IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATED TO CONTAINERS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to containers for materials sensitive to moisture or materials that contain volatile ingredients; in particular consumer products, such as water softeners or detergent compositions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Commonly, moisture-sensitive materials, such as detergent materials, enzymes, bleaching systems or active water softeners are found in consumer products, eg powders, granules, tablets or other compositions that may be contained in sacks ( sacks which are soluble or not), are packaged in containers made of cardboard material with a coating of waterproof laminate to protect the content of water absorption from the atmosphere. However, the user has to make sure that the container is closed again after use. If not, the moisture-sensitive material can be chemically degraded, potentially affecting the activity of the ingredients or having a negative impact on their physical properties (ie resistance, solubility, appearance, etc.). Additionally, there may be a substantial loss of volatile material such as perfume from the material, when the container is not hermetically sealed. Although this negative impact of moisture ingress is generally undesirable, it is particularly problematic in the case of products not individually wrapped in a moisture insulating film or even in the worst case of products packaged in permeable packages such as sachets of soluble monodose in water, for example bags of PVOH, or insoluble in water nonwovens. Those water-soluble sacs can become sticky when they absorb water from the atmosphere, and therefore can adhere to each other. When it comes to separating those adhered sacs, the water soluble film material can be destroyed. In addition, the undesirable loss of water from the contents of some products can be another problem if they are not contained in a water-tight package as consumer products containing liquid with permeable membranes, for example air fresheners. Many of these products are stored in cardboard boxes alone or with internal waterproof sheets, but have little or no means to close the box once the box is opened. Typically, if present, the closure of the box will be in the form of two tabs that can be interlocked, that is, as a cereal box.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main purpose of the present invention is therefore to provide packages that can encourage the consumer to close a package and which can provide some moisture barrier properties. A further main purpose is to provide containers that can facilitate access to the contents of the container, even if the contents are heavily stacked within the container. According to a first aspect, the present invention provides containers for moisture-sensitive materials or materials containing volatile ingredients, the container comprising internal water-impermeable means for enclosing the material and an external container containing a base panel of which a panel front and rear and side panels extend upwards and a lid supported on the upper part of the rear panel, where the front panel is provided at its upper edge with a flexible flange or a lip and the front of the lid is provided with another Flexible vertical tab or lip and where the tab is arranged to fit with the lip to keep the lid in a closed position.
Suitably, the external container comprises a back panel and two side panels. The base panel can thus be generally rectangular. The external container may alternatively comprise a generally triangular base panel and a single side panel, so that the "rear" panel is attached to the front panel and the side panel. Alternatively, the external container can comprise more than two side panels. Suitably, the side panels have expandable portions that allow the front panel to move from a closed position in which it is held by the lid, to an open position, when the lid is opened, in which the open position is more far from the rear panel than the closed position. Suitably, the front panel is provided at its upper edge with a vertical flexible flange which is arranged to engage with a lip on the front of the lid to hold the lid in a closed position. Suitably, the internal water impervious means comprise a coating for enclosing the moisture sensitive material. Suitably, the internal water impermeable means comprise a waterproof package which can be formed from a sheet or sheet. Suitably, the waterproof package comprises a removable bag. Suitably, the package comprises a package for moisture-sensitive material and comprises internal water-impermeable means for enclosing the moisture-sensitive material. According to one embodiment of the invention there is provided a package for a moisture sensitive material, in particular consumer products, the package comprising an inner waterproof coating for enclosing a moisture sensitive material, and the outer container comprising a base panel of which a front panel, back panel and two side panels extend upward and a lid supported by the upper part of the back panel, where the side panels have expandable portions that allow the front panel to move from a closed position in which it is held by the lid to an open position when the lid is opened in which this is further away from the rear panel than the closed position, and where the front panel is provided at its upper edge with a vertical flexible skirt which it is arranged to be coupled with a lip on the front of the lid to keep the lid in a closed position. According to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a container for a moisture-sensitive material, in particular consumer products, the container comprising an internal waterproof coating for enclosing the moisture-sensitive material, and an external container comprising a base panel of which a front panel, rear panel and two side panels extend upwards and a cover supported by the upper part of the rear panel, where the front panel is provided at its upper edge with a vertical flexible flange which is arranged to be attached with a lid on the front of the lid to keep the lid in a closed position. Suitably, the interlocking arrangement of the flange and the lip provides an "instant" closure which can be felt and / or heard by the consumer when the lid is completely closed. This provides, in an adequate way, a feeling of confidence to the consumer that serves to positively reinforce the need to close the lid. The mechanism also serves, in an appropriate manner, to positively retain the lid in place, thereby preventing accidental opening and providing an impediment to moisture ingress. The use of flexible side panels can allow the front of the box to be pulled forward, thereby increasing the interior space of the box. This can provide better access to the contents of the box in general, and can be particularly useful if the contents of the package are heavily stacked. The expandable portions of the side panels can take the form of separate panels of the flexible material. However, preferably, they are provided by bent portions which are arranged to unfold a certain degree when the front panel is pulled forward. Properly, the outer container is arranged so that the front panel can be compressed towards the rear panel, to make the upper edge move towards the rear panel, so that the flange and the lip can be coupled together to allow the lid open or open. Suitably, an outer container having two sides is arranged so that the side panels can be compressed towards each other to cause its upper edge to move towards the rear panel, so that the flange and the lip can be engaged between yes to allow the lid to open or be opened. Suitably, the outer container may comprise side and / or front and / or rear panels and / or curved bases. In particular, this feature may be present if the container does not have sides that expand. Suitably, one or more of the front, rear, side or base panels are provided with one or more curved edges. In that embodiment it is preferred that the edges separating the front panel from two side panels be curved. Preferably the other two edges are straight. Suitably, the outer container comprises a front panel, which is curved, so that a portion of the front panel is farther from the rear panel than from the edge of the front panel joining the base panel. Preferably, the side panels may have a beveled portion, adjacent the edges of the front panel, caused by the distortion of the container material. Suitably, the front panel can be made to curve outwards, especially in the middle portion thereof. Suitably, the front panel has a width in a side-by-side direction of the container which decreases from the base towards the middle portion of the front panel and which increases again toward the upper edge of the front panel opposite the base. The front panel can thus have a "clock glass" shape. In this way, the side panels can be made to bend, for example bevelled, at their junction with the front panel. Suitably, the front panel joins each side panel in a fold line created in the laminate material from which the outer container was formed. In the modality just described, the fold lines joining the front panel and the side panels are curved; by means of the curved fold lines the front panel can be curved and the region of each side panel adjacent to the fold line can be chamfered. Suitably, the outer container comprises a cardboard material. Preferably it is a solid cardboard box. Suitably, the outer container is arranged so that with use, the front panel can be depressed (i.e., that the front panel can be compressed towards the rear panel), or the side walls can be compressed towards each other , to cause the container to deform, so that the flange and the lip can be uncoupled to facilitate the opening of the lid. Preferably, the outer container is designed so that when the flange and lip are uncoupled, the lip automatically rises, that is, without any need to be held in itself. The provision of panels and / or curved side and / or front and / or rear edges may allow the internal water impermeable means to be received into the outer container. For example, the internal water-impermeable means may comprise a sealed package that accommodates a water-sensitive material and optionally a protective gas. The shape and design of the outer container can allow a greater degree of deformation of a corresponding container having a rectilinear shape and this can make it easier to insert the package from the container. The non-rectilinear shape can also reduce the likelihood of air trapping between the package and the base of the container and preventing the insertion of packages into the container. The cover, suitably has a flange or skirt that hangs downward containing the lip or flange. Preferably, the lid has a flange or skirt that hangs downwardly in which the lip was formed. The lip can be formed by any suitable means, such as a fixed component additional to the lid, or a raised portion pressed into the lid. However, more preferably, the lip is formed by one or more tabs that are extensions of one or more portions that form the rim of the cap that are bent toward a position in which they form the lip. Preferably, the flange has a curved configuration, arranged so that, the opening of the lid, the curved flange is pulled by the lip towards a more flat configuration before the additional movement of the lid causes its uncoupling from the lip. This can provide a force against the opening of the lid which is initially increased with the first movement of the lip and then released quickly. In the closed position, the flange is suitably flattened by the cover against the front panel and normally the curved nature of the flange causes the flange to exert a retention force on the cover, which can therefore ensure that it maintains its mesh with the lip. Suitably, the package houses material sensitive to moisture. Suitably, the moisture sensitive material comprises a plurality of discrete elements. The moisture sensitive material may comprise a moisture sensitive composition provided in bags for example. Suitably, the moisture sensitive material contains water softening ingredients. The internal waterproof means comprise, in a suitable manner, a sealed package. In use, the package can be broken and an item removed from it. The package can subsequently have an opening through which water and in particular atmospheric moisture can infiltrate. The construction of the outer container can minimize the amount of atmospheric moisture that can move toward this opening. This may be because the construction may increase the likelihood that a consumer closes the lid and can provide an improved closure. The articles that remain inside the container can thus be better protected from atmospheric humidity than would otherwise be the case. According to a second aspect of the invention, a container for a moisture sensitive material or material containing volatile ingredients is provided., the container comprising internal water-impermeable means for cooling the material and an external container comprising a base panel of which a front panel and rear and side panels extend upward and a cover on the upper part of the rear panel, where the panel The front has curved edges inwards, between the base panel and its upper edge, where the front panel curves forward at least when the outer container contains the materials. Preferably the lid is an instantaneous opening and closing lid, but more preferably (but not essentially in this embodiment) a lid arranged to engage the front panel as described and defined above. In other aspects, the preferred characteristics of the package are as described above. According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a packaged product comprising a package according to the first aspect and moisture sensitive material or material containing volatile ingredients housed therein. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for protecting moisture-sensitive material or material containing volatile ingredients, in particular consumer products, which comprises storing moisture sensitive material or material containing volatile ingredients in a container according to any previous aspect. Preferably, the method comprises protecting the material sensitive to moisture. The method may comprise, for example, protecting the material comprising water softening ingredients. Suitably, the method comprises storing a moisture sensitive material in a package comprising an internal waterproof coating for closing a moisture sensitive material and an outer container comprising a base panel of which a front panel, back panel and two side panels extend upwardly, and a lid supported by the upper part of the rear panel, where the front panel is provided at its upper edge with a vertical flexible flap which is arranged to engage with a lip on the front of the lid to keep the lid in a closed position. The above method can additionally utilize a container where the side panels have expandable portions, which allow the front panel to move from a closed position in which it is held by the lid to an open position when the lid is opened, which is more away from the rear panel than the closed position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The container examples according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying Figures in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first example; Figure 2A is a perspective view of a second example with the lid closed; Figure 2B is a perspective view of the second example of the opposite side with the lid open; Figure 2C is a plan view of the piece on which the box of the second example was formed; Figure 3A is a perspective view of a third example with the lid open; Figure 3B is a perspective view of the third example with the lid closed; Figure 3C is a front view of the third example; and Figure 3D is a side view of the third example.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The package of the present invention comprises an outer box 1 as shown in Figure 1. It contains an internal waterproof container (not shown) which will contain all the contents of the box, or will contain individual products inside the box. Alternatively, the contents of the box may be divided among a number of internal pack members.
For example, in the case of bags having water softeners for use in a washing machine, the bags can be packaged in two waterproof packages, so that half the contents of the package remain in a waterproof package , sealed, while the content of the other packages is used. The box 1 comprises a base panel 2 not visible in Figure 1 while the box remains in the base panel. A front panel 3, the rear panel 4 and two side panels 5 extend upwardly from the base panel 2 and are joined together as shown to form the body of the box. A cover 6 hangs from the upper part of the rear panel 4, the connection being a joint formed by a fold line between the cover 6 and the rear panel 4. The cover has a flange or skirt that hangs downwards, comprising a panel of front flange 7 and two side flange panels 8. The side flange panels 8 are provided with flange flaps 9 which are bent under the front flange panel 7 and secured as shown, so that the top edges form a lip 10 (in the manner also shown in Figures 2B and 3A). Each of the side panels 5 is provided with a concertina portion 11 formed by three fold lines 12 extending upwards from the side panel. This allows the front panel 3 to be pulled forward from its closed position. A flexible flap 13 is bent up and out from the top of the front panel 3. To close the box, the front panel 3 is pushed towards the rear panel 4 by compressing the concertina portions. The lid is then closed. Alternatively the lid can be closed and in this way the front panel 3 can be pulled back towards the rear panel 4. In any case, when the closure takes place the front edge panel 7 pushes a flexible flap 13 towards the front panel 3 until the free edge 14 of the flexible flap 13 passes through the lip 10 when the elasticity of the flexible flap provides instantaneous adjustment with the lid 10. This provides a deflecting force to keep the lid 6 closed. When the lid is lifted to open the container, the flexible flap 13 is initially pulled up with the lid 6 when the free edge 14 of the flexible flap 13 is still engaged with the lip 10. This initial movement deforms the flexible flap 13 its configuration curves to a flatter configuration until the free edge 14 moves out of engagement with the lip 10, after which the lid is free to open further. The front panel 3 will then move forward by itself or can be pulled to facilitate access to the contents of the box. Figures 2A-2C describe a second example of the present invention. In most aspects, this is the same as the first example, although the concertina portions 11 in the side panels 5 have been replaced by fold lines 20, which allow the side panels to warp outward when the container is opened. This not only provides better access to the contents of the box when the front panel is pulled forward, but also provides an increase in the width of the box thus facilitating further access. As shown in Figure 2A, the side panels 5 can move inward to allow the cover 6 to close. Also as shown in Figure 2A the front panel 3 is bent outwards, being slightly convex as seen. Figure 2C shows a piece from which the box was formed. It will be appreciated that the example of Figure 1 was formed from a similar piece with modifications for the concertina portions 11. The assembly of the box of the piece will be readily apparent from Figure 2C since the box is simply bent towards up in a normal way and the tabs 21 are attached to the different panels to form the finished box. Of note in Figure 2C are the flanges of the flange 9 extending from the panels of the side flange 8. Those are bent towards the position as shown in Figure 2B to form the lip 10. As an alternative to or in addition to those panels of side flange 9, the front flange panel which could be provided with a lip panel extending from its free edge (ie above the panel 7 as shown in Figure 2C) which is then folded back over the front lip panel 7 to form the lip 10. Figures 3a-3D describe a third example of the present invention. In most aspects, this is the same as the second example, but the side panels do not share the same expansion feature. Instead, the outer case 1 comprises curved fold lines separating the front panel 3 and the side panels 5. Each connection between the front panel 3 and the side panel 5 is in effect constituted by a curved bend line 30 and a line of pseudodoblez curve 32. Line 32 is not formed by the bend but by the distortion that arises from the design of the container. Each pair of curved bend line 30 and curve pseudo-doubled line 33 are together at their bottom (coincident with the base panel) and the top (somewhat near the top of the front panel and the side panel, which region which is constituted by a straight fold line 34 between the panels) to define a bevel in lenticular form 36, which is an oblique surface to the adjacent front and side panels. The fold lines 30 forming the flanges of the front panel 3 converge at their base towards their middle portion and diverge back towards the upper edge of the panel giving the front panel 3 a "clock glass" shape as best illustrated in the Figure 3C. The fold lines 32 forming the edges of the side panels 5 adjacent to the front panel also curve inwardly in the middle portion of the side panels. The bevel between the fold lines 30 and 32 is oblique to the front panel 3 and the respective side panels 5. Those features result in the front panel 3 warping away from the rear panel 4 in a middle portion of the panel as best illustrated in Figure 3D. The outer case 1 contains internal waterproof means (not shown) comprising two water-tight packages. These packages house materials sensitive to water. The curved shape of the outer case 1 can provide a degree of deformation for the outer case 1 and the packages (not shown), so that the packages can be easily located in the case 1. In use, the depression of the camber in the front panel 3 with the lid closed can cause the flange 13 to move relative to the flanges of the flange 9, which provides a lip 10, so that the flange 13 and the lip 10 are decoupled allowing the cover 6 to move conveniently to an open position.