Flexible package and method of making same

• US 10,207,850 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PrimaPak, LLC
• Original Assignee: PrimaPak, LLC
• Inventors: Sanfilippo, James J., Sanfilippo, John E., Skaggs, Jeanne M., Soria, Francisco Javier, Radenovic, Milorad, Wyslotsky, Bohdan, Georgelos, Paul, Montefusco, Pat, Speer, Roy, Forowycz, Roman
• Primary Examiner(s): Battisti, Derek
• Application Number:
  US14/064,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20150001234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/18 Thermoforming apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/565 for containers
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/8144 Applying hook-and-loop-type fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2575/586 with means for reclosing
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5838 combined with separate fixed tearing means, e.g. tabs
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5877 connected to a planar surface of the package wall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A re-closable packaging assembly includes a container formed at least partially by a first film, and the container has a plurality of walls that cooperate to define an interior volume. The container has an opening through at least one of the plurality of walls. A closure assembly is secured to the container adjacent the opening and comprises a second film and a portion of the first film. The closure assembly includes a lid member pivotable about a hinge portion between a first position in which the lid member releasably engages the container surrounding the opening and a second position in which the lid member is pivoted away from the opening. A first engagement feature may be disposed on the container and a second engagement feature may be disposed on the lid member to removably secure the lid member to the container when the lid member is in the first position.

Claims

1. A re-closable packaging assembly comprising:

a container formed at least partially by a first sheet, the container having a plurality of walls that cooperate to define an interior volume, the container having an opening through at least one of the plurality of walls;

a closure assembly formed in part by a portion of the first sheet and in part by at least a portion of a flexible second sheet, wherein;

the closure assembly comprises;

a movable lid member formed by the second sheet; and

first and second engagement features, wherein the first and second engagement features are thermoformed portions of the first sheet and the second sheet, respectively, and are the only thermoformed portions, and the first engagement feature is adjacent to and at least partially surrounds the opening, and the second engagement feature is part of the lid member, and wherein;

the lid member is movable between a first position in which the second engagement feature releasably engages the first engagement feature to removably secure the lid member over the opening, and a second position in which at least a portion of the lid member is disposed away from the opening and not in contact with the first engagement feature, thereby allowing access to the interior volume through the opening, and the first engagement feature and the first sheet are a unitary, one-piece structure and the second engagement feature and the second sheet are a unitary, one-piece structure.

2. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the closure assembly further includes a hinge portion, wherein the lid member is pivotable about the hinge portion between a first position in which the lid member releasably engages a first portion of the container surrounding the opening and a second position in which the lid member is pivoted away from a portion of the opening about the hinge portion, thereby allowing for a user to access the interior volume through the opening.

3. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the first engagement feature extends at least one of upwardly or downwardly from the container.

4. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the second engagement feature extends at least one of upwardly or downwardly from the lid member of the closure assembly.

5. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the second sheet is secured to the first sheet by an adhesive, and the adhesive is applied to one or both of a second side of the second sheet and a first side of the first sheet.

6. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the first engagement feature is a ridge and the second engagement feature is a channel adapted to releasably receive the ridge.

7. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the first engagement feature is a channel and the second engagement feature is a ridge adapted to be releasably received into the ridge.

8. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the lid member has a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge parallel to the first lateral edge.

9. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein a first portion of each of the first engagement feature and second engagement feature is elongated and has a longitudinal axis parallel to the first lateral edge and a second portion of each of the first engagement feature and second engagement feature is elongated and has a longitudinal axis parallel to the second lateral edge.

10. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein a pour spout is disposed adjacent to or in contact with the opening.

11. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the pour spout is integrally formed on the container.

12. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the pour spout extends at least one of upwardly or downwardly from the container.

13. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 8, wherein the lid member has a first end edge that extends between a first end of the first lateral edge and a first end of the second lateral edge.

14. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 13, wherein the first end edge is disposed normal to the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge.

15. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the first end edge is non-linear.

16. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the first end edge is at least partially curved.

17. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 13, wherein a third portion of each of the first engagement feature and second engagement feature is elongated and has a longitudinal axis parallel to the first end edge.

18. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 13, wherein a third portion of each of the first engagement feature and the second engagement feature is elongated and has a non-linear axis that is offset from the first end edge.

19. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 13, wherein the lid member has a second end edge that extends between a second end of the first lateral edge and a second end of the second lateral edge.

20. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 19, wherein the second end edge is disposed normal to the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge.

21. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 19, wherein any of the first end edge, the second end edge, the first lateral edge, and the second lateral edge cooperates to define a pour spout.

22. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the second end edge is non-linear.

23. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 19, wherein a fourth portion of each of the first engagement feature and second engagement feature is elongated and has a longitudinal axis parallel to the second end edge.

24. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 19, wherein a fourth portion of each of the first engagement feature and the second engagement feature is elongated and has a non-linear axis that is offset from the second end edge.

25. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the first engagement feature is a continuous, single feature.

26. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the opening has any of a rectangular, oval, oblong, round, and/or polygonal shape.

27. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein a third sheet is secured to a second portion of the container adjacent to the opening to stiffen the second portion of the container.

28. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein a second side of the second sheet is adjacent to a first side of the first sheet and a first side of the third sheet is adjacent to a second side of the first sheet.

29. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the third sheet is bonded to the first sheet.

30. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the third sheet is bonded to the first sheet by an adhesive, heat sealing, glue, and/or ultrasonic welding.

31. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the third sheet is integrally formed with the first sheet.

32. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the lid member of the closure assembly has a convex portion that abuts the hinge portion, the convex portion adapted to cooperate with the hinge to maintain the lid member in the second position.

33. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the hinge portion comprises a pair of oppositely-disposed cuts that may inwardly extend from a lid edge defining an outer perimeter edge of the lid member, and wherein the lid member pivots from the first position to the second position about a portion of the closure member extending between a terminal end of each of the cuts.

34. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 33, wherein when the lid member is pivoted into the second position, a first lid projection and a second lid projection deform into a position in which an edge formed by one of more segments comprising the cut engages a portion of the closure assembly to support the lid member in the second position.

35. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the closure assembly includes a locking mechanism that includes a locking feature that is received into a receiving feature when the lid member is in the second position.

36. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 35, wherein the locking feature is a protrusion that upwardly extends from the lid member, and the receiving feature is a receiving slot that releasably retains the protrusion.

37. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 2, wherein the lid member comprises first and second projections disposed in a vicinity of the hinge portion, the first and second projections being movable between a first position in which the projections are generally parallel to the wall having the opening and a second position in which the projections are generally perpendicular to the wall having the opening to thereby retain the lid member in the second position in which the lid member is pivoted about the hinge portion away from a portion of the opening.

38. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 37, wherein the projections have a semi-circular shape.

39. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 37, wherein the projections are disposed equidistant from a cut in the lid defining the hinge portion.

40. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 37, wherein the projections are disposed non-equidistant from a cut in the lid defining the hinge portion.

41. A method of manufacturing the re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, the method comprising:

securing the second sheet to a first portion of the first sheet;

forming the lid member of the closure assembly from the second sheet;

thermoforming the first sheet to define the first engagement feature that is arranged adjacent to and at least partially surrounding the opening, wherein the first sheet and the first engagement feature are a unitary, one-piece structure;

thermoforming the second sheet to define the second engagement feature arranged on the lid member of the closure assembly, wherein the second sheet and the second engagement feature are a unitary, one-piece structure.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising;

forming a hinge portion of the closure assembly from the second sheet, the hinge portion being disposed adjacent to the lid member,

wherein the lid member is pivotable about the hinge portion between the first position in which the lid member releasably engages a first portion of the container surrounding an opening formed in the first sheet and the second position in which the lid member is pivoted away from a portion of the opening.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein securing the portion of the first sheet to the first portion of the second sheet occurs prior to forming the lid member from the second sheet.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein securing the portion of the first sheet to the first portion of the second sheet occurs simultaneously with forming the lid member from the second sheet.

45. The method of claim 41, further comprising forming the container from the first sheet, the container having a plurality of walls that cooperate to define the interior volume.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein forming the container from the first sheet occurs after forming the lid member and hinge portion of the closure assembly.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein forming a container from the first sheet includes forming a portion of the container simultaneously with forming the lid member and hinge portion of the closure assembly.

48. The method of claim 41, wherein thermoforming the first engagement feature and the second engagement feature occurs simultaneously with forming the lid member.

49. The method of claim 41, wherein thermoforming the first engagement feature includes forming the first engagement feature as a ridge and forming the second engagement feature includes forming the second engagement feature as a channel adapted to releasably receive the ridge.

50. The method of claim 41, wherein thermoforming the first engagement feature includes forming the first engagement feature as a channel and forming the second engagement feature includes forming the second engagement feature as a ridge adapted to be releasably received into the ridge.

51. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

providing a third sheet secured to a second side of the first sheet adjacent to the first portion of the first sheet, wherein the second sheet is secured to a first side of the first sheet, the third sheet stiffening the first sheet.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein securing the third sheet to the second side of the first sheet occurs prior to forming the lid member of the closure assembly.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein securing the third sheet to the second side of the first sheet includes applying an adhesive or glue to one or both of the third sheet and the first sheet.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein securing the third sheet to the second side of the first sheet includes ultrasonically welding or heat sealing one or both of the third sheet and the first sheet.

55. The method of claim 51, wherein securing the third sheet to the second side of the first sheet includes integrally forming the third sheet with the second side of the first sheet.

56. The method of claim 42, wherein forming the opening occurs simultaneously with forming the lid member and the hinge portion.

57. The method of claim 42, wherein forming the opening occurs prior to forming the lid member and the hinge portion.

58. The method of claim 41, wherein forming the lid member of the closure assembly includes thermoforming the lid member of a closure assembly.

59. The method of claim 41, wherein thermoforming the first engagement feature and the second engagement feature occurs simultaneously with forming the lid member.

60. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein when in the second position the lid member is not in contact with any portion of the wall of the container having the opening.

61. The re-closable packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of walls comprise an opening wall having the opening defined therein and at least one tuck fold adjacent to an end of the opening wall, and the second sheet has a portion that extends into the at least one tuck fold.

62. A re-closable package, comprising:

a plurality of walls that cooperate to define an interior volume of the package, wherein the plurality of walls are formed by a first flexible sheet and comprises an opening wall comprising an opening defined in the first sheet;

a first engagement feature in the opening wall defined by one or more of (i) a thermoformed portion of the first sheet that extends above the plane of the opening wall and (ii) a thermoformed portion of the first sheet that extends below the plane of the opening wall toward the interior volume of the package; and

a lid member defined by a second flexible sheet and having a first surface and an oppositely disposed outer second surface, wherein the lid member movable between a first position in which the first surface of lid member covers the opening and a second position in which the lid member is disposed away from the opening allowing access to the interior volume through the opening, the lid member comprising second engagement features defined by one or more of (i) a thermoformed portion of the second sheet that extends above the plane of the lid member when the lid member is in the first position such that the second surface of the lid member has an outward projection and (ii) a thermoformed portion of the second sheet that extends below the plane of the lid member towards the interior volume when the lid member is in the first position such that the second surface of the lid member has an inward depression, where in the first and second engagement features are the only thermoformed portions.

63. The re-closable package of claim 62, wherein the first engagement feature comprises a thermoformed portion of the first sheet that extends above the plane of the opening wall to form a ridge at least partially surrounding the opening and the second engagement feature comprises a thermoformed portion of the second sheet that extends above the plane of the second lid member to form a channel in the first surface of the lid member, adapted to receive the ridge.