Packaging for packing food products

Abstract

Food product packaging consisting of two elements, a container with a base and peripheral wall and an independent lid (10), the lid (10) being flat and having free edges having an overall shape correspondence with the container in order to close it in a stable lid closing position, means of securing (11) the lid (10) to the container being provided at least in the angular areas of the packaging.

Description

[0001] The present invention lies in the field of packaging for food products, which conventionally comprise a container and an independent cover of specific structure, making it possible for them to be preferably made of two different materials.

[0002] This specificity can lead to particular design / manufacturing constraints linked to the distinct mechanical and structural properties of the materials. These are likely to influence the structure of the packaging in general, but more particularly the closure system that links them, which concentrates specific problems.

[0003] The challenges and advantages of using a dual material are diverse, ranging from the simplification of shapes to the exploitation of possibilities, for example graphics specific to a material, through to the improvement of environmental criteria.

[0004] Among food packaging boxes with separate lids, the closure systems are in many cases clip-on, for example of the stud type cooperating with housings. In the case of a hinged box, the existence of the latter along one of the sides can have an impact on the design of the closure systems placed on the opposite side, the relative lid / hinge movements being in this case imposed.

[0005] In the case of an independent lid, sealing the packaging requires precise and complex implementation, while this can be a major design issue. The same is true for ensuring ease of handling when locking / unlocking, as the simplest and most economical shapes to manufacture are not always the easiest to control in this respect. For hinged mechanisms, the positioning of the fixing means can depend on the manufacturing precision of the hinge, and the same issues relating to ease of opening / closing, or even the completeness of the sealing, often arise. Not to mention the fact that with these hinged solutions, the possibility of using two separate materials is excluded in most cases, unless the design is necessarily more complex.

[0006] With the advent of environmental issues and / or user expectations, and the increasing impact they have on the design processes used in the world of food packaging, the mix of materials provides new answers.

[0007] However, materials that are more favorably regarded from an environmental perspective are not always as easy to work with, configure, and transform as plastic to produce a finished product that meets the many issues that need to be considered in food packaging, including those related to consumer habits. Above all, manufacturing operations are not necessarily as economically favorable. Designers are therefore faced with a dual problem of technical feasibility and price.

[0008] In this respect, the packaging of the invention represents a good compromise between, on the one hand, the simplicity of the design and its consequences in terms of production costs, and, on the other hand, the openness to environmental issues that may result from the use of two materials. This dual use makes it possible to move the cursor between two extreme positions, respectively ecological and economic.

[0009] In fact, the packaging for packaging food products of the invention, based on two elements, a container with a base and peripheral wall and an independent lid, is firstly such that the lid is flat and has free edges having a general shape matching the container in order to close it in a stable position for closing the lid. According to the invention, means for securing the lid to the container are provided at least in the angular zones of the packaging.

[0010] This provision of specific fastening means at specific locations distinguishes the packaging of the invention from what is generally done in this field, namely a fixing of the lid to the rest of the container by simple adjustment of the peripheral shapes over the entire periphery. This is for example what is shown in document WO 2011 / 082486, which consequently does not present a solution provided with specific fixing zones but on the contrary describes a configuration with circular geometry with identical clipping of the lid over the entire circular periphery of the packaging.

[0011] The flat nature of the cover makes it easy and economical to manufacture, in a minimum number of operations. The relative shapes of the free edges of the cover, including the external contours and the edges of any internal orifices, and of the elements and surfaces with which these edges are intended to cooperate, make the sealability perfectly controllable, up to complete closure if necessary.

[0012] Preferably, the lid may be at least partially but mainly made of cardboard, and the container may be at least partially but mainly made of plastic. The container may also be partially but mainly made of bio-sourced materials. The two materials chosen are therefore very different in terms of both mechanical properties and environmental quality, and combining them may therefore give rise to specific problems.

[0013] To adapt to the fixing constraints which result for example from the flatness of the cardboard lid, the securing means may comprise grooves for receiving and supporting the lid located in the vicinity of an upper edge of the peripheral wall, said grooves being delimited by a portion of the wall of the container, a base and an internal wall, the lid then having openings fitting around the walls.

[0014] In addition to the outer contour of the lid which allows initial guidance in the container, in the vicinity of its outer rim, the lid therefore has passages for internal fixing elements, in this case the walls of the grooves in which it rests, which constitute internal protuberances in the container. Depending on the degree of adjustment of the shapes of the lid and the container, the closure of the packaging can be more or less complete, the degree of closure being chosen according to the food to be packaged.

[0015] In order for the lid to be effectively fixed to the container, in a way locking one to the other, the portion of wall delimiting the exterior of the groove may include at least one undercut, located substantially at the level of the upper opening of the groove, and limiting said opening over at least part of its length.

[0016] This feature allows the lid to be clipped into the grooves of the container, which is possible in particular due to the respective properties of the materials, in particular their respective elasticities. The deformability of cardboard is perfectly adapted in this respect, even if its elasticity is less than that of plastic.

[0017] For the same purpose, and as an alternative or to complete the connection of one to the other, the face of the wall delimiting the interior of the groove may also include at least one undercut, located in the vicinity of the upper outlet of said groove, and limiting said outlet over at least part of its length. The clipping can therefore be activated on one, the other or even both faces opposite the groove.

[0018] Since such packaging is widely used, for example, in mass distribution, it is obviously essential that the closure offers guarantees of reliability and safety. The packaging of the invention, through the securing means mentioned above, is precisely designed to prevent the lid from accidentally detaching from the container when handling the packaging.

[0019] Although such a choice of shape is obviously not limiting in the sense of the invention, the angular zones of the packaging have been preferably provided rounded, as have the grooves and the walls, which then cover angular sectors of the order of 90°. The walls are parallel in appearance to the portions of walls facing them. In addition to purely aesthetic criteria, such a rounded structure has advantages in terms of manufacturing.

[0020] A round block, for example, could alternatively equip the rounded corners inside the container and replace the low wall.

[0021] The lid being fitted inside the container when it is secured thereto, and offering little grip due to its flat nature, it may include at least one gripping tab folded towards the upper edge of the peripheral wall when the lid closes the container. This tab makes it easier to remove the lid. Alternatively, the lid may include at least one gripping notch made on an edge, or at least one gripping hole made in its surface, allowing the user to have a grip for removing it.

[0022] The lid may also include at least one window covered with a transparent film, allowing the contents of the packaging to be viewed from above. Said film may also include perforations or micro-perforations, in order to manage possible gas exchanges between the interior of the closed packaging and the outside atmosphere. The number and location of the perforations are easy to modify, including if necessary in situ, in a much more flexible way than in most known packaging, for example plastic, for which openings are planned well in advance, at the time of packaging design.

[0023] In the event of the use of micro-perforated films porous to certain gases, the finesse of gas exchange management permitted is beyond comparison with that permitted by standard ventilation openings. The characteristics of these films can also be selected in advance according to the subsequent uses of the packaging, in particular according to the foodstuffs intended to be packaged. In practice, it is entirely possible to play on the selective permeability of the materials used for these transparent films.

[0024] To optimize and prioritize the environmental qualities of the product, this film covering the lid window can also be made of transparent paper, that is, a material made from a cellulose base. The film can also be made of a plastic material. The film can also be made of a bio-sourced material in whole or in part.

[0025] In an equivalent register aimed at achieving or improving ventilation, the outer edges of the lid may have crenellated or corrugated portions, so as to provide gas passages in both directions. The size of the passageways must also be considered depending on the nature of the food to be packaged. Given that the lid is in fact a simple pre-cut cardboard blank, manufacturing and modifying the contour to include such corrugated, crenellated or equivalent portions is very simple and economically practically has no impact on the final cost of the product.

[0026] The cover of the invention may also have at least one printed area, which may be on its upper face visible from the outside of the packaging, on the other or even on both faces.

[0027] This possibility makes it possible to take advantage of the characteristics of cardboard in this regard, including its excellent printability, which means that during production, the separate manufacture and application of one or more labels can be dispensed with. It also significantly improves the communication possibilities linked to packaging, which become virtually infinite, capable of using texts, photos, various illustrations, in black and white, grayscale or color.

[0028] The cover may also have at least one ventilation hole, in addition to the perforations or micro-perforations applied to the film.

[0029] In order to take advantage of the specific environmental qualities of certain cartons, it is possible to make the lid of the packaging of the invention from bio-sourced materials.

[0030] The container of the packaging of the invention can, for the same reasons, be made from bio-sourced materials.

[0031] The invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to a possible non-limiting example of the invention, by means of the appended figures, for which: there figure 1 is a perspective view of the cover of the packaging of the invention; figure 2 is also a perspective view of the container; the figure 3 represents a top view of said container; the figure 4 is a partial sectional view of the container near the upper rim, and at the level of one of the angular grooves; and the figure 5 shows, in perspective view, a variant shape for the cover.

[0032] Referring to the figure 1 , the cover 10 is flat and comprises, in its rounded angular sectors, openings 11 which are moreover parallel in appearance to the rounded edges of said angular sectors. These openings 11 are for example delimited by portions of circles which are concentric with regard to the two large edges. A range 16 of the surface of the cover 10 of the same substantially crescent shape separates said openings 11 from the outer edge of the cover 10. A central window 12 is coated with a transparent film, made of plastic material, bio-sourced material or paper.

[0033] This film can be perforated to ensure a gas exchange between the volume enclosed in the packaging and the external atmosphere, or be provided in a micro-perforated material chosen according to the type of exchanges to be ensured, which depends in particular on the type of food intended for the packaging. A gripping tab 13 is placed at the edge of the window 12, provided with a pre-fold 14 in the form of a groove or a weakening of the line connecting said tab 13 to the rest of the cover 10. This tab 13, in other configurations, could be located at the external edge of the cover 10.

[0034] This also includes, in its rectilinear portions connecting the angular sectors, a border with undulations 15 intended in particular to allow a form of ventilation. This is also an interesting possibility for the packaging of certain foods, knowing that it can also be provided, in other cases, a high degree of obturation without possibilities of passage for ventilation. A form of impermeability, in short.

[0035] THE figures 2 à 4 represent a possible configuration of container 20 to which the cover 10 of the figure 1 fits. It has an upper opening delimited by a peripheral wall 21 whose angular portions are rounded, said wall 21 surrounding a bottom 22 and being of dimensions, in the vicinity of its upper rim 23, compatible with those of the cover 10. Corner grooves 24 follow the contour of the rounded angular portions, said grooves 24 being arranged a little below the upper rim 23 in these areas. These grooves 24 are delimited by a portion 26 of the outer wall of the container 20 located in the vicinity of the rim 23 (see in particular in figure 4 ), a bottom 25 and an interior wall 29, over an angular sector not exceeding 90°. The shape of said walls 29, better visible for example in figures 3 et 4 , is such that it fits inside the openings 11 of the cover 10. The adjustment can be more or less successful, depending on the level of sealability required. In the example illustrated by the figures, the free edges of the cover 10 which cooperate by correspondence of shape with the container 20 are constituted not only by the external contour of said cover 10, but also by the edges of the cutouts forming the openings 11.

[0036] The solid areas 16 of the rounded angular zones of the lid 10 are inserted into the grooves 24 during the sealing phases of the container 20. Undercuts 27, 27' protrude from the wall portion 26 towards the inside of the groove 24, for the purpose of locking by clipping, that is to say by elastic deformation, of the lid 10 in the container 20. In this case, the elastic deformability (at least during the first uses) of the cardboard in fact allows the deformation of the corner areas 16 of the lid 10 during passage over the upper ramps 28 of the undercuts, before elastic recovery of the initial shape of the lid 10 after crossing the free end of the undercuts 27, 27'. This crossing means in practice the correct closure of the packaging by locking the areas 16 below the undercuts 27, 27'. Preferably, said areas 16 then rest on the bottoms 25 of the grooves 24.

[0037] Opening the tray involves removing the lid 10 from the container 20. In this case, the tab 13 is pulled by the user so as to separate the lid 10 from the container 20. The areas 16 emerge from the grooves 24 by crossing in the opposite direction the prominences constituted by the undercuts 27, 27'.

[0038] The areas 17 of the lid which are peripheral to the window can be printed in a wide variety of ways, from the simplest to the most sophisticated, black and white or color, to make the tray a communicating package.

[0039] The version of the cover appearing in figure 5 differs from that which is the subject of the figure 1 by a notch 18 made in the periphery of the cover 10, as well as by ventilation openings 19, 19'. The central window 12 is also of rounded shape. The rest of the configuration of this cover 10 substantially reproduces the characteristics of the cover of the figure 1 .

[0040] This packaging according to the invention has the advantage of simple installation and attachment of the lid to the container, which can be done with one hand. This assembly is also quick, and ensures satisfactory attachment of the lid to the container.

[0041] The invention is of course not limited to the examples described and explained with reference to the figures, but it encompasses the variants, in particular of form and material, which fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. Packaging for packing food products, comprising two elements, a container (20) with a base (22) and peripheral wall (21) and an independent lid (10), the lid (10) being flat and having free edges generally corresponding in shape to the container (20) in order to close it in a stable closed-lid position, characterized in that means (11, 24, 27, 27') for securing the lid (10) to the container (20) are provided at least in the angular zones of the packaging.

2. Packaging for packing food products according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the lid (10) is at least partly but mainly made of cardboard, and the container (20) is made of plastic.

3. Packaging for packing food products according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lid (10) is at least partly but mainly made of cardboard, and in that the container (20) is at least partly but mainly made of bio-sourced material.

4. Packaging for packing food products according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the securing means comprise grooves (24) for receiving and supporting the lid (10) located in the vicinity of an upper rim (23) of the peripheral wall (21), said grooves (24) being delimited by a portion (26) of the wall of the container (20), a base (25) and a shallow inner wall (29), the lid (10) having openings (11) fitting around the shallow walls (29).

5. Packaging for packing food products according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the wall portion (26) delimiting the outside of the groove (24) comprises at least one undercut (27, 27'), located substantially at the level of the upper opening of the groove (24), and forming the border of said opening over at least part of its length.

6. Packaging for packing food products according to one of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the face of the shallow wall (29) delimiting the inside of the groove (24) comprises at least one undercut, located in the vicinity of the upper opening of said groove (24), and forming the border of said opening over at least part of its length.

7. Packaging for packing food products according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the angular zones are rounded, as are the grooves (24) and the shallow walls (29), which cover angular sectors of around 90°, the shallow walls running parallel to the wall portions (26) facing them.

8. Packaging for packing food products according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (10) comprises at least one gripping tab (13) which is folded towards the upper edge (23) of the peripheral wall (21) when the lid (10) closes the container (20).

9. Packaging for packing food products according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the lid (10) comprises at least one gripping notch (18) made on one edge, or at least one gripping hole made in the surface thereof.

10. Packaging for packing food products according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (10) comprises at least one window (12) covered with a transparent film.

11. Packaging for packing food products according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the film comprises perforations or micro-perforations.

12. Packaging for packing food products according to one of claims 10 to 11, characterized in that the film is made of transparent paper.

13. Packaging for packing food products according to one of claims 10 to 11, characterized in that the film is made of plastic.

14. Packaging for packing food products according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the film is made of bio-sourced material.

15. Packaging for packing food products according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer edges of the lid (10) have crenelated or corrugated portions (15).

16. Packaging for packing food products according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (10) has at least one printed area (17).

17. Packaging for packing food products, characterized in that the lid (10) has at least one ventilation hole.

18. Packaging for packing food products according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cardboard is made from bio-sourced material.

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