HYBRID CONTAINER

Abstract

A container that has a paper, paperboard, or cardboard base receptacle and a plastic lid joined to the base receptacle by selectively releasable connection elements is provided. The base receptacle has a bottom wall and a lateral wall having an upper edge. The plastic lid has a lower frame resting on the upper edge and delimiting an opening for accessing an inside of the container, and an upper element configured to selectively close/open the opening. The selectively releasable connection elements are accessible only from the inside of the container.

Description

The present invention relates to a container, in particular for containing a plurality of small articles, such as laundry detergent capsules or the like.

These latter capsules, beyond being highly effective for laundry purposes, are very attractive for children who may even try to eat them. Hence, their containers must meet strict safety standards and be provided of a strong child resistant locking mechanism, which nevertheless should not hinder smooth repeated opening/closure cycles during normal operation.

Polypropylene (PP) has been hitherto massively employed for the production of such containers due to its versatility, low cost and flexibility allowing to create locking mechanisms satisfying the above requirements.

Nevertheless, PP is not an easily recyclable plastic material and is conventionally used in virgin form obtained through petrochemical processes. Hence, it is essentially petroleum-derived and mostly disposed in landfill, so that it has a high impact on the environment.

One object of the present invention is thus providing a container satisfying the above-mentioned safety requirements and minimizing the use of virgin plastic material.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved by means of a container comprising a paper, paperboard, cardboard or the like base receptacle and a plastic lid, which is joined to the base receptacle by selectively releasable connection means,

• • wherein said base receptacle has a bottom wall and a lateral wall having an upper edge,
  • wherein said lid includes a lower frame resting on said upper edge and delimiting an opening for access to the inside of the container, and an upper element configured to selectively close/open said opening, and
  • wherein said selectively releasable connection means are accessible only from the inside of the container.

Preferably, said selectively releasable connection means comprise at least one tab protruding from a rear side of said upper edge and at least one strip protruding from a front side of said upper edge, which are folded against an adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall and engaged by respective rear and front protrusions protruding downwards from said lower frame, so as pushing said tab against the adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall disengages the respective rear protrusion.

Advantageously, said at least one tab has a proximal rectangular portion attached to said upper edge and a semicircular distal portion protruding from the proximal portion and said at least one strip is formed by a rectangular proximal body with rounded distal ends and a distal rectangular portion extending between said distal ends.

Advantageously, said rear protrusion is arch-shaped and has respective teeth transversally extending from the ends of said arch and said front protrusion is substantially trapezoidal and has a distal side provided of a transversally extending projection.

The hybrid container of the present invention combines the safety features offered by a plastic lid, in particular a PP lid, with the strength and sustainability benefits offered by a paper, paperboard or cardboard base receptacle. In particular, it allows a user-friendly separation of the lid from the base receptacle, once all the laundry detergent capsules originally contained therein have been used and the components of the hybrid container must be recycled, but at the same time avoids that this separation may be easily performed by a child, since it requires acceding to the inside of the container.

According to a preferred embodiment of the container of the present invention, the upper edge of said lateral wall has a rectangular perimeter formed by rear and front opposite sides and two opposite lateral sides,

• • said lid includes a lower rectangular frame and an upper panel and the rectangular frame has a perimeter formed by rear and front opposite sides and two opposite lateral sides, said upper panel being hinged to the rear side of the rectangular frame and having at least two distanced slots which are selectively engageable by a respective elastic hook protruding from the front side of the rectangular frame, and
  • said selectively releasable connection means comprise two distanced tabs protruding from the rear side of said upper edge and one strip protruding from the front side of said upper edge.

In the absence of any specific indication to the contrary, any reference to “rectangular” in the present description and claims includes the particular case of “square”.

According to a further preferred embodiment of container of the present invention, said lateral wall is formed by eight rectangular side walls and the upper edge of said lateral wall has an octagonal perimeter formed by three rear sides, two lateral sides and three front sides,

• • said lid includes a lower octagonal frame and a removable upper cover panel and the octagonal frame has a perimeter formed by three rear sides, two lateral sides and three front sides, and
  • said selectively releasable connection means comprise two tabs protruding from respective rear sides of said upper edge and two strips protruding from respective front sides of said upper edge, which are folded against an adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall and engaged by respective rear and front protrusions protruding downwards from respective sides of said lower octagonal frame.

According to a still further preferred embodiment of container of the present invention, said lateral wall is formed by four rectangular side walls and the upper edge of said lateral wall has a rectangular perimeter formed by rear and front opposite sides and two opposite lateral sides,

• • said lid includes a screw cap and a lower rectangular frame having a perimeter formed by rear and front opposite sides and two opposite lateral sides and an internal horizontally extending internal portion from which a threaded neck protrudes upwards, whose mouth constitutes the opening for access to the inside of the container and is selectively closed/opened by said screw cap, and
  • said selectively releasable connection means comprise one tab protruding from the rear side of said upper edge and one strip protruding from the front side of said upper edge, which are folded against an adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall and engaged by respective rear and front protrusions protruding downwards from respective sides of said lower rectangular frame.

Further advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is plan view of a blank used for producing a base receptacle of a container according to a first embodiment of the invention,

FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of successive steps of the erection process of the blank of FIG. 1 into a base receptacle of the container according to the first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the erected base receptacle over which a lid is superposed,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a step of the assembly procedure of the base receptacle and lid of FIG. 4 to form the container according to the first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the container according to the first embodiment of the invention, wherein the upper element of the lid is closed,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the container according to the first embodiment of the invention, wherein the upper element of the lid is open,

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a detail of the association of the rear portion of the lid and the upper edge of the base receptacle of the container according to the first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a detail of the association of the front portion of the lid and the upper edge of the base receptacle of the container according to the first embodiment of the invention,

FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective views of successive steps of a separation process of the base receptacle and lid of the container according to the first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a base receptacle and an octagonal lower frame of a container according to a second embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the base receptacle with the assembled lower frame and a cover panel of the container according to the second embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a base receptacle and a rectangular lower frame of a container according to a third embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the base receptacle with the assembled lower frame and a screw cap of the container according to the third embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of a base receptacle, a lower rectangular frame and an upper panel of a container according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a monolithic blank wherein a first couple of crease lines 10 and a second couple of crease lines 12 substantially orthogonal to the mid portion of the first couple of crease lines 10 conventionally delimit a rectangular bottom wall 14, two slightly trapezoidal first side walls 16a, 16b opposite to each other and two slightly trapezoidal second side walls 18 opposite to each other. The blank can be of any cellulosic material conventionally used in packaging, e.g. paper, paperboard, cardboard, either corrugated or not corrugated.

Adjacent sides of each couple of adjacent first and second side wall 16a, 16b, 18 are joined by a respective L-shaped web 20 formed by two arms joined together along an inclined crease line 22 departing from a respective corner of the bottom wall 14.

Two distanced tabs 24 protrude from a distal side, parallel to the mid portion of the crease lines 10, of the first side wall 16a. Each tab 24 has a proximal rectangular portion 26 attached to the distal side of the first side wall 16a and a semicircular distal portion 28 protruding from the center of the proximal portion 26.

A strip 30 protrudes from a median portion of a distal side, parallel to the mid portion of the crease lines 10, of the first side wall 16b. The strip 30 is formed by a rectangular proximal body 32 with rounded distal ends and a distal rectangular portion 34 extending between said distal ends. The strip 30 is attached to the distal side of the first side wall 16b by a pre-perforated crease line 36.

The above-disclosed blank is erected into a base receptacle 38 (FIGS. 2 and 3) by folding the first side walls 16a,b about the respective first crease line 10 and the second side walls 18 about the respective second crease line 12. Contemporaneously, the two arms of each web 20 are folded about the respective crease line 22 and form an internal reinforcement which is conventionally glued to an internal surface of the adjacent side wall 18 and guarantees tightness of the base receptacle 38.

FIG. 4 illustrates the base receptacle 38 at the end of the erection process with the bottom wall 14 and a slightly tapering lateral wall which is formed by the side walls 16a,b and 18 joined by the folded webs 20. The base receptacle 38 has an upper edge, whose perimeter is rectangular and formed by rear and front opposite sides 40a, 40b and two opposite lateral sides 42.

FIG. 4 also illustrates a lid 44 of plastic material, such as PP, to be associated to the base receptacle 38 in order to form a container, in particular for small articles, e.g. laundry detergent capsules.

The general arrangement of the lid 44 is conventional and includes (see also FIGS. 5, 6, 10 and 11) a lower rectangular frame 46 with slightly rounded corners and an upper element, namely upper panel 48.

The rectangular frame 46 has a perimeter formed by rear and front opposite sides 50a, 50b and two opposite lateral sides 52 constituting a rim extending in an horizontal plane, resting on the upper edge of the lateral wall of the base receptacle 38 and delimiting an opening for access to the inside of the container. A vertically extending skirt 54 protrudes downwards from the horizontal rim of the rectangular frame 46 and surrounds an upper portion of an external surface of the lateral wall of the base receptacle 38.

The upper panel 48 of the lid 44 is configured to selectively close/open the opening delimited by the rectangular frame 46. In detail, it is pivoted by a living hinge 56 to the rear side 50a of the rectangular frame 46 and has in its front region two distanced slots 58 which are selectively engageable by a respective elastic hook 60 protruding from a rear surface of the front side 50b of the rectangular frame 46.

A couple of distanced rear protrusions 62 protrude downwards (FIG. 8) from the rear side 50a of the rectangular frame 46 and internally in respect of the skirt 54. Each rear protrusion 62 is arch-shaped and has respective teeth 64 transversally extending from the ends of the arch.

A substantially trapezoidal front protrusion 66 protrudes downwards (FIG. 9) from the front side 50b of the rectangular frame 46 and internally in respect of the skirt 54. The front protrusion 66 has a distal side provided of a transversally extending projection 68.

FIGS. 5, 6, 8 and 9 illustrate the assembly procedure of the base receptacle 38 and the lid 44 to form the container.

First of all, the two distanced tabs 24 protruding from the rear side 40a of the upper edge of the base receptacle 38 and the strip 30 protruding from the front side 40b of the same upper edge are folded against an adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall. Then, the closed lid 44 is lowered, so that the teeth 64 transversally extending from the ends of the arch-shaped rear protrusions 62 of the lid 44 engage the free ends of the proximal rectangular portion 26 of the respective tab 24 (FIG. 8). Contemporaneously, the transversally extending projection 68 of the front protrusion 66 of the lid 44 engages the free edge of the distal rectangular portion 34 of the strip 30 (FIG. 9).

Due to such rear and front engagement, the lid 44 is firmly associated to the base receptacle 38 and the thus assembled container is ready for use.

In particular, the upper panel 48 of lid 44 may be opened (FIG. 7) by conventionally unlocking the hooks 60 from the slots 58 in order to fill the container with the laundry detergent capsules (not shown in the figures), and then closed, so that the filled container can be packaged and transported to the point of sale. The consumer can successively open and close the upper panel 48 of the lid 44 of the container each time he needs to take one of the capsules.

The functionality of the container is the same as the one of the conventional ones, so that undesired opening by children is avoided due to the need of contemporaneous action on the two distanced elastic hooks 60 and the consumer is assured of the closure of the upper panel 48 on the lower rectangular frame 46 of the lid 44 by the familiar “click clack” sound generated by the engagement of the hooks 60 within the respective slots 58. Of course, if the articles within the container are not dangerous for children, two distinct elastic hooks are not necessary and it is sufficient the presence of a single hook engageable within a respective slot.

When the last article, in particular the last laundry detergent capsule, has been taken from the container, the base receptacle 38 can be easily separated from the plastic lid 44, so that the respective raw materials thereof can be substantially integrally recycled.

In order to do such separation, the upper panel 48 of the lid 44 is opened (see FIG. 7), so that the rear tabs 24 are accessible from the inside of the empty container. A pushing action exercised on the tabs 24 against the adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall of the base receptacle 38 disengages the teeth 64 transversally extending from the ends of the arch-shaped rear protrusions 62 of the lid 44 from the ends of the proximal rectangular portion 26 of the respective tab 24 (FIG. 8). Hence, the rear portion of the lid 44 is not any more associated to the base receptacle 38 and can be freely lifted. Such lifting brings also about the disengagement of the transversally extending projection 68 of the front protrusion 66 of the lid 44 from the edge of the distal rectangular portion 34 of the strip 30 (FIG. 10) which, due to the pre-perforations along its attachment line 36 to the base receptacle 38 is teared away therefrom (FIG. 11).

In sum, the tabs 24 and strip 30 of the base receptacle 38 and the rear 62 and front 66 protrusions of the lid 44 constitute selectively releasable connection means, which ensure the integrity of the container during normal operation and allow an easy disassembly thereof at the end of the life cycle, avoiding undesired access by children due to their location inside the container.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate a further embodiment of container, wherein features equal or equivalent to the ones disclosed with reference to the embodiment of the previous figures have the same reference number.

According to this embodiment, the lateral wall of the base receptacle 38 is formed by eight rectangular side walls 16, 16a, 16b, 18 and the upper edge of the lateral wall has an octagonal perimeter formed by three rear sides 40a, two lateral sides 42 and three front sides 40b.

Likewise, the plastic lid includes a lower octagonal frame 46 having a perimeter formed by three rear sides 50a, two lateral sides 52 and three front sides 50b. The opening defined by the octagonal frame 46 is closed by a removable upper element, namely a cover panel 48 having an octagonal shape and provided with an elastic transversal side wall 69 conventionally engageable on/disengageable from the lower octagonal frame 46.

The selectively releasable connection means comprise two arch-shaped tabs 24 protruding from respective rear sides 40a of the upper edge of the lateral wall of the base receptacle 38 and two strips 30 protruding from respective front sides 40b of the upper edge of the lateral wall of the base receptacle 38. The tabs 24 and strips 30 are folded against an adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall and engaged by respective rear 62 and front 66 protrusions protruding downwards from respective sides of the lower octagonal frame 46.

The assembly procedure of the base receptacle 38 with the octagonal lower frame 46 and upper cover panel 48 of the lid to form the container and, once the original content of the container has been completely taken away, their separation procedure mirrors the ones of the former embodiment.

FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate a further embodiment of container, wherein features equal or equivalent to the ones disclosed with reference to the embodiments of the previous figures have the same reference number.

According to this embodiment, the lateral wall of the base receptacle 38 is formed by four rectangular side walls 16a, 16b, 18 and the upper edge of the lateral wall has a rectangular perimeter formed by rear and front opposite sides 40a, 40b and two opposite lateral sides 42.

Likewise, the plastic lid includes a lower rectangular frame 46 having a perimeter formed by rear and front opposite sides 50a, 50b and two opposite lateral sides 52. The frame 46 has also a horizontally extending internal portion 70 from which a threaded neck 72 protrudes upwards. The mouth of the threaded neck 72 constitutes the opening for access to the inside of the container and is selectively closed/opened by an upper element, namely a conventional screw cap 48.

The selectively releasable connection means comprise one arch-shaped tab 24 protruding from the rear side 40a of the upper edge of the lateral wall of the base receptacle 38 and one strip 30 protruding from the front side 40b of the upper edge of the lateral wall. The tab 24 and strip 30 are folded against an adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall and engaged by respective rear 62 and front 66 protrusions protruding downwards from respective sides of the lower rectangular frame 46.

The assembly procedure of the base receptacle 38 with the lower frame 46 and screw cap 48 of the lid to form the container and, once the content of the container has been completely taken away, their separation procedure mirror the ones of the former embodiments.

FIG. 16 illustrates a further embodiment of container, wherein features equal or equivalent to the ones disclosed with reference to the embodiments of the previous figures have the same reference number.

This embodiment is quite similar to the first one. Nevertheless, a first difference resides in that the first and second side walls 16a, 16b, 18 are connected to the adjacent main side walls by respective curved corner walls 17. A second difference resides in that the plastic lid 44 is formed by a lower rectangular frame 46 with rounded corners mirroring the perimeter of the upper edge of the base receptacle 38 and an upper panel 48 which is not hinged to the lower frame 46. Lower frame 46 and upper panel 48 are thus separate entities and can be selectively connected to each other by elastic engagement in a conventional way.

The assembly procedure of the base receptacle 38 with the lower frame 46 and screw cap 48 of the lid to form the container and, once the content of the container has been completely taken away, their separation procedure mirror the ones of the former embodiments.

Naturally, the principles of the invention remaining the same, the details of construction and embodiments may be widely varied with respect to those described purely by way of example, without thereby departing from the claimed scope. In particular, the shape of the base receptacle and the lower frame of the lid, as well as the type of the upper element of the lid for the selective closure of the opening delimited by the lower frame may be, as a matter of fact, any. Likewise, the type of plastic material used for the lid and of cellulosic material used for the base receptacle can be any. Additionally, the container of the invention may further comprise any insert, such as an internal plastic bag e.g. hanging from the lid and having a shape mirroring the one of the base receptacle.

Claims

1. A container comprising a paper, paperboard, or cardboard base receptacle and a plastic lid, which is joined to the base receptacle by selectively releasable connection means, wherein said base receptacle has a bottom wall and a lateral wall comprising an upper edge,wherein said plastic lid includes a lower frame resting on said upper edge and delimiting an opening for access to an inside of the container, and an upper element configured to selectively close/open said opening, andwherein said selectively releasable connection means are accessible only from the inside of the container.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein said selectively releasable connection means comprise at least one tab protruding from a rear side of said upper edge and at least one strip protruding from a front side of said upper edge, which are folded against an adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall and engaged by respective rear front protrusions protruding downwards from said lower frame, so as pushing said at least one tab against the adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall disengages the respective rear protrusion.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein said at least one tab has a proximal rectangular portion attached to said upper edge and a semicircular distal portion protruding from the proximal rectangular portion and said at least one strip is formed by a rectangular proximal body with rounded distal ends and a distal rectangular portion extending between said rounded distal ends.

4. The container of claim 2, wherein said rear protrusion is arch-shaped and has respective teeth transversally extending from ends of said arch, and said front protrusion is substantially trapezoidal and has a distal side provided of a transversally extending projection.

5. The container of claim 3, wherein said at least one strip has a pre-perforated attachment to the front side of the upper edge.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein the upper edge of said lateral wall has a rectangular perimeter formed by rear and front opposite sides and two opposite lateral sides, and wherein said plastic lid includes a lower rectangular frame and an upper panel, and the lower rectangular frame has a perimeter formed by rear and front opposite sides and two opposite lateral sides, said upper panel being hinged to the rear side of the lower rectangular frame and having at least two distanced slots selectively engageable by a respective elastic hook protruding from the front side of the lower rectangular frame.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein said selectively releasable connection means comprise two distanced tabs protruding from the rear side of said upper edge and one strip protruding from the front side of said upper edge.

8. The container of claim 6, wherein the rear and front opposite sides and the two opposite lateral sides of the lower rectangular frame constitute a rim extending in a horizontal plane, from which a vertically extending skirt protrudes downwards and surrounds an upper portion of an external surface of the lateral wall of the base receptacle.

9. The container of claim 6, wherein said lateral wall is formed by four trapezoidal side walls having a minor base attached to the bottom wall.

10. The container of claim 2, wherein said lateral wall is formed by eight rectangular side walls and the upper edge of said lateral wall has an octagonal perimeter formed by three rear sides, two lateral sides and three front sides,wherein said plastic lid includes a lower octagonal frame and a removable upper cover panel and the lower octagonal frame has a perimeter formed by three rear sides, two lateral sides and three front sides, andwherein said selectively releasable connection means comprise two tabs protruding from respective rear sides of said upper edge and two strips protruding from respective front sides of said upper edge, which are folded against the adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall and engaged by respective rear and front protrusions protruding downwards from respective sides of said lower octagonal frame.

11. The container of claim 2, wherein said lateral wall is formed by four rectangular side walls and the upper edge of said lateral wall has a rectangular perimeter formed by rear and front opposite sides and two opposite lateral sides,wherein said plastic lid includes a screw cap and a lower rectangular frame having a perimeter formed by rear and front opposite sides and two opposite lateral sides, and a horizontally extending internal portion from which a threaded neck protrudes upwards, said threaded neck having a mouth constituting the opening for access to the inside of the container and being selectively closed/opened by said screw cap, andwherein said selectively releasable connection means comprise one tab protruding from the rear side of said upper edge and one strip protruding from the front side of said upper edge, which are folded against the adjacent inner surface of the lateral wall and engaged by respective rear and front protrusions protruding downwards from respective sides of said lower rectangular frame.