Patent Publication Number: US-11396405-B2

Title: Packaging, especially for food

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
     The following documents are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth: Austrian Patent Application No. A 81/2019, filed Mar. 5, 2019. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to a packaging, especially for food, comprising a shell made of cardboard or paperboard and a cover which is placed onto the shell in the closed state of the packaging and which engages over the outside of an upper edge of the shell, inwardly protruding nubs arranged at at least two side walls of the cover interacting with retaining elements arranged at associated side walls of the shell. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Packaging for food, for example cakes, baked goods, ready-made meals or salad, comprised of a shell made of plastic and an in particular hat-shaped cover made of plastic which is placed onto said shell is known, the cover having protruding nubs which interact with retaining elements of the shell. At least the plastic of the cover, optionally also the plastic of the shell, may be of transparent design. Packaging of this kind is also referred to as blister packaging. 
     In order to reduce the amount of plastic, it has already been proposed for the shell to be formed of cardboard or paperboard. However, “hybrid” packaging of this kind which is already known is disadvantageous in various respects, in particular with regard to the handling and/or the stability and/or the hold of the placed-on cover on the shell. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an object of the invention to provide an advantageous packaging of the kind mentioned in the introduction which is easy to handle and can be formed with good stability. This is achieved by a packaging having one or more features of the invention. 
     In the case of the packaging according to the invention, side walls of the shell having retaining elements for the purposes of interacting with inwardly protruding nubs of the cover each have a wall portion which is connected to the bottom of the shell by way of a bend, a first reinforcing portion connected to the upper end of the wall portion by way of a bend, a second reinforcing portion connected to the first reinforcing portion by way of a bend and an adhesive-secured portion which is connected to the second reinforcing portion by way of a bend and which is adhesively bonded to the outer side of the wall portion. A sub-portion of the wall portion that lies above the adhesive-secured portion, the first reinforcing portion and the second reinforcing portion together delimit a channel which is triangular as seen in cross section. The retaining elements for the nubs are formed by edges of openings in the second reinforcing portions or by the downwardly directed outer surfaces of the second reinforcing portions. 
     In the case of a shell configured in accordance with the invention, the cover connected to the shell can be provided with very good hold, specifically in particular due to the stability of the regions in which the retaining elements for the nubs of the cover are arranged. 
     Preferably, at least two opposing side walls of the cover have inwardly protruding nubs which interact with retaining elements arranged at opposing side walls of the shell. One embodiment which is advantageous in terms of production makes provision for inwardly protruding nubs of this kind to be provided only at two opposing side walls of the cover and for the shell to accordingly have retaining elements arranged only at two opposing side walls, said retaining elements interacting with the nubs of the cover. 
     One expedient configuration makes provision for each of the second reinforcing portions to have at least two openings which are spaced apart from one another in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the respective channel and into which a respective nub of the cover engages. 
     A shell of the packaging configured in accordance with the invention can advantageously be folded out from a flat blank made of cardboard or paperboard and adhesively bonded. Simple and effective production can be made possible as a result. 
     The mass per unit area of the cardboard or of the paperboard, of which the shell is formed, is in particular more than 150 g/m 2 . Above such a mass per unit area, reference is generally made to cardboard. At a mass per unit area above 225 g/m 2 , sometimes even only above 300 g/m 2 , reference is typically made to paperboard. 
     The cardboard or the paperboard of which the shell is comprised is advantageously of multilayer configuration. 
     It can be solid cardboard or solid paperboard or corrugated cardboard or corrugated paperboard. 
     In the case of the flat blank made of cardboard or paperboard, in one possible embodiment of the invention, side walls which succeed one another in the circumferential direction of the shell can be connected to one another by way of connecting portions which, when the shell is in the folded-out and adhesively bonded state, are adhesively bonded to at least one of the successive side walls. Such connecting portions can each have a first and a second triangular portion. When the blank of the shell is in the flatly laid-out state, the first and the second triangular portion can each adjoin the respectively adjacent side wall by way of a bending line, said bending line proceeding from that corner of the bottom at which the respective connecting portion is arranged. The first and the second connecting portion are then subsequently separated from one another by way of a bending line which proceeds from the corner of the bottom and which is at an angle of 135° with respect to the respective one of the two side edges of the bottom which together form the corner. During the folding-out of the shell from the blank, the first and second triangular portions of the respective connecting portion are folded together, then folded back toward one of the adjacent side walls and adhesively bonded thereto. 
     The bending lines of the blank, at which the latter is bent during the folding-out of the shell, can be configured in the form of crease lines (formed by creases in the cardboard or in the paperboard) or in the form of perforation lines (formed by perforations in the cardboard or in the paperboard). 
     The cover, which is preferably comprised of an in particular transparent plastic, for example PET, advantageously has a widened lower base portion which, by way of gradations at least of the side walls of the cover having the nubs, adjoins that part of the cover which lies thereabove. In this case, at least two opposing gradations of the cover rest on the upper sides of the first reinforcing portions of the opposing side walls of the shell. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further advantages and details of the invention will be elucidated below on the basis of the attached drawing, in which: 
         FIGS. 1 and 2  show oblique views of one exemplary embodiment of a packaging according to the invention in the assembled state of the shell and the cover; 
         FIG. 3  shows a vertical section through the packaging in the assembled state; 
         FIG. 4  shows a corresponding vertical section in an oblique view; 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  show oblique views of the cover of the packaging from various viewing directions; 
         FIG. 7  shows a side view of the cover; 
         FIG. 8  shows a section along the line AA of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  show oblique views of the shell of the packaging from various viewing directions; 
         FIGS. 11 and 12  show side views of the shell; 
         FIG. 13  shows a view of the shell from below; 
         FIG. 14  shows a blank for forming the shell; and 
         FIGS. 15, 16 and 17  show schematic depictions for the purposes of illustrating possible modifications of the configuration of the shell in the region of a side wall having a channel. 
     
    
    
     The figures have different scales. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One exemplary embodiment of the invention will be elucidated below on the basis of  FIGS. 1 to 14 . The packaging is formed by a shell  1  made of cardboard or paperboard and a cover  2  made of preferably transparent plastic, for example PET. The cover  2  can be connected to the shell  1  by way of a snap-in connection. For this purpose, the cover  2  has in each case two inwardly protruding nubs  5  at two opposing side walls  3 ,  4 . In the state when the cover  2  has been placed onto the shell  1 , the cover  2  engages over the outside of an upper edge of the shell  1 , the nubs  5  interacting with retaining elements  6  arranged at two opposing side walls  7 ,  8  of the shell  1 . 
     The opposing side walls  7 ,  8  of the shell  1  having the retaining elements  6  each have a wall portion  9  which is connected to the bottom  10  of the shell  1  by way of a bend, the wall portion  9  enclosing an angle lying in the range of 90° to 135° with the bottom  10 . Preferably, said angle lies in the range of 90° to 110°, in the exemplary embodiment at approximately 105°. 
     A first reinforcing portion  11  is connected to the upper end of the wall portion  9  by way of a bend, the wall portion  9  enclosing an angle in the range of 30° to 150°, preferably in the range of 45° to 135°, in the exemplary embodiment of approximately 60°, with the first reinforcing portion  11 . In this case, the first reinforcing portion  11  extends outwardly toward that end thereof which is remote from the wall portion  9 . 
     A second reinforcing portion  12  is connected to that end of the first reinforcing portion  11  which is remote from the wall portion  9  by way of a bend, the first reinforcing portion  11  enclosing an angle in the range of 20° to 120°, preferably 45° to 90°, in the exemplary embodiment of approximately 70°, with the second reinforcing portion  12 . The second reinforcing portion  12  runs from that end of the first reinforcing portion  11  which is remote from the upper end of the wall portion  9  as far as the outer side of the wall portion  9 . An adhesive-secured portion  13  is connected by way of a bend to said end of the second reinforcing portion  12  which adjoins the outer side of the wall portion  9 , the second reinforcing portion  12  enclosing an angle in the range of 80° to 160°, preferably 90° to 145°, in the exemplary embodiment of approximately 135°, with the adhesive-secured portion  13 . The adhesive-secured portion  13  runs, from the end thereof which is connected to the second reinforcing portion  12 , in a downward direction and is adhesively bonded, preferably over the entire extent thereof, to the outer side of the wall portion  9 . 
     In this way, a respective channel  14  is formed, which is delimited by way of a sub-portion of the wall portion  9  that lies above the adhesive-secured portion  13 , the first reinforcing portion  11  and the second reinforcing portion  12 . The channel  14  has a triangular cross section, that is to say, in the vertical cross section through the shell, that sub-portion of the wall portion  9  which lies above the adhesive-secured portion  13 , the first reinforcing portion  11  and the second reinforcing portion  12  lie on the sides of a triangle. 
     The channels  14  run horizontally, preferably over the entire longitudinal extents of the opposing side walls  7 ,  8 . 
     By virtue of this configuration, the opposing side walls  7 ,  8  are substantially reinforced, in particular in the regions in which the channels  14  are formed. 
     In order to form the retaining elements  6 , the second reinforcing portions  12  have openings  15  which are configured in the form of window apertures. Such an opening  15  is provided for each of the nubs  5 , therefore, in the exemplary embodiment, in each case two openings  15  are provided per side wall  7 ,  8 , said openings being spaced apart from one another in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the respective channel  14 . The horizontally running edges of the openings  15  at the top form the retaining elements  6 , which counteract a lifting-off of the cover  2  in an upward direction (at least up to a certain lift-off force). 
     In the exemplary embodiment, the openings  15  extend as far as that edge of the first reinforcing portion  11  which adjoins the second reinforcing portion  12 . 
     The first and second reinforcing portions  11 ,  12  form outwardly protruding flanges of the shell  1 . 
     The cover  2  has a widened lower base portion which, by way of gradations  18 ,  19  of the side walls  3 ,  4 ,  16 ,  17 , adjoins that part of the cover  2  which lies thereabove. In the state when the cover  2  has been placed onto the shell  1 , the gradations  18  of the side walls  3 ,  4  having the nubs  5  rest on the first reinforcing portions  11  of the side walls  7 ,  8  of the shell  1 . 
     The gradations  19  of the side walls  16 ,  17  of the cover  2  rest on the upper edges of the side walls  20 ,  21  of the shell  1 , which extend between the side walls  7 ,  8  of the shell  1  having the channels  14 . 
     The shell  1  is formed from a blank which is made of cardboard or paperboard and which is illustrated in  FIG. 14  in the state when it is flatly laid out on a planar substrate. Between the side walls  7 ,  21 ;  21 ,  8 ;  8 ,  20 ;  20 ,  7  which in each case succeed one another in the circumferential direction of the shell  1 , there lies a respective connecting portion  22  by way of which the respectively successive side walls are connected to one another. A respective connecting portion  22  has a first and a second triangular portion  22   a ,  22   b . The respective first triangular portion  22   a  is separated from the respectively adjacent side wall by way of a bending line  23  which proceeds from the respective corner. The respective second triangular portion  22   b  is separated from the respectively adjacent side wall by way of a bending line  24  which proceeds from the respective corner. The first and the second triangular portion  22   a ,  22   b  are in each case separated from one another by way of a bending line  25 . Said bending line  25  proceeds from the respective corner of the bottom  10  and is at an angle of 135° with respect to the two side edges of the bottom which together form the corner. The bending line  25  subdivides the connecting portion  22  in such a way that two triangular portions  22   a ,  22   b  of equal size are formed. 
     In order to form the shell  1  from the blank, the triangular portions  22   a ,  22   b  of a respective connecting portion  22  are folded together, such that they preferably protrude toward the outside. In this case, the wall portions  9  of the side walls  7 ,  8  and the side walls  20 ,  21  are bent upward in relation to the bottom  10  about the bending lines  29 ,  30 . Subsequently, the folded-together triangular portions  22   a ,  22   b  are in each case folded back toward one of the side walls  20 ,  21  and stuck thereto. The regions which are adhesively bonded to one another are indicated in  FIG. 14  by way of dashed lines. 
     Subsequently, the adhesive-secured portions  13  are bent in relation to the second reinforcing portions  12  about the bending lines  26 , the second reinforcing portions  12  are bent in relation to the first reinforcing portions  11  about the bending lines  27  and the first reinforcing portions are bent in relation to the wall portions  9  about the bending lines  28 , and the adhesive-secured portions  13  are adhesively bonded to the outer sides of the wall portions  9 . Those regions in which the adhesive-secured portions  13  are adhesively bonded to the wall portions  9  are indicated in  FIG. 14  by way of dashed lines. 
     The bending lines  23 - 30  can be formed by way of crease lines or by way of perforation lines. By way of example, the bending lines  23 ,  26  can be configured as perforation lines and the remaining bending lines as crease lines. 
       FIGS. 15 to 17  show various possible modifications of the angles between the wall portions  9 , first reinforcing portions  11 , second reinforcing portions  12  and adhesive-secured portions  13 , with channels  14  which are triangular in cross section being formed in each case. The outer surfaces of the second reinforcing portions  12  each point in a downward direction at a more or less large angle with respect to the horizontal and can each be provided with openings, the edges of which form the retaining elements  6  for the nubs  5  of the cover  2 . 
     Different modifications of the exemplary embodiments shown are conceivable and possible, without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     In principle, it would for example be conceivable and possible for the openings  15  in the second reinforcing portions  12  to be omitted, the downwardly directed outer surfaces of the second reinforcing portions  12  interacting with the nubs  5  in order to counteract a lifting-off of the cover  2  in an upward direction (at least up to a certain lift-off force). Such a configuration may be expedient in particular in the case of the configuration according to  FIG. 16 , in which the second reinforcing portion  12  is horizontal. 
     Openings in the second reinforcing portions  12  could also be configured in such a way that the cardboard or the paperboard is only incipiently cut over a part of the circumference of the opening, preferably over three sides, and, during the connection to the cover, is pressed inward by way of the nubs in the region of the opening. Preferably, the connection of the pressed-in portion to the remaining material of the blank remains at an edge at which in particular a bending line is formed. Therefore, for the purposes of forming the opening, a tab is pivoted inward (into the channel  14 ) about said bending line. 
     The second reinforcing portion  12  could also run obliquely in an upward direction proceeding from the connection thereof to the first reinforcing portion  11  as far as the wall portion  9 . In such a configuration, the downwardly directed outer surfaces of the second reinforcing portions  12  can also form the retaining elements for the nubs  5 . 
     The gradations  19  of the cover  2  could also be omitted. 
     The connecting portions  22  could also be configured differently. By way of example, one of the two adjoining side walls could have an attached flap (which lengthens the side wall), which, after the folding-out of the side walls, is folded back and adhesively bonded to the adjacent side wall on the outside. 
     As seen in plan view, the packaging could also have a shape other than a four-sided shape, for example a six-sided or eight-sided shape. 
     A packaging configured in accordance with the invention can also be provided for packaging objects other than food, for example for household objects. 
     LEGEND FOR THE REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     
         
         
           
               1  Shell 
               2  Cover 
               3  Side wall 
               4  Side wall 
               5  Nub 
               6  Retaining element 
               7  Side wall 
               8  Side wall 
               9  Wall portion 
               10  Bottom 
               11  First reinforcing portion 
               12  Second reinforcing portion 
               13  Adhesive-secured portion 
               14  Channel 
               15  Opening 
               16  Side wall 
               17  Side wall 
               18  Gradation 
               19  Gradation 
               20  Side wall 
               21  Side wall 
               22  Connecting portion 
               22   a  First triangular portion 
               22   b  Second triangular portion 
               23  Bending line 
               24  Bending line 
               25  Bending line 
               26  Bending line 
               27  Bending line 
               28  Bending line 
               29  Bending line 
               30  Bending line