PACKAGING WITH A METERING DEVICE

Abstract

A packaging for filling products capable of flowing and pouring, with a metering device for removing the filling product in portions comprises a main chamber for storing the filling product, a metering chamber, which is connected to the main chamber by a first channel, to provide filling product portions, and a second channel leading from the metering chamber to a dispensing opening and crossing the first channel, the main chamber, the metering chamber and the two channels being formed in a tube-like manner from a film-like, flexible packaging material and being limited by an arrangement of surface regions of packaging material abutting one another and connected to one another by sealing.

Description

The invention relates to a packaging for filling products that are capable of flowing and pouring, with a metering device for removing the filling product in portions.

Pumping stations, which can be operated by hand and inserted in a container which is filled with the product, are predominantly used for the metered dispensing of portions of ketchup, mustard and the like in a small quantity of products to be dispensed in liquid, partially liquid or pasty form. Another common packaging consists of a cylinder which is filled with the product and from which the product is ejected in portions with a piston which can be operated by hand.

The known packagings with metering systems often have hygiene problems. In addition, the rigid product containers often have a high proportion of material. The additional fittings, such as pumping stations or cylinder/piston systems, which are necessary in addition to the product container for the metered dispensing of the product, are a further drawback of the known packagings with metering systems.

The invention is based on the object of providing a packaging of the type described at the outset, which does not have the drawbacks associated with the known packagings with metering systems.

The object according to the invention is achieved by a main chamber for storing the filling product, a metering chamber connected to the main chamber by a first channel to provide filling product portions, and a second channel leading from the metering chamber to a dispensing opening and crossing the first channel, the main chamber, the metering chamber and the two channels being formed in a tube-like manner from a film-like, flexible packaging material and being limited by an arrangement of surface regions of packaging material which abut one another and are connected to one another by sealing.

In a preferred configuration of the packaging according to the invention, the main chamber and the first channel between first film strips and second film strips which are sealed against one another, the metering chamber between first film strips and third film strips which are sealed against the first film strip, and the second channel between the third and second film strips which are sealed against one another, are formed from the film-like, flexible packaging material.

In a packaging according to the invention which is suitable for continuous production, the first film strip is folded onto itself and sealed against itself and the third film strip is sealed against the folded part of the first film strip.

In an alternative type of production, the main chamber, the first channel, the metering chamber and the second channel between first film strips and second film strips which are sealed against one another, are formed from the film-like, flexible packaging material. In this case, the first film strip may be folded onto itself and sealed against itself and the second film strip is sealed against the folded part of the first film strip.

The first channel at an end opening into the metering chamber may be divided into two part-channels.

In the ideal case, the two channels intersect at an angle of about 90°. The intersection angle may, however, also be smaller and, for example be 45° to 90°, preferably 80° to 90°.

The packaging is preferably sealable on both sides.

Packaging films, which can be sealed against one another and have a sealing layer on the side forming the inside and the outside in the finished packaging, or the insides and the outsides of which can be sealed against one another, are suitable as film-like, flexible packaging material to produce the packaging. The sealing layer in this case may be connected as a sealing film to a carrier layer by a laminating adhesive. The sealing layer may, however, also be applied to a carrier layer by extrusion coating or with an additional adhesion promoter layer by coextrusion coating. Under certain conditions, it is also possible to produce a sealing layer and a carrier layer by coextrusion. In certain cases, if the carrier layer is itself sealable, a separate sealing layer may also be dispensed with.

The sealing layers are generally polyethylenes, for example LDPE, LLDPE, MDPE and mixtures thereof or coextruded, metallocene polyethylenes and ionomers, for example Surlyn®, or coextruded films made of these materials with PE as the carrier layer. Polypropylenes can also be used for special applications. The thickness of the sealing layers is in the range of 10 to 100 μm, preferably 15 to 75 μm.

Suitable carrier layers are plastics material films made of polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene or polyamide. A preferred polyester is PET (polyethylene terephthalate) in a preferred thickness of 8 to 20 μm, in particular 12 μm. The plastics material film which is used as the carrier layer may be printed on the front and optionally provided with a top coat of varnish with good sliding properties or be reverse-printed.

The plastics material film which is used as a carrier layer may be coated with a barrier layer against the penetration of oxygen, steam and flavourings. Suitable barrier layers are, for example, ceramic thin layers made of silicon oxides and/or aluminium oxide, which may be applied by sputtering or vacuum deposition, or plastics materials, for example made of materials from the series of vinyl alcohols, for example ethyl vinyl alcohol polymers or polyvinylidene chloride. Instead of one of the barrier layers mentioned, a foil made of metal, in particular from aluminium or an aluminium alloy may be used as the carrier layer.

The individual films or film strips of the packaging, which form the walls of the main and metering chamber, may consist of the same or different materials and have the same or a different layer construction. However, the packaging preferably consists of the same packaging material.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the following description of preferred embodiments and with the aid of the drawings in which, schematically,

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a packaging with a metering system;

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section through a preliminary stage of the packaging of FIG. 1 in a flat position;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a first side (front side) of the preliminary stage shown in FIG. 2 of the packaging of FIG. 1 in the viewing direction Y1;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the rear side of the preliminary stage shown in FIG. 2 of the packaging of FIG. 1 in the viewing direction Y2;

FIG. 5 shows a first stage of a method for producing packagings with a metering system according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a second stage of the method following the first stage of FIG. 5 to produce packagings with a metering system according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 shows the plan view of a first sealing geometry to form a first part of the metering system of the packaging of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 shows the plan view of a second sealing geometry to form a second part of the metering system of the packaging of FIG. 1 in the position prior to carrying out the second stage of the method;

FIG. 9 shows the plan view of the sealing geometry of FIG. 8 in the position after carrying out the second stage of the method;

FIG. 10 shows the plan view of the first and second sealing geometries located one above the other after carrying out the concluding sealing process;

FIG. 11 shows a longitudinal section through a packaging produced by the method according to FIG. 5 to 10 with a metering system;

FIG. 12 shows a first stage corresponding to FIG. 5 of an alternative method for producing packagings with a metering system according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 shows a second stage corresponding to FIG. 6 of the alternative method for producing packagings with a metering system according to FIG. 1;

A packaging 10 shown by way of example in FIG. 1 to 4 which is made of a film-like, flexible packaging material has a main chamber 12 for storing a filling product and a metering chamber 14 connected to the main chamber 12 by means of a tube-like first channel 16. In the present example, the main chamber 12 is formed from a front side 18a and rear side 20a in the form of a tubular pouch, the front and rear sides 18a, 20a forming the main chamber 12 being sealed against one another by first longitudinal sealing seams 19a, 21a.

At the transition of the main chamber 12 into the tube-like first channel 16 connecting the main chamber 12 to the metering chamber 14, the first longitudinal sealing seams 19a, 21a pass into wider sealing faces 19b, 21b and continue at the height of the entry of the first channel 16 into the metering chamber 14 as narrow second longitudinal sealing seams 19c, 21c limiting the metering chamber 14. A further longitudinal sealing seam 21d, together with the longitudinal sealing seam 21c of the metering chamber 14, limits a second channel 34 described in more detail below.

The longitudinal sealing seams 19a, 21a and 19c, 21c of the main and metering chambers 12, 14 are arranged substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the packaging 10. The sealing region which is composed of parts of the longitudinal sealing seams 19a, 21a and 19c, 21c of the wider sealing faces 19b, 21b located in between and a further transverse sealing seam 25 limiting the metering chamber 14 in a centre part M of the packaging between the main chamber 12 and metering chamber 14 will also be designated below a transition sealing region 27.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the tube-like first channel 16 in a region of the end opening into the metering chamber 14 is divided by a short sealing seam 17 running approximately in a longitudinal axis of the first channel 16 into two part-channels 16a, 16b. This configuration of the outlet region of the first channel 16 into the metering chamber 14 means that the throughflow cross section, which increases with a thoughflow of filling product from the main chamber 12 into the metering chamber 14, decreases again more quickly with reducing pressure on the main chamber 12 and therefore further increases the effect of the outlet region as a check valve, so a backflow from the metering chamber 14 into the main chamber 12 is practically prevented.

Like the main chamber 12, the metering chamber 14 is also formed from a front side 18c and a rear side 20c in the form of a tubular pouch, the front and rear sides 18c, 20c being sealed against one another by means of two longitudinal sealing seams 19c, 21c.

A first transverse sealing seam 24 connecting the first longitudinal sealing seams 19a, 21a to one another closes the main chamber 12 on the side remote from the first channel 16. In the same way, a second transverse sealing seam 26 connecting the second longitudinal sealing seams 19c, 21c to one another closes the metering chamber 14 on the side remote from the first channel 16.

A first film strip 28 which is forming the front side 18a of the main chamber 12 extends from the first transverse sealing seam 24 closing the main chamber 12 up to the second transverse sealing seam 26 closing the metering chamber 14 and, over the metering chamber 14, forms a front side 18c of the metering chamber 14.

A second film strip 30 forming the rear side 20a of the main chamber 12 extends from the first transverse sealing seam 24 closing the main chamber 12 to approximately the height of the end of the first channel 16 opening into the metering chamber 14.

A third film strip 32 forming the rear side 20c of the metering chamber 14 extends from the second transverse sealing seam 26 closing the metering chamber 14 to approximately the height of the transition of the main chamber 12 into the first channel 16 connecting the main chamber 12 to the metering chamber 14.

Arranged in the transition sealing region 27 in the centre part M of the packaging between the main chamber 12 and metering chamber 14, i.e. in the region of the wide sealing faces limiting the first channel 16 and being produced by the mutual sealing of the first film strip 28 and the second film strip 30, is a tube-like second channel 34 formed by sealing faces produced by the mutual sealing of the second film strip 30 and the third film strip 32.

The second channel 34 forms an outlet channel for the filling product to be dispensed by the metering chamber 14 from the packaging 10 into the open and extends from an outlet opening 35 of the metering chamber 14 to a dispensing point 36 at the end of the second channel 34 remote from the outlet opening 35 of the metering chamber 14. On the way from the metering chamber 14 to the dispensing point 36 of the packaging 10, the second channel 34 crosses the first channel 16 approximately at right angles in an intersection point 37 in the embodiment shown. The crossing angle of the two channels 16, 34 may obviously deviate from a 90° angle.

As can be seen, for example, from FIG. 1, regions which are not required on the packaging 10 that is ready for use are cut away from sealing faces. In particular, the tube-like second channel 34 is exposed toward its free end and thereby configured to be moveable out of the plane formed by the sealing faces. At a short spacing from its free end, the tube-like channel 34 is equipped with tear notches 38 as opening aids for easier opening. Obviously, the channel 34 may also be opened by a cut with scissors placed transversely over the channel 34.

In a method shown in FIG. 5 to 10 for the continuous production of the packaging 10 with a metering system, three partially overlapping film bands A, B and C which are made of packaging material are guided past processing stations, not shown in the drawing, and sealed against one another while maintaining the sealing geometries required to configure the channels 16, 34 of the metering system 12. The packagings 10 which are connected in the flat position are then cut to final size and separated, it also being possible for these processing steps to firstly be carried out shortly before or after filling with filling product.

According to FIG. 5, a first film band A is fed. A second film band B and a third film band C rest on the first film band A and move at the same speed as the film band A through a sealing station, in which a sealing of the second film band B against the first film band A takes place with a first sealing geometry S1 shown in FIG. 7 and adapted to the configuration of the tube-like first channel 16 of the metering system 12 and to the configuration of the two first longitudinal sealing seams 19a, 21a. At the same time, a sealing of the third film band C against the first film band A takes place in the sealing station with a second sealing geometry S2, shown in FIG. 8 and adapted to the configuration of the tube-like second channel 34 of the metering system 12.

According to FIG. 8, the mutual position shown in FIG. 5 and the spacing of the two sealing geometries S1 and S2 with respect to one another are selected in such a way that after the folding of the film band A and sealing of the outside of the film band A against itself, the two sealing geometries S1 and S2 are located with respect to one another in such a way that the tube-like channels 16, 34 intersect at a right angle (FIGS. 6 and 9). Simultaneously with the sealing of the film band A folded against itself, the two second longitudinal sealing seams 19c, 21c and the second transverse sealing seam 26 of the film bands A, C now located congruently on one another, inside to inside, are also sealed against one another in accordance with the third sealing geometry S3 shown in FIG. 10.

After the filling of the main chamber 12 with filling product, the main chamber 12 is closed by applying the first transverse sealing seam 24.

The packaging is opened by tearing away or cutting away an end part of the channel 34 by an end consumer. By pressing together the main channel 12 by hand, under the pressure applied, filling product is pressed out of the main chamber through the first channel 16 into the metering chamber 24. In the normal case, the metering chamber 14 is completely filled to provide identical portion sizes. During this filling process, the tube-like first channel 16 is expanded to its maximum diameter and therefore prevents, at the intersection point 37 of the two channels 16, 34, a simultaneous widening of the second channel 34 to its maximum diameter, i.e. the throughflow of filling product through the second channel 34 is practically prevented in this manner. As soon as the metering chamber 14 is filled with filling product from the main chamber 12, the content of the metering chamber 14 can be pressed out from the packaging 10 by pressing together the metering chamber 14, for example between the thumb and index finger, via the tube-like second channel 34 and through the opening at the free end of the channel 34. In this process, because of the sealing regions located in a plane, the opening of the free end of the first channel 16 opening into the metering chamber 14 remains practically closed and therefore prevents a backflow of filling product into the main chamber 12. The tube-like second channel 34 is also now expanded to its maximum diameter and therefore at the intersection point of the two channels 16, 34, prevents a simultaneous widening of the first channel 16 to its maximum diameter, i.e. the throughflow of filling product through the first channel 16 is thus practically prevented.

The packaging 10 normally contains a filling product that is capable of flowing, in particular a liquid, partially liquid or pasty filling product. Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and similar foods may be contained as the filling product in packagings 10. The use of the packaging is, however, not limited to foods, but rather comprises all types of filling products that are capable of flowing and pouring, such as, for example, creams in the field of cosmetics and lubricants, adhesives and technical products of this type in the field of technology.

The alternative production method shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 differs from the method according to FIGS. 5 and 6 in that, instead of a third film band C, the second film band B is selected to be correspondingly wider and, in addition, a material loop 40 is arranged between the first sealing geometry S1 and the second sealing geometry S2. The second transverse sealing seam 26 is thus dispensed with. In a method variant, not shown in the drawing, the folding of the first film band A can be dispensed with in accordance with the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 to 4, so that only a 3-layer composite is produced instead of a 4-layer composite in the central region M and therefore also in the intersection point 37 of the two channels 16, 34.

Claims

1. A packaging for filling products capable of flowing and pouring, with a metering device for removing the filling product in portions, wherein the packaging comprises a main chamber for storing the filling product, a metering chamber, which is connected to the main chamber by a first channel, to provide filling product portions, and a second channel leading from the metering chamber to a dispensing opening and crossing the first channel, the main chamber, the metering chamber and the first and second channels and being limited by an arrangement of surface regions of packaging material abutting one another and connected to one another by sealing.

2. A packaging according to claim 1, wherein the main chamber and the first channel between first film strips and second film strip which are sealed against one another, the metering chamber between the first film strip and a third film strip which are sealed against the first film strip, and the second channel (34) between the third film strip (32) and second film strip (30) which are sealed against one another, are formed from the film-like, flexible packaging material.

3. A packaging according to claim 2, wherein the second film strip is folded onto itself and sealed against itself and the third film strip is sealed against the folded part of the second film strip.

4. A packaging according to claim 1, wherein the main chamber, the first channel, the metering chamber and the second channel between first film strips and second film strips which are sealed against one another, are formed from the film-like, flexible packaging material.

5. A packaging according to claim 4, wherein the first film strip is folded onto itself and sealed against itself, and the second film strip is sealed against the folded part of the first film strip.

6. A packaging according to claim 1, wherein the first channel at an end opening into the metering chamber is divided into two part-channels.

7. A packaging according to claim 1, wherein the first channel and the second channel intersect at an angle of 45° to 90°.

8. A packaging according to claim 1, wherein the packaging material is sealable on both sides.

9. A packaging according to claim 1, wherein the first channel and the second channel intersect at an angle of 80° to 90°.