HERMETIC PACKAGE FOR LIQUID OR PASTY FOOD PRODUCTS AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE PACKAGE

Technical field

This invention relates to a hermetic package which can be opened with a triangular prismatic shape for liquid or pasty food products.

The invention also relates to a method for making hermetic packages containing the above-mentioned food products.

Background art

Liquid or pasty products refer in this description to products which can be fed into the package by a nozzle, both when cold and when hot, such as, for example, consisting of processed cheese, butter, chocolate, marmalade, etc.

It is known that the above-mentioned food products of the pasty type may be formed by portions packaged individually.

According to a first prior art solution, these packages (or wrappers) of the portions of liquid or pasty product are obtained from a thin aluminium film, formed by folding according to a predetermined sequence to form a partly open container in which the liquid or pasty product is dosed, both hot and cold (more often at a temperature higher than the ambient temperature).

Once the product has been dosed, a portion forming the lid (again made of aluminium) is positioned on the open part of the package and it is all sealed.

According to a second prior art solution, the packages may also be made from paper-based material.

This type of package has two blanks, one for forming the container and the other for forming the lid which, after filling the container, is placed on the product poured into the container and it is all then sealed.

Both types of packages may have a facilitated opening system obtained by means of a tear strip made of plastic glued in a portion of the package before forming.

These types of packages of product "in portions" are notoriously economical to produce and provide a relative seal which allows the dosed products to obtain satisfactory conservation also in difficult logistical conditions, that is to say, they must guarantee an optimum insulating seal and the absence of empty space inside for an acceptable shelf life.

The structure of the package in two parts and the manner in which it is closed, however, can easily result in a non-perfect seal.

In effect, over time, the package may have a loss of weight of the packaged product due to the evaporation of part of its aqueous part which could be due to the presence of a leak in the package.

It has been noted that the application of the lid (which is sealed on the cheese), with pre-folds made previously, may generate micro openings in which the product is deposited which over time can cause leakage.

These leakages have a negative impact on the conservation of the product.

The leakages also allow oxygen to enter the package and limit the shelf life due to the oxidation of the product.

Disclosure of the invention

The aim of the invention is to provide a hermetic package which can be opened with a prismatic shape, in particular with a triangular cross-section, for liquid or pasty food products which overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and which is able to have an optimum closing quality to guarantee a high duration of the product combined with maintaining its quality.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a hermetic package which can be opened with a prismatic shape, in particular with a triangular cross section, for liquid or pasty food products which can be obtained quickly and easily. Said aims are fully achieved by the package which can be opened with a prismatic shape, in particular with a triangular cross-section, for liquid or pasty food products according to the invention as characterised in the appended claims.

Brief description of drawings

The features of the package will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred, non-limiting embodiment of it, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figures 1 A to 1 F illustrate the formation of a first hermetic package which can be opened with a prismatic shape, in particular with a triangular cross section, for liquid or pasty food products according to the invention and with perspective views;

- Figures 2A to 2F illustrate the formation of a second type of hermetic package which can be opened with a prismatic shape, in particular with a triangular cross section, for liquid or pasty food products according to the invention and with perspective views;

- Figures 3A to 3F illustrate the formation of a third type of hermetic package which can be opened with a prismatic shape, in particular with a triangular cross section, for liquid or pasty food products according to the invention and with perspective views;

- Figures 4A to 4G illustrate the formation of a fourth type of hermetic package which can be opened with a prismatic shape, in particular with a triangular cross section, for liquid or pasty food products according to the invention and with perspective views;

- Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a schematic succession of a method for making hermetic packages containing liquid or pasty food products obtained on a forming spindle.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

With reference to the accompanying drawings, in particular Figures 1 to 4, the hermetic package according to the invention, labelled C, is used to contain portions of liquid or pasty food products, such as, for example, processed cheese, butter, chocolate, jams, etc.

In particular, the package C according to the invention has a triangular prismatic shape.

As illustrated, the package C for a food product in liquid or pasty form consists of a single sheet 1 having longitudinal and transversal lines of weakness.

The sheet 1 is folded along the lines of weakness to form the container C having a triangular prismatic shape.

The package C comprises two opposite front walls 1 A, 1 B, parallel to each other and triangular in shape.

The package C also comprises two opposing rectangular lateral walls 1 C, 1 D slanted towards a common vertex V.

The package C also comprises a substantially rectangular base wall 1 E from whose major opposite edges the two front walls 1A, 1 B depart, and from whose two minor opposite edges the two lateral walls 1 C, 1 D depart.

For this reason, the longitudinal lines are the lines along the edges between the front walls 1A, 1 B and the lateral walls 1 C, 1 D, whilst the transversal lines are to be considered along the edges between the base wall 1 E and the remaining front and lateral walls, as well as the line along the vertex V.

Again as illustrated, the container C is sealed firstly with a first and a second sealing configured to make a container C having a single opening 10 giving access to a cavity delimited by the front walls 1A, 1 B and by the lateral walls 1 C and 1 D.

The first and second sealing are formed by joining corresponding inner faces of at least one between the front walls 1 A, 1 B and/or lateral walls 1 C, 1 D, in such a way as to create a first P1 and a second P2 sealing fin. At least one between the first P1 and second P2 sealing fins are of the peelable or tearable type. The inner face means the side of the sheet 1 which will come into contact with the product, whilst the opposite side is the outer face.

The access opening 10 is made at the base wall 1 E, so as to allow the filling of the cavity with the product poured by falling through the access opening 10.

Again as illustrated, the access opening 10 is closed after the filling by a third sealing formed by welding together internal faces of two opposite end tails of the front walls 1A, 1 B as well as welding to each other internal faces of two pairs of opposite end tails of the lateral walls 1 C, 1 D, so as to create on the base wall 1 E a single third base sealing fin P3.

According to this embodiment, the package is obtained with a single sheet and with an extremely simple, but safe sealing and with a high degree of mechanical seal.

This type of package has a very high constructional versatility confirmed by four versions illustrated, merely by way of example, in Figures 1 to 4 which can be obtained with the above-mentioned features.

In the packages illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the packages are obtained with a single sheet 1 having a “fan” shape where the base wall 1 E is formed in the larger arc whilst the shared vertex V will be formed in the narrower arc.

According to the packages illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the packages are obtained with a single sheet 1 having a double wing shape joined in a shared central zone; in this case the shared vertex V of the package will be formed in the shared central area, whilst the two free ends once folded relative to the vertex will form the base wall 1 E.

According to the versions of the package illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the first sealing defining the first fin P1 is formed longitudinally and centrally on one of the front walls 1 A or 1 B starting from the vertex up to the centre of the base wall 1 E, or on one of the lateral walls 1 C or 1 D.

The second sealing defining the second fin P2 is formed transversely along the common vertex V formed where the lateral walls 1 C, 1 D meet. More specifically, in the package of Figure 1 , the first sealing defining the first fin P1 is formed longitudinally and centrally on the front wall 1 A.

It should be noted that in the package of Figure 2 the first sealing defining the first fin P1 is formed longitudinally on the lateral wall 1 C.

According to the versions of packages illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the first and the second sealing defining, respectively, the first P1 and the second P2 fin are formed longitudinally and centrally, respectively, on each front wall 1 A, 1 B or on each lateral wall 1 C, 1 D.

More in detail, on the package of Figure 3 the first and second sealing defining, respectively, the first P1 and the second P2 fin are formed longitudinally and centrally on each of the two front walls 1 A and 1 B.

In the package of Figure 4, the first and second sealing defining, respectively, the first P1 and the second P2 fin are formed longitudinally on each of the two lateral walls 1 C, 1 D.

In all the packages illustrated, the third base fin P3 is formed centrally and folded on the base wall 1 E.

The third sealing which forms the third base fin P3, in all the packages, also forms, after folding the third fin P3 on the base wall 1 E, a pair of flaps 3 protruding on both sides from the base wall 1 E.

These flaps 3 are preferably folded on the closest lateral walls 1 C and 1 D. Preferably, the base wall 1 E comprises a protruding base tab 2 configured to facilitate opening of the package C.

Preferably, the base tab 2 is made on the third fin P3.

It should be noted that on the base 1 E, that is to say, on the third fin P3, there may be two tabs 2 placed side by side (Figures 1 and 3).

According to a further variant embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, at least one between the first P1 and the second P2 sealing fin may comprise a (further) protruding lateral tab 2' configured for opening the package C. In Figure 4, respective tabs 2' are formed on both the fins P1 and P2.

It should be noted that the tab 2, 2' (both base and lateral) is, preferably, but not necessarily, in the form of a flat half-moon. These tabs 2, 2' lend themselves to facilitating opening starting from the fins P1 and/or P2 and/or P3, since they define gripping points on the package C.

As illustrated, at least one between the first P1 , the second P2 and the third P3 sealing fin is folded on a respective wall 1 A, 1 B, 1 C, 1 D, 1 E of the container C.

Preferably, each of the first P1 , second P2 and third P3 fins, after its formation, is folded on the corresponding wall 1 A, 1 B, 1 C, 1 D, 1 E in which it is formed.

According to the embodiments illustrated, the third single base sealing fin P3 extends perpendicularly to the common vertex V.

It should be noted that the third fin P3 is formed by only two opposed layers of the single sheet 1 and is formed on the base wall 1 E in a position such that an empty space without the product is not left in the package close to the base wall 1 E.

According to the invention, all the sealing fins P1 , P2 and P3 are made by joining inside-inside, that is to say, joining two inner faces of the sheet, in such a way as to guarantee a perfect seal.

The joining of the portions which form the sealing fins may be obtained by applying glue, either by using hot sealers or by simply pressing in the presence of adhesive material (permanent or peelable type) pre-applied on the sheet, or by ultrasound sealing.

The invention also relates to a method for making a package C for a food product (see Figures 5 and 6).

The steps of the method illustrated relate to the package illustrated in Figure 1 , but may also be applied, without particular differences, for the other packages C.

The method comprises the following steps:

- feeding a continuous film;

- cutting the continuous film to form a plurality of single sheets 1 and forming longitudinal and transverse weakening lines on each single sheet 1 to define folding lines for forming a container C having a triangular prismatic shape;

- providing a forming mandrel 4 with a prismatic shape;

- coupling the single sheet 1 to the forming mandrel 4;

- folding the sheet 1 around the forming mandrel 4 by folding it along the weakening lines, so as to create, wrapped around the forming mandrel 4:

- two opposing front walls 1A, 1 B, parallel to each other and triangular in shape; and

- two opposing rectangular lateral walls 1 C, 1 D slanted towards a common vertex V,

- sealing, while the sheet 1 is wound on the forming mandrel 4, with a first and a second sealing to make a container C having a single opening 10 accessing a cavity delimited by the two front walls 1A, 1 B and by the two lateral walls 1 C, 1 D,

- the first and second sealing are formed by joining corresponding inner faces of at least one among the front 1A, 1 B and/or lateral 1 C, 1 D walls, so as to create a first P1 and a second P2 sealing fin, at least one between the first P1 and second P2 sealing fin are of a peelable or tearable type.

The method then comprises the following steps:

- pulling out from the forming mandrel 4 the container C with the first sealing fin P1 and second sealing fin P2 already formed, in such a way as to make the cavity accessible from the access opening 10;

- filling the cavity with the product which is poured by dropping it through the access opening 10, and subsequently

- closing the container C by means of a third final sealing formed by sealing internal faces at least of the two front walls 1A, 1 B in such a way so as to create on a base wall 1 E a single base sealing third fin P3 on the base wall 1 E opposite and extending perpendicularly to the common vertex V.

In other words, the package is obtained with a single sheet folded around a mandrel configured to obtain a triangular prismatic shape. This wrapping makes it possible to obtain the closing fins quickly and easily.

Moreover, by acting in contrast with the forming mandrel it is possible to increase the temperature and the pressure without the risk of damaging the product which will be introduced only subsequently.

It should also be noted that the various solutions of the final package depend only on the type of initial configuration of the sheet whilst the forming steps are the same in order to have a high level of operating flexibility.

Preferably, during the step of winding on the forming mandrel 4, the steps of performing the first and second sealing on the sheet 1 comprise the following sub-steps:

- the first sealing defining the first fin P1 longitudinally on one of the front walls 1A or 1 B (Figure 5) or on one of the lateral walls 1 C or 1 D of the package C; and

- the second sealing defining the second fin P2 transversely along the common vertex V formed where the front walls 1A, 1 B meet the lateral walls 1 C, 1 D (Figures 5 and 6). Corresponding to the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Alternatively, during the step of winding on the forming mandrel 4, the steps of performing the first and second sealing on the sheet 1 comprise the following sub-steps:

- the first sealing defining the first fin P1 longitudinally on one of the front walls 1 A or 1 B or on one of the lateral walls 1 C or 1 D of the package C; and

- the second sealing defining the second fin P2 longitudinally on the other front wall 1 A or 1 B or on the other lateral wall 1 C or 1 D with respect to the first sealing. Corresponding to the embodiments shown in Figures 3 and 4. It should be noted that after the step of closing the container C in such a way as to create a third base sealing fin P3 there is a step of central folding of the third base fin P3 on the base wall 1 E.

After the step of forming the first P1 , second P2 and third P3 sealing fin there is a corresponding step of folding and stably associating on a corresponding wall 1 A, 1 B, 1 C, 1 D, 1 E of the container C wherein each fin P1 , P2, P3 is formed.

As illustrated in Figure 6, the step of pulling out the container C from the forming spindle 4 occurs by expulsion of the container C from the forming mandrel 4 by sliding the container C on an outer surface of the forming mandrel 4. After pulling out the container C from the mandrel 4 it is filled and the base wall 1 E is subsequently sealed.