Opening device, package and method for applying an opening device to a wall of a package
阅读说明:本技术 打开装置、包装和将打开装置施加到包装壁上的方法 (Opening device, package and method for applying an opening device to a wall of a package ) 是由 安吉洛·索巴拉 彼得罗·马提尼 罗科·德保拉 塞尔吉奥·雷斯卡卡奇亚里 于 2020-03-26 设计创作,主要内容包括:本发明涉及一种打开装置,其构造成被施加到容纳可倾倒产品的包装;所述打开装置包括盖帽,所述盖帽构造成闭合用于所述可倾倒产品的通道,所述通道能在所述包装的开口区域处获得;所述盖帽在使用中能朝向和远离所述开口区域移动以分别闭合和打开所述通道;所述打开装置包括连接元件,所述连接元件装配到所述盖帽并构造成装配到所述包装,由此将所述盖帽拴系到所述包装,并由此限定所述盖帽在使用中能够从所述开口区域移开的最大距离。还涉及包括该打开装置的包装以及将打开装置施加到包装壁上的方法。(The present invention relates to an opening device configured to be applied to a package containing a pourable product; the opening device comprises a cap configured to close a passage for the pourable product, said passage being accessible at an opening area of the package; the cap being movable towards and away from the open region in use to close and open the channel respectively; the opening means comprises a connecting element fitted to the cap and configured to fit to the package, thereby tethering the cap to the package and thereby defining a maximum distance the cap can be removed from the opening area in use. It also relates to a package comprising the opening device and a method of applying the opening device to a wall of a package.)
1. An opening device (3, 3') configured to be applied to a package (1) containing a pourable product; said opening device (3, 3') comprising a cap (12), said cap (12) being configured to close a passage (11) for said pourable product, said passage (11) being accessible at an opening area of said package (1);
said cap (12) being movable, in use, towards and away from said opening region to close and open said passage (11), respectively;
characterised by comprising a connecting element (26, 26 '), said connecting element (26, 26') being fitted to said cap (12) and configured to be fitted to said package (1), thereby tethering said cap (12) to said package (1) and thereby defining a maximum distance said cap (12) can be displaced from said opening area in use.
2. The opening device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element (26, 26 ') comprises a first end (27, 27') fitted to the cap (12), a second end (28, 28 ') configured to be fitted to the package (1), and a connecting portion (29, 29') connecting the first end (27, 27 ') to the second end (28, 28').
3. The opening device according to claim 2, wherein the connecting portion (29, 29 '), the first end portion (27, 27 ') and the second end portion (pei28, 28 ') are integrally formed.
4. The opening device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the passage (11) has a first longitudinal axis (A); and wherein the second end (28, 28') is configured to be angularly fixed with respect to the first longitudinal axis (a).
5. The opening device (3) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, and comprising a frame (10), the frame (10) defining the passage (11) and being fittable around the opening area; the cap (12) being configured to cooperate in contact with the frame (10) to close the channel (11);
wherein the connecting member (26) is configured to fit to the frame (10), thereby tethering the cap (12) to the frame (10).
6. The opening device according to claim 5, wherein the frame (10) comprises a base plate (13), which base plate (13) is fittable to a wall (4) of the package (1) having the opening area;
the second end (28) is attachable to the substrate (13).
7. The opening device of claim 5 or 6, wherein the cap (12) comprises a top wall (15) and a side wall (16), the side wall (16) protruding from the top wall (15) and being configured to engage the frame (10) to close the passage (11);
the first end (27) is attached to the top wall (15).
8. The opening device of claim 7, wherein the side wall defines a cylindrical portion (16), the cylindrical portion (16) being provided with a first thread (19) extending onto an inner side surface (20) thereof;
said frame (10) comprising a cylindrical collar (14) having a second longitudinal axis (B) and coaxially defining said passage (11);
said collar (14) being provided with a second thread (17) extending onto an outer surface (18) thereof and configured to engage with said first thread (19) in order to decide screwing/unscrewing of said cap (12) onto/from said collar (14);
the second end (28) is angularly fixed with respect to the second longitudinal axis (B) at least during screwing/unscrewing of the cap (12) onto/from the collar (14).
9. The opening device (3 ') according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the second end (28 ') of the connecting element (26 ') is attachable to a wall (4) of the package (1) having the opening area.
10. The opening device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting element (26, 26') is defined by a strip of flexible plastic material.
11. The opening device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening region defines an opening portion (7) of the package (1);
the opening device (3) comprises a cutting member (24), the cutting member (24) being configured to movably engage the passage (11) and being configured to cooperate in contact with the opening portion (7) to open the package (1).
12. A package (1) containing a pourable product and being obtained from a sheet packaging material (2) having an opening portion (7);
the package (1) comprising an opening device (3, 3 ') according to any one of the preceding claims and the opening device (3, 3') being fitted around the opening portion (7).
13. A method of applying opening devices (3, 3') to a wall (4) of a package (1), said package (1) containing a pourable product; the method comprises the following steps:
i) forming a package (1) from a tube of packaging material (2);
ii) providing a cap (12) to close the passage (11) for the pourable product available at the opening area of said wall (4);
the method is characterized by comprising the following steps:
iii) fitting a connecting element (26, 26') to said cap (12); and
iv) fitting said connecting element (26, 26') to said package (1), thereby tethering said cap (12) to said package (1) and thereby defining a maximum distance said cap (12) can be removed from said wall (4) in use.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the connecting element (26, 26 ') comprises a first end portion (27, 27'), a second end portion (28, 28 ') and a connecting portion (29, 29') connecting the first end portion (27, 27 ') and the second end portion (28, 28') to each other;
the method further comprises the steps of:
v) fitting said first end (27, 27') to said cap (12); and
vi) fitting said second end (28, 28') to said package (1).
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step vi) of assembling comprises the steps of:
vii) attaching the second end (28 ') of the connecting element (26') to the wall (4) of the package (1).
16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the opening device (3) comprises a frame (10), said frame (10) defining the passage (11) and being fittable on the wall (4) around the opening area; the cap (12) being configured to cooperate in contact with the frame (10) to close the channel (11);
and wherein step vi) of assembling comprises the steps of:
viii) attaching the second end (28) of the connecting element (26) to the frame (10).
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an opening device, in particular a reclosable opening device, configured to be applied to a package containing a pourable product, preferably a pourable food product.
The invention further relates to a method for applying an opening device to a package containing a pourable product, preferably a pourable food product.
Background
It is well known that many pourable food products, such as fruit juice, UHT (ultra high temperature treated) milk, wine, tomato sauce, etc., are sold in packages made of sterile packaging material.
A typical example is a parallelepiped-shaped package for pourable food products, known as Aseptic Tetra Brik Aseptic (registered trademark), which is made by folding and sealing laminated packaging material.
In particular, the packaging material has a multilayer structure essentially comprising a base layer for stiffness and strength, which may be made of fibrous material (e.g. paper or mineral-filled polypropylene material), and a plurality of laminated layers of heat-seal plastic material (e.g. polyethylene film) covering both sides of the base layer.
In the case of aseptic packages for long-storage products, such as UHT milk or fruit juice, the packaging material also comprises a layer of gas-barrier material, for example aluminium foil or ethyl vinyl alcohol (EVOH) film, which is superimposed on a layer of heat-seal plastic material, in turn covered with another layer of heat-seal plastic material. This further layer of heat-seal plastic material forms the inner surface of the package eventually contacting the pourable food product.
Such packages are usually produced on fully automatic packaging machines, wherein a continuous tube is formed from a sheet-like packaging material.
Further, the sheet packaging material is sterilized in the packaging machine by using a chemical sterilizing agent, which is then removed after the sterilization is completed.
The sheet packaging material is then maintained in a closed, sterile environment and is folded and sealed longitudinally to form a tube.
To complete the forming operation, the tube is filled from above with the pourable food product by means of a duct, and is formed, sealed and subsequently cut along equally spaced cross sections.
Pillow packs are thus obtained, having longitudinal sealing bands, top transverse sealing bands and bottom transverse sealing bands, which are then folded mechanically to form respective substantially parallelepiped-shaped finished packages.
Alternatively, the packaging material may be cut into blanks, the blanks formed into packages on forming spindles, and the resulting packages filled with the food product and sealed. An example of such a package is the so-called "gable-top" package known under the trade name Tetra Rex (registered trade mark).
Various solutions have been proposed for opening the above-mentioned packages, one of which involves the use of reclosable opening devices made of plastic.
This type of opening device generally comprises:
-a frame defining an opening and fitted on a hole or pierceable or tearable portion on a wall of the package; and
a cap configured to be coupled to the frame so as to close the opening.
According to a known solution, the frame is fitted over a so-called pre-laminated hole, i.e. a hole formed only through the base layer, which hole is covered by other laminate layers of the packaging material (including the gas barrier material layer) by means of a lamination process.
In other words, the frame is assembled, usually glued, onto the pierceable portion of a pre-laminated hole made of such a laminated layer.
According to an alternative solution, the pierceable portion may be defined by a patch (patch) attached to the packaging material to close a hole formed in this case through the entire thickness of the packaging material.
Threaded opening devices are known in which the frame generally comprises an externally threaded substantially cylindrical collar, while the cap comprises an internal thread and is initially screwed onto the collar. Moreover, the cap is generally injection-moulded integrally with a relative anti-tamper ring (tamper-evidence ring) which is coaxially connected to the cap itself by means of a plurality of breakable bridges and which, once the bridges are broken and the cap is unscrewed, is destined to remain fitted to the collar.
It is known in the art that after unsealing the cap, i.e. detaching the cap from the tamper-evident ring and unscrewing the cap from the frame by applying a torque, the user must also remove (i.e. cut or tear) the pierceable portion covering the prelaminated hole in order to gain access to the package interior.
To this end, according to a known configuration, the opening means comprise a pull-off tab (pull-off) coupled to the pierceable portion and configured to be torn by the user once the cap is unscrewed from the frame.
According to an alternative solution, the known opening device comprises a substantially tubular cutting member screwed inside the collar and having an edge with a plurality of substantially triangular end teeth which cooperate with the pierceable portion and partially detach the pierceable portion from the opposite wall, preferably with the exception of a small-angle portion, so as to avoid the pierceable portion tearing after cutting from falling inside the package.
More precisely, the cutting member is actuated by the cap by means of a one-way ratchet-type transmission operated during disengagement of the cap from the collar of the frame. In detail, the cutting member is movable along a helical path with respect to the frame from a raised rest position, in which the end teeth face the pierceable portion, to a successively lowered cutting position, in which the end teeth interact with the pierceable portion so as to cut open the pierceable portion.
It is known in the art that there is an increasing need to reduce the environmental impact accompanying the packaging and bottling of food and non-food products. In particular, great care must be taken with the plastic parts of the packaging, as they can contaminate both aquatic and terrestrial environments.
Disclosure of Invention
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an opening device for packages containing pourable products, designed to meet the above-mentioned need in a simple and low-cost manner.
This object is solved by an opening device. The opening device is configured to be applied to a package containing a pourable product; the opening device comprises a cap configured to close a passage for the pourable product, said passage being accessible at an opening area of the package; the cap being movable towards and away from the open region in use to close and open the channel respectively; wherein a connecting element is included that is fitted to the cap and configured to fit to the package, thereby tethering the cap to the package and thereby defining a maximum distance that the cap can move away from the open area in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for applying an opening device to a package containing a pourable product, designed to satisfy the above-mentioned need in a simple and low-cost manner.
This object is achieved by a method for applying an opening device to a package. In particular, the present invention provides a method of applying an opening device to a wall of a package containing a pourable product; the method comprises the following steps: i) forming a package from a tube of packaging material; ii) providing a cap to close the passage for the pourable product available at the opening area of the wall; in particular comprising the following steps: iii) fitting a connecting element to the cap; and iv) fitting the connecting element to the package, thereby tethering the cap to the package and thereby defining a maximum distance that the cap can be removed from the wall in use.
Drawings
Two non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
fig. 1 is a perspective view of the top of a sealed package containing a pourable product, fitted with an opening device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view in section of the opening device and package of FIG. 1 with portions omitted for clarity;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view in cross-section of a detail (indicated by the circle designated "D") of the opening device and package of FIG. 2, with portions omitted for clarity; and
fig. 4 is a perspective view of the top of a sealed package for containing a pourable product, equipped with an opening device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Detailed Description
With reference to fig. 1, numeral 1 indicates as a whole a package made of a multilayer
In particular, package 1 is suitable for containing pourable food products, such as milk, water, fruit juices, etc.
In the example shown, the
Referring to fig. 2 and 3, the
In detail, the cover layer means 6 comprise a
In one embodiment, the pierceable portion 7 defines an opening area fitted with the
In another embodiment, not shown, the opening area may be a through hole formed in the
In the present case, the package 1 is an aseptic package for long-term storage of food products; correspondingly, the
In particular, the
In other words, in the production of the
The pierceable portion 7 is defined by a through hole formed only through the
In practice, the pierceable portion 7 is made of the laminated layer described above and closes the through hole formed in the
Preferably, the pierceable portion 7 is an integral part of the cover means 6.
According to an alternative embodiment, not shown, the pierceable portion 7 may be made of only one or more of the
In another alternative embodiment, not shown, pierceable portion 7 may be defined by a patch attached to packaging
The pierceable portion 7 has an axis a, preferably orthogonal to the top wall 4, which is vertical, in particular when the package 1 is erected on a bottom wall (not shown and substantially parallel to the top wall 4).
According to the non-limiting example shown, the pierceable portion 7 has a substantially circular shape concentric with the axis a.
Referring to fig. 1 to 3, the
a
a
In detail, the opening 11a is arranged coaxially to the axis a, and the
More specifically, the
The
For this purpose, the collar 14 is provided with an external thread 17 extending onto an outer lateral surface 18 of the collar 14 itself, and the
In detail, the external thread 17 and the internal thread 19 are configured to engage each other so as to determine, in use and under the action of the user, the loosening and tightening of the
The
In detail, the
In more detail, the
To this end, the collar 14 comprises a plurality of
In particular, the
In the process of fitting the
More precisely, each
According to an alternative embodiment, not shown, the
Once unsealed, the
an open position in which the
a closed position, in which cap 12 is screwed again on collar 14, closing channel 11 and opening 11 a.
During the first disengagement of the
More specifically, after the
These bridges break due to the resisting torque transmitted to them, releasing the
In view of the above, the
According to the non-limiting embodiment shown,
In detail, the cutting member 24 is provided with cutting means (known per se and not described in detail) and is connected to the collar 14 by means of guiding means (also known per se and not described in detail) such as a threaded element or a cam element and is configured to move between a raised rest position and a lowered open position during the first disengagement of the
In more detail, in the raised rest position, the cutting member 24 is completely housed inside the collar 14, with the cutting means facing the pierceable portion 7; in the lowered position, the cutting member 24 protrudes axially from the collar 14 so as to cut, penetrate and tear the pierceable portion 7 in a known manner, thereby allowing a fluid connection between the interior of the package 1 and the channel 11 (and also the opening 11 a).
The movement of the cutting member 24 is controlled in a known and not described in detail manner via a unidirectional angular transmission 25, which unidirectional angular transmission 25 is carried by the
In an alternative embodiment not shown, the opening means 3 comprise a pull tab coupled to the pierceable portion 7 and configured to be pulled by the user once the
According to an important aspect of the present invention, the
In this manner, the
In detail, such maximum distance is substantially equal to the longitudinal extension of the
The
As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the
a
a
a connecting
In the example shown, the
According to an alternative embodiment, not shown, the
According to this non-limiting preferred embodiment, the
Thus, the
Preferably, the
Thanks to this configuration, during pouring of the pourable product out of package 1,
In fact, the
As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the
In detail, the
In an alternative preferred embodiment, not shown, the
The
In detail, after the
In more detail, after assembling the
Alternatively, the
Furthermore, after assembling the
The operation of the
Starting from this condition, to open the package 1, the user unscrews the
The unscrewing action moves the
As described above, during movement of the
Once the desired amount of pourable product has been poured through channel 11, the user can close channel 11 by screwing
With reference to fig. 4, the numeral 3' generally designates an opening device assembled to the package 1 and made according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Since the opening device 3' is similar to the
In particular, the opening device 3 ' differs from the
In particular, after completing the assembly of the opening device 3 ', the second end 28' is fitted, preferably attached, to the top wall 4.
Thus, the second end 28' may be attached to the top wall 4.
The first end portion 27 ' and the second end portion 28 ' are connected to each other by a connecting portion 29 '.
In this second embodiment, the strip 26 'may be applied after the application of the opening device 3' to the top wall 4 of the package 1.
In more detail, after assembling the opening device 3 ' with the package 1, the first end 27 ' may be attached to the
Alternatively, the strip 26 ' may be applied to the opening device 3 ' before the opening device 3 ' is assembled with the package 1.
The advantages of the
In particular, thanks to the presence of the
In addition, since the
Furthermore, the
Therefore, the
Clearly, changes may be made to opening
In particular, the
In this case, the finished package 1 is defined by an assembly comprising the filled, folded and sealed package 1 and a
Furthermore, the
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