Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes, or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
  • B65D75/52—Details
  • B65D75/58—Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture
  • B65D75/5888—Tear-lines for removing successive sections of a package
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B11/00—Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material
  • B65B11/54—Wrapping by causing the wrapper to embrace one end and all sides of the contents, and closing the wrapper onto the opposite end by forming regular or irregular pleats
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
  • B65B25/005—Packaging other articles presenting special problems packaging of confectionery
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B51/00—Devices for, or methods of, sealing or securing package folds or closures; Devices for gathering or twisting wrappers, or necks of bags
  • B65B51/02—Applying adhesives or sealing liquids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D65/00—Wrappers or flexible covers; Packaging materials of special type or form
  • B65D65/38—Packaging materials of special type or form
  • B65D65/40—Applications of laminates for particular packaging purposes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
  • B65D85/60—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for sweets or like confectionery products

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a novel packaging for confectionery products as well as to packaged items and to methods for manufacture of the packaging.
• confectionery products are available to suit varied consumer tastes. Frequently, these products are composite products, comprising a variety of confectionery ingredients, including for example nougats, caramels including aerated caramels, toffees, fudges, nuts, wafers, biscuits, gels, flavoured creams or pralines. Often these are encased in chocolate and thus form the fillings of a confectionery product. In these cases, the chocolate adds significantly to the taste experience, but also acts to keep the other components isolated from the air, and thus prevents oxidation and spoilage.
• confectionery ingredients including for example nougats, caramels including aerated caramels, toffees, fudges, nuts, wafers, biscuits, gels, flavoured creams or pralines.
• caramels including aerated caramels, toffees, fudges, nuts, wafers, biscuits, gels, flavoured creams or pralines.
• caramels including aerated caramels, toffee
• Kit Kat® bar from Nestle
• Kit Kat® bar is a chocolate-covered wafer biscuit bar confection, in which either two or four wafer fingers are conjoined in a chocolate coating.
• the finger shape provides for an easy eating experience, and individual fingers may be readily separated from each other by snapping the chocolate between the individual fingers.
• a further confectionery product comprising two or more finger-like components, intended to be eaten together or separately in the applicants co-pending International Patent application which is of even date and which claims priority from British Patent Application No. 1410384.0.
• confectionery items of the invention are suitably packaged for sale.
• said package comprising a film or wrap which encases the confectionary item and opening means, arranged to allow removal of a portion of the package or opening of a flap in the package, the opening means being positioned such that opening thereof exposes a bite size portion of the confectionary item.
• the opening means comprises two score lines, one transverse and one substantially perpendicular to the transverse score line and are arranged to allow removal of a portion of the packing in a single easy operation as explained further below.
• the package Before opening the package is suitably sealed so as to isolate the confectionary item from the environment.
• the opening means in the package provides a clean and convenient means of accessing a bite-size portion of the confectionary item whilst the residual portion of the package acts as a convenient container for holding the confectionary item in the hand for consumption.
• the opening means are suitably provided from 2.5-6cm from an end of the package, for example about 4cm from the end, taking account of any seal at the end of the package.
• the opening means provides a detachable portion or releasable flap extending across the end region of a confectionary item.
• the opening means is suitably arranged directly opposite or just above any first castellation or segmentation from one end of the confectionary item. In this way, removal of the portion or release of the flap will expose an appropriate segment of the confectionary item to allow the consumer to remove or eat a single segment.
• the exposed portion of the fingers may then be consumed, but the remainder of the bar remains within an open 'container' made up of the packaging remaining after removal of the flap. Further sections may be exposed for consumption by simply propelling the bar up through the residual container from the base.
• Suitable packages comprise films or wraps, in particular, polymer films such as polypropylene including orientated polypropylene, polyethylene or nylon films which may monolayer films or they may be metalized or 2 ply films including a metal layer. Typically, such films will be from 20-70 ⁇ thick, for example from 20-40 ⁇ thick.
• the package is used to contain a confectionary item as described above, which comprises two adjacent fingers, as this packaging encourages biting both fingers simultaneously.
• Detachable portions or flaps may be created by scoring the packaging film, for example with a laser, at the appropriate position.
• a laminated metalized material such as a 3-ply or 2-ply metalized film, and in particular a 2-ply metalized film as the packaging material is particularly useful in this context, as the laser is then able to cut into or through one or more layers, in particular the top layer, but reflects off the metalized layer, forming a line of weakness which can be readily torn off.
• a score line extends transversely around the packaging, and is long enough to allow it to be used to facilitate opening of the package.
• the packaging comprises a detachable portion, generally, this means that it will extend substantially around the entire package although it may stop just short of the edges of the film edge so as to minimise the risk of the film snapping.
• a particularly suitable packaging arrangement further includes additional score line extending substantially perpendicularly from the transverse score line to or close to an end region of the detachable portion.
• the additional score line will be arranged longitudinally along the package. This further facilitates easy opening, in particular when in the region of a longitudinal seam of the packaging. Seams are generally formed by sealing, for example cold sealing, overlapping edges of the packaging material and typically extend across the entire width or length of the package.
• the additional score line is positioned directly adjacent the inner edge of the appropriate seam such as a longitudinal seam, extending from the transverse score line to or close to an end or the region of the packaging. In this instance, the seam can effectively act as a pull tag, and the transverse and additional (longitudinal) scoring act together to allow the detachable portion to be removed in a single clean operation.
• Tearing along the score line may be facilitated by provision of a tear initiation feature such as a tear nick, or a pair of closely arranged tear nicks, or a strip which is suitably provided with a pull tag initiate tearing.
• the tear initiation feature is a tear nick or strip.
• the initiation feature, such as the nick or strip is conveniently provided at an edge region of the packaging which is present in an appropriate seam, in particular a longitudinal seam. It is arranged so that it can initiate a tear towards to the transverse score line.
• the flap may be totally removable from the remainder of the packaging so as to expose an end portion of the fingers for consumption.
• the flap may be designed so that it remains attached to the container, for example at one side. In this embodiment, the problem of disposal of two items of packaging is avoided.
• the remaining flap may be folded over the exposed or open end of the container to further isolate the confectionery item for storage, if not consumed in a single event. The folding may be facilitated by the selection of the particular materials that have 'dead-fold' characteristics such as aluminium foil. Alternatively or additionally a reseal label may be provided to temporarily fix the folder section to the container.
• the end surface of the packaging is serrated, which facilitate downward tearing of the packaging, if required by a consumer who prefers not to utilise the opening means provided.
• the invention provides a method for packaging a confectionary item, said method comprising applying to the confectionary item a package as described above.
• Packaging is suitably prepared from films which have been preprinted with the desired information and marketing material. These films are also scored as described above to generate the desired final package.
• films may be heat or cold sealed to form a complete package around the item, and cut or crimped to separate individual products.
• the packaging is prepared by a cold sealing process in which adhesive, which may be pressure sensitive, is applied to the films in the areas required to be sealed, and these areas are brought together to form a seam that closes the packaging around the final bar.
• the invention provides a confectionery product comprising a confectionery item contained within a package as described above.
• Figures 1-2 shows an example of packaging in accordance with the invention.
• Figures 3(A-C) illustrates the use of the packaging for the consumption of a segmented chocolate bar.
• FIG. 1 An example of packaging that may be suitable for use in products in accordance with the invention is shown in Figure 1.
• the package comprises a 2-ply metalized film (14) which has been cut and formed, using a cold sealing process, into a rectangular package (15), having a longitudinal seam (16) and lateral seams (17, 18) at either end around a product as illustrated in Figure 2.
• a score line (20) is provided though the non-metal layer of the film (14) extending transversely around the package (15).
• the score line (20) is arranged towards one end of the package (15), in particular at about 4 cm from the end of the package, so as to provide a clean opening in the region of the first segmentation or castellation point from the end of a confectionery item held within the package (15).
• the score line extends sufficiently far around the package (15) to allow it to be used to facilitate opening. Generally, this means that it will extend substantially around the entire package (15) although it may stop just short of the edges of the film edge so as to minimise the risk of the film snapping.
• a tear nick may be provided at an end of the transverse score line (20) which is located in the longitudinal seam (16).
• a further longitudinal score (19) extends between the transverse score (20) substantially to an end of a detachable portion (21), closely following the line of the longitudinal seam (16). Again, it may not extend to the end of the packaging so as to maintain some stability and minimise the risk any premature seam failure.
• a confectionery item (23) within the package (15) ( Figure 2A) may be accessed by pulling on the longitudinal seam (16) in the region of the score line (20). The pressure causes the transverse score line (20) and also the longitudinal score line (19) to open up in a single smooth operation.
• the pressure opens up first the transverse score line (2) across the width of the seam (16). Once the juncture with the longitudinal score line (19) is met, continued pulling causes both lines (19, 20) to open allowing the end region of the packaging to be smoothly peeled off.
• the item may then be consumed by eating both fingers together or separately at the taste of the consumer.
• the residual package section (22) provides a convenient holding container for the confectionery item during consumption and also provides a useful storage container for any product not consumed in one go (Figure 2C) since it is of a suitable size to hold the residual portion.
• the detachable portion (21) may be used as a cover to cap the uneaten product ( Figure 3C).

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
• Wrappers (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=51267060

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (23)

• 2014
  • 2014-06-11 GB GBGB1410386.5A patent/GB201410386D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2015
  • 2015-06-10 RU RU2017100256A patent/RU2690568C2/ru active
  • 2015-06-10 EP EP15730642.4A patent/EP3154871A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2015-06-10 CN CN201580030969.6A patent/CN106458413A/zh active Pending
  • 2015-06-10 US US15/317,948 patent/US20170129681A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2015-06-10 WO PCT/US2015/035109 patent/WO2015191714A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (3)

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