Coffee Bag Vent

Abstract

A laser formed vent in packaging material, formed by an interior breach and an exterior breach, which are connected to one another by a channel. The next interior breach an exterior breach are laterally offset from one another, the channel is formed by vaporizing a bubble in an interior layer, for example a foil layer. In one embodiment, the bubble can be crushed, but returns to its original configuration.

1 . A packaging film with an integrally formed vent, comprising:
 a first layer of interior material;   a second layer, of metallized layer foil; and   a third layer of exterior material,   said second layer being between first and third layers,   at least one of said first layer and said third layer being formed of a material which allows laser to pass without being affected by the laser, and where said material is transmissive to the laser,   said first layer having an interior breach at a first location,   said third layer having an exterior breach at a second location laterally offset from said first location, and   said second layer having a channel formed therein, only in a specified location which extends from said interior breach to said exterior breach, said channel being an area where said metallized layer foil of said second layer is at least partly removed throughout a complete length of the channel,   and where the channel is expanded relative to a size of said second layer at a location other than said specified location and where the channel is not expanded at locations other than said specified location.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging film as in  claim 1 , wherein said channel is formed in areas where vaporized metal from the foil is embedded in at least one of said first layer or said third layer to expand the at least one of the first layer or third layer to form the expanded portion, and where there are other areas of said second layer where said channel is not formed, and in said other areas the vaporized metal from the foil is not embedded in the at least one of said first layer or said third layer and the at least one of the first layer or third layer is not expanded. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging film as in  claim 1 , wherein said channel is crushable to an original size of said second layer by a crushing force, and returns to its original shape after said crushing force is removed. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging film as in  claim 1 , wherein said exterior material includes printing thereon. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging film as in  claim 1 , further comprising a sealing valve covering and sealing said exterior breach, said sealing valve having a structure that automatically vents pressure over a specified pressure amount, but prevents gas influx. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging film as in  claim 5 , wherein said sealing valve includes a bump completely surrounding the exterior breach, and a separate layer which attracts to the bump and seals to the bump, at areas completely surrounding the exterior breach, to seal the exterior breach. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging film as in  claim 6 , wherein said bump includes a meniscus of wetting material that attracts said separate layer. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging film as in  claim 1 , wherein said channel extends into and expands only a portion of both the first layer and the third layer, to cause expanded bump areas in both the first layer and the third layer across only a part of the package, and not across the entire package. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging film as in  claim 1 , wherein the first layer of interior material forms a continuous interior surface of the package, the third layer of exterior material forms a continuous external surface of the package, the interior breach is formed in the first layer facing toward an inside of the package, the exterior breach is formed in the continuous exterior material facing away from a direction in which the interior breach is facing, and where the channel extends between the interior breach and the exterior breach and does not extend all the way across the package. 
     
     
         10 . A method of forming packaging film with an integrally formed vent, comprising:
 producing a laser output at a first location through a first layer of plastic material, to a second layer, of metallized layer foil, which is overlaid by a third layer of plastic material,   creating a second breach in the third layer at a second location laterally offset from said first location;   said producing creating a breach in the first location and creating a channel in the second layer, only in a specified location which extends from said first breach to said second breach, said channel defining an area which is expanded relative to a size of said second layer at other than said specified location, and forms a bump in said specified location,   to create a channel as an expanded area between said first breach and said second breach.   
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein said producing creates said channel in areas where vaporized metal from the foil has become embedded in at least one of said first layer or said third layer. 
     
     
         12 . The method as in  claim 10 , further comprising crushing said channel to an original size of said second layer using a crushing force; and
 Removing said crushing force, whereby said channel returns to its original shape after said crushing force is removed.   
     
     
         13 . The method as in  claim 10 , further comprising a forming sealing valve sealing said second breach, said sealing valve allowing pressure over a specified pressure amount to vent, but preventing gas influx. 
     
     
         14 . The method as in  claim 10 , wherein said channel extends into and expands both the first layer and the third layer. 
     
     
         15 . A packaging film, comprising:
 a first layer of interior material of a plastic that allows laser to pass;   a second layer including a metallized layer foil; and   a third layer of exterior material of a plastic that allows laser to pass,   said second layer being between first and third layers,   said first layer having an interior breach at a first location,   said third layer having an exterior breach at a second location laterally offset from said first location, and   said second layer having a channel formed therein, only in a specified location which extends from said interior breach to said exterior breach and which does not extend all the way across said second layer and in the location of the channel where a material of said second layer is at least partly removed and outside of which location of the channel where the second layer is not removed and is intact, said channel being an area which is expanded to form a bump in said first layer and also to form a bump in said third layer in said specified location, to expand a distance between said first and third layers in said specified location,   said bump formed with embedded parts of said second layer that are embedded into both said first layer and said third layer, and where said first layer in locations other than said specified location not having said embedded parts of said second layer therein.   
     
     
         16 . The packaging film as in  claim 15 , wherein said channel is crushable to an original size of said second layer, and returns to its original shape after a force is removed. 
     
     
         17 . The packaging film as in  claim 15 , further comprising another layer overlying said third layer, said another layer forming a sealing valve sealing said exterior breach against gas influx, but allowing pressure release from an interior of the film. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging film as in  claim 17 , wherein said sealing valve surrounds the exterior breach. 
     
     
         19 . The packaging film as in  claim 15 , further comprising a pigment in one of said layers, said pigment visible from an outside of said package, and changing color to indicate whether CO 2  is in contact with the pigment. 
     
     
         20 . The packaging film as in  claim 15 , wherein the packaging film is a pressure sensitive adhesive layer attached to a packaging material.