U.S. patent application number 12/862541 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-03 for package with a food product therein and machine for manufacturing a packaged food product.
Invention is credited to Joachim Guenter BELLMANN, Juergen FLIEGER, Harald LORENZ.
Application Number | 20110052762 12/862541 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41429089 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110052762 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FLIEGER; Juergen ; et
al. |
March 3, 2011 |
Package With a Food Product Therein and Machine for Manufacturing a
Packaged Food Product
Abstract
A package with a food product therein is provided and, in
particular, with a coffee product, comprising at least an inner
package and at least an outer package, and having at least one
means for reclosing provided on the inner package and/or on an
inner side of the outer package. Alternatively, the inner package
may comprise a vacuum-packed inner package with an outer package. A
machine for producing a packaged food product is also provided and,
in particular, for producing a packaged coffee product. The machine
comprises at least one device for applying a means for reclose to
the inner package and/or to the inner side of the outer package,
the device provided in the machine direction upstream of a device
for providing the at least one outer package around the at least
one inner package.
Inventors: |
FLIEGER; Juergen; (Berlin,
DE) ; LORENZ; Harald; (Berlin, DE) ; BELLMANN;
Joachim Guenter; (Hamburg, DE) |
Family ID: |
41429089 |
Appl. No.: |
12/862541 |
Filed: |
August 24, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
426/124 ;
426/410; 426/414; 53/285 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 33/24 20130101;
B31B 2170/20 20170801; B65D 2205/025 20130101; B65D 75/54 20130101;
B31B 2155/00 20170801; B65D 75/38 20130101; B65D 75/58 20130101;
B31B 70/8123 20170801 |
Class at
Publication: |
426/124 ; 53/285;
426/410; 426/414 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/20 20060101
B65D081/20; B65B 7/00 20060101 B65B007/00; B65D 81/24 20060101
B65D081/24 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 24, 2009 |
DE |
202009011507.0 |
Claims
1. A package with a food product therein, comprising: at least one
inner package and at least one outer package, having at least one
means for reclosing provided on the inner package and/or on an
inner side of the outer package.
2. The package according to claim 1, wherein the inner package is a
vacuum package and the food product is a coffee product.
3. The package according to claim 1, wherein the inner package
comprises a foil and the food product is vacuum-packed.
4. The package according to claim 1, wherein the means for
reclosing is an adhesive strip.
5. The package according to claim 1, wherein the outer package
comprises coated paper.
6. The package Pack according to claim 1, wherein the package is
substantially cuboidal and the at least one means for reclosing is
provided on a narrower side face.
7. The package according to claim 1, wherein the inner package has
at least one air supply opening, which is closed by at least one
adhesive strip when in an initial state.
8. A machine for producing a packed packaged food product,
comprising: at least one device for applying a means for reclosing
to an inner package and/or to an inner side of an outer package,
which is provided in a machine direction upstream of a device for
providing at least one outer package surrounding at least one inner
package.
9. The machine according to claim 8, further comprising at least
one device for forming the inner package into a bag, in the machine
direction downstream of the device for applying the means for
reclosing.
10. The machine according to claim 8, wherein the device for
applying the means for reclosing is suitable for applying the means
from the an underside of the inner package.
11. The machine according to claim 8, wherein a device is provided
for supplying a number of adhesive strips that are arranged next to
one another on a supply belt.
12. The machine according to claim 8, wherein a device for checking
the presence and/or absence of a means for reclosing is provided in
the machine direction upstream of the device for providing an outer
package.
13. The machine according to claim 8, wherein a device for punching
or cutting at least one air supply opening is provided upstream of
the device for applying a means for reclosing to the inner
package.
14. The package according to claim 1, wherein the means for
reclosing has at least one non-adhering border region.
15. The package according to claim 1, wherein the means for
reclosing is an adhesive strip provided on a narrower side face of
the package, the inner package comprises a foil having at least one
air supply opening closed by the adhesive strip when in an initial
state, the outer package comprises a coated paper and the food
product is a coffee product that is vacuum-packed, such that the
package is substantially cuboidal.
16. A method for producing a packaged food product, the method
comprising: applying a means for reclosing to an inner package
and/or to an inner side of an outer package; and providing the
outer package surrounding the inner package.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the means for
reclosing is applied to an underside of the inner package.
18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising checking
the presence and/or absence of a means for reclosing.
19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising punching
or cutting at least one air supply opening in the inner package
prior to applying a means for reclosing to the inner package.
20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising supplying
a number of adhesive strips arranged next to one another on a
supply belt.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority from German Utility Model
No. 202009011507.0, filed Aug. 24, 2009, and issued Dec. 24, 2009,
the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
FIELD
[0002] This application generally relates to a package with a food
product therein and, in particular, a coffee product, and to a
machine for manufacturing such a package.
[0003] In the field of food packaging, it is often necessary to
package the food in a hermetically sealed manner in order to ensure
its freshness and, for example, in the case of coffee, its aroma
even in the opened state. Furthermore, the package should be easy
for the consumer to open. Finally, the producer of the food may
have an interest in providing the package with information, such
as, for example, a logo, details of the contents, information for
use, competitions, etc.
BACKGROUND
[0004] There are known coffee packages available from Kraft Foods,
for example, under the trade name "Kronung", that are largely
cuboidal and are usually presented upright on one narrow side. This
package comprises a largely cuboidal, inner bag produced from foil
and what is known as an outer wrapper, which is usually made of
coated paper.
[0005] A flexible vacuum-packed bag which has an opening that can
be reclosed by means of a label is known from EP 1 608 567 B1.
SUMMARY
[0006] This application describes a package comprising an inner
package and an outer package with a view to preserving the
freshness of the product packaged therein over the lifetime of the
package. Furthermore, it describes a machine for manufacturing such
a package.
[0007] In one example, the package with a food product therein, in
particular coffee, comprises one inner package and one outer
package having at least one means for reclosing provided on the
inner package and/or on an inner side of the outer package.
[0008] The at least one means for reclosing may comprise an
adhesive strip for reclosing the package. The at least one means
for reclosing the inner package and, in particular, an adhesive
strip for reclosing the inner package, can have the advantage that
reclosing can be effected relatively dependably on the inner
package, such as an inner package that is preferably produced from
foil. Adhesive means or adhesive materials that make dependable
reclosing possible can be advantageously found for the foil
materials that can be typically used for foil bags and, in
particular, where the bags can be closed or sealed under a vacuum.
In addition, in the initial state, the means for reclosing can be
advantageously concealed under the outer package. In other words,
the appearance of the package does not necessarily have to change
as a result of the addition of a means for reclosing. Rather, the
outer package can remain relatively unchanged. When the consumer
opens the outer package to open the package as a whole, the
consumer can find the means provided for reclosing and can
advantageously be able to use the means for reclosing after the
opening of the inner package.
[0009] An additional benefit of the adhesive strip for reclosing is
that it can be provided with further information, such as, for
example, instructions for opening the inner package and for using
the adhesive strip for reclosing, for additional advertising,
competitions or the like. The adhesive strip can be attached to the
inner package foil that can be used for producing the inner package
even with extremely short cycle times, such as approximately 0.2
seconds, that can apply in the case of packaging machines currently
in use. This can apply in relatively the same way to an alternative
embodiment in which the means for reclosing, in particular an
adhesive strip, can be attached to the inner side of the outer
package. Similarly, there can be an advantage that the outer side
of the outer package can remain relatively unchanged, and that the
consumer can find the described means, in particular an adhesive
strip, when the consumer has removed at least part of the outer
package to open the package as a whole. In order to make it
possible for the adhesive strip to be detached easily and
nondestructively from the inner side of the outer package, it can
be preferable that the outer package can comprise a material on the
inner side, at least in certain regions, for example a material
comprising silicone, from which an adhesive strip can be easily
detached. An adhesive strip, if provided on the inner side of the
outer package, can preferably be provided in an upper region, in
particular above a tear-open strip. In this way, the adhesive strip
can be provided in a region of the outer package that can be
removed when the package is opened as a whole and from which the
adhesive strip for reclosing the inner package can consequently be
easily removed.
[0010] Alternative embodiments may include, for example, using a
hook-and-loop closure, in other words a closure based on hooks and
loops, optionally obtainable under the trade name Velcro.RTM., on
the inner package. For example, a strip with hooks or loops that
extends largely from top to bottom on the inner package may be
provided on the inner package at an upper region that can be
increasingly emptied of food, and a strip with complementing
elements, that is loops or hooks, may be provided at a lower region
and on an opposite side. As a result, the increasingly emptied
inner package can be rolled up at its upper region and the
hook-and-loop closure can be used for reclosing. In another aspect,
this can apply in a similar way to an alternative embodiment in
which a strip of pressure-sensitive adhesive can be provided on the
inner package, at least in certain regions, for example in the form
of a strip that can extend largely from top to bottom and in the
initial state can preferably be covered, for example, by a strip of
material, and onto which the upper, increasingly emptied region of
the inner package can be pressed such that said region can adhere
thereto for reclosing.
[0011] With regard to such an adhesive, and the adhesive strip
described herein, adhesives can be obtained, for example, from
companies such as Tesa, Polygrafica or Avery Dennison, which can
provide the adhesive properties necessary for reclosing. These
adhesives can maintain, in particular, the necessary adhesive force
even in cases of repeated reclosing and storing of the package in a
refrigerator. With regard to the relationship between the inner
package and the outer package, each inner package can be provided
with an outer package, such that there is not more than one
reclosable inner package in a single outer package. The package may
also be referred to as two-ply or two-layered, and the package
structure described, which can be produced at low cost, can be
advantageously retained. The outer package may also be referred to
as an outer wrapper. Similarly, this can apply in the same way to
an alternative embodiment in which the inner package can be a
vacuum package and two or more inner packages can be provided with
a single outer package. In this aspect, the food product can be
vacuum-packaged.
[0012] Advantageous developments of the package can be found in the
claims.
[0013] For the use of the adhesive strip for reclosing by the
consumer, it can be advantageous for it to be provided with at
least one non-adhering border region. At this non-adhering border
region, the adhesive strip can be easily gripped and brought into
use for the reclosing.
[0014] In one aspect, it can be preferable for the inner package to
consist of a foil and the food product can be preferably
vacuum-packaged in the inner package. Firstly, a foil can be used
to produce the preferably cuboidal inner package in a simple,
tried-and-tested manner and, secondly, it can be possible to
determine good, durable adhesive values for the adhesive strip that
is used on the foil for reclosing.
[0015] For the outer package, in one aspect, it can be preferred
that it consists of coated paper. For example, a silicone coating
can give the product a pleasant feel and can provide the
possibility of printing various kinds of information on the outer
package.
[0016] As previously discussed, the package can preferably be
cuboidal, and in this case the means for reclosing, such as an
adhesive strip, can preferably be provided on a narrow side face of
the package initially. The printing on the outer package can
preferably be provided in such a way that the product stands
upright, and consequently, in one aspect, on one of the two
smallest side faces. In addition, one of the largest side faces can
usually form the front side, in one aspect, and the adhesive strip
for reclosing can preferably be provided on one of the remaining
lateral side faces. This can offer the advantage that the adhesive
strip is not concealed by a folded gusset that can usually be
formed on the upper side of the package, for example. This is so
because, on the upper side of the package, between the front side
and the rear side there can extend a seam which can lead to two
lateral gussets that can be folded either onto the upper side of
the package or onto the front side and rear side. In both cases,
the laterally attached adhesive strip for reclosing can remain
uncovered and can remain directly visible thus allowing the strip
to be used and also to provide visible access to information
provided on the strip for the consumer who has already opened the
outer package.
[0017] The inner package can have at least one air supply opening,
which in the initial state is closed by the adhesive strip. Closing
the package under a vacuum can provide the inner package with a
comparatively hard form, and the previously mentioned gussets or
seams that can be opened or cut off to open the inner package can
be comparatively difficult to expose. At the time at which opening
of the inner package is intended, air can be admitted into the
package in order to make the package soft. This can allow those
regions that can be opened or cut off in order to open the inner
package to be easily gripped, and the opening of the package can be
facilitated. In addition, the opening of the air supply opening not
only can allow air into the package but can also allow the aroma of
the packaged food product, for example coffee, to escape the
package through this opening, and so, for the consumer, there can
already be provided a pleasant perception of the aroma of the food
during the opening of the package. The last-mentioned feature can
be independent of the previously mentioned features, in particular
the presence of an outer package, and even without these features
can have its advantages with regard to the opening properties and
the aroma thereby released. The feature last described can,
however, be advantageously combined with all the other features
described herein. Particular synergistic effects can be obtained by
the use of the adhesive strip both for reclosing the package and
for closing the air supply opening in the initial state.
Consequently, both the opening properties and the properties with
regard to preserving the aroma and the freshness over the lifetime
can be improved.
[0018] The machine can comprise in this sequence along the machine
direction, that is along the path by which the materials involved
can advance through, a device for applying a means for reclosing to
an inner package and/or to the inner side of the outer package,
such as an adhesive strip, which is provided in a machine direction
upstream of a device for providing one outer package surrounding
one inner package.
[0019] With such a machine, a two-layered package can be
advantageously provided with a means for reclosing the inner
package while maintaining comparatively short cycle times of, for
example, 0.2 seconds. By one approach, preferred developments of
the machine can be obtained from the preferred embodiments of the
package. All the explanations given for the adhesive strip can also
apply to any other means for reclosing, such as those that have
been described above.
[0020] The adhesive strip can be applied to the inner package when
the latter has already been formed into a bag to be filled, but it
may be preferred to apply the adhesive strip to an inner package
that can initially be in the form of a band.
[0021] Accordingly, a device for forming the inner package into a
bag, for example, with the aid of a mandrel, can be provided
downstream of the device for applying the adhesive strip.
[0022] It may be favorable to apply the adhesive strip to the inner
package, which in one example can be in the form of a band, from
the underside of the inner package. This can allow adaptation to
existing packaging machines to be achieved particularly well, where
the inner side faces upward.
[0023] It is conceivable to cut the adhesive strip for reclosing to
the intended size just before application. However, it can be
preferred to supply the adhesive strip cut to the intended size,
and to do so, for example, as a sequence of numerous adhesive
strips on a supply belt, by one approach, preferably attached
transversely to the direction in which they may be supplied, and
accordingly to provide a device suitable for this.
[0024] In order to advantageously ensure that the packages can be
provided with the adhesive strip for reclosing, it can be preferred
to provide a device for checking the presence and/or absence of the
adhesive strip upstream of the device for applying the outer
package, again considered in the machine direction. This may be
supplemented by providing a device for rejecting packages that, for
whatever reasons, do not have the adhesive strip.
[0025] By one approach, in providing at least one air supply
opening, the machine for producing the package can preferably have
a device for punching or cutting at least one air supply opening
upstream in the machine direction of the device for applying the
adhesive strip. This device can be independent of all the features
of the machine described that are mentioned herein, but can also be
advantageously combined with them.
[0026] Finally, with regard to further features of the package and
of the machine and of the method for its production, the content of
the following applications is made the subject matter of this
application: EP 1 749 751 A1, and its counterpart application, U.S.
Publication Number 2007/0022716; EP 1 882 581 A1; and EP 1 772 380
A1, and its counterpart application, U.S. Publication Number
2007/0087088. In other words, all the features of the package, the
machine for its production and of the method thereby used that are
disclosed in the documents cited can be applied to the package,
machine and method described herein, and in particular the U.S.
Publication Nos. 2007/0022716 and 2007/0087088 are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] A preferred exemplary embodiment is explained in more detail
below. In the drawings:
[0028] FIG. 1 shows a perspective representation of a package with
an exposed adhesive strip for reclosing;
[0029] FIG. 2 shows a perspective representation of the reclosed
package; and
[0030] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of part of a machine
for making the package with an exposed adhesive strip for
reclosing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the package 10 can be
substantially cuboidal and, in one aspect, can usually be provided
in such a way that it can stand upright on one of the two smallest
side faces. One of the two largest side faces 12 can form the front
side and the other of the two largest side faces can form the rear
side. In the aspect shown in FIG. 1, the outer package 14 can be
seen in approximately the lower two thirds of the package. The
upper part of this outer package has already been removed in order
to open the package as a whole. This can take place by opening the
inner package 16, which can typically be produced from a foil that
was formed, for example, around a mandrel, and can be provided
laterally and on the upper side or underside with a seam,
subsequently filled and subjected to a vacuum. Finally, the filling
opening can be closed.
[0032] In the case of the embodiment shown, a seam 18 can extend
between the front side 12 and the rear side. In view of the overall
approximately cuboidal package, the seam can form two gussets 20,
which in the case of the example shown can be folded onto the front
side 12 and the rear side. They may, however, also be folded onto
the upper side 22.
[0033] On one lateral side face 24, the adhesive strip 26 for
reclosing can be provided. This strip can be approximately
rectangular and may, for example, have a length of 75 mm to 80 mm
and a width of 20 mm to 25 mm. At least one border that can be a
non-adhering region may be provided in order to facilitate the
gripping of the adhesive strip and, in particular, can be the upper
border according to FIG. 1, and can be, for example, 10 mm long and
can extend over the entire width of the adhesive strip. The
gripping of the adhesive strip can be intended for the purpose of
using it for reclosing. In the case of the embodiment shown, the
adhesive strip can be attached substantially vertically in the case
of the upright package, but it may also be attached substantially
horizontally. Initially, the seam 18, at which two gripping tabs
may be provided at the extreme upper end of the package, can
usually be separated to open the package. Alternatively, the
package may be cut open underneath the seam 18. In the case of the
preferred embodiment described above, an air supply opening, which
can be opened by detaching the adhesive strip 26 from the inner
package 16 in order to make it possible for air to flow into the
vacuum package, may be provided under the adhering region of the
adhesive strip 26. As a result, the package can become soft and the
opening described above at the seam 18 can be facilitated. After
the opening and removal of the desired portions, it can be
appropriate to roll up the inner package in the direction of the
front side 12 or the rear side, since these are the wider
sides.
[0034] In FIG. 2, this rolled-up state is shown. It can also be
seen in FIG. 2 that the adhesive strip 26 has been relocated from
its original position, shown in FIG. 1, to the front side 12, in
order to join the rolled-up upper region of the package 10 to the
lower region of the package 10 that can still be filled with
product and in this way can reclose the package after opening for
the first time.
[0035] In FIG. 3, part of a machine for producing the package is
schematically shown. Here, the foil 28 for the inner package can be
unwound in the form of a band from a roller 30 over various
rollers. In a station 32 provided for this step, a profile cut can
be provided and, at a subsequent station 34 in the machine
direction, a cut that can be straight in certain regions can be
made. In one aspect according to a preferred embodiment, this step
can be followed by punching, cutting or forming in some other
suitable way of at least one air supply opening by a suitable
device 36. This opening can be subsequently closed by an adhesive
strip, which can be supplied and applied by a suitable device 38.
It can be seen from FIG. 3 that this can take place from the
underside. With respect to supplying the adhesive strip, it should
be mentioned that this can preferably be provided as an adhesive
strip that is ready-cut and attached transversely on a supply belt.
A comparatively small distance, for example 4 mm, may be provided
between the individual adhesive strips and a likewise extremely
small distance, for example 1.5 mm, may be provided at the lateral
borders.
[0036] Consequently, without any appreciable conversion work on
existing machines, this machine can be used to produce the package
described herein, with which reclosing of the opened package can be
advantageously made possible. This can avoid the consumer having to
decant the content of the package into another container, whereby
the aroma can be lost. Rather, the package described herein can be
kept in the opened and reclosed state, even for some considerable
time, for example in a refrigerator, without sacrificing aroma to
any appreciable extent.
* * * * *