GB2307678A

GB2307678A - Packaging

Info

Publication number: GB2307678A
Application number: GB9524539A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Monk; Robert N Davison
Original assignee: Alexir Packaging Ltd
Current assignee: Alexir Packaging Ltd
Priority date: 1995-11-30
Filing date: 1995-11-30
Publication date: 1997-06-04
Also published as: GB9524539D0

Abstract

A packaging container, eg for a hamburger, formed from a cardboard blank comprises first and second open shell-like members (2, 3) arranged oppositely and connected to each other by an integral hinge 4 to define an interior space. A rupturable seal (23, 24, 26, 27) is provided for retaining the shell-like members in closed apposition to each other. A pull tab (25) for rupturing the seal is provided on the first shell-like member and a slot (30) is provided on the second shell-like member into which slot the pull tab (25) can be inserted to reclose the container after the seal has been ruptured. The rupturable seal comprises two lines of weakness (26, 27) in a portion (23, 24) of one of the shell-like members that is secured to the other shell-like member and the pull tab (25) is located between the two lines (26, 27).

Description

Improvements in or relating to packaging This invention relates to packaging and more particularly to blanks, packaging containers and methods of packaging.

Fast food retailers sell cooked hamburgers in containers of plastics material in the form of two open shell-like members arranged oppositely and joined by an integral hinge, each shell-like member being in the form of an open-based truncated pyramid.

Supermarkets selling hamburgers for cooking at home have imitated the familiar shape of the packaging provided by the fast food retailers by making up a container of generally similar shape from a cardboard blank. These containers have a tab on one shell-like member inserted into a slot on the other shell-like member to retain the container closed.

Such containers have the disadvantage that the blanks are not suited to all stages of assembly, filling and closure by use an automatic machine and human agency is required in their preparation. In the case of a fast food retailer, staff are on hand to cook the hamburgers and serve them to the public but it would be advantageous if the similar packaging for supermarket sales could be assembled, filled and closed entirely by machine.

The present invention provides a packaging container comprising first and second open shell-like members arranged oppositely and connected to each other by hinge means to define an interior space between the members for an object to be packaged, and releasable closure means for retaining the shell-like members in closed apposition to each other, characterized in that the releasable closure means comprises a rupturable seal.

The use of a rupturable seal as closure means enables the container to be closed by machine without the need for a human operator to close the container by fitting a tab into a corresponding slot.

Preferably, the rupturable seal is provided with a pull tab for rupturing the seal. The container is then very easy for the purchaser to open.

Advantageously, the pull tab is provided on the first shell-like member and a slot is provided on the second shell-like member into which slot the pull tab can be inserr.o-d to reclose the container after the seal has been ruptured. The container is then very easy for the purchaser to reclose after the seal has been broken perhaps for the purpose of checking the contents.

Advantageously, the rupturable seal comprises at least one line of weakness in a portion of one of the shell-like members that is secured to the other shelllike member. Such a seal is very simple to manufacture, particularly in a container made up from a cardboard blank.

Preferably, two such lines of weakness are provided and the pull tab is located between the two lines and attached to the said one of the shell-like members. Such a construction opens from the centre outwards and can appear to the purchaser to be very similar to the packaging of the hamburgers of the fast food retailers.

Advantageously, the hinge means comprises an integral web hinge joining the first shell-like member to the second shell-like member. By that means, a hinge can be provided very simply particularly in a container made up from a cardboard blank.

Preferably, the shell-like members are generally rectangular in plan, the hinge means is located on one side of the rectangle and the rupturable seal is located on the opposite side of the rectangle. Such an arrangement is very convenient for the purchaser.

Preferably, each shell-like member is in the form of r: open-based truncated pyramid. Such a construct is particularly suited to packaging a hamburger.

Advantageously, the walls of each pyramid are formed by folding and adhesively securing parts of a cardboard blank. Such a construction is inexpensive and wellsuited to assembly by an automatic machine.

The present invention also provides a blank for making up a container according to the invention.

Preferably, the blank comprises: an oblong sheet of material; a first area at one end of the sheet for forming into a first open shell-like member, the said first area comprising a generally rectangular central portion with a respective flap portion projecting from each side of the central portion to define respectively the front wall, the rear wall and two side cheeks of the first shell-like member; a second area at the other end of the sheet for forming into a second open shell-like member, the said second area comprising a generally rectangular central portion with a respective flap projecting from each side of the central portion to define respectively the front wall, the rear wall and two side cheeks of the second shell-like member;; a hinge portion adjoining the first and second areas and releasable closure means formed on the flap defining the front portion of one of the shell-'.ke members arranged for attachment to the front portion of the other shell-like member, the releasable closure means comprising a rupturable seal.

Advantageously, tab members are provided on the flaps to enable a flap to be adhesively connected to an adjacent flap.

The invention also provides a method of packaging an item, the method comprising: taking a blank as defined above; adhesively securing the rupturable seal to the flap defining the front portion of the said other shell-like member; erecting the blank to form the finished side elevation of the container and, on one side, securing the flaps defining the side cheeks to the associated flaps defining the front and rear portions; and inserting the item into the container from the other side and, on the said other side, securing the flaps defining the side cheeks to the associated flaps defining the front and rear portions.

Such a method can be carried out entirely by automatic machine and has the advantage that existing packaging machines for erecting, filling and closing rectangular boxes need only a little adaptation to perform it.

A packaging blank, a container and a method of packaging in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank; and Figure 2 is the front elevation, shown to a larger scale, of a container made from the blank.

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, a packaging blank 1 made out of thin cardboard is shown for assembly into a hamburger-packaging container of the familiar general configuration of two hollow shells hinged together at the rear of the container, each shell being in the shape of a truncated pyramid with the two shells being arranged mouth to mouth. In this description, references to top, bottom, left and right refer to the orientation of the container as it would be held by the user when opening it.

The blank 1 defines a top shell portion 2 and a bottom shell portion 3 joined by a rear hinge line 4.

The top shell portion 2 comprises a central approximately square top shell roof portion 5, and a respective flap on each side of the square constituted by a top shell rear portion 6, a top shell front portion 7, a top shell left hand side cheek 8 and a top shell right hand side cheek 9. Assembly tabs 10, 11, 12 and 13 are provided for securing the rear and front portions 6 and 7 to the side cheeks 8 and 9.

Similarly, the bottom shell portion 3 comprises a bottom shell base portion 14, a bottom shell rear portion 15, a bottom shell front portion 16, a bottom shell left hand side cheek 17 and a bottom shell right hand side cheek 18. Assembly tabs 19, 20, 21 and 22 are provided for securing the rear and front portions 15 and 16 to the side cheeks 17 and 18.

The top shell front portion 7 has at its distal end a rupturable seal portion constituted by a left hand securing tab 23, a right hand securing tab 24, and a central pull tab 25. The securing tabs 23 and 24 are defined by respective tear lines 26 and 27 of wave-like form arranged so that when the tab 25 is pulled the material tears through from the centre outwards along the tear lines. The pull tab 25 is tapered towards its distal end and the material is cut through at 28 and 29 at its proximal end.

The bottom shell front portion 16 is provided with a slot 30 for receiving the tab 25 after the user has opened the container and wishes to reclose it.

A series of score lines, shown as broken lines in the drawings, are provided on the blank between various ones of the component parts just described. To agree with the description already given, it is to be understood that the score lines are such that the front and rear portions 6, 7, 15 and 16 and the side cheeks 8, 9, 17 and 18 fold upwards towards the viewer from the plane of the drawing.

The assembly, which i to be carried out by an automatic machine, of the blank into a container for a hamburger will now be described.

The surfaces of the securing flaps 23 and 24 seen uppermost in the drawing are coated with a suitable adhesive and stuck to the rear (as seen in the drawing) of the front portion 16 which is bent back for this operation. The pull tab 25 is not inserted in the slot 30 nor is adhesive applied to it but it is left freely accessible on the outside of the container. The areas shown dotted in Figure 1 show where the flaps 23 and 24 are secured on the rear (actually the outside of the finished container) of the front portion 16.

The blank is now bent along the appropriate score lines to form the side elevation of the container.

The rear (as seen in the drawing) surfaces of the tabs 10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21 and 22 are coated with a suitable adhesive and the tabs at one side (left or right) folded inwards to the correct angle to receive the side cheeks. On this one side only of the container, the side cheeks 8 and 17 (or 9 and 18) are now brought into contact with the associated tabs so that they are stuck to and held by them, the distal end of the top portion side cheek being on the outside of the bottom portion side cheek.

In this manner, one side of the container is completed and is ready for the insertion of a hamburger which again is to be carried out by automatic machinery.

To complete the assembly of the container and the packaging of the hamburger the remaining side of the container is closed up in the same manner as that for the already-finished side.

To open the container, the user pulls upwards on the central tab 25, the tear lines 23 and 25 rupture from the centre outwards and the container then hinges open in the customary manner. The user may insert the tab 25 in the slot 30 if it is desired to reclose the container after opening it.

Figure 2 shows the front elevation of the finished container. It will be noted that the side cheeks of the top shell-like member overlap the tops of the side cheeks of the bottom shell-like member.

In place of the illustrated lines of weakness in the card and a central pull tab, an arrangement with one or more tear-off strips could be made if desired.

The hinge may be defined if desired by a pair of closely spaced parallel score lines.

The container could, if desired, be made in a material other than cardboard, for example, a plastics material.

The application of adhesive to the tabs on the second side of the container to be closed can be left until after the item to be packaged has been inserted.

Although the provision of a tab for reclosing the packaging container has been described, such a tab may be omitted if desired.

Although the described method of assembly does not involve insertion of the pull tab into the reclosure slot, it may alternatively be inserted into the slot during assembly.

Packaging containers according to the invention may be generally square in plan (as described), rectangular in plan other than square, or some other shape in plan.

Claims

C L A I M S:

1. A packaging container comprising first and second open shell-like members arranged oppositely and connected to each other by hinge means to define an interior space between the members for an object to be packaged, and releasable closure means for retaining the shell-like members in closed apposition to each other, characterized in that the releasable closure means comprises a rupturable seal.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rupturable seal is provided with a pull tab for rupturing the seal.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pull tab is provided on the first shell-like member and a slot is provided on the second shell-like member into which slot the pull tab can be inserted to reclose the container after the seal has been ruptured.

4. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the rupturable seal comprises at least one line of weakness in a portion of one of the shell-like members that is secured to the other shell-like member.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4 when dependent on claim 2, wherein two such lines of weakness are provided and the pull tab is located between the two lines and attached to the said one of the shell-like members.

6. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hinge means comprises an integral web hinge joining the first shell-like member to the second shelllike member.

7. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the shell-like members are generally rectangular in plan, the hinge means is located on one side of the rectangle and the rupturable seal is located on the opposite side of the rectangle.

8. A container as claimed in claim 7, wherein each shell-like member is in the form of an open-based truncated pyramid.

9. A container as claimed in claim 8, wherein the walls of each pyramid are formed by folding and adhesively securing parts of a cardboard blank.

10. A packaging container substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

11. A blank for making up a container as claimed in any preceding claim.

12. A blank as claimed in claim 11, wherein the blank comprises: an oblong sheet of material; a first area at one end of the sheet for forming into a first open shell-like member, the said first area comprising a generally rectangular central portion with a respective flap portion projecting from each side of the central portion to define respectively the front wall, the rear wall and two side cheeks of the first shell-like member; a second area at the other end of the sheet for forming into a second open shell-like member, the said second area comprising a generally rectangular central portion with a respective flap projecting from each side of the central portion to define respectively the front wall, the rear wall and two side cheeks of the second shell-like member; a hinge portion adjoining the first and second areas;; and releasable closure means formed on the flap defining the front portion of one of the shell-like members arranged for attachment to the front portion of the other shell-like member, the releasable closure user comprising a rupturable seal.

13. A blank as claimed in claim 12, wherein tab members are provided on the flaps to enable a flap to be adhesively connected to an adjacent flap.

14. A blank as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the releasable closure means includes a pull tab for rupturing the seal.

15. A blank as claimed in claim 14, wherein the pull tab is provided on the flap defining the front portion of the first shell-like member and a slot is provided on the flap defining the front portion of the second shell-like member into which slot the pull tab can be inserted to reclose the finished container after the seal has been ruptured.

16. A blank as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the rupturable seal includes at least one line of weakness in the flap defining the front portion of the said one shell-like member.

17. A blank as claimed in claim 16 when dependent on claim 14, wherein two such lines of weakness are provided and the pull tab is located between the two lines and attached to the flap defining the front portion of the said one of the shell-like members.

18. A blank substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated by, Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A method of packaging an item, the method comprising: taking a blank as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 18; adhesively securing the rupturable seal to the flap defining the front portion of the said other shell-like member; erecting the blank to form the finished side elevation of the container and, on one side, securing the flaps defining the side cheeks to the associated flaps defining the front and rear portions; and inserting the item into the container from the other side and, on the said other side, securing the flaps defining the side cheeks to the associated flaps defining the front and rear portions.

20. A method of packaging as claimed in claim 19, wherein the item is a hamburger.

21. A method of packaging an item, the method being substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.