Folded structure and blank therefor

Abstract

 A blank 10 for a folded structure such as a liner for a carton comprising base portion 12, front and back portions 14, 16, side portions 18, 20 and a lid portion 22. The material for the blank is a layered material comprising upper and lower layers bonded to an inner layer having a plurality of non-linear flutes. Fold lines 15, 17, 19, 21 and 23 are formed in order for the blank to be folded to form a box-like 3-dimensional shape. The inner layer has a plurality of non-linear flutes, for example wavy flutes 30 such that any fold lines do not run along the flute, rather it repeatedly intersects it at an angle along the length of the liner.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a folded structure (particularly though not exclusively a liner for placing inside a carton, for example to protect and position a bottle or any other item within the carton), to a blank for making such a structure, and to a method of manufacturing the blank.

[0002] Liners for placing inside cartons have commonly been manufactured by stamping out a blank from a sheet of composite packaging material comprising flat upper and lower layers bonded to an inner layer which is fluted, and forming fold-lines thereon so as to enable the blank to be folded to assume the required three-dimensional shape.

[0003] Conventionally the flutes of the inner layer are straight flutes which run parallel or perpendicular to the blank edges. When the blank is folded on an automatic folding machine, which folds the blank along the fold-lines, the fold lines extending parallel to the flute direction do not produce accurate folds due to the natural tendency of the composite material to fold along a valley of the fluted layer. Such difficulties result in an inaccurately folded liner, which will not fit properly within the carton. In some instances, the automatic folding machine may become blocked as a result.

[0004] Attempts have been made to overcome this problem by stamping out the liner "on the cross" i.e. with its edges at an angle to the flute direction. This is not an acceptable solution as it produces a high percentage of waste material.

[0005] It is therefore an aim of embodiments of the present invention to provide a folded structure such as for example a liner, and/or a blank therefor which overcomes these disadvantages, and/or addresses problems of conventional folded structures and/or liners, whether referred to herein or otherwise.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a blank for forming into a folded structure by folding the blank about at least one fold line, the blank being stamped or cut from a layered material which includes at least one layer having non-linear flutes formed therein.

[0007] Preferably, the folded structure is a liner for a carton.

[0008] Preferably, the layered material comprises upper and lower layers bonded to an inner, fluted layer.

[0009] Preferably, each flute is provided in the form of a pattern defined by at least two different directions which alternate. Preferably said at least two directions are disposed at an angle of less than 90° to each other.

[0010] Preferably, the blank has a plurality of fold lines therein.

[0011] Preferably, the blank has a plurality of panels, defined by edge portions and fold lines extending across said edge portions, which form, in the assembled structure at least back, front, base and side panels.

[0012] Preferably, the structure also has a lid panel, which may be continuous with the back panel.

[0013] Preferably, the flutes are formed by embossing.

[0014] Preferably, the flutes are in the form of a wavy or smoothly undulating pattern, i.e. there are many different but contiguous directions.

[0015] Alternatively or additionally, the flutes are provided in the form of a zig-zag pattern, i.e. there are essentially only two directions oriented at an angle to each other with the flutes alternating between the two.

[0016] Preferably, these patterns have many repeats over the entire blank, such that each flute has both local direction (for example one or the other of the aforesaid at least two directions) and a global direction (i.e. its overall direction with respect to the edges of the blank).

[0017] The flutes may run (in the sense of the global direction) either up and down the blank (i.e. from the edge of the lid or back panel to the edge of the front panel), or from side to side (i.e. from the edge of one side panel to the edge of the other side panel). Thus, none of the fold lines will run (in the sense of the local direction) along or parallel to a flute, eliminating the problem of inaccurate folding. At the same time there is no requirement to stamp out the liner "on the cross", thus minimising waste.

[0018] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a blank for forming into a folded structure, the method including stamping or cutting out a blank from a layered material which includes at least one layer having non-linear flutes therein, and forming at least one fold line in said blank.

[0019] Preferably, the method includes forming the flutes by embossing.

[0020] According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a folded structure formed by folding about said at least one fold line in a blank according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0021] Preferably the folded structure is a liner for a carton.

[0022] For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a blank according to the present invention.

Figure la illustrates how the blank of figure 1 is folded to form a liner.

Figure 2 illustrates a variant of a blank according to the present invention, with the upper layer removed, showing the flutes.

Figure 3 illustrates a sample of a layered material, for use according to the present invention, which has smoothly undulating flutes.

Figure 4 is a prior art web having linear flutes for producing liners.

Figure 5 is an embodiment of the present invention comprising a web for producing liners.

[0023] Referring to the drawings, a blank 10 for a folded structure such as a liner for a carton comprises base portion 12, front and back portions 14, 16 respectively, side portions 18, 20 and a lid portion 22. The material for the blank is a layered material comprising upper and lower layers bonded to an inner layer having a plurality of non-linear flutes, for example wavy flutes 30 (see Figure 3).

[0024] Between each portion and its neighbouring portion is a pre-determined fold-line, which may be formed by scoring, perforating, or both.

[0025] Thus, horizontal fold lines 15, 17, 19 are located between the lid, back, base and front portions 22, 16, 12 and 14 respectively, and vertical fold lines 21, 23 are located between the back portion 16 and an adjacent side portion 18, 20 respectively. Such a blank may be folded along these fold lines, as illustrated in Figure la, to form a box-like three dimensional shape which fits exactly inside the carton for which the liner has been designed.

[0026] In figure 1, only a single wavy flute 26 has been shown, in the region of vertical fold line 23. This wavy flute 26 can be thought of as repeatedly changing between two local directions A and B. Thus, it can be seen that the fold line 23 does not run along the flute 26, rather it repeatedly intersects it at an angle along the length of the liner.

[0027] In figure 2, the overall flute pattern is illustrated by removal of the upper, flat layer. This liner blank 28 is similar to the blank 10, except the relative dimensions of the various portions are different, as the liner is intended to fit a different shape of carton.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, prior art methods for producing liners have stamped out blanks 40 from a web 42 in order for the edges to be at an angle to the flute direction. Accordingly, subsequent folds will not be parallel to the direction of the flutes 44. However, as previously mentioned, such methods produce a high wastage of material. As shown in Figure 5, the present invention does not produce such a high wastage and minimises any wastage. The flutes 54 of the present invention are non-linear and therefore do not suffer from the same problem of prior art linear flutes. The blanks 50 for the liners can be stamped out of the web 52 with minimal waste.

[0029] The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0030] All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

[0031] Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[0032] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extend to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A blank for forming into a folded structure by folding the blank about at least one fold line, the blank being stamped or cut from a layered material which includes at least one layer having non-linear flutes formed therein.

2. A blank according to claim 1 in which the folded structure is a liner for a carton.

3. A blank according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the layered material comprises upper and lower layers bonded to an inner, fluted layer.

4. A blank according to any preceding claim in which each flute is provided in the form of a pattern defined by at least two different directions which alternate.

5. A blank according to claim 4 in which said at least two directions are disposed at an angle of less than 90° to each other.

6. A blank according to any preceding claim in which the blank has a plurality of folded lines therein.

7. A blank according to any preceding claim in which the flutes are formed by embossing.

8. A blank according to any preceding claim in which the flutes are in the form of a wavy or smoothly undulating pattern.

9. A blank according to any preceding claim in which the flutes are provided in the form a of a zig-zag pattern.

10. A blank according to claim 8 or claim 9 in which these patterns have many repeats over the entire blank, such that each flute has both local direction and a global direction.

11. A blank according to claim 10 in which the flutes run (in the sense of the global direction) either up and down the blank or from side to side.

12. A method of manufacturing a blank for forming into a folded structure, the method including stamping or cutting out a blank from a layered material which includes at least one layer having a non-linear flute therein, and forming at least one fold line in said blank.

13. A folded structure formed by folding about at least one fold line in a blank according to any of claims 1 to 11.

Drawing