Pouch with integrated spout and reclosable feature for dispensing and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208249-B2
Application number	US-201816638494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2018
Priority date	Aug 14, 2017
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A package and method of creating a package for dispensing a product are disclosed. The package comprises a flexible pouch comprising an elongated spout and a flowable product disposed within the pouch. A spout retainer is disposed on an exterior surface of the pouch adjacent to the spout, with opposite ends of the spout retainer attached to the exterior surface of the pouch to form two bridges, each of the bridges having a bridge width that is wider than a spout width to allow the spout to pass underneath each of the two bridges. The package may be manufactured on a vertical form-fill-seal machine where the pouch and spout retainer are formed from different supplies of film material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sequence of packages, wherein each package in the sequence of packages includes a pouch for dispensing a flowable product, the pouch comprising:
a first end seal at a first end of the pouch, a second end seal at a second end of the pouch, a longitudinal seal extending between the first and second end seals, and an elongated spout formed at least partly by a contour of the first end seal, wherein the second end seal defines a pouch recess having a shape corresponding to a shape of the elongated spout, wherein the elongated spout extends into a pouch recess of an adjacent package in the sequence of packages; and
a spout retainer disposed on an exterior surface of the pouch adjacent to the spout, the spout retainer comprising two layers of material with opposite ends of the spout retainer attached to the exterior surface of the pouch to form two bridges, each of the bridges having a bridge width that is wider than a spout width to allow the spout to pass underneath each of the two bridges;
wherein the two bridges of the spout retainer include an inner bridge and an outer bridge in a stacked configuration such that portions of the spout can pass between the inner bridge and the pouch and/or between the outer bridge and the inner bridge.

2. The sequence of packages of claim 1 wherein the spout extends in a longitudinal direction beyond other portions of the pouch, the spout being flexible and of sufficient length to reach the spout retainer so that it is foldable under each of the two bridges.

3. The sequence of packages of claim 1 wherein:
a distal end of the spout is secured to the pouch by a separable perforation; and
the distal end of the spout is separable from the pouch, the distal end of the spout being flexible and of sufficient length to reach the spout retainer so that it is foldable under each of the two bridges.

4. The sequence of packages of claim 1 wherein the spout is disposed at a lateral end of the first end seal so that the spout is disposed at a corner of the pouch.

5. The sequence of packages of claim 1 wherein the spout retainer is at least one of:
disposed at an angle relative to the longitudinal seal;
disposed at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the longitudinal seal;
secured to the exterior surface of the pouch by a thermal seal or an adhesive;
formed from the same film material as the spout;
formed from a different film material than the spout and pouch;
formed from a film having a different color than the spout and the pouch; or
formed from a different material than the spout and the pouch.

6. The sequence of packages of claim 1 wherein the spout is tapered and has a largest cross section at a proximal end of the spout nearest the pouch and a smallest cross section at a distal end of the spout, the spout further comprising a plurality of perforations encircling the spout at different positions along the length of the spout.

Assignees

• Cryovac Llc

Inventors

• Ellis Matthew
• Smith Dwight
• MCKAMY Daniel
• Ramirez Joseph

Classifications

• B65D75/5866 Primary

  Integral spouts · CPC title

• B65D2575/586

  with means for reclosing · CPC title

• B65B61/18

  for making package-opening or unpacking elements · CPC title

• B65B61/202

  for attaching articles to the outside of a container (B65B61/205 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65B9/2056 Primary

  Machines for packages of special type or form · CPC title