Flexible containers having improved seam and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9731889-B2
Application number	US-201414448440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2014
Priority date	Aug 1, 2013
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A non-durable flexible container can include a first film wall including a first portion comprising at least one first structural support member defined in the first film wall, and a second portion that is free of a structural support member. The container can further include a second film wall including at least one second structural support member defined in the second film wall, wherein at least a portion of the first structural support member is adjacent to at least a portion of the second structural support member to define a seam region, and a side of the seam region defines an edge of the non-durable flexible container. The container can also include a closed produce volume defined between first and second film walls; and a seam projecting outwardly from the seam region at an intersection of the first and second film walls.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-durable flexible container comprising:
a first film wall including a first portion including a first structural support member defined in the first film wall and a second portion that is a panel that is free of a structural support member;
a second film wall including a second structural support member defined in the second film wall, wherein at least a portion of the first structural support member is adjacent to at least a portion of the second structural support member to define a seam region, and a side of the seam region defines an edge of the non-durable flexible container;
a product volume for containing one or more fluent products, wherein the product volume is disposed between the first film wall and the second film wall;
an opposing first structural support member joined to said first film wall, and an opposing second structural support member joined to said second film wall wherein said product volume is disposed between said first and second structural support members and said opposing first and second structural support members, and said panel that is free of a structural support member extends from said first structural support member to said opposing first structural support member; and
a seam at an intersection of the first and second film walls, wherein along at least the seam region the first and second structural support members extend past a farthest projection of the seam from the intersection, wherein said projection of the seam does not extend beyond a single tangential line that extends between the laterally outermost surfaces of said first and second structural support members such that the seam is recessed between the first and second film walls when the first and second structural support members are in an expanded state.

2. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the seam region is in a middle region of the container.

3. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the seam region is in a top region of the container.

4. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the seam region is only in a gripping region of the container.

5. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , further comprising a cover disposed over at least a portion of the seam.

6. The non-durable flexible container of claim 5 , wherein the cover comprises a flexible material.

7. The non-durable flexible container of claim 5 , wherein the cover comprises a non-woven material.

8. The non-durable flexible container of claim 5 , wherein the cover is joined to at least one of:
the first structural support member; and
the second structural support member.

9. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the seam is a fin seal.

10. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the seam has a width of about 0.01 mm to about 10 mm in at least the seam region.

11. The non-durable flexible container of claim 10 , wherein the seam region is disposed in a gripping region of the container.

12. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the first and second structural support members are in contact along an entire length of the first structural support member.

13. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the farthest projection of the seam from the intersection is a free end of the seam.

14. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , which is a stand up container having a base and configured so that the base of the container rests on a horizontal surface, and the longest dimensions of said first and second structural support members are substantially vertically oriented when the base of the container is resting on a horizontal surface.

15. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , which is configured to be held by a human hand and wherein the seam is configured such that the hand does not contact the seam when handling the container.

16. The non-durable flexible container of claim 14 , wherein the overall height of the container is greater than the width or depth of the container.

17. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the flexible container is a self-supporting stand-up pouch wherein the base of the flexible container is wider than its top.

18. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , wherein said first structural support member and said opposing first structural support member each have an upper end and a lower end, and first structural support member and said opposing first structural support member have portions that are spaced apart laterally, wherein the upper ends of said first structural support member and said opposing first structural support member and are angled so that their upper ends are inboard of their lower ends.

19. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , further comprising a dispenser on said container for dispensing fluent product from the product volume to the environment outside of the container.

20. The non-durable flexible container of claim 19 , wherein said dispenser is joined to the top of said container.

21. The non-durable flexible container of claim 19 wherein said panel can be squeezed in order to dispense fluent product through said dispenser.

22. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1 , said projection of the seam from the intersection is orthogonal to the seam.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Stanley Scott Kendyl
• Berg Jr Charles John
• Mcguire Kenneth Stephen
• Arent Lee Mathew
• Clare Benjamin Jacob
• Bourgeois Marc Richard
• Ishihara Tadayoshi
• Lester Joseph Craig
• Rapach Andrew Paul

Classifications

• B05B11/026

  Membranes separating the content remaining in the container from the atmospheric air to compensate underpressure inside the container · CPC title

• B65D83/0055 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B65D11/22

  Reinforcing for strengthening parts of members · CPC title

• B05B11/0043

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B65D75/008 Primary

  Standing pouches, i.e. "Standbeutel" · CPC title