U.S. patent application number 11/822511 was filed with the patent office on 2008-04-24 for packaging pouch.
Invention is credited to Markus Bevilacqua, Gunther Holzwarth, Jean-Claude Jammet.
Application Number | 20080095476 11/822511 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37478749 |
Filed Date | 2008-04-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080095476 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Holzwarth; Gunther ; et
al. |
April 24, 2008 |
Packaging pouch
Abstract
A packaging pouch (10) made from a flexible film material and
having at least one sealing zone arranged along a pouch edge and an
outer sealing seam (18) as permanent closure element is such that,
in order to increase the shock-absorbing capacity of the sealing
zone, a region (22) of the sealing zone bordering the interior (20)
of the pouch exhibits lower bond strength than that of the outer
sealing seam (18).
Inventors: |
Holzwarth; Gunther;
(Kreuzlingen, CH) ; Bevilacqua; Markus;
(Neunkirch, CH) ; Jammet; Jean-Claude; (Neuhausen,
CH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Fisher, Christen & Sabol;Suite 1108
1725 K. Street, N.W.
Washington
DC
20006
US
|
Family ID: |
37478749 |
Appl. No.: |
11/822511 |
Filed: |
July 6, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/107 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C 66/43 20130101;
B29C 66/71 20130101; B29K 2023/06 20130101; B29K 2023/086 20130101;
B29K 2067/003 20130101; B29C 66/7234 20130101; B29K 2023/12
20130101; B65D 75/008 20130101; B29C 66/232 20130101; B29C 66/71
20130101; B29C 65/76 20130101; B29L 2031/7128 20130101; B29C 66/242
20130101; B29C 66/72325 20130101; B29C 66/71 20130101; B29C
66/72321 20130101; B29C 66/71 20130101; B29C 66/71 20130101; B29C
66/1122 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/107 |
International
Class: |
B65D 30/00 20060101
B65D030/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 11, 2006 |
EP |
06405298.8 |
Claims
1. A packaging pouch made from a flexible film material that has at
least on sealing zone arranged along a pouch edge and an outer
sealing seam (18) as a permanent sealing element, in order to
increase the capacity of the at least one sealing zone to absorb
shock, a region of the at least one sealing zone bordering inner
part (20) of the packaging pouch has lower bond strength than that
of the sealing seam (18).
2. The packaging pouch according to claim 1, wherein the region of
the at least one sealing zone bordering interior of the packaging
pouch is a sealing seam (22) having lower bond strength than that
of the outer seam (18).
3. The packaging pouch according to claim 1, wherein the region of
the at least one sealing zone bordering the inner part of the
packaging pouch exhibits a plurality of sealing areas (24, 26, 30)
spaced apart from each other and has same or lower bond strength
than that of the outer seam (18).
4. The packaging pouch according to claim 3, wherein the sealing
areas that are spaced apart from each other, and exhibit geometric
elements (24) surrounded on all sides by seal-free regions.
5. The packaging pouch according to claim 3, wherein the sealing
areas that are spaced apart from each other form a geometric
pattern.
6. The packaging pouch according to claim 3, wherein the sealing
areas that are spaced apart from each other are strips (26) that
project out from an inner edge (19) of the outer seam (18) towards
the interior of the packaging pouch.
7. The packaging pouch according to claim 3, wherein the sealing
areas that are spaced apart from each other are strips (30) that
project out from an inner edge (19) of the outer seam (18) and are
delimited by inward projecting seal-free regions (28).
8. The packaging pouch according to one of the claim 7, wherein the
region of the at least one sealing zone, bordering the interior of
the packaging pouch and having lower bond strength than that of the
outer stream (18), runs the whole length of the outer sealing seam
(18).
9. The packaging pouch according to claim 7, wherein the region of
the at least one sealing zone, bordering the interior of the
packaging pouch having lower bond strength than that of the outer
stream (18), runs over at least part of the length of the outer
sealing seam (18).
10. The packaging pouch according to claim 1, wherein the region of
the at least one sealing zone, bordering the interior of the
packaging pouch having lower bond strength than that of the outer
stream (18), runs the whole length of the outer sealing seam
(18).
11. The packaging pouch according to claim 1, wherein the region of
the at least one sealing zone, bordering the interior of the
packaging pouch having lower bond strength than that of the outer
stream (18), runs over at least part of the length of the outer
sealing seam (18).
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a pouch for packaging purposes made
from a flexible film-type material and having at least one sealing
zone arranged along an edge of the pouch and an outer sealing seam
as a permanent means of closure.
[0002] Goods required for daily use are often packaged in pouches.
A classic pouch-system is the free-standing pouch or the "Doy-Pack"
type of pouch. Depending on the contents and the requirements, the
layers of material may be two to four main layers.
[0003] Typical layer arrangements in packaging laminates for the
manufacture of pouches for liquid, liquid/particulate-solid and
pasty type contents having a long shelf-life of more than thirty
days are e.g.
[0004] PET/aluminium/oPA/PE (or PP)
[0005] PET/vacuum coated barriers/oPA/PE (or PP)
[0006] PET/vacuum coated barriers/PET/PE (or PP)
[0007] PET/PE:EVOH:PE (or PP:EVOH:PP)
[0008] The combination of different layers produces the desired
properties. PET (polyethylene-terephthalate) is thermal resistant,
produces a shiny surface and can be readily printed on, oPA
(oriented polyamide) produces a high resistance to penetration and
resistance to failure due to bending, an aluminium foil, vacuum
coating with SiOX or a layer of EVOH (ethyl-vinyl-alcohol) as
barrier layer increases the resistance to the passage of water
vapour, oxygen and other gases as well as undesirably aromas. The
thickness of the various individual layers varies, depending on the
specific application. Typical film thicknesses are: PET 12 .mu.m,
aluminium 8-12 .mu.m, oPA 12-15 .mu.m, PE and PP 50-150 .mu.m. The
films or foils are typically bonded together by means of
polyurethane adhesives.
[0009] Apart from the different properties, the combination of
layers also produces the required toughness at the sealing joint,
which gives the finished pouch its shape. This prevents the pouch
from bursting open if dropped, which would make the contents
unusable.
[0010] The production of the above mentioned arrangement of layers
is relatively complex. There is therefore the desire to have layers
that are easier to manufacture, that are cost-favourable and to
have fewer layers e.g. laminates having only two main layers. The
materials employed must combine different properties, in particular
however prevent the finished pouch from tearing open along the
sealing seam if dropped several times.
[0011] The object of the present invention is to improve the
shock-absorbing capacity of the sealing seam in a packaging pouch
of the kind mentioned at the start.
[0012] That objective is achieved by way of the invention in that,
in order to increase the shock-absorbing capacity, a region of the
sealing zone bordering the interior of the pouch exhibits lower
bond strength than the bond strength of the outer part of the
sealing seam.
[0013] The essence of the invention lies in the placement of an
additional sealing area which, when a pouch is dropped, absorbs the
energy acting on the sealing zone of the pouch or reduces this to
such an extent that the outer sealing seam is not impaired. A tear
which, when a pouch is dropped, starts in the region of the seam
that precedes the outer sealing seam and has the lowest bond
strength, is arrested by plastic deformation taking up the kinetic
energy running into the sealing zone i.e. before the tear reaches
the outer sealing seam.
[0014] The region of the sealing seam bordering the interior of the
pouch may e.g. exhibit an inner sealing seam having lower bond
strength than that of the outer sealing seam.
[0015] The region of sealing zone bordering the interior of the
pouch may also exhibit a plurality of sealing areas that are spaced
apart and exhibit the same or lower bond strength than that of the
outer sealing seam. Thereby, the sealing areas that are spaced
apart may exhibit geometric figures that are surrounded on all
sides by seal-free regions or form a geometric pattern.
[0016] The sealing areas that are spaced apart from each other may
also be strips that project from an inner edge of the outer seam,
or strips that project from an inner edge of the outer sealing seam
and are delimited by inward projecting seal-free regions.
[0017] The region of sealing zone bordering the inner part of the
pouch and exhibiting lower bond strength than that of the outer
sealing seam may extend the whole length or may run only over one
or more parts of the length of the outer sealing seam.
[0018] Further advantages, features and details of the invention
are revealed in the following description of preferred exemplified
embodiments of the invention and with the aid of the drawing which
shows schematically in
[0019] FIG. 1 a side view of a free-standing pouch with outer and
inner sealing seam;
[0020] FIG. 2 the side view of the free-standing pouch shown in
FIG. 1, having outer sealing seam and sealing areas that are spaced
apart;
[0021] A packaging pouch 10 in the form of a free-standing pouch
shown in FIG. 1 features a front wall 12, a rear wall 14 and a
sealed on base 16. A circumferential sealing seam 18 of elevated
bond strength hermetically seals an inner volume 20 delimited by a
front wall 12, rear wall 14 and base 16.
[0022] An inner sealing seam 22 having lower bond strength than
that of the outer sealing seam 18 borders on one side to the region
20 for holding the contents and on the other side to the inner edge
19 of the outer seam 18 and extends over the whole length of the
outer seam 18.
[0023] A tear arising when the pouch is dropped begins at the inner
seam and is arrested there due to the absorption of energy. The
bond strength of the inner seam 22 may e.g. be selected such that
separation of the inner seam 22 takes place by peeling.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, reduced bond strength at the inner side
of the outer seam 18 may be achieved by the sealing in this region
being achieved by a plurality of sealing areas that are separated
from each other i.e. instead of by a seam covering the whole
area.
[0025] The sealing areas shown by way of example in a first version
comprise geometric elements e.g. triangles 24 which are surrounded
by seal-free regions.
[0026] In a second version shown here, the sealing areas are
arranged spaced apart in the form of strips 26 projecting out from
the inner edge 19 of the outer seam 18 towards the interior 20 of
the pouch.
[0027] In a third version shown here the sealing areas are in the
form of strips 30 projecting from the inner edge of the outer seam
18 that are arranged spaced apart and are delimited by seal-free
regions 28.
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