Method for producing packages from recoverable material

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a package (100) for encapsulating a substance (S). A flat sheet (110) made of recyclable material and having two opposing side edge sections (111, 112) is provided and formed into a tube (130) by folding the flat sheet (110) such that the two side edge sections (111, 112) overlap one another at an overlap section (139). The tube (130) is heat sealed along the overlap section (139) to form a longitudinal seal joint (131) and is heat sealed across the longitudinal seal joint (131) to close the tube (130) with a first transverse seal joint (134) at a first tube end (132). The tube (130) is filled with the substance (S) and is heat sealed across the longitudinal sealing joint (131) to close the tube (130) at a second tube end (133) with a second transverse sealing joint (135). A heat sealable sealing strip (700) is provided. A first segment (701) and a second segment (702) of the sealing strip (700) are respectively arranged at a first triple point section and a second triple point section (171, 172) where the longitudinal sealing joint (131) and the corresponding transverse sealing joint (134, 135) intersect. The segments (701, 702) of the sealing strip (700) seal the respective triple point sections (171, 172) when thermally sealing the respective pipe ends (132, 133) to form the respective transverse seal joints (134, 135). The invention also relates to a package (100) encapsulating a substance (S) and a machine (500) for producing the package (100).

Description

1. Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for producing a package by providing a flat sheet, folding the flat sheet into a tube, filling the tube with a substance and heat sealing sections of the tube to enclose the substance within the package. The invention also relates to a package enclosing a substance and a machine for producing the package. 2. Background technology

[0002] Typically, most single-serve and multi-serve packaging for food is made from unsustainable materials, such as petroleum-based plastics, which are often a challenging process to reuse, recycle or compost. On the other hand, the advantage of these materials is that they can be used to produce packaging that reliably and hermetically seals the food inside the packaging from external agents such as microorganisms or oxygen, thereby extending the shelf life of the packaged product.

[0003] In the prior art, various attempts have been made to reduce the ecological impact of food packaging, for example, by finding alternatives to the established materials, such as recyclable, biodegradable or compostable polymers, laminates or papers. However, this has proven to be challenging because food packaging applications often place stringent requirements on various properties of the packaging materials, such as the barrier properties of the packaging, which are essential to keep the aroma, freshness and integrity of the packaged product intact throughout the expected shelf life. In addition, it is often necessary for the new material to match or even exceed the material properties of the established material in terms of flexibility, durability and weight. Moreover, different manufacturing methods for producing the packaging are often required because the alternative material may differ from the established material in terms of properties related to forming and sealing the package.

[0004] For example, pillow-shaped packages can be provided from a given material such that the contents within the respective package are hermetically sealed. Typically, packages of this type are produced in an automated vertical form fill seal process (hereinafter abbreviated as: VFFS or HFFS). By providing a hermetically sealed package, the risk of biodegradation caused by bacterial contamination, oxidation or moisture can be reduced. In contrast, the provision of pillow-shaped packages made from paper or recyclable polymers or recyclable laminates is generally unable to reliably and consistently provide a hermetic seal for the package.

[0005] The reason for this is that in VFFS or HFFS applications, achieving a tight seal in the so-called "triple key area" of the package is a major challenge. In the triple key area, a longitudinal seal is intersected with a horizontal seal, for example sealing one of the two opposite ends of the package. The intersection of the longitudinal seal and the horizontal seal creates a construction in which there are four layers of material locally, which are then combined and reduced to two layers. Figures 1 to 3 FIG. 6 exemplarily indicates the configuration of the triple focus area (11) and its material layers in the pillow-shaped package (10) of the prior art. Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown in Figure 6, when horizontal seals (16, 16) are provided, it is difficult to completely and reliably seal the triple key area (11) because local material accumulation at the intersection between the longitudinal seal (14) and the horizontal seal (16, 16) and the different package heights affect the effectiveness of the sealing process and the sealing results. Due to the accumulation of material, thermal conductivity is reduced and a larger amount of sealant is locally required to fill the gap (15) present at the triple key area (11), which has a similar negative impact as a through hole. Due to these conditions, the triple key area (11) is the main source of leakage in pillow packages and any other (pouch type) packages that include a triple key area, such as stick packages or gusseted pouches.

[0006] This negative impact is often further exacerbated by the use of any of the above-mentioned alternative materials. For example, the material stiffness and thickness of sustainable paper materials or laminates are typically higher than established materials, which makes it difficult to evenly distribute heat and pressure during the sealing process at the triple point area. In addition, the thermal conductivity of sustainable laminates and / or paper is typically lower than that of existing non-recyclable laminates. In addition, paper laminates typically have only a very thin sealing layer to allow recycling in the paper stream. Therefore, only a limited amount of sealant can be used to fill the gaps at the triple point area. For these reasons, it is challenging to achieve a reliable and secure seal at the triple point using recyclable packaging.

[0007] The problems and disadvantages of packaging including triple emphasis areas are known in the prior art, and prior attempts to overcome these problems are briefly described below:

[0008] For example, attempts have been made to overcome the problems associated with the triple key area by providing a horizontal sealing tool that is specifically designed to compensate for the four material layers present in the triple key area. In this design, the sealing tool has a surface where a thickness of material corresponding to twice the thickness of the laminate used for the package is locally removed to form a wing-shaped seal relief. Unfortunately, a problem with this approach is that the longitudinal seal may move slightly during operation of the VFFS or HFFS machine, which may result in the wing-shaped seal relief of the sealing tool not always being aligned with the triple key area, further exacerbating the problem of providing a tight and reliable seal.

[0009] In an alternative approach, a flexible sealing tool is provided, which is usually used for cold sealing applications. In this, for example, one side of the sealing tool is made of a flexible material, such as aramid fibers. The disadvantage of this approach is that it is not possible to heat both sealing tools simultaneously, which reduces the heat transfer for melting the sealant, further exacerbating the problems associated with seal tightness and reliability. In addition, the soft material can lead to a shortened service life of the sealing tool when used in a VFFS or HFFS machine.

[0010] In a different approach, attempts are made to overcome the above-mentioned problems by providing the entire surface of the packaging material with a thicker sealing layer than usual. Alternatively or additionally, special sealing polymer layers are used which only require a low sealing initiation temperature. However, such laminates are much more expensive than conventional laminates. Furthermore, special sealing polymers with advantageous properties are only required on a small part of the packaging material, namely at the triple focus area. Therefore, this method is neither resource-rich nor sustainable. Furthermore, if paper materials are to be used, it must be taken into account that the packaging can only be recycled if it contains a limited amount of adhesive or sealant. Unfortunately, this amount is often exceeded with this method.

[0011] In an alternative approach, such as described in WO 2022 / 064058 A1, attempts are made to overcome the above mentioned problems by injecting a certain amount of hot glue onto the surface of the packaging material in the triple key areas before forming the package. Unfortunately, this approach requires very accurate application of the hot glue at the respective triple key areas to ensure that leakage of the package can be prevented. In addition, the use of hot glue may be problematic when in contact with food and may therefore be less suitable for a range of food packaging applications.

[0012] As can be clearly seen from the above, all of the above solutions known from the prior art have limitations or disadvantages and therefore there is a need to address at least some or all of the challenges present in producing recyclable and sustainable packaging.

[0013] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a returnable packaging from a recyclable sheet material which allows hermetically sealing the packaging, which is fully recyclable and which facilitates the use of existing machines for producing said packaging with no or simple or minor modifications. 3. Summary of the invention

[0014] These and other objects which become apparent after reading the description are solved by the subject-matter of the independent claims.The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0015] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a returnable package for enclosing a substance. In the method, a flat sheet is provided. The flat sheet is made of a recyclable material and has two opposite side edge sections.

[0016] Therein, the expression "flat sheet" may be understood as a portion of a material, which may be thin compared to its length, for example, and may have at least one flat surface. The expression "recyclable" may be understood as a material which may be completely reused for new products or purposes, for example, after mechanical treatment and / or chemical treatment using industrial or natural methods. For example, the sheet material used in the present invention may be collected after use and may be mixed with water and chemicals. It may be heated and decomposed. Plastic coatings and inks may be removed, for example by filtering, as long as they do not exceed a certain amount. Therein, in order to successfully recycle paper material in a paper stream, the amount of plastic coating on the recycled material or the amount of polymer content in the recyclable material may only account for about 5% of its total weight.

[0017] The flat sheet is formed into a tube by folding the flat sheet so that the two side edge sections at least partially overlap each other at an overlapping section. The tube is heat sealed along the overlapping section to form a longitudinal seal. Additionally, the tube is heat sealed across the longitudinal seal to close the tube at a first tube end with a first transverse seal. The tube is filled with a substance to be packaged.

[0018] Therein, the expression "substance" may be understood as any type of solid, liquid, at least partially soluble and / or percolatable article, which may have a specific or well-defined chemical composition, for example. Examples of substances may be cosmetics, pharmaceuticals or foods, preferably powdered (food) products or dehydrated edible substances, such as infant formula, infant cereals, cereals, powdered coffee, soluble coffee or dairy products, for example coffee creamer.

[0019] The tube is heat sealed across the longitudinal seal to close the tube with a second transverse seal at a second tube end opposite the first tube end relative to the substance to be packaged, thereby forming a package enclosing the substance.

[0020] A sealing strip is provided. The sealing strip is heat sealable.

[0021] The expression "strip" is to be understood here as meaning, for example, a thin sheet material which is long and narrow compared to sheet material, tubes and / or finished packaging.

[0022] The sealing strip is arranged such that a first segment of the sealing strip is arranged at a first triple point section, and a second segment of the sealing strip is arranged at a second triple point section. At the first triple point section, the first transverse sealing joint intersects the longitudinal sealing joint. At the second triple point section, the second transverse sealing joint intersects the longitudinal sealing joint. The respective segments of the sealing strip seal the respective triple point sections when heat sealing the respective tube ends to form the respective transverse sealing joints.

[0023] In other words, the present invention provides a method for facilitating the production of a package which reliably encloses, wraps or covers the substance to be packaged in a (hermetically) sealed manner but which can be easily recycled after its use.

[0024] Therefore, the method provides for providing a uniform, thin portion of the recyclable material compared to its length portion, which has two side edge sections opposite to each other. Wherein, the side edge section can be understood as any part of a flat sheet extending from one of the two opposite side edges toward the other side edge, for example. The method also provides for folding the flat sheet into a tube by folding the flat sheet so that the two side edge sections overlap at least in part. Therefore, the two side edge sections can be arranged in a folded state so that they can extend each other so that they can both cover a part of the tube, which can be an overlapping section. Wherein, it can also be envisioned that, in the folded state, one of the side edge sections can protrude / hang over another side edge section. Therefore, although not excluded, it is not required that the two side edges are arranged flush with each other. In the overlapping section, the side edge sections can face each other on the same side of the flat sheet. Preferably, the overlapping section can be formed so that the overlapping section protrudes from the packaging. Preferably, the overlapping section can be formed so that the two side edge sections or the overlapping section are positioned at the outside of the packaging.

[0025] The tube is then to be longitudinally sealed by heat sealing. Therefore, in this example, the sealing direction may include at least one component corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the tube. During heat sealing, heat and / or pressure may be applied to affect the material of the surface to be sealed. The two ends of the tube are heat-sealed with transverse sealing joints across the longitudinal sealing joints, respectively. Wherein, the transverse sealing joints may extend in an inclined or winding manner relative to the longitudinal sealing joints, so that there is no need for transverse sealing joints (although not excluded at the same time) (straight and / or) orthogonal to the longitudinal sealing joints. Therefore, the material filled into the package can be encapsulated / encased / wrapped from all sides. Of course, there is no restriction on the number of transverse sealing joints and longitudinal sealing joints and on the number of triple key sections.

[0026] Supply and provide heat-sealable sealing strips in the production of packaging. Therefore, it is possible to provide a material strip that can have good sealing properties and / or can be further utilized under the application of heat and / or pressure, such as a film, a band or an adhesive tape. For example, the sealing strip can act as a promoter to seal different surfaces and / or act as a reservoir to supply additional sealant materials when activated by heat and / or pressure. The fragments of the sealing strip are arranged in the interior (inside) of the tube. Wherein, for example, these fragments can be separated (for example, cut) or integrated parts or sections of the sealing strip. These fragments are arranged at the triple point section. Wherein, the triple point section can be understood as, for example, a space or region in and around the triple point, where the transverse sealing joint is intended to intersect with the longitudinal sealing joint. For example, the fragment can at least partially abut the triple point section, and / or extend, overlap, be located in the triple point section and / or (completely) cover the triple point section. When performing heat sealing for forming a transverse sealing joint, the segment of the sealing strip can be heat activated (e.g., it can be melted), and it can supply sealing material for connecting the material layers of the tube at the triple point section and for filling and closing gaps in the transverse sealing joint, which gaps can be generated, for example, due to local accumulation of different material layers at the triple point section. Thus, the segment can seal the triple point section, thereby preventing foreign substances, such as gas, moisture or microorganisms from entering the package.

[0027] Thus, with the configuration of the present invention, (extra) sealing material can be directly arranged at the triple key area. Thus, the sealing material can be specifically arranged in the portion of the package where the extra sealing material is needed to ensure a reliable sealing of the package, so that, for example, a vacuum tight package can be provided. Thus, the shelf life of the product packaged in this way can be ensured and extended. In addition, the amount of extra sealing material in the package can be kept at a low level, so that the package is still recyclable. In addition, by limiting the thickness of the sealing strip, the amount of extra sealing material in the triple key area can be easily controlled. Therefore, unlike the glue application of the prior art, there is no need to provide a complex dosing system to implement the method of the present invention. In addition, the configuration of the present invention can reduce the total amount of sealing material contained in the package, because the amount of sealing material can be reduced in the portion of the package that does not require a high level of sealing material to provide a high sealing tightness. In addition, the configuration of the present invention is conducive to the use of sustainable alternative materials for packaging, which are otherwise considered unsuitable for sealing the triple key area (for example, due to their low sealing material content or low thermal conductivity). In addition, the method can be applied to a wide range of packaging applications and material combinations, without having to consider the details of the packaging design. In addition, the concept of the present invention can be used to simplify and accelerate the production of packaging using VFFS or HFFS machines, because the sealing strip can be provided while processing flat sheet materials. Furthermore, the method can be implemented on existing machines without extensive modifications.

[0028] Therefore, the method of the present invention overcomes the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment, respective segments of the sealing strip may be provided before or during the step of forming the flat sheet into a tube.Alternatively or additionally, respective segments of the sealing strip may be provided before or during the step of heat sealing the longitudinal sealing joint.

[0030] According to another preferred embodiment, at least one of the steps of providing the respective segments of the sealing strip may comprise the step of arranging the respective segments at one of the two side edge sections. For example, the step of providing the respective segments of the sealing strip may comprise the step of heat sealing the respective segments at one of the two side edge sections. Preferably, the step of providing the respective segments at one of the side edge sections may be completed (after the step of providing the flat sheet and) before the step of forming the flat sheet into a tube.

[0031] By utilizing any of the above configurations, it can be ensured that the sealing strip (and the corresponding segments) can be accurately placed in the desired position of the triple point section, thereby improving the sealing reliability of the package.

[0032] According to a preferred embodiment, at least a portion of the sealing strip (or preferably at least a portion of the first segment and / or the second segment) can be arranged so that each of the corresponding segments is sandwiched between two side edge segments at the overlapping section. Preferably, the corresponding segments can be sandwiched along the entire length of the overlapping section.

[0033] Therefore, it can be ensured that the sealing strip or the corresponding segment is always placed at the triple point section, because the overlapping section defines a part of the triple point section. Therefore, the integrity and quality of the sealing of the package at the triple point section can be improved.

[0034] According to another preferred embodiment, the step of providing the corresponding segment may include the step of arranging the corresponding segment, preferably the sealing strip, at the overlapping segment between the two side edge segments, so that the corresponding segment can preferably extend (inwardly) to the corresponding triple point segment after the step of heat sealing the longitudinal sealing joint.

[0035] Therefore, it can be ensured that the required amount of additional sealing material is always provided at the triple point section. Specifically, the amount of sealing material provided at the triple point section can be adjusted by adjusting the width of the sealing strip, which can be used to control the size of the portion of the sealing strip (or segment) extending into the triple point section.

[0036] According to a preferred embodiment, the step of providing a sealing strip may comprise the step of unwinding a strip of film material from a film reel.

[0037] Thus, the manufacturing process can be simplified and the production speed of the packaging can be increased, since the sealing strip can be rolled off the film reel at the same speed as for processing the sheet material.

[0038] According to another preferred embodiment, the first segment and the second segment may be sections of the sealing strip or may be separate strips of the sealing strip.

[0039] By providing the segments as part of the sealing strip, the manufacturing process can be simplified and the production speed can be increased. In contrast, by providing the segments as separate strips of the sealing strip, the material consumption for producing the packaging can be reduced and the ecological impact of the packaging can be reduced.

[0040] According to a preferred embodiment, the sealing strip may be made of food grade material. The sealing strip is heat sealable. Preferably, the sealing strip may comprise or may be made of a solid polymer, such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene, low density polyethylene (LDPE) or metallocene linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). Preferably, the sealing strip may be a blown film or a cast film.

[0041] Thus, packaging for a variety of different food applications can be produced using the method of the present invention, as the material of the sealing strip can be customized for each application. For example, low-density polyethylene has good resistance to breakage, is flexible, elastic, and can be supplied as a film. Furthermore, the examples of sealing strip materials listed above can be provided from sustainable sources, can be compostable, and / or can be biodegradable, thereby reducing the ecological impact of the packaging produced in this way.

[0042] According to another preferred embodiment, the sealing strip may comprise a thickness in the range of 10 microns to 100 microns, preferably between 20 microns to 80 microns, more preferably between 40 microns to 60 microns. Most preferably, the thickness may be 40 microns. Alternatively or additionally, the sealing strip may comprise a width in the range of 1 mm to 100 mm, preferably between 4 mm and 50 mm, most preferably between 5 mm and 10 mm.

[0043] By defining the thickness of the sealing strip, the amount of additional sealing material provided by the segment or by the sealing strip at the triple point section can be accurately defined. Thus, the production process of the packaging can be controlled and the sealing quality of the packaging can be ensured to be consistent. Furthermore, by providing the sealing strip within the above-mentioned width range, a tight seal of the packaging can be ensured while maintaining the recyclability of the packaging.

[0044] According to a preferred embodiment, the step of providing the flat sheet may include the step of unwinding a longitudinal flat sheet material from a sheet roll. Alternatively or additionally, the flat sheet material may be a recyclable (biodegradable and / or compostable) polymer (e.g. a plastic film), paper or a laminate. More preferably, the sheet material may be flexible and / or foldable. The flat sheet material may include a laminate and / or multilayer structure. Preferably, the laminate and / or multilayer structure may include a base layer. For example, the base layer may be made of a paper material (e.g. having a density of up to 100 g / m 2 The laminate and / or multilayer structure may also preferably include a sealant layer. For example, the flat sheet material may be a coated paper. For example, a sealant layer of a coated paper may be too thin to provide a tight seal when heat sealed. Another example may be to use a thin layer of (metallized and / or oriented) polypropylene (e.g. 18 micrometers thick) as the base layer and a relatively thick polyethylene layer (e.g. 50 micrometers thick) as the sealant layer.

[0045] Preferably, the flat sheet material may include a sealant layer having a thickness sufficient to provide a material bond between the surfaces to be sealed but not sufficient to provide a (gas or vacuum) tight sealing joint.

[0046] According to another preferred embodiment, the sealant layer may be made of the same material as the sealing strip. Alternatively or additionally, the sealant layer may comprise polypropylene and / or polyethylene. However, it is also conceivable to provide the flat sheet material as a single (mono) layer. Preferably, the corresponding segments may be arranged on the sealant layer.

[0047] Therein, the expression "laminated / layered structure" may be understood, for example, as a structure comprising different parts arranged in the form of plies, strips, layers or layers. Therein, a flat sheet having any number of layers may be provided, each layer providing the desired functionality, such as, for example, a layer for forming a (moisture / oxygen) barrier, and / or a layer for providing a sealant for heat sealing (such as, for example, the sealant layer). Thus, the material properties of the flat sheet may be tailored to the needs of the respective application. In addition, alternative materials to the flat sheet material for packaging may be used, which alternative materials comprise a reduced amount of sealing material and thus reduce the environmental impact of the packaging without necessarily compromising the tightness of the sealed joint.

[0048] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a returnable package enclosing a substance and made from a flat sheet.

[0049] Therein, the expression "encapsulate" may be understood as, for example, surrounding, covering, wrapping and / or enclosing a substance, preferably in a sealed manner.

[0050] The flat sheet includes two opposite side edge sections and is made of recyclable sheet material. The package includes a longitudinal sealing joint along the overlapping section-preferably made or formed by heat sealing, and when the flat sheet is folded to form the flat sheet into a tube, the two opposite side edge sections overlap each other at the overlapping section. The package therefore preferably includes a longitudinal sealing joint made or formed by heat-sealing a tube along the overlapping section. The package includes a first transverse sealing joint, preferably made by heat sealing, which extends across the longitudinal sealing joint to close the tube at the first tube end. Therefore, the package preferably includes a first transverse sealing joint, which is made or formed across the longitudinal sealing joint by heat-sealing a tube to close the tube at the first tube end. The package includes a second transverse sealing joint, preferably made by heat sealing, which extends across the longitudinal sealing joint to close the tube at the second tube end relative to the enclosed substance and the first tube end. Therefore, the package preferably includes a second transverse sealing joint, which is made or formed across the longitudinal sealing joint by heat-sealing the tube to close the tube at the second tube end. The package also includes a heat-sealable sealing strip. The package is arranged so that the heat-sealed first segment of the sealing strip is arranged at the first triple point section to seal the first triple point section, and the heat-sealed second segment of the sealing strip is arranged at the second triple point section to seal the second triple point section. Wherein, at the first triple point section, the longitudinal sealing joint and the first transverse sealing joint intersect. At the second triple point section, the longitudinal sealing joint and the second transverse sealing joint intersect.

[0051] Thus, a package can be provided which encloses a substance by securely sealing at the triple point section and which can be easily and efficiently recycled after use.

[0052] According to a preferred embodiment, at least a portion of the sealing strip may be sandwiched between the two side edge segments at the overlapping section and preferably (additionally) along the entire length of the overlapping section. Alternatively or additionally, at least a portion of the heat-sealed first segment may be sandwiched between the two side edge segments at the respective overlapping section and preferably along the entire length of the overlapping section. Alternatively or additionally, at least a portion of the heat-sealed second segment may be sandwiched between the two side edge segments at the respective overlapping section and preferably along the entire length of the overlapping section.

[0053] Thus, reliable and consistent sealing of the three key areas relative to the exterior can be ensured, as the above arrangement of the sealing strip ensures reliable provision of sealing material at those parts of the package that are subjected to heat sealing and are critical to the integrity of the seal, such as the sealing joints.

[0054] According to a further preferred embodiment, the sealing strip, preferably at least one of the respective heat sealing segments, is arranged at an overlapping section between two side edge sections such that the respective heat sealing segment extends (inwardly) to the respective triple point section.

[0055] Therefore, it can be ensured that the required amount of additional sealing material is always provided at the triple point section. Specifically, the amount of sealing material provided at the triple point section can be adjusted by adjusting the width of the sealing strip, which can be used to control the size of the portion of the sealing strip (or segment) extending into the triple point section.

[0056] According to another preferred embodiment, the heat-sealed first segment and the second segment may be continuous strip sections, so that the sealing strip may extend continuously along the longitudinal sealing joint.

[0057] Therefore, it can be ensured that the additional sealing material is not only arranged at the triple point section, but also arranged along the entire length of the longitudinal sealing joint. Therefore, in addition to improving the sealing strength and sealing integrity at the triple point section, the sealing strength and sealing integrity of the entire longitudinal sealing joint can also be improved.

[0058] According to a preferred embodiment, the package can be a multiple serving package such as a stand-up pouch, a pillow pouch or a gusseted bag. Alternatively, the package can be a single serving package such as a stick package.

[0059] Among others, it was found that especially packaging of the above-mentioned type benefits from the configuration defined by the present invention and can therefore provide a seal of high quality and reliability.

[0060] According to another preferred embodiment, the flat sheet may comprise a laminated structure or a multilayer structure comprising a base layer and / or a sealant layer. For example, the base layer may be made of a paper material or a recyclable plastic material. The sealant layer may be provided as a coating or a sealing film (e.g. a laminate), which may act as a sealant for sealing the joint during heat sealing. Preferably, the sealant layer may be provided on at least one of the two opposing side surfaces of the flat sheet. The heat-sealed first segment and the second segment may be provided on the sealant layer.

[0061] Hereby, the sealing effect obtained by providing the sections of the sealing strip may be further supported, since the strength of the material bond may be increased by the sections of the sealing strip bonding the opposing sealant layers of the pipe material.

[0062] According to a preferred embodiment, at the overlapping section, the side edge sections can face each other on the same side of the flat sheet. In addition, the overlapping section can be formed so that the overlapping section protrudes from the package. Alternatively, the overlapping section can be formed so that two side edge sections or the overlapping section can be positioned at the outside of the package.

[0063] Thus, the seal strength and integrity of the longitudinal sealing joint can be improved, since the seal can be made directly and under applied pressure. Thus, the overall shelf life of the package so configured can be extended.

[0064] Naturally, the packaging may comprise all the above-mentioned features or characteristics of the method according to the first aspect of the invention. For reasons of brevity, an explicit repetition of these features and effects is omitted at this point.

[0065] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a machine for producing a recyclable package, which is used to encapsulate a substance as described above. The machine includes a first feeding system, which is used to supply a flat sheet made of sheet material and having two opposite side edge sections. The machine also includes a folding section, which is used to fold the supplied flat sheet so that the two opposite side edge sections overlap each other at the overlapping section to form the flat sheet into a tube. The machine also includes a first heat sealing section and a second heat sealing section, the first heat sealing section is used to heat seal the tube along the overlapping section to form a longitudinal sealing joint, and the second heat sealing section is used to heat seal the tube across the longitudinal sealing joint to close the tube with a first transverse sealing joint at the first tube end. The machine also includes a filling section, which fills the tube with the substance to be packaged. In addition, the machine includes a third heat sealing section, which heat seals the tube across the longitudinal sealing joint to close the tube with a second transverse sealing joint at the second tube end relative to the substance to be packaged and the first tube end, thereby forming a package encapsulating the substance. The machine also includes a second feeding system. The second feeding system is used to supply the sealing strip so that a first segment of the sealing strip is arranged at the first triple point section, so that when the tube is heat sealed at the second heat sealing section, the first segment seals the first triple point section to form a first transverse sealing joint. Wherein, at the first triple point section, the longitudinal sealing joint and the first transverse sealing joint will intersect. The second feeding system is also configured to supply the sealing strip so that a second segment of the sealing strip is arranged at the second triple point section, so that when the tube is heat sealed at the third heat sealing section, the second segment seals the second triple point section to form a second transverse sealing joint. Wherein, at the second triple point section, the longitudinal sealing joint and the second transverse sealing joint will intersect.

[0066] Therefore, a machine for producing packaging can be provided, which can (airtightly) seal the material to be packaged and can be easily recycled after use. Specifically, the machine can provide sealing strips at triple point sections, so that the quality and reliability of the seal can be consistently ensured.

[0067] According to a preferred embodiment, the second feeding system may be configured to supply at least a portion of the sealing strip at the respective triple point section. Preferably, the second feeding system may be configured to arrange at least a portion of at least one of the respective segments at the respective triple point section so as to be sandwiched between the two side edge sections at the overlapping section and preferably along the entire length of the overlapping section, respectively.

[0068] Thus, reliable sealing of the triple point segment can be ensured without having to provide complex positioning devices for placing the segments in the tube.

[0069] According to another preferred embodiment, the second feeding system may include a film reel feeding system for providing and arranging sealing strips at the folding section, between the two side edge sections and at the overlapping section. In addition, the first feeding system may include a sheet reel feeding system for unwinding a longitudinal flat sheet material from a sheet reel to supply the flat sheet.

[0070] Thus, the sealing strip may be arranged in a manner that facilitates efficient and reliable arrangement of the sealing strip into the tube and at a desired location, while accommodating continuous production of packages made from sheet material.

[0071] According to a preferred embodiment, the second and third heat sealing sections may be integral or identical. Preferably, the first heat sealing section may include a preferably movable sealing member, such as a sealing bar. The sealing member may be configured to cooperate with a preferably fixed counterpart. The counterpart may be provided by a portion of the folding section or the filling section for forming a longitudinal sealing joint. For example, the counterpart may be a folding tube, which may be a portion of the folding section.

[0072] Thus, the number of components on the machine can be reduced and it can be ensured that the transverse sealing joints are provided in the same manner.

[0073] Preferably, the machine may be configured (adapted) to perform any or all of the above steps of the method of the first aspect of the invention. 4. Description of the drawings

[0074] When reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, additional features, advantages and objects of the invention will become apparent to the skilled person. Where numbers are omitted from the drawings, for example for clarity, corresponding features may still be present in the drawings.

[0075] Figure 1 A schematic top view of a prior art pillow package is shown.

[0076] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view of a prior art package along line II-II.

[0077] Figure 3 shows the prior art packaging along Figure 1 Photograph of a microtome section of line II-II shown in .

[0078] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4E Different schematic perspective views of embodiments of a method and a machine for producing returnable packaging according to the invention are shown ( 4A to 4D ) and cross-sectional view ( Figure 4E Along Figure 4A Line IV-IV shown in FIG.

[0079] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5E Different schematic perspective views of another embodiment of the method and machine for producing returnable packaging according to the invention are shown ( FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D ) and cross-sectional view ( Figure 5E Along Figure 5A The line VV shown in FIG.

[0080] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B shows the prior art packaging along Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view along line II-II and another photograph of the cross-sectional view.

[0081] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B The packaging according to the present invention is shown along Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Schematic cross-sectional view and photograph of a microtome section through line VII-VII.

[0082] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Schematic top views of different embodiments of packaging according to the invention are shown. 5. Specific implementation methods

[0083] The drawings show different views and aspects of the invention. For example, FIGS. 4 and 5 show some steps of a method for producing returnable packaging according to one aspect of the invention. In addition, FIGS. 4 and 5 show aspects of a machine 500 for producing returnable packaging 100 according to another aspect of the invention. Fig. 9 Various aspects of a package 100 according to another aspect of the present invention are shown. For comparison and clarification purposes, Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 6 highlight the characteristics of prior art packaging.

[0084] The method according to the invention relates to producing a returnable packaging for enclosing a substance S, such as the packaging 100 described in further detail below. For example, the substance S may be a food, such as a powdered (food) product or a dehydrated edible substance, such as a (sensitive) infant formula, infant cereals, cereals, powdered coffee, soluble coffee or a dairy product, such as coffee creamer. But it is also conceivable to package a spice mixture or a spice paste or gel and / or a pharmaceutical or medical product as substance S. However, this is not a complete enumeration and other products may also be packaged as substance S.

[0085] The method comprises the step of providing a flat sheet 110 . 4A to 4D as well as FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D This step is shown as an example. It is shown as an example that the flat sheet 110 can be arranged by unwinding a longitudinal flat sheet material from a sheet reel 512. For example, the flat sheet 110 can extend longitudinally along a longitudinal axis and can be unwinded in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. Preferably, the longitudinal axis of the flat sheet material can be parallel to the rotation axis of the sheet reel 512.

[0086] The flat sheet 110 may have any shape or form. For example, the flat sheet 110 may have a (substantially) square or rectangular form, such as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 7 to 8. Fig. 9 10 is shown as an example. However, these are only examples and are not a complete list of possible forms or shapes. Preferably, the flat sheet 110 may have two opposing (continuous) side surfaces, which may preferably define the thickness of the flat sheet 110 between them. Preferably, the thickness of the flat sheet 110 may be small relative to its length and width. For example, the thickness of the flat sheet 110 may be in the range between 40 microns and 140 microns.

[0087] The flat sheet 110 has two opposite side edge sections 111, 112. Figure 4D , Figure 4E , Figure 5D , Figure 5E and Fig. 7A Preferably, the side edge sections 111, 112 may be sections of the flat sheet 110 extending toward each other from opposite side edges of the flat sheet 110. For example, it is conceivable that the two side edge sections 111, 112 may together form a complete surface of one of the side surfaces of the flat sheet 110.

[0088] The flat sheet 110 is made of a recyclable material (ie, a flat sheet material).

[0089] For example, the flat sheet 110 may be made of or may include a paper material, such as a paper material having a thickness of up to 100 g / m 2For example, the flat sheet 110 may be made of a material that may include paper (e.g., exclusively or at least primarily, the paper is made of cellulose fibers, such as cellulose fibers derived from wood, grass and / or bamboo) and another (arbitrary) component that may or may not be recyclable or biodegradable. Among them, the amount of the other component, which may be, for example, a plastic coating or other polymer content, will be limited to at most about 5% of the total weight of the (entire) flat sheet material (so that the flat sheet material is still recyclable). Although the other component can be provided as a layer, a laminate on the paper material, it is also conceivable that the other component can be mixed or blended into the paper material itself. However, these are only examples and do not represent a complete list. Examples of suitable recyclable paper materials may be machine-glazed paper or metallized paper. For example, machine-glazed paper may be paper without any coating, and one side of it may have a smooth surface, while the side opposite to it may have a rough surface. Metallized paper may be paper coated with a layer of metal (such as aluminum), whereby the coating may preferably be applied by lamination or vacuum metallization.

[0090] Alternatively or additionally, a laminate based on recyclable plastic or a recyclable plastic material, such as (metallized oriented or biaxially oriented) polypropylene or polyethylene, may be used as material for the flat sheet 110 .

[0091] Alternatively or additionally, the flat sheet 110 may be made of a flat sheet material that may include a laminate or multilayer structure. The laminate or multilayer structure may include a base layer that may be made of the above-mentioned paper material or a recyclable plastic material. In addition, the laminate or multilayer structure may include a sealant layer. For example, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyolefin dispersion or acrylic coating may be used as a sealant. The sealant layer may change its physical state or bonding properties under heat and / or pressure. Preferably, the sealant layer may be arranged on at least one of the two opposing side surfaces of the flat sheet 110. The sealant layer may be a coating that acts as a sealant during the heat sealing process. It is also conceivable that the flat sheet 110 may be made of a material that may include an additional layer (such as an oxygen barrier layer), which may preferably be a recyclable, biodegradable and / or compostable material. Alternatively or additionally, relative to the usual (manual) handling force of the package, the flat sheet 110 may be made of a flexible or rigid material.

[0092] For example, if a paper material is used as the base layer, the thickness of the sealant layer may range between 5 microns and 10 microns. This may be the case, for example, if a coated paper is used as the flat sheet material. The sealing temperature may be between 100 degrees Celsius and 220 degrees Celsius.

[0093] Alternatively or additionally, if, for example, a recyclable (and sustainable) plastic-based laminate (e.g., a sealing film) can be used as the base layer, the thickness of the sealant layer can range between 20 microns and 90 microns. In this case, the sealing temperature can be between 110 degrees Celsius and 180 degrees Celsius.

[0094] The method further comprises the step of forming the flat sheet 110 into a tube 130 by folding the flat sheet 110 so that the two side edge sections 111, 112 at least partially overlap each other at the overlap section 139. 4A to 4D and FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D For example, the folding tube 521 can be used to perform the step of folding the flat sheet 110 into the tube 130. Preferably, the tube 130 can have a circular or elliptical cross section, as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. Fig. 7A At the overlap section 139, the side edge sections 111, 112 can face each other on the same side of the flat sheet 110. Therefore, the two side edge sections 111, 112 can be folded so that they abut against each other on the same side of the flat sheet 110. This is shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 to Fig. 9 Preferably, the two side edge sections 111 , 112 can be placed on top of each other so that their respective side edges 111 , 112 abut against each other.

[0095] The method further comprises the step of heat sealing the tube 130 along the overlap section 139 to form a longitudinal sealed joint 131. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4E as well as FIG. 5A to FIG. 5E The heat sealing step can be performed by arranging and compressing the overlapping section 139 between a sealing member such as a sealing rod 531 and a corresponding counterpart. For example, the counterpart can be a forming tube 521. This FIG. 5A to FIG. 5E , which shows that the longitudinal sealing joint 131 is provided as a fin seal. It is also conceivable to heat seal by arranging the overlapping section 139 between two sealing bars 532, 532 (ie, the counterpart is another sealing bar), such as FIG. 4A to FIG. 4E 130 , wherein it is shown that a longitudinal sealing joint 131 is provided as a (offset) fin seal. Preferably, the longitudinal sealing joint 131 can extend at least partially, preferably completely, between the opposite ends of the tube 130. To this end, the heat sealing step can additionally provide a step of moving the tube 130 relative to the sealing component and the corresponding counterpart. The tube 130 and / or the overlapping section 139 can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the tube 130.

[0096] The method further comprises the step of heat sealing the tube 130 across the longitudinal sealing joint 131 to close the tube 130 at the first tube end 132 with a first transverse sealing joint 134. 4A to 4Dand FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D . Preferably, the first tube end 132 may be defined by a first transverse sealing joint 134. Alternatively or additionally, by providing the first transverse sealing joint 134 or after providing the first transverse sealing joint, the tube 130 may be provided with a tube end, i.e. the first tube end 132. The step of heat sealing the first transverse sealing joint 134 may be performed by two sealing jaws 541, 542, which may be arranged opposite to each other. This is 4A to 4D as well as FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D exemplarily shown in . The two sealing jaws 541, 542 may be able to move relative to each other (linearly and / or rotationally). The heat sealing jaws 541, 542 may be movable between a sealed state and a released state. In the sealed state, the tube 130 may be pressed between the two sealing jaws 541, 542 to apply a binding force (e.g., between 500N and 8000N) and / or heat (temperature between 100 degrees Celsius and 250 degrees Celsius) to the tube 130 for a certain time (e.g., between 0.1 seconds and 2 seconds). In the released state, the tube 130 may move between the two sealing jaws 541, 542 (released from the two sealing jaws). Generally, it is conceivable that two or only one sealing jaw 541, 542 may be movable.

[0097] The method includes the step of filling the tube 130 with the substance S to be packaged. For example, the step of filling the tube 130 may include the steps of providing a filling tube 561 having a funnel portion 562 at the top, and pouring a certain amount of the substance S to be packaged into the filling tube 561. Preferably, the filling tube 561 may extend into the tube 130 and terminate above the first tube end 132. This is Figure 4B and Figure 5B 4 and 5. Preferably, the step of filling the tube 130 can be completed after the step of heat sealing the first transverse sealing joint 134 and / or the step of heat sealing the longitudinal sealing joint 131.

[0098] The method further comprises the step of heat-sealing the tube 130 across the longitudinal sealing joint 131 to close the tube 130 at the second tube end 133 with a second transverse sealing joint 135, thereby forming a package 100 enclosing the substance S. The second tube end 133 is opposite the first tube end 132 relative to the substance S to be packaged. Preferably, the second tube end 133 may be defined by the second transverse sealing joint 135. Alternatively or additionally, by providing the first transverse sealing joint 135 or after providing the first transverse sealing joint, the tube 130 may be provided with another tube end, namely the second tube end 133. It is envisaged that the step of heat-sealing the second transverse sealing joint 135 may be performed by two sealing jaws 541, 542 in the same manner as the first transverse sealing joint 134 described above. Alternatively, it is also envisaged that the step of heat-sealing the second transverse sealing joint 134 may be performed using different heat-sealing means, such as a separate set of sealing bars. Preferably, the step of heat-sealing the second transverse sealing joint 135 may be performed after (immediately) filling the tube 130 with the substance S. The package 100 is thus formed such that the package encloses the substance S (completely).

[0099] The method also includes the step of providing a heat sealable sealing strip 700. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4E and FIG. 5A to FIG. 5E 5 , wherein, for example, the step of providing the sealing strip 700 is shown as comprising the step of unrolling a strip of film material from a film reel 572. For example, the film reel 572 may be arranged relative to the tube 130 so that during unrolling, one of the side surfaces of the sealing strip 700 may extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube 130 (as shown in FIG. 5 ). The sealing strip 700 may be a continuous strip of solid film material (such as a blown film). For example, the sealing strip 700 may be made of a food grade material. Alternatively or additionally, the sealing strip 700 may include or may be made of a solid polymer, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, low density polyethylene or metallocene linear low density polyethylene. Preferably, the sealing strip 700 may be made of the same material as the sealant layer of the flat sheet 110. The sealing strip 700 may have two opposing side surfaces that define the thickness of the sealing strip 700. For example, the sealing strip 700 may include a thickness in the range of 10 microns to 100 microns, preferably between 20 microns and 80 microns, and more preferably between 40 microns and 60 microns. Most preferably, the thickness may preferably be about 40 microns. In addition, the sealing strip 700 may include a width in the range of 1 mm to 100 mm, preferably between 4 mm and 50 mm, and most preferably between 5 mm and 10 mm. In addition, the sealing strip 700 may be made of a material that can be melted by applying pressure and / or a temperature in the range of 100 degrees Celsius to 250 degrees Celsius.

[0100] The heat-sealable strip 700 is arranged such that the first segment 701 of the sealing strip 700 is arranged at the first triple point section 171 where the longitudinal sealing joint 131 and the first transverse sealing joint 134 intersect. In addition, the heat-sealable strip 700 is arranged such that the second segment 702 of the sealing strip 700 is arranged at the second triple point section 172 where the longitudinal sealing joint 131 and the second transverse sealing joint 135 intersect. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4E as well as FIG. 5A to FIG. 5E A possible implementation of this step is shown. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Their positions are shown exemplarily. For example, the sealing strip 700 can be inserted parallel to the longitudinal sealing joint 131 to implement these steps.

[0101] For example, as can be seen from the exemplary illustrations of Figures 4 and 5, the heat-sealable strip 700 can be introduced to the tube 130 so that at least a portion of the sealing strip 700 is sandwiched between the two side edge sections 111, 112 at the overlap section 139. Therein, the respective segments 701, 702 of the sealing strip 700 can be provided during the step of forming the flat sheet 110 into the tube 130. Alternatively or additionally, the respective segments 701, 702 of the sealing strip 700 can be provided before or during the step of heat sealing the longitudinal sealing joint 131. However, it is also conceivable that the respective segments 701, 702 (one or both of the segments) can be provided at one of the two side edge sections 111, 112 (e.g., by heat sealing) before the step of forming the flat sheet 110 into the tube 130 (not shown).

[0102] Preferably, at least a portion of the sealing strip 700, the first segment 701 and / or the second segment 702 may be arranged such that each of the corresponding segments 701, 702 is sandwiched between the two side edge segments 111, 112 at the overlap section 139. It may be additionally preferred if the corresponding portion of the sealing strip 700 can be sandwiched along the entire length of the overlap section 139. This is particularly useful in Figure 8 The first segment 701 and the second segment 702 may be, for example, sections of the sealing strip 700. Figure 8 This is shown by way of example. However, it is also conceivable to provide the first segment 701 and the second segment 702 as separate strips of the sealing strip 700, such as Fig. 9 Preferably, the sealing strip 700 and / or the corresponding segments 701 , 702 may be arranged on a sealant layer of the sheet material forming the tube 130 .

[0103] In the step of providing one or more of the segments 701, 702, the corresponding segments 701, 702 (or a part (or the whole) of the sealing strip 700) can be arranged at the overlapping section 139 between the two side edge sections 111, 112 in a manner that facilitates the segments 701, 702 to extend at least to the corresponding triple point sections 171, 172. This step can preferably be performed after the step of heat sealing the longitudinal sealing joint 131. Fig. 9 The implementation of this step is exemplarily shown. Specifically, Fig. 7A It is shown by way of example how the respective segment 701 can be arranged between the side edge sections 111 , 112 , such that it extends into the respective triple point section 171 , 172 .

[0104] According to the method, ensure that the corresponding segments 701, 702 of the sealing strip 700 are arranged at the corresponding triple point sections 171, 172, so that when the corresponding tube ends 132, 133 are heat sealed during the process of heat sealing the corresponding transverse sealing joints 134, 135, the corresponding segments 701, 702 seal the corresponding triple point sections 171, 172. Fig. 7A An exemplary arrangement is shown.

[0105] Thus, when providing the transverse sealing joints 134 , 135 , it can be ensured that sufficient sealing material is reliably present in the triple point sections 171 , 172 . Figure 7B A photograph of a microtome slice at one of the triple point segments 171 , 172 is shown, which shows that the corresponding triple point segment 171 , 172 is completely filled with sealing material. Fig. 6A FIG. 2 shows a configuration of a package 10 known in the prior art at three key areas 11. Figure 6B As shown by way of example in the photograph of , a slicer slice at this triple key area 11 shows the presence of a gap 15 which forms a passage between the exterior and the interior of the package 10 .

[0106] Of course, it is also conceivable that the method may provide one or more steps for providing more than two segments 701 , 702 , for example in the event that there are more than the two triple point sections 171 , 172 described.

[0107] As a result of completing the steps of the method, a returnable package is received.

[0108] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a returnable package 100. The package 100 may be produced using the method described above. Fig. 9The package 100 is shown as an example. For example, the package 100 can be a multi-serving package, such as a stand-up pouch, a pillow pouch, or a gusseted bag. However, it is also conceivable that the package 100 can be a single-serving package, such as a stick package. The package 100 encloses a substance, such as the substance S described above. This Figure 4B and Figure 5B Preferably, the package 100 may be configured to seal the substance S hermetically.

[0109] The package 100 is made from a flat sheet having two opposing side edge sections and is made from a recyclable material, such as the flat sheet 110 having side edge sections 111 , 112 described above, and may be made from the flat sheet material described above.

[0110] The package 100 includes a longitudinal sealing joint, such as the longitudinal sealing joint 131, extending along the overlapping section 139, where the two opposite side edge sections 111, 112 overlap each other when the flat sheet 110 is folded into the shape of the tube 130. This is shown in Figures 4, 5 and 7 to Fig. 9 13. The longitudinal sealing joint 131 is preferably made or formed by heat sealing the tube 130 along the overlapping section 139. The longitudinal sealing joint 131 can extend along the overlapping section 139 in various ways. For example, the longitudinal sealing joint 131 can extend obliquely between the opposite ends of the package 100. This may be subject to the shape of the flat sheet 110 (for example, a flat sheet 110 having a trapezoidal basic form).

[0111] Generally speaking, at the overlap section 139, the side edge sections 111, 112 may face each other on the same side of the flat sheet 110. In addition, the overlap section 139 may be formed such that the overlap section protrudes from the package 100. The overlap section 139 may be formed such that the two side edge sections 111, 112 or the overlap section 139 are positioned at the outside of the package 100. Fig. 7A An example is shown.

[0112] The package 100 includes a first transverse sealing joint, such as the first transverse sealing joint 134 described above, which extends across the longitudinal sealing joint 131 to close the tube 130 at the first tube end 132. The first transverse sealing joint 134 is preferably made or formed by heat-sealing the tube 130 across the longitudinal sealing joint 131 to close the tube 130 at the first tube end 132. The package also includes a second transverse sealing joint, such as the second transverse sealing joint 135 described above, which extends across the longitudinal sealing joint 131 to close the tube 130 at the second tube end 133, which is opposite to the first tube end 132 relative to the enclosed substance S. The second transverse sealing joint 135 is preferably made or formed by heat-sealing the tube 130 across the longitudinal sealing joint 131 to close the tube 130 at the second tube end 133. This is shown in Figures 4, 5, Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Different from the exemplary illustration in these figures, the first transverse sealing joint 134 and / or the second transverse sealing joint 135 can also extend in an inclined or curved manner to form the respective pipe end 132, 133.

[0113] The package 100 also includes a heat-sealable sealing strip, such as the above-mentioned sealing strip 700, and preferably can be made of similar or identical materials as described in detail above. The sealing strip 700 is configured so that the heat-sealed first segment of the sealing strip is disposed at the first triple point section, such as the above-mentioned heat-sealed first segment 701, which is disposed at the first triple point section 171 where the longitudinal sealing joint 131 and the first transverse sealing joint 134 intersect to seal the first triple point section 171. The sealing strip 700 is also configured so that the heat-sealed second segment of the sealing strip is disposed at the second triple point section, such as the above-mentioned heat-sealed second segment 702, which is disposed at the second triple point section 172 where the longitudinal sealing joint 131 and the second transverse sealing joint 135 intersect to seal the second triple point section 172. This is shown in Figures 7 to 8. Fig. 9 It is shown as an example in FIG.

[0114] For example, the first segment 701 and the second segment 702 may be sections of a continuous sealing strip 700, such as Figure 8 Alternatively, the first segment 701 and the second segment 702 may be separate strips of the sealing strip 700, such as Fig. 9 At least a portion of the sealing strip 700 (and / or the heat-sealed first segment 701 and / or the heat-sealed second segment 702) may be sandwiched between the two side edge segments 111, 112 at the overlap segment 139. Fig. 9 , a configuration is shown in which the sealing strip 700 may extend along the entire length of the overlapping section 139 while being sandwiched between the two side edge sections 111, 112. However, it is also conceivable that only one or more portions of the sealing strip 700 may be sandwiched between the two side edge sections 111, 112 at the overlapping section 139, while the heat-sealed first segment 701 and / or the heat-sealed second segment 702 may be arranged away from the overlapping section 139. Preferably, the sealing strip 700 or at least (one) heat-sealed segment 701, 702 may be arranged in the package 100, i.e. preferably at the overlapping section 139 between the two side edge sections 111, 112, so that it / they extend at least partially into their respective triple point sections 171, 172. This is in Fig. 7A It is shown as an example in FIG.

[0115] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a machine 500 for producing the above-mentioned returnable packaging 100 for encapsulating a substance S. The illustrations of Figures 4 and 5 show examples of embodiments of the machine 500. For example, the machine 500 can be a VFFS or HFFS machine. In addition, the machine 500 can provide an embodiment of the above-mentioned method for producing a returnable packaging such as the packaging 100.

[0116] The machine 500 includes a first feeding system 510 for supplying the above-mentioned flat sheet 110. For example, the first feeding system 510 may include a sheet reel feeding system 511 for unwinding a longitudinal flat sheet material from a reel such as a sheet reel 512 to supply the flat sheet 110. 4A to 4D and FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D It is shown as an example in FIG.

[0117] The machine 500 further includes a folding section 520 for folding the supplied flat sheet 110 so that two opposite side edge sections 111, 112 of the flat sheet 110 overlap each other at the overlapping section 139 to form the flat sheet 110 into a tube 130. For example, the folding section 520 may include a folding tube 521, which may preferably include a collar or a folding shoulder to fold the flat sheet 110 into the shape of the tube 130. This is 4A to 4D and FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D It is shown as an example in FIG.

[0118] The machine 500 also includes a filling section 560 for filling the tube 130 with the substance S to be packaged. For example, the filling section 560 may include a filling tube 561 having a funnel portion 562. 4A to 4D and FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D It is shown as an example in FIG.

[0119] The machine 500 also includes a first heat sealing section 530 for heat-sealing the tube 130 along the overlapping section 139 to form a longitudinal sealed joint 131. For example, the first heat sealing section 530 may include a preferably movable sealing component. For example, the first heating section 530 may include a sealing bar 531 as a sealing component, which can be moved relative to the folding section 520 and the folding tube 521. The sealing component can be configured to cooperate with a counterpart to form a longitudinal sealed joint 131. For example, the counterpart can be provided by a part of the folding section 520 (such as the folding tube 521) or a part of the filling section 560 (such as the filling tube 561). This is exemplarily shown in Figure 5. However, it is also conceivable that the counterpart can be provided by a separate metal plate or in other ways. Alternatively, the counterpart can be provided by a second sealing component. This is exemplarily shown in Figure 4, where a pair of longitudinal sealing bars 532 are used to provide the longitudinal sealed joint 131.

[0120] The machine 500 further comprises a second heat sealing section 540 for heat sealing the tube 130 across the longitudinal sealing joint 131 to close the tube 130 at the first tube end 132 with a first transverse sealing joint 134. For example, a pair of transverse sealing bars 541, 542 may be provided, as exemplarily shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0121] The machine 500 also includes a third heat sealing section 550 for heat sealing the tube 130 across the longitudinal sealing joint 131 to close the tube 130 with a second transverse sealing joint 135 at the second tube end 133 to form a package 100. For example, a pair of transverse sealing bars can be provided, as exemplarily shown in Figures 4 and 5. It is also conceivable that the second heat sealing section 540 and the third heat sealing section 550 are arranged to be integral or identical to each other. Preferably, the second heat sealing section 540 or the third heat sealing section 550 may include a separation device 555 to cut or weaken the portion of the tube 130 above the second transverse sealing joint 135 (relative to the direction of travel of the tube 130 through the machine 500) so as to separate the continuously produced packages 100 from each other. This is in 4A to 4D and FIG. 5A to FIG. 5D It is shown as an example in FIG.

[0122] The machine 500 also includes a second feeding system 570 for supplying the sealing strip 700 so that the first segment 701 is arranged at the first triple point section 171 so that the first segment 701 seals the first triple point section 171 to form a first transverse sealing joint 134 when the tube 130 is heat sealed at the second heat sealing section 540, and the second segment 702 is arranged at the second triple point section 172 so that the second segment 702 seals the second triple point section 172 to form a second transverse sealing joint 135 when the tube 130 is heat sealed at the third heat sealing section 550.

[0123] In which, the second feeding system 570 can be configured to supply at least a portion of the sealing strip 700 (and / or at least a portion of at least one of the corresponding segments 701, 702) at the corresponding triple point segments 171, 172 so as to be sandwiched between the two side edge segments 111, 112 at the overlapping segment 139.

[0124] The second feeding system 570 may include a film reel feeding system 571 for providing and arranging the sealing strip 700 at the folding section 520, between the two side edge sections 111, 112 and at the overlapping section 139. The film reel feeding system 571 may include a film reel 572 to unroll the sealing strip 700 from it. This is exemplarily shown in Figures 4 and 5. The sealing strip 700 may be guided toward the tube 130 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tube 130 (Figure 4) or in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube 130 (Figure 5). Therefore, compared with the film reel 572 shown in Figure 5, the film reel 572 in Figure 4 can be rotated 90 degrees.

[0125] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein above, as long as it is covered by the accompanying claims.All features of the embodiments described above may be combined in any possible way and provided interchangeably.

Claims

1. A method for producing a returnable package (100) for encapsulating a substance (S), the method comprising: • providing a flat sheet (110) made of recyclable material and having two opposing side edge sections (111, 112), forming the flat sheet (110) into a tube (130) by folding the flat sheet (110) such that the two side edge sections (111, 112) at least partially overlap each other at an overlapping section (139), • heat sealing the tube (130) along the overlapping section (139) to form a longitudinal sealed joint (131), ● heat sealing the tube (130) across the longitudinal sealing joint (131) to close the tube (130) at a first tube end (132) with a first transverse sealing joint (134), ● filling the tube (130) with the substance (S) to be packaged, heat sealing the tube (130) across the longitudinal sealing joint (131) to close the tube (130) with a second transverse sealing joint (135) at a second tube end (133) opposite the first tube end (132) relative to the substance (S) to be packaged, thereby forming a package (100) enclosing the substance (S), characterised in that the method further comprises: ● Provide a heat sealable sealing strip (700) so that o The first segment (701) of the sealing strip (700) is arranged at the first triple point section (171) where the longitudinal sealing joint (131) and the first transverse sealing joint (134) intersect, and The second segment (702) of the sealing strip (700) is arranged at the second triple point section (172) where the longitudinal sealing joint (131) and the second transverse sealing joint (135) intersect. The corresponding segments (701, 702) of the sealing strip (700) seal the corresponding triple point sections (171, 172) when heat sealing the corresponding tube ends (132, 133) to form corresponding transverse sealing joints (134, 135).

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the respective segments (701, 702) of the sealing strip (700) are provided before or during the step of forming the flat sheet (110) into a tube (130) and / or before or during the step of heat sealing the longitudinal sealing joint (131).

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the sealing strip (700), preferably at least a portion of the first segment (701) and / or the second segment (702), is arranged so that each of the corresponding segments (701, 702) is sandwiched between the two side edge segments (111, 112) at the overlapping section (139), preferably along the entire length of the overlapping section (139).

4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the steps of providing the corresponding fragments (701, 702) comprises the following steps: The respective segments (701, 702), preferably the sealing strip (700), are arranged at the overlapping section (139) between the two side edge sections (111, 112) such that the respective segments (701, 702) preferably extend to the respective triple point sections (171, 172) after the step of heat sealing the longitudinal sealing joint (131).

5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the steps of providing the corresponding fragments (701, 702) comprises the following steps: The respective segments (701, 702) are preferably arranged, preferably heat sealed, at one of the two side edge sections (111, 112) prior to the step of forming the flat sheet (110) into the tube (130).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first segment (701) and the second segment (702) are sections of the sealing strip (700) or are separate strips of the sealing strip (700), and / or The step of providing the sealing strip (700) includes the step of unwinding a strip of film material from a film reel (572).

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing strip (700) is made of food grade material, and / or The sealing strip (700) comprises or is made of a solid polymer, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, low-density polyethylene or linear low-density polyethylene, and / or is a blown film or a cast film.

8. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing strip (700) comprises a thickness in the range of 20 to 80 microns, preferably a thickness between 40 and 60 microns, most preferably a thickness of 40 microns, and / or comprises a width in the range of 4 mm to 50 mm.

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of providing the flat sheet (110) comprises the step of unwinding a longitudinal flat sheet material from a sheet reel (512), and / or The flat sheet (110) is made of a flat sheet material, the flat sheet material comprises a laminated or multi-layer structure, the laminated or multi-layer structure has a base layer and a sealant layer, the base layer is made of a paper material or a recyclable plastic material, the paper material preferably has a thickness of up to 100 g / m 2 gram weight, wherein preferably, the corresponding segments (701, 702) are arranged on the sealant layer, and / or preferably, the sealant layer is made of the same material as the sealing strip (700).

10. A recyclable package (100) made of a flat sheet (110) having two opposing side edge sections (111, 112) and made of recyclable material, the package (100) enclosing a substance (S) and comprising: a longitudinal sealing joint (131) along an overlapping section (139) where the two opposing side edge sections (111, 112) overlap each other when the flat sheet (110) is folded to form the flat sheet (110) into a tube (130), a first transverse sealing joint (134) extending across the longitudinal sealing joint (131) to close the tube (130) at a first tube end (132), a second transverse sealing joint (135) extending across the longitudinal sealing joint (131) to close the tube (130) at a second tube end (133) opposite the first tube end (132) with respect to the enclosed substance (S), The packaging (100) is characterized in that: A sealing strip (700) which is heat sealable and arranged so that o The heat-sealed first segment (701) of the sealing strip (700) is arranged at the first triple point section (171) where the longitudinal sealing joint (131) and the first transverse sealing joint (134) intersect to seal the first triple point section (171), and ○The heat-sealed second segment (702) of the sealing strip (700) is arranged at the second triple point section (172) where the longitudinal sealing joint (131) and the second transverse sealing joint (135) intersect to seal the second triple point section (172).

11. The package (100) according to claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the sealing strip (700), preferably at least a portion of the heat-sealed first segment (701) and / or the heat-sealed second segment (702), is sandwiched between the two side edge segments (111, 112) at the overlap segment (139), preferably along the entire length of the overlap segment (139), and / or wherein the sealing strip (700), preferably at least one of the corresponding heat sealing segments (701, 702), is arranged at the overlapping section (139) between the two side edge sections (111, 112) such that the corresponding heat sealing segment (701, 702) extends into the corresponding triple point section (171, 172), and / or The heat-sealed first and second segments (701, 702) are sections of a continuous strip, such that the sealing strip (700) extends continuously along the longitudinal sealing joint (131).

12. A package (100) according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein at the overlapping section (139), the side edge sections (111, 112) face each other on the same side of the flat sheet (110), wherein preferably, the overlapping section (139) is formed so that the overlapping section protrudes from the package (100), or so that two side edge sections (111, 112) or the overlapping section (139) are positioned at the outside of the package (100), and / or wherein the flat sheet (110) comprises a laminated or multi-layer structure, the laminated or multi-layer structure comprising a base layer and a sealant layer, the base layer is preferably made of a paper material or a recyclable plastic material, wherein preferably, the sealant layer is arranged on at least one of the two opposite side surfaces of the flat sheet (110), the sealant layer is preferably arranged as a coating or a sealing film that acts as a sealant for the sealed joint during heat sealing, and / or wherein preferably, the first segment (701) and the second segment (702) of the heat seal are arranged on the sealant layer.

13. The package (100) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the package (100) is a multiple serving package, such as a stand-up pouch, a pillow pouch or a gusseted bag, or wherein the package (100) is a single serving package, such as a stick package, and / or The package (100) is configured to hermetically seal the enclosed food as the substance (S).

14. A machine (500) for producing a returnable package (100) for encapsulating a substance (S) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, the machine comprising: a first feeding system (510) for supplying a flat sheet (110) made of a flat sheet material and having two opposite side edge sections (111, 112), A folding section (520) for folding the supplied flat sheet (110), such that the two opposite side edge sections (111, 112) overlap each other at an overlapping section (139) to form the flat sheet (110) into a tube (130), a first heat sealing section (530) for heat sealing the tube (130) along the overlapping section (139) to form a longitudinal sealed joint (131), a second heat sealing section (540) for heat sealing the tube (130) across the longitudinal sealed joint (131) to form a longitudinal sealed joint at a first tube end (132) The tube (130) is closed with a first transverse sealing joint (134), a filling section (560) for filling the tube (130) with the substance (S) to be packaged, a third heat sealing section (550) for heat sealing the tube (130) across the longitudinal sealing joint (131) to close the tube (130) with a second transverse sealing joint (135) at a second tube end (133) opposite the first tube end (132) relative to the substance (S) to be packaged, thereby forming a package (100) enclosing the substance (S), It is characterized in that the machine (500) also includes: A second feeding system (570) for supplying the sealing strip (700) such that ○ The first segment (701) of the sealing strip (700) is arranged at the first triple point section (171) where the longitudinal sealing joint (131) and the first transverse sealing joint (134) are about to intersect, so that the first segment (701) seals the first triple point section (171) to form the first transverse sealing joint (134) when the tube (130) is heat-sealed at the second heat-sealing section (540); ○ The second segment (702) of the sealing strip (700) is arranged at the second triple point section (172) where the longitudinal sealing joint (131) and the second transverse sealing joint (135) are about to intersect, so that the second segment (702) seals the second triple point section (172) to form the second transverse sealing joint (135) when the tube (130) is heat-sealed at the third heat-sealing section (550).

15. The machine (500) according to claim 14, wherein the second feeding system (570) is configured to supply at least a portion of the sealing strip (700) at the respective triple point section (134, 135), preferably to provide at least a portion of at least one of the respective segments (701, 702) so as to be sandwiched between the two side edge sections (111, 112) at the respective overlapping section (139), preferably along the entire length of the overlapping section (139), and / or wherein the second feeding system (570) comprises a film reel feeding system (571) for providing and arranging the sealing strip (700) at the folding section (520), between the two side edge sections (111, 112) and at the overlapping section (139), and / or wherein the first feeding system (510) comprises a sheet reel feeding system (511) for unwinding a longitudinal flat sheet material from a sheet reel (512) to supply the flat sheet (110), and / or wherein the second heat sealing section (540) and the third heat sealing section (550) are integral or identical, and / or Wherein the first heat sealing section (530) includes a preferably movable sealing component, such as a sealing rod (531), which is configured to cooperate with a mating piece preferably provided by a portion of the folding section (520) such as a folding tube (521) or a portion of the filling section (560) to form the longitudinal sealing joint (131).

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