Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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STAND-UP FLEXIBLE CONTAINER
FIELD
The present disclosure relates in general to containers, and in particular, to
containers made
-- from flexible material.
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
any other way known in the art, as intended, without failure.
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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.
Some rigid containers are made by a process shaping one or more solid
materials. Other rigid
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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. 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 accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, a non-durable flexible
container can
include a first film wall including a first portion that includes a structural
support volume in the first
film wall and a second portion that is free of a structural support volume, a
second film wall, and a
bottom extending between the first and second film walls. The first and second
film walls and the
bottom define a product volume. The bottom includes a bottom face, and at
least a portion of the
bottom face is arranged to contact a horizontal support surface.
In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, a non-durable
flexible container
system can includes a non-durable flexible container and a rigid base. The non-
durable flexible
container can include oppositely disposed top and bottom portions, a first
film wall a first portion
that includes a structural support volume in the first film wall and a second
portion that is free of a
structural support volume, and a second film wall. The first and second film
walls extend between
the top and bottom portions. The bottom portion can be disposed in the rigid
base.
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.
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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.
Figure 2B illustrates a front view of the container of Figure 2A.
Figure 2C illustrates a side view of the container of Figure 2A.
5 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
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frame that has an overall shape like a cylinder.
Figure 8B illustrates a front view of the container of Figure 8A.
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 15 is a graph of the dimensionless work to tip as a function of liquid
fill level for
several values of container mass ratio.
Figure 16 is a free body diagram of an idealized two-dimensional rigid
rectangular body.
Figure 17 is a front view of an embodiment of a stand up flexible container
Figures 18A-18D illustrate front view of embodiments of flexible container
blanks (in the
unexpanded state) having different hinge features.
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Figure 19 illustrates a bottom view of an embodiment of a flexible container
having bottom
face structural support volumes.
Figure 20 illustrates a bottom view of an embodiment of a flexible container
having
structures for reducing the amount of film in the bottom face.
Figure 21A illustrates a front view of an embodiment of a flexible container
blank in the
unexpanded state having bottom extensions extending from the comers of the
bottom.
Figure 21B illustrates an isometric view of the flexible container of Figure
20A in an
expanded state.
Figure 22 illustrates a front view of a flexible container system having a non-
durable flexible
container and a rigid base.
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
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
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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.
+1-20%).
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, the term "container mass ratio (mi/mc)" refers to the ratio of
the mass of the
in the product volume to the mass of the container and varies with fill level
of the product volume.
In accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, the containers can have a
container mass ratio of
about 0.001 to about 106 when the product volume is substantially 100% filled
with water having a
density of 1 g/mL at 25 C. Other suitable ranges for the container mass ratio
when the product
volume is substantially 100% filled with water having a density of 1 g/mL at
25 C include, for
example, about 0.001 to about 106, about 0.01 to about 105, about 0.1 to about
104, about 1 to about
103, about 5 to about 1000, about 10 to about 500, about 20 to about 400,
about 30 to about 300,
about 10 to about 800, about 40 to about 700, about 40 to about 250, and about
10 to about 200. The
container mass ratio can, when the product volume is substantially 100% filled
with water having a
density of 1 g/mL at 25 C be about 0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5,
10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70,
80, 90 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 5000, 10000, 50000,
100000, 500000,
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1000000, and any range formed by any of the preceding values.
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 "bottom face" refers to a portion of the bottom
container that is arranged to at
least partially contact a horizontal support surface when the container is
standing upright on the
horizontal support surface. In some embodiments, the bottom face can include a
horizontal support
surface contacting portion and a portion that is in facing relationship with
the horizontal support, but
not in contact with the horizontal support surface. In other embodiments,
substantially the entirety
of the bottom face can contact the horizontal support surface when the
container is standing upright
on the horizontal support surface.
As used herein, the term "branding" refers to a visual element intended to
distinguish a
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
combination.
As used herein, the term "center of gravity height" refers to the location of
a point at a
vertical distance from the horizontal support surface representing the mean
position of all mass in
the system (e.g. the sum of the container mass and the contents filling the
container). The center of
gravity height of the containers of the disclosure vary with the fill level of
the product volume. The
height of the center of gravity (h) of a container at a given fill level can
be calculated as follows:
(In
77.1 hi + hc)
c
h ¨
2 fl.t + 1
mc
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where m1 is the mass of the product in the product volume at a particular fill
level, me is the
mass of the empty container, h1 is the height of the product in the product
volume at a particular fill
level, and hc is the overall height of the container.
As used herein, the term "character" refers to a visual element intended to
convey
5 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
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
10 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 "dimensionless work to tip" designated W* is the
"work to tip" that
has been non-dimensionalized according to the formula below:
W* = W/mgh, = the dimensionless work to tip
W = the work to tip
m = total mass of m1 + mc
g = gravitational acceleration
x = shortest lateral distance in the plane of the horizontal support surface
from center of gravity to
point of rotation, i.e. the hinge point for tipping
h = center of gravity height of the combined container and liquid fill as
defined by the equation in the
above section.
he= the height of the container.
Dimensionless work to tip (W*) can be calculated using the following equation:
1
* ix )2 + (1 (fM + 1\ 2
w=
) ) ( 21 ( flUM ++ 1 1 )
)
tic) 2 M + 1
where x is the distance from the center of gravity to the point of rotation
(i.e., the hinge point
for tipping), hc is the overall height of the container, f is hi/h (where h1
is the height of the product in
the container), and M is the mass ratio of the mass of the product to the mass
of the container (mi/mc).
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The dimensionless work to tip value of the container in accordance with
various embodiments of the
disclosure can vary from about 40% to about 500% from an initial value at 100%
filled as the fill
level of the produce volume varies from 100% filled to 0% filled, when the
product volume is filled
with water having a density of 1 g/mL at 25 C. Other suitable values for the
change in the
dimensionless work to tip value from an initial value at 100% filled as the
fill level of the produce
volume varies from 100% filled to 0% filled include about 40% to about 450%,
about 40% to about
400%, about 40% to about 350%, about 40% to about 300%, about 40% to about
250%, about 40%
to about 200%, about 40% to about 180%, about 50% to about 160%, about 60% to
about 160%,
about 60% to about 140%, about 80% to about 120%, or about 100% to about 110%.
Other suitable
values include about 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105,
110, 115, 120, 125, 130,
135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 200, 205, 210,
215, 220, 225, 230, 235,
240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270, 275, 280, 285, 290, 295, 300, 305, 310,
315, 320, 325, 330, 335,
340, 345, 350, 355, 360, 365, 370, 375, 380, 385, 390, 395, 400, 405, 410,
415, 420, 425, 430, 435,
440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470 475, 480, 485, 490, 495, 500%, and any range
formed by any of
the preceding values. Referring to Figure 15, the change in the dimensionless
work to tip can
increase greatly as the container is emptied of product, which can
advantageously allow the
containers of the disclosure to have improved resistance to tip as the product
is removed from the
container. In contrast, conventional rigid containers do not become as
resistant to tipping as the
product is emptied from the container. In Figure 15, a container mass ratio
(mi/mc) value of 0.001
represents a practical limit of a conventional rigid 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 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. 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. As another example, a dispenser can be formed by a frangible
opening. As further
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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
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 filling structure(s) in addition to one or more dispenser(s).
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
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
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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:
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,
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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),
compressed gases (e.g. compressed air, pressurized nitrogen, pressurized
carbon dioxide), cold gases,
fluent products, granular materials, semi-solids, gels, foams (that can expand
after being added into a
structural support volume), co-reactive materials (that produce gas or a
foam), 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
example, the expansion material can be pressurized nitrogen. In some
embodiments, the pressurized
nitrogen can result from vaporization of liquid nitrogen at ambient
temperature. In various
embodiments, the expansion material can include the same fluent product filled
in the produce
volume. In various embodiments, the expansion material can include a
combination of expansion
materials for expanding the same structural support volume. For example, a
structural support
volume can be expanded with at least one non-gas expansion material and at
least one gas expansion
material. In other embodiments, as noted above, a single expansion material
can be used to expand a
structural support volume. Containers in accordance with embodiments of the
disclosure may
include separate structural support volumes. The separate structural support
volumes can be filled
with the same or different expansion materials or combinations of expansion
materials. In various
embodiments, the expansion materials can include at least one non-gas
expansion material. The
non-gas expansion material can be included in an amount of about 1% to about
100% by volume of
the structural support volume. Other suitable amounts of non-gas expansion
materials, by volume of
the structural support volume, include about 1% to about 25%, about 1% to
about 10%, about 1% to
about 20%, about 10% to about 80%, about 20% to about 70%, about 30% to about
60%, or about 1%
to about 50%. Other suitable values include, for example, about 1,2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12,
13 ,14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40,
42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56,
58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94,
96, 98, and 100%. For any of
the embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, its one or more
flexible materials can be
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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.
5
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.
10
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
15
the embodiments of flexible containers, disclosed herein, in various
embodiments, the flexible
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
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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
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
all of a flexible material can made of sustainable, bio-sourced, recycled,
recyclable, and/or
biodegradable material. Part, parts, 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
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
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
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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
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 configuration, 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. For example, the
height area ratio can be in a range of about 0.1 to 2 per centimeter, or about
0.3 to 1.5 per centimeter,
about 0.4 to 1 per centimeter.
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As used herein, the term "hinge" refers to a narrowing of a portion of the
structural support
volume adjacent the bottom of the container. In accordance with embodiments of
the disclosure, the
container can include one or more hinges. For example, the container can
include a pair of hinges in
the first film wall. The container can further include a pair of hinges in the
second film wall. When
the structural support volume is expanded, the hinge can allow the bottom of
the container to flare
out at the hinge point or points. As described in detail below, this can allow
for improved stability
of the container at least in part by increasing the effective base contact
area of the container. In
some embodiments, the hinge can narrow a portion of the structural support
volume while allowing
for fluid communication of the structural support volume regions disposed on
either side of the hinge.
Alternatively, the hinge can narrow a portion of the structural support volume
to closure such that
the structural support volume regions disposed on either side of the hinge are
separated and have no
fluid communication.
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
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-
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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, 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
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.
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As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "non-
structural panel" refers
to a layer of one or more adjacent sheets of flexible material, the layer
having an outermost major
surface that faces outward, toward the environment outside of the flexible
container, and an
innermost major surface that faces inward, toward product volume(s) disposed
within the flexible
5 container; a nonstructural panel is configured such that, the layer, does
not independently provide
substantial support in making the container self-supporting and/or standing
upright.
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
10 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
15 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-
20 500 micrometers (jtm), or any integer value for micrometers from 5-500,
or within any range formed
by any of these values, such as 10-500 jtm, 20-400 jtm, 30-300 jtm, 40-200
jtm, or 50-100 jtm, 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. 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
support 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
container with only one product volume, which is a single dose product volume,
is referred to herein
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as a "single dose container."
As used herein, the term "stability ratio" refers to the ratio of the width of
the container at the
base taking into account the shortest distance from the center of gravity to a
container outer surface
and the center of gravity height the container. In accordance with various
embodiments, the
containers can have a stability ratio when substantially 100% filled with
water having a density of 1
g/mL at 25 C of about 0.18 to about 1, about 0.21 to about 0.9, about 0.27 to
about 0.87, about 0.2
to about 1, about 0.3 to about 0.9, about 0.4 to about 0.8, about 0.5 to about
0.7, or about 0.15 to
about 0.5. Other suitable values for the stability ratio when substantially
100% filled with water
having a density of 1 g/mL at 25 C include about 0.18, 0.2, 0.22, 0.24, 0.26,
0.28, 0.3, 0.32, 0.34,
0.36, 0.38, 0.4, 0.42, 0.44, 0.46, 0.48, 0.5, 0.52, 0.54, 0.56, 0.58, 0.6,
0.62, 0.64, 0.66, 0.68, 0.7, 0.72,
0.74, 0.76, 0.78, 0.8, 0.82, 0.84, 0.86, 0.88, 0.9, 0.92, 0.94, 0.96, 0.98, 1,
and any range formed by
any of the preceding values.
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
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
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
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
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
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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 "structural
support frame"
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 in making the container self-supporting and/or standing upright.
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 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 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,
joints, ribs, etc.), which can be made from one or more rigid (e.g. solid)
materials.
Structural support members can have various shapes and sizes. Part, parts, or
all of a
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structural support member can be straight, curved, angled, segmented, or other
shapes, or
combinations of any of these shapes. Part, parts, 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
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 all of its length, or can vary, in any way
described herein, along part,
parts, 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
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
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be configured to have any kind of fluid communication disclosed herein.
As used herein, the term "structural support volume region" refers to a
portion of a structural
support volume. Structural support volume regions can be continuous such that
one structural
support volume region is in fluid communication with another structural
support volume region.
5 Alternatively, structural support volume regions can be separated, for
example, by a seal. In some
embodiments, separated structural support volume regions can effective
partition a structural support
volume to define separate structural support volumes. A structural support
volume can include any
suitable number of structural support volume regions. For example, a
structural support volume can
include a bottom structural support volume region disposed in the bottom of
the container, and a top
10 structural support volume region disposed above the bottom structural
support volume region.
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
15 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
20 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
25 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, the term "tip angle" refers to a maximum angle to which the
container can be
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rotated about a rotation point (i.e., the point for tipping) without tipping
over. In accordance with
embodiments of the disclosure, the container can have a tip angle of about 100
to about 45 , about
12 to about 42 , about 15 to about 40 , about 10 to about 30 , about 20 to
about 45 , or about 15
to about 45 . Other suitable tip angles include, for example, about 10, 11,
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,
38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45,
and any range formed by any of the preceding values.
As used herein, when referring to a flexible container, the term "top" refers
to the portion of
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.
Unless otherwise specified, the term "water" when used herein refers to water
having a
density of 1 g/mL at 25 C.
As used herein, the term "work to tip" refers to the amount of work required
to tip a
container over from an upright position on a horizontal support surface.
Referring to Figure 16, for
an idealized 2-dimensional rigid rectangular body, rotating from an initial
rest position to a final
tipping position, the work applied to tip the container can be defined as the
work required to lift the
center of gravity by a vertical distance d. Work to tip can be calculated
using the following equation:
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Work = my ( 42 ________________________________ + h2 _ h)
where m is the total mass of the container at a given fill level, x is the
horizontal distance
from the center of gravity to the point of rotation (i.e., the point for
tipping), and h is the center of
gravity height of the container at a given fill level. The work value can be
normalized by the cubic
volume of the entire container (including any closure). In accordance with
embodiments of the
disclosure, the containers can have a work to tip value of about 10 m/L to
about 3000 m/L, about 14
m/L to about 2500 m/L, about 19 m/L to about 2000 m/L, about 100 m/L to about
2000 m/L, about
1000 m/L to about 3000 m/L, about 1500 m/L to about 2500 m/L, about 10 m/L to
about 100 m/L,
about 20 m/L to about 75 m/L, or about 30 m/L to about 50 m/L. Other suitable
values include
about 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60,
65, 70, 76, 80, 85, 90, 95,
100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800,
850, 900, 950, 1000, 1250,
1500, 1750, 2000, 2250, 2500, 2750, 3000 m/L, and any range formed by any of
the preceding
values.
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,
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
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on a horizontal support surface 101.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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,
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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. The structural
support frame 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. 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
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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
5 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 of
10 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
15 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
20 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
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
25 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
30 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
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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
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
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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
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
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
support frame 140, one or more additional structural support members can be
added to the structural
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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.
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
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
embodiment described herein. Part, parts, 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 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 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,
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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 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. 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
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 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
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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
5 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 all of
any 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
10 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
15 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
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
20 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
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
25 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
30 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.
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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 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 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 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
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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 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 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 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
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
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
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respect to the container 100. A lateral centerline 911 runs parallel to the X-
axis. An XY plane at the
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
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
the lower half of the container are joined together at a seal 929, which
extends around the outer
periphery 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,
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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 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.
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
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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
5 multiple dispensers, according to any embodiment described herein. Part,
parts, 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,
10 protruding from an outer surface) can be joined to part, parts, or all
of any of these panels. For
clarity, not all structural details of these flexible containers are shown in
Figures 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
15 1000 (that is not a stand-up flexible container) having 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
20 (not shown). The top panel 1080-t and the bottom panel are about flat,
however in various
embodiments, part, parts, 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
25 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
30 1100 (that is not a stand-up flexible container) having an overall shape
like a circle. The support
frame 1140 is formed by structural support members disposed around the
circumference of the
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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 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
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. 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.
Containers in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure can have improved
stability
and resistant to tip as compared to conventional flexible containers.
Conventional flexible
containers generally do not stand up well on a horizontal support surface and
have problems tipping
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over. Insufficient tip resistance and instability in stand up can
disadvantageously cause problems
when stacking the containers on merchandising shelves and even for use in the
home for consumers.
It has been observed that the structural support volumes of the containers of
embodiments of the
disclosure can result in additional instabilities. Advantageously, the
containers in accordance with
embodiments of the disclosure can include one or more features to provide a
container having
improved stand-up stability and resistance to tip. For example, in various
embodiments, the
containers of the disclosure can be adapted to contact a horizontal support
surface at a set of discrete
contact points and upon application and removal of a force less than the force
required to tip the
container, the container can come to rest at the same set of discrete contact
points. This can result in
limited wobbling of the container when contacted with a force.
Referring to Figures 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 containers in accordance with the
disclosure
include first and second film walls 2010, 2012, and a bottom 2014 extending
between the first and
second film walls 2010, 2012. The bottom 2014 can include opposed bottom side
walls 2024-1,
2024-2 and a bottom face 2026. One or both of the first and second film walls
2010, 2014 can
include a structural support volume 2016 defined therein. The structural
support volume 2016 in at
least one of the film walls is defined in entirety first portion of the film
wall and a second portion of
the first film wall is free of a structural support volume. For example, in
one embodiment, a film
wall of the container can include a structural support volume 2016 and a
nonstructural panel 2030.
The first and second film walls 2010, 2012 and the bottom 2014 define a
product volume. As
illustrated in Figure 21B, the container can further include one or more side
walls 2040 extending
between the first and second film walls 2010, 2012. In various embodiments,
the structural support
volume 2016 can extend into the bottom 2014 of the container. In such
embodiments, the structural
support volume 2016 can include a bottom structural support volume region 2020
disposed in at
least a portion of the bottom 2014 of the container and a top structural
support volume region 2018
disposed above the bottom structural support volume region 2020. For example,
the bottom
structural support volume region 2020 can extend into the bottom side wall
2024 that is on the same
general face of the container as the first film wall 2010. In various
embodiments, both of the
opposed first and second side walls 2010, 2012 and opposed bottom side walls
2024-1, 2024-2 can
include structural support volume regions 2018, 2020. In some embodiments, the
bottom and top
structural support volumes region 2018, 2020 can be continuous, defining a
single structural support
volume 2016. In an embodiment, the bottom structural support volume region
2020 can border the
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perimeter of one bottom side wall 2024-1. In an embodiment, the top structural
support volume
region 2018 can border the perimeter of the first film wall 2010, while the
bottom structural support
volume region 2020 can border the perimeter of the bottom side wall 2024-1.
In various embodiments, the top and bottom structural support volume regions
2018, 2020
are expanded with the same expansion materials. Alternatively, the top and
bottom structural
support volume regions 2010, 2020 can be expanded with different expansion
materials. For
example, the bottom structural support volume region 2020 can be expanded at
least partially with a
non-gas expansion material, while the top structural support volume region
2018 can be expanded
with a gaseous expansion material. Such expansion of the bottom structural
support volume region
2020 with a non-gas expansion material can aid in lowering the center of
gravity of the container,
which can aid in improving the stability and resistance to tip of the
container.
The bottom structural support volume region 2020 can be arranged in some
embodiments to
contact the horizontal support surface 2001. In other embodiments, the bottom
structural support
volume region 2020 can be arranged such that it does not contact a horizontal
support surface 2001.
In various embodiments, the container can include one or more hinges 2022
disposed in at
least the first film wall 2010, for example, adjacent the bottom of the
container. In embodiments
including a structural support volume in the first film wall, which does not
extend into the bottom of
the container, the hinge can narrow the width of the structural support volume
disposed adjacent the
bottom of the container. In embodiments having a structural support volume
which extends into the
bottom of the container, the hinge 2022 can be disposed at the interface 2032
of the top and bottom
structural support volume regions 2018, 2020. The hinge can narrow the width
of the structural
support volume 2016 at this interface 2032. In other embodiments the top
structural support volume
region 2018 can be separated from the bottom structural support volume region
2020 by the hinge
2022. For example, a seal formed at the interface 2032 between the top and
bottom structural
support volume regions 2018, 2020 can be used to separate the regions. The
hinge 2022 can
advantageously allow the bottom 2014 of the container to flare out at the
hinge point thereby
extending the effective base contact area of the container. The size and shape
of the hinge 2022 can
be tailored to tailor the extent of the flare out of the bottom and thereby
control the effective base
contact area of the container.
Referring to Figures 18B-18C, which illustrate container blanks, containers in
accordance
with an embodiment can, for example, include a pair of hinges 2022-1, 2022-2
in the first film wall
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2010. Figure 18A illustrates (in the form of a container blank) an embodiment
of the container
having no hinge feature. The container can also include one or more hinges in
the second film wall.
For example, in one embodiment, the container includes a pair of hinges in the
first film wall and a
pair of hinges in the second film wall. The hinge 2022 can have any suitable
shape and side. For
example, referring to Figure 18B, the hinge 2022 can have a curved shape that
extends across a
majority of the width of the structural support volume. Referring to Figure
18C, in another
embodiment, the hinge 2022 can have a curved shape that extends across a
lesser portion of the
width of the structural support volume, for example, less than half the width
of the structural support
volume. Referring to Figure 18D, in yet another embodiment, the hinge can have
a varying width,
for example, a triangular shape in which the width increase as the hinge 2022
extends into the
structural support volume 2016.
In various embodiments, the bottom 2014 of container can include a bottom face
2026, with
at least a portion of the bottom face 2026 arranged to contact a horizontal
support surface 2001. In
various embodiments, the bottom face 2026 can include one or more
substantially flat portions upon
which the container can at least partially stand. The substantially flat
portions can each include a
plurality of substantially flat regions that are disposed in the same plane.
Referring to Figure 19, in various embodiments, the bottom face 2026 can
include one or
more bottom face structural support volumes 2034 defined in the bottom face
2026 of the container.
The bottom face structural support volume 2034 can have a variety of
configurations. For example,
at least one bottom face structural support volume 2034 can be parallel to at
least a portion of the
structural support volume 2016 defined in the first film wall. Alternatively
or additionally, at least
one bottom face structural support volume 2034 can be perpendicular to at
least a portion of the
structural support volume 2016 defined in the first film wall 2010. The bottom
face structural
support volume 2034 can be arranged at any other suitable angle relative to a
portion of the
structural support volume 2016 defined in the first film wall.
In various embodiments, the one or more bottom face structural support volumes
2034 are
arranged such that they are raised away from a horizontal support surface 2001
relative to a portion
of the bottom 2014 and/or bottom face 2026 contacting the horizontal support
surface. Alternatively,
at least one bottom face structural support volume can be arranged to contact
a horizontal support
surface.
The bottom face structural support volume 2034 can have any suitable shape and
size. For
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example, the bottom face structural support volume 2034 can extend across the
entire length and/or
the entire width of the bottom face 2026, or can extend across a portion of
the length and/or a portion
of the width of the bottom face 2026. The bottom face structural support
volume 2034 can have, for
example, a rectangular, circular, elliptical, or wavy line shape.
5
Referring to Figure 20, the bottom face 2026 of the container can include one
or more
structures 2036 to reduce the amount of film in the bottom face 2026 , which
can aid in retaining a
portion, for example, a center portion, of the bottom face 2026 raised from a
horizontal support
surface 2001 when the product volume is filled. The structures 2036 to reduce
the amount of film in
the bottom face 2026 can include pleats, seals, folds, tucks, creases,
wrinkles, rucks, ply, and
10
combinations thereof. The bottom face 2026 can include any suitable number of
such structures.
The structures 2036 to reduce the amount of film in the bottom face 2026 can
be formed either
before or after filling the product volume with a fluent product or before or
after forming a product
volume.
Referring to Figures 21A and 21B, in various embodiments, the container can
further include
15
one or more bottom extensions 2028 extending from one or more corners and/or
edges of the bottom
2014. The bottom extensions 2028 can, in some embodiments, further aid in
improving the stability
and tip resistance of the containers of the disclosure. For example, in one
embodiment, a container
can include four bottom extensions 2028 extending from each of the corners of
the bottom 2014 of
the container. In another embodiment, a container can include opposed bottom
extensions 2028
20
extending along at least a portion of opposed edges of the container. The
containers can include
bottom extensions 2028 extending from the corners and the edges of the bottom
2014 in various
embodiments. In various embodiments, the bottom extensions 2028 can be
structural support
volumes extending from the corners and/or edges of the bottom 2014.
In some embodiments, the container can further include a rigid base 2038
disposed on the
25
bottom 2014 of the container. The rigid base 2038 can further improve the
stability of the container.
The rigid base 2038 can be, for example, a petaloid base. For example, in an
embodiment of the
disclosure, a non-durable flexible container system can include a non-durable
flexible container and
a rigid base disposed around a bottom of the non-durable flexible container.
Part, parts, or all of any of the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined
with part,
30
parts, or all of other embodiments known in the art of flexible containers,
including those described
below.
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46
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
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); (6) application 13/888,679 filed May 7, 2013, entitled "Flexible
Containers"
(applicant's case 12464M); (7) application 13/888,721 filed May 7, 2013,
entitled "Flexible
Containers" (applicant's case 12464M2); (8) application 13/888,963 filed May
7, 2013, entitled
"Flexible Containers" (applicant's case 12465M); (9) 13/888,756 filed May 7,
2013, entitled
"Flexible Containers Having a Decoration Panel" (applicant's case 12559M);
(10) application
13/889,000 filed May 7, 2013, entitled "Flexible Containers with Multiple
Product Volumes"
(applicant's case 12785M); (11) application 13/889,061 filed May 7, 2013,
entitled "Flexible
Materials for Flexible Containers" (applicant's case 12786M); (12) application
13/889,090 filed May
7, 2013, entitled "Flexible Materials for Flexible Containers" (applicant's
case 12786M2); 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
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47
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.
