NL2008025C2 - DEVICE FOR PACKING MUSHROOMS. - Google Patents

Description

Device for packaging mushrooms

The present invention relates to the packaging of mushrooms, such as mushrooms. The known packaging of mushrooms is the blue plastic tray 5, the lid being welded to the tray to prevent theft. The lid is equipped with large round holes to bring the contents of the container into contact with the ambient air. However, the large holes do not ensure optimum air exchange for the mushrooms and the shelf life of the mushrooms is limited.

The object of the present invention is to obviate the above disadvantages, or to offer an alternative solution for packaging mushrooms. To this end, the invention comprises a bag-shaped holder, comprising a substantially rectangular bottom surface and wall parts extending therefrom, wherein the bottom surface has dimensions of a maximum of 20 cm by 10 cm, and preferably a maximum of 14 cm by 9 cm, and at least a part of the container comprises a perforated transparent part; and at least a portion of the bag comprises one color plane. The bottom surface can be obtained by folding. The bag can for example be a block bottom bag.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the color of the color surface of the package is chosen such that it brings out the color of the content as well as possible. In the case of white mushrooms, for example, it is blue and for chestnut mushrooms it is, for example, green. Other colors that have been found to be suitable for specific mushroom types are, for example, light or dark brown, in particular cardboard coloring, or gray or black. In one embodiment the package is provided with a plurality of color surfaces, each with a different color, and the package may or may not be substantially corresponding to the surface division filled with mushroom types for which these color surfaces are eminently suitable.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the holes in the perforated transparent part are between 0.1 and 1.5 mm, and in particular between 0.2 and 0.7 mm, thus ensuring the best possible air and moisture exchange between inside and outside the package.

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In another embodiment of the invention, the color plane covers between 20 and 80% of the total package. The color surface can thereby be non-transparent or semi-transparent, and / or perforated and ensures that the packaged mushrooms are not exposed excessively to light, which benefits the shelf life and quality of the mushrooms. The color surface can either extend substantially in the horizontal direction or in the vertical direction, the choice depending, for example, on the manner in which the package is stored. If a color plane extending substantially in the horizontal direction ensures minimal exposure to light and UV radiation, and at the same time does not unnecessarily hide the product from the view of potential customers, this embodiment will be chosen. If this applies to a vertically extending color surface, this is preferred.

In one embodiment of the invention, the materials of the bag are selected such that they contain less plastic than the conventional mushroom package.

The empty bag contains less than 1.3 grams of plastic and the total weight of the bag contains no more than 5 grams. This considerably reduces the amount of plastic, so that the packaging according to the invention is less environmentally harmful than mushroom packaging according to the prior art. The package according to the invention can also be compressed more efficiently before use, and a number of these packages can thus be stored in less space, which is particularly advantageous during transport.

In yet another embodiment, the package is provided with a closure, such as a sticker. The sticker and the material are preferably mutually chosen such that the package can be resealed. In particular, the sticker includes a perforation that breaks at an initial opening of the package, and a remaining portion that can be used to reseal the package. The bag hereby offers an advantage over the regular box-shaped package that the amount of space and therefore also oxygen in the package can be adjusted to the remaining amount of mushrooms by rolling up the bag to a greater or lesser extent. A smaller amount of mushrooms is better kept fresh if the bag is rolled up in such a way that it closes substantially just above the mushroom surface. The amount of ventilation holes is hereby automatically adjusted to the volume, while the mushroom tank according to the prior art maintains a ventilation amount that remains constant with a decreasing filling 3, so that a small amount of mushrooms remains usable for relatively short periods.

The invention furthermore relates to a method and device for filling the package with mushrooms. To this end, the invention provides a device for weighing and packaging mushrooms, consisting of at least one weighing device equipped with a tray, the tray being pivotally connected to the rest of the device for weighing. The tray is designed in such a way that the desired amount of mushrooms can be weighed with sufficient accuracy and the mushroom package can be placed over a part of the tray so that mushrooms can easily be transferred from the tray to the package, without losing mushrooms.

To this end, the present invention comprises a method for packaging mushrooms, comprising at least the following steps of filling the device as described above with mushrooms, folding the mushroom bag and closing the bag, for instance by means of sealing up of the bag with an adhesive label. Bags filled with mushrooms are sealed in this way and prepared for transport. The adhesive label in many cases also includes product information, shelf life information and contact information.

In another method of the present invention, the correct amount of mushrooms is weighed before being placed in the mushroom bag. In another method, a bag is then placed at least partially over the scale 25. In a final method, after weighing the correct amount of mushrooms, the dish is tilted to facilitate transfer of mushrooms from the dish into the bag.

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The present invention is further described in the following non-limitative figures.

Figure 1 shows a method for filling a mushroom bag.

Figure 2 shows a filled mushroom bag.

Figure 3 shows the folding and closing of a mushroom bag

Figure 1 schematically shows a method for weighing mushrooms 10 by weighing device 1. Mushrooms 6 are weighed in a scale 2 connected to the weighing device 1, attached via a pivotable point 5. The scale is provided with an output part 3, over which a mushroom bag 4 can be fed. When the correct amount of mushrooms 6 is in the scale 2, a mushroom bag 4 is placed over the outlet part 3 and the scale 2 is tilted. Mushrooms 6 are placed by gravity through outlet section 3 in the mushroom bag 4.

Figure 2 shows schematically a mushroom bag 4 filled with mushrooms 6. The bag consists of two parts, a perforated part 7, made up of holes with holes 9, and a color-flat part 8.

Figure 3 shows the folding and sealing of a mushroom bag 4. The mushroom bag 4, whether or not filled, is placed against a folding device 10. The empty part where there are no mushrooms is then folded with the aid of the folding device and where the end of the mushroom bag 4 meets the filled part with an adhesive label 11 attached to the filled part.

Claims (15)

Device for packaging mushrooms such as mushrooms, comprising: o A bag-shaped holder, comprising a substantially rectangular bottom surface and wall parts extending therefrom, wherein the bottom surface has dimensions of a maximum of 20 cm by 10 cm, and preferably a maximum of 14 cm at 9 cm; at least a part of the holder comprises a perforated transparent part; and at least a portion of the bag comprises one color plane. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holes in the transparent part are between 0.1 and 1.5 mm large. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the color surface represents between 20 and 80% of the total package. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the color surface extends substantially in the horizontal direction. 20 Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the color surface extends substantially in the vertical direction. 6. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the bag comprises a color surface from at least one of the following colors: • Blue; • Green; • black; • Light or dark brown; 30. Gray. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the bag comprises plastic and the amount of plastic is between 0 and 1.3 grams. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the empty bag has a weight between 0.1 and 5 grams. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, comprising a closure, such as a sticker, wherein the sticker and the material of the wall parts are mutually chosen such that the package can be resealed. 10. Device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sticker comprises a perforation that breaks at an initial opening of the package, and a remaining part that can be used to reseal the package. 11. Device for weighing and packaging mushrooms such as mushrooms; comprising 15. A weighing device equipped with a scale; and • A scale that is at least partially tiltable. A method for packaging mushrooms, comprising at least the following steps; 20. Filling a device according to any of claims 1-10 with mushrooms; • folding the device; • sealing the device with an adhesive label. The method of claim 12, wherein the correct amount of mushrooms is first weighed A method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the bag is placed at least partially over the weighing device and then filling is carried out. 30 A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein after weighing the mushrooms, the balance is at least partially tilted to allow the mushrooms to end up in the bag.