Method for forming a tubular container for food products, and resulting tube

Abstract

A method for forming a tubular container for food products and resulting container. The method comprising: folding or rolling a portion of the flexible sheet (3) forming a first tubular body (1); sealing one of the bases (1a) of the first tubular body (1); folding or rolling the rest of the flexible sheet (3) which is not part of said first tubular body (1) concentrically around the first tubular body (1), forming a second tubular body (2) outside the first tubular body (1); and joining part of the final longitudinal end of the inner surface of the second tubular body (2) to part of the outer surface of the first tubular body (1), forming two independent cavities: a first cavity (4) inside the first tubular body (1); and a second cavity (5) inside the second tubular body (2) and outside the first tubular body (1).

Claims

1. A method for forming a tubular container for food products, wherein the tubular container is formed and filled in the same method, characterized in that it comprises the following steps performed from a single piece of a flexible sheet (3) material: a) folding or rolling, in a first rolling step, a portion of said flexible sheet (3) forming a first tubular body (1); b) sealing one of the bases (1a) of the first tubular body (1) to close off an end of the first tubular body (1); c) folding or rolling, in a second rolling step performed after the sealing step of closing said end of the first tubular body (1) in b) and distinct from the first rolling step, the rest of the flexible sheet (3) which is not part of said first tubular body (1) concentrically around the first tubular body (1), forming a second tubular body (2) outside the first tubular body (1); and d) joining part of a final longitudinal end of the inner surface of the second tubular body (2) to part of the outer surface of the first tubular body (1), forming two independent cavities: a first cavity (4) inside the first tubular body (1); and a second cavity (5) inside the second tubular body (2) and outside the first tubular body (1), said second cavity (5) being a space formed between the outer surface of the first tubular body (1) in an area for sealing a base thereof, and the inner surface of the second tubular body (2) formed in the second rolling step; e) introducing a first food product (6) inside the first cavity (4); f) sealing a base (2a) belonging to the first cavity (4), resulting in the first cavity (4) being completely closed and with the first product (6) housed therein; g) introducing a second food product (7) inside the second cavity (5); and h) sealing an unclosed base (2b) belonging to the second cavity (5), resulting in the second cavity (5) being completely sealed and with the second product (7) housed therein.

2. The method for forming a tubular container for food products according to claim 1, characterized in that in step d), joining part of the final longitudinal end of the inner surface of the second tubular body (2) to part of the outer surface of the first tubular body (1) is performed such that the first cavity (4) has a single access to the outside through one of the sides of the formed container; and the second cavity (5) has a single access to the outside through the other one of the sides of the formed container.

3. The method for forming a tubular container for food products according to claim 1, characterized in that step c) is performed before step b).

4. The method for forming a tubular container for food products according to claim 1, characterized in that in step e), the first product (6) comprises a solid food product; and in step g), the second product (7) comprises a powder food product.

5. A tubular container for food products obtained according to the method defined in claim 1.

6. A method for forming a tubular container for food products, wherein the tubular container is formed and filled in the same method, characterized in that it comprises the following steps performed from a single piece of a flexible sheet (3) material: a) folding or rolling, in a first rolling step, a portion of said flexible sheet (3) forming a first tubular body (1), and sealing (or fixing) said formed first tubular body to the inner face of the flexible sheet (3); b) folding or rolling, in a second rolling step performed after the sealing step in a) and distinct from the first rolling step, the rest of the flexible sheet (3) which is not part of said first tubular body (1) concentrically or non-concentrically around the first tubular body (1), forming a second tubular body (2) outside the first tubular body (1); c) joining part of a final longitudinal end of the inner surface of the second tubular body (2) to part of the outer surface of the first tubular body (1) or joining it to the surface forming the second tubular body (2), forming two independent cavities: a first cavity (4) inside the first tubular body (1); and a second cavity (5) inside the second tubular body (2) and outside the first tubular body (1), said second cavity (5) being a space formed between the outer surface of the first tubular body (1) in an area for sealing a base thereof, and the inner surface of the second tubular body (2) formed in the second rolling step; d) introducing a first food product (6) inside the first cavity (4) or alternatively leaving it empty; e) introducing a second food product (7) inside the second cavity (5); and f) sealing an unclosed base of the second cavity (5), resulting in the second cavity (5) being completely sealed and with the second food product (7) housed therein, whereby, the first tubular body (1) is open at both ends forming a suction element with respect to the product contained in the second tubular body (2), wherein the ends (2a, 2b) of the second tubular body (2) close said second tubular body (2) without affecting the ends of the first tubular body (1), which is open at both ends and becomes a suction body with respect to the product contained inside the second tubular body (2).

7. The method for forming a tubular container for food products according to claim 6, characterized in that between steps d) and e) there is a step consisting of g) sealing at least a base of the first cavity (4), resulting in the first cavity (4) being closed in at least one of its ends.

8. The method for forming a tubular container for food products according to claim 6, characterized in that after step a) the method comprises an additional step of trimming the length of the first tubular body (1) with respect to the rest of the remaining flexible sheet (3).

9. The method for forming a tubular container for food products according to claim 6, characterized in that a first end (8) of the second tubular body (2) is detachable, exposing the end of the first tubular body (1) which is a suction element with respect to the product contained inside the second tubular body (2).

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To complement the description being made and for the purpose of aiding to better understand the features of the invention, according to a preferred practical embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description where the following has been depicted with an illustrative and non-limiting character:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of the flexible sheet used for forming the entire container object of the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the flexible sheet that is folded or rolled into two tubular sections, one on top of the other, like a two-layer tubular container.

(4) FIGS. 3A and 3B show the step of sealing one of the bases of the first tubular body, both first and second cavities suitable for housing the respective food products being formed.

(5) FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C show different embodiments of sealing both bases of the container obtained by the first method object of the invention described above.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a container formed with the first method object of the invention, and where two food products are observed inside respective inner cavities of the formed container.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of another container formed with the first method object of the invention, but where the tubular section is a prismatic section.

(8) FIG. 7 shows an elevational view of the container formed according to the second method object of the invention, where the first and second tubular bodies are not concentric.

(9) FIG. 8 shows two depictions of a container variant in which the first inner tubular body is a suction element with respect to the product incorporated inside the second tubular body.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(10) As can be observed in the sequence of FIGS. 1 to 5, the method for forming this container for food products comprises performing the following steps on a flexible sheet (3), where the steps are: a) rolling a portion of said flexible sheet (3), forming a first tubular body (1), as can be observed in FIG. 1; b) sealing one of the bases (1a) of the first tubular body (1), the sequence of folding and sealing said base (1a) of the first tubular body (1a) being observed in the sequence of FIGS. 3A and 3B; c) rolling the rest of the flexible sheet (3) which is not part of said first tubular body (1) concentrically around the first tubular body (1), forming a second tubular body (2) outside the first tubular body (1), as can be observed in FIG. 2; d) joining part of the final longitudinal end, which is wider or narrower, of the inner surface of the second tubular body (2) to part of the outer surface of the first tubular body (1), forming two independent cavities: a first cavity (4) inside the first tubular body (1); and a second cavity (5) inside the second tubular body (2) and outside the first tubular body (1), as shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C. e) introducing a first food product (6) inside the first cavity (4); f) sealing the base (2a) belonging to the first cavity (4), resulting in the first cavity (4) being completely closed and with the first product (6) housed therein; g) introducing a second food product (7) inside the second cavity (5), as can be observed in FIG. 5; and h) sealing the unclosed base (2b) belonging to the second cavity (5), resulting in the second cavity (5) being completely sealed and with the second product (7) housed therein.

(11) It can be seen that it is possible to carry out different closures in the container thus formed, both closures being able to be parallel (see FIG. 4A) or perpendicular (see FIG. 4B) to one another, or being able to be another type of closure that adapts to the shape of the inner product, or tie-type closure, etc.; and in view of FIGS. 4B and 4C the volumes of the cavities (4, 5) where respective products (6, 7) are introduced can also be modified.

(12) It is also observed in FIG. 6 that the geometric formation of the container does not necessarily have to be a tubular container having a circular section, but rather different geometries are contemplated such as a tubular body having a square section, a prismatic body having a triangular section, as shown in FIG. 6, or similar embodiments. The possibility of combining concentric rollings of different tubular section, or for example combining a first cylindrical rolling with a second conical rolling (likewise being two concentric tubular rollings), etc., is also contemplated.

(13) Finally and in relation to a second embodiment possibility of a method for forming a tubular container for food products, it is observed in FIG. 7 that said second method comprises performing the following steps on a flexible sheet (3): a) rolling a portion of said flexible sheet (3) forming a first tubular body (1); b) rolling the rest of the flexible sheet (3) which is not part of said first tubular body (1) non-concentrically around the first tubular body (1), forming a second tubular body (2) outside the first tubular body (1); and c) joining part of the final longitudinal end, which is wider or narrower, of the inner surface of the second tubular body (2) to part of the outer surface of the first tubular body (1), again forming two independent cavities: a first cavity (4) inside the first tubular body (1); and a second cavity (5) inside the second tubular body (2) and outside the first tubular body (1).

(14) Respective cavities (4, 5) have access to the outside through respective bases or ends of the container thus formed.

(15) FIG. 8 shows two depictions of a container variant in which the first inner tubular body is a suction element with respect to the product incorporated inside the second tubular body

(16) A variant of the method envisages making a container as follows: a) folding or rolling a portion of said flexible she forming a first tubular body (1); b) trimming the length of this body with respect to the rest of the remaining flexible sheet, c) folding or rolling the rest of the flexible sheet which is not part of said first tubular body concentrically or non-concentrically around the first tubular body, forming a second tubular body (2) outside the first tubular body; i.e., a first tubular body is made with the flexible sheet itself, and a second tubular body sized similarly to the first tubular body and located outside the latter is formed with the rest of the flexible sheet; and d) joining part of the final longitudinal end, which is wider or narrower, of the inner surface of the second tubular body to part of the outer surface of the first tubular body or joining it to the surface forming the tubular body, forming two independent cavities: a first cavity (9) inside the first tubular body (1) forming a hollow tube open at both ends which becomes a suction element with respect to the product contained in a second cavity (10); and a second cavity (10) inside the second tubular body (2) and outside the first tubular body, which is filled with a product,

(17) Said FIG. 8 shows how the ends (2a) and (2b) close the second tubular body (2) without affecting the ends of the first tubular body (1), which is open at both ends and becomes a suction body with respect to the product contained inside the second tubular body. A first end (8) of the second tubular body (2) is detachable, as shown in the figure on the left, exposing the end of the first tubular body (1) which is a suction element with respect to the product contained inside the second tubular body (2). An extremely hygienic container for consuming products is made with this solution because the suction element is always concealed by the container itself.

(18) In view of this description and set of drawings, the person skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of the invention that have been described can be combined in many ways within the object of the invention. The invention has been described according to some preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be evident for the person skilled in the art that many variations can be introduced in said preferred embodiments without exceeding the object of the claimed invention.