FR2652566A1 - Improvement to packages for packaging products, food products in particular - Google Patents

Abstract

The package according to the invention is constituted by a tray (1) for example made from corrugated cardboard, associated with a transparent lid (2). The tray (1) comprises protruding claw-shaped means (3) which protrude laterally on its upper periphery. These claws (3) cooperate with orifices (4) formed in the lid (2) in order to lock the latter on the tray. This package is particularly adapted for packaging food products such as fruit and vegetables, particularly for maintaining their hygiene.

Description

 The present invention relates to an improvement to packaging or containers intended for the packaging of food products, such as fruit or vegetables, for their transport and their presentation for sale. It relates in particular to a packaging composed of a lid, and of a tray which is produced from a blank of cardboard or any other material offering adequate rigidity.

 For the presentation for sale of perishable food products such as fruits and vegetables in particular, and for hygienic reasons also, there is an increasing effort to protect said products from pollution caused by dust, insects and also manipulations of consumers who sometimes seek to sort products. I1 is known to use trays for packaging fruit such as strawberries for example, and to cap these trays by means of a flexible plastic film.

However, such a film is not always easy to put in place. Furthermore, these trays in the shape of a pyramid trunk, are not stackable or stackable.

 The object of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks by providing packaging which is easy to close off and which allows the apparent contents to be left while preserving hygiene and, moreover, to make stacking.

 To this end, the subject of the invention is a package consisting of a tray associated with a transparent cover.

The tray comprises means in the form of projecting tabs which extend laterally on its upper periphery. These tab-shaped means cooperate with orifices arranged on the cover so as to lock it on the tray.

 Advantageously, the packaging tray is made of cardboard from a blank consisting of a bottom, four lateral sides and tabs arranged at the end of two opposite sides; these legs can be folded down on the other sides to assemble and shape the tray. This tray, once shaped, has four tabs arranged at the top of each corner.

 According to a first embodiment, these tabs can be arranged in the extension of the upper edges of two opposite sides, projecting beyond the lateral edges; in another embodiment they are arranged in the extension of the assembly tabs and set up automatically during the volume setting. Advantageously, these tabs are reinforced by a doubling; this doubling can consist of a combination of tabs arranged in the extension of the upper edges of the lateral sides of the tray and of the tabs arranged in the extension of the assembly tabs.

 According to a particular arrangement, the trays of the packaging according to the invention are in the form of a pyramid trunk so as to allow them to be stacked. The tabs then have a height such that they are located above the upper edge of the lower tray when two trays are stacked by reseating.

 Still according to the invention, the packaging includes a cover made of transparent rigid material. This cover consists of a top and four lateral sides in the corners of which are provided orifices intended to receive the tabs of the tray for locking the two elements.

 According to a preferred embodiment, the lateral sides of the cover include a sidewalk intended to bear on the upper edge of the tray. This sidewalk is extended by a peripheral strip or belt at the level of which the locking holes are provided.

 Air vents can be arranged on the sides and be in the form of chimneys which extend vertically, projecting into the peripheral strip to open above the sidewalk. This particular shape allows the ventilation chimneys to also serve as a spacer for trays side by side, ensuring protection of the tabs thanks to their extra thickness which compensates for that of said tabs.

 In order to allow, when stacking, the packaging of the packages relative to each other, the top of the cover is bowl-shaped, provided with a peripheral border. This border may be provided with ventilation openings, for example arranged in relation to the lateral ventilation chimneys of the packaged products.

 The transparent covers can have the shape of a truncated pyramid so as to allow them to be stacked; they can be shaped by any method and in particular by thermoforming.

 The invention also relates to the cover alone, as well as the tray alone with its obtaining blank.

 However, the invention will be further illustrated, without being in any way limited, by the following description of various embodiments, given by way of examples and represented in the appended drawings in which - FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the packaging according to the invention, the tray being detached from the cover - Figure 2 shows, still in perspective, the packaging according to the invention with the cover locked on the tray; - Figure 3 shows, flat, a possibility of cardboard blank for the realization of the tray - Figure 4 shows another possibility of making the cardboard blank for obtaining the tray - Figure 5 is a partial view of a tray angle obtained by means of the blank shown in Figure 4 - Figure 6 is a partial view of a stack of trays - Figure 7 is a sectional view of the closed package according to 7-7 - Figure 8 is a sectional view along 8-8 showing the possibilities of stacking the packages.

 There is shown in Figures 1 and 2, a package according to the invention consists of a tray 1 on which can be locked a preferably transparent cover 2. The locking means of the two elements consist of tabs 3 in the form of hooks projecting from the upper periphery of the container 1 and which engage in corresponding orifices 4, arranged on the sides of the cover 2 in the form of overturned tray.

 The tabs 3 project beyond the size of the upper surface of the tray 1, at the angles of the latter. The cover 2 has a lower surface corresponding substantially to the upper surface of the tray 1; this cover is forced to engage on the tabs 3 to obtain the locking of the two elements one on the other by engagement of the hooks 3 in the orifices 4, and this thanks to the slight possibilities of deformation of the rigid cover 2. The tray 1 is made from any rigid material, and in particular from compact cardboard or corrugated micro-corrugated cardboard. It can in particular be produced from a single blank of cardboard as shown flat in FIGS. 3 and 4.

 The cardboard blank shown in Figure 3 shows one of the possibilities of producing a tray, in the unfolded state intended to produce part of the packaging according to the invention. This blank consists of a rectangular bottom 5, bordered by two large lateral sides 6 and 7 and by two small lateral sides 8 and 9.

 The large lateral sides 6 and 7 are extended laterally by legs 10 which can be folded inwardly or outwardly on the short sides 8 and 9 and secured to the latter when the tray 1 is shaped.

 In this FIG. 3, the solid lines are cut lines and the dotted lines limit the fold lines materialized by creasing the blank.

 As can be seen from the substantially pyramidal shape of the lateral sides 6, 7, 8, 9, this blank, once shaped, finishes a tray in the shape of a trunk of a pyramid. Of course, this form can be different and be quite simply rectangular.

 The two small lateral dimensions 8 and 9 are extended, laterally and on each side, by the tabs 3. These tabs 3 are arranged in the extension of the upper edges ll and 12 of the respective short sides 8 and 9. They extend in projection beyond their respective lateral edges 13 and 14. The tabs 3, "caught" on the folding legs 10 are advantageously in the form of hooks oriented towards the bottom 5, with a curved part 3a and a substantially flat part 3b; their size must be sufficient to give them a certain rigidity.

 The tabs or lugs 3 are arranged in the extension of two opposite sides 8 and 9, on the sides not extending by the folding legs 10. With the cardboard blank shown in Figure 3, we obtain a symmetrical tray with tabs 3 which protrude beyond the large lateral dimensions 6 and 7. Of course, the tabs 3 may be located in the extension of these large lateral dimensions 6 and 7. In this case, it is the short sides 8 and 9 which are extended by the folding legs 10. Once set in volume, the tray has locking tabs which extend beyond the small lateral sides 8 and 9. One can also envisage a tray provided with tabs which, for some, protruding beyond the short sides and, for others, protruding beyond the long sides.

 As can be seen on the blank shown in FIG. 3, circular holes 15 are made astride the bottom 5 and the large lateral sides 6 and 7.

 This cut and grooved blank is advantageously made of micro-corrugated corrugated cardboard; for use of the tray as fruit packaging, this cardboard blank is advantageously provided, on the face intended to constitute the interior of the tray, with a sheet of cellulose paper of calendered or crystallized type. This sheet of cellulose paper, white or green in color for example to enhance the packaged product, has a high porosity and a bulk treatment giving it good resistance in a humid environment; this sheet can be fixed for example by gluing, on the corrugated cardboard.

 The circular holes 15 provide ventilation and additional ventilation at the bottom of the tray.

Their arrangement on the edge allows not to hurt the round fruits.

 Another possibility of making a cardboard blank intended for obtaining a tray provided with locking tabs, is shown in FIG. 4. This blank, of the same type as that shown in FIG. 3, has a bottom 5 bordered by large lateral sides 6 and 7 and by small lateral dimensions 8 and 9. Circular ventilation holes 15 are provided between the bottom 5 and the large lateral sides 6 and 7.

The latter are extended laterally, by assembly tabs 10 intended to be glued internally or externally on the small lateral dimensions 8 and 9 for the shaping of the cardboard tray.

 The small lateral sides 8 and 9 are extended, at each end, by a tab 3 for locking the lid of the packaging.

 Just as on the blank shown in Figure 3, the tabs have a hooked shape oriented towards the bottom 5; once the tray has been shaped, they are projecting laterally and substantially perpendicular to the long sides 6 and 7.

 In this particular embodiment, the folding legs 10 are extended by a lug or tab 16 produced by means of a cutout 16a at the upper ends of the lateral edges 17 of the long sides 6 and 7.

 The tabs 16 are cut on the folding tab 10 so as to automatically position themselves on the tabs 3 when the tray is shaped, in order to come and double them. This configuration is visible in Figure 5 which shows a tray angle formed from the blank of Figure 4. In this Figure 5, we can see the superposition of an assembly tab 10 and a small lateral side 9 , and more particularly the doubling of their respective tabs 16 and 3. This doubling allows a reinforcement of the projecting part intended for locking the cover. In order to improve the aesthetics of the tray thus formed, the angles 18 of the large lateral sides are cut according to a scalloped rounding.

 As can be deduced from this latter embodiment, it is possible to envisage the presence of simple locking tabs, obtained by means of tabs 16 only, which extend the assembly tabs 10. For obtaining doubling of tabs of other embodiments is also possible, for example, from the blank shown in FIG. 3, by providing an additional tab extending the upper edge of the large lateral sides 6 and 7 and folded substantially to 900 during assembly of the tray to match them with the tabs 3.

 The trays obtained from the previously described blanks are in the shape of a pyramid trunk and therefore they can be stacked one inside the other as partially shown in FIG. 6. As can be seen in this figure, the tabs 3 locking protrude from the lower tray; they have a height such that they are located above the upper edge of the lower tray. Corrugated cardboard trays can be supplied to the user embossed in this way one inside the other.

 The cover 2 of the packaging according to the invention, intended to cover the tray 1 and to lock on the latter, consists of a transparent rigid plastic film, having a shape substantially in the trunk of a pyramid. This cover can be shaped by any method and in particular by thermoforming.

 The cover 2, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, has a top 19 from which four lateral sides extend: two long sides 20 and 21 and two short sides 22 and 23. The large sides 20 and 21 of the cover 2 are intended to correspond to the long sides 6 and 7 of the tray; the short sides 22 and 23 of the cover are intended to correspond to the short sides 8 and 9 of the tray.

 The lateral dimensions 20, 21, 22, 23 of the cover 2 have a peripheral edge 24 which extends downwards from the top 19. This peripheral edge 24 is extended, substantially orthogonally, by a sidewalk 25 disposed in a parallel plane above 19, which sidewalk 25 is itself extended, substantially orthogonally, by a peripheral belt 26. The edge 24 and the belt 26 are offset towards each other by the width of the sidewalk 25.

 The angles of the sides 20, 21, 22, 23 have, at their lower level, orifices 4 for locking. These orifices extend substantially from the sidewalk 25 to substantially the lower level of the peripheral belt 26. They have any rectangular, round, oblong, triangular or other shape; their height is slightly higher than those of tabs 3.

 The sides 20, 21, 22, 23 of the cover 2 have ventilation holes in the form of chimneys 27 which extend substantially vertically, projecting from the peripheral belt 26 and which open horizontally into the border 24, au- above the sidewalk 25. The specific features of the molding generate a reinforcement 26a having a thickness which corresponds to that of the chimneys 27 and which extends, substantially at right angles, the peripheral belt 26. The chimneys 27, provided on the large and small sides of the cover 2 also serve as spacers for side by side trays; they protect the tabs which preferably remain in the overall dimensions of the packaging.

 The cover 2 is intended to be locked on the cardboard tray 1. The tabs 3 are forcibly engaged in the orifices 4 thanks to the elasticity of the cover 2, the tabs and the tray. The rounded part 3a of the tabs allows the cover to be guided; their flat part 3b ensures the locking of the lower part of the orifices 4 which corresponds to the reinforcement 26a.

 The structures and dimensions of the cover 2 are such that, when locking, the sidewalk 25 comes to bear on the upper edge of the tray 1, as can be seen in FIG. 7. Once the locking has been achieved, the peripheral edge 24 of the cover 2 extends above the tray and the peripheral belt 26 below the upper edge of said tray.

 The top 19 of the cover 2 is provided with means for stacking the packaging. For this purpose, this top is in the form of a bowl provided with a peripheral border 28.

This peripheral border finishes a receptacle for wedging the bottom of the upper tray, as can be seen in FIG. 8.

 Advantageously, the peripheral edge 28 is provided with ventilation holes 29 arranged so as not to injure the fruits. These ventilation holes are moreover arranged in correspondence with the orifices 15 arranged in the bottom of the tray 1 and with the chimneys 27, so as to allow air circulation inside the packages and thus avoid humidity. and condensation. This air circulation system is shown in Figure 8.

 The covers 2, in the form of a "pyramid trunk" are stackable and can be supplied to the user fitted into each other.

 The reference signs inserted after the technical features mentioned in the claims are intended only to facilitate understanding of the latter and in no way limit their scope.

Claims (15)

- CLAIMS  1.- Packaging characterized in that it consists of a tray (1) and a transparent cover (2), said tray comprising means in the form of tabs (3) projecting, projecting laterally around the periphery upper, which means cooperate with orifices (4) arranged on the cover (2) so as to lock it on said tray (1).  2. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a tray (1) made of cardboard, formed from a blank provided with a bottom (5), on four sides (6, 7, 8, 9) and legs (10) arranged at the end of two opposite sides, which legs are foldable on the other sides for the assembly and the shaping of the tray (1), said tray, once shaped, comprising four tabs (3) arranged in the upper part of the corners.  3.- Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that the tray (1) has tabs (3) arranged in the extension of the upper edges (11, 12) on two opposite sides, projecting beyond the lateral edges ( 13, 14).  4.- Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that the tray has tabs arranged in the extension of the assembly tabs (10), shaped automatically when the volume.  5.- Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the tray has tabs (3) reinforced by a lining.  6.- Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that it comprises a tray trunk of pyramid, stackable, the tabs (3) having a height such that they are located above the edge upper of the lower tray, when two trays are stacked together.  7.- Packaging according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the cover (2) has a top (19) made of rigid material, four lateral sides (20, 21, 22, 23) provided in the angles, orifices (4) intended to receive the tabs (3) of the tray (1).  8.- Packaging according to claim 7, characterized in that the ribs (20, 21, 22, 23) comprise a sidewalk (25) intended to bear on the upper edge of the tray (1), which sidewalk ( 25) is extended by a peripheral belt (26) which includes the locking holes (4).  9.- Packaging according to any one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the cover (2) has ventilation holes arranged on the dimensions, which holes are in the form of chimneys (27) which extend vertically, projecting into the belt (26) and open horizontally into the border (24), above the sidewalk (25).  10.- Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 9 characterized in that it comprises a cover (2) whose top (19) is bowl-shaped, provided with a peripheral border (28), for wedging overlapping packaging.  11.- Packaging according to claim 10, characterized in that the edge (28) of the top (19) has ventilation holes (29), which holes (29) are arranged in correspondence with the paths (27).  12.- Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises a cover (2) in the form of 'trunk of pyramid, stackable, produced by thermoforming.  13.- Lid for packaging according to any one of claims 7 to 11.  14.- Tray for packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 6.  15.- blank of cardboard dc cut and grooved for the production of a tray according to claim 14.