EP1291297A1 - Procédé d' emballage d' un article et un emballage pour enfermer un article - Google Patents

Procédé d' emballage d' un article et un emballage pour enfermer un article Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1291297A1
EP1291297A1 EP01307548A EP01307548A EP1291297A1 EP 1291297 A1 EP1291297 A1 EP 1291297A1 EP 01307548 A EP01307548 A EP 01307548A EP 01307548 A EP01307548 A EP 01307548A EP 1291297 A1 EP1291297 A1 EP 1291297A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sheets
frame member
article
shrinkable material
recess
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP01307548A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Eugenio Sergio Longo
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Cryovac LLC
Original Assignee
Cryovac LLC
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Cryovac LLC filed Critical Cryovac LLC
Priority to EP01307548A priority Critical patent/EP1291297A1/fr
Publication of EP1291297A1 publication Critical patent/EP1291297A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B53/00—Shrinking wrappers, containers, or container covers during or after packaging
    • B65B53/02—Shrinking wrappers, containers, or container covers during or after packaging by heat
    • B65B53/06—Shrinking wrappers, containers, or container covers during or after packaging by heat supplied by gases, e.g. hot-air jets
    • 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
    • B65D75/002—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 in shrink films
    • B65D75/004—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 in shrink films with auxiliary packaging elements, e.g. protective pads or frames, trays
    • 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
    • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
    • B65D81/02—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage
    • B65D81/05—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents
    • B65D81/07—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents using resilient suspension means
    • B65D81/075—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents using resilient suspension means the contents being located between two membranes stretched between opposed sides of the package

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method of packaging an article, in particular, to a method of packaging a food product.
  • the invention also relates to a package with an enclosed article.
  • PVC or polyurethane esther are held in place within a box with a stiff sheet of PVC or polyurethane esther between 0.05 and 0.5mm thick.
  • PVC or polyurethane sheets are not recommended for food applications as not all properties necessary (sealability, gas barrier, food contact) can be satisfied.
  • the advantage of this method is that the presentation of the articles in the packaging may be significantly improved over conventional packaging.
  • the thickness of the flexible shrinkable material can be made thinner than that of the prior art (for example, between 12 and 40 ⁇ m thick) thereby reducing cost.
  • the article need not be compressed under vacuum and may be kept under a preserving atmosphere if so desired.
  • the method may further comprise the step of shrinking said shrinkable material thereby to suspend said article in said frame member under tension forces which are developed in said shrinkable material because of being constrained by said frame member.
  • the article may be held securely in place thereby improving presentation of the product.
  • the shrinkable film is capable of forming a high suspension/retention tension.
  • a packaging and an article said packaging comprising:
  • the article is a food product.
  • a first embodiment is illustrated in Figure 1.
  • An article 30 is positioned between a first sheet 10 and a second sheet 20 both sheets being comprised of a shrinkable material.
  • a seal 150 is formed between the two sheets 10, 20 around the article 30.
  • the article 30 is contained between the two sheets 10, 20 and is protected (i.e. sealed) from the atmosphere.
  • the two sheets 10, 20 are attached to a frame 100.
  • the frame 100 in the embodiment of Figure 1, is a ring and is attached to the two sheets 10, 20 substantially along the seal 150 through a second seal or joint 180.
  • Tension is created in the two sheets 10, 20 by shrinking those sheets 10, 20. Because that shrinking is constrained by the frame 100, the sheets 10, 20 are left in tension suspending the article 30 in the frame member 100.
  • FIG. 1 A method of forming the packaging illustrated in Figure 1 will now be described.
  • two sheets 10, 20 of a flexible shrinkable material are placed on opposite sides of the article 30.
  • Examples of flexible shrinkable material are oriented "heat-shrinkable” films which shrink when heated to a critical shrink temperature close to the temperature at which they have been oriented and which then shrink by a certain amount generating shrink tension.
  • Other examples are so-called “shrink” films which shrink upon heating to a critical temperature close to the melting point and which only develop a high shrink tension upon cooling.
  • the "heat shrinkable” films can be obtained by the so-called trapped bubble technology or by other technology such as flat extrusion or co-extrusion of a cast sheet, followed by quenching, re-heating to the suitably selected orientation temperature and orientation.
  • "Shrink” films are typically obtained by the so-called “hot-blown” method. Both “heat-shrinkable” and “shrink” films are known in the art as well their methods of manufacture.
  • heat-shrinkable film examples are those such as disclosed in EP-A-0,236,099 or WO 97/30844.
  • Those patent applications describe the films with barrier layers comprising ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer optionally blended with polyamides.
  • the two sheets 10, 20 also comprise a heat-sealing layer suitable to seal to itself and also to the material used for the frame member 100.
  • a suitable heat sealing layer comprises polyolefins, modified polyolefins, styrene polymers and copolymers.
  • polyolefin refers to a thermosplastic resin obtained by polymerization of an olefin or by copolymerization of two or more olefins or of one or more olefins with other comonomers, wherein the olefin units are anyway present in larger amounts than any possibly present comonomer.
  • polyolefins are polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, ethylene- ⁇ -olefin copolymers either heterogeneous or homogeneous, ethylene-vinly acetate copolymers, ethylene-acrylic acid or methacrylic acid copolymers, ethylenepropylene copolymers, ethylene-propylene-butene terpolymers, etc.
  • modified polyolefin means a polyolefin characterised by the presence of functional groups such as typically anhydride or carboxy group.
  • modified polyolefins are graft copolymers of maleic acid or anhydride onto ethylene- ⁇ -olefin or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, polymerisation products of these with other polar monomers, blends thereof etc.
  • These polymers may be mixed as known in the art with additives suitable to improve the manufacturing process, such as slip and anti-block agents or to improve the film performance such as UV absorbers, anti-fog agents, anti-microbials, oxygen scavengers, etc.
  • Such multi-layer films have the necessary properties required such as gas (oxygen) barrier properties, punture resistance, modulus, possibly meat adhesion and/or anti-fog properties, etc. for packaging food.
  • All seals may be made by glueing although - if possible- they are preferably made by heat-sealing.
  • the frame member 100 is in the shape of a ring. This is not necessarily the case; the frame member 100 may be any shape so long as it defines a central through-hole large enough for the article 30 to pass through.
  • the frame member 100 must be dimensioned and manufactured from a material to withstand the shrink tension generated by the shrinking of the two sheets 10, 20 (i.e. it should not bend or buckle) and should be suitable for sealing to the two sheets 10, 20.
  • Suitable materials include rigid polymers (polypropylene, high density polyethylene, terephthalate, polystyrene and high impact polystyrene) or foamed polymeric materials (such as polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene), corrugated cardboard or polymer corrugated-like structure obtained by using profile extrusion.
  • the frame member 100 may be produced by injection moulding; sheet extrusion and punch-in press; sheet extrusion and thermo forming to increase mechanical properties and punch-in press; and punch-in press of corrugated cardboard. If cardboard is used, it must be coated with a polymer to ensure sealability to the sheet 20 or sheet 20 must be formulated to seal directly to cardboard (e.g. ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, very low density polyethylene, and the like resins). Alternatively it can be attached to film 20 by means of a glue/adhesive.
  • the formation of seal 150 between the two sheets 10, 20 and the formation of the seal 180 between the sheet 20 and the frame member 100, as well as shrinking of the two sheets 10, 20, are performed at the same time. This is arranged for by positioning the article 30 in the middle of the frame member 100 and aligning the two sheets 10, 20 and the frame member 100 as required.
  • 180 heat and pressure are applied adjacent to the frame member 100 between the frame member 100 and the first (outer) sheet 10. The combined heat and pressure serve to form the seal 150 between the two sheets 10, 20 and the seal 180 between the second (inner as illustrated) sheet 20 and the frame member 100.
  • the two sheets 10, 20 are shrunk around the article 30, mainly during the sealing to the frame member 100. If additional heat is required this may be provided by air or water at an elevated temperature in order to increase the amount of shrink tension in the two sheets 10, 20.
  • the amount of shrink required in the two sheets 10, 20 is so that enough tension is created where the article 30 and the two sheets 10, 20 contact, that motion of the article 30 during the packaging, transport and handling of the packaging and article is avoided.
  • the product may be packaged either under vacuum or with a modified atmosphere as is conventional in the art. It will also be understood that the sealing of the two sheets 10, 20 to one another, the sealing of the sheet 20 to the frame member 100 and the shrinking of the two sheets 10, 20 may all be performed at once as described above or may be carried out as individual steps or any combination thereof.
  • one of the two sheets 10, 20 may be comprised of a non-shrink material if desired.
  • sheet 10 may be comprised of a semi-rigid moulded flexible non-shrinkable material.
  • Figure 2 shows a second embodiment in which the two sheets 10, 20 are sealed on opposite sides of the frame member 200.
  • the two seals can be made separately or in one single step.
  • the frame member 200 may be necessary that the frame member 200 has the same physical properties with regard to permeability to oxygen, puncture resistance, sealability, meat adhesion etc. as the two sheets 10, 20.
  • the frame member is perforated in the surface thereof facing the packaged product in such a way that it may absorb the liquids possibly released by the food product.
  • it may also comprise an outer gas-barrier shell perforated in the surface facing the product and an inner zone containing an absorbing material in order to absorb and retain the possible drip.
  • the frame member 300 comprises two elements 310, 320.
  • the first element 310 and second element 320 are the same though this is not necessarily the case.
  • the preferred method of forming the packaging is to seal the two sheets 10, 20 and to attach the first 310 and second 320 elements of the frame member 300 in one operation. This is done by positioning the two sheets 10, 20 on opposite sides of the article 30 and positioning the first and second elements 310, 320 of the frame member 300 around the article 30 and opposite one another on either side of the two sheets 10, 20. In this way the first element 310 only contacts the outer side of the first sheet 10 and the second element 320 only contacts the outer side of the second sheet 20.
  • the seal 350 between the two sheets 10, 20 may be made as an easy peel interface such that the packaging may be easily opened.
  • the easy peel interface is manufactured in a manner conventional in the art by suitably selecting the resins used in the sheets 10 and 20. While in an easy-to-open package the seal between these two sheets should be readily opened by hand the seals between the sheets and the frame members should be unaffected.
  • this is achieved by using in at least one of the sheets a thin innermost sealing layer and an adjacent layer of a thermoplastic material suitably selected in such a way that the bond between the sealing layer and said adjacent layer is very low.
  • a typical example is a system where either sheet 10 or 20 or both comprises a very thin layer of polyethylene- as the innermost sealant - adjacent to a polyamide surface. The force exerted to open the package breaks through the thin polyethylene sealing layer and the low bond between polyethylene and polyamide then permits delamination between these two layers to take place leading to opening up of the package.
  • the desired easy openability is obtained by using in the innermost seal layer, or in the layer adjacent to a very thin seal layer, of at least one of the sheets 10 and 20, a resin blend that has a low cohesive strength.
  • the force exerted to open the package will break said layer along a plane parallel to the layer itself, with or without prior breakage of the thin sealing layer, to give the easy opening up of the package.
  • the frame member 400 comprises a first element 410 and a second element 420.
  • the first element 410 is formed with a recess 415 in an internal surface.
  • the second element 420 has a jamming portion 425 which fits in the recess 415.
  • the two sheets 10, 20 are positioned around the article 30 and a seal 450 (which may be an easy-peel seal) is formed between the two sheets 10, 20 and the second sheet 20 is attached to the jamming portion 425 in the same step.
  • a seal 450 which may be an easy-peel seal
  • the article 30 is placed between the two sheets 10, 20 and the edges of the two sheets 10, 20 are positioned in the recess 415 and the jamming portion is used to jam the peripheral edges of the two sheets 10, 20 into the recess 415. Then the two sheets 10, 20 are sealed to one another and the second sheet 20 is sealed to the jamming portion 425 and the first sheet 10 is sealed to the recess 415 in the same step.
  • the packaging is subjected to elevated temperature after the two elements 410, 420 and the two sheets 10, 20 are all sealed together such that the flexible shrinkable material, of which one or both of the two sheets 10, 20 are comprised, shrinks.
  • the frame member 400 is reusable once the packaging has been opened to re-seal the article in the packaging by the consumer.
  • Figure 5 shows a fifth embodiment which is a variation of the third embodiment.
  • the frame member 500 is also comprised of a first element 510 and a second element 520.
  • the first element 510 and the second element 520 are not identical.
  • the first element 510 has, in a first surface substantially parallel to the sheets 10, 20, a protrusion 515. This protrusion is dimensioned to fit in a recess 525 formed in a surface of the second element 520 substantially parallel to the two sheets 10, 20 and opposite the first surface. In this way a plurality of packaged articles may be stacked as is illustrated.
  • all of the embodiments illustrated may comprise features of the other embodiments.
  • all of the embodiments may have one of the two sheets 10, 20 formed of a semi-rigid material and may have the various steps of forming a seal, attaching the sheets to the frame member and shrinking performed at the same time or in separate operations.
  • the article 30 may, in all cases, be packaged in a modified (preserving) atmosphere usually an inert gas of, for example, carbon dioxide. This may be accomplished by gas flushing (with, for example, nitrogen) between the sheets to expel any oxygen before injecting the modified atmosphere. Gas flushing may also be carried out with the modified atmosphere or at least a partial vacuum may be formed between the sheets prior to injecting the modified atmosphere instead of gas flushing.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
EP01307548A 2001-09-05 2001-09-05 Procédé d' emballage d' un article et un emballage pour enfermer un article Withdrawn EP1291297A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP01307548A EP1291297A1 (fr) 2001-09-05 2001-09-05 Procédé d' emballage d' un article et un emballage pour enfermer un article

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP01307548A EP1291297A1 (fr) 2001-09-05 2001-09-05 Procédé d' emballage d' un article et un emballage pour enfermer un article

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1291297A1 true EP1291297A1 (fr) 2003-03-12

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EP01307548A Withdrawn EP1291297A1 (fr) 2001-09-05 2001-09-05 Procédé d' emballage d' un article et un emballage pour enfermer un article

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN113830409A (zh) * 2020-06-08 2021-12-24 名硕电脑(苏州)有限公司 包装装置

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3492776A (en) * 1964-12-03 1970-02-03 Grace W R & Co Method of packaging objects between sheets secured to a frame
US3587839A (en) * 1969-02-20 1971-06-28 Forrest G Von Brecht Package and method of packaging a product
US3830365A (en) * 1972-10-19 1974-08-20 Newport General Corp Vacuum skin packaging and packages
EP0236099A2 (fr) 1986-02-28 1987-09-09 W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. Film d'emballage barrière d'oxygène
US5218510A (en) * 1991-09-23 1993-06-08 Bradford Company Suspension packaging for static-sensitive products
US5405000A (en) * 1994-02-28 1995-04-11 Hagedon; Bryan D. Protective suspension package
WO1997030844A1 (fr) 1996-02-23 1997-08-28 Ato Findley Inc. Adhesif d'etiquetage autocollant ameliore
US5759650A (en) * 1994-12-22 1998-06-02 Plicon Bloomin lid controlled atmosphere package

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3492776A (en) * 1964-12-03 1970-02-03 Grace W R & Co Method of packaging objects between sheets secured to a frame
US3587839A (en) * 1969-02-20 1971-06-28 Forrest G Von Brecht Package and method of packaging a product
US3830365A (en) * 1972-10-19 1974-08-20 Newport General Corp Vacuum skin packaging and packages
EP0236099A2 (fr) 1986-02-28 1987-09-09 W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn. Film d'emballage barrière d'oxygène
US5218510A (en) * 1991-09-23 1993-06-08 Bradford Company Suspension packaging for static-sensitive products
US5405000A (en) * 1994-02-28 1995-04-11 Hagedon; Bryan D. Protective suspension package
US5759650A (en) * 1994-12-22 1998-06-02 Plicon Bloomin lid controlled atmosphere package
WO1997030844A1 (fr) 1996-02-23 1997-08-28 Ato Findley Inc. Adhesif d'etiquetage autocollant ameliore

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN113830409A (zh) * 2020-06-08 2021-12-24 名硕电脑(苏州)有限公司 包装装置

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