Flexible pouch for holding liquids

Abstract

A flexible pouch for holding a fluid includes a front and rear side that together define a compartment, a rim, and a spout. The compartment is for holding a fluid and has a longitudinal axis that extends through the long axis of the compartment and a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The rim is provided around the compartment and is formed by coupling the front and rear sides together. The spout is positioned at a top end of the pouch. The spout has a notch defined in the top end thereof and has a convex shape on a top cut edge thereof. The rim has a bottom cut edge that has a continuously concave shape from one side of the pouch to the other side of the pouch.

1 . A flexible pouch for holding a fluid comprising:
 a front and a rear side that together define a compartment for holding a fluid, with the compartment having a longitudinal axis that extends through the long axis of the compartment and a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;   a rim provided around the compartment comprised of the front and rear sides coupled together;   a spout positioned at a top end of the pouch, with the spout having a notch defined in the top end thereof and having a convex shape on a top cut edge thereof; and   a bottom cut edge of the rim that has a continuously concave shape from one side of the pouch to the other side of the pouch.   
     
     
         2 . The flexible pouch of  claim 1 , wherein the convex shape of the top cut edge is substantially the same as the concave shape of the bottom cut edge. 
     
     
         3 . The flexible pouch of  claim 1 , wherein the notch in the top end of the pouch is V-shaped and extends inwardly into the spout in order to provide a thinned rim portion at the notch. 
     
     
         4 . A flexible pouch system comprising:
 an assembly line for manufacturing the flexible pouch of  claim 1  in a line of pouches in a continuous manner; and   a cutter for cutting the flexible pouches in the line of pouches apart,   wherein each pouch in the line of pouches has substantially the same length and the line of pouches has a repeat length that is less than the length of each pouch.   
     
     
         5 . A flexible pouch for holding a fluid comprising:
 a front and a rear side that together define a compartment for holding a fluid, with the compartment having a longitudinal axis that extends through the long axis of the compartment and a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;   a rim provided around the compartment comprised of the front and rear sides coupled together; and   an opening end of the pouch, said opening end openable by cutting or slicing longitudinally, or tearing transversely to the longitudinal axis, through the material of the pouch in order to release the fluid from the pouch;   wherein the pouch is sized to seat in a drink dispensing machine.   
     
     
         6 . The flexible pouch of  claim 5 , wherein the opening end of the pouch has a spout that is aligned with the longitudinal axis and a notch is formed in the top end of the spout and is aligned with the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The pouch of  claim 6 , wherein the compartment has a narrowed portion at a top end thereof in the vicinity of the spout, with the narrowed portion being aligned with the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         9 . The pouch of  claim 6 , wherein the compartment has upper edges positioned adjacent the spout, with the upper edges extending downwardly from the spout at an angle relative to the transverse axis, and sides that extend downwardly from the upper edges parallel to the longitudinal axis to define side edges of the pouch. 
     
     
         10 . The pouch of  claim 5 , further comprising a bottom cut edge of the rim positioned at a bottom end of the pouch, with the bottom end being at an end opposite the top end, wherein the bottom cut edge of the rim is curved inwardly. 
     
     
         11 . The pouch of  claim 10 , wherein the pouch is a flat pouch, the bottom cut edge of the rim is concave, and the bottom edge of the compartment is flat. 
     
     
         12 . The pouch of  claim 6 , wherein the compartment has a bottom edge, side edges, a top edge, and a narrowed top portion that is associated with the spout, with the bottom edge being straight and parallel to and spaced from the transverse axis, the side edges being straight and parallel to and spaced from the longitudinal axis, the top edge being an inverted V-shape that extends from the side edges to the narrowed top portion, and the narrowed top portion is substantially rectangular; and
 the rim has a bottom cut edge, two side cut edges, an upper cut edge, and a spout positioned substantially in the center of the upper cut edge, with the bottom cut edge being continuously concavely curved inwardly, the side cut edges being substantially straight and parallel to the longitudinal axis, the upper cut edge being an inverted V-shape that extends from the side cut edges to the spout, and the spout has a convex cut top edge and straight cut side edges.   
     
     
         13 . The pouch of  claim 12 , wherein the convex cut top edge of the spout has substantially the same curvature as the concave cut bottom edge of the rim. 
     
     
         14 . A flat, flexible pouch for holding a fluid comprising:
 a front and a rear surface joined around the edges thereof to define a rim, with a compartment positioned inside the rim for holding a fluid; and   a portion of the pouch positioned at a top end thereof configured as a spout;   wherein the rim at the bottom end of the pouch has a cut edge that is continuously concavely curved from a left side edge of the pouch to a right side edge of the pouch.   
     
     
         15 . The pouch of  claim 14 , wherein the spout has a top cut edge that is convexly curved. 
     
     
         16 . The pouch of  claim 15 , wherein the curvature of the spout top cut edge substantially matches the curvature of the continuously concave curved bottom cut edge of the pouch. 
     
     
         17 . The pouch of  claim 14 , wherein the pouch top cut edge of the spout includes an inwardly extending, substantially centrally positioned notch formed therein. 
     
     
         18 . The pouch of  claim 14 , wherein the pouch includes side edges and upper edges, the spout has a top edge and side edges, the spout extends upwardly from the upper edges of the pouch, and the upper edges extending between the side edges of the pouch and the side edges of the spout, with a necked in cut out portion positioned on both side edges of the spout in the vicinity where the upper edges mate with the side edges of the spout. 
     
     
         19 . The pouch of  claim 18 , wherein the necked in cut outs are formed by cutting away material of the spout to form indentations in the side edges of the spout, with the necked in cut outs providing a location where the spout can be torn. 
     
     
         20 . The pouch of  claim 5 , wherein the pouch is flexible along its entirety and the opening end is openable with a cutting mechanism that is provided in a dispensing unit into which the pouch is positioned. 
     
     
         21 . A pouch for holding a content of a beverage mix, a spirit, or a combination thereof comprising:
 a front wall;   a rear wall;   a top end;   a bottom end; and   a compartment formed between the front and rear wall for holding the contents of the pouch, with the entirety of pouch being made of a flexible material that is openable by cutting, tearing, or slicing;   wherein the pouch is sized to seat in a drink dispensing machine that has a cutting mechanism for cutting open a bottom end of the pouch such that the contents of the pouch substantially completely evacuates therefrom due to the forces of gravity.