PERFORATED EASY OPENING POUCH
A perforated large-size easy opening pouch is formed from a single sheet containing at least one layer of a film material, and the sheet forms a volume. The pouch also contains a seal containing a perforation. The perforation is completely surrounded by the seal. When a tear is initiated along the perforation, the tear propagates to a non-sealed portion of the pouch. A sealing jaw and a method for forming such a pouch is also described.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/069,990 filed on Mar. 19, 2008.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to pouches. Specifically, the present invention relates to pouches which are easy to tear open.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPouches are typically formed of a laminate or a film and may be used for holding many types of items such as food, shampoos, detergents, medicines, etc. In order to make them easier to use, notches, laser cut score lines, and perforations are standard in the packaging industry. However it is always a challenge to balance the need for an easy opening functionality (e.g., tear lines, perforations, score lines, etc.) with pouch sturdiness and strength against bursting and leakage. Many packages such as, for example, laundry detergents do not have tearing lines because during shipment such pouches are often dropped, compressed, etc. which could cause unacceptable leakage. Instead, merely a notch or other slit is made to start the tearing, but no cost-effective technology has been found which can also control the propagation of the tear. Instead, often the pouches are cut open with scissors.
Small, e.g., less than 500 mL, pre-formed pouches and pouches formed from two layers are more easily customizable and they often possess notches, or perforated tearing lines. Specifically, while such pre-formed pouches are useful for smaller volumes, they become more difficult for larger volumes, where the volume : sealing area ratio becomes too large. The strength of a seal is directly proportional to the sealing area, and a seal is generally weaker than the film material itself. So, as the volume grows, the sealing area may need to grow proportionally, which leads to a large amount of wasted film material and/or a weak pouch which bursts too easily and/or which may leak during shipping, dropping, etc. in other words, when such pre-formed pouch technologies are scaled up to, for example 1-2 liter or larger bags, known methods for forming tearing lines (laser cutting, etc.) tend to unacceptably expensive to complicate, and/or may weaken the pouch integrity, causing undesirable leakage, breaking and/or bursting during manufacturing, filling, shipping, etc.
Accordingly, the need exists for an improved pouch and easy-opening system which is both easy to tear, and strong against unintentional breakage, especially for larger pouches.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a perforated large-size easy opening pouch is formed from a single sheet containing at least one layer of a film material, and the sheet forms a volume. The pouch also contains a seal containing a perforation. The perforation is completely surrounded by the seal. When a tear is initiated along the perforation, the tear propagates to a non-sealed portion of the pouch.
A sealing jaw contains a sealing arm with a profiled sealing area further containing a cut blade. The cut blade is completely surrounded by the profiled sealing area. The sealing jaw also contains a receiving jaw containing a profiled sealing area further containing a cut channel to receive the cut blade.
The pouch sealing method herein includes the steps of providing a sheet, forming a tube having a leading edge, sealing the leading edge to form a first seal, filling the tube with a predetermined amount of a product, and simultaneously sealing the tube to form a second seal and cutting the tube to form a pouch filled with the product. At least one of the first seal or the second seal comprises a perforation which is completely surrounded by the respective first or second seal. When a tear is formed along the perforation, the tear propagates to a non-sealed portion of the pouch.
It has now been found that the invention can balance easy opening via a tearing line combined with profiled sealing while also maintaining the robustness and strength of a complete seal. Also described herein is a method of and a sealing jaw for sealing and creating the easy opening portion simultaneously with the bag formation and packing. Since the sealing jaw combines the sealing profile with the perforator, it further reduces misalignment of the perforation, optional notch, sealing portions, etc. which could happen if they were formed on different machines, or in different processes.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the invention, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following description of the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals identify like elements, and wherein:
The figures herein are not necessarily drawn to scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONAll temperatures herein are in degrees Celsius (° C.) unless otherwise indicated. As used herein, the term “comprising” means that other steps, ingredients, elements, etc. which do not adversely affect the end result can be added. This term encompasses the terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of”.
This disclosure relates to a perforated large-size easy opening pouch formed of a single sheet of film material. The pouch contains a perforation which is completely surrounded by a seal, and when a tear is formed along the perforation, the tear propagates to at least one non-sealed portion of the pouch. This disclosure also relates to methods and equipment for making such a pouch.
Referring to the Figures herein,
The comparative pouch in
The pouch is formed of sheet which is in turn formed from at least one film material typically selected from the group consisting of polyamide (nylon), polyethylene, polypropylene, ethyl-vinyl-acetate, poly-4-methylpentene-1, a microporous membrane, and a combination thereof; or polyamide (nylon), linear low-density polyethylene, an oriented polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and a combination thereof. The film material may also be affixed to and/or contain a metal therein, and/or be a metallized film. Film materials are well known in the art and may further contain resins, laminates, printed artwork, additives (i.e., UV blockers, antimicrobials, dyes, pigments, etc.), etc. Suitable film materials are available from various suppliers worldwide such as 3M Company (St. Paul, Minn., USA), Du Pont Co. (Wilmington, Del., USA), Toppan Insatsu Co. (Tokyo, Japan), and Gelman Sciences Company (Ann Arbor, Mich., USA). The sheet herein may contain either a single layer or contain multiple layers of film material, so long as it remains sealable. The sheet is from about 15μ to about 220μ, or from about 20μ to about 200μ, or from about 25μ to about 160μ thick. Each individual film material may be oriented, or random.
Multiple layers of film materials may be joined together to form a sheet with multiple properties and/or benefits. In such cases, it is known in the art to join the multiple layers together by, for example, lamination, heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, gluing, pressure sealing, etc. The sheet may then be formed into a pouch by pulling and/or stretching the sheet around a forming tube and sealing the edges in any direction such as the machine direction at any point or the cross direction at either the top and/or the bottom. In an embodiment herein the pouch is sealed in the machine direction to form a tube. The leading edge is then sealed by a sealing jaw in the cross direction, the product to be contained in the tube is then filled into the tube, pulled to advance the sheet, and the sealing jaw simultaneously seals and cuts the trailing portion in the cross direction, thereby releasing the filled bag and forming a new leading edge at the same time. Machinery and techniques for forming such filled pouches are often referred to as autopacking machines and are well known in the art and available from multiple suppliers around the world.
As noted above, small preformed pouches (see
To further encourage the tear to propagate towards the side, 26, rather than the bottom, 24, it can be seen in
In
In
The sealing arm, 50, contains a top seal portion, 60, which forms the seal at the top of the pouch (see 12, at 22 in
The sealing arm, 50, the receiving arm, 70, or both actively interact to form the seal by, for example, heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, pressure sealing, etc. as desired, and therefore contains the appropriate sealing technology therein or thereupon, such as, for example, a heater, an ultrasonic generator, a pressure clamp, etc. The sealing arm and the receiving arm are each independently formed of an appropriate durable material for their uses herein, such as, for example, a metal, a ceramic, a plastic, and a combination thereof. A sealing jaw intended for heat sealing should be both strong and conduct heat well, such as copper, brass, steel, or iron, aluminum, etc. since it has a heating element therein, such as a heating coil. Impulse and induction sealing methods are useful herein. Based on this disclosure, a sealing arm and a receiving arm according to the present invention may be custom made by various suppliers and/or machine shops around the world.
One skilled in the art will recognize that the sealing jaw herein may be used to simultaneously seal and form a perforation completely surrounded by the seal on, for example, a pre-formed bag, a pillow bag, and/or a gusset bag. In an embodiment herein the sealing jaw is used on an autopacking machine.
In an embodiment herein the invention is combined with additional techniques known in the art, such as a laser-cut, a half-cut, a score line, embossing, etc. and the known methods and machinery therefor. In an embodiment herein, a reclosing technology is combined with the invention herein, to allow easy and efficient re-closing of the pouch after opening. Such reclosing technologies are also especially beneficial with larger-sized pouches. Typical reclosing technologies are known in the art and include plastic pressure-sensitive zippers, hook and loop fastening systems, zipper systems, adhesive strips and patches, clips and snaps, locking systems, etc. For additional technologies useful in combination with the present invention, see, EP Patent No. 1 409 366 B1 to Camargo-Parodi, et al., granted on Jun. 21, 2006; and EP Patent Application No. 07119454.2 To Rogers, filed on Oct. 29, 2007.
EXAMPLE 1Pouches according to
The pouch formed above substantially corresponds to the pouch of
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”
All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern. All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
Claims
1. A perforated large-size easy opening pouch comprising:
- A. a sheet comprising at least one layer of a film material, the sheet forming a volume; and
- B. a seal comprising a perforation therein,
- wherein the perforation is completely surrounded by the seal, wherein the pouch is formed from a single sheet, and wherein when a tear is initiated along the perforation, the tear propagates to a non-sealed portion of the pouch.
2. The pouch according to claim 1, wherein the pouch is formed by an autopacking machine.
3. The pouch according to claim 1, comprising a granular detergent therein.
4. The pouch according to claim 1, wherein the film material is from about 15μ to about 220μ thick.
5. The pouch according to claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises a volume of at least 500 mL.
6. The pouch according to claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises a perforation distance and a tear distance, and wherein the ratio of the perforation distance:tear distance is more than about 1:10.
7. A sealing jaw comprising:
- A. a sealing arm comprising a profiled sealing area, the profiled sealing area comprising a cut blade, wherein the cut blade is completely surrounded by the profiled sealing area; and
- B. a receiving arm comprising a profiled sealing area, the profiled sealing area comprising a cut channel for receiving the cut blade.
8. The sealing jaw of claim 7 wherein the sealing arm comprises a heating element.
9. The sealing jaw of claim 7 wherein the receiving arm comprises a heating element.
10. An autopacking machine comprising the sealing jaw according to claim 7.
11. A method for sealing a pouch comprising the steps of:
- A. providing a sheet;
- B. forming a tube having a leading edge;
- C. sealing the leading edge to form a first seal;
- D. filling the tube with a predetermined amount of a product;
- E. sealing the tube to form a second seal; and
- F. cutting the tube to form a pouch filled with the product,
- wherein at least one of the first seal or the second seal comprises a perforation, wherein the perforation is completely surrounded by the first or second seal, and wherein when a tear is formed along the perforation, the tear propagates to a non-sealed portion of the pouch.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 19, 2009
Publication Date: Sep 24, 2009
Inventors: Gautam Bhattacharjee (Beijing), Longfei Zhang (Beijing)
Application Number: 12/407,370
International Classification: B65D 65/28 (20060101);