Distribution of fresh packed products

Abstract: Method for distributing products of which one or several are brought in a package and a plurality of those filled packages are brought into a stack, said stack is brought to a delivery position where the packages are removed from the stack substantially individually, said packages being of the self supporting, stackable type and standing on each other in the stack and preferably containing fresh products, like mushrooms, strawberries, sweet peppers, tomatoes, apples, pears, and they have a contents that is adapted to the consumer needs, such that they will typically buy the package with contents in one time; stack comprising packages preferably filled with fresh products, to carry out said method; package of the self supporting stackable type adapted to make said stack and having a size such that it can preferably be held in one adult hand; method for filling a package having a stacking flange, wherein only after filling said stacking flange is brought in its active position; and method for producing said package.

Description: The invention is concerned with consumer small-packages containing fresh products, like vegetables and/or fruit. However they can contain e.g. sweets or bulbs as well. The meaning of consumer small-packages is here that the weight or the volume of the contents is adapted to the mean needs of the consumer per buy, such that said consumer typically will not open the consumer small-package in the store to take out only a part of the contents, but will take the complete small-package, its contents inclusive, with him. Prior art From e.g. fresh strawberries, grapes, kiwis, other soft or hard fruit or mushrooms it is known to pack them in typically non-selfsupporting and non-stackable (because typically nestable), fully open topped small-packages frequently made from plastics or paper pulp and measuring 250 or 125 gram. These small-packages must be packed as clusters of several small-packages next and behind each other into a stackable, thus higher than the small-package, surrounding box or tray of e.g. solid paper board or wood or plastics serving as logistic transport means. The stackable surrounding box or tray has a relatively large bottom format of 300 * 400 mm. (rarely 300 * 200 mm.) as a minimum. Such stackable surrounding boxes or trays are, if made from solid paper board, made with devices adapted for a bottom format of 300 * 200 mm. at a minimum, and they are produced one by one. A drawback of this prior art is the doubling of the use of packaging material, the emptying of the surrounding packages in the store, that have to be removed as a consequence, and the possible return costs for re-usable surrounding packages. Another disadvantage is because of expensive flowpacker devices necessary for filling and closing these known small-packages. A further disadvantage is the extra space requirement as a result of the stackable tray or surrounding box. The closest prior art is e.g. EP-A-337840, EP-A-446142 or NL-A-83 000 24. Object of the invention The object of the invention is to solve one or more of the above disadvantages by providing a consumer small-package that is fully self supporting and stackable and thus eliminates the need for clustering several small-packages next and behind each other while packaging such cluster into a self supporting stackable surrounding package, and that can be conveniently filled as well. To meet the object, the invention proposes a method, a stack of packages and a package according to claims 1, 2 or 9. The invention is based on the appreciation that making the consumer small-package self supporting and/or stackable provides the possibility to eliminate the surrounding package. The consumer small-package can now be directly stacked in layers on e.g. a pallet. Such pallet can e.g. be placed in a store and consumers can pick products therefrom without the need for them or a store servant to remove the tray or other surrounding package typically present according to the prior art each time one begins to take away products from a further layer. With "self supporting" it is meant here dat the package has bearing capacity to, if filled, be stackable without collapsing. Further illustration of the invention Fig. 1 and 2 show two different blanks 1 as an illustrative and non-limiting example of the package according to the invention. From such blank 1, made of flexible sheet material, e.g. solid card board with a weight of between e.g. about 600 and about 800, preferably about 700 gr/m 2 , or corrugated card board, e.g. with a weight of between about 250 and 350 gr/m 2 , preferably about 300 gr/m 2 (three plies), a self supporting, stackable box can be produced with a bottom 2, upright side walls 3,4 and stacking flanges 5 directed towards the centre of the box and extending along the upper edge of the short side wall 4 (i.e. substantially parallel to the bottom) and supporting the bottom of a further box placed on top of it. The position of the grips is indicated with 7. Those can be eliminated in view of the small dimensions of the package. The blank according to fig. 2 provides additional in plane view triangular shaped and inwards of the box protruding corner reinforcements for the box. The blanks further have tabs 8 and recesses 9. With a box made from the blank, the tabs protrude from the upper side, to penetrate in the recesses 9 in the bottom of a next box placed on top of this box, to get acceptable stability for the stack. Of course, other provisions are feasible to give stability to a stack of boxes stacked on top of each other, e.g. wherein the tabs 8 are active over a larger length of the respective side (e.g. larger number, or longer) and do not penetrate through recesses in the bottom of the next box placed on top of it, but clamp the bottom between them. By way of alternative the blanks can be provided with convenient inclined fold lines in the side walls, such that a so called "ready box" can be made. The shape and structure of both blanks is known as such, however the dimensions can be adapted to the object according to the invention. The position of the cut- and fold lines is indicated in the drawings in a way known to the expert. The bottom 2 has a dimension that is derived from so called Euro standard sizes (e.g. 600 * 400 mm. or 800 * 1000 mm. or 800 * 1200 mm. or 1000 * 1200 mm.), such that the size of the bottom measures e.g. 200 * 250 or 200 * 200 or 150 * 200 or 100 * 200 or 150 * 150 or 125 * 150 or 100 * 150 mm. The contents is such that, once filled, the consumer will buy the filled package in once, such that this is concerned with a consumer small-package within the meaning of this invention. This consumer small-package is e.g. convenient for 250 or 500 gr. strawberries or mushrooms, or for 500 gr. or 1 kilo grapes, or for 1 to 2 kilo apples, pears, oranges, mandarins or kiwis. Once filled, the package can be provided with a foil envelope (e.g. shrink foil). By way of alternative merely the top can be covered with a, preferably clear, foil. After filling and possibly wrapping or covering preferably a plurality of packages is placed in at least two superpositioned layers (preferably more than four layers, e.g. ten, feefteen of twenty layers) next and behind each other on a pallet or other convenient store and transport support, wherein the packages on top of each other rest on each other and wherein there are possibly several, e.g. 5, packages next to each other in one layer combined in a cluster and wrapped with e.g. plastic foil to get quantities that can be effectively handled during distribution. The complete stack can be wrapped in foil as a whole to increase the stability. Possibly several packages next to each other can be placed on a relatively low tray (e.g. substantially lower than the small-packages) or flat plate, that does not have to contribute to the bearing capacity of the package, but is e.g. convenient if the store manager e.g. chooses to place one layer or a part thereof in a store rack each time. The stack can be placed in the store such that the consumer himself can pick packages from the stack as well. The dimensions of the package are preferably such that they can be stacked with "mutual engagement", i.e. in which the packages are next to and behind each other in each layer while the pattern between two succeeding layers is staggered. In each case it is preferred that the size of the bottom surface of the stack corresponds to the typical standard Euro sizes, or is derived therefrom. In view of filling it is preferable to produce the package from the blank such that the stacking flange 5 is only brought in its active position after the package is filled such that filling is minimally obstructed. Furthermore it is preferable to mechanically erect the blanks, wherein the erecting machine is preferably provided with at least two, preferably four, concurrently acting parallel blank feed, fold, glue and package withdrawal stations, such that with a minimum of investments a maximum production of packages can be provided. It will be appreciated that the packages are preferably filled and stacked at a central site whereafter the stacks are distributed over remote locations, like stores. The filling can be carried out both centrally direct in line with the erecting machine, but also on the basis of erected packages (e.g. nested in stacks or fed as "ready" type) distributed over remote locations, e.g. were small producers/packers are present, that don't have the need for expensive foilform and seal apparatusses (e.g. so called flowpackers). Althoug it is preferred in view of recycling and saving the environment to make the package from paper or card board, it is perhaps possible as well to produce this from another material, e.g. plastics. It is of course possible too, that the stack contains one or more layers or parts thereof comprised from consumer small-packages according to the invention while there are furthermore other packages or products present in the stack. The preferably open topped, i.e. tray or box shaped package can possibly be covered with a convenient lid of e.g. card board after filling. The lid can be completely loose or only provisionally provided to the package, i.e. not or hardly contributing to the bearing capacity or stackability of the package. However it is possible as well, to have a very strong connection between the lid and the package, e.g. by integrally providing the blank with a convenient flap as an extension of one of the side walls that will be folded to the opposite side wall and connected thereto after filling, such that the lid indeed contributes to the stackability of the package. The stacking flanges 5 can e.g. be eliminated when using a lid. In view of consumption of raw material it is however preferred to use a package without lid that is completely open at the top, except for possible stacking flanges or other stacking elements projecting inwards from the upper side. The lid, but also one or more of the side walls or the bottom (refer to holes 10 in fig. 2) of the package can be provided with holes, e.g. for ventilation or for giving the consumer the opportunity to inspect the contents. Each package is provided with an indication, e.g. about its contents or price, e.g. a bar code such that the price can be automatically fed in at the counter. The small-package is preferably stable enough if standing on its own, for which reason it has preferably a height that is smaller than the longest side of the bottom or preferably a height that is about the same as or smaller than the shortest side of the bottom, in particular not higher than about 15 cm. By way of further alternative the height of the package is about the same as about half the length of the short side of the bottom, or measures between about 1/3 and about 2/3 of the length of the short side of the bottom. The stacking flanges 5 can e.g. be eliminated if there are other convenient stacking elements, like inwards extending corner reinforcements in the corner points of the package, that are e.g. extended beyond the upper edge of the package to e.g. provide stacking poles. Stacking poles can be provided differently as well, and then the stacking flanges can be eliminated as well. It is not absolutely necessary to produce the package from a single blank, but it is preferable for meeting the production advantage or the strength. Seperate corner reinforcements can e.g. be added, extending inside or outside the package.

Claims: Method for distributing fresh products of which one or several are brought in a package formed by folding a blank and having a bearing capacity sufficient such that they can stand on each other in a stack of e.g. at least five layers of said filled packages; said method comprising the steps of bringing a plurality of those filled packages into a stack next, behind and above each other, bringing said stack to a delivery position, preferably by being made at a central location and distributed to one of a plurality of remote locations, where the packages are removed from the stack substantially individually, said packages being of the self supporting, stackable type and standing on each other in the stack, the length of the basis of said packages being smaller than 300 mm, said packages containing a bar code or other indication about its price and fresh products, like mushrooms, strawberries, sweet peppers, tomatoes, apples, pears, placing said stack in a store where a consumer himself picks a package from the stack, the price of which is automatically fed in at the counter such that said consumer buys the package with contents in one time since it has a contents that is adapted to the consumer needs. Stack comprising packages to carry out the method according to claim 1, wherein said packages formed by folding a blank and having a bearing capacity sufficient such that they can stand on each other in a stack of e.g. at least five layers of said filled packages; are of the self supporting, stackable type standing on each other in the stack and one layer contains several of those packages next to and/or behind each other and the stacking pattern is such that the layers are mutually engaging wherein the adjacent layers have staggered patterns of packages, said packages being filled with fresh products and containing a bar code or other indication about its price such that it can automatically be fed in at a counter and said stack being adapted to be placed in a store and containing packages with a length of the basis that is smaller than 300 mm such that said packages have a contents that is adapted to the consumer needs, such that they will typically pick a package from the stack and buy said package with contents in one time. Method or stack according to any of claims 1-2, wherein said stack has a substantially parallelepipedic shape and a size of the basis that is substantially the same as Euro standard size of more than 600 * 400 mm. Method or stack according to claim 3, wherein said size of the basis is substantially the same as 800 * 1000 mm or 800 * 1200 mm or 1000 * 1200 mm. Method or stack according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the packages of the self supporting stackable type are in a cluster of a number of those packages enclosed at the most by an envelope keeping the cluster together and having a bearing capacity substantially lower than the bearing capacity of such package, the height of said enclosure being preferably lower than the height of said package. Method or stack according to any of claims 1-5, wherein said package has a bottom size deducted from Euro standard sizes and measuring about 200 * 250 or about 150 * 250 or about 125 * 250 or about 100 * 250 or about 200 * 200 or about 150 * 200 or about 100 * 200 or about 150 * 150 or about 125 * 125 or about 100 * 150mm. Method or stack according to claim 6, wherein said package has an open top, like with a box or a tray, covered by a preferably loose or provisionally connected cover, and/or being provided with stack stability increasing means, like tabs extending beyond the upper edge and recesses in the bottom corresponding to those tabs. Method or stack according to any of claims 1-7, wherein said package has a height that is smaller than the longest side of the bottom, or that is about the same as or smaller than the shortest side of the bottom, or measures about 15 cm., or that is about the same as half the length of the short side of the bottom, or that ranges between about 1/3 and about 2/3 of the length of the short side of the bottom. Package filled with fresh products for the method or stack according to any of claims 1-8, of the self supporting stackable type formed by folding a blank and having a bearing capacity sufficient such that they can stand on each other in a stack of e.g. at least five layers of said filled packages; and containing a bar code or other indication about its price such that it can automatically be fed in at a counter and having a length of the basis that is smaller than 300 mm, and with a bottom size deducted from Euro standard sizes and measuring about 200 * 250 or about 150 * 250 or about 125 * 250 or about 100 * 250 or about 200 * 200 or about 150 * 200 or about 100 * 200 or about 150 * 150 or about 125 * 125 or about 100 * 150 mm, such that said package has a contents that is adapted to the consumer needs, such that they will typically pick it from said stack and buy said package with contents in one time.

Inventors: MOERMAN JAN JACOB, MOERMAN, JAN JACOB
Applicants: JADIMO HOLDING B V, JADIMO HOLDING B.V.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65D5
IPC codes: B65D5