EP0175451A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Flexible multiple layer packaging film and packages made from such film
Assignee: Primerica Inc
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Filing: 1985-07-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-07-17
Abstract
Abstract 57 A flexible polymeric multilayer packaging film permits an easy-opening package (Fig. 7) to be produced by heat sealing two layers of film together. The film has at least five layers, namely a heat sealable layer (712), a central gas barrier layer (716) and a moisture-resistant layer (720), plus two adhesive layers (714, 718) respectively located between the heat sealable layer and the central layer, and between the latter and the olefinic layer. The package is formed with a heat seal between two confronting heat sealable layers (712), the seal having such strength that the layers (712) are effectively inseparable. If the two layers of film are subjected to oppositely-directed pulls (arrowed), ply separation occurs at an interface between layers other than the heat sealable layers (712), following a partial tearing of the film. As shown, tearing is through a heat sealable layer (712) and the associated adhesive layer (714) adjacent the heat seal and ply separation occurs between the latter layer (714) and the central layer (716) and propagates through the area of the seal to open the package.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph Ching-Hsiang Hsu
- 👤 Anthony C. Guckenberger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 23:25
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B27/00; B32B27/06; B32B27/08; B32B27/30; B32B27/306; B32B27/34; B32B7/00; B32B7/04; B32B7/06; B32B7/12; B65; B65D; B65D75/00; B65D75/52; B65D75/58; B65D75/5855; B32B2307/00; B32B2307/30; B32B2307/31; B32B2307/70; B32B2307/724; B32B2307/7242; B32B2307/7244; B32B2307/7246; B32B2439/00; B32B2439/40; B32B2439/46; B32B2553/00; B65D75/26; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/1334; Y10T428/1338; Y10T428/1341; Y10T428/28; Y10T428/2813; Y10T428/2817; Y10T428/2826; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31725; Y10T428/31739; Y10T428/31743; Y10T428/31746; Y10T428/31855; Y10T428/31909; Y10T428/31913; Y10T428/31928
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
A flexible, multiple layer packaging film having interfacial adhesion between the confronting pairs of adjacent layers, the film comprising, in order: (a) a first layer of a heat sealable polymer capable of forming strong seals; (b) a second layer of an olefin-based adhesive polymer having good adhesion to said first layer; (c) a third layer whose composition is selected from ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, a polyamide-based polymer, and blends of ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer with a polyamide-based polymer such as nylon; (d) a fourth layer of an olefin-based adhesive polymer; and (e) a fifth layer of an olefinic polymer selected from polypropylene, polyethylene, and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer having less than about 5% by weight vinyl acetate, said film being susceptible to being made into a flexible, sealed package having good oxygen and moisture barrier properties, and strong seals between confronting layers of the heat sealable polymer, the force required to peel apart a seal between the heat sealable layers being greater than the force required to tear partially through the film to an interface between a given two or said layers and to separate the said two layers by ply separation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
A flexible, multiple layer packaging film having interfacial adhesion between the confronting pairs of adjacent layers, the film comprising, in order: (a) a first layer of a heat sealable polymer capable of forming strong seals; (b) a second layer of an olefin-based adhesive polymer having good adhesion to said first layer; (c) a third layer whose composition is selected from ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, a polyamide-based polymer, and blends of ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer with a polyamide-based polymer such as nylon; (d) a fourth layer of an olefin-based adhesive polymer; and (e) a fifth layer of an olefinic polymer selected from polypropylene, polyethylene, and ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer having less than about 5% by weight vinyl acetate, said film being susceptible to being made into a flexible, sealed package having good oxygen and moisture barrier properties, and strong seals between confronting layers of the heat sealable polymer, the force required to peel apart a seal between the heat sealable layers being greater than the force required to tear partially through the film to an interface between a given two or said layers and to separate the said two layers by ply separation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
A film according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is ionomer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A film according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the composition of the second layer is selected from anhydride modified ethylene vinyl acetate, anhydride modified polyethylene and anhydride modified low density polyethylene.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A film according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the composition of the fifth layer is chosen from low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene copolymer and high density polyethylene.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
143 words
A flexible multiple layer packaging film, comprising, in order: (a) a first layer comprising ionomer; (b) a second layer comprising an olefin-based adhesive polymer having good adhesion to said first layer, said olefin base being selected from ethylene vinyl acetate and low density polyethylene; (c) a third layer whose composition is selected from nylon, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, and a blend of nylon and said polymer, (d) a fourth layer comprisng an olefin-based adhesive polymer, said olefin base being chosen from ethylene vinyl acetate and low density polyethylene; and (e) a fifth layer comprising an olefinic polymer selected from low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene copolymer, and high density polyethylene, said film being susceptible to being made into a flexible package having hermetic seals, peelable opening without tearing across the entire thickness of said film, and good oxygen and moisture barrier properties.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
143 words
A flexible multiple layer packaging film, comprising, in order: (a) a first layer comprising ionomer; (b) a second layer comprising an olefin-based adhesive polymer having good adhesion to said first layer, said olefin base being selected from ethylene vinyl acetate and low density polyethylene; (c) a third layer whose composition is selected from nylon, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, and a blend of nylon and said polymer, (d) a fourth layer comprisng an olefin-based adhesive polymer, said olefin base being chosen from ethylene vinyl acetate and low density polyethylene; and (e) a fifth layer comprising an olefinic polymer selected from low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene copolymer, and high density polyethylene, said film being susceptible to being made into a flexible package having hermetic seals, peelable opening without tearing across the entire thickness of said film, and good oxygen and moisture barrier properties.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A film according to claim 5, wherein the olefin base in both the second and fourth layers is ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A film according to any of claims 1 to 6, further including an abuse resistant layer adhered to the said fifth layer by an adhesive material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A film according to claim 7, wherein the abuse resistant layer is oriented polypropylene and the adhesive material is low density polyethylene.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
A film according to any of claims 1 to 6, further including a sixth adhesive layer of polyethylene, a seventh layer of metal foil, an eighth layer of ethylene acrylic acid copolymer and a ninth layer of oriented polypropylene.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
78 words
A closed and sealed package made with packaging materials including multiple layer packaging film, said package having been closed by seals e.g. hermetic seals between surface layers of portions of the said packaging materials, the seals having sufficient strength to discourage or prevent opening of the package by separation of the seals, and the package being susceptible of being opened, by a combination of tearing partially through the thickness of the said film and by ply separation peeling.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
78 words
A closed and sealed package made with packaging materials including multiple layer packaging film, said package having been closed by seals e.g. hermetic seals between surface layers of portions of the said packaging materials, the seals having sufficient strength to discourage or prevent opening of the package by separation of the seals, and the package being susceptible of being opened, by a combination of tearing partially through the thickness of the said film and by ply separation peeling.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
97 words
A package according to claim 10, wherein the packaging film comprises, from the inner layer outwardly: (a) a first layer of ionomer, e.g. surlyn ionomer; (b) a second layer of an olefin-based adhesive polymer having good adhesion to the first layer; (c) a third layer whose composition is selected from ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, a polyamide-based polymer such as nylon, and blends of ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer with a polyamide-based polymer, such as nylon; (d) a fourth layer of an olefin-based adhesive polymer; and (e) a fifth layer of an olefinic polymer selected from polyethylenes and polypropylenes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A package according to claim 11, wherein the olefin base of either or both of the second and fourth layers is chosen from ethylene vinyl acetate and low density polyethylene, and the fifth layer is low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene copolymer, or high density polyethylene.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
An hermetically sealed package according to claim 12, wherein said olefin base in either or both the second layer and the fourth layer is ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
43 words
An hermetically sealed package according to claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein the olefin base in both the second and fourth layers is ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, the third layer is ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, and the fifth layer is low density polyethylene.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
A package according to claim 11, 12, 13 or 14, further including an abuse resistant layer adhered to said fifth layer by an adhesive layer, the said abuse resistant layer for example being oriented polypropylene, and the said adhesive layer for example being low density polyethylene.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
A package according to any of claims 11 to 14, further including a sixth layer of polyethylene adhesive, a seventh layer of metal foil, an eighth layer of ethylene acrylic acid copolymer adhesive or of low density polyethylene adhesive, and a ninth layer of oriented polypropylene.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
203 words
In a package made from a multiple layer packaging film having a plurality of layers and having heat seals, a method of opening said package, said method comprising the steps of: (a) constructing said film with an interface between two of the layers which interface has a peel strength of 50 to 400 grams per inch width (19.7 to 157 g/cm), and comprises a peelable interface; (b) positioning said film in closure relationship to make a package; (c) closing and sealing said package with heat seals, such that the force required to peel apart the heat seals is greater than the force required to tear partially through said film to the said interface and to separate said two layers by ply separation; and (d) pulling outwardly on opposite sides of the closed and sealed package at locations inward of the said seals, thus applying force tending to separate the sides of the package at the seals; whereby said seals remain intact, and said packaging film tears from the inner layer outwardly, partially through said film, to said peelable interface, the tear then progressing along said peelable interface to the outer edge of the package, thereby opening the package for access to contents thereof.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
203 words
In a package made from a multiple layer packaging film having a plurality of layers and having heat seals, a method of opening said package, said method comprising the steps of: (a) constructing said film with an interface between two of the layers which interface has a peel strength of 50 to 400 grams per inch width (19.7 to 157 g/cm), and comprises a peelable interface; (b) positioning said film in closure relationship to make a package; (c) closing and sealing said package with heat seals, such that the force required to peel apart the heat seals is greater than the force required to tear partially through said film to the said interface and to separate said two layers by ply separation; and (d) pulling outwardly on opposite sides of the closed and sealed package at locations inward of the said seals, thus applying force tending to separate the sides of the package at the seals; whereby said seals remain intact, and said packaging film tears from the inner layer outwardly, partially through said film, to said peelable interface, the tear then progressing along said peelable interface to the outer edge of the package, thereby opening the package for access to contents thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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