Cardboard/plastic composite packaging having a pull-off cover, and a method and device for the production thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a composite card/plastics package comprising a package main body ( 8 ) which is provided with a longitudinal seam ( 6 ) and having a folded and welded package floor ( 18 ) which is provided at one end ( 16 ) of the package main body ( 8 ), and to a method and apparatus for producing it, in the case of which package the object of specifying a composite card/plastics package which is also suitable for non-liquid products and can moreover be stacked satisfactorily is achieved by arranging at the top end ( 11 ) of the package main body ( 8 ) a ledge ( 10 ) which extends round it and fastening a lid ( 14 /L) to the ledge ( 10 ) in such a way that the lid ( 14 /L) is able to be pulled off.

1 . Composite card/plastics package comprising a package main body ( 8 ) which is provided with a longitudinal seam ( 6 ) and having a folded and welded package floor ( 18 ) which is provided at one end ( 16 ) of the package main body ( 8 ), characterised in that there is arranged at the top end ( 11 ) of the package main body ( 8 ) a ledge ( 10 ) which extends round it and in that a lid ( 14 ) is fastened to the ledge ( 10 ) in such a way as to be able to be pulled off. 
     
     
         2 . Composite card/plastics package according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the package main body ( 8 ) is produced from a rectangular blank ( 1 ). 
     
     
         3 . Composite card/plastics package according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterised in that the lid ( 14 ) is produced from a film or foil. 
     
     
         4 . Composite card/plastics package according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterised in that the lid ( 14 ) is produced from a composite card/plastics material. 
     
     
         5 . Composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  4 , characterised in that the ledge is formed by the upper region of the package main body ( 8 ). 
     
     
         6 . Composite card/plastics package according to  claim 5 , characterised in that the ledge ( 10 ) is a mouth roll ( 12 ) produced from the material of the composite card/plastics package. 
     
     
         7 . Composite card/plastics package according to  claim 5 , characterised in that the ledge ( 10 ) is folded from the material of the composite card/plastics package. 
     
     
         8 . Composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  4 , characterised in that the ledge ( 10 ) is arranged on a frame ( 21 ) which is connected to the upper region of the package main body ( 8 ). 
     
     
         9 . Composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  8 , characterised in that the lid ( 14 ) is welded onto the ledge ( 10 ). 
     
     
         10 . Composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  8 , characterised in that the lid ( 14 ) is adhesive-bonded onto the ledge ( 10 ). 
     
     
         11 . Composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  8 , characterised in that the lid ( 14 ) is sealed onto the ledge ( 10 ). 
     
     
         12 . Composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  11 , characterised in that the lid ( 14 ) is produced to be re-closable. 
     
     
         13 . Composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  12 , characterised in that the floor ( 18 ) is produced to be rectangular. 
     
     
         14 . Composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  13 , characterised in that the cross-section of the package main body ( 8 ) is produced to be substantially round. 
     
     
         15 . Composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  13 , characterised in that the cross-section of the package main body ( 8 ) is produced to be substantially oval. 
     
     
         16 . Composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  13 , characterised in that the cross-section of the package main body ( 8 ) is produced to be substantially rectangular with rounded edges ( 9 ). 
     
     
         17 . Composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  16 , characterised by a protective lid ( 24 ) which is produced to be re-closable. 
     
     
         18 . Composite card/plastics package according to  claim 17 , characterised in that the protective lid ( 24 ) takes the form of an overfitting lid ( 24 ). 
     
     
         19 . Composite card/plastics package according to  claim 17  or  18 , characterised in that the frame ( 21 ) has at least one member to allow the protective lid ( 24 ) to be latched into place. 
     
     
         20 . Composite card/plastics package according to  claim 19 , characterised in that the frame ( 21 ) has at least one recess ( 23 ) arranged to extend round it to allow the protective lid ( 24 ) to be latched into place. 
     
     
         21 . Composite card/plastics package according to  claim 19  or  20 , characterised in that the frame ( 21 ) has at least one projection ( 26 ) arranged to extend round it to allow the protective lid ( 24 ) to be latched into place. 
     
     
         22 . Method of producing a composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  21 , characterised by the following steps:
 production of a blank ( 1 ) from a web of composite material,   sealing of two edges ( 4 ,  5 ) of the blank ( 1 ) to form a longitudinal seam ( 6 ), thus giving a package main body ( 8 ),   provision on the package main body ( 8 ) of a ledge ( 10 ) extending round it,   production of a container ( 13 ) which is open at one end by the fitting of a lid ( 14 ) to the ledge ( 10 ),   sterilisation of the container ( 13 ) which is open at one end via the opening ( 16 ) at the floor,   turning, if required, of the container ( 13 ) which is open at one end,   filling of the container ( 13 ) which is open at one end with a product ( 17 ) from the floor end and   folding and welding of the floor ( 16 ) of the container to form a floor ( 18 ) for the package on which it will stand stably.   
     
     
         23 . Method of producing a composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  21 , characterised by the following steps:
 production of a blank ( 1 ) from a web of composite material,   sealing of two edges ( 4 ,  5 ) of the blank ( 1 ) to form a longitudinal seam ( 6 ), thus giving a package main body ( 8 ),   folding open of the package main body ( 8 ),   production of a container ( 13 ) which is open at one end by the fitting of a lid ( 14 ) to the package main body ( 8 ) which has been folded open,   sterilisation of the container ( 13 ) which is open at one end via the opening ( 16 ) at the floor,   turning, if required, of the container ( 13 ) which is open at one end,   filling of the container ( 13 ) which is open at one end with a product ( 17 ) from the floor end and   folding and welding of the floor ( 16 ) of the container to form a floor ( 18 ) for the package on which it will stand stably.   
     
     
         24 . Method of producing a composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  21 , characterised by the following steps:
 production of a blank ( 1 ) from a web of composite material,   sealing of two edges ( 4 ,  5 ) of the blank ( 1 ) to form a longitudinal seam ( 6 ), thus giving a package main body ( 8 ),   production of a container ( 13 ) which is open at one end by folding and welding of the floor ( 16 ) of the container to form a floor ( 18 ) for the package on which it will stand stably,   provision on the package main body ( 8 ) of a ledge ( 10 ) extending round it,   sterilisation of the container ( 13 ) which is open at one end from the top end ( 11 ) of the package main body ( 8 ),   filling of the container ( 13 ) which is open at one end with a product ( 17 ),   sterilisation of a lid ( 14 ) and   fitting of the lid ( 14 ) to the ledge ( 10 ).   
     
     
         25 . Method according to one of  claims 22  to  24 , characterised in that the blank ( 1 ) is provided with indented or fold lines ( 2 ) before the longitudinal seam is formed. 
     
     
         26 . Method according to one of  claims 22  to  25 , characterised in that the floor ( 18 ) of the package is first provided with a floor seam and the flaps ( 19 ) of the package which are produced when folding-in takes place are pressed against the floor ( 18 ) of the package and are fastened thereto in such way that the surface of the floor is of a concave curvature. 
     
     
         27 . Apparatus for producing a composite card/plastics package according to one of  claims 1  to  21 , having at least one mandrel wheel and a plurality of processing stations for forming packages, which processing stations are arranged around the circumference of the mandrel wheel, characterised by a folding-open station at which the package main bodies (S), which are laid flat, are folded open into a tubular package main body ( 8 ) and are fed to a mandrel ( 28 ,  47 ), by a lid-fitting station at which a lid (L, FL) is connected to a package main body ( 8 ) to form a package (P) which is open at one end, and having a transfer station ( 35 ,  51 ) at which the package (P) is drawn off the mandrel ( 28 ,  47 ) and transferred to a filling unit positioned downstream. 
     
     
         28 . Apparatus according to  claim 27 , characterised in that the lid-fitting station is arranged to cover a plurality of mandrel positions. 
     
     
         29 . Apparatus according to  claim 27 , characterised in that, before the actual fitting of the lid (L), the outer edge of the package main body ( 8 ) is pre-rolled at a first station ( 30 ), is shaped into a mouth roll ( 12 ) at a second station ( 31 ), is heated at a third station ( 32 ) and is pressed into a ledge ( 10 ) at a fourth station ( 33 ). 
     
     
         30 . Apparatus according to  claim 29 , characterised in that, to allow the mouth roll ( 12 ) to be pressed, a pressing ram ( 42 ) is pressed against the mandrel ( 28 ) axially at the ledge-pressing station ( 33 ), and in that, to produce the opposing pressure, two supports ( 43 A and  43 B) are applied to the mandrel ( 28 ) laterally. 
     
     
         31 . Apparatus according to  claim 30 , characterised in that the supports ( 43 A,  43 B) are pivotably mounted and in their working position are arranged around the mandrel ( 28 ) which has the package main body ( 8 ) slid onto it, in positive interengagement therewith. 
     
     
         32 . Apparatus according to one of  claims 27  to  31 , characterised in that what is provided as a lid-fitting station is a lid-sealing station ( 34 ) at which each lid (L) is blanked out of a strip (F) of foil or film which extends at right angles to the plane of the mandrel wheel ( 27 ) and is sealed to the ledge ( 10 ). 
     
     
         33 . Apparatus according to  claim 27  or  28 , characterised in that each lid (L) is connected to a frame ( 21 ) to form a framed lid (FL). 
     
     
         34 . Apparatus according to  claim 33 , characterised in that dedicated stations ( 48 ,  49  and  48 ′,  49 ′) are provided at the mandrel wheel ( 46 ,  46 ′) for feeding in each framed lid (FL) and each package main body ( 8 ) respectively. 
     
     
         35 . Apparatus according to  claim 34 , characterised in that the station ( 49 ) for sliding on the framed lids (FL) is arranged downstream of the folding-open station ( 48 ). 
     
     
         36 . Apparatus according to  claim 34 , characterised in that the station ( 49 ′) for sliding on the framed lids (FL) is arranged upstream of the folding-open station ( 48 ′) and the outside dimensions of the framed lid (FL′) are smaller than the inside cross-section of the package main body (P′) which is to be slid onto the mandrel ( 47 ′) over the framed lid (FL′).