NL2015954B1

NL2015954B1 - Condiment packet and method of making the same.

Info

Publication number: NL2015954B1
Application number: NL2015954A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Rinze Henricus Adrianus Willemsen Louis; Van Den Broek Luc
Original assignee: Rinze Henricus Adrianus Willemsen Louis; Van Den Broek Luc
Priority date: 2015-12-14
Filing date: 2015-12-14
Publication date: 2017-06-28
Also published as: WO2017105221A1

Abstract

The invention provides a condiment packet comprising an elongate packet body made substantially of a foil layer material. The foil layer material defines, at least partly, an interior space of the packet body for accommodating a quantity of a fluid, in particular a condiment, such as mayonnaise, ketchup or mustard. Near an outer end of said elongate packet body said foil layer material is openable by tearing, for instance by a weakened line or tear line. This way the elongate packet body can be opened for releasing the fluid out of the interior space of the elongate packet body. According to the invention, the condiment packet comprises two elongate wall part elements that are more rigid than the foil layer material and that are connected to the packet body in such a way that the packet body is substantially sandwiched in between the two wall part elements.

Description

Title: Condiment packet and method of making the same

Description

The invention relates to a condiment packet, also known as condiment sachet, comprising an elongate packet body made substantially of a foil layer material, said foil layer material defining, at least partly, an interior space of the packet body for accommodating a quantity of a fluid, in particular a condiment, wherein near an outer end of said elongate packet body said foil layer material is openable by tearing, such that the elongate packet body can be opened for releasing the fluid out of the interior space of the elongate packet body.

Such a condiment packet is generally known for accommodating liquids, in particular condiments, such as relatively viscous liquids, in particular sauces such as mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup.

It is a drawback of these condiment packets that they are prone to spilling. In particular, when a user tears open the condiment packet, the liquid condiment may squirt out of the opening thus created, leading to an unpredictable mess on the fingers, clothing, table, tablecloth or the like. Additionally, after having opened the condiment packet, the packet is put away by the user, e.g. laid flat on a surface nearby, which may lead to dripping or flowing of liquid condiment out of the opening, and on to the table or tablecloth or the like. This is undesirable.

In the prior art, several solutions have been presented to the problems mentioned above. For instance, US 2012/0223099 provides a fold and squeeze condiment packet sauce wrapper. The sauce packet uses packet body, provided with a backboard made out of plastic or stiff paper. A perforated line is provided in the packet body, and has an exit hole covered with a peel off sticker cover. The user may peel off the sticker, and fold the packet in half to squeeze out the sauce out of the packet. US 2009/0071979 provides a similar fold and squeeze package, but here the opening is provided at an outer end of the elongate packet body. Although the solutions provided in the prior art lead to some improvement, the condiment packets of the prior art still have problems relating to opening and spilling. In addition, the solutions provided in the prior art mentioned above are relatively expensive and to relatively difficult and costly to produce.

It is therefore an object of the present invention, to provide a condiment packet of the aforementioned kind, which prevents, or at least further minimizes, the risk of spilling during opening and/or putting away of the packet, and which is in particular relatively easy and cost-effective to produce.

To this end, the invention provides a condiment packet according to claim 1, as well as a method according to claim 8.

According to the invention, the condiment packet comprises two elongate wall part elements that are more rigid than the foil layer material and that are connected to the packet body in such a way that the packet body is substantially sandwiched in between the two wall part elements. The two relatively rigid wall parts are thus connected to two opposing side surfaces of the packet body. By sandwiching the packet body made of the foil layer material in between the two wall part elements, the user may press on these wall part elements during opening, such that the wall part elements form a wedge during opening in such a way that the fluid is led away from the opening and remains in the interior space. In other words, the relatively rigid wall part elements provide an increased surface area on the packet body, and the force exerted on the rigid wall part elements is transferred to a relatively high surface area on the packet body, where additionally the wedge shaped thus formed by the two rigid wall part elements ensures a closure, or only a very small aperture, near the opening created by the user by tearing open the packet body. Thus, spillage during opening of the condiment packet according to the present invention is prevented.

For squeezing the fluid out of the condiment packet, the user may reposition his fingers, for forming, with the wall part elements, a wedge that leads the fluid from the interior space to the opening, and out of the packet. In a sense, the relatively rigid wall parts allow an inverted wedge to be formed by a user. With this, the fluid may be dosed very accurately.

The rigid wall part elements are thus preferably formed in such a way that they are moveable between a containing wedge shape in which the wall part elements prevent fluid from leaving the condiment packet, and a dosing wedge shape in which the wall part elements may be used to dose the fluid out of the condiment packet.

Additionally, the condiment packet according to the invention allows for standard condiment packet bodies to be used, which are modified only in that two relatively rigid wall part elements need to be connected to the packet body in such a way that the packet body is sandwiched in between said to wall part elements. This can easily be done, does not require any expensive machinery, and does not require the change or real modification of existing machinery for producing and filling the condiment packet bodies. This makes the condiment packet according to the present invention very cost-effective.

In an embodiment, the wall parts are connected to the packet body in such a way that the packet body can substantially be sandwiched in between the two wall part elements. For example, only one of the two wall parts may be physically connected to the packet body, and the other of the two wall parts is connected to the first wall part, in such a way that the packet body can be sandwiched in between said two wall parts. This embodiment is relatively easy to produce, since it merely requires the connected wall parts to be connected to the packet body in a single place.

From this it can be seen that the object of the invention is achieved. Further embodiments will be elucidated below.

The condiment packet according to the invention has an interior space for accommodating a fluid, in particular a condiment. The term fluid is to be understood as any substance that is deformable (flows) under an applied shear stress, and includes (viscous and non-viscous) liquids, (coarse or fine) granules and/or powders such as salt and herbs and condiment powders. The invention is not limited to the type of fluid packed inside the condiment packet. The packet is suitable for relatively viscous liquid condiments, such as mayonnaise. The condiment may alternatively be ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, and the like, or even be a less viscous liquid, such as milk, yoghurt, vinegar, soy sauce, coffee creamer and the like. It is furthermore noted that the invention is also applicable to non-food fluids, and in particular to shampoo, conditioner, crèmes, (body) oils, and the like.

In an embodiment of the condiment packet, the more rigid elongate wall part elements comprise a stiff paper, cardstock, fiberboard or thermoplastic material. The skilled person will understand which materials are more rigid compared to the foil material. As a guideline, a suitable material is at least a material that can be brought into a V-shape, e.g. by connecting or folding, and that is stiff enough such that it can be positioned upon the legs of the V without collapsing. The less rigid material is preferably a foil material, in particular a plastic foil material, as are commonly used for condiment packets, or pouches in general. It is in this sense noted that due to the use of the relatively rigid wall part elements, the condiment packet may be produced with an even thinner foil material, since the wall part elements provide protection for the condiment packet body. This allows the condiment packet according to the invention to be produced with less material, making the packet relatively cheap. The thickness of the foil layer material may be decreased up to 50%, or even more, compared to currently used foil layer material. This reduction in material allows the condiment packet according to the invention to be produced at approximately the same cost.

The condiment packet body may, as described above, be a standard packet body, such as a three-side seal pouch, fin seal pouch, stick pouch, peelable pouch, or the like. The invention provides advantages for packet bodies already known, but is in general applicable to any type of packet body, and in particular when it is made of foil material.

In an embodiment, at least one of the two wall part elements extends in the longitudinal direction of the packet body, up to a distance from the openable outer end of the packet body. This way, an outer edge of said wall part element may be used as an opening guide along which the foil material of the packet body is torn during opening. This provides for a possibility to precisely guide the user in opening the package, and for controlling the outflow opening for the condiment produced. The user will thus not obtain an opening that is too small, or too large.

An even more secure guide is obtained when the two wall part elements extend in the longitudinal direction of the packet body, up to a distance from the openable outer end of the packet body. Thus, a part of the packet body near the outer end thereof is sandwiched in between the two wall part elements, and the of the outer edges of the wall part elements extend up to a distance from the outer end of the packet body. This way, it is clear for the user which part of the packet body should be opened, and the user will press on the two rigid wall part elements during opening, leading fluid inside the packet body away from the openable outer end of the condiment packet body. The outer edges of the wall part elements function at the same time as opening guides along which part of the foil material is torn during opening.

In an embodiment, the packet body and the two elongate wall part elements have a substantially rectangular form. This rectangular form is relatively standard for condiment packets. By using rectangular elongate wall parts as well, and in particular having dimensions that are slightly larger than the dimensions of the packet body, an increased protection, as well as an increased visual ergonomics is obtainable since then only the openable outer end of the packet body will be visible to the user, and misuses of the product are prevented.

By letting the relatively rigid wall parts extend up to, and preferably a little bit over, the outer end of the packet body opposite the openable outer end, the two rigid wall parts are able to function as a product stand, e.g. by positioning the wall parts in a wedge shaped form, such that the product may be positioned with the two wall part elements upright on a flat surface, with the opened (or openable) outer end extending upright in upward vertical direction. Thus, spillage after use is prevented.

Connection of the wall part elements to the condiment packet body may be improved, when the two wall part elements are connected to each other by means of an interconnecting wall part element. Additionally, this provides for increased integrity between the two wall part elements, improving the cooperation between the wall part elements during opening, as well as during being used as a stand.

It is in this sense conceivable that the two elongate wall part elements form an integral unit. In case the additional interconnecting wall part element is used, this element may form an integral unit with the two elongate wall part elements as well.

According to an aspect, a method is provided of manufacturing a condiment packet according to the invention. The method comprises the steps of: providing an elongate packet body made of a foil layer material and having a fluid condiment inside an interior space of the packet body, wherein near an outer end of said elongate packet body said foil layer material is openable by tearing, such that the elongate packet body can be opened for releasing the fluid condiment out of the interior space of the elongate packet body; providing two elongate wall part elements that are more rigid than the foil layer material; and connecting said two wall part elements to said packet body in such a way that the packet body is substantially sandwiched in between the two wall part elements.

As can be seen, the condiment packet according to the invention can be easily manufactured. Further advantages have already been described in the foregoing.

In an embodiment, the step of connecting comprises the step of fixedly connecting, in particular by means of mechanical connection, sealing the parts together (e.g. induction seal, in particular of an aluminium plus lacquer on carton), or by means of applying an adhesive, such as glue (e.g. hotmelt). This allows for a relatively cheap yet secure connection.

In an embodiment of the invention, the packet body is substantially free from printing material, and printing material is provided on at least one of said two wall part elements. A further advantage of the invention is that it allows plain packet bodies to be used, meaning that the foil material does not have to be printed anymore. By substantially free from printing material, it is meant that the for different condiments, the same plain, e.g. white, foil material may be used for producing the condiment packet, and hence no change of foil material needs to be performed leading to increased manufacturing speeds of the packet bodies. A small printing information on the packet may be required however, in the form of manufacturer sensitive data, to be able to identify the condiment packaged, the packaging date, the best before date, and/or a manufacturers code, for example. Furthermore, consumer sensitive data, such as brands, logos, product details (ingredients and/or best before date) and the like may be printed on the relatively rigid wall part elements, which provide for a better printing surface compared to the foil material, increasing the look and feel of the condiment packet according to the invention, compared to existing condiment packets.

The invention will now be elucidated by means of the following description of various examples shown in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1a - shows an exploded view of a condiment packet according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1 b - shows a front view of the condiment packet of Fig. 1, in an assembled state;

Fig. 2 - shows a front view of a condiment packet according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 - shows a front view of a condiment packet according to a third embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 - shows a side view of a condiment packet according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 - shows a side view of a condiment packet according to a fifth embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6a and b - show top views of a condiment packet according to alternatives of a sixth embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 - shows a perspective view of a condiment packet according to a seventh embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 8 - shows a perspective view of a condiment packet according to an eight embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 9 - shows a perspective view of a condiment packet according to a ninth embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 10 - shows a perspective view of a condiment packet according to a tenth embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a condiment packet 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The condiment packet 1 comprises an elongate packet body 2 made substantially of a foil layer material. These packet bodies are generally known as condiment packets or pouches, and are generally made of foil layer material 21 that defines an interior space of the packet body for accommodating a quantity of a fluid condiment (not shown). In particular, these packets or pouches are made by positioning two thin foils on top of each other, and then sealing three of the outer edges 22, 24, 25, 26 thereof. A final seal is applied to the remaining of the outer edges 22, 24, 25, 26 after the interior space is filled with the condiment, such that the interior space is completely closed of.

In the embodiment shown, the foil layer material 21 is openable near the upper outer edge 25, due to the fact that in a side edge and near the upper outer edge 25, a weakened line or tear line is provided. This way, the foil layer material 21 is openable near the outer end 25 of said elongate packet body 2 by tearing, such that the elongate packet body 2 can be opened for releasing the fluid condiment out of the interior space of the elongate packet body. These packet bodies are generally known, and may be provided in different forms and embodiments, such as a three-side seal pouch, fin seal pouch, stick pouch, peelable pouch, or the like.

According to the invention, the condiment packet comprises two elongate wall part elements 3, 4 that are more rigid than the foil layer material 21. These elongate wall part elements 3, 4, in the embodiment shown in figure 1a, generally have the same form and dimensions as the packet body, although this is not mandatory as will be explained later. Nevertheless, there are certain advantages that will be explained later as well. Here, the elongate wall part elements 3, 4 have a generally rectangular form. Additionally, printed product information 5 is provided on at least one of the wall part elements 3, 4, and preferably to both. The foil material may be free from any printing material, or minor print information may be provided on the foil layer material, which print information may be used during manufacturing of the condiment packet according to the invention, and which print information may include for example a code related to the condiment packaged, a best before date, and/or a manufacturers code.

The wall part elements 3, 4 are connected to the packet body 2, preferably by means of an adhesive 6a, 6b (here shown on the packet body 2, but may be applied only to the wall part, or both), such as a hotmelt glue. The wall part elements 3, 4 are then connected in such a way that the packet body is substantially sandwiched in between the two wall part elements 3, 4, which situation is shown in Fig. 1b.

By sandwiching the packet body 2 in between the two rigid wall part elements 3, 4, the packet body 2 is protected, a wedge is created during opening of the packet body, and the wall part elements may be used for positioning the packet body 2 upright, with the opening extending in upward vertical direction.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1b, the wall part elements 3, 4 are positioned slightly offset with respect to the packet body, i.e. are positioned in such a way that the wall part elements 3, 4 extend beyond the lower edge 26 of the packet body 2, and such that upper edge 25 of the packet body extends above the outer edge 32 of the wall part elements 3, 4. In particular, the wall part elements 3, 4 are connected to the packet body 2 in such a way that the weakened or tear line 23 is positioned in between the outer edge 32 of the wall part and the upper edge 25 of the packet body 2. The wall part element 3 extends in the longitudinal direction (indicated by arrow L) of the packet body 2, up to a distance from the openable outer end 25 of the packet body 2. As can be seen in Fig. 1b, this provides a visual indicator for the user, allowing him/her to easily see how to open the package. The upper edge of the wall part element 3 functions as a opening guide as well, allowing for a precisely defined opening to be created by the user.

The more rigid elongate wall part elements may comprise a stiff paper, cardstock, fiberboard or thermoplastic material, as discussed above.

Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the condiment packet 101 according to the present invention. For clarity purposes, like parts have been given a corresponding reference sign, but now with prefix 100. Thus, a trapezoid rigid wall part 103 is used, in combination with a similar trapezoid wall part (not shown) on the other side of the packet body 102, such that the packet body 102 is sandwiched in between these wall parts. The upper edge 132 of the wall part 103 allow the foil 121 to be opened in a guided manner, starting from weakened or tear line 123, and along the edges 132 of the opposing wall part elements 103. Here it can also be seen that the wall part element 103 has been connected to the packet body 102 by means of an elongated adhesive element 106. The lower edge of both wall part elements 103 extend below the lower edge 126 of the packet body 102, which aids in the upright positioning of the condiment packet 101 after being opened.

Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment of the condiment packet 201, in which like parts have been given a corresponding reference sign, but with prefix 200. Here it can be seen that the wall part element 203 may have, in principle, any desired form (here in the form of a smiley face). Other forms are conceivable of course. Here, the lower edge of the wall part element is rounded, although in principle a straight linear edge is more advantageous, since this aids in positioning the condiment packet 201 upright after being opened. Fig. 3 also shows that the lower edge of both wall part elements 103 extend below the lower edge 226 of the packet body 202.

Fig. 4 shows a side view of a fourth embodiment of the condiment packet 301, in which like parts have been given a corresponding reference sign, but with prefix 300. The embodiment generally is the same as the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, and having for example trapezoid wall part elements 303, 304, provided in such a way that the condiment packet body 302 is sandwiched in between those wall part elements 303, 304. It can be seen that the condiment packet 301 is positioned upright, standing on surface level S, with the opening (not visible) away from the surface level S, and positioned upright to prevent spillage. The rigid wall elements 303, 304 are to this end pushed a bit inward by the user near the top of the packet 301, such that an inverted V-shape form is obtained, and the packet 301 is able to rest on the legs of the “V”. The bottom 326 of the packet body 302 is positioned at a slight distance from the surface level S and cannot interfere with a stable positioning. This is due to the fact that the lower edges of the wall part elements 303, 304 extend beyond said bottom 326.

Fig. 5 shows a side view of a fifth embodiment of the condiment packet 401, in which like parts have been given a corresponding reference sign, but with prefix 400. The difference compared to the fourth embodiment, is that the wall part elements 403, 404 extend up to a distance from the upper edge 425, such that the weakened or tear line 423 is positioned in between the upper edge 425 and the top edge of the wall part elements 403, 404. Here, the inverted V-shape is once again created to be able to position the packet 401 upright.

Fig. 6a shows a top view of a sixth embodiment of condiment packet 501, in which like parts have been given a corresponding reference sign, but with prefix 500. Here it can also be seen that the packet body 502 is sandwiched in between two wall part elements 503, 504, which wall part elements 503, 504 are connected to opposing side surfaces of the packet body 502 by means of adhesive means 506. In this embodiment, however, the two wall part elements 503, 504 are connected to each other by means of an interconnecting wall part element 508. Furthermore, the wall part elements 503, 504 and the interconnecting wall part element 508 form an integral unit. In principle, any relatively rigid, and U-shaped or V-shaped material may be used for producing the embodiment shown in Fig. 6. A relatively cheap yet very functional U-shaped or V-shaped element may be formed by a folded paper or carton material. Further advantage of this material is that it is relatively cheap, and provides for a great printing surface, such that consumer sensitive information in the form of brands, logos, product information and the like can be provided in a visually enhanced manner, whilst providing the further benefits of the invention as described above.

Fig. 6b shows an alternative embodiment of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6a, wherein the first wall part 503 and the second wall part 504 are connected to each other by means of connecting wall part 508, and are positioned on one side of the condiment packet 502. The first wall part is connected to the condiment packet 502, whilst the second wall part 504 is merely connected to the first wall part 504. The second wall part 504 may be folded about hinge-acting connecting part 508, such that the condiment packet may be sandwiched in between the first 504 and second wall part 504.

Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of condiment packet 601, in which like parts have been given a corresponding reference sign, but with prefix 600. In this embodiment the condiment packet 602 with opening means 623 is sandwiched in between two rigid wall parts 603, 604 that are connected to each other at an end remote from the opening by means of interconnecting wall part 608. This interconnecting wall part provides an urging means for providing the wedge shaped form shown in Fig. 7 and hence aids in the upright positioning of the condiment packet 601. The wall parts 603, 608, 604 may be integrally formed, in a relatively easy way. Carton is very suitable for this embodiment shown.

Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of an eight embodiment of condiment packet 701, in which like parts have been given a corresponding reference sign, but with prefix 700. This embodiment is very similar to the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, but here the wall parts 703, 704 that sandwich the sachet 702 with opening 723 are not integrally connected. Rather, each wall part 703, 704 has a respective folding member 708a, 708b that may be folded to aid in the easy and stable upright positioning of the condiment packet 701.

Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of a ninth embodiment of condiment packet 801, in which like parts have been given a corresponding reference sign, but with prefix 800. Here the packet body 802 is sandwiched in between the two rigid wall parts 803, 804. Both wall parts have a respective protecting member wall part 809a, 809b that may be folded open (as shown in Fig. 9) to expose the opening 823 of the packet body 802. The protecting member wall parts 809a, 809b ensure that inadvertent opening is prevented.

Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of a ninth embodiment of condiment packet 901, in which like parts have been given a corresponding reference sign, but with prefix 900. This ninth embodiment indicates that the rigid wall parts 903, 904 that sandwich the sachet 902 with opening 903 may in general have any desired form and shape, such as the form and general shape of the Eiffel tower. Any other desired form is conceivable as well.

Summarized, from the above embodiments it follows that the condiment packet according to the invention, having the rigid wall part elements, provides at least one of an increased ease of opening of the foil material of the packet body, increased ease of squeezing out of the fluid, and/or provides for a way of positioning the condiment packet upright.

The invention is described by means of exemplary embodiments. The protection sought is defined in the appended claims.

Claims

A food packaging (1) comprising an elongated packaging body (2) formed substantially from a film layer material, wherein the film layer material defines, at least in part, an interior space of the packaging body for accommodating an amount of fluid, in particular a food product, at an outer end (25) of the elongated packaging body (2) the foil layer material (21) can be opened by means of cracks, so that the elongated packaging body can be opened for releasing the fluid from the interior space of the elongated packaging body, with the characterized in that the food packaging comprises two elongated wall part elements (3, 4) which are stiffer than the film layer material (21) and which are connected to the packaging body (2) in such a way that the packaging body is substantially held between the two wall part elements (3, 4) .

Food packaging according to claim 1, wherein the stiffer elongated wall part elements (3, 4) comprise a rigid paper, cardboard, fiber material or thermoplastic material.

Food packaging according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the two wall part elements (3, 4) extends in the longitudinal direction of the packaging body (2), up to a distance from the outer end (25) of the packaging body to be opened (2).

Food packaging according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the two wall part elements (3, 4) extend in the longitudinal direction of the packaging body, up to a distance from the outer end of the packaging body to be opened.

Food packaging according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the packaging body (2) and the two elongated wall part elements (3, 4) have a substantially rectangular shape.

Food packaging according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the two wall part elements (503, 504) are connected to each other by means of a connecting wall part element (508).

Food packaging according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the two elongated wall part elements (503, 504) form an integral unit.

Method for manufacturing a food package (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: providing an elongated package body (2) formed from a foil layer material (21) and with a fluid, in particular a food product in an inner space of the packaging body (2), wherein at an outer end (25) of the elongated packaging body the foil layer material (21) can be opened by means of tearing, so that the elongated packaging body can be opened for releasing the fluid from the interior space of the elongated package body; providing two elongated wall part elements (3, 4) which are stiffer than the film layer material (21); and connecting the two wall part elements (3, 4) to the packaging body (2) such that the packaging body (2) is held substantially between the two wall part elements (3, 4).

The method of claim 8, wherein the step of connecting comprises the step of fixed connecting by means of an adhesive (6).

The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the packaging body (2) is substantially free of printing material, and printing material is provided on at least one of the two wall part elements (3, 4).