WO1985003687A1

WO1985003687A1 - A distribution package

Info

Publication number: WO1985003687A1
Application number: PCT/SE1985/000075
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karl Rune Persson
Original assignee: DUNI BILA^o AB
Priority date: 1984-02-14
Filing date: 1985-02-14
Publication date: 1985-08-29
Also published as: ES295657Y; ES295657U; DK465985D0; DK465985A; NO854067L; SE8400794L; EP0202230A1; SE8400794D0; AU3991785A

Abstract

Distribution package comprising a tray (1) of a resilient, flexible material such as carton or plastic having a bottom (3) and at least two side walls (4; 19) folded upwards from the bottom (3) and a lid (2) which is closing the opening of the tray (1) and said lid is attachable at the upper edge of the tray. The erected side walls (4; 19) are fixed in their erected condition by aid of the lid (2) fixable over the opening of the tray (1), said lid (2) is lockable in its put-on position by the fact that at least two side walls (4; 19) each are elongated with at least one edge flap (5) extending through slits or slots (6) provided at the periphery of the lid (2). The lid (2) is attached against the tray (1) by aid of locking tongues (7) formed on the edge flaps (5) and the lid (2) serves to keep the side walls (4) of the tray (1) in their erected position after that the tray has been removed from a cassette, used during the time the tray is filled with its contents. After removing of the lid (2) the side walls (4, 19) of the tray are bringing outwards owing to the qualities of the material in providing a better accessibility of the contents of the package.

Description

A distribution package

The present invention relates to a distribution package, especially intended to be used for food and including a tray of a resilent, flexible material such as carton or plastic, and having a bottom and at least two side walls folded upwards from the. bottom, there also being included a lid for closing the opening of the tray and fastenable to the upper edge of the tray.

The object of the present invention is to provide a package which can be used for both distributing and serving preferably ready-prepared food. At the place where its contents are to be consumed, the food in the package may be readily accessible, since the side walls of the tray are not locked to each other, and they automatically begin to open outwards after removing the lid. Furthermore, after further downward movement, the tray readily takes the shape of a plate. The lid, which is placed over the opening of the erected tray, is kept in place by especially locking means, which can easily be activated for locking or unlocking it. The lid keeps the tray in its erected condition and locking it on the tray is the necessary handling- and transport security as long as it is in place, while after removing of the lid, the tray can very easily be formed to the shape of a plate, for better accessibility of the contents of the package. One field of use particularly suited to the invented package, precisely because of these properties, is for serving ready-prepared food at street fast food shops. It is thus important that the tray takes up the least possible space on the occasions of storing, filling and serving while it optimally suits the purpose on each of these occasions, as well as when it is being used. Since the side walls of the tray are not brought into their erected position until the packaging event, which takes place after the tray has been eased into a form having a configuration corresponding to the outer shape of the erected tray and thereafter is fixed in the erected position with the aid of the lid, the tray requires very small space before use. If a lid is used having an erected edge flange extending around the periphery of the lid, this flange is formed sloping so that the lids can be stacked one inside the other. A package is intended to be filled with its contents when the tray is in its erected position in the form, and the tray is not removed from the form until the lid is fastened over the opening of the tray with the locking tongues extending from the side walls. Owing to the resilient properties of the tray material, its side walls are, as mentioned above, automatically urged outwards/downwards after removing of the lid, so that the tray can be used as a plate. The invention is substantially distinguished in that, the upstanding side walls are fixed in their erected position solely with the aid of the lid and locking means for retaining the lid in its position over the opening of the tray, consisting of extensions from at least two side walls, said extensions being direct continuations of the respective wall, and intended to form at least one edge flap on the respective side wall, said edge flaps extending in the height direction of the tray and passing through slits or slots made in the surface of the lid, and said edge flaps also having end portions formed as locking tongues for retaining the lid on the tray, the side walls swinging outwards/downwards after removing the lid, owing to the resilient properties of the material, with the tray then assuming the general appearance of a plate or dish, to provide better accessibility of the contents of the package.

The invention will now be described in detail while referring to the accompanying drawings, on which Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a package in accordance with the invention, shown with the tray in its erected condition and with a lid placed on it. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lid illustrated in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank for the package shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of the package according to the invention, also illustrated with the tray in its erected condition, where it is kept erect by the mechanically fastened lid.

Fig. 5 is a schematically perspective view of a lid used in Fig. 4 for closing the package and fixing the side walls of the tray.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blank for the tray shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a third embodiment of the package according to the invention, illustrated with the tray in its erected condition and having a lid locked thereon. Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a lid for closing the tray illustrated in Fig. 7, Fig. 9 illustrates a plan view of a blank for the tray shown in Fig. 7, Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a package according to the invention, with the tray illustrated in its erected condition, where it is fixed and closed by a lid of the type illustrated in Fig. 5, Fig. 11 is a plan view of a blank for the tray shown in

Fig. 10, Fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a package according to the invention, the tray of which is illustrated in its erected condition where it is fixed and closed by a lid of the type illustrated in Fig. 8

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a blank for the tray shown in Fig. 12, Fig. 14 is a schematic perspective view of a sixth embodiment of a package according to the present invention, illustrated with the tray in its erected condition, where it is fixed by a flat lid,

Fig. 15 is a plan view of the lid illustrated in Fig. 14, Fig. 16 is a plan view of a blank for the tray shown in Fig. 14,

Fig. 17 is a schematic perspective view of a seventh embodiment of a package according to the present invention, illustrated with the tray in its erected condition, where it is fixed and closed by a lid,

Fig. 18 is a plan view of the lid illustrated in Fig. 17,

Fig. 19 is a plan view of a blank for the tray shown in Fig. 17,

Fig. 20 is a schematic perspective view of an eighth embodiment of a package according to the present invention, illustrated with the tray in its erected condition, where it is fixed and closed by a lid of the type illustrated in Fig. 5, but having the slots 6 discontinuous, i.e. the middle portion of each slot 6 is uncut, and

Fig. 21 is a plan view of a blank for the package illustrated in Fig. 20.

The package illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a tray 1, manufactured preferably of a resilient, flexible material, for example carton or plastic, having a bottom 3 and two pairs of opposing side walls 4 foldable upwards from the bottom 3. The tray 1 is erected from a blank 8 (Fig. 3) having bottom score lines 35 and score lines 10 and 11 in each corner structure 9. The score lines 10 and 11 divide the corner structure 9 into areas 15, which are connected to neighbouring side walls 4. The blank 8 has cutouts 36, situated in the region of the juncture between opposing walls 4 and flaps 5, which are extensions of the walls, and as can be seen in Fig. 1 these cutouts form openings 26 in the erected and assembled state of the package. Each edge flap 5 is inserted into slots 6 in the lid after that the blank 8 has been erected using a forming tool, not illustrated in the drawings and mainly corresponding to the outer configuration of the tray 1. When erecting the blank 8 the triangular areas 15 are arranged to be folded inwards to lie against each other and the insides of two opposing side walls 4, and said side walls 4, having the edge flaps 5, are kept in their erected position after positioning the lid 2 and oversnap of a pair of locking tongues 7 at curves 29 of the lid 2. The respective side walls 4 have a tendency to move outwards, owing to the resilient properties of the carton material, and are thus urged against the outer edges of the slots 6 including recesses 28 in the lid 2. The edge flaps 5 have a horizontal extension which is more than that of the slots 6 with a length of a locking tongue 7 and the straight length of the slots 6 mainly corresponds to the extension of the edge flaps 5 between the bottom of the recesses 26.

The embodiment of the package illustrated in Fig. 4 includes a tray, the blank for which is illustrated in Fig. 6. The tray has four side walls 4, which are connected to a corner structure 9 consisting of four areas the score line 14 of the two inner adjacent areas 17 continues into two deflected score lines 30 having the same length, and substantially in register with the outer score line 31 of the bottom 3, the ends of the lines 30 being connected to each other by a score line 32. On erecting the tray, an upwardly sloping triangle 18 is thus formed at the corner portion of the tray 1, the score line 32 being the base of the triangle, and where the areas 16, 17, constituting the corner edge of the tray, lie tightly against the inside of the side walls 4. This corner structure also results in that the side walls 4 open outwards more easily than usual when the lid is removed. Another advantage of the. corner structure is that the so-called acute action sometimes obtained in connection with using electronic oven heating is avoided to a certain extent. The tray 1 illustrated in Fig. 4 has only two side walls 4 extended by edge flaps 5, and the locking tongues 7 of said edge flaps 5 consist of downwardly directed flaps, formed by slits 33 punched in the longitudinal direction of the edge flap 5 and slightly outwards of the junction region between wall 4 and flap 5 of the tray 1. When the tray blank 20 has been erected in the form, not illustrated in the drawings, and the lid 2 has been placed over the opening of the tray 1, with flaps 5 in their slots 6, the locking tongues 7 are pressed outwards to lie against an edge flange 34 extending around the periphery of the lid 2.

As can be seen from Fig. 5, the edge flange 34 extending round the periphery of the lid 2 is integral and defines one edge of the slots 6 at a pair of its opposing sides.

In Fig. 6 it is illustrated how in the corner structure 9 the areas 16, 17 as well as the score lines 12, 13, 14 30, 32 and 31 are located as to each other.

The package illustrated in Fig. 7 differs from the one illustrated in Fig. 4 in that all side walls 4 are provided with edge flaps 5, of which at least two are provided with locking tongues 7 for fastening a lid 2 placed over the opening of the tray. A lid 2 which is preferably used for this package is illustrated in Fig. 8, said lid being provided with two pairs of opposing slots 6 for cooperation with the edge flaps 5, and four separate, free edge flanges 36, which are not connected to each other in the corner portions. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a blank 21 which can be formed into the tray 1 illustrated in Fig. 7. The blank 21 corresponds to the blank 20 illustrated in Fig. 6, except that the blank 21 also is provided with two edge flaps 5 without locking tongues.

The package illustrated in Fig. 10 is the same as the packages illustrated in Fig. 4 and 7 except for the formation of the edge flaps 5. In this case the two opposing side walls are extended with an edge flap 5 having locking tongues 7, defined by cutouts 26 in the end portions of the edge flaps 5, the tongues functioning similarly to those illustrated in Fig. 1. The cutouts 26 are situated in the region of the juncture between flaps 5 and side walls 4 of the tray 1, and the locking tongues 7 are provided to fasten a lid 2 placed on the tray 1 and over the edge flaps 5 by bending the locking tongues 7 outwards or inwards. Fig. 11 illustrates a plan view of a blank 22 for the tray 2 illustrated in Fig. 10. The lid 2, used for this package, can be of the type illustrated in Fig. 5.

The package illustrated in Fig. 12 is of the type illustrated in Fig. 10, but the side walls 4 of this package all have extensions forming edge flaps 5 for cooperation with a lid 2 of the type illustrated in Fig. 8. Fig. 13 illustrates a blank 23 from which the tray 1 illustrated in Fig. 12 is erected.

The package illustrated in Fig. 14 has a tray 1, with its blank 24 illustrated in Fig. 16. The tray is provided with four side walls 4, between which there are corner portions 19, which with the aid of a corner. structure including two pairs of essentially triangular areas 40 are connected to neighbouring side walls 4. To form the tray, areas 40 are arranged to be folded inwards to lie against each other, and each corner portion 19 is extended with an edge flap 5 provided to cooperate with slots 6 situated in a flat lid 2. The end portions of the edge flaps 5 form locking tongues 7, having openings 26 for fastening the lid 2 after placing it over the edge flaps 5. From Fig. 16 it may be seen how the cutouts 37 are formed and are situated, said slots 37 constituting the openings 26 in the end portions of the tongues 7. Fastening takes place by the resiliency of the folded portions 19 and 40 urging their corners into recesses 27 provided in the slots 6 of the lid 2. This resilient action outwards happens when the tray 1 is removed from the form. From Fig. 15 can better be seen how the lid 2 is implemented with the recesses 27 in the slots 6.

The package illustrated in Fig. 17 with a blank 25 for the tray 1 thereof illustrated in Fig. 19, corresponds to the package illustrated in Fig. 14 except for the openings 26, which consist of slits 37 in the blank for providing locking tongues 7. These tongues are arranged to fasten the lid over the opening of the package by being bent outwards after placing the lid 2, illustrated in Fig. 18, over the erected tray 1. Fig. 18 illustrates a lid 2 having slits 6 for cooperating with the locking tongues 7 of edge flaps 5 as illustrated in Fig. 17.

The side walls 4 in all illustrated embodiments are connected to each other by corner structures comprising score lines 10, 11; 38, 39; 12, 13, 14, 42-44, divided areas 15; 40; 16-18, 45, 46, said areas being connected to adjacent side walls 4 and the corner portions 19, and said score lines and areas extend integral from the corner portions of the tray 1 and have a length mainly corresponing to the side wall height to provide tight corner portions in the erected tray 1.

Another embodiment of the package according to the invention is illustrated in Fig. 20, with a blank 41 for the tray 1 thereof illustrated in Fig. 21. The tray 1 has four side walls 4, and is erected from the carton blank 41, which has bottom score lines 35 and score lines 42, 43, 44 in the corner structures, said score lines divide the corner structure 9 into areas 45 and 46, which in turn are connected to neighbouring side walls 4. The blank 41 also has two opposing side walls 4, which are extended with edge flaps 5 having a centrally situated recess 47, so that each wall each is provided with two edge flaps 5. By a slit 48, of substantially U-shape in the blank 41, and symmetrically situated on each side of the interseding score line 44 near i.ts uppermost portion, there is provided outwardly or inwardly bendable locking tongues 50 around a score line 49, similar to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 10, so that a lid 2 can be fixed over the tray 1.

When erecting the blank 41 the triangular areas 45 and 46 are folded outwards to lie against each other and against the outside of the two opposing side walls 4. They are kept in this position either by the lid 2, or if the lid 2 is intended to be put on at a later date, by bending the locking tongues 50 outwards so that their lower tongue portion 52 snaps over the upper edge of the corner area 45 and so that the edge 51 extends a short distance into the slit 48. This temporary locking of the corner areas 45 and 46 in .the erected condition of the tray 1 can easily be released by bending the locking tongues 50 inwards again, so that the tongue portion on the locking tongues 50 is again allowed to snap over the upper edge 51 of the corner area 45.

Claims

1. A distribution package including a tray

(1) of a resilent, flexible material such as carton or plastic having a bottom (3) and at least four side walls (4; 19) folded upwards from the bottom (3) , and a lid (2) for closing the opening of the tray (1) and fastenable at the upper edge of the tray with the aid of at least two locking means (5) extending from the opening of the tray (1) , said lid (2) in its position on the tray being adapted to retain the side walls (4; 19) in their erected position, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the locking means, for retaining the lid (2) in its position over the opening of the tray (1) , consist of extensions from at least two side walls (4; 19) of the tray, said extensions being direct continuations of the respective wall and intended to form at least one edge flap (5) on the respective side walls (4; 19), said edge flaps (5) extending in the height direction of the tray a distance greater than double than material thickness of the lid (2), and passing through slits or slots (6) made close to the periphery of the lid (2) and fastened in said slits of slots with the aid of locking tongues (7) , so that after removing the lid (2) the side walls (4:19) of the tray (1) automatically open outwards in a way known per se, owing to the resilent properties of the material, to assume the shape of a plate for providing better accessibility to the contents of the package.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e ri z e d i n that the side walls (4; 19) are connected to each other by a corner structure (9) consisting of areas (15;16-18;40,45,46) divided by score lines (10 , 11; 12-14 , 30; 38,39,42-44), said areas being connected to adjacent side walls (4; 19) and said score lines and areas extending integral from the corner portions of the tray (1) and having a length mainly corresponding to the side wall height for providing tight corner portions of the erected tray (1) .

3. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that for the erection of the tray (1) the areas (45; 46) are arranged for folding outwards to lie against the outside of two opposing side walls (4) said areas (45; 46) being temporarily fixable against the outside of the side walls (4) , before fastening the lid (2) , by bending the locking tongues (50) the edge flaps (5) outwards, said locking tongues (50) having a lower tongue portion (52) which is snappable over the upper edge (51) of one of the corner areas (45) , so that the upper edge (51) of the corner area (45) extends into a slit (48) situated beneath the locking tongues (50) and is retained in said slit by the tongue portion (52).

4. A package as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e ri z e d i n that at least two side walls (4) , between which there is a corner portion (19) having two essentially triangular areas (40) , are connected to neighbouring side walls (4) for the erection of the blank (24; 25) forming the tray (1) said areas being arranged to be folded inwards to lie against each other and said corner portion (19) , the triangular areas (40) adjacent to said corner portion being extended a distance forming an edge flap (5) to cooperate with the slots (6) provided in the lid (2) , the locking tongues (7) of the edge flaps (5) and recesses or openings

(26) in the end portions of the edge flaps (5) in the region of the upper edge of the tray (1) fasten the lid (2) after placing the lid over the tray, by spring action outwards of the side walls (4) or corner portions (19) into recesses (28) in the slots (6) .

5. A package as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e ri z e d i n that the tray (1) comprises two opposing side walls (4) having edge flaps (5) formed by extensions of the walls, said edge flaps (5) having a horizontal extension length, which preferably exceeds by the length of a locking tongue (7) the length of each of two opposing slots (6) , provided along two edge portions of the lid (2) , said slots (6) , at least at the region of one of their end portions, have a curved portion (29) , so that when placing the lid (2) on the tray (1) after one pair of opposing locking tongues (7) have been brought to lie against the upper side of the. lid (2) at the other end portions of the slots (6) , the other pair of opposing locking tongues (7) snap inwards a short distance over the upper side of the lid (2) to keep it in position over the opening of the tray (1) after said opposing pair of locking tongues (7) have been inserted through the curved portion (29).

6. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the corner structure (9) of the tray (1) consists of four areas (16,17) divided by score lines (12,13,14) of which the score line (14) of the two inner neighbouring areas (17) continues a short distance over and above the bottom (3) of the tray (1) in two deflected score lines (30) having the same length, and substantially in register with the outer score line (31) at the bottom (3) , the ends of the lines (30) being connected to each other by a connecting score line ( 32) . An upwardly sloping triangle (18) at the corner portion of the tray (1) thus being formed on erecting the blank (20) , the score line (32) being the base of the triangle, and where the areas (16,17), forming the corner edge of the tray (1) , lie tightly against the inside of the side walls (4) .

7. A package as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e ri z e d i n that at least two side walls (4) are extended with an edge flap (5) , on which edge flap (5) the locking tongues (7) consist of downwardly directed locking tongues formed by slits (33) punched in the longitudinal direction of the edge flap (5) and at a short distance over the upper edge of the tray (1) , said locking tongues being arranged for being bent outwards to lie against an edge flange (34,36) extending around the periphery of the lid (2).

8. A package as claimed in claim 7, c h a r a c t e ri z e d i n that two opposing side walls (4) are extended with edge flaps (5) having locking tongues, and that the other two opposing side walls (4) are extended with edge flaps with out locking tongues (7) , so that a lid (2) retaining the side walls (4) in their erected position, is provided with two pairs of opposing slits or slots (6) for cooperation with the edge flaps (5) and four free edge flaps (36) contiguous the slits or slots (6) .

9. A package as claimed in claim 7, c h a r a c t e ri z e d i n that two opposing side walls (4) are extended with edge flaps (5) having locking tongues, said edge flaps being arranged to cooperate with two opposing slits or slots (6) formed in the lid (2), said lid (2) including an edge flange (34) extending continuously round the periphery of the lid, directed downwards and contignous to the slits or slots (6) .

10. A package as claimed in any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that at least two side walls (4) are extended with an edge flap (5) having locking tongues (7) delimited by openings (26) in the end portions of the edge flaps (5) in the region at the upper edge of the tray (1) , said locking tongues (7) , when bent inwards or outwards, fastening a lid (2) placed on the tray (1) and over the edge flaps (5).