ES2579446T3 - Method to provide a powder filled container - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for the provision of a container (1) filled with powder, comprising: provision of a container (2) provided with a base (17), the inner wall of the container (2) consisting of a heat sealable material; powder filling in said container; removal of the air that is present in the container by applying vacuum; introduction of an inert gas into the filled container before / when a heat sealable film (13) is sealed, placement of said heat sealable film (13) on the powder; heat sealing of said film (13) with said inner wall of the container at a distance from the upper edge of the container so that the provision is made for the adjustment of a lid (3), wherein said heat sealable film provides a tight seal; provision of a spoon (8) for dosing said powder; and placing the spoon in the heat sealable film where the spoon is housed in the upper part of the container.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Method to provide a powder filled container.

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of providing a powder filled container. 5

[0002] Rigorous requirements regarding hygiene and dosage are imposed on the baby food package. Therefore, such powder is currently stored in cylindrical metal cans that are sealed by a metal lid or plastic lid that have to be opened before use and that can be re-closed in a simple manner. Spoons that are thus designed in which a precise volume of powder material is delimited are used for dosing. By stabilization, a predetermined amount can be placed in the volume of the spoon cavity. It is important that this amount be specified precisely to, on the one hand, ensure that the baby receives sufficient food and, on the other hand, as far as possible prevent constipation problems in children. It should be understood that powder material should be understood as any granulated material, in particular food products dried by atomization, as well as agglomerates of the powder particles. fifteen

[0003] In such a container, such a spoon is generally loose between the surface of the contents and the bottom of the product lid.

[0004] After the spoon has been used, some users replace the spoon inside or in the product. Another 20 users consider that it is unhygienic to return the spoon to the contents of the container after use. Therefore, the spoon is frequently stored outside the container, which in practice also increases the risk of contamination. On the other hand, the size and height of such containers are designed so that a volume as compact as possible is obtained to achieve optimum filling of the shelf at the point of sale. 25

[0005] US 6 604 645 B1 discloses a container with a lid to which a spoon is molded and connected to it by a film hinge. The upper part of the container has a seal included by the lid and spoon assembly. In the first use the spoon is separated from the lid. Sealing the container to the location where the lid should connect to the wall of the container is very complicated. Cap stacking capacity before assembly with the container is limited due to the shape of the lid.

[0006] Document FR 2 747 107 discloses a container that is sealed and has on it a ring comprising a spoon as well as a lid. After removing the spoon from the ring and tearing off the seal, the ring can be positioned in the container after which the lid can become effective. 35

[0007] In both documents US 6 604 645 and FR 2 747 107 107 the user has to release the spoon from another plastic part involving the risk of particles getting into the food material which can be highly dangerous.

[0008] EP-A-0 611 703 discloses a method of providing a dust filled container, where a sealed sheet is welded to the inner wall of the container at a distance from the top edge of the container.

[0009] The invention aims to provide a container, lid, spoon assembly where the spoon is not permanently connected to the lid so that breakage is no longer necessary. In addition, the lid that will be used with the container should be easily stackable with other lids during its production. The contents of the package should be guaranteed by the provision of a seal above the content. The use of spoons with a different volume should be possible without substantial changes in the lid.

[0010] According to the invention this is done with the method of claim 1.

 fifty

[0011] Stacking of the covers is produced by keeping the height of the lid relatively low. On the other hand there is an indication on the lid that a spoon is provided inside the container. Such an indication is an elevation of the lid with (part of) the shape of the spoon. The spoon is not connected to the lid or the container, after filling the container with the intended content. This means that the breakage of the spoon from another part of the container is not necessary after it has been refilled. 55

[0012] According to the invention part of the volume of the spoon is placed in the upper part of the container. For that purpose the seal is provided somewhat below the upper edge of the container. This distance between the seal and the upper edge of the container is preferably between 20 and 50 mm, and more particularly about 30 mm.

 60

[0013] According to the present invention, the user is urged to place the spoon in an adjustment made on the lid after the use of the spoon for the first time. This adjustment is partially delimited by the elevation described above. In particular, the open end of the bowl-shaped part of the spoon can be placed at this elevation. As a result, the volume of the container does not increase greatly, but, on the other hand, it can be ensured that the spoon can be stored in the container under the most hygienic conditions out of contact with the filling in the container. 65

[0014] More particularly, the elevation described above has a height of 2-25, in particular 4-15 mm, measured between the maximum height and the base of the elevation.

[0015] The lid according to the present invention preferably consists of a plastic material, which is articulated connected to a lid flange, which also consists of plastic and is attached to the wall of the container or fixed to it 5 of any other shape. Preferably, the lid flange has a level edge, that is to say an angled part or band to prevent the accumulation of dust in the corner under which the upper edge of the spoon can be scratched in a simple way to provide an accurate and reproducible reproducibility. convenient dosing of the volume of the product in the spoon.

 10

[0016] In the case of conventional packaging it has been proven that it is a problem to eliminate the entire contents of the package. The reason for this is that handling in the relatively restricted space of the container is difficult. On the other hand, it is not hygienic to always replace the spoon in the contents of the container after use, as is now usual.

 fifteen

[0017] In the case of a known container, in hygienic fields the spoon is first introduced into the container, after which the container is filled with the powder material. Then the closing takes place and when inverting the container the spoon will return to the surface. This has the disadvantage that under adverse conditions the plastic parts are released or other particles of the production process can be put in the dust, with all the associated consequences. On the other hand, as a result of this procedure there is a relatively large empty space between the surface of the product, 20 such as dust, and the bottom of the lid (the so-called air space). In the case of perishable substances, such a large air space filled with gas is disadvantageous. During the long storage time, certain substances contained in the product can be converted by the oxygen that is present in the gas.

[0018] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a package that does not have these disadvantages or has them to a lesser extent.

[0019] This objective is also performed with a container as described above in that the container wall contains a heat sealable material inside and in which plastic film seals that extend over the free cross-sectional surface area of the container are arranged near the surface of the container, this seal is fixed 30 to said wall of the container by heat sealing.

[0020] According to the present invention the space in which the spoon is placed is separated in an essentially gas-tight manner from the space in which the powder is present. Such separation is possible by making the interior of the container wall a heat sealable material and, after the introduction of the powder, to produce a film cover in the powder with the heat sealable material. A film that provides a gas tight seal is thus produced on the powder. The spoon can be placed in this film in one way or another.

[0021] The film is fixed to the peripheral wall by heat and preferably has characteristics that absorb odor.

[0022] According to the invention it is also possible to counteract the deterioration, before or during the application of the seal described above, by removing the air or oxygen that is present in the powder or container by applying a vacuum and introducing into the product a gas that counteracts the deterioration, such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide or any other inert gas or mixture of such gases under normal conditions.

[0023] Under normal conditions, the quality of the product will not deteriorate or just deteriorate after the package has been opened because the contents of the package will be used relatively quickly after opening. The problem is the potentially long storage time, which can be achieved without any problem with the seal according to the invention. The container can be provided with a hinge cover, as a result of which the container can be effectively closed again after use.

[0024] However, it is also possible to place a snap closure place on the lid to adjust the spoon thereon. This place is preferably in or near the center of the lid and may include the spoon bowl and possibly the handle. Preferably during production, the spoon is introduced into the space between the lid and the seal without using the snap-off location. Only after the first opening of the container will the user clamp the spoon to the place of pressure closure to prevent contact with the contents of the container.

[0025] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the package is made essentially rectangular. A rectangular construction has significant advantages over packaging and shelf position. An optimal use of volume can be achieved, also being possible, when placed on the shelf, easily placing the desired side in front of the consumer to increase the power to stimulate an impulse to buy. Another advantage of an essentially rectangular container is that handling with the spoon is considerably simplified. After all, for a given surface area, compared to a circle, the length of the diagonals of a rectangle is considerably larger than the diameter of a circle. Preferably,

The corners of the rectangle are rounded. There is preferably a leveling of the edge in the corner. This edge is preferably more than 9 mm wide measured from the corner and may comprise a triangle or a band spaced from the corner. If a band is used the dust cannot accumulate in the adjacent corner. Such a band may have a width of 7-11 mm. The space of the nearest edge thereof to the corner is more than 4 mm and preferably approximately 5-9 mm. 5

[0026] It is possible to adjust a place to at least partially accommodate the spoon in the lid. The various aspects depend on the amount of product that has to be packaged in the container, the desired cross-sectional surface area and the height of the container. As indicated above, the clearance (r) between the seal described above and the bottom of the cover is preferably between 14 and 27 mm. It has been found that in this way an optimal volume for the spoon is provided, while the container, when it contains, for example, 900 g of product, can be stacked on a shelf in a simple manner.

[0027] Rigorous requirements regarding gas tightness and opacity are imposed on the packaging of certain products, such as baby food. Therefore, it is proposed, according to the invention, to make the wall of the container, 15 as its bottom, from a laminated paper / plastic foil / metal. The metal foil provides gas tightness and opacity. Paper or board works as a support, while plastic works as heat sealable material. The plastic used can be any material known in the state of the art.

[0028] According to a more advantageous embodiment, the seal, which is applied to the product, has a tear-off edge and a loosening line. By pulling the edge an opening can be obtained along the tear line, through this opening the contents can be taken out of the container. On the one hand this provides easy access to the product, the user having to execute a few special operations, and, on the other hand, manipulation can be easily detected in this way. Another advantage is that no product particles that came between the seal and the wall during heat sealing are able to escape and remain closed. 25

[0029] After removing the film along the tear line, one edge of the film remains on the side walls. This edge will preferably be less than 5 mm, more preferably less than 4 mm, to allow the opening to the product to be as large as possible. The film consists of a material with which the user cannot hurt himself. 30

[0030] The container is preferably provided with means that promote adhesion, such as finger gaps. As a result of the rectangular design of the container, one side of the container is optimal for each hand size. One of the sides can have a maximum width of at most about 12.0 cm and is preferably 6 to 11.6 cm to achieve good grip by the potential consumer. The other side may have a size of 11.6-15.0 cm and more preferably 12.4-13.5 cm. The maximum height of the container including the lid is 22 cm and preferably about 10-20 cm and more preferably 15-20 cm.

[0031] The invention relates to a method according to claim 1 for providing a powder-filled package comprising the provision of a container provided with a base, the inner wall of the container consisting of a heat sealable material 40, filling such container with dust , placing a heat sealable film on top of the powder and joining said film to said container wall, the provision being made for the adjustment of a lid.

[0032] More particularly, the containers are produced in preliminary ways at the place of packaging, so that only small volumes of packaging material should be supplied to the packaging facility. More particularly, the container is first produced and this is then filled and provided with the seal described above and only then is the lid, which includes the lid flange, adjusted. The introduction of gas before / during the application of the seal can be carried out either on a continuous basis or discontinuously.

[0033] It has been previously indicated that the package is preferably rectangular in cross-section. More particularly, this rectangular shape protrudes outward to a certain extent in the middle of at least two opposite sides. Such bulging can be limited and is preferably less than about 7 mm and more preferably less than 2 mm on the short side and less than about 16 mm on the long side. However, acute angles should preferably be avoided. That is, with respect to the line connecting the points of greatest flexion / inflection, the external deviation is less than about 7 mm and about 16 mm, 55 respectively, and preferably 3-6 and 7-15 mm, respectively. On the other hand, the container can be provided with finger grips to facilitate handling.

[0034] As a result of the specific choice of the aforementioned dimensions, the surface area of the container base is 120-150 cm2, in particular 125-140 cm2, for example 126-136 cm2. 60

[0035] The invention is in particular provided with a closure indicating tampering (guarantee seal). This is implemented in that the cover flange has a peripheral part that extends upwards and that extends to the surface of the cover periphery or beyond. As a result it is not easily possible to lift the lid located inside it. The circumferential flange of the lid is not accessible in the closed position. The peripheral edge 65 that accommodates the circumferential flange can be interrupted to gain access for example to an edge that

It extends from the lid. Such means for interrupting the peripheral edge may comprise a loose part thereof. This is done, for example, by fixing the loose part at two points on each side of the edge. By separating the part the edge of the lid is exposed and the lid can be opened. When the part defragments, the above-mentioned cover flange seals (peripheral edge) are destroyed, so it is clear that manipulation takes place through the interruption of the circumference line. Then the lid can always be easily opened 5 after closing.

[0036] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows, schematically, a perspective and partially exposed view of the container according to the invention; 10

Fig. 1a is a detail of figure 1 with the lid in the closed condition;

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the seal according to the invention;

Fig. 3 shows the section along the line III-III in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows the section along the line IV-IV of the lid and the container in the closed position;

Fig. 5 shows in perspective view another embodiment of the lid according to the invention; fifteen

Fig. 6 shows the top view of the lid of Figure 5 and

Fig. 7 shows, schematically, an installation for the production of packages according to the invention.

[0037] In Fig. 1 a container according to the invention is indicated by 1. This consists of a container 2 with base 17. The base 17 is placed inside the container so that it is somewhat elevated, so that a vertical flange 29 it is produced. This 20 vertical flange facilitates the stacking of more containers.

[0038] 3 indicates a cap with rim 18 that joins through a hinge 5 to a cap flange 4. The cap and cap flange consist of a plastic material and are produced by injection molding. As can be seen in Fig. 4, in the closed position the surface of the cover 3 near the periphery thereof is somewhat below the surface 25 of the raised peripheral edge 23 of the cover flange. The cover 3 has a dependent edge 26 that fits relatively closely within the circumferential edge 27 on the cover flange 4. The circumferential top part of cover 3 is referred to by 28 and fits closely adjacent to the peripheral edge 23. As a result it is not possible grab the cover except in the location of the cut 24 at the peripheral edge 23. In the closed position the dependent part of the edge 18 extends in front of the cut 24. Access to the edge 18 is prevented by the part 25 which is in front of the edge 18. This is shown in more detail in fig. 1st. It is clear that the edge 18 has a protrusion armed with spikes that joins under a projection of the part 25 and that prevents the elevation of the edge 18 whenever the part 25 is present. In delivery, the cut 24 is blocked by the part 25, which joins the peripheral edge 23 on each side by two points 48 in each case. Connection of the part 25 to the circumferential edge 23 can be carried out in any other way such as by local reduction in thickness. The part 25 can be easily defragmented and after 35 the lid can be opened by lifting the edge 18. In this way it is clear to the user that he or she is the first person to open the package.

[0039] If part 25 has been manipulated with this it will be immediately apparent because it is in the outer circumference of the container. It should be understood that the first person opening test described above (seal of guarantee) can also be used in combination with packages other than those described herein and the rights are explicitly required for it. The flange of the lid is gripped or connected to the wall of the container, or fixed in any other manner known in the state of the art. The outer periphery of the lid / lid flange is such that it falls within the periphery of the lower vertical flange 29. The container is essentially rectangular in construction, but it can clearly be seen in the drawing that there is a slight bulge in the middle of the flat walls . This is indicated schematically by b for the anterior face. Such bulging can be limited and is preferably less than about 7 mm on the short side and less than about 16 mm on the long side. That is, with respect to the line that joins the points of greatest flexion / inflection, the external deviation is less than about 7 mm and about 16 mm, respectively, and preferably 3-6 and 7-15 mm, respectively. In addition, the container can be provided with finger grips to facilitate handling thereof. fifty

[0040] As can be seen in Fig. 1, the flange of the lid 4 has a stabilization band 6. When the package is held at an angle, the overflowed spoon can then be moved under the edge 6 and a precise volume It is so determined. On the other hand, as a result of the construction of the edge, no compression of the powder or product is produced, so that there is always a reproducible amount of material in the spoon. 55

[0041] Product 11, such as baby food, is contained in the container 2. A seal 13, which consists of a film that has been applied inside the wall of the container 2 by heat sealing, has been immediately disposed on this product . This film has a loosening line 14 and a traction edge 15. When the traction edge 15 is gripped, the film 13 will tear along the loosening line 14 and access to the product thus becomes possible.

[0042] Cap 3 has a convex part 9 that is classified under the elevation produced by the vertical flange 28 of another package optionally stacked on top of the package shown here. On the other hand, there is another elevation 10 in which part of the spoon 8 is placed. This part is preferably the bowl of the spoon. Optionally there may still be another 65 elevation for the (end of) the handle.

[0043] The size of the spoon depends on the desired dosage. The elevation 10 can be extended over the elevation 9, as can be seen in the cross-section according to Fig. 3. The maximum of the elevation 10 with respect to the base is indicated by "a" and is between 4 and 12 mm. Because the container has a peripheral flange 28 at the bottom, these elevations are classified in the space delimited by said flange 18 and base 17. For precise centering 5, flange 28 is flanged inward to a certain point in the base 17 , so that a clearly fixed position is obtained when stacked. The height of the base with respect to the position surface of the container is comparable to the height of the elevation with respect to the position where the side walls of the container that support the underlying package. This is shown by "b" in Figure 4. The spoon handle 8 can be fixed with a snap closure between edges 7 that are integrated in the lid and are preferably located near or in the middle of the lid. The wall of the container has cavities 16 corresponding to the shape of the user's fingers. Fixing the spoon to the lid prevents the spoon from falling back into the dust after the first use. If the spoon fits into the lid, bacterial contamination can be avoided if possible. Before the first opening of the container, that is to say after loading the filling tank, the spoon 8 is loosely arranged in the seal 13. This is shown in Fig. 4. It can be concluded from Fig. 4 that the spoon size 8 is such that the adjustment defined by the surface of the lid 15 and the underside thereof is not sufficient to hold the spoon. For this reason seal 13 is provided at a distance r from the minimum point of adjustment in the spoon lid of the container. This distance r is preferably between 20 and 50 mm and more particularly about 40 mm. In this way the height of the lid can be kept relatively low which allows easy stacking during the production of the lid.

 twenty

[0044] Preferably, the height of the lid is such that also after the first use, when the seal is removed and spoon 8 is grasped between edges 7, the spoon extends partially into the space below the lid and defined by the container surface 2.

[0045] The edge 23 is made vertical to make it possible for the dust that is poured during the movement of the spoon to fall back into the container.

[0046] It can be seen in Fig. 3 that the wall of the container is composed of a laminate. From outside to inside this consists of a board / paper layer 20, a relatively thin aluminum sheet 21 and, disposed therein, a layer of a plastic material 22 that can be attached to the seal 13 by heat sealing. As a result of the use of the seal, the risk that foreign bodies can reach the product is limited. After all, after the seal has been applied such unwanted bodies, such as plastic parts of the spoon, will remain on top of the seal and will not be able to reach the dust.

[0047] Typical aspects of the package will be given below. However, it should be understood that these should be interpreted as non-restrictive if the baby food is packaged.

[0048] The distance between the bottom of the lid and the surface of the seal is preferably between 14 and 27 mm. More particularly this distance is between 7 and 23 mm. Such space is precisely enough to adjust a spoon. However, this height will vary depending on the desired volume of the spoon. 40

[0049] The space below the seal and above the powder is preferably less than 10 mm and more particularly less than 5 mm. In other words, the seal is placed as close as possible to the powder during packaging.

[0050] As can be seen in the drawing, the container is of rectangular construction, as a result of which this can be emptied to the maximum with the help of spoon 8. To optimize emptying, the length of the spoon is preferably 60 - 95% of the diagonal of the container and more particularly 70-90% thereof.

[0051] As a result of the use of rectangular containers, optimal use can be made of the volume available either in the container or on the shelf of the retail organization. fifty

[0052] In Fig. 5 another embodiment of the lid according to the invention is shown. This is generally referred to by 53 and basically corresponds to cover 3 according to the preceding figures. The elevation for the spoon is referred to by 60, 61. Elevation 60 is adapted to receive part of the spoon bowl 52 while elevation 61 is provided to receive the rod 54 thereof. Between the two elevations 60.61 the reinforcement ribs of the cover extend. Fixing means 57 are shown in dotted lines. This embodiment arrangement is such that in a fixed position the open side of bowl 52 refers to the setting 60. This means that it is possible to hold bowls with a different "height" between gripping edges 57. This allows the use of spoon bowls. of different dimensions 58 without adaptation to the cover design. Also, in this embodiment only part of the spoon is placed in the lid while the remaining part is placed in the space above the seal in the container. 60

[0053] An installation for the production of a package is shown in Fig. 6. This consists of a feeding station 31, in which preliminary forms 32 are introduced. With the help of a folding / sealing station 33 the containers 34 according to the present invention are produced from there. These containers consist of a wall and a base without a lid. The product is then introduced in 35. In 30 the sealing film is applied by heat sealing 65 while an inert gas is introduced into the space in which the product is stored. This way you get a

volume that remains airtight to gases in which the product can be stored for a very long period without damage. The introduction of gas can be carried out either discontinuously or continuously at station 30. Checks on the container and the contents are carried out in 39. The lid, with the lid flange, is then pressed onto the wall of the container and fixed to her in 37. Collection and packaging occurs in 38.

 5

[0054] Although the invention has been described above with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that numerous modifications can be made without going beyond the scope of the present application as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (8)

1. Method for the provision of a container (1) powder filling, comprising: provision of a container (2) provided with a base (17), the inner wall of the container (2) consisting of a heat sealable material; 5 powder filling in said container; removal of the air that is present in the container by applying vacuum; introduction of an inert gas into the filled container before / when a heat sealable film (13) is sealed, placing said heat sealable film (13) on the powder; heat sealing of said film (13) with said inner wall of the container at a distance from the upper edge 10 of the container so that the provision is made for the adjustment of a lid (3), wherein said heat sealable film provides a tight seal; provision of a spoon (8) for dosing said powder; Y Placing the spoon on the heat-sealable film where the spoon is housed in the upper part of the container. fifteen 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the distance between said film (13) and an upper edge of the container is between 20 and 50 mm. 3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said cover (3) is articulatedly fixed to a flange of 20 cover (4), and said method comprises the additional step of fixing said cover flange to an upper edge of said container. 4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the spoon (8) extends over the upper edge of the container. 25 5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the provision of a container comprises the use of preliminary forms (32) of wall material and base material as the raw materials and the joining thereof with each other immediately before filling with the product.  30 6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inert gas comprises nitrogen or carbon dioxide. 7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the gas is supplied to a number of packages simultaneously.  35 8. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the powder is powdered baby food.