Flexible bags – Bag having means to facilitate opening it by severing bag...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-15
2001-07-31
Pascua, Jes F. (Department: 3727)
Flexible bags
Bag having means to facilitate opening it by severing bag...
C383S104000, C383S906000, C383S907000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267507
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a container obtained by folding a sheet formed from a single-layer structure or from a multi-layer structure. Preferably, the sheet is flexible and made from paper, plastic, and/or metal.
Containers of this type are widely used in the fields of foodstuffs, cosmetics, pharmacy, and dermatology industry. Such containers are particularly advantageous because they are economical and allow the packaging of one metered amount of a given product.
Generally, prior containers formed from folding a sheet have a flat structure that is obtained by folding the sheet on itself, welding the folded sheet over three of its edges, and then filling the container via an opening defined by the fourth edge. After filling, the opening formed by the fourth edge is closed in the same manner as the other three edges.
These folded-sheet containers, however, suffer from the drawback that they hold a relatively small volume of product compared to their surface area. To store larger volumes, the container must have a large surface area, which may cause the container to be bulky and difficult to empty. Moreover, as explained in detail below, after opening such containers, it is virtually impossible to keep the container “upright” on a flat surface so as to prevent its contents from spreading over the surface that supports it. Of course, it is possible to lean the container against an upright vertical supporting surface, but such surfaces are not always present and even if they are present, the container could be knocked over from its leaning arrangement causing spilling of the contents.
In the field of hair dyeing, there is a range of products known as “direct-dye” products, application of which does not require the addition of an oxidizing agent. These dyes are often in liquid form and are deposited directly onto the hair to be dyed. Such products are generally packaged in small bottles which, for reasons of compatibility with the formula, are usually produced from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). For aesthetic, economical, and practical reasons, it is desirable to package such products in containers different from the small PVC bottles that are currently used. In particular, it is preferably to package direct-dye products in packaging that is economical to produce and that facilitates a novel and attractive method of application.
Flat containers of the type described above are beginning to be used for packaging such dye products. The application of dye products onto the head, however, requires progressive distribution of the liquid by two-handed massaging so that the entire head of hair absorbs all the liquid. Because the application process requires both hands, the user must be able to put down the container before all of the dye has been dispensed from the container. Unfortunately, flat containers pose a major problem for dye products application because once opened (e.g., by cutting or tearing an easy-open section), the containers cannot be set down on a work surface without being placed against a vertical object or surface. If the flat container is not kept upright, the contents may disadvantageously leak from the container.
In an effort to overcome the above-mentioned problems with flat containers, one may try to use TETRAPACK®-type containers. To use these devices, it would be necessary to reinforce the walls with cardboard to enable formation of folds in the container. The use of stiff cardboard to make folds in TETRAPACK®-type containers, however, results in acute angles, which tend to generate leaking problems in the containers.
Patent Abstracts of Japan No. 08318971 describes a container formed from an open cylinder welded at its two open ends by means of two weld lines that are perpendicular to each other. The container has the form of a “carton,” which cannot be placed “upright” on a flat surface. Moreover, when the disclosed container is positioned on its side, it occupies a very large surface area. A further drawback is that the base has a large surface area compared with the height, which gives rise to the presence of air above the free surface of the product, thereby creating a deleterious effect on product quality.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,270,236 describes a container having four faces welded along three edges. The disclosed container is obtained by folding a rectangular sheet having two small sides and two large sides. A major drawback of the container described in this reference is that the edges are configured so that when the container rests on its base, the two welded edges which define the base and form feet of the container extend substantially perpendicular to the base. Moreover, the container includes reinforcing means on the welded edges to maintain the feet substantially perpendicular to the plane of the base.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for an improved container obtained from folding a sheet of material.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a container and a method of manufacturing a container that obviate one or more of the shortcomings of the related art.
A preferred object of the invention is to provide a container obtained from a sheet of material, which is capable of standing “upright” on a flat surface.
Another preferred object of the invention to provide a container that makes it possible to limit the volume of air present above the free surface of the product inside the container.
A further preferred object of the invention to provide a container made from a flexible sheet that for a given surface area of the sheet, holds a volume of product that is substantially greater than the volume that can be packaged in a conventional folded-sheet container.
Yet another preferred object of the invention is to provide a container manufactured from a sheet of material, wherein the sheet is configured to reduce the amount of material that must be trimmed from the container during manufacturing.
It should be understood that the invention could still be practiced without performing one or more of the preferred objects and/or advantages set forth above. Still other objects will become apparent after reading the following description of the invention.
To achieve these and other advantages, and in accordance with the purposes of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention includes a container for containing a product. The container includes a base including three sides and three faces extending from said base. The faces form an apex opposite to said base and each face has three sides. One of the sides of each face is adjacent to a respective one of the sides of the base and the other two sides of each face are adjacent to a respective one of the sides of another face. The container further includes first, second, and third sealed seams. The first sealed seam includes adjacent sides of two of the faces. The second and third sealed seams each include one of the sides of the base and the corresponding adjacent side of one of the faces. Preferably, the first sealed seam extends from the base to the apex. The container is preferably formed of a substantially square sheet of material and has a substantially triangular transverse cross-section decreasing from said base to said apex.
The transverse cross-section of the container is the cross-section parallel to a plane including the base. Preferably, the container of the present invention may be manufactured with a limited number of simple folding operations. Moreover, the container may be placed on a flat surface without risk of the product leaking from the container. Additionally, the decreasing cross-section of the container from the base to the apex makes it possible to use the apex as an outlet orifice by removing an end portion of the container to form a tip for direct application of the product to a surface to be treated.
In another embodiment, the second and third sealed seams are configured to extend in a plane including the base when then container is placed on the base.
In still another embodiment, the sides included in the first sealed seam do not o
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
L'Oreal
Pascua Jes F.
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