U.S. patent application number 11/324531 was filed with the patent office on 2006-07-06 for container with hollow bottom.
Invention is credited to Christian Kohlweyer.
Application Number | 20060144909 11/324531 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34933203 |
Filed Date | 2006-07-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060144909 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kohlweyer; Christian |
July 6, 2006 |
Container with hollow bottom
Abstract
A container for packaging personal care articles, especially
sanitary absorbent articles of personal hygiene. The package
container has a hollow bottom that is spaced away from the lower
end of the container. The hollow bottom is made out of a bottom
flap having the size and shape generally of the cross section of
the container and is held in place by a holding strip and at least
one small flap.
Inventors: |
Kohlweyer; Christian; (Bad
Vilbel, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DIVISION
WINTON HILL TECHNICAL CENTER - BOX 161
6110 CENTER HILL AVENUE
CINCINNATI
OH
45224
US
|
Family ID: |
34933203 |
Appl. No.: |
11/324531 |
Filed: |
January 3, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
229/104 ;
229/162.5; 229/5.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/0209
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/104 ;
229/005.5; 229/162.5 |
International
Class: |
B65D 5/00 20060101
B65D005/00; B65D 3/10 20060101 B65D003/10; B65D 25/54 20060101
B65D025/54 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 5, 2005 |
EP |
05 000 109.8 |
Claims
1. A container comprising a wall, an upper end and a lower end
spaced away from each other by the wall, the wall having an inner
and an outer surface and a lower portion extending from a middle
distance between the upper and lower end of the container to the
lower end of the container, the container further having a cross
section, a length extending along the wall and an interior enclosed
by the wall and a bottom, wherein the bottom is formed by a bottom
flap having approximately the shape and size of the cross section
of said container, the bottom flap residing in the interior of the
container and being held in place by a holding strip being attached
to the bottom flap along a line of connection, wherein the line of
connection is spaced away from the lower end of the container along
the length of the container, the container further comprising a
small flap being attached to the bottom flap approximately opposite
to the line of connection.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein the holding strip and the
small flap are extensions of the wall on the lower end of the
container, wherein the extensions are folded against the inner
surface of the wall along folding lines.
3. The container of claim 1, wherein at least one of the holding
strip and the small flap are connected to the inner surface of the
wall.
4. The container of claim 2, wherein the folding lines are spaced
away from the lower end of the container towards the upper end of
the container.
5. The container of claim 1, wherein the cross-section varies along
the length of the container.
6. The container of claim 1, wherein the container comprises more
than one small flap.
7. The container of claim 1 further comprising at least one window
in the wall.
8. The container of claim 1 further comprising at least one
generally transparent zone.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a container for packaging
personal care articles, especially sanitary absorbent articles of
personal hygiene. The package container has a hollow bottom that is
spaced away from the lower end of the container. The hollow bottom
is made out of a bottom flap having the size and shape generally of
the cross section of the container and is held in place by a
holding strip and at least one small flap.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Packaging containers with oval cross-section and closed
bottom are known in the art. Exemplary disclosures can be found in
EP 881 151; U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,369 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,740.
However, the containers suggested by those references have at least
one drawback; their bottom is more or less flat and it has been
found that such flat folded bottoms oftentimes tend to be slightly
roundish, in other words they are slightly extending beyond the
lower end of the sidewalls of the container in a convex manner. As
a consequence, such containers may not stand very well and may fall
over.
[0003] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a container with
an oval cross-section and a closed bottom which overcomes the
disadvantages of the prior art by having a more stable stand.
[0004] It would also be desirable to provide such a container which
is easy and cost-efficient to produce.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention provides a container comprising a
wall, an upper end and a lower end, said wall having an inner and
an outer surface. The container has a lower portion extending from
the middle distance between said upper and lower end of said
container to said lower end of said container. The lower end of the
container is closed by a bottom, which is formed by a bottom flap
having approximately the shape and size of said cross section of
said container. The bottom flap resides in the interior of the
container and is held in place by a holding strip, which is
attached to the bottom flap along a line of connection, which is
spaced away from the lower end of the container. The container
further comprises a small flap being attached to the bottom flap
approximately opposite to said line of connection.
[0006] By this configuration the bottom flap is spaced away from
the lower end of the container towards the upper end of the
container and thus a hollow bottom is formed. Due to this the
container stands on the lower edge of its circumferential wall.
Thus, the problems arising from a non-flat bottom may be avoided.
In one embodiment, the container is formed from one interconnected
piece of carton cut-out, which is very economical and provides the
possibility of forming the container on the packaging line
itself.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates the interconnected cut-out from which one
execution of the container of the present invention is formed.
[0008] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the above cut-out from alternative
views
[0009] FIG. 4 illustrates how an embodiment container of the
present invention is formed out of the cut-out, namely by folding
the two wall portions 2a and 2b upon themselves and attaching the
wall connection flap 2c to the inside of the opposite wall portion
2a. Further the bottom may be formed by folding the bottom flap 3
onto the three small flaps 4.
[0010] FIG. 5 illustrates a finished container 1 with closed
bottom. It is visible that the bottom flap 3 is spaced away from
the lower end of the container 1 by the holding strip 5 and that
the folding lines 6 of the extensions of the wall 2 forming the
small flaps 4 and the holding strip 5 are spaced away from the
lower 8 end of the container 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The container 1 of the present invention may be made from
any suitable material, but is generally made of rigid material,
such as, for example, carton board. The term "Rigid material", as
used herein, refers to materials with at least some flexural
stiffness, i.e. a significant degree to maintain their original
shape. Exemplary rigid materials in the context of the present
invention are carton paper, carton board, card board, enforced
paper, corrugate or the like or combinations thereof. Further
examples of rigid materials for use herein are plastic or
rubber-like polymeric materials with a significant degree of
stiffness to maintain their shape.
[0012] "Lower portion of the wall" refers to the part of the wall 2
extending from the mid height the wall 2, defined by the middle
distance between the upper end 7 and lower end 8 of the container,
towards the lower end 8 of the container 1.
[0013] "Interior" means the inner volume of the container volume,
which is enclosed by the wall.
[0014] The wall 2 of the container 1 can be made out of one or more
wall portions (e.g., portions 2a, 2b, and 2c). When the container 1
is made from a flat cut-out of material, the wall is typically
closed by a wall connection flap 2c, which is bonded to the inside
of a wall portion, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The arrangement of the
wall 2 of the container 1 defines the cross section of the
container 1. In one embodiment, the container 1 is substantially
cylindrical with an essentially circular or ellipsoidal
cross-section. In other embodiments, the container 1 may have a
substantially square or rectangular cross-section. Generally, there
is basically no limitation in cross-sectional shape of the
container 1.
[0015] The hollow bottom of the container 1 is basically formed by
a bottom flap 3, which is held in place by a holding strip 5 on one
side and at least one small flap 4 on the other. The bottom flap 3
resides in the interior 13 of the container 1 and is spaced away
from the lower end 8 of the container. Both the holding strip 5 and
the small flap 4 are either attached to the inner surface 22 of the
wall 2, the outer surface 2e of the wall 2, or are interconnected
extensions of the wall 2, which are folded against the inner
surface 2d of the wall 2 along folding lines. The folding lines can
extend along the lower end 8 of the container but are preferably
spaced away from the lower end towards the upper end 7. The spacing
away can be facilitated by cuts, as illustrated e.g. in FIGS. 3, 4
and 5.
[0016] The upper end 7 of the container 1 of the present invention
can be open or closed. The upper end 7 and lower end 8 of the
container may have generally the same cross-sectional shape and may
be coextensive. However, it is also within the scope of the present
invention that the upper and lower ends of the container 1 are not
co-extensive, such as in case the side walls 2 of the container
have different heights, or in case one or more side walls 2 have a
variable height, or in case the walls 2 have an angle other than
90.degree. with respect to a substantially even horizontal surface
the container 1 is placed on or have different angles for each
wall.
[0017] It is furthermore within the scope of the present invention
that the cross-section of the container 1 is variable between the
upper end 7 and lower end 8 of the container. In an embodiment
herein the lower end 8 of the container 1 has a square shape,
whereas the upper end 7 has a substantially ellipsoidal shape.
Also, the reverse configuration; i.e., circular or ellipsoidal
lower end 8 and square upper end 7, are within the scope of the
present invention. It will be apparent to the skilled artisan that
also numerous other different configurations are possible, which
will lead to a variable cross-sectional shape of the container
1.
[0018] In other embodiments, the container 1 herein is provided
with windows 9, through which its contents can be seen from
outside. These windows can be provided by holes in the wall 2 of
the container 1 or by zones 10 in the wall 2, which are generally
transparent.
[0019] According to further embodiments herein, the container 1
according to the present invention may be provided with means for
aiding collapsibility. This is beneficial for improving the
disposability of the container, since it requires less space in the
garbage container in collapsed state. Means for providing
collapsibility are for instance cuts or weakness lines, such as
perforations or score lines.
[0020] All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the
Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference;
the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission
that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the
extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this written
document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the term in a
document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition
assigned to the term in this written document shall govern.
[0021] While particular embodiments of the present invention have
been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those
skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims
all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of
this invention.
* * * * *