RU2669741C1 - Packaged granular product - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: container and packing.SUBSTANCE: packaged granular product in which the bag is made of a sheet of at least one layered film material folded into a tube. Package has a bond region through which a container for the granular product is formed from the tube. Bonding area contains the first edge. Sheet comprises a second edge joined to the first edge by a rounded fastener having a radius of curvature and forming an angle of the container for the granular laundry washing means.EFFECT: invention prevents the destruction of the filled bag in its corners.6 cl, 10 dwg, 2 ex, 2 tbl

Description

References to applications related to this

This application claims the priority of China's first patent application CN 2010/000038, filed January 10, 2011.

Application area

The present invention relates to packages. In particular, the present invention relates to bonded bags formed from film materials.

State of the art

Packages, as a rule, are formed from a laminate or film, and are used to place various types of products in them, such as, for example, food products, shampoos, detergents, medicines and others. To prevent leaks, the bags are usually fastened on all sides, resulting in a certain fixed volume in which the product may be contained, for example, granular or liquid detergent. However, the question always arises of the optimal combination between the sizes of the bond of the edges and the tensile strength of the bag and leakage. The bond strength of the edges is directly proportional to the area of the fastened sections. If the area of the fastening regions of the edges of the packet is too large, then the ratio of the effective volume of the packet to the film area decreases, and the film is not consumed economically. On the other hand, if the bonding regions of the edges of the bag are too narrow, then the bag may burst too easily if it is accidentally dropped or if it is shaken and made into contact with other bags during transport or on the shelf of a store.

The bag is usually fastened with a straight seam with an angle of approximately 90 °. And although this is a fairly effective way of fastening the package along the bottom and top, it was determined that such a shape of the package is easily punctured if it is accidentally exposed to it, for example, if it is dropped, or something falls on it, and under other circumstances. Accidental external impact on the package can occur at any time before its opening or use, for example, in the process of its manufacture, filling, transportation, storage, transshipment, shelfing. The puncture results may be contamination of the production area, loss

product and other consequences. The buyer may refuse to buy the product in a punctured bag.

Existing methods for solving this problem include the use of stronger bonding methods, stronger adhesives, stronger films and other materials for packages, and / or laminates from a film with other materials. However, the use of all these methods, as a rule, increases the complexity of the manufacture of the package and requires special equipment, which, as a rule, is not on typical lines where the formation, filling and fastening of the packages is performed.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved package that is more resistant to punctures, but which can be manufactured using existing film materials, methods and equipment for bonding.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bag made of a sheet containing at least one layer of film material. The sheet forms a pipe, which is closed by a bonding region to form a container. The bonding area contains a first edge, and the sheet contains a second edge, while the edges are connected to each other. A rounded bond connects the first edge to the second edge.

Fastening pincers are also provided comprising a fastening paw and a receiving paw. The fastening leg comprises a fastening region, further comprising an element forming the first edge and an element forming a rounded fastening adjacent to the element forming the first edge. The element forming the first edge forms a rounded bond in close proximity to the element forming the first edge.

A method for fastening a packet is also proposed, including the steps of: securing a sheet, forming a pipe from a sheet having a head edge, bonding the head edge, thereby forming a head bond region, filling the pipe with a predetermined amount of product, pipe fastening to form a tail edge bonding region, and pipe trimming behind the tail edge, as a result of which a packet is formed. The region of the head edge bonding and the region of the tail edge bonding form a container enclosed between them, and this bone contains the product. At least one of the bonding areas: the head edge or the tail edge — comprises a first edge and a rounded bond adjacent to the first edge.

The implementation of the present invention can significantly reduce the likelihood of a bag being punctured due to dulling of the force that occurs, for example, when a filled bag is dropped or it hits other bags during transportation or on a shelf.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Although the description of the present application ends with a claims that clearly formulate the subject matter of the present invention, it is intended that the present invention be better understood from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals are used to denote like elements.

FIG. 1. Front view of the embodiment of the package in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2. A sectional view of the bag shown in FIG. 1, on the plane 2-2.

FIG. 3. Front view of the comparative package in accordance with the current level of technology.

FIG. 4. Front view of another comparative package in accordance with the current level of technology.

FIG. 5. Front view of another comparative package in accordance with the current level of technology.

FIG. 6. Front view of an embodiment of a fastening leg in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7. Front view of an embodiment of a receiving arm in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8. Front view of another embodiment of the package in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9A. Partial front view of another embodiment of the package in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9B. Partial front view of another embodiment of the package in accordance with the present invention.

Drawings are not necessarily to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

All temperature values shown are in degrees Celsius (° C), unless expressly stated otherwise. In the context of the present description, the term “comprising” means that other steps, ingredients, elements, etc. may be added that do not adversely affect the final result. This term covers the terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of”.

In the context of the present description, the term "tissue enhancer" includes compositions intended to improve the aroma, softness, antistatic properties and / or maintain the shape of the fabric, such as fabric softener and / or fabric softener. A tissue intensifier is generally intended to be introduced into the rinse cycle during the washing process.

The present invention relates to a bag having a sheet containing at least one layer of film material. The sheet forms a pipe covered by a bonding region to form a container. The bonding region comprises a first edge and a second edge adjacent to the first edge. The first edge forms a rounded bond with the second edge. The present invention also relates to methods and equipment for the manufacture of such a bag.

In FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a bag 100 comprising a sheet 120 from which a pipe 142 is formed (FIG. 2). The bag is formed from a sheet, which in turn is formed from at least one film material, typically selected from the group consisting of polyamide (nylon), polyethylene, polypropylene, ethyl vinyl acetate, poly-4-methylpentene-1, microporous a membrane and combinations thereof; or polyamide (nylon), linear low density polyethylene, oriented polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and combinations thereof. Softer and more stretchable film materials can also reduce the tendency of the material to tear, so laminates from extruded materials, laminates from coextruded materials and mixtures of film materials such as polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate are useful film materials for implementing the present invention.

The film material may also be attached to the metal and / or contain the metal within itself, and / or be a metallized film. Film materials are well known in the art and may additionally contain resins, laminates, printed graphics, additives (e.g., ultraviolet light filters, antimicrobial agents, dyes, pigments, etc.) and so on. Suitable film materials are offered by various manufacturers around the world, such as 3MCompany (St. Paul, Minnesota, USA), DuPontCo. (Wilmington, Delaware, USA), ToppanInsatsuCo. (Tokyo, Japan), GelmanSciencesCompany (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA), and many others. The sheet in accordance with the present invention may contain a single layer, or may contain multiple layers of the same or different film materials, provided that it can be bonded to itself or other sheets. The sheet typically has a thickness of from about 15 microns to about 220 microns, or from about 20 microns to about 200 microns, or from about 25 microns to about 160 microns. Each of the individual layers of the film material may have an oriented or arbitrary structure, in accordance with the needs of the application.

By bonding a plurality of layers of film materials to each other, a sheet having many useful properties and / or advantages can be obtained. In such cases, as is well known to those skilled in the art, the plurality of layers can be bonded to each other using, for example, lamination, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding and other methods.

Thereafter, a packet 100 can be formed from the sheet 120 by pulling and / or stretching the sheet 120 around a forming pipe (not shown), whereby a pipe is formed from the sheet 120. The pipe is formed by bonding the edges of the sheet 120 in any direction, for example, in the direction of movement in the machine, pointwise or continuously, and / or by bonding the edges in the transverse direction on the head edge and / or tail edge. The molding tube is also also a filling tube through which the bag is filled with contents. The sheet is pulled or advanced in the direction of movement in the machine (A), and fastening pincers containing a fastening paw and a receiving paw (respectively. 150 in Fig. 6 and 170 in Fig. 7) simultaneously fasten and cut the tail of the pipe in the transverse direction ( AT). At the same time, the filled bag is released and a new bonding area is formed on the head edge 124 of the new bag. This type of bag forming and filling equipment is often referred to as an “automatic packaging machine”. They are well known in the art and are offered by many manufacturers around the world. Automatic packaging machines are often also referred to as conveyor packaging machines, or molding-filling-capping machines.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet 120 is fastened in the direction of travel in the machine (A) to form a rib seam 126, whereby a tube is continuously formed (key 142 in FIG. 2). After that, the head edge 124 is fastened with fastening pliers (containing a fastening lever and a receiving lever - pos. 150 in Fig. 6 and 170 in Fig. 7, respectively), as a rule, in the transverse direction (B), as a result of which a container ( item 144 in Fig. 2), closed by the area 122 of fastening.

Depicted in FIG. 1, the bonding region 122 is a head edge bonding region 122 ′ and comprises a first edge 128 and a second edge 130. The first edge 128 and the second edge 130 form a rounded bonding located between them 132. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, all four corners of the stack contain a rounded bond 132 having a radius r defining the curvature of the rounded bond. The radius r of the rounded bond, as a rule, is more than about 3 mm, or from about 10 mm to about 30 mm, or from about 5 mm to about 20 cm, or from about 5 cm to about 20 cm. And although this is theoretically not necessarily, it can be assumed that a radius too small functions in much the same way as a right angle, while a radius too large leads to a decrease in the effective volume of the packet that can be filled with contents. Therefore, it appears that the above ranges provide an optimal compromise between the puncture resistance of the bag and the efficient use of the film material. In addition, the above ranges for the radius of the rounded bonding are well suited for both large and small packages, since the purpose of the rounded bonding is to attenuate the influence of the right angle. The rounded bond 132 is convex outward, which means that the center with its curvature (radius r) is inside the container 134 in which the product (product is not shown) is contained, as opposed to packets in which the center with the curvature is located in the bonding region 122 (see , for example, Fig. 5), or even outside the package 100. In the embodiment shown, the package contains many angles, or from about 3 angles to about 6 angles, or from about 4 angles to about 5 angles, or about 4 angles, and each of They contain a rounded seam. In the embodiment shown, the radius of each of the rounded fasteners is approximately the same. In an alternative embodiment, the radius of at least two angles, or from about 2 to about 4 angles, may be different from the rest.

Although theoretically this is not necessary, typical packages contain right angles, or even sharp angles of convergence of the bonding area at the head end of the package and / or the tail end of the package with the side edge of the standard package (see Fig. 3-5). It can therefore be assumed that punctures of conventional bags, for example those containing granular laundry detergents, are often caused by a small amount of product accumulated in the corner of the bag, which may contain air or other product granules. When such a packet takes a hit, for example, when falling from a height, or when another packet falls on it, this small amount of granular product rushes into the corner with great speed. Since the angle formed by the sides and the bonding area is straight or even sharp, the pressure force from the side of the plurality of granules is concentrated at one point of the angle. Many such impacts by granules moving at high speed gradually weaken the film material, and / or may even lead to rupture of the packet or surface receiving this impact. Therefore, despite the fact that the individual granules themselves are relatively light, the cumulative result of impacts on the material in the corner of the bag can potentially lead to the rupture of the film material of which the bag is made from the inside, which will lead to the exit of the product from the bag.

In contrast, the bag in accordance with the present invention contains an angular region 134 in which the sheet 120 is sealed with a rounded bond 132. And although this is theoretically not necessary, it can be expected that the rounded bond dulls the force of impact from many moving granules. You can also expect that a rounded bond distributes a given force over a larger area, rather than focusing it, as does a right or acute angle. A typical package has an approximately rectangular or square 2-dimensional face, and therefore the edges 136 of the package, as a rule, form right angles β. Such bags (see also Figs. 3-5) are the most common and easiest to manufacture. Since the rounded bond 132 is adjacent to the first edge 128 formed by the bonding region 122, this means that in the bag 100 in accordance with the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the second edge 130 is typically formed by the edge 136 of the bag 100. The head edge 124 and the tail edge 126 may comprise similar to each other bonding areas 122 including similar rounded bondings 132. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the fastening region 122 ″ at the tail end comprises a first edge 128, a second edge 130 and a rounded fastener 132. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that in some vertical molding-filling-capping machines, the location of the tail edge and the head edge may be reversed with respect to that shown in FIG. one.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tail edge 138 also contains a plurality of holes 140 to facilitate carrying of the bag 100. In this embodiment, the bag contains at least 1 carrying hole, or from about 1 carrying hole to about 5 carrying holes; or from about 2 to about 3 holes for carrying, or about 2 holes for carrying. Carrying holes are usually located centrally above the center of gravity of the bag to make it easier to carry. Although theoretically this is not necessary, it is believed that the most convenient for the user is one hole for carrying, and therefore, in one of the embodiments of the package contains one hole for carrying. However, the presence of a rib seam 126 will lead to accelerated wear of one or more cutting blades on the fastening clamps 160 (Fig. 7). Using an even number of holes reduces the need to cut them through the rib seam, but having 4 or more holes will disorient the user. Accordingly, the embodiment shown comprises 2 carrying holes.

In FIG. 2 shows a section through the bag 100 shown in FIG. 1, on the plane 2-2. As shown in this drawing, a pipe 142 is formed from the sheet 120 by fastening the sheet 120 to itself along the rib seam 126. This pipe 142 is also sealed at the far end by a fastening area 122, whereby a container 144 is formed. The container 144 may contain a product ( not shown), protected by the bag from contamination, moisture, weather, etc. The bag shown in FIG. 2 is formed into a pillow shape, and such bags are known in the art as pillow bags. Packages can be formed in another shape, for example, in the form of folds, wicket bags, standing bags and other shapes, however, it can be assumed that the pillow bags are most susceptible to the puncture problem described above. Therefore, in one embodiment, the bag is a pillow bag.

A product (not shown) that is packaged in a bag typically has a density of about 250 g / l, or from about 200 g / l to about 1.3 kg / l, or from about 450 g / l to about 1.1 kg / l In one embodiment, the product is a granular product or a fine granular product, that is, having an average particle size of from about 10 microns to about 5 mm. In various embodiments, the finely granulated product is a granular detergent, granular fertilizer, granular tissue intensifier, granular mineral and / or granular drug; or granular laundry detergent and / or granular tissue intensifier. In other embodiments, the product is liquid. The term "liquid" is used in this context in a broad sense and includes, for example, mixtures, solutions, dispersions, emulsions and other compositions. The viscosity of the liquid can be from very low to very high, including options for gels and pastes. Its viscosity can be up to about 10,000 mPa⋅s, or from about 100 mPa⋅s to about 1000 mPa⋅s, or from about 300 mPa⋅s to about 500 mPa⋅s. The liquid may contain active ingredients used in various applications, for example, in household chemical goods (for example, for washing and other processing of linen and clothes, washing dishes and cleaning hard surfaces, bath additives and others). In one embodiment, the liquid product is a liquid detergent or a liquid tissue intensifier.

The container 144 may be airtight, or it may allow air to flow inside the container 144 and / or out of the container 144. In one embodiment, the container 144 is airtight (or substantially airtight) once all fasteners are completed; and only when it is punctured, air and / or granular or liquid product can easily enter and / or exit the container. Such an airtight bag is a typical bag currently used for packaging, for example, granular detergents, as will be described in the examples below. In another embodiment, the bag may allow air to escape from the container, for example, may have a valve, a fastener, the design of which allows air to pass through it (see, for example, US Patent Publication 2009/226573 A1, Gonzales et al., September 10, 2009), or small holes specially formed in the bag. However, in such embodiments, air can exit the bag only very slowly, so the problem of punctures in the corners from sudden impacts for such bags nevertheless exists. And although theoretically this is not necessary, it can be assumed that for packets from which air can quickly escape, the problem of punctures and / or tears practically does not exist or is not significant.

A typical bag (sealed) volume is from about 500 ml, or from about 500 ml to about 100 l, or from about 800 ml to about 60 l, or from about 1 l to about 30 l, or from about 1.5 l to about 20 liters Typically, a bag contains both product and air (or other gas). If the bag does not contain air (the so-called vacuum packaging), then the product does not have the ability to move inside the bag, and there is no problem for this type of bag for this type of bag. Therefore, embodiments of the present invention relate to a bag containing air, and which product is not vacuum packed.

In FIG. 3 is a front view of a conventional bag 100 ′ having no rounded fastening in each of the corners 146. Bag 100 ′ is a typical cushion bag having a rib seam 126 and fastening areas 122 at the head edge 124 and the tail edge 138. The edge 136 and the area 122 the bonds form an angle δ, typically 90 °. As a rule, such a value of the angle δ takes place at all four corners 146 of the tank.

Similarly in FIG. 4 is a front view of yet another bag 100 ', as a comparative, having an essentially continuous bonding region 122 around its entire perimeter. Such a bag 100 'is typically formed of two separate sheets 120, 120' of film materials bonded to each other at all edges 136, resulting in a capacitance 144. Such a bag 100 'also has an angle δ of substantially 90 ° in places where the bonding area 122 forms the corners of the container. As a rule, this angle takes place at all four corners 146 of the tank.

In FIG. 5 is a front view of yet another bag 100 ', as a comparative, with a rounded inwardly convex fastening 148 at all corners 146 of the container. This embodiment was once proposed to solve a similar problem of puncture packets, to which the present invention relates, but it was not successful. In the package depicted in FIG. 5, a center with a curvature of radius r is located inside the bonding region 122, and not inside the container 144.

In FIG. 6 is a front view of an embodiment of a fastening foot 150 in accordance with the present invention. The fastening paw 150 (Fig. 6) and the receiving paw 170 (Fig. 7) are located opposite each other, permanently or temporarily, and together form the fastening pincers (not shown). The bonding leg 150 comprises a bonding region 152 for forming the bonding region 122 (FIG. 1). The bonding region 152 further comprises an element 154 forming a first edge connected to the element 156 forming a rounded bond. The rounded bonding member 156 is a rounded corner with a radius of curvature r and center c.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the bonding leg 150 comprises a heating element 158 located on its backside supporting the bonding region 152 hot enough to melt the material of the sheet 120 (FIG. 1). It will be understood by those skilled in the art that for bonding the sheet to itself (or sheets to each other) and forming the bonding region 122 (FIG. 1), various methods and devices can be used, for example, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding and others. In embodiments of the present invention, the bonding region is formed by thermal bonding and / or ultrasonic bonding.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the bonding region 152 ends with a cutting blade 160 cutting off the packets 100 (FIG. 1) from each other at the same time as the bonding region 152 fastens the sheet 120 (FIG. 1) to itself (or different sheets to each other). If the manufacturer does not want to separate the resulting bags from each other, but wants, for example, to remain in the form of a continuous tape, instead of a cutting blade 160, a set of in-line needles or a set of intermittently arranged in-line blades can be used to form perforations. Other methods and elements for forming a line of weakened strength are also known to those skilled in the art. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the one or more cutting blades used must have sufficiently strong structural strength and wear resistance so that they can completely pass through all layers of the bag, while being oriented so that the finished bag is easy separated after bonding and perforation. In embodiments of the present invention, the cutting blade has a height of from about 1 cm to about 10 μm, or from about 5 mm to about 20 μm, or from about 2 mm to about 40 μm, measured perpendicular to the surface of the bonding foot 150. The cutting blade may be straight, zigzag, rounded or have a different shape in accordance with the needs of the application. In embodiments of the present invention, the cutting blade may be perpendicular to the surface of the fastening paw, or it may be inclined in the direction of travel in the machine. Although theoretically this is not necessary, it can be expected that if the cutting blade is perpendicular to the surface of the fastening paw 150, then at low line speeds, the cutting blade will more effectively perform cuts. It is also believed that at higher speeds of the line of the automatic packaging machine, a blade tilted towards the movement of the packages can contribute to the early release of the finished package, thereby reducing the likelihood of jamming on the automatic packaging machine due to the fact that the finished packages can quickly fall from fastening paws.

In one embodiment, a plurality of fastening pliers can be used, for example, one fastening pliers can be used to fasten the top of the bag and cut it off, while separate but nearby second fastening pliers can be used to simultaneously fasten the bottom of the next bag.

The bonding foot 150 may also comprise additional bonding ridges 162 that provide texture areas of bonding. Such texture bonding areas may be desirable in some applications, for example, texturing allows you to get areas of bonding, which are easier to hold, with increased strength, improved aesthetic appearance and other advantages.

In one embodiment, the fastening foot 150 has a structure in which it can cut a handle in the bonding area, for example, using a handle cutting element. Such a handle cutting element may also be formed from one or more cutting blades.

In FIG. 7 is a front view of a receiving foot 170 in accordance with the present invention. The receiving leg 170 is mutually complementary with respect to the bonding leg 150 (FIG. 6), and is its mirror image containing the mutually complementary region 152 for forming the bonding region mating with the bonding region 152 on the bonding leg (FIG. 6). The receiving leg 170 includes a cutting channel 172, which, as a rule, is a recess on the surface of the receiving leg 170, which allows one or more cutting blades 160 (Fig. 6) to pass through the sheets, resulting in the formation of corresponding cuts, perforation etc. The receiving leg 170 also includes fastening ridges 162 mated with respect to the fastening ridges on the fastening leg 150 (Fig. 6).

In one embodiment, one or more cutting blades are attached to the fastening foot with the possibility of their removal, so that when it is worn, the blade can be removed, sharpened and / or replaced with a new one without the need to completely replace the fastening forming seam.

In the interaction of the fastening paw 150 and the receiving paw 170, a bonding region is formed using methods such as, for example, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding, pressure bonding and others, in accordance with the needs of the application. Therefore, one of the legs or both can contain the corresponding technological elements on its surface or inside them, such as, for example, a heating element, an ultrasonic generator, a stamping frame and others. The fastening paw and the receiving paw, independently of each other, are usually made of durable materials corresponding to their purpose and function, such as, for example, metal, ceramic, plastic, or combinations thereof. The paw, which forms the bonding area by thermal bonding, must be mechanically strong and conduct heat well, and therefore can be made, for example, of copper, brass, steel, cast iron, aluminum and other materials. The fastening paw and receiving paw can be made on special order for the application needs by many manufacturers and / or workshops around the world, taking into account the recommendations contained in this application.

Those skilled in the art will understand that fastening pliers in accordance with the present invention can be used on an automatic packaging machine.

In FIG. 8 is a front view of one embodiment of a bag 100 according to the present invention, comprising one rounded bond 132 having a relatively large radius r and extended over the entire head edge 124, and one rounded bond 132, also having a relatively large radius r, and extended over entire tail region 138.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the actual single rounded bond is used, with one center of curvature and one radius, forming both a rounded head edge bonding and a tail edge rounded bonding.

In FIG. 9A is a front elevational view of an embodiment of a bag 100 comprising a plurality of rounded fasteners 132, 132 ′ in the same corner 146 of the container. The bonding region 122 comprises a first rounded bonding 132 having a center of curvature c and a radius of curvature r at the edge 136 of the packet. This bonding region also comprises a second rounded bonding 132 'having a center c' and a radius r 'other than the center and radius of the first bonding. Both rounded fasteners 132 and 132 'are convex outward, since their centers c and c' are inside the volume 144.

In FIG. 9B is a front elevational view of yet another embodiment of a bag 100 comprising a plurality of rounded fasteners 132, 132 ′ in the same corner 146 of the container. The bonding region 122 comprises a first rounded bonding 132 having a center of curvature c and a radius of curvature r at the edge 136 of the packet. This bonding region also comprises a second rounded bonding 132 'having a center c' and a radius r 'other than the center and radius of the first bonding. Between the first and second rounded fasteners 132 and 132 ′, there is an inwardly convex fastener 148 having a center c ″ and a radius r ″. The center with the inwardly convex bonding 148 is located within the bonding region 122.

In combination with embodiments of the present invention, other elements known to those skilled in the art (for example, laser notch, half notch, notch line, embossing and others) can be used, and which can be performed using known methods and known equipment. One of the embodiments of the present invention includes an element for re-closing the package, allowing the user to easily and reliably re-close the package after opening it. Such items are especially useful for high volume packages. Reclosure elements are well known in the art and include pressure sensitive plastic fasteners, Velcro, zippers, adhesive strips and stains, clips, latches, locks and other systems. Additional elements that can be used in conjunction with the present invention are described, for example, in patent EP 1409366 B1 (Camargo-Parodi et al., Issued June 21, 2006) and patent application EP 07119454.2 (Rogers, filed October 29, 2007) .

Example 1

Packages in accordance with FIG. 1 and 2 were formed on a vertical molding-filling-capping machine from a sheet using fastening tongs similar to those shown in FIG. 6-7. The machine forms all sealed areas with the help of heated fastening pincers, creating a thermal bond between the individual sheets. The sheet was a three-layer laminate of the following film materials: polyethylene terephthalate, metal foil (MYLAR® type) and polyethylene. The sheet was fed in the form of a roll tucked into a vertical molding-filling-capping machine and straightened in the area in which the pipe was formed from it by means of a rib seam in the direction of movement in the machine. The pipe had a head edge on which a head edge bonding region was formed using fastening tongs similar to those shown in FIG. 6 and 7. A predetermined amount (approximately 1.7 kg) of granulated washing powder was supplied to the formed tube. The pipe was sealed at the tail end with fastening pliers, as a result of which a pillow bag filled with granular washing powder was formed. After this, the process was repeated, and a new package was formed.

Comparison packages in accordance with FIG. 3 were formed on a standard vertical molding-filling-capping machine from similar materials using a standard set of fastening pincers. The resulting comparative packages at all corners of the tank had bond angles essentially equal to 90 °.

Testing the packages for breaking was carried out as follows. The bags were individually dropped from a height of 1.2 m three times on three different sides, and then also, packed in bags of polymer woven material, from a height of 1.2 m three times on three different sides. The bags were also dropped onto another bag lying on the floor, so that the bag would land at an angle on the lying bag. The results of free fall of packages from the height of the conveyor into a bag of polymer woven material at the end of the packaging line were also analyzed.

The number of breaks in the corners of the capacity of the package volume was calculated, divided by the total number of packages, and thus the damage frequency was calculated. The test results are shown in Table 1 below.

Example 2

The influence of the package design in accordance with the present invention on the reduction in the frequency of package defects that occur during transportation was also evaluated. The pillow bags shown in FIG. 1 and 2, were made in the same manner as in Example 1, and filled with a predetermined amount (1.55 kg) of granular washing powder. Comparison packages in accordance with FIG. 3 was filled with the same amount of granular laundry detergent. The bags were manually stacked on top of each other in a shipping container. After their arrival at the destination, the number of punctures of the package material was calculated, divided by the total number of packages, and thus the frequency of defects was calculated. The test results are shown in Table 2 below.

The test results show that the packages in accordance with the present invention are characterized by a lower frequency of damage during transportation compared to conventional packages having container angles of substantially 90 °.

It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that minor differences between the materials used in the Example and the comparative packages could not significantly affect the test results, due to such a significant reduction in the frequency of breaks.

The dimensions and their values contained in this document should not be construed as strictly limited to the exact values given. On the contrary, unless otherwise specified, a given value is understood to mean this value in accuracy and all values located in a functionally equivalent neighborhood. So, for example, a value designated as 40 mm should be considered as “approximately 40 mm”.

All documents cited in the detailed description of the present invention in part related to the present invention are mentioned for reference only. The citation of any document should not be construed as an admission that the cited document should be included in the prior art in relation to the present invention. If any meaning or definition of a concept in this document does not coincide with the meaning or definition of a given concept in a referenced document, one should be guided by the meaning or definition of a given concept contained in this document.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention are illustrated and described herein, one skilled in the art will appreciate that other changes and modifications are possible without violating the idea and purpose of the invention. For this purpose, it was intended in the appended claims to represent all possible similar changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (6)

1. A granular product packaged in a bag, wherein the bag is made of a sheet of at least a single layer of film material rolled up in the form of a pipe and has a bonding region by which a container for the granular product is formed from the tube, wherein said bonding region contains a first edge, and said sheet comprises a second edge connected to the first edge by a rounded bond, characterized by a radius of curvature and forming an angle of said container for the granular product, while the granules ovannym product is a granular laundry detergent. 2. A granular product packaged in a bag according to claim 1, wherein the bag contains a plurality of said container angles for the granular product formed by a rounded bond. 3. A granular product packaged in a bag according to claim 1, wherein the bag is formed by an automatic packaging machine. 4. The packaged granular product of claim 1, wherein the film material has a thickness of from about 15 microns to about 220 microns. 5. The packaged granular product of claim 1, wherein said radius of curvature of the rounded bond is greater than about 3 mm, or from about 10 mm to about 30 mm. 6. The packaged granular product according to claim 1, wherein said granular product container is substantially airtight.

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