Compaction Package

Abstract

Provided is a compaction package that includes a flexible film portion and a heat shrink film portion coupled to part of the flexible film portion. The compaction package has a bottom, a sidewall, and an open top that together define a hollow interior space adapted to receive and contain a granular material. In a first configuration prior to exposure to a heat source sufficient to raise the temperature of the compaction package to a certain critical heat shrink temperature, the interior space of the compaction package has a first volume. In a second configuration after exposure to the heat source, the interior space of the compaction package has a second volume that is less than the first volume.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to packaging for granular materials and more particularly to the use of heat shrink film portions in packing to exclude or limit oxygen from the package and to avoid attrition of packaged granular material during shipping and storage.DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART[0002]Vacuum packaging technology is well known in the art. For example, in the food, detergent, coffee, and industrial material packaging arts, semi-rigid packages are used to contain material while a vacuum is drawn on the packaging. While under vacuum, the package is sealed. In this process, air, containing oxygen, is removed from the container to maintain freshness in the product during transport and storage before sale of the product to a consumer. Further, the vacuum package tends to compact granular materials contained in the package as a vacuum is drawn thus providing more efficient packages for these types of material. Attrition of granular material is also limi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides an inexpensive and cost-effective compaction package for granular materials. The package uses a flexible film and a heat shrink film that is less expensive than prior art packages made entirely of heat shrink film. The package is designed to protect the product from degrading during transport and distribution. The flexible film portion of the package has an open top and the heat shrink film portion is coupled to the flexible film at various positions, such as the edges or corners of the package. The heat shrink film is biased to shrink in only one direction or in both directions when exposed to a heat source. The compaction package is adaptable to existing flexible packaging lines and provides cost advantages over prior art shrink film packages.

Problems solved by technology

Attrition of granular material is also limited because individual grains of material are constrained from movement relative to other particles in the vacuum package.

However, commercial vacuum packaging generally requires expensive vacuum generation equipment and complicates the overall design of a packaging line.

Further, conventional vacuum packaging is venerable to punctures and leaks in the package that degrades package performance.

However, not only are there differences in how the tube is formed, but there are major differences in the type of seal, and in how the longitudinal and transverse seals are made.

Fin-seals are generally not particularly tight seals, and are generally not suitable for packaging moisture containing items.

A major disadvantage of containing products and, more particularly, granular material products in a package made up of shrink film is the cost of heat shrink film portion material itself when compared to the cost of conventional flexible packaging film.

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