Container with Coating

Abstract

A container for holding an article. The container can comprise a wall and a flange extending from the wall. The wall can at least partially define a cavity of the container. At least one pleat can extend in at least the flange, and a coating can be on at least a portion of the flange. The coating can at least partially cover the at least one pleat and can form a substantially continuous sealing surface on the flange.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container for holding an article, the container comprising:
 a wall and a flange extending from the wall, the wall at least partially defining a cavity of the container;   at least one pleat extending in at least the flange; and   a coating on at least a portion of the flange, the coating at least partially covering the at least one pleat and forming a substantially continuous sealing surface on the flange.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pleat comprises at least a first portion of material and a second portion of material, the first portion of material and the second portion of material are at least partially overlapped to form the at least one pleat, and a portion of the coating extends between the first portion of material and the second portion of material. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the wall comprises an end wall connected to a side wall via a corner, the flange extends outwardly from the side wall, the corner, and the end wall, and the at least one pleat extends in at least the flange at the corner. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of each of the side wall, the end wall, and the corner is free from contact with the coating. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one pleat comprises a plurality of pleats extending in the flange at the corner, and the coating at least partially covers each pleat of the plurality of pleats. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 3 , further comprising a bottom wall connected to each of the side wall, the end wall, and the corner, wherein the coating is spaced apart from bottom wall. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the wall comprises a first side wall, a first end wall, a second side wall disposed opposite to the first side wall, and a second end wall disposed opposite to the first end wall;   the first side wall is connected to the first end wall and the second end wall via a respective first corner and second corner, and the second side wall is connected to the first end wall and the second end wall via a respective third corner and fourth corner; and   the flange extends outwardly from each of the first side wall, the first corner, the first end wall, the third corner, the second side wall, the fourth corner, the second end wall, and the second corner along a perimeter of the container.   
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 7 , wherein the coating extends along the perimeter of the container on at least a portion of the flange. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one pleat comprises a plurality of pleats extending in the flange at each of the first corner, the second corner, the third corner, and the fourth corner, and the coating at least partially covers each pleat of the plurality of pleats. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the wall extends around a perimeter of the container, the flange extends outwardly from the wall along the perimeter of the container, and the coating extends along the perimeter of the container on the flange. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the wall is free from contact with the coating. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 10 , further comprising a bottom wall connected to the wall, the coating being spaced apart from the bottom wall. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container is a press-formed container. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein a lid is attached to the flange at the sealing surface. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein the lid comprises a lidding film. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein the lid comprises polystyrene and the coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous polyester, urethane, epoxy, and acrylics. 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous polyester, urethane, epoxy, and acrylics. 
     
     
         18 . A blank for forming a container for holding an article, the blank comprising:
 a wall portion and a flange portion for forming a respective wall and flange of a container formed from the blank;   at least one score line for forming at least one pleat extending in at least the flange when the blank is formed into the container, the at least one score line extending in at least the flange portion;   a coating on at least a portion of the flange portion, the coating at least partially covering the at least one score line and forming a substantially continuous sealing surface on the flange in the container formed from the blank.   
     
     
         19 . The blank of  claim 18 , wherein at least a first portion of material and a second portion of material along the at least one score line are for being at least partially overlapped to form the at least one pleat when the container is formed from the blank, and a portion of the coating is for extending between the first portion of material and the second portion of material in the at least one pleat when the container is formed from the blank. 
     
     
         20 . The blank of  claim 18 , wherein the wall portion comprises an end wall portion connected to a side wall portion via a corner portion, the flange portion extends along the side wall portion, the corner portion, and the end wall portion, and the at least one score line extends in at least the flange portion at the corner portion. 
     
     
         21 . The blank of  claim 20 , wherein at least a portion of each of the side wall portion, the end wall portion, and the corner portion is free from contact with the coating. 
     
     
         22 . The blank of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one score line comprises a plurality of score lines extending in the flange portion at the corner portion, and the coating at least partially covers each score line of the plurality of score lines. 
     
     
         23 . The blank of  claim 20 , further comprising a bottom portion extending along each of the side wall portion, the end wall portion, and the corner portion, wherein the coating is spaced apart from bottom portion. 
     
     
         24 . The blank of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the wall portion comprises a first side wall portion, a first end wall portion, a second side wall portion disposed opposite to the first side wall portion, and a second end wall portion disposed opposite to the first end wall portion;   the first side wall portion is connected to the first end wall portion and the second end wall portion via a respective first corner portion and second corner portion, and the second side wall portion is connected to the first end wall portion and the second end wall portion via a respective third corner portion and fourth corner portion; and   the flange portion extends along each of the first side wall portion, the first corner portion, the first end wall portion, the third corner portion, the second side wall portion, the fourth corner portion, the second end wall portion, and the second corner portion along a perimeter of the blank.   
     
     
         25 . The blank of  claim 24 , wherein the coating extends along the perimeter of the blank on at least a portion of the flange portion. 
     
     
         26 . The blank of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one score line comprises a plurality of score lines extending in at least the flange portion at each of the first corner portion, the second corner portion, the third corner portion, and the fourth corner portion, and the coating at least partially covers each score line of the plurality of score lines. 
     
     
         27 . The blank of  claim 18 , wherein the wall portion extends around a perimeter of the blank, the flange portion extends outwardly from the wall portion along the perimeter of the blank, and the coating extends along the perimeter of the blank on the flange portion. 
     
     
         28 . The blank of  claim 27 , wherein at least a portion of the wall portion is free from contact with the coating. 
     
     
         29 . The blank of  claim 27 , further comprising a bottom portion connected to the wall portion, the coating being spaced apart from the bottom portion. 
     
     
         30 . The blank of  claim 18 , wherein the sealing surface is for being attached to a lid when the container is formed from the blank. 
     
     
         31 . The blank of  claim 30 , wherein the lid comprises polystyrene and the coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous polyester, urethane, epoxy, and acrylics. 
     
     
         32 . The blank of  claim 18 , wherein the coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous polyester, urethane, epoxy, and acrylics. 
     
     
         33 . A method of forming a container from a blank, the method comprising:
 obtaining a blank having a wall portion, a flange portion, and a coating on at least a portion of the flange portion, at least one score line extending at least partially in the flange portion, and the coating at least partially covering the at least one score line;   forming the container from the blank by forming a wall of the container from the wall portion and forming a flange of the container from the flange portion, the flange extending from the wall, wherein the forming the container further comprises forming the at least one score line into at least one pleat in at least the flange, and the coating at least partially covers the at least one pleat to form a substantially continuous sealing surface of the container on the flange.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein at least a first portion of material and a second portion of material extend along the at least one score line, and the forming the at least one score line into the at least one pleat comprises at least partially overlapping the first portion of material and the second portion of material are so that a portion of the coating extends between the first portion of material and the second portion of material in the at least one pleat. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the forming the wall comprises forming an end wall connected to a side wall via a corner, the forming the flange comprises positioning the flange to extend outwardly from the side wall, the corner, and the end wall, and the at least one pleat extends in at least the flange at the corner. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one score line comprises a plurality of score lines, the forming the at least one pleat comprises forming a plurality of pleats from the plurality of score lines so that the plurality of pleats extend in at least the flange at the corner, and the coating at least partially covers each pleat of the plurality of pleats. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising attaching a lid to the flange at the sealing surface. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the lid comprises polystyrene and the coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous polyester, urethane, epoxy, and acrylics. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous polyester, urethane, epoxy, and acrylics.