Patent Application
20240042722
The present application claims the benefit of Swedish Patent Application No. 2250951-7, filed on Aug. 5, 2022.
The disclosure of Swedish Patent Application No. 2250951-7, filed on Aug. 5, 2022, is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if presented herein in its entirety.
The present disclosure pertains to a method of producing a paperboard packaging container for bulk solids and a paperboard container for bulk solids.
In the area of disposable containers for products such as infant formula, tobacco, detergents, etc. there is an ongoing need of diminishing the carbon footprint of such products, by minimizing the resource use for the disposable containers as well as making the containers recyclable. The disposable containers referred to herein are composite containers having a tubular body which is made from a laminate sheet material comprising a carton layer, i.e., a layer made predominantly from cellulosic fibers. The upper and lower end edge of the container may include a plastic rim connected to the edges of the packaging container. This provides the packaging containers with a pleasant and neat appearance and the container top or bottom may also be more wear resistant. The bottom of the container may alternatively be made from a folded-in end portion of the tubular body or may be a bottom insert/disc which is attached to the tubular body at the bottom end. The appearance may however for such packaging containers be somewhat less attractive and less wear resistant at the bottom end of the packaging container.
Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an improved packaging container offering better stability and easier opening of the lid of the container. Another object is to provide a method of manufacturing such a container.
In one aspect, the disclosure is generally directed to a method of forming a paperboard packaging container for bulk solids. The method comprises obtaining a body blank having a first side edge and a second side edge, the body blank being made of a laminate sheet material comprising a carton substrate layer. The method comprises forming a container body from the body blank, the container body defines an inner compartment, the container body comprises a container body wall having an inner surface facing the inner compartment, an outer surface facing away from the inner compartment, and a weakened portion extending along at least a portion of the circumference of the container body, the container body comprises a first end with a first end opening and a second end opposite the first end having a second end opening. The method comprises closing the first end opening by pressing a first paperboard insert into the first end opening to a first predetermined position relative to the container body and forming an external recess, the first paperboard insert comprising a first central portion covering the first end opening and a first peripheral flange portion, at the first predetermined position of the first paperboard insert. The method comprises attaching the first peripheral flange portion of the first paperboard insert to the container body wall at a first attachment portion of the container body, the weakened portion in the container body wall is between the first attachment portion and the second end of the container body. The method comprises pressing a second paperboard insert into the external recess through the first end opening to a second predetermined position relative to the container body, the second paperboard insert comprising a second central portion covering the first end opening and a second peripheral flange portion. The method comprises attaching the second peripheral flange portion of the second paperboard insert to the container body wall.
According to another aspect, the disclosure is directed to a paperboard packaging container for bulk solids. The container comprises a container body defining an inner compartment. The container body comprises a container body wall made of a laminate sheet material comprising a carton substrate layer. The container body comprises a first end with a first end opening and a second end opposite the first end having a second end opening. The container body wall has an inner surface facing the inner compartment and an outer surface facing away from the inner compartment. A first paperboard insert closes the first end opening, the first paperboard insert comprising a first central portion covering the first end opening and a first peripheral flange portion. The first paperboard insert is located in the container body and forms an external recess. The first peripheral flange portion is attached to the inner surface of the container body wall at a first attachment portion of the container body. The container body being has a weakened portion extending along at least a portion of the circumference of the container body. The weakened portion is between the first attachment portion and the second end of the container body. The packaging container further comprises a second paperboard insert positioned in the external recess and covering the first end opening. The second paperboard insert comprises a second central portion and a second peripheral flange portion attached to the container body wall.
According to one aspect, the object above is achieved by a method of forming a paperboard packaging container according to the subject matter of the claims, in the following description and in the drawings. In one embodiment, the method is a method of forming a paperboard packaging container from a body blank. The method comprises a step a) of obtaining a body blank having a first side edge and a second side edge, said body blank being made of a laminate sheet material comprising a carton substrate layer.
Also, the method comprises a step b) of forming a tubular container body from the body blank.
Further, the method comprises a step c) of sealing together the first side edge and the second side edge, wherein the tubular container body defines an inner compartment, wherein the container body comprises a container body wall having an inner surface facing the inner compartment and an outer surface facing away from the inner compartment, and wherein the container body comprises a first end with a first end opening and an opposite second end with a second end opening.
Also, the method comprises a step d) of closing the first end opening by pressing a first paperboard insert into the first end opening to a first predetermined position relative to the container body, the first paperboard insert comprising a first central portion covering the first end opening, and comprising a first peripheral flange portion directed away from the first central portion towards the first end opening of the container such that an external recess of the packaging container is formed,
Further, the method comprises a step e) of attaching the first peripheral flange portion of the first paperboard insert to the container body wall.
Also, the method comprises a step f) of pressing a second paperboard insert into the external recess through the first end opening to a second predetermined position relative to the container body, the second paperboard insert comprising a second central portion covering the first end opening, and comprising a second peripheral flange portion directed away from the second central portion towards the first end opening of the container body.
Further, the method comprises a step g) of attaching the second peripheral flange portion of the second paperboard insert to the container body wall.
By attaching a first and second paperboard insert to the container body wall, a double-wall lid structure is formed by the first paperboard insert and the second paperboard insert. The lid structure is more robust than a single-wall lid structure formed when using only one paperboard insert and thus enables stability of the lid also for packaging containers with larger cross-sectional area and produced with weaker material. Increased stability of the lid also enables easier handling of the lid at separation of the lid from the rest of the packaging container with reduced risk of breaking/deforming the lid.
The method may further comprise a step h) of deforming the second central portion of the second paperboard insert prior to attaching the second peripheral flange portion to the container body wall, such that a recessed portion of the second paperboard insert is formed adjacent the second peripheral flange, said recessed portion being shaped such that a distance between the second central portion of the second paperboard insert and the first central portion of the first paperboard insert is reduced at the recessed portion.
By deforming the second central portion prior to attaching the second peripheral flange portion to the container body wall, the material of the paperboard insert is free to move during deformation, such that material of the paperboard blank used to form the paperboard insert is able to move from the peripheral portion of a second paperboard blank used for forming of the second paperboard insert, thereby mitigating stretching of the paperboard material during deformation of the second central portion of the second paperboard insert.
Step f) may be performed by forcing the second paperboard insert into the external recess using a footprint surface of a press tool, said footprint surface having a shape and size adapted to the shape and size of the first end opening of the container body, and having a protrusion for forming the recessed portion of the second paperboard insert.
Step f) may comprises positioning a guide plate adjacent the first end opening of the container body such that a through cavity of the guide plate is aligned with the first end opening, said through cavity having a shape and size corresponding to the shape and size of the first end opening of the container body, wherein the second paperboard insert is guided into the external recess through the through cavity of the guide plate at pressing of the second paperboard insert into the external recess, wherein the second peripheral flange portion is bent between the guide plate and the press tool.
The use of such a guide plate, protects the first end of the container body such that deformation of the paperboard blank occurs mainly as a result of forces acting on the paperboard blank by the guide plate and the press tool, rather than between the container body wall and the press tool.
The through cavity of the guide plate may have a recessed portion extending the through cavity laterally with respect to an insertion direction along which the second paperboard insert is inserted into the external recess, said recessed portion of the through cavity being positioned adjacent where the protrusion of the footprint surface passes through said through cavity.
The recesses portion reduces the area/edge length of the through cavity of the guide plate on which the blank slides at deformation between the press tool and the guide plate, thus enabling increased local stress on portions of the paperboard blank such that the paperboard blank folds at intended locations as the second peripheral flange portion is folded to point away from the second central portion of the second paperboard insert.
According to a second aspect, the object above is also achieved by a paperboard packaging container according to the claims, in the following description and in the drawings. The packaging container is suitable for bulk solids and the container comprises a tubular container body defining an inner compartment. The container body comprises a container body wall made of a laminate sheet material comprising a carton substrate layer, and comprises a first end with a first end opening and an opposite second end with a second end opening. The container body wall has an inner surface facing the inner compartment in the packaging container and an outer surface facing away from the inner compartment. The first end opening is closed by a first paperboard insert comprising a first central portion covering the first end opening. The first paperboard insert further comprises a first peripheral flange portion directed away from the first central portion towards the first end opening of the packaging container such that an external recess of the packaging container is formed. The first peripheral flange portion is attached to the inner surface of the container body wall at a first attachment portion of the container body. Also, the container body has a weakened portion extending along at least a portion of the circumference of the container body, the weakened portion is between the first attachment portion and the second end of the container body. The packaging container further comprises a second paperboard insert positioned in the external recess and covering the first end opening. The second paperboard insert comprises a second central portion and a second peripheral flange portion directed away from the second central portion towards the first end opening of the packaging container. The second peripheral flange portion is attached to the inner surface of the container body wall or can alternatively be attached to the first peripheral flange of the first paperboard insert.
The first paperboard insert and the second paperboard insert both attach to the container body wall. At opening of the packaging container, a user grabs the first end of the container body, typically by grabbing the second peripheral flange portion of the second paperboard insert, and pulling such that the container body wall separates at the weakened portion. Since the weakened portion is between the first attachment portion and the second end of the container body, the first paperboard insert and the second paperboard insert together form a lid comprising the torn off portion or upper portion of the container body wall. The combination of the two paperboard inserts improves rigidity of the lid and makes the lid easier to handle during and after separation of the lid from the rest of the container body.
The second central portion of the second paperboard insert may comprise a recessed portion adjacent the container body wall.
The recess adjacent the container body wall makes it easier for the user to grab hold of the lid when tearing it off the rest of the container body by increasing the surface area available to be gripped by the user. The recess also provides a visual indication for the user where to grab, thus making it even easier to remove the lid, since pulling the lid off the rest of the container will be more difficult if pulled at an arbitrary location.
The second paperboard insert may be formed from a paperboard blank, wherein said paperboard blank comprises a central portion having a shape and size corresponding to the shape and size of the first end opening of the container body, and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion.
As shown in
By enlarging the paperboard blank adjacent where the recessed portion is formed, extra material is available to form the recessed portion without reducing the amount of material available for forming the second peripheral flange portion. This enables attachment of the second peripheral flange portion to the container using welding or adhesive bond extending around the circumference of the first end opening of the packaging container in a planar fashion.
The second central portion of the second paperboard insert may comprise a grip opening which may be covered by a removable cover.
The grip opening provides an alternative to the recess discussed above. The grip opening enables a user to grab the lid through the grip opening, thus reaching a larger surface area of the lid to grab hold of. The grip opening may be covered by a separate lid member or membrane, or may be covered by a portion made from the same paperboard blank as the second paperboard insert by provision of a scoring, perforation or similar extending at least partly around the circumference of the grip opening such that the user gains access to the opening by forcing the cover into the space between the first paperboard insert and the second paperboard insert, or by lifting or tearing off the cover.
As shown in
The cover may be hingedly connected to the second paperboard insert by a hinge. By joining the cover by a hinge, the cover can easily be lifted and lowered for opening and closing respectively, of the grip opening of the second paperboard insert. This allows for an intermediate space between the first paperboard insert and the second paperboard insert to be used for storage purposes and allows easy repeated access to objects stored in the intermediate space. For example, a spoon can be stored in the intermediate space and replaced there after use of the spoon.
The present disclosure will be further explained hereinafter by means of non-limiting examples and with reference to the appended drawings.
Like reference number denote similar features throughout the figures. Reference numbers may be omitted in some figures for better visibility, in which case reference is made to the other figures.
It is to be understood that the drawings are schematic and that individual components, such as layers of materials are not necessarily drawn to scale. The steps in the method of forming a packaging container 1, and the packaging container 1 shown in the figures, are provided as examples only and should not be considered limiting to the present disclosure.
First, an exemplary embodiment of the packaging container 1 will be described with reference to the appended figures. Thereafter the method of manufacturing the packaging container 1 will be described.
As shown in
Also, as for example shown in the enlarged portion C of
As shown in
The above-mentioned structure of the container body 2 is common of all embodiments of the packaging container 1 of the present disclosure and corresponds to container body 2 shown in
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the first paperboard insert 12a and the second paperboard insert 12b both attach to the container body wall 7. At opening of the packaging container 1, a user grabs the first end 3 of the container body 2, typically by grabbing the second peripheral flange portion 13b of the second paperboard insert 12b, and pulling such that the container body wall 7 separates at the weakened portion 130. Since the weakened portion 130 is between the first attachment portion 129 and the second end 5 of the container body 2, the first paperboard insert 12a and the second paperboard insert 12b together form a lid comprising the torn off portion (e.g., upper portion) of the container body wall 7 that separates at the weakened portion. The combination of the two paperboard inserts 12a, 12b improves rigidity of the lid and makes the lid easier to handle during and after separation of the lid from the rest of the container body 2.
As shown in
The recessed portion 123 adjacent the container body wall 7 makes it easier for the user to grab hold of the lid when tearing it off the rest of the container body 2 by increasing the surface area available to be gripped by the user. The recess also provides a visual indication for the user where to grab, thus making it even easier to remove the lid, since pulling the lid off the rest of the container will be more difficult if pulled at an arbitrary location.
The second paperboard insert 12b is formed from a paperboard blank 131a, shown in
By enlarging the paperboard blank 131a adjacent where the recessed portion is formed, extra material is available to form the recess without reducing the amount of material available for forming the second peripheral flange portion. This also enables attachment of the second peripheral flange portion to the container using a weld or adhesive bond extending around the circumference of the first end opening 4 of the packaging container 1 in a planar fashion.
As indicated above, the second central portion 121b of the second paperboard insert 12b may in other embodiments alternatively comprise a grip opening 136 rather than a recessed portion 123. The grip opening 136 may be covered by a removable cover 137 as shown in
The grip opening 136 provides an alternative to the recessed portion 123 discussed above. The grip opening 136 enables a user to grab the lid of the packaging container 1 through the grip opening 136, thus reaching a larger surface area of the lid to grab hold of. The grip opening 136 may be covered by a separate lid member or membrane, or may be covered by a portion of material made from the same paperboard blank as the second paperboard insert 12b by provision of a scoring, perforation or similar extending at least partly around the circumference of the opening such that the user gains access to the opening by forcing the cover 137 into the space between the first paperboard insert 12a and the second paperboard insert 12b, or by lifting or tearing off the cover 137.
The movable/removable cover 137 may be a portion of the second central portion 121b integrally formed with the second paperboard insert 12b and at least partly surrounded by a perforation of the second central portion 121b.
The cover 137 may be hingedly connected to the second paperboard insert 12b by a hinge 139. By joining the cover 137 by the hinge 139, the cover can easily be lifted and lowered for opening and closing respectively, of the grip opening 136 of the second paperboard insert 12b. This allows for an intermediate space between the first paperboard insert 12a and the second paperboard insert 12b to be used for storage purposes and allows easy repeated access to objects stored in the intermediate space. For example, a spoon can be stored in the intermediate space to be easily accessed and replaced after use. The hinge 139 is typically a non-perforated portion of the second paperboard insert 12b, but may in other embodiments be a piece of resilient material, such as a sheet material, attached to the cover 137 and to the second paperboard insert 12b by adhesive or by welding.
Although the packaging container 1 may be produced using any suitable method, one exemplary method of producing the packaging container 1 will be described below with reference to the appended drawings.
The method comprises a step a) of obtaining a body blank 134 having a first side edge 135a and a second side edge 135b, said body blank 134 being made of a laminate sheet material comprising a carton substrate layer. Such a body blank 134 is schematically shown in
As shown in
The method further comprises a step e) of attaching the first peripheral flange portion 13a of the first paperboard insert 12a to the container body wall 7. For example, a suitable type of welding may be used for said attaching.
Also, the method comprises a step f) of pressing a second paperboard insert 12b into the external recess 122 through the first end opening 4 to a second predetermined position P2 relative to the container body 2, the second paperboard insert 12b comprising a second central portion 121b covering the first end opening 4, and comprising a second peripheral flange portion 13b directed away from the second central portion 121b towards the first end opening 4 of the container body 2. The second predetermined position P2 is above the first predetermined position P1 in the container body 2.
Further, the method comprises a step g) of attaching the second peripheral flange portion 13b of the second paperboard insert 12b to the container body wall 7. For example, a suitable type of welding may be used for said attaching.
By additionally pressing a second paperboard insert into the external recess and attaching it to the container body wall, a double-wall lid structure is formed by the first paperboard insert 12a and the second paperboard insert 12b. The lid structure is more robust than the single-wall prior art lid structures formed when using only one paperboard insert 12a.
The method may further comprise a step h) of deforming the second central portion 121b of the second paperboard insert 12b prior to attaching the second peripheral flange portion 13b to the container body wall 7, such that a recessed portion 123 of the second paperboard insert 12b is formed adjacent the second peripheral flange 13b, the recessed portion 123 being shaped such that a distance D between the second central portion 121b of the second paperboard insert 12b and the first central portion 121a of the first paperboard insert 12a is reduced at the recessed portion 123.
By deforming the second central portion prior to attaching the second peripheral flange portion to the container body wall, the material of the paperboard insert is free to move during deformation, such that material of a paperboard blank used to form the second paperboard insert 12b is able to move from the peripheral portion of a second paperboard blank used for forming of the second paperboard insert 12b, thereby mitigating stretching of the paperboard material during deformation of the second central portion of the second paperboard insert 12b.
As shown in
As shown in
The guide plate 125 typically also comprises an alignment recess 138 shaped to align a paperboard blank 131a, 131b with the through cavity 126 of the guide plate 125.
The use of such a guide plate 125, protects the first end 3 of the container body 2 such that deformation of the paperboard bland occurs mainly as a result of forces acting on the paperboard blank by the guide plate and the press tool, rather than between the container body wall 7 and the press tool 27.
It should be understood that two different press tools 27 may be needed: one for the first paperboard insert 12a, and another for the second paperboard insert 12b. It can be seen that the press tool 27 used for the first paperboard insert 12a does not have a protrusion 128 for forming a recess, whilst the press tool 27 used for the second paperboard insert 12b may have such a protrusion 128 as shown in
Similarly, as shown in
The through cavity 126 of the guide plate 125 used for the second paperboard insert 12b has a recessed portion 127 extending the through cavity 126 laterally with respect to an insertion direction ID along which the second paperboard insert 12b is inserted into the external recess 122. The recessed portion 127 of the through cavity 126 is positioned adjacent where the protrusion 128 of the footprint surface 53 passes through said through cavity 126.
The recessed portion 127 reduces the area/edge length of the through cavity of the guide plate 125 on which the paperboard blank slides at deformation between the press tool 27 and the guide plate 125, thus enabling increased local stress on portions of the paperboard blank such that the paperboard blank folds at intended locations as the second peripheral flange portion is folded to point away from the second central portion of the second paperboard insert 12b.
The recessed portion 127 of the through cavity 126 has a dovetail shape.
The dovetail shape provides relatively sharp corners at the opening of the recessed portion, thereby enabling greater control of where the material of the blank folds as it is pressed through the guide plate 125.
The protrusion 128 of the footprint surface 53 may comprise an outer surface portion 128a facing the container body wall 7 when inserted into the external recess 122. The outer surface portion 128a has a shape corresponding to the shape of an adjacent portion of the container body wall 7 when inserted into the external recess 122, wherein the width W1 of an opening of the recessed portion 127 corresponds to a width W2 of the outer surface portion 128a of the protrusion 128 of the footprint surface 53. In one example, the shape of the outer surface portion 128a is curved to correspond to the curved shape of the adjacent portion of the container body wall 7. The outer surface portion 128a, could have other shapes (e.g., straight) without departing from the disclosure.
The correspondence between the width of outer surface portion and the width of the opening of the recessed portion concentrates stress on the paperboard material of the blank, thereby improving control of where the material of the blank folds as it is pressed through the guide plate.
In other embodiments, the recessed portion 127 may not be needed, for example if the choice of paperboard quality used for the paperboard blanks. The recessed portion 127 may thus alternatively be omitted. In some embodiments, the recessed portion 127 may have some other suitable shape promoting a predeterminable deformation of the peripheral portion of the paperboard blanks 131a, 131b.
The press tool 27 may be configured as shown in
Also, a retaining device 23 is used to position and support the container body 2 during insertion of the paperboard inserts 12a, 12b into the container body 2. The retaining device 23 can correspond to the retaining device explained in further detail in incorporated by reference U.S. Pat. No. 11,292,625.
The retaining device 23 thus comprises at least one through-going positioning cavity adapted to receive a portion of the container body 2.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned attaching of the peripheral flange portions 12a, 13b of the paperboard insert to the container body 2, the retaining device 23 comprises a welding unit, preferably arranged around the positioning cavity. The welding unit (not illustrated) is adapted to weld the paperboard inserts 12a, 12b to the container body 2, e.g., by the welding unit comprising a coil extending around the positioning cavity. As the press tool 27 is expandable in a radial direction of the positioning cavity as set out herein, the respective paperboard insert 12a, 12b can be pressed against the welding unit. Any suitable welding technique may be used, such as ultrasonic welding or high frequency welding, with high frequency welding being preferred.
As an alternative or a complement to welding, an adhesive may be applied to the paperboard insert before attaching it to the container body 2.
The press tool 27 comprises a base plate 49 comprising or being constituted by a rigid material such as metal or a composite material, and a plunger skirt 51 comprising a resiliently deformable material, e.g., rubber or plastics. The plunger skirt 51 is located on top of the base plate 49, such that it at least partly covers an upper surface 54 of the base plate 49 which upper surface 54 is opposite a lower footprint surface 53 of the base plate 49.
The footprint surface 53 is configured to face towards the paperboard insert during application of the paperboard insert in the container body 2. It is to be understood that the footprint surface 53 may have any other suitable shape adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the packaging container 1 being produced.
The plunger skirt 51 is transformable between an unexpanded state, see
In the unexpanded state of the plunger skirt 51, the shape of the outer contour of the plunger skirt 51 corresponds to that of the base plate 49. Hence, in the unexpanded state, the plunger skirt 51 has the same substantially footprint as the base plate 49.
In the expanded state, see
The second end opening 6 of the container body 2 can be closed in a similar manner as the first end opening 4.
The paperboard blanks 131a, 131b could be pre-formed in a separate method step using any suitable pre-forming device to shape the paperboard blank 131a, 131b into a first paperboard insert 12a, 12b and enable the first paperboard insert 12a, 12b to easier fit into the first end opening 4, said first paperboard insert 12a, 12b thus obtaining much of its desired shape and any creases or crease lines before insertion into the container body 2.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2250951-7 | Aug 2022 | SE | national |
