PACKAGE FOR FOOD PRODUCTS

Abstract

 A package for food products (A) comprising at least one sheet formed by at least one cardboard layer, which is split into two parts, of which the first one is a base (2) adapted to have a food product positioned thereon, the second one is a lid (3), which can be at least partially superimposed over such a base, at least on such base there is a base film (21) in plastic material, suitable for contact with food, which is superimposed over the cardboard layer of the sheet, the food product (A) being positioned on such film and covered by a wrap (22).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a package for food products.

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to a package for food products made by means of a sheet formed by a base having at least one substantially rectangular-shaped portion adapted to have a food product positioned thereon and a lid which when it is positioned on the base, at least partially covers it.

[0003] Currently, there are packages on the market in which such base is made of cardboard and is covered by a plastic base film suitable for contact with food, on the surface on which the food product is to be positioned.

[0004] After the food is positioned, which may occur manually or by means of a loading system provided with suitable automatic feeding means, the food is covered by a wrap P according to the so called "skin pack" technology, which is a type of vacuum packaging that causes the upper wrap or film to adhere to the product as though it were a second skin.

[0005] In the agri-food industry, the skin is applied in the packaging of fresh or frozen or smoked meats, fish products, cheese, fresh and frozen pasta, prepared meat products and gastronomy in general, etc.

[0006] The food may also be covered again with a wrap and placed under vacuum or controlled-atmosphere conditions by means of gas insufflation.

[0007] This packaging technology offers unquestionable advantages in terms of increased product preservability, safety and integrity of the packages, high flexibility for products having different shapes and sizes, applicability to small sizes, single- or double-portion, practicality and ease of movement and reduction of transport space.

[0008] The cardboard element processed as described above is provided, both on the front and rear side, with information about the packaged product (brand(s), weight, organoleptic features, product codes, bar codes, etc. and also information for the consumer), but also information and features of the package itself.

[0009] In a second embodiment, the base is made of cardboard or of plastic material, the food is covered by a wrap again according to the above mentioned technologies, but in addition to this covering that we will call "primary", the package provides a further "secondary" covering made of cardboard, for example bag-shaped, inside of which the primary covering is inserted. The information on the product is placed on this secondary covering. Moreover, there may be an opening on such secondary covering, adapted to show the food positioned in the primary packaging.

[0010] Finally, a hole (usually called "sombrero" or Euro hole) may be made in both the types of packages in order to allow the package to be hung vertically on a display.

[0011] Such packaging systems according to the known technique have several drawbacks.

[0012] In the first type, in which the food is positioned on the cardboard base, the product information must necessarily be printed, both on the rear and on the front side of the base, before the food is positioned. This is to ensure that there is no interaction between the substances forming such product information and the food during the positioning. Moreover, only a small portion of information may be shown on the front side, while most of the information is on the rear side, therefore not seen when the product is positioned on the display.

[0013] Instead in the second type of package, the product information is positioned on the secondary covering and therefore it does not interact with the food, but such package provides making two parts (primary and secondary covering) which then must be assembled manually or by means of a machine, thus making the packaging process more complex, slower and expensive.

[0014] The present invention proposes to obviate the aforesaid drawbacks by providing a package formed by a single cardboard element having the features of the appended claim 1.

[0015] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a process for making the package and for packaging the food product on it, having the features of claim 7.

[0016] The features and advantages of the present invention will be clearer and evident from the following exemplifying and nonlimiting description of an embodiment made with reference to the attached figures, in which:

• figure 1 is a perspective view of a cardboard element in open position, according to the present invention;
• figure 2 illustrates the cardboard element of figure 1, in which creasing is made;
• figure 3 illustrates a section of the suitably-shaped cardboard element of figure 1;
• figure 4 illustrates the cardboard element of figure 3, with the food positioned covered by the wrap;
• figure 5 illustrates the cardboard element of figure 3, with the food positioned covered by the wrap and in step of closing the lid;
• figure 6 illustrates a side view of the completed package.

[0017] With reference to the mentioned drawings, the package according to the present invention comprises at least one sheet 1 formed by at least one cardboard layer, which is split into two parts, of which the first one is a base 2 that has at least one substantially rectangular portion adapted to a food product being positioned thereon, the second part of the sheet is a lid 3 that at least partially overlaps over such a base.

[0018] The lid may be equipped with at least one opening 31 which, when the lid itself is folded over the base, allows the product to protrude outside the lid and also allows to see the food product therethrough. Such opening may be of any shape and sizes.

[0019] Such base, on the front surface thereof, has a film 21 in plastic material, suitable for contact with food, which is superimposed on the cardboard layer of the sheet, preferably on the whole sheet. The food product A is positioned on such film, which food is then covered by a wrap 22 according to the so-called "skin pack" technology described above, or the vacuum-packed or controlled-atmosphere technology. The film can be realised on the base only, or it can be realised on the entire sheet and therefore on the lid 3 as well.

[0020] The sheet is provided with a first pair of die-cuts or creasing 4 parallel to each other that divide the base and the lid, spaced apart by a predetermined width L, and a second pair of die-cuts or creasing 5 parallel to each other and parallel to the first pair, positioned near the side edge of the lid opposite to the base. The width of the second pair of die-cuts preferably is equal to the width of the first pair.

[0021] The pairs of die-cuts define folding lines of the sheet which, when the lid is superimposed over the base, form a first substantially vertical wall 6 and a second substantially vertical wall 7 that laterally delimit the base. The first wall obtained between the first pair of die-cuts is connected to the lid, while the second wall 7 obtained between the second pair of die-cuts forms an upper flap 8 on the opposite side of the lid. When the lid is closed on the base, it superimposes such flap over its free edge 31 and advantageously means for closing the package are provided on the overlapping zone between the flap and the lid.

[0022] The sheet may be provided, both on the front and rear side, with information about the packaged product (brand(s), weight, organoleptic features, product codes, bar codes, etc. and information for the consumer), but also information and features of the package itself.

[0023] In particular, it is advantageous for such information to be present on the lid only (also on both surfaces), leaving the base for the only purpose of preserving the food item.

[0024] Moreover, the entire rear surface of the sheet may have information.

[0025] Clearly, a package of such type makes the process for making it and for packaging the product simpler because a single package is made rather than a double package made with two separate systems, as indicated in the packages of prior art. There are no manual steps of treating the package and the information on the lid may also be realised after the food is packaged on the base.

[0026] Moreover, a hole that allows the closed package to be vertically positioned on a display may be made in an adapted peripheral position on the package, in particular on the base and/or on the lid. Alternatively, the hole may be made on a support that in turn is fastened to the vertical package. Such hole may be shaped like a "sombrero". When the package is vertically displayed, the covering layer (wrap 22) of the food does not allow the food to move due to gravity, keeping it blocked in such position.

[0027] The packaging process of the food provides for the package to be made starting from a cardboard sheet, that is a sheet on which the pairs of die-cuts 4 and 5, the base film 21 and possibly the opening 31, are made.

[0028] The sheet initially is flat; by taking advantage of the possibility of folding the cardboard element over the die-cuts, bringing the lid downwards and placing the two walls 6 and 7 vertically, the base is positioned at a higher height than the lid, as shown in particular in figure 3.

[0029] Such vertical misalignment between the base and the lid alternatively may be obtained also by means of a liftable insert placed under the base having the same width and thickness at least greater than the height of the walls. Such insert also acts as abutment plane for the successive processing to prevent the base from lowering to the level of the lid.

[0030] Therefore, the food A may be covered with the wrap 22 according to the above mentioned technologies. The step formed by the walls 6 and 7 allows the machine making the covering to cut the aforesaid wrap about the base without the danger of also cutting the portion of cardboard joining the base to the lid. Indeed, such joining portion is at a lower level; therefore, it is sufficient for the cutting blade to be lowered from the plane of the base by a smaller height than the thickness of such walls.

[0031] Such configuration also provides a second advantage: it is possible for the perimeter cut of the wrap 22 to be made while keeping a protruding margin 9 on one or both sides of the base, which may serve as gripping element for removing the food from the covering. It is sufficient to ensure that the cutting blade is slightly offset from the edge of the base itself on which the margin is to be formed.

[0032] Finally, once the food is arranged, the lid is turned up again until to overlap the base and is closed.

Claims

1. Package for food products (A) comprising at least one sheet formed by at least one cardboard layer, which is split into two parts, of which the first one is a base (2) adapted to have a food product positioned thereon, the second one is a lid (3), which can be at least partially superimposed over such a base, at least on such base there is a base film (21) in plastic material, suitable for contact with food, which is superimposed over the cardboard layer of the sheet, the food product (A) being positioned on such film and covered by a wrap (22),
characterised in that
the sheet is provided with a first pair of die-cuts or creasing (4) parallel to each other that divide the base and the lid, a second pair of die-cuts or creasing (5) parallel to each other and parallel to the first pair, positioned near the side edge of the lid opposite to the base,
said pairs of die-cuts define folding lines of the sheet which, when the lid is superimposed over the base, form a first substantially vertical wall (6) and a second substantially vertical wall (7) that laterally delimit the base, the first wall obtained between the first pair of die-cuts is connected to the lid, while the second wall obtained between the second pair of die-cuts forms an upper flap (8) on the opposite site of the lid which, when the lid is closed on the base, superimposes such flap over its free edge (31).

2. Package according to claim 1, wherein the width of the second pair of die-cuts is equal to the width of the first pair.

3. Package according to claim 1, wherein the lid is equipped with at least one opening (31) which, when the lid itself is superimposed over the base, allows to see the food product therethrough.

4. Package according to claim 1, wherein the wrap (22) layer that covers the food item has a margin (9) protruding on at least one side of the base that can serve as gripping element in order to remove the cover from the food item.

5. Package according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is provided, both on the front and rear side, with information about the packaged product, such as e.g. brand(s), weight, organoleptic features, product codes, bar codes, information for the consumer and features of the package itself.

6. Package according to claim 5, wherein such information is present on the lid only, leaving the base for the only purpose of preserving the food item.

7. Method for packaging food products, comprising the following steps:

a) providing a cardboard sheet formed by at least one cardboard layer, which is split into two parts, of which the first one is a base (2) adapted to have a food product positioned thereon, the second one is a lid (3), which can be at least partially superimposed over such a base, at least on such base there being a film (21) in plastic material, suitable for contact with food, which is superimposed over the cardboard layer of the sheet, the sheet being provided with a first pair of die-cuts or creasing (4) parallel to each other that divide the base and the lid, a second pair of die-cuts or creasing (5) parallel to each other and parallel to the first pair, positioned near the side edge of the lid opposite to the base,

b) positioning the base (2) raised with respect to the lid by folding the cardboard along said pair of die-cuts so as to form two vertical walls (6) and (7) lateral to the base formed, wherein the first wall (6) is formed between the first pair of die-cuts (4) and connects the base to the lid, while the second wall (7) is formed between the second pair of die-cuts (5) and connects the base to an end flap (8),

c) positioning the food product (A) on such base,

d) covering at least such base and the food product with a wrap (22),

e) turning up the flap along the folding lines formed by the second pair of die-cuts until it is superimposed over the base,

f) turning up the lid along the folding lines formed by the first pair of die-cuts until it is superimposed over the base,

g) closing the package by letting adhere the edge of the lid to the flap.

8. Method for packaging food products according to claim 7, wherein the step d) provides for positioning the wrap (22) on the food item, letting it adhere peripherally on the cardboard and cutting the wrap along the edge of the base while leaving on one or more edges a protruding margin (9) that can serve as gripping element in order to remove the cover from the food item.

Drawing