US20110233267A1 - Pack having tear-open aid - Google Patents
Pack having tear-open aid Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20110233267A1 US20110233267A1 US13/053,675 US201113053675A US2011233267A1 US 20110233267 A1 US20110233267 A1 US 20110233267A1 US 201113053675 A US201113053675 A US 201113053675A US 2011233267 A1 US2011233267 A1 US 2011233267A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- packet
- weakening lines
- pack
- weakening
- tear
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 230000003313 weakening effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 83
- 229920000139 polyethylene terephthalate Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 12
- 239000005020 polyethylene terephthalate Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 12
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- -1 polyethylene terephthalate Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 239000010410 layer Substances 0.000 claims description 17
- 239000004952 Polyamide Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000005026 oriented polypropylene Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920002647 polyamide Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000002344 surface layer Substances 0.000 claims 5
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 claims 1
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 16
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 description 6
- 230000035622 drinking Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000010902 straw Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000003814 drug Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000014509 gene expression Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229920006300 shrink film Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000006978 adaptation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001010 compromised effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002537 cosmetic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001771 impaired effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000002372 labelling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011344 liquid material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007937 lozenge Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012856 packing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000006187 pill Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 230000009993 protective function Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011241 protective layer Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007788 roughening Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000013599 spices Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011345 viscous material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000007 visual effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes, or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
- B65D75/52—Details
- B65D75/58—Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture
- B65D75/5827—Tear-lines provided in a wall portion
Definitions
- the invention relates to a pack having a tear-open aid in accordance with the preamble of claim 1 .
- U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,514 discloses a bag-like pack for drinks, made of two substantially parallel or symmetrically arranged sheets, in the case of which a piercing aid for a drinking straw is provided.
- the piercing aid consists of a plurality of weakening lines which proceed in a star-like manner from a center and have a length of between 2 mm and 20 mm.
- crossed weakening lines are provided in a roughened region. The roughenings are intended to prevent the drinking straw from slipping off.
- a third variant radially extending weakening lines which, however, do not reach the center are provided; in a fourth variant, a plurality of weakening lines which are parallel but at an angle to the outline of the bag are provided.
- the weakening lines have a length of 2 mm to 20 mm. It is mentioned that such piercing aids can be provided on both bag surfaces. A means of accessing the content of the bag other than using a drinking straw is not disclosed. The content of the cited document is incorporated by reference into the present application for jurisdictions in which this is possible, in particular for the USA.
- Weakening lines which are arranged in a star-like manner and furthermore are formed in a “dotted” manner are known also from DE 295 10 276 in the case of a confetti package.
- This consists of a fully filled axisymmetrical bag which is tied together like a sack at the top and has the weakening at the bottom. When the bag is thrown, it bursts open in the weakening region when it hits an obstacle and releases the confetti.
- the content of the cited document is incorporated by reference into the present application for jurisdictions in which this is possible, in particular for the USA.
- U.S. Pat. No. 1,939,794 discloses a wrapping paper, in which once an article, but preferably a plurality of articles which can be removed individually, have been wrapped, the overlapping regions of the paper are stuck together.
- weakening lines are provided in order to make it easier to remove the articles, which are arranged in an aligned manner along a cylinder axis, separately, and also to give the opened pack an attractive appearance. These extend on the one hand normal to the wrapping axis in the abutment region of the individual articles, in order to make it easier to separate them out; on the other hand they extend parallel to the wrapping axis along generatrices, in order that the wrapping of the individual article can be torn open easily.
- the wrapping paper has no other use than for packing a plurality of stacked articles.
- the content of the cited document is incorporated by reference into the present application for jurisdictions in which this is possible, in particular for the USA.
- the invention relates to what is known as a child-proof pack made of a multi-layered sheet having at least one outer plastic layer mostly consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and at least one inner aluminum layer, which thus faces the contents.
- PET polyethylene terephthalate
- a layer of paper, oriented polypropylene (OPP) or oriented polyamide (OPA) can also be used.
- multi-layered sheets consist of substantially more layers.
- An additional polyethylene layer is nearly always present inside the aluminum layer; on the outside, the usually likewise multi-layered print is applied above the PET layer, up to a transparent protective layer for the printing image, but all this is not essential for the aim of the present invention, namely easier opening of such a pack, and therefore does not need to be explained any further.
- Packs made of such sheets are widely used for medicaments, with the aluminum sheet being used on account of its outstanding shielding effect (barrier layer) against all external influences and the PET sheet is used on account of its high mechanical strength.
- This is also used, if desired, to make the finished pack “child-proof”, there being various statutory criteria or criteria defined by standards or conventions for when such a pack should be designated child- proof.
- it is not simple to open the pack without aids, and therefore various measures were taken in the prior art to make opening easier here without as far as possible losing childproofing.
- stick is to be understood as including a tubular bag, in which a sheet is formed into a tube along a longitudinal seam and the tube is divided up into individual volumes in predetermined portions by transverse seams.
- the longitudinal seam is usually arranged approximately in the middle of the length of the transverse seams, resulting in a viewing surface on the surface opposite the longitudinal seam and, as a result of the transverse seams, two usually extremely rounded side edges which are produced by bending the tube material and tend to be sharp-edged in the region of the transverse seams, since they are of course welded together in the region of the transverse seams.
- Longitudinal seam and transverse seam are understood to mean adhesive or sealing strips, by means of which the tubular sheet is joined to itself in an impervious manner in the seam region.
- a more bag-like or cushion-like pack which has a longitudinal seam and transverse seams, but in which an opening aid is arranged at the point which is obvious even for children, and therefore cannot be considered to be child-proof, is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,815.
- a special form having a plurality of weakening regions is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,571, with a further weakening region being provided in particular in the region of the longitudinal seam, where the sheet is in a three-layer form and is particularly difficult to open, in order to make opening easier.
- Such consideration of the problems in the region of the longitudinal seam in the case of a stick is also disclosed in EP 1 152 947.
- the contents of the cited documents are incorporated by reference into the present application for jurisdictions in which this is possible, in particular for the USA.
- packs in particular in the medical field, what are known as cushions, in which the pack consists of two, usually identical and symmetrically arranged sheets, which are connected, usually sealed, together along the periphery of the pack.
- the pack In one configuration, it is possible to fold a sheet over along one side edge and thus to create a pack which, when it is in a square form, has sealing seams on three sides and the fold-over of the sheet on the fourth side.
- the latter construction represents an approximation to the sticks, but in the case of the sticks, the longitudinal seam is always in the middle of one of the two outer surfaces, whereas in the case of the cushion it forms a side seam and cannot be distinguished technically from the transverse seams.
- the invention thus essentially provides, at a distance from the edge of the sticks or of the cushion, two intersecting weakening lines in at least one of the pack surfaces, each of which weakening lines preferably extends in a straight line, wherein the angle between the weakening lines at the point of intersection is between 60° and 90° .
- such weakening lines are formed in an aligned manner on both pack surfaces.
- the distance to be maintained is substantially smaller than that between the weakening lines mentioned initially in the case of the wrapping paper and the shrink film, which are of course intended to form mechanically stable strips between one another.
- this distance is under a millimeter, very preferably under half a millimeter, and particularly preferably under 0.1 mm.
- Multiplication ensures that, despite the usual displacements that occur during folding, tear-open lines are always present that are de facto aligned with one another. This applies mutatis mutandis to the fold lines.
- the expression “point of intersection” becomes an intersection surface, the small dimensions of which, however, ensure that the same applies to it as is established with respect to the point.
- one of the weakening lines extends parallel to the adjacent edge of the pack and the other extends substantially normal thereto; in this case, the point of intersection thereof is located preferably some distance from the nearest corner of the pack.
- the weakening line which extends parallel to the adjacent edge is usually the fold line and the weakening line extending normal thereto is the tear-open line.
- the distance between the fold line extending parallel to the adjacent edge and the latter is in this case preferably between 3 and 20 mm, particularly preferably between 10 and 15 mm. This makes grasping and bending easier.
- the point of intersection is located near to one of the corners of the pack, but outside the region of the sealing seam or sealing seams, and the two weakening lines are rotated through about 45° with regard to the edges of the pack.
- the weakening line which cuts off the corner is preferably the fold line and the weakening line which runs into the corner is preferably the tear- open line. If only a small opening is intended to be created, then the functionality of the lines is swapped; this can be indicated easily by corresponding labeling.
- the point of intersection of the two, if appropriate multiple, weakening lines is preferably moved so far into the corner that it allows comfortable grasping of the package in order to tear it open.
- the fold line should be at least in each case 15 mm, preferably 20 mm to 25 mm long on both sides of the point of intersection; the weakening line, which makes folding easier and ensures that it takes place at the correct location, can be much shorter. In the case of rectangular or square package outlines, this means that the point of intersection lies on the angle bisector at a distance of 15 to 25 mm from the corner.
- the mode of operation of the pack is as follows:
- the user folds the pack about the weakening line extending parallel to the adjacent edge and tears the pack open normal to this edge; in the case of the arrangement in the corner, the user folds the pack about the weakening line virtually cutting off the corner and tears the pack open, starting from the corner region, diagonally, actually along the angle bisector, in the case of rectangular or square packages at around 45° .
- FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment in plan view and schematic section
- FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment in a view analogous to that in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 shows a variant
- FIG. 1 illustrates a cushion-like pack, which is formed from two, preferably identical sheets 7 , 7 ′.
- a substantially rectangular pack 1 is bounded by four sealing seams 2 , 3 .
- the sealing seams 2 extend parallel to one another and the two sealing seams 3 likewise extend parallel to one another, but normal to the sealing seams 2 .
- the secondary figure of FIG. 1 illustrates a purely schematic section along the line A-A, with the illustration of the contents and the sealing seam 3 located in the viewing direction of the section being omitted in order that the essential details are illustrated.
- the two sealing seams 2 can be seen in the secondary figure and the two sheets 7 , 7 ′ of which the pack 1 consists are clearly visible. It should be noted that a section normal to the line A-A would look exactly the same.
- the opening aid according to the invention in the form of two weakening lines 4 , 5 is provided in the region of one of the sealing seams 2 , 3 .
- the weakening line 4 extends parallel to the adjacent edge 2 and the weakening line 5 extends substantially normal (commonly perpendicular) thereto.
- These two weakening lines are provided not only in the upper sheet 7 which can be seen in FIG. 1 but also aligned therewith in the view of FIG. 1 in the sheet 7 ′ located thereunder.
- the user thus uses the weakening line 4 as a bending line, as a result of which the weakening line 5 , along which the package 1 is torn open, comes into the edge region which is of course now formed by the bending line 4 , and the package can now be torn open easily along the weakening line 5 , although it is now twice as thick in this region.
- the arrangement and length of the weakening lines 4 , 5 depends on the size of the pack 1 , the contents thereof and on the answer to the question as to whether the pack is intended to be divided at least substantially into two parts or whether it is sufficient to create a removal opening.
- pills, lozenges, contact lenses, pulverulent or granular substances, which are intended to be transferred from the pack into another container, or else gel-like or other viscous materials which are intended to be taken by the user, are packed in such packs in the field of medicine. It can be gathered, even from this enumeration, that there are very different removal options and that a large variety of forms of the opening aid according to the invention result therefrom. In the case of applications with other contents, for example for spices, for expensive, in particular small-format components in the field of electronics, or the cosmetics industry, there are even more conditions imposed on the opening of such cushions or sticks.
- FIG. 2 illustrates a variant in which the weakening lines 4 , 5 have been moved into one of the corners of the pack 1 , and extend substantially in the angle bisector of the sealing seams 2 , 3 or normal to the first weakening line.
- FIG. 2 also shows a variant of the pack 1 per se, specifically a pack which consists only of one sheet 7 which is folded over along an edge 6 and is closed along the three remaining edges by sealing lines 2 , 3 .
- This is also clearly visible in the secondary figure, which again shows a schematic section along the line A-A.
- an opening aid analogous to that in FIG. 1 .
- Said opening aid can, if easy opening is desired, by provided in the region of the fold-over edge 6 , since it is then not necessary to tear through one of the sealing seams when the pack is bent about the weakening line parallel to the edge 6 and subsequently opened.
- FIG. 3 shows a variant of the invention in the case of what is known as a stick, again in plan view and schematic section. It can be seen that in this case, two fold-over edges 6 are present, since the corresponding sealing seams or the sealing seam 2 have or has been displaced to the middle of one of the surfaces and forms the longitudinal seam 2 ′ there.
- the weakening line 4 for bending parallel to the longitudinal seam and the weakening line 5 for tearing open normal thereto were shown.
- the weakening lines 4 , 5 are provided in the PET layer, since it is of course this layer which determines the mechanical tearing strength of the cover of the pack 1 . At the same time, this provides a first visual aid for finding the opening point. This orientation aid is preferably enhanced by a corresponding design of the printing on the pack 1 .
- the weakening lines 4 , 5 can be produced in any known way, thus mechanically or else, preferably, by means of a high-power beam, preferably by means of a laser. The adaptation of the wavelength and power of the laser to the material used is not a problem for the person skilled in the art with knowledge of the invention and the field of application, and likewise guiding the laser with respect to the sheet, and therefore there is no need to go into this in more detail.
- weakening lines 4 , 5 themselves, it should also be stated that they do not have to extend in straight lines but can also be waved or curved; they can absolutely be formed in a very different manner to the purely schematically illustrated lines. They can be lines where the PET layer has either only been weakened or even at least substantially removed; the lines can be continuous or they can be dotted or dashed lines. The production and effect on the opening characteristics are known and widely described. With knowledge of the invention, they can also be brought to the desired values by means of a few simple tests.
- the pack does not have to be square or even rectangular at all. Polygonal outlines and even those having an outline that is curved at least in portions can also be used. The expressions “parallel to” and “normal to” should then relate to tangents or secants of this portion.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
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- Laminated Bodies (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to a pack in the form of a stick or cushion, consisting of one or two sheets (7, 7′), which has at least one aluminum layer facing the contents and one layer, which faces away from the contents, is areally connected to the aluminum layer and is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET layer) or other materials, having a tear-open aid in one of the outer surfaces, which comprises a weakening line in the PET layer.
The invention is characterized in that the tear-open aid has at least two weakening lines (4, 5), the point of intersection of which in the outer surface lies at a distance from the nearest edge of the pack, and in that the angle between the weakening lines at the point of intersection is between 60° and 90° .
Description
- The invention relates to a pack having a tear-open aid in accordance with the preamble of
claim 1. - U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,514 discloses a bag-like pack for drinks, made of two substantially parallel or symmetrically arranged sheets, in the case of which a piercing aid for a drinking straw is provided. The piercing aid consists of a plurality of weakening lines which proceed in a star-like manner from a center and have a length of between 2 mm and 20 mm. In a variant in the case of a stand-up bag, crossed weakening lines are provided in a roughened region. The roughenings are intended to prevent the drinking straw from slipping off. In a third variant, radially extending weakening lines which, however, do not reach the center are provided; in a fourth variant, a plurality of weakening lines which are parallel but at an angle to the outline of the bag are provided. In these variants, too, the weakening lines have a length of 2 mm to 20 mm. It is mentioned that such piercing aids can be provided on both bag surfaces. A means of accessing the content of the bag other than using a drinking straw is not disclosed. The content of the cited document is incorporated by reference into the present application for jurisdictions in which this is possible, in particular for the USA.
- Weakening lines which are arranged in a star-like manner and furthermore are formed in a “dotted” manner are known also from DE 295 10 276 in the case of a confetti package. This consists of a fully filled axisymmetrical bag which is tied together like a sack at the top and has the weakening at the bottom. When the bag is thrown, it bursts open in the weakening region when it hits an obstacle and releases the confetti. The content of the cited document is incorporated by reference into the present application for jurisdictions in which this is possible, in particular for the USA.
- U.S. Pat. No. 1,939,794 discloses a wrapping paper, in which once an article, but preferably a plurality of articles which can be removed individually, have been wrapped, the overlapping regions of the paper are stuck together. In order to make it easier to remove the articles, which are arranged in an aligned manner along a cylinder axis, separately, and also to give the opened pack an attractive appearance, weakening lines are provided. These extend on the one hand normal to the wrapping axis in the abutment region of the individual articles, in order to make it easier to separate them out; on the other hand they extend parallel to the wrapping axis along generatrices, in order that the wrapping of the individual article can be torn open easily. The wrapping paper has no other use than for packing a plurality of stacked articles. The content of the cited document is incorporated by reference into the present application for jurisdictions in which this is possible, in particular for the USA.
- DE 84 28 908 U discloses a shrink film, in which, in order to unpack the article packed thereby more easily, provision is made of longitudinally and transversely extending double weakening lines, which form a “tear-off strip” in each case between one another. When in one region a piece of the tear-off strip is exposed and grasped, the pack can be opened without any further problems by tearing off the strip in an appropriate manner. In order to enable grasping, finger openings are provided in the strip region, and therefore the pack is not impervious. The content of the cited document is incorporated by reference into the present application for jurisdictions in which this is possible, in particular for the USA.
- In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to what is known as a child-proof pack made of a multi-layered sheet having at least one outer plastic layer mostly consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and at least one inner aluminum layer, which thus faces the contents. Instead of the PET layer, which will always exclusively be mentioned hereinbelow for greater clarity, a layer of paper, oriented polypropylene (OPP) or oriented polyamide (OPA) can also be used.
- In practice, such multi-layered sheets consist of substantially more layers. An additional polyethylene layer is nearly always present inside the aluminum layer; on the outside, the usually likewise multi-layered print is applied above the PET layer, up to a transparent protective layer for the printing image, but all this is not essential for the aim of the present invention, namely easier opening of such a pack, and therefore does not need to be explained any further.
- Packs made of such sheets are widely used for medicaments, with the aluminum sheet being used on account of its outstanding shielding effect (barrier layer) against all external influences and the PET sheet is used on account of its high mechanical strength. This is also used, if desired, to make the finished pack “child-proof”, there being various statutory criteria or criteria defined by standards or conventions for when such a pack should be designated child- proof. In any case, on account of the structure mentioned, it is not simple to open the pack without aids, and therefore various measures were taken in the prior art to make opening easier here without as far as possible losing childproofing.
- In this respect, reference is made in particular to US 2008/0038415 A1, which, in the case of a stick made of such a multi-layered sheet, provides a weakening line which does not reach as far as the edge so that it is necessary when opening to fold the stick in the regions of the weakening line and then to tear it open along the weakening line. Since it is assumed that children will not fold the stick, this pack is to be considered child-proof despite the weakening line. Since folding only takes place “in the region of the weakening line”, it is often not simple for adults to open this pack.
- With regard to the term “stick”, it should also be stated that this is to be understood as including a tubular bag, in which a sheet is formed into a tube along a longitudinal seam and the tube is divided up into individual volumes in predetermined portions by transverse seams. In this case, the longitudinal seam is usually arranged approximately in the middle of the length of the transverse seams, resulting in a viewing surface on the surface opposite the longitudinal seam and, as a result of the transverse seams, two usually extremely rounded side edges which are produced by bending the tube material and tend to be sharp-edged in the region of the transverse seams, since they are of course welded together in the region of the transverse seams. Therefore, users prefer to attempt to open the pack in the region of one of the transverse seams starting from one of the side edges. Longitudinal seam and transverse seam are understood to mean adhesive or sealing strips, by means of which the tubular sheet is joined to itself in an impervious manner in the seam region.
- A more bag-like or cushion-like pack, which has a longitudinal seam and transverse seams, but in which an opening aid is arranged at the point which is obvious even for children, and therefore cannot be considered to be child-proof, is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,815. A special form having a plurality of weakening regions is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,571, with a further weakening region being provided in particular in the region of the longitudinal seam, where the sheet is in a three-layer form and is particularly difficult to open, in order to make opening easier. Such consideration of the problems in the region of the longitudinal seam in the case of a stick is also disclosed in
EP 1 152 947. The contents of the cited documents are incorporated by reference into the present application for jurisdictions in which this is possible, in particular for the USA. - In addition to sticks, there also exist as packs, in particular in the medical field, what are known as cushions, in which the pack consists of two, usually identical and symmetrically arranged sheets, which are connected, usually sealed, together along the periphery of the pack. In one configuration, it is possible to fold a sheet over along one side edge and thus to create a pack which, when it is in a square form, has sealing seams on three sides and the fold-over of the sheet on the fourth side. The latter construction represents an approximation to the sticks, but in the case of the sticks, the longitudinal seam is always in the middle of one of the two outer surfaces, whereas in the case of the cushion it forms a side seam and cannot be distinguished technically from the transverse seams.
- It is now the object of the invention to specify an opening aid for sticks and cushions, as a result of which opening aid childproofing, in particular, is not compromised.
- According to the invention, this is achieved by the features given in the characterizing part of
claim 1. - The invention thus essentially provides, at a distance from the edge of the sticks or of the cushion, two intersecting weakening lines in at least one of the pack surfaces, each of which weakening lines preferably extends in a straight line, wherein the angle between the weakening lines at the point of intersection is between 60° and 90° .
- This makes it possible in the case of sticks, as well, in particular those according to the initially mentioned US 2008/0038415 A1, to make opening easier, since the pack material can easily be folded over along one weakening line and also precisely in the appropriate region of the other weakening line, along which tearing open takes place. In this connection, it should also be noted that it is unfavorable to position the weakening lines on the surface of the sticks in said document on account of the undesired escape of the content. The other initially mentioned documents are not of the generic type; in particular U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,514, which is mentioned first, can only be found and redesigned by ex-post consideration, despite similar measures.
- In the case of sticks and particularly of cushions, in which it is harder to grasp and fold one of the pack surfaces per se than it is in the case of sticks, it is provided that such weakening lines are formed in an aligned manner on both pack surfaces. In particular in this variant, it is advantageous to provide at least the tear-open line in a double or multiple form; i.e. to provide two or more weakening lines extending parallel to one another at a small distance apart, since when the two pack surfaces are folded, the tear-open lines are usually not precisely aligned. The distance to be maintained is substantially smaller than that between the weakening lines mentioned initially in the case of the wrapping paper and the shrink film, which are of course intended to form mechanically stable strips between one another. Preferably, this distance is under a millimeter, very preferably under half a millimeter, and particularly preferably under 0.1 mm.
- Multiplication ensures that, despite the usual displacements that occur during folding, tear-open lines are always present that are de facto aligned with one another. This applies mutatis mutandis to the fold lines. In the following, for the sake of clarity, only one weakening line is ever referred to, except in the explanations specifically relating to the multiplication. In the case of such multiplication, the expression “point of intersection” becomes an intersection surface, the small dimensions of which, however, ensure that the same applies to it as is established with respect to the point.
- In a first variant, one of the weakening lines extends parallel to the adjacent edge of the pack and the other extends substantially normal thereto; in this case, the point of intersection thereof is located preferably some distance from the nearest corner of the pack. In this variant, the weakening line which extends parallel to the adjacent edge is usually the fold line and the weakening line extending normal thereto is the tear-open line. The distance between the fold line extending parallel to the adjacent edge and the latter is in this case preferably between 3 and 20 mm, particularly preferably between 10 and 15 mm. This makes grasping and bending easier.
- In another embodiment, the point of intersection is located near to one of the corners of the pack, but outside the region of the sealing seam or sealing seams, and the two weakening lines are rotated through about 45° with regard to the edges of the pack. In this variant, in order to tear open the entire pack, the weakening line which cuts off the corner is preferably the fold line and the weakening line which runs into the corner is preferably the tear- open line. If only a small opening is intended to be created, then the functionality of the lines is swapped; this can be indicated easily by corresponding labeling.
- The point of intersection of the two, if appropriate multiple, weakening lines is preferably moved so far into the corner that it allows comfortable grasping of the package in order to tear it open. The fold line should be at least in each case 15 mm, preferably 20 mm to 25 mm long on both sides of the point of intersection; the weakening line, which makes folding easier and ensures that it takes place at the correct location, can be much shorter. In the case of rectangular or square package outlines, this means that the point of intersection lies on the angle bisector at a distance of 15 to 25 mm from the corner.
- The mode of operation of the pack is as follows:
- The user folds the pack about one of the two weakening lines and tears it open along the other of the two weakening lines. In the first variant, the user folds the pack about the weakening line extending parallel to the adjacent edge and tears the pack open normal to this edge; in the case of the arrangement in the corner, the user folds the pack about the weakening line virtually cutting off the corner and tears the pack open, starting from the corner region, diagonally, actually along the angle bisector, in the case of rectangular or square packages at around 45° .
- As emerges from what has been stated, it is advantageous to arrange the two weakening lines on one of the outer surfaces of the pack in an aligned manner with analogous weakening lines on the opposite side of the pack, so that the weakening line along which the user tears open the pack is actually a double weakening line, since it is present equally in both sheet regions to be torn open.
- The invention will be explained in more detail in the following text with reference to the drawing, in which:
-
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment in plan view and schematic section, -
FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment in a view analogous to that inFIG. 1 , and -
FIG. 3 shows a variant. -
FIG. 1 illustrates a cushion-like pack, which is formed from two, preferablyidentical sheets rectangular pack 1 is bounded by four sealingseams sealing seams 3 likewise extend parallel to one another, but normal to the sealing seams 2. - The secondary figure of
FIG. 1 illustrates a purely schematic section along the line A-A, with the illustration of the contents and thesealing seam 3 located in the viewing direction of the section being omitted in order that the essential details are illustrated. The twosealing seams 2 can be seen in the secondary figure and the twosheets pack 1 consists are clearly visible. It should be noted that a section normal to the line A-A would look exactly the same. - According to the invention, the opening aid according to the invention in the form of two weakening
lines line 4 extends parallel to theadjacent edge 2 and theweakening line 5 extends substantially normal (commonly perpendicular) thereto. These two weakening lines are provided not only in theupper sheet 7 which can be seen inFIG. 1 but also aligned therewith in the view ofFIG. 1 in thesheet 7′ located thereunder. The user thus uses theweakening line 4 as a bending line, as a result of which theweakening line 5, along which thepackage 1 is torn open, comes into the edge region which is of course now formed by thebending line 4, and the package can now be torn open easily along the weakeningline 5, although it is now twice as thick in this region. - The arrangement and length of the
weakening lines pack 1, the contents thereof and on the answer to the question as to whether the pack is intended to be divided at least substantially into two parts or whether it is sufficient to create a removal opening. - Usually, pills, lozenges, contact lenses, pulverulent or granular substances, which are intended to be transferred from the pack into another container, or else gel-like or other viscous materials which are intended to be taken by the user, are packed in such packs in the field of medicine. It can be gathered, even from this enumeration, that there are very different removal options and that a large variety of forms of the opening aid according to the invention result therefrom. In the case of applications with other contents, for example for spices, for expensive, in particular small-format components in the field of electronics, or the cosmetics industry, there are even more conditions imposed on the opening of such cushions or sticks.
-
FIG. 2 illustrates a variant in which theweakening lines pack 1, and extend substantially in the angle bisector of the sealing seams 2, 3 or normal to the first weakening line. In this case, it is possible to bend the pack about the weakeningline 4 and then to tear it open along the weakeningline 5, thus substantially diagonally to the pack. It can be seen that it is thus possible to create a very large opening in the splayed apart state without there being the risk of a one-piece article, for example a contact lens, accidentally being shaken out or lost. - It is also possible to bend the pack about the weakening
line 5 and to tear it open along the weakeningline 4, as a result of which, given an appropriate length of the weakeningline 4, the corner of the pack is severed. This proves to be particularly useful when piece-form or liquid material is intended to be removed from thepack 1, for example consumed. -
FIG. 2 also shows a variant of thepack 1 per se, specifically a pack which consists only of onesheet 7 which is folded over along anedge 6 and is closed along the three remaining edges by sealinglines FIG. 1 . Said opening aid can, if easy opening is desired, by provided in the region of the fold-overedge 6, since it is then not necessary to tear through one of the sealing seams when the pack is bent about the weakening line parallel to theedge 6 and subsequently opened. -
FIG. 3 shows a variant of the invention in the case of what is known as a stick, again in plan view and schematic section. It can be seen that in this case, two fold-overedges 6 are present, since the corresponding sealing seams or thesealing seam 2 have or has been displaced to the middle of one of the surfaces and forms thelongitudinal seam 2′ there. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the weakeningline 4 for bending parallel to the longitudinal seam and theweakening line 5 for tearing open normal thereto were shown. - It is clear that it is possible to vary the angle between the two
weakening lines FIG. 2 , symmetrical about the angle bisector between two edges in a corner, depends on the abovementioned circumstances. - The weakening lines 4, 5 are provided in the PET layer, since it is of course this layer which determines the mechanical tearing strength of the cover of the
pack 1. At the same time, this provides a first visual aid for finding the opening point. This orientation aid is preferably enhanced by a corresponding design of the printing on thepack 1. The weakening lines 4, 5 can be produced in any known way, thus mechanically or else, preferably, by means of a high-power beam, preferably by means of a laser. The adaptation of the wavelength and power of the laser to the material used is not a problem for the person skilled in the art with knowledge of the invention and the field of application, and likewise guiding the laser with respect to the sheet, and therefore there is no need to go into this in more detail. - With regard to the
weakening lines - Finally it is possible, as already stated, to provide one or both of the lines in double or multiple form, for example the fold line about which the sheets of the pack are bent in order to make this bending easier.
- It is essential, but, as with the previously known weakening lines and tear-open aids, already known, that the protective function of the pack remains fully retained in the region of the
weakening lines - The pack does not have to be square or even rectangular at all. Polygonal outlines and even those having an outline that is curved at least in portions can also be used. The expressions “parallel to” and “normal to” should then relate to tangents or secants of this portion.
Claims (14)
1. A packet for packaging contents, the packet comprising:
one or two sheets, each sheet having at least one aluminum layer facing the packet contents and at least one outer surface layer that faces away from the packet contents, where the outer surface layer is made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), paper, oriented polypropylene (OPP) and oriented polyamide (OPA), and where the additional layer is connected to an aluminum layer over substantially their entire areas;
wherein the packet has a tear-open aid in the outer surface layer, the tear-open aid including at least two intersecting weakening lines in the outer surface layer.
2. The packet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the point of intersection of the at least two intersecting weakening lines in the outer surface layer is non-coincident with the nearest edge of the pack.
3. The packet as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second tear-open aid on an opposite outer surface of the packet, configured so that the two tear-open aids are substantially aligned with one another.
4. The packet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the tear-open aids includes double or multiple parallel weakening lines.
5. The packet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one of the weakening lines extends parallel to an adjacent edge of the packet.
6. The packet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the point of intersection of the weakening lines is disposed in a corner region of the packet, and wherein one of the weakening lines extends toward the corner.
7. The packet as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the packet has a rectangular or square outline, and the point of intersection of the weakening lines lies on an angle bisector of the corner at a distance of 15 to 25 mm from the apex of the corner.
8. The packet as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the distance of the weakening line from the adjacent edge is between about 3 and about 20 mm.
9. The packet as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the spacing between adjacent double or multiple parallel weakening lines is less than about 1 mm.
10. The packet as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the packet has the form of a stick or cushion.
11. The packet as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the angle defined by the at least two intersecting weakening lines is between 60° and 90° .
12. The packet as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the distance of the weakening line from the adjacent edge is between about 10 and about 15 mm.
13. The packet as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the spacing between adjacent double or multiple parallel weakening lines is less than about 0.5 mm.
14. The packet as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the spacing between adjacent double or multiple parallel weakening lines is less than about 0.1 mm.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP10450050.9 | 2010-03-29 | ||
EP10450050A EP2371737A1 (en) | 2010-03-29 | 2010-03-29 | Packaging with tear strip |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20110233267A1 true US20110233267A1 (en) | 2011-09-29 |
Family
ID=42562663
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/053,675 Abandoned US20110233267A1 (en) | 2010-03-29 | 2011-03-22 | Pack having tear-open aid |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20110233267A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2371737A1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN102205898A (en) |
AR (1) | AR080731A1 (en) |
BR (1) | BRPI1101726A2 (en) |
MX (1) | MX2011003264A (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20140287106A1 (en) * | 2011-11-04 | 2014-09-25 | Nestec S.A. | Flow wrap packaging |
USD896634S1 (en) | 2019-01-29 | 2020-09-22 | Golden State Foods Corp. | Container |
USD896633S1 (en) | 2019-01-29 | 2020-09-22 | Golden State Foods Corp. | Container |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2545720A (en) * | 2015-12-23 | 2017-06-28 | Glowcroft Ltd | Packaging |
WO2019106555A1 (en) * | 2017-11-29 | 2019-06-06 | U.P.M. Produzione S.R.L. | A single-dose package for liquid, semi-liquid, granular or powder products |
CN110979955A (en) * | 2019-11-21 | 2020-04-10 | 全越 | Packaging bag preventing mistaken tearing |
Citations (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1939794A (en) * | 1932-01-26 | 1933-12-19 | Robert C Seybold | Wrapping sheet |
US3608815A (en) * | 1969-07-03 | 1971-09-28 | Dixie Wax Paper Co | Opening aid for packages |
US3809220A (en) * | 1972-07-24 | 1974-05-07 | Becton Dickinson Co | Child safety package |
US4762514A (en) * | 1985-11-01 | 1988-08-09 | Fujimori Kogyo Co., Ltd. | Method of making beverage packaging bag |
US5511665A (en) * | 1994-10-31 | 1996-04-30 | G. D. Searle & Co. | Child-resistant package |
US6102571A (en) * | 1998-09-30 | 2000-08-15 | Hosokawa Yoko Co., Ltd. | Packaging bag |
US20040109618A1 (en) * | 1999-01-21 | 2004-06-10 | Marbler Claude A. | Packing made from a film-like laminate and process for production of this packing |
US20060023976A1 (en) * | 2004-08-02 | 2006-02-02 | Alvater Paul H | Peelable pouch containing a single or multiple dosage forms and process of making same |
US20060131204A1 (en) * | 2004-12-21 | 2006-06-22 | Boehringer Ingelheim International Gmbh | Film container |
US20080038415A1 (en) * | 2004-08-12 | 2008-02-14 | Uwe Obermann | Packaging Having A Weakening Area |
US20080105582A1 (en) * | 2004-09-30 | 2008-05-08 | Lts Lohmann Therapie-Systeme Ag | Non-Reclosable Package for Products Prejudicial to Health, as well as Process for its Production |
Family Cites Families (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE8428908U1 (en) * | 1984-10-02 | 1984-12-06 | Nordenia Kunststoffe Peter Mager KG, 2841 Steinfeld | Shrink film for packing solid objects with a sensitive surface |
DE29510276U1 (en) * | 1995-06-24 | 1996-10-24 | Hans Friedrich Mayer Gmbh | Confetti pack |
-
2010
- 2010-03-29 EP EP10450050A patent/EP2371737A1/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2011
- 2011-03-22 US US13/053,675 patent/US20110233267A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2011-03-23 CN CN2011100707184A patent/CN102205898A/en active Pending
- 2011-03-25 MX MX2011003264A patent/MX2011003264A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2011-03-29 AR ARP110101017A patent/AR080731A1/en unknown
- 2011-03-29 BR BRPI1101726-0A patent/BRPI1101726A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Patent Citations (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1939794A (en) * | 1932-01-26 | 1933-12-19 | Robert C Seybold | Wrapping sheet |
US3608815A (en) * | 1969-07-03 | 1971-09-28 | Dixie Wax Paper Co | Opening aid for packages |
US3809220A (en) * | 1972-07-24 | 1974-05-07 | Becton Dickinson Co | Child safety package |
US4762514A (en) * | 1985-11-01 | 1988-08-09 | Fujimori Kogyo Co., Ltd. | Method of making beverage packaging bag |
US5511665A (en) * | 1994-10-31 | 1996-04-30 | G. D. Searle & Co. | Child-resistant package |
US6102571A (en) * | 1998-09-30 | 2000-08-15 | Hosokawa Yoko Co., Ltd. | Packaging bag |
US20040109618A1 (en) * | 1999-01-21 | 2004-06-10 | Marbler Claude A. | Packing made from a film-like laminate and process for production of this packing |
US20060023976A1 (en) * | 2004-08-02 | 2006-02-02 | Alvater Paul H | Peelable pouch containing a single or multiple dosage forms and process of making same |
US20080038415A1 (en) * | 2004-08-12 | 2008-02-14 | Uwe Obermann | Packaging Having A Weakening Area |
US20080105582A1 (en) * | 2004-09-30 | 2008-05-08 | Lts Lohmann Therapie-Systeme Ag | Non-Reclosable Package for Products Prejudicial to Health, as well as Process for its Production |
US20060131204A1 (en) * | 2004-12-21 | 2006-06-22 | Boehringer Ingelheim International Gmbh | Film container |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20140287106A1 (en) * | 2011-11-04 | 2014-09-25 | Nestec S.A. | Flow wrap packaging |
USD896634S1 (en) | 2019-01-29 | 2020-09-22 | Golden State Foods Corp. | Container |
USD896633S1 (en) | 2019-01-29 | 2020-09-22 | Golden State Foods Corp. | Container |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AR080731A1 (en) | 2012-05-02 |
MX2011003264A (en) | 2012-01-23 |
CN102205898A (en) | 2011-10-05 |
EP2371737A1 (en) | 2011-10-05 |
BRPI1101726A2 (en) | 2012-11-20 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CONSTANTIA-PATZ GES.M.B.H., AUSTRIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WEBER, OTHMAR;PIESSLINGER, JOHANNES;REEL/FRAME:026287/0263 Effective date: 20110413 |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |