Flexible package

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11072478-B2
Application number	US-201916515317-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 20, 2018
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A flexible package having first, second, and third flexible material layers, with the second flexible material layer being disposed between the first and third flexible material layers; a product receiving chamber having a product receiving chamber outer circumference defined by the first flexible material layer; a plurality of spaced first seals disposed around a package circumference, the first seals sealing the first, second and third flexible material layers together; a plurality of spaced second seals disposed around the product receiving chamber outer circumference, the second seals sealing the second and third flexible material layers together; a plurality of inner expansion chambers, each one of the plurality of chambers being defined between adjacent ones of the first seals; and a plurality of outer expansion chambers, each one of the plurality of chambers being defined between a second seal and an immediately adjacent first seal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible package, comprising:
a plurality of panels that cooperate to define a product receiving chamber having an outer perimeter defined by a first flexible material layer;
a second flexible material layer spaced outbound from the first flexible material layer relative to the product receiving chamber; and
a third flexible material layer spaced outbound from the second flexible material layer, the first, second, and third flexible material layers being sealed together in a plurality of discrete locations to define first seals, with a plurality of inner expansion chambers bounded by adjacent ones of the first seals and having an inner expansion chamber volume constrained between the first and second flexible material layers, and the third flexible material layer and the second flexible material layer being sealed together in a plurality of discrete locations to define second seals, with a plurality of outer expansion chambers bounded by adjacent first seals, adjacent first and second seals and/or adjacent second seals, and having an outer expansion chamber volume constrained between the second and third flexible material layers,
one or more of the plurality of inner and outer expansion chambers being arranged in a central portion of at least one panel and each of the one or more of the plurality of inner chambers has one outer expansion chamber within its bounds,
wherein:
the plurality of inner and outer expansion chambers are adapted to receive an expansion material and expand, and
when the plurality of inner and outer expansion chambers are filled with an expansion material to expand the plurality of inner and outer expansion chambers the one or more inner expansion chambers are expanded such that a portion of the one or more inner expansion chambers extends inwardly towards the product receiving chambers, pulling third flexible material layer inwardly towards the product receiving chamber.

2. A flexible package, comprising:
a plurality of panels that cooperate to define a product receiving chamber having an outer perimeter defined by a first flexible material layer;
a second flexible material layer spaced outbound from the first flexible material layer relative to the product receiving chamber; and
a third flexible material layer spaced outbound from the second flexible material layer, the first, second, and third flexible material layers being sealed together in a plurality of discrete locations to define first seals, with a plurality of inner expansion chambers bounded by adjacent ones of the first seals and having an inner expansion chamber volume constrained between the first and second flexible material layers, and the third flexible material layer and the second flexible material layer being sealed together in a plurality of discrete locations to define second seals, with a plurality of outer expansion chambers bounded by adjacent first seals, adjacent first and second seals and/or adjacent second seals, and having an outer expansion chamber volume constrained between the second and third flexible material layers, the package having a package height extending between opposed top and bottom panels, a package width extending between opposed first and second side panels, and a package depth extending between opposed front and back panels, the first and second side panels each comprising a gusset,
wherein:
the plurality of inner and outer expansion chambers are adapted to receive an expansion material and expand, and
when the plurality of inner and outer expansion chambers are filled with an expansion material to expand the plurality of inner and outer expansion chambers the one or more inner expansion chambers are expanded such that a portion of the one or more inner expansion chambers extends inwardly towards the product receiving chambers, pulling third flexible material layer inwardly towards the product receiving chamber.

3. A flexible package, comprising:
first, second, and third flexible material layers, with the second flexible material layer being disposed between the first and third flexible material layers;
a product receiving chamber having a product receiving chamber outer circumference defined by the first flexible material layer;
a plurality of spaced first seals disposed around a package circumference, the first seals sealing the first, second and third flexible material layers together;
a plurality of spaced second seals disposed around the product receiving chamber outer circumference, the second seals sealing the second and third flexible material layers together;
a plurality of inner expansion chambers, each one of the plurality of chambers being defined between adjacent ones of the first seals; and
a plurality of outer expansion chambers, each one of the plurality of chambers being defined between adjacent first seals, a second seal and an immediately adjacent first seal, and/or adjacent second seals,
wherein:
in at least a portion of the package, at least two second seals are disposed between adjacent ones of the first seals such that at least two outer expansion chambers are defined within one inner expansion chamber, and
the plurality of inner and outer expansion chambers are adapted to receive an expansion material and expand,
when one or more of the plurality of inner expansion chambers is filled with an expansion material the one or more inner expansion chambers expands such that a portion of the one or more inner expansion chambers extends inwardly towards the product receiving chambers, and
when one or more of the plurality of outer expansion chambers is filled with an expansion material, the one or more outer expansion chambers expands such that a portion of the one or more outer expansion chambers extends outwardly away from the one or more inner expansion chambers.

4. The flexible package of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the plurality of outer expansion chambers is disposed between adjacent first seals, such that the outer expansion chamber is bounded by the same first seals as one of the plurality of inner expansion chambers.

5. The flexible package of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the plurality of outer expansion chambers is disposed between one of the plurality of first seals and an adjacent second seal, such that the outer expansion chamber is disposed between adjacent first seals defining one of the plurality of inner expansion chambers.

6. The flexible package of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the plurality of outer expansion chambers is disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of second seals.

7. The flexible package of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of inner expansion chambers and/or outer expansion chambers have a plurality of diameters.

8. The flexible package of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the plurality of inner expansion chambers is disposed beneath and partially overlapping with at least one of plurality of outer expansion chambers and the at least one of the plurality of inner expansion chambers is wider than the at least one of the plurality of outer expansion chambers.

9. The flexible package of claim 3 , wherein the package has at least three points of contact when resting on a planar or substantially planar surface.

10. The flexible package of claim 3 , wherein the package has a package height extending between opposed top and bottom panels, a package width extending between opposed first and second side panels, and a package depth extending between opposed front and back panels.

11. The flexible package of claim 3 , wherein one or more of the plurality of inner and outer expansion chambers are arranged in a central portion of at least one panel and each of the one or more of

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Borrero Susana E
• Mcguire Kenneth Stephen
• Arent Lee Mathew
• Hesford Benjamin G
• You Jun
• Earl Jason M
• Lester Joseph Craig
• Clare Benjamin Jacob

Classifications

• B65B55/20

  Embedding contents in shock-absorbing media, e.g. plastic foam, granular material · CPC title

• B65B43/08

  Forming three-dimensional [3D] containers from sheet material · CPC title

• B65B2009/047

  Rotary pocket formers · CPC title

• B65B5/02

  Machines characterised by incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles · CPC title

• B65D81/052

  filled with fluid, e.g. inflatable elements · CPC title