WO2008125822A1 - Flexible containers - Google Patents

Flexible containers Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2008125822A1
WO2008125822A1 PCT/GB2008/001279 GB2008001279W WO2008125822A1 WO 2008125822 A1 WO2008125822 A1 WO 2008125822A1 GB 2008001279 W GB2008001279 W GB 2008001279W WO 2008125822 A1 WO2008125822 A1 WO 2008125822A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
container
spout
containers
container according
detachable portion
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2008/001279
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Robert James Massey
Original Assignee
Amcor Flexibles Winterbourne Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Amcor Flexibles Winterbourne Limited filed Critical Amcor Flexibles Winterbourne Limited
Priority to EP08736944A priority Critical patent/EP2142443A1/en
Publication of WO2008125822A1 publication Critical patent/WO2008125822A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes, or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
    • B65D75/52—Details
    • B65D75/58—Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture
    • B65D75/5805—Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture for tearing a side strip parallel and next to the edge, e.g. by means of a line of weakness
    • B65D75/5811—Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture for tearing a side strip parallel and next to the edge, e.g. by means of a line of weakness and defining, after tearing, a small dispensing spout, a small orifice or the like
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D35/00—Pliable tubular containers adapted to be permanently or temporarily deformed to expel contents, e.g. collapsible tubes for toothpaste or other plastic or semi-liquid material; Holders therefor
    • B65D35/44—Closures
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes, or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
    • B65D75/52—Details
    • B65D75/58—Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture
    • B65D75/5861—Spouts
    • B65D75/5866—Integral spouts

Definitions

  • This invention concerns flexible containers with integral and self-closing pouring spouts.
  • WO9008705 describes a container for fluids in which the container is formed from two flexible sheets joined to form a reservoir, and an "L"-shaped exit flow channel leading from the reservoir which allows the contents of the container to be expelled once an end portion of the exit channel has been removed. Self sealing of the channel after it has been opened results from the inherent rigidity of the flexible sheets and shape of the channel.
  • FR2780956 describes flexible containers in the form of flat sachets made from two layers of polymeric film welded along their edges and defining a spout with a fracture line between upper and lower portions of the spout, the upper section of the spout having a protective cover made from two portions of film fixed to it during manufacture.
  • the problem with such containers is that the covers for the spouts do not adequately reduce leakage from the containers after opening.
  • US5529224 describes self-closing liquid dispensing containers with flat self-closing channel valves and having a flat tear-off portion which can be used to seal the containers after opening.
  • JP9142498 describes flat, flexible polymeric containers for liquids, the containers having a flat tear-off portion which can be used to cap the opened containers.
  • a flexible container with an integral and self-closing pouring spout having a detachable portion integral therewith and adapted to envelop the spout after the spout has been opened, the pouring spout being positioned on the container whereby when the container contains a product to be dispensed, the spout and the detachable portion both adopt a curved configuration.
  • the curvature of the spout will in general change as product is dispensed therefrom.
  • the pouring spouts of containers in accordance with the present invention are preferably substantially flat when the containers are substantially empty.
  • the spouts of containers of the present invention are preferably positioned asymmetrically relative to the container itself.
  • Detaching the detachable portion of the pouring spouts preferably opens them.
  • the detachable portion may assist in closing it.
  • the curvature imparted to the self closing pouring spout by the geometry of the containers and the position of the spouts on the containers tends to enhance the performance of the spouts.
  • the curvature of the spout tends to improve the self-sealing and flow cut-off properties of the spouts.
  • the curvature of the caps when positioned on the opened spouts can also serve to improve retention of the caps on the containers during handling of the opened containers.
  • positioning of the caps on the curved opened dispensing spouts can also be easier than with hitherto proposed essentially flat pouring spouts.
  • a line of weakness is preferably used to facilitate detachment of the detachable portion from the container, the line of weakness preferably having been formed by scoring or by laser treatment of the material used to form the container.
  • self-closing means that the spouts of containers in accordance with the present invention have a tendency to close rather than remain open after the contents of the containers are dispensed therefrom through said spouts.
  • Containers according to the present invention are preferably in the form of pouches or barrels.
  • Fig. 1 is a side view of the embodiment
  • Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment
  • Fig. 3 is a further perspective view of the embodiment
  • Fig. 4 corresponds to Fig. 1 with a portion of the container relocated
  • Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment as shown in Fig. 4.
  • Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment as shown in Fig. 4.
  • the container 1 shown in the drawings is in the form of a barrel formed by sealing together two flexible flat polymeric sheets 2 and 3 and two further flexible polymeric sheets 4 and 5 which have previously been folded in half and placed between the sheets 2 and 3.
  • the seals required to achieve the barrel shape will be clear to those skilled in the art, and they include straight edge seals 6 and 6a between the sheets 2 and 3, and laminate seals 7 and 8 between the sheets 2 and 3 and the folded sheets 4 and 5 where they meet face-to-face.
  • the container 1 is essentially flat before filling but after filling it adopts the barrel shape shown in the drawings.
  • a portion of the laminate between the flat film 2 and the folded film 4 has been cut away to leave a complex tab 10, the tab 10 being in two sections 11 and 12, section 11 being tearable from the container 1 along a line of weakness 13, and the section 12 being tearable from the rest of the tab 10 along a further line of weakness 14.
  • a spout 15 is defined by the line of weakness 13, and is created as a separate entity when the tab 10 has been removed from the container 1.
  • An "S"-shaped discharge passage 16 is formed in the laminate seal 7 between the two sheets 2 and 4 by not sealing these "S"- shaped portions of the sheets together between the interior of the container 1 and the exterior at the tip of the spout 15. The contents of the container 1 can be dispensed through the discharge passage 16 and spout 15 once the tab 10 has been torn from the container 1.
  • the two layers of flexible film forming section 12 of the tab 10 have been only partially sealed to leave an unsealed region 17 which can be opened up and placed over the spout 15 once the portion 12 has been removed from the tab 10, the portion 12 can be placed over the spout 15, the tab 10 then serving to seal the spout 15 and the passage 16 therethrough.
  • the contents of the container 1 can be expelled from its interior through the "S"-shaped passage 16 by squeezing the container 1, the curvature of the spout 15 when the container 1 is full serving to aid keeping the spout 15 closed, particularly when compared with similar spouts of containers where the spouts are substantially flat when the associated containers are full.
  • Containers in accordance with the present invention have spouts which adopt a curved configuration as shown in Figures 2 and 3, as a result of introducing a dispensable material into them.
  • the curvature is preferably in plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the line of discharge of the spout, but it can additionally be in three dimensions.
  • the present invention can be used with containers of various shapes and not necessarily barrel shaped as shown in the drawings. It will also be appreciated that the internal configurations of pouring spouts of containers in accordance with the present invention need not be "S"-shaped as shown in the drawings provided they are self-closing, for example they can be substantially straight, "L"-shaped or other shapes.
  • the detachable portion should, though, be capable of enveloping the spout of a particular container after the spout has been detached from the container and adopt a curved configuration whilst the containers still have dispensable materials therein.

Abstract

A flexible container with an integral and self-closing pouring spout (15), the container having a detachable portion (10) integral therewith and adapted to envelop the spout (15) after the spout has been opened, the pouring spout (15) being positioned on the container whereby when the container contains a product to be dispensed, the spout (15) and the detachable portion (10) both adopt a curved configuration.

Description

Flexible Containers
Technical Field
This invention concerns flexible containers with integral and self-closing pouring spouts.
Flexible containers with integral self-closing pouring spouts have been proposed hitherto.
WO9008705 describes a container for fluids in which the container is formed from two flexible sheets joined to form a reservoir, and an "L"-shaped exit flow channel leading from the reservoir which allows the contents of the container to be expelled once an end portion of the exit channel has been removed. Self sealing of the channel after it has been opened results from the inherent rigidity of the flexible sheets and shape of the channel.
Similar containers, but with "S"-shaped exit flow channels, are described in US4491245, WO8805013, US4491245, US4974732, WO9005680 and WO9801361. Improved flow cut off and self sealing is alleged to result from the sinuous nature of the exit flow channels used with these containers.
Despite these previous attempts to improve flow cut off, once these containers are opened by cutting across the flow outlet, not only can liquids within the containers leak from the flow outlets, contamination can enter the cut end of the flow channel.
FR2780956 describes flexible containers in the form of flat sachets made from two layers of polymeric film welded along their edges and defining a spout with a fracture line between upper and lower portions of the spout, the upper section of the spout having a protective cover made from two portions of film fixed to it during manufacture. The problem with such containers is that the covers for the spouts do not adequately reduce leakage from the containers after opening.
US5529224 describes self-closing liquid dispensing containers with flat self-closing channel valves and having a flat tear-off portion which can be used to seal the containers after opening. JP9142498 describes flat, flexible polymeric containers for liquids, the containers having a flat tear-off portion which can be used to cap the opened containers.
The problem with these hitherto proposed containers which have removable portions designed to act as caps for the containers after opening is that the caps tend not to provide sufficiently good seals for some end uses.
Disclosure of the Invention
According to the present invention there is provided a flexible container with an integral and self-closing pouring spout, the container having a detachable portion integral therewith and adapted to envelop the spout after the spout has been opened, the pouring spout being positioned on the container whereby when the container contains a product to be dispensed, the spout and the detachable portion both adopt a curved configuration.
The curvature of the spout will in general change as product is dispensed therefrom. However, the pouring spouts of containers in accordance with the present invention are preferably substantially flat when the containers are substantially empty.
The spouts of containers of the present invention are preferably positioned asymmetrically relative to the container itself.
Detaching the detachable portion of the pouring spouts preferably opens them.
In addition to enveloping the spout of the container, the detachable portion may assist in closing it.
The curvature imparted to the self closing pouring spout by the geometry of the containers and the position of the spouts on the containers tends to enhance the performance of the spouts. The curvature of the spout tends to improve the self-sealing and flow cut-off properties of the spouts. The curvature of the caps when positioned on the opened spouts can also serve to improve retention of the caps on the containers during handling of the opened containers. Furthermore, positioning of the caps on the curved opened dispensing spouts can also be easier than with hitherto proposed essentially flat pouring spouts. A line of weakness is preferably used to facilitate detachment of the detachable portion from the container, the line of weakness preferably having been formed by scoring or by laser treatment of the material used to form the container.
The term "self-closing" as used herein means that the spouts of containers in accordance with the present invention have a tendency to close rather than remain open after the contents of the containers are dispensed therefrom through said spouts.
Containers according to the present invention are preferably in the form of pouches or barrels.
Description of the Drawings
An embodiment of container in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: -
Fig. 1 is a side view of the embodiment;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment;
Fig. 3 is a further perspective view of the embodiment;
Fig. 4 corresponds to Fig. 1 with a portion of the container relocated;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment as shown in Fig. 4; and
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment as shown in Fig. 4.
Mode of Carrying Out the Invention
The container 1 shown in the drawings is in the form of a barrel formed by sealing together two flexible flat polymeric sheets 2 and 3 and two further flexible polymeric sheets 4 and 5 which have previously been folded in half and placed between the sheets 2 and 3. The seals required to achieve the barrel shape will be clear to those skilled in the art, and they include straight edge seals 6 and 6a between the sheets 2 and 3, and laminate seals 7 and 8 between the sheets 2 and 3 and the folded sheets 4 and 5 where they meet face-to-face.
The container 1 is essentially flat before filling but after filling it adopts the barrel shape shown in the drawings.
As can be seen more clearly from Fig. 2, a portion of the laminate between the flat film 2 and the folded film 4 has been cut away to leave a complex tab 10, the tab 10 being in two sections 11 and 12, section 11 being tearable from the container 1 along a line of weakness 13, and the section 12 being tearable from the rest of the tab 10 along a further line of weakness 14.
A spout 15 is defined by the line of weakness 13, and is created as a separate entity when the tab 10 has been removed from the container 1. An "S"-shaped discharge passage 16 is formed in the laminate seal 7 between the two sheets 2 and 4 by not sealing these "S"- shaped portions of the sheets together between the interior of the container 1 and the exterior at the tip of the spout 15. The contents of the container 1 can be dispensed through the discharge passage 16 and spout 15 once the tab 10 has been torn from the container 1.
The two layers of flexible film forming section 12 of the tab 10 have been only partially sealed to leave an unsealed region 17 which can be opened up and placed over the spout 15 once the portion 12 has been removed from the tab 10, the portion 12 can be placed over the spout 15, the tab 10 then serving to seal the spout 15 and the passage 16 therethrough.
After removing the tab 10 from the container 1 , the contents of the container 1 can be expelled from its interior through the "S"-shaped passage 16 by squeezing the container 1, the curvature of the spout 15 when the container 1 is full serving to aid keeping the spout 15 closed, particularly when compared with similar spouts of containers where the spouts are substantially flat when the associated containers are full.
Containers in accordance with the present invention have spouts which adopt a curved configuration as shown in Figures 2 and 3, as a result of introducing a dispensable material into them. The curvature is preferably in plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the line of discharge of the spout, but it can additionally be in three dimensions.
As will be appreciated, the present invention can be used with containers of various shapes and not necessarily barrel shaped as shown in the drawings. It will also be appreciated that the internal configurations of pouring spouts of containers in accordance with the present invention need not be "S"-shaped as shown in the drawings provided they are self-closing, for example they can be substantially straight, "L"-shaped or other shapes. The detachable portion should, though, be capable of enveloping the spout of a particular container after the spout has been detached from the container and adopt a curved configuration whilst the containers still have dispensable materials therein.

Claims

Claims
1. A flexible container with an integral and self-closing pouring spout (15), the container having a detachable portion (10) integral therewith and adapted to envelop the spout (15) after the spout has been opened, the pouring spout (15) being positioned on the container whereby when the container contains a product to be dispensed, the spout (15) and the detachable portion (10) both adopt a curved configuration.
2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the curvature of the spout (15) changes as product is dispensed therefrom.
3. A container according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the spout (15) is positioned asymmetrically relative thereto.
4. A container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pouring spout (15) is substantially flat when the container is substantially empty.
5. A container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein detachment of the detachable portion (10) opens the pouring spout (15).
6. A container according to any of the preceding claims, including a line of weakness (13) to facilitate detachment of the detachable portion (10) from the container.
7. A container according to claim 6, wherein the line of weakness (13) has been formed by scoring or laser treatment.
8. A container according to any of the preceding claims, in the form of a pouch.
9. A container according to any of claims 1 to 7, in the form of a barrel.
PCT/GB2008/001279 2007-04-11 2008-04-11 Flexible containers WO2008125822A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP08736944A EP2142443A1 (en) 2007-04-11 2008-04-11 Flexible containers

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0706984.2 2007-04-11
GB0706984A GB2448335A (en) 2007-04-11 2007-04-11 Flexible container with resealable spout

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2008125822A1 true WO2008125822A1 (en) 2008-10-23

Family

ID=38091175

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2008/001279 WO2008125822A1 (en) 2007-04-11 2008-04-11 Flexible containers

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2142443A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2448335A (en)
WO (1) WO2008125822A1 (en)

Citations (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4491245A (en) 1982-03-24 1985-01-01 Jamison Mark D Liquid dispensing container
WO1988005013A1 (en) 1987-01-02 1988-07-14 Ampac Corporation Method and apparatus for pre-forming spout in seal flexible pouch
WO1990005680A1 (en) 1988-11-23 1990-05-31 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Squeezable fluid container
WO1990008705A1 (en) 1989-01-30 1990-08-09 James Patrick Hawkins Self-sealing container
US4974732A (en) 1990-02-02 1990-12-04 S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Sealed pouch having tear-open spout
US5238157A (en) * 1991-05-24 1993-08-24 Aliseo Gentile Squeezeable container and integral cap formed from a laminated flat blank
WO1995012531A1 (en) * 1993-11-01 1995-05-11 The Procter & Gamble Company Self-closing liquid dispensing package
US5529224A (en) 1993-11-01 1996-06-25 The Procter & Gamble Company Self-closing liquid dispensing package
JPH09142498A (en) 1995-11-15 1997-06-03 Kamaya Kagaku Kogyo Co Ltd Press-out container with cover
WO1997029975A1 (en) * 1996-02-20 1997-08-21 Colgate-Palmolive Company Reclosable container
WO1998001361A1 (en) 1996-07-10 1998-01-15 Marlingford Holdings Limited Squeezable fluid dispenser pouch
FR2780956A1 (en) 1998-07-10 2000-01-14 Sodiaal International Societe Plastic container with drinking spout for contents has cover to protect spout joined to upper portion of spout which is removed to make opening.

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP4139494B2 (en) * 1998-11-20 2008-08-27 大日本印刷株式会社 Liquid pouch with upper and lower gussets

Patent Citations (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4491245A (en) 1982-03-24 1985-01-01 Jamison Mark D Liquid dispensing container
WO1988005013A1 (en) 1987-01-02 1988-07-14 Ampac Corporation Method and apparatus for pre-forming spout in seal flexible pouch
WO1990005680A1 (en) 1988-11-23 1990-05-31 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Squeezable fluid container
WO1990008705A1 (en) 1989-01-30 1990-08-09 James Patrick Hawkins Self-sealing container
US4974732A (en) 1990-02-02 1990-12-04 S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Sealed pouch having tear-open spout
US5238157A (en) * 1991-05-24 1993-08-24 Aliseo Gentile Squeezeable container and integral cap formed from a laminated flat blank
WO1995012531A1 (en) * 1993-11-01 1995-05-11 The Procter & Gamble Company Self-closing liquid dispensing package
US5529224A (en) 1993-11-01 1996-06-25 The Procter & Gamble Company Self-closing liquid dispensing package
JPH09142498A (en) 1995-11-15 1997-06-03 Kamaya Kagaku Kogyo Co Ltd Press-out container with cover
WO1997029975A1 (en) * 1996-02-20 1997-08-21 Colgate-Palmolive Company Reclosable container
WO1998001361A1 (en) 1996-07-10 1998-01-15 Marlingford Holdings Limited Squeezable fluid dispenser pouch
FR2780956A1 (en) 1998-07-10 2000-01-14 Sodiaal International Societe Plastic container with drinking spout for contents has cover to protect spout joined to upper portion of spout which is removed to make opening.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP2142443A1 (en) 2010-01-13
GB2448335A (en) 2008-10-15
GB0706984D0 (en) 2007-05-16

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