ES2311855T3 - CONTAINER. - Google Patents

Abstract

Deformable type container for liquid contents comprising a compartment (4) that is defined by two opposite side walls (2) and a bottom wall (3) and whose volume depends on the relative position of the walls (2, 3) and a zone of contained product that is formed by said walls (2, 3) and that being filled the container extends from said bottom wall (3) to a surface level (20) of the content that is maintained in the container , in which the container shows a bottom width (B1) that when the container is full is greater than a greater width (B2) of the container, and in which the contained product area (19) is arranged to be expanded by the said content to essentially adopt a shape defined by the geometric configuration of said walls, through which the area of product contained (19) being filled the container takes the form of a cone trunk (21) with its ext Narrow oar oriented in the opposite direction to the aforementioned bottom wall (3), characterized in that the side walls (2) are joined along an upper joining area (5) than in the area of said contained product area ( 19) has opposite peripheral lines (22) that are facing the compartment and that being empty and flattened the container converge from the bottom wall (3) of the container, in which said peripheral lines (22) have a concave curvature, seen from the outside of the container, and converge towards the compartment (4) in a curved shape.

Description

Container.

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a container to contain liquid, and more specifically, a container of deformable type, comprising a compartment defined by two opposite side walls and a bottom wall, and whose volume It depends on the relative position of the walls.

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State of the art

Liquid products, such as products from Daily use juice or wine, can be packaged in different types of container.

The type of use is increasingly used container of those described in the introduction, and has many advantages, since it can be manufactured at a relatively low price. Choosing a suitable material for the container, such as a laminated material with a mineral polyolefin filler substrate, the container may also have environmental properties advantageous The fact that the container is of the deformable type, for example, that the volume of the container decreases as the container is emptied, also implies that exposure to Content air is minimized, which has a positive effect on The preservation of product characteristics.

From for example WO 9941155, WO 0226567 or EP 0864508 a container of this type is known.

A drawback in some such container is that being full have a tendency to wrinkle.

Such wrinkling has a negative effect on the shape and appearance of the container and, in the worst case, can result in wear of the side walls of the container, evidence that implies a risk of loss of tightness.

In order to counteract the aforementioned tendency to wrinkle is known, since WO 02085729, the installation of a reinforcement through a gas-filled conduit along the minus one side of the container.

It is also known, for example EP 0989069 and EP 0541821, the creation of reinforcing means that extend on the side walls of the container.

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Summary of the Invention

In view of what is described above, a objective of the present invention is to provide a container alternative to the type described in the introduction, in which reduces the tendency of the container to wrinkle.

To achieve this goal, and also others objectives that will arise from the following description, a container, according to the present invention, which has the characteristics set forth in claim 1. From claims 2-6, which are dependent on the claim 1, some embodiments will become apparent container favorites.

More specifically, a container of deformable type for containing liquid, according to the present invention, comprising a compartment that is defined by two walls opposite sides and a bottom wall, and whose volume depends on the relative position of the walls. The container comprises a Content product area that is formed by the aforementioned walls, which, while the container is full, extends from the mentioned back wall up to the level of the surface of the content that is kept in the container. The product zone content is adapted to expand through the mentioned content to essentially take the form of a cone trunk with its narrowest end oriented in the opposite direction to The aforementioned back wall.

As a result, a container is provided which, being full, it can be done so as not to have a tendency to wrinkle. It is assumed to be the truncated conical shape, with the most extreme width of the product area oriented downward, the which causes the content held in the container to expand the side walls of the container in such a way that it counteracts The wrinkled

The product area contained, being expanded, it can have an essentially elliptical section.

In one embodiment the mentioned walls laterals join along an upper junction zone that, in The area of the aforementioned product area contains some opposite peripheral lines that face the compartment and which, being empty and flattened, converge from the container bottom wall. Through the peripheral lines of The content product area given by the design will be possible ensure that the convergent shape from the back wall is keeps the container full. Peripheral lines can converge towards the compartment in a curved way while the flat or full container.

In another embodiment the width ratio of the mentioned bottom wall in relation to the length of it not exceeds ½. In fact it has been found that ratios that exceed the ½ can result in a bottom wall that, being the container full, do not expand optimally and hence cause wrinkle-generating tensions in the vessel walls.

In yet another embodiment the side walls they are attached each to the back wall along an area lower joint, each joining area comprising finishing zones facing in opposite directions with respect to each other, and joining, at an obtuse angle?, with the upper zone of junction on the side of the corresponding container, being flattened and emptied the same, in whose situation the aforementioned wall of background folds in two. Finishing areas can be designed as such that, when the area of the contained product is expanded, it join the upper joint area at an angle not higher? at 180º. Designing the finishing areas as bevels of the container, being not filled the same, which are joined by the top of the finishing areas according to an angle of less than 180º, the full container significantly reduces the risk of wrinkling in the transition between the upper and lower junction zones.

In a further embodiment, the aforementioned areas of finish are designed to be arranged, the area being expanded of contained product, along the circumferential surface of the thus formed truncated cone shape of the aforementioned area of product content. It is assumed that the extension of the areas of finished along the circumferential surface counteracts the presence of wrinkle-generating tensions in the walls of the container.

A preferred embodiment of the container according to the present invention is described below, by way of example, in reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1a is a side view of a Inventive container being empty.

Figure 1b is a sectional view along of the i-i line of Figure 1a.

Figure 2a is a side view of the container of Figure 1a being full.

Figure 2b is a sectional view along of line ii-ii of Figure 2a.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 2a.

Description of realizations

Figures 1a and 1b referred to illustrate an inventive container 1 being empty and flattened.

The container 1 comprises two side walls 2 opposite and a bottom wall 3 which, in the situation of container shown, is folded in two. Walls 2 and 3 define a compartment 4.

The side walls 2 are attached one to the another along an upper junction zone 5.

The said upper junction zone 5 defines, on a first side 6 of the container 1, a grabbing zone 7. The zone to grab 7 can be designed in various ways and, in the embodiment illustrated, is designed as a camera 8 that can be filled with gas to produce an easy-to-grip handle that also helps reinforce container 1 while full.

The upper junction zone 5 further defines a filling duct which, at its end facing outward from the compartment 4, is sealed by a seal 10 included in the upper junction zone 5. To fill container 1, remove the aforementioned seal 10, after which a filling tube (not shown) through the filling duct 9 inside the compartment 4 of the container 1 for filling the same. Finally the filling duct 9 reseals.

The container 1 also comprises an area in spout shape 11 in the upper corner of a second side 12 of the container 1 opposite the first side 6. To open container 1, removes a tongue 13 from said spout-shaped area 11, after which the content that is kept in the container 1 It can be poured.

The tongue 13 can be removed by cutting, breakage or similar. If the tongue 13 is arranged to be broken the container 1 may have a break mark 14 that It facilitates breakage.

Each side wall 2 is also attached to the bottom wall 3 along a lower junction zone 15, each joining zone comprising finishing zones 16 which are facing in opposite directions and that are attached to the area upper joint 5 on its corresponding side 6, 12 of the container one.

As for the walls 2, 3 being joined one to the other means that the walls 2, 3 are joined by a sealing process such as welding, gluing or the like.

Each lower junction zone 15 can also, as in the shown embodiment of the inventive container 1, comprise an intermediate zone 17 located between the two zones of finish 16. However it is also possible to form the set of the walls 2, 3 in a single piece folded in a W shape, making thus it is possible to eliminate said intermediate zone 17, since each side wall 2 will become the mentioned bottom wall 3 precisely in these areas of container 1.

The walls 2, 3 thus define a compartment 4 that the container 1 being empty and flattened has a volume not existing (for reasons of clarity the side walls 2 of the container 1, in Figure 1b, are shown slightly apart). In the aforementioned situation, compartment 4 is further sealed, and can thus be sterilized, in relation to the manufacture of container 1, and distributed maintaining sterility until container filling place 1.

The volume of the aforementioned compartment 4 depends on the relative position of the walls 2, 3 and in the Figures  2a and 2b, to which reference is now made, container 1 has been filled with liquid content 18, whereby walls 2, 3 of vessel 1 have adopted a relative position to define a compartment 4, whose volume corresponds essentially to 18 content supplied. It will be appreciated that a small volume of air from the outside may have formed just above the level of the surface of content 18 that is held in compartment 4 of the container 1. For reasons of clarity this volume of air from the exterior is greatly exaggerated in Figure 2b.

The inventive container 1 is designed so that Your tendency to wrinkle while full is reduced.

To this end the container 1 has an area of contained product 19 which is formed by walls 2, 3 of the container and that, when the container is full, extends from the mentioned bottom wall 3 up to a surface level 20 of the content 18 that is kept in the compartment 4 of the container one.

The product area contained 19 is arranged to be expanded by the aforementioned content 18 to adopt essentially the shape of an elliptical cone trunk with its end wider facing the back wall. The shape of the area of contained product 19 is illustrated in Figure 3, to which reference is now made, by cone trunk 21 drawn in this figure. In fact, it has been surprisingly found that product area design content 19 counteracts the wrinkled.

It is assumed that the truncated cone shape, with the wide end of the content area 19 oriented towards below, it makes the content 18 that is kept in the container expand the side walls 2 of the container 1 in a way that counteracts the presence of tensions in walls 2, 3 of the container and thus reduce the tendency of the container to wrinkled.

As stated above, the mentioned product area contained 19, in the embodiment illustrated, is arranged to essentially take the form of a 21 elliptical cone trunk. However it will be appreciated that the shape can admit some deviation from the mentioned conical form. By example it may be desirable in some cases to let the end narrow top diverges something to produce a shaped area spout 11 of container 1.

To provide the aforementioned truncated conical shape of the product zone contained 19 the upper junction zone 5 of the container 1 is designed in such a way that, in the aforementioned area product area contained 19, has peripheral lines 22 opposite that are facing compartment 4 and extended in a convergent manner from the bottom wall 3 the 1 flat and empty container. Advantageously the lines peripherals can converge towards compartment 4 in a way curve in the mentioned direction.

The convergent form is required because a Bottom width B1 of container 1 will contract during filling  of the container 1 while an upper width B2 of the vessel 1 will be affected to a considerable extent Minor. This is quite obvious when comparing Figures 1a and 2a. Is especially evident in Figure 2a that the convergent extension of the peripheral lines 22 is kept while the container is full 1, but to a lesser extent than being flattened and empty the container 1 (Figure 1a).

As illustrated in Figure 1a, each finishing zone 16 of the respective lower joining areas 15 joins the upper junction zone 5 at an obtuse angle α. The container 1 (Figure 2a) being filled with the angle α, projected on the plane shown in Figure 2a, it is still obtuse, whereby the tendency of container 1 to wrinkle is still smaller. By ensuring that the mentioned angle α does not exceed 180 °, in fact it is guaranteed that it does not form an unwanted wrinkle in the transition between the respective zones finishing 16 and the upper joining area 5.

Another factor that favors the formation of a container 1 that has no tendency to wrinkle is the design of the mentioned finishing areas 16 so that these areas of finished, the area of product 19 being expanded, are arranged along the circumferential surface of the well created conical shape of the aforementioned zone 19.

Also the design of the back wall 3 has found to be important for the tendency of container 1 to wrinkle. It has been found advantageous for the design of the wall of background that the ratio between its width and its length does not exceed ½. Be has found that ratios that exceed this value result in a Wrinkle on each side wall near the bottom wall. Be you will appreciate that there is also a lower limit of the ratio of the width of the bottom wall with respect to its length, but this lower limit is more important for the stability of the full container that stops its tendency to wrinkle.

The length of the bottom wall 3 corresponds to the width B1 of the container being empty and the width of the wall background is thus the transverse measure of the mentioned length the container being full, as shown in Figure 2b.

It is assumed that these last two designs of the vessel 1 counteract the presence of tensions generating wrinkles on walls 2, 3 of container 1.

As mentioned above, the realization Shown from an inventive container 1 has a handle filled with gas. It will be appreciated that this reinforcing handle helps in an additional way to get a container 1 that, being full, does not tend to wrinkle.

The inventive container 1 thus has several designs that each helps to provide a container 1 does not tend to wrinkle. It is possible that some of these designs by themselves do not are sufficient and it is necessary that the designs appear together to provide a container 1 that does not tend to wrinkle.

However, of the observations made, it follows that the truncated cone shape of the product zone content 19 of container 1 has the greatest effect for Counteract the general presence of wrinkles.

According to the present invention, a container 1 whose tendency to wrinkle when full has been reduced

More specifically this is achieved in a way such that a contained product area 19 formed by the walls 2, 3 of the container 1 is arranged to expand by the content 18 that is held in container 1 to adopt essentially the shape of a cone trunk 21 with the wide end down, in which case the aforementioned product area contained 19 preferably adopts an elliptical section. Has been found that this design of container 1 is effective in reducing wrinkles in the container 1.

To further reduce the trend when crumpled it has been found advantageous to arrange the areas of finish 16 of the lower junction zone 15 of the container 1 of such that the lower areas of union being full container 1 joins with the upper junction zone 5 in the corresponding sides 6, 12 of the container 1 according to an angle obtuse α not exceeding 180 °. This prevents wrinkling. special that may occur in the transition of the lower areas from junction 15 to the upper junction zone 5. Wrinkling is also counteracts by designing finishing zones 16 to be arranged along the circumferential surface of the area of contained product 19 which, when container 1 is full, is conical trunk

Additional means to counteract the crumpled comprise the design of the bottom wall 3 of the container 1 such that its width with respect to its length is as maximum 1 to 2.

It will be appreciated that the present invention is not Limited to the embodiment shown. Many are conceivable variations and modifications, which means that the invention is Define exclusively by the appended claims.

Claims (6)

1. Deformable type container for liquid contents comprising a compartment (4) that is defined by two opposite side walls (2) and a bottom wall (3) and whose volume depends on the relative position of the walls (2, 3 ) and an area of contained product that is formed by said walls (2, 3) and that being filled the container extends from said bottom wall (3) to a surface level (20) of the content that is maintained in the container, in which the container shows a bottom width (B1) that when the container is full is greater than a greater width (B2) of the container, and in which the contained product area (19) is arranged to be expanded by said content to essentially adopt a shape defined by the geometric configuration of said walls, through which the area of product contained (19) being filled the container takes the form of a cone trunk (21) with its narrow end facing away from the said bottom wall (3), characterized in that the side walls (2) are joined along an upper connecting portion (5) in the area of said product - content ( 19) has opposite peripheral lines (22) that are facing the compartment and that being empty and flattened the container converge from the bottom wall (3) of the container, in which said peripheral lines (22) have a concave curvature, seen from the outside of the container, and converge towards the compartment (4) in a curved shape. 2. Container according to claim 1, in the that the aforementioned product zone (19) being expanded It has an essentially elliptical section. 3. Container according to claims 1 or 2, in which the width ratio of said bottom wall (3) with respect to its length does not exceed 1/2. 4. Container according to any of the claims 1-3, wherein said side walls (2) are each attached to the wall of bottom (3) along a lower junction zone (15), each joining area comprising finishing areas (16) oriented in the opposite direction of each other and joining, at an angle obtuse (α), to the upper junction zone (5) on the side corresponding (6, 12) of the container being the same flattened and empty, situation in which said bottom wall (3) is folded in two. 5. Container according to claim 4, in the that the aforementioned finishing areas (16) are designed to joining, the expanded product area (19) being expanded, to the upper junction zone (5), according to an angle (?) that does not exceed 180º. 6. Container according to any of the claims 4-5, wherein said finishing zones (16) are designed in such a way to be arranged, the area of product contained (19) being expanded, to along the circumferential surface of the thus created form Conical trunk of the aforementioned product area (19).