Flexible containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815258-B2
Application number	US-201313888679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2013
Priority date	May 7, 2012
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

Non-durable self-supporting flexible containers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-durable self-supporting flexible container that has a top, a bottom comprising a base, a front, a back, and sides, said container comprising:
a product volume, which is an enclosable three-dimensional space that directly contains one or more fluent products, said product volume having sides;
an expanded structural support volume, which is a fillable space made from one or more flexible materials and is filled with one or more gases at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, wherein the one or more gases create tension in the one or more flexible materials;
a sheet assembly portion having a flexible outer sheet and a flexible inner sheet, which is locally joined to the flexible outer sheet, to form:
at least a portion of the structural support volume;
a multi-wall panel, wherein:
the multi-wall panel is bounded by seams that join the flexible inner sheet to the flexible outer sheet, wherein at least a portion of said seams overlie the product volume and are located inward of the sides of the product volume;
the flexible inner sheet and the flexible outer sheet are in overlapping contact with each other between the seams, along substantially all of the multi-wall panel; and
the multi-wall panel overlays the product volume; and

at least a portion of the product volume.

2. The flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the flexible outer sheet and the flexible inner sheet are independent from one another along the multi-wall panel.

3. The flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the multi-wall panel is at least partially bounded by the structural support volume.

4. A non-durable self-supporting flexible container comprising:
a product volume, which is an enclosable three-dimensional space that directly contains one or more fluent products;
an expanded structural support volume, which is a fillable space made from one or more flexible materials and is filled with one or more gases at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, wherein the one or more gases create tension in the one or more flexible materials;
a sheet assembly portion having a flexible outer sheet and a flexible inner sheet, which is locally joined to the flexible outer sheet, to form:
at least a portion of the structural support volume;
a multi-wall panel, wherein:
the multi-wall panel is bounded by seams that join the flexible inner sheet to the flexible outer sheet;
the flexible inner sheet and the flexible outer sheet are in overlapping contact with each other between the seams, along substantially all of the multi-wall panel; and
the multi-wall panel overlays the product volume; and

at least a portion of the product volume, wherein the multi-wall panel is fully bounded by the structural support volume.

5. The flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the sheet assembly portion forms all of the structural support volume.

6. The flexible container of claim 1 , wherein:
the sheet assembly portion is a first sheet assembly portion;
the flexible container includes a second sheet assembly portion, which is joined to the first sheet assembly portion, to form at least a portion of the product volume.

7. The flexible container of claim 6 , wherein the first sheet assembly portion and the second sheet assembly portion together define the entire product volume.

8. The flexible container of claim 1 , wherein:
the sheet assembly portion is a first sheet assembly portion;
the flexible container includes a second sheet assembly portion having a flexible inner sheet; and
the flexible inner sheets are continuous.

9. The flexible container of claim 8 , wherein:
the second sheet assembly portion having a flexible outer sheet; and
the flexible outer sheets are continuous.

10. The flexible container of claim 1 , wherein:
the sheet assembly portion is a first sheet assembly portion;
the structural support volume is a first structural support volume;
the multi-wall panel is a first multi-wall panel;
the flexible container includes a second structural support volume; and
the flexible container includes a second sheet assembly portion having a flexible outer sheet and a flexible inner sheet, which is locally joined to the flexible outer sheet, to form:
at least a portion of the second structural support volume;
a second multi-wall panel; and
at least a portion of the product volume.

11. The flexible container of claim 10 , wherein the first structural support volume contacts the second structural support volume.

12. The flexible container of claim 11 , wherein the first structural support volume contacts the second structural support volume inside of the product volume.

13. The flexible container of claim 1 , further comprising a structural support frame, which includes the structural support volume, wherein the structural support frame is configured to support the product volume.

14. The flexible container of claim 1 , further comprising a dispenser in fluid communication with the product volume for dispensing a fluent product from the product volume.

15. The flexible container of claim 1 , wherein the multi-wall panel is relatively flat.

16. The flexible container of claim 1 wherein the container has a height, and when a cross-sectional view of the container at approximately mid-height is shown, the expanded structural support volume appears to form four chambers that are disposed around said product volume.

17. A non-durable self-supporting stand up flexible container that has a top, a bottom comprising a base, a front, a back, sides, and an overall height, said container comprising:
a product volume, which is an enclosable three-dimensional space that directly contains one or more fluent products;
an expanded structural support volume, which is a fillable space made from one or more flexible materials and is filled with one or more gases at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, wherein the one or more gases create tension in the one or more flexible materials;
a sheet assembly portion having a flexible outer sheet and a flexible inner sheet, which is locally joined to the flexible outer sheet, to form:
at least a portion of the structural support volume;
a multi-wall panel, wherein:
the multi-wall panel is bounded by seams that join the flexible inner sheet to the flexible outer sheet;
the flexible inner sheet and the flexible outer sheet are in overlapping contact with each other between the seams, along substantially all of the multi-wall panel; and
the multi-wall panel overlays the product volume; and

at least a portion of the product volume,

wherein when the base of said container is resting on a horizontal support surface, the container has its largest overall height.

18. The flexible container of claim 1 , which is a disposable container.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Stanley Scott Kendyl
• Mcguire Kenneth Stephen
• Arent Lee Mathew
• You Jun

Classifications

• B65D37/00

  Portable flexible containers not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B65D31/16

  of special shape · CPC title

• B65D21/0201

  stackable or joined together side-by-side · CPC title

• B65D1/42

  Reinforcing or strengthening parts or members · CPC title

• B65D75/5883

  connected to the package at the sealed junction of two package walls · CPC title