EP1641612A2 - Emballage separable et machine de pose associee - Google Patents

Emballage separable et machine de pose associee

Info

Publication number
EP1641612A2
EP1641612A2 EP04754899A EP04754899A EP1641612A2 EP 1641612 A2 EP1641612 A2 EP 1641612A2 EP 04754899 A EP04754899 A EP 04754899A EP 04754899 A EP04754899 A EP 04754899A EP 1641612 A2 EP1641612 A2 EP 1641612A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
pouch
sheet
separable
package
barrier members
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP04754899A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Munroe Chirnomas
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP1641612A2 publication Critical patent/EP1641612A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D77/00—Packages formed by enclosing articles or materials in preformed containers, e.g. boxes, cartons, sacks or bags
    • B65D77/08—Materials, e.g. different materials, enclosed in separate compartments formed during filling of a single container
    • 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
    • B65B69/00—Unpacking of articles or materials, not otherwise provided for
    • B65B69/0008—Opening and emptying bags
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes, or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
    • B65D75/28—Articles or materials wholly enclosed in composite wrappers, i.e. wrappers formed by associating or interconnecting two or more sheets or blanks
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D81/32—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging two or more different materials which must be maintained separate prior to use in admixture
    • B65D81/3261—Flexible containers having several compartments
    • B65D81/3272—Flexible containers having several compartments formed by arranging one flexible container within another
    • 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
    • B65B69/00—Unpacking of articles or materials, not otherwise provided for
    • B65B69/005—Unpacking of articles or materials, not otherwise provided for by expelling contents, e.g. by squeezing the container

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to separable packaging and methods and a machine for dispensing the contents of separable packages, preferably in a layered manner. More specifically, it relates to packaged food products such as sandwiches or other foods that have at least two independent elements such as cheese, meats or vegetables, or other food related items having related elements, such as spaghetti and tomato sauce, a salad and a salad dressing, or even the forenoted spaghetti and tomato sauce and a bowl for holding the just combined spaghetti and sauce,.
  • the invention also relates to methods and a machine for dispensing the contents of separable packages, preferably in a layered manner, so as to form a completed assembly for the dispensed contents of the packages.
  • the present invention is particularly advantageous for automated machine preparation and vending of multi-element food products.
  • a material such as a plastic film, is used to separate independent food elements that may be used to form a more complex, i.e., multi-element, food item.
  • the independent food elements and separation material are packaged together using a unifying outer package.
  • the outer package can be vacuum-sealed so as to help maintain the freshness and provide significant shelf-life for the food items.
  • the outer package is opened and the film that separates the different food elements is removed, either manually or automatically. This marks the first point in time that the separate elements come into contact with each other. Therefore, the individual food elements are maintained at the highest level of integrity until the time of usage by the customer.
  • the separation material can be part of or attached to the outer package and the outer package can be opened by use of a pull-strip that can divide the package into two separate halves.
  • a package opening machine may be used to automatically pull the pull-strip to separate the outer package. Then, the package opening machine may apply pressure on the outer package as the two halves of the outer package are pulled apart, so that the food contents in the package do not move with respect to one another, yet allow the separation material to be removed by sliding out from between the food elements, thereby allowing the separated food elements to finally come into contact with each other.
  • a primary food element such as a piece of bread or a quantity of pasta that can be resting on a sanitary substrate surface such as a plastic film or a bowl.
  • this primary food element can be packaged in a vacuum-sealed plastic film pouch along with the respective sanitary substrate surface, and both can be dispensed out of the pouch onto a preparation surface that is positioned adjacent to the package opening mechanism.
  • the sanitary preparation surface can be stationary, or can move to multiple positions, such as with a conveyor, a rotary table or a moving platform.
  • the primary food element, such as the forenoted piece of bread can be positioned on the sanitary substrate surface and adjacent to the package opening mechanism.
  • the package opening mechanism dispenses a second food element out of a further pouch
  • the second food element is positioned on top of the primary food element.
  • the pouches can be moved to a common station where they are automatically opened and dispensed in a desired sequence, and thereby layered one on top of another.
  • multiple package opening mechanisms can be positioned adjacent to a common moving or fixed preparation surface, and one or more of the package opening mechanisms can contribute to the layering process for making the final food product.
  • successive ones of the pouches can be connected together in a continuous fashion by forming them out of at least two lengths of plastic packaging film and connected one to the other in a manner that enables each pouch to be separately opened.
  • such separable opening of each pouch can be provided by a roller mechanism having a respective one of two roller connected to each of the at least two layers of film that form the outside layers of the food element pouch. The film is wound around the rollers, so that as the rollers wind the film up, the pouch is thereby separated/opened, and the product in the pouch is ejected or dispensed from the pouch.
  • the packages can be provided one at a time to the package opening machine
  • FIG 1 illustrates one embodiment of the inventive packaging.
  • FIG 2 illustrates the FIG 1 embodiment with food elements packaged therein.
  • FIG 3 illustrates a further embodiment of the inventive packaging.
  • FIG 4 illustrates an even further embodiment of the inventive packaging.
  • Fig. 5 shows a layering machine which uses separable packing, where the separable packages are oriented vertically with respect to a moving preparation surface.
  • Fig.'s 6a, 6b, and 6c show the preparation surface moving concurrently with the dispensing operation of the layering machine.
  • FIG 1 illustrates a separable package 10 for containing therein various independent elements, such as food elements.
  • the package 10 comprises an outer package barrier 12 that completely seals therein the various independent elements (the various independent elements not being shown in Fig. 1, and an inner divider arrangement 14.
  • divider arrangement 14 comprises a continuous web or film of material, such as a sheet of plastic, which is folded so as to provide a physical separation between layered areas or zones 2, 4, 6 and 8 inside package barrier 12. More specifically, divider arrangement 14 is show in Fig 1 as comprising a continuous web of film that starts at layer 16 near an end A of package 10, extends to an opposed side B of package 10, folds back on itself as layer 17, and then becomes attached to side A.
  • a curved section 20 is formed at the end of layer 19 near end A, so that layer 19 makes a 180 degree turn back towards end B.
  • the arrangement of layers 16-19 is then repeated, so as to form layered film divider arrangements 24 and 26.
  • Fig. 1 by repeating this process the four separate layered zones 2, 4, 6 and 8 are established.
  • package barrier 12 is easily separable into two parts using any of several well know techniques, such as, for example, including in barrier 12 a "pull/tear strip" 22 that surrounds package 12, or by using a line of perforations in the material forming package barrier 12, such that pulling at the opposed ends A and B of the package 10 cause the barrier material 12 to separate along the perforations.
  • Package 10 can be used to contain therein food elements useful for making a more complex food creation, such as a sandwich, for example, in which case the separate zones can be used to hold: ⁇ 9-I - a. DelLmeats- .
  • c. Vegetable ingredients such as lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, olives, etc.
  • d. Bread products such as sliced rolls, bagels, pita bread, rye bread, etc
  • e. Liquid condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise, oil and vinegar, etc.
  • the opposed ends of the pouch could be secured to the opposed ends A and B of package 10, and a portion near the center of the pouch, or along the length of the pouch, could be perforated or have a flap sealing an opening, so that upon separation of package barrier 12, the internal pouch having the high liquid content becomes separable or un-sealed and its contents are spilled or otherwise allowed to contact the food elements positioned in zones of the package 10 that are adjacent thereto.
  • Fig. 2 illustrates food elements positioned in the Fig 1. package for making a sandwich, where zones 2, 4, 6, and 8 may hold a respective food element d, a, b and d, for example, of the above list. May variations are possible, such as more or less separable zones, and the use of one or more internal separable sealed pouches for high liquid or other food elements for which a more complete isolation of that food element is desirable until the final assembly of the multi-element food item..
  • the package with the food elements and divider arrangements therein can be fabricated using standard and conventional food handling and packaging equipment. It may also be desirable to vacuum seal package barrier 12, as well as any internal pouches that may be included therein.
  • the pull strip 22 is used to separate the package 10 into two halves when the ends A and B are pulled apart. As they are pulled apart and package barrier 12 separates, layers 17 and 18 are withdrawn from between layers 16 and 19 that are adjacent to adjacent ones of the food elements, and as they are withdrawn, layers 16 and 19 are also withdrawn, ⁇ ntil the divider arrangement 14 is completely removed and no longer separates the food elements in zones 2 and 4.
  • each divider arrangement 14, 24 and 26 could be formed using separately folded arrangements 32, 34, and 36, such as shown in Fig. 3.
  • divider arrangement by attachment of the film which forms the layers of the divider to both of ends A and B of package barrier 12, instead of just at end B.
  • An example of this embodiment is shown in Fig 4, wherein overlapping film/sheets 42/44 and 46/48 extend from the opposed ends of package 10 to form a divider arrangement to make zones 2, 4, and 6.
  • package separation can be accomplished using the pull strip 22 as in the previously described embodiment, so that as the opposed ends A and B are pulled apart, sheets 42 and 46 stay with end B, while sheets 44 and 48 stay with end A, thereby allowing the food elements from zones 2, 4, and 6 to contact each other and form the completed food product.
  • the food elements in the package may be heated before being served to the user, in which case a microwave oven can be used to heat the contents of the package before it is opened, or the contents could be heated after the package has been opened and the food elements have already been brought together.
  • each zone in the package it is not necessary that each zone in the package have a food element stored therein, and instead have a food related item.
  • a lower zone could contain a bowl, a zone above that zone contain pasta, and a top zone contain an openable pouch with sauce.
  • FIG.S 5, 6 and 7 show various orientations between a machine which opens separable packages and a primary substrate onto which products in the separable packages are dispensed during the preparation of the layered product.
  • the separable packages in the following description may not necessarily be the same as the separable packages 10 shown in FIG's 1-4, and in fact in one embodiment may merely comprise a pouch formed by sealing together opposed ends of a two adjacently positioned rectangular sheets of a plastic film.
  • a stationary layering machine 200 provides the separable packages 202 vertically with respect to a preparation surface 8 that moves in the direction of arrow 2.
  • the preparation surface 8 moves concurrently with the pouch as it is being dispensed by the layering machine 200
  • the preparation surface 8 is stationary with respect to the pouch dispensing operation of the layering machine 200.
  • package 202 includes a food element 6 packaged in a plastic film 5.
  • the film 5 is wrapped around rollers 3 and when the rollers turn in opposing directions relative to each other, the food element 6 is ejected out of the pouch and is positioned, for example, onto a primary food element 4 which is resting on a sanitary film substrate 7.
  • Film substrate 7 is resting on preparation surface 8.
  • a package 202 includes a food element 6 packaged in a plastic film 5.
  • the film 5 is wrapped around rollers 3 and when the rollers turn in an opposing directions relative to each other, the food element 6 is ejected out of the package 202 and is positioned onto the primary food element 4 which is resting on a sanitary film substrate 7.
  • Film substrate 7 is resting on preparation surface 8.
  • the preparation surface 8 is stationary with respect to the food element dispensing operation of the layering machine 200.
  • the system can be housed in a housing such as a vending machine, a tabletop box for store use or out in the open in the case of a kitchen.
  • a control system can be linked to the dispensing mechanism so that a customer can customize the food elements that are layered. The entire process can be open to viewing through a window or port. The unit can also receive payments and be responsive to customer inputs.
  • the system can also be utilized for non food products.
  • the pouches can contain food elements such as vegetables, cheese, meat, bread and liquids such as condiments and sauces.
  • the pouches can be stored in a accordion fashion, folded back and forth against one another, or can be stored in a roll or simply one pouch at a time separated from the others.
  • the pouch can be transferred into a cooking environment, such as a clam shell hot cooking press which can for example, cook an uncooked burger or filet prior to the food element being dispensed.
  • a cooking environment such as a clam shell hot cooking press which can for example, cook an uncooked burger or filet prior to the food element being dispensed.
  • the food element can be cooked in various manners including using microwave technology prior to being dispensed and positioned onto another element.
  • the food elements can also be cooked automatically after they are layered and before being dispensed through a vending machine port, such as in the case of pizza.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Composite Materials (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Wrappers (AREA)
  • General Preparation And Processing Of Foods (AREA)
  • Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
  • Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)
  • Bag Frames (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne, dans un mode de réalisation, un matériau tel qu'un film plastique servant à séparer des éléments alimentaires indépendants qui sont conditionnés avec le matériau de séparation dans un emballage externe commun. Lorsque le client décide de manger l'aliment, l'emballage externe est ouvert et le film séparant les différents éléments alimentaires enlevé, soit manuellement soit automatiquement, et c'est alors la première fois que les éléments séparés sont en contact mutuel. Ainsi, le produit alimentaire est maintenu au plus haut niveau d'intégrité avant sa consommation par le client. La présente invention porte également sur des procédés et sur une machine pour poser le contenu des emballages de manière à former un ensemble complet pour les éléments conditionnés.
EP04754899A 2003-06-09 2004-06-09 Emballage separable et machine de pose associee Withdrawn EP1641612A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US47726603P 2003-06-09 2003-06-09
US47722303P 2003-06-09 2003-06-09
PCT/US2004/018434 WO2004113096A2 (fr) 2003-06-09 2004-06-09 Emballage separable et machine de pose associee

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1641612A2 true EP1641612A2 (fr) 2006-04-05

Family

ID=33544346

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04754899A Withdrawn EP1641612A2 (fr) 2003-06-09 2004-06-09 Emballage separable et machine de pose associee

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1641612A2 (fr)
JP (1) JP2007511423A (fr)
WO (1) WO2004113096A2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8354131B2 (en) 2006-09-13 2013-01-15 Kraft Foods Global Brands Llc Microwavable food products
US8057832B2 (en) 2006-09-13 2011-11-15 Kraft Foods Global Brands Llc Microwavable food products
ES2554997T3 (es) * 2013-02-06 2015-12-28 Cryovac, Inc. Paquete multicompartimento sin bandeja con marco rígido
USD794470S1 (en) 2015-11-30 2017-08-15 Cryovac, Inc. Notebook with sheets for packaged products
EP3884780A1 (fr) * 2020-03-27 2021-09-29 Lesaffre et Compagnie Produit de pâte et procédés associés
EP3884781A1 (fr) * 2020-03-27 2021-09-29 Lesaffre et Compagnie Produit de pâte et procédés associés

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6384391B1 (en) * 1999-04-06 2002-05-07 Darla L. Beckwith Pouch-like article for microwave heating of foods

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO2004113096A3 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2004113096A2 (fr) 2004-12-29
JP2007511423A (ja) 2007-05-10
WO2004113096A3 (fr) 2005-03-24

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