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(11) | EP 1 533 245 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A container for food products |
| (57) A container for food products comprises two half-shells (2, 4) which can be fitted
together mouth to mouth and each of which defines a respective containing chamber
(18, 24) for receiving a food product (M) or an accessory (G), respectively. The two
half-shells (2, 4) are connected to one another by form-fit connection means (6, 8,
12); one (2) of the half-shells, which defines the chamber (18) for receiving the
food product (M), is closed by means of a sealing foil (16) that is applied to its
mouth profile and the other half-shell (4), which defines the chamber (24) for containing
the accessory (G), is closed by means of a transverse partition (26) which is associated
with the wall (10) of the half-shell (4) by form-fit means in a position set back
relative to the mouth end of the half-shell (4). |
[0001] The present invention relates to a container for food products of the type comprising a first half-shell and a second half-shell which can be fitted together mouth to mouth and each of which defines a respective first or second containing chamber for receiving a food product or an accessory such as a toy or the like, respectively.
[0002] A container of the type mentioned is described in EP-A-0 768 039 and in EP-A-0 919 488. In the embodiments described therein, both of the two half-shells of plastics material have flanged rims to which a sealing foil is applied and the half-shells are connected to one another along the flanged rims, for example, by ultrasound or electric welding or the like.
[0003] These containers generally have an egg-like shape which is desirable but which has an oval flange of considerable dimensions which is not desirable from the aesthetic point of view but is necessary to permit the connection between the two half-shells. Moreover, the egg-shaped container is divided into two half-shells along a plane of symmetry so that the two half-shells are fitted together along their oval mouth profiles.
[0004] In this situation, the display of the product in a vertical position is problematical, particularly when the food product is constituted by a composition of a creamy consistency which can flow since, in the vertical position, the cream comes into contact with the sealing foil.
[0005] For the same reasons, the spreading accessory which is generally associated with the container to enable the creamy food composition to be consumed has to be positioned outside the half-shell including the food composition to prevent the accessory coming into contact with the creamy composition as a result of the display of the container in a vertical position or as a result of its being positioned vertically during transportation and/or handling.
[0006] The present invention provides a novel structure for a container of the above-mentioned type which overcomes the above-mentioned possible problems.
[0007] An object of the invention is therefore a container or package for food products comprising two half-shells which can be fitted together mouth to mouth and each of which defines a respective containing chamber, closed by a closure element, for receiving a food product or an accessory, respectively, characterized in that the two half-shells are connected to one another by form-fit connection means and in that one of the half-shells, which defines the chamber for containing the food product, is closed by means of a sealing foil that is applied to the mouth profile, and the other half-shell, which defines the chamber for containing the accessory, is closed by means of a transverse partition which is associated with the wall of the half-shell by form-fit means in a position set back relative to the mouth end of the half-shell.
[0008] Further characteristics of the container according to the invention are defined in the appended claims.
[0009] In the appended drawings, which are provided by way of non-limiting example:
Figures 1 and 1B are front views of containers according to the invention,
Figure 2 is a section through a portion of the container of Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a section through one of the half-shells, and
Figure 4 is a section through the other of the half-shells.
[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the container according to the invention preferably has a generally egg-shaped configuration formed by a first half-shell 2 constituting the base and by a second half-shell 4 constituting the top, the mouth of each half-shell having a substantially circular profile.
[0011] Although this configuration is to be considered preferable, the structural characteristics described below are not intended to be considered as being limited to this configuration. In particular, the top half-shell 4 may have a more or less tapered shape or may be shaped in a manner such that the container as the whole adopts a generally drop-shaped configuration, whilst preferably retaining a circular mouth profile.
[0012] The base half-shell 2 preferably has a spheroidal wall but base half-shells provided with integral pedestals, as indicated in Figure 1b, or having a flat bearing surface may also be used.
[0013] The two half-shells 2 and 4 are made of plastics material suitable for contact with foodstuffs and are preferably produced by an injection-moulding technique, although they may also be produced by other forming techniques, for example, by thermoforming.
[0014] In the embodiment illustrated, the half-shell 2 has its mouth fitted in the mouth opening of the half-shell 4 and the two half-shells are connected to one another by form-fit connection means, particularly by snap, push or screw connection means, for example, of the mortise and tenon type.
[0015] More particularly, the form-fit connection means may, for example, comprise an annular rib or flange 6 which extends around the mouth of the container 2 and which can engage a groove 8 which is complementary therewith and is formed in the side wall 10 of the half-shell 4, adjacent its mouth, and which defines an end tooth 8a that engages the rib.
[0016] Preferably, to facilitate the opening of the container, the form fit between the two half-shells does not take place along the entire mouth profiles of the two half-shells but is limited to discrete, angularly spaced-apart regions. For this purpose, as indicated in the embodiment illustrated, the groove 8 is formed in a plurality of angularly spaced-apart terminal appendages 12 of the half-shell 4. For example, there may be from two to six appendages 12 in the half-shell 4.
[0017] The annular flange or rib 6 has a generally flat, annular upper surface 14 to which a thin sealing foil 16 of the type commonly used for sealing food products is applied by welding, by known welding techniques; the foil is constituted, for example, by an aluminium foil, by a laminated foil of aluminium and plastics material, or by plastics material. The sealing foil 16 may have a peripheral gripping tab (not shown) for facilitating its removal by the consumer.
[0018] The half-shell 2 defines in its interior a chamber 18 in which a food mass of a confectionery product M such as, for example, a composition of creamy or pasty consistency, is enclosed.
[0019] According to another preferred characteristic, support means are associated with the wall 20 of the half-shell 2 for supporting an extraction member, such as, for example, a generally flat spatula or a spoon C which is arranged inside the chamber 18, bearing on the support means.
[0020] The support means may be constituted, for example, by an annular shoulder or flange extending from the wall 20 of the half-shell 2 towards the interior of the chamber 18 at a predetermined distance from the mouth of the container, so as to enable the spatula or spoon C to be arranged in a transverse position with its ends bearing on the upper face of the annular flange or shoulder.
[0021] Preferably, as illustrated in the drawings, the support means comprise a tubular wall 22 which is integral with the wall 20 and which extends from an intermediate region of the wall 20 of the half-shell 2 towards the mouth of the half-shell.
[0022] The spatula or spoon C is arranged transversely with its ends bearing on the end of the wall 22 which faces towards the mouth of the half-shell 2. This solution is preferable and advantageous since the wall 22 also acts as a wall for confining the food composition M, preventing it from coming into contact with the regions of the sealing foil 16 that are adjacent its welding region.
[0023] The solution described enables the spatula or spoon C to be positioned inside the half-shell 2 containing the food mass, ensuring that the package is more hygienic.
[0024] The half-shell 4, which defines in its interior a chamber 24 for receiving an accessory or toy G constituting a so-called gift, is closed by a fairly rigid transverse partition 26, generally made of plastics material which engages with a form fit in an annular groove or channel formed in the wall 10 of the half-shell 4 in a position that is set back relative to the mouth ends of the wall 10 of the half-shell 4.
[0025] Preferably, the wall 10 of the half-shell 4 comprises support means for the closure partition 26; the support means are constituted, for example, by a tubular wall 30 which is integral with the wall 10 and of which the ends facing towards the mouth of the half-shell 4 act as a support for the transverse closure partition 26.
[0026] It is intended that the support means 30 may also be formed by discontinuous, angularly spaced-apart wall elements, rather than by a continuous tubular wall.
[0027] The closure partition 26 may optionally comprise a tab 32 which is integral with the body of the partition 26 and which is bent, for example, with the aid of a film hinge, onto the face of the partition 26 that faces outwardly, to facilitate the removal of the partition 26 by the consumer and the consequent extraction of the gift.
[0028] The container according to the invention is intended generally to be packaged in turn in packages each of which comprises a plurality of containers and which are arranged for keeping the containers in a vertical or inclined position.
[0029] In particular, in the embodiment shown the drawings, in which the container has a generally egg-shaped configuration, it is possible, by suitable proportioning of the food mass M and a suitable selection of the accessory G and of its weight, to arrange for the container to be able to adopt a vertical position of stable equilibrium with the half-shell 2 that has a rounded wall acting as a support base, without the need to provide a pedestal or the like or to modify the shape of the half-shell 2 to provide a flat support base, for example, of the type illustrated in Figure 1B.
[0030] The container can easily be opened by the consumer by releasing the form-fit connection means. Once this operation has been performed, the two half-shells constitute independent containers which can be handled separately and opened by the consumer.
1. A container for food products comprising two half-shells (2, 4) which can be fitted
together mouth to mouth and each of which defines a respective containing chamber
(18, 24) for receiving a food product (M) or an accessory (G), respectively, characterized in that the two half-shells (2, 4) are connected to one another by form-fit connection means
(6, 8, 12), and in that one (2) of the half-shells, which defines the chamber (18) for receiving the food
product (M), is closed by means of a sealing foil (16) that is applied to its mouth
profile, and the other half-shell (4), which defines the chamber (24) for containing
the accessory (G), is closed by means of a transverse partition (26) which is associated
with the wall (10) of the half-shell (4) by form-fit means (28) in a position set
back relative to the mouth end of the half-shell (4).
2. A container according to Claim 1, characterized in that the form-fit connection means comprise a flange or rib (6) projecting radially from
the mouth profile of one half-shell (2) and a groove (8), complementary with the flange
or rib and formed in the end region of the wall (10) of the other half-shell (4),
adjacent its mouth.
3. A container according to Claim 2, characterized in that the form-fit connection means comprise a plurality of appendages (12) of the wall
(10) of a half-shell (4), each appendage (12) being provided with a groove (8) extending
circumferentially and defining a tooth (8a) which can engage the annular rib (6).
4. A container according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the wall (20) of the half-shell (2) defining the chamber which is to receive the
food product (M) comprises support means (22) for supporting an extraction member
such as a spatula or spoon (C) arranged transversely inside the half-shell (2) and
bearing on the support means (22).
5. A container according to Claim 4, characterized in that the support means comprise a tubular wall (22) integral with the wall (20) defining
the half-shell (2), the tubular wall (22) extending from an intermediate region of
the wall (20) of the half-shell (2) to the vicinity of the sealing foil (16).
6. A container according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the transverse partition (26) comprises an associated tab (32) for extracting the
partition (26), the tab being bent onto the face of the partition (26) which faces
towards the exterior of the half-shell (4).
7. A container according to Claim 6, characterized in that the half-shell (4) defining the chamber for receiving the accessory (G) comprises
auxiliary support means (30), integral with the wall (10) of the half-shell (4), for
supporting the transverse partition (26).
8. A container according to Claim 7, characterized in that the auxiliary support means comprise a tubular wall (30) of which the end that faces
towards the mouth of the half-shell (4) supports the transverse partition (26).
9. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a generally egg-shaped configuration in which one (2) of the half-shells constitutes
the base and the other half-shell (4) constitutes the top, the mouths of the half-shells
(2, 4) having a substantially circular profile.