Multi-cup arrangement for foodstuff packaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12049340-B2
Application number	US-201917269371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2019
Priority date	Aug 27, 2018
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

The present invention provides a multi-cup arrangement comprising a polypropylene sheet, wherein the polypropylene sheet comprises at least two cavities, the cavities each protruding from the sheet from a bottom surface of the sheet, wherein the cavities are separated from each other via one or more spacer area(s) on the sheet, wherein the spacer area(s) each comprise one or more groove(s) on the bottom surface of the sheet that are positioned to allow the sheet to be broken along the groove by bending the sheet towards the top surface, wherein the grooves are positioned to divide the sheet into multiple segments, each segment comprising one or more cavities, wherein each of the groove(s) has a maximum depth of ≥25% and ≤80% with regard to the thickness of the polypropylene sheet. Such multi-cup arrangement may be separated into individual cup segments by moderate manual force, whilst the arrangement does not undesirably bend nor snap under the action of its own weight.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-cup arrangement comprising a polypropylene sheet, wherein the polypropylene sheet comprises at least two cavities, the cavities each protruding from the sheet from a top surface toward a bottom surface of the sheet, wherein the cavities are separated from each other via one or more spacer area(s) on the sheet, wherein the spacer area(s) each comprise one or more groove(s) on the bottom surface of the sheet that are positioned to allow the sheet to be broken along the groove by bending the sheet towards the top surface, wherein the grooves are positioned to divide the sheet into multiple segments, each segment comprising one or more cavities, wherein each of the groove(s) has a maximum depth of ≥25% and ≤80% with regard to the thickness of the polypropylene sheet,
wherein the polypropylene sheet comprises between 0.04 wt % to 0.08 wt % of the advanced nucleating agent (1R,2R,3S,4S)-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, disodium salt, with regard to the total weight of the polypropylene sheet; and
wherein the polypropylene in the polypropylene sheet consists of polypropylene homopolymer having a molecular weight distribution (MWD), defined as Mw/Mn, of ≥2.5 and ≤8.0, wherein Mw and Mn are determined in accordance with ASTM D6474 (2012).

2. The multi-cup arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising groove(s) on the top surface positioned opposite the groove(s) on the bottom surface.

3. The multi-cup arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the cavities are formed by thermoforming.

4. The multi-cup arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the polypropylene sheet comprises at least 70.0 wt % of polypropylene with regard to the total weight of the sheet.

5. The multi-cup arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the polypropylene has a melt mass-flow rate as determined in accordance with ASTM D1238 (2013) at 230° C. under a load of 2.16 kg of ≥1.0 g/10 min and ≤10.0 g/10 min.

6. The multi-cup arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the polypropylene sheet has a thickness of ≥500 μm and ≤2500 μm.

7. The multi-cup arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein each of the groove(s) has a width at the surface of the sheet of ≥100 μm and ≤250 μm.

8. The multi-cup arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein each of the groove(s) are straight lined grooves.

9. The multi-cup arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the polypropylene sheet comprises ≥2.0 and ≤20.0 wt % of inorganic filler, with regard to the total weight of the polypropylene sheet.

10. A package comprising the multi-cup arrangement of claim 1 .

11. The multi-cup arrangement of claim 1 :
wherein the polypropylene sheet has a thickness of ≥500 μm and ≤2500 μm and each of the groove(s) has a width at the surface of the sheet of ≥100 μm and ≤250 μm; and
wherein the polypropylene sheet comprises
at least 70 wt % of polypropylene with regard to the total weight of the sheet.

12. The multi-cup arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the polypropylene has a xylene soluble fraction (XS) of ≤5.0 wt %, as determined in accordance with ASTM D5492 (2010).

13. The multi-cup arrangement of claim 1 :
wherein the polypropylene sheet has a thickness of ≥500 μm and ≤2500 μm and each of the groove(s) has a width at the surface of the sheet of ≥100 μm and ≤250 μm; and
wherein the polypropylene sheet comprises, with regard to the total weight of the polypropylene sheet:
at least 70 wt % of polypropylene;
≥2.0 and ≤20.0 wt % of inorganic filler comprising at least one of calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, or talc; and
less than or equal to 1.0 wt % of additives.

14. A polypropylene sheet for preparing a thermoformed object comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the sheet comprises one or more groove(s) on the bottom surface that are positioned to allow the sheet to be broken along the groove by bending the sheet towards the top surface, wherein each of the groove(s) has a maximum depth of ≥40% and ≤80% with regard to the thickness of the polypropylene sheet, wherein the polypropylene sheet comprises between 0.04 wt % to 0.08 wt % of the advanced nucleating agent (1R,2R,3S,4S)-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, disodium salt, with regard to the total weight of the polypropylene sheet, and
wherein the polypropylene in the polypropylene sheet consists of polypropylene homopolymer having a molecular weight distribution (MWD), defined as Mw/Mn, of ≥2.5 and ≤8.0, wherein Mw and Mn are determined in accordance with ASTM D6474 (2012).

15. The polypropylene sheet according to claim 14 , wherein the sheet has a thickness of >500 and <2500 μm.

16. The polypropylene sheet according to claim 14 , wherein each of the groove(s) has a width at the surface of the sheet of ≥100 μm and ≤250 μm.

17. The polypropylene sheet according to claim 14 , wherein the sheet comprises least 70.0 wt % of polypropylene with regard to the total weight of the sheet.

18. A process for manufacturing of a package, comprising the steps in this order of:
(a) providing a polypropylene sheet optionally comprising between 0.04 wt % to 0.08 wt % of advanced nucleating agents;
(b) introducing one or more groove(s) into the polypropylene sheet on a bottom surface of the sheet;
(c) forming at least two cavities into the polypropylene sheet by thermoforming, wherein the cavities protrude from the sheet from top surface toward the bottom surface;
(d) filling the cavities with a product, for example a foodstuff product; and
(e) sealing the package by placing a film onto the top surface of the film and adhering the film onto said top surface so that each cavity is sealed,
wherein the polypropylene in the polypropylene sheet consists of polypropylene homopolymer having a molecular weight distribution (MWD), defined as Mw/Mn, of ≥2.5 and ≤8.0, wherein Mw and Mn are determined in accordance with ASTM D6474 (2012); and
wherein the polypropylene sheet comprises between 0.04 wt % to 0.08 wt % of the advanced nucleating agent (1R,2R,3S,4S)-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, disodium salt, with regard to the total weight of the polypropylene sheet.

19. The process for manufacturing of a package according to claim 18 , wherein the polypropylene has a xylene soluble fraction (XS) of ≤5.0 wt %, as determined in accordance with ASTM D5492 (2010).

Assignees

• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Bashir Zahir
• Joshi Rajiva
• Kioul Azzedine
• Alfayez Fayez Abdullah
• Arafath Abdul Rahim Ahamed

Classifications

• B65D81/3294 Primary

  Thermoformed trays or the like with a plurality of recesses for different materials located in different recesses · CPC title

• B29L2031/7132

  Bowls, Cups, Glasses · CPC title

• B29K2023/12

  PP, i.e. polypropylene · CPC title

• B29C2793/0054

  partially cutting through the material · CPC title

• B29C59/007

  Forming single grooves or ribs, e.g. tear lines, weak spots (by moulding B29C37/0057; folding lines B29C53/06; in metal articles B21D17/00; by cutting B26D3/08) · CPC title