EP3594144B1 - Recyclable bag - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a film bag according to the preamble of claim 1 with a bag body made of a bag film and having at least two opposing front walls, a printed material section being attached to part of a peripheral edge with a permanent fastening seam on one of the front walls and adjacent to the fastening seam a Has tear line in the form of a material weakening. It is also provided that the fastening seam extends over a proportion between 40% and 98% of the circumferential edge. The front walls have an approximately rectangular shape with two side edges, an upper edge and a lower edge.

Especially when the film bag is intended to hold liquid, the upper corners of the front walls can be cut off at an angle, as shown, for example, from EP 3 168 169 A1 such as US 2018/0009587 A1 is known. Such front walls are then also referred to as still essentially rectangular in the context of the invention.

The film bag is designed in particular as a film packaging bag and can, for example, be provided with a standing base for holding liquids such as detergents, cleaning agents, liquid soap, shampoo, shower gel, conditioner or the like. In addition to other liquids, such as various household chemicals, other packaging purposes can also be considered, for which foil bags are used in a known manner.

Conventional film packaging bags are used in practice as mass-produced articles, the typical structure of such film packaging bags, for example, from EP 2 032 454 B1 such as EP 2 364 848 B1 is known.

The material for the bag wall is often a lamination composite as a bag film with an inner film made of polyethylene (PE) and an outer film based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or biaxially oriented polypropylene (BO-PP), with a printing layer for such a lamination composite in front of the Gluing the inner film to the outer film on the inside at the contact surface is either applied to the outer film or the inner film and is then visible through the transparent outer film.

Such conventional film packaging bags are distinguished by a particularly high quality appearance and good functional properties. However, due to the lamination of the different polymer materials, single-type plastic recycling is not possible, which is why corresponding film packaging bags are usually disposed of as disposable items after use or, at best, incinerated, with at least thermal recycling being possible.

On the other hand, single-type plastic waste can easily be recycled, although the printing ink that is often present on the bag wall can then, depending on its composition, hinder the formation of high-quality recycling products.

With regard to recycling, unmixed and unprinted plastic waste is particularly advantageous. On the other hand, however, there is a need for a high-quality appearance in the case of foil bags and in particular foil packaging bags, with an appealing appearance graphic design, product and consumption information must also be present on the foil pouch.

In order to meet these requirements, different and sometimes opposing approaches are known from the prior art.

According to JPH 5-84640 U, a film bag for refilling a liquid is proposed, which is provided with a separate circumferential band. The foil pouch is stabilized by the separate, comparatively stiff band, whereby a user can also easily grip the foil pouch on the band. In addition, multi-layer film bags and film packaging are known in which individual layers can be peeled off, that is to say are connected separably from one another. Fastening seams are thereby produced, the composite adhesion of which is set such that these fastening seams are separated when a tensile force is exerted on the contact surface of the successive layers. Various embodiments of such film pouches and film packaging are for example in JPH 8-2536 A , US 2018/0009587 A1 , U.S. 3,114,643 A and US 6,280,085 B1 described.

From the US 2014/205211 A1 a generic bag is known in which a type of pocket is formed on at least one side, into which, for example, an insert can be inserted. In addition, the outer film layer can be torn off at perforations.

It is also off EP 3 168 169 A1 ( Fig. 1 ) known a foil bag. In relation to the height of the film bag, the printed material section extends only over a central area and is there on permanent, ie non-peelable fastening seams in the form of heat-sealed seams on the underlying area Front wall attached. The two opposite front walls are preferably each provided with a printed material section, such a configuration also being particularly preferred within the scope of the present invention. While according to EP 3 168 169 A1 Starting from a rectangular shape of the material section in the manner of a banderole, there is deliberately only fastening on the narrow sides, the fastening seam according to the present invention extends over a proportion between 40% and 98% of the edge, so that overall better and more complete fastening of the material section takes place on the assigned front wall.

When the known film bag of the generic type has been emptied, the major part of the printed material section can be torn off along weakening lines which run directly adjacent to the sealing seams on the longitudinal edges for optimized recycling. Narrow edges of the material section only remain directly at the heat-sealed seams. If the material section is deliberately not printed there, the bag body remaining after the material section has been torn off is completely unprinted. Simple recycling is then possible, particularly in the case of a single-type configuration.

Against this background, the present invention is based on the object of improving the possibilities for use and design of the film bag without impairing the possibility of recycling known from the prior art.

The subject matter of the invention and the solution to the problem is a film bag according to claim 1.

According to the invention, the material section extends to the side edges, the lower edge and the upper edge of the associated front wall, the material section then also being fastened at least in sections to each of the edges with the fastening seam.

With regard to the rectangular or essentially rectangular configuration of the front walls, the material section is then held at all edges and is thus well protected against inadvertent tearing off. Furthermore, the front wall is largely, almost completely or even completely covered by the material section, so that a particularly high-quality appearance results for a user, similar to a conventional film bag, which, however, cannot be recycled in the same way.

In this context, the present invention is based on the knowledge that the strength according to the embodiment known from the prior art is sufficient per se, but on the longitudinal sides of the material section in the manner of a band over a large unconnected length between the material section and the associated front wall the entire width of the foil pouch is present. Especially with such a large unconnected length, there is the risk that the material section can "get stuck" in some way on an obstacle while the film bag is in use, for example during transport or handling, so that in spite of a per se sufficient fastening of the material section is torn off. In addition, according to the prior art, the material section can stand out far from the material section due to the great unconnected length. This applies, for example, if after the partial removal of the contents of the foil bag a has greater mobility and in particular the bag body is no longer filled to the brim. The optical impairments that then result (with an even greater risk of "getting stuck" as described above) are avoided within the scope of the invention by the greater proportion of the fastening seam along the circumferential edge.

The fastening seam preferably extends over a proportion of at least 50% and particularly preferably of at least 60% of the circumferential edge.

Since the material section with a permanent, i. H. non-peelable fastening seam is arranged on the assigned front wall, a free area of the fastening seam must remain along the circumferential edge so that a user can grasp there between the separate material section and the assigned front wall in order to then move from there the material section or the material section within the tear line of to tear off the assigned front wall. Accordingly, the fastening seam extends preferably over a maximum of 90% and particularly preferably over a maximum of 85% of the circumferential edge.

The fastening seam and the tear line can each have a plurality of fastening seam sections or tear line sections spaced apart from one another along the circumferential edge. The proportion of the fastening seam along the circumferential edge then results from the proportion of all fastening seam sections together.

Where the fastening seam (or fastening seam sections) is provided along the circumferential edge of the material section adjacent also offset inwardly, the tear line or the tear line sections, because otherwise the material separation desired when the material section is torn off cannot be ensured.

If the fastening seam is formed from several, preferably a maximum of six fastening seam sections, the fastening seam sections are particularly preferably each designed to be continuous. As an alternative, however, the fastening seam sections can in principle - similarly to a perforation as a material weakening - be embodied discontinuously, with connected and unconnected areas alternating in quick succession. In the context of the invention, the term "fastening seam section" always refers to a length along the circumferential edge over which a continuous tear is formed along the tear line when the material section is torn from the associated front wall. If, on the other hand, in successive connected and unconnected sections, the crack reaches the outer edge of the material section when the material section is torn off, then there is also an interruption of the fastening seam there within the meaning of the invention. As long as the tear spreads along the tear line along the fastening seam when it tears, it ultimately does not matter whether it is continuous or discontinuous, even if a continuous configuration is preferred in practice.

Even if different configurations are possible for the fastening seam, it is preferably designed as a heat-sealed seam. The bag film is then expediently heat-sealable on an inner side of the bag and an outer side of the bag, in which case the front walls and, if appropriate, folds arranged between the front walls and / or Functional formations such as a pouring spout or a reclosable strip can be formed into the bag body by heat sealing.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tear line runs at a distance between 4 mm and 20 mm, preferably between 6 mm and 12 mm, to an adjacent outer edge, so that the material section can be torn off as completely as possible from the associated front wall after the foil bag has been used of the material section. The distance described is chosen so that the connection seam, in particular in the form of a heat-sealed seam, is formed between the tear line and the respectively adjacent outer edge of the material section. The tear line can be formed, for example, by a perforation, a notch or by means of a laser. In the case of a perforation, severed areas and webs alternate in quick succession along the tear line.

In the case of a notch, the material section has a smaller thickness at the tear line. This can be achieved, for example, in that the material section is partially cut there in the direction. In addition, material can also be displaced, for example by means of an embossing. In particular, the measures described can also be combined with a perforation. In the manner of a perforation, for example, also weakened and non-weakened areas can alternate along the tear line. In order to enable particularly easy tearing open, weakened and completely separate areas can also alternate in the manner of a perforation.

Furthermore, the tear line can also be formed by means of a laser. The irradiation with a laser then results in a material removal and / or a Embrittlement reached. In principle, embrittlement is also possible through the introduction of temperature.

As already explained above, in the context of the invention, in particular, inadvertent tearing off of the material section and a long protrusion of the material section from the associated front wall are to be avoided. Accordingly, it is advantageous if the greatest unconnected length between the material section and the associated front wall is kept small along the circumferential edge and is preferably less than 160 mm. The greatest unconnected length is particularly preferably between 40 mm and 120 mm.

With regard to the lower limit, it should be noted that a user should be able to reach between the material section and the associated front wall at at least one point of the material section in order to be able to pull off the unconnected part of the material section from there by a tearing movement.

The greatest unbonded length is preferably located in an upper area of the film bag, particularly preferably in the area of an upper corner of the bag. Such an arrangement reduces the risk of accidental tearing (of "getting stuck"), with a user looking for a point of attack for tearing off the material section, especially in the upper region of the bag and particularly at a corner of the bag.

Since the material section extends to at least all of the edges of the front wall, the fastening seam is usually also at least partially in overlap with a connecting seam on which the front walls either is connected to one another or to a fold arranged between the front walls. Especially when the film bag is intended to hold liquids, a bottom fold can be provided between the front walls, which also forms a standing bottom.

The material section can also have a rectangular or essentially rectangular shape. An embodiment is particularly preferred in which, starting from a rectangular shape, at least one corner is cut off at an angle. It can also be useful here if the material section at the obliquely separated corner jumps back from the front wall below. In such a recessed area, for example, the fastening seam can be interrupted along an unconnected length so that a user can intervene there to cut off the material section. The set-back arrangement of the material section can also be useful if a functional molding is provided in the area of the bag body below. In particular, a pouring spout, a handle or a reclosable strip come into consideration as a functional formation. While the pouring spout and resealable strip are supplied as separate parts, a handle can be formed in different ways. In addition to the attachment of a separately supplied handle loop, a handle can be formed in a particularly preferred manner simply by punching out or an incision. Such a punch-out or an incision is then expediently formed in an area which is separated from the actual receiving space of the bag body by a seal. As an example, refer to the EP 3 168 169 A1 referenced.

In the context of the invention it may be sufficient if only one of the two front walls is provided with a material section in the manner described is provided, with the use of material being minimized in the context of such a configuration and only a printed material section has to be removed. The disadvantages of printing in the course of recycling have already been addressed in the discussion of the known embodiments.

According to a preferred development of the invention, however, both front walls are each provided with an associated material section which, with regard to the features described above, can be made the same or different without restriction. Such a circumstance takes into account the requirement that film bags should generally be designed differently on their front and back. While the product can have an attractive design with a logo and legible lettering on the front, detailed information on the ingredients, use, other properties, warnings and the like can be given on the back.

In order to enable particularly good recycling, the bag film can be made of one type of polyolefin.

The bag body itself is expediently also unprinted.

Against this background, it is also advantageous if the material section is unprinted in the area of the fastening seam and in particular outside the tear line. With such a configuration it is achieved that no printing ink remains behind even because of the remnants of the material section remaining on the bag body after it has been torn off. It can particularly preferably also be provided that the material section and the bag film are formed from a single type of polyolefin, in which case a total of one pure unprinted residual material is present when the material section with its printed areas is separated from the bag body.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the material section is formed from foil. As an alternative, however, other materials such as nonwovens, coated paper and a multi-layer laminate can in principle also be considered.

The fastening seam provided on the circumferential edge or the fastening seam sections forming the fastening seam are usually provided as the only connection between the material section and the underlying front wall.

Even if the material section can contribute in a certain way to stabilizing the bag body, it preferably has a significantly smaller thickness and a significantly lower weight per unit area compared to the bag film.

In the context of such a configuration, it is also taken into account that the material section cannot be recycled, or can only be recycled at a greater cost, due to the imprint.

The weight per unit area of the material section is typically between 18 g / m ² and 150 g / m ² . In a preferred configuration of the material section as a film and in the case of conventional plastics, this weight per unit area corresponds approximately to a thickness between 20 μm and 170 μm.

The bag film preferably has a thickness between 120 μm and 250 μm.

The selection of a suitable thickness for the bag film depends to a particular degree on the size of the film bag, the intended use and the loads to be expected. As the size of the foil bag increases, a greater thickness of the bag foil and possibly also of the material section must also be taken into account.

If the material section is configured as a film, it is particularly preferably at most half the thickness of the bag film.

A longitudinal and a transverse direction can be assigned to the film bag according to the invention. In the case of essentially rectangular front walls, the longitudinal direction then corresponds to the side edges of the front walls, the upper edge and the upper edge running along the transverse direction.

Based on such an assignment of the longitudinal and transverse directions, the material section is continuously provided with the fastening seam along its two side edges running in the longitudinal direction, which also extends at least in areas on the upper edge and on the lower edge. A continuous course is possible at the lower edge. However, it can be sufficient if only individual partial areas are attached to the lower edge, which then each form a comparatively short attachment seam section.

Fig. 1

einen gefüllten Folienbeutel in einer Perspektive,

Fig. 2

eine alternative Ausgestaltung des Folienbeutels in einem flachgelegten, unbefüllten Zustand,

Fig. 3

ein Schnitt durch einen Folienbeutel gemäß der Fig. 1 oder der Fig. 2 im Bereich einer Längsseite,

Fig. 4

ein entleerter und flachgelegter Folienbeutel während des Abtrennens eines Materialabschnitts.

The invention is explained below with reference to drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

a filled foil pouch in perspective,

Fig. 2

an alternative embodiment of the foil bag in a flat, unfilled state,

Fig. 3

a section through a foil bag according to FIG Fig. 1 or the Fig. 2 in the area of one long side,

Fig. 4

an emptied and laid flat film bag during the separation of a section of material.

The Fig. 1 and 2 show alternative designs of a film bag. The difference is a slightly different shape and the fact that the foil bag according to the Fig. 2 laid flat, unfilled, unlocked and not provided with an additional functional element.

Regarding the rest of the structure, the Fig. 1 and 2 however, should be viewed in their entirety.

Accordingly, it can be seen that the film bag has a bag body 1 with two opposing front walls 2 and a bottom fold 3 arranged between front walls. The front walls 2 are connected to one another and to the bottom fold 3 by connecting seams 4.

It can also be seen that a separate printed material section 5 is arranged on the front wall 2 in the drawings. As in the Fig. 3 As can be seen, the material section 5 is fastened to the associated front wall 2 at a fastening seam 6 which is in register with the connecting seam 4 below.

The connecting seams 4 and the fastening seam 6 are formed by hot bricks.

While the material section 5 is provided with an imprint 7 in a central area, the edges of the material section 5 and the entire bag body 1 are unprinted.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 1 the fastening seam 4 has a total of five fastening seam sections around the circumferential edge of the material section, which are separated from one another by unconnected areas 8. Furthermore, in the Fig. 1 It can be seen that, starting from an approximately rectangular shape of the material section 5, upper corners are cut off obliquely, in the exemplary embodiment at an angle of approximately 45 °. The two unconnected areas 8 with the greatest unconnected length are located in the area of the upper corners of the bag, where a user can easily grip between the material section 5 and the front wall 2 underneath. A user can then tear off a large part of the material section 5 from the bag body 1 for disposal of the film bag. For this purpose it is provided according to the invention that the fastening seam 6 is permanent, ie non-peelable, with a tear line 9 in the form of a weakened material running along the fastening seam 6, that is usually parallel to the fastening seam 6.

The material weakening can be formed in different ways. For example, a perforation and / or a reduction in thickness and / or a material embrittlement, for example through irradiation with a laser or the supply of heat, are possible.

For the purpose of better visibility, the tear line 9 is in the Fig. 3 shown with a reduced thickness of the material section 5.

If, after using the film bag for disposal, a user reaches into an upper corner of the bag between the material section and the associated front wall 2 and pulls on the material section 5, there is a material separation in the material section 5 at the tear line 9, so that at the fastening seam 6 Up to the tear line 9, outer remnants of the material section 5 remain on the underlying front wall 2, while the entire inner area of the material section 5 is torn off with the printing.

Since the imprint 7 ends before the tear line 9, a bag body 1 then remains completely without printing ink.

The fastening seam extends over a proportion between 40% and 98% to the running edge, the proportion preferably being greater than 50 and particularly preferably greater than 60 and preferably less than 90 and particularly preferably less than 85%.

A continuous fastening seam 6 or a continuous fastening section is basically possible on a lower edge of the front wall 2. In the illustrated embodiment, however, only two short fastening seam sections 6a are provided as a type of fixation, while the fastening seam 6 with the corresponding fastening sections 6b extends over the entire length of the material section 5 as far as the obliquely separated corners.

In the Fig. 3 it is shown that, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an associated material section 5 is arranged on each of the two front walls 2, wherein the material sections can be designed largely the same or different.

From the Fig. 3 it can also be seen that the material sections 5 outside the fastening seam 6 are not connected to the respectively assigned front wall 2.

According to the illustrated embodiments, the film bag is intended to hold liquids such as detergents, shampoo, conditioners, cleaning agents or other household chemicals, this purpose being merely exemplary. The configuration according to the invention is also suitable for other foil bags and in particular conventional foil packaging bags.

The tear line 9 expediently runs at a small distance from the fastening seam, so that the distance between the tear line 9 and an adjacent outer edge of the material section 5 can be, for example, between 4 mm and 20 mm, in particular between 6 mm and 12 mm.

The ones in the Figures 1 and 2 The illustrated embodiments each have a handle opening 10 which are formed by a stamping in a sealed area of the bag body 1. While according to the Fig. 2 the material sections 5 also extends over the handle opening 10 and also punched there, this corner area is according to FIG Fig. 1 left out.

In the Fig. 1 it is also shown by way of example that the bag body has a pouring spout 11, it also being possible for alternative functional configurations such as reclosers to be provided.

As already explained before, according to Fig. 4 remaining bag body 1 with the remaining pieces of the material section 5 completely unprinted. It is also possible to make the material section 5 and the front walls 2 of the bag body as well as functional elements such as the pouring spout 11 separately from polyolefin, for example polyethylene or polypropylene, so that particularly effective recycling is then possible.

The bag film forming the front walls 2 and preferably also the bottom fold 3 typically has a thickness between 120 μm and 250 μm.

If, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the material section 5 consists of a film, the thickness is, for example, between 20 μm and 170 μm.

Claims (18)

1. Film bag comprising a bag body (1) made of a bag film having at least two mutually opposite front walls (2), wherein a printed material section (5) is fastened to a part of a circumferential edge of the material section (5) with a permanent fastening seam (6) on one of the front walls (2) and adjacent to the fastening seam (6) has a tear line (9) in the form of a material weakening, wherein the fastening seam (6) extends over a fraction between 40% and 98% of the circumferential edge and wherein the front walls (2) have a substantially rectangular shape with two side edges, an upper edge and a lower edge, characterized in that the material section (5) extends as far as the side edges, the lower edge and the upper edge of the associated front wall (2) and is fastened to each of the edges with the fastening seam (6) at least in sections.
2. Film bag according to Claim 1, characterized in that the bag film is heat-sealable on a bag inner side and a bag outer side and that the fastening seam (6) is executed as a heat sealing seam.
3. Film bag according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fastening seam (6) is formed from a maximum of six fastening seam sections (6a, 6b) wherein the fastening seam sections (6a, 6b) are each executed continuously.
4. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the tear line (9) runs at a distance between 4 mm and 20 mm as far as an adjacent outer edge of the material section (5).
5. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that along the circumferential edge a greatest unconnected length between the material section (5) and the associated front wall (2) is less than 160 mm.
6. Film bag according to Claim 5, characterized in that the greatest unconnected length is between 40 mm and 120 mm.
7. Film bag according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the greatest unconnected length is provided in the region of an upper bag corner.
8. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the fastening seam (6) runs at least in sections in overlap with a connecting seam (4) at which the front walls (2) are either connected to one another or to a gusset arranged between the front walls (2).
9. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that starting from a rectangular shape of the material section (5) at least one corner is cut off obliquely.
10. Film bag according to Claim 9, characterized in that the bag body (1) in the region of the cut-off corner has a functional formation in the form of a spout (11), a carrying handle or a reclosure strip.
11. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that both front walls (2) are provided with respectively one associated material section (5).
12. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the bag film is formed purely of a polyolefin.
13. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the bag body (1) is unprinted.
14. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the material section (5) consists of a material selected from the group film, nonwoven, coated paper and multilayer laminate.
15. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the material section (5) and the bag film are formed purely of a polyolefin, wherein the material section (5) is unprinted in the region of the fastening seam (6).
16. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the tear line (9) is formed by a perforation, a notching and/or by means of a laser.
17. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the bag film has a thickness between 80 µm and 300 µm.
18. Film bag according to one of Claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the material section (5) has a weight per unit area between 18 g/m² and 150 g/m².

Images