Method and apparatus for manufacturing reinforced pouches

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a flexible package adapted to contain a food or beverage ingredient and to be used with a food or beverage preparation machine, wherein the method comprises punching a flexible flat blank sheet between a plunger and a cavity that are movable relative to each other. According to the invention, the plunger has a concave end side and convex side faces, and the profile curvature of its end side is the same as the profile curvature of each of its side faces.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a flexible pouch containing a beverage ingredient and adapted to be used in a beverage preparation machine by piercing the pouch wall and injecting a liquid therein to mix with the ingredient. The invention also relates to an apparatus for producing such a pouch using the method. BACKGROUND

[0002] It is known in the prior art to prepare a beverage by introducing a capsule containing a food or beverage ingredient, such as soluble coffee, milk or chocolate, into a beverage dispensing machine, and then injecting water into the capsule to mix with the ingredient. The soluble beverage or food ingredient is typically dissolved in the water to form a beverage or desired end product which flows out of the capsule through a suitable outlet. Sometimes, the ingredient can be tea leaves, and the beverage is prepared by infusing the tea leaves with water introduced into the capsule. As in the case of soluble ingredients described above, the tea thus infused is then dispensed out of the capsule through a dispensing outlet. Such known capsules are typically rigid or semi-rigid capsules made of a plastic material or metal, for example aluminium.

[0003] More recently, beverage preparation systems have been developed which comprise a flexible package instead of a capsule. Such packages bring some interesting features compared to capsules, such as compactness, manufacturing speed (the shaping, filling and sealing operations can be carried out continuously), enhanced recycling capabilities.

[0004] Such flexible packages are described for example in EP 3 414 187 A1 and comprise a flexible wall and a functional insert, sometimes called a “spout”, located at the bottom of the package, which is attached or otherwise wrapped into the flexible wall. The insert is a common element made of a rigid or semi-rigid plastic and comprises a hole and a channel for connecting the bottom side of the flexible package to a beverage machine in a fluid-tight manner. In use, once the flexible package is functionally connected to the beverage machine, the beverage machine introduces water into the package through the fluid-conducting channel of the insert, which then mixes with the ingredient to form a beverage product which is dispensed out of the flexible package through the product dispensing channel of the insert.

[0005] It is important that the fluid communication between the package and the beverage machine is made by connecting a fluid conducting element of the machine to a flat wall surface of the package; the flatness of the surface between the ingredient package and the beverage machine ensures the substantial sealing of the connection between the two. Moreover, the rigidity of the flat surface of the package is necessary to guarantee that the package does not deform during the connection to the beverage machine. Typically, the connection is achieved by piercing the flat surface of the package or otherwise inserting a connecting element of the machine, such as a needle or similar element. The connection can also be made by opening the package wall and pressing a nozzle of the machine against the package wall to create a sealed fluid communication. If the flat wall of the package is mechanically too weak, the flat wall bends or otherwise deforms when the connecting element of the beverage machine is pressed against or inserted through said wall, which results in a leak or even no fluid connection at all. On the other hand, the opening of the package by the machine must be easy and reliable; to this end, the force necessary to open the package wall must be sufficiently small.

[0006] In some cases, such as described in EP 3 500 503 A1 or EP 3 500 504 A1, the functional insert comprises several parts that can move relative to each other, so that the insert can be actuated for opening or closing itself, thereby allowing a complex sequence for water injection, mixing and product dispensing, such sequence being adapted to the specific preparation requirements imposed by the type of beverage ingredient to be dissolved. The reclosability of the insert also provides an excellent cleanliness to the beverage preparation system.

[0007] However, such existing flexible packages also have drawbacks. First, the functional insert is made of a material that is not easily recyclable. Moreover, it is an ordinary element, and therefore heavy. Also, it is costly to manufacture.

[0008] There are also other flexible packages, such as gusseted bags or sleeve bags. Such packages are made by folding and sealing a thermoplastic material so as to form gussets at their bottom side walls. Although such gusseted pouches are able to form a flat bottom side wall that can be used for connecting to a beverage machine, the manufacture of such gusseted pouches requires a complex multi-fold process to form the gusseted bottom. Due to the multi-fold, layers of material are created that are then sealed. This known manufacturing process requires that the material has good sealing properties, which can only be obtained with thermoplastic films. If non-thermoplastic films are used, the weaker sealing results in delamination or even non-sealed spaces between the folded layers of the film, which is very detrimental to the mechanical and barrier properties of the package. Moreover, such gusseted flexible packages are not desirable as they require thermoplastic material to be formed, which is not environmentally friendly.

[0009] Other types of flexible packages are known, which are manufactured by various processes, such as folding or stamping a flexible flat blank material for forming a three-dimensional volume. However, the known processes generally result in the formation of wrinkles at the surface of the package during the transformation of the flexible flat sheet into a three-dimensional volume. Wrinkles are highly undesirable as they lead to inconsistent sealing of the package and thereby to leakage. The wrinkles also increase the risk of false interactions between the package and a handling unit, such as for example a beverage preparation machine, due to the irregular surface of the package.

[0010] It is therefore a main object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing method for manufacturing an environmentally friendly package, which is generally flexible but comprises a regular surface for connection to a beverage preparation machine, which regular surface is also sufficiently rigid to prevent leakage. SUMMARY

[0011] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a flexible package adapted to contain a food or beverage ingredient and to be used with a food or beverage preparation machine, wherein said method comprises in order the following steps:

[0012] (i) providing a primary flat blank sheet made of a flexible material, preferably a fiber-based material, said blank sheet having an elongated shape and having two flaps extending symmetrically about a transversal axis,

[0013] (ii) placing this primary flat blank sheet in a shaping station so that its center is located between a plunger and a cavity, which are movable relative to each other and have complementary shapes, said plunger having a concave lower end side and convex side faces, and the profile curvature of its end side being the same as the profile curvature of each of its side faces,

[0014] (iii) deforming this primary flat blank sheet by moving the plunger and the cavity towards each other so that the blank is folded about its transversal axis to lift the flaps and form an unsealed U-shaped package having side walls forming a flat package body and a bottom portion having an optional but preferably rigid flat surface, said bottom portion being a cup-shaped hollow volume having the shape of said plunger,

[0015] (iv) sealing the side edges of said U-shaped package.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the plunger has a hexagonal prism shape, said prism having two opposite vertical edges aligned with the transversal axis of the plunger, which extend downward to form downwardly extending tips, said extending edges having a height such that for each transversal cross section of said plunger measured all along its transversal axis, the sum of twice the height of the plunger end portion plus the width of its lower end side is constant.

[0017] Advantageously, the tip of the plunger is rounded or otherwise edge-smoothed.

[0018] Preferably, the method of the application further comprises the steps of:

[0019] (v) once the package is formed and sealed along its side edges, filling said package with a food or beverage ingredient, and then

[0020] (vi) sealing the top edge of the package to close the package.

[0021] Advantageously, the method of the application comprises:

[0022] - placing a pair of plates under said flexible blank sheet in step (ii), the two plates being initially coplanar and each plate supporting a flap of the primary flexible blank sheet, said plates being able to pivot symmetrically about respective axes, each of which is located on either side of said plunger,

[0023] - pivoting the two plates during step (iii) so that the edge of each plate that is furthest from said plunger and cavity is lifted during the pivoting movement, to facilitate (or otherwise direct) the folding of the primary flexible blank sheet into said U-shaped unsealed package.

[0024] In an advantageous embodiment of the application, the manufacturing method further comprises the following steps before step (ii):

[0025] - providing a secondary flexible flat blank sheet, the secondary flexible flat blank sheet being preferably made of a coated fibrous base material,

[0026] - punching a secondary hole through at least the fibrous base material of the secondary flat blank sheet,

[0027] - punching a primary hole across said sheet, centrally located, the diameter of said primary hole being equal to or greater than the diameter of the secondary hole in the secondary flexible flat blank sheet,

[0028] - sealing or otherwise attaching said secondary flat blank sheet to the inner surface of the primary flat blank sheet so that the centers of the two holes are aligned, the attachment or sealing area having an annular shape around said holes and having a width of between 0.5 mm and 10 mm, preferably between 2 mm and 7 mm.

[0029] In this latter advantageous embodiment, the method can further comprise the following steps:

[0030] - providing a tertiary flexible flat blank sheet,

[0031] - sealing or otherwise attaching said tertiary flexible flat blank sheet between said primary and secondary flexible flat blank sheets.

[0032] In the latter case, said tertiary flexible flat blank sheet is preferably a thin layer selected from the following list: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polylactide (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), starch-based polymer, polymer comprising a food-grade oxygen and / or moisture scavenger, or a combination thereof.

[0033] Also in the latter case, the concave lower end side of the plunger comprises a retractable protrusion, which is aligned with the central axis of the plunger and which extends downwards during steps (i) and (ii) and is pressed into the plunger when the tip of said plunger is in contact with the underlying blank sheet and cavity during step (iii). Advantageously, the diameter of the retractable protrusion is larger than the diameter of the primary and secondary punch holes.

[0034] The present application also relates to a machine for manufacturing a package according to the above-described method, said machine comprising:

[0035] - a flexible flat blank sheet feeder,

[0036] - a forming set comprising a plunger and a cavity, the plunger and the cavity being movable relative to each other and having complementary shapes, said plunger having a concave lower end side and convex lateral sides, and the profile curvature of its lower end side being the same as the profile curvature of each of its lateral sides,

[0037] - an actuator for moving the plunger and the cavity towards each other to deform said blank by folding it around its transverse axis, thereby forming an unsealed U-shaped package having a side wall forming a flat package body and a bottom portion having a rigid flat surface, said bottom portion being a hollow volume having the shape of said plunger,

[0038] - a set of sealing jaws adapted to seal the side edge and the cup-shaped bottom portion of said U-shaped package.

[0039] In a possible and advantageous embodiment, the plunger has a hexagonal prism shape, said prism having two opposite vertical edges aligned with the transverse axis of the plunger, which extend downwards to form a downwardly extending tip, said extending edges having a height such that, for each transverse cross-section of said plunger always measured along its transverse axis, the sum of twice the height of the plunger end portion plus the width of its lower end side is constant.

[0040] The tip of the plunger is preferably rounded or otherwise edge-smoothed. This allows to prevent too sharp contact of the plunger with the packaging material to be formed and sealed, and thus to reduce friction, mechanical stress on the material, and the risk of accidental tearing or piercing of said material.

[0041] In another preferred embodiment, the machine according to the application further comprises a pair of plates adapted to support said flexible blank sheet, and each plate supports a flap of the primary flexible blank sheet, said plates being able to pivot symmetrically about respective axes each lying on either side of said plunger.

[0042] It is also preferred that the concave lower end of the plunger comprises a retractable protrusion aligned with the center of said plunger, said protrusion being fitted with a spring to retract within the plunger when pressed against the underlying primary flat blank sheet and the cavity.

[0043] The package formed by the manufacturing process according to the application comprises a generally flexible or semi-flexible side wall which allows excellent quality of the beverage product by reinforcing the dissolution of the contained ingredient with the mixed fluid (typically water) injected therein. At the same time, the interface portion of said package with the food or beverage preparation machine (i.e. its bottom portion) which is designed to be connected to the food or beverage preparation machine is sufficiently rigid to prevent said package from deforming when the machine is fluidically connected to the package. As its outer wall is made from a single blank sheet doubled over, it is particularly eco-friendly (more importantly, its constituent material is preferably chosen from eco-friendly materials such as recyclable, biodegradable, industrially compostable materials or home compostable materials). The three-dimensional folding of its bottom interface provides sufficient rigidity to allow proper opening during the use of an external tool such as for example a water injection needle of a food or beverage preparation machine, and more importantly, such three-dimensional folded bottom portion is free from folded creases which can be detrimental to the proper functioning of said package. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0044] Further features and advantages of the present application will be described in the following description of presently preferred embodiments thereof, given with reference to the drawings, and will become apparent from the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a package according to the application;

[0045] Figure 2 is a top view of a primary flat blank sheet according to the application;

[0046] Figure 3A is Figure 1 a bottom view of the package of

[0047] Figure 3B is Figure 3Aa side view of a package made of the blank of

[0048] Figure 4 is an enlarged partial perspective top view of an embodiment of a blank of Figure 2

[0049] Figure 5 is a partial bottom perspective view of a package made of the blank of Figure 4

[0050] Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of a manufacturing machine for making packages according to the present application;

[0051] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a roll of material for manufacturing a sheet of blanks according to the present application;

[0052] Figure 8 and Figures 10 to 14 is a schematic side view of a first embodiment of a forming and sealing portion in a machine for manufacturing packages according to the present application;

[0053] Figure 9 is a partial enlarged perspective view of a forming plunger for manufacturing packages according to the present application;

[0054] Figures 15 to 19 and Figure 21 is Figure 8 and Figures 10 to 14 is a schematic side view of an alternative embodiment of the forming and sealing portion shown in

[0055] Figure 20 is a partial perspective view of a sealing jaw in a forming and sealing machine for making packages according to the present application;

[0056] Figure 22 is a schematic side view of a sealing jaw for sealing the side of a package according to the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The packages made with the manufacturing method and machine according to the present application are suitable for use in a food or beverage preparation machine (not shown in the figures). The beverage preparation machine can be of any suitable type, but for example the beverage preparation machine is the machine described in patent application EP AN 19213419.5. Such machines are well known in the art and comprise a brewing chamber suitable for receiving an ingredient package, an injection element suitable for injecting a fluid (typically water) inside the ingredient package, a fluid (e.g. water) supply device typically comprising a fluid reservoir (or a water connection to a mains water), a fluid pump, a fluid heater and a fluid pipe for circulating the fluid from the fluid supply source towards the brewing chamber, optionally through the heater.

[0058] ​​In the case of the present application, the package is adapted to be opened, preferably pierced, by the fluid supply means of the machine, in particular by introducing a sharp element through the bottom portion wall of the package, preferably through the lower side of the bottom portion wall. Typically, the fluid injection element of the machine is a hollow needle-shaped element. The dispensing of the food or beverage product prepared within the package by the mixing of the fluid with the ingredient can be performed by gravity; however, the extraction of the finished food or beverage product can also be carried out by the same element that injects the mixing fluid. In the latter case, the injection and dispensing element of the machine comprises at least two channels: one channel fluidically connects the inner compartment of the package to the machine so that the machine can inject a fluid, for example water, into the compartment, and a second channel connects the inner package compartment to the outside of the package. The injection means of the machine can also comprise a supplemental channel for injecting air within the package during the preparation of the food or beverage product. The injection of air allows to enhance the frothing during the preparation of specific aerated products such as dairy-based products, for example frothed milk, or chocolate-based products, frothed chocolate beverage, chocolate mousse, or smoothies.

[0059] In general, the package has any possible shape compatible with the shaping by folding in two ("U-shaped" shaping) of a flexible sheet, such as a sleeve or a pouch, a pad or any other container having a substantially flat configuration.

[0060] Packages of different sizes can be used in the same machine adapted to store different amounts of ingredient. The size of the package, i.e. the height and / or the width of the package, does not limit the type of machine that can be used to extract the ingredient contained therein. The size of the package is adapted to the volume of the beverage to be produced; for example, American coffee or soup requires a large package, while smaller pouches are used to produce small cups, such as espresso coffee. Pouches of medium size are used to produce frothed milk for cappuccino.

[0061] Regardless of the product to be produced and the size or shape of the package, the external design of the pouch bottom, as the part of the package dedicated to the functional fluid connection with the beverage machine, remains unchanged. The main idea is that the interface of the package with the machine is always the same. In addition, other parameters such as the flow rate of the injected fluid and / or the temperature of the injected fluid and / or the total volume of the injected fluid, can be adjusted according to the ingredient to be processed and therefore according to the food or beverage to be produced.

[0062] The package preferably comprises an identification means for the beverage machine to automatically identify the type of ingredient contained therein and to have it set up for optimal beverage preparation. Such settings include, but are not limited to: water injection pressure, water injection volume, water temperature, dissolution sequence (complex sequence of water injection, air injection, beverage dispensing, in sequence or simultaneous manner), air injection with water (for foam enhancement), total extraction time. Such identification means are chosen from the following list: mechanical code, optical code (including color code and code printed with invisible ink), RFID tag, one-dimensional barcode, two-dimensional barcode, magnetic code, conductive code, detection hole, or any combination thereof.

[0063] As shown in the attached figures, in one preferred embodiment, the package presents a planar shape oriented along a plane of substantially vertical orientation during beverage production, and the fluid injection element of the beverage machine is inserted within the package so that it orients a jet of aqueous and / or gaseous fluid in a direction comprised in said package plane. The fluid jet introduced from the bottom of the package evolves into a circular and spiral motion creating turbulence, friction and high contact surfaces between fluid molecules and ingredient particles. On average, fluid molecules make several rotations within the container before leaving together with the finished beverage or food product.

[0064] In the following, a preferred embodiment of a package produced according to the present application will now be described with reference to the attached figures. In this preferred embodiment, the package is a pouch.

[0065] Figure 1 A flexible or semi-flexible closed package 1 for containing an ingredient according to the present application is shown.

[0066] Said package 1 comprises:

[0067] (i) a flexible or semi-flexible side wall 2 forming a flat package body, and

[0068] (ii) a cup-shaped bottom portion 3, which is a hollow volume, and is adapted to be inserted into a fluid injection element of a food or beverage preparation machine (not shown), said package 1 being designed to be connected to said food or beverage preparation machine.

[0069] The hollow cup-shaped bottom portion 3 does not necessarily form the entire bottom of the package. In Figure 1 embodiments, this cup-shaped bottom portion forms only a central portion of the entire bottom of the package, and is surrounded by a side edge 4 of the package, which is a sealed flat area.

[0070] The package 1 is formed from a single piece of elongated primary flat blank sheet 5 made of a flexible material, as Figure 2 shown. The manufacturing process steps and manufacturing machine will be described in more details in the following.

[0071] The primary flat blank sheet 5 of paper-based material is folded in U-shape around its transversal axis of symmetry Lx, then sealed along its lateral edges 4 and upper edge 6.

[0072] According to the general principle of the invention, as Figure 3A and Figure 3B illustrated, the cup-shaped bottom portion 3 is a hollow volume with a concave lower side 7 and convex lateral sides 8, and the profile curvature P of said concave lower side as visible when the package is viewed from the side as shown by the thick line in the cross-sectional view of Figure 3B is the same as the profile curvature P of each of said lateral sides as visible when the package is viewed from below as shown by the thick line in the bottom view of Figure 3A . lw lt The same applies to the profile curvature P of each of said lateral sides as visible when the package is viewed from below as shown by the thick line in the bottom view of

[0073] More precisely, in the embodiments illustrated in Figure 1 , Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 5 , the cup-shaped bottom portion is a hollow volume with a hexagonal prism shape, the prism having two opposite vertical edges 9 aligned with the transversal axis Lx of the package, the vertical edges 9 extending to form a downwardly extending tip 10. The extended edges 9 have a height such that, for each transversal cross-section of the package always measured along its transversal axis Lx, the sum of twice the height of the cup-shaped bottom portion plus the width of its lower side is constant. Figure 3A and Figure 3B show one example of this rule. Figure 3A A first width "W1" of the lower side is shown, measured in a first cross-section of the bottom portion. Figure 3B A first height "H1" of the cup-shaped bottom portion is also shown, measured for the same first cross-section. Figure 3A A second width "W2" of the lower side is also shown, measured in a second cross-section of the bottom portion. Figure 3B A second height "H2" of the cup-shaped bottom portion is also shown, measured for the same second cross-section. If one calculates the sum S1 = (2 x H1) + W1, then S2 = (2 x H2) + W2, then according to the principle of the invention, S1 = S2, and more generally, S1 = S2 = Sn (Sn measured at any cross-section point of the cup-shaped bottom portion 3).

[0074] The single-piece elongated primary flat blank sheet 5 used to manufacture the package 1 is made of a paper material, coated on its inner side (i.e. the side that will become the inner side of the package 1 after forming said sheet 5) with a sealing layer.

[0075] ​Moreover, in this embodiment of the application, the primary flat blank sheet 5 also comprises a barrier coating layer sandwiched between the fibrous base material and the sealing layer, said barrier coating layer being a coating layer that is resistant to oxygen transfer and to moisture transfer. The barrier coating layer is selected from the following list: a metallized coating layer, a silicon oxide (SiOx) coating layer, an aluminum oxide (AlOx) coating layer, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) coating layer, or a combination thereof.

[0076] In a preferred embodiment of the application, as shown in Figure 2 The packaging 1 also comprises a secondary thickness reinforcement sheet 11 located on the inner surface of the cup-shaped bottom portion 3 of said packaging. Said thickness reinforcement sheet 11 is made of a paper material coated with a sealing layer. This thickness reinforcement sheet 11 offers the possibility of reducing the thickness of the side walls 2 of the packaging 1. Reducing this thickness makes these side walls more flexible, which has been found to be advantageous for improving the quality of the product prepared within the packaging 1. More precisely, the Applicant has surprisingly found that it is the side walls 2 of the packaging that are able to bend and deform outwards during beverage preparation, so that the vortex motion of the fluid injected inside the packaging is improved. Such deformation temporarily increases the internal space of the packaging compartment between the side walls 2 of said packaging. However, it is necessary to maintain a good rigidity of the cup-shaped bottom portion 3, as mentioned above (to maintain a proper seal at the interface between the packaging and the beverage preparation machine, and also to ensure that the packaging does not deform or does not collapse when pierced by the fluid injection element of the machine, deformation or collapse would impair or even prevent the piercing operation). The presence of the secondary thickness reinforcement sheet 11 allows to achieve a balance between the flexibility of the single-piece wall of the packaging and the rigidity of its bottom.

[0077] Advantageously, the packaging 1 also comprises a centering perforation 12, shown in Figure 1 , Figure 3B and Figure 5 , located in the sealing rim 4 of said packaging 1. The shape and diameter of said hole are adapted to accommodate a centering pin (not shown in the figures) of the beverage preparation machine, to prevent the movement of said packaging 1 relative to the machine during beverage preparation, in particular during the insertion of the fluid injection element of the machine through the packaging wall.

[0078] In a very desirable embodiment, the concave lower side 7 of the packaging 1 comprises a flat portion 13 centered across the transverse axis and the longitudinal axis of the cup-shaped bottom portion 3, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 5 .

[0079] As shown in Figure 4As shown, in one preferred embodiment, the package 1 also comprises a third level of thin layer located between the material constituting the wall of the package and the secondary thickness reinforcement layer 11. This third level of thin layer is created by sealing or otherwise attaching a third level of flexible flat blank sheet 14 between said primary flexible flat blank sheet 5 and the secondary flexible flat blank sheet 11.

[0080] Said third level of flexible flat blank sheet 14 is a thin layer selected from the following list: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polylactide (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), starch-based polymers, polymers comprising food-grade oxygen and / or moisture scavengers, or combinations thereof. It is preferably made of a blown or cast polymer film with stretch properties.

[0081] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 shown, the primary sheet 5 comprises a primary hole 15 punched through its entire thickness. The diameter of this primary hole 15 is chosen to be at least equal to, but preferably slightly larger in cross-section (or diameter) than the outer diameter (or cross-section) of the beverage machine injection means, which is usually a needle. Having a larger diameter prevents the material, such as for example paper fibers, from detaching due to friction when said injection means is inserted therethrough. Typically, the diameter of the hole, which is preferably cylindrical, is between 1 mm and 20 mm, preferably between 5 mm and 12 mm.

[0082] Furthermore, the secondary sheet 11 comprises a secondary hole 16 punched through at least the paper layer of said sheet 11. The secondary hole 16 can also be punched through the entire thickness of the secondary sheet 11. The diameter of this secondary hole 16 is chosen with respect to the diameter of the fluid injection element of the machine to which the package will be connected, and is typically cylindrical with a diameter between 1 mm and 20 mm, preferably between 5 mm and 12 mm.

[0083] The diameter of the primary hole 15 is equal to or larger than the diameter of the secondary hole 16 in the secondary flexible flat blank sheet 11.

[0084] With Figure 4 and Figure 5The multi-layer structure shown, with three superimposed layers in the region of the cup-shaped bottom portion 3 of the package 1, ensures the seal between the package 1 and the fluid injection element of the machine. When the fluid injection element of the machine is inserted through the wall of the package, it passes through the primary hole 15, then pierces the third-level sheet 14, which is preferably a stretchable material as described above, so that the edges of the pierced sheet 14 closely conform to the surface of the fluid injection element. Then, finally, said fluid injection element moves through the secondary hole 16, so that the tip of the fluid injection element is located in the compartment inside the package, and a sealed fluid communication is established between the inside of the package 1 and the fluid supply circuit of the machine.

[0085] Such a configuration also has the advantage that it requires lower strength to pierce the package wall by the fluid injection element, since the overall package thickness in the region of the holes 15, 16 and the third-level sheet 14 is only the thickness of the latter, while at the same time the entire portion of the package surrounding said region has a higher thickness, due to the presence of three superimposed layers in the cup-shaped bottom portion 3 of the package, and therefore has mechanical resistance to deformation.

[0086] In another preferred embodiment, as Figure 4 shown, the secondary thickness-enhancing sheet 11, after piercing the hole 16, is further processed using a cutting tool which implements a plurality of radial cuts 22 extending radially outwards from the edge of the hole 16. Such radial cuts 22 form a series of flaps between the cuts, which, once said machine and package are connected to each other, are found to enhance the application of the package wall, in particular the third-level flexible layer 14, on the outer surface of the fluid injection element of the machine. The plurality of radial cuts 22 thus enhance the anti-leakage effect.

[0087] The above-described package is manufactured using a forming machine as Figure 6 shown. In general, such machines are based in part on forming and sealing technology machines known in the art.

[0088] The machine first comprises a primary flexible flat blank sheet material feeding portion 17, which is adapted to receive the primary and optionally the secondary and third-level flat blank sheet materials 5, 11, 14, preferably in the form of a film roll as Figure 6 shown. At this stage, as previously described, the secondary flat blank sheet material and the third-level flat blank sheet material, if present, can already be assembled with the primary sheet 5, or alternatively as Figure 6As shown, they can be supplied as separate rolls of material, one roll 18 for primary sheet, one roll 19 for secondary sheet, and a third roll 20 for tertiary sheet. In this case, the primary, secondary, and tertiary sheets are unfolded, cut into small flat blanks, and punched with primary holes 15 and secondary holes 16 through the primary and secondary blanks respectively, as described above. Then, finally, all blanks are... Figure 4 The described arrangement is sealed together. Figure 7 The arrangement of individual primary flat blank sheets 5 cut from the corresponding material roll 18 is shown.

[0089] The manufacturing machine also includes a packaging forming and shaping section 21. Downstream of the packaging forming section 21 is a filling and sealing section 22 (where the packaging is filled with ingredients and then closed by sealing the upper edge of the packaging).

[0090] Figures 8 to 22 The forming part 21 is shown in more detail below.

[0091] like Figure 8 As shown, the forming section of the machine includes a forming plunger 23 and a forming cavity 24 that are movable relative to each other and have complementary shapes. The term "cavity 24" refers to a hollow cylinder with a tip whose shape is complementary to the shape of the lower end 25 of the plunger. The principle of such a forming station having a movable plunger and cavity for deforming the material placed therein is generally known and will not be described in further detail. Figure 9 As shown, the end portion 25 (i.e., its lower end) of the plunger 23 has a volumetric shape with a concave lower end 26 and a convex side surface 27, such that the profile of its end side 26 is identical to the profile of each of its side surfaces 27. The principle of geometric equivalence between profiles 26 and 27 is consistent with the above regarding... Figure 3A and Figure 3B For the contour P of the bottom part 3 of the cup shape lt and P lw The principle is the same as that already described.

[0092] In one specific embodiment, the end portion 25 of the plunger 23 has a hexagonal prism shape, the prism having two opposing vertical edges 28 aligned with the plunger's transverse axis Lx, these vertical edges extending downward to form downwardly extending tips 29, the extending edges 28 having a height such that for every transverse cross-section of the plunger always measured along its transverse axis Lx, the sum of twice the height of the end portion 25 plus the width of its underside is constant. This principle is related to the above regarding... Figure 3A and Figure 3B The principles for the heights H1 and H2 and the widths W1 and W2 of the cup-shaped bottom portion 3 are the same as those already described.

[0093] Preferably, the tip 29 of the plunger is rounded or otherwise has a smooth edge.

[0094] As Figure 9 shown, the lower end 26 of the plunger preferably comprises a retractable protrusion 30 aligned with the centre of said plunger 23. Said protrusion 30 is equipped with a spring to retract within the plunger 23 when it is pressed against a surface, in this case in particular against the upper surface of the primary flat blank sheet 5 and the underlying forming station cavity 24. The diameter of the protrusion is greater than the diameter of the primary hole 15 and of the secondary hole 16. Its function is to lightly press on the blank before the plunger starts deforming the blanks 5, 11 and 14. When the forming process starts and the blank sheet starts deforming, it keeps the three blank sheets together in their sealing areas (as described above around the holes 15 and 16) to prevent unsealing and slipping due to the mechanical forces exerted in the material during the forming step.

[0095] The machine also comprises an actuator (not shown) for moving the plunger 23 and the cavity 24 towards each other and also with respect to the blank sheet 5 placed between them as Figure 8 shown.

[0096] As Figures 15 to 19 well as Figure 21 shown, the machine also comprises a pair of plates adapted to support said flexible blank sheet 5. The two plates are coplanar at the start of the forming process, as Figure 15 shown. Each plate supports a wing of the primary flexible blank sheet. Said plates 31 can be fixed as Figure 8 well as Figures 10 to 14 shown. Alternatively, in another possible embodiment, the plates 31 are able to pivot symmetrically about respective axes, which are each located on either side of said plunger 23, as Figures 16 to 19 well as Figure 21 shown, which figures represent different positions of said pivotable plates 31 in the forming process.

[0097] In the following, it is considered that the primary flat blank sheet 5 being processed also comprises a secondary blank sheet 11 and a tertiary blank sheet 14 attached to it, as described above. Once the blank 5 is conveyed along the machine to the forming portion 21 of said machine and in position between the plunger 23 and the cavity 24 as Figure 8 shown, the forming process steps are in order as follows.

[0098] The plunger 23 is moved downwards until it contacts the upper surface of the blanks 5, 11 and 14, as Figure 10 and Figure 11is shown; the movement of the plunger begins to deform the blank folded around the transverse axis Lx of the primary blank 5; after contacting the upper surfaces of the blanks 5, 11 and 14, the retractable protrusion 30 of the plunger 23 retracts into the underlying cavity 24 due to the counter-pressure of the latter, as shown in Figure 11

[0099] The plunger 23 continues to move downwards and the cavity 24 also moves downwards, as shown in Figure 12 When the blanks 5, 11 and 14 are clamped between the plunger 23 and the cavity 24, both of them pull the blanks downwards with them.

[0100] During the preceding steps, a pair (or "set") of sealing jaws 32 is positioned on either side of the cavity 24, which are adapted to seal the side edges of the blank sheet 5 once it is U-folded. During the above-mentioned forming step, the jaws are in an open position, i.e. away from the set of plunger, cavity and blanks.

[0101] After the cavity and the plunger have moved downwards as described above, the jaws 32 move towards each other to close around the blanks in the lower part of the blanks, as shown in Figure 13 and Figure 20 They seal (by ultrasonic sealing or heat sealing process) the side edges of the U-folded blanks to complete the formation of the fully formed and sealed cup-shaped bottom part 3 of the package 1.

[0102] Then, the jaws 32 reopen and the plunger 23 moves upwards with the partially folded and sealed package 1, as shown in Figure 14

[0103] A variant of the same forming sequence described above is shown in Figures 15 to 19 and Figure 21 , with the difference that the support plate 31 pivots during the movement of the plunger and cavity to guide the free ends of the blanks to U-fold.

[0104] Finally, the package is fully U-folded, as shown in Figure 15 , with the still unsealed side walls 2 forming a flat package body and the sealed cup-shaped bottom part 3 being a hollow volume with the shape of the plunger.

[0105] The package is then transferred to a sealing station with elongated sealing jaws 33 which seal the side edges 4 of the package 1, as shown in Figure 22 The package 1 is now ready to be filled with the ingredient and then closed by sealing its upper edge 34.

[0106] ​​In the embodiment wherein the cup-shaped bottom portion 3 of the package has an improved wall thickness, by attaching the secondary 11 and tertiary 14 layers as described above, the primary flat blank sheet 5, the secondary flat blank sheet 11 and the tertiary flat blank sheet 14 can be attached to each other while the primary sheet 5 is manufactured as a roll of film (at the film manufacturer facility), or alternatively, the secondary flat blank sheet 11 and the tertiary flat blank sheet 14 can be joined to the primary flat blank sheet at a later stage, just before forming the primary flat blank sheet (i.e. on the package manufacturing line).

[0107] According to the application, the food or beverage ingredient packaged in the package is a water-soluble powder or a soluble concentrate in liquid or semi-liquid form, the ingredient being selected from the following list: soup, juice, vegetable juice, bouillon, coffee, chocolate, tea, milk or creamer, smoothie, puree, compote, cream or a combination thereof. The food or beverage ingredient is preferably a soluble food or beverage ingredient selected from the following list:

[0108] - instant coffee powder, milk powder, creamer powder, instant tea powder, cocoa powder, soup powder, fruit powder or a mixture of said powders,

[0109] - coffee concentrate, milk concentrate, syrup, fruit or vegetable concentrate, tea concentrate, fruit or vegetable puree.

[0110] The package can also contain plant leaves for infusion, such as for example tea leaves.

[0111] The powder can be agglomerated or torrefied. The powder or liquid concentrate can be mixed with solid pieces, for example pieces encapsulated with a solid or a capsule to prepare a soup. The food or beverage ingredient can also be an infusible food or beverage ingredient, like roast and ground coffee or tea leaves. In this embodiment, the infusible ingredient is subjected to a water extraction.

[0112] In the present application, fluid encompasses any aqueous diluent (like water, carbonated water, milk, etc., preferably water is the preferred aqueous diluent) or any gaseous fluid (such as air) that can be mixed with a soluble beverage ingredient to prepare a beverage. When referring to an aqueous fluid, water is the preferred fluid; when referring to a gaseous fluid, air is the preferred fluid.

[0113] According to the application, the package is arranged substantially vertically during the production and the distribution of the food or beverage product.

[0114] According to the application, an aqueous fluid (typically water) is supplied into the package at any temperature (cold, ambient or hot), depending on the type of food or beverage product to be prepared.

[0115] In contrast to the known prior art systems in which the fluid is introduced from the top to the bottom, in this case the beverage preparation machine injects water and optionally also air from the bottom to the top of the package at high speed, which creates optimal turbulence inside the package compartment, thus achieving optimal dissolution of the ingredient contained inside. If air is also injected with the water through the injection means of the machine, the air is not introduced under high pressure; the pressure is preferably between 0.1 and 1.5 bar, more preferably between 0.3 and 0.5 bar. According to the present application, optimal turbulence and dissolution of the ingredient are obtained by high speed rather than high pressure.

[0116] It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the presently preferred embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. Such changes and modifications can be made to the application in light of given circumstances, without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a flexible package (1) suitable for containing a food or beverage ingredient and suitable for use with a food or beverage preparation machine, wherein said method comprises the following steps in order: (i) providing a primary flat blank sheet (5) made of a flexible material, said primary flat blank sheet having an elongated shape and having two flaps extending symmetrically about a transverse axis (Lx), - providing a secondary flexible flat blank sheet (11); - punching a secondary hole (16) through at least the fibrous base material of said secondary flexible flat blank sheet (11), - punching a primary hole (15) through said primary flat blank sheet (5) centrally across said primary flat blank sheet, said primary hole (15) having a diameter equal to or greater than the diameter of said secondary hole (16) in said secondary flexible flat blank sheet (11), - sealing or otherwise attaching said secondary flexible flat blank sheet (11) to an inner surface of said primary flat blank sheet (5) so that the centers of said primary and secondary holes are aligned, (ii) placing said primary flat blank sheet (5) in a shaping station (21) so that its center is located between a plunger (23) and a cavity (24), said plunger and said cavity being movable relative to each other and having complementary shapes, said plunger (23) having a concave lower end side (26) and a convex side face (27) and having the same profile curvature of its lower end side (26) as each of its side faces (27), (iii) deforming said primary flat blank sheet (5) by moving said plunger (23) and said cavity (24) toward each other so that said primary flat blank sheet folds about its transverse axis (Lx) to lift said flaps and form an unsealed U-shaped package having side walls (2) forming a flat package body and a bottom portion (3) which is a cup-shaped hollow volume having the shape of said plunger (23), (iv) sealing the side edges (4) of said U-shaped package (1).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said plunger (23) has a hexagonal prism shape, said prism having two opposite vertical edges (9) aligned with said plunger transverse axis (Lx), said vertical edges extending downward to form downwardly extending tips (10), said vertical edges having a height such that for each transverse cross section of said plunger (23) measured all along its transverse axis (Lx), the sum of twice the height of a plunger end portion (25) plus the width of its lower end side (26) is constant.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, Said tips (10) of said plunger (23) are rounded or otherwise edge-smoothed.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, further comprising the following steps: (v) filling said U-shaped package (1) with a food or beverage ingredient, (vi) sealing the top edge (34) of said U-shaped package (1) to close said U-shaped package.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, further comprising: - placing a pair of plates (31) under the primary flat blank sheet (5) in step (ii), the two plates (31) being initially coplanar and each plate supporting a flap of the primary flat blank sheet (5), the plates being able to pivot symmetrically about respective axes, each of which is located on either side of the plunger (23), - pivoting the two plates (31) during step (iii) so that the edge of each plate that is farthest from the plunger (23) and cavity (24) is lifted during the pivoting movement to facilitate folding of the primary flat blank sheet (5) into an unsealed U-shaped package.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, wherein the area of attachment or sealing of the secondary flexible flat blank sheet to the inner surface of the primary flat blank sheet has an annular shape around the primary aperture and the secondary aperture and has a width of between 0.5 mm and 10 mm.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of: - providing a tertiary flexible flat blank sheet (14), - sealing or otherwise attaching the tertiary flexible flat blank sheet (14) between the primary and secondary flexible flat blank sheets (5, 11).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the tertiary flexible flat blank sheet (14) is a thin layer selected from the list of: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polylactide (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), starch-based polymers, polymers containing food-grade oxygen and / or moisture scavengers, or combinations thereof.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the concave lower end side (26) of the plunger (23) comprises a retractable protrusion (30) that is aligned with the center of the plunger and that extends downward during steps (i) and (ii) and is pressed into the plunger when the tip of the plunger comes into contact with the underlying primary flat blank sheet and the cavity (24) during step (iii).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the diameter of the retractable protrusion (30) is greater than the diameter of the primary aperture (15) and the secondary aperture (16).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein, The flexible material is a fiber-based material.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein, The secondary flexible flat blank sheet is made of a coated fiber-based material.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein, The width is between 2 mm and 7 mm.

14. A machine for manufacturing a package (1) according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 13, the machine comprising: - a flexible flat blank sheet feeder, - a plunger (23) that is able to move vertically and that comprises a tip that is able to pierce the primary flat blank sheet (5) and the secondary flexible flat blank sheet (11) and a concave lower end side (26) that is able to receive the pierced sheets, - a forming kit comprising a plunger (23) and a cavity (24) movable with respect to each other and having complementary shapes, the plunger (23) having a concave lower end side (26) and convex sides (27), and the profile curvature of its lower end side (26) being the same as the profile curvature of each of its sides (27), - an actuator for moving the plunger (23) and the cavity (24) towards each other to deform a primary flat blank sheet by folding it about its transverse axis (Lx) to form an unsealed U-shaped package having side walls forming a flat package body and a bottom portion having a rigid flat surface, the bottom portion being a hollow volume having the shape of the plunger, - a set of sealing jaws (32, 33) adapted to seal the side edges and the bottom portion (3) of the U-shaped package; wherein the concave lower end side (26) of the plunger (23) comprises a retractable protrusion (30) aligned with the center of the plunger, the retractable protrusion being spring-loaded to retract within the plunger when pressed against the primary flat blank sheet below and the cavity (24).

15. The machine of claim 14, wherein the plunger (23) has a hexagonal prism shape having two opposite vertical edges (9) aligned with the transverse axis (Lx) of the plunger, the vertical edges extending downward to form downwardly extending tips (10), the vertical edges (9) having a height such that for each transverse cross section of the plunger always measured along its transverse axis (Lx), the sum of twice the height of the plunger end portion (25) plus the width of its lower end side (26) is constant.

16. The machine of claim 15, wherein the tips (10) of the plunger (23) are rounded or otherwise edge-smoothed.

17. The machine of any one of the preceding claims 14 to 16, further comprising a pair of plates (31) adapted to support the primary flat blank sheet (5), and each plate supports a wing of the primary flat blank sheet, the plates being pivotable symmetrically about respective axes each located on either side of the plunger.

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