US 12,404,077 B2
Flexible enclosure having a seal and method and system for making the same
Dave Matthews, Gilman, IL (US); and Matt Nysted, Kennesaw, GA (US)
Assigned to ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed by Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL (US)
Filed on Feb. 26, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/186,076.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/983,892, filed on Mar. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0269196 A1, Sep. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. B65D 33/25 (2006.01); B65D 30/20 (2006.01); B65D 75/58 (2006.01)
CPC B65D 33/2508 (2013.01) [B65D 31/10 (2013.01); B65D 75/5827 (2013.01); B65D 75/5861 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A flexible enclosure comprising:
a front wall and a back wall that oppose each other and a side wall that joins the front and back walls, wherein the front wall, the back wall, and the side wall are discrete sections, the front wall and the back wall being attached to opposite side edges of the side wall, the side wall having a slit between top edges and bottom edges of the front wall and the back wall to define a top wall portion of the side wall between the slit and the top edges of the front wall and the back wall and to define a bottom wall portion of the side wall between the slit and the bottom edges of the front wall and the back wall; and
a resealer extending between the front and back walls along the bottom wall portion of the side wall, wherein the bottom wall portion is separable from the top wall portion along the slit, the bottom wall portion configured to flex outwardly and away from the top wall portion and form a spout of the flexible enclosure, the resealer configured to close the spout;
wherein the bottom wall portion is configured to flex outwardly and away from the top wall portion to form the spout and the resealer is configured to close the spout while the bottom wall portion is outwardly flexed away from the top wall portion,
wherein the side wall is a first side wall and the flexible enclosure includes a second side wall that is also a discrete section with respect to the front wall, the back wall, and the first side wall, the front wall and the back wall being attached to opposite edges of the second side wall, the first and second side walls opposing each other,
wherein the resealer is one of four resealers, each of the resealers extending along a respective one of the first side wall, the second side wall, the front wall, and the back wall.