Patent Application
20210331851
The present invention generally relates to the field of pouches for containing fluids. In particular, the invention relates to an improved pouch for fluids, which improves the opening of the pouch and/or the pouring of the fluid.
Several patents, patent applications and publications are cited in this description in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. The entire disclosure of each of these patents, patent applications and publications is incorporated by reference herein.
Pouches for fluid made by sealing two films, or layers, or multilayers, to each other are known in the art. They are generally obtained by overlapping two sheets or films, for instance made of polymeric material, and sealing them to each other with a seal, so as to form a cavity which is filled with the fluid. The seal is usually formed by the simultaneous application of heat and pressure, so as to at least partially melt the two sheets together. By breaking the seal it is possible to pour the fluid when desired.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding structure throughout the views, and referring in particular to
The pouch 1000 further comprises an opening structure 1400, here illustrated in the form of a precut section of one or both of films 1100, 1200. In particular, the opening structure could comprise holes in one or more, or all, of the layers of the films 1100 and/or 1200. The opening structure 1400 facilitates the tearing of the films 1100 and/or 1200 along the opening structure 1400. A user can thereby tear the films 1100, 1200 along the opening structure 1400 thereby reaching opening seal 1300, as illustrated in
Such a device has, however, several disadvantages.
Firstly, when opening the pouch 1000, the user generally has to apply strength to cut through seal 1300. To do so, the user grasps the pouch and thereby presses, to a certain extent, on the cavity 1500. It may therefore happen that fluid 1600 will inadvertently pour out of the opening created by tearing of the seal 1300, as soon as the seal 1300 opens, due to the pressure applied by the user. This creates the risk that the fluid 1600 may stain the hands and/or clothes of the user and/or inadvertently drop out of the intended container.
Moreover, after the tear has moved through seal 1300 it will reach an opening portion 1001. If the pouch 1000 has been previously positioned upside down, or if pressure has been previously applied on the pouch 1000, the opening portion 1001 will contain some amount of fluid 1600. In this case, even by being very careful, it is difficult for the user to prevent fluid 1600 from coming in contact with his or her fingers.
Additionally, cutting through seal 1300 can be difficult. As seal 1300 is designed to be rather strong, in order to withstand accidental pressure applied to the cavity 1500, in some cases the user can become frustrated by repeatedly trying to cut through the seal 1300. Since the seal 1300 must provide such secure sealing on its own, it is not possible to reduce the sealing strength of the seal 1300 such that it opening is facilitated.
The above-mentioned problems are solved by the teaching of the independent claims.
The present invention generally exploits the advantage of providing two seals having two different sealing strengths, in a manner which solves at least some of the above-mentioned problems.
In particular, the stronger seal is arranged around the weaker seal such that accidental opening of the pouch is not possible. Moreover, once the stronger seal is open, leakage of the fluid can still be prevented by the weaker seal, which can be open by the user by applying pressure on the pouch. In this manner, the user has more control over the pouring of the fluid such that accidental pouring, or leakage, can be prevented.
Moreover, this can also provide the advantage that the stronger seal, or parts thereof, can be made smaller or weaker than in the prior art, since the sealing can be provided by the combination of the stronger and the weaker seal, instead of by the stronger seal alone as in the prior art. By allowing a smaller or weaker stronger seal, the invention provides the additional advantage that it may be easier for the user to open the stronger seal.
The latter advantage, namely the potential reduction in the required opening force, in turn, may further reduce the force that the user applies to open the pouch, thereby further lowering the risk of fluid spilling or leaking.
In general, the advantageous combination of two seals with two different sealing strength between the cavity and the exterior of the pouch solves the above-mentioned problems associated with the prior art.
The advantages and features of novelty that characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. For a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, however, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described one or more preferred embodiments of the invention.
Referring now to
a first film (1100) and a second film (1200) connected to each other by means of a stronger seal (1300, 5301-5303, 6300, 7300, 8300, 9300) and of a weaker seal (2700, 3700, 4700, 5701-5703, 7700, 9700, 10700, 11700) so as to form a cavity (1500) for the fluid, wherein the cavity (1500) has a perimeter which comprises at least part of the stronger seal (1300, 5301-5303, 6300, 7300, 8300, 9300) and at least part of the weaker seal (2700, 3700, 4700, 5701-5703, 7700, 9700, 10700, 11700), characterized in that the weaker seal (2700, 3700, 4700, 5701-5703, 7700, 9700, 10700, 11700) is in proximity to the stronger seal (1300, 5301-5303, 6300, 7300, 8300, 9300).
Preferably, in the pouch of the present invention, the weaker seal (2700, 3700, 4700, 5701-5703, 7700, 9700, 10700, 11700) and the stronger seal (1300, 5301-5303, 6300, 7300, 8300, 9300) are configured such that the weaker seal (2700, 3700, 4700, 5701-5703, 7700, 9700, 10700, 11700) can only open if at least a first portion of the stronger seal (1300, 5301-5303, 6300, 7300, 8300, 9300) is opened or removed.
More preferably, the pouch of the present invention further comprises an opening structure (1400), wherein the opening structure (1400) is configured so as to facilitate opening of the first film (1100) and/or of the second film (1200) at least along a first length, wherein the first length crosses at least a first portion of the stronger seal (1300, 5301-5303, 6300, 7300, 8300, 9300).
Optionally, the opening structure (1400) comprises weakening points, perforations, and/or holes made in the first film (1100) and/or in the second film (1200). Preferably, the opening structure (1400) is configured to facilitate cutting of the first film (1100) and/or of the second film (1200) so as to leave at least part of the weaker seal (2700, 3700, 4700, 5701-5703, 7700, 9700, 10700, 11700) exposed to the ambient.
The weaker seal (2700, 3700, 4700, 5701-5703, 7700, 9700, 10700, 11700) of the pouch of the present invention has a length (2701) equal to or less than 50 mm, preferably equal to or less than 30 mm, even more preferably equal to or less than 10 mm and/or a width (2702) equal to or less than 5 mm, preferably equal to or less than 3 mm, even more preferably equal to or less than 1 mm.
In the pouch according to the present invention, the first film (1100) and/or the second film (1200) may comprise any suitable material to contain the filling 1600. Preferably, however, the first film (1100) and/or the second film (1200) comprise a blend of ionomer and polypropylene.
Preferably, the stronger seal (1300, 5301-5303, 6300, 7300, 8300, 9300) of the pouch of the present invention has a sealing strength above 15N/15 mm, more preferably above 40N/15 mm. Also preferably, the weaker seal (2700, 3700, 4700, 5701-5703, 7700, 9700, 10700, 11700) of the pouch of the present invention has a sealing strength of 1-8N/15 mm, more preferably 2-3N/15 mm.
Also disclosed herein is a manufacturing method for a pouch for fluid, the method comprising the steps of:
In the following, several embodiments are described with reference to the drawings. It will be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to any specific embodiment but is rather defined by the claims and the embodiments are provided for a better understanding thereof. Moreover, although each embodiment may be described as comprising several features, it will be understood that not all of the features described for each embodiment are essential for the implementation of the specific embodiment, or for the implementation of the present invention. Additionally, it will be understood that features from different embodiments can be combined in order to realize alternative embodiments, within the scope of the claims.
As can be seen in
For purposes of the present invention, the first and second polymeric films employed to make the sidewalls of the pouch, in principle, can be either a single layer or multilayer polymeric film. The film involved in the construction of the sidewalls do not necessarily have to be the same structure (e.g., one layer can be clear and the other can be opaque). Also, in principle, any such film grade polymeric resin or material as generally known in the art of packaging can be employed. Preferably, a multilayer polymeric film structure is employed. Typically the multilayer polymeric film will involve at least three categorical layers, including but not limited to, an outermost structural or abuse layer, an inner barrier layer, and an innermost layer and optionally one or more adhesive or tie layers there between. Also, the innermost layer making contact with and compatible with the intended contents of the pouch is preferably capable of forming both the lock up perimeter seals (i.e., the stronger seal of the invention with seal strengths typically greater than 20 N/15 mm) and the weaker seal(s). Most preferably the innermost layer is also heat-sealable.
The outermost structural or abuse layer is typically oriented polyester or oriented polypropylene, but can also include oriented nylon or paper. This layer preferably is reverse printable and advantageously unaffected by the sealing temperatures used to make the pouch, since the pouch is sealed through the entire thickness of the multilayer structure. The thickness of this layer is typically selected to control the stiffness of the pouch, and may range from about 10 to about 60 [mu]m, preferably about 50 [mu]m.
The inner layer can include one or more barrier layers, depending on which atmospheric conditions (oxygen, humidity, light, and the like) can potentially affect the product inside the pouch. Barrier layers can be metallized oriented polypropylene (PP) or oriented polyethylene terephthalate (PET), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), aluminum foil, nylon or biaxial oriented nylon, blends or composites of the same as well as related copolymers thereof. Barrier layer thickness will depend on the sensitivity of the product and the desired shelf life.
The innermost layer of the package is the sealant. The sealant is selected to have minimum effect on taste or color of the contents, to be unaffected by the product, and to withstand sealing conditions (such as liquid droplets, grease, dust, or the like). The sealant is typically a resin, which can be bonded to itself (sealed) at temperatures substantially below the melting temperature of the outermost layer so that the outermost layer's appearance will not be affected by the sealing process and will not stick to the jaws of the sealing bar. Typical sealants used in multilayer pouches include ethylene copolymers, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), metallocene polyethylene (mPE), copolymers of ethylene with vinyl acetate or methyl acrylate, or copolymers of ethylene and acrylic acid (EAA) or methacrylic acid (EMAA), optionally ionomerized (i.e., partially neutralized to form carboxylate salts with metal ions such as Na, Zn, Mg, or Li cations). Typical sealants can also include polypropylene copolymers. Sealant layers are typically 10 to 100 μm thick. For the current invention, the sealant must be able to form a side compartment which will rupture and burst by squeezing, i.e. the weaker seal.
Preferably, the weaker seal is formed by heat-sealing two superimposed multilayer polymeric film each having the innermost sealant layer made from a resin, which undergoes interfacial peel sealing having different seal strengths when the heat seals are formed at different temperatures. Such resins include blends of one or more polyolefins such as: polyethylene including metallocene polyethylene with polybutylene or polypropylene including homopolymer or copolymers thereof (collectively: PE/PB blends; PE/PP blends); polypropylene with polybutylene (PP/PB blends); polypropylene with ethylene methacrylic acid copolymer (PP/EMAA blends); or polypropylene with styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene block terpolymer (PP/SEBS blends). Alternatively the weaker seal can be produced by zone coating the innermost layer in the region of the seal with a sealant. Alternatively the weaker seal can be formed by heat sealing two dissimilar sealing surfaces such as an ionomer and ethylene copolymer. Particularly preferred are blends of an ionomer based on partial neutralization of an ethylene acrylic acid copolymer or ethylene methacrylic acid copolymer with a polypropylene [alpha]-olefin copolymer (EAA or EMAA ionomer blended with a PP/PB copolymer) as the innermost sealant layer, because the other blends are less reliable and the zone coating is more expensive. Such ionomer with polypropylene copolymer blends exhibiting predictable peel strength over an extended heat seal temperature range are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,550,141, 4,539,263, 4,469,754 and European Patent EP 1 751 231.
In order to manufacture a weaker seal containing at least one force concentrating means for selectively exceeding the seal strength of the weaker seal, various alternative methodologies are contemplated. Preferably shape and/or curvature of the weaker seal is to be employed to advantageously concentrate the forces created when the pouch is manually compressed or squeezed. However, when zone coating of the heat seal resin is employed, the intentional reduction of the width of the zone coating or the like along the weaker seal can also be advantageously employed as a means to concentrate force for the purpose of exceeding seal strength selectively (with or without curvature). Also, the geometry and/or variable width of the (heated) heat seal bar employed to heat seal the weaker seal can be employed to produce a force concentrating means useful in the present invention. In principle and in fact, time-temperature sealing methods can also be employed to make a weaker seal containing a force concentrating means for selectively exceeding the seal strength of the weaker seal. For example but not by way of limitation, repetitive and/or multiple strikes of different heat seal bars can produce a weaker seal with variable seal strength that then serves as an equivalent structure to the claimed force concentrating means for selectively exceeding seal strength of said weaker seal.
For purposes of measuring the above mentioned seal strength, 100 mm by 15 mm samples of the polymeric film are to be cut with the long side of the samples in the machine direction of the film. Enough film samples are cut to provide one set of three specimens for each heat seal condition. The films then are folded so that the sealant layer of each side contacts the other. The film is then heat sealed between the jaws of the heat sealer at the appropriate temperature, time and pressure. The heat-sealed samples are then conditioned for at least 24 hours at 23° C. and 50% relative humidity before testing. The folded over portion of the sealed film is cut in half, forming suitable flaps to be placed in the Instron jaw clamps. Fifteen mm wide specimens are then cut in the machine direction of the film to provide at least three 15 mm wide test specimens at each set of sealing conditions.
The seal strength is measured by pulling the seals apart at an angle of 180° in the machine direction of the film using the Instron tensile testing machine at 100 mm/minute jaw separation speed. In other instances, a pull rate of 300 mm//minute on the Instron may also be employed. The maximum force required to cause the seal to fail is then recorded, and the average of at least three specimens is reported in N/15 mm. Seal strength is measured at room temperature.
Other particularly preferred blends of polymers for use as the weaker seal forming innermost layer include a combination of an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer or acid modified EVA copolymer and an ethylene methyl acrylate (EMA) copolymer or acid-modified EMA as the major component and a polypropylene homopolymer or copolymer, a polybutylene homopolymer or copolymer, a partially neutralized ethylene acid ionomer or mixture of the ionomer with metallocene polyethylene as the minor component. Such polymeric systems and blends are available commercially as sealants from E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company under the trademarks Appeel®, Bynel®, Elvax®, Nucrel® and Surlyn®. Again, various additives are frequently employed including, by way of example but not limited thereto, slip, antiblock, and/or chill roll release agents and the like. Using these acid-modified EVA and EMA based blends in combination with various other polymeric film layers, the heat seal strength can selectively range from 5 N/15 mm up to 50 N/15 mm with a lock-up heat seal strength in excess of 15-20N/15 mm.
During the manufacture of the polymeric film sheet to be used in making the pouch, co-extrudable adhesives are optionally used between functional layers to adhere the layers to each other and to provide structural integrity. These include but are not limited to, polymers and copolymers of ethylene or propylene modified with or grafted with unsaturated carboxylic acid groups such a maleic anhydride or maleic acid and the like. Also, to provide additional thickness (if desired by the consumer for a particular application), bulk layers of polyolefin or chopped remnants of the multilayer film trimmed during pouch fabrication can be incorporated within the multilayer structure. It is contemplated that the sheet of polymeric film (i.e., the so-called “web stock”) may be produced using any combinations of the processes generally known in the art, such as monolayer or multilayer casting, blowing film, extrusion lamination, and adhesive lamination and combinations thereof. Processing aids as generally known in the art, including by way of example but not limited thereto, slip agents (such as amide waxes), antiblocking agents (such as silica), and antioxidants (such as hindered phenols), may be incorporated in the web stock if required to facilitate either manufacture of the film or pouch formation. Pouches are formed from web stock by either cutting and heat sealing separate pieces of web stock or by a combination of folding and heat sealing with cutting. Pouch making equipment such as that made by Totani Corporation, Kyoto, Japan or Klockner Barlelt Co., Gordonsville, Va., can be advantageously used in practicing this invention. The frangible compartment can be installed either during or after pouch formation. It should be further appreciated that the heat sealed perimeter of the pouch according to the instant invention can be achieved by superimposing the first and second sheets of polymeric film and then heat sealing each directly to the other or heat sealing them indirectly through the use of an intervening third polymeric film, again as generally known and practiced in the art.
Preferably, the sealant film is made of a polymer system that can show seal strength above 15N/15 mm at seal temperatures above 150° C. and seal strength values of 3-10N/15 mm in the seal temperature range of 100-140° C.
Reverting back to
Typically, the weaker seal 2700 has a sealing strength of 1 to 8 N/15 mm, preferably 2 to 3 N/15 mm, and the stronger seal 1300 has a sealing strength above 15N/15 mm, and preferably below 40N/15 mm.
In an exemplary embodiment, the weaker seal 2700 has a length 2701 equal to or less than 50 mm, preferably equal to or less than 30 mm, even more preferably equal to or less than 10 mm. In this embodiment, the weaker seal 2700 also has a width 2702 equal to or less than 5 mm, preferably equal to or less than 3 mm, even more preferably equal to or less than 1 mm. The stronger seal 1300 preferably has a width of approximately 5 mm and a variable length.
Typically the weaker seal 2700 can be made by applying a heat of approximately 100-130° C. to the seal for 1 sec at 3 bar. Typically the stronger seal 1300 can be made by applying a temperature of preferably more than 150° C. and/or preferably less than 200° C. for 1 sec at 3 bar, when a variable-temperature, variable seal-strength sealant is selected.
As can be seen in
Moreover, as can be better seen in
It will be nevertheless understood that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and that alternative configurations of the stronger and weaker seal can be implemented as will be described in the following. More generally, any configuration of the stronger seal 1300 and weaker seal 2700 which allows the cavity 1500 to be defined and which prevents fluid 1600 from escaping from the cavity 1500 as long as both the stronger seal 1300 and weaker seal 2700 are open can be implemented. For example, embodiments are described in which some parts or the entire perimeter of weaker seal 2700 between points B and A is not in contact with the stronger seal 1300.
As can be seen in
As visible in
It will be understood that, in the figures, the part of weaker seal 2700 illustrated as not being present represents a part of the weaker seal 2700 which has been delaminated and opened. The illustration is not meant to indicate that any material is removed from the films 1100, 1200 or from the weaker seal 2700. This configuration is further clarified in
Referring now to
Also in this case, the perimeter of the cavity 1500 is defined by a part of the stronger seal 1300 and by the weaker seal 3700, as in pouch 2000. Namely, the cavity is defined by the perimeter of the weaker seal 3700 between A and B, together with the perimeter of the stronger seal 1300 between A and B. Also in the present embodiment, the weaker seal 3700 can be considered to be in proximity of the stronger seal 1300. More generally, the two seals 1300, 3700 can be considered to be in proximity as long as the weaker seal 3700 is not too far away from the stronger seal 1300, as it would be the case, for instance, if the weaker seal were placed in the middle of the cavity.
Even more specifically, the weaker seal 3700 has a perimeter P. Some points of the perimeter P face the cavity 1500 and thereby define the perimeter of the cavity. In the illustrated examples, those points are comprised between A and B. Additionally, some points of the perimeter P are in contact with the stronger seal 1300, such as points between D and A and between B and C. Each of the remaining points, namely those points of the perimeter P not facing the cavity 1500 and not in contact with the stronger seal 1300, is within a predetermined distance from the stronger seal 1300. In the illustrated embodiment those points are the ones comprised between C and D. For instance, point P1 of those latter points is illustrated as an example. A circumference centered in P1 and having a predetermined distance or radius D1 is illustrated so as to define an equidistance region centered in point P1. As can be seen, at least one part of the stronger seal 1300 is within the circumference. That is, the point P1 is within the predetermined distance D1 from the stronger seal 1300. When this condition is satisfied for all points of the perimeter P not facing the cavity 1500, such as points between B and A, the two seals 1300 and 3700 can be considered to be in proximity within the meaning of the invention. In some embodiments, the predetermined distance D1 is less than 5 cm, preferably less than 2 cm, even more preferably less than 1 cm. In this approach, the two seals can be in proximity to each other, without requiring the seal 1300 to be in contact with all points of the seal 3700 not facing the cavity 1500.
This configuration can advantageously simplify the manufacturing of the weaker seal 3700. In particular, since the weaker seal 3700 is not in contact with the stronger seal 1300 on its longest side, the risk of the heat and pressure used for realizing the stronger seal 1300 to interfere with the weaker seal 3700 is reduced. That is, when the two seals are in contact with each other, the heat and pressure applied for realizing stronger seal 1300 can also have an effect on the neighboring region of weaker seal 3700. This can be less critical in the parts of weaker seal between points B and C and between points D and A, as those parts do not necessarily need to open for the fluid to get out of the pouch 300. On the other hand, the portion between points C and D could be problematic if the manufacturing of the stronger seal 1300 also resulted in a stronger than expected weaker seal 3700 in this region. By leaving a small distance between those two seals, this problem is advantageously solved and the manufacturing of the pouch 3000 is simplified.
Pouch 4000 differs from pouch 2000 in that weaker seal 4700 is not in contact with stronger seal 1300. Instead, a distance up to D2, exaggerated in the drawings for ease of representation, is present between the two seals 1300, 4700. Distance D2 may be due, for instance, to manufacturing tolerances and can be up to 3 mm, preferably up to 1 mm, even more preferably up to 0.5 mm. It will be understood that the distance between the two seals 1300, 4700 can vary from 0 up to D2 so that, at least at some points, the two seals 1300, 4700 may actually be in contact with each other.
In this and other embodiments, even if the two seals are separated by distance D2, they can be considered to be in proximity with each other, as long as the weaker seal 4700 and the stronger seal 1300 are configured such that the weaker seal 4700 can only open if at least a first portion of the stronger seal 1300 is opened or removed. In the specific embodiment illustrated, this is achieved by providing the stronger seal 1300 on all sides of the weaker seal 4700 not facing the cavity 1500 and will be better understood with reference to
It will be noted that the portions of the films 1100 and 1200 within distance D2 can be considered as sealed, for practical purposes. In particular, stronger seal 1300 prevents the films 1100, 1200 from separating from each other in the region of seal 1300, independently on the applied pressure. This effect also contributes to keeping the two films 1100, 1200 close to each other in the region of distance D2, due to the immediate proximity to stronger seal 1300 as well as the immediate proximity to weaker seal 4700. Thereby it can be considered that the perimeter of the cavity is still defined by a part of stronger seal 1300 and by weaker seal 4700, as those two seals also effectively seal the films 1100 and 1200 in the region of distance D2, due to their immediate proximity thereto.
As can be seen in
Due to the presence of the stronger seal 1300 on all sides of the weaker seal 4700, other than the side facing the cavity 1500, it is possible to prevent the weaker seal 4700 from completely opening, even when pressure is applied to the cavity 1500. Moreover, even in the presence of distance D2 between the two seals 1300, 4700, the films 1100 and 1200 are prevented from separating due to the combined action of the stronger and weaker seals 1300, 4700.
As can be seen in
It will be understood that the shape of the stronger seal 1300 and of the weaker seal 4700 illustrated in
In some embodiments of the invention, the opening structure 1400 is configured so as to facilitate cutting of the first film 1100 and/or of the second film 1200 along a first length crossing at least the stronger seal 1300. The first length can be determined, for instance, by prolonging the length of the opening structure. For instance, with reference to
In some embodiments, the first length can also cross at least part of the weaker seal, such as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the opening structure 1400 comprises weakening points, perforations and/or holes, made in the first film 1100 and/or in the second film 1200. In some embodiments, the holes can be made through the entire films 1100 and/or 1200. This is particularly the case for the stronger seal 1300, as this facilitates the cutting thereof. For what concerns the weaker seal, the holes can be either made through the entire films 1100 and/or 1200, or only through some of their thickness or some of their layer(s). In the latter case, the holes can be made at least through the oriented outer layers.
In some embodiments, the opening structure 1400 is configured to facilitate cutting of the first film 1100 and/or of the second film 1200 so as to leave at least part of the weaker seal exposed to the ambient. For instance, with reference to
Although in the embodiments described above, the pouch 200030004000 is generally illustrated as a rectangle, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and the pouch can have non-rectangular shapes, such as for example the shape illustrated in
Moreover, although in the embodiments above the stronger seal 1300 is generally illustrated as completely surrounding the cavity and the weaker seal, the present invention is not limited thereto. In come embodiments, as illustrated for instance in
Additionally, although in the embodiments described above the weaker seal has been illustrated as being placed roughly in the middle of the pouch and having a lateral X dimension smaller than the lateral X dimension of the pouch, the present invention is not limited thereto.
For example, as illustrated in
Alternatively, or in addition, as illustrated in
It will be further understood that a similar effect can be obtained by providing a weaker sealing strength in a portion 10701 of the weaker seal 10700 and a stronger sealing strength in another portion 10702 of the weaker seal 10700. In this case, the portion 10701 with the weaker sealing strength would also open before the portion 10702 with the stronger sealing strength, thereby facilitating the pouring of the fluid.
While certain of the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described or specifically exemplified above, it is not intended that the invention be limited to such embodiments. Rather, it is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts, within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2017/056048 | 10/11/2017 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62408223 | Oct 2016 | US |
