Patent Grant
10894627
Many retail establishments, such as grocery stores or convenience stores, offer prepared food products for purchase by consumers. For example, a retail establishment may prepare snacks, appetizers or portions of meals (e.g., courses such as a main course, a salad or a side dish) for sale to customers in kitchens, deli counters or at other facilities, and package the prepared foods in containers that maintain the prepared foods in a condition that enables the prepared foods to be eaten promptly, or after a brief period of preparation. Some food products that may be sold in this manner include sandwiches, noodles, soups, salads (such as garden salads, fruit salads or salads formed from mixtures of meats or vegetables with base products such as mayonnaise or mustard), meats (e.g., chicken, beef or ham), or many others. Some other food products that may be sold in this manner are meal kits, or sets of one or more courses or dishes of a meal, that may be consumed by customers from their containers, or from plates or dishes, with little to no additional preparation.
Prepared food products are increasingly popular among consumers who desire high-quality food products but are ill-suited to prepare them, or lack a sufficient amount of time to do so. The faster that food products may be prepared and placed in the hands of consumers, in a ready-to-eat condition, or in a nearly ready-to-eat condition, the better.
In order to maintain prepared foods in desirable conditions, prepared foods are typically packaged in appropriate containers and sealed. Such containers are generally formed from materials that are designed to readily receive food products therein, preserve the food products in their desired conditions, and be opened by an end user at or prior to a time at which the food products are to be served. Such containers are often formed from plastics such as polyethylenes of various densities or polystyrene (e.g., in solid or foamed forms), as well as metals (e.g., aluminum) or papers (e.g., cardboards of varying thicknesses), which may be opaque or have varying levels of transparency.
The materials from which a container of prepared foods is formed are selected for their ability or capacity to maintain the prepared foods at a desired temperature or pressure, or to resist leakage of water, oils or other substances, or portions of the food products, therefrom. Such containers frequently have one or more rounded surfaces that are not amenable to receiving labels or other markings (e.g., by pens or other ink markers) thereon. Even where a container includes one or more flat surfaces, however, such surfaces may be subjected to variations in temperature or moisture conditions that may render labels or markings applied thereon difficult to read or interpret.
Many prepared food products are required to bear information regarding their respective ingredients (e.g., nutrition facts), or include labels or other identifiers of the food products, such as where the food products may not be identified on sight. Additionally, many prepared food products, like most commercial goods, often bear price tags or other indicators of their respective costs. In some instances, prepared food products are wrapped with bands formed from paper or other like materials that may be marked with ink, graphite or other substances. However, such bands are often difficult to tightly wrap around a container. To date, applying paper bands to containers of prepared food products requires extended time and the use of glues, tapes or other substances, thereby increasing an amount of time that is required to prepare the food products and reducing an amount of time that is available to consumers for their enjoyment.
As is set forth in greater detail below, the present disclosure is directed to continuous, pre-formed sleeves having adhesive strips that fold onto the sleeves. The sleeves may be formed blanks of any suitable materials, such as papers, and having ends that are glued or otherwise joined to one another to form a continuous loop. Additionally, the blanks may be pre-scored with a number of scores or scored lines in locations where the blanks are to be folded to form adhesive sleeves therefrom.
Once formed from blanks, the sleeves may be wrapped around a container of prepared food products or other consumer goods, and portions of the sleeves may be folded onto one another, thereby reducing the internal dimensions of the sleeve. When portions of the sleeves are joined, e.g., by adhesive strips, internal dimensions of the sleeves are reduced, and the sleeves are effectively clasped to or around the containers in tension. The sleeves may be marked with relevant information regarding the food products on at least one side, including words, symbols, characters, images, bar codes (e.g., one-dimensional or two-dimensional bar codes encoded with information regarding the food products), or other markings. Adhesive sleeves may be formed from blanks at a location where the sleeves are expected to be applied to containers or, alternatively, at a different location prior to delivering the sleeves to the location where their use is anticipated.
Referring to
The slack section 120 includes a pair of slack panels 122 and a tab panel (or end panel) 124. Additionally, as is shown in
Additionally, the blank 110 further includes scores, creases or folds joining the plurality of body panels 112, 114, 116, 118 and the slack section 120. For example, as is shown in
The blank 110 further includes a plurality of creases 132 between corresponding edges of the tab panel 124 and one of the slack panels 122, between corresponding edges of another of the slack panels 122 and the back panel 118, between corresponding edges of the back panel 118 and the bottom panel 116, and between corresponding edges of the front panel 114 and the top panel 112. Alternatively, in some implementations, the various panels of the blank 110, including but not limited to the slack section 120, may have working scores or creases at any of the corresponding edges of the various panels that are shown in
As is also shown in
For example, as is shown in
Furthermore, markings may be applied to a front face of the blank 110, on one or more of the plurality of body panels 112, 114, 116, 118 intrinsically, e.g., with ink or other substances, at a time at which the blank 110 is formed. Alternatively, markings may be applied to one or more of the plurality of body panels 112, 114, 116, 118 extrinsically, e.g., by one or more decals, labels, stickers or other materials, either at the time that the blank 110 is formed, or at a later time, such as after the blank 110 has been formed into an adhesive sleeve, or after the adhesive sleeve has been applied around a container of one or more food products or other consumer goods.
The plurality of body panels 112, 114, 116, 118 and the slack section 120 of the blank 110 may be formed from any sufficiently durable materials, and may have any dimensions. For example, in some implementations, the plurality of body panels 112, 114, 116, 118 and the slack section 120 may be formed from a solid bleached board (or “SBB”) or a solid bleached sulfate (or “SBS”) paperboard of any density of thickness. Such paperboards may be formed from layers of bleached chemical pulp covered on either side by any number of coating layers. Moreover, in some implementations, the blank 110 may be white, or any other color. Alternatively, the blank 110 may be formed from any other materials, including but not limited to solid unbleached board, folding box board, or any other paperboard of any thickness, such as six-point, nine-point, twelve-point, eighteen-point or twenty-four point craft paperboard, or from any other cellulose-based or non-cellulose-based materials of any thickness. Moreover, the blank 110 may be made oil and grease resistant on one or both sides or faces, as necessary.
In some implementations, the plurality of body panels 112, 114, 116, 118 and the slack section 120 may have common widths and varying lengths, which may be selected to ensure that an adhesive sleeve formed from the blank 110 defines a cross-section having a desired height, width and/or area, such that the adhesive sleeve is sufficiently large to accommodate a selected container of the prepared foods therein.
The width of the blank 110 defines a depth of an adhesive sleeve defined therefrom. In some implementations, the blank 110 may have a width of approximately six-and-one-half inches (6.5″). Alternatively, the blank 110 may have any desired width.
Likewise, the length of the blank 110 defines a perimeter of an adhesive sleeve formed therefrom, subject to an overlap where the blank 110 is joined at its respective ends to form a continuous loop, e.g., the tab panel 124. In some implementations, the blank 110 may have a length of approximately twenty-five inches (25″). Alternatively, the blank 110 may have any desired length.
Furthermore, the placement of the working scores 130 and/or the creases 132 defines the lengths of the respective panels 112, 114, 116, 118. For example, as is shown in
Moreover, although the tab panel 124 is shown as having a tapered shape, such that a free edge of the tab panel 124 is shorter than an edge corresponding to the one of the slack panels 122 to which the tab panel 124 is joined, the tab panel 124 may have any shape with respect to the plurality of body panels 112, 114, 116, 118 or the slack section 120 in accordance with the present disclosure.
In accordance with implementations of the present disclosure, as is shown in
For example, as is shown in
In some implementations, where adhesive sleeves are intended for use at a location where foods or other consumer goods are prepared, such as a market, a kitchen or another facility, blanks may be cut and/or printed from paperboard and transported to the location and assembled into adhesive sleeves there, e.g., by applying glue or another adhesive to an edge of a blank, and folding the blank about one or more working scores or creases, such as is shown in
As is shown in
As is shown in
Furthermore, in some implementations, blanks or adhesive sleeves formed therefrom may include windows or other openings that permit consumers to visibly evaluate contents of containers enclosed therein. Such windows or other openings may be of any size and take any shape or form, and may be cut or formed into any number of panels of a blank. Additionally, such panels may be optionally covered or sealed with one or more layers of transparent or translucent materials, such as cellophane or like materials, that may be applied to either side or face (or both sides or faces) of a blank, e.g., by glue or other adhesives, and may thus appear on internal or external surfaces of an adhesive sleeve formed from the blank.
As is shown in
The container 150 may be formed from any suitable materials, including but not limited to polyethylenes, such as high density polyethylenes (or “HDPE”) or low density polyethylenes (or “LDPE”), polystyrenes such as foam, metals such as aluminum, papers such as cardboard, or any other suitable materials. Furthermore, in some implementations, the container 150 may contain raw or cooked food products such as meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, eggs, dairy products (e.g., milks or cheeses), soups, salads, desserts, or any other food products. Alternatively, in some implementations, the container 150 may be empty, e.g., where the container 150 itself is a commercial good that is available for purchase, or may include any other commercial goods not including food products, such as commercial goods that are slender in nature and may be effectively bundled. Moreover, in some implementations, such as where a consumer good has sufficient dimensions or shapes (e.g., where the consumer good is slender), one or more of the consumer goods may be gathered and inserted into the adhesive sleeve 140, and a container need not be utilized.
As is shown in
With the slack panels 122 folded into the cross-section, the back panel 118 is folded forward and toward the container 150, ensuring that the adhesive 126 on one of the slack panels 122 comes into contact with another of the slack panels 122, and joins the slack panels 122 adjacent to one another. In some implementations, a human may join the slack panels 122 to one another using fingers of a single hand, e.g., by pinching the edges of the slack panels 122 together. A layer may be removed from the adhesive 126 prior to applying force to the slack panels 122, thereby exposing an adhesive surface for causing the slack panels 122 to be joined together.
Accordingly, as is shown in
Additionally, after the package 160 is purchased by a customer, the customer may access the container 150 and the food products or other consumer goods contained therein by ripping, tearing or cutting the blank 110 in one or more locations. For example, a customer may access the container 150 by ripping, tearing or cutting the top panel 112 at the strip 135, e.g., using one or more fingers of a hand, from one free edge of the top panel 112 to another free edge of the top panel 112, which opens the adhesive sleeve 140 to expose the container 150.
Thus, adhesive sleeves of the present disclosure may be formed from blanks cut from rolls or sheets of paperboard (e.g., SBB or SBS paperboard) or other suitable materials. Various panels may be defined by lines within such blanks, with such lines being established with one or more scores, creases or other techniques, and the blanks may be folded along such lines to join opposite ends of such blanks and to form sleeves therefrom. Such panels may be sized or selected to correspond to front, rear, top, bottom or other sides on or around a container of food products or other consumer goods. The blanks may further include slack sections of one or more slack panels that provide extra length (or slack) to circumferences or perimeters of adhesive sleeves formed from such blanks. The additional slack of the adhesive sleeves enables such sleeves to be readily wrapped around containers of food products, or one or more consumer goods. When an adhesive sleeve is wrapped around a container or one or more consumer goods, a package may be defined by effectively clasping the adhesive sleeve around the container or the consumer goods in tension, e.g., by collapsing the slack sections and joining two or more of the slack panels together, which reduces the length of the circumferences or perimeters. Subsequently, when the container or the consumer goods are desired for consumption, a consumer may rip, tear, cut or otherwise open the adhesive sleeve and access the container or the consumer goods.
Panels of such blanks may be defined or separated by lines provided on one or more sides or faces of such blanks, with such lines being defined by one or more impressions, creases or other modifications imposed on either side or face of the blanks for the purpose of positioning and/or facilitating folds within the blanks. Some scores may include, but are not limited to, creases, grooves, perforations, ridges or any other features for aiding in folding of blanks.
Those of ordinary skill in the pertinent arts will recognize that the adhesive sleeves of the present disclosure may include any type of markings thereon, including but not limited to text, numbers, characters, symbols, images or bar codes. Moreover, such markings may be expressed in both visible and tactile forms. For example, the identifiers may be presented in variations of color that may be viewed by a consumer, or with one or more raised, indented or embossed features that may be sensed by the consumer.
As is discussed above, the adhesive sleeves of the present disclosure may be formed from blanks that are cut from any type or form of material, such as SBB or SBS paperboard. Ends of the blanks may be joined by glue or other adhesives to form the adhesive sleeves. Referring to
As is shown in
As is also shown in
As is further shown in
Additionally, in accordance with implementations of the present disclosure, slack sections may be provided between any pair of panels in a blank from which an adhesive sleeve may be formed. Referring to
The blank 310 shown in
As is also shown in
As is further shown in
As is discussed above, the adhesive sleeves of the present disclosure may be used to wrap or combine one or more consumer goods, e.g., in a bundled manner, and are not limited for use in connection with containers or food products. Referring to
As is shown in
As is shown in
Although the disclosure has been described herein using exemplary techniques, components, and/or processes for implementing the systems and methods of the present disclosure, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that other techniques, components, and/or processes or other combinations and sequences of the techniques, components, and/or processes described herein may be used or performed that achieve the same function(s) and/or result(s) described herein and which are included within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, although some of the implementations of adhesive sleeves of the present disclosure are described herein in connection with the enclosure of food products within containers therein, those of ordinary skill in the pertinent arts will recognize that the present disclosure is not so limited, and that the adhesive sleeves may be provided in connection with the transportation and use of commercial goods of any kind, regardless of whether such goods are maintained in containers. Moreover, the adhesive sleeves of the present disclosure may be used in any type or form of facility, and are not limited in their application or implementation to facilities where foods are prepared and packaged.
Those of ordinary skill in the pertinent arts will further recognize that the adhesive sleeves of the present disclosure may be made from any suitable materials. For example, although some of the implementations of adhesive sleeves disclosed herein are referenced as being made from blanks of paperboard, those of ordinary skill in the pertinent arts will recognize that the present disclosure is not so limited. The adhesive sleeves may be formed from blanks of two-sided sheets of one or more natural or synthetic fibers such as paper, plastic or fabric fibers, and bands formed from one or more rigid paper products including cardboards such as card stock, paperboard or corrugated fiberboard. Moreover, the adhesive sleeves may be covered on one or both sides with oil and grease resistant coatings, or with other layers of paper, plastic or fabric, or with layers of metal foils (e.g., aluminum). Additionally, although some of the implementations are shown as having adhesive sleeves that are substantially rectangular, the blanks and adhesive sleeves formed therefrom may have any shape or length in accordance with the present disclosure. In some implementations, one or more of the sheets and/or bands may include corners that are pointed, beveled, tapered or rounded, or have any other configuration or shape.
It should be understood that, unless otherwise explicitly or implicitly indicated herein, any of the features, characteristics, alternatives or modifications described regarding a particular implementation herein may also be applied, used, or incorporated with any other implementation described herein, and that the drawings and detailed description of the present disclosure are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives to the various implementations as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, with respect to the one or more methods or processes of the present disclosure described herein, orders in which such methods or processes are presented are not intended to be construed as any limitation on the claimed inventions, and any number of the method or process steps or boxes described herein can be combined in any order and/or in parallel to implement the methods or processes described herein. Also, the drawings herein are not drawn to scale.
Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey in a permissive manner that certain implementations could include, or have the potential to include, but do not mandate or require, certain features, elements and/or steps. In a similar manner, terms such as “include,” “including” and “includes are generally intended to mean “including, but not limited to.” Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more implementations or that one or more implementations necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular implementation.
Disjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, or Z,” or “at least one of X, Y and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may be either X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and/or Z). Thus, such disjunctive language is not generally intended to, and should not, imply that certain implementations require at least one of X, at least one of Y, or at least one of Z to each be present.
Unless otherwise explicitly stated, articles such as “a” or “an” should generally be interpreted to include one or more described items. Accordingly, phrases such as “a device configured to” are intended to include one or more recited devices. Such one or more recited devices can also be collectively configured to carry out the stated recitations. For example, “a processor configured to carry out recitations A, B and C” can include a first processor configured to carry out recitation A working in conjunction with a second processor configured to carry out recitations B and C.
Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “about,” “approximately,” “generally,” “nearly” or “substantially” as used herein, represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “about,” “approximately,” “generally,” “nearly” or “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount.
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