Flexible packaging with a straining feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10589904-B2
Application number	US-201616064849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 21, 2015
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments of a flexible pouch ( 1 ) comprise a pouch body ( 10 ), a collapsible perforated folded panel ( 50 ), an opening seal ( 60 ) disposed between the collapsible perforated folded panel ( 50 ) and the second ends ( 18, 19 ) of a front wall ( 12 ) and a rear wall ( 14 ), wherein the opening seal ( 60 ) adheres the second end ( 18 ) of the front wall ( 12 ) to the second end ( 19 ) of the rear wall ( 14 ) which thereby conceals the collapsible perforated folded panel ( 50 ). The release or removal of the opening seal ( 60 ) is operable to expose the collapsible perforated folded panel ( 50 ) and application of a pull force is operable to outwardly expand the collapsible perforated folded panel ( 50 ) to allow draining of liquid or dispensing of dry powder or flakes from the pouch chamber ( 52 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pouch comprising:
a pouch body formed from a first flexible film and comprising a front wall and a rear wall, the front wall and the rear wall each comprising a first end, a second end, and side edges connecting the first end and the second end, wherein the rear wall is adhered to the front wall at corresponding first ends to form a first end seal and corresponding side edges to form side seals;
a collapsible perforated folded panel formed from a second flexible film and attached to the front wall and the rear wall at interior portions of the front wall and the rear wall, respectively, with peelable seals formed directly between the collapsible perforated folded panel and the front wall and the rear wall such that the attachment of the collapsible perforated folded panel to the front wall and the rear wall define a pouch chamber; and
an opening seal disposed between the collapsible perforated folded panel and the second ends of the front wall and the rear wall, wherein the opening seal adheres the second end of the front wall to the second end of the rear wall which thereby conceals the collapsible perforated folded panel,
wherein release or removal of the opening seal is operable to expose the collapsible perforated folded panel by separating the front wall from the rear wall along the second ends and application of a pull force to the second end of the front wall and to the second end of the rear wall is operable to outwardly expand the collapsible perforated folded panel to allow draining of liquid or dispensing of dry powder or flakes from the pouch chamber,
wherein the collapsible perforated folded panel comprises a release member extending outside the pouch chamber, wherein application of a pull force to the release member is operable to break the peelable seal between the collapsible perforated folded panel and the front wall or the rear wall.

2. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the first flexible film, the second flexible film, or both are multilayer films.

3. The pouch of claim 2 , wherein the first flexible film comprises a first sealant layer and a first substrate layer.

4. The pouch of claim 2 , wherein the second flexible film comprises a second sealant layer and a second substrate layer.

5. The pouch of claim 2 , wherein the opening seal, the first end seal, and the side seals hermetically seal the pouch chamber.

6. The pouch of claim 2 , wherein the release member extending outside the pouch chamber is an extra section of the second flexible film extending beyond the point of attachment between the collapsible perforated folded panel and the front wall, the collapsible perforated folded panel and the rear wall, or the collapsible perforated folded panel and both the rear wall and the front wall.

7. The pouch of claim 2 , wherein the second ends comprise opening tabs for application of a pull force to the second end of the front wall and to the second end of the rear wall to outwardly expand the collapsible perforated folded panel.

8. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the first flexible film comprises a first sealant layer and a first substrate layer.

9. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the second flexible film comprises a second sealant layer and a second substrate layer.

10. The pouch of claim 9 , wherein the second sealant layer and the second substrate layer have different sealing initiation temperatures.

11. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the first flexible film and the second flexible film are the same composition.

12. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the opening seal, the first end seal, and the side seals hermetically seal the pouch chamber.

13. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the release member extending outside the pouch chamber is an extra section of the second flexible film extending beyond the point of attachment between the collapsible perforated folded panel and the front wall, the collapsible perforated folded panel and the rear wall, or the collapsible perforated folded panel and both the rear wall and the front wall.

14. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the release member extending outside the pouch chamber is a release tab.

15. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the opening seal has a seal strength of less than 10 N/15 mm when measured according to ASTM F88-94 at a pull speed of 100 mm/minute.

16. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the second ends comprise opening tabs for application of a pull force to the second end of the front wall and to the second end of the rear wall to outwardly expand the collapsible perforated folded panel.

17. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the first flexible film comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET), biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BOPET), or biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), polyamide (PA), or an aluminum foil.

18. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the second flexible film comprises polyolefins.

19. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the first end seal has a seal strength of less than 10 N/15 mm when measured according to ASTM F88-94 at a pull speed of 100 mm/minute.

20. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the opening seal, the first end seal, the side seals, or both comprises a propylene based plastomer or elastomer and at least one of a polyethylene or a polystyrene based polymer.

Assignees

• Dow Global Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Farstad Andre
• Arroyo Villan Maria Isabel
• Tognola Marcelo

Classifications

• B65D33/01 Primary

  Ventilation or drainage of bags · CPC title

• B65D81/261

  for draining or collecting liquids without absorbing them · CPC title

• B65D75/5805

  for tearing a side strip parallel and next to the edge, e.g. by means of a line of weakness · CPC title

• B65D75/008

  Standing pouches, i.e. "Standbeutel" · CPC title

• B65D81/22

  in moist conditions or immersed in liquids · CPC title