EP0099304A1 - Foodstuff packaging process and its package - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the invention, a base (1) supports a protective envelope (2) containing the product (F), the base/envelope assembly being covered by a removable bell-shaped cover (3). Such packaging is intended for the packing of cheeses and their display for sale. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a method of packaging preferably solid or pasty food products such as, for example, white cheeses, soft cheeses, ice creams, sorbets, frozen foods or the like, as well as the packaging for the implementation of this process.

Cheese packages of the type already known include a protective envelope made of aluminum foil in which the cheese is enclosed, the assembly having the configuration of a parallelepiped, a cube or a cylinder.

However, such packaging has the disadvantage that when it is desired to have access to the cheese for consumption, it is necessary to unfold the protective aluminum foil, such an operation often being accompanied by a partial removal of adhering cheese. paper, risking staining the consumer's fingers.

There is also known a method of packaging soft cheeses according to which the cheese is injected into a container before closing this container with a lid. With such packaging, it is necessary to use a spoon or a knife to get the desired amount of cheese to consume from the container, and in the presence of several consumers, it is not always pleasant for them to have to take their share of cheese in the same container already started.

Ultimately, such packaging is not practical in terms of the presentation of the cheese.

The present invention aims to solve the above drawbacks.

The present invention provides a method of packaging food products according to which the food product is injected into a container then closed by a closure element, the closure element is conformed to a base, and the base is turned over so that it supports the container thus forming a protective cover for the food product, a tear-off strip separating the cover from said base, the method being characterized in that it is interposed between the base and the protective cover made of a flexible material the tear strip, in that the casing is fixed on the base with the tear strip by heat sealing, and in that the unitary assembly thus formed is covered by the base and the casing protection of a protective bell made of rigid material.

A subject of the invention is also the packaging for implementing the above process.
of the type comprising a container containing the food product closed by a closure element, said closure element forming a base supporting said container thus forming an envelope protection, a tear strip separating the cover from said base which has the shape of an inverted bowl having a horizontal rim serving as a support surface of the base, the protective envelope being fitted and fixed to the external periphery of the part side of the bowl, the packaging being characterized in that the tear strip is interposed between the protective casing made of a flexible material and the side wall of the base, the protective casing being fixed with the strip d 'tearing around the side wall by heat sealing, and in that a protective bell made of rigid material. covers the unitary assembly formed by the protective envelope and the base, said bell being locked removably to the base.

The invention also provides a packaging for food products of the type comprising a container containing the food product closed by a closure element, said closure element forming a base supporting said container which thus forms a protective envelope for the food product and comprising a resting base. on the base and an apex opposite to said base, the packaging being characterized in that it comprises two tear strips attached to the protective envelope and crossing at the top of said envelope, each of the tear strips having at the at least one free end whose tearing makes it possible to break or tear said envelope by updating the food product.

According to another characteristic of the invention, each of the aforementioned tear strips is fixed under the aforementioned protective envelope, the aforementioned free end being outside of the assembly formed by the envelope and the base.

• La figure 1 est une vue en coupe d'un premier mode de réalisation de l'emballage selonl'invention suivant la ligne I-I.
• La figure 2 est une vue de dessus suivant la flèche II avec arrachement partiel montrant l'emboîtement du couvercle et d'une partie formant cloche autour du socle de l'emballage.
• La figure 3 est une vue agrandie de la région cerclée sur la figure 1 et montrant un autre mode de verrouillage de la partie formant cloche au socle de l'emballage.
• La figure 4 est une vue agrandie à partir de la figure 1 montrant la fixation du couvercle autour du socle de l'emballage.
• La figure 5 représente deux emballages selon l'invention empilés l'un au-dessus de l'autre.
• La figure 6 est une vue en perspective d'un deuxième mode de réalisation de l'emballage faisant l'objet de l'invention.
• La figure 7 est également une vue en perspective de l'emballage de la figure 6 avec la partie en forme de cloche retirée, et montrant l'arrachage d'une bande d'arrachement.
• La figure 8 est une vue en perspective de l'emballage de l'invention montrant l'enveloppe de protection ouverte en pétales suite au double arrachement en croix des bandes d'arrachement.
• La figure 9 est une vue de dessus de l'emballage de l'invention selon la direction de la flèche IV de la figure 7.
• La figure 10 est une vue de dessous de l'emballage suivant la flèche V de la figure 7.
• La figure 11 est une vue agrandie en coupe de la partie cerclée désignée en VI en figure 6, et montrant la fixation d'une extrémité d'une bande d'arrachement à l'emballage de l'addition.

The invention will be better understood, and other objects, characteristics, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the explanatory description which follows, made with reference to the appended schematic drawings given solely by way of example illustrating several embodiments of the invention and in which:

• Figure 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of the packaging according to the invention along line II.
• Figure 2 is a top view along arrow II with partial cutaway showing the fitting of the cover and a bell forming part around the base of the package.
• Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the region circled in Figure 1 and showing another method of locking the bell portion to the base of the package.
• Figure 4 is an enlarged view from Figure 1 showing the fixing of the cover around the base of the package.
• FIG. 5 represents two packages according to the invention stacked one above the other.
• Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the packaging object of the invention.
• Figure 7 is also a perspective view of the packaging of Figure 6 with the bell-shaped part removed, and showing the tearing of a tear strip.
• Figure 8 is a perspective view of the packaging of the invention showing the protective envelope opened in petals following the double cutaway cross tear strips.
• FIG. 9 is a top view of the packaging of the invention in the direction of the arrow IV in FIG. 7.
• FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the packaging according to arrow V in FIG. 7.
• Figure 11 is an enlarged sectional view of the circled portion designated in VI in Figure 6, and showing the attachment of one end of a tear strip to the package of the addition.

Referring to FIG. 1, the packaging according to the invention comprises a part forming a base 1, supporting the food product F such as for example soft cheese, a container 2 forming a protective envelope containing the food product and fixed to the base. 1 as will be explained later.

A bell-shaped part 3 is removably locked to the base 1 and contains the envelope containing the cheese spaced apart.

The base 1, as shown in Figure 1, has the general shape of an inverted bowl on the bottom 10 of which rests the food product F. The bottom 10 has the shape of a circular surface substantially convex and comprises, arranged circumferentially, several pins 11, projecting under the face of the bottom opposite to that where the food product rests. By way of example, these pins are six in number and are arranged on the bottom 10 so as to form a hexagon as shown in FIG. 2.

The circular edge of the bottom 10 is connected to the side wall 12 of the inverted bowl-forming part, this side wall 12 also being connected to a flat annular part 13 forming the external horizontal rim of the bowl. The horizontal flange 13 serves as a support surface for the base 1.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the protective casing 2 is fixed to the base 1 after being fitted around the side wall 12 of this base.

Figure 4 also shows the presence of an annular tear strip 4 interposed between the inner circular wall of the protective casing 2 and the side wall 12 of the base.

The protective envelope 2 can be made from aluminum foil and is fixed with the tear strip 4 around the side wall 12 by heat sealing. It should be noted that this heat-sealing operation can be easily carried out since the base 1 is made of plastic material such as for example polyethylene, polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride.

It is therefore understood from the above that the protective casing 2 and the base 1 form a unitary assembly, the casing 2 can be separated from the base 1 by pulling on the tear strip 4, the food product F remaining integral with the base 1 after removal of the cover.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the horizontal annular rim 13 also forms the bottom of an annular recess in which the bell 3 is removably fitted.

The annular recess has a first internal edge 13a connected to the side wall 12 of the base and a second external edge 13b, these two edges being inclined relative to each other and each defining an obtuse angle relative to the bottom 13 giving in the annular hollow the shape of a v. The edge 13b projects at the circular edge of the bottom 10.

The internal circular wall of the bell 3 thus fits around the internal edge 13a of the annular recess and comprises at its circular end an external horizontal annular rim 3a (see FIG. 3) coming to bear on the bottom 13 of the annular recess.

, The locking of the bell 3 to the base 1 is effected by the elastic engagement of one end of the horizontal rim 3a in an annular groove 13c formed in the edge 13b.

As shown in FIG. 1, the end of the annular rim 3a is connected to a circular edge 3b projecting from this rim at an obtuse angle corresponding substantially to that defined by the edge 13b. The annular groove 13c is produced substantially at the level of the middle part of the edge 13b and elastically receives a part corresponding 3c projecting from the edge 3b.

FIG. 3 represents a second embodiment of the removable locking of the bell 3 to the base. As shown in this figure, the horizontal rim 3a has a part of its end engaging elastically in the annular groove 13c serving as a connection between the bottom 13 of the annular recess and the edge 13b.

It goes without saying that other means for locking the blank 3 to the base 1 can be produced. For example, the edge 13b, instead of having an annular groove, may have at its free end a horizontal rim connected to a circular edge extending under this rim to thus form a staple part on which the part is fitted bell bell.

The base 1 as well as the bell 3, is produced by thermoforming and the presence of the annular groove forming an undercut is not a problem during the demolding of the base since the latter is made of a flexible plastic material (polyethylene ) authorizing the release of the undercut.

The upper part of the bell 3 connected above the side wall of the bell tapers along a first frustoconical part 3 also extended by a second frustoconical upper part 3a.

The diameter of the circular surface at the end of the truncated upper part 3e is such that it corresponds substantially to the internal diameter of the circle defined by the pins 11 arranged circumferentially on the bottom 10 of the base. Thus, it is possible to stack on top of each other several identical packages by placing, as shown in FIG. 5, a package E on the package E 'so that the bottom 10 of the package E rests on the circular surface. of the upper frustoconical part 3a of the bell 3 of the package E ', the pins 11 of the base of the package E serving to center it on the package E'.

The bell 3 is made of a plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride and can thus be obtained as mentioned previously by thermoforming. By this thermoforming, it is possible to define inside the upper frustoconical part 3d two lateral recesses 3f, 3g between which is interposed a catch bucket 3h of the bell 3.

The method of packaging a food product such as for example soft cheese is carried out schematically as follows.

From an aluminum foil, the protective envelope 2 is conformed inside which the cheese is injected. Then, the envelope 2 is closed by the base 1 by fitting the latter into the envelope. It should be noted that before the operation of closing the envelope 2, the tear-off strip 4 is placed around the side wall 12 of the base 1 which can be held on this wall by adhesion or by adhesive.

Finally, the casing 2 on which the base rests is brought to a heat-sealing station for fixing around the side wall 12 of the base of the envelope 2. To complete the assembly of the envelope 2 around the side wall 12, it is possible to provide a self-adhesive aluminum sheet. The tear strip 4 heat-sealed between the aluminum sheet 2 and the side wall 12 of the base 1 may also have an outer tongue passing through the aluminum sheet to also allow its subsequent tearing.

The assembly thus constituted by the base 1 and the protective envelope 2 is then turned over so that the base supports the envelope. The assembly is then returned to a cooling tunnel and stored in a refrigeration chamber (the assembly allowing the hot injection of the cheese) is then taken up in order to place the bell 3 around the base.

The base 1, which can be opaque and present a white color, may include a print for the legal texts on its external background.

The bell 3, which may be transparent, has a self-adhesive identification label.

Of course, the base and the bell can be made of a material other than a plastic material, for example a stamped metal of a thickness such that it allows a certain elasticity for locking the bell of the base.

The packaging according to the invention thus allows a consumer to have direct access to the cheese by removing the bell 3 from the base 1 from the gripping bucket, the unlocking of the bell is effected. killing by deformation of its elastic end engaged in the annular groove 13b, by tearing off the tear strip 4 by pulling on the tongue to separate the protective envelope 2 made of aluminum from the base 1, the cheese F thus remaining integral with the base being conveniently presented for tasting.

When the consumer has removed the portion of cheese to be consumed, the latter replaces the protective casing of the base 1 and again locks the bell 3, the assembly thus being able to be kept in a refrigerating chamber.

It should be noted that the positioning of the bell relative to the base is facilitated by the inclined edge 13b on which the end portion of the rim 3a engages by friction, the inclined edge ensuring the centering of the bell.

Other modifications can be made to repacking without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the elements 11 projecting, instead of having the shape of pins, can be arranged so as to define a circular crown, each element 11 having an oblong circular shape. This arrangement in a crown allows better centering for stacking the packaging. In addition, the edge 13b of the base may have at its free upper end a flat annular rim 13d for a better grip of the packaging for the separation of the bell 3 from the base 1. To further facilitate this separation, it can also be provided a tongue 13e, integral with the rim 13d, and possibly another tongue 3i integral with the bell and partially superimposed on the tongue 13e. There is shown in Figures 6 to 11 a second embodiment of a package according to the invention. Some of the common elements between this packaging and that of FIGS. 1 to 5 bear the same references.

As is apparent from FIGS. 6 to 11, the packaging according to the invention comprises a part forming a base 1 having the general shape of an inverted circular bowl on the bottom 10 of which rests the food product F such as for example soft cheese . The circular edge of the bottom 10 is connected to the slightly inclined side wall 12 of the inverted bowl-shaped part, this side wall also being connected by means of a wall 13 which is inclined on the outside and of a substantially vertical wall 14 to a part planar annular 15 forming external horizontal rim of the bowl. This horizontal rim 15 serves as a bearing surface for the base 1. The external circular edge of the rim 15 is connected to a wall 16 inclined externally relative to the rim 15 so as to form a shell angle. The upper end of the wall 16 ends in an external annular rim 17.

A protective envelope 2 containing the food product F has its part forming a circular base fitted around the side wall 12 of the bowl 1. As for the packaging of the first embodiment, the protective envelope 2 is produced from 'an aluminum sheet and is fixed around the side wall 12 by heat sealing, this heat sealing operation being easily carried out since the base 1 is made of a plastic material such as for example polyethylene, poly propylene, or polyvinyl chloride.

A bell-shaped part 3 is removably locked to the base 1 and encloses the protective envelope containing the cheese spaced apart. As in the first embodiment, the bell 3 is made of a plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride and is obtained as for the base 1 by thermoforming or by injection or other processes. The bell 3 thus comprises a substantially frustoconical lower part 31 connected to a frustoconical upper part 33 by a frustoconical intermediate part 32. During thermoforming, two lateral recesses (not shown) can be formed between which is interposed a gripping trough (not shown) ) of bell 3 (see the first embodiment). The circular lower end of the substantially frustoconical part 31 of the bell 3 is connected to an annular flat wall 3la, the circular end of which is connected to an inclined edge 31b at an obtuse angle relative to the wall 31a. The wall 31a and the edge 31b are thus configured so as to be able to fit into the corresponding recess formed by the edge 16, the horizontal wall 15 and the wall 14 of the base 1 and this by simple elastic deformation, thus releasably locking the bell 3 at base 1.

According to the invention, and as shown in Figures 6, 7, 9 and 11, two tear strips 4 and 5 are fixed under the protective casing 2 by heat sealing or by gluing, each of the tear strips having their ends free 41, 42; 51, 52 located outside the assembly formed by the protective casing 2 and the base 1. As shown, the two tear strips are fixed under the protective casing 2 so as to intersect at the top of the casing opposite the base 1, the tear strip 4 being for example firstly heat-sealed to the casing 2 while the tear strip 5 is then heat sealed to this envelope thus covering the tear strip 4 at the crossing point at the top of the envelope. FIG. 9 better illustrates the way in which the tear strips 4 and 5 are arranged. Thus, each of these strips has its two ends which are arranged substantially at two opposite points of the assembly formed by the envelope 2 and the base 1, the two bands 4 and 5 intersecting substantially at right angles to the top of the envelope 2.

FIG. 11 shows the way in which each of the tear strips is fixed (in this case the tear strip 4) in the assembly formed by the protective casing 2, the base 1 and the bell 3. The tear strip 4 fixed for example by heat sealing under the envelope 2 passing through its top is also heat sealed between the lower part of the envelope 2 and the side wall 12 over a portion of length corresponding substantially to the height of the wall lateral 12. The strip 4 extends through the inclined wall 13 in order to then conform to the annular recess formed in the base 1 by the walls 14, 15 and 16 and ends at the end 41 outside the packaging. The shower 3 when locked on the base 1 of course covers the strip 4 in the annular recess.

Access to the food product contained in the protective envelope 2 from the packaging as shown in FIG. 1 operates as follows.

First, the user disengages the bell 3 from the base 1 and, by pulling on each of the tear strips 4 and 5 from their free ends, tears the envelope 2 to update the food product. FIG. 7 represents the tear strip 4 being torn off by pulling on its free end 42 according to arrow A. It is noted that the food product F is updated according to a width corresponding to the width of the strip d 'tearing 4. The tearing of the tear tape 5 takes place in a similar manner to the tear tape 4 by pulling for example on the end 52. FIG. 8 represents the packaging after tearing of the strips 4 and 5. In this figure, the double tear cross in bands 4 and 5 allows the protective envelope 2 to open in four petals, three of which are only shown, thus allowing direct access to the food product F. It is note that the four petals remain integral with the base 1 and that the user can close them once a portion of product F has started to cover and protect this product. The petals can optionally be detached from the base 1 by the user.

It is understood that other variants of the packaging can be produced without departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus, the tear strips 4 and 5 instead of being located under the protective casing 2 can be fixed thereon. In addition, it is not necessary for the user to have at his disposal two free ends for each tear strip. A free end outside the packaging, for example 41 or 51 of each tear strip is sufficient to open the envelope 2 in petals, the other end of the corresponding tear strip stopping for example on the side wall 12 of the base 1. Finally, if desired, a number of tear strips greater than two can be used.

FIG. 10 represents an embodiment of means ensuring the stacking of the packaging from another identical packaging. These means, instead of being made up of two pins as in the case of the first embodiment, are made up of at least three ribs 18 integrally and circumferentially molded on the face of the bottom 10 of the base 1 opposite the face supporting the product. food F. These ribs are inclined at an acute angle with respect to the bottom 10 in the direction of the geometric center of this bottom so as to allow better guidance for positioning during stacking.

In addition, a product information label in the form of petals or any other form can be affixed to the inside or outside of the transparent protective cover. 3.

We therefore produced according to the invention an attractive appearance package for sale and allowing easy access to the food product contained in this package.

Claims (26)

1. A method of packaging food products according to which the food product is injected into a container then closed by a closure element, consisting in shaping the closure element into a base and turning said base so that it supports the container thus forming a protective cover for the food product, a tear strip separating the cover from said base, characterized in that it is interposed between the base (1) and the protective cover (2) made of a flexible material the tear strip (4), in that the casing is fixed to the base with the tear strip by heat sealing, and in that the unitary assembly thus formed is covered by the base and the '' protective envelope of a protective bell made of rigid material. 2. Packaging of food products for implementing the method according to claim 1, of the type comprising a container containing the food product closed by a closure element, said closure element forming a base supporting said container thus forming a protective envelope, a tear-off strip separating the cover from said base which has the shape of an inverted bowl having a horizontal rim serving as a support surface for the base, the protective envelope being fitted and fixed to the external periphery of the lateral part of the bowl , characterized in that the tear strip (4) is interposed between the protective casing made of a flexible material and the side wall (12) of the base, the protective casing (2) being fixed with the strip tearing off (4) around the side wall (12) by heat sealing, and in that a protective bell made of rigid material covers the unitary assembly formed by the protective envelope (2) and the base (1), said bell being locked removably to the base (1). 3. Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that on the face of the internal bottom of the aforementioned bowl opposite to that supporting the food product are arranged circumferentially several elements (11) projecting from said opposite face. 4. Packaging according to claim 3, characterized in that the elements (11) prctés are pins. 5. Packaging according to claim 3, characterized in that the above elements (11) define a crown. 6. Packaging according to claim 5, characterized in that each aforementioned element (11) has a circular oblong shape. 7. Packaging according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the bowl of the aforementioned base has a generally circular shape. 8. Packaging according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the envelope (2) above is made of aluminum foil. 9. Packaging according to one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the protective cover (3) above is transparent. 10. Packaging according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the aforementioned horizontal flange (13) of the base (1) also forms the bottom of an annular recess in which a corresponding part of the bell is embedded (3 ) above, said annular recess having a first internal edge (13a) connected to the side wall (12) above and a second external edge (13b) comprising the locking means of the aforementioned bell. 11. Packaging according to claim 10, characterized in that the aforementioned locking means is an annular groove (13c) formed in the middle part of the aforementioned second edge and receiving elastically a projecting element (3e) from a corresponding part of the bell (3) with the aforementioned annular hollow. 12. Packaging according to claim 10, characterized in that the aforementioned locking means is an annular groove (13c) serving for connection to the aforementioned second edge (13) and to the horizontal edge (13) of the base (1), the annular groove partially receiving the external horizontal edge (3a) of the bell (3). 13. Packaging according to one of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that the first (13a) and second (13b) aforementioned edges are inclined relative to each other and form an obtuse angle relative to the flange ( 13). 14. Packaging according to one of claims 2 to 13, characterized in that the upper part (3c) of the aforesaid bell has a diameter substantially corresponding to the internal diameter of the circle defined by the elements (11) arranged circumferentially on the 15. Packaging according to claims 2 to 14, characterized in that the aforementioned base is made of plastic material such as for example polyethylene. 16. Packaging according to one of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that the aforesaid bell is made of plastic material such as for example polyvinyl chloride. 17. Packaging according to one of claims 2 to 16, characterized in that the aforesaid bell comprises a gripping bucket (3). 18. Packaging according to one of claims 2 to 17, characterized in that it is stackable, the above elements (11) allowing the centering of said packaging above another packaging. 19. A packaging for food products of the type comprising a container containing the food product closed by a closure element, said closure element forming a base supporting said container which thus forms a protective envelope for the food product and comprising a base resting on the base and a top opposite to said base, according to any one of the claims of the main patent; characterized in that it comprises two tear strips (4) and (5) integral with the protective envelope (2) and intersecting at the top of said envelope, each of the tear strips having at least one free end (41, 42; 51, 52), the tearing of which makes it possible to break or tear said envelope by updating the food product (F), 20. Packaging according to claim 19, characterized in that each of the aforementioned tear strips is fixed under the aforementioned protective envelope (2) and in that the aforementioned free extract is outside the assembly formed by the envelope (2) and the base (1). 21. Packaging according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that each of the aforementioned bands is made solidairede the envelope (2) above by heat sealing. 22. Packaging according to one of claims 19 to 21, characterized in that each of the aforementioned tear strips has a portion of heat-sealed length between the lower part of the aforementioned protective envelope (2) and the side wall (12 ) from the base (1). 23. Packaging according to one of claims 19 to 22, characterized in that each of the aforementioned bands has two ends (41, 42; 51, 52) which are arranged substantially at two opposite points of the assembly formed by the envelope and the base. 24. Packaging according to one of claims 19 to 23, characterized in that the two aforementioned intersecting strips are at right angles to the top of the above envelope. 25. Packaging according to one of claims 19 to 24, characterized in that a bell-shaped part (3) encloses the aforementioned envelope and is lockable to the above-mentioned base (1). 26. Packaging according to one of claims 19 to 25, characterized in that on the bottom face (10) of the base (1) opposite to that supporting the food product (F) are arranged circumferentially at least three inclined ribs (18) ensuring a guide for placing two containers in stacking .

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