Cardboard container obtained from a single blank

Abstract

A cardboard container particularly for solid, granular, powder or even fluids products is described, having a substantially box-shaped body open at the top and an upper closing wall ( 8 ) which disposes inside the body of the container at a certain distance from the upper edge ( 3 ) thereof and a pre-cut line ( 22 - 23 ), designed to facilitate the detachment of a disk ( 8 ′) to form an opening for access to the container is provided; the body and the upper closing wall and possibly a movable flap, which acts as a lid once the disk has been removed, are formed from a single blank ( 100 ).

1 . A cardboard container particularly for solid, granular or powder products, having a substantially box-shaped body open at the top and an upper closing wall ( 8 ) disposed on the inside of the container body at a certain distance from the upper edge ( 3 ) thereof, and being provided with a pre-cut line ( 22 ,  23 ) able to facilitate the detachment of a disk ( 8 ′) to cause an opening for the access to the container, characterized in that said body and said upper closing wall are formed from a single blank ( 100 ).  
   
   
       2 . A container according to  claim 1 , further comprising a re-closing lid ( 9 ), hingedly openable, characterized in that said lid ( 9 ) is formed from said single blank ( 100 ) comprising said body and said top closing wall.  
   
   
       3 . A container according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterized in that said blank ( 100 ) for the production of the container comprises: 
 a central rectangle (a) designed to form a base ( 2 ) of the container,    two opposite tongues (b) foldable to the inside around respective bend lines ( 12 ) coinciding with two opposite sides of the rectangle (a),    two trapezoidal portions (c, c′) foldable around the other two sides ( 13 ,  13 ′) of the central rectangle (a) to form the rear and the front walls, respectively, of the container ( 1 ),    two pairs of triangular portions (d, d; d′, d′) respectively adjacent said portions (c, c′) and joined thereto by means of respective crease lines ( 14 ,  14 ′), said triangular portions (d, d′) having their vertices coinciding with the corresponding vertices of said central rectangle (a) and being able to form blunted corners ( 7 ) of the container ( 1 ),    two pairs of substantially rectangular trapezium-shaped portions (e, e, e′, e′), respectively adjacent said triangular portions (d, d, d′, d′), and joined thereto by means of crease lines ( 15 ,  15 ′), the portions (e′, e′) being wider than the portions (e, e) and being provided on the respective outer edges with a strip of glue or of a heat-sealable adhesive ( 16 ,  16 ′) for fixing to the corresponding portions (e, e) to form, by overlapping of said portions (e, e′), the right and left side walls of the container and the closure thereof,    a plurality of flaps (f, f 3 , f′, f 1 ′, f 2 ′, f 4 ′), possibly heat sealable on the inside, protruding respectively from said portions (c, d) and from said portions (c′, d′, e′),    an octagonal portion ( 11 ) connected, by means of a bend line ( 18 ′) to one (f 4 ′) of said flaps (f, f 3 , f′, f 1 ′, f 2 ′, f 4 ′) to form said closing wall ( 8 ), and    a possible second octagonal portion (g) connected, by means of a bend line ( 18 ), to one (f 3 ) of said flaps (f, f 3 , f′, f 1 ′, f 2 ′, f 4 ′) to form a possible re-closing lid ( 9 ).    
   
   
       4 . A container according to  claim 3 , characterized in that said octagonal portion ( 11 ) forming the closing wall ( 8 ) is connected to the flap (f 4 ′) protruding from one of said rectangular trapezium-shaped parts (e′) forming the side walls and in that said second octagonal portion (g) forming the re-closing lid ( 9 ) is connected to the flap (f 3 ) protruding from a rectangular portion (c) forming the rear wall of the container.  
   
   
       5 . A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the top closing wall ( 8 ) has a plurality of peripheral flaps (h) folded upwards at about 90° so as to be disposed against the corresponding inside walls of the body of the container, which has at its upper edge ( 3 ) corresponding counterflaps (f, f 3 , f′, f 1 ′, f 2 ′) which, folded inward, overlap said flaps (h) of the closing wall, blocking it in position by means of glue or adhesive.  
   
   
       6 . A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said container ( 1 ) is raised from a rectangular base ( 2 ), with a certain conicity widening towards the top, where it has an octagonal upper edge ( 3 ) with four larger sized sides ( 4 ), coinciding with the four substantially vertical peripheral walls ( 5 ) of the container and four smaller sized sides ( 6 ), coinciding with blunted corners ( 7 ) of the container.  
   
   
       7 . A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said pre-cut line ( 22 ,  23 ) is shaped so as to leave a rim ( 30 ) on said upper closing wall ( 8 ) after removal of said disk ( 8 ′), said rim extending at least partially along the perimeter of the container ( 1 ) to stiffen the mouth of the container.  
   
   
       8 . A container according to  claim 2  and to one or more of the subsequent claims, characterized in that said re-closing lid ( 9 ) is hingedly openable around one (f 3 ) of said folded flaps (f, f 3 , f′, f 1 ′, f 2 ′, f 4 ′) of the upper edge ( 3 ) of the container and is disposed, in the closed position, on said upper closing wall ( 8 ) or on said peripheral edge ( 30 ), once said disk ( 8 ′) has been removed, for re-closing the container.  
   
   
       9 . A container according to  claim 8 , characterized in that the re-closure of said lid ( 9 ) takes place by a snap action, the front edge of the lid having a pair of teeth ( 119 ) which are disposed, with slight forcing, beneath at least one flap (f 2 ′) of said upper edge ( 3 ) of the container which is shorter than the other flaps.  
   
   
       10 . A container according to  claim 8  o  9 , characterized in that said re-closing lid ( 9 ) has a pull tab ( 20 ) which is disposed, in the closed position, in the empty space between two of said flaps (f 2 ′).  
   
   
       11 . A container according to any one of  claims 8  to  10 , characterized in that said lid ( 9 ) has, on two of its inclined sides adjacent to that of hinging, two cuts ( 31 ) designed to hook to the upper edge ( 3 ) of the container, so that the lid is kept blocked in the open position.  
   
   
       12 . A container according to any one of the preceding claims, of the hermetic type, particularly suitable for containing fluid, pasty or cream products and the like, characterized in that inside the container body there is disposed a film ( 40 ) fixed by points or by lines to said blank ( 100 ) and being of such a size as to reach to said upper edge ( 3 ) of the container, disposing itself beneath said folded flaps (f, f 3 , f′, f 1 ′, f 2 ′, f 4 ′), and to cover the whole inner peripheral surface of the container, a thin membrane ( 70 ) comprising a thin sheet of aluminium ( 71 ) coupled to a sheet of low-grammage paper ( 72 ), both possibly protected with layers of varnish ( 73 ,  74 ) being applied to the inside of said upper closing wall ( 9 ), such that following the fixing of said upper closing wall ( 8 ) to the body of the container, by means of folding of said flaps (h) and of heat sealing or gluing along the upper peripheral edge of the container, a single hermetically sealed whole is formed.  
   
   
       13 . A single blank ( 100 ) for the production of a container for solid, granular or powder products according to any one of  claims 1  to  11 , comprising 
 a central rectangle (a) designed to form a base ( 2 ) of the container,    two opposite flaps (b) foldable to the inside around respective bend lines ( 12 ) coinciding with two opposite sides of the rectangle (a),    two trapezoidal portions (c, c′) foldable around the other two sides ( 13 ,  13 ′) of the central rectangle (a), to form the rear and the front walls, respectively, of the container ( 1 ),    two pairs of triangular portions (d, d, d′, d′) respectively adjacent said portions (c, c′) and joined thereto by means of respective crease lines ( 14 ,  14 ′), said triangular portions (d, d′) having vertices coinciding with the corresponding vertices of said central rectangle (a) and being able to form blunted corners ( 7 ) of the container ( 1 ),    two pairs of substantially rectangular trapezium-shaped portions (e, e, e′, e′), respectively adjacent said triangular portions (d, d, d′, d′), and joined thereto by means of respective crease lines ( 15 ,  15 ′), the portions (e′, e′) being wider than the portions (e, e) and being provided on the respective outer edges with a strip of glue or of heat-sealable adhesive ( 16 ,  16 ′) for fixing to the corresponding portions (e, e) to determine, by overlapping of said portions (e, e′), the right and left side walls of the body of the container and the closure thereof,    a plurality of flaps (f, f 3 , f′, f 1 ′, f 2 ′, f 4 ′), possibly heat-sealable on the inside, protruding from said portions (c, d) and from said portions (c′, d′, e′), respectively,    an octagonal portion ( 11 ), connected by means of a bend line ( 18 ′) to one (f 4 ′) of said flaps (f, f 3 , f′, f 1 ′, f 2 ′, f 4 ′) to determine said closing wall ( 8 ), and    a possible second octagonal portion (g) connected, by means of a bend line ( 18 ) to one (f 3 ) of said flaps (f, f 3 , f′, f 1 ′, f 2 ′, f 4 ′) to form a possible re-closing lid ( 9 ).    
   
   
       14 . A blank according to  claim 13 , characterized in that said octagonal portion ( 11 ) reproduces the shape of the upper edge ( 3 ) of the container and is connected, by means of one (f 4 ′) of said flaps, to one (e′) of said rectangular trapezium-shaped parts, a respective flap (h) foldable around a respective bend line protruding from the other sides of said octagonal portion e ( 11 ), a pre-cut line ( 22 - 23 ) designed to facilitate the removal of a central disk ( 8 ′) being provided on the inside of said octagonal shape.  
   
   
       15 . A blank according to  claim 13  or  14  for the production of a hermetic container particularly suitable for containing products in a fluid state, characterized in that it further comprises a lining film ( 40 ) of plastic material, fixed by points or by lines to the blank ( 100 ) and being of such a size as to reach flush with the folding bases ( 17 ,  17 ′) of said flaps (f, f 3 , f′, f 1 ′, f 2 ′, f 4 ′) respectively, and to involve the entire inner peripheral surface of the container.  
   
   
       16 . A blank according to  claim 15 , characterized in that said lining film ( 40 ) can be heat sealed on both sides and is fixed to the blank ( 100 ) along a continuous or dotted rectangular track ( 41 ) which involves said base (a) and two strips ( 42 ,  42 ′) disposed in proximity to the free ends of said trapezoidal portions (c, c′), respectively.  
   
   
       17 . A blank according to  claim 15  or  16 , characterized in that it further comprises a membrane ( 70 ) consisting of a thin aluminium foil ( 71 ) coupled to a thin sheet of low-grammage paper ( 72 ), both possibly protected with layers of paint ( 73 ,  74 ), wherein the aluminium ( 71 ) or the paper ( 72 ) is closely applied to the inside surface of said octagonal portion ( 11 ) by means of glue or of thermal adhesives, so that during removal of said disk ( 8 ′) the membrane ( 70 ) yields exactly along said pre-cut lines ( 22 - 23 ).  
   
   
       18 . A blank according to any one of  claims 15  to  17 , characterized in that in one (c) of said trapezoidal parts (c, c′) forming the front and the rear walls of the container a pre-cut line ( 60 ), substantially U-shaped so as to define a window (m) which is lowered to allow the detachment from the cardboard of said lining film of aluminium ( 40 ) for separate waste collection, is formed.  
   
   
       19 . A production method for a cardboard container, particularly for solid, granular or powder products, obtained starting from a single blank ( 100 ) according to  claim 13 , said method comprising the following steps: 
 inward folding of said tongues (b) around said respective bend lines ( 12 ),    upward folding of said trapezoidal portions (c, c′) around said respective bend lines ( 13 ,  13 ′),    inward rotation of said portions (d, e, d′, e′), respectively around the crease lines ( 14 ,  15 ,  14 ′,  15 ′),    partial overlapping of said portions (e′, e′) on said portions (e, e) and fixing by means of said strips ( 16 ) of glue or of heat-sealing adhesive, so as to obtain a container body that is open at the top,    filling the body of the open container with the relative product,    upward folding at about 90° of said flaps (h) of said octagonal portion ( 11 ) having pre-cut lines ( 22 - 23 ),    lowering of the octagonal portion ( 11 ) with the flaps (h) facing upwards into the body of the open container, disposing it at such a level that the upper edge thereof coincides with the bend lines ( 17 ,  17 ′) of the flaps (f, f′) of the blank ( 100 ),    inward folding of said flaps (f, f′) and gluing thereof to the corresponding flaps (h) of the octagonal portion ( 11 ),    possible lowering of said lid ( 9 ) onto said top closing wall ( 8 ).    
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 19 , for production of a hermetic container particularly suitable to contain fluid products according to  claim 11 , characterized in that a film ( 40 ) of plastic, on both sides heat-sealable material is applied of said blank ( 100 ) before folding it, and in that a thin membrane ( 70 ), consisting of a thin aluminium film coupled with a thin sheet of low-grammage paper, is closely applied to said octagonal portion ( 11 ), on the inner surface, by means of glue or of heat sealing.