U.S. patent application number 10/469435 was filed with the patent office on 2004-06-17 for method for manufacturing a package with a simple handle.
Invention is credited to Colas, Michel, Marquet, Jean-Francois.
Application Number | 20040112784 10/469435 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8860602 |
Filed Date | 2004-06-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040112784 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Colas, Michel ; et
al. |
June 17, 2004 |
Method for manufacturing a package with a simple handle
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a packaging
comprising the stages consisting in producing a packaging which is
open at its upper end and then in sealing the upper part of the
packaging along a leaktight sealing line so as to constitute a top
band with the upper end of the packaging, characterized in that the
method comprises a supplementary stage consisting in folding said
top band down towards the bottom of the packaging and in fixing it
onto the packaging so as to form a handle. The invention also
proposes a packaging produced by such a method, characterized in
that it has a folded-down top band forming a handle.
Inventors: |
Colas, Michel; (St. Jean Le
Blanc, FR) ; Marquet, Jean-Francois; (Trainou,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jan K Simpson
Fulbright & Jaworski
Suite 5100
1301 McKinney
Houston
TX
77010-3095
US
|
Family ID: |
8860602 |
Appl. No.: |
10/469435 |
Filed: |
January 20, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
March 1, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP02/03321 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/524.1 ;
53/413; 53/434; 53/469; 53/482 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B31B 70/00 20170801;
B31B 2160/10 20170801; B31B 70/872 20170801 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/524.1 ;
053/413; 053/482; 053/469; 053/434 |
International
Class: |
B65B 007/08; B65B
061/14; B65B 031/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 1, 2001 |
FR |
01/02791 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Method for manufacturing a packaging comprising the stages
consisting in producing a packaging which is open at its upper end
and then in sealing the upper part of the packaging along a
leaktight sealing line (21) so as to constitute a top band (22)
with the upper end of the packaging, characterized in that the
method comprises a supplementary stage consisting in folding said
top band (22) down towards the bottom of the packaging and in
fixing it onto the packaging (2) so as to form a handle (P).
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the top band
(22) is folded down and then fixed onto fixing regions (25a, 25b)
of the packaging via corresponding regions of the top band located
close to its two lateral edges, in order to form, together with the
central part of the top band, a cavity (P) forming a handle.
3. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that
said fixing is produced by welding or by adhesive bonding.
4. Method according to one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that
said fixing regions are located above said leaktight sealing line
(21).
5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized
in that a finishing sealing line (24) is also produced at the end
of the top band.
6. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that
the top band is folded down along a line located between the
leaktight sealing line (21) and the finishing sealing line
(24).
7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized
in that an opening is made in the hollow of the handle (P).
8. Packaging (2) produced by a method according to one of the
preceding claims, characterized in that it has a folded-down top
band (22) forming a handle.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a national stage filing of
PCT/EP02/03321 filed on Mar. 1, 2002, claiming priority to FR 01 02
791 filed Mar. 1, 2001.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates generally to the field of packaging.
More precisely, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing
a packaging comprising the stages consisting in producing a
packaging which is open at its upper end and then in sealing the
upper part of the packaging along a leaktight sealing line so as to
form a top band with the upper end of the bag.
[0003] The invention also relates to a packaging produced by such a
method.
[0004] The invention applies specifically, in a particularly
advantageous manner, to the manufacture of packaging for flowable
substances, and a preferred application of the invention is the
manufacture of packaging for animal feed in the form of a flowable
substance (dry dog food or cat food, for example).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Packaging used for packaging flowable substances is, in a
known embodiment, produced from sheets of a flexible material, such
as plastic or, alternatively, from cardboard or paper which may be
coated with a varnish or covered with a film forming an airtight
and/or moisture-proof barrier.
[0006] In a known manner, a packaging is formed by shaping one or
more sheets so as to form a bag, which is open at its upper
end.
[0007] The packaging is then filled with its contents (dry petfood,
for example), and then the opening left unclosed at its upper part
is sealed (for example by means of a weld line) so as to guarantee
the leaktight nature of the packaging.
[0008] For technical reasons linked to industrial devices for
filling bags, a strip of material, which thus constitutes a top
band and the upper end of which may itself be sealed for finishing
reasons, must be left above the leaktight weld line.
[0009] In order to make it possible to facilitate transportation of
the packaging, the solution adopted for this type of packaging
consists generally in attaching handles to the top band thus formed
(in the case of paper packaging), or in cutting out openings in the
top band to form a handle (in the case of a plastic packaging).
[0010] A paper packaging manufactured according to such a method of
the prior art is shown in FIG. 1a, in which the packaging 1a
comprises a lower part 10a which encloses contents and which is
sealed by a weld line 11a guaranteeing the leaktight nature of the
lower part.
[0011] In FIG. 1a, the packaging 1a comprises a front face 101a and
a rear face 102a, which are connected by two side gussets.
[0012] FIG. 1a also shows the top band 12a formed by the upper part
of the packaging located above the weld line 11a, and also the
handles 13a and 13a' attached to the top band.
[0013] FIG. 1b shows a packaging, which is also manufactured
according to a method of the prior art, said packaging 1b being
made from plastic.
[0014] Like the packaging of FIG. 1a, the packaging 1b comprises a
lower part, referenced 10b, which encloses contents and which is
sealed by a weld line 11b.
[0015] In the case of a packaging made from plastic, such as the
packaging 1b, it is generally chosen to make an opening 13b,
forming a handle, in the top band 12b which surmounts the weld line
11b.
[0016] In order to strengthen the top band around the opening 13b
forming the handle, a reinforcement element 15b is added around the
opening 13b.
[0017] The top of the top band is, moreover, closed by a second
weld line 14b which closes the upper end of the top band 12b and
thereby improves the finishing of the packaging.
[0018] Although known solutions such as those described above are
generally regarded as satisfactory, it will nevertheless be noted
that they require the provision of supplementary material to form
the handles of the packaging or the top-band reinforcement. A cost
is associated with this addition.
[0019] Also, in mass-production environments, it would be
advantageous to eliminate, or at the very least to reduce, this
supplementary cost.
[0020] Moreover, the attached handles of paper packaging may tear
through the effect of the weight of the filled packaging. To avoid
this drawback, it may be necessary to give a specific size to the
handles and/or the sheets forming the actual packaging, which also
involves an extra cost.
[0021] The object of the invention is to mitigate these drawbacks
by proposing a method for manufacturing a packaging comprising the
stages consisting in producing a packaging which is open at its
upper end and then in sealing the upper part of the packaging along
a leaktight sealing line so as to constitute a top band with the
upper end of the packaging, characterized in that the method
comprises a supplementary stage consisting in folding said top band
down towards the bottom of the packaging and in fixing it onto the
packaging so as to form a handle.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Preferred but non-limiting aspects of the method according
to the invention are as follows:
[0023] the top band is folded down and then fixed on fixing regions
of the packaging via corresponding regions of the top band located
close to its two lateral edges, in order to form, together with the
central part of the top band, a cavity forming a handle;
[0024] said fixing is produced by welding or by adhesive
bonding;
[0025] said fixing regions are located above said leaktight sealing
line;
[0026] a finishing sealing line is also produced at the end of the
top band;
[0027] the top band is folded down along a line located between the
leaktight sealing line and the finishing sealing line;
[0028] an opening is made in the hollow of the handle.
[0029] The invention also proposes a packaging produced by such a
method, characterized in that it has a folded-down top band forming
a handle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] Other aspects, objects and advantages of the invention will
become more apparent upon reading the following description of an
embodiment of the invention given with reference to the appended
drawings in which:
[0031] FIGS. 1a and 1b show packaging produced in accordance with
methods of the prior art;
[0032] FIGS. 2a to 2c are diagrammatic representations of stages in
the method according to the invention, in which a packaging is
shown in section during these various stages; and
[0033] FIG. 3 shows a packaging produced in accordance with the
method of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0034] With reference, now, to FIGS. 2a to 2c, a packaging 2
comprises a lower part 20, which is formed, in a manner known per
se, from one or more flexible sheets.
[0035] Each sheet may be made from any type of material customarily
used for such an application (plastic, coated cardboard or paper,
or multi-layer composite sheet).
[0036] The lower part 20 of the packaging is intended for receiving
contents C poured into the packaging via the upper opening 200
(FIG. 2a) which is defined by the upper parts of the walls 201 and
202 of the packaging (which correspond to the front and rear faces
of the packaging).
[0037] After filling the packaging with the contents C, the air
remaining inside the lower part of the packaging is extracted in
order to prevent oxidation of the contents C.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 2b, the upper parts of the walls 201 and
202 are then joined and a sealing line 21 is produced (for example,
by welding) in order to assemble these parts and to protect the
lower part of the packaging against air and moisture. The sealing
line 21 runs over the entire width of the packaging (in a direction
perpendicular to the plane of FIGS. 2a to 2c).
[0039] A top band 22 is thus formed above the sealing line 21. This
top band may be equipped, at its end, with an additional weld (24)
for finishing reasons.
[0040] According to the invention, and as shown in FIG. 2c, this
top band is then folded down in a direction generally parallel to
the sealing line 21 so as to bring the end line of the top band 220
towards the bottom of the packaging, on one side of said
packaging.
[0041] This end line of the top band is then fixed onto the wall
201 of the packaging in at least two fixing regions of this wall
201 which are located on either side of the middle of the packaging
(in FIG. 2c, which is a section perpendicular to the end line of
top band 220, a single fixing region 25 is shown).
[0042] The fixing regions are preferably located in the top band,
above the sealing line 21.
[0043] With reference, now, to FIG. 3, the packaging 2 is shown
once the operations described above have been carried out.
[0044] It will be seen in this figure that the end line 220 of the
top band does not extend along a line that is strictly rectilinear
and parallel to the sealing line 21.
[0045] This top-band end line is, in fact, fixed to the part 201 of
the packaging only by two regions of the top band which are located
at the respective lateral edges of the top band and fixed to
corresponding fixing regions 25a and 25b of the packaging which are
located close to the lateral edges of the packaging.
[0046] Fixing to the regions 25a and 25b may be achieved by any
means known per se (welding or adhesive bonding, in
particular).
[0047] In addition, the central part of the folded-down end of the
top band 22 thus forms a cavity P in which a user's hand can be
inserted in order to lift the packaging and carry it. The cavity P
thus forms a handle in a particularly simple and economical
manner.
[0048] The location of the fixing regions on the packaging may
vary, as may their number. It will thus be possible to fix the top
band to the packaging at a plurality of fixing regions, the
important thing being to provide at least one cavity forming a
handle with the folded-down top band.
[0049] It will be noted that the method according to the invention
makes it possible to make advantageous use of the surplus material
forming the top band in order to produce a handle.
[0050] Furthermore, this method does not require the attachment of
handles onto the packaging, which makes it possible to save on taw
material and to make the use of the packaging more secure.
[0051] If the top band 22 includes a finishing weld 24, the top
band will be folded down preferably along a line located between
the sealing weld line 21 and said finishing weld line.
[0052] The cavity of the folded-down top band 20, forming the
handle, extends preferably over a significant part of the width of
the packaging 2.
[0053] Compared with the case of the known packaging in FIG. 1,
this configuration also makes it possible to achieve better
distribution of the load supported over the width of the packaging.
This results in the handle having better tear strength.
[0054] In a variant embodiment of the method according to the
invention, an opening is made through the top band in the hollow of
the handle P so as to allow the passage of the user's fingertips
through the top band. This arrangement enables those with long
fingernails not to be impeded when grasping the packaging.
[0055] Other variant embodiments of the method described may be
implemented. For example, the packaging may be produced by adhesive
bonding, welding or any other fixing process. The application of
the method according to the invention is not limited to animal
feedstuff packaging, but also relates to the manufacture of any
type of packaging, which has a top band and has to be carried.
* * * * *