Sachet for a sample of a fluid product

Abstract

The sachet ( 1 ) for a metered quantity of a fluid product comprises a first part ( 4 a ) and a second part ( 4 b ) in the form of sealed flexible layers having an annular attachment sector ( 8 ), a gripping region ( 13 ), and a sealed cavity ( 14 ), and, in a part of the gripping region ( 13 ), the layer portion of the first part ( 4 a ) and/or the second part ( 4 b ) is folded on itself from the edge ( 3 ) in a folded flap ( 18 a, 8 b ), so as to form a thicker region ( 18 ) having a thickness at least twice the thickness of the layer portion of this part ( 4 a, 4 b ), which makes up for at least part, or equalizes, or exceeds the overthickness in the region of the cavity ( 14 ), on account of the presence of the metered quantity of fluid product (P) located therein, so as to reduce or eliminate the risk of damage to the sachet ( 1 ) filled with the metered quantity of fluid product (P) when it is inserted into a magazine.

1 . Sachet ( 1 ) able and intended to contain a dose of fluid product (P), comprising a first part ( 4   a ) in the form of a fluidtight layer portion with a certain flexibility and a second part ( 4   b ) in the form of a fluidtight layer portion with a certain flexibility, the first part ( 4   a ) and the second part ( 4   b ) being arranged opposite so that the sachet ( 1 ) comprises:
 an annular area ( 8 ) for mutual bonding that is fluidtight and that can be detached by a suitable opening action of the first part ( 4   a ) and of the second part ( 4   b ) in a reciprocal contact area of their two inner surfaces ( 9   a ,  9   b ),   a gripping zone ( 13 ) that, toward the outside, is adjacent to the peripheral edge ( 3 ) of the sachet ( 1 ) and that, toward the inside, is adjacent to the bonding area ( 8 ), in which the first part ( 4   a ) and the second part ( 4   b ) are not mutually bonded so as to provide a gripping means of the tab type for the purpose of opening the sachet ( 1 ),   a fluidtight cavity ( 14 ) bounded by the bonding area ( 8 ) and by the two areas that are not mutually bonded ( 15   a ,  15   b ) of the inner surfaces ( 9   a ,  9   b ) opposite the first part ( 4   a ) and the second part ( 4   b ) that it borders, able to receive the dose of fluid product (P) to be bagged,   
       characterized by the fact that in at least one part of said gripping zone ( 13 ), the layer portion of at least one of the first and second parts ( 4   a ,  4   b ) is folded on itself at least from the peripheral edge ( 3 ) by a folded flap ( 18   a ,  18   b ), so as to form a raised surface region ( 18 ), with a thickness at least double the thickness of the layer portion of this part ( 4   a ,  4   b ), the sachet ( 1 ) thus comprising in the raised surface region ( 18 ) a raised thickness that compensates for, at least in part, or equalizes, or exceeds the raised thickness in the region of the cavity ( 14 ), due to the presence of the dose of fluid product (P) that is found there, so as to reduce or eliminate the risk of damaging the sachet ( 1 ) filled with the dose of fluid product (P) when it is inserted into a magazine. 
     
     
         2 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the folded flap ( 18   a ,  18   b ) of the first part and/or the second part ( 4   b ) is also bonded onto itself, forming a permanent folded flap ( 18   a ,  18   b ). 
     
     
         3 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  and  2 , wherein the folded flap ( 18   a ,  18   b ) of the first part ( 4   a ) and/or of the second part ( 4   b ) extends in a longitudinal direction up to the vicinity of the annular bonding area ( 8 ). 
     
     
         4 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to  claim 3 , wherein a portion ( 20 ) of the folded flap ( 18   a ,  18   b ) of the first part ( 4   a ) and/or of the second part ( 4   b ) extends in a longitudinal direction while being adjacent to a part ( 12 ) of the annular bonding area ( 8 ) forming its starting point of rupture. 
     
     
         5 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to  claim 4 , wherein said part ( 20 ) of the folded flap ( 18   a ,  18   b ) is located in a median way on said folded flap ( 18   a ,  18   b ), and/or said part ( 12 ) of the annular bonding area ( 8 ) is located in a median way on a segment ( 11 ) of said annular bonding area ( 8 ). 
     
     
         6 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  5 , wherein the folded flap ( 18   a ,  18   b ) of at least one of the first and second parts ( 4   a ,  4   b ) is in all, or substantially all, of the gripping zone ( 13 ), the gripping zone ( 13 ) being merged, or substantially merged, with the raised surface region ( 18 ). 
     
     
         7 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 , wherein the gripping zone ( 13 ) and/or the raised surface region ( 18 ) extends peripherally along a part of the peripheral edge ( 3 ) over a certain length and extends in the perpendicular direction over a certain width, the length and the width being sufficient to make possible, on the one hand, the gripping for the purpose of opening the sachet ( 1 ) and, on the other hand, the reduction or the elimination of the risk of damaging the sachet ( 1 ) filled with the dose of fluid product (P) when it is inserted into a magazine. 
     
     
         8 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to  claim 7 , wherein said length is at least one-third of the length of the peripheral edge ( 3 ), in particular on the order of one-half or at least one-half of the length of the peripheral edge ( 3 ), and/or said width is at least one-quarter of the length of the sachet ( 1 ) in the same perpendicular direction, in particular on the order of one-third or at least one-third of the length of the sachet ( 1 ) in the same perpendicular direction. 
     
     
         9 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein the gripping zone ( 13 ) and/or the raised surface region ( 18 ) extends peripherally outward either in totality, or substantially in totality, or over only a fraction of the peripheral edge ( 3 ) of the sachet ( 1 ), and/or the gripping zone ( 13 ) and/or the raised surface region ( 18 ) is either in a single section or in several sections that are separate, contiguous or spaced out, in particular in two diametrically opposed sections facing each other on the sachet ( 1 ). 
     
     
         10 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  9 , wherein the gripping zone ( 13 ) and/or the raised surface region ( 18 ) comprises, toward the inside, a boundary ( 19 ,  19   a ,  19   b ) whose shape defines as a whole a line or a surface for folding and opening the two parts of the gripping zone ( 13 ) and/or of the raised surface region ( 18 ). 
     
     
         11 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  10 , wherein in at least one part of the gripping zone ( 13 ), the folded flap ( 18   a ) of the first part ( 4   a ) and the folded flap ( 18   b ) of the second part ( 4   b ) are located at right angles to the same raised surface region ( 18 ), with a thickness at least equal to twice the thickness of the layer portion of the first part ( 4   a ) plus twice the thickness of the layer portion of the second part ( 4   b ). 
     
     
         12 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein the folded flap ( 18   a ) of the first folded part ( 4   a ) and the folded flap ( 18   b ) of the second part ( 4   b ) are located opposite one another. 
     
     
         13 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  12 , wherein it is bound on both sides by two outer surfaces ( 4   aa ,  4   ba ) that are substantially flat or without an aesthetically notable raised feature. 
     
     
         14 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  13 , wherein the first part ( 4   a ) and the second part ( 4   b ) and the sachet ( 1 ) all together exhibit a certain flexibility and an overall strength that is, in particular, flat. 
     
     
         15 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  14 , wherein the layer of the first part ( 4   a ) and/or the layer of the second part ( 4   b ) has/have a thickness on the order of 1/10 th  of a millimeter. 
     
     
         16 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  15 , wherein the layer of the first part ( 4   a ) and the layer of the second part ( 4   b ) are either identical or different relative to the material and/or the thickness. 
     
     
         17 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  16 , wherein its peripheral edge ( 3 ) corresponds to the two coincident peripheral edges ( 3   a ,  3   b ) of the first part ( 4   a ) in layer portion shape and of the second part ( 4   b ) in layer portion shape, and in particular wherein its peripheral edge ( 3 ) has a contour of general shape, or falling within a general, polygonal shape such as a square or rectangular shape. 
     
     
         18 . Sachet ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer portion of the first part ( 4   a ) and the layer portion of the second part ( 4   b ) are folded and bonded on themselves opposite one another, in all, or substantially all, of the gripping zone ( 13 ), in two folded flaps with bonding ( 18   a ,  18   b ), forming a raised surface region ( 18 ), with a thickness equal to twice the thickness of the layer portion of the first part ( 4   a ) plus twice the thickness of the layer portion of the second part ( 4   b ), the two folded flaps with bonding ( 18   a ,  18   b ) extending in a longitudinal direction up to the vicinity of a starting point for rupture ( 12 ) of the annular bonding area ( 8 ), the gripping zone ( 13 ) and the raised surface region ( 18 ) extending peripherally over a certain length of the peripheral edge ( 3 ) of the sachet ( 1 ), the sachet ( 1 ) being bound on both sides by two outer surfaces ( 4   aa ,  4   ba ) that are substantially flat or without an aesthetically notable raised feature and having a peripheral edge ( 3 ) corresponding to the two coincident peripheral edges ( 3   a ,  3   b ) of the first part ( 4   a ) and of the second part ( 4   b ). 
     
     
         19 . Sachet ( 1 ) containing a dose of a fluid product (P), wherein it comprises a sachet ( 1 ) according to any one of  claims 1  to  18  and a dose of fluid product (P) received in the cavity ( 14 ) of the sachet ( 1 ). 
     
     
         20 . Sachet ( 1 ) containing a dose of a fluid product (P) according to  claim 19 , wherein the dose of fluid product (P) is received in the cavity ( 14 ) of the sachet ( 1 ), without intermediate support. 
     
     
         21 . Sachet ( 1 ) containing a dose of a fluid product (P) according to  claim 19 , wherein the dose of fluid product (P) impregnates a support, said support thus impregnated with fluid product being received in the cavity ( 14 ) of the sachet ( 1 ). 
     
     
         22 . Sachet ( 1 ) containing a dose of a fluid product (P) according to any one of  claims 19  to  21 , wherein its thickness in the raised surface region ( 18 ) compensates for, at least in part, or equalizes, or exceeds the thickness in the region of the cavity ( 14 ) where the dose of fluid product (P) is found and wherein it is bound on both sides by two outer surfaces ( 4   aa ,  4   ba ) that are substantially flat or without an aesthetically notable raised feature. 
     
     
         23 . Process for manufacturing a series of sachets ( 1 ) of the type containing a dose of a fluid product (P) according to any one of  claims 19  to  22 , wherein:
 one or two strips ( 21 ,  21   a ,  21   b ) of material in the form of a layer is/are used, 
 fluid product (P) is used, 
 
       wherein, successively:
 the strip or strips ( 21 ,  21   a ,  21   b ) of layer-shaped material is/are unwound so as to form a layer-shaped continuous first-part strip ( 23   a ) and a layer-shaped continuous second-part strip ( 23   b ), and the first-part strip ( 23   a ) and the second-part strip ( 23   b ) are pulled in synchronicity, 
 a longitudinal layer portion of at least one of the first-part and second-part strips ( 23   a ,  23   b ) is folded on itself, at least from the longitudinal peripheral edge while this strip is unwinding, in a folded flap ( 18   a ,  18   b ), so as to form a longitudinal raised surface region ( 18 ) adjacent to the longitudinal peripheral edge of this strip, 
 when the first-part strip ( 23   a ) and the second-part strip ( 23   b ) are located opposite one another and in contact with one another toward their longitudinal peripheral edges, for each operation of a series of similar operations, the dose of fluid product (P) to be bagged is inserted between the first-part strip ( 23   a ) and the second-part strip ( 23   b ), and the first-part strip ( 23   a ) and the second-part strip ( 23   b ) are bonded in an annular area ( 8 ) so as to form a cavity ( 14 ), each successive dose of fluid product (P) being received in each successive cavity ( 14 ), 
 the folded flap ( 18   a ,  18   b ) of the first-part strip ( 23   a ) and/or of the second-part strip ( 23   b ) is bonded longitudinally on itself, 
 the first-part strip ( 23   a ) and the second-part strip ( 23   b ), thus bonded, are cut at least crosswise between the successive cavities ( 14 ) filled with doses of fluid product (P), so that for each operation of a series of similar operations, a sachet ( 1 +P) containing a dose of a fluid product is separated. 
 
     
     
         24 . Process according to  claim 23 , wherein a single strip ( 21 ) of layer-shaped material is used, and from this, a first-part strip ( 23   a ) and a second-part strip ( 23   b ) are formed, or two strips of material ( 21   a ,  21   b ) are used and thus a first-part strip ( 23   a ) and a second-part strip ( 23   b ) are used.