Packages having separable sealing features and methods of manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124946-B2
Application number	US-201414424409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2014
Priority date	Feb 15, 2013
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 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 toward an open position where the closure flap is separated to allow greater access. 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 a hinge, each of the first and second pouches being configured to contain a product;
a first closure flap attached relative to the first pouch along a first line of weakness and relative to the second pouch at a location spaced from the hinge;
a second closure flap attached to the second pouch along a second line of weakness, the first and second lines of weakness each being spaced from the hinge, the second closure flap being attached to the first closure flap;
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 first closure flap and the second closure flap, respectively, toward an open position;
wherein in response to movement of the package from the closed position to the open position, at least one of the first and second closure flaps separates along a respective at least one of the first and second lines of weakness, such that when the package is in the open position, the first and second closure flaps are attached to each other and at least one of the first and second closure flaps is detached relative to at least one of the first and second pouches to provide access to the at least one of the first and second pouches.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein each of the pouches has an opening facing the hinge to provide access to the product.

3. The package of 1 , wherein the first flap is attached to at least one of the first and second pouches along a line of weakness.

4. A package comprising:
a first pouch and a second pouch attached relative to each other about both an outer hinge and first and second inner connecting flaps, 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 first inner connecting flap and the second interconnecting flap, respectively, toward an open position;
wherein at least one of the first and second inner connecting flaps is configured to at least partially detach relative to at least one of the first and second pouches in response to movement of the first and second pouches from the closed position to the open position to provide access to at least one of the first and second pouches.

5. The package of claim 4 , wherein first and second pouches are attached relative to each other about the first and second inner connecting flaps, and wherein the first inner connecting flap is attached to the first pouch, the second inner connecting flap is attached to the second pouch, and the first and second inner connecting flaps are attached to each other.

6. The package of claim 5 , wherein the first inner connecting flap is attached to the first pouch along a first line of weakness and the second inner connecting flap is attached to the second pouch along a second line of weakness, and wherein the first and second inner connecting flaps are attached to each other using an adhesive.

7. The package of claim 4 , wherein each of the pouches has an inner panel and an outer panel sealed together to define an interior configured to contain a product and a line of weakness formed in the inner panel to define a respective one of the first and second inner connecting flaps separable from the inner panel along the line of weakness to form an opening to access the interior, the first and second pouches attached relative to each other about both the outer hinge and the first and second inner connecting flaps;
wherein, when the first and second pouches are in the closed position, access to the first and second pouches is blocked by the first and second closure flaps being attached to their respective inner panels, and
wherein, when the first and second pouches are in the open position, at least one of the first and second connecting flaps is separated from its respective inner panel along its respective line of weakness to provide access to the respective one of the first and second pouches.

8. The package of claim 7 , wherein each of the lines of weakness has a section spaced further from the hinge as compared to other sections thereof.

9. The package of claim 7 ,
wherein the inner panel of the first pouch includes a second hinge permitting a portion of the inner panel of the first pouch to fold about the second hinge during movement of the first and second pouches from the closed position toward the open position; the inner panel of the second pouch including a third hinge permitting a portion of the inner panel of the second pouch to fold about the third hinge form during movement of the first and second pouches from the closed position toward the open position; and
wherein the portion of the first pouch between the second hinge and the outer hinge is separated by a gap from the portion of the second pouch between the third hinge and the outer hinge, the gap defining a passage extending across at least a portion of the first and second pouches.

10. The package of claim 9 , wherein the first pouch is movable to a position where the first inner connecting flap is separated from the inner panel of the first pouch along the line of weakness of the first pouch without separating the second inner connecting flap of the second pouch attached to the inner panel of the second pouch along the line of weakness of the second pouch.

11. The package of claim 10 , wherein, when the first pouch is in the position where the first inner connecting flap is separated from the inner panel of the first pouch along the line of weakness of the first pouch, at least one of:
the second hinge is closer to a bottom end of the second pouch than the outer hinge;
a bottom end of the first pouch is movable in a direction away from the outer hinge to separate the second inner connecting flap from the inner panel of the second pouch along the line of weakness of the second pouch to open the second pouch and provide access to the product in the second pouch;
the bottom end of the first pouch is movable in a direction away from the bottom end of the second pouch to increase a length of the package, wherein the length of the package is defined as a distance between the bottom end of the first pouch and the bottom end of the second pouch along a line perpendicular to the outer hinge;
the second hinge is movable in a direction away from a bottom end of the second pouch; and
the second hinge is movable in a direction away from the bottom end of the second pouch to a position where the second hinge is further away from the bottom end of the second pouch than the outer hinge.

12. The package of claim 7 ,
wherein the first inner connecting flap is movable relative to the hinge and obstructs at least a portion of the opening of the first pouch to restrict the product from dislodging from the first pouch during movement of the first and second pouches away from each other by a degree of rotation of at least 180 degrees from the closed position to the open position.

Assignees

• Intercontinental Great Brands Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B65B7/08

  and folding · CPC title

• B65D75/58 Primary

  Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture {(B65D75/36, B65D85/1027 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B65B2230/02

  Containers having separate compartments isolated from one another (B65B29/10 and B65B2220/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65B61/02

  for perforating, scoring {, slitting,} or applying code or date marks on material prior to packaging {(scoring ampoules B65B3/006)} · CPC title

• B65D75/42

  Chains of interconnected packages · CPC title