Reclosable package

Claim 2

A package comprising a receptacle having a collapsible wall containing a commodity, and having a closure comprising a pair of facing members, pressure-sensitive adhesive between said facing members adhering them together, means for separating one of said facing members from said package without separating the other facing member from the package, the pressure-sensitive adhesive being bonded to said other facing member sufficient that at least a portion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive remains adhered to said other facing member when the removable facing layer is separated therefrom, said other facing member being movable against an exterior portion of the package to reclose it after said first facing member has been separated and a portion of said commodity has been removed, the space occupied by the removed commodity being collapsed when said other facing member is adhered to said exterior portion of the package so as to reduce the volume of air in contact with the unused portion of the commodity in the package, and thereby reduce the amount of moisture and oxygen available to deteriorate the product, the mobility of the product in the package also being reduced.

Claim 3

A packages as set forth in claim 1 wherein said facing members are adhered together by means of a tape, said tape comprising a pair of sheet members facing each other said, pressure-sensitive adhesive being between said sheet members, bonding to each other the inner surfaces of said sheet members, the other surfaces of said sheet members being permanently bonded to the respective facing members with a bond strength greater than the bond strength between said sheet members, whereby said package may be opened initially by separaTing said sheet members.

Claim 4

A package as set forth in claim 2 in which said permanent adhesive layers are activatable by heat.

Claim 5

A package as set forth in claim 2 in which one of said sheet members is a release paper from which said pressure-sensitive adhesive may be separated without delamination, the release paper being bonded to the removable facing member.

Claim 6

A package as set forth in claim 1 which is a pouch of flexible film, the facing members being portions of said film.

Claim 7

A package as set forth in claim 5 in which said pouch is a tube of a single-piece film, one pair of the edges of which are sealed together along a longitudinal seam, one end of said tube being permanently sealed and the other end being sealed with said tape.

Claim 8

A package as set forth in claim 6 in which the tape is sealed to said film a short space from the end of said tube, permitting insertion of fingers between the portions of said tube to which the tape is sealed to facilitate separation of said sheet members.

Claim 9

A package as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for separating one of said facing members includes a tear strip which separates removable facing member from said collapsible wall.

Claim 10

A package as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for separating one of said facing members includes printed indicia between said one facing member and other portions of the package indicating where they are to be separated.

Claim 11

In a package comprising a pouch of flexible sheet material containing a commodity, the pouch having a closure comprising facing portions of said sheet material and tape means adhering them together, the tape means comprising a pair of sheet members facing each other, pressure-sensitive adhesive between said sheet members bonding to each other the inner surfaces of said sheet members, the outer surfaces of said sheet members being permanently bonded to the respective facing members with a bond strength greater than the bond strength between said sheet members, whereby said package may be opened by separating said sheet members; the improvement for reducing the volume of said package when part of the contents are removed and for reclosing the package comprising means for separating one of said sheet members and the portion of said sheet material to which it is permanently bonded from the rest of said sheet material without separating the other sheet member from the package, the pressure-sensitive adhesive being bonded to said other sheet member sufficiently that at least a portion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive remains adhered to the other sheet member, said package being reclosable by moving said other sheet member and the pressure-sensitive adhesive bonded to it against a part of an exterior surface of said package.

Claim 12

In a package comprising a pouch of flexible sheet material containing a commodity, the pouch having a closure comprising facing portions of said sheet material and tape means adhering them together, the tape means comprising a pair of sheet members facing each other, pressure-sensitive adhesive between said sheet members bonding to each other the inner surfaces of said sheet members, the outer surfaces of said sheet members being permanently bonded to the respective facing members with a bond strength greater than the bond strength between said sheet members, whereby said package may be opened by separating said sheet members; the improvement for reducing the volume of said package when part of the contents are removed and for reclosing the package comprising means for separating one of said sheet members and the portion of said sheet material to which it is permanently bonded from the rest of said sheet material without separating the other sheet member from the package, the pressure-sensitive adhesive being bonded to said other sheet member sufficiently that at least a portion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive remains adhered to the other sheet member, said package being reclosable by moving said other sheet member and the pressure-sensitive adhesive bonded to it against a part of an exterior surface of said package.

Claim 13

In a package comprising a rectangular pouch of flexible sheet material containing a commodity, the pouch having a closure extending along a first edge comprising facing portions of said flexible sheet material adjacent said edge and a tape adhering said facing portions together adjacent to and along said one edge, the tape comprising a pair of sheet members facing each other, pressure-sensitive adhesive between said sheet members bonding to each other the inner surfaces of said sheet members, the outer surfaces of said sheet members being permanently bonded to the respective facing portions of said flexible sheet material adjacent to and substantially along the whole length of said edge with a bond strength greater than between said sheet members, whereby said package may be opened by separating said sheet members; the improvement for reducing the volume of said package when part of the contents are removed and for reclosing the package comprising means for separating one of said sheet members and the portion of said sheet material to which it is permanently bonded from the rest of said sheet material without separating the other sheet member from the package, the pressure-sensitive adhesive being bonded to the other shEet member sufficiently that at least a portion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive remains adhered to the other sheet member, said package being reclosable by moving said other sheet member and the pressure-sensitive adhesive bonded to it against a part of the exterior surface of said package so as to reduce the volume of air in contact with the unused portion of the commodity in the package and thereby reduce the amount of moisture and oxygen available to deteriorate the product, the mobility of the product also being reduced.

Claim 14

In a package comprising a rectangular pouch of flexible sheet material containing a commodity, the pouch having a closure extending along a first edge comprising facing portions of said flexible sheet material adjacent said edge and a tape adhering said facing portions together adjacent to and along said one edge, the tape comprising a pair of sheet members facing each other, pressure-sensitive adhesive between said sheet members bonding to each other the inner surfaces of said sheet members, the outer surfaces of said sheet members being permanently bonded to the respective facing portions of said flexible sheet material adjacent to and substantially along the whole length of said edge with a bond strength greater than between said sheet members, whereby said package may be opened by separating said sheet members; the improvement for reducing the volume of said package when part of the contents are removed and for reclosing the package comprising means for separating one of said sheet members and the portion of said sheet material to which it is permanently bonded from the rest of said sheet material without separating the other sheet member from the package, the pressure-sensitive adhesive being bonded to the other shEet member sufficiently that at least a portion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive remains adhered to the other sheet member, said package being reclosable by moving said other sheet member and the pressure-sensitive adhesive bonded to it against a part of the exterior surface of said package so as to reduce the volume of air in contact with the unused portion of the commodity in the package and thereby reduce the amount of moisture and oxygen available to deteriorate the product, the mobility of the product also being reduced.

Claim 15

A package as set forth in claim 11 in which said separating means includes a tear strip extending along said flexible sheet material adjacent the edge of said tape remote from said first edge, the removable sheet member being removed upon operation of said tear strip and tearing said flexible sheet material along the edges perpendicular to said first edge adjacent the ends of said tape.

Claim 16

A package as set forth in claim 12 including printed indicia along said perpendicular edges adjacent the ends of said tape to indicate the portion of said flexible sheet material to be torn.

Claim 17

A package as set forth in claim 12 in which said tear strip extends around said perpendicular edges and partially but not completely across the other side of the package, the tear strip limiting tears along said perpendicular edges.

Claim 18

A package as set forth in claim 12 in which the pressure-sensitive adhesive between said sheet members does not extend to said first edge, a narrow strip of said facing portions being unadhered adjacent said first edge for insertion of fingers prior to opening the package.

Claim 19

A package as set forth in claim 12 in which the right-angle corners at the ends of said first edge are cut away along a diagonal connecting said first edge with the perpendicular edges to facilitate tearing said sheet material along said perpendicular edges.

Claim 20

In a package comprising a rectangular pouch of flexible sheet material containing a commodity, the pouch having a closure extending along a first edge, the other three edges being closed, said closure comprising facing portions of said flexible sheet material adjacent said first edge and a tape adhering said facing portions together adjacent to and along said first edge, the tape comprising a pair of sheet members facing each other, pressure-sensitive adhesive between said sheet members bonding to each other the inner surfaces of said sheet members, the outer surfaces of said sheet members being permanently bonded to the respective facing portions of said flexible sheet material adjacent to and substantially along the whole length of said first edge with a bond strength greater than between said sheet members, whereby said package may be opened by separating said sheet members; the improvement for reducing the volume of said package when part of the contents are removed and for reclosing the package comprising a tear strip extending along said flexible sheet material adjacent the edge of said tape remote from said first edge and printed indicia indicating a tear line along the edge of said flexible sheet material perpendicular to said first edge adjacent the ends of said tape, for separating one of said facing members and the portion of said sheet material to which it is permanently bonded from the rest of said sheet material without separating the other sheet member from the package, the pressure-sensitive adhesive being bonded to the other sheet member sufficiently that at least a portion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive remains adhered to the other sheet member, the tear strip extending around said perpendicular edges and partially but not completely across the other side to limit tears along said perpendicular edges, the pressure-sensitive adhesive not extending to said first edge, a narrow strip of said facing portions being unadhered adjacent said first edge for insertion of fingers to open the package, and the right angle corners at the ends of said first edge being cut awaY along a diagonal connecting said first edge with the perpendicular edges to facilitate tearing said sheet material along said perpendicular edges.

Claim 21

In a package comprising a rectangular pouch of flexible sheet material containing a commodity, the pouch having a closure extending along a first edge, the other three edges being closed, said closure comprising facing portions of said flexible sheet material adjacent said first edge and a tape adhering said facing portions together adjacent to and along said first edge, the tape comprising a pair of sheet members facing each other, pressure-sensitive adhesive between said sheet members bonding to each other the inner surfaces of said sheet members, the outer surfaces of said sheet members being permanently bonded to the respective facing portions of said flexible sheet material adjacent to and substantially along the whole length of said first edge with a bond strength greater than between said sheet members, whereby said package may be opened by separating said sheet members; the improvement for reducing the volume of said package when part of the contents are removed and for reclosing the package comprising a tear strip extending along said flexible sheet material adjacent the edge of said tape remote from said first edge and printed indicia indicating a tear line along the edge of said flexible sheet material perpendicular to said first edge adjacent the ends of said tape, for separating one of said facing members and the portion of said sheet material to which it is permanently bonded from the rest of said sheet material without separating the other sheet member from the package, the pressure-sensitive adhesive being bonded to the other sheet member sufficiently that at least a portion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive remains adhered to the other sheet member, the tear strip extending around said perpendicular edges and partially but not completely across the other side to limit tears along said perpendicular edges, the pressure-sensitive adhesive not extending to said first edge, a narrow strip of said facing portions being unadhered adjacent said first edge for insertion of fingers to open the package, and the right angle corners at the ends of said first edge being cut awaY along a diagonal connecting said first edge with the perpendicular edges to facilitate tearing said sheet material along said perpendicular edges.

Claim 22

In a packaging material for manufacture of reclosable pouches, comprising an elongated flexible sheet material and, adhered to said sheet material at spaced points therealong a plurality of elongated tapes, said tape comprising a pair of sheet members facing each other, pressure-sensitive adhesive between said sheet members, bonding to each other the inner surfaces of said sheet members, the outer surface of one of said sheet members being permanently bonded to said flexible sheet material, the outer surface of the other of said sheet members being permanently bondable to said sheet material; the improvement comprising a tear strip extending along said flexible sheet material adjacent an edge of said tape.

Claim 23

In a packaging material for manufacture of reclosable pouches, comprising an elongated flexible sheet material and, adhered to said sheet material at spaced points therealong a plurality of elongated tapes, said tape comprising a pair of sheet members facing each other, pressure-sensitive adhesive between said sheet members, bonding to each other the inner surfaces of said sheet members, the outer surface of one of said sheet members being permanently bonded to said flexible sheet material, the outer surface of the other of said sheet members being permanently bondable to said sheet material; the improvement comprising a tear strip extending along said flexible sheet material adjacent an edge of said tape.

Claim 24

A packaging material as set forth in claim 18 in which said tear strip and said tape are bonded to opposite sides of said flexible sheet material.

Claim 25

A packaging material as set forth in claim 18 in which the outer surface of said other sheet member is coated with a heat seal adhesive.

Claim 26

A packaging material as set forth in claim 18 in which said tear strip is longer than said tape so that, in a package formed from said flexible sheet material, the tear strip will extend around side edges and limit tears along said edges.