Method of opening a package of pourable food product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9623996-B2
Application number	US-201414264665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	Nov 5, 2007
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A reclosable opening device for a sealed package of a pourable food product includes a frame fitted about a pierceable portion of the package and defining a through pour opening; a removable threaded cap that screws onto the frame to close the pour opening; a tubular cutter engaging the pour opening and having a cutting device which cooperates with the pierceable portion to unseal the package; a first connector connecting the cap to the cutter, and which, as the cap is unscrewed, pushes the cutter towards the pierceable portion and a second connector connecting the frame to the cutter, and which, in use, feed the cutter along a predetermined piercing path through the pierceable portion in response to unscrewing of the cap; and the piercing path, as the cap is unscrewed, has a first portion of pure axial translation, followed by a second portion of both axial and rotary motion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
rotating a cap that threadably engages a frame in a direction which unscrews the cap off the frame, the cap and the frame forming part of a reclosable opening device, the frame being fitted about a pierceable portion of a sealed package of a pourable food product and defining a through pour opening, the pour opening being closed by the cap while the cap threadably engages the frame, the reclosable opening device possessing an axis and also comprising: a tubular cutter engaging the pouring opening, one axial end of the tubular cutter including a cutting edge that is cooperable with the pierceable portion to unseal the package; projections on the cap and the cutter that are configured and arranged to engage one another when the cap is unscrewed off the frame to move the cutter towards the pierceable portion when the cap is unscrewed off the frame; a catch provided on one of the frame and the cutter, and a groove provided on the other of the frame and the cutter, the catch being positioned in the groove to connect the cutter to the frame;
the rotation of the cap in the direction which unscrews the cap off the frame causing the cutter to move along a predetermined piercing path comprising a first portion of pure translation along the axis followed by a second portion having both an axial component of motion and a rotary component of motion about the axis so that the cutting edge penetrates the pierceable portion in response to the rotation of the cap in the direction which unscrews the cap off the frame.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the predetermined piercing path is spiral.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the projections on the cap and the cutter include a plurality of projections on the cap and a plurality of projections on the cutter.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the cutting edge at the one axial end of the tubular cutter includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart teeth that penetrate the pierceable portion during the first portion of the predetermined piercing path in which the cutter moves in pure translation along the axis.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the frame of the reclosable opening device includes a tubular collar, and wherein the movement of the cutter along the predetermined piercing path comprises the cutter moving relative to the tubular collar.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising rotating the cap in the direction which unscrews the cap off the frame until the cap is removed from the frame.

7. A method comprising:
rotating a cap in an opening direction about an axis, the cap being part of a reclosable opening device that is fitted on a sealed package of a pourable food product, the sealed package of pourable food product including a pierceable portion, the reclosable opening device also comprising a tubular cutter possessing one axial end at which is located a cutting edge; and
the rotation of the cap in the opening direction causing the tubular cutter to move along a predetermined piercing path comprising a first portion of pure translation along the axis during which the cutting edge pierces the pierceable portion followed by a second portion having both an axial component of motion and a rotary component of motion so that the cutting edge further pierces and cuts the pierceable portion.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the second portion of the predetermined piercing path is spiral.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the rotation of the cap causes the tubular cutter to move along the predetermined piercing path by virtue of contoured projections on the cap and contoured projections on the cutter that engage one another.

10. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the cutting edge at the one axial end of the tubular cutter includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart teeth.

11. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the cutter moves along the predetermined piercing path while positioned inside a tubular collar fixed to the sealed package.

12. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the cap threadably engages a tubular collar fixed to the sealed package, the tubular cutter being located in the tubular collar when the tubular cutter moves along the predetermined piercing path, and further comprising rotating the cap in the opening direction until the cap is removed from the tubular collar.

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Casale Cristiano
• Sorbara Angelo

Classifications

• B65B69/00 Primary

  Unpacking of articles or materials, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B65D5/029 Primary

  the tubular body presenting a special shape (pyramidal B65D5/008) · CPC title

• B65B69/0041

  by puncturing · CPC title

• B65D5/065

  with supplemental means facilitating the opening, e.g. tear lines, tear tabs · CPC title

• B65D5/747

  with means for piercing or cutting the container wall or a membrane connected to said wall · CPC title