EP1123062B1 - Packaging bag for liquid substances for animal artificial insemination - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid packaging sachet for artificial animal insemination, in particular for porcine and equine species.

This type of sachet, also known as a sachet-dose, is well known in the art and has been the subject in particular of FR-B-2 667 504 and FR-A-2 750 399.

The packaging bag for liquid substances for artificial animal insemination according to FR-B-2 667 504 consists of two sheets of thermoplastic material welded by a weld bead delimiting a pocket, following a generally closed path defining two short sides and two long sides when the sachet is empty, and one of the short sides of which has an interruption, the weld bead determining, starting from the said interruption, a filling duct.

The sachets described in this reference allow rapid volumetric filling, protected from air and contamination, as well as the coupling of the sachet and the tube or the probe before insemination with guaranteed maintenance and tightness of reliably and natural emptying of the complete sachet protected from air and contamination, provided that they are opened correctly. However, difficulties linked to the opening of the sachets are frequently encountered which pose problems during their use.

For use with this type of bag, which comprises a filling conduit usually extended by an introduction and centering cone, making it possible to recover or empty its content, an opening is made in the bag at the location of said conduit, and the free end of a probe or tube is inserted into an opening made.

Such sachets are very satisfactory and are still used. However, difficulties linked to the opening of the sachets, which pose problems during their use and often require the use of a tool or an object, are however frequently encountered.

To overcome these problems. the Applicant has developed a sachet called "peelable sachet", described in FR 2 750 399, document which includes the technical characteristics of the preamble of claim 1, which can be opened simply and reliably, without having to use any tool or object. This type of bag is particularly well suited to contain animal semen and is meeting with growing success.

The above sachets, both peelable and non-peelable, are usually closed by a heat seal process. However, the user of the sachets, in this case the breeder, cannot always have access to an apparatus making it possible to heat seal said sachets.

It may therefore prove useful to have a sachet for packaging liquid substances for artificial insemination which, after filling, can be closed other than by heat sealing.

Farmers with a small farm do not always have a packaging machine to fill the seed bags.

It may therefore also prove useful to have a packaging bag of liquid substances for artificial insemination which can be filled without resorting to the use of a packaging machine, even manual.

An object of the invention is a sachet for packaging liquid substances for artificial insemination which can be closed other than by heat sealing.

More generally, an object of the present invention is a sachet for packaging liquid substances for artificial insemination, the closure of which after filling can be carried out manually without having to use any apparatus for this purpose.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging bag for liquid substances for artificial insemination which can be filled without having to use a packaging machine, even manual.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description below.

The present invention meets the above objects and provides a sachet for packaging liquid substances for artificial animal insemination as claimed in claim 1.

In a first embodiment, the liquid conditioning bag for artificial animal insemination of the present invention is characterized in that it has an orifice in one of the two sheets of thermoplastic material, positioned substantially opposite the duct area and defining an orifice area and in that the bag is sealed in said duct area.

Advantageously, the orifice is placed substantially in the vicinity of the longitudinal axis of the bag.

Advantageously, in this first embodiment, one of the two sheets of thermoplastic material comprises in the duct area a peelable weld, defining a peelable weld area. For example, one of the two sheets of thermoplastic material comprises in the duct area a sealing and peelable material such as a wax.

Preferably, in this first embodiment, the sachet is sealed in the peelable weld zone.

The orifice has for example a shape chosen from circular shapes, slots, and cross-shaped perforations.

In a first arrangement of this first embodiment, the bag comprises an integrated closure part and the adhesive part is in the orifice area.

The integrated closing part is intended to cover the orifice once the detachable covering has been removed.

In a first variant of the first arrangement of the first embodiment, the bag comprises a tab precut in one of the two thermoplastic sheets and the adhesive part surrounds the orifice at its periphery.

In a second variant of the first arrangement of the first embodiment, the bag comprises a flap portion substantially in the form of a strip, integrated in one of the two sheets of thermoplastic material, consisting of an adhesive zone covered with a detachable coating, and the adhesive part covered with a detachable coating is in the form of a strip in the orifice area.

According to a second arrangement of the first embodiment, the adhesive portion covered with a detachable coating is attached and constitutes an attached closure part.

The attached closure piece is intended to cover the orifice once the detachable coating has been removed.

The attached closure part may have the form of a label consisting of a support carrying an adhesive-coated sheet covered with a detachable coating.

The adhesive zone of the present invention can be produced by depositing a layer of adhesive substance, for example an adhesive based on acrylic resins or synthetic rubber, sensitive to pressure.

According to the invention, the adhesive area can also consist of an adhesive tape.

The adhesive area is always covered with a detachable coating, known in the art under the term "liner". The detachable coating can for example be a detachable paper.

The adhesive tape according to the invention is an assembly system consisting of a thin carrier, for example paper, a nonwoven, a polymer film, for example a polyester film, etc., coated on both sides with an even layer of adhesive. The adhesive layer can be based on acrylic resins or synthetic rubber, pressure sensitive.

The thickness of the layer of adhesive substance or of uniform layer of adhesive of the adhesive tape is small, for example of the order of 8 to 15 μm.

The adhesive properties (adhesion, tack, cohesion) of the adhesive substance or of the uniform layer of adhesive on the adhesive tape can be described as medium. The term "tack" is commonly used in the art to define the adhesion value.

According to a preferred arrangement of the present invention, the tack is slightly different on the two opposite faces of the tape or, in the case of a layer of adhesive substance, on the two opposite sides of said layer.

According to an advantageous arrangement of the present invention, the two sheets of thermoplastic material have an offset, for example of approximately 1 to 3 mm, one with respect to the other in said withdrawal part.

Otherwise. in the sachets used so far, the identification of the doses contained therein posed problems. In the case, for example, of doses of semen, the identification was carried out either by means of a color label affixed to the sachet containing said semen, or by adding a dye to the semen. Such identification methods had drawbacks, in particular, the risk of the label peeling off or the addition of a dye which could adversely affect the quality of the semen, etc.

The present invention provides a sachet which overcomes these identification drawbacks, characterized in that it comprises, on a part of the thermoplastic sheets, a coloring. Said coloring defines a portion of coloring on the sachet. The coloring part may include an identification

In the case where the dose sachet contains semen (semen) of pig, a color will be assigned to each breed of pig or genetic type and this will be that of the coloring part. In such a case, the coloring of the coloring part identifies the breed of pig or the genetic type concerned.

It is also possible to provide on a part of the thermoplastic sheets a marking zone, distinct or not from the coloring part. The marking area may include identification by marking, for example a drawing.

Advantageously, the identification by marking according to the invention is carried out so as to appear by transparency.

In the case where the dose sachet contains semen (semen) of pigs, the marking zone may thus include the identification by marking of the breed of pig and / or of the genetic type concerned.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the liquid which can be used for artificial inseminations is animal semen, a medium or a diluent.

The present invention also relates to a use of the sachet to contain a biological liquid substance usable for artificial inseminations.

The substance which can be used for artificial inseminations is for example chosen from animal semen, media and diluents.

The present invention is particularly usable in the case where the animal semen is pig semen. In the latter case, it also relates to a use of the sachet in which the coloring and / or marking identify the breed of the pig.

In the first embodiment of the invention, the bag is filled manually by means, for example, of a filling nozzle which is introduced into the orifice.

Once the bag has been filled, the filling nozzle is removed, the detachable coating is removed from the adhesive part, and the orifice, surrounded by the adhesive part, is capped with the closure part which seals the orifice tightly. .

For the use of the sachet, a probe is introduced into the conduit, undoing the solder, which is advantageously a peelable solder, and the sachet is turned over to inseminate the animal.

In the first arrangement of the first embodiment, the bag comprises an integrated closure part, for example a tongue or a flap forming part of one of the two sheets of thermoplastic material.

In the first variant of the first arrangement of the first embodiment, the closure part is a tongue precut in one of the sheets of thermoplastic material. The orifice, around which an adhesive area is deposited, is then capped with the tongue.

In the second variant of the first arrangement of the first embodiment, the closure part is a flap having substantially the shape of a strip.

For example, an adhesive portion is prepositioned in the zone intended to be the zone of the orifice before perforation of the sheet of thermoplastic material and before sealing of the sachet. The perforation is then carried out through the sheet of thermoplastic material and the adhesive part. After filling the bag, the detachable coverings are removed and the flap seals the orifice tightly.

In the second arrangement of the first embodiment, the adhesive part covered with a detachable coating is an insert which constitutes a closure part. This added piece advantageously has the form of a label. After filling the bag, the detachable coating is removed and the closure piece closes the orifice in a leaktight manner.

In this second embodiment, the bag can be easily filled without requiring a packaging machine.

In a second embodiment which is not part of the invention, the adhesive part is deposited on the internal face of the sheet of thermoplastic material. The bag does not include an orifice and it is filled through the conduit.

In the second embodiment, the sachet can be filled in a manner known per se, for example using a machine of the type of those described in FR-B-2,667,504 or in EP-A-718,191. It can, however, also be filled manually without using a packaging machine.

The sachet containing a liquid is then closed. For this, the detachable coating or liner is first removed and the sachet is closed by simply exerting pressure with the fingers in the adhesive zone, in the vicinity of the upper part of the duct substantially transversely to the axis of the latter. this.

To open the bag, the operator manually separates the two sheets of thermoplastic material. The sachet can thus be opened easily in the desired zone, delimited by the zone of adhesiveness. A probe or a tube can then be introduced into the opening with satisfactory guidance.

It should be noted that in the second embodiment of the bag which is not part of the present invention, it is a single conduit which is used both for filling and for emptying the bag.

In this second embodiment, the bag is also not previously sealed, but the user does not need to resort to sealing since the closure of the bag is ensured by the adhesive part.

In neither of the two embodiments, the user does not have to carry out a sealing operation himself and does not have to use any device for closing the bag.

Also, in all cases, the sachet can be filled without using a packaging machine.

• la Figure 1 représente une vue en coupe transversale d'un sachet selon le deuxième mode de réalisation qui ne fait pas partie de l'invention, non refermé, extrait d'une bande de sachets;
• la Figure 2 représente une vue en perspective du sachet de la Figure 1;
• la Figure 3 représente une vue en coupe transversale d'un sachet selon la deuxième disposition du premier mode de réalisation de l'invention, non refermé, extrait d'une bande de sachets;
• la Figure 4 représente une vue en coupe transversale du sachet selon la première variante de la première disposition du premier mode de réalisation de l'invention.
• la Figure 5 représente le sachet de la Figure 4 une fois refermé.
• la Figure 6 représente une vue en coupe transversale d'un sachet selon la deuxième variante de la première disposition du premier mode de réalisation de l'invention non refermé extrait d'une bande de sachets;
• la Figure 7 représente le sachet de la Figure 6 une fois refermé.

The invention will now be described in more detail and other advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the light of the description below, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a sachet according to the second embodiment which is not part of the invention, not closed, extracted from a strip of sachets;
• Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the bag of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a sachet according to the second arrangement of the first embodiment of the invention, not closed, extracted from a strip of sachets;
• Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the bag according to the first variant of the first arrangement of the first embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 5 shows the bag of Figure 4 once closed.
• Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a sachet according to the second variant of the first arrangement of the first embodiment of the invention not closed, extracted from a strip of sachets;
• Figure 7 shows the bag of Figure 6 once closed.

The sachet 1 for packaging a biological liquid substance of the second embodiment which is not part of the invention consists of two sheets of thermoplastic material welded by a weld bead 2 delimiting a pocket 3, following a generally closed path , and of which one of said short sides x has an interruption, the weld bead 2 determining, starting from said interruption, a conduit 4 and defining a zone of conduit 5.

It should be noted that the two sheets of thermoplastic material can be welded by a weld bead but that this is not compulsory.

The bag is characterized in that, in the zone of conduit 5, one of said sheets of thermoplastic material comprises on its internal face an adhesive zone 6 covered with a detachable coating or liner 7.

For the bag shown, the duct 4 is extended by a flare or centering introduction cone 8.

Substantially equidistant holes 9 are provided near the two longitudinal edges of the strip, outside the line formed by the pocket or the weld bead. These holes are used to drive the strip of thermoplastic material and to support it on a packaging machine.

The sachet is filled in a manner known per se, for example using a machine of the type described in FR-B-2 667 504 or in EP-A-718 191.

After filling the sachet with its contents, the sachet containing a liquid is then closed. For this, the detachable coating or liner 7 is first removed and the bag is closed by simply applying pressure with the fingers in the adhesive zone 6, in the vicinity of the upper part of the conduit 4, substantially transversely to the axis of it.

To open the bag, the operator manually separates the two sheets of thermoplastic material. The bag can thus be opened easily. A probe or a tube (not shown) can then be introduced into the opening with satisfactory guidance.

In the sachet shown, part of the thermoplastic sheets includes a coloring, defining a coloring part 13 and a marking area 14. The marking area 14 includes a drawing (not shown) on which the race concerned appears in transparency.

In the second embodiment shown in Figure 3, the adhesive portion covered with a detachable coating is an attached label 17 (3). The bag is sealed by a peelable seal 16 (1) in the peelable area 16.

After filling the bag with the orifice 12, the detachable coating 7 of the label is removed and the closure part label seals the orifice 12 in a leaktight manner.

For insemination. the user undoes the peelable weld 16 (1) in the peelable weld zone 16 and introduces a probe (not shown) in the conduit 4.

In the first variant of the first arrangement of the first embodiment shown in Figure 4, the adhesive portion 6 covered with a detachable coating 7 is on the periphery of the orifice 12. A closure part having the shape of a tongue 17 (1) is precut from one of the thermoplastic sheets of the sachet. The bag is sealed by a peelable seal 16 (1) in the peelable area 16.

The bag is filled through the orifice 12 after removing the detachable coating 7, for example by means of a nozzle (not shown). Once the bag is filled, cover the orifice with the tab 17 (1) and press the latter on the part adhesive 6. The tongue 17 (1) seals the orifice 12 in a leaktight manner, as shown in FIG. 5.

For insemination, the user undoes the peelable weld 16 (1) in the peelable weld zone 16 and introduces a probe (not shown) in the duct 4.

In the second variant of the first arrangement of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the adhesive part 6 covered with a detachable coating 7 is in the orifice zone 15 in the form of a strip. A closure piece in the form of a tongue 17 (1) is precut in one of the sheets of thermoplastic material of the sachet. The bag is sealed by a peelable seal 16 (1) in the peelable area 16.

The bag is filled through the orifice 12, after having removed the detachable coating 7, for example by means of a nozzle (not shown). Once the bag has been filled, cover the orifice with the flap 17 (2) from which the detachable coating 7 (2) has been removed and the latter is pressed on the adhesive portion 6. The flap 17 (2) closes the orifice 12 sealingly, as shown in Figure 7.

For insemination, the user undoes the peelable weld 16 (1) in the peelable weld zone 16 and introduces a probe (not shown) in the duct 4.

Those skilled in the art will understand that although the invention has been described and illustrated for particular embodiments, many variants can be envisaged while remaining within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (33)

1. A sachet (1) for packaging liquid substances for artificially inseminating animals, constituted by two thermoplastics material sheets welded together and delimiting a pocket (3) along a closed line of generally elongate shape, with two opposite ends, said sachet having at one of said ends an interruption defining a passage (4) and defining a passage area (5), characterized in that it has an orifice (12) in one of the two thermoplastics material sheets, positioned substantially at the opposite end from the passage area and defining an orifice area (15), in that it is sealed in said passage area, and in that one of said thermoplastics material sheets includes an adhesive part (6) covered with a detachable covering (7).
2. A sachet according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the two thermoplastics material sheets includes in the passage area a peelable weld (16(1)) defining a peelable weld area (16).
3. A sachet according to claim 2, characterized in that one of the two thermoplastics material sheets comprises a peelable sealing material in the passage area.
4. A sachet according to claim 3, characterized in that the peelable sealing material is selected from waxes.
5. A sachet according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that it is sealed in the peelable weld area.
6. A sachet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the orifice (12) has a shape chosen from circular shapes, slots, and cruciform perforations.
7. A sachet according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it includes an integral closure part and in that the adhesive part is in the orifice area (15).
8. A sachet according to claim 7, characterized in that it includes a precut tongue (17(1)) in one of the two thermoplastics material sheets and in that the adhesive part is in the orifice area at the periphery of said orifice.
9. A sachet according to claim 7, characterized in that it has a flap part (17(2)) substantially in the form of a strip integrated into one of the two thermoplastics material sheets and constituted by an adhesive area covered with a detachable covering and in that the adhesive part covered with a detachable covering is in the form of a strip in the orifice area (15).
10. A sachet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the adhesive part covered with a detachable covering is added on and constitutes an added on closure part.
11. A sachet according to claim 10, characterized in that the added on closure part is in the form of a label (17(3)) constituted by a substrate carrying an adhesive sheet covered with a detachable covering.
12. A sachet according to claim 1, characterized in that the adhesive part is deposited on the inside face of the thermoplastics material sheet that covers it in the passage area.
13. A sachet according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the adhesive part is obtained by depositing a layer of adhesive substance.
14. A sachet according to claim 13, characterized in that the adhesive substance is based on a material chosen from acrylic resins and synthetic rubber, sensitive to pressure.
15. A sachet according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the adhesive part is constituted by an adhesive tape.
16. A sachet according to claim 15, characterized in that the adhesive tape is an assembly system consisting of a thin carrier coated on both faces with a uniform layer of adhesive.
17. A sachet according to claim 16, characterized in that the thin carrier is made from a material chosen from paper, non-woven materials and polymer sheets.
18. A sachet according to claim 17, characterized in that the thin carrier is a polyester film.
19. A sachet according to claim 16, characterized in that the adhesive is based on a material chosen from acrylic resins and synthetic rubber, sensitive to pressure.
20. A sachet according to any one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the detachable covering is made from a material chosen from paper, non-woven materials and polymer films.
21. A sachet according to claim 20, characterized in that the detachable covering is a polyester film.
22. A sachet according to any one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that said two thermoplastics material sheets are offset relative to each other in the passage area.
23. A sachet according to claim 22, characterized in that the offset is approximately 1 to 3 mm.
24. A sachet according to any one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that a portion of the thermoplastics material sheets comprises color defining a colored part (13).
25. A sachet according to claim 24, characterized in that the colored part includes an identification.
26. A sachet according to any one of claims 1 to 25, characterized in that a portion of the thermoplastics material sheets includes a marking area (14).
27. A sachet according to claim 26, characterized in that the marking area includes an identification marking.
28. A sachet according to claim 27, characterized in that the identification marking can be seen by transparency.
29. Use of a sachet according to any one of claims 1 to 28 to contain a biological liquid substance which can be used for artificial insemination.
30. Use according to claim 25, characterized in that the substance which can be used for artificial insemination is chosen from animal semen, media and diluents.
31. Use according to claim 30, characterized in that the substance is pig sperm.
32. Use of a sachet according to claims 24 and 31 wherein the color identifies the breed of pig.
33. Use of a sachet according to claims 26 and 31 wherein the identification marking identifies the breed of pig.