FR2858579A1 - Manufacturing procedure for supple plastic pack containing loose fibre or granular material is made with two parts joined to form handle at one end - Google Patents

Abstract

Plastic pack (2) is made from a plastic film material, either welded or extruded to form a sleeve (4), and has two parts (7a, 7b) that are joined together by transverse weld lines (8a, 8b) to form a handle (5) with an aperture (6). The transverse weld lines are also used to close the pack, which has a preferable volume of over 0.050 m3>, after filling with a bulk fibre or granular material. Plastic pack (2) is made from a plastic film material, either welded or extruded to form a sleeve (4), and has two parts (7a, 7b) that are joined together by transverse weld lines (8a, 8b) to form a handle (5) with an aperture (6). The transverse weld lines are also used to close the pack, which has a preferable volume of over 0.050 m3>, after filling with a bulk fibre or granular material. The pack is preferably made from a polyolefin film, but can also be of a combination of paper and plastic as long as it is strong enough to be carried by the handle without the risk of tearing.

Description

The subject of the present invention is in particular a manufacturing method

a

  flexible package for containing a loose granular or fibrous product, for example animal litter.

  The use of flexible packaging to package various products is widespread.

  There is a need for flexible packaging having improved strength, especially at a handful of these packages to prevent damage to the handle when handling, especially for high weight content.

  The invention responds in particular to this need by means of a method of manufacturing a flexible packaging intended for packaging, in particular a litter for animals, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) providing an envelope comprising two portions to assemble, intended to form at one end of the package a handle, b) assemble said two portions by solidarisant two lines of substantially parallel assembly, c) achieve in said two portions, between said two lines of assembly, an opening of the handle.

  Thanks to the invention, the risk of damage to the handle is reduced because of the presence of the two assembly lines.

  In particular, the applicant has found a resistance of the handle better than in the case where this handle would be obtained by assembling the two portions along a single assembly line.

  The invention is thus particularly well suited to relatively heavy weight packaging.

  In addition, the invention makes it possible to use a casing of reduced thickness without this adversely affecting the robustness of the handle.

  In an exemplary implementation of the invention, step c) precedes step b), that is to say that it firstly carries out in said two portions, between two lines 30 of substantially parallel assembly, an opening of the handle, then the two portions are assembled by solidarisant following the two assembly lines.

  Preferably, the envelope is made of a material for welding and, during step b), the two portions are assembled by welding along the two assembly lines.

  In an exemplary implementation of the invention, the envelope comprises at least one film, in particular a plastic material, biodegradable or not, preferably a polyolefin, such as polyethylene. The thickness of the film should be chosen sufficient to allow the package to be carried by the handle without the risk of tearing. A paper / plastic composite can also be used.

  The film may initially be non-tubular, for example sheet-shaped, and two edges of the film may be assembled, particularly by welding, to form a tubular shape.

  Alternatively, the film is made by extrusion with a tubular shape.

  Preferably, one of the two assembly lines serves to close the envelope.

  In an exemplary implementation of the invention, the envelope is arranged to have a capacity of greater than or equal to 0.010 m 3, especially greater than 0.025 m 3, preferably greater than 0.050 m 3.

  The invention also relates to a package comprising at least one envelope with two assembled portions, intended to form at one end of the package a handle, said handle having an opening, characterized in that said portions have two substantially parallel assembly lines located on either side of said opening.

  The invention further relates to an article comprising: - a package as defined above, - a granular or fibrous bulk product such as animal litter 25 filling, at least partially and preferably completely, the packaging.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows, of an example of non-limiting implementation of the invention, and the examination of the single appended figure.

  FIG. 1 shows schematically an article 1 according to the invention comprising a flexible package 2 containing a litter 3.

  Litter 3 may be a biodegradable animal litter containing shives of flax or hemp, such as that described in patent EP 654 215 of the applicant.

  The package 2 comprises a casing 4 constituted in the example described by a transparent polyethylene film with a thickness of preferably between 60 and glm.

  The package 2 comprises a handle 5 made at its upper end and used for gripping this package.

  This handle 5 has an opening 6 for the passage of a hand of the user.

  The package 2 is shaped in the following manner.

  The casing 4 is initially supplied in the form of a rectangular film 10 with two portions 7a and 7b to be assembled, intended to form the gripping handle 5.

  The casing 4 is folded in a conventional manner so that, when the package 2 is filled with litter 3, this latter takes a substantially parallelepipedal shape, as can be seen in the figure, with a bottom 11. 9 parallel edges of the casing 4 are assembled by welding.

  The two portions 7a and 7b are joined by welding along two parallel assembly lines 8a and 8b, extending over the entire width of the handle 5, on either side of the opening 6 of this handle 5.

  The assembly line 8a, above the opening 6, is slightly set back from the edge 10 of the handle 5.

  The other assembly line 8b, below the opening 6, serves to close the envelope 4.

  The welding can be carried out in different ways, in particular by infrared, contact, ultrasound, or by means of hot air.

  In the example considered, the package 2 contains about 0.050 m3 of litter. Due to the presence of the two assembly lines 8a and 8b, the handle 5 has a reinforced strength, which is particularly advantageous given the large weight of the litter contained in the package.

  The package 2 is not intended solely for the packaging of a litter but is also suitable for any other agricultural product, including peat, straw, flax, hemp, coconut. The product in the form of straw can in particular be used for mulching crops. The packaging according to the invention can be used to package various other products, for example construction insulators or livestock feeds.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to the implementation example which has just been described.

  The envelope 4 may in particular be made by extrusion in the form of a tubular film.

  The welding along at least one of the assembly lines 8a and 8b can be continuous or discontinuous.

  The welding along the assembly line 8a may extend over the entire width of the handle 5 or only a portion thereof, in which case preferably the weld extends at least along the opening 6 .

Claims (10)

  1. A method of manufacturing a flexible packaging (2) for the packaging of a granular or fibrous product in bulk including a litter for animals (3), characterized in that it comprises the following steps: supplying an envelope (4) comprising two portions (7a; 7b) to be assembled, intended to form at one end of the package a gripping handle (5), b) assembling said two portions (7a; 7b) by securing them according to two substantially parallel assembly lines (8a; 8b), c) producing in said two portions (7a; 7b), between said two assembly lines (8a; 8b), an opening (6) of the handle (5) .   2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that step c) precedes step b).   3. Method according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the envelope (4) is made of a material for welding, and that, in step b), both portions (7a; 7b) are welded together along the two joining lines (8a; 8b).   4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the envelope (4) consists of at least one film, in particular plastic, preferably polyethylene.   5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the film is initially non-tubular and in that two edges of the film are assembled, in particular by welding, to obtain a tubular shape.   6. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the film is made by extrusion with a tubular shape.   7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one of the assembly lines (8) serves to close the envelope (4).   8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the envelope (4) is arranged to have a capacity greater than or equal to 0.010 m3, especially greater than 0.025 m3, preferably greater than 0.050. m3.   9. Package comprising at least one envelope with two assembled portions (7a; 7b) intended to form at one end of the package a handle (5), said handle having an opening (6), characterized in that said two portions have two substantially parallel connecting lines (8a; 8b) located on either side of said opening (6).   10. Article (1) comprising: - a package (2) as defined in claim 9, - a granular or fibrous product in bulk such as animal litter (3) at least partially filling the package.