Packaging

Abstract

A flow-wrapped package ( 14 ) is made of a length of flexible material ( 16 ). The package is closed by means of a longitudinal seal along one face and transverse end seals ( 20, 22 ) formed using a cold seal adhesive. One of the end seals ( 20 ) has an aperture ( 24 ) for suspending the package for display purposes. The end seal ( 20 ) with the aperture ( 24 ) may be embossed and/or it may have a greater depth (D) than the other end seal ( 22 ), at least over a region in which the aperture is formed. The longitudinal seal ( 118 , FIG. 3 ) is a fin seal which 26 may be folded to overlay the display aperture ( 124 , FIG. 2 ) and may have an aperture ( 124 A, FIG. 3 ) corresponding to and aligned with the display aperture ( 124, FIG. 2 ) in the end seal. The display aperture ( 224 , FIG. 4 ) may be positioned laterally off-centre so that the package hangs at an angle.

1 . A packaging assembly comprising a flow-wrapped package containing at least one product, the package comprising a length of flexible material folded about the at least one product and being closed by means of at least one fin seal extending longitudinally along a face of the package and by means of a transverse end seal at either longitudinal end of the package, wherein the end seals are formed using a cold seal adhesive and a first end seal has an aperture defined there through by means of which the package can be suspended for display purposes. 
     
     
         2 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the material in the first end seal is embossed. 
     
     
         3 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the material is embossed with a pattern comprising a plurality of elongate ridges. 
     
     
         4 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the ridges extend in a direction which is substantially horizontal when the package is suspended by means of the display aperture. 
     
     
         5 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the ridges extend in a transverse direction of the package across the end seal. 
     
     
         6 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the end seals are each of a substantially constant depth, the first end seal having a depth which is greater than the depth of the other end seal. 
     
     
         7 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first end seal is shaped to have a region of increased depth within which the display aperture is located. 
     
     
         8 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the other end seal is correspondingly shaped to have a region of reduced depth. 
     
     
         9 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fin seal is folded over to overlay the display aperture in the first end seal and a corresponding display aperture is provided in the fin seal. 
     
     
         10 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the display aperture is positioned off-centre relative to a longitudinal centre line of the package. 
     
     
         11 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the package is substantially square and the display aperture is located towards one transverse edge of the package seal, such that when suspended via the display aperture, the package hangs substantially diagonally. 
     
     
         12 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein more than one product is contained in the package. 
     
     
         13 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the, or each, product is a food and more particularly a confectionery product. 
     
     
         14 . A packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the, or each, product is a chocolate bar. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly comprising a package containing at least one product, the method comprising:
 flow-wrapping a length of flexible material about the at least one product, bringing the inner faces of opposing side edge regions of the material together and bonding to form a longitudinal fin seal;   bringing the inner faces of opposing end edge regions of the material that extend beyond the ends of the at least one product into contact and bonding together with a cold seal adhesive to form transverse end seals;   cutting the material to separate the closed package from the remainder of the material; and   forming a display aperture in a first one of the end seals.   
     
     
         17 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the method comprises forming the end seals by clamping the material between opposed jaws, at least one of the jaws having a punch configured to produce the display aperture when the material is darned between the jaws to form the first end seal. 
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the method comprises embossing the material in the first end seal. 
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the method comprises embossing the material to form an embossed pattern comprising a plurality of elongate ridges. 
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the method comprises forming the ridges so that they extend in a direction which is substantially horizontal when the package is suspended by means of the display aperture. 
     
     
         21 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the method comprises forming the ridges so that they extend in a transverse direction of the package across the first end seal. 
     
     
         22 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the method comprises forming the end seals so that they are each of substantially constant depth, the first end seal having a depth which is greater than the depth of the other end seal. 
     
     
         23 . A method of manufacturing a Packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the method comprises shaping the first end seal so as to have a region of increased depth and positioning the display aperture within the region of increased depth. 
     
     
         24 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the method comprises shaping the other end seal so as to have a correspondingly shaped region of reduced depth. 
     
     
         25 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the method comprises clamping the material between a pair of jaws to simultaneously form the first end seal of a first package and the other end seal of a second package, and cutting the material between the first end seal and the other end seal to separate the first and second packages, the line of the cut being configured to produce the region of increased depth in the first end seal and the correspondingly shaped region of reduced depth in the other seal. 
     
     
         26 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the method comprises folding the fin seal so as to over to overlay the display aperture in the first end seal and forming a corresponding display aperture in the overlaying region of the fin seal. 
     
     
         27 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the method comprises positioning the display aperture off-centre with respect to a longitudinal centre line of the package, such that when suspended via the display aperture, the longitudinal centre-line of the package is angled relative to the vertical. 
     
     
         28 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the method comprises forming a package that is substantially square in plan and locating the display aperture towards one transverse edge of the package, such that when suspended via the display aperture, the package hangs substantially diagonally. 
     
     
         29 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the method comprises enclosing more than one product in the package. 
     
     
         30 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the, or each, product is a food and more particularly a confectionery product. 
     
     
         31 . A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the, or each, product is a chocolate bar. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled)