Fill-through-the-top package and method and apparatus for making the same

A method of making and filling a package, comprising:

• providing a package including first and second opposing body panels;
• attaching a fastener to the first body panel along a mouth portion of the package;
• attaching said first and second panels to each other to form a pair of sides and a bottom bridging the sides opposite the fastener;
• filling the package with a product via a fill opening between the fastener and the second body panel;
• and
• attaching the fastener to the second body panel to seal the fill opening.

A method of making and filling packages, comprising:

• providing a plastic web and a fastener in a longitudinal direction;
• folding the web to provide first and second opposing panels joined along a longitudinal bottom;
• attaching the fastener to an inner surface of the first panel near a longitudinal edge thereof opposite the longitudinal bottom;
• sealing the first and second panels to each other at spaced seals transverse to the longitudinal direction to form the packages;
• filling each package with a product via a fill opening between the fastener and the second panel;
• and
• attaching the fastener to an inner surface of the second panel to seal the fill opening.

A method of filling a package made from a continuous web of material, comprising:

• providing a plurality of interconnected packages made from said web, each package including two panels defining a mouth portion and a reclosable fastener that is useful for opening and closing said mouth portion after said package is filled, said fastener having a final attachment position on said two panels and being attached to said two panels along only a portion of said final attachment position so as to define an unattached segment and an attached segment of said fastener, said unattached segment and the adjacent one of said two panels define a fill opening therebetween;
• filling said package with a product through said fill opening;
• and
• separating each package from said plurality of interconnected packages;
• attaching said unattached segment of said fastener to said panels along the entirety of said final attachment position.