Patent ID: 9469423
Filing Date: 2016-10-18
CPC Classification: B65B,B65D

Claim Text:
1. A flexible package for holding a product therein, said package comprising a front panel, a rear panel and a top panel, said front and rear panels being coextensive in size and secured together to define a hollow interior therebetween, each of said panels being formed of a flexible sheet material, said front panel having a pair of side edge portions, a bottom edge portion, and a top edge portion, said rear panel having a pair of side edge portions, a bottom edge portion, and a top edge portion, with respective ones of said side edge portions of said front panel being secured to respective ones of said side edge portions of said rear panel to form respective side sealed edge portions, with said bottom edge portion of said front panel being secured to said bottom edge portion of said rear panel to form a bottom sealed edge portion, said top panel comprising a V-shaped member having a first reinforcing panel and a second reinforcing panel which are located on opposite sides of a first fold line, said first reinforcing panel having a top edge portion, said second reinforcing panel having a top edge portion, said top edge portion of said second reinforcing panel being secured to said top edge portion of said rear panel with said second reinforcing panel being juxtaposed over a portion of said rear panel contiguous with said top edge portion of said rear panel to form a dual-sheet first top extension having a top end and with said top edge portion of said first reinforcing panel being juxtaposed over a portion of said front panel contiguous with said top edge portion of said front panel to form a dual-sheet second top extension having a top end, said second top extension having an open interface located between said first reinforcing panel and said top edge portion of said front panel at said top end of said second top extension, said open interface being located between said side sealed edge portions, said hollow interior being bounded by said side sealed edge portions, said bottom sealed edge portions and said open interface, said open interface being configured to provide access to said hollow interior to thereby enable the filling of said hollow interior with the product through said open interface, said open interface being configured to be sealed thereafter to enclose the product within said hollow interior, said first top extension comprising a handle for carrying said package, said handle comprising a shaped cut in said rear panel and a correspondingly shaped cut in said second reinforcing panel, said shaped cut in said rear panel being surrounded by a surrounding area of said rear panel, said shaped cut in said second reinforcing panel being surrounded by a surrounding area of said second reinforcing panel, said shaped cuts being superimposed over each other, with a first portion of said rear panel contiguous with said shaped cut in said rear panel being foldable away from said surrounding portion of said rear panel and with a second portion of said second reinforcing panel contiguous with said shaped cut in said second reinforcing panel being foldable away from said surrounding portion of said second reinforcing panel to form a flap at said handle, and with one of said front and rear panels comprising a predetermined cut line located immediately adjacent one of said top extensions and configured to be cut therealong to thereby provide access to the product within said hollow interior.