A container for heating a food product. The container comprises a base layer of material and a liner releasably attached to an inner surface of the base layer. The liner is at least partially attached to the base layer by a heat seal layer, and the liner is separable from the base layer after heating the container. The container comprises a bottom panel and a sidewall extending along the bottom panel.

A tray forming apparatus forms a blank into a tray having a double glued side wall construction for providing a desirable strength to the tray. A platen drives the blank through a forming rails which fold the blank into a partially formed tray having bottom, end and side walls, and inside corner supports formed about the platen. The platen is retracted prior to folding arms further extended portions of the partially formed tray. A compression plate and the folding arms are biased against adhesive portions of the tray for forming a fully formed tray having a double glued side wall construction.

A collapsible bulk material container apparatus, kit and method of assembly employ a forming member having a plurality of interconnected sidewalls, a locking mechanism that fixedly orients the sidewalls continuously about an internal bulk material receiving cavity, and a tubular open-ended woven fabric sleeve that supportively overlies the sidewalls. A connector system rapidly engageable during container assembly, fixedly secures the support sleeve of an unloaded container against subsequent upward movement along the sidewalls. Strategically located friction reducing surfaces of the forming member facilitates sliding assembly of the sleeve over the forming member sidewalls.

A collapsible bulk material container apparatus, kit and method of assembly employ a forming member having a plurality of interconnected sidewalls, a locking mechanism that fixedly orients the sidewalls continuously about an internal bulk material receiving cavity, and a tubular open-ended woven fabric sleeve that supportively overlies the sidewalls. A connector system rapidly engageable during container assembly, fixedly secures the support sleeve of an unloaded container against subsequent upward movement along the sidewalls. Strategically located friction reducing surfaces of the forming member facilitates sliding assembly of the sleeve over the forming member sidewalls.

A machine for automatically manufacturing customized packaging items (I) from continuous laminar material, comprising at least one cutting and creasing unit (2) to form sheets (F) of laminar material with a plurality of cuttings and/or bendinglines (C), at least one variable-geometry forming unit (5) for forming the sheet (F) so cut and creased into a package (I) of predetermined dimensions, a multifunctional robotized manipulator (24) for automatically picking up one sheet (F) at a time from the cutting and creasing unit (2) and feeding the forming unit (5), the manipulator (24) being designed to automatically adapt to the predetermined dimensions of the packaging (I) on the forming unit (5) and interact therewith to form the packaging (I).

A machine for automatically manufacturing customized packaging items (I) from continuous laminar material, comprising at least one cutting and creasing unit (2) to form sheets (F) of laminar material with a plurality of cuttings and/or bendinglines (C), at least one variable-geometry forming unit (5) for forming the sheet (F) so cut and creased into a package (I) of predetermined dimensions, a multifunctional robotized manipulator (24) for automatically picking up one sheet (F) at a time from the cutting and creasing unit (2) and feeding the forming unit (5), the manipulator (24) being designed to automatically adapt to the predetermined dimensions of the packaging (I) on the forming unit (5) and interact therewith to form the packaging (I).

A packing box has a bottom panel, end panels raised from first edges of the bottom panel, side panels arranged adjacently to the end panels, edge panels connected to side edges of the end panels via outer panel fold lines, fold-back panels arranged on inner side surfaces of the edge panels, inner panels arranged on inner side surfaces of the end panels, and reinforcing panels continuously formed with the fold-back panels via first fold lines and the inner panels via second fold lines. The reinforcing panel 16 is formed in an inwardly projecting manner between the fold-back panel and the inner panel. Any of the first and second fold lines positioned on a side closer to the outer panel fold line than a projecting top portion is arranged away from the outer panel fold line by a distance.

For closing packages (9) provided with a movable pouring spout, an adhesive is applied to one or both portions of a first pair of folding portions (16) which are movable integrally with an inclined wall (14) of a chamfered corner (10) of the package (9). The first folding portions (16) may be coupled to a second pair of folding portions (18), which are movable integrally with an oscillatable tongue (12) of the spout. The adhesive adheres the second portions (18) to the first portions (16) when the tongue (12) moves toward the inclined wall (14).

For closing packages (9) provided with a movable pouring spout, an adhesive is applied to one or both portions of a first pair of folding portions (16) which are movable integrally with an inclined wall (14) of a chamfered corner (10) of the package (9). The first folding portions (16) may be coupled to a second pair of folding portions (18), which are movable integrally with an oscillatable tongue (12) of the spout. The adhesive adheres the second portions (18) to the first portions (16) when the tongue (12) moves toward the inclined wall (14).

A container forming apparatus for forming a container from a blank includes a blank transfer station including an adhesive assembly having a plurality of adhesive applicators, and a compression station downstream of the blank transfer station, the compression station including a vertically movable mandrel and a forming tool below the mandrel. The forming tool defines a cavity therein and has an inner profile complementary in shape to an outer profile of the mandrel. Hot-melt adhesive is applied to an interior surface of the blank as the blank is transferred through the adhesive assembly. The blank is positioned beneath the mandrel, and the mandrel drives the blank downward into the cavity of forming tool. Side and end compression plates consecutively fold side and end flange panels, and the formed container includes a fully formed top flange.