Sheet-like composite material for manufacturing a package, package sleeve and package

Abstract

A sheet-like composite material (1) for manufacturing a package (15) according to claim 1 is described. Moreover, a package sleeve (13) made of a composite material (1) for manufacturing a package (15) according to claim 8 as well as a package (15) made of a composite material (1) according to claim 10 is described.

Description

[0001]AC / AC 230665WOJune 19, 2024Sheet-like composite material for manufacturing a package, package sleeve and packageThe invention relates to a sheet-like composite material for manufacturing a package,comprising: a polymer outer layer, a polymer inner layer, a fibrous support layer,which is arranged between the polymer outer layer and the polymer inner layer,wherein the sheet-like composite material has a plurality of fold lines, which arearranged and designed such that a closed package can be manufactured by folding thesheet-like composite material along the fold lines and by connecting sealing surfacesof the sheet-like composite material, a sleeve surface, base surfaces, wherein the basesurfaces comprise triangular base surfaces and quadrangular base surfaces, and gablesurfaces, wherein the gable surfaces comprise triangular gable surfaces andquadrangular gable surfaces, wherein the base surfaces and the gable surfaces arearranged on opposite sides of the sleeve surface, wherein central quadrangular gablesurface has a front edge which adjoins the sleeve surface and which is curved at leastin sections, and wherein the central quadrangular gable surface has a straight frontaxis that connects the two front corner points of the central quadrangular gablesurface.The invention further relates to a package sleeve made of a composite material formanufacturing a package, comprising: a sleeve surface, wherein the sleeve surfacecomprises a front surface and a rear surface, base surfaces, wherein the base surfacescomprise triangular base surfaces and quadrangular base surfaces, and gable surfaces,wherein the gable surfaces comprise triangular gable surfaces and quadrangular gablesurfaces, two secondary fold lines, which run parallel to one another through thesleeve surface, and a longitudinal seam, which connects two edge regions of thecomposite material to form a circumferential package sleeve, which is open both inthe region of the base surfaces and in the region of the gable surfaces, wherein thebase surfaces and the gable surfaces are arranged on opposite sides of the sleevesurface, wherein the package sleeve is folded along both secondary fold lines, whereincentral quadrangular gable surface has a front edge which adjoins the sleeve surfaceand which is curved at least in sections, and wherein the central quadrangular gablesurface has a straight front axis that connects the two front corner points of thecentral quadrangular gable surface.The invention lastly relates to a package made of a composite material, wherein thepackage is manufactured from a sheet-like composite material according to thepreamble of claim 1, or wherein the package is manufactured from a package sleeveaccording to the preamble of claim 8, and wherein the package is sealed in the regionof the base surfaces and in the region of the gable surfaces.Packages can be manufactured in different ways and from an extremely wide range ofmaterials. A widely used possibility for their manufacture consists of manufacturing ablank from a sheet-like composite material by cutting from which, through folding andfurther steps, first a package sleeve and finally a package is created. Alternatively, it isalso possible to manufacture a package directly from the sheet-like compositematerial, i.e. without the intermediate step of the package sleeve. This type ofmanufacture has the advantage, among others, that the sheet-like composite materialand package sleeves are very flat and can thus be stacked, saving space. In this way,the composite material and the package sleeves can be manufactured in a differentlocation than the folding and filling of the package. Composite materials are frequentlyused as material; for example, a flat sheet-like composite consisting of a plurality ofthin layers of paper, cardboard, plastic and / or metal, in particular aluminium. Suchpackages are widely used in the foodstuffs industry in particular.A first manufacturing step frequently consists of manufacturing a blank from a sheet-like composite material by cutting and from the blank producing a circumferentialpackage sleeve through folding and sealing or adhering a seam. The folding usuallytakes place along stamped fold lines. The location of the fold lines thereby oftenAC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024corresponds to the location of the edges of the package which is to be manufacturedfrom the package sleeve. Although many edges that are produced by folding along foldlines are straight, it is also possible and known to create curved edges by folding acomposite material along curved fold lines. As an example, a package with edges thatare at least partly curved is known from EP 3228552 B1.Packages with curved edges can be visually appealing but curved edges can also havetechnical functions and advantages. If, for example, the front edge of the central(usually quadrangular) gable surface has a front edge which is curved outwards, thegable surface becomes larger and is therefore able to carry a larger closure element.This makes it possible that even packages with a rather small volume can have arather large closure element that facilitates drinking or pouring out the liquid contentof the package.While a gable surface with a curved front edge has the above-mentioned advantages, ithas been found that a gable surface with a front edge that extends to far outwards cancause problems. One major problem is that these gable surfaces show wrinkles orkinks quite often. As a result, the gable surface becomes uneven which makes itdifficult to apply the spout and the closure element to the gable surface. The spout isusually applied to the gable surface by adhesives which can lead to poor results if thegable surface is uneven or wavy.Against this background, the object underlying the invention is to design and furtherdevelop the sheet-like composite material described at the outset and explained inmore detail above in such manner that a reliable connection between the gablesurface and the spout can also be achieved with gable surfaces with a curved frontedge.This object is achieved in the case of the flat-shaped composite material according tothe preamble of claims 1 in that the maximum perpendicular distance between theAC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024straight front axis and the curved front edge is 5 mm or less, preferably 4 mm or less,more preferably 3,5 mm or less.The sheet-like composite material according to the invention is used to manufacture apackage. The sheet-like composite material can be cut to a defined size, wherein thesize can be sufficient to manufacture a plurality of packages or is only sufficient tomanufacture a single package. A composite material cut to a defined size, in particularto the size of an individual package, is therefore also referred to as a “blank”. Thesheet-like composite material has a plurality of overlapping and interconnected layersand thus forms a flat-shaped composite.The sheet-like composite material comprises a polymer outer layer, a polymer innerlayer and a fibrous support layer, which is arranged between the polymer outer layerand the polymer inner layer. The polymer inner layer and the polymer outer layer givethe composite material liquid-tight properties as they are manufactured from plastic.The fibrous support layer (preferably: paper or cardboard), on the other hand,primarily serves to give the composite material improved mechanical properties, inparticular improved rigidity. Optionally, a barrier layer can also be provided, which isalso arranged between the polymer outer layer and the polymer inner layer(preferably between the fibrous support layer and the polymer inner layer). Thebarrier layer can, for example, be manufactured from aluminium and is intended toprevent light and / or oxygen from passing through. The barrier layer can, for example,be made of a polymer, e.g. polyamide, EVOH, PVOH or similar. The polymer can becoated by vapour deposition coating.The sheet-like composite material also has a plurality of fold lines, which are arrangedand designed such that a closed package can be manufactured by folding the sheet-likecomposite material along the fold lines and by connecting sealing surfaces of thesheet-like composite material. The fold lines (in particular before folding also called:“crease lines”) should therefore facilitate the folding of the sheet-like compositematerial; they can be produced by material weakenings. Since the packages to beAC / AC 230665WO19 June 202manufactured from the composite material are to be liquid-tight, material weakeningsdo not use perforations, but rather (usually linear) material displacements, which areembossed into the composite material with pressing tools.The sheet-like composite material has a sleeve surface which preferably comprises aninner partial region (front side of the flat package sleeve) and two outer partialregions (back side of the flat package sleeve). The sheet-like composite material alsohas base surfaces which comprise triangular base surfaces and quadrangular basesurfaces. The sheet-like composite material also has gable surfaces which comprisetriangular gable surfaces and quadrangular gable surfaces. Preferably, the basesurfaces and the gable surfaces each have two or three quadrangular surfaces and sixtriangular surfaces. The quadrangular surfaces serve the purpose of folding the baseand the gable of the package. The triangular surfaces serve to fold the excesscomposite material into projecting “ears” which are then laid against the package. Thebase surfaces and the gable surfaces are arranged on opposite sides of the sleevesurface. Preferably, the gable surfaces are, in a standing package, arranged above thesleeve surface and the base surfaces are arranged beneath the sleeve surface. Theterm “quadrangular” does not only include a square shape, a rectangular shape or atrapezoid shape but includes any shape with four corners, even shapes with an anglesum deviating from 360° which can, for example, be achieved by one or a plurality ofsides of the quadrangular gable surface not running straight, but curved.The central quadrangular gable surface (to which the spout will be applied) has afront edge which adjoins the sleeve surface and which is curved at least in sections.Preferably, the front edge is curved outwards (convex) in order to enlarge the gablesurface. The front edge may be curved in one or more sections (e.g. a straight middlesection and two curved outer sections) or may be completely curved. The centralquadrangular gable surface has a straight front axis that connects the two front cornerpoints of the central quadrangular gable surface. The straight front axis is animaginary axis that does not have to correspond with one of the edges of the package.AC / AC 230665WO19 June 202According to the invention, the maximum perpendicular distance between the straightfront axis and the curved front edge is 5 mm or less, preferably 4 mm or less, morepreferably 3,5 mm or less. By limiting the maximum distance between the straightfront axis (corresponding to the front edge of a cuboid package) and the curved frontedge, stresses in the gable area were reduced significantly and, as a result, wrinkles inthe gable area were significantly less likely. The term “perpendicular” is relating to thestraight front axis, the “maximum perpendicular distance” is therefore the greatestlength of a straight line that is perpendicular to the straight front axis and thatconnects the straight front axis with the curved front edge. This line may or may not(also) be perpendicular to the curved front edge.In order to evaluate the new modification, 10.000 new packages were compared to10.000 standard packages as shown in table 1 below:Package max. Evaluated Visual [%] Functional[%] perpendicular packages evaluation evaluationdistance of curved (packages with (leakingfront edge wrinkles) packages)Standard 5,28 mm 10.000 1807 18,07 % 84 0,84 %New 3,28 mm 10.000 437 4,37 % 4 0,04 %Table 1Table 1 clearly indicates that packages with the new design have significantlyimproved properties: only 4,37 % of the new packages have a wrinkle in the gablearea (vs. 18,07 % of the standard packages) and only 4 leaking packages were found(vs. 84 leaking standard packages). In contrast, modifications to the sheet-likecomposite material (in particular to the stiffness of the material) did only achieve aslightly better result compared to the standard material.According to a further embodiment, the minimum perpendicular distance between thestraight front axis and the curved front edge is at least 0,5 mm, preferably at least 1,0mm. By defining a minimum distance between the straight front axis and the curvedAC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024front edge, it is ensured that the curved front edge extends sufficiently far outwards sothat the gable surface is still large enough for bigger spouts / closures.According to a further embodiment, the front edge of the central quadrangular gablesurface is continuously curved. In contrast to a front edge that is curved only insections (e.g. a straight middle section and two curved outer sections), a continuouslycurved front edge has the advantage of a very smooth shape that further decreases thestresses in the gable sections and the likelihood of wrinkles. Preferably, the front edgehas a constant radius of curvature.According to a further embodiment, the front edge of the central quadrangular gablesurface has a radius of curvature of at least 40 mm, preferably at least 60 mm, morepreferably at least 80 mm. By defining a minimum radius of curvature, it is ensuredthat the composite material is only slightly curved and has no “sharp” curvatures. Thisfurther decreases the likelihood of wrinkles in the gable section. Preferably, the frontedge has a constant radius of curvature.According to a further embodiment, the composite material has two secondary foldlines, which run parallel to one another through the sleeve surface. Secondary foldlines are understood as fold lines which, in contrast to conventional fold lines, do notlater form edges of the package, but are arranged between the edges of the package;for example, in the side surfaces. Secondary fold lines are used to generate a packagesleeve from the composite material, which is preferably folded flat along twosecondary fold lines in order to be stacked and transported in the most space-savingmanner possible.According to a further embodiment, the composite material has two rear edge foldlines, which run through the outer partial region of the sleeve surface and whichpreferably comprise single straight sections, double straight sections and curvedtransitional sections. The rear edge fold lines determine the shape of the rear edges.The rear edge fold lines preferably have a single straight section at the bottom (next toAC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024the base surfaces) and at the top (next to the gable surfaces) which makes it easier toform the base and the gable of the surface because the geometry of the tools can besimplified. Between these single straight sections, the rear edge fold lines preferablyhave double straight sections (two parallel straight sections) which serves to create asmooth transition between the side surfaces and the rear surface of the packagebecause the composite material needs to be folded or kinked less compared to a 90°edge of a cuboid package, since the transition. This leads to less stresses in thecomposite material and in particular to a lower risk of cracked or broken fibres in thefibrous support layer (paper or cardboard layer) of the composite material. Anotheradvantage of a smooth transition between the side surfaces and the rear surface isthat the package can be gripped more easily. In addition, air circulation betweenadjacent packages (e.g. in a shelf) is improved compared to cuboid packages as aresult of the gap that is caused between adjacent packages by the shape of the rearedges. The rear edge fold lines preferably have curved transitional sections betweenthe two single straight sections and the double straight sections.According to a further embodiment, the fibrous support layer of the compositematerial has a main fibre direction, which runs approximately parallel to the straightfront axis of the central quadrangular gable surface. Paper and cardboard arematerials made from pulp fibres. While the fibres are evenly distributed in alldirections in traditional (manual) paper production, a targeted alignment of the fibrescan be achieved in mechanical paper production. Since the paper has differentmechanical properties in the direction of the fibres than transverse to the fibredirection (anisotropy), the orientation of the fibres can be used to obtain the optimalmaterial properties for the respective application. The main fibre direction should beapproximately parallel to the straight front axis of the central quadrangular gablesurface. This means that the main fibre direction in the case of the package runs in thecircumferential direction of the package, i.e. around the sleeve surface. This has theadvantage that the package stability is improved. In particular, in the case of acompression stress on the packages (e.g. in the case of multi-layer stacking on aAC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024pallet), there is a significant increase in stability compared to packages with fibresaligned in the vertical, since the packages only buckle at higher compression stresses.The object described at the outset is also achieved through a package sleeve made of acomposite material for manufacturing a package, comprising: a sleeve surface,wherein the sleeve surface comprises a front surface and a rear surface, base surfaces,wherein the base surfaces comprise triangular base surfaces and quadrangular basesurfaces, and gable surfaces, wherein the gable surfaces comprise triangular gablesurfaces and quadrangular gable surfaces, two secondary fold lines, which run parallelto one another through the sleeve surface, and a longitudinal seam, which connectstwo edge regions of the composite material to form a circumferential package sleeve,which is open both in the region of the base surfaces and in the region of the gablesurfaces, wherein the base surfaces and the gable surfaces are arranged on oppositesides of the sleeve surface, wherein the package sleeve is folded along both secondaryfold lines, wherein central quadrangular gable surface has a front edge which adjoinsthe sleeve surface and which is curved at least in sections, and wherein the centralquadrangular gable surface has a straight front axis that connects the two front cornerpoints of the central quadrangular gable surface. According to the invention, thepackage sleeve is characterized in that the maximum perpendicular distance betweenthe straight front axis and the curved front edge is 5 mm or less, preferably 4 mm orless, more preferably 3,5 mm or less. The associated properties and advantages havealready been explained in connection with claim 1 and can be transferred from thesheet-like composite material to the package sleeve in a corresponding manner(because the package sleeve is made from the sheet-like composite material).Preferably, the package sleeve is manufactured from a sheet-like composite materialaccording to any one of claims 1 to 7. Since the package sleeve is manufactured fromone of the sheet-like composite materials described above, many properties andadvantages of the sheet-like composite material also apply to the package sleeve, suchthat reference is made to the corresponding embodiments.AC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024The object described at the outset is also achieved by a package made of a compositematerial, wherein the package is manufactured from a sheet-like composite materialaccording to the preamble of claim 1, or wherein the package is manufactured from apackage sleeve according to the preamble of claim 8, and wherein the package issealed in the region of the base surfaces and in the region of the gable surfaces.According to the invention, the maximum perpendicular distance between the straightfront axis and the curved front edge is 5 mm or less, preferably 4 mm or less, morepreferably 3,5 mm or less. The associated properties and advantages have alreadybeen explained and can be transferred from the composite material and the packagesleeve to the package in a corresponding manner. The package can be manufacturedeither directly from a sheet-like composite material or it can be manufactured from apackage sleeve which has previously been manufactured from a flat-shaped compositematerial.Preferably, the package has an oblique gable. In particular, it can be provided that thegable of the package falls forwards, i.e. is lower in the region of the front side of thepackage than in the region of the rear side of the package. Due to the oblique course ofthe gable, it can be achieved that a dispensing element (e.g. spout and closure cap)arranged in the region of the gable impairs the stacking of packages less than inpackages with a flat gable. This is due to the fact that the dispensing element does notnecessarily form the highest point of the package (or at least does not project as far) inpackages with an oblique gable compared to packages with a flat gable. In addition,better drainage of moisture from the gable surface can be achieved.The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a drawingwhich simply represents a preferred exemplary embodiment, in which:Fig. 1A: shows a sheet-like composite material according to the invention in atop view;AC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024Fig. 1B: shown an enlarged portion of the sheet-like composite material shownin Fig. 1A;Fig. 2A: shows a package sleeve, formed from the sheet-like composite materialshown in Fig. 1A, in front view;Fig.2B: shows the package sleeve from Fig.2A in a rear view;Fig. 3A: shows the package sleeve from Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B in its unfolded state;Fig. 3B: shows the package sleeve from Fig. 3A with sealed base;Fig. 4A: shows a package, which is formed from the package sleeve shown in Fig.1B after sealing; andFig. 4B: shows the package from Fig. 4A with ears applied.Fig. 1A shows a sheet-like composite material 1 according to the invention in a topview. The sheet-like composite material 1 can comprise a plurality of layers ofdifferent materials; for example, paper, cardboard, plastic or metal, in particularaluminium. The composite material 1 has a plurality of fold lines 2 which are intendedto facilitate the folding of the composite material 1 and divide the composite material1 into a plurality of surfaces. The composite material 1 can be divided into a sleevesurface 3, a sealing surface 4, base surfaces 5 and gable surfaces 6. The base surfaces 5comprise triangular base surfaces 5T and quadrangular base surfaces 5Q. The gablesurfaces 6 comprise triangular gable surfaces 6T and quadrangular gable surfaces 6Q,in particular one central quadrangular gable surface 6CQ. The sheet-like compositematerial 1 has an overcoated hole OCH in the area of the central quadrangular gablesurface 6CQ for applying a closure element. The overcoated hole OCH can be formedas an area in which some of the layers (in particular the paper / cardboard layer) of theAC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024composite material are “missing” and the resulting “hole” is only (over)coated by thepolymer layers.A package sleeve can be formed from the composite material 1 by the compositematerial 1 being folded in such manner that the sealing surface 4 is connected, inparticular sealed, to the opposite edge region of the sleeve surface 3. With theexception of the sealing surface 4, the sleeve surface 3 extends over the entire width ofthe composite material 1. The composite material 1 has two secondary fold lines 7 inthe region of the sleeve surface 3. The two secondary fold lines 7 are straight and runparallel to one another. Moreover, the secondary fold lines 7 run through a contactpoint CB of three adjacent triangular surfaces 5T of the base surface 5 and through acontact point CG of three adjacent triangular surfaces 6T of the gable surfaces 6. Thesleeve surface 3 is divided by the secondary fold lines 7 into an inner partial region 3Aand two outer partial regions 3B. The inner partial region 3A lies between twosecondary fold lines 7 and the outer partial regions 3B lie next to and outside of thetwo secondary fold lines 7.The base surfaces 5 form two front corner points BF and two rear corner points BR.The gable surfaces 6 also form two front corner points GF and two rear corner pointsGR. The corner points BF, BR, GF, GR are corner points of the package to bemanufactured from the composite material 1. Each corner point BF, BR of a basesurface 5 is assigned a corresponding corner point GF, GR of a gable surface 6 which isin each case the corner point GF, GR which is arranged above this corner point BF, BRwhen the package is standing up. The base rear corner points BR and the gable rearcorner points GR are connected by rear edge fold lines 8. The rear edge fold lines 8have single straight sections 8A adjacent to the base rear corner points BR andadjacent to the gable rear corner points GR. In their middle sections, the rear edge foldlines 8 have double (parallel) straight sections 8B. Between the single straightsections 8A and the double (parallel) straight sections 8B, the rear edge fold lines 8have curved transitional sections 8C.AC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024Fig. 1B shows an enlarged portion of the sheet-like composite material 1 shown in Fig.1A. The regions of the composite material 1 already described in connection with Fig.1A are provided with corresponding reference numerals in Fig. 1B. The upper portionof the sheet-like composite material, including the central quadrangular gable surface6CQ is shown in greater detail in Fig. 1B and explained below. The centralquadrangular gable surface 6CQ has a front edge 9 which adjoins the sleeve surface 3,in particular its inner partial region 3A. The two ends of the front edge 9 are definedby the two front corner points GF of the gable surfaces 6. The front edge 9 shall becurved at least in sections, the front edge 9 in Fig. 1B is continuously (completely)curved and has a radius of curvature R9 of approximately 95 mm. The centralquadrangular gable surface 6CQ has also a straight front axis 10 that connect the twofront corner points GF of the central quadrangular gable surface 6CQ. The front edge 9has a low point 11, which is defined as the point with the largest (maximum)perpendicular distance 12 to the straight front axis 10 (the low point 9 of the sheet-like composite material 1 can correspond to the foremost point a package that is madefrom the sheet-like composite material 1). The maximum perpendicular distance 12between the straight front axis 10 and the curved front edge 9 is 5 mm or less,preferably 4 mm or less, more preferably 3,5 mm or less. The curved front edge 9 andthe two lines between the front corner points GF and the rear corner points GRapproximately merge tangentially (in contrast to known concepts where the curvedfront edge and the two lines between the front corner points GF and the contact pointsCG approximately merge tangentially).Fig. 2A shows a package sleeve 13, formed from the sheet-like composite material 1shown in Fig. 1A, in front view. Fig. 2B shows the package sleeve 13 from Fig. 2A in arear view. The regions of the package sleeve 13 already described in connection withFig. 1A or Fig. 1B are provided with corresponding reference numerals in Fig. 2A andin Fig. 2B. Fig. 2A shows a package sleeve 13 which is formed from the sheet-likecomposite material 1 shown in Fig. 1A, in a front view. The package sleeve 13 has beencreated from the composite material 1 in two steps: First, the composite material 1 isfolded along the two secondary fold lines 7. The two outer partial regions 3B (left) andAC / AC 230665WO19 June 20243B (right) of the sleeve surface 3 are then connected together, in particular sealed, inthe region of the sealing surface 4, resulting in a longitudinal seam 14 (hidden in Fig.2A). The package sleeve 13 therefore has a circumferential structure, which is closedin a circumferential direction, with an opening in the region of the base surfaces 5 andwith an opening in the region of the gable surfaces 6. The inner partial region 3A ofthe sleeve surface 3 is visible in the front view, both sides of which are delimited bythe secondary fold lines 7. The remaining two outer partial regions 3B of the sleevesurface 3 are on the rear side of the package sleeve 13 and therefore hidden in Fig. 2A.Both outer partial regions 3B of the sleeve surface 3 are visible in the rear view in Fig.2B. They are connected together by the longitudinal seam 14 and are delimited onboth sides by the secondary fold lines 7. The inner partial region 3A of the sleevesurface 3 is on the front side of the package sleeve 13 and is therefore hidden in Fig.2B.Fig. 3A shows the package sleeve 13 from Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B in its unfolded state, Fig.3B shows the package sleeve 13 from Fig. 3A with sealed base. The regions of thepackage sleeve 13 already described in connection with Fig. 1A to Fig. 2B are providedwith corresponding reference numerals in Fig. 3A and in Fig. 3B. The unfolded state isachieved by folding back the package sleeve 13 along the secondary fold lines 7running through the sleeve surface 3. The sleeve 13 is folded back by around 180°.The result of this folding back along the secondary fold lines 7 is that the two partialregions 3A, 3B of the sleeve surface 3 adjoining the secondary fold line 7 no longer lieon top of one another, but are arranged in the same plane. The package sleeve 13 istherefore only in its flat state (Fig. 2A, Fig. 2B) folded along the secondary fold lines 7;in the unfolded state (Fig. 3A, Fig. 3B), on the other hand, the package sleeve 13 (likethe package to be manufactured therefrom) is no longer folded along the secondaryfold lines 7 (therefore, the term “secondary” fold lines 7). The pre-folded state in Fig.3B denotes (as in Fig. 3A) a state in which the two fold lines 2 in the region of thegable surfaces 6 have been pre-folded. The base surfaces 5, on the other hand, arealready completely folded and sealed such that the package sleeve 13 has a sealedbase. The package sleeve 13 is also folded along all sections 8A, 8B, 8C of the rear edgeAC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024 fold lines 8 in Fig.3A and in Fig.3B so that smooth rear edges are created.Fig. 4A shows a package 15, which is formed from the package sleeve 13 shown in Fig.2B after sealing; and Fig. 4B shows the package 15 from Fig. 4A with ears applied. Theregions of the package 15 already described in connection with Fig. 1A to Fig. 3B areprovided with corresponding reference numerals in Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B. The package15 is shown after sealing, i.e. in the filled and sealed state. After sealing, a fin seam 16is created in the region of the base surfaces 5 and in the region of the gable surfaces 6.While the fin seam 16 has already been applied to the package 15 in the region of thebase surfaces 5, the fin seam 16 still protrudes from the package 15 in the region ofthe gable surfaces 6 in Fig. 4A. Partial regions of the gable surfaces 6 are foldedoutwards during the pre-folding (see Fig. 3B) and form protruding regions of excessmaterial which are also referred to as “ears” 17 and in a later manufacturing step areapplied against the package 15; for example, by an adhesion process. In Fig. 4A, theears 17 still protrude from the package 15 and are applied in a later manufacturingstep, for example by an adhesion process. In Fig. 4B, the upper ears 17 arranged in theregion of the gable surface 6 are folded down and applied flat to the sleeve surface 3 ofthe package 15. Preferably, the upper ears 17 are adhered or sealed to the sleevesurface 3.AC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024 List of reference signs:1: sheet-like composite material2: fold line3: sleeve surface3A: inner partial region (of sleeve surface 3)3B: outer partial region (of sleeve surface 3)4: sealing surface5: base surface5T: triangular base surface5Q: quadrangular base surface6: gable surface6CQ: central quadrangular gable surface6T: triangular gable surface6Q: quadrangular gable surface7: secondary fold line8: rear edge fold line8A: single straight section (of rear edge fold line 8)8B: double (parallel) straight section (of rear edge fold line 8)8C: curved transitional section (of rear edge fold line 8)9: front edge (of central quadrangular gable surface 6CQ)10: straight front axis11: low point (of the front edge 9)12: perpendicular distance (between front edge 9 and straight front axis 10)13: package sleeve14: longitudinal seam15: package16: fin seam17: earBF: front corner point (of base surfaces 5)AC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024BR: rear corner point (of base surfaces 5)CB: contact point (of the triangular surfaces 8 of the base surface 5)CG: contact point (of the triangular surfaces 8 of the gable surface 6)GF: front corner point (of gable surfaces 6)GR: rear corner point (of gable surfaces 6)OCH: overcoated holeR9: Radius of curvature (of the front edge 9)AC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024

Claims

AC / AC 230665WOJune 19, 2024C l a i m s 1. Sheet-like composite material (1) for manufacturing a package (15), comprising: ^ a polymer outer layer, ^ a polymer inner layer, ^a fibrous support layer, which is arranged between the polymer outer layerand the polymer inner layer,^wherein the sheet-like composite material (1) has a plurality of fold lines (2),which are arranged and designed such that a closed package (15) can bemanufactured by folding the sheet-like composite material (1) along the foldlines (2) and by connecting sealing surfaces (4) of the sheet-like compositematerial (1),^ a sleeve surface (3), ^base surfaces (5), wherein the base surfaces (5) comprise triangular basesurfaces (5T) and quadrangular base surfaces (5Q), and^gable surfaces (6), wherein the gable surfaces (6) comprise triangular gablesurfaces (6T) and quadrangular gable surfaces (6Q, 6CQ),^wherein the base surfaces (5) and the gable surfaces (6) are arranged onopposite sides of the sleeve surface (3),^wherein central quadrangular gable surface (6CQ) has a front edge (9) whichadjoins the sleeve surface (3) and which is curved at least in sections, and^wherein the central quadrangular gable surface (6CQ) has a straight front axis(10) that connects the two front corner points (GF) of the centralquadrangular gable surface (6CQ),ch a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a tthe maximum perpendicular distance (12) between the straight front axis (10)and the curved front edge (9) is 5 mm or less, preferably 4 mm or less, morepreferably 3,5 mm or less.- 2 -2. Sheet-like composite material (1) according to claim 1,c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a tthe minimum perpendicular distance (12) between the straight front axis (10)and the curved front edge (9) is at least 0,5 mm, preferably at least 1,0 mm.

3. Sheet-like composite material (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2,c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a tthe front edge (9) of the central quadrangular gable surface (6CQ) is continuouslycurved.

4. Sheet-like composite material (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3,c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a tthe front edge (9) of the central quadrangular gable surface (6CQ) has a radius ofcurvature (R9) of at least 40 mm, preferably at least 60 mm, more preferably atleast 80 mm.

5. Sheet-like composite material (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4,c h a r a c t e r i z e d b ytwo secondary fold lines (7), which run parallel to one another through the sleevesurface (3).

6. Sheet-like composite material (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5,c h a r a c t e r i z e d b ytwo rear edge fold lines (8), which run through the outer partial region (3B) ofthe sleeve surface (3) and which preferably comprise single straight sections(8A), double straight sections (8B) and curved transitional sections (8C).

7. Sheet-like composite material (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6,ch a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a tAC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024- 3 - the fibrous support layer of the composite material has a main fibre direction,which runs approximately parallel to the straight front axis (10) of the centralquadrangular gable surface (6CQ).

8. Package sleeve (13) made of a composite material (1) for manufacturing apackage (15), comprising:^a sleeve surface (3), wherein the sleeve surface (3) comprises a front surfaceand a rear surface,^base surfaces (5), wherein the base surfaces (5) comprise triangular basesurfaces (5T) and quadrangular base surfaces (5Q), and^gable surfaces (6), wherein the gable surfaces (6) comprise triangular gablesurfaces (6T) and quadrangular gable surfaces (6Q, 6CQ),^two secondary fold lines (7), which run parallel to one another through thesleeve surface (3), and^a longitudinal seam (14), which connects two edge regions of the compositematerial (1) to form a circumferential package sleeve (13), which is open bothin the region of the base surfaces (5) and in the region of the gable surfaces(6),^wherein the base surfaces (5) and the gable surfaces (6) are arranged onopposite sides of the sleeve surface (3),^ wherein the package sleeve (3) is folded along both secondary fold lines (7), ^wherein central quadrangular gable surface (6CQ) has a front edge (9) whichadjoins the sleeve surface (3) and which is curved at least in sections, and^wherein the central quadrangular gable surface (6CQ) has a straight front axis(10) that connects the two front corner points (GF) of the centralquadrangular gable surface (6CQ),ch a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a tthe maximum perpendicular distance (12) between the straight front axis (10)and the curved front edge (9) is 5 mm or less, preferably 4 mm or less, morepreferably 3,5 mm or less.AC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024- 4 -9. Package sleeve (13) according to claim 8,c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a tthe package sleeve (13) is manufactured from a sheet-like composite material (1)according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. Package (15) made of a composite material (1),^wherein the package (15) is manufactured from a sheet-like compositematerial (1) according to the preamble of claim 1, or wherein the package (15)is manufactured from a package sleeve (13) according to the preamble of claim8, and^wherein the package (15) is sealed in the region of the base surfaces (5) and inthe region of the gable surfaces (6),c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a tthe maximum perpendicular distance (12) between the straight front axis (10)and the curved front edge (9) is 5 mm or less, preferably 4 mm or less, morepreferably 3,5 mm or less.

11. Package (15) according to claim 10,c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a tthe package (15) has an oblique gable.AC / AC 230665WO19 June 2024

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