Reclosable package using straight tear film and process for manufacture

A reclosable film package comprising:

• a) first and second overlapping straight-tear films capable of propagating a tear along a locus of points in one of two substantially straight perpendicular lines in response to an applied force sufficient to propagate a tear in the films, the films being sealed together at top, bottom, left and right edges defining an enclosure, the enclosure having sealed bottom, left and right margins extending for a distance away from the bottom, left and right edges toward a center of the films;
• each film comprising in order from an outside portion of the enclosure to an inside portion of the enclosure:
• i. a nylon layer;
• ii. an adhesive layer;
• and
• iii. a polyethylene layer;
• b) a reclosable zipper substantially parallel with and positioned below the top edge of the films and extending between left and right end points located at the left and right margins;
• said zipper comprising a first track on the first straight-tear film and a second track on the second straight-tear film, which first and second tracks are adapted to releasably engage each other;
• c) a slider moveably attached to said tracks for engaging and disengaging the tracks between the end points;
• d) left and right nodules positioned at the left and right end points;
• and
• e) a tear propagation line extending from the left nodule to the right nodule substantially parallel along the zipper, and a tear propagation line extending from each of the left and right nodules substantially parallel along the left and right margins to the top edge of the films, defining a removable tear strip between the left and right margins and above the zipper.

A process for forming a reclosable film package comprising:

• a) forming first and second straight-tear films by attaching a nylon or polyester layer to a sealant layer optionally via an intermediate adhesive layer, said films having top, bottom, left and right edges;
• b) forming first and second zipper tracks below and parallel to the top edge of the films, said tracks having left and right end points and said tracks releasably engaging each other;
• c) attaching a moveable slider to the tracks such that the slider is capable of engaging and disengaging the tracks between left and right end points;
• d) adjoining the first and second straight-tear films by sealing the respective left, right and bottom edge of each film together such that the sealant layers are attached together, and forming left, right and bottom margins, thereby forming an enclosure;
• and
• e) forming a left nodule at an intersection of a left zipper end point and the left margin, and forming a right nodule at an intersection of a right zipper end point with the. right margin.