Pouch container for measuring and dispensing liquids

Abstract

A flexible pouch container is formed by heat sealing adjacent sheets of a thermal plastic material to form a main storage reservoir and a dispensing and measuring reservoir, and a filling passage between the two reservoirs. A rigid support tube may be inserted in the filling passage. A dispensing spout is heat welded into a marginal edge of the pouch container in communication with the measuring reservoir so that, by applying hand pressure to the main reservoir, and with the measuring reservoir vented, a controlled, measured amount of liquid is transferred to the measuring reservoir which may then be dispensed through the spout.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An article comprising: 
 A closed pouch container including first and second plies of heat sealable flexible plastic sheet material sealed together in marginal areas and in inner areas internally of said marginal areas to define a main reservoir adjacent a bottom of said pouch container when said container is in an upright position, and a dispensing reservoir adjacent a top of said container in said upright position, said first and second plies being further sealed to define an elongated tubular passage separating said storage reservoir and said dispensing reservoir; a quantity of liquid cleaning chemical in said storage reservoir; and a resealable dispenser spout sealed to said plies of said container and in fluid communication with said dispensing reservoir whereby when said dispenser spout is opened, air in said dispensing reservoir is vented and pressure may be applied to said flexible pouch adjacent said main reservoir to transfer will force a quantity of said liquid from said main reservoir through said tubular passage to said dispensing reservoir from which said transferred quantity of liquid may be dispensed under gravity from said dispensing reservoir through said dispenser.    
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1  further comprising a tubular support member received in said passage for preventing said passage from collapsing under normal use conditions.  
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 2  wherein said tubular support member includes a bottom defining an opening located adjacent the bottom of said main reservoir, said tubular support member extending upwardly adjacent a top of said dispensing reservoir and thence extending into said dispensing reservoir.  
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 3  wherein said tubular support comprises a straw-like member curved adjacent said top of said dispensing reservoir to direct liquid transferred from said main reservoir downwardly into said dispensing reservoir.  
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1  wherein said dispenser spout comprises a threaded spout sealed to said first and second plies of said container, and a cap threaded by received on said spout for sealing said spout, said spout located adjacent one side of said container, said plies being heat sealed to form a marginal strip on a side of said container opposite said one side thereof, said marginal strip defining an opening forming a carrying handle, whereby said cap may be loosened to vent the interior of said dispensing reservoir and then a measured quantity of said liquid transferred to said dispensing reservoir by squeezing said main reservoir, and cap may be removed to dispense said measured quantity to said one side of said container while said container is supported on said opposing side thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 5  wherein said inner areas of heat sealed plies include a first weld strip partially defining said dispensing reservoir and a second weld strip extending generally parallel to and spaced from said first weld strip to define a passage, said article further comprising a rigid tubular support received in said passage and providing fluid communication between a bottom of said main reservoir and an upper portion of said dispensing reservoir.  
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 5  further comprising a third ply of heat sealable plastic sheet material sealed to bottom margins of said first and second plies to provide a bottom wall for said main reservoir wherein said bottom wall rests flat on a horizontal surface on which said article is placed.  
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 6  wherein said first and second weld strips extend in a generally upright direction when said article is upright and an upper edge of each of said first and second weld strips is spaced from a top marginal weld of said container by a distance sufficient to permit any liquid remaining in said main reservoir to be transferred directly to be dispensed when said container is inverted.