GB2373233A

GB2373233A - Packaging with resealable closure patch

Info

Publication number: GB2373233A
Application number: GB0106529A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Phillip Derek Moore
Original assignee: STICKPACK EUROP Ltd
Current assignee: STICKPACK EUROP Ltd
Priority date: 2001-03-16
Filing date: 2001-03-16
Publication date: 2002-09-18
Also published as: GB0106529D0

Abstract

A tubular package 2 sealed at opposite ends 6,8 has a cut or slit 10 in the wall which is covered by a patch 12 resealably secured to the tube wall with adhesive, such that when the patch 12 is lifted or peeled back, the cut 10 forms an opening 18 which allows the contents of the tube to be discharged. The package 2 may be formed from flexible material, e.g. plastic sheet or film, and the cut 10 may have an arcuate, semicircular or linear profile. The patch may include a lift-up tab 14, may comprise a circle having a radially extending distal tab, and may bear information or data, e.g. advertising material. The package may define two internal tubular cavities (320, 322, fig. 5) having two cuts (310, fig. 5) through the wall, one cut communicating with each cavity, with each cut having a separate covering patch (312, fig. 5). The package may be used for particulate or granular solids, or liquids, and upon peeling back the patch and dispensing the contents, the opening is closed by resealing the patch to the wall.

Description

PACKAGING

The present invention relates to packaging and, in particular, to packaging known as stickpacks for containing small quantities of product to be dispensed.

It has become fashionable to package commodities in small doses. For example, sugar and salt are often supplied in sachets in quantities required for a single use. Such sachets are generally flat rectangular packs having front and rear faces sealed along one or more edges. Usually, a line of weakness is provided in the packages to enable a comer or side to be torn away to provide a discharge opening for the contents.

More recently single dose commodities have been packaged in tubular packs made from a single rectangle of material in which the opposite longer sides of the material are brought together and sealed or secured together to form a longitudinal seam for the resulting tube.

The material of the tube will vary as required. It may be paper, lined paper or plastics. When the contents of the tube are intended to be liquid, eg a food sauce such as tomato sauce, the tube should be of impermeable non-linear plastics.

The advantage of using a tube rather than a sachet is that less packaging material is required to hold the same quantity. Also, the tubes are more easily handled and dispensed and are ideally suited to supporting advertising material.

The opening at the bottom of the tube is closed by squeezing it flat and sealing or adhesively securing the contacting surfaces together. The tube is then filled with the appropriate quantity of a commodity and the top of the tube is closed by squeezing it flat and then sealing or adhesively securing the contacting surfaces together to close the tube.

The resulting package is commonly referred to as a stickpack.

A line or area of weakness is applied to the stickpack near the upper or lower extremity to allow the pack to be tom to provide a discharge opening.

This produces a number of problems. It is often difficult for the user to locate the line of weakness and so tearing open the pack becomes difficult. Where the stickpack is tom other than along a line of weakness, the tear becomes erratic and may accidentally discharge some of the contents in areas not intended. The force need to tear the stickpack is these circumstances is also liable to cause the stickpack to be jerked violently again producing an unwanted dispersal of contents.

A further problem arises in that once the pack has been opened, if not all the contents are used, then when the pack is discarded, the remaining contents are liable to spill and may create an undesired mess which has subsequently to be cleaned up.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved stickpack.

According to the present invention there is provided a package comprising a tube of

packaging material sealed at opposite elongate ends, a cut through the wall of the tube, and a patch secured to the tube with the aid of a resealable adhesive to cover the cut, whereby when the patch is peeled back to expose the cut, the cut opens to form a discharge orifice for the contents to the tube.

A stickpack embodying the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a first embodiment of a stickpack; Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the stickpack of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the stickpack of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a detail to an enlarged scale of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a front elevation of a second embodiment of a stickpack; Figure 6 is a detail to an enlarged scale of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a front elevation of a third embodiment of the stickpack; and Figure 8 is a rear elevation of the stickpack of Figure 7.

The stickpack shown in Figures 1 to 4 comprises an elongate tube 2 of impermeable flaccid plastics sheet or film having an elongate longitudinal seal 4, formed by heat sealing the opposite longitudinal sides of a rectangular piece of the sheet or film together.

The lower axial end region 6 of the tube is also heat sealed as also is the upper axial end region 8 after the tube has been filled or partially filled with the desired contents.

A semicircular cut or perforation 10 is provided in the wall of the tube adjacent the upper axial end region 8.

A circular patch 12 which is coated on one face with a resealable adhesive is adhesively secured over the cut 10. The circular patch 12 has a diameter which is greater than the diameter of the cut 12 and is generally applied so that it has a common centre with the cut 10. The patch 12 has radially extending tab 14 which is arranged to lie on the same side of the common centre as the cut.

In operation, when the tab 14 is gripped and displaced away from the tube 2, it will progressively release itself from the tube 2, with the release line or front progressively moving towards the cut 10. When it reaches the cut, the semicircular part 16 of the tube 2 attached to the patch 12 will remain adhesively secured to the patch 12 and start to be pulled away from the rest of the tube to progressively open a discharge opening 18 on the tube (see Figure 4). Meanwhile the release front will travel on opposite sides of the semicircular cut 10 until the extremities of the cut are reached. Because during this phase only two narrow strips of the patch on opposite sides of the cut are being released from the tube, the peeling force required is relatively low. However, once the front has reached the extremities of the cut, the release front now faces the full diameter of the patch and immediately there is a significant jump in the peeling force required to effect further peeling. This is usually sufficient to cause the average user to halt any further peeling action.

The contents of the tube 2 can now be fully or partially discharged through the resulting opening 18. When the discharge action is discontinued, the user can now reverse the operation and push the peeled part of the patch 12 back into place. The semicircular portion 18 of the tube 2 which has adhered to the patch, forms a plug to effectively plug the semicircular opening; it also prevents the contents of the tube adhering to the part of the patch which it covers. The part of the patch surrounding the semicircular part of the tube will now reseal itself against the tube thus locking any remaining contents within the tube for reuse at a later date or for disposal without further leakage there from.

The cut 10 is not limited to a semicircular profile but can have any other profile, for example arcuate, zigzag or even linear. In the embodiment shown in Figures 6 and 7, parts similar to those in Figures 1 to 4 are similarly referenced but with the prefix 100. As shown in Figure 5, the cut 110 is linear having a length just short of the diameter of the patch 112.

When the patch 112 has been partially peeled back (see Figure 6), the linear slit 110 can be opened up by pulling the patch 112 away from the hole 102.

It will be appreciated that the tab 14,114 may have the releasable adhesive omitted or deadened in the region of its distal end so that it can readily be grasped by the user.

It will also be appreciated that the tabs 14,114 can act as a carrier to carry information or even advertising material to allow the same tube to be used in different circumstances or for different suppliers.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8, instead of the tube forming a single tubular cavity with a seal 204, an additional longitudinal seal 304 can be introduced to provide two tubular cavities (320 and 322) each capable of containing a different product.

The products may, for example, be salt and pepper or so chosen for a synergistic effect which they produce when mixed eg rice and jam. The tubular cavities 320 and 322 may have different cross-sectional areas, but each cavity is accessed via cut 310 covered by a patch 312 similar to that described in connection with Figures 1 to 6. The cuts 310 may be of different sizes as appropriate.

As will be appreciated, the stickpacks are capable of holding both liquids and solids in granular or particulate form. The quality of the material of the tube will be determined by the requirements of the product.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A package comprising a tube of packaging material sealed at opposite elongate ends, a cut through the wall of the tube, and a patch secured to the tube with the aid of a resealable adhesive to cover the cut, whereby when the patch is peeled back to expose the cut, the cut opens to form a discharge orifice for the contents to the tube.
2. A package according to Claim 1, wherein the packaging material is flaccid.
3. A package according to Claim 1 or to Claim 2, wherein the cut is of arcuate profile to provide an opening in the shape of a sector of a circle.
4. A package according to Claim 3, wherein the cut is semicircular.
5. A package according to Claim 1 or to Claim 2, wherein the cut is linear.
6. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein the patch includes a lift-up tab.
7. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein the patch is generally circular with radially extending distal tab.
8. A package according to Claim 1, wherein the tube defines two generally parallel

internal tubular cavities, and includes two cuts through the wall, each cut communicating with a respective one of the two cavities, a said patch covering each cut.
9. A package assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each patch comprises a carrier for carrying data.
10. A package substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to Figures 1 to 4, Figures 5 and 6 or to Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.