Breast milk bag

Abstract

The present invention relates to a breast milk bag (2) comprising a bag body (4) defining a milk reservoir (6) between a bottom end (14), a top end (18) and two lateral side ends (20, 22). The bottom end (14) is adopted to support the milk bag (2) when standing upright. The top end (18) is provided opposite to the bottom end (14). Each lateral side end (20, 22) extends between the bottom end (14) and the top end (18). An upper opening (32) is provided between the top end (18) and the milk reservoir (6) and at least one of the lateral side ends (22) is provided with a side opening (44) covered by a side closure strip (48). To pour milk out of the milk reservoir (6) with a limited risk of soiling the area around the breast milk bag (2) and to avoid contamination of the area of the side opening (44) the breast milk bag (2) has a side closure strip (48) having an upper sealing area (50) joined to an upper sealed portion (40) of the lateral side end (22) above the side opening (44), a lower sealing area (52) joined to a lower sealed portion joined (42) to the lateral side end (22) below the side opening (44) and a mid sealing area (54) covering and in part provid- ing the side opening (44). A lateral separation line (46) is provided for opening the side opening (44) by removal of the closure strip (48). This lateral separation line (46) separates the upper sealing area (50) from the upper sealed portion (40) and the lower sealing area (52) from the lower sealed portion (42) and extends through the side opening (44).

Description

[0001] Breast Milk Bag

[0002] The present invention relates to a breast milk bag comprising a bag body defining a milk reservoir between a bottom end and top end and two lateral side ends. The bottom end of the bag body is adapted to support milk bag when standing upright. The top end is provided opposite to the bottom end. Each of the lateral side ends extend between the bottom end and top end. Furthermore, there is provided an upper opening between the top end and the milk reservoir. This upper opening is adapted to allow breast milk to be introduced into the milk reservoir for storage. Respective upper opening may extend from one lateral side end to the other. At least one of the lateral side ends is provided with a side opening, which side opening is covered by a side closure strip.

[0003] The above features of the present invention are e.g. likewise known from CN 215 400 355 U1. In this prior art breast milk bag, lateral side openings are provided on both lateral side ends, which lateral side openings are covered by the side closure strip contained in a upper recesses each being provided on opposite sides of the two lateral side ends in an upper region of the milk bag. Within each recess, the side closure strip having a pyramidal shape is formed. The top of the pyramid is provided with a tear line which can be torn off from the bag body to open the respective side opening for allowing milk to be poured out of the milk reservoir.

[0004] The breast milk bag is used to temporarily store expressed human breast milk, which is valuable liquid. For those reasons, contamination of the milk within the milk reservoir shall by all means be prevented and clean pouring out conditions must be safeguarded.

[0005] The prior art breast milk bag has the disadvantage that due to the way the side closure strip is removed, milk received within the milk reservoir may overflow and soil the area around the breast milk bag. Moreover, removal of the side closure strip by cutting e.g. via scissors or by stripping away of the side closure strip by hand may lead to contamination of the area of the side opening as the scissors or the hand will have to directly act on milk bag where it is opened to allow pouring of the breast milk out of the milk reservoir.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a breast milk bag which allows pouring out of milk with a limited risk of soiling the area around the milk bag and contaminating the area of the side opening and thus the reservoir.

[0007] As a solution to the above object, the present invention provides a breast milk bag with a closure strip, which may have an upper sealing area, a lower sealing area and a mid sealing area. The upper sealing area is joined to an upper sealed portion of the lateral side end having the side opening, which upper sealed portion is arranged above said side opening. The lower sealing area may be joined to a lower sealed portion joined to the lateral side end below the side opening. The mid sealing area of the closure strip covers and in part provides the side opening. For removal of the closure strip in order to open the side opening a lateral separation line is provided. This lateral separation line separates the upper sealed portion from the upper sealing area and / or separates the lower sealing area from the lower sealed portion. Further, this lateral separation line extends through the side opening. The lateral separation line usually extends as a straight line.

[0008] At least one of the upper sealing area and the lower sealing area, preferably, at least the upper sealing area of the closure strip may have a considerable extension in lateral direction of the bag body, which lateral extension allows the user to at least grip the upper sealing area between two fingers.

[0009] In case only one of the upper sealing area and the lower sealing area is provided, the other area below or above the side opening may be provided with a weld line, which weld line usually connects at least two plastic foils surrounding the milk reservoir and which weld line has a smaller width than the upper sealing area and / or the lower sealing area. This weld line may form a closure seal, which provides a laterally closure for the side opening and is part of the side closure strip.

[0010] The upper sealing area may have an extension longer than the width of the finger supposing that the user will essentially grip the side closure strip with the respective fingers extending essentially perpendicular to the respective lateral side end having the side opening.

[0011] The separation line preferably separates the upper sealing area and the upper sealed portion over an extension of at least 15 mm, preferably at least 19 mm and usually not more than 20 mm and not more than preferably 25 mm. In comparison to this, the extension of the separation line separating and the other sealing area and the respective sealed portion, i.e. on a regular basis the lower sealing area and the lower sealed portion is shorter. This lower portion of the separation line preferably extends over the sealing area and the lower sealed portion over a length of 15 mm or less.

[0012] The upper sealed portion and the upper sealing area are neighboring closed portions usually of two sealed plastic foils, which essentially surround the milk reservoir. The portions may be closed by completely welding the plastic foils against each other to form a sealed area comprising the upper sealed portion and the upper sealing area. A respective constitution is provided on the other side of the side opening. Here, the lower sealed portion is next to the lower sealing area. The lateral separation line intersects two portions usually of a common weld, which weld connects the two plastic foils.

[0013] The preferred embodiment of the upper sealing area and the upper sealed portion having an extension suitable to grip the upper sealing area between the fingers may likewise or alternatively be provided below the side opening, i.e. between the side opening and the bottom end.

[0014] The inventive breast milk bag may allow the user to either tear off the side closure strip by gripping the upper sealing area and / or by gripping the lower sealing area. The present inventors have found that tearing off the side closure strip at the upper sealing area is advantageous for further reducing spillage of the milk when tearing off the side closure strip as the other hand of the user may hold the milk bag at or near the upper end. In other words, this embodiment with a sufficiently wide upper sealing area will allow the user to tear the side closure strip away from the upper end while at the same time holding the milk bag close at the upper end. Such holding will secure a maximum distance between the side opening and the bottom end and thus will keep the upper level of the milk reservoir away from the side opening with maximum possible distance.

[0015] Preferably, the lateral separation line may extend parallel to the lateral end and / or a lateral seal at or close to the respective lateral end.

[0016] According to a further preferred embodiment, the upper opening may intersect with the upper sealed portion and / or the upper sealing area. More preferably, a considerable proportion of the upper sealed portion extends between the upper opening and the top end whereas a considerable other proportion of the upper sealed portion extends downwardly from the upper opening towards the bottom end.

[0017] In a side view of the bag body, the side opening may have a funnel-like shape, which is provided by oblique ends of the upper sealed portion and the upper sealing area on one hand and the lower sealed portion and the lower sealed area on the other, which tapered ends taper towards each other towards the outer side of the bag body.

[0018] To allow opening of side opening by removal of the side closure strip, the lateral separation line preferably is an easy tear line, which will allow the separation of the side closure strip from the remaining bag body by tearing. In other words, no scissors or other tooling is required to remove the side closure strip from the rest of the bag body.

[0019] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bag body is formed by a plastic foil which a unitary material composition. This facilitates recycling of the milk bag and is to be understood as a counterproposal to the prior art approach, where two or multiple layers define walls of different characteristics within the plastic foil, which walls surround the milk reservoir. In prior art, the multilayer structure may e.g. comprise a plastic foil material in one layer, which is e.g. a barrier against oxygen, while another layer may provide a barrier against water vapor and / or a further layer and thus material composition may will reduce exposure of the breast milk received within the reservoir to light radiating onto the breast milk bag.

[0020] The plastic foil of the present invention may comprise at least two layers of a unitary material composition bound together, so that the bag can most conveniently be recycled while still providing different functionality. The material forming the bag in particular is low-density polyethylene and one of the side is double-layered allowing the product to self-stand. According to a preferred embodiment, the breast milk bag furthermore has reclosable opening means assigned to the upper opening for opening and closing the same. The reclosable opening means will allow to close the milk reservoir once the breast milk to be stored within breast bag has been poured into the milk reservoir. In a closed stage, the upper opening will be sealed to at least prevent breast milk contained in the reservoir from exiting the same through the upper opening. The reclosable opening means preferably is a zipper, e.g. a double zipper.

[0021] According to a further preferred embodiment, the top end is sealed by a top seal, which top seal is connected to the lateral side ends and / or the lateral seals provided on or next to the lateral ends. The top separation line is provided between the top seal and the upper opening and intersects with both lateral side ends and / or the seals provided there or in close vicinity thereto.

[0022] According to a still further preferred embodiment an enlarged holding area is formed at a corner section, where a lateral seal e.g. the upper sealed portion intersects with the top seal. This enlarged holding area may by formed by two fully connected, i.e. welded plastic foils which surround the reservoir. This enlarged holding area have size allowing two fingers of the user extending essentially perpendicular to the top seal to grip the enlarged holding area without getting close to or in contact with unsealed portions of the plastic foils near the top seal. The enlarged holding area may have a length extending parallel to the top seal of between 5 and at least 15 mm.

[0023] The breast milk bag is preferably disposable and enables easy pouring of the milk out of it through the side opening. When breast milk is poured out, milk contamination is counteracted or prevented because no need of using scissors or bringing the fingers in contact with the side opening exists in order to remove the closure strip. The structure of the closure strip also makes it easy tearing off thereof.

[0024] Further advantages and features of the present invention will be become apparent from the following description of an embodiment in combination with the drawing, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is an enlarged side view of detail I of figure 1 ;

[0027] Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along line Ill-Ill in figure 1 ;

[0028] Figure 4 exemplifies the holding of the embodiment when pouring out milk through the side opening.

[0029] In figure 1 reference number 2 identifies a breast milk bag with a bag body 4 defining milk reservoir 6. The bag body 4 is formed of plastic foil 8. The bag body 4 essentially is a pouch which made of two major sheets of plastic foil, identified in figure 3, with reference number 10, and one or two minor sheets 12 close to a bottom end 14 to allow the pouch to be expanded by folding such that the bag body 4 can be supported by the bottom end 14 in an upright position. Said unfolded state is depicted in figure 3 with an enlarged base 16 at the bottom end 14. Reference number 18 identifies a top end opposite to the bottom end 14. Between the bottom end 14 and the top end 18 lateral side ends extend. Reference number 20 identifies a left lateral side end whereas reference number 22 identifies a right lateral side end. In the embodiment, the lateral side ends 20, 22 are defined by the lateral end of major sheets 10 and / or the minor sheets 12. In close vicinity to this end, there is provided a weld line 26, which circumferentially encloses the milk reservoir 6.

[0030] This weld line 26 provides a top seal 28, which top seal 28 joins the two major sheets 10 at the top end 18. Extending parallel to said top seal 28 and towards the bottom end 14 there is provided a top separation line 30. This top separation line 30 is adapted to be torn off in order to expose an upper opening 32 on the outer side of the breast milk bag 2 at the top thereof. Evidently, the top seal 28 is provided to supply the breast milk bag 2 to the user in a completely sealed and thus clean and sterile condition.

[0031] The upper opening 32 is reclosable by reclosable opening means 34 in form of a zipper 36.

[0032] The upper opening 32 intersects with a left lateral seal 38 formed by a portion of the weld line 26 and on the other lateral side with an upper sealed portion 40 likewise formed by the weld line 26. Thus, the reclosable opening means 34 are adapted to fully seal the reservoir 6 on the upper side thereby preventing milk received within the milk reservoir 6 from leaking out of breast milk bag 2.

[0033] Another portion of the weld line 26 forms a lower sealed portion 42. The upper sealed portion 40 and the lower sealed portion 42 define there between a side opening 44.

[0034] Reference number 46 identifies a lateral separation line, which intersects the side opening 44. In figure 2 and on the right-hand side of said lateral separation line 46 there is provided a side closure strip 48 having an upper sealing area 50 level with the upper sealed portion 40 and a lower sealing area 52 level with the lower sealed portion 42.

[0035] This side closure strip 48 furthermore has a mid sealing area 54 arranged between the upper sealing area 50 and the lower sealing area 52. This mid sealing area 54 provides in part the side opening 44. In other words, unsealed material of the major sheets 10 are arranged on the right-hand side of the lateral separation line 46 in figures 1 and 2. In the present embodiment, the major sheets 10 are completely welded together in a first area including the upper sealed portion 40 and the upper sealing area 50 on one hand and a second area extending over the lower sealed portion 42 and the lower sealing area 52. Those first and second sealed areas are each provided in an essentially rectangular form. The upper sealing area 50 may have a size of about 12 to 35 mm2and 14 to 40 mm2.

[0036] The lateral extension of the first area is between 15 and 25 mm and suitable to be sandwiched between two fingers of a user while still projection those fingers extending essentially perpendicular to the right lateral side end 22. The lateral extension of the second area is smaller than the lateral extension of the first area.

[0037] The contour of the second area tapers inwardly towards the side opening 44. The same applies to the contour shown in figure 2 between the side opening 44 and the second area.

[0038] The mid sealing area 52 is provided with a closure seal 56, which laterally closes the side opening 44 and is aligned with the outer lateral side of the upper sealing area 50 and the lower sealing area 52, thereby connecting those sealing areas 50, 52 in lateral direction.

[0039] At a corner section, where the lateral seal i.e. the upper sealed portion 40 intersects with the top seal 28 an enlarged holding area 58 is formed by a third fully welded area. This enlarged holding area 58 has size allowing two fingers of the user extending essentially perpendicular to the top seal 28 to grip the enlarged holding area 58 without getting close to or in contact with unsealed portions of the plastic foil 8 near the top seal 28.

[0040] For using the breast milk bag, the user will first the sealed holding area 58 to remove the uppermost portion of the bag body 4 containing the top seal 28. For this, the user will tear off the uppermost end along the top separation 30, thereby exposing the above opening 32 to ambient. In doing so, the user may with the other hand hold the breast milk bag 2 at the upper sealing area 50 by sandwiching this upper sealing area 50 between the fingers.

[0041] After this, the breast milk bag 2 is ready for receiving expressed breast milk. This breast milk will be filled into the reservoir 6 through the upper opening 32. After that, the upper opening 32 may be closed by means of the zipper 36. Then, the breast bag 2 may be stored in a refrigerator or a freezer to keep the expressed breast milk under conserving conditions.

[0042] For use and after the expressed breast milk may have assumed a temperature suitable for feeding the breast milk to a newborn, the user will open the breast milk bag 2 for pouring out the milk, as shown in figure 4. Fordoing so, the user will remove the side closure strip 48 by squeezing the upper sealing area 50 between two fingers and simultaneously holding the breast milk bag 2 near its top end 18. The user will tear off the side closure strip 48 along the lateral separation line 46. The fingers of the user will only contact the upper sealing area 50, due to its lateral extension discussed above. In other words, the user's hand will not be close to the or in contact with the side opening 44. Thus, the sanitized conditions within the bag body 4 including the sanitized conditions at the side opening 44 will not be jeopardized while the user pours out the breast milk from the milk reservoir as exemplified in figure 4.

[0043] As exemplified with above description, the present invention provides a breast milk bag 2, which prevents contamination of the milk inside the bag body 4 including the area of the side opening 44. Moreover, the risk of soiling of the area around the breast milk bag 2 is greatly reduced as the side opening 44 is arranged in an upper area close to the upper opening 32 and breast milk bag 2 can be held at the top end 18 in an upright orientation and with the milk level sufficiently below the side opening 44 during removal of the side closure, strip 48 and thereafter and before intentional pouring out the breast milk is commenced.

[0044] Reference list breast milk bag bag body milk reservoir plastic foil major sheet minor sheet bottom end base top end left lateral side end right lateral side end weld line top seal top separation line upper opening reclosable opening means zipper left lateral seal upper sealed portion lower sealed portion side opening lateral separation line side closure strip upper sealing area lower sealing area mid sealing area closure seal sealed holding area

Claims

Claims1. A breast milk bag (2) comprising a bag body (4) defining a milk reservoir (6) between a bottom end (14), a top end (18) and two lateral side ends (20, 22), wherein the bottom end (14) is adopted to support the milk bag (2) when standing upright, wherein the top end (18) is provided opposite to the bottom end (14), wherein each lateral side end (20, 22) extends between the bottom end (14) and the top end (18), wherein an upper opening (32) is provided between the top end (18) and the milk reservoir (6 ) and wherein at least one of the lateral side ends (22) is provided with a side opening (44) covered by a side closure strip (48), characterized in that the side closure strip (48) has an upper sealing area (50) joined to an upper sealed portion (40) of the lateral side end (22) above the side opening (44) and / or a lower sealing area (52) joined to a lower sealed portion (42) of the lateral side end (22) below the side opening (44) and a mid sealing area (54) covering and in part providing the side opening (44), wherein a lateral separation line (46) provided for opening the side opening (44) by removal of the closure strip (48) separates the upper sealing area (50) from the upper sealed portion (40) and / or the lower sealing area (52) from the lower sealed portion (42) and extends through the side opening (44).

2. The breast milk bag (2) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the lateral separation line (46) separates the upper sealing area (50) and the upper sealed portion (40) over an extension of at least 15 mm.

3. The breast milk bag (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lateral separation line (46) separates the lower sealing area (52) and the lower sealed portion (42) over an extension of not more than 15 mm.

4. The breast milk bag (2) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lateral separation line (46) is an easy tear line.

5. The breast milk bag (2) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bag body (4) is formed by welded layers of a plastic foil (8) surrounding the milk reservoir (6).

6. The breast milk bag (2) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bag body (4) is formed by a plastic foil (8) with a unitary material composition.

7. The breast milk bag (2) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the plastic foil (8) is low density polyethylene.

8. The breast milk bag (2) according to any of the preceding claims characterized by reclos- able opening means (34) assigned to the upper opening (32) for opening and closing the same.

9. The breast milk bag (2) according to claim 8, characterized in that the reclosable opening means (34) is a zipper (36).

10. The breast milk bag (2) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the top end is sealed by a top seal (28), which top seal (28) is connected to the lateral side ends (20, 22), and wherein top separation line (30) is provided between the top seal (28) and the upper opening (32) and intersects both lateral side ends (20, 22) .

11. The breast milk bag (2) according to claim 10, characterized in that a corner section of the top seal (28) is enlarged to provide a holding area (58).

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