PACKAGE

Abstract

A hybrid package (10) is provided and comprises a wall (20) formed from a paper or paper-based material and a frame (15) formed from a plastics material. The frame (15) includes a step which is positioned against a free edge of the wall, whereby one or more exposed edges of the wall are protected by the frame.

Claims

1-31. (canceled)

32. A hybrid package comprising a wall formed from a paper or paper-based material and a frame formed from a plastics material, in which the frame includes a step which is positioned against a free edge of the wall, whereby one or more exposed edges of the wall are protected by the frame.

33. The package as claimed in claim 32, in which all exposed edges of the wall are covered by the frame.

34. The package as claimed in claim 32, in which a step is provided in the region of a frame corner.

35. The package as claimed in claim 32, in which the wall is a wraparound side sleeve and the package further comprises a base.

36. The package as claimed in claim 35, in which the base comprises paper or paper-based material and/or plastic material.

37. The package as claimed in claim 32, further comprising a lid.

38. The package as claimed in claim 32, in which the frame includes a foot upon which the package rests in use.

39. The package as claimed in claim 38, in which the foot includes a step onto which the wall is received.

40. The package as claimed in claim 32, in which the frame comprises an upper ring and a lower ring, and in which the rings are joined by a stem.

41. The package as claimed in claim 40, in which the lower ring includes a radially inwardly extending part that allows formation of the frame using an off-centre injection point.

42. The package as claimed in claim 40, in which the upper ring has a larger diameter than the lower ring.

43. The package as claimed in claim 40, in which the wall is formed as a flat blank that is foldable into a final form.

44. The package as claimed in claim 43, in which the wall is folded only in a single plane.

45. The package as claimed in claim 43, in which the wall is formed from a fibre-based material, in which there is generally uni-directional orientation of fibres in the blank and in which that uni-directional orientation is maintained in the final form.

46. A mixed material package comprising an injection moulded polypropylene skeleton, a paperboard wraparound side sleeve, and a paperboard base.

47. The package as claimed in claim 46, further comprising a lid.

48. The package as claimed in claim 47, in which the lid comprises a polypropylene frame and a paperboard deck.

49. The package as claimed in claim 47, further comprising a sub-lid which is attached or attachable to the lid.

50. A package as claimed in claim 49, in which a void is formed between the lid and the sub-lid.

51. A method of forming a hybrid package comprising: providing a wall formed from a paper or paper-based material; inserting the wall into a mould; and injection overmoulding a frame onto the wall.

Description

[0065] The terminology used herein to describe embodiments is not intended to limit the scope. The articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are singular in that they have a single referent, however the use of the singular form in the present document should not preclude the presence of more than one referent. In other words, elements referred to in the singular can number one or more, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, items, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, items, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[0066] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein are to be interpreted as is customary in the art. It will be further understood that terms in common usage should also be interpreted as is customary in the relevant art and not in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0067] Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a package generally indicated 10. The exploded view shows the package 10 to comprise a frame 15, a wraparound sidewall 20 and a base 25.

[0068] The frame comprises an upper ring 16 and a lower ring 17 which are axially spaced and joined by an inclined stem/tether 18. The upper ring includes depending tab which in use form around notches formed in the sidewall.

[0069] FIG. 2 shows a partial section of the paperboard material used in this embodiment for the sidewall 20 and the base 25.

[0070] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrates the lower ring 17 and shows that at its “bottom” face (i.e. the face on which the package will rest in use) a foot is formed by arcuate feet portions 18. The portions 18 are spaced by radially inwardly extending rims 19 on which the base 25 rests in the package. The foot protects the paperboard base against damage (wear and water damage) during filling and subsequent usage.

[0071] FIG. 5 shows a blank used to form the sidewall 20. A punch line is shown in solid line. The blank is generally arcuate and includes two notches 22.

[0072] FIG. 6 shows a blank used to form the base 25. A punch line is shown in solid line.

[0073] FIGS. 7 and 8 relate to an overmoulding process used to form a package of the type described in relation to FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0074] In this embodiment a package is formed by first taking a wall blank of the type shown in FIG. 5 and a base blank of the type shown in FIG. 6. The blanks are placed in female mould cavities (eight separate cavities are shown by way of example in FIG. 8).

[0075] Illustrated in FIG. 7 is: the areas 35 into which plastics material flows; the paperboard blanks 37; and areas 39 of paperboard that are compressed/under pre-tension when the male part of the mould is closed onto the female part.

[0076] When the tool is closed, the paper is compressed on well-chosen surfaces to ensure that the plastic does not extend over it in an overmoulding step. The board does not take up the entire mould; the room that remains is filled with polypropylene, so the plastics skeleton is fused to the paper carton and becomes a structural member of the product.

[0077] Also illustrated in FIG. 7 is a single limb 40 which extends radially inwardly from the lower ring of the frame. The free end 41 of the limb 40 is the gate point of the mould. In this embodiment this means an injection point approximately 17 mm off centre. Also shown are the tabs that depend from the upper ring.

[0078] FIG. 9 shows a package 110 formed according to a further embodiment in assembled and exploded views.

[0079] FIG. 10 shows a package 110 of the type shown in FIG. 9 and including a lid 150. The lid 150 is a push-fit/snap-fit into the upper ring of the frame.

[0080] In this embodiment the lid is formed from plastics materials. In other embodiments a mixed material lid is provided.

[0081] FIGS. 11 and 12 show perspective and side exploded views of a package formed according to a further embodiment. The formed package 210 is shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 and 17 to 20. Stacked packages are shown in FIG. 16.

[0082] FIGS. 21 to 23 are side, plan and perspective views of a package 310 formed according to a further embodiment. FIG. 24 shows two packages of the type shown in FIGS. 21 to 23 stacked one on top of the other.

[0083] FIGS. 25 to 27 are side, plan and perspective views of a package 410 formed according to a further embodiment. FIG. 28 shows two packages of the type shown in FIGS. 25 to 27 stacked one on top of the other.

[0084] FIGS. 29 to 34 show a package 510 formed according to a further embodiment.

[0085] FIGS. 35 to 41 show a package 610 formed according to a further embodiment. In this embodiment the package is generally rectangular/cuboidal.

[0086] FIGS. 42 and 43 show a package 710 formed according to a further embodiment and shown in assembled and exploded views. The package is generally rectangular.

[0087] FIGS. 44 to 46 illustrate a corner region of a package 810.

[0088] A ring 817 is shown, having a generally T-shape section. The section of the ring 817 includes an L-shape upper section 817a and an L-shape lower section 817b which depending from the corner of the upper section. A generally horizontal (in the drawing) leg of the upper section is formed against the base 825; a generally vertical leg of the upper section is formed against the sidewall 820. The base also abuts an inner surface of a longer leg of the lower section. The shorter leg of the lower section forms feet portions 818 and provide an outward step. It will be noted that the free end of the sidewall is formed against the step. It will also be noted that the plastic material only extends along the inner face of the sidewall; there is only plastic on one side and end.

[0089] FIG. 46 shows that the plastics material is formed across all of the exposed edge of the sidewall, even across the gaps 819 (useful as an end point for labels, for example). For purposes of illustration, FIG. 47 shows the corner region but with the frame shown removed, so that the sidewall and base can be seen clearly, with their exposed edges being highlighted.

[0090] The foot protects the paperboard base and sidewall against damage (wear and water damage) during filling and subsequent usage. Exposed edges of the base and the sidewall are covered by material of the frame.

[0091] FIG. 48 shows the wraparound sidewall in the region where its two ends approach.

[0092] FIG. 49 shows the upper ring 816 of the package. The ring 816 is formed with depending tabs 826 which mould around notches in the sidewall.

[0093] FIGS. 50A to 50D show progressively the flow of plastic material during moulding. It will be noted that the stem includes a feeder channel, allowing material to flow from the lower 817 to the upper ring 816. Only one channel is provided between the rings in this embodiment.

[0094] FIGS. 51 to 58 illustrate a package 950 formed according to a further embodiment. The package 950 comprises base 960, a lid 970 and a sub-lid 980. The lid snap-fits/clips onto the base and the sub-lid snap-fits/clips into the lid. Other ways of connecting the parts together (e.g. screw thread formations, bayonet fixing means or the like) could be provided. A void 990 is formed between the lid and the sub-lid.

[0095] The base 960 comprises a bottom disc 962 formed from laminated cardboard, a generally cylindrical (in this embodiment) wraparound sidewall 963 formed from laminated cardboard and a moulded-on frame formed from a plastics material and having an upper part 964 and a lower part 965.

[0096] The lid 970 comprises an annular frame 972 formed from a plastics material and a disc-like 974 insert formed from laminated cardboard.

[0097] The sub-lid 980 comprises a plug-like frame 982 formed from a plastics material and a disc-like top deck 984 formed from laminated cardboard.

[0098] The package shares certain similarities with the packages shown in FIGS. 1 to 51, including exposed edges of laminated cardboard being covered by frame material. On the base, for example, the lower ring forms a corner (see especially FIGS. 56 and 57) against which the free edges of both the bottom disc and the sidewall abut. In this embodiment the exterior of the corner is formed as a chamfer 966 from which a radial step 967 projects (which is formed onto the exposed edge of the sidewall) and also an axial step 968 (which is formed onto the exposed edge of the bottom disc). For the bottom disc this means the lower surface is not raised but it is laminated/coated so it is protected from moisture ingress. Meanwhile the exposed edge of the base is protected by the chamfered corner.

[0099] FIG. 58 shows the upper part of the base, the lid and the sub-lid.

[0100] The upper part 964 of the base includes a radial step 964a which is formed onto the sidewall 963. The upper part also includes an external annular snap bead 964b.

[0101] The lid frame 972 includes an internal snap bead 972a which cooperates with the bead 964b. At the other end of the frame an axial step 972c is formed onto the insert 974. The frame also includes an external snap bead 972d.

[0102] The frame of the sub-lid 980 is generally L-shape in section. A longer leg 981 terminates with a snap bead 982 which cooperates with the bead 972d. A shorter leg 983 terminates with an axial step 985 which is formed onto the exposed edge of the top deck 984.

[0103] In some embodiments the package is formed as a snuff box/chewing tobacco container. The void 990 can be used to store used tobacco, for example.

[0104] FIGS. 59A-F show a package 1010 formed according to a further embodiment. In this embodiment the package is generally square. Only a single limb 1040, a single injection inlet point 1041 and a single connecting stem 1018 is used to form lower and upper rings (which are curved squares), with the upper ring being larger than the lower ring.

[0105] FIGS. 60 and 61 show a package 1110 formed according to a further embodiment. FIG. 63 shows the skeleton frame forming part of the package.

[0106] In this embodiment multiple (three, in this case) limbs 1141a-c are present, providing three separate corresponding inlet points 1140a-c and three corresponding stems 1118a-c used to form lower 1117 and upper 1116 rings.

[0107] FIGS. 63 and 64 show a package 1210 formed according to a further embodiment. FIG. 66 shows the skeleton frame forming part of the package.

[0108] FIG. 66 shows a wraparound sidewall blank 1220 formed in accordance with the present invention. The blank is removed (e.g. cut/stamped/punched) from a stock sheet of fibre-based material. It will be noted that as a result the orientation D of the fibres can be controlled to be all the same. Further, it will be appreciated that if the sidewall is formed only by bending in a single plane, the uni-directional orientation of the fibres will be maintained in the final hybrid package. This means, for example, that the fibres can be oriented to provide a particular benefit. In some embodiments the sidewall fibres have a generally axial orientation, meaning that maximum stiffness is provided in a top load direction L.

[0109] FIG. 67 shows a sidewall 1320 formed in accordance with the present invention. Unidirectional fibre orientation is illustrated.

[0110] FIG. 68 shows a sheet 1360 of fibre-based material including a plurality of pre-cut sidewalls 1320.

[0111] FIGS. 69 to 71 show a package formed according to the present invention. In this embodiment a container 1410 and a separate, removable lid 1450 are provided.

[0112] The package is formed with a twist lock closing system, with the upper ring and the lid being provided with cooperating formations and forming a generally bayonet style attachment. The lid is rotated to move locking formation/s (e.g. lug/s) either axially under or free of cooperating locking surfaces (e.g. flanges) on the ring to lock/unlock when positioned on the container.

[0113] Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.