An improved wrapping sheet for food products

Abstract

 A double layered sheet, whereof the lower one (1) is made of common paper for food products, the upper layer (2) is made of plastic film for food products, with the two layers having nearly equal width, with two die cutting-folding, or simple folding, longitudinal lines (3) and (4), able to subdivide the sheet into three bands (5), (6) and (7) of such width as to enable the two lateral bands to be folded on the central one and to superpose each other at least for a strip towards the free edges.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an improved sheet for wrapping foods, with which to wrap slices of cold cuts, cheeses and other food products at the time of their purchase.

[0002] Many food products at the time of purchase are cut into slices, laid onto a sheet of paper, than wound to form a wrapper that protects them from contact with the exterior.

[0003] The sheet of paper is normally double layered. An impermeable upper layer, normally paraffin paper, which is to receive the food product to be wrapped, and a lower layer, of common paper, the one that adheres to the seller's counter when a product to be wrapped is served.

[0004] The two sheets of the wrapper, the lower one made of common paper and the upper or inner one, normally made of paraffin paper, can be distinct from each other or coupled to each other and then mutually stabilised with glue.

[0005] When coupled, and hence integral, the two sheets normally have the same breadth. Generally, a large paper reel with two glued layers is obtained, then it is unwound and cut in the transverse direction to obtain sheets, in the programmed dimensions, with which to form standard packages of double-layered sheets which the user places on the sale counter to be taken one after the other to wrap the sold products.

[0006] Double-layered sheets are often used together with single protective sheets of the impermeable kind. After placing the cut product, or another food product, on the double-layered sheet, an addition single protective sheet is set down onto it, then the set of the two sheets with the product interposed between them is rolled up and, lastly, the lateral ends are folded so the food product does not slide laterally until it exits the wrap, then normally the free edge is stabilised on the surface whereon it bears with an adhesive element, whereon can be printed the price, the weight and other data.

[0007] The single protective sheet, normally impermeable, positioned over the product to be wrapped, prevents the lower layer of the double-layered sheet, set down on the seller's counter, from coming in contact with the food product to be wrapped, "contaminating it" with the impurities or the residues of other products sold, left on the counter and adhering to the lower sheet of the double-layered sheet itself.

[0008] Said additional protective sheet prevents the part of the outer sheet touched by the operator from coming in direct contact with the food product while it is wrapped.

[0009] Such a solution is relatively expensive and does not solve the problem of hygiene, because the purchaser, in his/her home, after opening the wrapper places the additional sheet on the table or more frequently throws it away and prepares to consume the purchased product. When the food product is not totally consumed, it will be wrapped again, oftentimes without the additional single protective sheet or with said sheet after it has been set down with the surface destined to adhere to the product to be wrapped on a counter whereon non sterile products or things may have been set, thereby negating the hygiene conditions. Use of said additional sheets also requires folding the ends of the wrapper to prevent the food product from sliding in its interior through them, or even escaping therefrom.

[0010] To overcome this drawback, a "composite double layered wrapping material" has been provided, described in the Italian patent for industrial utility model no. 0240209, comprising "a first supporting layer, whereon is made to adhere a second layer constituted by a thin film of hygienically suitable material, whose dimensions exceed the dimensions of the base layer, so it forms at least one lap, foldable on the food product set down on the wrapper".

[0011] Normally, such "wrapping material" is obtained combining with glue a strip of paper of indefinite length and a tube of thin plastic film for food products, pressed on the paper strip and with nearly equal breadth to that of the strip so it will not overflow laterally, so that once the coupling has occurred the composite strip thus formed can be cut transversely to form sheets of the desired length and, at the same time, at the median line of the strip of paper is cut the outer generatrix of the film tube to form two wings folded in the centre.

[0012] Such a wrapper is packaged and positioned by the user, i.e. the food products seller, on the work counter. At each use, the sheet at the top of the pack is drawn, which is placed in the suitable point of the counter to be opened and to position thereon the purchased food product to be wrapped.

[0013] Then the operator opens the two wings, places the purchased food product on the sheet, folds the two wings over the product, then wraps the sheet with the product, then folds the ends of the wrap, since the plastic film with which the wings are obtained is very weak, and lastly the operator stabilises the free edge on the wrapper with an adhesive. The food product is thus protected from contact with the lower sheet touched by the operator and laid down on the counter, at least as long as the thickness of the food product is small, as it is normally the case with deli products. At the purchaser's home the wrapper is opened, the two wings are opened laterally, the product is withdrawn and lastly the remaining product is protected by the two wings folded towards the median line of the sheet, then the whole set is re-wrapped without the touched parts and the sheet laid down on a table or another support coming in direct contact with the wrapped food product.

[0014] The sheet thus obtained is relatively complex to produce. The wings of the film that are opened laterally are difficult to grip and oftentimes the operator selling the food products is forced to moisten the tips of his/her fingers with saliva to be able to detach them and place them in the open position, in which they project at the sides of the lower sheet which is normally made of common paper for food products. The hygiene which the inventor tried to restore is thus completely compromised.

[0015] This problem and hence the gripping of the wings and their deployment at the sides of the base sheet is so severe that a dedicated machine has been devised, disclosed in patent application AR2002A000017 of May 3, 2002, with which the double layered sheet of the aforesaid Utility Model No. 0240209 is "opened", i.e. the two wings are laterally widened to enable the operator to utilise said sheet without moistening his/her finger.

[0016] The film constituting the upper sheet in the free lateral parts forming the wings is extremely weak, is easily electrified and tends to crumple up, so said wings require care and patience to be extended correctly for the hygienic protection of the product.

[0017] Lastly, they are so weak that they can break easily, so the wrap has to be re-folded laterally to ensure that the wrapped product does not flow laterally in its interior and does not escape through rupture points of the film itself.

[0018] An object of the present invention is to provide an impermeable wrapping sheet for food products with which to wrap dry products and moist products, which has low production cost and which is easy to handle before and during the wrapping of the sold product.

[0019] Another object of the invention is to provide an impermeable wrapping sheet for food products that enables to isolate the food product during the wrapping operation and to prevent the food product from coming in contact with the outer surface of the sheet itself that is touched by the operator and is set down on the sale counter, which is not always perfectly clean.

[0020] Yet another object of the invention is to provide an impermeable wrapping sheet for food products that is so structured as to be prevented from penetrating with its lateral edges under the cutting machine, or other machine or equipment set down on the seller's work counter, where substances and/or products of a different nature from that of the product to be wrapped and unsafe in hygienic terms can accumulate.

[0021] The invention that allowed to reach said results is embodied by a double-layered sheet, whereof the lower one is made of common paper for food products and the upper one is made of thin film for food products, with the two layers having approximately the same breadth, at least along two edges in which normally the sheet was cut to be detached from the reel wherefrom it is obtained. Said sheet is provided with two longitudinal die cutting-folding lines, or simply folding lines, able to subdivide it into three bands, respectively of such width as to enable the two lateral bands to be folded onto the central one and to superpose each other through the free edges at least for one strip when they are folded towards each other.

[0022] Such a double-layered sheet with folds is advantageous because it is easy to obtain because it is produced by cutting a coupled sheet however large or a strip with two coupled layered wound in a reel, however long, and anyway obtained with known, widely used and hence safe technology.

[0023] It is advantageous because it can be produced with measures that are variable at will and easily adjusted. It is advantageous because it requires a simple die cutting-folding, or simple folding, operation, with which the two opposite bands facing each other are obtained, said bands being provided with such widths as to superpose each other at least for a short strip, in such a way as to isolate the food product set down on the central band during its wrapping.

[0024] It is advantageous because the composite sheet with two layers has the necessary roughness in the outer layer of common paper for food products, so that gripping it and opening the two lateral bands are facilitated, without requiring the moistening of the operator's fingers.

[0025] It is advantageous because once the lateral bands of the sheet on the seller's counter are opened and the food product is set down on the central band, then the two lateral bands are folded onto the product, said product remains hidden from view and protected with contact with the exterior other than with the outer surface of the double-layered sheet itself.

[0026] It is advantageous because the two lateral bands tend, when opened, because of the elastic memory of the wrapper, to remain raised from the work counter, thereby avoiding penetrating under the slicing machine, or other machine, where if they were to penetrate they could collect residues and crumbs accumulated thereunder.

[0027] It is advantageous because the two lateral bands of the sheets are strong and do not require the wrapper to be folded laterally to assure its resistance against the sliding of the wrapped food product, thereby facilitating and quickening the obtainment of the wrapper itself, hence contributing to quicken the service of the sale operator, in addition to assuring that the wrapped product does not project laterally from the wrapper.

[0028] These and other advantages will be readily understood, particularly by those skilled in the art, from the detailed description that follows about the preferred embodiment, exemplified in the drawings of the accompanying table, in which:

• figure 1 is the front view of the double-layered sheet;
• figure 2 is the front view of an edge of the sheet, highlighting the two layers that comprise it;
• figure 3 is the front view of the sheet, with the folding lines indicated;
• figure 4 shows the three bands into which the double-layered sheet is subdivided with the lateral bands folded on the central one;
• figure 5 shows a wrapper obtained with the sheet with three bands folded and wound.

[0029] Substantially, the invention relates to an improved wrapping sheet with which to package food products, particularly cold cuts, cheeses and sliced meats, at the time of their purchase. It is constituted by a double-layered structure, whereof the lower layer 1, to be set down on the seller's counter, is obtained with common paper for food products, the upper one 2, i.e. the layer that is to receive the food product to be wrapped, is obtained with an impermeable plastic film of the type suitable to come in contact with the food products. The two layers, the lower one 1 made of common paper and the upper layer 2 made of plastic film, have equal breadth, at least in the longitudinal direction of the double layered sheet in which normally it has been cut to be detached from the reel wherefrom it is obtained.

[0030] Such a double-layered sheet is provided with two longitudinal folding lines 3 and 4 which subdivide it into three bands, a central band 5, a first lateral band 6 and, at the opposite side, a second lateral band 7, with the bands 5, 6 and 7 having such width as to bring the free edges of the lateral bands 6 and 7 to superpose each other when they are folded one towards the other over the central band 5, which is the one destined to receive the food product to be wrapped.

[0031] The longitudinal folding lines 3 and 4 are then positioned in such a way as to originate two lateral bands 6 and 7 with such width as to superpose on each other at least for a strip when folded on the central band 5.

[0032] Said lateral bands 6 and 7 can have the same width, although normally they have different width and the narrower one 7 is normally able to "press" the wider one 6 on the central band 5, as exemplified in figure 4. Said lateral bands cover the product to be wrapped on the central band 5. Said central band 5, delimited by the two longitudinal folding lines 3 and 4, has in any case suitable width to the type and quantity of the product to be wrapped and in any case its width exceeds that of each of the two lateral bands 6 and 7 which are superposed thereto, without projecting exteriorly.

[0033] The double layered wrapping sheet of the invention is packaged in the folded state and the thin layer of plastic film 2 of each sheet is invisible, protected by the two parts made of common paper for food products of the lateral bands 6 and 7 of the same sheet. Therefore each sheet of the pack is folded in such a way that the surface of the film 2 which is to envelop the food product to be wrapped is constantly protected from contact with extraneous bodies and with the operators' hands. The opening of the two lateral bands 6 and 7, to ready the sheet for receiving the product to be wrapped, is easy to execute, since the parts to be touched are made of common paper, sufficiently rough to adhere to the fingertips and to allow its opening.

[0034] The shortest band 7, or anyway one of the two bands 6 and 7, if the sheet has to be placed close to the slicing machine or to another machine on the seller's work counter, is kept in erect or inclined position, thanks to its elastic memory, so that it does not penetrate underneath said machines and hence it cannot collect thereunder any debris and remains of the products served previously and/or of those that may have become unhealthy or otherwise hygienically imperfect.

[0035] The wrapper obtained with the sheet in the invention, asexemplified in figure 5, does not require lateral folds of the wrapper, since the lateral bands folded on the lines 3 and 4 are obtained with both superposed sheets 1 and 2, hence having a strong structure and able to retain the wrapped product, preventing it from sliding laterally, unlike what occurs in the wrappers in which the product is retained by the thin sheet 2 alone. It will then be sufficient to secure in the closed state the wrapper and hence the wrapped food product, to apply an adhesive label 8, as exemplified in figure 5.

Claims

1. An improved wrapping sheet for food products, with which to wrap slices of lunch meats, cheeses, meat and other dry and/or moist food products at the time of their purchase, constituted by a double-layered structure, whereof the lower layer (1) is made of common paper for food products and the upper layer (2) is made of plastic film for food products, characterised in that the two layers (1) and (2) have nearly equal breadth, in that it bears two longitudinal folding lines (3) and (4) originating three bands, a central band (5), a first lateral band (6) and, at the opposite side, a second lateral band (7), in that said bands (5), (6) and (7) have such width as to conduct the two lateral bands (6) and (7) to superpose each other at least for a strip when they are folded towards each other on the central band (5).

2. The wrapping sheet, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the two lateral bands (6) and (7) have different widths.

3. The wrapping sheet, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the two lateral bands (6) and (7) have the same width.

4. The wrapping sheet, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the central band (5) has its width suitable to the type and quantity of product to be wrapped.

5. The wrapping sheet, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the central band (5) has greater width than each of the two lateral bands (6) and (7).

Drawing