Self Supporting Paperboard Packaging and Methods of Making the Same

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/663,909, filed 25 Jun. 2024, the disclosure of which is now expressly incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to improved packaging. Specifically, the present disclosure comprises formed paperboard packaging. Methods of making the same are further provided.

The vast majority of product packaging is made using one-time use plastic due to abundance, relatively inexpensive cost, ease of use, resilience, printability, and versatility. Indeed, for example, one-time use plastics may easily be made to be opaque, transparent and/or translucent, which may be useful for displaying products within product packaging made therefrom.

While one-time use plastic has advantages making it appealing, there are several serious disadvantages. Specifically, plastic is difficult to decompose and therefore much of it ends up in landfills, waterways, and, generally, as a pollutant in the environment. While recycling of one-time use plastics may be done, it is estimated that a very small percentage of plastic packaging is, actually, recycled. Moreover, recycling plastic requires energy and chemical usage which itself may be harmful to the environment. Moreover, most food products are not recycled because they tend to be mixed with residual food products.

Paperboard packaging decomposes much more quickly and is easier to recycle that one-time use plastics. Moreover, paperboard packaging may be easily printed and cut into particular flat shapes. Paperboard packaging may also has certain disadvantages. Paperboard packaging can be difficult to make into desired shapes when forming. Likewise, paperboard packaging can suffer from effects of moisture and other environmental conditions. Moreover, paperboard packaging is difficult to make transparent or translucent, rendering products contained therein difficult to view by consumers.

The present disclosure relates to packaging. Specifically, the present disclosure provides formed paperboard packaging. Methods of making the same are further provided.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a package may comprise a tray and a tray cover that couples to the tray. The tray may include a base and a planar lip that extends from and around an edge of the base. The base may define a pocket configured to receive one or more products therein. The tray cover may couple to the planar lip of the tray over the one or more products in the pocket to close an opening to the pocket. The base and the lip of the tray may cooperate to provide support means for supporting the package on a planar surface in an upright orientation in which the tray cover extends substantially perpendicular to the planar surface so that the package is free-standing in the upright orientation.

In some embodiments, the tray is a formed paperboard tray. The tray may be a formed paperboard tray formed from a paperboard blank having one or more creases. The creases may be configured to aid in forming the paperboard blank into the formed paperboard tray without tearing or destroying the paperboard blank when pressed in a press.

In some embodiments, the base of the tray may include a bottom wall, a top wall spaced apart from the bottom wall, and interconnecting side walls that extend between and interconnect the bottom wall and the top wall. In some embodiments, the bottom wall, the top wall, and the interconnecting side walls may cooperate to define the pocket. The bottom wall of the base and the lip may cooperate to provide the support means.

In some embodiments, the bottom wall may extends at an angle relative to the planar surface. In some embodiments, the tray cover may include a printed label attributed to the one or more products in the pocket.

In some embodiments, the tray cover may be formed to include one or more windows for viewing one or more products contained therein. In some embodiments, the base of the tray may be formed to include one or more windows for viewing one or more products contained therein.

In some embodiments, the one or more windows in the base of the tray may be formed in one of the top surface and one of the interconnecting side walls. In some embodiments, the lip may be formed to include at least one hanger opening.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a paperboard package comprises a formed paperboard including a base and a planar lip that extends from the base. The base may define a pocket configured to receive one or more products. The base and the lip of the tray may cooperate to provide support means for supporting the package on a planar surface in an upright orientation in which the planar lip extends substantially perpendicular to the planar surface so that the package is free-standing in the upright orientation.

In some embodiments, the package may further comprise a tray cover. The tray cover may couple to the planar lip of the formed paperboard tray over the one or more products in the pocket to close an opening to the pocket.

In some embodiments, the formed paperboard tray may be formed from a paperboard blank. The paperboard blank may have one or more creases configured to aid in forming the paperboard blank into the formed paperboard tray when pressed in a press. The creases may be configured to aid in forming the paperboard blank into the formed paperboard tray without tearing or destroying the paperboard blank.

In some embodiments, the base of the tray may include a bottom wall, a top wall spaced apart from the bottom wall, and interconnecting side walls that extend between and interconnect the bottom wall and the top wall. The bottom wall, the top wall, and the interconnecting side walls may cooperate to define the pocket. The bottom wall of the base and the lip may cooperate to provide the support means.

In some embodiments, the bottom wall may extend at an angle relative to the planar surface. In some embodiments, the tray cover may include a printed label attributed to the one or more products in the pocket.

In some embodiments, the tray cover may be formed to include one or more windows for viewing one or more products contained therein. In some embodiments, the base of the tray may be formed to include one or more windows for viewing one or more products contained therein.

In some embodiments, the one or more windows in the base of the tray may be formed in one of the top surface and one of the interconnecting side walls. In some embodiments, the lip may be formed to include at least one hanger opening.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a package may comprise a formed paperboard tray and a tray cover. The formed paperboard tray may include at least one base and a planar lip that extends from the base and defines an outer boundary of the at least one base. The at least one base may define a first pocket configured to receive one or more products. The tray cover may couple to the planar lip of the tray over at least a portion of the one or more products in the first pocket. The at least one base and the lip of the tray may cooperate to provide support means for supporting the package on a planar surface in an upright orientation, in which the tray cover extends substantially perpendicular to the planar surface so that the package is free-standing in the upright orientation.

In some embodiments, the formed paperboard tray may include a first base and a second base. The second base may be spaced apart from the first base. The first base may form or define the first pocket and the second base may form or define a second pocket.

In some embodiments, each of the first base and the second base of the tray may include a bottom wall, a top wall spaced apart from the bottom wall, and interconnecting side walls that extend between and interconnect the bottom wall and the top wall. The bottom wall, the top wall, and the interconnecting side walls may cooperate to define the respective pocket. The bottom wall of the first and second bases and the lip may cooperate to provide the support means.

According to another aspect of the present application, a method of assembling a package with one or more products therein may include providing a paperboard blank with predetermined dimensions based on the one or more products to be packaged, applying one or more creases to the paperboard blank at predetermined locations to aid in forming a formed paperboard tray from the paperboard blank, arranging the paperboard blank with the one or more creases applied thereto in a press, pressing the paperboard blank in the press while applying heat to the paperboard blank to provide the formed paperboard tray including a tray base that defines a tray pocket and a tray outer rim that extends from and around the tray base to define a boundary of the formed paperboard tray, arranging the one or more products in the tray pocket of the formed paperboard tray, providing a tray cover with predetermined dimensions based on the formed paperboard tray to be formed, and coupling the tray cover to the tray outer rim of the formed paperboard tray after arranging the one or more products in the tray pocket to trap the one or more products therebetween.

In some embodiments, the method may further include applying a printed label to the paperboard blank. In some embodiments, the method may further include cutting out one or more windows from the paperboard blank. In some embodiments, coupling the tray cover to the tray outer rim of the formed paperboard tray may include heat sealing the tray cover to the tray outer rim of the formed paperboard tray.

Additional features and advantages of the present disclosure are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments and from the drawings.

A packageaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in. The packageincludes a trayand a tray coveras shown in. The trayis formed to define at least one pocketconfigured to receive one or more products. The tray covercouples to the trayover at least a portion of the productarranged in the pocketto close an opening to the pocketand block removal of the productfrom the tray. The tray covermay include at least one windowdisposed therein for viewing productin the package, as illustrated in.

The trayof the packageis a formed paperboard trayformed from a flat paperboard blank or sheet′ via a pressas shown in. The flat paperboard blank′ has predetermined dimensions (e.g., size and shape) based on a product type or productto be held or stored within the package(e.g., health/beauty products (razors, toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, vitamins, cosmetics, sunscreen), electronics (phone, tablet), cleaning products, drink products (coffee grounds, powdered drink mix), medication (pills, tablets, or other like pharmaceuticals), laundry detergent, batteries, medical devices, food items, eyeglasses, and food products). The flat paperboard blank′ is pressed between mold tools,of the presswhile applying heat to the paperboard blank′ to provide the formed paperboard tray.

The resulting formed paperboard trayincludes a baseand a planar lipthat extends from and around an edge of the baseas shown in. The basedefines the pocketconfigured to receive one or more productstherein. The pocket, and thus the base, is formed by pressing the flat paperboard blank′ in the press. The flat paperboard blank′ has one or more creases′ configured to aid in forming the paperboard blank′ into the formed paperboard traywithout tearing or destroying the paperboard blank′ when pressed in a press. The tray coveris then directly coupled to the planar lipof the trayover at least a portion of the one or more productsin the pocketto close an opening to the pocketand trap the product(s)therebetween.

Additionally, the baseand the planar lipof the formed paperboard traycooperate to provide support means for supporting the packageon a planar surfacein an upright orientation so that the packageis free-standing in the upright orientation. The support means or product self-support structureholds the packagein the upright orientation without any external supports so that the packageis free-standing or self-supported.

The vast majority of product packaging is made using one-time use plastic due to abundance, relatively inexpensive cost, ease of use, resilience, printability, and versatility. Indeed, for example, one-time use plastics may easily be made to be opaque, transparent and/or translucent, which may be useful for displaying products within product packaging made therefrom. However, plastic is difficult to decompose and therefore much of it ends up in landfills, waterways, and, generally, as a pollutant in the environment. While recycling of one-time use plastics may be done, it is estimated that a very small percentage of plastic packaging is, actually, recycled. Moreover, recycling plastic requires energy and chemical usage which itself may be harmful to the environment. Moreover, most food products are not recycled because they tend to be mixed with residual food products.

Unlike plastic packaging, paperboard packaging decomposes more quickly and is easier to recycle that one-time use plastics. Moreover, paperboard packaging may be easily printed and cut into particular flat shapes. Even still, the paperboard material may not be as easy to formed into desired shapes. Thus, the paperboard trayhas creasesthat aid in the formation of the tray. The creases′ in the paperboard blank′ aid in forming the paperboard blank′ into a three-dimensional traywith the pocketwithout tearing or destroying the paperboard blank′, or otherwise forming uncontrolled creases in the traythat may be unsightly and induce locations of weakness in the paperboard that may lead to tearing of the same when in use.

Additionally, paperboard packaging may make it difficult for consumers to view the products therein because the paperboard is not transparent or translucent like plastic materials. The paperboard packageof the present disclosure includes the support means or product self-support structurethat holds the packagein the upright orientation without any external supports so that the packageis free-standing or self-supported in the upright orientation. The paperboard trayis formed with the baseand the planar lip. The tray covermay be directly coupled to the planar lipto trap the productbetween the trayand the tray coverfor easy assembly with minimal material used. The baseand the planar lipthen cooperate to provide the product self-support structureto hold the packagein the upright orientation.

The tray coveralso includes at least one windowfor the productarranged in the pocketof the packageto be visible to the consumer as shown in. The windowis sized to allow a portion of the productto extend therethrough, while blocking assess to the productlocated in the pocketsuch that the productmay not be removed from the package. As a result, the productextends past or over the lipas shown in. The shape and orientation of the basemaintains the product's center of mass at the equilibrium, making the packagemore stable in the upright orientation and more difficult to knock over.

In the upright orientation, the graphics or logo on the packageand/or the productmay be more visible to the consumer when the packageis arranged on the planar surface, such as a shelf or display. The product self-support structureenables the graphics or logo on the packageand/or the productto face out towards the consumer when arranged on the shelf or display. Additionally, the product self-support structureholds the packagein the upright orientation without the need for additional supports, which minimizes the amount of packaging material and thus costs.

With the packageof the present disclosure initially described above, the packageand a methodof forming the packageis now described in more detail. The packageincludes a tray, a tray cover, and support means for supporting the packageon a planar surfacein an upright orientation so that the packageis free-standing in the upright orientation as shown in. The trayis a formed/pressed paperboard traymade from paperboard material. Similarly, the tray coveris a formed/pressed paperboard panel from paperboard material. Preferably, the paperboard material is a dry paperboard. The dry paperboard material may have a moisture content between about 5% to 10%. In some embodiments, the paperboard material may have a moisture content between about 8% to 10%.

The formed/pressed paperboard trayincludes a baseand a planar lipas shown in. The basemay also be referred to as a bodyof the tray. The planar lip, also referred to as an outer rim, extends from and around a perimeter edge of the baseto define a boundary of the tray. The basedefines the pocket, also referred to as a cavity, configured to receive one or more products. An opening to the pocketis defined by the planar lipas shown in. The pocket, or cavity, extends from the opening in the planar lip.

The baseand the planar lipof the formed paperboard traycooperate to provide the support meansor self-support structurefor supporting the packageon the planar surfacein the upright orientation. In the upright orientation, the tray coverextends at an angle relative to the planar surfaceas shown in. In the upright orientation, the tray coverextends substantially perpendicular to the planar surfaceas shown in. Substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A of about 90 degrees relative to the planar surface.

In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A of about 95 degrees relative to the planar surface. In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A of about 100 degrees relative to the planar surface. In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A of about 105 degrees relative to the planar surface.

In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A between about 90 degrees and about 110 degrees relative to the planar surface. In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A between about 90 degrees and about 105 degrees relative to the planar surface. In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A between about 90 degrees and about 100 degrees relative to the planar surface. In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A between about 90 degrees and about 95 degrees relative to the planar surface.

In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A between about 95 degrees and about 110 degrees relative to the planar surface. In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A between about 95 degrees and about 105 degrees relative to the planar surface. In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A between about 95 degrees and about 100 degrees relative to the planar surface. In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A between about 100 degrees and about 110 degrees relative to the planar surface. In some embodiments, substantially perpendicular may mean extending at an angle A between about 105 degrees and about 110 degrees relative to the planar surface.

The baseof the trayincludes a bottom wall, a top wall, and interconnecting side walls,,as shown in. The top wallis spaced apart from the bottom wall. The interconnecting side walls,,extend between and interconnect the bottom walland the top wall. The bottom wall, the top wall, and the interconnecting side walls,,cooperate to define the pocketas shown in.

The interconnecting side walls,,include a first side wall, a second side wall, and a back side wallas shown in. The back side wallextends between and interconnects the two side walls,. In the illustrative embodiment, the back side wallis curved. The curvature of the back side wallmay match the curvature of the one or more productslocated in the pocket. In other embodiments, the back side wallmay be substantially planar or may have another suitable shape to match the shape of the productlocated therein.

The bottom wallof the baseextends at an anglerelative to the planar surfaceas shown in. The angleof the bottom wallcauses the weight of the productlocated in the pocketof the trayto shift towards the back side wallof the trayto balance the overall weight of the packageand the productwhen the packageis moved to the upright orientation so that the packageis free-standing in the upright orientation. The packagedistributes the weight of the productlocated in the pocketof the trayto balance the weight of the packageand productso that the packageis self-supported in the upright orientation. In other words, the packagemaintains the product's center of mass at an equilibrium point to prevent the packageand the productfrom falling or tipping over when placed in the upright orientation.

The liphas a bottom section, a top section, and side sections,as shown in. The bottom sectionof the lipextends from the bottom wallof the baseand rests on the planar surfacewhen in the packageis in the upright position. The top sectionof the lipextends from the top wallsuch that the top sectionis spaced apart from the planar surfaceon which the packageis supported. The side sections,extend between and interconnect the bottom and top sections,of the lip.

The bottom wallof the baseand the bottom sectionof the lipcooperate to provide the support meansor self-support structure. In the illustrative embodiment, at least one pointP on the bottom wallof the baseand the bottom sectionof the lipcooperate to provide the self-support structure. In other words, a larger area of the planar surfaceis contacted by the bottom sectionof the lipthan the bottom wallof the base.

The tray coveris coupled to or adhered to the planar lipas shown in. The tray covermay be heat sealed to the planar lipto couple the tray coverto the trayas suggested in. The heat seal between the planar lipand the tray covercreates a perimeter seal around the planar lipat adheres the tray coverto the tray. The shape of the traymakes heat sealing the tray coverto the trayeasier because the same mold tool,may be used. In other words, the mold tool,need not be changed out for heat sealing equipment. In other embodiments, the tray covermay be coupled to the planar lipusing another suitable method.

The tray coveris formed to include at least one windowto view the productarranged in the pocketof the packageas shown in. The windowis sized to allow a portion of the productto extend therethrough, while blocking assess to the productlocated in the pocketsuch that the productmay not be removed from the tray. In other words, the windowis smaller than the product.

In the illustrative embodiment, the windowis open and a portion of the productextends out through the windowas shown in. The portion of the productextends past or over the lipas shown in. The pocketis sized to only receive a portion of the productso that the productextends out past the tray. The tray covercouples to the trayover at least a portion of the productwith the windowaligned with the productto block the productfrom being removed from the tray.

As shown in, the windowis open and no material is disposed thereover. In some embodiments, the windowmay be covered or material is disposed thereover. The productmay still partially extend out through the windowwith the covering or material extending over the portion of the productthat extends out through the window. For example, a transparent thermoplastic film thereon may cover the windows. The transparent thermoplastic film may be any apparent to those skilled in the art; however, a preferable thermoplastic film may be made from polylactic acid (PLA), which may degrade in the presence of time and moisture, and therefore may be considered environmentally friendly.

In some embodiments, the windowmay be covered by a paper-based film that may be transparent or translucent. The translucent paper material, when present in the embodiments provided herein, may be made from glassine, which is a translucent paper-based material, so that the entirety of the paperboard packaging may be recyclable and/or compostable without separation of elements therefrom, such as, for example, plastic films or the like. Of course, other paper-based materials that may have transparent and/or translucent properties may also be used to cover the window, and the present disclosure should not be limited as described herein.