Such packagings are generally known and are used for instance as packaging for bulbs, compost soil with seed, tools, toys, toothbrushes and the like. In this known packaging the card is glued fixedly by means of heat- sensitive glue onto a flange of the container extending round the opening.

Opening of the container is difficult. The card must be cut out along the edges. The cut-off edge herein contains a number of different materials such as the material of the card, which is usually thin cardboard, the plastic material of the container and the heat-sensi- tive glue. Such waste consisting of a number of different types of material cannot be made suitable for recycling, which is environmentally undesirable and can moreover result in considerable anti-pollution levies for those marketing the filled packaging.

The invention has for its object to provide a pack- aging of the type specified in the preamble whereby this drawback is obviated.

This object is achieved in the packaging according to the invention as characterized in claim 1. The packag- ing can be easily closed and re-opened by sliding the card over the opening. After opening and use of the packaging, there remain only pieces of waste which each consist of one material, i. e. the container and the card.

These pieces of waste are therefore suitable for recy- cling, so that the packaging according to the invention is very environmentally responsible and therefore subject to, at most, a low anti-pollution levy.

The guide can be formed by two adjacent ridges in a wall of the container, but preferably the measure of

claim 2 is applied. An adequately wide guide is hereby obtained in which the card can be enclosed in reliable manner.

A very good closure of the packaging can be obtained with the measure of claim 3. The card can be pushed into the guide on the third open side.

If undesired opening of the packaging must be pre- vented, for instance in self-service stores, the measure of claim 4 is applied in advantageous manner. After sliding of the card into the guide the engaging means come into engagement and the card can no longer be taken out easily, so that the content of the packaging remains inaccessible. For opening of the packaging by the end user the card can be simply pulled loose of the engaging means, wherein possible damage to the card is no draw- back.

The invention likewise relates to and provides a device for vacuum-forming of a packaging as specified above. This device comprises a vacuum-forming machine with a vacuum-forming matrix having at least one mould complementary to the interior and the guide of a contain- er for forming. Mould parts corresponding with the guide are herein preferably retractable. It is hereby possible to give the guide a deep form, while the formed packaging can be removed from the matrix after the guide-moulding parts have been retracted. A deep guide is advantageous for receiving the closing card in reliable manner.

The invention further relates to and provides a device for injection moulding of a packaging according to any of the claims 1-4, comprising an injection mould which is complementary to the shape of the interior, the exterior and the guide of a container for forming. As a result of the design of the injection mould, the contain- er formed by means of the injection moulding process displays the desired properties with the guide to thus provide space for the card. In a manner corresponding with the vacuum-forming technique, the mould parts corre- sponding with the guide are preferably retractable. In this manner dismantling of the injection mould for re- lease of the container therefrom is simple. Additionally

or alternatively, the injection mould comprises at least two parts, which are displaceable relative to each other parallel to the card in the situation where it is ar- ranged on the container. In this manner the parts of the injection mould are taken apart in the same manner as if the card had be pushed into the guide to close the con- tainer. In this preferred embodiment the injection mould will comprise at least three parts, since for round or rectangular tub-like containers one mould part is re- quired in the interior thereof which remains in place when after injection moulding the two other injection mould parts are slid relative to each other in the direc- tion corresponding to the freedom of movement of the plate.

The invention also relates to and provides a device for filling packagings according to the invention. This device is characterized in claim 10. Sliding of the cards into the packagings can take place at great speed, where- by a high capacity of the filling device can be achieved.

Particularly relative to the prior art, wherein the card was arranged on the packaging in the described manner with a heat-sensitive glue, a very large improvement in capacity can be obtained.

By applying the measure of claim 11 the capacity can be further increased. The packagings transported adja- cently of each other can be filled simultaneously and be discharged after sliding in of a card.

Another favourable development is characterized in claim 12. With this measure it is possible to arrange in each packaging the same assortment with a determined set composition of different or similar products.

The invention will be further elucidated in the following description with reference to the annexed figures.

Fig. 1 shows schematically a device for manufactur- ing packagings according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a partial cross-section according to II-II in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a finished packaging according to the invention.

Fig. 4 shows a filling device in a first embodiment.

Fig. 5 shows a filling device in a second embodi- ment.

Similar components are designated in the figures with the same reference numerals.

For the manufacture of packagings according to the invention a per se known vacuum-forming machine is sub- stantially used, the per se known parts of which are not shown for the sake of simplicity.

In such a device 1 a plastic plate 2 is heated to above the softening temperature by means of a heating device 3. The heated plate 2 is subsequently placed into contact with a matrix 4, which in this embodiment com- prises six moulds 5 of containers for the packaging according to the invention.

As fig. 2 shows in more detail, a number of vacuum channels 6 is formed in matrix 4 which debouch on the surface of matrix 4. These vacuum channels 6 are placed in connection with a vacuum source whereby the softened plates 2 are drawn closely against the contour of moulds 5.

Incorporated in each mould 5, which is complementary to the interior of a container for forming, is a number of retractable mould parts which correspond to a guide to be further described hereinbelow of the formed container 10. Each retractable mould part has a plate-like part which extends outside the wall of the mould and round which are sucked parts 8 of plate 2.

After cooling of plate 2 to a temperature such that it has become sufficiently stiff again, the retractable mould parts 7 are retracted from the formed guides, whereafter plate 2 with the forms arranged therein can be taken off matrix 4.

As fig. 1 further shows schematically, the six containers 10 are then punched respectively cut from plate 2. In fig. 2 the line along which the container is released from plate 2 is designated with 9. In addition to releasing containers 10 all round from plate 2, por- tions 11 are further punched therefrom which leave an

opening with a form corresponding with a so-called Euro- lock in a protruding part of container 10.

Fig. 3 shows one of the formed containers 10. It can be clearly seen here that container 10 comprises an opening 16 having along three sides a guide 13 integrally formed with container 10.

In this preferred embodiment the guide 13 is formed by a flange 15 extending along the opening and a strip 14 extending at a short distance parallel to flange 15 and connected to the edge of flange 15 remote from opening 16. Guides 13 can receive a card 17 which can be pushed from the open side into this guide 13. To enable easy sliding of card 17 into guide 13, the strips 14 are chamfered at 18. In the extended flange 19 along the side of opening 16 where no guide is situated is formed a protrusion 20 behind which the relevant edge of card 17 hooks as soon as this latter is pushed fully into guide 13. The engaging means formed by this protrusion 20 can thus lock the card 17 in the fully pushed-in position, so that undesired removal of card 17 is made more difficult.

The device 25 shown in fig. 4 comprises a conveyor belt 26 which in this embodiment displaces four rows of containers 10 in a transporting direction 27.

Four empty containers 10 at a time are placed in a manner not further shown on the end of conveyor 26 on the left as seen in fig. 4, each of which containers, during transport by conveyor belt 26, moves through beneath a mouthpiece 30 of a feed device 29 associated with the particular row of containers. Using a screw conveyor 31 arranged in the feed device 29, the material 32 for arranging in containers 10 is introduced in dosed manner into these containers 10 via mouthpiece 30.

Because use is made of four separate feed devices 29, each providing the containers in one longitudinal row with material 32 for packing, packagings with four dif- ferent contents can be prepared simultaneously.

After filling of containers 10, one transverse row at a time of four of these filled containers is moved on a transverse conveyor 28, whereby these containers are transported to a closing device 33 (not further shown)

where cards 17 are pushed into the guides of the contain- ers and locked by the engaging means. The formed packag- ings can then be packed into boxes for dispatch.

In the device 35 of fig. 5 a number of feed stations 38 is disposed one after another in the transporting direction 37 of conveyor belt 36. Each container 10, which is supplied at the left-hand end of conveyor belt 36 as seen in fig. 5, hereby passes each of the feed stations 38, so that material 39 can be fed into each container 10 from each of these stations.

It is possible in this manner to include in each filling an assortment with a particular fixed composi- tion. For instance in the case of bulbs, it may be wished to place a determined number of bulbs 41 of different colours in the packaging. Feed stations 38 are then adjusted such that dispensing members 40 thereof deposit each time the desired number of articles in the contain- er.

After containers 10 have passed all feed stations 38 and therefore contain the desired number of articles in the desired composition, the filled container 41 passes unto a transverse conveyor 43 which again carries the filled container to a closing station 42, where a card 17 is pushed into the guide of container 10.

It will be apparent that the invention can be embod- ied in many different ways. The shape of the container, and therein the form of the opening, can thus be chosen within determined limits. Instead of being rectangular the container could also be for instance a circle seg- ment, wherein the guide then extends at the very most in a semi-circle. The optionally applied means for locking the card can be embodied in many different ways. The card can thus be locked in the described manner by causing it to drop behind a protrusion, although it is also possible to arrange apertures in the card into which hook-shaped protrusions of the container engage in the pushed-in position of the card.

Further, attention has only been drawn in the fore- going description to the vacuum-forming technique with which the container can be manufactured. However, as is

stated above and in the appended claims, additional or alternative use can be made of an injection moulding process. In such an injection moulding process use can also be made to form the container of a mould which is provided with displaceable or retractable mould parts corresponding with mould parts 7 in fig. 2. Additionally or alternatively, use can be made of extra mould parts at least comprising flanges with dimensions corresponding with the card, so that the guide can be formed by injec- tion moulding around these, whereafter the relevant mould part with the flanges is slid out of the guides in the same manner as if it were a card. For this purpose an additional mould part is then required in the case of for instance round or rectangular tub-like, or in any case hollow, containers, which remain behind in the interior thereof and are removed only after sliding out of the mould part with the flanges.

The containers formed by means of the vacuum-forming technique or by means of injection moulding are inexpen- sive, strong and homogenous and form after use thereof a single type of waste, wholly separate from the material of the card, whereby an advantage is obtained in respect of the environment.

The card itself can be of any suitable material such as thin cardboard, plastic, sheet metal and the like.