STAND-UP PACKAGING

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stand-up packaging (1) for food products comprising at least one first pouch (21) and at least one second pouch (22) for carrying a food product, respectively, an outer packaging (3) having two cover elements (31,32) at least partially sandwiching the first pouch (21), and at least one further element (33) being at least partially sandwiched between the first pouch (21) and one of the cover elements (31). The further element (33) is penetrated by a through hole (36) and the one cover element (31) is glued (Gi) to the first pouch (21) via the through hole (36). The second pouch (22) is directly glued (G2) not via a through hole to at least one of the cover elements (31,32) or the further element (33).

Description

The present invention relates to a stand-up packaging or package for food products having a pouch for carrying a food product and an outer packaging at least partially surrounding the pouch.

Such stand-up packagings are well-known in the prior art. To fix the sleeve or pouch to the outer packaging, present packagings use stapler or other mechanical fixing means or ultrasonic sealing, heat sealing or sewing. These techniques either require costly apparatuses and manufacturing processes and/or use additional fixing means like stapler, which might end up in the food stored within the sleeve or pouch.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a stand-up packaging for food products as initially described in a simple and cost efficient manner.

The object is to be accomplished by means of the independent claim. The dependent claims advantageously study further the central idea of the present invention.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stand-up packaging for food products. The stand-up packaging comprises at least one first pouch and at least one second pouch for carrying a food product, respectively. The stand-up packaging further comprises an outer packaging having two (i.e. a first and a second) cover elements at least partially sandwiching the first pouch. The stand-up packaging further comprises at least one further element being at least partially sandwiched between the first pouch and one of the two mentioned cover elements (in the following also referred to as “the one cover element”). The further element is penetrated by a through hole. The one cover element is glued to (i.e. directly glued to) the at least one first pouch via (i.e. through) the through hole. The at least one second pouch is directly glued not via (i.e. through) a through hole to at least one of the two mentioned cover elements or the further element.

Hence, the glue which extends through the through hole of the further element can act as a kind of plug or bolt being fixedly attached or connected (i.e. directly glued) to the opposite elements (i.e. the one cover element and the at least one first pouch) to thus carry the first pouch(es) via the outer packaging. If more than one first pouch is present, all of these pouches can be connected/glued to the outer packaging (i.e. the one cover element) via at least one or a plurality of through holes of at least one or a plurality of further elements.

Moreover, by directly gluing the second pouch not via a through hole it is possible to connect at least one additional second pouch to at least one of the two mentioned cover elements or the further element in an easy and flexible manner. Additionally, it is possible to position the additional second pouch in the stand-up packaging independently and differently to the first pouch. Thereby, it is possible to use the space defined by the outer packaging more efficiently and to arrange the respective pouches in a manner that allows for creating an appealing presentation of the food products inside the pouches.

According to the present invention, the term “stand-up packaging” covers any kind of packages, which by themselves and, in particular, by their design are able to stand alone when being placed on a preferably flat ground.

According to the present invention, the term “food products” covers any kind of consumable products, particularly any kind of consumable products, which are generally carried and sold in such stand-up packages. The food products can have any consistency and may, for instance, be fluid, flowable, pasty, jellylike, powdered, solid and the like.

According to the present invention, the term “pouch” can be any kind of preferably deformable or flexible packaging for carrying a food product; i.e. it is made of a food safe material. In particular, it can be made of a sealable material to thus provide a closed and preferably hermetically sealed (e.g. air-tight) pocket for receiving the food product.

According to the present invention, the term “outer packaging” covers all kind of packagings to carry and/or enclose pouches as described herein above. The outer packaging is preferably made of cardboard or plastics. It is preferably imprinted to carry information with respect to the content (e.g. food product; meal) of the stand-up packaging, like pictures, texts (cooking recipe; ingredients; nutrition facts; etc.), barcodes and the like.

According to the present invention, the expression of “to be sandwiched between [ . . . ]” is usually to be understood as “being inserted or enclosed between usually two things”.

According to the present invention, any kind of “glue” can be used, which allows a direct gluing connection between the respective elements.

For example, the gluing connection between the cover element and the first pouch, which are connected via (i.e. through) the through hole, can be established with the same or a different kind of “glue” that is used for the direct gluing connection between the second pouch and the at least one of the cover elements or the further element.

According to the present invention, “glued [ . . . ] via the through hole” is to be understood as “glued [ . . . ] through the through hole”, i.e. that the glue extents through the through hole to thus directly connect the elements being positioned opposite with respect to the through hole.

Accordingly, “directly glued not via a through hole” is to be understood such that the glue does not extend through any kind of hole—i.e. there is no element present between the pouch and the element to which it is glued to in the region of glue attachment—to thus directly connect the respective two elements as the glue adheres the surfaces of the two elements abutting against each other.

According to the present invention, “glued to each other” is to be understood as being “directly glued to each other”, i.e. that the glued elements are directly glued and thus connected to one another by means of glue irrespective of the glue extending between these elements via (i.e. through) the through hole.

With respect to the present invention, it is thus possible to easily provide fixing means (by simple use of glue) to the outer packaging—and in particular to one of its cover elements—and at the same time connect the outer packaging with pouch(es) to thus obtain a ready stand-up packaging carrying the pouch(es) and without the use of additional fixing means; i.e. in an easy and cost efficient manner.

This comes about since glue can be easily provided to surfaces that are required for gluing together. For example, for the first pouch glue can be easily provided from one outer side of the stand-up packaging and easily reaches the elements intended to be glued to each other as the glue is applied in a region of the through holes; as glue extends through the respective through holes, it may function as a kind of plug or bolt carrying and fixing the further elements and allowing the at least one pouch to be securely attached to the outer packaging. Similarly can be found for the second pouch that is directly glued not via a through hole so that glue can be applied directly between the two respective elements. In addition, it is possible to provide a stand-up packaging with a plurality of pouches for carrying food products. It is thus possible to provide a stand-up packaging that, for example, comprises various ingredients for a meal.

The second pouch may be directly glued to a portion or surface of the other cover element. The portion or surface preferably faces the first pouch.

Additionally or alternatively, the second pouch may be at least partially sandwiched between the first pouch and the outer packaging or preferably between the first pouch and the other cover element or the further element. Also, the second pouch may be at least partially sandwiched between one of the cover elements or the further element, to which it is directly glued to, on the one hand and the corresponding other one of the one of the cover elements or the further element, to which it is not directly glued to, on the other hand.

Thus, it is possible to arrange the second pouch in various different positions and arrangements in relation to other elements of the stand-up packaging of the present invention. Consequently, it is possible to the design the stand-up packaging more freely. Moreover, the first pouch and the second pouch can be arranged at different elements of the packaging so that they are easily accessible when opening the packaging, e.g. by (partially) separating the packaging elements.

The further element may be a third cover element of the outer packaging. Alternatively or additionally, the further element may comprise at least one or a plurality of additional first pouches for carrying a food product. The additional first pouches are generally similar to the at least one first pouch. The different first pouches—i.e. the at least one first pouch as well as the additional first pouches—may carry different ingredients of a particular recipe/meal. Both, the third cover element and the additional first pouch(es) comprise the through hole(s) as described herein above. They are thus at least partially sandwiched between the at least one first pouch and the one cover element such that the one cover element is glued to the at least one first pouch via the through hole(s) of these further elements.

Similarly as described before for the additional first pouches, the at least one second pouch for carrying a food product may be generally similar to the at least one first pouch. The different pouches—i.e. the at least one first pouch and the at least one second pouch—may carry different ingredients of a particular recipe/meal. The different pouches may vary in size. For example, the first pouch may have larger dimensions than the second pouch, the first pouch thereby forming a main pouch and the second pouch being a secondary, smaller pouch.

In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the respective pouches, i.e. at least one of the at least one first pouch or the at least one second pouch, comprises a sealing region. Preferably, all of the respective pouches comprise a sealing region. This sealing region is provided to dose at least a part of the respective pouch to securely carry the food product within the pouch. The sealing region may circumferentially or partially circumferentially surround the respective pouch, i.e. at least one of the first and second pouch, to form a pocket in order to preferably sealingly carry the food product; preferably in a (hermetically) sealed manner.

Thus, it is possible to provide a stand-up packaging that may be used to store the food product in a safe and hygienic manner over an extended period of time.

In a preferred embodiment, the stand-up packaging may comprise more than one second pouch. The second pouches may preferably be glued to the same element, i.e. to at least one of the cover elements or the further element, or more preferred to the same side or surface thereof. Alternatively or additionally, the second pouches may at least partially overlap in at least one viewing direction, preferably in a front view of the stand-up packaging, preferably with the stand-up packaging being in its designated operating—i.e. (upright) standing or stand-up—position.

Additionally or alternatively, the second pouches may overlap in a way that bottom edges of neighboring second pouches are positioned at different heights.

Preferably, the heights of the bottom edges of second pouches may be determined in relation to an edge of the element, to which the second pouches are glued to, preferably when the stand-up packaging is in its designated operating position. Moreover, the second pouches may overlap at different heights such that the second pouch, which bottom edge is higher or lower with respect to its neighboring second pouch, is at least partially sandwiched by the one of the cover elements or the further element, to which it is directly glued to, and at least the neighboring second pouch.

Thus, it is possible to arrange the second pouches in the stand-up packaging in a staggered manner. Thereby, it is possible to use the space defined by the stand-up packaging in an efficient manner. Moreover, it may be achieved that each of the second pouches is directly connected to the element, to which the second pouches are glued to, as well as that none of the second pouches is completely covered by a neighboring second pouch, thereby facilitating the visibility of each of the second pouches. Further, the packaging can thus be provided in a flat manner.

Preferably, the element, to which the second pouch is directly glued to, comprises a gluing portion for directly gluing the second pouch to the respective element. According to the present invention, “the element, to which the second pouch is directly glued to” is to be understood as at least one of the two cover elements or the further element.

In a preferred embodiment in which the stand-up packaging comprises more than one second pouch, a gluing portion may be provided for each of the second pouches.

It may also be preferred that the gluing portion of a particular second pouch is offset to a neighboring second pouch, wherein the neighboring second pouch is on the same side of the particular second pouch as the gluing portion of the particular second pouch.

Thus, it is possible to arrange the second pouches on the element, to which the second pouches are glued to, in a staggered manner. In particular, by providing the neighboring second pouch on the same side of a particular pouch as the gluing portion thereof, space is economically used and the visibility of the individual pouches is secured. Moreover, it can be ensured that each of the second pouches is directly connected to the element, to which it is glued to.

In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the first and/or second pouches comprises a headspace. Preferably, at least the second pouch(es) comprise(s) the headspace. More preferred, the pocket of at least one of the first and/or second pouches comprises the headspace.

According to the present invention, the term “headspace” is to be understood as a(n) (empty) space above or besides of the food product within the pouch, i.e. in a closed volume of the pouch.

Thus, it is possible to improve the transport and storage capabilities of the stand-up packaging as the risk of accidental spillage or burst of one of the pouches can be reduced by providing a headspace. Moreover, the headspace allows easier filling of the pouches during production. Moreover, the provision of the headspace allows to reduce the thickness of the individual pouch by allowing the food content to be moved correspondingly inside the pouch.

In a preferred embodiment of the stand-up packaging that comprises more than one second pouch, the headspace of a particular second pouch at least partially overlaps with the pocket of a neighboring second pouch. Preferably, the headspace of a particular second pouch at least partially overlaps with the pocket of a neighboring second pouch such that the neighboring second pouch is sandwiched between the headspace of the particular second pouch and the element, to which it is directly glued to.

Thus, it is possible to arrange the pouches in a more condensed manner as the headspace of the pouches overlaps with a neighboring pouch. Consequently, it is possible to arrange multiple pouches next to each other in a staggered manner without having to provide a through hole for gluing the pouches to the respective element, to which the second pouches are directly glued to. Additionally, the headspace of a particular second pouch can be hidden by being covered by its neighboring second pouch. Hence, the appearance of the stand-up packaging can be improved.

The outer packaging and preferably at least one of the cover elements may comprise a cut-out region to expose at least one and preferably all of the first and/or second pouches. Alternatively or additionally, the further element may comprise the cut-out region.

In other words, this cut-out region may function as an inspection window.

In a preferred embodiment, the cut-out region is provided such that all of the contained pouches are visible through said cut-out region. Preferably, for a stand-up packaging comprising more than one second pouch the cut-out region is provided in a region (of the outer packaging), where the (second) pouches overlap with each other. Moreover, the respective pouches may have different lengths or may be provided in an offset manner, accordingly.

Hence, by providing a cut-out region it can be achieved that the content of the stand-up packaging can be easily displayed.

The glue being used for the stand-up packaging may be provided as glue dots or a line of glue or an area provided with glue. Preferably, the glue covers at least partially the through holes. According to the present invention, “at least partially covering” means that the glue must at least partially extend over the corresponding through holes to allow the one cover element being glued to the at least one first pouch via said through holes. The glue, however, may also cover regions surrounding or between the through holes to allow for neighboring elements to be glued to each other directly to thus provide a firm connection of these elements of the outer packaging and/or the outer packaging and the corresponding (additional) first pouches.

Additionally or alternatively, the glue used for the second pouch(es) may be different from the glue used for the first pouch. For example, the glue used for the second pouch(es) may be a double-sided adhesive tape while a liquid glue is used for the first pouch.

At least one of the through holes and preferably all of the through holes comprise(s) at least two or more distant through holes. In fact, the number of distant through holes per further element (i.e. per additional pouch or third cover element) is not limited by the present invention. However, at least two distant through holes are preferred to allow for a secure fixation of the pouch at least two points thus reducing the effect of torque acting upon the glued fixing regions. In a preferred embodiment, the distant through holes of at least two and preferably all of the through holes are aligned to each other, respectively. This allows for an easy connection of the first pouches to the outer packaging and in particular a connection of the one cover element to the at least one first pouch via the through holes of the further element(s) preferably being aligned with one another.

According to the present invention, the shape of the through hole(s) is not limited. However, the through hole and preferably each of the distant through holes may have a rounded or polygonal shape, like a circular, oval or square shape. These kinds of shapes can be easily manufactured.

At least one of the cover elements—preferably the one cover element—can have a gluing region and a flap region being divided by a weakened tear-opening region. The tear-opening region is preferably configured (in any desired manner) to allow for separation of the gluing region and the flap region so that the flap region is released to allow access to the pouches, e.g., by bending open the flap region. The weakened tear-opening region can thus be provided as weakened (e.g. thinned) material region in the respective cover element. The weakened tear-opening region can also be configured to be removable to thus release the flap region to access the respective pouches, i.e. the first or second pouches, in the outer packaging. Hence, a simple opening means can be integrally provided with the stand-up packaging.

The outer packaging may further comprise a preferably flat base element for supporting or even carrying the stand-up packaging if being placed on the ground. The base element can be integrally formed with at least one of the cover elements and may further preferred cover bottom regions (e.g. bottom rim portions or edges) of the pouches. The stand-up packaging thus provides a stable supporting region to carry the stand-up packaging, which preferably covers bottom regions of (all) the pouches, i.e. the first and second pouches, to protect the same.

The cover elements may be integrally provided with each other to form an outer packaging having any desired layout. Preferred layouts of the outer packaging may be a U-shape, a loop-shape or a box-shape.

A U-shaped outer packaging can be obtained if the first and second cover elements are connected by a bending portion, which extends over a lateral region (e.g. upper edge or rim portions) of the pouches.

A loop-shaped outer packaging may be obtained if the first and second cover elements are connected by a bending portion, preferably in an upper region of the outer packaging, as described for the U-shaped layout, and the second and third cover elements are connected to one another by a further bending portion, preferably in a bottom region of the outer packaging which extends over another lateral region (e.g. bottom edge or rim portions) of the pouches. Preferably, the first and third cover element overlap with one another, so that the third cover element is at least partially sandwiched between the (neighboring) first pouch (e.g. the at least one first pouch or one of the additional first pouches) and the first cover element. This sandwiched region of the third cover element may function as a gluing region having the through hole(s). The bottom bending region connecting the second and third cover elements may be provided by or may comprise the base element of the outer packaging.

A box-shaped outer packaging may be obtained similar to the loop-shaped outer packaging but further comprising lateral cover elements, which may extend from one of the cover elements (e.g. the second or third cover elements) and are bent to extend to the opposite cover element (e.g. the other of the second or third cover elements) to which the lateral cover elements are preferably glued.

The invention, however, is not limited to a particular shape, but the outer packaging can have any possible shape as long as it allows preferably for one of its outer cover elements to be glued to the at least one first pouch via through holes penetrating at least one of the further elements (e.g. additional first pouch(es) or third cover element) being sandwiched by said cover element and said first pouch.

The first and second pouches may be made of any food safe material suitable to carry food products. They may be made of plastics. They are preferably at least partially and more preferred circumferentially sealed by the mentioned sealing region to thus (hermetically) seal the carried food products. In a preferred embodiment, the pouches are made of a deformable or flexible material. They can also be made of a transparent material so that the content can be easily inspected by a user. The outer packaging can be made of any material used for outer packaging for food products. In a most preferred embodiment, the outer packaging is made of cardboard or plastics.

Further, features, advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent for the skilled person when reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the present invention and when taking in conjunction with the figures of the enclosed drawings.

In case numerals have been omitted from a particular figure, it cannot be followed that the respective features are not present in the particular figure. Instead, the numerals have been omitted for reasons of clarity of the figure unless stated otherwise.

FIGS. 1 to 5 show different steps of manufacturing an embodiment of a stand-up packaging according to the present invention,

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the rear of the embodiment of the stand-up packaging according to the present invention manufactured in accordance with the steps of FIGS. 1 to 5.

The figures show an embodiment of a stand-up packaging 1 for food products according to the present invention. Food products can be any consumable products in any given state like a fluid, flowable, pasty, jellylike, powdered or solid state.

The stand-up packaging 1 comprises at least one or more first pouches 21 for carrying a food product. The stand-up packaging 1 further comprises at least one or more second pouches 22 for carrying a food product.

These respective pouches 21, 22 can, for instance, be made of a food safe material, preferably plastics. They can have any desired flexibility and tear strength commonly provided for such pouches 21, 22. The respective pouches 21, 22 are preferably made of a transparent material so that the user can inspect the contents thereof.

At least one of the respective pouches 21, 22 may have a sealing region 24. The sealing region 24 may circumferentially or partially circumferentially surround the respective pouch 21, 22 to form a pocket 20 to preferably sealingly carry the food product. This is exemplarily displayed in FIGS. 1 to 6. Therein, the pocket 20 is formed between two sealing regions 24 for each of the first pouch 21 and the second pouch 22. However, it is also possible to provide sealing regions 24 of the respective pouches 21, 22 in a different manner.

The stand-up packaging 1 further comprises an outer packaging ₃. The outer packaging 3 has two cover elements 31, 32 that at least partially sandwich the first pouch 21. In FIGS. 1 to 6, the outer packaging 3 is exemplarily displayed with a first cover element 31 and a second cover element 32.

The outer packaging 3 can be made of any material commonly used for outer packagings, like cardboard or plastics. The outer packaging 3 may carry an imprint to provide information about the stand-up packaging 1 and its content.

The stand-up packaging 1 further comprises at least one or a plurality of further elements.

The further element may comprise a third cover element 33 of the outer packaging 3 and/or at least one additional first pouch (not displayed) for carrying food products. The additional first pouches are not displayed in any of the FIGS. 1 to 6. However, the additional first pouches are preferably similar or generally identical to at least one of the first pouch 21 or second pouch 22 described herein above, so that—for the sake of convenience—it is referred to the description of the first 21 and/or second pouch 22, which also applies for such additional first pouches. Naturally, similar can be found for additional second pouches 22′, 22″, which are described in more detail further below.

The further element is at least partially sandwiched between the first pouch 21 and one of the two cover elements 31, 32. For example, in FIG. 6 the further element is sandwiched between the first pouch 21 and the first cover element 31.

The first and second cover elements 31, 32 can be integrally provided with each other to form the outer packaging 3.

In particular, FIGS. 1 to 6 show an embodiment, in which the three mentioned cover elements 31, 32, 33 are preferably integrally provided with each other to form a loop-shaped outer packaging 3. As displayed in FIG. 6, by overlap of the first cover element 31 and the third cover element 33, the overlapping regions can be secured to each other to provide a closed loop-shaped outer packaging 3 securely surrounding all of the pouches 21, 22. Further layouts of the outer packaging 3 can be a U-shape or a box-shape of the outer packaging 3.

In a preferred embodiment, the outer packaging 3 further comprises a flat base element 35 for supporting or even carrying the stand-up packaging 1. This base element 35 may also be integrally formed with at least one and preferably all of the cover elements (here with all of the other cover elements 31 to 32 and the third cover element 33). As can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the base element 35 preferably covers bottom regions of the respective pouches 21, 22.

To easily manufacture the stand-up packaging 1, the cover elements 31, 32 and 33 can be connected by bending regions 37 for facilitating folding of the outer packaging 3 into its final shape to obtain the stand-up packaging 1. This is exemplarily visualised for the first cover element 31 in FIGS. 1 to 6.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 5, the further element(s) (i.e. the third cover element 33 and/or additional first pouches) is/are penetrated by through hole(s) 36, respectively. The through hole 36 can have any shape, e.g. a rounded or polygonal shape. In FIGS. 1 to 5, the through hole 36 has an oval shape. However, the shape can also be circular or can be square or of any other shape. At least one of the through holes 36 and preferably all through holes 36 preferably comprise at least two or even more of distant through holes 361, 362.

The one cover element (i.e. the first cover element 31) and the at least one first pouch 2 are glued (G1) to each other by glue G1 via the through hole(s) 36 of the further element(s) 33. The glue G1 thus forms kind of bolt or plug to allow the outer packaging 3 to be connected with the at least one first pouch 21 and—together—carry the additional first pouch(es).

The second pouch 22 is directly glued (G2) not via a through hole to at least one of the cover elements 31, 32 or the further element.

In FIGS. 1 to 3 it is exemplarily displayed that the second pouch 22 is directly glued (G2) to the second cover element 32 not via a through hole.

The second pouch 22 may directly be glued (G2) to a portion or surface of the other of the two cover elements 31, 32 that is not glued to the first pouch 21 via the through hole 36. For example, in the figures the second pouch 22 is directly glued to the portion or surface of the second cover element 32 that faces the first pouch 21 in a folded state of the stand-up packaging 1.

Glue G2 for the second pouch(es) 22 (, 22′, 22″) can be provided as glue dots, a line of glue G2 or an area 42 provided with the glue G2. Alternatively, the glue G2 can be provided as a double-sided adhesive tape. However, this enumeration of examples for the glue G2 is not limiting. In FIG. 1, the area 42 provided with glue G2 is used to glue the second pouch 22 to the second cover element 32. The second pouch 22 may be at least partially sandwiched between the first pouch 21 and the outer packaging 3, preferably the other cover element, here the second cover element 32 or the further element 33. The second pouch 22 may also be at least partially sandwiched between one of the two cover elements 31, 32 or the further element 33, to which it is directly glued to, on the one hand and the corresponding other one of the one of the cover elements 31, 32 or the further element 33, to which it is not directly glued to, on the other hand.

FIG. 4 shows exemplarily the second pouch 22 being sandwiched between the second cover element 32 and the first pouch 21.

In a preferred embodiment, the stand-up packaging 1 comprises more than one second pouch 22. The stand-up packaging 1 in the FIGS. 1 to 3 has two additional second pouches 22′, 22″. The number of additional second pouches 22′, 22″ is not limited to two. Instead, it is conceivable that up to ten or more additional second pouches 22 can be provided.

The second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ may be glued to the same element, i.e. to at least one of the cover elements 31, 32 or the further element 33. Preferably, the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ are glued to the same side or surface of the two cover elements 31, 32 or the further element as displayed in FIGS. 1 to 3.

Additionally or alternatively, the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ may at least partially overlap in at least one viewing direction, preferably in a front view of the stand-up packaging 1.

The front of the stand-up packaging 1 is the view onto the front of the stand-up packaging 1 in its folded state. FIG. 6 exemplarily shows a rear view of the stand-up packaging 1 in its folded state and operating position. In FIG. 6 the front of the stand-up packaging 1 is formed by the outside surface of the second cover element 32.

Alternatively, the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ may at least partially overlap in a way that bottom edges 220 of neighboring second pouches 22, 22′, 22′ are positioned at different heights h1, h2, h3.

This is exemplarily illustrated in FIG. 2 of the present invention. Therein, three second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ are directly glued to the second cover element 32. For example, the second cover element 22 can be arranged at a vertical height h1 in relation to the flat base element 35 or a bottom edge of the second cover element 32. Similarly, the additional second pouches 22′, 22′ are arranged at respective heights h2 and h3 in relation to the flat base element 35. The heights h1 to h3 can be vertical with respect to the surface onto which the stand-up packaging 1 is placed. Moreover, in FIG. 2 the heights h1 to h3 extend between the bottom edge 220 of the respective second pouch 22, 22′, 22″ and the bottom edge of the second cover element 32, that is formed in FIG. 2 as a folding line.

Additionally or alternatively, the second pouches 22, 22′, 22′ may at least partially overlap such that the second pouch 22, 22′, 22″, which bottom edge 220 is higher with respect to its neighboring second pouch 22, 22′, 22″, is at least partially sandwiched by the element, to which it is directly glued to, i.e. one of the two cover elements 31, 32 or the further element 33, and at least the neighboring second pouch 22, 22′, 22″.

This relationship is illustrated best in FIG. 2. For example, the second pouch 22′ is sandwiched between the second cover element 32, to which it is directly glued to, and its neighboring second pouch 22, whereby the second pouch 22′ is placed at a higher height h2 in comparison to the second pouch 22, which is placed at the height h1.

Thus, a staggered arrangement of the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ can be achieved. However, it is also conceivable that the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ are arranged in a different manner, for example, such that the second pouches 22, 22′, 22′ may at least partially overlap such that the second pouch 22, 22′, 22″, which bottom edge 220 is lower with respect to its neighboring second pouch 22, 22′, 22″, is at least partially sandwiched by the element, to which it is directly glued to, i.e. one of the two cover elements 31, 32 or the further element 33, and at least the neighboring second pouch 22, 22′, 22″.

In a preferred embodiment, the element 31, 32, 33, to which the second pouch 22 is directly glued to, comprises a gluing portion 42 for directly gluing the second pouch 22 to the respective element 31, 32, 33. This is exemplarily displayed in FIG. 1, wherein the gluing portion 42 is displayed as the aforementioned area 42.

However, it is also conceivable to provide the gluing portion 42 directly on the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″.

In a preferred embodiment of a stand-up packaging 1 that comprises more than one second pouch 22, 22′, 22″ a gluing portion 42 may be provided for each of the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″, such as displayed in FIG. 1. Preferably, the gluing portion 42 of a particular second pouch 22, 22′, 22″ is offset to a neighboring second pouch 22, 22′, 22″, wherein preferably the neighboring second pouch 22, 22′, 22″ is on the same side of the particular second pouch 22, 22′, 22″ as the gluing portion 42 of the particular second pouch 22, 22′, 22″.

This characteristic is exemplarily illustrated best in FIGS. 1 and 2. For each of the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ a corresponding gluing portion 42 is provided. The respective gluing portions 42 are vertically offset to each other. However, it is also conceivable to provide the gluing portions 42 with a horizontal, two dimensional or three-dimensional offset. The neighboring second pouch 22′ of the second pouch 22 is on the same side of the second pouch 22 (in relation to the second pouch 22) as the gluing portion 42 of the second pouch 22. Thereby, a staggered arrangement of the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ can be achieved.

In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the respective pouches 21, 22, i.e. at least one of the at least one first pouch 21 and of the at least one second pouch 22, preferably at least the second pouch(es) 22 (, 22′, 22″), more preferred the pocket 20 thereof, comprises a headspace 200. The headspace 200 may be a space of varying position within the respective pouch 21, 22 that does not comprise any food product. The headspace 200 is not illustrated in any of the FIGS. 1 to 6.

In a preferred embodiment for a stand-up packaging 1 that comprises more than one second pouch 22, 22′, 22″ the headspace 200 of a particular second pouch 22, 22′, 22″ at least partially overlaps with the pocket 20 of a neighboring second pouch 22, 22′, 22″, preferably such that the neighboring second pouch 22, 22′, 22″ is sandwiched between the headspace 200 of the particular second pouch 22, 22′, 22″ and the element 31, 32, 33, to which it is directly glued to.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 6, at least one of the cover elements—here the first cover element 31—may comprise different functional regions. In particular, the cover element 31 may comprise a gluing region 310 forming the region being glued to the at least one first pouch 21 via the through holes 36. The first cover element 31 may further have a flap region 311, which is divided from the gluing region 310 by a weakened tear-opening region 312. The tear-opening region 312 can be configured in any desired manner to allow separation of the gluing region 310 and the flap region 311. In a preferred embodiment, the tear-opening region 312 is provided such that it is removable from the stand-up packaging 1 in a destructive or non-destructive manner to thus release the flap region 311 to access the respective pouches 21, 22 in the stand-up packaging 1.

As can be further seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer packaging 3, preferably at least one of the cover elements 31, 32 or the further element—here the third cover element 33—, may comprise a cut-out region 330 to expose at least partially at least one of the respective pouches 21, 22. Preferably, the cut out region 330 exposes all of the respective pouches 21, 22. The cut-out region 330 may thus form an inspection window to allow the user inspection of the content of the corresponding pouches 21, 22. The cut-out region 330 is here shown as a rectangular window. However, neither the shape nor the position nor the dimension of the cut-out region 330 is limited by the present invention. Preferably, for the stand-up packaging 1 comprising more than one second pouch 22, 22′, 22″ the cut-out region 330 may be in a region where the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ overlap with each other. Inspection of the pouches 21, 22 may alternatively or additionally be enhanced if the respective pouches 21, 22 are provided such that they do only partially overlap with one another as can, for instance, be seen in FIGS. 1 to 6. For example, the partial overlap may be obtained by the pouches 21, 22 having different dimension and/or shapes to thus allow at least part of the respective pouches 21, 22 being outwardly exposed. Alternatively or additionally, the pouches 21, 22 may also be offset with respect to one another as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6.

The glue G1 for the first pouch 21 can be provided in different ways. For instance, the glue G1 can be provided as glue dots, as a line of glue G1 or an area 41 provided with glue G1. In any case, the glue G1 at least partially covers the through holes 36.

FIGS. 3 to 5 show the process of gluing the first pouch 21 to one of the two cover elements 31, 32, here the first cover element 31, via the through hole 36. According to FIGS. 3 to 5, the first pouch 21 is placed inside the outer packaging 3, the further element, here the third cover element 33, is folded over and the glue G1 is provided within the area 41 such that the through holes 36 are at least partially covered. Thereafter, the first cover element 31 is folded over and the gluing region 310 is attached to the gluing portion 41, whereby the first pouch 21 is directly glued to the first cover element 31 via the through hole 36. The through holes 36 may be arranged on the further element such that in the folded state of the stand-up packaging 1 the tear-opening region 312 is positioned above the gluing portion 41.

FIGS. 1 to 5 show examples of manufacturing the stand-up packaging 1 according to the present invention.

In a first step, three second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ and the outer packaging 3 (here having the first to third cover elements 31, 32, 33 and the flat base element 35) are positioned with respect to each other. The third cover element 33 comprises the cut-out region 330.

In a next step, glue G2 is provided within the area 42 (the gluing portion 42) of the second cover element 32. This can be done, for example, by a glue nozzle or by applying double-sided adhesive tape. For each of the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ a corresponding glue portion 42 is provided. The respective glue portion 42 are offset to each other and are arranged along the cut-out region 330. The second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ are arranged in a way that for a second pouch 22, 22′, 22″, which bottom edge 220 is higher with respect to its neighboring second pouch 22, 22′, 22″, is at least partially sandwiched by the second cover element 32, to which it is directly glued to, and at least the neighboring second pouch 22, 22′, 22″. Thereby, each of the respective second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ is at least partially visible through the cut-out region 330. In a next step, the first pouch 21 is provided and placed inside the outer packaging 3 such that the second pouches 22, 22′, 22″ are at least partially sandwiched between the second cover element 32 and the first pouch 21.

In a next step, the third cover element 33 is folded towards the respective pouches 21, 22 and glue G1 is applied to the area 41 such that it at least partially covers the through holes 36 and extends through the through holes 36. As such, glue G1 is applied to the at least one first pouch 21. This can be done either by a glue nozzle N, which is inserted through the through holes 36 to be positioned on or close to the at least one first pouch 21, where glue G1 can be applied onto the at least one first pouch 21. In a preferred embodiment, also regions surrounding the through holes 36 or therebetween can be applied with glue G1 either by the defined line of glue or by glue dots or the like. This allows for additional fixation of neighboring elements (here first and third cover elements 31, 33) as described in the following.

After having applied the glue G1 to the stand-up packaging 1, the one cover element—here the first cover element 31—is positioned or moved into its final position to form the completed stand-up packaging 1. In the shown embodiment, the outer packaging 3 is integrally formed so that the outer packaging 3 is “dosed” by simply bending the first cover element 31 via the bending region 37 over the upper rim portions of the respective pouches 21, 22 to be thus positioned opposite to the second cover element 32 and the at least one first pouch 21. In a preferred embodiment, a gluing region 310 of the first cover element 31 is thus placed in a region where glue G extends from the at least one pouch 2 through the through holes 36 to thus glue the one cover element 31 to the at least one or plurality of pouches 2 via the respective through holes 36.

The present invention is not limited by the embodiments as described hereinabove, as long as being covered by the appended claims.

All the features of the embodiments described herein above can be combined in any possible way and can be interchangeably provided. If the singular form for the features like “through hole” or “pouch” or “cover element” is used in the present invention, it also covers its plural form like “through holes” or “pouches” or “cover elements”, respectively.

If not otherwise indicated, “pouches” or “respective pouches” covers both groups of first pouches 21 and second pouches 22 either as alternatives or as a combination.

Claims

1. Stand-up packaging for food products comprising:

at least one first pouch and at least one second pouch for carrying a food product, respectively,

an outer packaging having two cover elements at least partially sandwiching the first pouch;

at least one further element being at least partially sandwiched between the first pouch and one of the cover elements;

the further element is penetrated by a through hole;

wherein the one cover element is glued to the first pouch via the through hole; and

the second pouch is directly glued not via a through hole to at least one of the cover elements or the further element.

2. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein the second pouch is directly glued to a portion or surface of the other cover element, the portion or surface preferably facing the first pouch.

3. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein the second pouch is at least partially sandwiched between the first pouch and the outer packaging, or

wherein the second pouch is at least partially sandwiched between one of the cover elements or the further element, to which it is directly glued to, on the one hand and the corresponding other one of the one of the cover elements or the further element, to which it is not directly glued to, on the other hand.

4. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein the further element comprises a third cover element of the outer packaging.

5. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the respective pouches comprises a sealing region,

wherein the sealing region circumferentially surrounds the respective pouch to form a pocket.

6. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, comprising more than one second pouch.

7. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein the element, to which the second pouch is directly glued to, comprises a gluing portion for directly gluing the second pouch to the respective element.

8. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the respective pouches comprises a headspace.

9. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein the outer packaging comprises a cut-out region to at least partially expose at least one and preferably all of the first and/or second pouches.

10. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein glue for the first pouch is provided as glue dots, a line of glue or an area provided with glue.

11. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein the through hole comprises at least two or more of distant through holes.

12. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the cover elements has a gluing region and a flap region being divided by a weakened tear-opening region, wherein the tear-opening region is configured to allow separation of the gluing region and the flap region to thus release the flap region to access the respective pouches.

13. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein the outer packaging further comprises a flat base element for supporting the stand-up packaging.

14. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein the cover elements are integrally provided with each other.

15. Stand-up packaging according to claim 1, wherein the pouches are made of a food safe material.