초록 ▼

A fluid dispensing container is provided. The container includes a container body formed from a first flexible material defining an interior cavity. The container includes a membrane formed from a second flexible material and a seal coupling the membrane to the inner surface of the container body. T

A fluid dispensing container is provided. The container includes a container body formed from a first flexible material defining an interior cavity. The container includes a membrane formed from a second flexible material and a seal coupling the membrane to the inner surface of the container body. The membrane divides the interior cavity into a contents chamber and a dispensing chamber, and the membrane and the seal are configured to be fluid tight to maintain fluid within the contents chamber prior to rupture of the membrane. The rupture stress of the second flexible material is less than the rupture stress of the first flexible material such that, as fluid pressure within the contents chamber increases, the membrane is configured to rupture without the container body rupturing.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A heat-sealed squeezable dispensing pouch comprising: an outer sheet having a front wall, a rear wall and a folded edge located between the front wall and the rear wall, wherein the outer sheet is folded along the folded edge such that an inner surface of the front wall faces an inner surface of

1. A heat-sealed squeezable dispensing pouch comprising: an outer sheet having a front wall, a rear wall and a folded edge located between the front wall and the rear wall, wherein the outer sheet is folded along the folded edge such that an inner surface of the front wall faces an inner surface of the rear wall;a first heat seal coupling the inner surface of a peripheral section of the front wall to a peripheral section of the inner surface of the rear wall such that the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls define an interior chamber;a rupturable inner membrane formed from a contiguous, single monolayer of thermoplastic material, the rupturable inner membrane located within the interior chamber, wherein the rupturable inner membrane divides the interior chamber into a contents compartment and a dispensing channel, wherein the first heat seal defines an edge of the contents compartment and the folded edge defines an edge of the dispensing channel;a second heat seal coupling the rupturable inner membrane to the inner surface of the front wall;a third heat seal coupling the rupturable inner membrane to the inner surface of the rear wall; anda score line formed in both the front and rear walls, between the folded edge and the rupturable inner membrane, the score line configured such that the portion of the outer sheet between the score line and the folded edge can be removed to create a dispensing opening in the dispensing channel;wherein the second heat seal and the third heat seal are located within the contents compartment;wherein the rupturable inner membrane is configured to break when the pressure within the contents compartment is greater than a rupture threshold, wherein the first, second and third heat seals are configured to remain sealed when the inner membrane breaks. 2. The dispensing pouch of claim 1 wherein the outer sheet is made from a second material different from the monolayer thermoplastic material of the rupturable inner membrane, wherein the rupture stress of the monolayer thermoplastic material of the rupturable inner membrane is less than the rupture stress of the second material. 3. The dispensing pouch of claim 2 wherein the rupture threshold is between 2 psi and 30 psi, wherein the rupturable inner membrane is U-shaped in cross-section including a front wall, a rear wall and a curved section joining the front wall to the rear wall, wherein a lower, convex surface of the curved section faces the dispensing channel and an upper, concave surface of the curved section faces the contents compartment. 4. The dispensing pouch of claim 1 wherein the outer sheet is made from a multilayer supported film material. 5. The dispensing pouch of claim 4 wherein the multilayer supported film material includes a foil layer. 6. The dispensing pouch of claim 4 wherein an inner layer of the multilayer supported film material is formed from a heat triggered adhesive material. 7. The dispensing pouch of claim 6 wherein the heat triggered adhesive material is configured to attach to the thermoplastic material of the rupturable inner membrane. 8. The dispensing pouch of claim 6 wherein the heat triggered adhesive material and the monolayer polymer material are both the same thermoplastic material. 9. The dispensing pouch of claim 1 further comprising an extended spout extending away from the rupturable inner membrane to the folded edge, wherein the dispensing channel is located within the extended spout, wherein the axial length of the extended spout between the rupturable inner membrane and the folded edged is greater than 30 percent of the total axial length of the dispensing pouch. 10. The dispensing pouch of claim 1 further comprising container contents located in the contents compartment, wherein the rupturable inner membrane, the first heat seal, the second heat seal and the third heat seal are fluid tight such that the container contents are maintained in the contents compartment prior to rupture of the rupturable inner membrane, wherein uppermost edges and lower most edges of both the second heat seal and the third heat seal are located within the contents compartment such that the container contents contact inner surfaces of the second and third heat seals, wherein an upper edge of the rupturable inner membrane is located within the contents compartment such that the container contents contact the upper edge of the rupturable inner membrane. 11. A fluid dispensing container comprising: a container body formed from a first flexible material, the container body having an outer surface, an inner surface, a filling end and a dispensing end, the inner surface of the container body defining an interior cavity;a top heat seal sealing the filling end of the container body;a membrane formed from a second flexible material, wherein the membrane is U-shaped in cross-section including a front wall, rear wall and a curved section joining the front wall to the rear wall; anda membrane seal coupling both the front wall and the rear wall of the membrane to the inner surface of the container body at a position located between the filling end and the dispensing end such that the membrane divides the interior cavity into a contents chamber and a dispensing chamber, wherein a lower, convex surface of the curved section faces the dispensing chamber and an upper, concave surface of the curved section faces the contents chamber and the top heat seal, wherein the membrane seal is located within the contents chamber and located between the curved section of the membrane and the top heat seal, the membrane and the membrane seal are configured to be fluid tight to maintain fluid within the contents chamber prior to rupture of the membrane, wherein the entire membrane seal is located between the top heat seal and the dispensing end, wherein the membrane seal is separate from the top heat seal;wherein the rupture stress of the second flexible material is less than the rupture stress of the first flexible material such that, as fluid pressure within the contents chamber increases, the membrane is configured to rupture without the container body rupturing. 12. The fluid dispensing container of claim 11 wherein the container body is formed from a single sheet of material folded such that the container body includes a first side wall portion, a second sidewall portion, a left lateral edge extending from the dispensing end to the filing end and a right lateral edge extending from the dispensing end to the filing end, wherein the membrane extends across the interior cavity such that a left edge of the membrane aligns with the left lateral edge of the container body and a right edge of the membrane aligns with the right lateral edge of the container body; wherein the membrane is formed from a contiguous, single monolayer of thermoplastic material, wherein the concave surface of the membrane is a first surface of the monolayer and the convex surface is a second surface of the monolayer opposing the first surface of the monolayer. 13. The fluid dispensing container of claim 12 further comprising: a left lateral heat seal sealing the left lateral edge of the container body and sealing the left edge of the membrane to the container body; anda right lateral heat seal sealing the right lateral edge of the container body and sealing the right edge of the membrane to the container body;wherein the single sheet of material is folded to create a folded edge located opposite the top heat seal, and the folded edge is located at the dispensing end of the container body. 14. The fluid dispensing container of claim 13 wherein the membrane is located closer to the folded edge than to the top heat seal. 15. The fluid dispensing container of claim 14 further comprising a frangible score located adjacent to the folded edge and configured to facilitate removal of the folded edge to create an opening in the dispensing end. 16. The fluid dispensing container of claim 11 wherein the rupture stress of the first material is greater than 100 psi, and the rupture stress of the second material is between 2 psi and 30 psi, and further comprising a fluid material located within the contents chamber, wherein the fluid within the contents chamber is in contact with the upper, concave surface of the membrane and in contact with an inner surface of the membrane seal. 17. The dispensing pouch of claim 1 wherein the front wall and the rear wall of the outer sheet each include an upper edge that together define a filing opening, wherein an upper most surface of the membrane is located between the between the folded edge and the upper edges of the both the front and rear wall, wherein the outer sheet includes a left edge extending from the folded edge to the filing opening and a right edge extending from the folded edge to the filing opening, wherein the rupturable inner membrane extends across the contents compartment such that a left edge of the rupturable inner membrane aligns with the left edge of the outer sheet and a right edge of the rupturable inner membrane aligns with the right edge of the outer sheet. 18. The dispensing pouch of claim 1 wherein the contents compartment is defined by both a surface of the membrane and by portions of the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls of the outer sheet, such that, when filled, container contents within the contents compartment contact both the surface of the membrane and the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls of the outer sheet. 19. The fluid dispensing container of claim 11 wherein the contents chamber is defined by both a surface of the membrane and by at least a portion of the inner surface of the container body, such that, when filled, container contents within the contents chamber contact both the surface of the membrane and the portion of the inner surface of the container body. 20. A container comprising: a container body formed from a first flexible material, the container body having an outer surface, an inner surface, a dispensing end, and an upper edge defining a filling end, the inner surface of the container body defining an interior cavity;a membrane formed from a second flexible material, the second flexible material being a contiguous, single monolayer of thermoplastic material; anda seal coupling the membrane to the inner surface of the container body at a position located between the filling end and the dispensing end such that the membrane divides the interior cavity into a contents chamber and a dispensing chamber, wherein an upper most surface of the membrane is located below the upper edge of the container body and above the dispensing end;wherein the seal is located within the contents chamber;wherein the rupture stress of the second flexible material is less than the rupture stress of the first flexible material;wherein a width of the container body at the dispensing end is less than a width of the container body at the location of the seal coupling the membrane to the inner surface of the container body. 21. The container of claim 20 wherein the rupture stress of the first material is greater than 100 psi, and the rupture stress of the second material is between 2 psi and 30 psi. 22. The container of claim 20 comprising: a left lateral heat seal sealing a left lateral edge of the container body;a right lateral heat seal sealing a right lateral edge of the container body; anda top heat seal sealing the filling end of the container body;wherein the container body is formed from a single sheet of material folded such that the container body includes a folded edge located opposite the top heat seal, and the folded edge is located at the dispensing end of the container body;wherein the membrane is located closer to the folded edge than to the top heat seal;wherein a frangible score is located between the folded edge and the membrane;wherein the membrane is a contiguous, single monolayer of thermoplastic material;wherein the membrane is U-shaped in cross-section including a front wall, a rear wall and a curved section joining the front wall to the rear wall, wherein a lower, convex surface of the curved section faces the dispensing end and an upper, concave surface of the curved section faces the contents chamber.