U.S. patent application number 12/244033 was filed with the patent office on 2010-04-08 for packaging comprising a tub and a lid.
This patent application is currently assigned to Emplal Embalagens Plasticas Ltda.. Invention is credited to Rui Antonio Juliani.
Application Number | 20100084400 12/244033 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42074968 |
Filed Date | 2010-04-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100084400 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Juliani; Rui Antonio |
April 8, 2010 |
Packaging Comprising A Tub And A Lid
Abstract
A packaging comprising a tub having (1) an upper border
comprising a first vertical external wall and a first surrounding
rim having a short interrupted section and (2) a lid having a
contour border comprising a second vertical external wall and a
second surrounding rim having a tab, wherein the upper border and
the contour border both comprise an inverted "U" which can be
fitted into each other to close the packaging.
Inventors: |
Juliani; Rui Antonio;
(Valinhos/SP, BR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Cozen O''Connor
250 PARK AVENUE
NEW YORK
NY
10177
US
|
Assignee: |
Emplal Embalagens Plasticas
Ltda.
Carapicuiba/SP
BR
|
Family ID: |
42074968 |
Appl. No.: |
12/244033 |
Filed: |
October 2, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/270 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00092
20130101; B65D 2543/00101 20130101; B65D 43/0235 20130101; B65D
2543/00296 20130101; B65D 2543/00379 20130101; B65D 2543/00842
20130101; B65D 2543/00037 20130101; B65D 2543/00425 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/270 |
International
Class: |
B65D 17/34 20060101
B65D017/34 |
Claims
1. A packaging comprising a tub and a lid, the tub having an upper
border comprising a first vertical external wall and the lid having
a contour border comprising a second vertical external wall, the
upper border and the contour border both comprising an inverted "U"
which can be fitted into each other to close the packaging, wherein
a first surrounding rim is orthogonally projected from the first
vertical external wall, and a second surrounding rim is
orthogonally projected from the second vertical external wall, said
first and second rims being juxtaposed and joined, said first
surrounding rim having a short interrupted section and said second
surrounding rim having a tab, said tab coinciding with said
interrupted section when the lid is fitted to the tub, and said
second vertical external wall comprising a longitudinal perforated
line which is laid out along the entire second vertical external
wall from one side of the tab to the opposite side of the tab.
2. The packaging in accordance with claim 1, wherein the perforated
line comprises a short interrupted section diametrically opposite
the tab, thereby configuring a hinge.
3. The packaging in accordance with claim 1, wherein the perforated
line is continuous.
4. The packaging in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second
surrounding rim and the first surrounding rim are joined through
heat sealing or by ultrasound, resulting in the hermetic closure of
the packaging.
5. The packaging in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lid is
re-usable.
6. The packaging in accordance with claim 1, wherein the perforated
line, when broken, is indicative of tampering.
7-9. (canceled)
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The current invention patent involves a packaging
improvement composed of a lid and tub set manufactured in rigid
plastic and obtained by the processes of Thermoforming, Injection
Molding, Vacuum Forming, or other, being that the said packaging is
mainly for the packaging of food products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] As a matter of common knowledge, said packaging must present
a type of closure that protects the product within, providing total
efficiency and safety, meaning that the closure must be tamper
proof and also capable of showing evidence of tampering at the
point of sale. Additionally, it is desirable that after the
packaging is open by the consumer, the lid be re-utilized to
re-close the packaging while the product inside is being
consumed.
[0003] There are several closure systems available in the market
and of the packaging made by injection molding, the most widely
used consists of a pre-established cutting line placed along the
vertical external wing of the lid which delimits a detachable rim
and where an element for the coupling of the lid over the mouth or
aperture of the tub is located. However, in practice this type of
closure is inefficient to prevent tampering because potential
violators, if careful, can remove the lid without breaking the seal
and then close it again.
[0004] In thermoformed packaging, such as margarine tubs, there are
several closing systems for the packaging, with and without
seals.
[0005] An example of closure without the use of seals is known as
"cover leaf", consisting of the use of a laminate placed directly
over the product surface and the simple fitting of the lid on the
tub. This system, not being a seal as such, does not prevent or
reveal an eventual violation of the packaging.
[0006] Another closing system for thermoformed packaging consists
of a thermoformed seal over the upper rim of the tub and a
subsequent fitting of the lid. This seal, because it provides a
sealing of the packaging, protects the product and denounces
tampering; however, the opening of this seal is not practical,
requiring in some cases, that some type of cutting instrument be
used. Moreover, the final cost of the packaging is higher because
it uses the closure and an over-lid, and requires additional
equipment to seal the closure to the tub.
[0007] A third known system for the closing of this type of
packaging, which also provides sealing, consists of the use of a
heat applied contracting band to the rim of the lid and extending
to the superior portion of the tub. This seal features a
transversal perforated line capable of being broken, which is an
easy operation for the consumer and which is also a tampering
indicator. However, it has been demonstrated in practice that this
closure is inefficient since, when it is not shrunken properly and
if a small amount of pressure is exerted from bottom to top on the
rim of the lid, it will open along with the unbroken seal and it
can be subsequently repositioned.
[0008] And finally, another closure sealing system for thermoformed
packaging consists of a narrow detachable horizontal strip, placed
along the vertical external rim of the lid, and on whose internal
face is positioned the coupling element of the lid to the border of
the body of the package; said detachable strip is delimited by a
pair of surrounding cutting lines positioned on the vertical rim of
the lid, and is provided with a projecting tab that constitutes the
catching element that allows the user to pull the strip out and
open the packaging.
[0009] The above sealing system is completely efficacious regarding
the protection of the product, the inviolability and the indication
of violation of the packaging, besides being easy to open by
consumers. However, after the first opening of the packaging, what
is left of the vertical rim of the lid is a small, narrow piece,
resulting in an unstable fitting of the lid over the body of the
packaging. Moreover, the final visual appearance of the lid does
not please consumers since after the detachable portion is removed;
one part of the lid remains missing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] As an attempt to solve these problems simply, at high
efficiency and especially at low cost, the applicant developed the
present improvement of the packaging type which is constituted of a
lid/tub set, and which can be presented in any form (round, square,
rectangular, oval, hexagonal, etc.), made of plastic material (PP,
PS, PET, PE, PVC or similar), and obtained by thermoforming,
injection, vacuum forming or similar means.
[0011] According to the aforementioned improvement, the upper
border of the tub of the inverted "U" section, as well as the
border of the lid of the same section, which is perfectly able to
fit to the first, now present respective external, horizontal and
surrounding rim, and the rim of the tub presents a small
interrupted section while the rim of the lid presents an ear tab,
which, when the packaging is closed, should coincide with the
interrupted section of the tub. These rims can be fixed one to the
other by heat sealing or ultra-sound, thus providing a hermetic
sealing of the packaging.
[0012] Additionally, and as the principle element of this
innovation, a perforated line placed along the external vertical
wall of the border of the lid has been foreseen, which begins on
one lateral side of the ear tab and ends on the opposite side, and
this line can present a short interrupted section diametrically
opposite the said ear tab, configuring thusly the "hinge" of the
lid when opened.
[0013] In this manner, after the filling of the product in the tub,
the packaging is closed by fixing the lid of the tub in such a way
as to coincide the ear tab of the first with the interrupted
section of the flap of the second. This done, the tab of the lid
and the tub are united together by heat sealing, ultra-sound, or
other appropriate means, resulting in a hermetic closing of the
packaging set.
[0014] Opening the set can only be done by pulling the existing ear
tab on the rim of the lid, thus beginning the separation, from
front to back, along the existing perforated line on the lateral
external wall of the border of the same lid. The opening of the lid
can be total or not, in the case of the "hinge".
[0015] Thus, this improvement has resulted in a packaging set with
a totally hermetic, absolutely inviolable, and tamper-proof closing
system in which the separation of the perforated line of the lid is
totally and easily evidenced.
[0016] The lid, once repositioned, has good closure because of the
fact that it presents interference of its internal dimension with
the internal dimension of the tub. Moreover, since the section
positioned below the perforated line of the border of the lid
remains fixed to the rim of the tub, or in other words, no piece of
the border of the lid is removed when it is repositioned, the
resulting appearance is practically the same as when the packaging
was sealed shut, and is thus more appealing to consumers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] A more complete appreciation of the present invention and
many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily understood
by reference of the following detailed description when taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0018] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a round-shaped tub/lid set in
perspective, with FIG. 1 showing an exploded perspective of the
said set.
[0019] FIGS. 3 and 4 show a rectangular shaped tub/lid set in
perspective, with FIG. 3 showing an exploded perspective of the
said set.
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a frontal perspective of the tub/lid set in a
closed position.
[0021] FIG. 5a shows an amplified perspective of the detail
indicated in FIG. 5.
[0022] FIG. 6 illustrates in frontal perspective, the set tub-lid
in open position, after the breaking of the perforated line.
[0023] FIG. 6a depicts, in exploded perspective, the detail
indicated in FIG. 6.
[0024] FIG. 7 shows the tub/lid set in a closed position from a
posterior perspective.
[0025] FIG. 7a shows the detail indicated in FIG. 7 in an amplified
perspective, and which configures the "hinge" of the lid and tub,
after the perforated line has been broken and consequently the
packaging opened.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0026] The objective of the present Invention patent is a
"PACKAGING CONSISTING OF A TUB AND A LID", said packaging composed
of a tub (1) and a lid (2), of whatever format (round, square,
rectangular, oval, hexagonal, etc.), made from appropriate plastic
material (PP, PS, PET, PE, PVC or similar), and by means of the
processes of thermoforming, injection, vacuum forming, or similar,
being that the upper border (3) of the tub (1), as well as the
contour border (4) of the lid (2), present the same section of an
inverted "U", and which can be fitted into each other to close the
packaging.
[0027] In accordance with the present improvement, from the free
extremity of the external vertical wall (3a) of the border (3) of
the tub (1) is projected at a right angle (orthogonally) outward an
encircling rim (5) having a short interrupted section (5a).
[0028] Likewise, from the free extremity of the vertical external
border wall (4 and 4a) of the lid (2), an encircling rim (6)
projects orthogonally outwards, and said rim has an ear tab (6a),
which can coincide with the interrupted portion (5a) of the rim (5)
of the tub (1) when the lid (2) is fitted in. This fitting causes
the overlapping of the rim of the lid (6) on the rim of the tub
(5), which subsequently are united permanently by heat sealing, by
ultrasound or by any other suitable procedure, being that said
union configures a seal that guarantees the hermetic closing of the
packaging.
[0029] Additionally, on the vertical wall (4a) of the lid (2),
there is a longitudinal perforated line (7), placed along of the
whole wall (4a), beginning next to one side of the lateral ear tab
(6a) of the rim (6) and ending next to its lateral opposite side
being that in one main design option, the said perforated line (7)
displays a short interrupted section (7a), diametrically opposite
the ear tab (6a), and which functions as the "hinge" for the opened
lid (2).
[0030] Thus, after filling the product in the tub (1), the lid (2)
is fitted on it in such way as to juxtapose the ear tab (6a) of the
rim (6) of the first with interrupted portion (5a) of the rim (5)
of the second. Afterwards, the rim (6) of the lid (2) and the rim
(5) of tub (1) are united through hot sealing, by ultrasound or by
any other appropriated procedure, resulting in the hermetic closure
of the packaging set.
[0031] And the opening of the packaging is possible only through
the breaking of the perforated line (7) anticipated on the external
lateral encircling border (4) of the lid (2), being that said
breaking occurs from front to back and gradually, initiated through
upward traction of the ear tab (6a) from the lid (2) and finalizing
with the traction of the lid itself which is then opened.
[0032] Under the design option where the interrupted portion (7a)
of the perforated line (7) is considered, and that functions as the
hinge for lid, the lid (2) breaks away partially from the tub (1)
since the said lid stays connected to the tub by means of the
hinge.
[0033] Under a different design option where the perforated line
(7) is continuous, the lid (2) separates completely from the tub
(1).
[0034] However, in both options, the lid (2) is reusable for
closing the packaging.
[0035] Thus, this improvement resulted in a packaging set with a
totally hermetic closure system that is absolutely tamper proof and
capable of indicating potential tampering, since the tearing of the
perforated line (7) of the lid (2) is readily visible.
* * * * *