Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Hollow or container type article – Glass – ceramic – or sintered – fused – fired – or calcined metal...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-27
2001-07-24
Dye, Rena L. (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Hollow or container type article
Glass, ceramic, or sintered, fused, fired, or calcined metal...
C428S035700, C428S195100, C428S204000, C428S210000, C428S329000, C428S331000, C428S338000, C428S339000, C428S435000, C428S448000, C428S451000, C428S477700, C428S480000, C383S104000, C383S107000, C383S120000, C383S205000, C383S906000, C222S566000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06265038
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to transparent high barrier multilayer structures. Specifically, the present invention relates to a transparent high barrier pouch composed of a multilayer film structure having at least one layer of a polymer with a metal oxide deposition thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
High barrier flexible materials for packaging strive for glass-like properties without the weight associated with glass containers. Many inventions have been developed which attempt to reach this “Holy Grail” of the packaging industry. For example, Löfgren et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,410, for a Laminated Packing Material With Gas and Aroma Barrier Properties discloses a laminate of two thermoplastic layers, each coated with a silicon compound, bonded together by an intermediate layer of an adhesive agent. The silicon compound may be SiO
2
which provides good gas and aroma barrier properties for packages fabricated from the laminate.
Deak et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,904 for Barrier Materials Useful For Packaging discloses a multilayer structure of a 10-75 nanometer thick layer of SiO vacuum deposited on a resin substrate of either polyester or polyamide with at least a 20 nanometer thick layer of SiO
2
vacuum deposited on the SiO layer. Deak et al specifically teaches “the necessity of the SiO/SiO
2
multilayer combination in terms of barrier properties.” Deak et al further teaches that “it is essential that some thickness of SiO layer be present, since it is the combination of resin substrate and the SiO and SiO
2
layers that provides the desirable barrier properties.” Deak et al also teaches that the use of SiO will impart a yellow coloration which may not be perceptible if the SiO layer is very thin. However, at these small thickness the SiO layer provides virtually no barrier properties unless combined with a SiO
2
layer. Deak et al also teaches that the use of SiO
2
alone is limited due to decreasing flexibility with increasing thickness. Thus, according to Deak et al, only a multilayer structure of a 10-75 nanometer thick layer of SiO vacuum deposited on a resin substrate of either polyester or polyamide with at least a 20 nanometer thick layer of SiO
2
vacuum deposited on the SiO layer will exhibit sufficient barrier properties with an acceptable flexibility.
The foregoing patents, although efficacious in the protection of their contents, are not the denouement of the problems of the packaging industry. There are still unresolved problems which compel the enlargement of inventions in the packaging industry.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is the next step toward a glass-like flexible material. The transparency of the flexible material allows one to view the contents of the packaging while the high barrier properties virtually prevent the ingress of gases into the packaging.
One aspect of the present invention is a transparent multilayer structure. The structure is composed of an exterior film, a metal oxide deposited on the exterior film and an interior film. The exterior film is composed of a polymer material integrated with a clay mineral between 0.1% and 10% weight of the polymer material. The polymer material is selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, copolymers of polyethylene terephthalate and mixtures thereof. The exterior film may be unoriented, mono-oriented or biaxially oriented. The clay mineral may be selected from the group consisting of smectite, vermiculite, halloysite, and any synthetic analog thereof. The clay mineral may also be a plurality of clay particles with each of the clay particles having a thickness of between 9 Angstroms and 100 nanometers and an aspect ratio of between 100 and 2000. The metal oxide deposition on the exterior film has a thickness range of approximately 5 to 500 nanometers and has a formula of MO
x
where x has a range of approximately 1.5 to approximately 2.5. M is selected from the group consisting of silicon, aluminum and iron. The interior film is juxtaposed to the metal oxide deposition.
The exterior film may also be a print layer. The structure may have a signage printed on the metal oxide deposition. The exterior film may have a thickness range of approximately 8 to approximately 20 microns. The interior film may have a thickness range of approximately 25 to approximately 150 microns. The interior film may be laminated to the exterior film and metal oxide deposition through utilization of an adhesive. The structure may be a container for flowable materials. The structure may be a laminate. The metal oxide deposition is deposited onto the exterior film through a process selected from the group consisting of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, halide transport chemical vapor deposition, liquid atmospheric photo chemical deposition, electron beam evaporation, pulsed laser ablation, atomic layer epitaxy, ion implantation, molecular beam epitaxy and RF magnetron sputtering.
The interior film may be selected from the group consisting of linear low density polyethylene, ultra low density polyethylene, metallocene linear low density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, medium density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, copolymers of polypropylene, copolymers of ethylene vinyl acetate and mixtures thereof.
Another aspect of the present invention is a self-supporting transparent container for flowable materials. The self-supporting transparent container is composed of an exterior film, a metal oxide deposited on the exterior film, an interior film and a flexible gusseted panel secured to a marginal portion of a plurality of side walls of the container and folded inwardly therebetween. The exterior film is composed of a polymer material integrated with a clay mineral between 0.1% and 10% weight of the polymer material. The polymer material is selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate, copolymers of polyethylene terephthalate and mixtures thereof. The metal oxide deposition on the exterior film has a thickness range of approximately 5 to 500 nanometers and has a formula of MO
x
where x has a range of approximately 1.5 to approximately 2.5. M is selected from the group consisting of silicon, aluminum and iron. The interior film is juxtaposed to the metal oxide deposition.
The exterior film may also be a print layer The structure may have a signage printed on the metal oxide deposition. The exterior film may have a thickness range of approximately 8 to approximately 20 microns. The interior film may have a thickness range of approximately 25 to approximately 150 microns. The interior film may be laminated to the exterior film and metal oxide deposition through utilization of an adhesive.
The self-supporting transparent container may also include a transverse seal having an unsealed area of a predetermined configuration. The transverse seal may have a tear notch for exposing the unsealed area while partially maintaining the transverse seal. The exposed unsealed area permits the placement of an insert for removing the contents of the self-supporting transparent container. The insert corresponds in shape to the predetermined configuration of the unsealed area. The insert may have an elongated body with an aperture therethrough. The elongate body has an insert portion for penetration to the contents, a breaking portion, a spout portion, and a knob.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a high barrier material for packaging. It is another object of the present invention to provide a flowable container composed of a high barrier material wherein the container may be a pillow pouch, a stand-up pouch, a gusseted bottom container, a self-supporting container, and the like.
Having briefly described this invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the
Dye Rena L.
Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA
Welsh & Katz
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