GB2077688A

GB2077688A - Foil packaging wrappers

Info

Publication number: GB2077688A
Application number: GB8112040A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-04-16
Filing date: 1981-04-16
Publication date: 1981-12-23
Also published as: FR2480713A1; SE8102402L; JPS5737558A; DE3115144A1; ATA206180A; AT380666B

Abstract

A closure film 13 of foil wrapper 4 enclosing a block like comestible 2, e.g. a chocolate bar, is provided with a weakening line 16 adjacent the block-like comestible to facilitate opening of the package. The weakening line may be formed by an indentation, perforations or other means, and a tear strip (45)- Fig. 9 may disposed adjacent but outwardly of the weakening line. A closure fin may be provided with more than one weakening line so that the closure fin can be completely separated from the remainder of the package. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Foil packaging wrappers The present invention relates to foil packaging wrappers, in particular for comestibles such as chocolate bars or other filling material, which comprises edge strips enframing a surface intended to contact the filling material, and which is also coated with an adhesive, and provided with a tearing line. Hereinafter such packaging wrappers will be referred to as "of the kind described".

A known foil wrapper for confectionery bars, in particular chocolate bars, as described in German Specification No. 1,017,976, forms a wrapper whose development matches the shape of the chocolate bar which is to be packed. In this known case, the wrapper consists of a tearable material, namely paper, and forms the outer wrapping of the chocolate bar. The inner wrapping of the bar is formed by a thin aluminium foil. To open the outer wrapper thereof, in which at least one lateral surface is plane and which has at least one straight edge, a line of perforations in provided in the wrapper. The line of perforations is then situated in the area of one of the two end sides of the outer wrapper, that is in the area of the top side of the chocolate bar.If a thrust is then exerted from the other end side on the packaged item i.e., the chocolate bar, the end of the bar is pushed against the end of the wrapper. If an appropriate pressure is applied, the perforation will thereby be split open and the chocolate bar may be pushed out of the wrapper. After the inner wrapping has then also been opened, the chocolate may then be broken off for consumption. Although the inner wrapping is then breached, the form of the outer wrapper enables the chocolate bar, if not been consumed completely, to be pushed back into the wrapper and it may be carried or stored without soiling garment pockets, handbags or other receptacles. This arrangement is disadvantageous however because the perforation cannot always be produced to a constant standard.The pressure which has to be exerted on the opposed end of the chocolate bar to open the outer wrapper, thus cannot be determined precisely in advance. In some case, it may happen the the application of excessive force is required to split the perforation, so that the chocolate bar breaks before the perforation tears open. It is equally hardly possible to push open the perforation if the chocolate has already softened a little. This however leads to the same difficulties again for the consumer as in the case of almost all packaging wraps in which the outer wrapper projects beyond the chocolate bar at all four sides, is creased and folded over, and in which the extremities of the packaging material overlapping each other at the rear side of the chocolate bar are joined to each other.Upon opening these packaging wraps, the outer wrapper is in point of fact torn in most instances, so that it cannot subsequently be used to receive residual portions of the chocolate bar. Apart from this, the production of a wrapping of this kind is very troublesome and costly.

Based on this state of technology, the chocolate bars are frequently packaged in so-called tube bag packs or finned packs, in more recent times. The packaging foils for such tube bag packs, both for the inner and outer wrapping, for example comprise a paper backing layer and an aluminium layer applied thereon as an outer wrapper. The packaging foils are prefabricated as endless webs and already bear the imprint of the makers trade name and description and so on on the outer side, namely the aluminium side. The packaging foil produced as an endless web is folded over the chocolate bar which is to be packaged, and the overlapping foil sections projecting beyond the bar which is to be wrapped, are glued together. This produces three glued seams in the pack, namely two transverse seams and one longitudinal seam.These seams are produced during constant traversal of the packaging foil and of the chocolate bars supplied, thereby allowing comparatively economical packaging of the confectionary. Difficulties arise however by the fact that edge strips which are reinforced by gluing under application of a cold-setting adhesive as a rule, which is applied in the marginal areas of the foil whilst the latter is being made, may be opened only with great difficulty and that resealing of the opened package becomes very difficult if indeed it is possible. These disadvantages are moreover not prevented by the fact that the longitudinal seam is situated in the area of the parting plane of a chocolate bar on the known packaging foil, and that adhesive is effectively present only on one part of the area forming the sealing seam.

Although this facilitates the opening of the package a little, it still remains difficult to remove the bar of chocolate from the package and to reseal the package after use, since the wrapper is commonly torn up upon opening the package, primarily if too strong a glued bond had been utilised. It is also difficult to open the package if the chocolate has softened a little, since a particular intrinsic strength of the bar is required to separate the two edge strips joined by means of the adhesive.

It is an object of the invention to provide a foil wrapper which, apart from being economical for the packaging of chocolate bars, in a continuous operation as far as possible allows the package to be easily opened and safely resealed after removal of a part of the chocolate.

Accordingly, the invention consists in a foil packaging wrapper of the kind described, wherein the tearing line is situated at least between one of two edge strips forming a closure fin or surface and the surface of the packaging foil arranged to come into contact with the filling material.

The arrangement according to the invention ensures that, in an unexpectedly uncomplicated manner, by applying force to two different parts of a package, the latter may be opened even without the contents of the package performing a supporting function. The production tolerances for the intended tearing line may consequently be raised since fluctuations deriving from the continuous production run may be balanced by application of a different force upon opening the package, without breaking the contents thereof, for example a chocolate bar. This solution moreover provides the advantage that the edge strip of the chocolate bar may also be sealed with powerful adhesive, since the glued joints can no longer have any deleterious effect on the opening action.The positioning of the tearing line between the edge strip and the chocolate bar or other filler allows of direct removal of the latter after opening the package, the package being reliably reclosable in any event by folding about an axis extending at right angles to the intended tearing line. Furthermore, this packaging foil allows of removal of the filler without touching the latter, since the filler may be squeezed out after the package is opened along the tearing line, e.g. at right angles to the tearing line, through the aperture formed thereby. It is finally also advantageous that the closure fin or area which is present in any event in a package of this kind, and in whose area the consumer had attempted even before to open the package, may now actually be co-opted as an effective means of opening the package.

Advantageously, provision may be made for the tearing line to be formed by an indentation in the wrapper which is advantageously produced prior to bonding the edge strips together.

Due to this indentation or weakening of the wrapper which may moreover be produced during the continuous packaging operation, of the aluminium layer forming the outer covering layer in particular, the force required to open a wrapper consisting of a packaging foil of this nature may be determined with great precision. Moreover, this presets the path of the tearing lines in the wrappers, and prevents accidental tearing of the package.

In another embodiment of the invention, the tearing line may be located adjacent to a coating reinforcing the surface of the foil web coming into contact with the filler, or is formed by an areal strip which is not reinforced and is enflanked by the coatings. This embodiment allows of the application of these advantages, even using polyethylene foils, for example. It is then commonly sufficient for these very tough foils to be interrupted in the area of the intended tearing line or to extend only as far as these lines. This assures that the filler is surrounded by these reinforcing foils which must frequently be incorporated for hygienic reasons, but that these coatings do not have a deleterious effect on the behaviour during opening of a package comprising the packaging foil.It is complementarily also possible however in the case of such an embodiment, to accentuate the intended tearing line by an indentation in the outer cover- ing layer of the packaging foil.

It is also possible to co-ordinate a tear-off strip incorporated in the wrapper or in the closure fin or area with the intended tearing line, and for this tear-off strip advantageously to form the actual tearing line. Due to the combination of a deliberate weakening of the foil in the area of the tearing line with a tearoff strip, a precisely preset opening of a package according to the invention may now be assured. Furthermore, this solution is appropriate to special advantage in combination with very easily breakable filling substances, since the package may be opened almost without pressure on the filling substance thanks to this combination of features.

It is also possible moreover for the tearing line to be formed by an indentation or weakening of the packaging foil produced during the gluing of the edge strip. This solution is primarily characterised in that the intended tearing locus may be positioned precisely in its distance from the glued area, since for example during compression of the edge strips into the closure fin or area, the indenting operation to produce the tearing line may be performed at the same time at a predeterminable distance.

In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the packaging foil has the foil section allocated to the lower or upper side of the filler extended to produce the closure fin or area projecting sideways from the filler and extending parallel to its longitudinal edges, and the tearing line is advantageously situated in the foil section co-ordinated with the top of the filling material. Upon packaging filling merchandise in bar-like form, such has choco late bars, it is possible to retain the overall appearance of the package incorporating the known obliquely chamfered lateral surfaces under application of the tube bag wrappings.

Furthermore, thanks to the positioning of the closure fin or area in extension of a top or bottom side of the filling merchandise, the straight edge may be co-opted in the case of harder chocolate bars to assist the opening operation under utilisation of the incorporated tearing line.

In another particularly preferred embodi ment of the invention, the packaging foil is produced as a web and forms a tube bag package for tablet or bar-shaped filling mer chandise, e.g. chocolate. This packaging foil wrapper is characterised in that the tearing line is positioned in the transverse direction of the foil web and parallel to as well as between the longitudinal edge of the filling merchandise and the closure fin or area projecting therefrom. Since two transverse seams are unavoidably required to form the package during production of such tube bag packages, in any event, at least one may now be exploited in an advantageous manner so that the package may now be opened at right angles to the extension of the principal ribbing of a chocolate bar by incorporation of the tearing line parallel to the longitudinal edge of the chocolate bar.The individual tablets of chocolate may be broken off in the package and pushed out of the package at right angles to the extension of the tearing line without the chocolate having to be touched by the fingers.

This prevents soiling of the fingers by the chocolate, in particular upon consuming the chocolate during an activity, e.g. driving a car. Furthermore, a pressure roller system which may advantageously be combined very easily with a thrust roller for production of an indentation or weakening of the wrapping in the area of the intended tearing line, must moreover be installed along the packaging production line for the production of the tranversely situated closure fins or areas. The packaging machines in use at present may thereby be utilised for production of a wrapper according to the invention, if applicable with but minor adaptations.

It is also possible moreover for the projection closure fins or areas provided with the tearing line to be organised so that they may be folded over flat against the package, at least for cartage. Thanks to this special folding flat of the closure fins or areas, the indentation for the forming of the tearing line is increased additionally by the inward folding action and consequentially established overexpansion of the material in the area of the edge of a chocolate bar for example. The indentation will consequently be so dimensioned that the required weakening following the complementary extension of the fold or weakening point of the wrapper in the area of the tearing line is obtained only after the inward folding of the closure fins or areas.

Premature bursting of the package during cartage or handling may thereby be prevented.

It is advantageous for the intended tearing line to be positioned substantially at right angles to the notching or ribbing of the chocolate bar or other filler, since it is thereby possible to break off individual sections within the package and to extract no more than a part of the filler through the opening formed along the tearing line.

Moreover, it is also possible to diminish the securing force of the adhesive on at least the edge strip adjacent to the tearing line or on the closure fin or area adjacent thereto. Due to this combination of features, it is possible for one of the edge strips forming the closure fin or area to be pulled off and for the filler to remain free from contact with an outer side of the wrapper upon folding over the remaining edge strip.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show some embodiments thereof by way of example and in which: Figure 1 shows a foil wrapper forming the packaging of a chocolate bar in perspective, Figure 2 shows a cross-section through the wrapping along the lines ll-ll of Fig. 1, Figure 3 shows a plan view of a webshaped wrapper together with the chocolate bar tablets, which are to be packaged, laid on it, Figure 4 shows a cross-section through the wrapper along the lines IV-IV in Fig. 3, Figure 5 shows the same aspect of the wrapper as in Fig. 4, but with the packaging foil already folded over the top side of the chocolate, Figure 6 shows a plan view of a modified form of wrapper with the filling merchandise laid on it, Figure 7 shows a cross-section through the wrapper along the lines VII-VII of Fig. 6, Figure 8 shows the same aspect as in Fig.

7, the packaging foil already being folded over the top side of the filling material, Figure 9 shows an end view of a crosssection through a package incorporating another form of embodiment of wrapper using a tear-off strip, Figure 10 shows a perspective view of a package comprising closure fins or areas encircling all longitudinal sides of the filling merchandise, and Figure 11 shows a perspective view of a wrapper produced with a packaging foil according to the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a wrapper or package 1 for a filling merchandise 3 formed by a chocolate bar 2.

The package 1 is formed by a packaging foil 4 having edge strips 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 which are compressed into closure fins or areas 12, 1 3 and 14 by means of an adhesive, 11. An intended tearing line 1 6 which is formed by an indentation 1 7 in the upper foil portion 1 8 of the foil 4 is situated between the closure fin or area 1 3 and the longitudinal edge 1 5 of the chocolate bar 2 extending parallel to said fin.

In Fig. 2, the thickness of the material of the foil section 1 8 of the foil 4 is clearly shown as being reduced greatly by this indentation 17.

The joint between the top foil section 1 8 and the bottom foil section 1 9 of the package 1 is produced by an adhesive 11 by a compression of the edge strips 7 and 8, on which the adhesive 11 is applied during an earlier operation for example. The indentation 1 7 may preferably be established during this compression of the two edge strips 7, 8 into the closure fin or area 1 3 by the application of a pressure wheel or pressure disc.

The opening of the package 1 for removal of the chocolate which conveniently is in tablets or chocolate bar segments 20, 21 divided by notches or grooves 22, is carried out by grasping the package 1 with one hand and pushing the closure fin or area 1 3 downwards, that is in the direction of the foil section 19, with the other hand as shown in Fig. 1. The traction force exerted on the upper foil section 18 tears open the upper foil section 1 8 between the edge strip 7 and the longitudinal edge 1 5 of the chocolate bar 2 along the tearing line 16. This tearing line is opened partially, in accordance with the quantity of chocolate intended to be removed.

After opening a part of this tearing line 16, the first chocolate tablet or segment 20 for example may be broken away from the remaining bar or block within the package, and be pushed out of the package 1 in the longitudinal direction of the arrow 23. The foil portion extending obliquely in the direction of the lower foil section 1 9 from the top foil section 1 8 is pushed upwards whilst doing so, and may be utilised again for closure of the as yet unconsumed remainder of the bar or block after withdrawal of the segment or segments.

It is also possible moreover reliably to reseal the package or the residual remainder of the bar or block by folding the package 1 about an axis extending parallel to the notch 22 of the bar 2.

A packaging foil 25 formed by a foil web 24 is shown in Fig. 3. The two edge strips 26, 27 are.coated with adhesive 11, the adhesive 11 being applied over the entire area on the foil web 24, whereupon the surface 29 enclosing the filler 28 may be coated with a covering lacquer to cover the cold-setting adhesive applied. The adhesive 11 is equally uncovered in the area of the edge strips 30 left between the surfaces 29.

These edge strips 30 serve the purpose of producing the closure fins or areas in the region of the end sides of the filler 28.

As more clearly apparent from Figs. 4 and 5, the packaging foil 25 is pivoted around an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the foil web 24 or about the longitudinal edges 31 of the filler, and the package is sealed by pressing the edge strips 26, 27, 30 together. Since, as shown in Fig. 3, tearing lines 32 and 33 are already formed in the foil 4, these are situated between the edge strips 26, 27 and 30 respectively, and the longitudinal edges 34 or the end edges of the chocolate 28.

In reference to another packaging foil 25, Fig. 6 shows that two intended tearing lines 36 may be provided in the foil web 35 in the longitudinal direction of the foil web 35, prior to the production of the closure fins or areas.

It will be apparent from the illustration in Fig. 7 that these tearing lines 36 are formed by the interruption of a reinforcing coating 38, e.g. a polypropylene or polyethylene foil which is applied on the aluminium layer 37 forming the outer wrapper. The adhesive 39 provided to join the separate edge strips, is applied on the polyethylene foil in this embodiment. An areal strip 40 is not provided with the coating 38 in each case, in the area of the tearing line 36. The aluminium foil 37 forming the outer wrapper and which may be torn or torn off without application of any great force in view of its thickness of 9 my is consequently present in this area.

It will be seen from Fig. 8 that by virtue of the incorporaton of two tearing lines 36, it is possible to tear off the whole closure fin or area 41 formed by the two edge strips. It is possible in this embodiment to weaken the aluminium foil also in the area of the areal strip 40 during the production of the foil web if a thicker aluminium foil is used, so that the closure fin or area 41 may be opened even more easily. Another advantage of the production of the tearing lines in the foil web consists in that the weakening of the foil web may also be extended across the area of the end-side closure fins or areas so that these thicker portions may also be torn off perfectly.

Fig. 9 shows another form of a tubular bag package 42 in which a tear-off strip 45 is situated between a tearing line 43 formed by an indentation, and its closure fin or area 44.

It is also apparent from this illustration that the closure fin or area 44 is arranged in extension of the foil section 47 co-ordinated with the underside 46 of the filler, and that the tearing line 43 is situated in the foil section 49 co-ordinated with the upper side 48 of the confectionary. This structure allows the closure fin 44 to be turned under against the underside of the tubular bag package 42 as shown by dotted lines. An external appearance of a package which has been familiar to consumers for a long time, in particular in the case of chocolate tablets or blocks, may thereby be obtained.

In connection with the description and explanation of the embodiments shown in Figs 1 to 9, it is pointed out-to avert misappre hensions-that the layer thickness of the packaging foil and adhesive, respectively, and the depth of the indentations and the like of the tearing line, have been illustrated in greatly enlarged form for a clearer grasp of the arrangement of the invention.

Fig. 10 illustrates a tubular bag package 50 which is provided with closure fins or areas 51 on all sides. In this embodiment, each of the closure fins or areas 51 is provided with a tearing line 52, denoted by dotted lines. The package 50 may thus be opened by using any closure fin 51, no matter how it is grasped.

Regarding the aluminium foil layer thickness utilised, this thickness may lie within a range of approximately 1 4 mp a weakening of the aluminium foil or of the packaging foil down to a gauge of 9 mit apparently being adequate to form a tearing line. In the present embodiments, tubular bag packages formed from a single foil web were primarily illustrated, but it will clearly be possible, as also shown in Fig. 10, to incorporate the tearing line even in the case of tubular bag packages utilising two foil webs, and thereby to secure the inventive advantages. If other packaging foils are utilised instead of the aluminium foils described, the tearing line may be formed by perforations or analogous measures instead of the indentations or weakenings in the thickness of the material.What is essential to the present invention is that the closure fins or surfaces projecting from an edge or from the filling merchandise may be utilised for opening the packages.

Fig. 11 illustrates a package 54 for a chocolate bar or block, formed from a packaging foil 53 according to the invention. The foil 53 for the production of the package 54 is formed by a foil web the longitudinal direction of which extends at right angles to the longitudinal edge 55 of the chocolate bar or block.

Upon producing the package 54, this foil web is joined to form a tube by connecting the two edge strips 56, 57 which form a closure fin or surface 58. By producing the closure fins 59 and 60 which are formed by joining together of the edge strips 61, 62 and 63, 64, the package is closed off at either side of the chocolate. Between the edge strip 61 and the longitudinal edge of the chocolate, the packaging foil 53 comprises an intended tearing line 65 which is positioned adjacent one or both of the edge strips 61, 62, and which may be worked into the packaging foil before wrapping the chocolate, or during the production of the closure fins 59, 60. This tearing line 65 may be co-ordinated only with the closure fin 59 and 60 or with both closure fins or surfaces. The closure fin or surface 58 as well as the closure fins or surfaces 59, 60 may be laid flat against the chocolate bar or its packaging as shown by dotted lines. In the case of this package 54, it is advantageous that conventional packaging machines may be utilised, provided merely that the chocolate bar or block is fed to the foil 53 with its longitudinal edge extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the foil web.

What is accomplished thereby at the same time however, is that the closure fins 59 and 60 extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the packaging foil and which are scheduled to be produced in any event, may be utilised to open the package 54. The opening action and the extrusion of the individual chocolate segments may be performed as shown in Fig. 1.

Claims

1. A foil packaging wrapper of the kind described, wherein the tearing line js situated at least between one of two edge strips forming a closure fin or surface and the surface of the packaging foil arranged to come into contact with the filling material.

2. A foil packaging wrapper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tearing line is formed by an indentation in the foil which is produced before the edge strips are adhered together.

3. A wrapper as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the tearing line is positioned adjacently to a coating reinforcing a foil web surface which comes into contact with the filling material or is formed by an unreinforced areal strip enflanked by the coatings.

4. A wrapper as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the tearing line has co-ordinated with it a tear-off strip incorporated in the packaging foil or in the closure fin or surface said tear-off strip forming the tearing line.

5. A wrapper as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tearing line is formed by an indentation or weakening of the packaging foil produced during the securing together of the edge of the strips.

6. A wrapper as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the foil is organised for production of the closure fins or surfaces projecting laterally away from the filling material and extending parallel to the longitudinal edge of the latter in extension of the foil section co-ordinated with the lower and upper sides of the filling material, and the scheduled tearing line is situated in the foil section coordinated with the upper side of the filling material.

7. A wrapper as claimed in any of the preceding claims, which is produced as a web and forms a tube bag package for bar or tablet-like filling merchandise, e.g. chocolate, wherein the tearing line is positioned in the transverse direction of the foil web and parallel to as well as between the longitudinal edge of the filling merchandise and the closure fin or surface projecting from this latter.

8. A wrapper as claimed in claim 7, wherein the projecting closure fins or surfaces provided with the tearing lines are arranged so that they may be folded flat against the package at least for cartage.

9. A wrapper as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the tearing line is positioned substantially at right angles to a system of grooves or notches made in the filling merchandise.

10. A wrapper as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the force of adhesion of the adhesive as a securing means is diminished at least on the edge strip adjacent to the tearing line or on the closure fin or surface adjacent to this latter.

11. Foil packaging wrappers substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.