Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
GU8~ v FLEXIBLE P~ q~ WITH RECL08ABLE MOUTH U8ING
ZIPPER TYPB RECL08URE 8TRIP LOCATED ABOVE THE MOUTH
SPECIFICATION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to flexible packages, and
more particularly to flexible packages for holding products,
such as foods, under vacuum therein, and which once opened are
arranged to be repeatedly re-opened and reclosed, while keeping
the contents fresh.
Various types of flexible packages for holding particulate
materials, e.g., ground or whole bean coffee, chemicals, etc.,
under vacuum therein have been disclosed in the patent
literature and are commercially available today. Examples of
such packages are found in the following United States Letters
Patent: 4,576,285 (Goglio), 4,705,174 (Goglio), and 4,913,561
(Beer).
The major advantages of flexible packaging, as compared to
relatively rigid packaging, e.g., cartons, are that until the
flexible package is filled it takes up very little volume, and
after it is emptied of its contents it readily collapses,
thereby reducing its volume to approximately that of the
unfilled package. The former characteristic is a significant
advantage insofar as storage is concerned, while the latter
characteristic is a significant advantage from the standpoint
of disposability.
One common type of flexible package for holding goods under
vacuum until the package is opened is the so-called "gussetted"
package or bag. Typically such a package is formed from a web
of flexible stock material, e.g., polyethylene, polyester,
polypropylene, metal foil, and combinations thereof in single
or multiple plies, into a tubular body, having a face panel, a
back panel, and a pair of gussetted sides. Each gussetted side
is formed by a pair of gusset sections and a central fold edge
interposed between a pair of outer fold edges. The lower end
of the bag is commonly permanently sealed, e.g., heat sealed,
along a line extending transversely across the width of the bag
close to its bottom edge. The top of the bag is commonly sealed
transversely across the entire width of the bag in a number of
CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
ways to maintain the contents under vacuum until the bag is
opened. Such action is frequently accomplished via a readily
openable mouth, which when opened provides access to the
contents of the bag. For example, in one prior art package the
top seal is made peelable by modifying the sealant layer with
a peelable coating or incompatible additive. Thus, when the
seal is peeled apart the unsealed portions form an open mouth
through which the contents of the package may be removed.
Another approach to providing an opening or mouth for a flexible
package is that of the heretofore identified Patent No.
4,705,174 (Goglio). That package includes a peel strip applied
to the inner surface of the package below the top edges. The
strip provides an air-tight interfacial seal which can be
readily peeled apart to provide access to the interior of the
package. Another approach to providing an opening or mouth for
a flexible package is to score the upper flap of the package by
laser or mechanical means through a tear initiation resistant
layer(s) of the package structure. In this way the package can
be opened by tearing away the scored area to form the package's
mouth.
Gussetted bags, particularly those for foods, frequently
make use of a plastic coated wire tie to serve as reclosure for
the bag. In particular, the wire tie is designed to close the
mouth of the bag after it has been initially opened so that the
reclosed bag will keep its contents fresh. Whether or not such
wire-tie reclosures effectively provide a positive means of
reclosing a gussetted package is open to debate. Moreover, the
effectiveness of such closures is frequently dependent upon the
manner in which the wire tie is used. Thus, there is a
perception in some quarters of the consuming public that a wire-
tie package cannot be reclosed securely enough to maintain
product freshness over an extended period of time. Therefore,
such packages have not been fully accepted as being truly
reclosable.
Non-gussetted flexible packages, such as stand-up pouches,
are commercially available and typically include so-called
"zipper-type" reclosures. Examples, of such packages are shown
CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
in United States Letters Patent Nos. 5,05g,036 (Richison et
al.), 5,147,272 (Richison et al.), and 5,147,272 (Richison et
al.). These zipper-type closures are generally perceived by the
consuming public as providing for a more effective reclosure of
the flexible pouch after it has been initially opened than twist
or wire tie closures. In fact, zipper-type closures may be more
effective than wire-tie reclosures. At the very least they are
easier to use, and not prone to loss or misplacement. Thus,
stand-up, flexible pouches with zipper-type closures have gained
wide acceptance by the consumer.
While the stand-up, zipper-closure type pouch offers
advantages over a gussetted flexible package insofar as actual
or perceived reclosability is concerned, its shape does not
allow efficient use of case packing and retail shelf space, as
does a gussetted package. In addition, the stand-up pouch
cannot be stacked readily, if at all.
Thus, a need exists for a flexible package having the
stacking and shape advantages of a gussetted package, but with
the reclosability of a zipper-type closure stand-up package.
In my co-pending United States Patent Application, Serial
No. 08/690,271, filed on July 19, 1996, entitled Gussetted
Flexible Package With Reclosable Mouth Using Zipper Type
Reclosure Strip, now abandoned, which is assigned to the same
assignee as this invention and whose disclosure is incorporated
by reference herein, there is disclosed and claimed a gussetted
flexible package which addresses the needs of the prior art.
That package has an interior for initially holding some product,
e.g., whole coffee bean or ground coffee, under vacuum, and
includes a mouth portion arranged to be peeled open to provide
access to the contents of the package. The package is formed
of a flexible material and includes a front panel, a rear panel,
and a pair of opposed side gussets. The panels and gussets each
include a top portion, which between them define the package's
mouth, and which is flattened. A peelable closure and a zipper
closure are provided in the flattened mouth of the package. The
zipper closure comprises a pair of strips which are releasably
secured to each other. In particular, one of the strips extends
CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
across and is fixedly secured to the flattened inner surface of
the package at the top end the full width of the front panel and
one half of each of the gussets on either side of the front
panel. The other of the strips extends across and is fixedly
secured to the flattened inner surface of the package at the top
end thereof the full width of the rear panel and the other half
of each of the gussets on either side of the rear panel. The
package is arranged to be sealed under vacuum, with the peelable
closure maintaining that vacuum within the package until it is
peeled open. The zipper closure is arranged to be opened and
reclosed after the peelable closure has been peeled open in
order to minimize the ingress of air into the package. The
package includes a top portion whiah can be folded flat to
enable the package to be readily stacked.
While the package of my aforementioned copending patent
application is suitable for its intended purposes, the
configuration of the flattened top portion of the package which
extends the full width of the package (i.e., the width of the
panels, plus half the width of one side gusset, plus half the
width of the other side gusset) may'be undesirable for some
packaging applications.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to
provide another gussetted flexible package which addresses the
needs of the prior art.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a
gussetted flexible package which includes a zipper closure and
which is simple in construction.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a
gussetted flexible package which includes a zipper closure and
which is low in cost.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a
gussetted flexible package which includes a ZiPper closure and
which can be manufactured easily.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a
gussetted flexible package which includes a zipper closure and
which is easy to use.
CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
It is a further object of this invention to provide a
gussetted flexible package which includes a zipper closure and
which can be readily stacked.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects of the instant invention are
achieved by providing a flexible, gussetted package having an
interior for holding some material, e.g., whole bean coffee,
ground coffee, etc., therein. The package is formed of a
flexible material and comprises a front panel and a rear panel
connected to each other by respective side gussets. Each of the
panels and gussets has an upper end portion which conjoin to
form a mouth for the package. The upper end of the package at
the mouth is of the width of the panels.
The package additionally comprises a first and second
closure means located adjacent the package's mouth. The first
closure means, e.g., a peelable closure, is located within the
package's mouth and is arranged for sealing the interior of the
package until its mouth is opened. The second closure means is
located above the first closure means and partially within the
package's mouth and comprises a zipper strip having a pair of
strip members releasably secured to each other. One strip
member extends across the top portion of one of the panels for
the width of the panel and is fixedly secured to that panel.
Similarly, the other strip member extends across the top portion
of the other of the panels for the width of that panel and is
fixedly secured to that panel. The strip members are arranged
to be releasably secured to each other to temporarily close the
package's mouth after the first closure means, e.g., the
peelable closure, is opened, whereupon the second closure means,
i.e., the zipper closure, eliminates or minimizes the ingress
of air into the package to protect any material therein, while
being readily openable to provide access to that material
through the mouth.
The upper portion of the package can be folded down to form
a flap and the flap secured in place to result in a brick-like
shaped package, which can be readily stacked.
CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a package constructed in
accordance with the invention, shown after it has been filled
and sealed;
Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the top portion of the
package of Fig. 1 shown during an initial step in opening the
package;
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the package
after it has been opened;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4 -
4 of Fig. l;
Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the package
in its fully opened state; and
Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5 but showing the
package after it has been resealed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown at 10 in Fig. 1 a
flexible package constructed in accordance with this invention.
The package basically comprises a gussetted bag 20 and a
resealable closure 22. The bag 20 is arranged to hold any
material, e.g., coffee beans, ground coffee, chemicals, etc.,
for dispensing, e.g., pouring, therefrom. The bag 20 is formed
of a web of any suitable, flexible material in a manner to be
described later. The closure 22 can be of any conventional
"zipper-type" closure construction. One particularly suitable
zipper-type closure is that sold by Presto Products Company,
under the trade designation Fresh-Trak reclosable zipper Style
113.
Turning now to Figs. 1 and 4, it can be seen that bag 20
basically comprises a front wall or panel 24 (Fig. 4), a rear
wall or panel 26 (Figs. 1 and 4), a pair of identical gussetted
sides 28 (Figs. 1 and 4), a top end portion 30, and a bottom end
portion 32. The top end portion 30 of the package terminates
in a top marginal edge 34. In a similar manner the bottom end
portion 32 of terminates in a bottom marginal edge 36. If
desired, an a one-way venting valve (not shown) may be included
CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
in any suitable portion of the bag to enable gases which may be
produced by the material(s), e.g., coffee, contained within it
after it is sealed to vent to the ambient air without air
gaining ingress to the bag's interior.
The front panel 24, rear panel 26, and the two gussetted
sides 28 of the bag are all integral portions of a single sheet
or web of the flexible material, of single or multiple ply or
layers, which has been folded and seamed to form a tubular body.
One particularly useful flexible material for the bag 20 is a
laminated web of flexible packaging material commercially
available from Fres-Co System USA, Inc., of Telford PA, the
assignee of this invention. That material comprises a 48 gauge
polyester layer, ink, an adhesive layer, a 28 gauge aluminum
foil layer, another adhesive layer, a 60 gauge nylon layer,
another adhesive layer, and a 300 gauge easy open sealant layer.
When a web of such material is formed into the tubular body for
the package the polyester layer serves as the outer surface of
the package, with the easy-open sealant layer being the inner
surface of the package.
As can be seen clearly in Figs. 1-3, the rear panel 26 of
the package 20 includes a fin 38 which extends longitudinally
along the back of the package from the top edge to the bottom
edge. The fin 38 is located approximately midway between the
gussetted sides 28 and is formed by portions of the web material
contiguous with the vertical marginal edges of the sheet or web
which are brought into engagement with each other and are
secured to one another via any conventional sealing technique,
such as heat sealing or welding. The resultant fin or seam 38
is generally folded down so it lays substantially flush with the
rear wall 26 of the package.
As can be seen clearly in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, the closure 22
is located so that a portion of it is above the top marginal
edge 34 of the bag. The details of the closure 22 will be
described later. Suffice it for now to state that the closure
22 extends across the width of the bag's two panels 24 and 26,
with portions secured on the inner surface thereof immediately
below the top edge 34, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 6.
CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
The bag 20 is arranged to be initially hermetically sealed
closed along a transverse, peelable seal line 40 (Figs. 2-4 and
6), after it has been filled and vacuumized. The seal line 40
is formed in a conventional manner and extends across the width
of the bag 20 slightly below the closure 22 to seal the inner
surfaces of the abutting front and rear panels to each other
between the inner fold lines 28A of the pair of gussets 28,
while sealing the marginal portions of the front panel to the
abutting portions of the gussetted sides contiguous therewith.
The seal line 40 also seals the marginal portions of the rear
panel to the abutting portions of the gussetted sides contiguous
therewith. Thus, the seal line 40 serves to isolate the
contents of the package from the ambient atmosphere once it is
sealed.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this
invention, the peelable seal line 40 is formed by heat sealing
of the abutting easy-open sealant layer portions forming the
inner surface of the bag 20. Alternatively, the seal line 40
can be formed in any other conventional manner, e.g., the use
of peelable sealing strips like that disclosed in the
aforementioned Goglio patents, whose disclosures are
incorporated by reference herein.
The lower or bottom end 32 of the bag is sealed closed
along a transverse, permanent seam line closely adjacent the
bottom edge 36. The permanent seam line is formed using any
conventional sealing technique, such as that used for the
vertical seamed fin 38.
When the bag 20 is filled, vacuumized, and sealed its
contents, e.g., whole bean coffee, will be kept isolated from
the ambient air by the seal line 40. The closure 22 is also
closed at this time and the top portion 30 of the bag with the
closure secured thereto is folded down to form a flap 12 such
as shown in Fig. 1. The flap-is held in place by a strip of
adhesive tape 14. In order to gain ingress into the bag so that
some or all of its contents can be removed, the tape 14 is
removed and the flap unfolded to the position shown in Fig. 2.
The closure 22 above top marginal edges of the bag is then
CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
grasped and pulled apart as will be described in detail later.
This action peels the closure 22 apart and also peels open the
peelable seal line 40 to form the mouth of the bag as shown in
Fig. 3. The contents of the bag can then be poured or otherwise
removed through the bag's mouth.
The closure 22 also serves as the means to enable the mouth
of bag to be reclosed after some of its contents have been
removed and it is desired to keep the remaining contents fresh,
i.e., generally isolated from the ambient atmosphere.
The closure 22 is best seen in Fig. 2-4 and comprises a
pair of strips 22A and 22B which are arranged to releasably mate
with each other. Each of the strips is formed of a flexible
plastic material, and extends the full width of the front or
rear panel to which it is secured. The strips 22A and 22B are
of generally similar construction. Thus, the strip 22A includes
a top tab or grasping portion 50A (Figs. 1-4) and a bottom
mounting portion 52 (Figs. 1 and 5). The strip 22B includes a
top tab or grasping portion 50B (Figs. 1-4) and a bottom
mounting portion 52 (Figs. 1 and 5). The mounting portion 52
of each strip is arranged to be fixedly secured to the inner
surface of the top portion of the a respective panel of the bag
20. In this regard, as can be seen in Fig. 5, the mounting
portion 52 of the strip 22A is fixedly secured, e.g., welded,
to the inner surface of the front panel 24 immediately below the
top edge 34. In a similar manner the mounting portion 52 of the
strip 22B is fixedly secured, e.g., welded, to the inner surface
of the rear panel 26 immediately below the top edge 34.
The strip 22A includes a linear flange 42 (Figs. 4-6)
extending the entire length of the strip immediately adjacent
the lower edge thereof, and a pair of linear ribs 44 and 46
extending the entire length of the strip above the flange 42.
The strip 22B also includes a linear flange 42, and a pair of
linear ribs 44 and 46. The flange 42 of the strip 22B extends
the entire length of the strip at an intermediate point in the
height of the strip so as to be immediately adjacent the rib 44
of the strip 22A. Each of the ribs 44 and 46 of the strip 22A
includes a rounded, overhanging, downwardly-directed free end
CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
tab 48. Similarly, each of the ribs 44 and 46 of the strip 22B
includes a rounded overhanging, upwardly directed free end tab
48.
The tabs 48 of the strips serve as means for holding the
strips together against accidental disconnection, yet enabling
them to be readily peeled apart, when desired. In particular,
the spacing between the ribs 44 and 46 of the strip 22A is equal
to the width of the tab 48 of the rib 44 of the strip 22B. The
spacing between the ribs 44 and 46 of the strip 22B is equal to
the width of the tab 48 of the rib 46 of the strip 22A. Thus,
when the strips 22A and 22B are releasably secured to each
other, the tab 48 of the rib 44 of the strip 22B is accommodated
within the space between ribs 44 and 46 of the strip 22A and
with the undersurface of the tabs on the ribs 44 and 46 engaging
each other as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. In a similar manner the
tab 48 of the rib 44 of the strip 22A is accommodated within the
space between ribs 44 and 46 of strip 22B and with the
undersurface of the tabs on the ribs 44 and 46 engaging each
other. The spacing between the rib 44 and the flange 42 of the
strip 22A is equal to the width of the tab 48 of the rib 46 of
the strip 22B, so that when the strips 22A and 22B are
releasably secured to each other, the tab 48 of the rib 46 of
the strip 22B is accommodated within that space and with the
undersurface of the tabs on those ribs engaging each other as
also shown in Figs. 4 and 6. Similarly, the spacing between the
rib 44 and the flange 42 of the strip 22B is equal to the width
of the tab 48 of the rib 46 of the strip 22A, so that when the
strips 22A and 22B are releasably secured to each other, the tab
48 of the rib 44 of the strip 22A is accommodated within that
space and with the undersurface of the tabs on those ribs
engaging each other as also shown in Figs. 4 and 6. This action
effectively releasably secures the strips 22A and 22B together.
When the two strips are secured to each other as just
described the flange 42 of the strip 22A abuts the rib 46 of the
strip 22B to form a substantially air-tight interface. In a
similar manner the flange 42 of the strip 22B abuts the rib 46
of the strip 22A to form a substantially air-tight interface.
CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
Thus, when the strips 22A and 22B are releasably secured
together the contents of the bag 20 are effectively isolated
from the ambient surroundings so that they can be kept fresh
over an extended period of time.
The closure 22 can be readily opened by peeling apart the
two strips 22A and 22B. In order to accomplish that action the
strips 22A and 22B include the heretofore identified grasping
portions 50A and 50B, respectively. As can be seen in Figs. 2,
4 and 6 the grasping portion 50A of the strip 22A is of greater
height than the grasping portion 50B of the strip 22B, so that
the top marginal edge of the portion 50A extends above the top
marginal edge 50B. This enables the user of the package to
readily grasp the top edge portion 50A between his/her thumb and
forefinger of one hand. Once that has been accomplished the
user can readily grasp the top edge portion 50B between his/her
thumb and forefinger of the other hand. The two top portions
50A and 50B can then be pulled apart, to peel the closure 22
apart, i.e., to open it. In order to facilitate the grasping
of the top portions 50A and 50B, each portion includes a
grasping enhancing surface portion. In particular, the strip
portion 50A includes a pair of slightly raised ridges 54
extending parallel to each other for the width of the strip 22A
adjacent the top edge thereof. The strip portion 50B includes
a single, slightly raised ridge 56 extending the width of the
strip 22B adjacent the top edge thereof. The ridge 56 of the
strip 22B is located slightly below the lower-most of the ridges
54 of the strip 22A. Other grip enhancing means can be used in
lieu of the ridges 54 and 56.
The bag 20 can be reclosed to seal its remaining contents
therein by merely bringing the strips 22A and 22B together and
applying pressure along the extending ribs to cause them to
reengage like shown in Fig. 6. The flap 12 can then be folded
down and the adhesive tape 14 reapplied to hold the flap in
place.
In order to enable a bag of this invention to be readily
stacked on other similar bags after it is initially filled and
hermetically sealed by seal line 40, its upper or top portion
. CA 022117~8 1997-07-30
12
30 can be folded over itself to form the flap 12, with the flap
being adhesively secured to the underlying portion of the bag
by the tape strip 14. The flap 12 and underlying portion of the
bag can then be folded down and disposed on the remaining
contiguous portion of the bag to form a flat top surface for the
bag. This action effectively "squares" the top of the bag so
that the bag has a brick-like shape. Thus, the resulting
package can be readily stored and stacked. In order to enable
the package to be readily opened the adhesive strip 14 is
removable.
As should be appreciated from the foregoing the subject
invention provides a new means of reclosing a flexible package
having side gussets, in the interest of consumer acceptance.
Without further elaboration the foregoing will so fully
illustrate my invention that others may, by applying current or
future knowledge, adopt the same for use under various
conditions of service.
