CN1181049A - Packaging unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A packaging unit comprises a cavity formed between two plastics sheets welded around an outline, fluid food in the cavity, a tubular element through the outer extremity of which a consumer drinks the fluid food, and openable closure means which prevents flow of fluid food from the cavity to the exterior via the element when the two sheets are partially peeled apart to reveal the extremity to permit the fluid food to be consumed using the element as a straw. The element may be slidable within a sheath closed by a membrane of the closure means. With the fluid food converted to a solid state, the sheets can be fully peeled apart and the element, or the sheath and the element together, serve as a lollipop stick.

Description

packaging unit

The invention relates to a packaging unit for liquid food. Such a packaging unit is particularly suitable for foods that are inhaled by the consumer in a liquid or solid state, such as syrups or beverages that can be solidified into ice cream, sorbets, or generally solidified liquid foods such as fruit drinks. In the prior art, there are cartons for liquids, generally in the shape of a parallelepiped. On this carton, in order to facilitate the inhalation of beverages in the carton, a straw is generally attached to the outside, and the straw is separately packaged in the In a packaging bag, it is fixed on the diagonal position on the outer side of the carton and can be disassembled.

The disadvantage of this packaging is that the straw must first be extracted from its packaging bag, and then the pointed end of the straw must be manually inserted into the opening in which the permeable film is provided at the corresponding position of the container.

A similar package is disclosed in EP-A-0213673, but it is welded together by heat welding two pieces of plastic film around the outline to form a pocket, and a piece of plastic film is welded together with a strip of heat welding. Plastic tape or a third piece of plastic film to form the outer bag for the straw. When sucking the liquid food in the pocket, the tip of the straw is pressed into the pocket, piercing a membrane.

Other prior art also has the container that various liquids are used, and straw is inserted in the liquid food of packing, and this straw becomes the opening of packing, is used for sucking liquid food.

For example, WO-A-95/11176 discloses a necked package comprising a straw extending from near the bottom of the package to the neck, where there is a line that is prone to tearing, making the The free end of the neck can be split open, exposing the outer end of the straw. This kind of packaging bag consists of two pieces of plastic film, metal film or coated paper, sealed together along the outer contour.

WO-A-95/05749 discloses a container in which a pair of plastic films are heat welded along an outer contour and then thermoformed within the outer contour into a pair of opposite halves welded together. case. This kind of container has a tube inside, and a part of it is submerged in the concavity with tubular walls in the liquid food. When the food is in a solid state at low temperature, after peeling off the outer shell, it can be eaten as ice cream or popsicles. When, above-mentioned concave part can play the effect of handle, perhaps, when eater only peels off a part of shell, when being able to reach pipe fitting, just can suck the liquid food that is in higher temperature in the container through this pipe fitting.

Although the above last kind of container is a great improvement over other prior art, it is still not completely satisfactory, because the above-mentioned tube will be filled with liquid food when it is packaged, and later this food will be in a solid state, such as ice. When ice cream or popsicles are eaten, some of them will melt and drip onto people's hands.

Various other types of packaging are disclosed in FR-A-2032496, DE-A-2900827, GB-A-663031, but neither a straw for smoking nor for food.

The object of the present invention is to improve the prior art containers for packaging liquid food.

According to the present invention, a kind of packaging unit is provided, it comprises: a piece of packaging material, the liquid food that is contained in the above-mentioned packaging material, and a tubular member that the eater drinks the above-mentioned liquid food through its outer end, and above-mentioned packaging material is It can be opened to expose the outer end of the above-mentioned tubular member to drink the above-mentioned liquid food. Closure means for the flow of the above-mentioned tubular member to the outside.

With the present invention, it is possible to provide a package with a straw attached, but, because of the above-mentioned openable lid means, the food will not leak through the straw.

The invention is particularly suitable for a package which allows the eater to freely choose whether to consume the food contained in the package in a liquid state or in a solid state according to his preferences.

In a preferred embodiment, the package includes a liquid food capable of solidification, a capsule containing said food and having an openable recess with a tubular wall, and a tube within the capsule, partially A tubular member inserted into the tubular recess and liquid-tight. A portion of the above-mentioned tubular member is submerged in the food, providing a passage for the food in a liquid state; although this passage can communicate with the outside, the package has a closure that can be opened so that the outer end of the passage can only be opened. Selectively communicates with food so as to prevent food from flowing out when not needed.

This closure prevents food from flowing into the interior of the tubular member during packaging, or during subsequent transport; thereby eliminating the inconvenience of use and the risk of unhygienic leakage of liquids.

In one embodiment, there is a sheath between the tubular member and the tubular wall of the recess, on the outside of which sheath is equipped with connecting means which enable the sheath to be fixedly positioned, so that the sheath and A reliable seal against liquid leakage is provided between the tubular walls; since the tubular member is connected to the sheath, the tubular member can slide and/or rotate within the sheath, and the tubular member is more secure and reliable positioned in the aforementioned enclosure.

In another embodiment, said closing means is a membrane which openably closes one end of said sheath. This results in a particularly simple form of the closure device.

One end of the above-mentioned sheath extends to the wider part of the capsule containing the food, and its other end is in direct contact with the food. The axial dimension of the tubular member is greater than the length of the sheath.

The above-mentioned tubular member has a longitudinal through hole, which constitutes the passage of liquid food.

The position of the above-mentioned tubular member near the end of the above-mentioned membrane is shaped like the interface of a tape recorder. When the eater wants to suck this liquid food, it will play the role of a device to pierce the above-mentioned membrane, so that the tubular member can be axially inserted into the surrounding area. in its sheath.

Alternatively, the tubular member has an axial blind hole communicating with at least one radial through hole to form a passage for liquid food.

This allows the closure device to be easily opened and also reclosed by a small axial displacement of the closure device, or by an angular rotation of the tubular member relative to said enclosure.

In yet another embodiment, the aforementioned at least one radial through hole is formed between two grooves of the tubular member to cooperate with a sealing member on the inner surface of the tubular wall of the recess.

In this way, simply sliding the tubular member to the inside of the packaging unit can make the packaged food communicate with the outside world, so that the eater can pour this liquid food into his mouth or suck it into his mouth to drink this food .

In the following, several embodiments of the invention, purely by way of example, are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the attached picture:

Figure 1 is a partially blocked sectional view of a packaging unit, in this embodiment a tubular member inserted axially into a frusto-conical, coaxial tubular sheath having symmetrical end regions , and the sheath extends into the recess of the packaging unit;

Fig. 2 is II-II sectional view among Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the lower portion of the packaging unit of Figure 2, where the tubular member acts as a straw for immersion in liquid food;

Fig. 4 is the figure similar to Fig. 1, but, in this scheme, there is the device that the sheath is connected with the tubular wall of above-mentioned recess on the sheath;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view of the means for connecting the sheath to the tubular wall of the recess in an arcuate cross-section;

Fig. 6 is a detailed view similar to Fig. 5, but the cross-section of the above-mentioned connecting device is angular;

Figure 7 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of a packaging unit, wherein both the tubular member and the sheath are provided with intermediate and end closing devices, both in a closed state;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, but with the intermediate closures in an open position and the end closures in a closed position;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 8, but belongs to an improved mode, the end closure device is in an open state, and the middle closure device is in a closed state;

Figure 10 is a sectional view similar to Figure 7, showing an external longitudinal groove extending along a substantial portion of the side surface of the tubular member;

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 10, but showing another modified form, wherein the above-mentioned intermediate closures have slot-shaped openings to allow passage of liquid when the end closures are in an open position through;

Fig. 12 is a figure similar to Fig. 1, but its closing device has openings on the tubular member and the sheath, and the relative positions of the openings are determined by the axial movement of the tubular member;

Fig. 13 is a partially enlarged view showing in detail the closure device in Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 13, but the closure device can be opened by rotating the tubular member around its longitudinal axis;

Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 1, but with a tubular member having a pair of disconnected end holes;

Figure 16 is a view similar to Figure 15, but with the tubular member in an open position suitable for aspiration of liquid; and

Figure 17 is an enlarged detail view of the fluid passage area of the tubular member.

As shown in the figure, a packaging unit 1 comprises a pair of half-shells 2 facing each other, the two half-shells are connected together along a weld 4 by heat welding to form a cavity 3, which contains edible Food product; the cavity 3 has a recess 5 in which is received in a sealed manner the outer surface area of a tubular sheath 6 which tapers outwards. Inside the sheath 6, a tubular member 7 having an axial through hole 8 is accommodated in a sliding fit. The above-mentioned sheath 6 and member 7 can function as handles, which can be held after the package 2 is removed from the food when the food is in a solid state, such as popsicles or ice cream. Unpacking is accomplished by separating the two half-shells 2 . In order to achieve the purpose of separating the half-shells, as shown in FIG. 2 , the two half-shells are respectively provided with outwardly diverging tongues 9 outside the welds 4 , which can be grasped during the separation process. The length of the sheath 6 is shorter than that of the tubular member 7 so that the tubular member can be positioned during packaging with its outer end 10 projecting a predetermined distance A from the corresponding end 11 of the sheath 6 .

After the handles 6, 7 have been incorporated into the packaging unit 2, the food is then filled and the packaging unit is finally sealed in the manner disclosed in the International Application WO-A-95/05749 referred to below. The inner end 12 of the sheath 6 is in the middle of the food, and its end is provided with an end closure, which is a membrane 13 . When the tubular member 7 is pushed down a distance A along the sheath 6, the tubular member 7 is shaped as if the corresponding end 14 of the recorder interface pierces the membrane 13, opening it.

When the packaging unit will be opened, the eater can tear the tongue piece 9, and if it is a solid food, the two halves of the packaging are completely torn apart, at this moment, the sheath 6 and the tubular member 7 can be used as the handle of the popsicle; If the food is liquid, the tongue part is torn apart. At this time, the tubular member 7 can be used as a straw for sucking or pouring the liquid into the mouth of the eater. In the latter case, the eater can also only partially tear the tongue 9, interrupting the opening of the half shell 2 at the position of the packaging unit 2 near the pair of peripheral folding lines 14a formed at the recess 5.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the inner end 14 pierces the membrane 13 and sucks at the outer end of the hole 8, and the liquid food can be sucked into the mouth along the direction indicated by the arrow F.

As shown in Fig. 4, the above-mentioned sheath is not completely symmetrical to the shape of the median transverse plane (as shown in Figs. In the recess 5 there is a frusto-conical central portion 6a.

On the outer surface of the sheath 6 there are means connected to the tubular wall of the recess 5, which means comprise an annular groove 16 on the sheath cooperating with a corresponding annular protrusion on the tubular wall of the recess, the recess The cross-sections of the groove 16 and the corresponding annular protrusion can be arc-shaped, as shown in FIG. 5 , or angle-shaped, as shown in FIG. 6 , and so on.

As shown in Fig. 7, between the recess 5 and the part 6c of the sheath 6 which protrudes into the larger part of the cavity 3, there is a circle of openings 18 in the sheath, which are closed in the middle for liquid food. device. The above-mentioned intermediate closure also includes a second circle of orifices 17 formed on the tubular member 7, when the tubular member 7 is slid to the inside of the cavity 3 by a length B (this length B is shorter than the length A that allows the end closure 13 to open) short), the above-mentioned orifice 17 is aligned with the corresponding orifice 18.

When the tubular member has completed its length of travel B, as shown in Figure 8, its tip 14 has just hit the inner surface of the membrane 13 without piercing it. At this point, liquid can be sucked out through the two rings of orifices.

As shown in Figure 9, when the tubular member 7 completes the full length of its stroke A, the orifice 17 is no longer aligned with the orifice 18, and therefore, the liquid no longer flows out through the side of the sheath 6 and the tubular member 7, Instead, it can only flow out through the end 14 that has pierced the membrane 13 .

Like this, when this packaging unit is in the upper position near the eater's mouth, the eater can pass through the liquid food in the cavity 3 of the orifice 17,18; , then suck liquid food from the bottom of the cavity by piercing the end 14 of the closure.

In order to prevent unfavorable angular displacement of the tubular member 7 relative to the sheath 6, a guide attachment 19 can be provided on the sheath, which fits in a groove 20 on the tubular member 7 parallel to the axis of the tubular member.

The length of the above-mentioned groove 20 is basically equal to the stroke A, and the depths of the two can be slightly different, so that when the inner end 14 of the tubular member 7 pierces through the diaphragm 13, it will be subject to greater sliding resistance.

In order to facilitate the insertion of the tubular member 7 into the sheath 6, it is also possible, as shown in FIG.

The above-mentioned orifices 17 may also be made in the shape of slots as shown in FIG. 11 instead of round holes, so that liquid can pass through these slots even when the end closure 13 is open.

At this time, the eater can suck liquid food through the openings 17, 18 and the bottom of the tubular member simultaneously.

As shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14, except that the tubular member 7 can have a circle and a circle of middle openings 18b on the sheath 6 to form the middle opening 17b of the middle closing device, there can also be a circle and the middle opening 18b on the sheath. The end aperture 18c cooperates with the end aperture 17c.

The innermost end of the tubular member 7 is provided with an end closure 19 to prevent the food from leaking out of the tubular member when the eater wishes to eat the food in a solid or semi-fluid state.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 12 and 13, in order to open middle closure device 17b, 18b and end closure device 17c, 18c, above-mentioned tubular member 7 must move along axial direction relative to sheath 6; And in Fig. 14 In an embodiment, a pair of opposing control appendages 30 are provided on the tubular member 7, which allow the tubular member to rotate around its axis so that the interior of the tubular member 7 can pass through the closing means 17b, 18b, 17c, 18c communicates with cavity 3 . In the closed state, the aforementioned orifices 17b and 17c are angularly offset from the orifices 18b and 18c.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 15 , 16 and 17 , at least one blind axial hole 21 communicating with at least one radial hole 22 is provided in the tubular member 7 . Although the holes 21 and 22 are only effective for the part of the member inserted into the recess 5, the tubular member 7 is shown symmetrically about an intermediate vertical plane (for correct insertion).

It must be pointed out that in this solution the sheath 6 is not required, since the tubular wall of the recess 5 is able to provide the necessary stability for the tubular member 7 placed therein.

In this solution, there is a prefabricated breaking line 14b across the recess 5, so that tearing off the end, including the tongue 9, exposes the end of the member 7, allowing the user to suck out the contents of the package.

The above-mentioned at least one radial hole 22 is made on the axial middle part of the tubular member 7, between two axially separated annular grooves 23 engaged with corresponding annular protrusions on the tubular wall of the recess 5, Connection means between the tubular member 7 and the recess 5 are formed.

As shown in Figure 15, when the tubular member 7 is used as a handle, the holes 21, 22 in the outer end region are not communicated with the food inside; on the other hand, when the tubular member 7 is used as a straw, After tearing the end along the breaking line 14b, the eater can slide the hollow tubular member 7 along the axis to the inside of the cavity 3 for a predetermined distance Z, for example, the distance Z can be the same as the inner end of the tubular member 7. The distance between the head and the bottom of the packaging unit 1 is equal.

Since the predetermined distance between the two grooves 23 is substantially equal to the above-mentioned distance Z, when the tubular member 7 is inserted into the cavity 3 with a stroke of Z, the outer groove 23 is engaged with the inner annular protrusion, And is liquid tight. During the above-mentioned moving distance Z, the annular protrusion is pressed outwards in an elastic state, and is not reset until the moving stroke ends.

In this state, the holes 21 and 22 communicate with the cavity 3, so that the eater can suck the liquid food through the holes 22. When the radial holes 22 are no longer immersed in the liquid, the packaging unit can be turned upside down to allow the food Flow down to holes 21 and 22.

In addition, it is preferable to make the position of an annular protrusion be on the part corresponding to the tubular wall of the recess 5, that is, the part that is torn off together with the tongue 9 when the packaging unit is opened along the prefabricated breaking line 14b. part.

Claims (16)

1. A packaging unit, comprising: a piece of packaging material (2), liquid food contained in the above-mentioned packaging material (2), and a tubular member for the user to drink the above-mentioned liquid food through its outer end (10) (7), the above-mentioned packaging material (2) can be opened so as to expose the outer end (10) of the above-mentioned tubular member (7) to drink the above-mentioned liquid food, it is characterized in that there is an openable to prevent the above-mentioned When the packaging material (2) exposes the above-mentioned outer end (10), the above-mentioned liquid food flows from the above-mentioned packaging material (2) through the above-mentioned tubular member (7) to the closing device (13, 14, 17, 18, 17b, 18b, 17c, 18c, 22). 2. The packaging unit according to claim 1, characterized in that said tubular member (7) is movable between a first position and a second position, and when in said first position, said liquid food cannot Flowing through the above-mentioned tubular member (7), when in the above-mentioned second position, the above-mentioned liquid food can be sucked through the above-mentioned tubular member. 3. Packaging unit according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the first and second positions of said tubular member (7) is determined by support means (19, 20, 23). 4. The packaging unit according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that between the above-mentioned tubular member (7) and the tubular wall of the recess (5) in the above-mentioned packaging material (2) , insert a tubular guide (6) in a sealed manner. 5. The packaging unit according to claim 4, characterized in that, the outside of the above-mentioned tubular guide (6) is provided with a connecting device (16) for axially positioning the above-mentioned guide (6) in the above-mentioned recess (5) . 6. A packaging unit as claimed in claim 4 or 5 dependent on claim 3, characterized in that said support means (19, 20) are equipped on said tubular guide (6) and tubular member (7) , the supporting device includes an inwardly protruding accessory (19) and a notch (20) in which the above-mentioned accessory (19) is embedded. 7. The packaging unit according to claim 6, characterized in that, the above-mentioned notch (20) is a groove extending along the above-mentioned tubular member (7), and its length is at least equal to the limit of the tubular member (7) in the The distance (A) traveled on the tubular guide (6). 8. The packaging unit according to any one of claims 4-7 dependent on claim 2, characterized in that said tubular member (7) is provided with an attachment (30) for making the tubular member (7) Rotation relative to said tubular guide (6) between said first position and said second position. 9. The packaging unit according to any one of claims 4-8, characterized in that the length of the above-mentioned tubular member (7) is greater than the length of the above-mentioned tubular guide (6). 10. The packaging unit according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that said closing means (13, 14) comprise a membrane (13) which closes said tubular guide (6 ) or an end (14) of the above-mentioned tubular member (7), and can be peeled off. 11. The packaging unit according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that said tubular member (7) has a shaft communicating with at least one side through hole (17, 17b, 17c, 22) to the holes (8, 21). 12. The packaging unit according to the claim dependent on claim 4 in claim 11, characterized in that said guide (6) is provided with at least one side hole (18, 18b, 18c), which can be It communicates with at least one side through hole (17, 17b, 17c) mentioned above. 13. The packaging unit according to claim 3 or 11, characterized in that, on the tubular wall of the above-mentioned tubular member (7) and the recess (5) inside the above-mentioned packaging material (2), a pair of The above-mentioned supporting device (23) is formed in the form of grooves (23) of the above-mentioned tubular member (7) spaced apart from each other and corresponding annular protrusions, and the above-mentioned at least one side through hole (22) is between the two grooves. . 14. The packing unit according to claim 13, characterized in that, the distance (Z) between the above-mentioned two grooves (23) basically faces the inner end of the above-mentioned tubular member (7) and it The distance between one wall of the above-mentioned packaging material (2) is equal. 15. The packaging unit according to claim 11, 13 or 14, characterized in that the above-mentioned axial hole (21) is a blind hole. 16. The packaging unit according to any one of claims 11-15, characterized in that said at least one side through hole (17, 17b, 17c) and/or said at least one side hole (18, 18b, 18c) is a longitudinal slot on the above-mentioned tubular member (7).

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