Patent Application
20240217717
The present invention relates to condiments and sauce sachets, more particularly to multiple condiment/sauce/seasoning sachet strip with tear-able perforations and are capable of carrying more than two condiments, sauces, and/or seasoning.
Sachet packaging products have been gaining traction owing to their low cost, customizable, eco-friendly and portability features. Sachet packaging also helps to extend the shelf life of products.
Sachet packaging has therefore emerged as a viable solution to market products such as hair oil, lubricants, sauces, coffee, cream, detergents, shampoos, medicines, candies and others in small quantities. The rising trend of single serve/unit dose packaging among consumers for products such oil, tea, coffee, sauces, mouth fresheners, condiments and seasonings is expected to drive the growth of sachet packaging market and candy sales.
Condiment sachets are very well known among the general populace and are used freely, particularly in fast-food restaurants. Most popular is sachets comprising a pair of flexible plastics material sheets, which are sealed about their peripheral edges to define a pouch within which the condiment is entrained.
There are also known sachets of the “Doypack”, or stand-up, type pouch which is made of flexible packaging material and able to stand erect on its bottom for display, storage, and use. These sachets, which may be formed from plastic films, and be manually tear-able at their top to open the pouch.
However, there are a number of well-appreciated disadvantages associated with prior art sachets. The first is that they provide little control over the rate at which the contents are dispensed. As the contents are being squeezed out, the position of the dispensing outlet with respect to the rest of the sachet can vary greatly and the directional control or positioning of the condiment is not always as desired. Another major issue with single use sachets is that these condiment sachets use foil and plastic for packaging which are fused together. The materials cannot be separated and consequently may be difficult to recycle.
Thus, there is a need for a packaging solution which focuses on the reduction of single use plastic.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further disclosed in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The present invention provides a strip of small packets in which various condiments/sauces/seasonings and candies can be filled and the strip is placed on the serving container. Moreover, the object of the present invention is to provide a condiment/sauce/seasoning packet strip which seeks to alleviate the disadvantages associated with the prior art, which is easy to open and facilitates the controlled dispensing of the contents thereof. This may also help the user to use less condiment packets resulting in lesser plastic wastage.
Accordingly, in an embodiment, a flexible strip of packets for storing different substances such as various condiments, sauces, and seasonings, which may be in the form of for example, a fluid, a paste, a granulated substance such as sugar, or a powder, is provided. Each of the packets include wall(s) and fused end portions for confining the material. The strip of packets contains perforations between the packets, which can be used to remove packets including different condiments/sauces/seasonings from the strip during use. In theaters where popcorn is sold a candy strip may be added to the popcorn bucket which may add value to the purchase and increase sales of single item packages.
According to one aspect of the invention, this strip of packets give the provision to store multiple condiments, sauces, and/or seasonings individually and each packet is separated by a tear-able perforation line. Furthermore, the strip can be attached to the container beforehand. In yet another embodiment, the strip can be made into a circular strip, or roll, and selected packets can be removed, opened, and used as needed by the user according to their preference.
According to another aspect of the invention, the bulk material to be filled in the packets can be, but is not limited to, condiments, sauces, and seasonings. Possible materials to include in the packets include, for example, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, red chilli sauce, salt, sugar, honey, maple syrup, pepper, peri peri, cheese, tomato paste, green paste, white sauce, tartar dip, vinegar, soy sauce, relish, ranch, salsa, Cesar dressing, almond butter, peanut butter, barbecue sauce, chimichurri, fish sauce, etc.
Candies also can be packaged in the strips in a manner similar to the condiments. This is especially important for movie theaters which have special packaging of everyday candies. Different types of candies be packaged in adjacent compartments.
Another aspect of the invention is directed towards the sustainable packaging of the strip material which helps in recycling the plastic after it is dumped. Moreover, since the users get to select the combination of condiment/sauce/seasonings, the food wastage can also be reduced through this manner. The packaging material may be, but is not limited to, recyclable paper, polyethylene, sea weed based edible material, or hydrocarbon based polymers, for example, slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS).
Various embodiment of the disclosure are discussed in detail below. While specific implementations are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
The present invention provides a multi-compartment strip of packets used for storing material such as but not limited to condiments/sauces/seasonings. Further, the product comprises of multiple perforation lines between each packet to help the user tear the wanted condiment/sauce/seasoning packet. In one embodiment, the multi-compartment strip of packets for more than two or more materials in separate packets so that the materials may be poured/sprinkled from the strip individually or combined.
In one embodiment, the shape of each packet in the strip may be but not limited to rectangular. The shape allows the packet to be manufactured alternatively in a continuous single strip, reducing the number of intermediate processes required and drastically reducing packing material.
In one embodiment of the invention, the product comprises plurality of packets of condiments/sauces/seasonings, separated by tear-able perforated lines. In a further embodiment of the invention, the housing of each packet on the strip may be constructed of but not limited to polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyesters (PET, PEN, PC), ionomers, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyamides (PA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), styrene butadiene (SB), high nitrile polymers (HNP), fluoropolymers (PCTFE), cellulose based materials, polyvinyl acetate (PVA).
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the strips of the condiment packets can be placed on rolls or can be accordion-pleated in boxes so that they can be dispensed according to the user's needs.
The strip of condiments 100 may be attached together in a loop or circular shape to accommodate the size of the lip of the container 200. The user can separate the loop at any of the perforated portions 20 and squeeze or tear open any condiment/sauce/seasoning from the individual packets on the strip 100. Furthermore, the fast food tub/bucket containers can be stacked in plurality where the attached strip of condiment packets do not touch another container above or below it, as shown in
Candies also can be packaged in strips like the condiments. This is especially important for movie theaters, which have special packaging of everyday candies.
The foregoing method descriptions and diagrams/figures are provided merely as illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that the operations of various aspects must be performed in the order presented. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the order of operations in the aspects described herein may be performed in any order. Words such as “thereafter,” “then,” “next,” etc. are not intended to limit the order of the operations; such words are used to guide the reader through the description of the methods and systems described herein. Further, any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” or “the” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
The preceding description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make, implement, or use the claims. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the claims. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the aspects illustrated herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the claims disclosed herein.
