Pouch with a valve

Abstract

A pouch with a valve includes first and second pouch sidewalls sealed to one another to define an opening. A resealable closure mechanism is attached to inner surfaces of the first and second sidewalls proximate the opening to define a pouch interior opposite the opening. A channel extends from the interior to the opening between a section of the first closure element and the first sidewall. A pleated thermoplastic member is sealingly disposed in the channel and has an aperture disposed through the member. A fluid path may provide direct fluid communication between the interior and an exterior of the pouch, wherein the fluid path passes through an edge of the pouch defined by at least one of the first or second pouch sidewalls. A valve is sealingly disposed in the fluid path, wherein the valve comprises a pleated thermoplastic member attached to at least one of the first or second pouch sidewalls and having an aperture disposed through the pleated thermoplastic member to provide fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of the pouch.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable

REFERENCE REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

SEQUENTIAL LISTING

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a check valve, and particularly to a check valve such as may be used on a reclosable thermoplastic pouch.

2. Description of the Background of the Invention

Food or other perishables are often stored in reclosable thermoplastic pouches. To keep food stored inside a pouch fresh for an extended period, a user may evacuate air out of the pouch after completely sealing the pouch using a closure mechanism.

One pouch for packaging of granular solids and small articles is filled and then sealed. The pouch has an interrupted seam between opposing panels of the pouch. The interrupted seam separates a small portion of the pouch from a larger pouch interior. A continuous seam between the opposing pouch panels is disposed proximate to the interrupted seam on a side of the interrupted seam opposite the pouch interior. The opposing pouch panels are flattened between the seams, and an aperture is disposed through one of the opposing pouch panels. Air trapped within the pouch interior during sealing of the pouch may be expelled through the interrupted seam and out of the pouch through the aperture, wherein the flattened panels between the seams act as a valve against the ingress of air.

A further pouch for packaging contents that generate gases is filled and then sealed. The pouch has an interrupted seam between opposing panels of the pouch, wherein the seam is parallel to and proximate to an edge of the pouch. A continuous seam between the opposing pouch panels is disposed between the interrupted seam and the edge of the pouch. A path is defined from a pouch interior to a pouch exterior extending through the interrupted seam and around the ends of the continuous seam. A plurality of puckers is disposed in the material of the opposing panels along the path. The puckers cause the opposing panels to be in contact, thereby effectively forming a normally closed valve. Air within the pouch having an elevated pressure relative to the atmosphere may separate the puckers to escape the pouch, however air from the atmosphere is prevented from entering the pouch.

Another pouch has portions of opposing panels that protrude outwardly from a side of the pouch. The outwardly protruding portions are sealed to one another to form a channel that has a closure mechanism that may be sealed independently from a main closure mechanism disposed across a main pouch opening. The channel may be used to evacuate or to inflate the pouch after the main closure mechanism is sealed.

Yet another pouch has a conduit that extends from an edge of the pouch, wherein the edge is otherwise sealed by a main closure mechanism in juxtaposition with the conduit. The conduit allows communication between an interior of the pouch and an exterior of the pouch for evacuating the pouch after the main closure mechanism is sealed. The conduit has a sealing mechanism that is normally open but that may be squeezed closed to seal the conduit after evacuation of the pouch.

Still another pouch has a first closure mechanism disposed parallel to and proximate to an open end of the pouch. A second closure mechanism is disposed between the first closure mechanism and a closed end of the pouch, and defines a pouch interior. A venting aperture is disposed through the first closure mechanism and at least one panel of the pouch immediately proximate the first closure mechanism. The venting aperture defines a passageway for air between the pouch interior and an exterior of the pouch when the second closure mechanism is open, and the second closure mechanism may be sealed after the pouch is vented through the aperture.

Yet another pouch has a check valve disposed in an end of the pouch opposite a closure mechanism. The check valve has two rectangular narrow films of material sealed together to form a tube, wherein the tube is disposed between opposing panels of the pouch such that one end of the tube is within a pouch interior and a second end of the tube projects outside of the pouch interior. The tube further has a folded piece of film material sealingly disposed within the tube. Air within the pouch having an elevated pressure relative to an exterior of the pouch may separate the folds of the folded film material and escape through an aperture therethrough; however, air is prevented from flowing into the pouch interior by the folded film material. The opposing pouch panels are extended and sealed together around a periphery thereof to cover the second end of the tube, leaving an unsealed gap for air to escape to the atmosphere.

A pouch having a normally open valve or a vent may allow contents of the pouch to escape from the pouch. Further, a valve or vent proximate the closed end of a pouch is more likely to leak contents because contents placed into the pouch through a main opening typically settle to a closed end of the pouch. Consequently, excess air within the pouch is most effectively evacuated through the main opening.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, a pouch with a valve includes first and second pouch sidewalls sealed to one another to define an opening. A resealable closure mechanism is attached to inner surfaces of the first and second sidewalls proximate the opening to define a pouch interior opposite the opening. A channel extends from the interior to the opening through the closure mechanism in an occluded state. At least one protruding surface is disposed on the inner surface of the first sidewall between the closure mechanism and the opening to sealingly engage the inner surface of the second sidewall to form an airtight seal therebetween.

According to another aspect of the invention, a pouch includes first and second pouch sidewalls sealed to one another to define an opening. A resealable closure mechanism comprises a first closure element and a second closure element, each having a base substantially attached to an inner surface of the first and second sidewalls, respectively, proximate the opening to define a pouch interior opposite the opening. A channel extends from the interior to the opening between the first sidewall and a section of the base of the first closure element not attached to the first sidewall to provide fluid communication between the interior and the opening of the pouch. A pleated member is sealingly disposed in the channel, wherein the pleated member includes an aperture disposed therethrough and is attached to the base of the first closure element and the first sidewall.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a pouch with a valve includes first and second pouch sidewalls sealed to one another to define an opening. A resealable closure mechanism is attached to inner surfaces of the first and second sidewalls proximate the opening to define a pouch interior opposite the opening. A fluid path provides direct fluid communication between the interior and an exterior of the pouch, wherein the fluid path passes through an edge of the pouch defined by at least one of the first or second pouch sidewalls. A valve is sealingly disposed in the fluid path, wherein the valve comprises a pleated thermoplastic member attached to at least one of the first or second pouch sidewalls and having an aperture disposed through the pleated thermoplastic member to provide fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of the pouch

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a reclosable pouch;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a pouch taken generally along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the pouch taken generally along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 2A taken generally along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the pouch taken generally along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a still further embodiment of the pouch taken generally along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 taken generally along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1; FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 8-8 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of yet another embodiment of the pouch;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 10-10 of FIG. 9 with portions behind the plane of the cross-section omitted for clarity;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 12-12 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of another embodiment of the pouch having flaps;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary plan view of a vacuum device applied to the pouch; and

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 15-15 of FIG. 14 with portions behind the plane of the cross-section omitted for clarity.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, wherein similar structures have similar reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a reclosable thermoplastic pouch 50 includes first and second pouch sidewalls 52 and 54 joined around three edges 56a-56c by heat sealing or other sealing method known in the art to define an opening 56. Alternatively, the bottom edge 56b may be a fold line between the first and second side walls 52 and 54. A closure mechanism 58 is attached to inner surfaces 60 and 62 of the first and second sidewalls 52 and 54, respectively, proximate the opening 56. The closure mechanism 58 and the first and second sidewalls 52 and 54 define a pouch interior 64. When occluded, the closure mechanism 58 provides an airtight seal such that a vacuum may be maintained in the pouch interior 64 for a desired period of time, such as days, months, or years, when the closure mechanism is sealed fully across the opening 56. A channel or fluid path is indicated by the arrow 66 and is illustrated by a set of dashed lines 68a shown in FIG. 1. The fluid path 66 extends from the pouch interior 60 to the opening 56 bypassing the closure mechanism 58. The fluid path 66 may be disposed through the closure mechanism 58 at any position along the length of the closure mechanism 58, for example, offset from a center of the pouch 50 as illustrated by 68a, proximate the center of the pouch 50 as illustrated by 68b, or proximate an edge of the pouch 50 as illustrated by 68c.

Referring to an embodiment as seen in FIG. 2, the closure mechanism 58 comprises first and second closure elements 70 and 72. The first closure element 70 includes a first base 70b, and the second closure element includes a second base 72b. The first and second bases 70b and 72b are respectively attached to the inner surfaces 60 and 62 of the first and second pouch sidewalls 52 and 54. The first closure element 70 includes one or more interlocking closure profiles 70a, each extending from the first base 70b, and the second closure element 72 includes one or more interlocking closure profiles 72a, each extending from the second base 72b. The first and second interlocking closure profiles 70a and 72a are shown in FIG. 2 as male and female closure profiles, respectively. However, the configuration and geometry of the interlocking profiles 70a, 72a or closure elements 70, 72 shown herein may vary.

In a further embodiment, one or both of the first and second closure elements 70, 72 may include one or more textured portions, such as a bump or crosswise groove in one or more of the interlocking profiles 70a, 72a in order to provide a tactile sensation, such as a series of clicks, as a user draws the fingers along the closure mechanism 58 to seal the closure elements across the opening 56. In another embodiment, each of the closure profiles 70a, 72a includes textured portions along the length of the profile to provide tactile and/or audible sensations when closing the closure mechanism 58. Further, in some embodiments, a sealing material such as a polyolefin material or a caulking composition such as silicone grease may be disposed on or in the interlocking profiles 70a, 72a or closure elements 70, 72 to fill in any gaps or spaces therein when occluded. The ends of the interlocking profiles 70a, 72a or closure elements 70, 72 may also be welded or sealed by ultrasonic vibrations as is known in the art. Illustrative interlocking profiles, closure elements, sealing materials, tactile or audible closure elements, and/or end seals useful in the present invention include those disclosed in, for example, Pawloski U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,474, Dais et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,070,584, 5,478,228, and 6,021,557, Tomic et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,273, Sprehe U.S. Pat. No. 6,954,969, Kasai et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,866, Ausnit U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,796, Wright et al. U.S. Pat. No. 7,041,249, Pawloski et al. U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,736, Anderson U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0091179, Pawloski U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0234172, Tilman et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0048483, and Anzini et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006/0093242 and 2006/0111226. Other interlocking profiles and closure elements useful in the present invention include those disclosed in, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/725,120, filed Mar. 16, 2007, and Attorney Docket Nos. J-4712, J-4714B, and J-4673 (U.S. patent application Nos. to be assigned), each filed on the same day as the present application. It is further appreciated that the interlocking profiles 70a, 72a or closure elements 70, 72 disclosed herein may be operated by hand, or a slider (not shown) may be used to assist in occluding and de-occluding the interlocking profiles and closure elements.

At least one protruding surface 74 or 76 is disposed on the inner surface 60 or 62 of one of the first or second sidewalls 52 or 54, respectively. In some embodiments, the protruding surface 74 may serve a dual purpose. The protruding surface 74 may provide a surface for gripping the pouch 50 near the opening 56, or be capable of sealingly engaging the inner surface 62 of the opposite sidewall 54. Other embodiments include one or more protruding surfaces 74 and 76 disposed on each of the inner surfaces 60 and 62. Another embodiment having a plurality of protruding surfaces 74 and 76 disposed on each of the inner surfaces 60 and 62, respectively, is illustrated in FIG. 2A, which is cross-sectional view of the pouch taken generally along the lines 2-2. The pluralities of protruding surfaces 74 and 76 intermesh when the pouch is closed to form a substantially continuous interface therebetween, as will be discussed in greater detail below.

Referring next to FIG. 3, the first and second profiles 70a and 72a of FIG. 2A are deformed proximate the fluid path 66 to form flattened first and second profiles 78 and 80. With this deformation, the closure mechanism 58 in a fully occluded state is sealed along an entire length thereof except for a region defining the fluid path 66 extending through the closure mechanism 58 and bounded by one set of the sets of dashed lines 68a-c shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2A, and 3, the operation of the pouch 50 will be described under the assumption that the closure mechanism 58 is sealed and the pluralities of protruding surfaces 74 and 76 are intermeshed. An increase in fluid pressure in the pouch interior 64 relative to an exterior 164 of the pouch 50 results in pressurized fluid passing between the flattened first and second profiles 78 and 80 of the closure mechanism 58 and entering the fluid path 66. Once through the flattened first and second profiles 78 and 80 of the closure mechanism 58, the pressurized fluid exerts a force on the first and second sidewalls 52 and 54 that separates the previously intermeshed pluralities of protruding surfaces 74 and 76, and thereby allows fluid to escape the pouch interior 64.

Conversely, a decrease in fluid pressure in the pouch interior 64 relative to the exterior 164 of the pouch 50 results in the pluralities of protruding surfaces 74 and 76 being forced together. Illustratively, the protruding surfaces 74 and 76 are complementarily shaped so that the meshing of the protruding surfaces 74 and 76 and the resultant seal therebetween inhibits or prevents fluid from the exterior 164 of the pouch 50 from entering the pouch interior 64. Thus, the pluralities of protruding surfaces 74 and 76 allow fluid to escape from the pouch interior 64, but inhibit or prevent fluid from entering the pouch interior 64. If desired, the protruding surfaces 74 and 76 may have non-complementary shapes, in which case at least one of the protruding surfaces 74 or 76 includes a member that seals against at least one of the other of the protruding surfaces 74 or 76 to provide the desired check valve operation.

In a further embodiment as seen in FIG. 4, the first and second pouch sidewalls 52 and 54 include respective first and second corrugated cross sections 82 and 84. The first and second corrugated cross sections 82 and 84 serve similar purposes as the first and second pluralities of protruding surfaces 74 and 76 shown in FIG. 2A and described above.

A still further embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 5, wherein the closure mechanism 58 again comprises first and second closure elements 70 and 72, respectively, comprising first and second interlocking closure profiles 70a and 72a that are represented as male and female profiles but which may have any configuration or geometry as noted previously. The first and second closure elements 70 and 72 also respectively comprise the first and second bases 70b and 72b. In this embodiment, the first closure element 70 includes a first flange 86 that extends toward the opening 56 from the first base 70b, and the second closure element 72 includes a second flange 88 that extends toward the opening 56 from the second base 72b. One or more first and second gripping ribs 90 and 92 may optionally be disposed extending toward one another from inner surfaces 94 and 96 of the first and second flanges 86 and 88, respectively. Each of the first and second closure elements 70 and 72 includes an outer surface 98 and 100, respectively, that is substantially flat. These outer surfaces 98 and 100 are attached to inner surfaces 60 and 62 of the first and second sidewalls 52 and 54, respectively, by any suitable means known in the art.

Referring next to FIG. 6, the fluid path 66 is defined by a region of the closure mechanism 58 that is not directly attached to the first pouch sidewall 52 in the area bounded by one set of the sets of dashed lines 68a-c (shown in FIG. 1). In this area, the first closure element 70 is attached by a pleated member 102 to the inner surface 60 of the first sidewall 52. The closure mechanism 58 in a fully occluded state seals the pouch interior 64 from the opening 56 along an entire length of the closure mechanism 58 except for the indirectly attached region defining the fluid path 66. The fluid path 66 may be disposed around the closure mechanism 58 in this fashion at any position along the length of the closure mechanism 58, for example, proximate the center, offset from the center, or proximate an edge of the pouch, etc.

The pleated member 102 is sealed at a first end 104 to the inner surface 60 of the first sidewall 52 and at a second end 106 to the outer surface 98 of the first closure element 70. Flat sections 108 of the pleated member 102 extend away from the inner surface 60 and the outer surface 98 toward the opening 56. The flat sections 108 are connected to one another along outer fold lines 110 and inner fold lines 112, thereby giving the pleated member 102 a pleated appearance. Although the pleated member 102 is shown in FIG. 6 as extending between the first and second sealed ends 104 and 106 toward the opening 56, the pleated member 102 may alternately extend in an opposite direction toward the pouch interior 64. Also, although a pleated member 102 with multiple pleats is shown in FIG. 6, the pleated member 102 may also consist of any number of pleats including a single pleat.

Referring next to FIGS. 6 and 7, the pleated member 102 is wider than the width 68 of the fluid path 66 and has first and second lateral edges 114 and 116 that are respectively sealed in first and second overlap regions 118 and 120 between the first sidewall 52 and the first closure element 70. Therefore, the pleated member 102 is sealingly disposed within the fluid path 66 by seals at the first and second ends 104 and 106 shown in FIG. 6 and along the first and second lateral edges 114 and 116.

Referring next to FIG. 8, the pleated member 102 includes an aperture 122 through one or more of the flat sections 108. The aperture 122 may be disposed in the outer fold line 110 or in the inner fold line 112. The aperture 122 may also be spaced from the fold lines 110 and 112 toward a central region 124 of the flat section 108. The aperture 122 could also be longitudinally centered on the flat section 108 or could be offset from the center, or generally located anywhere on the pleated member 102 such that the flat sections 108 of the pleated member may come together to form a substantial seal across the width 68 of the fluid path 66. Further, any number of apertures 122 may be disposed through any number of the flat sections 108 as long as the flat sections 108 of the pleated member 102 may come together to form a substantial seal across the width 68a of the fluid path 66. Although the aperture 122 is illustrated in FIG. 8 as being circular, the aperture 122 may comprise a slit or may have any cross-sectional shape, for example elliptical, square-shaped, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc.

In one embodiment, the first and second sidewalls 52, 54, the pleated member 102, and/or the closure mechanism 58 are formed from thermoplastic resins by known extrusion methods. For example, the sidewalls 52, 54 may be independently extruded of thermoplastic material as a single continuous or multi-ply web, and the closure mechanism 58 may be extruded of the same or different thermoplastic material(s) separately as continuous lengths or strands. Illustrative thermoplastic materials include polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), metallocene-polyethylene (mPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), ultra low density polyethylene (ULDPE), biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BPET), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), among other polyolefin plastomers and combinations and blends thereof. Further, the pleated member 102, or a portion thereof, or the inner surfaces 60, 62 of the respective sidewalls 52, 54 or a portion or area thereof may, for example, be composed of a polyolefin plastomer such as an AFFINITY™ resin manufactured by Dow Plastics. Such portions or areas include, for example, the area of one or both of the sidewalls 52, 54 proximate and parallel to the closure mechanism 58 to provide an additional cohesive seal between the sidewalls when the pouch 50 is evacuated. One or more of the sidewalls 52, 54 in other embodiments may also be formed of air-impermeable film. An example of an air-impermeable film includes a film having one or more barrier layers, such as an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) ply or a nylon ply, disposed between or on one or more of the plies of the sidewalls 52, 54. The barrier layer may be, for example, adhesively secured between the PP and/or LDPE plies to provide a multilayer film. Other additives such as colorants, slip agents, and antioxidants, including for example talc, oleamide or hydroxyl hydrocinnamate may also be added as desired. In another embodiment, the closure mechanism 58 may be extruded primarily of molten PE with various amounts of slip component, colorant, and talc additives in a separate process. The fully formed closure mechanism 58 or the pleated member 102 may be attached to each other or to the pouch body using a strip of molten thermoplastic weld material, or by an adhesive known by those skilled in the art, for example. Other thermoplastic resins and air-impermeable films useful in the present invention include those disclosed in, for example, Tilman et al. U.S. Patent application publication No 2006/0048483.

The resealable pouch described herein can be made by various techniques known to those skilled in the art including those described in, for example, Geiger, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,248. Other useful techniques to make a resealable pouch include those described in, for example, Zieke et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,789. Additional techniques to make a resealable pouch include those described in, for example, Porchia et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,561. Additional examples of making a resealable pouch as described herein include, for example, a cast post applied process, a cast integral process, and/or a blown process.

Referring to the embodiment described in FIGS. 5-8, the operation of the pouch 50 with the pleated member 102 will be described under the assumption that the pouch 50 is in a closed state and the flat sections 108 of the pleated member 102 are in contact with one another forming a substantial seal therebetween. An increase in fluid pressure in the pouch interior 64 relative to the exterior 164 of the pouch 50 results in pressurized fluid entering the fluid path 66 and pushing the first sidewall 52 away from the first closure element 70, thereby separating the flat sections 108 from one another. Separation of the flat sections 108 exposes the aperture 122 to the pressurized fluid, thereby allowing the pressurized fluid to escape the pouch interior 64 through the aperture 122.

Conversely, a decrease in fluid pressure in the pouch interior 64 relative to the exterior 164 of the pouch 50 results in the first sidewall 52 and the first closure element 70 being forced together. Contact between the flat sections 108 and the resultant seal therebetween inhibits or prevents fluid from the exterior 164 of the pouch 50 from entering the pouch interior 64. Thus, the pleated member 102 having an aperture 122 therethrough functions as a check valve that allows fluid to escape from the pouch interior 64, but inhibits or prevents fluid from entering the pouch interior 64.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, in yet another embodiment, the pleated member 102 is disposed on an edge 56a-56c of the pouch 50 not including the opening 56, for example, along the bottom edge 56b. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment described above in regard to FIGS. 5-8, except for the following differences. A closure mechanism 158 includes first and second closure elements (not shown) that may have any configuration or geometry as noted previously. In this embodiment, the closure mechanism 158 in a fully occluded state seals the pouch interior 64 from the opening 56 along an entire length of the closure mechanism. A fluid path 166 is defined by a region along one or more of the side edges 56a-56c of the pouch, for example, along the bottom edge 56b in an area illustrated in FIG. 9 by 168a, 168b, or 168c. The fluid path 166 extends through a bar seal 170 that otherwise seals the edge 56a, 56b, or 56c through which the fluid path extends. The fluid path 166 may be disposed through each of the edges 56a-56c in this fashion at any position along each edge, for example, proximate the center, offset from the center, or proximate a corner of the pouch, etc. The fluid path 166 provides fluid communication between the pouch interior 64 and the exterior 164 of the pouch 50.

The pleated member 102 is sealed at the first end 104 to the inner surface 60 of the first sidewall 52 and at the second end 106 to the inner surface 62 of the second sidewall 54. The flat sections 108 of the pleated member 102 extend away from the inner surfaces 60 and 62 toward the pouch interior 64. The flat sections 108 are connected to one another along inner fold lines 210 and outer fold lines 212, thereby giving the pleated member 102 a pleated appearance. Although the pleated member 102 is illustrated having multiple pleats in FIG. 10, the pleated member 102 may also consist of any number of pleats including a single pleat, with each pleat, or portions thereof, being made of the same or different materials.

Referring next to FIGS. 11 and 12, the pleated member 102 is wider than the width 168a of the fluid path 166 and has first and second lateral edges 214 and 216 that are respectively sealed in first and second overlap regions 218 and 220 between the first sidewall 52 and the second sidewall 54. Therefore, the pleated member 102 is sealingly disposed within the fluid path 166 by seals at the first and second ends 104 and 106 shown in FIG. 10 and along the first and second lateral edges 214 and 216.

Referring next to FIG. 12, the pleated member 102 may include an aperture 122 through one or more of the flat sections 108. The aperture 222 may be disposed in one or more of the inner fold lines 210 or in one or more of the outer fold lines 212. Illustratively, a pleated member 102 having several flat sections 108 may have a single aperture 222 disposed through a single inner fold line 210 centrally disposed between the first and second ends 104 and 106. The aperture 222 may also be spaced from the fold lines 210 and 212 toward a central region 224 of the flat section 108. The aperture 222 could also be longitudinally centered on the flat section 108 or could be offset from the center, or generally located anywhere on the pleated member 102 such that the flat sections 108 of the pleated member may come together to form a substantial seal across the width 168a of the fluid path 166. Further, any number of apertures 222 may be disposed through any number of the flat sections 108 as long as the flat sections 108 of the pleated member 102 may come together to form a substantial seal across the width 168a of the fluid path 166. Although the aperture 222 is illustrated in FIG. 12 as being circular, the aperture 222 may comprise a slit or may have any cross-sectional shape, for example elliptical, square-shaped, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc. This embodiment operates in a similar fashion to the embodiment described with regard to FIGS. 5-8 above to provide a direct fluid path through the pleated member 102 between the pouch interior 64 and the pouch exterior 164.

As illustrated in FIGS. 13-15, another embodiment of the pouch 50 may have flaps 52a and 54a that extend from the first and second sidewalls 52 and 54, respectively. A nozzle 302 of an evacuation device (not shown) is illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, and includes a nozzle orifice 304 that may be inserted between the flaps 52a and 54a to draw a vacuum on the fluid path 66 to evacuate the pouch 50. Illustrative evacuation pumps or devices useful in the present invention include those disclosed in, for example, Attorney Docket No. J-4705, (U.S. patent application Ser. No. to be assigned), filed on the same day as the present application.

In other embodiments, the pouch 50 may include a second opening 256 as shown in FIG. 1 through one of the sidewalls 52, 54 covered by a valve 260, such as a check or one-way valve, to allow air to be evacuated from the pouch interior 64 and maintain a vacuum when the closure mechanism 58 or 158 has been sealed. The valve 260 may be disposed on the second sidewall 54 spaced from the closure mechanism 58. The valve 260 provides a fluid path with fluid communication between the pouch interior 64 and the exterior 164 of the pouch. Illustrative valves useful in the present invention include those disclosed in, for example, Newrones et al. U.S. Patent application publication No. 2006/0228057. Other valves useful in the present invention include those disclosed in, for example, Attorney Docket Nos. J-4673 and J-4702 (U.S. patent application Nos. to be assigned), each filed on the same day as the present application. Although not shown, in some embodiments an evacuation pump or device may be used to evacuate fluid from the pouch 50 through, for example, the valve 260 disposed in one of the side walls 52, 54, in or through the closure mechanism 58, or in one of the side edges 56a-c of the pouch.

The pouch 50 may include relief on or along an interior surface of one or both of the first and second sidewalls 52, 54 to provide fluid or air flow channels 25, for example as shown in FIG. 1, between the sidewalls when a vacuum, for example, is being drawn through the check valve 260 or through the fluid path 66 disposed at the position 68b. In this manner, the pouch 50 provides a complete evacuable system within which items, for example food, may be stored. One or both sidewalls, such as the first sidewall 52, may also be embossed or otherwise textured 125 with a pattern, such as, for example, the diamond pattern shown in FIG. 1, to provide the air flow channels 25 on one or both surfaces spaced between the bottom edge 56b and the closure mechanism 58, or a separate textured and embossed patterned wall (not shown) may be used to provide additional flow channels (not shown) within the pouch interior. The flow channels may provide fluid communication between the pouch interior 64 and the valve 260 when fluid is being drawn through the valve 260, or along the fluid path 66 or 166 when fluid is being drawn through the opening 56 or one of the side edges 56a-56c, respectively. Illustrative flow channels useful in the present invention include those disclosed in Zimmerman et al. U.S. Patent application publication No. 2005/0286808 and Tilman et al. U.S. Patent application publication No 2006/0048483. Other flow channels useful in the present invention include those disclosed in, for example, Attorney Docket No. J-4601 (U.S. patent application No. to be assigned), filed on the same day as the present application.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

A valve is presented that may be used to evacuate air from a pouch and keep the pouch evacuated, thereby allowing contents of the pouch such as food to remain fresher for extended time periods. In one embodiment, the valve operates by bypassing an occluded closure mechanism that seals a mouth of the pouch. Increased pressure from an interior of the pouch relative to an exterior of the pouch causes the valve to open to allow air to escape from the interior of the pouch. Decreased pressure from the interior the pouch relative to the exterior of the pouch causes the valve to remain closed to prevent air from entering the pouch.

Numerous modifications to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is presented for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the invention and to teach the best mode of carrying out same. The exclusive rights to all modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims are reserved. All patents, patent publications and applications, and other references cited herein are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

Claims

1. A pouch with a valve, comprising: first and second pouch sidewalls sealed to one another to define an opening;a resealable closure mechanism attached to inner surfaces of the first and second sidewalls proximate the opening to define a pouch interior opposite the opening;a channel extending from the interior to the opening through a deformed region of the closure mechanism when a remaining region of the closure mechanism is in an occluded state; andat least one protruding surface disposed on the inner surface of the first sidewall between the closure mechanism and the opening to sealingly engage the inner surface of the second sidewall to form an airtight seal therebetween.

2. The pouch of claim 1, wherein the resealable closure mechanism comprises at least one interlocking closure profile that includes a textured portion along the length thereof to provide tactile and/or audible sensations when the resealable closure mechanism is occluded.

3. The pouch of claim 1, wherein the first and second sidewalls comprise corrugated cross sections.

4. The pouch of claim 1, wherein the channel is proximate a side edge of the pouch.

5. The pouch of claim 1, wherein a plurality of protruding surfaces are disposed on each of the inner surfaces of the first and second sidewalls between the closure mechanism and the opening, and wherein the pluralities of protruding surfaces intermesh when the pouch is closed to form a substantially continuous interface therebetween.

6. A pouch, comprising: first and second pouch sidewalls sealed to one another to define an opening;a resealable closure mechanism that comprises a first closure element and a second closure element, each having a base substantially attached to an inner surface of the first and second sidewalls, respectively, proximate the opening to define a pouch interior opposite the opening;a channel extending from the interior to the opening between the first sidewall and a section of the base of the first closure element not attached to the first sidewall to provide fluid communication between the interior and the opening of the pouch; anda valve comprising a pleated member sealingly disposed in the channel, the pleated member having an aperture disposed therethrough and attached to the base of the first closure element and the first sidewall.

7. The pouch of claim 6, wherein the aperture is disposed at an inner fold line in the pleated member.

8. The pouch of claim 6, wherein the aperture is disposed at an outer fold line in the pleated member.

9. The pouch of claim 6, wherein the aperture is disposed through a flat section of the pleated member.

10. The pouch of claim 6, wherein the channel is proximate a side edge of the pouch.

11. The pouch of claim 6, wherein the pleated member is composed of a polyolefin plastomer.

12. A pouch, comprising: first and second pouch sidewalls sealed to one another to define an opening;a resealable closure mechanism attached to inner surfaces of the first and second sidewalls proximate the opening to define a pouch interior opposite the opening;a fluid path to provide direct fluid communication between the interior and an exterior of the pouch, the fluid path passing through an edge of the pouch defined by at least one of the first or second pouch sidewalls; anda valve sealingly disposed in the fluid path and comprising a pleated thermoplastic member attached to at least one of the first or second pouch sidewalls and having an aperture disposed through the pleated thermoplastic member to provide fluid communication between the interior and the exterior of the pouch.

13. The pouch of claim 12, wherein the fluid path extends through a side edge of the pouch and the pleated thermoplastic member is attached to the first and second pouch sidewalls.

14. The pouch of claim 13, wherein the fluid path is proximate a bottom edge of the pouch.

15. The pouch of claim 12 further comprising a flap that extends from at least one of the first or second pouch sidewalls.

16. The pouch of claim 15, wherein the flap independently extends from respective first and second pouch sidewalls and is configured to allow insertion of a nozzle of an evacuation device therebetween at or near the valve sealingly disposed in the fluid path.

17. The pouch of claim 12, wherein the aperture is disposed at an inner fold line in the pleated thermoplastic member.

18. The pouch of claim 12, wherein the releasable closure mechanism comprises a first closure element and a second closure element, each having a base substantially attached to the first or second pouch sidewalls, respectively, and the pleated thermoplastic member is attached to the base of the first closure element and the first pouch sidewall.

19. The pouch of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first or second pouch sidewalls is embossed or textured.

20. The pouch of claim 12, wherein at least one of the pleated thermoplastic member or the first or second pouch sidewalls comprises a polyolefin plastomer.