EP2421769A1

EP2421769A1 - Packaging, in particular microwave packaging bag, having a pressure equalization valve with a variable flow cross-section

Info

Publication number: EP2421769A1
Application number: EP10715812A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Manuella Herb; Agata Surdziel
Original assignee: Huhtamaki Ronsberg Zweigniederlassung der Huhtamaki Deutschland GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Huhtamaki Ronsberg Zweigniederlassung der Huhtamaki Deutschland GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2009-04-22
Filing date: 2010-04-22
Publication date: 2012-02-29
Also published as: DE102009018489A1; WO2010122116A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to packaging (410), in particular a packaging bag, preferably a food packaging bag, especially preferably for heating packaged goods by means of microwave radiation, wherein - considering an initial state of the packaging (410) - in a valve section (434) of the packaging wall (430), which valve section separates an interior space (432) enclosed by the packaging (410) from an exterior area of the same, a valve weakening (438) of the packaging wall (430) is provided and is designed to permit the passage of gas between the interior space (432) and the exterior area at or above a predetermined relative change of a gas pressure in the interior space (432) relative to a gas pressure in the exterior area, wherein the valve section (434) comprises a connecting area (440) in which the valve section (434) is connected to a securing section of the packaging wall (430) by means of a connection that can be released by means of a relative change of the gas pressure in the interior space (432) in such a way that the securing section at least impedes the passage of gas through the valve weakening (438). The releasable connection is designed in such a way that a connecting surface (442) of the connecting area (440), by means of which connecting surface the valve section (434) and the securing section are initially releasably connected to each other, is gradually reduced under the effect of the changed gas pressure in the interior space (432) to release the connection and the connecting area (440) is arranged relative to the valve weakening (438) in such a way that an active surface of the valve weakening (438) provided for the passage of gas becomes larger as the connecting surface (442) becomes smaller.

Description

Packaging, in particular microwave packaging bags, with pressure compensating valve with variable flow cross section

description

The present invention relates to a packaging, in particular a packaging bag, preferably food packaging bag, particularly preferably for heating of packaged goods by microwave radiation, wherein - considering a starting state of the package - in a valve portion of the packaging wall, which encloses an enclosed by the packaging interior of a Outside of the same separates, a valve weakening of the packaging is provided, which is adapted to, from a predetermined relative change of a gas pressure in the interior relative to a gas pressure in the outer region of a gas passage between

Allow interior and exterior, wherein the valve portion has a connection region in which the valve portion is connected to a securing portion of the packaging such by a Relativänderung of the gas pressure in the interior detachable connection, that the securing portion makes a gas passage through the valve weakening at least difficult the releasable connection is configured such that a connection surface of the connection region, via which the valve section and the securing section are initially detachably connected to one another, is gradually reduced under the action of the changed gas pressure in the interior to dissolve the connection.

The term releasable connection is to be understood taking into account the material strength of the materials involved as well as the forces occurring during normal use. A compound is referred to here as releasable, if it is solvable by the forces occurring during normal use, without causing the involved in the connection sections of the Packaging wall to be destroyed.

Such a package is known in Japan for cooking food. The packaged foods are placed in a packaged state in a microwave oven and heated by microwave radiation.

A schematic plan view of the front side of the known packaging is shown in FIG.

The microwave radiation heats the water in the packaging 1, during which time it at least partially passes into the vapor phase.

As the heating progresses, the pressure in the interior 2 of the packaging thus increases, which leads to a mechanical load on the packaging wall 3.

The known from Japan packaging 1 is a packaging bag with a front 4 and a back, which are each formed of film laminate. The rear side of the packaging 1 connected to the front side 4 via a permanent closed edge seal R can not be seen in the illustration of FIG. On the front 4 and the back of the package is punched out of the film in the valve portion 8 each about 2 mm, the front 4 and the back passing through hole 5 as a through hole.

At a distance from the edge of the punched-out hole 5, the front side 4 is peelably sealed via an annular connecting surface 6 concentric with respect to the center of the punched-out hole 5 with a connecting region 7 of the valve section 8 to a securing section formed by the rear side of the packaging bag.

If now increases by heating the pressure in the interior of the package relative to the outside environment, the front and back of the Packing 1 inflated and stretched by the increasing internal pressure, so that increasing peel forces act on the detachable connection with increasing internal pressure.

Then, when induced by the internal pressure, on the releasable

Connection of the valve portion with the securing portion acting peel forces exceed the seal strength of the configured as a seal releasable connection, the connection is gradually released until a channel is provided to the through holes 5, then gas can escape from the packaging interior 2 to the outside.

This avoids unwanted bursting of the package 1 during the heating of its contents. The passage openings and the releasable connection between the valve portion and securing portion act as a pressure equalization valve.

A disadvantage of this known solution, however, is that when the opening initially separating the through opening from the packaging interior detachable connection is solved so that a connection from the packaging interior to the through holes, suddenly the entire opening cross section of the through holes for gas outlet is available. Furthermore, this opening cross-section also remains constant thereafter, if, for example, the packaging continues to be heated and the pressure in the interior of the packaging increases further. As a result, it may happen that undesirably too much or too little gas escapes from the packaging interior.

If too much gas escapes from the packaging interior, the cooking process in the interior of the packaging may not proceed as desired, so that the contents of the package may not be completely cooked after the specified time.

On the other hand, if too little gas escapes from the packaging, it may be that despite the provision of the pressure compensation valve, there is an undesirable bursting of the packaging with the associated loss of the contents of the package.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a package of the type mentioned, which allows better than the packaging known from the prior art, a reliable cooking of the packaging content in the package and thereby avoids an undesirable bursting of the packaging with great certainty.

This object is achieved in that the connection region is arranged so relative to the valve weakening that with decreasing the connecting surface provided for the passage of gas effective area of the valve weakening is greater.

In accordance with the solution proposed here according to the invention, a package is provided in which the effective area of the valve weakening, that is, the area which is provided for a gas passage, is formed in accordance with the pressure difference prevailing in the package to the outside environment of the valve portion.

In general, the relative pressure difference between interior and exterior will be a relative overpressure in the interior. Likewise, the relative change of the gas pressure in the interior will usually be a relative increase of the gas pressure in the interior space relative to the gas pressure of the outside area.

Since the relative pressure difference between the interior and exterior is the relevant drive for the reduction of the connection surface and the effective area of the valve weakening increases as the connection area becomes smaller, the detachable connection between the securing section and the valve section becomes more and more detached as the pressure changes further ever larger area for the passage of gas provided, which in turn allows an ever stronger pressure balance between the interior and exterior.

Since the connecting surface over which the valve portion and the securing portion are initially detachably connected to each other is reduced gradually with changing internal pressure, a required pressure in the packaging interior can be ensured for a sufficiently long period of time. Also, due to the above embodiment, undesirable bursting of the package can be prevented.

By "gradual" is meant that the releasable connection does not abruptly dissolve, but rather is to be said to be "gradual" in that the process of releasing the releasable connection is observable to the naked human eye in its course. The release of the compound can be carried out continuously as well as discontinuously in several successive stages. Due to the inventively provided relationship between the bonding surface and effective surface is therefore due to the gradual reduction of the connection surface during the release process, the entire effective area not, as it is already known from the prior art, released suddenly for a gas passage, but the effective area is gradually increased.

In order to be able to ensure that the valve weakening begins to be available for a gas passage only after a certain duration of a relative change of the gas pressure in the interior relative to the outside area, the connection region can completely surround the valve weakening. In other words, this means that the valve weakening is located completely in the area of the connection surface. Then, namely, the connection surface must be reduced so long only by relative change of the gas pressure in the interior until the effective area of the valve weakening can be acted upon directly by the changing gas pressure. To increase the effective area that can be achieved, a valve weakening can also be provided in the securing section. For these, the above as well as below for the valve weakening of the valve section what is said applies accordingly.

5

In order to achieve a sufficiently slow reduction of the connection surface with relative change of the gas pressure in the interior, the releasable connection may comprise a releasable bond or / and a releasable seal. In particular, the releasable seal for food packaging has excellent properties. There is no need for additional adhesive to be introduced into the interior of the package by which the packaged goods could be adversely affected. In addition, releasable seals can be created by adjusting the sealing parameters, such as sealing time, sealing pressure and / or sealing temperature with i5 different strengths, which are adapted to the respective packaged goods and the desired cooking times.

Particularly preferred as a releasable connection is a so-called "peelable", ie peelable seal suitable, as it is known from 20 tear-open packaging, such as yogurt, cottage cheese, sliced cheese and the like.

In order to be able to ensure a defined releasing direction of the detachable connection, it is advantageous if the connecting surface has an elongate shape with a longer characteristic dimension, such as edge length or semiaxis, and a shorter characteristic dimension, such as edge length or semiaxis.

For peelable bonds or seals, the force required to peel the peelable bond is proportional to the peel edge length for a given seal strength. Therefore, a release process of the releasable connection and, associated therewith, a reduction of the connection area with an elongate shape of the connection surface can always be over the side having the shorter characteristic dimension can be introduced since, due to the shorter peeling edge resulting from the shorter characteristic dimension, a relatively small force is sufficient for the gradual separation of valve section and securing section.

Therefore, from exceeding a predetermined limit pressure in the interior of the packaging, a peeling of the connecting portion from the securing portion or vice versa usually in the longitudinal direction of the elongated connecting surface.

Then, when the bonding surface has a rectangular or generally polygonal shape, edge lengths can be used as characteristic dimensions. In the case of, for example, an elliptical shape of the connecting surface, the short and long semiaxes of the ellipse can serve as characteristic dimensions.

In order to ensure that the changing pressure in the interior of the packaging is sufficient to gradually release the detachable connection between securing section and valve section in time, it can be provided that the elongate connecting surface is at least one side with a shorter characteristic dimension, preferably at least two bordered on at least three sides of the interior.

If margins of the packaging are formed by sealing, it can thus be ensured that, although the detachable connection is released, the permanent marginal sealing of the packaging material remains at the same internal pressure at which the detachable connection begins to dissolve remains, as edge seals in the rule only on one side and then along a long side to the interior of the

Packaging borders. In this case, the entire adjacent to the interior of the packaging longitudinal side would be peel edge, resulting in a given pressure difference between the interior and exterior already at slightly higher sealing seam strengths than that of the detachable connection leads to virtually insoluble edge sealing seams.

Alternatively or in addition to the above-described release of the detachable connection by peeling off connecting portion and

Securing section from each other, so to a continuous release of the releasable connection, the releasable connection may be gradually dissolvable at least in sections and discontinuously. This is the case, for example, when the releasable connection has a plurality of binding regions, which have different required

Release parameters are assigned. For example, release parameters can be the force required to release the connection and / or a temperature.

In this case, the binding regions may each have abruptly detachable compounds even if the dissolution parameters are set only in such a way that the detachable compounds in the individual binding regions are dissolved in chronological succession.

Furthermore, the binding regions may each have peelable seals or bonds, wherein different binding regions may then have different seal seam strengths and / or different seal seam geometries.

As a result, the release behavior of the detachable connection depending on the pressure difference between Innenraurπ and outdoor and associated therewith the pressure difference-dependent increase in the effective area of the valve weakening can be preset in almost any way.

In principle, it may be thought to design the valve weakening as a predetermined breaking point, ie as a point at which the packaging wall has a lower strength than outside the valve portion. Then the valve weakening after appropriate Exposure to be broken by pressure-induced reduction of the bonding surface by a directly acting on the valve weakening gas pressure, so that then the gas passage is made possible by the valve weakening.

Preferably, however, the defined setting of the pressure difference between inner space and outer area necessary for releasing a gas passage is not in the design of the valve weakening but solely in the embodiment of the detachable connection, since this allows a particularly high reproducibility of the pressure difference-dependent release of a gas passage.

Therefore, it is provided according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention that the valve weakening has at least one passage opening passing through the valve portion.

The aforementioned enlargement of the effective area with reduction of the connecting surface may be achieved structurally, for example, by the valve weakening having a plurality of passage openings arranged successively in the direction of the longer characteristic dimension and / or by which subsets are provided in different binding regions ,

Since the detachable connection with an elongated connection surface at the same time peelable compound usually along their

Longitudinal extension by peeling triggers, with progressive peeling of the detachable connection, when provided in the direction of the longer characteristic dimension successively arranged Durchgangsöffnungeneπ successively opened passage openings for a gas passage and thus increases the effective flow cross-section successively.

Alternatively or additionally, the effective flow cross section may also be increased, that subsets of the through holes at different times, ie at different pressures, are released, because they are provided in the different binding regions with different release parameters.

Alternatively or additionally, it may be provided that the valve weakening has an elongated passage opening whose longitudinal extension direction has at least one component in the direction of the longer characteristic dimension and / or extends in sections in different binding regions. In such an approximately gap-shaped passage opening, the effective area of the valve weakening can be continuously increased with reduction of the connection area, whereas in the aforementioned case of the plurality of passage openings it is increased discontinuously (stepwise).

A disadvantage of the above-mentioned prior art is also the punching of material to form the through hole. In this case, waste accumulates, of which, in particular in the case of food packaging, it must be ensured that it does not get into the packaging.

Therefore, according to a development of the present invention, it is envisaged that the passage opening is formed only by eliminating the material connection, but avoiding a material removal, for example by puncturing or / and cutting through the valve section. In this case, the valve portion is pierced, pierced or cut through by a tool for producing the through hole, wherein, in particular of the piercing or piercing tool, material of the connecting portion merely displaced, preferably plastically displaced, so that a through hole is formed without contamination the packaging interior is to be feared. Furthermore, in the prior art described above, the connection region is arranged at a considerable distance from the edge of the passage opening. This leads to the risk that accumulate in the pockets formed between the edge of the passage opening and the connection area impurities, which can contaminate the packaged goods after releasing the detachable connection, ie usually during cooking of the packaged goods.

Therefore, according to an advantageous development of the present invention, it is envisaged that the connection surface extends to an edge bordering the passage opening.

Particularly preferably, a valve section containing the valve weakening is adhesively bonded to the securing section over the whole area and / or sealed.

In order to provide a packaging that is as light as possible, it can be provided that the valve section and / or the securing section are formed from a film material, in particular a film laminate. Then, when facing outer sides of the valve portion and securing portion are formed of a sealable material such as polypropylene or polyethylene, the releasable connection can be more preferably made without merely adding adhesives by merely fusing the sealable layers together and pressing them together.

The entire packaging is preferably formed from film material, in particular film laminate. Foil laminate stains may then be bonded to a package by permanent seals.

An advantageous reduction of components which are required for producing a packaging according to the invention can be achieved in that the valve portion on a first side of the package and the securing portion is formed on a second side of the package different from the first side. In this case, anyway, existing sides of the packaging are used to form the valve section and securing section.

According to an advantageous development of this idea, it can be provided that the valve portion is formed on one side of the front and back of the package and the securing portion is formed on the other side from the front and back of the package. Since the front and back of the package are opposite anyway, the formation of the releasable connection between the valve portion and securing portion can be particularly easily formed by pressing the two sections together.

Especially in the case of a preferred use of the packaging discussed here as food packaging also and especially for the cooking process, it may be advantageous to divide the packaging interior into a plurality of partial interiors, so that different products may be packaged in different partial interiors. As a result, a reciprocal influence of the packaged products can be excluded.

Then, when the connecting portion contributes to the separation of the enclosed by the packaging interior in at least two partial interior spaces, not only can be ensured that in

It is also possible to ensure that products which are stored separately but are to be consumed mixed in the cooked state come into contact with one another during cooking and can thus be mixed. For then, when the detachable connection dissolves pressure-induced in the region of the connecting portion, so that the separation of the interior is at least two partial interiors canceled. For reasons of best possible manufacturability, the packaging discussed here is preferably a packaging bag. For reasons of best possible handling, the packaging bag is preferably a stand-up pouch, such as is known from EP 1 371 578 A.

Then, when the packaging bag is designed such that the interior of the package is bounded by at least three separate inner surfaces which meet at a gusset location, the joining surface extending to and preferably away from the gusset location, with the gusset location Place provided, which is the weakest place of connection of the at least three inner surfaces together starting point of a solution of the detachable connection.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2 of EP 1 371 578 A, in each case two inner surfaces of the packaging bag can be connected to each other from the gusset location in three different directions, and all three inner surfaces involved meet exclusively at the gusset location itself. The inner surfaces involved in this case are: the inner front surface, the inner rear surface and an inner surface provided therebetween

Floor area. It should not be excluded that at least one of said inner surfaces is composed of a plurality of interconnected sub-surfaces.

The above description of the package discussed herein, unless otherwise specified, describes the package in its initial state, i. with intact detachable connection.

In the preferred case of a bag packaging in which films are permanently sealed together to form the bag, the invention provides that the strength of the detachable connection, in particular in the form of a releasable seal about 25% - 50% of the strength of the permanently provided connection seams. Finally, in order to be able to set the pressure and the pressure course in the packaging interior in the desired manner during the entire heating or cooking process, it is also possible for the valve weakening to have a plurality of passage openings, wherein the passage openings (336) have different diameters and, alternatively or additionally, with are arranged at different distances from each other.

The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. It shows:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a third exemplary embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention,

Figure 5a is a plan view of a fifth embodiment of

Invention, in the form of a two-compartment packing bag,

FIG. 5b shows a cross-sectional view of the object of FIG. 5 in the sectional plane VB-VB in FIG. 5a,

Figure 6 is a plan view of another embodiment and

Figure 7 is a plan view of the known from Japan, initially described packaging bag.

The packaging 10 according to the invention shown in FIG. 1 comprises one Foil formed front side 12 and a not visible in the view of Figure 1, also formed from sheet material back, the front and back are approximately square shaped and at the top 14, at the bottom 16 and at the two side edges 18 by a head Sealed seam 24, a bottom sealing seam 26 and by two side sealing seams 28 are connected to each other. It is therefore a packaging bag.

In all figures sealing seams are marked by hatching, whereby the density of the hatching lines symbolizes the seal seam strength. If, in the case of a sealed seam, the density of the hatching lines is greater than in the case of another sealing seam of the same figure, this means, unless stated otherwise, that the sealed seam strength of one sealing seam is greater than that of the other.

In the packaging bag according to the first embodiment, top, bottom and side sealing seams 24, 26, 28 have been sealed with the same sealing parameters and thus each have substantially the same seal strength.

Front 12 and back form the packaging wall 30, which encloses the interior 32 of the package 10. In the interior 32 is usually a food, such as. a. Cooked rice, which can be placed with the packaging in the initial state in a microwave oven and heated there.

Furthermore, the packaging bag has on its front side 12, preferably also on its rear side, a valve section 34, indicated by a dashed line, in which, in the present case, fifteen are formed by piercing the front side 12

Through openings 36 are arranged substantially equidistantly along a straight line. The entirety of the passage openings 36 forms the valve weakening 38. In the initial state shown in Figure 1 (as well as in all other figures), however, no gas passage through the through holes 36 is possible because they are arranged in the connecting portion 40 of the valve portion 34, in which connection region 40, the front side 12 with the back of the package 10 via a valve weakening 38 total, as well as each individual passage opening 36 surrounding connecting surface 42 is gas-impermeably connected by a further sealing seam 44. lö

In this case, the sealing seam strength of the further sealing seam 44 is significantly lower than that of the top, bottom or side sealing seams 24, 26, 28, so that the additional sealing seam 44, in contrast to the other sealing seams 24, 26, 28 taking into account the material strengths of the i5 materials involved, the dimensions of the sealing seam 44 and the forces occurring during normal use as a detachable (peelable) sealed seam is designed.

The connecting surface 42 formed by the releasable sealing seam 44 has essentially the shape of an elongated rectangle, with the longer characteristic dimension 46 of the rectangle, ie its longer side edge, extending approximately parallel to the side edges 18 of the packaging bag, the shorter characteristic dimension 48 parallel to the upper and lower edge 14 and 16, respectively. 5

If the water contained in the food to be cooked in the interior 32 of the packaging 10 is heated, the pressure in the interior 32 increases relative to the ambient pressure, as a result of which the packaging 10 inflates. With increasing pressure and the force acting on the sealing seams 44, 24, 26, 280 force increases, due to the different

Sealing seam strength which is required to release the further seam 44 significantly lower force than the release of the remaining sealing seams 24, 26, 28 required force. Therefore, upon reaching a certain relative overpressure in the interior 32, the sealing seam 44 begins to come off and thus the connecting region 40 of the valve section 34 to peel off from the securing section. Since the force required to release a sealing seam is proportional to the edge length, this process begins at the narrow side 42a of the connecting surface 42 bordering on the packaging interior 32, ie from the shorter characteristic dimension 48, and continues in the direction of the arrow P.

In particular, due to the forces acting on two sides in each case, the peeling process generally starts at the two lower corners 42b of the narrow side 42a of the connecting surface 42.

In this way, the through-openings 36 are exposed one after the other with increasing pressure, so that the opening or flow cross-section available for the Gauss exit from the interior 32 of the package 10 increases with increasing pressure. The entire exposed opening area of the passage openings 36 forms the effective area in the sense of the present invention.

By choosing suitable hole spacings and diameters, optimum pressure conditions in the packaging 10 for the desired cooking process can be set during the entire heating process. In particular, it is possible to provide passage openings with different diameters or distances in the valve section 34. Instead of the row of holes, a narrow slot is also possible, which extends approximately parallel to the longer characteristic dimension of the connecting surface.

In the further illustrated embodiments, elements corresponding to elements of the first embodiment are identified by reference numbers obtained by adding the number 100 for the second Embodiment or 200, 300, 400 or 500 for the third, fourth, fifth or sixth embodiment will be apparent from the corresponding reference numerals of the first embodiment. When marked by letters, the same letter is used for all embodiments. The following embodiments are described in more detail only insofar as they differ from the first embodiment, the above description is otherwise expressly referenced.

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention in the form of another packaging bag.

The essential difference from the first exemplary embodiment is that the detachable sealing seam 144 and thus the connection surface 142 extend to the upper edge 114 of the packaging 110; the head seal 124 is interrupted accordingly. With a correspondingly strong pressure development in the interior 132 of the packaging 110, when the detachable sealing seam 144 has dissolved over its entire length a, an opening can be formed over the entire width b of the releasable sealing seam 124, whereby bursting of the packaging 110 with a strongly increasing pressure is effective can be prevented.

Furthermore, connecting surface 142 runs pointedly at its longitudinal end projecting into the interior 132 of the packaging 110, this form serving to guide the peeling process from the tip 142 b in the direction of the arrow P. Of course, it is also possible to provide a similar tip at the longitudinal end of the connecting surface 42 of the first embodiment which projects into the interior of the packaging 132.

In the case of the packaging 210 shown in FIG

Connecting portion 240 three binding regions 250a, 250b, 250c, each with two through holes provided therein 236, wherein the binding regions have different sealing seam strengths and the Seal seam strength is the lower, the further the binding region protrudes into the interior 232 of the package 210. In such an arrangement, it is also possible to provide a compound which dissolves abruptly on reaching the required release force over the entire binding region, as the regions 250a, 250b and 250c successively replace due to the different dissolving forces (release parameters) and the effective area with decreasing connecting surface gradually increased.

FIG. 4 shows another packaging 310 according to the invention, likewise with three binding regions 350a, 350b, 350c with different release parameters. In this case, however, the bonding regions 350a, 350b, 350c are juxtaposed in the direction along the upper edge 314 of the package 310 and each have a series of through holes 336 parallel to the side edges 318, the diameters of the through holes 336 in the bonding regions 350a and 350c are larger than in the binding region 350b.

As in the example shown in FIG. 2, in the present case the connecting surface 342 extends up to the upper edge 314 of the packaging 310 and furthermore also has a tip 342b, at which a detachment process of the connecting region 340 comprising the binding regions 350a, 350b, 350c occurs with sufficient pressure increase in the interior 332 of the package 310 begins. However, in the present case, the detachment process continues not only in the direction of the arrow P but also in the direction of the arrow P ¹ , depending on the choice of the release parameters in the individual binding regions and the geometric shape of the connection surface 342.

The above examples make it clear that different pressure conditions and pressure profiles can be generated in the packaging according to the invention in a simple manner, whereby various applications always optimal conditions, especially cooking conditions can be adjusted.

Figure 5 shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention in the form of a two-chamber bag.

The structure of the packaging 410 essentially corresponds to that of the multi-edge sealing bag shown in the patent EP 1 371 578 B1 of the Applicant.

In contrast to the previously described packages, the two-chamber bag also has a bottom side 415 in addition to a front side 412 and a back side 413 (see FIG. 5b), wherein the front side 412, bottom side 415 and back side 413 form a W-shaped fold so that two lower edges 416 are formed at which front and back 412 and 413 of the package 410 are connected to the bottom surface 415 by a respective bottom sealing seam 426. This can be seen particularly well in the cross-sectional representation of FIG. 5b.

The two chambers or partial interiors 432a and 432b are separated in the initial state shown by the sealing seams 444, 445a and 445b, which meet in a Zwickelort Z.

The seal seams 445a and 445b connecting the inner surface 415i of the bottom side 415 and the inner surface of the front surface 412i and the inner surface 415i of the bottom side 415 and the inner surface 413i of the back surface 413, respectively, have substantially the same seal seam strength as the top seal 424 and the side seal seams 428. The seal seam strength of the bottom seal seams 426 is somewhat larger in the present case. The sealing seam 444, which connects the inner surfaces 412i and 413i of the front and rear sides 412, 413, is again designed as a detachable sealing seam, thus having a significantly lower sealing seam strength. In the illustrated embodiment, the seal seam strength of the top seal 424, the side seal 428 and seal seams 445a and 445b is about 15N / 15mm to 20N / 15mm, preferably about 20N / 15mm, the seal strength of the bottom seal 426 is about 20N /. 15mm to 35N / 15mm, preferably 30N / 15mm, and the seal seam strength of the releasable seal 444 is about 10N / 15mm.

In the area of the sealing seam 444, similar to the first exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, a row of through openings 436 arranged equidistantly in the front side 412 of the packaging 410 is provided, which extends as far as the gusset location Z. The weakest location of the connection of the three inner surfaces 412i, 4131 and 415i serves the Zwickelort Z as the starting point of a solution of the releasable connection with a corresponding pressure increase in the interior 432 of

Packaging 410, so that when heating the food in the package 410, the sealing seam 444, starting from the gusset Z gradually opens and successively the through holes 436 are exposed to adjust the desired cooking conditions, while the food in the two part-internal spaces through the opening of the sealing seam 444 can be mixed together.

A near Zwickelort Z near area 444a of the sealed seam 444 is imperforated to avoid Gargutaustritt.

In the previous examples, the passage openings and thus the valve weakening were always provided in the area of a detachable sealing seam. In practice, however, it has been found that this is not absolutely necessary to achieve the object of the present invention, as the embodiment shown in Figure 6 shows.

In the packaging bag shown there, the head seal 524 is interrupted in a valve weakening area 560, in which the Front side 512 and the back of the package 510 are not interconnected in the illustrated initial state. In this area, in turn, a row of passage openings 536 is arranged along a straight line parallel to the side edges 518 of the packaging 510.

The valve weakening area 560 is separated from the inner space 532 by a detachable sealing seam 544 having a tip 532b projecting into the interior 532 of the package so that this inner space 532 passes through the top, bottom and side sealing seams 524, 526 , 528 and separated by the releasable seal 544 in the illustrated initial state of the environment. The surface over which the releasable sealing seam 544 extends acts here as an initial connecting surface 542a, which first gradually becomes smaller when heated with increasing internal pressure.

In practice, it has been shown that even in the example shown here, the holes 536 provided in the valve weakening region 560 are available successively for a gas outlet, and the gas is not abruptly formed by a possibly occurring at the upper edge 560a of the valve weakening region 560 Aperture escapes after the initial connection surface 542a has reduced in size so that a passage has formed from the inner space 532 to the valve weakening region 560

Water which, after the formation of the above-mentioned passage upon heating, is deposited on the inner surfaces of the front side 512 and the rear side of the package 510 in the valve weakening region 560, provides in combination with the dimensions of the valve weakening region 560, in particular length L and width B. the interruption of the interrupted, permanent head seam 524, for the fact that the front side 512 and the rear side are connected to each other via a newly formed connection surface 542 by adhesion (glass pane effect), so that upon further pressure increase in the interior 532, the new connection surface 542 decreases and thereby one after the other Through holes 536 are exposed and so the effective area of the valve weakening 538 is increased. In the present case, the connection region 540 comprises both the initial connection surface 542a and the connection surface 542, which newly develops after adhesion has formed in the valve weakening region 560 in this adhesion-forming connection 542.

Claims

claims

1. Packaging (10; 110; 210; 310; 410), in particular packaging bags, preferably food packaging bags, particularly preferably for heating packaged goods by microwave radiation, wherein - considering an initial state of the packaging (10; 110; 310; 410) - in a valve portion (34; 134; 234; 334; 434) of the packaging wall (30; 130; 230; 330; 430) which is one of lo the packaging (10; 110; 210; 310; 410 ) enclosed interior

(32; 132; 232; 332; 432) separates from an outer region thereof, a valve weakening (38; 138; 238; 338; 438) of the packaging wall (30; 130; 230; 330; 430) is provided which is formed, from a predetermined relative change of a gas pressure in the inner space (32) relative to a gas pressure in the outer region to allow gas passage between the interior (32; 132 232; 332; 432) and the outside, wherein the valve portion (34; 234; 334; 434) has a connection region (40; 140; 240; 340; 440) in which the valve section (34; 134; 234; 334; 434) is connected to a safety device (34;

In such a way that the connection section (30; 130; 230; 330; 430) is connected by a connection detachable by relative change of the gas pressure in the interior space (32; 132; 232; 332; 432) such that the securing section forms a gas passage through the valve weakening (38; 138; 238; 338; 438) is at least made more difficult, wherein the releasable connection 5 is designed such that there is a connection surface

(42; 142; 242; 342; 442) of the connecting portion (40; 140; 240; 340; 440), via which the valve portion (34; 134; 234; 334; 434) and the securing portion are initially detachably connected to each other under Gradually reduced in order to release the connection, characterized in that the connection region (40; 140; 240; 340; 440) is so relative to the valve weakening (38; 138, 238, 338, 438) is arranged such that as the connection area decreases, An effective area of the valve weakening (38, 138, 238, 338, 438) provided for the passage of gas is larger (42, 142, 242, 342, 442).

2. Packaging (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting region (40; 140; 240; 340; 440) is the valve weakening (38; 138; 238; 338; 438 ) completely surrounds.

iQ

3. Packaging (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the detachable connection comprises a releasable bond or / and a releasable seal.

4. Packaging (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) according to claim 3, i5 characterized in that the connecting surface (42; 142; 242;

342; 442) has an elongated shape having a longer characteristic dimension (46; 146; 246; 346; 446), such as edge length or half axis, and a shorter characteristic dimension (48; 148; 248; 348; 448), such as edge length or half axis ,

20

A package (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) according to claim 4, characterized in that said elongated bonding surface (42; 142; 242; 342; 442) is formed with at least one side of shorter characteristic dimension (48; 148; 248) 348, 448), preferably 5 at least two, more preferably at least three sides of the interior (32, 132, 232, 332, 432).

6. Packaging (210; 310) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection comprises a plurality of Q binding regions (25Oa ₁ 250b, 250c; 35Oa ₁ 35Ob ₁ 350c), which are assigned different required release parameters.

7. Packaging (10; 210; 310; 410) according to one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the valve weakening (38; 138; 238; 338; 438) has at least one passage opening (36; 136; 235; 336; 436) passing through the valve section (34; 134; 234; 334; 434) ,

A package (10; 210; 310; 410) according to claim 7, including claim 4 or 6, characterized in that the valve weakening (38; 138; 238; 338; 438) has a plurality of passage openings (36; 136; 236; 336; 436) pointing in the direction of the longer characteristic

Dimension (46; 146; 246; 346; 446) are arranged consecutively and / or of which subsets are provided in different binding regions (250a, 250b, 250c; 350a, 350b, 350c).

9. Packaging according to claim 7 or 8, with the inclusion of claim 4 or 6, characterized in that the valve weakening has an elongated passage opening, the longitudinal extension direction has at least one component in the direction of the longer characteristic dimension and / or extends in sections in different binding regions ,

10. Packaging (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the through-opening (36; 136; 236; 336; 436) only by eliminating the material connection, but avoiding a decrease in material formed by, for example, piercing and / or cutting through the valve section (34; 134; 234; 334; 434).

11. Packaging (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the connecting surface (42; 142; 242; 342; 442) extends to an edge thereof delimiting the passage opening (36; 138; 236; 336; 436).

12. Packaging (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve section (34; 134; 234; 334; 434) or / and the securing section are made of a film material, in particular film laminate, are formed.

IQ

A package (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the valve portion (34; 134; 234; 334; 434) is formed on a first side of the package (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) i5 and the securing portion is formed on a second side of the package (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) different from the first side.

14. Packaging (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) according to claim 13,

2o characterized in that the valve portion (34; 134; 234; 334;

434) is formed on one side of front side (12; 112; 212; 312; 412) and rear side (413) of the package (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) and the securing section is formed on the other side from the front side (12 112; 212; 312; 412) and back (413) of the package (10; 110; 210; 310; 410).

15. Packaging (410) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting region (440) for separating the packaging (410) enveloped interior (432) 0 in at least two partial interior spaces (432, 432b) contributes.

16. Packaging (10; 110; 210; 310; 410) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a packaging bag, in particular stand-up pouch.

17. Packaging (410) according to claim 16,

5 characterized in that the interior (432) of the packaging

(410) is delimited by at least three separate inner surfaces (4121, 413i, 415i) which meet at a gusset location (Z), the connection surface (442) extending to and preferably extending from the gusset location (Z).

10

18. Packaging (310) according to any one of the preceding claims, including the claim 8, characterized in that the passage openings (336) have different diameters or / and are arranged with i5 different distances from each other.