Granted Patent B2

US 12,459,284 · App. 18/209,164 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Inventors: Manfred Schäfer (Cologne, DE); Steffen Ohr (Sursee, CH); Ronny Kunze (Schenkelberg, DE); Axel Niemöller (Düren, DE)

Assignee: Sihl GmbH

B41M5/504B41M5/0047B41M5/506B41M5/508B41M5/5218B41M5/5227

Abstract

Claims (60)

1 . An unprinted inkjet-printable fillable pouch made of an unprinted inkjet-printable film comprising:

(a) a multilayer polymer film comprising a base layer (a1) and a sealing layer (a2), which is the inner layer of the pouch; and

(b) at least one ink-receiving layer as the outer layer deposited on the multilayer polymer film (a) from an aqueous coating composition comprising:

(b1) a polymeric binder;

(b2) fine inorganic particles having a median particle size (Dv50) of from 50 to 300 nm, as determined by laser diffraction according to ISO 13320:2020-01; and

(b3) coarse inorganic and/or organic particles having a median particle size (Dv50) of from 5 to 14 μm, as determined by laser diffraction according to ISO 13320:2020-01,

wherein the unprinted inkjet-printable film has an average surface roughness Rz of from 3.0 to 12.0 μm, as determined on the surface of the ink-receiving layer (b) according to DIN EN ISO 4287:2010-07 with a sampling length ln of 4.0 mm and a single sampling length lr of 0.8 mm as defined in DIN EN ISO 4288:1998-04 with a 2 μm probe tip and an aperiodic profile setting.

2 . An unprinted inkjet-printable fillable pouch made of an unprinted inkjet-printable film comprising:

(a) a multilayer polymer film comprising a base layer (a1) and a sealing layer (a2), which is the inner layer of the pouch; and

(b) at least one ink-receiving layer as the outer layer deposited on the multilayer polymer film (a) from an aqueous coating composition comprising:

(b1) a polymeric binder;

(b2) fine inorganic particles having a median particle size (Dv50) of from 50 to 300 nm, as determined by laser diffraction according to ISO 13320:2020-01; and

(b3) coarse inorganic and/or organic particles having a median particle size (Dv50) of from 5 to 14 μm, as determined by laser diffraction according to ISO 13320:2020-01,

wherein the coarse inorganic and/or organic particles have a specific pore volume of from 1.3 to 2.5 ml/g, as determined according to DIN 66134:1998-02, and/or an oil absorption value of from 220 to 400 g/100 g, as determined according to DIN EN ISO 787-5:1995-10.

3 . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the base layer (a1) is a non-sealable polymer layer (a1i).

4 . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the base layer (a1) and the sealing layer (a2) are a monomaterial.

5 . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the multilayer polymer film (a) further comprises at least one intermediate layer (a3), and/or a barrier layer (a4).

6 . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the multilayer polymer film (a) has a thickness of from 35 to 300 μm.

7 . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric binder (b1) is a water-soluble polymeric binder.

8 . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the fine inorganic particles (b2) are selected from alumina, aluminum oxide hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, cationically surface-modified silica, and any combinations thereof.

9 . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the coarse particles (b3) are selected from:

inorganic particles selected from aluminum oxide, aluminum oxide hydroxide, silica, and any combinations thereof;

organic particles selected from polymeric particles, and

combinations of any of these inorganic and organic particles.

10 . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the coarse particles (b3) are spherical particles and/or wherein the coarse particles (b3) are comprised in the ink-receiving layer (b) in a maximum amount of 20 wt. %, based on the total dry weight of the ink-receiving layer.

11 . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the ink-receiving layer (b) is coated over the multilayer polymer film (a) at a dry coating weight being in the range of from 10 to 27 g/m 2 .

12 . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the unprinted inkjet-printable film exhibits a dynamic coefficient of friction of the surface of ink-receiving layer (b) to itself (CoF film to film) in the range of from 0.30 to 0.50, determined according to DIN EN ISO 8295:2004-10 but with 1 kg weight at 300 mm/min drawing speed and/or the unprinted inkjet-printable film has a gloss of from 10 to 30 gloss units, as determined on the surface of ink-receiving layer (b) at 60° according to ISO 2813:2014, and/or the unprinted inkjet-printable film has a tear resistance of at least 1 N in machine direction (MD) and cross direction (CD), as determined according to ISO 6383-1:2015-12, and/or wherein when the multilayer polymer film (a) is a transparent film having a haze value of no more than 5%, the unprinted inkjet-printable film has a haze value of higher than 25%, as determined according to ASTM D1003, Procedure A.

13 . The pouch according to claim 1 , wherein the pouch is a flexible pouch.

14 . A method for producing unprinted inkjet-printable fillable pouches according to claim 1 from the unprinted inkjet-printable film on a pouch making machine, comprising the steps of:

(m-1) providing one or more webs of the unprinted inkjet-printable film which are preferably unwound from one or more reels;

(m-2) moving the web(s) of the unprinted inkjet-printable film in a longitudinal direction;

(m-3) converting the web(s) of unprinted inkjet-printable film into a pouch precursor web having a desired shape by folding and/or stacking the web(s) with the ink-receiving layer (b) as outer layers of the pouch precursor web;

(m-4) sealing the pouch precursor web to obtain a web of pouches;

(m-5) cutting off the pouches from the web; and

(m-6) optionally stacking the pouches,

wherein one or more of steps (m-3) to (m-5) further optionally comprises integrating one or more features selected from a window, a reclosable means, a Euro hole, a tear notch, perforations, a thin valve, and an opening for spouts or valves into a single pouch shape of the pouch precursor web.

15 . A method for printing an unprinted inkjet-printable fillable pouch according to claim 1 comprising the step of water-based inkjet printing at least one main surface of the pouch.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , comprising the steps of:

(p-1) feeding the pouch on a conveyor belt;

(p-2) transporting the pouch underneath the printing station; and

(p-3) water-based inkjet printing one main surface of the pouch, and

(p-4) optionally transporting the printed pouch on the conveyor belt through or beneath a lacquering station and over-lacquering or over-varnishing the printed pouch; and/or

(p-5) optionally transporting the printed pouch on the conveyor belt through or beneath a dryer and drying the printed pouch after the printing step (p-3) and/or the optional lacquering step (p-4) and/or

(p-6) optionally stacking the printed pouches, provided that the method is conducted for more than one pouch.

17 . A method for producing unprinted inkjet-printable fillable pouches according to claim 2 from the unprinted inkjet-printable film on a pouch making machine, comprising the steps of:

(m-1) providing one or more webs of the unprinted inkjet-printable film which are preferably unwound from one or more reels;

(m-2) moving the web(s) of the unprinted inkjet-printable film in a longitudinal direction;

(m-3) converting the web(s) of unprinted inkjet-printable film into a pouch precursor web having a desired shape by folding and/or stacking the web(s) with the ink-receiving layer (b) as outer layers of the pouch precursor web;

(m-4) sealing the pouch precursor web to obtain a web of pouches; and

(m-5) cutting off the pouches from the web; and

(m-6) optionally stacking the pouches,

wherein one or more of steps (m-3) to (m-5) further optionally comprises integrating one or more features selected from a window, a reclosable means, a Euro hole, a tear notch, perforations, a thin valve, and an opening for spouts or valves into a single pouch shape of the pouch precursor web.

18 . A method for printing an unprinted inkjet-printable fillable pouch according to claim 2 , the method comprising the step of water-based inkjet printing at least one main surface of the pouch.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , comprising the steps of:

(p-1) feeding the pouch on a conveyor belt;

(p-2) transporting the pouch underneath the printing station; and

(p-3) water-based inkjet printing one main surface of the pouch, and

(p-4) optionally transporting the printed pouch on the conveyor belt through or beneath a lacquering station and over-lacquering or over-varnishing the printed pouch; and/or

(p-5) optionally transporting the printed pouch on the conveyor belt through or beneath a dryer and drying the printed pouch after the printing step (p-3) and/or the optional lacquering step (p-4) and/or

(p-6) optionally stacking the printed pouches, provided that the method is conducted for more than one pouch.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (21)