EP0076224B1 - Package for soluble food products, especially beverage concentrates - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Packaging for soluble consumable products, in particular food products, such as preparations for beverages, intended to be filled, in order to be dissolved, into a food container (8) which is open at its upper end and formed by a finished package shaped like a bowl (1) with a flange (4) closed by a tear-off covering (6) having a format basically the same as that of the opening of the food container (8) so as to be capable of fitting it with its flange supported on the rim of the opening of the food container, means being provided for holding the bowl (1) in the container (8), said finished package being characterized in that said means are exclusively provided on the outer periphery of the lateral wall (3) of the bowl (1) and are formed by bulges (10) or projections ensuring elastic pressure against the inner wall (21) of the food container (8).

Description

The present invention relates to the field of packaging of consumable soluble products, in particular of food substances, such as drink preparations.

The products considered may or may not be edible and present both in the solid state (compact or divided into pieces, grains or powders), or in the liquid, viscous or pasty state.

The invention relates more precisely to the packaging of products, among those of the aforementioned type, which, to be consumed, must be poured into a container suitable for this purpose, that is to say having an opening to allow consumption, and in which the products are mixed with a dissolving substance, most often a liquid, for example water.

A typical case in this respect is that of beverages reconstituted from concentrates in dehydrated powder which are dissolved in a volume of water contained in a glass or a disposable plastic cup.

In this case, but not limited to, the invention applies to the packaging of preparations for hot or cold drinks in the form of powdered concentrates (coffee, chocolate, milk, soup, fruit juice, etc.) intended in particular for automatic dispensing in individual doses, consumable in disposable cups.

Most of the automatic beverage dispensing devices currently found in companies or in the hotel sector have at least two major drawbacks, essentially linked to the packaging method adopted for the materials:

On the one hand, their technological sophistication imposed by hygiene needs leads to a generally high cost and sustained maintenance. These devices, in fact, deliver on demand a ready-to-consume drink in a cup, from a set of hoppers containing the bulk solids, respecting a very refined treatment protocol (dosing, transport, filtering, homogenization , etc ...) often to such a point that we could qualify them as "real small factories combining the most complex techniques" (French review "Industries et Techniques", 1977, n ° 339 pages 71 to 91).

A second drawback results precisely from the fact that these devices, by delivering ready-to-consume drinks, therefore impose almost immediate consumption "on the spot", in particular because of the inconvenience of taking them with you, or their vulnerability to regard to fouling which, in particular in workshops or factories, would quickly make them unfit for consumption.

Another drawback, induced by the previous ones, can still be felt by company managers, because these devices can cause prolonged meeting places for staff.

French patents No. 2,171,306 (SIC) and No. 2,310,733 (COMPACT INDUSTRIES) describe a packaging according to which predetermined quantities of powder, corresponding to individual doses, are pre-deposited in the bottom of the cups, the placing of which spraying within the distributor guarantees the necessary tightness and protection of the materials during storage with an efficiency comparable to that of conventional hoppers.

This type of packaging has the appeal of a simplification of the dispensing apparatus, therefore of reduced cost and maintenance. However, the problem of immediate consumption remains unanswered since, once a cup separated from the sheaf, the material it contains is left unprotected.

A solution has already been proposed which consists in covering the lower part of the cups containing the doses with a heat-sealed lid on the internal wall of the cup and which can be torn off by a tab.

However, such a solution largely amounts to moving the problem without really solving it. Indeed, deferred consumption, allowed in principle thanks to the presence of the protective seal, results in fact in a risk of fouling of the internal wall of the cup itself, which is no longer protected. In addition, the pull tab of the cover is only really effective if it is short enough. To grasp it, the consumer is then led to introduce his fingers into the cup, thus involuntarily contributing to degrading the quality of the drink. On the other hand, the tearing of the cover is rarely perfect, in the sense that more or less numerous barbs remain on the wall of the container.

In addition, this technique is not without significantly affecting the cost of production, since it seems necessary to coat the interior of the cup with a layer of food-grade material suitable for the weldability of the seal.

Furthermore, it must be considered that the cover itself can constitute a source of pollution of the environment insofar as the consumer, after having torn it off, is inclined to get rid of it by simply throwing it on the ground , often.

However, document FR = A-1367586 discloses a packaging of the products consisting of a prepackage having the form of a cup with a flange and a removable cover intended to be placed in a consumption container in order to temporarily serve as a cover, means being provided for holding the bowl in the container, However, these means are of the snap type which therefore require a special adaptation of the consumption container,

The present invention aims to allow the distribution at the lowest cost of doses individual can be taken, for later consumption, at a time and in a place left to the free choice of the consumer and this in strict compliance with hygiene requirements, while avoiding the disadvantages of known solutions.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a packaging of consumable soluble products, in particular food products, such as drink preparations, intended to be poured, with a view to their dissolution, in a consumption container open at its upper end. and consisting of a prepackage having the shape of a cup with a flange closed by a tear-off lid and having a format substantially equal to that of the opening of the consumption container so as to be able to be adjusted therewith by resting on the edge by its flange of the opening of the consumption container means being provided for holding the bowl in the container see FR-A-1367586, prepackaging characterized in that said means are exclusively provided on the periphery of the side wall of the bowl, preferably regularly distributed around this periphery, and are formed by bosses or projections ensuring elastic clamping against the inner wall of the container. consumption.

According to an advantageous variant, the bowl has locally, around the periphery of its wall, a recess defining a separation space with the inner wall of the consumption container.

As we will no doubt already have understood, the idea underlying the invention consists in a way of being able to place the dose of consumable product in a waiting (or storage) position located, not in the bottom of the consumer container, but on the contrary, at its upper end, at its opening.

Thus, the invention, in its essential characteristics, achieves a prepackaging of the materials to be consumed which is also and at the same time a protective cover for the consumption container.

In this way, in addition to its function of packaging consumable products, the prepackage according to the invention is capable of first ensuring the protection of the empty container against any risk of soiling, then that of the container and its contents ready for to be consumed, or even during consumption.

The bowl-lid according to the invention, thanks to its support flange, is very simply posed on the opening of the consumption container in which it comes to adjust by marrying the shape of the container at this location while cooperating with the internal wall of the latter by bosses, or any other equivalent means which ensures that it is held in position by elastic clamping, thus making it possible to easily and effortlessly separate it from the container or reunite them again according to the wishes of the consumer.

• - La figure 1 montre la cuvette-couvercle selon l'invention vue du dessous,
• - La figure 2 est une vue en perspective legerement du dessus de la cuvette-couvercle,
• - La figure 3 est une vue en élévation partiellement arrachée montrant la cuvette en position de couvercle dans l'ouverture d'un récipient de consommation.

Furthermore, the withdrawal provided locally on the periphery of the wall of the bowl, has multiple functions and advantages which will be indicated below, in view of the following description of the invention given with reference to the single sheet of drawings annexed, on which:

• FIG. 1 shows the bowl-lid according to the invention seen from below,
• FIG. 2 is a slightly perspective view from above of the bowl-cover,
• - Figure 3 is a partially broken away elevation view showing the bowl in the lid position in the opening of a consumption container.

In all the figures, the same elements are designated by identical references.

As can be seen, the prepackage according to the invention therefore consists of a bowl 1 with a flat bottom 2 and of low height, and the side wall 3 of which comprises, at its free end, a flange 4. The bowl defines an interior volume for the storage of consumable products 5 which will be assumed to be a powdered beverage concentrate and which has been shown diagrammatically by transparency on FIG. 3 so as not to harm the clarity of the figures.

The internal volume of the bowl is closed by a cover 6 for protecting the products, fixed to the upper face of the collar and provided with a tear-off tab 7 clearly visible in FIG. 1.

Also, for reasons of clarity, the cover 6 has been shown in FIG. 2 by transparency and with a half-cutout.

As can easily be seen, the bowl is shaped and dimensioned so as to serve as a nestable cover on a consumption container 8.

The container used in this example is a disposable plastic cup, of slightly frustoconical shape commonly fitted to automatic beverage vending machines.

Of course, the bowl according to the invention is capable of serving as a cover for any other consumer container insofar as it has an opening of dimension compatible with the size of a bowl which can contain at least one individual dose of consumables.

• En premier lieu, la collerette 4 qui, en venant par sa face inférieure en butée contre le bourrelet d'extrémité 9 du gobelet, assure le blocage à l'enfoncement de la cuvette.
• En outre, des bossages 10, prévus sur le pourtour extérieur de la paroi latérale 3 de la cuvette, permettent l'engagement légèrement a force de celle-ci dans l'ouverture du gobelet et assurent, de ce fait, le maintien en position emboîtée de la cuvette par serrage élastique contre la surface lisse 21 de la partie intérieure du gobelet 8 au voisinage immédiat de l'ouverture de celui-ci.

Under these conditions, the bowl 1 fulfills its role of covering the cup 8 by the play of two functional means combining their action for this purpose, namely:

• First, the flange 4 which, coming from its lower face in abutment against the end bead 9 of the cup, ensures the blocking of the depression of the bowl.
• In addition, bosses 10, provided on the outer periphery of the side wall 3 of the bowl, allow the engagement slightly by force of the latter in the opening of the cup and thus ensure the maintenance in the nested position of the bowl by elastic clamping against the smooth surface 21 of the inner part of the cup 8 in the immediate vicinity of the opening thereof.

These bosses are advantageously distributed regularly around the periphery of the wall 3 to obtain good stability of the bowl in place in the cup and a uniform tightening around the perimeter.

The bosses 10 may have a front face 11 whose shape matches that of the interior wall of the container in order to offer a high contact surface, therefore a suitable clamping effect even with a limited number of bosses. In this case, taking into account the frustoconical shape of the cup 8, the end faces 11 of the bosses are slightly curved and slightly inclined on the vertical.

The realization of these bosses can be advantageously obtained by local deformation of the side wall 3 so as to show on the inner face of this wall of corresponding recesses 12 which increase the capacity of the bowl.

Beside these two essential functional means (support flange and clamping bosses) the bowl-cover, in its optimal embodiment - the best that the inventor can currently do - has a conformational feature consisting of a recess 13 provided locally around the periphery of the wall 3. This withdrawal leaves between the bowl and the internal wall of the container 8 a separation space 14 forming part of the interior volume of the container and the closing of which is ensured by the area 17 formed by widening of the collar in this place.

This space is thus left available for the upper end of a touching spatula 15, generally provided with the cup 8. It is understood that, in this regard, the withdrawal 13 makes it possible to prevent the spatula 15 from obstructing the correct placement of bowl 1 in the cup.

Another advantage of this removal 13 is to allow, with a given quantity of material 5, to increase the height of the bowl, therefore also to improve its stability in the cup, without creating dead volumes for the storage of the products or without require an excessive tightening effect to ensure the temporary reunion of the cup and the bowl.

Another advantage of the withdrawal 13 is that the space 14 thus formed can constitute a passage for a consumption cannula, thus allowing access to the interior of the cup 8 despite the presence of the bowl.

The profile and the location of the recess 13 on the bowl can be any. This withdrawal obviously matters that it is free of clamping boss which, in this place, would be useless, even harmful.

In the case of a round-shaped bowl, as shown in the figures, this withdrawal 13 can advantageously be achieved by a flat. For other conformation of the bowl, for example a bowl with a square or rectangular perimeter, the shrinkage can be simply obtained by chamfering a corner.

It should however be observed that the shape of the bowl-lid according to the invention, normally having to match that of the consumption container, the case of bowls other than circular should occur relatively rarely.

However, the invention does not exclude the possibility of a bowl with a polygonal perimeter, intended to serve as a cover for a conventional circular container, in which case the clamping bosses can naturally be formed by the rounded edges of the polygon whose faces would represent as many withdrawals, similar to the flat 13. By "polygonal perimeter", one understands a geometry going from the triangle to an unspecified number of faces, the circular shape retained for the figures in this case to be considered as the upper limit to the number of possible faces.

We will now describe other advantageous arrangements related to the withdrawal formed by the flat 13 of the circular bowl 1 illustrated in the figures.

The connection angle 16 with the side wall 3 advantageously constitutes a pouring spout for the outlet of the powder to be consumed out of the bowl. The pouring of this powder into the cup 8 is thus facilitated.

It is therefore recommended, as shown in Figure 1, to have the tear-off tab 7 in line with the pouring spout 16. Under these conditions, in fact, the degree of tearing of the cover 6, necessary for allow rapid and safe dumping of the powder, can be obtained by a very limited tear stroke of the tongue, for example only 1 cm. This being the case, the torn part can subsequently be folded down in order to temporarily reconstitute the protective cover, which in particular makes it possible to keep, if desired, the quantity of powder not consumed under cover in the bowl. , the latter can contain several individual doses or, which amounts to the same thing, an individual dose which can be consumed in a fractional fashion over time.

On the other hand, the cover not being in any case completely detached from the bowl, the risks of pollution by the covers thrown on the ground no longer arise.

The "" spout "effect of the connection 16, and the advantages mentioned above, can be further amplified, thanks to another alternative embodiment consisting in providing a boss 10 in the immediate extension of the flat 13.

Thus, the corresponding depression 12, which appears inside the bowl, constitutes, during the spillage, a small reservoir which collects the powders at the very place of the pouring spout and thus further facilitates the control of the flow of the material to be consumed.

Another advantageous alternative embodiment, resulting from the presence of the flat 13, consists, this time, of providing a flange 4 whose range 17, enlarged, as we have seen, due to the shrinkage provided by the flat 13, is precut or weakened by shrinking of material 18, to the right of the latter.

This particular characteristic makes it possible, when the drink to be consumed has been reconstituted in the cup 8 by dissolving the powder 5 in water for example, to easily remove the shelf 17 so as to provide a consumption opening, all by continuing to benefit from the protection provided by the bowl 1 then placed permanently on the cup. In other words, it will be understood that the prepackaging bowl according to the invention can constitute a means of protection, not only until the time of consumption, but also during and until the end thereof.

It goes without saying that the invention cannot be limited to the examples described above, but extends to multiple other variants or equivalents insofar as the characteristics stated in the appended claims are respected.

In particular, the bosses 10 can be replaced by other means ensuring the elastic tightening function. However, it is important that the means used for this purpose remain compatible with great ease of fitting and removing the bowl as a protective cover for the consumption container, which in particular excludes any locking or snap-fastening system. the bowl in the consumer container.

On the other hand, to facilitate the installation or removal of the bowl from the container, it will also be advantageous, as clearly shown in FIG. 3, to provide a flange 4 slightly projecting from the limits of the container.

However, in the case of a bead cup 9, as described above, an overflow of this nature becomes unnecessary, precisely because of the rounded shape of the bead which facilitates manual grip of the bowl.

Furthermore, it is also not obligatory for the collar 4 to be placed at the free end of the side wall of the bowl. It is indeed possible, very well to envisage, without departing from the scope of the invention, an arrangement of the flange at any level over the height of the wall 3. In such a case, the bowl exceeds the upper limit of the cup, which in particular makes it possible to easily grasp the bowl with a view to its removal.

The bowl-lid according to the invention meets the most stringent requirements for protection, sealing, cleanliness and even hygiene with regard to the consumable products which it contains.

A decisive advantage of the invention lies, according to its author, in the fact that the bowl-lid is applicable to most existing unmarked containers, that is to say that no special adaptation or appropriation of the latter is necessary. to receive the bowl.

This can be produced very simply in one piece and in several copies at the same time, by stamping with a press of thin layer plastic material, which is commercially available, for example polyvinyl chloride sheets. (PVC). The desired rigidity of the bowl is obtained, at the same time, by its very production technique (stamping), by the presence of the bosses 10 on the wall and, if necessary, by concentric undulations such as 19 which can be provided in the bottom 2.

Likewise, the tear-off cover 6 can be cut from a complex heat-sealable metalloplastic strip.

In addition, it may be advantageous, in certain cases, to provide bosses 10 at base 20 in inclined pan (FIG. 2) to facilitate the introduction of the bowl into the container.

Furthermore, applied to the field of automatic beverage distribution in the company, the invention allows the use of a low-cost automatic dispenser, advantageously supplemented by several hot and cold water fountains judiciously distributed in different places.

There are currently relatively inexpensive fountains of this type on the market, so the above-mentioned distribution system can, without involving too heavy a financial burden, present numerous advantages for the company, for example by it avoids creating an overly prolonged meeting place around the distributor.

In addition, the invention advantageously applies to the conventional distribution of drinks by individual bowls or by grouping of several bowls, stacked under packaging sheets, or put "in bulk" in sachets.

Finally, it should be observed that the bowl illustrated in the figures is advantageously shown in real size. particularly precisely when it is intended for the automatic distribution of beverages.

Claims (10)

1. Packaging for soluble consumable products, in particular food products, such as preparations for beverages, intended to be filled, in order to be dissolved, into a food container (8) which is open at its upper end and formed by a finished package shaped like a bowl (1) with a flange (4) closed by a tear-off covering (6) having a format basically the same as that of the opening of the food container (8) so as to be capable of fitting it with its flange supported on the rim of the opening of the food container, means being provided for holding the bowl (1) in the container (8), said finished package being characterized in that said means are exclusively provided on the outer periphery of the lateral wall (3) of the bowl (1) and are formed by bulges (10) or projections ensuring elastic pressure against the inner wall (21) of the food container (8).

2. The packaging as in claim 1, characterized in that said bulges (10) are regularly distributed over the outer periphery of the lateral wall (3).

3. The packaging as in claim 2, characterized in that the bulges (10) are formed by local deformations of the lateral wall, defining corresponding depressions (12) in the interior of the bowl.

4. The packaging as in claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the bowl has a recess (13) locally on the outer periphery of its lateral wall, said recess defining a separation space (14) with the inner wall of the food container (8).

5. The packaging as in claim 4, characterized in that the recess (13) formed on the outer periphery of the lateral wall of the bowl is formed by a flattened portion.

6. The packaging as in claims 3 and 4 or 5, characterized in that at least one bulge is disposed on the lateral wall in the immediate extension of the recess.

7. The packaging as in claims 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that the covering (6) closing the bowl has a tear tab (7) disposed at right angles to the end of the recess (13).

8. The packaging as in claim 1, characterized in that the bulges have a front face (11) which fits the inner wall of the food container (8).

9. The packaging as in claims 1 and 4, characterized in that the flange (4) has at right angles to the recess (13) an area (17) including means (18) for allowing it to be torn off.

10. The packaging as in any one of the above claims, characterized in that the bottom (2) and the lateral wall (3) of the bowl (1) are formed of one piece of plastics material of food quality, in particular polyvinyl chloride.

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