IT201600079828A1 - PACKAGE FOR FLUID OR SEMI-SOLID PRODUCTS AND RELATED PRODUCTION METHOD - Google Patents

Description

"PACKAGING FOR FLUID OR SEMI-SOLID PRODUCTS AND RELATED PRODUCTION METHOD"

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a disposable package of the "sac a poche" type for dispensing fluid or semi-solid substances such as, for example, those used in the gastronomic field, where a creamy substance is introduced into the package to be expelled in quantities dosed through a device similar to a syringe. However, the field of application is not limited to the gastronomic and confectionery one, but can also be extended to industrial products such as, for example, sealants and adhesives. In particular, according to a variant embodiment, the package according to the invention can be made of the so-called "stand-up" type, possibly provided with a handle, particularly suitable for containing liquid or low viscosity products.

A single-use package here means a package that cannot be reused once its contents have been used up, even if at a later time.

Remaining in the context of the "sac a poche" type containers used in the gastronomic sector, these normally have a cone or triangle shape and can be made of different materials, including fabric and plastic materials. In these applications, a user usually uses pre-packaged or prepared products to manually fill the container, which can be reused once the contents are dispensed, or can be of the disposable type. A typical configuration of these containers comprises two openings with opposite ends, one narrow and one wider. The creamy or pasty substance that you want to dispense is introduced into the package through the wider opening which is subsequently closed, for example by twisting the fabric of the package in order to confine the product within the same. By pressing the package, the introduced substance is forced towards the narrow opening located at the opposite end and then expelled after passing through a special interchangeable dispenser, for example a circular section nozzle. Different sections of the nozzle allow you to dispense the substance with the desired shapes.

This type of packaging is impractical as the user must manually proceed to fill the substance to be dispensed, with often long and complicated preparation phases that also lead to a loss of quality and freshness of the product.

Furthermore, there could be product losses during the transfer phase. Finally, the manipulations carried out by the user do not allow to have a completely safe product from a hygienic point of view as this could be contaminated by some external agent during pouring.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the known art by providing a package for fluid or semi-solid products that is versatile, practical, economical and easy to manufacture.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide such a package for fluid or semi-solid products capable of being pre-filled quickly and directly by the manufacturer of the substance, or the packaging industry, and which is of immediate use.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide such a hygienically safe package that is able to guarantee perfect preservation of the product inside, even for long periods.

These purposes are achieved by the packaging for fluid and semi-solid products according to the invention, which has the characteristics of the attached independent claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

Basically, the invention provides a disposable package for fluid or semi-solid products formed from two sheets of rectangular material of the same width and of the same or different length, each having a lower or base edge, two side edges and an upper edge, a upper sheet having an end section, protruding beyond the front edge of an underlying lower sheet and being folded back on itself so as to form a Z-shaped fold such that the front edges of both sheets coincide, said sheets being joined along their perimeter, in particular along said lower edge or base, along the lateral edges, including an upper loop of the Z-fold, adjacent to the end portion of the upper sheet, and along the upper edge, said end portion being provided with an opening with a spout for dispensing the product.

The invention also relates to a method for the production and packaging of a package for fluid and semi-solid materials according to claim 11.

Further features of the invention will become clearer from the detailed description that follows, referring to a purely exemplary and therefore non-limiting embodiment, illustrated in the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a package for fluid or semi-solid products according to the invention before being filled with the product and closed by a cap;

Figure 2 shows the package for fluid or semi-solid products of Figure 1 in use with a dispenser applied;

Figures 3-5 are schematic sectional views showing successive production steps of this package for fluid or semisolid products;

figure 6 is a schematic top view of the packages shown in figure 5, with the nozzle removed;

figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of detail B in figure 4 with the nozzle removed;

figure 8 is an enlarged view of detail A in figure 5;

figure 9 is a top plan view illustrating in a very schematic way a possible method of producing the packages according to the invention according to the steps of figures 3-5;

Figures 10-13 are similar views respectively to Figures 3-6, showing a variant embodiment of the package according to the invention, particularly suitable for containing liquid or low viscosity products;

Figures 14-17 are still similar views respectively to Figures 3-6, showing a further variant embodiment of the package according to the invention;

Figures 18 and 19 are respectively a front view and a side view of a package according to Figure 17 filled with product and closed.

With reference initially to figures 1-9, 1 indicates as a whole a package of the "sac a poche" type for fluid or semi-solid products according to the invention. In particular, Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the package 1 before being filled with the product. The package 1 is provided by two sheets of material, rectangular in shape, having the same width but different length. In particular, an upper sheet 30 has an end portion 39 protruding beyond the front edge of an underlying lower sheet 20 and is folded on itself so as to form a Z-shaped fold 34 such that the front edges 36 of both sheets coincide.

The sheets 20, 30 are preferably multilayer plastic laminates, for example with the inner layer in heat-sealable material, such as polyethylene, and an optional barrier layer.

With reference also to figure 7, which shows an enlarged perspective schematic view of the area around the fold 34, on said end section 39 there is an opening 44 for dispensing the product, on which, in turn, a nozzle 40.

The two sheets thus arranged, with the upper sheet 30 Z-folded on itself, as mentioned above, are heat-sealed along their perimeter, in particular along the lower edge or base 32, along the lateral edges 38 and along the upper edge 36 The presence of the fold 34 causes the aforementioned welds along the lateral edges 38 to also affect an upper or internal loop 35 of the fold 34, adjacent to the end section 39 of the upper sheet 30, delimited by a free internal edge (i.e. not welded to the underlying sheet 20) 33 opposite said upper edge 36.

Although we are talking about heat sealing here, it is evident that the sheets 20 and 30 can be joined together in another way, for example by gluing or the like.

The package 1 of the "sac a poche" type for fluid or semisolid products of Figure 1 has a substantially flat configuration before filling. The opening 44 comprising the spout 40 is in a condition in which the filling can take place in an easy and industrialized way. The use of a package 1 according to the invention reduces the drawbacks related to filling by the user as the filling can be carried out directly by the manufacturer of the product, for example a confectionery industry. The application of a cap 42 allows to obtain a "sac a poche" type package filled with the product and hermetically sealed directly available to the user.

In figure 2, package 1 of the "sac a poche" type is shown during use. Here, the cap 42 is replaced by a special dispensing nozzle applied to the spout 40. Different types of dispensers are known which allow the product to be dispensed in different forms according to their outlet section applicable to the "sac a poche" type package according to the invention. After the package 1 has been filled with the desired product, the presence of the free edge 33 of the end section 39 of the upper sheet 30 allows to have a package in which the nozzle 40 no longer remains orthogonal to the lower layer 20, but is arranged in a a position suitable for dispensing.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the package 1 has oblique welds 51, 52, 53, 54 in correspondence with the four corners of the end section 39. Figure 6 is a schematic top view showing said welds arranged around the opening 44. In particular, the seams 51, 52 extend respectively between the lateral edges 38 of the package 1 and the upper edge 36, thus making the end portion 39 of the sheet 30 adhere to the lower sheet 20. The seams 53, 54 instead, they extend between the lateral edges 38 and said free inner edge 33 affecting said upper loop 35 of the Z fold 34. The oblique welds 51, 52, 53, 54 form with the corresponding sections of lateral welds 38 K-shaped welds which define with the upper edge 36 and the free inner edge 33 surfaces that do not have points where the product would stagnate. The surface delimited by the aforementioned K-shaped welds is an octagonal surface, but without departing from the scope of the invention it could be of a different shape, for example hexagonal or quadrangular, if the aforementioned oblique welds are adjacent to each other in opposing pairs or all adjacent to each other.

The configuration of the end section 39 of the upper layer 30 according to this embodiment ensures that the product inserted in the package does not accumulate in dead areas such as the sharp corners of the package 1 without the oblique welds 51, 52, 53, 54, thus allowing, in use, a more complete dispensing of the product through the opening 44 and respective dispenser.

Preferably the sharp edges present on the end portion 39 of the upper sheet 30 outside the oblique seams 51, 52, 53, 54 are cut so as to taper the corners and make the package more aesthetically attractive.

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 9 show an exemplary production method of packages 1 of the "sac a poche" type according to the invention. The method described here provides for the production of two packages at each machine step, but it is evident that in a simplified and less productive embodiment, the production of only one package at each machine step can be envisaged.

For the production of packages 1 according to the invention, two strips of sheet material 20 'and 30' are used, unwound from rolls not shown in figure 9, suitable for forming said lower 20 and upper 30 sheets of packages 1.

In figure 9, which is a top plan view, only the upper belt 30 'is visible, which protrudes from both sides with respect to the underlying belt 20' of a section 39 'of the same length as the protruding section 39 of the packages 1. On said protruding portions 39 'the aforesaid openings 44 are made at regular intervals, substantially corresponding to the width of each package 1, in which the nozzles 40 are applied in a subsequent station.

Subsequently, the protruding sections 39 'are folded into a Z on the upper belt 30' so that the upper belt 30 'assumes the same width as the lower belt 20'. Then a median longitudinal weld 32 ', longitudinal end welds 36' and transverse welds 38 'are carried out at distances equal to the width of a package, in order to obtain the aforementioned perimeter sealing of each package.

In a subsequent station the aforementioned oblique welds 51, 52, 53, 54 are made, by means of sealing bars descending from the top and inserting a thermally insulating material in a lower or external loop 37 of the Z-fold, in order to prevent the upper sheet 30 is welded to the lower sheet 20 (the opposite internal layers of which are made of mutually compatible materials), in correspondence with the oblique welds 53, 54.

Transverse cuts are then made centrally to the transverse welds 38 ', in order to separate adjacent pairs of packages 1, and a longitudinal cut centrally to the median longitudinal seal 32, in order to separate the individual packages.

In a further station, the trimming of the four corners of the end sections 39 can be provided externally to the respective oblique welds 51, 52, 53, 54.

Of course, some of the steps described above can be carried out in a different order from that illustrated.

With reference now to figures 10-13, a variant embodiment of the package according to the invention is described, of the stand-up type, particularly suitable for containing liquid or low viscosity products, using the same reference numbers to distinguish equal parts, and quoted reference numbers to identify corresponding parts.

As can be seen in figures 10 to 12, the only difference with respect to what is described with reference to figures 3-5, is that in this case a Z fold 34 'is formed, with internal loop 35' and external loop 37 ', also in correspondence with the lower edge or base 32 of the package.

In the embodiment shown, the Z fold is made on the lower sheet 20, and in this case the sheets 20 and 30 can be of the same length, as shown, or of different lengths, according to the extensions of the Z folds 34, 34 ' that you want to achieve.

Theoretically, the Z fold 34 'could be made on the upper sheet 30, which however should be much longer than the lower one 20.

As shown in figure 13, in correspondence with the lower Z-fold 34 ', oblique welds 53', 54 'are also carried out involving the various layers of material, with the exception of the external loop 37' of the Z-fold 34 ', thus obtaining a support base for a stand-up package.

Figures 14-17 illustrate a further variant of embodiment which differs from that of Figures 10-13 in that the stand-up package is also provided with a handle.

In this case, the end portion 39 of the upper sheet 30 carrying the nozzle 40 has a greater length than in the previous embodiments and, on the portion protruding beyond the nozzle, a double seal 36, 36a is provided, with a punching 50 provided between the two welds 36, 36a, involving both the upper sheet 30 and the lower sheet 20, acting as a grip handle.

For better ergonomics, as shown in figure 17, the protruding upper portion, in which the handle 50 is obtained, is suitably tapered. Likewise, the lower welds 53 ', 54' are shown differently shaped to give a different shape to the support base of the package.

Also according to this embodiment, the sheets 20 and 30 are shown of the same length, but could be of different length, according to the desired extension of the Z folds 34, 34 ', so as to have the upper seal 36 of the package in correspondence of the end edges of sheets 20 and 30.

Naturally, the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment previously described and illustrated in the drawings, but numerous detailed modifications can be made to it within the reach of the person skilled in the art without thereby departing from the scope of the invention itself, defined by the claims. annexed.

Claims (15)

CLAIMS 1. Disposable packaging (1) for fluid or semi-solid products formed by two sheets of rectangular material (20, 30) of the same width and of the same or different length, each having a lower edge or base (32), two lateral edges (38) and an upper or front edge (36), an upper sheet (30) having an end section (39), protruding beyond the front edge of an underlying lower sheet (20) and being folded on itself so as to form a Z-shaped fold (34) such that the front edges (36) of both sheets coincide, said sheets (20, 30) being joined along their perimeter, in particular along said lower edge or base (32), along the lateral edges (38), including an upper loop (35) of the fold (34), adjacent to the end portion (39) of the upper sheet (30), and along the upper edge (36), said end portion (39) being provided with an opening (44) with nozzle (40) for dispensing the product. 2. Disposable package (1) for fluid or semi-solid products according to claim 1, in which said sheets (20, 30) are plastic laminates having at least one internal layer in heat-sealable material and an optional barrier layer, and are joined perimetrically to each other by heat sealing. Disposable package (1) for fluid or semi-solid products according to claim 1, having oblique welds (51, 52, 53, 54) at the four corners of the end section (39). Disposable package (1) for fluid or semi-solid products according to claim 3, wherein a pair of welds (51, 52) extend between said side edges (38) of the package 1 and said upper edge (36), thus doing adhere the end portion (39) of the upper sheet (30) to the lower sheet (20), while the other pair of welds (53, 54) extend between said side edges (38) and a free inner edge (33) of the end portion (39) affecting said upper loop (35) of the Z fold (34). 5. Disposable packaging (1) for fluid or semi-solid products according to claim 4, wherein said oblique welds (51, 52, 53, 54) form with the corresponding lateral weld sections (38) K-shaped welds which delimit with the upper edge (36) and the free inner edge (33) a polygonal area. Disposable packaging (1) for fluid or semi-solid products according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the sharp edges present on the end portion (39) of the top sheet (30) externally to the oblique seams (51, 52, 53, 54) are cut so as to taper the corners. 7. Disposable package (1) for fluid or semi-solid products according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a cap (42) applied to the spout (40) ensures a hermetic closure of the package (1) 8. Disposable package (1) for fluid or semi-solid products according to any of claims 1 to 4, in which during use a dispenser is applied to the nozzle (40) for dispensing the product. Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a Z-fold (34 '), with internal loop (35') and external loop (37 '), is also provided at the lower edge or base (32 ) of the package, and oblique welds (53 ', 54') in correspondence with said Z-fold (34 '), such as to make the package (1) of the stand-up type and particularly suitable for containing liquid or low viscosity products . Package according to claim 9, characterized in that a gripping handle (50) is obtained in proximity to the upper edge (36) of the package. Method for the production of disposable packages (1) for fluid or semisolid products according to claim 1, comprising the following steps, at least some of which can be carried out in a different order from that indicated: feeding two superimposed webs of sheet material, an upper web (30 ') possibly protruding from at least one side with respect to an underlying web (20') of an end portion (39 ') of the same length as the protruding end portion ( 39) of the packaging; make openings (44) in said at least one protruding end section (39 '), at regular intervals, corresponding substantially to the width of each package (1); applying nozzles (40) in said openings (44); Z-fold said at least one protruding end section (39 ') on the upper belt (30'), so that said folded upper belt (30 ') assumes the same width as the lower belt (20'); carried out longitudinal end welds (32 ', 36') and transverse welds (38 ') at distances equal to the width of a package, in order to obtain a perimeter seal of each package; possibly carry out oblique welds (51, 52, 53, 54) at the four corners of each end section (39 '); execution of transversal cuts centrally to said transversal welds (38 '), in order to separate the packages (1); possible trimming of the four corners of the end section (39) outside the respective oblique welds (51, 52, 53, 54). Method according to claim 11, wherein said upper belt (30 ') protrudes from both sides with respect to the underlying belt (20') and one of said longitudinal welds (32 ') is carried out centrally to said belts (20', 30 '), a longitudinal cut being also provided centrally to said longitudinal sealing (32'), so as to produce at least two packages (1) at each machine pitch. 13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising, before carrying out said oblique welds, the phase consisting of: insert a thermally insulating material in a lower loop (37) of the Z fold, so as to prevent the upper sheet (30) from joining the lower sheet (20) in correspondence with the oblique welds (53, 54). Method according to any one of claims 11-13, wherein said tapes (20 ', 30') have the same or different width, characterized by also providing a Z-fold (34 '), with an internal loop (35' ) and external loop (37 '), in correspondence with the lower edge or base (32) of the package, and oblique welds (53', 54 ') in correspondence with said Z-fold (34'), such as to make the package ( 1) of the stand-up type and particularly suitable for containing liquid or low viscosity products. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that it also provides for the formation of a grip handle (50) in proximity to the upper edge (36) of the package.