Packaging With A Subsequently Molded Form-fit Connection

Abstract

The present invention relates to a packaging with a packaging trough, into which a packaging material can be filled and which is closed with a lid, whereby at least one form-fit connection connects the packaging trough with the lid and the connection comprises a first and a second connector.

Description

[0001] This application claims benefit of Ser. No. 11/609,637, filed on Dec. 16, 2006, which is a Continuation-in-part and claims benefit from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/181,037, filed on Jul. 13, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,665,281, which claims the benefit of International Application No. PCT/EP2004/003413, International Filing Date, Mar. 31, 2004, which designated the United States of America, and which international application was published under PCT Article 21 (2) as No. WO 2004/089583 A3 and which claims priority from German Application No. 10316303.4, filed Apr. 8, 2003.

[0002] The present invention relates to a packaging with a packaging trough, into which a packaging material can be filled and which is closed with a lid, whereby at least one form-fit connection connects the packaging trough with the lid and the connection comprises a first and a second connection means.

[0003] Items of packaging as a rule comprise a packaging trough, into which the packaging material, for example foodstuff, can be filled. This packaging trough is then closed with an, as a rule, preformed lid. In order to increase the pull-off force of the lid from the packaging trough after the initial opening, it is advantageous for the re-closure capability if at least one form-fit connection is present between the lid and the packaging trough. This form-fit connection comprises two connection elements, for example a groove and a tongue, whereby the tongue is introduced into the groove.

[0004] At present, the connection elements are molded into the lid and into the packaging trough during deep-drawing. Since the lid and the packaging trough must, however, be able to be removed again from the respective deep-drawing die after deep-drawing and one connection element must be able to be introduced into the other, the shape of the connection elements is very greatly restricted.

[0005] The problem of the present invention, therefore, was to make available a packaging that does not display the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0006] This problem is solved with a packaging with a packaging trough, into which a packaging material can be filled and which is closed with a lid, whereby at least one form-fit connection connects the packaging trough with the lid and the connection comprises a first and a second connection element, wherein at least one connection element has been molded at least partially into the packaging after the packaging trough has been closed with the lid.

[0007] It was extremely surprising for the expert and not to be expected that the packaging according to the invention can have an arbitrarily shaped form-fit connection between the lid and the packaging trough. Very great design possibilities of the form-fit connection between the packaging trough and the lid thus arise, so that the force that is required to remove the lid from the packaging trough can for example be adjusted very exactly. The packaging according to the invention can be produced in a straightforward manner and cost effectively.

[0008] According to the invention, the packaging comprises a packaging trough, into which the packaging material can be filled, and a lid. Both the packaging trough and the lid are preferably manufactured from a plastics material and are deep-drawn in each case. The plastic material may be comparatively stiff and/or foamed. At least one, but preferably several, form-fit connections are arranged between the lid and the packaging trough, whereby the form-fit connection is brought about in such a way that the force that is required to detach the lid from the packaging trough is increased. The form-fit connections can be distributed arbitrarily over the circumference of the packaging. Furthermore, the form-fit connections can be combined with a joint, whereby at least one form-fit connection is then arranged opposite the hinge (joint). Furthermore, the form-fit connections can also be used as snap connections for the re-closure of the items of packaging. According to the invention, the form-fit connection comprises a first and a second connection means, which engage into one another and thus bring about the form-fit connection. All connection elements familiar to the expert can be considered as connection elements, with which it is possible to achieve a form closure between the packaging trough and the lid. Preferably, however, the connection element is a groove and tongue connection or two spherical part-shells which engage into one another. The connection preferably extends parallel to the transport direction of the film web from which the packaging is produced.

[0009] According to the invention, the packaging has at least one, but preferably two or more, form-fit connections.

[0010] The lid and the packaging trough are preferably sealed to one another in the region of a sealing plane. This sealing is preferably peelable, so that the packaging can be closed again by means of the form-fit connection.

[0011] The connections are preferably inserted by thermal molds into the packaging trough. The connection should preferably be inserted from the inside to the outside, i.e. the circumference of the packaging increases in the region of the connection. The advantage of this design of the present invention is that the surface by which the goods can be removed from the packaging is not reduced by the inner moldings, or that no additional outward bulges have to made into which the connections are then shaped, as disclosed in EP 0 367 603 A2.

[0012] The inner molding is preferably located in the lateral walls of the packaging trough.

[0013] The lid is preferably sealed to the packaging trough. This sealing is preferably peelable so that the connection serves as a resealing device after the packaging is opened for the first time. The lid is preferably sealed to the packaging trough along an essentially horizontal sealing plane.

[0014] The items of packaging may be arbitrarily shaped, but the items of packaging preferably have an essentially square or round base surface.

[0015] The invention will be explained below with the aid of FIGS. 1 to 2B. These explanations are merely by way of example and do not restrict the general ideas of the invention. The explanations apply equally to all the subject-matters of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 1 shows the packaging according to the invention and

[0017] FIG. 2 shows two possible embodiments of the form-fit connection.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows the packaging according to the invention, which comprises a packaging trough 2 and a lid 3. A packaging material, for example foodstuff, can be placed into packaging trough 2. Packaging trough 2 is then closed with lid 3. After the packaging trough has been closed with the lid, form-fit connection 4 is molded into the lid and/or the packaging trough. In the present case, the form-fit connection is molded both into lid 3 and into packaging trough 2. The packaging according to the invention is produced on a packaging machine, whereby the packaging trough and the lid are either placed as ready molded parts into the packaging machine or are molded into a plane film web, for example by deep-drawing. In each case, the items of packaging are transported, preferably cyclically, along the running direction represented by the arrow inside the packaging machine. The expert will recognize that, in the present case, form-fit connection 4 is arranged parallel to the running direction of the packaging machine. The lid and the packaging trough are sealed to one another in a peelable manner in the region of the sealing plane before the form-fit connection has been molded into the packaging.

[0019] FIG. 2A-B show two possible design shapes of the form-fit connection. FIG. 2A shows a groove tapering to a point, which extends into and out of the plane of the paper. Due to the fact that the form-fit connection is molded into the lid and the packaging trough only after the lid has been placed onto the packaging trough, it is possible to produce shapes of the form-fit connection which were not possible according to the prior art. For example, it was not possible to produce a groove and tongue in such a pointed fashion depicted in FIG. 2A, without the latter either no longer being able to be removed from the mould or becoming damaged during the fitting together of the lid and the packaging trough.

[0020] FIG. 2B represents a hemispherical design of the form-fit connection. The expert will understand that it is advantageous for several such spherical form-fit connections to be arranged over the circumference of the packaging trough. Reference is further made to the comments concerning the embodiment according to FIG. 2A.

Claims

1. A packaging (1) with a packaging trough (2), into which a packaging material can be filled and which is closed with a lid (3), whereby at least one form-fit connection (4) connects the packaging trough (2) with the lid (3) and the connection (4) comprises a first and a second connection element (4', 4''), characterized in that at least one connection element (4', 4'') has been molded at least partially into the packaging (1) after the packaging trough (2) has been closed with the lid (3).

2. The packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that both connection elements (4', 4'') are molded into the packaging after the packaging trough (2) has been closed with the lid (3).

3. The packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection elements are groove (4') and tongue (4'').

4. The packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the form closure increases the pull-off force of the lid (3) from the packaging trough (2).

5. The packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection (4) is arranged parallel to the direction of transport of the items of packaging in a packaging machine.

6. The packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that it has at least two form-fit connections (4).

7. The packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the lid (3) and the packaging trough (2) are sealed to one another, preferably in a peelable manner.

8. A method for producing a packaging (1) having a packaging trough (2) and a lid (3), whereby the packaging trough (2) is closed with the lid (3), characterized in that a form-fit connection (4), which connects the lid with the packaging trough, is then molded into the packaging.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the connection (4) is molded into the packaging after the lid has been sealed to the packaging trough.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the connections are preferably molded in transversely to the direction of conveying.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the connections are molded in with an embossing means which interacts with a counter-bearing (7), and in that the counter-bearing is rotated and lowered after molding in.

12. A packaging machine having embossing means (5, 6) with which at least one connection element (4', 4'') can be molded into a packaging.

13. The packaging machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the embossing means (5, 6) are mounted so as to be displaceable crosswise to the direction of transport of the film web.

14. The packaging machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the embossing means (5, 6) cooperate with counter-bearings (7).

15. The packaging machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a sealing station and that the embossing means (5, 6) are downstream of the sealing station.

16. The packaging machine according to claim 13, characterized in that the counter-bearings (7) are arranged so that they are vertically displaceable.

17. The packaging machine according to claim 13, characterized in that the counter-bearings (7) are rotabably mounted.

18. The packaging machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a sealing station and in that the embossing means (5, 6) are arranged after the sealing station.