Mono Polyester Material Package

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a package, such as a food package, comprising a first part and a second part, the second part being sealed to the first part at a first part circumferential edge and in a circumferential attachment zone to form a sealed inner compartment, the attachment zone having a first peelable zone and a second non-peelable zone, the first part and the second part include polymeric materials, the package is a mono polyester material package, 95 wt % or more of the package is polyester material. The second part includes a laminate having an oriented Polyethylene Terephtalate (OPET) material layer and an amorphous Polyethylene Terephtalate (APET) layer, the amorphous Polyethylene Terephtalate layer facing the first part.

Claims

1. A package, comprising a first part and a second part, the second part being sealed to the first part at a first part circumferential edge and in a circumferential attachment zone to form a sealed inner compartment, the circumferential attachment zone comprising a first peelable zone and a second non-peelable zone, the first part and the second part comprising polymeric materials, the package is a mono polyester material package and at least 95 wt % of the package comprises polyester material and wherein the second part comprises a laminate comprising an oriented Polyethylene Terephtalate (OPET) material layer and an amorphous Polyethylene Terephtalate (APET) layer, the amorphous Polyethylene Terephtalate layer facing the first part.

2. The package according to claim 1, wherein the first part is a base and the second part is a lid.

3. The package according to claim 1, wherein the package in the first peelable zone comprises a varnish providing a peelable attachment between the base and the lid in the first peelable zone, the varnish being a polyester-based varnish.

4. The package according to claim 3, wherein the polyester-based varnish comprises at least 50 wt % polyester of the total weight of the varnish, optionally at least 80 wt % polyester of the total weight of the varnish.

5. The package according to claim 3, wherein the varnish is a Polyethylene Terephtalate (PET) varnish comprising at least 50 wt %, of the total weight of the varnish, of Polyethylene Terephtalate, optionally at least 80 wt % of Polyethylene Terephtalate.

6. The package according to claim 3, wherein the varnish is applied in an amount within the range from 0.5 g/m.sup.2 to 5 g/m.sup.2, optionally within the range from 0.5 g/m.sup.2 to 2.5 g/m.sup.2.

7. The package according to claim 3, wherein the varnish covers from 20% to 50% of the circumferential edge in the circumferential attachment zone.

8. The package according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential attachment zone is a circumferential heat-sealed attachment zone.

9. The package according to claim 1, wherein the second part is a flexible film.

10. The package according to claim 1, wherein the second part comprises an oxygen barrier layer, the oxygen barrier layer being a silicon oxide layer or an aluminum oxide layer or a combination thereof.

11. The package according to claim 10, wherein the oxygen barrier layer has a thickness within the range of from 0.001 ?m to 1 ?m.

12. The package according to claim 1, wherein the first part is made of amorphous PET (APET).

13. The package according to claim 1, wherein at least 50 wt % or more of the polyester material is a Polyethylene Terephtalate (PET) material.

14. The package according to claim 1, wherein the first peelable zone has an extension, as seen in the circumferential direction of the first part circumferential edge, and the second non-peelable zone has an extension, as seen in a circumferential direction of the first part circumferential edge, and wherein the extension of the second non-peelable zone constitute from ? to ? of the total extension of the attachment zone.

15. The package according to claim 1, wherein the first part has a first longitudinal wall and a second longitudinal wall and a first transverse wall and a second transverse wall.

16. The package according to claim 15, wherein the second non-peelable zone of the circumferential attachment zone is arranged along the first part circumferential edge of the first or second transverse wall of the first part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The present invention will be further explained hereinafter by means of non-limiting examples and with reference to the appended drawings wherein:

[0035] FIG. 1 illustrates a package according to the present disclosure; and

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a package with the second part being separated from the first part along the first peelable zone.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] It is to be understood that the drawings are schematic and that individual components, such as layers of materials and container components are not necessarily drawn to scale. The package 1 shown in the figures is provided as an example only and should not be considered limiting to the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is determined solely by the scope of the appended claims.

[0038] FIG. 1 illustrates a package 1, here a disposable food package, comprising a first part 2, here a base, and a second part 3, here a lid. The package 1 is in this figure has a rectangular cross-section with first and second longitudinal side walls 8,9 and first and second transverse side walls 10,11.

[0039] The lid 3 is sealed to the base 2 at a base circumferential edge 4 and in a circumferential attachment zone 5 and thus a sealed inner compartment 6 is formed between the lid 3 and the base 2. The circumferential attachment zone 5 comprises a first peelable zone 5a and a second non-peelable zone 5b for allowing separation of the lid 3 from the base 2 in the first peelable zone 5a, while providing a fixed attachment between the lid 3 and the base 2 in the non-peelable zone 5b such that the lid 3 remains partially attached along the base circumferential edge 4. The base circumferential edge 4 extends in a circumferential direction C, and the first peelable zone 5a has an extension e1, as seen in the circumferential direction C and the second non-peelable zone has an extension e2, as seen in the circumferential direction C. The extension e2 of the second non-peelable zone may constitute from ? to ? of the total extension of the attachment zone 5, i.e., the sum of the extension e1 of the first peelable zone and the extension e2 of the second non-peelable zone 5b. The extension e2 of the second non-peelable zone may constitute from ? to ? of the total extension of the attachment zone 5. In FIG. 1, the first peelable zone 5a is arranged along the base circumferential edge 4 of the first and second longitudinal side walls 8,9 and the first transverse side wall 10 and the second non-peelable zone 5b is arranged along the base circumferential edge 4 of the second transverse side wall 11. The second non-peelable zone 5b furthermore extends over the corner portions of the base circumferential edge 4 between the second transverse side wall 11 and the respective first and second longitudinal transverse side walls 8,9.

[0040] The base 2 and the lid 3 may each be made of mono polyester material, such as a Polyethylene Terephtalate (mono PET) material. The base 2 may, for example, be of an amorphous PET (APET). The thickness of the base 2 may be from 150 ?m to 1000 ?m, such as 150 ?m to 800 ?m. The lid 3 may have a thickness of from 10 ?m to 140 ?m. Examples on suitable PET materials for the base and the lid are; Indorama Ramapet N 180, Indorama Ramapet N1, Equipolymers Lighter C 93, Neo Group Neopet 80.

[0041] The lid 3 may be a flexible film layer attached to the base 2 along the base circumferential edge 4 by heat-sealing and the first peelable zone 5a may be provided by applying a varnish 7 at the second non-peelable zone 5b of the attachment zone 5 prior to the heat-sealing. The varnish 7 may for example be applied to the lid 3 by gravure printing in an amount of from 0.5 g/m.sup.2 to 5 g/m.sup.2, optionally within the range from 0.5 g/m.sup.2 to 2.5 g/m.sup.2, in a frame pattern corresponding to the attachment zone 5 on an inner side 12 of the lid 3 facing the inner compartment 6. The varnish 7 may be applied only at the circumferential attachment zone 5, optionally in a pattern partially covering the attachment zone 5 of the circumferential edge 4. The varnish 7 is a polyester-based material of the package 1 and may comprise a blend with and/or monomer rests from other polymers. The varnish may for example be a blend of polyester and polyacrylate. The varnish may be constituted of at least 50 wt %, such as at least 60 wt %, or 80 wt % of polyester, based on the total weight of the varnish. Examples on suitable polyester based varnishes are Coim Novacote EX-8377, Coim Novacote HS 8416 and Henkel Loctite Liofol HS 1138 from Henkel Adhesives, The varnish may alternatively be a mono polyester varnish, for example of the same polyester material as the base 2 and the lid 3. The varnish may for example be a mono-PET varnish. An example on a mono polyester varnish is Coim Novacote EX8001. The mono polyester material may include polymeric materials having the same type of polymeric material, i.e., the same type of monomer, but which materials have been exerted to different types of processing or thermal history. The base 2 and/or the lid 3 may be provided with pigment in an amount within the range of from 0.1 to 5 g/m.sup.2, optionally in an amount within the range of from 0.5 to 3 g/m.sup.2, based on the total projected surface area of the package.

[0042] FIG. 2 illustrates the package 1 from FIG. 2 when the lid 3 has been separated from the base 2 at the first peelable zone 5a, thus exposing the inner compartment 6.

[0043] The lid 3 may be a laminate comprising a first layer 3a facing the inner compartment 6 and a second layer 3b facing away from the inner compartment 6. The varnish 7 may be applied as in a frame pattern 3c corresponding to the size and planar shape of the circumferential attachment zone 5 in the peelable zone 5a. The first layer 3a of the laminate may be an oriented PET (OPET) material layer and the second layer 3b may amorphous PET (APET). The lid 3 may additionally comprise a coPET layer as an inner sealing layer, i.e. a layer facing the varnish 7. An example on such coPET material is Eastman Eastar GP 002, Eastman Eastobond 19412 and Dow Appeel 93D894. The sealing layer comprising a coPET layer will constitute less than 5 wt % of the total weight of the package 1.