Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the self-adhering plastic material is capable of bonding to itself at temperatures between about 80* and about 100* C. and step (3) is carried out by heating the resulting package to a temperature between about 80* and about 100* C.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 2 wherein the self-adhering plastic material is a polymer containing at least 5 weight percent of a polymerized unsaturated ester.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method according to claim 3 wherein the unsaturated ester is vinyl acetate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 4 wherein the unsaturated ester polymer is an ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method according to claim 2 wherein the self-adhering plastic material is polyvinyl acetate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 2 wherein step (3) is carried out by immersing the resulting package in boiling water.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein the self-adhering plastic material is an olefin/unsaturated acid copolymer containing at least 3 weight percent of unsaturated acid.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method according to claim 8 wherein the copolymer is an ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein the opposing sheet portions in the form of a container having an opening are collapsed into clinging, conforming contact with the article by evacuating all gases from the container.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
163 words
A method of packaging comprising the steps of (1) inserting an article into a container having two sheet portions superimposed upon one another and sealed together around at least a portion of their periphery, said container being provided with an opening, said sheets being flexible, multilayer plastic sheet having a first layer of a self-adhering plastic material facing the article and a second layer of a normally solid, heat-shrinkable, plastic material different from the first layer and providing structural strength to the multilayer plastic sheet, said self-adhering material being capable of bonding to itself at temperature below the heat distortion temperature of the heat-shrinkable plastic material and (2) shrinking the container into conforming contact with the article such that essentially gases are permitted to pass out of said opening while simultaneously sealing together the opposing, contacting surfaces of said sheet portions to form a hermetically sealed package which remains in clinging, conforming contact with said article upon puncture of parts of said package.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 11 wherein the heat-shrinkable polymer is a vinylidene chloride/vinyl chloride copolymer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
113 words
A packaged article comprising an article enclosed in a flexible, multilayer plastic sheet having a layer of a self-adhering plastic material, said layer facing the article, and a shrunk layer of a heat-shrinkable, normally solid, plastic material different from the first layer and providing structural strength to the plastic sheet, said self-adhering plastic material being capable of bonding to itself at temperatures below the heat distortion point of the heat-shrinkable plastic material, said plastic sheet being iN clinging, conforming contact with the article and all opposing contacting surfaces of the plastic sheet being sealed together such that the plastic sheet remains in clinging, conforming contact with said article upon puncture of said sheet.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
101 words
A container comprising at least two opposing sheet portions of a flexible, multilayer plastic sheet having a lining layer of a self-adhering plastic material and a layer outside of the lining layer of a heat-shrinkable normally solid, plastic material different from the first layer and providing structural strength for the plastic sheet, said self-adhering plastic material being capable of bonding to itself at temperatures below the heat distortion point of the heat-shrinkable plastic material, the opposing sheet portions being superimposed on one another and sealed together around at least a portion of their periphery, said container being provided with an opening.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The container according to claim 14 wherein the self-adhering plastic material is an unsaturated ester polymer which is capable of bonding to itself at a temperature between about 80* and about 100* C.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The container according to claim 15 wherein the unsaturated ester polymer is an ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer containing at least 5 weight percent of polymerized vinyl acetate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The container according to claim 14 wherein the heat-shrinkable polymer is a heat-shrinkable vinylidene chloride/vinyl chloride copolymer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
149 words
A method of packaging according to claim 1 comprising the steps of (1) inserting an article between two opposing sheet portions, each of said sheets being flexible, multilayer plastic sheet having a first layer of a self-adhering plastic material facing the article and a second layer of a nontacky, normally solid plastic material different from the first layer and providing structural strength to the multilayer plastic sheet; (2) sealing the sheet portions together in a discontinuous manner such that air passages remain; (3) collapsing the opposing sheet portions into clinging, conforming contact with the article such that essentially all gases are permitted to pass out of the resulting package; such that remaining air passages are closed; and (4) sealing together the opposing contacting surfaces of said sheet portions to form a hermetically sealed package with remains in clinging, conforming contact with said article upon puncture of said sheet portions.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
111 words
A method of packaging according claim 1 comprising the steps of (1) inserting an article into a flexible multiplex bag having individual lining walls of a self-adhering plastic material and individual outer walls of a nontacky, normally solid plastic material different from the lining walls and providing structural strength to the multiplex bag; (2) collapsing the multiplex bag into clinging, conforming contact with the article such that essentially all gases are permitted to pass out of the resulting package; and (3) sealing together the opposing contacting surfaces of said lining walls to form a hermetically sealed package which remains in clinging, conforming contact said article upon puncture of said multiplex bag.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method according to claim 19 wherein the individual walls of the multiplex bag are each perforated such that the perforations of one wall are out of registration with the perforations of the next adjacent walls.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
7 words
The multiplex bag according to claim 19.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
7 words
The multiplex bag according to claim 20.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
165 words
The method of packaging according to claim 18 comprising the steps of (1) inserting an article between two opposing sheet portions, each of said sheets being a flexible multilayer plastic sheet having a first layer of a self-adhering plastic material capable of bonding to itself at temperatures between about 80* and 100* C. facing the article and a second layer of a nontacky, normally solid plastic material different from the first layer aNd providing structural strength to the multilayer plastic sheet, said sheet portions being sealed together in a discontinuous manner such that mazelike air passages remain, (2) collapsing the opposing sheet portions into clinging, conforming contact with the article such that essentially all gases are permitted to pass out of the resulting package and the remaining mazelike air passages are closed and (3) sealing together the opposing contacting surfaces of said sheet portions to form a hermetically sealed package which remains in clinging, conforming contact with said article upon puncture of said sheet portions.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method according to claim 23 wherein steps (2) and (3) are carried out in a single operation by heating the resulting package in a vacuumizing chamber to a temperature between about 80* and about 100* C.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
110 words
A container comprising at least two opposing sheet portions of a flexible, multilayer plastic sheet having a lining layer of a self-adhering plastic material and a layer outside of the lining layer of a nontacky normally solid plastic material different from the first layer and providing structural strength to the multilayer plastic sheet, said self-adhering material being capable of bonding to itself at temperatures below the heat distortion point of the nontacky normally solid plastic material, the opposing sheet portions being superimposed on one another and sealed together in a discontinuous manner to form discontinuous seals such that air passages remain between the inside of said container and the outside.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
The container according to claim 25 wherein the discontinuous seals are maze seals forming mazelike air passages therebetween.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
13 words
The container according to claim 25 wherein the discontinuous seals are skip seals.