Flexible, stackable container and method and system for manufacturing same

• US 8,231,024 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PrimaPak, LLC
• Original Assignee: Clear Lam Packaging Incorporated (Sonoco Products Company)
• Inventors: Sanfilippo, John E., Sanfilippo, James J., Skaggs, Jeanne M., Speer, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Pickett, J. Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALKER, NED ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US12/266,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20090120828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 220/6, 220/270, 229/125.05, 229/125.09, 229/125.13, 229/125.15, 229/125.17
• US Class Current: 220/6
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/26 Folding sheets, blanks or webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/62 by adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/81 Forming or attaching accessories, e.g. opening devices, closures or tear strings
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/02 Machines characterised by the incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles from flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material B65B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2220/18 the primary packaging being bags the subsequent secondary packaging being rigid containers, e.g. cardboard box
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/02 Machines characterised by the incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/10 by folding the material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/022 for making bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/182 by applying tear-strips or tear-tapes
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/186 by applying or incorporating rigid fittings, e.g. discharge spouts
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/08 in a web folded and sealed transversely to form pockets which are subsequently filled and then closed by sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/20 the webs being formed into tubes in situ around the filling nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0209 stackable or joined together one-upon-the-other in the upright or upside-down position B65D21/0234, B65D21/0235 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2575/586 with means for reclosing
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/746 Spouts formed separately from the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/008 Standing pouches, i.e. "Standbeutel"
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5877 connected to a planar surface of the package wall

Abstract

A flexible, stackable container for storing a quantity of a product may include a sealed package formed from a single sheet of film and retaining the quantity of the product disposed therein, and a lid fitment attached to a first side of the package. The first side of the package may have an outer first surface of the film and outwardly extending first corner seals formed in the film at the edges of the first side and surrounding the first side of the package. The package may also have a second side disposed opposite the first side and outwardly extending second corner seals formed in the film at the edges of the second side and surrounding the second side of the package. The lid fitment may include a base having a central opening and a lid having a complimentary shape to the base to form a seal therebetween when the lid is closed down onto the base. The base may be sealed to one of the first surface of the first side, to the first corner seals surrounding the first side, or to both, such that a portion of the first surface is accessible from the exterior of the container when the lid is separated from the base of the lid fitment.

Claims

1. A flexible, stackable container that is used for storing a quantity of a product, comprising:

a sealed package that;

(i) is formed from a single sheet of film that has oppositely disposed lateral edges and oppositely disposed leading and trailing edges, the sheet of film being wrapped inwardly with portions of the film proximate the lateral edges being sealed to each other forming an edge seal having an interior surface and an exterior surface;

(ii) has at least three first folds in the film that are parallel to the lateral edges of the film and define opposite edges of top, bottom, front, and back panels of the package;

(iii) has second folds in the film that are parallel to the at least three first folds and bring an inner surface of the top panel into contact with corresponding portions of an inner surface of the front and back panels of the package, the contacting inner surfaces being sealed and forming corner seals that extend outwardly from and border more than two sides of the top panel of the package;

(iv) has front and rear side portions of the leading edge of the film that are sealed together with inner surfaces of the film proximate thereto forming a leading seal that is folded over and attached to corresponding portions of an outer surface of the package, forming a part of a lateral side of the container;

(v) has front and rear side portions of the trailing edge of the film that are sealed together with inner surfaces of the film proximate thereto forming a trailing seal that is folded over and attached to corresponding portions of the outer surface of the package, forming a part of an opposed lateral side of the container, the package being sealed once the edge seal, the leading seal, and the trailing seal are formed, the edge seal being disposed along the outer surface of the package with the interior surface of the edge seal extending along a portion of the lateral side of the container toward one of the front and back panels of the package; and

a lid fitment that;

(i) is attached to the top panel of the package;

(ii) has a base that has a central opening; and

(iii) has a lid that has a shape that is complementary to the shape of the base for sealing the package, wherein a portion of the top panel is accessible from an exterior of the container when the lid is separated from the base of the lid fitment.

2. The flexible, stackable container of claim 1, wherein the corner seals extend outwardly perpendicular to the top panel of the package.

3. The flexible, stackable container of claim 1, wherein the top panel comprises a flap defined by a line of reduced strength in the film forming the top panel such that the line of reduced strength yields to separate the flap from the top panel when a force is applied to the top panel.

4. The flexible, stackable container of claim 3, comprising a pull tab attached to the flap and having a gripping portion that is grasped by a user, wherein the pull tab is attached to the flap such that the flap detaches from the film along the line of reduced strength before the pull tab detaches from the flap when the gripping portion is pulled by a user.

5. A method of manufacturing the flexible, stackable container of claim 1, the method comprising:

wrapping the sheet of film inwardly with the lateral edges being disposed proximate each other;

forming the at least three first folds in the sheet of film parallel to the lateral edges of the film to define the opposite edges of the top, bottom, front, and back panels of the package;

forming the second folds parallel to the at least three first folds and bringing the inner surface of the top panel into contact with the corresponding portions of the inner surface of the front and back panels of the package, and sealing the contacting inner surfaces to form the corner seals;

sealing the portions of the sheet of film proximate the lateral edges to each other to form the edge seal;

bringing the front and rear side portions of the leading edge of the film together and sealing the inner surfaces of the film proximate thereto together to form the leading seal of the package;

bringing the front and rear side portions of the trailing edge of the film together and sealing the inner surfaces of the film proximate thereto together to form the trailing seal of the package such that the package is sealed once the edge seal, the leading seal, and the trailing seal are formed;

folding the leading seal over and attaching the leading seal to corresponding portions of the outer surface of the package to form the part of the lateral side of the container;

folding the trailing seal over and attaching the trailing seal to corresponding portions of the outer surface of the package to form the part of the opposed lateral side of the container; and

attaching the lid fitment to the top panel of the package.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising attaching the lid fitment to the top panel of the package after forming the corner seals and prior to folding over and attaching the leading and trailing seals.

7. The method of claim 5, comprising attaching the lid fitment to the top panel of the package after folding over and attaching the leading and trailing seals.

8. The method of claim 5, comprising defining a flap on the top panel of the package with a line of reduced strength in the film forming the top panel such that the line of reduced strength yields first to separate the flap from the top panel when a force is applied to the top panel.

9. The method of claim 5, comprising attaching a pull tab having a gripping portion to the flap such that the flap detaches from the top panel along the line of reduced strength before the pull tab detaches from the flap when the gripping portion is pulled away from the package.