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
  • B65D33/00—Details of, or accessories for, sacks or bags
  • B65D33/06—Handles
  • B65D33/065—Integral handles
• • 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
  • B65D31/00—Bags or like containers made of paper and having structural provision for thickness of contents
  • B65D31/02—Bags or like containers made of paper and having structural provision for thickness of contents with laminated walls
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B2155/00—Flexible containers made from webs
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B2170/00—Construction of flexible containers
  • B31B2170/20—Construction of flexible containers having multi-layered walls, e.g. laminated or lined
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
  • B31B70/74—Auxiliary operations
  • B31B70/86—Forming integral handles or mounting separate handles
  • B31B70/874—Forming integral handles or mounting separate handles involving punching or cutting

Definitions

• the present invention refers to a container, provided with a handle to make it easier to transport, consisting of at least two flexible films, and a method for producing such a container.
• the container has at least one outer surface and at least one inner surface, at least one portion of said outer surface being suitable for forming a handle of the container itself.
• Containers made from flexible plastic material for example pouches, bags or sacks, are widely known in the art and are used to package various types of products, for example granular, powder and similar products for food, agricultural or building uses.
• They are generally made from films having heat sealable inner layers and obtained by successive folding, carrying out transversal and longitudinal welding between the juxtaposed parts of heat sealable layers. Where heat sealable materials are not used in the films, such containers are made by means of sealing systems using glue or adhesives.
• European Patent Application no. 1651530 describes a container which can be closed at its upper end and is equipped with a carrying handle that is positioned so as not to hinder the closing of the container.
• Another solution is given by making perforations in the container, generally in the top part of the container itself, so as to create a space suitable for allowing the insertion of a finger, creating a sort of handle.
• This solution avoids having to add material to create the handle; this solution is practical and widely used, but has limitations since the container is weakened by the presence of such perforations and the container tends to tear in the area subjected to most strain.
• the technical problem forming the basis of the present invention is to provide a container made from flexible material provided with a handle integrated in the structure of the container itself, which is resistant to tear and capable of keeping unaltered the container properties of acting as a barrier to external agents.
• a container consisting of at least two flexible films, said container having at least one outer surface and at least one inner surface, is characterised in that at least one portion of said outer surface is suitable for forming a handle of the container itself and is able to resist tearing during its use.
• the handle is made from the same material used to make the container, making recycling easier.
• container it is meant a pouch, bag, sack, or any other robust container suitable for containing granular, powdered and similar products, such as for example food for people or animals, agricultural products such as soil or fertilisers, building products such as lime, cement .
• the handle of the container can take up two distinct shapes, according to whether the container is in rest condition (handle closed) or in operative condition (handle open) .
• said surface suitable for forming a handle is part of the outer surface of the container.
• the surface suitable for forming the handle does not take additional volume and therefore does not create problems of encumbrance or of hindrance, thus, for example, making easier filling, sealing, transportation and storage steps of the container.
• said surface suitable for forming a handle is lifted with respect to said outer surface of the container.
• the user's hand can be inserted into the recess that is created between such a surface suitable for forming a handle and the surface of the container.
• Said outer surface suitable for constituting a handle can be of any geometric shape and size, based upon the desired design, its position on the container and the target tear resistance .
• At least one part of the perimeter of said surface suitable for forming the handle consists of at least one incision line onto the outer surface of the container.
• said at least one incision line makes it easier to identify the surface suitable for forming the handle and to carry out the relative lifting to be gripped.
• said at least one incision line is a straight line, a curved line or a combination thereof.
• said incision lines define a curvilinear surface having a central area that is narrower than the peripheral one.
• said incision lines are at least two parallel straight lines.
• said incision lines are of a length substantially equal to the average width of a man's hand (considered as the distance between thumb and little finger) and are arranged at a shorter distance apart than the average size of the palm of a man' s hand.
• such sizes are within a range between 3 and 30 centimetres of length and between 0.5 and 10 cm of width.
• curved lines by length and width it is meant the total length and width of the geometric shape enclosed between such incision lines.
• the surface between such lines is of a size to be able to be used as a handle.
• said container also comprises a device such as, for example, a tab, an adhesive band, or whatever opening or lifting device suitable for lifting easier such a surface suitable for forming the handle.
• said device is also suitable for making easier to maintain the handle in rest condition, making the moving and storage steps easier.
• the containers of the present invention can have different shapes and functionalities.
• said container has at least two faces.
• said container has at least two front faces and from one to three side faces, where by side faces are meant both the bottom face and the side faces (known as gusset) located between said front faces.
• said surface suitable for forming a handle is positioned on at least one of said front faces.
• said surface suitable for forming a handle is positioned on at least one of said gussets so as to leave the front faces free to facilitate the filling and sealing of the container.
• said incision line creates an opening on the outer surface of the container suitable for constituting a handle.
• said container can further include known in the art elements suitable for finishing off the container and for providing the container itself with particular advantages, such as, for example, the different types of container bottom, as simple (or “bavette”) , flat (or added) or folded; the easy opening system; reclosing systems, as zip and "slider", in the different positions on top or at the front; the labels; the technical solutions for dosing the content; and others .
• known in the art elements suitable for finishing off the container and for providing the container itself with particular advantages such as, for example, the different types of container bottom, as simple (or “bavette”) , flat (or added) or folded; the easy opening system; reclosing systems, as zip and "slider", in the different positions on top or at the front; the labels; the technical solutions for dosing the content; and others .
• the container of the present invention is made with films of various materials selected according to requirements and applications such as, for example, paper, plastic, amorphous, mono-orientated o bi-orientated, composite or lacquered plastics, such as for example plastic films coated with organic or inorganic layers, coextruded or others; metallic materials, such as for example aluminium foil, or mixtures thereof; biodegradable materials to produce containers that meet the requirements of current biodegradability and compostability standards (such as for example EN13432), or combinations thereof.
• films of various materials selected according to requirements and applications such as, for example, paper, plastic, amorphous, mono-orientated o bi-orientated, composite or lacquered plastics, such as for example plastic films coated with organic or inorganic layers, coextruded or others; metallic materials, such as for example aluminium foil, or mixtures thereof; biodegradable materials to produce containers that meet the requirements of current biodegradability and compostability standards (such as for example EN13432), or combinations thereof.
• polyesters polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyamides, polycarbonates, polyvinylchlorides, or mixtures thereof are preferred.
• the container of the present invention has the advantage of using flexible materials, therefore easier to be folded during the production of the container and with good sealing properties to obtain containers able to ensure a suitable air-tightness.
• At least one of said films positioned highest up from such juxtaposed films is transparent or pigmented.
• At least one of said films positioned highest up from such juxtaposed films is suitable for being printed on by means of any printing technology known in the field of the packaging industry such as, for example, rotogravure or flexography, so as to be able to reproduce, for example, distinctive marks, information about the product contained inside the container, manufacturer's name, and the like.
• step d) of producing at least one incision line onto a portion of said laminate or on a portion of at least one of said films positioned highest up so that said incision line contributes to define a surface suitable for being lifted from the underlying non-incised films to form the handle of the container itself, said step d) :
• step a) at least two films are laid on top of one another so that at least one film positioned highest up from such juxtaposed films contributes to form, at the end of the production process, the outer surface of the container and the film positioned lowest down from such juxtaposed films contributes to form the inner surface of the container.
• step a) from 2 to 10 films, more preferably from 2 to 6, are laid on top of one another.
• the container consists of a number of films that represents a good compromise to obtain good air-tightness and stiffness, at the same time keep the production costs to the minimum.
• each of said films can consist of one or more layers.
• said juxtaposed films are coupled during step b) by means of technologies known in the field of the packaging industry such as, for example, the use of solvent-based or solvent-free lamination coupling machines or by extrusion.
• said juxtaposed films are coupled through lamination with at least one layer suitable for promoting the adhesion between said films being arranged between them, so as to make a laminate.
• said at least one layer suitable for promoting the adhesion between said films contains at least one adhesive agent.
• Adhesive agents or glues able to be used for the purposes of the adhesion of said films can be of any type amongst those commonly used in the field of flexible packaging, such as for example those known as monocomponent or with many components, solvent-based, water-based or alcohol-based or solvent-free, of the polyurethane, polyester, polyether or mixed type or even of the acrylic or epoxy type, able to be cross linked by catalysts, temperature, light or other energy sources.
• the films are coupled so as to form a compact and resistant multilayer laminate film.
• At said surface suitable for forming the handle of the container there is a non-adhesion area between said surface and said non-incised underlying film.
• said at least one layer suitable for promoting the adhesion between said films has no adhesive agents in said non-adhesion area, whereas the remaining part of said layer contains said adhesive agents.
• said at least one layer suitable for promoting the adhesion between said films comprises, in said non-adhesion area, at least one agent having release properties or being chemical or physical incompatible with said adhesive agent.
• at least one agent having release properties or being chemical or physical incompatible with said adhesive agent Preferably, in such a case, in said non- adhesion area, a layer containing said agent having release properties is first applied and then said adhesive agent is applied onto all of said adhesive layer.
• the surface suitable for forming the handle does not stick to the adhesive layer and can thus be easily lifted from the underlying non-incised films.
• said non- adhesion area has a greater surface dimensions than that of said surface suitable for being lifted.
• the surface suitable for forming the handle of the container is even easier to separate from the underlying non-incised films and the resistance to tearing is greater.
• said step d) produces at least two incision lines so as to define between them said surface suitable for being lifted.
• such incision lines are made by a mechanical cutting system or a laser cutting system.
• Such cutting systems allow a portion of said laminate or a portion of at least one of said films positioned highest up to be sufficiently deeply incised as to allow the surface suitable for forming the handle to be lifted and detach from the underlying non-incised films.
• such cutting systems allow the films, which do not contribute to form the surface suitable for forming the handle and that lie below the films onto which the incision lines are made, to not be influenced by such incisions and therefore allowing them to maintain unaltered their properties of making the container airtight, with clear advantages .
• a laser cutting system is used that is able to generate more precise incisions and to reduce the occurrence of tearing of the cut material.
• step d) is completed before step b) begins.
• said incision lines are made onto one of such films before step a) of juxtaposing films .
• said films onto which said incision lines have been made are positioned highest up in the step a) of juxtaposing said films.
• step d) is. carried out during step b) .
• step d) is carried out after the completion of step b) , i.e. when the laminate has been obtained, and before step c) begins .
• the incision lines onto the films positioned highest up are carried out on dedicated equipment or in the trimming or slitting step.
• step c) of the production method of the container of the present invention uses a laminate that is already prepared for making a container with handle.
• step c) comprises carrying out successive folds of the laminate along its edges and transversal and longitudinal welding between juxtaposed parts of heat sealable layers so as to obtain the container.
• step c) is carried out by means of industrial techniques and equipments known to experts skilled in the art and therefore are not described in detail in the present invention.
• the type of laminate used and the geometry of the incisions are selected and designed so as to ensure processability without drawbacks in both longitudinal or transversal machines for the production of containers (known as packaging or bag machines) .
• step d) is carried out during step c) .
• the incision step is carried out by means of a laser cutting system installed on the packaging or filling machine.
• a container comprising a handle integrated in the container itself.
• the handle can be made in any position of the container.
• the method of the present invention is able to make the handle onto at least one side face of the container.
• At least one of said films constituting said container is suitable for being printed at any moment with respect to said steps a) , b) , c) and d) of the production method.
• a printing step of one of the films used in the present invention can be carried out during any step of the method herein described and by any known techniques, not described in this document, such as for example, rotogravure or flexography.
• the thus formed container is ready to be inserted into suitable filling machinery for such containers.
• suitable filling machinery for such containers.
• Such machinery carries out. the steps of opening the container, filling with the desired product and sealing the top part of the container.
• the container, filled and sealed is ready to be stored and/or transported.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a container in accordance with the present invention wherein two incision lines and the handle closed in rest condition can be seen;
• figure 2 is a schematic representation of the same container shown in figure 1 wherein the open handle in operative condition can be seen;
• figure 3 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a container in accordance with the present invention wherein an incision line and the handle closed in rest condition can be seen;
• figure 4 is a schematic representation of the same container shown in figure 3 wherein the open handle in operative condition can be seen;
• FIGS 5a and 5b are schematic representations of the method for producing the container in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 6a and 6b are schematic representations of the method for producing the container in accordance with the third preferred embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 7 is a representation in section of a part of the container in accordance with the present invention.
• FIG. 8 is a representation in section of a part of the container in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention wherein the adhesive layer containing an agent having release property can be seen.
• the conventional flexible container 1 is shown consisting of the top front face 21, the bottom front face 22 (hidden in the figures) and the side face 23 located between such front faces 21,22.
• the portion 4 of the outer surface 3 of the front face 21 enclosed between the parallel straight incision lines (6a, 6b) and the dashed lines (16a, 16b) is also clear. In rest condition, the portion 4 sticks to the outer surface 3 of the container 1.
• the container V is shown having a straight incision line 24 and a curvilinear incision line 25 that contribute to define the surface portion 4' .
• the portion 4' sticks to the outer surface 3 of the container 1' .
• the containers 1,1' of the present invention contain at least one portion of one of their outer surfaces suitable for forming a handle of the containers themselves capable of resisting tearing during the use .
• Figure 5a shows a transparent film 5 onto which a laser cutting system 7 incises (step d) two straight incision lines (6a, 6b).
• the two lines (6a, 6b) define the portion 4 of the outer surface 3 of the film 5 between them.
• the transparent film 5 is then laid over (step a) the film 8 onto which information 9 and distinctive marks relative to the content of the container have been printed. Between the film 5 and 8 there is an adhesive layer 11. Again with reference to figure 5a and, for extra clarity, also with reference to figure 7, a non-adhesion area 15 of the adhesive layer 11 at the portion 4 of the film 5 is shown. The non- adhesion area 15 shall allow the portion 4 of the film 5 to separate from the film.8 in operative condition.
• Figure 8 also shows an alternative embodiment of a non- adhesion area 15' of the adhesive layer 11', wherein a layer 13 containing an agent having release properties with the adhesive agent contained in the adhesive layer 11' is applied.
• the film 8 then, is laid over the film 10 (step a), arranging an adhesive layer 12 between them.
• the films 5,8 ' and 10 are laminated (step b) together to obtain the laminate 14.
• the film 5 comprising the portion 4 of surface suitable for forming the handle 2 is arranged in the highest position in the laminate 14.
• Such a laminate 14 is then inserted in typical machinery not shown in the figures that, by folding and successive welding of the laminate 14 (step c) , produces the container 1 in its final form of figure 1 or 2, wherein the handle 2 can be seen.
• the transparent film 5, the film 8 onto which information and/or distinctive marks 9 relative to the content of the container have been printed, and the film 10 are laid on top of one another (step a) , ensuring that the film 5 is in the highest position and arranging the adhesive layers 11 and 12 between them in a similar way to what has been seen with reference to figure 5a.
• the non-adhesion area 15 is made at the portion 4 of the film 5, in the same ways previously described with reference to figures 5a and 5b.
• the non- adhesion area 15 shall allow the portion 4 of the film 5 to separate from the film 8 in operative condition.
• such films 5, 8 and 10 are laminated (step b) obtaining the laminate 14' .
• Such a laminate 14' is then subjected (step d) to the action of a laser cutting system 7 that produces the two incision lines (6a, 6b) onto the outer surface 3 of the film 5.
• the laminate 14' is subsequently inserted into typical machinery (not shown in the figures) so as to obtain (step c) the container 1 comprising the handle 2.
• step c) takes place without having to add any steps to make the handle 2 of the container 1 itself, reducing the production costs and simplifying the production cycle.
• the incision step d) could be carried out during the container production step c) by implementing the suitable equipment on the container production machinery.

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• 2006
  • 2006-09-25 WO PCT/IT2006/000682 patent/WO2008038308A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2006-09-25 EP EP06821711A patent/EP2107991A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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