Sachet Closure Assembly, Sachet Thus Obtained and Production Method and Machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a sachet closure assembly, the sachet thus obtained and the associated production method and machine. The inventive closure assembly consists of two sections (100, 200) of thermoplastic material, comprising complementary elements (110, 210) which are adapted to be alternately engaged, such that the sachet can be closed, and separated, such that the sachet can be opened and the contents thereof accessed. The aforementioned complementary elements (110, 210) are borne by respective support webs (100, 200). The invention is characterised in that one, and only one, of the support webs (100, 200) comprises ridges (130, 230) which project out from the inner surface thereof, said inner surface facing the other web.

Description

This present invention concerns the area of sachets equipped with a closure assembly designed to allow multiple successive openings and closures as required.

Still more precisely, this present invention concerns the manufacture of such sachets by means of closure assemblies that have two extrusions in thermoplastic material, consisting of complementary elements, designed to be joined alternately in order to allow closure of the sachets and then separated to allow opening of the sachets, and providing access to their contents.

In general, the aforementioned complementary elements are formed from hooked structures or respectively male and female elements provided on both extrusions. Many closure assemblies and sachets similar to the aforementioned arrangements have been proposed already.

Attached FIGS. 1 and 2 show two known implementation examples of closure assemblies according to previous designs.

Attached FIGS. 1 and 2 show assemblies the include two support webs 10, 20 bearing the respective complementary elements 12, 22. According to the non-limited representation provided in FIGS. 1 and 2, these elements 12, 22 are formed from male and female extrusions respectively.

It will be observed that according to FIG. 1, both webs 10, 20 are fitted on their internal facing surfaces, and on the outside of the extrusions 12, 22, with longitudinal striations respectively referenced 14 and 24.

The closure assembly illustrated in FIG. 2 includes similar longitudinal striations 16, 26 on the outer surface of the support webs 10, 20.

One of the functions of these striations is to facilitate the handling of the support webs 10, 20 in order to control the opening and closure of the assembly, that is to respectively apply a force tending to separate the extrusions so as to separate the elements 12, 22 and to apply a force tending to bring the extrusions together so as to cause the two elements 12 and 22 to join. The striations 14, 24, 16, 26 are used in fact to guide the fingers of the user. In the context of the variant illustrated in FIG. 1, the striations 14 and 24 also perform the function of limiting the contact area between the two extrusions of the closure assembly and therefore avoiding the risks of welding during fixing onto a film.

The known closure assemblies have already rendered valuable service.

However they do not always give total satisfaction.

This present invention has as its objective to perfect the known closure assemblies.

This objective is attained in the context of the present invention by virtue of a closure assembly consisting of two extrusions in a thermoplastic material that include the complementary elements designed to be alternately joined in order to allow the closure of sachets, and separated to allow opening of the sachets, providing access to their contents, with the said complementary elements being carried on respective support webs, characterised by the fact that only one of the support webs includes striations projecting from its internal surface and directed toward the other web.

According to another advantageous characteristic of this present invention, the other support web is fitted with striations projecting from its outer surface.

This present invention also concerns the sachets created by means of such a closure assembly as well as a process and a machine for the manufacture of such sachets.

Other characteristics, aims and advantages of this present invention will appear on reading the detailed description that follows, with reference to the appended drawings, provided here by way of non-limited examples, and in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2, described previously, show schematically, in cross-section, closure assemblies according to previous design techniques:

FIG. 3 shows a similar view of a closure assembly according to this present invention, and

FIGS. 4 to 8 schematically represent five implementation variants according to this present invention.

Attached FIG. 3 shows a closure assembly according to this present invention which includes two support webs 100, 200 which are more or less parallel, respectively including a male closure element 110 and a complementary female closure element 210.

The general structure of such a closure assembly is very familiar to the professional engineer, and will not be described in greater detail in what follows.

Each of the two support webs 100, 200 lie respectively on either side of elements 110 and 210.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, it will be observed that, according to this present invention, only one of the support webs 100, 200 is fitted with longitudinal striations 230 on its inner surface and facing the other support web 100, and that this is on the part of the support web 200 located on the exterior of the extrusion elements 110, 210, in relation to the centre of the sachet.

The attached FIG. 4 shows an implementation variant which differs from that illustrated in FIG. 3 by the fact that the second support web 100 also has a series of longitudinal projecting striations 130 on its outer surface.

By “longitudinal” is meant that the striations 130 and 230 lie parallel to elements 110 and 210.

Preferably, the whole of the closure, that is the support webs 100, 200, the complementary elements 110, 210 and the striations 130, 230 are made from a thermoplastic material, and very advantageously by extrusion.

FIG. 5 shows an implementation variant which differs from FIG. 4 by the fact that the arrangement of striations is reversed. According to FIG. 5, the internal striations 130 are provided on the inner surface of the web 100 carrying the male element, while the external striations 230 are provided on the outer surface of the web 200 carrying the female element.

FIG. 6 shows an implementation variant according to which the complementary elements 110, 210 take the form of a hooked structure. Here again, the general structure of such a closure assembly, based on complementary elements of the hooked type is very familiar to the professional engineer, and therefore will not be described in detail in what follows.

FIG. 7 shows an implementation variant according to which the two support webs 100, 200 are joined together in the form of a U-shaped structure by a connecting web 150 placed on the inside of the closure assembly, meaning on the side opposite to the area of the support webs 100, 200 carrying the projecting striations 130, 230.

Finally, attached FIG. 8 shows a preferred implementation variant of the invention which is characterised by the fact that each web fitted with striations has exactly seven striations.

By way of a non-limited example, each striation, which is of triangular section, has a height and a width at the base of the order of a 10th of one millimetre. The distance between two adjacent striations is preferably between 0.5 and 2 mm.

The number, the density, the size and the section of striations 130 and 230 can be the subject of many implementation variants. They are not limited to the illustrations provided in the appended figures. In particular, it is possible to have striations of generally triangular section, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6 and 8, or a generally rounded section, as illustrated in FIG. 7. It is also possible to have striations 130, 203 which are partially joined, as illustrated in FIG. 3 or which are clearly spaced, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 8.

In addition, the striations provided on the outer surface of a web can be identical or different, by virtue of their number, their density, their section and their size, in relation to the striations present on the other web.

Of course this present invention is not limited to the particular methods of implementation which have just been described, but extend to any variant that remains within its spirit.

In particular, this present invention is in no way limited to the methods of implementation illustrated in the attached figures.

The closure assembly according to this present invention can be manufactured, for example, by extrusion in the form of an independent assembly designed to be mounted on a film which is suitable for the manufacture of a sachet, or to be directly created from the material of such a film.

The closure assemblies according to this present invention have the advantage of allowing easy manipulation by virtue of the presence of the striations 130, 230, with no risk of locking up, which has been the case for certain closure assemblies of previous design, resulting from the contact between two opposing series of striations.

This present invention also applies to windows that include of complementary elements of the “velcro” type.

Claims

1. A closure assembly consisting of two extrusions (100, 200) in a thermoplastic material, which includes complementary elements (110, 210) designed to be joined alternately so as to allow the closure of sachets and then separated to allow opening of the sachets and access to their contents, where the said complementary elements (110, 210) are mounted on respective support webs (100, 200), characterised by the fact that only one of the support webs (100, 200) includes striations (130, 230) projecting from its internal surface and facing the other web.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the other support web (200, 100) is fitted with striations (230, 130) projecting from its outer surface.

3. An assembly according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised by the fact that the striations (130, 230) are provided on the area of the support webs (100, 200) located on the exterior of the complementary elements (110, 210) in relation to the centre of the sachet.

4. An assembly according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised by the fact that the striations (130, 230) lie parallel to the complementary elements (110, 210).

5. An assembly according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised by the fact that it includes a male closure element (110) and a complementary female closure element (210).

6. An assembly according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised by the fact that the complementary elements (110, 210) are in the form of hooked structures.

7. An assembly according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised by the fact that the complementary elements are of the “velcro” type.

8. An assembly according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised by the fact that the two support webs (100, 200) are joined together in to form a U-shaped structure.

9. An assembly according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised by the fact that the support webs (100, 200) are of different widths.

10. An assembly according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised by the fact that the striations (130, 230) are of generally triangular section.

11. An assembly according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised by the fact that the striations (130, 230) are of generally rounded section.

12. An assembly according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterised by the fact that it is manufactured in the form of an independent assembly intended to be mounted on a film that is suitable for the manufacture of a sachet.

13. An assembly according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterised by the fact that it is directly made from the material of a film.

14. A sachet, characterised by the fact that it includes a closure assembly according to one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A process for the manufacture of sachets, characterised by the fact that it includes a stage for the attachment of a closure assembly according to one of claims 1 to 12) onto a film.

16. A machine for the manufacture of sachets, characterised by the fact that it includes resources for the feeding of a film, resources for the feeding of a closure assembly according to one of claims 1 to 12, and resources for the attachment of the closure assembly onto a film.