WO2000032479A2

WO2000032479A2 - Closing clip for tetrapak ® and similar packages used for food distribution

Info

Publication number: WO2000032479A2
Application number: PCT/IT1999/000363
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrea Dozzini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-11-27
Filing date: 1999-11-11
Publication date: 2000-06-08
Anticipated expiration: 2001-05-27
Also published as: ES2205907T3; EP1144256A3; WO2000032479A3; EP1144256B1; ATE247036T1; DE69910437T2; DE69910437D1; IT245756Y1; EP1144256A2; AU1295100A; US6536083B1; ITRM980283U1

Abstract

The object of the present invention is a closing clip for Tetrapak® and similar packages used for the distribution of food items, with a pouring spout (18) obtained by tearing a pre-established section near the two welded end tabs (13, 14) of a package (15). It is composed of a plastic body(1) with a slit (2) sized to encompass the terminal tabs (13, 14). The slit is delimited by rough parallel surfaces (3, 4) that diverge near at least one corner (20) of the body in order to insert the spout (18) and, more preferably, along all the open sides of the slit .

Description

DESCRIPTION

"CLOSING CLIP FOR TETRAPAK® AND SIMILAR PACKAGES USED FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION"

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention involves a closing dip for Tetrapak® and similar

packages used for food distribution, particularly liquids.

BACKGROUND ART

These packages are composed of a tube made from a web of

waterproofed paper that is folded and sealed at the ends to

obtain the corresponding shape. In some types of these

packages, such as the tetrahedral-shaped one known as "Tetra

Classic", the rectangular parallelepiped-shaped one known as

"Tetra Brik" and the square parallelepiped-shaped one known as "Tetra Rex", a pouring spout is created by tearing a pre-

established portion of the two welded end tabs. This spout is convenient for pouring the contents of the

package, but it cannot be closed again. As a result, the liquid

food items that are not consumed when the package is opened

can turn sour or deteriorate during subsequent refrigeration due to external agents, such as bacteria, that may be present in the air circulating inside the refrigerator. In addition, since

the package stays open, its contents can spill if the package is

not kept and handled in an essentially vertical position. In

general, the contents can spill because these packages are usually kept on the shelves in the door of the refrigerator and

they are subject to jolts when the door is opened. However,

when the packages are placed on the grids or shelves inside the refrigerator, part of their contents can also be spilled when

the packages are moved to get something else from the

refrigerator.

The present invention thus focuses on eliminating the above-

mentioned problems.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

In particular, one of the purposes of this invention is to resolve

the problem of leakage of the liquids contained in the types of

packages listed above when they are being used.

Another objective of this invention is to extend the

conservation time of the package contents by preventing

contamination by external agents that could alter the quality of

the contents. Yet another objective is to guarantee proper hygiene of the

spout so that it does not come into contact with external agents such as insects, bacteria and other agents.

The invention, as it is characterized by the claims listed below,

solves the problem of supplying a closing clip for Tetrapak®

and similar packages used for food distribution, via a pouring

spout obtained by tearing a pre-established portion near the

two welded end tabs on a package. From a general viewpoint,

this pouring spout is characterized by the fact that it is

composed of a plastic body with a slit, which is sized in order to

encompass said end tabs and is delimited by rough parallel

surfaces that diverge near at least one corner of the body in

order to insert the spout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The additional characteristics and advantages of this invention

can be seen better from the detailed description that follows.

The preferred examples illustrated in the attached drawings are

given strictly as an indication, but without any limitations

thereof:

- Figure 1 gives a top plan view illustrating the closing clip

according to the present invention. - Figure 2 gives a side view of the closing clip shown in Figure

1.

- Figure 3 gives a perspective view of the closing clip shown in Figure 1.

- Figure 4 gives an open "Tetra Brik" type of package.

- Figures 5 to 7 give lateral views and a top plan view,

respectively, of a second example of the clip closing according to the present invention.

- Figures 8 and 9 offer a plan and side view illustrating a third

example of the closing clip according to the present

invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, the closing clip for

Tetrapak® and similar packages is composed, in an initial

example, of a body Fig. 1 (1 ) made of a suitable plastic

material, such as PTFE, shaped like a triangular prism and,

more specifically, like an isosceles triangle.

The body Fig. 2 (1 ) has a slit Fig. 2 (2) delimited by the inner surfaces Fig. 2 (3,4) of the body Fig. 2 (1), which should

preferably be parallel to each other. In this example, the inner

surfaces Fig. 2 (3,4) are parallel at the external opposite bases

Fig. 2 (5,6) of the body Fig. 2 (1). The slit Fig. 2 (2) communicates with the outside on two open lateral faces Fig. 1 (7,8) of the body Fig. 1 (1 ), meaning the faces corresponding

to one of the equal sides and to the base of the triangle Fig. 1.

Instead, on the face Fig. 1 (9) corresponding to the other equal

side of the isosceles triangle, it is closed by a wall Figures 1-2 (10). The wall Fig. 1 (10) is shown parallel to the face Fig. 1 (9)

of the body Fig. 1 (1 ) but as an alternative, it can lie on a plane

that intersects the plane of the face Fig. (9) shown in Figure 7.

In particular, the angle of the triangle between the sides of the

faces Fig. 1 (7,9) should preferably be a ninety-degree angle. The inner surfaces Fig. 2 (3,4) of the body Fig. 2 (1) that

delimit the slit Fig. 2 (2) have a respective bevel Fig. 2 (11 ,12)

so that they will diverge near the corner Figures 1-2 (20) of the

body Fig. 1 (1 ) that the faces Fig. 1 (7,8) have in common. In

other words, the outline of the corner is the vertex opposite the

face Fig. 1 (9). Preferably, the surfaces Fig. 2 (3,4) diverge not

only in the corner Fig. 2 (20) but also on the faces Fig. 1 (7,8),

meaning that these faces are beveled towards the inside of the

slit Fig. 3 (2) to facilitate insertion of the dip in the tabs of a

package.

As shown in Figure 3, the slit Fig. 3 (2) is sized in both width

and thickness to allow the body Fig. 3 (1 ) to encompass in an

essentially complete manner the end tabs Fig. 4 (13,14) of an open package, such as the Tetra Brik type, shown in dotted lines and marked generally as Fig. 4 (15). When opening the

package, the end tabs Fig. 4 (13,14), which are welded along

their respective coinciding edges Fig. 4 (16,17), are usually torn when opening the package at the prepared edge in order

to form a spout Fig. 4 (18). Ideally, the surfaces Fig. 2 (3,4)

delimiting the slit Fig. 2 (2) will be suitably rough. Figures 5 to 7 show the dip according to the present invention

in a second example, marked as number 21. As opposed to

the first example, this dip has two portions Figures 5 - 6 (24,

25) of the body Figures 5 - 6 - 7 (1 ') that differ in thickness so

that portion Figures 5 - 6 (24) has an indentation Figures 6 - 7 (22) to create a depression in the slit that is useful for taking in

and holding the portion of the welded tabs Fig. 4 (23) of

package (15) in Figure 4.

During use, the closing dip in the second example described

above is set dose to the package Fig. 4 (15) in a horizontal

direction, meaning laterally with respect to its tab Fig. 4 (13)

with the bevels Fig. 3 (11 ,12), and it is made to advance on it

so that the surfaces Fig. 2 (3,4) of the body Fig. 2 (1) will

consecutively flatten the tab Fig. 4 (13), the edges Fig. 4 (16,

17) and, lastly, the tab Fig. 4 (14). The spout Fig. 4 (18) is thus

hermetically closed, since it is gripped between the two halves of the body Figures 5 - 6 - 7 (1 ') and as a result, the liquid food item contained in the package cannot leak from it. For this

closing operation, the shape exemplified in Figures 5 to 7 is

especially convenient: here, the corresponding edges Fig. 4

(16, 17) of the end tabs Fig. 4 (13, 14) are housed in the

indentation Figures 6 - 7 (22).

When this indentation is not present, as in the examples shown

in Figures 1 to 3, the closing dip according to this invention is conveniently inserted vertically to achieve hermetic closing of

the spout Fig. 4 (18).

The rigidity of the material used for the body Figures 1 - 2 - 3

(1 ) is suitable for flexibly applying gripping pressure on the edges Fig. 4 (13,14) of the package Fig. 4 (15). The roughness

of the inner surfaces Fig. 2 (3,4) of the body Fig. 2 (1 ) helps

hold the clip to the spout Fig. 4 (18) through friction.

In order to enhance the aforesaid gripping effect, the closing

clip according to the present invention can have the shape

illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. In this third example, marked as

number 26, one face Fig. 8 - 9 (90) of the triangular prism of

the body Fig. 8 - 9 (1 ") extends along two forked branches

Fig.8 (91 , 92), representing the power of a pincer lever whose

fulcrum is in (93) Fig. 8. In this example as well, the indentation described above Figures 6 and 7 (22) could be made in order to enable horizontal insertion of the clip. It is important to understand that the body Fig. 1 - 2 - 3 (1) can

have a shape other than the triangular prismatic one that is

illustrated and described herein. For example, the body Fig. 1 -

2 - 3 (1 ) can have an ergonomic shape, which is not shown

here, so it can be gripped comfortably in order to be applied

and removed from the package. Otherwise, the body Fig. 1 - 2

- 3 (1 ) can be made in a different shape such as a half-moon, a square, etc or any fancy shape.

Obviously, in practice it is possible to make modifications

and/or improvements that, in any event, are covered by the following claims.

Claims

1. The closing dip for Tetrapak® and similar packages used for the distribution of food items, with a pouring spout Fig. 4 (18)

obtained by tearing a pre-established section near the two

welded end tabs Fig. 4 (13,14) of a package Fig. 4 (15) is

characterized by the fact that it is composed of a plastic body Fig. 1 - 2 - 3 (1 ), Fig. 5 - 6 - 7 (V), Fig. 8 - 9 (1 ") with a slit Fig.

2 (2) sized to encompass said end tabs Fig. 4 (13,14). The slit

is delimited by rough parallel surfaces Fig. 2 (3,4) that diverge

near at least one corner Fig. 2 (20) of the body in order to

insert the spout Fig. 4 (18).

2. The dip as claimed in claim 1 , characterized by the fact that

said body Fig. 1 - 2 - 3 (1 ) is shaped like a triangular prism, in

which said inner surfaces Fig. 2 (3,4) delimiting the slit Fig. 2

(2) also diverge on the open faces Fig. 1 (7,8) of the body Fig.1

(1 )-

3. The dip as claimed in claim 1 , characterized by the fact that said body Fig. 1 - 2 - 3 (1 ) is shaped like a triangular prism in

which said inner surfaces Fig. 2 (3,4) delimiting the slit Fig. 2

(2) are parallel to the external bases Fig. 2 (5,6) of the body

(1 ).

4. The dip as claimed in claim 2, characterized by the fact that

said triangular prism has the shape of an isosceles triangle, in which the outline of said corner Fig. 1 (20) is the vertex opposite the one of the equal sides of said isosceles triangle.

5. The dip as claimed in claim 1 , characterized by the fact that said body Fig. 5 - 6 - 7 (1 ') has a slit Fig. 6 (2) with a

rectangular depression Fig. 5 - 6 - 7 (22).

6. The dip as claimed in claim 1 , characterized by the fact that

said body Fig. 8 - 9 (1 ") is extended along the two forked branches Fig. 9 (91 ,92) of a pincer lever.

7. The clip closing for Tetrapak® and similar packages used for

the distribution of food items, according to the above claims

and according to what has been described and illustrated, with

reference to the figures in the attached drawings and for the

aforesaid purposes.