Packaging case for a flexible bag and bag-in-box type packaging

Abstract

The invention relates to a packaging case (10) and a bag-in-box type packaging, wherein the packaging case: - is made of compact cardboard in the range of 300 to 500 g / m2; - is inscribed, in a transverse plane, in a rectangle having a width and a depth each in the range of 50 to 150 millimetres, and delimits a cross-section in the range of 5,000 to 15,000 square millimetres; - has a longitudinal dimension in the range of 100 to 250 millimetres, and defines an internal space of between 1.2 litres and 3 litres; - has an upper closure flap (52) provided with a thickness reinforcement (70) and a locking tab (80) of the upper closure flap (52); - has lower flaps which are folded transversely at right angles to the longitudinal direction, with overlap, and glued together.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of "bag-in-box" type packaging for packaging liquids, comprising on the one hand a cardboard packaging case and on the other hand a flexible pouch, made of flexible plastic material, having a tap, the flexible pouch being intended to be received in the packaging case, only the tap of the flexible pouch being accessible from the outside of the packaging case through an opening.

[0002] Such packaging can be used in particular for packaging food liquids, especially wine.

[0003] It should be noted that, in such packaging, the flexible pouch is a separate element from the case, which is engaged in the case after the latter has been shaped. After use, the flexible pouch may optionally be removed from the case, for example for the purpose of differentiated recycling between the cardboard case and the pouch made of plastic material.

[0004] In such packaging, the flexible pouch provides the functionalities related to containing the liquid, related to its preservation, and its dispensing through the tap. The packaging case provides the functionalities related to the mechanical strength of the packaging as a whole, and the functionalities related to user information by forming the support for any graphic presentation visible to the user. Prior art

[0005] In the prior art, the case of such packaging is generally made of corrugated cardboard, in order to meet the main function of the case, which is to ensure the mechanical strength of the packaging as a whole. Indeed, corrugated cardboard is a material very suitable for applications that require a certain mechanical strength of the packaging, which is the case in “box-bag” type packaging. However, being intended to contain liquids, these packages must be able to withstand the stresses linked to the weight of this liquid, while having no contribution of the liquid to the mechanical strength of the packaging as a whole. Such packaging cases are known from DE102019134856 and EP3632813.

[0006] However, the use of corrugated cardboard has disadvantages. In particular, corrugated cardboard has inferior aesthetic characteristics to solid cardboard, because, except in very special cases, it is not possible to obtain a perfectly flat and smooth external surface with corrugated cardboard. In addition, corrugated cardboard has a thickness by nature, due to the presence of the corrugated inner layer, and this thickness reveals, on the edge of the corrugated cardboard sheet, the internal structure comprising this corrugated inner layer. Furthermore, corrugated cardboard cannot withstand stresses along the direction of its thickness, except by crushing the corrugated inner layer, and risking tearing the outer layer, which somewhat limits the printing techniques that can be implemented on its external face, in any case capable of being implemented industrially at low cost.

[0007] The aim of the invention is to propose a “box-bag” type packaging which makes it possible to obtain packaging with superior aesthetic properties, in particular through the presence of an external face with a controlled surface condition, and through the possibility of using a wide range of printing techniques. Statement of the invention

[0008] The invention relates to a packaging case obtained by folding a pre-cut blank from a sheet of cardboard and intended to accommodate a flexible pocket having a tap to form a "bag-in-box" type packaging.

[0009] The packaging case comprises an envelope which is tubular in a longitudinal direction and which has, in a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a closed polygonal transverse contour around an interior space of the packaging case, the tubular envelope comprising at least four successive main panels running along the closed polygonal transverse contour, two successive panels running along the closed transverse contour being linked at a common longitudinal edge.

[0010] The packaging case has an opening in a front main panel to allow the passage of the flexible bag tap.

[0011] The packaging case has an upper closure at an upper longitudinal end of the tubular casing and a lower closure at a lower longitudinal end of the tubular casing.

[0012] The closed polygonal transverse contour has dimensions such that it is inscribed, in a transverse plane, in a rectangle whose width and depth are each in the range from 50 millimeters to 150 millimeters, and such that it delimits a cross-section of the tubular casing in the range from 5000 square millimeters to 15000 square millimeters.

[0013] The tubular casing has a longitudinal dimension in the range of 100 millimeters to 250 millimeters and defines an interior space whose volume is in the range of 1.2 liters to 3 liters.

[0014] The upper closure of the packaging case comprises an upper closure flap which has a contour identical to the closed transverse contour of the tubular envelope, which is hinged by a fastening edge on a transverse edge of one of the main panels of the tubular envelope which is provided with a thickness reinforcement on at least part of its; and the lower closure of the packaging case comprises as many lower flaps as the number of main panels, each lower flap being connected to a lower transverse edge of one of the main panels of the tubular envelope, the lower flaps being folded transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction, being folded with overlap and being glued together

[0015] The packaging case is characterized in that the packaging case is made of compact cardboard with a weight greater than or equal to 300 g / m2, and less than or equal to 500 g / m2; the upper closing flap has an insertion tab hinged at a free edge opposite the attachment edge, the tubular envelope has, at an upper transverse edge of one of the main panels, a locking tab for the upper closing flap.

[0016] Other optional features of such a case are described below, which may be associated individually or in combination with the above features.

[0017] In certain embodiments, the thickness reinforcement of the upper closing flap comprises at least two folded panels which are each connected respectively to a separate edge of the upper closing flap, separate from the attachment edge and the free edge of the upper closing flap, and which are folded and glued against an internal face of the upper closing flap.

[0018] In some embodiments, the lower closure of the packaging case comprises two lower flaps with concave side edges and two lower flaps with straight side edges.

[0019] In some embodiments, the locking tab is configured to form a tamper indicator.

[0020] In some embodiments, the tubular casing comprises exactly four main panels and has, in a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a rectangular or square transverse contour.

[0021] The invention further relates to a "bag-in-box" type packaging, comprising a packaging case and a flexible pouch having a tap, characterized in that the packaging case is in accordance with any one of the preceding claims. Brief description of the drawings

[0022] There figure 1 is a plan view of a flat cardboard blank suitable for producing a packaging case in accordance with the teachings of the invention, illustrating the cutting lines, the pre-cut lines, and the grooves intended to facilitate folding of the blank for shaping the case.

[0023] There figure 2represents a perspective view of the packaging case after shaping, the packaging case being empty and being shown with its top closure still open, and a flexible pocket adapted to be received inside the case.

[0024] There figure 3 represents a perspective view of the packaging case of the figure 2 after introduction, inside the case, of the flexible bag comprising a tap, after closing the case, and after placing the tap of the bag through the opening provided for this purpose. Description of the embodiments

[0025] It has been illustrated on the figure 2 a packaging case 10 for a “bag-in-box” type packaging 12, this packaging case 10 being made of cardboard and being intended to accommodate a flexible pouch 14 having a tap 16. The flexible pouch 14 is intended to contain a liquid, in particular a food liquid, and in particular wine.

[0026] In a known manner, the packaging case 12 is obtained by folding a blank 20 which is pre-cut from a sheet of cardboard. Preferably, as illustrated in the example of the figure 1 , the packaging case 12 is obtained by folding a pre-cut blank 20 in one piece, from a single sheet of cardboard.

[0027] According to one aspect of the invention, the cardboard used for the pre-cut blank 20, and therefore for the packaging case 12, is a compact cardboard, also called flat cardboard, as opposed to a corrugated cardboard. A sheet of compact cardboard thus has a front face and a back face, and, in its thickness between the front face and the back face, this material has a substantially constant density, as opposed to a corrugated cardboard which has empty spaces between its front face and its back face.

[0028] The use of solid cardboard allows for the implementation of a wide variety of finishing and / or printing techniques for the packaging case, in particular for an external face thereof, including finishing and / or printing techniques requiring the application of significant pressure in the direction of the thickness of the support. For example, the use of solid cardboard opens up the possibility of implementing offset printing techniques, UV varnish printing techniques, hot foil printing techniques or screen printing techniques, directly on the solid cardboard, without the need to use a decorative sheet added after printing on the cardboard. Similarly, the use of solid cardboard opens up the possibility of implementing finishing techniques such as embossing, stamping, embossing and / or debossing which, in practice, cannot be implemented, at least not economically, with corrugated cardboard.

[0029] Of course, compact cardboard has, for an equivalent grammage, less mechanical resistance than corrugated cardboard. One of the challenges of designing the packaging case 12 according to the invention is therefore to design it in such a way that, despite the use of compact cardboard, the packaging case 12 has sufficient mechanical resistance for its intended use, which is to contain a volume of liquid in a range from 0.7 to 0.9 times the internal volume of the case.

[0030] First of all, it appeared that it was advantageous to choose, as the constituent material of the packaging case 12, a solid cardboard whose grammage is greater than or equal to 300 g / m2, and less than or equal to 500 g / m2. Such a grammage is therefore an intermediate grammage for solid cardboard, between strong or very strong grammages and low grammages for solid cardboard. Such an intermediate grammage is sufficiently high to obtain a certain intrinsic mechanical resistance to the cardboard sheet, while maintaining a sufficiently low thickness of the cardboard sheet for implementation in conventional industrial installations for cutting, folding and shaping cardboard cases. In addition, maintaining a sufficiently low thickness of the cardboard sheet makes it possible to limit the risks of deterioration of the external face of the packaging case, in particular at the folds.In this case, the compact cardboard of the packaging case 12 may have a thickness in the range of 0.5 millimeters to 1.5 millimeters.

[0031] In a known manner, the packaging case 12 comprises a tubular envelope 22 along a longitudinal direction and having, in a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a closed polygonal transverse contour around an interior space of the packaging case. In the remainder of the text, it will be considered that, when using the packaging 10, the longitudinal direction corresponds to the vertical direction of Earth's gravity, while the transverse directions will be the horizontal directions. The tubular envelope 22 comprises at least four successive main panels 24, 26, 28, 30 along the closed polygonal transverse contour. Two successive main panels along the closed transverse contour are connected at a common longitudinal edge, the common longitudinal edge corresponding to a folding line of the cardboard sheet.In the flat blank 20, which is delimited by an external contour along which it has been cut from a sheet of cardboard, the four successive main panels 24, 26, 28, 30 are therefore juxtaposed to each other in a transverse direction.

[0032] The number of main panels of the tubular casing 22 is equal to the number of sides of the polygonal transverse contour of the tubular casing 22. In the illustrated example, the number of main panels of the tubular casing is equal to four. The polygonal transverse contour of the tubular casing is therefore a quadrilateral, preferably a rectangle or a square. However, the number of main panels of the tubular casing 22 could be greater than four.

[0033] On the figure 1, the free or cut edges of the blank 12, in particular the external contour, have been represented in thick continuous lines. Predefined fold lines, marked in the material of the blank, at which the blank is not cut or in any case not completely cut, have been represented in dot-and-dash lines. The production of the fold lines may involve one or more techniques, among which we can cite for example: the half-kiss cutting technique, in which the sheet of material is cut, but not over its entire thickness; marking by crushing the material (creasing), etc.

[0034] These predefined folding lines of the cardboard sheet facilitate the three-dimensional shaping of the packaging case 12.

[0035] It has also been illustrated on the figure 1 , with dashes, pre-cut lines which are intended to allow the material to be torn off along the pre-cut line thus produced.

[0036] The blank 10 therefore comprises, in the example illustrated, four main panels 24, 26, 28, 30 which are juxtaposed and articulated successively to one another around three parallel longitudinal fold lines 31, 32, 33. A first fold line 31 connects, by delimiting them, an extreme distal main panel, which will here be arbitrarily called the front main panel 24, and a distal intermediate main panel, which will here be arbitrarily called the first side panel 26. A second fold line 32 connects the first side panel 26 to a proximal intermediate main panel, which will here be arbitrarily called the rear main panel 28, and which is connected along a fold line 33 to an extreme proximal main panel, which will here be arbitrarily called the second side panel 30. The fold lines 31, 32, 33 therefore define, in the flat blank 20, longitudinal sides of the corresponding main panels.The main front panel 24 within the meaning of the invention could be any of the main panels 24, 26, 28, 30 juxtaposed successively in the blank 20.

[0037] The front main panel 24 further comprises a longitudinal side 29 by which it is connected to an assembly flap 23, the longitudinal side 29 corresponding to a fold line between the front main panel 24 and the assembly flap 23. Transversely opposite the longitudinal side 29, the assembly flap 23 comprises a longitudinal free edge 21, which is a free edge of the blank 20, belonging to the external contour of the blank 20.

[0038] The second side panel 30 comprises, transversely opposite the longitudinal side 33, a longitudinal side 34 which, in this embodiment, is a free edge of the blank 10, belonging to the external contour of the blank 20.

[0039] Thus, starting from the longitudinal free edge 21 of the blank 20, and moving through the blank in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, one successively encounters, with continuity of the blank material, the assembly flap 23, the longitudinal side 29, the front main panel 24, the longitudinal side 31, the first side panel 26, the longitudinal side 32, the rear main panel 28, the longitudinal side 33, the second side panel 30 and the longitudinal side 34.

[0040] Each of the main panels 24, 26, 28, 30 has opposite upper 24s, 26s, 28s, 30s and lower 24i, 26i, 28i, 30i transverse sides, which are arranged at the longitudinal ends of the corresponding panel. In the proposed example, the main panels all have the same dimension in the longitudinal direction so that, in the flat blank 20, the upper and lower transverse edges of the four main panels are respectively aligned along an upper transverse line and a lower transverse line.

[0041] It is understood that the four main panels 24, 26, 28, 30 are intended to form, after folding at 90° around each of the fold lines 31, 32, 33, which then each become a common longitudinal edge between two successive main panels, a tubular envelope 22, closed on itself, in which the main panels define the closed polygonal contour around an interior space of the case 10. It is also understood that the assembly flap 23 can also be folded at 90° around the fold line 29 so as to be able to be brought into abutment, plane against plane, against the second side panel 30. An assembly of the assembly flap 23 on the second side panel 30, for example by gluing, makes it possible to fix the three-dimensional geometry of the packaging case. The fact that the envelope defines a closed contour does not prevent the main panels that compose it from possibly having windows or openings.

[0042] In the example illustrated, the packaging has a dimension in the longitudinal direction which is greater than its dimensions in the other two directions, preferably at least twice as large.

[0043] The closed polygonal transverse contour delimited by the tubular casing 22 has dimensions such that it is inscribed, in a transverse plane, in a rectangle whose width and depth are each in the range from 50 millimeters to 150 millimeters, and such that it delimits a cross-section of the tubular casing in the range from 5000 square millimeters to 15000 square millimeters.

[0044] In the case of a closed polygonal transverse contour in the form of a rectangle or square, the two transverse dimensions of the rectangle or square, which can be called, for example, width and depth, are therefore each in the range from 50 millimeters to 150 millimeters. In the example illustrated, the closed polygonal transverse contour of the tubular casing 22 is a square contour with a side length of 100 millimeters, which therefore delimits a cross-section of the tubular casing equal to 10,000 square millimeters.

[0045] Furthermore, the tubular casing 22 has a longitudinal dimension in the range from 100 millimeters to 250 millimeters and defines an interior space of between 1.2 liters and 3 liters. This volume is particularly suitable for food liquids such as wine.

[0046] The dimensions of the tubular envelope 22 are chosen in consideration of the useful volume sought for the packaging 12, that is to say the volume of liquid likely to be contained in the packaging 12, but also in consideration of the lower mechanical strength of the packaging case 10, which is due to the choice of using compact cardboard of intermediate grammage for the production of the tubular envelope 22 thereof. It is also noted that the transverse dimensions of the packaging case 10 are such that they allow the packaging 12 to be grasped with one hand.

[0047] The packaging case 10 has an opening 40 arranged in the front main panel 24 to allow, during use by an end user, the passage of the tap 16 of the flexible bag 14. This opening 40 is intended to be implemented after the introduction of the flexible bag 14 into the case 12. In the blank 20 or in the packaging case 10 before the introduction of the flexible bag 14, the opening 40 is arranged in the form of a pre-cut at the time of production of the blank 20. In the example, the pre-cut for the opening 40 has a lower portion 40.1, which is here of circular geometry and which has a pre-cut over the entire length of its circular contour such that, during use of the packaging, this lower portion 40.1 can be completely removed for the passage of the tap 16. In the illustrated example, the pre-cut for the opening 40 has an upper portion 40.2 which has a transverse upper edge 40.21 in the form of a fold line, not pre-cut, and two lateral edges 40.22 which each connect one end of the transverse upper edge 40.21 with the pre-cut contour of the lower portion 40.1. The two lateral edges 40.22 are pre-cut, for example in a manner analogous to the pre-cut contour of the lower portion 40.1. In this way, the upper portion 40.2 forms, in the front main panel 24, a flap articulated around its upper transverse edge 40.21 which allows on the one hand the positioning and passage of the tap 16 of the flexible bag 14 through the opening 40, and on the other hand, after use of the packaging 12, the easy removal of the flexible bag 14 from the packaging case 10. When using the packaging 12, the flap formed by the upper portion 40.2 extends substantially in the plane of the front main panel 24 and allows, by its lower edge, the tap 16 to be wedged vertically.

[0048] Of course, the opening 40 is arranged near a lower longitudinal end of the tubular casing 22, therefore in the lower part of the front panel 24.

[0049] Furthermore, the packaging case 10 comprises an upper closure 50 at an upper longitudinal end of the tubular casing 22 and a lower closure 60 at a lower longitudinal end of the tubular casing 22.

[0050] The lower closure 60 of the packaging case 10 forms a glued bottom which is particularly advantageous for providing rigidity to the packaging case 10 when the latter is shaped.

[0051] In the example, the lower closure 60 of the packaging case 12 comprises as many lower flaps 24ri, 26ri, 28ri, 30ri as the number of main panels 24, 26, 28, 30, i.e., in the example illustrated, four lower flaps 24ri, 26ri, 28ri, 30ri. In this example, each lower flap 24ri, 26ri, 28ri, 30ri is connected to a lower transverse edge 24i, 26i, 28i, 30i of one of the main panels 24, 26, 28, 30 of the tubular casing 22. When shaping the packaging case 10, the lower flaps 24ri, 26ri, 28ri, 30ri are folded transversely, at right angles to the longitudinal direction, towards the inside of the space delimited by the tubular casing 22. The lower flaps 24ri, 26ri, 28ri, 30ri are folded with an overlap and they are glued together to ensure locking of the lower closure 60 of the packaging case 12.

[0052] In the illustrated example, the lower closure 60 of the packaging case 10 comprises two lower flaps 26ri, 30ri with concave side edges and two lower flaps with straight side edges 24ri, 28ri. The side edges of each of the lower flaps are edges which extend from the lower transverse edge of the corresponding main panel, in a general direction substantially perpendicular to this lower transverse edge. The two side edges of each of the lower flaps extend to a free transverse edge of the corresponding lower flap.

[0053] The two lower flaps with concave side edges 26ri, 30ri are carried by two main panels 26, 30 which are not consecutive in the blank 10, and which are therefore opposite each other on either side of the interior space delimited by the tubular envelope 22 when the packaging case 10 is shaped. The two lower flaps with concave side edges 26ri, 30ri are intended to be folded down first. In the context of a packaging case whose transverse contour is rectangular or square, the two lower flaps with concave side edges 26ri, 30ri advantageously have, at or near their free transverse edge, a transverse dimension substantially equal to that of the main panel 26, 30 by which they are carried.Thus, when the lower flaps with concave side edges 26ri, 30ri are folded down first, the free transverse edge of each lower flap with concave side edges 26ri, 30ri can come into contact simultaneously with the two main panels which are directly adjacent to the main panel 26, 30 by which the flap in question is carried. This makes it possible to reinforce the squareness of the packaging case, in particular by blocking deformations in transverse directions diagonal to the cross-section of the tubular casing 22.

[0054] The two lower flaps with straight side edges 24ri, 28ri are carried by the two other main panels 24, 28, which are also not consecutive in the blank 10, and which are therefore also opposite each other on either side of the interior space delimited by the tubular envelope 22 when the packaging case 10 is shaped. The two lower flaps with straight side edges 24ri, 28ri are folded down second, therefore after the two lower flaps with concave side edges 26ri, 30ri.In the example, the lower flaps 24ri, 26ri, 28ri, 30ri have a dimension such that, once folded down, two flaps carried by opposite panels do not overlap, but on the other hand each lower flap with straight side edges 24ri, 28ri partially covers each of the two lower flaps with concave side edges 26ri, 30ri, and each lower flap with straight side edges 24ri, 28ri is glued with each of the two lower flaps with concave side edges 26ri, 30ri. By this gluing, the lower closure 60 gives good rigidity to the lower part of the tubular casing 22.

[0055] It is noted that the lower closure 60 of the packaging case 10, glued, could be produced in the form of an automatic bottom comprising lower flaps which overlap, which are glued together and which, in addition, are assembled to each other before the final shaping of the packaging case 10. In such a construction, the lower bottom of the packaging unfolds automatically during the shaping of the packaging case 10. Those skilled in the art know numerous ways of producing an automatic bottom with glued flaps.

[0056] As can be seen in the figures, the upper closure 50 of the packaging case 12 comprises an upper closure flap 52 which has a contour identical to the closed transverse contour of the tubular casing 22. This upper closure flap 52 is articulated by an attachment edge on a transverse edge of one of the main panels of the tubular casing. In the illustrated example, the upper closure flap 52 is connected to the rear main panel 28 at the upper transverse edge 28s thereof, which therefore also forms the attachment edge of the upper closure flap 52. Preferably, in the blank 10, the upper transverse edge 28s of the rear panel 28 is therefore in the form of a fold line.

[0057] The upper closure flap 52 comprises an insertion tab 54 which is hinged at a free edge 56 of the upper closure flap 52, this free edge 56 being opposite the attachment edge 28s of the upper closure flap 52. When shaping the packaging case 10, the insertion tab 54 can be folded 90° around the free edge 56, and the upper closure flap 52 can be folded 90° to adopt a horizontal transverse orientation in which the insertion tab 54 is inserted into the interior space delimited by the tubular casing 22. In the example, the insertion tab 54 is thus, in the closing configuration of the upper closure flap 52, engaged in the interior space opposite the internal face of the front main panel 24.Preferably, the transverse width of the insertion tab 54 corresponds to that of the front main panel 24 such that the insertion tab 54 is wedged transversely between the two lateral main panels 26, 28. Thus wedged transversely, the assembly formed by the upper closing flap 52 and the insertion tab 54 stiffens the upper longitudinal end of the tubular casing 22, in particular by blocking deformations in transverse directions diagonal to the cross-section of the tubular casing 22.

[0058] However, to take into account the relatively lower mechanical resistance of the material chosen for the production of the packaging case 10, it is provided that the upper closing flap 52 is provided with a thickness reinforcement over at least part of its surface area.

[0059] Preferably, this thickness reinforcement is produced in the form of an additional thickness of cardboard. The thickness reinforcement could be produced in the form of a piece of cardboard separate from the blank 20, and attached to the lower closing flap 52, preferably on the internal face thereof which is turned towards the interior space of the packaging case 10 when the upper closing flap 52 is in the closing configuration. However, preferably, it is provided that this thickness reinforcement is produced in the form of at least one flap forming part of the same blank 20 in a single piece as the rest of the packaging case 10, such a flap being articulated around one of the edges of the upper closing flap 52.

[0060] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, which is visible on the figure 1 and on the figure 2, the thickness reinforcement of the upper closing flap 50 comprises at least two folded panels 70 which are each connected respectively to a separate edge 58 of the upper closing flap 52, these two separate edges 58 also being separate from the attachment edge 28s and from the free edge 56 of the upper closing flap 52. The two folded panels 70 are folded and glued against an internal face of the upper closing flap 52, which is turned towards the interior space of the packaging study when the upper closing flap 52 is in the closed configuration.

[0061] In the example, the tubular casing 22 has a closed polygonal transverse contour with four sides, so that the upper closing flap 52 also has four sides, therefore two opposite lateral edges 58, which each respectively join the attachment edge 28s to the free edge 56 of the upper closing flap 52, and which, in the closed configuration of the upper closing flap 52, are aligned respectively each with one of the two main lateral panels 26, 30 of the tubular casing 22. Thus, in the illustrated example, the thickness reinforcement of the upper closing flap comprises two folded panels 70 which are each respectively connected to one of the opposite lateral edges 58 of the upper closing flap 52, and which are folded and glued against an internal face of the upper closing flap 52.

[0062] The presence of these folded panels 70, which are connected to the corresponding upper closing flap 52 over the entire dimension of the corresponding lateral edge 58, also makes it possible to prevent the edge (or edge) of the cardboard sheet from being visible at each of the opposite lateral edges 58 of the upper closing flap 52. Indeed, the opposite lateral edges 58 then expose only the external face of the cardboard sheet forming the upper closing flap 52 and the folded panels 70. In the case where the external face has a particular finish, this finish is therefore also found on the edge which can be visible to the user, for the benefit of course aesthetics. If, moreover, this finish has particular properties, in particular hydrophobicity or even impermeability, the upper closing flap 52 is thus better protected.

[0063] In the illustrated example, the two folded panels 70 do not overlap. However, it could be provided that the two folded panels 70 overlap at least partially, in which case the upper closing flap 52 would locally have a triple thickness of cardboard, or even that they overlap completely, in which case the upper closing flap 52 would have a triple thickness of cardboard over its entire surface.

[0064] It has been seen that the additional stiffness provided by the thickness reinforcement prevents the packaging case from deforming in diagonal transverse directions. In addition, the upper closing flap 52 thus reinforced will better withstand forces perpendicular to its plane of extension, and therefore longitudinal forces. Such forces may result from the presence of the flexible pocket 14 when it is received inside the packaging study and when it is full.

[0065] It is therefore understood that the upper closing flap 52 is not glued in its closing configuration, and that it is therefore possible to reopen it, like a lid, by tilting around the attachment edge 28s. Such an ability to open the upper closing flap 52 is favorable because it allows, after use of the packaging 10, for example when the flexible pouch is empty, to easily open the packaging case 12 to easily remove the flexible pouch 14, for example with a view to differentiated recycling between the packaging case 10 made of cardboard and the flexible pouch 14 made of plastic material.

[0066] However, so that such an opening of the upper closing flap 52 does not occur in an untimely manner, it is particularly advantageous to provide that the tubular casing 22 comprises, at an upper transverse edge of one of the main panels, a locking tab 80 for the upper closing flap 52. Preferably, this locking tab 80 is arranged at an upper transverse edge of one of the main panels which is opposite that of the main panels to which the upper closing flap 52 is attached. In this case, in the example illustrated, the locking tab 80 is thus advantageously arranged at the upper transverse edge 24s of the front main panel 24 of the tubular casing 22.The locking tab 80 has a protrusion which, when the upper closing flap 52 is in the closing configuration, is intended to be engaged in a slot 82 provided in the center of the free edge 56 of the upper closing flap 52, between the upper closing flap 52 and the insertion tab 54.

[0067] Advantageously, the locking tab 80 may be configured to form a tamper-evident indicator, for example by having a harpoon shape. Thus, after a first operation of closing the upper closure 50 of the packaging case 10, after the flexible pouch 14, filled with liquid, has been inserted into the interior space delimited by the tubular envelope 22, the upper closure flap 52 may be locked in the closed configuration by means of the locking tab 80, and any attempt at opening will be visible, for example due to tampering or even tearing of the locking tab 80. This makes it immediately visible that an unforeseen intervention has been carried out on the packaging, and that the flexible pouch 14 or its contents may have been tampered with.Conversely, if the tamper-evident indicator formed by the locking tab 82 appears intact, this reinforces the user's confidence in the integrity of the packaging 10 and therefore of the liquid contained in the flexible pouch 14.

[0068] In the example illustrated, the packaging case 10 also comprises, at each of the upper transverse edges 26s, 30s of the two main lateral panels 26, 30, a dust flap 90 which is intended to be folded transversely inwards, to limit the intrusion of dust into the interior space delimited by the tubular envelope 22. The presence of these dust flaps 90, which are connected to the corresponding main lateral panel over the entire transverse dimension of the panel, also makes it possible to prevent the edge of the cardboard sheet from being visible at the corresponding upper transverse edge 26s, 30s.

[0069] The packaging 12 according to the invention, and in particular the packaging case 10, therefore has a set of characteristics which, combined together, make this packaging 12 particularly suitable for packaging liquids such as wine, for which it is generally sought, for relatively small useful volumes, for example between 1 liter and 2.25 liters of liquid, both sufficient mechanical strength in use, and the possibility of quality finishing and presentation, suitable for conveying a positive brand image associated with this product, while being economical to produce both due to the low cost of the raw material used for the packaging case 10 and the ease of implementation on pre-existing industrial lines for cutting, folding and shaping compact cardboard packaging.

Claims

1. A packaging case (10) obtained by folding a blank (20) pre-cut from a sheet of cardboard and intended to receive a flexible pouch (14) having a tap (16) to form a packaging of the "bag-in-box" type, of the type in which: - the packaging case (10) comprises a shell which is tubular (22) in a longitudinal direction and which has, in a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a polygonal transverse contour closed around an interior space of the packaging case, the tubular shell (22) comprising at least four successive main panels (24, 26, 28, 30) passing through the closed polygonal transverse contour, two successive panels passing through the closed transverse contour being linked at a common longitudinal edge (29, 31, 32, 33); - the packaging case (10) comprises an opening (40) arranged in a main front panel (24) to allow the passage of the tap (16) of the flexible pouch (14); - the packaging case (10) comprises an upper closure (50) at an upper longitudinal end of the tubular shell (22) and a lower closure (60) at a lower longitudinal end of the tubular shell (22), - the closed polygonal transverse contour has dimensions such that it is inscribed, in a transverse plane, in a rectangle whose width and depth are each comprised in the range from 50 millimeters to 150 millimeters, and such that it delimits a cross section of the tubular shell in the range from 5000 square millimeters to 15000 square millimeters; - the tubular shell (22) has a longitudinal dimension in the range from 100 millimeters to 250 millimeters and defines an interior space whose volume is comprised in the range from 1.2 liters to 3 liters; - the upper closure (50) of the packaging case (10) comprises an upper closure flap (52) which has a contour identical to the closed transverse contour of the tubular shell (22), which is hinged by an attachment edge on a transverse edge (28s) of one of the main panels (28) of the tubular shell (22), and which is provided with a thickness reinforcement (70) over at least part of its surface; - the lower closure (60) of the packaging case comprises as many lower flap panel (24ri, 26ri, 28ri, 30ri) as the number of main panels (24, 26, 28, 30), each lower flap panel being connected to a lower transverse edge (24i, 26i, 28i, 30i) of one of the main panels of the tubular shell, the lower flap panel being folded down transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction, being folded down overlapping and being glued together, the packaging case (10) is characterized in that - the packaging case (10) is made of compact cardboard whose weight is greater than or equal to 300 g / m2, and less than or equal to 500 g / m2; - the upper closure flap (52) comprises an insertion tab (24) hinged at a free edge (56) opposite the attachment edge (28s); - the tubular casing (22) comprises, at an upper transverse edge (24s) of one of the main panels (24), a locking tab (80) of the upper closure flap (52).

2. The packaging case according to claim 1, characterized in that the thickness reinforcement of the upper closure flap comprises at least two folded down panels (70) which are respectively each connected to a distinct edge (58) of the upper closure flap (52), distinct from the attachment edge (28s) and from the free edge (56) of the upper closure flap (52), and which are folded down and glued against an inner face of the upper closure flap (52).

3. The packaging case according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the lower closure (60) of the packaging case (10) comprises two lower flap panels with concave side edges (26ri, 30ri) and two lower flap panels with straight side edges (24ri, 28ri).

4. The packaging case according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking tab (80) is configured to form a tamper indicator.

5. The packaging case according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tubular shell (22) comprises exactly four main panels (24, 26, 28, 30) and has, in a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a rectangular or square transverse contour.

6. A bag-in-box type packaging, comprising a packaging case (10) and a flexible pouch (14) having a tap (16), characterized in that the packaging case (10) is according to any one of the preceding claims.

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