Abstract:
The disclosure relates to a gusseted package, typically a reclosable package, wherein the gusset walls are pinned or otherwise secured or connected together. Alternatively, the gusset walls may be folded so as to be pinned or otherwise secured or connected to the body of the package. The connection may be released thereby freeing the gussets. Alternatively, a line of weakness may be formed in the package so that the connected portions may be removed along with a removable header.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/368,435, filed on Jul. 28, 2010, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Disclosure 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates to a gusseted flexible pouch, which may be reclosable, wherein the gussets are pinned or otherwise joined in a closed position. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    In the prior art, gusseted flexible pouches are well-known. The pouches may be reclosable by way of a zipper-type closing, hook-and-eye (Velcro), adhesive, mushroom head closures or a similar configuration. Typical prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,794 entitled “Package Having Reclosable Pour Spout and Method of Forming Same” issued on Dec. 6, 2005 to Yeager and U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2007/0258665 entitled “Wide Mouth Gusseted Pouches” filed on Nov. 8, 2007 by Greco and Ausnit. 
         [0006]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , gussets of gusseted pouches tend to splay open at the top. This splayed open appearance often makes the top of the package appear to be unfinished, particularly when compared to the rectangular filled out bottom of the pouch. These splayed gussets may also result in a package similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,810 entitled “Flexible Package with a Transverse Access Panel Device”, issued on May 9, 2006 to Steele. 
       SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0007]    It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a gusseted package which is able to avoid a splayed open appearance. 
         [0008]    It is therefore a further object of the present disclosure to provide a gusseted package which tends to maintain a neat appearance. 
         [0009]    These and other objects are attained by providing a gusseted package wherein the gussets may be pinned or otherwise joined to each other or to the face of the pouch. Typical methods of joining include, but are not limited to, pins, adhesive, heat sealing, clips and tape, as well as various similar methods. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Further objects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a typical prior art package without pinned gussets. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a first embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the gussets are pinned or otherwise joined together. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present disclosure, with a reclosure, prior to the pinning or joining together of the gussets. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a top view of a second embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the gussets are pinned or otherwise joined to the face of the pouch. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the first embodiment of the present disclosure, with a reclosure, after the gussets have been opened. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the second embodiment of the present disclosure, with a reclosure, after the gussets have been opened. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, one sees that  FIG. 1  is a top view of a prior art gusseted package  100  wherein the first and second gussets  102 ,  104  have splayed apart, as indicated by the angle α (alpha). Gusseted package  100  is formed from polymeric material forming a front wall  106  and a rear wall  108 . The polymeric material may be provided as a single sheet or as two or more sheets. Particularly in the case of a gusseted package formed from a single sheet, a fin seal  110  may be formed on the rear wall  108 , wherein the two edges  112 ,  114  of the single film are brought together and sealed to each other. First gusset  102  includes first front gusset wall  120  and first rear gusset wall  122 , shown splayed apart from each other at the angle α (alpha). This angle α (alpha) can be slight or, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , may exceed ninety degrees. Second gusset  104  includes second front gusset wall  124  and second rear gusset wall  126 , shown splayed apart from each other at the angle α (alpha). The various assigned numerals in the illustrated prior art package of  FIG. 1  will be assigned to corresponding elements in the subsequent figures. However, the gusseted packages of the subsequent figures will be illustrated as corresponding to numeral  101 . 
         [0018]    In  FIG. 2 , first front and rear gusset walls  120 ,  122  of first gusset  102  have been joined together by first joining element  130  and second front and rear gusset walls  124 ,  126  of second gusset  104  have been joined together by second joining element  132 . First and second joining elements  130 ,  132  may include, but are not limited to, pins, adhesive, heat sealing, clips and tape, as well as various similar methods or devices. In this configuration, the first and second gussets  102 ,  104  stay virtually parallel with the mid portion of the pouch top, thereby presenting a much neater appearance. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the gusseted package  101 , prior to the installation of the first and second joining elements  130 ,  132  of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 3  shows the sealed bottom  117  and mouth  119 . Mouth  119  is reclosably sealed by reclosure  121 . Typically, the reclosure  121  has opening flanges with an attached removable head  125 , or the front and rear walls  106 ,  108  form the removable header  125  and include tear lines. Reclosure  121  typically wraps completely around the inner circumference of the package  101  and can fold back and mate, or join, to itself. Optionally, a line of weakness  123  (such as, but not limited to, a perforated line) may be formed upwardly adjacent from reclosure  121  and an optional removable header  125  is formed above the line of weakness  123 . If the line of weakness  123  and removable header  125  are included, then the first and second joining elements  130  and  132  may be formed within the removable header  125 , upwardly adjacent from line of weakness  123 , and do not need to be releasable. Rather, tearing along the line of weakness  123  allows for removal of the removable header  125 , along with the first and second joining elements  130  and  132 . In the absence of such a line of weakness  123  and removable header  125 , first and second joining elements  130 ,  132  are typically releasable and formed below the reclosure  121 . 
         [0020]    Similarly, in  FIG. 4 , first front and rear gusset walls  120 ,  122  of first gusset  102  have been joined to front wall  106  and rear wall  108  of the gusseted package  101  by first front and rear joining elements  130 ′ and  130 ″, respectively, while second front and rear gusset walls  124 ,  126  of second gusset  104  have been joined to front wall  106  and rear wall  108  of the gusseted package  101  by second front and rear joining elements  132 ′ and  132 ″, respectively. As above, the various joining elements may include, but are not limited to, pins, adhesive, heat sealing, clips and tape, as well as various similar methods or devices. This results in a neat appearance. Further, in some instances, such as a standard bag top opening transverse direction package, it may be preferable to pin back or join only the first and second rear gusset walls  122 ,  126  to the rear wall  108  of the pouch or package  101 . 
         [0021]      FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate the gusseted package  101  after the various joining elements have been released or the pinned or otherwise joined portion of the gussets have been removed. Furthermore,  FIG. 5  illustrates how the top of the package  101  would look once the top of the package  101  with the header  125  and the pinned portion of the gussets have been removed and reclosure  121  wraps around the interior of the opening of the package  101 . The header  125  can be removed by providing score lines or perforations to aid in removal, or the header  125  can be cut off. In  FIG. 5 , the gussets  102 ,  104  are open and a wide mouth opening pouch is achieved, which is similar to the Greco and Ausnit application cited above. Similarly, as shown in  FIG. 6 , after the release or removal of the various joining elements (typically by removal of the portion of the header above the reclosure), a pour spout arrangement is achieved which is similar to the Yeager reference cited above. In this style package, the reclosure wraps from a portion of the interior of front wall  106 , across first gusset  102  (but not second gusset  104 ), and onto a portion of the interior of the rear wall  108 . The reclosure  121  extends across the front and rear walls only far enough to create a pour spout. 
         [0022]    The use of the joining elements is applicable to any number of gusseted package styles, with or without reclosures. In the resulting package, the gusset flaps are controlled at the top of the package, rather than allowing the flaps to assume various angles. Moreover, these embodiments result in improved appearance of the package. 
         [0023]    Thus the several aforementioned objects are most effectively attained. Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.