IP Library Granted Patent US 10,897,980
Granted Patent B2
US 10,897,980 · App. 16/691,462 · Granted Jan 26, 2021

Flexible container

Inventors: Matthew J. Lyon (Moraga, CA); Samuel M. Lopez (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Hydrapak LLC
A45F3/18A45F3/20A45F5/10B31B50/60B31B50/84B65D21/086B65D47/06A45F2003/166
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,897,980
App. No.
16/691,462
Granted
Jan 26, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A flexible container device, comprising a container top portion having a top footprint, a container bottom having a bottom footprint, and a flexible reservoir body in between the container top portion and the container bottom. The flexible reservoir body can be formed by a flexible panel folded and attached to itself along one or more body seams extending along a length of the flexible reservoir body. The flexible reservoir body can be collapsible and foldable.

Claims (67)

1. A flexible container device, comprising:

a flexible container top portion having a substantially round top footprint;

a rigid cap shoulder coupled to the flexible container top portion and a rigid cap neck extending from the rigid cap shoulder, wherein the rigid cap neck comprises an external thread pattern defined on an exterior of the rigid cap neck;

a rigid cap configured to be rotatably and removably fastened to the rigid cap neck, wherein the rigid cap comprises an internal thread pattern configured to accommodate the external thread pattern of the rigid cap neck;

a flexible container bottom having a substantially round bottom footprint, wherein the flexible container bottom is foldable; and

a flexible reservoir body in between the flexible container top portion and the flexible container bottom, wherein the flexible reservoir body is coupled to the container top portion by a top perimeter seam, wherein the flexible reservoir body is coupled to the flexible container bottom by a bottom perimeter seam, and wherein the flexible reservoir body is formed by a flexible panel folded and attached to itself along one or more body seams extending along a length of the flexible reservoir body,

wherein the flexible reservoir body is collapsible and foldable, and

wherein the flexible reservoir body is shaped substantially as a cylinder when the flexible reservoir body is at least partially filled by a fluid.

2. The flexible container device of claim 1 , wherein the top perimeter seam is a continuous seam surrounding a perimeter of the flexible container top portion, wherein the top perimeter seam is formed by radio-frequency (RF) welding, wherein the bottom perimeter seam is another continuous seam surrounding a perimeter of the flexible container bottom, wherein the bottom perimeter seam is formed by RF-welding, and wherein the one or more body seams are formed by RF-welding.

3. The flexible container device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the top perimeter seam and the bottom perimeter seam overlaps with at least one of the one or more body seams.

4. The flexible container device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible panel forming the flexible reservoir body is made in part of a sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane.

5. The flexible container device of claim 4 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane is translucent.

6. The flexible container device of claim 4 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane has a thickness between about 0.25 mm to about 0.50 mm.

7. The flexible container device of claim 4 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane has a hardness from about 83 shore-A durometer to about 87 shore-A durometer.

8. The flexible container device of claim 1 , wherein at least part of the flexible container top portion and the flexible container bottom are made of thermoplastic polyurethane.

9. The flexible container device of claim 1 , wherein the external thread pattern defined on the exterior of the rigid cap neck comprises at least two thread turns.

10. The flexible container device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible reservoir body has a collapsed height and a non-collapsed height, wherein the collapsed height is less than one-half of the non-collapsed height.

11. A flexible container device, comprising:

a flexible container top portion having a top footprint;

a rigid cap shoulder coupled to the flexible container top portion and a rigid cap neck extending from the rigid cap shoulder, wherein the rigid cap neck comprises an external thread pattern defined on an exterior of the rigid cap neck;

a rigid cap configured to be rotatably and removably fastened to the rigid cap neck, wherein the rigid cap comprises an internal thread pattern configured to accommodate the external thread pattern of the rigid cap neck;

a rigid container bottom having a bottom footprint; and

a flexible reservoir body in between the flexible container top portion and the rigid container bottom, wherein the flexible reservoir body is coupled to the container top portion by a top perimeter seam, and wherein the flexible reservoir body is formed by a flexible panel folded and attached to itself along one or more body seams extending along a length of the flexible reservoir body,

wherein the flexible reservoir body is collapsible and foldable, and

wherein the flexible reservoir body is configured to be partially filled by a fluid.

12. The flexible container device of claim 11 , wherein the top perimeter seam is a continuous seam surrounding a perimeter of the flexible container top portion, wherein the top perimeter seam is formed by radio-frequency (RF) welding.

13. The flexible container device of claim 12 , wherein the top perimeter seam overlaps with at least one of the one or more body seams.

14. The flexible container device of claim 11 , wherein the flexible panel forming the flexible reservoir body is made in part of a sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane.

15. The flexible container device of claim 14 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane is translucent.

16. The flexible container device of claim 14 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane has a thickness between about 0.25 mm to about 0.50 mm.

17. The flexible container device of claim 14 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane has a hardness from about 83 shore-A durometer to about 87 shore-A durometer.

18. The flexible container device of claim 11 , wherein at least part of the flexible container top is made of thermoplastic polyurethane.

19. The flexible container device of claim 11 , wherein the external thread pattern defined on the exterior of the rigid cap neck comprises at least two thread turns.

20. The flexible container device of claim 11 , wherein the flexible reservoir body has a collapsed height and a non-collapsed height, wherein the collapsed height is less than one-half of the non-collapsed height.

21. A flexible container device, comprising:

a rigid container top portion having a top footprint;

a rigid cap shoulder coupled to the rigid container top portion and a rigid cap neck extending from the rigid cap shoulder, wherein the rigid cap neck comprises an external thread pattern defined on an exterior of the rigid cap neck;

a rigid cap configured to be rotatably and removably fastened to the rigid cap neck, wherein the rigid cap comprises an internal thread pattern configured to accommodate the external thread pattern of the rigid cap neck;

a flexible container bottom having a bottom footprint, wherein the flexible container bottom is foldable; and

a flexible reservoir body in between the rigid container top portion and the flexible container bottom, wherein the flexible reservoir body is coupled to the flexible container bottom by a bottom perimeter seam, and wherein the flexible reservoir body is formed by a flexible panel folded and attached to itself along one or more body seams extending along a length of the flexible reservoir body,

wherein the flexible reservoir body is collapsible and foldable, and

wherein the flexible reservoir body is configured to be partially filled by a fluid.

22. The flexible container device of claim 21 , wherein the bottom perimeter seam is a continuous seam surrounding a perimeter of the flexible container bottom, wherein the bottom perimeter seam is formed by radio-frequency (RF) welding, and wherein the one or more body seams are formed by RF-welding.

23. The flexible container device of claim 22 , wherein the bottom perimeter seam overlaps with at least one of the one or more body seams.

24. The flexible container device of claim 21 , wherein the flexible panel forming the flexible reservoir body is made in part of a sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane.

25. The flexible container device of claim 24 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane is translucent.

26. The flexible container device of claim 24 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane has a thickness between about 0.25 mm to about 0.50 mm.

27. The flexible container device of claim 24 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane has a hardness from about 83 shore-A durometer to about 87 shore-A durometer.

28. The flexible container device of claim 21 , wherein at least part of the flexible container bottom is made of thermoplastic polyurethane.

29. The flexible container device of claim 21 , wherein the external thread pattern defined on the exterior of the rigid cap neck comprises at least two thread turns.

30. The flexible container device of claim 21 , wherein the flexible reservoir body has a collapsed height and a non-collapsed height, wherein the collapsed height is less than one-half of the non-collapsed height.

31. A flexible container device, comprising:

a rigid container top portion having a top footprint;

a rigid cap shoulder coupled to the rigid container top portion and a rigid cap neck extending from the rigid cap shoulder, wherein the rigid cap neck comprises an external thread pattern defined on an exterior of the rigid cap neck;

a rigid cap configured to be rotatably and removably fastened to the rigid cap neck, wherein the rigid cap comprises an internal thread pattern configured to accommodate the external thread pattern of the rigid cap neck;

a rigid container bottom having a bottom footprint; and

a flexible reservoir body in between the rigid container top portion and the rigid container bottom, wherein the flexible reservoir body is coupled to the container top portion, and wherein the flexible reservoir body is formed by a flexible panel folded and attached to itself along one or more body seams extending along a length of the flexible reservoir body,

wherein the flexible reservoir body is collapsible and foldable, and

wherein the flexible reservoir body is configured to be partially filled by a fluid.

32. The flexible container device of claim 31 , wherein the flexible panel forming the flexible reservoir body is made in part of a sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane.

33. The flexible container device of claim 32 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane is translucent.

34. The flexible container device of claim 33 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane has a thickness between about 0.25 mm to about 0.50 mm.

35. The flexible container device of claim 34 , wherein the sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane has a hardness from about 83 shore-A durometer to about 87 shore-A durometer.

36. The flexible container device of claim 31 , wherein the external thread pattern defined on the exterior of the rigid cap neck comprises at least two thread turns.

37. The flexible container device of claim 31 , wherein the flexible reservoir body has a collapsed height and a non-collapsed height, wherein the collapsed height is less than one-half of the non-collapsed height.

38. The flexible container device of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder comprises an elliptical cylinder.

39. The flexible container device of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder is an elliptical cylinder.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 21, 2019
From: HYDRAPAK, INC.
To: HYDRAPAK LLC
Reel/Frame 051082/0331 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 21, 2019
From: LYON, MATTHEW J.; LOPEZ, SAMUEL M.
To: HYDRAPAK, INC.
Reel/Frame 051088/0305 →
Continuity (10)
Continuation 16423586 · May 28, 2019
Continuation 15603016 · May 23, 2017
Continuation 15203572 · Jul 6, 2016
Continuation 14480050 · Sep 8, 2014
Continuation 14480121 · Sep 8, 2014
Continuation PCTUS2013029429 · Mar 6, 2013
Provisional Application 61668918 · Jul 6, 2012
Provisional Application 61658562 · Jun 12, 2012
Provisional Application 61607507 · Mar 6, 2012
Related Publication 20200085174A1 · Mar 19, 2020
Cited By (5)
US 1,076,409 US 1,083,356 US 1,083,508 US 12,252,327 US 12,391,438