Closure for Flexible Film Pouch

Abstract

A closure that is constructed and arranged to be sealed to an opening in a flexible film pouch that has an interior. The closure includes a body that has a top, bottom, sides, front and back, wherein the body has a body through-channel with a bottom opening and a top opening, and wherein the body is elongated, such that its extent from front to back is greater than its extent from side to side. The closure has an upper member coupled to the top of the body, wherein the upper member has an upper member through-channel with a bottom opening and a top opening, where the upper member through-channel is contiguous with the body through-channel. The top of the body is bisected by a body longitudinal axis and has a latitudinal axis that bisects and is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, where a center of the body is defined by the intersection of the longitudinal and latitudinal axes. The upper member top opening (i.e., the outlet opening of the closure) is asymmetric about the center of the body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A closure that is constructed and arranged to be sealed to an opening in a flexible film pouch that has an interior, the closure comprising:
 a body that has a top, bottom, sides, front and back, wherein the body has a body through-channel with a bottom opening and a top opening, and wherein the body is elongated, such that its extent from front to back is greater than its extent from side to side;   an upper member coupled to the top of the body, wherein the upper member has an upper member through-channel with a bottom opening and a top opening, where the upper member through-channel is contiguous with the body through-channel;   wherein the top of the body is bisected by a body longitudinal axis and has a latitudinal axis that bisects and is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, where a center of the body is defined by the intersection of the longitudinal and latitudinal axes; and   wherein the upper member top opening is asymmetric about the center of the body.   
     
     
         2 . The closure of  claim 1  wherein the upper member top opening is located toward the front of the body such that more of it is forward of the latitudinal axis than is rearward of the latitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The closure of  claim 1  wherein the upper member top opening has a generally rectangular shape. 
     
     
         4 . The closure of  claim 3  wherein the upper member top opening has a rear width at its rear and a front width at its front, where the front width is greater than the rear width. 
     
     
         5 . The closure of  claim 1  wherein the upper member top opening is asymmetric about the latitudinal axis. 
     
     
         6 . The closure of  claim 1  wherein the body through-channel has at least in part a generally funnel shape, with the bottom opening of the body channel larger than the top opening of the body channel. 
     
     
         7 . The closure of  claim 6  wherein the generally funnel shape comprises at least one interior wall of the body that borders the body through-channel being angled toward the center of the body. 
     
     
         8 . The closure of  claim 7  wherein the body has two of the angled walls, one toward the front and one toward the rear, where both of the angled walls are bisected by the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         9 . The closure of  claim 8  wherein each of the two angled walls extends along a majority of the height of the body. 
     
     
         10 . The closure of  claim 1  wherein the pouch has two generally parallel side seams and where the pouch opening is located closer to one side seam than the other, and lies at an obtuse angle to the closer side seam, and wherein the body has a plurality of spaced ribs along its two opposed sides, where the ribs are adapted to be sealed to the pouch just below the pouch opening such that the ribs are generally parallel to the pouch opening. 
     
     
         11 . The closure of  claim 10  wherein the upper member has a front wall that defines the front part of the upper member top opening, and wherein the front wall is generally parallel to the closer side seam. 
     
     
         12 . The closure of  claim 1  wherein the body has a plurality of spaced ribs that each lie along one of a series of spaced generally parallel lines along each of its two opposed sides, where the ribs are adapted to be sealed to the pouch just below the pouch opening such that the ribs are generally parallel to the pouch opening, wherein the upper member top opening lies generally in a top plane, and wherein the top plane intersects the generally parallel lines at an acute angle. 
     
     
         13 . The closure of  claim 1  further comprising a lid that is coupled to the upper member and adapted to be moved between a closed position in which it overlies the upper member top opening and an open position in which it is free of the upper member top opening. 
     
     
         14 . The closure of  claim 13  wherein the body, upper member and lid are all part of a unitary molded closure. 
     
     
         15 . A closure that is constructed and arranged to be sealed to an opening in a flexible film pouch that has an interior, the closure comprising:
 a body that has a top, bottom, sides, front and back, wherein the body has a body through-channel with a bottom opening and a top opening, and wherein the body is elongated, such that its extent from front to back is greater than its extent from side to side;   an upper member coupled to the top of the body, wherein the upper member has an upper member through-channel with a bottom opening and a top opening, where the upper member through-channel is contiguous with the body through-channel;   wherein the top of the body is bisected by a body longitudinal axis and has a latitudinal axis that bisects and is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, where a center of the body is defined by the intersection of the longitudinal and latitudinal axes;   wherein the upper member top opening is asymmetric about the latitudinal axis and is located toward the front of the body such that more of it is forward of the latitudinal axis than is rearward of the latitudinal axis;   wherein the upper member top opening is asymmetric about the center of the body;   wherein the pouch has two generally parallel side seams and where the pouch opening is located closer to one side seam than the other, and lies at an obtuse angle to the closer side seam, and wherein the closure body has a plurality of spaced ribs along its two opposed sides, where the ribs are adapted to be sealed to the pouch just below the pouch opening such that the ribs are generally parallel to the pouch opening, wherein the upper member has a front wall that defines the front part of the upper member top opening, and wherein the front wall is generally parallel to the closer side seam; and   a lid that is coupled to the upper member and adapted to be moved between a closed position in which it overlies the upper member top opening and an open position in which it is free of the upper member top opening;   wherein the body, upper member and lid are all part of a unitary molded closure.   
     
     
         16 . The closure of  claim 15  wherein the upper member top opening has a generally rectangular shape, and wherein the upper member top opening has a rear width at its rear and a front width at its front, where the front width is greater than the rear width. 
     
     
         17 . The closure of  claim 15  wherein the body through-channel has at least in part a generally funnel shape, with the bottom opening of the body channel larger than the top opening of the body channel, wherein the generally funnel shape comprises at least one interior wall of the body that borders the body through-channel being angled toward the center of the body, wherein the body has two of the angled walls, one toward the front and one toward the rear, where both of the angled walls are bisected by the longitudinal axis, and wherein each of the two angled walls extends along a majority of the height of the body. 
     
     
         18 . The closure of  claim 17  wherein the body has a plurality of spaced ribs that each lie along one of a series of spaced generally parallel lines along each of its two opposed sides, where the ribs are adapted to be sealed to the pouch just below the pouch opening such that the ribs are generally parallel to the pouch opening, wherein the upper member top opening lies generally in a top plane, and wherein the top plane intersects the generally parallel lines at an acute angle.