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 comer 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 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 comer portion in which the front and rear faces are sealed to each other, into which extended comer portion the minor portion of the interior volume containing the straw extends, and by and defining the line of tear wholly within this extended comer 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 comer 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 comer 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 comer 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 comer 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 comer portion except where the minor portion extends into the extended comer portion; the straw being located in the minor portion with an end thereof extending into the extended comer portion; and a predetermined tear line being defined in the extended comer 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 comer 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 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: o 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 comer portion.

o The minor portion defines a headspace located in the comer 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 comer 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 comer 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 comer 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 along the tear line leaves an almost folly detached comer 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 comer 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 comer portion 11 to form a headspace 14 for the straw in the extended comer portion, and a major portion 15 which communicates with the minor portion 13. Except where the 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 tom off portion of extended comer portion 11 still attached to the remainder of the pouch at position 27. This arrangement reduces the likelihood of a tom off portion forming 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 reducing the risk of an inadvertent tear elsewhere with resultant spillage of the drink 2. At the same time forming the comer with an extended comer 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 comer 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 comer portion 11 is removed in this way, the pouch is still effectively sealed, but the straw end protrades 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 tom, 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 comer 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 comer 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 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 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 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 comer 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 comer 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 comer 11 may be left hanging adjacent notch 22, well out of the way of a user’s nose when drinking from the straw.