packaging with separable sealing features

专利摘要:
PACKAGING, FILM PACKING AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE PACKAGING A package includes a first bag and a second bag or a cover, where the bags are configured to contain a product, such as a food product, and are fixed in relation to each other around of a joint. The package includes at least one closing flap. The first and second bags or first bag and cover are movable around the joint from a closed position, where access is at least partially blocked by the closing flap, to an open position where the closing flap is separated to allow greater access . Methods of making such packaging are also provided.
公开号:BR112015004562B1
申请号:R112015004562-6
申请日:2014-02-14
公开日:2021-02-09
发明作者:Deborah A. Lyzenga；Ronald H. Exner；Jeffrey T. Weber；Leonard S. Scarola；Vinay Bhatnagar
申请人:Intercontinental Great Brands Llc；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

FIELD
[001] Packaging and methods for its manufacture are described in this document and, in particular, packaging having separable sealing capabilities. BACKGROUND
[002] Packaging, and in particular flexible film packaging, is used for a variety of food products (for example, chewing gum tablets, chocolates, candies and more). Such packages may include one or more compartments for the storage of consumer products and multiple flaps and / or panels covering the compartments. Manufacturing of packages that include multiple flaps may require the use of multiple foil sheets and multiple cut or separation lines, increasing the manufacturing complexity and cost of packaging.
[003] The packages can be sealed by means of locking fastener strips or adhesive strips facing each other. The manufacture of locking fasteners and multiple adhesive strips may require additional materials and manufacturing steps, which undesirably can increase the complexity and cost of the manufacturing process. In addition, packaging is commonly wrapped with a film overpack to provide an inviolable resource. The inclusion of over packaging can increase manufacturing steps and costs. SUMMARY
[004] The packages described in this document can advantageously be made of a single piece of material, such as a continuous sheet of flexible film or a sheet of cardboard. The material can be carved with one or more lines of weakness to define one or more closing tabs. The opposite edges of the material can then be folded and partially sealed to the underlying parts of the material to form the first and second pouches of the package having facing openings. A closing flap attached to the first pouch can be folded around the line of weakness away from the joint and attached by means of adhesives or other means to the second pouch to seal a food product within the package when the two pouches are folded to stay in contact with each other around a joint between the openings of the bags. Once the closing flap is attached, the package cannot be opened without separating the closing flap. The closing flap thus provides an inviolable resource for the packaging. One of the bags may have one or more areas of adhesive that allow repeated attachment to the other of the bags and which allow the packaging to be closed again after the initial opening. The packaging described in this document may be cheaper to manufacture than packaging requiring one overpack, multiple foil or cardboard sheets, and / or multiple adhesive strips.
[005] In one form, a food package includes a first pouch and a second pouch attached to each other around a joint, each of the first and second pouches being configured to contain a food product and having an opening facing the joint to provide access to the food product. The package additionally includes a first closure flap attached to the first bag along a first line of weakness and folded around the first line of weakness to cover the first bag. The first line of weakness is spaced from the joint and the first closing flap is attached to the second pocket. The first and second pockets are movable around the joint from a closed position, where the first and second pockets are in contact and access to the openings of the first and second pockets is blocked by the first closing flap, to an open position, where the first closure flap is attached to the second pocket and separated from the first pocket along the first line of weakness to provide access to the openings of the first and second bags.
[006] Each of the first and second pouches may comprise an outer wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer walls being attached to each other around the hinge to allow the package to be movable between the open position and the position closed. Each of the first and second pouches may comprise an inner panel having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner panel being attached to the outer wall and overlapping at least part of the inner surface of the adjacent outer wall. Each of the first and second pouches may also comprise end-of-package seals between the inner panel and the outer wall of each of the first and second pouches.
[007] The lower end of the first pouch may be at an intersection of the outer wall with the inner panel of the first pouch and the lower end of the second pouch may be at an intersection of the outer wall with the inner panel of the second pouch. Each of the first and second pockets may have a closed lower end and the first line of weakness may be closer to the joint than the lower end of the first pockets.
[008] The package may additionally include features to close the package again after the package is moved from the closed to the open position. For example, the package may also include at least one area of adhesive on at least one of the bags to reseal the package after the package is moved from the closed to the open position.
[009] The package may optionally include a second closing flap attached to the second bag along a second line of weakness and folded around the second line of weakness to overlap the second bag. The second line of weakness can be spaced from the hinge and the second closing flap can be attached to the first closing flap. By moving the package from the closed position to the open position, one of the first and second closing flaps is separated along a respective line of weakness from the first and second lines of weakness in such a way that, when the package is in the open position, the first and second closure flaps are attached to each other and one of the first and second closure flaps is separated from the pouch adjacent to the pouches.
[010] At least one of the first and second closing flaps may include features for securing the closing flaps to each other.
[011] The package advantageously can be formed of a single sheet or part of material, such as a continuous sheet of flexible film or length of cardboard or other such material. However, multiple pieces of material can also be used to form the package. The packaging may be in combination with one or more sets of chewing gum tablets in each pouch. There may be an airtight seal around the food product.
[012] A method of making the above package includes: providing material, such as a continuous sheet of flexible film or a length of cardboard or other such material, having first and second longitudinal edges, a central folding zone extending longitudinally, and a first line of weakness extending longitudinally adjacent to the first longitudinal edge; depositing first and second parts of the food product on the film on opposite sides of the central folding zone; folding the first longitudinal edge of the flexible film to cover at least part of the first part of the food product; folding the second longitudinal edge of the flexible film to cover at least a part of the second part of the food product; forming end seals between overlapping parts of the film to form the first and second pockets; folding the first longitudinal edge of the flexible film around the first line of weakness to cover the first pocket; fold the first and second bags towards each other around the joint; fix the first closure flap to the second pocket; and, if necessary, individualize the packaging.
[013] The method may include providing a second line of weakness extending longitudinally into the material adjacent to the second longitudinal edge. The method may include attaching the first closing tab to the part of the material between the second line of weakness and the second longitudinal edge. The method may include hermetically sealing the food product within the package.
[014] A method of opening the packaging exposed above may include moving the first and second pouches from the closed position to the open position to separate the closing flap along the line of weakness.
[015] In another form, a food package comprises a pouch configured to contain a food product. The package includes a closing flap attached to the bag by means of a hinge and being movable around the hinge from a closed position, where access to the bag is blocked by the closing flap, to an open position, where the first flap of closure is separated from a portion of the first pouch to provide access to the interior of the pouch.
[016] Also in another form, a package is provided having at least two sides and an upper end and a lower end. The lower end may have a part around which the sides can pivot from a closed position, where the sides are generally parallel to each other, to an open position, where the sides are generally not parallel each other, and optionally can be generally coplanar. The package may include a separable element, such as the flap discussed above, between the sides that initially prevents access to the contents, but which is configured to be broken by moving from the closed position to the open position to allow access to the contents. The separable element can optionally be closer to the lower end when compared to the upper end.
[017] Also in another form, a package includes a rear panel; a front panel being connected to the rear panel to form a lower end of the package; a closing flap separably attached to the front panel and folded adjacent to the outer flap; and an external flap between the rear panel and the closing flap. The rear panel, the front panel and the outer flap define a pouch with an interior configured to hold a product. The closing flap is detachable from the front panel to provide access to the interior of the bag in response to the movement of the outer flap and the closing flap away from the front panel.
[018] In one form, the closing flap is selectively attached by an adhesive to an adjacent surface of the front panel.
[019] In another form, the closing flap is separable from the front panel along a line of weakness at an intersection between the closing flap and the front panel.
[020] Also in another form, the closing flap forms a first U-shaped fold with the front panel and a second U-shaped fold with the outer flap, the first and second U-shaped folds being oriented in opposite directions.
[021] In one form, a package includes a rear panel; a front panel being connected to the rear panel to form a lower end of the package; a closing flap fixed separably to the front panel and fixed non-separably by an adhesive to the external flap; an external flap between the rear panel and the closing flap, the rear panel, front panel and external flap defining a pouch with an interior configured to contain a product. The closing flap is detachable from the front panel to provide access to the interior of the bag in response to the movement of the outer flap and the closing flap away from the front panel.
[022] In one form, the line of weakness has a pair of ends, and one end is further away from the joint than the other end.
[023] A method of opening the package includes moving the first and second bags from the closed position to the open position to separate the closing flap along the line of weakness, with the undock starting at one end that is farthest from the joint .
[024] In one form, the closing flap is separable from the front panel along a line of weakness at an intersection between the closing flap and the front panel; and the line of weakness has a pair of ends, and one end is further away from the lower end of the package than the other end.
[025] The packaging described above can be in combination with a stack of chewing gum tablets in each pouch.
[026] Also in another form, a package includes a first pouch and a second pouch fixed in relation to each other around both an outer hinge and at least one inner connection flap, with each of the first and second pouches being configured to contain a product. The first and second pockets are movable around the joint from a closed position, where access to the first and second pockets is blocked by the internal connection flap, to an open position, where the internal connection flap is at least partially breakable separate from one of the first and second exchanges to provide access to at least one of the first and second exchanges.
[027] In one approach, the inner connection flap is folded to be placed over one of the first and second pouches. The internal connection flap can be attached to one of the first and second bags along a line of weakness and to the other of the first and second bags using an adhesive.
[028] In one form, the weakening line has a pair of ends, and one end is further away from the joint than the other end.
[029] The first and second pockets can be fixed in relation to each other around a pair of internal connection flaps. One of the internal connection tabs can be attached to the first pocket, the other of the internal connection tabs can be attached to the second pocket, and the first and second internal connection tabs can be attached to each other.
[030] In one form, one of the internal connection flaps is attached to the first pocket along a first line of weakness and the other of the internal connection flaps is attached to the second pocket along a second line of weakness. The inner connection tabs of the pair can be attached to each other using an adhesive.
[031] In one form, the packaging is configured in such a way that: each of the first and second bags comprises an outer wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer walls being attached to each other around the joint to allow that the packaging is movable between the open position and the closed position; each of the first and second pockets comprises an inner panel having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner panel being attached to the outer wall and overlapping at least part of the inner surface of the adjacent outer wall; and end-of-pack seals are positioned between the inner panel and the outer wall of each of the first and second bags.
[032] Each of the bags may have an opening facing the joint to provide access to the product. At least one of the grants may include resources to access the opening.
[033] In one approach, the package is formed from a single sheet of flexible film. The packaging can be used in combination with a set or stack of chewing gum tablets in each pouch. In one form, the package can be sealed by means of an airtight seal around the product.
[034] In one form, the package may include features to reseal the package after the package is initially moved from the closed to the open position.
[035] In one form, a package comprises a first pouch and a second pouch, each pouch having an inner panel and an outer panel sealed together to define an interior configured to contain a product and a line of weakness formed on the inner panel. to define an inner and separable closing flap from the inner panel along the weakening line to form an opening to access the interior. The first and second pockets are fixed in relation to each other around both an external joint and the inner closing flaps and are movable around the joint from a closed position, where access to the first and second pockets is blocked by the flaps. internal closing being fixed to their respective internal panels, to an open position, where at least one of the internal closing flaps is separated along their respective lines of weakening to provide access to the respective bag of the first and second bags.
[036] In one form, each of the weakening lines has a central section spaced farther from the joint when compared to their ends.
[037] Each of the weakening lines can be arched. The outer panels of the first and second pockets can be joined at the joint. Each of the outer panels of the first and second pockets can be attached to a common outer cover defining the joint.
[038] In one approach, the force required to break one of the lines of weakness is less than the force required to separate the internal closing flaps.
[039] In one approach, the package additionally includes a third pouch having an inner panel and an outer panel, sealed together to define an interior configured to contain a product, and a line of weakness formed on the inner panel to define a closing flap. internal separable from the internal panel along the line of weakness to form an opening to access the interior of the third pouch. The third pouch can be attached to the second pouch around a second outer hinge and attached to the first pouch by an inner closing flap of the third pouch.
[040] The third pouch can be movable around the second outer joint from a closed position, where access to the interior of the third pouch is blocked by the inner closure flap of the third pouch being attached to the outer panel of the first pouch, for a open position, where the inner closing flap of the third pocket is separated along the line of weakness.
[041] In one approach, the third bag is separable from the second bag along a line of weakness located near the second external joint.
[042] One method of opening the package includes moving the first and second pouches from the closed position to the open position to separate the closure flap of the first pouch from the rest of the inner panel of the first pouch to provide access to the interior of the first pouch. The method may include manipulating the package to separate the closure tab of the second pouch from the remainder of the inner panel of the second pouch to provide access to the interior of the second pouch.
[043] In one form, a method of opening the packaging exposed above includes moving the first and second pouches around the outer hinge from the closed position to the open position and separating an inner closure flap from the first pouch on the inner panel of the first pouch along the weakening line of the first pouch without separating an inner closing flap from the second pouch attached to the inner panel of the second pouch along the weakening line of the second pouch, such that the first pouch is opened to provide access to the product in the first bag while the second bag remains sealed to restrict access to the product in the second bag.
[044] The method may further comprise forming a second joint on the outer panel of the first pocket during the displacement of the first pocket from the closed position to the open position, in which, when the second joint is formed, the first pocket is opened to provide access to the product in the first bag while the second bag remains sealed to restrict access to the product in the second bag.
[045] The method may further comprise positioning the outer panel of the first pocket in such a way that the second joint is closer to a lower end of the second pocket than to the external joint.
[046] The method may further comprise displacing the first pouch by displacing a lower end of the first pouch in a direction away from the outer hinge to separate the inner closure flap of the second pouch from the inner panel of the second pouch along the line of weakness second bag to open the second bag and provide access to the product in the second bag.
[047] In one approach, displacement of the first pouch further comprises displacing the lower end of the first pouch in a direction away from the lower end of the second pouch to increase a length of the package, where the length of the package is defined as a distance between the lower end of the first pouch and the lower end of the second pouch along a line perpendicular to the outer hinge.
[048] In one approach, moving the lower end of the first bag includes moving the second joint in a direction away from the lower end of the second bag.
[049] In one approach, displacement of the second joint in a direction away from a lower end of the second bag includes moving the second joint in a direction away from the lower end of the second bag to a position where the second joint is further away lower end of the second pouch than the outer joint.
[050] The method may further comprise keeping the inner closing flaps of the first and second pockets attached to each other during the movement of the first and second pockets around the outer hinge from the closed position to the open position.
[051] The method may further comprise positioning the inner closing flaps of the first and second pockets to at least in part obstruct an opening of at least one of the first and second pockets to restrict product movement out of at least one of the first and second second bags.
[052] In one approach, a method of opening the package may comprise moving the first and second pockets around the outer hinge from the closed position to the open position and substantially simultaneously separating an inner closing flap from the first pocket of the inner panel. of the first pouch along the weakening line of the first pouch and an inner closing flap of the second pouch attached to the inner panel of the second pouch along the weakening line of the second pouch, such that the first pouch and the second pouch substantially simultaneously open to provide access to the product in the first bag and the product in the second bag.
[053] In one embodiment, a package includes a first pouch and a second pouch, each having an inner panel and an outer panel to define an interior configured to contain a product and a line of weakness formed on the inner panel to define a flap. separable closing panel from the inner panel along the weakening line to form an opening to the inside. The first and second pockets are fixed in relation to each other around a joint and are movable around the joint from a closed position, where access to the first and second pockets is blocked by the closing flaps and are fixed to their respective internal panels. , to an open position, where at least one of the closing flaps is separated along its respective line of weakness to provide access to the respective pocket of the first and second bags through the opening. The openings of the first and second pockets confront the joint and each other during movement of the first and second pockets from the closed to the open position. A first of the closing flaps is movable in relation to the hinge and obstructs at least a part of the opening of the first bag to restrict the product from being dislodged from the first bag during movement of the first and second bags one away from the other by a degree of rotation. at least 180 degrees from the closed to the open position.
[054] In one embodiment, a flexible multi-compartment package includes a sealed first compartment having an integrated closing flap; a second sealed compartment connected to the first sealed compartment by a first hinge and having an integrated closing flap; and a third sealed compartment connected to the second sealed compartment by a second hinge and having an integrated closing flap. The first sealed compartment is disposed between the second and third sealed compartments. The closing flap of the third sealed compartment is glued to the first sealed compartment in such a way that the displacement of the third sealed compartment around the second hinge causes the integrated closing flap of the third sealed compartment to be opened to allow access to an interior of the third sealed compartment. The integrated closing tabs of the first and second sealed compartments are glued to each other in such a way that the displacement of the first or second sealed compartment around the first hinge away from the other of the first or second compartment causes at least one the closing flaps of the first and second sealed compartments to be opened to allow access to an interior of at least one of the first and second sealed compartments.
[055] In one approach, the third bag is separable from the second bag along a line of weakness located near the second joint. The first and second pockets can be separable from one another along a line of weakness located near the first hinge.
[056] In one approach, each of the integrated closing flaps of the first, second and third sealed compartments can open by being separated at least in part along a line of weakening from their respective sealed compartment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a first exemplary package having two bags folded around a hinge in a closed position; Figure 2 shows a front perspective view of the package of Figure 1 folded around the hinge to a partially open position with an internal closing flap entirely attached to an adjacent pouch along a line of weakness; Figure 3 shows a front perspective view of the package of Figure 1 in a more partially open position with the closing flap being partially separated along the line of weakness; Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of the package of Figure 1 in an open position with the closing flap being entirely separated along the line of weakness; Figure 5 shows a cross section of the package of figure 1 taken along line 5-5 thereof; Figure 6 illustrates a top plan view of an exemplary sheet of material, which can be part of a larger continuous sheet of material, which can be used to form the package of Figure 1; Figure 7 is a top plan view of the material sheet of Figure 6 having a food product deposited on it and with internal panels being moved to a sealing position covering the food product; Figure 8 is a top plan view of the continuous sheet of material of Figure 7 having a food product deposited on it and with internal panels being folded to the sealing position covering the food product; Figure 9 is a top plan view of the material blade of Figure 8 having a food product deposited on it and with internal panels being sealed to form bags for the food product and the closing flap being folded over before the packaging is sealed. ; Figure 10 illustrates a schematic view of an exemplary process for making the package of Figure 1 from a continuous sheet of film; Figure 11 illustrates a front perspective view of a second exemplary package folded around the hinge in a partially open position with two internal closing flaps (instead of a closing flap as in the previous figures) being fully attached to each other and to their adjacent pockets along their respective weakening lines; Figure 12 illustrates a front perspective view of the package of Figure 11 in a more partially open position with one of the two closing flaps being partially separated along its respective line of weakness; Figure 13 illustrates a perspective view of the package of Figure 11 in an open position with one of the two closing flaps being entirely separated along its respective line of weakness; Figure 14 illustrates a cross section of the package of Figure 11 taken along line 14-14 thereof; Figure 15 illustrates a top plan view of an exemplary sheet of material, which can be part of a larger continuous sheet of material, which can be used to form the package of Figure 11; Figure 16 illustrates a front perspective view of a third exemplary package having two smaller pockets other than those shown in Figure 1 folded around a hinge in a closed position with an internal closing flap entirely attached to an adjacent pouch along a weakening line; Figure 17 illustrates a perspective view of the package of Figure 16 in an open position with the closing flap being entirely separated along the line of weakness; Figure 18 illustrates a front perspective view of a fourth exemplary package having two pouches folded around a hinge in a closed position with end seals forming pull tabs and an internal closing flap entirely attached to an adjacent pouch along a weakening line; Figure 19 illustrates a perspective view of the package of Figure 18 in an open position with the closing flap being entirely separated along the line of weakness; Figure 20 illustrates a cross section of a third exemplary package, similar to the packages in the previous figures, but having a single closing flap without a weakening line and attached to an adjacent pouch by means of a seal configured to break during opening instead. along a weakening line; Figure 21 illustrates a cross section of a fourth exemplary package, similar to the packages in the previous figures, but having a pair of closing flaps in which each one is fixed to its respective pouch without a weakening line, folded against its respective pouches, and joined by a seal configured to break during opening rather than along a line of weakening; Figure 22 illustrates a cross-section of a fifth exemplary package, similar to the packages in the previous figures, but having a pair of closing flaps in which each one is fixed to its respective bag by means of a weakening line, fixed to each other. and not folded against their respective bags; Figure 23 illustrates a cross section of a sixth exemplary package, similar to the package in figures 1-5, but having an inner panel of one of the pockets that extends towards the articulation region and removably fixed to the inside of the outer panel one of the bags to selectively block access to the opening of one of the bags after opening the package and separating the closing flap; Figure 24 illustrates a cross section of an exemplary seventh package, similar in some respects to the package in figures 1-5, but having only a pouch with a hinged cover, a closing flap that is not folded over, and attached to the cover by a seal configured to break during opening rather than along a line of weakening; Figure 25 illustrates a cross section of an eighth exemplary package, similar to the package in Figure 24, but having a reinforcement element attached to the cover; Figure 26 illustrates a cross section of an exemplary ninth package, similar to the package in figures 1-5, but having a hinged cover instead of a second bag; Figure 27 illustrates a cross section of a tenth exemplary package, similar to the package in figures 1-5, but having a rigid outer cover attached to the outside of each of the two bags; Figure 28 illustrates a top plan view of an exemplary sheet of material including a food product deposited on it and reinforcement elements overlapping each set of the food product, the sheet of material of which can be a part of a larger continuous sheet of material that can be used to form another exemplary package; Figure 29 illustrates a top plan view of another exemplary sheet of material having a reinforcing element and including a food product deposited on it, whose sheet of material may be a part of a larger continuous sheet of material that can be used for form another exemplary package; Figure 30 illustrates a cross-sectional end view of some components of an exemplary process for making an alternative packaging similar to the packaging shown in Figures 11-14; Figure 31 illustrates an exploded view of an eleventh exemplary package, having a rigid outer cover forming a part of a pair of cavities spaced by a hinge, a pair of blade sheets for fixing to flanges of the respective cavities, and a food product ; Figure 32 illustrates a perspective view of the package of Figure 31 in a closed configuration; Figure 33 illustrates a perspective view of the package of Figure 31 being moved from the closed configuration of Figure 32 to an open configuration when breaking along a line of weakness joining a closing flap to one of the foil sheets; Figure 34 illustrates a perspective view of the package of Figure 31 in the open configuration with the closure after the closure flap has been broken along the line of weakness; Figure 35 illustrates a sectional view of the package in Figure 31 taken along line 35-35 in Figure 32. Figure 36 illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary twelfth package having a pouch and a closing flap folded in. a closed position; Figure 37 shows a front perspective view of the package of Figure 36 moved around the hinge to a partially open position with the closure fixed entirely to a front panel along a line of weakness; Figure 38 illustrates a front perspective view of the package of Figure 36 in a more partially open position with the closing flap being partially separated along the line of weakness; Figure 39 illustrates a perspective view of the package of Figure 36 in an open position with the closing flap being entirely separated along the line of weakness; Figure 40 illustrates a cross section of the package of Figure 36 made along line 40-40 thereof; Figure 41 illustrates a top plan view of an exemplary sheet of material, which can be part of a larger continuous sheet of material, which can be used to form the package of Figure 36; Figure 42 illustrates a cross section of an exemplary thirteenth package, similar to the package in figures 36-41, but having a closing flap and an outer flap that are fixed differently than shown in figure 40. Figure 43 illustrates a plan view upper part of an exemplary sheet of material, which can be part of a larger continuous sheet of material, which can be used to form a fifteenth exemplary package including an inclined line of weakness as shown in figures 47 and 48; Figure 44 illustrates a front perspective view of the fifteenth exemplary package in a partially open position with the closing flap being partially separated along the line of weakness; Fig. 45 illustrates a perspective view of the packaging of Fig. 44 in an open position with the closing flap being entirely separated along the line of weakness; Figure 46 illustrates a front perspective view of a sixteenth exemplary package having bags being elongated and narrower in relation to the bags shown in Figure 16 and being folded around a hinge in a closed position with a fully closed inner flap. to one of the exchanges along a weakening line; Fig. 47 illustrates a perspective view of the package of Fig. 46 in an open position with the closing flap being entirely separate from one of the pockets along the line of weakness; Figure 48 illustrates a cross section of an exemplary seventeenth package having two bags folded around a hinge in a closed position, taken along line 48-48 of figure 51; Figure 49 illustrates a top plan view of an exemplary sheet of material, which can be part of a larger continuous sheet of material, which can be used to form the package of Figure 48; Fig. 50 is a top plan view of the continuous sheet of material of Fig. 49 having a food product deposited on it and with internal panels being folded into the sealing position covering the food product; Figure 51 illustrates a front perspective view of the package of Figure 48 in a closed position and including an optional handle; Figure 52 illustrates a front perspective view of the package of Figure 51 in a partially open position with the closing flaps still fully attached along the lines of weakness; Figure 53 illustrates a front perspective view of the packaging of Figure 52 in an open position with both closing flaps being entirely separated along the weakening lines and being partly attached to each other and the food products in both bags being entirely accessible to a user; Figure 54 illustrates a side perspective view of the package of Figure 53 in an open position with the closing flaps being entirely separated along the lines of weakness and being partly fixed to each other; Figure 55 illustrates a top view of an eighteenth exemplary package having two pouches attached to a cover including a central region with an adhesive in an open position; Figure 56 illustrates a front perspective view of the package of Figure 55 in a closed position with parts of the bags closing flaps being attached to the adhesive of the central region of the cover; Figure 57 illustrates a front perspective view of the package of Figure 56 in a partially open position with the closing flaps being partially separated along the lines of weakness and being partly fixed to each other; Figure 58 illustrates a side perspective view of the package of Figure 57 in an open position with the closing flaps being entirely separated along the lines of weakness and being partly fixed to each other; Figure 59 illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary nineteenth package, similar to the package in Figure 51, in a partially open position with one of the closing flaps being entirely separated along its respective line of weakness and the product in the bag being open and not yet fully accessible; Figure 60 illustrates a perspective view of the packaging of Figure 59 in a partially open position, and more open than the packaging of Figure 59, with one of the closing flaps being entirely separated along its respective line of weakness and the product in the bag being opened while being fully accessible; Figure 61 illustrates the same view as Figure 60 with one of the packaging bags being pulled away from the other bag and the packaging being shown in a partially open position where both closing flaps are entirely separated along their respective lines of weakness. and the product in one of the bags is fully accessible while the product in the other of the bags is not yet fully accessible; Fig. 62 illustrates a cross section of a twentieth exemplary package having two bags folded around a hinge in a closed position, made along a line similar to line 48-48 in Fig. 51; Figure 63 illustrates a perspective view of the package of Figure 62 in an open position with the inner panels of the bags being separated from each other along a line of weakness and the products in each bag being fully accessible; Fig. 64 illustrates a front perspective view of an exemplary twenty-first package having two bags folded around a first joint and a third bag folded around a second joint in a closed position; Fig. 65 illustrates a top plan view of an exemplary sheet of material having food product deposited on it, which may be part of a larger continuous sheet of material, which can be used to form the package of Fig. 64; Fig. 66 is a top plan view of the material sheet of Fig. 65 folded to cover the food product; Fig. 67 is a top plan view of the material blade of Fig. 65 with the material of the first pouch being folded over the material of the second pouch and before the third pouch is folded to cover the first pouch; Figure 68 illustrates a cross section of the package of figure 64 taken along line 68-68 of figure 64; Figure 69 illustrates a front perspective view of the packaging of Figure 68 in a partially open position with the closing flap of the third bag being entirely separate from its inner panel and the food product in the third bag being exposed to a user while the second and third exchanges are still closed; and Figure 70 illustrates a front perspective view of the packaging of Figure 68 in an entirely open position with the closing flaps of the first and second bags being entirely separated from their respective inner panels and food products in all three bags being fully accessible. for a user. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[057] The packages described in this document include at least one first pouch, and in many instances both the first and second pouches attached to each other around a joint. The bags are configured to contain a product, such as a food product. Each of the bags can optionally have an opening facing the joint to provide access to the consumer product. The packages additionally include one or more separable closing tabs along a line of weakening and / or a sealing or tearing or detachable adhesion area spaced from the joint to provide an inviolable resource for the packages. The first and second pockets, or in some instances a cover, are movable in a direction of separation from each other around the joint from a closed position, where the first and second pockets or first bag and cover are at least partially placed one over the other, to an open position where the first and second bags or first bag and cover are spaced from each other and the closing flap is detached or otherwise separated to provide access to the consumer product via the first and, if present, from the second bag. One or both of the bags may have an area of adhesive for repeated attachment to the other of the bags to allow multiple openings and re-closings of the package after the initial tear of the sealing and opening of the package. The packages described in this document can advantageously be manufactured at a lower cost than the packages requiring an overpack, multiple foil or cardboard sheets, complex cutting or separating lines, multiple adhesive strips, and having complex tamper evident features.
[058] A first exemplary package 10 is shown in figures 1-5. The package 10 includes a first pouch 12 and a second pouch 14 attached to each other at a hinge 16, as shown in figure 4. When the packaging 10 is in a closed position, the first and second pouches 12, 14 account for one with the other, as shown in figure 1. The hinge 16 allows the first and second pockets 12, 14 of the package 10 to be moved around the hinge 16 from the closed position in a direction away from each other (indicated by directional arrows in figures 2 and 3) to an open position where the first and second pockets 12, 14 are spaced from each other, as shown in figure 4. Similarly, when the package 10 is in the open position shown in figure 4 , the first and second pockets 12, 14 can be moved around the hinge 16 to a closed position where the first and second pockets 12, 14 are in contact with each other, as shown in figure 1. When the packaging 10 is shifted between ap closed position (figure 1) and open position (figure 4), the movement of bags 12 and 14 of packaging 10 is similar to opening and closing a book, which can be visually appealing to consumers.
[059] The first and second bags 12, 14 of the package 10 have empty interiors configured to contain a food product 90, for example, chewing gum tablets, as shown in figure 4. It is to be noticed that the number of tablets of chewing gum (i.e., seven) in each of bags 12, 14 is shown by way of example only, and each of bags 12, 14 can contain less than seven, or more than seven chewing gum tablets, which can be wrapped individually or not have individual wraps. It is also to be realized that chewing gum tablets are being shown as an exemplary consumer product and that other consumer products, for example, chocolate, candies or non-food products can be contained in bags 12, 14. Although in packaging copies described in this document each of the first and second bags is shown to contain food products 90, it will be realized that, instead of both bags containing a food product 90, any of the packages described in this document may include a first bag containing a or more food products (for example, chewing gum tablets) and a second bag containing one or more non-food products, for example, horse racing tickets and scratch off tickets, labels, sticker tattoos or various other prizes. Alternatively, one of the two bags may be empty.
[060] The first pouch 12 has an opening 18 and the second pouch 14 has an opening 20 to provide access to the consumer product, as shown in figures 4 and 5. The openings 18, 20 of the pouches 12, 14 confront the hinge 16, as shown in figure 4. Although openings 18, 20 are shown to be exposed, for example, and product can be removed through the openings, one or the other or both openings 18, 20 can optionally be selectively blocked, such as as discussed in detail below with respect to the alternative packaging of figure 23.
[061] The first pouch 12 includes an outer wall 22 and an inner panel 24. Similarly, the second pouch 14 includes an outer wall 26 and an inner panel 28. The outer wall 22 of pouch 12 is attached to the outer wall 26 of the pocket 14 at the hinge 16, allowing the outer walls 22, 26 of the first and second pockets 12, 14 to be displaced relative to each other around the hinge 16 between the open and closed positions.
[062] The outer wall 22 of the pouch 12 has an outer surface 34 and an inner surface 36, and the outer wall 26 of the pouch 14 has an outer surface 38 and an inner surface 40, as shown in figure 5. Similarly , the inner panel 24 of the pocket 12 has an outer surface 42 and an inner surface 44, and the inner panel 28 of the pocket 14 has an outer surface 46 and an inner surface 48, as shown in figure 5. The bags 12, 14 they are configured in such a way that the inner surfaces 44, 48 of the inner panels 24, 28 confront the inner surfaces 36, 40 of the outer walls 22, 26, respectively. When the package 10 is in the closed position shown in figure 5, the food products 90 are contained in the bags 12, 14 between the inner surfaces 44, 48 of the inner panels 24, 28 and the inner surfaces 36, 40 of the outer walls 22, 26 .
[063] Referring to figure 4, pouch 12 has an upper edge 50, a lower edge 52 and a side edge 54 while pouch 14 has an upper edge 56, a lower edge 58 and a side edge 60. The wall outer 22 and inner panel 24 of pocket 12 meet and are joined at side edge 54 to form a closed lower end of pocket 12. External wall 26 and inner panel 28 of pocket 14 meet and are joined at side edge 60 to form a closed lower end of the pouch 14. The inner panel 24 of the pouch 12 is sealed to the outer wall 22 of the pouch 12 close to the upper and lower edges 50 and 52 on the first and second end seals 62, 64, respectively . Similarly, the inner panel 28 of the pocket 14 is sealed to the outer wall 26 close to the upper and lower edges 56, 58 in the end seals 66, 68, respectively. End seals 62, 64, 66, and 68 may include a metallized layer to facilitate the formation of end seals 62, 64, 66, and 68.
[064] The inner panel 24 of the first pouch 12 includes a first connection or inner closure flap 70 that allows the package 10 to be sealed, and preferably hermetically sealed, as shown in figure 5. The first closure flap 70 is fixed to the inner panel 24 of the pocket 12 along a first line of weakness 72, as shown in figures 2 and 6. The line of weakness 72 can be a cut line, which can be formed by means of laser ablation , die cut, microabrasion or something like that. Although the line of weakness 72 is shown to be straight and parallel to the side edges 54, 60 of the bags 12, 14, the line of weakness 72 may not be parallel to the side edges 54, 60, as discussed in more detail with reference to figures 43-45, and may be non-linear (for example, wavy or arched), as discussed in more detail with reference to figures 49-54, or a discontinuous line. Although the line of weakness 72 and the closing flap 70 are shown in figure 2 as extending from the top edge 50 to the bottom edge 52 of the first pocket 12 of the package 10, the closing flap 70 and the line of weakening 72 can be extend across less than the distance from the top edge 50 to the bottom edge 52.
[065] In this type of packaging, the first closing flap 70 is an extension of the inner panel 24 of the pouch 12, outlined by the weakening line 72. However, as will be discussed in this document in relation to the alternative packaging modalities, the flap closure may not be distinguishable or outlined by the panel of which it may be a part. Thus, widely, the closure flap may simply be a part of another part of the package identifiable by its attachment to another part of the package, as will be discussed in more detail in this document.
[066] Although the chewing gum tablets 90 are shown in figure 5 as not being in contact with each other when the package 10 is in a closed position, it is to be noticed that the package 10 is not drawn to scale and the chewing gum tablets 90 can stay in contact or be closer to each other except as shown in figure 5. Furthermore, chewing gum tablets 90 are not shown in figure 5 in cross section for clarity purposes . In addition, although the package 10 is shown in figures 1-5 with only one closing flap 70 separably attached to the inner panel 24 of the pouch 12, the package 10 may include a second closing flap fixed separably to the inner panel 28 of bag 14, as discussed in more detail below with reference to figures 11-15.
[067] When the package 10 is in a closed position, the bags 12 and 14 contact each other as shown in figure 1 and the closing flap 70 is folded around the weakening line 72 to be placed on the outer surface 42 of the inner panel 24 of the pocket 12, as shown in figure 5. When the package 10 is in the closed position, access to the openings 18, 20 of the bags 12, 14 is blocked by the closing flap 70. Although the closing flap 70 is shown in figure 5 as spaced beside the outer surface 42 of the inner panel 24 of the pocket 12 for clarity, the closing flap 70 can touch the outer surface 42 of the inner panel 24 when the package 10 is in a closed position. Similarly, although the outer surfaces 42, 46 of the inner panels 24, 28 are shown spaced apart from each other in figure 5 for clarity, the outer surfaces 42, 46 of the inner panels 24, 28 of the bags 12, 14 can touch one against the another when the package 10 is in a closed position.
[068] With the packaging 10 being in the closed position shown in figure 5, the closing flap 70 is attached by means of an adhesive 74 to the outer surface 46 of the inner panel 28 of the pouch 14. The adhesive 74 is selected to create a fixation non-separable from the closing flap 70 to the inner panel 28 of the pocket 14. For purposes of this disclosure, "non-separable" means a fixture that is not intended to be separated. Although the closing flap 70 is shown to be attached to the inner panel 28 by means of adhesive 74, the closing flap 70 can be attached to the outer surface 46 of the inner panel 28 by means of other suitable devices such as, for example, sealing. heat, welding, UV curing, lamination or the like.
[069] When the package 10 is moved from the closed position of figure 1 to the open position of figure 4 in a direction shown by the directional arrows in figures 2 and 3, the bags 12 and 14 are moved around the hinge 16 one away on the other to open package 10 in a book-like manner, which can be visually appealing to consumers. During the opening of the package 10, the bags 12, 14 are moved away from each other to a position where the opening force and tension being applied by the consumer initiates a tear in the weakening line 72 and causes the closing flap 70 is separated by tearing the inner panel 24 of the pouch 12 along the weakening line 72, as shown in figure 3. The closing flap 70 thus provides a consumer with a visual indication of the degree of opening of the package 10. Furthermore , once a consumer feels some resistance during the tearing of the closing flap 70 along the weakening line 72, the closing flap 70 can provide a tactile and potentially audible response to the consumer during the initial opening of the package 10.
[070] After the closing flap 70 is separated from the inner panel 24 of the first pocket 12 along the weakening line 72, the closing flap 70 no longer holds the pockets 12 and 14 together and allows the pockets 12 and 14 to be additionally moved away from each other to the open position shown in figure 4. When the package 10 is in the open position shown in figure 4, the closing flap 70 remains attached to the inner panel 28 of the pouch 14, but no longer seals the package 10 or blocks access to openings 18, 20 of bags 12, 14. Instead, as shown in figure 4, a consumer is allowed to remove parts of food products 90 from bags 12 and 14 through openings 18 and 20. A closure flap 70 thus provides a seal to maintain freshness and / or tamper-evident feature for package 10 such that the absence or partial tearing of closure flap 70 can visually indicate to a consumer that package 10 has been opened or previously violated.
[071] To allow the package 10 to be closed again after being opened for the first time, the outer surface 42 of the inner panel 24 of the pouch 12 includes an optional adhesive area 76, as shown in figures 4 and 5. A consumer desiring closing the package 10 again from the open position of figure 4 to the closed position of figure 1 would move the bags 12, 14 towards each other around the joint 16 so that the adhesive area 76 contacts and sticks to the outer surface 46 of the inner panel 28. The consumer can apply some force, for example, to tighten the outer walls 22 and 26 to ensure a secure fixation of the adhesive area 76 to the outer surface 46 of the inner panel 28. When the packaging 10 is closed again , the food product 90 is contained in the bags 12, 14 and prevented from falling out of the package 10. Although the area of adhesive 76 is shown as a single circular area in figure 4, the area of adhesive 76 can be of q any other shape or size and may comprise multiple areas of adhesive that allow repeated separable attachment of the inner panels 24, 28 of the bags 12, 14 to each other. The adhesive area 76 can be in the form of one or more points of glue, pressure sensitive adhesive, adhesive tapes or strips, velcro, zipper or the like that allows multiple openings and new closings of the package 10. Optionally, the package 10 may not include the adhesive area 76 or any other way of resealing.
[072] An exemplary method of making package 10 is described with reference to figures 6-10. The manufacturing method is represented in general in figure 10 by illustrating the orientation and handling of the flexible material 100 of which the packaging 10 is made without showing the accompanying assembly line machinery. The flexible material 100 can be unwound from a feed roll 101 and supplied as a continuous blade in a machine direction shown by the directional arrows as shown in figure 10. It will be understood that the film and chewing gum can be provided on top of a stationary plate, mobile conveyor or something like that.
[073] The package 10 can be manufactured from a single sheet or continuous sheet of flexible material 100. The flexible material 100 can be a film made of one or more polymers, laminates, metallized polymers, paper or the like. For clarity in illustrating the method, a portion of the flexible film 100 of figure 10 from which a single package 10 can be manufactured is shown in figures 6-9. The exemplary single sheet of flexible film 100 shown in Figure 6 has a leading edge 108, a trailing edge 106, a first longitudinal side edge 104, a second longitudinal side edge 102 and an upwardly facing surface 110. It will be appreciated that a single blade functional material can be made to join multiple components.
[074] As the flexible film is moved in the machine direction shown by the directional arrows in figure 10, the film has a central folding area 112 where a crease or fold line can be formed on flexible film 100. A second crease line or crease line 114 can then be formed on one side of the central crease zone 112, and a third crease line or crease line 116 can then be formed on the opposite side of crease center 112, as shown in figure 6. Although the central folding area 112 and the second and third fold lines 114 and 118 have been shown in figure 6 as straight lines, it will be realized that one or more of the central folding area 112, the second line of folding fold 114 and the third fold line 116 can be non-linear or in the form of an area of flexible film 100 instead of a single line.
[075] Fold lines 112, 114 and 116 can be made on flexible film 100 before or after flexible film 100 is unwound from feed roller 101 in the machine direction. In an approach where fold lines 112, 114 and 116 are created on flexible film 100 before folding flexible film 100, such fold lines can be made, for example, by suitable rollers, lasers or the like. For example, optionally, fold lines 112, 114 and 116 may not be made on flexible film 100, and flexible film 100 can be folded without fold lines 112, 114 and 116. The first fold line or zone of folding central fold 112 corresponds to the hinge 16 of the package 10, the second fold line 114 corresponds to the side edge 54 of the package 10, and the third fold line 116 corresponds to the side edge 60 of the package 10, as can be seen, for example , in figures 4 and 6.
[076] Before or after making the first, second and third fold lines 112, 114, 116 on flexible film 100, a line of weakness 118 is formed on flexible film 100 between the second fold line 114 and the first longitudinal edge 104 of the flexible film 100, as shown in figure 6. The line of weakness 118 can be formed on the flexible film 100 using, for example, laser ablation, die cutting, microabrasion or other suitable device. The weakening line 118 in the flexible film 100 corresponds to the weakening line 72 of the package 10.
[077] Near the rear edge 106 the flexible film 100 includes a sealing edge 119 where the end seals 62 and 66 of the package 10 will be formed, and near the front edge 108 the flexible film 100 includes a sealing border 120, where the end seals 64 and 68 of the package 10 will be formed. On a lower side of the flexible film 100 opposite the upward facing surface 110 and under the sealing edges 119, 120, the flexible film 100 includes the metallized areas 122, 124, shown in figure 8. The metallized areas 122, 124 can facilitate the heat sealing of the sealing edges 119, 120 to form the end seals 62, 64, 66 and 68 of the package 10. The edges 123, 125 of the metallized areas 122 and 124 coincide with the edges of the sealing edges 119, 120 , and are indicated by dotted lines in figure 6 because the metallized areas 122 and 124 are on the underside of flexible film 100 opposite the upward facing surface 110. Metallized areas 122, 124 may include, for example, thin blade, or another reflective material. Optionally, the flexible film 100 can be stripped of the metallized areas 122, 124, in which case these areas may correspond to the sealing zones.
[078] With reference to figure 8, the area 126 of the flexible film 100 between the first line of weakening 118 and the first longitudinal edge 104 corresponds to the closing flap 70 of the package 10. Area 128 between the first line of weakening 118 and the second fold line 114 of the flexible film 100 corresponds to the inner panel 24 of the first pocket 12 of the package 10. The area 130 between the second fold line 114 and the central folding zone or first fold line 112 of the flexible film 100 corresponds to to the outer wall 22 of the first pocket 12 of the pack 10. The area 132 between the central folding zone or first fold line 112 and the third fold line 116 of the flexible film 100 corresponds to the outer wall 26 of the second pocket 14 of the pack 10 Finally, the area 134 between the third fold line 116 and the second longitudinal edge 102 of the flexible film 100 corresponds to the inner panel 28 of the second pocket 14 of the package 10.
[079] As the flexible film 100 is moved in the machine direction, a food product 90 is deposited on the upward facing surface 110 of the flexible film 100, as shown in figures 7 and 10. Fold lines 112, 114, 116 and the line of weakness 118 shown in figures 7 and 10 can be made on flexible film 100 before or after food product 90 is placed on flexible film 100.
[080] Although food product 90 is shown in figure 7 in the form of chewing gum tablets, food products other than chewing gum tablets, for example, candy, chocolates or the like, can be used in combination with flexible film 100 instead of chewing gum tablets. In one approach, a non-food product to be packaged in package 10 can be used in combination with flexible film 100. Optionally, food product 90 can be removably attached to the upward facing surface 110 of flexible film 100, for example , using an adhesive material, tape, or the like. Removable attachment of the food product 90 to the upward facing surface 110 of the flexible film 100 can prevent the food product 90 from undesirably falling out or moving within the package 10.
[081] With the food product 90 being positioned on the upward facing surface 110 of the flexible film 100 as shown in figure 7, the opposite longitudinal edges 102, 104 of the flexible film 100 are folded inward and carried towards each other and towards the central folding zone 112 to cover parts of the food product 90 and parts of the flexible film 100, as shown in figures 8 and 10. As shown in figures 8 and 10, the first and second longitudinal edges 102, 104 of the flexible film 100 are positioned in such a way that the first longitudinal edge 104 overlaps the central folding zone 112 and parts of the flexible film 100 cover the food product 90, while the second longitudinal edge 102 is spaced from the first longitudinal edge 104 and the central folding area 112 in such a way that a part of the food product 90 is exposed, as shown in figures 8 and 10.
[082] In an alternative form of the method, before folding the flexible film 100 as shown in figures 8-10, reinforcement elements 80, 82 as shown in figure 28 can be added to provide additional structural support for the packaging to be formed next. In particular, with the food product 90 being deposited on the flexible film 100 as shown in figure 7, the reinforcing elements 80 and 82 can be placed on top of the food product 90 without being attached to the upward facing surface 110 of the flexible film. 100, or with the ends 83, 85 and 87, 89 of the reinforcement elements 80 and 82, respectively, being fixed to the upward facing surface 110 of the flexible film 100 by means of a suitable adhesive.
[083] As the flexible film 100 including reinforcement elements 80 and 82 is folded substantially as shown in figures 8-10 to form a final package, the final package is similar to package 10, but different in that it includes the reinforcement elements 80 and 82, which can provide increased structural integrity for the final package and which can restrict the food product 90 from moving within the package. Reinforcement elements 80 and 82 can be formed from a variety of materials such as, for example, cardboard, plastic or the like.
[084] In another alternative form of the method, before folding the flexible film 100 as shown in figures 8-10, an alternative reinforcement element 84 as shown in figure 29 can be added to provide additional structural support for the packaging to be formed next. In particular, instead of placing food product 90 in areas 130 and 132 as shown in figure 7, food product 90 is deposited in area 132 of flexible film 100 and a reinforcement element 84 is simply placed without fixing on the surface upward facing 110 in area 130 of flexible film 100, or is attached to the upward facing surface 110 of flexible film 100 by means of a suitable adhesive.
[085] As the flexible film 100 including the reinforcement element 84 is folded substantially as shown in figures 8-10 to form a final package, the final package is similar to package 10, but different in that one of the pouches includes the reinforcement element 84, which can provide increased structural integrity for the final package. Similar to reinforcement elements 80 and 82, reinforcement element 84 can be formed from a variety of materials such as, for example, cardboard, plastic or the like.
[086] It is to be realized that the first longitudinal edge 104 of the flexible film 100 does not have to overlap the first fold line 112 when the flexible film 100 is folded as shown in figure 8. Furthermore, it is to be realized that the dimensions in figures 6-9 are merely exemplary and are not necessarily drawn to scale, and that flexible film 100 can be used to manufacture flexible packages of various shapes and sizes. Examples of such packages are shown in figures 16-19 and will be discussed below.
[087] After the first and second longitudinal edges 102 and 104 of the flexible film 100 are folded inward as shown in figures 8 and 10, the sealing edges 119, 120 (see figures 6 and 7) of the underlying flexible film 100 the metallized layers 122, 124 are sealed together, for example, by means of heat sealing, to form the first and second pockets 12 and 14. Adhesive materials, lamination, joining, welding, UV curing or melting can be used instead heat sealing. Then, the area 126 of the flexible film 100, which includes the first longitudinal edge 104, is folded around the line of weakness 118 in the direction of the second fold line 114 to cover a portion of the area 128 of the flexible film 100 and expose a upward surface 127 of area 126, exposing more of the food product 90, as shown in figures 9 and 10.
[088] To provide package 10 with a resealable feature, an adhesive material can be applied to area 128 of flexible film 100 to form an area of adhesive 136. Although area of adhesive 136 is shown in figure 9 as being applied to area 128 of flexible film 100 which will form part of the first pouch 12 of package 10, the area of adhesive 136 additionally or alternatively may be applied to area 134 which will form part of the second pouch 14 of package 10. It will be appreciated that, although the adhesive area 136 is shown as a circular area in figures 9 and 10, the adhesive area 136 can be in the form of a square or a rectangular strip, or it can be in the form of several spaced areas of adhesive that fasten area 128 and area 134 separably form when area 128 and area 134 of flexible film 100 are brought into contact with each other.
[089] After area 126 of flexible film 100 is folded as shown in figures 9 and 10, one or more adhesive materials are applied to all or part of the upwardly facing surface 127 of area 126 of flexible film 100. The adhesive material is chosen in such a way that when the upwardly facing surface 127 of area 126 of flexible film 100 is attached to an opposite part of flexible film 100, for example, a part of area 134, a non-separable attachment is created. Instead of applying the adhesive material to the upward facing surface 127, the adhesive material can be applied to the part of area 134 that confronts the upward facing surface 127 when the flexible film 100 is folded to its final configuration shown in figure 10.
[090] After the adhesive material is applied to the upward facing surface 127 of area 126 of flexible film 100, flexible film 100 is folded in such a way that the second and third fold lines 114, 116 are carried in the direction of the first line fold 112 and towards each other in such a way that the adhesive material on the upwardly facing surface 127 of area 126 adheres to an opposite part of area 134 of flexible film 100 to seal food product 90 on flexible film 100. It is for be realized that instead of applying an adhesive to the upward surface 127 of area 126 and then fixing the upward surface 127 to area 134 of flexible film 100 to form an adhesive based seal or vice versa, the surface facing top 127 can be placed in contact with an opposite part of area 134 of flexible film 100 and heat sealed, welded, joined, fused, UV-cured or laminated to seal food product 90 within the film fl exible 100.
[091] Finally, the package 10 is separated from the rest of the flexible film 100 as shown in figure 10. For example, a cutting device such as cutting jaws can make one or more cuts through the flexible film 100 to separate the package individual 10 as shown in figure 10. The method described above advantageously allows the package described above 10 to be easily formed from a single sheet of flexible film 100.
[092] A package 200 according to another shape is shown in figures 11-14. Unlike package 10, which includes a closure flap 70, package 200 includes two closure flaps 270 and 271. The first closure flap 270 of package 200 is attached to an inner panel 224 of the first pouch 212 along a first line of weakness 272, and the second closure flap 270 of the package 200 is attached to an inner panel 228 of the second pocket 214 along a second line of weakness 273, as shown in figures 11 and 14. When the packaging 200 is in a closed position, the pockets 212 and 214 contact each other and the closing flaps 270 and 271 are folded around their respective lines of weakness 272 and 273 to be placed on the outer surfaces 242 and 246 internal panels 224 and 228 of bags 212 and 214, respectively, as shown in figure 14.
[093] With the packaging 200 being in the closed position shown in figure 14, the closing flaps 270 and 271 are attached to each other by means of an adhesive 274, which is selected to create a non-separable fixation of the closing flaps 270 and 271 each other. It will be appreciated that the closing tabs 270 and 271 can be attached to each other by means of other suitable devices such as, for example, heat sealing, welding, UV curing, lamination or the like. With the closing flaps 270 and 271 being attached to each other when the package 200 is in the closed position, access to the openings 218, 220 of the bags 212, 214 is blocked by the closing flaps 270 and 271.
[094] Similar to package 10, when package 200 is moved from the closed position of figure 14 to the open position of figure 13 in a direction shown by the directional arrows in figures 11 and 12, bags 212 and 214 are moved around the hinge 216 away from each other to open package 10 in a book-like manner, which can be visually appealing to consumers. During opening of package 200, bags 212, 214 are moved away from each other to a position where the opening force being applied by the consumer initiates a tear in one or both lines of weakness 272 and 273. As shown in figure 12, the package 200 is shown with the closing flap 270 being separated from the inner panel 224 of the first pocket 212 along the line of weakness 272.
[095] It will be realized that, depending on the orientation of the packaging 200 and the opening force applied by the consumer, the closing flap 270 can remain attached to the inner panel 224, while the closing flap 271 can separate from the inner panel 228 of the second pocket 214 along the line of weakness 273. Alternatively, both closing flaps 270 and 271 can be separated from their respective inner panels 224 and 228 of the first and second bags 212 and 214 along their respective lines of weakness 272 and 273. After the closing flap 270 is entirely separated from the inner panel 224 of the first pocket 212 along the weakening line 272, the closing flap 270 no longer holds the bags 212, 214 together and allows the bags 212, 214 to be moved further away from each other to the open position shown in figure 13.
[096] When the packaging 200 is in the open position shown in figure 13, the first closing flap 270 remains attached to the second closing flap 271, but it no longer seals the packaging 200 or blocks access to the openings 218, 220 of the bags 212, 214. Instead, as shown in figure 13, a consumer is allowed to remove parts of food product 90 from bags 212 and 214 through openings 218 and 220. Similar to closure flap 70 of package 10, closure flaps 270 and 271 of package 200 provide a seal to maintain freshness and / or inviolable appeal to package 200 in such a way that the absence or partial tearing of one or both of the closing flaps 270, 271 can visually indicate to a consumer that package 200 has been opened or tampered with previously.
[097] Package 200 is similarly similar to package 10 of figures 1-9 in that it is formed from the two pouches 212 and 214 having closed lower ends 254 and 260. Bags 212, 214 of package 200 have seals of ends 262, 264, 266 and 268 similar to end seals 62, 64, 66 and 68 of package 10, as shown in figure 13. For ease of reference, in figures 11-15, aspects of package 200 that are similar to the aspects of packaging 10 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with a “2”.
[098] Package 200 may be formed by means of a method that is substantially similar to the method shown in figures 6-10. Since the packaging 200 includes the two closing flaps 270, 271 instead of a closing flap 70 as in the packaging 10, the method of manufacturing the packaging 200 differs from the method of manufacturing the packaging 10 at least in that a second closing flap is formed in a flexible film 300 from which the packaging 200 is made.
[099] In particular, in addition to forming a first line of weakness 318 on flexible film 300 between a second fold line 314 and a first longitudinal edge 304 of flexible film 300, a second line of weakness 319 is formed on flexible film 300 between a third fold line 316 and a second longitudinal edge 302 of the flexible film 300, as shown in figure 15. The lines of weakness 318, 319 are formed in substantially the same manner in which the line of weakness 118 is formed in the flexible film 100 The weakening line 318 in the flexible film 300 corresponds to the weakening line 272 of the package 200, while the weakening line 319 corresponds to the weakening line 273 of the package 200. Area 326 of the flexible film 300 between the first weakening line 318 and the first longitudinal edge 304 corresponds to the closing flap 270 of the package 200, while the area 329 of the film f flexible 300 between the second line of weakness 319 and the second longitudinal edge 302 corresponds to the closing flap 271 of the package 200.
[100] As the flexible film 300 is moved in the machine direction, a food product 90 is deposited on the upward facing surface 310 of the flexible film 300 in a similar manner to that shown in figures 7 and 10. Then, the edges opposite longitudinal lines 302, 304 of the flexible film 300 are folded inward and carried towards each other and towards the central folding zone 312 to cover parts of food product 90 and parts of flexible film 300, substantially as shown in figures 8 and 10. Next, the sealing edges 319, 320 of the flexible film 300 are sealed together in a similar manner to that described with reference to the package 10. Subsequently, the area 326 of the flexible film 300, which includes the first longitudinal edge 304 , is folded around the first line of weakness 318 in the direction of the second line of fold 314 to cover part of the area 328 of flexible film 300 and expose a surface facing upward from area 326, as shown in general in figure 9 and described with reference to folding area 126 of flexible film 100. Similarly, area 329 of flexible film 300, which includes the longitudinal edge 302, is folded around the second line of weakness 319 in the direction of the third fold line 316 to cover part of the area 332 of the flexible film 300 and expose an upward surface of the area 329.
[101] After areas 326 and 329 are folded around their respective lines of weakness 318 and 319 as described above, one or more adhesive materials are applied to all or part of one or both surfaces facing upwards area 326 and 329. Then, the flexible film 300 is folded in such a way that the second and third fold lines 314, 316 are carried in the direction of the first fold line 312 and one in the direction of the other in such a way that the surfaces facing upwards from areas 126 and 129 stick together to seal food product 90 within flexible film 300. Finally, packaging 200 is separated from the rest of flexible film 300 in a similar manner to that shown in figure 10.
[102] Figure 30 shows some exemplary machinery that can be used to manufacture packaging 200. Such machinery may include conveyor surfaces 91 and 93 on which food product 90 can be placed. The conveyor surfaces are angled and diverge from each other in such a way that the flexible film 300 surrounds the food product 90 and assumes a generally triangular orientation as shown in figure 30. As the flexible film 300 is supplied on the driving wheels 95 and 97, the parts 326 and 329 of the flexible film 300 that will correspond to the closing flaps 270 and 271, respectively, of the package 200 are folded and fixed to each other, in a non-separable form, by means of a heat seal 274 as shown in figure 30.
[103] A package 400 according to another shape is shown in figures 16 and 17. Package 400 has a different shape than package 10. Specifically, while package 10 is generally rectangular, package 400 of a general way is in a quadrangular way. Furthermore, package 400 has a smaller size and capacity for food product 90 when compared to package 10. Specifically, the length of package 400 as measured by the distance from edge 450 to edge 452 is approximately half or less than the half the length of package 10 as measured by the distance from edge 50 to edge 52. Because of at least that reason, package 400 has a smaller capacity for food product 90, as demonstrated by the fact that the exemplary package 10 contains seven chewing gum tablets in each of the bags 12, 14, while the exemplary package 400 contains two chewing gum tablets in each of the bags 412, 414.
[104] Package 400 is similar to package 10 of figures 1-9 in that it is formed from the two pouches 412 and 414 having the lower ends closed 454 and 460. For ease of reference, in figures 16 and 17, aspects of package 400 that are similar to aspects of package 10 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with a "4". Bags 412, 414 of package 400 have end seals 462, 464, 466 and 468 similar to end seals 62, 64, 66 and 68, as shown in figure 17. Package 400 is similarly sealed to package 10 of figures 1-9 in which a closing flap 470 is attached to both bags 412 and 414 when package 400 is in a closed position.
[105] The package 400 is opened similarly to the package 10 of figures 1-9 in which the closing flap 470 is separated from the pouch 412 along a line of weakness and remains attached to the pouch 414, as shown in the figure 17. The package 400 is also provided with a reseal feature where the pouch 412 includes an area of adhesive 476 similar to the area of adhesive 76 of the package 10. The package 400 can be formed by means of a method that is substantially similar to the method shown in figures 6-10. The package 400 can be formed with dimensions and / or resources different from those shown in figures 16 and 17. For example, the package 400 can optionally have a length that is greater or less than that of the package 10, and optionally can have two flaps. closures similar to those of packaging 200 of figures 11-14.
[106] A package 500 according to another shape is shown in figures 18 and 19. The package 500 has the end seals 562, 564, 566 and 568 that have a different shape than the end seals 62, 64, 66 and 68 of the pack 10. In particular, while the end seals 62, 64, 66 and 68 of the pack 10 are generally straight, the end seals 562, 564, 566 and 568 of the pack 500 are in the form of one or more waves creating a wavy shape, as shown in figures 18 and 19. Furthermore, the opposite end seals 562 and 566 as well as the opposite end seals 564 and 568 have a different shape such that when the package is closed, parts of the end seals 566 and 568 protrude from under the end seals 562 and 564, respectively, to form the pull tabs 563 and 565, as shown in figures 18 and 19. The pull tabs 563 and 565 can make it easier for a consumer to open the packaging 500.
[107] Package 500 is similar to package 10 in figures 1-5 in that it is formed from the two pouches 512 and 514 having the lower ends closed 554 and 560. For ease of reference, in figures 18 and 19, aspects of packaging 500 that are similar to aspects of packaging 10 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with a "5". Bags 512, 514 of package 500 have end seals 562, 564, 566 and 568 similar to end seals 62, 64, 66 and 68, as shown in figure 19. Package 500 is similarly sealed to package 10 of figures 1-5 in which a closing flap 570 is attached to both bags 512 and 514 when package 500 is in a closed position. The package 500 is opened similarly to the package 10 of figures 1-5 in which the closing flap 570 is separated from the bag 512 along a line of weakness and remains attached to the bag 514, as shown in figure 19. A package 500 is also provided with a reseal feature where pouch 512 includes an area of adhesive 576 similar to the area of adhesive 76 of package 10.
[108] The package 500 can be formed using a method that is substantially similar to the method shown in figures 6-10. It will be appreciated that the packaging 500 of figures 18 and 19 can be manufactured in larger or smaller sizes in such a way that each pouch 512, 514 can contain 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 chewing gum tablets , or more. The package 500 can optionally have two closure flaps similar to the closure flaps 270, 271 of the package 200 of figures 11-14.
[109] A package 600 according to another form is shown in figure 20. Package 600 is similar to package 10 in figures 1-9, with certain differences highlighted below. For ease of reference, aspects of package 600 that are similar to aspects of package 10 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with a "6". Although shown in section, it will be understood that the packaging 600 has the same general construction as the packaging described above, with differences highlighted below.
[110] The packaging 600 of figure 20 is different from the packaging 10 of figure 5 in that the closing flap 670 of the packaging 600 is smaller than the closing flap 70 of the packaging 10, however the closing flap 670 may have other lengths in addition of that illustrated. Furthermore, while the closing flap 70 of the package 10 of figure 5 includes a weakening line 72 to allow the closing flap 70 to be separable from the inner panel 24, the closing flap 670 of the package 600 of figure 20 does not. includes a line of weakness like this. In addition, while the closing flap 70 of figure 5 is fixed to the outer surface 46 of the panel 28 by means of an adhesive 74 which is preferably in the form of a heat seal, the closing flap 670 in figure 20 is fixed to the surface outer 646 of panel 628 by means of a peelable seal 674, such as a cold seal or a pressure sensitive adhesive.
[111] During the opening of the package 600, the bags 612, 614 are moved away from each other when articulated around the joint to a position where the opening force being applied by the consumer detaches or breaks the detachable seal 674 to separate the closing flap 670 of inner panel 624 of bag 612 in such a way that closing flap 670 no longer seals the package 600, or blocks access to openings 618, 620 of bags 612, 614. This allows the consumer to remove parts of the product 90 of bags 612 and 614 through openings 618 and 620.
[112] A package 700 according to another form is shown in figure 21. The package 700 of figure 21 is similar to the package 200 of figure 14, with differences discussed below. For ease of reference, aspects of packaging 700 that are similar to aspects of packaging 200 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with a "7". Although shown in section, it will be understood that the package 700 has the same general construction as the packages described above, with differences highlighted below.
[113] The package 700 of figure 21 is different from the package 200 of figure 14 in that the closing flaps 770 and 771 in figure 21 are smaller than the closing flaps 270 and 271 in figure 14, however other lengths may be suitable. As an example only, the closing flap 770 in figure 21 is identical in size to the closing flap 670 in figure 20. Furthermore, the closing flaps 770 and 771 of the package 700 of figure 21 do not include similar lines of weakness to the weakening lines 272 and 273 in figure 14 that allow the closing flaps 270 and 271 of the package 200 to be separated from the inner panels 224 and 228. Additionally, while the closing flap 270 of figure 14 is attached to the outer surface 246 of the panel 228 by means of an adhesive 274 which is preferably in the form of a heat seal, the closing flap 770 in figure 21 is attached to the outer surface 746 of the panel 728 by means of a peelable seal 774, such as a sealing a cold or a pressure sensitive adhesive.
[114] As the package is being opened by a consumer, bags 712 and 714 are moved away from each other to a position where the opening force being applied by the consumer detaches or breaks the detachable seal 774 to separate the flaps. closing 770 and 771 in such a way that the closing flaps 770 and 771 no longer seal the package 700, or block access to the openings 718, 720 of the bags 712, 714. Breaking the detachable seal 774 can provide an answer audible, visual and / or tactile to a consumer during opening. After opening, the consumer can remove parts of food product 90 from bags 712 and 714 through openings 718 and 720, unless the openings are additionally blocked, as discussed in an alternative embodiment in this document.
[115] A package 800 according to another form is shown in figure 22. The package 800 is similar to the package 200 in figure 14, with specific differences discussed in detail below. For ease of reference, aspects of packaging 800 that are similar to aspects of packaging 200 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with an "8". Although shown in section, it will be understood that the packaging 800 has the same general construction as the packaging described above, with differences highlighted below.
[116] The packaging 800 is different from the packaging 200 in that the inner panels 824 and 828 in figure 22 do not include closing flaps similar to the closing flaps 270 and 271 in figure 14. Specifically, while the closing flaps 270 and 271 of figure 14 are folded to overlap parts of the outer surfaces 242 and 246 of the inner panels 224 and 228, respectively, the inner panels 824 and 828 of figure 22 are not folded, but extend generally parallel to each other and each includes a line of weakening 872 and 873, respectively. Parts of the inner panels 824 and 828 above the weakening lines 872 and 873 constitute the separable closing tabs 870 and 871, which are fixed in a non-separable manner by means of an adhesive 874, for example, a heat seal , to seal the packaging 800.
[117] During opening of package 800, bags 812, 814 are moved away from each other to a position where the opening force being applied by the consumer initiates a tear in one or both of the inner panels 824 and 828 along one or both of the weakening lines 872 and 873 to separate one or both of the closing flaps 870 and 871 from the rest of the inner panels 824 and 828. When the package 800 is in the open position, the closing flaps 870 and 871 remain attached to each other by means of heat sealing 874, but one or both of the closing flaps 870 and 871 are no longer attached to their respective inner panels 824 and 828 and no longer seal the package 800, or block access to the openings 818, 820 of bags 812, 814. This allows the consumer to remove parts of the food product 90 from bags 812, 814 through openings 818, 820.
[118] A packaging 900 according to another shape is illustrated in figure 23. For ease of reference, aspects of packaging 900 that are similar to aspects of packaging 10, 200, 600, 700 and 800 are designated with similar reference numbers , but preceded with a “9”. Although shown in section, it will be understood that the 900 packaging has the same general construction as the packaging described above, with differences highlighted below.
[119] The pouch 912 of the packaging 900 of figure 23 is similar to the pouch 612 of the packaging 600 of figure 20, with the only difference being that the pouch 912 includes a weakening line 972 that facilitates the separation of the closing flap 970 from the panel inner 924 of the first pocket 912. Another difference is that differently from the peelable seal 674 in figure 20, which is preferably a cold seal, the seal 974 between the closing flap 970 and the outer surface 946 of the inner panel 928 of pouch 914 is a seal which provides a non-separable fastening such as, for example, a heat seal. In other words, the seal 974 has a resistance selected in such a way that there is a greater tendency to break along the weakening line 972 than it does along the seal 974.
[120] The pouch 914 of the packaging 900 of figure 23 is different from the pouch 614 of the packaging 600 of figure 20 in which, while the inner panel 628 of the packaging 600 extends over a part of the height of the food product 90, the inner panel 928 of package 900 extends along the total height of food product 90 and wraps food product 90 to form a cold seal 975 on an inner surface 940 of outer wall 926, thereby sealing product 90 inside pouch 914 .
[121] As package 900 is being opened by the consumer when pivoting around the pivot, bags 912, 914 are moved away from each other to a position where the opening force being applied by the consumer initiates a tear in the flap. closure 970 along the weakening line 972 to separate the closing flap 970 from the inner panel 924 from the pocket 912 in such a way that the closing flap 970 remains attached to the inner panel 928 by means of heat sealing 974, but no more seals pouch 912, or blocks access to opening 918 of pouch 912, allowing the consumer to remove parts of food product 90 from pouch 912. Notably, packaging 900 is distinct from the packaging described in this document in which the second pouch 914 remains entirely sealed ( in cold sealing 975) even after the packaging 900 is opened by separating the closing flap 970. To allow the consumer to open the second bag 914, the inner panel 928 of the pouch 914 includes an end portion in the form of a pull tab 977 which can be used to break the cold seal 975 and open pouch 914 to remove food product 90.
[122] A package 1000 according to another shape is illustrated in figure 24. The package 1000 is different from the packages described previously (which include two bags joined in a joint) in which the package 1000 includes only one bag to contain a product food 90. For ease of reference, aspects of the packaging 1000 that are similar to the aspects of the packaging described above are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with a “10”. Although shown in section, it will be understood that the packaging 1000 has the same general construction as the packaging described above, with differences highlighted below.
[123] As shown in figure 24, the outer wall 1026 of the packaging 1000, instead of forming a second pouch, substantially extends linearly along the height of the food product 90 to function as a cover. The inner surface 1040 of the outer wall 1026 is attached to an outer surface 1042 of the inner panel 1024 of the package 1000 by means of a peelable seal 1074, such as a cold seal or a pressure sensitive adhesive, to seal the package 1000.
[124] During the opening of the packaging 1000 by a consumer, the outer wall 1026 of the packaging 1000 can be moved away from the inner panel 1024 to a position where the opening force being applied by the consumer breaks the detachable seal 1074 to allow the the outer wall 1026 is separated from the inner panel 1024 in such a way that the outer wall 1026, which constitutes a closing flap in this embodiment, no longer seals the packaging 1000, or blocks access to the opening 1018 of the bag 1012, but provides it to the consumer access to opening 1018 of pouch 1012 such that parts of food product 90 can be removed from package 1000 through opening 1018.
[125] A package 1100 according to another shape is shown in figure 25. Package 1100 is similar to package 1000 in figure 24. For ease of reference, aspects of package 1100 that are similar to aspects of package 1000 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded by an “11”. Although shown in section, it will be understood that the 1100 packaging has the same general construction as the packaging described above, with differences highlighted below.
[126] The package 1100 of figure 25 is different from the package 1000 of figure 24 in that the outer wall 1026 of the package 1000 includes a reinforcement element 1180 attached to the inner surface 1140 of the outer wall 1126 to provide structural support for the outer wall 1126 While the outer wall 1026 of the packaging 1000 of figure 24 is attached to the outer surface 1042 of the inner panel 1024 by means of the peelable seal 1074, the outer wall 1126 is attached, on its inner surface 1140, to the reinforcement element 1180, whose inner surface 1181 is in turn attached to the outer surface 1142 of inner panel 1124 by means of a peelable seal 1174, such as a cold seal or a pressure sensitive adhesive, to seal package 1100. Reinforcement element 1180 can be formed of a variety of materials such as, for example, cardboard, plastic or the like.
[127] The package 1100 can be opened by moving the outer wall 1126 away from the inner panel 1124 to a position where the opening force breaks through the detachable seal 1174 in such a way that the outer wall 1126, which constitutes a closing flap. in this embodiment, it no longer seals the package 1100, or blocks access to the opening 1118 of the bag 1112, but provides the consumer with access to the opening 1118 of the bag 1112 in such a way that parts of food product 90 can be removed from the package 1100 through the opening 1118.
[128] A packaging 1200 according to another form is illustrated in figure 26. Packaging 1200 is similar to packaging 1000 in figure 24, with certain differences discussed below. For ease of reference, aspects of packaging 1200 that are similar to aspects of packaging 1000 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with a “12”. Although shown in section, it will be understood that the packaging 1200 has the same general construction as the packaging described above, with differences highlighted below.
[129] The packaging 1200 of figure 26 is different from the packaging 1000 of figure 24 in that the inner panel 1224 of the packaging 1200 is not attached directly to the inner surface 1240 of the outer wall 1226, but includes a closing flap 1270, which is folded around a line of weakness 1271 to be placed over parts of the inner surface 1242 of the inner panel 1224. The closing flap 1270 is fixed non-separably to the inner surface 1140 of the outer wall 1126 by means of an adhesive 1274 such as , for example, a heat seal, cold seal, hot melt, pressure sensitive adhesive or the like to seal the 1200 packaging.
[130] During the opening of the packaging 1200, the outer wall 1226 of the packaging 1200 can be moved away from the inner panel 1224 to a position where the opening force being applied by the consumer initiates a tear in the closing flap 1270 to separate the flap. closing panel 1270 of inner panel 1224 along the weakening line 1271 in such a way that the closing flap 1270 remains attached to the inner surface 1140 of the outer wall 1226 by means of heat sealing 1274, but no longer seals the packaging 1200, or blocks access to opening 1218 of pouch 1212 to allow the consumer to remove parts of food product 90 from pouch 1212 through opening 1218.
[131] Figure 27 shows the package 10 of figure 5 additionally including an outer cover 1300. The cover 1300 can be formed of a rigid material such as paper, cardboard, plastic or combinations thereof. The cover 1300 can be attached to the package 10 using, for example, an adhesive, a cold seal or the like. In the form shown in figure 27, the cover 1300 is attached to the outer surface 34 of the outer wall 22 by seals 1301 and 1302 and attached to the outer surface 38 of the outer wall 26 by seals 1303 and 1304. To remove the cover 1300 and have access to the package 10, the cover 1300 can be moved, for example, by sliding along the outer walls 22 and 26 of the package 10 until the opening force being applied by the consumer breaks the seals 1301, 1302, 1303 and 1304, allowing the package 10 is removed from cover 1300. After package 10 is removed from cover 1300, it can be opened as discussed above.
[132] Each of the packages shown in figures 2029 can be formed by a method that is substantially similar to the method shown in figures 610 and described earlier, as well as by other suitable methods.
[133] Also in another embodiment, the packaging 1400 of figures 31-35 can include a rigid external element such as shell-like wrap 1410 with the two cavities 1412, 1414 and a hinge 1416 between them. The first cavity 1412 has an empty interior 1411 dimensioned and modeled to contain the food product 90 and a peripheral flange 1431 surrounding the empty interior 1411. Similarly, the second cavity 1414 has an empty interior 1413 dimensioned and modeled to contain the food product 90 and a peripheral flange 1433 surrounding the empty interior 1413. A first blade sheet 1424 can be attached to the peripheral flange 1431 of the first cavity 1412, and a second blade sheet 1428 can be attached to a peripheral flange 1433 of the second cavity 1414. Blades 1424 and 1428 are dimensioned in such a way that they cover part of the empty interiors 1411 and 1413 of the first and second cavities 1412 and 1414, respectively, thus providing the consumer with access to the food product 90 and allowing the consumer to remove the food product 90 of cavities 1412 and 1414 when package 1400 is in the open position as shown in figure 34. By “rigid ”What is desired is a material that is preferably more rigid than the film. Thus, the material forming the cavities 1412, 1414 of the outer element such as shell-like wrap 1410 is more rigid than the material forming the first and second blade sheets 1424 and 1428. In one approach, the rigid material can be thermoformable to make the cavities 1412 and 1414.
[134] The first and second blade sheets 1424 and 1428 can be attached to their respective peripheral flanges 1431 and 1433 by means of one or more adhesives, heat sealing, welding or the like. In one approach, the first and second blade sheets 1424, 1428 are attached to the peripheral flanges 1431, 1433 in such a way that each blade sheet 1424, 1428 extends from a respective upper edge 1450, 1456 to the respective lower edge 1452, 1458 of the first and second cavities 1412, 1414, covering underlying parts of the respective peripheral flanges 1431, 1433, as shown in figure 34. It will be appreciated that the blade sheets 1424 and 1428 can be attached to the peripheral flanges 1431 and 1433 so that the blade sheets 1424 and 1428 are spaced from the upper edges 1450, 1456 and the lower edges 1452, 1458.
[135] The first blade sheet 1424 has a closing flap 1470 folded against the sheet foil 1424 around a line of weakness 1472 and separable from the sheet foil 1424 along the line of weakness 1472. When packaging 1400 is closed, the closing flap 1470 is attached to the first foil sheet 1424 along the weakening line 1472 and attached to the second foil sheet 1428 by means of an adhesive 1474, thereby sealing the food product 90 inside the packaging 1400. The adhesive 1474 is selected to create a non-separable attachment of the closing flap 1470 to the second blade sheet 1428. It will be appreciated that, instead of using an adhesive, the closing flap 1470 can be attached to the second sheet 1428 by means of other suitable devices such as, for example, heat sealing, welding, UV curing, lamination or the like.
[136] When package 1400 is moved from the closed position of figure 32 to the open position of figure 34 in a direction shown by the directional arrow in figure 33, cavities 1412 and 1412 are moved around hinge 1416 one away from the other to open the 1400 package in a book-like way, which can be visually appealing to consumers. During the opening of the package 1400, the cavities 1412, 1414 are moved away from each other to a position where the opening force being applied by the consumer initiates a tear in the weakening line 1472 and causes the closing flap 1470 to be separated. by tearing the first blade sheet 1424 along the weakening line 1472, as shown in figure 33. The closing flap 1470 thus provides a consumer with a visual indication of the degree of openness of the package 1400. Furthermore, once a consumer feels some resistance during the tearing of the closing flap 1470 along the weakening line 1472, the closing flap 1470 can provide a tactile and potentially audible response to the consumer during the initial opening of the package 1400.
[137] After the closing flap 1470 is separated from the first blade sheet 1424 along the weakening line 1472, the closing flap 1470 no longer holds cavities 1412 and 1414 together and allows cavities 1412 and 1414 to be moved further one away from the other to the open position shown in figure 34. When the package 1400 is in the open position shown in figure 34, the closing flap 1470 remains attached to the second blade sheet 1428 of the second cavity 1414, but no longer seals the packaging 1400 or blocks access to the empty interiors 1411, 1413 of cavities 1412, 1414. Instead, as shown in figure 34, a consumer is allowed to remove parts of food products 90 from cavities 1412 and 1414. The closing flap 1470 thus providing a seal to maintain freshness and / or inviolable appeal to the packaging 1400 in such a way that the absence, or partial tearing of the closing flap 1470, visually indicates to a co nsummer that the 1400 package was previously opened or tampered with.
[138] To allow package 1400 to be closed again after being opened for the first time, peripheral flange 1433 of second cavity 1414 includes projections such as latches or such as optional pins 1478, and peripheral flange 1431 of first cavity 1412 includes the optional openings 1479 dimensioned to receive the projections 1478 in a friction fit as shown in figures 34 and 35. A consumer wishing to close the package 1400 again from the open position of figure 34 to the closed position of figure 35 would move the cavities 1412, 1414 towards each other around the hinge 1416 until the projections 1478 match their corresponding openings 1479, thus closing the package 1400 again.
[139] When the packaging 1400 is closed again, the food product 90 is contained in the cavities 1412, 1414 and prevented from falling out of the packaging 1400. Although the packaging 1400 has been shown to include projections and receiving openings 1479, the packaging 1400 may include adhesive areas similar to adhesive area 76 in the form of one or more points of glue, pressure sensitive adhesive, adhesive tape or strips, velcro, zip or the like that allows multiple openings and reseals of the packaging 1400 .
[140] A package 1500 according to another shape is shown in figures 36-40. For ease of reference, aspects of the 1500 packaging that are similar to the packaging aspects described earlier are designated with similar reference numbers, preceded with a “15”. The packaging 1500 has a general construction similar to the packaging described above in that it is formed of a single flexible film sheet 1700, shown in more detail in figure 41, with some differences highlighted below.
[141] The packaging 1500 of figure 40 includes a pouch 1512 similar to the packaging 1200 of figure 26 and includes a rear panel 1522, a front panel 1524 and an outer wall 1526, which acts substantially as a cover or an outer flap. Differently from the pouch of the packaging 1200, and differently from the pouches 12, 14 of the packaging 10, which have a generally U-shaped lower end created by folding the film forming such pouches, the pouch 1512 the packaging 1500 is formed by fixing the two opposite ends 1586 and 1588 of the film (for example, the film 400) that forms the packaging 1500. The opposite ends 1586 and 1588 are fixed to each other by means of an adhesive 1574 such such as a heat seal, cold seal, hot melt, pressure sensitive adhesive or the like to seal the packaging 1500. The adhesive 1574 is preferably selected to create a non-separable fixation (in normal use) of the ends 1586 and 1588 to each other, as shown in figure 40.
[142] The packaging 1500 of figure 40 is also different from the packaging 1200 of figure 26 in that the closing flap 1570, which is separably joined to the front panel 1524 along a line of weakness 1572, is not fixed directly to the inner surface 1540 of the outer wall 1526, but is joined to the outer wall 1526 and forms a U-shaped fold or crease with it. Furthermore, while the closing flap 1270 of the packaging 1200 is securely attached to the inner surface 1240 of the outer wall 1226 by an adhesive 1274, the closing flap 1570 of the packaging 1500 is securely fixed and optionally capable of being closed again to an external surface 1542 of the front panel 1524 by means of an adhesive area 1576, which can be, for example, a cold seal or a pressure sensitive adhesive.
[143] During the opening of the packaging 1500 by a consumer, the outer wall 1526 of the packaging 1500 is moved away from the front panel 1524 to a position where the opening force and tension being applied by the consumer initiates a tear in the weakening line 1572. and cause the closing flap 1570 to be separated by tearing the front panel 1524 along the line of weakness 1572, as shown in figure 38, to allow the package 1500 to be moved to an open position shown in figure 39 where the closing flap 1570 no longer seals the packaging 1500, or blocks access to opening 1518 of pouch 1512 to allow the consumer to remove parts of food product 90 through opening 1518.
[144] A consumer wishing to reseal the packaging 1500 from the open position of figure 39 to the closed position of figure 36 can move the outer wall 1526 back towards the front panel 1524, around the hinge 1516, in such a way that the area of adhesive 1576 contacts and separates securely to the outer surface 1542 of the front panel 1524 to allow multiple openings and new closings of the packaging 1500.
[145] A blade or single segment exemplary of a continuous blade of flexible material 1700 from which packaging 1500 can be made is shown in figure 41. The continuous blade has a width dimensioned to make the bags 1512 which are mirror images around of a centerline 1704 as the web is moved in the machine direction indicated by the arrow in figure 41. The flexible material 1700 can be a film made of one or more polymers, laminates, metallized polymers, paper or the like. Referring to Figure 41, the area 1706 of flexible film 1700 between a longitudinal edge 1702 of film 1700 and a fold line 1714 corresponds to the rear panel 1522 of folded package 1500. Area 1708 of flexible film 1700 between fold line 1714 and a fold line 1716 corresponds to the outer flap or outer wall 1526 of the folded package 1500. The area 1710 of flexible film 1700 between the fold line 1716 and a weakening line 1718 (which corresponds to the weakening line 1572) corresponds to the flap. closing time 1570 of the folded package 1500. Finally, the area 1712 of the flexible film 1700 between a fold line 1704, which is also the center line of the film 1700, and the line of weakness 1718 corresponds to the front panel 1524 of the folded package 1500. The 1720 area of the flexible film 1700 is a mirror image of the areas, edges and fold lines mentioned above on the right side of the center line 1704 and can be used a to form a second package identical to the package 1500 as the film 1700 is moved along the machine direction indicated by the arrow.
[146] As the flexible film 1700 is moved in the machine direction, a food product 90 is deposited on an upward surface of area 1706 of flexible film 1700, and areas 1706, 1708 and 1710 of film 1700 are folded around the fold lines 1714 and 1716 and around the weakening line 1718 to wrap the food product 90 and to move the edges 1702 and 1704 of the flexible film towards each other and fix the edges 1702 and 1704 non-separably each other by means of adhesive 1574 as shown in figure 40. In a folded package 1500, the closing flap 1570 is folded in a fold-like configuration, as shown in figure 40. Although described as fold lines, the lines instead may represent possible fold lines such as the opposite of preformed fold lines.
[147] A package 1600 according to another form is illustrated in figure 42. For ease of reference, aspects of the package 1600 that are similar to the aspects of the packages described above are designated with similar reference numbers, preceded with a “16” . The packaging 1600 has a general construction similar to the packaging described above in that it is formed of a single sheet of flexible film, with some differences highlighted below.
[148] The packaging 1600 of figure 42 is similar to the packaging 1500 of figure 40 in that it includes a pouch 1612, a rear panel 1622, a front panel 1624 and an outer wall 1626, which acts substantially as a cover or flap. external. Unlike bag 1512 of package 1500, which is formed by fixing the two opposite ends 1586 and 1588 of the film forming package 1500, bag 1612 has a generally U-shaped lower end by folding the film to form the 1600 package.
[149] The packaging 1600 of figure 42 is also different from the packaging 1500 of figure 40 in that the closing flap 1670, which is separably joined to the front panel 1624 along a line of weakness 1672 similar to that of the flap of closure 1570 of the packaging 1500 of figure 40, is not joined together, and does not form a U-shaped fold, with the outer wall 1626, but is fixed directly to the outer surface 1642 of the front panel 1624 by an area of adhesive 1676, the which is similar to the adhesive area 1576 in adhesive materials and allowing multiple new openings and closings of the 1600 packaging.
[150] A package 1800 according to another form is shown in figures 43-45. Packaging 1800 is similar to packaging 10 in figures 1-9, with certain differences highlighted below. For ease of reference, aspects of packaging 1800 that are similar to aspects of packaging 10 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with an "18".
[151] The packaging 1800 is different from the packaging 10 in that while the weakening line 72 of the packaging 10 is straight and parallel to the side edges 54, 60 of the bags 12, 14, the weakening line 1872 of the packaging 1800 is not parallel to the side edges 1854, 1860 of the bags 1812, 1814. Specifically, the weakening line 1872 of the packaging 1800 is angled with respect to the side edges 1854 and 1860, as shown in figure 43.
[152] With the packaging 1800 including the weakening line 1872 oriented as shown in figures 43-45, when the packaging 1800 is moved from a closed position in a direction shown by the directional arrows in figure 44 to the open position of figure 45 , bags 1812, 1814 are moved away from each other to a position where the opening force and tension being applied by the consumer initiates a tear in the weakening line 1872 at the bottom edge 1852 of bag 1812 and causes the closing flap 70 is separated by tearing along the weakening line 1872 of the inner panel 1824 of the pouch 1812, as shown in figure 44. Thus, differently from the packaging 10, where tearing through the weakening line 72 is equally likely to occur. start at one or simultaneously on both edges 50 and 52 of the package 10, the inclined orientation of the weakening line 1872 allows preferential opening of the package in a bottle predetermined amount 1852 of the package 1800, thereby facilitating the opening of the package 1800 by the consumer by reducing the force required to open the package 1800 in relation to the force required to open the package 10.
[153] It is to be noted that the weakening line 1872 can be made with an inverted orientation in relation to that shown in figure 43 in such a way that, when the package 1800 is moved from a closed position to the open position of figure 45, the opening force being applied by the consumer preferably initiates a tear in the weakening line 1872 not at the bottom edge 1852 of the bag 1812, but at the top edge 1850 of the bag 1812. Additionally, although the packaging 1800 has been illustrated with the bag 1812 including the inclined weakening line 1872, it is to be realized that the inclined weakening line 1872 can alternatively be formed in bag 1814 instead of in bag 1812, or in both bags 1812 and 1814 to suitably facilitate the preferential opening of the packaging 1800 by the consumer and reduce the force required to open the packaging 1800. The weakening line 1872 of this modality, with an end closer to and a hinge or a lower part of the package when compared to the other end, can be incorporated into any of the modalities described in this document having a line of weakness.
[154] A 1900 packaging according to another shape is shown in figures 46-47. The 1900 packaging is similar to the 400 packaging of figures 16-17, with certain differences highlighted below. For ease of reference, aspects of packaging 1900 that are similar to aspects of packaging 400 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with a "19".
[155] The 1900 packaging has a similar construction and features, but has a different shape than the 400 packaging. Specifically, while the 400 packaging in general is quadrangular, the 1900 packaging in general is rectangular, with the larger sides of the packaging 1900 optionally being larger than the sides of the packaging 400 and the smaller sides of the packaging 1900 being smaller than the sides of the packaging 400. Furthermore, the packaging 1900 is sized to have a different capacity for the food product 90 and it is modeled to contain a grouping of food products 90 having a total shape different from that of the grouping of food product 90 discussed with respect to the other modalities. Specifically, while package 400 of figures 16-17 includes two chewing gum tablets positioned side by side in each of bags 412 and 414, packaging 1900 of figures 46-47 includes a stack of three chewing gum tablets on each of the 1912 and 1914 exchanges.
[156] Package 1900 is similar to package 400 of figures 16-17 and is opened similarly to package 400 of figures 16-17 in which the closure flap 1970 is separated from pouch 1912 over a length of time. line of weakness and remains attached to the other pouch 1914, as shown in figure 47. The packaging 1900 is also provided with a reseal feature in which the pouch 1912 includes an area of adhesive 1976 similar to the area of adhesive 476 of the package 400.
[157] The 1900 packaging can be formed using a method that is substantially similar to the method shown in figures 6-10. The 1900 packaging can be formed with dimensions and / or features different from those shown in figures 46 and 47. For example, the 1900 packaging can optionally be sized in such a way that each of the 1912 and 1914 bags includes stacks of four, five, six or more chewing gum tablets, or to include more than one stack of chewing gum tablets. In addition, the packaging 1900 may optionally have two closing flaps similar to those of the packaging 200 of figures 11-14.
[158] A 2000 package according to another shape is shown in figures 48-54. The packaging 2000 is similar to the packaging 200 of figures 11-14, with certain differences highlighted below. For ease of reference, aspects of packaging 2000 that are similar to aspects of packaging 200 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with a “20”. The 2000 package has a general construction similar to some of the packages described above in that it is formed of a single flexible film sheet.
[159] The 2000 packaging is similar to the 200 packaging of figures 11-14 in that it is formed from the two bags 2012 and 2014 with the lower ends closed 2054 and 2060. The bags 2012 and 2014 of the packaging 2000 have the end seals 2062 , 2064, 2066 and 2068, as shown in figures 51-53. Similar to packaging 200, packaging 2000 includes the two closure flaps 2070 and 2071. In particular, the first pouch 2012 includes a first closure flap 2070. The first closure flap 2070 of the first pouch 2012 is attached to a panel inner 2024 of the first bag 2012 along a first line of weakness 2072. Similarly, the second bag 2014 includes a second closing flap 2071, which is attached to an inner panel 2028 of the second bag 2014 over a second weakening line 2073, as shown in figures 48 and 50.
[160] When the packaging 2000 is in a closed position, the flaps 2070 and 2071 are oriented in an orientation that is generally divergent from each other in such a way that the closing flap 2070 extends from the inner panel 2024 in the direction the outer wall 2022 of the bag 2012 and is attached to the inner surface 2036 of the outer wall 2022 by means of an adhesive 2074, while the closing flap 2071 extends from the inner panel 2028 towards the outer wall 2026 of the other bag 2014 and is attached to the inner surface 2040 of the outer wall 2026 by means of an adhesive 2074, as shown in figure 48. With the closing flaps 2070, 2071 being attached to their respective inner surfaces 2036, 2040 of the outer walls 2022, 2026 when the packaging 2000 is in the closed position, access to the openings 2018, 2020 of the first and second exchanges 2012, 2014 is blocked by the closing flaps 2070, 2071, as can be seen in figure 48.
[161] Similar to packaging 200, the closing flaps 2070 and 2071 of packaging 2000 are attached to each other by means of an adhesive material 2096, which can be identical or different from the adhesive material 2074, and is selected to create a non-separable fastening of the closing flaps 2070 and 2071 to each other. It will be appreciated that although the 2096 adhesive material has been illustrated in the form of a single elongated strip, the 2096 adhesive material may be in the form of two or more strips or areas of any suitable shape (for example, quadrangular, circular, triangular in shape , etc.).
[162] With the closing flaps 2070 and 2071 being attached to each other when the packaging 2000 is in the closed position, access to the openings 2018, 2020 of the bags 2012, 2014 is blocked by the closing flaps 2070, 2071. It will be noticed that the adhesive materials 2074 and 2096 can be hot melt glue or any other adhesive, and that the closing flaps 2070 and 2071 can be attached to their respective internal surfaces 2036 and 2040 of the external walls 2022 and 2026 and to each other by means of other suitable devices such as, for example, heat sealing, welding, UV curing, lamination or the like.
[163] To open the 2000 package, the 2000 package can be held by a user (exemplary thumb position shown in figure 52) and manipulated to move the bags 2012, 2014 from the closed position of figure 51 in a direction shown by the arrows in figure 52 for the open position of figures 53-54. When moved from the closed to the open position, the bags 2012, 2014 are moved around an external joint 2016 away from each other to open the package 2000 in a similar way to a book, which can be visually attractive for consumers.
[164] In Figure 52, the 2000 packaging is shown in a position that is not open enough (or where sufficient opening force has not been applied) to cause the 2070, 2071 closing flaps to be separated from their respective bags 2012 , 2014 along their respective weakening lines 2072, 2073. During the opening of the 2000 package by the user in the direction shown in figure 52, as the 2012, 2014 bags of the 2000 package are moved away from each other, one position is achieved where the opening force or tension applied by the consumer initiates one or more tears in one or both of the weakening lines 2072, 2073. This can be achieved by having an increasing tension in the closing flaps 2070, 2071 as the packaging 2000 is opened, controlled in part by the length of parts of the closing flaps 2070, 2071, in combination with the flaps 2070, 2071 being joined together, being less than the length required to have a the packaging fully open without separating the closing flaps 2070, 2071 from their respective bags 2012, 2014.
[165] Figures 59-61 show a 2200 package according to another embodiment. The packaging 2200 is different from the packaging 2000 of figures 48-54 in two ways: the weakening lines 2272, 2273 of the packaging 2200 are modeled differently from the weakening lines 2072, 2072 of the packaging 2000; and the closing flaps 2270, 2271 of the packaging 2200 are modeled differently from the closing flaps 2070, 2071 of the packaging 2000. In particular, while the weakening lines 2072, 2073 of the packaging 2000 are arched as shown in figures 49-50 and 53-54, the weakening lines 2272, 2273 of the package 2200 are partially straight and partially curved and generally create a V shape, as shown in figures 59-61. Similarly, while the closing flaps 2070, 2071 of the packaging 2000 have arched contours to match the shape of the weakening lines 2072, 2073, as shown in figures 49-50 and 53-54, the closing flaps 2270 2271 of package 2200 include partially straight and partially curved contours and generally create a V shape, as shown in figures 59-61.
[166] It is to be noted that the weakening lines 2272, 2273 can be completely linear and be devoid of any curved parts. Similarly, the contours of the closing flaps 2270, 2271 can correspondingly be completely linear and be devoid of any curved parts. Although some of the packages (for example, 10, 200, 400 and 500) described in this document have closing flaps that are rectangular and one of the closing packages (1800) has a trapezoidal closing flap, it is to be noted that the flap flaps The closure and the lines of weakness associated with the closure flaps can be of any desired geometric shape or irregular shape. As an example, figure 50 shows a generally elliptical or oblong closing flap 2070 and its associated curved weakening line 2072. In another example, figure 60 shows an irregularly shaped closing flap 2270 in general shaped like a postal envelope flap and its associated irregularly shaped weakening line 2272.
[167] Although the packaging 2200 of figures 59-61 includes closing flaps and lines of weakness modeled differently from those of packaging 2000, the opening sequence of packaging 2200 being illustrated in figures 5961 is also applicable to packaging 2000, as described in follow. In particular, if the package 2200 was positioned in the same way as the package 2000 is positioned in figure 52, the package 2200 would similarly not be opened sufficiently (or subjected to sufficient tension) to cause the closing flaps 2270 , 2271 are separated from their respective bags 2212, 2214 along their respective lines of weakness 2272, 2273. During the opening of the 2200 package by the user in the direction shown in figures 52 and 59, as the bags 2212, 2214 of the package 2200 are moved away from each other, a position is reached where the opening force applied by the consumer initiates one or more tears in one or both lines of weakness 2272, 2273. As previously described, this may be a result of a predetermined increase in tension in the weakening lines 2272, 2273 in response to an opening force being applied by a consumer.
[168] The force being applied by the consumer in the direction (shown by the arrows in figure 59) of the open position causes one or more of the tears in the weakening lines 2272, 2273 to be propagated through the packaging 2200 in such a way that the flaps of closing 2270, 2271 are separated entirely from their respective inner panels 2224, 2228 to fully open bags 2212, 2214 to provide the consumer with full access to food product 90 (or a non-food product) in bags 2212, 2214.
[169] The exemplary package 2200 of figure 60 is shown with the closing flap 2270 entirely separated from the inner panel 2224 of the first pouch 2212 along the weakening line 2272 while the closing flap 2271 is still fully attached to the inner panel 2228 of the second pouch 2214 along the weakening line 2273. In one way, as the user manipulates the pouch 2200 by moving the pouches 2212, 2214 in the direction indicated by the arrows in figure 59 to the partially open position of figure 61, the closing flap 2270 can be entirely separated simultaneously along the total weakening line 2272 of inner panel 2224. In another way, as the user moves bags 2212, 2214 of package 2200 to the open position, one or more tears small ones can form in one or more parts of the 2272 line of weakness and propagate sequentially along the total line of weakness 2272 until the flap of closure 2270 is entirely separate from the inner panel 2224.
[170] When the packaging 2200 is in a position shown in figure 59, the end seal 2264 of the first bag 2212, the hinge region 2216 and the end seal 2268 of the second bag 2214 combine in general to create a shape of V. During the opening of the package 2000, an opening force applied by the consumer can cause a part of the first bag 2212 to be curved or folded around a second hinge 2215 and a part of the second bag 2214 to be curved or folded in around a third hinge 2217, as shown in figure 59. With the closing flap 2270 being entirely separated along the total weakening line 2272 of the inner panel 2224 of the first pouch 2212 such that the food product 90 in the first pouch 2212 is fully accessible to the consumer, as shown in figure 60, the end seal 2264 of the first pouch 2212, the hinge region 2216 and the sealing of e end 2268 of the second pocket 2214 generally combine to create a zigzag shape (Z).
[171] More specifically, as shown in figure 60, a part of this zigzag shape is provided by the first or external joint 2216, another part of this zigzag shape is provided by parts of the first pouch 2212 that are folded to form a second hinge 2215 that extends at least through the end seals 2262, 2264 of the first pocket 2212, and another part of this zigzag shape is provided by portions of the second pocket 2214 that are folded to form a third hinge 2217 extending at least through the end seals 2266, 2268 of the second pouch 2214. The configuration of the pouches 2212, 2214 during opening of the package 2200 is such that the first pouch 2212 includes the second hinge 2215, the second pouch 2214 includes third hinge 2217, and package 2200 includes first hinge 2216 between bags 2212, 2214 when package 2200 is in a more fully open position it is as shown in figure 61 and when package 2200 is in an entirely open position, as shown in figure 59, with reference to the articulations 2015, 2016, 2017 of package 2000.
[172] As can be seen in figure 60, the packaging 2200 is positioned in such a way that the inner panel 2224 of the first pouch 2212 is not on the same plane as the inner panel 2228 of the second pouch 2212, but positioned at least in part above of the inner panel 2228 of the second pocket 2212. More specifically, the second hinge 2215 formed by a portion of the end seal 2264 of the first pocket 2212 overlaps a part of the end seal 2268 of the second pocket 2212, creating a gap between the second hinge 2215 and that part of the end seal 2268, as shown by the shaded lines in figure 60. With the package 2200 being in the partially open position of figure 60, the outer panel 2222 of the first pouch 2212 is positioned in such a way that the second hinge 2215 it is closer to a lower end 2260 of the second pocket 2214 than to the outer hinge 2216.
[173] The positioning of the first pouch 2212 in relation to the second pouch 2214, that is, the partial elevation of the first pouch 2212 in relation to the second pouch 2214 while the first pouch 2212 is open and food product 90 in the first pouch 2212 is accessible , can facilitate retention of food product 90 in first pouch 2212 and restrict food product 90 from inadvertently sliding out of first pouch 2212, particularly when both pouches 2212, 2214 have been opened, such as when the closing flaps in a manner general are perpendicular or otherwise angled with respect to bags 2212, 2214. Packages 2000 and 2200 may include an additional structural feature that restricts food product 90 from inadvertently sliding out of the bags, as described below.
[174] In particular, as discussed earlier, the closing flaps 2070, 2071 of the packaging 2000, as well as the closing flaps 2270, 2271 of the packaging 2200, are attached to each other by means of an adhesive material selected to create a non-separable fastening of the closing flaps to each other. The fastening of the closing flaps 2070, 2071 of the packaging 2000 to each other, as well as the fastening of the closing flaps 2270, 2271 of the packaging 2200 to each other, is maintained during the movement of the packaging 2000 and 2200 from the closed position to a position partially open (for example, figure 60) or to a fully open position (for example, figure 54). The fixed parts of the closing flaps 2270, 2271 are oriented in a similar way to the fixed parts of the closing flaps 2070, 2071, which are spaced away from the 2016 hinge of the packaging 2000, forming an open area between unfixed parts of the flaps closing 2070, 2071 and the 2016 articulation of packaging 2000, as seen, for example, in figure 54. As discussed below, this open area in general can be in the form of rhombus as discussed in the next paragraph, and it can allow passage of a loop as shown, for example, in figure 51 and discussed below.
[175] With additional reference to figure 54, a foot part 2092 of the first closing flap 2070 is fixed non-separably to an internal surface 2036 of the outer wall 2022 of the first bag 2012, while a foot part 2094 of the second closure flap 2071 is non-separably attached to an inner surface 2040 of outer wall 2026 of the second pocket 2014. Parts of the first and second closure flaps 2070, 2071 extending away from their respective standing parts 2092, 2094 do not they are fixed to each other, and converge towards each other, until they are at a vertex 2069 of an opening in a generally rhombus shape, defined by the aforementioned unfixed parts of the first and second 2070 closing flaps , 2071, a part of the external wall 2022 of the first bag 2012 between a first joint 2016 and a second joint 2015, and a part of the external wall 2026 of the second bag 2014 between the prime 1st articulation 2016 and the third articulation 2017. Parts of the first and second closing flaps 2070, 2071 above the apex 2069 are fixed in a non-separable manner to each other as shown in figure 54 and described previously. It is to be noticed that the vertex 2069 provides a fourth articulation in relation to which parts of the first and second closing flaps 2070, 2071 (and the first and second bags 2012, 2014) are displaced during the movement of the packaging 2000 from a closed position to an open position. The fixed parts of the first and second closing flaps 2070, 2071 can also articulate with respect to the articulation 2069, during the opening of the packaging 2000. Notably, parts of the bags 2212, 2214 of the packaging 2200, when moved from a closed position to a position open, they can generally form an opening in the form of a similar diamond shape defined by parts of the bags 2212, 2214 between the first joint 2216, the second joint 2215, the third joint 2217 and the fourth joint 2269, as in figure 61.
[176] The closing flaps 2070, 2071, because they are attached to each other, provide a stiffer support surface than the adjacent parts of the bags 2212, 2214. As such, with the package 2200 being positioned in such a way that a part of the closing flap 2270 (supported by the fixed closing flap 2271) obstructs a part of the access opening 2018 of the first pouch 2212, as shown in figure 61, the chewing gum tablets 90 (or other food product or non-food) are advantageously restricted from being inadvertently dislodged from the first pouch 2212. For example, during the movement of the first and second pouches 2212, 2214 of the packaging 2200 up to 180 degrees away from each other around the hinge 2216 from a position closed, where pockets 2212, 2214 are closed by their respective closing flaps 2270, 2271 (for example, the position shown in figure 51), to an open position where one or more of the closing flaps 2270, 2271 are separated along a weakening line 2272, 2273 to provide access to food product 90 in one or both of the bags 2212, 2214, the closing flaps 2270, 2271 can form a barrier that is displaced relative to to joint 2216 and restricts product 90 from being dislodged from bags 2212, 2214.
[177] Figures 59 and 60 show the closing flap 2270 entirely separated from the inner panel 2224 along the weakening line 2272 while the closing flap 2271 remains entirely attached to the inner panel 2228 along the weakening line 2273. Depending on from the orientation of the package 2200 and the opening force or tension applied by the user, the package 2200 can be positioned and manipulated by the user to the open position in such a way that the closing flap 2270 remains entirely fixed to the inner panel 2224 along the line weakening 2222 while the closing flap 2271 is entirely separate from the inner panel 2228 along the weakening line 2273. As such, move the package 2200 from the fully closed position shown in figure 52 with reference to the package 2000 to the partially position opening shown in figure 59 includes separating an inner closing flap 2270 from the first pouch 2212 of the in panel suit 2224 of the first pouch 2212 along the weakening line 2272 of the first pouch 2212 without separating an inner closing flap 2071 from the second pouch 2214 attached to the inner panel 2228 of the second pouch 2214 along the weakening line 2273 of the second pouch 2214. This causes the first pouch 2212 to open to provide access to product 90 in the first pouch 2212 while the second pouch 2214 remains sealed to restrict access to product 90 in the second pouch 2214.
[178] Alternatively, the 2200 package can be positioned and moved by the user to the open position in such a way that, instead of only one of the closing flaps 2270, 2271 being first separated entirely from its respective inner panel 2224, 2228, the opening force applied by the user can cause such tension in the weakening lines 2272, 2273 in which both closing flaps 2270, 2271 substantially simultaneously are separated from their respective inner panels 2224, 2228 along their respective weakening lines 2272 , 2273. “Substantially simultaneously” will be understood to mean that, during the movement of the first and second pockets 2212, 2214 from the closed position (figure 51) to the fully open position (figure 54), both closing flaps will be separated of their respective internal panels 2224, 2228 along their respective weakening lines 2272, 2273 and will open their respective bags 2212, 2 214 to provide consumers with access to product 90 on bags 2212, 2214.
[179] Although the closing flaps 2270, 2271 can be separated from their respective inner panels 2124, 2128 sequentially or generally simultaneously based on the positioning of the 2200 package and the relative opening force applied by each user's hand, the package 2200 can be configured in such a way that one of the weakening lines 2272 or 2273 will be torn before the other weakening lines 2272, 2273 to provide access first to a predetermined pocket of the bags 2212, 2214. For example, the shape of V created by one of the weakening lines 2272, 2273 can extend downwards closer to one of the lower ends 2054, 2060 of the bags 2012, 2214, respectively, to facilitate the preferred primary opening of the selected V shape that is positioned more near the bottom end of a bag selected to open first. Alternatively, one of the weakening lines 2272, 2273 may be more fragile in such a way that it preferably opens first before the other line of weakening lines 2272, 2273 opens. In another alternative, one of the weakening lines 2272, 2273 can include a tear notch such that by manipulating the package 2200 to the open position, the weakening line including the notch will preferably be perforated first.
[180] After the consumer manipulates the 2200 package in such a way that one or more tears are propagated through one of the weakening lines 2272 or 2273 to provide access to one of the bags 2212 or 2214, further manipulation of the 2200 package can then produce tearing through the other of the weakening lines 2272 or 2273 in order to provide access to the other pocket of bags 2212 or 2214. Advantageously, as shown, for example, in figure 60, this may allow one of the bags to be accessed, while the another pouch remains closed or sealed, such as until the contents of one pouch are removed.
[181] With the package being in the partially open position shown in figure 60, a consumer wishing to open and access the interior of the second bag 2214 can hold the first bag 2212 and move the first bag 2212 to the fully open position shown in figures 53- 54 in a direction shown by the arrows in figure 61. In particular, the movement shown by the arrows in figure 61 includes moving a lower end 2254 of the first pocket 2212 in a direction away from the outer hinge 2216 and moving the second hinge 2215 in one direction away from a lower end 2260 of the second pocket 2214. Moving the first pocket 2212 away from the second pocket 2214 in the direction shown in Figure 61 includes moving the second hinge 2215 in a direction away from the lower end 2260 of the second pocket 2214 to a position where the second hinge 2215 is further away from the lower end 2260 of the second pocket 2214 than the hinge is external connection 2216, as shown in figure 61. In other words, a distance from the second joint 2215 to the lower end 2260 of the second pocket 2214 in figure 61 is greater than the distance from the external joint 2216 to the lower end 2260 of the second pocket 2214 Similarly, displacement of the first pouch 2212 includes moving the lower end 2254 of the first pouch in a direction away from the lower end 2260 of the second pouch 2214 to increase a length of the package 2200. The "length of the package" will be understood to mean means a distance between the lower end 2254 of the first pocket 2212 and the lower end 2260 of the second pocket 2214 along a line perpendicular to the outer hinge 2216 and the lower ends 2054, 2260.
[182] Moving the first pocket 2212 away from the second pocket 2214 as shown in figure 61 facilitates the tearing of the closing flap 2271 away from the inner panel 2228 by means of one or more tears in the weakening line 2273 to open the second pouch 2214, thereby exposing the food product 90 stored within the second pouch 2214 for the consumer to access, as shown in figure 61. It will be realized that the tearing of the closing flap 2271 away from the inner panel 2228 by means of one or further tearing in the weakening line 2273 to open the second pouch 2214 may occur before or after the position of the packaging 2200 shown in figure 61, depending, for example, on the opening force used and the orientation of the packaging 2200 during opening. The first pouch 2212 can be moved by the consumer in the direction of the arrows of figure 61 until package 2200 reaches its fully open position, as shown in figures 53-54 and described with reference to package 2000.
[183] The location of the closing flaps 2070, 2071 of the packaging 2000 in their fully open positions as shown in figures 53-54 makes it easier for a consumer to remove food product 90 through the openings 2018, 2020 of the bags 2012, 2014. In particular, differently from packaging 200 where the weakening line 2072 is linear, the weakening lines 2072 and 2073 are further curved towards their respective lower ends 2054 and 2060 of the packaging 2000, with the packaging 2000 being opened as such. as shown in figure 53, causing more of the food product 90 to be exposed than what is exposed by the packaging 200 (see figure 13) for the consumer to possibly enable easier removal of the food product 90 from each of the bags 2012 and 2014 .
[184] With the closing flaps 2070 and 2071 being in their fully open positions as shown in figures 53-54, a consumer is allowed to remove parts of food product 90 from the bags 2012 and 2014 through the openings 2018 and 2020. Similar to the closing flaps 270 and 271 of the packaging 200, the closing flaps 2070 and 2071 of the packaging 2000 provide a seal to maintain freshness and / or tamper-resistant feature for the packaging 2000 in such a way that the absence or partial tearing of one or more both of the closure flaps 2070, 2071 can visually indicate to a consumer that the package 2000 has been opened or tampered with previously.
[185] With the closing flaps 2070, 2071 being in their fully open positions as shown in figure 54, the unfixed parts of the closing flaps 2070, 2071 are advantageously positioned in such a way that they provide a structural feature that restricts the food product 90 from inadvertently slipping out of their respective bags 2012, 2014.
[186] The 2000 and 2200 packages can be formed using a method that is substantially similar to the method shown in figures 6-10 with some of the differences being the formation of a second closing flap 2071 and the second line of weakening 2073, location and shape of the weakening lines 2072 and 2073, the location where adhesives 2074 and 2096 are applied, and the fact that no part of the closing flaps 2070 and 2071 is not folded over their respective inner panels 2024, 2028 of the bags 2012 , 2014.
[187] Each of the packages 2000, 2200 can include an optional handle 2099, shown in figure 51. The handle 2099 can cross and form a loop around an opening formed between the closing flaps 2070, 2071 and the hinge region 2016, shown, for example, in figures 53-54. Alternatively, the ends of the handle 2099 can be attached to each of the end seals 2062, 2064 of the package 2000 in such a way that the handle 2099 does not have to pass through the interior of the package 2000. The handle 2099 can be used to manually retain the 2000, 2200 packages, or can be used to hang 2000, 2200 packages, for example, on a hook on a counter in a store. In one form, the 2099 handle can be used to separate the first and second bags 2012, 2014 or 2212, 2214 from each other in order to tear the 2000, 2200 packages in the middle.
[188] For example, a consumer wishing to tear the package 2000 in the middle would pull the handle 2099 in a direction away from the lower ends 2054, 2060 of the first and second bags 2012, 2014 in such a way that the opening force being applied by the consumer would induce the 2099 handle to cause a tear in the flexible material forming the 2000 package. The tear can be through the hinge region 2016, since the hinge region 2016 provides a fold where the 2099 handle can be initially positioned and a line of optional weakening for the 2099 handle to tear through the flexible material that forms the 2000 packaging. In one form, a tear notch can be made in or near the hinge region 2016 to create a preferred tear point or points where the first and second 2012, 2014 handbags can be separated from each other in response to a force being applied by the consumer to the 2099 handle as previously described. In one form, the part of the film forming the 2000 packaging that facilitates a tear between the bags 2012, 2014 can be a monoaxial film.
[189] A 2100 package according to another shape is shown in figures 55-58. The 2100 package is similar to the 2000 package in figures 48-54, with certain differences highlighted below. For ease of reference, aspects of packaging 2100 that are similar to aspects of packaging 2000 are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with a “21”. Unlike the various packages described above, the 2100 package does not consist of a single sheet of flexible film.
[190] The packaging 2100 is similar to the packaging 2000 of figures 48-54 in that it is formed of the two pouches 2112 and 2114 having the lower ends closed 2154 and 2160. The bags 2112 and 2114 of the packaging 2100 have the end seals 2162 , 2164, 2166 and 2168, as shown in figures 57-58. Similar to packaging 2000, packaging 2100 includes the two closing flaps 2170 and 2171. The first closing flap 2170 is attached to an inner panel 2124 of the first pocket 2112 along a first line of weakness 2172, and the second closing flap 2171 is attached to an inner panel 2128 of the second pocket 2114 along a second line of weakness 2173, as shown in figure 55.
[191] Unlike the 2000 packaging, the two bags 2112 and 2114 are not both formed of a single sheet of film, but each is formed of a separate sheet of foil, thin sheet, paper or other material. In addition, differently from packaging 2000, packaging 2100 includes an external cover 2102, to which bags 2112 and 2114 are attached separately by means of an adhesive, or by any other suitable method, as shown in figure 55. A cover 2102 may be formed of a rigid material such as paper, cardboard, plastic or combinations thereof. In the form shown in figure 55, the cover 2102 includes a central part 2104, which is located between the pockets 2112, 2114. The central part 2104 of the cover 2012 includes an adhesive material 2198 to which parts of the flaps 2170 and 2171 are securely attached. non-removable mode, as shown, for example, in figure 58. The cover 2102 and the bags 2112, 2114 can be fixed by means of any suitable adhesive, a cold seal or the like.
[192] Similar to package 2000, parts of flaps 2170 and 2171 of package 2100 are fixed in a non-separable manner by means of a sticker 2174 selected to create a non-separable fixation of the closing flaps 2170 and 2171. In a different way that of the packaging 2000, where, with the packaging 2000 being in the closed position shown in figure 51, the closing flaps 2070 and 2071 are fixed to each other by means of an adhesive strip 2096, the closing flaps 2170 and 2171 are fixed one to the other by means of multiple spaced adhesive points 2174. It will be noted that the number and location of adhesive strip 2198 and adhesive points 2174 in figure 55 are illustrated for purposes of example only, and that the single adhesive strip 2198 can be replaced by two or more adhesive strips or by two or more adhesive points, or by one or more areas of adhesive in other ways, whereas the 2174 adhesive points can be replaced by a single adhesive strip, two or more is adhesive strips, or by one or more areas of adhesive in the form other than a strip or a stitch. In addition, adhesives 2174 and 2198 can be in the form of hot melt glue, any other adhesive, or another suitable device, for example, heat sealing, welding, UV curing, lamination or the like.
[193] When package 2100 is moved from the closed position of figure 56 in a direction shown by the directional arrows in figure 57 to the open position of figure 58, bags 2112, 2114 are moved around hinge 2116 one away from the other to open the 2100 package in a book-like way, which can be visually appealing to consumers. During opening of package 2100, bags 2112, 2114 are moved away from each other to a position where the opening force being applied by the consumer initiates a tear in one or both lines of weakness 2172 and 2173, as shown in figure 57.
[194] In Figure 57, the package 2100 is shown with the closing flap 2170 partially separated from the inner panel 2124 of the first pocket 2112 along the weakening line 2172 and the closing flap 2171 partially separated from the inner panel 2128 of the second pocket. 2114 along the weakening line 2173. Although both closing flaps 2170 and 2171 can be separated from their respective inner panels 2124 and 2128 in general simultaneously with the movement of the package 2100 to its open position, the package 2100 can be configured in such a way that one of the weakening lines 2172 or 2173 will be initially torn to give access to one of the pockets 2112 or 2114. For example, one of the weakening lines 2172, 2173 may be more fragile in such a way that it is preferably broken first. Alternatively, one of the weakening lines 2172, 2173 may include a tear notch in such a way that, by manipulating the package 2100 in the direction of the open position, the weakening line including the notch will preferably be broken first. After a tear propagates through one of the weakening lines 2172, 2173, further manipulation of the packaging 2100 can then cause tearing through the other of the weakening lines 2172 or 2173 in order to access the other pouch later on. Advantageously, as previously described with reference to the 2200 package, this may allow one of the bags to be accessed, while the other bag remains closed or sealed, such as until the contents of one of the bags are removed.
[195] Similar to the closing flaps 2070, 2071 and 2270, 2271 of the 2000 and 2200 packages, the closing flaps 2170, 2171 of the 2100 package provide a seal to maintain freshness and / or tamper-evident feature for the 2100 package in such a way that the absence or partial tearing of one or both of the closure flaps 2170, 2171 can visually indicate to a consumer that the package 2100 has previously been opened or tampered with.
[196] Unlike the packaging 2000 of figure 54, which does not have a cover like cover 2102, when package 2100 is in the open position shown in figure 58, a part 2192 of the first closing flap 2170 next to the pivot line 2116 remains attached not to the inner surface 2136 of the outer wall 2122 of the pouch 2112, but to the central area 2104 of the cover 2012, and a portion 2194 of the second closing flap 2171 next to the pivot line 2116 remains attached not to the inner surface 2140 of the outer wall 2126 of the pocket 2114, but to the central area 2104 of the cover 2012, as shown in figure 58.
[197] With the packaging 2100 in the open position, parts of the closing flaps 2170 and 2171 remain attached to each other by means of adhesive points 2174 as the closing flaps 2170 and 2171 are lifted because of their separation from their respective inner panels 2124 and 2128, as shown in figure 58. Similar to the weakening lines 2072 and 2073, the weakening lines 2172 and 2173 are curved towards their respective side edges 2154 and 2160, and with the packaging 2100 being opened as shown in figure 58, more of the food product 90 is exposed to the consumer to facilitate removal of the food product from each of the bags 2112, 2114. Differently from the closing flaps 2070, 2071 of the packaging 2000 of the figure 54, which include parts that are not attached to each other and are not substantially perpendicular to the foot parts 2092, 2094, the closing flaps 2170, 2171 in their open positions shown in the figure Figure 58 are entirely fixed to each other and positioned in a position substantially perpendicular to the foot parts 2192, 2194 to facilitate for a consumer the removal of food product 90 from bags 2112 and 2114 through openings 2118 and 2120.
[198] The 2100 package can be formed using a method that is substantially similar to the method shown in figures 6-10 with some of the differences being the formation of the first and second bags 2112 and 2114 separately from each other, the formation of the cover 2102 from a single blade of suitable material, the attachment of the first and second bags 2112 and 2114 to the cover 2102, the position and number of adhesives 2174 and 2198, and the fact that no part of the closing flaps 2170 and 2171 does not is folded over their respective internal panels 2124 and 2128.
[199] A 2300 package according to another shape is shown in figures 62-63. For ease of reference, aspects of the 2300 packaging that are similar to the packaging aspects described above are designated with similar reference numbers, preceded by a “23”. The 2300 package has a general construction similar to the packages described previously in that it is formed of a single sheet of flexible film, with some differences highlighted below.
[200] The 2300 package includes the two bags 2312, 2314. Unlike, for example, the 2000, 2100 and 2200 packages, the 2312, 2314 bags of the 2300 package do not include closure flaps. Instead the inner panel 2324 of the first pouch 2312 is attached to the inner panel 2328 of the second pouch 2314 along a first line of weakness 2372, as shown in figure 62. Since the packaging 2300 is formed of a foil flexible blade, the outer walls 2322 and 2326 of the bags 2312 and 2314, respectively, are joined to form a rib seal 2321 next to a hinge part 2316 of the packaging 2300. Ends of the outer walls 2322, 2326 forming the rib seal 2321 are attached to each other by means of a 2374 adhesive such as, for example, a heat seal, cold seal, heat melt, pressure sensitive adhesive or the like to seal the 2300 package. The 2374 adhesive is preferably selected for create a non-separable or permanent fixation (in normal use) of the ends to each other, as shown in figure 62. When the 2300 package is moved from the closed position of figure 62 to the open position As shown in Figure 63, bags 2312 and 2314 are moved around hinge 2316 one away from the other to open package 2300 in a book-like manner, which can be visually appealing to consumers.
[201] During the opening of the packaging 2300, the bags 2312, 2314 are moved away from each other around the joint 2316 and in relation to the weakening line 2372 to a position where the opening force or tension being applied by the consumer begins one or more tears in the weakening line 2372 to allow separation of the inner panels 2324 and 2328 from each other. As the packaging 2300 is moved by the consumer to the fully open position, the inner panels 2324 and 2328 separate entirely from each other along the weakening line 2372 and the food product 90 in each of the bags 2312, 2314 is accessible for the consumer.
[202] As an alternative to the weakening line 2372 described earlier and shown in figure 62, the packaging 2300 can optionally include a weakening line 2373 on each of the inner panels 2324 and 2328, at the locations shown in or near figure 62 . In this optional embodiment, during the opening of the packaging 2300, the bags 2312, 2314 are moved away from each other around the joint 2316 to a position where the opening force or tension being applied by the consumer initiates one or more tears in one or more on both weakening lines 2373 to allow part of one or both inner panels 2324 and 2328 to be separated along one or both weakening lines 2373 to allow access to food product 90 in one or both bags 2312, 2314. In the event that a portion of only one of the inner panels 2324 is separated along its respective line of weakness 2373 to provide access to food product 90 only in the first pouch 2312, a consumer can then handle the packaging 2300 for separate a portion of the inner panel 2328 along its respective line of weakness 2373 to provide access to food product 90 in the second pouch 2314.
[203] Although the weakening line 2372 of the packaging 2300, as well as each of the weakening lines 2373 of an alternative embodiment of the packaging 2300, can be straight (and substantially parallel to the lower ends 2354, 2360 of the bags 2312, 2314) such as shown, for example, in figure 63 (which shows a tear propagated only on the weakening line 2372), it is to be noticed that the weakening line 2372 (and the alternative weakening lines 2373) can be tilted (not parallel to the lower ends 2354, 2360 of bags 2312, 2314) as in figure 43, or it can be arched as in figure 49, or irregularly shaped as in figure 61.
[204] Optionally, parts of the inner panels 2324 and 2328 above the weakening lines 2373 (for example, at a location similar to the location of the adhesive material 2096 in figure 48) can be attached to each other by means of an adhesive material. The adhesive material can be similar or identical to the adhesive material 2096 and would be selected to create a non-separable or permanent fixation of the closing flaps 2370 and 2371 of the inner panels 2324 and 2328 to each other.
[205] In the form where an adhesive material like this is present and fixes parts of the inner panels 2324 and 2328 to each other, while opening the alternative packaging 2300, the bags 2312, 2314 are moved away from each other around the joint 2316 to a position where the opening force or tension being applied by the consumer initiates one or more tears in one or both lines of weakness 2373 to allow separation of part of one or both of the inner panels 2324 and 2328 along one or both of the weakening lines 2373 to allow access to food product 90 in one or both of the bags 2312, 2314. As the packaging 2300 is moved by the consumer to the fully open position, parts of the inner panels 2324 and 2328 can separate entirely sequentially or simultaneously along the weakening lines 2373 of their respective panels 2324, 2328 to provide access to food product 90 in the blanks lsas 2312, 2314 in a manner generally similar to that shown in figures 59-61.
[206] A consumer wishing to reseal package 2300 from the open position of figure 63 to the closed position of figure 62 can move bags 2312 and 2314 back towards each other around hinge 2316 in such a way that the adhesive area 2376 on the inner panel 2324 of the pouch 2312 contacts and sticks separably to the outer surface 2346 of the inner panel 2328 of the pouch 2314 to allow multiple openings and reseals of the packaging 2300.
[207] A 2400 package according to another shape is shown in figures 64-70. The 2400 package is similar to the 2000 package in figures 48-54, with certain differences highlighted below. For ease of reference, aspects of the 2400 package that are similar to aspects of the 2000 package are designated with similar reference numbers, but preceded with a “24”. The 2400 package has a general construction similar to some of the packages described above in that it can be formed of a single sheet or part of a continuous flexible film sheet. It will be realized that the features of the 2400 packaging are exaggerated for clarity and are not intended to be drawn to scale.
[208] The 2400 packaging is different from the 2000 packaging in figures 48-54 in that, differently from the 2000 packaging, which consists of the two bags 2012 and 2014, the 2400 packaging, in addition to the first and second bags 2412 and 2414 similar to the bags 2012, 2014 of the packaging 2000, includes a third bag 2435 movably fixed in relation to the second bag 2414 around a hinge 2443. In the embodiment shown in figures 64-70, the third bag 2435 advantageously provides the packaging of three 2400 bags with additional storage capacity for food product 90 when compared to the packaging of two bags 2000 with a similar width. The third pouch 2435 can optionally be separated from the first and second pouches 2412 and 2414 and discarded after use, as described in more detail below.
[209] The packaging of three bags 2400 is similar to the packaging of two bags 2000 of figures 48-54 in that it includes the two bags 2412 and 2414 with the lower ends closed 2454 and 2460. As shown in figure 68, the packaging of three bags 2400 is different from the pack of two bags 2000 in that the lower end 2454 of the first bag 2412 is not formed by a fold, but by sealing a part of the inner surface 2436 of the outer wall 2422 to a part of the inner surface 2444 of the inner panel 2424 by means of an adhesive 2474a to form an airtight seal. The packaging of three bags 2400 is also different from the packaging of two bags 2000 in that, differently from the lower end 2060 of the bag 2014 of the packaging of two bags 2000, the lower end 2460 of the second bag 2414 of the packaging of three bags 2400 it is not formed by a fold, but by sealing a part of the inner surface 2440 of the outer wall 2426 to a part of the inner surface 2448 of the inner panel 2428 by means of an adhesive 2474b to optionally form a hermetic seal. The bags 2412 and 2414 of the pack of three bags 2400 have the end seals 2462, 2464, 2466 and 2468, as shown in figure 70. One or more of the end seals 2462, 2464, 2466 and 2468 will be evaluated.
[210] Similar to packaging 2000, packaging 2400 includes a first pouch 2412 having a first closure flap 2470 and a second pouch 2414 having a second closure flap 2471. The first closure flap 2470 of the first pouch 2412 is separable of an inner panel 2424 of the first pocket 2412 along a first line of weakness 2472. Similarly, the second closing flap 2471 is separably attached to an inner panel 2428 of the second pocket 2414 along a second line of weakening 2473, as shown in figures 68 and 70.
[211] When the packaging 2400 is in a closed position shown in figures 64 and 68, parts of the first and second closing flaps 2470 and 2471 of the first and second bags 2412 and 2414, respectively, are oriented in such a way that a part of the closing flap 2470 extends from the inner panel 2424 of pocket 2412 towards the outer wall 2422 of the first pocket 2412 and is attached to the inner surface 2436 of the outer wall 2422 of the first pocket 2412 by means of an adhesive 2474c, as shown in the figure 68. Similarly, the closing flap 2471 extends from the inner panel 2428 of the second pocket 2414 towards the outer wall 2426 of the second pocket 2414 and is also attached to the inner surface 2440 of the outer wall 2426 of the second pocket 2414 by means of the adhesive 2474c, as shown in figure 68.
[212] In the form shown in Figure 68, adhesive material 2474c seals the closing flaps 2470 and 2471 to their respective outer walls 2422 and 2426, and extends from an upper end 2450 of the first pocket 2412 to an upper end 2452 of the second pouch 2414 along an articulation area 2416 between the first and second pouches 2412 and 2414. Thus, when the closing flaps 2470 and 2471 are attached to their respective internal surfaces 2436, 2440 of the outer walls 2422, 2426 by means of the adhesive 2474c when the packaging 2400 is in the closed position, access to the food product 90 in the first and second bags 2412, 2414 is blocked by the closing flaps 2470, 2471, as can be seen in figure 68.
[213] It will be appreciated that although the adhesive material 2474c has been illustrated in Figure 68 as a single adhesive layer extending continuously from the upper end 2450 of the first pocket 2412 to the upper end 2452 of the second pocket 2414, in an alternative approach, two adhesives separate can be used to seal the closing flaps 2470 and 2471 to their respective outer walls 2422 and 2426. In this approach, the hinge area 2416 would not include two layers of film sealed to each other by an adhesive 2474c as in figure 68, but it would include a flexible film fold similar to that shown along the hinge area 2016 in figure 48.
[214] Similar to the closing flaps 2070 and 2071 of the packaging of two bags 2000, the closing flaps 2470 and 2471 of the packaging of three bags 2400 are attached to each other by means of an adhesive material 2496. The adhesive material 2496 can be identical or different to the adhesive materials 2474a, 2474b, 2474c, and is selected to fix the closing flaps 2470 and 2471 to each other. Adhesive materials 2474a, 2474b, 2474c are selected for fixing the outer walls and inner panels of the first and second bags 2412 and 2414 to form the closed upper and lower ends of bags 2412 and 2414. Adhesive materials 2474a, 2474b, 2474c and 2496 they can be in the form of hot melt glue, heat sealing, welding, UV curing, lamination or the like.
[215] The third pouch 2435 of the three pouch packaging 2400 has a structure substantially similar to that of the first and second pouches 2412 and 2414. The third pouch 2435 includes an outer wall 2445 having an outer surface 2447 and an inner surface 2449, a panel inner 2451 opposite the outer wall 2445 and including an outer surface 2453 and an inner surface 2455. Similar to the lower end 2460 of the second pocket 2414, the lower end 2457 of the third pocket 2435 is formed by sealing a portion of the inner surface 2449 of the outer wall 2445 to a portion of the inner surface 2455 of the inner panel 2451 by means of an adhesive 2474d to form an airtight seal, as shown in figure 68. The third pouch 2435 of the three pouch pack 2400 has end seals 2467 and 2469 similar to the end seals 2462, 2464, 2466 and 2468 of the first and second pockets 2412 and 2414, as shown, for example, in figure 70.
[216] Similar to the closed lower end 2454 of the first pocket 2412, the closed upper end 2459 of the third pocket 2435 is formed by sealing a portion of the inner surface 2449 of the outer wall 2445 of the pocket 2435 to a portion of the inner surface 2455 of the inner panel 2453 of pouch 2435 by means of an adhesive 2474b to form an optionally airtight seal, as shown in figure 68. In the embodiment illustrated in figure 68, a single adhesive 2474b is used to seal the closed bottom end 2460 of the second pocket 2414 and the closed top end 2459 of the third pocket 2435. It will be appreciated that instead of a single adhesive 2474b extending continuously from the closed bottom end 2460 of the second pocket 2414 to the closed top end 2459 of the third pocket 2435, two separate stickers can be used to seal the lower end 2460 of the second pocket 2414 and the closed upper end of the third pocket 2435. In this approach , a hinge area 2443 around which the third pocket 2435 opens would not include two layers of film sealed to each other by an adhesive 2474b as in figure 68, but would include a flexible film fold similar to that shown along the area of articulation 2016 in figure 48.
[217] The third pouch 2435 includes a third closure flap 2437 separable from an inner panel 2451 from the third pouch 2435 along a third line of weakness 2439. A portion of the third closure flap 2437 is attached to the outer wall 2422 of the second pouch 2414 as shown in figure 68. Specifically, a portion of the outer surface 2453 of the inner panel 2451 of the third pouch 2435 is attached to an opposite part of the outer surface 2434 of the outer wall 2422 of the first pouch 2412 by an adhesive 2496. The adhesive 2496 is selected for attaching the closing flap 2437 of the third pocket 2435 to the outer panel 2422 of the first pocket 2412 in such a way that the force required to separate the closing flap 2437 along the third line of weakness 2439 is less than the required force to break the fastening of the closing flap 2437 to the outer panel 2422 by means of adhesive 2496. A part of the closing flap 2437 is also attached to the inner surface 244 9 of the outer wall 2445 by means of adhesive 2474b to seal the third pouch 2435 at the upper end 2459 of the third pouch 2435, as shown in figure 68. Thus, when the package of three pouches 2400 is in the closed position, access to the food product 90 in the third pocket 2435 is blocked by the closing flap 2437, as can be seen in figure 68.
[218] To open the package of three bags 2400, the package 2400 can be held by a user (exemplary position of the thumbs shown in figure 69) and manipulated to move the third bag 2435 from the closed position of figure 64 in a direction shown by the arrows in figure 69 to the open position of figures 69-70. When moved from the closed position of figure 64 to the open position of figure 69, the third pouch 2435 is pivotally moved around hinge 2443 away from the first pouch 2412 to partially open the package of three pouches 2400 and provide access to the product 90 in the bag 2435 in a similar way to a book, which can be visually appealing to consumers. With the package of three bags 2400 being partially open as shown in figure 69, the first and second bags 2412, 2414 can remain sealed, advantageously preserving the freshness of the food product 90 in the first and second bags 2412, 2414 while the user can consume food product 90 in the third bag 2435 of the pack of three bags 2400.
[219] During the opening of the pack of three bags 2400 by a user from the closed position of figure 64 in the direction shown in figure 69, as the third bag 2435 and the second bag 2012 of the pack of three bags 2400 are moved one away from the other, a position is reached where the opening force or tension applied by the consumer initiates one or more tears in the weakening line 2439 in the inner panel 2451 of the third pocket 2435. This can be achieved by having an increasing tension in the flap of closure 2437 as the pack of three bags 2400 is opened, controlled in part by the length of the closure flap 2437, being less than the length required to have a pack of three bags 2400 partially open as in figure 69 without separating the closing flap 2437 of the inner panel 2451 of the third pocket 2435.
[220] In figure 69, the package of three bags 2400 is shown in a partially open position where sufficient opening force has been applied to cause the closing flap 2437 to be separated from the inner panel 2451 of the third bag 2435 along the line. weakening device 2439. With the pack of three bags 2400 being in the partially open position shown in figure 69, the user is allowed to access food product 90 in the third bag 2435 without having to open the pack of three bags 2400 to the fully open position of the figure 70. In other words, food product 90 from the third pouch 2435 can be consumed while the first and second pouches 2412 and 2414 remain sealed, preserving the freshness of food product 90 within the first and second pouches 2412 and 2414.
[221] To allow the package of three bags 2400 to be closed again after being opened for the first time to the partially opened position shown in figure 69, the outer surface 2453 of the inner panel 2451 of bag 2435 includes an optional adhesive area 2476a, as shown in figures 68 and 70. A consumer wishing to reseal the package of three bags 2400 from the open position of figure 69 to the closed position of figure 64 moves the first bag 2412 and the third bag 2435 towards each other around the hinge 2443 in such a way that the adhesive area 2476a contacts and sticks to the outer surface 2434 of the outer wall 2422 of the first pouch 2412. When the pouch 2400 is thus closed again, food product 90 is contained in the third pouch 2435 and restricted from falling out of the 2400 bag of three bags. The bag of three bags 2400 can include an optional weakening line 2461 between the bottom end 2460 of the second pouch 2414 and the upper end 2459 of the third pouch 2435, as shown in Figure 68, which would allow the consumer, after the third pouch 2435 no longer has any food product 90, to separate the third pouch 2435 from the second pouch 2414 and discarding the third bag 2435 without opening the first and second bags 2412 and 2414.
[222] To open the package of three bags 2400 from the partially open position of figure 69 to the fully open position of figure 70, the package of three bags 2400 can be held by a user (exemplary position of the thumbs shown in the figure 70) and manipulated to move the first pocket 2412 from its position in figure 69 to the open position of figure 70. When moved from the closed position to the open position, the first pocket 2412 is moved around the hinge 2416 away from the second pocket 2414 until a position is reached where the opening force or tension applied by the consumer initiates one or more tears in one or both lines of weakness 2472, 2473 to separate the first and second closing flaps 2470 and 2471 from their respective pockets 2412 and 2414 and to fully open the 2400 package and provide access to the food product in all three bags 2412, 2414 and 2435 in a similar way to a book, the which can be visually appealing to consumers, as shown in figure 70.
[223] To allow the first and second bags 2412 and 2414 of the pack of three bags 2400 to be closed again after being opened for the first time to the fully open position shown in figure 70, the outer surface 2446 of the inner panel 2428 of the second bag 2414 includes an optional adhesive area 2476b, as shown in figures 68 and 70. A consumer wishing to reseal the package of three bags 2400 from the open position of figure 70 to the partially open position of figure 69 shifts the first and second bags 2412 and 2414 towards each other around the hinge 2416 in such a way that the adhesive area 2476b contacts and sticks to the outer surface 2442 of the outer wall 2424 of the bag 2412. When the pack of three bags 2400 is thus closed again, food products 90 are contained in the first and second bags 2412 and 2414 and are restricted from falling out of the pack of three bags 2400. In one approach, the pack three pouches 2400 may include an optional weakening line 2463 between the upper end 2450 of the first pouch 2412 and the upper end 2452 of the second pouch 2414, as shown in figure 68, which would allow the consumer, after one of the first and second bags 2412, 2414 no longer have any food product 90 in it, separate and discard empty bag 2412 or 2414, while retaining the other bag 2412 or 2414 that still contains food product 90 in it.
[224] The 2400 package can be manufactured from a single sheet or continuous sheet of the flexible material 2500. The flexible material 2500 can be a film made of one or more polymers, laminates, metallized polymers, paper or the like. For clarity in illustrating the method, a portion of the flexible film 2500 from which a single package 2400 can be manufactured is shown in figures 65-67. The exemplary single sheet of flexible film 2500 shown in Figure 65 has a front edge 2508, a rear edge 2506, a first longitudinal side edge 2502, a second longitudinal side edge 2504 and an upward facing surface 2510. It will be seen that the front edge 2508 and the rear edge 2506 can be reversed depending on the orientation of the machine direction in the manufacturing method in such a way that the front edge 2508 can become the rear edge and the rear edge 2506 can become the front edge, and that the blade shown in figures 65-67 can be part of a larger continuous film sheet.
[225] As the flexible film 2500 is moved in the machine direction, a food product 90 is deposited on the upward facing surface 2510 of the flexible film 2500, as shown in figure 65. Specifically, the food product 90 is positioned in areas 2522, 2526 and 2545 of the film, which will form the outer walls 2422, 2426 and 2445 of the first, second and third pockets, 2412, 2414 and 2435, respectively. The flexible film 2500 has a central folding zone where a first fold line 2512 can be formed on the flexible film 2500 when the film 2500 is folded approximately in the middle around the central fold line 2512 from the open blade configuration shown in figure 65 for the folded configuration shown in figure 66 for wrapping food product 90.
[226] Specifically, the front edge 2508 of the flexible film 2500 is folded around the folding zone 2512 and carried in the direction of the rear edge 2506 in such a way that the front edge 2508 overlaps the rear edge 2506. The front edge 2508 can overlap the rear edge 2506 directly as shown in figure 65 in such a way that the two edges 2506 and 2508 are collinear. In an alternative approach, the front edge 2508 may be offset from the rear edge 2506 in either direction.
[227] With the flexible film 2500 being folded once as shown in figure 66, the areas 2524, 2528 and 2551 of the film, which will form the inner panels 2424, 2428 and 2451 of the first, second and third pockets 2412, 2414 and 2435, respectively, will overlap areas 2522, 2526 and 2545 of the film to wrap food product 90. The film 2500 can then be further folded to form a second fold zone or fold line 2516 on one side of the central fold line. 2512 and a third fold zone or fold line 2543 on the opposite side of the central fold zone 2512, as shown in figure 66. Although the central fold line 2512 and the second and third fold lines 2516 and 2543 have been shown in figures 65-66 as straight lines, it will be realized that one or more of the first, second and third fold lines 2512, 2516 and 2543 can be non-linear or in the form of an area of flexible film 100 instead of a single l line.
[228] It will be appreciated that fold lines 2512, 2516 and 2543 can be made on flexible film 2500 when parts of flexible film 2500 are folded as shown in figures 66 and 67, or can be made previously on flexible film 2500 before or after the flexible film 2500 is unrolled from a feed roller in the machine direction. In an approach where fold lines 2512, 2516 and 2543 are created on flexible film 2500 before folding flexible film 2500, such fold lines can be made, for example, by means of suitable rollers, lasers or the like. For example, optionally, fold lines 2512, 2516 and 2543 may not be made on flexible film 2500, and flexible film 2500 can be folded without fold lines 2512, 2516 and 2543. With flexible film 2500 being folded such as shown in figure 66 to form the first fold line 2512, the second fold line 2516 corresponds to the hinge 2416 between the first and second pockets 2412 and 2414 of the formed packaging 2400, and the third fold line 2543 corresponds to the hinge 2443 between the third pouch 2435 and the second pouch 2414 of the pack formed 2400.
[229] Before or after depositing food product 90 on flexible film 2500 and before or after making the first, second and third fold lines 2512, 2516 and 2543 on flexible film 2500, weakening lines 2537, 2570 and 2571 are made on flexible film 2500, as shown in figure 65. The weakening lines 2537, 2570 and 2571 can be formed on flexible film 2500 using, for example, laser ablation, die cutting, microabrasion, or other suitable device . The weakening lines 2537, 2570 and 2571 in the flexible film 2500 correspond to the weakening lines 2437, 2470 and 2471 of the first, second and third pockets 2412, 2414 and 2435, respectively.
[230] With film 2500 being folded as shown in figure 66, end seals 2462, 2466 and 2467 can be formed close to edge 2508, for example, using an adhesive, or another suitable sealing technique (for example , heat seal) as previously described. For example, sealing edges 2580a, 2580b, 2580c, 2580d, 2580e, 2580f, 2580g, 2580h shown in figure 65, where end seals 2462, 2464, 2466, 2468, 2467 and 2469 are formed in figure 66, can include metallized areas to facilitate the hot sealing of the sealing edges to form the end seals 2462, 2464, 2466, 2468, 2467 and 2469 of the 2400 package. The edges of the metallized areas of the sealing edges 2580a, 2580b, 2580c, 2580d , 2580e, 2580f, 2580g, 2580h, which coincide with the edges of the sealing edges of the end seals 2462, 2464, 2466, 2468, 2467 and 2469, are indicated in dotted lines in figure 66 because the metallized areas are on one face bottom of the flexible film 2500 (illustrated as the upward facing surface 2510 in figure 65). The metallized areas can include, for example, thin foil, or another reflective material. It will be realized that the metallized areas are optional and the flexible film 2500 can be devoid of the metallized areas, in which case these areas may correspond to the sealing zones.
[231] With reference to figure 66, the area 2570 of the flexible film 2500 between the first line of weakness 2572 and the line of fold 2516 and / or a sealing edge adjacent to the line of fold 2516 corresponds to the closing flap 2470 of the first pocket 2412. The area 2571 of flexible film 2500 between the second line of weakness 2573 and the fold line 2516 and / or a sealing edge adjacent to the fold line 2516 corresponds to the closing flap 2471 of the second pocket 2414. Area 2537 of the flexible film 2500 between the third line of weakness 2539 and the fold line 2543 and / or a sealing edge adjacent to the fold line 2543 corresponds to the closing flap 2437 of the third pocket 2435.
[232] With the flexible film 2500 being positioned as shown in figure 66, a 2596 adhesive, for example, a single elongated strip as shown, or multiple strips or dots spaced to the side, is applied to area 2570, which will allow that areas 2570 and 2571 are at least partially fixed in a non-separable manner when flexible film 2500 is folded to the configuration shown in figure 67. In addition, optionally, a 2576b adhesive, for example, a glue can be applied to area 2524 of flexible film 2500. Adhesive 2576b corresponds to adhesive area 2476b of package 2400, which allows the first and second bags 2412, 2414 to be closed again after package 2400 is opened for the first time.
[233] The flexible film is then folded from the configuration shown in figure 66 to the configuration shown in figure 67. Specifically, the longitudinal edge 2502 of flexible film 2500 is folded around the fold line 2516 and carried in the direction of the fold line. 2543 in such a way that fold line 2516 overlaps fold line 2543. Fold line 2516 can overlap fold line 2543 directly as shown in figure 67 in such a way that the two fold lines 2516 and 2543 are collinear , or bend line 2516 can optionally be offset from bend line 2543 in either direction.
[234] With flexible film 2500 being positioned as shown in figure 67, a 2596 adhesive, for example, a single elongated strip as shown, or multiple strips or dots spaced to the side, is applied to a portion of area 2522 ( located under area 2524 in figure 66). Adhesive 2596 allows area 2537 of flexible film 2500 to be at least partially fixed in a non-separable manner to part of area 2522 when flexible film 2500 is folded into the final closed and formed configuration shown in figure 68. Furthermore optionally, an adhesive 2576a, for example, a glue point can be applied to area 2551 of flexible film 2500. Adhesive 2576a corresponds to adhesive area 2476a of package 2400 and allows the third pouch 2435 to be closed over the first pouch 2412 after packaging 2400 is opened for the first time.
[235] It will be appreciated that the packaging of three bags 2400 may interchangeably incorporate one or more features of the other packaging described above. For example, the pack of three bags 2400 can be used with an external cover similar to cover 1300 shown in figure 27. The weakening lines 2472, 2473 and 2439 along which the closing flaps 2470, 2471 and 2437 can be separated of their respective pockets 2412, 2414 and 2435 can be arched as shown in figures 50 and 66, one or more of the weakening lines 2472, 2473 and 2439 can be straight and parallel (for example, as in figure 15) to the edges longitudinal lines of the flexible film from which the packaging 2400 is made, or straight and not parallel (for example, as in figure 43) to the longitudinal edges of the flexible film. In addition, the shapes of the closing flaps 2470, 2471 and 2437 can be rectangular such as in figures 7 and 10, or they can be such as the irregularly shaped closing flap 2270, generally shaped like a postal envelope flap. as shown in figures 59-61. Furthermore, instead of being formed as parts of their respective inner panels 2424, 2428 and 2451 as shown in figure 68, the closing flaps 2470, 2471 and 2437 can be folded over their respective inner panels 2424, 2428 and 2451 , and attached to an opposite wall of a pouch as shown in figure 5, or to another closure flap as shown in figure 14. It should also be noted that although the packaging of three bags 2400 has shown the number of bags it is being shown only as an example, and packages having four, five, six, or more bags can be manufactured according to the principles set out above.
[236] The packaging described in this document can be manufactured at a lower cost than packaging requiring multiple foil sheets, multiple flaps and / or multiple adhesive strips. However, multiple foil sheets can be joined together and used as desired. Packaging also requires less material and results in less waste as it does not require over packaging. What's more, the packaging has an easy and intuitive opening mechanism and can open just like a book, which can be visually appealing to consumers.
[237] In any of the packages indicated above, the sealing of the flap to an adjacent pouch or between flaps does not have to be continuous across the width of the package. For example, and with reference to the embodiment of figures 1-5, the sealing of the flap 70 to the inner panel 28 of the adjacent pouch 14 does not have to be continuous between the upper edge 56 and the lower edge 58 of the pouch 14. Although the sealing it can be continuous, the sealing can be discontinuous along its length, it can only be close to the top edge 56 and the bottom edge 58, it can only be in a region between the top edge 56 and the bottom edge, or in other suitable variations .
[238] Any of the packages indicated above can be made of a variety of materials including, but not limited to, metallic or non-metallic polymers, laminates, plastics, paper, cardboard and more, as well as combinations thereof. Any of the packages indicated above can optionally be hermetically sealed to maintain the freshness of a food or other product contained in the package before the initial opening of the packages. Any of the packages indicated above can optionally be configured in non-rectangular shapes, such as trapezoidal, circular, oval, triangular and more. Any of the bags described in this document can be divided into multiple bags, such as when adding seals or otherwise gluing intermediate parts of the bag to adjacent material.
[239] Although the joints shown in the figures are formed from folding of rigid material or film, the joints may have other shapes, such as two materials joined together by tape or other sealing, or gasket, and may have perforations or another line or lines of weakness to predefine the location of the joint. Although the term “sealing” is used in this document, such use does not imply a perfect hermetic seal, but it can also include other forms of adhesion that do not create an airtight seal, such as glues and other adhesives, whether cold or heat activated, detachable seals, jump seals and more. Although certain structures are described as being joined, sealed or attached to each other, it will be understood that this includes joining, sealing or fixing both direct and indirect such as, for example, with intermediate structures.
[240] Although preferred modalities have been described in detail, variations and modifications can be made within the configurations described in this document. It will be understood that many of the described packaging features described above can be interchanged with each other to create alternative packaging. For example, the various configurations of closure flaps, for example, lines of weakness, folded over, not folded over, sealing or otherwise detachable or breakable seals, multiple closing flaps and number of pockets, can be switched between modes. copies to create alternative modalities. Similarly, the use of three bags, two bags or a bag and a cover is a variation of the configurations indicated above of the various exemplary modalities.

权利要求:
Claims (14)
[0001]
1. Package (10), comprising: a first pouch (12) and a second pouch (14) fixed in relation to each other around a joint (16), each of the first (12) and second pouches (14) being configured to contain a product (90); a first closing flap (70) fixed in relation to the first pocket (12) and in relation to the second pocket (14) in a spaced location of the joint (16); characterized by the fact that: the first (12) and second (14) pockets are movable in a direction away from each other on a joint (16) from a closed position, where the first and second pockets overlap at least partially each other and access to the first (12) and second (14) bags is blocked by the first closing flap (70), to an open position, where the first (12) and the second (14) bags are spaced apart from each other. another and the first closure flap (70) is detached or separated from one of the first (12) and second (14) bags to provide access to at least one of the first (12) and second (14) bags via a respective opening (18, 20) of at least one of the first (12) and second (14) bags.
[0002]
2. Packaging (10), according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the opening (18, 20) of each of the first (12) and second (14) bags confronts the joint (16) to provide access to the product (90).
[0003]
Packaging (10) according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized by the fact that the first closing flap (70) is attached to at least one of the first (12) and second (14) bags along of a weakening line (72).
[0004]
4. Packaging according to any one of claims 1 and 3, characterized by the fact that the first closing flap (270) is attached to the first bag (212) along the weakening line (272) and further comprises a second closing flap (271) attached to the second pocket (214) along a second line of weakness (273), each of the lines of weakness (272, 273) being spaced from the hinge (216), the second closing flap ( 271) being fixed to the first closing flap (270), in which by moving the packaging (200) from the closed position to the open position, one of the first (270) and second (271) closing flaps is separated along a of the respective first (272) and second (273) lines of weakness in such a way that, when the package (200) is in the open position, the first (270) and second (271) closing flaps are attached to each other and one of the first (270) and second (271) closing tabs is highlighted.
[0005]
5. Package (10), according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the first closing flap (70) is breakable to at least partially stand out in relation to one of the first (12) and second (14) bags to provide access to at least one of the first (12) and second (14) grants.
[0006]
6. Packaging (200), according to claim 5, characterized in that the first (212) and second (214) bags are fixed in relation to each other around a pair of closing flaps (270, 271 ), and where one of the closing flaps is attached to the first pocket (212), the other (271) of the closing flaps is attached to the second pocket (214), and the first (270) and second (271) flaps of closing are fixed to each other.
[0007]
7. Packaging (200) according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that one (270) of the closing flaps is attached to the first bag (212) along a first line of weakness (272) and the other (271) of the closing flaps is attached to the second pocket (214) along a second line of weakness (273), and in which the closing flaps (270, 271) are attached to each other using an adhesive.
[0008]
8. Packaging (200) according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that each of the bags (212, 214) has an inner panel (224, 228) and an outer panel (222, 226) sealed together to define an interior (218, 220) configured to contain a product (90) and a line of weakness (272, 273) formed on the inner panel (224, 228) to define a closing flap (270, 271) separable from the inner panel ( 224, 228) along the weakening line (272, 273) to form an opening (218, 220) to access the interior, the first (212) and second (214) pockets fixed in relation to each other around both the articulation (216) as well as the closing flaps (270, 271); the first (212) and second (214) bags being movable around the joint (216) from a closed position, where access to the first (212) and second (214) bags is blocked by the closing flaps (270, 271 ) being attached to their respective internal panels (224, 228), to an open position, where at least one of the closing flaps (270, 271) is separated along their respective weakening lines (272, 273) to provide access to a respective bag of the first (212) and second (214) bags.
[0009]
9. Packaging (2000), according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that each of the weakening lines (2070, 2071) has a spaced section farther from the joint (2016) when compared to the other sections of the joint.
[0010]
10. Packaging (2000) according to any one of claims 8 and 9, characterized by the fact that the force required to break one of the weakening lines (2072, 2073) is less than the force required to separate the flaps from closing (2070, 2071).
[0011]
11. Packaging (2200) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that: the joint (2216) is a first joint and the inner panel (2224) of the first bag (2212) includes a second joint (2215) allowing a portion of the inner panel (2224) of the first pocket (2212) to bend around the second hinge (2215) during movement of the first (2212) and second (2214) bags from the closed to the open position; the inner panel (2228) of the second pocket (2214) including a third hinge (2217) allowing a portion of the inner panel (2228) of the second pocket (2214) to bend around the third hinge shape (2217) during movement of the first (2212) and second (2214) pockets from the closed to the open position; and wherein the part of the first bag (2212) between the second joint (2215) and the first joint (216) is separated by a gap in the part of the second bag (2214) between the third joint (2217) and the first joint ( 2216), the clearance defining a passage extending through at least part of the first (2212) and second (2214) pockets.
[0012]
12. Packaging (2200) according to claim 11, characterized in that the first bag (2212) is movable to a position where the closing flap (2270) of the first bag (2212) is separated from the inner panel ( 2224) of the first pouch (2212) along the weakening line (2272) of the first pouch (2212) without separating the closing flap (2271) from the second pouch (2214) attached to the inner panel (2228) of the second pouch (2214) ) along the weakening line (2273) of the second pocket (2214).
[0013]
13. Packaging (2000), according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that, when the first bag (2212) is in the position where the closing flap (2270) of the first bag (2212) is separated from the inner panel ( 2224) of the first pouch (2212) along the weakening line (2270) of the first pouch (2212), and at least one of the: the second hinge (2215) is closest to a lower end (2260) of the second pouch (2260). 2214) than the first joint (2216); a lower end (2254) of the first pocket (2212) is movable in a direction away from the first hinge (2216) to separate the closing flap (2271) from the second pocket (2214) of the inner panel (2228) of the second pocket ( 2214) along the weakening line (2273) of the second bag (2214) to open the second bag (2214) and provide access to the product (90) in the second bag (2214); the lower end (2254) of the first pouch (2212) is movable in a direction away from the lower end (2260) of the second pouch (2214) to increase a length of the package (2200), wherein the length of the package (2200) is defined as a distance between the lower end (2254) of the first pocket (2212) and the lower end (2260) of the second pocket (2214) along a line perpendicular to the first hinge (2216); the second hinge (2215) is movable in a direction away from a lower end (2260) of the second pocket (2214); and the second hinge (2215) is movable in a direction away from the lower end (2254) of the second pocket (2214) to a position where the second hinge (2215) is further away from the lower end (2260) of the second pocket (2214) ) than the first joint (2216).
[0014]
14. Packaging (2200) according to any of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that a first (2270) of the closing flaps is movable in relation to the first hinge (2116) and obstructs at least part of the opening (2218) of the first bag (2212) to restrict the product (90) from being dislodged from the first bag (2212) during movement of the first (2212) and second (2214) bags away from each other by a degree of rotation of at least 180 degrees from the closed to the open position.

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同族专利:

---

公开号 | 公开日

---

CN107594059A|2018-01-19|

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JP2015533740A|2015-11-26|

---

PL2882664T3|2017-09-29|

---

US10124946B2|2018-11-13|

---

AU2014216152A1|2015-03-19|

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MX354528B|2018-03-07|

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BR112015004562A8|2019-08-27|

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ES2632466T3|2017-09-13|

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CN104661928B|2017-08-15|

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JP2018090328A|2018-06-14|

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WO2014127188A1|2014-08-21|

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EP2882664B1|2017-05-03|

---

BR112015004562A2|2017-07-04|

---

MX2015002753A|2015-05-15|

---

EP3202683A1|2017-08-09|

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JP6290902B2|2018-03-07|

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US10611540B2|2020-04-07|

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RU2015107034A|2016-09-20|

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EP2882664A1|2015-06-17|

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JP6546670B2|2019-07-17|

---

CN104661928A|2015-05-27|

---

US20150225158A1|2015-08-13|

---

RU2653788C2|2018-05-14|

---

US20190031418A1|2019-01-31|

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法律状态:
2018-11-13| B06F| Objections, documents and/or translations needed after an examination request according art. 34 industrial property law|

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2019-11-19| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: suspension of the patent application procedure|

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2020-12-08| B09A| Decision: intention to grant|

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2021-02-09| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 20 (VINTE) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 14/02/2014, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. |

优先权:

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申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

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US201361765633P| true| 2013-02-15|2013-02-15|

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US61/765,633|2013-02-15|

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US201361791719P| true| 2013-03-15|2013-03-15|

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US61/791,719|2013-03-15|

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US201361880097P| true| 2013-09-19|2013-09-19|

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US61/880,097|2013-09-19|

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US201361915966P| true| 2013-12-13|2013-12-13|

---

US61/915,966|2013-12-13|

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PCT/US2014/016366|WO2014127188A1|2013-02-15|2014-02-14|Packages having separable sealing features and methods of manufacturing|

---