PACK FOR CONSUMABLE PRODUCTS, IN PARTICULAR FOODSTUFFS
The invention concerns a packaging for consumable products, especially foodstuffs, comprising a double container (1), with the said double container (1) having a longitudinal axis (l) and comprising a first outer container (10), which is made up of a body (18) stretching from a base (17) and containing an inner space, with the said first container (10) having a neck (16) fitted with a filling opening (13) and a closing device (15), and a removable second inner container (20) fitted in the inner space of the first outer container (10). Pursuant to the invention, this packaging comprises a first outer container (10) that has a monobloc wall (11), and a second inner container (20) that has at least one flexible and one rigid wall (21, 22), with the said second inner container (20) being made of two parts in the form of trays (31, 32) stretching longitudinally along the longitudinal axis (l), one of which (31) can be sealed against the other (32).
This invention pertains to a type of packaging for consumable products, especially food products, with the said packaging comprising a double container, as well as to the use of the said packaging. More specifically, the invention concerns the use of a packaging comprising a double container for molluscs—preferably those such as mussels—or shellfish.
In today's consumption-oriented world, there is always the problem of environmental pollution caused by the sometimes uncontrolled consumption of all types of products, especially those with a high added value, such as molluscs or shellfish, with their sweet-smelling or even coveted shells. This can also apply to everyday perishable foodstuffs, such as a simple sandwich and its accompaniments or fruits, which, after they are consumed, can result in waste products such as cores, used napkins, leftover bread, food packaging and disposable covers.
Authorities are often overwhelmed with the damaging consequences of a desolate landscape in our cities and countryside, which are frequently flooded with these unauthorised waste dumps to the point where it has become a veritable blight.
In the case of fresh products such as seafood (e.g. mussels), as the situation stands, the shells and the remains of the mussel drippings emit nauseating odours when thrown into garbage bins—both domestic as well as industrial, in the case of restaurants.
This point is of great importance, as the odours attract hungry animals, especially wild animals such as pigeons, gulls and even rats, which are the carriers of several diseases. This is therefore a public health problem.
Certainly, there are packaging elements that have begun to make progress in solving these problems. However, they have almost always fallen short in this respect. This was especially the case for the device disclosed in Document ES-2308947 A1, which provided a packaging for molluscs in the form of a container that eventually resulted in even greater pollution due to the waste resulting from their consumption, and did not provide any means of remedying this problem.
The same applied to the device disclosed in Document WO 03/013279 A2 and A3, which described a packaging in the form of a double container as well as a process for preparing seafood. The said document did not include any means of solving the pollution caused by its consumption and by the remains.
This was also the case for the packaging device disclosed in Document NL-9400391-A, which also provided a packaging for molluscs which is in the form of a container. The document did not provide any solutions for the disposal of the shells that remain after consumption.
Document WO 87/02965 A1 discloses a packaging in the form of a double container for consumable products such as fish, poultry or vegetables. This packaging comprises an inner container in the form of a flexible plastic pouch. The said document does not mention any means of waste disposal.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,936 B1 discloses a packaging in the form of a double container for consumable products such as drugs. The said packaging comprises a monobloc inner container. The said document does not mention any means of waste disposal.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,803 discloses a packaging in the form of a double container for consumable products such as cosmetic products. The said packaging comprises a monobloc inner container made of plastic. The said document also does not mention any means of waste disposal.
Therefore, there is a serious gap in our knowledge of environmental management, which must be remedied by taking action in ways that will help us to live in a cleaner environment. Maintaining a cleaner working or domestic environment will help to keep away animals that are carriers of germs responsible for numerous diseases.
This invention aims at solving the problem that has been presented above. Moreover, the invention also aims at providing a new type of packaging comprising a double container for consumable products that is capable of solving the said problem.
Pursuant to a special mode of execution, the invention concerns a packaging for consumable products, especially foodstuffs, in the form of a double-container. The said double container has a longitudinal axis (l) and comprises:
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- a first outer container, which is made up of a body stretching from a base and containing an inner space. The said first container has a neck fitted with a filling opening and a closing device,
- a removable second inner container fitted in the inner space of the first outer container.
According to the invention, the said packaging is such that it comprises a first outer container that has a monobloc wall, and a second inner container that has at least one flexible and one rigid wall and is made of two parts in the form of trays stretching longitudinally along the longitudinal axis (l), which can be resealed against each other.
The general principle of the invention is based on the use of a first outer container that has a monobloc wall, and a second inner container that has at least one flexible and one rigid wall and is made of two parts in the form of trays stretching longitudinally along the longitudinal axis (l), which can be resealed against each other.
Thus, the invention is based on a completely new and inventive approach, the inventor having determined that, surprisingly, the use of a first outer container with a monobloc wall, fitted with a filling opening and a closing device, has the advantage of providing a container that is capable of being used as a resealable garbage bin that can contain the waste produced during the consumption of products that are contained in the second inner container. The inventor has also determined that, surprisingly, a second container made of two parts in the form of trays stretching longitudinally along the longitudinal axis (l) and which can be resealed against each other offers an advantageous alternative to the existing inner containers.
The words “consumable products” may refer to foodstuffs and/or non-foodstuffs. The foodstuffs can be, for example, fish, poultry, vegetables and preferably seafood such as shellfish or mussels. Non-foodstuffs can be, for example, batteries, baby or adult diapers, sanitary napkins. Preferably, they shall be diapers.
The term “closing device” refers to a cork or a cap, especially one which is screwed on or has an adhesive closing system, with the said closing device being hermetic, i.e. not allowing any odour or liquid to escape. As an added advantage, the closing device of the first outer container is fitted with a safety seal, preferably in the form of a safety tab, which guarantees to the consumer that the said first outer container has not been opened by a third party. The said hermetic closing device helps in reducing bacterial growth and other biological and chemical reactions caused by the deterioration of materials. These reactions and growths are harmful to human health, especially due to the fact that they are carried to residential areas by animals such as dogs, cats, birds or rodents, which are attracted by the garbage heaps and accidently open or improperly closed disposal bags.
The word “tray” refers to an object shaped like a small boat whose cross-sectional shape is semi-cylindrical, semi-polygonal or semi-elliptical. In other words, the said trays preferably have a flat or semi-cylindrical base, with the latter being the favoured option.
According to a preferred mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the inner and outer containers are arranged such that one of them can be slid into the other.
According to an advantageous mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the second inner container is made hermetic via a closing device fitted in order to join the said two parts together, thus forming a hermetically sealed structure until it is opened.
According to an advantageous mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that one of the said walls of the second container can be removed from the other via both longitudinal connecting sides by folding one on the other, from one end to the other.
According to an advantageous mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that one longitudinal connecting side of the said walls serves as an articulated pivot, which allows the movement, via mutual rotation, of the two walls that are joined together by the opposite longitudinal connecting side.
According to an advantageous mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the said first outer containers and the second inner container contain an interstice between their respective walls, the said interstice acting as a holding space. Thus, when the second inner container contains consumable foodstuffs the holding space allows the storage of accompaniments and/or eating utensils, especially those such as small flatware.
According to a preferred mode of execution of the previous mode, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the interstice contains at least one temporary fixing element that temporarily joins the said second inner container to the said first outer container until it is removed.
According to a preferred mode of execution of the previous mode, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the temporary fixing element is made up of a connecting strap situated between the first outer container and the second inner container, the said strap being capable of breaking as soon as pressure is applied to it. The said connecting strap is an additional sign that the product contained in the second inner container has been removed for the first time from the first outer container.
According to a preferred mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the interstice contains at least one longitudinal partition capable of dividing the said interstice into longitudinal spaces. Thus, when the second inner container contains consumable foodstuffs, the aforesaid longitudinal spaces allow the storage of accompaniments and/or eating utensils, especially those such as small flatware.
According to a preferred mode of execution of the previous mode, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the said longitudinal partition is the said temporary fixing element.
According to an advantageous mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the first outer container and/or the second outer container contain(s) a wall with one or more layers, the said layers being separated by an isothermal material or airspace.
According to a preferred mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the interstice contains at least one cooling element in order to retain a certain level of freshness during transport. Preferably, the first outer container preferably comprises a wall made up of two or three layers that produce an isothermal effect.
According to an advantageous mode of execution of the previous two modes, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the first outer container comprises a wall made of 2 layers separated by an isothermal material or by an airspace, the said first outer container containing ice in the interstice.
According to an advantageous mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the first outer container has a wall that is practically (and preferably) cylindrical, or if need be, prismatic in shape, extending between the base of the said first outer container and an opposite top surface in which the filling opening is present.
According to a preferred mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the first outer container and/or the second inner container has/have a wall that is prismatic in shape, with a roughly polygonal (preferably rectangular or square) section, extending between the said base and an opposite top surface in which the said opening is present.
According to a preferred mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the first outer container is in the shape of a jar. The said first outer container has a neck with a reduced height, the shape of which is axially compact. This neck stretches from the top of the body and ends in a shoulder that is roughly perpendicular to the wall.
According to an advantageous mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the first outer container and/or the second inner container has/have a wall made of plastic which is preferably recyclable.
According to a preferred mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the second inner container is sterilised or pasteurised.
According to a preferred mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the first outer container and/or the second inner container has/have a wall made of a recyclable and/or biodegradable material. The advantage of this mode of execution lies in the recyclable and/or biodegradable nature of the unit comprising the packaging and the waste that results from consuming the consumable foodstuffs, especially shellfish and mussels. In fact, insofar as less than 550,000 tonnes of mussels are consumed in Europe, it is possible to recover the shells, crush them to add them to cement or concrete or use them as a road base, which can lead to considerable savings.
According to an advantageous mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the outer and/or inner container has/have at least one transparent and/or translucent and/or opaque wall—preferably translucent for the outer container, so that unappetising waste products can be concealed, and transparent for the inner container in order to properly showcase its contents.
According to a more specific mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the first outer container has a decorated wall. In this respect, illustrations depicting, for example, a clean countryside can be placed on the first outer packaging by either public authorities or private companies. The said illustrations can also be in the form of a decoration of the first outer container consisting of an element identifying the contents, or even an element showing the contents themselves.
According to a special mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the first outer container and the second inner container respectively have heights h1 (height of the first outer container) and h2 (height of the second inner container) such that h1>h2, with h1 preferably being 5-20% taller than h2. More specifically, the first outer container of the packaging has an elongated shape, advantageously according to a ratio of the height to the transversal overall dimensions which are largely greater, particularly greater than 1.5 and preferably greater than 2. Even more specifically, the first outer container has a diameter Ø1 that is 5-20% larger than the diameter of the second inner container Ø2. Even more specifically, the first outer container has a height h1 between 20-40 cm and a base diameter (Ø1) between 12-14 cm, and the second inner container has a height h2 between 18-38 cm.
According to an even more special mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the opening of the first outer container occupies the major part of its top section, with the closing device being suited to the said neck that is roughly part of the extension of the body.
According to a special mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that it comprises a gripping element which is fitted at the height of the opening, or more specifically on the neck of the first outer container, with the said gripping element consisting, even more specifically, of a strap made of a flexible or semi-rigid material, particularly plastic and preferably recyclable plastic.
According to a preferred mode of execution, the packaging for consumable products according to the invention is such that the first outer container is in the form of a large bottle, either round or square, fitted with a cap that is extremely wide, almost as wide as the bottle itself, which can serve as a container for waste such as shells, remains or used products such as diapers or sanitary napkins. Advantageously, the aforesaid cap comprises an odour removal device. The said device is inserted in the first outer container after consuming and filling it with the waste resulting for the consumption of the consumable products.
According to another of its aspects, this invention aims at using seafood packaging made up of a double container that comprises:
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- a first outer container, which is made up of a body stretching from a base and containing an inner space. This first outer container has a neck fitted with a filling opening,
- a removable inner container fitted in the inner space of the first outer container,
such that the second inner container, packaged beforehand and filled with seafood along with the shells, especially mussels, is first removed (C) from the first outer container, and the inner container is then opened (D) in order to remove the mussels for cooking, while the first outer container is provided to the consumer at the place of consumption for collecting the empty shells as and when the molluscs are consumed; after the first outer container is filled up to a level just below the opening, the closing device is resealed so that it may be disposed of as waste.
This, a packaging comprising a double container allows, by virtue of its structure, the second inner container to be used as a temporary, disposable primary packaging for seafood and the first outer container to be used as a waste bin. The double container is remarkable in that the removable second inner container is fitted inside the first outer container, in the inner space of the said first outer container, is meant to temporarily hold the said seafood and to be removed for consuming it, with the first outer container being meant to hold the seafood waste (remains or shells) after they are consumed following their removal from the said inner container, in which they were initially contained, in order to thus form a temporary garbage bin or waste container. In this respect, the removable second inner container shall only temporarily contain the said seafood and is removed from the first outer container so that the said seafood can be consumed, while the first outer container holds the waste associated with consuming the said seafood. The said packaging is therefore an “all-in-one” system that integrates a disposable packaging on the one hand and a garbage bin on the other.
The use of a packaging comprising a double container according to this invention helps in considerably reducing environmental pollution, since the first outer container serves as a garbage bin for the waste generated by consuming the seafood stored in the second inner container. In this document, the word “seafood” refers especially to:
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- shellfish, shelled molluscs, especially bivalvia such as oysters, mussels, clams, cockles, scallops, soft-shell clams, razor clams, hard clams, queen scallops, great scallops, wedge shells,
- whelks, molluscs of the Gastropoda class such as common periwinkles, waved whelks and common whelks.
- shellfish, invertebrates with exoskeletons (carapace) or peduncles such as shrimps, crabs, prawns, lobsters and goose barnacles.
- sea urchins.
According to an advantageous use, the closing device is resealed after filling the first outer container, and the packaging and its contents are recovered for later treatment and recycling.
Pursuant to the invention, the use of a seafood packaging comprising a double container helps in reducing bacterial growth and other biological and chemical reactions caused by the deterioration of materials. These reactions and growths are harmful to human health, especially due to the fact that they are carried to residential areas by animals that are attracted by garbage heaps and accidentally opened or improperly closed disposal bags. Once the first outer container is filled, it is carefully closed so that no odours or liquids can escape. This is also an important specification of the invention with respect to the existing situation, wherein mussel shells, for example, emit very strong odours in domestic or industrial garbage bins.
If sanitation workers go on strike, for example, the garbage bins fill up very quickly, increasing the hazards to public health. Thanks to the invention, this domestic waste is dry, inert and hermetically sealed, thus making the consequences to public health less worrisome, particularly when heat does nothing but aggravate the situation.
In addition, a great advantage of the invention is the double packaging, with the second hermetic inner container containing the mussels and keeping them fresh, while not allowing any odour or liquid to escape, the said inner container itself being packaged in a clean first outer container that is in the form of a large bottle, either round or square in shape. Moreover, this second inner container is also almost as large as the first outer container, and, on the table of the end consumer, it serves as a container for the empty shells of the mussels that have been eaten. Moreover, the presence of this type of container takes up less space on the table than upturned traditional casserole covers or trays that are often very long.
The special modes of execution of the invention shall now be described, as examples, with reference to
This invention pertains especially to the use of a packaging for seafood (2), and more specifically for mussels (2). It comprises a double container (1), which in turn comprises a first outer container (10) and a removable second inner container (20) fitted in the inner space of the first outer container (10), with the recovery of the first outer container (10) for holding the remains or empty shells (3), especially empty shells (3), and hermetically sealing them without allowing nauseating odours and liquids to escape.
It pertains to a packaging, used to package mussels for sale, which can also be used to hold the mussel shells. The packaging is made up of two distinct containers (10, 20), one of which slides into the other. Thus, the packaging essentially comprises a second inner container (20) that can hold seafood (2) while the first outer container (10) serves as a garbage bin for the waste (3).
The first outer container (10) is a plastic container which can be decorated and which is preferably made of recyclable plastic; however, it may also be made of another material. It is a circular container with a height of between 20-40 centimetres. Its base diameter is a maximum of 12-14 centimetres. Its diameter shall largely remain constant, but if, in certain cases, the container takes more special shapes such as, for example, that of a mussel shell, the diameter will not be constant. The first outer container (10) is fitted with a screw-on cap (15), but may also be fitted with a fully hermetic, adhesive sealing system that does not allow any odour or liquid to escape. It can be fitted with a small plastic strap (90), preferably made of recyclable plastic, to help in transporting it and especially in carrying several items at once using only one hand.
The second inner container (20) is made of plastic, preferably recyclable plastic, and has a cylindrical shape with a height of 18-39 centimetres and a width of 10-12 centimetres. It contains the mussels (2) in an environment suited to their proper preservation, and is perfectly hermetic. This second inner container (20) is slid into the first outer container (10) for marketing.
Once removed from the first outer container (10), the second inner container (20) is opened and the mussels (2) are cooked while the larger first outer container (10) with a cap (15) is placed on the table to hold the empty shells (3). Once full, the cap (15) is screwed tight and the hermetically sealed package can be sent either to a shell (3) treatment centre or to the garbage bin, without any nauseating odours or leakages of liquids.
This use of this type of packaging helps in reducing urban pollution, as the first outer container (10) is used as a garbage bin for the waste (3) resulting from the contents of the second inner packaging (20). In this respect, the described use of a packaging that is able to hermetically seal waste helps in reducing bacterial growth and other biological and chemical reactions caused by the deterioration of materials. These reactions and growths are harmful to human health, especially due to the fact that they are carried to residential areas by certain animals that are attracted by garbage heaps and accidentally opened or improperly closed disposal bags.
What is completely remarkable is that by this use, the first outer container (10) shall serve to hold the generally polluting waste of the products contained in the second inner container (20) after these products are used.
The cap (15) of the first outer container (10) shall be fitted with a safety seal (80) guaranteeing to the consumer that the said container (10) has not been opened by a third party.
The first outer container (10) and the second inner container (20) can be connected by an extremely fragile strip (51) that breaks as soon as stress is applied to it. This can be used as an additional sign showing that the product has been removed from its packaging for the first time.
The shells (3) can be recycled along with the first outer container (10), since the shells (3) can be recovered, collected and then ground up and added to cement or concrete or used as a road base.
Claims
1. Packaging for consumable products, especially foodstuffs, comprising a double-container that has a longitudinal axis (l) and comprises:
- a first outer container, made up of a body stretching from a base and containing an inner space; the said first outer container has a neck fitted with a filling opening and a closing device,
- a removable second inner container fitted in the inner space of the first outer container, wherein the first outer container has a monobloc wall, and the second inner container has at least one flexible wall and one rigid wall, with the said second inner container being made of two parts in the form of trays stretching longitudinally along the longitudinal axis (l), one of which can be sealed against the other.
2. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 1, wherein the second inner container is hermetically sealed via a second closing device fitted in order to join the said two parts together, thus forming a hermetically sealed structure until it is opened.
3. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 1, wherein one of the said flexible wall or said rigid wall can be removed from the other via both longitudinal connecting sides by folding one on the other, from one end to the other.
4. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 1, wherein one longitudinal connecting side of the said flexible and rigid walls serves as an articulated pivot, which allows the movement, via mutual rotation, of the two flexible and rigid walls that are joined together by the opposite longitudinal connecting side.
5. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 1, wherein the said first outer containers and the second inner container have an interstice between their respective walls, with the said interstice acting as a holding space.
6. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 5, wherein the interstice contains at least one temporary fixing element that temporarily joins the said second inner container to the said first outer container until it is removed.
7. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 6, wherein the temporary fixing element is made up of a connecting strap, situated between the first outer container and the second inner container, with the said strap being capable of breaking as soon as stress is applied to it.
8. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 5, wherein the interstice contains at least one longitudinal partition capable of dividing the said interstice into longitudinal spaces.
9. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 8, wherein the said longitudinal partition is a temporary fixing element that temporarily joins the said inner container to the said first outer container.
10. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 1, wherein the first outer container and/or the second outer container contain(s) a wall with one or more layers that are separated by an isothermal material or by an airspace.
11. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 5, wherein the interstice contains at least one cooling element.
12. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 10, wherein the first outer container comprises a wall made of 2 layers separated by an isothermal material or by an airspace, with the said first outer container containing ice in the interstice.
13. Packaging for consumable products according to claim 1, wherein the said first outer container has a hermetic closing device, which is a screw-on cap.
14. Use of a packaging in the form of a double container that comprises:
- a first outer container, which is made up of a body stretching from a base and contains an inner space, and has a neck fitted with a filling opening;
- a removable second inner container fitted in the inner space of the first outer container, wherein the second inner container, packaged beforehand and filled with molluscs along with the shells is first removed from the first outer container, and the inner container is then opened in order to remove the molluscs, while the first outer container is provided to the consumer at a place of consumption for collecting empty shells as and when the molluscs are consumed, and then after the first outer container is filled up to a level just below the opening, the closing device is re-sealed so that it may be disposed of as waste.
15. Use of a packaging comprising a double container according to claim 13, wherein after filling the first outer container, the closing device is resealed, with the packaging and its contents being recovered for later treatment and recycling.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 16, 2013
Publication Date: Dec 3, 2015
Inventor: Jean-Louis MALOUX
Application Number: 14/653,773
