US3861577A - Package for liquid or solid materials - Google Patents

Abstract

A bag which is flexible and impervious to a solid or liquid filling material is accommodated inside a covering of parallelepipedal form, the top and one of the side walls of which each have two angular fold lines. The top is made in one piece and has an outwardly directed peripheral rim for attachment to the adjacent side wall portions of the covering and acts as a reinforcement for the upper edges of the side wall. After an opening has been made in the covering a double pouring spout is formed by pressing the other two opposite side walls between the fingers.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Druyts Jan. 21, 1975 PACKAGE FOR LIQUID 0R SOLID 2,982,461 5/1961 11611111 229/17 R M l L 3,297,226 l/l967 Scholle..

3,447,732 6/1969 Deckys 229/l7 R [75] Inventor: Romam Druyts, Duffel, Belg1um [73] Assignee: Quepar S.A., Fribourg, Switzerland Primary Examinerwiuiflm Price Assistant ExaminerBruce H. Bernstein [22] Flled: July 1972 Attorney, Agent, or FirmWilliam Kaufman [21] Appl. No.: 275,641

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data A bag which is flexible and impervious to a solid or Aug. 3, 1971 Belgium 63655 liquid filling material is accommodated inside a Covering of parallelepipedal form, the top and one of the 5 s CL 229/7 R 229/14 B, 229/14 BE side walls of which each have two angular fold lines.

229/17 G 229/51 D, 229/51 AS 229/51 T3 The top is made in one piece and has an outwardly di- 51 Int Cl 5 5 70 5 5/54, 5 17/20 rected peripheral rim for attachment to the adjacent 53 Field f Search 229/17 R 7 R 14 B 14 BA, side wall portions of the covering and acts as a rein- 229/14 BE, 51 D, 51 5 51 AS forcement for the upper edges of the side wall. After an opening has been made in the covering a double [56] References Cited pouring spout is formed by pressing the other two op- UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1943 Wilcox 229/7 R posite side walls between the fingers.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PACKAGE FOR LIQUID OR SOLID MATERIALS This invention relates to a pack for liquid or solid filling materials, for example, milk or milk powder, comprising a bag which is flexible and impervious to the filling material and is accommodated, with its upper and folded over, inside a supporting covering of parallelepipedal form having side walls, a base and a top.

A pack of this kind has been proposed, the ends of the covering being closed by the folding over of four flaps each integral with a side wall of this covering. So as to ensure the closing of the upper end of the cover ing, three of the four flaps have had two diagonal fold lines enabling pairs of tabs to be formed in these flaps, the tabs constituting surfaces used for sticking the three flaps together, while the fourth flap is folded down over these three flaps and stuck to them. The opening of such a pack involves tearing off the fourth flap of the covering and then tearing the bag through the opening defined by the three folded-over flaps.

The formation of fold lines in a top or cover formed of a plurality of flaps and the sticking of the folded parts of these flaps to a supporting surface constitutes a relatively difficult operation which involves complicated equipment. Moreover, the fact that the ends of the covering are constituted by a plurality of flaps projecting on .the outside of the covering requires, in order to ensure sufficient rigidity at these ends, a packing material that is heavier than would otherwise by required and, consequently, requires more eleborate sealing means and lower production rates are therefore obtained.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pack of simpler and lighter construction, the ends of which are closed by a base and a top forming, with the side walls, a parallelepiped without any flaps or flap portions protruding beyond the side walls.

According to the invention, the top is made in one piece and has an outwardly directed peripheral rim for attachment to the adjacent portions of the side walls of the covering so as to act as a reinforcement for the upper edges of the side walls, the arrangement being such that after an opening has been made in the covering, at the junction of the top and said one side wall, a double pouring spout can be formed by urging the other two opposite side walls of the covering towards each other as by pressing them between the fingers. This double pouring spout enables the flow of the fluid to be directed with the pack both in a horizontal position and in a vertical position and permits storage of the open pack in either of these two positions.

The bag may have, on the side where the opening in the covering is to be formed, a tab folded over with its end directed towards the opening and gripped between the rim of the top and the upper edge of the adjacent side wall. Gripping of the end of the tab between the rim of the top and the edge of the side wall obviates the use of an adhesive for securing the bag to the covering. Moreover, extension of the tab of the bag through the opening prevents the filling material being able to flow into the covering when it is being poured.

A line of weakness may be fomed along the edge of the rim of the top and in the side wall adjacent the junction with the rim of the top, the tab of the bag being gripped between the surfaces formed by the lines of weakness, so that the said tab is torn away simultaneously with tearing away of the strip formed by these lines.

The invention will now be described by way ofexample with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate two embodiments of the packing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded diagrammatic perspective view of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the covering of the pack of FIG. 1, the covering being shown in the open position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view partly broken away of a second embodiment of the invention shown in transparent form.

In these drawings, the same reference numbers designate identical elements.

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a pack for a flowable filling material, either liquid or solid, for example milk or milk powder, comprising an outer covering 1 of parallelepipedal form made of a material which is flexible, but sufficiently rigid, for example, it can be of board, to form a support for a flexible and fluid-tight bag 2 capable of containing the filling material. The covering 1 includes side walls 3, 4, 5 and 6, a base 7 and a top 8.

The base and top are each made in one piece and have peripheral rims 9 and 10, respectively, directed outwardly of the covering. These rims constitute surfaces for attachment to the side walls of the covering between which the base and the top are inserted before introduction and after introduction, respectively. ofthe sealed bag filled with the filling material.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in order to facilitate pouring of the contents of the bag, the covering has two outwardly directed angular fold lines 11, 12 in the top and, in one of the side walls, for example in the wall 6, there are also two outwardly directed angular fold lines 13, 14. After forming an opening in the covering at the junction 15 of the top and this side wall, these fold lines enable a double pouring spout l6, 16' to be formed in the covering by bringing the other two opposite side walls 3 and 5 of the covering nearer to one another by pressure between the fingers.

Moreover, these fold lines define between them, in the top, triangles 20, 21, 22 and, in the side wall, triangles 23, 24, 25 forming between them troughs serving as a support for the tab of the bag drawn through the opening, permitting pouring and putting away of the pack equally well either in the horizontal position or in the vertical position thereof.

As shown in FIG. 2, the folding lines ll, 12 and I3, 14 meet at the level of the junction 15. With a view to facilitating the opening of the outer covering in the vicinity of the junction 15 and to give this opening a definite form, a line of weakness 17 for tearing away a portion of the covering is provided in the top and, moreover, at least partially in the side wall 6 level with the edge 15 at which the wall of the top 8 and this side wall join. This line of weakness 17 is extended at its ends as far as the top edge of the side wall and of the top in order to define a strip 18.

The bag 2 is made of a flexible and fluidtight material and, after filling, it is sealed at the top. The height of the bag is substantially greater than the height of the covering so as to have available sufficient clearance to be able to form a folded tab 27 directed towards the opening forming the double pouring spout I6, 16', through which it can be withdrawn after the strip 18 (see FIG. 3) has been torn away.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the end of the tab of the bag is pinched between the rim of the top along the edge and the top edge of the wall 6, so that by tearing away the strip 18 formed by the lines of weakness 17 the said tab 27 of the bag is opened simultaneously. The end of the tab 27 may project slightly beyond the edges between which it is pinched, so as to form a grip portion for initiating tearing away of the strip 18.

What I claim is:

l. A pack for containing liquid or solid filling materials, comprising a flexible bag impervious to the filling material and accommodated, with its upper end folded over, within a supporting covering of parallelepipedal form which is flexible but sufficiently rigid to support the bag and formed of side walls, a base and a top, the top and one of the side walls each having two angular folding lines, the top being made in one piece and having an outwardly directed peripheral rim for attachment to the adjacent exterior portions of the side walls of the covering so as to act as a reinforcement for the upper edges of the side walls and a portion of the rim and the adjacent wall to which this portion is attached each having mutually facing lines of weakness defining a tear-off strip between which the extremity of a folded tab of the bag is gripped. the arrangement being such that said tab can be worn away simulteneously with the tearing away of the strip formed by the lines of weakness to obtain an opening in the covering at the junetion of the top and said one side wall and a double pouring spout can then be formed by urging the other two opposite side walls toward each other.

2. A pack according to claim 1, wherein the end of the folded tab of the bag projects outside the covering to facilitate tearing away of the strip.

l l l= UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Q Patent No. 5,861,577 Dated January 21, 1975 Inventor s Romain Druyts It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the Cover Sheet, in item 175} "Quepar S.A." should read Quepor S.A.

' Signed and Scaled this eleventh D2 0f November 1975 [SEAL] Arrest:

RUTH-C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN dimming )ffit ('vmmissimu'r ul'larenlx and Trademarks F RM PC4050 USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 mum TAT as PATEM {ME-FEE @ERTIFIEATE GE CUEUHQ Patent Nm 3,861,577 Dated January 1975 Inventor(5) Romain Druy'ts It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In column 1, line 61,, "fomed" should be --*formed---,

In column 4,, line 9, "worn" should be -torn--,

Signed and sealed this 15th day of July 1.9750

(SEAL) Attest:

. Ca MARSHALL DANN RUTH Ca MASON Commissioner of Patents Arresting Officer and Trademarks

Claims (2)

1. A pack for containing liquid or solid filling materials, comprising a flexible bag impervious to the filling material and accommodated, with its upper end folded over, within a supporting covering of parallelepipedal form which is flexible but sufficiently rigid to support the bag and formed of side walls, a base and a top, the top and one of the side walls each having two angular folding lines, the top being made in one piece and having an outwardly directed peripheral rim for attachment to the adjacent exterior portions of the side walls of the covering so as to act as a reinforcement for the upper edges of the side walls and a portion of the rim and the adjacent wall to which this portion is attached each having mutually facing lines of weakness defining a tear-off strip between which the extremity of a folded tab of the bag is gripped, the arrangement being such that said tab can be worn away simulteneously with the tearing away of the strip formed by the lines of weakness to obtain an opening in the covering at the junction of the top and said one side wall and a double pouring spout can then be formed by urging the other two opposite side walls toward each other.

2. A pack according to claim 1, wherein the end of the folded tab of the bag projects outside the covering to facilitate tearing away of the strip.

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