초록 ▼

Non-durable self-supporting flexible containers having product volumes and structural support frames are provided with vents to facilitate equalization of the pressure inside the product volume to the pressure of the environment outside of the containers. The vents enable rapid recovery of the struc

Non-durable self-supporting flexible containers having product volumes and structural support frames are provided with vents to facilitate equalization of the pressure inside the product volume to the pressure of the environment outside of the containers. The vents enable rapid recovery of the structural support from a deformed state, which occurs when a fluent product is dispensed, to an undeformed state. For this purpose, the vents comprise vent paths between the environment outside of the containers and the product volume. The vents may further comprise a non-wetting material surrounding the entrance and exit of the vent path and/or microtexturing or a spacer to maintain space for air flow in the vent path.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A non-durable stand-up flexible container comprising: a product volume, having a head space, and containing a liquid product;an inflated structural support frame made from one or more flexible materials, wherein said structural support frame is filled with gas at a pressure greater than atmospher

1. A non-durable stand-up flexible container comprising: a product volume, having a head space, and containing a liquid product;an inflated structural support frame made from one or more flexible materials, wherein said structural support frame is filled with gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, wherein the gas creates tension in the one or more flexible materials, and wherein the structural support frame supports the product volume;a dispenser that is initially sealed and when unsealed configured to dispense the liquid product from the product volume, wherein the dispenser is a squeeze valve;a panel overlaying at least a portion of the product volume, wherein the panel includes a first layer of flexible material and a second layer of flexible material that is adjacent to the first layer, wherein: the first layer is adjacent to the product volume; andthe second layer is adjacent to an environment outside of the container; anda vent that provides fluid communication between the head space and the environment outside of the container, wherein the vent includes a vent path, wherein at least a portion of the vent path is disposed: through a first hole in the first layer, wherein the first hole is disposed in a portion of the first layer that is adjacent to the head space;between unattached portions of the layers; andthrough a second hole in the second layer, wherein the second hole is vertically offset from the first hole;wherein, along at least a portion of the vent path between the layers, at least one of the layers includes microtexturing on a side that is facing the other layer, such that the first layer is spaced apart from the second layer by an offset distance that allows air to move along the vent path;wherein the container has: (1) an undeformed state prior to the squeezing of the panel to dispense the liquid product; and(2) a deformed state when the panel of the container is squeezed to dispense the liquid product, wherein, when the flexible container is squeezed by deforming the panel, the container dispenses the liquid product from the product volume, through the dispenser, and into the environment,wherein the container tends to return toward its undeformed state after the liquid product is dispensed when air from outside of the container enters the vent and flows back to the head space. 2. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1, including a material having non-wetting properties, which is disposed on at least a portion of the first layer, around the first hole. 3. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1, wherein the vent includes a first plurality of holes in the first layer, the first hole is included in the first plurality, and at least a portion of the vent path is disposed through the first plurality of holes. 4. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1, wherein the vent includes a second plurality of holes in the second layer, the second hole is included in the second plurality, and at least a portion of the vent path is disposed through the second plurality of holes. 5. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1, wherein at least one of the layers includes a material having non-wetting properties, which is disposed along at least a portion of the vent path. 6. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1, including one or more spacers, disposed between the layers. 7. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1, wherein: the dispenser is located in a bottom of the container; andthe second hole is disposed adjacent to the dispenser, such that the dispenser and the vent are configured to be simultaneously unsealed by an end user of the container. 8. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1, wherein the first hole is higher than the second hole. 9. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1, wherein the second hole is horizontally offset from the first hole. 10. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1, wherein the first hole is smaller than the second hole. 11. The non-durable flexible container of claim 6, wherein the one or more spacers includes a spacer around the first hole. 12. The non-durable flexible container of claim 6, wherein the one or more spacers includes a spacer around the second hole. 13. The non-durable flexible container of claim 1, including a closing element on the second hole. 14. The non-durable flexible container of claim 13, wherein the closing element seals the second hole. 15. The non-durable flexible container of claim 13, wherein the closing element is openable by an end user. 16. The non-durable flexible container of claim 13, wherein the closing element is removable by an end user. 17. The non-durable flexible container of claim 13, wherein the closing element is reclosable by an end user. 18. A non-durable stand-up flexible container that has a top, bottom, a front, a back, and sides, said flexible container comprised of one or more flexible materials, said flexible container comprising: a flexible material that is arranged to form a nonstructural panel on the front and back of the container;a product volume, which is an enclosable three-dimensional space defined by the flexible material, wherein the product volume contains a liquid product and has a head space, wherein said head space is located above said liquid product when said container is resting on its bottom, wherein a gas occupying the head space is at a pressure;a structural support frame formed from said flexible material, wherein the structural support frame at least partially surrounds the nonstructural panel along the top, bottom, and sides of the container, wherein the structural support frame supports the product volume, and the nonstructural panel forms at least one squeezable actuation panel adjacent to the product volume, and the structural support frame comprises at least one expanded structural support volume, which is a fillable space made from the flexible material that is filled with gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, wherein the gas creates tension in the flexible material;a dispenser in fluid communication with said product volume, wherein said dispenser is configured to dispense the liquid product from the product volume, wherein the dispenser is a squeeze valve; anda vent that provides fluid communication between the head space and the environment outside of the container to at least partially equalize the pressure inside the product volume to the pressure of the environment outside of the container,wherein the container has: (1) an undeformed state prior to the squeezing of the squeezable actuation panels to dispense the liquid product; and(2) a deformed state when the squeezable actuation panel of the container is squeezed to dispense the liquid product,wherein the container tends to return toward its undeformed state after the squeezable actuation panel of the container is squeezed to dispense the liquid product and the container has deformed, when air from outside of the container enters the vent and flows back to the head space.