Flexible Containers with Intermediate Bottom Members

Abstract

Flexible containers having with structural support frames having particular base constructions with intermediate bottom members.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hand-held disposable stand-up flexible container, configured for retail sale, wherein the container comprises:
 a multiple dose product volume that directly contains a fluent product, wherein about all of the product volume is made from one or more films;   a structural support frame that supports the product volume, wherein a base of the frame includes a plurality of expanded structural support volumes, including:
 an expanded front bottom structural support volume made from one or more films, wherein the front bottom structural support volume includes a front bottom portion and a front central portion that are substantially cylindrical with an overall lateral orientation, wherein the front bottom structural support volume is disposed in a bottom front part of the container, and wherein the front bottom structural support volume contacts a horizontal support surface when the container is standing up; 
 an expanded back bottom structural support volume made from one or more films, wherein the back bottom structural support volume includes a back bottom portion and a back central portion that are substantially cylindrical with an overall lateral orientation, wherein the back bottom structural support volume is disposed in a bottom back part of the container, wherein the back bottom structural support volume contacts a horizontal support surface when the container is standing up, and wherein the back bottom structural support volume is offset from the front bottom structural support volume; and 
 an expanded intermediate bottom structural support volume made from one or more films, wherein the intermediate bottom structural support volume includes an intermediate bottom portion that is substantially cylindrical with an overall lateral orientation, wherein the intermediate bottom structural support volume is disposed in a bottom central part of the container between the front bottom structural support volume and the back bottom structural support volume, wherein intermediate bottom structural support volume is raised off of a horizontal support surface when the container is standing up. 
   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein a front portion of the intermediate bottom structural support volume is proximate to the front bottom structural support volume. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the front portion of the intermediate bottom structural support volume contacts the front bottom structural support volume. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the front bottom structural support volume is formed by one or more films in a folded leg of a gusset. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein a back portion of the intermediate bottom structural support volume is proximate to the back bottom structural support volume 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the back portion of the intermediate bottom structural support volume contacts the back bottom structural support volume. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein a front portion of the intermediate bottom structural support volume contacts the front bottom structural support volume. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 7 , wherein there is only one expanded intermediate bottom structural support volume. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the back bottom structural support volume is formed by one or more films in a folded leg of a gusset. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes a continuous horizontal pathway of pressurization, which travels through expanded structural support volumes of the base, and which extends through at least a portion of the expanded front bottom structural support volume, through at least a portion of the expanded intermediate bottom structural support volume, and through at least a portion of the expanded back bottom structural support volume. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the continuous horizontal pathway of pressurization has an overall pathway height of 1-20 millimeters. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the expanded front bottom structural support volume has a central cross-section with a front overall largest cross-sectional dimension, and the continuous horizontal pathway of pressurization has an overall pathway height that is 5-50% of the front overall largest cross-sectional dimension. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the continuous horizontal pathway of pressurization is about linear. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein the continuous horizontal pathway of pressurization is about parallel with a third centerline oriented in a depth direction of the container. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the expanded front bottom structural support volume has a front central cross-section with a front overall largest cross-sectional dimension, and wherein the expanded intermediate bottom structural support volume has an intermediate central cross-section with an intermediate overall largest cross-sectional dimension, which is 50-200% of the front overall largest cross-sectional dimension. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 15 , wherein the expanded front bottom structural support volume has a front central cross-section with a front overall largest cross-sectional dimension of 5-50 millimeters. 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the expanded back bottom structural support volume has a back central cross-section with a back overall largest cross-sectional dimension, and wherein the expanded intermediate bottom structural support volume has an intermediate central cross-section with an intermediate overall largest cross-sectional dimension, which is 50-200% of the back overall largest cross-sectional dimension. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 1 , including a plurality of expanded intermediate bottom structural support volumes each made from one or more films, wherein each of the intermediate bottom structural support volumes includes an intermediate bottom portion that is substantially cylindrical with an overall lateral orientation, wherein each of the intermediate bottom structural support volumes is disposed in a bottom central part of the container between the front bottom structural support volume and the back bottom structural support volume, and wherein each of the intermediate bottom structural support volumes is raised off of a horizontal support surface when the container is standing up. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 18 , wherein each of the intermediate bottom structural support volumes is proximate to one or more other intermediate bottom structural support volumes. 
     
     
         20 . The container of  claim 18 , wherein each of the intermediate bottom structural support volumes is in contact with one or more other intermediate bottom structural support volumes.