Sleeve Blank, Package Sleeve, Package and Method for Manufacturing a Sleeve Blank, a Package Sleeve and a Package

Abstract

Provided is a sleeve blank which includes a first polymer layer; a support layer on the polymer layer; a barrier layer on the support layer; and adhesive layer on the barrier layer; and a second polymer layer following on the adhesive layer facing a second outer side. At least a part of the layers are deformed through at least one first and one second crease line, each possessing starting an end points. Each crease line runs along an imaginery line which corresponds to the respective crease line, and projects beyond its beginning and/or end through imaginary continuation thereof. The crease lines separate regions forming sleeve, gable and base surfaces. The sleeve blank includes at least one point of intersection of imaginery lines and is free of any point of intersection of the crease lines, at least in the forming sleeve surfaces, gable surfaces, and/or base surfaces.

Claims

1. A sleeve blank which contains as composite components at least: a first polymer layer facing a first outer side; a support layer on the outer polymer layer, following in the direction of a second outer side; a barrier layer on the support layer, following in the direction of the second outer side; an adhesive layer on the barrier layer, following in the direction of the second outer side; and a second polymer layer following on the adhesive layer which faces a second outer side, wherein at least a part of the layers are deformed in certain regions through at least one first and one second crease line, in each case possessing a starting point and an end point, wherein each crease line runs along an imaginary line associated therewith which, in terms of its respective location and its course on the sleeve blank, corresponds to the respective crease line, and projects beyond its beginning and/or its end through imaginary continuation of said course, wherein the crease lines separate regions forming sleeve, gable, and base surfaces from one another, wherein the sleeve blank comprises at least one point of intersection of imaginary lines and is free of any point of intersection of the crease lines, at least in the region forming sleeve surfaces and in the region forming gable surfaces and in the region forming base surfaces, or is completely free thereof.

2. A sleeve blank which contains as composite components at least: a first polymer layer facing a first outer side; a support layer on the outer polymer layer, following in the direction of a second outer side; a barrier layer on the support layer, following in the direction of the second outer side; an adhesive layer on the barrier layer, following in the direction of the second outer side; a second polymer layer following on the adhesive layer which faces a second outer side wherein at least a part of the layers,. are deformed by material displacement in certain regions through at least one first and one second crease line, in each case possessing a starting point and an end point, wherein each crease line runs along an imaginary line associated therewith which, in terms of its respective location and its course on the sleeve blank, corresponds to the respective crease line, and projects beyond its beginning and/or its end through imaginary continuation of said course, wherein the sleeve blank includes at least one crease line which has realised a material displacement in the direction from the first outer side towards the second outer side, and at least one crease line which has realised a material displacement in the direction from the second outer side towards the first outer side.

3. A package sleeve, wherein the package sleeve is manufactured from a sleeve blank according to claim 1.

4. (canceled)

5. A package, wherein the package is manufactured from a package sleeve according to claim 3.

6. (canceled)

7. A method for manufacturing a package sleeve comprising manufacturing the package sleeve from a sleeve blank according to claim 1.

8. A method for manufacturing a package comprising manufacturing the package from a package sleeve according to claim 3.

9. A method for manufacturing a sleeve blank comprising manufacturing the sleeve blank according to claim 1 from a composite material.

10. A package sleeve, wherein the package sleeve is manufactured from a sleeve blank according to claim 2.

11. A package, wherein the package is manufactured from a package sleeve according to claim 10.

12. A method for manufacturing a package sleeve comprising manufacturing the package sleeve from a sleeve blank according to claim 2.

13. A method for manufacturing a package comprising manufacturing the package from a package sleeve according to claim 10.

14. A method for manufacturing a sleeve blank comprising manufacturing the sleeve blank according to claim 2 from a composite material.

Description

[0085] The invention is explained in more detail in the following with reference to a drawing which simply represents a preferred exemplary embodiment. In the drawing:

[0086] FIG. 1A: shows a sleeve blank intended for folding into a package sleeve known from the prior art,

[0087] FIG. 1B: shows a package sleeve known from the prior art, formed from the sleeve blank shown in FIG. 1A, in the flat folded state,

[0088] FIG. 1C: shows the package sleeve from FIG. 1B in the unfolded state,

[0089] FIG. 1D: shows the package sleeve from FIG. 1C with pre-folded base and gable surfaces,

[0090] FIG. 1E: shows a package, known from the prior art, which is formed from the sleeve blank shown in FIG. 1A, after welding,

[0091] FIG. 1F: shows the package from FIG. 1E with folded-in lugs,

[0092] FIG. 1G: shows a composite material 17 used as the basis for a sleeve blank 1 in cross section, and

[0093] FIG. 1H: shows an enlarged view of the area of the sleeve blank 1 circled in FIG. 1A.

[0094] FIG. 1A shows a sleeve blank 1, known from the prior art, from which a package sleeve can be formed. The sleeve blank 1 can, as shown in in FIGS. 1G and 1H, comprise several layers of different materials, for example paper, paperboard, plastic or metal, in particular aluminium. The sleeve blank 1 has several fold lines 2 which are intended to facilitate the folding of the sleeve blank 1 and which divide the sleeve blank 1 into several surfaces. The sleeve blank 1 can be divided into a first side surface 3, a second side surface 4, a front surface 5, a rear surface 6, a sealing surface 7, base surfaces 8 and gable surfaces 9. A package sleeve can be formed from the sleeve blank 1 in that the sleeve blank 1 is folded such that the sealing surface 7 can be connected, in particular welded, with the front surface 5.

[0095] FIG. 1B shows a package sleeve 10 known from the prior art in the flat folded state. The regions of the package sleeve already described in connection with FIG. 1A are provided with corresponding reference numbers in FIG. 1B. The package sleeve 10 is formed from the sleeve blank 1 shown in FIG. 1A. For this purpose, the sleeve blank 1 has been folded such that the sealing surface 7 and the front surface 5 are arranged so as to overlap, so that the two surfaces can be surface-welded together. As a result, a longitudinal seam 11 is created. FIG. 1B shows the package sleeve 10 in a flat folded-up state. In this state, a side surface 4 (concealed in FIG. 1B) lies beneath the front surface 5 while the other side surface 3 lies on the rear surface 6 (concealed in FIG. 1B). In the flat folded-up state, several package sleeves 10 can be stacked in a particularly space-saving manner. Therefore, the package sleeves 10 are frequently stacked at the place of manufacture and transported in stacked form to the location where filling takes place. Only there are the package sleeves 10 unstacked and unfolded, usually already within a filling machine, so that they can be filled with contents, for example with foodstuffs. The filling can take place under aseptic conditions.

[0096] FIG. 1C shows the package sleeve 10 from FIG. 1B in the unfolded state. Here too, the regions of the package sleeve 10 already described in connection with FIG. 1A or FIG. 1B are provided with corresponding reference numbers. The unfolded state refers to a configuration in which an angle of around 90 is formed between the two in each case adjacent surfaces 3, 4, 5, 6, so that the package sleeve 10 assumes a square or rectangular cross section, depending of the shape of these surfaces. Accordingly, the opposite side surfaces 3, 4 are arranged parallel to one another. The same applies to the front surface 5 and the rear surface 6.

[0097] FIG. 1D shows the package sleeve 10 from FIG. 1C in the pre-folded state, i.e. in a state in which the fold lines 2 have been pre-folded both in the region of the base surfaces 8 as well as in the region of the gable surfaces 9. Those regions of the base surfaces 8 and the gable surfaces 9 which adjoin the front surface 5 and the rear surface 6 are also referred to as rectangular surfaces 12. The rectangular surfaces 12 are folded inwards during the pre-folding and later form the base or the gable of the package. Those regions of the base surfaces 8 and the gable surfaces 9 which adjoin the side surfaces 3, 4 are, in contrast, referred to as triangular surfaces 13. The triangular surfaces 13 are folded outwards during the pre-folding and form projecting regions of surplus material which are also referred to as lugs 14 and in a later manufacturing step are folded and fixed against the package, for example using an adhesive bonding process.

[0098] FIG. 1E shows a package 15 known from the prior art which is formed from the sleeve blank shown in FIG. 1A. The package 15 is shown after welding, i.e. in the filled and sealed state. After sealing, a fin seam 16 is created in the region of the base surfaces 8 and in the region of the gable surfaces 9. In FIG. 1E the lugs 14 and the fin seam 16 project. Both the lugs 14 and also the fin seam 16 are folded flat in a later manufacturing step, for example by means of a welding process, in particular one comprising activation and pressing.

[0099] FIG. 1F shows the package 15 from FIG. 1E with folded-in lugs 14. Moreover, the fin seams 16 are also folded flat against the package 15. The upper lugs 14 arranged in the region of the gable surface 9 are folded downwards and fixed flat against the two side surfaces 3, 4. Preferably, the upper lugs 14 are adhesively bonded or welded to the two side surfaces 3, 4. The lower lugs 14 arranged in the region of the base surface 8 are folded downwards, but are fixed flat against the underside of the package 15, which is formed by two rectangular surfaces 12 of the base surface 8. Preferably, the lower lugs 14 are also adhesively bonded or welded together with the package 15in particular with the rectangular surfaces 12.

[0100] FIG. 1G shows a composite material 17 used as the basis for a sleeve blank 1 in cross section. The composite material 17 comprises as composite components at least a first polymer layer 19 facing a first outer side 18, a support layer 21 on the outer polymer layer, following in the direction of a second outer side 20, a barrier layer 22 on the support layer 21, following in the direction of the second outer side 20, an adhesive layer 23 on the barrier layer 22, following in the direction of the second outer side 20, and a second polymer layer 24 following on the adhesive layer 23 which faces the second outer side 20. The support layer 21 is thereby formed from a pulp-based material, in particular from a layer of cardboard, and has a grammage or weight of between 120 g/m.sup.2 and 400 g/m.sup.2. The barrier layer 22 can be formed from a thin metallic foil, in particular an aluminium foil. Alternatively, however, the composite material 17 can also be formed free of metal, in particular aluminium.

[0101] A part of the layers 19, 21, 22, 23, 24 is deformed in certain regions through at least one first and one second crease line 25. The total thickness S of the composite material 17 can preferably be between 0.15 mm and 1.0 mm, particularly preferably between 0.2 mm and 0.6 mm, and is substantially dependent on which volume the package, formed from the package sleeve formed from the sleeve blank, is intended to contain. Nowadays, usual volumes of ready-for-sale packages of preferably aseptically-filled foodstuffs, in particular beverages, range between 50 ml and 4000 ml. The greater the volume, the thicker the composite material 17 needs to be. The depth T of the crease line 25 (measured at its deepest point) follows the indentation produced through the stamping or material displacement and amounts to around 10% to 120%, particularly preferably between 20% and 60% of the total thickness S of the composite material 17.

[0102] FIG. 1H shows an enlarged view of the area of the sleeve blank 1 circled in FIG. 1A. It can be seen that the first crease line RL1 and the second crease line RL2 as well as the further crease lines shown, RL3, RL4, RL5, in each case run along an imaginary line L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 associated therewith which, in terms of its respective location and its course on the sleeve blank, corresponds to the respective crease line, and projects beyond its beginning and/or its end through imaginary continuation of said course. A starting point L1A and an end point L1E are, by way of example, identified in the figure in connection with the line L1.

[0103] The point of intersection SP, on the sleeve blank 1, of imaginary lines L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 examined in more detail in FIG. 1H is thereby free of a point of intersection of the crease lines RL1, RL2, RL3, RL4, RL5, each lying, at least in sections, on the participating imaginary lines L1, L2, L3, L4, L5. In the case illustrated, the distance of the end regions of the crease lines RL1, RL2, RL3, RL4, RL5 from the point of intersection SP of the imaginary lines L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 is between 0.4 mm and 4.5 mm.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0104] 1: sleeve blank

[0105] 2: fold line

[0106] 3, 4: side surface

[0107] 5: front surface

[0108] 6: rear surface

[0109] 7: sealing surface

[0110] 8: base surface

[0111] 9: gable surface

[0112] 10: package sleeve

[0113] 11: longitudinal seam

[0114] 12: rectangular surface

[0115] 13: triangular surface

[0116] 14: lug

[0117] 15: package

[0118] 16: fin seam

[0119] 17: composite material

[0120] 18: first outer side

[0121] 19: first polymer layer

[0122] 20: second outer side

[0123] 21: support layer

[0124] 22: barrier layer

[0125] 23: adhesive layer

[0126] 24: second polymer layer

[0127] 25: crease line

[0128] B: width (of the crease line 25)

[0129] L1-L5: line

[0130] L1A: starting point

[0131] L1E: end point

[0132] RL1-RL5: crease line

[0133] S: total thickness (of the composite material 17)

[0134] SP: point of intersection

[0135] T: depth (of the crease line 25