The present inventor relates to a pusher for a compression of a shaping in the sidewall of a container.

In the container-, especially the cardboard container production industry, it is well-known to utilize pushers. However, these pushers are not suitable for compressing a shaping in a sidewall of the container.

This was therefore the objective of the present invention to provide a pusher suitable for the compression of a shaping in the sidewall of a container.

This objective is attained by a pusher for the compression of the shaping in the sidewall of a container, whereas the pusher is axially displaceable and comprises means to limit the radial extension of the compressed shaping.

The objective is also attained by a pusher which comprises two parts which are displaceable relative to each other.

The following relates to both inventive concepts of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a pusher for the compression of a shaping in the sidewall of a container.

This container is particularly a cup in which beverages, especially hot beverages such as coffee or tea or food especially soup can be served. The container is preferably made of paper, thick paper, cardboard, fiber-material, plastic-material, materials made from

renewable and/or biodegradable raw material or other comparable materials or a

combination thereof. However, paper and cardboard are preferred. Preferably the material is plastically deformable preferably embossable and more preferably also elastically

deformable. The container according to the present invention comprises a first sidewall, which is, preferably, conically shaped and which, more preferably, has, at its upper end, a rolled rim. The first sidewall is preferably made from a flat segment, preferably a cardboard segment, which is subsequently formed preferably rolled into its final, preferably conical shape.

Preferably at its lower end, the sidewall is connected to a base in order to close the container at the bottom. The base is preferably a separate part which is attached, more preferably glued or heat sealed to the lower end of the sidewall of the container.

According to the present invention, the first sidewall comprises at least a first shaping which extends at least partially, preferably entirely, around the circumference of the first sidewall. This shaping can be directed inwardly and/or outwardly, i.e. towards the content of the container and/or away from the content of the container. The shaping can be produced by any technique known by a person skilled in the art, e.g. by folding or any other method of plastic deformation. Preferably, the shaping is inserted into the segment before it is formed, e.g. rolled into the final, preferable conical, shape of the sidewall. More preferably the shaping is an embossment which is produced for example by applying locally pressure to the sidewall and deforming the material of the sidewall plastically. The shaping can have any form known by person skilled in the art. However it should be compressible, at least partially, especially in case an axial force preferably an axial pressure is applied to the sidewall.

Preferably the shaping is U-shaped or has at least partially the shape of a segment of a circle.

This shaping is now according to the present invention, compressed in its height extension, i.e. after the compression of the shaping, the sidewall is reduced in its height. Due to the compression of the shaping in its height, preferably the radial extension of the shaping increases at least partially. More preferably, the compression of the shaping is elastic, i.e. as soon as the deformation force is removed, the shaping resumes, at least partially, its original shape. Thus, in this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the deformed shaping functions as a spring.

This compression of the shaping is, according to the present invention, carried out with a pusher, that is preferably located in the vicinity of the bottom of the container and is axially displaced towards and away from the container and thus compresses the shaping in the sidewall of the container.

According to the present invention, the pusher comprises means to limit the radial extension of the compressed shaping. Due to this limiting means, it is assured, that the shapings are only compressed to a desired extent and not further even in case the pusher is further axially displaced towards the container in order to, for example, compress a second or a third shaping. Thus, the inventive pusher is especially advantageous to compress a multitude of shapings in the sidewall of a container.

According to a preferred or another embodiment of the present invention, the pusher is made of two parts which are displaceable relative to each other. This embodiment of the present invention allows especially the compression of embossments which are relatively close to the bottom of the container.

Preferably, the pusher comprises a base receptacle in which the base of the container is placed. Preferably, this receptacle guides the base of the container during the axial displacement. More preferably, the base receptacle is connected to the second part of the pusher and displaceable relative to the first part of the pusher.

Preferably, the pusher comprises a contact surface to compress a mandrel, which is also needed to produce the container.

The invention is now explained according to figures 1 - 3. This explanation does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. The explanation relates to both embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows the inventive pusher.

Figure 2 shows a compressed shaping

Figure 3 shows details of the inventive pusher according to figure 1.

Figure 1 shows the inventive pusher 5, which is, as depicted by the arrow 14, displaceable into opposite direction, e.g. towards and backwards from the container 1. The pusher 5 is used to compress one or more shapings 11 , 12, as it is for example depicted in figures 2 and 3, in the sidewall 2 of a container 1 , here a cardboard cup. In the present case, the pusher 5 is made of a first part 5.1 and a second part 5.2. These parts 5.1, 5.2 are displaceable relative to each other, so that a gap 6 between the two parts 5.1 , 5.2 is increased and decreased in size. Furthermore, the inventive pusher comprises a base receptacle 7, which is connected to the second part 5.2. Thus, the first part 5.1 is also displaceable relative to the base receptacle 7. Figure 1a shows the pusher in its initial configuration, prior to the compression of the shaping 11 , 12 in the sidewall, in which the gap 6 between the first part 5.1 and the second part 5.2 is relatively large. The container 1 with a yet uncompressed shaping, here an embossment 11 , 12 is placed in the pusher 5 such, that the base 3 of the container rests in the base receptacle 7. The sidewall 2 and the base 3 of the cup surround a mandrel 4 which is only shown schematically.

In figure 1 b, the second part 5.2 has been pushed towards the container 1. Due to this movement, the base receptacle 7 is moved upwards as well and thereby compresses a shaping as depicted in figure 2. This movement is limited by the height of the gap, i.e. by the distance that the second part 5.2 of the pusher can be pushed towards the first part of the pusher.

Subsequently, the entire pusher i.e. part 5.1 and part 5.2 are pushed towards the container, simultaneously and thereby compresses the embossment 12 as depicted in figure 3. During this upward movement, the contact surface 8 lies against the mandrel and thus reduces the mandrel in its axial extension.

Figure 2 shows the compressed shaping 11 , which is compressed by the movement of the second part 5.2 relative to the first part 5.1 to close gap 6. The circumferential compressed embossment 11 can be utilized to seal a film to the sidewall 2, which can be peeled off as depicted by the arrow.

Figure 3 shows a shaping which is compressed, when the first part 5.1 of the pusher 5 is moved towards the container. It can be clearly seen, that the pusher 5 as well as the mandrel 4 comprise each an extension limit 9, 10, for the sidewall 2, which limit the radial extension of the compressed shaping to the inside as well as to the outside. The radial extension to the inside is depicted by B and the radial extension to the outside by A. List of reference signs:

1 cardboard-container, cup

2 sidewall

3 base, bottom

4 mandrel

5 pusher

5.1 first part

5.2 second part

6 gap

7 base receptacle

8 contact-surface with the mandrel

9 extension limit of the pusher

10 extension limit of the mandrel

11 shaping

12 shaping

13 membrane

14 direction of displacement

A radial extension

B radial extension