Multi-Compartment Tray-Less Package With a Rigid Frame

Abstract

A tray-less multi-compartment plastic flexible package has two outermost films comprising crystallizable polymer, at least two products, and at least one internal film comprising crystallizable polymer. The internal film is interposed between the two products and the outermost films. A peripheral circumferential continuous seal seals the two outermost films and the internal film together in a sealing area and delimits two sealed compartments each enclosing one of the at least two products. The crystallizable polymer is at least partially crystallized in the sealing area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tray-less package comprising:
 i) two outermost films comprising crystallizable polymer;   ii) at least two products;   iii) at least one internal film comprising crystallizable polymer and interposed between the at least two products and between the two outermost films; and   iv) a peripheral circumferential continuous rigid frame comprising a peripheral circumferential continuous seal which seals the two outermost films and the at least one internal film together in a sealing area and delimits at least two sealed compartments each enclosing at least a product of the at least two products, wherein the crystallizable polymer is at least partially crystallized in the sealing area.   
     
     
         2 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein only one internal film of the at least one internal film is interposed between two adjacent products of the at least two products. 
     
     
         3 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein:
 the at least one internal film comprises at least two internal films; and 
 two internal films of the at least two internal films are interposed between two adjacent products of the at least two products. 
 
     
     
         4 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein the at least two sealed compartments comprise from 2 to 20 sealed compartments. 
     
     
         5 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein the crystallizable polymer is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene homopolymers, polypropylene copolymers, high density polyethylenes, medium density polyethylenes, polyesters, polyamides, polystyrenes, and blends thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein the two outermost films and the at least one internal film each comprise at least 30% crystallizable polymer by weight of the film. 
     
     
         7 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein the crystallizable polymer comprises one or more polyesters that crystallize under sealing temperatures from 140° C. to 220° C. 
     
     
         8 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein the crystallizable polymer comprises one or more polyesters having a melting point greater than 220° C. 
     
     
         9 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area has a percentage of crystallinity greater than 15%. 
     
     
         10 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein the two outermost films and the at least one internal film each comprise a blend comprising crystallizable polyester and at most 70% amorphous polyester by weight of the blend, wherein the amorphous polyester has a glass transition temperature lower than 115° C. 
     
     
         11 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein the two outermost films and the at least one internal film are sealable and peelable crystallizable plastic films. 
     
     
         12 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein the difference in the percentage of crystallinity of the crystallizable polymer within the sealing area with respect to the crystallizable polymer outside of the sealing area of the package is at least 5%. 
     
     
         13 . The package according to  claim 1  wherein the percentage ratio between (i) the combined weight of the two outermost films and the at least one internal film with respect to (ii) the total weight of the package is lower than 15%. 
     
     
         14 . A method of manufacturing the tray-less package of  claim 2  comprising the steps of:
 stacking in sequence a first of the two outermost films, a first of the at least two products, a first of the at least one internal film, a second of the at least two products, and a second of the two outermost films; 
 simultaneously sealing the two outermost films and the at least one internal film together in the sealing area (i) to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area to form the peripheral circumferential continuous rigid frame and (ii) to delimit a first sealed compartment and a second sealed compartment of the at least two sealed compartments, wherein the first sealed compartment encloses the first product and the second sealed compartment encloses the second product. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein:
 the stacking step comprises stacking a given number of additional internal films and the same given number of additional product in a film-product alternating arrangement between the second of the at least two products and the second of the two outermost films; and 
 the simultaneous sealing step forms the same given number of additional sealed compartments. 
 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing the tray-less package of  claim 3  comprising the steps of:
 stacking in sequence a first of the two outermost films, a first of the at least two products, a first of the at least two internal films, a second of the at least two internal films, a second of the at least two products, and a second of the two outermost films; 
 simultaneously sealing the two outermost films and the at least two internal films together in the sealing area (i) to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area to form the peripheral circumferential continuous rigid frame and (ii) to delimit a first sealed compartment and a second sealed compartment of the at least two sealed compartments, wherein the first sealed compartment encloses the first product and the second sealed compartment encloses the second product. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein:
 the stacking step comprises stacking a given even number of additional internal films and half of the given even number of additional product in a film-film-product alternating arrangement between the second of the at least two products and the second of the two outermost films; and 
 the simultaneous sealing step forms a number of additional sealed compartments that is equal to half of the given even number of additional internal films. 
 
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing the tray-less package of  claim 2  comprising the steps of:
 stacking in sequence a first of the two outermost films, a first of the at least two products, and a first of the at least one internal film; 
 sealing the first of the two outermost films and the first of the at least one internal film together in the sealing area to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area and delimit a first sealed compartment enclosing the first of the at least two products; 
 sealing the second of the outermost films to the first sealed compartment (i) to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area of the outermost film, (ii) to delimit a second sealed compartment enclosing the second product of the at least two products, and (iii) to complete the peripheral circumferential continuous rigid frame. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein:
 the at least two products comprises the first product, the second product, and one or more additional products; 
 the at least one internal film comprises the first internal film and one or more additional internal films; and 
 further comprising sequentially sealing each of the one or more internal films to the first sealed compartment to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area of the one or more internal films and to delimit one or more additional sealed compartments each enclosing one of the one or more additional products. 
 
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing the tray-less package of  claim 3  comprising the steps of:
 sealing the first of the two outermost films and the first of the at least two internal films together in the sealing area to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area of the first films and delimit a first sealed compartment enclosing the first of the at least two products; 
 sealing the second of the at least two internal films to the second of the two outermost films (i) to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area of the second films, (ii) to delimit a second sealed compartment enclosing the second of the at least two products, and (iii) simultaneously to attach the second sealed compartment to the first sealed compartment to complete the peripheral circumferential continuous rigid frame. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein:
 the at least two products comprises the first product, the second product, and one or more additional products; 
 the at least two internal films comprises the first internal film, the second internal film, and two or more additional internal films; and 
 further comprising sealing together each two of the two or more additional internal films (i) to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area of each of the two or more additional internal films, (ii) to delimit one or more additional sealed compartments each enclosing one of the one or more additional products, and (iii) to attach each of the one or more sealed compartments to the first sealed compartment simultaneously with the sealing together of each two of the two or more additional internal films. 
 
     
     
         22 . A method of manufacturing the tray-less package of  claim 2  wherein:
 the at least two products comprises a first product, a second product, and a third product; 
 the at least one internal film comprises a first internal film and a second internal film; and 
 comprising the steps of: 
 sealing the first of the two outermost films and the first internal film together in the sealing area to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area of the first films and delimit a first sealed compartment enclosing the first product; 
 sealing the second internal film and the second of the two outermost films to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area of the second films and delimit a second sealed compartment enclosing the second product; 
 interposing the third product between the first and second compartments; and 
 attaching the second sealed compartment to the first sealed compartment to complete the peripheral circumferential continuous rigid frame. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein:
 the at least two products further comprises one or more additional products; and 
 the at least one internal film further comprises two or more additional internal films; 
 further comprising sealing together each two of the two or more additional internal films to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area of each of the two or more additional internal films and delimit one or more additional sealed compartments each enclosing one of the one or more additional products; 
 interposing one of the one of the one or more additional products between each one of the one or more additional sealed compartments and the adjacent sealed compartment; and 
 sealing or gluing each of the one or more additional sealed compartments to the first compartment or to another of the one or more sealed compartments. 
 
     
     
         24 . A method of manufacturing the tray-less package of  claim 3  comprising the steps of:
 sealing the first of the two outermost films and the first of the at least two internal films together in the sealing area to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area of the first films and delimit a first sealed compartment enclosing the first of the at least two products; 
 sealing the second of the at least two internal films and the second of the two outermost films to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area of the second films and delimit a second sealed compartment enclosing the second of the at least two products; and 
 sealing or gluing the first sealed compartment and the second sealed compartment to complete the peripheral circumferential continuous rigid frame. 
 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein:
 the at least two products comprises the first product, the second product, and one or more additional products; 
 the at least two internal films comprises the first internal film, the second internal film, and two or more additional internal films; and 
 further comprising sealing together each two of the two or more additional internal films to at least partially crystallize the crystallizable polymer in the sealing area of each of the two or more additional internal films and delimit one or more additional sealed compartments each enclosing one of the one or more additional products; and 
 sealing or gluing each of the one or more additional sealed compartments to the first compartment or to another of the one or more sealed compartments.