PACKAGING

Abstract: A package is disclosed which comprises a container (1) of plastics material having a neck (2) sealed by a closure, the container (1) and closure being encased by a film of plastics material (14, 15) having low gas permeability. The closure may be in the form of a drinking cup (3) having a primary seal formed by engaging a threaded portion on annulus (11) of the cup (3) with a threaded portion on lip (12) of neck (2), and a secondary seal formed by forcing an annular rib (13) into neck (2). The film (14, 15) having low gas permeability may be applied by heat shrinking or evacuating the space (16) between the film (14, 15) and container (1), or by filling the space (16) with an oxygen free gas, e.g. carbon dioxide, which is inert to the container's contents.

Description: - PACKAGING FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a package including a container filled to a predetermined level with material such as fluids and to a method of packaging such containers. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ' Traditionally, containers such as bottles are fabricated of glass or other material which is capable of holding liquid. Where plastic bottles or containers are used, it is a requirement of health authorities that the plastic fabrication material be of a I . food approved grade. These food approved grades of plastics material will not allow liquid to seep therethrough or extraction of plastic components into the containers contents but commonly permit gases to permeate through the material to the contents of' the container. Where the material contained in such plastic containers are subject to spoilage or other contamination if exposed to oxygen, it is common to either designate the product as having a short shelf life or resort to different materials such as glass or metal or special and expensive grades of plastics material. In an effort to improve the resistance of plastics material to gas permeation, it has also been proposed to fabricate the container of laminated plastics material. The laminate usually comprises an approved food grade plastics inner lining of, for example, polyethylene and an integrally formed outer layer of non-food grade plastics material which prevents gas permeating through it to contact the liquid inside the container. These laminates have to be specially prepared which considerably adds to the cost of fabrication and resultant cost of the container. Where the prime purpose of the container is to merely provide a vehicle for carrying the material, the liquid being the saleable commodity, it is always desirable to minimise the cost of the container. Further, for carbonated beverages which are packaged under pressure, the use of gas permeable plastic container material is unsuitable as carbonation gases, usually carbon dioxide, will permeate through this material and cause the liquid to return to its non-carbonated or flat form. In addition, in industries such as the aviation industry operators are mindful of the need to achieve weight savings where at all possible having regard to the cost of fuel. Whilst the use of plastics containers is well known its suitability and acceptability for wine beverages has not been readily pursued. • Accordingly, the invention proposes a package and method of packaging which substantially prevents gases permeating into or from a container made of plastics material thereby enabling the weight advantages of plastics material to be utilised. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION More particularly there is provided a package comprising a container of plastics material and a film of plastics material having low gas permeability and encasing the container. In a first preferred embodiment of the invention the container is fabricated either wholly or in part with plastics material which does not exhibit low gas permeability. For example polyethylene ( high or low density )and to a lesser degree polyethyleneterephthalate ( P.E.T.)which are well known as food grade container materials. Typically these materials are used in soft drink, milk and aerated waters containers where the life of the beverage is not effected by the gas permeable quality of the material. In these applications the thickness of the plastics usually ranges from 0.3 to 1mm. In a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the plastics film is a nylon based material such as nylon 6. Other plastics materials will be well known to those skilled in the art which material has low gas ( especially oxygen ) permeability. In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the plastics material film may be applied continuous all over the outer surface of the plastics material of the container. Typically, this film can be applied to the container by either evacuating the space between the film and the plastic container or by the well known process of shrinkwrapping. The film may be applied by any suitable methods and the invention is not limited to any one particular method. In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the container is separated from the film by an atmosphere which is inert to the material held in the container. Where the material is a carbonated beverage, the interposing atmosphere may conveniently be carbon dioxide thereby reinforcing the carbonation of the beverage. Nitrogen gas is another example of such an inert atmosphere. As the container is encased or enveloped by the film, it is possible to use normal removable seals for plastic bottles. It is unnecessary for the seal to function other than to prevent the contents e.g. fluids from escaping from the container and thus sealing of the Stelvin type may be avoided with an accompanying significant saving in fabrication cost. It has been found that this package is particularly useful for storage of wine which is prone to oxidise and degrade in the presence of air. In a further variation the package may incorporate a cup. Typically, a cup is inverted and placed over the neck of the container prior to the film being applied to the container. Alternatively, the cup may include a portion which can act as an integral seal for the container. One method of achieving this is for the cup in the portion aforementioned to be internally threaded which threads engage external threads on the top of the container. By turning the cup relative to the container the seal is engaged. The portion preferably also has a central annulus which will project into the opening of the container and form a secondary seal against the inside surface of the container immediately adjacent to the opening. This composite package is particularly useful in the travel industry in which separate handling and provision of a container of liquid and a cup is normal. It will be readily appreciated that the shape of the container and the cup may be varied, and that such variations do not depart from the spirit of the invention. In a further aspect of the invention a method of packaging is provided which comprises the steps of: 1. filling a container of plastics material with material to a predetermined level through an opening in the container; 2. applying a removable closure across the opening in the container to prevent leakage of material from the container; and 3. encasing the container in a film of plastics material having low gas permeability, the container and the film defining a space therebetween, and 4. ' evacuating the space of gas. In one illustration of the packaging method, the plastics film is continuous and is subjected to heat shrinking to encase the plastics container. In a further illustration, the area between the continuous film and plastics container is evacuated and the film seals all surfaces of the plastic container from the surrounding atmosphere. In a further variation of the packaging method, the area between the plastics film and the plastics container may be filled with a gas which is inert to the material held in the container. For example, carbon dioxide would be considered inert to carbonated liquid and in fact this atmosphere would serve to reinforce the carbonation of the liquid. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a container; Fig. 2 is a drinking cup for use with the container of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the drinking cup of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an underneath view of the drinking cup of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a drinking cup and container package; Fig. 6 is a drinking cup and container package according to one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 7 is a drinking cup and container package according to another embodiment of the invention; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the package of Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the package of Fig. 7. Container 1 is made of food grade plastics material such as polyethylene and has a neck 2 having an opening destined to be sealed by a closure . Container 1 may be filled with material to any predetermined level prior to applying the closure. In Figs. 2,3 & 4, a drinking cup 3 is shown which includes a cup portion 9, a stem 10 and a base 4. The base 4 has a square profile 5 and a recess 6. By adopting a square profile 5, the composite package as more clearly shown in Figs.8 & 9 is easily stacked and is prevented from rolling. Cup portion 9, on its inner surface 7, includes a closure 8 comprised of an upstanding annulus 11 and an annular inner rib 13. Reference to Fig.5 illustrates how annulus 11, annular rib 13 and neck 2 of the container interact. By providing complimentary threaded portions upon the annulus 11 and lip 12 of neck 2, it is possible to cause a primary seal between the drinking cup 3 and the container 1. Continuing the rotational movement between the drinking cup 3 and the container 1, forces the annular rib 13 into closer sealing engagement with the neck 2 of container 1. The embodiments of the final packing are shown in Figs. 6 to 10. In the second alternative shown in Figs. 6 and 8, the container 1 and drinking cup 3 has applied to its outer surface a film 14 of plastic material which has low gas permeability. This film 14 may be applied to the outer surface of the package by heat shrinking the film 5 or by evacuating the space which would initially form between film 14 and container 1. In the alternative embodiment shown in Figs. ' 7 & 9 , film 15, which is also of plastics material having low permeability, surrounds container 1. The space 16 between the container 1 and film 15 is either evacuated or filled with an oxygen free gas which is inert to the material in container 1, for example carbon dioxide. Accordingly, air cannot permeate through film 15 and into container 1 thereby safeguarding the material in containerl. In both alternatives, the entire container 1 is sealed from the surrounding atmosphere. As such, it is not necessary to adopt expensive closure devices of the Stelvin type which are also designed as a gas seal. Significant savings in costs of fabrication result. The invention therefore presents a simple package and packaging technique which utilises a combination of the desirable properties of different types of plastics material. In view of the light weight nature of plastics material, such packaging is particularly suited for packaging wine and other beverages for aircraft use in which minimizing of weight is of prime concern. Also for packaging materials in plastic to the exclusion or inclusion of desirable or undesirable gases. Other advantages and modifications to the basic invention as described above will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and such modifications and adaptations are to be included in the scope of the invention.

Claims: THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A package comprising a container of plastics material and a film of plastics material having low gas permeability, said film encasing the container. 2. A package according to claim 1, wherein the container is fabricated of plastics material selected from the group of polyethylene and polyethyleneterephthalate. 3. A package according to claim 1, wherein the film is a nylon film. 4. A package according to claim 1, wherein a substantial vaccuum exists between the container and the film. 5. A package according to claim 1, wherein the container and the film define a space therebetween in which non oxygen gas is present. 6. A package according to claim 1, wherein the container has a removable closure. 7. A package according to claim 1, additionally comprising a cup. 8. A package according to claim 7, wherein the cup incorporates the removable closure. 9. A method of fabricating a package according to claim 1 comprising the steps of: a. filling a container with material to a predetermined level through an opening in the container, b. applying a removable closure across the opening in the container to prevent leakage of the material from the container, c. encasing the container in a film of plastics material having low gas permeability, the container and film defining a space therebetween, and, d. evacuating the space of gas. 10. A method according to claim 9, wherein step d. is substituted by the following step: e. injecting into the space, a gas inert to the material in the container.

Inventors: HICKINBOTHAM IAN LAURIE, HICKINBOTHAM, IAN, LAURIE
Applicants: HICKINBOTHAM WINEMAKERS, HICKINBOTHAM WINEMAKERS PTY. LTD.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B65D81
IPC codes: B65D41, B65D81