Patent Grant
10717581
The present disclosure relates to packaging and more particularly to a sustainable packaging system including a carton and a sealed liner assembly for shipping liquid, viscous, or particulate products.
Substantially rigid plastic containers with replaceable covers, e.g., bucket-type containers, are commonly used to package and ship selected liquid and viscous materials in the nature of foods and food preparation materials, cosmetic preparations, detergents, and the like. Such containers are sturdy, typically having a wall thickness in the range of about 75 Mils to about 90 Mils, and have a large mouth that renders them well suited for storing and dispensing a variety of viscous liquids, e.g., syrups, mustard, and cosmetic preparations. A typical 20 liter empty bucket may weigh approximately 2¼ lbs.
Another mode of shipping liquid products is the “bag & box” assembly in which a bag, made of flexible single or double ply plastic film and provided with a fitment for discharge of the bag's contents, is stored in a box made of corrugated cardboard. The latter type of packaging system is well suited for free-flowing liquids such as vinegar, wine, detergents, and the like. However, it is not well suited for viscous materials for a number of reasons. For example, it is difficult to remove all of the contents from the bag, due to the inability to scrape out the residual contents from the bag. Additionally, in the case of a material that consists of several ingredients that tend to separate from one another on standing, it is not possible to introduce a stifling implement into the bag for the purpose of mixing the contents to obtain a homogenous material.
Further limitations stem from plastic recycling requirements and food packaging regulations. Environmental regulations require containers with a volume of 5 gallons or less to be made of a recyclable material. Additionally, governmental regulations require that plastic containers for foodstuffs be made of a virgin plastic material. The substantially rigid plastic containers comprise a relatively large amount of plastic in comparison to the flexible bags used in the “bag & box” packaging system, thereby increasing the amount of plastic that has to be disposed of or recycled. Making such containers of virgin plastic is costly and hence discourages their use for containing foodstuffs. The “bag & box” system employs less plastic, but the bags are not as sturdy as the substantially stiff containers and also cannot be used where it is essential to access all of the contents or where it is desired to mix the contents in situ.
The present disclosure relates to a packaging system and more particularly to a sustainable packaging system including a carton and a sealed liner assembly for shipping liquid, viscous, or particulate products. The present disclosure in one embodiment, relates to a packaging assembly for holding liquids, viscous material, or particulate material. The packaging assembly includes a carton having side and bottom walls. The packaging assembly also includes a self-supporting plastic liner that fits inside of the carton for containing liquids, viscous material, or particulate material. The liner has either a substantially circular or substantially oval cylindrical side wall, a closed bottom end characterized by a bottom wall formed integral with said side wall, and an open top end having an outwardly-projecting rim. The rim has a radially-extending flange portion, and a dependent skirt portion, wherein when the self-supporting plastic liner is inside of the carton, the radially extending flange portion supports the liner on at least a portion of the carton. A lidding material is provided to seal the plastic liner.
In accordance with various embodiments, a packaging assembly for holding contents may include a self-supporting liner. The self-supporting liner may hold contents and having a side wall, a closed bottom end characterized by a bottom wall formed integral with the side wall, and an open top end having an outwardly-projecting rim, said rim comprising a flange portion. The packaging assembly may include a peel-reseal lidding assembly. The peel-reseal lidding assembly may include a first lidding material defined by at least one edge. The lidding material may be heat-sealed to the plastic liner at the at least one edge at the open top end operably sealing the contents therein. A center portion of the first lidding material may be detached from a remaining portion along at least one edge such that the center portion is movable to expose a second lidding material thereunder. The peel-reseal lidding assembly may include a peel-reseal lidding material defined by at least one edge that is sealed to the remaining portion and the center portion across the detached edge. The peel-reseal lidding material is resealable to seal the contents in the plastic liner when the lidding material is broken.
In accordance with various embodiments, a packaging assembly for holding contents may include a self-supporting plastic liner for holding contents. The self-supporting plastic liner may have a side wall, a closed bottom end characterized by a bottom wall formed integral with the side wall, and an open top end having an outwardly-projecting rim, said rim comprising a flange portion. A skirt portion may extend at a downward angle away from the flange portion. The flange portion, the side wall, or the skirt portion may include a plurality of positioning features defined by surface features. The packaging assembly may include a peel-reseal lidding assembly attached to the flange portion. The peel-reseal lidding assembly may include a first lidding material, a second lidding material, and a peel-reseal lidding material. The peel-reseal lidding material may be defined by at least one edge that is sealed across a detached edge of a remaining portion and a center portion of the first lidding material. The detached edge allows the center portion to be movable to expose the second lidding material thereunder. The peel-reseal lidding material may be resealable to retain the contents in the plastic liner when the lidding material is broken.
The present disclosure, in another embodiment, relates to a packaging assembly for holding liquids, viscous material, or particulate material. The packaging system includes a carton having side, top, and bottom walls, and a carton lid near the top wall. The carton has a tear strip or perforation dividing the carton lid from the remainder of the carton. A self-supporting plastic liner is provided inside of the carton for containing liquids, viscous material, or particulate material. The liner may or may not be attached to the carton. The liner has a side wall, a closed bottom end characterized by a bottom wall formed integral with said side wall, and an open top end having an outwardly-projecting rim. The rim has a radially-extending flange portion, and a dependent skirt portion, wherein the radially extending flange portion supports the liner on at least a portion of the carton. Separation along the tear strip or perforation allows the carton lid to at least partially open and expose the liner within the carton.
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 disclosure. 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 disclosure. 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 disclosure will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Figures, in which:
The present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous sustainable packaging system that may be used to ship liquid or viscous products or particulate matter. Traditionally, liquid products, for example thick viscous products such as thick paints and inks, cosmetic compounds, food glazes and fillings, drywall mud, thick roof sealants, powders and flakes, or like products have been packed for shipping or sale in pails or buckets made of materials such as steel or thick plastic. A single traditional 20 liter bucket of this type may weigh approximately 2¼ pounds empty, which adds a considerable amount of weight to a truckload of product. Buckets or pails are also typically cylindrically shaped, making them inefficient for skidding or shipping because there is a substantial amount of unused space between one bucket and the next bucket. Further, due to the rigidity of the buckets, they may take up a significant amount of space after use, but before disposal. Additionally, the buckets may be difficult or costly to dispose of or recycle.
The packaging system of the present disclosure generally includes an outer container or carton box, and an inner liner. The inner liner may be sealed after the liner is filled with product. A liner cover may be placed over the sealed liner and/or a carton box cover may be placed over the cardboard box containing the sealed and filled inner liner. The square or rectangular shape of the packaging system allows one box to be placed directly next to and/or on top of another box, effectively maximizing the amount of product that can be stored or shipped in a limited space. For shipping purposes, the more units that can be loaded per truck reduces inbound transportation costs.
In addition to the advantageous shape of the packaging system of the present disclosure, a single empty packaging system, in one embodiment, may weigh approximately ⅓ pounds, compared to the approximately 2¼ pounds for a traditional pail of similar volume. This weight difference results in a 7½ to 1 ratio in weight savings for the packaging system of the present disclosure over the traditional pail. The lighter weight packaging system of the present disclosure may be easier to move, be less costly to ship, require less energy to produce, and be easier to recycle, and easier to store prior to recycling than traditional pails.
In one embodiment, the liner 120 may be made of plastic and be relatively semi-rigid and thin, approximately in the range of about 8 mils to about 30 mils thick. However, it is recognized that the liner thickness could vary and could be outside the range of about 8 mils to about 30 mils, and in some embodiments, may depend on the desired use or application of the liner 120. The liner 120 may be made by any means known in the art, such as, but not limited to vacuum forming, blow molding, or injection molding. The liner 120 may be made, for example, of a 100% recyclable material, such as, but not limited to high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). Unlike the plastic film bags used in the bag & box assembly described above, the liner 120 may be self-supporting. However, the relative thinness of the liner may make the liner easily collapsible, which may significantly reduce the volume and cost of disposal as compared to traditional pails. Due to the thinness and/or the weight of the carton 102 and/or the liner 120, more, and in some cases significantly more, liners may be shipped via truck than traditional rigid buckets. For instance, the liner may be shipped in truckloads of approximately 28,000 units compared to only 3,412 traditional buckets per truck. Increasing the number of liners that may be shipped in a single truck load can advantageously result in less truck loads needed to ship the packaging system of the present disclosure and therefore less greenhouse gases being produced.
The liner 120 may have a cross-sectional shape similar to the carton 102, e.g., square or rectangular cross-sectional shape. Alternately, the liner may have any other shape, such as, but not limited to an oval or round cylindrical shape, as described in more detail below. In any case, the liner 120 can be sized to fit within the carton 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the liner 120 has a substantially square cross-sectional configuration and comprises a bottom wall 124 and a side wall including four sides or panels 122 that can be substantially similar in shape to panels 104 of carton 102. When the plastic liner 120 is inside the carton 102, the plastic liner 120 may rest on and be supported by the bottom wall 106 of the carton 102. Panels 122 may typically be generally slightly smaller than panels 104 of carton so as to permit the liner 120 to fit inside the carton 102. In one embodiment, panels 122 of the plastic liner 120 may lie substantially close to the side walls 104 of the carton 102 when the liner is placed in the carton. The top end of the liner 120 can be open but may be formed with a rim 126. As can best be seen in
As stated above, the liner may have any other suitable shape. For example, in one embodiment, as shown in
In another embodiment of a liner having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape, sized to fit within the carton 102, as shown in
In yet another embodiment of a liner having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape, sized to fit within the carton 102, as shown in
In still another embodiment of a liner having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape, sized to fit within the carton 102, as shown in
In yet another example embodiment, as shown in
In another embodiment of a liner having a substantially oval cross-sectional shape, sized to fit within the carton 102, as shown in
In yet another embodiment of a liner having a substantially oval cross-sectional shape, sized to fit within the carton 102, as shown in
In still another embodiment of a liner having a substantially oval cross-sectional shape, sized to fit within the carton 102, as shown in
Other options for supporting substantially circular or oval shaped liners within a carton having a square or rectangular cross-sectional shape are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Although features may be generally described with reference herein to liner 120, it is understood that such features may also be equally applied to other liner embodiments, such as those described above.
A lidding material 140 may be sealed over the top of the liner 120 in order to contain the product within the liner 120. The lidding material 140 can be advantageous when the contents of the liner must be protected against moisture, air, bacteria, or other materials that may have a deleterious effect on the contents. The lidding material 140 may be, for example, a thin film plastic material or a thin metal foil that may be sealed to the liner 120 by any means, for example by hermetically heat-sealing the lidding material 140 to the liner 120. In other embodiments, the lidding material may be manufactured from any material suitable for sealing the liner from one or more of moisture, air, bacteria, or other materials that may have a deleterious effect on the contents. In some embodiments, the lidding material may be made of a 100% recyclable material. The lidding material may also be secured to the liner by adhesive or other methods of sealing now known or developed in the future. As can be seen in
In some embodiments, a packaging system may not contain a lidding material, but may contain a plastic lid, a carton lid, or both a plastic lid and a carton lid, as will be described in detail below.
The packaging system 100 illustrated in
The plastic lid 150 may be attached to the liner 120 by pressing it down over the rim 126 of the liner 120. The pressing down action can result in the bottom end of the skirt portion 220 of the plastic lid 150 being forced outwardly far enough to snap over the skirt portion 212 of the liner 120. The inherent resilience of the plastic of which the plastic lid 150 is made can cause its rim 216 to engage, or tightly engage, with the liner rim 126 as shown in
In another embodiment, the packaging system may have a carton lid in addition to or instead of a plastic lid.
In a further embodiment, as shown in
In still another embodiment, the carton lid may be generally integral with the carton 102 and comprise one or more flaps, which may be folded over the carton opening to close the carton. The flaps may also include one or more tear strips to secure the flaps in a closed position until the carton is opened for the first time.
At any rate, in some embodiments the packaging system may include a carton 102, a liner 120, a lidding material 140, and a carton lid 400 without a plastic lid 150. In yet another embodiment the packaging system may include a carton 102, a liner 120, a plastic lid 150, and a carton lid 400 without a lidding material. In any event, the packaging system may be designed to include one, two, or each of the lidding material 140, plastic lid 150, and carton lid 400. For example, in some embodiments, the packaging system may include only the lidding material 140 without a plastic lid 150 or carton lid 400.
Because traditional pails or buckets that are used to ship viscous materials are typically cylindrical, a significant amount of space may be wasted during shipping because one bucket cannot line up directly next to another bucket as can be seen in
In practice, the liner of the present disclosure may be filled with a liquid, viscous material or particulate material before the liner is placed in the carton, or while the liner is in the carton. In existing conventional packaging systems, a liner might also be filled before being placed inside a box, or after being placed in a box. However, if a sealing member was going to be applied to the liner, the liner would have to be filled before being placed in the box. In that case, a sleeve or support member would need to be placed around the liner to stabilize the liner. Alternately, in conventional packaging systems, the liner could be placed inside the box and then filled with material, but in that case, the liner could not be sealed with a lidding material. One such existing packaging system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,933, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. One novel and advantageous aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, however, is that the liner may be filled when it is in the carton, and the lidding material may be sealed to the liner after the liner has been filled, and while the liner is still in the carton.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure illustrated in
In some embodiments, a liner pad 180, as shown in
Once the filled liner has been covered with a lidding material, a plastic lid may be applied to the liner. Additionally, a carton lid may cover the plastic lid. In other embodiments, as mentioned previously, only a carton lid may cover the lidding material of the liner. The packaging system may then be shrink-wrapped or banded for skidding and shipping.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for packaging and holding liquids, viscous, or particulate materials as illustrated in
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a lidding material is affixed to the plastic liner after the plastic liner has been filled with product. In some embodiments, the affixing of the lidding material may be facilitated by pushing the plastic liner up and away from the carton so as to more easily access and seal the lidding material onto the rim of the plastic liner. The plastic liner may be pushed up through liner access points in the bottom of the carton, as described above.
Another advantage of the present disclosure is that the system may be integrated into already existing single and multi-head filling lines. Furthermore, the carton 102 may be assembled using standard equipment. The liner 120 may be installed, and the carton 102 and liner 120 may be conveyed to the existing filler. Once the liner 120 has been filled with product, a lidding material 140 may be heat sealed in place to protect the product. A plastic lid 150 may, or may not be, installed over the liner 120. A secondary or tertiary carton lid 400 may, or may not be, installed over the packaging system to protect the package during shipping. Then the packaging system may be shrink-wrapped or banded for skidding and shipping.
As illustrated in
The lidding material 306 may be hermetically heat sealed or laminated to the plastic liner 300 such as described above. To access the contents within the plastic liner 302, the lidding material 306 can be broken, torn, or pierced through. Preferably, the lidding material 306 can be broken, torn, or pierced through using a sharp object such as a knife, scissors, or the like. In some configurations, an indicator or marking can be provided instructing a user the preferred area to cut.
Preferably, when the lidding material 306 is sealed to the plastic liner 302, the packaging system 300 has sufficient strength and rigidity such that it passes the appropriate shipping tests under the International Safe Transit Association (“ISTA”). In particular, the sealed packaging system 300 preferably has sufficient strength and rigidity to pass the ISTA-3E shipping test or an equivalent test that challenges the capability of the packaging system and contents therein to withstand transport hazards. The lidding material 306 also preferably acts as a tamper-evident system and can indicate to the user that the packaging system 300 has been tampered with if the lidding material 306 is broken.
Preferably, the peel-reseal lidding material 308 is heat sealed along its edges 320 to the lidding material 306 and/or plastic liner 302. The peel-reseal lidding material 308 includes at least a first layer 314 and a second layer 324, such as a sealing layer, that are generally coextensive and adhered to each other. In the preferred embodiment, the second layer 324 is permanently affixed to the first layer 314 and the first layer 314 is positioned so that it faces the interior of the plastic liner 302. The first layer 314 and second layer 324 can be of substantially the same size or in some configurations, the second layer 324 can be smaller than the first layer 314. In the embodiment illustrated in
The center portion 318 is defined by four edges, in which at least three of the edges are detached edges 322. The detached edges 322 are preferably perforated or a pre-torn slit that separates the three edges of the center portion 318 from the remaining area 319 of the first layer 314. The fourth or remaining edge of the center portion 318 is preferably affixed to the remaining area 319 to act as a hinge 315 so that the center portion 318 can be pulled back to expose the lidding material 306 thereunder. The center portion 318 of the peel-reseal lidding material 308 can then be resealed to seal the open area 317 of the plastic liner 302 when the lidding material 306 has been broken.
The second layer 324 preferably includes an adhesive portion 326 that extends beyond the sides of the center portion 318 (as shown in
Preferably, the first layer 314 is preferably made of a metallized material or structure, such as polyethylene terephthalate, mono-oriented polypropylene film, or COEX NYL/PE or a combination thereof that acts as an oxygen and moisture barrier. The metallized structure also has sufficient hot tack and seal strength such that the packaging system 300 is suitable for packaging both hot and cold materials. The first layer 314 can also be made of an opaque material to reduce the amount of light that enters the interior of the plastic liner 302. In some embodiment, the first layer 314 can be made of material that reflects or reduces ultraviolet light exposure.
In the preferred embodiment, the peel-reseal lidding material 308 includes a tab 312 that is not adhered to the lidding material 306 such that a user can easily grasp the tab 312 and pull back the center area 318 of the peel-reseal lidding material 308 from the lidding material 306. In some configurations, the tab can be a portion of either the first 314 or second layer 324. In yet other configurations, no tab can be provided.
By having a plastic liner 302 with a peel reseal lidding assembly 304, the contents within the plastic liner 302 can be sufficiently secured and protected during transportation. Further, because the opening of the plastic liner 302 can be resealed, the packaging system 300 can be used to store the contents even after the packaging system 300 has been opened. This saves the additional cost of storing the contents in separate containers.
Alternatively, the second layer can be a strip of adhesive having a width less than that of the center portion 318 and with one side affixed to the center portion 318 and a second side extending from the sides of the center portion 318 and having the resealable adhesive. In the foregoing description various embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principals of the invention and its practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The peel-reseal lidding material 1008 may comprise a first layer 1014 and a second layer 1024. One layer may be a layer operable to reseal an open container. One layer may be a stiffening layer. The stiffing layer may be operable to limit the peel-reseal lidding material 1008 from folding over on itself under its own weight or small forces. The second layer may remain attached to at least a portion of the first layer. For example there may be multiple portions of the first layer as discussed below. The second layer may detachably connect to one portion of the first layer but remain attached to another portion as the first layer is open and closed along its opening.
The first layer may be any material that provides support to lidding material 1006 or that provides a suitable oxygen barrier. For example, the first layer 1014 may be a metallized oriented polypropylene (MOPP) layer. Metallized films are polymer films coated with a thin layer of metal, usually aluminum. They offer the glossy metallic appearance of an aluminum foil at a reduced weight and cost. Metallized films are widely used for decorative purposes and food packaging. Metallization is performed using a physical vapor deposition process. Aluminum may be a typical metal used for deposition, but other metals such as nickel or chromium are also used. The metal is heated and evaporated under vacuum. This condenses on the cold polymer film, which is unwound near the metal vapor source. This coating is much thinner than a metal foil (although a metal foil may also be used in various embodiments) could be made, in accordance with various embodiments in the range of 40 ga to 100 ga. For example, the first layer may be about 70 ga MOPP. In various embodiments, either polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene, cast polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) may be used with metallization.
In accordance with various embodiments, the second layer may be formed from similar material as the first layer. However, the second layer may be formed without metallization. The second layer 1024 may hold the first layer 1014 closed with an adhesive applied to one side. Like the first layer, the second layer may be formed from polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene, cast polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The second layer may be formed from a variety of thicknesses such as 30 ga to 90 ga. For example, the second layer 1024 may be formed of about 50 ga PET.
In accordance with various embodiments, the peel and reseal lidding assembly 1040 may be comprised of a stack of the second layer 1024 being 48 ga PET with ink applied to nonstick areas (such as pull tab, see below) and with an adhesive applied to one side, the first layer 1014 being a 70 ga Metallized OPP with an adhesive on both sides, and a lidding material 1006 being a 4Mil COEX nylon film adhered to one side of the first layer. This embodiment and similar embodiments may be used to package hot and cold materials. The assembly may have excellent hot tack and seal strength. The Metallized Structure gives the assembly improved oxygen and moisture barrier and good rigidity while maintaining some flexibility in order to keep the center portion 1018 (discussed in more detail below) moveable for opening.
To access the contents within the plastic liner 1050, the lidding material 1006 can be broken, torn, cut, pierced through, or the like. For example, an X shaped cut may open the lidding material 1006 to provide access into the container. An example cut 1023 through the lidding material is illustrated in
As with other embodiments, the packaging system 1000 has sufficient strength and rigidity such that it passes the appropriate shipping tests under the International Safe Transit Association (“ISTA”). In particular, the sealed packaging system 1000 preferably has sufficient strength and rigidity to pass the ISTA-3E shipping test or an equivalent test that challenges the capability of the packaging system and contents therein to withstand transport hazards. The lidding material 1006 also preferably acts as a tamper-evident system and can indicate to the user that the packaging system 1000 has been tampered with if the lidding material 1006 is broken.
Preferably, the peel-reseal lidding material 1008 is heat-sealed along its edges 1002 to the lidding material 1006 and/or plastic liner 1050. The peel-reseal lidding material 1008 includes at least a first layer 1014 and a second layer 1024, such as a sealing layer, that are generally coextensive and adhered to each other. In the preferred embodiment, the second layer 1024 is permanently affixed to the first layer 1014 and the first layer 1014 is positioned so that it faces the interior of the plastic liner 1050. The first layer 1014 and second layer 1024 can be of substantially the same size or in some configurations, the second layer 1024 can be smaller than the first layer 1014. The lidding material 1008 may be operable to lay flat, peel back flat (e.g.
In accordance with various embodiments, the liner 1050 may have any number of sides or any shape. For example, the liner 1050 may be substantially rectangular and the lidding material 1008 may have four edges 1002 corresponding to the geometry of the opening of the liner 1050. It will be appreciated that other liner geometries can be used, for example and without limitation, the opening of the liner 1050 could be circular, or polygonal with more or less than four sides.
The first layer 1014 includes a center portion 1018 and a remaining area 1019 adjacent the center portion 1018. The center portion 1018 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the edge 1002 of the peel-reseal lidding material 1008. The center portion 1018 is detached from the remaining portion 1019 along at least one edge 1022 such that the center portion 1018 is movable to expose the lidding material 1006 (which may be considered a second lidding material) thereunder. The lidding material 1006 may be defined by at least one edge 1027. The lidding material 1006 may be sealed to the remaining portion 1019 and the center portion 1018 across the detached edge 1022. The peel-reseal lidding material 1008 is resealable to seal the contents in the plastic liner when the lidding material is broken. The center portion 1018's detached edge 1022 may terminate in an inwardly turning curve 1029. In another example, as illustrated in
In various examples, the center portion 1018 may be defined by the at least one edge 322. The one edge may make a single slit for axis or it may make any of a variety of shapes to create an opening in the first layer 1014. In various examples, the center portion 1018 may be defined by four edges as illustrated in
The reseal is possible because an adhesive portion 1026 overlaps the detached edges 1022 from the center portion 1018 to the remaining area 1019, such that when the adhesive portion 1026 is attached to the remaining area 1019 it is also attached to the center portion 1018, thereby sealing the peal-reseal lidding material 1008. Adhesive portion 1026 may be a distance of D wide as illustrated in
As indicated above, the peel-reseal lidding material 1008 includes a tab 1012. The tab 1012 may have similar adhesion to the rest of second layer 1024 or the tab 1012 may have lower adhesion as compared to the rest of the layer 1024. In various embodiments, tab 1012 may not be adhered to the lidding material 1006. This may allow the user to easily grasp the tab 1012 and pull back the center area 1018 of the peel-reseal lidding material 1008 from the lidding material 1006. In some configurations, the tab can be a portion of either the first layer 1014 or second layer 1024. In yet other configurations, no tab can be provided. In one example, the center portion's 1018 detached edge 1022 includes a first edge 1035 and a second edge 1037 (see
In accordance with various embodiments, the liner 1050 includes a plurality of positioning features. The liner 1050 is operable to be located inside of a carton 1072. The carton includes walls 1074 that define its perimeter. The liner 1050 and the cavity defined by walls 1074 may nest within each other, such that liner 1050 can be located inside of the interior of carton 1072. The liner 1050 may none-the-less shift within the carton. The packaging assembly 1000 is operable to be used safely and securely with a broad range of contents. As such, in various embodiments a snug fit between carton 1072 and liner 1050 may improve the utility of the packaging assembly 1000. To that end in various embodiments, the package assembly 1000 may include non-movement elements. Non-movement elements may include protrusions that contact the carton 1072. For example, these may include skirt ribs, wall protrusions, specialized corners, or any feature which limits movement between the carton and the liner.
In various examples, a liner 1050 may rest on the top edge of wall 1074 via the flange portion 1055 which extends from the rim of liner 1050. The skirt 1057 provides a pocket between the side wall 1052 and the interior surface 1059 of skirt 1057 to receive wall 1074 to aid in a more snug fit for the packaging assembly 1000. The skirt may also include a plurality of ribs 1071. The plurality of ribs 1071 may extend from or into the surface 1059 of skirt 1057. The plurality of ribs 1071 extend from the flange portion 1055 down to the end of the skirt. By forming these protrusions into or away from the skirt 1057, the surface 1059 of the skirt is strengthened. The ribs may also act spacers to form a better fit around the wall 1074. For example, ribs 1071 may extend toward side wall 1052 at a plurality of finite points. These finite points could interfere with the wall or merely close the gap toward the wall 1074 when the liner 1050 is installed in a carton 1072 and the wall 1074 extends into the cavity between the skirt 1057 and the side wall 1052. Because the points are spread and friction and pressure are minimized, even if they interfere, they may not prevent the liner 1050 from mating with the carton 1072. The skirt 1057 may also include a flare 1073 that extends away from the side wall. The flare 1073 may also extend around the perimeter. The flare may be operable to help the skirt 1057 receive the wall 1074 when inserting the liner 1050 into the carton 1073. As the flare 1073 extends away from the side wall 1052, the flare 1073 forms a wider entrance for receiving the wall 1074 into the gap between skirt 1057 and the side wall 1052.
The outer corner for the skirt may be any type of corner. For example, it could be round like the wall 1052 intersection. In another example, the skirt corner could be different than the wall 1052 corner. For example, the skirt corner may be a shape that helps secure the carton 1073. In one example, side walls 1052 may include a rounded corner proximate the side wall and the skirt may include a outer corner proximate the skirt. The outer corner may interface with other elements (see below) or its shape, alone, may improve pressure on the carton with the resultant improved fit.
The skirt includes a rib 1079 which extends generally parallel with the flange portion on at least one of the outer corners on the side of the skirt. The rib 1079 may be located proximate the flange portion. The rib may form a ledge the aids in grabbing to lift the liner 1050 or the rib may be a stiffening feature.
In accordance with various embodiments, the side walls 1052 may include features to improve fitment with the carton. For example, on each of the corners of the side walls 1052 a protrusion may be located adjacent the end of the skirt. The protrusion 1075 may be located opposite the skirt and separate from the protrusion 1075 by the flange portion. In this way there is a gap between the end of the skirt and the protrusion. As stated above, the skirt may have a outer corner connection and the corner connection may be located adjacent another feature such as the protrusion 1075, which may also be located on the corners. As such, the carton may even receive a tighter fit when positioned between the outer corner and the protrusion 1075. The protrusion may be located anywhere on the liner 1050 such that it is operable to exert outward pressure when the liner is slid into a carton 1072. However, by placing the protrusion 1075 opposite the skirt 1057, a sandwich is formed, thereby potentially increasing the pressure from both sides on the wall 1074 and improving the fitment. The protrusion 1075 may be a protrusion that curves out and away from the side wall 1052. The protrusion 1075 may have a smaller curvature than the surface of sidewall 1052 such as the surface at the rounded corner. The smaller curvature may result in improved contact between an outer surface of the protrusion and the carton as compared to an outer surface of the rounded corner. This is because the smaller curvature may make closer and more complete contact with the carton in a place such as a corner. In accordance with various embodiments, the protrusion 1075 may include a rib 1077. The rib 1077 may bisect the protrusion extending from a side of the protrusion 1075 proximate the bottom wall 1053 to a side of the protrusion proximate the flange 1055. The rib 1077 may add strength to the protrusion such that it is able to exert more outward pressure such as on the carton 1072.
In accordance with an exemplary method 1100 of forming the peel-reseal lidding assembly 1040, the first layer may be obtained (step 1110). The first layer as discussed above may be a metallized OPP layer. This may come on large bulk rolls of material. The center portion may be cut into the first layer (step 1120). As discussed briefly above, the first layer may be cut, torn, perforated or the like to form the detached edge that defines the center portion. Once the first layer is prepped and the center portion is formed, the first layer may be attached to an additional layer. In one embodiment, it may be attached to the second layer which may be the layer that peels and reseals with the first layer. Alternatively, the third layer of material may be attached to the first layer next (step 1140). Either order is contemplated herein. The third layer of material may be the lidding material 106 which may function as the tamper evident seal. The third layer may be heat-sealed to the first layer. The two layers may be cut such that they are coextensive with one another. A finalized product may be formed of a plurality of layers. Each may provide a separate function, e.g. tamper evident, oxygen barrier, peel-reseal characteristics.
In accordance with an exemplary process, as illustrated in
Although various representative embodiments of this invention have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventive subject matter set forth in the specification and claims. All directional references (e.g., upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the invention unless specifically set forth in the claims. Joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other.
In some instances, components are described with reference to “ends” having a particular characteristic and/or being connected with another part. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is not limited to components which terminate immediately beyond their points of connection with other parts. Thus, the term “end” should be interpreted broadly, in a manner that includes areas adjacent, rearward, forward of, or otherwise near the terminus of a particular element, link, component, part, member or the like. In methodologies directly or indirectly set forth herein, various steps and operations are described in one possible order of operation, but those skilled in the art will recognize that steps and operations may be rearranged, replaced, or eliminated without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/880,539 filed Sep. 20, 2013, titled “Semi-Rigid Shipping Container with Peel-Reseal Closure” and to U.S. provisional application No. 61/946,654, filed Feb. 28, 2014, entitled “Semi-Rigid Shipping Container with Peel-Reseal Closure,” the contents of both references are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The present application also incorporates herein by reference in their entirety U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/620,446, filed Nov. 17, 2009, titled “Sustainable Packaging System for Shipping Liquid or Viscous Products,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/767,981, filed Apr. 27, 2010, titled “Sustainable Packaging System For Shipping Liquid or Viscous Products,” which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/620,446.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3740238 | Graham | Jun 1973 | A |
| 3885727 | Gilley | May 1975 | A |
| 3997677 | Hirsch et al. | Dec 1976 | A |
| 4141466 | Gordon et al. | Feb 1979 | A |
| 4397415 | Lisiecki | Aug 1983 | A |
| 4482053 | Alpern | Nov 1984 | A |
| 4548852 | Mitchell | Oct 1985 | A |
| 4671453 | Cassidy | Jun 1987 | A |
| 4732301 | Tobias et al. | Mar 1988 | A |
| 4784885 | Carespodi | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4790436 | Nakamura | Dec 1988 | A |
| 4924048 | Bunce et al. | May 1990 | A |
| 4972953 | Friedman et al. | Nov 1990 | A |
| 5124388 | Pruett et al. | Jun 1992 | A |
| 5167339 | Takata et al. | Dec 1992 | A |
| 5388757 | Lorenzen | Feb 1995 | A |
| 5503858 | Reskow | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5582887 | Etheredge | Dec 1996 | A |
| 5633058 | Hoffer et al. | May 1997 | A |
| 5945145 | Narsutis et al. | Aug 1999 | A |
| 6296844 | Takahashi | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6309105 | Palumbo | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6892933 | Sullivan, Jr. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6918532 | Sierra-Gomez et al. | Jul 2005 | B2 |
| 7681732 | Moehlenbrock | Mar 2010 | B2 |
| 8541081 | Ranganathan et al. | Sep 2013 | B1 |
| 8567660 | Sullivan et al. | Oct 2013 | B2 |
| 20100278454 | Huffer | Nov 2010 | A1 |
| 20110114714 | Sullivan et al. | May 2011 | A1 |
| 20120261411 | Buchenan et al. | Oct 2012 | A1 |
| 20130206763 | Sinn et al. | Aug 2013 | A1 |
| 20130320019 | Tinoco | Dec 2013 | A1 |
| 20160152400 | Tinoco | Jun 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 0796208 | Mar 2000 | EP |
| 2484263 | Aug 2012 | EP |
| 9300274 | Jan 1993 | WO |
| 03059776 | Jul 2003 | WO |
| 2011062969 | May 2011 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report and Written Opinion for related International application No. PCT/US15/18160, dated Jun. 8, 2015 (11 pages). |
| Extended European Search Report dated Sep. 15, 2017, in European Application No. 15754813.2, 5 pages. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150083717 A1 | Mar 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61880539 | Sep 2013 | US | |
| 61946654 | Feb 2014 | US |
