RU2700199C1 - Packaging for food products - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: packaging industry.

SUBSTANCE: described is a package containing food products, in particular confectionary products having brittle edges or ends (4') of the type containing: container (2) consisting of at least one bent rigid or semi-rigid sheet and having a bottom and side walls surrounding said bottom; and several said products (4) contained in said container. Said package is characterized in that the bottom of said container has one or more channels (20), each of which is formed by at least one inclined wall (22) provided on said bottom, wherein said inclined wall is configured to support said products (4) in its region near said edges or ends (4'), but such that said edges or ends are placed in said channel without contact with any wall or other part of said bottom.

EFFECT: disclosed is a package for food products.

10 cl, 3 dwg

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to packaging containing food products having brittle edges or ends, in particular confectionery products.

State of the art

With reference, in particular, to products manufactured primarily for consumption in the form of snacks, the products are usually individually packaged in wrappers, for example, heat sealable wraps, and are placed in pieces in containers sold in trays.

For storage and transportation of the containers in question, they, in turn, are placed in a package so that they can be moved along the sales chain to the end points of sales. The distribution stage is obviously a special stage for the fragile products discussed here, so this problem has been considered with particular attention to packaging, in addition to the rest.

To complete the picture, at least with respect to the objects of interest here, it should be additionally indicated with respect to the packaging mentioned at the beginning that one of the types of containers most common in this area is definitely represented by cardboard packaging consisting of one or more bent rigid or semi-rigid sheets . However, today the types of snacks on the market are numerous, and their number is growing, so there is a need to provide new packages that meet different requirements in terms of format, methods of opening, protecting products, etc., imposed by new types of product.

Object of the invention

In the context of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a container that can hold products unchanged, with reference to products, in particular having brittle edges or ends, such as products coated or partially coated with chocolate, wafers, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above task is achieved using packaging that has the distinctive features specified in paragraph 1 of the claims. The present invention also relates to the container according to paragraph 7 and the sheet according to paragraph 10.

The claims are an integral part of the technical teachings proposed here in relation to the invention.

Detailed Description of Some Embodiments

Additional features and advantages of the invention are obvious from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, presented solely by way of non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the package described herein;

Figure 2 is a view in cross section of the packaging of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a schematic view in partial cross section of various embodiments of the bottom of the packaging container shown in Figure 1.

The following description includes various specific elements for a thorough understanding of the embodiments. These embodiments may be presented without one or more specific elements, or may include other methods, components or materials, etc. In other cases, known structures, materials or operations are not shown or not described in detail, so that some objects of the embodiment do not remain undescribed.

The references used here are provided for convenience and, therefore, do not define the scope of protection or the scope of the embodiments.

The packaging described here is a packaging set for food products specially designed for use in packaging, so-called snacks.

In general, the package described herein — generally indicated at 10 in the drawings — comprises a container 2 formed by a folded rigid or semi-rigid sheet, for example made of paper or cardboard, and several products 4 arranged in one or more rows in the container. Preferably, the individual products are contained within the wrappers 6, so that when opening the container, the consumer can use the individual products at different times and, in particular, can take them with him one at a time or in some quantity for consumption during the day.

It should be noted that the wrapper of an individual product contains only a protective membrane that separates the specified product from the environment, but does not provide protection against mechanical damage. The wrapper in question can of course be of a known type widely used in food packaging. Preferably, in any case, the use of sealed wrappers of a heat seal type is provided, due to the simplicity of their manufacture and effective protection of the product. Depending on the type of product, it is also possible to provide for the use of leaky wrappers.

As indicated above, the packaging described herein is designed, inter alia, for products having particularly brittle edges or ends that are likely to break off during handling and transportation of the package. The products in question, for example, are represented by products coated or partially coated with inelastic rigid material, such as wafers, chocolate, etc.

In the package described here, the bottom of said container has one or more channels 20, each of which is formed by at least one inclined wall 22 provided on the bottom of the container, while the considered inclined wall is made to support products in the area near the edges or ends indicated above, but in such a way that these edges or ends are placed in the channel so that they do not come into contact with any wall or other part of the bottom.

In this regard, FIG. 2 shows how the products 4 rest on the walls 22 in their end regions without contacting the walls with the ends 4 ', which are the most fragile part of the product. In general, an individual product is thus supported from below by an inclined wall of said channel, and on the sides by both the side walls of the container and other related products.

As shown in the drawings, the products 4 are arranged in a row along the channel, along each other, and the number of channels provided at the bottom of the container depends only on the number of products that the container should contain.

Due to the above properties, it is possible to arrange the products 4 in the container 2 in the most preferred way from the point of view of space utilization and access to products, while maintaining their integrity.

In particular, it is understood that no matter the impact that products in a container may be subjected to, their most fragile parts are protected, and in any circumstances it is guaranteed that the products reach individual points of sale intact.

The properties supplied with the channel or channels in question can vary significantly, also depending on the number of channels that need to be obtained at the bottom. In this regard, FIG. 3 shows three successive examples of containers with one, two and three channels 20. In the solution with one channel (Figure 3, view A), the latter is obtained simply as a result of the inclined position of the bottom relative to two opposite side walls of the container, in this case, the bottom in this case is formed along its entire length by the inclined wall 22. In two other solutions with the number of channels more than one, the bottom is instead folded to obtain several inclined walls. In the solution with two channels (FIG. 3, view B), each of the channels is formed by an inclined wall and a corresponding side wall facing it. In the solution with three channels (Figure 3, view C), each of the external channels is formed by a corresponding side wall and inclined walls facing it, while the central channel is formed by two central inclined walls diverging upward.

Preferably, the container 2 consists of a single cut and bent sheet. In any case, it is possible to provide alternative embodiments in which said container consists of several assembled sheets, one of which, for example, is provided directly to form the bottom of the container.

Of course, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the details of the design and embodiments may vary, even significantly, relative to the presented here solely by way of non-limiting example, without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the attached claims.

Claims (15)

1. A package containing food products having brittle edges or ends (4 '), in particular confectionery products, containing: - capacity (2), consisting of at least one bent rigid or semi-rigid sheet and having a bottom and side walls surrounding the specified bottom; and - a plurality of said products (4) contained in said container; wherein said packaging is characterized in that: the bottom of said container has one or more channels (20), each of which is formed by at least one inclined wall (22) provided on said bottom, and wherein said inclined wall is configured to support said products (4) in its vicinity the specified edges or ends (4 '), but so that the specified edges or ends are placed in the specified channel without contact with any wall or other part of the specified bottom. 2. The packaging according to claim 1, in which the specified bottom consists of a sheet or part of a sheet that is bent in the form of an accordion and forms many inclined walls. 3. The packaging according to claim 1 or 2, in which the specified channel (20) is made with the possibility of accepting only the corresponding end parts of these products having the specified edges or ends (4 '). 4. Packaging according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein said bottom has a plurality of said channels (20) extending parallel to each other along said bottom. 5. Packaging according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, in which these products are contained in appropriate wrappers (6). 6. Packaging according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, in which a series of products (4) is located along the specified channel (20) in a state in which these products are supported by the specified inclined wall (20), and the corresponding edges or ends (4 ') of these products placed in the specified channel (20) without contact with any wall or other part of the specified bottom. 7. A packaging container according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein said container consists of at least one rigid or semi-rigid folded sheet and has a bottom and side walls surrounding said bottom; wherein said container (2) is characterized in that said bottom has one or more channels (20), each of which is formed by at least one inclined wall (22) provided on said bottom, wherein said inclined wall (22) is made with the ability to support these products (4) in the specified package in its area near the specified brittle edges or ends (4 '), but so that these edges or ends are placed in the specified channel (20) without contact with any wall or other part specified bottom. 8. The container according to claim 7, wherein said bottom consists of a sheet or part of a sheet bent in the form of an accordion and forming a plurality of inclined walls (22). 9. A container according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said bottom has a plurality of said channels (20) extending in parallel along said bottom. 10. A rigid or semi-rigid sheet having a perimetric contour and pre-formed fold lines configured to provide capacity (2) according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

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