HK1027079B - Reclosable opening device for packages for pourable food products - Google Patents

Description

Reclosable opening device for a packaging container for pourable food products, and packaging container

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an opening device for a packaging container containing or intended to contain a pourable or flowable food product and a packaging container having such an opening device. The opening device is particularly suitable for aseptic packaging containers containing aseptically processed food products such as fruit juices, heat-treated milk subjected to so-called UHT (ultra high temperature) treatment, etc., and can also be used for packaging containers containing pasteurised food products such as pasteurised milk.

Background

Many commercially available food products, including aseptically processed fruit juices, wine, UHT milk, tomato juice, etc., are packaged in packaging containers made from packaging materials that are either originally aseptic or aseptically processed. A typical example of such a packaging container is a parallelepiped packaging container for liquid or pourable food products, which is known under the name Tetra Brik Aseptic (registered trademark) and is manufactured by a method of folding and sealing a sheet-like laminated packaging material. The laminated packaging material comprises a plurality of layers of fibrous material, such as paper, coated on each side with a thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene. On the side of the laminated packaging material intended to be in contact with the food contents in the packaging container, there is also a layer of protective material, for example aluminium foil or the like, which is also coated with a thermoplastic layer.

To manufacture a parallelepiped packaging container of this type, a laminated packaging material in sheet form is fed to a filling or packaging machine. The packaging material web is sterilized in the packaging machine with a chemical sterilization agent, such as a hydrogen peroxide solution. In the sterilized state, the sterilizing agent is removed from the surface of the packaging material, for example, it can be evaporated off by heating. The sterilized packaging material web is stored in a closed sterile space and folded and sealed longitudinally to form a tube. The tube is filled with the sterilized food product and is transversely sealed and cut into a plurality of filled and sealed pillow-like packaging containers, which are then mechanically folded into parallelepiped packaging containers.

An example of such a packaging machine is the TBA19 sterile filling machine manufactured by Tetra Brik packaging tissue of germany road No. 1 (ViaDelfini 1, Modena), monte, italy.

Several solutions have been proposed for opening packaging containers of this type. One solution is: a perforation line is provided which partially penetrates the outer layer of the laminated packaging material but leaves the inner protective layer or several complete inner layers and extends across the corner regions of the packaging container flaps. By lifting the flap and cutting or tearing along the perforation line, the packaging container is opened and the contents can be poured out of the packaging container. Such solutions are described in U.S. patent No.4,655,387 and U.S. patent No.4,410,128.

However, since packaging containers of this type cannot be reclosed, they must be handled with care to prevent leakage until all the product has been used up.

To overcome this inconvenience, various types of reclosable opening devices have been proposed. One such solution is: a discharge opening formed in a sheet of packaging material and a pull tab added above the discharge opening in a filling or packaging machine are provided, in addition to a cradle-like pouring device having a reclosable lid attached to the outside of the filled and formed packaging container and located above the pull tab. In order to access the contents of the packaging container, the user must first open the lid and then remove the pull tab. Once the desired number of articles has been removed from the packaging container, the lid can be closed again.

This solution is very advantageous from many points of view, while it has also been found to be improved, and in particular it is desirable to have an opening device which allows a user to open a packaging container of the above-mentioned type by a simple operation and thereafter provide the possibility of reclosing the packaging container with an improved liquid tightness.

Packaging containers of the so-called gable-top type are also known, which are usually formed from a packaging blank on a core and are particularly suitable for food products which have been subjected to pasteurization. By pulling on a pair of opposed, inclined wall ends of a gable-top container, respectively, a portion of the uppermost sealing ridge or fin of the container is broken and a spout-like portion is opened outwardly to allow the product to be poured from the container. However, this opening arrangement also has the following disadvantages: it cannot be reliably reclosed and therefore gable top packaging containers providing this type of opening arrangement must also be carefully treated to prevent spillage until all of the contents have been used.

Japanese patent publication No.63-149818 describes an opening device for gable-top packaging containers, which is usually formed from a packaging blank on a core and which is particularly suitable for food products that have been subjected to pasteurization. The opening device has a bracket attached to one of the two sloping walls of a gable top packaging container and supporting two upstanding semi-circular walls. A lever having a corresponding semi-circular profile is supported between the walls for rotation about a flat bottom center passing generally through the semi-circular walls parallel to and adjacent the surface of the packaging container. The lower part of the lever facing the packaging container is provided with teeth for cutting through the packaging material and a gripping protrusion, whereby the user can open the packaging container by turning the lever in one direction and reclose the packaging container by turning the lever in the opposite direction.

However, this type of opening device requires a large force to drive the teeth through the packaging material. This may lead to inadvertent spillage of the contents of the packaging container. Furthermore, the application of excessive force at the point where the lever bears against the wall may cause damage or even breakage of the device. Moreover, although the device is reclosable after opening, such reclosure is not liquid tight. Spillage can occur when the reclosed container is accidentally knocked over.

Screw caps provide a good degree of liquid tightness when reclosed, but when screw caps are used with aseptic packaging containers of the type described above, some provision must be made to assist in rupturing the barrier of the container when opened, so as to maintain the aseptic quality of the packaging container until such time as the packaging container is opened for consumption of the contents therein.

From published japanese patent application No.63-156928, there is known a three-piece opening device comprising a holder having an externally threaded portion, a screw cap which can be screwed on the holder, and a sleeve which is placed in the tube portion of the holder and has a lower toothed rim which penetrates the sheet packaging material of the container when driven by screwing the cap on the holder: a breakable collar is attached to the screw cap periphery in a known manner as evidence of tampering. If the collar of a packaging container on the shelf of the store has been broken or removed from the screw cap, the consumer is indicated that the packaging container has been previously opened and should not be purchased, since the contents of the packaging container will no longer be sterile. However, this device is complicated in construction and since the breakable plastic portion connecting the collar to the screw cap is only about one millimeter long, if a sleeve has been unscrewed and reinstalled, the tampering indicator is easily overlooked by a hurried consumer or anyone with poor vision.

Japanese laid-open patent application No.64-2727 describes an opening device for the above-mentioned interior wall top type packaging container. This prior art device has a frame defining a tubular portion, a sleeve slidably arranged inside the tubular portion and connected to the frame by a collapsible telescopic hose, and a cover hinged to the frame and covering the open uppermost end of the sleeve as a closed part. The user must exert pressure on the cover, which is transmitted to the sleeve, in order to fold the telescopic hose. The lower end of the sleeve pierces the wrapper of the container, thereby enabling the reclosable cap to be opened to allow the product to be poured.

However, during handling and transport, the cap may be knocked over, inadvertently folding the bellows and causing the sleeve to pierce the container packaging material, so that the contents of the packaging container will no longer be sterile. Moreover, if the collapsible bellows is extended to its original position, the consumer is unaware that a prior opening has occurred and therefore carelessly purchases such a packaging container and consumes the contents, thereby compromising health.

From japanese utility model patent No. jp-62-90320, there is also known an opening device having a screw cap screw-engaged with a spout. The spout is attached to a packaging container and a cutting member is also provided in the spout. The cutting member can be pushed directly through the packaging material constituting the packaging container by applying pressure with the fingers thereon. A mechanism is provided for locking the cutting member in an open position within the spout, thereby avoiding interference during pouring of the contents of the packaging container. However, the fact that the cutting member is pushed with the fingers is a source of possible contamination of the article during the opening operation. Also, when one of the packaging containers on the store shelf has been opened and the lid has been replaced so that the contents of the packaging container will no longer be sterile, there is no effective tamper evidence to alert the consumer. Thus, the consumer is unaware that a prior opening has occurred and inadvertently purchases such a packaging container and consumes the contents thereof, thereby compromising health. Furthermore, this type of opening device is inconvenient to use, since it requires a first operation to access the cutting member and then a second operation to force the cutting member to penetrate the packaging material constituting the packaging container.

Japanese laid-open patent application No.63-202653 discloses a collar which is mountable on a packaging container and has a cutting member hinged thereto for cutting the packaging material of the opened packaging container. A spout having a quick-fit cover or a cap hinged thereto is rotatably mounted on the collar. A cam is supported on the spout and acts on the cutting member as the spout is rotated relative to the collar, thereby forcing the cutting member into the packaging material, causing the sleeve to pierce the underlying packaging material. However, if the spout is rotated relative to the collar before the container is sold, the contents of the container are no longer sterile and a consumer may inadvertently purchase such a container and consume the contents. This obviously leads to health damage.

Objects of the invention

Thus, there is a general need in the art for: a reclosable opening device for packages for flowable or pourable food products is provided which provides a clear and unmistakable signal to the consumer when a package has been tampered with and should no longer be purchased.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a reclosable opening device for packages for flowable or pourable food products, in which the tamper-indicating signal cannot be restored to its original, non-tampered state.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an opening device for a packaging container containing a pourable or flowable food product, which can be opened in a single operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an opening device for a packaging container containing a pourable or flowable food product, which after opening provides a liquid-tight reclosing of the packaging container.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an opening device for a packaging container containing a pourable or flowable food product which can be opened conveniently by a user without applying a large force, thereby avoiding leakage of the contents of the packaging container during opening.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an opening device having means for rupturing the barrier layer of a sterile packaging container upon opening, thereby eliminating the need for the user to manipulate any portion of the opening device that would otherwise penetrate the packaging material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an opening device wherein the means for rupturing the protective barrier of the sterile packaging container upon opening cannot be accidentally activated during handling and transport, thereby maintaining the sterile quality of the packaging container until the moment the packaging container is opened for consumption of the product contained therein.

Disclosure of the invention

In view of the above and other objects of the present invention, which will become more apparent hereinafter, there is provided an opening device for a pourable food product packaging container, comprising a frame member integral with the packaging container to be opened, a pouring spout defined by said frame member, a reclosable cap detachably connected to said frame-like member for sealing said pouring spout and detachable therefrom for allowing access to said pouring spout, and an indicator member associated with said frame-like member and releasably connected to said reclosable cap by breakable connecting means for indicating the sealed condition of said opening device in a first position, characterized in that it comprises indicator locking means between said frame-like member and said indicator member for maintaining said indicator member in a second position, to indicate that the reclosable cap is in an opened condition, the second position being spaced from the first position.

The invention also proposes a packaging container for pourable food products, made from a laminated packaging material and a reduced-thickness portion, characterized in that it comprises a reclosable opening device as defined above, a support member of said opening device being connected to said packaging container and surrounding said reduced-thickness portion.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an opening device for a package container for pourable food products according to the invention, in the closed state;

fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a bracket member of the opening device of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the bracket member of the opening device of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded top perspective view of the opening device of the present invention showing the bracket member, a recloser lid, and a marking member interposed between the bracket member and the recloser lid;

FIG. 5 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the opening device of the present invention showing a cutter housed within the frame member and a marking member interposed between the frame member and the reclosable cap;

FIG. 6 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the opening device similar to FIG. 5 showing the cutter extended beneath the bracket member and locked in action on the bracket member, and a flag member interposed between the bracket member and the reclosable cap;

fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the opening device of the present invention, showing it being closed and attached to a packaging container to be opened;

fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the opening device of the present invention attached to a packaging container, showing the opening device in an open state for opening the packaging container;

and figure 9 is a perspective view of the opening device attached to the packaging container shown in figure 8.

Description of the preferred embodiments

With reference to the above figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a reclosable opening device for a pourable food product packaging container according to the present invention. The opening device has a frame-like member or frame 2 which can be made integral with the packaging container to be opened and which is preferably attached to said packaging container by means of, for example, the application of hot melt adhesive or micro flame welding techniques. The bracket member 2 is particularly suitable for use on packaging containers 50 made of known laminated paperboard consisting of layers of fibrous material, e.g. paper, coated on either side with a thermoplastic material, e.g. polyethylene. The laminated packaging material, which is intended to come into contact with the food contents of the packaging container, is also provided, on its side, with a protective material, such as aluminium foil, which is also coated with a thermoplastic layer. The laminate structure of the known packaging material constituting the packaging container 50 is schematically shown in fig. 7 to 9, but for the sake of facilitating understanding of the present invention, the portion of the protective layer 51 which is cut when opening the packaging container is shown and designated by reference numeral 51. It is advantageous that the bracket member surrounds a reduced thickness portion defining the packaging container, i.e. that portion of the packaging container where a hole 52 is made through some of the material layers, and that one or more protective layers 51 of aluminium and/or polyethylene extend over the hole 52. Such structures are well known in the art and are used to form, for example, a perforable straw hole in a packaging container.

The device also has a screw thread 3 formed on the frame member and a reclosable cap 4, the cap 4 being provided with a screw thread 5 of cooperating shape to engage the screw thread 3 of the frame member 2 in a liquid tight screw thread engagement to seal a pouring spout 6 defined by the frame member 2. There is also made a marking member 7 in which a hole 8 has a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the thread 3. As shown in fig. 1, the marking member 7 is placed on the support 2 between the threaded reclosure 4 and a bottom flange 9 defined by the support 2.

The index member 7 defines an annular groove 10 which is in sliding and rotating engagement with an annular rib 11 integrally formed with the support 2 below the thread 3. Breakable connecting bridges 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e and 12f connect the lid 4 and the marking member 7 and indicate the sealed state of the opening device. In practice, the opening device according to the invention is assembled by press-fitting the marking member 7, while the cover 4 is connected to the member 7 by bridges 12a to 12 f. This causes elastic deformation of the annular rib 11 which snaps into the annular groove 10 and is in sliding abutting engagement with the latter. Likewise, the threads 3 formed on the bracket member 2 and the threads 5 cooperatively formed with the reclosable cap 4 are also somewhat elastically deformed. This allows the opening device according to the invention to be assembled together with conventional press-fit means before being fixed to the packaging container.

The bracket and the marking member each define an outermost peripheral contour including a curved peripheral portion and a straight peripheral portion. For opening device 1 in the assembled but unopened state, rectilinear peripheral portion 7a of marking member 7 is parallel to rectilinear peripheral portion 2a of holder 2, while breakable connecting bridges 12a to 12f are intact. In this first position, the marking member 7 completely covers the bottom flange 9 of the holder 2 (see fig. 1).

The opening device also has a marking locking device located between the support 2 and the marking member 7, for holding the marking member in a second position spaced from said first position and for indicating the opening condition of the reclosable cap, that is to say the position in which the rectilinear perimetric portion 7a of the marking member 7 is angularly displaced with respect to the rectilinear perimetric portion 2a of the support 2 and the breakable connecting bridges 12a to 12f are in the broken condition (see figure 6).

The marking lock comprises an irreversible ratchet comprising a pin 13 connected to the support 2, which pin 13 is housed in a groove 14 formed inside the marking member 7 when the device is in the unopened condition, as shown in figures 1 and 5. The non-reversible ratchet device further comprises a toothed ratchet 15 connected to the marking member 7. The pin 13 can slide irreversibly past the toothed ratchet 15 in an opening direction determined by the reclosable cap 4, that is to say in a counterclockwise direction. The end stop constituted by an inner wall 7b of the marking member 7 (see also fig. 5) determines the movement of the marking member 7 relative to the pin 13 along the opening direction.

When in a normal, non-deflected position, the pin 13 projects from the bracket 2 in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the spout 6, the serrated ratchet 15 has at least one tooth, preferably two teeth 16, 17, and each tooth has an inclined face 16a, 17a and an engaging wall 16b, 17 b. The pin 13 is resiliently axially displaced from a normal undeflected position when slid over the inclined face 16a, 17a of each tooth 16, 17 and resiliently returns to its normal undeflected position when located adjacent the engagement wall 16b, 17b of each tooth 16, 17.

A cutter 18 is movably connected to the frame 2 and is movable relative to the frame 2 from a first position (see fig. 2 and 5), in which the cutter 18 is received inside the spout 6 of the frame 2, to a second position (see fig. 6), in which the cutter 18 projects below the frame 2 so as to penetrate a portion of the packaging container. The cutter 18 is preferably integral with a resilient hinge 19, and the resilient hinge 19 is preferably integral with the frame 2.

The drive means is integral with the reclosable cap and is arranged to move the cutter 18 from the first position to the second position upon opening of the reclosable cap 4. The drive means comprises a cam 20 integral with the reclosable cap 4 and an inclined surface 21 provided on the cutter 18. The cam 20 projects from a flange 21 provided on the inner upper surface of the cover 4. The cam 20 and flange 21 are spaced radially from the inner annular wall 25 of the cap 4 by an amount slightly greater than the threaded portion of the housing 2 to allow the cap 4 and cam 20 to rotate relative to the housing 2 and the inclined cam surface 21 of the cutter 18. This then causes the cam 20 to act on the inclined cam surface 21 when the cover 4 is moved in the opening direction, that is to say in the anti-clockwise direction, relative to the holder 2.

A cutter locking means is also integral with the carriage 2 and serves to lock the cutter 18 in the second position, that is to say the fully lowered position shown in figure 6. More specifically, cutter 18 includes an arm 22, a drive member 23 integral with arm 22, and a plurality of cutting teeth 24 integral with drive member 23. The locking means comprise at least one, preferably a pair of hook-like elements 24a, 24b integral with the support 2 and facing each other. During passage of the arm 22 of the cutter 18 between the first raised position and the second lowered position, the hook elements 24a, 24b resiliently flex apart and non-releasably engage the cutter arm 22 in the lowered position, as shown in fig. 6. In this way, the cutter penetrates the packaging material and forms an opening in the interior of the packaging container wall to which the opening device is attached. The cutter locking means prevents all return movements of the cutter and thus prevents any interference with the pouring spout 6 once the packaging container has been opened.

The method of operation of the reclosable opening device according to the invention is as follows:

the opening device is attached to a packaging container in the state shown in figure 1. A user who wants to open the packaging container holds the lid 4 and rotates it in a counterclockwise direction. Initially, the marking member 7 rotates together with the cover 4, the pin 13 of the bracket 2 cannot pass over the teeth 16, 17 of the ratchet mechanism 12 in reverse. At the same time, the annular rib 11 of the holder slides in the annular groove 10 of the marking member.

When the pin 13 contacts the end stop constituted by the inner wall 7b of the marking member 7, the subsequent rotation of the cover 4 causes the connecting bridges 12a to 12f to break. The pin 13 is now irreversibly locked in the second position between the wall 7b of the marking member 7 and the engagement wall 17b of the second tooth 17. In this position, the rectilinear peripheral portion 7a of the marking member 7 is misaligned with respect to the rectilinear peripheral portion 2a of the support 2, so that the exposed portion of the bottom flange 9 is defined by the support 2 (see fig. 6 and 9). Thus, a immediately visible evidence is provided that the packaging container has been opened. It is obvious that the bottom flange 9 may have a different colour with respect to the marking means 7, so as to emphasize the evidence of this tampering. Thus, a consumer in a store who sees a packaging container in this state immediately knows that the packaging container has been tampered with and should not be purchased.

By continuing to rotate the cap 4 relative to the housing 2, as the flag member 7 is locked to the housing 2, the internal thread 5 of the cap 4 begins to unscrew from the thread 3 of the housing 2 and the cam 20 acts on the inclined cam surface 21, thereby rotating the cutter 18 about the resilient hinge 19 and causing the cutter 18 to descend. This lowering of the cutter 18 causes the layer 51 of protective material extending across the aperture 52 formed in the remaining layer of laminated packaging material constituting the packaging container 50 to be cut open. When the cutter 18 reaches the fully lowered position of fig. 6 and 9, the hook elements 24a, 24b engage the arm 22 of the cutter 18. Thereby preventing the cutter from being restored and blocking the pouring outlet 6 during use of the opened packaging container 50. But also prevents the separated portion of the protective material 51 from blocking the hole 52 and the pouring outlet 6 during use of the opened packaging container 50. The opening device is reclosed after use by simply restoring the screw cap 4 in place.

It is noted that the adhesion which occurs between the side protective material 51 of the packaging container 50 and the plastic layer provided on the outside of the packaging container effectively seals any fibres of the fibre layer of the packaging material which are exposed at the holes 52 in a different manner, so that an end sealing effect is obtained and all so-called "edge suction" or capillary action of the product into the packaging material is prevented. The cutter is advantageously dimensioned relative to the aperture 52 such that it cuts the protective layer at a point a small distance from the edge of the aperture 52, thus maintaining such an edge seal of the packaging material around the periphery of the aperture 52 even after the packaging container 50 has been opened.

The invention may be modified without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (9)

1. Reclosable opening device for packages for pourable food products, comprising a frame member integral with the package to be opened, a pouring opening defined by said frame member, a reclosable lid detachably connected to said frame-like member for sealing said pouring opening and being detachable therefrom for allowing access to said pouring opening, and an indicator member connected to said frame-like member and releasably connected to said reclosable lid by breakable connecting means for indicating the sealed condition of said opening device in a first position, characterized in that it comprises indicator locking means between said frame-like member and said indicator member for holding said indicator member in a second position for indicating that said reclosable lid is in an opened condition, the second position is spaced apart from the first position.

2. A reclosable opening device for packages for pourable food products according to claim 1, characterised in that said indicator locking means comprises irreversible ratchet means.

3. A reclosable opening device for packages for pourable food products according to claim 1, characterised in that said indicator locking means comprises a serrated ratchet connected to said indicator member, a pin connected to said frame-like member and non-reversibly slidable on said serrated ratchet in an opening direction determined by said reclosable cap, and end stop means limiting the movement of said pin in said opening direction.

4. A reclosable opening device for packages for pourable food products according to claim 1, characterised in that said frame-like member has a thread formed thereon and an annular rib, said reclosable cap has a threaded portion cooperating with said thread, and said indicator member defines an annular groove which is in sliding rotational engagement with said annular rib.

5. A reclosable opening device for packages for pourable food products according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a cutter movably connected to said frame-like member, said cutter being movable with respect to said frame-like member from a first position in which said cutter is received inside said frame-like member to a second position in which said cutter projects below said frame-like member for penetrating a portion of the package.

6. A reclosable opening device for packages for pourable food products according to claim 5, characterised in that it comprises drive means, said drive means being integrally formed with said reclosable cap for moving said cutter from said first position to said second position upon opening of said reclosable cap.

7. A reclosable opening device for packages for pourable food products according to claim 5, characterised in that it further comprises cutter locking means integrally formed with said frame-like member for locking said cutter in said second position.

8. A packaging container for pourable food products, made of laminated packaging material and a reduced thickness portion, characterised in that it comprises a reclosable opening device as defined in one of the preceding claims, the frame member of said opening device being connected to said packaging container and surrounding said reduced thickness portion.

9. A packaging container according to claim 8, wherein said reduced thickness portion surrounded by said frame member constitutes an aseptic barrier of said packaging container.