AU670577B2 - Packaging made from a thin pleated sheet forming a bag for loose goods - Google Patents

Abstract

A sheet including at least one pleated region (13) with end-fastened folds (3). The sheet is folded in half in a direction perpendicular to that of the folds (3) and at least one of its ends (15) is sealed by fastening together the edges to give a receptacle suitable for loose goods. The receptacle may then be extended out to provide a fully or partially sealed package.

Description

OP'DATE 08/11/93 APPLN. ID 37581/93 II11111 11111 AOJP DATE 13/01/94 PCT NUMBER PCT/FR93/00303 III I AU9337581 VETS (PCT) F(51) Classification internationale des brevets 5 (11) Niim~o de publication internationale: WO 93/19996 33/00 5/8 0/0A (43) Date de publication Internationale: 14 octobre 1993 (14.10,93) (21) Nuniiro de la demande internationale: PCT/FR93/00303 Publi~e A vec rapport de rechierchie interntationa Ic.

(22) Date de d~p~t international: 26 mars 1993 (26.03.93) Avant 1'cxpiration du d~Iai pr~vu pour lat iodijiation des revendications, sera repubike si dotelles .nodificq.yions sont Donnies relatives ,i la priori l-rpes ft 92/03981I 27 mars 1992 (27.03,92) FR 92/08127 26juin 1992 (26.06.92) FR ~L (71)(72) D~posants et inventeurs: CAPY, Gilbert [FR/FR]; I3UCHI3ERG, Akiva [FR/FR]; La Botte, F-69640 Jarnioux (FR).

(74) Mandataire: SCHMITT, John; Cabinet John-Schmitt, 9, rue Pizay, F-69001I Lyon (FR1).

(81) Etats di~sign~s: AU, BR, CA, CZ, Fl, HIU, JP, KP, KR, NO, NZ, PL, RO, RU, SK, UA, brevet europ~en (AT, BE, CH-, DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE).

(54)Title: PACKAGING MADE FROM A THIN PLEATED SHEET FORMING A BAG FOR LOOSE GOOD)S (54)Titre: EMBALLAGE FABRIQUE A PARTIR D'UNE FEUILLE MINCE PLISSEE FORMANT UN SACHET POUR PRODU ITS EN VRAC (57) Abstract A sheet including at least one pleated region (13) with end-fastened folds The sheet is folded in half in a direction perpendicular to that of the folds and at least one of its ends (15) is sealed by Fastening together the edges to 1 give a receptacle suitable for loose goods. The receptacle 1 may then be extended out to provide a fully or partially sealeo package. 1 (57) Abr;6g17 La feuille comporte au momns une zone pliss~e (13) dont les plis sont fixes aux extr~mit~s; elle est pli~c en deux dans une direction perpendiculaire 6 la direction des plis et au momns une de ses extr~mitis (IS) est ferm~e par rapprochement et fixation des bords pOur constituer un receptable susceptible de recevoir un produit en vrac; le r&eptacle peut alors 6tre dlploy6 pour assurer notamnment une fermeture totale ou partielle de 1'emballage.

Packaging made from a thin pleated sheet forming a bag for loose goods.

The present invention relates to packaging made from a pleated film and capable of packaging, in particular, loose goods such as chips, but not exclusively.

Patent FR-A-2595666 claims the packaging of a convex body with the aid of a pleated thin sheet, the folds of which are fastened at their ends. Patent FR-A 2628719 claims several modes of fastening of the said folds. patent FR-A-2676037 describes packaging composed of paper, a part of which is pleated and capable of being extended out, and the other unpleated part of which, is made from the same sheet or from a different sheet fastened to the end of the pleated part. This packaging is intended to package a convex object of relatively stable shape. None of these packagings made it possible, on the other hand, to package a set of objects which are incoherent since they do not have a stable shape, because it is impossible to extend the packaging around.

Australian Patent No. 654745 proposes a solution to this problem by associating a o cardboard receptacle with a pleated paper sheet capable of being extended out; the 15 goods are introduced into the cardboard receptacle, then the paper sheet is extended out using the cardboard receptacle as support having a convex shape; this solution which makes it possible to obtain relatively aesthetic packaging is extensive since it uses cardboard; moreover it has the disadvantage of associating a rigid sheet of complex shape and a pleated flexible sheet which creates risks of tearing at the join of the two types of sheets during handling.

~It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

There is disclosed herein a package for bulk products, the package being made of thin sheet comprising a pleated portion being folded onto itself perpendicular to the S 25 direction of the pleats so as to form a bottom, opposed end borders and an opening whose edges are aligned or offset and extend to another portion of the package to form two walls connected together by at least one of said borders, wherein the pleats are fixed at their extremities by a hem formed prior to folding, and by an adhesive line on a single side of the sheet which temporarily fixes each pleat so that internal faces of the pleats adhere together and so that outer faces do not adhere together so as to enable said pleats to be expanded under the effect of traction exerted on the package separating the temporarily fixed portions of the pleats and enabling the volume of the package to be increased.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 represents unextended packaging.

Fig 2 represents packaging n:\hbO11100375:JCC WO 93/19996 PCT/FR93/00303 erA-ia unextended and furnished with a concertinashaped bottom.

Fig. 3 represents packaging according to Fig. 1 extended.

Fig. 4 represents packaging according to Fig. 2 extended into a configuration in which the shape of the folds allows the creation of a receptacle.

Fig. 5 represents a variant of the packaging according to the injnion- including an unpleated part sealed at its end.

Fig. 6 represents the packaging of Fig. extended.

Fig. 7 represents packaging according to the variant represented in Fig. 5, the unpleated part of which is fastened on the one hand at its end and on the other hand at the join with the pleated part so as to constitute a bag.

Fig. 8 represents packaging according to the variant depicted in Fig. 5, the pleated part of which is replaced by a pleated part whose folds are disabled so that they cannot be extended out.

Fig. 9 represents the packaging of Fig. 8 when it is sealed by extending-out the pleated part.

Fig. 10 represents packaging according to the variant depicted in Fig. 8, the folds of which are not disabled and which can be extended out before sealing by extending out the pleated part.

Fig. 11 depicts the packaging according to Fig. 10 when it is extended fully.

Fig. 12 represents the packaging of Fig. 6 after inversion and opening.

Fig. 13 represents a bag with offset edges.

afr4~ingto cho -t1' inntinin Fig. 14 represents a film whose edge includes a hem made before pleating the film.

Fig. 15 represents the previous film pleated with indication of the regions for fastening the folds.

Fig. 16 represents a bag whose folds have been unravelled in order to widen the aperture thereof.

WO 93/19996 PCT/FR93/00303 Fig. 17 represents a bag aee Bta dn- -t8en containing a sandwich.

Fig. 18 represents the bag containing the sandwich according to Fig. 17 sealed by a flap.

Fig. 19 represents the bag according to Fig. 17, the folds of which have been unravelled in order to widen the aperture thereof.

Fig. 20 shows a section through the pleated region according to Fig. 15 located beneath the hem.

In a first variant of the invention a pleated packaging is made from a thin sheet in accordance with one of the Patents FR-A-2595666 and FR-A-2676037; the pleating assumes a substantially plane and rectangular shape; the packaging is folded up on itself (Fig. 1) in such a way that the resulting crease 1 or creases 2 (Fig. 2) are perpendicular to the folds 3 (Fig. 1) constituting the packaging; next, the lateral edges 4 and are fastened together by a means appropriate to the composition of the thin sheet so as to form a bag; it is possible, by appropriate folding, to make a concertina 6 at the bottom of this bag (Fig. 2) in such a way as to provide more room in the bottom of the bag. This bag (Fig. 1 or Fig. 2) can be employed advantageously in the fast-food trade as replacement for the traditional cornet of chips; it is designed for example from a complex formed of paper and polyethylene in a thin layer, the fastening of the folds 3 at their ends 7 and of the lateral edges 4 and 5 is done by welding; the bag such as described can be filled with chips as a cardboard cornet would be; like the cornet, the bag serves as metering device for the quantity of chips delivered; the hand of the operator is protected whilst operating 1 y ceveral thicknesses of paper resulting from the initial folding allowing the folds 3 to be obtained; the folding can be devised so that there are a minimum of 3 thicknesses of paper by choosing the ratio between the small side of the fold and its large side, as defined in the abovereferenced patents, appropriately; for a ratio greater than 2, a region containing three thicknesses alternates WO 93/19996 4 PCT/FR93/00303 with regions containing a single thickness only, whilst for a value less than 2, there are at least three thicknesses of paper. When the bag (Fig. 1) is filled with its quantity of chips, it is possible, by parting the base 8 by pulling on the corners 9, to unfold the folds 3; the volume of the bag increases (Fig. 3) and the chips thus fall into a cavity which protects them from going cold, whilst keeping the initial aperture 10 which then serves as ventilation and which tends to reseal itself partially like lips; the extended bag thus formed can be set down on a plate and keep a stable position thereon; as a function of the height 29 of the bag of the degree of extension as a function of the shape of the folds (Fig. 3 and Fig. it is possible to create a mass effect makirg it possible to limit the escape of chips if the extended bag is inverted; if for example the ratio of the sides of the folds is high and for example greater than 2 with a height 29 for example substantially equal to the width 30, the profile of the extended pouch (Fig. 3) resembles a sector of a circular annulus consisting of two concentric circular arcs, bounded by radii, formed by the lateral weld lines 4 and 5 making with one another an angle 11 of less than 1800; if the pouch is inverted the chips are able to be guided preferably towards the aperture of the bag especially if the angle is small; if the ratio of the sides of the folds is small, for example of the order of 1.5 (Fig. and the ratio of the width 30 to the height 29 remains for example of the same proportions, the angle 11 of the radii formed by the lateral welds 4 and 5 is greater than 1800; the formed bag exhibits kinds of horns in which the chips can be accommodated when the bag is inverted ard thus they cannot fall through the aperture 10 which is then above the goods. None of this prevents the consumer inserting his fingers through the aperture of the extended bag (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) in order to extract the chips therefrom so as to eat them. Equally represented are a bag with a concertina bottom (Fig. 2 and Fig. 4) i and a bag with a concertinaless bottom (Fig. 1 and WO 93/19996 5 PCT/FR93/00303 Fig. the solutions described earlier, like those to follow, apply equally to both these types of folding of the bottoms 1 and 2; in what follows, just one of the two cases will be described.

Another way of creating a receptacle is to start from a pleated packaging of the type of that described in Patent Application FR-A-26767037 in which the pleated part 13 is prolonged by an unpleated part 14 making it possible to envelop for example a sandwich made from a semi-rigid crepe folded in half; this packaging is folded up on itself, while possibly making a concertina as before, and only the end 15 of the unpleated part is fastened; the goods are placed in the unpleated part 14 so as to fill it opf mally and thus constitute, in cooperation with the latter, a coherent whole which can then be sealed (Fig. 6) by extending the pleated part The same result can be obtained using an unpleated part 14 of different width 16 from the length 17 of the folds, and which is added and fastened to the part 13 as described in Patent Application FR-A-2676037; the whole being folded up as before and the end 15 of the unpleated part 14 fastened to itself. One of the advantages of this sort of packaging is that it can be inverted in order to support the extended part 13 (Fig. next, the unpleated part 14 can be lifted like a cover to reveal the loose goods held in the extended part 13 which has the shape of a bowl (Fig. 12). In one variant of the version of the invention just described, the unpleated sheet 18 (Fig. 7) fastened to itself at each of its ends 19 and 20, forms a bag which can be covered over by the extending of the pleated part 21. An enhancement to the variants of the invention just described consists in replacing the unpleated part 14 or 18 with a pleated sheet 22 (Fig. the folds of which are fastened at their ends, either with the same pitch as the pleated part 23, or with a different pitch; the folds 24 thus produced can serve as thermal insulation when they are not extended; if necessary it is possible to fasten them together, for example along one or more lines WO 93/19996 6 PCT/FR93/00303 perpendicular to the direction of the folds 24, so as to prevent them from being extended out and insulated packaging (Fig. 8 and Fig. 9) is obtained, operating like those just described (Fig. 5 and Fig. It is also possible not to disable the folds 26 (Fig. 10) and allow them to be extended in such a way as to create a kind of recepcacle 27 which, when it is filled with goods and extended, can be covered over by extending (Fig. 11) the pleated part (28) in such a way as to seal the aperture thereof. The variants just described apply as stated to packaging including a concertina-shaped bottom 6 (Fig. 2) as regards the pleated part 13 (Fig. 5) as well as the unpleated part 14, the figures cited being so by way of example and not being limiting, Similarly, the unpleated parts can be replaced with a pleated part 22 (Fig. 8) with disabled folds or non-disabled folds 26 (Fig. 10) in all the variants described.

To allow better opening of the pleated bag described earlier, it suffices to offset the edges 31 and 32 (Fig. 13); the wall 33 of the bag corresponding to the longer edge 32 serves as guide for parting the other wall 31 and thus opening the bag. Under these conditions, when the folds 34 are fastened by a hem 35, based for example on a sheet of paper coated with polyethylene on one face, an offset 36 between the two edges 31 and 32 is preferably chosen greater than the height 37 of the hem 35; the hem 35 of the edge 32 set furthest back comes into contact with a polyethylene-coated wall 33 when effecting the weld 14 of the lateral edges 4 and 5 of the bag, and can therefore be fastened to the other face 33. The offset 36 between the two edges 31 and 32 can be increased deliberately so that one of the two walls 41 (Fig. 17) can constitute a flap making it possible to seal the bag (Fig. 18) thus produced, in the manner in which an envelope is sealed. It is noted that in the bag thus produced the presence of the folds implies that at least one part 42 (Fig. 20) of the surface of the sachet includes at least three thicknesses of paper 43, 44, 45 and constitutes, in these regions, more effective insulation

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WO 93/19996 7 PCT/FR93/00303 against heat losses.

If it is desired to be able to unravel the folds of the bag (Fig. 16) in order to open it wide without any risk of tearing the pleated film by initiating a fracture starting from the margin of the film, it suffices to make a hem 46 (Fig. 14) prior to the pleating (Fig. 15) of the film 47 (Fig. 14); this hem 46, which can be fastened depending on the materials used by any known means, precludes the margin 48 from being subjected directly to the tensile stresses; next, the folds 49 are fastened together (Fig. 15) preferably on just one side of the film in such a way that, for example, the sheets 44 and (Fig. 20) adhere together by welding of the outer coat of the film when it is added, for example by adhesive bonding or coating, or by applying glue directly to the surface of the film, whereas the sheets 43 and 44 do not adhere to one another. When, for example, polyethylenecoated paper is used, the hem 46 (Fig. 14) is made by positioning the plastic inside the fold and the hem 46 is welded at 50; to be specific, the hem 46 is, for example, between 5 and 10 mmnm [sic] in width for packaging intended to contain of the order of 150 g of chips; then, the pleating (Fig. 15) is made and the folds are fastened in the region 51 adjacent to the hem 46 by direct heating of the paper in such a way that the walls 52 and 53 (Fig. 20) of the polyethylene-lined sheets 44 and which are in contact with one another, are fastened together by welding; the pleated region 54 (Fig. corresponding to the hem 46 merely having paper walls, there is no fastening-together of the folds in this region 54 which is therefore free of any stress when the folds 34 are pulled in the direction 55 perpendicular to the folds 34 in order to unravel them; on the other hand, in the region 51 of fastening-together of tha folds, the polyethylene coat common to both walls 52 and 53 (Fig. 20) facing one another is separated from one of the walls under the action of the tension 55 which is exerted S perpendicularly to the folds 34; this wrenching is facilitated by the fact that, in the technique adopted WO 93/19996 8 PCT/FR93/00303 for the fastening of the folds, the weld operates in peeling and not in shear. It is possible for certain applications to fasten the folds 34 (Fig. 15) in the same way as just described in other regions of the bag and in particular in the vicinity of the bottom 56 (Fig. 16); Indeed, it may be. desired to widen the aperture 57 of the bag in order to give it the shape of a basket without the bottom being extended, or conversely, to extend merely the bottom 56 of the bag so that the aperture is resealed and retains the heat of the contents to best effect.

This type of bag may very well be used (Fig. 17) for placing sandwiches of various shapes therein; sealing (Fig. 18) can be provided for by a flap 41 formed by the longest side and retained for example by a sticker 58 or any other system available on the market. In order to consume the sandwich 59 (Fig. 17), contained in this bag, it suffices to part the edges 60 (Fig. 19) of the bag so as to increase the size thereof and expose a part of the sandwich 59 without however needing to remove it from its packaging. This bag is especially well suited to long sandwiches.

Claims (8)

1. A package for bulk products, the package being made of thin sheet comprising a pleated portion being folded onto itself perpendicular to the direction of the pleats so as to form a bottom, opposed end borders and an opening whose edges are aligned or offset and extend to another portion of the package to form two walls connected together by at least one of said borders, wherein the pleats are fixed at their extremities by a hem formed prior to folding, and by an adhesive line on a single side of the sheet which temporarily fixes each pleat so that internal faces of the pleats adhere together and so that outer faces do not adhere together so as to enable said pleats to be expanded under the effect of traction exerted on the package separating the temporarily fixed portions of the pleats and enabling the volume of the package to be increased.

2. The package according to claim 1, wherein said another portion is non-pleated and originates from the same sheet as the pleated portion or is mounted thereto and is closed at its extremity opposite the pleated portion so as to serve as a receptacle for bulk products, whereas the pleated portion can be deployed to close the receptacle.

3. The package according to claim 2, wherein the non-pleated portion is also closed a. its extremity forming a separation zone with the pleated portion so as to constitute a bag able to be closed via the deployment of the pleated portion.

4. The package according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said another portion is pleated, having pleats fixed at their extremities and kept along one or several lines so as to prevent them from moving and provide heat insulation by superimposing several layers of sheet.

The package according to claim 4, wherein one portion of each pleat of said another portion is only fixed at its extremity so as to be able to be deployed before the entire receptacle is closed by deploying the first mentioned pleated portion.

6. The package according to claim 1, wherein the edges are offset to a greater extent than the height of the hem so as to enable the edge of one wall to be :.*i*secured to the internal opposing wall of the package.

7. The package according to claim 1, wherein the same temporary method for fixing the pleats is used in other regions of the package.

8. A package substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.