Sheet packaging material for producing sealed packages of pourable food products

Abstract

A sheet packaging material includes fold lines along which the sheet packaging material is foldable to form a sealed package containing a pourable food product. The packaging material comprises at least one base layer that imparts stiffness, at least one lamination layer applied to and covering the base layer; and a removable portion which, in use, is partly detachable from a remainder of the sheet packaging material and foldable at a folding zone to free a pour opening by which to pour the food product from the package. The removable portion comprises at least one aperture formed at least in the base layer and covered by a cover material, and the removable portion is crossed by one of the fold lines defining in use an edge between two walls of the package.

1 . A sheet packaging material having a number of fold lines along which the sheet packaging material is foldable to form a sealed package containing a pourable food product, the sheet packaging material comprising:
 at least one base layer that imparts stiffness;   at least one lamination layer applied to and covering the base layer;   a removable portion which, in use, is partly detachable from a remainder of the sheet packaging material and foldable at a folding zone to free a pour opening by which to pour the food product from the package;   the removable portion comprising at least one aperture formed at least in the base layer and covered by a cover material; and   the removable portion being crossed by one of the fold lines defining in use an edge between two walls of the package.   
     
     
         2 . A packaging material as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the one fold line crossing the removable portion separates two portions of the packaging material eventually defining angled walls, of the package. 
     
     
         3 . A packaging material as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the fold lines are configured to create, when being folded into a package, an angle between the angled walls at the area of the removable portion of between 100 and 110 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . A packaging material as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the removable portion is divided by the one fold line in a first region and a second region respectively located in use on the distinct walls of the package; the second region being smaller than the first region, defining the folding zone and acting in use as a hinge during folding of the removable portion to free the pour opening. 
     
     
         5 . A packaging material as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the aperture encircles an entirety of the removable portion. 
     
     
         6 . A packaging material as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the aperture and the removable portion are circular or elliptical and wherein the one of the fold lines defines a chord of the removable portion. 
     
     
         7 . A packaging material as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein a distance from a center of the removable portion to the chord, measured perpendicularly to the chord, is about 50 to 85 percent of the distance from the center to the edge of the removable portion, measured perpendicularly to the chord from the center and to an opposite side of the fold line. 
     
     
         8 . A packaging material as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cover material is defined by one or more of the lamination layers covering the aperture formed in the base layer. 
     
     
         9 . A packaging material as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cover material is defined by a patch applied to the packaging material to seal the aperture. 
     
     
         10 . A sealed package, for pourable food products, formed by folding and sealing a packaging material as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the walls are a top wall and a lateral or front wall of the package. 
     
     
         11 . A package as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the removable portion is divided by the one fold line into a first region on the top wall and a second region on the lateral or front wall.