Granted Patent B2

US 9,409,687 · App. 14/753,410 · Granted Aug 9, 2016

Inventors: Jeffrey C Minnette (Evansville, IN); Ryan P Davidson (Evansville, IN)

Assignee: Berry Plastics Corporation

B65D61/00B65D5/62B65D11/20

Abstract

Claims (29)

1. 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 coupled to the film pouch, the film-rigidifying frame being configured 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;

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 relation to the first side panel,

wherein the film-rigidifying frame includes a rear panel coupled to each of the first and second side panels and arranged to extend from the first side panel toward the second side panel and lie in spaced-apart relation to the front panel,

wherein the front panel is formed to include an interior edge forming a boundary of an aperture in the front panel,

wherein the first and second side panels are each formed to include an interior edge forming a boundary of an aperture in each of the first and second side panels.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the film-rigidifying frame includes a rear panel coupled to each of the first and second side panels and arranged to extend from the first side panel toward the second side panel and lie in spaced-apart relation to the front panel, and the front panel, the first and second side panels, and the rear panel are each formed to include an interior edge forming a boundary of an aperture in each panel.

3. The package of claim 2 , wherein the film-rigidifying frame mates with an interior surface of the film pouch.

4. 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 coupled to the film pouch, the film-rigidifying frame being configured 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:

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 relation to the first side panel,

wherein the front panel is formed to include a perimeter edge forming an exterior edge of the front panel and the perimeter edge is formed to include a top segment, a first side segment, a second side segment and a bottom segment, the first and second side segments are coupled to the top segment and arranged to extend in a downward direction to couple to the bottom segment, and the top segment is arranged to lie in substantially spaced-apart relation to the bottom segment.

5. The package of claim 4 , wherein the first side segment, bottom segment, second side segment, and top segment are arranged to lie in series to provide a perimeter edge of the front panel.

6. The package of claim 5 , wherein the interior edge of the front panel further is arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the perimeter edge to cause the front panel to mate only with a perimeter border portion of the film pouch.

7. The package of claim 6 , wherein the perimeter edge of the front panel has a rectangular shape.

8. 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 coupled to the film pouch, the film-rigidifying frame being configured 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;

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 relation to the first side panel,

wherein the front panel is formed to include a perimeter edge forming an exterior edge of the front panel, the perimeter edge is formed to include, in series, a top segment, a first segment, a second side segment, and a bottom segment, the first and second side segments are coupled to the top segment and arranged to extend in a downward direction to couple to the bottom segment, the top segment is arranged to lie in substantially spaced-apart relation to the bottom segment, the bottom segment is arranged to interconnect the first and second side panels, and the film-rigidifying frame further includes a bottom panel coupled to the bottom segment of the front panel.

9. The package of claim 8 , wherein the bottom segment is arranged to lie at about a right angle to the front panel.

10. The package of claim 8 , wherein the film pouch has an interior surface arranged to face toward the interior region and coupled permanently to the front panel, the first and second side panels, the rear panel, and the bottom panel to rigidify the film pouch.

11. The package of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the front panel and bottom panel is formed to include an interior edge forming a boundary of an aperture.

12. The package of claim 11 , wherein the front panel is formed to include the aperture.

13. The package of claim 8 , wherein each of the front panel, rear panel, first side panel, and second side panel is formed to include an aperture therein.

14. The package of claim 12 , wherein the front, rear, first and second side panels are each rectangular.

15. The package of claim 14 , wherein each of the apertures is rectangular.

Assignments (31)

Continuity (3)