Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DISPOSABLE FLEXIBLE CONTAINER
FIELD
The present disclosure relates in general to containers, and more
particularly, to containers
that are flexible and disposable.
BACKGROUND
Fluent products include liquid products and/or pourable solid products. In
various
embodiments, a container can be used to receive, contain, and dispense one or
more fluent products.
And, in various embodiments, a container can be used to receive, contain,
and/or dispense individual
articles or separately packaged portions of a product. A container can include
one or more product
volumes. A product volume can be configured to be filled with one or more
fluent products. A
container receives a fluent product when its product volume is filled. Once
filled to a desired
volume, a container can be configured to contain the fluent product in its
product volume, until the
fluent product is dispensed. A container contains a fluent product by
providing a barrier around the
fluent product. The barrier prevents the fluent product from escaping the
product volume. The
barrier can also protect the fluent product from the environment outside of
the container. A filled
product volume is typically closed off by a cap or a seal. A container can be
configured to dispense
one or more fluent products contained in its product volume(s). Once
dispensed, an end user can
consume, apply, or otherwise use the fluent product(s), as appropriate. In
various embodiments, a
container may be configured to be refilled and reused or a container may be
configured to be
disposed of after a single fill or even after a single use. A container should
be configured with
sufficient structural integrity, such that it can receive, contain, and
dispense its fluent product(s), as
intended, without failure.
A container for fluent product(s) can be handled, displayed for sale, and put
into use. A
container can be handled in many different ways as it is made, filled,
decorated, packaged, shipped,
and unpacked. A container can experience a wide range of external forces and
environmental
conditions as it is handled by machines and people, moved by equipment and
vehicles, and contacted
by other containers and various packaging materials. A container for fluent
product(s) should be
configured with sufficient structural integrity, such that it can be handled
in any of these ways, or in
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any other way known in the art, as intended, without failure.
A container can also be displayed for sale in many different ways as it is
offered for purchase.
A container can be offered for sale as an individual article of commerce or
packaged with one or
more other containers or products, which together form an article of commerce.
A container can be
offered for sale as a primary package with or without a secondary package. A
container can be
decorated to display characters, graphics, branding, and/or other visual
elements when the container
is displayed for sale. A container can be configured to be displayed for sale
while laying down or
standing up on a store shelf, while presented in a merchandising display,
while hanging on a display
hanger, or while loaded into a display rack or a vending machine. A container
for fluent product(s)
should be configured with a structure that allows it to be displayed in any of
these ways, or in any
other way known in the art, as intended, without failure.
A container can also be put into use in many different ways, by its end user.
A container can
be configured to be held and/or gripped by an end user, so a container should
be appropriately sized
and shaped for human hands; and for this purpose, a container can include
useful structural features
such as a handle and/or a gripping surface. A container can be stored while
laying down or standing
up on a support surface, while hanging on or from a projection such as a hook
or a clip, or while
supported by a product holder, or (for refillable or rechargeable containers)
positioned in a refilling
or recharging station. A container can be configured to dispense fluent
product(s) while in any of
these storage positions or while being held by the user. A container can be
configured to dispense
fluent product(s) through the use of gravity, and/or pressure, and/or a
dispensing mechanism, such as
a pump, or a straw, or through the use of other kinds of dispensers known in
the art. Some
containers can be configured to be filled and/or refilled by a seller (e.g. a
merchant or retailer) or by
an end user. A container for fluent product(s) should be configured with a
structure that allows it to
be put to use in any of these ways, or in any other way known in the art, as
intended, without failure.
A container can also be configured to be disposed of by the end user, as waste
and/or recyclable
material, in various ways.
One conventional type of container for fluent products is a rigid container
made from solid
material(s). Examples of conventional rigid containers include molded plastic
bottles, glass jars,
metal cans, cardboard boxes, etc. These conventional rigid containers are well-
known and generally
useful; however their designs do present several notable difficulties.
First, some conventional rigid containers for fluent products can be expensive
to make.
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Some rigid containers are made by a process shaping one or more solid
materials. Other rigid
containers are made with a phase change process, where container materials are
heated (to
soften/melt), then shaped, then cooled (to harden/solidify). Both kinds of
making are energy
intensive processes, which can require complex equipment.
Second, some conventional rigid containers for fluent products can require
significant
amounts of material. Rigid containers that are designed to stand up on a
support surface require
solid walls that are thick enough to support the containers when they are
filled. This can require
significant amounts of material, which adds to the cost of the containers and
can contribute to
difficulties with their disposal.
Third, some conventional rigid containers for fluent products can be difficult
to decorate.
The sizes, shapes, (e.g. curved surfaces) and/or materials of some rigid
containers, make it difficult
to print directly on their outside surfaces. Labeling requires additional
materials and processing, and
limits the size and shape of the decoration. Overwrapping provides larger
decoration areas, but also
requires additional materials and processing, often at significant expense.
Fourth, some conventional rigid containers for fluent products can be prone to
certain kinds
of damage. If a rigid container is pushed against a rough surface, then the
container can become
scuffed, which may obscure printing on the container. If a rigid container is
pressed against a hard
object, then the container can become dented, which may look unsightly. And if
a rigid container is
dropped, then the container can rupture, which may cause its fluent product to
be lost.
Fifth, some fluent products in conventional rigid containers can be difficult
to dispense.
When an end user squeezes a rigid container to dispense its fluent product,
the end user must
overcome the resistance of the rigid sides, to deform the container. Some
users may lack the hand
strength to easily overcome that resistance; these users may dispense less
than their desired amount
of fluent product. Other users may need to apply so much of their hand
strength, that they cannot
easily control how much they deform the container; these users may dispense
more than their desired
amount of fluent product.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure describes various embodiments of containers made from
flexible
material. Because these containers are made from flexible material, these
containers can be less
expensive to make, can use less material, and can be easier to decorate, when
compared with
conventional rigid containers. First, these containers can be less expensive
to make, because the
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conversion of flexible materials (from sheet form to finished goods) generally
requires less energy
and complexity, than formation of rigid materials (from bulk form to finished
goods). Second, these
containers can use less material, because they are configured with novel
support structures that do
not require the use of the thick solid walls used in conventional rigid
containers. Third, these
flexible containers can be easier to print and/or decorate, because they are
made from flexible
materials, and flexible materials can be printed and/or decorated as
conformable webs, before they
are formed into containers. Fourth, these flexible containers can be less
prone to scuffing, denting,
and rupture, because flexible materials allow their outer surfaces to deform
when contacting surfaces
and objects, and then to bounce back. Fifth, fluent products in these flexible
containers can be more
readily and carefully dispensed, because the sides of flexible containers can
be more easily and
controllably squeezed by human hands. Even though the containers of the
present disclosure are
made from flexible material, they can be configured with sufficient structural
integrity, such that
they can receive, contain, and dispense fluent product(s), as intended,
without failure. Also, these
containers can be configured with sufficient structural integrity, such that
they can withstand
external forces and environmental conditions from handling, without failure.
Further, these
containers can be configured with structures that allow them to be displayed
and put into use, as
intended, without failure.
In an exemplary embodiment, a disposable flexible container for a fluent
product in
accordance with the disclosure comprises a product volume at least partially
defined by a
nonstructural panel and a structural support volume arranged to generate and
maintain tension in the
nonstructural panel when the structural support volume is expanded. The
disposable flexible
container also includes a dispenser for dispensing the fluent product from the
product volume.
Preferably, the nonstructural panel which at least partially defines the
product volume has at least
one pair of opposed sides and the disposable flexible container has a
structural support volume
associated with, or in proximity to, each of the opposed sides of the
nonstructural panel in spaced
apart relation at a distance from one another.
In one embodiment, the nonstructural panel includes a perimeter and one or
more structural
support volumes surround at least 50% of the nonstructural panel in
association with, or in proximity
to, the perimeter of the nonstructural panel.
In another embodiment, the nonstructural panel has first and second pairs of
opposed sides
and one or more structural support volumes surround the nonstructural panel in
association with, or
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in proximity to, the first pair of opposed sides and at least one of the
second pair of opposed sides.
In still another embodiment, one or more structural support volumes
substantially surround
the nonstructural panel in association with, or in proximity to, the first and
second pairs of opposed
sides to impart tension to the nonstructural panel at least between one of the
first and second pairs of
5
opposed sides. In this embodiment, the structural support volumes may
comprise a first pair of
opposed structural support volumes in association with, or in proximity to,
the first pair of opposed
sides of the nonstructural panel to impart tension to the nonstructural panel
and a second pair of
opposed structural support volumes in association with, or in proximity to the
second pair of
opposed sides to maintain the first pair of structural support volumes in
spaced relation a distance
apart from one another. In yet another embodiment, the structural support
volume may comprise a
single continuous structural support volume substantially surrounding the
nonstructural panel in
proximity to the first and second pairs of opposed sides to impart tension
through both of the first
and second pairs of opposed sides of the nonstructural panel.
In a further respect, the disposable flexible container in accordance with the
disclosure
includes at least two flexible panels wherein at least one of the flexible
panels is a nonstructural
panel, wherein the nonstructural panel has opposed sides, and including a
structural support volume
associated with one or both of the opposed sides of the nonstructural panel.
In all of the embodiments, the nonstructural panel may comprise a flexible
squeeze panel for
dispensing the fluent product from the product volume through the dispenser
and, for this purpose,
the flexible squeeze panel may have a dimensionless tensile stress at least at
least at some point or
for some portion of the non-structural panel in the range of about 1E-6 to
about 20, preferably, a
dimensionless tensile stress in the range of about 4E-5 to about 10 and, more
preferably, a
dimensionless tensile stress in the range of about 2E-3 to about 0.9.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure lA illustrates a front view of an embodiment of a stand up flexible
container.
Figure 1B illustrates a side view of the stand up flexible container of Figure
1A.
Figure 1C illustrates a top view of the stand up flexible container of Figure
1A.
Figure 1D illustrates a bottom view of the stand up flexible container of
Figure 1A.
Figure 2A illustrates a top view of a stand up flexible container having a
structural support
frame that has an overall shape like a frustum.
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Figure 2B illustrates a front view of the container of Figure 2A.
Figure 2C illustrates a side view of the container of Figure 2A.
Figure 2D illustrates an isometric view of the container of Figure 2A.
Figure 3A illustrates a top view of a stand up flexible container having a
structural support
frame that has an overall shape like a pyramid.
Figure 3B illustrates a front view of the container of Figure 3A.
Figure 3C illustrates a side view of the container of Figure 3A.
Figure 3D illustrates an isometric view of the container of Figure 3A.
Figure 4A illustrates a top view of a stand up flexible container having a
structural support
frame that has an overall shape like a trigonal prism.
Figure 4B illustrates a front view of the container of Figure 4A.
Figure 4C illustrates a side view of the container of Figure 4A.
Figure 4D illustrates an isometric view of the container of Figure 4A.
Figure 5A illustrates a top view of a stand up flexible container having a
structural support
frame that has an overall shape like a tetragonal prism.
Figure 5B illustrates a front view of the container of Figure 5A.
Figure 5C illustrates a side view of the container of Figure 5A.
Figure 5D illustrates an isometric view of the container of Figure 5A.
Figure 6A illustrates a top view of a stand up flexible container having a
structural support
frame that has an overall shape like a pentagonal prism.
Figure 6B illustrates a front view of the container of Figure 6A.
Figure 6C illustrates a side view of the container of Figure 6A.
Figure 6D illustrates an isometric view of the container of Figure 6A.
Figure 7A illustrates a top view of a stand up flexible container having a
structural support
frame that has an overall shape like a cone.
Figure 7B illustrates a front view of the container of Figure 7A.
Figure 7C illustrates a side view of the container of Figure 7A.
Figure 7D illustrates an isometric view of the container of Figure 7A.
Figure 8A illustrates a top view of a stand up flexible container having a
structural support
frame that has an overall shape like a cylinder.
Figure 8B illustrates a front view of the container of Figure 8A.
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Figure 8C illustrates a side view of the container of Figure 8A.
Figure 8D illustrates an isometric view of the container of Figure 8A.
Figure 9A illustrates a top view of an embodiment of a self-supporting
flexible container,
having an overall shape like a square.
Figure 9B illustrates an end view of the flexible container of Figure 9A.
Figure 10A illustrates a top view of an embodiment of a self-supporting
flexible container,
having an overall shape like a triangle.
Figure 10B illustrates an end view of the flexible container of Figure 10A.
Figure 11A illustrates a top view of an embodiment of a self-supporting
flexible container,
having an overall shape like a circle.
Figure 11B illustrates an end view of the flexible container of Figure 11A.
Figure 12A illustrates an isometric view of push-pull type dispenser.
Figure 12B illustrates an isometric view of dispenser with a flip-top cap.
Figure 12C illustrates an isometric view of dispenser with a screw-on cap.
Figure 12D illustrates an isometric view of rotatable type dispenser.
Figure 12E illustrates an isometric view of nozzle type dispenser with a cap.
Figure 13A illustrates an isometric view of straw dispenser.
Figure 13B illustrates an isometric view of straw dispenser with a lid.
Figure 13C illustrates an isometric view of flip up straw dispenser.
Figure 13D illustrates an isometric view of straw dispenser with bite valve.
Figure 14A illustrates an isometric view of pump type dispenser.
Figure 14B illustrates an isometric view of pump spray type dispenser.
Figure 14C illustrates an isometric view of trigger spray type dispenser.
Figure 15A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a nonstructural panel
disposed between
structural support volumes before expansion.
Figure 15B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a nonstructural panel
disposed between
structural support volumes after expansion.
Figure 15C illustrates a cross-sectional view of a nonstructural panel
disposed between
structural support volumes while applying a squeeze force.
Figure 15D illustrates a top plan view of the nonstructural panel of Figure
15C disposed
between structural support volumes while applying a squeeze force.
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Figure 16A illustrates a nonstructural panel having opposed fixed sides and
having a
structural support volume disposed intermediate the fixed sides.
Figure 16B illustrates a nonstructural panel having opposed fixed sides and
having a
structural support volume associated with one of the fixed sides.
Figure 16C illustrates a nonstructural panel having opposed fixed sides and
having a
structural support volume associated with both of the fixed sides.
Figure 16D illustrates a nonstructural panel having opposed fixed sides and
having a
structural support volume surrounding at least 50% of the perimeter of the
nonstructural panel.
Figure 16E illustrates a nonstructural panel having two pairs of opposed sides
and having
multiple structural support volumes surrounding the nonstructural panel.
Figure 16F illustrates a nonstructural panel having two pairs of opposed sides
and having a
structural support volume surrounding the nonstructural panel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present disclosure describes various embodiments of containers made from
flexible
material. Because these containers are made from flexible material, these
containers can be less
expensive to make, can use less material, and can be easier to decorate, when
compared with
conventional rigid containers. First, these containers can be less expensive
to make, because the
conversion of flexible materials (from sheet form to finished goods) generally
requires less energy
and complexity, than formation of rigid materials (from bulk form to finished
goods). Second, these
containers can use less material, because they are configured with novel
support structures that do
not require the use of the thick solid walls used in conventional rigid
containers. Third, these
flexible containers can be easier to decorate, because their flexible
materials can be easily printed
before they are formed into containers. Fourth, these flexible containers can
be less prone to
scuffing, denting, and rupture, because flexible materials allow their outer
surfaces to deform when
contacting surfaces and objects, and then to bounce back. Fifth, fluent
products in these flexible
containers can be more readily and carefully dispensed, because the sides of
flexible containers can
be more easily and controllably squeezed by human hands.
Even though the containers of the present disclosure are made from flexible
material, they
can be configured with sufficient structural integrity, such that they can
receive, contain, and
dispense fluent product(s), as intended, without failure. Also, these
containers can be configured
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with sufficient structural integrity, such that they can withstand external
forces and environmental
conditions from handling, without failure. Further, these containers can be
configured with
structures that allow them to be displayed for sale and put into use, as
intended, without failure.
As used herein, the term "about" modifies a particular value, by referring to
a range equal to
the particular value, plus or minus twenty percent (+/- 20%). For any of the
embodiments of flexible
containers, disclosed herein, any disclosure of a particular value, can, in
various alternate
embodiments, also be understood as a disclosure of a range equal to about that
particular value (i.e.
+/- 20%).
As used herein, the term "ambient conditions" refers to a temperature within
the range of 15-
35 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity within the range of 35-75%.
As used herein, the term "approximately" modifies a particular value, by
referring to a range
equal to the particular value, plus or minus fifteen percent (+/- 15%). For
any of the embodiments of
flexible containers, disclosed herein, any disclosure of a particular value,
can, in various alternate
embodiments, also be understood as a disclosure of a range equal to
approximately that particular
value (i.e. +/- 15%).
As used herein, when referring to a sheet of material, the term "basis weight"
refers to a
measure of mass per area, in units of grams per square meter (gsm). For any of
the embodiments of
flexible containers, disclosed herein, in various embodiments, any of the
flexible materials can be
configured to have a basis weight of 10-1000 gsm, or any integer value for gsm
from 10-1000, or
within any range formed by any of these values, such as 20-800 gsm, 30-600
gsm, 40-400 gsm, or
50-200, etc.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "bottom"
refers to the portion
of the container that is located in the lowermost 30% of the overall height of
the container, that is,
from 0-30% of the overall height of the container. As used herein, the term
bottom can be further
limited by modifying the term bottom with a particular percentage value, which
is less than 30%.
For any of the embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, a
reference to the bottom of the
container can, in various alternate embodiments, refer to the bottom 25% (i.e.
from 0-25% of the
overall height), the bottom 20% (i.e. from 0-20% of the overall height), the
bottom 15% (i.e. from 0-
15% of the overall height), the bottom 10% (i.e. from 0-10% of the overall
height), or the bottom 5%
(i.e. from 0-5% of the overall height), or any integer value for percentage
between 0% and 30%.
As used herein, the term "branding" refers to a visual element intended to
distinguish a
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product from other products. Examples of branding include one of more of any
of the following:
trademarks, trade dress, logos, icons, and the like. For any of the
embodiments of flexible containers,
disclosed herein, in various embodiments, any surface of the flexible
container can include one or
more brandings of any size, shape, or configuration, disclosed herein or known
in the art, in any
5 combination.
As used herein, the term "character" refers to a visual element intended to
convey
information. Examples of characters include one or more of any of the
following: letters, numbers,
symbols, and the like. For any of the embodiments of flexible containers,
disclosed herein, in
various embodiments, any surface of the flexible container can include one or
more characters of any
10 size, shape, or configuration, disclosed herein or known in the art, in
any combination.
As used herein, the term "closed" refers to a state of a product volume,
wherein fluent
products within the product volume are prevented from escaping the product
volume (e.g. by one or
more materials that form a barrier, and by a cap), but the product volume is
not necessarily
hermetically sealed. For example, a closed container can include a vent, which
allows a head space
in the container to be in fluid communication with air in the environment
outside of the container.
As used herein, the term "directly connected" refers to a configuration
wherein elements are
attached to each other without any intermediate elements therebetween, except
for any means of
attachment (e.g. adhesive).
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "dispenser"
refers to a
structure configured to dispense fluent product(s) from a product volume
and/or from a mixing
volume to the environment outside of the container. For any of the flexible
containers disclosed
herein, any dispenser can be configured in any way disclosed herein or known
in the art, including
any suitable size, shape, and flow rate. For example, a dispenser can be a
push-pull type dispenser, a
dispenser with a flip-top cap, a dispenser with a screw-on cap, a rotatable
type dispenser, dispenser
with a cap, a pump type dispenser, a pump spray type dispenser, a trigger
spray type dispenser, a
straw dispenser, a flip up straw dispenser, a straw dispenser with bite valve,
a dosing dispenser, etc.
A dispenser can be a parallel dispenser, providing multiple flow channels in
fluid communication
with multiple product volumes, wherein those flow channels remain separate
until the point of
dispensing, thus allowing fluent products from multiple product volumes to be
dispensed as separate
fluent products, dispensed together at the same time. A dispenser can be a
mixing dispenser,
providing one or more flow channels in fluid communication with multiple
product volumes, with
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multiple flow channels combined before the point of dispensing, thus allowing
fluent products from
multiple product volumes to be dispensed as the fluent products mixed
together. As another
example, a dispenser can be formed by a frangible opening. As further
examples, a dispenser can
utilize one or more valves and/or dispensing mechanisms disclosed in the art,
such as those disclosed
in: published US patent application 2003/0096068, entitled "One-way valve for
inflatable package";
US patent 4,988,016 entitled "Self-sealing container"; and US patent
7,207,717, entitled "Package
having a fluid actuated closure"; each of which is hereby incorporated by
reference. Still further,
any of the dispensers disclosed herein, may be incorporated into a flexible
container either directly,
or in combination with one or more other materials or structures (such as a
fitment), or in any way
known in the art. In some alternate embodiments, dispensers disclosed herein
can be configured for
both dispensing and filling, to allow filling of product volume(s) through one
or more dispensers. In
other alternate embodiments, a product volume can include one or more filling
structure(s) (e.g. for
adding water to a mixing volume) in addition to or instead of one or more
dispenser(s). Any
location for a dispenser, disclosed herein can alternatively be used as a
location for a filling structure.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "disposable"
refers to a
container which, after dispensing a product to an end user, is not configured
to be refilled with an
additional amount of the product, but is configured to be disposed of (i.e. as
waste, compost, and/or
recyclable material). Part, parts, or all of any of the embodiments of
flexible containers, disclosed
herein, can be configured to be disposable.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "durable"
refers to a
container that is reusable more than non-durable containers.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "effective
base contact area"
refers to a particular area defined by a portion of the bottom of the
container, when the container
(with all of its product volume(s) filled 100% with water) is standing upright
and its bottom is
resting on a horizontal support surface. The effective base contact area lies
in a plane defined by the
horizontal support surface. The effective base contact area is a continuous
area bounded on all sides
by an outer periphery.
The outer periphery is formed from an actual contact area and from a series of
projected
areas from defined cross-sections taken at the bottom of the container. The
actual contact area is the
one or more portions of the bottom of the container that contact the
horizontal support surface, when
the effective base contact area is defined. The effective base contact area
includes all of the actual
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contact area. However, in some embodiments, the effective base contact area
may extend beyond
the actual contact area.
The series of projected area are formed from five horizontal cross-sections,
taken at the
bottom of the flexible container. These cross-sections are taken at 1%, 2%,
3%, 40//0,
and 5% of the
overall height. The outer extent of each of these cross-sections is projected
vertically downward
onto the horizontal support surface to form five (overlapping) projected
areas, which, together with
the actual contact area, form a single combined area. This is not a summing up
of the values for
these areas, but is the formation of a single combined area that includes all
of these (projected and
actual) areas, overlapping each other, wherein any overlapping portion makes
only one contribution
to the single combined area.
The outer periphery of the effective base contact area is formed as described
below. In the
following description, the terms convex, protruding, concave, and recessed are
understood from the
perspective of points outside of the combined area. The outer periphery is
formed by a combination
of the outer extent of the combined area and any chords, which are straight
line segments
constructed as described below.
For each continuous portion of the combined area that has an outer perimeter
with a shape
that is concave or recessed, a chord is constructed across that portion. This
chord is the shortest
straight line segment that can be drawn tangent to the combined area on both
sides of the
concave/recessed portion.
For a combined area that is discontinuous (formed by two or more separate
portions), one or
more chords are constructed around the outer perimeter of the combined area,
across the one or more
discontinuities (open spaces disposed between the portions). These chords are
straight lines
segments drawn tangent to the outermost separate portions of the combined
area. These chords are
drawn to create the largest possible effective base contact area.
Thus, the outer periphery is formed by a combination of the outer extent of
the combined
area and any chords, constructed as described above, which all together
enclose the effective base
area. Any chords that are bounded by the combined area and/or one or more
other chords, are not
part of the outer periphery and should be ignored.
Any of the embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, can be
configured to have
an effective base contact area from 1 to 50,000 square centimeters (cm2), or
any integer value for
cm2 between 1 and 50,000 cm2, or within any range formed by any of the
preceding values, such as:
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from 2 to 25,000 cm2, 3 to 10,000 cm2, 4 to 5,000 cm2, 5 to 2,500 cm2, from 10
to 1,000 cm2, from
20 to 500 cm2, from 30 to 300 cm2, from 40 to 200 cm2, or from 50 to 100 cm2,
etc.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "expanded"
refers to the state
of one or more flexible materials that are configured to be formed into a
structural support volume,
after the structural support volume is made rigid by one or more expansion
materials. An expanded
structural support volume has an overall width that is significantly greater
than the combined
thickness of its one or more flexible materials, before the structural support
volume is filled with the
one or more expansion materials. Examples of expansion materials include
liquids (e.g. water),
gases (e.g. compressed air), fluent products, foams (that can expand after
being added into a
structural support volume), co-reactive materials (that produce gas), or phase
change materials (that
can be added in solid or liquid form, but which turn into a gas; for example,
liquid nitrogen or dry
ice), or other suitable materials known in the art, or combinations of any of
these (e.g. fluent product
and liquid nitrogen). In various embodiments, expansion materials can be added
at atmospheric
pressure, or added under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, or added
to provide a material
change that will increase pressure to something above atmospheric pressure.
For any of the
embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, its one or more flexible
materials can be
expanded at various points in time, with respect to its manufacture, sale, and
use, including, for
example: before or after its product volume(s) are filled with fluent
product(s), before or after the
flexible container is shipped to a seller, and before or after the flexible
container is purchased by an
end user.
As used herein, when referring to a product volume of a flexible container,
the term "filled"
refers to the state when the product volume contains an amount of fluent
product(s) that is equal to a
full capacity for the product volume, with an allowance for head space, under
ambient conditions.
As used herein, the term filled can be modified by using the term filled with
a particular percentage
value, wherein 100% filled represents the maximum capacity of the product
volume.
As used herein, the term "flat" refers to a surface that is without
significant projections or
depressions.
As used herein, the term "flexible container" refers to a container configured
to have a
product volume, wherein one or more flexible materials form 50-100% of the
overall surface area of
the one or more materials that define the three-dimensional space of the
product volume. For any of
the embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, in various
embodiments, the flexible
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container can be configured to have a product volume, wherein one or more
flexible materials form a
particular percentage of the overall area of the one or more materials that
define the three-
dimensional space, and the particular percentage is any integer value for
percentage between 50%
and 100%, or within any range formed by any of these values, such as: 60-100%,
or 70-100%, or 80-
100%, or 90-100%, etc. One kind of flexible container is a film-based
container, which is a flexible
container made from one or more flexible materials, which include a film.
For any of the embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, in
various embodiments,
the middle of the flexible container (apart from any fluent product) can be
configured to have an
overall middle mass, wherein one or more flexible materials form a particular
percentage of the
overall middle mass, and the particular percentage is any integer value for
percentage between 50%
and 100%, or within any range formed by any of the preceding values, such as:
60-100%, or 70-
100%, or 80-100%, or 90-100%, etc.
For any of the embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, in
various embodiments,
the entire flexible container (apart from any fluent product) can be
configured to have an overall
mass, wherein one or more flexible materials form a particular percentage of
the overall mass, and
the particular percentage is any integer value for percentage between 50% and
100%, or within any
range formed by any of the preceding values, such as: 60-100%, or 70-100%, or
80-100%, or 90-
100%, etc.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "flexible
material" refers to a
thin, easily deformable, sheet-like material, having a flexibility factor
within the range of 1,000-
2,500,000 N/m. For any of the embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed
herein, in various
embodiments, any of the flexible materials can be configured to have a
flexibility factor of 1,000-
2,500,000 N/m, or any integer value for flexibility factor from 1,000-
2,500,000 N/m, or within any
range formed by any of these values, such as 1,000-1,500,000 N/m, 1,500-
1,000,000 N/m, 2,500-
800,000 N/m, 5,000-700,000 N/m, 10,000-600,000 N/m, 15,000-500,000 N/m, 20,000-
400,000 N/m,
25,000-300,000 N/m, 30,000-200,000 N/m, 35,000-100,000 N/m, 40,000-90,000 N/m,
or 45,000-
85,000 N/m, etc. Throughout the present disclosure the terms "flexible
material", "flexible sheet",
"sheet", and "sheet-like material" are used interchangeably and are intended
to have the same
meaning. Examples of materials that can be flexible materials include one or
more of any of the
following: films (such as plastic films), elastomers, foamed sheets, foils,
fabrics (including wovens
and nonwovens), biosourced materials, and papers, in any configuration, as
separate material(s), or
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as layer(s) of a laminate, or as part(s) of a composite material, in a
microlayered or nanolayered
structure, and in any combination, as described herein or as known in the art.
In various
embodiments, part, parts, or all of a flexible material can be coated or
uncoated, treated or untreated,
processed or unprocessed, in any manner known in the art. In various
embodiments, parts, parts, or
5 about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or
all of a flexible material can
made of sustainable, bio-sourced, recycled, recyclable, and/or biodegradable
material. Part, parts, or
about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or all
of any of the flexible materials
described herein can be partially or completely translucent, partially or
completely transparent, or
partially or completely opaque. The flexible materials used to make the
containers disclosed herein
10 can be formed in any manner known in the art, and can be joined together
using any kind of joining
or sealing method known in the art, including, for example, heat sealing (e.g.
conductive sealing,
impulse sealing, ultrasonic sealing, etc.), welding, crimping, bonding,
adhering, and the like, and
combinations of any of these.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "flexibility
factor" refers to a
15 material parameter for a thin, easily deformable, sheet-like material,
wherein the parameter is
measured in Newtons per meter, and the flexibility factor is equal to the
product of the value for the
Young's modulus of the material (measured in Pascals) and the value for the
overall thickness of the
material (measured in meters).
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "fluent
product" refers to one
or more liquids and/or pourable solids, and combinations thereof. Examples of
fluent products
include one or more of any of the following: bites, bits, creams, chips,
chunks, crumbs, crystals,
emulsions, flakes, gels, grains, granules, jellies, kibbles, liquid solutions,
liquid suspensions, lotions,
nuggets, ointments, particles, particulates, pastes, pieces, pills, powders,
salves, shreds, sprinkles,
and the like, either individually or in any combination. Throughout the
present disclosure the terms
"fluent product" and "flowable product" are used interchangeably and are
intended to have the same
meaning. Any of the product volumes disclosed herein can be configured to
include one or more of
any fluent product disclosed herein, or known in the art, in any combination.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "formed"
refers to the state of
one or more materials that are configured to be formed into a product volume,
after the product
volume is provided with its defined three-dimensional space.
As used herein, the term "graphic" refers to a visual element intended to
provide a decoration
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or to communicate information. Examples of graphics include one or more of any
of the following
colors, patterns, designs, images, and the like. For any of the embodiments of
flexible containers,
disclosed herein, in various embodiments, any surface of the flexible
container can include one or
more graphics of any size, shape, or configurations, disclosed herein or known
in the art, in any
combination.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "height area
ratio" refers to a
ratio for the container, with units of per centimeter (cm-1), which is equal
to the value for the overall
height of the container (with all of its product volume(s) filled 100% with
water, and with overall
height measured in centimeters) divided by the value for the effective base
contact area of the
container (with all of its product volume(s) filled 100% with water, and with
effective base contact
area measured in square centimeters). For any of the embodiments of flexible
containers, disclosed
herein, in various embodiments, any of the flexible containers, can be
configured to have a height
area ratio from 0.3 to 3.0 per centimeter, or any value in increments of 0.05
cm-1 between 0.3 and 3.0
per centimeter, or within any range formed by any of the preceding values,
such as: from 0.35 to 2.0
cm-1, from 0.4 to 1.5 cm-1, from 0.4 to 1.2 cm-1, or from 0.45 to 0.9 cm-1,
etc.
As used herein, the term "indicia" refers to one or more of characters,
graphics, branding, or
other visual elements, in any combination. For any of the embodiments of
flexible containers,
disclosed herein, in various embodiments, any surface of the flexible
container can include one or
more indicia of any size, shape, or configuration, disclosed herein or known
in the art, in any
combination.
As used herein, the term "indirectly connected" refers to a configuration
wherein elements
are attached to each other with one or more intermediate elements
therebetween.
As used herein, the term "joined" refers to a configuration wherein elements
are either
directly connected or indirectly connected.
As used herein, the term "lateral" refers to a direction, orientation, or
measurement that is
parallel to a lateral centerline of a container, when the container is
standing upright on a horizontal
support surface, as described herein. A lateral orientation may also be
referred to a "horizontal"
orientation, and a lateral measurement may also be referred to as a "width."
As used herein, the term "like-numbered" refers to similar alphanumeric labels
for
corresponding elements, as described below. Like-numbered elements have labels
with the same
last two digits; for example, one element with a label ending in the digits 20
and another element
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with a label ending in the digits 20 are like-numbered. Like-numbered elements
can have labels
with a differing first digit, wherein that first digit matches the number for
its figure; as an example,
an element of Figure 3 labeled 320 and an element of Figure 4 labeled 420 are
like-numbered. Like-
numbered elements can have labels with a suffix (i.e. the portion of the label
following the dash
symbol) that is the same or possibly different (e.g. corresponding with a
particular embodiment); for
example, a first embodiment of an element in Figure 3A labeled 320-a and a
second embodiment of
an element in Figure 3B labeled 320-b, are like numbered.
As used herein, the term "longitudinal" refers to a direction, orientation, or
measurement that
is parallel to a longitudinal centerline of a container, when the container is
standing upright on a
horizontal support surface, as described herein. A longitudinal orientation
may also be referred to a
"vertical" orientation. When expressed in relation to a horizontal support
surface for a container, a
longitudinal measurement may also be referred to as a "height", measured above
the horizontal
support surface.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "middle"
refers to the portion
of the container that is located in between the top of the container and the
bottom of the container.
As used herein, the term middle can be modified by describing the term middle
with reference to a
particular percentage value for the top and/or a particular percentage value
for the bottom. For any
of the embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, a reference to
the middle of the
container can, in various alternate embodiments, refer to the portion of the
container that is located
between any particular percentage value for the top, disclosed herein, and/or
any particular
percentage value for the bottom, disclosed herein, in any combination.
As used herein, the term "mixing volume" refers to a type product volume that
is configured
to receive one or more fluent product(s) from one or more product volumes
and/or from the
environment outside of the container.
As used herein, when referring to a product volume, the term "multiple dose"
refers to a
product volume that is sized to contain a particular amount of product that is
about equal to two or
more units of typical consumption, application, or use by an end user. Any of
the embodiments of
flexible containers, disclosed herein, can be configured to have one or more
multiple dose product
volumes. A container with only one product volume, which is a multiple dose
product volume, is
referred to herein as a "multiple dose container."
As used herein, the term "nearly" modifies a particular value, by referring to
a range equal to
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the particular value, plus or minus five percent (+/- 5%). For any of the
embodiments of flexible
containers, disclosed herein, any disclosure of a particular value, can, in
various alternate
embodiments, also be understood as a disclosure of a range equal to
approximately that particular
value (i.e. +/- 5%).
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "non-durable"
refers to a
container that is temporarily reusable, or disposable, or single use.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "overall
height" refers to a
distance that is measured while the container is standing upright on a
horizontal support surface, the
distance measured vertically from the upper side of the support surface to a
point on the top of the
container, which is farthest away from the upper side of the support surface.
Any of the
embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, can be configured to
have an overall height
from 2.0 cm to 100.0 cm, or any value in increments of 0.1 cm between 2.0 and
100.0 cm, or within
any range formed by any of the preceding values, such as: from 4.0 to 90.0 cm,
from 5.0 to 80.0 cm,
from 6.0 to 70.0 cm, from 7.0 to 60.0 cm, from 8.0 to 50.0 cm, from 9.0 to
40.0 cm, or from 10.0 to
30.0, etc.
As used herein, when referring to a sheet of flexible material, the term
"overall thickness"
refers to a linear dimension measured perpendicular to the outer major
surfaces of the sheet, when
the sheet is lying flat. For any of the embodiments of flexible containers,
disclosed herein, in
various embodiments, any of the flexible materials can be configured to have
an overall thickness 5-
500 micrometers (um), or any integer value for micrometers from 5-500, or
within any range formed
by any of these values, such as 10-500 um, 20-400 um, 30-300 um, 40-200 um, or
50-100 um, etc.
As used herein, the term "product volume" refers to an enclosable three-
dimensional space
that is configured to receive and directly contain one or more fluent
product(s), wherein that space is
defined by one or more materials that form a barrier that prevents the fluent
product(s) from
escaping the product volume. By directly containing the one or more fluent
products, the fluent
products come into contact with the materials that form the enclosable three-
dimensional space;
there is no intermediate material or container, which prevents such contact.
Throughout the present
disclosure the terms "product volume" and "product receiving volume" are used
interchangeably and
are intended to have the same meaning. Any of the embodiments of flexible
containers, disclosed
herein, can be configured to have any number of product volumes including one
product volume,
two product volumes, three product volumes, four product volumes, five product
volumes, six
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product volumes, or even more product volumes. In some embodiments, one or
more product
volumes can be enclosed within another product volume. Any of the product
volumes disclosed
herein can have a product volume of any size, including from 0.001 liters to
100.0 liters, or any
value in increments of 0.001 liters between 0.001 liters and 3.0 liters, or
any value in increments of
0.01 liters between 3.0 liters and 10.0 liters, or any value in increments of
1.0 liters between 10.0
liters and 100.0 liters, or within any range formed by any of the preceding
values, such as: from
0.001 to 2.2 liters, 0.01 to 2.0 liters, 0.05 to 1.8 liters, 0.1 to 1.6
liters, 0.15 to 1.4 liters, 0.2 to 1.2
liters, 0.25 to 1.0 liters, etc. A product volume can have any shape in any
orientation. A product
volume can be included in a container that has a structural support frame, and
a product volume can
be included in a container that does not have a structural support frame.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "resting on a
horizontal
surface" refers to the container resting directly on the horizontal support
surface, without other
support.
As used herein, the term "sealed," when referring to a product volume, refers
to a state of the
product volume wherein fluent products within the product volume are prevented
from escaping the
product volume (e.g. by one or more materials that form a barrier, and by a
seal), and the product
volume is hermetically sealed.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "self-
supporting" refers to a
container that includes a product volume and a structural support frame,
wherein, when the container
is resting on a horizontal support surface, in at least one orientation, the
structural support frame is
configured to prevent the container from collapsing and to give the container
an overall height that is
significantly greater than the combined thickness of the materials that form
the container, even when
the product volume is unfilled. Any of the embodiments of flexible containers,
disclosed herein, can
be configured to be self-supporting.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "single use"
refers to a closed
container which, after being opened by an end user, is not configured to be
reclosed. Any of the
embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, can be configured to be
single use.
As used herein, when referring to a product volume, the term "single dose"
refers to a product
volume that is sized to contain a particular amount of product that is about
equal to one unit of
typical consumption, application, or use by an end user. Any of the
embodiments of flexible
containers, disclosed herein, can be configured to have one or more single
dose product volumes. A
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container with only one product volume, which is a single dose product volume,
is referred to herein
as a "single dose container."
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the terms "stand up,"
"stands up,"
"standing up", "stand upright", "stands upright", and "standing upright" refer
to a particular
5 orientation of a self-supporting flexible container, when the container
is resting on a horizontal
support surface. This standing upright orientation can be determined from the
structural features of
the container and/or indicia on the container. In a first determining test, if
the flexible container has
a clearly defined base structure that is configured to be used on the bottom
of the container, then the
container is determined to be standing upright when this base structure is
resting on the horizontal
10 support surface. If the first test cannot determine the standing upright
orientation, then, in a second
determining test, the container is determined to be standing upright when the
container is oriented to
rest on the horizontal support surface such that the indicia on the flexible
container are best
positioned in an upright orientation. If the second test cannot determine the
standing upright
orientation, then, in a third determining test, the container is determined to
be standing upright when
15 the container is oriented to rest on the horizontal support surface such
that the container has the
largest overall height. If the third test cannot determine the standing
upright orientation, then, in a
fourth determining test, the container is determined to be standing upright
when the container is
oriented to rest on the horizontal support surface such that the container has
the largest height area
ratio. If the fourth test cannot determine the standing upright orientation,
then, any orientation used
20 in the fourth determining test can be considered to be a standing
upright orientation.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "stand up
container" refers to
a self-supporting container, wherein, when the container (with all of its
product volume(s) filled 100%
with water) is standing up, the container has a height area ratio from 0.4 to
1.5 cm-1. Any of the
embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, can be configured to be
stand up containers.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term
"nonstructural panel" refers to
flexible material(s) and/or laminate(s) of flexible material(s) which overlay
a product volume
disposed within the flexible container.
As used herein, a "flexible squeeze panel" is a nonstructural panel that is
under tension
generated and maintained across the nonstructural panel by a structural
support volume when
expanded.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "structural
support frame"
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refers to a rigid structure formed of one or more structural support members,
joined together, around
one or more sizable empty spaces and/or one or more nonstructural panels, and
generally used as a
major support for the product volume(s) in the flexible container and in
making the container self-
supporting and/or standing upright. In each of the embodiments disclosed
herein, when a flexible
container includes a structural support frame and one or more product volumes,
the structural
support frame is considered to be supporting the product volumes of the
container, unless otherwise
indicated.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "structural
support member"
refers to a rigid, physical structure, which includes one or more expanded
structural support volumes,
and which is configured to be used in a structural support frame, to carry one
or more loads (from
the flexible container) across a span. A structure that does not include at
least one expanded
structural support volume, is not considered to be a structural support
member, as used herein.
A structural support member has two defined ends, a middle between the two
ends, and an
overall length from its one end to its other end. A structural support member
can have one or more
cross-sectional areas, each of which has an overall width that is less than
its overall length.
A structural support member can be configured in various forms. A structural
support
member can include one, two, three, four, five, six or more structural support
volumes, arranged in
various ways. For example, a structural support member can be formed by a
single structural
support volume. As another example, a structural support member can be formed
by a plurality of
structural support volumes, disposed end to end, in series, wherein, in
various embodiments, part,
parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly
all, or all of some or all of the
structural support volumes can be partly or fully in contact with each other,
partly or fully directly
connected to each other, and/or partly or fully joined to each other. As a
further example, a
structural support member can be formed by a plurality of support volumes
disposed side by side, in
parallel, wherein, in various embodiments, part, parts, or about all, or
approximately all, or
substantially all, or nearly all, or all of some or all of the structural
support volumes can be partly or
fully in contact with each other, partly or fully directly connected to each
other, and/or partly or fully
joined to each other.
In some embodiments, a structural support member can include a number of
different kinds
of elements. For example, a structural support member can include one or more
structural support
volumes along with one or more mechanical reinforcing elements (e.g. braces,
collars, connectors,
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joints, ribs, etc.), which can be made from one or more rigid (e.g. solid)
materials.
In other embodiments, the nonstructural panel may comprise a relatively flat
and/or curved surface,
and/or have display indicia and/or decorative elements, and/or have structural
elements. For
example, the structural elements can include one or more of expanded volumes
including structural
support volumes, textural features, and ergonomic elements.
Structural support members can have various shapes and sizes. Part, parts, or
about all, or
approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or all of a structural
support member can be
straight, curved, angled, segmented, or other shapes, or combinations of any
of these shapes. Part,
parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly
all, or all of a structural support
member can have any suitable cross-sectional shape, such as circular, oval,
square, triangular, star-
shaped, or modified versions of these shapes, or other shapes, or combinations
of any of these shapes.
A structural support member can have an overall shape that is tubular, or
convex, or concave, along
part, parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or
nearly all, or all of a length. A
structural support member can have any suitable cross-sectional area, any
suitable overall width, and
any suitable overall length. A structural support member can be substantially
uniform along part,
parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly
all, or all of its length, or can
vary, in any way described herein, along part, parts, or about all, or
approximately all, or
substantially all, or nearly all, or all of its length. For example, a cross-
sectional area of a structural
support member can increase or decrease along part, parts, or all of its
length. Part, parts, or all of
any of the embodiments of structural support members of the present
disclosure, can be configured
according to any embodiment disclosed herein, including any workable
combination of structures,
features, materials, and/or connections from any number of any of the
embodiments disclosed herein.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "structural
support volume"
refers to a fillable space made from one or more flexible materials, wherein
the space is configured
to be at least partially filled with one or more expansion materials, which
create tension in the one or
more flexible materials, and form an expanded structural support volume. One
or more expanded
structural support volumes can be configured to be included in a structural
support member. A
structural support volume is distinct from structures configured in other
ways, such as: structures
without a fillable space (e.g. an open space), structures made from inflexible
(e.g. solid) materials,
structures with spaces that are not configured to be filled with an expansion
material (e.g. an
unattached area between adjacent layers in a multi-layer panel), and
structures with flexible
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materials that are not configured to be expanded by an expansion material
(e.g. a space in a structure
that is configured to be a non-structural panel). Throughout the present
disclosure the terms
"structural support volume" and "expandable chamber" are used interchangeably
and are intended to
have the same meaning.
In some embodiments, a structural support frame can include a plurality of
structural support
volumes, wherein some of or all of the structural support volumes are in fluid
communication with
each other. In other embodiments, a structural support frame can include a
plurality of structural
support volumes, wherein some of or none of the structural support volumes are
in fluid
communication with each other. Any of the structural support frames of the
present disclosure can
be configured to have any kind of fluid communication disclosed herein.
As used herein, the term "substantially" modifies a particular value, by
referring to a range
equal to the particular value, plus or minus ten percent (+/- 10%). For any of
the embodiments of
flexible containers, disclosed herein, any disclosure of a particular value,
can, in various alternate
embodiments, also be understood as a disclosure of a range equal to
approximately that particular
value (i.e. +/- 10%).
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "temporarily
reusable" refers
to a container which, after dispensing a product to an end user, is configured
to be refilled with an
additional amount of a product, up to ten times, before the container
experiences a failure that
renders it unsuitable for receiving, containing, or dispensing the product. As
used herein, the term
temporarily reusable can be further limited by modifying the number of times
that the container can
be refilled before the container experiences such a failure. For any of the
embodiments of flexible
containers, disclosed herein, a reference to temporarily reusable can, in
various alternate
embodiments, refer to temporarily reusable by refilling up to eight times
before failure, by refilling
up to six times before failure, by refilling up to four times before failure,
or by refilling up to two
times before failure, or any integer value for refills between one and ten
times before failure. Any of
the embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, can be configured to
be temporarily
reusable, for the number of refills disclosed herein.
As used herein, the term "thickness" refers to a measurement that is parallel
to a third
centerline of a container, when the container is standing upright on a
horizontal support surface, as
described herein. A thickness may also be referred to as a "depth."
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "top" refers
to the portion of
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the container that is located in the uppermost 20% of the overall height of
the container, that is, from
80-100% of the overall height of the container. As used herein, the term top
can be further limited
by modifying the term top with a particular percentage value, which is less
than 20%. For any of the
embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, a reference to the top
of the container can, in
various alternate embodiments, refer to the top 15% (i.e. from 85-100% of the
overall height), the
top 10% (i.e. from 90-100% of the overall height), or the top 5% (i.e. from 95-
100% of the overall
height), or any integer value for percentage between 0% and 20%.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "unexpanded"
refers to the
state of one or more materials that are configured to be formed into a
structural support volume,
before the structural support volume is made rigid by an expansion material.
As used herein, when referring to a product volume of a flexible container,
the term "unfilled"
refers to the state of the product volume when it does not contain a fluent
product.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "unformed"
refers to the state of one
or more materials that are configured to be formed into a product volume,
before the product volume
is provided with its defined three-dimensional space. For example, an article
of manufacture could
be a container blank with an unformed product volume, wherein sheets of
flexible material, with
portions joined together, are laying flat against each other.
Flexible containers, as described herein, may be used across a variety of
industries for a
variety of products. For example, flexible containers, as described herein,
may be used across the
consumer products industry, including the following products: soft surface
cleaners, hard surface
cleaners, glass cleaners, ceramic tile cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, wood
cleaners, multi-surface
cleaners, surface disinfectants, dishwashing compositions, laundry detergents,
fabric conditioners,
fabric dyes, surface protectants, surface disinfectants, cosmetics, facial
powders, body powders, hair
treatment products (e.g. mousse, hair spray, styling gels), shampoo, hair
conditioner (leave-in or
rinse-out), cream rinse, hair dye, hair coloring product, hair shine product,
hair serum, hair anti-frizz
product, hair split-end repair products, permanent waving solution,
antidandruff formulation, bath
gels, shower gels, body washes, facial cleaners, skin care products (e.g.
sunscreen, sun block lotions,
lip balm, skin conditioner, cold creams, moisturizers), body sprays, soaps,
body scrubs, exfoliants,
astringent, scrubbing lotions, depilatories, antiperspirant compositions,
deodorants, shaving products,
pre-shaving products, after shaving products, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc. As
further examples,
flexible containers, as described herein, may be used across other industries,
including foods,
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beverages, pharmaceuticals, commercial products, industrial products, medical,
etc.
Figures 1A-1D illustrates various views of an embodiment of a stand up
flexible container
100. Figure lA illustrates a front view of the container 100. The container
100 is standing upright
on a horizontal support surface 101.
5
In Figure 1A, a coordinate system 110, provides lines of reference for
referring to directions
in the figure. The coordinate system 110 is a three-dimensional Cartesian
coordinate system with an
X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis, wherein each axis is perpendicular to the
other axes, and any two of
the axes define a plane. The X-axis and the Z-axis are parallel with the
horizontal support surface
101 and the Y-axis is perpendicular to the horizontal support surface 101.
10
Figure lA also includes other lines of reference, for referring to directions
and locations with
respect to the container 100. A lateral centerline 111 runs parallel to the X-
axis. An XY plane at the
lateral centerline 111 separates the container 100 into a front half and a
back half. An XZ plane at
the lateral centerline 111 separates the container 100 into an upper half and
a lower half. A
longitudinal centerline 114 runs parallel to the Y-axis. A YZ plane at the
longitudinal centerline 114
15
separates the container 100 into a left half and a right half. A third
centerline 117 runs parallel to the
Z-axis. The lateral centerline 111, the longitudinal centerline 114, and the
third centerline 117 all
intersect at a center of the container 100.
A disposition with respect to the lateral centerline 111 defines what is
longitudinally inboard
112 and longitudinally outboard 113. When a first location is nearer to the
lateral centerline 111
20
than a second location, the first location is considered to be disposed
longitudinally inboard 112 to
the second location. And, the second location is considered to be disposed
longitudinally outboard
113 from the first location. The term lateral refers to a direction,
orientation, or measurement that is
parallel to the lateral centerline 111. A lateral orientation may also be
referred to a horizontal
orientation, and a lateral measurement may also be referred to as a width.
25
A disposition with respect to the longitudinal centerline 114 defines what is
laterally inboard
115 and laterally outboard 116. When a first location is nearer to the
longitudinal centerline 114
than a second location, the first location is considered to be disposed
laterally inboard 115 to the
second location. And, the second location is considered to be disposed
laterally outboard 116 from
the first location. The term longitudinal refers to a direction, orientation,
or measurement that is
parallel to the longitudinal centerline 114. A longitudinal orientation may
also be referred to a
vertical orientation.
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A longitudinal direction, orientation, or measurement may also be expressed in
relation to a
horizontal support surface for the container 100. When a first location is
nearer to the support
surface than a second location, the first location can be considered to be
disposed lower than, below,
beneath, or under the second location. And, the second location can be
considered to be disposed
higher than, above, or upward from the first location. A longitudinal
measurement may also be
referred to as a height, measured above the horizontal support surface 100.
A measurement that is made parallel to the third centerline 117 is referred to
a thickness or
depth. A disposition in the direction of the third centerline 117 and toward a
front 102-1 of the
container is referred to as forward 118 or in front of. A disposition in the
direction of the third
centerline 117 and toward a back 102-2 of the container is referred to as
backward 119 or behind.
These terms for direction, orientation, measurement, and disposition, as
described above, are
used for all of the embodiments of the present disclosure, whether or not a
support surface, reference
line, or coordinate system is shown in a figure.
The container 100 includes a top 104, a middle 106, and a bottom 108, the
front 102-1, the
back 102-2, and left and right sides 109. The top 104 is separated from the
middle 106 by a
reference plane 105, which is parallel to the XZ plane. The middle 106 is
separated from the bottom
108 by a reference plane 107, which is also parallel to the XZ plane. The
container 100 has an
overall height of 100-oh. In the embodiment of Figure 1A, the front 102-1 and
the back 102-2 of the
container are joined together at a seal 129, which extends around the outer
periphery of the container
100, across the top 104, down the side 109, and then, at the bottom of each
side 109, splits outward
to follow the front and back portions of the base 190, around their outer
extents.
The container 100 includes a structural support frame 140, a product volume
150, a dispenser
160, panels 180-1 and 180-2, and a base structure 190. A portion of panel 180-
1 is illustrated as
broken away, in order to show the product volume 150. The product volume 150
is configured to
contain one or more fluent products. The dispenser 160 allows the container
100 to dispense these
fluent product(s) from the product volume 150 through a flow channel 159 then
through the
dispenser 160, to the environment outside of the container 100. In the
embodiment of Figures 1A-
1D, the dispenser 160 is disposed in the center of the uppermost part of the
top 104, however, in
various alternate embodiments, the dispenser 160 can be disposed anywhere else
on the top 140,
middle 106, or bottom 108, including anywhere on either of the sides 109, on
either of the panels
180-1 and 180-2, and on any part of the base 190 of the container 100. The
structural support frame
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140 supports the mass of fluent product(s) in the product volume 150, and
makes the container 100
stand upright. The panels 180-1 and 180-2 are relatively flat surfaces,
overlaying the product
volume 150, and are suitable for displaying any kind of indicia. However, in
various embodiments,
part, parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or
nearly all, or all of either or both
of the panels 180-1 and 180-2 can include one or more curved surfaces. The
base structure 190
supports the structural support frame 140 and provides stability to the
container 100 as it stands
upright.
The structural support frame 140 is formed by a plurality of structural
support members. The
structural support frame 140 includes top structural support members 144-1 and
144-2, middle
structural support members 146-1, 146-2, 146-3, and 146-4, as well as bottom
structural support
members 148-1 and 148-2.
The top structural support members 144-1 and 144-2 are disposed on the upper
part of the top
104 of the container 100, with the top structural support member 144-1
disposed in the front 102-1
and the top structural support member 144-2 disposed in the back 102-2, behind
the top structural
support member 144-1. The top structural support members 144-1 and 144-2 are
adjacent to each
other and can be in contact with each other along the laterally outboard
portions of their lengths. In
various embodiments, the top structural support members 144-1 and 144-2 can be
in contact with
each other at one or more relatively smaller locations and/or at one or more
relatively larger
locations, along part, or parts, or about all, or approximately all, or
substantially all, or nearly all, or
all of their overall lengths, so long as there is a flow channel 159 between
the top structural support
members 144-1 and 144-2, which allows the container 100 to dispense fluent
product(s) from the
product volume 150 through the flow channel 159 then through the dispenser
160. The top
structural support members 144-1 and 144-2 are not directly connected to each
other. However, in
various alternate embodiments, the top structural support members 144-1 and
144-2 can be directly
connected and/or joined together along part, or parts, or about all, or
approximately all, or
substantially all, or nearly all, or all of their overall lengths.
The top structural support members 144-1 and 144-2 are disposed substantially
above the
product volume 150. Overall, each of the top structural support members 144-1
and 144-2 is
oriented about horizontally, but with its ends curved slightly downward. And,
overall each of the
top structural support members 144-1 and 144-2 has a cross-sectional area that
is substantially
uniform along its length; however the cross-sectional area at their ends are
slightly larger than the
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cross-sectional area in their middles.
The middle structural support members 146-1, 146-2, 146-3, and 146-4 are
disposed on the
left and right sides 109, from the top 104, through the middle 106, to the
bottom 108. The middle
structural support member 146-1 is disposed in the front 102-1, on the left
side 109; the middle
structural support member 146-4 is disposed in the back 102-2, on the left
side 109, behind the
middle structural support member 146-1. The middle structural support members
146-1 and 146-4
are adjacent to each other and can be in contact with each other along
substantially all of their
lengths. In various embodiments, the middle structural support members 146-1
and 146-4 can be in
contact with each other at one or more relatively smaller locations and/or at
one or more relatively
larger locations, along part, or parts, or about all, or approximately all, or
substantially all, or nearly
all, or all of their overall lengths. The middle structural support members
146-1 and 146-4 are not
directly connected to each other. However, in various alternate embodiments,
the middle structural
support members 146-1 and 146-4 can be directly connected and/or joined
together along part, or
parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly
all, or all of their overall
lengths.
The middle structural support member 146-2 is disposed in the front 102-1, on
the right side
109; the middle structural support member 146-3 is disposed in the back 102-2,
on the right side 109,
behind the middle structural support member 146-2. The middle structural
support members 146-2
and 146-3 are adjacent to each other and can be in contact with each other
along substantially all of
their lengths. In various embodiments, the middle structural support members
146-2 and 146-3 can
be in contact with each other at one or more relatively smaller locations
and/or at one or more
relatively larger locations, along part, or parts, or about all, or
approximately all, or substantially all,
or nearly all, or all of their overall lengths. The middle structural support
members 146-2 and 146-3
are not directly connected to each other. However, in various alternate
embodiments, the middle
structural support members 146-2 and 146-3 can be directly connected and/or
joined together along
part, or parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or
nearly all, or all of their
overall lengths.
The middle structural support members 146-1, 146-2, 146-3, and 146-4 are
disposed
substantially laterally outboard from the product volume 150. Overall, each of
the middle structural
support members 146-1, 146-2, 146-3, and 146-4 is oriented about vertically,
but angled slightly,
with its upper end laterally inboard to its lower end. And, overall each of
the middle structural
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support members 146-1, 146-2, 146-3, and 146-4 has a cross-sectional area that
changes along its
length, increasing in size from its upper end to its lower end.
The bottom structural support members 148-1 and 148-2 are disposed on the
bottom 108 of
the container 100, with the bottom structural support member 148-1 disposed in
the front 102-1 and
the bottom structural support member 148-2 disposed in the back 102-2, behind
the top structural
support member 148-1. The bottom structural support members 148-1 and 148-2
are adjacent to
each other and can be in contact with each other along substantially all of
their lengths. In various
embodiments, the bottom structural support members 148-1 and 148-2 can be in
contact with each
other at one or more relatively smaller locations and/or at one or more
relatively larger locations,
along part, or parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially
all, or nearly all, or all of their
overall lengths. The bottom structural support members 148-1 and 148-2 are not
directly connected
to each other. However, in various alternate embodiments, the bottom
structural support members
148-1 and 148-2 can be directly connected and/or joined together along part,
or parts, or about all, or
approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or all of their
overall lengths.
The bottom structural support members 148-1 and 148-2 are disposed
substantially below the
product volume 150, but substantially above the base structure 190. Overall,
each of the bottom
structural support members 148-1 and 148-2 is oriented about horizontally, but
with its ends curved
slightly upward. And, overall each of the bottom structural support members
148-1 and 148-2 has a
cross-sectional area that is substantially uniform along its length.
In the front portion of the structural support frame 140, the left end of the
top structural
support member 144-1 is joined to the upper end of the middle structural
support member 146-1; the
lower end of the middle structural support member 146-1 is joined to the left
end of the bottom
structural support member 148-1; the right end of the bottom structural
support member 148-1 is
joined to the lower end of the middle structural support member 146-2; and the
upper end of the
middle structural support member 146-2 is joined to the right end of the top
structural support
member 144-1. Similarly, in the back portion of the structural support frame
140, the left end of the
top structural support member 144-2 is joined to the upper end of the middle
structural support
member 146-4; the lower end of the middle structural support member 146-4 is
joined to the left end
of the bottom structural support member 148-2; the right end of the bottom
structural support
member 148-2 is joined to the lower end of the middle structural support
member 146-3; and the
upper end of the middle structural support member 146-3 is joined to the right
end of the top
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structural support member 144-2. In the structural support frame 140, the ends
of the structural
support members, which are joined together, are directly connected, all around
the periphery of their
walls. However, in various alternative embodiments, any of the structural
support members 144-1,
144-2, 146-1, 146-2, 146-3, 146-4, 148-1, and 148-2 can be joined together in
any way described
5 herein or known in the art.
In alternative embodiments of the structural support frame 140, adjacent
structural support
members can be combined into a single structural support member, wherein the
combined structural
support member can effectively substitute for the adjacent structural support
members, as their
functions and connections are described herein. In other alternative
embodiments of the structural
10 support frame 140, one or more additional structural support members can
be added to the structural
support members in the structural support frame 140, wherein the expanded
structural support frame
can effectively substitute for the structural support frame 140, as its
functions and connections are
described herein. Also, in some alternative embodiments, a flexible container
may not include a
base structure.
15 Figure 1B illustrates a side view of the stand up flexible container 100
of Figure 1A.
Figure 1C illustrates a top view of the stand up flexible container 100 of
Figure 1A.
Figure 1D illustrates a bottom view of the stand up flexible container 100 of
Figure 1A.
Figures 2A-8D illustrate embodiments of stand up flexible containers having
various overall
shapes. Any of the embodiments of Figures 2A-8D can be configured according to
any of the
20 embodiments disclosed herein, including the embodiments of Figures 1A-
1D. Any of the elements
(e.g. structural support frames, structural support members, panels,
dispensers, etc.) of the
embodiments of Figures 2A-8D, can be configured according to any of the
embodiments disclosed
herein. While each of the embodiments of Figures 2A-8D illustrates a container
with one dispenser,
in various embodiments, each container can include multiple dispensers,
according to any
25 embodiment described herein. Figures 2A-8D illustrate exemplary
additional/alternate locations for
dispenser with phantom line outlines. Part, parts, or about all, or
approximately all, or substantially
all, or nearly all, or all of each of the panels in the embodiments of Figures
2A-8D is suitable to
display any kind of indicia. Each of the side panels in the embodiments of
Figures 2A-8D is
configured to be a nonstructural panel, overlaying product volume(s) disposed
within the flexible
30 container, however, in various embodiments, one or more of any kind of
decorative or structural
element (such as a rib, protruding from an outer surface) can be joined to
part, parts, or about all, or
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approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or all of any of these
side panels. For clarity, not
all structural details of these flexible containers are shown in Figures 2A-
8D, however any of the
embodiments of Figures 2A-8D can be configured to include any structure or
feature for flexible
containers, disclosed herein. For example, any of the embodiments of Figures
2A-8D can be
configured to include any kind of base structure disclosed herein.
Figure 2A illustrates a front view of a stand up flexible container 200 having
a structural
support frame 240 that has an overall shape like a frustum. In the embodiment
of Figure 2A, the
frustum shape is based on a four-sided pyramid, however, in various
embodiments, the frustum
shape can be based on a pyramid with a different number of sides, or the
frustum shape can be based
on a cone. The support frame 240 is formed by structural support members
disposed along the edges
of the frustum shape and joined together at their ends. The structural support
members define a
rectangular shaped top panel 280-t, trapezoidal shaped side panels 280-1, 280-
2, 280-3, and 280-4,
and a rectangular shaped bottom panel (not shown). Each of the side panels 280-
1, 280-2, 280-3,
and 280-4 is about flat, however in various embodiments, part, parts, or about
all, or approximately
all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or all of any of the side panels can
be approximately flat,
substantially flat, nearly flat, or completely flat. The container 200
includes a dispenser 260, which
is configured to dispense one or more fluent products from one or more product
volumes disposed
within the container 200. In the embodiment of Figure 2A, the dispenser 260 is
disposed in the
center of the top panel 280-t, however, in various alternate embodiments, the
dispenser 260 can be
disposed anywhere else on the top, sides, or bottom, of the container 200,
according to any
embodiment described or illustrated herein. Figure 2B illustrates a front view
of the container 200
of Figure 2A, including exemplary additional/alternate locations for a
dispenser, any of which can
also apply to the back of the container. Figure 2C illustrates a side view of
the container 200 of
Figure 2A, including exemplary additional/alternate locations for a dispenser
(shown as phantom
lines), any of which can apply to either side of the container. Figure 2D
illustrates an isometric view
of the container 200 of Figure 2A.
Figure 3A illustrates a front view of a stand up flexible container 300 having
a structural
support frame 340 that has an overall shape like a pyramid. In the embodiment
of Figure 3A, the
pyramid shape is based on a four-sided pyramid, however, in various
embodiments, the pyramid
shape can be based on a pyramid with a different number of sides. The support
frame 340 is formed
by structural support members disposed along the edges of the pyramid shape
and joined together at
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their ends. The structural support members define triangular shaped side
panels 380-1, 380-2, 380-3,
and 380-4, and a square shaped bottom panel (not shown). Each of the side
panels 380-1, 380-2,
380-3, and 380-4 is about flat, however in various embodiments, part, parts,
or about all, or
approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or all of any of the
side panels can be
approximately flat, substantially flat, nearly flat, or completely flat. The
container 300 includes a
dispenser 360, which is configured to dispense one or more fluent products
from one or more
product volumes disposed within the container 300. In the embodiment of Figure
3A, the dispenser
360 is disposed at the apex of the pyramid shape, however, in various
alternate embodiments, the
dispenser 360 can be disposed anywhere else on the top, sides, or bottom, of
the container 300.
Figure 3B illustrates a front view of the container 300 of Figure 3A,
including exemplary
additional/alternate locations for a dispenser (shown as phantom lines), any
of which can also apply
to any side of the container. Figure 3C illustrates a side view of the
container 300 of Figure 3A.
Figure 3D illustrates an isometric view of the container 300 of Figure 3A.
Figure 4A illustrates a front view of a stand up flexible container 400 having
a structural
support frame 440 that has an overall shape like a trigonal prism. In the
embodiment of Figure 4A,
the prism shape is based on a triangle. The support frame 440 is formed by
structural support
members disposed along the edges of the prism shape and joined together at
their ends. The
structural support members define a triangular shaped top panel 480-t,
rectangular shaped side
panels 480-1, 480-2, and 480-3, and a triangular shaped bottom panel (not
shown). Each of the side
panels 480-1, 480-2, and 480-3 is about flat, however in various embodiments,
part, parts, or about
all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or all of the
side panels can be
approximately flat, substantially flat, nearly flat, or completely flat. The
container 400 includes a
dispenser 460, which is configured to dispense one or more fluent products
from one or more
product volumes disposed within the container 400. In the embodiment of Figure
4A, the dispenser
460 is disposed in the center of the top panel 480-t, however, in various
alternate embodiments, the
dispenser 460 can be disposed anywhere else on the top, sides, or bottom, of
the container 400.
Figure 4B illustrates a front view of the container 400 of Figure 4A,
including exemplary
additional/alternate locations for a dispenser (shown as phantom lines), any
of which can also apply
to any side of the container 400. Figure 4C illustrates a side view of the
container 400 of Figure 4A.
Figure 4D illustrates an isometric view of the container 400 of Figure 4A.
Figure 5A illustrates a front view of a stand up flexible container 500 having
a structural
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support frame 540 that has an overall shape like a tetragonal prism. In the
embodiment of Figure 5A,
the prism shape is based on a square. The support frame 540 is formed by
structural support
members disposed along the edges of the prism shape and joined together at
their ends. The
structural support members define a square shaped top panel 580-t, rectangular
shaped side panels
580-1, 580-2, 580-3, and 580-4, and a square shaped bottom panel (not shown).
Each of the side
panels 580-1, 580-2, 580-3, and 580-4 is about flat, however in various
embodiments, part, parts, or
about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or all
of any of the side panels can
be approximately flat, substantially flat, nearly flat, or completely flat.
The container 500 includes a
dispenser 560, which is configured to dispense one or more fluent products
from one or more
product volumes disposed within the container 500. In the embodiment of Figure
5A, the dispenser
560 is disposed in the center of the top panel 580-t, however, in various
alternate embodiments, the
dispenser 560 can be disposed anywhere else on the top, sides, or bottom, of
the container 500.
Figure 5B illustrates a front view of the container 500 of Figure 5A,
including exemplary
additional/alternate locations for a dispenser (shown as phantom lines), any
of which can also apply
to any side of the container 500. Figure 5C illustrates a side view of the
container 500 of Figure 5A.
Figure 5D illustrates an isometric view of the container 500 of Figure 5A.
Figure 6A illustrates a front view of a stand up flexible container 600 having
a structural
support frame 640 that has an overall shape like a pentagonal prism. In the
embodiment of Figure
6A, the prism shape is based on a pentagon. The support frame 640 is formed by
structural support
members disposed along the edges of the prism shape and joined together at
their ends. The
structural support members define a pentagon shaped top panel 680-t,
rectangular shaped side panels
680-1, 680-2, 680-3, 680-4, and 680-5, and a pentagon shaped bottom panel (not
shown). Each of
the side panels 680-1, 680-2, 680-3, 680-4, and 680-5 is about flat, however
in various embodiments,
part, parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or
nearly all, or all of any of the
side panels can be approximately flat, substantially flat, nearly flat, or
completely flat. The container
600 includes a dispenser 660, which is configured to dispense one or more
fluent products from one
or more product volumes disposed within the container 600. In the embodiment
of Figure 6A, the
dispenser 660 is disposed in the center of the top panel 680-t, however, in
various alternate
embodiments, the dispenser 660 can be disposed anywhere else on the top,
sides, or bottom, of the
container 600. Figure 6B illustrates a front view of the container 600 of
Figure 6A, including
exemplary additional/alternate locations for a dispenser (shown as phantom
lines), any of which can
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also apply to any side of the container 600. Figure 6C illustrates a side view
of the container 600 of
Figure 6A. Figure 6D illustrates an isometric view of the container 600 of
Figure 6A.
Figure 7A illustrates a front view of a stand up flexible container 700 having
a structural
support frame 740 that has an overall shape like a cone. The support frame 740
is formed by curved
structural support members disposed around the base of the cone and by
straight structural support
members extending linearly from the base to the apex, wherein the structural
support members are
joined together at their ends. The structural support members define curved
somewhat triangular
shaped side panels 780-1, 780-2, and 780-3, and a circular shaped bottom panel
(not shown). Each
of the side panels 780-1, 780-2, and 780-3, is curved, however in various
embodiments, part, parts,
or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or
all of any of the side panels
can be approximately flat, substantially flat, nearly flat, or completely
flat. The container 700
includes a dispenser 760, which is configured to dispense one or more fluent
products from one or
more product volumes disposed within the container 700. In the embodiment of
Figure 7A, the
dispenser 760 is disposed at the apex of the conical shape, however, in
various alternate
embodiments, the dispenser 760 can be disposed anywhere else on the top,
sides, or bottom, of the
container 700. Figure 7B illustrates a front view of the container 700 of
Figure 7A. Figure 7C
illustrates a side view of the container 700 of Figure 7A, including exemplary
additional/alternate
locations for a dispenser (shown as phantom lines), any of which can also
apply to any side panel of
the container 700. Figure 7D illustrates an isometric view of the container
700 of Figure 7A.
Figure 8A illustrates a front view of a stand up flexible container 800 having
a structural
support frame 840 that has an overall shape like a cylinder. The support frame
840 is formed by
curved structural support members disposed around the top and bottom of the
cylinder and by
straight structural support members extending linearly from the top to the
bottom, wherein the
structural support members are joined together at their ends. The structural
support members define
a circular shaped top panel 880-t, curved somewhat rectangular shaped side
panels 880-1, 880-2,
880-3, and 880-4, and a circular shaped bottom panel (not shown). Each of the
side panels 880-1,
880-2, 880-3, and 880-4, is curved, however in various embodiments, part,
parts, or about all, or
approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or all of any of the
side panels can be
approximately flat, substantially flat, nearly flat, or completely flat. The
container 800 includes a
dispenser 860, which is configured to dispense one or more fluent products
from one or more
product volumes disposed within the container 800. In the embodiment of Figure
8A, the dispenser
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860 is disposed in the center of the top panel 880-t, however, in various
alternate embodiments, the
dispenser 860 can be disposed anywhere else on the top, sides, or bottom, of
the container 800.
Figure 8B illustrates a front view of the container 800 of Figure 8A,
including exemplary
additional/alternate locations for a dispenser (shown as phantom lines), any
of which can also apply
5 to any side panel of the container 800. Figure 8C illustrates a side view
of the container 800 of
Figure 8A. Figure 8D illustrates an isometric view of the container 800 of
Figure 8A.
In additional embodiments, any stand up flexible container with a structural
support frame, as
disclosed herein, can be configured to have an overall shape that corresponds
with any other known
three-dimensional shape, including any kind of polyhedron, any kind of
prismatoid, and any kind of
10 prism (including right prisms and uniform prisms).
Figure 9A illustrates a top view of an embodiment of a self-supporting
flexible container 900,
having an overall shape like a square. Figure 9B illustrates an end view of
the flexible container 900
of Figure 9A. The container 900 is resting on a horizontal support surface
901.
In Figure 9B, a coordinate system 910, provides lines of reference for
referring to directions
15 in the figure. The coordinate system 910 is a three-dimensional
Cartesian coordinate system, with
an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis. The X-axis and the Z-axis are parallel with
the horizontal support
surface 901 and the Y-axis is perpendicular to the horizontal support surface
901.
Figure 9A also includes other lines of reference, for referring to directions
and locations with
respect to the container 100. A lateral centerline 911 runs parallel to the X-
axis. An XY plane at the
20 lateral centerline 911 separates the container 100 into a front half and
a back half. An XZ plane at
the lateral centerline 911 separates the container 100 into an upper half and
a lower half. A
longitudinal centerline 914 runs parallel to the Y-axis. A YZ plane at the
longitudinal centerline 914
separates the container 900 into a left half and a right half. A third
centerline 917 runs parallel to the
Z-axis. The lateral centerline 911, the longitudinal centerline 914, and the
third centerline 917 all
25 intersect at a center of the container 900. These terms for direction,
orientation, measurement, and
disposition, in the embodiment of Figures 9A-9B are the same as the like-
numbered terms in the
embodiment of Figures 1A-1D.
The container 900 includes a top 904, a middle 906, and a bottom 908, the
front 902-1, the
back 902-2, and left and right sides 909. In the embodiment of Figures 9A-9B,
the upper half and
30 the lower half of the container are joined together at a seal 929, which
extends around the outer
periphery of the container 900. The bottom of the container 900 is configured
in the same way as
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the top of the container 900.
The container 900 includes a structural support frame 940, a product volume
950, a dispenser
960, a top panel 980-t and a bottom panel (not shown). A portion of the top
panel 980-t is illustrated
as broken away, in order to show the product volume 950. The product volume
950 is configured to
contain one or more fluent products. The dispenser 960 allows the container
900 to dispense these
fluent product(s) from the product volume 950 through a flow channel 959 then
through the
dispenser 960, to the environment outside of the container 900. The structural
support frame 940
supports the mass of fluent product(s) in the product volume 950. The top
panel 980-t and the
bottom panel are relatively flat surfaces, overlaying the product volume 950,
and are suitable for
displaying any kind of indicia.
The structural support frame 940 is formed by a plurality of structural
support members. The
structural support frame 940 includes front structural support members 943-1
and 943-2,
intermediate structural support members 945-1, 945-2, 945-3, and 945-4, as
well as back structural
support members 947-1 and 947-2. Overall, each of the structural support
members in the container
900 is oriented horizontally. And, each of the structural support members in
the container 900 has a
cross-sectional area that is substantially uniform along its length, although
in various embodiments,
this cross-sectional area can vary.
Upper structural support members 943-1, 945-1, 945-2, and 947-1 are disposed
in an upper
part of the middle 906 and in the top 904, while lower structural support
members 943-2, 945-4,
945-3, and 947-2 are disposed in a lower part of the middle 906 and in the
bottom 908. The upper
structural support members 943-1, 945-1, 945-2, and 947-1 are disposed above
and adjacent to the
lower structural support members 943-2, 945-4, 945-3, and 947-2, respectively.
In various embodiments, adjacent upper and lower structural support members
can be in
contact with each other at one or more relatively smaller locations and/or at
one or more relatively
larger locations, along part, or parts, or about all, or approximately all, or
substantially all, or nearly
all, or all of their overall lengths, so long as there is a gap in the contact
for the flow channel 959,
between the structural support members 943-1 and 943-2. In the embodiment of
Figures 9A-9B, the
upper and lower structural support members are not directly connected to each
other. However, in
various alternate embodiments, adjacent upper and lower structural support
members can be directly
connected and/or joined together along part, or parts, or about all, or
approximately all, or
substantially all, or nearly all, or all of their overall lengths.
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The ends of structural support members 943-1, 945-2, 947-1, and 945-1 are
joined together to
form a top square that is outward from and surrounding the product volume 950,
and the ends of
structural support members 943-2, 945-3, 947-2, and 945-4 are also joined
together to form a bottom
square that is outward from and surrounding the product volume 950. In the
structural support frame
940, the ends of the structural support members, which are joined together,
are directly connected,
all around the periphery of their walls. However, in various alternative
embodiments, any of the
structural support members of the embodiment of Figures 9A-9B can be joined
together in any way
described herein or known in the art.
In alternative embodiments of the structural support frame 940, adjacent
structural support
members can be combined into a single structural support member, wherein the
combined structural
support member can effectively substitute for the adjacent structural support
members, as their
functions and connections are described herein. In other alternative
embodiments of the structural
support frame 940, one or more additional structural support members can be
added to the structural
support members in the structural support frame 940, wherein the expanded
structural support frame
can effectively substitute for the structural support frame 940, as its
functions and connections are
described herein.
Figures 10A-11B illustrate embodiments of self-supporting flexible containers
(that are not
stand up containers) having various overall shapes. Any of the embodiments of
Figures 10A-11B
can be configured according to any of the embodiments disclosed herein,
including the embodiments
of Figures 9A-9B. Any of the elements (e.g. structural support frames,
structural support members,
panels, dispensers, etc.) of the embodiments of Figures 10A-11B, can be
configured according to
any of the embodiments disclosed herein. While each of the embodiments of
Figures 10A-11B
illustrates a container with one dispenser, in various embodiments, each
container can include
multiple dispensers, according to any embodiment described herein. Part,
parts, or about all, or
approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly all, or all of each of the
panels in the embodiments
of Figures 10A-11B is suitable to display any kind of indicia. Each of the top
and bottom panels in
the embodiments of Figures 10A-11B is configured to be a nonstructural panel,
overlaying product
volume(s) disposed within the flexible container, however, in various
embodiments, one or more of
any kind of decorative or structural element (such as a rib, protruding from
an outer surface) can be
joined to part, parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially
all, or nearly all, or all of any
of these panels. For clarity, not all structural details of these flexible
containers are shown in Figures
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10A-11B, however any of the embodiments of Figures 10A-11B can be configured
to include any
structure or feature for flexible containers, disclosed herein.
Figure 10A illustrates a top view of an embodiment of a self-supporting
flexible container
1000 (that is not a stand up flexible container) having a product volume 1050
and an overall shape
like a triangle. However, in various embodiments, a self-supporting flexible
container can have an
overall shape like a polygon having any number of sides. The support frame
1040 is formed by
structural support members disposed along the edges of the triangular shape
and joined together at
their ends. The structural support members define a triangular shaped top
panel 1080-t, and a
triangular shaped bottom panel (not shown). The top panel 1080-t and the
bottom panel are about
flat, however in various embodiments, part, parts, or about all, or
approximately all, or substantially
all, or nearly all, or all of any of the side panels can be approximately
flat, substantially flat, nearly
flat, or completely flat. The container 1000 includes a dispenser 1060, which
is configured to
dispense one or more fluent products from one or more product volumes disposed
within the
container 1000. In the embodiment of Figure 10A, the dispenser 1060 is
disposed in the center of
the front, however, in various alternate embodiments, the dispenser 1060 can
be disposed anywhere
else on the top, sides, or bottom, of the container 1000. Figure 10A includes
exemplary
additional/alternate locations for a dispenser (shown as phantom lines).
Figure 10B illustrates an
end view of the flexible container 1000 of Figure 10B, resting on a horizontal
support surface 1001.
Figure 11A illustrates a top view of an embodiment of a self-supporting
flexible container
1100 (that is not a stand up flexible container) having a product volume 1150
and an overall shape
like a circle. The support frame 1140 is formed by structural support members
disposed around the
circumference of the circular shape and joined together at their ends. The
structural support
members define a circular shaped top panel 1180-t, and a circular shaped
bottom panel (not shown).
The top panel 1180-t and the bottom panel are about flat, however in various
embodiments, part,
parts, or about all, or approximately all, or substantially all, or nearly
all, or all of any of the side
panels can be approximately flat, substantially flat, nearly flat, or
completely flat. The container
1100 includes a dispenser 1160, which is configured to dispense one or more
fluent products from
one or more product volumes disposed within the container 1100. In the
embodiment of Figure 11A,
the dispenser 1160 is disposed in the center of the front, however, in various
alternate embodiments,
the dispenser 1160 can be disposed anywhere else on the top, sides, or bottom,
of the container 1100.
Figure 11A includes exemplary additional/alternate locations for a dispenser
(shown as phantom
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lines). Figure 11B illustrates an end view of the flexible container 1100 of
Figure 10B, resting on a
horizontal support surface 1101.
In additional embodiments, any self-supporting container with a structural
support frame, as
disclosed herein, can be configured to have an overall shape that corresponds
with any other known
three-dimensional shape. For example, any self-supporting container with a
structural support frame,
as disclosed herein, can be configured to have an overall shape (when observed
from a top view) that
corresponds with a rectangle, a polygon (having any number of sides), an oval,
an ellipse, a star, or
any other shape, or combinations of any of these.
Figures 12A-14C illustrate various exemplary dispensers, which can be used
with the flexible
containers disclosed herein. Figure 12A illustrates an isometric view of push-
pull type dispenser
1260-a. Figure 12B illustrates an isometric view of dispenser with a flip-top
cap 1260-b. Figure
12C illustrates an isometric view of dispenser with a screw-on cap 1260-c.
Figure 12D illustrates an
isometric view of rotatable type dispenser 1260-d. Figure 12E illustrates an
isometric view of nozzle
type dispenser with a cap 1260-d. Figure 13A illustrates an isometric view of
straw dispenser 1360-
a. Figure 13B illustrates an isometric view of straw dispenser with a lid 1360-
b. Figure 13C
illustrates an isometric view of flip up straw dispenser 1360-c. Figure 13D
illustrates an isometric
view of straw dispenser with bite valve 1360-d. Figure 14A illustrates an
isometric view of pump
type dispenser 1460-a, which can, in various embodiments be a foaming pump
type dispenser.
Figure 14B illustrates an isometric view of pump spray type dispenser 1460-b.
Figure 14C
illustrates an isometric view of trigger spray type dispenser 1460-c.
In all of the foregoing embodiments, and any other embodiments constructed in
accordance
with the disclosure, it will be appreciated that the panels, e.g., 180-1, 180-
2 of Figures 1A-1D, 280-1
¨ 280-4 of Figures 2A-2D, 380-1-380-4 of Figures 3A-3D, 480-1, 480-3 of
Figures 4A-4D, 580-1,
580-4 of Figures 5A-5D, 680-1, 680-5 of Figures 6A-6D, 780-1, 780-3 of Figures
7A-7D, 880-1,
880-4 of Figures 8A-8D, 980-t and a bottom panel (not shown) of Figures 9A-9B,
1080-t and a
bottom panel (not shown) of Figures 10A-10B, and 1180-t, and a bottom panel
(not shown) of
Figures 11A-11B, can comprise nonstructural (or flexible squeeze) panels that
are opposed to one
another in the sense that there is at least some fluent product between any
two of the panels in each
embodiment so that fluent product can be dispensed when any two or more of the
panels are
squeezed toward one another. In any embodiment, squeeze panels may be arranged
to be squeezed
toward each other to dispense a fluent product from the container. The squeeze
panels may be co-
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facially arranged, or arranged at any other orientation. The squeeze panels
may be arranged such
that they are squeezed toward the center of the container to dispense a fluent
product.
Also, in all of the foregoing embodiments, and any other embodiments
constructed in
accordance with the disclosure, it will be appreciated that the structural
support frames, e.g., 140 in
5 Figures 1A-1D, 240 of Figures 2A-2D, 340 of Figures 3A-3D, 440 of Figures
4A-4D, 540 of Figures
5A-5D, 640 of Figures 6A-6D, 740 of Figures 7A-7D, 840 of Figures 8A-8D, 940
of Figures 9A-9B,
1040 of Figures 10A-10B, and 1140 of Figures 11A-11B, can comprise one or more
structural
support members which take the form of expanded structural support volumes.
In all of the foregoing embodiments, and any other embodiments constructed in
accordance
10 with the disclosure, the nonstructural (or flexible) squeeze panels
identified above in connection with
the embodiments of Figures 1A-1D, 2A-2D, 3A-3D, 4A-4D, 5A-5D, 6A-6D, 7A-7D, 8A-
8D, 9A-9D,
10A-10D, and 11A-11D have opposed sides and an expanded structural support
volume which
makes up the structural support frames 140, 240, 340, 440, 540, 640, 740, 840,
940, 1040, and 1140,
associated with each of the opposed sides. The structural support volume or
volumes can have at
15 least some curvature and be disposed in generally concave spaced
relation to one another (e.g., see
structural support volumes 146-1, 146-2 in Figure 1A), they can be generally
straight and be
disposed generally at an angle to one another (e.g., see structural support
volumes 246-1, 246-2, 246-
3, 246-4 of Figure 2A), or they can be generally straight and be disposed in
generally parallel
relation to one another (e.g., see structural support volumes 446-1, 446-2,
446-3 in Figure 4C), or
20 they can have various other shapes and/or relationships to one another.
Referring again to Figures 1A-1D, a flexible container in accordance with the
disclosure can
be formed of various different flexible materials and/or laminates having the
requisite characteristics
to be capable of containing and dispensing a fluent product while being
disposable after the fluent
product has been fully dispensed. In a broad sense, a flexible container in
accordance with the
25 disclosure, such as the flexible container 100 in Figures 1A-1D, will
have a product volume, such as
150, at least partially defined by a panel, such as 180-1, which may be
configured to be a
nonstructural panel. To provide support for a defined shape, a flexible
container in accordance with
the disclosure, such as the flexible container 100 in Figures 1A-1D, includes
a structural support
volume, such as structural support members 146-1, 146-2, arranged to generate
and maintain tension
30 in the nonstructural panel, such as 180-1, when the structural support
volume is expanded.
Still referring to Figures 1A-1D, the flexible container in accordance with
the disclosure also
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includes a dispenser, such as 160, for dispensing a fluent product from the
product volume, such as
150, through, e.g., a flow channel, such as 159, to the environment outside
the flexible container.
One of the unique aspects of the disclosure is that the flexible container,
such as 100 in Figures 1A-
1D, has a nonstructural panel, such as 180-1, that is maintained under tension
akin to a drum head as
a result of the effect of the structural support volume, i.e., structural
support members 146-1, 146-2.
The manner in which tension is generated and maintained by the structural
support volume, i.e.,
structural support members 146-1, 146-2, is explained below but, as a result
of the tension, the
nonstructural panel, such as 180-1, becomes a flexible squeeze panel that
resists deformation,
facilitates dispensing fluent product through the dispenser 160, and springs
back after it is squeezed.
In order to understand this phenomenon, Figures 15A-15D illustrate a
nonstructural panel
1580 disposed between structural support volumes 1546-1 and 1546-2 that are
suitably maintained a
relatively fixed distance apart. Figure 15A illustrates the nonstructural
panel 1580 before expansion
of the structural support volumes 1546-1 and 1546-2, Figure 15B illustrates
the nonstructural panel
1580 after expansion of the structural support volumes 1546-1 and 1546-2,
Figure 15C illustrates the
nonstructural panel 1580 after expansion of the structural support volumes
1546-1 and 1546-2 while
applying a squeeze force, and Figure 15D is a top plan view illustrating the
nonstructural panel 1580
disposed between the structural support volumes 1546-1 and 1546-2 while
applying a squeeze force,
and these views illustrate various different parameters utilized in equations
leading to a
determination of total squeeze force. The concept of total squeeze force in
connection with flexible
containers incorporates three separate force components that make up the total
squeeze force for an
arrangement such as the one which is illustrated in Figures 15A-15C.
The total squeeze force is nondimensionalized to be expressed as a
dimensionless squeeze
force as:
F* = FtotailEWt
where the total squeeze force (Ftotal) is determined by the following
equation:
Ftotai = [2 0 W 0 E 0 t 0 sin 0 0 al + [W0E 0 to tan 0 0 (1 - cos 0)] + w
[(2E0 õ 0 t3c, tan 0)/( L2)]
{Force Component 1} {Force Component 2} {Force
Component 3}
where:
Force Component 1 = squeeze force due to initial tension in the nonstructural
panel
Force Component 2 = squeeze force due to elongation of the nonstructural panel
Force Component 3 = squeeze force due to pure bending of the nonstructural
panel
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and where:
W = width of the nonstructural panel
E = elastic modulus of the nonstructural panel material
t = thickness of the nonstructural panel material
0 = angle of deflection of the nonstructural panel
*
o- = dimensionless tensile stress in the nonstructural panel (o- = o-/E)
L = separation distance of the structural support volumes
d = the width of the structural support volume in an unexpanded state
a = structure index (a =d/L)
and where:
u* is determined by the formula:
o-* = 2a(1 - F)and where:
F is a function of tff determined by the formula:
6 + 57r1P + 67r1P2 + 61P + V16 + 12n1P2 + 321P ¨ 5n21P2 + 121P2
F ¨ ___________________________________________________________________
m(101P + 5 + 61P2)
and where:
tff is the dimensionless stiffness index determined by the formula:
Et
Nj PL
and where:
P = pressure within structural support volume when expanded
For squeeze panels in some embodiments, the second and third terms of the
squeeze force equation
(elongation and bending, respectively) can be neglected as they are very small
in comparison with
the first term (initial tension component).
By utilizing the foregoing equations, the nonstructural panel of the flexible
container in
accordance with the disclosure comprises a flexible squeeze panel having a
dimensionless squeeze
force F* in the range of about 5E-9 to about 30 at least at some point or for
some portion of the
panel. Preferably, the flexible squeeze panel has a dimensionless squeeze
force F* in the range of
about 2E-7 to about 3 and, more preferably, in the range of about 1E-5 to
about 1 at least at some
point or for some portion of the panel.
Based upon the foregoing equations, the flexible squeeze panel of the flexible
container has a
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dimensionless squeeze force to mass ratio (F*fin where m = mass of the
flexible squeeze panel) in the
range of about 1E-10 to about 30 g-1 at least at some point or for some
portion of the panel.
Preferably, the flexible squeeze panel has a dimensionless squeeze force to
mass ratio (F*/m) in the
range of about 1E-7 to about 1 g-1 and, more preferably, in the range of about
1E-5 to about 0.1 g-1 at
least at some point or for some portion of the panel.
The flexible squeeze panel of the flexible container has a dimensionless
squeeze force to
thickness ratio (F*it where t = thickness of the flexible squeeze panel) in
the range of about 1E-11 to
about 6 (gm-1) at least at some point or for some portion of the panel.
Preferably, the flexible
squeeze panel has a dimensionless squeeze force to thickness ratio (F* 1 t) in
the range of about 2E-8
to about 0.2 (gm-1) and, more preferably, in the range of about 1E-6 to about
0.01 (gm-1) at least at
some point or for some portion of the panel.
In accordance with the disclosure, at least the flexible squeeze panel of the
flexible container
has a thickness (t) in the range of about 10 to about 500 micrometers (gm)
and, preferably, a
thickness in the range of about 20 to about 400 micrometers (gm). Preferably,
at least the flexible
squeeze panel of the flexible container has a thickness (t) in the range of
about 30 to about 300
micrometers (gm) and, more preferably, at least the flexible squeeze panel has
a thickness in the
range of about 40 to about 200 micrometers (gm). Still more preferably, and in
accordance with the
disclosure, at least the flexible squeeze panel of the flexible container has
a thickness (t) in the range
of about 50 to about 200 micrometers (gm).
From the equation for total squeeze force for a nonstructural panel of a
flexible container and,
specifically, for a flexible squeeze panel, i.e., from Ftotai = [2 0 W0 E 0 to
sin 0 0 al + [W0 E 0 to
tan 0 0 (1 - cos 0)] + [20 E
0 õ w
0 t3 0 tan 0 / L2], it is possible to understand the significantly reduced
amount of material that can be used to generate the same effective structure
as would be found in a
rigid container. For a flexible container as disclosed herein, having a
flexible squeeze panel, in some
embodiments, the squeeze force from the initial tension portion of the
equation can be the majority
of the overall squeeze force and, in other embodiments, it can be
significantly more than the majority
to about all of the total squeeze force.
In another respect, and based upon the foregoing equations, the flexible
squeeze panel has a
dimensionless tension (o-*) in the range of about 1E-6 to about 20,
preferably, in the range of about
4E-5 to about 10 and, more preferably, in the range of about 2E-3 to about 0.9
at least at some point
or for for some portion of the panel.
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In yet another respect, and based upon the foregoing equations, the flexible
squeeze panel of
the flexible container has a dimensionless stiffness index (w) in the range of
about 2E-5 to about
1.5E3, preferably, in the range of about 3E-4 to about 100 and, more
preferably, in the range of
about 0.01 to about 20 at least at some point or for some portion of the
panel.
In yet another respectõ the flexible squeeze panel has a dimensionless
structure index (a) in
the range of about 0.001 to about 20, preferably, in the range of about 0.01
to about 10 and, more
preferably, in the range of about 0.04 to about 1 at least at some point or
for some portion of the
panel.
In order to further understand the principle behind the use of one or more
structural support
volumes to generate and maintain tension in a nonstructural panel to create a
tensioned flexible
squeeze panel, Figures 16A-16F illustrate various arrangements and conditions
for a tensioned
flexible squeeze panel 1680-1 having one or more structural support volumes
1646-1, 1646-2, 1646-
3, 1646-4.
Referring to Figure 16A, the nonstructural panel 1680-1 has opposed fixed
sides 1682-1,
1682-2 and the structural support volume 1646-1 is disposed at a point
intermediate the fixed sides
1682-1, 1682-2 of the nonstructural panel 1680-1. When the structural support
volume 1646-1 is
expanded, e.g., by inflation, tension is generated and maintained in the
nonstructural panel 1680-1 as
represented by the arrows 1699-1 and 1699-2 on either side of the structural
support volume 1646-1.
Referring next to Figure 16B, the nonstructural panel 1680-1 has opposed fixed
sides 1682-1,
1682-2 and the structural support volume 1646-1 is associated with one of the
fixed sides, i.e., fixed
side 1682-1, of the nonstructural panel 1680-1. When the structural support
volume 1646-1 is
expanded, tension is generated and maintained in the nonstructural panel 1680-
1 as represented by
the arrow 1699-1 on the panel side of the structural support volume 1646-1.
Referring to Figure 16C, the nonstructural panel 1680-1 has opposed fixed
sides 1682-1,
1682-2 and one of the structural support volumes 1646-1, 1646-2 is associated
with each of the fixed
sides 1682-1, 1682-1 of the nonstructural panel 1680-1. When the structural
support volumes 1646-
1, 1646-2 are expanded, tension is generated and maintained in the
nonstructural panel 1680-1 as
represented by the arrow 1699-1 between the structural support volumes 1646-1,
1646-2. The two
structural support volumes are at a separation distance of L from each other
as indicated.
Referring next to Figure 16D, the nonstructural panel 1680-1 includes a
perimeter which, as
illustrated, has opposed fixed sides 1682-1, 1682-2 and the structural support
volume 1646-1
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surrounds at least about 50% of the nonstructural panel 1680-1 in association
with, or proximity to,
the perimeter of the nonstructural panel.
More specifically, and still referring to Figure 16D, the nonstructural panel
1680-1 includes
first and second pairs of opposed sides and, in particular, opposed fixed
sides 1682-1, 1682-2 as well
5
as opposed sides 1682-3, 1682-4 extending between opposed fixed sides 1682-1,
1682-2 and, in the
illustrated embodiment, the structural support volume 1646-1 surrounds the
nonstructural panel
1680-1 in association with, or proximity to, the first pair of opposed fixed
sides 1682-1, 1682-2 and
at least one of the second pair of opposed sides 1682-3.
When the structural support volume 1646-1 is expanded, tension is generated
and maintained
10
in the nonstructural panel 1680-1 as represented by the arrow 1699-1 between
the structural support
volume portions 1646- 1 a, 1641-lb.
Referring to Figure 16E, the nonstructural panel 1680-1 includes first and
second pairs of
opposed sides and, in particular, opposed sides 1682-1, 1682-2 as well as
opposed sides 1682-3,
1682-4 extending between opposed sides 1682-1, 1682-2 and, in the illustrated
embodiment, the
15
structural support volumes 1646-1, 1646-2, 1646-3, 1646-4 surround the
nonstructural panel 1680-1
in association with, or proximity to, the first and second pairs of opposed
sides 1682-1, 1682-2,
1682-3, 1682-4, respectively. In this embodiment, the structural support
volumes 1646-1, 1646-2,
1646-3, 1646-4 comprise a first pair of opposed structural support volumes
(1646-1, 1646-2) in
proximity to the first pair of opposed sides 1682-1, 1682-2 to impart tension
to the nonstructural
20
panel 1680-1 and a second pair of opposed structural support volumes (1646-3,
1646-4) in proximity
to the second pair of opposed sides 1682-3, 1682-4 to maintain the first pair
of opposed structural
support volumes (1646-1, 1646-2) a distance apart. When the structural support
volumes 1646-1,
1646-2, 1646-3, 1646-4 are expanded, the structural support volumes (1646-3,
1646-4) maintain the
opposed structural support volumes (1646-1, 1646-2) in spaced apart relation
at a distance from one
25
another, and the structural support volumes (1646-1, 1646-2) cause tension to
be generated and
maintained in the nonstructural panel 1680-1 as represented by the arrow 1699-
1 between the
structural support volumes 1646-1, 1646-2. There is also a tension generated
in the perpendicular
direction, but because the spacing between opposed structural support volumes
is greater, the tension
level is less, in accordance with the equations above.
30
Referring to Figure 16F, the nonstructural panel 1680-1 includes first and
second pairs of
opposed sides and, in particular, opposed sides 1682-1, 1682-2 as well as
opposed sides 1682-3,
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46
1682-4 extending between opposed sides 1682-1, 1682-2 and, in the illustrated
embodiment, the
structural support volume 1646-1 surrounds the nonstructural panel 1680-1 in
association with, or
proximity to, the first and second pairs of opposed sides 1682-1, 1682-2, 1682-
3, 1682-4. In this
embodiment, the structural support volume 1646-1 comprises a single continuous
structural support
volume substantially entirely surrounding the nonstructural panel 1680-1 to
impart tension through
both of the first and second pairs of opposed sides 1682-1, 1682-2, 1682-3,
1682-4. When the
structural support volume 1646-1 is expanded e.g., by inflation, it maintains
the structural support
volume portions generally designated 1646-1a, 1646-lb and 1646-1c, 1646-1d in
spaced apart
relation at a distance from one another thereby causing tension to be
generated and maintained in the
nonstructural panel 1680-1 as represented by the arrows 1699-1, 1699-2.
In a practical embodiment of a disposable flexible container in accordance
with the
disclosure, Figure lA illustrates a flexible container 100 having a
nonstructural (or flexible squeeze)
panel 180-1 which at least partially defines the product volume 150. The
nonstructural panel 180-1
of the flexible container 100 will be seen to have at least one pair of
opposed sides 182-1, 182-2.
The flexible container 100 also has a structural support volume 146-1 and 146-
2 associated with, or
in proximity to, each of the opposed sides 182-1, 182-2 of the nonstructural
panel 180-1 in spaced
apart relation at a distance from one another.
The nonstructural panel 180-1 will be understood to include a perimeter
defined in Figure lA
by the inner boundaries of structural support volumes or members 144-1, 146-1,
146-2, 148-1, and
one or more of the structural support volumes or members surround at least 50%
of the nonstructural
panel 180-1, e.g., structural support members 146-1, 146-2, in association
with, or in proximity to,
the perimeter of the nonstructural panel. In other embodiments contemplated in
accordance with the
disclosure, the structural support volume(s) surround at least about 60%, 70%,
80%, 90%, or all of
the nonstructural panel 180-1 as specifically shown in Figure 1A, in
association with, or in proximity
to, the perimeter of the nonstructural (or squeeze) panel.
Still referring to Figure 1A, the nonstructural panel 180-1 preferably has
first and second
pairs of opposed sides 182-1, 182-2 and 184-1, 184-2, respectively, and one or
more structural
support volumes, such as structural support members 146-1, 146-2, 148-1
surround the nonstructural
panel in association with, or in proximity to, the first pair of opposed sides
182-1, 182-2 and at least
one, e.g., side 184-1, of the second pair of opposed sides 184-1, 184-2.
In the illustrated embodiment, one or more structural support volumes, such as
144-1, 146-1,
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47
146-2, 148-1, substantially entirely surround the nonstructural panel 180-1 in
association with, or in
proximity to, the first and second pairs of opposed sides 182-1, 182-2, 184-1,
184-2 to impart tension
to the nonstructural panel at least between one of the first and second pairs
of opposed sides, e.g.,
sides 182-1, 182-2. In this embodiment, the structural support volumes may
comprise a first pair of
opposed structural support volumes (146-1, 146-2) in association with, or in
proximity to, the first
pair of opposed sides 182-1, 182-2 of the nonstructural panel 180-1 to impart
tension to the
nonstructural panel and a second pair of opposed structural support volumes
(144-1, 148-1) in
association with, or in proximity to the second pair of opposed sides 184-1,
184-2 to maintain the
first pair of structural support volumes (146-1, 146-2) in spaced relation a
distance apart from one
another.
In yet another embodiment, the structural support volume (represented in
Figure 1A as
structural support volumes 144-1, 146-1, 146-2, 148-1) may comprise a single
continuous structural
support volume substantially entirely surrounding the nonstructural panel in
proximity to the first
and second pairs of opposed sides 182-1, 182-2, 184-1, 184-2 to impart tension
through both of the
first and second pairs of opposed sides of the nonstructural (or flexible
squeeze) panel 180-1.
In a further respect, and referring to Figures lA and 1B, the disposable
flexible container 100
in accordance with the disclosure includes at least two flexible panels 180-1
and 180-2 wherein at
least one, and preferably both, of the flexible panels 180-1, 180-2 are
nonstructural panels which are
opposed to one another for dispensing fluent product when they are squeeze
toward one another. It
will be noted that either or both of the nonstructural panels has opposed
sides (such as the sides 182-
1, 182-2 in the case of the panel 180-1), and a structural support volume,
such as structural support
members 146-1, 146-2, 146-3, 146-4, is associated with each of the opposed
sides (such as the sides
182-1, 182-2 of the panel 180-1) in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1A-
1D.
Part, parts, or all of any of the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined
with part,
parts, or all of other embodiments known in the art of flexible containers,
including those described
below.
Embodiments of the present disclosure can use any and all embodiments of
materials,
structures, and/or features for flexible containers, as well as any and all
methods of making and/or
using such flexible containers, as disclosed in the following US provisional
patent applications: (1)
application 61/643813 filed May 7, 2012, entitled "Film Based Containers"
(applicant's case
12464P); (2) application 61/643823 filed May 7, 2012, entitled "Film Based
Containers" (applicant's
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48
case 12465P); (3) application 61/676042 filed July 26, 2012, entitled "Film
Based Container Having
a Decoration Panel" (applicant's case 12559P); (4) application 61/727961 filed
November 19, 2012,
entitled "Containers Made from Flexible Material" (applicant's case 12559P2);
(5) application
61/680045 filed August 6, 2012, entitled "Methods of Making Film Based
Containers" (applicant's
case 12579P); and (6) application 61/780039 filed March 13, 2013, entitled
"Flexible Containers
with Multiple Product Volumes" (applicant's case 12785P); and each of which is
hereby
incorporated by reference.
Part, parts, or all of any of the embodiments disclosed herein also can be
combined with part,
parts, or all of other embodiments known in the art of containers for fluent
products, so long as those
embodiments can be applied to flexible containers, as disclosed herein. For
example, in various
embodiments, a flexible container can include a vertically oriented
transparent strip, disposed on a
portion of the container that overlays the product volume, and configured to
show the level of the
fluent product in the product volume.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being
strictly limited
to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified,
each such dimension is
intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range
surrounding that value.
For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40
mm".
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent
or application,
is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly
excluded or otherwise
limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art
with respect to any
document disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination
with any other
reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such embodiment.
Further, to the extent
that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any
meaning or definition of
the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or
definition assigned to that
term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated
and described, it
would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and
modifications can be
made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is
therefore intended to cover
in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the
scope of this invention.
