Transversely sealed container

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a polyethylene or similar flexible package having a maze vent to allow the escape of air from the interior of the package filled with powdered or granular material. The maze vent comprises an interior vented seal gap, a maze vent channel, and a channel vent. The maze vent allows air to escape during the filling process while maintaining the powdered or granular material within the bag and preventing ingress of air, moisture and other contaminants. The disclosure is directed to a such a package by itself or as a liner to a multiple paper ply satchel bottom bag, the poly liner being free within the innermost ply except for attachment at the mouth of the bag. Further, the satchel bottom bag of the present disclosure may contain a reinforcing patch on the satchel bottom. Additionally, the reinforcing patch may have an opener for easy opening of the bag.

1 . A flexible polymeric package comprising: 
 a seamless tubular body having a first end, a second end, an inner surface and an outer surface;    a plurality of heat seals located proximate to said second end permanently sealing said seamless tubular body to itself creating a front panel and a rear panel;    a heat sealable open mouth at said first end, wherein a receptacle is defined by said inner surface of said tubular body and said plurality of heat seals, said receptacle being configured to receive a product introduced through said open mouth and enclosing said product within said tubular body, with said open mouth being heat sealable after introduction of said product into said receptacle;    said plurality of heat seals comprising at least two spaced apart, heat seals oriented transversely across said seamless tubular body proximate to said second end;    said at least two spaced apart heat seals comprising an inboard heat seal positioned adjacent to said receptacle and an outboard heat seal spaced apart from said inboard heat seal and nearer said second end, wherein a channel is defined by said inboard and outboard heat seals and said front and rear panels of the seamless tubular body; and    said inboard heat seal having a discontinuity, wherein said front panel and said rear panel are unattached to each other at the discontinuity allowing communication between said receptacle and said channel through the discontinuity.    
   
   
       2 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 1  further comprising a vent in said channel, wherein said vent allows communication between said channel and an environment outside of the package.  
   
   
       3 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 2  wherein said vent comprises one or more perforations in the tubular body within the channel.  
   
   
       4 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 2  wherein said vent comprises a plurality of perforations in the tubular body within the channel.  
   
   
       5 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 2  wherein said vent comprises a plurality of perforations in at least one of said front panel and said rear panel of the tubular body within said channel.  
   
   
       6 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 5  wherein both of said front panel and said rear panel contain perforations within the channel.  
   
   
       7 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 2  wherein said vent comprises a discontinuity in said outboard heat seal; said discontinuity allowing communication between said channel and said environment by way of a space between said front and said rear panel to said second end.  
   
   
       8 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 2  wherein said discontinuity in said inboard heat seal is located proximate to one end of said channel and said vent is located proximate to a second opposite end of said channel, whereby communication between the receptacle of said package and said environment takes place by way of the substantial length of the channel.  
   
   
       9 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 2  further comprising an intermediate heat seal located between said inboard and said outboard heat seal, wherein said intermediate heat seal contains one or more discontinuities and creating a tortuous path between said receptacle and said environment.  
   
   
       10 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 2  further comprising one or more maze blocks within said channel, wherein a maze block comprises a heat seal substantially perpendicular to one of said inboard and outboard heat seals.  
   
   
       11 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 10  further comprising a plurality of maze blocks perpendicular and connecting to said inboard and said outboard heat seals.  
   
   
       12 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 11  wherein said connection of the maze blocks to said inboard heat seal and said outboard heat seal alternates between the inboard and outboard heat seal creating a tortuous path between said receptacle and said environment.  
   
   
       13 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 1  comprising: 
 an inboard heat seal positioned adjacent to said receptacle and having a discontinuity proximate to one end;    an outboard heat seal spaced apart from said inboard heat seal nearer said second end, said inboard and outboard heat seals being substantially parallel to each other and oriented transversely across said seamless tubular body proximate to said second end;    a channel defined by said inboard and outboard heat seals and said front and rear panels of the tubular body; and    a vent in said channel located opposite of said discontinuity in said inboard heat seal, wherein a flow path is defined from said receptacle, through said discontinuity, through said channel, and out of said vent to an environment outside said package, said flow path being designed to allow passage of gaseous material out of said package and preventing passage of product out of said package while preventing ingress of moisture and other contaminants.    
   
   
       14 . The flexible polymeric package of  claim 13  wherein said vent comprises a plurality of substantially aligned perforations in said front panel and said rear panel within the channel.  
   
   
       15 . A multiple ply paper bag with a polymeric liner comprising: 
 at least two paper plies being laterally offset, each being adhesively bonded along a seam thereof forming a tube, and at least two of said paper plies being stepped relative to each other in a direction longitudinal of the bag, said tube having an open end and a closed end;    a seamless inner plastic liner being attached to an innermost of said paper plies at said open end of the bag and having a width less than one half the perimeter of the innermost paper ply, said plastic liner having a plurality of heat seals at the closed end of said bag for sealing said plastic liner to itself and thereby form a plastic pouch having an interior and an exterior defined by a front panel and a rear panel, and said plastic liner further comprising a heat sealable mouth at said open end of the bag;    said plurality of heat seals comprising at least two spaced apart heat seals oriented transverse to the long axis of the bag, said heat seals having an inboard heat seal positioned adjacent to the interior of the pouch and an outboard hear seal positioned proximate to the bottom of the pouch, said inboard and outboard heat seals defining a channel between said front panel and said rear panel;    said inboard heat seal containing a discontinuity, wherein said front panel and said rear panel are unattached to each other at the discontinuity allowing communication between the interior of the pouch and the channel; and    said closed end of said bag having a satchel bottom capable of forming a rectangular bottom of the bag when filled, said satchel bottom being formed by folds of said paper plies being folded about three fold lines, one fold line being a generally central transverse main fold along the bottom of the bag and the other two being parallel secondary fold lines equidistant from the main fold line, said innermost paper plies being non-slitted and at least one other paper ply being slitted, said folded paper ply having means to form geometric zones of adhesion, an adhesive on said zones for securing said folded paper plies together, said inner plastic liner being detachably and non-adhesively retained at said satchel bottom, and the plastic pouch being folded about said main fold line and one of said two secondary fold lines.    
   
   
       16 . The bag of  claim 15  wherein said pouch contains a vent within said channel creating a flow path from the pouch interior through the discontinuity in the inboard heat seal, through the channel, and through the vent to the exterior of the pouch.  
   
   
       17 . The bag of  claim 16  wherein said discontinuity in said inboard heat seal is located proximate to one of the lateral sides of the pouch and said vent is located proximate to an opposite lateral side of the pouch.  
   
   
       18 . The bag of  claim 16  wherein said vent comprises one or more perforations in at least one of said front panel and said rear panel within the channel.  
   
   
       19 . The bag of  claim 17  wherein said vent comprises a plurality of perforations in said front panel and said rear panel within the channel.  
   
   
       20 . The bag of  claim 18  wherein said vent is comprised of 2 to 10 perforations.  
   
   
       21 . The bag of  claim 18  further comprising one or more maze blocks within said channel, wherein a maze block comprises a heat seal substantially perpendicular to one of said inboard and outboard heat seals.  
   
   
       22 . The bag of  claim 21  further comprising a plurality of maze blocks perpendicular and connecting to said inboard and said outboard heat seals.  
   
   
       23 . The bag of  claim 22  wherein said connection of the maze blocks to said inboard heat seal and said outboard heat seal alternates between the inboard and outboard heat seal creating a tortuous path between said interior and exterior of the pouch.  
   
   
       24 . The bag of  claim 17  further comprising a reinforcing patch affixed to the outside of said satchel bottom over the folds of the outer paper ply.  
   
   
       25 . The bag of  claim 24  wherein said reinforcing patch comprises at least one ply of kraft paper adhesively affixed to the outside of the satchel bottom.  
   
   
       26 . The bag of  claim 24  further comprising an easy-open apparatus, said easy-open apparatus comprising an opener strip located within the folds of the satchel bottom extending transversely outward from the folds of the satchel bottom to cooperate with said reinforcing patch, said reinforcing patch having a cuff defined by a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel slits at one edge of the patch, said opener strip attached to said cuff allowing a user to pull said cuff and opener strip thereby tearing said patch and paper plies of said underlying satchel bottom folds allowing the user to open the satchel bottom to access the plastic liner.  
   
   
       27 . The bag of  claim 26  wherein said opener strip is made of plastic.  
   
   
       28 . A multiple ply paper bag with a polymeric liner comprising: 
 at least two paper plies being laterally offset, each being adhesively bonded along a seam thereof forming a tube, and at least two of said paper plies being stepped relative to each other in a direction longitudinal of the bag, said tube having an open end and a closed end;    a seamless inner plastic liner being attached to an innermost of said paper plies at said open end of the bag and having a width less than one half the perimeter of the innermost paper ply, said plastic liner further comprising a plurality of heat seals at the closed end of said bag for sealing said plastic liner to itself and thereby form a plastic pouch having an interior and an exterior defined by a front panel and a rear panel, and said plastic liner further comprising a heat sealable mouth at said open end of the bag;    said plurality of heat seals further comprising an inboard heat seal located adjacent to the interior of said pouch having a discontinuity in said inboard heat seal proximate to a first lateral side edge of the pouch, and an outboard heat seal spaced apart and substantially parallel to the inboard seal;    a channel located between said inboard and outboard heat seals and defined by said front and rear panels;    a vent in said channel comprising a plurality of perforations in at least one of said front panel and rear panel within the channel, said vent located proximate to a second lateral side edge opposite that of said first lateral side edge, wherein gaseous contents of said pouch interior is allowed to flow through the discontinuity of the inboard heat seal, through the channel, and out the vent to the exterior of the pouch while restricting flow of product out of the pouch and restricting flow of moisture and other contaminants into the pouch;    said closed end of said bag having a satchel bottom capable of forming a rectangular bottom of the bag when filled, said satchel bottom being formed by folds of said paper plies being folded about three fold lines, one fold line being a generally central transverse main fold along the bottom of the bag and the other two being parallel secondary fold lines equidistant from the main fold line, said innermost paper plies being non-slitted and at least one other paper ply being slitted, said folded paper ply having means to form geometric zones of adhesion, an adhesive on said zones for securing said folded paper plies together, said inner plastic liner being detachably and non-adhesively retained at said satchel bottom, and the plastic pouch being folded about said main fold line and one of said two secondary fold lines    a reinforcing patch adhesively affixed to the outer paper ply wherein said reinforcing patch comprises at least one ply of kraft paper.    
   
   
       29 . The bag of  claim 28  further comprising an easy-open apparatus, said easy-open apparatus comprising an opener strip located within the folds of the satchel bottom extending transversely outward from the folds of the satchel bottom to cooperate with said reinforcing patch, said reinforcing patch having a cuff defined by a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel slits at one edge of the patch, said opener strip attached to said cuff allowing a user to pull said cuff and opener strip thereby tearing said patch and paper plies of said underlying satchel bottom folds allowing the user to open the satchel bottom to access the plastic liner.  
   
   
       30 . A method of forming a multiple ply paper bag with a polymeric liner comprising the steps of: 
 extruding a seamless polymeric tube;    cutting said polymeric tube to a desired length and thereby defining a longitudinal axis, said polymeric tube having an interior surface, an exterior surface, a first end and a second end;    sealing the second end of said polymeric tube with a plurality of heat seals oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis, said plurality of heat seals and said interior surface thereby defining a receptacle configured to receive a product, said plurality of heat seals having at least an inboard heat seal located adjacent said receptacle and an outboard heat seal spaced apart from said inboard seal, wherein a channel is defined between said inboard heat seal and said outboard heat seal and a front panel and a rear panel, and wherein said inboard heat seal contains a discontinuity such that said receptacle is in communication with said channel through the discontinuity;    providing a plurality of offset paper plies, said paper plies comprising at least an outermost paper ply and an innermost paper ply, said paper plies being folded such that each of said plies is bonded to itself forming a multi-ply paper tube with a seam for each ply, said seams being laterally offset thereby spacing seams for each layer about the bag, said tube having a first end and a second end;    bonding said first end of said polymeric tube to said first end of the innermost ply of said multi-ply paper tube;    folding opposing corners at said second end of said multi-ply paper tube inward creating a pair of diagonal fold lines, each diagonal fold line extending from a lateral side edge of said multi-ply paper tube and defining a front flap and a rear flap, whereby said polymeric tube is folded within said rear flap folds and is freely and non-attachably retained;    applying adhesive to said front and rear flaps and folding said front and rear to close said second end of said multi-ply paper tube thereby forming a satchel bottom.    
   
   
       31 . The method of forming a multiple ply paper bag with a polymeric liner of  claim 30  further comprising the step of: 
 providing a vent in said channel thereby creating a flow path whereby gaseous material may pass from said receptacle through said discontinuity in said inboard heat seal, pass through said channel through said vent to an environment outside said polymeric liner.    
   
   
       32 . The method of forming a multiple ply paper bag with a polymeric liner of  claim 31  further comprising the step of: 
 perforating at least one of said front panel and said rear panel of said channel thereby forming a vent.    
   
   
       33 . The method of forming a multiple ply paper bag with a polymeric liner of  claim 31  further comprising the step of: 
 perforating both said front panel and said rear panel of said channel thereby forming a vent.