edges, but also:

• on the one hand, without adhering, the two lateral faces 20 of the tool 16, to thus form inside the resulting tray (see figure 2 ) two flexible partitions 21, parallel to the walls 4 of the corrugated cardboard blank, which join the parts of the partitions 5 separated by the band 19, themselves sheathed with the thermoplastic film, thus delimiting two separate compartments 22;
• on the other hand, the flat upper surface of the tool 16 and lugs 17, to form a continuous strip 23, which is laterally connected to the partitions 21 and which joins the upper flanges of the opposite walls 5.

The two compartments 22 of the resulting tray can be easily closed by means of a single lid extending over the entablature 13, on the upper edges of the compartments and on the portions of the thermoplastic film protruding outwards and coming from thermoforming, at the top of the tray, on which it is heat sealed.

As indicated above, the two compartments 22 may contain different foodstuffs or not, or other products, or two portions of the same food, one of which can be consumed and the other stored in a refrigerator or a freezer or put on hold.

To separate the two compartments, a line of rupture primer 24 may be provided in the strip 23, parallel to the side edges thereof, and it will then be sufficient for the user to separate the two parts of this strip 23 and detach the strips 19 from the walls 5.

The embodiment of the invention which has just been described It concerns a two-compartment container, but it is clear that it also applies, without any problem, to trays with three compartments or more.

The invention thus provides a simple and easy way to implement, by conventional thermoforming techniques, to produce a container made of a semi-rigid material, lined internally with a deformable material, for example a thermoformed thermoplastic material, which comprises at least two separate compartments easily separable from one another.

Claims (7)

1. A punnet made from a semirigid material, such as cardboard, corrugated cardboard or the like, comprising at least two separate adjoining compartments (22), each of which is covered internally and along their upper edge with a film of deformable material, in particular of thermoformed thermoplastic material, each compartment comprising a bottom portion (2a,2b) arranged in the extension of that of the adjacent compartment, whereas their adjacent side walls (5) are arranged in the extension of one another, or are adjoining and then provided with a manual separation means (19), the compartments (22) being disposed or not being disposed symmetrically in relation to the median plane of the punnet perpendicular to their bottoms, said punnet being characterised in that each compartment (22) comprises in the vicinity of the adjacent compartment a wall (21) which is perpendicular to the bottom, is not provided with a support of semirigid material and which is formed solely from said film of deformable material, in that this film joins the two adjacent walls (21) of the two compartments (22), at the upper part thereof, and forms a plane strip (23) parallel to their bottoms (2a,2b) and situated at such a distance therefrom that a closure lid of the punnet can bear on this strip and be fastened thereto, and in that a cut-out (14) is provided in the bottom part (2) of semirigid material parallel to the adjacent walls (21), below said plane strip (23), in that, along the lateral edges of the cut-out (14), flaps (15) are articulated by folding lines and can move relative to the bottom part and whose width is equal to half that of the cut-out (14), and in that notches (18) are provided in the upper part of the adjacent side walls (5) perpendicular to the ends of the cut-out (14).
2. A punnet according to claim 1, characterised in that in the walls (5) between which the cut-out (14) extends there are provided tear-off strips (19) arranged in the extension of this cut-out and connected thereto.
3. A preform made from a semirigid material, such as cardboard, corrugated cardboard or the like, of the punnet according to claim 1, said preform having the form of conventional punnets comprising a single compartment, with a bottom part (2) and side walls (4,5,6) aligned perpendicularly or obliquely in relation thereto, and having a median plane of symmetry perpendicular to this bottom, said preform being characterised in that, in its bottom part (2), parallel to the plane of symmetry, there is provided at least one cut-out (14) extending in the direction thereof, between two opposite side walls (5) of the preform, so as to be able to introduce through this opening (14), perpendicularly to the bottom, a tool whose greatest dimension in the plane of symmetry is smaller than or equal to that separating said opposite walls (5), and in that in the upper part of said opposite walls (5), perpendicular to the ends of said cut-out, starting from their upper edge openings (18) are provided which make it possible to engage therein driven moving parts (17) of said tool.
4. A precut and turned-over blank made from a semirigid material, such as cardboard, corrugated cardboard or the like, for the formation of a preform according to claim 3, said blank comprising a panel (2) of substantially rectangular general shape, optionally truncated in its corners (3), intended to form the bottom of the preform, and panels (4,5) articulated by folding lines along the edges of the rectangular panel (2), said blank being characterised in that in this panel (2) there is provided, parallel to the edges along which are articulated two opposite panels (4), at least one cut-out (14) extending between the panels (5) articulated along the other edges, perpendicularly to the folding lines by which these panels are articulated on the bottom panel, and in that, in the extension of the cut-out (14) two notches (18) are provided along the edges which are not adjacent to the bottom panel (2) of the panels (5) between which this cut-out (14) extends.
5. A blank according to claim 6 [sic], characterised in that along the edges of the cut-out (14) parallel to the panels (4) flaps (15) are articulated by folding lines and are of a width substantially equal to half the width of the cut-out.
6. A blank according to one of claims 4 and 5, characterised in that, in the panels (5), a tear-off strip (19) is provided between the adjacent end of the cut-out (14) and the notch (18).
7. A method of producing a punnet according to claim 1 starting from the preform according to claim 3, by forming a deformable film inside this optionally prepasted preform, in particular by thermoforming a thermoplastic film, said method being characterised in that, prior to the forming phase, a tool (16) is introduced into the preform, through the cut-out or cut-outs (14) provided in the bottom (2) thereof and perpendicularly to this bottom, said tool comprising a plane surface in the form a strip which is brought flush, parallel to the bottom, with the upper part of the walls (5) of the preform, which are disposed at each end of the cut-out (14), and which extends continuously between these two walls, in that two movable members (17) of said tool (16) are brought opposite respective openings provided in the upper part of said walls so as to engage them in these openings, each of the members (17) comprising a plane portion which, in this position, is disposed without discontinuity in the extension of the plane surface of the upper part of said tool (16), in that there is then carried out the forming of the deformable film into the two compartments defined in the preform by said tool, so that said film forms per se, for each compartment, a wall (21) adjacent said tool, these two walls (21) being joined by the portion (23) of said film extending over the plane surface of the upper part of tool, and in that, after said film has been stiffened, said tool (16) is withdrawn from the inside of the punnet, thus formed with at least two compartments (22), through the cut-out separating the bottoms (2a,2b) of these compartments.

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