U.S. patent application number 10/491152 was filed with the patent office on 2005-01-06 for container porvided with resealable cover adhered to the container by an adhesive.
Invention is credited to Boardman, Andrew C.
Application Number | 20050000965 10/491152 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9922915 |
Filed Date | 2005-01-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050000965 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Boardman, Andrew C |
January 6, 2005 |
Container porvided with resealable cover adhered to the container
by an adhesive
Abstract
A resealable container comprising an at least semi rigid
receptacle with an opening, a lip surrounding the opening, a
closure for closing the opening, and an adhesive. The adhesive
provides a releasable and resealable bond between the closure and
the lip, substantially all of the adhesive remaining on one of the
closure or the lip when the bond is released.
Inventors: |
Boardman, Andrew C; (Surrey,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DOWELL & DOWELL PC
2111 Eisenhower Ave.
Suite 406
Alexandria
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
9922915 |
Appl. No.: |
10/491152 |
Filed: |
August 20, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
September 23, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB02/04302 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/359.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 77/2096 20130101;
B65D 77/2032 20130101; B65D 79/02 20130101; B65D 2203/02 20130101;
B65D 65/466 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/359.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 041/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 28, 2001 |
GB |
0123397.2 |
Claims
1. A resealable container comprising: an at least semi rigid
receptacle with an opening, and a lip surrounding the opening; a
closure for closing the opening, and an adhesive bonding the
closure to the lip, the adhesive providing a releasable and
resealable bond between the closure and the lip of the receptacle
whereby, when the bond is released, substantially all of the
adhesive remains on only one of the closure or the lip.
2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said adhesive is such
that the bond can be broken and resealed several times.
3. A container according to claim 2, wherein said adhesive
preferentially attaches to the receptacle.
4. A container according to claim 2, wherein said adhesive
preferentially attaches to the closure.
5. A container according to claim 2, wherein the adhesive is
applied to the closure.
6. A container according to claim 2, wherein the adhesive is
applied to the receptacle.
7. A container according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a food
grade, permanent adhesive meeting the requirements for indirect
food use.
8. A container according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is
applied using hot melt.
9. A container according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is
applied as a cold liquid and allowed to dry.
10. A container according to claim 1, wherein the lip includes a
substantially flat portion.
11. A container according to claim 10, wherein the flat portion of
the lip is between 2 mm and 6 mm wide.
12. A container according to claim 1, wherein the closure is made
from a flat sheet of oriented polypropylene.
13. A container according to claim 1, wherein the closure overhangs
the lip by 3 mm.
14. A container according to claim 1, wherein the closure is
manufactured in a strip, then reeled up.
15. A container according to claim 1, wherein the closure is
partially covered by adhesive,
16. A container according to claim 1, wherein the closure includes
a label incorporating information as to the contents of the
container.
17. A container according to claim 1, wherein the closure
incorporates a "smell box".
18. A container according to claim 1, wherein the closure is a
single sheet.
19. A container according to claim 1, wherein the closure is a
laminated extrusion.
20. A container according to claim 1, wherein the closure is
micro-porous, and includes perforations less than 100 .mu.m.
21. A container according to claim 1, wherein the closure is
macro-porous, and includes perforations greater than 100 .mu.m.
22. A container according to claim 1, wherein the closure is
non-porous.
23. A container according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle is
form or blow moulded from a flat sheet of standard, food grade
polypropylene.
24. A container according to claim 23, wherein the polypropylene is
biodegradable.
25. A container according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle is
form or blow moulded from a flat sheet of standard, food grade
polyethylene, polyester or polystyrene.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a container such as a resealable
container for soft fruit or other items.
[0002] The area of soft fruit retailing has many difficulties and
it would be beneficial to producer, supplier and consumer to have a
container to store soft fruit between field and table which would
allow the consumer easy access and where the life of the fruit
would be extended for as long as possible. The present invention
provides such a container.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
[0003] The present invention provides according to a first aspect a
resealable container comprising:
[0004] an at least semi rigid receptacle with an opening, and a lip
surrounding its opening; a closure for closing the opening, and
[0005] an adhesive bonding the closure to the lip, the adhesive
providing a releasable and resealable bond between the closure and
the lip of the receptacle, whereby when the bond is released
substantially all of the adhesive remains on only one of the
closure or the lip.
[0006] An at least semi-rigid receptacle includes a rigid
receptacle as well as a semi-rigid receptacle.
[0007] Preferably the adhesive is such that the bond can be broken
and resealed several times.
[0008] Said adhesive preferentially attaches to either the lip or
the closure.
[0009] Preferably the adhesive is applied using hot melt at, for
example, 180.degree. C.
[0010] Alternatively, the adhesive is applied as a cold liquid and
allowed to dry.
[0011] Preferably, the lip includes a substantially flat
portion.
[0012] The lip may be between 2 mm and 6 mm wide.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0013] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be
described by way of example only and with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly cut away, of a punnet
forming part of a container,
[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a closure for closing the
opening of the punnet of FIG. 1, the closure being shown upside
down with respect to the orientation of the punnet of FIG. 1,
and
[0016] FIGS. 3 to 5 are partial cross sections showing the
engagement and disengagement of the closure with the punnet.
[0017] FIG. 6 shows the punnet with closure attached.
DISCLOSURE OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] FIGS. 1 to 6 show a resealable container for soft fruit or
other items. The container comprises an open-topped, rigid or
semi-rigid receptacle in the form, of a so-called punnet 1 and a
closure 5 for closing the open top 2.
[0019] The punnet is provided with a lip 3 surrounding the open top
2, said lip being substantially flat or including a substantially
flat portion, the flat portion having a minimum width of 2 mm. The
punnet 1 is form- or blow-moulded from a flat sheet of standard,
food grade polypropylene. This polypropylene may be biodegradable
due to the incorporation of an additive. The dimensions of the
punnet 1 will be determined by the contents of the container.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a closure 5 for closing the open top 2 of the
punnet 1, the closure being made from a flat sheet of oriented
polypropylene, which can be either a single, or laminated,
extrusion and which may be micro-, macro- or non-porous. The sheet
material will shear but not stretch in a particular direction due
to the nature of oriented polypropylene.
[0021] The closure 5 may be manufactured as one of a series of
closures in a strip 7 which may then be wound onto a reel for ease
of handling during manufacture. Adhesive 4 is applied to the
closure 5 (usually whilst it is still in a strip with other
closures before winding up in a reel).
[0022] The adhesive bonding and sealing the punnet 1 and the
closure 5 together is of a type that provides a releasable and
resealable bond thereby allowing the closure to be partially or
completely removed from the punnet 1 and then resealed to it. This
allows, for example, the removal of a single piece of fruit by the
consumer and the resealing of the container to maintain the fruit
left in the container in a fresh condition. It is further desired
that the bond should be airtight and consequently that the adhesive
should remain bonded with one of the surfaces (in this case, where
the receptacle is a punnet for fruit, with the closure 5, but in
other cases it may be with the lip of the receptacle), but
releasable from the other surface. Any adhesive that does not
remain bonded with the one surface after opening but remains bonded
irregularly to both surfaces makes the formation of an airtight
seal on resealing unlikely or impossible.
[0023] A preferred adhesive is a hot-melt adhesive, which is
applied to the closure 5 at a high temperature (140-180.degree. C.,
typically substantially 180.degree. C.) so as to form a
substantially permanent bond with the material of the closure 5.
The adhesive is applied in a desired pattern, typically in the
shape of a band 4 of overall shape and dimension matching the shape
and dimension of the flat portion of the lip 3 of the punnet 1. The
adhesive may be in the form of a continuous surface or may be
broken up into a patch pattern.
[0024] Thus in the manufacture of the container, the moulded punnet
1 is filled with the desired fruit. The strip 7 comprising a
plurality of closures 5 is aligned with the top of the punnet 1
with the side with the adhesive facing the lip and aligned
therewith (see FIG. 3). The closure 5 is engaged with the lip of
the punnet (see FIG. 4) and separated from the remainder of the
strip 7.
[0025] The container may then be sold to a consumer.
[0026] In order to open the container, the closure 5 may be peeled
back from the lip of the punnet (see FIG. 5 and 6). The adhesive 4
remains substantially permanently bonded to the closure 5 but
releases from the lip of the punnet 1 without leaving traces of
adhesive likely to prevent formation of an airtight seal. If the
consumer wishes to keep some of the fruit in the punnet, the
closure is then reengaged with the lip of the punnet and once again
the adhesive forms an airtight bond and seal. The process may be
repeated several times so long as the lip remains clean.
[0027] If the container is to be used for a `living` product, such
as soft fruit, the closure 5 will normally be porous, as this will
allow an appropriate atmosphere to be maintained within the
container, which can double the shelf life of the product. Also,
when the consumer opens and reseals the container after purchase,
the life of the product left in the container will be extended much
further than if the container remained open because the proper
atmosphere within the container will be re-established. In order to
provide the desired porosity of the closure, the sheet material
from which the closure is made includes perforations of a size,
which may be, for micro-porous material, below 100 .mu.m, for
macro-porous material above 100 .mu.m. In an example, one or two
lines of 40-80 .mu.m perforations may be created by an
electrostatic or laser perforating machine along the length of the
film material comprising the closure.
[0028] The closure may also carry printing (directly or on a
separate carrier layer such as paper), which is used as a label
detailing the contents of the container.
[0029] The closure may also incorporate a means by which the
consumer can establish whether the contents satisfy their
requirements as to freshness--i.e.; a `smell box`, for the
detection of odour.
[0030] The closure is dimensioned so that it overhangs 6 the lip 3
of the punnet 1 by 3 mm, (either all round the punnet or just at
one edge or in one comer as appropriate), this overhang forming a
means for the consumer to grip the closure for peeling the closure
off the lip as is shown in FIG. 5 to open the container and expose
the contents.
[0031] The width selected for the lip 3 of the punnet 1 will be
determined by the strength of the resealable attachment required
between the punnet and the closure 5. A lip width of up to 6 mm may
be used, a wider lip allowing a stronger resealable attachment
between the punnet 1 and the closure 5 but requiring more force to
open. Factors, other than attachment strength may determine the lip
width in each application, such factors including whether provision
should be made for the application of a clip-on lid to the
receptacle should the closure become unavailable or fail.
[0032] An alternative means of attaching the closure to the punnet
(without requiring expensive machinery to apply to the closure a
predetermined pattern of adhesive matching the flat surface) would
involve manufacturing the cover from two sheets of film attached
across their width by the adhesive wherein the sheets can peel
apart. The shape and dimensions of the lip of the punnet is then
cut out from the bottom sheet and peeled away leaving the adhesive
attached to the closure.
[0033] Where the punnet is for food use, the polypropylene used and
the oriented polypropylene used for the closure, should meet the
required specification.
[0034] The adhesive 4 is a food grade, commonly available,
permanent adhesive meeting the requirements of FDA regulation
CFR.21.175.105 `Adhesives` allowing for indirect food use which,
when applied to a polypropylene surface using hot melt at
180.degree. C., becomes preferentially attached to that surface and
will form a non-permanent seal between it and the surface of the
lip of the punnet.
[0035] Alternatively, in place of the hot-melt adhesive, one may
use an adhesive which is applied cold and allowed to dry on the
surface to which preferential attachment is required (i.e. the
surface of the closure film), the adhesive forming a permanent bond
with that surface and a releasable bond with the surface of the
flat lip of the punnet.
[0036] Thus, using the materials identified here, the punnet 1,
closure 5 and adhesive 4 form a resealable container wherein the
adhesive 4 attaches preferentially to the closure 5.
[0037] The invention is not limited to the above example. For,
example, in some circumstances it may be preferred to have the
adhesive form a permanent bond with the receptacle and a resealable
bond with the closure, or have the adhesive applied to the
receptacle.
[0038] For non-food use, the adhesive (4) can be of a non-food
grade standard.
[0039] Also, where stretching of the closure as the closure is
pulled off the punnet is not a problem, other cheaper closure
materials manufactured by a casting process may be used, such as
polyester, polyethylene or other materials.
[0040] In addition, the punnet may also be made of other materials
to suit a particular application (or cost) requirement and these
may be polyester, polyethylene, polystyrene or other materials.
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