Resealable packages for snack products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10689177-B2
Application number	US-201715729912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2017
Priority date	Oct 11, 2017
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed are unique resealable packages for snacks. Some embodiments comprise rigid sidewalls configured to structurally support a flexible bag to maintain the thickness of the bag as it is laid on its back and opened for product consumption. In addition, disclosed packages include a resealable flexible flap having a raised pull tab for use by a consumer to peel open the bag by separating this flap from the front of the bag, and then resealing the bag by laying the flap back over the opening. The rigid sidewalls allow the integrity of the product to be maintained after the bag is resealed so that the product is not crushed if the bag is stored for later use. Edges of the peelable flap are coated with a resealable adhesive, while one side or end of the flap is connected to a portion of the bag's front surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reclosable package, comprising:
a flexible package body comprising a flexible material rolled into a rectilinear tubular shape having openings at top and bottom ends, the flexible package body having a front surface and a back surface opposing the front surface, the front and back surfaces separated by opposing sides and opposing top and bottom end seals closing the openings at the top and bottom ends;
a peelable flap located on the front surface and connected to the front surface at a portion of the perimeter of the flap, the flap entirely covering an opening through the front surface of the package sized for accessing product held within the package;
a pull tab connected to the flap;
a rigid sidewall adhered externally on each of the opposing sides, each rigid sidewall providing opposing inward concave curvatures to the opposing sides to provide an hourglass shape to the package from the top end seal to the bottom end seal, and having a rigidity sufficient to provide structural support to the opposing sides to maintain separation of the front and back surfaces such that they maintain a thickness for the package, thereby forming a space therebetween for holding the product within the recloseable package; and
an aperture formed through a portion of the top end seal.

2. A package according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid sidewalls each have an elliptical shape.

3. A package according to claim 1 , wherein longitudinal outer edges of the rigid sidewalls are positioned immediately adjacent to the top and bottom end seals of the package.

4. A package according to claim 1 , wherein each of the rigid sidewalls has height to width ratio of 1:2.5, where the width of each sidewall is measured longitudinally between the top and bottom end seals.

5. A package according to claim 4 , wherein each of the rigid sidewalls have a height of about 1.7 inches and a width of about 4.25 inches.

6. A package according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid sidewalls each comprise a radius of curvature of about 3.0 inches.

7. A package according to claim 1 , wherein the top and bottom end seals comprise opposing convex curvatures.

8. A package according to claim 1 , wherein material comprising the rigid sidewalls are selected from cardboard, card stock, paperboard, fiberboard, plastic, film, laminate or a combination thereof.

9. A package according to claim 1 , wherein the flap comprises the flexible material.

10. A package according to claim 1 , wherein the front surface comprises score lines in the flexible material under the flap that define the perimeter of the opening, and wherein the flap is configured to create the opening by tearing the flexible material along the score lines when lifted from the front surface.

11. A package according to claim 1 , wherein the pull tab comprises retention features configured to retain the pull tab within the aperture thereby holding the flap away from the front surface of the package.

12. A package according to claim 1 , further comprising printing on an interior portion of package.

13. A package according to claim 1 , wherein the flap is a reclosable flap connected to the front surface at a portion of the perimeter of the reclosable flap.

14. A package according to claim 13 , further comprising a resealable adhesive disposed around an underside of a remainder of the perimeter of the reclosable flap, the adhesive configured to hold the reclosable flap onto the front surface thereby covering the opening.

15. A package according to claim 1 , wherein the pull tab is located along an area of the perimeter of the flap opposite the portion of the perimeter connected to the front surface.

16. A reclosable package, comprising:
a flexible package body comprising a flexible material rolled into a tubular shape having openings at top and bottom ends, the flexible package body having a front surface and a back surface opposing the front surface, the front and back surfaces separated by opposing sides and opposing top and bottom end seals closing the openings at the top and bottom ends, wherein the top and bottom end seals comprise opposing convex curvatures, and wherein an aperture is formed through a portion of the top end seal;
a peelable flap located on the front surface and connected to the front surface at a portion of the perimeter of the flap, the flap entirely covering an opening through the front surface of the package sized for accessing product held within the package;
a pull tab connected to the flap, the pull tab comprising retention features configured to retain the pull tab within the aperture thereby holding the flap away from the front surface of the package; and
a pair of rigid sidewalls adhered externally on corresponding ones of the opposing sides, the rigid sidewalls comprising:
longitudinal outer edges positioned immediately adjacent to the top and bottom end seals of the package,
opposing inward concave curvatures providing an hourglass shape to the package from the top end seal to the bottom end seal, and
rigidity sufficient to provide structural support to the opposing sides to maintain separation of the front and back surfaces such that they maintain a thickness for the package, thereby forming a space therebetween for holding the product within the reclosable package.

17. A package according to claim 16 , wherein the rigid sidewalls each have an elliptical shape.

18. A package according to claim 16 , wherein each of the rigid sidewalls has height to width ratio of 1:2.5, where the width of each sidewall is measured longitudinally between the top and bottom end seals.

19. A package according to claim 16 , wherein material comprising the rigid sidewalls are selected from cardboard, card stock, paperboard, fiberboard, plastic, film, laminate or a combination thereof.

20. A package according to claim 16 , wherein the flap comprises the flexible material.

21. A package according to claim 16 , wherein the front surface comprises score lines in the flexible material under the flap that define the perimeter of the opening, and wherein the flap is configured to create the opening by tearing the flexible material along the score lines when lifted from the front surface.

22. A package according to claim 16 , further comprising printing on an interior portion of package.

23. A package according to claim 16 , wherein the flap is a reclosable flap connected to the front surface at a portion of the perimeter of the reclosable flap.

24. A package according to claim 23 , further comprising a resealable adhesive disposed around an underside of a remainder of the perimeter of the flap, the adhesive configured to hold the flap onto the front surface thereby covering the opening.

25. A package according to claim 16 , wherein the pull tab is located along an area of the perimeter of the flap opposite the portion of the perimeter connected to the front surface.

Assignees

• Frito Lay North America Inc

Inventors

• Broen Martin E
• Huthmaker Todd
• Huebner Chad
• Lestage David

Classifications

• B65D2585/363

  specific products · CPC title

• B65D75/525

  External rigid or semi-rigid supports · CPC title

• B65D75/12

  with the ends of the tube closed by flattening and heat-sealing · CPC title

• B65D75/566

  Hand holes or suspension apertures · CPC title

• B65D75/5855 Primary

  Peelable seals · CPC title