ES2617044T3 - Container filled with powder and method for its production - Google Patents

Abstract

Container (1) filled with powder, container comprising: a container (2) provided with a base (17), the inner wall of the container (2) consisting of a heat sealable material; a heat sealable film (13) above the powder and heat sealed together to said inner wall of the container; characterized by a lid edge (4) fixed to an upper edge of the container at a distance from the heat sealable film; and a lid (3) connected in an articulated manner to the lid edge, a spoon (8) for the dosing of said powder, the spoon being placed inside an upper part of the container and placed on the heat sealable film; where the powder is a powdery baby food and an inert gas is sealed inside the container under the heat sealable film.

Description

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Container filled with powder and method for its production

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder filled container, and to a method of producing a powder filled container.

[0002] In the packaging of baby food, rigorous requirements are imposed with regard to hygiene and dosage.

Therefore, said powder is currently stored in cylindrical metal cans that are sealed by a metal lid or a plastic lid that has to be opened before use and can be easily closed again. Spoons are used for dosing that are designed so that a correct volume of powder material is delimited.

By leveling a predetermined amount can be placed in the volume of the spoon cavity.

It is important that this amount is specified precisely to, on the one hand, ensure that the baby receives sufficient food and, on the other hand, to prevent, as far as possible, problems of constipation of children. It should be understood that powdery material should be understood as any granular material, in particular food products dried by atomization, as well as agglomerates of the dust particles.

[0003] In such a container, such a spoon is generally loose between the top of the contents and the bottom of the lid that is on the product.

[0004] After the spoon has been used, some users replace the spoon in or on the product. Other users consider it unhygienic to return the spoon to the contents of the container after use. Therefore, the spoon is often stored outside the container, which in practice further increases the risk of contamination.

On the other hand, the size and height of such containers are designed so that a volume as compact as possible is obtained to obtain optimum filling of the shelf at the point of sale.

[0005] US 6 604 645 B 1 describes a container with a lid to which a spoon is molded and connected by a plastic film hinge.

The upper part of the container has an airtight seal enclosed by the assembly of the lid and the spoon. With the first use the spoon separates from the lid.

The tight seal of the container in the place where the lid should be connected to the wall of the container is very complicated.

The capacity of stacking the lid before assembly with the container is limited due to its shape.

[0006] FR 2 747 107 describes a container that is sealed and has a ring on its upper part comprising a spoon as well as a lid.

After removing the spoon from the ring and tearing off the seal, the ring can be placed in the container, after which the lid can begin to be operative.

[0007] In both US 6 604 645 and FR 2 747 107 the user has to tear the spoon from another plastic part, which entails the risk of particles falling into the food material, which can be highly dangerous.

[0008] EP 0 611 703 A describes a container filled with powder and a method for its production, where a sealing sheet is welded to the inner wall of the container at a distance from an upper edge of the container.

[0009] The invention is intended to provide a container, lid and spoon assembly, where the spoon is not permanently connected to the lid, so that breakage is no longer necessary.

In addition, the lid to be used with the container should be easily stackable with other lids during the production thereof.

The contents of the container should be guaranteed by the provision of an airtight seal above the content.

The use of spoons with different volumes should be possible without substantial changes in the lid.

[0010] According to the invention, this is done with the method according to claim 1.

[0011] Stacking of the covers is done by keeping the height of the lid relatively low.

On the other hand, on the lid there is an indication that a spoon is provided inside the container.

This indication is an elevation of the lid that has (part of) the shape of the spoon.

The spoon is not connected to the lid or the container, after filling the container with the intended content.

This means that it is not necessary to tear the spoon from another part of the container after it has been filled.

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[0012] According to the invention, part of the volume of the spoon is housed by the top of the container.

To that end, the seal is provided somewhat below the upper edge of the container.

This distance between the seal and the upper edge of the container is preferably between 20 and 50 mm, and more particularly about 30 mm.

[0013] According to the present invention, the user is encouraged to place the spoon in a housing formed in the lid after using the spoon for the first time.

This accommodation is partially delimited by the elevation described above.

In particular, the open end of the bowl-shaped part or spoon head can be placed at this elevation.

Therefore, the volume of the container does not increase greatly, but, on the other hand, it can be ensured that the spoon can be stored in the container in the most hygienic conditions possible without coming into contact with the contents of the container.

[0014] More particularly, the elevation described above has a height of 2-25, in particular 4-15 mm, measured between the maximum height and the base of the elevation.

[0015] The lid according to the present invention preferably consists of a plastic material, which is articulated connected to a lid edge, which is also made of plastic and is attached to the wall of the container or attached to it in any other way. .

Preferably, the lid edge has a leveling edge, that is, an angled part or band to prevent the accumulation of dust in the corner below which the upper edge of the spoon can be easily passed to provide a accurate and convenient reproducible dosing of the volume of product in the spoon.

[0016] In the case of conventional packages, the extraction of the entire contents of the package has proven to be a problem.

The reason for this is that handling within the relatively restricted space of the package is difficult.

In addition, it is not hygienic to always replace the spoon that is in the contents of the container after use, as usual now.

[0017] In the case of known containers, for hygiene reasons the spoon is first introduced into the container, after which the container is filled with the powdery material.

Then the closure occurs and when you turn the container upside down the spoon will go to the top.

This has the disadvantage that, under adverse conditions, the plastic parts that are released or other particles from the production process can be put in the dust, with all the associated consequences. Furthermore, as a result of this procedure, there is a relatively large empty space between the top of the product, such as dust, and the bottom of the lid (the space called the air chamber).

In the case of perishable substances, such a large air chamber filled with gas is unfavorable.

During the long storage time, certain substances contained can be converted by the oxygen that is present in the gas.

[0018] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a package that does not have these drawbacks or that has them to a lesser extent.

[0019] This other objective is achieved with a container according to claim 1, wherein the wall of the container contains a heat sealable material inside and a sealed plastic film seal that extends over the free cross-sectional surface area of the container It is placed near the top of the container, a sealed seal which is fixed to said wall of the container by heat sealing.

[0020] According to the present invention, the space where the spoon is placed is basically separated from the space where the dust is present.

Such separation is possible by making the inside of the container wall a heat sealable material and, after the introduction of the powder, producing a film cover over the dust with the heat sealable material by heat sealing.

In this way a film is produced on the powder that provides a gas tight seal.

The spoon can be placed on this film in any other way.

[0021] The film is fixed to the peripheral wall by heat and preferably has odor absorption characteristics.

[0022] It is possible to counteract the deterioration further by, before or during the application of the seal described above, the removal of the air or oxygen that is present in the powder or container by applying a vacuum and introducing into the product a gas that counteracts the deterioration, such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide or any other inert gas or mixture of such gases under normal conditions.

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[0023] Under normal conditions, the quality of the product will not deteriorate or will hardly deteriorate after the package has been opened because the contents of the package will be used relatively quickly after opening.

The problem is the potentially long storage time, which can be achieved without any problem with the seal according to the invention.

The container has a hinged lid, as a result of which the container can be effectively closed again after use.

[0024] However, it is also possible to make a housing with snap closure on the lid to hold the spoon in it.

This housing is preferably at or near the center of the lid and may include the head of the spoon and possibly the handle.

Preferably, during production the spoon is introduced into the space between the lid and the seal without using the housing with snap closure.

Only after the first opening of the container will the user hook the spoon into the housing with snap closure to avoid contact with the contents of the container.

[0025] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the package is manufactured in essentially rectangular form.

A rectangular construction has significant advantages with respect to packaging and placement in the shelf. Optimum use of the volume can be achieved, also being possible, during placement on the shelf, to easily place the desired side towards the consumer to increase the stimulation power of an impulse to buy it.

Another advantage of an essentially rectangular container is that the manipulation with the spoon is considerably simplified.

After all, for a given surface area, compared to a circle, the diagonal length of a rectangle is considerably larger than the diameter of a circle.

Preferably, the corners of the rectangle are rounded.

Preferably there is a leveling edge in the corner.

This edge is preferably more than 9 mm wide measured from the corner and may comprise a triangle or a band separated from the corner.

If a band is used, dust cannot accumulate in the adjacent corner.

Said band may have a width of 7-11 mm.

The space from the nearest edge thereof to the corner is more than 4 mm and preferably approximately 5-9 mm.

[0026] It is possible to include a housing to at least partially accommodate the spoon in the lid.

The different aspects depend on the amount of product to be packaged in the container, the desired cross-sectional surface area and the height of the container.

As indicated above, the clearance (r) between the seal described above and the bottom of the lid is preferably between 14 and 27 mm.

It has been found that, in this way, an optimal volume for the spoon is provided, while the container, when it contains, for example, 900 g of product, can be placed stacked on a shelf in a simple manner.

[0027] Strict requirements of gas tightness and opacity are imposed on the packaging of some products, such as baby food.

Therefore, it is proposed to make the wall of the container, as well as its bottom, of a paper / metal laminate / plastic laminate.

The metal sheet provides gas tightness and opacity.

The paper or cardboard works as a support, while the plastic works as heat-sealable material.

The plastic used can be any material known in the state of the art.

[0028] According to another advantageous embodiment, the seal, which is applied to the product, has a tear-off flange and a line of weakening.

By stretching the flange, an opening can be obtained along the tear line, opening through which the contents can be removed from the container.

On the one hand, this provides easy access to the product, in which the user has to perform few special operations and, on the other hand, any manipulation of the product can be easily detected in this way.

Another advantage is that any product particle that has been placed between the seal and the wall during heat sealing is not able to escape and remains locked.

[0029] After removing the film along the tear line, one edge of the film remains on the side walls.

This edge will preferably be less than 5 mm, more preferably less than 4 mm, to allow the opening to the product to be as large as possible.

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The film consists of a material with which the user cannot be injured.

[0030] The container is preferably provided with means that favor grip, such as finger recesses.

As a result of the rectangular design of the container, one side of the container is optimal for each hand size.

One of the sides may have a maximum width of at most about 12.0 cm and is preferably 6 to 11.6 cm to allow a good grip by the consumer.

The other side may have a size of 11.6-15.0 cm and more preferably 12.4-13.5 cm.

The maximum height of the container including the lid is 22 cm and preferably about 10-20 cm and more preferably 15-20 cm.

[0031] The invention also relates to a method of providing a powder filled container according to claim 9.

[0032] More particularly, the containers are produced from raw parts at the packaging site, so that only small volumes of packaging material have to be fed to the packaging facility.

More particularly, the container is first produced and then filled and provided with the seal described above, and only then is the lid placed, including the lid edge.

The introduction of gas before / during the application of the seal can be carried out either continuously or discontinuously.

[0033] It has been indicated before that the container is preferably of rectangular cross section.

More particularly, this rectangular shape protrudes outward to a certain extent in the middle of at least two opposite sides.

Such protuberance may be limited and preferably it is less than about 7 mm and more preferably less than 2 mm on the short side and less than about 16 mm on the long side.

However, acute angles should preferably be avoided.

That is, with respect to the straight line connecting the points of greatest deviation / inflection, the external deviation is less than about 7 mm and about 16 mm, respectively, and preferably 3-6 and 7-15 mm, respectively.

In addition, the container may have finger supports for easy handling.

[0034] As a result of the specific choice of the aforementioned dimensions, the base surface area of the container is 120-150 cm2, in particular 125-140 cm2, for example 126-136 cm2.

[0035] The package is provided in particular with a closure indicating whether there has been a manipulation (tamper-proof).

This is implemented so that the edge of the lid has a peripheral part that extends upward and that extends to the top of the lid perfometer or beyond.

As a result, it is not possible to easily lift the lid located therein.

The circumferential edge of the lid is not accessible in the closed position.

The peripheral edge that houses the circumferential edge can be interrupted to gain access to, for example, a flange extending from the lid.

Such means for interrupting the peripheral edge may comprise a breakable portion thereof.

This is done, for example, by fixing the breakable part at two points on each side of the edge.

When the part is torn off, the lid flange is exposed and the lid can be opened.

When the part is torn off, the aforementioned connections to the cover edge (peripheral edge) are destroyed, so that it is clear that manipulation has taken place through the interruption of the circumference line.

Then, the lid can always be opened easily after closing.

[0036] The invention will be explained in more detail below in reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows, schematically, a perspective view and partially exposed of the container according to the invention;

Fig. 1a is a detail of figure 1 with the lid in the closed state;

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the seal according to the invention;

Fig. 3 shows the section along the line III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows the section along the line IV-IV of the lid and the container in the closed position;

Fig. 5 shows in a perspective view another embodiment of the cover according to the invention;

Fig. 6 shows in view from above the cover of figure 5; Y

Fig. 7 shows, schematically, an installation for the production of packaging according to the invention.

[0037] In Fig. 1 a container according to the invention is indicated by 1.

This consists of a container 2 with base 17.

The base 17 is located inside the container so that it is somewhat raised, so that an edge is produced

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vertical 29. This vertical edge facilitates the stacking of other containers.

[0038] 3 indicates a cap with edge 18 which is connected by a hinge 5 to a cover edge 4.

The lid and the lid edge consist of a plastic material and are produced by injection molding.

As can be seen in Fig. 4, in the closed position the upper part of the lid 3 near the periphery thereof is somewhat below the upper part of the raised peripheral edge 23 of the lid edge.

The cover 3 has a dependent edge 26 that fits relatively narrowly within the edge

circumferential 27 of the cover edge 4.

The circumferential upper part of lid 3 is referenced by 28 and fits adjacently narrowly on the peripheral edge 23.

As a result, it is not possible to hold the cover except in the position of the cutout 24 on the peripheral edge 23.

In the closed position, the dependent part of the edge 18 extends in front of the cutout 24.

Access to the edge 18 is avoided by the part 25 that is in front of the edge 18.

This is shown in greater detail in fig. 1st.

It is clear that the edge 18 has a tongue-shaped protrusion that engages below a projection of the part 25 and prevents the lifting of the edge 18 while the part 25 is present.

In delivery, the cutout 24 is closed by the part 25, which is attached to the peripheral edge 23 on each side by two

48 points in each case.

The connection of the part 25 to the circumferential edge 23 can be carried out in any other way, for example by local reduction of the thickness.

Part 25 can be easily broken and after tearing off the lid can be opened by lifting edge 18.

In this way, it is clear to the user that he or she is the first person to open the package.

[0039] If part 25 has been manipulated, this will be immediately apparent because it is in the outer circumference of the container.

It should be understood that the first opening test just described (tamper proof) can also be used in combination with packages other than those described here, and rights are explicitly requested for this.

The lid edge is hooked or connected to the wall of the container, or fixed in any other manner known in the state of the art. The outer periphery of the lid / lid edge is such that it falls within the periphery of the lower vertical edge 29.

The container is essentially rectangular in construction, but it can be clearly seen in the drawing that there is a slight bulge in the center of the flat walls.

This is indicated schematically by b for the front face.

Said bulge may be limited and preferably is less than about 7 mm on the short side and less than about 16 mm on the long side.

That is, with respect to the straight line that joins the points of greatest deviation / inflection, the external deviation is less than about 7 mm and about 16 mm, respectively, and preferably 3-6 and 7-15 mm, respectively.

In addition, the container may have finger supports to facilitate handling thereof.

[0040] As can be seen in Fig. 1, the cover edge 4 has a leveling band 6.

When the package is held at an angle, the spoon overloaded with product can be moved under the band 6 and thus a precise volume is determined.

In addition, as a result of the construction of the edge, no compression of the powder or product takes place, so that there is always a reproducible amount of material in the spoon.

[0041] Product 11, which, according to the invention, is powdery food for container 2.

A seal 13, consisting of a film that has been applied to the interior of the wall has been immediately placed on this product.

This film has a line of weakening 14 and a flange for stretching 15.

When the stretching tab 15 is held, the film 13 will tear along the access to the product becomes possible.

[0042] The cover 3 has a convex portion 9 that fits in the elevation produced by the vertical edge 28 of another package optionally stacked on top of the package shown here.

In addition, there is another elevation 10 in which part of the spoon 8 is housed.

This part is preferably the head of the spoon.

Optionally, there may be another elevation for the (end of) the handle.

[0043] The size of the spoon depends on the desired dose.

The elevation 10 can be extended over the elevation 9, as can be seen in the cross-section according to Fig. 3. The maximum of the elevation 10 with respect to the base is indicated by "a" and is between 4 and 12 mm.

Because the container has a peripheral edge 28 at the bottom, these elevations fall within the space delimited by said edge 18 and base 17.

you drink, it's contained in container 2 by heat sealing,

line of weakening 14 and the

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For precise centering, the edge 18 forms an inward flange to a certain extent from the base 17, so that a clearly fixed position is obtained when stacked.

The height of the base with respect to the positioning surface of the container corresponds to the height of the elevation with respect to the position in which the side walls of the container rest on the underlying package.

This is shown by "b" in Figure 4.

The handle of the spoon 8 can be fixed with snap closure between flanges 7 which are integral with the lid and are preferably located near or in the middle of the lid.

The wall of the container has recesses 16 corresponding to the shape of the user's fingers.

Attaching the spoon to the lid prevents the spoon from falling back into the dust after the first use.

If the spoon fits into the lid, bacterial contamination can be avoided as much as possible.

Before the first opening of the container, that is, after shipping from the filling installation, the spoon 8 may be loosely arranged in the seal 13.

This is shown in Fig. 4.

It can be concluded from Fig. 4 that the size of the spoon 8 is such that the housing defined by the upper part of the lid and the lower side thereof is not sufficient to receive the spoon.

For this reason, the seal 13 is provided at a distance r from the lower point of the housing in the spoon lid of the container.

This distance r is preferably between 20 and 50 mm and more particularly about 40 mm.

In this way, the height of the lid can be kept relatively low, which allows for easy stacking during its production.

[0044] Preferably, the height of the lid is such that also, after the first use, when the seal is removed and the spoon 8 is engaged between the flanges 7, the spoon partially extends into the space below the lid and defined by the top of the container 2.

[0045] The edge 23 is made vertical to allow the dust that is poured during the movement of the full spoon to fall back into the container.

[0046] It can be seen in Fig. 3 that the wall of the container is composed of a laminate.

From the outside in, this consists of a cardboard / paper layer 20, a relatively thin aluminum sheet 21 and, disposed therein, a layer of a plastic material 22 that can be attached to the seal 13 by heat sealing.

As a result of using the seal, the risk of foreign bodies reaching the product is limited.

After all, after the seal has been applied, such unwanted bodies, such as plastic parts of the spoon, will remain above the seal and will not reach dust.

[0047] Some typical dimensions of the package will be provided below.

However, it should be understood that these should be interpreted as non-limiting if baby food is packaged.

[0048] The distance between the bottom of the cover and the top of the seal is preferably between 14 and 27 mm.

More particularly, this distance is between 7 and 23 mm.

Such space is just enough to accommodate a spoon.

However, this height will vary depending on the desired volume of the spoon.

[0049] The space below the seal and on the powder is preferably less than 10 mm and more particularly less than 5 mm.

That is, the seal is placed as close as possible to the powder during packaging.

[0050] As can be seen from the drawing, the container is of rectangular construction, as a result of which it can be emptied to the maximum with the help of the spoon 8.

To optimize emptying, the length of the spoon is preferably 60-95% of the diagonal of the container and more particularly 70-90% thereof.

[0051] As a result of the use of rectangular containers, optimum use can be made of the volume available either in the packaging or in the retail shelf.

[0052] Another embodiment of the lid is shown in Fig. 5.

It is generally referenced by 53 and basically corresponds to the cover 3 according to the preceding figures.

The elevation for the spoon is referenced by 60, 61.

The elevation 60 is adapted to receive part of the head 52 of the spoon 58, while the elevation 61 is provided to receive the rod 54 thereof.

Between the two elevations 60, 61, the reinforcement ribs of the cover extend.

The fixing means 57 are shown with dotted lines.

The arrangement of this embodiment is such that, in the fixed position, the open side of the head 52 is

oriented towards accommodation 60.

This means that it is possible to accommodate heads with a different "height" between the fixing flanges 57. This allows the use of heads of different dimensions of the spoon 58 without adaptation to the design of the lid.

In addition, in this embodiment only part of the spoon is housed by the lid, while the remaining part 5 is housed in the space above the seal inside the container.

[0053] An installation for the production of a package is shown in Fig. 6.

This consists of a power station 31, in which gross pieces 32 are introduced.

With the aid of a folding / sealing station 33, the containers 34 according to the present invention are produced from them. These containers consist of a wall and a base without a lid.

The product is then introduced at 35. In 30 the sealing film is applied by heat sealing while an inert gas is introduced into the space in which the product is stored.

In this way, a volume is obtained that remains gas-tight in which the product can be stored for a very long period without damage.

15 The introduction of gas can be carried out either discontinuously or continuously in station 30.

The verifications of the container and the content are carried out in 39.

The lid, with the lid edge, is then pressed onto the wall of the container and fixed to it at 37.

Collection and packaging take place in 38.

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[0054] Although the invention has been described above with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that numerous modifications can be made without going beyond the scope of the present application as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (9)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 1. Container (1) filled with powder, container comprising: a container (2) provided with a base (17), the inner wall of the container (2) consisting of a heat sealable material; a heat sealable film (13) above the powder and heat sealed together to said internal wall of the container; characterized by a lid edge (4) fixed to an upper edge of the container at a distance from the heat sealable film; and a cover (3) connected in an articulated manner to the cover edge, a spoon (8) for the dosing of said powder, the spoon being placed inside an upper part of the container and placed on the heat sealable film; where the powder is a powdery food for babies and an inert gas is sealed inside the container under the heat sealable film. 2. Package according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the heat sealable film and the upper edge of the container is between 20 and 50 mm. 3. Packaging according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a space below the heat sealable film and above the powder is less than 10 mm and more particularly less than 5 mm. 4. Packaging according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a tamper-evident closure for the lid. 5. Package according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen. 6. Package according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inert gas is carbon dioxide. 7. Packaging according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the wall of the container is made of a paper / metal laminate / plastic laminate. 8. Packaging according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the lid comprises an elevation adapted to receive part of the spoon and the size of the spoon is such that only part of the spoon is housed in the lid. 9. Method for providing a container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising dropping dust into the container, placing the heat sealable film on the powder and attaching the film to the inner wall of the container, providing for the adjustment of the lid.