BAG INCORPORATED WITH A FLUID REGULATING VALVE

Abstract

A flexible bag contains a fluid regulating valve formed through seals, wherein the flexible bag solves leaks and wasting of the contained product in a controlled manner by consumers. Incorporation of the valve balances the pressures and as a result an easy, continuous and controlled exiting by the user.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Honduran Application No. 2008/000854, filed Jun. 4, 2008.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a flexible bag that contains a fluid regulating valve for controlling within and while exiting the flexible bag.

BACKGROUND

It is common to find a great variety of containers designed for liquids being the same in the form of glass bottles, plastic, cardboard, etc., and it is seen how the contamination levels increase more and more as new materials are introduced such as: corks, labels and other items that complement the packages of diverse products or the traditional plastic bottle.

Studies indicate that the United States of America consume 15,000 million liters of bottled water yearly. The drink sector is rapidly increasing world-wide; however, it is one of the least regulated within which 90 percent of the packages used are plastic or rigid.

According to the Earth Policy Institute, 1.5 million barrels of petroleum are needed yearly to fabricate the bottles consumed by Americans. Once these packages are utilized they have to be disposed of. It is said that 86 percent of plastic packages used in the United States of America become garbage and the incineration of used bottles produce toxic sub-products such as chlorine gas and ashes that contain heavy metals same that are linked to an uncountable number of human health problems. Plastic bottles can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade and worldwide 2.7 tons of plastic are used yearly to bottle water.

Thus, there is a need for an improved container that has low fabrication cost and lower environmental impact.

SUMMARY

I provide a flexible container including a first film and a second film, and a fluid regulating valve, the fluid regulating valve containing a first element that creates a controlled exit of product contained with the flexible bag, and a second element that between the first and second film induces the product to follow defined paths within the flexible container.

I also provide a flexible container including a fluid regulating valve, the fluid regulating valve containing a first element that creates a controlled exit of product contained within the flexible bag, and a second element that between the first and second film induces the product to follow defined paths within the flexible container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Without restricting the full scope of the disclosure, various preferred forms and its related articles are illustrated in the following drawings.

FIG. 1 shows is a side view of a trapezoidal flexible bag showing determined paths of product within the flexible bag.

FIG. 2 shows is a side view of a trapezoidal flexible bag showing determined paths of product within the flexible bag and having a precut.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a flexible bag with a fluid regulating valve on an upper side.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a flexible bag with a fluid regulating valve on an upper left side.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a flexible bag with a fluid regulating valve on an upper right side.

FIG. 6 is a first figure in a sequence showing use of a flexible bad.

FIG. 7 is a second figure in a sequence showing use of the flexible bad.

FIG. 8 is a third figure in a sequence showing use of the flexible bad.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a flexible bag with a sectioned element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of this disclosure, the terms package and bag can be used interchangeably.

At present, a flexible package (bag) that allows the use of the features of a bottle, permits the reduction of the ever increasing contamination levels and because it has a lighter structure it requires less material in its construction stage. Also, the common use of a cork, label, etc. as a result obtaining a low fabrication cost and a lower environmental impact.

I thus provide a bag of flexible material that contains a fluid regulating valve formed through welding in a bag elaboration process, wherein the valve allows contents of the bag to be dispensed in a control manner by consumers.

This disclosure applies to a diverse sector of industrial techniques; its construction is based on flexible materials that is laminated or coextruded, where the valve has no incremental cost as it is elaborated within the same bag structure, guiding the product through a path previously defined that prevents that the fluid contained in the flexible package from coming out without control unless it is pressed.

I also provide a flexible fluid regulating valve, preferably elaborated through seals, characterized by its capability to oblige the introduced product to follow a previously defined path that prevents the fluid contained in the flexible package from exiting without control or leaking.

I further provide a fluid regulating valve elaborated, preferably elaborated through seals, that is characterized by bringing together front and lateral films of the flexible material to create a controlled exiting of the product.

In further aspects, the fluid regulating valve, preferably elaborated through seals, is characterized by bringing together the front and lateral films of flexible material to create a controlled product exit that can be placed near the exit of the package.

In a still further aspect, the fluid regulating valve can be either solid or sectioned.

Still further aspects call for a flexible container including a first film and a second film, a fluid regulating valve, the fluid regulating valve containing a first element that creates a controlled exit of product contained within the flexible bag, and the fluid regulating valve containing a second element that between the first and second film that induces the product to follow defined paths within the flexible container.

Still further aspects include a flexible container of wherein the first element brings together the first and second films to create a controlled exiting of product and/or where the flexible container has front and lateral sides, the first element brings together the front and lateral sides of the flexible material to create a controlled exiting of the product.

Still further aspects call for a flexible container, a fluid regulating valve, the fluid regulating valve containing a first element that creates a controlled exit of product contained within the flexible bag, and the fluid regulating valve containing a second element that between the first and second film that induces the product to follow defined paths within the flexible container.

FIGS. 1 and 3 show a flexible package that in its fabrication process can involve one, two or more films/laminas of flexible material, the flexible material laminated or coextruded to form a bag that can contain liquid or paste like fluids.

The bag or package can be in different shapes (FIG. 1 and FIG. 3) and can be fabricated via packaging systems or packaging machinery either vertically or horizontally.

A vertical packaging process begins with one or two films of flexible packaging material, wherein the flexible packaging material is uncoiled and then transferred via a forming shoulder that allows for the uniting of the ends of coiled film and vertically sealing the bag in the case of one coil or in the case of two coils uniting both ends to form two vertical seals.

In a horizontal machinery process a bag with four seals can be made or a form of “doypack” that does not limit the elaboration of the fluid control valve, as this one is made and formed in the same material uniting the front and lateral films of the material through a seal that allows the direction of the fluid in a predetermined way (FIGS. 6-8) allowing a control of the product contained at the time of its opening.

Elaboration of the valve can be done right after or in tandem with the vertical seal or the horizontal seal. This can be elaborated through seals that guide the product contained in the package allowing control of the same at the time of its opening, preventing spills.

The control valve (FIGS. 1-9) is elaborated through a sealing jaw that brings together the two front and lateral flexible material films in a determined way to induce the exiting of the product in a controlled manner. This sealing process for the elaboration of the valve it carried out at the time of elaboration of the vertical and horizontal seals.

Filling the bag with liquid or semi-liquid can be done prior to, inclusive with, or after a preferably continuous bag elaboration process, and is an independent process.

In a horizontal machinery process a bag with four seals can be made or a form of “doypack” same that does not limit the elaboration of the fluid control valve as this one is made and formed in the same material uniting the front and lateral films of the material through a seal that allows the direction of the fluid in a predetermined way (FIGS. 6-8) allowing a control of the product contained at the time of its opening.

FIG. 1 shows an elongated rhombus shaped bag, where its horizontal borders identified with number 6 are smaller that its vertical borders identified with number 5, its contents be liquid or semi-liquid is represented with number 8, wherein the liquid or semi-liquid that can flow through in a determined way, indicated by number 7, in between the areas created by the flat sealing valve integrated by numbers 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 schematically describes the bag indicated in the description in FIG. 1, indicating the contained fluid as number 7, following its path, and indicating a precut with number 4 in the left upper right hand of the envelope or flexible bag.

FIG. 3 shows a flexible bag or container that indicates on of many diverse positions that the plane sealing valve can provide in the envelope and that is integrated by numbers 2 and 3 in a positioning towards the center of the bag and where a precut is indicated by number 4.

FIG. 4 shows a flexible bag or container that indicated a flat seal valve integrated by numbers 2 and 3 located in the left corner. A precut is identified by number 4.

FIG. 5 shows a flexible bag or container that indicated a flat seal valve identified by numbers 2 and 3 located on the right corner. A precut is identified by number 4.

FIG. 6 shows a first part of a sequence of three figures where a flexible bag or container is indicated containing a flat seal valve integrated by number 2 and 3 located in the center of the container, and its contents indicated by number 8 to represent the first vertical position of the container and its valve in a superior position.

FIG. 7 shows part of a second sequence of three figures where a flexible pillow like bag or container is indicated containing a flat seal valve integrated by numbers 2 and 3 located in the center of the container, and its contents indicated by number 8 to represent a second position of the container with its head valve indicating no spills of its contents indicated in number 8.

FIG. 8 shows a third sequence of the flexible bag or container in the same of a pillow that contains a flat seal valve integrated by numbers 2 and 3 located in the cert of the container, and its contents indicated by number 8 to represent a third position o the container with its head valve and a fluid indicated by number 8 that follows a fluid indicated by number 7 that exits once it is squeezed.

FIG. 9 shows a bag in the shape of an elongated rhombus where its horizontal borders indicated by number 6 a smaller tan its vertical borders indicated by number 5, its contents be it liquid or semi-liquid is represented by number 8, same that can follows a determined path indicated by number 7, amongst the areas created by the flat seal valve integrated by numbers 2 and 3, where seal 3 can be solid as in the previous figures or sections as indicated in FIG. 9.

I, thus, provide methods and apparatus of a flexible bag containing a valve, wherein the valve induces liquid or semi-liquid to follow determined paths within the bag, thereby making the liquid or semi-liquid within the bag easier to control. Various changes and modifications can be made without departing from its scope or spirit. For example, one skilled in the art will understand that different shaped bags and different locations of valve can be mixed and matches as desired. Furthermore the value itself can be of various shapes.

Claims

1. A flexible container, comprising:

a first film and a second film, and

a fluid regulating valve,

the fluid regulating valve containing a first element that creates a controlled exit of product contained within the flexible bag, and

a second element that between the first and second film induces the product to follow defined paths within the flexible container.

2. The flexible container of claim 1, wherein the first element brings together the first and second films to create a controlled exiting of product.

3. The flexible container of claim 1, wherein the flexible container has front and lateral sides, the first element brings together the front and lateral sides of the flexible material to create a controlled exiting of the product.

4. The flexible container of claim 1, wherein the first and second elements are elaborated through seals.

5. The flexible container of claim 1, wherein the second element is sectioned.

6. A flexible container, comprising:

a fluid regulating valve,

the fluid regulating valve containing a first element that creates a controlled exit of product contained within the flexible bag, and

a second element that between the first and second film induces the product to follow defined paths within the flexible container.