Packages having separable sealing features and methods of manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10017310-B2
Application number	US-201515503668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2015
Priority date	Aug 14, 2014
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A package includes a first pouch and either a second pouch or a cover, where the pouches are configured to contain a product, such as a food product, and attached relative to each other about a hinge. The package includes at least one closure flap. The first and second pouches or first pouch and cover are movable about the hinge from a closed position where access is at least partially blocked by the closure flap when in the closed position and wherein the closure flap is separated to allow greater access when in an open position. Methods of manufacturing such packages are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A package comprising:
a first pouch and a second pouch attached relative to each other about both an outer hinge and at least one inner connecting flap, each of the first and second pouches being configured to contain a product;
the first and second pouches being movable about the hinge from a closed position, where access to the first and second pouches is blocked by the at least one inner connecting flap when in the closed position, and wherein the at least one inner connecting flap is rupturable to at least partially detach relative to one of the first and second pouches to provide access to at least one of the first and second pouches when in an open position;
wherein the at least one inner connecting flap is a pair of inner connecting flaps and the first and second pouches are attached relative to each other about the pair of inner connecting flaps;
wherein one of the inner connecting flaps is attached to the first pouch along a first line of weakness, the other of the inner connecting flaps is attached to the second pouch along a second line of weakness, and the first and second inner connecting flaps are attached to each other;
wherein the one of the inner connecting flaps includes a pull tab detachable from the one of the inner connecting flaps along the first line of weakness and detachably attached to a portion of the second pouch, the pull tab being preferentially detachable from the first pouch along the first line of weakness during movement of the first and second pouches from the closed position toward the open position to provide access to the first pouch while remaining attached to the portion of the second pouch such that access to the second pouch is restricted.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the pull tab is configured to be detachable from the portion of the second pouch to permit the other of the inner connecting flaps to detach from the second pouch along the second line of weakness to provide access to the second pouch.

3. A package comprising:
a first pouch having a first inner panel and a first outer panel sealed together to define an interior configured to contain a product and a first line of weakness formed in the first inner panel to define a first inner closure flap separable from the first inner panel along the first line of weakness;
a second pouch having a second inner panel and a second outer panel sealed together to define an interior configured to contain a product and a second line of weakness formed in the second inner panel to define a second inner closure flap separable from the second inner panel along the second line of weakness to form an opening to access the interior of the second pouch, the second inner closure flap being configured to preferentially detach as compared to the first inner closure flap from the second inner panel along the second line of weakness;
the first and second pouches attached relative to each other about both a hinge and the first and second inner closure flaps and have a closed position where access to the first and second pouches is restricted by the first and second inner closure flaps being attached to their respective first and second inner panels, the first and second pouches having an initial open position, where the first and second pouches are spaced from each other and the second inner closure flap is preferentially separated, as compared to the first inner closure flap, along the second line of weakness from the second inner panel to provide access to the second pouch while the first inner closure flap remains attached to the first inner panel and access to the first pouch is restricted.

4. The package of claim 3 , wherein the second inner closure flap includes a pull tab detachable from the second inner panel along the second line of weakness and detachably attached to a portion of the inner panel of the first pouch, the pull tab being preferentially detachable, as compared to the first inner closure flap, from the inner panel of the second pouch along the second line of weakness during movement of the first and second pouches from the closed position toward the initial open position to provide access to the second pouch while remaining attached to the portion of the inner panel of the first pouch such that access to the first pouch is restricted, and wherein the pull tab is configured to be detachable from the portion of the inner panel of the first pouch during movement of the first and second pouches to a final open position to permit the first inner closure flap to detach from the inner panel of the first pouch along the first line of weakness to provide access to the first pouch.

5. The package of claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second lines of weakness has a middle section spaced further from the hinge as compared to ends thereof.

6. The package of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the middle section of the second line of weakness at least in part surrounds the pull tab and is spaced further from the hinge as compared to both portions of the second line of weakness adjacent the pull tab and the ends of the second line of weakness.

7. The package of claim 5 , wherein a portion of the second line of weakness extending along a perimeter of the pull tab has is arcuate and has a first radius of curvature and the second line of weakness is arcuate and has a first radius of curvature and the portions of the second line of weakness adjacent the pull tab are arcuate with a second radius of curvature different from the first radius of curvature.

8. The package of claim 5 , wherein the outer panels of the first and second pouches are joined at the hinge.

9. The package of claim 5 , wherein a force required to break the first and second lines of weakness is less than a force required to separate the first and second inner closure flaps.

10. The package of claim 5 , wherein a force required to break the second line of weakness is less than a force required to separate the pull tab from the first inner panel.

11. The package of claim 3 , wherein a middle portion of the first line of weakness at least in part extends in an inward direction toward the hinge as compared to portions of the first line of weakness adjacent to the middle portion of the first line of weakness, and wherein a middle portion of the second line of weakness at least in part surrounds the pull tab and extends in an outward direction away from the hinge as compared to portions of the second line of weakness adjacent to the pull tab.

12. A package comprising:
first and second pouches joined by a hinge and having:
a closed position where the first and second pouches face each other and are closed;
an initial open position where the first and second pouches are spaced by the hinge, the first pouch is open to provide access to contents therein, and the second pouch is closed to restrict access to contents therein; and
a subsequent open position where the first and second pouches are spaced by the hinge and the first and second pouches are open to provide access to the contents therein; and
means for preferential opening of the first pouch as compared to the second pouch during movement of the first and second pouches from the closed position to the initial open position.

13. The package of claim 12 , wherein the first pouch includes a first line of weakness that permits the first pouch to open by separation of a portion of the first pouch along the first line of weakness and the second pouch includes a second line of weakness that permits the second pouch to open by separation of a portion of the second pouch along the second line of weakness.

14. The package of cl

Assignees

• Intercontinental Great Brands Llc

Inventors

• Lyzenga Deborah A
• Exner Ronald H
• Weber Jeffrey T
• Scarola Leonard S
• Bhatnagar Vinay

Classifications

• B65B51/22

  by friction or ultrasonic or high-frequency electrical means · CPC title

• B65D75/585 Primary

  the tear-lines being broken by deformation or bending · CPC title

• B65B11/48

  Enclosing articles, or quantities of material, by folding a wrapper, e.g. a pocketed wrapper, and securing its opposed free margins to enclose contents · CPC title

• B65D85/60

  for sweets or like confectionery products · CPC title

• B65D75/14

  in sheets or blanks folded-up around all sides of the contents from a portion on which the contents are placed · CPC title