Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D1/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material or by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
  • B65D1/34—Trays or like shallow containers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D1/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material or by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
  • B65D1/40—Details of walls
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
  • B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
  • B65D21/0233—Nestable containers

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a food tray, in particular a tray having an edge coated with adhesive and unstacking (denesting) means.
• Trays made of a transparent plastic or colored material are commonly used for packaging food products. Such trays are made using various materials, including virgin or recycled, crystalline or amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or a mixture of such forms, and can be in single layer or multi-layer.
• PET polyethylene terephthalate
• the trays are completely wrapped, after packing, with a plastic film, but it is becoming increasingly popular to have trays comprising a plastic sealing film, typically polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene (PE), sealingly adhered to the upper edge of the tray. It is thus also possible to pack the food in a controlled environment (e.g . , carbon dioxide and a controlled amount of oxygen), maintaining such an environment inside the package for a certain period of time by virtue of the seal between the sealing film and the tray. Such packages allow for better and longer storage of the food product stored therein.
• a plastic sealing film typically polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene (PE)
• thermoadhesive glue which, after being applied or spread onto the edge of the tray, acquires a semi-solid appearance, then regaining a certain fluidity by heating during the step of adhering the sealing film.
• trays have been suggested having an unstacking (commonly known by the term denesting) area, i.e., a system which allows keeping the staked trays slightly separate from one another so as to promote the picking up thereof by special denesting machines.
• this system also avoids the edge of a tray comprising the glue from coming into contact with the lower part of the edge of the tray above.
• the food tray according to the invention indicated by reference numeral 1 as a whole, comprises a substantially flat bottom 2, preferably rectangular in shape, side walls 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d delimiting an inner space I of tray 1, and an edge 4 extending from the side walls 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d outwards, i.e., in the opposite direction with respect to the inner space I.
• the side walls 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d are joined by angular portions 5, preferably beveled or curvilinear in shape.
• the tray 1 comprises mutually opposed first 30a and second 30b sides and mutually opposed third 30c and fourth 30d sides, where when the tray 1 is rectangular in shape, the first and second sides 30a, 30b represent the short sides of the rectangle.
• the side walls 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d are typically flared in shape.
• the side walls 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d can have raised ribs 6 or be smooth or have decorations or channels.
• the bottom 2 comprises a raised peripheral portion 2a, joined to the side walls 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d by means of curvilinear portions 7, which in turn can comprise ribs 6'.
• the edge 4 comprises a raised central portion 4a which runs along the entire edge 4 and is configured to receive a layer of thermoadhesive glue.
• the central portion 4a of the edge 4 comprises a layer of thermoadhesive glue.
• the central portion 4a is externally flanked by a lowered portion 4b which runs along the entire perimeter of the edge 4, while it is internally flanked, in turn, by a lowered portion 4c which is present at least at the angular portions 5 of tray 1 or runs along the entire inner edge.
• the lowered portions 4b, 4c do not receive the thermoadhesive glue during the glue application step.
• the central portion 4a of the edge 4 can have a flat or slightly rounded upper surface.
• the tray 101 is completely similar to the tray 1 described so far, but it comprises, instead, a flat edge 4, i.e., without a raised central portion.
• the glue can be arranged over the entire surface of the edge 4.
• the angular portions 5 of tray 1, 101 comprise denesting means 8.
• the denesting means 8 comprise a stepped portion 9 placed at a lowered level with respect to the edge 4 and/or the inner lowered portion 4c of the edge 4, which can have a convexity 9a, for example, facing the interior of tray 1.
• level is understood to mean the height or top of the indicated element along a direction orthogonal to the plane of the bottom 2 of tray 1.
• the ridge 10 can be substantially triangular in shape with a vertex facing the interior of tray 1.
• the ridges 10 are placed on the stepped portion 9 in different positions at the four angular portions 5 of tray 1.
• two ridges 10 are each placed on the respective stepped portion 5 in a position adjacent to the respective end of a first side 30c, while the other two ridges 10 are each placed on the respective stepped portion 5 in a position spaced apart from the respective end of a second side 30d opposed to the first side 30c.
• Such a configuration is clearly visible in the drawings, in particular in figure 2 .
• this contrivance allows the upper surface 10a of a tray 1, 101 to abut against the lower surface 9' of the stepped portion 9 of a second tray 1, 101 placed on top, which allows obtaining a separation s of the edges 4 such as to allow for an easy unstacking by the unstacking machines or even by a manual worker.
• the configuration described above also has a further advantage as compared to the prior art described above, in which the ridge 10 was replaced by a recess: in fact, in the latter solution, it is always possible for the abutment surface (lower surface) of the recess to get dirty with glue, in contact with the upper surface of the tray edge.
• the upper surface 10a of the ridge 10 abuts against the lower surface 9' of the stepped portion, therefore the lower surface of tray 1, which, under no circumstances, can get dirty with glue, the latter being arranged on the upper surface of the tray edge.
• the tray 1 can be made of a plastic material normally used for this type of applications, e.g., polypropylene or crystalline or amorphous polyethylene terephthalate, or a mixture thereof, in a single layer or multi-layer, and it can be made by heat molding (thermoforming) or injection molding.
• a plastic material normally used for this type of applications e.g., polypropylene or crystalline or amorphous polyethylene terephthalate, or a mixture thereof, in a single layer or multi-layer, and it can be made by heat molding (thermoforming) or injection molding.
• thermoadhesive glue to the edge 4 or raised portion 4a can be carried out according to conventional methods, such as roller methods, spray coating, hot glue gun or by molding techniques.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
• Containers Having Bodies Formed In One Piece (AREA)
• Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=92708926

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (1)

Citations (6)

• 2025
  • 2025-05-29 EP EP25179708.0A patent/EP4663568A1/de active Pending

Patent Citations (6)

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