PACKAGING AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A PACKAGING

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a packaging which comprises a packaging lower part, which is in the form of a packaging tray with a tray edge projecting circumferentially, and a lid part which is adhesively bonded to the tray edge. The lid part comprises a self-adhesive label which is removed from a carrier band and to the underside of which adhesive is applied exclusively circumferentially in the region of a label edge to be adhered to the tray edge. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a method for producing a packaging.

Claims

1. A packaging comprising a lower packaging part, which is in a form of a packaging tray with a tray edge projecting all around, and a lid part, which is adhesively bonded to the tray edge, wherein the lid part comprises a self-adhesive label which is removed from a carrier band and to its underside adhesive is applied circumferentially exclusively in a region of a label edge to be adhered to the tray edge.

2. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is present in a form of an endless adhesive track running along the label edge, in a form of an adhesive track composed of adhesive segments, in a form of a striped adhesive track and/or in a form of a dotted adhesive track.

3. The packaging according to claim 2, wherein the adhesive track forms an area of adhesive which corresponds to at least 70% of an area formed by the tray edge and facing the lid part.

4. The packaging according to claim 2, wherein the adhesive track forms an area of adhesive which corresponds to at least 80% of an area formed by the tray edge and facing the lid part.

5. The packaging according to claim 2, wherein the adhesive track forms an area of adhesive which corresponds to at least 90% of an area formed by the tray edge and facing the lid part.

6. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the self-adhesive label is completely separated from a material from which the carrier band is made.

7. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the self-adhesive label comprises at least one tear tab and/or at least one tear perforation.

8. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the self-adhesive label comprises a tear perforation which extends at least in sections along an inner boundary of the adhesive.

9. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the self-adhesive label is made of a plastic or of a paper fibre-based material.

10. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the self-adhesive label is made of polypropylene or polyethylene terephthalate.

11. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the self-adhesive label is made of a plastic-reinforced, paper fibre-based material.

12. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein an upper side of the self-adhesive label is free of silicone.

13. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the lower packaging part is a cardboard tray or a plastic tray.

14. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the self-adhesive label is formed with a plurality of holes.

15. A method for producing a packaging from a packaging lower part, which is in a form of a packaging tray with a tray edge projecting circumferentially, and from a lid part, the method comprising: separating a self-adhesive label, to whose underside adhesive is exclusively applied circumferentially in a region of a label edge to be adhered to the tray edge, from a carrier band of a provided label roll; and adhesively bonding the self-adhesive label as the lid part to the tray edge of the packaging tray.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, when the self-adhesive label is separated from the carrier band, an adhesive track formed from adhesive on the underside of the self-adhesive label is separated from a silicone track formed accordingly on the carrier band.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein, in order to produce the label roll for the self-adhesive label, the adhesive is applied to a label layer in a form of an endless adhesive track running along the label edge, in a form of an adhesive track extending along the label edge and comprising adhesive segments, in a form of a striped adhesive track extending along the label edge and/or in a form of a dotted adhesive track extending along the label edge.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein by separating the self-adhesive label from the carrier band, the self-adhesive label is completely separated from a material from which the carrier band is made.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the label roll initially comprises the self-adhesive label and multiple additional self-adhesive labels on the carrier band, and by separating all the self-adhesive labels from the carrier band of the label roll, a carrier band material with a silicone content of less than 10% remains.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein holes and/or at least one tear-open perforation are punched into the self-adhesive label.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Embodiments according to the disclosure are explained in more detail with reference to the following figures:

[0050] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a packaging with a lid part designed as a self-adhesive label;

[0051] FIG. 2 is a sectional A-A view of the packaging shown in FIG. 1;

[0052] FIG. 3A is an isolated view of a lid part in the form of a self-adhesive label;

[0053] FIG. 3B is an isolated view of a further lid part in the form of a self-adhesive label;

[0054] FIG. 3C is an isolated illustration of a further lid part designed as a self-adhesive label;

[0055] FIG. 4 shows a label roll with self-adhesive labels on a carrier band;

[0056] FIG. 5 shows a label roll with self-adhesive labels on a carrier band;

[0057] FIG. 6 is an isolated view of a carrier band; and

[0058] FIG. 7 shows a labeler for closing tray parts provided with lid parts.

[0059] Identical components are given the same reference signs throughout the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a finished packaging 1. The packaging 1 comprises a packaging lower part 2 and a lid part 3, which is adhesively bonded to a tray edge 4 of the packaging lower part 2. The packaging lower part 2 of the packaging 1 is in the form of a packaging tray S, which is filled with a product P, in this case tomatoes. The lid part 3 consists of a self-adhesive label 5 removed from a carrier band T (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The self-adhesive label 5 forms a label edge 6, which is provided with adhesive K (see FIG. 2) in order to adhere the lid part 3 in the area of the label edge 6, which rests on the tray edge 4, to the tray edge 4 of the packaging lower part 2.

[0061] According to FIG. 1, the self-adhesive label 5 comprises a tear tab 7 protruding from the label edge 6. FIG. 1 also shows ventilation holes 8, which ensure air circulation. A readable motif 10 in the form of a barcode is provided on the lid part 3.

[0062] According to FIG. 1, an inner area 9 of the self-adhesive label 5 surrounded by the label edge 6 is transparent. This creates a window so that the products P held in the packaging tray S can be seen through the lid part 3.

[0063] FIG. 2 shows the packaging 1 of FIG. 1 in section A-A. FIG. 2 shows that the self-adhesive label 5 comprises adhesive K on its underside U only in the area of the label edge 6 in order to be attached to the tray edge 4. On the other hand, there is no adhesive K on the underside U of the inner area 9 and no additional separating or protective layer attached to the underside U of the self-adhesive label 5 by means of adhesive K. Rather, the self-adhesive label 5 of FIG. 2 has a single-layer structure in the inner area 9 without comprising adhesive K on its underside U.

[0064] FIGS. 3A to 3C show self-adhesive labels 5 with different types of adhesive traces 11a to 11c.

[0065] FIG. 3A shows the lid part 3 in an isolated, schematic top view. The lid part 3, designed as a self-adhesive label 5, comprises adhesive K in the area of the label edge 6 to be adhered to the tray edge 4 in the form of an endless adhesive track 11a running all around the tray edge 4 of the packaging tray S and provided with adhesive K over the entire surface. The adhesive track 11a comprises a track width W, which is 1 cm, for example. The track width W of the adhesive track 11a can correspond to a width B of the tray edge 4 (see FIG. 2) or be slightly narrower or wider than this.

[0066] Furthermore, a tear-open perforation 12 for opening the packaging 1 is shown in FIG. 3A. The tear-open perforation 12 can be in the form of a punched line and allows the inner area 9 to be easily pressed in. In FIG. 3A, the tear-open perforation 12 is formed in sections along an inner boundary 13 of the adhesive track 11a. However, the tear-open perforation 12 can also be formed along the entire inner boundary 13. This would allow the inner area 9 to be easily separated from the label edge 6 in order to open the packaging 1. The inner area 9 can then be recycled as a mono-material without adhesive content. The label edge 6 with adhesive K that sticks to the packaging tray S forms a very small proportion by weight of the packaging tray S, so that the packaging tray S can also be disposed of as a high-percentage monomaterial.

[0067] It would be possible for the tear-open perforation 12 to be formed along the inner boundary 13 in such a way that separating the tear-open perforation 12 results in a flap from the inner area 9 or a section of the inner area 9. This flap can be used to open or close the packaging. As a result, the label edge 6 provided with adhesive K and the tray edge 4 remain isolated, so that the products P cannot come into contact with the adhesive K.

[0068] FIG. 3B shows an adhesive track 11b running all around the label edge 6, which is made up of adhesive segments K1 to K4 on all sides. According to FIG. 3B, adhesive K is applied over the entire surface within the respective adhesive segments K1 to K4. In corner areas of the label edge 6, gaps L are provided between the adhesive segments K1 to K4, in which no adhesive K is applied. Despite these adhesive-free areas, the adhesive segments K1 to K4 provided on all sides ensure reliable all-round adhesion.

[0069] FIG. 3C shows an adhesive track 11c running all the way around the label edge 6, within which gaps L alternate with adhesive strips of adhesive K. This striped adhesive track 11c also creates a reliable all-round bond, which allows the lid part 3 to be stably attached to the packaging lower part 2.

[0070] FIG. 4 shows a label roll 13a. The label roll 13a comprises a carrier band T and self-adhesive labels 5 glued to it. The self-adhesive labels 5 of the label roll 13a are adhesively bonded to the carrier band T by means of the adhesive track 11a to 11c of adhesive K formed on its underside U along silicone tracks 14 produced accordingly on the carrier band T (see FIG. 6). The silicone tracks 14 are thus also formed all around. Thus, the adhesive tracks 11a to 11c made of adhesive K produced on the underside U of the self-adhesive labels 5 coincide with the silicone tracks 14 made of a silicone produced along the carrier band T. Along the inner area 9, the self-adhesive labels 5 are not adhesively bonded to the carrier band T, but lie unconnected on the carrier band T in this area 9. A motif 10, for example a barcode, is provided on an upper side O of the self-adhesive labels 5.

[0071] FIG. 4 also shows a self-adhesive label 5 separated from the carrier band T with the adhesive track 11a to 11c of adhesive K formed on its underside U.

[0072] FIG. 5 shows another label roll 13b. The self-adhesive labels 5 adhesively bonded to the carrier band T in FIG. 5 comprise a different geometry compared to the self-adhesive labels 5 shown in FIG. 4. These self-adhesive labels 5 are also adhesively bonded to the carrier band T along silicone tracks 14 made of silicone produced all around it by means of the adhesive tracks 11 made of adhesive K produced accordingly on their underside U. The self-adhesive labels 5 of FIG. 5 optionally comprise a marking 15 on their upper side O that can be detected by a sensor for a controlled tray closing process.

[0073] FIG. 5 also shows a self-adhesive label 5 separated from the carrier band T with an adhesive track 11a to 11c of adhesive K formed on its underside U.

[0074] The respective self-adhesive labels 5, which are adhesively bonded to the respective carrier band T as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, may comprise any prefabricated label shapes, in particular may form a desired lid geometry with respect to the geometry of the packaging tray S to be dispensed therewith.

[0075] FIG. 6 shows the carrier band T in isolated representation, i.e., without self-adhesive labels 5 adhesively bonded thereto. It can be seen that the silicone tracks 14 produced on the carrier band T are produced at a distance from one another. A label layer (not shown) with correspondingly formed adhesive tracks 11a to 11c can be attached along the silicone tracks 14 during the production of the self-adhesive labels 5. This label layer can then be cut to size by die-cutting or laser cutting in order to produce self-adhesive labels 5 with a desired self-adhesive label shape on the carrier layer T. The die-cut grid formed along the label layer is removed so that only individual self-adhesive labels 5, for example in the form of the self-adhesive labels 5 shown in FIG. 4 and/or FIG. 5, remain adhered to the carrier layer T after die-cutting or lasering. Subsequently, the now prefabricated material web is wound up from the carrier web T and the self-adhesive labels 5 cut to size on it in order to be used as a label roll 13a, 13b on a labeler 16 (see FIG. 7).

[0076] FIG. 6 shows that the silicone content on the carrier band T produced by the silicone traces 14 is only a small proportion of the total carrier band material, and in particular can be less than 5% of the total carrier band material. This means, for example, that a carrier band T made of paper can be recycled as paper despite the silicone traces 14 produced on it.

[0077] FIG. 7 shows a labeler 16 with a feeding device 17, which according to FIG. 7 is in the form of a line unifier. By means of the feeding device 17, packaging lower parts 2 loaded with product P, which are not yet provided with a lid part 3, are fed to the labeler 16. Two guide rails 18 are positioned converging towards each other in such a way that a gap or opening for packaging lower parts 2 is created at the end of the guide rails 18 located downstream in the production direction R, which is only slightly wider than the width of the packaging lower parts 2 themselves.

[0078] This allows the packaging lower parts 2 transported on the feeding device 17 by means of a conveyor belt 19 running thereon to be fed precisely to the labeler 16. This in turn makes it possible for a self-adhesive label 5 from the label roll 13a, 13b to be adhesively bonded precisely to a supplied packaging lower part 2 after being pulled off the carrier band T in order to close the packaging lower part 2.

[0079] A sensor 20, which is provided on the labeler 16, can detect a front edge of a packaging lower part 2 to be labeled and closed while the packaging lower part 2 is being transported along the guide rails 18. The sensor 20 can be designed as a light barrier or proximity sensor and is connected to a control unit 21 and transmits the signal, namely the detection of the front edge of the lower packaging part 2, to the latter. The controller 21 controls the movement of the self-adhesive label 6 to be dispensed by means of the speed and path of the label roll 13a, 13b attached to the labeler 16 towards and along a dispensing edge 22 in order to detach the self-adhesive label 5 from the carrier band T and apply it to the lower packaging part 2.

[0080] Preferably, the speed of the label roll 13a, 13b during the dispensing process onto the packaging lower part 2 is identical to the speed of the conveyor belt 19.

[0081] Upstream of the labeler 16, a stopper device 23 is arranged on the feeder 17 in front of the guide rails 18 in order to stop the packaging lower parts 2 while the conveyor belt 19 is running. Stopped lower packaging parts 2 can thus be released piece by piece for the labeling process, i.e., for the tray closing process at the labeler 16.