Flexible, stackable sealed package having corner seals and formed from a sheet of film

• US 8,602,244 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• 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:
  US13/538,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20120312868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 220/6, 220/270, 220/256.1, 220/258.1, 220/258.3, 2203592-3594, 229/125.05, 229/125.09, 229/125.13, 229/125.15, 229/125.17, 229/103.3, 229/104, 229/117.03, 229/117.05, 229/212, 229221-234, 383/41, 383/61.1, 383/67, 383/78, 383/80, 383/93, 383/95, 383/96, 383/104, 383/119, 383/120, 383/122
• 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.

Claims

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

oppositely disposed top and bottom panels, the top panel having a top planar surface and the bottom panel having a bottom planar surface;

an opening for accessing an interior of the package, wherein the opening is defined in the top panel;

oppositely disposed front and rear panels;

oppositely disposed first and second lateral sides;

at least one corner seal extending outwardly from the top planar surface or the bottom planar surface in a substantially perpendicular direction, wherein the at least one corner seal surrounds more than two top peripheral sides of the top panel or two bottom peripheral sides of the bottom panel;

a leading seal extending outwardly from the first lateral side, the leading seal being folded over and secured to an outer surface of the package at the first lateral side such that the leading seal is disposed substantially in the plane of the first lateral side; and

a trailing seal extending outwardly from the second lateral side, the trailing seal being folded over and secured to an outer surface of the package at the second lateral side such that the trailing seal is disposed substantially in the plane of the second lateral side;

wherein;

the package is formed from a single sheet of film having oppositely disposed lateral edges and oppositely disposed leading and trailing edges,

first and second portions of the leading edge are joined by the leading seal,

first and second portions of the trailing edge are joined by the trailing seal,

the oppositely disposed lateral edges of the single sheet of film are joined together at an edge seal,

the edge seal forms at least a portion of the corner seal to create a combination edge seal and corner seal,

the two top peripheral sides of the top panel and the two bottom peripheral sides of the bottom panel are tucked inwardly toward the interior of the package and are partially covered by the leading and trailing seals, and

the interior of the package is sealed when the edge seal, the leading seal, and the trailing seal are formed.

2. The flexible, stackable container of claim 1, wherein the at least one corner seal extends outwardly from the top planar surface.

3. The flexible, stackable container of claim 1, wherein the at least one corner seal extends outwardly from the bottom planar surface.

4. The flexible, stackable container of claim 3, further comprises at least one additional corner seal that extends outwardly from the top planar surface in a substantially perpendicular direction, wherein the at least one additional corner seal surrounds more than two top peripheral sides of the top panel.

5. The flexible, stackable container of claim 1, wherein the opening comprises a flap defined in a portion of the top panel 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 a remaining portion of the top panel when a force is applied to the top panel.

6. The flexible, stackable container of claim 5, wherein the flap is a reclosable flap, adapted to reseal the flap to the remaining portion of the top panel.

7. The flexible, stackable container of claim 5, 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.