Patent Application
20160068323
The present application relates generally to packages for containing various products. More particularly, the present application relates to a stand-up flexible package for containing food products. Desirably, the stand-up flexible package can be repeatedly opened and closed.
A variety of different types of flexible packaging are known in the art for containing and dispensing products, particularly food products. Often, consumers may desire stand-up packages that can be easily and repeatedly opened and closed to obtain access to the product therein. Although various solutions have been offered to address these problems, many of these solutions are undesirable because they can impair a seller's ability to display and stack the product, impair a consumer's ability to access the product within the container, or fail to effectively limit propagation of tears when the package is opened.
Thus, there exists a need to provide a simple, cost effective and useful solution for reclosing and resealing a stand-up flexible package in a manner which will allow for repeated opening and closing of the package to access the products contained therein.
Embodiments of the present description address the above-described needs by providing stand-up flexible packages for containing a product therein, methods for their manufacture, and use.
In one aspect, a recloseable stand-up flexible package for containing a product therein is provided, the package including a package body formed from a flexible film having a front panel and a back panel sealed together along lateral edges thereof by two opposing longitudinal seams and a transverse side seam across either the front panel or back panel. A gusseted top wall is provided between the front panel and back panel between top portions of the front panel and back panel and a gusseted bottom wall is provided between the front panel and back panel between bottom portions of the front panel and back panel.
A line of weakness may extend across a portion of the package body to define an opening panel in the package body, the opening panel extending across at least a portion of the gusseted top wall onto a portion of one or both of the front panel and back panel. A flexible sealing label may be disposed over and extend beyond the opening panel over a portion of one or both of the front panel and back panel in an overlapping area, the flexible sealing label and opening panel being permanently adhered to one another such that pulling the flexible sealing label in a peeling direction exposes an opening in the gusseted top wall of the package body. The flexible sealing label may further include a resealable adhesive extending beyond the opening panel of the package body for forming a resealable closure in the overlapping area.
In a second aspect, a recloseable stand-up flexible package for containing a product therein is provided, the package including a package body formed from a flexible film having a front panel and a back panel sealed together along lateral edges thereof by two opposing longitudinal seams. A gusseted top wall is provided between the front panel and back panel between top portions of the front panel and back panel and a gusseted bottom wall is provided between the front panel and back panel between bottom portions of the front panel and back panel. A transverse peelable seam extends from and is positioned along an edge of the gusseted top wall and one of the front or back panel, the transverse peelable seem being formed from a peelable and resealable adhesive.
Embodiments of the present description include stand-up flexible packages that allow for a portion of the product to be removed and a remaining portion of the product to be contained in the packages. Also provided herein are methods for manufacturing recloseable stand-up flexible packages and methods for using the recloseable stand-up flexible packages.
In a first aspect, embodiments of the stand-up flexible package include recloseable flexible packages having a package body formed from a flexible film with two opposing side walls (i.e., a “front panel” and a “back panel”) sealed together along lateral transverse edges by means of a transverse seam and along lateral longitudinal edges by means of two longitudinal side seams, a gusseted bottom wall between the lower portions of the opposing side walls, and a gusseted top wall between the upper portions of the opposing side walls. The transverse seam may be placed at any position on one of the opposing side walls (i.e., in the upper portion, a middle portion, or a lower portion of one of the opposing side walls). The gusseted top and bottom walls may be sealed to one or more of the opposing side walls along one or more bottom seams and/or top seams. For example, the package may include two top seams and two bottom seams, forming a quad-sealed package.
A line of weakness may be positioned in the gusseted top wall and extend across one or both of the top seams into a portion of one or both of the front and back panels, thereby defining an opening panel over an opening in the package. In embodiments, the line of weakness may begin at a first top seam, extend across the gusseted top wall and across the opposing, second top seam onto a portion of the front panel. In another embodiment, the line of weakness may extend across the gusseted top wall and both the first and second top seams onto the back and front panels, respectively. The line of weakness may be formed from a die cut, score line, or perforated line formed in the flexible film. For example, the line of weakness may be a solid or perforated line formed by a die cut, mechanical score, or laser score.
A flexible sealing label may be applied over the line of weakness and the opening panel, such that the flexible sealing label can be pulled in a peeling direction to pull the opening panel back from the package body to expose an opening in the package body. Flexible sealing labels also are commonly referred to by those skilled in the art as a recloseable label. Advantageously, the opening can extend across a substantial portion of the gusseted top wall in the package body to provide access to and enable ease of removal of the product therein.
After the initial opening, the opening panel of the package body remains adhered to the flexible sealing label. For example, in embodiments, the opening panel remains partially attached to the flexible film of the package body at a terminal end of the opening panel. In such embodiments the line of weakness is an open shape, such as an open curvilinear (i.e., a semi-circle, semi-ellipse, or “u”) or polygonal (i.e., a partial rectangle, partial square, or “v”) shape that is open at a first end and closed at the opposing second end. Thus, the opening panel remains attached to the package body at the first end. In embodiments, the opening panel is completely separated from the flexible film of the package body and remains attached to only the flexible sealing label. In such embodiments the line of weakness is a closed shape, such as an ellipse (i.e., a circle or oval) or a polygon (i.e., a rectangle or square), that is closed at both the first and second ends.
The flexible sealing label may extend beyond the opening panel over an overlapping region of the package body. For example, the flexible sealing label may extend beyond all or a portion of the opening panel onto the gusseted top wall and a portion of one or both of the front and back panels. The flexible sealing label also may include a pull tab at one of the terminal ends of the flexible sealing label extending over the overlapping region.
A peelable and resealable adhesive may be applied to at least a portion of the flexible sealing label extending over the overlapping region. In embodiments, a permanent adhesive also may be applied to a portion of the flexible sealing label so that it is suitably attached to the opening panel of the package body. For example, in embodiments a permanent adhesive may be applied to the flexible sealing label to attach the flexible sealing label to the opening panel while a peelable and resealable adhesive may be applied to all or a portion of the flexible sealing label extending over the overlapping region. In addition, in embodiments a permanent adhesive may be applied to a portion of the flexible sealing label extending over the overlapping region. For example, in embodiments in which the opening panel is completely separated from the flexible film of the package body, the flexible sealing label may have only a peelable and resealable adhesive applied to all or a portion of the flexible sealing label extending over the overlapping region so that both the flexible sealing label and opening panel can be completely removed from the package body (i.e., forming an open “bowl”). In other embodiments, the flexible sealing label includes a permanent adhesive over a portion of the flexible sealing label to secure the flexible sealing label to the flexible film so that the flexible sealing label functions as a hinge for the flexible sealing label and opening panel. In either case, after the package has been opened, the consumer may advantageously reclose the package using the flexible sealing label. For example, the flexible sealing label may be pulled back down over the opening and adhered to the overlapping region in substantially its original position.
An exemplary embodiment of a recloseable flexible package is illustrated in
An opening panel 24 of the package 10 is defined by a line of weakness 25 in the package and extends from the gusseted top wall 16 across the top transverse seam 13a and onto the front panel 12 of the package. In embodiments, the line of weakness 25 terminates at or near the top transverse seam 13b. Alternatively, the line of weakness may extend across the top transverse seam 13b onto the back panel 14 where it terminates (not shown). The opening panel 24 may be covered by a flexible sealing label 26 adhered to the opening panel 24 with a permanent adhesive. The flexible sealing label 26 may be adhered to an overlapping region 23 of the package body 10 with a peelable and resealable adhesive. The package 10 may be opened by pulling a pull tab 28 of the flexible sealing label 26 to expose an opening in the package body by pulling back the opening panel 24 from the main package body at the line of weakness 25. In embodiments, the package may include one or more tamper resistant indicators that provide a visual indication of whether the package has been opened (not shown). A variety of tamper resistant indicators are known in the art. In addition, embodiments of the package 10 may have one or both of the longitudinal seals 20, 22 tacked or secured to the sides of the package (see e.g.,
The operation of the recloseable flexible package may be better understood by reference to the schematic illustrations of an exemplary package in
The flexible film forming the package body may be made of any flexible material suitable for packaging the product concerned. Where the product is a food product, the material may be substantially moisture and gas impervious so that when it is fully sealed, the packaging provides a hermetically sealed container for the food product. Alternatively, the package may be vented so as to enable the food product to be stored for longer periods. Examples of typical materials that can be used include: paper based materials, one or more polymeric materials, metallized polymeric materials, and metallic foils. The flexible film also may be a lamination comprising layers of the same or different materials, which may include any of the foregoing materials in any suitable combination. In one embodiment, the material comprises a multi-layer polymeric film including oriented polypropylene (OPP) and metallized oriented polypropylene (METOPP) layers or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene (PE) layers. When the material is formed into the package, the appropriate layers can be positioned as desired on the inside and outside of the package. In embodiments, the outer layer of material may be printed on or otherwise marked with information for the consumer.
The peelable and resealable adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the flexible sealing label may be any suitable adhesive. For example, the peelable and resealable adhesive may be a pressure sensitive adhesive or a cold seal adhesive, and may be applied to the free edges of the flexible sealing label or to the overlapping region of the package body, or both. Although the flexible sealing label is referred to as being resealable, in practice the peelable seal will not usually be expected to form a hermetic seal when the package is reclosed. However, when the package is reclosed it will hold the remaining contents securely in the package and will provide some protection for the product from the environment. References to the flexible sealing label being “resealed” or “resealable” should be construed accordingly. However, where the package is used to package a food product, it may be desirable that the package will be fully sealed when the package is formed prior to the first opening, so that the package initially forms a hermetically sealed package.
The flexible sealing label, like the flexible film, may be formed using any flexible material suitable for use in packaging the product concerned. For example, in embodiments the flexible sealing label may be a non-barrier or barrier structure including one or more layers of paper based materials, one or more polymeric materials, metallized polymeric materials, and metallic foils. Non-limiting examples of barrier structures include single layer or multilayer films of suitable polymers and metallized polymeric materials, including metallized polyester (PET), metallized biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), metallized biaxially oriented nylon (BON), metallized cast polypropylene, and combinations thereof In an exemplary embodiment, the flexible sealing layer may be formed of a multilayer material including BOPP/adhesive/aluminum foil/adhesive/paper. Non-limiting examples of barrier structures formed from multilayer flexible materials that may be clear include BOPP/adhesive/aluminum oxide-coated BOPP, BOPP/adhesive/aluminum oxide-coated PET, BOPP/adhesive/polyvinyl alcohol-coated PET or BOPP, polyvinylidine chloride (PVDC)-coated BOPP or PET, or PVDC-coated BOPP or PET/adhesive/BOPP or PET.
In a second aspect, embodiments of the stand-up flexible package include a recloseable flexible package having a package body formed from a flexible film with two opposing side walls (the “front panel” and “back panel”) sealed together along lateral longitudinal edges by means of two longitudinal side seams, a gusseted bottom wall between the lower portions of the opposing side walls, and a gusseted top wall between the upper portions of the opposing side walls. The gusseted bottom wall may be sealed to each of the opposing side walls along bottom seams while the gusseted top wall is sealed to one of the two side walls along a top seam. A transverse peelable seal may extend along an edge of the gusseted top wall opposite the top seam.
An exemplary embodiment of a stand-up flexible package is illustrated in
The package also may include a top transverse seam 113 between the front panel 112 and gusseted top wall 116 opposite the edge 113 from which the transverse peelable seem 115 extends and one or two bottom transverse seams 117 between the front and back panels 112, 114 and gusseted bottom wall 118. The longitudinal seals 120, 122, and top and bottom transverse seams 113, 117, may be permanent seals formed, for example, by heat-sealing or cold-sealing the film at the respective panels and walls.
The operation of the recloseable flexible package may be better understood by reference to the schematic illustration in
In embodiments, the package may further include pull tabs extending beyond the transverse peelable seam to facilitate opening of the package. In other embodiments, the package may include one or more tamper resistant indicators that provide a visual indication of whether the package has been opened (not shown). As noted above, such tamper resistant indicators are known in the art. For example, in an embodiment the two layers of polymer film beyond the transverse peelable seam may be configured with a tear notch to open the sealed area (i.e., using a machine direction tear). In alternative embodiments, the transverse peelable seam may be replaced with a zipper to provide the desired recloseable functionality (not shown). In addition, one or both of the longitudinal seals may be tacked or secured to the sides of the package.
The flexible film forming the package body may be made of any flexible material suitable for packaging the product concerned. Where the product is a food product, the material may be substantially moisture and gas impervious so that when it is fully sealed, the packaging provides a hermetically sealed container for the food product. Alternatively, the package may be vented so as to enable the food product to be stored for longer periods. Examples of typical materials that can be used include: paper based materials, one or more polymeric materials, and metallic foils. The flexible film also may be a lamination comprising layers of the same or different materials, which may include any of the foregoing materials in any suitable combination. In one embodiment, the material comprises a multi-layer polymeric film including oriented polypropylene (OPP) and metallized oriented polypropylene (METOPP) layers or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene (PE) layers. When the material is formed into the package, the appropriate layers can be positioned as desired on the inside and outside of the package. In embodiments, the outer layer of material may be printed on or otherwise marked with information for the consumer.
A peelable and resealable adhesive is used to secure the transverse peelable seam, and may include any suitable adhesive. For example, the transverse peelable seam may be formed using a peelable and resealable adhesive such as a pressure sensitive adhesive or a cold seal adhesive as described above. Although the transverse peelable seam is referred to as being resealable, in practice the transverse peelable seam will not usually be expected to form a hermetic seal when the package is reclosed. However, where the package is used to package a food product, it is desirable that the package will be fully sealed when the package is formed prior to the first opening, so that the package initially forms a hermetically sealed package. For example, the first opening of the transverse peelable seam may result in an adhesive failure, cohesive failure, or delamination of the peelable and resealable adhesive to enable opening and reclosing of the package as desired.
The recloseable flexible packages can be produced using any suitable manufacturing method. In embodiments, the packages are formed by feeding the material through a vertical form film seal (VFFS) machine using methods known to those skilled in the art. For example, the packaging produced according to the first aspect may be formed from a flexible film having a plurality of appropriately positioned flexible sealing labels applied over a respective plurality of lines of weakness and opening panels along its length and provided in a roll. Methods for applying the flexible sealing labels and forming the lines of weakness and optional cut-outs in the flexible film are known to those skilled in the art. For example, a line of weakness may be formed by a mechanical or laser perforation or scoring of the flexible film in the desired location after the flexible sealing label has been applied to the flexible film. Similarly, the hole punch or cut-out in the flexible film may be formed by a pneumatic punch unit installed on the flexible sealing label applicator on the unwinding section of the roll, such that as the roll is mounted on a shaft in the unwind section, a pneumatic punch unit connected to a photo eye and installed just after the film unwinds may punch the holes (i.e., oval or circular shaped) in register or at the desired spot. In another embodiment, the flexible sealing label includes one or more spots of “deadened” adhesive that can be positioned directly over the die-cut holes when the label is applied on the film in the machine.
The recloseable flexible packages provided herein may be used for containing a variety of products, particularly food products. Non-limiting examples of such products include confectionary products; cheese and dairy products; biscuits and crackers; tea, ground coffee, and coffee beans; pet food; and shelf stable products, including dried foods (e.g., rice or beans) and snack-foods (e.g., nuts and chips). The packages are particularly suited for use with snack-foods. For example, the package may be used for containing chips, nuts, and the like. In any case, the package permits the consumer to open the package and remove only a portion of the product when desired.
While the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to those embodiments. For example, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although certain embodiments are described relative to a “front panel” and a “back panel,” that the package orientation may be modified as needed (i.e., such that the “front panel” forms the back side of the package and the “front panel” forms the front side of the package). Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be assessed as that of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2014/036159 | 4/30/2014 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61819367 | May 2013 | US |
