Container, Forming Tool, And Method For Forming A Container

• US 20150375468A1
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International LLC (Graphic Packaging International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: Wnek, Patrick H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,022,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/00 Making rigid or semi-rigid containers, e.g. boxes or cartons
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/44 by plungers moving through folding dies
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/592 using punches or dies
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/34 Trays or like shallow containers B65D81/3813 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/344 Geometry or shape factors influencing the microwave heating properties
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3447 Heat attenuators, blocking agents or heat insulators for temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3471 Microwave reactive substances present in the packaging material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3472 Aluminium or compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3477 Iron or compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3479 Other metallic compounds, e.g. silver, gold, copper, nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3495 attached to the lid
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2581/3497 attached to the side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2023 the folded-up portions being folded along non-rectilinear fold-lines
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4266 Folding lines, score lines, crease lines
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3446 specially adapted to be heated by microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3453 Rigid containers, e.g. trays, bottles, boxes, cups
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6408 Supports or covers specially adapted for use in microwave heating apparatus

Abstract

A container formed from a blank, a forming, tool and a method of forming a container are disclosed. The container includes features that are formed by a plurality of score lines in a marginal portion of the blank. The container has a bottom wall, a side wall, and a flange extending from the side wall. The flange has a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the blank.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a container for holding and heating a food product, the method comprising:

obtaining a blank comprising a central portion, an outer edge, and a marginal portion between the outer edge and the central portion, the blank comprising a radius extending from a center of the blank to the outer edge, the marginal portion comprising a plurality of radial score lines having an angular spacing between respective adjacent radial score lines, the blank having a first thickness;

closing the blank in a forming tool so that the blank is formed into a container having a bottom panel, at least one side panel extending upwardly from the bottom panel, and a flange extending laterally outward from an upper edge of the at least one side panel, the closing the blank in the forming tool comprises

forming a cavity by upwardly folding the side panel relative to the bottom panel, and

forming pleats at the radial score lines, the pleats extending in at least a portion of the flange, wherein the flange has a second thickness, the second thickness being approximately two times the first thickness.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the side panel has a third thickness, the second thickness is greater than the third thickness.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the pleats extend into at least a portion of the at least one side panel.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the forming the pleats comprises overlapping portions of the blank at the score lines to form overlapped portions.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the overlapped portions include protrusions that extend from a lower surface of the flange, and the closing the blank comprises compressing the overlapped portions in the at least a portion of the flange to the second thickness that includes the height of the protrusions.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the closing the blank comprises forming a substantially flat top surface of the flange.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the overlapped portions extend from a free edge of the flange and into at least a portion of the at least one side panel.

8. The method claim 7 wherein the closing the blank comprises compressing the overlapped portions in the at least a portion of the side panel to the third thickness.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the closing the tool further comprises forming at least one first corner formed at a first junction between the at least one side panel and the flange and forming at least one second corner at a second junction between the at least one side panel and the bottom panel.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one first corner and the at least one second corner are curved.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the forming tool comprises a first tool assembly and a second tool assembly, at least one of the first tool assembly and the second tool assembly is moveable between an open position wherein the blank is received between the first and the second tool assembly and a closed position wherein the blank is formed into the container, the first tool assembly comprises a nose having an external surface shaped to generally correspond to at least a portion of the container and the second tool assembly comprises a cavity block having a recess shaped to correspond with at least a portion of the container, the closing the blank in the tool comprises compressing the blank between the nose and the cavity block to form the container from the blank when the nose is at least partially received in the cavity block.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the nose and the cavity block have respective flat surfaces that cooperate to form the flange of the container.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the nose and the cavity block have respective first curved surfaces that cooperate to form the at least one first corner and the nose and the cavity blank have respective second curved surfaces that cooperate to form the at least one second corner.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the blank comprises a base layer of paperboard and a microwave interactive layer secured to the base layer.