Split-open pouch that stays together after opening

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to the field of preventing small pieces of packaging material from being discarded into the environment. In particular, the present invention relates to flexible pouches. Proposed is a flexible, tear-open pouch that remains together after opening. This prevents small, torn pieces of packaging from being discarded into the environment after opening. An embodiment of the present invention relates to a flexible pouch that is sealed by a seal and by a fin seal at the back of the pouch, and includes a tear initiation point located essentially opposite the fin seal.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of avoiding the disposal of small pieces of packaging material into the environment. In particular, the present invention relates to flexible pouches. Proposed is a flexible tear-away pouch that remains in one piece after opening. This avoids small tear-off pieces of packaging being disposed of in the environment after opening. An embodiment of the present invention relates to a flexible pouch that is closed at both ends of the pouch and at a back of the pouch (fin seal) by seals, with a tear initiation point located essentially opposite the fin seal. [Background technology]

[0002] Packaging waste is one of the sustainability issues the world faces today. To address this issue, packaging materials are increasingly being manufactured so that they can be reused or recycled after use. Unfortunately, not all recyclable packaging materials are recycled today. Flexible tear-off pouches, such as stick packs, are frequently used in packaging and their use is increasing. They offer several advantages compared to other packaging options, as they are safe, convenient, portable, useful for disposables, and save packaging materials.

[0003] However, by opening a tear-off pouch, for example a disposable tear-off pouch, the consumer is left with a small tear-off piece of packaging material and an opened pouch filled with a product. In many cases, the small tear-off piece of packaging material is immediately discarded while the remaining part of the pouch is properly disposed of after emptying so that it can be recycled. However, this small tear-off piece of packaging material may end up in non-recyclable waste or simply in the environment. For example, WO 2017 / 89896(A1) and WO 2015 / 081084 disclose stick packs that, after opening, result in a tear-off piece of packaging material and an opened package containing the product.

[0004] A typical tear-off stick pack is made from a single packaging material that is folded and sealed at the top and bottom by cross seals, with the two ends of the packaging material connected by a fin seal at the back. This results in a stick pack with a fin seal at the back. The tear initiation point is then located on one side of the stick pack, and when the stick pack is opened, the tearing stops already in the middle of the pack due to the fin seal, making it difficult to empty the stick pack completely. To avoid this, consumers usually force a tear through the fin seal, resulting in separate packaging pieces that are often discarded in a way that does not properly enter the recycling stream.

[0005] DE 202018106857 (U1) discloses a packaging bag made from a soft plastic material, comprising at least two bag walls, having at least two side edges, having a defined line of weakness configured for controlled tearing of the packaging starting from a tear initiation point located within the side edges where the bag walls are attached to one another, and having a tear stop mechanism configured for arresting tear propagation in the direction of extension of the line of weakness.

[0006] The packaging bag described herein uses a tear stop mechanism to stop the propagation of the tear. The introduction of such a tear stop mechanism introduces complexity into the packaging bag, which increases the cost of the packaging and may prevent the packaging from being used to package lower priced products.

[0007] It would therefore be desirable to provide in the art a flexible pouch that can be made from, for example, one piece of material, sealed at the ends with a seal and at the back with a fin seal, and turned into a stick pack that can be torn completely apart without being broken into two packaging pieces.

[0008] Any reference to a prior art document in this specification should not be taken as an admission that such prior art is well known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the art.

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to improve upon the state of the art, in particular to provide a flexible pouch that is simple and cost-effective to manufacture, that opens by tearing, that after opening results in one piece of packaging material thereby avoiding tearing off small pieces of packaging, and that after opening provides an opening that is sufficiently large, e.g., that extends essentially across one entire end of the flexible pouch, or at least provides a useful alternative. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The inventors have surprisingly found that the object of the invention can be achieved by means of the subject matter of the independent claims. The dependent claims develop the inventive idea further.

[0011] Thus, the present invention provides a flexible pouch that is sealed by a seal and by a fin seal at the back of the pouch, with a tear initiation point located essentially opposite the fin seal.

[0012] As used herein, the words "comprises," "comprising," and similar words should not be construed in an exclusive or exhaustive sense. In other words, they are intended to mean "including, but not limited to."

[0013] The inventors have found that when using a flexible pouch according to the present invention, where the fin seal is located essentially opposite the tear initiation point, tearing of the flexible pouch stops at the fin seal, preventing portions of the packaging from being separated, while the resulting opening extends essentially across one entire end of the flexible pouch, allowing for convenient release of the product from the pouch.

[0014] Accordingly, the present invention relates to a flexible pouch closed by a top seal, a bottom seal and a fin seal at the back of the pouch and having a tear initiation point, characterized in that the tear initiation point is located essentially opposite the fin seal. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1A-1D show one embodiment of a flexible pouch according to the present invention in an open and closed state. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates how a flexible pouch according to the present invention can be manufactured. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 shows an example of the difference between a flexible pouch according to the present invention and a currently used stick pack. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] As a result, the invention relates in part to a flexible pouch having a tear initiation point sealed by a seal and by a fin seal at the back of the pouch, characterized in that the tear initiation point is located essentially opposite the fin seal.

[0017] For example, a flexible pouch may be closed by a top seal and a bottom seal and a fin seal at the back of the pouch, and may have a tear initiation point characterized by being located essentially opposite the fin seal.

[0018] For purposes of the present invention, a flexible pouch is a pouch made from a flexible material. For example, the flexible material may be a material that can be bent without breaking. Further, for example, such a flexible material may be a material that can be bent by hand without breaking.

[0019] The pouch may be a container for a product, such as a powder, granules, gel, or liquid, and may be a bag, sack, or another container suitable for these purposes, etc. Often pouches are used for smaller quantities, such as for single use.

[0020] The flexible pouch is closed with a seal. Except for the fin seal of the flexible pouch, the pouch may be sealed with any seal known in the art and suitable for packaging the product for which the pouch is used. Such a seal may be, for example, a cross seal. Cross seals are well known in the art. For example, a cross seal may be described as a seal made by a bagger / bagger perpendicular to the direction of travel of the packaging material.

[0021] For example, the flexible pouch according to the present invention may have an elongated shape. Exemplary embodiments of the flexible pouch according to the present invention having an elongated shape may have, for example, an oval or rectangular shape.

[0022] Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, the flexible pouch has an elongated shape and is sealed at two short edges by seals, for example cross seals, and at the rear by a fin seal.

[0023] For example, the flexible pouch according to the present invention is a stick pack.

[0024] Fin seals are well known in the art and may also be described as the seal that results when overlapping edges of at least one sheet are joined, resulting in a pouch having fin-like protrusions.

[0025] As the tear initiation point, any tear initiation point known to a person skilled in the art can be used. Typically, such a tear initiation point may be a small weak spot in the packaging material, or a small hole in the packaging material that is undercoated with another material that is easily torn off. The tear initiation point may also include or consist of a visual indicator on the pouch. The tear initiation point may also be a tear notch. For example, a tear notch may be applied to the upper left corner of the pouch to accommodate right-handed consumers who tear from left to right. Such a tear notch may be a small incision. This incision may have, for example, a triangular shape. In many cases, the area where the notch will be made is first sealed, and then the notch is made in the sealed area. Thus, the tear initiation point may be selected from the group consisting of a weak spot in the packaging material, a tear notch, a score, a visual indicator on the pouch, or a combination thereof. The visual indicator on the pouch may be, for example, printed or embossed.

[0026] The tear initiation point is located essentially opposite the fin seal, in contrast to the as-is pouch condition where the tear initiation point is typically located in the upper left corner of the pouch and the fin seal is located in the center of the back of the pack.

[0027] "Essentially opposite" the fin seal, for purposes of the present invention, can mean that when the fin seal is located at 0° of the circular cross section of the pouch, the tear initiation point is located between 120° and 240°, such as between 155° and 205°, for example between 165° and 195°, further for example between 175° and 185° of the circular cross section of the pouch. ° When the tear initiation point is located at the circular cross sectionIt has been found that a particular good tear resistance is obtained when the fin seal is positioned at about 120°-175° or about 185°-240° of the tear direction. The circular cross section is the cross section of the pouch that results when the pouch is held and compressed to obtain a circular cross section. The inventors have further surprisingly found that a particular good tear resistance is obtained when the fin seal is oriented against the tear direction.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, the seal at at least one end of the flexible pouch of the present invention is a cross seal that is wider on the side of the pouch opposite the fin seal than on the side of the fin seal, and the tear initiation point is located within the cross seal at a location that allows the tear to cross the unsealed portion of the pouch. Thus, the tear initiation location can be located within the cross seal at a location below the end of the cross seal on the side of the fin seal, essentially on the side opposite the fin seal, if the tear initiation location is located at the top of the package. If the tear initiation location is located at the bottom of the package, the tear initiation location can be located within the cross seal at a location above the end of the cross seal on the side of the fin seal, essentially on the side opposite the fin seal.

[0029] In order to avoid tearing off a piece of the packaging by opening the pouch of the present invention, a tear stop point can be used. A person skilled in the art knows typical tear stop points that can be used. Such tear stop points can be selected from the group consisting of an incision that is essentially perpendicular to the tear direction, which stops the tear process, a piece of super-stiff material in the packaging, which stops the tear process, or an additional piece of packaging material applied to the outside or inside of the packaging in the direction of the tear process, which stops the tear process.

[0030] However, one advantage of the subject matter of the present invention is that no additional tear stop location is required. Instead, the fin seal serves as the tear stop location. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, the flexible pouch does not include any additional tear stop location other than the fin seal. This has the advantage that the pouch is easy to manufacture and does not require further modification of the packaging material other than the sealing. This eliminates the cost and risk of introducing defects or shortcomings into the pouch of the present invention.

[0031] In order to ensure optimal protection of the product packaged in the pouch of the present invention, the pouch may be made from one piece of material. This allows optimal protection of the packaged product to be achieved by sealing the packaging material only at three edges, top, bottom and back, while a pouch made from two pieces of material typically requires sealing at all four edges, or the entire circumference of the round shape in case of a round shape. Reducing the number of seals is beneficial for easy and safe packaging of products in the flexible pouch, since any seal is a potential risk of leakage. Therefore, the flexible pouch according to the present invention may be made from one piece of material.

[0032] To avoid leakage of the material packaged in the pouch of the present invention, it may be preferred that the tear initiation point is located near the end of the pouch. If the contents of the pouch are poured from the top of the pouch, it is preferred that the tear initiation point is located near the top of the pouch. Ideally, the tear initiation point is above the fill line of the pouch but below the top seal, so that the product does not spill after tearing the pouch open from the tear initiation point, and the release of the product is triggered only when the product is tilted to allow the product to be poured from the pouch. This is particularly useful when the product packaged in the pouch of the present invention is, for example, a liquid, powder, granule, or gel. Alternatively, if the product is released from the pouch without tilting the pouch, it may be preferred that the tear initiation point is located near the bottom of the pouch. In this way, the product in the pouch of the present invention is released immediately when the pouch is torn open. Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, the tear initiation point is located near the top or bottom of the pouch, e.g., within the first or last quarter of the pouch's length.Further, for example, the tear initiation point can be located near the top or bottom of the pouch, e.g., within the first fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth of the pouch's length or within the last fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth of the pouch's length.

[0033] Depending on the application of the pouch of the present invention, it may be preferred that the tearing of the pouch is guided rather than extending freely from the tear initiation point. In this way, it can be ensured that the pouch is always torn along the same line. As a result, design elements on the pouch can be protected during the opening operation. Furthermore, it can be ensured that the opening always occurs along a predicted line, resulting in uniform opening of all pouches. This may have advantages, for example, it can ensure that the pouch is easily emptied, it can avoid unnecessary product spillage, and / or it can achieve a representative opening pattern. Thus, in the pouch of the present invention, the tear-guiding line can extend from the tear initiation point at least partially across the pouch, for example essentially parallel to the upper and / or lower edge of the pouch, and may finally terminate before or within the fin seal. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "essentially parallel" is intended to mean at an angle of at most 25°, at most 20°, at most 15°, at most 10°, or at most 5°. The tear-inducing line may be, for example, a score line or a line in which the packaging material has a weakened portion along which the tear is induced. For example, the tear-inducing line may extend at least partially across the pouch, with the tear initiation located closer to the top end of the pouch than the tear ends, and after tearing, a spout is formed at the top end of the pouch to eject the contents of the pouch. Further, for example, the tear-inducing line may extend at least partially across the pouch, with the tear initiation located closer to the bottom end of the pouch than the tear ends, and after tearing, a spout is formed at the bottom end of the pouch to eject the contents of the pouch. Although the formation of a spout is one example, the tear-inducing line may facilitate emptying of the pouch and avoid spillage of the product.

[0034] It is an advantage of the present invention that in the tear-open operation of the flexible pouch of the present invention, no piece of material is separated from the packaging. If the tear is initiated essentially from the opposite side of the fin seal, it is possible to open the pouch wide enough without having to tear the fin seal as in the prior art pouches. For example, the pouch can be opened by tearing the pouch open without the tear reaching the fin seal. Even if opened hastily and with excessive force, the fin seal will eventually stop the tear and the pouch will be completely opened, but the torn portion will remain attached to the pouch by the fin seal. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, in the flexible pouch of the present invention after tearing the pouch open, the torn portion of the pouch will remain attached to the pouch by the fin seal.

[0035] It may be preferable to make the fin seal less likely to tear in two during the opening operation if the pouch is opened with excessive force. To achieve this, the fin seal or a part thereof located essentially opposite the tear initiation point can also be reinforced to prevent the fin seal from being torn in two at that location. For example, in the flexible pouch of the present invention, the fin seal of the pouch may include a reinforcing element that prevents the tear from accidentally crossing the seal at the back of the pouch when the pouch is torn open. Such a reinforcing element may be, for example, an additional tear-resistant packaging layer introduced into the fin seal.

[0036] The flexible pouch of the present invention can be manufactured from any material known to those skilled in the art that is suitable for manufacturing flexible pouches. For example, the pouch can be made from a material selected from the group consisting of paper, plastic, aluminum, combination materials, or combinations thereof. Such combination materials can be obtained by lamination, extrusion coating, dispersion coating, or other techniques known to those skilled in the art.

[0037] With a view to ensuring sustainability and a protected environment, it would be desirable for the packaging materials used today to have as little impact on the environment as possible. With this in mind, it is preferred that the pouches of the present invention are made from recyclable, biodegradable and / or compostable materials.

[0038] The shape of the flexible pouch according to the present invention is not particularly limited. However, pouches with fin seals are preferably made from one piece of material. Typically, the pouch is sealed at the top and bottom and at the back by fin seals. In many cases, the top and bottom of the pouch are the short edges of the pouch, and the fin seal runs along the length of the pouch. In one embodiment of the present invention, the pouch may have an essentially rectangular shape with the short edge being about 10-70%, about 15-50%, or about 20-30% of the length of the long edge. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "essentially rectangular" shall mean that the angles in the essentially rectangular shape have a magnitude in the range of 70°-110°, 75°-105°, 80°-100°, or 85°-95°. In one embodiment, the pouch has a rectangular shape.

[0039] The size of the flexible pouch according to the invention is not particularly limited. Possible are larger pouches, e.g. pouches intended to refill existing packages. The pouches may contain single-use or multi-use quantities. However, it has been found that the problem of packaging parts being discarded in an incorrect manner occurs most frequently with packages containing smaller amounts of product, e.g. amounts of product intended to be used in a single-use operation. Thus, for example, the pouches may be designed to contain product weights in the range of 1-250 g, 1-100 g, or 1-50 g. Further, for example, the pouches may contain amounts of product intended for single use, e.g. disposable.

[0040] The pouch of the present invention may be used to package a product intended for consumption by a subject. The subject may be a human or an animal, such as a pet and / or a companion animal. The product intended for consumption by the subject may be, for example, a food product, a pet food product, a dietary supplement, or a drug. In one embodiment, the pouch is used to package a food product. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "food product" shall mean any substance intended for human consumption, whether processed, semi-processed, or raw, in accordance with the Codex Alimentarius, including beverages, chewing gum, and any substance used in the manufacture, preparation, or processing of "food products", but not including substances used solely as cosmetics or tobacco or drugs.

[0041] The pouch of the present invention can be used and distributed as a single pouch. This allows consumers to, for example, purchase environmentally friendly packaging products as disposable. Alternatively, the pouches may be attached to each other at the ends of the pouch. In this way, products packaged in the pouches of the present invention can be provided to consumers with the disposable pouches attached to each other. For example, these pouches attached to each other can form a chain. During purchase, the consumer can detach one or more of the individual pouches from the chain of pouches. Ideally, the pouches are attached to each other at their short ends. This reduces the possibility of the pouches being opened accidentally when a single pouch is detached from the chain. Thus, in one embodiment, the pouches are provided as a plurality of pouches attached to each other at their short ends by attachment means that allow the individual pouches to be detached. Here, the attachment means preferably allows the pouches to be more easily separated than by opening from a tear initiation point, to avoid unintentional opening of the pouches.

[0042] Those skilled in the art will understand that they can freely combine all features of the invention disclosed herein. Furthermore, features described for different embodiments of the invention may be combined.

[0043] Although the invention has been described by way of example, it should be understood that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

[0044] Furthermore, where known equivalents exist for specific features, such equivalents are incorporated as if specifically referred to herein. Further advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the figures and non-limiting examples.

[0045] Example 1 The elongated shape packs were made on a lab sealer, (HSG-CC heat sealing machine, Brugger Feinmechanik GmbH, Munich, Germany) using appropriate sealing conditions of temperature, pressure (clamping force) and time to obtain a suitable seal when applied to different materials. Flat sealing jaws with a width of 5 mm were used for all experiments. Figure 2 shows how a flexible pouch according to the present invention can be manufactured.

[0046] material: Paper: 60 grams per square meter, coated with 8 grams / square meter of functional polymer-based dispersion coating, including a sealant layer Polymer-based laminate: a multi-layer laminate consisting of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer (12 μm) as outer layer, an aluminum layer (20 μm) and a polyethylene layer (70 μm) as sealing layer.

[0047] Sealing conditions: [Table 1]

[0048] Sample preparation A rectangle was cut from the material with the following dimensions: 75mm×120mm

[0049] The two short edges of the film were overlapped and sealed as close to the edge as possible without marking a fold to form the fin seal of the final package.

[0050] The resulting cylinder was then flattened and the fin seal was placed at different distances from the fold, i.e. 0.58 mm and 17 mm from the edge. In some cases the fin seal was oriented towards the centre of the pouch and in other cases towards the edge. The cylinder was then sealed at both short ends to obtain a sample resembling a stick pack.

[0051] The angle between the tear initiation point and the fin seal was obtained by calculation.

[0052] The table below summarizes the samples prepared and provides their codes. Each sample was prepared in duplicate (except for Pap17 and Pap17O, which were prepared only once), providing two opening possibilities each (one at each end). [Table 2]

[0053] Opening behavior evaluation A 2 mm notch was cut using a cutter approximately 5 mm into the seal toward the center of the sample to represent the tear initiation point. This was done at each end of the sample.

[0054] The assessors were asked to tear the samples open at a speed such that it took approximately 1-2 seconds to open them and without looking at the sample during the action. They were asked to stop when a clear increase in opening resistance was observable.

[0055] [Table 3]

[0056] From the above, it can be concluded that: The invention is also effective with materials that have very low tear strength (paper) Preferably, the fin seal should be oriented against the tear direction, especially for materials with low tear strength such as paper (Pap8O and Pap17O) Fin seal is 0 ° When the tear initiation point is located at the circular cross section Best results were obtained when the optics were positioned between about 120° and 175°, or between about 185° and 240°.

Claims

1. A flexible pouch, closed by a top seal, a bottom seal and a fin seal at the back of the pouch, the tear initiation point being located essentially opposite the fin seal; the fin seal of the pouch includes an enhancement element that prevents a tear from accidentally crossing the fin seal at the back of the pouch when the pouch is torn open, the enhancement element being an additional tear-resistant packaging layer introduced into the fin seal; A flexible pouch, wherein when the fin seal is at 0°, the tear initiation point is at 120° to 175° or 185° to 240° of the circular cross section of the pouch, and the fin seal is oriented opposite to the tear direction.

2. 10. The flexible pouch of claim 1, wherein the pouch does not include an additional tear stop location other than the fin seal.

3. 3. The flexible pouch of claim 1 or 2, wherein the pouch is made from a single piece of material.

4. The flexible pouch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tear initiation point is located near the top or bottom end of the pouch.

5. The flexible pouch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tear-inducing line extends from the tear initiation point at least partially across the pouch and ultimately terminates before or within the fin seal.

6. 6. The flexible pouch of claim 1, wherein after the pouch is torn open, the separated portion of the pouch remains attached to the pouch by the fin seal.

7. 7. The flexible pouch according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pouch is made of a material selected from the group consisting of paper, plastics, aluminum, or combinations thereof obtained by lamination, extrusion coating, dispersion coating, or other techniques.

8. The flexible pouch of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pouch is made from recyclable, biodegradable and / or compostable materials.

9. 9. The flexible pouch of claim 1, wherein the tear initiation point is selected from the group consisting of a weakened portion of packaging material, a tear notch, a score, a visual indicator on the pouch, or a combination thereof.

10. 10. The flexible pouch according to claim 1, wherein the pouch has a rectangular shape with a short edge that is 10-70% of the length of the long edge.

11. The flexible pouch of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the pouch is designed to contain a product weight in the range of 1 to 250 g.

12. The flexible pouch according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the pouch is used for packaging food.

13. A flexible pouch according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the pouch is provided as a plurality of pouches attached to one another at their short edges by attachment means which allow individual pouches to be separated.

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