FI20235111A1 - Product packaging and process for its production - Google Patents

Abstract

The object of the invention is product packaging and a method for its production. The product package (1) comprises a storage space (1a), an outer film (7), an inner lining (6) and a frame part (2), which frame part (2) comprises the walls (2a, 2b, 2c, 8), the base (3) and the edge section (4). The walls (2a, 2b, 2c, 8) of the body part (2) comprise a number of slits (5) for shaping the placement space (1a).

Description

PRODUCT PACKAGING AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING IT

The object of the invention is the product package presented in the preamble of claim 1, such as for example a food package, which is mainly made of recyclable fiber material, and the method presented in the preamble of claim 10 for producing said product package. Corrugated cardboard, cardboard or other suitable recyclable fiber material can be an inexpensive material alternative.

As is well known, there are various food packages that contain, for example, cold meats, other meat and fish products, cheeses or ready meals, which can be heated in a microwave oven or something similar, for example. In Skin packaging, the contents are packed in a vacuum between the SKIN film and the packaging body. The body part is coated with food film, which later can also be called the inner lining.

The flexible skin film gives the product a natural and salable appearance, while the distinctiveness of the product through the packaging improves. The flexible film precisely follows the surface of the product inside the package and creates a natural and visual impression of the product's freshness, colors and authenticity.

The vast majority of such packages today are made entirely of plastic, which cannot be recycled, and instead of printing, product information and brand information are often pasted on them with a sticker. This creates an environmental problem. The body of the package is made of a suitable plastic or it is lined on the inside with a separate food film. The package a. is designed in a suitable shape so that the desired amount of food can be packed inside it. In addition, the design includes

S the horizontal border around the top of the entire package

E flange, which is intended as a mounting surface and a sealing base for the lid of the package, which is used to seal the package

S bevel by heat sealing when the package is filled and there

The food in N 35 is cooked if necessary. Often in packaging

The food in N must be fully cooked before it can be sent on to be sold as ready-made food. The problem is that the cooking takes place at a high temperature,

like in the oven, which not all the plastics in the packaging boxes can withstand, instead special plastics have to be used in the boxes, which are expensive.

Food packages are also known, which are made of, for example, cardboard or the like and lined on the inside with a separate food film. One such solution is presented in patent publication No. EP2441696. The upper edge of the cardboard food packaging described in the said publication has an essentially horizontal, sideward, planar edge flange for attaching the lid, as in the plastic packaging described above. The package is also lined on the inside with food film so that the film also comes on top of the edge flange. The problem with this solution is, among other things, that the cardboard package is supported in its shape only by the food film lined on the inside, which, together with the discontinuous edge section, means that the package is not rotationally rigid and the seam points of the edge flange on the top edge are not tight and smooth. The aforementioned increases the risk that unevenness and gaps remain between the food film drawn over the edge flange and the cover heat-sealed to it, causing, for example, the gas tightness of the food package to be lost and air to enter the food package. If the sealing cannot be done reliably and the packaging is not tight enough, the packaging may have to be wrapped inside a separate plastic, which in turn increases the material costs and the space required, and the exterior and interior of the packaging is not as neat as without such additional wrapping.

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<Q 30 Food packaging in industry is filled mechanically

S with food. If the packing stack is not easily machine-

E-processable production problems easily arise. A very common problem occurs if the upper inner

Even stacked packages do not come off when done mechanically

N 35 is transferred to the conveyor belt. For this problem, there is a stacking

N sa different supports used in food packaging, whose function is to facilitate the unpacking of stacks of packaging by machine

with additional methods, keeping the spaces (gaps) of the stacked packages suitable.

Sometimes cardboard or cardboard packaging is bent to fit from a flat packaging blank. In order to minimize costs, the aim is to make the packaging blank completely from one blank, but often, for example, the corners of food packaging are folded in such a way that the walls or especially the corners at the fold have more than one layer of material on top of each other.

The above-mentioned drawback causes additional costs for the production of food packaging in the form of material waste.

The product packaging box filling process is automatic and the individual product packaging boxes are picked up from the product packaging stack mechanically. Product packaging boxes compacted and attached to each other cause disturbances in the filling process, which in turn increases the production time of the product batch and the efficiency of the production process.

The purpose of this invention is to replace the airtight tray solutions in use, for example all-plastic skin trays with a solution containing less plastic and to replace the direct skin trays made of laminated cardboard-plastic structure with smaller skin trays. For example, biodegradable plastic products made from natural materials, such as PLA plastic, can also be used as plastic films. In addition, the purpose of this invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned other disadvantages and to provide an inexpensive, stackable, condensation-free and machine-processable, sturdy and space- and cost-effective product packaging. The purpose is also to achieve

S product packaging, with a reliable lid attachment and product

The E package is therefore tight when it is closed with a lid. — The effective use of the surface area of the blank, the difference between plastic and cardboard

Thanks to its portability and large printing surface, the solution pa-

N 35 banks of recyclability, brand visibility, shelving and

N transport efficiency.

The product packaging according to the invention is characterized by what is presented in the characterizing part of claim 1.

Correspondingly, the method according to the invention for producing the mentioned product package is characterized by what is presented in the distinguishing part of claim 10. Other applications of the invention are characterized by what is presented in other patent claims.

The product package according to the invention comprises a storage space, an outer film, an inner lining and a body part, which comprises a base, an edge part and walls, of which the partition walls also comprise support parts. The walls of the body part comprise a number of slits for shaping the placement space.

In the method according to the invention for producing a product package, the product package comprises a storage space, a bale film, an inner lining and a body part, which body part comprises the walls, the base, the edge part and the support parts. A number of gaps are formed in the walls of the body part and possibly also in the bottom for shaping the placement space.

The product packaging blank comprises a plate-like structure made of recyclable fiber material, with bottom section(s), wall section(s) and an edge section for the bottom, walls, support parts and edge section of the product package made from the product packaging blank. The edge section of the product packaging blank is

N same as the edge part of the finished product package.

S

N Advantageously, in the solution according to the invention, the bottom section(s), wall sections and edge section of the body part are formed by packing

S from the blank and is attached with the help of an inner lining to the two-dimensional

From a packaging blank to a three-dimensional product package.

S The advantage of the solution according to the invention is, among other things, that

The N 35 product packaging is mainly made of recyclable material

N ta, which eliminates the environmental problems related to plastic packaging almost completely. In this sustainable development solution, the user can easily separate the plastic layers from the frame material into separate recycling waste. In addition, the advantage is that the planar edge part coated with the inner lining of the product package is essentially seamless and smooth throughout, so that the closing of the product package with the lid can be done reliably and reliably and the package becomes completely airtight. This results in the advantage that there is no need for additional plastic wrap, and the food can be packed, for example, in SKIN packaging or in protective gas, which increases the shelf life of the food.

The advantage is also the saving of manufacturing material and costs, because the product packaging according to the invention is folded from one cardboard or cardboard blank and there are no overlapping material sections in the product packaging. in addition, the outer edges of the material blank are the outer edges of the edge section of the product package and the inner section is used in its entirety to form the product package, in which case the blank material is not wasted.

The advantage is, among other things, that the product packaging is made to be easily stacked inside one another, so that the finished product packaging stack does not get compacted during storage and transport. In addition, the advantage is that individual product packaging can be easily taken from the stack of product packaging. The former enables a reliable mechanized product packaging filling process, which reduces problem situations in the filling process and speeds up the processing time of the process.

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N The surfaces on both sides of the base and the edge part enable the <Q 30 inexpensive and environmentally friendly use of prints for the brand

S for identification and presentation of product information.

E

— In the following, the invention is explained in more detail in two

With the help of the application example by referring to the attached drawing

N 35 for tuxes, where:

Figure 1 shows a product package according to known technology, viewed obliquely from the side and from above,

Fig. 1a shows a top view, simplified and not to scale, of the non-uniform corner of the prior art product package according to Fig. 1, Fig. 1b shows the non-uniform corner of the prior art product package according to Fig. 1, as viewed from the side, simplified, partially cut and not to scale, and the non-tight lid joint - solution, Figure 2a shows a product package according to the invention when viewed directly from above, Figure 2b shows a side wall of the product package according to Figure 2a when viewed from the side, not to scale, Figure 2c shows a product package according to Figures 2a and 2b viewed obliquely from the side and above, not to scale - ta shape, Figure 2d shows the packaging blank of the product package according to Figure 2 when viewed directly from above, Figure 3a shows another packaging blank viewed directly from above

N blank before it is set as a product package,

S

Figure 3b shows, viewed from the side, not to scale, one side wall of the product package according to Figure <Q 30 3a

When set to S, = a — figure 4 shows a side view, cut, simple

S folded and not to scale part of one invented

N 35 from the product packaging according to the skin foil

N rusted,

Figure 5k shows a side view, cut, simplified and not to scale of the product package according to Figure 4 equipped with a support part, Figure 6k shows the product package according to Figure 5k when viewed diagonally from the side and top, and Figure 7k shows the packaging blank of the product package according to Figure 5k when viewed directly from above.

Figures 1, 1a and 1b show one product package according to the invention. Pa (Prior Art: EP 2441696 A1). For illustrative purposes, the thickness of the packaging material and films has been exaggerated in some of the figures.

Figure 1 shows one product package according to known technology

Pa shown diagonally from the side and top view. The product package Pa is folded up from one of the cardboard blanks. Product packaging Pa consists of body part 2 and inner lining €.

Correspondingly, the body part 2 consists of a base 3, two side walls and two end walls, and an essentially planar edge part 4 extending outwards from the upper edge of the side and end walls. Some suitable recyclable fiber material has been used as the manufacturing material of the body part 2, such as cardboard. The product package Pa remains in its intended form thanks to the thin food-grade plastic used as the inner lining 6 and laminated to the body part 2, which makes the structure weak and unsupportive due to, among other things, the fact that the edge part of the upper part is not seamless and uniform.

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S Figure 1a shows a top view, simplified

S 30 na and not to scale Pa of the product package according to figure 1

E non-uniform angle. The above-mentioned structure based solely on the inner lining causes the product packaging

In the assembly phase of the door Pa, where the inner lining 6 is attached

N for body part 2 and flat edge part 4, product packaging

Small gaps remain in the corner seams 5 of the planar edge portion 4 of N 35 Pa, which make the planar edge portion 4 non-uniform.

Figure 1b shows, viewed from the side, simplified, partially cut and not to scale, the non-uniform corner and non-tight lid connection solution of the product package Pa according to Figure 1. When there is a gap in the corner seam 5 of the planar edge portion 4 of the product package Pa, the food grade plastic used in the inner lining 6 fixed on top of the planar edge portion 4 tends to be shaped in the direction of the gap, leaving a groove 6a in the direction of the corner seam 5 on the surface of the planar edge portion.

Later, the product package Pa is filled with food product and the cover film 7 is attached to the part of the inner lining 6 fixed on top of the flat edge portion 4 of the product package Pa, for example by heat sealing. The grooves 6a inner lining 6 mentioned above, formed at the points of the corner seams 5, leave an air channel between the inner lining 6 and the outer membrane 7 and thus also in the placement space la of the product package 1, in which case the product package is not airtight and not necessarily even waterproof. Product packaging according to the structure in question cannot use, for example, shielding gas to improve the preservation of the food product, and they are not suitable for skin packaging.

Figures 2a, 2b and 2c show one product package 1 according to the invention. Figure 2d shows a packaging blank 9a, from which the body part 2 of the product package according to Figures 2a, 2b and 2c is formed.

Figure 2a shows a product package 1 according to the invention as viewed directly from above. Preferably, the product package 1 according to the invention is a food package, for example <Q 30 for cold cuts. The empty product package 1 consists of a body part

S 2 and inner lining 6, such as food film. Answer-

The main body part 2 consists of nine bottom parts 3a, two side walls 2a and two end walls 2b, and

Between the partitions in the corners of the product packaging

N 35 from where 2c, and in addition the top edges of the side, intermediate and end walls

N pins from the uniform seamless edge section 4 extending outwards to the side, which forms the essential part of the product package 1

and the flat edge section 4. The bottom sections 3a form the base 3.

A suitable recyclable fiber material has been used as the manufacturing material of body part 2. Preferably, the material is, for example, corrugated cardboard, cardboard or some other suitable recyclable fiber material. The inner lining 6 is food-grade plastic and can be easily removed from the frame part 2 after use, so that the frame part 2 and the inner lining 6 can be sorted for recycling. The body part 2 is manufactured by shaping and folding it, for example, mechanically from the packaging blank 9a.

The uniform and seamless planar edge part 4 of the body part 2 of the product package 1 is the part that holds the walls (2a, 2b, 2c) together, a common component that makes the structure sturdy.

The edge part (4) includes side walls 2a, end walls 2b and partition walls 2c bent from the bending lines (4e), from which bottom parts 3a are formed by folding along the bending lines 3e.

The side walls 2a, end walls 2b and partition walls 2c together with the bottom parts 3a form a space for the product to be packed when the packaging blank 9a is folded along the bending lines 4e and 3e as the body of the placement space la for the food portion. The non-uniform structure of the body of the storage space la, which also includes a set of slits 5, saves on material costs, because the frame structure 2 has no overlapping material sections and no material waste caused by cutting, and <Q 30 in addition, a set of slits 5 increases the volume of the storage space la -

St. The body of the storage space la equipped with inner lining 6 forms

E gets an actual sturdy storage space la, which also thanks to the inner lining 6 reliably maintains its shape and

S tightness.

No. 35

N The manufacturing method enables the product package 1 to have a uniform and even and seamless planar edge section 4, so that the covering film 7 can be attached to the product package

to be airtight. In Skin packages, the air is sucked out of the package and the airtightness of the package ensures that a vacuum remains in the product package 1.

Figure 2b shows the other end of the product package 1 according to Figure 2a, viewed from the side, simplified and not to scale, where the end wall 2b and two partition walls 2c and the edge part 4 and the inner lining 6 extending over the edge part on each side of the edge part 4 are visible.

An inner lining 6 is mechanically fixed on top of the body and flat edge part 4 of the storage space la of the folded and assembled product package 1. The inner lining 6 is attached to the body part 2 and it is arranged to make the package airtight together with the cover film 7. The fastening of the inner lining 6 is done, for example, in such a way that a negative pressure is produced below the body part 2. With the help of negative pressure, the inner lining 6, which has glue on the lower surface, is arranged to be sucked onto the inner surface of the body part 2. This happens by vacuuming the air between the body part 2 and the inner lining 6 placed inside it out through the body part 2 and the openings 5. The compressive pressure above the package provides even more support for attachment. With the method described above, the inner lining 6 is tightly attached to the inner surface of the body of the body part 2 and on the edge part 4. in addition, the inner lining extends over the edge part 4, enabling easy separation of the body part 2 and the inner lining 6 from the used packaging & for sorted recycling.

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<Q 30 At the edge section 4, the inner lining 6 lays evenly,

S and the inner lining 6 cannot form the product package 1

E a groove or bump that hinders tightness. Later, product package 1 is filled with food product and product package 1

S on top of the uniform flat seamless edge section 4

The upper membrane is attached to the 6 sections of the N 35 stapled inner lining

N 7. The cover film 7 of the product package 1 is arranged to be attached to the inner lining 6, for example by heat sealing or some other suitable method of attachment. In the above-mentioned points of the planar seamless edge section 4, the outer film 7 fits tightly against the inner lining 6, ensuring the watertightness and airtightness of the product package 1 placement space la.

Thanks to the tightness, the product packaging 1 according to the invention ensures that a vacuum is maintained, for example in skin packaging applications, or the product packaging 1 can use, for example, a shielding gas to improve the % preservation of the food product.

Figure 2d shows, viewed from above, one inexpensive packaging blank 9a before it has been shaped into a product package 1. The packaging blank 9a has suitable cuts and bending lines 3e and 4e at the folding points of the product package to facilitate the mechanical folding of the packaging blank 9a into a product package 1. Bending lines 3e and 4e is done, for example, by plucking.

The packaging blank 9a preferably comprises a plate-like structure made of recyclable fiber material, with bending lines 3e, 4e and base sections 3a, wall sections 2y and edge section 4y separated by cuts for the product package 1, base 3, walls 2a, 2b, 2c and edge section 4, which is produced by folding the packaging blank . In one advantageous solution, the bottom sections 3a are separated from the wall sections 2y forming the walls (2a, 2b and 2c) along the bending lines 3e. & Figure 3a shows another planar a. packaging blank 9b from above, before it is shaped into a product package 1. The packaging blank 9b in question has a planar and

S seamless edge section 4y and planar uniform bottom section 3a.

E Between the bottom section 3a and the edge section 4y, there is a % — wall section 8y of the packaging blank, which is formed from uniform nested

S of the peripheral parts 8a. The peripheral parts 8a are separated from each other by circumferential

N 35 cutting seams 8b and fasteners 8c systematic

N with that rotation. The edge section 4y and the bottom section 3a are respectively separated from the perimeter sections 8a. The single peripheral part 8a is thus connected by the fasteners 8c to the adjacent peripheral parts 8a, which

the kenne enables a flexible and basket-like structure to be formed later and a storage space for the product to be packed.

Figure 3b shows, viewed from the side, the body part 2 of the product package 1 formed from the packaging blanks 9b according to Figure 3a, placed in the form. The body part 2 includes a base 3, an edge part 4 and a wall 8. The wall 8 comprises uniform perimeter parts 8a, fasteners 8c connecting the perimeter parts 8a and a set of gaps 5 formed by cutting seams 8b. Once placed in the product package 1, the body of the storage space 1a is formed, while the perimeter parts 8a, cutting seams 8b and fasteners 8c of the wall 8 form a basket-like structure thanks to systematic alternation. When the inner lining 6 is installed in the basket-like body part 2 formed in this way, the structure of the product package 1 is stiffened and the storage space la for the product to be packed is formed.

Figure 4 shows, viewed from the side, cut, simplified and not to scale part of one product package according to the invention 1 equipped with a cover film 7.

The figure illustrates how the storage space 1a and the planar edge portion 4 of the product package 1 are covered with an inner lining 6 and how the product package 1 containing the finished food product 10 is closed at the flat and planar edge portion 4 with an outer film 7 attached to the inner lining 6. The Skin according to the figure -the parts of the cover film 7 and the inner lining & 6 that extend beyond the edge part 4 of the product package are not attached to each other, so that the product package 1 can be easily opened. The inner lining 6 can be easily removed from the body part 2 of the edge part 4 after use.

S by pulling from the outer 6 sections of the inner lining. j — Figure 5k shows, viewed from the side, cut, yk-

S simplified and not to scale according to Fig. 4

N 35 tea packs equipped with support part 11. 11 of the support part

At N, the fold 2c between the edge part 4 and the partition folds in a different direction outside the support part 11.

Figure 6k shows the corner of the product package 1, viewed diagonally from the side and top, where the support part 1 is pressed out into its shape.

Figure 7k shows, viewed directly from above, the packaging blank 9a of the product package 1, in which cuts lla and notches 11b have been made between the wall sections 2y and the edge section dy for forming the support part 11. However, the picture does not show the essential greater width of the horizontal part of the support part 11 compared to its vertical part.

Advantageously, a large potential information presentation surface, such as a printing surface or a printing surface, is formed in the product package 1, on both sides of the surfaces of the base and the edge section and, in certain applications, also on the surfaces of the wall sections. The presentation surfaces on both sides enable the use of prints/printing for, among other things, brand identification and presentation of product information.

It is clear to a person skilled in the field that the invention is not limited exclusively to the examples presented above, but can vary within the scope of the patent claims presented below. Also, for example, some structural solutions can be different from what is presented above.

It is also clear to a person skilled in the field that the product packaging & can also be different in shape from what is presented above. a. The simplest and most common body part of the product package is, for example, rectangular. However, the packaging format

S 30 can be other than a box-like rectangular shape.

E In this case, the shape can be, for example, polygonal or also — round or oval, depending on, for example, the ready-made

S is for bending lines. When the shape deviates from a square, also

The number of N walls may differ from the above in this case

N 35, for example, does not necessarily have separate side and end walls. Also, for example, the angle between the base and the walls can be

with one additional fold, the walls are thinned near the bottom. In addition, the shape can also be asymmetrical.

It is also clear to a professional in the field that product packaging can be made of other materials than recyclable fiber material. In this case, the body part of the product packaging can be made from other foldable material than corrugated cardboard. The body part of the product package can be made of, for example, different cardboards, cartons or papers, or also braided material, or a combination of different materials.

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Claims (12)

PATENT CLAIMS 1. A product package comprising a storage space (la), a cover film (7), an inner lining (6) and a body part (2) formed by folding one blank, which body part (2) comprises the walls (2a, 2b, 2c, 8), the bottom (3) and the edge part (4) and a set of slits (5) for shaping the placement space (la), which edge part (4) is formed from one blank whose outer edges form the outer edges of the edge part (4) of the product package , characterized by the fact that the edge part (4) of the body part (2) is uniform, seamless and planar, the part connecting the walls (2a, 2b, 2c, 8) of the body part (2) with no overlapping material parts, and that the inner lining (6) extends partially or completely outside the outer edges of the edge part (4), from which part of the inner lining (6) the inner lining (6) can be completely separated from the body part (2). 2. The product package according to claim 1, characterized in that the uniform inner lining (6) covers the placement space (1a) and the edge portion (4) of the product package (1). 3. A product package according to one of the above claims, characterized in that the outer film (7) of the product package (1) covers the product to be packed and seals over the inner lining (6) at least on the edge portion (4). 4. Product & packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body part a. (2) of the product packaging (1) is shaped from the product packaging blank (9a, 9b), and that the <Q 30 product packaging blank (9a, 9b) comprises cuts , with the help of S the three-dimensional structure of the body part (2) is arranged E to take shape. S 5. Product N 35 packaging according to one of the above claims, characterized in that its body part (2) is made of recycled fiber material, and that the material is corrugated cardboard, cardboard or other suitable recyclable fiber material. 6. A product package according to one of the above claims, characterized in that the body part (2) of the product package (1) comprises one or more uniform surfaces for presenting information. 7. A product package according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the walls (2a, 2b and 2c) and the base (3) of the body part (2) of the product package (1) comprise a set of gaps (5), which walls (2a, 2b and 2c), the base (3) and a set of slits (5) together with the inner lining (6) form the storage space (la). 8. Product packaging according to claim 8, characterized in that the wall section (8) of the body part (2) is formed with the nested perimeter parts (8a) and the fasteners (8c) between them into a basket-like wall section comprising a number of slits (5) ( 8), which together with the base (3) and the inner lining (6) forms the storage space (la). 9. A product package according to one of the above claims, characterized in that the body part (2) of the product package (1) comprises more than one support part (11) to keep the nested product packages (1) at a distance from each other. 10. A method for manufacturing a product package, which product package (1) comprises a storage space (la), a cover film (7), an inner a. the lining (6) and the body part <Q 30 (2) formed from one blank, which body part (2) comprises the walls (2a, 2b, 2c, 8), the S bottom (3) and the edge part (4), the outer edges of which form the outer edges of the edge part (4) of the E product package, and in which a set of gaps (5) are formed in the body part (2) for the shaping of the storage space (la), characterized by the fact that the body part N 35 (2) a uniform, seamless and planar edge section (4) is formed from said one blank, with no overlapping material sections, and that the inner lining (6) has been made to extend partially or completely over the edge section (4) outside the outer edges, from which part of the inner lining (6) the inner lining (6) can be completely separated from the frame part (2). 11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the inner lining (6) is attached to the surface of the body of the placement space (la) and on top of the edge section (4) as a flat and uniform attachment surface for the cover film (7) of the product package. 12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, known for the fact that the cover film (7) of the product package (1) is attached to the part of the inner lining (6) on top of the planar edge portion (4) of the product package (1) by heat sealing or another suitable fastening method. O N O N N <Q N oO I Jami a LO 0 N O N