Flexible bag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046870-B2
Application number	US-201414258058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2014
Priority date	Apr 22, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A flexible bag and a method for filling a flexible bag which is collapsed when empty, wherein at least one fastening means is provided on a surface of the flexible bag such that at least two upper parts of the flexible bag can be held together by this at least one fastening means during a first part of filling of the flexible bag, whereby the fastening means is designed to release when the bag is filled to a certain amount such that the two upper parts being held together by the fastening means will lose contact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible bioprocessing bag, comprising:
four sheets forming a cuboid having an upper portion and a lower portion and an opening configured for filling each sheet having a left section, a middle section, and a right section with the middle sections of the four sheets forming the top, the bottom, the left and the right side of the cuboid, the left end sections of the four sheets forming the front side of the cuboid, and the right end sections of the four sheets forming the back side of the cuboid;
at least one fastening means provided on an upper surface of the upper portion; wherein in an empty state, the upper portion forms two upper folds, wherein the fastening means comprises at least one of hook and loop fasteners, tape, adhesives, and male/female coupling devices;
wherein the upper folds are held together and away from the lower portion by the fastening means; and
wherein the fastening means is configured to unfasten as the lower portion is being filled to release the upper folds.

2. The flexible bioprocessing bag of claim 1 , wherein the fastening means comprises at least one pair of coupling fasteners that are provided on the upper surface such that two upper portions of the flexible bag can be held together by the at least one pair of coupling fasteners.

3. The flexible bioprocessing bag of claim 1 , wherein the middle sections of the four sheets are rectangular.

4. The flexible processing bag of claim 1 , wherein the middle sections of the four sheets are square.

5. The flexible bioprocessing bag of claim 1 , wherein the fastening means comprises hook and loop fasteners.

6. A method of filling a flexible bioprocessing bag that comprises
four sheets forming a cuboid having an upper portion and a lower portion and an opening configured for filling, each sheet having a left section, a middle section, and a right section with the middle sections of the four sheets forming the top, the bottom, the left and the right side of the cuboid, the left end sections of the four sheets forming the front side of the cuboid, and the right end sections of the four sheets forming the back side of the cuboid;
at least one fastener provided on an upper surface of the upper portion, wherein the fastener comprises at least one of hook and loop fasteners, tape, adhesives, and male/female coupling devices; wherein in an empty state, the upper portion forms two upper folds, the method comprising the steps of:
a) fastening two upper folds together using the at least one fastener; wherein the fastening is characterized by holding the bag upper folds together and away from the lower portion of the bag in the empty state; and
b) filling the bag through the opening such that as the lower portion of the bag fills, the held together fastener unfastens to release the bag upper folds to fill up the upper portion.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising a step of providing the flexible bioprocessing bag inside of a supporting container before filling the bag through the opening.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fastener comprises at least one pair of coupling fasteners that are provided on the upper surface such that two upper portions of the flexible bag can be held together by the at least one pair of coupling fasteners.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein two pair of coupling fasteners are provided on the upper surface such that two upper portions of the flexible bag can be held together by the two pair of coupling fasteners.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fastener comprises hook and loop fasteners.

11. A flexible bioprocessing bag, comprising:
four sheets forming a cuboid, wherein each sheet has a left section, a middle section, and a right section with the middle sections of the four sheets forming the top, the bottom, the left and the right side of the cuboid, the left end sections of the four sheets forming the front side of the cuboid, and the right end sections of the four sheets forming the back side of the cuboid and wherein the cuboid has an upper portion and a lower portion and an opening configured for filling;
two pairs of coupling fasteners provided on the top side of the upper portion; wherein in an empty state, the bag is folded together with the upper portion forming two upper folds;
wherein the upper folds are held together and away from the lower portion by the fasteners;
wherein the fasteners are configured to unfasten as the lower portion is being filled to release the upper folds, and
wherein the fasteners comprise at least one of hook and loop fasteners, tape, adhesives, and male/female coupling devices.

12. The flexible processing bag of claim 11 , wherein the middle sections of the four sheets are square or rectangular.

13. A method of forming the flexible bioprocessing bag of claim 11 , the method comprising the steps of:
a) fastening two upper folds together using the two pairs of coupling fasteners;
b) providing the flexible bioprocessing bag inside of a supporting container before filling the bag through the opening, and
c) filling the bag through the opening such that as the lower portion of the bag fills, the held together fasteners unfasten to release the bag upper folds to fill up the upper portion.

Assignees

• Ge Healthcare Bio Sciences Corp

Inventors

• Ouellette Matthew David

Classifications

• B65D88/16

  flexible (B65D88/34 - B65D88/78 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2313/02

  of hook-and-loop type · CPC title

• B65D33/007 Primary

  for facilitating the separation of the two walls, e.g. walls of inequal height, tabs; for maintaining the mouth of the sack or bag open · CPC title

• B65D33/18

  using adhesive applied to integral parts, e.g. to flaps · CPC title

• B65D33/2508

  using slide fasteners with interlocking members having a substantially uniform section throughout the length of the fastener; Sliders therefor · CPC title