BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package including an exemplary closure according to the present invention;
FIG. 2
a is an enlarged plan view of the closure depicted in FIG. 1, showing the package prior to being opened for a first time;
FIG. 2
b is the same closure of FIG. 2a, shown after the package has been opened and subsequently resealed in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the closure of FIG. 2a, taken along line 3-3;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the closure of FIG. 3, depicting an initial opening of the closure;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the closure of FIG. 3, depicting a resealed configuration of the closure after the initial opening;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the closure of FIG. 2a, taken along line 6-6;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the closure of FIG. 2b, taken along line 7-7;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the closure of FIGS. 6 and 7, depicting a resealed condition of the closure;
FIG. 9 is a schematic showing the separation of the tamper-evident feature from the package of FIG. 1, in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 10
a is a plan view of a package including another closure, according to another aspect of the present invention, shown prior to opening the closure for a first time; and
FIG. 10
b is the same closure depicted in FIG. 10a, shown after the closure has been previously opened and resealed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the Figures, and in particular FIGS. 1-9, there is shown package 10 with closure 11 which incorporates a tamper-evident feature. Package 10 includes an outer wrapper which forms a first layer 12 of top 14, side 16 and crimped ends 18, 19. The first film layer 12 is formed from polymeric film or other flexible material that has been cut, folded or otherwise processed to define an interior space or receptacle for receiving the desired product, such as food items to be provided within a package 10. Package 10 can be used to store and distribute foodstuff, such as cookies, crackers, candy or other items. The film layer 12 may include graphics or other indicia to identify the contents of the package 10.
The closure 11 is formed directly on the first film layer 12 and includes a first tear line 20 formed into the first film layer 12. The first tear line 20 defines a first panel 22 that may be separate from the first film layer 12 along the tear line 20 to expose an opening 24 (FIG. 4) whereby access to the contents of the package 10 may be gained. Although the first tear line 20 is in the form of a full or complete rectilinear form, alternatively, tear line 20 may only include three sides, whereby first panel 22 is permanently attached to the first film layer 12 on one end and, thus, not cut on that one end.
Closure 11 further includes at least one second tear line 40 as a slit formed in the first film layer 12 adjacent to the first tear line 20. The second tear line 40 produces a second panel section 42 formed by the second tear line 40, which remains integrally joined to the first film layer 12 along end 44 of the panel 42 proximate the tab 30 end of the package 10. The second tear line 40 has a generally crescent shape extending from a position spaced from the opening 24 defined by the first tear line 20, all the way to the first die cut 20. As a result, as viewed in the peeling direction 32, the second die cut 40 extends from a position spaced away from the first die cut 20 to the die cut 20.
The closure 11 includes a second film layer in the form of a sealing label such as sealing layer 26 disposed on the top 14 of the package 10 on the first film layer 12. The sealing layer 26 extends beyond the periphery of the first tear line 20 along a sealing area adjacent to the opening 24 to thereby cover the first panel section 22 and second panel 42.
This side of the second film layer 26, which faces the first film layer 12, is coated with an adhesive 28 (see FIGS. 3-5) so that the second film layer 26 may be releasably secured to the first film layer 12. The sealing layer 26 is provided with a tab 30 or other gripping feature which is not coated with adhesive 28 so that the sealing layer 26 may be peeled back from the first film layer 12 to open the package 10.
The sealing layer 26 may include a hinge portion 33, depicted in FIGS. 1, 2a and 2b as a series of undulating die cuts 34 formed through the sealing layer 26 along a peripheral edge positioned opposite the tab 30. As the sealing layer 26 is peeled back, the undulating die cuts 34 help to keep the edge of the sealing layer 26 adhesively secured to first film layer 12, while permitting the sealing layer 26 to be moved away from the access opening 24 to facilitate access to the contents of the package 10. While the hinge portion has been shown and described herein as comprising a series of undulating die cuts 34, it will be recognized that the hinge portion 33 may comprise a fold line defining a hinge or other arrangement suitable for hingedly coupling the sealing layer 26 to the first film layer 12.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first panel section 22 is separated from the first film layer 12 along the first tear line 20 and remains adhered to the sealing layer 26 as the sealing layer 26 is peeled back in a peeling direction indicated by arrow 32 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4) to open the package 10. After the contents of the package 10 have been accessed and it is desired to reseal the package 10, the sealing layer 26 may be reapplied to the first film layer 12, approximately in its original position, as depicted in FIG. 5. Because the sealing layer 26 extends beyond the periphery of the first panel section 22, the adhesive 26 disposed thereon facilitates resealing the package 10 with the first panel section 22 positioned over the access opening 24.
When the sealing layer 26 is peeled away from the first layer 12 to separate the first panel section 22 for a first time, a portion of the second panel section 42 is separated from the first film layer 12, but the integrally joined portion 44 of the second panel 42 ensures that the second panel 42 does not become completely separated from the first film layer 12. The second panel 42, therefore, remains attached to the first film layer 12 and eventually becomes separated from the adhesive coated second film layer 26 as the second film layer 26 is peeled back for a first time in direction 32. Referring to the schematic of FIG. 9, as the sealing layer 26 is pulled back for a first time, the first tear line 20 tears successively, as indicated by the series of arrows 50, and the second tear line 40 tears successively as indicated by arrows 52 until the second tear line 40 terminates at the first tear line 20.
An advantage of having the second die cut extend and terminate at a first die cut is that any residual adhesive force which is applied to the respective second portions will be directed to the first die cut and, thus, the opening of the container, and not extend along the first layer to tear and/or potentially jeopardize the integrity of the package.
The material of the first layer 12 is formed such that the second panel section 42 moves in a direction away from the top 14 and inward of the package 10 when it becomes separated from the first film layer 12 and the sealing layer 26, as depicted in FIGS. 2b, 4 and 7. Thereafter, the second panel section 42 provides a visual indication of an initial opening of the package 10 even when the sealing layer 26 is resealed against the first film layer 12 to reclose the package 10. Specifically, the second panel section 42 remains joined to the first film layer 12 at end 44 while the remainder of the second panel 42 extends downwardly into the package 10, as depicted in FIGS. 2b, 4, 5, 7 and 8, to create a void area 46 that is visually detectable when viewing the package 10.
While FIGS. 1-8 show and describe an outer wrapper which forms a first layer 12 that covers the entire exterior of a package, the first layer 12 may form only a top surface of a package having a resealable opening, such as those packages disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/193,613, and thus closure 11 can form a closure over a thermoform tray having a first sealing layer as a lidding material over the top of the tray.
The first film layer 12 may be formed from polypropylene, polyethylene, cellophane, or any other polymeric material suitable for forming a package enclosure. Likewise, the sealing layer 26 may be formed from polypropylene, polyethylene or any other polymeric material suitable for forming a selectively releasable and resealable cover that can be adhered to the first film layer 12 as described above.
Referring now to FIGS. 10a and 10b, package 110 includes a closure 111 similar to that of package 10. Package 110 differs from package 10 in that a third die cut 141 is formed in first sealing layer 112 which is parallel to second die cut 140 to thereby define a second panel 142 which is in the form of a generally elongated strip extending from a portion 144 spaced away from the first die cut 120 proximate the tab 130 and extending to the first die cut 120 as viewed in the peeling direction 132. As with package 10, one gains access into package 110 by pulling back on tab 130 which releases sealing layer 126 from the first layer 112 sealed to top 114, which separates the first panel 122 from the first layer 112, thereby exposing the opening (not shown). In addition, as the sealing layer 126 is pulled back in direction 132, the second panel 142 is separated from the first outer layer 114 on all sides except for the portion 144 which is permanently attached to the first outer layer 112. As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9, as shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b, the outer slit tears along a line that turns in and terminates at line 120. In this embodiment, the inner slit 141 also turn in and terminates at line 120. As a result, the second portion 142 separates from the adhesive of the sealing layer 126 and top 114, and falls into the package 110, as shown in FIG. 9b.
It will now be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present tamper-evident features of the present closure offers benefits over prior tamper-evident features.
Patent Application
20070275133
