PACKAGING MATERIAL FROM WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL PACKAGING FOR TOBACCO IS FORMED AND METHOD FOR FORMING SUCH A PACKAGING MATERIAL

Abstract

 The present invention relates, on the one hand, to a method for forming a packaging material from which an individual packaging (15) for cut tobacco will be formed, wherein a label (13) is provided between a supplied inner film (5) and outer film (4) of plastic, after which the joined unit is processed via cutting and sealing to form said packaging material, wherein the label (13) to be applied is provided with printing and is connected to the supplied outer film (4) via an adhesive connection (14). On the other hand, the present invention relates to a packaging material formed in accordance with this method.
The present invention further relates to a device (1) for forming the packaging material in accordance with the invention.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates, on the one hand, to a method for forming a packaging material from which an individual packaging having a flat bottom for cut tobacco will be formed. On the other hand, the present invention relates to a packaging material suitable for forming an individual packaging having a flat bottom for cut tobacco, comprising a plastic inner film and outer film between which a label is provided.

[0002] The present invention further relates to a device for forming the packaging material in accordance with the invention.

[0003] Cut tobacco is the collective term for rolling tobacco, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco and snuff tobacco. In order to improve the taste of the tobacco, various different types of tobacco are mixed together. During the production, the tobacco mixture is subjected to a number of processing steps. In succession, the mixture is first moistened and then left to rest for approximately a day in order to allow optimum development of the aromas. The tobacco mixture is then finely cut. The cut tobacco is then dried, for example in a heated, rotating drum, until the desired moisture content is reached. Once the tobacco has cooled, the tobacco can be weighed and packaged into individual packagings, also referred to as pouches. These packagings are bundled together to form larger units and put together in boxes, ready for transport to the end consumer.

[0004] The typical packaging for cut tobacco is in the form of a bag or pouch and is provided with printing in order to be able to distinguish between the various brands of tobacco. The bottom of the packaging is provided with a base (closure) which delimits the filling space with two walls situated opposite one another. After filling, the top of the packaging will be sealed in a known manner. The base (closure) can be in the form of a flat bottom or a single bottom fold (wrapped bag). A packaging with a flat bottom has the advantage with respect to a packaging having a single bottom fold that it can hold a greater volume of tobacco. The present invention relates to a packaging having a flat bottom.

[0005] The bag or pouch is made of a flexible, foldable material. Much earlier, the tobacco was packaged in a packaging made of paper. However, since a packaging made solely of paper has a number of disadvantages, use was increasingly made of plastic films for forming the packaging. A printed packaging can be produced in a number of different ways. A first way is that in which a paper label, on which the printing is provided, is arranged between two films of plastic which are electrostatically connected to one another after they have been joined together. After the label has been inserted, the edges are cut and sealed and the base is formed. This packaging can later be filled with tobacco and closed. The packaging formed in this way is advantageous, but has the disadvantage that the label will become displaced between the two films after a time, as a result of which the printing will be affected over the course of time - as a result of friction between the label and the film - and will no longer be clearly visible and will lose its shine.

[0006] In order to avoid rapid wearing of the printing, a second way of forming such a packaging was developed. In this case, the packaging is again formed from two films, but one of the supplied films is already provided with the printing. Given that two films are not sturdy enough, an unprinted paper label is also arranged between the two films in order to achieve a sturdier unit. The further processing is identical to that described above. However, this way of working is less flexible because it is first of all necessary to use up the built up stock before it is possible to market a new printing. US patent publication US 2,220,231 describes such a packaging. However, such a packaging can only be used for packagings having a single bottom fold.

[0007] In a third way of working, paper (intermediate) labels are no longer used, but the packaging is formed from a pliable material which is composed of a number of, usually three, layers of film material which are connected to one another via lamination. In this case, one of the films is also provided with printing. However, such packaging is very expensive and is only used as luxury packaging. Moreover, this packaging is also only suitable for packagings having a single bottom fold.

[0008] The object of the present invention, among others, is to provide an alternative method for forming a packaging material from which an individual packaging having a flat bottom for cut tobacco, in particular rolling tobacco, will be formed.

[0009] The object of the invention is achieved by providing a method for forming a packaging material from which an individual packaging having a flat bottom for cut tobacco will be formed, wherein a label is provided between a supplied inner film and outer film of plastic, after which the joined unit is processed via cutting and sealing to form said packaging material, wherein the label to be applied is provided with printing and further comprises one or more perforation lines along which the packaging material will be folded in order to form the flat bottom of the individual packaging, and which is connected to the supplied outer film via an adhesive connection. The adhesive layer is provided only between the label and the outer film. The adhesive layer will ensure that the label will no longer become displaced between the films, so that the printing will also no longer be affected and will retain its shine. Moreover, the use of a label makes it possible to quickly and relatively advantageously adapt the printing to the (tobacco) packaging (e.g. as a result of a change in the law). By way of comparison, if one wishes to adapt the printing in the case of printed films, it is necessary to change the printing cylinders, which is already, in itself, a very expensive process.

[0010] The label to be applied is thus already provided with printing and with a number of perforation lines. The perforations are introduced by cutting, rolling or by press-forming by means of toothed combs, toothed wheels or by any other perforation methods. The intention of the perforation lines is to create an intentional weak spot on the label, so that the flat bottom of the packaging, once it has been filled with tobacco, can be easily formed by folding the label at the location where the perforations extend. The perforations take the form of cuts or extremely small openings which are made during the production of the label, before or after it is printed.

[0011] The supplied outer film is preferably already provided with an adhesive layer. In an alternative embodiment, the outer film is provided with an adhesive layer during the supply.

[0012] In a preferred method according to the invention, the edges of the joined unit are simultaneously cut and heat-sealed.

[0013] According to a further preferred method according to the invention, after the cutting and sealing, the joined unit is provided with a strip of hot melt adhesive in order to form an aromatic seal. The introduction of such an aromatic seal will ensure that the tobacco stays fresh for longer during the time it spends in the distribution centres and retail outlets.

[0014] Another subject of the present invention relates to a packaging material suitable for forming an individual packaging having a flat bottom for cut tobacco, comprising an inner film and outer film of plastic between which a label is provided, wherein said label is provided with printing and further comprises one or more perforation lines along which the packaging material is foldable in order to form the flat bottom of the individual packaging and wherein the label is connected to the outer film via an adhesive connection. The label is preferably made of paper. In particular, the adhesive used is a water-based adhesive. In an alternative embodiment, the adhesive can also be an ultraviolet-curing adhesive or another suitable adhesive. The use of such a UV-curing adhesive offers the advantage that it is possible to have greater control over the process of applying the adhesive and the label.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the packaging material according to the invention, the inner film is a coextruded polyethylene film and the outer film is made from cast polypropylene, oriented polypropylene or polyethylene (PE). This may also consist of other films, such as PET, BOBP, PET metal film, etc.

[0016] The present invention further relates to a device for producing a packaging material suitable for forming an individual packaging having a flat bottom for cut tobacco, comprising:

• a top roll provided for unrolling a plastic outer film;
• a bottom roll provided for unrolling a plastic inner film;
• a labelling device provided for inserting a label which comprises one or more perforation lines along which the packaging material is foldable in order to form the flat bottom of the individual packaging between a supplied outer film and inner film;
• one or more rolling rolls provided for joining together the supplied outer film and inner film between which a label is provided;
• a cutting and sealing device provided for cutting and heat-sealing the edges of the joined unit;

wherein the device further comprises a gluing device suitable for applying an adhesive layer to the supplied outer film.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the applied adhesive layer comprises a water-based adhesive and the device further comprises a drying device provided for the partial drying of this water-based applied adhesive layer. In the event that the applied adhesive is a UV-curing adhesive, a UV lamp is provided instead of a drying device.

[0018] In a particular embodiment of the device according to the invention, the device comprises a further gluing device provided for applying an aromatic seal.

[0019] The device according to the present invention is particularly suitable for producing the packaging material according to the invention and is specifically designed for the use of the method according to the present invention.

[0020] In order to further explain the properties of the present invention and to indicate additional advantages and particulars thereof, there now follows a more detailed description of the method for forming a packaging material in accordance with the present invention. The device on which the relevant packaging material is produced and the method will also be described in detail. It will be clear that nothing in the following description can be interpreted as a limitation of the scope of protection of the present invention defined in the claims.

[0021] In this description, reference numerals are used to refer to the attached drawings, in which:

• Figure 1: shows a diagrammatic view of the device according to the invention;
• Figure 2: shows a diagrammatic view of a possible embodiment of an individual packaging having a flat bottom which can be formed from the Packaging material according to the invention;
• Figure 3: shows a top view of the label which is applied to the outer film with the aid of an adhesive connection and is provided with a number of perforation lines.

[0022] The packaging material according to the present invention which is obtained by means of the patented method serves to form an individual packaging (15) for cut tobacco. A possible embodiment of such an individual packaging (15) is illustrated in Figure 2. The individual (empty) packaging (15) formed from this packaging material has an open top side, via which the packaging (15), in particular the filling space, will be filled with a portion of tobacco in a tobacco company. The bottom side of the packaging (15) is provided with a base (closure) which delimits the filling space with two walls situated opposite one another. After filling, the top of the packaging will be sealed in a known manner. The base (closure) is in the form of a flat bottom.

[0023] The innovative aspect of the packaging (15) is that the label (insert) (13) on which the printing is provided, on the one hand, is fixedly attached to the outer film (4) of the packaging (15) via an adhesive connection (14) and that, on the other hand, the label (13) is provided with a number of folding lines. Now, in order to form such a packaging material, a label (13) is provided between a supplied inner film (5) and outer film (4), after which the joined unit is processed via cutting and sealing to form the relevant packaging material. The label (13) to be applied is provided with printing and, as shown in Figure 3, comprises a number of folding lines (16) along which the packaging material is foldable in order to form the flat bottom of the individual packaging. Folding lines (16) are also provided in order to form the side folds (upright sides) in the packaging. The label (13) is (fixedly) connected to the supplied outer film (4) via an adhesive connection (14). The label (13) itself is made from paper, while both the outer film (4) and inner film (5) are made from a pliable, flexible, foldable plastic material. Preference is given to a coextruded polyethylene as inner film (5), and cast polypropylene, oriented polypropylene or polyethylene (PE) as outer film (4).

[0024] In order to attach the label (13) to the outer film (4), in a first embodiment the supplied outer film (4) is already provided with an adhesive layer. In a second (alternative) embodiment, the outer film (4) can also be provided with an adhesive layer during the supply thereof. The adhesive used is usually a water-based adhesive. However, the adhesive can also be an ultraviolet-curing adhesive. The use of such a UV-curing adhesive offers the advantage that it is possible to have greater control over the process of applying the adhesive and the label.

[0025] Once the label (13) has been provided between the supplied films (4 and 5), the films come together and the joined unit is cut and sealed. In practice, this will happen simultaneously with the aid of cutters having a temperature of 200 to 280°C. After cutting and sealing, the unit is provided with a strip of hot melt adhesive in order to form an aromatic seal by means of which the individual packaging (15) will be aromatically sealed after it has been filled. The presence of such an aromatic seal will ensure that the tobacco stays fresh for longer during the time it spends in the distribution centres and retail outlets.

[0026] The packaging material is usually delivered to the tobacco companies on a roll. This makes it possible to form the packaging material directly from the roll and present it to the filling device where the formed packaging can be immediately filled. This is also done at high speed because the labels are glued in place, meaning that they will no longer become displaced, for example, during the formation of the packaging. This is in contrast to the traditional packagings, in the case of which machine standstills often occur on account of the label becoming displaced and it no longer being possible to form the packaging in the correct manner.

[0027] The packaging material according to the invention can be produced, for example, on the device (1) illustrated in Figure 1. This device (1) comprises, inter alia:

• a top roll (2) provided for unrolling the plastic outer film (4);
• a bottom roll (3) provided for unrolling the plastic inner film (5);
• a labelling device (6) provided for inserting a label (13) provided with printing and the perforation line for forming the flat bottom between the supplied outer film (4) and inner film (5);
• a pair of rolling rolls (7, 8) provided for joining together the supplied outer film and inner film between which the label (13) is provided;
• a cutting and sealing device (9) provided for cutting and heat-sealing the edges of the joined unit; and
• a gluing device (10) suitable for applying an adhesive layer (14) to the supplied outer film (4).

[0028] The gluing device (10) is equipped in such a way that the adhesive layer applied to the outer film (4) will delimit an area which is somewhat larger (in practice this will be approximately 1 mm) than the label (13) to be applied.

[0029] In the event that the applied adhesive layer is a water-based adhesive, the device (1) is further equipped with a drying device (11) provided for at least partially drying this water-based applied adhesive layer. Water-based adhesive must first be dried because, after the web of film has been joined together and sealed, the moisture can no longer escape from the joined (and heat-sealed) unit, resulting in the formation of bubbles between the outer film (4) and inner film (5). There is also the risk that the label itself will absorb the moisture, resulting in poor adhesion. The operating temperature of the drying device (11) is between 40°C and 80°C and is preferably 50°C.

[0030] In the event that the applied adhesive layer is a UV-curing adhesive, this phenomenon does not arise since such an adhesive does not evaporate, but will cure under the influence of UV light.

[0031] The device (1) can also be equipped with an additional gluing device (12) in order to introduce the above-mentioned aromatic seal.

Claims

1. Method for forming a packaging material from which an individual packaging (15) having a flat bottom for cut tobacco will be formed, wherein a label (13) is provided between a supplied inner film (5) and outer film (4) of plastic, after which the joined unit is processed via cutting and sealing to form said packaging material, characterized in that the label (13) to be applied is provided with printing and further comprises one or more perforation lines (16) along which the packaging material will be folded in order to form the flat bottom of the individual packaging, and wherein the label is connected to the supplied outer film (4) via an adhesive connection (14).

2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the supplied outer film (4) is provided with an adhesive layer or is provided with an adhesive layer during the supply.

3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the edges of the joined unit are simultaneously cut and heat-sealed.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, after the cutting and sealing, the joined unit is provided with a strip of hot melt adhesive in order to form an aromatic seal.

5. Packaging material suitable for forming an individual packaging (15) having a flat bottom for cut tobacco, comprising an inner film (5) and outer film (4) of plastic between which a label (13) is provided, characterized in that said label (13) is provided with printing and further comprises one or more perforation lines (16) along which the packaging material is foldable in order to form the flat bottom of the individual packaging, wherein the label (13) is connected to the outer film (4) via an adhesive connection (14).

6. Packaging material according to Claim 5, characterized in that said label (13) is made from paper.

7. Packaging material according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the adhesive is a water-based adhesive.

8. Packaging material according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the adhesive is an ultraviolet-curing adhesive.

9. Packaging material according to one of Claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the inner film (5) is a coextruded polyethylene film, and in that the outer film (4) is made from cast polypropylene, oriented polypropylene or polyethylene (PE).

10. Device (1) for producing a packaging material suitable for forming an individual packaging (15) having a flat bottom for cut tobacco, comprising

- a top roll (2) provided for unrolling a plastic outer film (4);

- a bottom roll (3) provided for unrolling a plastic inner film (5);

- a labelling device (6) provided for inserting a label (13) which comprises one or more perforation lines (16) along which the packaging material is foldable in order to form the flat bottom of the individual packaging between a supplied outer film (4) and inner film (5);

- one or more rolling rolls (7, 8) provided for joining together the supplied outer film (4) and inner film (5) between which a label (13) is provided;

- a cutting and sealing device (9) provided for cutting and heat-sealing the edges of the joined unit;

characterized in that the device (1) further comprises a gluing device (10) suitable for applying an adhesive layer (14) to the supplied outer film (4).

11. Device (1) according to Claim 10, characterized in that the applied adhesive layer (14) comprises a water-based adhesive and in that device (1) further comprises a drying device (11) provided for the partial drying of this water-based applied adhesive layer.

12. Device (1) according to Claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the device (1) comprises a further gluing device (12) provided for applying an aromatic seal.

Drawing