HK1234380A1 - Packaging for confectionery products - Google Patents

Abstract

A package 15 for a confectionary item 23, said package comprising a film or wrap 14 which encases the confectionary item 23 and wherein opening means 19, 20 are provided in said package, the opening means comprising at least one transverse 20 and one substantially perpendicular score lines 19 defining a removable portion or releasable flap 21, and wherein the opening means are positioned such that opening thereof exposes a bite size portion of the confectionary item 23. Methods for constructing the packaging and products incorporating it form further aspects of the invention.

Description

Package for confectionery products

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a novel package for confectionery products and to an article of packaging and to a method for manufacturing the package.

Background

A variety of confectionery products may be used to suit different consumer tastes. Typically, these products are composite products comprising various confectionery ingredients including, for example, nougat, caramel (including aerated caramel), toffee, fudge, nuts, crackers, biscuits, gels, flavored creams or pralines. Typically these are all encapsulated in chocolate and thus form the filling of the confectionery product. In these cases, chocolate significantly enhances the taste experience, but also acts to isolate the other components from the air, thereby preventing oxidation and spoilage.

Confectionery comprising elongated bars or fingersProducts are also known. In particular, the Kit of Nestle (Nestle)The bar is a chocolate coated cracker bar confection in which two or four cracker fingers are incorporated in the outer layer of chocolate. The finger shape provides an easy eating experience and allows the individual fingers to be easily separated from each other by breaking the chocolate between the individual fingers.

Another confectionery product comprising two or more finger-shaped components is intended to be consumed together or separately in the applicant's co-pending international patent application having the same filing date and claiming priority from uk patent application No. 1410384.0.

Each finger in this type of confectionery product may be segmented or castellated along its length to allow for cleanly breaking off individual portions or small sections. In this case, the serrations or segments in adjacent fingers are properly aligned so that a break along the segment line results in a portion comprising a small segment of two fingers. This facilitates simultaneous consumption of the segments of both fingers together, if desired.

The confectionery article as described above may be produced on a manufacturing scale. Various manufacturing techniques may be employed.

The confectionery article of the present invention is suitably packaged for sale.

The applicant has developed a series of packages which, while being particularly suitable for the novel confectionery products described above, can also be used more broadly to provide access to a wide variety of articles, in particular confectionery articles.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a package for a confectionery item, the package comprising a film or wrap enclosing the confectionery item and an opening means, the film or wrap and opening means being arranged to allow removal of a portion of the package or opening of an edge in the package, the opening means being positioned such that its opening exposes a bite-sized portion of the confectionery item. The opening tool comprises two score lines, one transverse and one substantially perpendicular to the transverse score line, and the two score lines are arranged to allow removal of a portion of the package in a single simple operation, as explained further below.

Prior to opening, the package is suitably sealed to isolate the confectionery item from the environment.

The opening means in the package provides a clean and convenient way to obtain a bite-sized portion of the confectionary item while the remainder of the package serves as a convenient container to hold the confectionary item in the hand for consumption.

The "bite-sized portion" that constitutes the confectionery item will depend on the specific properties of the confectionery item. However, it is common for confectionery items to take the form of elongate bars of different thicknesses. In this case, the opening means is suitably arranged at a distance of 2.5-6 cm from the end of the package (e.g. at a distance of about 4 cm from the end), taking into account any sealing at the end of the package.

In particular, the opening means provides a detachable portion or releasable edge extending across the end region of the confectionery item.

In case the confectionery item is castellated or segmented allowing easy breaking, the opening means are suitably arranged directly opposite or directly above any first castellation or segmentation from an end of the confectionery item. In this manner, removing the portion or releasing the edge will expose the appropriate section of the confectionery item to allow the consumer to remove or eat the individual sections.

The exposed portion of the fingers can then be consumed, but the remainder of the stick remains within the open "container" made up of the packaging remaining after the edges are removed. By simply pushing the stick from the bottom up through the remaining container, the other section can be exposed for consumption.

If the stick is not consumed immediately, this pushing operation is not performed and the stick will remain in the remaining container, ensuring that the stick does not come into direct contact with the surface on which it can be placed for storage. Similarly, if the stick has been pushed out of the remaining packaging in some way, but is not completely consumed, it may be allowed to fall back into the remaining container and will remain isolated from direct contact with the environment.

Suitable packaging includes films or wraps, particularly polymeric films such as polypropylene (including oriented polypropylene), polyethylene or nylon films, which may be single layer films, or they may be metallized or two layer films including a metal layer. Typically, such a film will be 20-70 microns thick, for example 20-40 microns thick.

In a particular embodiment, the package is for containing a confectionary item as described above, which includes two adjacent fingers, in that the package supports simultaneous biting of both fingers.

The separable portion or edge may be created by scoring the packaging film at a suitable location, for example using a laser. The use of a composite metallised material, such as a three or two layer metallised film, in particular a two layer metallised film, as a packaging material is particularly useful herein because the laser can then cut into or through one or more layers, in particular the top layer, but reflect off the metallised layer, forming a line of weakness that is prone to tearing.

The score line extends transversely around the package and is sufficiently long to allow it to be used to facilitate opening of the package. In embodiments where the package comprises separable portions, typically this means that the score line will extend substantially around the entire package, although the score line may stop at a position where the edge of the film has not yet reached the edge in order to minimise the risk of the film breaking.

The applicant has found that a particularly suitable packaging arrangement further comprises an additional score line extending substantially perpendicularly from the transverse score line to or close to the end region of the detachable portion. Typically, the additional score lines will be arranged longitudinally along the package. This further promotes easy opening, in particular when opening in the area of the longitudinal seam of the package. The seam is typically formed by sealing (e.g., cold sealing) the overlapping edges of the packaging material, and typically extends across the entire width or length of the package. In particular, the additional score line is located immediately adjacent the inner edge of a suitable seam (such as a longitudinal seam), extending from the transverse score line to or near the end or said region of the package. In this case, the seam effectively acts as a pull tab, and the transverse and additional (longitudinal) scoring act together to allow the separable portion to be removed in a single operation.

Tearing along the score line may be facilitated by providing a tear-initiating feature (feature), such as a tear notch or a pair of closely spaced tear notches or a strip suitably provided with a pull tab to initiate tearing. In particular, the tear-initiating feature is a tear notch or strip. The initiating feature (e.g. notch or strip) is conveniently provided at the edge region of the package which is present in a suitable seam, in particular a longitudinal seam. The initiation feature is arranged such that it can initiate a tear toward the transverse score line.

The rim may be completely removed from the remainder of the package to expose the ends of the fingers for consumption.

Alternatively, the rim may be designed such that it remains attached to the container, e.g. at one side. In this embodiment the problem of handling two packaged articles is avoided. In addition, the remaining rim may be folded over the exposed or open end of the container to further isolate the confectionery items for storage without being consumed one time. Folding may be facilitated by selecting a particular material (e.g., aluminum foil) with a "dead-fold" characteristic. Alternatively or additionally, a reseal strip may be provided to temporarily secure the folded section to the container.

In a particular embodiment, the end surface of the package is serrated, which facilitates tearing the package downwards if the consumer wishes not to utilise the provided opening means.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for packaging a confectionery item, the method comprising applying to the confectionery item a package as described above.

The package is suitably made from a film that has been preprinted with the desired information and marketing materials. These films are also scored as described above to produce the desired final package.

These films may be applied around the confectionery item using conventional techniques such as flow wrapping. The film may be heat or cold sealed to form a complete package around the article and cut or crimped to separate individual products. In one particular embodiment, the package is prepared by a cold seal process in which an adhesive (which may be a pressure sensitive adhesive) is applied to the film in the areas that need to be sealed, and these areas are brought together to form a seam that closes the package around the final rod.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a confectionery product comprising a confectionery item contained within a package as described above.

Drawings

The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

1-2 illustrate an example of a package according to the present invention; and

figure 3(a-C) shows the use of a package for eating a segmented chocolate bar.

Detailed Description

Example 1

Package of confectionery articles

An example of a package that may be used in a product according to the present invention is shown in fig. 1. The package comprises two layers of metallised film (14) which have been cut and formed into a rectangular package (15) using a cold sealing process, the package having longitudinal seams (16) and transverse seams (17, 18) the latter at either end around the product, as shown in figure 2.

A score line (20) is provided which extends transversely around the package (15) and penetrates the non-metallic layer of the film (14). The score line (20) is arranged towards an end of the package (15), in particular at a distance of about 4 cm from the end of the package, in order to provide a clean opening in the area of the first segment or castellation position from the end of the confectionery item held in the package (15). The score line extends far enough around the package (15) to allow it to be used to facilitate opening. Typically, this means that the score line will extend substantially around the entire package (15), although the score line may stop at a position where the edge of the film has not yet reached the edge in order to minimize the risk of film breakage.

Tear notches (not shown) may be provided at the ends of the transverse score lines (20) located in the longitudinal seams (16). In the embodiment shown, the further longitudinal score (19) extends substantially between the transverse score (20) to the end of the separable portion (21), immediately along the line of the longitudinal seam (16). Again, it may not extend to the ends of the package in order to maintain some stability and minimize the risk of premature failure of any seams.

In use, the confectionery item (23) within the package (15) (fig. 2A) may be accessed by pulling the longitudinal seam (16) in the region of the score line (20). The pressure causes the transverse score line (20) and also the longitudinal score line (19) to open in a smooth operation. Specifically, the pressure first opens the transverse score line (20) across the width of the seam (16). Once engagement with the longitudinal score line (19) is achieved, continued pulling causes the two lines (19, 20) to open, allowing the end region of the package to be peeled off smoothly.

This results in complete removal of the end portion (21) from the package (15) (fig. 2B), allowing easy and clean access to the end portions of the two fingers of the confectionary item (fig. 2B). This process is illustrated in fig. 3A-3B.

The item may then be consumed by eating both fingers together or eating it separately according to the consumer's taste. The remaining packaging portion (22) provides a convenient holding container for the confectionery item during consumption and a useful storage container for any product that has not been consumed a single time (fig. 2C) as it is of a suitable size to hold the remaining portion.

Alternatively, the detachable portion (21) may be used as a cover over the non-consumed product (fig. 3C).

Claims (12)

1. A package for a confectionery item, the package comprising a film or wrapper enclosing the confectionery item, wherein opening means are provided in the package, the opening means comprising score lines defining a removable portion or a releasable edge, and wherein the opening means are positioned such that their opening exposes a bite-sized portion of the confectionery item; wherein the opening tool comprises a first transverse score line extending transversely around the package and a second score line extending substantially perpendicularly from the transverse score line to an end of the package in the region of the seam of the package.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein the package is elongate and the second score line extends longitudinally along the package.

3. A package according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening tool is arranged 2.5-6 cm from the end of the package.

4. Packaging according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the confectionery item is castellated or segmented and the transverse score line of the opening means is suitably arranged directly opposite or directly above any first castellation or segmentation from one end of the confectionery item.

5. The package of any preceding claim, comprising a composite film comprising a metal layer.

6. The package of claim 5, comprising a two layer film comprising a metal layer.

7. The package of any of the preceding claims, wherein a tear-initiating feature is provided to facilitate tearing along the transverse score line.

8. The package of claim 7, wherein the tear initiation feature is a tear notch or a strip.

9. The package of any of the preceding claims, wherein the opening means comprises a removable portion.

10. A method for packaging a confectionary item, the method wrapping a film that has been pre-scored to form a package according to any one of the preceding claims around a confectionary item, sealing the film to form a package around individual items, and cutting or crimping the package to separate the products.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the package is prepared by a cold seal process in which an adhesive is applied to the film in the areas that need to be sealed and the areas are brought together to form a seam that closes the package around the confectionary item.

12. A confectionery product comprising a confectionery item contained within a package according to any one of claims 1 to 9.