US 6,857,779 B2Granted

Flexible bag with resealable pour spout

AssigneeAlan Olin

InventorAlan D. Olin

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A four corner bag constructed of flexible thermoplastic sheet or film material having overlying front and rear wall panels and a bottom sealed end. The upper portion of the bag includes a first closure region terminating in a top sealed end, a second closure region disposed inwardly of the top sealed end, and a perforated seal or tear strip extending across the width of the bag and located between the first and second closure regions. The second closure region includes an inner heat seal which extends approximately halfway across the width of the bag and a reclosable fastener which extends the remaining distance across the bag. In one embodiment, the inner heat seal is oriented transversely across the bag while the reclosable fastener is upwardly angled so that it forms a natural pour spout during use. In other embodiments, the reclosable fastener is transversely oriented while the inner heat seal is angled. In still other embodiments, the reclosable fastener is vertically or longitudinally oriented and disposed adjacent a side edge at an upper corner region of the bag. In all embodiments containing a reclosable fastener, the tear strip is removed to access the reclosable fastener.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A flexible bag for packaging pourable contents such as dry cereal, the bag being formed of sheet material and comprising:

front and back wall panels each having a rectilinearly shaped surface and top, bottom, and first and second side edges, for each of said wall panels said top and bottom edges are parallel to, and the same length as, each other;
and the top and bottom edges are longer than the first and second side edges;
a first gusseted side panel having a bottom edge, and first and second side edges with a length of said first and second side edges of said first gusseted side panel and said first edges of said back and front wall panels being the same length;
a second gusseted side panel having a bottom edge, and first and second side edges with a length of said first and second side edges of said second gusseted side panel being at least two thirds the length of said second edges of said back and front wall panels;
and
a bottom panel having a rectilinearly shaped surface with front, back, and first and second side edges, said front and back edges being opposite each other and said first and second side edges being opposite each other;
said front and back edges being the same length as said bottom edges of said front and back wall panels;
and said first and second side edges being the same length as said bottom edge of said first and second gusseted side panels, respectively;
and
wherein said front and back edges of said bottom panel and said bottom edges of said front and back wall panels are sealed together, respectively;
said first and second side edges of said bottom panel and said bottom edges of said first and second gusseted side panels are sealed together, respectively;
said first side edge of each of said front and back wall panels and said first and second side edges of said first gusseted side panel are sealed together, respectively;
said top edges of said front and back wall panels are sealed together;
and said first and second side edges of said second gusseted side panel, beginning at the bottom edge of said second gusseted side panel, are sealed to said second side edges of said front and back wall panels, respectively, forming a pouch between interior surfaces of each of said front and back wall panels, said bottom panel and each of said first and second gusseted side panels with an opening defined along the second side edges of said front and back wall panels extending between the top edges of the front and back wall panels and a top point of said second gusseted side panel.

11 more elements

A flexible bag for packaging pourable contents such as dry cereal, the bag being formed of sheet material and comprising:

front and back wall panels each having a polygonally shaped surface and top, bottom, and first and second side edges, for each of said wall panels said first and second side edges are parallel to each other with said second side edge being longer than said first side edge;
said bottom edge is perpendicular to one end of each of said first and second side edges;
said top edge intersects another end of each of said first and second side edges with an included angle other than 90°;
said top edge is longer than said bottom edge;
and each of said first and second side edges is longer than each of the top and bottom edges;
a first gusseted side panel having a bottom edge, and first and second side edges with a length of said first and second side edges of said first gusseted side panel and said first edges of said back and front wall panels being the same length;
a second gusseted side having a bottom edge, and first and second side edges with a length of said first and second side edges of said second gusseted side panel being at least two thirds the length of said second edges of said back and front wall panels;
and
a bottom panel having a rectilinearly shaped surface with front, back, and first and second side edges, said front and back edges being opposite each other and said first and second side edges being opposite each other;
said front and back edges being the same length as said bottom edges of said front and back wall panels;
and said first and second side edges being the same length as said bottom edges of said first and second gusseted side panels, respectively;
and
wherein said front and back edges of said bottom panel and said bottom edges of said front and back wall panels are sealed together, respectively;
said first and second side edges of said bottom panel and said bottom edges of said first and second gusseted side panels are sealed together, respectively;
said first side edge of each of said front and back wall panels and said first and second side edges of said first gusseted side panel are sealed together, respectively;
said top edges of said front and back wall panels are sealed together;
and said first and second side edges of said second gusseted side panel, beginning at the bottom edge of said second gusseted side panel, are sealed to said second side edges of said front and back wall panels, respectively, forming a pouch between interior surfaces of each of said front and back wall panels, said bottom panel and each of said first and second gusseted side panels with an opening defined along the second side edges of said front and back wall panels extending between the top edges of the front and back wall panels and a top point of said second gusseted side panel.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/367,801Filed 19 Feb 2003 · continuation
Priority: 24 Jun 1999
Published: US 2003/0123760 A13 Jul 2003
Granted: 22 Feb 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B65D 75/5866
Spouts: integral spouts
B65D 33/2533
Comprising tamper-indicating means, e.g. located within the fastener: the slide fastener being located between the product compartment and the…
B65D 75/5816
Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture: for tearing a corner or other small portion next to the…
B65D 77/064
Flexible containers disposed within polygonal containers formed by folding a carton blank: comprising discharging means formed by cutting a part,…

Family

Application09/339,702Parent of this division · filed 24 Jun 1999
Application09/804,526Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Mar 2001
US 2003/0123760 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Jul 2003
US 6,206,571 B1Parent of this division
Application09/804,526Parent of this division
US 2001/0010737 A1Published application
US 6,857,779 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.