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US 8,920,030 B2Granted
Flexible package with access control feature
AssigneeThe Hershey Company
InventorsAnne Margaret McSweeney, Marcus R. Plato
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Exemplary embodiments are directed to flexible packages having an access control feature in the form of a strip of a malleable sheet material that can be used to form a dead fold to re-close an opened package and prevent spilling. The access control feature can also be used to keep the mouth of the package open for easier access when the contents of the package are being consumed. Exemplary embodiments operate in an intuitive manner and are easy to use. The access control feature provides a tactile cue to the user for properly closing the package, as well as visual assurance that the package has been closed.
Claims17
A flexible package comprising:
- a first package side wall having an external surface and an internal surface;
- a second package side wall having an external surface and an internal surface, the second package side wall opposing the first package side wall such that the internal surfaces of the first and second package side walls face toward one another;
- and
- a strip of a malleable sheet material comprising a foil having a plurality of fold guides formed therein and attached to the first package side wall;
- wherein an edge portion of the first package side wall is sealed to an edge portion of the second package side wall to form a seam, the first package side wall and the second package side wall further forming a mouth of the package, the strip of malleable sheet material oriented substantially horizontal with respect to the mouth of the package and wherein a portion of the strip of malleable sheet material extends into the seam between the edge portion of the first package side wall and the edge portion of the second package side wall,
- wherein a first fold guide is oriented substantially parallel with a length dimension of the strip and extends the length thereof and wherein a pair of second fold guides extending from a top strip edge to a bottom strip edge are oriented diagonally with respect to the strip, the package being configured to close by folding the first side wall along each of the first fold guide and the pair of second fold guides.
3 more elements
A flexible package comprising:
- a first package side wall having an external surface and an internal surface;
- a second package side wall having an external surface and an internal surface, the second package side wall opposing the first package side wall such that the internal surfaces of the first and second package side walls face toward one another;
- and
- a strip of metallic foil attached to the first package side wall, extending from a first edge of the first package side wall to a second edge of the first package side wall;
- wherein an edge portion of the first package side wall is sealed to an edge portion of the second package side wall to form a seam, the first package side wall and the second package side wall further forming a mouth of the package, wherein the package is a gusset bag having a bottom portion intermediate the first package side wall and the second package sidewall,
- wherein the strip of metallic foil is oriented substantially horizontally with respect to the mouth of the packaging, the strip of metallic foil having a plurality of fold guides formed therein,
- wherein a first fold guide comprising a score extending linearly across the strip of the metallic foil is oriented substantially parallel with a length dimension of the strip and extends the length thereof and wherein a pair of second fold guides comprising a score extending from a top strip edge to a bottom strip edge are oriented diagonally with respect to the strip, the package being configured to close by folding the first side wall along each of the first fold guide and the pair of second fold guides.
4 more elements
A flexible package comprising:
- a first package side wall having an external surface and an internal surface;
- a second package side wall having an external surface and an internal surface, the second package side wall opposing the first package side wall such that the internal surfaces of the first and second package side walls face toward one another;
- and
- a strip of a polymer coated metallic foil heat sealed to a surface of the first package side wall, the foil extending from a first edge of the first package side wall to a second edge of the first package side wall, the foil having a thickness in the range of about 0.003 inches to about 0.005 inches;
- wherein an edge portion of the first package side wall is sealed to an edge portion of the second package side wall to form a seam, the first package side wall and the second package side wall further forming a mouth of the package,
- wherein the strip of foil is oriented substantially horizontally with respect to the mouth of the package, the foil having a first fold guide formed therein comprising a score extending linearly substantially parallel to the mouth of the package and a pair of second fold guides formed therein comprising scores extending diagonally with respect to the mouth of the package from a top strip edge to a bottom strip edge, the first fold guide forming a crease configured to selectively retain the package in a closed position and the pair of second fold guides forming creases configured to selectively retain the package in the closed position from the first fold guide.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.