Insulated packaging material and pouch formed thereof

• US 20030129335A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Performance Materials NA, Inc. (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cosentino, Steven R., Procaccini, Susan D., Benim, Thomas E., Hunderup, Peter R., Lee, Ross A., Chamberlin, Susan G., Chambers, Jeffrey A., Visiolo, Donna L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,887,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/35.7
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/0878 Shrunk on the bottle
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3874 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3886 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/02 Forms or constructions layered products B32B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1054 and simultaneously bonding [e.g., cut-seaming]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1085 One web only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1313 Cutting element simultaneously bonds [e.g., cut seaming]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1307 Bag or tubular film [e.g., pouch, flexible food casing, envelope, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1328 Shrinkable or shrunk [e.g., due to heat, solvent, volatile agent, restraint removal, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1334 Nonself-supporting tubular film or bag [e.g., pouch, envelope, packet, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1338 Elemental metal containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1355 Elemental metal containing [e.g., substrate, foil, film, coating, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1362 Textile, fabric, cloth, or pile containing [e.g., web, net, woven, knitted, mesh, nonwoven, matted, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1438 Metal containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1443 Aluminum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1486 : Ornamental, decorative, pattern, or indicia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24124 : Fibers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24843 : with heat sealable or heat releasable adhesive layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2486 : with outer strippable or release layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24876 : Intermediate layer contains particulate material [e.g., pigment, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 : including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 : including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 : Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24959 : of adhesive layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24967 : Absolute thicknesses specified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2848 : Three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31565 : Next to polyester [polyethylene terephthalate, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31587 : Hydrocarbon polymer [polyethylene, polybutadiene, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31681 : Next to polyester, polyamide or polyimide [e.g., alkyd, glue, or nylon, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31736 : Next to polyester
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31775 : Paper

Abstract

An insulated packaging material includes a thermal insulating layer, which may a fiberfill batt. The batt is laminated to at least one facing layer of film, paper or fabric. The packaging material can be used as a container, such as a pouch. A food-contacting polymer material is applied to the facing layer to form the inner surface of the pouch. The packaging material may be coated on the outer facing layer with a coating material so that it is printable, thus imparting both insulating properties and print capability to the pouch.

Claims

1. An insulated packaging material, comprising:

a sheet of face material formed as a bi-layer film having a first layer and a second layer, wherein said second layer has a lower melting temperature than said first layer;

a polymer sealant layer applied to the first layer of the sheet; and

a thermal insulating layer having a thermal resistance in the range of 0.05 to 0.5 CLO (0.0077 to 0.077 m².K/W) laminated to the second layer of the sheet, to form the packaging material having a thickness in the range of 0.0075 inch (0.0190 cm.) and 0.07 ((0.1778 cm).

2. The insulating packaging material of claim 1, wherein the polymer sealant layer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyester, and copolymers thereof.

3. The insulating packaging material of claim 1, wherein the polymer sealant layer is applied to the face material as a coextruded web structure.

4. The insulating packaging material of claim 1, further comprising a second sheet of face material formed as a bi-layer film having a first layer and a second layer, wherein said second layer has a lower melting temperature than said first layer, wherein said second sheet is laminated to the thermal insulating layer.

5. The insulating packaging material of claim 1, further comprising a printable coating on the second sheet of face material.

6. An insulated pouch made of the insulated packaging material of claim 1.

7. The insulated pouch of claim 6, wherein the pouch defines a storage volume, and further comprising a fitment that facilitates access to the storage volume.

8. The insulated pouch of claim 6, wherein the pouch defines a storage volume, and further comprising a zipper that facilitates access to the storage volume.

9. The insulated pouch of claim 6, further including a frangible sealing surface.

10. A method for making an insulated packaging material, comprising:

providing a sheet of face material formed as a co-extruded film having a first layer and a second layer, wherein said second layer has a lower melting temperature than said first layer;

applying a polymer sealant layer to the first layer of the sheet; and

feeding the sheet with the applied polymer film and a thermal insulating layer having a thermal resistance in the range of 0.05 to 0.5 CLO (0.0077 to 0.077 m².K/W) into a calender roll nip to cause the sheet and thermal insulating layer to be laminated together wherein the thermal insulating layer is laminated to the second layer of the sheet, to form the packaging material having a thickness in the range of 0.0075 inch (0.0190 cm.) and 0.07 ((0.1778 cm).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the polymer sealant layer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyester, and copolymers thereof.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the polymer sealant layer is applied to the face material as a coextruded web structure.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising laminating to the thermal insulating layer a second sheet of face material formed as a co-extruded film having a first layer and a second layer, wherein said second layer has a lower melting temperature than said first layer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising applying a printable coating onto the second sheet of face material.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising sealing together edges of the insulated packaging material to form a pouch.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising installing a fitment in the pouch.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising sealing a portion of one edge of the pouch with a sealant having a lower melting point to form a frangible seal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the frangible seal is formed so as to rupture when the temperature inside a volume defined by the pouch exceeds 100°

C.