GB2410739A

GB2410739A - Food container

Info

Publication number: GB2410739A
Application number: GB0501360A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Scanno Fabio Di
Original assignee: EUROPACK SpA
Current assignee: EUROPACK SpA
Priority date: 2004-02-09
Filing date: 2005-01-21
Publication date: 2005-08-10
Also published as: ES1059469Y; FR2866006A3; ITTO20040015U1; GB0501360D0; AT8290U1; ES1059469U; DE202005001735U1; FR2866006B3

Abstract

A container (1) of aluminium or aluminium alloy comprises ```a bottom wall (2) capable of serving as a base for the container (1); and ```a side wall (3) which extends along the perimeter of the bottom wall (2), defining at the top an opening (5) bounded by the open upper perimeter (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) of the side wall (3) of the container (1), and which has an upper edge (6) flanged towards the outside on at least two opposed sides of the container. The flanged edge (6) extends at least partly beyond a plane (7) parallel to the bottom wall (2) and located at a distance from said bottom wall corresponding to the minimum overflow height defined by the side wall (3). The flanged edge (6) may extend above the plane (7), (Fig. 2), or below it (Fig 3), and may provide handgrips for lifting the container.

Description

24 1 0739

FOOD CONTAINER

The present invention relates to a food container made of aluminiurn or alloys thereof by means of pressing by bending and/or drawing, in particular made of aluminium, such as a tub, a bowl, a tray or the like, of any desired geometry.

More specifically, the invention relates to a container comprising a bottom wall capable of serving as a base for the container; a side wall which extends along the perimeter of the bottom wall, defining at the top an opening bounded by the open upper perimeter of the side wall of the container, and which has an upper edge flanged towards the outside on at least two opposed sides of the container.

A container of this type according to the prior art is illustrated in Figure 1 of the appended drawings. The container 1 comprises a bottom wall 2 capable of serving as a base, and a side wall 3 which extends along the perimeter of the bottom wall 2. In this way the open upper perimeter 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d of the side wall 3 bounds an opening 5 of the container. The opening has an upper edge 6 flanged towards the outside. In a container 1 of this type, according to the prior art, the level of the contents, in use, may come rather close to the flanged edge 6, or to the point at which the container 1 is gripped by the end user. There is thus a risk of the contents coming into contact with the user's hands, and this eventuality is undesirable, not only for reasons of hygiene but also particularly in the case where the contents may be rather hot.

The aim of the invention is therefore to provide a container of the type specified above which allows the gripping point to be moved away from the contents, in order to reduce the probability of contact between the user and the food, without substantially increasing the overall dimensions of the container itself.

This and other aims are fulfilled according to the invention by a food container of the type specified above, characterized in that said flanged edge has a three-dimensional development such that it extends at least partly beyond the plane parallel to the bottom wall mad located at a distance from said bottom wall corresponding to the minimum overflow height defined by the side wall.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description, provided purely by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1, already described, is a three-dimensional view of a tub-type container

according to the prior art;

Figure 2 is a three-dimensional view of a form of embodiment of a tubtype container according to the invention; Figure 3 is a threedimensional view of a further form of embodiment of a tub-type container according to the invention; Figure 4 is a partial view in section of the container shown in Figure 2, along the section line IV-IV; Figure 4a is a variant of the representation in Figure 4; and Figure 5 is a partial view in section of the container of Figure 3 along the section line V-V.

With reference to Figure 2, a tub-type food container 1 made of aluminium or alloys thereof is illustrated. The container comprises a bottom wall 2 on the perimeter of which there extends a side wall 3 which defines at the top the opening 5 bounded by the open upper perimeter 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d of said side wall 3. The opening 5 has an upper edge 6, flanged towards the outside at the perimeter 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d and suitably shaped to facilitate gripping by the user.

In the embodiment according to Figures 2 and 4, the edge 6 has on its sides intermediate portions lying substantially in a plane 7 (Figure 4), and substantially straight end portions, turned upwards, so that at the sides 4a, 4c said edge 6 extends substantially beyond the plane 7. Said plane 7 is located at a distance from the bottom wall 2 corresponding to the minimum overflow height defined by the side wall 3. The aforesaid straight portions of the edge 6 may of course also be turned downwards.

In the variant of embodiment according to Figure 4a, it will be noted that the flanged edge 6 has a curved portion 8, in particular in the form of an indentation with the concavity downwards, at the opposed sides 4a, 4c of the opening 5. The curved portion 8 may alternatively be turned downwards and have the concavity facing upwards (solution not shown in the appended drawings).

Figures 3 and 5 illustrate a tub according to the invention in which the curved portions 8 of the flanged edge 6, at the opposed sides 4a and 4c, extend downwards below the plane 7 which identifies the minimum overflow height of the container 1, have the concavity downwards, and may conveniently serve as handgrips for easy gripping by the user.

In other forms of embodiment (not illustrated) the profile of the edge 6 may have various combinations of straight and curved portions, turned upwards and turned downwards.

The container 1 is produced by means of pressing by bending, drawing or using both processes.

Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the forms of embodiment and details of construction may be varied widely with respect to those described and illustrated purely by way of non-limiting example, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A food container (1) made of aluminium or alloys thereof,

produced by means of pressing by bending and/or drawing, comprising a bottom wal] (2) capable of serving as a base for the container (1); a side wall (3) which extends along the perimeter of the bottom wall (2), defining at the top an opening (5) bounded by the open upper perimeter (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) of the side wall (3) of the container (1), and which has an upper edge (6) flanged towards the outside on at least two opposed sides of the container; characterized in that said flanged edge (6) has a three- dimensional development such that it extends at least partly beyond the plane (7) parallel to the bottom wall (2) and located at a distance from said bottom wall corresponding to the minimum overflow height defined by the side wall (3).
2. A container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flanged edge (6) extends at least partly above said plane (7).
3. A container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flanged edge (6) extends at least partly below said plane (7).
4. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at the ends of the container (1) the flanged edge (6) extends substantially in a straight line.
5. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at the ends of the container (1) the flanged edge (6) has a curved portion (8) with the concavity facing downwards.
6. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at the ends of the container (1) the flanged edge (6) has a curved portion (8) with the concavity facing upwards.
7. A container (1) according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the or each curved portion (8) is in the shape of an indentation.
8. A container substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any of Figures 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.