JP2007520398A - Package for powder material - Google Patents

Abstract

  Packaging and method for manufacturing the same. Provided is a powdery substance packaging body comprising a container portion manufactured from paper (paperboard), metal foil, and plastic material. Such a container is filled with powder, and a seal made of a plastic film and fixed to the container wall by heat sealing is attached above the powder. There is a small gap between the film and the lid placed on the container (in the closed state). After the first use, snap the spoon into the attachment means in the lid. The lid is provided with a raised portion for accommodating a spoon.

Description

  The present invention relates to a package for a powder substance according to the preamble of claim 1.

  Baby food packaging is subject to strict requirements regarding hygiene and weighing. Therefore, currently such powders are stored in cylindrical metal cans, which are sealed with metal or plastic lids. The lid must be opened for use and can be resealed in a simple manner. A spoon that is designed to define an accurate amount of powder material therein is used for weighing. By grinding the powder flat, a certain amount can be accommodated in the volume of the spoon. It is important to accurately determine this amount, in part to ensure adequate food intake for the infant and, on the other hand, to prevent problems associated with infant constipation as much as possible. It will be appreciated that the powder material is considered to be any granular material, notably a spray-dried food product, as well as an aggregate of powder particles.

  In such packages, such spoons are usually placed loosely between the top of the contents and the bottom of the product lid.

  Some users return the spoon after use into or onto the product. Other users consider it unsanitary to return the spoon after use into the contents of the container. Therefore, the spoons are often stored outside the container, which in practice increases the risk of bacterial contamination. On the other hand, in order to fit optimally on a shelf at the time of sale, the size and height of such a container are designed to be as compact as possible so that the volume is as small as possible.

  U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,645 discloses a container having a lid where a spoon is fitted into a mold made on the lid and the lid is connected to the container by a film hinge. A seal is provided at the upper end of the container, and the seal is surrounded by a lid and spoon assembly. Remove the spoon from the lid on first use. Sealing the container at the place where the lid and the container wall connect is very complex. The ability of the lid to stack before assembling the container is limited by the shape of the lid.

FR2747107 discloses a sealed container, and has a ring having a spoon and a lid at the upper end of the container. After removing the spoon from the ring and tearing off the seal, the ring can be placed on the container and the lid can then be used.
US Pat. No. 6,604,645 French Published Patent Publication No. 2747107

  In US Pat. No. 6,604,645 and FR 2747107, the user needs to detach the spoon from the plastic part, which is an extension of the spoon, which can introduce small pieces of plastic into the food, which is very dangerous .

  An object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of a container, lid and spoon, and since the spoon is not connected to the lid, there is no need to separate the lid and spoon. Also, lids used with containers can be easily stacked with other lids during their manufacture. By providing a seal above the contents, the quality of the contents of the container is guaranteed. Various volume of spoons can be used without substantial modification to the lid.

The invention is realized by the features of claim 1.
By keeping the lid height relatively low, the lid can be weighted. On the other hand, the lid shows that a spoon is placed inside the container. This is shown as a raised portion of the lid with (part of) a spoon shape. After filling the container with the intended contents, the spoon is not connected to either the lid or the container. This means that it is not necessary to separate the spoon from the rest of the container after filling.

  According to the invention, a portion of the spoon volume is accommodated in the upper end of the container. Therefore, a seal is provided slightly below the upper end of the container. The distance between the seal and the upper end of the container is preferably 20-50 mm, more preferably about 30 mm.

  According to the present invention, the user is prompted to store the spoon after the first use in the storage portion formed on the lid. This receiving part is partly defined by the raised part. In particular, the open end of the tip of the spoon can be accommodated in this raised portion. As a result, the volume of the container does not increase to a significant extent, but on the other hand, since the spoon does not come into contact with the filling in the container, the spoon can be stored in the container in the most sanitary condition.

  The height of the highest part and the base part of the raised part is 2 to 25 mm, particularly 4 to 15 mm.

  The lid according to the invention is preferably made of a plastic material, which is likewise hinged to a lid edge made of plastic material and clamped or otherwise fixed to the container wall. Preferably, the lid edge is provided with a leveling off edge, i.e. an angled portion or strip, to prevent the accumulation of powder in the corner portion. To accurately reproducibly and easily measure the product volume in the spoon, rub the top of the spoon in a simple manner under the scraping edge.

  In the case of a conventional package, it has been found that it is difficult to remove all the contents from the package. This is because it is difficult to manipulate the package in a relatively limited space. Furthermore, it is not hygienic to return the spoon into the contents after each use, as is now customary.

  In the case of a known package, for reasons of hygiene, a spoon is first placed in the container, and then the container is filled with powdered material. It is then sealed and a spoon appears on the surface by turning the container upside down. This method has inconveniences such as the possibility of plastic fragments broken under adverse conditions and other small pieces generated in the manufacturing process being mixed into the powder, and all the incidents associated therewith. Furthermore, as a result of this process, a relatively large empty space (so-called head space) is created between the top of the product such as powder and the bottom of the lid. In the case of perishable materials, such a large head space filled with gas is inconvenient. During long-term storage, certain substances in the product can be decomposed by oxygen present in the gas.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a container that does not have these disadvantages or has a lesser degree of inconvenience.
This further object is achieved by the container, the inside of the container wall contains a heat-sealable material, and a plastic film seal is installed in the vicinity of the upper end of the container that extends into the free cross-sectional area of the container. A seal is secured to the container by heat sealing.

  According to the invention, the space containing the spoon and the space where the powder is present are basically separated in a gastight manner. This is achieved by making the inside of the container a heat-sealable material and by providing a film cover above the powder by heat sealing using a material that can be heat-sealed after filling the powder. Separation is possible. In this way, a film providing a gas tight seal is provided above the powder. You can put a spoon on this film in some way.

  The film is preferably one that can be fixed to the peripheral wall by heat and has odor absorption.

  Prior to or during installation of the seal, a vacuum is applied in the product to prevent degradation in the product, such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or other inert gas, or a mixture of these gases under normal conditions. By filling with, it is possible to remove air or oxygen present in the powder or container, thereby further preventing deterioration.

  Since the contents of the container are used relatively quickly after opening, the quality of the product after opening the container does not deteriorate or hardly deteriorate under normal conditions. The problem is that there is a possibility of long-term storage, but the use of the seal of the present invention enables long-term storage without problems. The package can be provided with a hinge lid, so that the used container can be effectively closed.

  Furthermore, it is also possible to install on the lid a snap-type accommodation section that snaps the spoon. This accommodating part is preferably located at or near the center of the lid, and can accommodate the tip recess of the spoon and possibly the handle. Preferably during manufacture, the spoon is placed in the space between the lid and the seal rather than the snap-in receptacle. After opening the container for the first time, the user will clamp the spoon for the first time in the snap-in receptacle so that the spoon does not come into contact with the contents of the container.

  According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the package is essentially rectangular. The rectangular structure is very advantageous with regard to packaging and shelf placement. In addition to making maximum use of the capacity, it is possible to easily place a desired surface on the shelf facing the consumer in order to increase the power to stimulate the consumer's urge to consume. A further advantage of the basically rectangular package is that the operation of the spoon is clearly easier. When comparing a given surface area with a circle, the length of the diagonal of the rectangle is clearly longer than the diameter of the circle. Preferably, the rectangular corner portion is rounded. The corner portion is preferably provided with a ground edge. This edge is preferably wider than 9 mm wide as measured from the corner portion and may comprise a triangle or strip separated from the corner portion. If strips are used, powder cannot be deposited on adjacent corners. The width of such a strip may be 7-11 mm. The space from the nearest edge of the strip to the corner is longer than 4 mm, preferably about 5-9 mm.

  The receptacle can be adapted to at least partially accommodate the spoon in the lid. Various aspects depend on the amount of goods to be packed in the container, the desired cross-sectional area, and the height of the container. As described above, the free space (r) between the seal and the bottom of the lid is preferably 14 to 27 mm. In this way, it was found that an optimum size for the spoon was obtained, while a package containing, for example, 900 g of product could be stacked on the shelf in a simple manner. .

  Strict requirements are imposed on gas tightness and opacity for the packaging of certain products such as baby food. Accordingly, the present invention proposes making the wall of the container with a paper / metal foil / plastic laminate as well as the bottom of the container. The metal foil provides gas tightness and impermeability. Paper or paper board functions as a support material, and plastic functions as a heat insulating material. The plastic used may be any material known as state of the art in the art.

  According to a further advantageous embodiment, the seal formed above the product is provided with a tear lip and a weakening line. By pulling the lip, it can be opened along the weakening line, and the contents can be taken out from the package by opening in this way. This allows the user to easily access the product without having to perform any special operations, while this makes it easy to detect unauthorized opening. A further advantage is that any piece of product that falls between the seal and the wall during heat sealing cannot get out and remains pinched.

  After removing the film along the tear line, the end of the film remains on the sidewall. This end is preferably shorter than 5 mm, more preferably shorter than 4 mm, so that the opening for the product is as large as possible. The film is made of a material that the user is not likely to be injured by.

  The container is provided with means for facilitating gripping, such as a finger recess. Since the container is designed in a rectangular shape, one side of the package is optimal for the size of each hand. For ease of gripping by the consumer, the width of one side is the largest, approximately 12.0 cm, preferably 6-11.6 cm. The size of the other side surface may be 11.6 to 15.0 cm, and more preferably 12.4 to 13.5 cm. The height of the package including the lid is at most 22 cm, more preferably 10 to 20 cm, and still more preferably 15 to 20 cm.

  The present invention also relates to a method for providing a container filled with powder, providing a container having a bottom portion and an inner wall of the container made of a heat sealable material, a step of filling the container with powder, A lid is attached, including a step of attaching a heat-sealable film above and a step of adhering the film to the wall of the container.

  More specifically, since the container is manufactured from a blank that is finished before packing, the volume of packaging material that needs to be fed into the packaging device is low. More particularly, the container is first made, then filled with the container to provide the seal described above, and then a lid with a lid edge is attached. Gas may be introduced continuously or batchwise before / while providing the seal.

  As described above, the cross section of the container is preferably rectangular. More preferably, the center of at least two opposite faces of the rectangle is slightly raised outward. Such ridges are limited, preferably about 7 mm on the short side, more preferably 2 mm, and about 16 mm on the long side. However, it is preferable to avoid acute angles. That is, the deviation toward the outside of the straight line connecting the most refracted / inflection points is less than about 7 mm and about 16 mm, respectively, preferably 3 to 6 mm and 7 to 15 mm, respectively. is there. In addition, the container can be provided with a finger hold to facilitate gripping.

If the said dimension is specifically selected, the bottom part area of a container will be 120-150 cm < ² >, especially 125-140 cm < ² >, for example, 126-136 cm < ² >.

  In detail, the present invention includes a closure (tamper-opening prevention function) indicating unauthorized opening. This is provided by the fact that the lid edge comprises a perimeter extending upwards to the top of the lid periphery or beyond. As a result, the lid located inside the closure cannot be easily lifted. In the closed position the peripheral edge of the lid is not accessible. The peripheral edge that houses the peripheral edge is, for example, interrupted to allow access to a lip extending from the lid. Means for interrupting the peripheral edge can include a break away portion. This can be obtained, for example, by providing incisions at two locations on both sides of the edge. By incising this portion, the lip of the lid is exposed and the lid can be opened. When this part is incised, the connection to the lid edge (peripheral edge) is broken, and as a result, it has become clear by the incision of the outer circumference line that the tampered opening has occurred.

  The invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a package 1 of the present invention. The container 2 has a bottom 17. The bottom 17 is located inside the container so as to be slightly raised, whereby a vertical edge 29 is formed. This vertical edge makes it easy to stack different containers.

  The numeral 3 indicates a lid with a lip 18, which is connected to a support rim 4 via a hinge 5. The lid and lid edge are made of plastic material and are manufactured by injection molding. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the upper part of the lid 3 close to the periphery is located slightly below the upper edge of the peripheral edge 23 where the lid edge is raised in the closed position. The lid 3 is provided with a depending edge 26 that is fitted relatively close to the inside of the peripheral edge 27 on the support rim 4. The upper part of the periphery of the lid 3 is represented by numeral 28 and is fitted adjacent to the vicinity of the peripheral edge 23. As a result, the lid cannot be gripped at a place other than the notch 24 at the peripheral edge 23. In the closed position, the dependent part of the lip 18 extends to the front of the notch 24. Access to the lip 18 is prevented by a closure part 25 located at the front of the lip 18. Further details are shown in FIG. It can be seen that the lip 18 has a sharp protrusion that engages with the lower protrusion of the closure portion 25 to prevent the lip 18 from lifting while the closure portion 25 is present. During transport, the cutout 24 is sealed by the closure 25, and in each case, the closure 25 is connected to the peripheral edge 23 on both sides by two points 48. The connection between the closure part 25 and the circumferential edge 23 can be made in any other way, for example by partially reducing the thickness. The closure part 25 can be easily separated, and after the separation, the lid can be opened by lifting the lip 18. This method makes it clear to the user that the user first opened the container.

  Since the closure part 25 is located on the outer periphery of the container, it is immediately apparent whether or not the closure part 25 has been touched. Evidence that it is the first opener as described above (tamper-opening prevention function) can also be used in combination with a package other than those described in this specification. The scope is explicitly covered. The lid rim is clamped or glued to the container wall or otherwise secured by other methods well known in the art. The outer periphery of the lid / lid edge fits inside the periphery of the vertical lower edge 29. Although the container is basically a rectangular structure, it can be clearly seen from the drawing that the center of the flat wall is slightly raised. The front bump is illustrated by b. Such ridges can be limited and are preferably less than about 7 mm on the short side and less than about 16 mm on the long side. That is, the deviation toward the outside with respect to the straight line connecting the most refracted / inwardly curved points is less than about 7 mm and less than about 16 mm, respectively, and preferably 3 to 6 mm and 7 to 15 mm, respectively. In addition, the container can be provided with a finger hold for ease of handling.

  As can be seen from FIG. 1, the support rim 4 is provided with a leveling-off strip 6. The container is held at an angle and the scooped scoop can be moved under the leveling-off edge 6 to quantify the exact amount. In addition, the structure of the strip does not cause compaction of the powder or product, and the amount of material in the spoon can be remeasured at any time.

  A product 11 such as baby food is accommodated in the container 2. A seal 13 made of a film material and attached to the inner wall of the container 2 by heat sealing is arranged immediately above the product. The film material is provided with a weakening line 14 and a pull lip 15. When the pull lip 15 is grasped, the film 13 is broken along the weekning line 14, thereby allowing access to the product.

  The lid 3 is provided with a convex portion 9 that fits within the ridge formed by the vertical edge 28 of another container that may be stacked on the upper end of the container illustrated here. . In addition, another raised portion 10 that accommodates part of the spoon 8 is provided. Preferably, the portion to be accommodated is a tip recess of a spoon. There may be further ridges for the end of the spoon.

  The size of the ridge is determined by the volume of the desired spoon. As can be seen from the cross-section of FIG. 4, the ridge 10 can be extended above the elevation 9. The raised portion 10 may be raised by a maximum represented by “a” with respect to the bottom, and is between 4 mm and 12 mm. Since the bottom of the container is provided with a vertical lower edge 29, these ridges fit within the space defined by the vertical lower edge 29 and the bottom 17. In order to perform accurate centering, the vertical lower end edge 29 is flanged to some extent inside the bottom 17 to ensure a fixed position when stacked. The height of the bottom relative to the positioning surface of the container coincides with the height of the ridge relative to the location where the side wall of the container that sits on top of the lower container is located. This height is indicated by “b” in FIG. The handle of the spoon 8 is clamped and clamped between locking means (lip) 7 which is integral with the lid and is preferably located at or near the center of the lid. The container wall is provided with a recess 16 that matches the shape of the user's finger. Clamping the spoon on the lid prevents the spoon from falling into the powder after the first use. Clamping the spoon on the lid will prevent bacterial contamination as much as possible. Before the container is opened for the first time (that is, after being shipped from the powder filling facility), the spoon 8 may be set free on the seal 13. This is illustrated in FIG. It can be seen from FIG. 4 that the receptacle defined by the upper and lower sides of the lid is not large enough to accommodate the spoon 8. Therefore, a seal 13 is provided at a distance r from the lowermost end of the spoon housing in the lid. This distance r is preferably 20 mm to 50 mm, more preferably 40 mm. If it does in this way, the height of a lid can be kept comparatively low, and it can make it easy to pile up during manufacture.

  Even after the seal is removed after the first use and the spoon 8 is clamped between the lip 7, a portion of the spoon is in the space below the lid and defined by the top of the container 2. It is preferable to extend.

  The peripheral edge 23 is vertical to allow powder that spills while moving the spoon full of powder to return into the container.

  FIG. 3 shows that the wall of the container is composed of a laminate. This laminate consists of a paperboard / paper 20, relatively thin aluminum foil 21, and a layer of plastic material 22 disposed on the inside, from outside to inside, and the plastic material 22 is bonded to the seal 13 by heat sealing. Can be glued. By using the seal, it is possible to limit the risk of contact between the foreign matter and the product. That is, after the seal is attached, unnecessary objects such as a spoonful plastic portion remain on the seal and cannot contact the powder.

  Some typical dimensions of the package are shown below, but it should be understood that the package is not limited thereto as long as the baby food is packaged.

  The distance between the bottom of the lid and the top of the seal is preferably 14 to 27 mm, more preferably 7 to 23 mm. This spacing is just large enough to accommodate a spoon. However, this height varies depending on the desired volume of the spoon.

  The distance from the lower side of the seal to the top of the powder is preferably less than 10 mm, more preferably less than 5 mm. That is, the seal is placed as close as possible to the powder during packing.

  As can be seen from the drawing, the container has a rectangular structure, which allows the can to be emptied to the maximum with a spoon 8. In order to be emptied to the maximum extent, the length of the spoon is preferably 60-95%, more preferably 70-90% of the diagonal of the container.

  As a result of using rectangular containers, optimal utilization of the maximum possible amount is possible when displaying on packaging or retailer shelves.

  FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the lid of the present invention. The lid is generally indicated by numeral 53 and basically corresponds to the lid 3 in the previous drawing. Numbers 60 and 61 indicate ridges for the spoon. An elevation 60 is configured to accommodate the tip recess 52 of the spoon 58 and an elevation 61 is provided to accommodate the handle 54 of the spoon 58. A reinforcing rib of the lid extends between the raised portions 60 (elevation) and 61. The clamping means 57 is shown in dotted lines. In the arrangement according to the present embodiment, the opening side of the spoon 52 faces the direction of the ridge 60 at the clamp position. This means that it is possible to accommodate the tip recesses of the spoons having different “heights” between the clamping means 57. This configuration allows the use of a spoon 58 with various sized tip recesses without adapting to the lid design. In the present embodiment, only a part of the spoon is accommodated in the lid, and the remaining part is accommodated in the space above the seal in the container.

  FIG. 6 shows an apparatus for manufacturing a container. The apparatus comprises a sending station 31 to which a blank 32 is fed. After the bending / joining station 33, the container 34 of the present invention is manufactured. These containers consist of a wall and a bottom, with no lid. Subsequently, at 35, the product is filled. At 30, the sealing film is secured by heat sealing while an inert gas is introduced into the space for storing the product. In this way, an airtight volume is obtained, and the product can be stored for a very long time without being damaged therein. At station 30, gas is introduced batchwise or continuously. At 39, the package and contents are checked. Subsequently, the lid is pressed onto the container wall with the lid edge and secured at 37. Collected at 38 and packed.

  Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood that many modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the application as defined in the appended claims.

1 schematically shows a perspective view and a partially exposed view of a container of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of FIG. 1 with the lid closed. It is a top view of the seal | sticker of this invention. It is the figure which cut | disconnected FIG. 1 along line III-III. It is the figure which cut | disconnected the lid | cover and container in a closed position along line IV-IV. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a top view of the lid of FIG. 5. It is a figure which shows roughly the apparatus for manufacturing the container of this invention.

Claims (19)

A container (2), a lid (3), a measuring spoon, and a receptacle in a space defined by the lid for accommodating the measuring spoon (8), the lid being on the container; A ridge (10) is provided that bulges outward when in the fitted position, and a recess is defined on the inside of the ridge for at least partially accommodating a spoon, and on the inside of the lid A powder substance (such as a baby food) having a seal extending to the free cross-sectional area of the container, the container (2) separating the contents of the container from the outside world 11) a package (1) for
The seal is placed away from the upper end of the container to accommodate a portion of the measuring spoon;
The height of the storage portion of the lid is smaller than the height of the spoon so that the spoon can be stored in the storage portion between the lid and the seal when the container is closed with the lid, and The spoon is separated from the lid and the container;
A container for powder material, characterized in that   Package according to claim 1, characterized in that the highest point of the ridge (10) extends at least 4 mm (a) above the apex of the peripheral edge of the package.   A lid (3) is hinged (5) attachable to a supporting edge (4) attached to the container wall, the lid and the supporting end comprising a single part made of plastic material The package according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the package is characterized.   4. A package according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is combined with claim 3, characterized in that the support end is provided with a scraped surface.   The package according to claim 4, wherein the scraped surface is installed close to a corner portion of the container.   The support end portion is provided with a raised portion into which the lid is fitted horizontally, and the raised portion is provided with a notch portion having a closure portion (25) that can be easily removed. The package according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is combined with claim 3.   The spoon according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the spoon comprises a cup and the locking means (7) is arranged so that the opening of the cup faces the lid when the spoon is accommodated. The package described.   The container has a heat sealable material (22) inside the wall, the seal comprises a plastic film seal (13), characterized in that the seal is secured to the container wall by heat sealing, The package according to any one of claims 1 to 7.   The package according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the container and the lid are basically rectangular.   The package according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the distance (r) between the upper part of the film and the lowest part of the spoon containing part in the lid is 35 to 50 mm.   The package according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the wall of the container is made of a laminate of paper (20) / metal foil (21) / plastic (22).   Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall of the container extends downward beyond the bottom (17) of the container and defines a vertical lower edge (29).   When the lid has a peripheral edge, the upper end of the container has a peripheral edge (23), and when the lid is in the closed position, the peripheral edge of the lid is inaccessible to the inside of the peripheral edge (23) A closure (means) (25) is provided for blocking the peripheral edge (23) from accessing the peripheral edge, wherein the peripheral edge (23) is accessible to the peripheral edge. The package described.   14. Package according to claim 13, characterized in that the means for blocking the peripheral edge (23) comprises an incisible peripheral edge portion (25).   15. Packaging according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the lid comprises a lip that is locked in place by means of closures (25).   A method for providing a container filled with powder, comprising: providing a container having a bottom (17) and an inner wall of the container made of a heat sealable material; filling the container with the powder; A powder-filled container comprising a step of attaching a heat-sealable film above the powder and a step of bonding the film to the wall of the container, wherein a lid is attached. How to provide.   17. A method according to claim 16, characterized in that the provision of the container comprises using a blank of wall material and bottom material as starting materials and joining them immediately before filling the goods.   18. A method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that an inert gas is introduced into the space below the film before / sealing the film to the container wall.   18. A method according to claim 17, characterized in that the gas is introduced into a number of containers simultaneously.

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