EP2054320B1 - Packaging particularly for food product comprising a flexible bottom portion topped by a cover - Google Patents

Abstract

A packaging intended to contain at least one item, such as a food product, having a flexible inner seal forming a bottom and a cover delimiting with the inner seal a cavity suitable for receiving the item. The cover is more rigid than the inner seal and includes a peripheral edge sealed on a periphery of the inner seal in a position of closure of the packaging. The packaging is such that the cover is able to be cut into at least two sectors respectively provided with gripping tabs extending the edge, when traction is exerted on one of the gripping tabs, toward a zone opposite the edge while flattening the other gripping tab on the inner seal, so as to detach from the inner seal the sector whose gripping tab is subject to this traction in order to place the packaging in a partially open position.

Description

The present invention relates to a package for containing at least one article, such as a food product, of the type comprising a flexible cover surmounted by a sealed cover on the cover.

It is known to package cheeses in a flexible, typically bell-shaped, protective cover which is mounted on a rigid base and which has tear strips designed to facilitate the opening of the casing, as described in FIG. document FR-A-2 549 011 . The tear strips intersect at the center of the top of the envelope and they end with gripping tongues to completely remove these strips of the envelope and then fold outward regularly distributed envelope sectors on the circumference of it, in order to access the cheese.

A disadvantage of this type of packaging lies particularly in the complexity of its structure and, consequently, in its high manufacturing cost.

It is also known to package individual portions of cheese in packages which comprise a flexible and peelable lid forming a bottom and a semi-rigid hollow shell which forms a lid and which is sealed by its peripheral rim on this lid.

A major disadvantage of this type of packaging is that the detachment of the lid on which is sealed the shell can be difficult to access the cheese housed inside. The document WO 02/005403 A discloses a package according to the preamble of claim 1.

An object of the present invention is to provide a package for containing at least one article, such as a food product, said package comprising a flexible lid forming a bottom and a cover defining with said lid a cavity adapted to receive said article, said lid being more rigid than said lid and having a peripheral rim sealed on a periphery of said lid in a closed position of said package, which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks.

For this purpose, a package according to the invention is such that said lid is capable of being cut into at least two sectors respectively provided with gripping means extending said rim, during a pull on one of said gripping means. direction of an area of said flange opposite said gripping means while plating the other gripping means on said lid, so as to detach from said lid the sector whose gripping means is subjected to this traction to bring the package into a partial opening position.

It will be noted that this cover is such that the aforementioned tensile force makes it possible to cut it by forming a sector which is separated from the cover and which is clearly separated from the other sector, in such a way that the sector thus detached thus releases a sufficient access space to the cavity of the package that allows to enter the entirety of the article it contains.

It will also be noted that this cover according to the invention allows the user to easily access the packaged article without having to grasp it with the fingers.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said lid can be formed in one piece, being of the hollow shell monobloc type.

Advantageously, said lid may be formed of a thermoplastic material of semi-rigid type adapted to allow tearing of its wall along a substantially straight line.

Preferably, said thermoplastic material is formed of a monolayer or multilayer film which may for example be based on expanded or non-expanded polystyrene and / or expanded or non-expanded polypropylene and / or polyethylene, and which may further optionally comprise a diaper interlayer based on a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl alcohol.

Even more preferably, said thermoplastic material is formed of a monolayer film based on expanded polystyrene or not.

Alternatively, said thermoplastic material may be selected from the group consisting of polystyrene / ethylene copolymer and vinyl alcohol / polystyrene (PS / EVOH / PS) multilayers, polypropylene expanded / copolymer of ethylene and vinyl alcohol / polyethylene (XPP / EVOH / PE), expanded polypropylene / polyethylene (XPP / PE), expanded polypropylene / copolymer of ethylene and vinyl alcohol / polypropylene (XPP / EVOH / PP), expanded polypropylene / copolymer of ethylene and vinyl alcohol / polystyrene (XPP / EVOH / PS), expanded polypropylene / polypropylene (XPP / PP), expanded polypropylene / polystyrene (XPP / PS), expanded polystyrene / copolymer d ethylene and vinyl alcohol / polyethylene (XPS / EVOH / PE), expanded polystyrene / copolymer of ethylene and vinyl alcohol / polypropylene (XPS / EVOH / PP), expanded polystyrene / ethylene-alcohol copolymer vinyl / polystyrene (XPS / EVOH / PS), expanded polystyrene / polypropylene (XPS / PP), expanded polystyrene / polystyrene (XPS / PS), expanded polystyrene / polyethylene (XPS / PE), polystyrene / ethylene copolymer and vinyl alcohol / polyethylene (PS / EVOH / PE), polyst yrene / copolymer of ethylene and vinyl alcohol / polypropylene (PS / EVOH / PP), polystyrene / polyethylene (PS / PE), polystyrene / polypropylene (PS / PP), polystyrene / polystyrene (PS / PS).

According to another characteristic of the invention, said cover is advantageously devoid of foldable or collapsible portion for obtaining said open position.

According to another preferred feature of the invention, said cover may comprise two gripping means adjacent and symmetrical to one another with respect to a median plane of said cover, for obtaining a pair of said substantially identical sectors.

Partially opening the package by pulling one of the two gripping means towards the top of the lid while pressing on the other gripping means in a direction opposite said vertex, so as to exert a constraint shear type on said cover which provides the aforementioned cutting of the latter in these two sectors.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, at least one pre-cutting line, for example consisting of a rib or depression of less resistance to tearing, is formed in said cover between said gripping means and said opposite zone of said flange, for the formation via said traction of said cover sectors respectively on either side of said pre-cut line.

Note that said pre-cutting line is not comparable to a tear tape of the type of those of the document FR-A-2 549 011 above, because it is not intended to be torn off the lid but only able to allow the tearing of the latter along this line.

According to another characteristic of the invention, each of said gripping means may consist of a tongue formed integrally with said flange and extending beyond the latter.

Note that these tongues may have, in addition to the aforementioned gripping function for the opening of the package, a playful function, for example by associating a particular form of tabs with that of the lid (eg ear-shaped tabs for a lid shaped like an animal's head, shaped like a leaf for a fruit-shaped or vegetable-shaped lid, shaped like a key for a box-shaped lid, etc.).

Advantageously, said opposite zone of said lid rim may form, in said open position, a hinge for the lid sector which is detached from said lid and separated from the other sector.

Also advantageously, said package is usable for containing an individual portion of cheese that conforms to the walls of said lid and said lid, and said lid may be substantially cap-shaped (eg circular or oval shaped cap) and is capable of forming a pair said sectors which are each in the form of a half-cap.

It will be noted, however, that the packaging according to the invention can generally be used to contain any article of semi-rigid, rigid or even friable type, whether or not it adheres to the wall of said lid and, for example, to other food products such as chocolate or salted portions, or even items such as jewelry or toys.

Note also that said cover may have a different geometry, for example rectangular or square with rounded corners, hexagonal, octagonal, etc.

• la figure 1 est une vue de dessus d'un emballage selon un exemple de réalisation de l'invention avant son remplissage et sa fermeture par un opercule,
• la figure 2 est une vue de côté de l'emballage de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique en coupe de l'emballage des figures 1 et 2 après son remplissage et sa fermeture par cet opercule,
• la figure 4 est une vue en perspective de ce même emballage rempli et fermé, son couvercle étant illustré dans une position de fermeture,
• la figure 5 est une vue en perspective de l'emballage de la figure 4 dans laquelle le couvercle est illustré dans une position de début d'ouverture, et
• la figure 6 est une vue en perspective de l'emballage de la figure 5 dans laquelle le couvercle est illustré dans une position d'ouverture partielle permettant d'accéder à son contenu.

Other characteristics, advantages and details of the present invention will emerge on reading the following description of several examples of embodiment of the invention, given for illustrative and not limiting, said description being made with reference to the accompanying drawings, among which :

• the figure 1 is a top view of a package according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention before filling and closing with a lid,
• the figure 2 is a side view of the packaging of the figure 1 ,
• the figure 3 is a schematic sectional view of the packaging of Figures 1 and 2 after filling and closing by this operculum,
• the figure 4 is a perspective view of the same filled and closed package, its lid being illustrated in a closed position,
• the figure 5 is a perspective view of the packaging of the figure 4 wherein the lid is illustrated in an open start position, and
• the figure 6 is a perspective view of the packaging of the figure 5 wherein the lid is illustrated in a partial open position to access its contents.

Packaging 1 illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 comprises a soft and peelable lid forming a bottom and a lid 3 of semi-rigid monoblock hull type which delimits with the lid 2 a cavity adapted to receive an article 4, such as an individual portion of a food product (eg cheese, in a non-limiting manner), and which has in this embodiment a shape substantially hemispherical cap. The lid 3 comprises a flat peripheral rim 5 (circular in this example) which is sealed on the periphery of the lid 2, in the closed position of the package 1 which is illustrated in FIGS. Figures 3 and 4 .

The flange 5 of the lid 3 extends radially outwards and, for example, coplanarly by two gripping means 6 and 7 which are of flexible tab-shaped tongues and which are formed in the immediate vicinity of one of the other, on either side of a pre-cut line 8 formed substantially diametrically in the lid 3.

The pre-cut line 8 is for example constituted by a rib or depression of less resistance to tearing which thus extends on a median transverse plane of the cover 3, from an area 8a of the flange 5 to the diametrically opposite zone 8b of the last.

This pre-cut line 8 makes it possible to cut by shear the lid 3 into two identical sectors 3a and 3b (in the form of half-caps in this embodiment) which are respectively provided with two gripping means 6 and 7.

For this purpose, the user (eg the consumer of the food product 4 contained in the package 1) grasps with his fingers the gripping means 6 and 7 and then pulls on one of them 6 towards the opposite zone 8b of the flange 5 (see arrow A at figure 5 ) while pressing the other gripping means 7 on the cover 2 (see arrow B at the figure 5 ), so as to detach from the lid 2 the sector 3a whose gripping means 6 is subjected to this traction to bring the package 1 in the partial opening position of the figure 6 . In this partial opening position, it is seen that the sector 3a detached from the cap 2 by traction is thus raised and can remain connected to the lid 2 by the opposite zone 8b of the flange 5 forming articulation.

As illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 , the user thus cuts the cover 3 perfectly perfectly straight and clean along the pre-cut line 8 and can easily access the contents 4 of the package without damaging or dropping this content 4.

It will be noted that the lid 3 of the packaging 1 according to the invention is based on a semi-rigid plastic material, such as a monolayer or multilayer film based on one or more polymers. thermoplastic material designed to allow easy cutting, clean and straight cover 3 by the aforementioned shear effect.

It will also be noted that the lid 3 of the packaging 2 according to the invention could be devoid of any pre-cutting line or primer 8, according to an alternative embodiment of the Figures 4 to 6 , the cutting of the cover 3 can in this case be nevertheless made cleanly and more or less straight, during said traction gripping means 6 and 7.

Claims (10)

1. A packaging (1) designed to contain at least one item (4), such as a food product, said packaging comprising a flexible lid (2) forming a bottom and a cover (3) delimiting with said lid a cavity suitable for receiving said item, said cover being more rigid than said lid and comprising a peripheral edge (5) sealed onto a periphery of said lid in a closed position of said packaging, characterized in that said cover is suitable for being cut into at least two sectors (3a and 3b) respectively provided with gripping means (6 and 7) extending said edge, during a pull exerted on one of said gripping means (6) in the direction of a zone (8b) of said edge opposite to this gripping means (6) while pressing the other gripping means (7) onto said lid, so as to detach from said lid the sector (3a) the gripping means (6) of which is subjected to this pull in order to bring the packaging into a partially open position.
2. The packaging (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said cover (3) is formed in a single piece.
3. The packaging (1) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said cover (3) is formed of a thermoplastic material of a semi-rigid type capable of allowing its wall to be torn along a substantially straight line.
4. The packaging (1) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said thermoplastic material is formed of a single-layer or multilayer film which is based on expanded or nonexpanded polystyrene and/or on expanded or nonexpanded polypropylene and/or on polyethylene, and which also optionally comprises an intermediate layer based on an ethylene and vinyl alcohol copolymer.
5. The packaging (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cover (3) has no foldable portion for obtaining said open position.
6. The packaging (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cover (3) comprises two gripping means (6 and 7) that are adjacent and symmetrical to one another relative to a midplane of said cover, in order to obtain a pair of said sectors (3a and 3b) that are substantially identical.
7. The packaging (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one precut line (8), for example consisting of a rib or a depression with less tear resistance, is formed in said cover (3) between said gripping means (6 and 7) and said opposite zone (8a) of said edge (5), in order to form, via said pull, said cover sectors (3a and 3b) respectively on either side of said precut line.
8. The packaging (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said gripping means (6 and 7) consists of a tab formed in a single piece with said edge (5) and extending beyond the latter.
9. The packaging (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said opposite zone (8b) of said edge forms, in said open position, an articulation for said cover sector (3a) which is detached from said lid (2) and separated from the other sector (3b).
10. The packaging (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, said packaging being able to be used to contain an individual portion of cheese (4) which closely follows the walls of said lid (2) and of said cover (3), characterized in that said cover is substantially dome-shaped and is capable of forming a pair of said sectors (3a and 3b) which are each half-dome-shaped.

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