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AssigneesClaire D. Frank, Gerald A. Frank, G. Kendall Parmelee
InventorCarl A. Frank
Estimating the term…
A method of forming a nozzle outlet in the stretchable, flexible wall for a container by providing rigid inner and outer sleeves adapted to mate together in taper-interlocked relationship by stretching a portion of the wall around the inner sleeve and becoming sandwiched between the mated sleeves. The inner sleeve has an outlet passage extending therethrough and has an exterior surface which tapers at a small angle, the outer sleeve having an interior surface tapering at a corresponding angle so the sleeves will engage together in a wedging-locking relationship with the stretched wall portion sandwiched and protected between them.
A method of forming a nozzle outlet in the stretchable, flexible wall portion of a container, said wall portion being entirely of stretchable, flexible material comprising the steps of:
A method of forming a permanent nozzle outlet in the wall of a flexible bag having its wall formed entirely from stretchable, flexible plastic film material comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Term ended 24 Jan 1995 (estimated)
Non-integral spouts: connected to the package at the sealed junction of two package walls
Forming or attaching means for filling or dispensing contents, e.g. valves or spouts: applying rigid valves, spouts, or filling tubes
With tighteners: wedge
Bag fasteners: slides to lock bag end within housing
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
The present invention is in the field of packaging and more particularly relates to a nozzle outlet formed in the stretchable wall of a container.
Stretchable, flexible material has been used for many years to form containers. For example, in the 1940's oleomargarine was packaged in bags made of polyethylene. In some cases, the user squeezed and manipulated the bag to rupture a color capsule and kneaded the bag to disperse the color throughout the margarine content. To disperse the contents, the user would cut or tear off a corner of the bag.
More recently, milk and other liquids have been packaged in polyethylene bags for the household commercial market. Again, the user cut or tore a corner off of the bag when the user wished to dispense the contents. There was no provision for reclosure of the cut or torn corner of the bag.
The various features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a nozzle outlet in a stretchable wall for a container embodying the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle outlet shown in FIG. 1, taken along the section line 2--2 in FIG. 1;
As shown in FIG. 1, there is an area 10 of the stretchable, flexible wall material for a container having a nozzle outlet generally indicated at 12 incorporated in the wall material and embodying the invention in a presently preferred form. This nozzle outlet 12 has a generally circular cylindrical configuration and includes an inner sleeve 14 and an outer sleeve 16. Between these sleeves is a sandwiched portion 18 of the wall material 10 which is stretched over the inner sleeve.
A bore 20 of the inner sleeve defines the outlet passage and has a portion 22 of the wall material 10 extending across the outlet passage 20. This wall material portion 22 closes and protects the outer end of the outlet passage 20 until a user desired to open the container.
When the user wishes to remove the contents of the container, the user can conveniently puncture or rupture this wall material portion 22 to allow the contents of the container to flow out through the outlet passage 20. If the user wishes to reclose the container, a standard bottle cap or similar cap can be screwed onto the external threads 24 which may be provided on the exterior surface of the outer sleeve 16.