KR20000022409A - Packaging container and a method of its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A packaging container is provided that fulfils the requirements of being light in weight, of being environmentally friendly and that can be handled, emptied and resealed in a user-friendly fashion in the absence of spillage. CONSTITUTION: A substance packaging container, preferably for a liquid or powder substance, characterized in that the container includes a closed substance chamber(4) which accommodates a substance(6), wherein the substance chamber(4) is comprised of a flexible material, such as a foil material for instance, and wherein the container further includes a sealed, rigid second chamber(8) which is disposed inside the substance chamber(4). A method of manufacturing the substance packaging container, characterized by forming from running webs of flexible material, such as foil material for instance, a first tube and a second tube which extends inside the first tube; sealing the tubes along their outer edges such as to form a substance chamber(4) from the first tube.

Description

Packaging container and manufacturing method thereof

Foils and films have been used in ever increasing ranges as product packaging materials. These materials include an anti-evaporation barrier layer that maintains the contents of the package in a fully sealed environment. Packaging in products of a shape which cannot be self-stabilizing, for example liquid or powder products, is made of thicker material, for example from various types of laminates. These materials provide the packaging with the stiffness needed to be able to store, transport and handle the packaging so that the end user of the package will be able to follow or empty the packaged contents. These packaging materials are often considerably heavier than the contents of the packaging container, which in some ways is a disadvantage. Moreover, these packaging containers are environmentally unsuitable because they contain several layers of material that the laminate is difficult to recycle. Packaging containers also occupy larger volumes in connection with waste, or reuse, collection.

Therefore, from an environmental point of view, it is preferable to deviate from the use of a thick laminate as a packaging material, for example to use a thinner foil instead. However, the use of such thin material thicknesses does not meet the requirements for storing, transporting and handling packaging containers. If the liquid is placed in a thin foil bag, it is difficult to handle the bag and its contents in a self-controllable manner. For example, when lifting such a bag to empty its contents, care must be taken not to crush the bag so that the contents cannot leak out of control through the bag opening.

It is known to produce liquid packaging containers from flexible foil materials and to provide a rigid packaging wall to the containers. For example, it is known from EP Al 0621 208 to manufacture a packaging container from a flexible material, such as a foil, having a foil wall consisting of a double foil layer. The two foil layers are meticulously and / or linearly stacked, such as joined together or forming a plurality of interconnected chambers and passageways within the packaging wall. The system of the chamber or passageway is filled and sealed with air or some gas, thus reinforcing the walls of the packaging container. Similar foil packaging containers for liquids are known from WO 96/01775. The packaging container also includes a wall of double foil layers in which non-laminate, longitudinally extending portions are mutually bonded (laminated) in such a manner as to extend from one side to the other side of the packaging container. The unlaminated portion includes air pockets filled with air and extending in a sealed longitudinal direction, thereby reinforcing the walls of the packaging container.

An important drawback in conventional foil packaging containers is that the packaging walls are not sufficiently rigid to withstand the external pressure applied to the packaging container when handling the container and emptying the contents, or when resealing the container. For example, it is not possible to hold and lift a packaging container in the normal way without pressure on the container contents and shooting the contents into the openings forming the edges of the container. No one can empty the packaging container in a controllable manner.

Another drawback of conventional packaging containers is their vulnerability. For example, the outer foil of the packaging container wall can be easily damaged and therefore lowers the pressure in the reinforcement chamber, thereby completely losing the rigidity of the packaging container. No one can reseal conventional packaging containers without the risk of damaging the packaging wall.

Although the packaging containers are made of simple and inexpensive materials, such as foils, these packaging containers nevertheless are not used due to the complex major drawbacks and therefore the high cost of manufacture.

The present invention relates to material packaging containers (packaging containers), in particular liquid and / or powder material packaging containers. Packaging containers are designed as user friendly products that are environmentally friendly and can be manufactured inexpensively.

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

1A and 1B are side perspective views of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the principles of the present invention;

2 is a perspective view showing an outlet position of the packaging container of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the open packaging container according to FIGS. 1A and 1B showing the outflow operation.

4 is a perspective view of the resealed packaging container according to FIGS. 1A and 1B.

5A-5F are perspective views illustrating the principles of various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

6 is a perspective view illustrating the principle of a method for manufacturing and filling a packaging container according to FIGS. 1A and 1B.

The present invention is to provide a packaging container that meets the requirements of low weight, environmental friendliness, and can be handled, emptied and resealed in a user-friendly manner without shooting. It is also to provide a packaging container which is easy to manufacture and therefore inexpensive and easily filled.

The above object is achieved in accordance with the invention having a method for producing and filling a packaging container of the kind defined at the outset and the features described in claims 1 to 10 attached to the packaging container, respectively.

By constructing a packaging container having an interior and reinforcement chamber disposed in a chamber of flexible material in accordance with the present invention, the packaging container can be in any state, i.e. manufactured, filled, stored, maintained, opened, partially or completely empty, refilled. When sealed and discarded, a combination of important advantages is achieved that can work effectively.

Using running webs of foil material is simple and effective in manufacturing and shaping the foil webs together to form a running tubular structure that is joined together and continuously filled with the aid of nozzles that discharge into the tube.

The flexible chamber is suitably filled only in a defined portion of the maximum volume of the packaging container. This is accomplished by weaving the flexible chamber together from the side of the chamber, such as to reduce the volumetric capacity of the chamber. The flexible packaging container can be shaped to fit the periphery where several packaging containers can be stacked when the container is collected with maximum use of the entire volume of the container.

The packaging container of the present invention made of a flexible material has the inherent stability and robustness that can stand upright when stored, whether open or open. Packaging containers are well suited for storing materials that are used little by little, for example various forms of foodstuffs.

An important advantage provided by the packaging container of the present invention is that it can be raised by holding the container with one hand without squeezing the contents. The internal reinforcement chamber generates an opposing pressure that withstands the pressure of the hand or finger against the container when handling the same. Therefore, the packaging container can be held by one hand without affecting the container contents.

Another important function of the internal reinforcement chamber of the packaging container of the present invention is to expand or press the thin foil in the chamber to form a stable outlet. This makes it possible to empty the contents of the packaging device in a controlled manner.

The packaging container is conveniently opened by cutting one corner of the thin material chamber. This allows the packaging container to be easily resealed so that it can be used multiple times and provide a completely hermetic closure with the help of a sealing chip that seals the thin foil between the legs sealingly.

After emptying the packaged material from the material chamber, the packaging material can be compacted to a minimum volume, since the reinforcement chamber can be easily pierced or its contents empty. The packaging material is low weight and can be easily sorted and recovered for waste collection.

The volume of the reinforcement chamber may also be used as a supplementary reservoir of packaged material or as a separate reservoir of other material to be mixed with material stored in the material chamber before use and before emptying the container.

Other excellent features of the present invention will become apparent from the following exemplary embodiments of the invention and the appended claims.

1A and 1B show a first preferred embodiment of the packaging container of the present invention seen from the front and side. The packaging material comprises a thin plastic foil comprising a barrier layer that is flexible and effective for evaporation. The foil may comprise a single laminated foil having barrier layer properties for diffusion of gas or liquid. The packaging container may alternatively be made of various types of plastic materials and other materials such as plastic foil, aluminum materials or other suitable materials and combinations thereof.

The packaging unit shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B comprises a material packaging container 4 which can be welded to the edge part 2, for example. Packaged material 6 is contained within material chamber 4 which may be a liquid, powder, particulate material or some other pourable material that lacks inherent shape stability. The material chamber 4 is not suitably filled to the maximum volume. The outer shape of the packaging container is therefore flexible and can be shaped to fit around when multiple packaging containers are put together in a larger unit, for example in a cardboard box. Therefore, the packaging container can be stacked in a cardboard box while maximizing the volume capacity of the box. When the packaging container is opened, air is sucked into the material chamber and the liquid level drops below the level of the container opening as a result of the expansion of the material chamber. This avoids spilling through the container openings.

The packaging container comprises a second chamber 8 located inside the material chamber 4 and attached to the upper and / or lower edge portions 2 of the packaging container in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. . The second chamber 8 is made of a flexible material, in the case of the same material as the material chamber 4, it has three mutually joined edge portions 10, eg of the mutually welded edge portions, of which Both coincide with the edge part 2 of the material chamber 4. It is also included within the scope of the present invention to manufacture a second chamber and a material chamber 4 made of different materials, although of varying thicknesses.

The second chamber is closed and filled, either completely or partially, with the material 12 to form a container that reinforces or supports the chamber. This material creates internal pressure against the flexible material in the wall of the reinforcement chamber 8 and uprights the wall to provide rigidity to the chamber 8. The material 12 in the reinforcement chamber 8 may be air or some other gas, liquid, powder, stabilized plastic foam or some other suitable material, or consist of a combination of gas, liquid, or some other material. Can be. The material 12 is suitably delivered to the chamber 8 at the same time as the material 6 is transferred to the material chamber 4. The material 12 may be transferred to the chamber 8 in an early or later stage, for example, with the aid of valve means contained in the packaging container by the end customer.

2 to 4 illustrate a method of using the packaging container shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The reinforcement chamber 8 supports the packaging container when handling the container and forms a secure handle when pouring out of the container to empty the contents (see FIG. 2). The packaging container is suitably opened by cutting one corner of the container. Despite the thin and flexible packaging material, the packaging container is held upright and expanded by the reinforcement chamber 8 so that the container can be opened without the risk of spillage of the packaged material 6 in an uncontrolled manner.

2 shows that the contents of the packaging container can be emptied in a fully or partially controlled manner. The user holds the reinforcement chamber 8 which acts as a handle (hand grip) (see arrow in FIG. 3). Therefore, the holding pressure on the packaging container necessary for handling the container is essentially applied to the reinforcement chamber 8 and not to the material contained in the material chamber 4. This avoids applying pressure on the material 6 contained in the material chamber and subsequently avoids spilling of the material.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the reinforcement chamber 8 has a thickness such that the walls of the material chamber can be enjoyed with respect to both sides of the reinforcement chamber 8, thereby reducing the pressure generated by the embedded material 6. With its help, a V or U shaped pouring passage 7 is formed as a whole. The pouring passage 7 thus formed can pour the packaging material 6 in a controlled manner, partially or completely from the packaging container, and also add a small amount of the packaged material 6 from the packaging container. To be able. The material can be poured in a uniform flow without subpressure in the material chamber, and conversely, when pouring from a shape stable packaging container, air pulsation occurs as a result of the air being sucked by the prevailing subpressure. In the case of larger packaging volumes, the packaging container may also be held at the wall of the material chamber when poured from the container. Also in this case, a safe pouring passage is formed.

4 shows how the post-use packaging container can be resealed with a suitable resealing clip 14. The thin foil material in the wall of the material chamber is compressed between the two legs of the clip 14 and therefore obtains an airtight sealing function.

The packaging container with empty contents can be filled with the same material and sealed with a resealing clip 14 for reuse. However, the packaging container of the present invention is particularly suited for use as a disposable container suitable from an environmental point of view. Therefore, when the contents of the packaging container are emptied, it is possible to cut or puncture the wall of the reinforcement wall 8, thus permitting emptying of air or other material in the reinforcement chamber. Then, what remains in the packaging container is only a thin flexible plastic foil, which can be compacted into at least packaging waste in volume without any reaction tension of the material or expansion of the package itself.

5A-5E illustrate various embodiments of a packaging container of the present invention. 5A shows the packaging container of FIGS. 1A and 1B. The internal reinforcement chamber 8 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5B has a wide bottom, thereby reinforcing the stability of the bottom of the container so that the container can stand firmly on a flat support surface. 5C shows that the material chamber 4 of the packaging container may have a shape other than square or rectangular in shape. In the case of this embodiment, the material chamber 4 is conical, although other shapes are possible within the scope of the present invention. 5d shows a reinforcement chamber 8 located on the side of the material chamber 4 and having an extension extruded outwards from the upper edge of the container. The extension of the reinforcement chamber stabilizes even when the upper edge of the material chamber 4 is pressed, thereby allowing it to pour in a controlled manner from the container. 5E illustrates another embodiment of a packaging container of the present invention. This embodiment illustrates the possibility of providing the container with a plurality of mutually reinforcing reinforcement chambers 8. 5F shows an embodiment of a packaging container including a reinforcement chamber 8 firmly connected to the upper edge of the material chamber 4. The extension of the reinforcement chamber 8 in the vertical extension of the packaging container consists only of a portion of the overall height of the container, but it is sufficient to extend below the level of material packaged in the chamber 4. In this case, the reinforcement chamber 8 has the function of a float that pushes upward the walls of the flexible material chamber. The reinforcement chamber 8 also acts as a handle in the same manner described with reference to other embodiments, under gripping pressure and inflating the material chamber bag to form a pouring passageway for controlled emptying of the packaging container.

6 illustrates a method of manufacturing and filling the packaging container shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The material chamber 4 of the packaging container is formed from a running web taken from a roll 20 of flexible packaging material, for example a plastic foil material. The chamber is formed by joining and suitably welding the foil in the longitudinal direction. The reinforcement or support chamber 8 is formed in a running web taken from an additional roll 24 of material, for example a plastic foil material. The reinforcement chamber is formed by shaping the foil into a longitudinally coupled, for example welded reinforcement tube 26, where the reinforcement chamber tube 26 extends inside the material chamber tube 22. The first nozzle 28, which supplies the packaged material 6 to the packaging container, enters the material chamber tube 22, while the second nozzle 30, which delivers the reinforcing material 12 to the shoulder chamber, is reinforced. It enters the tube 26. Since the second nozzle 30 can be configured to be sealingly adjacent to the inner surface of the reinforcement chamber tube, a strong pressure can be generated in the reinforcement chamber 8 when the reinforcement material 12 is air or some other gas. . A transverse joint (shown as B in FIG. 6), eg a weld seam, is formed in the bottom edge of the two tubes 22, 26 before the filling step, which joint fills the tube from the top as shown in FIG. 6. When forming the floor. The tube pack with fully and / or partially filled chambers 4, 8 is coupled to the upper part of the packaging container, for example a weld seam, and then a new filling cycle begins.

A modification method of manufacturing the packaging container of the present invention, for example the packaging container according to FIG. 5F, forms, fills and seals the reinforcement chamber tube in a separate continuous process, and then continuously supplies the finished reinforcement chamber to the material chamber tube. Then fill, seal and engage the reinforcement chamber unit.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the above-described and illustrated embodiments, but that some modifications can be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

For example, the material chamber may have other shapes or forms as described above. The reinforcement chamber can also have other forms and the packaging container can be provided with one or more reinforcement chambers that can be disposed in the packaging container in various ways. The reinforcement chamber (or chambers) can be freely laid in the material packaged in the material chamber and both ends can be fixed to the wall of the material chamber or only one end of the chamber wall can be fixed.

The packaging container may include several reinforcement chambers containing different materials. The reinforcement chamber, which also acts as a handle, can also be filled with air, for example, while other reinforcement chambers (or some other reinforcement chambers) can be filled with components that can be mixed with materials packaged in the material chamber before use. . When the packaging container is open, the reinforcement chamber or support chamber containing the mixed components can be cut through an opening in the material chamber to take the component out and mix it with the material in the material chamber. The air filled reinforcement chamber can therefore be used as a handle in the mixing process and when pouring the container contents out. Naturally, one or more of the reinforcement chambers may be filled with the same material as packaged in the material chamber, with which the contents of the reinforcement chamber may be continuously taken out and mixed with the material in the material chamber.

The packaging container of the present invention may also be constructed from thicker materials when packaging larger and heavier volumes of material. In this case, the reinforcement chamber forms a rigid support in the packaging bag that supports the chamber and creates a state for pouring the packaged material in a controlled manner.

Claims (13)

A material packaging container suitable for liquid and / or powdered materials, The container comprises a closed material chamber 4 containing a material 6, the material chamber 4 consisting of a flexible material, for example a foil material, the container further comprising the material chamber. (4) A packaging container comprising a sealed, rigid second chamber (8) disposed inside. 2. The second chamber (8) according to claim 1, wherein the second chamber (8) consists of a flexible material such as, for example, a foil material and is completely or partially filled with the material (12) that reinforces the second chamber (8). Packaging container characterized in that. 3. Packaging container according to claim 2, wherein the second chamber is filled with gas, suitably air. 3. Packaging container according to claim 2, characterized in that the second chamber (8) is filled with liquid, gas, powder or particulate material, foam plastic or some combination of these materials. 5. Packaging container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container comprises several second chambers (8) arranged in the material chamber (4). Packaging container according to one of the claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the flexible material in the material chamber (4) and the inner second chamber (8) comprises plastic foil / plastic foils with diffusion barrier properties. . 7. Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner second chamber (8) is arranged in the material chamber (4) and is fixed to the upper and bottom edges (2) of the material chamber. 7. The inner second chamber (8) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner second chamber (8) is arranged in the material chamber (4) and is fixed to the upper and bottom edges (2) of the material chamber. 8) characterized in that it extends to the level of the material chamber (4) below the level of the packaged material (6). Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner second chamber (8) is connected to the outer periphery of the packaging container via a valve provided in the second chamber (8). A method of manufacturing and filling a material packaging container suitable for liquid and / or powdered materials, Forming a first tube (22) and a second tube (26) extending inwardly of the first tube (22) from a running web (20, 24) of flexible material such as, for example, a foil material; Sealing the tubes (22, 26) along the outer edge, such as to form a material chamber (4) from the first tube (22); Fill the first tube 22 with the material 6 to be packaged and fill the second tube 26 with the same material or slightly different reinforcing material 12 to form a rigid second chamber 8 and the second tube. Sealing the; Sealing the material chamber (4) and coupling it to a rigid second chamber (8) disposed inside the material chamber (4). Method according to claim 10, characterized by coupling the top and bottom edges (10) of the rigid second chamber (8) to the top and bottom edges (2) of the material chamber (4). . Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the edge (10) of the rigid second chamber (8) is coupled to the edge (2) of the material chamber (4). 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: forming a third tube extending inside the first tube and separated from the second tube; Filling the third tube with a material (6) or other material to be packaged, sealing the third tube and coupling the third tube to a material chamber (4).