Carton and liner assembly, and method of manufacture thereof

Abstract

Carton and Liner Assembly and Method of Manufacture thereof A carton and liner assembly is provided. The assembly includes an open topped carton erected from a carton blank and a liner, each of the liner and the carton having side walls and a base defining an internal cavity. The liner is located in the internal cavity of the carton when assembled and the liner has a rim on the uppermost edge of the side walls which engages with the upper edges of the side walls of the carton. The carton is secured to the liner by means of adhesive applied to the base of the liner and/or the carton.

1 . A carton and liner assembly, said assembly comprising: 
 an open topped carton erected from a carton blank and a liner, each of said liner and said carton having side walls and a base defining an internal cavity, said liner located in the internal cavity of said carton when assembled and said liner having a rim on one or more uppermost edges of said side walls which engages with at least a part of one or more of the side walls of said carton and adhesive applied to at least one member from the group consisting of said base and said side walls of said liner and said carton.    
     
     
         2 . An assembly according to  claim 1  in that the wherein said internal cavity of the said liner is used for containment of one or more food products.  
     
     
         3 . An assembly according to  claim 2  wherein the one or more food products require heating or cooking in said carton and liner assembly in use.  
     
     
         4 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said liner is formed from a plastics material.  
     
     
         5 . An assembly according to  claim 4  wherein said plastics material is crystalline polyethylene terephthalate.  
     
     
         6 . An assembly according to  claim 5  wherein said plastics material is foamed crystalline polyethylene terephthalate  
     
     
         7 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said carton is formed from board material.  
     
     
         8 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said carton and said liner are in the form of tray shaped receptacles.  
     
     
         9 . An assembly according to  claim 8  wherein the tray shaped receptacles have a base which has a larger surface area than the side walls thereof.  
     
     
         10 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the bases of said carton and said liner are substantially planar.  
     
     
         11 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the liner and/or carton are provided with radiused corners where the respective side walls meet and where the edges which define the respective bases meet.  
     
     
         12 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the outer surface of the liner and/or the inner surface of the carton are provided with substantially planar side walls.  
     
     
         13 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the outer surface of the liner and/or the inner surface of the carton are provided with one or more rib members thereon.  
     
     
         14 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said adhesive used to secure said carton and said liner together is food safe and can operate over a temperature range of −40 to +220 degrees Centrigrade.  
     
     
         15 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said rim of said liner overlies one or more of the uppermost edges of said side walls of said carton to provide engagement therebetween.  
     
     
         16 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein a clip arrangement is provided for engagement of the rim of the liner with one or more of the uppermost edges of the side walls of the carton.  
     
     
         17 . An assembly according to  claim 16  wherein said rim of said liner is in the form of a channel shaped member and the uppermost edges of said side walls of said carton are provided with a flange for engagement in the channel of said channel shaped member.  
     
     
         18 . An assembly according to  claim 17  wherein said flange of said carton is substantially flexible.  
     
     
         19 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said carton is provided with printed matter on an outer surface thereon relating to one or more food products contained in said liner.  
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing a carton and liner assembly, including an open topped carton erected from a carton blank and a liner, each of said liner and said carton having side walls and a base defining an internal cavity, said method comprising the steps of; 
 depositing adhesive on at least one member from the group consisting of the base and side walls of the carton and liner,    bringing the liner and carton together so that the liner is located in the internal cavity of said carton; and    optionally applying pressure on the liner base to secure the carton to the liner, such that when the carton and liner are assembled, a rim on one or more uppermost edges of said side walls of said liner engages with at least a part of one or more of the side walls of said carton.    
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein the liner and carton are located together when the adhesive is wet.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein the carton and liner assembly are moved, lowered or lifted from the point of assembly and deposited in a nesting arrangement.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein the carton and liner assemblies are assembled as a nested stack.  
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 22  wherein the assembly is moved prior to completion of drying of the adhesive between the carton and liner forming the assembly.  
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein the liner is located in the internal cavity of the carton after the adhesive has dried.  
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 25  wherein the cartons and/or liners are shaped so as to provide a pre-determined space between a first carton or liner base and the base or a further carton or liner nested therein.  
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 26  wherein the side walls of the carton and/or liner are tapered outwardly from the base to the uppermost edges thereof.  
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 26  wherein one or more flaps are provided on the carton or liner to limit the movement of a further carton or liner located in the internal cavity thereof during nesting.  
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 26  wherein the pre-determined space is a distance greater than the thickness or height of adhesive applied to the base of a lower carton and/or liner.  
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 26  wherein the carton is constructed by adhering side walls panels thereof to flaps provided on adjacent side walls and which are disposed internally of the carton, the slaps providing a protrusion internally of the carton which limits movement of a carton nested in the internal cavity of another cavity, thereby providing said pre-determined distance between the bases of said cartons.  
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein the carton is engaged with the liner in a single step.  
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein the carton is erected from a simple blank as a separate step in the method process.  
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein that respective side walls of the carton are adhered together by means of extension flaps which extend around the side corners or the carton.  
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 33  wherein between the side walls and the extension flaps there is provided an arcuately shaped panel.  
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 34  wherein the panel is provided with a series of lines of weakness extending radially away from an inner curved edge of the panel to an outer curved edge of the panel.