Abstract:
A pouch for holding fluids is provided. The pouch includes a pouch body having a front panel and a back panel. The front panel is formed of a transparent material and includes a second indicia visible from the front of the pouch. The back panel includes a third indicia visible from the back of the pouch. The back panel includes a first indicia disposed one of the layers of the back panel and configured to be visible when the pouch is viewed from the front so as to block out the third indicia from view. A method of manufacturing a pouch is also provided. The method is directed towards facilitating the alignment of a graphical image on one side of the back panel with a graphical image on another side of the back panels in instances where the back panel is formed of multiple layers.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/507,299 filed on Jul. 13, 2011, the contents of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a flexible pouch. More particularly the invention relates to a flexible pouch having indicia on the interior of the pouch body. Indicia is inscribed within the interior wall surface so as to be seen through the transparent first panel, and hide indicia printed on the back panel. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Flexible pouches are formed from a sheet of material. The sheet may be supplied in a roll of pliable material, and cut into distinct panels. The sheet may be formed of multiple layers of different material. In some embodiments the pouches are formed from a first panel and a second panel. The first and second panels are cut so as to be symmetrical to each other and sealed along the edges so as to form the pouch body. An opening may be formed along a portion of the sealed edges so as to accommodate a fitment. Alternatively one of the panels may include a membrane portion operable to be pierced so as to allow a device such as a straw to access the contents of the pouch body. 
         [0004]    It is known to print indicia on the outer surfaces of the front and back panels of the pouch. The indicia may include information such as the name brand of the product, dietary information of the product, and a barcode. It is also known to have flexible pouches with a transparent front panel. An advantage of such a pouch is that it allows the consumer to readily identify how much product remains within the pouch body. 
         [0005]    In instances where a transparent front panel is used, the indicia on the back panel, labeled simply “Indicia Bp” blends visually with the indicia, labeled “Spring Rocks”, on the transparent front panel and thus may be confusing to the consumer, as seen in  FIG. 1 . Accordingly it remains desirable to have a flexible pouch having a transparent front panel with indicia and a back panel with indicia that is visual from the front panel and hides the indicia on the back panel from view of the front panel so as to not confuse the consumer. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention relates to a flexible pouch having a front panel and a back panel. The front and back panels are sealed together along the edges so as to form a pouch body. A portion of the sealed edges may be left open so as to provide a space for a fitment to be inserted therein. The front panel is transparent and may include indicia. The back panel has an outer surface having indicia which may be seen when viewed from the back of the pouch. The back panel may be formed by a plurality from view of layers of material. One of the layers of material includes indicia configured to obscure the indicia configured to be seen when viewing the outer surface of the back panel, view when viewing the front of the pouch. In other words, the inner wall of the pouch may include indicia such as a graphical image which serves an ornamental background for the indicia on the front panel of the pouch. The ornamental background is visible through the transparent front panel, and configured to obstruct the indicia on the back panel when viewing the front panel. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art pouch body showing the front panel being transparent and the indicia of the back panel showing through the transparent front panel; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the front panel; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the inner surface of the back panel; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the outer surface of the back panel; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the pouch assembled taken from the front of the pouch; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 5  taken along line  6 - 6 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a layer of the back panel visible from the interior of the pouch is provided, and 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a diagram showing the steps for a method of manufacturing a pouch. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-6 , an illustration of a flexible pouch  10  of the present invention is provided. The pouch  10  has a first indicia  11   a , such as a graphical image (shown as an environmental landscape) which serves an ornamental background for a second indicia  11   b  (shown as “SPRING ROCKS” and “SPRING WATER (473 mL))”configured to be viewed when looking at the face of a transparent front panel  12  of the pouch. Thus the first indicia  11   a  are visible through the transparent front panel  12 . The back panel further includes a third indicia  11   c , which is visible when viewing the back of the pouch. The first indicia  11   a  is configured to shield the third indicia  11   c  (shown as a man, a bar code, a block for nutritional facts, and “SPRING ROCKS” from view when viewing the pouch from the front. 
         [0017]    The flexible pouch  10  may be formed from a sheet of pliable material, such as preprinted material of extruded or laminate layers. The material is typically a three, or four, or five or more gauge material, or two laminations of material or the like. 
         [0018]    The choice of material is non-limiting, and includes material which may melt when exposed to a predetermined temperature. One example of a laminate material structure includes at least one layer of virgin polyethylene terphalate (PET), at least one layer of aluminum foil and another layer such as EVOH, PET, polyethylene or nylon or the like. Another type of laminate material structure may also include a metalized foil paper layer laminated to a cast polypropylene layer and another layer of PET, polyethylene or EVOH. There may be a fourth layer of nylon. Similarly, the laminate structure may include a cast polypropylene (CPP) layer, a polyethylene (PET) layer, a foil (AL) layer, a nylon (ONO) layer and another CPP layer. Another structure is the use of nylon, foil, nylon and cast polypropylene (ONO/AL/ONO/CPP) or CPP/NY/AL/CPP. Another example of a material structure is ONO/AL/COEX-ONO-LDPE. Still another is PET/AL/NYLON/CPP. The use of cast polypropylene laminate material also assists in retaining the filled shape of the container, even as the product is removed from the pouch  10 . A further example of a laminate material structure is CPP/AL/ONO/PE. 
         [0019]    The sheet of pliable material may be cut into distinct panels generally symmetrical to each other so as to form a front panel  12  and a back panel  14 . Alternatively, the pouch may be formed from multiple sheets of material, which each sheet forming a front or back panel of the pouch body. Either a front or a back panel  12 ,  14  may be formed from multiple sheets of material. Some of the sheets of material may include preprinted indicia, while others may be transparent. 
         [0020]    The sheet, or sheets as the case may be, may be cut into front and back panels  12 ,  14 . The edges of the front and back panels  12 ,  14  are aligned, and sealed along the aligned edges  18  so as to form the pouch  10  having a front panel  12  and a back panel  14 . Other features, (not shown) such as a gusset may be formed on the bottom portion of the pouch so support the pouch in an upright position. 
         [0021]    The front and back panels  12 ,  14  may include a plurality of layers  16  of material. The front and back panel  12 ,  14  have respective side edges  18  and are sealed together along the side edges  18  so as to form a pouch body  20 . The front and back panels  12 ,  14  further include respective outer surfaces  22   a  and  22   b  and inner surfaces  24   a  and  24   b.  The inner surfaces  24   a  and  24   b  of respective front and back panels  12 ,  14  are operable to be displaced from each other during filling operations so as to define a space for storing product. 
         [0022]    The front panel  12  is generally transparent and may include indicia describing the brand name of the product, and graphical art work for aesthetic purposes. The back panel  14  also includes indicia. More specifically, at least two of the layers  16  of the back panel  14  include indicia. The one of the layers  16  having indicia is operable to hide the other layers  16  having indicia from view when the pouch is viewed from the front panel  12 . The other of the layers  16  having indicia is displayed and visible when viewing the back panel  14  of the pouch body  20 . 
         [0023]    With reference now to  FIGS. 2-4 , the front and back panels  12 ,  14  are cut to form symmetrical shapes.  FIG. 2  shows the outer surface  22   b  of the front panel  12  and the second indicia  11   b .  FIG. 3  shows the inner surface  24   b  of the back panel  14  and the first indicia  11   a .  FIG. 4  is the back side of  FIG. 3 , showing the outer surface  22   b  of the back panel  14  and the third indicia  11   c . The edges  18  of respective front and back panels  12 ,  14  are sealed together so as to form a pouch body  20 , as shown. An opening (not shown) may be left along a portion of the sealed edges  18 . A fitment (not shown) may be mounted onto the opening so as to provide access to the contents of the pouch  10 . Alternatively, one of either the front or back panel  12 ,  14  may include a membrane  26 . The membrane  26  is pierceable so as to provide access to the contents of the pouch  10  using a device such as a straw. The outer edges of the pouch  10  may be curved so as to accommodate the grip and use of the pouch  10  by a single hand. 
         [0024]    In a preferred embodiment the flexible pouch  10  is formed from a first roll of flexible preprinted laminate material forming a front panel  12 , a second roll of flexible laminate material forming the outer surface of the back panel  14 , and a third roll of flexible laminate material forming the inner surface of the back panel  14 . The front and back panels  12 ,  14  are typically three to five gauge material. Both the front and back panels  12 ,  14  include a plurality of layers  16 . One of the layers  16  is an outer layer  28  forming outer surfaces  22   a  and  22   b  of respective front and back panels  12 ,  14 . Another layer  16  is the inner layer  30  forming the inner wall surface of the pouch body  20 . Multiple layers  16  may be included between the inner and outer layers  30 ,  28 . 
         [0025]    With reference now to  FIG. 6 , a cross-sectional view of a pouch of the present invention is provided. The layers  16  may be made of material such as virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET), aluminum foil, EVOH, polyethylene, nylon, metalized foil paper laminated to a cast polypropylene layer, or the like. The inner layer  30  of the front and back panel  12 ,  14  is formed from a material operable to prevent ketones from being introduced with the product. Such a material is currently known and used and illustratively includes, PET, cast polypropylene (CPP), and the like. 
         [0026]    The layers  16  forming the front panel  12  are transparent and may include the second indicia  11   b . For illustrative purposes, the second indicia  11   b  is printed on the layer  16  behind the top layer. The first indicia  11   a  is shown printed on the layer  16  behind the inner surface  24   b , as viewed from the front of the pouch. The third indicia  11   c  is printed on the layer  16  in front of the layer forming the outer surface  22   b  as viewed from the front of the pouch  10 . 
         [0027]    With reference again to  FIG. 4 , an illustrative view of the outer surface  22   b  of the back panel  14  is provided. The indicia are on one of the layers  16  of the back panel  14  and visible when viewing the back of the pouch  10 . In one embodiment, the outer layer  28  of the back panel  14  includes preprinted indicia. However, it should be appreciated that, the outer layer  28  of the back panel  14  may be clear and one of the layers  16  between the outer layer  28  and the inner layer  30  is printed with indicia and displayed through the clear outer layer  28  as shown in  FIG. 6 . The indicia provide information such as dietary nutritional facts, brand markings, barcodes, contact information, images, and the like. 
         [0028]    With reference again to  FIG. 2 , an illustrative view of the front panel  12  of the pouch is provided. The front panel  12  is generally transparent. In one embodiment, the outer layer  28  of the front panel  12  includes the second indicia which may be indicia such as brand names, volume content, distribution information, and the like. The second indicia is visible from the front of the pouch  10 . Alternatively, the outer layer  28  of the front panel  12  is clear and one of the layers  16  forming the front panel  12  is printed with indicia so as to be visible from the front of the pouch  10 . 
         [0029]    With reference now to  FIG. 3 , an illustrative view of the inner surface  24   b  of the back panel  14  is provided. The first indicia is visibly displayed on the inner surface  24   b  of the back panel  14 . One of the layers  16  between the inner layer  30  and outer layer  28  of the back panel  14  may be printed with the first indicia such as a graphic image. The layer  16  may be formed of an opaque material so as to further block the third indicia from view when the pouch is viewed from the front. The graphic image fills the entire surface of the layer  16  and hides from view the third indicia on the outer layer  28  of the back panel  14 . Accordingly when viewed from the front the flexible pouch  10  of the present invention, the first indicia visible on the inner surface  24   b  of the back panel  14  provides a background image for second indicia displayed on the front panel  12  of the pouch. With reference now to  FIG. 5 , an illustrative example of the operation of the assembled pouch  10  is provided. The layer  16  of the back panel  14  showing the first indicia  11   a  is visible from the interior of the pouch  10 . 
         [0030]    Preferably the back panel of material is formed so that one of the layers  16  of material is preprinted with indicia such as a graphical image that is repeated continuously along the surface of the layer  16  as shown in  FIG. 7 . More specifically, each graphical image is printed so as to be contiguous with the other. Therefore, the entire layer is filled with repetitions of a graphical image. Having a layer  16  of material made is such a manner eliminates the need for aligning the graphical image visible on the interior surface of the pouch body  20  with the indicia visible from the back of the pouch  10 . 
         [0031]    The background image as explained above is formed on one of the layers  16  of the back panel  14  and is visible through the transparent front panel  12  of the pouch. Furthermore, the back ground image hides the indicia printed on the other layer  16  of the back panel  14 . Thus the present invention provides a flexible pouch  10  that prevents indicia visible from the front panel  12  from blending with indicia visible from the back panel  14  thus adding aesthetic value to the pouch and assisting users with discerning and reading information from respective front and back panels  12 ,  14 . 
         [0032]    With reference now to  FIG. 8 , a method of manufacturing a pouch is also provided. The method includes the steps of providing a first roll of flexible preprinted laminate material forming a front panel  12 , a second roll of flexible laminate material forming the outer surface of the back panel  14 , and a third roll of flexible laminate material forming the inner surface of the back panel  14 . 
         [0033]    The method proceeds to the step of cutting the first, second and third rolls of flexible laminate material into a layer forming the front or back panel of a pouch body. The method proceeds to the step of mounting the second layer onto the third layer so as to form the back panel, and mounting the front layer onto the back panel so as to form the pouch body. 
         [0034]    The front and back panels  12 ,  14  are typically three to five gauge material. Both the front and back panels  12 ,  14  include a plurality of layers  16 . One of the layers  16  is an outer layer  28  forming outer surfaces  22   a  and  22   b  of respective front and back panels  12 ,  14 . Another layer  16  is the inner layer  30  forming the inner wall surface of the pouch body  20 . Multiple layers  16  may be included between the inner and outer layers  30 ,  28 . 
         [0035]    Preferably the second and third rolls of laminate material is preprinted with indicia such as a graphical image that is repeated continuously along the surface of the layer  16 . More specifically, each graphical image is printed so as to be contiguous with the other. Therefore, the entire layer is filled with repetitions of a graphical image. Having a layer  16  of material made in such a manner eliminates the need for aligning the graphical image visible on the interior surface of the pouch body  20  with the indicia visible from the back of the pouch  10   
         [0036]    The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is therefore to be understood that the terminology used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than limitation. Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings without varying from the scope and spirit of the invention described herein.