Film packaging, in particular HFFS or VFFS film packaging with additional tear initiation aid at a longitudinal seam.

Abstract

Film packaging (10) with a first longitudinal end (12) and a second longitudinal end (14) opposite the first longitudinal end (12) and with a receiving space (24) located between the first and the second longitudinal end (12, 14), which is designed to receive a product, wherein the receiving space (24) is surrounded by a packaging wall (41) defining the receiving space (24), wherein the packaging wall (41) is formed at least partially from a polymer film material (22), wherein a longitudinal connecting seam (28), which connects two sections (42, 48) of polymer film material (22) of the packaging wall (41) to each other, extends from the first longitudinal end (12) towards the second longitudinal end (14),wherein a side edge (16) of the packaging wall (41) extending from the first longitudinal end (12) towards the second longitudinal end (14) has a material weakening (34) extending along a transverse axis (QA) extending perpendicular to the longitudinal joint seam (28) as an edge-side crack initiation aid (32), wherein the longitudinal joint seam (28) connects a closer packaging wall section (42) made of polymer film material (22) with respect to the transverse axis (QA) closer to the edge-side crack initiation aid (32) with a further packaging wall section (48) made of polymer film material (22) located further away from the edge-side crack initiation aid (32), wherein a further material weakening (46) is formed along the transverse axis (QA) at a distance from the edge-side crack initiation aid (32) as a seam-side crack initiation aid (44),which weakens the polymer film material (22) of the further packaging wall section (48) in an edge region (37) of the longitudinal joint seam (28), characterized in that the seam-side crack initiation aid (44) completely penetrates the further packaging wall section (48) in its thickness direction, wherein the seam-side crack initiation aid (44) is surrounded by a connecting frame (52) that completely surrounds the seam-side crack initiation aid (44) and connects a first packaging wall section (40) supporting the longitudinal joint seam (28) with a second packaging wall section (30) opposite the first packaging wall section (40) across the receiving space (24).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a flexible film packaging according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a film packaging comprises a first longitudinal end, a second longitudinal end opposite the first longitudinal end, and a receiving space located between the first and second longitudinal ends, which is designed to receive a product. Since a preferred, but expressly not exclusively intended, embodiment of the film packaging discussed here is an HFFS film packaging or a VFFS film packaging, a packaged product is preferably already contained in the receiving space. "HFFS" means "Horizontal Form Fill Seal," and "VFFS" means "Vertical Form Fill Seal." These are packages that are formed during their filling process and subsequently sealed. Packaging of this type is well known in the relevant field, for example, as "stick packs" or "flow packs."Stick packs are typically used for packaging loose, free-flowing products. They are often formed from a vertically running polymer packaging film, filled, sealed, and then individually packaged. Flow packs, while generally much larger, have the same basic structure as stick packs. Flow packs are sometimes used to package bulk goods, such as pastries in trays. For such complex products, the packaging is usually done in horizontally formed, filled, sealed, and then individually packaged containers.

[0002] The receiving space is surrounded by a packaging wall that defines the receiving space, the packaging wall being formed at least partially from a flexible polymer film material. A longitudinal seam, which joins two sections of polymer film material of the packaging wall, runs from the first longitudinal end towards the second longitudinal end.

[0003] A lateral edge of the packaging wall, extending from the first longitudinal end towards the second longitudinal end, features a material weakening that acts as a crack initiation aid at the edge. This crack initiation aid runs along a transverse axis that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal seam.

[0004] The longitudinal seam connects a closer packaging wall section made of polymer film material, located closer to the crack initiation aid with respect to the transverse axis, to a further packaging wall section made of polymer film material, located further away from the edge-side crack initiation aid.

[0005] A generic foil packaging is known from US 63523648 B1 and US 2012 / 213456 A1. Both documents teach that a longitudinal seam extending over the entire length of a package, such as a flow pack or stick pack, can be locally weakened by notches.

[0006] Such film packaging was frequently made in the past using oriented polyester films, which exhibit excellent tear resistance. Due to their molecular orientation, oriented polyester films can guide a tear, once initiated in the film, along the direction of their molecular orientation as it propagates. This allows a film package made of such an oriented polyester film to be opened very precisely by tearing, starting from the point of tear initiation.

[0007] However, polyester films or laminates with such polyester film have properties that make them less desirable in light of current considerations for improving the sustainability of film packaging.

[0008] If one attempts to tear a film packaging constructed as described above, which is formed without one or more oriented polyester films, transversely near its first longitudinal end, starting from the edge-side tear initiation aid, a tear propagating within the packaging often fails to overcome the longitudinal seam. Either the tear ends at the longitudinal seam, or it propagates uncontrollably beyond the longitudinal seam into the further section of the packaging wall. In the former case, the packaged product is often difficult to remove from the resulting very narrow opening. In the latter case, the uncontrolled propagation of the tear can lead to an undesirable loss of packaged product.

[0009] The object of the present invention is therefore to further develop the aforementioned film packaging in such a way that it can be opened safely and precisely by tearing, regardless of the film material used for its manufacture. "Tearing" preferably refers to the complete separation of a longitudinal end region of the film packaging, comprising the first longitudinal end, from the rest of the packaging body by initiating and propagating a tear.

[0010] The present invention solves this problem by means of a film packaging with all the features of claim 1. To solve the problem, the present invention proposes, in general terms, for a film packaging mentioned at the outset, that along the transverse axis, at a distance from the edge-side crack initiation aid, a further material weakening is formed as a seam-side crack initiation aid, which weakens the polymer film material of the further packaging wall section at least in an edge region of the longitudinal connection seam.

[0011] By providing a tear initiation aid on the seam side, the tear that reaches the longitudinal seam in the nearer section of the packaging wall during the tearing process can continue onto the farther section of the packaging wall. This is because, due to the tear initiation aid, the farther section of the packaging wall, which is mechanically stressed by the user's tearing motion, fails precisely at the tear initiation aid on the seam side. Thus, a new tear can be initiated on the farther section of the packaging wall, which can then continue along the transverse axis to a side edge opposite the edge with the edge-side tear initiation aid. This makes it possible to remove an entire longitudinal end section from the first longitudinal end of the film packaging, from one side edge to the opposite side edge.

[0012] Once a crack is initiated at the edge-side crack initiation aid, it can usually propagate without difficulty in the immediate packaging wall section. Crack propagation only stops when the crack reaches the longitudinal seam, which locally doubles the material or generally increases it. Unfortunately, the longitudinal seam can present such a significant barrier to crack propagation that, during a tearing process, crack propagation may also cease in the packaging wall section opposite the seam, which is typically free of a longitudinal seam. The packaging wall section supporting the longitudinal seam is generally considered the rear or back section, and the opposite section is considered the front or front section.The nearer and farter packaging wall sections are then at least sections of the rear packaging wall section.

[0013] By forming the seam-side crack initiation aid proposed above in general terms, the barrier effect of the longitudinal connection seam on crack propagation described above is reduced so significantly that the film packaging can be torn open easily and essentially without thought by the user in the area of ​​the first longitudinal end.

[0014] The longitudinal seam bridges a gap where the nearer and farder packaging wall sections face each other, forming a common surface. This gap can be formed by overlapping the inner surface of one packaging wall section with the outer surface of the other. Alternatively, it can be formed by the respective inner surfaces of the nearer and farder packaging wall sections facing each other. The propagation of the crack, initiated at the edge-side crack initiation aid, within the nearer packaging wall section until it reaches the gap is generally unproblematic. There are no obstacles to the propagating crack within the nearer packaging wall section.To advantageously overcome the crack propagation barrier also formed by the gap of the longitudinal seam, it is preferably provided that the seam-side crack initiation aid weakens the polymer film material of the further packaging wall section, starting from an edge of a gap bridged by the longitudinal seam between the nearer and farter packaging wall sections and extending away from the edge-side crack initiation aid. Thus, the crack can be reinitiated immediately at the point following the gap in the farter packaging wall section and can therefore propagate along the farter packaging wall section in a way that is perceptible to the consumer.

[0015] Regardless of the specific configuration of the longitudinal seam and the resulting gap (inside to inside or inside to outside), the seam typically has an edge closer to the receiving space and an edge further away. Preferably, the seam-side crack initiation aid originates from the edge of the longitudinal seam closer to the receiving space. In the case of a longitudinal seam formed by overlapping an inside and an outside, the seam-side crack initiation aid preferably originates from a material edge of a section of the flexible polymer film material and most preferably runs orthogonally to the direction of extension of the material edge.

[0016] Edge-side crack initiation aids and / or seam-side crack initiation aids can simply be a local reduction in the thickness of the polymer film material, such as that achieved by scoring. Scoring can be mechanical scoring using a mechanical tool, such as a blade, or it can be thermal or radiation-based scoring, for example, using a laser beam.

[0017] Preferably, the edge-side crack initiation aid is a complete local disruption of material cohesion, for example in the form of a cut or notch that completely penetrates the polymer film material in the thickness direction, particularly a V-shaped notch. The direction of the edge-side crack initiation aid, i.e., the direction of a cut or notch, determines the direction in which the crack initiated by the edge-side crack initiation aid is intended to propagate within the rest of the packaging material.

[0018] To minimize the crack propagation barrier caused by the longitudinal seam, the seam-side crack initiation aid, according to the invention, completely penetrates the further packaging wall section in its thickness direction. To prevent undesirable local opening of the film packaging due to the seam-side crack initiation aid completely penetrating the further packaging wall section, the seam-side crack initiation aid is, according to the invention, surrounded by a connecting frame that completely encircles the seam-side crack initiation aid.

[0019] To separate the seam-side tear initiation aid from the receiving space of the film packaging, the closed, circumferential connecting frame, according to the invention, connects a first packaging wall section, for example a rear packaging wall section, which carries the longitudinal seam, with a second packaging wall section, for example a front packaging wall section, which is opposite the first packaging wall section across the receiving space. The first packaging wall section carrying the longitudinal seam can comprise both the nearer and the farther packaging wall sections.

[0020] According to a first possible embodiment, the connecting frame can be an immediate edge of the seam-side crack initiation aid itself. This is possible, for example, if the polymer film material comprises a thermoplastic layer or consists entirely of thermoplastic layers. Preferably, the inner side of the polymer film material facing the receiving space is formed by a sealable layer in order to create a thermal seal between the inner side of the polymer film material and itself or with a sealable layer made of a compatible sealable material.If the seam-side crack initiation aid, which penetrates at least the further packaging wall section, is then created by a hot blade whose temperature is above the melting or softening temperature of a thermoplastic layer of the polymer film material, and in particular above the sealing temperature of the sealable inner layer, the cut edges of the first and second packaging wall sections simultaneously fuse together when the seam-side crack initiation aid is cut. This allows the bonding frame to be created directly at the cut edge of the material weakening forming the seam-side crack initiation aid.

[0021] Alternatively, the connecting frame can be positioned at a distance from the seam-side tear initiation aid. In this case, a separate sealing tool is required to form the connecting frame. However, this method allows for a particularly secure and reliable creation of the connecting frame. Preferably, the first and second packaging wall sections are positioned opposite each other in the area between the connecting frame and the seam-side tear initiation aid. This enables the connecting frame to be designed with narrow widths for the respective frame sections. This ensures a sufficient connection between the first and second packaging wall sections to permanently separate the seam-side tear initiation aid from the receiving area before the packaging is opened.At the same time, the bond strength formed by such a connecting frame may be low enough that the connecting frame is destroyed when the packaging is torn open and the opening of the packaging formed by the tearing is not reduced or even divided into two partial openings.

[0022] A frame-like sealing tool used to form a separate connecting frame can have a blade in the central area surrounded by the frame-like sealing tool for creating the material weakening that forms the crack initiation aid on the seam side. In this case, the crack initiation aid on the seam side can advantageously be created simultaneously with the connecting frame surrounding it.

[0023] The edge-side tear initiation aid is also preferably separated from the receiving area to protect the packaged product. For this purpose, the edge-side tear initiation aid can be designed in an edge connection area where a front and a rear packaging wall section are joined together.

[0024] In principle, any connection between two sections of a polymer film material mentioned in the present application can be formed in any manner. The connections mentioned can be formed partially or completely by the application of an adhesive, such as a cold adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive, and the like. Preferably, the connections mentioned are thermal seals formed in a manner known per se by locally melting and compressing the material-compatible areas of the polymer film material to be joined.

[0025] To not only guide a tear initiated at the edge-side tear initiation aid along the transverse axis, but also to reliably cause the film packaging to open through such a tear, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides a section of the receiving space along the transverse axis between the edge connection area and the seam-side tear initiation aid. This section of the receiving space is traversed by the initiated and propagating tear, thus opening the packaging. If the connecting frame is formed, a section of the receiving space is located between the edge connection area and the connecting frame. Preferably, only a section of the receiving space is located between the edge connection area and the connecting frame.

[0026] The crack initiation aid on the seam side can have a plurality of material weakenings extending transversely, preferably orthogonally to the transverse axis and spaced apart along the transverse axis, in order to ensure that the initiated crack reaches at least one of the, preferably parallel, material weakenings. In this way, the crack between the initiation point and the seam-side crack initiation aid does not necessarily have to run in a straight line along the transverse axis and can still continue beyond the longitudinal seal seam.

[0027] In principle, it is sufficient if the crack initiation aid on the seam side is formed in the farther section of the packaging wall. For particularly safe, reliable, and repeatably predictable crack propagation, the crack initiation aid on the seam side is preferably also formed in the nearer section of the packaging wall. Particularly preferably, the crack initiation aid on the seam side is formed in the same way, for example, by a cut that completely penetrates the respective section of the packaging wall in the thickness direction. Then the crack initiation aid on the seam side can preferably be produced in a single operation.

[0028] In the preferred case of a double-sided design of the seam-side crack initiation aid in both the farther and nearer packaging wall sections, the seam-side crack initiation aid preferably extends continuously over an edge of the connection gap bridged by the longitudinal seam. Preferably, the edge of the connection gap crossed by the seam-side crack initiation aid is the edge of the connection gap located closer to the receiving area.

[0029] As already indicated above, the longitudinal seam can be a fin-like longitudinal seam connecting an inner surface of the closer packaging wall section to an inner surface of the more distant packaging wall section. In the preferred embodiment of the longitudinal seam as a longitudinal sealing seam, such a design is referred to as a "fin seal" or "fin sealing seam." This is the preferred embodiment of the longitudinal seam for the HFFS and VFFS film packagings preferred here.

[0030] Alternatively, the longitudinal seam can be an overlapping longitudinal seam connecting the inner and outer surfaces of the closer packaging wall section with the inner and outer surfaces of the farther packaging wall section. In the preferred embodiment of the longitudinal seam as a longitudinal sealing seam, the overlapping longitudinal sealing seam is referred to in the relevant field as a "lap seal".

[0031] In the case of a fin-like longitudinal seam, this seam typically projects from or cantilevers out from the rest of the packaging wall immediately surrounding the receiving space. To prevent interference with crack propagation by sections of a fin-like longitudinal seam located further away from the receiving space and the surrounding packaging wall, the seam-side crack initiation aid, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, preferably continuously, extends from its edge closer to the receiving space to its edge further away from the receiving space.

[0032] As stated above, the film packaging is preferably an HFFS or VFFS packaging. This is further preferably formed from a single piece of polymer film by folding and sealing. Such a film packaging has a transverse seal at both the first and second longitudinal ends. The longitudinal seam runs continuously from the first longitudinal end to the second longitudinal end.

[0033] To facilitate recycling of the film packaging discussed here after its use, the polymer film material of the film packaging is preferably free of a metal foil and / or free of polyester.

[0034] To simplify recycling, it is further preferred that the polymer film material of the film packaging is composed of at least 90% by weight of a polymer from the same polymer family. Preferably, this polymer family is the polyolefin family.

[0035] To achieve sufficient strength at a low thickness, the polymer film material preferably has an oriented polyolefin layer. This is preferably an outer polyolefin layer. The outer polyolefin layer can be printed with consumer information about the type, quality, origin, and / or quantity of the packaged product. Preferably, the outer polyolefin layer is printed using reverse printing, so that the outer polyolefin layer itself protects the printed image from external influences.

[0036] The polymer film material is a flexible polymer film material and preferably comprises at least one additional polyolefin layer located closer to the receiving area. This additional polyolefin layer, which may itself have a molecular orientation, may carry at least one barrier layer to protect the packaged product from attack by oxygen and / or moisture from the surrounding atmosphere. The at least one barrier layer may be selected from a vacuum-deposited metallization, in particular aluminum, a vacuum-deposited metal compound such as aluminum oxide or silicon oxide, a vinyl alcohol-based polymer such as PVOH, EVOH, or BVOH, and polyvinylidene chloride.

[0037] The outer polyolefin layer and the additional polyolefin layer located closer to the receiving area are preferably bonded by an extruded polyolefin layer using extrusion lamination. Preferably, the extruded polyolefin layer is a polyethylene extrusion layer with a surface weight of 10 to 20 g / m². 2 , preferably of 15 g / m² 2 .

[0038] The aforementioned polyolefin layers—the outer polyolefin layer and the further polyolefin layer—preferably each have a thickness of between 15 and 35 µm, particularly between 16 and 25 µm, including the respective limits. In the case of a biaxially oriented polypropylene layer as the outer polyolefin layer and as the further polyolefin layer, these each have a preferred thickness of 18 µm. In an alternative embodiment with a polyethylene layer oriented in the machine direction as the outer polyolefin layer and as the further polyolefin layer, these each have a preferred thickness of 20 µm.

[0039] The additional polyolefin layer can be unoriented and, for example, a metallized polyethylene layer, such as a metallized LLDPE layer, can itself be a sealable layer. Furthermore, to ensure the sealability of the laminate on the inside, a sealable polyolefin layer, particularly a polyethylene layer, can be applied to the additional polyolefin layer by extrusion coating, for example, with a coating weight of 20 to 35 g / m². 2 , especially with 25 to 30 g / m² 2 , including the respective borders.

[0040] The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It illustrates: Fig. 1 a rough schematic front view of a stick pack as an embodiment of a film packaging according to the invention, Fig. 2 a rough schematic rear view of the stick pack from Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 A rough schematic cross-sectional view through the foil packaging of Fig. 1 along the plane of the drawing Fig. 1 orthogonal section plane III-III of Fig. 1.

[0041] The depictions in the Fig. Figures 1 to 3 are not to scale. Even if a specific aspect of the Fig. When points 1 to 3 are addressed to explain the invention, the following should always be considered: Fig. 1 to 3 should be considered together in order to best understand the invention.

[0042] In Fig. Figure 1 is a schematic front view of an exemplary embodiment of a foil packaging of the present invention designed as a stick pack and is generally designated by 10.

[0043] Such packaging 10 is a VFFS film packaging which, during a feed movement of a film web (not shown) in the vertical machine direction MD, is formed by folding around a longitudinal axis LA parallel to the machine direction MD, filled with the bulk product to be packaged, and sealed by sealing during its feed in the machine direction MD. The production of VFFS film packaging is known per se. The packaging 10 is formed by a single piece of film.

[0044] The packaging 10 has a first longitudinal end 12 and a second longitudinal end 14 opposite it. A in Fig. 1 left side margin 16 and one in Fig. 1 right side edge 18 run from the first longitudinal end 12 along a longitudinal axis LA to the second longitudinal end 14.

[0045] At the first longitudinal end 12, a first transverse sealing seam 20 runs across the entire width of the packaging 10 parallel to the transverse axis QA and seals a receiving space 24 surrounded by a polymer film material 22 in the area of ​​the first longitudinal end 12. Likewise, at the second longitudinal end 14, a second transverse sealing seam 26 runs across the entire width of the packaging 10 parallel to the transverse axis QA and seals the receiving space 24 in the area of ​​the second longitudinal end 14.

[0046] On the in Fig. On the reverse side of the packaging 10 shown in Figure 2, a fin-shaped longitudinal sealing seam 28 runs from the first longitudinal end 12 to the second longitudinal end 14. Within the fin-shaped longitudinal sealing seam 28, inner sections of the polymer film material 22 are sealed together. Since the longitudinal sealing seam 28 in Fig. 1 through a front packaging wall section 30, onto which the viewer of Fig. 1 looks, is concealed, is the longitudinal seal seam 28 in Fig. 1 only indicated by a dash line.

[0047] The first transverse seal 20 is extended in an area located near the left side edge 16 and containing the left seal edge, compared to the rest of the transverse seal 20, towards the second longitudinal end 14, and has a seal extension 20a. A tear initiation aid 32 is formed in this seal extension 20a, for example as a narrow notch 34 that completely penetrates the seal extension 20a. The tear initiation aid 32 runs essentially along the transverse axis QA, which is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis LA, and along which a tear is initiated to open the packaging 10 and preferably to completely separate the contents. Fig. 1. The part of the first transverse sealing seam 20 located above the edge-side crack initiation aid 32 is to be spread over the entire width of the packaging 10.

[0048] An outer polyolefin layer forming an exposed surface 30a of the front packaging wall section 30 is advantageously oriented in the machine direction MD from a manufacturing perspective. However, this orientation counteracts the desired crack propagation along the transverse axis QA.

[0049] A dotted line is used in Fig. 1 the edge 36 of a connecting gap 38 bridged by the fin-like longitudinal sealing seam 28 closest to the receiving space 24 (see Fig. 3) displayed.

[0050] If a tear is introduced into the packaging 10 of a conventional stick pack starting from the edge-side tear initiation aid 32 parallel to the transverse axis QA, it can easily spread to the edge 36 of the connecting gap 38 of the longitudinal sealing seam 28 that is closer to the receiving space 24.

[0051] The crack propagation occurs on the in Fig. 2 rear packaging wall section 40 shown, on which the viewer of Fig. 2 looks, starting from the edge-side crack initiation aid 32, first at the nearer packaging wall section 42 extending between the edge-side crack initiation aid 32 and the edge 36 closer to the receiving space 24, along the transverse axis QA of the edge-side crack initiation aid.

[0052] The front packaging wall section 30 and the rear packaging wall section 40 together form a packaging wall 41 surrounding the receiving space.

[0053] The longitudinal joint seam 28 forms a barrier for the propagation of the crack initiated at the edge-side crack initiation aid 32, at least on the rear packaging wall section 40, which carries the longitudinal joint seam 28.

[0054] To ensure that a crack initiated at the edge-side crack initiation aid 32 can propagate along the transverse axis QA beyond the longitudinal seam 28, the packaging 10 has a seam-side crack initiation aid 44, in this case in the form of a cut 46 extending along the transverse axis QA as the preferred crack propagation direction, which completely penetrates the packaging 10. The cut 46 thus penetrates the front packaging wall section 30 and the rear packaging wall section 40.

[0055] For a particularly preferred crack propagation across the edge 36 of the connection gap 38 nearest to the receiving space 24, the seam-side crack initiation aid 44, i.e. the cut 46, penetrates a further packaging wall section 48 located along the transverse axis QA and further away from the edge-side crack initiation aid 32 with respect to the edge 36, specifically in an edge region 37 extending from the edge 36 of the connection gap 38 nearest to the receiving space 24.

[0056] How Fig. Figure 3 shows that the longitudinal seam 28 connects the closer packaging wall section 42 and the more distant packaging wall section 48.

[0057] In order to prevent the longitudinal joint weld 28 from having a crack propagation-hindering effect, the crack initiation aid 44 on the weld side penetrates the entire longitudinal joint weld 28 at the location of its formation, from its edge 36 closest to the receiving space 24 to its edge 50 furthest from the receiving space 24 (see Fig. 3).

[0058] To prevent the seam-side crack initiation aid 44 from forming an undesired opening in the receiving space 24, through which the receiving space 24 communicates with the external environment U of the packaging 10, the seam-side crack initiation aid 44 is surrounded by a connecting frame 52 that completely encircles the seam-side crack initiation aid 44. The connecting frame 52 forms a sealing area in which opposing inner sections of the polymer film material 22 are sealed together.

[0059] Along the transverse axis QA between the sealing seam extension 20a supporting the edge-side crack initiation aid 32 and the circumferential connecting frame 52, there is only receiving space 24, as well as along the transverse axis QA between the circumferential connecting frame 52 and the in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 3 right side margin 18.

[0060] Between the circumferential connecting frame 52 and the seam-side tear initiation aid 44 is an unconnected area 54, which in the illustrated embodiment also completely surrounds the seam-side tear initiation aid 44 and in which the front packaging wall section 30 and the rear packaging wall section 40 are opposite each other without being connected. This makes it possible to design the individual sealing sections of the circumferential connecting frame 52 with a narrow width, approximately 2 mm or less, so that when the packaging 10 is torn open, the connecting frame 52 can be opened in the manner of a peelable seal, creating a single, advantageously large opening area for removing packaged product from the receiving space 24. The circumferential connecting frame 52 can be a peelable seal, but this is not a requirement.To ensure the most permanent separation possible of the seam-side tear initiation aid 44 from the receiving space 24 before the packaging 10 is opened, the sealing of the corresponding inner sections of the polymer film material 22 in the area of ​​the circumferential connecting frame 52 is a permanent seal. However, due to the narrow width of the frame sections of the connecting frame 52, this seal is destroyed during the tearing process when its strength is exceeded. This destruction can occur in the area of ​​a laminate layer of the polymer film material 22 as a disruption of the cohesion of this layer.

[0061] The connecting frame 52 can be formed in conjunction with the transverse sealing seam 20 in a single sealing process.

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