Patent Grant
9067718
The present disclosure relates to liner-based storage and dispensing systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to liners for use with overpacks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an advantageous folding pattern for a liner that may be used with and inserted into an overpack.
Numerous applications use liners for storing, shipping, and/or dispensing materials. One type of storage and dispense system includes a liner that is used with an overpack. For example, a liner may be filled with a material that may be stored, shipped and then dispensed at a later time. The liner may be a generally flexible liner that may be disposed within an outer container that may be more rigid and self-supporting than the liner. Typically, such a system requires that the liner be inserted into the outer container through the mouth of the outer container. Depending on the size of the mouth of the outer container, insertion of the liner may be difficult and/or may stress, or even significantly stress the liner during the insertion procedure. Stressing the liner may cause the liner to be weakened, damaged, or destroyed, resulting in a waste of time and/or materials. Accordingly, there is a need for a liner that may be relatively easy to insert into an outer container that places relatively little stress on the liner and is also relatively easier to insert.
The present disclosure, in one embodiment, relates to a method for folding a liner for packaging and/or insertion into an overpack. The method may include providing a liner comprising a substantially tubular body portion and a closed top and bottom, and a fitment formed in or affixed to the top of the liner, forming a gusset in the bottom panel of the liner, forming a gusset in the body portion of the liner, and fan-folding the liner with the gusset in the bottom panel and the gusset on the body portion. In some embodiments, the top of the liner may be a substantially circular top panel and the bottom of the liner may be a substantially circular bottom panel, with the top panel being attached to one end of the tubular body portion and the bottom panel being attached to an opposite end of the tubular body portion. In such cases, the fitment may be affixed to the top panel of the liner. In other embodiments, the liner may be a flexible, blow molded liner, thereby having no weld seams. The liner may be fan-folded such that a width of the fan-folded liner, in some embodiments, is less than 5 inches, preferably less than 3 inches, and in some embodiments, down to 2 inches or less. The tubular body portion may be comprised of one or more rectangular panels welded together to form a tube. In some such embodiments, the gusset in the body portion of the liner may be foamed along a weld seam. The method may additionally include pulling the fitment and top of the liner away from the body portion prior to fan-folding. In other embodiments, the method may include folding the top of the liner over an outward side of the gusseted body portion, such that a first portion of the top of the liner is folded over a first side of the gusseted body portion and a second portion of the top of the liner is folded over a second side of the gusseted body portion, as will be described in further detail below. Such folding may permit the folded liner to have an overall height that is less than a height of the liner if expanded in an inflated or filled state, which can be advantageous when filling the liner to more effectively control unfolding of the liner. In additional embodiments, the fan-folded liner may be sterilized and/or vacuum packaged.
The present disclosure, in another embodiment, relates to a folded liner for packaging and/or insertion into an overpack. The folded liner may include a substantially tubular body portion and a closed top and bottom, and a fitment formed in or affixed to the top of the liner, a gusset formed in the bottom of the liner, and a gusset formed in the tubular body portion of the liner. The gusseted liner may be fan-folded along a length of the tubular body portion. In certain embodiments, the closed top of the liner may be a substantially circular top panel and the closed bottom of the liner may be a substantially circular bottom panel, the top panel being heat sealed to one end of the tubular body portion and the bottom panel being heat sealed to an opposite end of the tubular body portion. In other embodiments, the liner is a flexible, blow molded liner having no weld seams. In still further embodiments, pre-fold lines may be patterned in the liner during blow molding. The liner may be fan-folded such that a width of the fan-folded liner is less than 5 inches, preferably less than 3 inches, and in some embodiments, down to 2 inches or less. In some embodiments, the top of the liner is folded over an outward side of the body portion, such that a first half of the top of the liner is folded over a first side of the body portion and a second half of the top of the liner is folded over a second side of the body portion. If done properly, in some embodiments, the folded liner can have an overall height that is less than a height of the liner if expanded in an inflated or filled state. In additional embodiments, the folded liner may be sterilized and/or vacuum packaged in an outer packaging.
While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the invention. As will be realized, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as forming the various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Figures, in which:
The present disclosure relates to novel and advantageous liner-based storage and dispensing systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to novel and advantageous folding patterns for a liner that may be inserted into an overpack.
The liner may comprise one or more layers and may generally have any suitable thickness. In some embodiments, the overall thickness of the liner may be greater than the thickness of liners traditionally used with known overpacks. The liner may substantially conform to the shape of the overpack into which it is placed, in some embodiments. The conformal shape and/or the properties of the film comprising the liner (including the material used and/or the thickness of the liner) may advantageously provide the liner-based system with desirable characteristics, including but not limited to: increased dispensability; reduction or elimination of fold gas, pinholes, and/or weld tears; and/or a reduction in the load and stress on the liner fitment.
Example uses of liners and liner-based systems of the present disclosure may include, but are not limited to, transporting and dispensing ultrapure chemicals and/or materials such as photoresist, bump resist, cleaning solvents, TARC/BARC (Top-Side Anti-Reflective Coating/Bottom-Side Anti-Reflective Coating), low weight ketones and/or copper chemicals for use in such industries as microelectronic manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, and flat panel display manufacturing, for example. Additional uses may include, but are not limited to, transporting and dispensing acids, solvents, bases, slurries, cleaning formulations, dopants, inorganics, organics, metalorganics, TEOS, and biological solutions, pharmaceuticals, and radioactive chemicals. However, such liners may further be used in other industries and for transporting and dispensing other products such as, but not limited to, paints, soft drinks, cooking oils, adhesives, agrochemicals, health and oral hygiene products, and toiletry products, etc. Those skilled in the art will recognize the benefits of such liner-based systems and the process of manufacturing the liners, and therefore will recognize the suitability of the liners for use in various industries and for the transportation and dispense of various products.
In some embodiments, the liner of the present disclosure may be configured to be compatible in use with existing overpacks and/or dispensing systems. Accordingly, liners of the present disclosure may be designed to fit, and in some cases substantially easily fit within openings for existing overpacks or containers used in various industries.
The overpack 2 may also include a closure and/or connecting assembly 24. In one embodiment, shown in
The liner 4 of the system 100 may include a fitment 10 in some embodiments. The liner 4 may be any desired shape, including, but not limited to pillow shape, cylindrical, rectangular, cubical, trapezoidal, or any other suitable shape. In some embodiments, the liner, when it is in an expanded state, may substantially conform to the shape of the interior cavity of the overpack 2, as may be seen in
The fitment 10 of the liner 4 may be integral with the top portion of the liner 4. The fitment 10 may be sized and shaped such that the fitment 10 may be positioned inside of the fitment retainer 14 and/or the neck 6 of the overpack 2 and/or be compatible with some or all components of the closure and/or connector assembly 24 of the overpack 2. The fitment 10 may be comprised of any suitable material or combination of materials. For example, a suitably rigid plastic such as high density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and/or perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), may be used. In some embodiments, the fitment 10 may be comprised of a more rigid material than the rest of the liner 4. The fitment 10, in some embodiments may be securely sealed to the liner via welding or any other suitable method or combination of methods. In some embodiments, where for example the overpack includes a centrally-located mouth or opening, the fitment 10 may also be centrally located on the top panel of the liner to minimize stress on the fitment weld; however, central location of the fitment 10 on the top panel is not required. As discussed above, some embodiments of the liner of the present disclosure may be configured for use with known overpacks. In such embodiments, the fitment 10 of the liner 4 may be sized and shaped to be compatible with the closure and/or connector assembly 24 of a particular known overpack 2. Such known overpacks may be compatible, for example, with a liner fitment 10 having a ¾ inch to a 2 inch diameter, for example. It will be understood, however, that the liner fitment 10 may have any suitable diameter and/or shape and size such that it is compatible with a desired overpack 2. Examples of the types of liners, overpacks, fitments, connector/closure assemblies, and their uses are provided in more detail in PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US11/64141, entitled, “Generally Cylindrically-Shaped Liner for Use in Pressure Dispense Systems and Methods of Manufacturing the Same,” filed Dec. 9, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Further examples of the types of liners, overpacks, fitments, connector/closure assemblies, and their uses are provided in more detail in PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2008/085264, entitled, “Blow Molded Liner for Overpack Container and Method of Manufacturing the Same,” filed Dec. 2, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. As disclosed therein, in some embodiments, a liner of the present disclosure may be a flexible, injection blow molded or injection stretch blow molded liner which avoids many disadvantages presented by traditional collapsible liner-based containers and has a low degree of waste during liner production. Unlike many traditional liners that are formed by welding films together with resultant folds or seams, these three-dimensional (“3D”) liners may better conform to the interior of the overpack and may lower transportation induced failures. Such liners may preferably be flexible such that the liner wall may be readily collapsed, such as by vacuum, which may allow easy insertion of the liner into an overpack. The flexibility further allows the liner wall to be re-inflated upon insertion into the overpack. More specifically, the liner may be collapsed and re-inflated substantially without damage to the liner wall.
In some embodiments, the overall thickness of the liner may be thicker than traditional liners used with drum style overpacks, for example. One advantage of a liner with a thickness greater than traditional liners may be that the increased thickness can help prevent or reduce the occurrence of pin holes (small holes that can form in the liner), fold gas, weld tears, and/or gas diffusion that may occur during filling, storage, shipment, and/or dispense. The increased thickness of the liner may also help prevent choke-off during dispense.
While the overall thickness of embodiments of the present disclosure may be greater than that of traditional liners, the thickness may not be so great as to prevent the liner from being inserted into or extracted from the overpack through the neck of the overpack when the liner is in a collapsed state. Accordingly, any suitable thickness of the liner 4 is contemplated by the present disclosure. For example, in some embodiments, the liner 4 may have an overall thickness from about 80 to about 280 microns. In further embodiments, the liner 4 may have an overall thickness from about 100 to about 220 microns. In still other embodiments, the liner 4 may have an overall thickness from about 150 to about 200 microns. In still other embodiments, the liner 4 may have an overall thickness from about 100 to about 150 microns. However, even thicker liners may be used, particularly with overpacks having larger mouth openings than those illustrated as well as overpacks wherein the entire lid or top opens, for example. Notwithstanding the above describe dimensions, it will be understood that any suitable liner thickness may be used for the liners of the present disclosure, including down to or even less than 1 mil (25.4 microns) or up to and greater than 220 microns. As used here and throughout the present disclosure, ranges are used as a short hand for describing each and every value that is within the range; any value within the range can be selected as the terminus of the range.
The liner 4 of the present disclosure may comprise one, two, or more layers made from one or more suitable materials. In some embodiments, for example, the liner may consist of two or more layers, whereby the two or more layers may be made from the same material or may be made from different materials. Each of the one or more layers may have any suitable thickness. In some embodiments with two or more layers, each layer may have the same thickness, while in other embodiments, the two or more layers may have different thicknesses. In some embodiments, the one or more layers of the liner may be free of plasticizers, heat stabilizers, colorants, flame retardants, mold release agents (DMPS) and/or other microelectronic contaminants. Additional properties of one or more of the layers of the liners of the present disclosure are described in greater detail in PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2011/64141, which was previously incorporated herein in its entirety.
The liner of the present disclosure may have a relatively simplistic design with a generally smooth outer and/or inner surface, or the liner may have a relatively complicated design, including, for example, but not limited to, pleats, ridges, indentations and/or protrusions. In one embodiment, for example, the liner may be textured to prevent choke-off, that is, the liner may be textured to prevent the liner from collapsing in on itself in a manner that would trap liquid within the liner and preclude the liquid from being dispensed properly.
The film comprising the liner of the present disclosure may be formed by any suitable process or combination of processes. For example, the film for the liner may be formed by co-extrusion, extrusion blow molding, injection blow molding, co-blow molding, dual blow molding, injection stretch blow molding, or any other suitable method or combination of methods. Examples of the types, properties, and methods of manufacturing the film and/or liner of the present disclosure are described in detail in International PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US11/55558, filed on Oct. 10, 2011, titled “Substantially Rigid Collapsible Liner, Container and/or Liner for Replacing Glass Bottles, and Enhanced Flexible Liners” and U.S. Patent Application No. 61/499,254 filed on Jun. 21, 2011, titled “Substantially Rigid Collapsible Liner, Container and/or Liner for Replacing Glass Bottles, and Flexible Gusseted or Non-Gusseted Liners,” which are each hereby incorporated herein in its entirety.
In use, the liner 4 may be inserted into the overpack 2 when the liner 4 is in a collapsed state through the neck 6 of the overpack 2. Once the liner 4 has been positioned inside of the overpack 2, the liner 4 may be expanded to an expanded state. In some embodiments, the liner may be inflated with a clean gas, for example, but not limited to N2, or clean dry air, prior to filling the liner with the desired material, while in other embodiments the liner may be expanded with the chemical to be filled. After the liner 4 has been filled with the desired material, the closure and/or connector assembly 24 of the overpack may be detachably secured to the fitment 10 of the liner 4. The system 100 may then be shipped to a desired location or stored until shipped. Upon arrival at a desired location, the contents of the liner 4 may be dispensed.
Liners of the present disclosure may be relatively easier to insert into an overpack than traditional liners as a result of an advantageous method of folding the liner prior to insertion disclosed herein.
The folded liner of the present disclosure may advantageously be easily inserted into the mouth of an overpack with minimal to no excess material building up at the insertion point of the overpack. The user may remove the folded liner from the package and insert it into the mouth of the overpack. The user may easily position the bottom panel end of the liner into the mouth of the overpack first and then slide the remainder of the liner into the mouth of the overpack. The fitment may remain outside of the mouth of the overpack or may couple to the mouth of the overpack, depending on the configuration of the fitment and/or mouth of the overpack. In contrast to the relatively easy insertion of the folded liner of the present disclosure, traditional liners tend to have excess material “bunch up” at the mouth of the liner during insertion, requiring a user to have to manually force the excess material into the mouth of the overpack. As discussed herein, some applications require that the liner be sterile, thus it is not desirable to increase the amount of stress the liner is subjected to. Further, while some applications may not require a sterile liner, the liner may still desirably be free of contaminants, such as liners that may be used to store foods or beverages, for example. Again, for such uses, it is desirable to minimize the amount of human or mechanical contact the liner is exposed to. Still further, regardless of the use of the liner, it is important to maintain the integrity of the liner. Handling a liner necessarily stresses the liner. Because folding the liner in accordance with the present disclosure prior to insertion in an overpack minimizes the amount of stress placed on the liner during insertion, the liners of the present disclosure may not be unnecessarily weakened, thereby minimizing the risk that a liner may be ripped, cut, or otherwise damaged during insertion.
In another embodiment, a liner 300 may be folded such that the top of the liner is folded downward, as may be seen in
As is the case with the previously described embodiment, the folded liner may be inserted into an overpack with minimal to no excess bunching of liner material occurring at the mouth of the overpack. The user may easily position the bottom panel end of the liner into the mouth of the overpack first and then slide the remainder of the liner into the mouth of the overpack. The fitment may couple to the mouth of the overpack, depending on the configuration of the fitment and/or mouth of the overpack.
In some embodiments, fold lines or pre-folds generally defining the fold pattern or the fold bends of the liner may be manufactured into the liner to assist in proper folding of the liner. In particular embodiments, the pre-folds may be formed in the liner during blow-molding or stretch blow-molding of blow-molded liner embodiments, described in further detail above and in PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2008/085264, which was previously incorporated by reference herein. In order to manufacture embodiments of containers having such fold lines or pre-fold patterns according to the present disclosure by blow molding, one manufacturing method may include blow molding the container in a mold that is modeled at some intermediate state between a fully expanded or fully collapsed state of the resulting container. Blow molding the container in a mold at this intermediate state may assist in the formation of the fold lines or patterns.
The contents of the liners of the present disclosure may be dispensed by any known and desired method, including, for example, direct or indirect pressure dispense, pressure assisted pump dispense, pump dispense, or any other method. Further details of the types of dispense, closure/connector assemblies, and related dispense components that may be used in combination with the liner-based systems disclosed herein are provided in International Patent Application No. PCT/US11/64141, which was previously incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The amount of pressure required to dispense the contents of a liner of the present disclosure may depend on the force required to collapse the liner, which may be dependent on the thickness and/or composition of the liner. In some embodiments, the contents of the liner may be dispensed at any suitable pressure. For example in one embodiment, the contents may be dispensed at from about 7 psig to about 30 psig.
In further embodiments, the liner-based system of the present disclosure may be configured such that it is compatible with the NOWPak® pressure dispense system, such as that disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/915,996, titled “Fluid Storage and Dispensing Systems and Processes,” which was filed Jun. 5, 2006, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. A sample of a misconnect prevention connector that may be used with the liner-based system of the present disclosure may be that of ATMI of Danbury, Connecticut, or those disclosed in International Patent Application No. PCT/US07/70911, filed on Jun. 11, 2007; U.S. Patent Application No. 60/813,083, filed on Jun. 13, 2006; U.S. Patent Application No. 60/829,623, filed on Oct. 16, 2006; and U.S. Patent Application No. 60/887,194, filed on Jan. 30, 2007, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure may further include components or methods for further reducing or eliminating choke-off. Choke-off may be described as what occurs when a liner necks and ultimately collapses on itself, or a structure internal to the liner, to form a choke point disposed above a substantial amount of liquid. A variety of ways of preventing or handling choke-off are described in PCT Application Number PCT/US08/52506, entitled, “Prevention Of Liner Choke-off In Liner-based Pressure Dispensation System,” with an international filing date of Jan. 30, 2008, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and PCT Application Number PCT/US11/64141, which was previously incorporated herein in its entirety. Additional examples of components and/or methods for limiting or eliminating choke-off are also described in detail in International Patent Application No. PCT/US11/55558 and U.S. Patent Application No. 61/499,254, which were previously incorporated by reference herein.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2013/024324 | 2/1/2013 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2013/119462 | 8/15/2013 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080035519 | Swartz et al. | Feb 2008 | A1 |
| 20090127153 | Kim | May 2009 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 632548 | Jan 1993 | AU |
| 1803657 | Jul 2007 | EP |
| 02-208312 | Aug 1990 | JP |
| 06-64073 | Mar 1994 | JP |
| 2006-286778 | Oct 1994 | JP |
| 06286778 | Oct 1994 | JP |
| 11268771 | Oct 1999 | JP |
| 2003-252376 | Sep 2003 | JP |
| 2003252376 | Sep 2003 | JP |
| 2007-537948 | Dec 2007 | JP |
| 2010-235197 | Oct 2010 | JP |
| 2011-126601 | Jun 2011 | JP |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for related PCT Application No. PCT/US2013/024324 dated May 13, 2013 (7 pages). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140339258 A1 | Nov 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61595481 | Feb 2012 | US | |
| 61641402 | May 2012 | US |
