Stress relieving indent formation for very thin thermoformed plastic films or foil/plastic laminates

Abstract

A pouch-style package formed of thin film comprising a front wall, a back wall, edge seals joining the front wall and back wall, and at least one bulge formation formed in a wall of the pouch-style package, having a stress-relieving indent formed in the wall in which said bulge formation is formed, the stress-relieving indent providing material to relieve excessive thinning or stress cracking at comers of the bulge formation.

1 . A pouch-style package formed of thin film comprising: 
 a front wall,    a back wall,    edge seals joining the front wall and back wall, and    at least one bulge formation formed in a wall of the pouch-style package, characterized in that the wall in which said bulge formation is formed comprises: 
 a stress-relieving indent formed in the wall in which said bulge formation is formed, the stress-relieving indent providing material to relieve excessive thinning or stress cracking at corners of the bulge formation.  
   
   
   
       2 . A pouch-style package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the corners of the bulge formation are rounded ball corners.  
   
   
       3 . A pouch-style package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the indent is a reverse indent so as to form a stress-relieving protrusion.  
   
   
       4 . A pouch-style package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the indent is a relatively shallow flat indent with semi-circular ends.  
   
   
       5 . A pouch-style package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the indent has a semi-circular cross-section.  
   
   
       6 . A pouch-style package as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the indent is oblong in shape.