CONVERTIBLE PACKAGING CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS

Abstract: Convertible packaging container made of a laminar sheet comprising a plurality of sides constituting the lateral walls of the container, characterised in that it is provided with at least one extra side or portion of side (E) in addition to the basic number of walls of the container (A-D) in the closed configuration; said additional side or portion of side can be placed over at least one of the basic sides of the container and is provided with detachable portions defined by perforated tearing off lines.

Description: CONVERTIBLE PACKAGING CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS Field of the invention The present invention relates to a cardboard container obtained by the folding of a number of walls, the free extremities of which are subsequently glued and/or thermally joined to each other, in order to make a box-shaped container. In particular, the invention relates to a liquid food (milk, juices, etc..) packaging container. For example, some container of this kind are known in the market under registered trademarks as 'Tetra Brik" and 'Tetra Rex" the first one consisting of four equal sides (squared section) and the second one consisting of two pairs of opposite equal sides (rectangular section). Background art At present, packaging containers used to package liquid foods, and in particular milk, consist in four lateral panels which will be hereinafter called sides. The four sides constitute the walls of the container and are provided with lower and upper appendixes which are folded over and reciprocally glued in order to close the container. The lateral closing is obtained by gluing or by thermal welding of the external edges, depending on the specific material used. All the already known containers have a drawback in that they are a "disposable" packaging which, after use, can not be recovered nor converted to other and different applications. As it is well known, during only one year billions of such kind of containers are used world wide. Thus, it is also evident that the above said drawback has a considerable environmental impact. Object of the invention A first object of the invention is to provide packaging containers, and particularly paper laminated sheet containers of the kind used to package liquid food, which after use can be recovered or converted to different applications, for example as toys for children. In order to be particularly safe to use and suitable for children, the containers should be converted into toys or puppets without use of glue or cutting tools such as knifes and the like. Then, is a further object of the invention to provide convertible packaging containers which can be easily handled by children without any risk of poisoning due to the use of glue or of injuries caused by cutting tools. Summary of the invention Said objects have been reached according to the invention by packaging containers made of laminar sheets having at least one extra side, or portion of side, in addition to the basic number of sides of the container when it is closed for use, and which are able to be placed over at least one of said basic sides. For example, a fifth side will be added to quadrangular packaging containers. In particular, the fifth side when the container is closed is to be placed over the external surface of the side, hereinafter said first side, which lies at the other extremity of the container when it is in an unfolded position. In this way the fifth side has no contact with the contents, consisting for example of milk. The fifth side can be used to remove laminar sheet portions which can be used as ornamental elements of the container, while on the external surface of the first side "hidden" pictures can be applied which will be evident only after the removal of the fifth side or of a portion thereof. On the external surface of the fifth side, or portion of fifth side, groove-and-tongue joints can be provided in order to build up complex structures made of any number of containers reciprocally connected by the joints. The fifth side is provided with perforated tear-off lines which weaken in parts the material which the container is made of and define easily detachable portions to be removed after use of the container in order to show the hidden pictures of the first side or to set the groove-and tongue joints ready to connect the containers one to the other. The removed portion can also be used as ornamental elements to be applied to the already converted container. Advantageously, said tear-off lines, being perforated on the additional side, do not damage the liquid-proof properties of the packaging. A further advantage is that, once opened (and developed in a plan configuration), a container having at least one additional side can be closed again by simply folding at least one appendix of the additional side inside the container, without using glue or clips. In this way the folded appendix of the fifth side prevents also the other sides from opening. Detailed description of the invention Still further advantages will be evident from the following description and the annexed drawings, given as a non limitative example, in which: - fig.1 shows a packaging container according to the invention in unfolded configuration; - fig.2 shows packaging containers according to the invention reciprocally joined to build up a modular structure; - fιg.3 shows a perspective view of a closed container according to the invention; - fig.4 shows a perspective view of an opened container according to the invention; - fig.5 shows a modular structure build up with the packaging containers of the invention; - fig.6 shows the unfolded configuration of a packaging container according to the invention intended to be converted into a puppet or a skittle shaped toy; - fig.7 shows the unfolded configuration of a further packaging container according to the invention; - fig.s 8a, 8b respectively show a closed configuration and an open unfolded configuration of a second embodiment of the container intended to be converted into a modular building element; - fig.s 9a and 9b respectively show a closed configuration and an unfolded configuration of a second embodiment of the container intended to be converted into a puppet or into a skittle shaped toy. In a preferred embodiment of the invention and with reference to fig.1 , a container according to the invention consists of a laminar sheet 1 which is made of five sides A-E having corresponding lower and an upper appendixes. Perforated tearing-off lines are made on the fifth side E and define removable and/or bendable portions in order to obtain a couple of groove-and-tongue joints 2 and 3. To close the container, the laminar sheet 1 is folded so that the fifth side E is placed over the external surface of the first side A thus hiding possible pictures on said external surface. The lower and upper appendixes are folded in the conventional manner forming the upper flaps which are used to close the container and the lower flaps which are folded over the bottom of the same container. The liquid-proof sealing of the container is ensured by sealing or gluing the sides A-D in the usual manner, while the fifth side E can be attached to side A without the need of sealing. With reference to figures 2-5, joint 2 is made by removing a T-shaped internal portion 21 from the side E and by outwardly folding the resulting lateral sections 22. Joint 3 is intended to cooperate with joint 2 and is obtained by outwardly bending a couple of lateral flaps 31. Advantageously, flaps 31 are shaped so that joint 3 can be easily inserted into joint 2 and that the same flaps 31 are blocked between sections 22 and the external surface of the first side A. The joining between joints 2 and 3 prevents any lateral or longitudinal sliding motion of the joined containers. Any longitudinal motion in a downwards sense is prevented by the conical shape on the joint and, in a upwards sense, by the contact between the upper side of the flaps 31 and the upper edge of the cavity resulting in side A from the removal of sections 22. The joined containers are prevented from a detaching motion by the elastic deformation reaction which is exerted between sections 22 and flaps 31. Anyway, it is also possible to force the joints 2,3 to detach one from the other and that is particularly advantageous when the removal of a container from a more complex structure (fig.2,5) is desired. In fig.2 the joining along the longitudinal axes of two containers is shown, the first container being open at its upper end and the second container being open at its lower end. In order to build up modular panels (fig.5) it is sufficient to rotate the containers which are stacked in the same row, so that the joints 2/3 of adjacent containers are alternatively in the upper and the lower position. Advantageously, the structure of fig.5 allows the user to complete a picture (like a puzzle panel) resulting from the matching of several joined containers. In order to join two orthogonal panels, at least two containers placed at the connection extremities of the two panels have to present joints 2/3 orthogonally positioned in respect of the longitudinal axis of the containers. Analogously, different positioning of the joints will allow different angle between the connected panels or containers, so that curvilinear structures can be built up. In figure 7 a second embodiment of joints 2', 3' is shown. The corresponding sections and flaps present a substantially curvilinear shape in order to further facilitate the reciprocal joining. In an embodiment of the invention said first side can be provided with removable portions, defined by perforated tearing off lines, which can be used as a spoon or a straw after the opening of the container. In this case the fifth side E has to be sealed to side A in order to assure the liquid proof properties of the container. Figure 5 shows a container of the invention once converted into a skittle-like toy. In this case at least a section of the fifth side consists of detachable portions obtained by perforating the laminar sheet of the container. These portions can be then applied on the external surface of the first side, once it has been uncovered by removing the fifth side along suitable tearing off lines, in order to complete a picture represented on the same surface. As already said, the invention relates to a convertible packaging container having one or more additional sides which can be perforated to make joints or to provide ornamental detachable elements, without incurring in any loss of liquid proof properties. The same object can be attained according to the invention providing a packaging container made from a laminar sheet in which the advantages of an additional side are obtained in an equivalent way by making at least one side of the container of a suitable thickness, so that tearing off lines can be made in the laminar sheet without incurring any loss of properties of the container. Figures 8-9 show a container according to this embodiment of the invention, in which joints are provided by flaps 13 and corresponding slots 14 made on the container sides. The joining of two adjacent containers is obtained by insertion of a flap 13 of a first container into a slot 14 of a second container. Flaps 13 and slots 14 can have different and suitable shapes in order to allow an easy connection of the containers. Figures 10-11 show a further embodiment of the invention, in which a fifth side is provided. In this embodiment, particularly suitable for converting a packaging container into skittle-like toys, the fifth side is applied to the internal surface of the first side. In this way, the internal surface of the first side can display pictures or other signs without the risk that the painting substances cause a poisoning of the contents. Once all the contents have been poured out, the container can be unfolded and then folded again with the internal surface of the first side which is now positioned at the outside and is covered by the fifth side. To close again the container is sufficient to fold the appendix E1 of the fifth side inside the container together with appendix A1 of the first side. In figure 10 detachable portions (21 ,32,41 ,51 ) of the fifth side are shown by the dotted line. These portions can be removed uncovering the picture possibly present on the corresponding portions of the first side and can be used as ornamental elements to be applied on the same picture. Furthermore, they can be used to form part of the closing of the container, being inserted into slots 6 of the upper appendixes A2-E2 of the sides of the container thus holding the sides together.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Convertible packaging container made of a laminar sheet comprising a plurality of sides constituting the lateral walls of the container, characterised in that it is provided with at least one extra side or portion of side (E) in addition to the basic number of walls of the container (A-D) in the closed configuration; said additional side or portion of side can be placed over at least one of the basic sides of the container and is provided with detachable portions defined by perforated tearing off lines. 2. Container according to claiml , characterised in that said basic sides are four and said additional side is a fifth side to be placed over a first side of the container. 3. Container according to claim 2, characterised in that said fifth side or portion of side is provided with at least first or second groove-and-tongue joint means (2,3) which are obtained by a fully or partial removal of said detachable portions, in order to make a plurality of containers suitable to build up a modular structure (5). 4. Container according to claim 3, characterised in that said first joint means (2) are obtained by removing from the fifth side a T shaped central section (21 ) comprised between of a couple of lateral sections (22), and that said second joint means are obtained by partially tearing off from the fifth side a couple of lateral flaps (31) able to be inserted into the first joint means (2) of a second container sliding between said sections (22) thereof. 5. Container according to claim 4, characterised in that said sections and flaps (22,31) of the joint means (2,3) have a curvilinear shape facilitating the reciprocal insertion. 6. Container according to claim 4, characterised in that it is provided with a pair of first and second joint means (2,3) aligned along the longitudinal axis of the container. 7. Container according to claim 4, characterised in that said first and second joint means (2,3) form an angle comprised between 0° and 90° with the longitudinal axis of the container. 8. Container according to claim 2, characterised in that said fifth side is applied to said first side of the container with a sealant. 9. Container according to claim 2, characterised in that said fifth side is provided with detachable portions able to be applied as ornamental elements to a picture possibly present on the external surface of the first side and which is uncovered by the removal of said detachable portions. 10. Container according to claim 8, characterised in that said first side is provided with detachable portions serving as a straw or spoon. 11. Container according to claiml , characterised in that said additional side or portion of side is obtained making at least one basic side of the container of a suitable thickness so that said perforated tearing off lines can be made without loss of the liquid proof properties of the container. 12. Container according to claim 11 , characterised in that it is provided of joint means constituted by flaps (13) and corresponding slots (14) defined by tearing off lines of a container side, the joining of two adjacent containers being obtained by insertion of a flap (13) of a first container into a slot (14) of a second container in order to allow an easy connection of the containers. 13. Container according to claim 2, characterised in that said fifth side is applied to the internal surface of said first side, so that the internal surface of the first side can present pictures without any risk of poisoning of the contents and that, once unfolded, in order to close again the container it is sufficient to fold an appendix (E1 ) of the fifth side inside the container together with an appendix (A1 ) of the first side.

Inventors: LUIGINI FRANCESCO, SBRAGIA RICCARDO, SBRAGIA ROBERTO, VINTRICI AGOSTINONI FRANCESCO, LUIGINI, FRANCESCO, SBRAGIA, RICCARDO, SBRAGIA, ROBERTO, VINTRICI AGOSTINONI, FRANCESCO
Applicants: D D TEAM S R L, LUIGINI FRANCESCO, SBRAGIA RICCARDO, SBRAGIA ROBERTO, VINTRICI AGOSTINONI FRANCESCO, D.D. TEAM S.R.L., LUIGINI, FRANCESCO, SBRAGIA, RICCARDO, SBRAGIA, ROBERTO, VINTRICI AGOSTINONI, FRANCESCO
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65D5
IPC codes: B65D5, B65D81