US20080299338A1

US20080299338A1 - Package for Confectionary Product

Info

Publication number: US20080299338A1
Application number: US11/659,202
Authority: US
Inventors: Sabastien Lamour; Cedric Peiffer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-08-03
Filing date: 2005-08-02
Publication date: 2008-12-04
Also published as: CN1993274A; FR2874002A1; FR2874002B1; CA2576713A1; WO2006024774A1; EP1773681A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a packaging (32) for a food product (10), such as a confectionery product which is wrapped in a rectangular strip (14) of material which is wound around the product, characterized in that the packaging comprises:

- an outer sleeve (32) comprising an upper sheet (36) and a lower sheet (34) joined together by a vertical rear back (38) and each facing opposite faces of the product; and
- means (50, 80, 82) for retaining the product (10) inside the sleeve (32).

The packaging sleeve advantageously constitutes an advertising medium.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to packaging for a food product, in particular a product with a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape such as a square of chocolate or an individual confectionery product such as a candy, a cookie, a madeleine or a bar.
The invention also applies to other individual wrapped food products such as savory products.

PRIOR ART

The invention therefore relates to packaging for a food product distributed to the general public, especially in cafes, bars and hotels as an accompaniment to coffees served in these establishments.
The food product of this type most commonly distributed, complimentary with each cup of coffee, is an individual square of chocolate accompanying an “espresso” coffee whose wrapper usually comprises a first, food-grade sheet that completely protects the square of chocolate and whose external appearance is generally metallic or shiny, and an external jacket known as the “band of the chocolate”.
The outer band consists of a longitudinal strip of rectangular shape made of a material which is usually a rectangular sheet of paper and which, during the manufacturing and wrapping process, is wound around the square of chocolate with its food-grade sheet and then closed by adhesively bonding an area of the back face of the strip to a facing portion of the front face covered by it.
The strip shaped into a band thus matches the shape of the food product perfectly, in particular the rectangular parallelepiped of the chocolate, and its primary function is to keep the chocolate wrapped in the first food-grade sheet, preventing it from becoming accidentally unwrapped. Its second function is to include, on its front face, i.e. the face visible to the consumer, certain information such as for example the name of the establishment distributing the chocolates and other information concerning the ingredients in the chocolate and its origin.
Unwrapping the chocolate to eat it is particularly tricky and requires a degree of dexterity on the part of the consumer, especially to enable him to grasp some part of the band to open it. In any case, opening the packaging results in the band being torn.
Although we are concerned with a single-use, disposable wrapper, in addition to the problems of using it, the fact that the band is destroyed in order to open the wrapper renders it unsuitable for effectively disseminating lasting advertising messages on its faces, in particular its front and back faces, even though such a paper medium represents a major means of conveying advertising messages given the high quantity of products concerned and the type of target consumer it can reach.
The invention also relates to “flow-pack” packaging, commonly used in the distribution of various food products, especially confectionery products.
This type of packaging is used in particular for distributing the chocolate squares mentioned above, “Spéculos” (caramelized) cookies, or other products such as madeleines, nougats, etc. which must be individually preserved in a sealed wrapper.
Like the wrapper band referred to above, flow-pack packaging consists of a rectangular sheet of flexible material which is wound around the product, for example around the square of chocolate or madeleine and closed by heat-welding two facing regions of the two opposite longitudinal ends of the strip or sheet of material, which is generally a sheet or a film of transparent or opaque plastic.
In the case of the paper band mentioned above, the sheet of paper is closed by adhesive bonding whereas in the present case of flow-pack packaging it is closed both by heat-welding the two opposite longitudinal end portions of the strip and by heat-welding the opposite horizontal edges, top and bottom, of the band so as to create a sealed wrapper.
Packaging in the form of flow-pack wrappers is used very widely in the confectionery industry. Specifically, as well as packaging chocolate squares or cookies, many chocolate bars and the like are also packaged in this way, individually or as multipacks, for distribution.
They are distributed for example in automatic vending machines of the type in which each individual product or pack of products is inserted between two consecutive turns of a helical worm made of a wound metal wire.
The structure of the packaging and good retention of the product(s) inside the wrapper are essential for such a vending machine to function properly. Moreover, each product dispensed falls vertically by a long way after leaving the worm, with the risk of it being damaged.
Whatever the application, the strip of flexible material in flow-pack wrappers involves the same problems as mentioned above when it comes to opening it, and it is not very well suited to advertising.
Note also that a candy which is packaged “candy-wrapper” style inside a strip of material such as paper has the same features as a product packaged by the flow-pack method, i.e. its candy wrapper has two “flat” end parts on either side of the candy.
In all these examples of wrappers, the strip of material wound around the product is closed at least in two longitudinal end is regions, top and bottom, closed for example by fastening, in particular by adhesive bonding or heat-welding, two facing regions of the two longitudinal ends, top and bottom, of the strip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To overcome these drawbacks, the invention proposes a packaging for a food product, such as a square of chocolate, or a confectionery product such as a candy, a cookie or a bar, which is wrapped in a rectangular strip of material which is wound around the product and closed in at least two longitudinal end regions, top and bottom, of the strip,

characterized in that the packaging comprises:
- an outer sleeve, made of rigid or semi-rigid material, comprising an upper sheet and a lower sheet joined together by a vertical rear back and each facing opposite faces of the product; and
- means for retaining the product inside the sleeve.

According to other features of the invention:

- said retention means consist of at least part of the sleeve (32);
- said retention means comprise at least one retention tongue that extends horizontally from the front vertical free edge of the lower sheet of the sleeve, into the sleeve and rearward to interact with a complementary part of the wrapped product so as to retain the product;
- the retention tongue is centered vertically with respect to the front vertical edge of the lower sheet of the sleeve;
- said retention means comprise at least two retention flaps, top and bottom, which extend horizontally from the front vertical free edge of the lower sheet, into the sleeve and rearward, and which each face top and bottom parts of the wrapper of the product so that it is flanked by the two flaps;
- the two top and bottom flaps constitute two top and bottom stops for vertically retaining the wrapped product inside the sleeve;
- the wrapper sheet of the product extends upward and downward, beyond the top and bottom ends of the product, by top and bottom extensions each of which is covered at least partially by a retention flap, top and bottom respectively;
- the wrapped product comprises a vertical opening and the retention tongue extends horizontally through the opening;
- the opening is closed at at least one of its two vertical ends so as to interact with a facing horizontal edge of the retention tongue;
- the opening is closed at both of its opposite vertical ends and the width of the tongue is substantially equal to the height of the opening;
- the upper sheet comprises a vertical fold that divides it into two inclined faces so as to confer on the sleeve the shape of a prism with a triangular section;
- the sleeve comprises additional means for locking the sleeve in the closed position;
- the sleeve is made as a single piece from cut-out and folded rigid or semi-rigid material, especially cut-out and folded cardboard or light cardboard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a first embodiment of a packaging according to the teaching of the invention, which is shown in the closed position in association with an individual square of chocolate wrapped in a band;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the square of chocolate contained inside the packaging of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view showing the packaging of FIG. 1 in its initial unfolded or deployed state;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to the previous view in which the packaging is shown in the open position with the square of chocolate retained by the tongue according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is an end view from the bottom along the arrow F5 of FIG. 4, also showing, in chain line, the packaging in the closed position;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a product wrapped using the flow-pack method and shown in association with a retention tab;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view in section along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are views similar to those of FIGS. 3 and 4 which show another embodiment of the packaging according to the invention;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are views similar to those of FIGS. 8 and 9 showing yet another embodiment of the packaging according to the invention;

FIG. 12 is an end view of the packaged product shown in FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the following description, identical, similar or analogue components will be designated by the same references.
By way of non-limiting example, to facilitate comprehension of the description, claims and drawings, the terms vertical, upper, lower, horizontal, longitudinal and transverse will be used, without implying any limitation, with reference to the trihedron V, L, T shown in the figures.
FIG. 2 shows a first wrapped food product 10 with a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, which in this case is an individual square of chocolate 12 surrounded by a wrapper band 14.
For the sake of simplification, the individual chocolate 12 is shown without its first food-grade packaging sheet and is thus in the form of a simple rectangular parallelepiped delimited by two large square faces, lower 16 and upper 18, two opposite large side faces, left 20 and right 22, and two opposite small side faces, 24 and 26.
The wrapper band 14 consists of a strip, made for example of paper, with a generally rectangular shape, which is wound around the main lower 16 and upper 18 and side 24 and 26 faces of the chocolate square.
According to a known design not shown in detail, the strip 14 is delimited laterally by two opposite parallel longitudinal edges 28 and 30 and by two outer and inner transverse end edges which overlap so as to create two regions of mutual coverage allowing it to be closed and fastened by adhesive bonding, generally over substantially the whole region of coverage.
The product 10, of general known design, thus offers the possibility, used in the context of the present invention, of horizontally sliding an object in the form of a tongue under the strip or band 14, for example from left to right under the band 14 and over the upper face 18.
As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 5, the packaging 32 according to the invention is in the form of a sleeve which is for example made by cutting out and folding a piece of light cardboard so as to give it, in the closed position shown in particular in FIG. 1, a “folder” shape designed to hold an individual chocolate square 10, 12 shown in FIG. 2.
The outer sleeve 32 thus comprises a lower sheet 34, on the left in the figures, and an upper sheet 36 on the right, which are joined together by an intermediate vertical back 38.
More specifically, and conventionally, the lower rectangular sheet 34 is delimited longitudinally or horizontally, along the axis L of the trihedron, by a front vertical free edge 40 and by a rear vertical edge 42, while the upper rectangular sheet 36 is delimited by a rear vertical free edge 44 and by a front vertical edge 46, the edges 42 and 46 delimiting between them the vertical back 38 which, when the packaging is folded and closed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, constitutes the right-hand rear edge of the packaging 32.
To facilitate closure by folding the sleeve constituting the packaging 32, the parallel vertical edges 42 and 46 are preferably marked with folds.
The sleeve 32 is delimited overall vertically by two, top 33 and bottom 35, horizontal edges which extend between the opposite vertical free edges 40 and 44.
According to the teaching of the invention, the lower sheet 34 is extended horizontally toward the front by a tongue 50 for retaining the product 10, centered vertically along the front free edge 40.
The tongue 50 is made as a single piece by cutting out and folding with the sleeve 32.
The tongue 50 is delimited vertically by two, top 52 and bottom 54, horizontal edges which extend from the front vertical free end edge 55 of the tongue 50 as far as the front vertical free end edge 40 of the lower sheet 34.
Near the edge 40, the retention tongue 50 comprises a marked fold 56 which is oriented vertically. As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the dimensions of the retention tongue 50 are such that they allow the tongue 50 to be inserted under the strip 14 and along the upper face 18 of the chocolate 12.
As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the product 10 is then held on top of the inner face 37 of the lower sheet 34 with its lower face 16 adjacent to the inner face 37. Depending on the position of the product, the retention tongue 50 is adjacent to the upper face 18 or the lower face 16 of the product 10.
Owing to the dimensions of the tongue 50 and of the product 10, the latter is retained in the sleeve 32.
The product 10 is retained in the vertical direction V as its opposite horizontal edges 52 and 54 are received inside the strip 14, with practically no clearance, thus preventing any vertical movement of the product 10 inside the sleeve 32.
When the sleeve is closed, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 1 and in chain line in FIG. 5, the product 10 is retained horizontally in both directions, left and right, both by the vertical strip 57 of the tongue 50, delimited by the edges 55 and 40, and by the inner face 39 of the vertical back 38.
Lastly, the product 10 is retained in the direction T inside the closed sleeve 32 as it is sandwiched between the lower sheets 34 and 36, with its lower face 16 adjacent to the inner face 37 while its upper face 18 is opposite the inner face 41 of the upper sheet 36.
By way of non-limiting example, and according to another feature of the invention, the figures also show means for keeping or “locking” the sleeve 32 in the closed position.
These locking means are for example also made as a single piece by cutting out and folding with the sleeve 32 and in this case comprise a rear central locking tab 58 whose opposite top 60 and bottom 62 ends are received in top 64 and bottom 66 slots, respectively, made opposite each other along the front edge 40 in association with two top 68 and bottom 70 “latches”.
The latches 68 and 70 are shaped so as to facilitate locking and unlocking with a view to opening.
In addition to its function of protecting the product 10, the packaging consisting of the sleeve 32 constitutes an ideal advertising medium, particularly due to its large surface area.
The product is held securely inside the sleeve, with practically no clearance owing to the clamping effect resulting from the closure of the sleeve 32, especially when the latter includes means for locking in the closed position.
Advertising messages may appear not only on the internal back face of the sleeve 32 consisting of the internal faces 37, 39 and 41 (indicated here by the letters V), but also, naturally, and preferably, on the outer front face of the sleeve 32 consisting of the outer faces 37′, 39′ and 41′ of the sleeve 32 (indicated here by the letters R).
Advantageously, after use (i.e. after it has been opened so that the consumer can eat the product 10), the sleeve 32 constitutes an advertising medium that the consumer may keep.
The surface area or zone available for advertising messages is much larger than that provided by the surface area or zone of the wrapper strip 14.
Moreover, the choice of materials available for the sleeve 32 makes printing much easier, allowing unlimited creative possibilities.
It is also particularly advantageous to be able to use a standard or neutral product 10, i.e. one not including any particular advertising message other than the manufacturer's brand and product ingredients, in association with a personalized packaging sleeve 32, especially for the purposes of an advertising campaign.
The tongue 50 with its two opposite inner and outer faces also constitutes an additional advertising surface.
When the product is not perfectly parallelepiped, for example rounded like a candy, a madeleine or a nougat, it is possible to make a cut for example in the upper and/or lower sheet and/or to shape the central part of this sheet with a rounded shape to match the product.
This is especially possible if the sleeve is made of a sheet of plastic molded by thermoforming. If a cut is used, this may retain the product in the sleeve by itself.
FIG. 6 schematically shows a product 10 wrapped in a flow-pack wrapper.
The product 10 is in this case, for example, a rectangular individual chocolate square or a flat rectangular cookie such as a “Spéculos” cookie (not visible in FIG. 6).
The product wrapper in this case consists, as is known, of a strip or sheet 14 of flexible material, for example a sheet of transparent or opaque plastic which is sealed closed by thermoforming or heat-welding.
A central part 72, with a shape generally similar and complementary to the shape of the product it holds, for example a rectangular parallelepiped similar to that of the individual chocolate contained inside, and two top 74 and bottom 76 “zero thickness” end parts are thus delimited.
The method used to seal the wrapper 10 closed is such that it results, especially in the central part 72, in the formation of an overlap 78 delimiting an opening in which, as shown schematically in FIG. 6, it is possible to insert at least the free end portion delimited by the vertical edge 55 of a retention tongue 50 similar to that described above.
This possibility is also shown schematically in the sectional view of FIG. 7.
Because the top 74 and bottom 76 end parts are closed by heat-welding, the opening (under the overlap 78) in which the retention tab 50 is received is also closed at both its opposite vertical ends.
Such a product 10 with its flow-pack wrapper can therefore be placed and held inside a packaging sleeve 32 like that described and shown with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, in the same way as a chocolate with a band.
Whether it is a chocolate with a band or a chocolate in a flow-pack wrapper, the retention tab 50 can lie “on top of” the upper face 18 of the product 10, “covering” the latter as shown in the figures or, alternatively, in a variant not shown, can lie “underneath” the lower face 16 of the product 10, in which case there is then only the thickness of the paper of the band or of the flow-pack wrapper 14 between the tongue 50 and the inner face 37 of the lower sheet 34.
According to a variant not shown, the retention tab 50 can extend over the whole height of the front vertical edge 40, thus having the same height as the lower 34 and upper 36 sheets, the product in this case projecting upward and downward beyond the edges 33 and 35, with the locking means in the closed position thus being able to act in line with the opposite edges 56 and 44.
According to yet another variant not shown, the retention tongue is not centered on the vertical edge 40 but may be offset toward the top or bottom.
In the case of a flow-pack wrapper, the packaging sleeve is rigid and homogeneous, greatly facilitating the stocking and dispensing of this type of product in automatic vending machines of the type mentioned above.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, to increase the “advertising” surface area further, and above all to hold or retain the product more securely, the product in this case being wrapped in a flow-pack wrapper, two top 80 and bottom 82 flaps can be made (as a single piece by cutting out and folding), these flaps—when the product 10 is inside the sleeve 32—being opposite the “zero thickness” top 74 and bottom 76 end parts of the wrapper sheet 14 that encases the product consisting of the chocolate 12.
The dimensions of the various slits are such that the top 86 and bottom 88 side faces of the product 12 are received, with practically no clearance, between the facing top 90 and bottom 92 edges of the flaps 80 and 82, respectively.
This design with two retention flaps makes it possible, if necessary, and in particular if no opening is available or if the opening is not closed at its two opposite vertical ends, to retain the product.
This design with two top 80 and bottom 82 flaps is also particularly suited to packaging “non-flat” products, i.e. products with a generally rounded shape such as candies, nougats, madeleines, etc.
Another embodiment modified for this purpose is shown from FIG. 10 onwards, in this case for packaging a small madeleine contained in a flow-pack wrapper.
Since the product packaged is a product with an awkward volume and more or less variable contour, i.e. not regular like a rectangular parallelepiped chocolate square, the packaging sleeve 32 is first of all modified in that its upper sheet 36 is divided or partitioned into two faces 36 a and 36 b separated by a vertical fold 94 so that the upper face 36 can be folded into an upside-down V, as can be seen in FIG. 12, and therefore the sleeve 32 in a product of generally triangular section.
As the shape of the sleeve 32 is generally polyhedral or a prism of triangular section, it can contain bulky products of varied shapes while retaining all the advantages inherent in the invention, especially those relating to the holding or retention of the product in the sleeve 32.
To this end, the edges 90 and 92 of the slits delimiting the flaps 80 and 82 and the tongue 50 have opposite V-shapes with the internal concave parts of the two upper case Vs facing one another, as can be seen in FIG. 10.
As shown in FIG. 11, this makes it possible to easily hold the product wrapped in its flow-pack wrapper between the two slits 90 and 92 and thus between the two flaps 80 and 82, in such a way that the free tips 81 and 83 of the flaps 80 and 82 have a “clamping” effect, retaining the product even more securely.
The slit consisting of the two opposite V-shaped edges 90 and 92 is thus generally complementary to the periphery of the shape of the product to be held and packaged.
The bottoms of the two Vs thus advantageously interact with the toothed edges of the flow-pack wrapper (shown in FIG. 6) which thus constitute retention notches received in the bottoms of the Vs.
The length along “L” of the two flaps 80 and 82 is preferably sufficient, when the sleeve is folded into a triangle and closed, to “force” the flaps to lie crossways, i.e. not parallel to the lower sheet 34.
Thus, the retention means consisting of the flaps 80 and 82 prevent a user from trying to remove the product vertically in the direction V, by making him open the sleeve, which is particularly important when the sleeve 32 includes an advertising message on its back face.
In this embodiment, the locking tab 58 is received in a locking slot 64 formed in the fold 40 corresponding to the front edge.
The locking tab 58 is extended longitudinally outward by a grasping tab 59 that facilitates opening of the packaging so as to unfold it and access the product it contains.
In all the embodiments shown and described, the sleeve, when laid out flat, is generally rectangular in outline.
As a variant, it is of course possible to give it other shapes so that, once the product has been packaged using the sleeve, said sleeve has an original shape, for example a roller shape.
Likewise, the section of the sleeve whose upper sheet has several faces does not have to be triangular but may have any polygonal shape suitable for the product to be packaged.

Claims

1. A packaging (32) for a food product (10), such as a square of chocolate (12), or a confectionery product such as a candy, a cookie or a bar, which is wrapped in a rectangular strip (14) of material which is wound around the product and closed in at least two longitudinal end regions, top and bottom, of the strip,

characterized in that the packaging comprises:

an outer sleeve (32) comprising an upper sheet (36) and a lower sheet (34) joined together by a vertical rear back (38) and each facing opposite faces of the product; and

means (50, 80, 82) for retaining the product (10) inside the sleeve (32).

2. The packaging as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that said retention means (50, 80, 82) consist of at least part of the sleeve (32).

3. The packaging as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that said retention means comprise at least one retention tongue (50) that extends horizontally from the front vertical free edge (40) of the lower sheet (34) of the sleeve (32), into the sleeve and rearward to interact with a complementary part of the wrapped product so as to retain the product.

4. The packaging as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that the retention tongue (50) is centered vertically with respect to the front vertical edge (40) of the lower sheet (34) of the sleeve (32).

5. The packaging as claimed in either of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said retention means comprise at least two retention flaps, top (80) and bottom (82), which extend horizontally from the front vertical free edge (40) of the lower sheet (34) of the sleeve (32), into the sleeve and rearward, and which each face top (74) and bottom (76) parts of the wrapper of the product (10) so that it is flanked by the two flaps (80, 82).

6. The packaging as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the two top and bottom flaps (80, 82) constitute two top and bottom stops for vertically retaining the wrapped product (10) inside the sleeve (32).

7. The packaging as claimed in either of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the wrapper sheet (14) of the product extends upward and downward, beyond the top and bottom ends (86, 88) of the product, by top and bottom extensions (74, 76) each of which is covered at least partially by a retention flap, top and bottom (80, 82) respectively.

8. The packaging as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the wrapped product (10, 12, 14) comprises a vertical opening and in that the retention tongue (50) extends horizontally through the opening.

9. The packaging as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that the opening is closed at at least one of its two vertical ends so as to interact with a facing horizontal edge (52, 54) of the retention tongue (50).

10. The packaging as claimed in the preceding claim, characterized in that the opening is closed at both of its opposite vertical ends and in that the width of the tongue (50) is substantially equal to the height of the opening.

11. The packaging as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper sheet comprises a vertical fold (94) that divides it into two inclined faces (36 a, 36 b) so as to confer on the sleeve the shape of a prism with a triangular section.

12. The packaging as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve (32) comprises additional means (58, 68, 70) for locking the sleeve in the closed position.

13. The packaging as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve (32) is made as a single piece from cut-out and folded rigid or semi-rigid material, especially cut-out and folded cardboard or light cardboard.