PACKET FOR CONTAINING FOOD ARTICLES

Technical field

This invention relates to a packet for containing food articles, such as sweets and/or chewing gums.

More specifically, the invention addresses the field of packaging for sweets, chewing gum and/or other fast-moving consumer goods of this kind.

Background art

Typically, products of this kind are marketed and displayed to the public in special packaging. The packages are usually provided with characteristic opening and closure allowing a consumer to manually open a package to easily remove one or more articles from it and then re-close it.

One example of a package currently in use, like the one described in document EP1675774, is a packet comprising a containment body for holding a plurality of food articles. The packet comprises lid, hinged to the containment body and movable between a closed position in which the inside of the containment body is inaccessible, and an open position in which the containment body is open.

On one of its side walls, the containment body presents a through hole of size such as to allow removing from the containment body one food article at a time.

In use, the consumer holds the packet in one hand and turns it upside down to allow the food article to drop out through the hole in the containment body onto the palm of the other hand.

Disclosure of the invention

In this context, the need was felt for a packet for containing food articles, preferably sweets and/or chewing gums, comprising a containment body for containing a plurality of food articles and having a bottom panel, a top panel and a plurality of side panels.

The containment body for the food articles has an outlet opening for taking the food articles out of the containment body and being of a shape and size such as to allow the food articles to come out one at a time.

The packet comprises a lid for opening and closing the outlet opening for the food articles.

The packet comprises a receptacle for collecting the articles which have come out of the containment body through the opening.

The receptacle has a base for supporting the article and a plurality of side walls to prevent the articles from falling out of the receptacle.

The outlet opening for the food articles is in communication with the base of the receptacle.

This packet allows taking out one article at a time and makes the article available to the consumer but minimizes the need for the consumer to handle the article before placing it in their mouth.

Brief description of drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention are more apparent in the non-limiting description which follows, of preferred but non-exclusive embodiments of a packet for containing food articles, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a packet according to this invention, in a closed position;

- Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the packet of Figure 1 , in an open position;

- Figure 3 is a further schematic perspective view of the packet of Figure 1 , in an open position and shows how the articles come out of the packet;

- Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of a packet according to this invention, in an open position; - Figure 5 shows a detail of a schematic cross section of the packet of Figure 4;

- Figure 6 is a further schematic perspective view of the packet of Figure 4, in an open position and shows how the articles come out of the packet.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety a packet according to the invention, for containing food articles, such as sweets and/or chewing gums.

The packet 1 according to this invention is a rigid packet.

Preferably, the packet 1 is made from semi-rigid paperboard and is provided with an overwrapping of heat-sealable film that can be separated from the paperboard.

Advantageously, since the plastic overwrapping can be separated from the paperboard, the packet 1 is fully recyclable.

The packet 1 comprises a containment body 2 for containing a plurality of food articles 3.

The articles 3 are preferably sweets and/or chewing gums.

The containment body 2 comprises a bottom panel 4, a top panel 5 and a plurality of side panels 6.

The bottom panel 4 of the containment body 2 defines the bottom wall of the packet 1.

The bottom panel 4 and the top panel 5 of the containment body 2 are disposed opposite to and facing each other.

The side panels 6 of the containment body 2 are disposed one after the other in succession and are contiguous with the bottom panel 4 and the top panel 5.

According to this specification, the side panels 6 comprise at least a front panel 8, a rear panel 9, a first flank 10, contiguous with the front panel 8 and the rear panel 9, and a second flank 1 1 , contiguous with the front panel 8 and the rear panel 9.

It should be noted that the side panels 6 of the containment body 2 may be connected to each other by respective fold lines defining continuous straight and/or curved edges or connecting panels, delimited by respective straight and/or curved edges, or by edges and panels alternately.

In short, the containment body 2 of the packet 1 may have any aesthetic configuration, which is immaterial to the invention.

According to the invention, the containment body 2 for the food articles 3 has an outlet opening 13 for taking the articles 3 out of the containment body 2.

The outlet opening 13 for the articles 3 is a through opening.

The opening 13 has a shape and size such as to allow the food articles 3 to come out one at a time.

For example, the opening 13 may be of any shape, whether polygonal or circular.

In this specification, the outlet opening 13 for taking out the food articles 3 is made in the top panel 5 of the containment body 2.

Alternatively, the outlet opening 13 for taking out the food articles 3 may be made in one of the side panels 6 - for example, the first flank 10 or the second flank 11.

The packet 1 of this specification comprises a lid 12 for opening and closing the outlet opening 13 to take out the food articles 3.

The lid 12 is a hinged lid, that is to say, it has a hinge line 15 about which it turns to pass from a closed position to an open position of the opening 13, and vice versa.

The hinge line 15 is contiguous with one of the side panels 6 of the packet 1 , specifically the rear panel 9.

Considering, for example, that the outlet opening 13 of this specification is made in the top panel 5 of the containment body 2, the lid 12 is hinged to one of the side panels 6, specifically the rear panel 9 - see Figure 1. More specifically, according to this specification, the hinge line 15 is disposed along the long side of the rear panel 9.

The lid 12 comprises a top panel 16 forming the top wall 16 of the packet 1 when the lid 12 is in the closed condition.

The top panel 16 of the lid 12 is hinged to the containment body 2 along the hinge line 15.

The lid 12 comprises a front panel 17, contiguous to the top panel 16 along a fold line defining an edge 18.

The edge 18 of the top panel 16 is located on the side opposite the hinge line 15.

When the lid 12 is closed, the front panel 17 engages at least part of the containment body 2.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the lid 12 comprises a first and a second side panel 19, 20, contiguous with the top panel 16 along respective fold lines defining edges 21 , 22 of the top panel 16 and disposed opposite each other.

The first and the second side panel 19, 20 are contiguous with the front panel 17 along edges 27, 28, respectively.

The top panel 16, the front panel 17 and the first and second side panels 19, 20 form a lid with a "cupped" shaped.

According to this invention, the packet 1 comprises a receptacle 23 for collecting the articles 3 which have come out of the opening 13.

The receptacle 23 has a base wall 24 for supporting the articles 3 and a plurality of side walls 25 to prevent the articles 3 from falling out of the receptacle 23.

To receive the articles 3 coming out of the containment body 2 through the opening 13, the opening 13 is in communication with the base 24 of the collecting receptacle 23.

In a first embodiment, the receptacle 23 which collects the articles from the opening 13 is defined by the lid 12 of the packet 1 when it is open. More specifically, the top panel 16 of the lid 12 defines the base 24 of the receptacle 23.

The front panel 17 and the first and second side panels 19, 20 define the side walls 25 of the collecting receptacle 23.

It should be noted that the top panel 16, specifically the inside surface 16a of the top panel 16 acts as a stop element for stopping the article 3 which comes out through the opening 13.

By inside surface 16a of the top panel 16 is meant the surface of the top panel 16 that faces the top panel 5 of the containment body 2 when the lid 12 is in the closed position.

In use, the consumer moves the lid 12 to the open position, specifically by moving the top panel 16 of the lid 12 into alignment with the side panel 6 it is hinged to and tilts the packet 1 until a single article 3 comes out through the opening 13 of the containment body 2 and settles in the collecting receptacle 23 from where it can be withdrawn for consumption - see Figure 3.

Advantageously, the packet 1 according to this invention allows taking out one article 3 at a time, thanks to the opening 13 of the containment body 2, and holding it in a collecting receptacle 23 formed in the packet 1 until the moment it is consumed and using only one hand, without having to use the other to pick up the articles 3.

In an alternative embodiment, illustrated in Figures 4 to 6, the receptacle 23 for collecting the articles 3 is located in the containment body 2 of the packet 1.

In this case, the base 24 of the receptacle 23 is defined by the top panel 5 of the containment body 2 and the side walls 25 by respective side panels 26 extending from the top panel 25.

In this specification, each side panel 26 is disposed in contact with a respective portion of the inside surface of a side panel 6 of the containment body 2.

In order to form the collecting receptacle 23, the top panel 5 of the containment body 2 is positioned within the containment body 2, at a level below the perimeter edges 7 of the side panels 6 which, when the lid 12 is opened, are in view.

In other words, the top panel 5 is positioned at a certain depth from the perimeter edges 7 of the side panels 6 or relative to the hinge 15 of the lid 12.

The depth of the top panel 5 is such as to allow accommodating at least one article 3.

In this embodiment, when the lid 12 is at the open position, the collecting receptacle 23 above the base 24 is open; when the lid 12 is at the closed position, the collecting receptacle 23 is closed by the lid 12 itself.

With reference to the receptacle 23 formed in the containment body 2, the lid 12 may comprise only the top panel 16 and the front panel 17, without necessarily comprising the first and second side panels 19 and 20, since its function is not that of a collecting receptacle 23. According to this variant, when the lid 12 is at the closed position, the top panel 16 acts as a stop which prevents the article 3 which has come out through the opening 13 from falling out.

In use, the consumer keeps the lid 12 at the closed position and turns the packet 1 upside down so that a single article 3 comes out through the opening 13 of the containment body 2 and stops against the top panel 16 of the lid 12 - see Figure 5.

Then, by turning the packet 1 right side up again, the article 3 which has come out of the opening 13 and has been stopped by the top panel 16, settles in the collecting receptacle 23 from where it can be withdrawn - see Figure 6.

Advantageously, in the second embodiment, too, the single article 3 can be taken out with one hand only.

Lastly, it should be noted that to facilitate transferring the article 3 from the containment body 2 to the collecting receptacle 23, the opening 13 of the top panel 5 is disposed along an edge 14 of the top panel 5 facing the lid 12. In the first embodiment, the edge 14 of the top panel 5 coincides with the hinge line 15 of the lid 12.

In the second embodiment, the edge 14 of the top panel 5 is disposed below the hinge line 15 of the lid 12.

Advantageously, thanks to the outlet opening 13, the packet 1 according to this invention allows the articles 3 to be taken out of the containment body 2 without the consumer putting their fingers inside the containment body 2 and, thanks to the collecting receptacle 23, without dropping the articles 3 onto the palm of their hand.