SE1850342A1

SE1850342A1 - Tear membrane with pull-tab

Info

Publication number: SE1850342A1
Application number: SE1850342A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Simon Holka
Original assignee: A & R Carton Lund Ab
Priority date: 2018-03-27
Filing date: 2018-03-27
Publication date: 2019-09-28
Also published as: EP3546387A1; ES2945479T3; SE543045C2; PL3546387T3; CN110304346A; EP3546387B1

Abstract

A laminate tear membrane 1 for sealing an inner compartment in a packaging container, the laminate tear membrane 1 comprising a top member 2 and a bottom member 3, the top and bottom members 2,3 being laminated sheet materials, the top member 2 having a top member peripheral edge portion 4 and a top member second surface 2b facing the bottom member 3 and the bottom member 3 having a bottom member peripheral edge portion 5 and a bottom member first surface 3a facing the top member first surface 2a. The laminate tear membrane 1 further comprising a tear-away area 6 being delimited by a contour line 7 arranged in the top member 2 and a tear strip 8 being arranged in the top laminate tear membrane 2 and being part of the tear-away area 6. The tear-strip 8 comprising a pull-tab 9 arranged at a grip end of the tear strip 8, the pull-tab 9 facing a pull-tab facing region 10 arranged in the bottom member 3, the top member 2 and the bottom member 3 being interconnected along the top member peripheral edge portion 4 and the top member peripheral edge portion 5. One or more discrete distance elements 1 1 are arranged i) in the pull-tab facing region 10 of the bottom member 3 or ii) in the pulltab 9, the one or more distance elements 11 having a height H of 0.1 mm or more, as measured from the bottom member first surface 3a or from the surface of the top member second surface 2b respectively.

Description

PG20998SEOO TEAR MEMBRANE WETH PULL-TAB TECHNiCAL FiELD The disciosure pertains to a tear membrane for seaiing an inner cornpartment in apackaging container. The tear membrane -is a two-layer structure comprising a topmember and a bottom member. The tear membrane is provided with a tear-away areaand a tear-strip comprising a puii-tab arranged in the top member. Disciosed herein is aiso a packaging container comprising the tear membrane.

BACKGROUND OF THE ENVENTEON Consumer goods, in particuiar buik soiids, are often packaged in reiativeiy rigidpaperboard packaging containers which protect the buik soiids during transport andstorage at the manufacturer and retaiier end and during storage and dispensing at theconsumer end. One of the important factors in the area of buik packaging containers is toascertain that the quaiity of the packaged goods remains at a high ievei from the initiaiopening of the container untii the packaged product has been compieteiy consumed. Thecontainers are usuaiiy provided with an openabie and ciosabie iid, and are additionaiiyprovided with an inner transport seai which keeps the contents fresh and protectedagainst oontamination up untii a first opening of the packaging container by a consumer.Qne type of transport sea! is a tear membrane comprising a top member and a bottommember. The top member is provided with cute, forming a tear strip and a tear-away areawhich inciudes the tear strip. By puiiing at the tear-strip formed in the top member, theconnection or connections between the top member and the bottom member within thearea constituted by the tear strip wiii cause the bottom member to break aiong the cuts inthe top member. Thereby, both the top member and the bottom member within thetearabie area can be removed from the container to make the contents in the container avaiiabie for use.

These types of tear membranes are highiy effective for providing protection for the bulksoiids during transport and storage, and may easiiy be manufacturer! from fewcomponents and using vveii known production technoiogy. The top and bottom membersare generaiiy made of fiexibie materia! Eayers and it has been found that due to the seai between the iayers of the top member and the bottom member and the fiexibiiity of the PG20998SE00 2 iayers the iayers tend to ciing to each other aiso within non-attached areas, such as withinthe area of the putt-tab. Thereby the user may experience difficuities in identifying and in grasping the putt-tab.

Accordingiy, there remains a need for e further improved opening arrangement for a tear membrane for packaging containers as disclosed herein.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a tear membrane having a more reiiabieopening arrangement, es wei! es a packaging container being provided with an improved tear membrane.

SUMMARY OF THE ENVENTEON One or more of the above objects may be achieved with a tear membrane for a packagingcontainer for buik soiids in accordance with claim 'i or a packaging container for buiksoiids in accordance with ciaim 13. Further embodiments ere set out in the dependent ciaims, in the foiiowing description and in the drawings.

The iaminate tear membrane for sealing an inner compartment in a packaging containeras disciosed herein comprises e top member and a bottom member, the top and bottommembers being sheet materials. The top member has a top member peripherai edgeportion and the bottom member has a bottom member peripherai edge portion. Atopmember second surface faces the bottom member and a bottom member first surfacefaces the top member second surface. The tear membrane comprises a tear-away areabeing deiimited by a contour iine arranged in the top member and a tear strip beingarranged in the top member and being part of the fear-away area. The tear-stripcomprises a putt-tab arranged at a grip end of the tear strip and the puii-tab faces a puii-tab facing region arranged in the bottom member. The top member and the bottommember are interconnected aiong the top member peripherai edge portion and the topmember peripherai edge portion, Furthermore, one or more discrete distance elementsare arranged in the putt-tab facing region of the bottom member or in the puihtab, the oneor more distance eiements having a height (H) of 0.1 mm or more, as measured from thesurface of the first surface of the bottom member or from the second surface of the top member, respectively.

PG20998SE00 3 The arrangement with a puil-tab integrated in the top member and being a part of the tear-away area, i.e. not being a separate part protruding outside the generai oiroumferenoe ofthe tear membrane, imparts advantages both in terms of appearance, manufacturing andseparate storage of the tear membrane prior to insertion into paokaging containers.Hovvever, the fact that the sheet materiais are reiativeiy thin and that the puii-tab isintegrated in the top-member may cause difficuities both to visuaily detect the puil-tab andphysicaliy to separate the top member from the bottom member and grasp a front edge ofthe puli-tab for tearing off the tear-away area for a partiai or compiete removai of the tearmembrane from a packaging container. The distance eiement(s) of the bottom memberbuige against the top member creating oorresponding imprints in the putt-tab materiaimaking it easy for the consumer to visuaily identify the putt-tab and aiso serve to free theputt-tab from the bottom member and thereloy facilitate gripping of the puii tab.Alternativeiy, the distance eiemends) of the putt-tab, constituted by the top member, buigeagainst the bottom member creating shadows in the bult-tab, making it easy for theconsumer to identify the putt-tab and aiso serve to freeing the putt-tab from the bottom member and thereby faoiiitate gripping of the puil tab The tear membrane as disciosed herein may have any shape adapted to a correspondingcross-section of a packaging container body, including circular, ovai, rectanguiar and modified rectanguiar shapes. it may be preferred that the tear membrane as disoiosed herein has a modifiedreotanguiar shape with four side edges joined by four ourved corner portions. itliodifiedrectanguiar shapes include modified square shapes, ie. reotangular shapes having side edges of eduai iength.

The side edges of a tear membrane having rectanguiar or modified rectanguiar shapemay oonsist of first and second iongitudinai side edges and first and second transverseside edges, the longitudinai side edges having a length greater than a iength of thetransverse side edges. The side edges may be straight side edges or may have a siightcurvature, with a radios of curvature in the range of from ZOO-TOG mm, preferabiy 300-600 mm, more preferably 400-500 mm. 1G 3G PG20998SEOO 4 The side edges are connected by curved corner pertiens, whereln the radius of curvatureof the corner pcrticns may be in the range ef 5-60 mm, preferabiy 10-40 mm, more preferably 15-30 mm. in a tear membrane as dlsclosed herein, the tear strip may have a width in the range ef from fi.) miilimetres to 30 miliimetres, such as frem 15 miiiimetres te 25 miiiimetres.

The width ef the tear strip is the distance between the outer edge of the tear strip definedbetween the contour section of a tear strip cut line, and the inner edge ef the tear strip.The width of the tear strip is measured in a portion of the tear strip which is net the pull taband may be constant aiong the length ef the tear strip or may vary along the length of thetear strip. By way of exampie, the pull-tab part of the tear strip may have a width which isdifferent from the width ef other parts ef the tear strip, such as a larger width te provide an eniarged grippabie portion at the putt-tab end ef the tear strip Bending ef the top member to the bottom member is preferabiy made by heat seaiing,aitheugh adhesive attachments may be used as an alternative er as a compiement. Thetop member and the bottom member are preferabiy iaminates comprising a poiymerpretective and/or bondabie layer and a structural iayer, such as a layer ef aluminium foii, paper, etc.

The attachments between the tep member and the bottom member are permanentattachments, impiying that the material in the iayers will break before an attachment is broken when pulling at the tear strip.

The berder seai is preferably a continuous seai such as a continuous weid seai whichextends around the full periphery of the tear membrane. The border seai is preferabiygas-tight. The width ef the bearder seai may be frem 'i mliiimetres to 5 miliimetres, such as frem 1.5 miliimetres to 4 miliimetres. in addition to the border seai further attachments may be arranged between the tepmember and the bottom member, such as a tear strip attachment area. The tear stripand/'er the tear-away area may cemprise one er more attachments, such weided regions. , One such exampie is discrete attachments in the tear-away area aiong the contour ef the PG20998SEGO tear strip eg. in the form of arrews which at the same time may serve as indicators of a proper tear direction.

The puii-tabi/puil-tab faoing region may be deiimited by a base line extendingperpendicuiariy over a total width of the pult-tab/puti-tab facing region, the base iine beingarranged to extend ever the width of the puli-tabIpuil-tab faoing region at the point of thetear strip attachment area having the shertest distance to a front edge of the putt-tab. Theteanstrip, including the putt-tab, may be delimited by a tear-strip out-line. The totai area ofthe puil-tab/puii-tab facing region then corresponds te the region extending between thebase line and the tear-strip cut-iine. The base iine may be determined by an outer borderof the interconnected region in the area of the fear-strip, such as a weided regioninteroonnecting the top member and the bottom member in the tear away area. Such baseiine of the puli-tab/puil-tab facing region may be arranged at from 2.5 to f cm from the front edge of the putt-tab.

Qptionalty, the pull-tab facing region may have a greater surface area than acorresponding area of the putt-tab overiying the putt-tab facing region. The pull-tab mayhowever have a smailer surface area than the putt-tab facing region. The front edge of theputt-tab faoing region may be provided at a lateral distance from a front edge of the puil-tab. The tear-strip cut iine may thus inoiude an outer putt-tab facing region cut-iine and aninner putt-tab cutline with a front part of the putt-tab facing region being visible aiso whenthe putt-tab is in a ftat non-raised position. The putt-tab facing region cut-line and the puii~tab cut line may coincide or may be provided with a distance from each other. This may also faciiitate visual identification and grasping of the putt-tab. Ûptionaiiy, the one or more distance eiements have a surface coverage ranging fromabout 25 to 75 % of the total area of the pull-tab. The fact that the one er more distanceelements have a surface ooverage ranging from about 25 to about 75% has been seen toprovide a significant bulging of the puii-tab/puil-tab facing region and thus a facilitated grasping of the puii-tab.

Optionally, the one or more distance elements have a surface coverage up to 106 % ofthe total area of the putt-tab. The fact that the one er more distance eiements have a surface coverage ranging from about 25 to about 75% has been seen to provide a 2G PGZÛQQBSEOO 6 significant buiging of the puli-tabipuii-tab facing region and thus a facititated grasping ofthe putt-tab.

Optionaily, the one or more distance eiements each have a height of 0.3 mm or more,such as in the range of from 0.3 mm to 1.3 mm, as measured from the surface of the firstsurface of the bottom member or from the surface of the second surface of the putt-tab.The height of the distance elements infiuences the buiging of the puti-tab/pult-tab facingregion and the extent to which the putt-tab is raised up from the bottom member. tt hasbeen found by the present inventors that a height of 0.3 mm or more makes the putt-tab torise siightty from the tear membrane such that the user more easiiy may grasp the putt-tab. i-towever, it has atso been found that when the height of the distance eiements is toohigh, this may cause issues at manufacturing and for the stackabitity of the tearmembranes prior to insertion into packaging containers. tf the putl-tab, such as the frontedge of the putt-tab, protrudes too much from the otherwise even surface of the tearmembrane it may get caught during manufacturing causing unwanted stops, it may aiso cause instabiiity and difficutties in stacking of tear membranes.

Furthermore, it has atso been found that when the tear membranes as described hereinare arranged in a stack an embossed pattern of distance elements in the putt-tab facingregion of the bottom member has been found to impact the material in the putt-tab causingthe puli-tab material to deform in conformance with the distance eiements in the bottomlayer. Thereby, an impressicn of the distance element is formed in the putl-tab, which impression is visibie when the tear membrane is appiied in a container.

Optionaliy, four or more discrete distance eiements andlor one or more elongated discreteeiongated distance eiement are/is arranged in the putt-tab facing region of the bottom member or in the putt-tab.

Optionaiiy, a piuraiity of discrete distance elements are arranged in the putt-tab facingregion of the bottom member, or in the putt-tab, and wherein the discrete distanceeiements have a distance to adjacent distance eiements in the range of from 'i mm to 8mm, such as from 2 mm to 6 mm, such as from 3 mm to 5 mm, as measured betweeneach of the distance eiements. By spreading the plurality of discrete distance elements,such that the distance eiements have a distance to adjacent distance elements in therange of from 1 mm to 8 mm, the putt-tab facing region becomes upwardty concave over a greater area with an improved iifting of the free putt-tab, such as the front edge of the pult- PGZOQQSSEOO 7 tab, into position for grasping. Aiternativety and in a correspohding manner, when thepiuraiity of discrete distance elements are provided in the top member, and on a secondsurface of the part forming the putt-tab, and the distance elements have a distance toadjacent distance eiements in the range of from 1 mm to 8 mm, the putt-tab becomesdownwardiy concave, against the first surface of the bottom member, over a greater areawith an improved lifting of the free putt-tab, such as the front edge of the putt-tab, into position for grasping Correspondingty, it has been found that it may be suffioient if the one or more discrete distance elements have a totai surface area of 5 mm2 or more, such as 8 mmz or more.

The one or more distance eiements as disclosed herein may comprise or consist of one or more embossed eiements, such as embossed dots, in the bottom member.

The fuity or partiy removabie tear membrane may be a tearabte inner seaiing member andthe structure! iayer of the top iaminate member sheet materia! may be a metaiiio fo!! or a paper layer and a thermopiastic wetding layer.

The bottom member may comprise a taminate sheet material comprising a metallic fo!! ora paper iayer and a thermoplastic weiding iayer, the bottom iaminate sheet materia! being joined to the top member by wetding in one or more discrete weiding areas.

The top member may comprise a metailic foil iayer, such as aluminium foi! iayer, and apotymeric wetding tayer and/or a poiymeric protective. The top member may comprise a metaitic foi! Bayer having a thickness of from 5 to 20 pm.

The bottom member may comprise a metaitic fo!! tayer, such as atuminium fo!! layer, anda polymeric wetding iayer andlor a polymeric protective. The top member may comprise a metaiiic foii iayer having a thickness of from 5 to 20 pm, such as from 5 to 18 pm. ts has been shown that when a member is provided with embossed eiements, the iayermay have a tntckness of at ieast 5 pm for the embossing pattern to remain in the tayerover time. Preferabty, the member provided with the embossing comprises a metaitio foi!and a poiymeric wetding tayer, optionaiiy, and to render the embossing more distinot, the thickness of the metatiic foii is preferabiy at ieast 30, such as at ieast 40% of the PGZGQQSSEOÛ 8 thickness of the thermopiastic weiding iayer, such at !east 30% of the thickness of the poiyethyiene iayer.

Disclosed herein is a!so a packaging container comprising the tear membrane asdisciosed herein as an inner seaiing member. The packaging container comprises acontainer body comprising a container wa!! extending from a container bottom to acontainer opening, and a ciosure arrangement comprising a iid, a peripherai edge portionof the tear membrane being attached to an inner surface of the container vvaii, the tear membrane forming a transport seai across the container opening.

The packaging container is preferabiy a paperboard packaging container, as defined herein.

Optionaiiy, the packaging container has an inner compartment and the inner compartmenthas a pressure above the ambient pressure. When the inner compartment of thepackaging container is provided with siight overpressure, the compacted air Wi!! pressagainst the tear membrane and provide the tear membrane and the putt-tab with a buigewhich wii! siightiy raise the puii-tab and cooperate with the distance eiements to facilitate grasping of the puh-tab.

As used herein, a paperboard packaging container is a packaging container wherein thecontainer body is formed from paperboard sheet materiai. The paperboard container maybe formed in any manner known in the art, eg. by forming a container body by bending apaperboard sheet materia! into a tubuiar shape and iongitudinaiiy ciosing the tube byjoining overiapping or abutting side edges of the paperboard materiai. The join betweenthe side edges may be covered by a seaiing strip. in the paperboard packaging containersas disciosed herein, the container bottom is formed from a separate bottom disc which isattached at the bottom end of the container body tube. The bottom disc may be attachedon the inside of the container body tube and may be inset from the container body bottomedge to accommodate a bottom reinforcing rim attached to the inner surface of the container body and/or to create a receiving space for stacking of the containers As used herein, a paperboard materia! is a sheet materia! predominantiy made fromceiiuiose fibres or paper fibres. The sheet materia! may be provided in the form of a continuous web or may be provided as individua! sheets of materiai. The paperboard PGZOQQSSEOQ 9 material may be a single ply or multi ply materiai and may be a laminate oomprlsing oneor more iayers of materiais such as polymeric films and coatings, metal foil, etc. Thepolymeric fiims and coatings may include or consist of thermoplastic poiymers. Thepaperboard materia! may be coated, printed, embossed, etc. and may comprise filters,pigments, binders and other additives as known in the art. The paperboard materials as disclosed herein may also be referred to as cardboard or carton materials.

As used herein, the term "bulk solids" refers to a solid bulk material from which a desiredamount of the product may be poured, scooped or taken by hand out of a packagingcontainer. The bulk material may be dry or moist. The bulk solids which are suitable forpacklng in the paperboard packaging containers as disclosed herein include any materialin the form of partlcles, granules, grinds, plant fragments, short fibres, flakes, seeds, pieces, etc.

The paperboard packaging container as disciosed herein may be a container foralimentary products such as infant formula, coffee, tea, rice, flour, suger, cereais, souppowder, custard powder, pasta, snacks, or the like. Alternatively, the bulk solids may be non-alimentary, such as tobacco, detergent, fertiiizer, chemicais orthe like.

The tearable fear membrane as disciosed herein may be gastight or gas-permeablea Agastight fear membrane may comprise a structural layer such as a metaliic foii layer, forexample aluminium foil layer, or a paper layer and a poiyrnerlc protective and/or bondinglayer. A gastight fear membrane is advantageous when the bulk soiids stored in thepackaging container are sensitive to air and/or moisture and it is desirable to avoid contact of the packaged bulk solids with ambient air.

The barrier properties of the packaglng containers disciosed herein may be designed tomeet different requirements of tightness depending on the goods which is packaged in thepackaging container. By way of example, in a packaging container for dried powder, suchas suger or fiour, a lower barrier level may be sufficient than in a packaging container for eg. infant formula which is highly sensitive to oxygen and moisture exposure.

A gastight packaglng container is particularly advantageous when the material stored inthe packaging container is sensitive to air andior rnoisture. it may also be desirable to keep fragrances and aromas in the paokaging container and prevent the packaged PGZOQQSSEOO 1G contents from taking up scents and fiavours from the ambient air. in case the packagingcontainer has been fiiied in a protective gas etmosphere, the gas-tight tear membranekeeps the protective gas trapped together with the packaged contents in the seaied inner compartment.

When opening a packaging container which is seaied by a tear membrane as disciosedherein, the tear-away area of the tear membrane is removed by poiiing at the grip-end ofthe tear-strip and tearing aiong the Contour cut-iine deiimiting the tear-away area. Thetear-away area defines the size of the access opening created in the packaging containerwhen removing the tear-away arean The tear-away area may be arranged in the tearmembrane such that aii or oniy part of the tear membrane inside of the seaiing border is removed when creating the access opening in the packaging container.

BREEF DESCRiPTiON GF THE DRAWiNGS The present invention wiii be further expiained hereinaiter by means of non-iimiting exampies and with reference to the appended drawings wherein: Fig. ta shows an expioded view of a tear membrane according to the presentdisciosure; Fig. ib shows a perspective view of the tear membrane in Fig. tag' Fig. 2 shows the tear membrane according to Figs, "ia -tb with the puii-tab in araised position; Fig. 3 shows a tear membrane according to the present disciosure; Fig. 4 shows the tear membrane in Fig. 3 with the putt-tab in en opened position;and Fig. 5 shows a packaging container.

DETAELED DESCRiPTiGN it is to be understood that the drawings are schematic and that individuai components arenot necessariiy drawn to scaie. The packaging container and the tear membrane shown inthe figures are provided as exampies oniy and should not be considered iimiting to theinvention as disciosed herein. in particuiar, it shouid be understood that the tear membrane as disciosed herein may be appiied to any packaging container where a PG2Û998SEOO 11 breakabie transport seai is desired in addition to the provision of a reciosabie iid.Furthermore, the size and shape of the packaging container and a corresponding tearmembrane may be different from what is shown in the figures. The tear-strip may have a different size and shape, and may have a differentiy shaped putt-tab portion, With reference to Figs. ia and "ib there is shown a tear membrane 1. The tear membrane1 has a top member 2 and a bottom member 3. The top member 2 has a top memberperipherai edge portion 4 and a top member peripheral edge 4a. The bottom member 3has a bottom member peripherai edge portion 5 and a bottom member peripherai edgeba. The top and bottom members 2,3 are each taminated sheet materiais, with a topmember first surface 2a and a top member second surface 2b, and a bottom member firstsurface 3a and a bottom member second surface 3b, with the top member second surface 2b being iaminated facing the bottom member first surface 3a. in Figs. 'ia and fb, the top member 2 is shown to be larger than the bottom member 3with the top member peripherai edge 4a arranged Iateraiiy outboard of the bottommember peripherai edge ba. Aiternativeiy, the top member 2 and the bottom member 3may have the same size and shape, or the bottom member 3 as shown may be iargerthan the top member 3 with the bottom member peripherai edge Sa arranged iateraiiyoutboard of the top member peripherai edge 4a. The edge portion of the top member 2which extends outward of the peripherai edge 5 of the bottom member 3 provides the tearmembrane f with a thinner more fiexibie seaiing border 13 for seaiing the tear membrane 1 to a container wait.

As iiiustrated in Figs. ta and tb, the tear membrane t further comprises discreteattachments between the top member 2 and the bottom member 3 arranged in the area ofthe tear strip 8 and aiong the tear strip 8, here in the form of weided and embossed arrows which at the same time may serve as indicators of a proper tear direction.

As iiiustrated in Fig. ib by a dashed area, the top member 2 is joined to the bottommember 3 in a border seai 14 arranged aiong the peripherai edge portions 4, 5 of the topand bottom members 2, 3. in Fig. "ia the interconnected area in the form of the borderseai 14 is not iiiustrated. The border seai 14 is preferabiy a continuous seai such as acontinuous weid seai which extends around the fuii periphery of the tear membrane t.

The thinner seaiing border 13 constituted by oniy the top member 2 forms a peripherai PGZÛQQSSEOO 12 portion of the tear membrane 1 which is arranged outward of the border seat 14 and the peripherai edge ba of the bottom member 3 and which surrounds the border seai 14.

The tear membrane 1 comprises a tear-away area 6 which is deiimited by a Contour Eine 7arranged in the top member 2. A tear strip 8 is arranged in the top member 2 and formspart of the tear-away area 9. The tear-strip 8 oomprises a putt-tab 9 which is arranged at agrip end of the tear strip 8. The putt-tab 9 has no attachments to the bottom member 3and is separaloie from the bottom member 2 of the tear membrane 1. A puil-tab facingregion 19 is arranged in the bottom member 3 in the area facing the puii-tab 9 provided inthe top member 2. The sheet rnateriai constituting the bottom member 3 has beenembossed in the putt-tab facing regions ft) to form a piuraiity of discrete distanceeiements ff. The distance eiements fi have a height (H) of 0.1 mm or more, asmeasured from the first surface 3a of the bottom member 3. The distance eiements 'itbuige against the top member 2 thereby creating imprints in the bult-tab 9 making the putt-tab 9 easier to visuaiize. The distance eiements 'if also provide a distance between thetop member 2 and the bottom member 3 which faciiitates grasping of the putt-tab 9. Qneor more distance eiement tf may aiso be formed in the putt-tab 9 such that butges fromthe second surface Zb of the top member 2, the one or more distance element fi mayhave a height (H) of 0.1 mm or more, as measured from the second surface Ba of the top member 2.

The putt-tab facing region 10 may have a greater area than a corresponding area of thepuil-tab 9 overiying the putt-tab facing region 10. A front edge 9a of the pult-tab 9 may beprovided at a iaterai distance from a front edge 'iOa (shown in Fig. fa and fb) of the puii-tab facing region 10. This may aiso facilitate visuai identification and grasping of the puii-tab. in addition to the border seat 14, the top member 2 and the bottom member 3 of the tearmembrane 1 are furtherjoined to each other in an interconnected region in a tear stripattachment area 15 arranged at an inner portion of the puii-tab 9, the tear strip attachmentarea 15 is iliustrated as a dashed area. The additionai tear strip attachment area 15 isshown as a broadened portion of the border seat 14 and may aid in initiating propertearing of the bottom member 3 along the cuts in the top member 2 when puliing away thetear-away area 19. The additionai tear strip attachment area 15 is an optionai feature ofthe tear membrane 1 as disciosed herein and may be omitted. Furthermore, the tear strip 3G PG20998SE00 13 attachment area 15 may have any useful size or shape. By way of example only, the tearstrip attachment area may extend across a larger portion of the width of the tear strip such as over the full width of the tear strip and/or may extend further along the tear strip, etc.

Fig. 2 iiiustrates the tear membrane 1 with the putt-tab 9 in a raised position. The putt-tab9 has been separated from the surrounding top member 2, thereby exposing theunderiying pull-tab facing region 10. The puil-tab facing region 10 is deiimited by a baseEine 12 extending oerpendicuiarly over a total width (w) of the pull-tab 9, the base line 12being arranged to extend over the width (w) of the pull-tab 9 at a point (P) of aninterconnection between the top and the bottom member 2,3 in the tear away area 6having the shortest distance to the front edge 9a of the pull-tab 9 and wherein the area Apof the putt-tab facing region 10 is the area facing the pull-tab 9 and is deiimited at an innerend by the base line 12. The base line is determined by the outer border of theinterconnectlng, weided, region in the tear strip attachment area 15. The tear strip 8 isfurther deiimited by a tear strip cut-line 16 provided in the top member 2 and a totai areaAp of the pulLtab facing region 10 is defined between the base line 12 and the tear strip cut-fine 19.

Figs. 3 and 4 iliustrate a tear membrane t according to the present disciosure, the tearmembrane 1 having a top member 2 and a bottom member 3. The top member 2 has atop member peripheral edge portion 4 and a top member peripheral edge 4a. The bottommember 3 has a bottom member peripheral edge portion 5 and a bottom memberperipheral edge ba. The top and bottom members 2,3 are iaminated sheet materials, with a bottom member first surface Ba facing the top member 2.

The tear membrane t comprises a tear-away area 6 which is deiimited by a contour line 7arranged in the top member 2. A tear strip 8 is arranged in the top member 2 and formspart of the tear-away area 6. The tear-strip 8 comprises a pull-tab 9 which is arranged at agrip end of the tear strip 8. The tear strip is deiimited by a tear-strip cut-Eine 16. The pull-tab 9 is separable from the bottom member 2 of the tear membrane t. A pull-tab facingregion 'TO is arranged in the bottom member 3 in the area facing the pull-tab provided inthe top member 2. The sheet materia! constituting the bottom member 3 has beenembossed in the putt-tab facing regions 10 to form an aro-shaped distance eiement ttextending along a front edge tOa of the pull-tab facing region 19. The distance eiement 'it has a height (H) of 0.1 mm or more, as measured from the first sunface 3a of the bottom PGZOQQSSEOO 14 member 3. The distance eiements 11 buiges against the top member 2 thereby creating ashadow which makes the putt-tab 9 easier to detect. The distance eiement 11 aisoprovides a distance between the top member 2 and the bottom member 3 which faciiitates grasping of the putt-tab 9.

Fig. 5 iiiustrates a packaging container 100 which is a packaging container for pourabie orscoopabie buik soiids as defined herein and comprises a container body 102 comprising acontainer waii 103 inciuding a front waii portion 103a, a rear waii portion 103b and twoside waii portions 103c, 103d. The container waii 103 extends from a container bottom104 to a container opening 105. The container waii 103 has an inner surface 107 facingtowards an inner compartment in the packaging container 100 and an outer surface 108facing away from the inner compartment and being exposed to the exterior of thepackaging container 100. A bottom disc is positioned at the bottom 104 of the containerbody 102. The container body 102 is made from paperboard materiai as defined herein.The container body 102 may be formed by bringing together the side edges of a web ofpaperboard causing the materiai to assume a tubuiar shape, where after the side edgesare seaied together. Seaiing of the side edges may be made by any suitabie method asknown in the art, such as by weiding or giuing, with weiding being preferred. Seaiing ofthe side edges of the container body web may invoive using a seaiing strip, as known inthe art. The bottom disc may be made from paperboard, metai, piastic, or from anysuitabie combination of such materiais as known in the art. The body may be formed intoany desired tubuiar shape inciuding circuiar, ovat, rectanguiar and modified rectanguiarshapes, such as the modified rectanguiar shape with rounded corners which is shown inFig. 4.

The container bottom 104 may aiternativeiy be formed without a bottom disc by foiding of the container waii materiai, as known in the art.

The paperboard packaging container 100 is provided with a closure arrangementcomprising a Eid 112 and a reinforcing rim 115 extending along the upper edge of the container waii 103.

The reinforcing rim 115 may be a piastic rim, such as a therrnopiastic rim. The reinforcingrim 115 is attached to the inner surface 107 of the container waii 103 at the container opening 105, preferabiy by weiding.

PG20998SE00 A weld seai is formed by suppiyihg energy to heat and iocaily soften or meit one or morethermoplastic components in a thermoplastic rim 115 and/or in a coating or film on theinner surface 107 of the container wali 103 and by pressing the reinforcing rim 115 and the container wail 103 together in a direction perpendicuiar to the container wail 103.

The iid 112 has an inner iid surface which faces towards the bottom disc when the lid 112 is ciosed on the container opening 105.

The iid 112 is connected by a hinge 113 to a frame structure 130, the iid 112 and theframe structure 130 together forming a iid component. The hinge 113 may be a iive hinge,formed as a flexibla connection between the iid 112 and the frame structure 130. Theiiiustrated hinge 113 is only intended as a non-limiting example and it should beunderstood that any other type of functional hänge may be used for the connectionbetween the frame structure 130 and the iid 112. iirioreover, the iid may be of theremovable kind, without any permanent connection to a frame structure? a reinforcing rimor to the container body. it is further to be understood that the closure arrangement asshown in Fig. 5 is non-iimiting to the claimed invention and that the tear membrane asdisclosed herein may be used as a transport seai in packaging containers having othertypes of closure arrangements such as closure arrangements wherein a iid cooperateswith a single rim or with an upper edge of the container body to ciose and open the packaging container. in the packaging container 100 shown in Fig. 5, the frame structure 130 is mechanicaliy attached to the reinforcing rim 115 by a snap-on connection.

The interior compartment is sealed with a tear membrane 1 as disciosed herein, eg. atear membrane 1 as shown in Fig. 1. The tear membrane 1 forms a transport seai overpackaged goods which are contained in the interior cornpartment. A sealing border 117 ofthe tear membrane 1 is attached to the container wall 103, eg. by welding. The seaibetween the seaiing border 117 and the container wali 103 is preferabiy a gas-tight seaior at ieast a sitt-proof seai. The tear membrane 1 may be attached to the container walleither from the top end of the container body 102 or from the bottom end of the containerbody 102, in which case it is attached before attaching the bottom disc. ln the example shown in Fig. 5, the tear membrane 1 has been applied from the top end of the container PGZOQQBSEÛÛ 16 body 102, with the edge portion 117 of the tear membrane t which is attached to thecontainer watt 1G3 being upwardty direoted. The edge portion 117 preferabiy oomprisesonty the top member of the tear membrane 1 but may oomprise also the bottom member of the tear membrane 1 or only the bottom member of the tear membrane 1. tn order to gain a first access to the packaged goods, a user needs to open the lid 112and then expose the paokaged goods by gripping the putt-tab ä, tearing open the tearmembrane 1 along the tear-strip 8 and finally completely removing the tear-away area 6 of the tear membrane 1.

After the tear-away area 6 of the tear membrane 1 has been removed, e narrow edge partof the tear membrane 1 may be left at the inner surface 107 of the container watt 103. Anysuch remaining part of the tear membrane t is preferabty as small as possible, in ordernot to enoroaoh on the opening area, it may be preferred that a remaining tear membraneedge part has a width of at most? miltimetres suoh as from 1-6 miltimetres, from 2-5mitlimetres or from 3-4 mitiirnetres. tt may be preferred that the inward extension of a remaining tear membrane part is 4 mitlimetres or less.

Once the tear membrane 1 has been removed, it is suffioient to open the tid 112 in orderto gain access to the paokaged goods in the interior oompartment through the container opening 105.

Claims

1. 2G PGZOQQSSEOÛ 17 CLAHVIS ti A iaminate tear membrane (t) for seaiing an inner compartment in a packagingcontainer, said iaminate tear membrane (t) comprising a top member (2) and abottom member (3), said top and bottom members (2,3) being iaminated sheetmaterials, said top member (2) having a top member peripherai edge portion (4)and a top member second surface (2b) facing said bottom member (3) and saidbottom member (3) having a bottom member peripherai edge portion (5) and abottom member first surface (Ba) facing said top member second surface (Eb),said iaminate tear membrane (t) comprising a tear-away area (6) being delimitedby a contour Eine (7) arranged in said top member (2) and a tear strip (8) beingarranged in said top iaminate tear membrane (2) and being part of said tear-awayarea (6), said tear-strip (8) comprising a putt-tab (9) arranged at a grip end of saidtear strip (8), said putt-tab (9) facing a putt-tab facing region (to) arranged in saidbottom member (3), said top member (2) and said bottom member (3) beinginterconnected aiong said top member peripherai edge portion (4) and said topmember peripherai edge portion (5) characterized in that one or more discretedistance eiements (t t) are arranged i) in said putt-tab facing region (10) of saidbottom member (3) or ii) in said puittab (9), said one or more distance eiements(tt) having a height (H) of 0.1 mm or more, as measured from said bottommember first surface (Sa) or from the surface of said top member second surface (2b) respectivety. The tear membrane (t) according to ciaim t, wherein said one or more distanceeiements (t t) each have a height (H) of 6.3 mm or more, such as in the range of from 0.3 mm to 1,3 mm, as measured from said bottom member first surface (3a). The tear membrane (t) according to ciaim t or 2, wherein four or more discretedistance eiements (t t) andlor one or more eiongated discrete eiongated distanceelement (t ta) arelis arranged in said putt-tab facing region (tO) of said bottom member (3) or in said puii-tab (9). The tear membrane (t) according to any one of ciaims 1-3, wherein a piuraiity ofdiscrete distance eiements (t t) are arranged in said putt-tab facing region (to) ofsaid bottom member (3) or in said putt-tab (9), and wherein said discrete distance elements (t t) have a distance to adjacent distance eiements (t t) in the range of PG20998SEÛO 1G. 11, 18 from 1 mm to 8 mm, such as from 2 mrn to 6 mm, such as from 3 mm to 5 mm, as measured between each of the distance eiements (11), The tear membrane (1) according to any one of the preceding ciaims, wherein saidone or more discrete distance elements (11) have a total surface area of 5 mmz or more, such as 8 mmz or more. The tear membrane (i) according to any one of the preceding ciaims, wherein saidone or more distance elements (11) comprise or oonsist of one or more embossed elements, such as embossed dots, in said bottom member (4). The tear membrane (t) according to any one of the preceding ciaims, wherein saidtop member (2) and said bottom member (3) are ihterconnected in said tear away area (6). The tear membrane (t) according to oiaim 7, wherein said putt-tab facing region (10)is deiimited a base iine (12) extending perpendicuiariy over a totai width (w) of thepuil-tab (9), said base iine (12) being arranged to extend over said width (w) of saidputt-tab (9) at a point (P) of an interconnection between said top and said bottommember (2,3) in said tear away area (6) having the shortest distance to a front edge(9a) of said putt-tab (9), and where said tear strip (8) is further deiimited by a tearstrip cut-iine (16) and a total area (AD) of said putt-tab facing region (10) is defined between said base iine (12) and said tear strip cut-line (16). The tear membrane (1) according to ciaim 6, wherein said one or more distanceelements (11) have a surface coverage ranging from about 25 to 75 % of the totai surface of the totai area of the putt-tab (A9). The tear membrane (t) according to any one of the preceding ctaims, wherein saidtop member (2) oomprises a iaminate sheet material oomprising a metaiiic foii or apaper iayer and a thermopiastic weiding iayer, said iaminate sheet materiai being joined to said top member (3) by weiding. The tear membrane (1) according to any one of the preoeding claims, wherein saidbottom member (3) comprises a iaminate sheet materiai comprising a metaiiic foil ora paper iayer and a thermopiastic weiding iayer, said laminate sheet materiai being joined to said top member (3) by weiding. PGZOQQSSEÜO 12. 13. 14. 19 The tear membrane (1) according to any one of the preceding ciaims, wherein saidtop member (2) andior said bottom member (3) has a thickness from Qpm to 100m, such as from 11prn to 15prn. A packaging container (100) cornprising the tear membrane (1) according to anyone of ciaims 1-12, wherein said packaging container (100) comprises a containerbody (102) comprising a container wait (103) extending from a container bottom(104) to a container opening (105), and a ciosure arrangement comprising a iid(112), a peripherai edge portion (117) of said tear membrane (1) being attached toan inner surface (107) of said container waii, said tear membrane (1) torming a transport seai across said container opening (105). A packaging container (100) according to ciairn 13, wherein said packagingcontainer (100) comprises an inner oompartment and wherein said inner compartrnent has a pressure above the ambient pressure.