Plastic Flanged Containers and Food Product Pack Comprising Such Containers

Abstract

Disclosed is a flanged container for a food, in particular a dairy product composition. The container is provided with a hollow body and an annular flange that comprises an inner edge defining a circular upper opening of the container and outer straight side edges. The flange has at least two first flange portions, each defining one of said side edges, two of the side edges having a length I shorter than half of an inner diameter Dint of the opening. Two of the first flange portions are adjacent. At least two second flange portions are provided to each define a corner of the flange, the second flange portions each comprising an outer convex edge extending between two adjacent of said outer straight side edges. A pack comprising the containers is also disclosed.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention generally relates to containers used in food packaging industry, particularly to thermoformed plastic flanged containers, such as yoghurt pots or similar. The invention also concerns a pack comprising such flanged containers.[0002]More particularly, the invention relates to a container for a food composition, in particular a dairy product composition, comprising:[0003]a thermoplastic hollow body comprising a generally planar bottom and a side wall extending along a longitudinal axis from said bottom as far as a top, and[0004]a generally planar annular flange integral with the body and connected to the top of the body, the flange comprising an upper face, a lower face, an inner edge defining a generally circular upper opening of the container and outer straight side edges, the outer straight side edges comprising two parallel outer straight side edges and at least one outer straight side edge perpendicular to the two parallel outer st...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]Advantageously, the size of outer straight side edges of the flange is reduced, thus allowing a higher reduction of material in the corners. Surprisingly, the flanged containers can be efficiently connected to one another along their first flange portions, without accidental separation, even when using brittle plastic material (for instance polystyrene rather than polyethylene or polypropylene). Outer convex edges longer than the outer straight edges make also the flange user-friendly and easy to manipulate when removing the membrane seal.

[0037]It is also provided, according to the invention, a use of a container according to the invention for containing a dairy product, preferably a yoghurt composition having a weight not inferior to 50 g and not superior to 500 g, preferably not inferior to 75 or 80 g and not superior to 400 g, and more preferably not inferior to 100 g and not superior to 200 g. A yoghurt composition having a weight comprised between 100 and 200 g is highly preferred. The shape of the opening and the flange are particularly user-friendly while the arrangement of the body is very compact when containing a yoghurt composition or similar dairy product having a weight comprised between 100 and 150 g, preferably about 125 g.

Problems solved by technology

Use of less brittle or more pliable polymers makes the containers more difficult to break apart.

Such a difficulty may cause escape of the content when breaking other parts of the container.

However, the weight of the plastic containers cannot be easily reduced since the containers made of relatively brittle plastic have to be transported in a safe manner and without any deformation.

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