Container for bulk products, especially for bulk solid foodstuffs

Abstract

A container (1) for bulk products, particularly for solid bulk products and more particularly for solid bulk foodstuffs, comprising a reusable flexible liner (2) with a filling function, which has an opening (21), characterized in that it further comprises a rigid rim (3) onto which the flexible liner (2) is intended to be fixed, the rim (3) having two opposing open faces (31, 32), one face (32) of which is opposite the opening (21) of the liner while the other face (31) is closable. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Container for bulk products, in particular for bulk solid foodstuffs

[0001] The invention relates to the field of packaging for bulk products, in particular for bulk food products.

[0002] The invention will be described more particularly, without however being limited to it, with regard to a compact container for its transport when empty for the purpose of purchasing bulk food products in stores.

[0003] Today, more and more food stores are turning to bulk sales for certain food products for economic reasons and to reduce disposable packaging. Furthermore, this sales method offers the consumer the advantage of buying only the desired quantity. Generally, bulk food products are dispensed via hopper systems, each equipped with a handle which, when pulled, opens the hopper to release the product. For packaging the bulk product, stores offer containers that are usually paper bags. However, these bags are not very practical. The consumer must support the bottom of the bag with one hand while operating the hopper handle with the other.However, as the bag fills, its cross-section quickly becomes larger than the user's hand, creating a risk of the bag collapsing at the sides and consequently tipping over. Furthermore, the risk of the bag bursting cannot be ruled out.

[0004] Consumers may, however, bring their own containers, which can be weighed using scales located in the store near the hoppers. However, containers brought by consumers are often cotton bags, which consequently present the same filling difficulties as paper bags, or are rigid boxes which, while allowing for a good grip and support during filling, are bulky when empty and take up space during transport or storage. As for rigid glass containers, these also present problems of weight and risk of breakage.

[0005] The invention aims to provide a container solution that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages, in particular one that is compact when not in use and allows, when in use, a good grip to avoid, in particular, dropping it during filling.

[0006] According to the invention, the container for bulk products, in particular for solid bulk products, more particularly for solid bulk foodstuffs, comprises a reusable flexible envelope with a filling function, which has an opening, the container being characterized in that it further comprises a rigid crown on which the flexible envelope is intended to be fixed, the crown having two opposite open faces, one of the faces being opposite the opening of the envelope while the other face is closable.

[0007] The term “flexible envelope” means an envelope that can be folded, rolled up or gathered on itself.

[0008] Thus, such a container design provides extremely compact packaging when not in use, reduced to the height of the crown, or even to the height of the crown and its closure system if present, while the flexible sleeve can be completely folded. To use the container, simply unfold or extend the flexible sleeve to transform the entire assembly into a ready-to-fill package. Furthermore, the rigid crown provides a grip on the entire container that is particularly safe for the user when filling the flexible sleeve; indeed, the rigidity of the crown allows for a secure hold on the container and for holding it safely while suspended, without risk of dropping it during filling (rather than having to support a flexible pouch in the palm of one's hand).Furthermore, the rigidity of the rim for gripping, combined with the fact that the rim forms the upper part of the container and the opening into which the bulk material will be poured, effectively contributes to the correct positioning of the container directly at the hopper's outlet. Finally, controlling the filling, and therefore the desired quantity of bulk material, is effortless for the consumer because, having positioned the rim directly below the hopper, they have no need to worry about the instability of a flexible container but simply concentrate on operating the hopper handle.

[0009] In the following description the term "height", the qualifiers "upper", "lower", "top" and "bottom" of an element of the container are used in the context of normal use of the container, that is to say according to which the container would be held in a vertical position for its filling when pouring bulk products.

[0010] According to one characteristic, the container is portable.

[0011] According to another feature, the cover is removably attached to the crown, notably via a drawstring system and / or an elastic system and / or snap fasteners and / or clips. The removability of the reusable flexible cover allows it to be easily washed on its own, and also facilitates the cleaning of each part (crown, cover, and closure system when present). Furthermore, the removability allows the cover to be detached if necessary, depending on the intended use. is made of the envelope and / or the way in which the bulk is used. In a preferred embodiment, the envelope has a drawstring closure which is arranged peripherally at the opening of the envelope.

[0012] According to another feature, the crown has a mutual cooperation zone for fixing the envelope, in particular a groove with which a clamping link attached to the envelope is intended to cooperate by engagement.

[0013] According to yet another feature, the crown has a mutual cooperation zone with a closing system, preferably the mutual cooperation zone has a screw thread.

[0014] According to yet another feature, the container includes a closure system cooperating with the sealable face of the crown opposite the envelope, preferably the closure system is screw-on.

[0015] In one embodiment, the closure system is a screw-on lid, preferably a Twist-off type lid, in particular a recycled Twist-off lid.

[0016] In another embodiment, the closure system is a closing piece comprising a closable orifice, which allows for easy dispensing or transfer of the bulk product contained within the container. The closing piece may have a funnel-like shape and / or the orifice may function as a spout. In particular, the closable orifice has a screw thread, specifically closable by a twist-off screw cap, preferably a recycled screw cap.

[0017] Advantageously, the container has two interchangeable closure systems, one being a flat lid, preferably screw-on, while the other is a closure piece with a transfer function (in particular in the shape of a funnel and / or with a pouring spout).

[0018] In one embodiment, the ring has a cross-section at one of its open faces that is smaller than the cross-section of the other open face; in particular, the closable face has a smaller cross-section than the face intended to cooperate with the casing, thus allowing for stacking by interlocking. This design facilitates the interlocking stacking of several rings, and therefore of several containers of the invention.

[0019] The crown may include an identification element that relates to the weight of the container, including the crown, the outer casing, and a closure system such as a twist-off lid. This identification element facilitates tare weight calculation in stores. The identification element may be, for example, a numerical indication (in the form of an affixed label or an engraving molded into the material). The identification element may also be a QR code.

[0020] Advantageously, the reusable flexible envelope is made of fabric.

[0021] In one embodiment, the container has a flat bottom and a cylindrical or frustoconical body such that, when filled, it stands upright. The bottom may have a circular cross-section or another geometry.

[0022] The envelope may have a transparent or translucent window or be made entirely of a transparent or translucent material in order to view the contents.

[0023] The envelope may have an external handle, preferably a flexible handle (such as a fabric loop), located on the lower part of the envelope opposite its opening, in particular centrally on the outer face of a flat base. The centrally located handle or loop at the base of the envelope facilitates gripping the container by its base, for both right- and left-handed users, when it is necessary to invert the container to transfer its contents.

[0024] The present invention is now described by means of purely illustrative and in no way limiting examples of the scope of the invention, and from the accompanying illustrations, in which: - [Fig.1] represents a schematic front view of an example of a container according to the invention out of use, the various constituent parts of the container, namely the flexible envelope, the rigid ring and a closure system, being disassembled. - [Fig.2] corresponds to the container of [Fig.1] ready for use, i.e. ready to be filled, the container being open without a closing system. - [Fig.3] corresponds to the container of [Fig.1] with the different parts assembled, the container being closed. - [Fig.4] is a front view of another example of a flexible envelope design, with a cylindrical shape and a handle. - [Fig.5] shows a perspective view of a container filled and closed with the flexible envelope of [Fig.4] and including, as a closure system, a Twist-Off type screw lid. - [Fig.6] illustrates a schematic front view of the container of [Fig.5] for which the Twist-Off lid has been changed to a closure system with a closable pouring spout. - [Fig.7] corresponds to the container of figures 5 and 6 out of use and in its compact state, the flexible envelope remaining fixed to the outside of the crown by its upper end while being gathered on itself for the rest of its body and stored inside the crown. - [Fig.8] is a plunging perspective view of an example embodiment of the rigid crown of the container of the invention. - [Fig.9] shows a side view of a stack of another example of crowns for containers of the invention.

[0025] The container 1 of the invention illustrated in figures 1 to 3 or 5 to 7 is intended to be used to contain solid bulk products, in particular foodstuffs.

[0026] Container 1 is portable. It is intended, in particular, for consumers wishing to purchase bulk food products dispensed from hoppers in stores. Container 1 therefore has dimensions adapted in volume for its intended use, for example, to hold a quantity from 40 cl to 2 liters. Container 1 has an opening whose diameter is advantageously that of standard jars with lids of 82 mm or 100 mm.

[0027] The container 1 comprises at least one flexible sleeve 2 which serves as a container by acting as a filling pouch, and a rigid crown 3 to which the flexible sleeve 2 is attached. The crown 3 is closable opposite the sleeve 2. Preferably, the container 1 also comprises a closure system 4 that cooperates with the crown 3 to close the crown and consequently close the sleeve 2, particularly when it is filled.

[0028] The container 1 is designed to have two states: an expanded state for use, namely for filling, as shown in Figures 1 to 6, and a compact state when not in use, as shown in [Fig. 7], for storage or transport. [Fig. 7] shows a non-limiting example of storing the flexible sleeve 2 around and inside the rigid ring 3 of the container. Thanks to its flexible sleeve 2, the container 1 of the invention occupies the least possible volume when not in use. Furthermore, thanks to the rigid ring 3, the container 1 can be handled safely for filling or even after filling, without having to support the flexible sleeve by its base. Moreover, the cross-section of the ring 3 has dimensions adapted so that a user can grasp the ring (with one hand).

[0029] The envelope 2 (figures 1 and 4) comprises a body 20 and a single opening 21 at one of the distal ends of the body 20. The opening 21 is arranged opposite the crown 3.

[0030] Since envelope 2 is flexible, it can be crumpled and gathered into itself, or folded, or rolled, or even simply left flat. Flexible envelope 2 is reusable. It is preferably made of fabric.

[0031] The casing 2 can have various shapes and be of different designs. For example, the casing 2 has a body 20 that flares out towards the opposite side of the crown 3, as shown in Figures 1 to 3. It is, for example, made of two sections of flexible material, which are joined on three sides. Alternatively ([Fig. 4]), the body 20 of the casing 2 can include a base 22 and a band 23 of A flexible material is attached to the perimeter of the base 22 and forms the body wall. The base 22 can be disc-shaped or have another geometry, such as a polygon. The body 20 can be cylindrical. Alternatively, the body 20 can be frustoconical, with the base 22 corresponding to the base with the largest surface area (the body wall converges towards the crown 3). The advantage of a shape with a base 22 extending across the surface (and not as a simple fold line) is that, after filling, the container stands upright on its own, as shown in [Fig. 5].

[0032] The casing 2 is removable from the crown 3. The casing 2 has a fastening system 5 suitable for securing it to the crown 3. The fastening system 5 is arranged at the upper end of the casing body 20 around its opening 21. The fastening system 5 illustrated here by way of non-limiting example is a clamping system. This clamping fastening system 5 has the advantage that if the casing is disassembled from the crown 3, the casing 2 can be closed quickly and easily. The fastening system 5 with a drawstring includes a drawstring 50 which is arranged around the entire periphery of the body 20 and of which two ends 51 and 52 remain free to be pulled and / or knotted in order to tighten the drawstring 50. Preferably, the fastening system 5 with a drawstring further includes a stopper element 53 to keep the drawstring 50 tight. The fastening system 5 could simply be a shoelace.

[0033] The container 2 may include a handle 23. The handle 23 is preferably flexible and made of the same material as the container body 20. Preferably, the handle 23 is integral with the base 22 (its outer face). Advantageously, it facilitates gripping the container 2 from its lower end when tilting the container to transfer bulk material from container 1 into another container. Preferably, the handle is centrally located relative to the base 22, making it suitable for both right- and left-handed users.

[0034] The rigid crown 3 is made of plastic. Preferably, it is made of bio-based plastic.

[0035] The ring 3, also visible in detail in [Fig. 8], has a rigid, cylindrical body 30 and is open on its two opposite faces or bases 31 (upper face) and 32 (lower face). The ring has a height, for example, of approximately 35 mm. The empty container 1 is therefore compact and very small, the ring 3 being less than five centimeters high and the flexible sleeve 2 being foldable and even able to be rolled up inside the ring.

[0036] The crown 3 advantageously includes a mutual cooperation zone 33 for attaching the casing 2. The mutual cooperation zone 33 is located in the lower part of the crown (in the container's position of use). In the example presented, this mutual cooperation zone 33 includes a branch 34 intended to cooperate with the clamping link 50 of the envelope 2.

[0037] The crown 3 also advantageously includes a mutual cooperation zone 35 with the closure system 4. The mutual cooperation zone 35 is located in the upper part of the crown (in the container's operating position). The mutual cooperation zones for securing the casing 2 and for retaining the closure system 4 35 are respectively arranged around the two opposite open faces 31 and 32 of the crown 3. Preferably, the mutual cooperation zone 35 with the closure system 4 includes a thread 36.

[0038] The crown 3 may include a marker relating to the weight of the crown with the closure system 4 (in particular of the Twist-off lid type) and the flexible sleeve 2 to facilitate taking into account the tare weight of the container in the store. The marker is, for example, a numerical indication.

[0039] The ring 3 shown in [Fig. 8] has a uniform cross-section over its entire height (from the upper face 31 to the lower face 32). Alternatively, the ring 3 may have a different cross-section between face 31 and the opposite face 32, as illustrated in [Fig. 9] showing a stack of several rings 3A, 3B, and 3C. The rings 3A to 3C in [Fig. 9] each have a cross-section at the upper face 31 and the mutual cooperation zone 35 with a closure system, which is smaller than the cross-section of the lower face 32 at the mutual cooperation zone 33 for attachment to a casing. Thus, when there are several rings 3A to 3C for containers, they are easily stacked by interlocking, as seen in [Fig. 9].[9], the mutual cooperation zone 33 for attachment with an upper ring envelope 3A being stacked on top of the mutual cooperation zone 35 with a lower ring closure system 3B. The flexible envelopes 2 are not shown in [Fig. 9], but the stacking of the containers 1 could be quite similar to that of [Fig. 9] if the envelopes 2 were attached to the rings 3A to 3C because the envelopes 2 are flexible. This saves space and allows several containers 1 to be easily grouped and stored when not in use.

[0040] The closure system 4 can be of various types. In particular, the closure system 4 is a screw-on lid 40, and more specifically a twist-off type screw-on lid 40. A twist-off lid has the advantage of being extremely common commercially, easily recovered from commercially purchased jars or pots (such as jam or condiment jars or other jarred food products); before discarding the jar, the lid is recycled by the user by using it to close the ring 3. In addition, a twist-off lid includes a sealing gasket on the inner face of the lid which helps to better preserve the food, which will allow for better preservation if the bulk food from container 1 is not transferred quickly.

[0041] As an alternative closure system 4, ideally in addition to and for interchangeability with the screw-on cover 40 (Figures 6 and 7), a closure piece 41 is used, which is fixed to the ring 3 and includes a closable orifice. Preferably, the closure piece 41 is screw-fixed when the mutual cooperation zone 35 is screw-fixed (includes a screw thread).

[0042] Preferably, the closure piece 41 has a funnel-shaped form with a dispensing orifice 42, which helps to pour the bulk contents from the container 1. Alternatively, or in addition to the funnel shape, the closure piece 41, regardless of its shape, has a spout-like orifice. The dispensing orifice 42 is closable. For example, the dispensing orifice 42 has a threaded end 43 and is closable by a screw cap 44. The threaded orifice 42 is preferably sized to fit standard 48 mm twist-off screw caps (which can thus be recycled from commercial bottles such as juice bottles that have this type and size of cap).

[0043] The use of the container 1 of the invention is as follows. The user goes to the store with the container 1, for which the sleeve 2 has been attached to the ring 3, which has been closed with the flat lid 40. During transport, the container 1 takes up very little space since the sleeve 2 is flat or folded. At the store, the container 1 (with the lid 40 and the sleeve 2) is weighed empty. At the store, it is simply a matter of opening the lid 40, positioning and holding the rigid ring 3 with one hand under a dispensing hopper, and operating the hopper's dispensing mechanism with the other hand to fill the sleeve. Once the desired quantity is reached, the user, who still holds the rigid ring 3, easily carries the filled container 1 and simply closes it with the lid 40. Upon arriving home, the user can either store the container 1 directly or transfer it entirely, depending on the nature of the products.When the user needs to partially or completely empty container 1, they can change the closure system, replacing the flat lid 40 with the pouring lid 41. Once container 1 is empty, the user can easily store it in a drawer, either without the closure system 4 on the ring 3 or with the flat lid 40, until the next shopping trip. Furthermore, the outer casing 2 can be removed from the ring 3 and washed. The ring 3 and the closure system 4 can also be washed.

Claims

Demands

1. Container (1) for bulk product, in particular for solid bulk products and more particularly for solid bulk foodstuffs, comprising a reusable flexible envelope (2) with a filling function, which has an opening (21) and a flat bottom (22), and a rigid ring (3) on which the flexible envelope (2) is intended to be removably fixed, the ring (3) having two opposite open faces (31, 32) of which one of the faces (32) is opposite the opening (21) of the envelope while the other face (31) is closable, characterized in that the envelope (2) has externally a handle (23) which is flexible and which is arranged on the external face of the flat bottom (22).

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the envelope (2) is removably fixed to the crown (3) via a clamping system and / or an elastic system and / or snap fasteners and / or by clipping.

3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the crown (3) has a mutual cooperation zone (33) for fixing the casing (2), in particular a groove (34) with which a clamping link (50) integral with the casing (2) is intended to cooperate by engagement.

4. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the crown (3) has a mutual cooperation zone (35) with a closure system (4), preferably the mutual cooperation zone (35) has a screw thread.

5. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a closure system (4) cooperating with the closable face (31) of the crown (3) opposite the envelope, preferably the closure system (4) is screw-on.

6. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that the closure system (4) is a screw lid (40), preferably a Twist-off type lid, in particular a recycled Twist-off lid.

7. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that the closure system (4) is a closure piece (41) comprising a closable orifice (42), preferably a closable orifice with a screw thread, in particular closable by a screw cap of the Twist-off type.

8. Container according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the The closing piece (41) has a funnel-like shape and / or the orifice (42) has a spout-like function.

9. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ring (3) has a cross-section at one of its open faces, which is smaller than the cross-section of the other open face, in particular the closable face (31) has a cross-section smaller than the face (32) intended to cooperate with the envelope (2) so as to allow stacking by interlocking.

10. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the crown (3) has a locating element (R) which is related to the weight of the container (1) comprising the crown (3), the envelope (2) and a closure system (4) such as a Twist-off lid (40).

11. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reusable flexible cover is made of fabric.

12. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the envelope (2) has a body of cylindrical or frustoconical shape.

13. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the envelope (2) has a transparent or translucent window or is made entirely of a transparent or translucent material.

14. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle (23) is central with respect to the base (22).

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