GB2284585A

GB2284585A - Sleeved trays

Info

Publication number: GB2284585A
Application number: GB9423564A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Iain Alex Blair; Douglas John Pocklington
Original assignee: CHAPMAN PACKAGING Ltd
Current assignee: CHAPMAN PACKAGING Ltd
Priority date: 1993-11-22
Filing date: 1994-11-22
Publication date: 1995-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 2014-11-22
Also published as: GB2284585B; GB9324011D0; GB9423564D0

Abstract

A tray 22, which suitably contains a foodstuff, is directly bonded to a sleeve 28, for example by using a glue or by heat sealing a plastics material. The sleeve may be used to lid the tray, and preferably, the tray is bonded to the lid around the whole of the tray rim 44 so that the sleeve forms a lid which completely seals the tray. Such sleeved trays may be made by applying a sleeve blank to the tray, and then folding the blank around the tray and securing it to form a sleeve. Thus, the conventional step of separately lidding the tray before inserting it into a pre-formed sleeve can be avoided. Flange 34 of the sleeve 28 enables the sleeved tray to stand unsupported with its major face 30 vertical. <IMAGE>

Description

SLEEVED TRAYS This invention relates to tray or tray-like containers with a surrounding sleeve.

It is commonplace, nowadays, to sell materials, especially prepared foodstuffs, in trays. For a variety of reasons, it is often convenient and/or advantageous to provide a sleeve member around the tray, especially during transit or storage, the sleeve normally being removed and discarded when the contents of the tray are required. It is the common practice to make sleeves of an appropriate size and shape for a particular tray and then, after loading the tray with the foodstuff or other material and lidding the tray, it is inserted into the sleeve. Usually, one or more detents or the like are then formed on the sleeve to prevent the tray sliding out prematurely.

We have now found that there are various advantages to be obtained by actually bonding the sleeve to the tray such as by using a glue or by heat sealing a plastics material. In one aspect, therefore, the invention provides a sleeved tray (which expression, as used herein, includes a tray-like container) wherein the sleeve and the tray are directly bonded together.

In a very simple arrangement of the invention, the bonding of the sleeve to the tray can prevent the tray sliding in the sleeve and so obviate the need for providing detents or the like on the sleeve. The bonding can be achieved in a variety of ways, including for example applying glue to the sleeve and/or the tray, or by providing a heat-sealable plastics material on the tray or the sleeve.

For many foodstuffs, it is important that the tray be securely lidded to prevent spillage of contents and to prevent contamination. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the sleeve is used to lid the tray.

Thus, the bonding between the sleeve and the tray is such that the sleeve is held against the tray so as to serve as a lid therefor. Thus, for example, part of the rim of a tray can be directly bonded to the sleeve. In this way, the conventional step of separately lidding the tray before inserting it in a sleeve can be avoided.

In a further and highly preferred aspect of the invention, the tray is bonded to the lid around the whole of the tray rim so that the sleeve forms a lid on the tray, which lid completely seals the tray. This is a very advantageous arrangement for trays containing foodstuffs where hermetic sealing is required. Sleeved trays of this type can be made by inserting a filled (open) tray into a preformed sleeve and then bonding the two together around the rim of the tray.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, however, we have devised a new way of making a sleeved tray combination. In accordance with this new method, sleeved trays are made by applying a sleeve blank to the tray, and then folding the blank around the tray and securing it to form a sleeve. Thus, according to the method of the invention, the tray is not inserted in a pre-formed sleeve but rather the sleeve is formed around the filled tray.

The method of the invention has a number of advantages as will be clear to those skilled in the art.

Firstly, there can be savings in costs by forming the sleeve around a tray. Further, in making the sleeve tray combinations of the present invention, bonding between the sleeve and the tray can be more conveniently achieved by the new method of the invention. Thus, the glueing or heat sealing can be effected between the sleeve blank and the tray (usually the rim of the tray) before the folding and securing of the blank is completed to form the sleeve. In particular, and in accordance with a further preferred aspect of the invention, plastics coated board can be used for the sleeve and thus heat sealing can be used to bond the board to the tray. In this way, hermetically sealed trays can be produced.

The plastics coated board need not have a continuous plastics coating. The coating need only be provided in those areas where heat sealing is to be effected. It may be convenient to use heat sealing not only to bond the sleeve to the tray but also to secure the folded blank to form a sleeve.

In the sleeved trays of the invention, the shapes of the tray and of the sleeve are not critical. Where it is desired that the sleeve should form a lid for the tray, it must be at least coextensive with the open top of the tray to be lidded. However, in general the sleeve need not be so large as to completely contain the whole tray within it.

Instead, the sleeve may only pass around part of the tray, as desired. Moreover, the tray may be rectangular, circular or any desired shape and, provided the sleeve performs the required function, its shape need not otherwise be critical.

Whilst we have referred herein to trays, the invention is also applicable to tray-like containers as will be clear to those skilled in the art.

In the food industry, the trays used for food packaging often have inclined side walls or are otherwise of a shape which precludes their being stacked vertically (i.e.

being stacked on a side with the major face(s) vertical).

According to a further preferred feature of the present invention, the sleeved trays include an outward projection on the sleeve to enable the unit to stand vertically unsupported. In this way, not only can sleeved trays be used for display purposes, but also they can be more efficiently loaded into a confined volume for storage purposes.

The form of the outward projection is not critical, but we prefer to provide a flange member shaped and positioned so that the sleeve can stand vertically unsupported (with its tray). The flange and another edge of the sleeve will normally engage the support surface.

The sleeved trays of the invention preferably include some means for opening the sleeve when it is desired to gain access to the contents of the tray. We prefer to provide perforations or other weakened areas in the sleeve for this purpose.

Where the sleeve is sealed to the tray around part or all of the rim of the tray, we prefer to provide for both hot and cold peelability. In this way, whether the sleeve is removed before or after a heating (cooking) step, it will peel away easily from the tray.

This is conveniently achieved using plastics coated board (as described above). Hot and cold peel can be obtained using an appropriate polyester-coated board.

Polyester film may be used which has a surface coating on it which gives the polyester film hot and cold peel performance. Such coated polyester film is then laminated to the board. Alternatively, a polyester film may be laminated to the board and then a suitable coating applied subsequently to provide for hot and cold peelability.

Hot peel can also be obtained using a polyethylene-coated board. Certain water-based acrylic coated boards can be utilised to give dual ovenable performance (i.e. microwave and conventional oven).

Thus, in accordance with a preferred feature of the present invention, the sleeve will give good heat seal and cold peel performance if a coated plastics film is laminated onto the board or if a suitable coating is applied to board which has a plastics film laminated thereto. The coating can be applied to give 100% coverage, or alternatively, can be applied only in certain areas, for example in patterns or stripes.

Alternatively, a coating which provides for both hot and cold peelability may be applied directly to different types of board, eliminating the need to use a coated plastics film. Preferably, a suitable coating is applied to PET extrusion coated board or PET laminated board.

It is therefore possible, in accordance with the present invention, to print on the inside of the sleeve, without any risk of the printing inks coming into contact with food in a filled tray. Any print on the board will be covered with the coating. The sleeve could suitably have print on both sides.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the sleeved trays can have a window in the sleeve so that the tray contents can be inspected. For example, a suitable window can be cut in the board and then a plastics layer applied which extends over the window. A sleeve blank is then cut from the board (including the window area) and used in accordance with the invention.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood. embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is an end view of one illustrative embodiment of a tubular sleeve housing a tray in accordance with the present invention: Figure 2 illustrates the arrangement of Fig. 1 free-standing on its side surface; Figure 3 is an end view of another embodiment of the sleeve; Figure 4 is an orthogonal view of one embodiment of sleeve blank before it is assembled into its shape in use; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a sleeve of the present invention, containing a tray, with a window in the top face of the sleeve; Figure 6 is a top plan view of another embodiment of sleeve blank; Figure 7 shows the assembling of the blank of Fig.

6 with a tray; and Figure 8 shows the sleeved tray from Fig. 7.

In the drawings, like numerals indicate like parts.

Figures 1 and 2 show the same sleeved tray assembly of the invention comprising a tubular box-like sleeve 28 and a tray 22 housed within sleeve 28. The sleeve has a top face 30, a bottom face 31 and inclined side walls 32. Sleeve 28 also has a projecting flange 34 extending outwardly from side wall 32. The tray 22 has a base 24 and side walls 26. An ovenable tray may be used, for example, which may be either a pressed board or a thermoformed CPET tray.

The tray 22 is bonded to the sleeve 28. In the embodiment illustrated, tray 22 has a top rim or lip 44 and this is heat sealed to the plastic coated under-side of sleeve top face 30. The sealing extends around the whole rim 44 so that the interior of the tray is hermetically sealed. It will be appreciated that sleeve top face 30 thus forms a lid for the tray 22. (If desired, the tray 22 can of course be separately lidded.) The flange 34 enables the sleeved tray to stand unsupported with its major face (30) vertical (see Fig. 2).

Figure 5 shows essentially the same arrangement as Figures 1 and 2 except that, in Figure 5, the top face (30) of the sleeve is apertured at 48 to provide a window. The window is closed by plastics film 50 which may be the heatsealable film used for bonding the tray to the sleeve.

In making a sleeved tray of the invention, a sleeve blank is bonded to the rim 44 of a tray 22. One such blank is shown in Figure 4. It has two fold lines 36a and 36b which become the edges of the top face 30 when the structure is folded around the tray. Panel 32d forms a side wall of the sleeve structure when it is folded into shape.

Fold line 38 indicates the bottom edge of the side wall, such that panel 40a becomes a portion of the bottom face 31 of the sleeve when the structure is folded. Likewise, panel 32c is the other side wall of the sleeve when the structure is folded, with panel 40b becoming the other portion of the bottom face 31 of the sleeve. Edges 42a and 42b thereby meet and may be fastened together along an overlap, when the sleeve structure is assembled. In Figure 1 the overlap forms the flange 34, but the blank of Figure 4 is actually for making the sleeve of Figure 3, where the overlap 46 is on the base. The exact position of the overlap is not critical.

Figures 6 to 8 illustrate schematically the production of another sleeved tray of the invention. Here, the sleeve blank 60 has a large circular portion 61 and two diametrically opposite side flaps 62,63. Flap 63 includes a fold 64 which will constitute a flange 65 in the finished product.

The tray 70 is circular with its open top of the same diameter as sleeve portion 61. Portion 61 is heat sealed to the tray 70 to close the tray. Then, the two flaps are folded around the tray and secured at the overlap 71 to constitute the sleeve. Flange 65 enables the sleeved tray to be free standing with portion 61 vertical.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A sleeved tray wherein the sleeve and tray are directly bonded together.

2. A sleeved tray according to claim 1, wherein the bonding is achieved by applying glue to the sleeve and/or the tray or by providing a heat-sealable plastics material on the tray or the sleeve.

3. A sleeved tray according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sleeve is used to lid the tray, the bonding between the sleeve and the tray being such that the sleeve is held against the tray so as to serve as a lid therefor.

4. A sleeved tray according to claim 3, wherein at least part of a rim of the tray is directly bonded to the sleeve.

5. A sleeved tray according to claim 4, wherein the tray is bonded to the lid around the whole tray rim so that the sleeve forms a lid on the tray, which lid completely seals the tray.

6. A sleeved tray according to any of claims 1 to 5, which includes an outward projection on the sleeve to enable the sleeved tray to stand vertically unsupported.

7. A sleeved tray according to claim 6, wherein the projection is a flange member, shaped and positioned so that the flange and another edge of the sleeve engage a support surface.

8. A sleeved tray according to any of claims 1 to 7, which includes means to facilitate opening the sleeve when it is desired to gain access to the contents of the tray.

9. A sleeved tray according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sleeve comprises board having a coating thereon which provides hot and cold peel performance.

10. A sleeved tray according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sleeve comprises plastics coated board.

11. A sleeved tray according to claim 10, wherein the sleeve comprises a polyester-coated board, a polyethylene coated board or a water-based acrylic coated board.

12. A sleeved tray according to any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the tray is a pressed board or a thermoformed CPET tray.

13. A sleeved tray according to any of claims 1 to 12.

which has a window in the sleeve so that the tray contents can be inspected.

14. A sleeved tray according to any preceding claim, wherein the tray contains a foodstuff.

15. A method of making a sleeved tray, which method comprises applying a sleeve blank to the tray, folding the blank around the tray and securing it to form a sleeve.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the sleeve blank is bonded to the tray.

17. A method of making a sleeved tray, which method comprises inserting an open tray into a preformed sleeve and bonding the tray to the sleeve.

18. A method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein glue is applied to the sleeve blank and/or the tray or heatsealable plastics material is provided on the sleeve blank or the tray before the folding of the blank is completed to form the sleeve.

19. A method according to any of claims 15 to 18, wherein heat sealing is effected between a rim of the tray and the sleeve or sleeve blank.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the tray is heat sealed to the sleeve around the whole tray rim so that the sleeve forms a lid on the tray, which lid completely seals the tray.

21. A method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein plastics coated board is used for the sleeve.

22. A method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein a plastics coating is provided on the sleeve or tray only in those areas where heat sealing is to be effected.

23. A method according to claim 19 or 20, wherein board having a coating thereon which provides hot and cold peel performance is used for the sleeve.

24. A method according to any of claims 15 to 23, wherein heat sealing is also used to secure the folded sleeve blank to form the sleeve.

25. A method according to any of claims 15 to 24, which method comprises the further steps of cutting a window in the sleeve or sleeve blank and applying a plastics layer over the window.

26. The use of a sleeved tray according to any of claims 1 to 13 as an ovenable tray, which tray contains a foodstuff.

27. A sleeved tray substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

28. A method of making a sleeved tray substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.