WO1998001361A1

WO1998001361A1 - Squeezable fluid dispenser pouch

Info

Publication number: WO1998001361A1
Application number: PCT/IB1997/000771
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark D. Jamison
Original assignee: Marlingford Holdings Limited
Priority date: 1996-07-10
Filing date: 1997-06-24
Publication date: 1998-01-15
Also published as: AU3103997A

Abstract

The present invention provides a liquid dispenser pouch (30) formed of flexible plastic sheets joined along the edges thereof to define a liquid storage compartment (32) and a serpentine discharge spout (34). The serpentine-shaped outlet discharge spout functions as a liquid flow valve or flow control valve suitable for obtaining controlled liquid expulsion from the pouch for a range of liquids of different viscosity and applications. The serpentine-shaped outlet discharge spout includes an access or entrance section (38) which is flared or enlarged with respect to the outlet passageway in order to permit easy access of the fluid in the pouch into the outlet passageway and thereby avoid the discharge spout locking up and blocking liquid flow therethrough. In one aspect of the invention, the outlet portion of the discharge pathway splits into several independent liquid discharge pathways.

Description

SQUEEZABLE FLUID DISPENSER POUCH

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to flexible fluid dispenser pouches, and more particularly it relates to outlet passageways providing control over the flow rate of liquid being discharged from the pouches

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flexible or pliable plastic liquid pouches have been widely used for the purpose of dispensing various type of fluids including liquid soaps and various types of foodstuffs including dairy products and food condiments such as ketchup, mustard and the like Significant advantages of dispenser pouches made of flexible plastic is the ease of manufacture and the fact that the empty containers are readily amenable to being recycled The number of applications which would benefit from this type of flexible dispenser is numerous and includes dispensing of beverages, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, motor oils, grease, automobile waxes and polishes, building materials (mastics, silicone sealant), and personal care products such as creams, toothpastes and gels to mention just a few A drawback of flexible plastic bags or dispenser pouches is that they cannot be readily reseated on a temporary basis once the pouch has been opened Pouches are prone to leakage once they have been cut open Other problems relate to the spatial accuracy associated with discharging the fluid contents of the pouches In addition, control over liquid discharge rates is a major problem Attempts have been made to form liquid dispensing containers which can allow ease and accuracy of dispensing For example, U S Patent 4,491,245 discloses a liquid dispensing container in the form of a pouch having a spout of a serpentine shape The discharge spout portion of the container extends away from a main body of the container and is redirected back toward the main body and ultimately to the exterior of the container This arrangement of the discharge outlet permits liquid contents to be dispensed only when the user squeezes the main body or applies mechanical pressure to the pouch in some other manner. When the pressure is released, the fluid contents will stop flowing from the pouch. This patent also discloses a liquid dispensing container wherein the outlet portion of the spout is directed at the corner of the container or pouch at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the pouch body.

With this arrangement, the corner of the container is used for pointing and directing the deposit of the liquid contents and the dispensing of the liquid can be more accurately and neatly directed rather than simply having liquid ooze or bubble out of the container. A drawback to this type of outlet is that while it provides a flexible fluid pouch which significantly reduced leakage upon cessation of application of pressure to the pouch, there is no appreciation of obtaining controlled liquid discharge rates during expulsion of fluid therefrom.

U.S. Patent 5,018,646 to Billman et al. discloses an improved flexible liquid dispensing container having a spout of a serpentine shape. The improvement disclosed in this patent relates to an indent defined by at least one of the side-edge margins of the container for dividing the fluid chamber into two fluid chambers along a longitudinal axis so that when the container is squeezed, liquid flow communication is maintained between the serpentine spout or outlet passageway and the divided chamber adjacent the outlet passageway. A major drawback to these serpentine outlets is that the outlet passageways can become blocked and further application of pressure in an attempt to overcome the blockage acts to more strongly seal the outlet, as will be discussed later. In addition, to date, there has been no teaching of how to achieve controlled liquid discharge rates from the pouches or containers or how the outlet passageways may be configured to provide a dispenser outlet most advantageously adapted for dispensing liquids of specific viscosity. Since each liquid has different viscosity and lubricity, being able to provide outlet passageway configurations adapted to achieve controllable liquid discharge rates would be a significant advantage in providing full control over liquid dispensing.

Therefore it would be advantageous to provide liquid discharge outlets or spouts which permit controlled and adjustable liquid discharge rates thereby allowing the liquid contents of a pouch to be dispensed in a controlled manner depending on the liquid viscosity and lubricity and the application of use and which avoids problems of the outlet passageways becoming blocked during use

The inventor of the present invention has discovered that by differentially varying the shape and sizes of different parts of the serpentine outlet, the discharge flow rate of the fluid can be controlled, thereby achieving more efficient and convenient application of the product being discharged

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid dispenser pouch having a serpentine outlet passageway that functions as a liquid flow valve or flow control valve suitable for obtaining controlled liquid expulsion from the pouch for a range of liquids of different viscosity and applications

The present invention provides an improved serpentine outlet passageway or spout having an access or entrance section which is flared or tapered in order to permit easy access of the fluid in a pouch into an outlet passageway The entrance section sets up the volume requirements of the spout relationship to its downstream hydrodynamic flow and is the starting point of the dynamics of hydrostatic pressure activity

The present invention provides a flexible fluid dispenser pouch comprising superposed sheets of flexible liquid-impermeable material connected in liquid-tight relation around the periphery thereof and defining therebetween a contents storage portion and a discharge spout communicating with the storage portion and terminating at an outlet end thereof within the periphery of the connected sheets The discharge spout includes an inlet portion between the storage portion and a tortuous flow path The flow path comprises a first channel portion extending from the inlet portion in a first direction away from the storage portion, a second channel portion reversely directed with respect to the first channel portion, and a third channel portion reversely directed with respect to the second portion and terminating at a discharge outlet end The inlet section being enlarged with respect to the first channel portion and substantially tapered from the storage portion toward the first channel portion The pouch includes tear tab means intersecting the discharge spout at the discharge outlet end to open the spout thereby to permit squeeze-dispensing pressure on the sheets at the storage portion to force the contents within the storage portion through the discharge spout

According to another aspect of the invention, a flexible fluid dispenser is disclosed including a pouch of flexible liquid-impermeable materials having a peripheral portion, a contents storage portion and a discharge spout communicating with the storage portion and terminating at an outlet end portion disposed within the peripheral portion The discharge spout includes an inlet portion between the storage portion and a flow path of somewhat serpentine configuration The flow path comprises a first channel portion extending from the inlet portion in a first direction away from the storage portion, a second channel portion extending at an angle with respect to the first channel portion, and a third channel portion extending at an angle with respect to the second portion and communicating with the outlet end portion The inlet section is enlarged with respect to the first flow channel portion and is substantially tapered from the storage portion toward the first channel portion A tear tab intersects the spout at the outlet end portion to open the spout thereby to permit squeeze-dispensing pressure on the storage portion to force the contents within the storage portion through the discharge spout

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The fluid dispenser pouch with the controlled flow liquid outlet forming the present invention, will be described, by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1a is a front view of a known liquid dispensing pouch with a serpentine outlet,

Figure 1 b is a front view, broken away, of another embodiment of a known pouch with serpentine outlet,

Figure 2 is a front view of a liquid dispenser pouch constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figures 3a to 3c show flexible dispenser pouches with differently shaped inlet portions from the container portion to the serpentine outlet,

Figures 4a to 4c are front views of a series of spouts according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Figures 5a to 5d are front views of a series of spouts according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 is a front view of another embodiment of a liquid dispenser pouch according to the present invention having a tapered discharge passageway,

Figure 7 is a front view of a liquid dispenser pouch for dispensing eye drops, Figure 8 illustrates another embodiment of a liquid pouch in accordance with the present invention for discharging small volumes (2-5 milliliters) at a time,

Figure 9 is a front view, broken away, of another embodiment of a flexible pouch with a serpentine-shaped spout diverging into several discharge pathways, and

Figure 10 is a front view of another embodiment of a fluid dispenser pouch with a double serpentine outlet converging on a single outlet passageway

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to Figures 1 a and 1 b, a known flexible liquid dispenser pouch 10 includes a storage container portion 12 and a serpentine spout 14 (Figure 1a) and 16 (Figure 1b) The pouch is formed by two sheets of flexible plastic sheet material in overlying position which are sealed to define the shape of the two portions 12 and 14, 16 In Figure 1a, spout 14 has a serpentine shape including a first channel portion which initially extends directly away from storage pouch portion 12, a second channel portion that is redirected back toward the storage portion, and a straight third channel portion directed away from the storage portion to the exterior edge of the pouch. A pre-formed score 18 is located across the bottom edge of the third channel portion which, when torn off, opens the serpentine outlet for discharging liquid from the pouch.

The embodiment in Figure 1 b shows the first channel portion 20 of serpentine spout 16 at a slight angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the pouch. Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a flexible pouch 30 comprising a pair of flexible plastic sheets in overlying relationship which are sealed along the inner solid lines to define the shape of the a storage compartment 32 and a serpentine outlet 34. For purposes of illustration, serpentine outlet 34 is shown divided by broken lines into several sections. These sections include an inlet or access section 38, a holding reservoir or area 40, a back pressure channel area 42, a turbo channel section 44 and an exit channel 46. A pre-formed score 36 allows the end portion 38 to be torn from the pouch in order to open exit channel 46 for dispensing liquid from pouch 30.

The serpentine spout structures disclosed herein comprise various different channel shapes, width and length and reverse angles These differences in channel configurations create preferred liquid flow and discharge characteristics depending on the application at hand. The various serpentine channel portions will first be discussed followed by several non-limiting examples of serpentine outlets.

Entrance or inlet section 38 from storage area 32 forms the first part of serpentine outlet 34 and is the starting point in establishing the hydrodynamic flow characteristics of liquid discharge from pouch 30. It has been found that under the typical operating conditions of a flexible pouch, such as shown at 10 in Figures 1a and 1 b, with the limited width of the entry channel portion in outlets 14 and 16, when pressure is applied to the pouch the outlet can be blocked due to folding of the plastic sheet or film. It has further been observed that with this type of serpentine outlet, with the restricted inlet sections, if they become blocked or sealed upon squeezing the pouch, application of higher pressures in attempting to overcome the blocking actually results in the opposite effect, namely, the outlet spout seals more tightly by further folding or creasing of the flexible film.

The inventor has found that it is very advantageous to have an enlarged, downwardly tapered entrance section 38 to significantly reduce blocking of the liquid flow out of the pouch. This type of enlarged entrance section advantageously increases the ability of the entire serpentine outlet to provide liquid flow therethrough with fewer pounds per square inch (PSI) applied by a user to pouch storage area 32 compared to pouches lacking this feature. The flared and tapered inlet section 38 also makes it possible to use pouch 30 for very heavy or viscous liquids by allowing them to access the remainder of channel 34 without locking up the inlet portion. Figures 3a, 3b and 3c illustrate different embodiments of enlarged inlet section 38 between the liquid container portion 32 and the serpentine outlet 34. The enlargement shown in Figure 3a is most suited for very viscous fluids while Figure 3b illustrates an enlargement suitable for low viscous fluids. Section 38 is very important for providing ease of product flow and discharge during use. In order to commence flow of the product upon squeezing the pouch, section 38 must easily open so as to fill with product and develop sufficient pressure to overcome the resistance of the narrower downstream pathway.

Section 40 of the serpentine outlet functions as an interim holding reservoir and a measuring compartment which determines the metered amount of liquid that can be dispensed by a user applying hand pressure in the form of a short burst. Thus, proper dimensions of section 40 are required depending on the liquid being dispensed in order to ensure suitable quantities of the liquid are dispensed during use.

Due to the desirability of using a serpentine outlet for a range of liquids which may have a wide variation of viscosities, the inventor has found that greater control is needed in the design of section 42 of the serpentine outlet. The forward hydrostatic pressure developed in section 42 when a user has pressurized the pouch container portion 32 must be sufficient to overcome the back pressure in order to effect product flow and acceleration into sections 44 and 46 of the outlet passageway. The reverse angle a- has also been found to exert an important influence on the flow characteristics of the serpentine channel. This angle, along with the viscosity of the liquid in pouch 30, determines, in part, how much pressure must be applied to the pouch to dispense the liquid therefrom.

The type of material being dispensed from pouch 30 will determine in part the preferred reverse angle α₁ of the outlet passageway. Specifically, it has been found that when angle α, exceeds 90° the back pressure generated in section 42 of the outlet passageway when the pressure on the pouch is released is insufficient to prevent leakage. It has been found that α₁ should be maintained in the range from about 180° (flow in opposite direction) to about 90° in order to generate sufficient back pressure to prevent leakage. Increasing the width of channel section 42 acts to reduce the channel pressure in the downstream section 44. Therefore, a combination of the angle α,, width of section 42 and the degree of taper in this section, provides significant control over the back pressure generated in the outlet passageway.

Section 44 of the serpentine passageway is referred to as the turbo channel and the taper and angle of the bend of this portion of the outlet contributes in part, along with the fluid pressure in sections 38, 40 and 42, to determine the acceleration and hydrostatic pressure of the liquid entering section 46 as the pouch is pressurized. Conversely, when the pressure is released a braking action occurs so that the liquid in this portion of the channel stops flowing which stops liquid flow in either direction from the outlet, preventing liquid in the serpentine outlet back-flowing into the holding chamber

32 or leaking from section 46, as described hereinafter. Section 44 of the serpentine outlet provides a channel lock. In addition to the taper of section 44, the reverse angle α₂ in this section plays an important role. In summary, the turbo channel section 44 is the bridge between the pressure reservoir section 42 and the exit channel 46. Depending on the taper and angle α₂ of the turbo section, the acceleration and hydrostatic pressure toward the exit channel 46 can be controlled

The function of turbo channel section 44 is strongly affected by both the channel width and the second reverse angle α₂ but the inventor has discovered that variation in the width of channel section 44 has a more pronounced affect on function than the reverse angle A more restrictive channel width creates greater turbo channel pressures leading into channel section 46

The inventor has discovered that section 46 of the serpentine outlet passageway controls the discharge behaviour of the expelled liquid from the dispenser pouch Section 46 is preferably designed to avoid uncontrolled splashing or spattering of the liquid and to give the desired fluid expulsion rate from the pouch, which is dependent upon several factors including inherent properties of the fluid such as viscosity and external factors such as application pressure on the liquid being discharged Thus, the inventor has discovered that the design of the exit section 46 can aid in controlling the flow characteristics of the liquid being expelled by increasing or decreasing the speed at which the product is evacuated

Referring again to Figure 3a, the storage portion of the pouch includes a pair of opposed indentations 35 protruding into the interior of the pouch These pinch points help to stabilize the liquid filled pouch when it is squeezed and this feature cooperates with enlargement 38 to assist in smooth flow to the enlarged inlet opening 38

The improved serpentine outlets forming the present invention will be better understood and illustrated with the following examples of outlet designs

Figures 4a to 4c are front views of a series of serpentine spout outlets constructed in accordance with the present invention Referring to

Figures 4a to 4c, there are shown a series of serpentine spout outlets 50, 52 and 54, respectively Spout 50 in Figure 4a is adapted for dispensing very low viscosity fluids such as water, tea, alcohols, and low viscosity pharmaceuticals such as saline solutions and the like Outlet passageway 56 is tapered or narrows toward the discharge outlet of the passageway which is very advantageous when discharging low viscosity fluids since the tapered passageway acts to provide a faster discharge rate at a higher pressure than for a spout having a straight outlet passageway in the third segment of the serpentine outlet

Spout 52 in Figure 4b is characterized by an outlet or exit passageway 58 having an increasing taper or flare towards the discharge outlet which is very advantageous for discharging liquids having higher viscosities than used for spout 50 where spreading of the discharged product is desired Spout 52 is adapted for use with, for example, sauces, cooking oils and oil based lubricants to mention just a few

Spout 54 in Figure 4c is adapted for use with fluids characterized by medium to high viscosities including soaps, cleaning gels, pastes, shampoos and creams Referring now to Figure 5a, spout 64 is provided with an outlet passageway 68 narrower than passageway section 66 which is adapted for use with low viscosity pharmaceutical fluids such as eye drops, rubbing compounds, cough drops and the like where a greater discharge rate is preferred but not as rapid as would be obtained with spout 50 in Figure 4a Figure 5b illustrates a spout 70 comprising a middle passageway section 72 which tapers or narrows toward the outlet passageway 74 The spout outlet 70 shown in Figure 5b provides a bowl-shaped pathway portion 72 which stores a proportionately greater amount of liquid than some of the other spouts which is useful for example in providing larger doses when the container is squeezed The narrowing or tapering of channel 72 from the first pathway portion towards the third pathway portion acts to slow the movement of fluid as it enters the turbo or elbow portion 73 The fluid is then discharged more slowly by virtue of the outwardly flared exit passageway portion 74 Spout 70 is preferred for dispensing low to medium viscosity fluids such as fruit juices and beers and liquors

Figure 5c illustrates a spout 78 adapted for dispensing medium to high viscosity liquids such as ketchup, mustard, household detergents, shower gels, fabric softeners and the like to mention just a few.

Figure 5d shows a spout 84 adapted for dispensing very viscous liquids such as motor oils, greases, polishes and waxes to give a few examples. Comparison of spouts 78 and 80 for discharging high viscosity liquids compared to the other spouts, the exit passageways 80 and 86 respectively are shorter and wider than the spout outlets for dispensing the lower viscosity fluids such as in Figures 3a and 4a. In addition, the second reverse angle α₂ is smaller than for the other spouts. The more squared-off serpentine outlets of Figures 4a to 4d are more advantageous for discharging higher viscosity liquids than are the more rounded-off spouts of Figures 3a to 3c. The reverse angles a→ and α₂ (see Figure 2) in spouts 64, 70, 78 and 84 can be less than the corresponding reverse angles in spouts 50, 52 and 54 since the spouts used for dispensing the less viscous fluids require greater reverse angles for providing a lock once pressure is relieved on the pouch.

In comparing the spout shapes of Figures 4 and 5, the spouts of Figures 4a to 4c are characterized by a more rounded shape than the spouts of Figures 5a to 5d, which are more squared-off in terms of the structure of the tortuous pathway. Fluid flow through the squared-off serpentine outlets requires less pressure applied to the pouch than for fluid flow through the rounded-off outlets for the same viscosity liquids. In other words the serpentine spouts of Figures 4a to 4c offer more resistance to liquid flow therethrough compared to the serpentine spouts of Figures 5a to 5d. This structural difference is useful in designing spouts requiring metered dispensing of liquids, for example on a drop- by-drop basis.

Referring to Figure 6, there is shown at 100 a pouch 102 provided with a serpentine outlet 104 having a series of preformed parallel score lines 106 to 114. The pouch may be opened at any of these score lines so that opening along score line 106 gives the fastest discharge rate for low viscosity liquid while opening the pouch along 114 gives the slowest discharge rate.

Referring to Figure 7, there is shown a pouch at 140 comprising a liquid storage section 142 and a serpentine spout outlet section 144. Serpentine spout 144 comprises an S-shaped outlet passageway having a first flow path 146 extending away from the bottom of a flared inlet portion 148, a second flow path 150 which provides fluid flow substantially 180° reversed relative to the flow direction in section 146. The serpentine outlet includes a second 180° reversal or bend into a third flow channel 152 extending from channel 150. This type of serpentine outlet is preferred for dispensing liquids on a drop by drop basis, such as eye drops. The resistance to flow offered by the rounded shape of the flow pathway along with the two substantially 180° turns provide a drop by drop expulsion rate of fluid from the pouch.

Referring now to Figure 8, shown at 160 is another embodiment of a liquid pouch in accordance with the present invention for discharging short bursts of 2 to 5 milliliters per shot, dependent upuon the size of the shot chamber 158. Pouch 160 includes an enlarged inlet 162 from storage area 158 into a first passageway 164 having a reverse turn and which tapers down into a second passageway 166 having a reverse turn and merging with a third tapered passageway portion 168 which merges with narrow outlet passageway 170. Pouch 160 is suitable for dispensing fluids such as oil, cream and the like by the operator squeezing with his or her full hand. Referring to Figure 9, another embodiment of the serpentine- shaped spout is similar to Figure 8 but includes passageway 166 splitting into a plurality of parallel discharge passageways 172, 174, 176 and 178.

Referring to Figure 10, a flexible liquid dispenser pouch 180 comprises a liquid storage area 182 and a generally T-shaped abutment 184 which divides the lower part of the storage area into two pathways 186 and 188.

The two pathways merge into a tapered channel section 190 which acts to increase the liquid pressure as the liquid flows into an exit passageway 192. The double channels 186 and 188 in pouch 180 provide a structure allowing high discharge pressure to be generated. This is particularly advantageous in applications where the pouch is being used as a grease gun for discharging grease into a fitting requiring a very robust discharge of the grease to penetrate the fitting.

While the flexible dispenser pouches with the liquid flow control spout constructed in accordance with the present invention have been described with reference to the embodiments disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that numerous variations of these pouches may be made which fall within the ambit of the invention.

Claims

I CLAIM:

1 A flexible fluid dispenser, comprising a pouch of flexible liquid-impermeable materials having a peripheral portion, a contents storage portion and a discharge spout communicating with said storage portion and terminating at an outlet end portion disposed within the peripheral portion of said pouch, said discharge spout including an inlet portion between said storage portion and a flow path of somewhat serpentine configuration, the flow path comprising a first channel portion extending from said inlet portion in a first direction away from said storage portion, a second channel portion extending at an angle with respect to said first channel portion, and a third channel portion extending at an angle with respect to said second portion and communicating with said outlet end portion, said inlet section being enlarged with respect to said first flow channel portion and substantially tapered from said storage portion toward said first channel portion, and a tear tab intersecting said spout at said outlet end portion to open the spout thereby to permit squeeze-dispensing pressure on said storage portion to force the contents within the storage portion through said discharge spout

2 The pouch according to claim 1 wherein said third channel portion is tapered inwardly towards said outlet end portion

3 The pouch according to claim 1 wherein said third channel portion is tapered outwardly towards said outlet end portion to provide a flared third channel portion

4 The pouch according to claim 1 wherein said third channel portion is narrower than both the first and second channel portions

5 The pouch according to claim 1 wherein said second channel portion is tapered inwardly from said first channel portion to said third channel portion

6 The pouch according to claim 2 including a plurality of tear lines transversely extending across the sheets of said third channel portion

7 The pouch according to claim 1 wherein said second channel portion is reversely directed with respect to said first channel portion by about 180° and said third channel portion is reversely directed with respect to said second channel portion by about 180°

8 A flexible fluid dispenser pouch, comprising superposed sheets of flexible liquid impermeable material connected in liquid tight relation around the periphery thereof and defining therebetween a contents storage portion and a discharge spout communicating with said storage portion and terminating at a discharge outlet end portion thereof within the periphery of said connected sheets, the discharge spout including an inlet portion between said storage portion and a serpentine flow path, the flow path comprising a first channel portion extending from said inlet portion in a first direction away from said storage portion, a second channel portion reversely directed with respect to said first portion, and a third channel portion reversely directed with respect to said second portion and terminating at said discharge outlet end portion, said inlet section being enlarged with respect to said first flow channel portion and substantially tapered from said storage portion toward said first channel portion, said third flow channel portion diverging into a plurality of elongated discharge outlet portions, and tear tab means intersecting said spout transversely across said elongated discharge outlet portions to open the spout thereby to permit squeeze- dispensing pressure on said sheets at said storage portion to force the contents within the storage portion through the discharge spout 9 A flexible fluid dispenser pouch, comprising superposed sheets of flexible liquid impermeable material connected in liquid tight relation around the periphery thereof and defining therebetween a contents storage portion and a discharge spout communicating with said storage portion and terminating at a discharge outlet end portion thereof within the periphery of said connected sheets, the discharge spout comprising a pair of spaced apart inlets formed between said storage portion and an associated serpentine flow path, each associated flow path provided with a first channel portion extending from said inlet portion in a first direction away fro said storage portion, a second channel portion reversely directed with respect to said first channel portion, a third channel portion reversely directed with respect to said second portion and terminating at said discharge outlet end, said inlet section being enlarged with respect to said first flow channel portion and substantially tapered from said storage portion toward said first channel portion, the third channel portions of the two serpentine pathways merging to a common channel portion terminating at said discharge outlet end

10 The pouch according to claim 10 wherein said common channel portion comprises a tapered channel section spaced from said discharge outlet end

11 The pouch according to claim 11 wherein said spaced apart inlets are formed by a flow obstruction formed adjacent to said discharge spout by sealing said liquid impermeable members to form said flow obstruction