Container made of flexible material, particularly for liquids

[0002] The disclosure of Italian Application Serial No. PD2000A000012 filed Jan. 24, 2000 is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The present invention relates to a container for liquids or for fluid products, including viscous ones, obtained by folding and heat-sealing a single sheet of flexible material.

[0004] A very wide variety of containers for fluids, obtained by folding a single sheet of flexible material, is commercially available.

[0005] Despite their widespread marketing, containers of the prior art are not free from drawbacks.

[0006] In particular, they are not self-supporting when they contain liquids or granular fluids.

[0007] These kinds of substances in fact do not have a shape of their own and accordingly adapt to the container holding them, which when made of flexible material is unable to retain a preset shape.

[0008] Furthermore, currently known containers can be manufactured at costs which are sometimes not competitive and at low speeds.

[0009] The aim of the present invention is to eliminate or substantially reduce the problems of the prior art containers for liquids or fluid products, including viscous ones, obtained by folding and heat-sealing a single sheet of flexible material.

[0010] Within this aim, an important object is to provide containers having such a shape to be self-supporting.

[0011] Another object is to provide containers which have low manufacture and sale costs.

[0012] Another object is to produce containers by using know equipment.

[0013] Another object is to provide containers which can be manufactured rapidly.

[0014] This aim and these and others objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a container made of flexible material, particularly for liquids or fluids, characterized in that it is made of a single sheet of flexible material which is folded so as to form two mutually opposite quadrangular faces directly heat-sealed along two consecutive sides and connected along two further sides by accordion-like portions obtained by folding said sheet, a first accordion-like portion forming, on a third side, a substantially triangular base, a second accordion-like portion forming a closure wall on a fourth side, a closable opening for filling said container being provided.

[0015] Further characteristics and advantages of the container according to the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to the invention;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a further perspective view of the invention;

[0018] FIGS. 3 and 4 are the two side views of a container according to the invention;

[0019] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a container provided with an upper opening, according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[0020] FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the container provided with a straw;

[0021] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of two containers according to the invention, joined along one of their sides.

[0022] With reference to the figures, a container for liquids or fluid products, including viscous ones, according to the invention, is generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

[0023] The container 10 is obtained by folding a single sheet so as to form two mutually opposite quadrangular faces 11aand 11b.

[0024] The two mutually opposite faces 11aand 11bare directly heat-sealed to each other along two consecutive sides 12 and 13.

[0025] A third side 14, consecutive to the side 13 and opposite to the side 12, connects the two faces 11aand 11bby means of a first accordion-like portion 15 which is produced by heat-sealing and subsequently folding the corresponding portions of the faces 11aand 11b.

[0026] The fourth side 16 constitutes a continuous closure wall of the container 10 and is also provided with a second accordion-like portion 17.

[0027] The third side 14 and the first accordion-like portion 15 form a substantially triangular base for the container 10, which in combination with the second accordion-like portion 17 allows said container to self-support when filled.

[0028] The container 10 has, on the side 12, a closable filling opening 20.

[0029] The opening 20 allows to fill the containers 10 directly during the production process if vertical machines are used.

[0030] The container 10 can also be filled after its manufacture again by means of the opening 20.

[0031] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a container 10 provided with a straw 21.

[0032] The straw 21 can be inserted in the container 10 through a weakened portion 22 arranged in one of the two faces 11aand 11b.

[0033] Alternatively, the container 10 can be produced directly with a straw 21 arranged inside.

[0034] In the illustrated case, the straw 21 is arranged transversely, with one end 23 located at a peel-off heat-sealed portion 24 of the container 10.

[0035] Advantageously, in this case, the peel-off heat-sealed portion 24 is located in the corner where the directly heat-sealed consecutive sides 12 and 13 converge.

[0036] Two identical containers 10aand 10bcan form a double container, generally designated by the reference numeral 25, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0037] The two containers 10aand 10bare joined by means of their directly heat-sealed sides 13aand 13bwhich are consecutive to the bases 14aand 14b.

[0038] The two containers 10aand 10bcan be separated by means of a series of prescores 26 formed longitudinally along the joined sides 13aand 13b.

[0039] In practice it has been found that the present invention has achieved the intended aim and objects.

[0040] In particular, it is evident that a container for liquids or fluid products, including viscous ones, has been provided which is capable of self-supporting when filled and of keeping a preset shape.

[0041] The container can also be manufactured at low costs and by using equipment of the known type or in any case equipment already used to manufacture containers having a different shape.

[0042] The present invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.

[0043] All the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

[0044] In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the contingent use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements.