GB2437725A

GB2437725A - Double wall container with liner

Info

Publication number: GB2437725A
Application number: GB0608503A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edwin Ruddock
Original assignee: Field Group PLC
Current assignee: Field Group PLC
Priority date: 2006-04-28
Filing date: 2006-04-28
Publication date: 2007-11-07
Also published as: GB0608503D0

Abstract

A container comprises a core 12, or liner, having a plurality of walls 20, 22, 24, 26 extending from a base panel 16, and a cover 14 of sheet material which is folded around said core 12 such that respective wall panels 20, 22, 24, 26 of the core 12 are sandwiched between layers (e.g. 40a, 40b) of the sheet material. Preferably the cover 14 has inner and outer side wall panels (e.g. 40a, 40b) extending from a base 34, the side wall panels (e.g. 40a, 40b) being folded around respective side wall panels (e.g. 20) of the core 12 or liner. Preferably the core 12 or liner is made of a stronger material than the material of the cover 14, and the cover 14 is retained in position around the core 12 without the use of adhesive. The core 12 or liner and the cover 14 are formed from blanks.

Description

90402.214 Containers The present invention relates to containers and in

particular, but not exclusively, to trays used in packaging.

It is common in packaging of confectionery such as chocolates, for example, to package the product in a tray which is provided with a cover or a lid. The tray is frequently erected from a blank of lightweight foldable sheet material such as paperboard. The blank is provided with panels which, when erected, typically provide a base wall and double thickness side walls.

This type of construction is satisfactory for many applications, but there are occasions where a stronger construction is required, for example to allow more substantial products to be packaged. The present invention seeks to provide such a construction and from a first aspect provides a container comprising a core having a plurality of wall panels and a cover comprising a sheet material folded around said core such that respective core wall panels are sandwiched between layers of the sheet material.

Thus a container in accordance with the invention has a core with a cover folded about the core. The cover sandwiches the wall panels of the core to provide a laminated, multi thickness wall construction adding strength to the container.

The core may be a preformed body, e.g. of a plastics or other material. Preferably however it is formed from a blank of sheet material comprising a plurality of hingedly interconnected panels. The blank may, therefore comprise a plurality of hingedly interconnected side wall panels, for example a row of panels. Preferably, however, the core blank also comprises a base wall panel. In the preferred embodiment the side wall panels are each hingedly interconnected to the base wall panel.

Preferably the cover is formed from a blank having respective, hingedly interconnected base and side wall panels. Preferably the side wall panels comprise inner and outer side wall panels which are folded around the respective core side wall panels. The respective inner and outer side wall panels are each preferably interconnected by an intermediate panel which covers the top edge of the core side wall panel. This is particularly advantageous where the core side walls are relatively thick.

In the preferred embodiment the cover comprises inner and outer base panels. The inner base wall panel is preferably hingedly attached to a cover side wall panel.

The core and cover may be made of the same material, but preferably the core is made from a stronger material than the cover. Thus, for example, the core may be made of a thicker material than the cover. The cover may be made from a board material, for example paperboard. The core may be made from another board material such as cardboard, more particularly a corrugated board material.

Preferably the flute of the corrugated board, e.g. a C-flute board, runs in the direction of the longer dimension of the core.

The container may have any required cross sectional shape, for example rectangular, hexagonal or some other polygonal shape.

The side walls of the container may be of any desired height. For example, the walls may be relatively shallow, forming a tray-like body. However, a container for receiving say a bottle may have relatively high walls.

In order to facilitate erection of the container, the cover is preferably retained on said core without the use of adhesive. Thus the cover may be retained for example through the interengagement of and/or friction between the various components of the container.

The invention also extends to a container in accordance with the invention further comprising a lid. The container itself may be provided with additional panels which in use may form the lid, or it may be a completely separate component.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a tray in accordance with the invention; Figures 2A to Figure 2C shows the stage in construction of the tray of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a core for constructing a further container in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 shows a cover for use with the core of Figure 3; Figure 5 shows a core for constructing a yet further container in accordance with the invention; and Figure 6 shows a cover for use with the core of Figure 5.

With reference to Figure 1, a container, more specifically a tray 2, in accordance with the invention comprises a base 4 and side walls 6, 8, 10, 12.

As shown in Figure 2A, the tray 2 is made up from a core blank 12 and a cover blank 14.

The core blank 12 is formed from a corrugated cardboard material and comprises a core base panel 16 and core wall panels 18, 20, 22, 24 which are hingedly connected to the core base panel 16 about respective hinge lines 26, 28, 30, 32.

The hinge lines 26, 28, 30, 32 are preferably formed as respective cut creases, although they could also be formed by cutting partially through the thickness of the board material such that the core side wall panels 18, 20, 22, 24 remain attached to the core base panel 16 only through the upper facing layer of the corrugated board material. This allows the core wall panels 18, 20, 22, 24 to be folded upwardly during erection of the tray 2.

Preferably the flute of the corrugated board (e.g. C-flute) runs along the longer dimension of the blank 12.

The cover blank 14 is made of a paperboard material. It comprises an outer base panel 34 and an inner base panel 36. Hingedly attached to the outer base panel 34 are respective arrays 38, 40, 42, 44 of side wall panels.

Each array of side wall panels comprises an outer side wall panel 38a, 40a, 42a, 44a and an inner side wall panel 38b, 40b, 42b, 44b. The respective outer side wall panels 38a, 40a, 42a, 44a are hingedly connected to the outer base panel 34 by hinge lines (creases) 46. The inner side wall panels 38b, 40b, 42b, 44b are connected to the outer side wall panels 38a, 40a, 42a, 44a through intermediate panels 38c, 40c, 42c, 44c to which both the inner and outer side wall panels are hingedly connected.

The intermediate panels 38c, 40c, 42c, 44c are as wide as the core blank 12 is thick so as to be able to sit over the edges of the blank side wall panels 18, 20, 22, 24, on erection of the blank.

The respective side wall outer panels 38a, 40a, 42a, 44a are connected by respective sets of gusset panels 48, 50, 52, 54. Moreover, opposed side wall inner panels 40b, 44b are provided with tabs 56 on either end. Three of the inner side wall panels 38b, 40b, 42b, are also provided with a strip 38d, 40d, 42d along their outermost edges.

The fourth inner side wall panel 44b is, however, provided instead with the inner basepanel36.

Erection of the tray 2 will now be described. As shown in Figure 2A, the core blank 12 is positioned centrally on the outer base panel 34 of the cover blank 14 with the core side wall panels 18, 20, 22, 24 folded up at right angles to the core base panel 16.

The arrays 38, 40, 42, 44 of cover side wall panels can then be folded inwardly about the core side wall panels 18, 20, 22, 24. Thus the end wall panels 38 are folded such that the outer side wall panel 38a overlies the outer face of the core side wall panel 18, the intermediate panel 38c overlies the top edge of that panel 18, the inner side wall panel 38b overlies the inner surface of the core side wall panel 18 and finally, the strip 38d is brought down into contact with the core base panel 16.

The same sequence applies to the other arrays of cover side wall panels. It should be noted that the gusset panels 48, 50, 52, 54 are folded in such that they will be retained between respective outer cover side wall panels and the corresponding blank side wall panels. The various tabs 56 are folded such as to lie against the inner surfaces of the adjacent core side wall panels and be covered by the overlying cover inner side wall panels.

The final step in construction is folding over the inner cover base panel 36 such that it covers the respective strips 38d, 40d and 42d such that the inner surface of the tray 2 will appear completely planar.

The tray as described above can be erected without the need for gluing, due to the interengagement of and friction between the various panels. This considerably facilitates erection of the tray. Glue can be used if necessary, however, although this is not preferred.

It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, to facilitate erection, the tabs 56 may be provided at the edges of the panels 38b, 42b instead. Also, in the core blank 12, cut-outs may be provided in the corner regions of the base panel and adjacent side wall panels so as to facilitate folding.

In addition, the dimensions and shapes of the various panels may differ from that shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 3 and 4 show a core blank and a cover blank for a second embodiment of the invention.

The layout of the core blank 100 is generally similar to that of the first embodiment, although the side wall panels 102, 104, 106,108 are relatively deeper than the corresponding panels of the first embodiment. Also, cut outs 110 are provided between the panels so as to facilitate erection of the blank 100.

The cover blank 120 is also similar in layout to the corresponding blank 14 of the first embodiment, except that the tabs 122 are provided on the panels 124 rather than on panel 126 The embodiment of Figures 3 and 4 would be suited to receiving say a bottle or the like.

Figures 5 and 6 show a core blank and a cover blank for a third embodiment of the invention.

In this embodiment, the container to be produced is hexagonal in shape.

Accordingly, the core blank 200 has six wall panels 202 hingedly connected to a base panel 204. Cut outs 206 are provided between the wall panels 200.

The cover blank 210 has respective arrays 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, 222 of side wall panels, connected by respective gusset panels 224. Tabs 226 are provided on each of the arrays as shown, except for array 218, which is provided with an additional base panel 228.

The hexagonal container is erected in the same manner as the rectangular containers, with the gusset panels 224 being suitably hidden between the cover panels and the core panels.

While the containers described above are preferably constructed from board materials, other foldable sheet materials such as plastics materials, may also be used.

Claims

Claims 1. A container comprising a core having a plurality of wall

panels and a cover of a sheet material folded around said core such that respective wall panels of the core are sandwiched between layers of the sheet material.

2. A container as claimed in claim I wherein the core is formed from a blank comprising a plurality of hingedly interconnected panels.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2 wherein the core blank comprises a base wall panel and a plurality of side wall panels.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3 wherein the side wall panels are each hingedly interconnected to the base wall panel.

5. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the cover is formed from a blank having respective, hingedly interconnected base and side wall panels.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5 wherein the cover side wall panels comprise inner and outer side wall panels which are folded around respective core side wall panels.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6 wherein the respective inner and outer side wall panels are interconnected by an intennediate panel which covers the top edge of the core side wall panel.

8. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the cover comprises inner and outer base cover panels.

9. A container as claimed in claim 8 wherein the inner base wall panel is hingedly attached to a side wall cover panel.

10. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the core is made from a stronger material than the cover.

11. A container as claimed in claim 10 wherein the core is made of a thicker material than the cover.

12. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the cover is made from a board material.

13. A container as claimed in claim 12 wherein the cover is made from paperboard.

14. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the core is made from a board material.

15. A container as claimed in claim 15 wherein the core is made from cardboard.

16. A container as claimed in claim 14 or 15 wherein the core is made from a corrugated board material.

17. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said container is open topped.

18. A container as claimed in claim 17 wherein said container is a tray.

19. A container as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a lid.

20. A container as claimed in claim 19 wherein said lid is formed as a separate component.

21. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said cover is retained on said core without the use of adhesive.