GB2155438A - Transparent container for packaging - Google Patents

Abstract

A container is made from a blank comprising a board sheet section 10 and a transparent plastics sheet section 34 secured together. The top panel 36 is transparent and unobstructed by board. The base panel 12 and at least one of the side walls 14,16 are of board. The end walls are constituted by extensions 12a,14b,16a,16b of the side walls 14,16 and/or the base panel 12 and by extensions 47,48 of the top panel 36. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container for packaging This invention relates to the packaging of products and is particularly concerned with the provision of containers. Such containers, at some stage in their manufacture, are first made by producing blanks so that after erection, the blank form produces the container.

The containers to which this invention relates are for holding any of a wide variety of products which are normally displayed, and sold, over the counter of retail stores. Such products may include food, clothing, hardware items, cosmetics, and stationery items such as pens, pencils, and other items of drafting material. The use of containers made from two parts, namely a body and a lid, is well known, and in some cases the body is made from board and the lid made from a clear plastic material such as poly vinyl chloride (PVC). The object of the presentation of products in such containers is to enable them to be displayed without them having to be removed from the container. In a similar arrangement, there is provided both halves of the container also known as a body and lid, both portions being made from PVC or other plastics material.In such cases, it is necessary to manufacture both the body and the lid and deliver it in its erected form.

This arrangement is somewhat costly in terms of the material use for its manufacture, and the fact that it must be delivered in its made-up, erected form, thus taking up valuable space during transport and storage at both the manufactuer's end and the user's warehouse. For the most part such containers are required to expose the contents of the package through the top panel only. Where additional visibility can be obtained when on a display shelf, the product within the container can rarely be seen through more than the top and the front panel, the other transparent panels being of little worth in displaying the product.

This invention aims to provide a container in which goods may be contained, which provides the facility to expose the goods contained within the container through either the top, or top and front panels, whilst at the same time creating a container which will be cheaper to produce and be capable of being delivered in a flat state, ready for erection by the final user of the container.

According to this invention, the container for containing goods comprises a board sheet section, and a transparent sheet section which, at one stage of construction, are secured together so as to form a composite blank whose periphery is defined partly by the board periphery and partly by the plastics sheet periphery, the composite blank having fold lines upon both materials which enable the composite blank to be folded to define the container. The composite blank is constructed using the plastics sheet section which extends the whole length of the container. This component is secured to the board component along two seams which extend for the length of the container, one of which is used to initially attach the plastics sheet section to the board section.The second seam is attached to the opposite side of the board section to form a flattened tube which, when folded through 90 , forms the basis of the container.

Thus the invention provides a container having a top panel, a base panel, two side walls, and two end walls, the container being made from a blank comprising a board sheet section and a transparent plastics sheet section secured together, the periphery of the blank being defined partly by the board sheet section periphery and partly by the plastics sheet section periphery, the top panel being transparent and unobstructed by board, the base panel and at least one of the side walls being of board, and the end walls being constituted by extensions of the side walls and/or the base panel and by extensions of the top panel.

In a preferred embodiment the extensions of the top panel have tuck in flaps arranged to fit frictionally or to lock in the ends of the container. Other methods of end closure could be used instead, such as a so- called crash lock end or envelope style end.

In the case where the composite blank is to produce a container with a transparent lid section only, the board section of the composite blank has panels which define the side walls and base and end panels of the finished container. In this form the lid and end walls which cover the board end walls may be defined in the plastics sheet section by suitable creasing. Where the container is required to expose the contents through one long side wall, the lid section of the plastics sheet section is extended to form one long side wall of the container.

In one preferred arrangement, the board section defines the base panel, front and rear side walls, and end walls (and preferably, corner tabs providing rigidity) of the container, whilst the plastics sheet section defines the top panel, end cover panels, and tuck in flaps (one or more at each end) which are secured through slots at the bottom edges or creases of the board end walls of the container.

The goods for which the container is designed are loaded through the ends prior to closing the board end flaps, which are then subsequently covered by the transparent end panels, the closure being made with the transparent tuck in flaps fitting with a friction or lock fit onto the base of the container. In this arrangement therefore, advertising matter may be carried around the periphery of all four sides of the container in an uninterrupted view. Additional advertising copy may be placed of course on the base of the container, giving additional information.

it is assumed that the composite blanks will be glued and folded on automatic machines, in order to arrive at the composite blank. In that event, it is necessary to ensure that the plastics sheet section is sufficiently rigid to ensure handling on fast, automatic, converting machinery. It has been established that in order to meet this requirement, PVC sheet must be of a thickness of about 150 to about 250 microns. Creases in the PVC sheet may be de fined by grooves of approximately 50 microns in order to ensure easy folding, both during manufacture and subsequent erection. The joints between the board section and the plastic sheet section can be made by means of adhesive applied automatically on automatic gluing machines.

The containers according to this invention use a minimum amount of plastics sheet, whilst providing a large transparent area for the maximum display of product. As the main part of the construction is in board, substantial cost savings are inherent compared with two piece containers which require a greater use of plastics material.

The use of board also means that conventional printing machinery can be used to convey advertising messages on the container. The composite blanks may be made by bring together a board blank and a plastic sheet blank, and gluing and pressing these two blanks together along an overlapping edge or edges to provide the composite blanks. The composite blank can then be handled as if it were an all board blank, and because of this, the blanks may be glued on high speed, conventional, carton gluing machinery.

It is necessary to produce creases, or fold lines, in the composite blank which comprises both the board sheet and the plastics sheet.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of a composite blank for producing a container according to the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank illustrated in Figure 1, after subsequent stages in the erection; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the container constructed from the composite blank shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a container constructed from a composite blank which is similar to the blanks shown in Figures 1 to 3 but which uses slightly more plastics material in order to create an additional transparent side wall on the front of the container; Figure 5 is a plan view of a composite blank for producing a container according to another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the container constructed from the blank shown in Figure 5.

Of the composite blanks shown in the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the board section of each blank is of conventional carton board, having a smooth finish surface on one side and an unlined surface on the other. In each of Figures 1, 2, and 5, the smooth lined surface of the board faces downwards, whilst the unlined side is visible. The plastic sheet section in each embodiment is of clear PVC, having a thickness of between 150 and 250 microns. Each of the embodiments illustrated in the drawings show the board section and the plastics section being adhered to each other with an adhesive.

Referring now in detail to the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1,2, and 3, the board section 10, comprises a base panel 12, of rectangular form, to the longer sides which are hinged side panels 14 and 16, the hinge lines being indicated at 18 and 20, and to the shorter sides of which are hinged end panels 12a and 12b, at hinge lines 61 and 62.

Each of the side panels 14 and 16 is provided with corner tabs 14a,14b and 16a,16,b, for tucking in to enhance rigidity.

The PVC sheet section 34 comprises a die cut, rectangular shaped top panel 36, of a size essentially the same as the base panel 12 of the board section, and this top panel 36 is defined by a pair of crease or fold lines 38 and 40, which are formed by suitable machinery and defined in the plastics sheet section between the top panel 36 and two glue strip regions 42 and 44. End panels 47 and 48 abut the panel 36, being hinged at crease lines 49 and 50. Tuck in flaps 51 and 52, being extensions of the panels 47 and 48, are hinged at crease lines 53 and 54 and, when the container is erected, they secure the end panels 47 and 48 by engaging into a slot or slots along crease lines 61 and 62, thereby forming a locking device or friction fit. The container, when in the process of being erected, will have the end panels 12a and 12b in position behind the transparent panels 47 and 48.

The strip 44 is glued to the inside surface of the side panel 16 by overlapping it. The glue used to make this joint may be applied either to the side panel 16 or to the glue strip 44, or to both. The two sections 10 (board) and 34 (plastics sheet) together make up a composite blank shown in Figure 1, and the periphery of this blank, it will be seen, is defined partly by the periphery of the board section 10 snd partly by the periphery of the plastics section 34. In order to erect the composite blank of Figure 1 into a container such as illustrated in Figure 3, first of all, the top panel 36 is hinged about the hinge line 40 in the plastics section 34, until the top panel 36 lies on top of the base panel 12.Next, the machinery folds over the side panel 14 of the board, after the glue has been applied to the inside of the panel 14 or to the glue strip 42, until the position illustrated in Figure 2 is reached. In order to reach the three dimensional form shown in Figure 3, from the flattened form shown in Figure 2 it is simply a matter of erecting the side walls 14, 16, 12a, and 12b, and corner tabs 14a,14b, 16a, and 16b, folding down the end panels 47 and 48, and finally tucking in the flaps 51 and 52 into the slot or slots created along crease lines 61 and 62. Before the carton is erected to the final form shown in Figure 3, the product which is to be held in the container will have been inserted through one of the ends, before closure.

The completed container so provided is of attractive appearance carrying printing/advertising matter on four side panels, and one base panel if required, and providing a completely transparent panel 36 through which the product in the container may be seen. The outer surface of the lid section 36, the clear plastics section panel, may be printed with aditional information is so desired, using existing known print technology.

The embodiment shown in Figure 4 differs only slightly from that of Figures 1,2, and 3, in that one additional clear side panel is created, thus further improving the visibility of the contents of the container. This is achieved by replacing the board panel 16 with a plastics panel 16p; this is achieved by extending the panel 36. The glue flap 42 is a further extension of the panel 16p, which enables the board component and the plastics component to be joined together by pressing the outside surface of the flap 42 to the inside surface of the board panel 12. It should be noted that in this embodiment tabs 16pa and 16pb are formed from the plastics sheet, being hinged to the panel 16p at crease lines 71 and 72.

In the embodiments so far described, the containers are of rectangular cross section and seek to simulate, at lower cost, rigid containers with similar cross sections. In a further embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, additional product visibility may be achieved by deleting the board end panels 12a and 12b. In such an embodiment, the end flap 52 engages with either a friction fit or locking device with side flaps 14a and 16a, and end tuck in flap 59 engages with end flaps 14b and 16b.

In such an arrangement, it will be seen that additional partial visibility is obtained through the end flaps 47 and 48, which more closely simulates the effect of a body and lid of a rigid body and lid container, in which both body and lid are made from a transparent plastics material, where the contents may be seen through the top and all four side walls.

Claims (7)

1. A container having a top panel, a base panel, two side walls, and two end walls, the container being made from a blank comprising a board sheet section and a transparent plastics sheet section secured together, the periphery of the blank being defined partly by the board sheet section periphery and partly by the plastics sheet section periphery, the top panel being transparent and unobstructed by board, the base panel and at least one of the side walls being of board, and the end walls being constituted by extensions of the side walls and/or the base panel and by extensions of the top panel.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which the extensions of the top panel have tuck in flaps arranged to fit frictionally or to lock in the ends of the container.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the flaps are inserted into slots in extensions of the base panel.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3, in which the said slots are at the bottom edge of the end walls.

5. A container as claimed in claim 3, in which the said slots are in creases connecting the base panel extensions to the base panel.

6. A container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, in which corner tabs inside the end walls are provided as extensions of the side walls.

7. A container substantially as described with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 1 to 3, Fig ure 4, or Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.