EP0179005A1 - Packaging for products presented in grouped lots - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A packaging for products presented in grouped lots, consisting of individual pots (1) each of which is closed by a cover (3), that are inserted into and joined together by a grid (13) presenting a number of holes (14) equal to that of the pots in each cluster, characterized in that the cover of each pot comprises in turb a contact area (8) at the top of the upper flange (4) of the pot, and a skirt (7) which possesses firstly, an annular internal shoulder (9) co-operating with an external shoulder (6) of that flange, and secondly two diametrically opposed tabs (10) each of which is an extension of a tearable zone (12) of that skirt, and in that the grid (13) comprises, concentrically with the hole (14) that serves to accommodate a pot (1), two circular arc cut-outs (17) so dimensioned to permit the passage of the two tabs of each pot cover and each of which is prolonged by a seating arranged below the grid and into which the tab (10) penetrates due to the elastic deformation of a retaining unit (19) that forms a portion of the grid, but from which it can only be extracted by breaking the retaining unit.

Description

There are many products presented in grouped packaging. This is particularly the case for food products, cleaning products, beauty products ... In all cases, the product is contained in a container, and in a determined number the containers are linked together by a means destructible or removable exterior.

In some cases, the containers do not have an individual closure, and it is the external means of connection between the containers which simultaneously closes the containers. This is the case, for example, for white cheeses.

Considering this particular case, the white cheeses are placed in dishes which are introduced into pots, the closure of which is effected by a single lid fixed by interlocking or by heat sealing.

• - un manque de rigidité de l'ensemble formé par les pots et leur couvercle, ce qui entraîne des difficultés de manutention ;
• - un manque d'étanchéité entre les pots, ce qui peut entraîner le passage du sérum d'un pot dans un autre pot avec les conséquences en résultant, à savoir que certains fromages sont trop secs, et d'autres trop humides ; la qualité du fromage n'est donc pas garantie ;
• - la nécessité de consommer rapidement tous les fromages, à partir du moment où l'unique couvercle a été enlevé ;
• - et la difficulté de stockage de ce type de conditionnements.

: This presentation in grouped packaging has many practical and commercial advantages, and is particularly intended for consumption by communities and restaurants. However, it has various drawbacks, among which we should mention:

• - A lack of rigidity of the assembly formed by the pots and their lid, which leads to handling difficulties;
• - a lack of tightness between the pots, which can lead to the passage of serum from one pot to another pot with the resulting consequences, namely that some cheeses are too dry, and others too wet; the quality of the cheese is therefore not guaranteed;
• - the need to consume all the cheeses quickly, as soon as the single lid has been removed;
• - and the difficulty of storing this type of packaging.

The invention overcomes these drawbacks. It relates to a packaging which, intended for products to be presented in grouped packaging, has multiple applications because of the variety of these products. It is therefore only by way of example and for the sole purpose of clarifying the text below that the invention will be described in the case of its application to white cheeses, but without this resulting in a limitation. any of its broad scope.

• - des pots individuels fermés chacun par un couvercle ;
• - et par une grille qui présente un nombre d'orifices égal à celui des pots à réunir, coiffe ces pots grâce à ces orifices, et comporte des moyens d'accrochage aux couvercles de ces pots.

This packaging consists of a combination of:

• - individual pots, each closed by a lid;
• - And by a grid which has a number of orifices equal to that of the pots to be joined, covers these pots with these orifices, and comprises means for hooking to the lids of these pots.

This packaging meets the first goal sought which is to allow the grouping of several individually closed pots; and it meets a second extremely important goal, residing in the guarantee that such and such a pot was not opened before its presentation for sale. This guarantee requires inviolability of the packaging.

This inviolability condition is precisely satisfied by the packaging which is the subject of the invention. Two inviolability systems are in fact provided: one at the level of the closure of each pot, and the other at the level of the grid which connects the pots.

• - le couvercle de chaque pot comporte successivement une zone d'appui sur le sommet du rebord supérieur du pot et une jupe qui présente, d'une part, un épaulement annulaire intérieur coopérant avec un épaulement extérieur de ce rebord et, d'autre part, deux languettes diamétralement opposées prolongeant chacune une zone déchirable de cette jupe ;
• - et la grille comporte concentriquement à l'orifice servant de logement à chaque pot deux découpes en arc de cercle qui sont dimensionnées pour permettre le passage des deux,.languettes de chaque couvercle de pot et se prolongent chacune par un logement aménagé sous la grille et dans lequel la languette pénètre grâce à une déformation élastique d'un élément de retenue faisant partie de la grille, mais hors . duquel elle ne peut être extraite que par rupture de cet élément de retenue.

Various means can be used for the realization of these two inviolability systems. Thus, according to one embodiment of the invention:

• - The lid of each pot successively comprises a bearing zone on the top of the upper rim of the pot and a skirt which has, on the one hand, an inner annular shoulder cooperating with an outer shoulder of this rim and, on the other hand , two diametrically opposite tongues each extending a tearable zone of this skirt;
• - And the grid has concentrically with the orifice serving as housing for each pot, two cutouts in an arc of a circle which are dimensioned to allow the passage of the two,. tongues of each pot lid and each extend by a housing arranged under the grid. and in which the tongue penetrates thanks to an elastic deformation of a retaining element forming part of the grid, but out. from which it can only be extracted by breaking this retaining element.

Considering this particular form of execution, the installation of the grid on the pots is done either manually or mechanically. It only requires that after having capped the pots with the grid by passing the two tongues of each cover through the two corresponding cutouts of the grid, an angular movement is given to each pot to achieve its attachment to the grid.

Finally, and this is another characteristic of the invention, each of the orifices of the grid is arranged in the center of a circular zone set back relative to the plate constituting the grid, and each pot has a peripheral upper rim coming from resting on the annular zone thus arranged at the periphery of the orifice traversed by the body of the pot, while the rim of this annular zone comes into contact with the skirt of the lid of the pot. This arrangement contributes to the achievement of an effective closure of the pot by the lid.

• - Figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un conditionnement de quatre pots,
• - Figures 2 et 3 sont des vues en perspective respectivement de la grille et de l'un des pots avant réalisation du conditionnement,
• - Figures 4 et 5 sont des vues en plan respectivement d'un pot et d'une portion correspondante de la grille,
• - Figures 6 et 7 sont des vues de détail et à échelle agrandie, en coupe respectivement suivant 6-6 et 7-7 de figure 1.

The appended schematic drawing moreover represents, by way of nonlimiting example, an embodiment of this packaging in the case of its application to the presentation of white cheeses in grouped packaging:

• - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package of four pots,
• FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views respectively of the grid and of one of the pots before packaging is produced,
• - Figures 4 and 5 are plan views respectively of a pot and a corresponding portion of the grid,
• - Figures 6 and 7 are detail views and on an enlarged scale, in section respectively on 6-6 and 7-7 of Figure 1.

As is known per se, white cheeses are packaged in jars with an inner dish. In the accompanying drawing, the pot is designated by (1) and the inner dish by (2). As is also known per se, the pot (1) is closed by a cover (3). This cover is relatively high for covering the dish (2) whose height is such that its upper edge projects beyond that of the pot (1).

In view of their presentation in grouped packaging, namely four in the case shown in the drawing, each pot (1) according to the invention has, at its upper part, a peripheral rim (4) connected to the body of the pot by a zone horizontal annular constituting a shoulder (5); and at its upper part, the peripheral rim (4) has an outer bead (6).

The lid (3) of the pot ends, on its side, at its lower part, by a cylindrical skirt (7) connected to the body of the lid by an annular horizontal zone (8); and at its lower end, this skirt (7) has an inner bead (9).

It is therefore conceivable that by cooperation of the skirt (7) of the lid (3) with the rim (4) of the pot (1) and by cooperation of the beads respectively (9) of the lid and (6) of the pot, it is possible to obtain an easy and tight closure of the pot (1) by the lid (3).

The cover (3) also has two diametrically opposite tongues (10) which project laterally in a horizontal plane relative to the skirt (7); and each tab (10) extends into the rim (7) of the cover and over part of the height of the body of the cover by a line of least resistance (12)

To be presented in grouped packaging, four pots (1), each provided with a lid (3), are associated with a grid generally designated by (13). This grid consists of a plate advantageously made, like the pots (1) and the lids (3), by molding in synthetic resin. This grid or plate (13) has four orifices (14) which are arranged in the center of four zones which are set back relative to the plate itself. Each orifice (14) is thus placed in the center of an annular zone (15) connected to the main face of the plate (13) by a vertical cylindrical zone (16).

Concentrically to each orifice (14), the plate (13) has two cutouts (17) which are diametrically opposite and have a general shape in an arc. The dimensions of these cutouts (17) are somewhat greater than those of the two tabs (10) of each pot cover (3) (1). Each cutout (17) is itself extended at one of its ends by an arcuate slot (18) which gives rise to the formation of a narrow tab (19) at the two ends of which are provided. respectively a stop (21) and a step (22), the spacing between this stop (21) and this step (22) being slightly greater than the length of the tongue of the pot cover; and a zone of least resistance (23) is provided at the end of the tab (19) in its zone of connection with the plate (13).

• - la zone épaulée (5) du rebord (4) du pot vienne en appui sur la zone annulaire (15) de la grille,
• - et les deux languettes (10) du couvercle viennent en appui sur le fond (24) formé par la grille (13) en dessous de chaque découpe (17).

For the commissioning of the packaging which is the subject of the invention, four .pots (1) closed by their covers (3) are associated with a grid (13). For this association, each of the four pots is placed in one of the orifices (14) of the grid (13). This positioning is carried out as follows: the pot (1) is presented above the grid (13) in a position such that the two tongues (10) of its cover (3) are placed above the two lights (17) of the grid (13). The pot (1) can thus freely descend through the orifice (14), and this until:

• - the shouldered zone (5) of the rim (4) of the pot comes to bear on the annular zone (15) of the grid,
• - And the two tabs (10) of the cover come to bear on the bottom (24) formed by the grid (13) below each cutout (17).

. To make the connection between the pot (1) and the grid (13), it only remains to impose a small angular displacement on the pot relative to the grid. During this movement, each of the two tabs (10) of the pot cover is introduced elastically under the corresponding tab (19) and stops between the stop (21) and the corresponding redent (22). There is then an imperative connection between the grid (13) and the pot (1) closed by its cover (3). This connection can only be removed by breaking the two legs (19), thanks to the two zones of least resistance (23) provided on the grid (13) on either side of each pot (1).

The grid (13) and pots (1) assembly therefore constitutes an inviolable system, since the gripping of a pot, with a view to consuming its contents, requires the breaking of part of the grid (13). This break being visible, the packaging which is the subject of the invention can therefore be considered as satisfying the 'inviolability condition, while however easily allowing the separation of the pots from the grid.

Another advantage of this packaging lies in the fact that it guarantees a good closure of each pot (1) by its lid (3). It should indeed be noted that when the pot closed by its lid (3) has been introduced into the grid (13), the skirt (7) of the lid (3) is pinched between the rim (4) of the pot (1) and the cylindrical wall (16) of the grid (13). This pinching associated with the cooperation of the two beads (6) and (9), respectively of the pot and the lid, guarantees a particularly tight closure of the pot (1) by the lid (3).

As it goes without saying, the invention is not limited to the only embodiment of this packaging for products presented in grouped packaging, which has been indicated above by way of example, it embraces it, on the contrary , all variants.

Claims (5)

1 - Packaging for products presented in grouped packaging, characterized in that it is constituted in combination by: - individual pots (1) each closed by a lid (3); - And by a grid (13) which has a number of orifices (14) equal to that of the pots to be joined, covers these pots with these orifices, and includes means for hooking to the lids of these pots. 2 - Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover (3) of each pot (1) successively comprises a bearing zone (8) on the top of the upper rim (4) of the pot and a skirt (7) which has, on the one hand, an inner annular shoulder (9) cooperating with an outer shoulder (6) of this rim and, on the other hand, two diametrically opposite tongues (10) each extending a tearable zone (12) of this skirt. 3 - Packaging according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the grid (13) comprises concentrically with the orifice (14) serving as housing for each pot (1) two cutouts in a circular arc (17) which are sized for allow the passage of the two tongues of each pot cover and each extend by a housing arranged under the grid and into which the tongue (10) penetrates by means of an elastic deformation of a retaining element (19) forming part of the grid , but out of which it can only be extracted by breaking this retaining element. 4 - Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each of the orifices (14) of the grid (13) is arranged in the center of a circular area (15) set back relative to the plate constituting the grid, and each pot has a peripheral upper rim (5) bearing on the annular zone (15) thus arranged at the periphery of the orifice (14) traversed by the body of the pot (1), while the rim (16) of this annular zone (15) comes into contact with the skirt (7) of the pot cover. 5 - Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the upper edge of the dish (2) contained in the pot (1) is located above the upper edge of the pot (1) and below the upper edge of the cover (3).

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