A PACKAGING MATERIAL, AND A PACKAGE

Abstract

A packaging material for producing a sealed package of a pourable food product is provided. The packaging material can include a first set of crease lines configured to form an upper end of the package when the packaging material is folded along said first set of crease lines, a second set of crease lines configured to form a bottom end of the package when the packaging material is folded along said second set of crease lines, and a third set of crease lines, said third set of crease lines being separated in order to define longitudinal panels extending in between said third set of crease lines. The longitudinal panels can include a first panel having a horizontal crease line, and a second panel arranged adjacent to said first panel when the package is formed, the second panel having at least one vertical crease line.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates a packaging material. More particularly the present invention relates to a carton-based packaging material for forming a package, and a package.

BACKGROUND

Packaging material used for producing individual packages for e.g. liquid food is well known in the art, and has been a commercial success for many years due to cost-efficient manufacturing and superior quality in terms of robustness, food safety, etc.

Typically the packaging material is a sheet-like material entering the filling machine either as a continuous web of packaging material, or as separate blanks.

During filling the package is formed by sealing and folding the package material; the result is a closed package having a distinct shape, such as a parallelepipedic shape.

During use the package is opened, and the content is poured out from the package. For very viscous products, such as yoghurt or similar, the discharge rate is decreasing as the content level inside the package decreases. Especially if the dimensions of the package opening are small, it may take some time to empty the package completely.

In order to improve emptying of a package enclosing high viscous liquid it would of course be possible to increase the dimensions of the package opening. However, due to practical reasons it may not be possible to have a sufficiently large package opening in order to satisfy user requirements relating to the discharge rate during emptying of the package.

In view of this there is a need for an improved packaging material.

SUMMARY

To that end the present disclosure may be said to, according to a first aspect thereof, relate to a packaging material in accordance with claim 1. According to a second aspect a package in accordance with claim 13 is provided. Preferred embodiments are defined by the appended dependent claims.

Further embodiments are disclosed in the detailed description and it should be emphasized that features of all embodiments may be freely combined to accomplish further advantages, i.e. the embodiments are provided by means of examples, not with the intent to provide an exhaustive list of all alternatives available within the scope of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a package being formed by a packaging material according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a package being formed by a packaging material according to another embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a packaging material being used to form the package shown in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 4a-d are side views of the package shown in FIG. 2 during an emptying process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1 a package 10 is shown. The package 10 is formed by folding and sealing a package material (see FIG. 3) in accordance with an embodiment. The package 10 is a so called gable top, having an opening provided at its upper end 5. The upper end 5 is connected to four lateral walls; a front side 2, a back side 3, and tow lateral side walls 4a-b. The four lateral walls 2, 3, 4a-b are connected at their lower edge by a bottom end 6.

The four lateral walls 2, 3, 4a-b form panels P1-P4 which are pre-defined in the packaging material 1 prior to manufacturing of the package 10.

For the package 10 shown in FIG. 1 the back side 3, corresponding to panel P1, is provided with a horizontal crease line H arranged at the lower half of the package 10, approximately at a height corresponding to half the width of the bottom end 6.

The lateral side walls 4a-b are each provided with a vertical crease line F. The vertical crease line F is separated into two crease lines arranged along a common axis, and being separated at the centre part of the package. Separation is preferred in order to maintain the robustness of the package 10 at this centre area; otherwise there may be an increased risk of bulging.

The horizontal crease line H facilitates folding of the bottom end 6 upwards towards the back side 3. The vertical crease line F facilitates folding of the lateral side walls 4a-b inwards in order to flatten the package 10 upon emptying. Hence, it will be possible to empty the package 10 in a facilitated manner, especially if the package 10 is filled with high viscous food product such as yoghurt or similar.

In FIG. 2 another embodiment of a package 10′ is shown. The package 10′ is here represented by a flat-top package commercially known as Tetra Brik™. The package 10′ shows great similarities with the package 10 previously described with reference to FIG. 1. Hence, one panel P1 forming the front side 2 is provided with the horizontal crease line H, while the lateral side walls 4a-b are provided with a respective vertical crease line F.

When comparing the packages 10, 10′ of FIGS. 1 and 2 it is evident that the horizontal crease line H may be provided on the back side 3 or on the front side 2 of the package 10, 10′.

Now turning to FIG. 3 a packaging material 1 according to an embodiment is shown. The packaging material 1 may e.g. be provided as a separate blank, or as a part of a continuous web of packaging material 1.

The packaging material preferably has a multilayer structure comprising a base layer, e.g. of paper, covered on both sides with layers of heat-seal plastic material, e.g. polyethylene. In the case of aseptic packages for long-storage products, such as UHT milk, the packaging material also comprises a layer of oxygen-barrier material, e.g. an aluminium foil, which is superimposed on a layer of heat-seal plastic material, and is in turn covered with another layer of heat-seal plastic material forming the inner face of the package eventually contacting the food product.

The packaging material has a first set of crease lines T configured to form an upper end of the package 10, 10′ when the packaging material 1 is folded along said first set of crease lines T, and a second set of crease lines B configured to form a bottom end of the package 10, 10′ when the packaging material 1 is folded along said second set of crease lines B. As is evident the exact configuration of the individual crease lines of the first and second set may be designed according to the desired appearance and dimensions of the final package. Hence, the two different packages 10, 10′, described previously require different sets of crease lines for forming the upper end and the bottom end.

Also, a third set of crease lines V1-V3 is provided. The crease lines V1-V3 are separated in order to define longitudinal panels P1-P4 extending in between said crease lines V1-V3. The panels P1-P4 correspond to the four lateral walls 2, 3, 4a-b of the final package 10, 10′.

As can be seen in FIG. 3 at least a first panel P1 is provided with the horizontal crease line H, and at least one second panel P2, P4, being arranged adjacent to said first panel P1 when the package 10, 10′ is formed, is provided with at least one vertical crease line F.

The crease lines V1-V3 preferably extend between the first set of crease lines T and the second set of crease lines B. Optionally, the crease lines V1-V3 extend into the first and second set of crease lines T, B such that only a part of the crease lines V1-V3 assist in defining the panels P1-P4 arranged in between.

The vertical crease line F is preferably provided as two crease lines Fa, Fb extending along a common axis, but being separated from each other in a longitudinal direction. The separation distance between the two vertical crease lines Fa, Fb may e.g. be less than the individual length of at least one of said two vertical crease lines Fa, Fb.

In one embodiment, the two vertical crease lines Fa, Fb have equal length.

Preferably, the vertical crease lines Fa-b extend along a centre line of said panel(s) P2, P4.

The total length of the vertical crease line F may be between 20-80% of the total height of the package 10, 10′ when formed, and the total length of the horizontal crease line H may e.g. exceed 50% of the width of its associated panel P1, P3.

In one embodiment the horizontal crease line H extends across the entire width of its associated panel P1.

Preferably, the horizontal crease line H is arranged at a distance from the upper longitudinal end of the second set of crease lines B, said distance being equal to the longitudinal extension of the second set of crease lines B.

Now turning to FIGS. 4a-d folding of a package 10′ will be described. However, the folding process is also applicable for the package 10 shown in FIG. 1.

Starting in FIG. 4a the package 10′ is shown during normal conditions, i.e. its intended parallelepipedic shape is maintained. During emptying the bottom end 6 is folded upwards along the horizontal crease line H. This is shown in FIG. 4b. At the same time the lateral side walls 4a-b are urged slightly inwards, such that they may fold inwards along the respective vertical crease line F.

In FIG. 4c the package 10′ is shown in which folding has been performed such that the upper end 5 starts to deform as a result of the lateral side walls 4a-b being folded even further inwards.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 4d The package 10′ has been flattened significantly such that the remaining food product may be discharged in a very efficient manner. For disposal purposes the reduced size of the flattened package 10′ provides additional advantages.

Claims

1. A packaging material for producing a sealed package of a pourable food product, comprising:

a first set of crease lines configured to form an upper end of the sealed package when the packaging material is folded along said first set of crease lines;

a second set of crease lines configured to form a bottom end of the sealed package when the packaging material is folded along said second set of crease lines; and

a third set of crease lines, said third set of crease lines being separated in order to define longitudinal panels extending in between said third set of crease lines, wherein the longitudinal panels defined by the third set of crease lines comprise: a first panel having a horizontal crease line; and a second panel arranged adjacent to said first panel when the sealed package is formed, said second panel having at least one vertical crease line and wherein the at least one vertical crease line comprises two vertical crease lines extending along a common axis, but being separated from each other in a longitudinal direction, wherein the separation distance between the two vertical crease lines is less than an individual length of at least one of said two vertical crease lines.

2. The packaging material according to claim 1, wherein the third set of crease lines extend between the first set of crease lines and the second set of crease lines.

3. The packaging material according to claim 1, wherein the third set of crease lines defines a third panel arranged adjacent to the first panel when the sealed package is formed, wherein the third panel comprises at least one vertical crease line.

4. (canceled)

5. The packaging material according to claim 1, wherein the two vertical crease lines have equal length.

6. The packaging material according to claim 1, wherein the at least one vertical crease line extends along a centre line of said second panel.

7. The packaging material according to claim 1, wherein a total length of the at least one vertical crease line is between 20-80% of a total height of the sealed package when formed.

8. The packaging material according to claim 1, wherein a total length of the horizontal crease line exceeds 50% of a width of the first panel.

9. The packaging material according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal crease line extends across an entire width of the first panel.

10. The packaging material according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal crease line is arranged at a vertical position closer to the second set of crease lines than the first set of crease lines.

11. The packaging material according to claim 1, wherein the second set of crease lines have a longitudinal extension, and wherein the horizontal crease line is arranged at a distance from an upper longitudinal end of the second set of crease lines, said distance being equal to the longitudinal extension of the second set of crease lines.

12. A sealed package for pourable food products obtained by folding the packaging material according to claim 1.

13. The sealed package according to claim 12, comprising a front side, a back side, and two lateral sides, wherein the front side, the back side, and the two lateral sides extend between a closed upper end and a closed bottom end.

14. The sealed package according to claim 13, wherein the back side is formed by the first panel having the horizontal crease line, and wherein at least one of the two lateral sides is formed by the second panel having the at least one vertical crease line.