Patent Publication Number: US-11383877-B2

Title: Heavy duty pack and method of manufacturing

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/845,587, filed May 9, 2019, which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to heavy duty retail packaging. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An aspect of the invention involves a heavy duty pack comprising a main body including a front, a rear, a bottom, and opposite sides that join the front, the rear, and the bottom; a top section including a flat flange with a front panel and a back panel, and angled sections that join the main body to the flat flange, wherein the flat flange includes opposite ends with respective seals adjacent thereto securing the front panel and the back panel together adjacent to the opposite ends. 
     One or more implementations of the aspect of the invention described above includes one or more of the following: the seals are vertically elongated seals; the seals are oval seals; both the front panel and the back panel of the flat flange include a first outer ply and a second inner ply, the second inner ply of both the front panel and the back panel of the flat flange include holes where the seals are formed between the first outer ply of both the front panel and the back panel; the seals are laser welded seals; the top section includes a two-piece plastic handle within the flat flange; the two-piece plastic handle includes an oval configuration; the two-piece plastic handle includes a grip section with four finger recesses; the two-piece plastic handle includes a first handle member and a second handle member that together include spaced protruding connector pegs and spaced peg receivers that mate with each other to clamp the handle onto the front panel and the back panel of the top section; both the front panel and the back panel of the flat flange include a first outer ply and a second inner ply, and the pegs extend through both the first outer ply and a second inner ply of the front panel and the first outer ply and a second inner ply of the back panel; and/or the first handle member and the second handle member include rear sides that are affixed to the front panel and the back panel of the top section to additionally secure the handle to the top section. 
     Another aspect of the invention involves a method of manufacturing the heavy duty pack of the aspect of the invention described above, wherein both the front panel and the back panel of the flat flange include a first outer ply and a second inner ply, the second inner ply of both the front panel and the back panel of the flat flange include holes, and the method comprises aligning the holes of the first outer ply and the second inner ply of the flat flange; and sealing the first outer ply of both the front panel and the back panel together through the aligned holes of the first outer ply and the second inner ply. 
     One or more implementations of the aspect of the invention described immediately above includes one or more of the following: sealing includes laser welding the first outer ply of both the front panel and the back panel together through the aligned holes of the first outer ply and the second inner ply; the seals are vertically elongated seals; the seals are oval seals; the top section includes a two-piece plastic handle within the flat flange, and the method further comprises adding the two-piece plastic handle within the flat flange; the two-piece plastic handle includes an oval configuration; the two-piece plastic handle includes a grip section with four finger recesses; the two-piece plastic handle includes a first handle member and a second handle member that together include spaced protruding connector pegs and spaced peg receivers, and the method further comprises mating the spaced protruding connector pegs and spaced peg receivers with each other, through the front panel and the back panel of the flat flange, to clamp the handle onto the front panel and the back panel of the top section; and/or the first handle member and the second handle member include rear sides, and the method further comprises affixing the rear sides of the first handle member and the second handle member to the front panel and the back panel of the top section to additionally secure the handle to the top section. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heavy duty pack; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the heavy duty pack of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear elevation view of the heavy duty pack of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a left side elevational view of the heavy duty pack of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a right side elevational view of the heavy duty pack of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the adjustable cyclic device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of the heavy duty pack of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a front-elevational view of an embodiment of a template for the heavy duty pack shown in  FIGS. 1-7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a front elevational view of an embodiment of a first handle member for the heavy duty pack shown in  FIGS. 1-8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the first handle member of  FIG. 9  taken along lines  10 - 10 . 
         FIG. 11  is a side elevational view of the first handle member of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of the first handle member of  FIG. 9  taken along lines  12 - 12 . 
         FIG. 13  is a front elevational view of an embodiment of a second handle member for the heavy duty pack shown in  FIGS. 1-8 . 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of the second handle member of  FIG. 13  taken along lines  14 - 14 . 
         FIG. 15  is a side elevational view of the second handle member of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view of the second handle member of  FIG. 13  taken along lines  16 - 16 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-16 , an embodiment of a heavy duty pack (“pack”)  110  will be described. The pack  110  may be used, for example, but not by way of limitation, as retail packaging for water softener salt bars. 
     The pack  110  includes a front panel  120 , a back panel  130 , side panels  140 ,  150 , and a bottom  160  that are dual plied and are laser welded at edges to form the pack  110 . The pack  110  includes an internal cavity that holds for example, but not by way of limitation, the water softener salt bars. The pack  110  includes a main body  180  and a top section  190  with a flat flange  192  and angled sections  194 . 
     The top section  190  includes vertically elongated oval seals  200  to affix the front panel  120  and the back panel  130  of the top section  190  together, giving the top section  190  the appearance shown and strengthening the top section  190 .  FIG. 8  shows vertically elongated punch outs/cutouts  210  that, because the top section  190  is dual-plied, form openings in side gussets  220  of the top section  190  behind the front panel/layer  120  and back panel/layer  130  to allow front panel/layer  120  and back panel/layer  130  to bond during laser welding to form the vertically elongated oval seals  200 . 
     The top section  190  further includes two-piece plastic handle  230  in flat flange  192 . The plastic handle  230  includes a first handle member  240  and a second handle member  250 . The first handle member  240  and a second handle member  250  have a generally oval configuration, and include a grip section  260  with four finger recesses  270  along with a main recess  280  for hand grip by a user. The first handle member  240  includes a rear  290  with eight spaced rearwardly protruding connector pegs  300  that mate with eight spaced peg receivers  310  along a rear  320  of the second handle member  250  to clamp the handle  230  onto the front panel  120  and the back panel  130  of the top section  200 . The pegs  300  extend through the 2×2 plies of the front panel  120  and the back panel  130  of the top section  200  with a cut-out in the front panel  120  and the back panel  130  for the finger recesses  270  and the main recess  280  of the handle  230 . The rears  290 ,  320  of the first handle member  240  and the second handle member  250  may also be affixed to the front panel  120  and the back panel  130  of the top section  200  to additionally secure the handle  230  to the top section  200 . 
     The figures may depict exemplary configurations for the invention, which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that can be included in the invention. The invention is not restricted to the illustrated architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in some combination, to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the present invention, especially in the following claims, should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. 
     Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” should be read as mean “including, without limitation” or the like; the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, a group of items linked with the conjunction “and” should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction “or” should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should also be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, although item, elements or components of the disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent.