SPOUT FOR FLEXIBLE CONTAINER, AND FLEXIBLE CONTAINER

Description

FIELD

The present technology is generally related to the technical field of flexible and more sustainable packaging containers, more specifically to spouts for refillable flexible containers and containers thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The search for new types of packaging has been an important field of research and development, as companies end up looking for more sustainable, cheaper solutions that are well accepted by consumers.

In this regard, refillable packaging generally presents lower production costs, which contributes to reducing the price of the final product; optimization of stocks, since refillable products have a smaller volume and take up less space; in many cases, the refill contains the concentrated product, increasing its economic advantage; greater consumer loyalty, whether due to lower prices or affinity with the brand's sustainable stance.

A customer who buys a certain brand and already has the packaging may feel motivated to purchase the same product in refill format, as they will incur a lower acquisition cost and will also have the advantage of contributing to sustainability, avoiding excessive waste disposal.

By opting for this packaging format, the brand gets closer to the consumer and attracts their preference. After all, he begins to understand the products as sustainable and realizes that the company has an ethical concern, in addition to selling and making a profit.

Part of such refillable packaging is formed by flexible containers, which condition flowable products to be transferred to the original packaging. Some of the flexible containers comprise additional elements, such as spouts to help the transference of the products. These elements can add value to the packaging and improve the customer's experience.

In view of the increasing use of this type of packaging, new technical problems arise in this field, which require innovative solutions. Although several different packaging elements have been developed, there is still a need to develop even more efficient packaging that provides customers with an even better usage and purchasing experience.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a spout for flexible containers comprising a flowable product, wherein the spout comprises: an integral body formed by an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion is designed for dispensing the flowable product by an outside end, and the lower portion designed to adhere to the flexible container by an inside end having at least two lateral and opposite welding tracks; the integral body comprises a channel extending longitudinally along the integral body, from the inside end of the lower portion to the outside end of the upper portion, the channel is in fluid communication with an interior of the flexible container and an exterior of the flexible container, and the flowable product flows throughout such channel; the integral body has a flange dividing the upper and the lower portions, wherein the flange comprises at least one orifice through which air flows; and the upper portion has at least one snap-fit element in its external side wall to engage the spout of the flexible container to additional containers.

In another aspect, the upper portion has a sealing element adhesively attached over the outside end.

In a further aspect, the outside end of the upper portion has a twisted area in its external lateral walls.

In an additional aspect, the upper portion has at least two snap-fit elements diametrically opposite to each other.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to the spout above, wherein the lower portion is connected to the flexible container by hot sealing an external perimeter of the lower portion up to the welding tracks.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to the spout above, wherein the external perimeter of the lower portion has at least one groove.

In another aspect, the channel is cylindrical shaped.

In still another aspect, the spout further comprises a twistable cap to be connected to the twisted area of the outside end of the upper portion.

In another aspect, wherein the cap is perforated.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to the spout above, wherein the sealing element comprises a metal component and an adhesive.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to the spout above, wherein it is made of plastic material.

In another aspect, the plastic material comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, or combinations thereof.

Additionally, in one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a flexible container for conditioning a flowable product, the flexible container comprising: a flexible body having an opening disposed in a side of the flexible body, which conditions the flowable product; and a spout adhered to opening disposed in the side of the flexible body, the spout comprising: an integral body formed by an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion is designed for dispensing the flowable product by an outside end, and the lower portion is designed to adhere to the flexible container by an inside end having at least two lateral and opposite welding tracks; the integral body comprises a channel extending longitudinally along the integral body, from the inside end of the lower portion to the outside end of the upper portion, the channel is in fluid communication with an interior of the flexible container and an exterior of the flexible container, and the flowable product flows throughout such channel; the integral body has a flange dividing the upper and the lower portions, wherein the flange comprises at least one orifice through which air flows; and the upper portion has at least one snap-fit element in its external side wall to engage the spout of the flexible container to additional containers.

In another aspect, the spout is adhered to the opening of the side of the flexible body, such side being inclined and forming an angle α between 55° and 65° in relation to a lateral side of the flexible container.

In another aspect, the upper portion has a sealing element adhesively attached over the outside end.

In still another aspect, the outside end of the upper portion has a twisted area in its external lateral walls.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to the flexible container above, wherein the upper portion has at least two snap-fit elements diametrically opposite to each other.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to the flexible container above, wherein the spout is adhered to the opening of the inclined side of the flexible body by hot sealing an external perimeter of the lower portion up to the welding tracks.

In another aspect, the whole perimeter of the lower portion is hot sealed to the opening of the inclined side of the flexible body.

In another aspect, the external perimeter of the lower portion has at least one groove.

In still another aspect, wherein the channel is cylindrical shaped.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to the flexible container above, wherein it further comprises a twistable cap to be connected to the spout by means of a twisted area of the outside end of the upper portion.

In other aspect, wherein the cap is perforated.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to the flexible container above, wherein the sealing element comprises a metal component and an adhesive.

In another aspect, both the flexible body and the spout are made of plastic material. The plastic material comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, or combinations thereof.

In a further aspect, the flexible body and the spout are made of the same material.

Other aspects and advantages of the claimed subject matter will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in connection with the attached FIGS. 1-8.

FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of the spout according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the spout according to the present invention depicted by FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of the spout according to a further embodiment of the present invention, which comprises a sealing element.

FIG. 2B shows a perspective view of the spout according to a further embodiment of the present invention, which comprises a sealing element and a cap.

FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the spout and a cap according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional view of the spout and a cap according to the present invention depicted by FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of the cap according to the present invention.

FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the cap according to the present invention, as depicted by FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the spout according to the present invention engaged to an additional container.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the spout according to the present invention engaged to an additional container.

FIG. 7A shows a perspective view of the flexible container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7B shows a perspective view of the flexible container according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a front view of the flexible container according to the present invention engaged to an additional container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments are described hereinafter. It should be noted that the specific embodiments are not intended as an exhaustive description or as a limitation to the broader aspects discussed herein. One aspect described in conjunction with a particular embodiment is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and may be practiced with any other embodiment(s).

As used herein, “about” will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art and will vary to some extent depending upon the context in which it is used. If there are uses of the term which are not clear to persons of ordinary skill in the art, given the context in which it is used, “about” will mean up to plus or minus 10% of the particular term.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the elements (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the claims unless otherwise stated. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a spout for use in flexible refillable containers and a flexible container comprising such spout. In this regard, the spout according to the present invention advantageously improves the use of flexible containers, as well as the customer's experience.

Differently from the spouts known in the art, the spout according to the present invention has a design that allows a tight fit between the spout and an additional container to which the flowable product is transferred from the refillable container comprising the spout.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, as depicted by FIGS. 1A-1B, the spout 100 comprises an integral body formed by an upper portion 100 and a lower portion 120. The upper portion 110 is designed to dispense the flowable product by an outside end 111, and the lower portion 120 is designed to adhere to the flexible container by an inside end 121 that has at least two lateral and opposite welding tracks 122. The integral body comprises a channel 1000 extending longitudinally along the integral body, from the inside end 121 of the lower portion 120 to the outside end 111 of the upper portion 110, and the channel 1000 is in fluid communication with an interior of the flexible container and an exterior of the flexible container, and the flowable product flows throughout such channel 1000. Moreover, the integral body has a flange 130 dividing the upper 110 and the lower 120 portions, and the flange 130 comprises at least one orifice 131 through which air flows and, therefore, allows the flowability of the flowable product. The upper portion 110 has at least one snap-fit element 112 in its external side wall to engage the spout of the flexible container to additional containers.

More specifically, the snap-fit elements 112 allow the spout to be tightly fit to additional containers, so as the spout is engaged to such additional containers. By engaging the spout to other containers, the user is hands-free and does not need to hold the flexible container comprising the spout while transferring its product, providing a better experience for the user. Preferably, the upper portion 110 has at least two snap-fit elements 112 diametrically opposite to each other.

According to an aspect, the outside end 111 of the upper portion 110 has a twisted area 113 in its external lateral walls.

According to another aspect, the lower portion 120 is connected to the flexible container by hot sealing an external perimeter of the lower portion up 120 to the welding tracks 122. Preferably, the whole perimeter of the lower portion 120 is hot-sealed. In this regard, the external perimeter of the lower portion 110 has at least one groove 123; preferably, a plurality of grooves disposed in the perimeter, so as to help the sealing of the spout to the body of flexible containers.

As depicted by FIGS. 2A and 2B, the upper portion 110 of the spout may have a sealing element 140 adhesively attached over the outside end 111. The sealing element 140 comprises a metal component and an adhesive. Examples of sealing elements are metallic films laminated with polyethylene films, which are widely known in the art (such as sealing elements of food packages).

According to another embodiment of the present invention, depicted by FIGS. 2B-4B, the spout may comprise a twistable cap 150 to be connected to the twisted area 113 of the outside end 111 of the upper portion 110.

The cap 150 may be perforated, so as to not allow the complete sealing of the refillable container. The idea of providing a perforated cap 150 that does not allow the closing of the refillable container aims to guarantee that the refillable containers are not replaced by original packages. As the user will not be able to close and seal the refillable container after it is opened, the refillable container comprising the spout with the cap 150 is not able to be used as a “main”/“original” package.

As depicted by FIG. 5, the spout 100 may be engaged to an additional container A, so the flowable product comprised in the flexible container comprising the spout can flow from an inside of the flexible container to an outside (i.e., to another container). In this regard, the spout 100 is connected to additional containers A by means of the upper portion 110 of the spout.

More specifically, as illustrated by FIG. 6, the spout 100 is tightly fit to an additional container A, and such engagement is done by the snap-fit elements 112. By pressing the upper portion 110 against the opening of an additional container A, the snap-fit elements engage to the internal walls of the opening of an additional container A, so as the flexible container can be fixed to the additional container. Once connected to the additional container A, the product flows throughout the channel 1000 (which is preferably cylindrical shaped), from the inlet end 111 to the outlet end 121, and the openings 121 disposed in the flange 130 optimizes the product flow.

According to another aspect of the spout according to the present invention, the spout is made of plastic material derived from carbon-containing feedstocks, including hydrocarbon feedstock. The hydrocarbons may be a wide variety including petroleum-based streams of heavy or gaseous compounds, plastics, bio-based, biomass, or biowaste, and the plastic material comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, or combinations thereof.

Non-limiting examples of suitable plastic materials used are Braskem's commercial available resins, such as PPH301 (homopolymer polypropylene having MFR of 10 g/10 min and density 0.905 g/cm³), PEAD IA59 (high density polyethylene having MFR of 7.3 g/10 min and density 0.960 g/cm³) and PEAD IB58 (high density polyethylene having MFR of 35 g/10 min and density 0.958 g/cm³).

According to another embodiment, the present invention relates to a flexible container for conditioning a flowable product, as depicted by FIGS. 7A-7B. In this regard, the flexible container 200 comprises: (i) a flexible body 210 having an opening 213 disposed in a side 212 of the flexible body 210, which conditions the flowable product; and (ii) a spout 100 adhered to opening 213 disposed in the side 212 of the flexible body 210.

The spout comprises an integral body formed by an upper portion 110 and a lower portion 120. The upper portion 110 is designed for dispensing the flowable product by an outside end 111, and the lower portion 120 is designed to adhere to the flexible body 210 by an inside 121 end having at least two lateral and opposite welding tracks 123.

The integral body comprises a channel 1000 extending longitudinally along the integral body, from the inside end 121 of the lower portion 120 to the outside end 111 of the upper portion 110, the channel, which is preferably cylindrical-shaped, is in fluid communication with an interior of the flexible body 210 and an exterior of the flexible container, and the flowable product flows throughout such channel 1000. The integral body has a flange 130 dividing the upper and the lower portions, wherein the flange comprises at least one orifice through which air flows; and the upper portion has at least one snap-fit element 112 in its external side wall to engage the spout of the flexible container to additional containers A.

According to another aspect, the spout 100 is adhered to the opening 213 of the side 212 of the flexible body 210, which is inclined and forms an angle α between 55° and 65°, preferably 60° in relation to a lateral side 211 of the flexible container. According to another embodiment, the spout 100 is adhered to an opening 213 disposed along one of the lateral sides.

While FIG. 7A depicts a flexible container without a cap and with a sealing element 140, FIG. 7B illustrates a flexible container with a cap 150, wherein the cap is preferably perforated. The sealing element 140 is adhesively attached over the outside end 111 of the upper portion 110 of the spout. In this regard, the outside end of the upper portion has a twisted area in its external lateral walls to connect to the cap 150.

The flexible body of the flexible container is made of plastic material. Non-limiting examples of suitable plastic materials used are Braskem's commercial available resins, such as PPH301 (homopolymer polypropylene having MFR of 10 g/10 min and density 0.905 g/cm³), PEAD IA59 (high density polyethylene having MFR of 7.3 g/10 min and density 0.960 g/cm³) and PEAD IB58 (high density polyethylene having MFR of 35 g/10 min and density 0.958 g/cm³). The flexible body may be formed my PE monomaterial or PE multimaterial films, or PP/BOPP monomaterial or PP/BOPP multimaterial films.

According to another aspect, the flexible body and the spout are made of the same material, so the hot sealing is carried out in a more efficient way.

The spout according to the present invention is produced by commonly known injection mold processes, as well as the caps. The sealing element may be produced by commonly known extrusion and laminated processes.

The flexible container according to the present invention is produced in a traditional Stand Up Pouch formatting machine available on the market (form feel seal or pre-formatted), and the spout is fixed to the flexible container through a hot welding process that fuses both parts. Any other processes known in the art for preparing this kind of packages/containers can be used.

It is also important to emphasize that the spout and the flexible container according to the present invention can be produced with different dimensions, so they can fit to several types of additional containers.

The present invention, thus generally described, will be understood more readily by reference to the following examples, which are provided by way of illustration and are not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, particularly in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range may be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein may be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the like, include the number recited and refer to ranges which may be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member.

All publications, patent applications, issued patents, and other documents referred to in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication, patent application, issued patent, or other document was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety. Definitions that are contained in text incorporated by reference are excluded to the extent that they contradict definitions in this disclosure.

Other embodiments are set forth in the following claims.