|
(11) | EP 3 251 966 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (54) | PACKAGE HAVING A POUR SPOUT AND METHOD FOR OPENING SAID PACKAGE |
| (57) A package (200) comprises a front (102) and a back (103) surface, a first (104) and
a second (105) side surface which are essentially perpendicular to the front surface
(102) and to the back surface (103), a lid , a bottom. The upper edge of the first
or the second side surface (104, 105) has a tear-off fold (113) curving towards the
bottom of the package (200) and under the tear-off fold (113) there are folds (114,
114', 115) in the form of an up-pointing triangle, which folds (114, 114', 115) form
a pour spout (201) when pressing at the front and the back surfaces (102, 103).
|
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a package having a pour spout according to the preamble of the independent claim presented below. The invention further relates to a method for opening a package having a pour spout.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Products requiring a sealed package can be packed in cardboard packages made of various blanks. For the administration of the package content, it is known to use a tear-off or press-down lid or a separate extractable pour spout. Their problem is, however, the difficult opening and the easy breaking of the package when opening and using it. Separate pour spout often also requires extra material for the blank or a new way of folding the blank, which causes extra costs for the packing materials and investment costs for the packaging machines.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is an object of the present invention to reduce or even completely eliminate the above-mentioned problems and flaws, which appear in the prior art.
[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a functional and sealed package having a pour spout, which pour spout is easy and simple to open and use.
[0005] Furthermore, the object of the invention is to provide a package having a pour spout, which is inexpensive to manufacture and does not require additional investments to the packaging machines.
[0006] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for opening the package having a pour spout.
[0007] The above-mentioned disadvantages can be reduced or even completely eliminated, and the above-defined objects are attained with the present invention, which is characterised in what is presented in the characterising parts of the appended independent claims.
[0008] Some preferred embodiments according to the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims presented further below.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A typical package according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises
- a front surface and a back surface,
- a first and a second side surface, which are essentially perpendicular to the front surface and to the back surface,
- a lid, which is limited by the upper edges of the front surface, the back surface and the first and the second side surface of the package,
- a bottom, which is limited by the lower edges of the front surface, the back surface and the first and the second side surface of the package, and
[0010] The package according to the invention is folded from one plate-like package blank to the form of a rectangular prism. The package blank comprises a front surface and a back surface, which define the length of the package. The front and the back surface are connected by two side surfaces, which define the width of the package. Typically, the front and the back surface are parallel to each other, also the first and the second side surface are typically substantially parallel to each other, but the front, the back and the side surfaces can also be curved. Typically, the side surfaces are essentially perpendicular to the front and the back surface. The front and the back surface and the side surfaces comprise a first and a second side edge and an upper and a lower edge. A lip has been arranged to the longer edge, i.e. to the second side edge, of the second side surface, from which lip the second side surface of the blank has been glued to the longer edge, i.e. the first side edge, of the back surface of the blank, to the side which remains inside thereof, when forming the package. The lid and the bottom of the package have been formed of the foldable flaps forming an extension to the upper and lower edges of the front surface, the back surface and the side surfaces, with which flaps the ends of the package to be formed from the package blank can be closed. The flaps to be glued on top of each other form a lid of the package, which is limited by the upper edges of the front surface, the back surface as well as the first and the second side surface, and the bottom of the package, which is limited by the lower edges of the front surface, the back surface as well as the first and the second side surface.
[0011] Now it has been surprisingly found out that a functional pour spout can be arranged to the package so that no extra material is required for the blank. In order to provide a functional pour spout according to the invention, the fold between the first or the second side surface of the package and the foldable flap forming an extension to it is formed as a tear-off fold. The tear-off fold is preferably formed to the fold between the first side surface of the package and the foldable flap forming an extension to it, which first side surface is, when forming the package, not the side surface the lip of which forming the extension is glued to the back surface. The purpose of the tear-off fold is to ease the opening of the fold between the side surface of the package and the foldable flap forming an extension to it and to form an opening to the package. In order for the tear-off fold to be more easily opened, it is shaped so that it is curved towards the bottom of the package. The middle point of the tear-off fold can be about 1-3 mm lower than the fold in the second side surface (the fold between the side surface and the flap, which is not a tear-off fold), depending on the width of the package. Typically, the tear-off fold curves from the upper edge of the side surface of the package towards the bottom, so that the middle point of the tear-off fold is about 2 mm lower than the folding point of the second side surface and the flap forming an extension to it, the width of the package being about 57-70 mm. Typically, the tear-off fold and the pour spout formed by the folds of the side surface according to the invention are used in packages, the maximum width of which is about 100 mm.
[0012] According to an embodiment of the invention the tear-off fold is a grooving, preferably a two-sided grooving. In this application, the grooving refers to a half-incision, a half-cut or the like made to the material of the package blank, which half-incision, half-cut or the like breaks the surface layer of the material without, however, perforating the entire material. In the two-sided grooving, the half-incision has been arranged on both sides of the package material, close to each other so that an incision is formed on the surface of the package material, but the package material is not perforated. Thus, when pressing down the lid of the package, the area between the groovings is splitted and the folding point is opened. The grooving is an easy and an affordable way of implementing a tear-off seam to the package blank.
[0013] According to an embodiment of the invention the tear-off fold is a perforation. The perforation refers to a dashed cut, punching or the like, made to the material of the package blank, which dashed cut, punching or the like eases the folding or the tearing of the material. The tear-off fold can also be a combination of perforation and grooving.
[0014] Folds in the form of an up-pointing triangle have been arranged under the tear-off fold. The up-pointing triangle refers in this application to a triangle, the vertex of which points towards the tear-off fold. The vertex of the triangle can be at the point of the tear-off fold. The triangle vertex can also be cut, whereby the triangle flanks do not merge at the point of the tear-off fold. The folds in the triangle flanks are preferably groovings. The grooving eases the folding of the package material. All folds in the form of an up-pointing triangle can also be creasings, preferably at least the fold in the base of the triangle is a creasing. The creasing is a groove-like folding point, or the like, formed to the material, which eases the folding of the material to a desired direction. The creasing does not break or damage the surface layer of the material or cause any lead-throughs, such as holes or incisions, to the material. With these folds, a pour spout is provided without any additional material to the blank.
[0015] The package according to the invention is opened by pressing the lid of the package, close to the tear-off fold, whereby the tear-off fold is broken and an opening is formed to the folding point of the side surface of the package and the foldable flap forming an extension to it. The pour spout opens when pressing the package at the front and the back surfaces, close to the pour spout.
[0016] The package according to the invention can be packed by an ordinary packaging machine and the package blank can be based on the model A1010 of the ECMA (European Carton Makers Association) code.
[0017] According to an embodiment of the invention the lid and the bottom of the package are formed by glueing to each other the foldable flaps forming extensions to the front surface, to the back surface and to the side surfaces. The lid and the bottom of the package can be formed e.g. by cross-closing and glueing the folded flaps together. In the cross-closing, the flap forming an extension to the back surface is folded 90° inwards, after which the flaps of the side surfaces are folded thereon. Glue is applied on the edges of the flaps, so that glue is arranged on all flaps. The flap forming an extension to the front surface is folded and glued on the flaps forming an extension to the back surface and to side surfaces, so that the lid and the bottom remain tightly sealed. The glue is e.g. a glue acceptable for food packages. The glueing guarantees a sealed package and is a prerequisite for the function of the pour spout mechanism.
[0018] According to an embodiment of the invention the foldable flap forming an extension to the front surface of the package has creasings in the form of a line substantially parallel to the upper edge of the front surface and/or of a side-pointing triangle, which creasings begin from the edge of the flap, which is in the package towards the upper edge of the side surface having a tear-off fold. Typically, the creasings begin substantially from the middle point of the upper edge of the side surface. The creasing in the base of the triangle can be a straight line or an outwards curving line. The creasing/creasings ease the bending of the lid when opening or using the pour spout.
[0019] According to an embodiment of the invention the foldable flap forming an extension to the back surface of the package has creasings in the form of a line substantially parallel to the back surface and/or of a side-pointing triangle, which creasings begin from the edge of the flap, which is in the package towards the upper edge of the side surface having a tear-off fold. Typically, the creasings begin substantially from the middle point of the upper edge of the side surface. The creasing in the base of the triangle can be a straight line or an outwards curving line. The creasing/creasings ease the bending of the lid when opening or using the pour spout. A part of the foldable flap forming an extension to the back surface can also be cut off in order to ease the bending of the lid.
[0020] According to an embodiment of the invention the middle point of the foldable flap forming an extension to the first or the second side surface of the package, which first or second side surface comprises a tear-off fold, is divided by a crease line, a perforation or a creasing essentially parallel to the upper edge of the front and the back surface. The crease line, the perforation or the creasing can also be in the form of a down-pointing triangle so that the triangle vertex points towards the upper edge of the side surface. Typically, the crease line, the perforation and the creasing begins substantially from the middle point of the upper edge of the side surface. The crease line, the perforation or the creasing eases the bending of the lid when opening or using the pour spout.
[0021] The above-mentioned creasings and crease lines having a form of a down/side-pointing triangles in the flap forming an extension to the front surface, in the flap forming an extension to the back surface and in the flap forming an extension to the side surface, are substantially aligned in the finished package.
[0022] According to an embodiment of the invention the front surface of the package has a creasing, which extends from the base angle of the fold in the form of an side-pointing triangle in the first side surface of the package to a base angle of a creasing in the form of the side-pointing triangle in the flap forming an extension to the front surface. According to an embodiment of the invention the back surface of the package has a corresponding creasing, which extends from the base angle of the fold in the form of an up-pointing triangle in the first side surface of the package to a base angle of a creasing in the form of the side-pointing triangle in the flap forming an extension to the back surface. The creasings ease the pressing of the front surface and the back surface of package inwards when opening the pour spout.
[0023] According to an embodiment of the invention a part of the foldable flap forming an extension to the upper and/or the lower edge of the first and/or the second side surface of the package is cut off in order to achieve a tight glueing.
[0024] According to an embodiment of the invention the package is made of cardboard, the basis weight of which can be 200-460 g/m2, preferably 270-310 g/m2. The material to be used in the package must be sufficiently stiff, so that the package withstands the filling, the transportation and the handling without breaking. The sufficient stiffness of the package material is also a prerequisite for the function of the pour spout mechanism.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0025] In the following the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the embodiments presented as examples and the enclosed figures, in which
- fig. 1
- shows by way of an example a package blank according to an embodiment of the invention,
- fig. 2
- shows by way of an example a package according to an embodiment of the invention the pour spout being closed, and
- fig. 3
- shows by way of an example a package according to an embodiment of the invention the pour spout being opened.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0026] Figure 1 shows by way of an example a package blank 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The package blank 100 comprises a front surface 102 and a back surface 103 of substantially same size and a first side surface 104 and a second side surface 105 of substantially same size. The package blank 100 further comprises foldable flaps 106, 106' forming an extension to the front surface, foldable flaps 107, 107' forming an extension to the back surface, foldable flaps 108, 108' forming an extension to the first side surface and foldable flaps 109, 109' forming an extension to the second side surface, with which flaps the ends of the package to be formed can be closed. Furthermore, a lip 111 has been arranged to the second side edge 110 of the second side surface 105 of the package blank 100, from which lip 111 the second side surface 105 of the blank 100 is glued on the first side edge 112 of the back surface 103, to the side remaining inside the package when forming the package.
[0027] The folding point of the first side surface 104 of the package blank 100 and the foldable flap 108 forming an extension to it has been formed as a downwards curving tear-off fold, preferably as a two-sided grooving 113. Under the two-sided grooving 113, to the first side surface 104 of the blank 100, have been arranged folds in form of the sides of an up-pointing triangle, preferably groovings 114, 114' and a creasing 115 in the base of the triangle, which form a pour spout of the package.
[0028] A crease line 116 and perforations, i.e. dashed cuts, 117, 117' in the form of the sides of a down-pointing triangle, have been arranged in the middle of the foldable flap 108 forming an extension to the first side surface 104 of the package blank 100.
[0029] To the foldable flap 106 forming an extension to the front surface 102 of the package blank 100 have been arranged creasings beginning from the middle of its left edge in the form of a line 118 and of a side-pointing triangle 118, 118', 118"'. The creasing in the base of the triangle 118'" is curving to the right. Also to the foldable flap 107 forming an extension to the back surface 103 of the package blank 100 have been arranged creasings beginning from the middle of its right edge in form of a line 119 and a side-pointing triangle 119, 119', 119'" as well as a grooving 119". The creasing in the base of the triangle 119"' is curving to the left. The right upper corner of the foldable flap 107 forming an extension to the back surface 103 has been cut off along the creasing 119' in order to ease the bending of the lid.
[0030] In figure 2, a package 200 according to an embodiment of the invention with the pour spout 201 being closed is shown by way of an example. The package 200 is folded from the package blank 100 to the form of a rectangular prism. The lip 111 arranged to the second side edge 110 of the second side surface 105 of the blank 100 is glued on first side edge 112 of the back surface 103 of the package 200, to the side remaining inside the package 200. The lid and the bottom of the package 200 are formed by folding the foldable flaps 106, 106', 107, 107', 108, 108', 109, 109' forming an extension to the front surface 102, to the back surface 103, to the first side surface 104 and to the second side surface 105 inwards so that the foldable flaps 107, 107' forming an extension to the back surface 103 are folded first, after which the foldable flaps 108, 108', 109, 109' forming an extension to the side surfaces 104, 105 are folded thereon. Glue is applied on these and the flaps 106, 106' forming an extension to the front surface 102 are folded and glued so as to fix on them.
[0031] In that case, a two-sided grooving 113 has been arranged to the folding point of the first side surface 104 and the foldable flap 108 forming an extension to it, under which grooving 113 there are typically groovings 114, 114' in form of the flanks of an up-pointing triangle and a creasing 115 in the base of the triangle. The groovings 114, 114' form a pour spout 201 when pressing at the front surface 102 and the back side 103 of the package 200. The foldable flap 106 forming an extension to the front surface 102 has creasings beginning from the middle on the side of the pour spout 201 in form of the line 118 and in form of the flanks 118', 118" of a triangle. The creasing 118'" in the base of the triangle is curved. The creasings 118, 118', 118", 118"' ease the pressing of the lid of the package 200 downwards and opening of the two-sided grooving 113. In the back surface 103 of the package 200 there is a creasing 202, which extends from the lower edge of the creasing 114 on the first side surface 104 to the lower edge of the creasing 118' on the surface of the flap 106 forming an extension to the front surface 102. In the front surface 102 of the package 200 there is a similar creasing 202' (not shown in the figure). The creasings 202, 202' ease the pressing of the front surface 102 and the back surface 103 of the package 200 inwards when opening the pour spout 201.
[0032] In figure 3, a package 200 according to an embodiment of the invention with the pour spout 201 being opened is shown by way of an example. The pour spout 201 formed by the groovings 114, 114' and creasing 115 is opened by pressing first the flap 106 forming an extension to the front surface 102 of the package 200, at the tip of the triangle formed by the creasings 118, 118', 118", 118"', close to the two-sided grooving, whereby the two-sided grooving 113 is teared open. The pour spout 201 is opened by pressing the package 200 inwards at the corner of its front surface 102 and its back surface 103, close to the two-sided grooving.
[0033] It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited merely to the above-described examples, but the invention may vary within the scope of the claims presented below. The dependent claims present some possible embodiments of the invention, and they are as such not to be considered to restrict the protective scope of the invention.
1. A package (200), which comprises
- a front surface (102) and a back surface (103),
- a first (104) and a second side surface (105), which are essentially perpendicular to the front surface (102) and to the back surface (103),
- a lid, which is limited by the upper edges of the front surface (102), the back surface (103) and the first (104) and the second side surface (105), and
- a bottom, which is limited by the lower edges of the front surface (102), back surface (103) and the first (104) and the second side surface (105),
characterized in that the upper edge of the first or the second side surface (104, 105) of the package (200) has a tear-off fold (113) curving towards the bottom of the package and that under the tear-off fold (113) there are folds (114, 114', 115) in the form of an up-pointing triangle, which folds form a pour spout (201) when pressing at the front and the back surfaces (102, 103) of the package (200).2. Package according to claim 1, characterized in that the lid and the bottom are formed of foldable flaps (106, 106', 107, 107', 108, 108',
109, 109') forming an extension to the front surface (102), to the back surface (103)
and to the side surfaces (104, 105).
3. Package according to claim 2, characterized in that the lid and the bottom are formed by glueing the foldable flaps (106, 106, '107,
107', 108, 108', 109, 109') to each other.
4. Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tear-off fold (113) is a grooving, preferably a two-sided grooving.
5. Package according to any of the previous claims 1-3, characterized in that the tear-off fold (113) is a perforation.
6. Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tear-off fold (113) is a fold between the first (104) or the second (105) side
surface and the flap (108, 109) forming an extension to the side surface.
7. Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tear-off fold (113) curves from the upper edge of the side surface (104, 105)
of the package (200) towards the bottom so, that the middle point of the tear-off
fold (113) is about 2 mm lower than the folding point of the second side surface (104,
105) and the flap (108, 109) forming an extension to it.
8. Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flanks of an up-pointing triangle have groovings (114, 114') and the fold (115)
in the base of the triangle is a creasing.
9. Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the foldable flap (106) forming an extension to the front surface (102) of the package
(200) has creasings (118, 118', 118", 118"') in the form of a line essentially parallel
to the front surface and/or of a side-pointing triangle, which creasings begin from
the edge of the flap, which is towards the upper edge of the side surface (104, 105)
comprising a tear-off fold.
10. Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the foldable flap (107) forming an extension to the back surface (103) of the package
(200) has creasings (119, 119', 119", 119"') in the form of a line essentially parallel
to the front surface and/or of a side-pointing triangle, which creasings begin from
the edge of the flap, which is towards the upper edge of the side surface (104, 105)
comprising a tear-off fold.
11. Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the middle point of the foldable flap (108, 109) forming an extension to the side
surface (104, 105) of the package (200), which side surface has a tear-off fold (113),
is divided by a crease line or a perforation (116) essentially parallel to the front
and the back surface (104, 105).
12. Package (200) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the package (200) is made of cardboard, the basis weight of which is 200-460 g/m2, preferably 270-310 g/m2.
13. A method for opening a package (200) according to any of the preceding claims 1-12,
characterized in that in the method
- the lid of the package (200) is pressed close to the tear-off fold (113), and
- the package (200) is pressed at the front and the back surfaces (102, 103) close to the pour spout (201).