Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Fluid Container Pouch
Background of the Invention
Field of Invention
[0001] The present invention is related generally to the
field of packaging, and more particularly, to the packaging
of fluids for convenient storage, transportation, and use.
[0002] More~specifically, the present invention relates to
a novel beverage container having a self-contained straw
for ease of consumption.
Description of Related Art
[0003] The use of a pliable pouch to store fluids for
convenient storage, transportation, and use is well known
in the art. For example, such pouches may be used to store
medical fluids for intravenous infusion to a patient; or
for purified water or saline in a first aid kit. Such
pouches are also used in conjunction with beverages
designed for human consumption.
[0004] V~7hen used as a container, the problem arises of how
to open the package, and thereafter use the contents
without spillage. One common solution in the beverage
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marketplace is to provide a wrapped straw with each pouch,
secured to the outside thereof. These straws are generally
rigid, and have a sharpened point at one end. Some
predetermined and appropriately designated weak point of
the pouch is punctured with the sharpened point of the
straw, allowing consumption of the contents.
[0005] This arrangement has certain drawbacks. For
example, the straw may become separated from the pouch
prior to 'its intended use. For reasons of durability and
preservation of the contents, so called barrier properties,
such pouches are typically resilient, and difficult to tear
open by hand. In that case, the package could only be
opened with great force, likely spilling the contents in
the process. Therefore, it would be inconvenient to
consume the contents if the straw were separated.
[0006] Even if not separated, the wrapper of the straw may
become damaged, compromising its hygiene and that of the
contents when the straw is inserted into the pouch.
[0007] U.S. Patent No. 3,799,914 issued to Schmit, et al.,
discloses a fluid pouch having a straw enclosed within it.
However, to prevent fluid from flowing through the straw
into an upper chamber, the straw must be sealed by means of
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a complex folding procedure. This would necessitate ,
expenditure on labor or automated machinery to perform this
task.
[0008] Further, the lower chamber must be sealed around the
straw. In production, it would be common for the straw to
be irreversibly sealed in the process, for example, when
heat is applied to seal the pouch around the straw as
described. Thereafter, the straw, and consequently the
pouch, would be unusable.
[0009] Other beverage pouches known in the art are taught,
for example, by Darmstadter, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,941,642 and
6,220,756-B1. Darmstadter teaches the inclusion of a straw
within the pouch, however the pouch has only one chamber,
and the straw is merely a straight straw, not a flexible
straw. Consequently, it extends very little beyond the
pouch when opened, and is therefore relatively inconvenient
to use.
[0010] Another beverage pouch containing a straw is taught
by Christine, et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,564,591. Again,
this straw is straight, not flexible, and extends very
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little beyond the pouch when opened. It is likewise
inconvenient to use.
[0011] Moreover with respect to Christine, the pouch
requires the straw to be broken prior to use, and the pouch
also requires a sealed fitment at an upper end of the
straw.
Brief Summary of the Invention
[0012] To overcome these and other difficulties in the
prior art, disclosed is a fluid container pouch having a
self-contained flexible drinking or dispensing straw.
[0013] A fluid container pouch according to the present
invention comprises at least first and second fluid
chambers having at least two flow channels for fluid
communication between said first and second fluid chambers.
At least one of said flow channels comprises a flexible
conduit, such as a flexible drinking straw.
[0014] According to another aspect of the present
invention, a fluid beverage pouch is formed between
opposing pliable sidewalls made of a material consisting of
a polypropylene ply having a barrier layer on at least one
side.
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[0015] In accordance with. the present invention, a fluid
container pouch is provided which is provided internally
with a flexible straw. This allows for convenient and
hygienic consumption of the beverage. This goal is further
achieved while preventing fluid from pooling in an upper
chamber where a distal portion of a flexible straw is held
without the need for releasably sealing the straw in the
packaging process, nor the risk of inadvertently
permanently sealing the straw in the packaging process.
[0016] Further in accordance with the present invention, a
beverage container pouch is provided which achieves
suitable barrier properties as compared with currently used
materials for such purposes at a significantly reduced
cost.
[0017] According to a further embodiment of the present
invention, a fluid container pouch has first and second
opposing side walls forming at least one enclosed chamber
between them, each side wall is comprised of a laminate
material having at least two layers. A first layer of the
laminate is sealant layer for sealing to a sealant layer of
an opposed side wall. A second layer of the laminate
provides a barrier between the contents of the pouch and
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its environment. Each of the first and second layers
comprises a material having oriented structure, such that
energy sufficient to tear the material will be directed in
a predetermined direction across the material, and further
that the oriented structures of the first and second layers
are aligned with each other. At least one design weakness
in the pouch operative to direct tearing energy in a
direction aligned with the oriented structure of said first
and second layers.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0018] These and other features and advantages will become
apparent from the following descriptions and drawings,
where like numerals designate like features across the
several figures.
[0019] Fig. l,shows a prospective view of a filled fluid
container pouch according to the present invention;
[0020] Fig. 2 shows a side elevation view of the filled
pouch;
[0021] Fig. 3 shows a front elevation view of an unfilled
fluid container pouch according to the present invention;
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[0022] Fig. 4 shows a side elevation view of an unfilled
fluid pouch;
[0023] Fig. 5 illustrates the flexible drinking straw used
in conjunction with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
[0024] Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a pouch according
to the present invention after opening;
[0025] Fig. 7 shows a section view taken along line 7-7 of
Fig. 6;
[0026] Fig. 7A shows the portion of Fig. 7 within circle
7A, 7B, according to one embodiment, enlarged and in
additional detail;
[0027] Fig. 7B shows the portion of Fig. 7 within circle
7A, 7B, according to an alternate embodiment, enlarged and
in additional detail;
[0028] Fig. 8 shows one embodiment of the pouch bearing
indicia, shown against a dark background to highlight the
pouch contours;
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[0029] Fig. 9 shows a cross-section of the upper portion of
the pouch according to a further embodiment, taken along
line 9-9 of Fig. 3, including a resealable closure.
Detailed Description of the Invention
[0030] Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, an exemplary
embodiment of a filled fluid container pouch, generally 10,
is illustrated. The pouch has an upper portion 12, two
lateral side portions 14, 16, and a lower portion 18.
First fluid chamber 20 and second fluid chamber 22 are
provided between opposing pliable walls 24 and 26. First
fluid chamber 20 and second fluid chamber 22 are generally
separated by a margin 12a formed in upper portion 12.
[0031] A flexible conduit, for example a flexible drinking
straw 28, is provided within the pouch 10 between the first
chamber 20 and the second chamber 22, forming a first flow
path therebetween. The flexible straw is unsealed, and
provides a first flow path 29 allowing fluid communication
between the first chamber 20 and the second chamber 22. A
second flow path 30 also allows fluid communication between
the second chamber 22 and the first chamber 20. In an
exemplary embodiment, the second flow path 30 is coaxial
with, and surrounds, the flexible straw 28. In an
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alternate embodiment, second flow path 30 is a one-way flow
path permitting flow only from the second chamber 22 to the
first chamber 20.
[0032] One or more design weaknesses, e.g. tear notches 32a
and 32b, are provided at upper portion 12 to allow the
pouch to be torn open by hand. One or more through holes
34a and 34b are provided in upper portion 12 to allow the
pouch to be hung from a rack, for example in a retail store
aisle or refrigerated case.
[0033] Some portion of the pouch, upper portion 12 in the
example of Fig. 1, can be formed in a non-rectangular
fashion such as defined by edges 35a, 35b. One method of
doing this would be,a die-cut press, other methods are
known in the art. These cuts can be varied to conform to
indicia printed on either or both walls 24, 26 of the
pouch. With reference to Fig. 8, in one exemplary
embodiment, the indicia 110 include a scene having
mountains with clouds above the mountains. The indicia 110
is printed on at least one wall, and the upper portion 12
of pouch 10 is die cut to the shape of the clouds. Notch
32b can be formed to match the indicia by a die-cut between
a cloud above and a mountain slope below.
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[0034] Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the construction of
the pouch will be described in more detail. Opposing
pliable walls 24 and 26 can be formed either by joining two
sheets of a suitable material together and sealing the same
along the upper portion 12, both lateral portions 14, 16,
and the lower portion 18. This can be accomplished either
by heat-sealing, or any other suitable means known in the
art. The flexibility of the pliable wall material will
allow the first chamber 20 and second chamber 22 to form
between opposing pliable walls 26 and 28 when filled with a
liquid.
[0035] An alternative, and preferred construction is to
fold a single sheet of the desired pouch material onto
itself, and sealing along the upper portion 12, and both
lateral portions 14, 16. More preferably, whether formed
of two separate sheets or a single folded sheet, lower
portion 18 is provided with at least one gusset 36 to allow
expansion for additional fluid capacity, as well as to
strengthen the seal at the lower portion 18. Additionally,
either or both lateral portions may be provided with
gussets irrespective of any gusset 36 at a lower portion.
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(0036] Pouch 10 may be constructed from a single layer
material or a multiple layer material. Materials commonly
used for beverage pouches include a polyester ply
sandwiched between layers of aluminum foil on either side.
While aluminum foil is generally considered an excellent
barrier, it has certain drawbacks. Among these, when the
aluminum foil is flexed, micro and/or macro cracks develop
easily in the surface, which severely compromise the
barrier properties. Also, the aluminum foil is exceedingly
difficult to tear by hand, and if tearable, the direction
of the tear progresses randomly, necessitating other
opening methods as previously described.
[0037] Referring now to Fig. 7A, a more preferable material
that would allow reduced cost without sacrificing barrier
properties is a polypropylene film ply 101 having an oxygen
barrier layer 103 on one side only. The oxygen barrier
layer 103 may be a metalized coating, an aluminum foil
layer, a polyethylene vinyl alcohol layer, or other pliable
material of suitable oxygen barrier properties known in the
art.
[0038] This combination provides significant advantages.
The oxygen barrier layer 103 supplements the oxygen barrier
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properties of the polypropylene. This is particularly
important for carbohydrate-rich beverage liquids,, where
exposure to oxygen during shipment and storage adversely
affects the contents' quality, even suitability for
consumption. Furthermore, the above barrier properties can
be realized at a reduced cost over the polyester material
sandwiched between layers of aluminum foil as is commonly
used.
[0039] With reference to Fig. 7A, the pouch 10 is
preferably formed by orienting the oxygen barrier layer 103
outward. The outward facing barrier layer allows the
superior moisture barrier properties of the polyethylene
layer 101 to prevent contact between fluid contents of the
pouch and the oxygen barrier layer, which could compromise
the properties of the oxygen barrier layer 103. Pouch 10
may then be formed by folding a single sheet of such
material in the manner described above.
[0040] The choice of barrier layer materials may be
influenced by aesthetic concerns without departing from the
scope of the present invention. For example, a pouch
having an outwardly facing metalized or aluminum foil
oxygen barrier layer will have a reflective outer surface,
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which would allow attractive and eye-catching indicia to be
applied. Use of polyethylene vinyl alcohol for the oxygen
barrier has the advantage of transparency, which could be
combined with a transparent polypropylene layer to make the
contents of the package visible.
[0041] In a more preferred embodiment, illustrated in Fig.
7B, a multiple ply laminate material comprises an innermost
sealant layer 150. The sealant layer may comprise
polyethylene, but other materials may be suitable.
Polyethylene has the advantage of a low melting point.
Therefore, two sheets of the sidewall material can be
brought together with respective sealant layers inward
towards each other. Heat may be applied from an external
source, at a temperature above the low melting point of the
polyethylene, fut below that of other layers. Therefore,
the sealant layers melt together, forming a hermetic seal
in region 152. The seal 152 exists only at the margins of
the pouch 10, and the sealant ply 150 is open to the first
and second chambers 20, 22, where no seal is formed. In a
more preferred embodiment, the polyethylene is linear low
density polyethylene (LLDPE). LLDPE is more rigid, and has
improved tearing characteristics, as described infra. In
another embodiment, heat may be applied to opposing sealant
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layers 150 before the two are brought together. Other
sealing methods, including but not limited to folding, or
application of solvent or adhesive may be substituted.
[0042] The preferred laminate material further comprises a
barrier layer 154, which is bonded to sealant layer 150 by
an adhesive layer 156. Barrier layer 154 may itself
comprise multiple layers. In the prior art, suitable
barriers would include an aluminum foil layer .
Polypropylene, though exhibiting other desirable qualities,
is not ordinarily considered to have acceptable oxygen
barrier properties. However, recent advances in materials
technology have developed a composite polypropylene
material, which includes a vacuum deposited aluminum layer
as part of a laminate material. An example of such
material is marketed under the OPPALYTE brand name by
ExxonMobil Chemical Corporation, more specifically
designated Ultra-High Barrier 35 MU 842.
[0043] The material 35 MU 842 provides significant barrier
to the permeation of oxygen, water vapor, and flavor or
aroma, previously unavailable in a polypropylene material.
Additionally, as compared to other materials having similar
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barrier properties, for example a foil and polyester
composite discussed above, the material 35 MU 842 retains
its barrier properties after being subject to flexing
and/or folding.
[0044] To the exterior of the barrier layer 154, an
additional adhesive layer 158 bonds to an external layer
160. The external layer 160 may comprise polyester, PET,
oriented polypropylene, polyethylene or ZZDPE, among other
materials. The external layer 160 may be present to
provide additional puncture resistance or other generalized
content protection, depending upon the selection of the
other materials. In alternate embodiments, the external
layer 160 and sealant layer 154 may be omitted. The
exterior layer 160 may be reverse-printed on its inner
surface to display indicia to its exterior surface, in a
manner known in the art.
(0045] The precise choice of materials will be dependent
upon the particular application, and more specifically the
intended contents of the pouch and the requisite barrier
properties. For example, an oxygen barrier is desirable
for a carbohydrate-rich beverage prepared without
preservatives. In another contemplated application, the
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pouch will contain one or more doses of liquid
pharmaceutical for medical delivery. Many medications, for
example a cough medication, contain significant amounts of
alcohol. Therefore, the pouch material must present a
significant barrier to at least alcohol and moisture.
However, such medications are often preserved for extended
shelf life, making oxygen barrier less of a concern. In
that case, other barrier materials may be provided in place
of, or in addition to, an oxygen barrier material. These
include, but are not limited to, nylon, polyester,
polystyrene, fluoropolymers and ethyl vinyl alcohol, among
others. Each of the named materials maintains orientation
and tearability in accordance with other aspects of the
present invention. Other contemplated applications of the
present invention include, but are not limited to, the
dosing and application of pesticides. The particular
pesticide in question will present needs for particular
barrier properties, which will drive the material
selection, without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
[0046 Referring now to Figs. 1, 6 and 7, the use of the
beverage container pouch will be described. In
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transportation and handling, the contents may flow via the
flexible straw 28 between the first chamber 20 and the
second chamber 22. It is, however, undesirable for fluid
contents to be pooled in the second chamber when the pouch
is opened. For this purpose, second flow path 30 allows
for any fluid oonducted into the second chamber 22 via
flexible straw 28 to recycle back to the first chamber 20
under the influence of gravity via second flow path 30 when
the package is placed in an upright orientation, for
example when being opened. To aid in this recycling, a
lower edge 40 of second chamber 22 can be angled to bias
any fluid within the second chamber 22 towards the second
flow path 30 and thereafter into the first chamber 20.
[0047 To open the pouch, a user would tear the upper
portion 12, beginning at a designated weakness, for example
notch 32b. Proceeding in the direction of arrow 100, the
second chamber 22 would be opened along tear line 204.
Flexible straw 28 may be biased in a manner that will cause
it to rise in the direction of arrow 102 once chamber 22 is
free of any downward constraints from upper portion 12.
Therefore, an end of flexible straw 28 proximal to the user
rises appreciably above the top of the pouch 10. The user
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may thereafter consume the beverage or otherwise use the
contents.
[0048] It is a problem in the prior art that the features
of a pouch that make it resilient also make the pouch
difficult to open in order to use or consume the contents.
For example, aluminum foil, commonly used in prior art
pouches, is particularly resistant to puncture or tear.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the present
invention, the components of a mufti-ply laminate material
have an oriented structure. More specifically, these
oriented structures are aligned parallel with each other
and with the tear line 204. Tear line 204 is shown
horizontal to the pouch 10, but it may traverse the pouch
at any angle. The tear notch 32b concentrates the stress
of the tearing energy along the tear line 204, and in
conjunction with the parallel aligned orientation of the
material structure, the tear progresses along the tear line
204 and across the pouch.
[0049] Further, it is more preferable to have the tear line
204 transact an open portion of at least one chamber, in
this case the second chamber 22. In this way, as the tear
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progresses along the tear line 204, the user need only tear
two single plies for at least a portion of the tear, which
presents less resistance than the margin portion where the
two opposing plies are sealed together.
[0050] In yet a further embodiment of the invention,
referring to Fig. 9, the pouch 10 is provided with a
resealable closure 202 in~the second chamber 22.
Resealable closure 202 may be of the tongue-and-groove
variety, wherein the seal is formed by the interface of a
tongue portion 202a and a groove portion 202b. Other
resealing means known in the art may be suitable as well.
Resealable closure 202 is provided below the tear line 204
defined by notch 32.
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[0051] In the case where flow path 30 is only a one-way
flow path, the pouch may be inverted and/or squeezed for
dispensing the contents. It is a further advantage to the
present invention that providing the straw within the
pouch, particularly across the diagonal dimension of the
pouch as shown in the figures, enhances the structural
stability of the pouch in all dimensions, particularly
during handling and transportation.
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[0052] The invention has been described herein with
reference to particular exemplary embodiments. Certain
alterations and modifications may be apparent to those
skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the
invention. The exemplary embodiments are not meant to be
limiting on the scope of the invention, which is defined by
the appended claims.
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