Abstract:
A package including a package body having closed ends, at least one of the closed ends being openable. A reclosable member including a band disposed on the package body, the band being adjacent to and encircling the openable closed end. The reclosable member maintains the at least one of the openable end in a closed condition after opening thereof. The openable end is selectively and repeatedly openable and reclosable upon manipulation of the package body.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/875,508 filed on Dec. 18, 2006 and 60/957,554 filed on Aug. 23, 2007. Both applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to packages for containing various products. More particularly, the present invention relates to a package for containing and dispensing products such as confectionery products including candy and gum, and which has a self-closing opening that can be repeatedly opened and closed. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The art has seen a wide variety of packages for containing and dispensing products, particularly confectionery products such as candy and gum. Quite often, one or multiple pieces of candy or gum are packaged in a single package. The consumer would open the package to dispense the individual products or portions of a single product. When a consumer uses less than all of the contents contained in the package, a problem arises with respect to reclosing the package. This problem is particularly evident where small packages such as bags or wrappers are employed. Moreover, where the products are candy or gum pieces and are contained in the package in an unwrapped condition, reclosing of the package once opened becomes a significant concern. 
     Many of the packages containing candy and gum include sealed ends which initially contain and protect the products. However, once one of the sealed ends is opened to dispense some of the contents, it is difficult to provide an effective closure for that end. Moreover, when dispensing a plurality of products it is often necessary to repeatedly open and close the package. 
     It is, therefore, desirable to provide a simple, cost effective and useful technique to reclose the end of a previously sealed package in a manner which will allow repeated opening and closing of the package to dispense additional product. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a package for containing and dispensing product having an end which may be repeatedly opened and reclosed. 
     The present invention also provides a package for containing and dispensing product having a package body and a band for permitting an opened end to be repeatedly opened and closed. 
     The present invention further provides a package including a package body having closed ends, at least one of the closed ends being openable. A reclosable member including a continuous band disposed on the package body, the band being adjacent to and encircling the openable closed end. The reclosable member maintains the at least one of the openable end in a closed condition after opening thereof. The openable end is selectively and repeatedly openable and reclosable upon manipulation of the package body. 
     The present invention still further provides a package for confectionery products including a package body having closed ends, at least one of the closed ends being detachably sealed. A continuos resilient band encircling the package inwardly adjacent the detachably sealed closed end. The resilient band maintaining the one closed end in a closed condition after detachment of the detachable seal and being openable under manual squeeze pressure to open the package, and reclosable after release of the manual squeeze pressure. 
     The present invention still yet further provides a package for confectionery products including a package body having closed ends, at least one of the closed ends being openable. A reclosable member is provided which includes a band of pressure sensitive adhesive material disposed on an inner surface of the package body. The band is inwardly adjacent to and encircling the openable closed end. The reclosable member maintains the at least one of the openable end in a closed condition after opening thereof. The openable end is selectively and repeatedly openable and reclosable upon manipulation of the package body. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a package of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows the package of  FIG. 1  including one sealed end detached therefrom. 
         FIG. 3  shows a package of  FIG. 1  in an open condition to dispense product. 
         FIG. 4  shows a package of  FIG. 1  in a reclosed condition. 
         FIG. 5  shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6A  shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the package of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6B  shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the package of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  shows an alternative embodiment of a package of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  shows the package of  FIG. 7  including one sealed end detached therefrom and the product being dispensed. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view taken through line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  shows a package of  FIG. 7  in a reclosed condition. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view taken through line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  shows a film for forming the package of  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention provides a package for containing and dispensing product. In particular, the present invention may be used for containing and dispensing confectionery products such as gum pieces. While the particular embodiment shown herein is employed to contain gum pieces, it may be appreciated that the package may contain any type of product. Such product may also include other confectionery products such as gum in various sizes and shapes such as sticks, slabs, pillows, pellets and the like as well as other confectionery products such as candy, chocolate and the like. Non-confectionery products may also be employed. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , one embodiment is shown. A package  10  is used to contain and dispense a plurality of product pieces  12  which may be in the form of gum pieces that are contained in loose orientation within the package  10 . The gum pieces may be any size, shape, or configuration including slabs, pellets and sticks. While individual discrete gum pellets are shown, it is contemplated that the package may contain one or more products having portions thereof that can be broken away or detached for use. Moreover, while unwrapped gum pieces are shown, the package may contain individually wrapped gum pieces. The package  10  includes a generally elongate tubular body  11  which may be formed of a of a thin-film flexible material. Body  11  may be formed of wide variety of conventional materials such as polypropylene. The package  10  includes opposed closed ends  14  and  16  which are sealed closed. Various conventional techniques are known for sealably closing the ends  14  and  16  of package  10 . These techniques may include crimp-sealing the ends, as well as heat-sealing the ends. The seals are such that they hermetically seal the package, thereby protecting the gum pieces  12  contained therein during shipping and prior to use. While one preferred embodiment is shown, it may be appreciated that any package configuration such as a bag or wrapper may be employed. 
     One of the ends  14  or  16  may be detached from the package  10  to open the package to permit dispensing of the gum pieces  12  therefrom. As shown in  FIG. 2 , end  14  may be detached from the body  11  providing an open end  18  ( FIG. 3 ) through which the gum pieces  12  may be dispensed. Alternatively, the end may be opened and not detached from the package. End  14  may integrally formed with the package body and removed by tearing the end  14  from the remainder of the package  10 . It is also contemplated that the end  14  may include a frangible line  20  therearound which assists in tearing the end  14  from the body  11  of the package  10 . The line  20  may be a score line or a laser cut line which assists in removing the end therefrom. The line  20  may also provide tamper indication. The line  20  may be any shape or configuration. 
     As may be appreciated, once the end  14  is removed from the package  10 , the interior  22  of the package is opened and in communication with opening  18 . Typically during use, less than all of the contents are dispensed at one time. Therefore, it is desirable to effectively close the open end  18  so that the package  10  can retain the remainder of the contents. A reclosable member  24  is provided about open end  18  which reseals the open end in the closed position. 
     As shown in the figures, reclosable member  24  may include a resilient band  30  which circumscribes the tubular package body  11  about opening  18 . The band  30  may be a continuous member formed of one piece. The band  30  is positioned inwardly adjacent sealed end  14 . The resilient band  30  may be formed of a wide variety of materials such as polypropylene and has sufficient spring rigidity to be maintained in a closed condition as shown in  FIG. 1 , yet it is flexibly openable under manual squeeze pressure as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Band  30  may be secured to package  10  by a wide variety of techniques including the use of adhesive, heat or ultrasonic welding. The band  30 , which may be applied to the inside ( FIG. 6A ) or outside ( FIG. 1 ) of the package, is positioned inwardly adjacent end  14  a sufficient distance so as to permit easy tearing of the end  14  from the package to dispense the gum pieces  12 . Once the end  14  is removed, the band  30  may be opened by manual squeeze pressure. Preferably, the band is opened by a user applying a force to opposed ends  31  of the band as shown in  FIG. 3 . This forms opening  18  through which one or more of the gum pieces  12  may be dispensed. Once the desired number of gum pieces is dispensed, the manual squeeze pressure on the band  30  may be released and as shown in  FIG. 4 . The band  30  then returns to its original condition under spring action of the band to such that the opposed sides  33  of the band engage each other closing the opening  18  preventing the remaining gum pieces  12  from exiting the package. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , it is further contemplated that multiple frangible lines  20  may be provided at spaced locations along the length of the package  10 ′. This would allow an individual product or groups of products in the package to be separately sealed therealong. At each sealed location, a resilient band  30  may be provided so that when each location is in turn opened the band at that location may provide for the reclosing of the package thereat. 
     Two arrangements of the present invention are shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . The first arrangement shown in  FIG. 6A  includes an elongate tubular package  50  which is designed to hold a plurality of gum pieces  52  in a single longitudinal array. The arrangement of  FIG. 6B  includes a package  54  is designed to support a plurality of gum pieces  56  in plural rows. Accordingly, it is within the contemplation of the present invention that the package may be formed in a variety of configurations in order to accommodate an arrangement or shape of the contents. 
     A further preferred embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 7-13 . With specific reference to  FIGS. 7-12 , package  110  may contain and dispense product pieces  112 . Package  110  may be generally formed in a manner similar to package  10  described above having a generally tubular body  111  with ends  114  and  116  which are sealed closed. One of the ends  114  or  116  may be opened to permit dispensing of the product pieces  112  therefrom. In one embodiment, the end may be detached from the package  110  to open it. Alternatively, the end may be opened and not detached from the package. As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 10 , end  114  may be detached from the body  111  providing an open end  118  through which the product pieces  112  may be dispensed. End  114  may be removed by tearing it from the remainder of the package  110 . End  114  may include a frangible line  120  ( FIG. 7 ) therearound which assists in tearing the end  114  from the body  111  of the package  110 . The line  120  may be a score line or a laser cut line of any shape or configuration which assists in removing the end therefrom. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , when the end  114  is removed from the package  110 , the package interior  122  is open and in communication with opening  118 . If the entire product is not dispensed from the package  110 , the open end  118  may be reclosed so that the package  110  can retain the remainder of the contents. A reclosable member  124  is provided about opening  118 . 
     In this embodiment, reclosable member  124  preferably includes a band  130  of material which circumscribes the body  111  of tubular package  110  about opening  118 . The band  130  is positioned inwardly from the sealed end  114  and inwardly from frangible line  120 . The band  130  may be formed of an adhesive material that will adhere to itself forming a seal. The seal may be opened and reclosed repeatedly to permit a user to dispense a portion of the contents and then reseal the package. The seal may be a cold seal that permits repeatable sealing. With reference to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the seal is effected by the application of moderate pressure by a user such that opposing surfaces of the band,  130   a  and  130   b , engage each other and adhere, thereby sealing the opening  118 . 
     The band  130  may be formed of an adhesive that bonds when exposed to pressure, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive tape that is applied to the packaging. The adhesive preferrably forms a bond that is strong enough to keep the surfaces  130   a  and  130   b  secured together, but also allows the surfaces to be pulled apart and separated without tearing or damaging the package  110 . The surfaces  130   a  and  130   b  may then be brought together to reseal the package. Such adhesives may include solid microsphere adhesives and silicone gel adhesives. Alternatively, the adhesive may be formed of a wax such as vegetable or fruit wax. The adhesive may be of a type which has a low tack surface but forms a solid bond with itself, such that when the opposing surfaces are brought together a seal is made. However, since the tackiness of the surface is low, it does not restrict the passage of the product when it is dispensed through the open end  118 . When the packaging is used with a comestible, the adhesives would be those which are FDA approved for use with food. 
     With reference to  FIG. 7 , the reclosable member  124 , which may be applied to the inside of the package, is positioned inwardly from end  114  a sufficient distance so as to permit easy tearing of the end  114  from the package to dispense the gum pieces  112 . The reclosable member  124  may be spaced a distance “d” inwardly from the frangible line  120 . This leaves a section of packaging which is un-adhered outward of the reclosable member  124 , which provides a gripping area  126  for a user to manipulate in order to assist in overcoming the reclosable member and reopen the package. This forms opening  118  through which one or more of the product pieces  112  may be dispensed. Once the desired number of product pieces is dispensed, the opposed surfaces of the packaging close the opening  118 , preventing the remaining product pieces  112  from exiting the package. The seal may also protect the product from contamination and moisture. 
     With reference to  FIG. 12 , it is further contemplated that multiple frangible locations  120  may be provided at spaced locations along the length of the package  110 ′. This would allow an individual product or groups of products  112  in the package to be separately sealed therealong. At each sealed location, a reclosable member  124  may be provided so that when each location is in turn opened the reclosable member  124  at that location may provide for the resealing of the package thereat. 
     With reference to  FIG. 13 , the packaging of the present invention may be formed of a film  150  which is taken off a roll  152 . The film  150  may be parted forming a blank  151  and treated at the perimeter  154  with a sealing material  156 . Preferably, the film may be pretreated with the perimeter sealing material. The sealing material  156  may be a cold seal or heat seal type, which results in a permanent seal. The blank  151  may also be coated adjacent one end with a resealable material  158 , such as a cold seal adhesive, to form the reclosable member  124 . The frangible line  120  may be formed between the end  114  and the resealable material  158 . A blank central portion  160  may form the front panel of the package. Side panels  162  may longitudinally bound the central portion  160  and form the sides of the package. Adjacent to the side panels  162  are back panels  166  which form the back of the package. The blank  151  may then be folded along its longitudinal axis, L-L, such that the treated perimeter edges meet to form the package  110 . One end,  114 , may be left unsealed to permit the package to be filled. The package may be filled with the product pieces  112  after which the open end may be permanently sealed. It is within the contemplation of the present invention that the package  110  may be formed in a variety of manners as is known in the art. 
     Various changes to the foregoing described and shown structures would now be evident to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the particularly disclosed scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.