EP3288848B1

EP3288848B1 - Method for producing a package assembly and such a package assembly

Info

Publication number: EP3288848B1
Application number: EP16720750.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bengt HÅKANSSON; Göran DAHL; Eric LUNDIN; Carl NORDENSKJÖLD; Jessica BRINTJE
Original assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA
Current assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings and Finance SA
Priority date: 2015-04-30
Filing date: 2016-04-20
Publication date: 2020-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 2036-04-20
Also published as: EP3288848A1; CN107531354A; JP6661662B2; CN107531354B; JP2018518423A; WO2016173907A1

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to a method for producing a package assembly. The invention also relates to a package assembly.

Background art

In the food packaging industry food is packaged into different types of packages, distributed to storing locations for further distribution to retail stores where the food is sold to the end consumer. Packages for beverages, such as fruit juices, still drinks and also dairy products or derivate thereof can be divided into portion packages and family packages. Those packages differ mainly by their respective volume size and consequently weight. Particularly, portion packs are available in different volumes ranging from about 80ml to several 100ml. Portion packages are normally consumed at once and due to their smaller volume suitable not only for adults, but also for children or teenagers.
Very often, items associated with the content of the primary package are to be enclosed with the same when the product is sold to a customer. The item may be placed in a supplementary package. For a juice package the item could be a straw inside a plastic bag attached to the primary package. With conventional methods, such supplementary packages with items are often attached to the exterior of the primary package. When the end consumer intends to use the attached item, the supplementary package is ripped off from the primary package and the end consumer will then open the supplementary package to reach the item. Further prior art is reflected by WO96/08987 A1 , JP H10 236529 A and DE1213721 B . US2015/014199 A1 discloses a package assembly and a method for producing this assembly, wherein a supplementary package is attached to a secondary package, such that said supplementary package is arranged in a space formed between said secondary package and a primary package when said secondary package is attached to said primary package, wherein the supplementary package comprises a removable cover. Further prior art is reflected by WO96/08987 , JP H1 236529 , US 2015/014199 and DE12 13 721 .
A problem with the supplementary package is the mounting and/or attaching of the same to the primary package. There is thus a need for improving the state of the art and to provide an efficient mounting solution for the supplementary package to the primary package.

Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to improve the current state of the art, to solve the above problems, and to provide an improved package assembly. These and other objects are achieved by a method for producing a package assembly as defined in claim 1.
The method comprises the step of attaching a supplementary package to a secondary package, such that the supplementary package is arranged in a space formed between the secondary package and a primary package when the secondary package is attached to the primary package. There are several advantages with the method described above. Here, the primary package may be manufactured and filled at one site, and the secondary package manufactured at another site where it also may be provided with the supplementary package accommodating an item. The secondary package may later on, at any suitable place, be attached to one or several primary packages to retain the same and/or to create rigidity for the primary package(s). Further, when one secondary package is used to retain a plurality of primary packages, that secondary package may be provided with one supplementary package for each primary package, all in the same process. Accordingly, the efficiency of the manufacturing process of the overall package assembly (including the primary package) will be further increased.
The step of attaching the supplementary package to the secondary package comprises attaching a first portion of the supplementary package to a removable cover of the secondary package. With such an arrangement the supplementary package will follow the cover when the cover is removed from the package assembly. The risk of the supplementary package, and thus the item, getting stuck in the space is thereby eliminated.
The method further comprises the step of attaching a second portion of the supplementary package to a portion of the secondary package different from the removable cover or to a portion of the primary package. With such an arrangement the supplementary package will automatically be opened when the cover is removed from the package assembly by the consumer. The method may also comprise the step of attaching the secondary package to the primary package.
According to a second aspect, these and other objects are achieved, in full or at least in part, by a package assembly as defined in claim 4, comprising a supplementary package adapted to contain an item, and a secondary package attached to a primary package. The supplementary package is attached to the secondary package, such that the supplementary package is arranged in a space formed between the secondary package and the primary package when the secondary package is attached to the primary package. The primary package may be adapted to contain a product and supplementary package may be adapted to contain an item which is associated with said product. The same advantages as stated above also apply for the second aspect of the invention.
The package assembly further comprises a primary package to which the secondary package is attached. The secondary package has a removable portion which is separated from the remaining part of the secondary package by weakened lines. Here, the supplementary package is attached to the removable portion. With such an arrangement the supplementary package will follow the cover when the cover is removed from the package assembly. The risk of the supplementary package, and thus the item, getting stuck in the space is thereby eliminated.
A blank for shaping the secondary package, which blank is not part of the invention, has a main panel being separated by a weakened line in a longitudinal direction to form a plurality of main portions, each main portion being adapted to receive supplementary package accommodating an item.
The weakened line may comprise a perforated portion and/or a cut-though portion. The perforated portion may be perforated with different fineness. These portions are provided in order to facilitate the separation of the main portions from each other.
In another example, the blank has a main panel and/or a top panel and/or a bottom panel. The top panel and or bottom panel is separated from the main panel by a crease line in a lateral direction, wherein the main portion is adapted to receive supplementary package accommodating an item.
Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to "a/an/the [element, device, component, means, step, etc.]" are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of said element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise.
By the term "longitudinal direction" it is meant the vertical direction of the package assembly when viewed from the front.
By the term "lateral direction" it is meant the horizontal direction of the package assembly when viewed from the front.

Brief description of the drawings

The above objects, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a back view of a package assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a back view the package assembly according to another embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the package assembly when attached to a primary package.
Figs. 4 is a front view of an example of a blank for forming a package assembly of the invention.
Figs. 5 is a front view of another example of a blank for forming a package assembly of the invention.
Figs. 6 is a front view of another example of a blank for forming a package assembly of the invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

Fig. 1 shows a package assembly 1 in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention. A secondary package 3 has three supplementary packages 41 attached to it via an attachment point 43. The supplementary packages 41 each contains an item 4 associated with the food product, the item 4 being a straw in Fig 1. The secondary package 3 further has two weakened lines 61 along which the secondary package 3 is intended to be able to be separated. The secondary package 3 is intended to be attached to primary packages containing a food product so that the supplementary package 41 is positioned between a primary package and the secondary package 3. The secondary package 3 in Fig. 1 is intended to be attached to three primary packages so that they are bundled together until a user separates a package at a weakened line 61 for consumption.
Fig. 2 shows a package assembly 1 in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. A secondary package 3 has three supplementary packages 41 attached to it via attachment points 43. The supplementary packages 41 each contains an item 4 associated with the food product, the item 4 being a straw in Fig 2. The secondary package 3 further has two weakened lines 61 along which the secondary package 3 is intended to be able to be separated. The secondary package 3 is intended to be attached to primary packages containing a food product so that the supplementary package 41 is positioned between a primary package and the secondary package 3. The secondary package 3 in Fig. 2 is intended to be attached to three primary packages so that they are bundled together until a user separates a package at a weakened line 61 for consumption. When the secondary package 3 is attached to a secondary package 3, the secondary package 3 is folded along the crease lines 62 so that the top panel 31 of the secondary package 3 is placed on top of a primary package and the bottom panel 32 is placed underneath the primary package. The supplementary package 41 is placed in a space between the secondary package 3 and the primary package.
The secondary package 3 in Fig. 2 further comprises a removable portion 50 defined by weakened lines 64 intended to form a removable cover 50 when attached to primary packages. The supplementary package 41 is further attached to the removable portion 50 in an attachment point 63 so that the supplementary package 41 will be pulled with the removable portion 50 when a user removes the removable portion 50 to get access to the straw 4 in the supplementary package 41.
The supplementary package 41 further comprises a notch 42 at which the supplementary package is intended to break when an end user removes the removable portion 50. When the supplementary package 41 breaks at the notch 42, the item 4, or straw, is exposed and easy to pull out of the supplementary package 41 without removing the supplementary package 41 from the primary package 2.
In Fig. 3, a package assembly 1 in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention is illustrated. A plurality of primary packages 2 are arranged in a 3x1 pattern, meaning three primary packages in a single row. The primary packages 2 are from brick shape structure and are placed next to, but otherwise separated from each other. The package assembly 1 also comprises a secondary package 3 attached to the primary packages 2 in the defined 3x1 pattern.
The secondary package 3 comprises a bottom panel 32, on which the packages are placed and (not shown) slightly attached to. For example, a small adhesive portion can be used to fixate the primary packages to bottom panel 32. Secondary package 3 also comprises a main panel 3, which is divided by two weakened lines 36 in longitudinal direction L to form main portions 3a to 3c, respectively. The weakened lines 36 are perforated lines and also extend in the bottom panel (not shown) in extension to the cut-outs 37. The cut-outs and the perforation line enable a consumer to easily separate individual packages 2 from the assembly 1.
A space 10 is formed between the primary and the secondary packages 2, 3. The space is used to accommodate an item 4 associated with the food content of the primary package. The item is placed in a supplementary package 41 attached to the primary package or the secondary package in an attachment point 43. The attachment point 43 may e.g. be accomplished with glue. The supplementary package is further attached to the removable cover 50 in a further attachment point 63. A notch 42 is present in the supplementary package at which notch the supplementary package is intended to break when the removable portion 50 is removed from the secondary package 3 so that the item 4 is exposed for the end consumer. In one preferred embodiment, the item 4 is constituted by a straw which is to be used by a consumer when drinking the content of the primary package 2.
The secondary package 3 also includes a top panel, which is also separated by perforation lines 36a into different top portions 31 for simple separation. The top panel and more particular the top portion 31 is attached to the top side of the primary packages, in this example to the top notch seal of the primary package.
To open the space, cover 50 comprises a tab or lid 35a which is arranged on the top portion in this embodiment. A consumer may for example pull tab 35a towards the edge and main portion 3a, 3b and 3c, thereby ripping apart the cover and opening so that the space with the straw is accessible.
In Fig. 4, a blank 3 is illustrated. The blank 3 has a main panel 65, a top panel 31 and a bottom panel 32. The top panel 31 and the bottom panel 32 are separated from the main panel 65 by a crease line 62 in a lateral direction. In addition, the main panel 65 is separated by weakened lines 61 in a longitudinal direction to form a plurality of main portions 3a, 3b, 3c.
In Fig. 5, the blank 3 has a main panel 65, a top panel 31 and a bottom panel 32. The top panel 31 and the bottom panel 32 are separated from the main panel 65 by a crease line 62 in a lateral direction. The main panel 65 is separated by weakened lines 61 in a longitudinal direction to form a plurality of main portions 3a, 3b, 3c. In addition, a removable cover 50 is provided in the blank 3. The cover 50 extends in both the top portion 31 and the main portion 3a, 3b, 3c and may be separated from these portions 31, 3a, 3b, 3c by a weakened line 64.
In Fig. 6, the blank 3 has a main panel 65 and a top panel 31. The top panel 31 is separated from the main panel 65 by a crease line 62 in a lateral direction. The main panel 65 is separated by weakened lines 61 in a longitudinal direction to form a plurality of main portions 3a, 3b, 3c. In addition, a removable cover 50 is provided in the blank 3. The cover 50 extends in both the top portion 31 and the main portion 3a, 3b, 3c and may be separated from these portions 31, 3a, 3b, 3c by a weakened line 64.
The skilled person realizes that a number of modifications of the embodiments described herein are possible without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.

Claims

A method for producing a package assembly (1), said method comprising
attaching a supplementary package (41) to a secondary package (3), attaching said secondary package (3) to a primary package (2), such that said supplementary package (41) is arranged in a space formed between said secondary package (3) and said primary package, wherein the step of attaching said supplementary package (41) to said secondary package (3) comprises attaching a first portion of said supplementary package (41) to a removable cover (50) of said secondary package (3), and, further comprising the step of attaching a second portion of said supplementary package (41) to a portion of said secondary package (3) different from said removable cover (50) or to a portion of said primary package (2).
The method according to claim 1, wherein said primary package (2) is adapted to contain a product and said supplementary package (41) is adapted to contain an item (4) which is associated with said product.
The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of attaching said secondary package (3) to said primary package (2).
A package assembly (1), comprising,
a supplementary package (41) adapted to contain an item (4), a primary package (2) and a secondary package (3), wherein the secondary package (3) is attached to the primary package (2), wherein said supplementary package (41) is attached to said secondary package (3), such that said supplementary package (41) is arranged in a space formed between said secondary package (3) and said primary package (2) , wherein the package assembly (1) further comprising a removable portion (50) in said secondary package (3) separated by weakened lines (64), wherein said
supplementary package (41) is attached to said removable portion (50) and to a portion of said secondary package (3) different from said removable cover (50) or to a portion of said primary package (2).
The package assembly (1) according to claim 4,
further comprising said primary package (2).
The package assembly (1) according to claim 5, wherein said primary package (2) is adapted to contain a product and said supplementary package (41) is adapted to contain an item (4) which is associated with said product.