Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Package and Method for Producing the Package
Field of.the Invention
The invention relates to a package formed of a sheet and to a
method for producing the package.
Background Art
A tubular-bag pack for articles in bar form, such as
chocolate bars, which is made of a film-like packaging
material is disclosed in US-A-2011/0266180. The pack has a
front packaging side, a rear packaging side comprising a
longitudinal seam, and two transverse seams transverse to the
longitudinal seam disposed at a distance from each other.
Two separating regions, each having a separable longitudinal
seam, are arranged in the two edge regions of the front
packaging side, forming an opening label that can be
partially detached from the pack.
The pack is formed by unrolling a planar flexible packaging
material web from a feed roll, folding the web and severing
the web so as to form a central packaging material web strip
and two lateral packaging material web strips located on
either side of the central packaging material web strip. By
applying pressure to the packaging material web strip in a
region where the central packaging material web strip
overlaps the two lateral packaging material web strips, the
strips are separably sealed by way of strips of cold adhesive
applied to one side, thereby forming the separable
longitudinal seals on the front packaging side.
Subsequently, the packaging material is wrapped around a
product to be packaged and sealed at the rear packaging side
by a further longitudinal seam in the form of a fin seal.
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The pack and the method disclosed in US-A-2011/0266180 have
the drawback that packaging material web strips have to be
cut off from the web and subsequently reapplied thereto,
resulting in a complication of the manufacturing process. In
particular, prior to reapplying the packaging material web
strips, an accurate alignment of the strips has to be
performed. Further, an additional longitudinal seam is
present at the rear packaging side of the pack, affecting
both the stackability and the optical appearance of a
packaged product and leading to an increased material
consumption.
WO-A-88/00562 discloses a chocolate package having two
longitudinal sealing seams on a front side thereof and one
longitudinal sealing seam on a back side thereof. The two
sealing seams at the front side are formed by folding the
packing material and sealing two layers of packing material
together at their inner sides. One flank of each of these
two sealing seams may be provided with a break line of the
packing material along which the material is torn when the
package is opened. Alternatively, the edges of the folds
forming the two longitudinal sealing seams on the front side
may be cut off to enable opening of the package by peeling
off the seals of the folds.
Also the package disclosed in WO-A-88/00562 has the
disadvantage of a longitudinal sealing seam formed on a back
side thereof. This additional seam affects the optical
appearance of a packaged product, impedes an arrangement of a
plurality of packages in a stacked configuration and leads to
an increase in material consumption. Further, both of the
longitudinal sealing seams disposed on the front side of the
package have to be provided with a cut or a break line, thus
complicating the manufacturing process.
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Summary of the Invention
The present invention has been made in view of the problems
identified above and it is an object of the invention to
provide a package with improved stackability which enables a
reduction in packaging material consumption. Further, the
invention aims to provide a method for producing such a
package. These goals are achieved by a package with the
technical features of claim 1 and a method with the technical
features of claim 15. Preferred embodiments of the invention
follow from the dependent claims.
The invention provides a package formed of a sheet, wherein
the package comprises a first sealing region extending in a
first direction and a second sealing region extending in a
second direction which is substantially parallel to the first
direction, the first and second sealing regions being spaced
apart a first distance. Further, the package comprises a
third sealing region extending in a third direction which is
substantially perpendicular to the first and second
directions and a fourth sealing region extending in a fourth
direction which is substantially parallel to the third
direction, the third and fourth sealing regions being spaced
apart a second distance. Two or more of the sealing regions
each comprise at least two layer portions of the sheet which
are at least partially joined together, the first and second
sealing regions are arranged on a first side of the package
and a second side of the package opposite to the first side
is formed by a continuous portion of the sheet.
Herein, the term "continuous portion" defines a portion of
the sheet which is integrally formed of one piece of
material. That is, the continuous portion is configured in
an uninterrupted manner, not comprising any connection seams
or the like where two portions of material are joined
together.
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Since, in the package according to the invention, the second
side of the package is formed by a continuous portion of the
sheet, the package can be stably placed on a plane surface
and a plurality of packages can be readily arranged on top of
each other in a stacked manner. Further, due to the absence
of any connection seams or other material joints at the
second side of the package, less packaging material is
required for manufacturing the package, thus enabling a
reduction in material consumption. Moreover, since the
second side of the package is devoid of any structures
protruding from the package surface, the optical appearance
of the package is considerably improved.
The package of the invention may be formed of a single sheet.
In this way, the manufacture of the package can be further
simplified and the material consumption can be kept at a
minimum.
The sheet may be made of a flexible material. Any type of
flexible material may be used for the sheet. For example,
the flexible material may be a film, a foil, a web or the
like, e.g., made of plastic, metal, paper etc.
Alternatively, the sheet may be made of a semi-rigid or rigid
material, such as cardboard, paperboard or the like.
The thickness of the sheet may be in a range from 0.1 to 1.0
mm, preferably 0.3 to 0.8 mm. The package can be
manufactured using conventional package forming equipment,
such as vertical or horizontal form fill seal equipment.
The package of the invention may be, for example, a bag, a
pouch or the like, and can be used for containing therein any
type of liquid or solid materials. In particular, the
package may be used for packaging food products, such as
sweets, chocolate, cookies, biscuits, gums, candies, nuts,
savoury snacks, coffee beans, coffee powder etc.
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The first and second sealing regions may each comprise at
least two layer portions of the sheet which are at least
partially joined together. In one embodiment, each of the
sealing regions comprises at least two layer portions of the
sheet which are at least partially joined together. Further,
one, two, three or all of the sealing regions may comprise
three or more layer portions of the sheet. In this way, the
rigidity of the sealing regions can be further enhanced. In
particular, the first and second sealing regions may comprise
three or more layer portions of the sheet which may be at
least partially joined together.
Herein, the term "first distance" is defined as the distance
substantially in the third direction between a centre of the
first sealing region and a centre of the second sealing
region. The term "second distance" is defined as the
distance substantially in the first direction between a
centre of the third sealing region and a centre of the fourth
sealing region.
The first to fourth sealing regions may be arranged so that
the first distance is substantially equal to, larger than or
smaller than the second distance. Outer edges of the first
and/or second sealing regions may be arranged so as to
coincide with respective outer edges of the first side of the
package. Alternatively, the outer edges of the first and/or
second sealing regions may be arranged so as to be spaced
apart from the respective outer edges of the first side of
the package in the third direction. That is, the outer edges
of the first and/or second sealing regions may extend beyond
the respective outer edges of the first side by a
predetermined distance or may be arranged inside these outer
edges, spaced apart from the edges by a predetermined
distance.
The first and second sealing regions may extend from the
third sealing region to the fourth sealing region. However,
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alternatively, the first and second sealing regions may
extend only along a part of the second distance between the
third and fourth sealing regions. The third and fourth
sealing regions may extend from the first sealing region to
the second sealing region.
In one embodiment, the first and second sealing regions may
be arranged on the first side of the package in a centred
manner, i.e., so that a distance between the outer edge of
the first sealing region and the respective adjacent outer
edge of the first side of the package in the third direction
is substantially equal to a distance between the outer edge
of the second sealing region and the respective adjacent
outer edge of the first side of the package in the third
direction. In another embodiment, the first and second
sealing regions may be arranged on the first side of the
package off centre, i.e., in such a manner that a distance
between the outer edge of the first sealing region and the
respective adjacent outer edge of the first side of the
package in the third direction is different from a distance
between the outer edge of the second sealing region and the
respective adjacent outer edge of the first side of the
package in the third direction.
Moreover, the package may be configured such that a product
or a plurality of products to be packaged are to be arranged
in the package in a centred or an off centre manner.
The first sealing region may be arranged at the centre of the
first side of the package, i.e., so that a distance in the
third direction between an inner edge of the first sealing
region and the centre of the first side of the package in the
third direction is substantially zero. The second sealing
region may be arranged at the centre of the first side of the
package, i.e., so that a distance in the third direction
between an inner edge of the second sealing region and the
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centre of the first side of the package in the third
direction is substantially zero.
The first sealing region may be arranged off the centre of
the first side of the package, i.e., so that the distance in
the third direction between the inner edge of the first
sealing region and the centre of the first side of the
package in the third direction is greater than zero. The
second sealing region may be arranged off the centre of the
first side of the package, i.e., so that the distance in the
third direction between the inner edge of the second sealing
region and the centre of the first side of the package in the
third direction is greater than zero.
The first and second sealing regions may be arranged at the
centre of the first side of the package. The first and
second sealing regions may be arranged off the centre of the
first side of the package. The first sealing region may be
arranged at the centre of the first side of the package and
the second sealing region may be arranged off the centre of
the first side of the package. The first sealing region may
be arranged off the centre of the first side of the package
and the second sealing region may be arranged at the centre
of the first side of the package.
The first sealing region and/or the second sealing region may
be arranged so that at least a portion thereof substantially
lies flat on the first side of the package. This portion of
the first sealing region and/or the second sealing region may
be attached to the package, e.g., by use of an adhesive, such
as by use of a double sided adhesive tape or a hot-glue, by
heat welding or the like.
In this way, the amount of protrusion of the first sealing
region and/or the second sealing region from the first side
of the package can be reduced, thus further enhancing the
stackability of the package. In particular, the first
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sealing region and/or the second sealing region can be kept
substantially flat during opening and resealing of the
package. Further, the rigidity of the opening and resealing
area of the package can be enhanced.
When resealing the package, the attachment of at least a
portion of the first sealing region and/or the second sealing
region to the package may help to align the resealing area
and reduce the formation of creases or wrinkles in the first
sealing region and/or the second sealing region, thus
providing a reliable hermetic reseal and further improving
the protection of a packaged product.
The first sealing region and/or the second sealing region may
be arranged so that at least a portion thereof substantially
lies flat on the first side of the package by tilting the
first sealing region and/or the second sealing region
outwards in a direction parallel to the third and fourth
directions. In particular, the first and second sealing
regions may be tilted outwards in opposite directions which
are parallel to the third and fourth directions.
The first sealing region may further comprise a line of
weakness extending in the first direction, assisting a
consumer in opening the package. In particular, the line of
weakness facilitates rupturing of the first sealing region
along the first direction, so that at least a part of the
sheet material forming the first side of the package is torn
open, providing access to the package contents.
The line of weakness may be a perforation and/or a score line
and/or a cut or the like extending in the first direction.
In particular, the first sealing region may be provided in
the form of a fold portion in which the edge of the fold is
cut off along part or all of the extension of the first
sealing region in the first direction. This configuration
enables a particularly easy opening of the package. On the
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other hand, if a perforation and/or a score line are used as
the line of weakness, they may act as a tamper evidence
feature for determining whether or not the package had been
tampered with, e.g., previously opened and closed again.
In one embodiment, the second sealing region is formed at two
substantially parallel edge portions of the sheet. Hence,
the outer edge of the second sealing region is configured by
the edge portions of the sheet and thus open along the
extension of the second sealing region in the second
direction. In this way, the opening process of the package
is further simplified. In particular, if the second sealing
region is configured in this way and the first sealing region
comprises a line of weakness extending in the first
direction, a strip of the sheet material, extending in the
first direction, is defined between the outer edge of the
second sealing region and the line of weakness of the first
sealing region. When opening the package, this strip may be
partly or fully removed from the package by peeling it off in
the first direction, thereby providing access to the package
contents.
The strip of the sheet material may be arranged at the centre
of the first side of the package, i.e., so that a distance in
the third direction between the centre of the strip in the
third direction and the centre of the first side of the
package in the third direction is substantially zero. The
strip of the sheet material may be arranged off the centre of
the first side of the package, i.e., so that the distance in
the third direction between the centre of the strip in the
third direction and the centre of the first side of the
package in the third direction is greater than zero.
Moreover, since the second sealing region is formed at two
substantially parallel edge portions of the sheet, thus
having an open outer edge along its extension in the second
direction, no additional line of weakness has to be provided
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in the second sealing region for facilitating the opening of
the package. Therefore, the process of manufacturing the
package is further simplified.
The first and second sealing regions may be configured such
that, after opening of the package, the remainders of the
first and second sealing regions assist in retaining the
package contents in the package. In particular, the first
and second sealing regions may be configured such that the
remainders thereof have to be moved apart from each other in
the third direction by a consumer in order to enable removal
of the package contents.
Such a capability of the package to retain its contents after
opening thereof may be achieved, for example, by choosing the
first distance between the first and second sealing regions
to be sufficiently small. In particular, the first distance
may be chosen such that a distance between inner edges of the
first and second sealing regions in the third direction is
substantially zero. In this case, the package contents are
securely retained within the package after opening thereof.
In order to access the interior of the package, the
remainders of the first and second sealing regions can be
moved apart from each other by a consumer.
In one embodiment, the two substantially parallel edge
portions of the sheet are at least partially joined together
so as to form a fin seal, i.e., a sealing seam in the form of
a fin. Such a configuration allows for the formation of a
particularly simple and reliable seal in the second sealing
region.
In the sealing regions, the at least two layer portions of
the sheet may be at least partially joined together using any
suitable type of method or material, such as heat welding,
cohesive materials, adhesive materials, such as a pressure
sensitive adhesive, e.g., cold seal, or the like. In
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particular, in each of the first and second sealing regions,
the at least two layer portions of the sheet may be at least
partially adhesively joined together by a resealable
adhesive, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive, e.g., cold
seal. In this case, the package may be resealed after
opening by reattaching the torn portions of the package
material using the resealable adhesive.
This configuration of the first and second sealing regions is
particularly advantageous if the package is used for
packaging food products, such as sweets, chocolate, cookies,
biscuits, gums, candies, nuts, savoury snacks, coffee beans,
coffee powder etc. In this case, the resealable
functionality of the package allows for the food products to
be reliably protected from the surrounding atmosphere, thus
increasing the storage life of the products.
The package may be configured such that it can be at least
partially collapsed, i.e., folded or the like, and resealed
after some of the package contents have been removed from the
package.
In the third sealing region and/or the fourth sealing region,
the at least two layer portions of the sheet may be at least
partially adhesively joined together by a resealable
adhesive, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive, e.g., cold
seal. In this way, the third sealing region and/or the
fourth sealing region can contribute to the resealability of
the package. In particular, the provision of a resealable
adhesive in the first, second, third and/or fourth sealing
regions allows for an especially efficient and reliable
resealing of the package.
Alternatively, in the third sealing region, the at least two
layer portions of the sheet may be at least partially joined
together by a heat seal, a cohesive material or the like.
Further, in the fourth sealing region, the at least two layer
portions of the sheet may be at least partially joined
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together by a resealable adhesive, such as a pressure
sensitive adhesive, e.g., cold seal, by a heat seal, a
cohesive material or the like.
In one embodiment, the third sealing region and/or the fourth
sealing region comprises a portion arranged at an outer edge
of the package and extending in the third direction, in which
portion the at least two layer portions of the sheet are
unattached to each other. That is, no adhesive material or
other type of seal, such as a heat seal, is provided in this
portion of the third sealing region and/or the fourth sealing
region. Hence, this portion can serve to assist a consumer
in opening the package. Specifically, the consumer may grip
the unattached layer portions and pull them apart, so as to
tear open at least a part of the material forming the first
side of the package, thereby gaining access to the package
contents. If such a portion is provided in both the third
and fourth sealing regions, the package can be readily opened
from both ends thereof.
At least one of the unattached layer portions of the sheet in
the third sealing region and/or the fourth sealing region may
at least partly be bent or curved, in order to facilitate an
easy separation of the unattached layer portions from each
other, thus further assisting a consumer in opening the
package.
Such a bending or curvature may be obtained by providing at
least one crease line or serration line on at least one side
of the at least one unattached layer portion of the sheet in
the third sealing region and/or the fourth sealing region.
The at least one crease line or serration line may extend
substantially along the third direction.
A plurality of crease lines or serration lines may be
provided on at least one side of the at least one unattached
layer portion of the sheet in the third sealing region and/or
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the fourth sealing region, wherein at least one of the
plurality of crease lines or serration lines may have a depth
along the thickness of the sheet which is larger than the
depth or depths of the other crease lines or serration lines.
The at least one crease line or serration line having a
larger depth may extend substantially along the third
direction. Alternatively, the at least one crease line or
serration line having a larger depth may extend substantially
along a direction perpendicular to the third direction.
The bending or curvature of the at least one of the
unattached layer portions of the sheet may be further
enhanced by applying heat to the at least one crease line or
serration line.
The at least one crease line or serration line may be formed
by irradiation of the at least one unattached layer portion
of the sheet in the third sealing region and/or the fourth
sealing region with a laser beam. In this case, the power of
the laser beam and/or the duration of the laser application
may be controlled so as to form a desired crease line or
serration line and to avoid cutting entirely through the
thickness of the sheet. The bending or curvature of the at
least one of the unattached layer portions of the sheet may
be further enhanced by heat provided by the laser beam during
the irradiation.
Alternatively, a bending or curvature of the at least one of
the unattached layer portions of the sheet in the third
sealing region and/or the fourth sealing region may be
obtained just by applying heat to the at least one layer
portion, e.g., by means of laser irradiation, without
providing a crease line or serration line.
In particular, a bending or curvature of the at least one of
the unattached layer portions of a sheet which is made of a
flexible material, such as a plastics-based material, e.g., a
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flow-wrapping material, may be obtained by the provision of
at least one crease line or serration line and/or the
application of heat. The sheet may consist of a single layer
of material or have a laminate structure, comprising a
plurality of superimposed material layers.
The third sealing region and/or the fourth sealing region may
comprise a portion in which the sheet is cut. Such a cut
portion provides further assistance in opening the package.
The cut may extend substantially along the first direction.
Alternatively, instead of the cut or in combination with the
cut, a perforation and/or a score line may be provided in the
third sealing region and/or the fourth sealing region.
In one embodiment, the sheet is cut only within the portion
in which the at least two layer portions of the sheet are
unattached to each other. Such a configuration of the third
sealing region and/or the fourth sealing region allows for a
particularly simple and reliable opening of the package.
However, alternatively, the cut may extend beyond the portion
in which the at least two layer portions of the sheet are
unattached to each other. In this case, the manufacture of
the package is further simplified.
Surface areas of the first and second sealing regions may
constitute 30% or more, preferably 50% or more, of a surface
area of the first side of the package. In this way, a
particularly reliable sealing of the package can be ensured.
Further, if, in each of the first and second sealing regions,
the at least two layer portions of the sheet are at least
partially adhesively joined together by a resealable
adhesive, regions where the resealable adhesive is present
may constitute 30% or more, preferably 50% or more, of the
surface area of the first side of the package. In such a
configuration, the package can be resealed in an especially
simple manner, reliably preventing an undesired opening of
the package after resealing.
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The invention may be applied to packages with any kind of
shapes or sizes. In one embodiment, the second side of the
package has a substantially flat surface. Such a
configuration of the second side provides a particularly high
level of stackability, enabling the arrangement of a large
number of packages on top of each other in a stably stacked
manner.
The invention further provides a method for producing a
package, comprising the steps of providing a sheet, folding
the sheet so as to form a fold portion extending in a first
direction, at least partially joining together at least two
layer portions of the sheet at the fold portion so as to form
a first sealing region extending in the first direction and
at least partially joining together at least two layer
portions of the sheet so as to form a second sealing region
extending in a second direction which is substantially
parallel to the first direction, so that the first and second
sealing regions are spaced apart a first distance, the first
and second sealing regions are arranged on a first side of
the package and a second side of the package opposite to the
first side is formed by a continuous portion of the sheet.
Further, the method comprises the steps of at least partially
joining together at least two layer portions of the sheet so
as to form a third sealing region extending in a third
direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first
and second directions and at least partially joining together
at least two layer portions of the sheet so as to form a
fourth sealing region extending in a fourth direction which
is substantially parallel to the third direction, so that the
third and fourth sealing regions are spaced apart a second
distance.
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The method of the invention can be performed using
conventional packaging equipment, such as vertical or
horizontal form fill seal equipment.
The method according to the invention provides the
advantageous effects already described in detail above for
the package of the invention. Further, in the method of the
invention, the package is formed by providing the first to
fourth sealing regions in the sheet without the need to cut
off and reattach portions of the sheet. Hence, no alignment
of such cut off portions with the remaining packaging
material has to be performed, thus considerably simplifying
the manufacturing process, enabling a reduction of the
production costs and eliminating the need for complicated
modifications of the production equipment. Therefore, the
method can be carried out at low cost and in a simple and
reliable manner.
In the method according to the invention, the package can be
formed of a single sheet. In this way, the manufacture of
the package can be further simplified and the material
consumption can be kept at a minimum.
The sheet may be made of a flexible material. Any type of
flexible material may be used for the sheet. For example,
the flexible material may be a film, a foil, a web or the
like, e.g., made of plastic, metal, paper etc.
Alternatively, the sheet may be made of a semi-rigid or rigid
material, such as cardboard, paperboard or the like.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of
providing a line of weakness in the sheet so that the line of
weakness extends in the first sealing region in the first
direction. This step may be performed prior to the step of
folding the sheet and/or prior to the steps of forming the
first to fourth sealing regions. The line of weakness may be
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a perforation and/or a score line and/or a cut extending in
the first direction.
Further, in the method of the invention, the second sealing
region may be formed at two substantially parallel edge
portions of the sheet. In this case, the two substantially
parallel edge portions of the sheet may be at least partially
joined together so as to form a fin seal.
In one embodiment, in each of the first and second sealing
regions, the at least two layer portions of the sheet are at
least partially adhesively joined together by a resealable
adhesive, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive, e.g., cold
seal. Moreover, in the third sealing region and/or the
fourth sealing region, the at least two layer portions of the
sheet may be at least partially adhesively joined together by
a resealable adhesive, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive,
e.g., cold seal.
The third sealing region and/or the fourth sealing region may
comprise a portion arranged at an outer edge of the package
and extending in the third direction, in which portion the at
least two layer portions of the sheet are unattached to each
other.
The method of the invention may further comprise the step of
providing a cut in the sheet so that the third sealing region
and/or the fourth sealing region comprises a portion in which
the sheet is cut. This step may be performed prior to the
step of folding the sheet and/or prior to the steps of
forming the first to fourth sealing regions. The cut may
extend substantially along the first direction.
In one embodiment, the sheet is cut only within the portion
in which the at least two layer portions of the sheet are
unattached to each other. However, alternatively, the cut
may extend beyond the portion in which the at least two layer
portions of the sheet are unattached to each other.
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Moreover, surface areas of the first and second sealing
regions may constitute 30% or more, preferably 50% or more,
of a surface area of the first side of the package. The
second side of the package may be formed so as to have a flat
surface. Further, the package may be formed so as to be
resealable.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises the step of
tilting the first and second sealing regions outwards in
opposite directions which are parallel to the third and
fourth directions. In this way, the amount of protrusion of
the first and second sealing regions from the first side of
the package can be reduced, thus further enhancing the
stackability of the package. The step of tilting the first
and second sealing regions outwards may be performed prior to
the steps of forming the third and/or fourth sealing regions.
In particular, the first and second sealing regions may be
tilted so as to substantially lie flat on the first side of
the package.
The method of the invention is a method for producing the
package of the invention. Hence, the further features
disclosed in connection with the above description of the
package may also be applied to the method of the invention.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Hereinafter, non-limiting examples are explained with
reference to the drawings, in which:
Figs. 1(a) to (c) show schematic views of a package according
to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein
Fig. 1(a) is a perspective view of the package in a
closed state, Fig. 1(b) is a perspective view of
the package in a partially opened state and Fig.
1(c) is a cross-sectional view of the package shown
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in Fig. 1(a) in a plane perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the package;
Figs. 2(a) and (b) show schematic views of a package
according to another embodiment of the present
invention, wherein Fig. 2(a) is a plan view of a
sheet for forming the package before folding and
Fig. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view of the folded
package in a plane perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the package;
Figs. 3(a) and (b) show schematic views of a package
according to another embodiment of the present
invention, wherein Fig. 3(a) is a plan view of a
sheet for forming the package before folding and
Fig. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view of the folded
package in a plane perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the package;
Figs. 4(a) to (d) show schematic views of a package according
to yet another embodiment of the present invention,
wherein Fig. 4(a) is a perspective view of the
package in a closed state, Fig. 4(b) is an enlarged
view of the portion within the circle in Fig. 4(a),
Fig. 4(c) is a perspective view of the package in a
partially opened state and Fig. 4(d) is a cross-
sectional view of the package along the line A-A
shown in Fig. 4(b); and
Figs. 5(a) to (c) show schematic views of a package according
to yet another embodiment of the present invention,
wherein Figs. 5(a) and (b) are cross-sectional
views of the package in a plane perpendicular to
the longitudinal axis of the package, illustrating
a process of forming the first and second sealing
regions, and Fig. 5(c) shows cross-sectional views
of different package geometries.
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Detailed Description of Currently Preferred Embodiments
Figure 1 shows schematic views of a package 1 according to an
embodiment of the present invention, wherein Fig. 1(a) is a
perspective view of the package 1 in a closed state, Fig.
1(b) is a perspective view of the package 1 in a partially
opened state and Fig. 1(c) is a cross-sectional view of the
package 1 shown in Fig. 1(a) in a plane perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the package 1.
The package 1 is formed of a sheet 10 of a flexible material,
such as a film, a foil, a web or the like, e.g., made of
plastic, metal, paper etc. The thickness of the sheet of the
flexible material may be in a range from 0.1 to 1.0 mm,
preferably 0.3 to 0.8 mm.
The package 1 comprises a first sealing region 2 extending in
a first direction and a second sealing region 4 extending in
a second direction which is substantially parallel to the
first direction, the first and second sealing regions 2, 4
being spaced apart a first distance. As can be seen from
Fig. 1(a), the first and second directions are substantially
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the package 1. Further,
the package 1 comprises a third sealing region 6 extending in
a third direction which is substantially perpendicular to the
first and second directions and a fourth sealing region 8
extending in a fourth direction which is substantially
parallel to the third direction, the third and fourth sealing
regions 6, 8 being spaced apart a second distance. The third
and fourth directions are substantially parallel to the
widthwise direction of the package 1.
Each of the sealing regions 2, 4, 6, 8 comprises at least two
layer portions of the sheet 10 which are adhesively joined
together by a resealable adhesive 20, 20', such as cold seal,
as is schematically shown for the first and second sealing
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regions 2, 4 in Fig. 1(c). The first and second sealing
regions 2, 4 are arranged on a first side 12 of the package
1, while a second side 14 of the package 1 opposite to the
first side 12 is formed by a continuous portion of the sheet
(see Figs. 1(a) and (c)).
The second sealing region 4 is formed at two substantially
parallel edge portions of the sheet 10, as can be seen from
Fig. 1(c). Thus, the outer edge of the second sealing region
4 is open along the extension of the second sealing region 4
in the second direction. Further, the first sealing region 2
comprises a line of weakness 16, such as a perforation, a
score line or a cut, extending in the first direction.
Hence, a strip 23 of the flexible material, extending in the
first direction, is defined between the outer edge of the
second sealing region 4 and the line of weakness 16 of the
first sealing region 2.
When opening the package 1, this strip 23 may be partly or
fully removed from the package 1 by peeling it off in the
first direction, thereby providing access to the contents of
the package 1. Figure 1(b) shows the package 1 in a state in
which the strip 23 has been partly removed. After opening of
the package 1, the remainders of the first and second sealing
regions 2, 4 assist in retaining the package contents in the
package 1 (Figs. 1(b) and (c)).
The third sealing region 6 comprises a portion 22 arranged at
an outer edge of the package 1 and extending in the third
direction, in which portion 22 the two layer portions of the
sheet 10 are unattached to each other (Fig. 1(b)). No
adhesive material is provided in this portion 22 of the third
sealing region 6. Therefore, this portion 22 provides
additional assistance in opening the package 1.
Specifically, the unattached layer portions may be gripped by
a consumer and pulled apart, so as to at least partly remove
the strip 23 from the package 1.
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Due to the use of a resealable adhesive 20, 20' in the first
and second sealing regions 2, 4, the package 1 can be
resealed in a simple and reliable manner by reattaching the
strip 23 of the flexible material to the remainders of the
first and second sealing regions 2, 4. The third sealing
region 6, which also comprises a resealable adhesive,
contributes to the resealability of the package 1. Moreover,
also the fourth sealing region 8 comprises a resealable
adhesive. Hence, the strip 23 may be entirely removed from
the package 1 and subsequently reattached in a particularly
simple and reliable manner.
As is schematically shown in Fig. 1(c), the package 1 is
formed of a single sheet 10 of the flexible material which is
wrapped around the product to be packaged and folded at the
first and second sealing regions 2, 4. Hence, the package 1
can be manufactured without cutting off and reattaching
portions of the sheet 10. Therefore, no alignment of such
cut off portions with the remaining packaging material has to
be performed, thus considerably simplifying the manufacturing
process, enabling a reduction of the production costs and
eliminating the need for complicated modifications of the
production equipment.
Further, since the two substantially parallel edge portions
of the sheet 10 are used to form the second sealing region 4,
as is schematically shown in Fig. 1(c), the package 1 does
not have any connection seams or other types of material
joints on its second side 14, thereby enhancing the
stackability of the package 1 and improving its optical
appearance. Moreover, since the outer edge of the second
sealing region 4 is open along the extension of the second
sealing region 4 in the second direction, no additional line
of weakness has to be provided, thus further simplifying the
process of manufacturing the package 1.
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Figures 2(a) and (b) show schematic views of a package l'
according to another embodiment of the present invention,
wherein Fig. 2(a) is a plan view of a sheet 10 for forming
the package 1' before folding and Fig. 2(b) is a cross-
sectional view of the folded package 1' in a plane
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the package 1'.
For reasons of simplicity, the same reference signs as in
Figs. 1(a) to (c) are used to denote similar or identical
elements.
The package 1' of the embodiment shown in Figs. 2(a) and (b)
differs from the package 1 of the embodiment shown in Figs.
1(a) to (c) mainly in that it has a substantially rectangular
shape in a cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal
axis (Fig. 2(b)). Hence, the second side 14 of the package
l' has a substantially flat surface. This configuration of
the second side 14 provides a particularly high level of
stackability, enabling the arrangement of a large number of
packages l' on top of each other in a stably stacked manner.
A method of manufacturing the package l' of this embodiment
will be described in the following with reference to Figs.
2(a) and (b). The method can be performed using conventional
packaging equipment, such as vertical or horizontal form fill
seal equipment.
Prior to the steps of folding the sheet 10 and forming the
first to fourth sealing regions 2, 4, 6, 8, two cuts 24, 24'
are provided in the sheet 10 so that, in the finished package
l', each of the third and fourth sealing regions 6, 8
comprises a portion in which the sheet 10 is cut
substantially along the first direction. These cuts 24, 24'
provide further assistance in opening the package 1'. In
particular, the provision of the cuts 24, 24' in the third
and fourth sealing regions 6, 8 enables an easy opening of
the package 1' from both ends thereof. The cuts 24, 24' may
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have a length in the range from 2 to 10 mm, preferably from 4
to 8 mm.
Further, prior to folding the sheet 10 and forming the first
to fourth sealing regions 2, 4, 6, 8, a line of weakness 16
is provided in the sheet 10 so that, in the finished package
1', the line of weakness 16 extends in the first sealing
region 2 in the first direction (Figs. 2(a) and 2(b)). The
line of weakness 16 may be a perforation and/or a score line
and/or a cut extending in the first direction. Moreover, the
portions of the sheet 10 which are marked by hatching in Fig.
2(a) are provided with a layer of a resealable adhesive 21.
In the finished package l', this layer 21 forms the
resealable adhesive layers 20, 20' in the first to fourth
sealing regions 2, 4, 6, 8.
As can be seen from Fig 2(a), two portions 22, 22' of the
sheet 10 are left devoid of the adhesive layer 21. These
portions 22, 22' provide additional assistance in opening the
finished package 1' in the manner described above for the
embodiment of Figs. 1(a) to (c). The cuts 24, 24' are
arranged so that, in the finished package 1', they are
provided within the portions 22, 22', respectively.
The products 30 to be packaged, such as biscuits, gums,
candies, chocolate or the like, are placed on the sheet 10,
as is schematically shown in Fig. 2(a). Subsequently, the
sheet 10 is folded along a plurality of folding lines 28 into
the configuration shown in Fig. 2 (b). In this folding
process, the line of weakness 16 also serves as a folding
line 28, so that, in the finished package l', the line of
weakness 16 is arranged at the outer edge of the first
sealing region 2 (Fig. 2(b).
After the folding step, pressure is applied to the first to
fourth sealing regions 2, 4, 6, 8 so as to adhesively join
together the respective two layer portions of the sheet 10 in
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each of these regions 2, 4, 6, 8, thereby completing the
manufacturing process of the package 1'.
Figures 3(a) and (b) show schematic views of a package I"
according to yet another embodiment of the present invention,
wherein Fig. 3(a) is a plan view of a sheet 10 for forming
the package 1" before folding and Fig. 3(b) is a cross-
sectional view of the folded package 1" in a plane
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the package 1".
For reasons of simplicity, the same reference signs as in
Figs. 1(a) to (c), 2(a) and 2(b) are used to denote similar
or identical elements.
The package 1" of the embodiment shown in Figs. 3(a) and (b)
differs from the package l' of the embodiment shown in Figs.
2(a) and (b) only in its size and the number of products 30
contained therein. As has been discussed above, the package
of the invention may be used for packaging any type of liquid
or solid materials irrespective of the shapes or sizes of the
materials.
Figures 4(a) to (d) show schematic views of a package 100
according to yet another embodiment of the present invention,
wherein Fig. 4(a) is a perspective view of the package 100 in
a closed state, Fig. 4(b) is an enlarged view of the portion
within the circle in Fig. 4(a), Fig. 4(c) is a perspective
view of the package 100 in a partially opened state and Fig.
4(d) is a cross-sectional view of the package 100 along the
line A-A shown in Fig. 4(b). For reasons of simplicity, the
same reference signs as in Figs. 1(a) to 3(b) are used to
denote similar or identical elements.
The package 100 of the embodiment shown in Figures 4(a) to
(d) differs from the packages 1, 1', I" of the embodiments
shown in Figs. 1(a) to 3(b) mainly in that the first and
second sealing regions 2, 4 extend in a direction
substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the
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package 100. Moreover, as is schematically shown in Figs.
4(b) and (d), the first and second sealing regions 2, 4
comprise six and four layer portions of the sheet 10,
respectively. In this way, the rigidity of the first and
second sealing regions 2, 4 is enhanced, thereby adding
further stability to the structure of the package 100. Such
a configuration is particularly advantageous if sensitive
products 30, which may be easily damaged, are to be packaged.
As is indicated in Fig. 4(d), only the two innermost layer
portions of the sheet 10 may be adhesively joined together by
a resealable adhesive 20, 20', such as cold seal, in the
first and second sealing regions 2, 4. However,
alternatively, more than two, e.g., three, four, five or six,
layer portions may be adhesively joined together. In this
way, the stability of the package 100 can be further
enhanced.
Figures 5(a) to (c) show schematic views of a package l'"
according to yet another embodiment of the present invention,
wherein Figs. 5(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of the
package 1"' in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal
axis of the package l'", illustrating a process of forming
the first and second sealing regions 2, 4, and Fig. 5(c)
shows cross-sectional views of different possible package
geometries. For reasons of simplicity, the same reference
signs as in Figs. 1(a) to 4(d) are used to denote similar or
identical elements.
The package 1"' of the embodiment shown in Figures 5(a) to
(c) differs from the package 1 of the embodiment shown in
Figs. 1(a) to (c) mainly in that the first distance between
the first and second sealing regions 2, 4 is significantly
smaller (see Figs. 1(c) and 5(c)). In this way, after
opening of the package l'", the remainders of the first and
second sealing regions 2, 4 assist in retaining the package
contents in the package l'" in a particularly efficient and
reliable manner. In particular, these remainders have to be
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moved apart from each other in the third direction by a
consumer in order to enable removal of the package contents.
As has been discussed above, the present invention may be
applied to packages with any kind of shapes or sizes. For
example, the packages may have a substantially circular,
square, rectangular or triangular shape in a cross-section
perpendicular to the first direction, as is schematically
shown in Fig. 5(c).
The packages l'" shown in Fig. 5(c) are in a state in which
the first and second sealing regions 2, 4 have been fully
tilted outwards in opposite directions parallel to the third
and fourth directions. In this way, the first sides 12 of
these packages 1"' are provided with a substantially flat
surface, further enhancing the stackability of the packages
l'".
Moreover, the at least two layer portions in the first to
fourth sealing regions 2, 4, 6, 8 may be joined together
using any suitable type of method or material, such as heat
welding, cohesive materials, adhesive materials, such as a
pressure sensitive adhesive, e.g., cold seal, or the like.
An example of adhesively joining two layer portions of the
sheet 10 together by a resealable adhesive 20, 20' in the
first and second sealing regions 2, 4 using a pair of rollers
40 is shown in the cross-sectional views of Figs. 5(a) and
(b).
Specifically, the first and second sealing regions 2, 4 may
be separately inserted into a nip formed between the pair of
rollers 40 (Fig. 5(a)). In this case, pressure is applied by
the rollers 40 to each of the first and second sealing
regions 2, 4, so as to adhesively join together the
respective two layer portions of the sheet 10 in each of
these regions 2, 4.
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Alternatively, the first and second sealing regions 2, 4 may
be inserted into the nip together (Fig. 5(b)). In this
configuration, the pressure is simultaneously applied to both
of the first and second sealing regions 2, 4.
