# US 11,111,036 B2 · Methods of making flexible containers with structural support frames

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- Number: US 11,111,036 B2
- Document ID: US11111036B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/881,816
- Filed: 2018-01-29
- Published: 2018-08-23
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-22
- Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Applicants: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Inventors: Joseph Craig Lester; Marc Richard Bourgeois; Benjamin Jacob Clare; Tadayoshi Ishihara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111036B2

## CPC

- B65B 1/02: Machines characterised by the incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles (from flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material B65B9/00)
- B23K 26/38: by boring or cutting
- B29C 65/20: with direct contact, e.g. using "mirror"
- B29C 66/1122: {Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence)}
- B29C 66/43: {Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles (B29C66/45 takes precedence)}
- B29C 66/71: {characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125)}
- B29C 66/72341: {for gases}
- B29C 66/851: {Bag or container making machines}
- B32B 27/08: of synthetic resin
- B32B 27/306: {comprising vinyl acetate or vinyl alcohol (co)polymers}
- B32B 27/32: comprising polyolefins {(comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30)}
- B32B 27/34: comprising polyamides
- B65B 3/02: Machines characterised by the incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles
- B65B 7/02: Closing containers or receptacles deformed by, or taking-up shape, of, contents, e.g. bags, sacks
- B65B 9/087: the web advancing continuously
- B65B 9/093: the web having intermittent motion
- B65B 31/006: {Adding fluids for preventing deformation of filled and closed containers or wrappers}
- B65B 39/12: movable towards or away from container or wrapper during filling or depositing
- B65B 51/146: {Closing bags}
- B65B 61/005: {for removing material by cutting}
- B65B 61/02: for perforating, scoring {, slitting,} or applying code or date marks on material prior to packaging {(scoring ampoules B65B3/006)}
- B65B 61/06: by cutting
- B65B 61/18: for making package-opening or unpacking elements
- B65D 75/008: {Standing pouches, i.e. "Standbeutel"}
- B65D 75/5811: {and defining, after tearing, a small dispensing spout, a small orifice or the like}
- B29K 2023/0633: {LDPE, i.e. low density polyethylene}
- B29K 2023/086: {EVOH, i.e. ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer}
- B29K 2077/00: Use of {PA, i.e.} polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material
- B29K 2995/0067: non-permeable
- B29L 2031/712: {Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages (closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418)}
- B32B 2250/03: 3 layers
- B32B 2307/7242: Non-permeable
- B32B 2439/70: Food packaging
- B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00)
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

Methods of making flexible containers that include structural support frames, including methods for sealing such containers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making disposable, flexible containers for fluent products, the method comprising:
forming a partially completed container blank that includes a flexible inner sheet and a flexible outer sheet;
filling a fluent product into a first space within the partially completed container blank;
adding an expansion material into a second space, which is separate from the first space, within the partially completed container blank;
sealing both the flexible inner sheet and the flexible outer sheet to form at least part of a flow channel for dispensing the fluent product from a product space, which is in fluid communication with the first space;
sealing both the flexible inner sheet and the flexible outer sheet to form at least part of a structural support volume, which is in fluid communication with the second space, wherein the first space and the second space are not in fluid communication;
sealing both the flexible inner sheet and the flexible outer sheet to form at least part of a cap seal, which hermetically seals the product volume;
sealing both the flexible inner sheet and the flexible outer sheet to form at least part of a tab seal;
shaping the partially completed container blank by cutting through at least part of the tab seal using laser cutting, where removal of the tab seal provides access to the flow channel and the first space; and
forming the flexible containers, wherein each flexible container includes:
the product space; and
the structural support volume.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible outer sheet differs from the flexible inner material in structure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein:
the flexible inner material is a film laminate having a first construction of layers; and
the flexible outer material is a film laminate having a second construction of layers that differs from the first construction of layers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible outer sheet differs from the flexible inner material in decoration.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the flexible inner sheet is at least partially transparent.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the partially completed container blank includes forming the flexible inner sheet from a continuous web of flexible material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the partially completed container blank includes forming the flexible outer sheet from a continuous web of flexible material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein about all of first space is formed by one or more portions of the flexible inner sheet.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein about all of second space is formed by a combination of:
one or more portions of the flexible inner sheet; and
one or more portions of the flexible outer sheet.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the flow channel is performed after the filling.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the flow channel includes sealing through two layers of the flexible inner sheet and sealing through two layers of the flexible outer sheet.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the structural support volume includes sealing through two layers of the flexible inner sheet and sealing through two layers of the flexible outer sheet.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the flow channel and the sealing to form at least part of the structural support volume are performed at overlapping times.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the flow channel and the sealing to form at least part of the structural support volume are performed at the same time.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the flow channel and the sealing to form at least part of the structural support volume are performed by the same sealing process.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the flow channel and the sealing to form at least part of the structural support volume are performed by opposing hot bars.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing of both the flexible inner sheet and the flexible outer sheet forms about all of the flow channel.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing of both the flexible inner sheet and the flexible outer sheet fully seals off the structural support volume.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the product space includes the first space.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the structural support volume includes the second space.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein each of the flexible containers includes a plurality of structural support volumes, wherein the plurality includes:
the structural support volume, which is a first structural support volume; and
a second structural support volume, which includes the second space.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the cap seal includes sealing through two layers of the flexible inner sheet and sealing through two layers of the flexible outer sheet.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the cap seal and the sealing to form at least part of the flow channel are performed at overlapping times.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the cap seal and the sealing to form at least part of the structural support volume are performed at overlapping times.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the cap seal and the sealing to form at least part of the flow channel are performed at the same time.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the cap seal and the sealing to form at least part of the structural support volume are performed at the same time.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the cap seal and the sealing to form at least part of the flow channel are performed by the same sealing process.

### Claim 28 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the cap seal and the sealing to form at least part of the structural support volume are performed by the same sealing process.

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the cap seal is performed by opposing hot bars.

### Claim 30 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing to form at least part of the cap seal forms about all of the cap seal.