Flexible Pouch Corner Fitment with Supplemental Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large volume flexible pouches are prone to tear or failure during shipping and handling due to vibrational stresses, leading to leakage and manageability issues, as fitments on the top seal are susceptible to rubbing against the secondary package.
Innovation Solution
A package design with a corner fitment and supplemental seals that reduce stress at the fitment by preventing the product from impacting the region around it, enhancing durability and preventing leakage during shipping and handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fitments are placed along the top seal of the pouch, then ease of pouring and dispensing is improved, but the pouch is prone to tear and failure during shipping due to vibrational stresses and rubbing against the secondary package
Solution Approach 1:
The seal structure is segmented into multiple components: a top seal containing the fitment, and supplemental seals extending from the top seal toward the bottom of the pouch. This segmentation distributes the stress that would otherwise concentrate at the fitment location, preventing tear propagation while maintaining the fitment's dispensing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The supplemental seals act as pre-positioned reinforcement structures that cushion and absorb vibrational stresses before they can reach and damage the fitment area. These seals are placed in advance along the pouch walls to intercept and dissipate the mechanical energy from shipping vibrations, protecting the critical fitment-seal interface.
2Ease of operation
If fitments are placed on a corner of the pouch, then pouch manageability and dispensing ease are improved, but the pouch may still experience sidewall blowout when dropped due to the momentum of the large mass of product
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is divided into the corner fitment seal and multiple supplemental seals distributed along the pouch walls. This segmentation creates multiple load-bearing paths that distribute the impact forces from drops across the entire pouch structure, preventing concentration of stress at the corner fitment area and avoiding sidewall blowout.
Solution Approach 2:
The supplemental seals are positioned in advance along the pouch walls to intercept and absorb impact forces from drops before they can propagate to the corner fitment area. These pre-positioned seals act as energy-dissipating barriers that cushion the pouch structure against the momentum of the product mass during handling accidents.
3Reliability
If supplemental seals are added to the pouch structure, then stress at the fitment is reduced and leakage is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supplemental seals are merged with the existing pouch sealing system and are formed using the same sealing process and materials as the top seal. This integration approach adds the necessary stress-distribution function without introducing separate components or complex assembly steps, thereby maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving enhanced reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A package includes a first adjacent edge, a second adjacent edge, and a fitment seal including a fitment. The fitment seal is inclined at a fitment seal angle relative to the first adjacent seal, and connects to the first adjacent seal and the second adjacent seal. The package further includes at least one supplemental seal extending towards the first adjacent seal. The at least one supplemental seal is inclined at an angle from 90° to 180° relative to the first adjacent seal.