Patents by Inventor Brian W. Walther

Brian W. Walther has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11981758
    Abstract: A process to form a polymer composition comprising an ethylene-based polymer and a functionalized ethylene-based polymer, said process comprising the steps described herein, which include passing a polymer melt through at least one static mixer, and wherein the functionalized ethylene-based polymer, in melt form, is introduced into the polymer melt, before the polymer melt enters the static mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Brian W. Walther, Santosh S. Bawiskar, Jianping Pan
  • Patent number: 11945635
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a flexible container (10). In an embodiment, the flexible container includes a front panel (22), a rear panel (24), a first gusseted side panel (18), and a second gusseted side panel (20). The gusseted side panels adjoin the front panel and the rear panel along peripheral seals (41) to form a chamber. The panels form (i) a top portion, (ii) a body portion, and (iii) a bottom portion. The top portion comprises a neck (27) and a fitment (30) in the neck. The front panel comprises a front handle (82) extending therefrom and the rear panel comprises a rear handle (84) extending therefrom. The front handle and the rear handle are in opposing relation to each other, the front handle and the rear handle extending over the first gusseted side panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Marc S. Black, Liangkai Ma, Simon Jespersen, Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, Chad V. Schuette, Brian W. Walther, Fabrice Digonnet
  • Publication number: 20240100812
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a flexible pouch. In an embodiment, the flexible pouch includes a first layer structure and a second layer structure. Each layer structure includes (i) an inner liner and (ii) an outer sheath. The first layer structure is superimposed on the second layer structure such that the inner liners oppose each other. The first layer structure superimposed upon the second layer structure defines a common peripheral edge. Each inner liner is composed of a flexible film of a polymeric material. Each outer sheath is composed of a post-consumer recycle (PCR) polymer material. The PCR polymer material has a GI200 value greater than 50. The flexible pouch includes a peripheral seal. The peripheral seal extends along at least a portion of the common peripheral edge. The peripheral seal seals the first layer structure to the second layer structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Brian W. Walther, Jessica L. Rogers, Ronald Wevers
  • Patent number: 11939137
    Abstract: A flexible container (10) is disclosed. The flexible container (10) includes four panels (18, 20, 22, 24), each panel comprising a flexible multilayer film. Each flexible multilayer film is composed of a polymeric material. The four panels form (i) a body, (ii) a neck, and (iii) a handle. The handle (12) has an upper handle portion (12a) and a pair of spaced-apart legs (13, 15). The legs extend from the upper handle portion to the body on opposing sides of the neck. The flexible container includes a fitment (70) sealed to the neck. The flexible container includes a dispensing pump (100) attached to the fitment. The flexible container can provide a metered dose from a dispensing pump and the dispensing pump can also function as a handle to hand-carry the flexible container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Sheng Li, Bin Li, Brian W. Walther, Marc S. Black
  • Publication number: 20240026143
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to compositions, multilayer films, and articles. In one aspect, a composition comprises (a) an ionomer that is an acid copolymer comprising ethylene and at least one of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, wherein a portion of the acid groups in the acid copolymer are neutralized by metal ions and are carboxylic acid salts, and wherein the acid copolymer, prior to neutralization of acid groups by metal ions, comprises 5 to 30 weight percent of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid; (b) an ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer comprising ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene acrylate, or a combination thereof; and (c) a propylene-based polymer comprising a copolymer of propylene and a comonomer comprising ethylene, butene, hexene, or octene, wherein the propylene-based polymer has a molecular weight distribution (MWD) of less than 3.0, and a viscosity ratio (viscosity at 0.1 s?1/viscosity at 100 s?1) of greater than 7.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Jong-young Lee, Yushan Hu, Michelle Tsui, Brian W. Walther, Alyssa J. Fielitz
  • Patent number: 11807423
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a flexible container. In an embodiment, the flexible container includes (A) a front panel, a rear panel, a first gusseted side panel, and a second gusseted side panel. The gusseted side panels adjoin the front panel and the rear panel along peripheral seals to form a chamber. Each peripheral seal has (i) a body seal inner edge (BSIE) with opposing ends, (ii) a top tapered seal inner edge (t-TSIE) extending from a top end of each BSIE, (iii) a neck seal inner edge (NSIE) extending from a top end of each t-TSIE, (iv) a neck arc extending between each NSIE and t-TSIE, and (v) a plane (N) extending through each neck arc. Each NSIE forms a neck angle with the plane (N), and the neck angle is from 45° to less than 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Liangkai Ma, Marc S. Black, Chad V. Schuette, Brian W. Walther, Fabrice Digonnet
  • Patent number: 11746222
    Abstract: The present invention provides polymer blends that can be used in a multilayer structure and to multilayer structures comprising one or more layers formed from such blends. In one aspect, a polymer blend comprises a copolymer comprising ethylene and at least one of methyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate having an acrylate content of 5 to 40 weight percent based on the weight of the copolymer and having a melt index (I2) of 1 to 60 g/10 minutes, wherein the total amount of ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer and ethylene ethyl acrylate copolymer comprises 45 to 99 weight percent of the blend based on the total weight of the blend, and a polyolefin having a density of 0.870 g/cm3 or more and having a melt index (I2) of 20 g/10 minutes or less, wherein the polyolefin comprises 1 to 55 weight percent of the blend based on the total weight of the blend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Carmelo Declet Perez, Brian W. Walther, James L. Cooper, Hayley A. Brown
  • Patent number: 11691799
    Abstract: A bag-in-box assembly includes a box and a flexible container filled with a flowable material. The flexible container includes a front panel, a rear panel, and gusseted side panels adjoining the front panel and the rear panel along peripheral seals. Each peripheral seal having an arcuate body seal inner edge (ABSIE) and a tapered seal inner edge extending from each end of a body seal. The ABSIE has a radius of curvature from 1.0 mm to 300.0 mm. The bag-in-box assembly includes a top perimeter, a center perimeter, and a bottom perimeter as well as an aggregate contact length (ACL) at each perimeter. A top ACL is from 50% to 90% of the top perimeter, a center ACL is from 5% to 50% of the center perimeter, and a bottom ACL is from 50% to 90% of the bottom perimeter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Fabrice Digonnet, Marc S. Black, Brian W. Walther, Jazmine Gosey, Jeffrey E. Bonekamp
  • Patent number: 11655091
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a flexible container (10). In an embodiment, the flexible container includes: a front panel (22), a rear panel (24), a first gusseted side panel (18), and a second gusseted side panel (20). The gusseted side panels adjoin the front panel and the rear panel along peripheral seals (41) to form (i) a top portion, (ii) a body portion, and (iii) a bottom portion. The top portion comprises a neck (27) and a fitment (30) in the neck. The top portion comprises a top handle (12) extending above the fitment, the top handle having a reciprocal attachment member (5). The bottom portion comprises a bottom handle (14) and a tether (6) extending from the bottom handle. A distal end of the tether has an attachment member (7), the attachment member adapted to secure to the reciprocal attachment member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Liangkai Ma, Marc S. Black, Chad V. Schuette, Brian W. Walther, Fabrice Digonnet
  • Patent number: 11613636
    Abstract: The present invention provides polymer blends that can be used in a multilayer structure and to multilayer structures including one or more layers formed from such blends. In one aspect, a polymer blend includes a copolymer including ethylene and at least one of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid having an acid content greater than 4 and up to 25 weight percent based on the weight of the copolymer and having a melt index (I.sub.2) of 1 to 60 g/10 minutes, wherein the total amount of ethylene acrylic acid copolymer and ethylene methacrylic acid copolymer includes 45 to 99 weight percent of the blend based on the total weight of the blend, and a polyolefin having a density of 0.870 g/cm.sup.3 or more and having a melt index (I.sub.2) of 20 g/10 minutes or less, wherein the polyolefin includes 1 to 55 weight percent of the blend based on the total weight of the blend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Carmelo Declet Perez, Brian W. Walther, James L. Cooper, Michael B. Biscoglio, John A. Naumovitz
  • Publication number: 20230079895
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides resins that can be used as a tie layer in a multilayer structure and to multilayer structures comprising one or more tie layers formed from such resins. In one aspect, a resin for use as a tie layer in a multilayer structure comprises a first composition, wherein the first composition comprises at least one ethylene-based polymer and wherein the first composition comprises a MWCDI value greater than 0.9, and a melt index ratio (I10/I2) that meets the following equation: I10/I2?7.0?1.2×log (I2), wherein the first composition comprises 1 to 99 weight percent of the resin; and a maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene comprising a maleic anhydride grafted high density polyethylene, a maleic anhydride grafted linear low density polyethylene, a maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene elastomer, or a combination thereof, wherein the maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene comprises 1 to 99 weight percent of the resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicant: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Yong Zheng, Suzanne M. Guerra, Sydney E. Hansen, Brian W. Walther
  • Publication number: 20220402178
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a process. In an embodiment, the process includes providing pellets of a regrind material. The regrind material is a post-consumer recycle multilayer film (PCR multilayer film) having at least three layers. The PCR multilayer film is composed of (i) a polyethylene layer, (ii) a polyamide layer, and (iii) a tie layer. The tie layer is composed of maleic anhydride grafted substantially linear ethylene polymer (MAH-g-SLEP) having a Mw/Mn from 1.5 to less than 3.5 and a melt index from 0.5 g/10 min to less than 25 g/10 min. The process includes extruding the pellets to form an extrudate, molding the extrudate, and forming, with the extrudate, a molded article having a surface. The surface of the molded article has a surface roughness value, Sa, less than 1000 nm and a root mean square roughness value, Sq, less than 1400 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Brian W. Walther, Sachin Laddha
  • Publication number: 20220250799
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a flexible container. In an embodiment, the flexible container includes (A) a front panel, a rear panel, a first gusseted side panel, and a second gusseted side panel. The gusseted side panels adjoin the front panel and the rear panel along peripheral seals to form a chamber. Each peripheral seal has (i) a body seal inner edge (BSIE) with opposing ends, (ii) a top tapered seal inner edge (t-TSIE) extending from a top end of each BSIE, (iii) a neck seal inner edge (NSIE) extending from a top end of each t-TSIE, (iv) a neck arc extending between each NSIE and t-TSIE, and (v) a plane (N) extending through each neck arc. Each NSIE forms a neck angle with the plane (N), and the neck angle is from 45° to less than 90°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Liangkai Ma, Marc S. Black, Chad V. Schuette, Brian W. Walther, Fabrice Digonnet
  • Publication number: 20220227558
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a flexible container (10). In an embodiment, the flexible container includes: a front panel (22), a rear panel (24), a first gusseted side panel (18), and a second gusseted side panel (20). The gusseted side panels adjoin the front panel and the rear panel along peripheral seals (41) to form (i) a top portion, (ii) a body portion, and (iii) a bottom portion. The top portion comprises a neck (27) and a fitment (30) in the neck. The top portion comprises a top handle (12) extending above the fitment, the top handle having a reciprocal attachment member (5). The bottom portion comprises a bottom handle (14) and a tether (6) extending from the bottom handle. A distal end of the tether has an attachment member (7), the attachment member adapted to secure to the reciprocal attachment member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Liangkai Ma, Marc S. Black, Chad V. Schuette, Brian W. Walther, Fabrice Digonnet
  • Publication number: 20220227556
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a flexible container (10). In an embodiment, the flexible container includes a front panel (22), a rear panel (24), a first gusseted side panel (18), and a second gusseted side panel (20). The gusseted side panels adjoin the front panel and the rear panel along peripheral seals (41) to form a chamber. The panels form (i) a top portion, (ii) a body portion, and (iii) a bottom portion. The top portion comprises a neck (27) and a fitment (30) in the neck. The front panel comprises a front handle (82) extending therefrom and the rear panel comprises a rear handle (84) extending therefrom. The front handle and the rear handle are in opposing relation to each other, the front handle and the rear handle extending over the first gusseted side panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Marc S. Black, Liangkai Ma, Simon Jespersen, Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, Chad V. Schuette, Brian W. Walther, Fabrice Digonnet
  • Patent number: 11230650
    Abstract: The present invention provides polymer blends that can be used in a multilayer structure and to multilayer structures comprising one or more layers formed from such blends. In one aspect, a polymer blend comprises an ionomer of a copolymer comprising ethylene and at least one of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid having a melt index (I2) of 1 to 60 g/10 minutes, wherein the total amount of ionomer comprises 50 to 99 weight percent of the blend based on the total weight of the blend, and a polyolefin having a density of 0.870 g/cm3 or more and having a melt index (I2) of 20 g/10 minutes or less, wherein the polyolefin comprises 1 to 50 weight percent of the blend based on the total weight of the blend, wherein the polymer blend meets the following equation: 3.5<2.76?60*I2(PO)+308*RVR+0.023*A<4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Carmelo Declet Perez, Brian W. Walther, James L. Cooper, Hayley A. Brown
  • Publication number: 20220017289
    Abstract: A flexible container (10) is disclosed. The flexible container (10) includes four panels (18, 20, 22, 24), each panel comprising a flexible multilayer film. Each flexible multilayer film is composed of a polymeric material. The four panels form (i) a body, (ii) a neck, and (iii) a handle. The handle (12) has an upper handle portion (12a) and a pair of spaced-apart legs (13, 15). The legs extend from the upper handle portion to the body on opposing sides of the neck. The flexible container includes a fitment (70) sealed to the neck. The flexible container includes a dispensing pump (100) attached to the fitment. The flexible container can provide a metered dose from a dispensing pump and the dispensing pump can also function as a handle to hand-carry the flexible container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Sheng Li, Bin Li, Brian W. Walther, Marc S. Black
  • Patent number: 11198550
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a flexible container. In an embodiment, the flexible container include (A) a front panel, a rear panel, a first gusseted side panel, and a second gusseted side panel. The gusseted side panels adjoin the front panel and the rear panel along peripheral seals to from a chamber. (B) Each peripheral seal has (i) an arcuate body seal inner edge (ABSIE) with opposing ends, (ii) a tapered seal inner edge (TSIE) extending from each end of the body seal. (C) The flexible container includes at least one ABSIE having a radius of curvature, Rc, from 1.0 mm to 300.0 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Marc S. Black, Simon Tage Jespersen, Chad V. Schuette, Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, Haley A. Lowry, Fabrice Digonnet, Brian W. Walther, Jeffrey E. Bonekamp
  • Publication number: 20210380321
    Abstract: A bag-in-box assembly includes a box and a flexible container filled with a flowable material. The flexible container includes a front panel, a rear panel, and gusseted side panels adjoining the front panel and the rear panel along peripheral seals. Each peripheral seal having an arcuate body seal inner edge (ABSIE) and a tapered seal inner edge extending from each end of a body seal. The ABSIE has a radius of curvature from 1.0 mm to 300.0 mm. The bag-in-box assembly includes a top perimeter, a center perimeter, and a bottom perimeter as well as an aggregate contact length (ACL) at each perimeter. A top ACL is from 50% to 90% of the top perimeter, a center ACL is from 5% to 50% of the center perimeter, and a bottom ACL is from 50% to 90% of the bottom perimeter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Fabrice Digonnet, Marc S. Black, Brian W. Walther, Jazmine Gosey, Jeffrey E. Bonekamp
  • Patent number: 11155394
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a flexible container. In an embodiment, the flexible container includes (A) a front panel, a rear panel, a first gusseted side panel, and a second gusseted side panel. The gusseted side panels adjoin the front panel and the rear panel along peripheral seals to form a chamber. (B) Each peripheral seal has (i) a body seal inner edge (BSIE) with a bottom end and an opposing top end, (ii) a bottom tapered seal inner edge (b-TSIE) extending from the BSIE bottom end, and (iii) a top tapered seal inner edge (t-TSIE) extending from the BSIE top end. (C) The t-TSIE has a length that is at least 1.1 times greater than the length of the BSIE (in mm).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Marc S. Black, Simon Tage Jespersen, Chad V. Schuette, Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, Haley A. Lowry, Fabrice Digonnet, Brian W. Walther, Jeffrey E. Bonekamp