Patent Abstract:
A flexible package includes a plastic face piece of a predetermined shape and design. The plastic face piece is positioned over or alternately inserted through one or more die cut openings in at least one wall or panel of the bag and is bonded to the bag material along the peripheral edges of the die cut opening(s). In one preferred embodiment, the plastic face piece creates a 3-dimensional area that stands out from the package and may resemble a toy, a magnet, or a window to view the product inside the bag. In another preferred embodiment, the face piece is in the form of a receptacle that holds a separate product or other device that is removably secured to the package. Examples of separate products include a toy, an electronic game, a dip, a food product, or condiments. The face piece may be attached to either the inner or outer surface of a panel or wall of the bag. If both the bag and face piece are made of compatible materials, they may be joined by heat sealing. If the plastic face piece and the bag are incompatible materials, they may be adhesively bonded together.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to flexible packages, and more particularly, to flexible packages for holding products (e.g., foodstuffs) in a hermetically sealed condition (e.g., isolated from the ambient atmosphere), while containing an insert (e.g., window, toy, separate product, condiment, etc.).  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Various types of flexible packages for holding particular materials under vacuum therein have been disclosed in the patent literature and are commercially available today.  
           [0003]    Examples of packages for holding ground or whole bean coffee are found in the following U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,285 (Goglio); U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,174 (Goglio); U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,174 (Schutten et al.); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,561 (Beer); U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,708 (Beer et al.), all of which are incorporated by references herein.  
           [0004]    The major advantages of flexible packaging, as compared to relatively rigid packaging (e.g., boxes), are that until the flexible package is filled, the package takes up very little volume, and after it is emptied of its contents, it readily collapses, thereby reducing its volume to approximately that of the unfilled package. The former characteristic is a significant advantage insofar as storage is concerned, while the latter characteristic is a significant advantage from the standpoint of disposability.  
           [0005]    One common type of flexible package for holding goods until the package is opened is the so-called “gusseted” package or bag. Typically such a package is formed from a web of flexible stock material (e.g., polyethylene, polyester, co-propylene, metal foil, wax paper and combinations thereof in single or multiple plies) into a tubular body having a face panel, a back panel, and a pair of gusseted sides.  
           [0006]    Each gusseted side is formed by a pair of gusset sections and a central fold edge interposed between a pair of outer-fold edges. The lower end of the bag is commonly permanently sealed, e.g., heat-sealed, along a line extending transversely across the width of the bag close to its bottom edge. The top of the bag is commonly sealed transversely across the entire width of the bag in a number of ways to maintain the contents under vacuum until the bag is opened. Such action is frequently accomplished via a readily openable mouth, which when opened, provides access to the contents of the bag.  
           [0007]    One-way degassing valves are typically included in flexible packages to enable any gases produced by the particular material within the package to exit from the package, while preventing air from entering into the package through the valve. Examples of such one-way de-gassing valves are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,467 (Goglio); U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,427 (Goglio); U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,015 (Blaser); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,635 (Walters) and the aforementioned Goglio, Schutten et al., Beer and Beer et al. patents, all of which disclosures are incorporated by reference herein  
           [0008]    One drawback of many commercially available sealed, flexible packages is that the material disposed therein is not in a form for preferred consumption. Often, other complementary goods are desired for consuming or preparing the product, such as dips as a complementary good for chips, or mustard as a complementary good for pretzels. In addition, some people prefer food that is not spicy, while others prefer food that is very spicy. However, prepared food is packaged with a predetermined amount of spices, and the customer that purchases the food product is generally forced to consume the product with the predetermined amount of spices therein. This presents a problem to a person who desires a food product but does not purchase it because of subjective preferences or medical reasons. For example, a person having high blood pressure may want to purchase a bag of popcorn or pretzels, but does not purchase the food because of the amount of salt therein.  
           [0009]    It would be beneficial to provide packaged food to customers in a state that is not very spicy, and allows the customer to season the food according to their preferences.  
           [0010]    A person wanting to consume a food product stored in a flexible package of the related art often must separately provide a complementary good (e.g., dip, salt, mustard, cheese, or other flavoring) in addition to the food product to enjoy the product. Customers could enjoy further benefits if other types of premiums were provided with the flexible package, such as, measuring spoons with coffee, or a toy with children&#39;s food. Therefore, it would be a benefit to provide a flexible package having a window in a panel for displaying the contents of the package and/or displaying some associated goods or product. It would also be a benefit to provide a flexible package having a three dimensionally shaped window establishing a chamber which together with the interior of the package allows greater product capacity without increasing the package footprint. It would further be a benefit to provide a flexible package incorporating a toy, a dispensing fixture, a receptacle, a retaining unit or complementary goods into the face of a flexible package. All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.  
           [0011]    In my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/468,600 filed on Apr. 27, 2000 entitled Bowl Bag With Sealable Reclosure Means, which is assigned to the same assignee as this invention, there is disclosed a flexible package for foodstuffs and which forms to enable the foodstuff to be eaten directly from the bowl. In some embodiments of the package a utensil, e.g., a spoon, is incorporated in the package to facilitate eating of the foodstuff from the bowl.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    The invention can be achieved, as a whole or in part, by a package having an interior for holding a product (i.e., a foodstuff) and formed of a flexible material (e.g., laminated film) suitable for being hermetically sealed, with the product being located within the interior of the package. The package includes a front panel and a rear panel. The front and rear panels are connected along peripheral edges of the panels at a first sealed end to define the interior between the panels. At least one of the panels includes a three-dimensionally shaped face piece. In one preferred embodiment, the face piece forms a chamber within the confines of the face piece. In another preferred embodiment, the face piece is a toy or game.  
           [0013]    In one aspect of the invention, the chamber projects outside the panel to which the face piece is bonded. In another aspect of the invention, the face piece is transparent and enables a person to see through it into the chamber. In yet another aspect of the invention, the face piece includes a receptacle that removably secures a premium product (e.g., cheese dip, mustard, spices).  
           [0014]    The subject invention can also entails a method of making a package having an interior for holding a product (e.g., foodstuff) and formed of a flexible material (e.g., laminated film) suitable for being hermetically sealed, with the product being located within the interior of the package. The method includes the steps of connecting a front panel of a gusseted bag to a rear panel of the bag along peripheral edges of the panels to formed a sealed end, a sealable end and an interior for receiving the product via the sealable end, forming an opening in the front panel, and bonding a three-dimensionally shaped face piece to the front panel adjacent the opening. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    The invention will be described in conjunction with the following drawings in which like referenced numerals designate like elements and wherein:  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is an isometric view illustrating a flexible package in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the flexible package taken along line  2 - 2  of FIG. 1;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the flexible package taken along line  3 - 3  of FIG. 1;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the package of FIG. 1;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric view illustrating a flexible package in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the flexible package shown in FIG. 5;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the flexible package taken along line  7 - 7  of FIG. 6;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 8 is an exploded isometric view illustrating a flexible package in accordance with another example of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8A is an enlarged elevational view of a premium container forming a portion of the flexible package of FIG. 8;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 8B is an enlarged elevational view similar to FIG. 8A, but taken from the opposite direction;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  of FIG. 8;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 10 is an exploded isometric view illustrating a flexible package in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 11 is an enlarged sectional view of the flexible package taken along line  11 - 11  of FIG. 10;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 12 is an exploded isometric view of a flexible package similar to the flexible package shown in FIG. 10;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 13 is an isometric view illustrating a flexible package in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 14 is an isometric view illustrating a flexible package in accordance with another aspect of the fourth preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0032]    The present invention is directed to a flexible package and method of making the same, and for holding products (e.g., foodstuffs) in a hermetically sealed condition while containing a three-dimensional insert. Referring to FIGS.  1 - 4 , there is shown at  20  a flexible package as constructed in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention. The flexible package  20  basically comprises a flexible gusseted bag  26  having a face piece  30  attached to a panel of the bag  26  (as will be described later). The bag  26  is arranged to hold any particular material (e.g., coffee beans, ground coffee, dry pet food, chemicals, snack food, candy, or other food) and is suitable for packaging small amounts of such materials or for holding larger amounts of such materials.  
         [0033]    The bag  26  is formed of a web of any conventional, flexible material, such as a laminated film, and basically includes a front wall or panel  28 , a rear wall or panel  40  (FIG. 4), a pair of gusseted sides  44 , a bottom or sealed end  36 , and a top or sealable upper end  38  terminating at a top marginal edge  42 . The front panel  28  is cut or molded to form a pair of die cut openings  32  and  34  for receiving the face piece  30 . The face piece  30  is preferably formed of a thermoplastic material, for example, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and co-polyester (PET-G).  
         [0034]    The face piece  30  includes hollow upper and lower windows  22  and  24 , respectively. The marginal edges of the windows are in the form of upper and lower flanges  23  and  25 , respectively. The flanges  23  and  25  are formed along a common plane and define the periphery of the windows  22  and  24 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the openings  32  and  34  are of the same shape and size as the windows  22  and  24 , respectively. The windows  22  and  24  of the face piece  30  are inserted through the openings  32  and  34 , respectively, of the front panel  28  until the flanges  23  and  25  engage the interior of the bag  26  about the inner edge of the openings  32  and  34 . The flanges  23  and  25  are affixed to the bag  26  by applying a bonding agent  27  or heat treatment between the openings  32  and  34 , and the flanges  23  and  25 , respectively, to hermetically seal the face piece  30  to the front panel  28  of the bag  26 .  
         [0035]    In this preferred embodiment, the window  22  has a substantially semispherical convex or dome shape and the window  24  has a shape similar to a channel or parallelepiped with slightly tapering sidewalls. The windows  22  and  24  create a three-dimensional volume that projects out from the flat surface of the front panel  28 , and functions as an approach to view the product inside the bag  26 . The windows  22 ,  24  are clear or translucent so that the interior of the bag  26  can be viewed through the window  22  and  24  to observe its content (e.g., foodstuff  27 ).  
         [0036]    The face piece  30  may also provide other benefits, as will be described later. The front panel  28 , rear panel  40 , and gusseted sides  44  of the bag  26  are integral portions of a single sheet or web of the flexible material, a single or multiple ply or layers of which have been folded and seamed to form a tubular body. The bag  26  is formed of a flexible material so that the bag  26  can be easily folded when empty to use a minimal amount of space for efficient storage. The bag  26  can readily be unfolded and filled with the product (e.g., foodstuff) while maintaining its flexibility to provide resiliency to puncture or breakage. Particularly useful, flexible material for the bag  26  is commercially available from Fres-Co System USA, Inc. of Teleford, Pa., the assignee of this invention.  
         [0037]    In a preferred embodiment, the bag  26  has a closeable mouth formed by a peelable seal  46  between the aforementioned panels  28 , 40  and sides  44  at the sealable end  38  to be readily peeled apart to open the bag  26 . The peelable seal  46  can be formed by any conventional means such as those disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,174 (Goglio).  
         [0038]    As is conventional in the art, the rear panel  40  of the package  20  includes a fin (not shown) which extends longitudinally along the back of the package  20  from the top edge  42  to the sealed end  36 . The fin is preferably located approximately midway between the gusseted sides  44  and is formed by portions of the web material contiguous with the vertical marginal edges of the sheet or web which are brought into engagement with each other and are secured to one another via any conventional sealing technique, such as heat sealing or welding. The fin is generally folded down so it lays substantially flush with the rear panel  40  of the package  20 .  
         [0039]    The sealed bottom end  36  of the bag  26  is generally sealed closely along a transverse, permanent seam line (not shown). The permanent seam line is formed using any conventional sealing technique, such as that used for the vertical seamed fin.  
         [0040]    The bag  26  is filled with a foodstuff  27  (e.g., coffee beans, cereal, popcorn, chips, pretzels, crackers or other food) and sealed along its sealable upper end  38  such that the walls of the package  20  at the sealable upper end  38  may be readily peeled apart when desired to form a mouth for access to the product contained in the interior of the flexible package  20 .  
         [0041]    FIGS.  5 - 7  illustrate an example of a second preferred embodiment  48  of the invention and is similar to the embodiment discussed above and illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 4 . However, unlike the face piece  30  of FIG. 1 which creates a volume extending outward from the plane of the front wall of the package, the face piece  54  of this second embodiment defines a three-dimensional volume extending into the gusseted bag. In particular, as clearly shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the flexible package  48  is also in the form of a gusseted bag  50 , having a concave face piece  54  for holding a premium product (e.g., cheese, mustard, flavored dip) which will be disclosed in greater detail below. The gusseted bag  50  is formed of a flexible material (e.g., laminated film) and basically includes a front panel  51 , a rear panel  40 , gusseted sides  44 , a bottom end  36 , and a sealable end  38 . As shown, the gusseted bag  50  is substantially similar in construction to the bag  26  shown in FIGS.  1 - 4 . However, the bag  50  includes a single opening  52  on its front panel  51  instead of the two openings  32  and  34  of the bag  26 .  
         [0042]    Like the face piece  30  described in the previous embodiment, the face piece  54  (which is also referred to as a “holding insert”) is preferably formed of a thermal plastic material (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, co-polyester) and is generally flexible. The holding insert  54  is positioned in the opening  52  of the bag  50 , such that a peripheral lip or flange  58  of the holding insert  54  engages with a peripheral edge of the opening  52  and the protruding portion  56  extends into an interior of the opening  52 . In FIG. 7, the flange  58  is hermetically sealed, preferably to the inside of the gusseted bag  50  via any conventional sealing technique, such as epoxy  66 , heat sealing or welding. Alternatively, the flange  58  of the holding insert  54  can be bonded to the peripheral edge of the opening  52  on the exterior of the gusseted bag  50  via a conventional sealing technique, as long as the bond between the flange  58  and the front panel  51  provides a hermetic seal. The bag  50  is filled with a product (e.g., foodstuff) and hermetically sealed along the sealable upper end  38  using a peelable seal  46  or any other conventional sealing technique, e.g., heat sealing, epoxy.  
         [0043]    As noted above, the flexible package  48  also includes the premium product  60 , which may be a dip or condiment used for enhancing the flavor, and hence the enjoyment, of the foodstuff held in the package. As shown in FIG. 5, the premium product  60  is itself contained in a tub  72 . The tub  72  includes a cover  74  that can be removed from the tub  72  to expose the premium product  60  for consumption by pulling a pull tab  76  of the cover away from the tub  72 . The premium product  60  is inserted into an interior of the holding insert  54  and is retained therein by holding tabs  64  (FIG. 7) extending inward from an inner peripheral edge of the flange  58 . When the premium product  60  is inserted into the holding insert  54 , a peripheral edge  78  (FIG. 5) of the premium product&#39;s tub  72  abuts against and is held in place by the holding tabs  64 , as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIGS. 8, 8A,  8 B and  9  generally illustrate another aspect of the second preferred embodiment  120  of a package of this invention, where the premium product is a condiment (e.g., salt, pepper, garlic, cheese, seasoning). As shown in FIG. 8, the flexible package  120  is in the form of a gusseted bag  80  and a face piece or holding insert  86 . The holding insert  86  has a construction similar to the holding insert  54  of package  48  shown in FIGS.  5 - 7 , except that the holding insert is circular in shape (as will be described later). The bag  80  is constructed and hermetically sealed in a manner similar to the gusseted bags  50  and  26  described above.  
         [0045]    The bag  80  is arranged to hold a foodstuff (e.g., popcorn, pretzels, chips) and is formed of any conventional flexible material (e.g., laminated film). The bag  120  includes a front panel  82 , a rear panel  40 , a pair of gusseted sides  44 , and a bottom end  36 , similar to the front panel  28 , rear panel  40 , gusseted sides  44  and bottom end  36 , respectively of the bag  26  described above. The front panel  82  is cut or molded to form an opening  84  for receiving the holding insert  86 . As shown in FIG. 9, the opening  84  is circular having a diameter equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of the circular side wall  92  of the holding insert  86 , and includes a peripheral flange  90 . The diameter of the opening  84  is also less than the diameter of the flange  90  of the holding insert  86 .  
         [0046]    The flange  90  of the holding insert  86  is bonded to an inner peripheral edge  96  of the opening  84  using a conventional sealing technique, such as those previously disclosed herein. The side wall  92  of the holding insert  86  extends from the flange  90  into the protruding portions  88  to define a cavity for holding the premium product, which as shown in FIGS.  8 - 9 , is a saltshaker  102 . The holding insert  86  includes holding tabs  94  that extend radially inward and are flexible for receiving and restraining the salt shaker  102 . The salt shaker  102  preferably includes a salt shaker top  104  having extending tabs  108  which slidingly engage the side wall  92  of the holding insert  86  when the salt shaker  102  is located in the cavity of the holding insert  86 . The extending tabs  108  of the salt shaker  102  and the holding tabs  94  of the holding insert  86  frictionally retain the salt shaker  102  within the opening of the holding insert  86 , until the salt shaker  102  is forceably removed from the holding insert  86 , for example, by a person wanting to sprinlde the salt on the foodstuff.  
         [0047]    The salt shaker  102  also includes a peripheral wall  118  and a transparent cover  110  for containing the salt  112 . As shown, the peripheral wall  118  is circular and ribbed so it is easy to grip with one&#39;s fingers. The transparent cover  110  is domed, e.g., semispherical, and attaches to the peripheral wall  118 , thus forming a dome-like container for the condiment. The three-dimensional shape of the transparent cover  110  allows for easy viewing of the contained condiment from various angles.  
         [0048]    When the salt shaker  102  is attached to the holding insert  86  as shown in FIGS. 8A and 9, the salt shaker top  104  has a diameter less than or about equal to the inner diameter of the flange  90 , and greater than the distance between opposing holding tabs  94 . In addition, the extending tabs  108  are flexible and protract to engage the inner wall  92  of the holding insert  86 . In this manner, the top  104  is insertable beyond the holding tabs  94  into the interior  116  of the holding insert  86  for frictional engagement with the inner wall  92  of the holding insert  86 .  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 8B illustrates a longitudinal view of the salt shaker top  104 , which includes a cover  120  that controls the flow of salt  112  out of the shaker  102 . The cover rotates about pivot  114  and exposes the openings  106 , which provides communication between the salt  112  and the exterior environment. When not attached to the holding insert  86 , the salt shaker top  104  can be rotated about the pivot  114  to expose the openings  106  in the top  104  and allow the salt  112  to permeate from the salt shaker  102  through the openings  106 . As the cover  120  rotates about pivot  114 , more openings  106  are exposed so that more salt can be disposed from the shaker  86 . Accordingly, a person can adjust the rate of extraction of the salt  112  from the saltshaker  102  by rotating the cover  20  to expose a desired number of openings  106 . The salt shaker is preferably made of plastic, but can be made of any materials sufficient for storage and dispensing the salt  112 .  
         [0050]    [0050]FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a third preferred embodiment of the invention wherein a sealed flexible package  150  allows air to escape from its interior, and inhibits air from flowing into its interior. This package  150  is preferably used for storing food products (e.g., coffee) that emit gas to allow the gas to escape while keeping the food product “fresh” and inaccessible to ambient air. The flexible package  150  is in the form of a gusseted bag  172  having a face piece  160 .  
         [0051]    The gusseted bag  172  is formed of any conventional, flexible material (e.g., laminated film), and basically includes a front panel  152 , a rear panel  40 , gusseted side panels  44 , a bottom panel  36 , and a sealable end  38 . The gusseted bag  150  is constructed and hermetically sealed at its sealable end  38  in a manner similar to the gusseted bags  26  and  50  discussed above. The front panel  152  is cut or molded to form a die cut opening  176  and die cut airways  178  in the form of a ring of small apertures (FIGS. 10 and 11). As shown in FIG. 11, the die cut opening  176  has a teardrop shape and is much larger in area than the die cut airways  178 , which merely need to be large enough to allow the passage of air or vapor from the package. While the die cut opening  176  is teardrop shaped, its shape is merely exemplary of various shapes for inserts as contemplated by this invention and as will be readily understood by a skilled artesian.  
         [0052]    As shown in FIG. 11, the face piece  160  is bonded to the back side of the front panel  152  by an adhesive  186  (e.g., epoxy) or heat treatment (e.g., heat sealing) in a manner similar to that described previously for the face piece  30 . The face piece  160  is preferably constructed of a plastic material and includes a window  162  and a degassing valve  164 . Like the windows  22  and  24 , the window  162  is preferably transparent and has a three dimensional convex shape. In particular, the window  162  has a teardrop shaped periphery, to fit through the teardrop shaped opening  176 . The periphery of the window is a planar flange  182 . In accordance with the other aspects of the invention, the window  162  may be used for viewing the material in the bag  172 , or may include a premium product, such as a dip, spice, or measuring spoon for measuring the product, (e.g., coffee beans or grounds) for making coffee.  
         [0053]    The degassing valve  164  may preferably be constructed somewhat like those of the U.S. patents referred to previously and whose disclosures are incorporated by reference herein. The exemplary valve  164  shown in FIG. 11, includes a cavity  166  that retains a resilient or rubber disk  170  that allows air or gases produced by the product within the package  150  to exit out of the package  150  through the cavity  166  in one direction. A rear side  184  of the degassing valve  164  adjacent the rubber disk  170  includes a channel  168  therethrough to provide communication between the cavity  166  and the die cut airways  178 . The degassing valve allows air to permeate through the cavity  166  via the channel  168  and the rubber disk  170 , but does not allow to flow from the cavity  166  to the channel  168 .  
         [0054]    The planar flange  182  surrounding the window  162  is sealed about the die cut opening perimeter  174 . The planar flange  182  surrounding the degassing valve  164  is also sealed about the die cut airways  178 . The seals are airtight so no air can escape between the planar flange  182  and the opening perimeter  174 . When sealed, the air in the cavity  166  of the degassing valve  164  communicates with the ambient atmosphere outside the gusseted bag  172  via the die cut airways  178 . As noted above, the air can permeate from the interior of the gusseted bag  172  to outside the gusseted bag  172  via the degassing valve  164 , but cannot flow in the opposite direction because the degassing valve  164  is a one-way valve. Accordingly, the flexible package  150  enables gasses which may be produced by the foodstuff (e.g., coffee) contained within the bag  172  after it is hermetically sealed to permeate to the ambient air while providing a three-dimensional window for viewing the foodstuff.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 12 illustrates another flexible package  188  in accordance with the third preferred embodiment disclosed above and illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, wherein the face piece is attached to the outside of the bag as an alternative to being attached to the inside of the bag. The flexible package  188  shown in FIG. 12 is in the form of a gusseted bag  190  having a face piece  192  similar to the face piece  160  of the gusseted bag  172  shown in FIG. 10. However, as shown in FIG. 12, the face piece  192  is attached to the outside of the front panel  194 , and not to the inside of the front panel  194 . Since the face piece  192  is attached external to the front panel  194 , an opening is not required in the front panel  194  to accommodate the window  198 .  
         [0056]    The face piece  192  includes a domed (convex) window  198  and a degassing valve  200 . When secured to the front panel of the package  188 , the degassing valve  200  overlies an opening  196  in the front panel  194  to allow air to permeate from the interior of the package  188  through the valve  200  to the ambient atmosphere. The valve  200  can be of any suitable construction like described earlier and prevents air from entering the package  188  through it. In this manner, when the degassing valve  200  is bonded to the front panel  194 , and the sealable upper end  38  of the package is hermetically sealed, as described above using an adhesive or heat treatment, gas can escape the bag  190  via the valve  200 , but cannot penetrate into the bag  190 . Accordingly the foodstuff sealed in the flexible package  188  maintains its freshness while the package  188  maintains its size.  
         [0057]    The periphery of the degassing valve  200  is an upper planar flange  202 , and the periphery of the window  198  is a lower planar flange  204 . The upper planar flange  202  is sealed to the front panel  194  about the opening  196 . When the upper planar flange  202  and the front panel  194  are bonded, the lower planar flange  204  may be, but is not necessarily, bonded to the front panel  194 . The window  198  of the face piece  192  may be used for viewing the material within the bag  188  if the portion of the front panel  194  under the window  198  is clear. In addition, the window  198  may be used as a measuring device for spooning out the foodstuff within the bag  190  upon detachment of the face piece  192  from the front panel  194 .  
         [0058]    [0058]FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate a fourth preferred embodiment of the invention with each figure showing a different shaped face piece. The face pieces of these figures are each attached to their respective gusseted bag without use of an opening in the front panel of the bag. These face pieces are three dimensional, e.g., extend outward (are convex) and can be removed from their respective bag while maintaining the hermetic seal of the bag.  
         [0059]    In FIG. 13, the flexible package  207  includes a gusseted bag  208  and a face piece  209 . In FIG. 14, the flexible package  214  includes the gusseted bag  208  and a face piece  210 . The gusseted bag  208  is preferably constructed of a flexible material (e.g., laminated film) and is hermetically sealed by any conventional sealing technique discussed above. As shown, the gusseted bag  208  includes a front panel  212 , a rear panel  40 , a bottom panel  36 , gusseted sides  44 , and is bonded at sealable end  38  by an adhesive  46 . The front panel  212  does not include an opening.  
         [0060]    The face pieces  209  and  210  are preferably formed of a flexible material (e.g. plastic) and are bonded to the bag  212  using any conventional sealing technique, as disclosed above. The plastic face piece  209  shown in FIG. 12 may indicate the foodstuff sealed in the bag  212 , and may also provide other functions, such as a magnet for use on, for example, a refrigerator or other magnetic panel.  
         [0061]    The exemplary face piece  210  shown in FIG. 14 is in the form of an electronic toy. The electronic toy includes a face  216  having antenna  218  that is connected to a base  220 . The base  220  is constructed as readily known by a skilled artesian to transmit a sound upon depression thereof. The face piece  210  is removably attached to the front panel  212  using any conventional sealing technique as disclosed above. A skilled artesian would readily understand that other electronic devices could be applied as the face piece  210  to the bag  208 , such as a calculator or small computer game.  
         [0062]    It should be apparent from the aforementioned description and attached drawings that the concept of the present application may be readily applied to a variety of preferred embodiments, including those disclosed herein. Thus the face pieces can be of any size and/or shape, can be concave or convex, can be used to house a variety of items, and can be affixed to a panel of a flexible package directly over the panel or over or in an opening in the panel. Moreover, the package need not be hermetically sealed nor need it include a peelably openable mouth.  
         [0063]    Without further elaboration, the foregoing will also fully illustrate the invention that others may, by applying current or future knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1