Pressure sensitive tape closure pouch

Claim 2

A sterilizable pouch comprising first and second opposing webs, said first web including a flap extending outwardly beyond one edge of the second web, said edge of said second web being free of said first web to provide an open mouth for said pouch, one of said webs being made from a transparent thermally stable material and the other said web being made of a steam permeable paper, said first and second webs being sealed to one another around the sides and bottom thereof to close said pouch except for said open mouth, sealing means for closing the mouth of said pouch and including a strip of adhesive on one of said webs adjacent to and spaced from said open mouth, thereby defining an adhesive free zone between said adhesive strip and said open mouth, means forming a fold line at the edge of said adhesive strip closest to said open mouth, said adhesive having a width that is greater than the width of the adhesive free zone whereby when said flap is folded about said fold line (a) said open mouth is sealed by said adhesive strip, and (b) the area from said fold line to said open mouth and throughout said adhesive free zone and an area on the web without said adhesive strip adjacent to said open mouth are engaged by said adhesive strip, to thereby form a contaminant-proof seal in said mouth, said adhesive strip having sufficient holding strength to said paper web to tear at least a portion of said paper web if said seal is opened, to thereby provide a telltale that the seal has been opened and avoid accidental resealing of a sterilized pouch.

Claim 3

The sterilizable pouch of claim 1 in which said pouch is generally rectangular in shape.

Claim 4

The sterilizable pouch of claim 1 in which the seal of the bottom is a chevron-shaped seal.

Claim 5

The sterilizable pouch of claim 1 in which said adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive and is disposed on the surface of the flap of the first web.

Claim 6

The sterilizable pouch of claim 1 in which said adhesive strip includes a pressure sensitive adhesive and is disposed on the surface of the second web.

Claim 7

The sterilizable pouch of claim 1 in which said adhesive strip includes a pressure sensitive adhesive and said strip is spaced about 3/8 of an inch from the edge of the second web.

Claim 8

The sterilizable pouch of claim 1 in which said adhesive strip includes a pressure sensitive adhesive and has a width of about 3/4 of an inch.

Claim 9

A steam-sterilizable, self sealing pouch of generally rectangular shape comprising a first web of a thermally stable transparent film, a second generally coextensive web of a steam permeable paper, having the sides and the bottom of the webs sealed together thereby leaving an unsealed end, the bottom seal being chevron shaped; the steam permeable paper web extending beyond the unsealed end of the film web to define a flap, pressure sensitive adhesive sealing means positioned across the flap to its side edges, said pressure sensitive adhesive having a width of about 3/4 of an inch and spaced about 3/8 of an inch from the unsealed end of the film web thereby defining an adhesive free zone, the edge of the pressure sensitive adhesive nearest the film web generally defining a fold line whereby when the pouch is sealed closed the flap is sealed to itself from said fold line to said open mouth and throughout said adhesive free zone and to the first film web to form a contaminant proof seal, said adhesive means having sufficient holding strength to the paper after sterilization to tear at least a portion of the paper structure when the pressure sensitive end closure is opened to thereby provide a telltale that the seal has been opened and avoid accidental resealing of a sterilized pouch.

Claim 10

A steam-sterilizable, self sealing pouch of generally rectangular shape comprising a first web of a thermally stable transparent film, a second generally coextensive web of a steam permeable paper, having the sides and the bottom of the webs sealed together thereby leaving an unsealed end, the bottom seal being chevron shaped; the steam permeable paper web extending beyond the unsealed end of the film web to define a flap, pressure sensitive adhesive sealing means positioned across the flap to its side edges, said pressure sensitive adhesive having a width of about 3/4 of an inch and spaced about 3/8 of an inch from the unsealed end of the film web thereby defining an adhesive free zone, the edge of the pressure sensitive adhesive nearest the film web generally defining a fold line whereby when the pouch is sealed closed the flap is sealed to itself from said fold line to said open mouth and throughout said adhesive free zone and to the first film web to form a contaminant proof seal, said adhesive means having sufficient holding strength to the paper after sterilization to tear at least a portion of the paper structure when the pressure sensitive end closure is opened to thereby provide a telltale that the seal has been opened and avoid accidental resealing of a sterilized pouch.

Claim 11

A steam-sterilizable, self sealing pouch of generally rectangular shape comprising a first web of a thermally stable transparent film, a second web of a steam premeable paper, having the sides and the bottom of the webs sealed together thereby leaving an unsealed end, the bottom seal being chevron shaped; the paper web extending beyond the film web to define a flap, pressure sensitive adhesive sealing means equal in length to the size of the unsealed end positioned across the film web and spaced about 3/8 of an inch from the unsealed end of the film web thereby defining an adhesive free zone, the width of the pressure sensitive adhesive sealing means being about 3/4 of an inch, the edge of the adhesive nearest the unsealed end generally defining a fold line whereby when the pouch is sealed closed the film is sealed to itself from said fold line to said open mouth and throughout said adhesive free zone and to the flap to form a contaminant proof seal, said adhesive means having sufficient holding strength to the paper after sterilization to tear at least a portion of the paper structure when the pressure sensitive end closure is opened to thereby provide a telltale that the seal has been opened and avoid accidental resealing of a sterilized pouch.

Claim 12

A steam-sterilizable, self sealing pouch of generally rectangular shape comprising a first web of a thermally stable transparent film, a second web of a steam premeable paper, having the sides and the bottom of the webs sealed together thereby leaving an unsealed end, the bottom seal being chevron shaped; the paper web extending beyond the film web to define a flap, pressure sensitive adhesive sealing means equal in length to the size of the unsealed end positioned across the film web and spaced about 3/8 of an inch from the unsealed end of the film web thereby defining an adhesive free zone, the width of the pressure sensitive adhesive sealing means being about 3/4 of an inch, the edge of the adhesive nearest the unsealed end generally defining a fold line whereby when the pouch is sealed closed the film is sealed to itself from said fold line to said open mouth and throughout said adhesive free zone and to the flap to form a contaminant proof seal, said adhesive means having sufficient holding strength to the paper after sterilization to tear at least a portion of the paper structure when the pressure sensitive end closure is opened to thereby provide a telltale that the seal has been opened and avoid accidental resealing of a sterilized pouch.

Claim 15

A sterilizable pouch comprising first and second opposing webs, one of said webs being made from a plastic material and the other said web being made of a steam permeable paper, means defining an open mouth for said pouch, said first and second webs being sealed to one another to close said pouch except for said open mouth, sealing means for closing the mouth of said pouch and including a strip of adhesive on one of said webs adjacent to and spaced from said open mouth, thereby defining an adhesive free zone between said adhesive strip and said open mouth, means forming a fold line at the edge of said adhesive strip closest to said open mouth, said adhesive strip having a width that is greater than the width of the adhesive free zone whereby when said pouch is folded about said fold line (a) said open mouth is sealed by said adhesive strip, and (b) the area from said fold line to said open mouth and throughout said adhesive free zone and an area on the web without said adhesive strip adjacent to said open mouth are engaged by said adhesive strip, to thereby form a contaminant-proof seal in said mouth.

Claim 16

A sterilizable pouch comprising first and second opposing webs, one of said webs being made from a plastic material and the other said web being made of a steam permeable paper, means defining an open mouth for said pouch, said first and second webs being sealed to one another to close said pouch except for said open mouth, sealing means for closing the mouth of said pouch and including a strip of adhesive on one of said webs adjacent to and spaced from said open mouth, thereby defining an adhesive free zone between said adhesive strip and said open mouth, means forming a fold line at the edge of said adhesive strip closest to said open mouth, said adhesive strip having a width that is greater than the width of the adhesive free zone whereby when said pouch is folded about said fold line (a) said open mouth is sealed by said adhesive strip, and (b) the area from said fold line to said open mouth and throughout said adhesive free zone and an area on the web without said adhesive strip adjacent to said open mouth are engaged by said adhesive strip, to thereby form a contaminant-proof seal in said mouth.

Claim 17

A sterilizable pouch having a width dimension and a length dimension, said pouch comprising: first and second opposing webs, one of said webs being made from a plastic material and the other said web being made of a steam permeable paper, means defining an open mouth for said pouch, said open mouth extending widthwise of said pouch perpendicular to the pouch length dimension and adjacent to and parallel with one pouch end, the width dimension of said open mouth being less than the width dimension of said pouch, said first and second webs being heat-sealed to one another to close said pouch except for said open mouth, sealing means for closing the mouth of said pouch and including a widthwise extending generally rectangular strip of pressure sensitive adhesive on said other web adjacent to and in spaced parallel relationship with said open mouth, thereby defining a rectangularly shaped adhesive free zone between said adhesive strip and said open mouth, said adhesive strip extending completely across the width dimension of said pouch so as to be wider than said open mouth, means forming a fold line at the edge of said adhesive strip closest to said open mouth, said adhesive strip having a lengthwise dimension that is greater than the lengthwise dimension of the adhesive free zone whereby when said pouch is folded about said fold line (a) said open mouth is sealed by said adhesive strip, and (b) the area from said fold line to said open mouth and throughout said adhesive free zone, an area on the web without said adhesive strip adjacent to said open mouth and areas outwardly of each end of the open mouth are all engaged by said adhesive strip, to thereby form a contaminant-proof seal in said mouth.

Claim 18

A sterilizable pouch having a width dimension and a length dimension, said pouch comprising: first and second opposing webs, one of said webs being made from a plastic material and the other said web being made of a steam permeable paper, means defining an open mouth for said pouch, said open mouth extending widthwise of said pouch perpendicular to the pouch length dimension and adjacent to and parallel with one pouch end, the width dimension of said open mouth being less than the width dimension of said pouch, said first and second webs being heat-sealed to one another to close said pouch except for said open mouth, sealing means for closing the mouth of said pouch and including a widthwise extending generally rectangular strip of pressure sensitive adhesive on said other web adjacent to and in spaced parallel relationship with said open mouth, thereby defining a rectangularly shaped adhesive free zone between said adhesive strip and said open mouth, said adhesive strip extending completely across the width dimension of said pouch so as to be wider than said open mouth, means forming a fold line at the edge of said adhesive strip closest to said open mouth, said adhesive strip having a lengthwise dimension that is greater than the lengthwise dimension of the adhesive free zone whereby when said pouch is folded about said fold line (a) said open mouth is sealed by said adhesive strip, and (b) the area from said fold line to said open mouth and throughout said adhesive free zone, an area on the web without said adhesive strip adjacent to said open mouth and areas outwardly of each end of the open mouth are all engaged by said adhesive strip, to thereby form a contaminant-proof seal in said mouth.

Claim 19

The sterilizable pouch of claim 12 in which said other web extends outwardly from one end of said one web to define a flap, and wherein said adhesive strip extends across the free end of said flap.