EP1505895A1

EP1505895A1 - A packaging for fruit

Info

Publication number: EP1505895A1
Application number: EP03722307A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Björn Ejby RASMUSSEN
Original assignee: Clasen & Ejby AS
Current assignee: Clasen & Ejby AS
Priority date: 2002-05-13
Filing date: 2003-05-13
Publication date: 2005-02-16
Also published as: DK200200728A; DK174849B1; WO2003094680A1; AU2003229530A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a packaging for a piece of fruit, comprises a blister part (1-5) and a cover film that is hermetically connected to the blister part following positioning of a piece of fruit in the packaging. The blister part comprises a seed trap, e.g. in the form of protrusions (6, 7 and 8) and comprises a rupture indicator (4), whereby an opening in the hermetically closed packaging can be provided enabling fruit juice to be dispensed through the opening without it being blocked by fruit pulp or seeds.

Description

A packaging for fruit

The invention relates to a packaging for fruit or the like, said packaging being flexible such that fruit juice can be squeezed out of the fruit while it is contained in the packaging that further comprises means for withholding solid particles, such as fruit kernels.

A packaging of a corresponding kind is known ia from American patent disclosures 3,159,096 and 2,688,914.

From said patent disclosures the problem is known that, on many occasions, it is desirable to distribute fruit juice, eg lemon juice, across foods or drinks without encountering the known drawbacks, such as soiling of fingers with juice and that the fruit is not treated hygienically, neither prior to nor following use. The drawback is particularly significant in eg aeroplanes where it is associated with a certain difficulties to wash one's hands. The result is that one omits to apply juice to one's food and that simultaneously one is slightly annoyed that sticky fingers are the price to be paid for the desired additional gustatory sensation. Therefore the need is large and the only explanation why the prior art packagings have not already gained widespread use is that they have an inconvenient construction and/or are inconvenient to use.

It is the object of the invention to provide a packaging which is easier to manufacture and functions more efficiently and hygienically than the prior art packagings.

This object is obtained by a packaging that comprises a dish-shaped blister part and a cover film as well as means for providing an outlet opening; and wherein the means for withholding solid particles comprise at least one protrusion in the blister part, which protrusion extends in a direction towards the cover film and is configured for retaining solid particles at a distance from the outlet opening.

By configuring the means for withholding solid particles, such as kernels, in the blister part it is accomplished, on the one hand, that the packaging can be manufactured to be functionally reliable in a number of varieties and, on the other, that a very rationalised an inexpensive method of manufacture is obtained; and finally that the solution according to the invention strengthens the packaging in the area around seed trap and outlet opening such that, during use when the packaging is squeezed, there is no risk of blocking the free passage of the juice.

In accordance with one embodiment, the means for withholding solid particles are in the form of a small grid consisting of protrusions that can very advantageously be configured in the blister part. Preferably the protrusions extend until a level essentially plane with the rim of the blister part, such that the cover film can, in a preferred embodiment, also be connected to the protruding ends thereby imparting much strength to the grid, thus allowing the user to safely squeeze the packaging hard without an ensuring risk of the grid being destroyed and a lemon seed or fruit pulp blocking the outlet.

Preferably the cover film is hermetically connected to the blister part for long- acting preservation of the fruit, and means may be provided for rupturing the hermetic closure.

The protrusions can be configured in that part of the blister part that is configured for receiving pieces of fruit, eg as an evenly distributed pattern configured such that a number of channels are defined between the piece of fruit and the deep areas of the blister part, such that the juice is able to flow in the channel when the protrusions are pressed into the piece of fruit. The outlet opening for fruit juice may be provided in connection with an outlet channel which is defined by the blister part and the cover film. Said protrusions may be configured as one or more protrusions that are provided exclusively as explained above, or are provided exclusively only in the outlet channel, or the pattern of the protrusion can be a combination of said options.

The means for rupturing the hermetic closure at the outlet opening may consist of an indication of point of rupture in the blister part, preferably transversally to the outlet channel. By folding the blister part and cover film right opposite the rupture indicator, the blister part unfolds to provide the outlet opening and the folded flap may remain or be torn off prior to distribution of the fruit juice.

In order to have to handle the packaging as little as possible, it is preferred that the flap remains on the packaging following opening of the channel. In order to ensure that the flap remains in its folded position without an ensuing risk of deflecting the jet of juice in an undesirable manner, the rupture indicator is, in a preferred embodiment, configured such that a tension is obtained in the material by which the flap is secured in the desired position. This is obtained in that the rupture indicator deviates from a straight line and/or that the blister part is curved in an area around the rupture indicator where the curvature is defined by conveyors that extend transversally to the rupture indicator.

In principle there are no limitations to the shape of the packaging, but preferably it is intended and configured for receiving a semi-circular slice of fruit. By the blister part being shaped in accordance with the piece of fruit it can be caused to occupy considerably less space than the prior art packagings, which is of significance eg in aeroplane catering where the foodstuffs are packaged very densely. A further advantage of the blister part being in close contact with the rim of the piece of fruit is that it is easier to deplete pieces of fruit completely of juice when the piece of fruit is unable to slip within the packaging.

It is a further advantage of the packaging according to the invention that the fruit juice collects at one outlet opening that can be ruptured thereby enabling the fruit juice to be dispensed on one well defined site and not across a more comprehensive area as is the case with the prior art.

The invention will be explained in further detail by reference to the drawing describing an exemplary embodiment and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the packaging according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows the embodiment shown in Figure 1 , seen from above and in a sectional view;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a seed trap;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a folded flap;

Figures 5 shows an embodiment with a stretched pattern of the protrusion;

Figure 6 shows an embodiment with a single protrusion in an outlet channel; while

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the use of the packaging according to the invention. In accordance with the invention the packaging comprises a blister part and a cover film hermetically connected therewith. The cover film is merely shown by drawing in the sectional view of Figure 2 and the enlarged sectional view shown in Figure 3, such that only the blister part as such is explained in connection with Figure 1.

The blister part 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises a crescent-shaped dish 1 with an annularly extending rim 2 configured for being connected to a cover film. The dish is coherent with a shallower, funnel-shaped part 3 that defines an outlet channel 13 having at its tip a rupture indicator 4 between the funnel- shaped part 3 and a flap 5. In the funnel-shaped part 3 there are also three protrusions 6, 7 and 8.

The described blister part can be seen from the outside in Figure 2 that also comprises a section that shows how a cover film 9 is secured to the rim of the blister part comprising the flap 5.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged sectional view of the packaging, more specifically an enlarged sectional view through the kernel trap that is to withhold eg lemon kernels to avoid blocking of the outlet for juice. Figure 3 shows the funnel-shaped part 3 with protrusions 6, 7 and 8 and shows how the cover film 9 is secured to the protrusions and the flange 2 such that much strength is imparted to the seed trap in an easy and inexpensive manner.

Figure 4 shows the funnel-shaped part, seen from the bottom. The cover film, not shown, is thus situated above the paper plane. The flap 5 is shown in withdrawn position, and it will appear that there are curved edges 10 and 11 that can be provided in a variety of ways.

A first way can be in connection with a plane blister part, the earlier above- described rupture indicator 4 extending not only transversally to the outlet channel, but continues with a curved course to both sides of the outlet channel. Towards the side edges of the flap and the funnel-shaped part the rupture indicator may extend into a full perforation, as shown by 14 in Figures 1 and 2. This kind of rupture indicator ensures that the flap remains in its completely folded state.

Another way of ensuring that the flap remains in the folded position is to use a blister part that curves slightly preferably about an axis that intersects or extends transversally to the rupture indicator that may have a straight or curved course.

Figure 5 is a view like that of Figure 1 , but showing an alternative embodiment. Protrusions 6, 7 and 8 shown in Figure 1 are, in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, replaced by other protrusions 16, 17 and 18. Imagine that in Figure 5 the blister part is seen in an inclined view from below such that its underside faces towards the viewer, protrusions 16, 17 and 18 will hence extend in a direction behind paper plane. As will be understood, these protrusions cannot extend to align with the rim of the blister part and optionally welded to the cover film since there should also be space for the piece of fruit. Therefore, protrusions 16, 17 and 18 extend only slightly into the piece of fruit, but sufficiently for the shown areas, designated by 19 and 20 and situated between protrusions 16, 17 and 18, to allow free flow of juice down towards the outlet channel designated by 23. Solid particles, such as fruit pulp or seeds, will be withheld by the obstacles that the protrusions 16, 17 and 18 constitute. Preferably the protrusions are evenly distributed throughout the bottom of the blister part, and their height also imparts a certain rigidity to the bottom, thereby preventing the blister part from just collapsing, when the packaging is squeezed while accommodating a piece of fruit. Figure 6 shows a further embodiment, wherein, instead of protrusions 6, 7, 8 in Figure 1 , only one single protrusion 21 is located in an outlet channel 23. This protrusion will typically be able to extend to align with the rim of the blister part such that it can optionally be secured to the cover film by welding. It will now be appreciated that the protrusions can be varied and distributed in a wide variety of ways, such that it is possible to manufacture an efficiently working seed trap by a very inexpensive and efficient method, allowing the juice to unimpededly flow towards an outlet opening. Preferably only one single outlet opening is provided, but the invention is not limited to featuring only one such outlet opening.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate use of the packaging according to the invention. Underneath the packaging for instance a slice of lemon is arranged in the blister part, following which the cover film is secured hermetically to the blister part by means of well known methods of blister packaging. When lemon juice is desired, the flap 5 is folded backwards as shown in Figure 7, such that the blister part ruptures at the rupture indicator 4 and leaves an opening 12, in Figure 4, through which juice can be dispensed when the packaging is squeezed as illustrated in Figure 8. During the entire operation the flap 5 remains in the rearwardly folded position without being a nuisance to the user and through the outlet opening a concentrated jet of lemon juice is obtained.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. A packaging for a piece of fruit or the like, said packaging being flexible to allow fruit juice to be squeezed from the fruit while it is contained in the packaging and comprising means for withholding solid particles, such as fruit seeds, characterised in that the packaging comprises a dish-shaped blister part and a cover film as well as means for providing an outlet opening; and in that the means for withholding solid particles comprise at least one protrusion in the blister part, which protrusion extends in a direction towards the cover film and is configured for retaining solid particles at a distance from the outlet opening.

2. A packaging according to claim 1 , characterised in that the means for withholding solid particles comprise adjacently located protrusions in the blister part.

3. A packaging according to claim 2, characterised in that the protrusions extend to a level essentially in plane with the rim of the blister part.

4. A packaging according to claim 3, characterised in that the outer ends of the protrusions are in connection with the cover film.

5. A packaging according to claims 1-4, characterised in that the protrusions are configured in that part of the blister part that is configured for receiving the piece of fruit.

6. A packaging according to claim 5, characterised in that a pattern of evenly distributed protrusions is provided.

7. A packaging according to claim 6, characterised in that the pattern is configured such that channels are defined for the juice to flow in on its way towards an outlet opening.

8. A packaging according to claims 1 -7, characterised in that the blister part and the cover film defines an outlet channel and that one or more protrusions are provided in the channel.

9. A packaging according to claims 1-8, characterised in that the outlet channel is hermetically sealed and the blister part has a rupture indicator extending across the outlet channel.

10. A packaging according to claim 9, characterised in that the rupture indicator extends transversally to the outlet channel.

11. A packaging according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the rupture indicator in the blister part deviates from a straight line.

12. A packaging according to claim 11 , characterised in that the rupture indicator has a curved course.

13. A packaging according to any one of claims 8-12, characterised in that the blister part is curved in an area around the rupture indicator, where the curvature is defined by conveyors that extend transversally to the rupture indicator.

14. A packaging according to claims 1-13, characterised in that the blister part is configured for receiving a semicircular slice of fruit.