EP0364373B1 - Flexible container - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a flexible container, provided with means making it easier to get its contents out when used. The container is made of a synthetic heat sealing material forming two side walls (1) joined to weld lines (4, 5, 6) round their edges. Near one of the corners (10) of the container, a double impress (11, 12) is provided, made on the side walls (1) and creating an outlet channel (16), which is split on the container's first use. Weld lines (13, 14), lying on either side of the double impress (11), enable a calibrated outlet opening to be defined. This container can in particular hold a liquid or viscous product. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a container made of flexible material, provided with means facilitating the output of its contents when it is used.

This invention relates, more particularly, to a container made of a heat-sealable synthetic material, forming a bottom and two side walls joined by welds along their edges, and intended to contain a liquid or viscous product to be poured, comprising, close from the edge of the container and in particular towards one of its angles, an outlet channel, in an area intended to be cut off at the time of the first use of the container, this channel being formed between two separate welds, one of the another by a predetermined distance, these welds joining the two side walls of the container on either side of said outlet channel. A container of this kind is known from the document GB-A-2180214 or the document AT-A-180035.

An even more particular application of the invention is a flexible plastic bag comprising a folded bottom to form with the two side walls a "W", and connected to each of these side walls by a curvilinear or broken line weld whose end points are located on the welds joining said side walls along their edges. Such a sachet is described in the aforementioned document GB-A-2180214, and it has the advantage of standing upright (see also document FR-A-1349272).

In the use of flexible bags capable of standing, of the kind mentioned above, and more generally of bags with faces welded by their edges, there are difficulties in ensuring the exit of the content. These difficulties arise in particular when it comes to pouring a slightly sticky liquid, such as certain household cleaning products. The usual procedure consisting in cutting one of the corners of the container, before pouring the liquid, the user creates an outlet opening which is difficult to keep open, and the two edges of which tend to remain glued one against the other. 'other, thus preventing any outflow of liquid. This drawback of bonding the edges remains in the case of the container according to document GB-A-2180214, despite the welds which delimit an outlet channel therein.

In addition, in the case of a container of the type considered, the content of which is not necessarily used all at once, there is the problem of recapping the container. The aforementioned document AT-A-180035 proposes the installation of a sealed closure means in the formed outlet channel between two welds at an angle of the bag, after cutting the angle. However, this arrangement does not solve the problem of sticking the edges of the outlet channel, when the container is reopened.

The present invention aims to eliminate the drawback common to current containers of the type under consideration, by providing an extremely economical and practically free technical solution, greatly facilitating the output of the product contained in the container, while offering the possibility of easy recapping and waterproof.

To this end, in the receptacle made of flexible material which is the subject of the invention, a double stamping is provided between said two welds towards the outside on its two side walls, so as to constitute a calibrated channel whose bonding of the edges is made impossible.

Given the properties of the complexes of synthetic materials currently used for the production of receptacles of the type under consideration, double stamping of the walls is possible when cold and, once produced, it is easily maintained. This double stamping delimits an outlet channel, having a diameter of a few millimeters which, when it is cut, forms, towards its outer end, an outlet opening which can be perfectly calibrated insofar as it is delimited by the two welds planned on either side of this canal. If these welds are very close to the channel, the section of the outlet opening is minimal and one can even envisage a "drop by drop" use; on the contrary, if the welds remain further from the channel, the two side walls of the container can deviate widely thanks to the stamping initially carried out. The bonding of the edges of the outlet opening is thus made impossible, and the good flow of the liquid to be poured is guaranteed, the desired flow rate being obtained by the choice of the spacing of the two welds located on either side of the channel. Release.

These two welds can in particular be made along a line substantially perpendicular to the axis of the outlet channel, this without particular difficulty since the container itself is made by welding sheets of heat-sealable synthetic material. The double stamping of the two side walls is itself possible in a simple manner during the preparation of the container, in particular by introduction of a metal rod of circular section between these two walls and application, on the outside of said walls, of jaws complementary in a sufficiently hard rubber-like material. The operation is obviously carried out before filling the container and before making the welds which ensure its complete closure.

It should also be noted that, if the double drawing creating the outlet channel is provided towards one of the angles of the container, the axis of the channel being provided inclined and preferably extending substantially along the bisector of this angle, we is sure to cut this channel by cutting the angle in question, outside the line along which the welds are made on either side of the channel, which is a very usual and intuitive gesture to open a sachet filled with liquid. The use of the container according to the invention therefore poses no practical difficulty.

In the case of flexible containers of the type considered here comprising, in a known manner, a protuberance or the like forming a sort of pouring spout, delimited by welds, the double stamping creating the outlet channel is advantageously carried out in the region of this spout pourer. Thus, by cutting the spout, we obtain the calibrated outlet opening delimited by the welds bordering this spout. The outlet channel can have various shapes, for example curved or bent, depending on the configuration of the part of the container forming a protrusion or a pouring spout.

Furthermore, after having cut the outlet channel, the calibrated outlet opening obtained can receive a small, light and very simple stopper, making it possible to close the container securely, this stopper being able in particular to be shaped like a conical hollow body, to be of minimum weight and easily enter the outlet opening while ensuring a good seal.

• Figure 1 est une vue d'ensemble en perspective, à plat, d'un récipient conforme à la présente invention ;
• Figure 2 est une vue en coupe de ce récipient, dans la région du canal de sortie, suivant II-II de figure 1;
• Figure 3 est une vue en coupe similaire à figure 2, montrant la section dudit canal lors de la sortie du liquide contenu dans le récipient ;
• Figure 4 est une vue de côté partielle du récipient de figure 1 ;
• Figures 5, 6 et 7 sont des vues similaires à figure 4, illustrant l'application de l'invention à d'autres récipients, de diverses formes ;
• Figure 8 est une vue en perspective montrant un exemple de moyens de réalisation du double emboutissage.

In any case, the invention will be clearly understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing representing, by way of nonlimiting examples, some embodiments of this container made of flexible material, and illustrating its embodiment and use:

• Figure 1 is an overall perspective view, flat, of a container according to the present invention;
• Figure 2 is a sectional view of this container, in the region of the outlet channel, along II-II of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2, showing the section of said channel during the exit of the liquid contained in the container;
• Figure 4 is a partial side view of the container of Figure 1;
• Figures 5, 6 and 7 are views similar to Figure 4, illustrating the application of the invention to other containers, of various shapes;
• Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an example of means for making the double stamping.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the invention is applicable in particular to a container of flexible heat-sealable synthetic material which comprises two rectangular side walls 1 and 2 and a bottom 3, joined by means of welds. The container being assumed in the "standing" position, the two side walls 1 and 2 are joined, along their edges, by two vertical welds 4 and 5 and by a horizontal upper weld 6. The bottom 3, folded to form with the two adjacent side walls 1 and 2 in a "W" configuration, is connected to each of these side walls by a curvilinear weld 7, the end points 8 and 9 of which are located on the vertical welds 4 and 5. When the container is filled , its bottom 3 is unfolded and its two side walls 1 and 2 are spaced from one another in their lower part, the container thus having an approximate conical shape, this in a manner known per se.

The invention relates to arrangements provided near an upper angle 10 of the container in order to facilitate the exit of the product, generally liquid, filling this container. The arrangements in question mainly comprise a double drawing 11, 12, produced on the two side walls 1 and 2, and two complementary welds 13 and 14 joining together these two side walls 1 and 2.

The double drawing 11, 12 is carried out towards the outside, on each of the side walls 1 or 2, along an inclined axis 15 extending substantially along the bisector of the angle 10, and over a certain length, without reaching the top. this angle 10. This creates, by the material of the two side walls 1 and 2, an outlet channel 16 whose initial diameter is, for example, between 1 mm and 5 mm.

The two welds 13 and 14 are made along a line substantially perpendicular to the axis 15 of the outlet channel 16. The first of these welds 13 has its starting point located on the vertical weld 4, and its end located on one side of the output channel 16. The second of these welds 14 has its starting point located on the horizontal weld 6, and its end located on the other side of the outlet channel 16. Thus, the two welds 13 and 14 are located on either side of the outlet 16 created by the double drawing 11, 12, the opposite ends of these two welds 13 and 14 being separated from each other by a predetermined distance D.

At the time of the first use of the container, the angle 10 is cut along a line 17, passing flush with the welds 13 and 14 on the outside of the latter. The outlet channel 16 is thus sectioned at a certain point along its length, and this results in the formation of an outlet opening, clearly visible in FIG. 4, the width of which is defined by the position of the ends of the two welds 13 and 14. If the two welds 13 and 14 extend in the immediate vicinity of the outlet channel 16, an outlet opening of section equal to the initial section of the channel 16 is created. On the other hand, if the two welds 13 and 14 remain distant from the outlet channel 16, in other words if the distance D is greater, an outlet opening of greater section is created than the initial section of the channel 16.

In all cases, the outlet channel 16 allows, after opening the container by cutting the angle 10, a safe flow of the liquid to be poured. In addition, the calibrated outlet opening obtained after cutting this angle 10 is capable of receiving a plug 18 ensuring the filling of the container, if the content of the latter is not used at once, as shown in the Figure 1. The plug 18 has a conical shape, facilitating its introduction into the outlet opening.

FIG. 5 illustrates the application of the invention to a container, the vertical weld 4 of which has an interruption, defining a notch 19 facilitating the use of the container (for pouring its content into another container). The notch 19 is delimited by a curved weld part 20 and the upper weld 6 has an enlarged part 21 of triangular shape. A sort of pouring spout is thus formed at 22, between the parts of welds 20 and 21. The double drawing 11, 12 is produced in the two walls, such as the wall 2 visible in FIG. 5, in the region of this spout. pourer 22, made usable as above after having cut the angle 10 along a line 17 intersecting the outlet channel 16 created by the double stamping.

In the variant of FIG. 6, the container has at its part upper, above the horizontal weld 6, a protuberance 23 delimited by short welds 24 and 25 and also forming a sort of pouring spout. The double drawing 11, 12 is in this case carried out in the region of the protuberance 23, to create an outlet channel 16 which is substantially vertical, which is cut when this protuberance is sectioned horizontally along the line 17.

The variant of FIG. 7 relates to a container retaining a rectangular shape, but comprising an additional horizontal weld 26 delimiting a sort of pouring spout 27 with the upper horizontal weld 6. The double drawing 11, 12 is produced with an angled shape, following the direction of the spout 27.

Finally, FIG. 8 shows, in a simplified manner, the means allowing the cold drawing of the double stamping, during the preparation of the container. These means comprise a metal rod 28 of circular section, and two jaws 29 and 30 constituting the complement of the rod 28. This rod 28 has a bent shape, its inclined and raised end portion serving for the drawing. Means not shown ensure the holding of the rod 28 and its introduction, from above, between the two side walls 1 and 2 of the container being made. The jaws 29 and 30, covered with hard rubber, are transversely and symmetrically movable, on either side of the container being made, to be applied to the outside of the walls 1 and 2 facing the end part of the rod 28. Each jaw 29 or 30 has an imprint 31 complementary to said end portion of rod 28.

• première phase : simultanément à la réalisation de la soudure curviligne 7, reliant le fond 3 aux parois latérales 1 et 2, on réalise le double emboutissage 11,12 comme indiqué ci-dessus.
• Deuxième phase : on réalise les soudures verticales 4 et 5 et les deux soudures complémentaires 13 et 14 situées de part et d'autre du double emboutissage 11,12.
• Troisième phase : le récipient est rempli par sa partie supérieure encore ouverte.
• Quatrième phase : on réalise la soudure horizontale supérieure 6, fermant entièrement le récipient après remplissage.

More particularly, considering a container as shown in FIG. 1, the complete manufacture of the container can be conceived as follows:

• first phase: simultaneously with the production of the curvilinear weld 7, connecting the bottom 3 to the side walls 1 and 2, the double drawing 11, 12 is carried out as indicated above.
• Second phase: vertical welds 4 and 5 and the two complementary welds 13 and 14 located on either side of the double stamping 11,12 are produced.
• Third phase: the container is filled with its upper part still open.
• Fourth phase: the upper horizontal weld is made 6, completely closing the container after filling.

This manufacturing method can be implemented with a conventional machine, on which the means necessary for carrying out the double stamping 11,12 are simply added. Manufacturing is carried out continuously, the containers succeeding each other so that the vertical weld 4 of a container also constitutes the second vertical weld 5 of the next container, a cut being then made between these welds to separate the consecutive containers (see patent French n ° 1 349 272).

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the sole embodiments of this container made of flexible material which have been described above, by way of examples; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variant embodiments and applications respecting the same principle. In particular, one would not depart from the scope of the invention by modifying the shape, the length, the inclination or the section of the outlet channel created by the double stamping, or by applying this principle to receptacles whose the shapes or other particularities would differ from the examples given in the description and illustrated by the drawing, or even by obtaining double stamping by means other than those described above.

Claims (9)

1. A receptacle made of flexible material, more particularly a receptacle produced in a heat-weldable synthetic material, forming a back (3) and two lateral inside wall surfaces (1, 2), joined together by welds (4, 5, 6) along their edges, and intended to contain a liquid or viscous product to be poured out, comprising, near to the edge of the receptacle and in particular near to one of its angles (10), an exit channel (16) in an area intended to be cut through (along 17) at the moment of first use of the receptacle, this channel being provided between two welds (13, 14) separated from one another by a predetermined distance (D), these welds (13, 14) joining together the two lateral inside wall surfaces (1, 2) of the receptacle on either side of the said exit channel (16), characterized by a double embossing (11, 12) towards the exterior produced between the two said welds on their two lateral inside wall surfaces (1, 2) in such a way as to form a calibrated channel whose edges it is impossible to stick together.

2. A receptacle made of flexible material according to Claim 1, characterized in that the two above-mentioned welds (13, 14) extend into the immediate neighbourhood of the exit channel (16) in such a way as to create an exit opening of section equal to the initial section of the channel (16).

3. A receptacle made of flexible material according to Claim 1, characterized in that the two above-mentioned welds (13, 14) remain spaced from the exit channel (16) in such a way as to create an exit opening of section greater than that of the initial section of the channel (16).

4. A receptacle made of flexible material according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the two above-mentioned welds (13, 14) are produced along a line approximately perpendicular to the axis (15) of the exit channel (16).

5. A receptacle made of flexible material according to any of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the double embossing (11, 12) creating the exit channel (16) is arranged towards one of the angles (10) of the receptacle, the axis (15) of channel (16) being inclined and preferably extending approximately along the bisector of that angle.

6. A receptacle made of flexible material according to any of Claims 1 to 4, comprising an excrescence or similar portion forming a type of pouring lip (22; 23; 27) bounded by welds (20, 21; 24, 25; 26), characterized in that the double embossing (11, 12) creating the exit channel (16) is produced in the region of this pouring lip (22; 23; 27).

7. A receptacle made of flexible material according to any of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the initial diameter of the exit channel (16) is between 1mm. and 5mm.

8. A receptacle made of flexible material according to any of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the double embossing (11, 12) of the two lateral inside wall surfaces (1, 2) creating the exit channel (16) is a cold-formed double embossing produced in the course of preparation of the receptacle, particularly by introducing a metallic rod (24) of circular cross-section between the two inside wall surfaces (1, 2) and the application of complementary jaws (29, 30) to the outside surfaces of the said walls.

9. A receptacle made of flexible material according to any of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the exit channel (16) before it is cut through defines a calibrated exit opening intended to receive a plug (14) ensuring reclosure of the receptacle.

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