The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a flexible valve that includes two film plies joined together to define an internal channel. At least one of the film plies contains a curling tendency, resulting in a coiled valve configuration. The valve is moveable between an uncoiled position to allow flow through the internal channel and a coiled position to substantially prevent flow through the channel.
Various versions of valves for controlling packaged products are known in the art. However, such prior art valve assemblies are notorious for failing to open or close. In addition, prior art valves are typically intricate mechanisms and therefore add to the cost and complexity of the packaging. Further, such prior art valves, due to their complexity, generally require an amount of space that is incompatible or costly to locate on the product packaging material. Continuing, prior art valves are typically best suited for one purpose, such as venting applications or dispensing applications.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a valve that contains a relatively simple design, is economical in manufacture and assembly, and has a useful and reliable in-service life. In addition, there is also a need for a valve that can be used for a plurality of applications, such as venting, dispensing, filling, and the like.
In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a flexible valve comprising a first sheet of thermoplastic material and a second sheet of thermoplastic material in juxtaposed face-to-face relationship with each other. The first and second sheets are sealed together along the longitudinal edges of the sheets, defining a channel there between and defining an inlet end and an outlet end. In addition, at least one of the first and second sheets comprises a curl tendency in one direction. The valve is movable between: (a) an open, uncoiled position to allow fluid flow through the valve and (b) a closed, coiled position to substantially prevent fluid flow through the valve. The valve is capable of maintaining itself in a closed position at rest and an open position when in use without the need for external manipulation of the valve.
In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a package comprising a flexible valve comprising a first sheet of thermoplastic material and a second sheet of thermoplastic material in juxtaposed face-to-face relationship with each other. The first and second sheets are sealed together along the longitudinal edges of the sheets, defining a channel there between and defining an inlet end and an outlet end. In addition, at least one of the first and second sheets comprises a curl tendency in one direction. The valve is movable between: (a) an open, uncoiled position to allow fluid flow through the valve and (b) a closed, coiled position to substantially prevent fluid flow through the valve. The valve is capable of maintaining itself in a closed position at rest and an open position when in use without the need for external manipulation of the valve.
In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a method of venting a package. The method comprises providing a package comprising a product housed within the interior of the package. The package also comprises a flexible valve comprising a first sheet of thermoplastic material and a second sheet of thermoplastic material in juxtaposed face-to-face relationship with each other. The first and second sheets are sealed together along the longitudinal edges of the sheets, defining a channel there between and defining an inlet end and an outlet end. In addition, at least one of the first and second sheets comprises a curl tendency in one direction. The valve is movable between: (a) an open, uncoiled position to allow fluid flow through the valve and (b) a closed, coiled position to substantially prevent fluid flow through the valve. The valve is capable of maintaining itself in a closed position at rest and an open position when in use without the need for external manipulation of the valve. The method further comprises increasing the pressure within the interior of the package to cause the valve to open and uncoil to vent the package.
In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a method of dispensing a product from the interior of the package. Particularly, the method comprises providing a package comprising a product housed within the interior of the package. The package also comprises a flexible valve comprising: a first sheet of thermoplastic material and a second sheet of thermoplastic material in juxtaposed face-to-face relationship with each other, wherein said first and second sheets are sealed together along the longitudinal edges of said sheets, defining a channel there between and defining an inlet end and an outlet end; and wherein at least one of said first and second sheets comprises a curl tendency. The method further comprises increasing the pressure within the interior of the package to allow the valve to open and uncoil to dispense the product. The valve is movable between an open, uncoiled position to allow product flow through the valve and a closed, coiled position to substantially prevent product flow through the valve. The valve is capable of maintaining itself in a closed position at rest and an open position when in use without the need for external manipulation of the valve.
In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a method of inflating an inflatable package. Particularly, the disclosed method comprises providing an inflatable package comprising a flexible valve comprising a first sheet of thermoplastic material and a second sheet of thermoplastic material in juxtaposed face-to-face relationship with each other, wherein said first and second sheets are sealed together along the longitudinal edges of said sheets, defining a channel there between and defining an inlet end and an outlet end; and wherein at least one of said first and second sheets comprises a curl tendency. The method further comprises uncoiling the valve, inserting an inflation device into the channel of the valve, inserting air into the interior of the package via the inflation device until it reaches a desired level, withdrawing the inflation device from the valve channel, and allowing the valve to recurl. The valve is movable between an open, uncoiled position to allow air flow through the valve and a closed, coiled position to substantially prevent air flow through the valve. The valve is capable of maintaining itself in a closed position at rest without the need for external manipulation of the valve.
In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a method of venting a package. Particularly, the method comprises providing a package comprising a product housed within the interior of the package. The package also comprises a flexible valve comprising: a first sheet of thermoplastic material and a second sheet of thermoplastic material in juxtaposed face-to-face relationship with each other, wherein said first and second sheets are sealed together along the longitudinal edges of said sheets, defining a channel there between and defining an inlet end and an outlet end; and wherein at least one of said first and second sheets comprises a curl tendency. The method further comprises creating a differential pressure across the inner and outer portions of the package to cause the valve to open and uncoil to vent the package. The valve is movable between an open, uncoiled position to allow air flow through the valve and a closed, coiled position to substantially prevent air flow through the valve. The valve is capable of maintaining itself in a closed position at rest and an open position when in use without the need for external manipulation of the valve.
a is a perspective view of one embodiment of the disclosed valve in an uncoiled position.
b is a perspective view of the valve of
c is a perspective view of the valve of
a is a front elevation view of one embodiment of a package comprising the disclosed valve in a coiled position.
b is a front elevation view of one embodiment of the valve of
c is an enlarged fragmentary view of the exhaust opening of the uncoiled valve of
a is a front elevation view of one embodiment of a package comprising the disclosed valve in a coiled position.
b is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3b-3b in
c is an enlarged fragmentary view of the valve of
d is an enlarged fragmentary view of an opening in a bag.
e illustrates the bag opening of
a is a front elevation view of one embodiment of a package comprising the disclosed valve in a coiled position.
b is a front elevation view of the valve of
c is a front elevation view of the package of
d is an enlarged fragmentary view of the valve of
a is a perspective view of a package comprising one embodiment of the disclosed valve in a coiled position.
b is a perspective view of the package of
c is a perspective view of the package of
a is a front elevation view of a package comprising one embodiment of the disclosed valve in a coiled position.
b is a front elevation view of the package of
c is a front elevation view of the package of
a is a perspective view of a package comprising one embodiment of the disclosed valve in an uncoiled position.
b is a perspective view of the package of
The presently disclosed subject matter is generally directed to a reclosable one-way valve. Particularly, as illustrated in
As indicated in
Accordingly, valve 5 is maintained in the rolled position of
While the following terms are believed to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the following definitions are set forth to facilitate explanation of the presently disclosed subject matter.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the presently disclosed subject matter pertains. Although any methods, devices, and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the presently disclosed subject matter, representative methods, devices, and materials are now described.
Following long-standing patent law convention, the terms “a”, “an”, and “the” can refer to “one or more” when used in the subject specification, including the claims. Thus, for example, reference to “a film” can include a plurality of such films, and so forth.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of components, conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about”. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the instant specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the presently disclosed subject matter.
As used herein, the term “about”, when referring to a value or to an amount of mass, weight, time, volume, concentration, and/or percentage can encompass variations of, in some embodiments ±20%, in some embodiments ±10%, in some embodiments ±5%, in some embodiments ±1%, in some embodiments ±0.5%, and in some embodiments to ±0.1%, from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate in the disclosed materials and methods.
As used herein, the term “abuse layer” can refer to an outer film layer and/or an inner film layer, so long as the film layer serves to resist abrasion, puncture, and other potential causes of reduction of package integrity, as well as potential causes of reduction of package appearance quality. Abuse layers can comprise any polymer, so long as the polymer contributes to achieving an integrity goal and/or an appearance goal. In some embodiments, the abuse layer can comprise polyamide, ethylene/propylene copolymer, and/or combinations thereof.
As used herein, the terms “barrier” and/or “barrier layer” can refer to the ability of a film or film layer to serve as a barrier to one or more gases. For example, oxygen barrier layers can comprise, but are not limited to, ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyamide, polyester, polyacrylonitrile, and the like, as known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
As used herein, the term “bulk layer” can refer to any layer of a film that is present for the purpose of increasing the abuse-resistance, toughness, and/or modulus of a film. In some embodiments, bulk layers can comprise polyolefin, ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer, ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer plastomer, low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, and combinations thereof.
The term “channel” as used herein refers to an internal valve passageway through which a fluid can flow. In some embodiments, the channel can be formed from the unsealed space between the longitudinal seals of two sheets used to construct the valve.
As used herein, the term “coil” refers to a connected series of spirals or loops.
As used herein, the term “copolymer” can refer to polymers formed by the polymerization reaction of at least two different monomers. For example, the term “copolymer” can include the copolymerization reaction product of ethylene and an alpha-olefin, such as 1-hexene. However, in some embodiments the term “copolymer” can include, for example, the copolymerization of a mixture of ethylene, propylene, 1-hexene, and 1-octene.
As used herein, the terms “core” and “core layer” can refer to any internal film layer that has a primary function other than serving as an adhesive or compatibilizer for adhering two layers to one another. In some embodiments, the core layer or layers provide a multilayer film with a desired quality, such as level of strength, modulus, optics, added abuse resistance, and/or specific impermeability.
The term “curl tendency” as used herein refers to the inclination of at least one of the films that form the disclosed valve to form a coiled structure. Such curl tendency can result from slightly stretching the film, exposure of the film to an external stimulus (such as heat, humidity, water), heat setting the film, as well as other methods known to those of ordinary skill in the packaging art.
As used herein, the term “film” can include, but is not limited to, a laminate, sheet, web, coating, and/or the like, that can be used to package a product. The film can be a rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible product. In some embodiments, the disclosed film is produced as a fully coextruded film, i.e., all layers of the film emerging from a single die at the same time. In some embodiments, the film is made using a flat cast film production process or a round cast film production process. Alternatively, the film can be made using a blown film process, double bubble process, triple bubble process, and/or adhesive or extrusion coating lamination in some embodiments. Such methods are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
As used herein, the term “flexible” refers to materials and valves comprising such materials that are pliant and capable of undergoing a large variety of changes in shape, e.g., bending, creasing, folding, rolling, crumpling, etc., with substantially no damage thereto in response to the action of an applied force. In some embodiments, flexible materials are capable of substantially returning to their general original shape when the applied force is removed.
The term “fluid” as used herein refers to any material that can be expelled through a valve. Such substances can include liquids, gelatinous substances, gases, solids, and combinations thereof. In addition, for purposes of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the term “fluid” can be used interchangeably with the terms “liquid,” “air,” “gas,” and the like herein below.
As used herein, the term “food product” refers to any nourishing substance that is eaten or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, and/or the like. For example, in some embodiments, food products can include, but are not limited to, meats, vegetables, fruits, starches, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, food products can include individual food components or mixtures thereof. It should be noted that the presently disclosed subject matter is not limited to use with food products. Rather, the disclosed valve can be used with a wide variety of food and non-food products, as would be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
As used herein, the term “heat seal” refers to any seal of a first region of a film surface to a second region of a film surface, wherein the seal is formed by heating the regions to at least their respective seal initiation temperatures. Heat-sealing is the process of joining two or more thermoplastic films or sheets by heating areas in contact with each other to the temperature at which fusion occurs, usually aided by pressure. In some embodiments, heat-sealing can be inclusive of thermal sealing, melt-bead sealing, impulse sealing, dielectric sealing, and/or ultrasonic sealing. The heating can be performed by any one or more of a wide variety of means, such as (but not limited to) a heated bar, hot wire, hot air, infrared radiation, ultrasonic sealing, and the like.
The term “inlet” refers to the fluid entrance portion of a valve.
The term “lamination” refers to the bonding of two or more film layers to each other, e.g., by the use of an adhesive.
The term “machine direction” as used herein refers to the direction along the length of a film (i.e., in the direction of the film as it is formed during extrusion and/or coating).
As used herein, the term “multilayer film” can refer to a thermoplastic film having one or more layers formed from polymeric or other materials that are bonded together by any conventional or suitable method, including one or more of the following methods: coextrusion, extrusion coating, lamination, vapor deposition coating, solvent coating, emulsion coating, or suspension coating.
The term “oriented” as used herein refers to a polymer-containing material that has been stretched at the softening temperature but below the melting temperature, followed by being “set” in the stretched configuration by cooling the material while substantially retaining the stretched dimensions. Upon subsequently heating unrestrained, unannealed, oriented polymer-containing material to its orientation temperature, heat shrinkage is produced almost to the original unstretched, i.e., pre-oriented dimensions.
The term “outlet” as used herein refers to the fluid exit portion of a valve.
As used herein, the term “oxygen-impermeable,” or “barrier” and the phrase “oxygen-impermeable layer” or “barrier layer,” as applied to films and/or layers, is used with reference to the ability of a film or layer to serve as a barrier to one or more gases (i.e., gaseous O2). Such barrier materials can include (but are not limited to) ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol homopolymer, polyvinyl chloride, homopolymer and copolymer of polyvinylidene chloride, polyalkylene carbonate, polyamide, polyethylene naphthalate, polyester, polyacrylonitrile, homopolymer and copolymer, liquid crystal polymer, SiOx, carbon, metal, metal oxide, and the like, as known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In some embodiments, the oxygen-impermeable film or layer has an oxygen transmission rate of no more than 100 cc O2/m2·day·atm; in some embodiments, less than 50 cc O2/m2·day·atm; in some embodiments, less than 25 cc O2/m2·day·atm; in some embodiments, less than 10 cc O2/m2·day·atm; in some embodiments, less than 5 cc O2/m2·day·atm; and in some embodiments, less than 1 cc O2/m2·day·atm (tested at 1 mil thick and at 25° C. in accordance with ASTM D3985, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
As used herein, the term “oxygen-permeable” as applied to films and/or film layers refers to a film packaging material that can permit the transfer of oxygen from the exterior of the film (i.e., the side of the film not in contact with the packaged product) to the interior of the film (i.e., the side of the film in contact with the packaged product). In some embodiments, “oxygen-permeable” can refer to films or layers that have a gas (e.g., oxygen) transmission rate of at least about 1,000 cc/m2/24 hrs/atm at 73° F.; in some embodiments, at least about 5,000 cc/m2/24 hrs/atm at 73° F.; in some embodiments, at least about 10,000 cc/m2/24 hrs/atm at 73° F.; in some embodiments, at least about 50,000 cc/m2/24 hrs/atm at 73° F.; and in some embodiments, at least about 100,000 cc/m2/24 hrs/atm at 73° F. The term “permeable” can also refer to films that do not have high gas permeability, but that are sufficiently permeable to affect a sufficiently rapid bloom for the particular product and particular end-use application.
As used herein, the term “package” refers to packaging materials configured around a product being packaged, and can include (but are not limited to) bags, pouches, trays, and the like. In some embodiments, the phrase “packaged product,” as used herein, refers to the combination of a product that is surrounded by a packaging material.
As used herein, the term “polymer” can refer to the product of a polymerization reaction, and can be inclusive of homopolymers, copolymers, terpolymers, and the like. In some embodiments, the layers of a film can consist essentially of a single polymer, or can have still additional polymers together therewith, i.e., blended therewith. The term “polymeric” can be used to describe a polymer-containing material (i.e., a polymeric film).
As used herein, the term “seal” can refer to any seal of a first region of a film surface to a second region of a film or substrate surface. In some embodiments, the seal can be formed by heating the regions to at least their respective seal initiation temperatures using a heated bar, hot air, infrared radiation, ultrasonic sealing, and the like. In some embodiments, the seal can be formed by an adhesive. Such adhesives are well known in the packaging art. Alternatively or in addition, in some embodiments, the seal can be formed using a UV or e-beam curable adhesive seal.
As used herein, the terms “seal layer”, “sealing layer”, “heat seal layer”, and/or “sealant layer” refer to an outer film layer or layers involved in heat sealing of the film to itself, another film layer of the same or another film, and/or another article that is not a film. Heat sealing can be performed by any one or more of a wide variety of manners known to those of ordinary skill in art, including using heat seal technique (e.g., melt-bead sealing, thermal sealing, impulse sealing, ultrasonic sealing, hot air, hot wire, infrared radiation, and the like), adhesive sealing, UV-curable adhesive sealing, and the like.
The term “sheet” as used herein refers to materials that include webs, strips, films, and the like.
As used herein, the term “thermoplastic” refers to uncrosslinked polymers of a thermally sensitive material that flow under the application of heat or pressure.
As used herein, the term “tie layer” can refer to any internal film layer having the primary purpose of adhering two layers to one another. In some embodiments, the tie layers can comprise any nonpolar polymer having a polar group grafted thereon, such that the polymer is capable of covalent bonding to polar polymers such as polyamide and ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer. In some embodiments, the tie layers can comprise, but are not limited to, modified polyolefin, modified ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, and/or homogeneous ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer.
The term “transverse direction” as used herein refers to the direction across a film (i.e., the direction that is perpendicular to the machine direction).
The term “valve” as used herein refers to any through which the flow of fluid can be started, stopped, or regulated. In some embodiments, a valve in accordance with the presently disclosed subject matter includes two sheets of thermoplastic material in juxtaposed face-to-face relationship with each other and secured along their longitudinal edges to define a passageway. At least one of the two sheet contains a curl tendency such that the valve maintains itself in a closed, coiled position at rest and in an uncoiled, open position when in use.
All compositional percentages used herein are presented on a “by weight” basis, unless designated otherwise.
III.A. Generally
As set forth above, the presently disclosed subject matter is generally directed to a reclosable one-way valve. The disclosed valve is incorporated into a package in fluid-tight fashion, as illustrated in
To elaborate, when the pressure within the interior of package 40 is approximately atmospheric pressure, valve 5 assumes its coiled position as depicted in
When the pressure within package 5 is reduced (such as after cooking, for example), films 10, 15 converge towards one another, thereby closing and sealing exhaust opening 35. In addition, because the pressure within the package is not enough to overcome the curling tendency of films 10 and/or 15, valve 5 will return to its original rolled position (
III.B. Curl Tendency
As set forth herein above, to achieve the coiled valve structure illustrated in
The curl tendency in films 10, 15 can be constructed using any of a wide variety of methods well known in the art. For example, in some embodiments, at least one layer of films 10 and/or 15 can be slightly stretched at the time of lamination, while at least one additional layer on the film is not stretched. As a result, the film structure is curled in one direction. For example, in some embodiments at least one of films 10, 15 can be stretched using slow and fast draw rollers.
Alternatively, in some embodiments, films 10 and/or 15 comprise at least one heat shrinkable layer such that when the film is exposed to a heat source, the shrinkable layer reduces in size and the film curls. Heat shrinkable layers are well known in the art. For example, in some embodiments, suitable heat shrinkable layers can include (but are not limited to) ethylene homopolymers, ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer, propylene homopolymers, propylene copolymers with ethylene or an alpha-olefin, amorphous poly-alpha-olefin, styrene butadiene, cyclic olefin copolymers, ethylene ethyl acrylate (“EEA”), ethylene butyl acrylate (“EBA”), ionomer, polyvinyl chlorides, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyester (including copolyesters), polyvinyl acetate (“PVA”), polystyrene, polyacrylate, nylon, poly(methyl methacrylate) (“PMMA), polyacrylonitrile (“PAN”), polyethylene naphthalate (“PEN”), and combinations thereof. To induce shrink of the shrinkable layer, the film can be exposed to temperature of 90° C. to 180° C. for a time period of about 0.5 seconds to about 12 hours. After exposure to heat, the heat shrinkable layer can exhibit at least 10% shrink in at least one direction, resulting in a curled film. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,687,123; 7,517,569; and 6,610,392, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
In some embodiments, films 10 and/or 15 can be a laminated film comprising a layer that has been substantially heat set biaxially or monoaxially oriented. For example, suitable heat set oriented films can include (but are not limited to) B503 (available from AET Films, New Castle Del., United States of America), Mylar® 822 (available from DuPon Teijin Films (Wilmington, Del., United States of America), and Capran® Emblem™ 1530 (available from Honeywell International, Inc., Morristown, N.J., United States of America). Such films can be monolayer or multilayer and can have heat sealable layers applied to one or both surfaces. Machine direction and/or transverse direction heat set oriented films can be used either in a laminated film or as stand alone films.
In some embodiments, the curl tendency in films 10 and/or 15 can be achieved by coextruding a film that has at least one layer that either shrinks or expands when exposed to an outside stimulus, such as (but not limited to) water, humidity, heat, and the like. For example, in some embodiments, film 10 and/or 15 can comprise a nylon/PET layer. As is known in the art, the nylon component tends to crystallize over time or when exposed to water, thereby resulting in a curling of the film.
In some embodiments, the curl tendency in films 10 and/or 15 can be achieved by co-extruding films comprising an asymmetric composition wherein each layer of the film comprises different a compositions such that each layer crystallizes and shrinks at a different rate. As a result, the film curls upon quenching. These films can be extruded on blown, cast, double bubble, and/or triple bubble processes.
Further, the curl tendency in films 10 and/or 15 can be constructed by producing a flattened tube from appropriate high temperature materials and heat setting the tube in the desired curl position. As used herein, “heat setting” refers to the process of allowing the polymer chains of a film to equilibrate or rearrange to the induced oriented structure, resulting from the deformation at an elevated temperature. During this time period, the polymer in the deformed state can be maintained at an elevated temperature to allow polymer chains to adopt the oriented structure. In some embodiments, the polymer can be maintained in the deformed state by maintaining a radial pressure. The polymer tube can then be cooled to a certain temperature either before or after decreasing the pressure. Cooling the tube helps ensure that the tube maintains the proper shape, size, and length following its formation. Upon cooling, the deformed tube retains the length and shape imposed by an inner surface of a mold used. Thus, during such heat setting processes, the film is set and then heated to maintain a desired film shape, as would be known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In some embodiments, the temperature range can be less than the melting point of the resin for a period of about 0.1 seconds to 1 hour.
III.C. Methods of Making Valve 5
Valve 5 can be constructed using any of a wide variety of methods well known to those of ordinary skill in the packaging art. For example, as illustrated in
Upper and lower films 10, 15 can include any of a wide variety of commercially available materials known in the art. For example, in some embodiments, films 10, 15 can comprise any flexible material that can enclose a fluid or gas as herein described, including various thermoplastic materials, e.g., polyethylene homopolymer or copolymer, polypropylene homopolymer or copolymer, and the like. Non-limiting examples of suitable thermoplastic polymers include polyethylene homopolymers, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), and polyethylene copolymers such as, e.g., ionomers, ethylene vinyl acetate (“EVA”), ethylene methyl acrylate (“EMA”), ethylene butyl acrylate (“EBA”), styrene butadiene, ethylene ethyl acrylate (“EEA”), cyclic olefins, heterogeneous (Zeigler-Natta catalyzed) ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymers, and homogeneous (metallocene, single-cite catalyzed) ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymers. Ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymers are copolymers of ethylene with one or more comonomers selected from C3 to C20 alpha-olefins, such as 1-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 1-octene, methyl pentene and the like, in which the polymer molecules comprise long chains with relatively few side chain branches, including linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), linear medium density polyethylene (LMDPE), very low density polyethylene (VLDPE), and ultra-low density polyethylene (ULDPE). Various other materials are also suitable such as, e.g., polypropylene homopolymer or polypropylene copolymer (e.g., propylene/ethylene copolymer), polyesters, polystyrenes, polyamides, polycarbonates, PMMA, PAN, PEN, and the like.
Films 10, 15 can be constructed using any of a wide variety of methods known in the packaging art. For example, in some embodiments the films can be constructed using any coextrusion process known in the art, such as by melting the component polymer(s) and extruding or coextruding them through one or more flat or annular dies.
Generally, films 10, 15 can be multilayer or monolayer. Typically, however, the films employed will have two or more layers to incorporate a variety of properties, such as, for example, sealability, gas impermeability, and toughness into a single film. Thus, in some embodiments, films 10, 15 can comprise a total of from about 1 to about 20 layers; in some embodiments, from about 4 to about 12 layers; and in some embodiments, from about 5 to about 9 layers. Accordingly, the disclosed film can comprise 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 layers. One of ordinary skill in the art would also recognize that films 10, 15 can comprise more than 20 layers, such as in embodiments wherein the films comprise microlayering technology.
Thus, films 10, 15 can be provided in sheet or film form and can be any of the films commonly used for the disclosed type of packaging. Accordingly, films 10, 15 can comprise one or more barrier layers, seal layers, tie layers, abuse layers, and/or bulk layers.
As set forth above, valve 5 can be used with a package for a wide variety of applications. To this end,
In some embodiments, vent 5 can be incorporated between sheets 41, 42 along one edge of package 40 using any suitable means, including (but not limited to) heat seal, adhesives, and the like. In the embodiment illustrated in
Alternatively, in some embodiments, vent 5 can be adhered or sealed over an opening (such as a vent hole) in package 40. Particularly, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, package 40 is used to heat and/or cook a food product in an oven or microwave, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, package 40 can be a compression-type package and valve 5 can be incorporated therein as a means to manually express air from the interior of the package, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, package 40 can house a flowable product and valve 5 can be used to dispense the flowable product from the interior of the package, as illustrated in
In some embodiments, valve 5 can be used as a vent valve to vacuumize a package. In these embodiments, a product can be packaged using a flow wrap-type machine, where seals are created on each side around the product. In some embodiments, valve 5 can be applied on the flow wrap machine. The package can then be vacuumized in a chamber machine that has no seal bars. Valve 5 allows all of the air to escape the package, and then self-closes by coiling as set forth herein above. Accordingly, the vacuumizing machine needs no seal bars, and thus is significantly less expensive compared to similar machinery that requires seal bar machinery. In addition, the vacuumizing machine operates about 30-50% faster because no time is needed for creating package seals. In some embodiments, shrinking provides a final lockdown seal on the valve. Alternatively or in addition, the seal can be locked by using pressure-activated or UV-activated adhesives.
In some embodiments, package 40 can be an inflatable article (such as a mailer or dunnage item) comprising valve 5, as illustrated in
In applications where a hermetic seal is required, at least a portion of valve 5 can be coated with a component that bridges small gaps. For example, in some embodiments, silicone fluid and similar viscous materials can be used to coat the interior of valve 5 (i.e., channel 17). Alternatively or in addition, in some embodiments, packages comprising the disclosed valve can employ magnet components on one portion of the package to allow the package sides to come into intimate contact. Particularly, the packages can comprise a plurality of magnets that are operatively arranged to attract each other when placed in close proximity. The magnetic attraction between the magnets retains the package sides in contact. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that these features are merely optional and the presently disclosed subject matter includes valves and packages without such features.
As set forth herein above, valve 5 comprises many benefits that would prove useful in the packaging art. For example, one benefit of valve 5 is that the valve is self-opening and self-closing. Specifically, the valve is capable of opening and closing in response to an increase in pressure (or other means) without assistance from a user. Thus, the disclosed valve is easy to operate and does not require user input.
In addition, valve 5 is capable of maintaining itself in an opened configuration to allow fluid or air to flow out of the package without the need for external manipulation or support.
Continuing, the coiled configuration and sealing capabilities of valve 5 guarantee clean handling of package 40 and the materials housed within the package.
Further, because the valve 5 is self-sealing, it can be used to protect the contents of a package for long periods of time. As a result, the storage life of products housed within the disclosed packages can be extended, even after a package has been opened.
Continuing, the disclosed valve is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, compared to prior art valves known and used in the art.
In addition, the process for producing valve 5 can be carried out on conventional packaging machinery already commonly used in the packaging art.
Moreover, the disclosed valve can be entirely constructed of thermoplastic films such that the valve is substantially completely flat when not in use, i.e., when no fluid flows through the valve. Further, valve 5 can be made entirely from a single type of material, e.g., a heat-sealable, thermoplastic film or any of a number of other possibilities, which simplifies the manufacture of such valves.
Additionally, valve 5 has a wide array of end-use applications in fields ranging from cook-in packaging to inflatable articles.
As set forth herein above, the use of the coiled concept allows the use of a thinner valve film, which can lead to reduced manufacturing costs.
One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the disclosed valve has many benefits, and is not limited to the benefits set forth herein.
The following Examples provide illustrative embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter. In light of the present disclosure and the general level of skill in the art, those of ordinary skill will appreciate that the following Examples are intended to be exemplary only and that numerous changes, modification, and alterations can be employed without departing from the scope of the disclosed subject matter.
2 valves were constructed using Cryovac® LID1051 lidstock (available from Sealed Air Corporation, Duncan, S.C., United States of America) containing natural curl. Specifically, the natural curl was created by tensioning one sheet of the laminated film 1.5 to 4 times more than the other sheet of the laminated film.
Valves about 3 inches long and about 1 inch wide were created using an impulse heat seal to create the seals along the side of two layers of the LID1051 film. The layers of the film were oriented so that the curl on each layer complimented the curl on the other layer. An impulse seal was created using a desktop impulse sealer so that the seals would not have any shrink (Impulse Sealer Model No. A1E-405HIM, available from American International Electric, Inc., Whittier, Calif., United States of America). The impulse sealer was controlled with 2 timers (one controlled how long the wire was energized and one controlled the amount of cooling time). To make the coiled valves, the seal timer was set at about 5 and the cooling timer was set at about 8.
Each valve was then applied to a standard Cryovac® shrink barrier bag (Bags B2170, B2370, B2630, B4170, B4370, B4680, and B4770, available from Sealed Air Corporation, Duncan, S.C., United States of America) by thermally sealing to the inside edge of the bag using the impulse sealer and conditions stated above, with one end of the valve communicating with the inside of the bag, and the other end of the valve communicating with the outside atmosphere.
During sealing, a portion of Teflon tape was used to keep the inner layers of the valve from becoming sealed to each other. Particularly, a portion of Teflon coated fiberglass fabric was cut to the match the inside width of the valve. The Teflon fabric was then placed between the inner layers of the valve to prevent the valve from sealing. The valve with the Teflon tape was next placed between the seal layers of the open bag and a seal was made across the bag and the valve, sealing the bag to the outside of the valve and to itself where the valve was not located. The Teflon tape prevented the inner layers of the valve from sealing during this step. Additional samples were made by thermally sealing the valve such that it surrounded a hole that was made in the wall of the bag.
Product was then placed in each bag and the bag was sealed using the impulse lab sealer and conditions set forth above. The product in one bag was a small stack of paper towels. The product in the second bag was a small block of foam. Each package was then placed in the chamber of a Multivac® vacuum packaging machine (Ultravac model UV2100, available from Koch Equipment, Kansas City, Mo., United States of America) and vacuumized by reducing the pressure inside the chamber to an absolute pressure of about 5 to 10 Torr.
It was observed that during vacuumizing, the packages ballooned up and the vent uncurled on each package and allowed the air inside the bags to be exhausted. When the chamber was vented, each bag curled up and the products contained within the packages collapsed due to external air pressure. When the pressure within the chamber returned to atmospheric pressure, the vents re-curled and resealed. It was observed that both packages held vacuum for over 1 hour. It was also observed that the valves did not appear to be objectionable to the package appearance, as they curled up closely to the product surface.
Several barrier bags containing vent valves were prepared as in Example 1. In addition, several barrier bags containing vent valves formed from Cryovac® LID1051 flat film (without the curl tendency) to provide a direct comparison as to the effect of the natural curl tendency on films that had similar structures, thicknesses, and stiffness. The valves on the bags were then tested as in Example 1, where they were inserted into a vacuum chamber and the pressure in the chamber was then reduced.
It was observed that valves constructed from the “flat” (non-curled) film did not reseal. In addition, within a few minutes after removal from the vacuum chamber, the packages leaked and allowed outside air to enter the package and loosen the film from the surface of the product.
It was observed that packages containing the “flat” tubing valve required about twice the length of a curled valve to get good sealing. However, these valves were objectionable to the product appearance, as they extended about 6 inches outside the package.