Flexible Package With A Stable Structure

Abstract

A packaging for containing fluids or other pourable materials is described. The packaging includes contoured sides that experience an outward force due to the gravitational forces of the fluid contained in the package thereby helping the package to remain upright. The package may include a bottom gusset that rests on the surface to provide stability. The package may include strengthening ribs.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to packaging that may contain fluids and other pourable materials, including packaging made of flexible material in a configuration that allows the packaging to remain stable and/or in an upright position. The present invention also relates to such packaging used to contain larger volumes of fluids or other pourable materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fluids and other pourable materials are frequently contained in packaging that allows the user to dispense the contents. Such packaging has been made of rigid and flexible materials, but flexible packaging has a number of advantages over rigid packaging.

For example, flexible packaging may be made from a roll of material having sections that may be joined together. As such, flexible packaging may be manufactured using a variety of cost-efficient materials, and may allow for simpler manufacturing and lower cost. Flexible packaging may also comprise materials that allow the packaging to be refilled and reused. Flexible packaging may also be efficiently stored between uses and require less shelf space in the retail setting. Rigid packages, on the other hand, often involve additional expense and manufacturing effort. Additionally, rigid packages often consume more space when stored or placed on retail shelves. Rigid packaging also provides fewer options for customization and brand recognition.

Despite the benefits of flexible packaging, however, there are shortcomings. Among them is the inability for the flexible packaging to retain stability and remain upright or stand in a vertical position. Many existing flexible packages tend to fold over due to the weight of the fluid contained therein and/or the top-heavy nature of the packaging. This typically occurs in the middle portion of the flexible package where the sides would kink inward due to the liquid weight. Once filled with liquid, many flexible packages have a weak area around the middle of the pouch that promotes bending or collapsing. This inability to remain upright is a significant drawback.

For example, it is important for the packaging to look enticing in the retail environment in order to encourage consumers to buy the product contained therein. Indeed, the manner in which a package appears on the shelf serves a significant promotional purpose. And where a flexible package cannot remain upright on a shelf and serve that promotional purpose, sales may be hurt and retailers may discontinue buying the product.

Other drawbacks include the following. A flexible package that is prone to folding over or collapsing may lack product integrity during the shipping and distribution cycle. In particular, such a package could develop flexing or flex cracks during transit cycles where the package may experience a high degree of vibration leading to degradation of the film integrity and cause leaks. In addition, flexible package that is prone to folding over or collapsing may be difficult to store or otherwise handle. Furthermore, the end consumer may have difficulty dispensing fluid from a folded-over package leading to spillage and lack of repeat purchases. Still further, because an unstable flexible package would tend to fold over at the same area, that area would tend to become an area of flex cracking in the film during distribution where handling and/or vibration would weaken the seals or film structures in those areas to cause leaks or pin holes.

The foregoing problems may not be a major concern with small packages that simply do not contain enough fluid to become top-heavy or otherwise unstable so as to fold over. Indeed, small packages containing juice for children may be relatively stable because they are small.

However, the foregoing problems are exacerbated for flexible packaging as the size or volume of the package increases. This generally occurs because as the package increases in size or volume, the increased volume of fluid weighs more, which may lead to instability. Furthermore, larger packages may become top heavy because of the weight of the fluid at or near the top of the packaging. This in turn causes the instability problems described above because the package is more susceptible to fold over at or near its middle portion.

Instability problems may especially arise when the package experiences a perturbation or indentation that may occur when the package is moved or bumped. For example, when the package is in the transit cycle, or when the package is placed on a retail shelf, the forces it experiences from this movement may cause it to fold over. Repeat folding can lead to cracking in the flexible film material. Alternatively, if a consumer opens a fitment to dispense the fluid, this perturbation may cause the package to fold over. As another alternative, if a prospective consumer touches a package on a retail shelf, this indentation force may cause the package to fold over.

The stability problems referenced above are common in packaging having straight side edges such as in U.S. Design Pat. No. D582,788 to Smith. With such designs having straight edges, the top-heavy nature of the design and/or the weight of the liquid may cause the package to fold over or collapse as discussed above.

Accordingly, there is a need for a package designed to counteract or otherwise address the gravitational or other forces exerted by the liquid in the package. This need is increased for larger packages. This need has recently become more acute because recent advancement in spouts, closures and film structures that are strong enough to support fluids in larger format packages bring more robust options and cost savings to be able to produce large format packages. Indeed, large flexible packages that stand upright on retail shelves have significant shelf presence. But despite these advances in packaging technology and the potential benefits, the inability for flexible packages, especially large packages, to remain stable and upright still exists.

There are existing packages that have non-linear side edges, such as those with an hourglass shape. However, the hourglass shapes used with these packages do not appear to be designed to address the instability issues discussed above, such as the gravitational or other forces associated with the fluid contained in the package. Indeed, most of these packages are small and thus do not have significant issues regarding instability. Furthermore, the hourglass shape used in some of these packages appears intended for consumer recognition, or to allow the user to more easily grip the package. In sum, the hourglass sides of existing packages do not appear to be designed to address forces and improve stability of the package so that it remains upright.

There are also existing large flexible pouches that contain fluids that have been sold at retail. However, these larger pouches are often found in corrugated boxes where the box provides the stability and the flexible film structure is solely for containment within the box, and the graphics are on the exterior of the box and not the flexible pouch itself. This has been a common format in wine and/or other liquids of larger format packaging.

Accordingly, despite the existence of small, hourglass-shaped packages and pouch-in-box packages, the need for flexible packaging that is stable and that may remain upright certainly exists. This is especially so to avoid collapse when the package is moved or experiences perturbations. To this end, there is a need for a flexible package having an interior containment area and an exterior surface both made of a flexible film structure for ease of manufacturing, shipping, handling and storage, and greater customization.

Another drawback of existing flexible packaging arises from the fact that the package has to be sufficiently wide in relation to its height such that the overall stability of the packaging is maintained. But current linear or non-linear package designs do not allow for various package shapes and designs. Accordingly, there is a need for increasing the number of shape options available in order to customize packaging and to increase shipping and storage efficiency. There is also a need for reducing the weight of the package and reduce manufacturing costs by reducing the overall amount of material used.

To address stability issues, some existing packages use strengthening ribs. However, the ribs in existing packaging are typically not constructed to withstand the forces of increased fluid volumes for larger size packaging. Accordingly, there is a need for strengthening ribs that address the fluid forces to protect the packaging against fold-over. Moreover, the rib construction in existing packaging may be complex and require additional manufacturing steps or materials. Accordingly, there is a need for strengthening ribs that are easily formed during the manufacturing process and/or do not involve extra materials.

The manner in which many existing flexible packages engage the ground or surface on which they rest also contributes to their instability problems. The bottoms of many existing flexible packages include a bottom skirt that has an oval or circular cross section after the package is filled. Such packages also often include a bottom gusset that are located within this skirt and that allows the fluid-containing pouch of the packaging to expand as the package is filled with fluid.

However, such bottom gussets tend to be located above the horizontal surface on which the package rests. So instead of the bottom gusset engaging the surface, only the bottom skirt typically engages the surface and thus supports the entire weight of the package and its contents. Because typical existing bottom skirts are thin, i.e., they generally have the thickness of the material used to make the package itself, such bottom skirts do not provide much stability and are prone to buckling. This problem is exacerbated for larger packages containing more fluid, which imparts more weight on the bottom skirt. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved package where the bottom gusset may engage the surface to provide stability so that the package may remain in a vertical position as the weight of the fluid in the packaging increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The flexible packaging of the current invention addresses the foregoing and other issues and drawbacks of existing packages. In general, the current invention provides a flexible package for containing fluids or other pourable materials, which retains its stability, even for larger packages with increased volumes of fluid.

An aspect of the current invention regards a flexible packaging with contoured sides designed to improve stability. The contoured sides of the present invention may include a narrowed or hourglass portion at or near the middle of the package, and curved or convex upper and lower sections. The contoured sides may be parabolic, with either concave and/or convex sections, or of another curve or shape. With this configuration, it is preferred that due to the gravitational force of the fluid contents, an outward hydrostatic force may be exerted on the narrowed section of the hourglass shape when the pouch is at rest. This in turn may result in vertical forces that extend upward on the upper curved section and downward forces on the lower curved section, which in turn help the package retain an upright standing position.

In another aspect of the invention, the contoured sides may help the package withstand perturbations such as indentations that may occur in the dispensing process or in the process of moving the package. As described below, minor perturbations in a container having this geometry preferably results in less displacement of the center of mass, and therefore less torque on the container. The reduced torque allows the container to remain upright during normal use and storage.

In another aspect of the invention, the contoured section or hourglass shape may also serve as a baffle that reduces the forces of downward-moving liquid if the package is dropped. The baffle effect may be created by the contour's narrowing of the passage for the liquid above and below the contour. Therefore, the fluid is slowed as it travels downward and the amount of fluid traveling downward is constricted and thus reduced. This helps prevent a blowout of the seal, which could otherwise occur with a more sudden increase in force on a particular part of the seal. To this end, the seal of the package may also have a contoured shape that conforms to the shape of the flexible package. The parabolic seal further reduces the chance of a blow out on the bottom or sides of the container if the container is dropped, given that the force from the liquid will be diffused during a drop.

In another aspect of the invention, the width of the seal that if formed when joining the front and rear panels may be increased to provide greater beam strength to the sides of the contoured shape. To this end, the outer side edges of the package may be contoured to follow the hourglass shape of the interior side edge (that interfaces with the contained fluid) and the width of this contoured seal may be varied to provide the desired beam strength. Alternatively, the outer side edge may be straight while the interior side is contoured there providing increased seal width.

In another aspect of the invention, the bottom portion of the pouch containing the fluid may contact the surface on which the package rests, such that the weight of the package is not entirely borne by the bottom skirt or other bottom feature of the package. This feature provides further stability for the package to remain upright.

Another aspect of the invention regards one or more strengthening ribs. In a preferred embodiment, the ribs may be positioned within the seal area. For example, the ribs may be embedded in the seal during manufacture of the package. The ribs may be vertical, follow the contour of the side edges or have some other configuration. The ribs may provide additional structural support by supplying rigidity while allowing the overall packaging to remain flexible. As described below, the ribs may be constructed along with the packaging sides during the manufacturing process thereby avoiding complex designs or extra materials.

In another aspect of the invention, the packaging may be used to contain large volumes of fluids. In this aspect of the invention, it is preferred that rigid structures, that may be used to support flexible pouches, e.g., as in the box-of-wine context, may be avoided. In this aspect of the invention, the larger volumes also preferably provide a greater surface area for marketing, promotional, branding or other graphics or information.

The packaging of the current invention may include fitments for pouring or dispensing, may be refillable and may accommodate various fluids and other materials such as soaps, detergents, conditioners, liquor, water, honey, oil, shampoo, or any other viscosity that can be pourable or dispensed out of a fitment that is either face mounted or top mounted either corner or center.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a package.

FIG. 2 is a top rear perspective view of a package.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a package.

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a package.

FIG. 5 is a front or rear cross-section view of a package in an unfilled state.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are front or rear views of a package including dashed lines to show an expanded bottom gusset located at the level of the flat bottom of the bottom section of a package. FIG. 6A shows a straight outer edge. FIG. 6B shows a contoured outer edge.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a package showing a front panel and a rear panel before they have been folded and sealed together.

FIG. 8 depicts a roll of material for use during the manufacturing process.

FIG. 9a depicts the hydrostatic forces existing in a package when at rest.

FIG. 9b depicts the hydrostatic forces existing in an alternative package when at rest.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In general, the flexible packaging of the current invention may contain liquids or other pourable material, and is preferably stable and may stand up or otherwise retain its vertical orientation when filled, when its contents are dispensed, when the package is at rest and/or when the package is moved or experiences a perturbation. The current invention also preferably avoids expensive or labor intensive manufacturing processes. The current invention may also provide marketing functions and may provide a packaging with dimensions that may be customized.

The current invention is now described with reference to the figures. Components appearing in more than one figure bear the same or similar reference numerals.

Package or packaging 10 is first generally described with reference to FIGS. 1-4. Packaging 10 may be 12″ tall or taller, though other heights may be used and the invention is not limited to this example. Packaging 10 may be approximately 7″ wide or wider, though other widths may be used and the invention is not limited to this example. As shown, packaging 10 may include pouch section 20 that may contain the fluid or other contents of package 10. Pouch section 20 may be approximately 10″ tall or taller, though other heights may be used and the invention is not limited to this example. Package 10 may also include top section 30 and bottom section 40, which may each include a gusset that may expand as pouch section 20 is filled.

Top section 30 may include expandable top gusset 32 and top skirt 34. Top skirt 34 may be approximately 2″ tall, though other heights are also contemplated and the invention is not limited to this example. Top skirt 34 may extend upward from pouch section 20 and may generally surround top gusset 32. Top skirt 34 may also include handles 15 so that package 10 may be easily carried or moved.

Similarly, bottom section 40 may include expandable bottom gusset 42 and bottom skirt 44. Bottom skirt 44 may extend downward from pouch section 20 and may generally surround bottom gusset 42. Bottom skirt may be approximately 2″ tall or taller, though other heights are also contemplated and the invention is not limited to this example. Bottom skirt 44 may include a bottom surface 47, which rests upon the surface supporting package 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, bottom gusset 42 may include a bottom point 46 that may reside above bottom surface 47 when pouch 20 is not filled. But as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, when pouch 20 is filled, bottom gusset 42 may expand downward so that its bottom surface 47 extends down to the same plane as the bottom surface 47. As discussed later in more detail, this allows both bottom gusset 42 and bottom skirt 44 to rest on the surface to support the weight of the liquid contents and to provide stability.

Package 10 may also include fitment 17 that may be used to pour or otherwise dispense the contents of package 10. Fitment 17 may be attached to package through a hole.

As indicated several times above, the dimensions of package 10 may vary. To this end, it is preferred that the dimensions provide for the package to remain stable, especially for larger volumes of fluid or other contents.

Package 10 may generally be formed by joining front panel 70 and rear panel 80 around their peripheries or outer edges, as well as the areas between pouch 20 and top section 30, and between pouch 20 and bottom sections 40. The areas in which front and rear panels 70, 80 are joined may form seal 50 thereby creating pouch section 20.

As discussed in more detail later, package 10, and more specifically, pouch section 20, may include contoured section 90 that may provide stability and serve as a baffle against hydrostatic forces if package 10 is dropped. Contoured section 90 may generally be curved to form a parabolic or hourglass shape. However, other shapes may be used.

The different components of package 10 as well as its manufacturing process are now described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. Packaging 10 may preferably be manufactured using an automated process. At the start of the manufacturing process, the flexible material that ultimately comprises package 10 may initially be rolled up in roll 11 as shown in FIG. 8. Each segment of roll 11 that is fed into the manufacturing machinery may include front panel 70 and rear panel 80 connected as one sheet.

The materials used may comprise any flexible material, including but limited to laminations of the following materials, to include polyethylene (PE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), medium density polyethylene (MDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), cast polypropylene (CPP), oriented polypropylene (OPP), metalized polyester (mPET), metalized oriented polypropylene (mOPP), polyester (PET), nylon or biaxially oriented nylons (BON), paper poly (extrusion coated PE), foil poly, or film foil laminations. Additional flexible materials are also contemplated.

Roll 11 may be unrolled during the manufacturing process as depicted in FIG. 8. Front and rear panels 70, 80 may undergo several folding operations to engage each other such that a pair of front and rear opposing package panels 70, 80 is formed. At this point, the outer edges of front and rear panels 70, 80 may be joined together, such as by using a heat bar. Where panels 70, 80 are so joined, seal 50 may be formed. Seal 50 may be approximately 0.375″ in width, or more, though other widths are contemplated and the invention is not limited to this example. The seal width may be varied to increase beam strength as desired.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, front and rear panels may have the same or similar configuration so that they match up when folded to engage each other. To this end, front and rear panels 70, 80 may each include pouch portion 72, 82 that ultimately form pouch 20 as shown in FIGS. 1-4. Panels 70, 80 may each also include top section 74, 84 and bottom section 76, 86. When panels 70, 80 are joined, top sections 74, 84 may be folded and joined to form top skirt 34. Similarly, bottom sections 76, 86 may be joined to form bottom skirt 44. As shown, part of the bottom section 76 that is ultimately located in the front of package 10 may initially be part of back panel 80 prior to manufacture.

Top gusset 32 and bottom gusset 42 may be formed as part of front and rear panels 70, 80. As noted above, when pouch 20 is filled with a liquid or another substance, gussets 32, 42 may expand and bottom gusset may extend downward to help stabilize package 10.

Bottom skirt 44 may have a flat bottom such that the entire lower surface 47 of bottom skirt 44 may rest upon the surface on which package 10 is placed. Bottom skirt 44 may optionally include perforations 45 in front and rear panels 70, 80 to reduce the overall weight of package 10 and to allow for customization. FIGS. 5, 7 and 8 depict examples of circular and rectangular perforations. The perforations, if present, may comprise any combination of shapes or may comprise a single shape.

Top skirt 34 may include upper perforations 35 in front and rear panels 70, 80 to reduce the overall weight of the package and allow for customization. Upper perforations 35 are depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8 as triangles, though the perforations, if present, may comprise any combination of shapes, or may comprise a single shape. Several of the upper perforations may form handles 15. These may be cut during the manufacturing process in order to facilitate transportation of package 10. Handles 15 may be rectangular in shape, though other shapes are contemplated, including circular or arc-shaped handles.

During the manufacturing process, panels 70, 80 may be sealed together around their peripheries and other locations with a heat bar to create seal 50. However, other methods of joining panels 70, 80 may be used. Seal 50 may have a contoured shape that preferably conforms to the shape of front and rear panels 70, 80 of package 10. The width of seal 50 may be varied to provide the desired beam strength. When the seal is wider, beam strength is increased. Increasing beam strength in this manner preferably allows package 10 to be constructed in a larger format and contain a larger volume of contents.

After the seal 50 is formed, a die-cut operation may occur to stamp out and/or otherwise remove portions of the packaging material along sections of seal 50. For example, the die-cut operation may remove material along the outer vertical edges of package 10 thereby creating the curved or contoured shape as mentioned above.

The packages 10 that are formed from the roll 11 may still be interconnected after seal 50 is formed, through solid film portions that remain joined in the upper section of the packages. Individual packages may subsequently be formed by cutting through the upper sections. A different order of manufacturing steps may also be used.

Pouch 20 may be filled as a part of the manufacturing process. For example, pouch 20 may be filled after front and rear panels 70, 80 are sealed together. Alternatively, package 10 may be shipped with an empty pouch 20, and be filled by a retailer or end-user.

The aspect of the invention relating to the contoured side edges and the manner in which this helps package 10 remain upright and stable are now further described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9A and 9B. As shown in FIGS. 1-2, package 10 may include a contoured section 90 on its vertical side. Contour 90 may be in the form of an hourglass shape, a parabola, other curved or non-linear shape or other configuration. Accordingly, the current invention is not limited to the contour shape shown in the figures.

As shown in FIG. 5, contour 90 may include vertex 92 which may represent the narrowest point of contour 90 and thus package 10. Vertex 92 may be approximately 0.4″ closer to the central axis of pouch 20, though other vertex locations and/or curvatures are contemplated and the invention is not limited to this example. Upper curved section 94 and lower curved section 96 may reside above and below vertex 92, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, upper and lower curved sections 94, 96 may be convex sections which are joined by concave vertex 92 at or around the middle portion of pouch 20 and/or package 10. The curvature of contour 90 may vary, and different curvatures may result from the desired die-cut or other manufacturing operation. Accordingly, vertex 92 may be located at, above or below the middle portion of pouch 20 and/or package 10.

In general, it is preferred that contour 90 be shaped to distribute, direct or otherwise address the hydrostatic forces of package 10 when it is at rest to help the package remain in a standing or otherwise upright position. It is also preferred that contour 90 be shaped to help address any hydrodynamic forces that may arise when package 10 is moved, such as when it is shipped, if it is dropped or experiences some other type of disturbance or perturbation. This may generally occur in both static and dynamic conditions by the gravitational or downward forces of the fluid above the contour resulting in an outward force against the narrowed section of contour 90 that tends to expand the narrowed section and straighten the curved shape of contour 90 such that the vertical edges of package 10 are urged to remain upright.

The foregoing is further discussed with reference to FIG. 5a. As shown, when pouch 20 is filled, the weight of the contents exerts a downward hydrostatic force 97. Due to the curvature of upper curved section 94 and the lower curved section 96, the weight of the contents also exerts an outer force 98 that is normal to the walls of the package. Because the outer normal forces 98 on the upper and lower curved sections 94, 96 may balance each other, there is a resultant force 99 in the outward direction. Force 99 results from the normal force on the vertex 92. That resultant force 99 allows the package 10 to retain its structural stability and its vertical position, even when constructed in a larger size format, and filled with larger volumes of contents. In general, the contoured nature of package 10 enables the contents to press outward on the inside of the seal radius, preferably forcing package 10 to stand erect.

The use of this type of contour represents a departure from prior art packages which include straight vertical edges. This is because such straight edges do not experience the type of outward resultant force as does the narrow section of contour 90. Accordingly, packages having straight vertical edges are more susceptible to folding over and collapsing which may lead to cracking of the flexible film. And even in prior art packages that include an hourglass shape, such packages are typically small and any hourglass shape they may include is not directed to address hydrostatic and/or hydrodynamic forces as discussed above.

Referring to FIGS. 7-8, the contour shapes that may exist in front and rear panels 70, 80 are now further described. As noted above, panels 70, 80 may have similar configurations. To this end, front panel 70 may include contours 78 that may have inner and outer edges 77, 79. Similarly, back panel 80 may include contours 88 that may have inner and outer edges 87, 89. When front and back panels 70, 80 are joined and seal 50 is formed, these contours 78, 88 may also be joined so that front and back pouch sections 72, 82 form pouch 20 of package 10. To this end, inner edges 77, 87 may be joined to form inner edge 27 of pouch 20. Similarly, outer edges 79, 89 may be joined to form outer edge 29 of pouch 20. Front and rear panels 70, 80 may be die-cut to provide contoured sections 78, 88.

Another configuration for contour 90 is shown in FIG. 9B. Here, upper curved section 94 and lower curved section 96 may each comprise a convex curve. Where a curved surface is above or outside of a liquid, as in FIG. 9B, the weight of the liquid or other viscous material and the vertical component of the hydrostatic force may act in opposite directions. To this end, the contents of pouch 20 may exert a force normal to each segment of the pouch inner wall 27. In the convex sections 94, 96, that force may be directed radially outward. In the area of the narrowed vertex 92, the hydrostatic force is in an outward direction because the pressure forces are normal to the surface. Therefore, there is a resultant outward force in the narrowed section of the package. The result of that outward force is that the package retains its structural stability rather than bending inward, which would result in a collapse.

Alternative variations on the above-described geometry are also contemplated. For example, lower curved section 96 need not have a larger radius than upper curved section 94 in order to remain stable. This in turn allows the base of package 10 to be relatively narrow which may reduce manufacturing costs, increases storage efficiency and increase consumer appeal on the retail shelf.

The manner in which contour 90 may provide stability for packaging 10 when it experiences movements or perturbations is now further discussed. Under various scenarios, the flexible material comprising package 10 will experience slight disturbances or perturbations. For example, the material may be slightly indented as the package is moved or as contents are poured or otherwise dispensed from the package. Alternatively, a consumer may touch the package when it is on the retail shelf. In prior art packaging, that indentation, regardless of how small, may cause the package to fold over. This is because an indentation, however small, may result in a bulge above the indented area. The fluid inside the package will then be displaced into that bulge, which will change the center of gravity of the package. Without anything to counteract that shift in the center of gravity, a torque is created and acts on the container with the result that the package will fold over toward the side in which the indentation occurred.

In sharp contrast, however, contour 90 of the current invention helps package 10 withstand perturbations and retain its vertical position. First, the volume of the fluid in either the upper or lower portions of the container, e.g., above or below vertex 92, is less than the overall volume of fluid. Accordingly, with any perturbation, there will be less fluid displaced, and the displacement in the center of mass will be minor. Second, in the case where contour 90 is shaped as an hourglass, the overall hourglass shape may be relatively large, compared to the curved portions of the hourglass. As a result, there is a restoring moment arm provided by the geometry, and the change in center of gravity due to perturbations is preferably minimized. The resulting torque is therefore minimized as well, and the package will remain in an upright position.

In sum, contour 90 of the current invention preferably helps package 10 remain upright when experiencing hydrostatic forces when at rest, as well as hydrodynamic forces that may arise during perturbations or other movement.

Beyond the foregoing, contour 90 may also serve as a baffle to lessen the impact of hydrodynamic forces if package 10 is dropped. This aspect of the current invention relating to the baffle effects of contour 90 that guard against a seal blow-out is now further described with reference to FIGS. 9A-9B.

If a prior art package having straight edges is dropped, it will typically either land on an edge or on a flat side. In either scenario, there is nothing to ameliorate the force exerted against the seal, and the package may rupture. For example, if a prior art, linear package falls and lands on an edge, there will be a downward component to the force, as well as components of the force that push down and out on each edge. In that scenario, the only force to counteract the fall, is the upwardly directed force at the point of contact. Accordingly, the outwardly directed forces are likely to exceed that single upward force, and the seal will rupture.

With the current invention, however, if package 10 is dropped and the fluid inside pouch 20 moves as a result, the fluid will be slowed as it passes through vertex 92. Furthermore, the constriction provided by vertex 92 preferably allows less fluid to move between the upper and lower sections of pouch 20. Accordingly, the amount of force exerted on seal 50 will be lessened. This will be the case regardless of whether package 10 lands on its bottom skirt 44 or on its curved side.

Moreover, where package 10 lands on either of its curved sides, the surface area of package 10 hitting the ground will be maximized due to the curvature thereby maximizing the length of seal 50 that interacts with the surface on which package 10 is dropped. By contrast, the prior art packaging can land on a corner, with a minimum surface area. As a result of the relatively larger and curved surface area, the downward and outward forces exerted on the packaged by the liquid will be counteracted by the upward and inward normal forces exerted on the package by the surface. The force is therefore less likely to exert enough pressure on a single portion of the seal such that it will rupture.

The aspect of the current invention regarding strengthening ribs is now further discussed with reference to FIG. 5. As shown, seal section 50 may include strengthening ribs 53, which preferably impart additional vertical stiffness. Ribs 53 may be formed during the manufacturing process, such as during an embossing process without heat for minimum depth ribs. As another example, a heated bar with male and female patterns may be used to create an impression zone imparting the rib features. In this example, the heat bar used to create seal 50 may be further embossed with grooves or other pattern(s) that allow material in the contoured sections 78, 88 of front and/or back panels 70, 80 to flow therein during the sealing process. Ribs 53 may either be smooth or may be formed of additional patterns such as a crosshatch pattern or small linear detents. Ribs 53 may be between a width of 2 mm to 6 mm, at a depth of 1 mm to 3 mm, based on the material composition and the width of the overall pouch seal. However, other dimensions and locations are also contemplated and the invention is not limited to this example.

In this manner, strengthening rib 53 may be formed at the same time as seal 50. This represents an advance over prior art in that the strengthening ribs in existing packages may be separate components that require additional materials and/or additional manufacturing steps to install on the package. The increased cost and design complexity associated with these existing packages is thus avoided by the current invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, seal 50 may include two ribs on either side of pouch 20. However, other numbers of ribs may be used. To this end, the heat bar used to create seal 50 may be embossed such that a single rib is created, or multiple ribs are created. The configuration of the ribs may also vary. For example, ribs 53 shown in FIG. 5 follow the curve of contour 90 and the two ribs shown on each side run alongside each other. However, ribs 53 may be straight, spaced in a staggered fashion, have different lengths or may otherwise vary.

Strengthening ribs 53 preferably increase the beam strength of package 10 by providing structural rigidity. Ribs 53 therefore contribute to the overall ability of package 10 to remain in a vertical position, even when the package is manufactured in a large format, and filled with larger volumes of fluids or other materials. And the ability to increase beam strength by readily creating strengthening ribs 53 during the manufacturing process is an advantage of the current invention.

The manner in which beam strength may be increased by the current invention is now further described with reference to FIGS. 6A-6B. As shown in FIG. 6B, inner edge 27 of pouch 20 may generally follow outer edge 29 of package 10 in contoured section 90. This may provide a seal 50 having a desired width and associated beam strength. The seal width 50 may be altered depending on the volume of package 10 and other factors.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6A, outer edge 29 may remain straight while inner edge 27 may be contoured as discussed above. In this configuration, the width of seal 50 is increased, thereby providing additional beam strength. Again, the width of seal 50 may be adjusted to suit the dimensions and other characteristics of package 10.

The aspect of the current invention relating to the additional stability provided by bottom gusset 42 engaging the surface on which packaging 10 rests is now further described with reference to various figures. As shown in, e.g., FIG. 4, when pouch 20 and package 10 are filled with a liquid or other pourable material, bottom gusset 42 may expand and drop down so that its lowest point 46 may generally be on the same plane as the bottom 47 of bottom skirt 44. In this manner, both bottom skirt 44 and bottom gusset 42 may engage the surface on which package 10 rests. As a result, the weight of package 10 and its contents are distributed between the bottom skirt 44 and bottom gusset 42.

This represents a significant departure from existing packaging art and enables package 10 of the current invention to be manufactured in larger formats and accommodate large volumes of fluids and other pourable materials. In existing packaging where the bottom gusset does not drop down to become flush with horizontal resting surface, only the bottom skirt supports the weight of the package and its contents. That configuration tends to result in buckling of the skirt, because the thickness of the skirt is oftentimes only as thick as the rest of the material used to form the pouch aspect of the packaging. Even where existing bottom skirts have increased thickness due to folding operations, its thickness and associated strength is relatively low. As such, existing bottom skirts are prone to buckling, particularly as the size of the package increases and/or the volume of the contents increases.

In such prior art packaging, the weight of the product applies a downward force on the bottom gusset. That force exerts strain on the side seal. In particular, the side seal will experience an inward normal force as a result of the outwardly directed force from the weight of the product. That force tends to result in collapse of the vertical seal where the bottom gusset meets the side seal.

For example, in typical prior art packaging, the bottom point of the bottom gusset is either designed to be rounded or parabolic at the bottom, or it becomes slightly rounded or parabolic at the bottom due to the weight of the contents pushing against the flexible bottom panel. As a result of that curvature, the force of the contents will have both a downward and an outward component. The downward component of the force can be counteracted by the upwardly directed normal force exerted on the bottom skirt by the horizontal surface. However, there is no force to oppose the outward components of the force from the weight of the liquid. This outward component of force generally extends in the direction of the thin bottom skirt's weakest aspect. As a result, the bottom skirt will eventually buckle.

In the current invention, however, bottom gusset 42 expands downward to rest flush against the surface along with bottom skirt 44. In this manner, any outward components of force of the fluid are counteracted by the inward normal force from the skirt, and the geometry remains stable, even as the package size and fluid weight increases. It should be noted that bottom gusset shown in FIG. 5 is shown at a time before the pouch 20 is filled with fluid and before any downward force causes bottom gusset 42 to expand downward. However, FIGS. 6A, 6B, 9A and 9B show how the bottommost point 46 of bottom gusset 42 may expand downward so that it is flush with the bottom 47 of bottom skirt 44.

Another benefit of the engagement between bottom gusset 42 and the surface is as follows. Existing bottom gussets sometimes include bottom baffles to increase the structural integrity of the package. However, package 10 of the current present invention eliminates the need for bottom baffles, and allows for less expensive material cost and more efficient manufacturing.

The aspect of the invention relating to flexible packaging containing larger volumes of fluids or other materials is now further discussed. Generally, the foregoing aspects of the invention such as the hourglass shape, the bottom gusset contacting a surface, strengthening ribs and other aspects discussed above allow the packaging of the current invention to hold larger volumes while still remaining upright and/or otherwise stable. In a preferred embodiment, the packaging of the current invention may remain stable while containing volumes such as one quart to three gallons or more. However, the stable containment of smaller volumes such as volumes above twelve or sixteen ounces, are also contemplated by the current invention. In any event, the current invention is not limited to these particular volumes.

The ability to provide stability with larger volumes is an advance for several reasons such as avoiding the need for boxes or other rigid components. For example, existing box-of-wine and other boxed packages typically include a flexible pouch contained in and supported by a box or other rigid container. These packages often hold volumes from one quart to two gallons and the flexible interior pouch would not stand up on its own. With the current invention, however, boxes and other rigid containers are preferably avoided which may reduce cost, save space, save weight and ease manufacture.

The ability of package 10 to remain upright or otherwise stable has benefits beyond those described above. For example, package 10 will exhibit structural integrity that allows for good shelf presence in the retail setting. To this end, package 10 may appear attractive and enticing to consumers. The ability to keep the package upright also provides ample space for marketing opportunity given that the front and rear-facing sides of the panels are relatively flat and thus visible to consumers. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the pouch areas 72, 82 of front and rear panels 70, 80 may also serve as areas on which to print text, graphics or other items on the front and rear of package 10. To this end, various types of print copy or graphics relating to branding or marketing can be placed during the manufacturing process.

Although certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that variations and modifications of the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A package for containing a fluid, comprising:

a front panel and a rear panel joined along at least a portion of their sides by a seal having an inwardly extending contoured section located at or about the packages midsection;

wherein when the package contains the fluid, the fluid exerts an outward force against the contoured section thereby facilitating the package to stand upright.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein one or more strengthening ribs are included in the seal.

3. The package of claim 2, wherein the one or more strengthening ribs extend to correspond to the shape of the contoured section.

4. The package of claim 1, wherein the inwardly extending contoured section includes a vertex and an upper curved section above the vertex and a lower curved section below the vertex.

5. The package of claim 1, wherein the inwardly extending contoured section includes a vertex and a convex upper curved section above the vertex and a lower convex section below the vertex.

6. The package of claim 1, wherein the inwardly extending contoured section includes a vertex and a concave upper curved section above the vertex and a lower concave section below the vertex

7. The package of claim 1, wherein the gravitational force of the fluid above the contoured section exerts a downward force on the upper curved section, which results in an outward force against the contoured section.

8. The package of claim 1, wherein the inwardly extending contoured section comprises a baffle to restrict the volume of fluid flowing up or down past the contoured section.

9. The package of claim 1, further comprising a bottom gusset having a bottom point that is positioned to engage a surface on which the package rests.

10. The package of claim 9, further comprising a bottom skirt that substantially surrounds the bottom gusset.

11. The package of claim 10, wherein the bottom skirt is configured to engage the surface on which the package rests.

12. The package of claim 1, wherein the contoured section is parabolic.

13. The package of claim 1, wherein the contoured section is curved.

14. The package of claim 1, further comprising a top skirt attached to the front panel and rear panel.

15. The package of claim 12, wherein the top skirt includes a handle.