CN102190118B - The packaging of pulverulent material - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to packaging and methods for its production. A packaging for powdery material is proposed, comprising a container part (2) consisting of a layered body consisting of paper (board) (20), metal foil (21) and plastic (22). Powder is filled into this container (2) and a seal (13) consisting of a plastic film fixed to the container wall by heat sealing is applied on top of the powder. A small gap is left between the membrane (13) and the lid (3) to be placed on the container (closed state). The spoon (8) fits in this gap. After the first use, the spoon is snapped into the fixture (7) in the lid. The lid (3) is provided with raised portions (9, 10) for accommodating a spoon in the lid.

Description

Packaging of Powdered Materials

This application is a divisional application for an invention patent application with an application date of February 7, 2005, an international application number of PCT/NL2005/000089, a national application number of 200580003447.3, and an invention title of "packaging of powdery materials".

technical field

The present invention relates to a packaging of powdery materials.

Background technique

As far as the packaging of baby food is concerned, there are strict requirements regarding hygiene and dosing. Therefore, such powders are currently stored in cylindrical metal cans that are sealed by metal or plastic lids that need to be opened before use and can be reclosed in a simple manner. A spoon designed such that an exact volume is defined for the powdered material is used to dose. By leveling, a predetermined amount is accommodated in the volume of the scoop cavity. It is important to prescribe this amount precisely so that, on the one hand, it is ensured that the baby receives sufficient food, and, on the other hand, the problems associated with constipation in children are prevented as much as possible. It must be understood that powdery material must be understood as any granular material, especially spray-dried food products, as well as agglomerates of powder particles.

In this type of packaging, the scoop is usually placed loosely between the top of the contents and the bottom of the lid on the product.

Some users place the spoon back in or on the product after the spoon has been used. Other users consider it unhygienic to place the spoon back into the contents of the container after use. Consequently, spoons are often stored outside the container, which actually increases the risk of contamination. On the other hand, the size and height of such containers are designed such that a volume as compact as possible is obtained for optimal filling of the shelves at the point of sale.

US 6 604 645 B1 discloses a container with a lid onto which a scoop is molded and connected by a film hinge. The top of the container is provided with a seal closed by a lid and spoon combination. On first use, the spoon separates from the lid. The sealing of the container is very complicated at the point where the lid should be attached to the wall of the container. The stackability of the lid prior to assembly with the container is limited due to its shape.

FR 2 747 107 discloses a container which is sealed and has at its top a ring comprising a spoon and a lid. After the spoon is removed from the ring and the seal is broken, the ring can be positioned on the container, after which the lid is functional.

In both US 6 604 645 B1 and FR 2 747 107 the user has to separate the spoon from yet another plastic part, which involves the risk of particles entering the food, which is a highly dangerous situation.

Contents of the invention

The present invention seeks to provide a container, lid, spoon assembly wherein the spoon is not permanently attached to the lid so that breaking is no longer required. Furthermore, a lid to be used with a container should be easy to stack with other lids during its production. The contents of the container should be secured by providing a seal over the contents. It should be possible to use scoops with different volumes without substantially changing the lid.

According to the invention, this is achieved by the following technical solution, that is, the invention proposes a package for powdered baby food, comprising a container, a lid and a measuring spoon, in the space defined by the lid there is provided for at least partially containing a receptacle for said scoop, and the inside of said lid has fastening means for said scoop, said container has a seal separating the contents of the container from the environment and extending over a free cross-section of said container , wherein the seal is secured to the container wall by heat sealing at a distance from the top of the container, and the height of the receptacle in the lid is less than the height of the spoon such that when the lid is closed A spoon is received in a receptacle defined between the lid and the seal when on the container.

Stacking of the lids is provided by keeping the height of the lids relatively low. On the other hand, there is a mark on the lid that the spoon is placed in the container. Such a mark is that the lid has a rise in the shape of a spoon (part). After filling the container with the intended contents, the spoon is not attached to either the lid or the container. This means that there is no need to separate the spoon from another part of the pack after the pack has been filled.

According to the invention, part of the volume of the spoon is contained by the top of the container. To this end, a seal is provided slightly below the top edge of the container. This distance between the seal and the top edge of the container is preferably between 20 and 50mm, and more particularly about 30mm.

According to the invention, the user is encouraged to place the spoon in the receptacle formed in the lid after using the spoon for the first time. This receptacle is partly delimited by the aforementioned rise. In particular, the open end of the bowl-shaped portion of the spoon can be accommodated in this rise. Thus, the volume of the container does not increase significantly, but on the other hand it is ensured that the spoons are stored in the container in the most hygienic condition without contact with the filling in the container.

More specifically, the height of the raised portion measured between its highest point and the base is 2-25 mm, especially 4-15 mm.

The lid according to the invention is preferably of plastics material which is hingedly connected to a lid rim which is also of plastics material and which is clamped to the container wall or fixed thereto in some other way. Preferably, the edge of the lid is provided with a flattened edge, that is to say a beveled portion or strip, to avoid accumulation of powder at the corners, under which the top edge of the spoon can be scraped in a simple manner so that the Accurate, reproducible and convenient metering of product is provided in the spoon.

In the case of conventional packaging, removing the entire contents from the packaging has proven to be a problem. The reason for this is that it is difficult to operate in the relatively confined space of the package. Also, it is unhygienic to always re-insert the spoon into the contents of the package after use (as is often done nowadays).

In the case of known packaging, on a hygienic basis, the spoon is first introduced into the container, which is thereafter filled with powdered material. The closure is then made and the spoon will reach the top when the package is turned upside down. This has the disadvantage that in unfavorable circumstances detached plastic flakes or other particles from the production process can get into the powder with all the associated consequences. Also, as a result of this process, a relatively large space (the so-called headspace) occurs between the top of the product (eg powder) and the bottom of the lid. Such a large gas-filled headspace is disadvantageous in the case of perishable substances. During prolonged storage, certain substances contained in the product are oxidized by the oxygen in the gas.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging that does not have these disadvantages or to a lesser extent.

This yet another object is achieved by the packaging as described above, since the container wall is on the inside a heat-sealable material and a plastic film extending over the free cross-section of the container is arranged close to the top of the container, the seal being fixed to the container by heat sealing. the container wall.

According to the invention, the space in which the scoop is accommodated is separated in a substantially airtight manner from the space in which the powder occurs. This separation is possible by making the interior of the container wall a heat-sealable material and creating a membrane lid with the heat-sealable material on the powder by heat sealing after introduction of the powder. A film is thus created above the powder that provides a hermetic seal. The spoon can be arranged on this membrane in some way or other.

The membrane is preferably a membrane that can be fixed to the peripheral wall by means of heat and has odor-absorbing properties.

Optionally, the powder or container may also be sealed before or during the application of the above-mentioned seal by normally applying a vacuum or introducing a spoilage-preventing gas such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide or any other inert gas or a mixture of these gases into the product Air or oxygen present in the container is removed to further prevent spoilage.

Under normal circumstances, there will be no or little deterioration in the quality of the product after the package has been opened, since the contents of the package will be used relatively quickly after opening. The problem is possible long-term storage, which can be achieved without problems by the sealing according to the invention. The package can be provided with a hinged lid, with the result that the package can be effectively closed again after use.

However, it is also possible to arrange a snap-fit receptacle in the lid for snapping the spoon therein. This receptacle is preferably at or near the center of the lid and can surround the bowl of the spoon and possibly also the handle of the spoon. Preferably, during production, the scoop enters the space between the lid and the seal without the use of a snap-fit receptacle. Only after opening the container for the first time, the user holds the spoon in the snap-fit receptacle to prevent contact with the contents of the container.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the package is substantially rectangular. For packaging and positioning on shelves, a rectangular structure has clear advantages. This enables optimal use of the volume and ease of positioning the desired side facing the consumer when positioned on the shelf to increase the incentive to stimulate the buying impulse. A further advantage of a substantially rectangular package is that handling with a spoon is somewhat simplified. What it boils down to is that for a given surface area, the length of the diagonal of a rectangle is slightly greater than the diameter of a circle compared to a circle. Preferably, the corners of the rectangle are rounded. Preferably with flattened edges at the corners. This edge is preferably over 9mm wide measured from the corner and can comprise a triangle or a strip spaced from the corner. If strips are used, powder cannot collect in adjacent corners. The width of such a strip can be 7-11 mm. Its nearest edge is more than 4mm from the corner and preferably about 5-9mm.

A receptacle for at least partially accommodating a spoon may be fitted in the lid. The different aspects depend on the quantity of product that has to be packed in the container, the desired cross-sectional area and the height of the container. As indicated above, the free space (r) between the aforementioned seal and the bottom of the lid is preferably between 14 and 27 mm. It has been found that this provides optimum volume to the scoops, while the pack (for example when containing 900g of product) can be arranged to be stacked on a shelf in a simple manner.

For some products (such as baby food), there are strict requirements on the airtightness and opacity of the packaging. Therefore, according to the invention, it is proposed to make the walls of the container (similar to its bottom) out of a paper/metal foil/plastic laminate. Metal foil provides air tightness and opacity. Paper or board is used as the support, while plastic is used as the heat-sealable material. The plastic used can be any material known in the art.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, the seal applied to the product has a tear lip and a line of weakness. By pulling the lip, an opening is obtained along the tear line through which the contents can be removed from the package. On the one hand, this provides easy access to the product, with little special action being performed by the user, and on the other hand, tampering can be easily detected in this way. A further advantage is that any product particles that have entered between the seal and the wall during heat sealing cannot escape and remain sealed inside.

After removing the film along the tear line, the edge of the film remains on the sidewall. This edge is preferably less than 5mm, more preferably less than 4mm, to allow the opening to the product to be as large as possible. The membrane is constructed of a material that the user will not injure himself.

The container preferably has means to aid in gripping, such as finger indentations. Due to the rectangular design of the container, one side of the pack is optimal for hands of different sizes. The maximum width on one side is at most about 12.0 cm and preferably 6 to 11.6 cm to allow a good grip for the consumer. The other side may measure 11.6-15.0 cm and more preferably 12.4-13.5 cm. The maximum height of the package (including the lid) is 22 cm and is preferably about 10-20 cm and more preferably 15-20 cm.

The invention also relates to a method for providing a powder-filled package, comprising: providing a container having a base, the inner wall of which comprises a heat-sealable material, filling said container with powder, arranging a heat-sealable film on powder and attach the membrane to the container wall, provided for the fitting of the lid.

More specifically, the containers are produced from blanks at the packaging station, so that only a small volume of packaging material needs to be fed to the packaging device. More specifically, first the container is produced and then filled and provided with the above-mentioned seal, and thereafter only the fitting of the lid (including the lid rim). The introduction of gas before/during application of the seal can be done continuously or batchwise.

It has been stated above that the container is preferably of rectangular cross-section. More specifically, this rectangular shape bulges outwards to a certain extent in the middle of at least two opposite sides. This protrusion may be limited, and is preferably less than about 7mm and more preferably less than 2mm on the short side and less than about 16mm on the long side. However, sharp angles should preferably be avoided. That is, the outward deviation is less than about 7 mm and about 16 mm, respectively, and preferably 3-6 and 7-15 mm, respectively, relative to a straight line connecting the points of greatest deflection/bend. Furthermore, the container can be provided with a finger hold to facilitate manipulation.

Due to the specific choice of the above-mentioned dimensions, the container has a base surface area of 120-150 cm ² , especially 125-140 cm ² , for example 126-136 cm ² .

The invention is especially equipped with tamper-indicating closures (tamper evidence). This is achieved by providing the lid rim with a perimeter member extending upwardly and to or onto the top of the lid perimeter. Then, it is not easy to lift the cover positioned therein. The peripheral edge of the cover is inaccessible in the closed position. The peripheral edge receiving the peripheral edge can be interrupted to obtain access eg to a lip extending from the lid. The means for interrupting the peripheral edge can include a breakaway portion thereof. This is done for example by securing the breakaway part at two points on each side of the edge. By breaking this part, the lip of the lid is exposed and the lid can be opened. When this part is broken, the aforementioned connection to the edge of the lid (peripheral edge) is broken, so that tampering is evident through the interruption of the circumferential line. Thereafter the lid can always be easily opened after being closed.

Description of drawings

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. In the attached picture:

Figure 1 schematically shows a partially exposed perspective view of a container according to the invention;

Figure 1a shows a detail of Figure 1 with the lid closed;

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

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

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

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a lid according to the invention;

Figure 6 shows a top view of the lid shown in Figure 5; and

Figure 7 schematically shows a device for producing a package according to the invention.

detailed description

In FIG. 1 , the package according to the invention is indicated with reference 1 . It comprises a container 2 with a base 17 . The base 17 is positioned inside the container such that it is raised slightly so that a vertical edge 29 is created. The vertical edge facilitates stacking of yet another container.

Reference 3 designates a lid with a lip 18 connected to the lid edge 4 by a hinge 5 . The cover and the cover rim are of plastic material and are produced by injection moulding. It can be seen from FIG. 4 that in the closed position the top of the lid 3 is slightly lower than the top of the lid edge-raised peripheral edge 23 close to its periphery. The lid 3 is provided with a depending edge 26 which fits relatively closely inside the upper peripheral edge 27 of the lid edge 4 . The upper peripheral part of the cover 3 is indicated by the marking 28 and is fitted tightly adjacent to the peripheral edge 23 . It is then impossible to grip the lid except at the location of the cutout 24 in the peripheral edge 23 . In the closed position, the overhang of the lip 18 extends in front of the cutout 24 . Access to the lip 18 is prevented by means 25 located in front of the lip 18 . This is shown in more detail in Figure 1a. It is evident that the lip 18 has barbs which engage the protrusion of the part 25 underneath and prevent the lip 18 from rising as long as the part 25 is present. On delivery, the cutout 24 is closed by a part 25 which in any case is connected to the peripheral edge 23 by two points 48 on either side. The connection of the part 25 to the peripheral edge 23 can be realized in any other way, such as by a local reduction in thickness. Part 25 can be easily disengaged and after disengagement the lid can be opened by lifting lip 18 . This way the user knows very well that he/she is the first person to open the package.

If part 25 has been tampered with, this will be immediately apparent since part 25 is at the outer circumference of the container. It must be understood that the above-mentioned proof of first opener (tamper proof) can also be used in conjunction with packaging other than that described here and is expressly claimed for this purpose. The lid rim is clipped or bonded to the container wall, or secured in some other manner known in the art. The outer perimeter of the lid/lid edge is such that it falls within the perimeter of the vertical lower edge 29 . The container is substantially rectangular in structure, but it is evident from the drawings that there is a slight bulge in the middle of the flat walls. For the front side, it is indicated schematically with the sign b. This protrusion may be limited and is preferably less than about 7 mm on the short side and less than about 16 mm on the long side. That is, the outward deviation is less than about 7mm and about 16mm, respectively, and preferably less than 3-6 and 7-15mm, respectively, relative to a straight line connecting the points of maximum deflection/bending. Additionally, the container may have a finger grip to facilitate its handling.

It can be seen from FIG. 1 that the lid edge 4 has a leveling strip 6 . When the package is held at an angle, an overfilled scoop can then move under the edge 6 and thus determine the exact volume. Furthermore, thanks to the edge structure, no compression of powder or product occurs, so the amount of material in the scoop is always reproducible.

Product 11 , such as baby food, is contained in container 2 . A seal 13 consisting of a film material applied to the inside of the wall of the container 2 by heat sealing is arranged directly on the product. The film material has a line of weakness 14 and a pulling lip 15 . When the pulling lip 15 is grasped, the film 13 will tear along the weakening line 14 so that the product can be accessed.

The lid 3 has a raised portion 9 which falls within a rise created by a vertical edge 28 of a further package which is optionally stacked on top of the package shown here. Furthermore, there is a riser 10 in which a portion of the spoon 8 is housed. This part is preferably the bowl of the spoon. Optionally, there may also be a further rise for (the end of) the handle.

The size of the spoon depends on the desired dose. The elevation 10 can extend above the elevation 9 , as can be seen in the cross section according to FIG. 3 . The maximum value of the rise 10 relative to the base is indicated by "a" and is between 4 and 12 mm. Since the container has a peripheral edge 28 at the bottom, these elevations fall into the space delimited by said edge 18 and base 17 . For precise centering, the edge 18 protrudes inwardly from the base 17 to such an extent that a distinct fixed position is obtained when stacking. The height of the base relative to the container locating surface coincides with the height of the rise relative to the position at which the container sidewall bears on the underlying package. This is shown as "b" in FIG. 4 . The handle of the spoon 8 can be clamped with a snap fit between lips 7 which are integral with the lid and are preferably located near or in the middle of the lid. The container wall has a recess 16 corresponding to the shape of the user's finger. Clamping the spoon to the lid prevents the spoon from falling back into the powder after the first use. If the spoon is snapped into the lid, bacterial contamination is prevented as much as possible. Before opening the container for the first time, ie after shipment from the filling factory, the spoon 8 can be arranged loosely on the seal 13 . This is shown in FIG. 4 . It can be inferred from FIG. 4 that the size of the scoop 8 is such that the receptacle defined by the top of the lid and its underside is not sufficient to accommodate the scoop. Thus, the seal 13 is arranged at a distance r from the lowest point of the receptacle for the spoon in the lid of the container. This distance r is preferably between 20 and 50 mm and more particularly about 40 mm. In this way, the height of the lids can be kept relatively low, which allows easy stacking during production.

Preferably, the height of the lid is such that after the first use, when the seal is removed and the spoon 8 is clamped between the lips 7, the spoon is partly under the lid and held by the top of the container 2. extended within a limited space.

The edge 23 is vertical so that powder spilled during the movement of the filled scoop can fall back into the container.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the walls of the container are made of laminate. From the outside to the inside, it comprises a board/paper layer 20 , a relatively thin aluminum foil 21 and, arranged inside it, a layer of plastic 22 which can be connected to the seal 13 by heat sealing. Due to the seal used, the risk of foreign objects coming into contact with the product is limited. After all, after the seal has been applied, such undesired objects (such as the plastic part of the spoon) will still be on top of the seal and will not come into contact with the powder.

A few typical dimensions of the package are given below. However, it must be understood that these dimensions must be understood as non-limiting if baby food is to be packaged.

The distance between the bottom of the lid and the top of the seal is preferably between 14 and 27 mm. More specifically, this distance is between 7 and 23m. This gap is just big enough to accommodate a spoon. However, this height will vary depending on the desired volume of the spoon.

The gap below the seal and above the powder is preferably less than 10 mm and more particularly less than 5 mm. That is, the seal is positioned as close as possible to the powder during packaging.

As can be seen from the figures, the container is of rectangular construction, as a result of which it can be emptied to an optimum degree by means of a spoon 8 . In order to optimize emptying, the length of the scoop is preferably 60-95% and more preferably 70-90% of the diagonal of the container.

Due to the use of rectangular containers, the available volume is optimally utilized in packaging or on the retailer's shelf.

In Fig. 5 a further embodiment of the cover according to the invention is shown. It is indicated generally with reference 53 and substantially corresponds to the cover 3 according to the preceding figures. The rises for the spoons are indicated with marks 60 , 61 . The rise 60 is adapted to receive the bowl 52 of the spoon 58 while the rise 61 is provided to receive the handle 54 thereof. The reinforcing ribs of the cover extend between the raised portions 60,61. The clamping device 57 is shown in dashed lines. This embodiment is arranged such that, in the clamped position, the open side of the bowl 52 points towards the receptacle 60 . This means that bowls of different "heights" can be accommodated between the clamping lips 57 . This makes it possible to use different sized bowl scoops 58 without changing the lid design. Also, in this embodiment, only a portion of the spoon is accommodated in the lid and the rest is accommodated in the container in the space above the seal.

Figure 7 shows a device for producing packaging. It comprises a feeding station 31 into which blanks 32 are introduced. By means of the folding/sealing station 33 a container 34 according to the invention is thus produced. These containers include walls and bases without lids. The product is then introduced at 35 . At 30, the sealing film is applied by heat sealing while introducing an inert gas into the space where the product is stored. This results in an airtight volume in which the product can remain for a very long time without damage. At station 30, the introduction of gas can be performed batchwise or continuously. At 39 the package and contents are inspected. Then at 37 the lid and lid rim together are pressed onto the container wall and secured thereto. At 38 it is collected and packed.

Although the invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, it must be understood that many variations can be made without departing from the scope of the application as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (14)

1. null1. the packing container (1) for powdered infant food (11)，Including container (2)、Lid (3) and metering spoon (8)，The receiving portion for partly accommodating described spoon it is provided with in the space limited by lid，And the inner side of described lid has the fixing device (7) for described spoon，Described container (2) has the sealing (13) content of container and environment being separated and extending on the free cross section of described container，Wherein，Described being sealed in is fixed to described wall of a container by heat-sealing at head clearance one segment distance of described container，The height of the described accommodation section in described lid is less than the height of described spoon，So that when closed with covers on the container time spoon be accommodated in the receiving portion being defined between described lid and described sealing，Wherein said sealing includes line of weakness (14) and pulls antelabium (15)，Described line of weakness is arranged such that when pulling antelabium described in user pulls，Described sealing will be torn along line of weakness thus formed one and enter opening to obtain the baby food in described container，The edge sealed also is made to remain on sidewall，

   Wherein said spoon is separate with described lid and container, and

   Wherein said wall of a container downwardly extends the bottom (17) crossing described container, to limit vertical edge (29), and described lid has elevated portion (10), the inside of this elevated portion defines the chamber for partly accommodating described spoon, and distance a that the peak of described elevated portion extends above in the top peripheral edge of described packing container is less than the height at described vertical edge, thus a container can be stacked on the container being positioned under.
2. Packing container the most according to claim 1, wherein said lid is provided with have the instruction that the form of the lid elevated portion (10) of this spoon shape occurs, the inside of described elevated portion limits the chamber for partly accommodating described spoon, and the peak of described elevated portion extends at least 4mm on the top peripheral edge of described packing container.
3. 3. according to the packing container one of aforementioned claim Suo Shu, wherein said lid (3) can be fixed to bearing edge (4) in the way of hinged (5) by it, it is the single part of plastic material that described bearing edge is fixed to described wall of a container, wherein said lid and bearing edge.
4. Packing container the most according to claim 3, wherein said bearing edge is provided with flattened faces.
5. Packing container the most according to claim 4, wherein said flattened faces is placed adjacent to a jiao of described container.
6. Packing container the most according to claim 3, wherein said bearing edge has raised portion, is arranged in described raised portion lid level, and described raised portion has otch, and this otch has the packaged unit (25) that can easily remove.
7. Packing container the most according to claim 1 and 2, described spoon includes that cup portion, wherein said fixing device (7) are arranged to accommodate spoon so that the opening portion in cup portion is towards described lid.
8. Packing container the most according to claim 1 and 2, wherein chamber wall comprises heat sealable material on inner side, and wherein said is sealed into plastic film seal (13).
9. Packing container the most according to claim 1 and 2, wherein said container and described lid are substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration.
10. Packing container the most according to claim 8, in the top of wherein said plastic foil and lid, the distance (r) between the minimum point of the receiving portion of spoon is between 35 and 50mm.
11. 11. packing containers according to claim 1 and 2, wherein said wall of a container is made up of the layered product of paper (20), metal forming (21) and plastics (22).
12. 12. packing containers according to claim 1 and 2, wherein said lid has the top of circumferential edges and described container and has periphery edge (23), wherein when described lid is in detent position, the described circumferential edges of described lid is contained in described periphery edge (23), and it is provided with the device for interrupting described periphery edge (23), is used for leading to described circumferential edges.
13. 13. packing containers according to claim 12, the wherein said device for interrupting described periphery edge (23) includes the peripheral edge portion that can break.
14. 14. packing containers according to claim 12, wherein said lid includes by the described antelabium in place for the device locking interrupting described periphery edge.