MC2488A1 - Packaging or container made of flexible material for liquid or semi-liquid products incorporating a system for consuming said liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

Multilayer plastic container in the form of a sachet enabling storage of liquid and semi-liquid products and the repeated consumption thereof by means of a built-in integral straw ensuring, after beginning use, hygienic preservation of the container and contents.

Description

-I APR99 12 OS

DESCRIPTIVE MEMORANDUM submitted in support of an application for:

PATENT OF INVENTION formed by

Mr. Pascal BEVERAGGI for

Flexible packaging or container for liquid or semi-liquid products incorporating a system for consuming said liquid

INVENTOR AND APPLICANT: Mr. Pascal BEVERAGGI

TITLE of the invention

Flexible packaging or container for liquid and/or semi-liquid products incorporating a system for consuming said liquid.

5 I - Technical Domain

Packaging or container made of flexible material that can remain upright, has a minimum footprint before filling, and allows for easy packaging and controlled consumption of the liquid or semi-liquid contents.

10 n - Prior Art

Many types of containers, such as bags made of various plastic materials, have been designed to package and facilitate the removal of contents at the desired time for use or consumption.

1.5 The best-known designs of flexible plastic pouch-shaped containers have a folded base forming a W shape that expands during filling and presents a curved base after unfolding this W-shaped structure, as described in particular in the European patent

20 1,069,268 This curvilinear background is made by folding and hot welding the superimposed plastic elements.

The bag made in this way stands upright like any ordinary container made of glass, terracotta, cardboard or metal, due to its shape.

25 To date, the multilayer plastic films used are essentially designed according to the following structure, which includes:

a) a film made of polyethylene (PE) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

b) an EVOH film (gas barrier film)

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c) a medium or low density polyethylene (MD/LDPE) film in contact with the contained liquid.

Other types of films have been made with polyamide

This is how a medium-density polyethylene sheet was used in contact with the liquid, an adhesive, an intermediate polymer layer (most often a polyamide) which offers greater resistance, then another adhesive and finally a last polyethylene sheet.

For water conditioning in particular, this type of structure has not often been approved due to the thinness of the PE film and its porosity which causes migrations.

Other types of structures have been made with additional sheets or thicknesses, which has the effect of reducing the economic interest of this type of packaging.

Furthermore, these existing structures do not allow the product to be preserved as long as traditional transparent packaging such as a plastic bottle.

Only structures made by incorporating an aluminum sheet ensure longer preservation, but here too, at the expense of the manufacturing cost and especially the transparency of the finished product.

To ensure practical use of the contents, several solutions have been proposed, each with various drawbacks, such as: difficulty with a flow rate that is too low or, conversely, too high; the product remaining in contact with the outside air after initial use; a device added to the sachet for its use that hinders packaging and transport; the risk of unwanted leakage; and, in some cases, direct contact of the mouth with the unprotected packaging, without any hygienic considerations.

To address these difficulties, a sachet was also created with an additional layer of film on the sides; this design incorporates the channel needed to hold the straw for consuming the product. The shape of this container is necessarily different (with a lateral gusset).

This solution has some of the disadvantages as indicated above; likewise the sealing is random due to the risk of the stopper being pulled off after the first use, given its position. In addition, it requires placing the necessary stopper in a fold of the bag or in some other place, which can also come loose and fail at the desired time.

Similarly, consideration was given to placing in this differently located channel, a plastic tube (called for the convenience of the description "straw"), to overcome the practical difficulty of using the product contained.

Furthermore, after the top part of the bag is opened, the side wall containing the straw is almost completely detached from the bag, which is thus partially destabilized.

A particular embodiment of this type of container or sachet was given by European Patent 073301 5 - B1.

III- Description of the Invention

The present invention aims to produce a container or 25 sachets, made of flexible material in particular multilayer plastic in the form of film, said sachet not presenting any of the difficulties described above.

This film comprises several sheets or layers with different characteristics and properties and are bonded by coextrusion followed by lamination and with the use of appropriate adhesives.

The side panels are overlapped and welded.

The bottom of the bag is folded into a W shape and the seal of

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This one is curvilinear; a shape which allows the bag filled with the desired product to remain in an upright or standing position like any other rigid container; its elliptical base ensuring self-stability.

The container or bag is fitted with a semi-rigid tube (15 - figure 4) made of plastic material (straw) specifically a bellows straw, accordion straw or similar, of food grade which will be inserted into the bag before it is filled, placed vertically on one of its sides and held in a channel which will be made by means of an additional weld (13 fig 4) vertical and parallel to the weld (12 fig 4) of the bag, thus forming a guide or channel (14 fig. 4).

This additional seal will be shorter than the side seal of the bag so as to leave sufficient space at the bottom to allow the contents to enter the channel and the "straw" lodged within it.

On the same side as the channel housing the "straw," but perpendicular to it, forming a right angle with the main channel (14-figure 4, 5, 9), a channel will also be made (20-figure 9) to receive the bent upper part of the straw.

This same channel can be made obliquely (21-figure 12) forming an acute angle with the main channel (14-figure 4, 5,9)

In the top of the bag in the upright position, a pre-cut part (10-figure 4) in the angle of the channel, or over the entire width of the upper part of the bag, (23-figure 15) made by laser (after the extrusion phase) or by any other appropriate technique (such as fancy equipment), as well as notches (8 and 9-figure 3) or (22 and 9 -figure 15) will allow, after tearing off this angle (17-figure 5) or this part (24-figure 16), to release the straw.

This freed straw (15/18 - figure 5) and able to then come out of its housing (14 figure 5) (channel formed by the double weld) (13 figure. 5) then allows the absorption of the liquid (16 figure. 5) by aspiration.

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After first use, and if the container still contains product to be consumed, to ensure the resealing of the sachet, simply pull on the straw to make a greater length of it come out of the channel, fold it over about 2 centimeters and then place this section of folded straw in the small compartment or secondary channel provided for this purpose (20-figures 9,10 and 11) and (21-figures 2,13 and 4).

Similarly, the part of the straw that is extracted from its channel can be folded back on itself, and this part of the straw can also be rehoused in the extra width of the channel (19-figure 6, 7 and 8).

This device and this last operation effectively ensures excellent resealing of the bag as well as hygienic protection of the folded and repositioned part.

15 The straw with a diameter of about 3 mm positioned in the main channel (about 7 mm) may have a slight ring-shaped bulge, in order to limit its complete extraction out of the channel at the time of its use (accordion straw).

20 The straw, housed vertically inside the bag in a channel formed by an additional weld made on one side of the bag, ensures greater self-stability; moreover, this straw and this additional weld together form a support, ensuring the bag greater resistance 25 to the stresses of stacking.

In addition, housing the "straw" inside the bag before filling ensures perfect hygiene and preservation of this quality from the simultaneous sterilization or pasteurization operation of all components: container and contents.

IV - Best way to implement the invention

A preferred embodiment of the invention uses four sheets of plastic materials of different composition and properties.

5. The first sheet (1-Figure 1) in contact with the outside is made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) polyester with a molecular weight between 4,000 and 40,000, which can receive excellent quality printing on its inner surface. This first sheet also ensures high mechanical resistance to the packaging and very good impermeability. It gives a crystalline appearance comparable to that of glass, constituting a considerable advantage for the marketing of the finished product.

The second sheet (2-figure 1) is an amorphous resin polyamide Type SELAR * FA 3426, which has the effect of ensuring 1 5 essentially an excellent barrier to ultraviolet; in addition, it improves the rigidity of the sachet, gives very good transparency and also constitutes a great barrier to oxygen and odorous substances.

The third sheet (3 - figure 1) is an EVOH (ethylene-20 vinyl alcohol/ polymer) which provides the best barrier to gases and odorous substances.

The fourth sheet (4 - Figure 1), the only one in direct contact with the product or liquid in the container, is made of food-grade low-density polyethylene (LDPE). This material primarily ensures optimal preservation of the product's flavor; it also provides a high barrier to water vapor, exhibits excellent mechanical sealing properties, and is highly elastic, improving the film's flexibility and strength. Sheets 2, 3, and 4 are made of Selar*, respectively.

PA, EVOH and LDPE are co-extruded and the cohesion between them is reinforced by means of suitable co-extrusion adhesives (A2/A3 figure I) of a thickness of approximately 1 micron each.

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The first sheet made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is bonded by lamination and by means of a compatible adhesive (Al - figure 1) with a thickness of approximately 3 to 5 microns, to the set of sheets 2, 3 and 4, already co-extruded.

5. The combination of these four sheets (Figure 1) will, thanks to the UV barrier, significantly and sustainably improve the qualitative preservation of the contents; an improvement that is all the more significant for natural or lightly flavored water.

10 Similarly, the barrier to oxygen, as well as to gases and infinitesimal particles of matter constituting odors, is improved.

In addition, all of these materials are resistant to high temperatures, particularly during hot filling, and to significant temperature variations during pasteurization.

The film, made up of four sheets that adhere to each other, is pre-formed and cut to the desired dimensions for the production of a bag with the desired capacity.

20 Two films are superimposed, brought together and their edges are hot-welded by high pressure from two suitable jaws according to the known process.

The part constituting the bottom of the bag is folded to form a W (6 figure 2), then welded along a curvilinear line so that 25 when it is filled this W-shaped bottom unfolds to present an elliptical base (5 figure 2 and 3) thus ensuring the upright and vertical maintenance of the bag.

To integrate the content consumption system, the jaws of the device used (after the making of the 30 pre-formed bags) separate the two layers of the film and hold it open, then a semi-rigid food-grade polyethylene tube with a small cross-section (approximately 3 mm) is mechanically placed by means of a pusher driven by guide rollers.

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During the flat holding of the bag and the integrated tubing, the device makes an additional seal (13 - figure 4) parallel to the seal on one side of the bag.

This weld is made by two jaws whose purpose is also to hold the straw in a position parallel to the outer weld before sealing, the latter allowing to make an inner channel serving as a guide and support for the tubing already positioned.

These jaws have a pneumatic or mechanical operation via servomotor which offers the advantage of precisely adjusting the sealing time, the stroke of the jaws as well as their opening and closing speed.

Care will be taken to make the channel sufficiently wide to allow the tubing to slide while minimizing the flow of liquid to the outside through this same channel.

The channel must leave a space of approximately and at least two centimeters from the bottom of the bag to allow the contents to enter this channel and the straw itself, up to its top, thus allowing the entire contents, container and "straw" to be sterilized during the pasteurization phase.

In the upper corner and on the same side, a small channel will be formed in the same way and simultaneously by another weld, in a horizontal position, that is to say parallel to the weld/closure 25 of the bag; this channel of about 2 centimeters will be perpendicular or in an oblique position to the one containing the straw.

The top corner of the bag where the straw is inserted will be pre-cut by laser or other process to allow its opening, releasing the straw and allowing the consumption of the 30 liquid contained.

Similarly, this pre-cut can be made across the entire horizontal width (laser or fancy cut), in the upper part of the bag, thus forming a strip of approximately 2 cm after it is torn off.

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To facilitate opening, two small notches will be made and clearly cut at the end of the bag processing, and dotted lines will be printed beforehand on the film to indicate the location and direction of opening by tearing.

After partially opening the bag by tearing off the pre-cut corner or the transverse strip and after using the released straw, the consumer can fold the top part of this straw by about 2 centimeters and place this part in the perpendicular or oblique location provided for this purpose or in the extra width of the main channel.

V - Brief description of the drawings

A preferred representation of the invention is given by:

Figure I – in which the film is shown in cross-section indicating 15 in 1 – the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet of a

Approximately 12 microns thick in layer 2 - Selar*PA polyamide sheet approximately 12 microns thick in layer 3 - EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol/polymer) sheet approximately 12 microns thick in layer 4 - food-grade polyethylene (PE) sheet approximately 60 microns thick in layer A1 - a primer-type adhesive approximately 3 microns thick in layer A2 - a Bynel CXA 4100 type adhesive approximately 1 micron thick in layer A3 - a Bynel CXA 5000 type adhesive approximately 1 micron thick

Figure II, in which the base of the bag is shown in plan view, indicating at 5, the elliptical base of the bag, at 6, the base formed by the unfolded film, at 7, the fold of the W constituting this base; Figure III, in which the bag is shown upright in perspective, indicating: at 8, the cut of a notch on the edge of the upper seal of the bag, at 9, the cut of a notch on the edge of the lateral seal of the bag, at 10, the pre-cutting indicated by dotted lines, at 11, the curvilinear seal of the bag; Figure IV, in which the bag filled with liquid is shown in front view, indicating at 12, the lateral seals on each side of the bag in a vertical position, at 13, the complementary parallel seal forming with the lateral seal (12) an internal channel or guide housing the straw, at 14, the channel or guide formed by the two seals (12 and

13) housing the straw in 1 5- the "straw" sliding in the guide or channel (14 ) in 1 6 - the product contained in figure V in which 25 is represented in 17 - the torn part (pre-cut angle)

in 1 8 - the part of the straw freed after pulling out the pre-cut corner

Figure VI shows another embodiment of the invention in that the end of the 30 straw (18) contained in the bag (accordion straw) in front

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later emerges folded back on itself in the overwidth of the guide channel (19).

Figure VII, in which is represented

in 1 8 - the end of the folded straw, emerging unfolded from 5 its guide channel after tearing off the pre-cut angle (17).

Figure VIII, in which is represented,

in 1 8 - after opening the sachet, the folded straw and repositioned in the extra width of the channel (19) in order to prevent the flow of liquid (1 6).

10 Figure IX represents another embodiment of the invention, in that the upper part of the accordion straw is bent and housed in a horizontal portion of the right-angled extension of the guide channel, as shown in 20.

figure X in which is represented

in 1 8 1 the upper part of the unfolded accordion straw removed from the bag after tearing off the pre-cut corner.

Figure XI - in which is shown in 1 8 after opening the sachet, the straw folded and placed back in the channel, in order to prevent the flow of liquid.

Figure XII represents another embodiment of the invention, in that the upper part of the accordion straw (18) is bent and housed in an oblique portion (210) of the extension of the guide channel (14)

25 Figure XIII representing in 18 - the accordion straw unfolded and emerging after tearing off the corner (17)

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Figure XIV - showing, after opening the sachet, the straw (18) folded and placed back in the channel, (21) in order to prevent the flow of the liquid (16)

Figure XV - representing another embodiment of the bag in that the horizontal pre-cut (23) allowing its opening extends across its entire width in its upper part,

in 22 - the notch made on the other side of the bag in 25 - the transverse seal closing the bag after filling 10 Figure XVI - in which is represented in 24 - -the torn and detached part in 1 8- the part of the straw released after tearing the pre-cut corner 15 in 25 - the transverse seal closing the bag after filling

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Claims (1)

DEMANDS 1- Plastic bag formed by a multilayer film consisting of four sheets, each with different compositions and characteristics, bonded together by co-extrusion 5 then lamination and using appropriate adhesives. 2- film consisting of four sheets according to claim I in that the first sheet is of composition to allow higher print quality. a) without causing any changes in taste of the liquid or semi-liquid product contained in the sachet, due to the protection provided by the three other sheets b) without risk of being erased because the printing is done on the inside face of the sheet. 3- film consisting of four sheets according to claim I 15 in that the first sheet is of a nature to give greater brilliance and transparency to the product. 4- A film consisting of four sheets according to claim 1, in that the first sheet is capable of providing significant mechanical resistance suitable for ensuring better 20. Maintaining the bag during filling and storage. 5- film consisting of four sheets according to claim I in that the second sheet is of a nature and composition which greatly reduces the penetration of ultraviolet rays. 25 6- film consisting of four sheets according to claim I in that the second sheet is of a nature and composition suitable for ensuring better impermeability to particles. infinitesimal amounts of matter that make up smells and tastes. 7- film consisting of four sheets according to claims 30 I, 5 and 6, in that the second sheet is of a nature and composition suitable for improving the rigidity of the bag. 8- film consisting of four sheets according to claims 1, 5, 6, 7, in that the second sheet is of a nature and of -13- composition capable of forming a large barrier to oxygen and water vapor. 9- film consisting of four sheets according to claims 1, 5, 6, 7, in that the second sheet is of a nature and of 5 composition suitable for maintaining the brightness and transparency of the film. 10- film consisting of four sheets according to claim 1, in that the third sheet is of a nature and composition ensuring a better oxygen barrier 10 11- film consisting of four sheets according to claim 1. In that the fourth sheet, in contact with the liquid that will be contained in the sachet, is of food grade according to current standards, 1 2 - film consisting of four sheets according to claim 15 1 and 11 in that the fourth sheet is of a nature and composition suitable for improving the strength of the bag. 13- bag according to claims 1 to 12 in that it is formed of a multilayer sheet of different plastics and has a folded flat bottom forming a W which relaxes during filling and has an elliptical base after unfolding of this W structure. 1 4 - bag according to claims 1 to 13 of easy handling, of low weight and of small size when empty. 1 5 - sachet according to claims 1 to 14 which by its 25 conformation can remain upright after filling. 1 6 - sachet according to claims 1 to 1 5 in that its conformation allows for easy handling, packaging, transport and storage. 30 1 7- sachet according to claim I to in that it comprises a tube or straw housed hermetically from the external environment, in a channel or guide formed by a double weld allowing it to slide in this channel flooded by the contained liquid. -14- 1 8 - sachet according to claims I to 1 7 in that the width of the channel slightly greater than the diameter of the straw makes it possible to avoid a significant loss of product contained if the open sachet is turned upside down and the straw not yet folded 5 19 - sachet according to claims I to 1 8. in that the tubing or "straw" housed in its channel formed by the double weld, as well as this double weld itself, improves and reinforces its support in standing position, and ensures greater resistance to vertical compression 10 20- sachet according to claims I to 19. in that the tube or "straw" housed in its channel is of a length less than the height of the bag and therefore cannot, during handling or storage, perforate or weaken the wall of the bag at one and/or the other of its ends 15 21 - bag according to claims 1 to 20. in that it is equipped with notches and a pre-cut allowing its easy opening by tearing at the angle designated by these notches, resulting in less material rejection 22 - sachet according to claims 1 to 21. 20 in that a tube erected outside its retaining channel, at the moment of its opening by tearing the pre-cut angle provided for this purpose, allows the use by absorption of the contents 23 - sachet according to claims 1 to 20. in that it is provided in the top of the main channel, with a small 25 channel, formed perpendicularly or obliquely which constitutes the rehousing and hygienic protection of the upper part of the straw after first use. 24 - sachet according to claims 1 to 20 and 23 in that folding the straw and re-placing it in the 30 perpendicular or oblique channel provided for this purpose constitutes an effective sealing of the container and hygienic preservation of the contents. -15- 25 - sachet according to claims 1 to 24 in that the housing of the straw in the channel, before filling the sachet, allows its sterilization simultaneously with the pasteurization of the product by a single operation. 5 26 - sachet according to claims 1 to 24 in that the straw housing in the channel inside the bag cannot be accidentally or intentionally detached from the product without opening the bag. DU PL1CA i A CfcKlih£ COINH^ to L'ORICINAI. in pages. f]r containing Reference* J^mot added ..WLmc- ra;.é r^ José CURAU Industrial Property Consultant -16-