Patent Publication Number: US-6991121-B1

Title: Disposable infant formula feeding pouch

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to disposable containers and, in particular, to a disposable infant formula feeding pouch. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Infant feeding bottles have typically been formed from a relatively rigid plastic material that allows a caregiver or child to grip the bottle. The rigid nature of these bottles is advantageous for gripability. However, rigid bottles are also disadvantageous because they are relatively expensive to manufacture, require repeated washing and sterilization after each use and are bulky since they are not easily compressible. 
     Collapsible pouches, on the other hand, are cheaper to manufacture since they are formed from minimal amounts of materials. Disposable pouches also eliminate the need to wash and sterilize the bottles after each use since they are disposable. Moreover, because disposable pouches can be prepackaged with formula, either in liquid or dry form, the correct amount of formula can be administered during each feeding. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention recognizes and addresses considerations of prior art constructions and methods and provides an infant feeding bottle including a flexible pouch and a fitment. The pouch includes a first wall, a second wall, and a base connected between the first and the second pouch walls, so that the first and the second pouch wall form an open end opposite the base. The fitment includes a body for supporting an inside edge of the first and the second pouch walls, a first vertical wall connected to the body and extending parallel to a central axis of the body, and a second vertical wall connected to the body and extending parallel to the first vertical wall and the central body axis. The fitment may further include a threaded opening for receiving a nipple or other feeding mechanism. The open end of the pouch receives the fitment body so that the first and second fitment walls are received within the pouch proximate the pouch walls. 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an infant feeding pouch of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the infant feeding pouch of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2A  is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of the infant feeding pouch; 
         FIG. 2B  is a sectional view of the pouch of  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the infant feeding pouch of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3A  is a sectional view of an embodiment of the infant feeding pouch of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of an infant feeding pouch of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of an infant feeding pouch of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 to 3A , an embodiment of the new and improved infant feeding bottle designated generally by the reference numeral  10  will be described. Bottle  10  includes a collapsible pouch  12  and a fitment  14 . 
     Collapsible pouch  12 , which may be of special or conventional design, may be made from a flexible, heat-sealable polymeric sheet so as to have a first wall  16  and a second wall  18 . Walls  16  and  18  may be formed from any suitable flexible material, and in one embodiment,  FIG. 2A , may be formed from a suitable multi-layer FDA approved material for packaging food products. For example, referring to  FIG. 2B , a suitable multi-layer material includes a first layer of aluminum oxide-coated polyester PET  15 , a second layer of nylon  17 , and a third layer of cast polypropylene  19 . It should be understood that other materials may be used in place of each of the layers. For example, silica oxide-coated PET or foil may be utilized for one of the layers. A polypropylene layer will typically, but not always, form the inner surface of the walls since it may be used to heat bond the pouch to the fitment. The PET and nylon layers are interchangeable and either can be used to form the intermediate or outside layers if desired. The wall material may include oxygen and water barriers and, optionally, UV barriers. In one embodiment, the aluminum oxide layer provides an oxygen barrier. 
     Wall portions  16  and  18  may be sealable to each other at their edge portions, thereby defining an interior chamber  20 . Chamber  20  is closed at a first end  22  by a base  23  and open at a second end  24  to form a mouth or opening into interior chamber  20 . Base  23  may be even with the first end  22  of walls  16  and  18  ( FIGS. 3 and 3A ) or it may be recessed from first end  22  (not shown). That is, a gusset wall would create base  23  so that the pouch is free standing. Second end  24  is adapted to receive fitment  14  which, when bonded to walls  16  and  18 , is securely attached to pouch  12 . 
     Fitment  14  contains two components: a fitment body  26  and a threaded cylindrical top portion  28 . Cylindrical top portion  28  may be separately molded and attached to body  26 , but in one embodiment, the two parts are integrally molded together. Body  26  and cylindrical top portion  28  may be molded from a polymeric material suitable for forming the fitment, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 3A . Suitable polymeric materials include, but are not limited to, polypropylene, polystyrene, polystyrene-acrylonitile, acrylonitile-butadiene-styrene, styrene-maleicanhydride, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylcyclohexane, and blends thereof. 
     Fitment body  26  contains a bonding portion  30  and an axially downward extending structure. In one embodiment, the axially downward extending structure comprises two parallel fitment walls  32  and  34 . Fitment walls  32  and  34  are generally rectangular, have a convex bow shape, and are sized substantially equal to the width of walls  16  and  18 . Fitment walls  32  and  34  may be of any suitable spacing from each other but, in one embodiment, fitment walls  32  and  24  are adequately spaced apart so that they are proximate to the inside surface of walls  16  and  18 . An inwardly extending shoulder portion  38  connects fitment walls  32  and  34  to bonding portion  30 . Each wall may contain a recessed oval area  36  ( FIGS. 3 and 3A ) to enhance the caregiver&#39;s grip on pouch  12 . Recess  36  may be round, rectangular, or any other shape to provide a gripping area to receive the caregiver&#39;s fingers. 
     When fluid is placed in the pouch, the pouch walls become relatively rigid under the pressure of the fluid. Without the fitment walls, the pouch would loose rigidity and become unstable and limp as the fluid is removed from the pouch during the feeding process. The loss of rigidity would cause the pouch to flop around in the caregiver&#39;s hand. Accordingly, the axially downward extending structure of fitment  14  supports the pouch so that it may stand upright and provide a rigid surface to enhance the pouch&#39;s gripability. The fitment walls also reduce the likelihood that product is squeezed out of the pouch under the gripping force of the caregiver and provide greater stability when the pouch collapses as the fluid is drained. Therefore, fitment walls  32  and  34  should generally be of sufficient thickness to enhance gripability and provide structural stability. In one embodiment, fitment walls  32  and  34  are in the range of about 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm thick but the wall thickness may vary depending on the application of the pouch and fitment and its intended contents. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 3A , bonding portion  30  is generally canoe shaped in cross section and contains a plurality of ribs  40 . Each rib  40  defines a bonding surface  41  for bonding the fitment to the interior surface walls  16  and  18  proximate second end  24 . Bonding portion  30  contains a central passageway or opening  42  that is in fluid communication with both an opening  48  defined in the cylindrical top portion  28  and the interior chamber  20 . Openings  48  and  42  are of a restricted size to regulate the amount of product that flows from the interior chamber  20  of pouch  12  into and through nipple  64 , especially when the caregiver squeezes the pouch. It should be understood that bonding portion  30  might not include ribs  40 , but instead may contain flat, continuous, walls (not shown) for receiving the interior portion of the pouch walls  16  and  18 . 
     Cylindrical top portion  28  contains a thread  44  about its outer periphery and a rim  46  that defines opening  48 . Thread  44  is adapted to receive an annular cap  50  having a helical thread  52  on its inner circumference for removably securing cap  50  to the threaded cylindrical top portion  28 . Outer circumference  54  of cap  50  may contain ribs or knurling  56  that allow the caregiver to more easily grasp cap  50  when removing it from or fitting it on cylindrical top portion  28 . In addition to its internally threaded cylindrical wall, cap  50  includes an annular end wall  58 , which defines an interior peripheral rim  60  dimensioned to fit around a portion of a nipple  64 . Nipple  64  and cap  50  can thus be press fit together. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , nipple  64  has a very shallowly curved surface  66  at the end of a mouthpiece  68 . Nipple  64  widens out to a frustoconical section  70  located intermediate an annular flange  72  and mouthpiece  68 . Annular flange  72  is dimensioned to seat on rim  46  of cylindrical top portion  28 , and it defines a central aperture  74  therethrough, which is in fluid communication with opening  48 , opening  42 , and interior chamber  20 . Aperture  74 , defined by annular flange  72 , allows fluid to flow from pouch  12  into and through nipple  64 . A soft pliable material such as conventional rubber or silicone rubber may be used to form nipple  64 , and nipple  64  may be of a standard size that is well known to those skilled in the art. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , nipple  64  is press fit into cap  50  so peripheral rim  60  surrounds nipple  64 . Thus, mouthpiece  68  and frustoconical portion  70  extend upward through cap  50  so that the annular flange  72  engages a rearward surface of end wall  58 . In this configuration, an outermost edge portion of the annular flange  72  is in abutting contact with the inner circumference of cap  50 . Thus, threadably securing cap  50  onto top portion  28  causes the rearward surface of end wall  58  to compress nipple flange  72  against rim  46  to form a liquid-tight seal. 
     A releasable seal  75  ( FIGS. 2 and 3A ) attached to rim  46  allows for pouch  12  to be hermetically sealed, for example by vacuum packaging or by nitrogen flushing, either of which improves the product&#39;s stability. One skilled in the art of baby formula or food packaging will be familiar with such releasably attached seals for hermetic sealing. Specifically, adhesive or heat attaches a seal formed of polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, or other suitable material to rim  46  to form an airtight seal during packaging. Therefore, cap  50  will not disturb the vacuum seal unless seal  75  is cut or removed. Seal  75  also provides a device to detect tampering with the packaged product. Other sealing means are possible, such as a breakaway plastic cover ultra-sonically welded to rim  46 . 
     In addition to the releasably attached seal  75 , bottle  10  may also include an anti-tamper ring  76  ( FIGS. 3 and 3A ). Anti-tamper ring  76  connects to a lower edge  78  of cap  50  by a plurality of relatively thin and frangible breakaway tongues or webs  80 . Internally, radially inwardly projecting and angularly extending ridges  82  are formed on an inner circumference of anti-tamper ring  76 , which engage an under surface  84  of a radially outwardly projecting flange  86  formed on cylindrical top portion  28 . Thus, tensile forces rotationally fix anti-tamper ring  76  to flange  86 , as cap  50  is unthreaded off bottle  10 . As cap  50  is rotationally removed, both tensile and torsional forces acting on webs  80  cause the webs to sever allowing cap  50  to be completely removed and to indicate that the pouch contents have been exposed. 
     In another embodiment ( FIG. 3A ), cap  50  does not include nipple  64  press fit into cap  50  as described above. Instead, a substantially flat circular disc  88  located proximate the under surface of end wall  58  forms a seal when cap  50  is removably secured to threaded cylindrical top portion  28 . Disc  88  should have an outer radius substantially equal to an inner radius of cap  50 . Therefore, during packaging, as cap  50  is tightened on cylindrical top portion  28 , rim  46  and the bottom surface of end wall  58  compress the disc to establish a seal. Disc  88  may comprise an aluminum annular shaped material bonded to a compressible annular shaped material formed, for example, from conventional rubber, silicone rubber, or other suitable compositions. Use of the compressible disc eliminates the need for a separate removable vacuum seal. However, bottle  10  can be packaged using an independent safety seal  75  and/or anti-tampering ring  76  in addition to compressible disc  88 . 
     Pouch  12  attaches to bonding surface  41  of ribs  40 , for example, by adhesive bonding, ultrasonic bonding, heat bonding, or by other suitable bonding means. When pouch  12  is bonded to fitment  14 , fitment walls  32  and  34  engage the inner surface of pouch walls  16  and  18 , respectively. Thus, when the caregiver grasps pouch  12 , fitment walls  32  and  34  exert an outward force against the caregiver&#39;s grasp that prevents the pouch from collapsing under the gripping force. 
       FIG. 4  discloses another embodiment where a bottle  110  includes a pouch  112  adapted to receive a fitment  114 . Pouch  112  and fitment  114  are formed substantially the same as pouch  12  and fitment  14  above. As in pouch  12 , pouch walls  116  and  118  may be sealable to each other at their edge portions, thereby defining an interior chamber  120 . Pouch  112  differs from pouch  12  in that it is narrower and contains a neck area  113 . Neck  113  bonds to a bonding face  141  of ribs  140  to form a liquid and airtight seal. Fitment  114  differs from the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1–3  in that the downwardly extending axial structure includes fitment walls  132  and  134  that are substantially narrower than pouch walls  116  and  118 . Fitment walls  132  and  134  connect to bonding faces  141  by heat bonding, sonic bonding, adhesive bonding, or the like and, when inserted into pouch  112 , provide a support area for the caregiver to grip bottle  110  when feeding an infant. A recess  136 , formed in walls  132  and  134 , enhances the caregiver&#39;s grasp on bottle  110  by receiving the caregiver&#39;s thumb and forefinger. Similar to bottle  10 , a seal  174  may be received on the fitment mouth. Otherwise, all other parts of bottle  110  are, and operate, substantially the same as in bottle  10 . 
       FIG. 5  discloses yet another embodiment where a bottle  210  includes a pouch  212  adapted to receive a fitment  214 . Pouch  212  and fitment  214  are formed substantially the same as pouch  12  and fitment  14  above. Pouch  212  has pouch walls  216  and  218  and a base (not shown). Pouch walls  216  and  218  and the base form an interior chamber  220 . 
     Fitment  214  differs from fitments  14  and  114  in that fitment walls  232  and  234  are substantially rounded and do not extend the full length or width of pouch walls  216  and  218 . Fitment walls  232  and  234  connect to the bottom of bonding portion  230  and may extend vertically downward or, alternatively, downwardly at a slight outward angle. Each fitment wall  232  and  234  is formed with a plurality of holes  235 . Holes  235  allow liquid trapped between fitment walls  232  and  234  and pouch walls  216  and  218 , respectively, to flow through and into the main pouch chamber  220  so that substantially all of the liquid in pouch  12  may reach the nipple. A recess  236 , which may be formed in fitment walls  232  and  234 , enhances the caregiver&#39;s grasp on bottle  110  by receiving the caregiver&#39;s thumb and forefinger. Similar to bottle  10 , a seal  274  may be received on the fitment mouth. Otherwise, all other parts of bottle  210  are, and operate, substantially the same as in bottles  10  and  110 . 
     Any of the above discussed embodiments of the disposable infant formula feeding pouch may contain prepackaged formula. For example, the disposable pouch may contain premixed liquid formula or pre-measured powdered formula to which water may be added. Additionally, the flexible pouch may also be sold empty for use with separately-sold formula or even with breast milk. 
     While one or more preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it should be understood that any and all equivalent realizations of the present invention are included within the scope and spirit thereof. The embodiments depicted are presented by way of example only and are not intended as limitations upon the present invention. Thus, those of ordinary skill in this art should understand that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments since modifications can be made. Therefore, it is contemplated that any and all such embodiments are included in the present invention as may fall within the scope and spirit thereof.