METHOD FOR CODING A CONTAINER AND CODED CONTAINER

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for coding a dimensionally stable packaging container or an associated component made of a plastics-based and/or paper-based material composition, the packaging container being suitable for storing consumer goods such as food, washing agents, etc., wherein, during a shape-forming process for forming the three-dimensional packaging container or the associated component by means of a shaping tool mold, at least one outer and/or inner side undergoes, in at least one position, a shape-changing treatment acting on its first surface in order to produce at least one three-dimensional code.

Claims

1. Method for coding a dimensionally stable packaging container or an associated component made of a plastics-based and/or paper-based material composition, the packaging container being suitable for storing consumer goods, characterized in that: during a shape-forming process for forming the three-dimensional packaging container or the associated component by means of a shaping tool mold, at least one outer and/or inner side undergoes, in at least one position, a shape-changing treatment acting on its first surface in order to produce at least one three-dimensional code.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that: in a preceding method step, data from at least one two-dimensional code pattern are converted by means of a data conversion device into data of a three-dimensional code pattern, taking into account a contour of the packaging container or the associated component.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that: the three-dimensional code pattern is incorporated, by means of a device for a contact-free processing method, into second surfaces of the tool mold or mold inserts that can be arranged therein, in such a way that in a further deformation treatment the surface depressions and/or elevations are contained in the second surface in the form of tiny dots or other tiny cross-sectional areas.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that: the device for contact-free processing method is a laser device; and the laser device heats the second surfaces at points using one or more laser beams and causes said surfaces to ablate, in particular to melt.

5. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that: surface depressions and/or elevations produced during further deformation treatments are designed to be complementary to surface depressions and/or elevations produced during the deformation treatment.

6. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that: surface depressions and/or elevations produced during further deformation treatments are designed to be complementary to surface depressions and/or elevations produced during the deformation treatment.

7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that: the shape-forming process for forming the three-dimensional packaging container is a thermoforming method, an injection molding method, a blow molding method, a pressing method, or the like for plastics materials, paper compositions, and mixtures thereof.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that: plastics-based or paper-based material compositions PP, PE, PET, rPET, r-PP, r-PE or the like or paper composites in pressed and unpressed form made of recycled or non-recycled material, such as paper composite pulp and pulp composites or mixtures thereof, are used.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that: a plurality of three-dimensional codes on the packaging container are a plurality of repetitive, preferably identical digital watermarks, the existence of which is almost invisible or visible to the observer.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that: the positions of the plurality of three-dimensional codes are selected in such a way that they are distributed on outer wall surfaces and/or inner wall surfaces and/or on an outer bottom surface of the thermoformed packaging container.

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that: the digital watermarks each consist, so as to be optionally distorted in a manner adapted to the contour of the packaging container or the component, of preferably square arrangements of irregularly distributed dots that are tiny in a two-dimensional view and/or other surface patterns, it being possible for the square arrangements to have different sizes on the same packaging container.

12. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that: the plurality of digital watermarks can contain coded information regarding the composition of the plastics material used, the production method, packaging container, content information, GTIN numbers, SKU numbers and information for the consumer and/or the user, also for further use for an identification method in a sorting, separation and recycling method.

13. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that: the plurality of digital watermarks can contain coded information regarding the composition of the plastics material used, the production method, packaging container, content information, GTIN numbers, SKU numbers and information for the consumer and/or the user, also for further use for an identification method in a sorting, separation and recycling method.

14. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that: the plurality of digital watermarks can contain coded information regarding the composition of the plastics material used, the production method, packaging container, content information, GTIN numbers, SKU numbers and information for the consumer and/or the user, also for further use for an identification method in a sorting, separation and recycling method.

15. Packaging container or an associated component made of a plastics-based or paper-based material composition, which container is suitable for storing consumer goods, characterized in that: at least one outer and/or inner side of the packaging container has at least one digital watermark which, during a shape-forming process for forming the three-dimensional packaging container or the associated component by means of a shaping tool mold, is applied at at least one position by a shape-changing treatment acting on a first surface of the outer and inner sides.

16. Packaging container according to claim 15, characterized in that: the digital watermark is rectangular, preferably square, and can be distributed over the packaging container in a plurality with the same or different size dimensions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a lateral view of the finished packaging container with the coding according to the invention.

[0036] FIG. 2 is the image of a bottom region of the packaging container according to the invention with the coding according to the invention.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a top view of various tool mold inserts for producing three-dimensional codes on the outer surface of a packaging container in accordance with the method according to the invention.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a lateral cross-sectional view of a thermoforming mold with the planar flat base material in coded form according to the invention.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the mold with the plastics material in coded form according to the invention.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a microscope image of a section of a three-dimensional code, as has been introduced or engraved in accordance with the method according to the invention on a surface of the tool mold in the inner region or on the inserts thereof.

[0041] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of various devices for converting and introducing coding data by means of a laser device using the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0042] In the following, of all possible shape-forming processes for forming the three-dimensional packaging container from plastics-based and/or paper-based material compositions, the thermoforming method for producing a packaging container from a film-shaped or originally planar flat plastics material is examined in more detail in its production process by way of example:

[0043] FIG. 1 is a side view of a finished packaging container 10 which is still open in the upper region and could be covered with a lid. This view clearly shows that the almost invisible watermarks 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d are arranged on a lateral front wall surface 12a, or on the outside outer surface. Further watermarks that cannot be shown here are arranged on the right and left lateral wall surfaces 12b and 12c. This also applies to a rear wall surface, which cannot be shown here. Watermarks are also arranged on the outside on a bottom surface 11 of the packaging container 10. These correspond to the watermarks 3a, 3b, as shown, for example, in FIG. 2, which depicts the photograph of an actually produced plastics material container or a packaging container. These square digital watermarks 3a and 3b can be arranged either twice or four times or also multiple times on the bottom region or on the outer side of the bottom surface. This reliably allows reliable, targeted and fast scanning of information from the container.

[0044] It can thus be clearly seen from this view according to FIG. 1 that, due to the good distribution of all the digital watermarks, which can have different spacings, it is possible to read out information from any position. This can be done quickly and easily.

[0045] The distribution of the watermarks can, for example, be such that a packaging container having a substantially square base shape has square digital watermarks on each lateral wall surface. On its underside, i.e. the bottom surface, there could be two somewhat larger digital watermarks or even four watermarks, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0046] The spacing of digital watermarks of this type could be designed, for example, in the lateral wall surface region in such a way that there is only a narrow margin of 2-5 mm between each digital watermark. The watermarks could be arranged in a square shape having an edge length of, for example, 10-30 mm not only next to one another, but also in two or three rows one above the other on the lateral wall surfaces.

[0047] Alternatively, instead of distributing individual watermarks over a side wall surface and/or a bottom surface, a full-surface application of the watermarks over an entire side wall surface or an entire bottom surface or simply over all wall and bottom surfaces can also be selected. Depending on the geometry of the packaging, this should be done in such a way that reading out is not impossible, particularly in the edge and corner regions. When the watermark is read out in a recycling system, only a small portion of the total area of the watermark then has to be read out or found by the reading system.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a top view of a tool mold insert which has 3D codes 18a-18k applied or incorporated in accordance with the method according to the invention. The tool mold insert is shown in an imaginary opened-out form for a simplified, better view, so that all the inner sides and the inner bottom region can be seen separately from one another in this top view. A laser device 4 having laser beams 4a can be designed in such a way that many small dots are arranged at different locations, for example in the form of a square, these dots containing specific information on the basis of their arrangement position and on the basis of their depth in the material in the region of the surfaces.

[0049] Such square codes can be used as a pattern in the tool mold shown here, for example along the lateral wall region, which is formed by the mold insert side surfaces 15, 16, 17 and 18, and are thus later responsible for the lateral wall surfaces of the finished packaging container. These three-dimensional code patterns can be arranged with the same or different spacings and also in different sizes. This is represented by the 3D codes 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e-k.

[0050] Additionally or alternatively, digital watermarks can also be arranged in the region of the later bottom surface of the packaging container. This is achieved in that the mold insert bottom surface 19 assigned to the bottom surface has, for example, incorporated three-dimensional codes 19a and 19b, which in turn can be designed as digital watermarks. These can have, for example, a larger side length of a square in terms of their size than the codes 18a-k. These digital watermarks arranged on the bottom are denoted by the reference signs 19a, 19b.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoforming mold 5 having a negative recess 6, this negative recess 6 representing the outer shape of the packaging container that is to be thermoformed.

[0052] The planar flat plastics material is placed with its first side 1a upside down on the thermoforming mold 5.

[0053] The actual thermoforming process then takes place, as shown in FIG. 5. Here, the planar plastics material 1 is pressed into the recess 6 of the mold by negative pressure or by overpressure or a punch acting from above, by the material being pulled downwards along the edges 5a and 5b. Care must be taken that the outer surface of the packaging container to be produced is not damaged. During the pulling down or thermoforming of the plastics material 1, the resulting lateral surfaces 12a, 12b, 12c and a bottom surface 11 and optionally other surfaces of the packaging container are pressed against the lateral inner walls of the tool mold at the same time; these walls, as well as the bottom surface of the tool mold, may be provided with mold insert side surfaces and bottom surfaces 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, as shown in FIG. 3. These mold insert surfaces, in turn, are characterized—as already described—by targeted minimal depressions in the plate material, which can be metal, for displaying the 3D codes. These codes then shape an outer surface of the later packaging container during the thermoforming process in such a way that the code is transferred to the outer surface, but still remains almost invisible due to the small extent in three dimensions into the third dimension.

[0054] The inner sides of the tool mold or the mold insert surfaces (not shown here in more detail) within the tool mold are denoted by 5c, 5d and the bottom region by 5e.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a microscopic detail view of a region of applied three-dimensional codes on the inside of the tool mold made of metal or on metal inserts that are inserted into the tool mold. It can be seen from this view that there are minimal dot-like depressions 40 having a specific depth, which can be, for example, in the range of 1 μm-50 μm, preferably 5-50 μm. Unchanged regions 41 are present between these punctiform depressions, which regions, in the case of a two-dimensional code, would have to be assigned to the white area portion between black dots.

[0056] Since the metal inserts or inner sides of the tool mold themselves now have depressions on their surfaces, the first surfaces of the outer surfaces of the packaging container to be produced, i.e. the lateral wall surfaces and the underside of the packaging container, receive elevations at these points during the subsequent thermoforming process of a plastics material into the tool mold, in order to thus obtain a digital watermark on the first surfaces of the outer surfaces and the bottom surface of the packaging container. Such elevations can move in a range of from 1 to 30 μm. In relation to a total wall thickness of the lateral wall surfaces and also of the bottom surface, these elevations are extremely small and therefore hardly perceptible. This is because usual wall thicknesses, which depend on the geometry of the product, for example the shape of a drinking cup or the shape of a tray, are 250 μm-600 μm, preferably 300 μm-500 μm. In addition, the wall thicknesses depend on the plastics material used and on the position on the outer surface since, during the thermoforming process, the wall thickness in the upper region of the container obtained in this way is usually greater than in the middle region of the side walls. The wall thickness then increases again towards the corner radii of the container. In the lower region, which is adjacent to the bottom surface, as well as in the bottom surface region itself, a wall thickness is provided that is close to the initial thickness of the film-like material, depending on the thermoforming ratio, the punch geometry, the product contour, etc. In addition, the type of digital watermark or digicode can also influence the wall thickness structure with regard to the wall surfaces.

[0057] On the right-hand side of this view according to FIG. 6, another possible embodiment of a code, as can be introduced into the metal surfaces by means of a laser device, can also be seen. This form of code is often seen in QR codes.

[0058] In FIG. 7, the conversion of two-dimensional stored code data into three-dimensional code data is shown again briefly in a method sequence, corresponding to the method according to the invention.

[0059] Data relating to a two-dimensional code, as generated, for example, by code generating devices, are stored. A read-out device 21 accesses this data memory 20, which device reads out the data from the data memory after the start of a laser treatment process and forwards said data to a data conversion device 22. This is intended to bring about a conversion of the previously available electronic two-dimensional data for a two-dimensional code pattern into data for a three-dimensional code pattern. This means that dark and light regions in the two-dimensional code pattern are converted into area portions of different depths within the surface of a tool mold or associated mold inserts.

[0060] A laser activation device 23 then receives an activation command in order to then introduce the data of the three-dimensional code pattern into the surface tool mold or the tool mold inserts by means of a laser device 24.

[0061] The coding method according to the invention is also easily possible and conceivable in the application of other production methods of dimensionally stable plastics packaging in which molding tools are used, such as injection molding or blow molding processes. This is because a three-dimensional code can be introduced into a tool mold, for example for the injection blowing process of a packaging container, in a similar manner by means of a laser device, as was described for the thermoforming process described above. Mold inserts can also be used for this purpose. The finished injection-blown product in the form of a packaging container or an associated component, such as a lid, can have on its outer surfaces, for example, a plurality of almost invisible or visible watermarks distributed over the surface, which can be read out with their information at any time, in particular in a sorting process. Even with packaging containers produced in this way, this allows selective sorting as part of a recycling process, so that after a successful sorting process, these packages can be selectively assigned to a recycling process intended for this specific material and this type of packaging and can thus be reused for producing new products. In any case, this ensures that the packaging from a specific manufacturer is always sorted out in a targeted manner, if desired. Even if the packaging were in the destroyed state at a waste disposal station, a read-out device arranged in this region can sort and assign this packaging container, since not only one watermark but a plurality of watermarks are applied to the packaging. There is also no risk that these watermarks have been removed, since neither stick-on watermarks nor printed watermarks have been used.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0062] 1 Planar flat plastics material [0063] 1a Side [0064] 2a Three-dimensional codes, digital watermark [0065] 2b Three-dimensional codes, digital watermark [0066] 2c Three-dimensional codes, digital watermark [0067] 2d Three-dimensional codes, digital watermark [0068] 3a Three-dimensional codes, digital watermark [0069] 3b Three-dimensional codes, digital watermark [0070] 4 Laser device [0071] 4a Laser beams [0072] 5 Tool mold, thermoforming mold [0073] 5a Edge [0074] 5b Edge [0075] 5c Plate insert, mold insert within the tool mold [0076] 5d Plate insert, mold insert within the tool mold [0077] 5e Tool mold bottom surface [0078] 6 Negative recess [0079] 10 Packaging container [0080] 11 Bottom surface [0081] 12a Front lateral wall surface/outer side [0082] 12b Right lateral wall surface/outer side [0083] 12c Left lateral wall surface/outer side [0084] 15 Mold insert side surface [0085] 16 Mold insert side surface [0086] 17 Mold insert side surface [0087] 18 Mold insert side surface [0088] 18a Three-dimensional code pattern [0089] 18b Three-dimensional code pattern [0090] 18c Three-dimensional code pattern [0091] 18d Three-dimensional code pattern [0092] 18e Three-dimensional code pattern [0093] 18f Three-dimensional code pattern [0094] 18g Three-dimensional code pattern [0095] 18h Three-dimensional code pattern [0096] 18i Three-dimensional code pattern [0097] 18j Three-dimensional code pattern [0098] 18k Three-dimensional code pattern [0099] 19 Mold insert bottom surface [0100] 19a Digital watermark on the bottom [0101] 19b Digital watermark on the bottom [0102] 20 Data memory [0103] 21 Readout device [0104] 22 Data conversion device [0105] 23 Laser activation device [0106] 24 Laser device [0107] 40 Surface depressions [0108] 41 Surface elevations

[0109] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.