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
  • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
  • B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
  • B65D5/72—Contents-dispensing means
  • B65D5/74—Spouts
  • B65D5/746—Spouts formed separately from the container
• • 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
  • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
  • B65D5/02—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body
  • B65D5/06—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body with end-closing or contents-supporting elements formed by folding inwardly a wall extending from, and continuously around, an end of the tubular body
  • B65D5/064—Rectangular containers having a body with gusset-flaps folded outwardly or adhered to the side or the top of the container

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a multilayer sheet packaging material for producing packages of a pourable product, in particular a pourable food product.
• the present invention relates to a package of a pourable product, in particular a pourable food product.
• pourable food products such as fruit juice, UHT (ultra-high-temperature treated) milk, wine, tomato sauce, etc.
• packages made of sterilized packaging material A typical example is the parallelepiped-shaped package for liquid or pourable food products known as Tetra Brik Aseptic (registered trademark), which is made by folding and sealing laminated strip packaging material.
• the packaging material has a multilayer structure comprising a base layer, e.g. of paper, covered on both sides with layers of heat-seal plastic material, e.g. polyethylene.
• the packaging material also comprises a layer of oxygen-barrier material, e.g.
• Packages of this sort are normally produced on fully automatic packaging machines, on which a continuous tube is formed from the web-fed packaging material; the web of packaging material is sterilized on the packaging machine, e.g. by applying a chemical sterilizing agent, such as a hydrogen peroxide solution, which, once sterilization is completed, is removed from the surfaces of the packaging material, e.g. evaporated by heating; the web so sterilized is then maintained in a closed, sterile environment, and is folded and sealed longitudinally to form a tube, which is fed vertically.
• a chemical sterilizing agent such as a hydrogen peroxide solution
• these are normally provided with a removable portion, which is partly detached by an opening device from the rest of the packaging material to free a pour opening through which to pour out the product.
• the removable portion is formed on the packaging material prior to folding and sealing the packaging material to form the finished package.
• the removable portion normally comprises a so-called “prelaminated” hole, i.e. a hole formed through the base layer only of the packaging material and covered, when the material is laminated, with the layers of heat-seal plastic material and a layer of barrier material, which adhere to one another at the hole.
• the "prelaminated” hole is normally circular, although other shapes may be foreseen as disclosed in patent documents EP-A-2287082 and EP-A-3260386 in the name of Tetra Laval.
• a need is felt to provide a package having an opening covered with a separation membrane for receiving a re-usable opening device wherein the opening together with the separation membrane does not inadvertently rupture during storage and transportation of the package.
• Number 1 in Figure 3 indicates a package filled with a pourable product, preferentially a pourable food product, such as pasteurized milk, milk, milk-products, drinking yoghurt, yoghurt-drinks, beverages, fruit juice, wine, tomato sauce, salt, sugar, etc.
• a pourable food product such as pasteurized milk, milk, milk-products, drinking yoghurt, yoghurt-drinks, beverages, fruit juice, wine, tomato sauce, salt, sugar, etc.
• package 1 may be formed from a packaging blank 2 as e.g. shown in Figure 2 .
• each package 1 may be formed from one respective packaging blank 2 by means of an automatic packaging machine.
• the automatic packaging machine may be configured to form packages 1 from the respective packaging blanks 2 and to fill packages 1 with the pourable product.
• packaging blanks 2 have a multilayer structure.
• each packaging blank 2 comprises at least a base layer 3, in particular a layer of fibrous material, such as e.g. a paper or cardboard layer, and at least two lamination layers 4, in particular layers of heat-seal plastic material 4, e.g. polyethylene, interposing connected to and covering base layer 3.
• a base layer 3 in particular a layer of fibrous material, such as e.g. a paper or cardboard layer
• lamination layers 4 in particular layers of heat-seal plastic material 4, e.g. polyethylene, interposing connected to and covering base layer 3.
• Base layer 3 imparts stiffness on packaging blank 2.
• One of these two lamination layers 4 defines an inner face of the respective package 1 formed from the respective packaging blank 2 and eventually contacting the pourable product.
• each packaging blank 2 may also comprise a layer of gas- and light-barrier material 5 as a further lamination layer, e.g. aluminum foil or ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) film, in particular being arranged between one of lamination layers 4 and base layer 3.
• a further lamination layer 4 being connected to layer of gas- and light-barrier material 5.
• Packaging blanks 2 may be provided in the form of a web.
• the web may be formed from a plurality of successively arranged packaging blanks 2.
• each repeat unit i.e. the respective packaging blank 2 forms the precursor of one respective package 1.
• the packaging machine may be configured to produce packages 1 from the web such that each package 1 results from one respective packaging blank 2.
• each packaging blank 2 may comprise a desired pattern/decoration.
• each packaging blank 2 may be provided as a single packaging blank.
• package 1 may extend along a longitudinal axis A, preferentially also along a first transversal axis B perpendicular to longitudinal axis A and a second transversal axis C perpendicular to longitudinal axis A and first transversal axis B.
• an extension, i.e. a dimension, of package 1 along longitudinal axis A may be larger than respective extensions, i.e. respective dimensions, of package 1 along first transversal axis B and second transversal axis C.
• package 1 may comprise a bottom wall 6 and a top wall 7 spaced apart from one another along longitudinal axis A.
• longitudinal axis A is perpendicular to bottom wall 6.
• Bottom wall 6 and top wall 7 may be parallel to one another. Alternatively, top wall 6 may be inclined with respect to bottom wall 6.
• package 1 may comprise a side wall 8 extending between (and connected to) bottom wall 6 and top wall 7.
• bottom wall 6 With package 1 being placed on the support surface (and in its nominal position, i.e. when being used by a user in an intended manner), bottom wall 6 is in contact with the support surface and top wall 7 is distanced from the support surface.
• side wall 8 may be the portion of package 1 that is gripped by a user during an outpouring action of the pourable product from package 1.
• Opening 9 is covered by a separation membrane 10.
• separation membrane 10 may be defined by a portion of the packaging material, in particular a portion of one or more of the layers of the packaging material being different from base layer 3.
• separation membrane 10 may be defined by a portion of lamination layers 4 and/or layer of barrier material 5.
• opening 9 and separation membrane 10 may define together a pre-laminated opening 9.
• package 1 in particular top wall 7, comprises a first line of weakness 11 and a second line of weakness 12.
• opening 9, separation membrane 10, first line of weakness 11 and second line of weakness 12 are designed to allow for an opening device 13 (see Figures 4A to 4C ) to pierce package 1, in particular top wall 7, and to be secured on package 1, in particular top wall 7.
• opening 9, separation membrane 10, first line of weakness 11 and second line of weakness 12 define a breakable area of package 1. More in particular, opening 9, separation membrane 10, first line of weakness 11 and second line of weakness 12 are configured such that upon interaction of opening device 13 with top wall 7 at the breakable area leads to rupture of separation membrane 10 and breaking of the packaging material along first weakening line 11 and second weakening line 12.
• packaging blank 2 comprises an opening, a separation membrane, a first line of weakness and a second line of weakness.
• opening 9, separation membrane 10, first line of weakness 11 and second line of weakness 12 of package 1 originate from respectively the opening, the separation membrane, the first line of weakness and the second line of weakness, in the following, we use the same numerals for indicating those features on package 1 and packaging blank 2.
• opening 9, separation membrane 10, first line of weakness 11 and second line of weakness 12 once and if not indicated otherwise, those specific details refer both with reference to packaging blank 2 and package 1.
• opening 9 extends along a first axis F and a second axis G perpendicular to first axis F.
• a first extension E1 of opening 9 along first axis F is larger than a second extension E2 along second axis G.
• opening 9 is symmetric with regard to a symmetry axis being parallel to first axis F and/or to a symmetry axis being parallel to second axis G.
• first terminal portion 19 of first line of weakness 11 is arranged adjacent to, in particular at, first end 17 and first terminal portion 19' of second line of weakness 12 is arranged adjacent to second end 18.
• first line of weakness 11 and second line of weakness 12 extend away, in particular into the same direction, from opening 9. It is noted that first line of weakness 11 and a second line of weakness 12 extend on a plane defined by the packaging blank, i.e. a plane parallel to first axis F and second axis G.
• first line of weakness 11 and second line of weakness 12 face one another.
• first line of weakness 11 and second line of weakness 12 are parallel to one another and/or have the same length.
• both first line of weakness 11 and second line of weakness 12 have a rectilinear shape.
• the rectilinear shape allows to obtain a well-defined edge within top wall 7 after piercing of top wall 7 by means of opening device 13 and an optimized interaction of opening device 13 with the formed edge.
• opening 9 is curved at first end 17 and at second end 18.
• opening 9 comprises a rim 21 delimiting opening 9 itself.
• rim 21 comprises at least two curved sections 22 spaced apart from one another along first axis F and two linear sections 23 spaced apart from one another along second axis G and being interposed between, and in particular connected to, curved sections 22.
• each one of first line of weakness 11 and second line of weakness 12 has a depth in base layer 10 that is smaller than a thickness of base layer 10. This ensures tightness of package 1 before a first opening of package 1.
• first weakening line 11 and second weakening line 12 are not intersected by any crease line. Additionally, no crease line is interposed between first weakening line 11 and second weakening line 12.
• first weakening line 11 and second weakening line 12 extend towards transversal seal 33 of package 2".
• opening 9 separation membrane 10, first weakening line 11 and second weakening line 12 are interposed between transversal seal 33 and front edge 28.
• first axis F is parallel to front edge 28.
• first weakening line 11 and second weakening line 12 are parallel to one or more lateral edges 30.
• number 2'' indicates an alternative embodiment of a packaging blank according to the present invention.
• packaging blank 2'' is similar to packaging blank 2, the following description is limited to the differences between them, and using the same references, where possible, for identical or corresponding parts.
• Packaging blank 2" is designed to allow for the formation of package 1".
• Packaging blank 2'' differs from packaging blank 2 in that opening 9 is arranged adjacent to a crease line 31 configured to define front edge 28 of package 1".
• opening 9, separation membrane 10, first weakening line 11 and second weakening line 12 are arranged at a central zone of the top section.
• first axis F is parallel to the crease line 31 defining front edge 28.
• first weakening line 11 and second weakening line 12 are parallel to one or more crease lines defining respective one or more respective lateral edges 30.
• number 1′′′ indicates an alternative embodiment of a package according to the present invention. As package 1′′′ is similar to package 1, the following description is limited to the differences between them, and using the same references, where possible, for identical or corresponding parts.
• package 1′′′ differs from package 1 in that opening 9 is adjacent to a portion of one respective lateral edge 30, but is interposed between transversal seal 33 and front edge 28.
• Packaging blank 2′′′ is designed to allow for the formation of package 1′′′.
• Packaging blank 2′′′ differs from packaging blank 2 in that opening 9, separation membrane 10, first weakening line 11 and second weakening line 12 are arranged at a central zone of the top section.
• first weakening line 11 and second weakening line 12 it is possible having an improved emptying of packages 1, 1', 1" and 1′′′. Also, thanks to the shape of opening 9, first weakening line 11 and second weakening line 12, re-usable opening device 13 may adhere tightly to the packaging material so to avoid leakage of fluid along packaging material during pouring.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Cartons (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

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ID=91185351

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Citations (4)

• 2025
  • 2025-02-11 EP EP25157158.4A patent/EP4617186A1/fr active Pending
  • 2025-02-11 WO PCT/EP2025/053559 patent/WO2025190580A1/fr active Pending

Patent Citations (4)

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