Wrapping for packaging food products

Abstract

 Packaging for bakery product, comprising a preferential tearing portion (11) apt to be removed by a consumer and a window (12) of transparent material visible when said removable portion (11) is removed, said window showing the packaged food product.

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to a wrapping for packaging food products, and in particular bakery products, as well as to the product packaged with such a wrapping and to a continuous web for obtaining the latter.

[0002] There are various known types of wrappings for the packaging of food products, and in particular of bakery products such as bread, pizza and the like, and of ready dishes. Typically, said wrappings are lavishly printed, both in order to bear information required by law and to attract a consumer with advertising messages and/or colourful illustrations, often reproducing the packaged dish. Such a printing typically covers the entire packaging and entails a total covering of the product, which therefore is not visible to the user. In the case of ready dishes to be warmed up or baked, said choice of not showing the product is due also to the fact that prior just to said warming up or baking the appearance of the latter is less than tasty.

[0003] However, once the consumer has purchased the product, he/she would find useful a viewing thereof before consumption, and in particular before opening its packaging. This, e.g., in order to check a condition of correct food preservation, or, in case the product might be baked or warmed up directly in the packaging, to check just its degree of warming or baking.

[0004] Hence, the technical problem set and solved by the present invention is to provide a wrapping for packaging food products allowing to meet the needs mentioned hereto with reference to the known art.

[0005] Such a problem is solved by a wrapping according to claim 1.

[0006] According to the same inventive concept, the present invention also refers to a continuous web according to claim 13 and to a packaged product according to claim 12.

[0007] Preferred features of the present invention are present in the dependent claims thereof. The present invention provides several relevant advantages. The main advantage lies in that the packaging meets selling needs, requiring, as illustrated above, that the packaged product be not viewable by the consumer, and concomitantly satisfies the needs of the end consumer, who may view the purchased product without having to remove the wrapping thereof.

[0008] Other advantages, features and the operation modes of the present invention will be made evident in the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example and not for limitative purposes. Reference will be made to the figures of the annexed drawings, wherein:

• Figure 1 shows a plan view of a continuous web for the forming of wrappings for food products according to an embodiment of the invention;
• Figure 2 shows another plan view of the continuous web of Figure 1, depicting the other face thereof;
• Figure 3 shows a cross section of the web of Figure 1, taken along line A-A of the latter Figure, wherein the thicknesses have been depicted not in relative proportion, purely by way of example and generally magnified for greater clarity; and
• Figures 4A and 4B show each a perspective view of a product packaged with the web of Figure 1 during a use thereof by the consumer.

[0009] Figures 1 and 2 show each one face of a continuous composite web for the forming of a wrapping for packaging a food product according to an embodiment of the invention, said web being generally denoted by 10.

[0010] Referring also to Figure 3, the web 10 comprises as base material a laminate material 2, preferably of paper type. Centrally, on the paper material 2 it is applied by gluing a longitudinal strip 3 of transparent material, e.g. a film of cellophane, PLA, polylactic acid or polyester, or anyhow of a material permeable to H₂O vapour. Said gluing is based, e.g. on continuous longitudinal depositions of glue 4 that may be carried out in a manner known to a person skilled in the art, and which therefore will no further be dwelt upon.

[0011] In correspondence of the longitudinal edges of the face of the web 10 shown in Figure 1, and therefore on the paper material 2, there are carried out longitudinal glue depositions, denoted by 5, for sealing the packaging. Moreover, on the opposite face of the web 10, shown in Figure 2, and in particular on the face bearing the transparent strip 3, there are carried out transversal glue depositions, denoted by 6, for sealing the packaging. Also said longitudinal and transversal glue depositions 5 and 6 may be obtained in a manner known to a person skilled in the art. In particular, they - alike said glue depositions 4 for the forming of the composite web - may have a continuous development at least in correspondence of each of the wrappings being formed, as in the example depicted, or be applied according to any one discontinuous pattern. Likewise, said depositions may be carried out according to any one application jig, e.g. be made of a plurality of thin glue lines or points.

[0012] Moreover, according to the invention, on the paper material 2 there are obtained two parallel longitudinal perforation lines, denoted by 71 and 72, respectively, developing parallelly to the longitudinal edges of the strip 3 of transparent material and externally thereto. Hence, the perforation lines 71 and 72 define a preferential tearing portion, and in particular a strip 8, of the web 10.

[0013] From the web 10, in an automated production cycle, there may be obtained wrappings 1 for the packaging of a food product 100, one of said wrappings being shown in Figures 4A and 4B. In the illustrated example, the packaged product is a pizza.

[0014] The steps of forming said wrapping 1 from the web 10 or from a cut or die-cut portion thereof are based on the overlapping of the longitudinal edges of the web and therefore of the related glue depositions 5, so as to form a substantially tubular body. At the transversal edges of such a tube there are the depositions 6, which may be brought into contact to cause glue activation. As those wrapping forming steps are substantially conventional and perfectly within the reach of a person skilled in the art, this aspect will no further be dwelt upon, it being understood that any other shape or configuration of the wrapping, and in general of the packaging, is compatible with the present invention.

[0015] As it is shown in Figures 4A and 4B, by virtue of the described arrangement the wrapping 1 has a removable portion 11, and in particular a preferential tearing portion, formed of course by a portion of the removable strip 8 of the paper material 2.

[0016] Hence, the end consumer may remove said removable portion 11, uncovering a transparent window 12 made from the transparent material strip 3. Advantageously, the window 12 develops throughout the whole longitudinal extension of the wrapping 1, allowing an extensive view of the product.

[0017] The present invention is susceptible of several variant embodiments.

[0018] First of all, the removable portion of the wrapping may have any one shape, thereby not necessarily being in the form of a strip, and likewise may be said for the transparent window arranged therebelow.

[0019] Moreover, in the case of making said removable portion from the above-illustrated preferential tearing strip, the perforations may extend also transversally to the strip, in order to make a consumer's tearing easier.

[0020] The removable portion may also be connected to the remainder of the wrapping by a suitable glue, apt to allow an easy detachment and optionally subsequent repositioning of the portion itself.

[0021] In addition, it will be understood that the packaged food product may be any one bakery product or a more or less elaborate dish, to be baked or merely warmed up under care of the end consumer.

[0022] Furthermore, even though the invention has been described with reference to a packaging that is manipulated by the end consumer of the food product, alternative embodiments could envisage that the same advantages be exploited for the viewing, and optionally the baking or the warming up of the same product, at an industrial level.

[0023] The present invention has hereto been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. It is understood that other embodiments might exist, all falling within the concept of the same invention, and all comprised within the protective scope of the claims hereinafter.

Claims

1. A wrapping (1) for packaging food products, said wrapping having a removable portion (11) apt to be removed by a consumer and a transparent window (12) visible when said removable portion (11) is removed and apt to show the packaged food product (100).

2. The wrapping (1) according to claim 1, wherein said removable portion (11) is a preferential-tearing portion.

3. The wrapping (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said removable portion (11) is in the form of a strip.

4. The wrapping (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said removable portion (11) develops substantially throughout the whole transversal and/or longitudinal extension of the wrapping itself.

5. The wrapping (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said removable portion (11) is of paper material.

6. The wrapping (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said transparent window (12) is of a material permeable to H₂O vapour.

7. The wrapping (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said transparent window (12) is of a material selected from a group comprising cellophane, PLA, polylactic acid and polyester.

8. The wrapping (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, which is apt to be placed in an oven for the warming up and/or the baking of the food product (100) contained therein.

9. The wrapping (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, which is at least partly made of a material permeable to H₂O vapour.

10. The wrapping (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, which is apt to package a hot bakery product (100).

11. The wrapping (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, which is apt to be deep-frozen or frozen jointly with the product (100) received therein.

12. A packaged product comprising a wrapping (1) according to any one of the preceding claims and a food product (100) received therein.

13. A continuous web (10) for the forming of wrappings (1) apt to contain food products (100), said web (10) having, for each wrapping, a removable portion (11) apt to be removed by the consumer and a transparent window (12) visible when said removable portion (11) is removed and apt to show the packaged food product (100).

14. The web (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein said removable portion (11) is a preferential-tearing portion.

15. The web (10) according to claim 13 or 14, wherein said removable portion (11) is in the form of a strip.

16. The web (10) according to any one of the claims 13 to 15, wherein said removable portion (11) develops substantially throughout the whole transversal and/or longitudinal extension of the wrapping itself.

17. The web (10) according to any one of the claims 13 to 16, wherein said removable portion (11) is of paper material.

18. The web (10) according to any one of the claims 13 to 17, wherein said transparent window (12) is of a material permeable to H₂O vapour.

19. The web (10) according to any one of the claims 13 to 18, wherein said transparent window (12) is of cellophane.

20. The web (10) according to any one of the claims 13 to 19, which is made of a material apt to be placed in an oven for the warming up and/or the baking of the food product (100) to be packaged.

21. The web (10) according to any one of the claims 13 to 20, which is at least partly made of a material permeable to H₂O vapour.

22. The web (10) according to any one of the claims 13 to 21, which is apt to be deep-frozen or frozen jointly to the product to be packaged.

23. The web (10) according to any one of the claims 13 to 22, having glue depositions (5, 6) for sealing the wrappings (1).

24. The web (10) according to any one of the claims 13 to 23, at least partly made of a paper material.

25. The web (10) according to any one of the claims 13 to 24, suitable for the forming of a wrapping (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 11.

Drawing