Method of producing a container precursor, especially for a single dimensionally stable foodstuff container, without folding over the container precursor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11117689-B2
Application number	US-201716304431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2017
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to a method comprising, as method steps, a) providing a sheetlike composite comprising, as mutually superposed layers of a layer sequence, from an inner face of the sheet like composite to an outer face of the sheetlike composite i) an inner polymer layer, ii) a barrier layer, and iii) a carrier layer, wherein the sheetlike composite comprises a first longitudinal edge and a further longitudinal edge, wherein the first longitudinal edge lies opposite the further longitudinal edge, wherein the sheetlike composite includes, in the following sequence in the direction from the first longitudinal edge to the further longitudinal edge: i.a first longitudinal g crease, ii.a second longitudinal crease, iii.a third longitudinal crease, and iv.a fourth longitudinal crease; b) producing a first longitudinal fold characterized by a first internal angle along the first longitudinal crease and a third longitudinal fold characterized by a third internal angle along the third longitudinal crease; c) producing a second longitudinal fold characterized by a second internal angle along the second longitudinal crease and a fourth longitudinal fold characterized by a fourth internal angle along the fourth longitudinal crease; and d) contacting and joining the first longitudinal edge to the further longitudinal edge thereby obtaining a longitudinal seam. The invention further relates to a container precursor and to a closed container, each obtainable by the method, to an apparatus and to a use of the apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising, as method steps,
a) providing a sheetlike composite comprising, as mutually superposed layers of a layer sequence, from an inner face of the sheetlike composite to an outer face of the sheetlike composite
i) an inner polymer layer,
ii) a barrier layer, and
iii) a carrier layer,
wherein the sheetlike composite includes a first longitudinal edge and a further longitudinal edge,
wherein the first longitudinal edge lies opposite the further longitudinal edge,
wherein the sheetlike composite includes, in the following sequence in the direction from the first longitudinal edge to the further longitudinal edge:
i. a first longitudinal crease,
ii. a second longitudinal crease,
iii. a third longitudinal crease, and
iv. a fourth longitudinal crease;

b) producing a first longitudinal fold along the first longitudinal crease and a third longitudinal fold along the third longitudinal crease,
wherein the first longitudinal fold is characterized by a first angle,
wherein the third longitudinal fold is characterized by a third angle;

c) producing a second longitudinal fold along the second longitudinal crease and a fourth longitudinal fold along the fourth longitudinal crease,
wherein the second longitudinal fold is characterized by a second angle,
wherein the fourth longitudinal fold is characterized by a fourth angle; and

d) contacting and joining the first longitudinal edge to the further longitudinal edge, thereby obtaining a longitudinal seam,
wherein the first angle, the second angle, the third angle and the fourth angle are each on the inner face of the sheetlike composite,
wherein
the production of the first longitudinal fold in method step b) comprises reducing the first angle from more than 15° to not more than 15°,
the production of the third longitudinal fold in method step b) comprises reducing the third angle from more than 15° to not more than 15°,
the production of the second longitudinal fold in method step c) comprises reducing the second angle from more than 15° to not more than 15°, and
the fourth angle is reduced from more than 15° to not more than 15° for producing the fourth longitudinal fold or after producing the fourth longitudinal fold, in any case in method step c),
wherein producing a fold along a crease comprises folding along the crease such that an angle formed by fold regions of the sheetlike composite that are adjacent along the crease differs by at least 10° from an initial angle of 180° for a first time,
wherein after production of the first longitudinal fold the first angle is increased to at least 165°,
wherein after production of the third longitudinal fold the third angle is increased to at least 165°,
wherein the increase in the first angle and the third angle is done before the fourth angle is reduced from more than 15° to not more than 15° in method step c).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is a method of producing a sleeve-like container precursor for a single container.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the production of the fourth longitudinal fold in method step c) comprises increasing the fourth angle from less than 190° to at least 190° before reducing the fourth angle to not more than 15° in method step c).

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a container precursor is obtained in method step d),
wherein the method comprises, as further method steps,
e) forming a base region of the container precursor by folding the sheetlike composite;
f) closing the base region;
g) filling the container precursor with a foodstuff; and
h) closing the container precursor in a top region thereby obtaining a closed container.

5. A container precursor obtainable by a method comprising, as method steps,
a) providing a sheetlike composite comprising, as mutually superposed layers of a layer sequence, from an inner face of the sheetlike composite to an outer face of the sheetlike composite
i) an inner polymer layer,
ii) a barrier layer, and
iii) a carrier layer,
wherein the sheetlike composite includes a first longitudinal edge and a further longitudinal edge,
wherein the first longitudinal edge lies opposite the further longitudinal edge,
wherein the sheetlike composite includes, in the following sequence in the direction from the first longitudinal edge to the further longitudinal edge:
i. a first longitudinal crease,
ii. a second longitudinal crease,
iii. a third longitudinal crease, and
iv. a fourth longitudinal crease;

b) producing a first longitudinal fold along the first longitudinal crease and a third longitudinal fold along the third longitudinal crease,
wherein the first longitudinal fold is characterized by a first angle,
wherein the third longitudinal fold is characterized by a third angle;

c) producing a second longitudinal fold along the second longitudinal crease and a fourth longitudinal fold along the fourth longitudinal crease,
wherein the second longitudinal fold is characterized by a second angle,
wherein the fourth longitudinal fold is characterized by a fourth angle; and

d) contacting and joining the first longitudinal edge to the further longitudinal edge thereby obtaining a longitudinal seam,
wherein the first angle, the second angle, the third angle and the fourth angle are each on the inner face of the sheetlike composite,
wherein
the production of the first longitudinal fold in method step b) comprises reducing the first angle from more than 15° to not more than 15°,
the production of the third longitudinal fold in method step b) comprises reducing the third angle from more than 15° to not more than 15°,
the production of the second longitudinal fold in method step c) comprises reducing the second angle from more than 15° to not more than 15°, and
the fourth angle is reduced from more than 15° to not more than 15° in method step c),
wherein producing a fold along a crease comprises folding along the crease such that an angle formed by fold regions of the sheetlike composite that are adjacent along the crease differs by at least 10° from an initial angle of 180° for a first time,
wherein after production of the first longitudinal fold the first angle is increased to at least 165°,
wherein after production of the third longitudinal fold the third angle is increased to at least 165°,
wherein the increase in the first angle and the third angle is done before the fourth angle is reduced from more than 15° to not more than 15° in method step c).

6. The container precursor according to claim 5 , wherein the first angle and the third internal angle are each at least 165°;
wherein the second angle and the fourth angle are each not more than 15°;
wherein the container precursor can be shaped to give a sleeve-like structure by folding along the first longitudinal crease, the second longitudinal crease, the third longitudinal crease and the fourth longitudinal crease;
wherein the container precursor is characterized by a shaping coefficient in a range from 8 to 30 m 2 /kg,
wherein the shaping coefficient is defined by
Shaping coefficient=shaping force/(zero sample force·grammage)

wherein the zero sample force is measured according to DIN 55437-3:2008-05 and DIN 53121:2014-08 as maximum force value, which is obtained by bending uncreased samples of the sheetlike composite with a sample size of 60 mm×25 mm by 150°,
wherein the shaping force is determined by a Compression test method according to DIN EN ISO 12048:2000.

7. A closed container obtainable by a method comprising, as method steps,
a) providing a sheetlike composite comprising, as mutually superposed layers of a layer sequence, from an inner face of the sheetlike composite to an outer face of

Assignees

• Sig Technology Ag

Inventors

• Dahlmanns Kurt
• Wittling Frank
• Golembek Ulrich

Classifications

• B32B29/00

  Layered products comprising {a layer of} paper or cardboard · CPC title

• B32B27/32

  comprising polyolefins {(comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30)} · CPC title

• B32B2307/7242

  Non-permeable · CPC title

• B32B15/20

  comprising aluminium or copper {(B32B15/016 and B32B15/017 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B32B2439/70

  Food packaging · CPC title