FLEXIBLE PACKAGE

Abstract: A method of making a multilayered flexible container pouch (14) including forming as a longitudinally extending strip (7), two layers of heat weldable material to provide an inner bag, encasing the inner bag layers between a pair of outer bag layers of heat weldable material. The layers are then heat welded laterally and longitudinally of the strip to provide a series of container pouches (14) each comprised by a sealed inner bag encased within an outer bag and to provide a spout zone (8) at an edge of each pouch (14) where the outer bag is not heat welded to the inner bag.

Description: This invention relates to a multilayered flexible container pouch and to a method of making it. Multilayered flexible container pouches are known for packaging liquids such as wine and milk. Such pouches are often provided with ,. valve or tap member through which the liquid contained may be dispensed in a controlled fashion. Whilst the multilayered flexible container pouches known are generally suitable for the packaging of wines and other materials which do not need to be packaged under 10 stringent sterile conditions, sterility problems can arise where materials are packaged that will be adversely affected by bacteria and other contaminants. The object of the present invention is to provide a multilayered flexible container pouch amenable to packaging under relatively sterile or aseptic conditions. The present invention provides in one aspect a metho of making a multilayered flexible container pouch including' the steps of: forming as a longitudinally extending strip, two .20 layers of heat weldable material to provide an inner bag; encasing said inner bag layers between a pair of outer bag layers of heat weldable material; and heat welding said layers laterally and longitudinall of said strip to provide a series of container pouches each comprised by a sealed inner bag encased within an outer bag and to provide a spout zone at an edge of each pouch where said outer bag is not heat welded to said inner bag. In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a multilayered flexible container pouch including 30 a sealed outer bag and a sealed inner bag where the outer bag is heat sealed to the inner bag adjacent the perimeter , } thereof except at a spout zone where the bags are not joined together. This means that the inner bag may be kept in a sealed and aseptic condition. Access is available through the spout zone. The inner bag may be pierced for filling. In one aspect of the present invention the inner bag layers are provided by a strip of heat weldable material that is folded over to provide a tube. The longitudinal edges of the tube may be heat welded together to form a continuous 40 tube prior to the heat welding of the layers in the making process. However if preferred the longitudinal edges of the tube may be heat welded during the heat welding proce during the bag manufacture. In either event the weld seal o the inner tube is preferably at the edge remote from the spo This is a preference so that when the inner bag is pierced for filling piercing is affected at a portion of the inner b that does not include a joint. That is to say it is a plain face and this is " easier to penetrate. In a further alternative the inner bag layers are provided by an extruded tube of heat weldable material so th it is not necessary to have a longitudinally extending joint at all. The inner bag layers may be made of any suitable plastics material that is heat weldable- Such materials are well known in the art and suitable examples are polyethylene polyvinylidenε chloride, eval and laminates of these and other materials. The outer bag layers are also preferabl provided by a strip of heat weldable material that in one example may be folded over .to encase the inner layers. The longitudinal edges are preferably heat welded together during the bag making process. In one embodiment the outer layers are provided by a tube of heat weldable material extruded around the extruded tube that comprises the preferred inner bag. In this example it is preferred that the outer and inner tub be extruded at the one time to provide a pair of tubes one within the other. The heat welding preferably provides a pair of spac apart lateral welded seals formed at the junction of adjacen pouches to define a severable web therebetween. If desired the web may be severed at the time of the welding so that th product will be in the form of separate pouches, .alternativ the severable web may be provided with some perforations to assist in the subsequent separation of the pouches such as after filling with product. Thus the pouches may be provide in a continuous web for use with automatic filling machinery and the like. This allows for packaging in a roll or in a stack as desired. Preferably the heat sealing along the pouch edge provided with the spout zone extends longitudinally over q substantial portion where the inner and outer layers overlap so that the bags will be joined in the zones. However at th spout zone it is preferred that the heat sealing extend laterally to define that zone. In one example heat sealing . extends across the mouth of the spout but only over the area of the outer bag " so that in use the outer portion of the spo zone may be cut away to allow access to the inner bag. In one example a handle may be cut into the portion of the pouc outside the sealing bag and adjacent the pouch zone. This 10 portion may be cut away if desired and preferably this is do at the time of the heat welding. Any number of intermediate layers may be included i the construction as is desired. Generally these will be heat sealed as is the outer bag components but if desired on or more intermediate layers may be heat sealed as the inner layers are sealed thus to require penetration for fill Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these intermed layers may be included for special requirements such as a reduction in oxygen permeation or the like. 20 The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show in plan a series of pouches joined end to end. In the drawings ther is an outer bag tube enveloping an inner bag tube shown generally at 14. The outer bag tube provides longitudinal edges 1 and 2 and the inner bag tube provides longitudinal edges 3 and 4. A number of regularly spaced heat seals 5 are applied laterally of the composite web to form a series . of flexible pouch packages joined end to end. As shown it is preferred that the heat seals 5 are applied in spaced 30 apart pairs to provide a severable web therebetween. Perforations 6 may be provided if desired. The severing ■ i of the web may be performed during the heat sealing process or if it is desired to produce individual packages rather " * than a continuous web of bags the perforation line 6 may be replaced by a complete cutting off operation during heat . sealing process. The line of heat sealing 7 extends longitudinally over a portion where the inner and outer tubes overlap to define portion 10 and the spout zone generally designated 8 40 which is sealed off by the edge 4 of the inner tube. ay also be sealed off by the edge of the sheath 2 depending upon whether it is desired to allow the edge to be opened or sealed as the occasion demands. During the heat sealing operation to perform the heat seal designated by the line 7 the layers forming the shaded area 10 may also be heat seale together and a cut out portion 11 may be provided in this area to facilitate hand holding of the package after it has been filled and removed from the web if desired. In one embodiment the heat seal may extend across the spout zone 8 outside of the edge 4 to seal the outer bag- As the interior of the pouches formed in accordance with the foregoing description is completely sealed the prospect of contamination is minimal. The package is ideall suited for aseptic packaging of product. Most suitably a continuous line of packages in the form of a wound real or folded stack * will be supplied to a packager who may then feed the web directly into filling machinery. To assist him in this purpose a series of sprock holes may be provided along the shaded portion 10 if desired Such sprocket holes may also facilitate correct registration of the spout zone under the filling orifice of automatic filling machinery. If the edge 2 of the sheet is sealed the filling machinery may cut off the marginal edge portion of the package at 2 to open the edges of the outer tube and allo the filling equipment to gain access to the spout region 8. The filling equipment may be provided with a pointed probe which pierces the edge of the inner bag 4 to allow for filling of the package. Subsequent to the filling of each pouch with product a heat seal may be applied across the area denoted by the bottom lines 13 to reseal the package at which time the filled packages may be separated from each other and supplied to the next person in the chain of marketing distribution. It will be appreciated that during the filling operation in accordance with the preferred arrangement of th present invention the filling nozzle does not have to break across or penetrate any heat sealed portions of the bag. The bag construction may be sterilised as is known in the art and the filling proceedure may be performed under steril conditions. It will be appreciated that various modifications, additions and alterations may be made to the above describe method and construction without departing from the ambit, of the invention defined in the claims annexed hereto. V A

Claims: The claims e n ng t e nvent on are as o ows; 1. A method of making a multilayered flexible containe pouch including the steps of: forming as a longitudinally extending strip, two layers of heat weldable material to provide an inner bag; encasing said inner bag layers between a pair of outer bag layers of heat weldable material; and heat welding said layers laterally and longitudinal of said strip to provide a series of container pouches each comprised by a sealed inner bag encased within an outer bag and to provide a spout zone at an edge of each pouch where said outer bag is not heat welded to said inner bag. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more intermediate pairs of bag layers are provided between respective inner bag layers and outer bag layers thereby to provide one or more intermediate bags in said pouch. 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said inner bag layers are provided by a strip of heat welda material folded over to provide a tube. 4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the longitudinal edges of said tube are heat welded to form a continuous tube prior to said heat welding of said layers. 5. A method as claimed din claim 3, wherein the longitudinal edges of said tube are heat welded by said heat welding of said ' layers longitudinally. 6. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said inner bag layers are provided by an extruded tube of heat weldable material. 7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said outer bag layers are provided by a strip of heat weldable material folded over and wherein the longitudinal edges thereof are joined by said heat welding. 8. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said outer layers are provided by a tube of heat weldable material extruded around the extruded tube comprising said inner bag. 9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein during said heat welding pairs of spaced apart lateral welded seals are formed at the junction of ad acent pouches [J3.E4 OMPI DM - ' - I/.,. W V/IΠPΌO to define a severable web therebetween. 10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein during said heat welding step, said severable web is provided with perforations to assist in subsequent separation of the pouches. 11. A method as .claimed in claim 9, wherein during sai heat welding step adjacent pouches are separated at said web. 12. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherei 0 said spout zone is provided by said heat welding extending along the pouch edge provided with said spout zone, longitudinally over a portion where said inner and outer layers overlap, thus to seal siad inner and said outer bag together, and laterally adjacent said spout zone so that over said spout zone said inner and said outer bags are no joined together. 13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said outer bag is heat sealed longitudinally across said spout to seal said outer bag and define said spout zone. Q 14. A method as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13, where during said heat welding a handle is cut into the portion of the pouch outside of said sealed bag and adjacent said pouch zone. 15. A method of making a multilayered flexible contain pouch substantially as hereinbefore described with referen to the accompanying drawings. 16. A multilayered flexible container pouch when prepared by a method as claimed in any preceding claim. 17. A web of multilayered flexible container pouches when prepared by method as claimed in any preceding claim. 18. A multilayered flexible container pouch including a sealed outer bag and a sealed inner bag, said outer bag being sealed to said inner bag adjacent the perimeter thereof, except at a spout zone, where said bags are not joined together. 19. A multilayered flexible container pouch substantial as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanyin drawings. DATED: 17 May, 1982 PHILLIPS ORMONDE AND FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: '

Inventors: PAPALUCA VINCENT
Applicants: AUSTRALIAN CONSOLIDATED IND LT, PAPALUCA VINCENT, AUSTRALIAN CONSOLIDATED IND LTD
Application year: 1982
Main classification: B31B23
IPC codes: B31B39, B65D30, B65D75