Two-Part Seal Comprising A Casein-Based Lid And Casein-Based Lid

Abstract

Disclosed is a two-part seal comprising a substrate affixed to a lid by means of a temporary adhesive, characterized in that the lid comprises a casein- and/or caseinate-based film intended to be in contact with the mouth of said container.

Claims

1.-22. (canceled)

23. A two-part seal comprising a substrate affixed to a lid by means of a temporary adhesive, characterized in that the lid comprises a casein- and/or caseinate-based film intended to be in contact with the mouth of said container.

24. The seal according to claim 23, wherein the lid further comprises a reinforcing film.

25. The seal according to claim 24, wherein the reinforcing film is applied to the face of the casein film opposite that facing the mouth.

26. The seal according to claim 23, wherein the reinforcing film is made of a material selected from the group comprising polyester (PET), biaxially oriented polypropylene, biaxially oriented polyamide and biaxially oriented PET.

27. The seal according to claim 23, wherein the lid comprises a tab arranged as an extension of the reinforcing film and/or of the casein- and/or caseinate-based film.

28. The seal according to claim 23, wherein the casein- and/or caseinate-based film comprises: at least one caseinate and/or at least one casein, the weight of which represents from 40 to 90% of the weight of the film; at least one plasticizer, the weight of which represents from 5 to 50% of the weight of the film.

29. The seal according to claim 28, wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group comprising water, glycerol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, ethylene glycol and the mixtures thereof.

30. The seal according to claim 23, wherein the substrate is made of a compressible material with recovery memory, especially expanded polyethylene or expanded polypropylene.

31. A lid for sealing a container with a closure by top or cap, wherein the lid comprises a casein- and/or caseinate-based extruded film intended to be in contact with the mouth of said container.

32. The lid according to claim 31, further comprising a reinforcing film.

33. The lid according to claim 32, wherein the reinforcing film is applied to the face of the casein film opposite that facing the mouth.

34. The lid according to claim 32, wherein the reinforcing film is made of a material selected from the group comprising polyester (PET), biaxially oriented polypropylene, biaxially oriented polyamide and biaxially oriented PET.

35. The lid according to claim 32, further comprising a tab arranged as an extension of the reinforcing film and/or of the casein- and/or caseinate-based film.

36. The lid according to claim 31, wherein the casein- and/or caseinate-based extruded film comprises: at least one caseinate and/or at least one casein, the weight of which represents from 40 to 90% of the weight of the casein- and/or caseinate-based extruded film; at least one plasticizer, the weight of which represents from 5 to 50% of the weight of the film.

37. The lid according to claim 36, wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group comprising water, glycerol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, ethylene glycol and the mixtures thereof.

38. A lid for sealing a container with closure by top or cap, wherein the lid comprises a casein- and/or caseinate-based film intended to be in contact with the mouth of said container, said film comprising: at least one caseinate and/or at least one casein, the weight of which represents from 50 to 85% and even more advantageously from 60 to 70%; at least one plasticizer, the weight of which represents from 10 to 40%.

39. The lid according to claim 38 further comprising a reinforcing film.

40. The lid according to claim 39 wherein the reinforcing film is applied to the face of the casein film opposite that facing the mouth.

41. The lid according to claim 39 wherein the reinforcing film is made of a material selected from the group comprising polyester (PET), biaxially oriented polypropylene, biaxially oriented polyamide and biaxially oriented PET.

42. The lid according to claim 38, wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group comprising water, glycerol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, ethylene glycol and the mixtures thereof.

Description

[0052] FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction illustrating a container sealed with a lid according to the invention, wherein the lid comprises only the casein film.

[0053] FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction similar to that of FIG. 1, wherein the lid comprises the casein film and a reinforcing film.

[0054] FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction similar to that of FIG. 1, except that the container is sealed with a two-part seal according to the invention.

[0055] FIG. 4 is a schematic depiction similar to that of FIG. 2, wherein a seal is affixed to the lid.

[0056] A film is produced having the following composition in wt %: [0057] casein: 50 [0058] caseinate: 5.5 [0059] glycerol: 20 [0060] water 24.5

[0061] The film may be manufactured by any known means, in particular by extrusion, advantageously blown-film extrusion.

[0062] The lid of the invention is intended for closing a container such as bottles or jars by top or cap. In the following examples, the jar (1) is intended to be closed with a top (8).

[0063] Referring to FIG. 1, a jar (1) is depicted sealed with a lid (2) according to the present invention. In this first variant, the lid (2) comprises only a casein-based film (3) described above arranged facing the mouth of the jar.

[0064] The film is sealed by moistening the mouth of the jar and then applying the casein-based film directly onto the mouth of the jar.

[0065] According to a second variant, illustrated by FIG. 2, the lid (2) comprises the casein-based film (3) and a reinforcing film (4).

[0066] The reinforcing film (4) is in this example made of biaxially oriented PET. Its thickness is 35 μm.

[0067] The casein-based film (3) and the reinforcing film (4) overlap over their entire surface, the lid (2) being positioned on the mouth of the jar (1) such that the casein-based film (3) is facing the mouth of the jar (1).

[0068] Also according to FIG. 2, the casein-based film (3) and the reinforcing film (4) are attached to one another by wetting the casein-based film.

[0069] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the lid (2) is affixed to a seal (5), by virtue of a temporary adhesive.

[0070] The adhesive film (7) allowing the temporary adhesion between the substrate layer (6) of the seal (5) and the lid (2) is selected such that the assembly force between the substrate layer (6) and the lid (2) is less than both the strength of resistance of the casein-based film (3) (also referred to as consistency force) and the bonding force of the casein-based film (3) on the mouth of the container (1).

[0071] The adhesive film (7) is in the form of a co-extruded film, each of the two faces of which have a different tackiness, the tackier face being applied to the upper surface of the lid (2) while the less tacky face is applied to the lower face of the substrate layer (6). In practice, this adhesive film (7) is a polymer based on acrylate and polyethylene.

[0072] The inner perimeter of the top (8) also has a ring (not shown) making it possible to keep the substrate layer (6) at the bottom of the top (8) after opening. When first opening the container (1), the removal of the top (8) causes the separation of the substrate layer (6) (which then remains in the bottom of the top (8) by virtue of the presence of the ring arranged on the inner periphery of said top (8)) with respect to the lid (2) which remains on the mouth of the container (1). The top (8) is made of any suitable material, preferentially polymer.

[0073] The substrate layer (6) can be made of any type of compressible material with recovery memory, especially expanded polyethylene or expanded polypropylene, optionally provided on at least one of its two faces with a film of polypropylene or polyethylene in order to grant it a certain rigidity. In practice, the substrate layer (6) has a thickness of 2-mm.

[0074] FIG. 3 depicts the substrate layer (6) attached to the upper face of the casein-based film (3) which itself alone constitutes the lid (2), while FIG. 4 depicts the substrate layer (6) attached to the upper face of the reinforcing film (4); in this case the lid (2) consists of the reinforcing film (4) and the casein-based film (3).

[0075] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the casein-based film (3) has a thickness of 50 μm. The reinforcing film (4), in turn, has a thickness of 35 μm.

[0076] The invention and the resulting benefits are clear from the foregoing description.

[0077] It is noted in particular that the adhesive or most of the metal can be replaced with casein, making it possible, respectively, to anticipate potential regulatory problems relating to the use of glue and to recycle all of the elements that make up the top or cap, as well as the seal and the lid, in the same circuit.