Container for loose materials and related blank

Abstract

A container for loose materials made by folding a blank made of flexible material includes a concertina folding spout, hinged to the containment walls at a hinge defined by a line of weakness of the blank and configured to pass from a retracted position to an extracted position; reversible locking means are provided which are configured to reversibly fix the concertina folding spout in the retracted position to the containment walls; also provided are sealing elements configured to fix the concertina folding spout in the retracted position to the containment walls until the container is opened for the first time, after which the sealing elements permanently change their configuration from the closed configuration to an open configuration which is visible to a user.

1 . A container for loose materials made by folding a blank made of flexible material, comprising:
 containment walls defining inside the container an internal space adapted for receiving the loose material, wherein the containment walls delimit at least partially a dispensing opening adapted for dispensing the loose material;   a concertina folding spout, hinged to the containment walls at a hinge defined by a line of weakness of the blank at the dispensing opening and configured to pass, in use, from a retracted position, where the concertina folding spout is folded on itself and defines a cover for closing the dispensing opening, to an extracted position, where the concertina folding spout is extended, placing the internal space in communication with the outside atmosphere through the dispensing opening and providing a chute for pouring out the loose material, and vice versa;   reversible locking means, located between the containment walls and the concertina folding spout and configured to reversibly fix the concertina folding spout in the retracted position to the containment walls; and   sealing means located between the containment walls and the concertina folding spout and configured to fix the concertina folding spout in the retracted position to the containment walls until the container is opened for the first time, after which the sealing means permanently change their configuration from the closed configuration to an open configuration which is visible to a user.   
     
     
         2 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 1 , comprising measuring means adapted for dispensing one measured quantity of loose material at a time and configured to subdivide the internal space inside the container into a primary chamber and a secondary chamber, wherein the secondary chamber, is in communication with the dispensing opening and wherein the primary chamber and the secondary chamber are in communication with each other through a connecting opening located on the side of the container opposite to the dispensing opening. 
     
     
         3 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 2 , wherein the dimensions of the connecting opening are chosen as a function of the measured quantity of loose material to be dispensed. 
     
     
         4 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 2 , wherein the dispensing opening is located in a top portion of the container and wherein the measuring means comprise a partition located in the containment space to separate the primary chamber from the secondary chamber and extending from the top portion towards a bottom wall of the container up to a predetermined distance from the bottom wall, so that the connecting opening is delimited at least partly by the bottom wall and by the partition. 
     
     
         5 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 4 , wherein the dispensing opening is delimited by a top wall and by lateral faces of the container and wherein the partition extends from one edge of the dispensing opening, preferably defined by the top wall. 
     
     
         6 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 5 , wherein the dispensing opening is made in a portion of the top wall positioned parallel to the bottom wall. 
     
     
         7 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 5 , wherein the dispensing opening is located in a portion of the top wall positioned at an angle to the bottom wall. 
     
     
         8 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 5 , wherein the lateral faces and the partition are positioned perpendicular to the bottom wall and wherein the partition extends transversely between two opposite lateral faces. 
     
     
         9 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 1 , wherein the dispensing opening is delimited by a top wall and by lateral faces of the container and wherein one edge of the dispensing opening is defined by the hinge of the concertina folding spout. 
     
     
         10 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 9 , wherein the concertina folding spout comprises a front portion which is hinged to the containment walls at the hinge and at least one concertina portion preferably two concertina portions located on opposite sides of the front portion. 
     
     
         11 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 10 , wherein the concertina portion comprises at least two wings which extend uninterruptedly between the front portion and the containment walls of the container between respective lines of weakness of the blank. 
     
     
         12 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 11 , wherein each wing of the concertina portion comprises a closing tongue which is separated from the respective wing by a precut line of the blank, and wherein each closing tongue is permanently fixed to the containment walls of the container. 
     
     
         13 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 10 , wherein the concertina portion comprises a wing adjacent to the front portion, extending uninterruptedly between the front portion and a lateral face of the container between respective lines of weakness of the blank and a portion of the lateral face of the container. 
     
     
         14 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 9 , wherein the front portion is made in the blank as an extension of a panel which will form a lateral face or as an upper tongue which will form a top wall of the container. 
     
     
         15 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 9 , wherein the concertina portion is configured to be folded parallel to the hinge in such a way that, in the retracted position, the concertina portion lies in a plane containing the hinge. 
     
     
         16 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 9 , wherein the concertina portion is configured to be folded perpendicularly to the hinge in such a way that, in the retracted position, the concertina portion lies in a plane perpendicular to the hinge. 
     
     
         17 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 16 , wherein the concertina folding spout defines a bistable, snap open and close spout. 
     
     
         18 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 8 , wherein the dispensing opening is made in a portion the top wall positioned parallel to the bottom wall so that the concertina folding spout the retracted position is positioned parallel to the bottom wall. 
     
     
         19 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 8 , wherein the dispensing opening is made in a portion of the top wall positioned at an angle to the bottom wall so that the concertina folding spout in the retracted position is positioned at an angle to the bottom wall. 
     
     
         20 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 19 , wherein an edge opposite to the dispensing opening is defined by the free end of the inclined portion of the top wall and the concertina folding spout in the retracted position rests on and covers both the dispensing opening and at least part of, preferably the whole of, the inclined portion of the top wall. 
     
     
         21 . The container loose materials according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealing means comprise a tear tab associated with the concertina folding spout. 
     
     
         22 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 21 , wherein the sealing means further comprise closing tongues which are fixed by gluing to the containment walls of the container and joined to a concertina portion of the concertina folding spout. 
     
     
         23 . The container for loose materials according to  claim 1 , wherein the reversible locking means are located underneath the sealing means in the closed configuration, before opening for the first time, so that opening for the first time makes the reversible locking means accessible. 
     
     
         24 . A blank for making a container for loose materials according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a plurality of panels, each adapted to define a lateral face of the container;   a plurality of upper tongues adapted to define a top wall of the container following consecutive folding of the plurality of upper tongues;   a plurality of lower tongues adapted to define a bottom wall of the container following consecutive folding of the plurality of lower tongues;   a sequence of secondary panels separated by respective lines of weakness and adapted to define the concertina folding spout;   at least one closing tongue comprising at least a portion of the reversible locking means; and   at least one closing tongue comprising at least a portion of the sealing means.   
     
     
         25 . The blank according to  claim 24 , wherein a single closing tongue comprises at least a portion of the sealing means and of the reversible locking means. 
     
     
         26 . The blank according to  claim 24 , wherein the sequence of secondary panels comprises a middle panel adapted to define a front portion of the concertina folding spout and at least one triangular panel adapted to define a wing of a concertina portion of the concertina folding spout. 
     
     
         27 . The blank according to  claim 24 , comprising a panel which will form a partition of measuring means of the container. 
     
     
         28 . The blank according to  claim 24 , made of layered material comprising at least one layer of paper material and at least one layer of plastic or metallic material.