PACKAGING COMPRISING TEAR-OFF LID AND DOSING SPOON

Abstract

In a package having a dosing spoon for removing a filling material from the package, a container of the package is sealed with a peel-off lid that has a peel-off lid ring and a peel-off film. A leveling bar is provided that may be attached to the edge of the peel-off lid ring after the peel-off film has been removed. The leveling bar may be present in the package especially in combination with the dosing spoon, so that after the package is opened the leveling bar may be detached from the dosing spoon and may be attached to the edge of the peel-off lid ring.

Claims

1. A package, comprising a container for receiving a filling material, a peel-off lid connected to the container and having a peel-off lid ring made of metal and a peel-off film, which peel-off lid ring forms the edge of the removal opening of the package, and further comprising a dosing spoon and a leveling bar, characterized in that the leveling bar is provided as a part of the package being separate from the peel-off lid and being attachable to the edge of the removal opening formed by the peel-off lid ring.

2. The package according to claim 1, characterized in that the leveling bar is attachable to the edge of the removal opening, by the end areas of the levelling bar that oppose one another longitudinally, by a force-fit and/or a form-fit attachment.

3. The package according to claim 2, characterized in that the leveling bar has at each of its end areas a groove that is shaped to receive the edge of the removal opening.

4. The package according to claim 2, characterized in that the end areas of the leveling bar are provided as running obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the leveling bar.

5. The package according to claim 1, characterized in that the leveling bar is made of plastic material.

6. The package according to claim 1, characterized in that the leveling bar is embodied as a package part that is connected to the dosing spoon.

7. The package according to claim 6, characterized in that the leveling bar is connected in a force-fit and/ or a form-fit manner to the dosing spoon.

8. The package according to claim 3, characterized in that the dosing spoon has a molding that is shaped for connecting to the groove of the one end area of the leveling bar.

9. The package according to claim 6, characterized in that the dosing spoon and the leveling bar are provided as an integral part, wherein the connection between leveling bar and dosing spoon includes a weakening zone that permits the leveling bar to be separated from the dosing spoon at the weakening zone.

10. The package according to claim 1, characterized in that the edge of the removal opening has a rolled-in shape on its underside, and in that the leveling bar is provided to engage on the rolled-in shape when the leveling bar is attached to the edge of the removal opening.

11. A combination of a dosing spoon and a leveling bar for use with a package according to claim 1, characterized in that the dosing spoon is connected to a leveling bar that is provided to be detachable from the dosing spoon.

12. The combination according to claim 11, characterized in that the leveling bar is connected to the dosing spoon in a force-fit and/or in a form-fit connection.

13. The combination according to claim 11, characterized in that the dosing spoon is provided with a molding that is shaped for connecting to a groove provided at one end area of the leveling bar.

14. The combination according to claim 11, characterized in that the dosing spoon and the leveling bar are embodied integrally, and wherein the connection between leveling bar and dosing spoon includes a weakening zone permitting the leveling bar to be separated from the dosing spoon at the weakening zone.

15. The package according to claim 3, characterized in that the end areas of the leveling bar are provided as running obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the leveling bar.

16. The package according to claim 3, characterized in that the dosing spoon has a molding that is shaped for connecting to the groove of the one end area of the leveling bar and the leveling bar is embodied as a package part that is connected to the dosing spoon.

17. The package according to claim 2, characterized in that the leveling bar is embodied as a package part that is connected to the dosing spoon.

18. The package according to claim 3, characterized in that the leveling bar is embodied as a package part that is connected to the dosing spoon.

19. The package according to claim 4, characterized in that the leveling bar is embodied as a package part that is connected to the dosing spoon.

20. The combination according to claim 11, characterized in that the dosing spoon is provided with a molding that is shaped for connecting to a groove provided at one end area of the leveling bar and the leveling bar is embodied as a part that is connected to the dosing spoon.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Other embodiments, advantages, and applications of the invention result from the dependent claims and from the following description, using the figures.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a drawing of a package or container having a peel-off lid;

[0029] FIGS. 2 through 5 depict steps in the formation of a peel-off lid ring for a peel-off lid;

[0030] FIG. 6 is a top view onto a peel-off lid ring with leveling bar;

[0031] FIG. 7 is a partial view of the section along the section line B-B in FIG. 6;

[0032] FIG. 8 is a drawing of a peel-off lid ring with added leveling bar and with a dosing spoon; and,

[0033] FIGS. 9 through 11 are drawings of a dosing spoon and combination made of a dosing spoon and leveling bar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in the following using the figures. FIG. 1 depicts a package 1 that comprises a container 11 having a peel-off lid 2. The container is especially a can made of metal or cardboard or plastic or a composite material, especially a composite material comprising metal.

[0035] The container 11 has a can body 4, a can bottom 5, and the peel-off lid 2. In this case it is a three-part can with body, bottom, and lid. The invention may also be used in two-part cans, in which body and bottom are integral. The container is especially provided for receiving a dry powder product.

[0036] The bottom and the peel-off lid are each connected to the body by means of a folded joint, for instance, which is known to the person skilled in the art and does not require further explanation herein.

[0037] The peel-off lid 2, in a known manner, comprises a peel-off lid ring 7 and the peel-off film 25 attached thereto, which may have a pulling tab 28. To open the container 1, the peel-off film 25 is pulled off from the peel-off lid ring so that the contents of the container 1 are accessible in that the removal opening 8 enclosed by the edge of the peel-off lid ring is uncovered.

[0038] The package furthermore comprises a dosing spoon and a leveling bar. The dosing spoon permits a certain amount of the filling material to be removed from the container and the leveling bar permits the dosing spoon to be scraped so that after it has been scraped it is filled only up to the edge of the spoon, so that a dosed amount of the filling material is present within the spoon. In FIG. 1, the dosing spoon and the leveling bar, which are preferably joined to one another, are disposed below the yet unopened peel-off lid and are therefore not visible in the figure. In such an embodiment, the leveling bar is accessible after the peel-off lid has been opened. Then the leveling bar is attached in the removal opening, as shall be explained. If an additional snap-on lid (not shown in FIG. 1) were present over the peel-off lid 2, the leveling bar could also be arranged between the peel-off lid and the snap-on lid as a separate part of the package and would then be accessible after the snap-on lid was opened. In this embodiment, the leveling bar would also be used after the peel-off film had been removed and would then be attached over the opening.

[0039] FIGS. 2 through 5 depict steps, known to the person skilled in the art, in the formation of the peel-off lid ring, wherein only a portion of the ring is depicted in cross-sectional view. FIG. 2 depicts a blank 6 for the formation of the peel-off lid ring of the peel-off lid 2, wherein at its outer edge 26 the blank is already provided with the shape suitable for the folded joint connection with the container body. In FIG. 3, a center disk-shaped part has already been punched out of the blank 6 in order to form the peel-off lid ring 7 that with its inner edge 18 delimits the removal opening 8 of the lid. Adjacent to the edge 18 of the removal opening 8, the sealing surface 19 extends radially outward, onto which sealing surface the peel-off film 25 is sealed in a known fashion. FIGS. 4 and 5 depict a preferred shaping of the edge 18 that delimits the removal opening 8. The edge 18 in FIG. 4 initially curves downward (or inward, into the container, relative to the later position of the peel-off lid on the container) and then, as shown in FIG. 5, radially outward and again upward. A rolled edge or roll-in 20 or so-called C-curl is thus formed. A different shaping of the edge 18 of the removal opening is also possible, wherein the issue is delimiting the removal opening such that the user cannot be hurt by the edge of the package.

[0040] In accordance with the invention, after the peel-off film 25 of the package 1 has been removed by the user, the leveling bar is attached to the edge 18 of the removal opening 8 on a peel-off lid ring embodied in this manner or in a similar manner. FIG. 6 provides a top view onto a peel-off lid ring 7 with the removal opening 8 and thus also provides a view of into the container interior and onto the filling material when the peel-off lid ring is attached to a container. In this example, the leveling bar 6 is a straight bar. A D shape is also possible, as mentioned in the foregoing, wherein the curvature of the D shape would fit into the curvature of the removal opening 8.

[0041] The mutually opposing end areas 16 and 17 of the leveling bar are for attaching the latter to the peel-off lid and extending over the removal opening. It may be seen that the length of the leveling bar determines how far the leveling bar is positioned from the center of the opening when the leveling bar is attached to the edge 18 of the removal opening. This distance is selected such that simple access to the filling material is possible with the dosing spoon 3.

[0042] Attaching the leveling bar 6 means that the latter is held on the edge 18 securely enough that it is possible to scrape the dosing spoon 3 on the leveling bar without the bar 6 thereby detaching from the edge 18. There may be a permanent, non-detachable attachment, so that the leveling bar may only be detached from the edge 18 by destroying the bar, or there may be a detachable attachment that makes it possible, with sufficient force, to detach the bar 6 from the edge 18 without destroying the bar 6. The various options for the person skilled in the art result from the particular situation.

[0043] In the example shown in the figures, the end areas 16 and 17 of the leveling bar 6 are provided with a groove 21 that is embodied to receive the edge 18 of the peel-off lid ring so that the leveling bar is held on the edge 18 in a force-fit, for example, so that the edge 18 engages in the groove 21 and is held there with a gripping force that results from the overlap of the edge 18 by the parts of the leveling bar limiting the groove 21. However, there may also be moldings in the groove that result in a form-fit between leveling bar and edge 18, especially the roll-in 20. Thus the leveling bar is more difficult to detach from the edge 18 by such a form-fit than with a force-fit only connection. However, the leveling bar 6 could also be provided in its end areas 16 and 17 with adhesive surfaces with which it could be fixed to the top of the edge 18 and thus also to the sealing surface 19 by such an adhesive. In the context of the invention, this shall also be understood to fall under the term attachment.

[0044] FIG. 7 depicts the explained solution with a groove 21 in an enlarged depiction in which only the end area 16 of the bar 6 is depicted in a view onto the sectional line B-B from FIG. 6. It can be seen how the roll-in 20 is positioned within the groove 21.

[0045] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing only the peel-off lid ring 7, without the container 11, and with the peel-off film already removed, so that the leveling bar 6 could have been attached to the edge 18 as shown. The dosing spoon 3 here is depicted in a position in which it is suspended from the bar. Both spoon 3 and bar 6 are preferably made of plastic in this case. During use, the spoon is heaped with the filling material from the container 11 or package 1, respectively, and then the spoon is scraped on the bar 6 so that the filling material remaining in the spoon 3 only reaches to the upper edge of the spoon and the previously excess, heaping filling material falls back into the container.

[0046] FIGS. 9 through 11 provide views of a dosing spoon 3 and a leveling bar that is connected thereto but is detachable from the spoon 3. In this example, a molding 28 is provided on the spoon 3 that is shaped such that it fits into the groove 21 of the leveling bar 6 such that the leveling bar 6 is retained on the spoon 3 until the user removes or detaches the bar 6 from the spoon 3 in order to attach the bar 6 over the removal opening of the container. This embodiment is in particular depicted in FIGS. 9 and 11. FIG. 10 depicts a simpler design of the leveling bar, for example for adhesive attachment to the peel-off lid ring. In this case, the leveling bar may be embodied, for instance, integrally with the spoon 3, wherein a weakening zone is provided that results in a break line between spoon 3 and bar 6. Thus the bar 6 may also be separated from the spoon 3 and then attached to the edge 18 and, as the case may be, to the adjacent sealing surface 19. As well in the embodiment in accordance with FIGS. 9 and 11 the spoon and the bar could be provided such that there is an integral connection that has a weakening zone. This then replaces the molding 28 on the spoon.

[0047] Thus, in a package having a dosing spoon for removing a filling material from the package, a container of the package is sealed with a peel-off lid that has a peel-off lid ring and a peel-off film. A leveling bar is provided that, after the peel-off film has been removed, may be attached on the edge of the peel-off lid ring. The leveling bar may in particular be present in the package in combination with the dosing spoon. In this case, the leveling bar may be detached from the dosing spoon after the package has been opened and may be attached to the edge of the peel-off lid ring.

[0048] While preferred embodiments of the invention are described in this application, it should clearly be noted that the invention is not limited to them and may be embodied in another manner within the scope of the following claims.

[0049] While the present disclosure has been illustrated and described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to this disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.