ADHESIVE PACKAGE

Abstract

A packaging unit for holding an adhesive or a component of an adhesive includes an outer container and an inner member placed in the outer container. The outer container has a generally box shape and further has a perforation around the perimeter of the container. The inner member has a spout through which the adhesive or component of the adhesive is received and dispensed. Tearing the perforation separates the outer container into a top portion and a bottom portion so that the inner member is removable from the outer container.

Description

FIELD

The present invention relates to packages for holding adhesives.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.

In many roofing applications, for example in large, flat commercial roof decks, a roofing membrane is used to seal and protect the roof deck from environmental weather conditions. The roofing membrane may be made of various materials, such as polymeric materials including EPDM (ethylene propylene diene M-rubber) or TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin). The roofing membrane is adhered overtop insulation boards or panels. The insulation boards are typically secured to the roofing substrate or roof deck via an adhesive composition. A conventional adhesive composition used to adhere the insulation boards to the roof deck includes polyurethane. The polyurethane adhesives are oftentimes applied directly onto the roof deck via an applicator system and the insulation boards are then laid onto the roof deck surface. Conventional polyurethane adhesives oftentimes include two separate parts that are mixed by an applicator just prior to being applied onto the surface of the roof deck. The two parts include an isocyanate blend and a simple polyol blend. Upon mixing, the isocyanate blend reacts or crosslinks with the simple polyol blend to form the polyurethane adhesive.

However, these conventional two-part polyurethane adhesives are sensitive to weather conditions due to the effects of temperature on the viscosity, and therefore the reaction speed, of the adhesive. Accordingly, conventional two-part polyurethane adhesives are packaged and formulated into various grades, such as Summer, Winter, and Regular, that vary the composition of the adhesive in order to account for temperature.

Therefore, there is room in the art for adhesive packages for a pump driven applicator system that reliably pumps adhesives.

SUMMARY

A packaging unit for holding an adhesive or a component of an adhesive includes an outer container and an inner member placed in the outer container. The outer container has a generally box shape and further has a perforation around the perimeter of the container. The inner member has a spout through which the adhesive or component of the adhesive is received and dispensed. Tearing the perforation separates the outer container into a top portion and a bottom portion so that the inner member is removable from the outer container.

Further features, advantages, and areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bulk packaging unit for adhesives in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the bulk packaging unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the bulk packaging unit of FIG. 1 illustrating a handle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bulk packaging unit of FIG. 1 with the top of an outer container removed;

FIG. 5 is a view of a die cut panel from which an outer container of the bulk packaging unit of FIG. 1 is formed;

FIG. 6 is an alternative bulk packaging unit for adhesives in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is yet another alternative bulk packaging unit for adhesives in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.

Referring now to the drawings, a bulk packaging unit for storing and transporting an adhesive or a component of an adhesive is shown at 10 in FIGS. 1-3. The packaging unit 10 can be used, for example, with adhesive applicators such as those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/246,482, filed Sep. 27, 2011 and entitled “Adhesive Bead Applicator,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/399,417, filed Feb. 17, 2012 and entitled “Adhesive Applicator,” the contents of which are incorporated in their entirety. The packaging unit 10 includes an inner flexible member or bag 12 contained in an outer container or carton 14. The bag 12 is made of a water-impermeable flexible material and has a spout 26. The bag 12 is filled with an adhesive or a component or part of an adhesive. In some arrangements, a screw cap is removed from the spout and then the adhesive or adhesive component is poured into the bag 12 until the adhesive or adhesive component fills the bag 12. When the bag 12 is being filled, the bag 12 can reside in the carton 14 or can be outside the carton 14 and then placed into the carton after the bag is filled. In either case, the bag 12 closely conforms to the interior of the carton 14 when the bag 12 is filled with the adhesive or adhesive component.

The bag 12 receives the adhesive or adhesive component for pre-use storage, shipping, use in an adhesive applicator, and post-use storage. The bag 12 is generally made of a suitable plastic material that can be translucent or transparent to facilitate viewing of the contents in the bag 12. The spout 26 generally includes threads to allow threading of the spout with the threads of the cap. After the bag is filled with the adhesive or adhesive component, the screw cap can be twisted on the spout 26 or a valved device 28 can be connected or attached, for example, by threading threads of the valved device 28 to the spout 26 to seal the contents of the bag 12. Accordingly, the bag 12 and its contents can be shipped in the carton 14 with a screw cap or the valved device 28. The valved device 28 can include a poppet valve 30 that engages a stem member of a conduit to facilitate flow of the contents of the bag 12 from the bag. The valved device can be a quick release or connect nozzle for faster change outs and connection with a conduit. Such quick connect couplers or nozzles include those available from Colder Products of St. Paul, Minn. The bag 12 can further include a handle 24 that allows the bag 12 to be carried and to be placed and removed from the carton 14. In a particular arrangement, the handle 24 extends through an opening 29 in the carton 14 after the carton 14 is closed off to enclose the bag 12 in the carton 14 to enable the bag 12 with its contents and the carton 14 to be carried together.

The carton 14 is in some arrangements is a corrugated rigid or semi-rigid, box-like structure made from a die cut panel shown in FIG. 5. The carton 14 encloses the bag 12 and, hence, supports and protects the bag 12 and its contents for transportation and use of the packaging unit 10. The carton 14 includes two inner panels 16 and 18 and two outer panels 20 and 22. After the bag 12 is placed in the carton 14, the two inner panels 16 and 18 are folded in and then the outer panels 20 and 22 are folded in on top of the inner panels 16 and 18. Again, the bag 12 can be filled with its contents prior to being placed in the carton 14 or after it is placed in the carton 14. The panels 20 and 22 can be sealed shut with a piece of tape 60 on one or both sides of the seam formed by the adjacent edges of the panels 20 and 22 or the panels 20 and 22 can be sealed by any other suitable means.

The panel 20 is provided with a flap portion 21 than can be pulled out to define the opening 29. In some arrangements the panel 20 includes a small opening 23 that allows the placement of a finder or thumb to pull out the flap portion 21 so that the handle 24 of the bag 12 can extend through the opening 29 as described previously.

To form the box like structure of the carton 14, the four sections of the panel shown in FIG. 5 are folded along the line 50, 52, and 54. A smaller section 48 is folded along the line 56 such that the section 48 can be sealed to the section 58 with tape, glue, or any other suitable means. The carton 14 further includes bottom panels 40, 42, 44, and 46 that are folded inwards to form the bottom of the carton 14.

In particular arrangements, the carton includes a tear tape 34 that is pulled to separate the carton 14 along a perforation 32. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the perforation allows the carton 14 to be separated into a top portion 14A and a bottom portion 14B. The perforation 32 is located about a distance, /, from the top of the carton 14. Accordingly, when the packaging unit 10 is in use, an operator can remove the top portion 14A to allow access to the bag 12 with its contents so that the bag 12 can be removed from the bottom portion 14B and connected to an adhesive applicator with the valved device 28, such as the quick connect device described above.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown at 100 another arrangement of a packaging unit for an adhesive or adhesive component for use in an adhesive applicator. The packaging unit 100 includes a flexible inner member or bag 112 enclosed in a container or carton 114. The bag 112 includes a spout 126 with a screw on cap. Alternatively, the spout 126 can include a valved device such as, for example, a quick connect coupler that was described previously. The bag 112 also includes a handle 124 to enable placing the bag 112 and its contents into the container 114 and removing it from the container 114, as well. Unlike the packaging unit 10 described earlier, the carton 114 of the packaging unit 100 does not include an opening through which the handle 124 extends. The carton 114, however, does include a perforation 132 that facilitates separating the carton 114 into a bottom portion 114A and a top portion 114B, for example, by pulling on a tear tape as discussed previously. The packaging unit can include a single carton 114 or it can include a four sided stack liner 113 to increase crush resistance of the packaging unit. Note that any of the other packaging units described herein can include a stack liner as well. The stack liner 113 is made of a corrugated construction or any other suitable construction. The carton 114 and the bag 112 can be formed and made of the same materials as the carton 14 and the bag 12.

Another arrangement of a packaging unit is shown in FIG. 7 at 200. The packaging unit 200 includes a carton 214 with a first section 260 and a second section 262 into which respective bags 12 or 112 can be placed. Again the spout 126 can be sealed with a screw cap or a valved device. The carton 214 includes a perforation 232 that facilitates separating the carton 214 into a bottom portion 214A and a top portion 214B, for example, by pulling on a tear tape as discussed previously. The carton 214 can include an inner carton and an outer carton or it can be a single carton in which the bags 112 are placed. The carton 214 and bag 112 can be formed and made of the same materials as the carton 14 and the bag 12. The packaging unit 200 allows the transportation, use, and storage of both components in respective sections 260 and 262 for both components of a two-part adhesive.

Any of the aforementioned cartons 14, 114, or 214 can be provided with an opening in a side of the carton to allow viewing of the bag inside the carton. Further, any of the aforementioned cartons 14, 114, or 214 can be provided with a coating on the inside, outside, or both the inside and outside of the carton. The coating can be water resistant or water proof.

The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A packaging unit for holding an adhesive or a component of an adhesive, the packaging unit comprising: an outer container having a generally box shape and further having a perforation around the perimeter of the container; andan inner member placed in the outer container, the inner member having a spout through which the adhesive or component of the adhesive is received and dispensed, the inner member being removed from the outer container when the inner member is connected to an adhesive applicator, the inner member dispensing the adhesive or the component of the adhesive through the spout to the adhesive applicator,wherein the perforation is torn to separate the outer container into a first portion and a second portion to facilitate removing the inner member from the outer container.

2. The packaging unit of claim 1 wherein the inner member includes a handle.

3. The packaging unit of claim 2 wherein the outer container includes an opening through which the handle extends.

4. The packaging unit of claim 3 wherein the opening is formed by folding back a flap portion of the outer container.

5. The packaging unit of claim 1 wherein the outer container is a corrugated structure.

6. The packaging unit of claim 5 wherein the corrugated structure is a rigid structure.

7. The packaging unit of claim 5 wherein the corrugated structure is a semi-rigid structure.

8. The packaging unit of claim 1 wherein the outer container is formed from a die cut panel.

9. The packaging unit of claim 1 wherein the inner member is made of a flexible material that conforms to the interior of the outer container when the inner member is filled with the adhesive or the component of the adhesive.

10. The packaging unit of claim 1 wherein the inner member is made of a plastic material.

11. The packaging unit of claim 1 wherein the inner member is translucent or transparent to allow viewing of the contents of the inner member.

12. (canceled)

13. The packaging unit of claim 1 further comprising a valved device that is attached to the spout.

14. The packaging unit of claim 13 wherein the valved device is a quick-connect coupler connectable to a conduit.

15. The packaging unit of claim 13 wherein the valved device includes a poppet valve that engages with a stem member of a conduit to facilitate flow of the contents of the inner member from the inner member.

16. The packaging unit of claim 1 wherein the perforation is torn with a pull tape.

17. The packaging unit of claim 1 wherein the outer container includes a coating.

18. The packaging unit of claim 17 wherein the coating is water resistant.

19. The packaging unit of claim 17 wherein the coating is water proof.

20. The packaging unit of claim 17 wherein the coating is on the inside, the outside, or both the inside and the outside of the outer container.

21. A packaging unit for holding two components of a two part adhesive comprising: an outer container having a generally box shape with a first section and a second section and further having a perforation around the perimeter of the container;a first inner member placed in the first section of the outer container, the first inner member having a spout through which a first component of the two part adhesive is received and dispensed; anda second inner member placed in the second section of the outer container, the second inner member having a spout through which a second component of the two part adhesive is received and dispensed, the first component and the second component being mixable to form an adhesive,wherein tearing the perforation separates the outer container into a top portion and a bottom portion so that the inner member is removable from the outer container.

22. The packaging unit of claim 21 wherein each of the first inner member and the second inner member includes a handle.

23. The packaging unit of claim 21 further comprising a first valved device attached to the spout of the first inner member and a second valved device attached to the spout of the second inner member.

24. The packaging unit of claim 23 wherein the valved devices are quick-connect couplers connectable to respective conduits.

25. The packaging unit of claim 21 wherein the perforation is torn with a pull tape.

26. The packaging unit of claim 21 wherein the inner member is constructed as a stand-alone member connectable to an adhesive applicator.

27. The packaging unit of claim 21 wherein the outer container includes a coating.

28. The packaging unit of claim 27 wherein the coating is water resistant.

29. The packaging unit of claim 27 wherein the coating is water proof.

30. The packaging unit of claim 27 wherein the coating is on the inside, the outside, or both the inside and the outside of the outer container.