Peelable pouch containing a single film dosage and process of making same

Abstract

A peelable pouch for containing a single dosage product having a top layer joined to a bottom layer by a containment seal and a distributing seal formed with a stress riser separating a primary compartment from a secondary compartment. The primary compartment houses the product, sealed from the exterior environment. The secondary compartment includes a fold-over line. When the pouch is folded about the fold-over line the tear promoting surface condition permits a user to easily tear off a portion of the pouch and expose a portion of the secondary compartment. The product is accessed by peeling apart the secondary compartment, the distributing seal, and then peeling open the primary compartment. Preferred embodiments incorporate variation in the primary and secondary containment seal thicknesses.

1 . A peelable pouch ( 50 ) for containing a single dosage product (P), comprising: 
 a top layer ( 100 ) having a peripheral edge ( 170 ), an interior surface ( 110 ), an exterior surface ( 120 ), and a top layer width ( 180 );    a bottom layer ( 200 ) having a peripheral edge ( 270 ), an interior surface ( 210 ), an exterior surface ( 220 ), and a bottom layer width ( 280 ), wherein the top layer width ( 180 ) and the bottom layer width ( 280 ) are substantially the same;    a seal ( 500 ) having a containment seal ( 510 ) and a distributing seal ( 520 ), wherein the containment seal ( 510 ) has two regions, (A) a primary compartment seal ( 512 ), having a primary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 513 ), and (B) a secondary compartment seal ( 516 ), having a secondary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 517 ), and wherein the distributing seal ( 520 ) has a seal width ( 522 ) and a distributing seal length ( 524 ); and wherein said distributing seal ( 50 ) is formed with a stress riser ( 526 ) that is saw tooth-shaped;    a primary compartment ( 300 ) housing the product (P), sealed from the exterior environment, formed between the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) by the top layer ( 100 ) being selectively joined to the bottom layer ( 200 ) by at least a portion of the containment seal ( 510 ) and the distributing seal ( 520 ), the primary compartment ( 300 ) having a peripheral boundary ( 360 ) along a portion of the containment seal ( 510 ) and a portion of the distributing seal ( 520 ), and having a primary compartment width ( 370 );    a secondary compartment ( 400 ) formed between the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) by the top layer ( 100 ) being selectively joined to the bottom layer ( 200 ) by a portion of the containment seal ( 510 ) and a portion the distributing seal ( 520 ), the secondary compartment ( 400 ) being adjacent to the primary compartment ( 300 ) and separated from the primary compartment ( 300 ) by the distributing seal ( 520 ), and the secondary compartment ( 400 ) having a peripheral boundary ( 450 ) along a portion of the containment seal ( 510 ) and a portion of the distributing seal ( 520 ), and having a secondary compartment width ( 470 ); the secondary compartment width ( 470 ) is greater than the primary compartment width ( 370 ); and    a tear promoting surface condition ( 600 ), on the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ), intersecting a fold-over line ( 700 ) such that when the pouch ( 50 ) is folded about the fold-over line ( 700 ) the tear promoting surface condition ( 600 ) permits a user to tear off a portion of the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) to expose a portion of the secondary compartment ( 400 ) so that the user may grip the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) to peel them apart forming an opening in the primary compartment ( 300 ) by separating the secondary compartment seal ( 516 ) and the distributing seal ( 520 ), and gaining access to the product (P).    
     
     
         2 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the initiation point ( 527 ) is located on the secondary compartment peripheral boundary ( 450 ).  
     
     
         3 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary compartment width ( 470 ) is sized to cooperate with two human digits.  
     
     
         4 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary compartment width ( 470 ) is between approximately 0.25 inches (0.635 cm) and approximately 3.0 inches (7.62 cm).  
     
     
         5 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 517 ) is substantially the same as the primary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 513 ).  
     
     
         6 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 5 , wherein the secondary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 517 ) and the primary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 513 ) are between approximately 0.062 inches (0.15748 cm) and approximately 0.5 inches (1.27 cm).  
     
     
         7 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 517 ) is less than the primary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 513 ).  
     
     
         8 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 7 , wherein the secondary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 517 ) is between approximately 0.062 inches (0.15748 cm) and approximately 0.5 (1.27 cm) inches and the primary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 513 ) is between approximately 0.125 inches (0.3175 cm) and approximately 0.562 inches (1.42748 cm).  
     
     
         9 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the distributing seal width ( 522 ) is substantially uniform.  
     
     
         10 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 9 , wherein the distributing seal width ( 522 ) is between 0.062 inches (0.15748 cm) to 0.25 inches (1.27 cm) wide.  
     
     
         11 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the distributing seal width ( 522 ) varies over the distributing seal length ( 524 ).  
     
     
         12 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the top layer ( 100 ) has a proximal edge ( 130 ), a distal edge ( 140 ), a first lateral edge ( 150 ), and a second lateral edge ( 160 ), the bottom layer ( 200 ) has a proximal edge ( 230 ), a distal edge ( 140 ), a first lateral edge ( 150 ), and a second lateral edge ( 160 ), and wherein the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) are formed from a common substrate folded over at either the proximal edge ( 100 ), the distal edge ( 140 ), the first lateral edge ( 150 ), or the second lateral edge ( 160 ) creating a folded edge thereby not requiring the containment seal ( 510 ) along the folded edge, whereby the containment seal ( 510 ), the distributing seal ( 520 ), and the folded edge define the primary compartment peripheral boundary ( 360 ) to include a proximal boundary ( 310 ), a distal boundary ( 320 ), a first lateral boundary ( 330 ), and a second lateral boundary ( 340 ), and define the secondary compartment peripheral boundary ( 450 ) to include a proximal boundary ( 410 ), a distal boundary ( 420 ), a first lateral boundary ( 430 ), and a second lateral boundary ( 440 ), wherein once the secondary compartment distal boundary ( 420 ) is torn away, a user may easily grip the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) to peel them apart to separate the secondary compartment seal ( 516 ) and the distributing seal ( 520 ), thereby gaining access to the product.  
     
     
         13 . The pouch ( 50 ) of  claim 1 , further including a second product housed in the secondary compartment ( 400 ).  
     
     
         14 . A peelable pouch ( 50 ) for containing a single dosage product (P), comprising: 
 a top layer ( 100 ) having a peripheral edge ( 170 ), an interior surface ( 110 ), an exterior surface ( 120 ), and a top layer width ( 180 );    a bottom layer ( 200 ) having a peripheral edge ( 270 ), an interior surface ( 210 ), an exterior surface ( 220 ), and a bottom layer width ( 280 ), wherein the top layer width ( 180 ) and the bottom layer width ( 280 ) are substantially the same;    a seal ( 500 ) having a containment seal ( 510 ) and a distributing seal ( 520 ), wherein the containment seal ( 510 ) has two regions, (A) a primary compartment seal ( 512 ), having a primary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 513 ), and (B) a secondary compartment seal ( 516 ), having a secondary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 517 ), and wherein the distributing seal ( 520 ) has a seal width ( 522 ) that is substantially uniform with a stress riser ( 526 ) and is saw tooth-shaped, and wherein the secondary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 517 ) is less than the primary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 513 );    a primary compartment ( 300 ) housing the product (P), sealed from the exterior environment, formed between the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) by the top layer ( 100 ) being selectively joined to the bottom layer ( 200 ) by the primary compartment seal ( 512 ) and the distributing seal ( 520 ), the primary compartment ( 300 ) having a peripheral boundary ( 360 ) along a portion of the primary compartment seal ( 512 ) and a portion of the distributing seal ( 520 ), and having a primary compartment width ( 370 );    a secondary compartment ( 400 ) formed between the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) by the top layer ( 100 ) being selectively joined to the bottom layer ( 200 ) by a portion of the secondary compartment seal ( 516 ) and a portion of the distributing seal ( 520 ), the secondary compartment ( 400 ) being adjacent to the primary compartment ( 300 ) and is separated from the primary compartment ( 300 ) by the distributing seal ( 520 ), the secondary compartment ( 400 ) having a peripheral boundary ( 450 ) along a portion of the secondary compartment seal ( 516 ) and a portion of the distributing seal ( 520 ) and wherein the initiation point ( 527 ) is located on the secondary compartment peripheral boundary ( 450 ), and the secondary compartment ( 400 ) having a secondary compartment width ( 470 ) wherein the secondary compartment width ( 470 ) is greater than the primary compartment width ( 370 ); and    a tear promoting surface condition ( 600 ), on the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ), intersecting a fold-over line ( 700 ) such that when the pouch ( 50 ) is folded about the fold-over line ( 700 ) the tear promoting surface condition ( 600 ) permits a user to easily tear off a portion of the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) to expose a portion of the secondary compartment ( 400 ) so that the user may easily grip the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) to peel them apart forming an opening in the primary compartment ( 300 ) by separating the secondary compartment seal ( 516 ) and the distributing seal ( 520 ), and gaining access to the product (P).    
     
     
         15 . A peelable pouch ( 50 ) for containing a single dosage product (P), comprising: 
 a top layer ( 100 ) having a peripheral edge ( 170 ), an interior surface ( 110 ), an exterior surface ( 120 ), and a top layer width ( 180 );    a bottom layer ( 200 ) having a peripheral edge ( 270 ), an interior surface ( 210 ), an exterior surface ( 220 ), and a bottom layer width ( 280 ), wherein the top layer width ( 180 ) and the bottom layer width ( 280 ) are substantially the same;    a seal ( 500 ) having a containment seal ( 510 ) and a distributing seal ( 520 ), wherein the containment seal ( 510 ) has two regions, (A) a primary compartment seal ( 512 ), having a primary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 513 ), and (B) a secondary compartment seal ( 516 ), having a secondary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 517 ), and wherein the distributing seal ( 520 ) has a seal width ( 522 ) that is substantially uniform between approximately 0.125 inches and approximately 0.25 inches and is formed with a stress riser ( 526 ) having a substantially saw tooth shape with at least two initiation points ( 527 ), and wherein the secondary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 517 ) is less than the primary compartment lateral seal thickness ( 513 ) which is between approximately 0.062 inches and approximately 0.5 inches;    a primary compartment ( 300 ) housing the product (P), sealed from the exterior environment, formed between the top layer ( 100 )) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) by the top layer ( 100 ) being selectively joined to the bottom layer ( 200 ) by the primary compartment seal ( 512 ) and the distributing seal ( 520 ), the primary compartment ( 300 ) having a peripheral boundary ( 360 ) along a portion of the primary compartment seal ( 512 ) and a portion of the distributing seal ( 520 ), and having a primary compartment width ( 370 );    a secondary compartment ( 400 ) formed between the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) being selectively joined to the bottom layer ( 200 ) by a portion of the secondary compartment seal ( 516 ) and a portion of the distributing seal ( 520 ), the secondary compartment ( 400 ) being adjacent to the primary compartment ( 300 ) and is separated from the primary compartment ( 300 ) by the distributing seal ( 520 ), the secondary compartment ( 400 ) having a peripheral boundary ( 450 ) along a portion of the secondary compartment seal ( 516 ) and a portion of the distributing seal ( 520 ) and wherein the initiation point ( 527 ) is located on the secondary compartment peripheral boundary ( 450 ), the secondary compartment ( 400 ) having a secondary compartment width ( 470 ) that is between approximately 1.0 inches and approximately 2.0 inches and the secondary compartment width ( 470 ) is greater than the primary compartment width ( 370 ); and    a tear promoting surface condition ( 600 ), on the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ), intersecting a fold-over line ( 700 ) including indicia ( 710 ) substantially on the fold-over line ( 700 ) such that when the pouch ( 50 ) is folded about the fold-over line ( 700 ) the tear promoting surface condition ( 600 ) permits a user to easily tear off a portion of the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) to expose a portion of the secondary compartment ( 400 ) so that the user may easily grip the top layer ( 100 ) and the bottom layer ( 200 ) to peel them apart forming an opening in the primary compartment ( 300 ) by separating the secondary compartment seal ( 516 ) and the distributing seal ( 520 ), and gaining access to the product (P).