AU657600B2

AU657600B2 - Improvements in or relating to packaging

Info

Publication number: AU657600B2
Application number: AU32956/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ian Murray Allerby; Eric John Brown; Stephen John Grace; Andreas Karl Haussrer; Michael John Kane; Allan Paul Macfarlane; John Frederick Robinson; Raymond George Steele
Original assignee: MULTIWALL PACKAGING Ltd
Current assignee: MULTIWALL PACKAGING Ltd
Priority date: 1992-03-18
Filing date: 1993-02-11
Publication date: 1995-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 2013-02-11
Also published as: NZ242034A; AU3295693A

Description

657600

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): MULTIWALL PACKAGING LIMITED Inve~zion Title: IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO

PACKAGING

a a r The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: -2- The present invention relates to improvements in and or relating to bags of multiple plies, apparatus for manufacturing same, methods of manufacturing same, uses thereof and related means and methods.

Many forms of bag containers formed of multiple plies are known, eg. those sold by ourselves. Many of these are in the form of a multiwall bag sometimes with a plastics material inner liner. The present invention is directed to improvements in such a container and is adapted to provide at least some customer choice in relation to containers of that type.

A prior art form of construction is that as hereinafter described in the present invention is 15 preferably directed to a form of such container where no base patch is required that is separate from the plies of the outer of such a container and/or which, upon opening, will minimise loose pieces of material.

It is, therefore, an object of the present S.invention to go at least some way to meet the abovementioned desiderata or at least provide the public with a useful choice.

In a first aspect the invention consists in a lie flat container having a tube of a sealable plastics material (hereinafter "the inner") disposed within an S 25 exterior tube (hereinafter "the outer") formed of at least

S.

:e one web of a planar material, the same end (hereinafter "the factory end") of each of the inner and outer being (separately) closed while the other end of each of the inner and outer is open (hereinafter "the customer end") to allow the filling of the inner and thereafter the sealing thereof and the outer, wherein, in its li.e flat unfilled condition, the container with respect to the outer can be considered as having a front and back panel with the factory end having a substantially planar base region formed by overlying flaps of the outer that are disposed in a lie flat condition over one or other of the front or back ~panels while being connected to each of the front and back 3 panels by gusset like folds, one of the flaps of the substantially planar base region of the factory end overlying a flap from the other panel of the outer.

Preferably one or both of the flaps is of a multiply construction.

Preferably part of one ply of the overlying flap is adhered to the factory end of the inner while preferably the factory end of the inner is adhesively associated with at least one ply of the underlying flap.

Preferably the container in accordance with the present invention operates such that when lying substantially horizontally the overlying flap of the base can be lifted by a person using one or two hands, the container can then be moved to a condition where the base e• c. 15 is directed downwardly and the weight of the contents in the inner allows the dropping free thereof from the outer or the lifting free of the outer from the inner or a combination of both by breaking associations and/or adhesive associations without releasing any substantial loose pieces of material from the outer and/or inner.

Preferably the outer is of a multiply construction.

Preferably the container is substantially rectangular in form but can be filled to a cement bag type o. 25 configuration.

S.Preferably the bag is formed with some or all of the cuts in the outer substantially as hereinafter described with reference to any one, some or all of the accompanying drawings.

In a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of forming a container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which involves the use of one or several plies of a paper from which the outer is to be formed, a tubular plastics material from which the inner is formed, forming the outer about the inner tubular material, making appropriate perforations and/or cuts as S well as the heat seal to close the inner of the plastics ~pJ~ 4 material and sequentially adhesive closing the factory end of the outer in the manner determinable by reference to any of the accompanying drawings and/or the description hereafter or the invention as previously defined.

In a further aspect the present invention may broadly be said to consist in a container as previously defined when the inner has been filled with a material such as a powder or liquid, the inner is sealed at the customer end and the outer is also sealed at the customer end.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of manufacturing a lie flat multiple ply container when formed in such a way as to provide a container as hereinafter described.

the method is substantially as hereinafter described.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of handling a material which involves the operative use of a lie flat multiple ply container in accordance with the present invention and/or the opening and removal of a filled inner from the outer of a filled lie flat multiple ply container in accordance with the present invention that has been sealed at the customer end.

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives 25 examples.

The preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1A through 1E show the factory end of a preferred baglike container e in accordance with the present invention; Figure 1A showing the bag substantially lying flat presenting the base region for opening; Figure 1B shows the outer flap of the base region being pulled so as to separate the adhesively fixed overflap from the other flap; Figure 1C shows the full opening of the outer flap; Figure ID goes the next stage where the bag is about to be lifted upright; Figure IE shows the bag when lifted upright with the inner full of a powder or liquid material fall free of the outer notwithstanding any slight adhesive or other 10 tacking of the inner to the factory end of the outer; to: Figures 2A to 2C shows the final folds together with adhesive regions giving rise to the base region connected by gussets to the front and rear panels of the outer as shown in Figure 2C, it not mattering whether or not the base regions lies flat over what might be considered a front or back panel; 15 Figures 3A to 3C are similar to those of Figures 2A to 2C but are in relation to a prior art arrangement whereby there is a separate flap adhesively secured to the o• plies of material from which the outer has been made; Figure 4 is a view of the factory end of the outer prior to its condition as in Figure 2A but from the side as depicted in Figure 2A; Figure 5 is a view of the factory end as shown in Figure 2C but from the other side; Figure 6 is similar to Figure 4 but showing the factory end from the other side; Figure 7 is a tipped over, inside view of the factory end side shown in Figure 6; Figure 8 is the tipped over, inside view of the factory end ,ide shown in Figure 4; and Figures 2AA to 2CC are slightly different embodiments to the form as shown in Figures 2A through 2C, this different embodiment providing for a greater glued flap overlap.

The preferred container as depicted in the enclosed drawings is preferably formed using an adaption of existing continuous multiple ply walled manufacturing apparatus. Preferably the outer is formed from multiple plies of paper preferably with staggered ends developed by appropriate cutting and/or perforation and any necessary separation procedures all of which are known in the art.

10 The present invention differs significantly from the prior art form of multiple ply bags with a plastic liner bag which had a base patch provided outer as depicted in Figures 3A to 3C as previously supplied to the New Zealand Dairy Board which add complexity to manufacture and/or at least cost thereto and/or minimises the reuse that customers of the end product may make of the resulting bag. In this respect 15 it should be realised that 'in some third world countries the outer, once emptied, forms a valuable resource and, therefore, minimisation of destruction upon opening o is desirable. Moreover a reduction of pieces that become severed from the outer during opening desirably should also be minimised.

Preferably the opening of the outer and the unlo.ading of the still sealed inner is by the sequence of steps as shown in Figures 1A through 1E, all of which are selfexplanatory.

The factory end of the outer is shown in the drawings with the lines A shown for clarity of the drawings being those cuts A also seen in Figure 4. Likewise lines B are cuts B of Figures 4 and 6.

In the preferred form of the present invention, the outer has the gusset -7connected base region thereof formed from flaps 1 and 2 with flap 2 overlying flap 1 (as can best be seen in Figures 2A through 2C) with the gusseted regions 3 of the lie flat base region over the front or back panel (as the case may be) as in Figure 2C.

Figure 2A shows how the flap 1 has its perimeter regions bounded by the cuts A shown in Figure 4 provided with glue lines 4 while flap 2 includes a glue line The glue lines 4 are not normally broken as can be seen in Figures 1B through 1E prior to the use of gravity to assist in the removal of an inner 6 from within the outer 7, ie. the tearing apart as in Figures 1B and 1C leaves the base region in the manner substantially as it was prior to the move during forming from Figure 2B to 2C. There 10 is, however, the difference in that the region 8 shown in Figure 7 has adhesive applied at positions 9 and that flap from one of the inner webs of one panel of the outer is adapted to be adhered at points 10 on the sealed inner 11 (see Figure the factory end of the inner being heat sealed along the heat seal line 12. Preferably, there is an adhesive fixing of the inner 11 to the other ply also but in an easily releasable 9 15 manner. This adhesion is denoted by circles 10A and is under the inner 11 in Figure S* 8.

Persons skilled in the art, from the drawings, will appreciate the sequential manner in which the multiply outer and the inner (11, 6) is formed at its factory end.

The manner in which first the inner and then the outer or simultaneously the inner and outer are sealed, preferably the inner with heat sealing, at the customer end is not relevant to an understanding of the invention but any conventional means might be used. The choice of an envelope grade adhesive capable of being opened as in Figures 1A to IE is preferred as an appropriate adhesive can ensure total success.

Figures 2AA through 2CC are very similar drawings to Figures 2A through 2C but showing how, with the slightly different arrangement of the staggering of the plies, -8a greater glued flap area can be provided to provide a stronger adhesive overlap but still be within the scope of the present invention.

The adhesives capable of being utilised in the forming of a bag in accordance with the present invention include the following: Liquid Adhesives Including: Starches, Dextrines, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Animal, Casein Latex Adhesive Including: Natural, Synthetic; Emulsion Polymers Including: Polyvinyl Acetate Homopolymers, Ethylene/Vinyl Acetate Copolymers, Acrylate/Vinyl Acetate Copolymers; 10 Hot Melts Including: Ethylene/Vinyl Acetate Copolymers, Polyethylene, Amorphors Polypropylene, Polyamide; Solvent Based: Polyurethanes, Natural Polymer, Synthetic Polymers, Two Pot Systems.

The use of a container of the present invention provides some, if not all, of the 15 advantages previously referred to.

e*

Claims

1. A lie flat container having a tube of a sealable plastics material (hereafter "the inner") disposed within an exterior tube (hereafter "the outer"), each tube having been formed of at least one web of a planar material, the same end (hereafter "the factory end") of each of the inner and outer being separately closed while the other end of each of the inner and outer is open (hereafter "the customer end") to allow the filling of the inner prior to the sealing thereof, and wherein, in its lie flat, unfilled condition, each tube simply lies as a simple fold connected front and back panel except at the factory end where the outer at least has been conformed from factory end regions of the front and back panels of the outer to a substantially planar base region disposed in a lie flat condition over one or other of the front or back panels of the outer, said outer at said factory end being held closed at least primarily by overlying flaps from the factory end extremity of each of the front and back panels, the flaps while adhered one to the other being capable of being peel separated so that, in use, if .15 desired, the filled and sealed inner, if not permanently attached to the outer at the e customer end, can be removed from the factory end after the peel separation of the flaps to allow opening of the outer at the factory end. S

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in the form of a bag.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said inner is extruded.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said inner is fabricated.

A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said outer is formed from paper.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5 wherein said outer is formed from multiple plies of paper. r. 25

7. A container as claimed in claim 6 wherein one, or both of the factory end flaps E v 10 is of a multiple ply construction.

8. A container as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein said multiple plies of paper of said outer form or substantially form a plurality of tubes forming a composite tube, the plurality of tubes being staggered for length at least at said factory end.

9. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the inner at or adjacent its sealed factory end is adhesively associated with at least one of said overlying flaps of the factory end of the outer. S"

10. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which operate such that, when lying substantially horizontally, the overlying flap of the base 15 can be peeled from the underlying flap by a person using one or two hands, the container then being movable to a condition where the base is directed downwardly and the o o 0 weight of the contents in the inner will allow the dropping eo free thereof from the outer or the lifting free of the oo 0 outer from the inner or a combination of both by breaking associations and/or adhesive associations without releasing any substantial loose pieces of material from the outer and/or inner.

11. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is substantially rectangular in form but can be filled to a cement bag type configuration.

12. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims formed with the outer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings. 11

13. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of Figures 1A to 2CC and 4 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A method of forming a lie flat container having a tube of a sealable plastics material (hereafter "the inner") disposed within an exterior tube (hereafter "the outer"), each tube having been formed of at least one web of a planar material, the same end (hereafter "the factory end") of each of the inner and outer being separately closed while the other end of each of the inner and outer is open (hereafter "the customer end") to allow the filling of the inner prior to the sealing thereof, and wherein, in its lie flat, unfilled condition, each tube simply lies as a simple fold connected front and back panel except at the factory end where the outer at least has been conformed from factory end regions of the front and back panels of the outer to a substantially planar base region disposed in a lie flat condition over one or other of the front or back panels of the outer, said outer at said factory end being held closed at least primarily by overlying flaps from the factory end extremity of each of the 15 front and back panels, the flaps while adhered one to the other being capable of being peel separated so that, in use, if desired, the filled and sealed inner, if not permanently attached to the outer at the customer end, can be removed from the factory end after the peel separation of the flaps to allow opening of the outer at the factory end, which method comprises; 20 ad-,rancing a feed of a tubular inner and a tubular outer, the inner tube being within the outer tube, *heat sealing the factory end of the advanced inner tube, spreading the factory end of the advanced outer out together with part of the sealed factory end of the inner to define a lie flat base but from which extends in opposite directions (parallel to the locus of advancement) said flaps of the base and thereafter adhesively inter-engaging said flaps, the lie flat container being a discrete item after, if necessary, a cutting of the feeds of material at the customer end.

15. A method of forming a container substantially as hereinbefore described when performed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to ;any one or more of Figures 1A to 2CC and 4 to 8 of the accompanying drawings. e "3 i.: .t 12

16. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 when the inner has been filled with a material and the inner is sealed at the customer end and the outer is also sealed at the customer end.

17 A container as claimed in claim 16 wherein said material is selected from a powder or liquid.

18. A method of handling a material capable of being poured selected from a powder, liquid or discrete items, such as granules, which involves the opening and removal of a filled inner of a container according to any one of claims 1 to 13 from the outer thereof that has been sealed at the customer end after filling of the inner, said removal being via the factory end of the outer by peel opening such factory end, one flap from the other, and then allowing or casing the still sealed and filled inner to be pulled or to drop out.

19. A method of handling a material when performed substantially as *S* t:I hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1A to 2CC and 4 to 8 of the 15 accompanying drawings. 0 *1' Dated this 29th day of September, 1994 MULTIWALL PACKAGING LIMITED By its Patent Attorneys: GRIFFITH HACK CO.

20 Fellows Institute of Patent o. Attorneys of Australia. 0 9 0 00 '3 c I r ABSTRACT A lie flat bag-like container preferably formed of multiply plies of paper with a central plastics inner which has a factory end which is sealed upon filling of the plastics inner. The other end from the factory end is formed in such a way that it can be peeled open by a customer to allow the inner to drop free together with its contents from the outer. a .;on oe• *o S S C «O *0 5* a5 9 55* C 4 S S S*C C