Stand-Up Pouch

Abstract

An improved stand-up pouch and blank for constructing the same. The stand-up pouch comprises a front panel, a back panel, and a bottom gusset provide between the front panel and the back panel. The bottom side of each panel may comprise a left curved section and a right curved section. The front panel, back panel, and bottom gusset are sealed to one another such that the stand-up pouch is configured to move between a substantially flat state and a stand-up state. According to some aspects, the stand-up pouch is configured such that, when in the stand-up state, a portion of the pouch where the left curved sections of the bottom sides of each panel are sealed together and a portion of the pouch where the right curved sections of the bottom sides of each panel are sealed together do not contact a support surface, thus providing increased stability.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/771,359, filed Mar. 1, 2013, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/871,687, filed Aug. 29, 2013, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to improved packaging for products. Specifically, some embodiments of this invention relate to an improved stand-up pouch for consumable products.

BACKGROUND

The use of flexible packaging for products, such as consumable products, has increased in recent years due to the unique marketing benefits and resource efficiency such packaging offers. For example, compared to conventional jars, cans, boxes, and the like, flexible packaging (e.g., stand-up pouches) provide a unique appeal to consumers, who may be more apt to choose a product contained within, e.g., a stand-up pouch, over a product in a box or other packaging. Further, flexible packaging (e.g., stand-up pouches) are more resource efficient that their traditional packaging counterparts. For example, stand-up pouches have a much higher product-to-packaging ratio than traditional packaging methods. Accordingly, manufacturers and the like are able to reduce the resources and cost associated with packaging retail products (e.g., consumable products) while at the same time advertising their packaging as “green” in order to appeal to eco-conscious consumers.

Existing stand-up pouches, however, suffer from certain drawbacks over traditional packaging methods and materials. One such drawback is the decreased stability that stand-up pouches exhibit over their jar, can, box, etc., counterparts. For example, particularly in the case of solid, narrow products, a stand-up pouch may not exhibit appropriate stability to keep the product in an upright position on a shelf. Thus, if stand-up pouches are used for such products, the product may not sit upright on a shelf, or worse, may tip over completely, resulting in decreased visibility of the packaging and/or product to consumers and the like. Accordingly, there remains a need for a stand-up pouch which exhibits the marketing and eco-friendly benefits of traditional stand-up pouches while exhibiting improved stability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the above shortcomings of traditional flexible packaging and, more specifically, traditional stand-up pouches. In one aspect, the present invention provides a stand-up pouch with increased stability. This increased stability is achieved by eliminating the corners on which conventional stand-up pouches rest when in a standing position, thus providing increased contact between a support surface and a bottom gusset and/or bottom sides of a front and back panel of the stand-up pouch. Another aspect of the present invention provides a blank for a stand-up pouch which, when assembled, exhibits this increased stability.

In another aspect of the invention, a stand-up pouch for a consumable product is provided. The stand-up pouch comprises a front and back panel and a bottom gusset in between each panel. Each panel and the bottom gusset may be formed from a separate piece of material, or one or more of the components may be integrally formed with one another. For example, in one embodiment the stand-up pouch may be formed from a continuous piece of material, with the front and back panels and the bottom gusset integrally formed and subsequently folded into the stand-up pouch configuration. The front and back panels may comprise a top side, a left side, a right side, and a bottom side. The bottom side of each panel may further comprise a substantially straight section and a left and right curved section. The left and right curved sections of the front panel may be sealed to the left and right curved sections of the back panel, respectively, and the bottom gusset such that, when the stand-up pouch is standing, portions of the stand-up pouch where each of the front panel, back panel, and bottom gusset are sealed to one another do not contact a support surface, thus providing the desired stability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a known Doyen-style, stand-up pouch;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the stand-up pouch of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a stand-up pouch according to at least one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the stand-up pouch of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5a is a left side view of the stand-up pouch of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5b is a left side view of the stand-up pouch of FIGS. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a front view of stand-up pouch blank according to at least one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a front view of a Doyen-style, stand-up pouch 100 well known in the art. Stand-up pouch 100 comprises front panel 102, back panel 104 directly behind front panel 102, and bottom gusset 106 provided between front panel 102 and back panel 104. Each panel further comprises top side 108, bottom side 114, left side 110, and right side 112. As used throughout this disclosure to describe the various embodiments, “left” and “right” refer to the left and right side of a stand-up pouch when viewed from a front of the stand-up pouch, and not necessarily to a left or right side of the included drawing sheet. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, stand-up pouch 100 is configured to move between a substantially flat state as illustrated in FIG. 1 (i.e., where stand-up pouch 100 does not contain a product within) and a stand-up state as illustrated in FIG. 2. In the substantially flat state, bottom gusset 106 is folded along its center (illustrated by the broken line in FIG. 1) and sandwiched between front panel 102 and back panel 104. Thus, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 1, stand-up pouch 100 comprises two layers of material above the broken line (i.e., front panel 102 and back panel 104) and four layers of material below the broken line (i.e., front panel 102, back panel 104, and bottom gusset 106 folded upon itself along its center).

Front panel 102, back panel 104, and bottom gusset 106 are sealed to one another along the perimeter of stand-up pouch 100 forming an open, enclosed interior. Accordingly, stand-up pouch 100 is configured to move between the substantially flat state (FIG. 1) and the stand-up state (FIG. 2), wherein when in the stand-up state, it is capable of housing a product within the open, enclosed interior. Specifically, stand-up pouch 100 comprises sealed portions 118 (indicated by shading in FIG. 1, with the lighter shading indicating two layers of material sealed to one another and the darker shading indicating four layers of material sealed to one another), and unsealed portions 116 (indicated by white space in FIG. 1). For example, front panel 102 is sealed to back panel 104 along both left side 110 and right side 112 above the broken line depicted in FIG. 1, and front panel 102 is sealed to back panel 104 and two layers of bottom gusset 106 along each side below the broken line depicted in FIG. 1. Further, front panel 102 is sealed to a first layer of bottom gusset 106 (but not to a second layer of bottom gusset 106 or to back panel 104) along its bottom side 114 and along the two diagonal seals extending from each side 110 and 112 to bottom side 114. Back panel 104 is sealed to the second layer of bottom gusset 106 in a like manner on the back side of stand-up pouch 100 (not shown).

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the above manner of sealing front panel 102, back panel 104, and bottom gusset 106 creates an enclosed, open interior for receiving, e.g., a product (not shown). Specifically, the portions of front panel 102 and back panel 104 located between the sealed portions 118 are configured to separate from each other. Further, because bottom gusset 106 is sealed to each of the front panel 102 and back panel 104 in the manner described above, when the portions of front panel 102 and back panel 104 between the sealed portions 118 are separated from one another, bottom gusset 106 is unfolded, creating a bottom surface of stand-up pouch 100. In this stand-up state, the stand-up pouch 100 is supported by the bottom surface formed by bottom gusset 106 and/or the bottom sides 114 of front panel 102 and back panel 104 which contact a support surface. Further, the areas of stand-up pouch 100 where four layers of material are sealed together (i.e., the darker shaded areas of sealed portion 118 where front panel 102 is sealed to two layers of bottom gusset 106 and back panel 104) faun a first corner 202 and second corner 204, and stand-up pouch 100 is also supported by these two corners in the stand-up state. Thus, when a product or other object is contained within stand-up pouch 100, the pouch is kept standing on, e.g., a shelf by the contact of bottom gusset 106, first corner 202, second corner 204, and/or the bottom side 114 of each panels.

The above configuration of stand-up pouch 100 may provide ample support to keep stand-up pouch 100 standing when the enclosed, open interior of stand-up pouch 100 contains, e.g., materials having a wide base. For example, a product with a wide base may separate front panel 102 sufficiently from back panel 104 such that bottom gusset 106, first and second corners 202 and 204, and bottom sides 114 contact the support surface in a stable configuration keeping the stand-up pouch 100 (and product within) upright. However, for other products, the above configuration may not provide ample support and the stand-up pouch 100 may lean or even tip over on a support surface such as, e.g., a shelf in a supermarket. For example, if a relatively long (in the dimension that spans from bottom side 114 to top side 108) and narrow (in the dimension that spans from the front panel 102 to the back panel 104), solid product is placed in stand-up pouch 100, front panel 102 may not separate from back panel 104 sufficiently to form a stable, stand-up configuration. In this unstable configuration, the stand-up pouch 100 will rest primarily on corners 202 and 204, causing the stand-up pouch to lean or tip about a line extending through corners 202 and 204. Thus, the stand-up pouch may be supported primarily (or even exclusively) by the two corners 202 and 204 and the bottom side 114 of only one panel 102 or 104. Such a configuration results in a pouch that does not stand upright (i.e., leans about the line that extends through the corners 202 and 204) and that is prone to falling over. This will be discussed more fully in connection with FIG. 5.

One aspect of the present invention eliminates this instability by providing curved sections on the bottom side of each panel and/or bottom gusset of a stand-up pouch such that the stand-up pouch will not rest primarily on two corners when standing and thus not be prone to tip about a line extending through these two corners. For example, FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a stand-up pouch 300 according to one aspect of the invention. Stand-up pouch 300 comprises front panel 302, back panel 304 directly behind front panel 302, and bottom gusset 306 provided between front panel 302 and back panel 304. As used herein, each component of the variously discussed stand-up pouches (e.g., front panel 302, back panel 304, bottom gusset 306) will be described as containing a “layer” of material. As will be appreciated by one having skill in the art given the benefit of this disclosure, however, each “layer” may comprise one or more sublayers of various materials. For example, front panel 302, back panel 304, and/or bottom gusset 306 may comprise one or more sublayers of material. In some embodiments each panel 302 and 304 and/or bottom gusset 306 may comprise two sublayers of material; e.g., a sublayer of polyethylene terephthalate and a sublayer of polyethylene. In further embodiments, ink and/or adhesives may be disposed in between each sublayer of material. For example, in some embodiments each of front panel 302, back panel 304, and/or bottom gusset 306 may comprise a base sublayer of polyethylene terephthalate, ink (e.g., a color, graphic, logo, or other depiction) applied to the base sublayer, adhesive applied to the polyethylene terephthalate and ink, and a top sublayer of polyethylene (which may be, e.g., secured to the polyethylene terephthalate via the applied adhesive).

Each panel further comprises top side 308, bottom side 314, left side 310, and right side 312. As with stand-up pouch 100, stand-up pouch 300 is configured to move between a substantially flat state as illustrated in FIG. 3 (i.e., where stand-up pouch 300 does not contain a product within) and a stand-up state as illustrated in FIG. 4 (as will be discussed more fully). In the substantially flat state, the bottom gusset 306 is folded along its center (as illustrated by the broken line in FIG. 3) and sandwiched between front panel 302 and back panel 304. Thus, in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3, stand-up pouch 300 comprises two layers of material above the broken line (i.e., front panel 302 and back panel 304) and four layers of material below the broken line (i.e., front panel 302, back panel 304, and bottom gusset 306 folded upon itself along its center). And as discussed, each layer of material may further comprise one or more sublayers. Thus, in some embodiments, stand-up pouch may comprise, e.g., four sublayers of material above the broken line (e.g., a sublayer of polyethylene terephthalate and a sublayer of polyethylene for each of front panel 302 and back panel 304), and may comprise, e.g., eight sublayers below the broken line (e.g., a sublayer of polyethylene terephthalate and a sublayer of polyethylene for each of front panel 302, back panel 304, and bottom gusset 306, with bottom gusset 306 folded in two).

Unlike stand-up pouch 100, however, the bottom side 314 of each of front panel 302 and back panel 304 comprises a straight section 316, a left curved section 318, and a right curved section 320. The left curved section 318 connects a left end of straight section 316 with left side 310, and the right curved section 320 connects a right end of straight section 316 with right side 312.

The front panel 302, back panel 304, and bottom gusset 306 are sealed to one another along the perimeter of stand-up pouch 300 forming an enclosed, open interior. Accordingly, the stand-up pouch 300 is configured to move between the substantially flat state (FIG. 3) and the stand-up state (FIG. 4), wherein when in the stand-up state, stand-up pouch 300 is capable of housing a product within the enclosed, open interior. Specifically, stand-up pouch 300 comprises sealed portions 324 (indicated by shading in FIG. 3, with the lighter shading indicating two layers and the darker shading indicating four layers of sealed material) and unsealed portions 322 (indicated by white space in FIG. 3). Each sealed portion 324 of stand-up pouch 300 comprises two or more layers of material sealed to one another by any method well known in the art. In the depicted embodiment, front panel 302 is sealed to back panel 304 along both left side 310 and right side 312 above the broken line depicted in FIG. 3, and to the back panel 304 and two layers of bottom gusset 306 along each side below the broken line depicted in FIG. 3. Further, front panel 302 is sealed to a first layer of bottom gusset 306 (but not to a second layer of bottom gusset 306 or to back panel 304) along its bottom side 314 and along the two diagonal seals extending from each side 310 and 312 to bottom side 314. Back panel 304 is sealed to the second layer of bottom gusset 306 in a like manner on the back side of stand-up pouch 300 (not shown). Although not shown, front panel 302 may further be sealed to back panel 304 along the top side 308 forming a completely enclosed interior, or may be fitted with a resealable fixture well known in the art allowing access to the enclosed, open interior.

For example, top sides 308 of front panel 302 and back panel 304 may be sealed to one another after a product (e.g., a consumable product) is placed in the open, enclosed interior. In such an embodiment, a user (e.g., a consumer) will ultimately tear this top seal off to access a product within. Notches (such as, e.g., “V” shaped tear notches) or other tear guides may be provided on either side 310 or 312 to assist the user in tearing open the pouch. Further, a film or other material (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, or the like) used to construct front panel 302 and back panel 304 may be configured to assist in tearing off the top seal. For example, the material used to construct front panel 302 and/or back panel 304 (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate and/or polyethylene, etc.) may be configured such that tearing the material in a first direction is easier than tearing the material in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. That is, the internal fiber structure, etc., of the material may be more prone to tearing in the first direction (e.g., tearing with the fibers, etc.) than in the second direction (e.g., tearing against the fibers, etc.). Accordingly the front panel 302 and back panel 304 may be constructed from the material such that the direction in which the consumer will ultimately tear the front panel 302 and back panel 304 to remove the top seal corresponds to the easier direction to tear (e.g., returning to the above example, the user will ultimately tear with the fibers rather than against the fibers).

In other embodiments, top side 308 of each panel 302 and 304 may comprise a reusable adhesive or may otherwise releasably engaged with each other such that the open interior of stand-up pouch 300 may be accessed repeatedly and resealed between each access. For example, the top side 308 may comprise a resealable zipper or similar device providing access to the open, enclosed interior of the stand-up bag 300. In such embodiments, front panel 302 may comprise, e.g., a first portion of a resealable zipper near top side 308 and back panel 304 may comprise, e.g., a second portion of a resealable zipper near top side 308, such that, when engaged with one another, the first and second portions of the resealable zipper form a resealable seal to the open, enclosed interior.

Further, in some embodiments, the stand-up pouch may comprise, e.g., both a resealable zipper or the like and a seal at the top side 308 of stand-up pouch 300. For example, stand-up pouch 300 may be sealed along top side 308 such that, e.g., a consumer must tear off a top seal to access the open, enclosed interior as discussed. However, stand-up pouch 300 may further comprise a resealable zipper disposed below the top seal (e.g., disposed closer to bottom side 314 than the top seal) such that, after the consumer first accesses the open, enclosed interior by removing the top seal, she may repeatedly open and close the stand-up pouch 300 using the resealable zipper. Those skilled in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure, will recognize many other configurations suitable for sealing or releasably sealing top side 308 of stand-up pouch 300 without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

As seen in FIG. 3, sealed portions 324 may be of sufficient thickness (in a dimension from the left to right for the seals along left side 310 and right side 312, and in a dimension from the top to bottom for the seals along bottom side 314) to create a sturdy, airtight, and/or liquid-tight seal between the enclosed, open interior and the outside of the stand-up pouch 300. For example, in some embodiments, each sealed portion may have a thickness of at least 0.25 inches. In other embodiments, the thickness of each seal may vary depending on a location of the particular seal. For example, in some embodiments the seals provided along each of left side 310 and right side 312 may be 0.25 inches thick, while the seal provided along the bottom side may be thicker, such as 0.375 inches thick. Those skilled in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure, will recognize many other specific configurations depending on the particular application of stand-up pouch 300.

Turning now to FIG. 4, when the stand-up pouch 300 is in a stand-up state (e.g., a state where stand-up pouch 300 houses a product) the area where four layers (and in some embodiments, e.g., eight or more sublayers as discussed) are sealed together (as indicated by the darker shading) form first curved corner 402 and second curved corner 404. Because each of the bottom sides 314 of panels 302 and 304 comprise curved sections 318 and 320, first and second curved corners 402 and 404 may not contact a support surface when stand-up pouch 300 is upright. Specifically, unlike stand-up pouch 100 illustrated in FIG. 2, a majority of the stand-up pouch 300 is supported either by bottom gusset 306 or the bottom sides 314 of each panel 302 and 304. And because the stand-up pouch 300 is not supported by first and second curved corners 402 and 404, stand-up pouch 300 is not prone to leaning or tipping about, e.g., a line extending through first and second curved corners 402 and 404. Thus, the stand-up pouch 300 will exhibit increased stability on a shelf as compared to, e.g., stand-up pouch 100.

This feature may be more readily understood by reference to FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b. FIG. 5a illustrates a left side view of a known Doyen-style pouch, such as stand-up pouch 100 as presented in FIGS. 1-2. Stand-up pouch 100 is standing on support surface 502. Further, stand-up pouch 100 contains product 504. Product 504 may be, e.g., a consumable product. Further, product 504 may comprise a plurality of distinct, consumable products. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, product 504 comprises four distinct, consumable products stacked one on top of the other. Product 504 is relatively long in the a dimension spanning from the bottom to the top of stand-up pouch 100, and relatively narrow in the dimension spanning from front panel 102 to back panel 104. In this embodiment, when product 504 is contained within stand-up pouch 100 and stand-up pouch is placed in the stand-up state, front panel 102 is not sufficiently separated from back panel 104 to create a stable base as discussed above. Specifically, stand-up pouch 100 rests on corner 202 and corner 204 (not shown) and thus stand-up pouch 100 is unstable about a line that extends through the corners 202 and 204 which causes stand-up pouch to lean. For example, stand-up pouch 100 may sit such that it is supported by corner 202, corner 204, and bottom side 114 of back panel 104 (as shown) or in any other instable manner caused by, e.g., the interaction of corners 202 and 204 with support surface 502. Accordingly, for some products or configurations, stand-up pouch 100 may not sit upright on, e.g., a supermarket shelf thus being less appealing to consumers while being prone to tipping over.

However, as illustrated in FIG. 5b, stand-up pouch 300 does not suffer from this deficiency. Specifically, in the depicted embodiment, stand-up pouch 300 also contains product 504 (i.e., four distinct, consumable products stacked one on top of the other) which is relatively long in the dimension spanning from the bottom to the top of stand-up pouch 300, and relatively narrow in the dimension spanning from front panel 302 to back panel 304. However, in this embodiment, and as discussed more fully above, bottom sides 314 of each of front panel 302 and back panel 304 comprise left curved sections 318 and right curved sections 320 (not shown). Accordingly, first curved corner 402 and second curved corner 404 (not shown) formed at an area where the four layers of material (i.e., front panel 302, back panel 304, and two layers of bottom gusset 306) are sealed to one another is now rounded and, when stand-up pouch 300 is in the stand-up state (as depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5b), stand-up pouch 300 does not rest on first curved corner 402 or second curved corner 404. Rather, stand-up pouch 300 is supported mainly by bottom gusset 306 and/or bottom sides 314 of front panel 302 and back panel 304 (e.g., straight sections 316 of front panel 302 and back panel 304). Because stand-up pouch 300 does not rest on any corners (unlike stand-up pouch 100) stand-up pouch 300 stands upright on support surface 502.

Further, due to, e.g., first curved corner 402 and second curved corner 404 not interfering with support surface 502 (unlike the interference of first corner 202 and second corner 204 with support surface 502), one or more dimensions of bottom gusset 306 of stand-up pouch 300 may be greater than, e.g., a respective one or more dimensions of bottom gusset 106 of stand-up pouch 100 for a given product (e.g., product 504). For example, a depth of bottom gusset 306 (e.g., the dimension of bottom gusset 306 spanning from front panel 302 to back panel 304) may be greater in stand-up pouch 300 for given product than, e.g., the depth of bottom gusset 106. In such embodiments, bottom gusset 306 provides stand-up pouch 300 with a larger base and thus more stability on a support surface 502 as compared to, e.g., stand-up pouch 100. Accordingly, stand-up pouch 300 is more appealing to consumers and is less likely to lean and/or tip over when placed on, e.g., a supermarket shelf.

FIG. 6 illustrates blank 600 that may be used in constructing a stand-up pouch according to one or more aspects of the invention. In some embodiments, stand-up pouch 300 may be constructed of multiple pieces which are then sealed together. For example, in some embodiments front panel 302, back panel 304, and bottom gusset 306 may each be a separate, distinct piece of material, which are then sealed to one another in the manner described to form stand-up pouch 300. However, in other embodiments, a stand-up pouch may be created from a single, continuous piece of material which is then folded and sealed to construct, e.g., stand-up pouch 300 or the like. In that regard, FIG. 6 represents one embodiment of blank 600 which may be used to construct a stand-up pouch. Blank 600 may be formed of one continuous piece of material suitable for constructing stand-up pouches. For example, in some embodiments blank 600 may be formed from one continuous piece of polyester, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, or the like. Further, in other embodiments the one continuous piece of material may comprise one or more sublayers. For example, in some embodiments, blank 600 may be formed from a continuous piece of material comprising a sublayer of polyethylene terephthalate, a sublayer of polyethylene, and/or ink and adhesive(s) disposed between the one or more sublayers. In such embodiments, blank 600 may be die cut from the continuous piece of material.

Blank 600 comprises front panel 602, back panel 604, and bottom gusset 606 between the front panel 602 and the back panel 604. Front panel 602 and back panel 604 each comprise top side 608, bottom side 614, left side 610, and right side 612. Further, bottom side 614 of each panel may comprise a straight section 616, a left curved section 618, and a right curved section 620. Bottom gusset 606 may be integrally formed with the front panel 602 and back panel 604 along the straight section 616 of bottom side 614 of each panel.

As indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 6, blank 600 may be folded at one or more locations in order to construct a stand-up pouch, such as stand-up pouch 300. For example, blank 600 may be folded along a center of bottom gusset 606, and further folded along an area where bottom gusset 606 is connected to each of front panel 602 and back panel 604. After folding, front panel 602, back panel 604, and gusset 606 may be sealed to one another (as indicated by the sealed portions 624 in FIG. 6) to form an enclosed, open interior as discussed more fully above and as indicated by unsealed portions 622. As with the previous figures, the darker shaded areas of sealed portions 624 represent a seal where four layers will be sealed to one another (i.e., front panel 602, back panel 604, and two layers of bottom gusset 606) and the lighter shaded areas of sealed portions 624 represent a seal where two layers will be sealed together (i.e., front panel 602 to back panel 602, or one of front panel 602 and back panel 604 to one layer of bottom gusset 606). Accordingly, a stand-up pouch according to one or more aspects of the invention as discussed herein may be conveniently constructed from a single, continuous piece of material such as blank 600.

In some embodiments, bottom gusset 606 may also comprise curved sections that abut, and seal to, respective curved sections of each panel 602 and 604 when a stand-up pouch is ultimately constructed from blank 600. For example, and as depicted in FIG. 6, bottom gusset 606 comprises left side 626 and right side 634. Left side 626 comprises a straight section 628, a first curved section 630, and a second curved section 632. Similarly, right side 634 comprises a straight section 636, a first curved section 638, and a second curved section 640. Accordingly, when folded and sealed as discussed, the first curved section 630 and the second curved section 632 of left side 626 of bottom gusset 606 will be sandwiched and sealed between the left curved sections 618 of the front panel 602 and back panel 604. Similarly, first curved section 638 and second curved section 640 of the right side 634 of bottom gusset 606 will be sandwiched and sealed between the right curved sections 620 of the front panel 602 and back panel 604. Accordingly, in such an embodiment, when a stand-up pouch is ultimately formed from blank 600, curved corners formed by the seals at the darker shaded regions of sealed portions 624 (such as, e.g., first and second curved corners 402 and 404 of stand-up pouch 300) may not contact a support surface when the stand-up pouch is in a stand-up state and/or houses a product within the enclosed, open interior.

In other embodiments, one or more of bottom gusset 606, front panel 602, and/or back panel 604 in stand-up pouch blank 600 may not comprise curved sections (e.g., may not comprise first curved sections 630 and 638, second curved sections 632 and 640, left curved sections 618, and/or right curved sections 620). In such embodiments, one or more of the curved sections depicted in FIG. 6 may be formed when, e.g., stand-up pouch blank 600 is ultimately folded and sealed into a stand-up pouch. For example, in some embodiments bottom gusset 606 may not comprise first curved sections 630 and 638 and/or second curved sections 632 and 640. In such embodiments, bottom gusset 606 may be generally rectangular shaped with four right-angled corners replacing curved sections 630, 632, 638, and 640. For example, straight sections 628 and 636 may meet straight sections 616 thus forming four right-angled corners at a location where each curved section 630, 632, 638, and 640 is depicted in FIG. 6. In such embodiments, when the stand-up pouch blank 600 is ultimately folded and sealed into a stand-up pouch, these four corners of bottom gusset 606 may be die cut into a curve or otherwise removed during, e.g., the sealing process, resulting in, e.g., curved sections as depicted in FIGS. 3-5. Similarly, front panel 602 and back panel 604 may comprise sharp corners in lieu of curved sections 618 and 620 depicted in FIG. 6, which are then die cut into a curve or otherwise removed during, e.g., the sealing process resulting in curved sections on the ultimately formed stand-up pouch.

While the invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of numerous changes, modifications, and rearrangements and such changes, modifications, and rearrangements are intended to be covered by the following claims.

Claims

1. A stand-up pouch for a consumable product comprising:

a front panel and a back panel, each panel comprising: a top side; a left side; a right side; and a bottom side, wherein the bottom side comprises a substantially straight section, a left curved section, and a right curved section, wherein the left curved section connects a left end of the substantially straight section with the left side of the panel, and wherein the right curved section connects a right end of the substantially straight section with the right side of the panel; and

a bottom gusset provided between the front panel and the back panel.

2. The stand-up pouch of claim 1, wherein the stand-up pouch is configured to move between a first state and a second state,

wherein when the stand-up pouch is in the first state the stand-up pouch is configured to lie substantially flat, and

wherein when the stand-up pouch is in the second state the stand-up pouch is configured to stand on a support surface.

3. The stand-up pouch of claim 2, wherein the bottom gusset is folded along a center of the bottom gusset when the stand-up pouch is in the first state.

4. The stand-up pouch of claim 2, wherein a first portion of the left side of the front panel is sealed to a first portion of the left side the back panel,

wherein a second portion of the left side of the front panel is sealed to a second portion of the left side of the back panel and at least part of a left side of the bottom gusset,

wherein a first portion of the right side of the front panel is sealed to a first portion of the right side the back panel, and

wherein a second portion of the right side of the front panel is sealed to a second portion of the right side of the back panel and at least part of a right side of the bottom gusset.

5. The stand-up pouch of claim 4, wherein each of the left and right sides of the bottom gusset comprises a substantially straight section and two curved sections.

6. The stand-up pouch of claim 5, wherein at least a part of the left curved section of the bottom side of the front panel is sealed to at least a part of the left curved portion of the bottom side of the back panel and at least a part of each of the two curved sections of the left side of the bottom gusset forming a first curved corner, and

wherein at least a part of the right curved section of the bottom side of the front panel is sealed to at least a part of the right curved section of the bottom side of the back panel and at least a part of each of the two curved sections of the right side of the bottom gusset forming a second curved corner.

7. The stand-up pouch of claim 6, wherein the stand-up pouch is configured to stand in the second state such that the first curved corner and the second curved corner do not contact the support surface.

8. The stand-up pouch of claim 7, further comprising a consumable product.

9. The stand-up pouch of claim 8, wherein the consumable product comprises multiple, solid consumable products.

10. The stand-up pouch of claim 9, wherein the multiple, solid consumable products are stacked in the stand-up pouch such that the stand-up pouch keeps the stack of multiple, solid consumable products in an upright position when in the second state.

11. A blank for a stand-up pouch, the blank comprising:

a front panel and a back panel, each panel comprising: a top side; a left side; a right side; and a bottom side, wherein the bottom side comprises a substantially straight section, a left curved section, and a right curved section, wherein the left curved section connects a left end of the substantially straight section with the left side of the panel, and wherein the right curved section connects a right end of the substantially straight section with the right side of the panel; and

a bottom gusset provided between the front panel and the back panel and integrally formed with each of the front panel and the back panel along the substantially straight section of each panel's respective bottom side.

12. The blank of claim 11, wherein the bottom gusset comprises a left side and a right side, and wherein each of the left side and the right side of the bottom gusset comprises a substantially straight section and two curved sections.

13. The blank of claim 11, wherein the blank is constructed of a continuous piece of material.

14. The blank of claim 13, wherein the continuous piece of material comprises one of polyester and polyethylene.

15. The blank of claim 13, wherein the blank is configured to be folded along a center of the bottom gusset and along the substantially straight section of the bottom side of each of the front panel and the back panel.

16. A stand-up pouch comprising:

a front panel and a back panel, each panel comprising: a top side; a left side; a right side; and a bottom side, wherein the bottom side comprises a substantially straight section, a left curved section, and a right curved section, wherein the left curved section connects a left end of the substantially straight section with the left side of the panel, and wherein the right curved section connects a right end of the substantially straight section with the right side of the panel; and

a bottom gusset integrally formed with the front panel and the back panel and provided between the front panel and the back panel.

17. The stand-up pouch of claim 16, wherein the bottom gusset is integrally fanned at the substantially straight section of the bottom side of each of the front panel and the back panel, and

wherein the stand-up pouch comprises a fold along the substantially straight section of the bottom side of each of the front panel and the back panel.

18. The stand-up pouch of claim 17, wherein the stand-up pouch is configured to move between a first state and a second state,

wherein when the stand-up pouch is in the first state the stand-up pouch is configured to lie substantially flat, and

wherein when the stand-up pouch is in the second state the stand-up pouch is configured to stand on a support surface.

19. The stand-up pouch of claim 18, further comprising a fold along a center of the bottom gusset when the stand-up pouch is in the first state.

20. The stand-up pouch of claim 18, wherein the bottom gusset comprises a left side and a right side with each of the left side and the right side comprising a substantially straight section and two curved sections,

wherein at least a part of each of the two curved sections of the left side of the bottom gusset are sealed to at least a part of the left curved section of the bottom side of the front panel and at least a part of the left curved section of the bottom side of the back panel forming a first curved corner,

wherein at least a part of each of the two curved sections of the right side of the bottom gusset are sealed to at least a part of the right curved section of the bottom side of the front panel and at least a part of the right curved section of the bottom side of the back panel forming a second curved corner, and

wherein the stand-up pouch is configured to stand in the second state such that the first curved corner and the second curved corner do not contact the support surface.