Packaging of stand-up, flexible pouches

• US 5,927,498 A
• Filed: 11/14/1997
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Profile Packaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Profile Packaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Saam, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): FOSTER, JIMMY G
• Application Number:
  US08/970,334
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 206/436, 206/499, 206/503, 206/526, 206/746, 206/822, 383/32, 383/907, 229/240, 229/242
• US Class Current: 206/499
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/52 External stands or display elements for contents
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5445 for dividing a tubular body into separate parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/822 Special shape

Abstract

A package for a plurality of stand-up pouches in which a rectilinear container holds the pouches with closed top portions of the pouch and is arranged between adjacent base portions of the pouches in the second row to occupy a minimum space. The container can be opened by separating portions along lines of weakening to form display trays which are separate from each other or which are attached to each other in side by side or end to end relationship, all without requiring unpacking or rearranging of the pouches within the container.

Claims

1. A package for shipping and displaying a plurality of stand up pouches, comprising:

a rectilinear container heaving opposed side panels, opposed end panels and top and bottom panels joined together to form a closed container, said container having a line of weakening having one end spaced apart from said top panel and an other end spaced apart from said bottom panel, said line of weakening extending from said one end across one of said pair of end panels to said other end, said line of weakening extending on a plane extending midway between and parallel with said pair of side panels, and said container further having a removable portion extending between said pair of ends of said line of weakening across an other end of said pair of end panels,

a plurality of stand up pouches filled with material and disposed to said container, said pouches having a general wedge shape with a supporting base and front and back walls extending from opposite sides of said base and abutting each other to form, a flat top portion,

said pouches being arranged in said container in two tiers with the bases of said pouches in one tier being adjacent one of said side panels of said container and said flat top portion of said pouches in said one tier being adjacent the other of said side panels of said container and adjacent said bases of said pouches in the other of said tiers, said front and back walls of said plurality of pouches extending across said plane, and

said container being separable into a pair of display trays with said opposed side panels of said container forming the bottoms of said display trays when said line of weakening is broken and said two tiers are unleaved such that each of said display trays holds one of said two tiers.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein a line of weakening is formed in panels of said container for separation of said container into said pair of display trays.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said container is separable along said line of weakening except along a portion forming a fold line in one of said top or bottom panels for folding of said trays into an attached, side by side relation.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said container is separated along said line of weakening except along a portion forming a fold line in one of said end panels for folding of said trays to an attached, end to end relation.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said front walls of said pouches in both of said tiers face in the same direction.