Package

United States Patent

<td> [72]</td><td> Inventor</td><td> William H. Gunther, Jr.</td><td> [56]</td><td colspan="2"> References Cited</td>

<td> [21] [22]</td><td> Appl. No. Filed</td><td> Guilford, Connecticut 793,425 Jan. 23,1969</td><td> 2,617,559</td><td> UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1952 VanderSpek...............</td><td> 229/7(S)</td>

<td> [45]</td><td> Patented</td><td> Dec. 8,1970</td><td> 2,760,630</td><td> 8/1956 Lakso...........................</td><td> 206/63.2</td>

<td rowspan="2"> [73]</td><td rowspan="2"> Assignee</td><td> Conn Med Corp.</td><td> 3,144,976</td><td> 8/1964 Freshour......................</td><td> 229/7( S)</td>

<td> Madison, Connecticut a corporation of Connecticut</td><td colspan="2"> 3,393,796 7/1968 Clarke.......................... Primary Examiner— William T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney—Norman N. Holland</td><td> 206/47(A)</td>

[54] PACKAGE

Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

[52] U.S.CI........................................................ 206/47;

53/36:215/1:229/7:229/15

[51] Int. Ci.........................................................B65d 77/08, ABSTRACT: The present invention is directed to a package

B65d 77/28, B65d 85/80 made of a plastic puncturable material. The package has a

[50] Field of Search............................................ 206/47, straw associated therewith so that when the package is steril47(A), 56(A2), 63.2,43; 229/7(S), 15; ized, the straw and the contents of the package remain in a

215/1 (Straw); 53/36; 222/83 sterile condition until the package is to be used.

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PATENTED DEC 81970

3.545,604

SHEET 1 OF 2

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PATENTED DEC 81970

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3,545,604

PACKAGE

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved package for liquids and more particularly to a package made from a flexible plastic material, such as polyethylene base film, which contains a liquid.

Packages for liquids have become increasingly useful, especially in hospitals where the liquids are sealed in a plastic flexible outer container, are sterilized and maintained in a sterile condition until the package is to be opened by the user.

Heretofore, such packages have comprised complicated structures which increase manufacturing costs and which do not insure continued sterilization of the contents of the package. This is especially true when a drinking tube, such as a straw, is to be used to puncture the package so that the contents thereof can be drawn out.

The present invention overcomes these drawbacks and has for one of its objects the provision of an improved puncturable package.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved package for liquids which will remain in a sterile condition until the user is ready to remove the contents therefrom.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of improved puncturable package which is simple to manufacture.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing one embodiment of the package of the present invention before assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the package after it has been formed;

FIG. 3 is an end view showing the package being sterilized;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the package may be punctured by a drinking tube;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4 showing the position of the drinking tube after the package has been punctured;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the package after the drinking article has been exposed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the package 1 comprises a container 2, made out of a flexible plastic material, such as polyethylene film, which has a bottom sealing zone 3, sidewalls 4, and a top sealing zone 5. The bottom 3 may be heat sealed before the liquid contents 6 are inserted in into the container 2 and the top 5 may be heat sealed after the liquid contents are inserted into the container 2. Any conventional or well known means may be used for filling the container 2 with the liquid contents 6. If desired, the polyethylene material may be transparent so that the contents 6 may be seen, however, the polyethylene material may also be opaque.

After the container 2 is filled with the contents 6 and the top 5 is heat sealed, a drinking article, such as a straw 10, is placed on top of one of the side walls 4 of the package 1 (preferably in a vertically oriented position) and a cover sheet 11 is placed over the straw 10 and adhered to the sidewalls 4 to form a second compartment for the straw 10. Thus, the straw 10 is completely sealed and held in place within the cover sheet 11.

Preferably, the cover sheet 11 is of a transparent polyethylene material so that its edges may be heat sealed or otherwise adhered to the sidewalls 4. In addition, the cover sheet 11 is preferably substantially the same size as the sidewall 4 for ease in assembly and to insure that the straw 10 is completely covered.

The completed package 1 may then be placed in front of a radiation sterilizer 13 which will sterilize not only the contents 6 of the package 1 but also the straw 10. Since both the contents 6 of the package and the straw 10 are sealed, they remain in a sterile condition until the package is ready to be used.

When the package is ready to be used, the cover sheet 11 is pulled back (FIGS. 4 and 5) to release the straw 10 and permits its removal. The straw 10 then is inserted through the wall 4 of the package 1 and into the contents 6. Since the wall 4 is easily puncturable the straw 10 penetrates the walls of the package without tearing large openings therein. The area of the wall 4 through which the straw is inserted remains in a sterile condition until the package is ready to be used. Preferably the walls 4 of the package is punctured below the top edge of the cover sheet 11 so that any spillage of the contents will be caught in the compartment formed by cover sheet 11.

In order to assist in puncturing the walls 4 of the package one end of the straw may be cut at an angle to form a point 12 which permits the straw to be easily inserted through the walls of the package.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 7 to 12, which shows another embodiment of the present invention, the package 3 package 21 comprises a container 22 provided with a pair of sidewalls 24, a top sealed edge 25, a bottom sealed edge 23 and a pair of end sealed edges 26 integral with the top and bottom sealed edges 25 and 26.

A straw 27 is mounted within the package 21, preferably adjacent one sealed end edge 26 and parallel thereto. The top sealed edge 25 is preferably provided with a notch or pocket 28 and the bottom sealed edge 23 is preferably provided with a notch or pocket 29 to accommodate the opposite ends of the straw 27 to prevent the straw from moving within the package. In addition, spot seals 30 may be provided on the side of the straw opposite end edge seal 26 in order to help in maintaining the vertical orientation of the straw 27.

The two sidewalls 24 are also sealed together by a heatsealed divider 31 spaced below the top seal 25 in order to divide the package into a fluid-retaining compartment 32 and a removable compartment 33. The divider seal 31 tightly encompasses the straw 27 in order to prevent fluid from passing from compartment 32 to compartment 33.

When assembled the package may be sterilized by a radiation sterilizer so that the straw and the container remain sterile until use. When the package is to be used, the removable compartment 33 is tom above the divider seal 31 as shown in FIG. 12. This exposes the upper end of the straw 27. The user can then draw out the contents of the fluid-retaining compartment through the straw 27. If necessary, the straw may be lifted slightly so that its lower end is within compartment 32 and out of notch 29. Since the straw is not exposed to the atmosphere until after the removable compartment 33 is removed, the straw, together with the contents of the package, are maintained in a sterile condition until the package is to be used.

Although the word “straw” is used herein, it will be understood that any drinking article, utensil or tool may be used with the present invention and when the word “straw” is used herein, it is intended to encompass any other such drinking article, tool or utensil.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an improved package in which the straw and the contents will remain in a sterile condition until the package is ready to be used and which is simple to manufacture and to maintain.

3,545,604

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.