Spout assembly having a barrier film for a flexible bag and a flexible bag having a spout assembly having a barrier film

Abstract

A spout assembly including a spout, a base film and a coupling member. The spout has a base flange and an upstand. The base flange has a top surface, a lower surface and an outer surface. The upstand extends from the base flange toward a distal end spaced therefrom. The upstand defines a passageway with a lower opening and an upper opening. The base film has a top surface and a bottom surface. At least a portion of the top surface of the base film overlies at least a portion of the lower surface of the base flange. The coupling member couples the base film to the spout. In turn, the base film is maintained in the overlying orientation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A spout assembly comprising:
 a spout having:
 a base flange with a top surface, a lower surface and an outer surface; 
 an upstand extending from the base flange toward a distal end spaced therefrom, the upstand defining a passageway with a lower opening and an upper opening; 
   a base film having:
 a top surface; 
 a bottom surface, 
 wherein at least a portion of the top surface of the base film overlies at least a portion of the lower surface of the base flange; and 
   a coupling member coupling the base film to the spout, to, in turn, maintain the base film in the overlying orientation.   
     
     
         2 . The spout assembly of  claim 1  wherein the coupling member is structurally configured to couple the base film directly to the spout. 
     
     
         3 . The spout assembly of  claim 2  wherein the coupling member is structurally configured to couple the top surface of the base film directly to the lower surface of the base flange. 
     
     
         4 . The spout assembly of  claim 2  wherein the coupling member comprises an adhesive joining the top surface of the base film to the lower surface of the base flange. 
     
     
         5 . The spout assembly of  claim 2  wherein the coupling member comprises at least one seal sealingly joining the top surface of the base film to the lower surface of the base flange. 
     
     
         6 . The spout assembly of  claim 5  wherein the base film includes an inner annular edge and an outer annular edge, the coupling member comprises an inner seal and an outer seal spaced apart from each other, the inner seal being proximate the inner annular edge and the outer seal being proximate the outer annular edge. 
     
     
         7 . The spout assembly of  claim 2  wherein the coupling member couples substantially the entirety of the top surface of the base film and the lower surface of the base flange which overlie each other. 
     
     
         8 . The spout assembly of  claim 2  wherein the coupling member comprises an inner seal positioned on the bottom surface between an inner annular edge and a projection of the upstand of the spout on the bottom surface, and the outer seal is positioned so as to extend beyond a seal of a film of a bag to the top surface of the base flange. 
     
     
         9 . The spout assembly of  claim 1  wherein the base film extends beyond the outer surface of the base flange. 
     
     
         10 . The spout assembly of  claim 1  wherein the spout is selected from a polyolefin from the group consisting of EMA, EVA, LDPE, LLDPE, MDPE, HDPE or PP and the base film includes at least one barrier material from the group consisting of EVOH, PET, PETG, PEN, PBT, PA, PVDC, MXD-6, LCP, PAN and SAN. 
     
     
         11 . The spout assembly of  claim 1  wherein the base film includes at least one barrier material from the group consisting of EVOH, PET, PETG, PEN, PBT, PA, PVDC, MXD-6, LCP, PAN and SAN. 
     
     
         12 . The spout assembly of  claim 1  wherein the upstand further comprises a substantially circular cross-sectional configuration. 
     
     
         13 . A flexible bag assembly comprising:
 a flexible bag having a plurality of panels that are coupled together with a plurality of seals to form a substantially fluid tight cavity, with an opening providing ingress into the cavity;   a spout assembly comprising:
 a spout having:
 a base flange with a top surface, a lower surface and an outer surface; 
 an upstand extending from the base flange toward a distal end spaced therefrom, the upstand defining a passageway with a lower opening and an upper opening, the upstand extending through the opening, with the top surface of the base flange coupled to at least one panel of the plurality of panels in a substantially fluid tight configuration about the opening; 
 
 a base film having:
 a top surface; 
 a bottom surface, 
 wherein at least a portion of the top surface of the base film overlies at least a portion of the lower surface of the base flange; and 
 
 a coupling member coupling the base film to the spout, to, in turn, maintain the base film in the overlying orientation. 
   
     
     
         14 . The flexible bag assembly of  claim 13  wherein the coupling member couples the base film to at least one of the lower surface of the base flange, an inner surface of the upstand and a portion of the at least one panel surrounding the opening of the flexible bag. 
     
     
         15 . The flexible bag assembly of  claim 13  wherein the base film extends beyond the outer surface of the base flange and overlies a portion of an inner surface of the at least one panel about the opening of the flexible bag. 
     
     
         16 . The flexible bag assembly of  claim 13  wherein the base film overlies substantially the entirety of the lower surface of the base flange. 
     
     
         17 . The flexible bag assembly of  claim 13  wherein the coupling member is structurally configured to couple the base film directly to the spout. 
     
     
         18 . The flexible bag assembly of  claim 17  wherein the coupling member is structurally configured to couple the top surface of the base film directly to the lower surface of the base flange. 
     
     
         19 . The flexible bag assembly of  claim 17  wherein the coupling member comprises an adhesive joining the top surface of the base film to the lower surface of the base flange. 
     
     
         20 . The flexible bag assembly of  claim 17  wherein the coupling member comprises an inner seal positioned on the bottom surface between an inner annular edge and a projection of the upstand of the spout on the bottom surface, and the outer seal is positioned so as to extend beyond a seal of a film of a bag to the top surface of the base flange.