U.S. patent application number 13/575125 was filed with the patent office on 2012-11-29 for flexible package for liquid products.
This patent application is currently assigned to GOGLIO S.P.A.. Invention is credited to Franco Goglio.
Application Number | 20120301058 13/575125 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42751867 |
Filed Date | 2012-11-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120301058 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goglio; Franco |
November 29, 2012 |
FLEXIBLE PACKAGE FOR LIQUID PRODUCTS
Abstract
A package (1, 1') in flexible material for liquid, pasty
products or the like, closed above by a linear head weld (7) which
joins two opposed walls (4, 5), at which a pair of opposed welds
(10, 11) is provided, in proximity of at least one upper corner (8)
of the package, these opposed welds (10, 11) tending to meet at the
centre line of the package and determining a flattening of the
corresponding upper corner (8).
Inventors: |
Goglio; Franco; (Milano,
IT) |
Assignee: |
GOGLIO S.P.A.
MILANO
IT
|
Family ID: |
42751867 |
Appl. No.: |
13/575125 |
Filed: |
January 27, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
January 27, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2011/051132 |
371 Date: |
July 25, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/104 ;
383/107 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/008 20130101;
B65D 75/52 20130101; B65D 33/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/104 ;
383/107 |
International
Class: |
B65D 30/10 20060101
B65D030/10; B65D 33/00 20060101 B65D033/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 11, 2010 |
IT |
MI2010A000205 |
Claims
1. A package (1, 1') made of a flexible material for liquid, pasty
products and the like, closed upside by means of a linear head weld
(7) connecting two opposed side walls (4, 5) of the package,
thereby determining respective upper corners (8) at its ends,
characterized in that it provides near at least one of said upper
corners (8), on the two opposed walls (4, 5) of the package,
respective welds (10, 11) which tend to joint at the package center
line, forming a V with the vertex near said upper corner (8).
2. A package (1, 1') according to claim 1, wherein said pair of
opposed welds (10, 11) determine a flattening of the correspondent
upper corner (8) of the package.
3. A package (1, 1') according to claim 1, characterized in that
said linear head weld (7) is provided near the level of the liquid
held within the package.
4. A package (1, 1') according to claim 1, wherein a pair of
opposed welds (10, 11) are provided at each of said upper corners
(8) of the package.
5. A package (1, 1') according to claim 1, wherein the deliver of
the product is carried out by making a cut at one of said upper
corners (8) to determine an aperture (12) delimited by said pair of
opposed welds (10, 11).
6. A package (1, 1') according to claim 5, wherein said cut also
involve said pair of opposed welds (10, 11).
7. A package (1) according to claim 1, which is of the stand-up
type.
8. A package (1') according to claim 1, which is parallelepiped in
shape.
9. A package (1, 1') according to claim 2, characterized in that
said linear head weld (7) is provided near the level of the liquid
held within the package.
Description
[0001] The object of the invention is a flexible package
particularly for liquid, pasty products and the like, in particular
food products such as beverages, fruit juices, yoghurt, etc.
[0002] The package according to the invention can be, for example,
a package of the stand-up type, i.e. self-supporting when filled
with the product, having a reinforced support base wherefrom two
side walls rise up, heat welded along the upper and side edges, or
it can be a "form and fill" parallelepiped container with lower and
upper closures of the gusset type.
[0003] Packages for liquids available commercially, of one or the
other types mentioned above, have an upper weld at a certain
distance from the level of the liquid, leaving a head space, which
makes the package soft, preventing storage thereof and/or stacking
one on the other.
[0004] These packages are normally opened by cutting an upper
corner at said weld or by tearing the package at a preformed
notch.
[0005] This generally produces an uncontrolled release of the
liquid on opening of the package and does not guarantee the
retaining of the liquid in the package after a partial use.
[0006] The object of the invention is that of eliminating the
aforementioned disadvantages, providing a package particularly for
liquid products or containing at least in part a liquid, pasty
product or the like, which allows a controlled release of the
product and secure retaining of the product in the package when the
latter is not used after opening.
[0007] Another object of the invention is that of providing such a
package which is self-supporting, so that several packages can be
stacked one on the other during storage and/or transport.
[0008] These objects are achieved by the package according to the
invention, which has the features of the annexed independent claim
1.
[0009] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in
the dependent claims.
[0010] Substantially, the package according to the invention, of
the stand-up or parallelepiped type, having a linear head weld
parallel to the level of the liquid, also has, at at least one of
the two upper corners of the package, in proximity of the end of
said linear head weld, two side welds which join at the centre line
of the package, determining a V configuration, the vertex thereof
is positioned at the end of said linear head weld.
[0011] The abovementioned linear head weld is formed in close
proximity of the level of the liquid, such as to reduce to a
minimum the head space of the package and make it self-supporting,
in such a way that several packages can be stacked one on the
other.
[0012] Further features of the invention will be made clearer by
the following detailed description, referred to its embodiments
purely by way of a non-limiting example, illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0013] FIGS. 1 and 2 are two perspective views from opposite angles
of a package according to the invention of the stand-up type;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the package of FIGS. 1 and
2;
[0015] FIG. 4 shows the package of the previous drawings in
conditions of use, after opening;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a package according to the
invention with parallelepiped shape of the "form and fill"
type;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the package of FIG.
5;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a side elevation view;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a view from below;
[0020] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a package according to the
invention such as that of FIG. 5, with a different closure
weld.
[0021] In the accompanying drawings the same reference numerals are
to be used to denote equal or corresponding parts.
[0022] Referring first of all to FIGS. 1 to 4, a package or
container 1 is illustrated of the so-called stand-up type, i.e.
self-supporting, having a support base 2 with a perimeter weld 3
which develops along the lower edge of the package and rises along
two opposite side zones 3'.
[0023] Two opposed walls 4, 5 rise up from the base 2, joined one
to the other by welds 6 developing along two opposed side edges of
the package which is then closed above by means of a linear or
transverse head weld 7 which extends between the aforementioned
side welds 6.
[0024] The linear head weld 7 is formed in close proximity of the
level of the product contained in the package 1, so as to reduce
the residual head space of the package, thus making the package
more rigid and able to support the weight of other packages stacked
thereon.
[0025] The component material of the package I is normally a
material in flexible multi-layer sheet, with the internal layer
which can be heat welded.
[0026] According to an essential feature of the invention, on the
opposed walls 4, 5, in proximity of the two opposed upper corners 8
of the package, determined by the intersection of the
abovementioned side 6 and head 7 welds, pairs of side welds 10, 11
are formed between superimposed zones of each of the abovementioned
side walls 4, 5. These pairs of side welds 10, 11 are slanted
upwards and towards the exterior of the package and tend to join at
the centre line of the package itself, forming a V with the vertex
in proximity of a corresponding upper corner 8 of the package.
[0027] In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the pairs of side
welds 10, 11 are provided at both the upper corners 8 of the
package 1, yet it is clear that they could be provided at only one
of these corners.
[0028] FIG. 4 shows schematically the package 1 open during
dispensing of its content. In practice a cut is made at an upper
corner 8 of the package, possibly involving also the ends of the
pairs of opposed welds 10, 11, so as to determine an aperture 12
through which the liquid 13 is dispensed.
[0029] Provision of the pair of side welds 10, 11 determines a
flattening of the package in proximity of the corresponding upper
corner 8, such that when this corner is cut to determine the
aperture 12, there is no release of liquid from the container, a
release which only takes place in a controlled manner, pressing the
opposed walls 4, 5 of the package, as shown schematically in FIG.
4.
[0030] When the pressure is released, the liquid is sucked back
into the interior of the package, avoiding drips. Even when the
open package is stored, accidental pouring of the liquid is avoided
if it is not compressed.
[0031] FIGS. 5 to 8 show a package, denoted by reference numeral
1', having exactly the same innovative features of the stand-up
package of FIGS. 1 to 4.
[0032] In this case the package is of a substantially
parallelepiped shape, of the so-called "form and fill" type,
obtained in a manner in itself known from a strip of material in a
multilayer sheet, with an internal layer which can be heat welded,
which is made to advance along a spindle normally positioned
vertically, around which it is closed by means of a longitudinal
weld 6', which is positioned vertically on a wall of the formed
package, so as to form a tubular part which is closed below by
means of a first transverse weld and, after having been filled with
the product, is cut and closed above by means of an additional
transverse weld which constitutes the abovementioned head weld 7.
At the lower transverse weld 3 a gusset fold 20 is then formed, in
itself known.
[0033] The linear head weld 7, as in the case of the package of
FIGS. 1 to 4, is formed in proximity of the level of the liquid, so
as to reduce the head space, and the pairs of opposed side welds
10, 11 determine, as in the previous case, V configurations with
the vertices in proximity of the upper corners 8 of the
package.
[0034] The behaviour of the package 1' as regards the dispensing
and the retaining of the liquid corresponds exactly to what is
described with reference to the package 1 of FIGS. 1 to 4.
[0035] The embodiment of FIG. 9 differs from that of FIGS. 5-8 due
to the fact that the longitudinal closure weld 6' is positioned at
a vertical edge 20 of the package 1'', which has "fin" bends and
welds 21 at the other vertical edges.
[0036] Naturally the invention is not limited to the particular
embodiments described previously and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, instead numerous detail changes can be made
thereto, within the reach of the person skilled in the art, without
thereby departing from the object of the invention itself, as
defined in the annexed claims.
* * * * *