Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Stand-up packaging
The present invention relates to a stand-up packaging or package for food
products
having a pouch for carrying a food product and an outer packaging at least
partially
surrounding the pouch.
Such stand-up packagings are well-known in the prior art. To fix the sleeve or
pouch
to the outer packaging, present packagings use stapler or other mechanical
fixing
means or ultrasonic sealing, heat sealing or sewing. These techniques either
require
costly apparatuses and manufacturing processes and/or use additional fixing
means
like stapler, which might end up in the food stored within the sleeve or
pouch.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a stand-up packaging
for food
products as initially described in a simple and cost efficient manner.
The object is to be accomplished by means of the independent claim. The
dependent
claims advantageously study further the central idea of the present invention.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stand-up
packaging for food products. The stand-up packaging comprises at least one
first
pouch and at least one second pouch for carrying a food product, respectively.
The
stand-up packaging further comprises an outer packaging having two (i.e. a
first and a
second) cover elements at least partially sandwiching the first pouch. The
stand-up
packaging further comprises at least one further element being at least
partially
sandwiched between the first pouch and one of the two mentioned cover elements
(in
the following also referred to as "the one cover element"). The further
element is
penetrated by a through hole. The one cover element is glued to (i.e. directly
glued to)
the at least one first pouch via (i.e. through) the through hole. The at least
one second
pouch is directly glued not via (i.e. through) a through hole to at least one
of the two
mentioned cover elements or the further element.
Hence, the glue which extends through the through hole of the further element
can act
as a kind of plug or bolt being fixedly attached or connected (i.e. directly
glued) to the
opposite elements (i.e. the one cover element and the at least one first
pouch) to thus
carry the first pouch(es) via the outer packaging. If more than one first
pouch is
present, all of these pouches can be connected/glued to the outer packaging
(i.e. the
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one cover element) via at least one or a plurality of through holes of at
least one or a
plurality of further elements.
Moreover, by directly gluing the second pouch not via a through hole it is
possible to
connect at least one additional second pouch to at least one of the two
mentioned
cover elements or the further element in an easy and flexible manner.
Additionally, it
is possible to position the additional second pouch in the stand-up packaging
independently and differently to the first pouch. Thereby, it is possible to
use the
space defined by the outer packaging more efficiently and to arrange the
respective
io pouches in a manner that allows for creating an appealing presentation
of the food
products inside the pouches.
According to the present invention, the term "stand-up packaging" covers any
kind of
packages, which by themselves and, in particular, by their design are able to
stand
alone when being placed on a preferably flat ground.
According to the present invention, the term "food products" covers any kind
of
consumable products, particularly any kind of consumable products, which are
generally carried and sold in such stand-up packages. The food products can
have any
consistency and may, for instance, be fluid, flowable, pasty, jellylike,
powdered, solid
and the like.
According to the present invention, the term "pouch" can be any kind of
preferably
deformable or flexible packaging for carrying a food product; i.e. it is made
of a food
safe material. In particular, it can be made of a sealable material to thus
provide a
closed and preferably hermetically sealed (e.g. air-tight) pocket for
receiving the food
product.
According to the present invention, the term "outer packaging" covers all kind
of
packagings to carry and/or enclose pouches as described herein above. The
outer
packaging is preferably made of cardboard or plastics. It is preferably
imprinted to
carry information with respect to the content (e.g. food product; meal) of the
stand-up
packaging, like pictures, texts (cooking recipe; ingredients; nutrition facts;
etc.),
barcodes and the like.
According to the present invention, the expression of "to be sandwiched
between [..1"
is usually to be understood as "being inserted or enclosed between usually two
things".
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According to the present invention, any kind of "glue" can be used, which
allows a
direct gluing connection between the respective elements.
For example, the gluing connection between the cover element and the first
pouch,
which are connected via (i.e. through) the through hole, can be established
with the
same or a different kind of "glue" that is used for the direct gluing
connection between
the second pouch and the at least one of the cover elements or the further
element.
According to the present invention, "glued [...] via the through hole" is to
be
io understood as "glued [...] through the through hole", i.e. that the glue
extents through
the through hole to thus directly connect the elements being positioned
opposite with
respect to the through hole.
Accordingly, "directly glued not via a through hole" is to be understood such
that the
.. glue does not extend through any kind of hole ¨ i.e. there is no element
present
between the pouch and the element to which it is glued to in the region of
glue
attachment ¨ to thus directly connect the respective two elements as the glue
adheres
the surfaces of the two elements abutting against each other.
According to the present invention, "glued to each other" is to be understood
as being
"directly glued to each other", i.e. that the glued elements are directly
glued and thus
connected to one another by means of glue irrespective of the glue extending
between
these elements via (i.e. though) the through hole.
With respect to the present invention, it is thus possible to easily provide
fixing means
(by simple use of glue) to the outer packaging ¨ and in particular to one of
its cover
elements ¨ and at the same time connect the outer packaging with pouch(es) to
thus
obtain a ready stand-up packaging carrying the pouch(es) and without the use
of
additional fixing means; i.e. in an easy and cost efficient manner.
This comes about since glue can be easily provided to surfaces that are
required for
gluing together. For example, for the first pouch glue can be easily provided
from one
outer side of the stand-up packaging and easily reaches the elements intended
to be
glued to each other as the glue is applied in a region of the through holes;
as glue
extends through the respective through holes, it may function as a kind of
plug or bolt
carrying and fixing the further elements and allowing the at least one pouch
to be
securely attached to the outer packaging. Similarly can be found for the
second pouch
that is directly glued not via a through hole so that glue can be applied
directly
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between the two respective elements. In addition, it is possible to provide a
stand-up
packaging with a plurality of pouches for carrying food products. It is thus
possible to
provide a stand-up packaging that, for example, comprises various ingredients
for a
meal.
The second pouch may be directly glued to a portion or surface of the other
cover
element. The portion or surface preferably faces the first pouch.
Additionally or alternatively, the second pouch may be at least partially
sandwiched
io between the first pouch and the outer packaging or preferably between
the first pouch
and the other cover element or the further element. Also, the second pouch may
be at
least partially sandwiched between one of the cover elements or the further
element,
to which it is directly glued to, on the one hand and the corresponding other
one of the
one of the cover elements or the further element, to which it is not directly
glued to, on
the other hand.
Thus, it is possible to arrange the second pouch in various different
positions and
arrangements in relation to other elements of the stand-up packaging of the
present
invention. Consequently, it is possible to the design the stand-up packaging
more
freely. Moreover, the first pouch and the second pouch can be arranged at
different
elements of the packaging so that they are easily accessible when opening the
packaging, e.g. by (partially) separating the packaging elements.
The further element may be a third cover element of the outer packaging.
Alternatively
or additionally, the further element may comprise at least one or a plurality
of
additional first pouches for carrying a food product. The additional first
pouches are
generally similar to the at least one first pouch. The different first pouches
¨ i.e. the at
least one first pouch as well as the additional first pouches ¨ may carry
different
ingredients of a particular recipe/meal. Both, the third cover element and the
additional first pouch(es) comprise the through hole(s) as described herein
above.
They are thus at least partially sandwiched between the at least one first
pouch and
the one cover element such that the one cover element is glued to the at least
one first
pouch via the through hole(s) of these further elements.
Similarly as described before for the additional first pouches, the at least
one second
pouch for carrying a food product may be generally similar to the at least one
first
pouch. The different pouches ¨ i.e. the at least one first pouch and the at
least one
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second pouch ¨ may carry different ingredients of a particular recipe/meal.
The
different pouches may vary in size. For example, the first pouch may have
larger
dimensions than the second pouch, the first pouch thereby forming a main pouch
and
the second pouch being a secondary, smaller pouch.
In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the respective pouches, i.e. at
least one of
the at least one first pouch or the at least one second pouch, comprises a
sealing
region. Preferably, all of the respective pouches comprise a sealing region.
This sealing
region is provided to dose at least a part of the respective pouch to securely
carry the
io food product within the pouch. The sealing region may circumferentially
or partially
circumferentially surround the respective pouch, i.e. at least one of the
first and
second pouch, to form a pocket in order to preferably sealingly carry the food
product;
preferably in a (hermetically) sealed manner.
Thus, it is possible to provide a stand-up packaging that may be used to store
the food
product in a safe and hygienic manner over an extended period of time.
In a preferred embodiment, the stand-up packaging may comprise more than one
second pouch. The second pouches may preferably be glued to the same element,
i.e.
to at least one of the cover elements or the further element, or more
preferred to the
same side or surface thereof. Alternatively or additionally, the second
pouches may at
least partially overlap in at least one viewing direction, preferably in a
front view of the
stand-up packaging, preferably with the stand-up packaging being in its
designated
operating ¨ i.e. (upright) standing or stand-up ¨ position.
Additionally or alternatively, the second pouches may overlap in a way that
bottom
edges of neighboring second pouches are positioned at different heights.
Preferably, the heights of the bottom edges of second pouches may be
determined in
relation to an edge of the element, to which the second pouches are glued to,
preferably when the stand-up packaging is in its designated operating
position.
Moreover, the second pouches may overlap at different heights such that the
second
pouch, which bottom edge is higher or lower with respect to its neighboring
second
pouch, is at least partially sandwiched by the one of the cover elements or
the further
element, to which it is directly glued to, and at least the neighboring second
pouch.
Thus, it is possible to arrange the second pouches in the stand-up packaging
in a
staggered manner. Thereby, it is possible to use the space defined by the
stand-up
packaging in an efficient manner. Moreover, it may be achieved that each of
the
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second pouches is directly connected to the element, to which the second
pouches are
glued to, as well as that none of the second pouches is completely covered by
a
neighboring second pouch, thereby facilitating the visibility of each of the
second
pouches. Further, the packaging can thus be provided in a flat manner.
Preferably, the element, to which the second pouch is directly glued to,
comprises a
gluing portion for directly gluing the second pouch to the respective element.
According to the present invention, "the element, to which the second pouch is
directly glued to" is to be understood as at least one of the two cover
elements or the
further element.
In a preferred embodiment in which the stand-up packaging comprises more than
one
second pouch, a gluing portion may be provided for each of the second pouches.
It may also be preferred that the gluing portion of a particular second pouch
is offset
to a neighboring second pouch, wherein the neighboring second pouch is on the
same
side of the particular second pouch as the gluing portion of the particular
second
pouch.
Thus, it is possible to arrange the second pouches on the element, to which
the second
pouches are glued to, in a staggered manner. In particular, by providing the
neighboring second pouch on the same side of a particular pouch as the gluing
portion
thereof, space is economically used and the visibility of the individual
pouches is
secured. Moreover, it can be ensured that each of the second pouches is
directly
connected to the element, to which it is glued to.
In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the first and/or second pouches
comprises
a headspace. Preferably, at least the second pouch(es) comprise(s) the
headspace.
More preferred, the pocket of at least one of the first and/or second pouches
comprises the headspace.
According to the present invention, the term "headspace" is to be understood
as a(n)
(empty) space above or besides of the food product within the pouch, i.e. in a
closed
volume of the pouch.
Thus, it is possible to improve the transport and storage capabilities of the
stand-up
packaging as the risk of accidental spillage or burst of one of the pouches
can be
reduced by providing a headspace. Moreover, the headspace allows easier
filling of the
pouches during production. Moreover, the provision of the headspace allows to
reduce
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the thickness of the individual pouch by allowing the food content to be moved
correspondingly inside the pouch.
In a preferred embodiment of the stand-up packaging that comprises more than
one
second pouch, the headspace of a particular second pouch at least partially
overlaps
with the pocket of a neighboring second pouch. Preferably, the headspace of a
particular second pouch at least partially overlaps with the pocket of a
neighboring
second pouch such that the neighboring second pouch is sandwiched between the
headspace of the particular second pouch and the element, to which it is
directly glued
io to.
Thus, it is possible to arrange the pouches in a more condensed manner as the
headspace of the pouches overlaps with a neighboring pouch. Consequently, it
is
possible to arrange multiple pouches next to each other in a staggered manner
without
having to provide a through hole for gluing the pouches to the respective
element, to
which the second pouches are directly glued to. Additionally, the headspace of
a
particular second pouch can be hidden by being covered by its neighboring
second
pouch. Hence, the appearance of the stand-up packaging can be improved.
.. The outer packaging and preferably at least one of the cover elements may
comprise a
cut-out region to expose at least one and preferably all of the first and/or
second
pouches. Alternatively or additionally, the further element may comprise the
cut-out
region.
In other words, this cut-out region may function as an inspection window.
In a preferred embodiment, the cut-out region is provided such that all of the
contained pouches are visible through said cut-out region. Preferably, for a
stand-up
packaging comprising more than one second pouch the cut-out region is provided
in a
region (of the outer packaging), where the (second) pouches overlap with each
other.
Moreover, the respective pouches may have different lengths or may be provided
in an
offset manner, accordingly.
Hence, by providing a cut-out region it can be achieved that the content of
the stand-
up packaging can be easily displayed.
The glue being used for the stand-up packaging may be provided as glue dots or
a line
of glue or an area provided with glue. Preferably, the glue covers at least
partially the
through holes. According to the present invention, "at least partially
covering" means
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that the glue must at least partially extend over the corresponding through
holes to
allow the one cover element being glued to the at least one first pouch via
said through
holes. The glue, however, may also cover regions surrounding or between the
through
holes to allow for neighboring elements to be glued to each other directly to
thus
.. provide a firm connection of these elements of the outer packaging and/or
the outer
packaging and the corresponding (additional) first pouches.
Additionally or alternatively, the glue used for the second pouch(es) may be
different
from the glue used for the first pouch. For example, the glue used for the
second
pouch(es) may be a double-sided adhesive tape while a liquid glue is used for
the first
io pouch.
At least one of the through holes and preferably all of the through holes
comprise(s) at
least two or more distant through holes. In fact, the number of distant
through holes
per further element (i.e. per additional pouch or third cover element) is not
limited by
.. the present invention. However, at least two distant through holes are
preferred to
allow for a secure fixation of the pouch at least two points thus reducing the
effect of
torque acting upon the glued fixing regions. In a preferred embodiment, the
distant
through holes of at least two and preferably all of the through holes are
aligned to each
other, respectively. This allows for an easy connection of the first pouches
to the outer
.. packaging and in particular a connection of the one cover element to the at
least one
first pouch via the through holes of the further element(s) preferably being
aligned
with one another.
According to the present invention, the shape of the through hole(s) is not
limited.
However, the through hole and preferably each of the distant through holes may
have
a rounded or polygonal shape, like a circular, oval or square shape. These
kinds of
shapes can be easily manufactured.
At least one of the cover elements ¨ preferably the one cover element ¨ can
have a
gluing region and a flap region being divided by a weakened tear-opening
region. The
tear-opening region is preferably configured (in any desired manner) to allow
for
separation of the gluing region and the flap region so that the flap region is
released to
allow access to the pouches, e.g., by bending open the flap region. The
weakened tear-
opening region can thus be provided as weakened (e.g. thinned) material region
in the
.. respective cover element. The weakened tear-opening region can also be
configured to
be removable to thus release the flap region to access the respective pouches,
i.e. the
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first or second pouches, in the outer packaging. Hence, a simple opening means
can be
integrally provided with the stand-up packaging.
The outer packaging may further comprise a preferably flat base element for
supporting or even carrying the stand-up packaging if being placed on the
ground. The
base element can be integrally formed with at least one of the cover elements
and may
further preferred cover bottom regions (e.g. bottom rim portions or edges) of
the
pouches. The stand-up packaging thus provides a stable supporting region to
carry the
stand-up packaging, which preferably covers bottom regions of (all) the
pouches, i.e.
io .. the first and second pouches, to protect the same.
The cover elements may be integrally provided with each other to form an outer
packaging having any desired layout. Preferred layouts of the outer packaging
may be
a U-shape, a loop-shape or a box-shape.
A U-shaped outer packaging can be obtained if the first and second cover
elements are
connected by a bending portion, which extends over a lateral region (e.g.
upper edge
or rim portions) of the pouches.
A loop-shaped outer packaging may be obtained if the first and second cover
elements
are connected by a bending portion, preferably in an upper region of the outer
packaging, as described for the U-shaped layout, and the second and third
cover
elements are connected to one another by a further bending portion, preferably
in a
bottom region of the outer packaging which extends over another lateral region
(e.g.
bottom edge or rim portions) of the pouches. Preferably, the first and third
cover
element overlap with one another, so that the third cover element is at least
partially
sandwiched between the (neighboring) first pouch (e.g. the at least one first
pouch or
one of the additional first pouches) and the first cover element. This
sandwiched
region of the third cover element may function as a gluing region having the
through
hole(s). The bottom bending region connecting the second and third cover
elements
may be provided by or may comprise the base element of the outer packaging.
A box-shaped outer packaging may be obtained similar to the loop-shaped outer
packaging but further comprising lateral cover elements, which may extend from
one
of the cover elements (e.g. the second or third cover elements) and are bent
to extend
to the opposite cover element (e.g. the other of the second or third cover
elements) to
which the lateral cover elements are preferably glued.
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The invention, however, is not limited to a particular shape, but the outer
packaging
can have any possible shape as long as it allows preferably for one of its
outer cover
elements to be glued to the at least one first pouch via through holes
penetrating at
.. least one of the further elements (e.g. additional first pouch(es) or third
cover
element) being sandwiched by said cover element and said first pouch.
The first and second pouches may be made of any food safe material suitable to
carry
food products. They may be made of plastics. They are preferably at least
partially and
io .. more preferred circumferentially sealed by the mentioned sealing region
to thus
(hermetically) seal the carried food products. In a preferred embodiment, the
pouches
are made of a deformable or flexible material. They can also be made of a
transparent
material so that the content can be easily inspected by a user. The outer
packaging can
be made of any material used for outer packaging for food products. In a most
preferred embodiment, the outer packaging is made of cardboard or plastics.
Further, features, advantages and objects of the present invention will become
apparent for the skilled person when reading the following detailed
description of
embodiments of the present invention and when taking in conjunction with the
.. figures of the enclosed drawings.
In case numerals have been omitted from a particular figure, it cannot be
followed
that the respective features are not present in the particular figure.
Instead, the
numerals have been omitted for reasons of clarity of the figure unless stated
otherwise.
Figures 1 to 5 show different steps of manufacturing an embodiment of a
stand-up packaging according to the present invention,
Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the rear of the embodiment of the
stand-up packaging according to the present invention
manufactured in accordance with the steps of figures 1 to 5.
The figures show an embodiment of a stand-up packaging 1 for food products
according to the present invention. Food products can be any consumable
products in
any given state like a fluid, flowable, pasty, jellylike, powdered or solid
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The stand-up packaging 1 comprises at least one or more first pouches 21 for
carrying
a food product. The stand-up packaging 1 further comprises at least one or
more
second pouches 22 for carrying a food product.
These respective pouches 21, 22 can, for instance, be made of a food safe
material,
preferably plastics. They can have any desired flexibility and tear strength
commonly
provided for such pouches 21, 22. The respective pouches 21, 22 are preferably
made
of a transparent material so that the user can inspect the contents thereof.
At least one of the respective pouches 21, 22 may have a sealing region 24.
The sealing
region 24 may circumferentially or partially circumferentially surround the
respective
pouch 21, 22 to form a pocket 20 to preferably sealingly carry the food
product.
This is exemplarily displayed in figures 1 to 6. Therein, the pocket 20 is
formed
between two sealing regions 24 for each of the first pouch 21 and the second
pouch 22.
However, it is also possible to provide sealing regions 24 of the respective
pouches 21,
22 in a different manner.
The stand-up packaging 1 further comprises an outer packaging 3. The outer
packaging 3 has two cover elements 31, 32 that at least partially sandwich the
first
pouch 21. In figures 1 to 6, the outer packaging 3 is exemplarily displayed
with a first
cover element 31 and a second cover element 32.
The outer packaging 3 can be made of any material commonly used for outer
packagings, like cardboard or plastics. The outer packaging 3 may carry an
imprint to
provide information about the stand-up packaging 1 and its content.
The stand-up packaging 1 further comprises at least one or a plurality of
further
elements.
The further element may comprise a third cover element 33 of the outer
packaging 3
and/or at least one additional first pouch (not displayed) for carrying food
products.
The additional first pouches are not displayed in any of the figures 1 to 6.
However, the
additional first pouches are preferably similar or generally identical to at
least one of
the first pouch 21 or second pouch 22 described herein above, so that ¨ for
the sake of
convenience ¨ it is referred to the description of the first 21 and/or second
pouch 22,
which also applies for such additional first pouches. Naturally, similar can
be found
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for additional second pouches 22', 22", which are described in more detail
further
below.
The further element is at least partially sandwiched between the first pouch
21 and
one of the two cover elements 31, 32. For example, in figure 6 the further
element is
sandwiched between the first pouch 21 and the first cover element 31.
The first and second cover elements 31, 32 can be integrally provided with
each other
to form the outer packaging 3.
io In particular, figures 1 to 6 show an embodiment, in which the three
mentioned cover
elements 31, 32, 33 are preferably integrally provided with each other to form
a loop-
shaped outer packaging 3. As displayed in figure 6, by overlap of the first
cover
element 31 and the third cover element 33, the overlapping regions can be
secured to
each other to provide a closed loop-shaped outer packaging 3 securely
surrounding all
of the pouches 21, 22. Further layouts of the outer packaging 3 can be a U-
shape or a
box-shape of the outer packaging 3.
In a preferred embodiment, the outer packaging 3 further comprises a flat base
element 35 for supporting or even carrying the stand-up packaging 1. This base
element 35 may also be integrally formed with at least one and preferably all
of the
cover elements (here with all of the other cover elements 31 to 32 and the
third cover
element 33). As can be seen in figures 5 and 6, the base element 35 preferably
covers
bottom regions of the respective pouches 21, 22.
To easily manufacture the stand-up packaging 1, the cover elements 31, 32 and
33 can
be connected by bending regions 37 for facilitating folding of the outer
packaging 3
into its final shape to obtain the stand-up packaging 1. This is exemplarily
visualised
for the first cover element 31 in figures 1 to 6.
As can be seen in figures 1 to 5, the further element(s) (i.e. the third cover
element 33
and/or additional first pouches) is/are penetrated by through hole(s) 36,
respectively.
The through hole 36 can have any shape, e.g. a rounded or polygonal shape. In
figures
1 to 5, the through hole 36 has an oval shape. However, the shape can also be
circular
or can be square or of any other shape. At least one of the through holes 36
and
preferably all through holes 36 preferably comprise at least two or even more
of
distant through holes 361, 362.
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The one cover element (i.e. the first cover element 31) and the at least one
first pouch
2 are glued (Gi) to each other by glue Gi via the through hole(s) 36 of the
further
element(s) 33. The glue Gi thus forms kind of bolt or plug to allow the outer
packaging
3 to be connected with the at least one first pouch 21 and ¨ together ¨ carry
the
additional first pouch(es).
The second pouch 22 is directly glued (G2) not via a through hole to at least
one of the
cover elements 31, 32 or the further element.
In figures 1 to 3 it is exemplarily displayed that the second pouch 22 is
directly glued
(G2) to the second cover element 32 not via a through hole.
The second pouch 22 may directly be glued (G2) to a portion or surface of the
other of
the two cover elements 31, 32 that is not glued to the first pouch 21 via the
through
hole 36. For example, in the figures the second pouch 22 is directly glued to
the
portion or surface of the second cover element 32 that faces the first pouch
21 in a
folded state of the stand-up packaging 1.
Glue G2 for the second pouch(es) 22(, 22', 22") can be provided as glue dots,
a line of
glue G2 or an area 42 provided with the glue G2. Alternatively, the glue G2
can be
provided as a double-sided adhesive tape. However, this enumeration of
examples for
the glue G2 is not limiting. In figure 1, the area 42 provided with glue G2 is
used to
glue the second pouch 22 to the second cover element 32. The second pouch 22
may
be at least partially sandwiched between the first pouch 21 and the outer
packaging 3,
preferably the other cover element, here the second cover element 32 or the
further
element 33. The second pouch 22 may also be at least partially sandwiched
between
one of the two cover elements 31, 32 or the further element 33, to which it is
directly
glued to, on the one hand and the corresponding other one of the one of the
cover
elements 31, 32 or the further element 33, to which it is not directly glued
to, on the
other hand.
Figure 4 shows exemplarily the second pouch 22 being sandwiched between the
second cover element 32 and the first pouch 21.
In a preferred embodiment, the stand-up packaging 1 comprises more than one
second pouch 22. The stand-up packaging 1 in the figures 1 to 3 has two
additional
second pouches 22', 22". The number of additional second pouches 22', 22" is
not
limited to two. Instead, it is conceivable that up to ten or more additional
second
pouches 22 can be provided.
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The second pouches 22, 22', 22" may be glued to the same element, i.e. to at
least one
of the cover elements 31, 32 or the further element 33. Preferably, the second
pouches
22, 22', 22" are glued to the same side or surface of the two cover elements
31, 32 or
the further element as displayed in figures 1 to 3.
Additionally or alternatively, the second pouches 22, 22', 22" may at least
partially
overlap in at least one viewing direction, preferably in a front view of the
stand-up
packaging 1.
io The front of the stand-up packaging 1 is the view onto the front of the
stand-up
packaging 1 in its folded state. Figure 6 exemplarily shows a rear view of the
stand-up
packaging 1 in its folded state and operating position. In figure 6 the front
of the
stand-up packaging i is formed by the outside surface of the second cover
element 32.
Alternatively, the second pouches 22, 22', 22" may at least partially overlap
in a way
that bottom edges 220 of neighboring second pouches 22, 22', 22' are
positioned at
different heights hi, h2, h3.
This is exemplarily illustrated in figure 2 of the present invention. Therein,
three
second pouches 22, 22', 22" are directly glued to the second cover element 32.
For
example, the second cover element 22 can be arranged at a vertical height hi
in
relation to the flat base element 35 or a bottom edge of the second cover
element 32.
Similarly, the additional second pouches 22', 22' are arranged at respective
heights h2
and h3 in relation to the flat base element 35. The heights hi to h3 can be
vertical with
respect to the surface onto which the stand-up packaging i is placed.
Moreover, in
figure 2 the heights hi to h3 extend between the bottom edge 220 of the
respective
second pouch 22, 22', 22" and the bottom edge of the second cover element 32,
that is
formed in Figure 2 as a folding line.
Additionally or alternatively, the second pouches 22, 22', 22' may at least
partially
overlap such that the second pouch 22, 22', 22", which bottom edge 220 is
higher with
respect to its neighboring second pouch 22, 22', 22", is at least partially
sandwiched by
the element, to which it is directly glued to, i.e. one of the two cover
elements 31, 32 or
the further element 33, and at least the neighboring second pouch 22, 22',
22".
This relationship is illustrated best in figure 2. For example, the second
pouch 22' is
sandwiched between the second cover element 32, to which it is directly glued
to, and
its neighboring second pouch 22, whereby the second pouch 22' is placed at a
higher
height h2 in comparison to the second pouch 22, which is placed at the height
hi.
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Thus, a staggered arrangement of the second pouches 22, 22', 22" can be
achieved.
However, it is also conceivable that the second pouches 22, 22', 22" are
arranged in a
different manner, for example, such that the second pouches 22, 22', 22' may
at least
partially overlap such that the second pouch 22, 22', 22", which bottom edge
220 is
lower with respect to its neighboring second pouch 22, 22', 22", is at least
partially
sandwiched by the element, to which it is directly glued to, i.e. one of the
two cover
elements 31, 32 or the further element 33, and at least the neighboring second
pouch
22, 22', 22".
io .. In a preferred embodiment, the element 31, 32, 33, to which the second
pouch 22 is
directly glued to, comprises a gluing portion 42 for directly gluing the
second pouch
22 to the respective element 31, 32, 33. This is exemplarily displayed in
figure 1,
wherein the gluing portion 42 is displayed as the aforementioned area 42.
However, it is also conceivable to provide the gluing portion 42 directly on
the second
is pouches 22, 22', 22".
In a preferred embodiment of a stand-up packaging 1 that comprises more than
one
second pouch 22, 22', 22" a gluing portion 42 may be provided for each of the
second
pouches 22, 22', 22", such as displayed in figure 1. Preferably, the gluing
portion 42 of
20 a particular second pouch 22, 22', 22" is offset to a neighboring second
pouch 22, 22',
22", wherein preferably the neighboring second pouch 22, 22', 22" is on the
same side
of the particular second pouch 22, 22', 22" as the gluing portion 42 of the
particular
second pouch 22, 22', 22".
This characteristic is exemplarily illustrated best in figures 1 and 2. For
each of the
25 .. second pouches 22, 22', 22" a corresponding gluing portion 42 is
provided. The
respective gluing portions 42 are vertically offset to each other. However, it
is also
conceivable to provide the gluing portions 42 with a horizontal, two
dimensional or
three-dimensional offset. The neighboring second pouch 22' of the second pouch
22 is
on the same side of the second pouch 22 (in relation to the second pouch 22)
as the
30 .. gluing portion 42 of the second pouch 22. Thereby, a staggered
arrangement of the
second pouches 22, 22', 22" can be achieved.
In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the respective pouches 21, 22, i.e.
at least
one of the at least one first pouch 21 and of the at least one second pouch
22,
35 .. preferably at least the second pouch(es) 22(, 22', 22"), more preferred
the pocket 20
thereof, comprises a headspace 200. The headspace 200 may be a space of
varying
CA 03106868 2021-01-19
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position within the respective pouch 21, 22 that does not comprise any food
product.
The headspace 200 is not illustrated in any of the figures 1 to 6.
In a preferred embodiment for a stand-up packaging 1 that comprises more than
one
second pouch 22, 22', 22" the headspace 200 of a particular second pouch 22,
22', 22"
at least partially overlaps with the pocket 20 of a neighboring second pouch
22, 22',
22", preferably such that the neighboring second pouch 22, 22', 22" is
sandwiched
between the headspace 200 of the particular second pouch 22, 22', 22" and the
element 31, 32, 33, to which it is directly glued to.
io As can be seen in figures 1 to 6, at least one of the cover elements -
here the first cover
element 31 - may comprise different functional regions. In particular, the
cover
element 31 may comprise a gluing region 310 forming the region being glued to
the at
least one first pouch 21 via the through holes 36. The first cover element 31
may
further have a flap region 311, which is divided from the gluing region 310 by
a
weakened tear-opening region 312. The tear-opening region 312 can be
configured in
any desired manner to allow separation of the gluing region 310 and the flap
region
311. In a preferred embodiment, the tear-opening region 312 is provided such
that it is
removable from the stand-up packaging 1 in a destructive or non-destructive
manner
to thus release the flap region 311 to access the respective pouches 21, 22 in
the stand-
up packaging 1.
As can be further seen in Figures 1 and 2, the outer packaging 3, preferably
at least one
of the cover elements 31, 32 or the further element- here the third cover
element 33 -,
may comprise a cut-out region 330 to expose at least partially at least one of
the
respective pouches 21, 22. Preferably, the cut out region 330 exposes all of
the
respective pouches 21, 22. The cut-out region 330 may thus form an inspection
window to allow the user inspection of the content of the corresponding
pouches 21,
22. The cut-out region 330 is here shown as a rectangular window. However,
neither
the shape nor the position nor the dimension of the cut-out region 330 is
limited by
the present invention. Preferably, for the stand-up packaging 1 comprising
more than
one second pouch 22, 22', 22" the cut-out region 330 may be in a region where
the
second pouches 22, 22', 22" overlap with each other. Inspection of the pouches
21, 22
may alternatively or additionally be enhanced if the respective pouches 21, 22
are
provided such that they do only partially overlap with one another as can, for
instance,
be seen in figures 1 to 6. For example, the partial overlap may be obtained by
the
pouches 21, 22 having different dimension and/or shapes to thus allow at least
part of
the respective pouches 21, 22 being outwardly exposed. Alternatively or
additionally,
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the pouches 21, 22 may also be offset with respect to one another as
illustrated in
figures 1 to 6.
The glue Gi for the first pouch 21 can be provided in different ways. For
instance, the
glue Gi can be provided as glue dots, as a line of glue Gi or an area 41
provided with
glue Gi. In any case, the glue Gi at least partially covers the through holes
36.
Figures 3 to 5 show the process of gluing the first pouch 21 to one of the two
cover
elements 31, 32, here the first cover element 31, via the through hole 36.
According to
io figures 3 to 5, the first pouch 21 is placed inside the outer packaging
3, the further
element, here the third cover element 33, is folded over and the glue Gi is
provided
within the area 41 such that the through holes 36 are at least partially
covered.
Thereafter, the first cover element 31 is folded over and the gluing region
310 is
attached to the gluing portion 41, whereby the first pouch 21 is directly
glued to the
first cover element 31 via the through hole 36. The through holes 36 may be
arranged
on the further element such that in the folded state of the stand-up packaging
1 the
tear-opening region 312 is positioned above the gluing portion 41.
Figures 1 to 5 show examples of manufacturing the stand-up packaging 1
according to
the present invention.
In a first step, three second pouches 22, 22', 22" and the outer packaging 3
(here
having the first to third cover elements 31, 32, 33 and the flat base element
35) are
positioned with respect to each other. The third cover element 33 comprises
the cut-
out region 330.
In a next step, glue G2 is provided within the area 42 (the gluing portion 42)
of the
second cover element 32. This can be done, for example, by a glue nozzle or by
applying double-sided adhesive tape. For each of the second pouches 22, 22',
22" a
corresponding glue portion 42 is provided. The respective glue portion 42 are
offset to
each other and are arranged along the cut-out region 330. The second pouches
22, 22',
22" are arranged in a way that for a second pouch 22, 22', 22", which bottom
edge 220
is higher with respect to its neighboring second pouch 22, 22', 22", is at
least partially
sandwiched by the second cover element 32, to which it is directly glued to,
and at
least the neighboring second pouch 22, 22', 22". Thereby, each of the
respective
second pouches 22, 22', 22" is at least partially visible through the cut-out
region 330.
In a next step, the first pouch 21 is provided and placed inside the outer
packaging 3
such that the second pouches 22, 22', 22" are at least partially sandwiched
between
the second cover element 32 and the first pouch 21.
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In a next step, the third cover element 33 is folded towards the respective
pouches 21,
22 and glue Gi is applied to the area 41 such that it at least partially
covers the
through holes 36 and extends through the through holes 36. As such, glue Gi is
applied to the at least one first pouch 21. This can be done either by a glue
nozzle N,
which is inserted through the through holes 36 to be positioned on or close to
the at
least one first pouch 21, where glue Gi can be applied onto the at least one
first pouch
21. In a preferred embodiment, also regions surrounding the through holes 36
or
therebetween can be applied with glue Gi either by the defined line of glue or
by glue
dots or the like. This allows for additional fixation of neighboring elements
(here first
io and third cover elements 31, 33) as described in the following.
After having applied the glue Gi to the stand-up packaging 1, the one cover
element ¨
here the first cover element 31 ¨ is positioned or moved into its final
position to form
the completed stand-up packaging 1. In the shown embodiment, the outer
packaging 3
is integrally formed so that the outer packaging 3 is "dosed" by simply
bending the
first cover element 31 via the bending region 37 over the upper rim portions
of the
respective pouches 21, 22 to be thus positioned opposite to the second cover
element
32 and the at least one first pouch 21. In a preferred embodiment, a gluing
region 310
of the first cover element 31 is thus placed in a region where glue G extends
from the
at least one pouch 2 through the through holes 36 to thus glue the one cover
element
31 to the at least one or plurality of pouches 2 via the respective through
holes 36.
The present invention is not limited by the embodiments as described
hereinabove, as
long as being covered by the appended claims.
All the features of the embodiments described herein above can be combined in
any
possible way and can be interchangeably provided. If the singular form for the
features like "through hole" or "pouch" or "cover element" is used in the
present
invention, it also covers its plural form like "through holes" or "pouches" or
"cover
elements", respectively.
If not otherwise indicated, "pouches" or "respective pouches" covers both
groups of
first pouches 21 and second pouches 22 either as alternatives or as a
combination.
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