CA1153739A - Package and method of producing a package - Google Patents
Package and method of producing a packageInfo
- Publication number
- CA1153739A CA1153739A CA000319345A CA319345A CA1153739A CA 1153739 A CA1153739 A CA 1153739A CA 000319345 A CA000319345 A CA 000319345A CA 319345 A CA319345 A CA 319345A CA 1153739 A CA1153739 A CA 1153739A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- flange portion
- package
- sheet
- product
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B9/00—Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Packages (AREA)
- Vacuum Packaging (AREA)
- Laminated Bodies (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION
A package and a method of producing a package by forming a pocket in the central portion of a sheet of wrapping material, preferably a thermoplastic film, placing a product within the pocket, folding the flat portions of the film into face-to-face contact and bonding the flat portions together. The package can also be evacuated and hermetically sealed. If the film has been oriented, the pocket may be heat shrunk.
A package and a method of producing a package by forming a pocket in the central portion of a sheet of wrapping material, preferably a thermoplastic film, placing a product within the pocket, folding the flat portions of the film into face-to-face contact and bonding the flat portions together. The package can also be evacuated and hermetically sealed. If the film has been oriented, the pocket may be heat shrunk.
Description
~ 3~Y3~
BACKGROUND OF THF INYENTION
This invention relates generally to the art of packaging and more particularly to the art of producing a package by forming a pocket in a sheet of wrapping material, placing a product in the pocket, and sealing the material to enclose the product.
Various methods have heretofore been used for forming packages.
The one commonly used method requires prefabricated, heat shrinkable bags or pouches and a filling operation which is followed by subsequent evacuating, closing of the bag and then shrinking the bag about the product if desired.
U. S. Patent No. 3,956,867 to Kastulus Utz et al describes the formation of a shrinkable pouch in a first foil, putting the co~modity to be packed into the space between the pouch and a second foil, sealing both foils together and shrinking the first foil in the area of the pouch.
Another method known in the art as skin packaging is shown in U. S. Patent No. 3,736,721 issued to Robert 0. Wolfelsperger which shows a film drawn into a cavity and held there while the product is placed in the film cavity after which the cavity is evacuated and the vacuum released so that the single sheet collapses around the product making a peripheral seal.
Various approaches have been taken in an attempt to provide improved methods for producing display packages. ~ne of the better known is a blister type package, for example, U. S. Patent No. 3,776,375 to Howard A. Rohdin wh;ch shows preforming a blister enclosure from a un;tary p;ece of plastic sheet material by forming the enclosure in two opposed mating sections integrally joined along a fold line which traverses the base portion. Flanges are formed along the free edges of each of the two sections to provide means for securing them together around the product to be packaged.
~;3t73~
~he present invention provides a new process and package in which the advantages o~ skin, bubble, and bag packaging are incorporated into a single package. With this invention the simplicity and economics are even greater than those of skin packaging. As in bubble packaging and bag packaging the present packaging method can be employed w;thout first making a substantial investment in packaging eguipment. In addition, th;s process produces a package in which the prsduct may selectively project from znd be visible from either one or all sides of the finished package and yet be covered completely by a protective pocket of plastic D film.
SUMMARY OF THE INYEN~ION
In one aspect of the present invention, a product or artîcl,~
or a plurality of products or ar$;cles are enclosed in a wrapping material;
e.g., therm~plastic film or paper, by the steps which comprise forming a S pocket or cavity in a sheet of the material, placing a product in the pocket, folding the resultant flange portions of the sheet so that the flange portions ~f the film sheets are in a face-to-face relationship9 and bond7ng at least portions of the flanges together. In another embodiment the pocket may be evacuated prior to completing the seal.
' Another aspect of the invention comprises fonming a heat shrinkable pocket and then subsequent to evacuating the pocket, shrinking the pocket about the product.
In another aspect, the present invent;on provides a package having a product or article enclosed within a thermoplastic film which tightly conforms to the shape of the product and which film is seamless for at least one half of the periphery of the product, the film extending beyond the periphery of a portion of the product to form an extension or flange of twc layers of film bonded together.
Still another aspect of the invention comprises forming a 3n means on the package for displaying the packaged product.
-3~
3~73~
The invention may be better understood by reference to the drawings described below and the following description.
.... .... .. . .... .... .. . .. . ..
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings which are appended hereto and ~ade a part of this disc70sure:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a preferred embodiment of the process of this invention; and Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c are top plan views illustrating the step by step formation of the package, Figures 3a, 3b and 3c are corresponding side views of Figures 2a, 2b and 2c respectively;
Figure 4 is a view in perspective of a package constructed in accordance with this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Figure 1 schematically illustrates the process steps of producing an evacuated package. A web 2 of a sheet of wrapping material; e.g~, paper but preferably a flexible thermoplastic film, is advanced forward from a supply roll 4, a pocket 6 is formed in the transversely center portion of the material and pr:oduct 8 is placed in the formed pocket.
The pocket may be formed by any effective means; e.g., heat is appl;ed and the center portion is stretched by positive or negative pressure to form a pocket. The film forming the pocket may be heat shrinkable provided the heat and degree of stretch are selected to cause orientation in the film. One or more products or articles are then placed into the pocket. The material is center hlded so that the flat flange portions 10 of the material surrounding the pocket are in a face-to-face relationship and the sides of the sheet mater;al are bonded or heat sealed together along seals 14. In many instances the top edges are also sealed.
However, if it is desirable to evacuate or gas flush the air fro~ the ~a package, it will preferably take place prior to sealing the top edge.
A simplified step of evacuating is illustrated using a continuous vacuum 3L~ ~3 7 ~3~
in chamber 16; howeYer, it is to be understood that any suitable means for evacuating ~r gas flushing the pocket may be employed. If the film of the pocket has been oriented and ;t is desired to shrink it, any suitable means may be used including contact with hot air or hot water for shrinking the pocket about the product or products when desired;
i.e., heat can be applied to the pocket inside the vacuum chamber 16 causing the stretched pocket to shrink about the product which can be performed subsequent to evacuation or performed simultaneously with evacuatiun. Further, for the sake of simplicity, the process is shown drawing a sheet of material 2 horizontally forward from a supply roll 4 and after forminq and filling the pocket, folding the sheet upwardly so that the flat portions of the sheet are in a face-to-face relationship7 heat sealing the sides together and evacuating the pocket through the open top 18, closing the top with heat seal 20 and then shrinking the pocket about the product. The successively formed packages may or may not be subsequently severed from the continuous web of material. Illustrated in Figure l, a cut is made to form an individual evacuated package 24.
As stated hereinbefore, Figures 2a through 2c (top view) and corresponding Figures 3a through 3c (side view) show the forming stages of a sheet of film to produce an evacuated package with a product contained therein. Figures 2a and 3a show a product 8 in pocket 6 formed in a sheet of film 2. Figures 2b and 3b illustrate the package with the flat flange portions of the film in a face-to-face relationship with the sides bonded together along seals 14. Figures 2c and 3c show an evacuated package 24 with pocket 6 shrunk about product 8.
As shown in Figure 4" a package 24 with a product or article 8 contained in thermoplastic film which covers and tightly cnnforms to the product. The film extends beyond the product, to form a flang2 or extension 10 adjacent only a portion of the product.
0 ~5~
The heretofore described package can easily be a package for displaying all sides of a product contained therein by using a transparent wrapping material such as transparent thenmoplastic film. Further, by bonding or sealing the sides and top of the flat, face-to-face portions of the film a distance inwardly from the edges of the package to allow for tabs 26 which are not bonded or sealed together provides a border outside of the evacuated area for aperture or apertures 28 for hanging the package to display the packaged product on one or all sides.
EXAMPLE s The following example illustrates the method of packaging a food product utilizing a laminated film. It has been found that the use of a laminated sheet of film having a layer impermeable to oxygen, a flexible film layer read;ly heat sealable and a third support layer has been particularly advantageous in providing a shelf-stable food product.
However, in this respect, it should be understood that the following example is merely illustrative of the present invention and should not be construed as limited thereto.
A laminated film sheet as above described was clamped and heat applied to the center portion thereof.The heated portion was vacuum Formed to form an oriented pocket. The sheet of film was clamped so that the inner surface of the pocket was the heat sealable layer. A
piece of meat was placed in the pocket, the sheet o~ film then centerfolded so that the flat portions of the sheet were in a faee-to-face relationship and sealed on two sides. The partially sealed package was then evacuated through the opening at the top and a final top seal made to form a hermetically sealed package. The pocket was shrunk tight to the product by immersing the package in hot water thereby providing a package without any folds or pleats which are potential problem areas since they are locations which can present leakage and contamination problems.
- ~6 The principles of the present invention are not limited solely to packaging food products, although due to the hermetic sealing conditions readily established during packaging, the presenk method is particularly adapted for food product packaging. However, any products or articles may be packaged using the present method. Furthermore, the novel method of the present invention can be employed for the fabrications of packages with a wide variety of wrapping materials, including thermoplastic polymeric materials Instead of heat sealing, the top and side edges can be glued together with a suitable adhesive.
O Since it is obvious that various changes and modifications can be made in the above-description without departing from the nature and spirit thereof, this invention is not restricted thereto except as set forth in the appended claims.
O ~7
BACKGROUND OF THF INYENTION
This invention relates generally to the art of packaging and more particularly to the art of producing a package by forming a pocket in a sheet of wrapping material, placing a product in the pocket, and sealing the material to enclose the product.
Various methods have heretofore been used for forming packages.
The one commonly used method requires prefabricated, heat shrinkable bags or pouches and a filling operation which is followed by subsequent evacuating, closing of the bag and then shrinking the bag about the product if desired.
U. S. Patent No. 3,956,867 to Kastulus Utz et al describes the formation of a shrinkable pouch in a first foil, putting the co~modity to be packed into the space between the pouch and a second foil, sealing both foils together and shrinking the first foil in the area of the pouch.
Another method known in the art as skin packaging is shown in U. S. Patent No. 3,736,721 issued to Robert 0. Wolfelsperger which shows a film drawn into a cavity and held there while the product is placed in the film cavity after which the cavity is evacuated and the vacuum released so that the single sheet collapses around the product making a peripheral seal.
Various approaches have been taken in an attempt to provide improved methods for producing display packages. ~ne of the better known is a blister type package, for example, U. S. Patent No. 3,776,375 to Howard A. Rohdin wh;ch shows preforming a blister enclosure from a un;tary p;ece of plastic sheet material by forming the enclosure in two opposed mating sections integrally joined along a fold line which traverses the base portion. Flanges are formed along the free edges of each of the two sections to provide means for securing them together around the product to be packaged.
~;3t73~
~he present invention provides a new process and package in which the advantages o~ skin, bubble, and bag packaging are incorporated into a single package. With this invention the simplicity and economics are even greater than those of skin packaging. As in bubble packaging and bag packaging the present packaging method can be employed w;thout first making a substantial investment in packaging eguipment. In addition, th;s process produces a package in which the prsduct may selectively project from znd be visible from either one or all sides of the finished package and yet be covered completely by a protective pocket of plastic D film.
SUMMARY OF THE INYEN~ION
In one aspect of the present invention, a product or artîcl,~
or a plurality of products or ar$;cles are enclosed in a wrapping material;
e.g., therm~plastic film or paper, by the steps which comprise forming a S pocket or cavity in a sheet of the material, placing a product in the pocket, folding the resultant flange portions of the sheet so that the flange portions ~f the film sheets are in a face-to-face relationship9 and bond7ng at least portions of the flanges together. In another embodiment the pocket may be evacuated prior to completing the seal.
' Another aspect of the invention comprises fonming a heat shrinkable pocket and then subsequent to evacuating the pocket, shrinking the pocket about the product.
In another aspect, the present invent;on provides a package having a product or article enclosed within a thermoplastic film which tightly conforms to the shape of the product and which film is seamless for at least one half of the periphery of the product, the film extending beyond the periphery of a portion of the product to form an extension or flange of twc layers of film bonded together.
Still another aspect of the invention comprises forming a 3n means on the package for displaying the packaged product.
-3~
3~73~
The invention may be better understood by reference to the drawings described below and the following description.
.... .... .. . .... .... .. . .. . ..
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings which are appended hereto and ~ade a part of this disc70sure:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a preferred embodiment of the process of this invention; and Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c are top plan views illustrating the step by step formation of the package, Figures 3a, 3b and 3c are corresponding side views of Figures 2a, 2b and 2c respectively;
Figure 4 is a view in perspective of a package constructed in accordance with this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Figure 1 schematically illustrates the process steps of producing an evacuated package. A web 2 of a sheet of wrapping material; e.g~, paper but preferably a flexible thermoplastic film, is advanced forward from a supply roll 4, a pocket 6 is formed in the transversely center portion of the material and pr:oduct 8 is placed in the formed pocket.
The pocket may be formed by any effective means; e.g., heat is appl;ed and the center portion is stretched by positive or negative pressure to form a pocket. The film forming the pocket may be heat shrinkable provided the heat and degree of stretch are selected to cause orientation in the film. One or more products or articles are then placed into the pocket. The material is center hlded so that the flat flange portions 10 of the material surrounding the pocket are in a face-to-face relationship and the sides of the sheet mater;al are bonded or heat sealed together along seals 14. In many instances the top edges are also sealed.
However, if it is desirable to evacuate or gas flush the air fro~ the ~a package, it will preferably take place prior to sealing the top edge.
A simplified step of evacuating is illustrated using a continuous vacuum 3L~ ~3 7 ~3~
in chamber 16; howeYer, it is to be understood that any suitable means for evacuating ~r gas flushing the pocket may be employed. If the film of the pocket has been oriented and ;t is desired to shrink it, any suitable means may be used including contact with hot air or hot water for shrinking the pocket about the product or products when desired;
i.e., heat can be applied to the pocket inside the vacuum chamber 16 causing the stretched pocket to shrink about the product which can be performed subsequent to evacuation or performed simultaneously with evacuatiun. Further, for the sake of simplicity, the process is shown drawing a sheet of material 2 horizontally forward from a supply roll 4 and after forminq and filling the pocket, folding the sheet upwardly so that the flat portions of the sheet are in a face-to-face relationship7 heat sealing the sides together and evacuating the pocket through the open top 18, closing the top with heat seal 20 and then shrinking the pocket about the product. The successively formed packages may or may not be subsequently severed from the continuous web of material. Illustrated in Figure l, a cut is made to form an individual evacuated package 24.
As stated hereinbefore, Figures 2a through 2c (top view) and corresponding Figures 3a through 3c (side view) show the forming stages of a sheet of film to produce an evacuated package with a product contained therein. Figures 2a and 3a show a product 8 in pocket 6 formed in a sheet of film 2. Figures 2b and 3b illustrate the package with the flat flange portions of the film in a face-to-face relationship with the sides bonded together along seals 14. Figures 2c and 3c show an evacuated package 24 with pocket 6 shrunk about product 8.
As shown in Figure 4" a package 24 with a product or article 8 contained in thermoplastic film which covers and tightly cnnforms to the product. The film extends beyond the product, to form a flang2 or extension 10 adjacent only a portion of the product.
0 ~5~
The heretofore described package can easily be a package for displaying all sides of a product contained therein by using a transparent wrapping material such as transparent thenmoplastic film. Further, by bonding or sealing the sides and top of the flat, face-to-face portions of the film a distance inwardly from the edges of the package to allow for tabs 26 which are not bonded or sealed together provides a border outside of the evacuated area for aperture or apertures 28 for hanging the package to display the packaged product on one or all sides.
EXAMPLE s The following example illustrates the method of packaging a food product utilizing a laminated film. It has been found that the use of a laminated sheet of film having a layer impermeable to oxygen, a flexible film layer read;ly heat sealable and a third support layer has been particularly advantageous in providing a shelf-stable food product.
However, in this respect, it should be understood that the following example is merely illustrative of the present invention and should not be construed as limited thereto.
A laminated film sheet as above described was clamped and heat applied to the center portion thereof.The heated portion was vacuum Formed to form an oriented pocket. The sheet of film was clamped so that the inner surface of the pocket was the heat sealable layer. A
piece of meat was placed in the pocket, the sheet o~ film then centerfolded so that the flat portions of the sheet were in a faee-to-face relationship and sealed on two sides. The partially sealed package was then evacuated through the opening at the top and a final top seal made to form a hermetically sealed package. The pocket was shrunk tight to the product by immersing the package in hot water thereby providing a package without any folds or pleats which are potential problem areas since they are locations which can present leakage and contamination problems.
- ~6 The principles of the present invention are not limited solely to packaging food products, although due to the hermetic sealing conditions readily established during packaging, the presenk method is particularly adapted for food product packaging. However, any products or articles may be packaged using the present method. Furthermore, the novel method of the present invention can be employed for the fabrications of packages with a wide variety of wrapping materials, including thermoplastic polymeric materials Instead of heat sealing, the top and side edges can be glued together with a suitable adhesive.
O Since it is obvious that various changes and modifications can be made in the above-description without departing from the nature and spirit thereof, this invention is not restricted thereto except as set forth in the appended claims.
O ~7
Claims (7)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method of producing a package comprising: stretch forming a pocket in a central portion of a sheet of thermoplastic wrapping material leaving a flange portion surrounding said pocket with said pocket being heat shrinkable; placing a product within said pocket; folding edges of said flange portion of said sheet into face-to-face contacting relation-ship; bonding at least a portion of said edges of said flange portion together; and heat shrinking said pocket into substantial conformity with said product without substantially heat shrinking said flange portion.
2. A method of producing an evacuated package comprising: stretch forming a pocket in a central portion of a sheet of thermoplastic wrapping material leaving a flange portion surrounding said pocket with said pocket being heat shrinkable; placing a product within said pocket;
folding said flange portion into a face-to-face relationship; bonding a major portion of said flange portion together but leaving minor unbonded portions; evacuating the pocket through the unbonded portions;
bonding the remaining unbonded portion of the flange portion together to hermetically seal the package; and heat shrinking said pocket into substantial conformity with said product without substantially shrinking said flange portion.
folding said flange portion into a face-to-face relationship; bonding a major portion of said flange portion together but leaving minor unbonded portions; evacuating the pocket through the unbonded portions;
bonding the remaining unbonded portion of the flange portion together to hermetically seal the package; and heat shrinking said pocket into substantial conformity with said product without substantially shrinking said flange portion.
3. A package produced by the method of claim 1 or claim 2.
4. A method of claim 2 further comprising bonding the sides of the sheet together a distance from the respective edges thereof leaving a tab of unbonded sheet and forming an aperture in said tab.
5. A method of producing an evacuated package comprising the steps of: thermoforming a pocket in a sheet of thermoplastic film under conditions so as to orient the film and leaving a flange portion surrounding said pocket; placing a product within said pocket; folding the flange portion upwardly so that the flange portion of the film sheet is in a face-to-face relationship; thermally sealing side portions of the flange portion together leaving an un-sealed flange portion; evacuating the pocket through said un-sealed flange portion; sealing said unsealed flange portion together after evacuation; and applying heat so as to shrink the film forming the pocket into substantial conformity with the product without substantially shrinking said flange portion.
6. A package comprising: (a) an article; (b) a single thermoplastic film sheet enclosing said article, said film sheet comprising: (1) a shrunken portion closely conforming to the shape of said article, said shrunken portion having been prev-iously stretched, and (2) a flange portion comprising sealed together edge portions of said sheet which seal closes said article containing shrunken portion, said flange being contin-uous on one side of said package and extending around approx-imately one half of said article, the edge portions which comp-rise said flange being substantially unstretched and non-shrunken.
7. The package of claim 6 wherein the shrunken, article containing portion is hermetically closed by said flange and the article containing space is evacuated.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US89520278A | 1978-04-10 | 1978-04-10 | |
| US895,202 | 1978-04-10 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1153739A true CA1153739A (en) | 1983-09-13 |
Family
ID=25404147
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000319345A Expired CA1153739A (en) | 1978-04-10 | 1979-01-09 | Package and method of producing a package |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1153739A (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2018215B (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20100310732A1 (en) * | 2009-06-09 | 2010-12-09 | Domingues David J | Pressure packaged dough products |
-
1979
- 1979-01-09 CA CA000319345A patent/CA1153739A/en not_active Expired
- 1979-02-20 GB GB7906787A patent/GB2018215B/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2018215A (en) | 1979-10-17 |
| GB2018215B (en) | 1982-12-15 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |