PT92385B - APPROPRIATE, FLUID TIGHTENING CONTAINER - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible fluid container (20a) has a pair of spaced-apart sealed deformable side-edge margins (28a, 29a), and a sealed deformable upper-edge margin (30a) which is unitary with an upper-edge portion of each of the side-edge margins and which defines a fluid-discharge passageway (32a) of generally serpentine configuration that communicates with the fluid cavity. The improvement comprises an indent (38a, 39a), defined by at least one of the side-edge margins. The indent is so located relative to the edge margin such that fluid communication between the fluid passageway and the fluid cavity is maintained when application of a predetermined fluid-discharging squeezing pressure upon the fluid container sidewalls causes deformation of the container side-edge margin in the vicinity of the indent.

Description

the present invention relates in general to a fastening fluid container.

the present invention relates more particularly to an improvement in this type of container for tightening fluids that has an upper edge and flexible and sealed marginal lateral edges and in which the upper edge defines a passage for the fluids.

Many modern consumers prefer flexible plastic containers over traditional rigid containers, such as glass bottles or metal containers, for a variety of reasons.

Glass bottles can crack, chip, break or explode, often at very inopportune moments. Metal containers can sometimes be difficult to open. In addition, many metallic containers, once opened, may have sharp edges or edges.

Certain viscous liquids, such as

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Case J-1Ó37 tomato sauce and certain salad dressings can, moreover, be more easily poured out of flexible or plastic containers than glass jars or metal containers of comparable general shape. Many consumers are also generally able to extract a higher percentage of residual fluid from a flexible plastic container or to squeeze it than would be possible if the fluid were contained in certain rigid containers of comparable general shape. Finally, given the fact that flexible containers, when empty, are generally easier to crumple than some of the metal containers and all glass containers; the relative ease of having the fluid container can sometimes be an important consideration for the consumer when deciding which brand of a particular fluid product to buy.

Thus, in the light of a general preference among consumers, for flexible plastic containers for liquids, a wide variety of flexible plastic containers have recently appeared, designed to meet numerous specific consumer needs and to provide certain desirable characteristics.

The U.S. represented patent

No. 25251 assigned to Kaplan and others, for example, describes a fluid supply container, made of two sheets of flexible plastic material, to contain desired amounts of liquid. Such a container is considered to be particularly adapted for shipping in a sealed form and is also said to be provided with a tear-off strip along one of its ends to facilitate its opening. This strip, when so torn, can be used for the purpose of distributing liquid contained in the container as desired, by applying a certain pre-liquid supply pressure9

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Case J-1Ó37, 23 -NGV .- ^ S finished, exerted on the side walls of the container. See also U.S. Patent No. 4,717,046 attributed to Brogli.

However, not all flexible fluid containers need to be made of two plastic sheets, glued together by their marginal edges, as described by Kaplan et al. In U.S. Patent No. 2,517,027 to Sado, for example, a foldable tubular container is described for certain viscous fluids, such as pastes.

Another version of a tear-off sealing strip is described in U.S. Patent No. 3,278,085 issued to Briwn, which patent features a sachet-shaped container that is said to be retractable. The sachet, also referred to as pouch packaging, is deformable and is generally useful. able to contain, distribute and retain certain semi-liquid fluids, pastes and the like.

In U.S. Patent No. 3,473 * 532 to Eisenberg, a flexible plastic container for dry-type fluids is further described, which has a one-way self-sealing valve. Certain characteristics that provide automatic retention of the fluid contained in a flexible plastic container, after that container has been opened, are considered important in the drawings of each of the U.S. patents Nos. 3,815,794 and 3,878,977, both attributed to Car ·· lisle. U.S. No. 3,904,107 assigned to Nishimura and others, each of Nos. 4,163,509 θ 4,312,689 both assigned to Amneus and U.S. Patent No. 4,252,257 assigned to Herzing.

Also considered are the fluid discharge passages that were originally closed and can be opened by applying moderate pressure to the walls of the flexible plastic container, in the drawings of US Patent No. 3,913,789 assigned to Miller and US patent no. 4,537,308 attributed to Hollander, Jr

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Case J — 1637 and also the originally sealed fluid passages that can be opened by means other than applying pressure to the side walls of the container are considered important in the drawings of the flexible plastic fluid containers described in US Patent No. 3,917,116 assigned Mason and US Patent No. 4,491,245 assigned to Jamison.

The overall simplicity of the design can also be considered important particularly when it is desirable to reduce the manufacturing cost of each flexible plastic fluid container unit. Thus, although it is possible to manufacture fluid containers with downward neck-shaped liquid discharge devices as described in U.S. Patents Nos. 3 · θ15 · 79 ^ and 3,878,977 'both assigned to Carlisle and U.S. Patent No. 4,163,509 assigned to Amneus, it is desirable, in most cases, to produce flexible plastic containers for fluids that are generally rectangular in shape. In effect, this shape tends to reduce material waste and production cost per unit of flexible plastic fluid container. The flexible plastic containers for fluids disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 24,251 issued to Kaplan et al. And U.S. Patent No. 4,410,245 assigned to Jamison describe flexible plastic containers for liquids that are generally tectangular in shape. Unfortunately, in flexible plastic containers for fluids of this type, unwanted deformation of the container tends to interfere with the desired fluid discharge.

For example, in certain flexible plastic containers for fluids such as those with flexible side walls, a closed bottom, deformable lateral margin edges separated from each other and an upper marginal edge that is unitary with each of the lateral margin edges and that defines a passage for unloading

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fluids the deformation of that portion of the upper marginal edge that defines the fluid discharge passage to occur when the fluid container is pressed. Typically, such deformation restricts the flow of fluid through the discharge passage and is therefore a source of hassle for the user. In addition and based on the particular configuration of the fluid passageway, such deformation can sometimes substantially reduce the effective rate of fluid discharge from the container, so such a rate reduction makes the fluid container unacceptable for the intended purpose. The present invention solves precisely these types of problems. The present invention is generally directed towards an improvement in certain types of flexible plastic containers. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an improvement in a squeezing container, which includes flexible side walls that define a cavity to contain a fluid to be distributed, a bottom, a pair of deformable marginal side edges, which project towards the outside and separated from each other, which is unitary with the marginal edges and which defines a passage for fluids of general configuration in the form of a serpentine, in communication with the cavity containing the fluid, in which the deformation of the upper marginal edge, in the vicinity of the fluid passage having to block the fluid communication between the fluid passage and the cavity intended to contain them, characterized by the fact that the container also includes means to cause deformation defined by at least one of the lateral marginal edges that protrude outwards and separated from the upper marginal edge by a predetermined distance, in such a way that they are are effective in causing the deformation to take place on the side edge that is close to the deformation producing means, instead of being in the vicinity of the passage of general shaped serpentine fluids, when a certain clamping pressure is applied to the fluid contained in the cavity,

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Case J-1637 through the side walls of the container, so that liquid communication is maintained between the passage for fluid in general in serpentine and the fluid cavity, when applying a certain clamping pressure to the fluid contained in the cavity through the side walls of the container.

In the preferred embodiment, the mobile strainers comprise a cutout, defined by at least one of the lateral marginal edges for dividing the cavity containing the fluid into two fluid chambers along its longitudinal axis.

The two chambers are in liquid communication with each other. One of the two fluid chambers is located adjacent and in liquid communication, relative to the passage of fluids in the upper marginal edge of the container. The cross-sectional area of a fluid chamber is larger than the cross-sectional area of the fluid cavity in the vicinity of the cutout.

the cutout is placed in such a way with respect to the upper marginal edge that the net communication between the fluid passage and the fluid chamber adjacent to it is maintained when a predetermined clamping pressure for fluid discharge applied to the side walls of the article, causes the deformation of the lateral marginal edge of the same, in the proximity of the cutout.

Other features and advantages of the present invention are discussed in the following description of a number of preferred embodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the fluid container according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is another perspective view of the

6l.644 Case J-1Ó37 fluid container shown in figure 1, which illustrates the deformation of the lateral marginal edge that occurs in the vicinity of the cutouts, when a predetermined fluid discharge pressure is applied to the side walls of the fluid container .

. Figure 3a is a partially fragmented front view of another embodiment of the fluid container of the present invention.

Figure 3b is a partially fragmented front view of yet another embodiment of the fluid container of the present invention.

Figures 4a to 4f are a series of drawings that briefly illustrate how this embodiment of the fluid container that is shown in Figures 1 and 2 is carried out.

Figure 5 ® is a front view of yet another embodiment of the fluid container of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a front view of yet another embodiment of the fluid container of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a front view of yet another embodiment of the fluid container of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a front view of yet another embodiment of the liquid container of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a front sectional view of yet another embodiment of the fluid container of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a front view of yet

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another embodiment of the fluid container of the present invention.

Figure 11 is a partially fragmented front view of yet another embodiment of the fluid container of the present invention.

Figure 12 is a front view of yet another embodiment of the fluid container of the present invention.

Figure 13 is a drawing that briefly illustrates how the container embodiment shown in Figure 12 is made.

Figure 14 is a side view, taken in plane 14-14, of the embodiment of the fluid container shown in Figure 10.

Throughout the drawings, similar reference numbers refer to like elements.

Referring, in the first place, to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown an embodiment of the flexible plastic fluid container 20a of the present invention. This container 20a, which defines a longitudinal axis XX, comprises a closed base or bottom for standing 24a, flexible side walls 26a, a pair of deformable lateral marginal edges separated from each other, 28a and 29a ® a sealed deformable upper marginal edge 30a , which is unitary with an upper edge portion of each of the lateral marginal edges 28a and 29a. The upper marginal edge 30a defines a fluid passageway 32a.

Another embodiment of the present invention is the fluid container 20b, shown in Figure 9. This fluid container 20b is similar to the container 20a but is modified to an envelope format.

6l. 644 Case J-1637 with a bottom 24b which is glued along a bottom seam 25.

As in the container 20a, the side walls of the fluid container 20b define a cavity 34 for containing a fluid to be delivered F. This is best seen in Figure 9 which is shown in section along the longitudinal axis X-X. The container 20b has a deformable upper marginal edge 30b that is unitary with the deformable lateral marginal edges 28b and 29b. The fluid passageway 32b formed at the upper marginal edge 30b, communicates with the fluid cavity 34 (See Figure 9).

The marginal edges 28B and 29B define cutouts 38a and 39a to divide cavity 34 into two chambers for fluids 40 and 42, along the longitudinal axis X-X (Figure 9). One of the fluid chambers 40 and 42, namely the upper fluid chamber 40, is located close to and in liquid communication with the fluid passage 32b. The cross-sectional area of the fluid chamber 40 (this area being represented in cross-section to the longitudinal axis X-X) is greater than the cross-sectional area of the fluid cavity 34, close to the cutouts 38a and 39a.

The cutouts 38a and 39a are located in such a way, with respect to the upper marginal edge 30a, that the net communication between the fluid passage 32a and the fluid chamber 40 adjacent to it is maintained when a pre-pressure is applied determined for the distribution of the product, to the side walls of the container, causing the deformation of the lateral marginal edges 28b and 29b of the same, in the vicinity of the cutouts 38a and 39a (See Figure 2) ·

Figures 3a θ 3b show that the container

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for fluids you only need to have one of these cutouts. The single cutout 39a can be found at a distance from the fluid passage 32a (Figure 3a) or the single cutout 39a can be installed close to the fluid passage 32a (Figure 3b).

According to the present invention, the cutout or cutouts can take a wide variety of shapes. For example, the lateral margin edges 28a and 29a may have cutouts of generally hemispherical shape 3θ * β 39 ’» cutouts of square or rectangular shape 38b ® 39b (Figure 6), cutouts of triangular shape 3θ β (Figure 7) »etc.

In addition, portions of the marginal edges

28c and 29c define cutouts 38c β 39® ^and can project into the interior as shown in Figure 8.

As shown in Figure 5 »in which cutouts are provided on both side edges of the container, cutouts 38a 'and 39a' may be separated slightly differently from the top edge edge 39a, relative to each other, according to the principles of the present invention.

As briefly mentioned above, an embodiment of the fluid container 20a of the present invention has a base 24a, which allows such an embodiment of the fluid container to remain upright, a position which is also referred to as upright, (See Figures 1 and 2) .

Reference is now made to Figures 4a to 4f for the purpose of briefly discussing how a container for fluids of this type is manufactured.

Starting with an elongated strip of flexible plastic material 44 (Figure 4a), longitudinally oriented ^

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finally, a transverse fold 46 and flaps 48 are formed, formed so as to ride the fold 46 and the opposite extreme portions of the elongated plastic material 44 are brought to a position of great proximity (Figure 46). Next, a pair of lower lateral marginal edges 50 are glued (Figure 4c) between the fold 46 and a flap 48; then the other pair of lower marginal edges 51 is placed in a similar way (Figure 4d). thus closing the fund. The lower edge portions 52 of the lateral marginal edges are again glued together to provide a base for standing (Figure 1). Then the sides are glued and the container is filled with a predetermined fluid to distribute. Finally, the top is glued, forming an upper marginal edge that defines the passage for the discharge of liquids (Figure 4f). In this way an upright fluid container can be formed, generally wider at the top than at the bottom (See Figures 5 to 8).

In certain situations, such as in those cases where it would be advantageous to have containers for packable fluids as tightly as possible, it is desirable to have a fluid container of generally rectangular shape in a frontal projection view, as shown in Figure 12. Technicians in the field can appreciate that accordingly, it will be desirable to start, not with a generally rectangular, elongated strip of plastic material, flexible, as shown in Figure 4a, but rather with a strip that is generally wider in the vicinity of fold 46 and flaps 48 , as shown in Figure 13.

As was briefly mentioned above, the fluid container according to the present invention does not need to have a base to stand on, but rather can have a simple closed bottom, as the embodiments shown in Figures 9 θ 10 illustrate. In fact, for convenience, the flexible plastic fluid container of

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according to the present invention, it can easily be constructed to be relatively thin (Figure 12 +), so that it can be conveniently installed in the pocket of a consumer's shirt or in a lady's handbag.

An embodiment of one of these superscript type flexible plastic containers according to the present invention comprises two flexible plastic sheets 56 glued together along the bottom edges 48, side edges 28d and 29d and top edge 30d, (See Figures 10 and 12+). The lateral margins 28d and 29d define the indentations 38d and 39 ^ 3. The upper margin 38d defines the fluid discharge passage 32d. The plastic sheets 56 define a cavity for containing fluid. This cavity 34 is shown in the fluid container of the supercharged type corresponding to the embodiment shown in Figure 11.

The general shape and diameter of the fluid discharge passage is a function of the design choice, as will be understood by those in the field. For example, the diameter of the fluid discharge passage may be relatively small (Figure 9), relatively large (Figure ll) or of intermediate diameter (Figure 10). That end portion of the fluid discharge passage that communicates with the fluid chamber above the fluid cavity may, in addition, be incorporated along the longitudinal axis X — X, as shown in Figure 9 ° ^u may be separated from it ( see, for example, Figures 10 and 11).

Generally, the upper margin is formed in such a way that the fluid discharge end of the liquid passage is initially sealed. Referring, initially to Figures 1 and 2, for example, the fluid discharge end 64a, originally closed, is formed in such a way that it can break when the pressure in the

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NCV. 'Passage for fluid discharge 32a Figure 2 reaches a predetermined value. In particular, when such pressure is reached inside the liquid discharge passage 32a, the discharge end 64a opens. Such breakable seals are well known in the art. See, for example, U.S. Patent 4,537,308 issued to Hollander, Jr.

In other situations, it is still desirable to cut the upper marginal edge 30d along a color line indicated by 66 (see, for example, Figures 10 and 11) to open the sealed fluid outlet.

In other situations it is still desirable to form the upper marginal edge 30b in such a way that the margin 30b not only defines the fluid discharge passage 32b but also defines a so-called tear-off tab 68. Such a marginal edge 30b also defines, in particular, a line preformed toothing 70, formed in such a way in the upper marginal edge 30b, that allows the tab 68 to be easily removable from the rest of the margin 30b (along the toothed line 70) when opening the discharge end of the fluids 64b of the passage for liquids 32b, (See Figure 9).

which has been illustrated and described herein constitutes a particular improvement in certain types of manufactured compressible articles, such as fluid containers, made of flexible plastic material. Although the improvements have been illustrated and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to them. The specifications and embodiments presented above should be understood as illustrative and should not be taken as limiting. Thus, alternatives such as structural or mechanical equivalents and other modifications, will become apparent to technicians in the field by reading the description above

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Accordingly, such alternative exchanges and modifications should be considered as part of the present invention, while being covered by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The filing of the first application for the invention described above was made in the United States of America on November 23, 1988 under No. 07 / 275,457.

Claims (7)

- CLAIMS1 * - Improved squeeze container (20a) that includes flexible side walls (26a) that define a cavity (34) to contain a fluid to be distributed (F), a bottom (24a), a pair of deformable lateral marginal edges , separated from each other and extending outwards (28a, 29a) and a deformable upper marginal edge and extending outwards (30a), which is unitary with the lateral marginal edges (28a, 29a), which defines a fluid passage (32.a) of general serpentine configuration, in communication with the fluid cavity (34), in which the deformation of the upper marginal edge (30a) in the vicinity of the fluid passage in general serpentine ( 32a), tends to block the fluid communication between the fluid passage (32a) and the fluid cavity (34), characterized in that the container (20a) also includes means for causing deformation (38a »39a), defined , by at least one of the lat marginal edges extending outwards (28a, 29a) and separated from the upper marginal edge (30a) to be effective in causing the deformation of one of the lateral marginal edges (28a, 29a) which is in the vicinity of the deformation producing means (38a, 39 ^a ) ⁱⁿ 61,644 Case J-1Ó37. <23 µW) 1 Λ., - /. · - / instead of being close to the fluid passage in general in serpentine (32a), when applying a predetermined clamping pressure to the fluid contained in the cavity (f) through the side walls of the container (26a), through which fluid communication between the fluid passage in general in serpentine (32a) and the fluid cavity (34), is maintained when the predetermined clamping pressure is applied to the bottom contained in the cavity (F) via the side walls of the container (26a). 2? Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the container is a fluid, plastic and flexible container, the base of the container defining a base that allows it to stand. 3- Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means that cause the deformation comprise a cutout (38a, 39a) formed on both lateral marginal edges (28a, 29a) of the container (20a). 4? Container according to claim 3, characterized in that one of the cutouts (38 ') is separated from the upper marginal edge (30a) of the container (20a), by a predetermined distance less than the separation between the other cutout ( 39 ') ^and said upper marginal edge (30a). 5? Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the deformation causing means comprise a cutout (38a, 39a) formed in one of the lateral marginal edges (28a, 29a) formed in one of the lateral marginal edges (28a, 29a) of the container (20a). 6? - Container according to claims15 61.6 (44 Case J-I637 cations 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that the cutout (38a, 39a) is generally hemispherical in shape (38 ', 39')> a square or rectangular shape (38b, 39b) or a triangular shape ( 38e, 39®) · 7 - Container according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that portions (38c, 39c) of the lateral marginal edges (28c, 29c) immediately adjacent to a cutout (38a, 39a) are similarly inserted to those of the other clipping (38a, 39a).