Self-expanding flexible pouch including improved extensible stay to

Abstract

A self-expanding flexible pouch that can be used as the measuring device for reconstituting a concentrated product contained therein. The pouch includes an improved one-piece extensible stay located in the throat area of the flexible pouch that is biased toward a relaxed, expanded, circular configuration but is initially held substantially flat in a stressed condition by the sealed top portion of the pouch. When the top portion of the pouch is removed, the improved stay expands to its relaxed, expanded configuration and thereby expands and opens the throat area of the pouch. The improved stay comprises a one-piece, continuous extensible loop having a pair of opposed hinges. The hinges are thinner in thickness than the remaining portions of the loop and aligned with the side peripheral edges of the pouch. Two opposed thick-walled sections are located between the opposed hinges. The opposed thick-walled sections provide the automatic opening force for the pouch. The thick-walled sections are substantially aligned with and secured in fixed relation to the front and back sidewall panels of the pouch. Two ribs are located on said opposed thick-walled sections to prevent the stay from sticking together. Four thin-walled transition sections are preferably employed to connect the hinges to the thick-walled sections to form the loop. The thin-walled transition sections are thinner in thickness than the thick-walled sections.