Paper Food Packaging Laminate for Hermetic Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food packaging made from conventional plastic materials is not compostable, biodegradable, or recyclable, and often suffers from inadequate hermetic sealing and significant deformation of printed patterns during thermoforming.
Innovation Solution
The package is composed of half-shells and sealing foils made primarily from paper material with specific laminated layers, including a paper layer, heat-sealable coatings, and ultrasonic weldable lacquers, ensuring recyclability and minimal deformation of printed patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional plastic materials are used for half-shells and sealing foils, then hermetic sealing and shelf-life are achieved, but the packaging is not compostable, biodegradable, or recyclable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material structures where paper-based half-shells are combined with specialized sealing foils. The sealing foils themselves are composite structures made from cellulose fibers combined with biodegradable polymers and natural waxes. This composite approach enables the packaging to achieve hermetic sealing properties comparable to conventional plastics while maintaining compostability and recyclability, as the natural fiber base decomposes naturally and can be processed in composting facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters from synthetic plastics to paper-based materials with specific fiber compositions. By controlling fiber length, density, and treatment, the packaging achieves adequate barrier properties for hermetic sealing. The sealing foils use controlled compositions of cellulose, polymers, and waxes in specific ratios to achieve the necessary sealing performance while maintaining biodegradability. These parameter adjustments allow paper-based materials to perform functions previously only achievable with conventional plastics.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If paper material is used for half-shells and sealing foils, then compostability and recyclability are achieved, but hermetic sealing characteristics may be inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing foils are designed as composite structures with multiple functional layers. The base layer consists of cellulose fibers providing structural integrity and compostability. Additional layers include biodegradable polymers that provide barrier properties and natural waxes that enhance water and oxygen resistance. This multi-layer composite structure enables the sealing foil to achieve hermetic sealing performance comparable to conventional plastics while maintaining full compostability and recyclability throughout the entire material composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material compositions to different parts of the sealing system. The sealing foil has varying local compositions: areas requiring higher barrier properties contain increased polymer and wax content, while other areas maintain higher cellulose content for optimal compostability. The half-shells also have localized treatments where fiber density and composition are adjusted in specific regions to enhance sealing performance at critical interfaces without compromising overall biodegradability.
3Shape
If thermoforming is used to form half-shells, then shape and fit are achieved, but printed patterns deform significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The printed patterns are applied to the paper material before the thermoforming process. This preliminary printing allows the ink to be absorbed into the paper fibers and set before deformation occurs. The paper is then formed into the half-shell shape using controlled thermoforming or molding processes. Because the printing precedes forming, the final printed appearance reflects the desired design without the distortion that would occur if printing were done after shaping.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a compostable, biodegradable, and recyclable package with effective hermetic sealing and minimal deformation of printed graphics, maintaining the shelf-life of packaged products.
Implementation Method 1
a heat-sealable coating (64), applied as a surface coating on the face of the foil facing the respective half-shell, allowing peeling of the sealing foil from the flange of the respective half-shell
Implementation Method 2
an ultrasonic-weldable lacquer coating (62), applied as a surface coating on the face of the foil facing the other half-shell
Data Source
AI summary
Packaging for products, such as food products, comprising a first (2) and a second (3) half-shell shaped like a cap with a respective flange surrounding the mouth profile and connected to each other at the respective flanges, at least one of said half-shells being closed by a respective sealing foil (6, 7); said first (2) and second (3) half-shell and said respective sealing foil (6, 7) being optionally provided with respective appendicular formations (20, 30) for opening the package located at said flanges, characterized in that:said first (2) and second (3) half-shells are both formed by a shaped sheet of paper material,the aforementioned at least one sealing foil (6, 7) consists of a laminate comprising at least one paper main layer (66; 66°; 76), a heat-scalable surface coating (68; 78; 79) applied on the face of the foil facing the respective half-shell, preferably polyethylene or high density polyethylene) and a heat-sealable or ultrasonic weldable surface coating (62; 71), applied on the face of the foil facing the other half-shell.