Film packaging, in particular hffs or vffs film packaging with additional tear initiation aid at a longitudinal connecting seam

Abstract

The present invention relates to a film packaging (10) having a first longitudinal end (12) and a second longitudinal end (14) and having a receiving space (24) situated therebetween, wherein the receiving space (24) is surrounded by a packaging wall (41), wherein the packaging wall (41) is formed from a polymer film material (22), wherein a longitudinal connecting seam (28), which connects two portions (42, 48) of polymer film material (42) of the packaging wall (41) to each other, extends from the first longitudinal end (12) in the direction of the second longitudinal end (14), wherein a side edge (16) of the packaging wall (41) has a material weakening (34) as edge-side tear initiation aid (32) running along a transverse axis (QA) extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal connecting seam (28), wherein the longitudinal connecting seam (28) connects a nearer packaging wall portion (42), located nearer to the edge-side tear initiation aid (32), to a more remote packaging wall portion (48) located further away from the edge-side tear initiation aid (32). According to the invention, a further material weakening (46) is formed as a seam-side tear initiation aid (44) along the transverse axis (QA) at a distance from the edge-side tear initiation aid (32), which seam-side tear initiation aid weakens the polymer film material (22) of the more remote packaging wall portion (48) in an edge region (37) of the longitudinal connecting seam (28).

Description

[0001] Film packaging, in particular HFFS or VFFS film packaging with additional crack initiation aid on a longitudinal connecting seam

[0002] Description

[0003] The present invention relates to a flexible film package having 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 package discussed here is an HFFS film package or a VFFS film package, a pre-packaged product is preferably accommodated in the receiving space. "HFFS" stands for "Horizontal Form Fill Seal," and "VFFS" for "Vertical Form Fill Seal." These packages are formed during filling and then sealed. Packages of this type are well known in the relevant field, for example, as "stick packs" or "flow packs."Stick packs are typically used to package loose products. They are often formed from a vertically running polymer packaging film, filled, sealed, and separated. Flow packs, although generally significantly larger, have the same structural design as stick packs. Flow packs are also sometimes used to package pieced goods, such as pastries in pastry trays. Such complex products are usually packaged in horizontally formed, filled, sealed, and then separated packages.

[0004] The receiving space is surrounded by a packaging wall that defines the receiving space, the packaging wall being formed at least in sections from a flexible polymer film material. A longitudinal connecting seam, which connects two sections of polymer film material of the packaging wall to each other, runs from the first longitudinal end toward the second longitudinal end. A side edge of the packaging wall, which runs from the first longitudinal end toward the second longitudinal end, has a material weakening as an edge-side crack initiation aid. The crack initiation aid runs along a transverse axis that extends transversely to the longitudinal connecting seam.

[0005] The longitudinal connecting seam connects a closer packaging wall section made of polymer film material, which is located closer to the crack initiation aid with respect to the transverse axis, with a further packaging wall section made of polymer film material, which is located further away from the edge-side crack initiation aid.

[0006] In the past, such film packaging was often made from oriented polyester films, which exhibit excellent tear-open properties. Due to their molecular orientation, oriented polyester films can guide a tear, once initiated in the film, along the direction of its molecular orientation as it propagates, allowing a film packaging made with such an oriented polyester film to be opened very precisely by tearing from the point of tear initiation.

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

[0008] If one attempts to tear open a film package constructed as described above, which is formed without one or more oriented polyester films, near its first longitudinal end, starting from the edge-side tear initiation aid across the longitudinal connecting seam, a tear propagating within the package often does not overcome the longitudinal connecting seam. Either the tear ends at the longitudinal connecting seam, or the tear propagates uncontrollably beyond the longitudinal connecting seam in the further packaging wall section. In the former case, the packaged product is often difficult to remove from the very narrow removal opening then formed. In the latter case, the uncontrolled propagation of the tear can lead to an undesirable loss of packaged product.The object of the present invention is therefore to further develop the film packaging mentioned above in such a way that it can be opened safely and precisely by tearing, regardless of the film material used for its production. "Tearing" preferably refers to the complete separation of a longitudinal end region of the film packaging, encompassing the first longitudinal end, from the remaining packaging body by initiating and propagating a tear.

[0009] The present invention solves this problem by a film packaging having all the features of claim 1. To solve the problem, the present invention proposes, in a film packaging as mentioned above, that along the transverse axis at a distance from the edge-side tear initiation aid, a further material weakening is formed as a seam-side tear initiation aid, which weakens the polymer film material of the further packaging wall section at least in an edge region of the longitudinal connecting seam.

[0010] By providing the seam-side tear initiation aid, the tear reaching the longitudinal seam in the nearer packaging wall section can be continued on the farther packaging wall section during the tearing process, since the seam-side tear initiation aid causes the farther packaging wall section, which is mechanically stressed by the user's tearing movement, to fail specifically at the seam-side tear initiation aid. This allows a new tear to be initiated at the farther packaging wall section, which can then continue along the transverse axis to a side edge opposite the side edge with the edge-side tear initiation aid. This makes it possible to remove an entire longitudinal end section at the first longitudinal end of the film packaging, from one side edge to the opposite side edge.

[0011] Once initiated at the edge-side crack initiation aid, a crack can usually continue or propagate without difficulty in the adjacent packaging wall section. Only when the crack reaches the longitudinal connecting seam, which locally forms a doubling of material or generally an increase in material, does the crack propagation stall. Unfortunately, the longitudinal connecting seam can represent such a large barrier to crack propagation that, during a tear-open process, crack propagation no longer occurs even on the packaging wall section opposite the packaging wall section bearing the longitudinal connecting seam, which is usually free of a longitudinal connecting seam. As a rule, the packaging wall section bearing the longitudinal connecting seam is considered the rear or back packaging wall section, and the opposite packaging wall section is considered the front or front packaging wall section.The nearer and the farther packaging wall section are then at least sections of the rear packaging wall section.

[0012] By forming the seam-side crack initiation aid generally proposed above, the barrier effect of the longitudinal connecting seam for crack propagation described above is reduced so considerably that the film packaging can be torn open easily and essentially thoughtlessly by the user in the area of ​​the first longitudinal end.

[0013] The longitudinal connecting seam bridges a connecting gap at which the nearer and farther packaging wall sections face each other, forming a common extension surface. This can be a connecting gap formed by the overlap of an inner side of one packaging wall section with an outer side of the other packaging wall section. Alternatively, this can be a connecting gap formed by the respective inner sides of the nearer and farther packaging wall sections being placed opposite each other. The propagation of the crack initiated at the edge-side crack initiation aid in the nearer packaging wall section until it reaches the connecting gap is generally unproblematic. In the nearer packaging wall section, there are no obstacles to the propagating crack.To advantageously overcome the crack propagation barrier also formed by the connecting gap of the longitudinal connecting 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 connecting gap bridged by the longitudinal connecting seam between the nearer and the farther packaging wall section in a direction away from the edge-side crack initiation aid. Thus, the tear can be initiated again immediately at the point on the farther packaging wall section following the connecting gap and thus continue on the farther packaging wall section in a manner perceptible to the consumer.

[0014] Regardless of how the longitudinal connecting seam and the connecting gap formed by it are formed in detail, inside against inside or inside against outside, the longitudinal connecting seam generally has an edge located closer to the receiving space and an edge located further away from the receiving space. Preferably, the seam-side crack initiation aid is formed starting from the edge of the longitudinal connecting seam located closer to the receiving space. In the case of a longitudinal connecting seam formed by overlapping an inside with an outside, the seam-side crack initiation aid preferably starts from a material edge of a section of the flexible polymer film material and particularly preferably runs orthogonally to the direction of extension of the material edge.

[0015] The edge-side crack initiation aid and / or the seam-side crack initiation aid can be merely a local reduction in the thickness of the polymer film material, such as achieved by scribing. The scribing can be a mechanical scribing using a mechanical tool, such as a blade, or it can be a thermal or radiation-based scribing, such as a laser beam.

[0016] Preferably, the edge-side crack initiation aid is a complete local disruption of a material connection, for example in the form of an incision or notch, particularly a V-shaped notch, that completely penetrates the polymer film material in the thickness direction. The direction of the edge-side crack initiation aid, for example, the path of an incision or the path of a notch, determines the direction in which the tear initiated by the edge-side crack initiation aid is intended to propagate in the further packaging material.

[0017] To achieve the most effective reduction of the crack propagation barrier caused by the longitudinal connecting seam, the seam-side crack initiation aid preferably completely penetrates the further packaging wall section in its thickness direction. To prevent unwanted 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 preferably surrounded by a connecting frame that runs continuously around the seam-side crack initiation aid.

[0018] To separate the seam-side tear initiation aid from the receiving space of the film packaging, the closed, circumferential connecting frame preferably connects a first packaging wall section carrying the longitudinal connecting seam, such as a rear packaging wall section, with a second packaging wall section, such as a front packaging wall section, opposite the first packaging wall section across the receiving space. The first packaging wall section carrying the longitudinal connecting seam can encompass the nearer and the farther packaging wall section.

[0019] According to a first possible embodiment, the connecting frame can be a direct edge of the seam-side tear 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, thus enabling a thermal seal connection 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 tear initiation aid, which penetrates at least the further packaging wall section, is then created by a hot blade whose temperature is above the melting temperature or softening temperature of a thermoplastic layer of the polymer film material, 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 tear initiation aid is cut. This allows the connecting frame to be created directly at the cut edge of the material weakening forming the seam-side tear initiation aid. Alternatively, the connecting frame can be designed 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 allows a connecting frame to be created particularly safely and reliably.Preferably, in the area between the connecting frame and the seam-side tear initiation aid, the first and second packaging wall sections lie opposite one another without being connected. This enables the connecting frame to be designed with a small width dimension of the respective frame sections. This allows a sufficient connection to be established between the first and second packaging wall sections in order to permanently separate the seam-side tear initiation aid from the receiving space before the packaging is opened. At the same time, the connection strength formed with such a connecting frame can be low enough that the connecting frame is destroyed when the packaging is torn open and does not reduce the packaging opening formed by the tearing or even divide it into two partial openings.

[0020] 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 seam-side crack initiation aid. In this case, the seam-side crack initiation aid can advantageously be created simultaneously with the surrounding connecting frame.

[0021] The edge-side tear initiation aid is also preferably separated from the receiving space to protect the packaged product. For this purpose, the edge-side tear initiation aid can be formed in an edge connection area in which a front and a rear packaging wall section are connected to each other.

[0022] In principle, any connection mentioned in the present application between two sections of a polymer film material can be formed in any desired manner. Said connections can be formed partially or completely by applying an adhesive, such as a cold-applied adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive, and the like. Preferably, said connections are thermal seals, which are formed in a conventional manner by locally melting and pressing together materially compatible areas of the polymer film material to be joined.

[0023] In order to not only guide a tear initiated at the edge-side tear initiation aid along the transverse axis, but also to be able to reliably open the film packaging through such a tear, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a section of the receiving space is located along the transverse axis between the edge connection region 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. Once the connecting frame is formed, a section of the receiving space is located between the edge connection region and the connecting frame. Preferably, only a section of the receiving space is located between the edge connection region and the connecting frame.

[0024] The seam-side crack initiation aid 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 reliably reach at least one of the preferably parallel material weakenings with the initiated crack. In this way, the crack does not necessarily have to run in a straight line along the transverse axis between the initiation point and the seam-side crack initiation aid and can nevertheless continue beyond the longitudinal sealing seam.

[0025] In principle, it is sufficient if the seam-side crack initiation aid is formed in the farther packaging wall section. For particularly safe, reliable, and repeatably predictable crack propagation, the seam-side crack initiation aid is preferably also formed in the nearer packaging wall section. Particularly preferably, the seam-side crack initiation aid is formed in the same way, for example, by a cut that completely penetrates the respective packaging wall section in the thickness direction. The seam-side crack initiation aid can then preferably be produced in a single work step.

[0026] In the preferred case of a bilateral formation of the seam-side crack initiation aid in both the far and near sections of the packaging wall, the seam-side crack initiation aid preferably extends continuously across an edge of the connecting gap bridged by the longitudinal connecting seam. Again, the edge of the connecting gap crossed by the seam-side crack initiation aid is preferably the edge of the connecting gap located closer to the receiving space.

[0027] As already indicated above, the longitudinal connecting seam can be a fin-like longitudinal connecting seam connecting an inner side of the nearer packaging wall section with an inner side of the farther packaging wall section. In the preferred embodiment of the longitudinal connecting seam as a longitudinal sealing seam, such a design is referred to as a "fin seal." This is the preferred design of the longitudinal connecting seam for the presently preferred HFFS and VFFS film packages.

[0028] Alternatively, the longitudinal connecting seam can be an overlapping longitudinal connecting seam connecting one side of the inner and outer sides of the nearer packaging wall section with the other side of the inner and outer sides of the farther packaging wall section. Again, in the preferred embodiment of the longitudinal connecting seam as a longitudinal sealing seam, the overlapping longitudinal sealing seam is referred to in the relevant technical field as a "lap seal" or "lap sealing seam."

[0029] In the case of a fin-like longitudinal connecting seam, this generally protrudes from or projects from the remaining packaging wall immediately surrounding the receiving space. To prevent disruption of crack propagation by sections of a fin-like longitudinal connecting 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, extends, preferably continuously, from its edge closest to the receiving space to its edge further away from the receiving space.

[0030] As already stated above, the film packaging is preferably a HFFS or VFFS packaging. This is more preferably formed from one, in particular a single, piece of polymer film by folding and sealing. Such a film packaging has a transverse sealing seam at the first longitudinal end and at the second longitudinal end. The longitudinal connecting seam runs continuously as a longitudinal sealing seam from the first longitudinal end to the second longitudinal end.

[0031] 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.

[0032] To simplify recycling, the polymer film material of the film packaging is further preferably made up of at least 90% by weight of a polymer from the same polymer family. This polymer family is preferably the polyolefin family.

[0033] To achieve sufficient strength with 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 and / or quality and / or origin and / or quantity of the packaged product. The outer polyolefin layer is preferably printed using reverse printing, so that the outer polyolefin layer itself protects the print job from external influences.

[0034] The polymer film material is a flexible polymer film material and preferably has at least one additional polyolefin layer located closer to the receiving space. The additional polyolefin layer, which in turn may 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 can 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.

[0035] The outer polyolefin layer and the further polyolefin layer located closer to the receiving space are preferably bonded by a polyolefin extrusion layer using extrusion lamination. The polyolefin extrusion layer is preferably a polyethylene extrusion layer with a surface-related coating weight of 10 to 20 g / m 2 , preferably 15 g / m 2

[0036] The aforementioned polyolefin layers: outer polyolefin layer and further polyolefin layer preferably each have a thickness of between 15 and 35 μm, in particular 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 machine-direction-oriented polyethylene layer as the outer polyolefin layer and as the further polyolefin layer, these each have a preferred thickness of 20 μm.

[0037] The additional polyolefin layer can be unoriented and, for example, a metallized polyethylene layer, such as a metallized LLDPE layer, can be a sealable layer itself. Furthermore, to ensure the sealability of the laminate, 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 / m 2 , including the respective borders.

[0038] The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows:

[0039] Fig. 1 is a roughly schematic front view of a stick pack as an embodiment of a film packaging according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a roughly schematic rear view of the stick pack of Fig. 1, and

[0040] Fig. 3 is a roughly schematic cross-sectional view through the film packaging of Fig. 1 along the section plane III-III of Fig. 1, which is orthogonal to the drawing plane of Fig. 1.

[0041] The illustrations in Figures 1 to 3 are not to scale. Even if a specific one of Figures 1 to 3 is referred to at a specific point to explain the invention, Figures 1 to 3 should always be viewed together to best understand the invention.

[0042] Fig. 1 shows a rough schematic front view of an embodiment of a film packaging according to the invention, designed as a stick pack by way of example, and is generally designated 10.

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

[0044] The packaging 10 has a first longitudinal end 12 and an opposite second longitudinal end 14. A left side edge 16 in Fig. 1 and a right side edge 18 in Fig. 1 extend 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 closes a receiving space 24 surrounded by a polymer film material 22 in the region 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 closes the receiving space 24 in the region of the second longitudinal end 14.

[0046] On the back of the package 10 shown in Fig. 2, a fin-like longitudinal seal 28 runs from the first longitudinal end 12 to the second longitudinal end 14. Inner side sections of the polymer film material 22 are sealed together in the fin-like longitudinal seal 28. Since the longitudinal seal 28 in Fig. 1 is concealed by a front package wall section 30, which the viewer of Fig. 1 is looking at, the longitudinal seal 28 is only indicated by dashed lines in Fig. 1.

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

[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 for manufacturing purposes. However, this orientation counteracts the desired crack propagation along the transverse axis QA.

[0049] In Fig. 1, the edge 36 of a connecting gap 38 bridged by the fin-like longitudinal sealing seam 28 (see Fig. 3) closest to the receiving space 24 is indicated by a dashed line.

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

[0051] The crack propagation occurs on the rear packaging wall section 40 shown in Fig. 2, which the viewer of Fig. 2 is looking at, starting from the edge-side crack initiation aid 32, initially on the closer 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 connecting seam 28 forms, at least on the rear packaging wall section 40, which carries the longitudinal connecting seam 28, a barrier to the propagation of the crack initiated at the edge-side crack initiation aid 32.

[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 connecting 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 beyond the edge 36 of the connecting gap 38 closest 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 connecting gap 38 closest to the receiving space 24.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 3, the longitudinal connecting seam 28 connects the nearer packaging wall section 42 and the farther packaging wall section 48 to each other.

[0057] In order to exclude as far as possible an effect of the longitudinal connecting seam 28 that hinders crack propagation, the seam-side crack initiation aid 44 penetrates the entire longitudinal connecting seam 28 at the location of its formation from its edge 36 closest to the receiving space 24 to its edge 50 furthest away from the receiving space 24 (see Fig. 3).

[0058] To prevent the seam-side tear 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 tear initiation aid 44 is surrounded by a connecting frame 52 that extends continuously around the seam-side tear initiation aid 44. The connecting frame 52 represents a sealing region in which opposing inner side sections of the polymer film material 22 are sealed together.

[0059] Along the transverse axis QA between the sealing seam extension 20a carrying 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 right-hand side edge 18 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3.

[0060] Between the circumferential connecting frame 52 and the seam-side tear initiation aid 44 there is an unconnected region 54 which, in the illustrated embodiment, also runs completely closed around the seam-side tear initiation aid 44 and in which the front packaging wall section 30 and the rear packaging wall section 40 lie opposite one another without being connected. This makes it possible to form the individual sealing sections of the circumferential connecting frame 52 with a small width, approximately 2 mm or less, so that the connecting frame 52 can be broken open in the manner of a peelable sealing connection when the packaging 10 is torn open, 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 sealing connection. However, this does not have to be the case.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 facing inner sections of the polymer film material 22 in the region of the surrounding connecting frame 52 is a permanent seal, which, due to the narrow width of the frame sections of the connecting frame 52, is destroyed during the tearing process by exceeding its strength. The destruction can occur in the region 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 integrally with the transverse sealing seam 20 in a single sealing process.

Claims

Claims 1. 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 second longitudinal ends (12, 14), which is designed to receive a product, wherein the receiving space (24) is surrounded by a packaging wall (41) delimiting the receiving space (24), wherein the packaging wall (41) is formed at least in sections from a polymer film material (22), wherein a longitudinal connecting seam (28) which connects two sections (42, 48) of polymer film material (42) of the packaging wall (41) to one another runs 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 transversely to the longitudinal connecting seam (28) as an edge-side crack initiation aid (32), wherein the longitudinal connecting seam (28) connects a nearer packaging wall section (42) made of polymer film material (22) located closer to the edge-side crack initiation aid (32) with respect to the transverse axis (QA) to a farther packaging wall section (48) made of polymer film material (22) located further away from the edge-side crack initiation aid (32), characterized in that along the transverse axis (QA) at a distance from the edge-side crack initiation aid (32), a further material weakening (46) as a seam-side crack initiation aid (44) is trained,which weakens the polymer film material (22) of the further packaging wall section (48) in an edge region (37) of the longitudinal connecting seam (28).

2. Film packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the seam-side tear initiation aid, starting from an edge of a connecting seam bridged by the longitudinal connecting seam, guides the polymer film material of the further packaging wall section gap between the nearer and the farther packaging wall section in the direction of the edge-side crack initiation aid.

3. Film packaging according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the seam-side tear initiation aid completely penetrates the further packaging wall section in the direction of its thickness, wherein the seam-side tear initiation aid is surrounded by a connecting frame which runs closed around the seam-side tear initiation aid and which connects a first packaging wall section carrying the longitudinal connecting seam to a second packaging wall section opposite the first packaging wall section across the receiving space.

4. Film packaging according to claim 3, characterized in that i. the connecting frame is a direct edge of the seam-side tear initiation aid itself, or that ii. the connecting frame is formed at a distance from the seam-side tear initiation aid, wherein in the region between the connecting frame and the seam-side tear initiation aid the first and the second packaging wall section lie opposite each other without being connected.

5. Film packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the edge-side tear initiation aid is formed in an edge connection region in which a front and a rear packaging wall section are connected to one another, wherein a section of the receiving space is located along the transverse axis between the edge connection region and the seam-side tear initiation aid.

6. Film packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the seam-side tear initiation aid is also formed in the closer packaging wall section.

7. Film packaging according to claim 6, including claim 2, characterized in that the seam-side tear initiation aid runs continuously over the edge of the connecting gap bridged by the longitudinal connecting seam.

8. Film packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that i. the longitudinal connecting seam is a fin-like longitudinal connecting seam connecting an inner side of the closer packaging wall section with an inner side of the further packaging wall section, or that ii. the longitudinal connecting seam is an overlapping longitudinal connecting seam connecting one side of the inner side and the outer side of the closer packaging wall section with the other side of the inner side and the outer side of the further packaging wall section.

9. Film packaging according to claim 8, including claims 3 and 6, characterized in that the longitudinal connecting seam is a fin-like longitudinal connecting seam, wherein the seam-side tear initiation aid extends from its edge closer to the receiving space to its edge further away from the receiving space.

10. Film packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the film packaging is a HFFS or a VFFS packaging which is formed from a piece of polymer film by folding and sealing and which has a transverse sealing seam at the first longitudinal end and at the second longitudinal end, wherein the longitudinal connecting seam runs as a longitudinal sealing seam from the first longitudinal end to the second longitudinal end.

11. Film packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the polymer film material of the film packaging is free from a metal foil and / or is free from polyester.

12. Film packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the polymer film material is formed of at least 90 wt.% from a polymer of the same polymer family.

13. Film packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the polymer film material has an outer oriented polyolefin layer and a further polyolefin layer located closer to the receiving space, wherein the further polyolefin layer carries at least one barrier layer, wherein the at least one barrier layer is selected from a vacuum-deposited metallization, a vacuum-deposited metal compound, a vinyl alcohol-based polymer and polyvinylidene chloride.

Images