EP1457424B1

EP1457424B1 - Packaging for round-shaped biscuits

Info

Publication number: EP1457424B1
Application number: EP04005526A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giorgio Marazzi; Michele Amigoni
Original assignee: Barilla G e R Fratelli SpA
Current assignee: Barilla G e R Fratelli SpA
Priority date: 2003-03-11
Filing date: 2004-03-09
Publication date: 2010-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 2024-03-09
Also published as: PT1457424E; EP1457424A1; SI1457424T1; DK1457424T3; DE602004027324D1; PL1457424T3; ATE469040T1; ES2346307T3; ITMI20030110U1

Abstract

A package (1) for a plurality of substantially round-shaped biscuits, which are juxtaposed to for a cylindrical stack, being laterally covered by a corrugated board and enveloped in a wrapper (3, 4), comprising a slit (7) for issuing/taking out biscuits a predetermined distance away from one of the ends (5, 6) thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

Field of application

The present invention generally relates to the packaging field of round-shaped foodstuffs (circular, disk- or doughnut-like), such as, for example, biscuits, toasted bread slices and the like.
More particularly, and in connection with round-shaped biscuits only by way of example, the present invention relates to a package which essentially comprises a cylindrical wrapper enveloping a plurality of juxtaposed biscuits to form a cylindrical pack or stack, said wrapper comprising a flexible sheet of plastics material for foodstuffs, such as polythene, which is enveloped around the cylindrical stack of biscuits, welded along a generatrix of said cylindrical stack, and folded over at the opposite ends thereof, the folded edges being suitably welded or glued together.
Generally for taking out and consuming the so-packaged biscuits, a package is arranged to be opened at one of the two ends of the cylindrical wrapper, such opening being obtained by pulling away the folded and reciprocally welded edges thereof.
Taking the first biscuits out of such an opened package is relatively easy, but then for the following biscuits it becomes more and more difficult, so that at a certain point a major, if not the whole portion of the wrapper may have to be torn.
The negative consequences of this drawback are well known to the consumers: loss of the protection from dust and environmental contaminants afforded by the wrapper; need to recover such a protection by resorting for example to the use of containers being more or less suitable for the purpose; high risk of breaking and crumbling biscuits when they are taken out.
Moreover, even if the wrapper is managed not to be torn, by carefully handling the package, after taking out a certain amount of biscuits, the tubular package is flabby and crumpled at an end thereof, thus considerably jeopardising the presentability thereof.
Packages, particularly for toasted bread slices, are then known, wherein a stack of round toasted bread slices is laterally covered by a corrugated board sheet and the lot is enveloped by a flexible plastic wrapper for foodstuffs being bent over at opposite ends thereof. In order to open these packages the bent and welded edges of the wrapper must be torn off or a part of the wrapper must be removed of the wrapper at an end of the package by pulling a suitable strip operating on a weakening area.
In both cases, although ensuring a good protection from breaking and crumbling, the protection from dust and environmental contaminants of the unconsumed toasted bread slices remaining in the package is insufficient and taking the last toasted bread slices out is difficult.
Document WO 02/057147 discloses a packaging formed from a paper or cardboard blank and a superposed film in which the cardboard blank has a cut-out zone defining a gripping region of the products and the film has an integral band which covers a part of the cut-out zone. The film has a tearing start region and tearing off the film allows the zone to be revealed and allow access to the products.
Aim of the present invention is to provide a new package for foodstuffs, such as round-shaped biscuits or the like, allowing the above-mentioned prior art drawbacks to be overcome and having a shape and size stability up to consuming all the biscuits comprised therein.
This aim is achieved, according to the features of claims 1 and 5.
Grasping means are preferably composed of a label equipped with a permanent-type adhesive.
Through the package according to the invention the biscuits comprised therein can be easily taken out up to the last biscuit, meanwhile keeping the initial tubular shape unchanged, because of the support exerted by the corrugated board. This allows biscuits to be conveniently presented during the whole consumption period, as well as excellently protected from dust and environmental contaminants as ensured by the opening/closing label.
The advantages and characteristics of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof, given with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of non limiting indicative example, and in which

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package according to the invention in its open condition for taking out a biscuit;
Figure 2 shows a package according to the invention in its closed condition.

Referring to figure 1, a package for a plurality of substantially round-shaped biscuits 2 (circular, disk- or doughnut-like and the like) being juxtaposed to form a cylindrical pack or stack is globally indicated with 1.
Said package comprises a cylindrical wrapper composed of a flexible sheet 3 of a plastic material for foodstuffs, e.g. a polythene-polypropylene composite, which is enveloped around said stack of biscuits 2, and of a corrugated board layer 4 which contacts the side wall of the cylindrical stack of biscuits 2; the flexible sheet 3 is welded along a generatrix of said cylindrical stack and sealed at the opposite ends 5, 6 thereof to form the opposite bottoms of the package 1.
A semiannular slit 7 is formed in said wrapper a predetermined distance away from one of the ends 5, 6 of the cylindrical stack, e.g. the end 6, said slit circumferentially extending for a length being at least equal to, and preferably slightly greater than, half the cylindrical stack circumference and having a width being at least equal to the thickness of the packaged biscuits.
As it will be apparent from the following description, said slit 7 is used for issuing/taking out single biscuits 2 from the package according to the present invention.
According to the invention, in package 1, a predetermined distance away from the end 6 of the cylindrical stack, a circumferentially extending semiannular portion 8 of the wrapper (composed of the sheet 3 and the underlying corrugated board 4) is only bounded along three sides by a tear-off weakening line 9 (dink line), the forth non-dink side (9a) being preferably parallel to the wrapper generatrices.
Alternatively, a label 10, equipped with a permanent adhesive, having considerably higher cross-dimensions (length and width) than said portion 8, is simultaneously applied on said portion 8 and on the wrapper surrounding it, being symmetrically placed with respect to the portion 8. An initial section 10a of said label which, on the opposite side to the non-dink side (9a) of the strip-like portion 8, does not cover said portion 8, is not coated by the adhesive and it is a strong grasp of the label 10 when it is torn off from said wrapper and from the underlying board. Meanwhile, through this separation, the strip-like portion 8 is also torn off, subsequently obtaining the slit 7 for issuing/taking out the packaged biscuits 2. Once issuing has occurred, the portion can be applied here again to close said slit 7, because of the adhesive layer on the label 10.
Once a biscuit has been taken out of the package 1, another biscuit 2 will present itself at the slit 7, urged by the weight of the stack of the remaining biscuits. This newly-presented biscuit can be in turn taken out or the wrapper and corrugated board portion 8 can be closed thereon.
As for the slit 7, it is preferably at the same distance from the package ends and its preferred width almost corresponds to the thickness of four biscuits.

Claims

A package for a plurality of biscuits (2) and similar substantially round-shaped foodstuffs which are juxtaposed to form a substantially cylindrical stack enveloped by a wrapper (3, 4), said wrapper comprises a corrugated board sheet (4) contacting the side wall of said cylindrical stack and a flexible sheet (3) of a plastic material for foodstuffs which is enveloped around said cylindrical stack, which is laterally covered by the corrugated board (4), welded along a generatrix of said stack and sealed at the opposite ends (5, 6) thereof, and a semiannular slit (7) for issuing/taking out biscuits, wherein said slit (7) is obtained from said wrapper (3, 4), extends circumferentially, has a length at least equal to one half of the cylindrical stack circumference and has a width at least equal to the thickness of one of said biscuits, characterized in that said slit is at the same distance from said ends (5, 6) of the cylindrical stack and in that said wrapper (3, 4) comprises a semiannular strip-like portion (8) composed of said flexible sheel (3) and said underlying corrugated board (4) which portion (8) is bounded by a dink tear-off weakening line (9), extending along three sides of said portion (8), the forth non-dink side (9a) being parallel to the generatrices of said cylindrical wrapper (3, 4), grasping means (10) being associated to the side of said strip-like portion (8), which is opposite to the non-dink side (9a), for the strip-like portion (8) to be torn away along said weakening line (9), thus obtaining said slit (7), means being provided for closing said slit (7).
A package according to claim 1, characterised in that said slit (7) is longer than half the circumference of said cylindrical stack.
A package according to claim 1, characterised in that the width of said slit (7) spans at least the thickness of four of said biscuits (2).
A package according to claim 1, characterised in that said grasping means (10) are composed of a label being equipped with a permanent-type adhesive.
A package for a plurality of biscuits (2) and similar substantially round-shaped foodstuffs which are juxtaposed to form a substantially cylindrical stack enveloped by a wrapper (3, 4), said wrapper comprises a corrugated board sheet (4) contacting the side wall of said cylindrical stack and a flexible sheet (3) of a plastic material for foodstuffs which is enveloped around said cylindrical stack which is laterally covered by the corrugated board (4), welded along a generatrix of said stack and sealed at the opposite ends (5, 6) thereof, characterised in that a semiannular striplike portion (8) composed of said flexible sheel (3) and said underlying corrugated board (4), is formed in said wrapper (3, 4) a predetermined distance away from at least one of said ends (5, 6), which semiannular portion (8) is bounded by a dink line (9), extending along three sides thereof, the forth non-dink side (9a) being parallel to the generatrices of said wrapper (3, 4), said portion (8) circumferentially extending for a length being at least equal to half the circumference of said cylindrical stack and having a width being at least equal to the thickness of four of said biscuits (2), and wherein an adhesive label (10), having a higher length and width than said portion (8), is simultaneously applied on said portion (8) and on said wrapper (3, 4), an initial section (10a) of said label being free of adhesive to form a grasp for tearing the label (10) as well as said portion (8) of the wrapper (3, 4) off to form a semiannular slit (7) for issuing/taking out said biscuits (2) and for placing them here again to close said slit (7).