SQUEEZE-OUT POUCH

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application

Serial No. 62/773,220 filed November 30, 2018, entitled Squeeze-Out Pouch, the entire specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] 1. Field of the Disclosure

[0003] The disclosure relates in general to flexible packaging, and more particularly, to a squeeze-out pouch.

[0004] 2. Background Art

[0005] Spouted stand-up squeeze-out pouches made from flexible packaging are known. However, such spouted stand-up squeeze-out pouches are not generally very stable when standing and even less stable when standing inverted on a surface, with a cap thereof contact the surface. This instability is due to the thin and flexible nature of a film structure from which the spouted stand-up squeeze-out pouch is constructed. This is particularly true when the spouted stand-up squeeze-out pouch is partially emptied. The flexible film, which is a 2D surface that gets formed and folded into a 3D structure, generally leads to undesirable creases, wrinkles leading to folding over of the partially emptied pouch.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0006] The disclosure is directed to a spouted pouch comprised of a pouch and a spout. The spouted pouch holds a viscous product and is formed from a flexible pouch material. The spouted pouch includes a first end and a second end, with a gusset being disposed at the second end of the pouch. The spout is disposed at the first end of the pouch and is comprised of a sealboat that extends into the pouch according to a length of the sealboat and forming a seal that seals the viscous product within the spouted pouch.

A stability of the spouted pouch is a function of the length of the sealboat extension into the pouch, a depth of the gusset, dimensions of the sealboat, and a width of the pouch, such that the spouted pouch is stable both standing in a downside-up orientation in which the gusset contacts a support surface and standing in an upside-down orientation in which the sealboat contacts the support surface. [0007] In some configurations, the sealboat dimensions include both a width and a depth.

[0008] In some configurations, the sealboat includes threads on an outer portion thereof that thread onto matching threads on inner portion of a screw-on cap, the sealboat threads threading onto the screw-on cap threads to form the seal.

[0001] In some configurations, the width of the pouch tapers from the second end of the pouch to the first end of the pouch.

[0002] In some configurations, the width of the pouch is substantially constant from the first end of the pouch to the second end of the pouch.

[0003] In some configurations, the pouch lacks creases.

[0004] In some configurations, the spouted pouch further includes a flip-top that opens and closes to dispense the viscous product from the spouted pouch and to seal the viscous product within the spouted pouch, respectively.

[0005] In some configurations, the spouted pouch further includes a non-drip dispensing valve disposed within a cap that couples to the sealboat, the non-drip dispensing valve controlling flow of the viscous product when the viscous product is being dispensed from the spouted pouch and preventing the viscous product from escaping the spouted pouch when the viscous product is not being dispensed from the spouted pouch.

[0006] In some configurations, the flexible pouch material allows the viscous product to be dispense from the spouted pouch without letting air back into the spouted pouch.

[0007] In some configurations, the sealboat is one of rounded, squared, rectangular, pentagonal, and octagonal.

[0008] In some configurations, the sealboat includes a seal bead that

circumscribes an outer portion thereof and that snaps into a seal bead notch that circumscribes an inner portion of a cap to form the seal.

[0009] In some configurations, the viscous product is one of a condiment and a sauce.

[0010] In some configurations, the pouch comprises a first rib formed along a first side of the pouch and a second rib formed along a second side of the pouch, the first and second ribs extending from the gusset to the spout. [0011] In some configurations, the flexible pouch material is comprised of at least one of one of metal foil, polypropylene, and polyester.

[0012] In some configurations, the stability of the spouted pouch is further a function of a thickness of the flexible pouch material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

[0014] FIG. 1 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of an example spouted pouch approximately full of a viscous product in a downside-up orientation with a flip-top cap in a closed orientation, in accordance with at least one possible

embodiment;

[0015] FIG. 2 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of the example spouted pouch approximately full of the viscous product in an upside-down orientation, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment;

[0016] FIG. 3 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of the example spouted pouch approximately full of the viscous product in a downside-up orientation with the flip-top cap in an open configuration, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment;

[0017] FIG. 4 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of the example spouted pouch approximately full of the viscous product in a downside-up orientation with the flip-top cap in an open configuration showing a non-drip dispensing valve, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment;

[0018] FIG. 5 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of the example spouted pouch approximately full of the viscous product in an upside-down orientation with a screw-on cap, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment;

[0019] FIG. 6 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of the example spouted pouch approximately full of the viscous product in a downside-up orientation with the screw-on cap, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment; and

[0020] FIG. 7 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of the example spouted pouch approximately half full of the viscous product in an upside-down orientation with the screw-on cap, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0021] While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and described herein in detail specific embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an

exemplification and is not intended to be limited to the embodiments illustrated.

[0022] It will be understood that like or analogous elements and/or components, referred to herein, may be identified throughout the drawings by like reference characters. In addition, it will be understood that the drawings are merely schematic representations of the invention, and some of the components may have been distorted from actual scale for purposes of pictorial clarity.

[0023] The proposed embodiments provide a solution to conventional stability problems associated with spouted stand-up squeeze-out pouches. FIG. 1 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of an example spouted pouch 100 approximately full of a viscous product 115 in a downside-up orientation with a flip-top cap 175 in a closed orientation, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment. FIG. 2 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of the example spouted pouch 100 approximately full of the viscous product 115 in an upside-down orientation, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment.

[0024] Referring now to the drawings, a spouted pouch 100 is comprised of a pouch 105 and a spout 110. The pouch 105 holds the viscous product 115. In some embodiments, the viscous product 115 is one of a condiment, a sauce, or any other product that can be squeezed out of the spouted pouch 100.

[0025] The pouch 105 is formed from a flexible pouch material 120 and includes a first end 125 and a second end 130. In some embodiments, the flexible pouch material 120 is a flexible film material comprised of at least one of metal foil, such as an aluminum-based foil, polypropylene, and polyester, or any other flexible pouch material is flexible enough to collapse from a squeezing pressure thereon while still maintaining the stability of the spouted pouch 100. A gusset 135 is disposed at the second end 130 of the pouch 105.

[0026] In some embodiments, a width Wp of the pouch 105 tapers from the second end 130 of the pouch 105 to the first end 125 of the pouch 105. In other embodiments, the width Wp of the pouch 105 is substantially constant from the first end 125 of the pouch 105 to the second end 130 of the pouch 105. In some embodiments, the pouch 105 lacks creases. In some embodiments, the pouch 105 comprises a first rib 155 formed along a first side 160 of the pouch 105 and a second rib 165 formed along a second side 170 of the pouch 105. In some embodiments, the first and second ribs 155/165 extend from the gusset 135 to the spout 110.

[0027] The spout 110 is disposed at the first end 125 of the pouch 105 and is comprised of a sealboat 140 forming a seal 145 that seals the viscous product 115 within the spouted pouch 100. The sealboat 140 includes a first end 142 and a second end 144.

In some embodiments, the sealboat 140 is one of rounded, squared, rectangular, pentagonal, and octagonal. In some embodiments, the dimensions of the sealboat 140 at the first end 142 include both a width W1 and a depth Dl. In some embodiments, such the width W1 and depth D2 are the same forming a round configuration, and in other embodiments, such the width W1 and depth Dl are different, forming an oval configuration. For example, the width W1 and depth Dl can be different by less than approximately 20% while still maintaining stability for the spouted pouch 100 while in an upside-down oritentation on the flip-top cap 175. The first end 142 of the sealboat 140 receives and contacts the flip-tip cap 175 and the second end 144 of the sealboat 140 extends into the pouch 105 proximate to the first end 125 of the pouch 105. The pouch 105 forms a tube-like shape around the sealboat 140 where the sealboat 140 extends into the pouch 105, this tube-like shape extending into the pouch 105 according to a length L of the sealboat 140. This tube-like shape gives stability to the flexible film material of the pouch 105. In some embodiments, the dimensions of the sealboat 140 at the second end 144 of the sealboat 140 include both a width W2 and a depth D2. In some embodiments, such the width W2 and depth D2 are the same forming a round configuration, and in other embodiments, such the width W2 and depth D2 are different, forming an oval configuration. For example, the width W2 and depth D2 can be different by less than approximately 20% while still maintaining stability for the spouted pouch 100 while in an upside-down orientation. Thus, the pouch 105 forms a rounded shape at both the spout end, that is the first end 125 of the pouch 105, and the gusset end, that is the second end 130 of the pouch 105. Although the example spouted pouch 100 includes a rounded shape at both the spout end, that is the first end 125 of the pouch 105, and the gusset end, that is the second end 130 of the pouch 105, other shapes are possible for both the first end 125 of the pouch 105 and/or the second end 130 of the pouch 105, such as square, rectangular, pentagonal, and octagonal. To overcome the conventional stability problems associated with conventional spouted stand-up squeeze-out pouches, a stability of the spouted pouch 100 is a function of a depth of the gusset 135, dimensions of the sealboat 140, and a width of the pouch 105. In some embodiments, the stability of the spouted pouch 100 is further a function of a thickness of the flexible pouch material 120. The flexible pouch material 120 allows the viscous product 115 to be dispense from the spouted pouch 100 without letting air back into the spouted pouch 100. Such prevention of air getting back into the spouted pouch 100 is an advantage compared to traditional squeeze bottles that draw air back into their pouches which may degrade the product therein.

[0028] With the stability being a function such factors, the spouted pouch 100 is stable while standing in a downside-up orientation (FIG. 1) in which the gusset 135 contacts a support surface 150, such as a shelf, a table, or any other support surface. The spouted pouch 100 is also stable in an upside-down orientation (FIG. 2) in which the sealboat 140 is proximate to the support surface 150 being a function such factors.

Although the terms upside-down and downside-up are used herein, the terms are interchangeable in that the spouted pouch 100 does not have a specific orientation.

[0029] FIG. 3 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of the example spouted pouch 100 approximately full of the viscous product 115 in a downside-up orientation with the flip-top cap 175 in an open configuration, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment. In some embodiments, the spouted pouch 100 further includes a flip-top cap 175 that includes both an open configuration (FIGS. 3 and 4) and a closed configuration (FIGS. 1 and 2). The flip-top cap 175 opens and closes (FIGS. 1 and 2) to dispense, such as when the spouted pouch is being manually squeezed, the viscous product 115 from the spouted pouch 100 when in the open configuration and to seal the viscous product 115 within the spouted pouch 100 when in the closed configuration, respectively. In instances of the spouted pouch 100 further including the flip-top cap 175, the sealboat 140 includes a seal bead that circumscribes an outer portion thereof and that snaps into a seal bead notch that circumscribes an inner portion of the flip-top cap 175 to form the seal 145. The flip-top cap may be referred to as a“snap-on” cap. [0030] FIG. 4 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of the example spouted pouch 100 approximately full of the viscous product 115 in a downside-up orientation with the flip-top cap 175 in an open configuration showing a non-drip dispensing valve 190, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment. In some embodiments, the flip-top cap 175 further includes a non-drip dispensing valve 190 disposed within the flip-top cap 175 that couples to the sealboat 185. The non-drip dispensing valve 190 controls flow of the viscous product 115 when the viscous product 115 is being dispensed from the spouted pouch 100 and prevents the viscous product 115 from escaping the spouted pouch 100 when the viscous product 115 is not being dispensed from the spouted pouch 100.

[0031] FIG. 5 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of the example spouted pouch 100 approximately full of the viscous product 115 in an upside-down orientation with a screw-on cap 180, in accordance with at least one possible

embodiment. FIG. 6 of the drawings illustrates a perspective-side view of the example spouted pouch 100 in a downside-up orientation with the screw-on cap 180, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment. FIG. 7 of the drawings illustrates a perspective- side view of the example spouted pouch 100 approximately half full of the viscous product 115 in an upside-down orientation with the screw-on cap 180, in accordance with at least one possible embodiment.

[0032] In some embodiments, the spouted pouch 100 further includes another type of cap, such as the screw-on cap 180 (FIGS 5, 6, and 7). Such a screw-on cap 180 couples to another type of sealboat, sealboat 185. In the instance of the spouted pouch 100 further including the screw-on cap 180, the sealboat 185 includes threads on an outer portion thereof that thread onto matching threads on inner portion of a screw-on cap 180. The screw-on cap 180 threads onto threads of the sealboat 140 to form the seal 145.

[0033] The foregoing description merely explains and illustrates the invention and the invention is not limited thereto except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.