Claims
- 1. An over-molded fitment configured for mounting and sealing to a flexible packaging material comprising:
a flange having first and second sides; a spout extending upwardly from the first side of the flange; and an over-molded sealing media molded onto the first side of the flange, wherein the flange and spout are integral with one another and formed from a single first material, and wherein the over-molded sealing media is formed from a second material different from the first material and having a density less than a density of the first material.
- 2. The over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first material is high density polyethylene.
- 3. The over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 2 wherein the second material is a homogeneously branched ethylene-octene copolymer, wherein the first material has a melting point temperature and the second material has a melting point temperature less than the melting point temperature of the first material.
- 4. The over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 1 including a thread formed on an outer surface of the spout.
- 5. The over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first material has a melting point temperature about 110° F. greater than a melting point temperature of the second material.
- 6. The over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first material has a melting point temperature of about 265° F. and the second material has a melting point temperature of about 155° F.
- 7. The over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first material is an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer and wherein the second material is formed from a composition including an ethylene-octene copolymer.
- 8. The over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 7 wherein the second material is formed from a composition that further includes a maleated polyolefin.
- 9. The over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 8 wherein the ethylene-octene copolymer is present in a concentration of about 75 percent by weight of the second material and the maleated polyolefin is present in a concentration of about 25 percent by weight of the second material.
- 10. A method for forming an over-molded fitment comprising the steps of:
forming a fitment from a molded material; positioning the formed fitment in a mold; and molding an over-molded sealing region onto a portion of the fitment.
- 11. The method for forming an over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 10 including the step of molding the over-molded sealing region onto the fitment at a temperature less than a melting point temperature of a material from which the fitment is formed.
- 12. The method for forming an over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 10 including the step of forming the fitment from a high density polyethylene material.
- 13. The method for forming an over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 10 including the step of forming the over-molded sealing region from a homogeneously branched ethylene-octene copolymer material.
- 14. The method for forming an over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 10 including the step of forming the fitment from an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer and forming the overmolded sealing region from a composition including an ethylene-octene copolymer.
- 15. The method for forming an over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 14 wherein the wherein the overmolded sealing region composition further include a maleated polyolefin.
- 16. The method for forming an over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 15 wherein the overmolded sealing region composition includes the ethylene-octene copolymer in a concentration of about 75 percent by weight of the overmolded sealing region material and includes the maleated polyolefin in a concentration of about 25 percent by weight of the overmolded sealing region material.
- 17. The method for forming an over-molded fitment in accordance with claim 14 wherein the overmolded sealing region is molded onto the portion of the fitment at a temperature of about 550° F.
- 18. A package comprising:
a flexible packaging material; an over-molded fitment configured for mounting to the flexible packaging, the over-molded fitment including a flange having first and second sides, a spout extending upwardly from the first side of the flange, and an over-molded sealing media molded onto the first side of the flange, wherein the flange and spout are integral with one another and formed from a single first material, and wherein the over-molded sealing media is formed from a second material different from the first material and having a lower density than a density of the first material.
- 19. The package in accordance with claim 18 wherein the first material is high density polyethylene.
- 20. The package in accordance with claim 18 wherein the first material is an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer and wherein the second material is formed from a composition including an ethylene-octene copolymer.
- 21. The package in accordance with claim 20 wherein the second material is formed from a composition that further includes a maleated polyolefin.
- 22. The package in accordance with claim 21 wherein the ethylene-octene copolymer is present in a concentration of about 75 percent by weight of the second material and the maleated polyolefin is present in a concentration of about 25 percent by weight of the second material.
- 23. The package in accordance with claim 18 wherein the second material is a homogeneously branched ethylene-octene copolymer, the first material having a melting point temperature and the second material having a melting point temperature less than the melting point temperature of the first material, the over-molded sealing media configured for heat-sealing to the flexible packaging material.
- 24. The package in accordance with claim 18 including a thread formed on an outer surface of the spout.
- 25. The package in accordance with claim 23 wherein the first material has a melting point temperature about 110° F. greater than a melting point temperature of the second material.
- 26. The package in accordance with claim 25 wherein the second material has a density of less than about 0.90g/cc.
- 27. The package in accordance with claim 26 wherein the second material has a density of about 0.875 g/cc.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority of provisional U.S. Patent application Serial No. 60/408,148, filed Sep. 4, 2002 and provisional U.S. Patent application Serial No. 60/429,698, filed Nov. 27, 2002.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60408148 |
Sep 2002 |
US |
|
60429698 |
Nov 2002 |
US |