Flavor pouch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016009485-A1
Application number	US-201514861654-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2015
Priority date	Nov 21, 2005
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flavor pouch includes a porous covering that encloses a carrier having a flavorant. The carrier may be solid or particulate. Flavorants may be one or more of tea, coffee, rose hips, honey, royal jelly, fruit extracts, mint, sweeteners, ginger, pepper extract, exotic flavors, ethnic flavors and the like. Where the carrier comprises a plurality of beads, the beads may have randomly dissolvable encapsulation to extend the time duration of flavor release. To use the flavor pouch, it is placed in the mouth and masticated or exposed to saliva to thereby release the flavorant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A flavor pouch for oral delivery of a flavorant, comprising:
a porous membrane of substantially crescent form to be received in a human oral cavity; and a flavorant provided in a liquid and contained in a plurality of rupturable beads which are enclosed by the porous membrane, operable to release a flavor through the porous membrane into the oral cavity; wherein said porous membrane was initially provided in sheet form, was folded to enclose said rupturable beads containing said flavorant at a central region, and the overlapping outer regions of said porous membrane were heat sealed in an arcuate configuration; and wherein said flavorant is capable of oral delivery on demand by the mastication with rupture of said one or more rupturable beads and the flavorant comprises a high viscosity material.

2 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane comprises a web.

3 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein the flavorant comprises a polymeric material containing a flavor matrix.

4 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein the flavorant comprises an artificial sweetener.

5 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein the flavorant includes a flavor selected from the group consisting of tea, rose hips, honey, royal jelly, fruit extract, coffee, ginger, pepper extract, and mint.

6 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein the major dimension of each flavor pouch is about 0.6 to 1.2 inches.

7 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein said flavor pouch has no sharp corners.

8 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein said flavor pouch has rounded corners.

9 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane is not soluble in saliva and has structural integrity sufficient to remain intact while the flavor pouch is present in a human oral cavity.

10 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane includes combination of natural and synthetic material.

11 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane is a non-woven web.

12 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane is sealed only along said arcuate heat seal.

13 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane has a basis weight of 5 to 25 g/m 2 .

14 . The flavor pouch of claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane is a water-permeable, water-insoluble stain resistant polymer membrane.

15 . A method for making the flavor pouch of claim 1 for oral delivery of flavor to an oral cavity comprising the steps of:
combining a flavor with a carrier;
enclosing the carrier with a porous membrane to form flavor pouch.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the combining step includes providing the flavor as a plurality of beads.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the combining step includes encapsulating the beads.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the combining step includes encapsulating the beads in a time-release compound and/or the combining step includes incorporating the flavorant in a time-release controlling carrier.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein (a) the combining step includes incorporating the flavorant in a polymeric carrier, (b) the combining step includes incorporating the flavorant in a high-viscosity carrier, (c) the combining step includes selecting the flavor from the group consisting of tea, rose hips, honey, royal jelly, fruit extract, coffee, and mint, (d) the major dimension of each flavor pouch is about 0.6 to 1.2 inches, (e) said flavor pouch has no sharp corners, (f) said flavor pouch has rounded corners, (g) the porous membrane is not soluble in saliva and has structural integrity sufficient to retain the carrier while the flavor pouch is used in a human oral cavity, (h) the porous membrane includes combination of natural and synthetic material, (i) the porous membrane is a non-woven web, (j) the porous membrane has a basis weight of 5 to 25 g/m 2 , (k) the porous membrane is a water-permeable, water-insoluble stain resistant polymer membrane, (l) the porous membrane includes a coating of a barrier material which minimizes staining of the flavor pouch exterior, or (m) a flavor containing dissolvable film is contained within the flavor pouch.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising trimming overlapping portions of the porous membrane to provide rounded corners.

Assignees

• Philip Morris Usa Inc

Inventors

• Neidle Bruce
• Newman Kenneth
• Sweeney William R
• Hayes Cynthia S
• Mitten Robert T
• Crawford Danielle R

Classifications

• B65D85/804 Primary

  Disposable containers or packages with contents which are {mixed,} infused or dissolved in situ {, i.e. without having been previously removed from the package (B65D65/46 takes precedence; tea infusers A47G19/16; spoons or stirrers comprising beverage additives A47G21/04)} · CPC title

• A23L1/236

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• A23L1/22025

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A23L1/22016

  Human Necessities · mapped topic