Pouch container for food product

Abstract

A pouch container ( 1 ) for a food product, a filled container, and a method of filling are described. The container ( 1 ) comprises a sheet containment material configured surroundingly and sealingly to define a food containment volume, at least one closure seam ( 7 ) provided within the volume between paired opposing surfaces of the said sheet containment material to divide the containment volume into two food compartments ( 8,9 ) suitable to contain food product in use, wherein the said closure seam ( 7 ) has a pressure sensitive apertured portion ( 14 ) adapted to be closed at ambient pressure but to open when an internal pressure differential between the compartments reaches a predetermined point.

1 . A pouch container for a food product, comprising:
 a sheet containment material configured surroundingly and sealingly to define a food containment volume; and,   at least one closure seam provided within the volume between a pair of opposing surfaces of the said sheet containment material to divide the containment volume into two food compartments suitable to contain food product in use, wherein said closure seam has a pressure sensitive apertured portion adapted to be closed at ambient pressure but to open when an internal pressure differential between the compartments reaches a predetermined point.   
     
     
         2 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the pressure sensitive apertured portion is adapted to open when one compartment is retained at ambient pressure and another is at a predetermined pressure greater than ambient pressure. 
     
     
         3 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the sheet enclosure comprises a pouch defined by a perimeter seal between mutually opposing sheet surfaces to complete enclosure of the food containment volume. 
     
     
         4 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 3  wherein the pressure sensitive apertured portion is located in the vicinity of an edge of the pouch so formed. 
     
     
         5 . A pouch container in accordance  claim 1  wherein the mutually opposing sheet surfaces at the closure seam are sealingly bonded together for a major part of the of the seam but are unbonded in an unbonded zone, or are less strongly bonded in a zone of weakness, or are provided with a pressure sensitive valve means, at the pressure sensitive apertured portion. 
     
     
         6 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 1  wherein one of the food components is adapted, in use during heating/re-heating or otherwise preparing for use and consumption, to be openable to ambient pressure by means of an openable portion. 
     
     
         7 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 6  wherein the openable portion is a removable flapped aperture, a kiss cut tear or the like. 
     
     
         8 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 1  so shaped and structured as to define by that structure a desired vertical direction in use during heating. 
     
     
         9 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 8  defining a bottom edge, and including structural components by means of which the pouch stably stands upon a surface, with this bottom edge lowermost during heating. 
     
     
         10 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 9  wherein the pressure sensitive apertured portion is located in the vicinity of and preferably adjacent to the said bottom edge. 
     
     
         11 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 8  wherein the closure seam runs generally vertically when the pouch is orientated in use in such a defined upright configuration. 
     
     
         12 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the pressure sensitive apertured portion comprises a zone of weakness in the seal between sheet faces. 
     
     
         13 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 1   2  wherein at the zone of weakness there is no structural seal at all between the sheet faces in the region of the pressure sensitive apertured portion, in that this region is an unbonded zone in the seam, but the material of the pouch comprises a material having at least a degree of flexible resilience and the pouch is so structured that the opposing surfaces of the sheet material in the pressure sensitive apertured portion of the closure seam tend to be urged together by the structure to tend to close the gap between them at ambient pressure/low pressure differential, but allow a gap to be forced open at a predetermined overpressure. 
     
     
         14 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the pressure sensitive apertured portion comprises a pressure valve, and in particular a mechanically actuated pressure value, located in a gap within the closure seam so as to effect closure of the gap when the valve is closed, but to constitute an aperture to permit fluid communication between the first compartment and the second compartment when the valve is open. 
     
     
         15 . A filled pouch container for a food product comprising a pouch container comprising:
 a sheet containment material configured surroundingly and sealingly to define a food containment volume: and,   at least one closure seam provided within the volume between a pair of opposing surfaces of the said sheet containment material to divide the containment volume into two food compartments suitable to contain food product in use, wherein said closure seam has a pressure sensitive apertured portion adapted to be closed at ambient pressure but to open when an internal pressure differential between the compartments reaches a predetermined point;   wherein a first compartment of the pouch filled with a first food product having an excess of fluid, and for example an excess of liquid such as water, and a second compartment of the pouch filled with a food product such as to deteriorate in quality when stored with an excess of fluid and in particular an excess of liquid such as water.   
     
     
         16 . A method of filling packaging with food product comprising the steps of:
 providing a pouch container comprising:   a sheet containment material configured surroundingly and sealingly to define a food containment volume; and,   at least one closure seam provided within the volume between a pair of opposing surfaces of the said sheet containment material to divide the containment volume into two food compartments suitable to contain food product in use, wherein said closure seam has a pressure sensitive apertured portion adapted to be closed at ambient pressure but to open when an internal pressure differential between the compartments reaches a predetermined point;   partially closure sealing to retain fill apertures in each compartment;   filling a first compartment of the pouch with a first food product having an excess of fluid, and for example an excess of liquid such as water;   filling a second compartment of the pouch with a food product such as to deteriorate in quality when stored with an excess of fluid and in particular an excess of liquid such as water; and,   completing the enclosure seal of the same by sealing the material at the fill apertures.   
     
     
         17 . A method of filling in accordance with  claim 16  wherein a packaging pouch is fabricated by folding and heat sealing polymeric material from a continuous web. 
     
     
         18 . A method of filling in accordance with  claim 16  wherein the pouch is cold filled with food product before sealing and the food product is pasteurised or sterilised after sealing in a suitable retort. 
     
     
         19 . A pouch container in accordance with  claim 2  wherein the sheet enclosure comprises a pouch defined by a perimeter seal between mutually opposing sheet surfaces to complete enclosure of the food containment volume.