Patent Application
20070181574
The invention resides in a packaging for butter or a similar product, comprising a flat plate with a bottom and an upwardly projecting sidewall with a circumferential outwardly projecting bottom rim and a cover with a top wall and a downwardly extending side wall, which is substantially higher than the upwardly projecting side wall and includes an outwardly projecting top rim joining the bottom rim.
Currently packaging used for butter comprises, on one hand, paper or aluminum foil wrapped around brick-shaped butter pieces or plastic cups of circular, oval or rounded rectangular shape which are closed by foils welded to the rims thereof or by flat, snap-on lids.
The folded wrapping of brick-like butter pieces has the disadvantage that it is easily subject to mechanical damage particularly ripping or piercing which may happen already during storage on a sales shelf but particularly during multiple opening and closing of the wrapping during use. For use such brick-like butter pieces are usually unwrapped and placed onto a plate or special butter container. During the unpacking however, the butter brick is generally held by a hand which results in greasy fingers.
Another disadvantage of such wrap packaging resides in the fact that it is only folded around the butter brick in a non-airtight manner so that, particularly in the corner sections, unappetizing yellow areas develop by exposure to air already during storage on a store shelf. Furthermore, such wrappings are resilient so that during transport or handling, for example, when being placed onto a shelf by a store clerk or handled by a customer, for example by the placement thereof into a shopping cart, the corners may be damaged, that is, compressed. This may easily happen when the butter has become soft by insufficient cooling whereby the butter package becomes unsightly and often is left on the shelf by the customer. Another disadvantage is that the consumer will remove the butter at home from the packing and discard the wrapping so that the manufacturers name is no longer displayed when the butter is placed on a table.
Plastic cups on the other hand have the disadvantage that the butter cannot be removed therefrom in a convenient and appetizing manner since the butter adheres to the sidewalls and cannot be removed as a block. Rather, the butter is removed from the cup by scraping it from the top surface which soon will assume an unappetizing, scratched appearance. In addition, a consumer does not really want to scrape the butter off, but much rather wants to cut it off which is not possible, if the butter is contained in such a cup. Furthermore, if the plastic cup is closed by a welded-on foil without lid, the foil has to be removed and discarded so that also in this case, the advertising effect of the print on the foil is lost after opening of the cup.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a packaging particularly for butter or similar products, which does not have the disadvantages of the conventional packaging pointed out above.
In a packaging for butter or a similar product, including a flat bottom part with a low circumferential bottom side wall provided with a lower rim and cover part with a circumferential downwardly extending side wall which is substantially higher than the bottom side wall and includes at its lower end an upper rim for disposition on the bottom rim, the rims are provided with cooperating element for form-locking engagement when the cover part is placed onto the bottom part and a seal ring extends around the rims for sealingly joining the bottom part and the cover part.
With the packaging according to the invention, the butter (which may have the usual time-tried shape of a brick or any other shape for example that of a circular or oval block) is disposed for the transport, storage and sale in an essentially form-stable tightly closed container. For the removal of butter from the butter block disposed in the container, that is, for consumption, the packaging can be opened and subsequently again be closed in a clean and, with an appropriate design, sealing manner. The butter can be removed by cutting off a piece as needed and the cover can subsequently be replaced. The imprint on the sales packaging or the label with the name of the manufacturer or the make remains visible with high advertising effectiveness. There is furthermore no need to use a butter plate or butter cup since the butter can be removed from the packaging according to the invention in the same way as it can be taken from a butter plate.
An embodiment of the invention will be described below in detail on the basis of the accompanying drawing.
The sole FIGURE shows in a cross-sectional view of a butter packaging according to the invention.
The packaging according to the invention comprises a bottom part 1 and a top part 2, which parts are joined via a sealing rim 3. The bottom part 1 and the top part 2 are preferably injection-molded from a plastic material. The complete two-part packaging is in principle like a butter container with a flat bottom part and a high cover part, but is in the form of a sales packaging. The sealing rim 3 comprises a plastic foil which is welded together with the bottom part and the top part.
The bottom part 1 has a flat bottom wall section 11, a low side wall section 12 projecting upwardly from circumferential edge of the flat bottom wall section 11 and including a circumferential horizontal flange 13 of a width as needed.
The butter piece B disposed in the packaging is shown by a dash-dotted line. It has a small distance from the side wall 12 of the bottom part 1 of, for example, 1 mm.
The top part 2 comprises a top wall section 21 with side walls 22, which are substantially higher than those of the bottom wall part 1. It also includes a circumferential outwardly projecting flange 23. The side walls 22 of the top part 2 are also spaced from the butter piece B, but by a distance which is greater than the distance between the butter piece B and the side wall 12 of the bottom part 1. It is for example 2 to 4 mm.
The two flanges 13 and 23 of the bottom part 1 and the top part 2 are provided with elements for the form-locking positioning of the cover part on the bottom part. As shown, this may comprise a circumferentially extending raised bead 14 on the flange 13 of the bottom part 1 and a downwardly projecting circumferential rib 24 formed on the flange 23 of the top part 2. The rib 24 is shown disposed within the bead 13 and, with the inclined co-operating surface areas of the bead 14 and the rib 24 a practically play-free sealing of the cover on the bottom part is achieved. This arrangement provides, after initial opening of the container, for a practically sealed packaging when the cover is again placed onto the bottom part so that the butter loses essentially no moisture or flavor, that is, its freshness and a attractive appearance is maintained over a relatively long period.
During the manufacture of the original packaging first the butter piece B is placed onto the bottom part 1, then the cover 2 is placed onto the bottom part 1 and finally the bottom part 1 and the top part 2 are joined by a seal ring 3, which may consist of a foil strip which extends around the rims 13, 23 and is provided with an opening aid (not shown).
The bottom part 1 is preferably so shaped that the butter piece extends only about 0.5 cm into it so that the butter can easily be cut off the butter piece B by the consumer. The butter is held in position in the bottom part by the side wall section 12 of the bottom part 1. The side wall section 22 of the top part 2 is disposed at a greater distance from the butter piece 13 so that the butter does not easily come in contact with, and adheres to, the top part 2. Since, during transport and handling, it is likely that the packaging is held in any possible position—also upside down—and is furthermore subjected to vibrations or shocks, it is likely the butter piece is displaced in the packaging. However, with the side wall section 12 of the bottom part 1 being disposed at a smaller distance from the butter piece B than the wall section 22 of the top part 2, the butter piece will not come into contact with the wall section 22 so that it will not rub thereon and plaster the inside surface thereof. In order to prevent direct contact between the top wall 21 and the butter piece B, it may be advantageous to place a sheet of parchment paper 4 on top of the butter piece B which paper can be removed when the packaging is opened for the first time.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2004 042 645.7 | Sep 2004 | DE | national |
This is a Continuation-In-Part Application of pending International Patent Application PCT/EP2005/00912.8 filed Sep. 1, 2005 and claiming the priority of German Patent Application 10 2004 042 645.7 filed Sep. 3, 2004.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/EP05/09128 | Sep 2005 | US |
| Child | 11714093 | Mar 2007 | US |
