EP2481678B1 - Flat film bag for packaging bulk products - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a flattened foil bag having a front wall, a rear wall, at least one side fold inserted between the front wall and the rear wall and a reclosure of two latching strips which can be latched together, each having a closure element and a connection lug fixed to the inside of the bag. The gusset is inserted between the arranged on the front wall and the rear wall connecting lugs and pulled out after opening the bag as a chute. The foil bag is used for the packaging of pourable products.

A flattened foil bag with the described features for packaging purposes is made of EP 2 186 743 A1 known. The reclosure consists of a slide closure and is arranged on an upper edge of the bag. Ingot-shaped closure elements of the slide closure and a slider attached to the closure elements slide are at the top of the bag. The terminal lugs are attached by means of a sealed seam on the front wall and the rear wall and connected to each other by a peelable connection. The peelable connection between the terminal lugs results in a tamper-evident closure that is severed when the package is opened for the first time. The gusset usable gusset reaches up to the terminal lugs of the reclosure.

At one off EP 2 135 817 A1 Known gusseted bag ends usable as a chute side fold below the attached to the front wall and the rear wall of the film bag connecting lugs a reclosure. The reclosure is also designed as a slide closure and has strip-shaped closure elements which protrude at the upper edge of the bag and carry a slider mounted like a slider. The Ending below the reclosure and usable as a chute gusset is not fixed on the head side. There are releasable adhesive strips which attach the two halves of the gusset to the front wall of the bag and the rear wall of the bag and at the same time close the gusset in the folded state on the top. Both the fixation of the gusset and its top-side seal is in need of improvement.

Furthermore, it is off WO 2008/145164 A1 a flattened foil bag with the features specified in the preamble of claim 1. The known film bag has a reclosure, which is arranged within the film bag at a distance from an upper edge of the bag and consists of a one-piece or a composite of several sections closure strip which is attached to the front wall, the rear wall and also on the flanks of the inserted gusset and allows a releasable connection between the flanks of the inserted gusset and the adjacent surfaces of the front wall or rear wall. The inserted gusset extends into a bag area above the reclosure and is closed above the reclosure. A weakening line is provided in a bag surface formed by the gusset, the front wall and the rear wall, which starts from a bag longitudinal edge on the front wall and the rear wall and delimits a head-side bag section which comprises the closed end of the gusset and for opening the film bag along the line of weakness is separable. The line of weakness is located above the reclosure and extends from the bag longitudinal edge to a two-ply region of the film bag formed by the front wall and the back wall and within the two-ply region to the upper edge of the bag. After opening the foil bag, the gusset can be pulled out as a chute. It has one by the tearing off of the head-side bag section formed bulk edge and can be closed again by means of arranged on the flanks of the side fold closure strip. The attachment of a closure strip both on the inner surfaces of the front and rear wall and on corresponding surfaces of the inserted gusset requires a large strip length of expensive reclosing material, is technically complex and also leads to functional disadvantages of the film bag. When using a continuous closure strip which extends from the front wall on the flanks of the gusset to the rear wall, there is the problem that z. B. trained as strips fasteners can not or only poorly fold and tend to aufzuspreizen after folding again. If a closure strip formed from a plurality of sections is used, complex application systems are necessary in order to apply for each reclosure four sections of a closure strip with the necessary accuracy to predetermined sections of a film. In functional terms, it is disadvantageous that the closure elements of the closure strips attached to the flanks of the side fold contribute substantially to the thickened film bag having a thickening in the region of the reclosure, which makes it more difficult to stack prefabricated flattened foil bags.

Against this background, the invention has for its object to provide a foil pouch for packaging, which encloses the packaging airtight and after opening the first time has a resealable chute. The chute used as gusset should be securely fixed until the first opening of the package. Furthermore, no elements of a reclosure should be attached to the chute.

The object of the invention and solution of this problem is a flattened foil bag according to claim 1.

According to the invention, the reclosure within the bag is spaced from an upper edge of the bag. The gusset inserted between a section of the reclosure arranged on the front wall and a section of the reclosure arranged on the rear wall extends into a bag area above the reclosure and is closed above the reclosure. A weakening line is provided in a bag surface formed by the gusset, the front wall and the rear wall which extends from a bag longitudinal edge on the front wall and the rear wall and defines a head-side bag portion which encloses the closed end of the gusset and for opening the bag along the line of weakness is separable. The reclosure consists of two separate latching strips that can be latched to each other, which are arranged on the inside of the front wall and the rear wall and have a closure element along an upper longitudinal edge and a connection lug fixed to the inside of the bag below the closure element. The reclosure is preferably a so-called zipper closure, the closure elements of which can be latched together by hand. The weakening line of the gusset inserted between the front wall and the rear wall has at least one section which is arranged at the level of the connection lugs connected to the front wall and the rear wall, so that the closure elements of the closure strips after separation of the head-side bag section above the inserted gusset with each other are latched. In particular, the weakening line can be arranged over its entire length below the closure elements in the region of the connection lugs fixed to the bag wall be, with the attachment of the terminal lugs is provided within the weakening line.

After filling, the film bag is closed on the top side by at least one transverse sealing seam, forming a largely airtight packaging. The reclosure is inside the package and does not require any action to make the reclosure airtight until the first use of the package. The gusset usable side fold extends into the bag area above the reclosure and can be fixed to the front wall or rear wall. By separating a head-side bag section along the line of weakness, the reclosure can be exposed. After separating the head-side bag section, the closure elements of the reclosure protrude from the edge of the bag and are easily accessible. When the reclosure is closed, the side gusset which can be pulled out as a chute is fixed between the front wall and the rear wall. After opening the reclosure, the gusset can be pulled out and used as a chute for product delivery.

The line of weakness in the flanks of the inserted side fold and the adjacent to the side fold sections of the front wall and the rear wall expediently have a congruent contour. In particular, the weakening line can form a straight line. In the context of the invention, it is also the fact that the line of weakness in the flanks of the inserted gusset and the adjacent to the gusset sections of the front wall and the rear wall forms an arc which begins at the Beutellängskante at a level above the terminal lug of the closure strip and in a straight Section at the level of the connecting lanes passes. The arcuate contour of the line of weakness forms a chute that extends distinguished by an improved pouring behavior, because the increasing Beutellängskante contour of the bulk edge directs the contents in a bulk process to the protruding end of the chute and prevents a portion of the contents overflows on the sides of the chute.

The weakening line in the front wall and the rear wall expediently has a congruent contour and may extend as far as the upper edge of the bag or a second longitudinal edge of the bag.

The gusset, which is usable as a chute after the first opening of the bag, terminates below the upper edge of the bag and is preferably closed by means of a foil strip fastened to the front wall or rear wall. The film strip, which may also be in the form of a foil sheet, is secured to the bag wall and encloses the top of the gusset between itself and the bag wall. The attachment of the film strip can be done by gluing or sealing.

The bag longitudinal edges are suitably stiffened by sealing seams, which connect the front wall or rear wall with the inserted gusset. For crack initiation, a notch is arranged in the bag longitudinal edge reinforced by a sealed seam, to which the weakening line adjoins.

Preferably, the film bag as a whole consists of a multilayer film which has a sealable polyolefin layer on the inside of the bag and a printable outer layer of a stiffer polymer. The line of weakness then consists of a cut produced by laser cutting, which penetrates into the outer layer and leaves the sealable polyolefin layer intact.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reclosure is shorter than the width of the front wall and the rear wall. The closure strips arranged on the front wall and the rear wall expediently adjoin on one longitudinal side of the film bag the bag longitudinal edges stiffened by sealing seams and extend into a two-ply region of the film bag formed by the front wall and the rear wall. Preferably, the closure strips are aligned substantially at right angles to the bag longitudinal edge. In the context of the invention, however, it is also the case that the closure strips arranged on the front wall and the rear wall have an oblique course, wherein one end of the closure strip, which is arranged in the region of the inserted side fold at or near the bag longitudinal edge, has a greater distance from the upper edge of the bag has as the other end of the closure strip, which is disposed within the two-layered portion of the film bag formed from the front wall and the rear wall.

The closure strips arranged on the front wall and the rear wall can have a strip-shaped closure element. Another embodiment of the closure element should not be excluded. Thus, the closure element of the closure strip, for example, consist of an adhesive surface made of a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a textile surface which forms a hook-and-loop fastener. In particular, the closure element of the closure strip arranged on the front wall and rear wall can have a surface with a plurality of protruding hook elements.

Usually, the film bag has two side folds, which are inserted at the two longitudinal sides of the film bag between the front wall and the rear wall. The reclosure extends from a bag longitudinal edge up to one formed by the front wall and the rear wall two-ply area of the bag. The weakening line within the two-ply region extends to the top of the bag. The second gusset, which is not associated with reclosure, is at its upper end z. B. closed by a film strip.

The invention also relates to a package according to claim 16. The package consists of the described film bag, which contains a pourable product and is closed above the gussets by at least one transverse sealing seam.

Fig. 1

einen flachgelegten Folienbeutel in einer Seitenansicht,

Fig. 2

den in Fig. 1 dargestellten Folienbeutel nach Abtrennung eines kopfseitigen Beutelabschnittes,

Fig. 3

eine Draufsicht auf den zu Darstellungszwecken leicht geöffneten Folienbeutel,

Fig. 4

einen als Verpackung verwendeten befüllten Folienbeutel im Gebrauch,

Fig. 5

eine weitere erfindungsgemäße Ausgestaltung eines flachgelegten Folienbeutels in einer Seitenansicht,

Fig. 6

den in Fig. 5 dargestellten Folienbeutel nach Abtrennung eines kopfseitigen Beutelabschnittes,

Fig. 7 und 8

weitere Ausführungsbeispiele des erfindungsgemäßen Folienbeutels,

Fig. 9

ausschnittsweise einen Schnitt durch den Gegenstand der Fig. 8 im Bereich der eingelegten Seitenfalte,

Fig. 10

den in Fig. 8 dargestellten Folienbeutel nach Abtrennen eines kopfseitigen Beutelabschnittes.

In the following the invention will be explained with reference to a drawing showing only one embodiment. They show schematically:

Fig. 1

a flattened foil bag in a side view,

Fig. 2

the in Fig. 1 illustrated foil bag after separation of a head-side bag section,

Fig. 3

a top view of the slightly open for illustrative purposes foil bag,

Fig. 4

a filled foil bag used as packaging in use,

Fig. 5

a further embodiment of a flattened foil bag according to the invention in a side view,

Fig. 6

the in Fig. 5 illustrated foil bag after separation of a head-side bag section,

FIGS. 7 and 8

Further embodiments of the film bag according to the invention,

Fig. 9

a section through the subject of Fig. 8 in the area of the inserted gusset,

Fig. 10

the in Fig. 8 shown foil bag after separating a head-side bag section.

The in Fig. 1 shown foil bag consists in its basic structure of a front wall 1, a contoured back wall 2, at least one inserted between the front wall and the rear wall gusset 3 and a reclosure 4 of two lockable together closure strip. For illustration purposes, the front wall is cut along a break line, the interior of the bag being exposed through the cutout with a view of the inside of the rear wall 2 and the side fold 3. The closure strips each have a strip-shaped closure element 5 and a connection lug 6 attached to the inside of the bag. The side fold 3 is inserted between the arranged on the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 terminal lugs 6 and extendable after opening the bag as a chute 7. The reclosure 4 is disposed within the bag at a distance from an upper edge of the bag 8. The gusset 3 inserted between the closure strips of the reclosure 4 extends into the region above the reclosure 4 and is closed above the closure elements 5. In the bag surface formed by the gusset, the front wall and the rear wall, a weakening line 10 is provided, which on the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 of a Beutellängskante 9, 9 ', starting below the strip-shaped closure elements 5 is arranged in the region of the attached to the bag wall terminal lug 6. The weakening line 10 delimits a head-side bag section 11 which comprises the closed end of the gusset 3 and can be separated along the weakening line 10 to open the bag. With the removal of the head-side bag section 11, the reclosure 4 is exposed, wherein the strip-shaped closure elements 5 protrude at the contour of the bag and are easily detectable by hand. When the reclosure 4 is closed, the gusset 3 is fixed between the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2. After opening the reclosure, the gusset 3 is extendable to a chute 7. This functional position is in Fig. 2 represented by a dash-dotted line.

The reclosure 4 is shorter than the width B of the bag, i. H. the width of the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2. The weakening line 10 extends to the upper edge of the bag 8 and preferably consists of a cut produced by laser cutting, which does not completely penetrate the bag wall. The film bag preferably consists of a multilayer film which has a sealable polyolefin layer on the inside of the bag and a printable outer layer of a stiffer polymer. The stiffer polymer, unlike the polyolefinic sealing layer, which preferably consists of a polyethylene, can be cut by means of a laser. The bag longitudinal edges 9, 9 'are stiffened by sealing seams 12 which connect the front wall 1 or rear wall 2 with the inserted gusset 3 and contain a notch 13 for crack initiation, to which the weakening line 10 connects.

The representation in Fig. 1 takes it that the gusset 3, which is usable as a chute 7, ends below the upper edge of the bag 8 and means one attached to the front wall 1 or rear wall 2 foil strip 14 is closed. As a result, the gusseted 3 is also fixed within the bag.

The film bag shown in the figures has a second side fold 3 ', which is inserted on the opposite longitudinal side between the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2. It also ends below the upper edge of the bag 8 and is closed by means of a film strip 14 which is attached to the front wall or rear wall.

The foil pouch can be used as packaging for pourable products. After the film bag has been filled, the film bag is closed above the side fold by at least one transverse seam 15. The position of the transverse sealing seam 15 is in Fig. 1 represented by a dot-dash line.

The Fig. 4 shows a packaging consisting of the film bag 16. The film bag contains a pourable product and is above the side folds 3, 3 'closed by a transverse seam 15. The Fig. 4 shows the use of the packaging, wherein the head-side bag portion 11 of the film bag has already been separated. As a result, the gusset 3 was exposed below the reclosure 4. The side gusset 3 can be pulled out as a chute 7 for product delivery, as shown in FIG Fig. 4 is shown. After a subset of the contents has been distributed, the chute 7 can be folded inwards and the reclosure 4 are closed. After closing the reclosure 4, the gusset 3 is fixed between the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 of the film bag.

In the Fig. 5 to 10 further embodiments of the foil bag according to the invention are shown. For all falling under the invention foil bags the reclosure 4 consists of two separate latching strips which can be latched to one another and are arranged on the inside of the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 and along a longitudinal upper edge a closure element 5, 5 'and below the closure element 5, 5' a connection lug 6 attached to the inside of the bag exhibit. The weakening line 10 of the gusset 3 inserted between the front wall and the rear wall always has at least one section 17, which is arranged at the level of the terminal lugs 6 connected to the front wall and the rear wall, so that the closure elements 5, 5 'of the closure strips after Separating the head-side bag section 11 above the inserted gussets 3 are locked together. The connection lugs 6 are each connected to the front wall 1 or rear wall 2 by means of a sealing seam 18 arranged at the lower end of the connection lug. It is understood that the weakening line extends with its portion 17 above the sealing seam 18.

In the in the Fig. 5 and 6 illustrated embodiment forms the line of weakness 10 in the flanks of the inserted gusset 3 and the adjacent to the gussets 3 sections of the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 a bow at the Beutellängskante 9, 9 'at a level above the terminal lugs 6 of the closure strip of Re-closure 4 begins and merges into a straight section at the level of the terminal lugs 6. From a comparative analysis of the Fig. 5 and 6 also shows that the weakening line 10 has a congruent contour in the flanks of the inserted side gusset 3 and the adjacent to the gusset sections of the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2. The contour of the weakening line 10 described and illustrated in the figures, after tearing off the head-side bag section 11, forms a pouring edge, which is characterized by a particularly favorable dispensing behavior. The arranged on the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 closure strip of the Reclosures 4 are oriented essentially at right angles to the bag longitudinal edge 9, 9 'and, as a closure element 5', have a surface with a large number of protruding hook elements. The protruding hook elements and the spaces between the hook elements act together in the manner of a hook-and-loop fastener. Alternatively, closure strips with strip-shaped closure elements 5 can also be used.

In the embodiment of Fig. 7 the closure strip of the reclosure 4 arranged on the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 have an oblique course, wherein one end of the closure strip, which is arranged in the region of the inserted gusset 3 at or near the bag longitudinal edge 9, 9 ', a greater distance from the upper Bag edge 8 has as the other end of the closure strip, which is disposed within a formed from the front wall and the rear wall two-ply region of the film bag. The closure strip in the embodiment of the Fig. 7 as closure elements 5 'on a surface with a plurality of protruding hook elements. Alternatively and without any restriction, closure strips with strip-shaped closure elements 5 can also be used.

In a further embodiment, in the Fig. 8 to 10 is shown, the closure element 5 'of the closure strip is arranged on a strip portion which is folded in a V-shape. The terminal lug 6 is attached only at its lower edge by means of a sealing seam 18 on the inner surface of the front wall 1 and rear wall 2. By folding the strip section carrying the closure element 5 ', the closure element 5' is located below the sealed seam 18 before the first opening of the film bag, which connects the connection lug 6 to the front wall 1 or rear wall 2, and consequently also below the weakening line 10. This facilitates the tearing off of the head-side bag section 11. After the separation of the head-side bag section 11 and opening the usable as chute gusset, the folded strip portion is due to elastic restoring forces of the closure strip or is at least manually refoldable and then takes the in Fig. 10 shown position. After the strip section has folded back, the closure elements 5 'of the closure strips protrude from the edge of the bag and can be used to reclose the chute.

Claims (16)

1. A flat-folded film pouch for packaging pourable products, comprising:

   a front wall (1), a rear wall (2), at least one side fold (3) laid in between the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) and a resealable closure (4) disposed within the film pouch, at a distance from an upper pouch edge (8),

   wherein the side fold (3) is laid in between a section of the resealable closure disposed on the front wall (1) and a section of the resealable closure (4) disposed on the rear wall (2), extends all the way into a pouch region above the resealable closure (4), and is closed above the resealable closure (4),

   wherein a tear line (10) is provided in a pouch surface formed by the side fold (3), the front wall (1), and the rear wall (2), said tear line (10) proceeding from a longitudinal pouch edge (9 9') at the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) and delimiting a head-end section of the pouch (11) that comprises the closed end of the side fold (3), and which can be removed along the tear line (10) in order to open the pouch;

   wherein the side fold (3) is adapted to be pulled out as a pour spout after the film pouch has been opened, which spout has a pouring edge formed by tearing off the head-end section of the pouch (11), and

   wherein the resealable closure (4) comprises two separate interlocking closure strips disposed on the interior side of the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) and feature along an upper longitudinal edge a closure element (5, 5') and below the closure element

   (5, 5') a connection tab (6) attached to the pouch interior side, and

   the tear line (10) between the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) of the inserted side fold (3) features at least one section (17) that is disposed at the height of the connection tab (6) such that the closure elements (5, 5') of the closure strips are interlocked after separating the head-end section of the pouch above the laid-in side fold (3).
2. The film pouch according to Claim 1, wherein the tear line (10) has a congruent contour in flanks of the laid-in side fold (3) and in the sections of the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) that lie against the side fold.
3. The film pouch according to Claim 2, wherein the tear line (10) forms a straight line in the flanks of the laid-in side fold (3) and in the sections of the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) adjacent to the side fold.
4. The film pouch according to Claim 2, wherein the tear line (10) forms an arc in the flanks of the laid-in side fold (3), around the sections of the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) that are adjacent to the side fold, said arc beginning at a longitudinal pouch edge (9, 9'), at a level above the connection tabs (6) of the closure strips, and transits into a straight section at a level of the connection tabs (6).
5. The film pouch according to Claims 1 through 4, wherein the tear line (10) has a congruent contour in the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2).
6. The film pouch according to Claim 5, wherein the tear line (10) in the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) extends to the upper pouch edge (8) or a second longitudinal pouch edge.
7. The film pouch according to Claim 1 through 6, wherein the longitudinal pouch edges (9, 9') are reinforced by sealing seams that connect the front wall (1) or rear wall (2) with the laid-in side fold (3), and wherein the tear line (10) follows a notch (13) disposed in the longitudinal pouch edge for tear initiation.
8. The film pouch according to Claim 7, wherein the closure strips disposed on the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) are adjacent to the longitudinal pouch edges (9, 9') reinforced by means of sealing seams (12), at a longitudinal side of the film pouch, and extend into a two-ply region of the film pouch formed by the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2).
9. The film pouch according to Claim 8, wherein the closure strips disposed on the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) are oriented essentially at a right angle to the longitudinal pouch edge (9, 9').
10. The film pouch according to Claim 8, wherein the closure strips disposed on the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) have a slanted progression, wherein one end of the closure strip, which end is disposed in the region of the laid-in side fold (3), at or close to the longitudinal pouch edge (9, 9'), has a greater distance from the upper pouch edge (8) than the other end of the closure strip, said other end being disposed within the two-ply region of the film pouch formed from the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2).
11. The film pouch according to Claims 1 through 10, wherein the closure strips disposed on the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) have a bar-shaped closure element (5).
12. The film pouch according to Claims 1 through 10, wherein the closure element (5') of the closure strips disposed on the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2) feature a surface with a plurality of projecting hook elements.
13. The film pouch according to Claims 1 through 12, wherein the closure element (5, 5') of the closure strips is disposed on a strip section that is folded in V-shape and after separating the head-end section of the pouch (11), can be folded back through the elastic recovery forces of the closure strip and/or manually.
14. The film pouch according to Claims 1 through 13, wherein the film pouch consists of a multi-ply film that features a sealable polyolefin layer on the inside of the pouch and an imprintable outer layer composed of a more rigid polymer, and wherein the tear line (10) consists of a cut produced by laser cutting which penetrates the outer layer and does not penetrate the sealable polyolefin layer.
15. The film pouch according to Claims 7 through 14, wherein side folds (3, 3') along the longitudinal side of the film pouch are disposed between the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2), where in the resealable closure (4) extends from a longitudinal pouch edge (9, 9') into a two-ply region of the film pouch formed by the front wall (1) and the rear wall (2), and wherein the tear line (10) inside the two-ply region extends to the upper pouch edge (8).
16. Packaging consisting of a film pouch according to Claims 1 through 15 wherein the film pouch comprises a pourable product and above the side fold (3, 3') is closed by at least on transverse sealing seam (15).

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