Package, apparatus and process of manufacturing such a package

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279543-B2
Application number	US-201816615173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2018
Priority date	May 22, 2017
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A package includes a support and a closing film. The support has a supporting portion that receives a product, a perimetral edge surrounding the supporting portion, a gripping portion extending away from the opposite side of the supporting portion, a removable portion extending from the supporting portion. The closing film engages a portion of the perimetral edge and, with the support, defines a housing compartment for the product. The closing film comprises a first film portion engaged with the removable portion and a second film portion engaged with the gripping portion. When the package is opened, the removable portion at least partly separates from the support together with the first film portion and the second film portion remains engaged with the gripping portion of the support.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A package for containing at least one product, said package comprising:
a support exhibiting:
a supporting portion configured to receive one or more products,
a perimetral edge entirely surrounding the supporting portion,
a gripping portion of the perimetral edge, extending oppositely to the supporting portion;
a removable portion of the perimetral edge, also extending oppositely to the supporting portion;

a closing film engaged at least with a portion of the perimetral edge and configured to define—cooperatively with the support—a compartment to house the product, said closing film comprising:
a first film portion engaged with the removable portion, said removable portion being configured to be separated at least partially from the support along with the first film portion while the package is opened,
a second film portion engaged with the gripping portion of the support, said second film portion being configured to remain engaged with the gripping portion of the support the package is opened,

wherein the second film portion is:
separated from the first portion of the closing film, or
joined to said first portion by a weakening portion of the same closing film, said weakening portion being configured to ensure the separation of the first and second portion of the closing film while the package is opened.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the second film portion is:
separated from the first portion of the closing film, or
joined to said first portion by the weakening portion of the closing film itself prior to the package being opened.

3. The package of claim 1 , wherein the first film portion is engaged with the perimetral edge with the exception of the gripping portion.

4. The package of claim 1 , wherein the second film portion is only engaged with the gripping portion of the perimetral edge.

5. The package of claim 1 , wherein, before the package is opened, the removable portion is:
separated from the perimetral edge integrally joined to the support; or
integrally joined to the perimetral edge of the support by a weakening portion of the support, said weakening portion being configured to ensure the separation of the removable portion from the support while the package is opened.

6. The package of claim 1 , wherein the gripping portion is integrally joined to the perimetral edge.

7. The package of claim 1 , wherein the perimetral edge comprises an upper surface to receive the first film portion, which extends along a lying plane, wherein the second film portion extends along a plane parallel to the lying plane of said upper surface.

8. The package of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises:
a base,
a lateral wall transversally emerging from the base to define a housing seat adapted to receive the product,
wherein the perimetral edge along with the gripping portion are integrally joined to the lateral wall oppositely to the base,
wherein the perimetral edge defines an upper free edge of the support delimiting an opening of the latter.

9. The package of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises at least one angular portion, said removable portion defines at least part of said angular portion, the gripping portion flanking the removable portion to define cooperatively with the latter at least part of the angular portion.

10. The package of claim 1 , comprising at least one product disposed in the housing compartment of the package, the closing film being fluid-tightly engaged with the perimetral edge of the support so that the housing compartment inside which said product is housed, is fluid-tight.

11. A process of making a package, wherein:
the package comprises:
a support exhibiting:
a supporting portion configured to receive one or more products,
a perimetral edge entirely surrounding the supporting portion,
a gripping portion of the perimetral edge, extending oppositely to the supporting portion;
a removable portion of the perimetral edge, also extending oppositely to the supporting portion;

a closing film engaged at least with a portion of the perimetral edge and configured to define—cooperatively with the support—a compartment to house the product, said closing film comprising:
a first film portion engaged with the removable portion, said removable portion being configured to be separated at least partially from the support along with the first film portion while the package is opened,
a second film portion engaged with the gripping portion of the support, said second film portion being configured to remain engaged with the gripping portion of the support the package is opened,

wherein the second film portion is:
separated from the first portion of the closing film, or
joined to said first portion by a weakening portion of the same closing film, said weakening portion being configured to ensure the separation of the first and second portion of the closing film while the package is opened; and

said process comprises:
moving a sheet material along a predetermined advancement path, said sheet material comprising:
a supporting portion configured to receive one or more products,
a closing portion entirely surrounding the supporting portion,

performing at least one incision on the closing portion of the sheet material adapted to define said removable portion,
positioning at least one product on the supporting portion of said sheet material,
following positioning the product on the sheet material, constraining a closing film to the closing portion of the sheet material so that the product is positioned inside a housing compartment defined by the closing film constrained to said sheet material,
performing at least one incision of the closing film engaged with the closing portion of the sheet material to define the first and second film portions respectively engaged with the removable portion and the gripping portion of the support.

12. The process of claim 11 , further comprising:
making at least one through cut of the sheet and closing film, such through cut—cooperatively with the incision of the closing portion of the sheet material and the incision of the closing film—defines said package—in at least one point—one selected between:
the incision of the closing portion of the sheet material, and
the incision of the closing film.

13. The process of claim 11 , wherein the incising of the closing film is after the constraining of said closing film to the closing portion of the sheet material.

14. The process of claim 12 , wherein the through cut of the sheet and closing film defines the removable portion and gripping portion of the package.

15. The process of claim 11 , wherein the constraining of the closing film on the closing portion of the sheet material is performed by heat-seal.

16. The process of claim 11 , comprising at least one of:
after positioning the product on the supporting portion and before constraining the closing film, removing at least part of the air from the housing compartment in order to define inside the latter a pressure less than the atmospheric pressure; and
after positioning the product on the supporting portion and before constraining the closing film, removing at least part of the air from the housing compartment and inserting inside the latter a predetermined type of gas to define a modified-atmosphere package.

17. The process of claim 11 , further comprising forming a plurality of cavities on the sheet material so that the latter defines a plurality of trays aligned along the advancement path, wherein the forming of the cavities is performed befo

Assignees

• Cryovac Llc

Inventors

• Capitani Stefano

Classifications

• B26D3/00

  Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• B65D2577/2083

  in container flange · CPC title

• B65B61/18

  for making package-opening or unpacking elements · CPC title

• B65B61/005

  for removing material by cutting · CPC title

• B65D77/2052 Primary

  the container being weakened · CPC title