PACKAGE AND METHOD OF FORMING INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED, SLICE-SHAPED PRODUCTS

Field

[0001] The disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus for forming individually wrapped, slice-shaped food products, and in particular to methods and apparatus for forming such a package configured to facilitate opening thereof.

Background

[0002] Individual food product portions, such as cheese slices, are typically packaged in groups or individually. Cheese is typically injected into a tubular-shaped web of packaging film. In order to form the web of film into the tubular shape, the web of packaging film can be drawn around a forming member, such as is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,542,570, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Another method of forming the web of film into the tubular shape is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,112,632, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, which involves making a V-fold. In such package configurations, the use of a single web of film results in a package having the same film properties for both front and back walls of the package.

[0003] Such packages have features that can be used for opening the package to gain access to the cheese product. One mechanism for opening such individually packaged cheese portions is to use a lap seal, which can be a peelable seal along an overlapping seam of the tubular-shaped web, such as disclosed in the '570 patent. Another mechanism for opening such individually package cheese portions is to use a fin seal, such as a seal between opposing inner surfaces of the tubular web, such as disclosed in the '632 patent. However, such lap and fin seals can be difficult to open, and can result in undesirable contact and even deformation of the cheese product.

Summary

[0004] An individually wrapped food product portion, and methods and apparatus for producing such an individually wrapped food product portion,

are disclosed herein. In one aspect, the packaging can be made from two different films, each having properties different from each other. In another aspect, the packaging can have a pair of gripping flanges to facilitate opening of the package for gaining access to the food product therein. [0005] The package for enclosing a slice shaped individual portion of food product, such as cheese, is disclosed herein. The package includes a first package wail having a top edge spaced a predetermined distance from a bottom edge and a pair of side edges. The package also includes a second package wall having a top edge spaced a predetermined distance from a bottom edge and a pair of side edges. The predetermined distance between the top and bottom edges of the second package wall are greater than the predetermined distance between the top and bottom edges of the first package wall. A bottom seal is formed between the first and second package walls adjacent the bottom edges thereof. A side seal is formed between the first and second package walls adjacent each of the side edges thereof. In addition, a top seal is formed between the first and second package walls, and are spaced a predetermined distance below the top edge of the first package wall and a predetermined distance below the top edge of the second package wall. The predetermined distance between the top seal and the top edge of the second package wall is greater than the predetermined distance between the top seal and the top edge of the second package. [0006] A method for forming a package for enclosing a sliced shaped individual portion of food product is disclosed. The method may include feeding a fiowable food product, such as cheese, through a filling tube. The filing tube may have an entrance opening and an exit opening downstream of the entrance opening. The method may also include directing a first film adjacent one side of the filling tube, where the first film has a first longitudinal side edge spaced a distance from a second longitudinal side edge. The method may also include directing a second film adjacent another side of the filling tube opposite the one side thereof. The second film may have a first longitudinal edge spaced a distance from a second longitudinal edge thereof. The method may also include generally aligning the first longitudinal edges of the first and second films. The method may also include forming a top longitudinal seal and a bottom longitudinal seal between the first and second

Tilms before the seals between the tirst and second films past the exit opening of the filling tube. The method may also include inserting the food product between the first and second films between the longitudinal seals. The method may further include cooling at least a portion of the food product between the first and second films. The method may also include forming a pair of cross seals between the first and second films transverse to the longitudinal seals to form a package enclosing a sliced shaped individual portion of the food product between the cross seals and the longitudinal seals, and then separating the package from adjacent packages. [0007] The step of cooling at least a portion of the food product between the first and second films may occur prior to the step of forming the pair of cross seals. Alternatively, the step of cooling at least a portion of the food product between the first and second films may occur after the step of forming a pair of cross seals. The step of cooling at least a portion of the food product may include the step of submerging a portion of the first and second films having food product therebetween in a fluid bath or alternatively, contacting a portion of the first and second films having food product therebetween with a chill wheel. The package may be generally rectangular. The distance between the first and second longitudinal edges of the second film may be greater than the distance between the first and second longitudinal edges of the first film. The top longitudinal seal may be spaced from the second longitudinal side edges of the first and second films, and the cross seals may not extend beyond the top longitudinal seal. The first film and the second films may comprise different materials, and an interior surface of the first film may have different food release properties than an interior surface of the second film. Less force may be required to separate the first and second films at their top and cross seals as compared to the bottom seal. The top, bottom and cross seals may be hermetic.

In another aspect, a package for enclosing a generally rectangular slice-shaped individual portion of food product, such as cheese or meat, is disclosed. The package may contain a generally rectangular slice-shaped individual portion of food product positioned between a generally rectangular first package wall formed from a first film material and a generally rectangular second package wall formed from a second film material. Top, bottom and

side seals may be formed between the first and second package walls bordering a generally rectangular interior having the generally rectangular slice-shaped individual portion of food product therein. The portion of food product may abut against interior facing portions of each of the top, bottom and side seals.

[0008] The bottom edges of the first and second package walls may generally be aligned, to result in the top edges of the first and second package walls being at different locations from each other. In addition, the side seals may extend between the top and bottom seals, and may not extend beyond the top seal.

[0009] The first package wall may comprise a different material than the second package wall. For instance, the interior surface of the first package wall may have a different food product release property than an interior surface of the second package wall.

[0010] The seals may be formed such that less force is required to separate the first and second package walls at their top and side seals as compared to their bottom seal. The top, bottom and side seals may all be hermetic. At least one of the top, bottom and side seals may be a fold. The package may be generally rectangular, and may contain a generally rectangular sliced shaped individual portion of a food product, such as cheese.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a package containing a slice-shaped food product;

[0012] FIGURE 2 is a section view of the package containing a slice- shaped food product of FIGURE 1 taken along line 2-2; [0013] FIGURE 3a is a perspective view of the package and food product of FIGURE 1 where the package is partially opened;

[0014] FIGURE 3b is a perspective view of the package and food product of FIGURE 1 where the package is fully opened;

[0015] FIGURE 4a is a perspective, schematic view of a manufacturing line for producing the package containing a slice-shaped food product of FIGURE 1 ;

[0016] FIGURE 4b is a perspective, detailed view of a film feed portion of the manufacturing line of FIGURE 4a;

[0017] FIGURE 5a is a perspective, schematic view of a tandem manufacturing line for producing the package containing a slice-shaped food product of FIGURE 1; and

[0018] FIGURE 5b is a perspective, detailed view of a film feed portion of the tandem manufacturing line of FIGURE 5a.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

[0019] An individually wrapped food product portion, and methods and apparatus for producing such an individually wrapped food product portion, are disclosed herein and illustrated in FIGURES 1-6. in one aspect, the packaging can be made from two different films, each having properties different from each other. In another aspect, the packaging can have a pair of gripping flanges to facilitate opening of the package for gaining access to the food product therein. These aspects may also be combined. [0020] The individually wrapped food product portion 10 comprises a slice-shaped cheese portion 26 packaged within a sealed interior formed between a first film wall 12 and a second film wall 14. More specifically, the cheese portion 26 is surrounded by a bottom seal 22, a top seal 24 and a pair of side seals 26 and 28 formed between the first and second film walls 12 and 14, as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

[0021] To facilitate ease of opening of the individually wrapped cheese portion 10, gripping flanges 18 and 20 are provided at upper ends of the first and second film walls 12 and 14, respectively. The gripping flange 18 of the first film wall 12 extends a predetermined distance beyond the top seal 24 and on an opposite side thereof relative to the cheese portion 26, and the gripping flange 20 of the second film wall 14 extends a predetermined distance beyond the top seal 24 and on an opposite side thereof relative to the cheese portion 26. To open the package, a consumer can grip each of the gripping flanges 18 and 20 and pull the gripping flanges 18 and 20 is opposite directions to open at least some of the seals 22, 24, 26 and 28 between the first and second film walls 12 and 14. For example, the gripping flanges 18 and 20 can

be pulled in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows 18' and 20' in FIGURES 3a and 3b, to separate the first and second film walls 12 and 14. [0022] To facilitate gripping, it is preferable, though not necessary, that the flanges 18 and 20 have different heights. For example, the flange 20 of the second film wall 14 may extend beyond the flange 18 of the first film wall 18. [0023] The seals 22, 24, 26 and 28 are preferably hermetic, i.e., sufficient to prevent the passage of air from outside the package to the package interior under standard conditions. However, in order to facilitate opening, the seals 22, 24, 26 and 28 may have different strengths, such that one or more of the seals can require less force to open than one or more of the other seals. For example, the bottom seal 22 may require more force to open that the top and side seals 24, 26 and 28, thereby assisting the first and second film walls 12 and 14 to stay adhered to each other at the bottom seal 22 during and/or after removal of the cheese portion 26. This can minimize the number of separate pieces a consumer has to dispose of after opening the package. The strength of the seals 22, 24, 26 and 28 can be modified from each other using various methods, such as film having heat dependent sealant properties and different seal patterns. For example, a film with a broad-range sealant, such as a polyethylene blend, can form stronger seals at higher temperatures and/or longer dwell times. In such an example, the bottom seal 22 sealing conditions can be different than seals 24, 26 and 28, such that a stronger set results, i.e., a seal taking more force to break, as opposed to the other seals 24, 26 and 28. Different sealing patterns and dimensions can also be used to produce comparatively stronger and weaker seals. For example, a knurl pattern versus a crimp pattern, as well as variations within these categories, can produce different seal strengths.

[0024] The first film wall 12 and the second film wall 14 may comprise different films, each having different properties. The films may each comprise two, three or more coextruded layers, where the bulk of the film is polypropylene and the inner sealant layer is polyethylene. The inner sealant layer can also be a low density polyethylene, ethyl vinyl acetate, single site catalyzed polyethylene, or a blend. The film may also be a coated polyester or mylar. Anti-block can also be added to the film structure. The film may have a thickness of between, for example, about 10 - 50 microns, and

prererabiy between about 23 - 38 microns. However, the film properties may be selected to facilitate ease of opening the package 10. For example, one of the films may have a different cheese release property than the other film, such that when the package 10 is opened, the cheese portion 26 will tend to adhere to the film having the higher release force as opposed to the film having the lower release force. The food product release properties of the film can be controlled, for instance, by increasing or decreasing an additive concentration in the film, such as glycerol monostearate (GMS). [0025] The film properties may be selected to provide visual and/or physical differences to the cheese package 10. For example, one of the first and second film walls 12 and 14 could have an increased thickness, such as to provide a less flexible package that could be sold individually, as opposed to packaged in a group of like packages 10. In another example, one of the first and second film walls 12 and 14 could have a different color, including transparent and opaque colors, than the other of the first and second film walls 12 and 14 to provide a visually appealing product. The colors could be selected such that the package 10 has a different color appearance when unopened than when opened. For example, the first film wall 12 could be red, and the second film wall 14 could be clear, such that a yellow cheese portion 26 and the red film could cause an orange appearance when the package 10 is unopened. Other differences between the films can include a glossy versus a matte appearance, a hazy versus a clear appearance, a stiffer versus a softer film, metallization and different degrees of metallization, and tactile feel, such as cavitated and different degrees of cavitation.

[0026] The packages 10 can be formed, filled and sealed in continuous, high speed commercial processes, such as diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURES 4a and 5a. More specifically, a first web of film 102 and a second web of film 104 are unwound from a pair of rolls of film 112 and 114. The first web of film 102 is fed adjacent one side of a filling tube 110, and the second web of film is fed adjacent an opposite side of the filling tube 110, as illustrated in FIGURES 4b and 5b. One of the webs of film 102 has a lesser width Wi than the width W2 of the other web of film 104, such that when one of the longitudinal edges of the films 102 and 104 are aligned, the opposite longitudinal edges are spaced differently to provide the flanges 118 and 120.

Aitnougn tne Tilling tube is illustrated as being generally horizontally orientated, other orientations of the filling tube can also be suitable. For example, the disclosure herein can be used in conjunction with components of a FreePak® machine manufactured by Natec GmbH, Heimenkirch, Germany, which has a generally vertically orientated filling tube. [0027] As the webs of film 102 and 104 are being fed along the filling tube 110, a pair of longitudinal seals 22 and 24 are formed between the webs of film 102 and 104 at a pair of sealing stations 132 and 134. The sealing stations may each comprise a pair of rollers, one on each side of the film. Alternatively, the sealing stations may each comprise a pair of longitudinally extending sealing belts, which can provide additional dwell time for the seals. Although the sealing stations 132 and 134 are illustrated as being transversely aligned, other arrangements of the sealing stations can be suitable. For example, one of the sealing stations can be positioned upstream relative to the other sealing station. Once the longitudinal seals 22 and 24 have been made, the webs of film 102 and 104 are in a sleeve-like configuration 136 surrounding the filling tube 110, extending from before and after an exit opening of the filling tube 110.

[0028] Molten cheese is pumped using a metering pump 108 from a reservoir 106, through the filling tube 110, and into the sleeve-like configuration 136 of the first and second webs of film 102 and 104. The cheese in the filled, sleeve-like configuration 136 is flattened by a pair of rollers 116 and 118 to fill out the sleeve-like configuration 136 and into a slice shape. Next, the flattened, filled, sleeve-like configuration 136 is cooled at a cooling station 120. The cooling may be accomplished by any suitable method. For example, the sleeve-like configuration 136 can be brought into contact with a chilled media, such as one or more chill wheel, for cooling. Alternatively, a cooling bath may be used, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,542,570 and 5,112,632.

[0029] The filled, flattened sleeve-like configuration is directed to a voider- sealer station 150, where the cheese product is voided from a transversely- extending region and a seal 26 and 28 is formed in that region. The voider- sealer 150 may be of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,792,457, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, having a two

opposing arrays 122 and 126 of sealing and voiding elements 124 and 128. Although the cooling station 120 is described and illustrated as being before the voider-sealer station 150, the cooling station 130 could alternatively be disposed after the voider-sealer station 150.

[0030] Once the seals 26 and 28 have been formed, the filled, flattened sleeve-like configuration 136 comprises a serial succession of individually wrapped cheese portions 10. The individually wrapped cheese portions 10 are separated from adjacent portions 10 at a separation station 140, which can include one or more blades for separating the portions 10. [0031] The apparatus and methods illustrated in FIGURES 4a and 5a are similar in terms of the steps. However, the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 4a has a single lane and the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 5b has a dual lane. The dual lane apparatus produces a pair of individually wrapped cheese portions at the same time, while the single lane apparatus produces a single individually wrapped cheese portion at any given time. The dual lane apparatus has parallel filling tubes 110, cooling stations 120 or 130, voider- sealer stations 150, and separation stations 140. Although four separate film webs can be used, it is presently preferred to use two separate film webs. During the manufacturing process, a longitudinal slit is made to separate the parallel packages from each other. One of the webs 112 may have a lesser transverse width W ₃ as compared to the transverse width W ₄ of the other web 114, and the longitudinal centers may be aligned, such that the flanges 118 and 120 can be formed on opposing sides of the parallel packages. [0032] The terms "cheese" and "cheese product", as used herein, can include various types of cheese, such as natural cheese, presliced natural cheese, pasteurized prepared cheese food, "pasteurized process cheese", referring to a product comprising a blend of cheeses to which an emulsifying agent, usually an emulsifying salt, and possibly acids, have been added, and which has then been worked and heated into a homogeneous plastic mass; "pasteurized process cheese food", referring to a product which is prepared from the same materials and the same processes used for manufacture of process cheese but generally having dairy ingredients added thereto, such as cream, milk, skimmed milk, whey, or any of these from which part of the water has been removed (e.g., concentrated skimmed milk); "pasteurized process

cheese spread", referring to a product which is similar to cheese food, in the sense that it can contain the indicated dairy ingredients, but having a moisture level as high as 60%, and a minimum fat level of 20%; and "process cheese type-products", which can include products resembling process cheese, process cheese food, process cheese spread and process cheese product. Moreover, as the detailed description refers specifically to cheese, other types of food products, such as meat emulsions, can be wrapped using the packaging and methods disclosed herein.

[0033] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated an individually wrapped food product is disclosed, and apparatus and methods for manufacturing the same, that can have packaging with different properties and, either in combination or separately, gripping flanges for facilitating opening of the package. However, the package, apparatus and methods are not limited to the aspects and embodiments described hereinabove, or to any particular embodiments. Various modifications to the package, apparatus and methods described herein can result in substantially the same packages.