Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DRINKS POUCH
Background
This disclosure relates to a drinks pouch.
The invention of the present disclosure may be regarded as an improvement or
modification of the invention disclosed in our co-pending British Patent
Application No:
1720237.5, the entire disclosure of which is to be regarded as incorporated
into the present
disclosure by reference.
The disclosures of Application No: 1720237.5 sought to overcome or reduce the
occurrence of problems associated with spillage when seeking to open
previously
proposed drinks pouches. In particular, with pouches that needed a corner
portion to be
torn off to reach a straw within the pouch, it was noted that there was a
danger of spillage
when making the tear. Even with practical embodiments of pouches of the kind
described
in WO 2016/124881 of Delivery Flexibles Ltd, with a line of weakness provided
between
a side edge of the pouch and a top edge of the pouch, the tear from the side
to the top
sometimes continues right across the top of the pouch so that the contents
spill. Even
worse would be the result of tearing from the top edge towards the side edge
if the tear
continues down the side.
Embodiments of drinks pouch described in our aforesaid Application No:
1720237.5 sought to limit the extent of the tear by providing a secondary heat
seal
between front and rear faces of the pouch positioned inboard of a first side
edge of the
pouch from which the tear is to be made and terminating the line of weakness
defining the
tear at the second seal by one means or another. A minor portion of the pouch
interior is
defined between the second heat seal and the first side edge for accommodating
the straw.
In one embodiment, the second seal is bifurcated by a cut extending from the
top edge and
the line of weakness ends at the cut. In another arrangement, the line of
weakness
terminates at an abutment joining the front face of the pouch to its rear
face. Another
arrangement utilises a graspable tear strip to limit the extent of the tear.
Summary of the Disclosure
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As will become clear from the detailed description hereinbelow, we have now
found that the line of tear can be restrained to a predetermined path by
broadening out
what is effectively the top end of the second heat seal of Application No:
1720237.5 into
an extended corner portion in which the front and rear faces are sealed to
each other, into
which extended corner portion the minor portion of the interior volume
containing the
straw extends, and by and defining the line of tear wholly within this
extended corner
portion, along a line which crosses the said minor portion and extends by a
curved
perforated line to or adjacent to the top edge, in which perforated line the
perforations
extend through both the front and rear faces.
We have also found that with at least some of the embodiments disclosed in
Application No: 1720237.5 in which only a small corner portion was removed,
when
trying to drink from the pouch, a user's nose could come into contact with the
remaining
part of the top edge left after removing the corner portion.
Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a fully
sealed
pouch containing a drink and a straw; the pouch having a front face and a rear
face, and
defining: a top edge where the front face and the rear face are sealed to each
other, a
bottom portion where the front face and the rear face are connected to each
other
optionally via a gusset, a first side edge extending from the top edge to the
bottom portion,
the front face being sealed to the rear face along the first side edge, and a
second' side edge
also extending from the top edge to the bottom portion, the front face and the
rear face
either being continuous with each other or sealed to each other at the second
side edge,
and an extended corner portion defined between the top edge and the first side
edge; the
interior volume of the pouch being divided into a minor portion adjacent the
first edge and
extending into the extended corner portion, and a major portion communicating
with the
minor portion, the front face and the rear face being sealed to each other
throughout the
extended corner portion except where the minor portion extends into the
extended corner
portion; the straw being located in the minor portion with an end thereof
extending into
the extended corner portion; and a predetermined tear line being defined in
the extended
corner portion along a line that extends from a position at or adjacent the
first side edge,
across the minor portion where it extends into the extended corner portion,
and along a
curved path to or adjacent to the top edge at a position spaced from the join
between the
top edge and the first side, the tear line constraining a user seeking access
to the straw
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readily to tear therealong to expose said end of the straw and to allow the
user thereafter
to drink from the pouch via the straw. The position of the end of the curved
path at or
adjacent the top edge is suitably chosen so that after tearing, a user can
drink from the
straw without their nose engaging the remaining portion of the top edge.
Preferred embodiments may have one or more of the following features:
= The straw is fixed in position by being attached to at least one wall
with the
said end of the straw being located at or adjacent an end of the minor
portion within the extended corner portion.
= The minor portion defines a headspace located in the corner portion and
containing the said end of the straw, a lower section of the minor portion
which is in communication with the major portion and a middle section of
the minor portion which is of reduced width compared to the headspace
and lower section; and the straw is sealed into and entirely fills the middle
section.
= One end of the predetermined tear line terminates short of the top edge so
that tearing along the tear line up to the said termination leaves an almost
fully detached corner portion still attached to the remainder of the pouch at
said termination.
= The tear line is defined by a first section comprising laser cut lines on
the
external side of each of the front and rear faces which extends from a notch
formed in the first side edge, crosses the minor portion and ends at a hole
which extends through both the front and rear faces where they are sealed
to each other in the extended corner portion, and by a second section
comprising a perforated line in which perforations extend through both the
front and rear faces, the perforated line following a curved path to
terminate adjacent the top edge.
= Alternatively, one end of the predetermined tear line terminates at or
adjacent the top edge, and an instruction icon is provided on the extended
corner portion adjacent said one end to identify an intended direction of
tearing from the top edge downwardly and towards the side edge.
= In this alternative arrangement, the other end of the predetermined tear
line
terminates inboard of a notch formed in the first side edge so that tearing
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along the tear line leaves an almost fully detached corner portion still
attached to the remainder of the pouch adjacent the said side edge notch.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Reference may now be made to the accompanying drawing, by way of example
only, in which:-
Fig. 1 shows a somewhat schematic view of a transparent pouch from its front
side; and
Fig. 2 shows a somewhat schematic view of an alternative embodiment of
transparent pouch from its front side.
Description of Preferred Embodiments
The pouch 1 shown in Fig. 1 contains a drink 2 and a straw 3 sealed within the
pouch. The pouch 1 has a front face 4 and a rear face 5, a top edge 6, along
which the
front face 4 and the rear face 5 are sealed to each other, and a bottom
portion 7 where the
front 4 and rear 5 faces are connected to each other, optionally via a gusset
8.
Respective first and second side edges 9, 10 of the pouch 1 extend from the
top
edge 6 to the bottom portion 7. The front face 4 of the pouch 1 is sealed to
the rear face 5
along the first side edge 9. At the second side edge 10, the front and rear
faces 4, 5 may
again be sealed to each other as shown in the Figure. Alternatively, the front
4 and rear 5
faces may be formed from a single sheet which is folded at second side edge 10
so that the
front and rear faces are continuous with each other at second side edge 10.
An extended corner portion 11 is positioned between the top edge 6 and the
first
side edge 9, for a purpose to be explained.
The pouch defines an internal cavity 12 which is divided into two portions; a
minor portion 13 that lies adjacent to the first side edge 9 and extends into
the extended
corner portion 11 to form a headspace 14 for the straw in the extended corner
portion, and
a major portion 15 which communicates with the minor portion 13. Except where
the
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minor portion extends into the extended corner portion, the front and rear
faces 4, 5 are
sealed to each other throughout the extended comer portion.
The straw 3 is located within the minor portion 13 of the internal cavity 12
so that
its upper end 16 extends into the headspace 14, and preferably ends at or
adjacent upper
end 17 of headspace 14. In the Figure, minor portion 13 has a middle section
18 of lesser
width than the headspace 14 or lower section 19 which communicates with the
major
portion 15 of internal cavity 12. As illustrated, the straw 3 is preferably of
a width
substantially or entirely to fill the width of middle section 18, and is
suitably fixed in
position in minor portion 13 by being adhered to one or both of the front and
rear faces 4,
5. With a straw 3 that substantially fills the middle section 18, the risk of
leakage when
the pouch is opened as explained below is reduced. With a straw that entirely
fills the
middle section, the risk of leakage is virtually eliminated, as explained
below.
A major part of extended comer portion 11 is designed to be tom from pouch 1
to
allow a user access to the straw 3 and thus to drink 2 sealed within the
pouch. In the
embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, a predetermined tear line 20 is defined by a
laser cut line
21 on the external side of each of the front 4 and rear 5 faces which extends
from a notch
22 formed in the first side edge 9, crosses the minor portion 13 and ends at a
hole 23
which extends through both the front and rear faces. Beyond hole 23, the tear
line 20 is
defined by a perforated line 24 in which perforations 25 extend through both
the front 3
and rear 4 faces, the perforated line 24 following a curved path 26 to
terminate at or
adjacent the top edge 6 at a position 27 spaced from first side edge 9. In the
embodiment
of Fig. 1, line 24 terminates just short of top edge 6 so that the tear may
not be complete,
leaving the torn off portion of extended corner portion 11 still attached to
the remainder of
the pouch at position 27. This arrangement reduces the likelihood of a tom off
portion
fonuing litter. Having a straw 3 adhered to one or both of the front and rear
faces 4, 5,
especially when it entirely fills middle section 18, avoids the problem of the
straw itself
being discarded as litter.
The notch 22 and hole 23 define opposite ends of the laser cut line, and serve
to
confine the line of tear to the laser cut line 21. The perforated line 24 is
already weak
since its perforations go right through both the front and rear faces. Thus
the illustrated
predetermined tear line 20 effectively confines any tear in use to that line,
greatly
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reducing the risk of an inadvertent tear elsewhere with resultant spillage of
the drink 2. At
the same time forming the corner with an extended corner portion 11 in which
the front 4
and rear 5 faces are sealed to each other both makes for easy manufacture and
provides a
degree of strength to the corner portion reducing the possibility of any tear
straying from
the predetermined line 20.
Users can readily reach the end 16 of the straw 3 by tearing along laser cut
line 21
from the notch 22 to the hole 23 and then along the curved perforated line 24.
When the
major portion of extended corner portion 11 is removed in this way, the pouch
is still
effectively sealed, but the straw end protrudes and can be reached by a user's
mouth
without their nose engaging remaining part 28 of top edge 6.
Thus, while the present disclosure in its broadest context is silent as to the
direction in which the tear line was intended to be torn, in the embodiment of
Fig. 1, the
laser cut line 21 extended from a position close to but separated from notch
22 formed in a
side edge 9 of the pouch, and terminated at hole 23 which extended through
both the front
and rear faces 4, 5 of the pouch where these were sealed together in the
extended corner
portion 11. The curved path defined by the tear line beyond the hole
terminated a short
distance from the top edge 6. As described above, the tear was said to be made
from the
.. notch 22 on the side edge to end just short of the top edge 6 so that the
corner portion 11,
when essentially fully detached to allow access to the straw, nevertheless
remained still
attached in a minor fashion to the remainder of the pouch at the top edge.
Described hereinbelow with reference to Fig. 2 is an alternative embodiment in
which the tear is made in the opposite direction from the top edge to the
notch formed in
the side edge. Features of the Fig. 2 embodiment which are the same or closely
similar to
corresponding features of the Fig. 1 embodiment use the same reference
numeral.
As before, the straw 3 is located within the minor portion 13 of the internal
cavity
12 so that its upper end 16 extends into the headspace 14, and preferably ends
at or
adjacent upper end 17 of headspace 14. In the Figure, minor portion 13 has a
middle
.. section 18 of lesser width than the headspace 14 or lower section 19 which
communicates
with the major portion 15 of internal cavity 12. For clarity of illustration,
the straw is
shown as being of lesser width than middle section 18. However, in practice
the straw 3
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will be sealed in and to middle section 18 with the straw fully filling middle
section 18, so
that there is no leakage between the straw and middle section 18 when the
pouch is
opened as explained below. This virtually eliminates unwanted leakage since
the only
remaining route for the drink to escape is up the straw.
A major part of extended corner portion 11 is designed to be torn from pouch 1
to
allow a user access to the straw 3 and thus to drink 2 sealed within the
pouch. In the
embodiment of Fig. 2, predetermined tear line 20 is again defined by a laser
cut line 21 on
the external side of each of the front 4 and rear 5 faces which extends from a
notch 22
formed in the first side edge 9, and crosses the minor portion 13, but ends at
one end 30 of
a relatively wide through cut 31 which extends in an interrupted fashion from
the end of
laser cut line 21 to terminate in a v-shaped notch 32 in the top edge 6. In
this case, the
through cut 31 is formed as two through cut portions 33, 34, and the
detachable part of the
extended corner portion is connected to the remainder of the pouch by narrow
interconnections 35, 36 respectively provided between the two portions 33, 34
of the cut
and between portion 34 and the v-shaped notch. The interconnections 35, 36 are
readily
severable by tearing downwardly and outwardly from the V-shaped notch 32
towards
notch 22 formed in first side edge 9. Suitably, an instruction icon 37 printed
on to the
corner portion will direct users to open the pouch in this specific fashion.
If the laser cut
line 21 commences just inboard of notch 22, the otherwise almost fully
detached corner
11 may be left hanging adjacent notch 22, well out of the way of a user's nose
when
drinking from the straw.
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