Stand-up Package
View Patent ↗A stand-up package is formed to include an interior region for containing a product. The package is configured to be in an upright, standing position.
1. A package comprising
a film-rigidifying frame including a front panel having a perimeter edge, a first side panel coupled to a first side segment of the perimeter edge of the front panel and arranged to lie at about a right angle to the front panel, a second side panel coupled to a second side segment of the perimeter edge of the front panel and arranged to lie at about a right angle to the front panel and in substantially spaced-apart parallel relation to the first side panel and
a pouch made of a thin plastics film sheet material and formed to include an interior region adapted to contain products therein and sized to receive the film-rigidifying frame therein, wherein the pouch includes a front sheet having an interior surface arranged to face toward the interior region and coupled permanently to an exterior surface of the front panel to rigidify the front sheet, a first side sheet having an interior surface arranged to face toward the interior region and coupled permanently to an exterior surface of the first side panel to rigidify the first side sheet, and a second side sheet having an interior surface arranged to face toward the interior region and the first side sheet and coupled permanently to an exterior surface of the second side panel to rigidify the second side sheet, and a closure coupled to each of the front sheet, first side sheet, and the second side sheet to establish the interior region of the pouch as a closed volume.
2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the closure of the pouch includes a bottom sheet coupled to a bottom edge of each of the front sheet and first and second side sheets, a top sheet coupled to an opposite top edge of each of the front sheet and the first and second side sheets and arranged to lie in substantially spaced-apart parallel relation to the bottom sheet, and a rear sheet coupled to each of the first, second, top, and bottom sheets and arranged to lie in substantially spaced-apart parallel relation to the front sheet.
3. The package of claim 2 , wherein the rear sheet is formed to define a portion of the interior region of the pouch.
4. The package of claim 3 , wherein the film-rigidifying frame is separated from the rear sheet of the pouch.
5. The package of claim 3 , wherein the perimeter edge of the front panel further includes a bottom segment arranged to interconnect the first and second side segments, the film-rigidifying frame further includes a bottom panel coupled to the bottom segment of the perimeter edge of the front panel and arranged to lie at about a right angle to the front panel, and the bottom sheet of the pouch has an interior surface arranged to face toward the interior region and coupled permanently to an exterior surface of the bottom panel to rigidify the bottom sheet.
6. The package of claim 5 , wherein the perimeter edge of the front panel further includes a top segment arranged to interconnect the first and second side segments and lie in substantially spaced-apart parallel relation to the bottom segment, the film-rigidifying frame further includes a top panel coupled to the top segment of the perimeter edge of the perimeter edge of the front panel and arranged to lie at about a right angle to the front panel, and the top sheet of the pouch has an interior surface arranged to face toward the interior region and coupled permanently to an exterior surface of the top panel to rigidify the top sheet.
7. The package of claim 6 , wherein the film-rigidifying frame is separated from the rear sheet of the pouch.
8. The package of claim 6 , wherein the first side edge, bottom edge, second side edge, and top edge are arranged to lie in series to provide the perimeter edge of the front panel with a rectangular shape.
9. The package of claim 8 , wherein the front panel further includes an interior edge arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the perimeter edge and to have a rectangular shape to cause the front panel to mate only with a perimeter border portion of the front sheet.
10. The package of claim 2 , wherein the film-rigidifying frame further includes a rear panel coupled to each of the first and second side panels and arranged to extend from the first side panel to the second side panel and lie in substantially spaced-apart parallel relation to the front panel, and the rear sheet of the pouch has an interior surface arranged to face toward the front sheet of the pouch and coupled permanently to an exterior surface of the rear panel to rigidify the rear sheet.
11. The package of claim 10 , wherein the perimeter edge of the front panel further includes a bottom segment arranged to interconnect the first and second side segments, the film-rigidifying frame further includes a bottom panel coupled to the bottom segment of the perimeter edge of the front panel and arranged to lie at about a right angle to the front panel, and the bottom sheet of the pouch has an interior surface arranged to face toward the interior region and coupled permanently to an exterior surface of the bottom panel to rigidify the bottom sheet.
12. The package of claim 11 , wherein the perimeter edge of the front panel further includes a top segment arranged to interconnect the first and second side segments and lie in substantially spaced-apart parallel relation to the bottom segment, the film-rigidifying frame further includes a top panel coupled to the top segment of the perimeter edge of the front panel and arranged to lie at about a right angle to the front panel, and the top sheet of the pouch has an interior surface arranged to face toward the interior region and coupled permanently to an exterior surface of the top panel to rigidify the top sheet.
13. The package of claim 12 , wherein each of the front, rear, first side, and second side panels are formed to include an interior edge forming a boundary of an aperture.
14. The package of claim 12 , wherein each of the front, rear, first side, and second side panels are rectangle-shaped and formed to include a rectangle-shaped aperture therein.
15. The package of claim 1 , wherein the front panel further includes an interior edge arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the perimeter edge and to have a rectangular shape to cause the front panel to mate only with a perimeter border portion of the front sheet.
16. A package comprising
a film pouch made of a plastics film material and arranged to define an interior region adapted to contain products therein and
a film-rigidifying frame located in the interior region and coupled to the film pouch, the film-rigidifying frame being configured to provide means for mating with an interior surface of the film pouch to rigidify the film pouch to maintain the interior region in an opened state to receive products therein and to cause the film pouch to extend in an upward direction away from ground underlying the film pouch so that the film pouch assumes an upright position and has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from a front of the package,
wherein the film-rigidifying frame includes a front panel, a first side panel coupled to the front panel and arranged to extend in a rearward direction, and a second side panel coupled to the front panel and arranged to lie in substantially spaced-apart parallel relation to the first side panel.
17. The package of claim 16 , wherein the film pouch includes a front sheet arranged to overlie and couple to the front panel, a first side sheet coupled to the front sheet and arranged to overlie and couple to the first side panel, and a second side sheet arranged to overlie and couple to the second panel.
18. The package of claim 17 , wherein the film pouch further includes a rear sheet arranged to lie in substantially spaced-apart parallel relation to the front sheet and extend between and interconnect the first and second side sheets.
19. The package of claim 16 , wherein the film-rigidifying frame further includes a rear panel arranged to lie in spaced-apart parallel relation to the front panel and to extend between and interconnect the first and second side panels to cause support provided to the film pouch to be maximized.
20. The package of claim 19 , wherein the film pouch includes a front sheet arranged to overlie and couple to the front panel and a rear sheet arranged to lie in substantially spaced-apart parallel relation to the front sheet and overlie and couple to the rear panel.