GB2313061A

GB2313061A - Water-closet disposable pouch and method of disposal

Info

Publication number: GB2313061A
Application number: GB9701485A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Emery Steer
Original assignee: Bristol Myers Squibb Co
Current assignee: Bristol Myers Squibb Co
Priority date: 1997-01-24
Filing date: 1997-01-24
Publication date: 1997-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2017-01-24
Also published as: GB2313061B; GB9701485D0

Abstract

A water-closet disposable pouch (8) has a pull-away tab (20) secured to one wall (10) by a weld or bond (22). Pulling away the tab (20) tears open the pouch wall (10) along the weld or bond by tearing out material (30) from the weld, thus creating one or more gaps (28). The tab (20) may be V-shaped, and define a flap or hatch area (26) of the wall behind the tab (20) which is released when the tab (20) is torn away. Any gas trapped in the pouch can escape through the opening when the gas is placed in a WC. The weld causes a weakness in the pouch wall by creating a heat affected zone (HAZ) or a thinning of the pouch wall.

Description

WATER-CLOSET DISPOSABLE POUCH AND METHOD OF DISPOSAL This invention relates to a water-closet (WC) disposable pouch.

As is well known, there have been continuing efforts to design a satisfactory WC-disposable pouch. Such pouches are worn by those who have suffered a surgical diversion operation such as a colostomy. One example of such a pouch is shown in European Patent Application No. 10171B (H. Kiefer), and others in GB 2 083 762B, GB 2 227 668 and GB 2 227 937. EP 272,816 discloses a pouch which has an integral tear strip embedded in its front or rear panel laminate. Despite a variety of approaches, no known pouch design has consistently met the requirements of easy manipulation and consistent WCflushability. One intractable problem is that air trapped in the pouch causes it to fail to pass around the U-bend of a conventional water-closet.

The present invention has been devised bearing the above problems in mind.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a WCdisposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a pull-away element secured to the exterior thereof by one or more plastics welds or bonds such that in use, the pouch wall can be torn open adjacent or along the weld or bond by pulling the element away.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of disposing of a pouch for containing body wastes down a WC, a wall of the pouch having thereon a pull away element secured thereto by one or more plastics welds or bonds, the method including pulling the element away to produce a tear adjacent or along the weld or bond, then placing the pouch in the WC to be flushed away.

In a yet further aspect, the invention provides a method for use in the production of a tear-open WC-disposable pouch, comprising providing a sheet of plastics material for forming at least one wall of the pouch, and welding or bonding to a face of the sheet a pull-away element such that the sheet can be torn open adjacent or along the weld or bond by pulling the element away.

Preferablly, the element is of plastics material.

Thus, these aspects of the invention can provide an extremely userfriendly technique for tearing open a pouch, to release any trapped air or other gases prior to disposal. The manufacturing of the pouches can also be extremely straightforward, and can avoid any need to embed filaments within the laminate structure of the wall material.

Preferably, when the element (e.g. a tab) is pulled away, it tears out the portion of the wall material which is welded or bonded to the tab itself. In other words, the portion of the wall material welded or bonded to the tab remains attached to the tab, thereby creating a gap between spaced-apart edges of the material wall. The production of a gap in this way avoids any tendency of the wall to re-seal itself when wet, because the torn edges of the plastics material are spaced apart, and are unlikely to come into edge-to-edge contact.

The term "bond" as used herein covers any kind of attachment of the tab or other element to the wall material through the use of an intermediate. For example, the intermediate may be an adhesive, or a hot melt layer. Preferably, the bond strength between the tab and the wall of the pouch is greater than the tear resistance of the wall material, to achieve the desired tear action on pulling away the tab. Preferably, the bond strength is sufficient that the region of the wall bonded to the tab is torn out of the wall, and remains attached to the tab, as described above.

In a particularly preferred form the tab (or other element) is secured to the wall of the pouch by a plastics weld. The weld may be a heat weld or an RF weld. This is advantageous because the welding process is believed to create a line or region of weakness adjacent to the position of the weld. Such a line or region of weakness will be present in both the pull-away tab and the pouch wall.

However, the arrangement can be engineered to ensure that the material of the pouch wall tears before the tab itself begins to tear. One way of achieving this is to arrange for the material of the tab to be stronger (at least in the direction of the tear) than the material of the pouch wall. For example, two different materials of different strengths may be used, the relatively weak material being for the pouch wall, and the relatively strong material being for the tab.

Additionally, or alternatively (particularly if the same material is used for both the tab and the pouch wall), the tab may be thicker than the pouch wall to provide a greater relative strength.

The welding operation creates what is known as a heat affected zone (HAZ) in the material, in which the structure of the material is believed to be modified by the application of heat sufficient to fuse the material. The line or region of weakness is observed to extend along the periphery of the HAZ, parallel to the weld. It is believed that the weakness may result from local orientation of the polymer chains parallel to the periphery of the HAZ, which would create reduced resistance to tearing. In any event, it has been observed that the material may readily be torn on either side of the weld, the tear(s) extending in a line closely adjacent to the weld, and parallel with the line of the weld.

A similar effect is known to occur in welded metal joints. A metal structure may be vulnerable to shearing in a region adjacent to, but not exactly at, the positions of the welds. This is believed to result from the creation of a HAZ in the metal structure, around the periphery of which the material seems to be weakened.

In addition to the creation of a HAZ in the plastics materials being welded in the present invention, the welding operation also involves pressing the welded materials together to achieve a good weld. This pressing action in combination with the melting of the plastics material to achieve the weld, results in material being thinned (typically by 10-30%), which also reduces the resistance to tearing.

The term "weld" used herein is intended to cover any securing together of the materials by fusion.

The material of the pouch wall (and/or the tab) may be non-orientated, or it may be mono-axially or bi-axially orientated. In a preferred embodiment in which a tab is welded to the pouch wall along to convergent lines, non-orientated plastics material is used, and the tearing open of the pouch relies on the lines of weakness created on either side of each weld line.

In the above aspects of the invention, the weld or bond preferably defines a flap or hatch area of the pouch wall around which the weld or bond extends or at least partially extends and, in use, tearing of the pouch wall by pulling away the tab (or other element) releases the flap or hatch area of the pouch wall from the surrounding material.

The weld or hatch area is preferably an integral part of the pouch wall which behaves as a flap or hatch area of material when surrounding material is torn away by pulling on the pull away element.

With such an arrangement, a large opening can be formed in the pouch wall, by tearing around the hatch or flap area. A hatch area would be completely torn around its periphery so that the hatch material is substantially completely separated from the remainder of the pouch wall. A flap area would be torn partly around its periphery leaving intact a hinge region about which the flap material is free to fold open, to create the opening.

Preferably, the pull-away tab (or other element) has a free edge by which the tab can be grasped to pull it away from the pouch. The free edge may then overlie a region of the pouch wall corresponding to the "hinge" region of the flap.

In a preferred form, the weld or bond lines define a generally V-shaped flap area of the pouch wall. More preferably, the V-shape flap extends substantially from one edge of the pouch to substantially the opposite edge.

In a further, closely related, aspect the invention provides a WCdisposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a pull-away element of plastics material welded or bonded thereto, the weld or bond defining a flap or hatch area of the pouch wall around which the weld or bond extends or at least partially extends and, in use, pulling away of the element releases the flap or hatch area of the pouch wall from the surrounding material.

In a yet further related aspect, the invention provides a WC-disposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a flap or hatch area defined therein by a line or region of weakness extending around or partially around said area in the wall material, and the pouch further comprising a release element attached to or embedded in the wall for breaking the material along the line or region of weakness when the element is pulled, thereby to release the hatch or flap area of material from the surrounding material.

In a yet further, closely related aspect, the invention provides a WCdisposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a pull-away element of plastics material secured to the exterior thereof by generally linear first and second regions of plastics welds or bonds extending opposite each other in a parallel or non-parallel arrangement. Preferably, the first and second regions correspond to opposite edges of the pull-away element. Preferably, the first and second regions are joined together, either directly at a common intersection region, or by a third weld or bond region. Most preferably, the first and second regions form, or form part of, a continuous weld or bond (for example defining a V, U or similar shape).

Referring to the following description of preferred embodiments, when a tab is attached to a pouch wall and a weld is made, so producing a HAZ, pulling on the tab normally results in two tears starting. By a further pull, usually in a downward direction if the pouch is being worn at that time, the tab may be torn completely away, so leaving two tears, e.g. of about 80 to 150 mm.

in length in the pouch wall. As a result, a through tear occurs and a part of the pouch wall is torn away.

In use, once the pouch has been filled or part-filled, and the wearer wishes to dispose of it, he or she holds it over the WC and pulls the tab, thus tearing the wall of the pouch. The pouch is then simply dropped into the WC.

In effect, by pulling the tab, a thin strip of pouch wall along the length of each of the two sides of the tab is torn away still attached to the tab, so making a pair of longitudinal tears in the pouch wall. The tab preferably extends vertically on the pouch, but may extend in any desired direction.

The invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting description of examples thereof given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like parts are denoted by like numerals and in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a first example of pouch according to the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic cross-section through the pouch shown in Figure 1, but not showing the filter 24 which is optional; Figure 3 is a front view similar to Figure 1, but showing the tab partly removed; Figure 4 is a front view similar to Figure 3, but showing the tab completely removed; Figure 5 is a front view of a second example of pouch; and Figure 6 is a front view of a third example of pouch, showing a strip partly pulled.

The pouch 8 shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a front wall 10 and a rear wall 12 joined by a peripheral plastics weld 14. The rear wall has a stomal orifice 16 therein and a medical grade adhesive wafer 18 surrounds this orifice. The wafer 18 enables the pouch to be releasably attached in known manner to the peristomal skin surface of the wearer. Such wafers are known and need not be further described; the reader is referred to GB 1 044 828, GB 1 088 992 and GB 1 571 657.

Referring now to Figure 2, a tab 20, which may for example be a plastics strip, is attached to the outer surface of the wall 10 by a bar weld 22. An optional patch filter 24, e.g. of polyurethane foam or charcoal cloth, having activated carbon particles dispersed therein, is attached to an upper region of the pouch. Such filters are well known to those skilled in the art; other kinds of filter may be used provided they do not inhibit tearing away of the tab 20.

As seen in Figure 1, the weld 22 is substantially V-shaped. It may be made by heat or RF welding. The plastics material of the tab is chosen to be compatible with the material of the pouch wall. A suitable material for the pouch wall is MF film available from W.R. Grace & Co. A suitable material for the tab 20 is also MF film, which may if desired be clear or a different colour from the pouch wall to aid identification.

The weld 22 around the tab 20 defines a flap area 26 underneath the tab 20 which remains intact with the remainder of the pouch wall in normal use, thereby preserving the integrity of the pouch, but which can be released by pulling away the tab 20.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3, when a wearer has finished with a pouch and wishes to dispose of it down a WC, the wearer grips the uppermost edge of the tab 20, and pulls it downwardly to tear away the tab 20. As the tab 20 is torn away, the material of the pouch wall tears along either side of the weld creating gaps 28 (Fig. 3). The pouch material welded to the tab 20 is thus torn out of the pouch wall, and remains attached to the tab (shown by numeral 30 in Figs. 3 and 4).

Once the tab 20 has been completely torn away, the gaps 28 on either side of the flap area join up to form a V-shape (Fig. 4), and thereby release the flap area 26 from the surrounding material. The flap area 26 remains intact with the wall along the flap's uppermost edge 32, but is free to fold outwardly to allow any trapped air or other gas to escape from the pouch.

In the present embodiment, the tears occur in the pouch wall on either side of the weld, because lines (or regions) of weakness are created on either side of the welds 22 during the welding operation. As explained hereinbefore, it is believed that the lines of weakness are created by a combination of a HAZ and material thinning. The lines of weakness ensure that the tears follow the welds as the tab 20 is pulled downwardly.

It will be appreciated that the lines (or regions) of weakness will be created in the tab material as well as in the pouch material. However, the arrangement can be engineered such that the pouch material has less resistance to tearing, and will therefore always tear first before the tab begins to tear. For example, the materials used for the pouch and tab may be selected such that the tab material is a stronger type of material than the pouch material. Alternatively (or additionally), the pouch and tab may be made of materials of different thickness, to provide the tab with the greater strength. In the present embodiment, the pouch and tab are made of the same types of material (e.g. MF film), the tab material being slightly thicker than the pouch material. Typically, the pouch material may be of the order of 75 microns thick, and the tab material of the order of 100 microns thick.

It will also be appreciated that, in this example, the flap area 26 is not fully released until after the tab 20 has been pulled fully away, and the tears in the walls of the pouch have joined at the foot of the V-shape. This ensures that, while the user's fingers are possibly close to the pouch wall (holding the tab), there is very little risk of any of the pouch contents accidentally escaping from the pouch. The flap is only able to fold fully open (and thus possibly allow the escape of some of the pouch contents) when the tab has been torn off, and the user's fingers will then be clear of the pouch itself.

The provision of the flap area 26 in the opposite wall of the pouch to the stomal orifice 16 means that the gas can escape through either wall. For example, if the pouch tends to float in the WC with the front wall 10 uppermost, any gas in the pouch can escape through the opening around the flap 26. If the pouch tends to float in the WC with the rear wall 12 uppermost, gas can escape through the stomal orifice 16.

Figure 5 shows a second example of pouch which functionally is very similar to the first example. In the second example, the tab 20' extends substantially from the top edge of the pouch to the bottom edge, thereby defining a much larger flap area 26' in the front wall 10 of the pouch than in the first example.

When the tab 20' is pulled away, the front wall 10 will have an aperture which extends the entire length (height) of the pouch 8. This can allow the gas to escape even if the pouch is tilted at an angle in a WC. It will be appreciated that with the pouch in the first example, it may be possible for air to be trapped in a corner of the pouch if the pouch is floating at an angle with both the flap opening in the front wall 10 and the stomal orifice in the rear wall 12 below the surface of the water in the WC. Such trapped air may, in some cases still hinder flushing of the pouch down the WC waste pipe. However, by creating an aperture in at least one wall, extending from the top to the bottom of the pouch, the chances of this occurring are significantly reduced.

As illustrated by the broken line 24' in Figure 5, the filter (if fitted) may be positioned in the pouch wall 10 to one side of the tab 20', so as not to interfere with the tab.

While a V-shaped weld is currently preferred, the tab could be welded to one pouch wall by two parallel bar welds, one running down each side of the tab.

Of course in that event the remainder of the tab would be free of attachment to the pouch wall. In this embodiment of the invention, the tab may be rectangular and its width is desirably wide enough for a finger or thumb to be inserted behind it (that is, between tab and adjacent pouch wall) by the wearer of the pouch, so that the tab can be torn off so causing two tears in the pouch wall.

Tearing the tab off in this way ensures that the pouch is itself sufficiently torn that it can be satisfactorily disposed of in a WC.

As a yet further possibility, the weld 22 could extend entirely around an area of the pouch wall, and thus define a hatch area in the wall. Upon pulling the tab away, the tab would tear out the entire hatch area of the wall, leaving an aperture for the escape of trapped gas. The hatch area would probably then remain attached to the tab upon removal.

A yet further example of pouch is illustrated in Figure 6. In this example, the tab, in the form of a longitudinal strip 40 is secured to the pouch wall 10 by a single bar weld 42 extending in a straight line from the top edge of the pouch to the bottom edge. The strip 40 has a free, non-welded upper end 44 by which the strip 40 can be grasped, and pulled downwardly in the same manner as the tabs of the earlier examples. In Figure 6, the dotted line 48 represents the position of the strip 40 in its normal welded position.

Upon pulling the strip 40 downwardly as shown in Figure 6, a tear 46 is created in the pouch wall 10. In the same manner as that described previously, material 50 in the region of the weld is torn out of the pouch wall creating a gap through which any gas trapped in the pouch can escape during disposal down a WC. Thus, instead of tearing a round a flap as in the earlier examples, an opening is created simply by tearing out the material 50 to which the strip 40 is welded.

In the example illustrated in Figure 6, the weld 42 is relatively narrow, and is not significantly wider than the welds 22 in the earlier embodiments.

However, the weld 42 could be wider than that shown, and thus create a wider opening when the strip 44 is torn away.

It will be appreciated that, in the above examples in general, the width of the individual weld does not affect the pulling force which a user has to apply to tear away the tab or strip. This is because the tearing action is a result of the pouch material tearing and not destruction of the weld itself.

In the above examples the tab is completely separated from the pouch when the tab is pulled away. This provides a positive indication to the user that the tearing has been completed, and can keep the user's hands clear of the opening formed in the pouch wall in case any of the pouch contents escape before the pouch is dropped into the WC. However, if desired, the tab could also be designed to remain attached to the pouch, for example along a bottom edge, so that the tab and the pouch will always be disposed of hygienically together down the WC.

In the above examples either oriented or non-orientated plastics material may be used for the pouch and the tab. Orientation creates a natural weakness in the material to tearing parallel to the or a direction of orientation. In the first and second examples in which two tears are created, extending in slightly different directions, it is expected that non-orientated plastics material may provide better results. The tearing would then only occur along the lines of weakness on either side of the welds. In the third example, orientated material may be used, with the weld 42 aligned parallel to the or a direction of orientation.

Any suitable plastics material may be used for the pouch and tab. In general, the material is likely to be a laminate of different layers arranged as a film. For example, the MF film referred to above is a laminate which has surface layers of an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) material. If the tab is to be welded to the pouch wall, the pouch and tab have to be or include compatible material or materials for welding. Suitable plastics materials include (but are not limited exclusively to) polyolefins and copolymers, of which EVA is an example, and polyamides and copolymers, for example, a polyesteramide.

Welding is a preferred method for securing the tab to the pouch wall, since welding is typically used extensively in the production of the pouch. In particular, the pouch is normally welded around its periphery (or part of the periphery if the pouch is formed from a single sheet). The welding of the tab to the pouch wall would typically be carried out prior to welding around the periphery, to ensure that the pouch walls are not accidentally welded together along the welds 22 or 42 in the examples.

Modifications may be made without departing from the invention; for example the tab could be secured to the pouch wall by two strips of strongly adhesive material, in which event the tab would be made of a material having a tensile strength greater than that of the pouch wall.

While features believed to be of particular importance have been identified in the above description and the appended claims, the Applicant claims protection for any novel feature or combination of features described herein and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, irrespective of whether emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A WC-disposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a pull-away element secured to the exterior thereof by one or more plastics welds or bonds such that in use, the pouch wall can be torn open adjacent or along the weld or bond by pulling the element away.

2. A pouch according to claim 1, wherein the one or more welds or bonds define a flap or hatch area of the pouch wall around which the weld or bond extends or at least partially extends and, in use, tearing of the pouch wall by pulling away the element releases the flap or hatch area of the pouch wall from the surrounding material.

3. A WC-disposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a pull-away element welded or bonded thereto, the weld or bond defining a flap or hatch area of the pouch wall around which the weld or bond extends or at least partially extends and, in use, pulling away of the element releases the flap or hatch area of the pouch wall from the surrounding material.

4. A pouch according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the flap or hatch area is substantially V-shaped.

5. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the bonds or welds generally define a V-shape, and in use, pulling on the element normally results in two tears starting in the pouch wall.

6. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pull-away element comprises a generally V-shaped tab.

7. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more welds or bonds are adjacent to the periphery of the pull-away element.

8. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pouch wall has to tear in a direction parallel to a said bond or weld.

9. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pouch wall has a line or region of weakness therein extending adjacent to a said weld or bond.

10. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pouch wall has a heat affected zone therein in the region of a said weld or bond.

11. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pouch wall includes a relatively thin region at, or adjacent to, the weld or bond.

12. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pull-away element is of material having a greater tensile strength than the material of the pouch wall.

13. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pull-away element is of material having a greater thickness than the material of the pouch wall.

14. A pouch according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the pull-away element is of the same type of material as the pouch wall.

15. A pouch according to any preceding claim, in which the pull-away element is secured to the pouch wall by one or more heat welds, or RF welds.

16. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein, in use, pulling away of the pull-away element tears the bag open from substantially one edge to an opposite edge.

17. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the element is made of plastics material.

18. A WCdisposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a flap or hatch area defined therein by a line or region of weakness extending around or partially around said area in the wall material, and the pouch further comprising a release element attached to or embedded in the wall for breaking the material along the line or region of weakness when the element is pulled, thereby to release the hatch or flap area of material from the surrounding material.

19. A WC-disposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a pull-away element secured to the exterior thereof by generally linear first and second regions of plastics welds or bonds extending opposite each other in a parallel or non-parallel arrangement.

20. A method of disposing of a pouch for containing body wastes down a WC, a wall of the pouch having thereon a pull away element secured thereto by one or more plastics welds or bonds, the method including pulling the element away to produce a tear adjacent or along the weld or bond, then placing the pouch in the WC to be flushed away.

21. A method of disposing of a pouch for containing body wastes down a WC, a wall of the pouch having a pull-away element secured thereto by one or more plastics welds or bonds which define a hatch or flap area of the pouch wall, the method comprising pulling the element away to release the hatch or flap area from the surrounding material, then placing the pouch in the WC to be flushed away.

22. A method of disposing of a pouch for containing body wastes down a WC, a wall of the pouch having a flap or hatch area therein defined by a line or region of weakness extending around or partially around said area in the wall material, and the pouch further comprising a release element attached to or embedded in the pouch wall, the method comprising pulling on the release element to release the flap or hatch area of material from the surrounding material, and then placing the pouch in the WC to be flushed away.

23. A method for use in the production of a tear-open WC-disposable pouch, comprising providing a sheet of plastics material for forming at least one wall of the pouch, and welding or bonding to a face of the sheet a pull-away element such that the sheet can be torn open adjacent or along the weld or bond by pulling on the element.

24. A method of disposing of a pouch substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any of Figures 1 to 5 the accompanying drawings.

24. A WC-disposable pouch substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings.

25. A method of disposing of a pouch substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any of the accompanying drawings.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED AS FOLLOWS CLAIMS 1. A WC-disposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a pull-away element welded thereto, the weld defining a flap or hatch area of the pouch wall around which the weld at least partially extends and, in use, pulling away of the element releases the flap or hatch area of the pouch wall from the surrounding material.

2. A WC-disposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a pull-away element bonded thereto, the bond defining a flap or hatch area of the pouch wall around which the bond at least partially extends and, in use, pulling away of the element releases the flap or hatch area of the pouch wall from the surrounding material.

3. A pouch according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flap or hatch area is substantially V-shaped.

4. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the bond or weld generally defines a V-shape, and in use, pulling on the element normally results in two tears starting in the pouch wall.

5. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pull-away element comprises a generally V-shaped tab.

6. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the weld or bond is adjacent to the periphery of the pull-away element.

7. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pouch wall is arranged to tear, in use, in a direction parallel to a said bond or weld.

8. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pouch wall has a line or region of weakness therein extending adjacent to the weld or bond.

9. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pouch wall has a heat affected zone therein in the region of the weld or bond.

10. A pouch according to any preceding claim7 wherein the pouch wall includes a relatively thin region at, or adjacent to, the weld or bond.

11. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pull-away element is of material having a greater tensile strength than the material of the pouch wall.

12. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the pull-away element is of material having a greater thickness than the material of the pouch wall.

13. A pouch according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the pull-away element is of the same material as the pouch wall.

14. A pouch according to any preceding claim, in which the pull-away element is secured to the pouch wall by one or more heat welds, or RF welds.

15. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein, in use, pulling away of the pull-away element tears the bag open from substantially one edge to an opposite edge.

16. A pouch according to any preceding claim, wherein the element is made of plastics material.

17. A WC-disposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a pull-away element secured to the exterior thereof by generally linear first and second regions of plastics welds arranged such that pulling on the element results in two distinct tears starting in the wall.

18. A WC-disposable pouch comprising walls of plastics material welded together along at least one edge, a first of the walls having a pull-away element secured to the exterior thereof by generally linear first and second regions of bonds arranged such that pulling on the element results in two distinct tears starting in the wall.

19. A method of disposing of a pouch for containing body wastes down a WC, a wall of the pouch having a pull-away element secured thereto by one or more plastics welds or bonds which define a hatch or flap area of the pouch wall, the method comprising pulling the element away to release the hatch or flap area from the surrounding material, then placing the pouch in the WC to be flushed away.

20. A method for use in the production of a tear-open WC-disposable pouch, comprising providing a sheet of plastics material for forming at least one wall of the pouch, and welding to a face of the sheet a pull-away element, the welding defining a flap or hatch area of the wall such that the sheet can be torn open adjacent or along the weld by pulling on the element, to release the flap or hatch area from the surrounding wall material.

21. A method for use in the production of a tear-open WC-disposable pouch, comprising providing a sheet of plastics material for forming at least one wall of the pouch, and bonding to a face of the sheet a pull-away element, the bonding defining a flap or hatch area of the wall such that the sheet can be torn open adjacent or along the bond by pulling on the element, to release the flap or hatch area from the surrounding wall material.

22. A WC-disposable pouch according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the pouch comprises first and second walls welded together around their periphery.

23. A WC-disposable pouch substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.