Flexible, stackable container and method and system for manufacturing same

Technical Field [0001] The present disclosure is directed to a flexible stacking container for transporting and storing food products, liquids, powders, chemicals, detergent, dry pharmaceutical products, nutraceuticals and other packaged products, for example, and methods and systems for their production, and in particular for a flexible stacking container having a sealed bag or package formed of a flexible film and an element or lid attached thereto.

Background of the disclosure [0002] VFFS (Vertical Form, Fill and Seal) packaging machines are commonly used in the snack industry for forming, filling and sealing bags with nuts, chips, crackers and other products. Such packaging machines take the packaging film from a sheet roll and form the film into a vertical tube around the product delivery cylinder. One of the disadvantages of such packaging is that the resulting filled packaging is not rigid enough to allow stacking of one packaging on another at a display exhibition.

[0003] Another disadvantage of such packages is that they do not retain their shape after opening the package and removing some of the contents. Document EP1106508 discloses an example of such packaging.

[0004] There are rigid packages and containers that can be stacked and retain their shape when opened. Nevertheless, such rigid packaging may go beyond these disadvantages with its own disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the packaging is often composed of a composite material that is expensive to manufacture. Another disadvantage is that rigid composite packaging is often not recyclable. The possibility of recycling the product container is increasingly becoming desirable for companies that manufacture and / or sell consumer products, as well as for those who care about the environment. There is also a need for containers that, if not recyclable, minimize the amount of waste transported to the landfill. As for the landfill, materials that are degradable or biodegradable are also desirable to further reduce the amount of material contained in the landfill.

[0005] Yet another disadvantage of many inelastic and / or rigid containers is the shape of the container. Many product containers have cross sections that are round. In a market where shelf space is very important, round containers require more shelf space than a square or rectangular container that holds the same amount of product. Similarly, the transport of round or other irregularly shaped containers requires more space than the transport of square or rectangular containers, which are packed more efficiently in transport containers. What's more, round containers don't have graphics like containers with flatter sides. The graphics surround the curved surfaces of the containers, and the containers must be ordered so that the graphic information is fully visible and legible. Lack of efficiency in transporting and displaying packaged products increases the total cost of the product. What's more, the lack of efficiency when packing round or irregularly shaped containers increases the number of transport containers and vehicles,

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EP 2 188 189 B1 vessels and aircraft required to transport transport containers. This increases the cost of the product and, more importantly, leads to increased emissions of pollutants that are harmful to the environment.

[0006] Another disadvantage of transporting many inelastic containers is the weight of the container compared to the weight of the flexible container produced to store a similar amount of product. The increased weight increases transport costs as well as increases the amount of material that ends up in landfill if it is not recyclable. Furthermore, the cost of material for inelastic containers is usually greater than the cost of material for flexible containers.

[0007] A container that eliminates these and other disadvantages would therefore be desirable.

Brief description of the figures [0008]

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a flexible stacking container according to the present disclosure;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the unfolded foil sheet and the lid member of the flexible stacking container of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the foil sheet of Fig. 2 formed to define the upper, lower and side sides;

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the foil sheet of Fig. 3 having corner joints formed at the corners;

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the foil sheet of Fig. 4 and the lid element of Fig. 2 with the lateral edges of the foil sheet folded and welded to form a combined fin and corner weld;

Fig. 5A is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of the foil sheet of Fig. 4 and the lid member of Fig. 2 with side edges positioned and forming a fin seal on the lower side of the package;

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of the foil sheet of Fig. 5 with the lid element attached to its upper side;

Fig. 7 is an isometric view of the foil sheet and lid element of Fig. 6 with the front and end edges joined to form the front and end weld;

Fig. 8 is an isometric view of the foil sheet and lid element of Fig. 7 with the front and end edges folded over and attached to the outer surfaces of the package;

Fig. 9 is a schematic illustration of a packaging machine configured to produce the flexible stacking container of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a schematic illustration of another alternative embodiment of a packaging machine configured to produce the flexible stacking container of Fig. 1 with the container filled on the conveyor by the amount of product to be stored therein;

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EP 2 188 189 B1

Figures 11a and 11b are isometric illustrations of an alternative embodiment of the flexible stacking container and of the lid component oriented on the spice can;

Figures 12a and 12b are isometric illustrations of another alternative embodiment of the flexible stacking container and the lid member oriented on the cereal product container;

Figures 13a and 13b are isometric illustrations of another alternative embodiment of a flexible stacking container and a lid member directed at the liquid container;

Figures 14a and 14b are isometric illustrations of yet another alternative embodiment of the flexible stacking container and the lid member oriented on the container for the condiment dispenser;

Figs. 15a and 15b are many plan views of an opening aid not forming part of the invention that can be incorporated into the flexible stacking container of Fig. 1;

Figs. 16a-16c are many top views of an alternative embodiment, not forming part of the invention, of an opening aid that can be incorporated into the flexible stacking container of Fig. 1;

Figs. 17a-17c are many top views of another alternative embodiment, not forming part of the invention, of an opening aid that can be incorporated into the flexible stacking container of Fig. 1;

Figs. 18a-18c are many top views of another alternative embodiment, not forming part of the invention, of an opening aid that can be incorporated into the flexible stacking container of Fig. 1;

Figs. 19a-19c are many top views of yet another alternative embodiment, not forming part of the invention, of an opening aid that can be incorporated into the flexible stacking container of Fig. 1;

Figs. 20a and 20b are cross-sectional views of various embodiments of the lid element of Fig. 2 taken along lines 20-20;

[0009] While the method and apparatus described herein are given for various modifications and alternative constructions, the drawings show some illustrative embodiments thereof and will be described in detail below.

Detailed description [0010] Although the following text contains a detailed description of many different embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the legal scope of the invention is defined by the words of the claims at the end of the present patent. The detailed description should be regarded as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment of the invention, since the description of each possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Using current technologies or technologies developed after the date of filing this patent, implement

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Many alternative embodiments can be implemented, which will still fall within the scope of the claims that define the invention.

[0011] It should also be understood that, as long as the term is not expressly defined in this patent by the phrase "The term" ______ "as used herein is intended to mean ..." or similar, it is not intentional to limit the meaning of such term, expressly or implied, beyond its simple or ordinary meaning, and such a term should not be construed as limiting the scope on the basis of any statement made in any part of this patent (other than the content of the claims). To the extent that any term listed in the claims at the end of this patent is cited in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, this is done solely for the sake of clarity so as not to mislead the reader, but it is not intentional to make such a definition the patent claim was limited, implicitly or otherwise, to a single meaning. Finally, the scope of any element of a patent claim should not be interpreted on the basis of application 35 USC § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the component of the patent claim is defined by the word "means" and function without listing any structure.

[0012] Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a flexible stacking container 10 according to the present disclosure; Container 10 includes a flexible package 12 having a lid member 14 attached to one end to provide resealable access to package 12 and to strengthen package 12 to allow stack 12 to be stacked without overturning. Packaging 12, as shown, is of the flexible packaging type known to those skilled in the art as four-sided packaging by four corner welds formed at the corners of the bag. This feature will be described in more detail below. The package 12 has a substantially rectangular shape to conform to the shape of the lid element 14, but other shapes can be used. The lid element 14 is attached to the upper side of the package 12 and is surrounded by corresponding corner joints. Depending on the specific configuration of the package 12 and the lid element 14, and the requirements for the product packaged therein, the lid element 14 can be attached to the package 12 by means of welds formed between the lid element 14 and corner joints, between the lid element and the side surface of the package 12, on which the lid element 14, or a combination thereof, is placed. Alternative mounting configurations will be described in more detail below. The lid element 14 comprises a base 16 and a lid 18 pivotally connected by a movable hinge 19 (Fig. 2). The base 16 and the lid 18 have complementary shapes, so that when the lid 18 on the base 16 is closed, a tight seal is formed. In the embodiment shown, the upper side of the package 12 located under the lid 18 has perforations 20 defining a flap 22 that can be punched and removed by the consumer after purchase to gain access to the interior of the package 12. To facilitate removal of the tab 22, a pull tab 24 may be attached thereto in a manner that causes perforation 20 and detachment of the tab 22 after pulling the pull tab 24 up.

[0013] In alternative embodiments, the containers 10 may be constructed with lid elements 14 having variable configurations or without lid elements. For example, the container may include an element having a base 16 of a lid element 14, but bypassing the lid to leave the surface of the upper side uncovered. The perforations 20 may extend around the part

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Flap 22 so that the flap 22 can be opened but not completely detached from the package 12, and the pull tab 24 can cover and extend beyond the flap 22 and contain a sticky substance that allows the pull tab 24 to re-bond. with the top surface of the packaging. Moreover, the element can be completely eliminated in favor of the reclosable flap 22. The inventors consider, as applicable to the containers 10 of the present disclosure, additional configurations.

[0014] The forming of the container 10 will now be described with reference to Figs. 2-8. Referring to Fig. 2, the foil sheet 26, from which the packaging 12 and the lid element 14. will be formed, is shown separately. The container 10 can be formed manually by folding the foil sheet 26 and attaching the lid element 14. However, when the containers 10 are produced in bulk, film sheets 26 are formed on a continuous web of film which can be fed through a VFFS packaging machine. While the discussion here is about forming containers 10 on VFFS machines, those skilled in the art will understand that containers 10 can be formed by machines of a different type or combination of machines, such as HFFS (Horizontal Form, Fill and Seal) packaging machines, standing bag machines and the like and the inventors contemplate the use of such machines or machine combinations performing various tasks in forming the containers of the present disclosure. To be consistent with the following discussion of the VFFS 100 packaging machine shown in Figure 9, the elements of the film sheet 26 will be described with reference to their orientation as the film sheet 26 passes through the packaging machine 100. Accordingly, the film sheet 26 has a lower front edge 28, upper end edge 30 and opposite side edges 32, 34. Dashed lines 36-40 in Fig. 2 indicate the separate upper, lower, back and front side 42-48 of package 12, which will be defined after folding and bonding of the sheet 26 of film to form package 12. Prior to forming the package 12 from the foil sheet 26, perforations 20 are formed on the upper side 42 by laser cutting, mechanical cutting or similar manner of forming a perforation 42 in the foil sheet 26 without piercing the sheet 26, but allowing piercing when necessary or desirable based on for requirements for container 10 and / or stored product. Alternatively, for example, cutting with a penetration of approximately 6080% may be used to form the score line defining the flap 22 instead of individual perforations 20. In other embodiments, to facilitate detachment of the flap 22, full penetration of the upper side 42 of the foil sheet 26 by blade cutting may be accomplished. For example, continuous blade incision at full penetration of sheet 26 can be accomplished with intermittent interruptions or bridges in the score line provided to hold tab 22 in place until the tear tab is in place for consumer opening of container 10. The distance between the bridges can be in the range of 0.1 "to 2.0" (2.54 mm to 50.8 mm), and the length of the bridges can be in the range of 0.002 "to 0.090" (0.051 mm to 2.29 mm), depending on the implementation. In the following, various alternative elements for easy opening are described.

[0015] The lid element 14 is oriented with a lower surface 50 facing the upper side 42 to form in the foil sheet 26. A lid element 14 on the front side 78 that can be oriented in front of the container 10 and the rear side 80 opposite it. The movable hinge 19 can pivotally connect the lid 18 to the base 16 on the rear side 80 of the lid element 14, and the front of the lid 18 may include a handle 82 to assist in opening the lid 18. From the base 16, near the handle 82, additional pry tabs (not shown) may extend to further facilitate opening of the lid 18 by allowing the user to press up on the handle 82 and down on the tab (s)

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In order to separate the lid 18 from the base 16. The lateral sides 84, 86 of the lid element 14 further assist in defining the shape of the container 10, as discussed in more detail below.

[0016] The first step in creating the package 12 is shown in Figure 3. The film sheet 26 is wrapped inward to create the desired shape based on the features of the final package design. In the present example, the formed sheet 26 has a substantially square or rectangular shape with corners 52-56 defining the top, bottom, back and front sides 42-48. The side edges 32, 34 are located near each other and will be uniquely joined to form a fin seal on the fourth corner of the formed sheet 26. With the side edges 32, 34 and the corresponding fin seal placed on the corner of the package 12. However, while the side edges 32, 34 are shown to contact one of the corners of the package 12, those skilled in the art will understand that the edges 32, 34 and the fin or other suitable weld can be placed on any corner 52-56 or any other if desired along one of the sides 42-48 of the packaging 12.

Turning to Fig. 4, after forming the desired shape from the foil sheet at the corners 52-56 and at the corner where the side edges 32, 34 meet, corner joints 58-64 are formed. On the upper and lower sides 42, 44 of the foil sheet 26, inwards from both corners 52-56, bends are formed to bring the folded parts into contact with the inner surfaces of the sides 46, 48. After folding inward, the folded parts are welded, glued or welded together otherwise with sides 46, 48. As a result, the four corner joints 58-64 extend outwardly substantially perpendicular to the upper and lower sides 42, 44 of the sheet 26 of the film. Side edges 32, 34 can also be welded together to form a combination of a fin weld and corner weld 64, as shown in Fig. 5. The inner surface of the folded part of the lower side 44 is brought into alignment and contact with the inner surface of the respective part of the front side 48 nearby side edge 34. Then the surfaces are joined together in a similar way to other corner joints 58-62. For additional reinforcement of the combination of the fin weld and corner weld 64, part of the weld 64 can be bent inward and in contact with the bent part of the combination weld 64. When necessary or desired, bent or non-folded parts of the combination weld 64 can also be welded for further reinforcement. After forming the corner joints 58-64, the lid element 14 can be combined with the package 12 near the flap 22 on the upper side 42. Those skilled in the art will understand that the creation steps shown in Figs. 3-5 can occur separately or can be carried out together by a suitably configured machine packaging.

[0018] When desired or dictated by the requirements of a particular container 10, the foil sheet 26 and packaging machine 100 may be configured to form a package 12 having a fin seal located at a location other than one of the corner welds. As shown in the alternative configuration of the package 12 in Fig. 5A, the side edges 32, 34 of the sheet of film 26 may contact in the center of the bottom side 44. Instead of being a combination of a corner and fin weld, the weld 64 is a corner weld formed in a manner similar to other corner welds 58-62. At the point where the edges 32, 34 meet, a fin seal 65 is formed by bringing portions of the foil sheet 26 together near the side edges 32, 34 and forming a weld between them by welding or other suitable welding method. After bonding, the fin seam 65 can be folded and attached to the outer surface of the lower side 44, if desired.

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[0019] As shown in Fig. 6, the lid element 14 is disposed with the bottom surface 50 facing the outer surface of the upper side 42 of the package 12. In this embodiment, the front and rear sides 78, 80 of the lid element 14 are disposed. adjacent corner welds 58, 60 of upper side 42. In one embodiment, corner welds 58, 60 are then welded to sides 78, 80 of base 16 of lid element 14. For example, corner welds 58, 60 can be welded to sides 78, 80 of lid element 14 or can be attached using time or pressure welds, adhesive welds, welding or any other suitable fastening mechanism. In alternative embodiments, the bottom surface 50 of the base 16 of the lid member 14 can be welded to the outer surface of the upper side 42 of the package 12 using one of the welding mechanisms discussed above or another suitable mechanism. Furthermore, the lid element 14 can be attached with welds formed with corner welds 58, 60, as well as the outer surface of the upper side 42.

[0020] Once the lid element 14 is attached, the open ends of the package 12 can be welded to close the package 12 and folded and attached to adapt the shape of the package 12 to the lid element 14. Referring to Fig. 7, the lateral lateral parts of the front and end edges 28, 30 are fed to each other and welded together to form a front and end weld 70, 72. To ensure careful wrapping of the front and end seals 70, 72 of package 12 around the outer surface of the package 12 and lid element 14 to create a relatively smooth and uniform outer surface for container 10, it may be necessary to roll the film between the front and back seam 70, 72 to form corner joints 58-64 on the upper and / or lower side 42, 44 of the packaging 12. To achieve this, when the front and end edges 70, 72 of the package 12 are brought together, the respective parts of the upper and lower sides 42, 44 can be moved inward to fold the sides 42, 44, while the edges 28, 30 slide together and are bonded to form the front and back seam 70, 72 of the package 12. After forming the front and end seam 70, 72, the package 12 can be filled with a certain amount of product for which the container 10 is designed. Accordingly, the first weld 70 can first be formed, the product placed in the package 12, and then the final weld 72 can be formed, or the final weld 72 can be formed first if necessary to facilitate the production of container 10.

[0021] After forming the front and end seals 70, 72, seams 70, 72 and corresponding loose film portions near them can be folded and attached to the outer surface of the package 12 to complete the formation of the container 10, as shown in Fig. 8. Welds 70, 72 can be wrapped around the lid member 14 to adapt the loose portion to the outer surfaces of the lid member 14 and package 12, and the welds 70, 72 can be attached to the outer surface of the package 12. Welds 70, 72 can be attached to the surface of the package 12 using thermal, time or pressure welding techniques, or using hot glue between the weld 70, 72 and the outer surface, or other welding methods. The loose part of the film should lie relatively flat and adapt to the fixed part of the package 12 after folding and bonding due to the folds 74, 76 made in the sides 42, 44 during the formation of the front and end seals 70, 72. After bending and attachment of joints 70, 72, parts of corner joints 58, 60 near the lateral sides 84, 86 of the lid element 14 can be welded with it in a similar manner as the front and rear sides 78, 80.

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[0022] The steps carried out in the method are described in Figs. 2-8, and the order in which they are formed is exemplary. Those skilled in the art will understand that the method of forming container 10 can be changed and the configuration of container 10 can also be changed, and such changes are being considered by the inventors. For example, the lid element 14 can be attached to the foil sheet 26 before folding the sheet 26 to form sides 42-48. Alternatively, package 12 can be fully formed as shown in Fig. 8 before the lid element 14 is bonded to it. Even when the lid element 14 is attached to the upper side 42, as shown in Fig. 6, the lid element 14 can simply be attached in its place at this point to help shape the package 12 correctly, with welds between the base 16 of the lid element 14 and corner welds 58, 60 and / or the upper surface of the upper side 42 are made after the packaging 12 has been completely formed. Furthermore, as described in more detail below, the package 12 can be formed with the front edge 28 bonded and the end edge 30 open and with the lid element 14 attached before or after placing the product in the package 12. Obviously, the container 10 can be formed with the lid element 14 attached to the any of the sides of the package, as well as without including the lid member 14, as discussed above. The steps can also be changed, allowing the product to be placed in package 12 at an appropriate point in the method. For example, it may be advantageous to form the front weld 70 and assemble and attach the weld 70 to the surface of the package 12 before placing the product in the package 12, so that the product does not interfere with the folding of the weld 70. After placing the product, you can then create the final weld 72, bending and gluing it to the packaging surface 12.

[0023] The configuration of the container 10 can also be changed as desired, while forming the sealed package 12 from the foil sheet 26 and sealing the lid member 14 in a manner that allows the container 10 to be reclosed after opening the package 12. For example, package 12 can only be formed with corner seams 58, 60 that surround the top side 42 of the package and without corner seams 62, 64 on bottom side 44, thus allowing container 10 to rest on the outer surface of bottom side 44 when stored on shelf or stacking on top of another container 10. In some implementations, an additional foil sheet, paper label, fastening structure or the like may be attached to the flat side 44 to ensure the integrity of the welds of the foil sheet 26 on the bottom side 44, to facilitate stacking of container 10 on a shelf or other containers 10 and / or providing additional usable space enabling 10 bar codes and other relevant product information to be printed on the outside of the container. Corner welds 58, 60 can be formed with an orientation other than perpendicular to the top side 42 of the package 12, and the base 16 of the lid member 14 can have a complementary shape to orientate the corner welds 58, 60, so that corner welds 58, 60 can be joined to it. Alternatively, corner welds 58, 60 can also be omitted, and the lower surface 50 of the base 16 can be welded directly to the outer surface of the upper side 42. When corner welds 58, 60 are not formed to surround the upper side 42, the base 16 can be configured to slide over the edges of the upper side 44 and has an inner surface associated with the outer surfaces of the front, rear and side sides of the package 12 near the upper side 42. Co moreover, the package 12 can be formed into other shapes, which are essentially the cubic shapes depicted herein, and may have more or less than six sides. For example, the container may have a substantially cylindrical shape, such that the upper and lower sides are round or oval with the element

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The lid 14 having a complementary shape to facilitate the formation of the weld (s) between the packaging 12 and the lid element 14. The inventors are considering and those skilled in the art are aware of the other geometries of the packaging 12 and lid element 14 that can be used in the containers 10 of the present invention. disclosure.

[0024] The type of welds formed at welds 58-64, 70, 72 and between sides 78, 80, 84, 86 of the lid element 14 and the upper side 42 and / or corner welds 58, 60 may be dictated by the product for storage in the container 10 . The welds formed for the container 10 may be only those necessary to keep the product inside the container 10, both when the package 12 is sealed and when the upper surface of the package 12 is pierced and the lid 18 is closed on the base 16 of the lid element 14 to re-close the container 10 . For example, it may not be necessary to incur costs associated with the formation of air- and watertight joints when the container 10 stores products that do not break down or spoil, such as shots and the like. These types of products may also allow greater error tolerance for gaps, ducts, wrinkles or other imperfections or "channel leaks" that occur unintentionally in joints, but do not allow the stored product to escape from the container 10. Obviously, non-stick components having smaller granules, such as powdered detergents, may require more impervious weld types as well as greater reliability and less imperfections in the sealing methods. Liquids may similarly require liquid impermeable joints that are reliably formed in the container 10.

[0025] For food products, such as potato chips and cereals, where the product freshness must be preserved before opening the package 12, hermetic joints can be formed to protect and prevent air and / or moisture from entering through the joints. Other food products may require packaging that, for proper storage, may breathe. For example, lettuce or other product may still be breathing in the container to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, which consequently requires a certain level of air exchange in the package to maintain the desired atmosphere in the container. Alternatively, instead of relying on welds to provide the necessary ventilation, a specific film structure having the desired ventilation properties or some other form of ventilation of the package may be provided. As another example, coffee beans can still release gases after roasting, thereby increasing the pressure inside the package, whereby air is needed to flow through the joints and / or the film so that when the package is sealed, excessive pressure does not build up inside the package. Still other products may require that the product be stored in container 10 for appropriate storage time for certain levels of vapor permeability. Those skilled in the art will understand that the specific welds formed in the container 10, as well as the properties of the film sheet 26 from which the package 12 is produced, in a particular implementation can be configured, if desired, to meet the changing needs of stored products regarding water penetration between the package 10 and the external environment, if any. As a result, the welds used herein in the description of various embodiments of containers 10 are not to be limited to the weld of the type formed, unless otherwise indicated.

[0026] Fig. 9 schematically illustrates one example of a packaging machine 100 configured to produce flexible stacking containers 10 according to the present disclosure. E.g,

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Machine 100 can produce the container 10 discussed above. The machine 100 may be of a type known to those skilled in the art as a VFFS (Vertical Form Fill and Seal) packaging machine. Packaging machine 100 is capable of continuously forming a series of containers 10 from a film web that can be fed to packaging machine 100. In most applications, the web is pre-printed with graphics referring to the product being placed in the container, such as product information, manufacturer information, nutrition information, bar code and the like. A packaging film web is provided on a roll 102 of the film rotatably mounted on a shaft at the inlet end of the packaging machine 100. The packaging film is typically fed to the packaging machine 100 through a series of free tension rollers and guide rollers 104, of which one or more can be driven to direct the film web towards the transport path of the packaging machine 100.

[0027] Prior to forming the flexible package 12 for the container 10, the film can be guided through the pretreatment station 106 for additional processing of the film, which was not practical or desirable during the production and winding of the film onto the film roll 102. The treatments carried out at the pretreatment station 106 may include mechanical or laser perforations, cutting or piercing, or other suitable processing to define the flap 22 that can be placed under the lid element 14, applying flap 22 to the tab 24 to peel or pull, dating with the code, placing the chips RFID or any other film pretreatment that should occur when creating the containers 10. In some embodiments of the packaging machine 100, it may even be desirable to attach the lid members 14 to the pretreatment station 106 prior to forming flexible wraps 12. In other embodiments, the pretreatment station 106 may be omitted, so that when the foil sheet is unwound from the film roll 102 , no pre-treatment is carried out.

[0028] After passing through the pretreatment station (s) 106, the film web is directed to the forming station 108 having the forming projection 110 or other device such as a forming box or sequential folding system configured to wrap the film around the forming tube 112 in a manner known in the art. field. In the present example, the forming tube 112 is a product filling tube 114 having a funnel 116 for receiving the product placed in the container 10 and filling the container 10 with the product when the film moves along the forming tube 112 as discussed in more detail below. The forming tube 112 is configured to form the desired shape from the film based on the features of the final packaging design, such as square, rectangular, oval, trapezoidal, round, irregular or the like. Depending on the characteristics of the film being processed and / or container 10 produced and other factors, the film can simply be wrapped completely or partially around the forming tube 112 to shape the film or, when a more durable shape is desired, folding devices can be used during the initial stages of the packaging process. forming wrinkles at the corners of 52-56 films. Obviously, when non-VFFS packaging machines are used, the forming tube does not necessarily have to be used, but instead the film can be wound directly around the product stored in the container 10.

[0029] After the film is formed around the forming tube 112, the film web is moved along the transport path to station 118 of the fin weld / corner weld combination to form corner welds 58-62 in corners 52-56 between sides 42-48 of package 12 and to form a weld combination fin and corner seam 64 on the side edges 32, 34 of the foil web. In one implementation of the packaging machine 100, corner welds 56-64 can be formed in station 118, providing flat

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The forming plates projecting outwards from the square or rectangular forming tube 112. Each of the forming plates extends from the corner of the forming tube 112 in parallel planes that are perpendicular to the surface of the side 42 to which the lid element 14 is to be attached and to the opposite side 44 of the package 12 such that the two plates extend from the corners defining the side edges an upper side 42 and two plates extend from the corners defining the lower side 44 of package 12. Thus, the film is wrapped around the forming plates, and the station 118 may further include a shaping strip positioned between each pair of forming plates for forming the foil in preparation for welding corner joints 58-64. After the film web passes through the forming plates and forming strips, the film web is guided behind the devices bonding the stations 118, which bond the overlapping parts of the film at the corners 52-56 and the side edges 32, 34 to form corner joints 58-64. Depending on the configuration of the container 10, the forming plates may protrude outward in planes that are not perpendicular to the surface of the upper side 42, such that corner joints 58-64 are not perpendicular to the upper side 42. In such implementations, the base 16 of the lid element 14 may be formed into a shape that is complementary to the orientation of corner welds 58-64.

[0030] At one corner of the forming tube 112, parts of the film near the side edges of the film 32, 34 are joined to form a combination of a fin weld and a corner weld 64. A fin weld is formed by joining the inner surfaces of the film. To ensure the combinational integrity of the fin weld 64 and the corner weld when using the container 10, an additional bend may be formed at the corner, with the folded part bonded to the matching weld part 64 to strengthen the corner weld 64. After the corner welding devices, an additional forming projection can be provided to bend a portion of the corner weld 64 formed on the side edges 32, 34 inwardly for overlapping. To maintain additional bending, an additional bonding device may be provided to form a second weld at the corner weld 64 after the film has passed through the forming projection. Alternatively, a portion of the corner weld 64 may be bent outwardly and welded in a similar manner. While the present example shows side edges 32, 34 contacting at the corner of package 12 and welded to form the combination seam and corner weld 64, those skilled in the art will understand that the packaging machine 100 can be configured such that side edges 32, 34 are in contact at any from corners 52, 56 of packaging 12 or at any point along any of the flat surfaces such that a fin seal or, alternatively, the lap weld is created separately from the corner welds. In the example shown, a fin seal can be formed at one of the corner seams 64 to maximize the print space available on the outside of the container 10. As discussed above, the fin seal can be placed along the side of the package 12 instead of in one corner. In these configurations, station 118 can be configured to create a corner weld 64 in a similar manner to other corner welds 58-62 and to create a fin or overlap weld at the intersection of side edges 32, 34.

[0031] To further control the movement of the film web along the forming tube 112 and the transport path behind the stations 118, pulling tapes 120 for coupling with the film and pulling the film through the previous stations 106, 108, 118 may be provided. After forming 12 corner seals 58 64 on the package 12 at the lid application station 122, a lid element 14, preferably covering the removable / resealable flap 22 can be installed in the desired location.

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The lid elements 14 can be delivered to the lid application station 122 from a supply of lid elements 14 in the lid hopper 124. The lid elements 14 from the hopper 124 can be transferred via the lid lifter 126 to the sorter / orientator 128. The sorter / orientator 128 is configured to place the lid elements 14 in the correct orientation for delivering lid application station 122. At the outlet of the sorter / orientator 128, correctly oriented lid elements 14 can be delivered to the lid application station 122 by means of the lid feeding conveyor 130.

[0032] At the lid application station 122, the lid elements 14 are placed and secured in a suitable place on the packages 12 as the packages 12 pass through the lid application station 122 on the forming tube 112. In the present example, the bottom surface 50 of the lid element 14 is located at the upper side 42 of the package 12 in the place of the removable flap 22 with the front and rear sides 78, 80 of the lid element 14 located in respective parts of the corner joints 58, 60 defining the edges of the upper side 42. When the package 12 is placed in a suitable location adjacent to the lid application station 122, a plunger, pin, or other positioning device of the lid application station 122 can be actuated, pushing the next lid component 14 from the lid feeding conveyor 130 towards the forming tube 112 with the bottom surface 50 of the element lid 14 engaging the surface of the upper side 42 of the package 12. The end of the mandrel or plunger may be shaped to adapt to the inner recess of the upper surface of the lid element 14 for proper alignment of the lid element 14 with the surface of the package 12 and for applying pressure of appropriate size to the surface of the film. Once in place, the bonding devices 122 may form welds between the front and rear sides 78, 80 of the lid element 14 and respective corner portions 58, 60 of the upper side 42. For example, the bonding devices can be welders forming welds between the sides 78, 80 of the lid element 14 and the corner welds 58, 60 of the package 12. Of course, other types of welds can be formed such that the sides 78, 80 of the lid element 14 are welded to the corner welds. 58, 60, such as by thermal, temporary or pressure welding techniques, adhesive fixing, welding and the like. Furthermore, the lid element 14 can alternatively be combined with the upper side 42 of the package 12, forming a weld between the bottom surface 50 of the lid element 14 and the surface of the upper side 42 of the package 12. The specific welding mechanism and location can be determined based on the particular configurations of the lid elements 14 and the packaging 12 to which they are attached, or based on the methods used to secure the lid element 14 to the packaging 12, and alternative attachment configurations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0033] After the lid element 14 is attached, the front and end edges 28, 30 of the package 12 can be welded to close the package 12 and folded and attached to adjust the shape of the package 12 to the lid element 14. The package 12 with the attached lid element 14 passes from application station 122 lids for closing position 132. To ensure careful wrapping of the edges 28, 30 of the package 12 around the lid element 14 to create a relatively smooth and homogeneous outer surface for the container 10, when forming the front and back seam 70, 72, it may be necessary to roll the film between corner seams 58-64 on the top and / or bottom side 42, 44 packaging 12. To complete this post

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The closing 132 may include foil rolling slings 134 disposed above the sealing slats 136 of the closing station 132. When the front edge 28 of the package 12 is aligned at the sealing strips 136, the foil winding strips 134 can move inward toward the respective sides 42, 44 of the package 12 and engage with the surfaces of the sides 42, 44 to roll the sides 42, 44 inward when the bonding strips 136 move together to engage and weld the front edges 28 of the package 12. It should be noted that since the packages 12 arise from a continuous web of film, the sealing strips 136 close on the foil at the same time and can weld the end edge 30 of the previous package 12. As a result, additional foil strips 134 for rolling the sides 42, 44 can be provided under the foil strips 136, at the end edge 30 of the previous package 12. While not shown in the present method of Fig. 9, in an alternative embodiment, the closing station 132 can only weld the front weld 28 of the upper package 12 and leave the end edge 30 of the packages 12 open. For example, the bonding strips 136 can be double bonding strips that are heated separately to be welded as needed end 72 of lower package 12 or front weld 70 of upper package 12. Furthermore, the double sealing strips can be separately coupled so that when the packages 12 pass through the closing station 132, only one of the packages 12 is coupled by the sealing strips 136.

[0034] As discussed above, the forming tube 112 of the illustrated embodiment of the packaging machine 100 is a product filling tube 114. After the front edge 28 of the package 12 is closed, product can be added to the package 12 during the sealing method at the closing station 132. At this point, it is possible to pour / pour it through the funnel 116 into the filling tube 114 may be poured) a specific amount of product and drain it into packaging 12, where the product remains thanks to the seam 70 at the front edge 28 of the packaging 12. After or when receiving the product in packaging 12, packaging 12 moves forward to align the front edge 30 of packaging 12 on closing station 132 and end edge 30 is rolled up and welded as described above, thereby sealing the package 12 with the product contained therein. In some implementations, the additional weight of the product in package 12 may pull the film and increase the film tension at the closing station 132. To control the film tension, when forming joints 70, 72 at the closing station 132, it may be necessary to provide a lifting mechanism for engaging and lifting further packaging 12 for sufficient removal of some or all of the stress in the film so that welds 70, 72 in packages 12 are properly formed.

[0035] At the same time as seams 70, 72 of adjacent packages 12 are formed, a gas flushing operation may be performed if desired to provide the desired atmosphere in package 12. Obviously, gas flushing can occur in a draft or at other times during the creation and filling of the package 12. Furthermore, during one or more previous steps to achieve the desired loosening or tension of the package 12, gas inlet or outlet devices or a heated gas or refrigerated gas may be provided or used. After sealing the package 12, it can be detached from the film web, preparing for any final processing and packaging step. Consequently, the closing station 132 may additionally comprise a knife or other separating device (not shown) near the sealing strips 136 for cutting the common seam 70/72 and separating adjacent packages 12.

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Alternatively, separation may take place in a downstream position. After separation, the package 12 may fall or be transported in another way to the conveyor 138 for delivery to the remaining process stations.

[0036] The conveyor 138 may include a synchronization belt or synchronization chain 140 to maintain the correct spacing between packages 12 and align with the other processing stations. Other types of conveyors may be used, such as intermittent conveyor belts, swing type conveyors, and the like. If desired, the conveyor 138 may include guide rails or other packaging control devices to ensure that the packages are properly aligned and spaced as they move along the conveyor 138. The first station along the conveyor 138 may be the upper station 142 for welding / folding the seams of the bag. The folding / bonding station 142 can bend the end seam 72 and the corresponding loose film portion around the lid element 14 and the outer surface of the relatively stationary portion of the package 12 for adapting the loose portion of the outer surfaces of the lid element 14 and package 12 and fixing the weld to the outer surface of the package 12. Weld 72 may be attached to the surface of the package 12 using thermal, temporary or pressure welding techniques, or using hot glue between the weld and the outer surface, or other methods of welding. The loose part of the film should lie relatively flat and adapt to the stationary part of the package 12 after folding and bonding due to the folds made in the sides 42, 44 when forming the edge seams 70, 72. Once the end seam 72 and the package 12 are bonded, the synchronization chain or strap 140 can change the position of the package 12 on the first package turning device 144, which can change the orientation of the package 12 for folding and welding the front seam 70. The orientation change can be a 180 ° rotation of the container to place the front seam 70 on top of the package 12. After rotating the package 12, the synchronization chain or strap 140 can transfer the package 12 to the bottom welding / folding station 146 of the seam attachment bag of the front seam 70 to the outer surface of the package 12 in a similar manner as described for the folding / sealing station 142. Alternatively, the front seam 70 can be folded and fastened without changing the orientation of the package 12 or simultaneously with folding and fixing the end weld.

[0037] After the joints 70, 72 are attached to the outer surface of the package 12, the lateral sides 84, 86 of the lid element 14 can be bonded with respective parts of the corner weld 58, 60 of the package 12, so that the container 10 can properly store and maintain the freshness of the product contained therein after removing flap 22 and when the package 12 is no longer sealed. In manufacturing, the synchronization chain or belt 140 may first place the package 12 in a second package rotating device 148 that can rotate the package 12 so that the lid element 14 is placed on top. The synchronization chain or belt 140 can then move the package 12 to the end lid bonding device 150, which can be configured to weld the side sides 84, 86 of the lid element welding 14 with the respective corner weld portions 58, 60 and / or to weld the bottom surface 50 of the base 16 with upper surface of the upper side 42. The final bonding device 150 may perform a bonding method similar to that performed at the lid application station 122, such as welding, adhesive or the like, or other methods of bonding. If desired, a post-treatment station (s) (not shown) may be included along the conveyor 138 for any

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Additional operations prior to shipment, such as code dating, weight checking, quality control, labeling or marking, RFID assembly, and the like. At the end of the welding and finishing operations, the finished containers 10 can be removed from the conveyor 138 by means of the packing machine 152 and placed in a carton 154 for storage and / or shipping to retail customers.

[0038] The components of the packaging machine 100 and the steps of forming the containers 10 can here be transformed as required for the correct formation of the containers 10, making it effective and economically efficient. For example, when it is necessary to properly form or shape the package 12, the lid application station 122 may be positioned in front of the sealing station 118 for applying the lid member 14 to the foil sheet 26 before forming corner joints 58-64. Alternatively, to increase efficiency or to compensate for space restrictions, for example, it may be necessary or desirable to position the lid application station 122 along the conveyor 138 for applying and sealing the lid member 14 to the package 12 after forming the package 12. For example, the lid application station 122 may be located in front of the folding / sealing station 142 for applying the lid component 14 to the package 12 before attaching the end seam 72 to the package surface 12. Other configurations of packaging machine components 100 will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0039] Fig. 10 is a schematic illustration of an alternative embodiment of a packaging machine configured to manufacture the flexible stacking container 10 of Fig. 1. The packaging machine in Fig. 10 and many of its components are generally similar to the packaging machine 100 and components of Fig. 9. However, in this embodiment, the product filling tube and funnel are separate from the forming tube and placed along the conveyor for filling the package 12 after detaching the foil sheet 26 from the foil web. The closing station along the forming tube is configured to form the front seam 70 of one package 12 without welding the adjacent end edge 30 of the previous package 12 and to cut the parallel front and rear edges 28, 30 to separate the further package 12 from the film web.

[0040] The separated packages 12 having unsaturated end edges 30 are transferred to the conveyor by a suitable active or passive transfer mechanism and placed along a chain or belt synchronizing with the end edges 30 facing up. When the packages 12 are moved to be aligned with the bottom end of the product filling tube, a defined amount of product can be poured / poured through the funnel into the filling tube 114 and down into the package 12. The product-filled packages 12 slide along the conveyor to an end seam closing station having a pair of bonding strips that couple the end edges 30 of the packages 12 to form end seals 102 and seal the packages 12. After sealing, the packages 12 can be moved through the folding / sealing stations and a final lid sealing station similar to those shown and described for the packaging machine of Fig. 9. As a further alternative, the lid application station 122 can be positioned along the conveyor for securing the lid member 14 in a suitable place, such as before welding and bending the end weld 72.

[0041] Figs. 11a and 11b show an alternative embodiment of the container 200 and the lid element 202. The lid element 202 includes a base 204, which may be similar to the base 16 described above for the lid element 14, which may be welded or secured to another

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The method for corner seals 58, 60 and / or the upper side surface 42 of the package 12 and has an upper opening for access to the upper surface part of the upper side 42. However, in this embodiment, the lid element 202 may include a plurality of resealable lids of similar cans with pepper or spice to resealable lids. For example, the lid element 202 may include a first lid 206 that opens to reveal an opening for rapid pouring / pouring or free flow, a second lid 208 that opens to reveal a medium pouring / pouring area or a large screening area and a third lid 210, which opens to reveal a slow pouring / pouring area or a small screening area. Each of these lids may have a complementary shape to the base portion of the lid component to form after closing the lid based on the weld 204 between them.

[0042] Figs. 12a and 12b show another alternative embodiment of the container 212 and the lid element 214, which may be applicable in particular to the container according to the present disclosure configured for use as a cereal product container. As shown in fig. 12a, the packaging 216 formed by the packaging machine may be taller and wider than the packaging previously shown, and the packaging machine components may be configured to form such packaging 216. The lid element 214 for cereal container 212 may be dimensionally dimensioned for use only for the top portion side of package 216 and forming a spout for pouring cereal out of container 212. Since lid element 214 does not cover the entire upper surface of the upper side surrounded by corner welds 58, 60, it may be necessary to bond the lower surface 218 of the base 220 to the surface of the upper side 42 to provide the necessary barrier to moisture and odors after closing the lid 222 on the base 220 for reuse sealing the cereal product box 212. The base 220 may further include an outwardly extending flange 224 on the bottom surface 218 to ensure that there is sufficient contact area between the bottom surface of the lid element 214 and the top surface of the upper side to form the necessary weld between them. In other embodiments, the lid element 214 for cereal container 212 may extend across the entire width of the package 216. This configuration may be desirable when the cereal product container 212 contains a toy or surprise, and the opening of the lid element 214 can be dimensioned so that a person can enter his hand into the container 212 to remove the toy or surprise without spilling the cereal product or damaging the container 212 for cereal. It should also be noted again that the lid element for container 212 or other containers according to the present disclosure can be attached to packaging surfaces other than the top surface or side, depending on the product stored inside and the manner in which the product is to be dispensed. For example, to facilitate pouring out of the salt container or pouring liquid to the side surface of the package, an element configured as a pouring / pouring spout can be attached.

[0043] Figs. 13a and 13b show another alternative embodiment of the container 230 and the lid component 232 that may be applicable in particular to the container of the present disclosure configured for use as a water bottle or container for other liquids. Unlike the lid elements previously described and described herein, the lid element 232 for a liquid container 230 may include a base 234 having an externally threaded neck 236 and a detachable lid or nut 238 having an internal thread matching

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EP 2 188 189 B1 of the outer thread of the neck 236, so that a proper seal can be ensured between the base / neck 234/236 and the nut 238 when the nut 238 is screwed onto the base 234. If necessary, an additional seal, washer or other suitable device can be included sealing or protection against unauthorized access. The base 234 can extend outward toward the corner seals 58, 60 of the package 240, so that the bottom surface 50 can be welded to the upper surface of the upper side of the package 240 with sufficient contact surface to form the necessary weld between them. Alternatively, the sides of the base 234 can be combined with corner welds 58, 60. The upper side of the liquid container 230 may include an opening aid element similar to those discussed previously, which can be configured as accessible through the neck 236 after removing the cap 238 to open the package 240 and allow the liquid contained therein to be poured. Alternatively, the packaging machine can be reconfigured to include a punch or other device for making a hole in the upper side of the package before the lid component 232 is welded to it, so that liquid can be poured after unscrewing the cap 238 from the neck.

[0044] Figs. 14a and 14b show an alternative embodiment similar to the liquid container 250 of Figures 13a and 13b in the form of a condiment bottle 250 having a removable spout 254. With respect to the liquid container 230 of Figures 13a and 13b, the element lid 252 of the spice container 250 may include a base 256 having an externally threaded neck and a detachable nut 254 having an internal thread matching the outer thread of the neck. If necessary, an additional gasket, washer or other suitable sealing device or protection against unauthorized access may be included. The base 256 can extend outward toward the corner seals 58, 60 of the package 258, so that the bottom surface 50 can be welded to the upper surface of the upper side of the package 258 with sufficient contact surface to form the necessary weld between them. Alternatively, the sides of the base 256 can be welded to the corner seams 58, 60 in a similar manner as discussed above. Three spouts 260 are shown on cap 254, but more or less spouts 260 can be provided, and spouts 260 can be spaced on cap 254, as shown in another desired arrangement, or aligned as needed or aligned.

[0045] Figs. 15a and 15b provide a graphic illustration of an embodiment, not forming part of the invention, of an opening aid for the upper side 42 of stacking flexible containers, such as the container 10 of Fig. 1. In a manner that defines the shape of the flap 22 made there is a series of perforations 20 for a maximum depth of approximately 50% of the thickness of the foil sheet 26. From the outer surface of the upper side 42 on the flap 22, the mark 270 can be seen and it can indicate to the user where to apply pressure to detach the flap 22 to the upper side 42. Near mark 270, denser perforations 20, such as about 66.7 perforations per inch, can be provided to initiate detachment of flap 22, and relatively rare perforations 20, such as approximately 20.4 perforations, can be provided along the rest of perforation line 20 defining flap 22. per inch. After applying pressure, the outer surface of the package 12 of the foil sheet 26 is broken at the perforations 20 and the interior of the package 12 is discovered. If desired, the flap 22 can be pulled out to terminate detachment from the package 12. For perforation 20 and flap 22, the inventors consider other penetration depths, shapes, spacing, etc. For example, the depth of perforation may result from the materials and structure of the film of the film sheet 26. For some transparencies to be removed from the flap 22

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A 50 percent penetration may be suitable, while other films may require more or less penetration for the perforation.

[0046] Figs. 16a and 16c show an alternative embodiment, not forming part of the invention, of the opening aid element for the upper side 42 of the stacking flexible container 10 of Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the flap 22 can be defined by perforations 20 in a manner similar to the previous embodiment. The element may further comprise a pull tab 24 for use to pull tab 22 up and separate tab 22 from film sheet 26. The pull tab 24 may have a portion 280 welded or otherwise tightly welded to the flap 22 and an additional area of ​​tack weld 282 that can hold the pull tab 24 against the outer surface of the foil sheet 26 when forming the container 10. The pull tab 24 may be pulled for detachment of the flap 22 when opening the lid 18 of the lid member 14. The relatively weak area 282 of the tacking weld may detach after pulling the pull tab 24, but the stronger weld on the bonded portion 280 may hold so that the perforations 20 defining the flap 22 are obtained prior to separating the weld to detach the flap 22 from the package 12. The density of the perforations 20 can be adjusted to ensure that the flap 22 begins to separate from the film sheet 26 at the desired location, such as near the bonded portion 280 of the pull tab 24.

[0047] Figs. 17a and 17c graphically illustrate another alternative embodiment, not forming part of the invention, of the opening aid element for the upper side 42 of the stacking flexible container 10 of Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the flap 22 may be defined by perforations 20 film sheet 100% penetrating and defining flap 22. The element may further comprise a pull tab in the form of a cover portion 290 formed of foil or other suitable material and having a complementary geometric shape, but larger than the flap 22, so that the cover portion 290 of the pull tab extends beyond the edges of the flap 22 with tabs 292 folded at bends 294 to form gripping parts of the pull tab. The tack weld areas 296 may hold tabs 292 at the top surface of the shell portion 290 when forming the container 10. The area 298 of the shell portion 290 covering the flap 22 can be attached to it by means of a locked weld that will not detach when pulling the flap 22 away from the foil sheet 26. The area of ​​the blocked weld 298 may extend into the perforations 20 or may be located inward from the perimeter of the flap 22. Pull tab parts 24 extending beyond the area 298 of the blocked weld can be attached to the outer surface of the upper side 42 to form the region 300 of the peelable weld, such as that formed by pressure sensitive adhesive or other suitable coating. When the pull tab is initially attached to the upper side 42, the shell portion 290 covers completely on the flap 22 with a peelable area 300 for sealing the package 12 despite full penetration of the perforation 20. Moreover, the shell portion 290 covers the perforations 20, preventing perforations 20 and air or liquids passing through them affecting the barrier properties of the foil sheet 26. After pulling the pull tab to separate the tab 22 from the foil sheet 26, the tab 22 and the shell portion 290 can be pressed back onto the upper side 42, so that a tear off seal is formed again around the opening formed by detaching the tab 22 to reseal the package 12 and ensuring a certain level of protective barrier for the product stored in it.

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[0048] Figs. 18a and 18c graphically illustrate another alternative embodiment, not forming part of the invention, of the opening aid element for the upper side 42 of the stacking flexible container 10 of Fig. 1. The opening aid element comprises a flap 22 and pulling portion 310 of the pull tab in configurations similar to those in FIG. 17a-17c, but configured so that the flap does not detach completely from the foil sheet 26 during normal use. The perforations 20 can extend for the most part, but not entirely around the entire circumference of the flap 22. The shell portion 310 also includes a single tab 312 folded back around the fold 314 and held by the tack weld area 316. The tab 312 may be located opposite the side of the flap 22 which is not perforated. Perforations 20 can also be provided in the tear-off tab area in a zig-zag configuration 318 to create a weak point at which the tearing or tearing of the flap 22 will begin. The casing portion 310 further includes a lock weld area 320 attached to the flap 22 within the area defined by the perforations and a tear off weld area 322 extending beyond the flap 22. When pulling tab 312, the flap 22 does not completely detach from the foil sheet 26, and the flap 22 and the casing portion 310 are not completely removed from the package 12. With this configuration, the flap 22 and the casing portion 310 are properly aligned with the hole in the upper side 42 of the package 12, when they are placed back over the opening to reclose and seal the package 12.

[0049] Figs. 19a and 19c illustrate yet another alternative embodiment, not forming part of the invention, of the opening aid element for the upper side 42 of the stacking flexible container 10 of Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the flap 22 may be defined by a line with reduced strength formed by a series of alternating incision lines 330 and interruptions in cuts or bridges 332. The score lines 330 may penetrate the film sheet 26 fully, while the bridges 332 are areas with no or partial penetration, but less than 100% penetration, so that the bridges 332 maintain the attachment of the flap 22. The length of the score lines by bridges may range from 0.1 "to 2.0" (2.54 mm to 50.8 mm), and the length of the bridges can range from 0.002 "to 0.090" (0.051 mm to 2.29 mm), depending on the implementation. The pull tab may be similar to the one shown in Figs. 17a-17c and includes a skirt portion 334 covering the flap 22 and with a single tab 336 folded back around fold 338 and held by the tack weld area 340. The area 342 of the blocked weld of the sheath portion 334 is attached to the foil sheet 26 at the flap 22 and may extend into the score line 330 as shown, or may be located inward from the perimeter of the flap 22. The tear-off weld area 344 extends beyond the blocked-weld area 342 and can be attached to the outer surface of the upper side 42 with a pressure sensitive adhesive or other similar coating. When the pull tab is initially attached to the upper side 42, the skirt portion 334 covers completely over the flap 22 with a peelable area 344 for sealing the package 12 despite full penetration of the score line 330. The tab 336 extends from the upper side 42 of the package 12 to detach the tab 22 at the bridges 332 to remove the tab 22 and the shield portion 334. If desired, the tab 22 and the shield portion 334 can be pressed against the upper side 42, so that a tear-off weld forms again. formed by detaching the flap 22 to reseal the package 12. Depending on the adhesive used, the configuration of the score lines and bridges and the properties of the foil sheet 26 both in the area of ​​the blocked joint 342 and in

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In the tear-off weld area 344, the same adhesive can be used when the adhesive strength is sufficient to detach tab 22 at the bridges without separating shield portion 334 from tab 22.

[0050] As discussed earlier, containers of the present disclosure, like those described herein, can be stacked effectively side by side in shipping cartons or on display shelves, and can be stacked vertically on top of each other. To facilitate stacking vertically, the bottom sides of the packages and the top surfaces of the lid elements can be configured with complementary shapes supporting stability when stacking in containers. Referring to Fig. 20a, an embodiment of the lid element 14 of Fig. 2 is shown in cross-section. The lid 18 and the base 16 of the lid element 14 have complementary, substantially concave shapes such that the lid 18 nests in the base 16 and forms the necessary seal to the container 10. The lid 18 has an outer wall 88 extending around the lid 18 and having an upper edge 90 against which the bottom side 44 of the stacked container 10 will rest. Regarding container 10 of Figs. 2-8, corner seals 62, 64 of package 12 are aligned with top edge 90 of lid 18. If desired, lid 18 may include an additional rim 92 extending upwardly from top edge 90 of outer wall 88 and having its outer edge inwardly from the outer edge of the outer wall 88 such that corner welds 62, 64 slide along the rim. In some embodiments, the rim 92 may be positioned about one-eighth inward from the outer edge of the outer wall 88 and may extend about one-eighth upward from the top edge 90 of the outer wall 88. Coupling between the rim and corner welds 62, 64 it can prevent relative horizontal movement between stacked containers 10, which may cause instability of the stack.

[0051] Fig. 20b shows an alternative embodiment of the lid element 14, which may further assist in stable stacking of containers 10 having corner seams 62, 64. Depending on the density of the product stored in the package 12, the bottom side 44 of the package 12 may tend to bend under the product mass, because the bottom side 44 is normally located above the bottom edges of the corner joints 62, 64. To provide additional support for the lower sides 44, when the containers 10 are stacked, the lid 18 may have an upwardly extending central raised portion 94 with an upper surface 96 that is higher than the upper edge 90 of the outer wall 88. Vertical distance between the upper surface 96 and top edge 90 may typically be less than or equal to the height of corner welds 62, 64. As a result, in some implementations, the top surface 96 may be in the range 1/16 "to 1/4" (6.35 mm to 1.59 mm) above the top edge 90. When one container 10 stacks onto another, the lower side 44 of the upper container 10 may flex, but the central portion 94 of the lid 18 of the lower container 10 will prevent the lower side 44 from flexing below the lower edges of the corner seams 62, 64.

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EP 2 188 189 B1