Container for fruit and vegetable products and method for making the container and for packing such products

Abstract

A container for fruit and vegetable products includes one closed mesh casing for storing products, and one shaped band including one first end portion and one second end portion associable with the respective ends to the mesh casing, and one narrower intermediate portion for connecting between the first end portion and the second end portion, the intermediate portion for connecting between the first end portion and the second end portion, the intermediate portion making a hand grip for the user, so as to allow optimal visibility of the fruit and vegetable products packed and easy and safe transportation thereof.

1 . A container for fruit and vegetable products, comprising at least one closed mesh casing for storing the products, and at least one shaped band, said mesh casing having a first face, a second face and two side walls, wherein said at least one shaped band is fixed solely to said first face of said container, whereas said second face is free or not engaged or in contact with said at least one band. 
     
     
         2 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said mesh casing comprises a first end and a second end each defined between respective end sections of said first face and of said second face, said mesh casing being closed at its ends through respective welding sections and in that said at least one shaped band is fixed to said first face of said mesh casing solely at both said ends. 
     
     
         3 . The container according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said band comprises at least one first end portion and at least one second end portion associable with at least the respective ends to said mesh casing, and comprising at least one narrower intermediate portion for connecting between said first end portion and said second end portion, said intermediate portion being suitable for making a handgrip for the user, so as to allow optimal visibility of the fruit and packaged vegetable products and easy and safe transportation thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The container for fruit and vegetable products according to  claim 3 , wherein at least one of said first end portion and of said second end portion defines at least one extended surface suitable for the application of writing, logos and the like. 
     
     
         5 . The container for fruit and vegetable products according to  claim 3 , wherein said first end portion and said second end portion each comprise a respective extended surface suitable for the application of writing, logos and the like, and each comprise at least two opposite side walls converging in the direction of said narrower intermediate portion. 
     
     
         6 . The container for fruit and vegetable products according to  claim 3 , wherein at least the ends of said first end portion and of said second end portion of said shaped band are associated with respective ends of said mesh casing. 
     
     
         7 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one band is fixed solely at just one end of said mesh casing. 
     
     
         8 . The container for fruit and vegetable products according to  claim 1 , wherein said shaped band and said mesh are made from synthetic material. 
     
     
         9 . The container for fruit and vegetable products according to  claim 1 , wherein said band is associated with said mesh casing through welding. 
     
     
         10 . The container for fruit and vegetable products according to  claim 3 , wherein said shaped band is associated with said mesh casing through welding of at least the ends of said first end portion and of said second end portion to said mesh with the interposition of at least respective pieces of strengthening synthetic material. 
     
     
         11 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said mesh casing and/or said shaped band at the respective attachment areas are not flat, but have a substantially corrugated or undulating configuration, so that the contact surface between them is larger than that between two contact portions that are both substantially flat. 
     
     
         12 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein said band at the attachment area to said mesh casing has a substantially corrugated configuration, so as to comprise, from one side wall to the other, raised portions alternating with recessed portions. 
     
     
         13 . The container according to  claim 12 , wherein said raised portions define convexities facing towards said end sections of an end of said casing, whereas said recessed portions define concavities facing towards the end sections of an end of said casing, so as to have an attachment area with greater extension with respect to an attachment area lying in the same plane. 
     
     
         14 . The container according to  claim 13 , wherein said raised portions are, in use, housed in, and welded to respective hollow portions of a first end section of an end, whereas said recessed portions are, in use, housed in, and welded to respective projecting portions of a first end section of an end, the hollow portions in this case alternating with projecting portions. 
     
     
         15 . The container according to  claim 14 , wherein said hollow portions are housed in, and welded to respective channel portions of the other or second end section of an end of said casing, whereas said projecting portions of a label are, in use, welded to respective projecting portions of the other or second end section of an end, said channel portions of an end section alternating with projecting portions thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The container according to  claim 1 , said at least one band is detached or in any case is not fixed to said mesh casing in the portions of said first face for connecting between said first and said second end. 
     
     
         17 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein it comprises a sheet of soft material, or bubbled material in the lower part of the casing, substantially at the second face, which makes it possible to protect more delicate fruit and vegetable products. 
     
     
         18 . A method for making the container and for packing such products, according to  claim 1 , wherein it comprises the steps of supplying at least one mesh in synthetic material, feeding the products to be packed into said mesh, welding said mesh so as to enclose the products, cutting said mesh so as to make said closed mesh casing, associating at least one said shaped band with said mesh casing through welding. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , comprising the step of providing said mesh of the flat type, arranging it around a tubular element with overlapping side edges, welding at said edges so as to give it a tubular structure. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , comprising the step of providing said flat mesh, arranging it around a tubular element with the side edge overlapping, welding it at said edges with the interposition of a strip of strengthening synthetic material, so as to give it a tubular structure. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 18 , comprising the step of providing said flat mesh comprising at least one side edge previously associated with a strip of synthetic material, arranging it around a tubular element with at least said strip overlapping the other free side edge, welding it at at least said strip and at said other free edge so as to give it a tubular structure. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 18 , comprising the step of providing said flat mesh comprising the side edges previously associated with respective strips of synthetic material, arranging it around a tubular element with at least said strips overlapping, welding it at at least said strips so as to give it a tubular structure. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 18 , comprising the step of providing said mesh directly of the tubular type. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 18 , comprising the step of welding at least the ends of said first end portion and of said second end portion of said shaped band to said mesh casing with the interposition of respective tissues of strengthening synthetic material. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising the following steps:
 providing at least one welding group comprising a pair of half-bodies or jaws able to be moved apart/together, a first half-body having a first abutment front whereas a second half-body comprises a second abutment front, said first abutment front comprising at least one welding section and said second abutment front having at least one welding section configured, in use, to abut and engage the welding section of said first abutment front, wherein at least one welding section of said first and/or said second abutment front has a configuration having raised portions alternating with recessed portions,   feeding said casing and said band between said abutment fronts, so that said label is arranged between said casing and at least one welding section of said first abutment front and at least one welding section of said second abutment front;   commanding said jaws to come together, so as to weld the label to a face of said casing.   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein when said half-bodies are brought together, the raised portions of at least one welding section of said first abutment front shape-engage recessed portions of a respective welding section of said second abutment front, and the raised portions of at least one welding section of said second abutment front shape-engage recessed portions of a respective welding section of said second abutment front, the configuration with raised and recessed portions of one or more welding sections, so as to obtain the corrugated configuration of said at least one band.