A sealed package containing a pourable food product and a sheet packaging material for producing a sealed package containing a pourable food product

Abstract

A sealed package containing a pourable food product and comprising a bottom portion, a top portion and a main portion interposed between the bottom portion and top portion and including a plurality of side wall portions; the main portion is divided from the bottom portion and said top portion respectively by a bottom peripheral outline and a top peripheral outline extending transversally with respect to a longitudinal direction; each of the bottom peripheral outline and the top peripheral outline has a broken-line shape and is formed by a plurality of contour edges joined to each other; the bottom portion comprises a quadrilateral bottom panel delimited by the bottom peripheral outline and extending orthogonal to the longitudinal direction; the top portion comprises a quadrilateral top panel delimited by the top peripheral outline and extending transversally to the longitudinal direction; the area of the bottom panel is different from the area of a top quadrilateral obtained by projecting, along the longitudinal direction, the top panel on a reference plane parallel to the bottom panel, crossing the package and containing at least one of the contour edges of the top peripheral outline.

1 . A sealed package containing a pourable food product and comprising a bottom portion, a top portion and a main portion interposed between said bottom portion and said top portion and including a plurality of side wall portions;
 wherein said main portion is divided from said bottom portion and said top portion respectively by a bottom peripheral outline and a top peripheral outline, each having an endless configuration and extending transversally with respect to a longitudinal direction, along which the total height of the package is defined;   wherein each of said bottom peripheral outline and said top peripheral outline has a broken-line shape and is formed by a plurality of contour edges joined to each other;   wherein said bottom portion comprises a quadrilateral bottom panel delimited by said bottom peripheral outline and extending orthogonal to said longitudinal direction; and   wherein said top portion comprises a quadrilateral top panel delimited by said top peripheral outline and extending transversally to said longitudinal direction-;   wherein the area of the bottom panel is different from the area of a top quadrilateral obtained by projecting, along said longitudinal direction, said top panel on a reference plane parallel to said bottom panel, crossing the package and containing at least one of the contour edges of said top peripheral outline.   
     
     
         2 . The package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said reference plane contains at least a top front edge of the contour edges of said top peripheral outline. 
     
     
         3 . The package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the area of said bottom panel is smaller than the area of said top quadrilateral. 
     
     
         4 . The package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said contour edges of said bottom peripheral outline include a bottom front edge, a bottom rear edge and two bottom side edges and wherein said top quadrilateral includes a top front segment, corresponding to said bottom front edge, a top rear segment, corresponding to said bottom rear edge, and two top side segments, respectively corresponding to said bottom side edges. 
     
     
         5 . The package as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said bottom side edges have the same length and said top side segments have the same length; and
 wherein the length of said bottom side edges is different from the length of said top side segments.   
     
     
         6 . The package as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said length of said bottom side edges is smaller than said length of said top side segments. 
     
     
         7 . The package as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said bottom front edge and said bottom rear edge have the same length and said top front segment and said top rear segment have the same length; and
 wherein the length of said bottom front edge and said bottom rear edge is different from the length of said top front segment and said top rear segment.   
     
     
         8 . The package as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said length of said bottom front edge and said bottom rear edge is greater than said length of said top front segment and said top rear segment. 
     
     
         9 . The package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said top panel is slanted with respect to said bottom panel, said reference plane and said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         10 . The package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said top panel is parallel to said bottom panel and wherein said top quadrilateral coincides with said top panel. 
     
     
         11 . The package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of said side wall portions is delimited by two rounded lateral edge zones convex outward. 
     
     
         12 . The package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of said side wall portions is delimited by two straight lateral edge zones. 
     
     
         13 . A sheet packaging material for producing a sealed package containing a pourable food product, said packaging material having a rectangular or square configuration with two boundary edges parallel to a longitudinal direction and two other boundary edges parallel to a transversal direction orthogonal to said longitudinal direction; said packaging material comprising at least a bottom transversal crease line and a top transversal crease line extending transversally to said longitudinal direction and dividing the packaging material into:
 a bottom region containing a bottom crease pattern and configured to form a bottom portion of said package;   a top region containing a top crease pattern and configured to form a top portion of said package; and   an intermediate region contained between said bottom transversal crease line and said top transversal crease line, interposed between said bottom region and said top region and designed to form a main portion of said package having a plurality of side wall portions;   wherein said bottom transversal crease line and said top transversal crease line are configured to define a bottom peripheral outline and a top peripheral outline of said package respectively dividing said bottom portion and said top portion from said main portion;   wherein said bottom transversal crease line extends parallel to said transversal direction and includes a bottom central portion, designed to define a bottom front edge of said package, and two bottom side portions. extending on opposite sides of said bottom central portion and designed to define respective bottom side edges of said package;   wherein said top transversal crease line includes a top central portion, designed to define a top front edge of said package, and two top side portions, extending on opposite sides of said top central portion and designed to define respective top side edges of said package;   wherein said bottom crease pattern is configured to define a quadrilateral bottom panel of said package and said top crease pattern is configured to define a quadrilateral top panel of said package;   wherein the length of said top central portion of said top transversal crease line is different from the length of said bottom central portion of said bottom transversal crease line.   
     
     
         14 . The packaging material as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the length of each of said bottom side portions of said bottom transversal crease line is different from the length of the projection, parallel to said longitudinal direction, of each of said top side portions of said top transversal crease line on a reference line parallel to said bottom transversal crease line and containing at least said top central portion. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging material as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said length of each of said bottom side portions is smaller than said length of the corresponding said projection. 
     
     
         16 . The packaging material as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said length of said bottom central portion of said bottom transversal crease line is greater than said length of said top central portion of said top transversal crease line. 
     
     
         17 . The packaging material as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said top side portions of said top transversal crease line are inclined with respect to both said longitudinal direction and said transversal direction and converge towards said top central portion. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging material as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said top transversal crease line is parallel to said bottom transversal crease line and coincides with said reference line, and wherein said projections of said top side portions on said reference line coincide with said top side portions. 
     
     
         19 . The packaging material as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of longitudinal crease lines extending between said bottom transversal crease line and said top transversal crease line and configured to define respective lateral edge zones of the side wall portions of said package. 
     
     
         20 . The packaging material as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein said longitudinal crease lines are slightly slanted with respect to said longitudinal direction.