Abstract:
A snack food package employs a container bag that has an area of weakness formed at a location about one-third of the way down from the top to enable facile removal of an emptied upper section of the bag. An associated closure strip assembly is located just below the area of weakness to enable closing of the bottom section of the bag containing remaining product. Covering elements overlie the exposed surfaces of the closure strip components, to protect them against contamination by particulate matter, until the top section of the bag has been removed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Myriad consumable products that consist of large quantities similar pieces are conventionally packaged in flexible containers, typically made from plastic films, paper, foil, and laminates comprised of such materials. Because the product will often be consumed over a period of time, it is common to include means for reclosing the container after a portion of its contents has been removed. 
         [0002]    A highly convenient and effective form of reclosure means consists of a pair of aligned strip components running across the top of the container, on confronting interior surfaces, and comprising manually interengageable, mated elongate elements, typically of tongue-and-groove-like form. A silder or the like may be provided to assist opening and closing, and two or more parallel elements may be provided on each component for increased closure security and sealing effectiveness. 
         [0003]    Although numerous applications for flexible containers of the kind described are well known and will readily occur to the average consumer, an especially important and widespread use is for the packaging of snack foods, such as chips and nibbles, of various kinds, nuts, candy, etc. Pelletized pet foods, agricultural products, and the like, might be mentioned as additional areas in which flexible packaging is widely used, albeit reclosure means is not known to be commonly provided on containers used for such products 
         [0004]    One inherent disadvantage of the containers presently available for packaging of consumable products of the kind referred to involves the inconvenience of access (visual and physical) to unused contents. The degree of inconvenience increases with the length of the container and with the level at which the product lies after a quantity has been consumed. 
         [0005]    Contamination of the interengageable elements of such mated closure means, such as by grains or granules of salt or sugar, fine food particulates, or the like, can compromise performance, not by only diminishing the effectiveness of closure, in general, but more specifically by interfering with effective sealing and thus with preservation of product freshness. A partially empty container may also be found to be particularly unaesthetic due to the presence of excess, unutilized packaging material. 
         [0006]    Although the prior art in the general field of the present invention is well developed, as represented by the United States patents and published applications listed below, the concerns hereinabove expressed do not appear to have been addressed:
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       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0046]    Accordingly, it is a broad object of the present invention to provide a package, and a container utilized therein, wherein and whereby access to a remaining mass of a partially consumed product contained therein is facilitated. 
         [0047]    Other objects of the invention are to provide such a package and container wherein and whereby effective and optimized closure is promoted, and wherein and whereby a partially filled container may have an improved appearance. 
         [0048]    A related object of the invention is to provide a method for partially consuming a product mass contained in a bag or like container, whereby a remaining portion of the contents is optimally maintained. 
         [0049]    It has now been found that certain of the foregoing and related objects of the invention are readily attached by the provision of a package comprised of a normally closed container defining an interior space, and a consumable product mass contained in the container and normally substantially filling the interior space, the consumable product mass consisting of a large quantity of discrete pieces of similar solid matter. The container has a top and a bottom, and mutually spaced opposite lateral portions extending therebetween, and is comprised of at least two substantially flexible wall portions defining the interior space and having mutually confronting interior surfaces. An intermediate closure strip assembly extends substantially entirely across the container between the opposite lateral portions and at a level intermediate the top and bottom thereof. The intermediate closure strip assembly is spaced from the top of the container by at least about one-quarter of the distance between the top and bottom, to define a top section, and is spaced from the bottom of the container by at least about one-quarter of the distance, to define a bottom section. The closure strip assembly is comprised of a pair of mated, elongate interengageable closure strip components, normally spaced from one another with one component affixed on the interior surface of each of the wall portions of the container and with a portion of the product mass (of the filled container) interposed therebetween, elements of the closure strip components being aligned for mated interengagement in the substantial absence of the interposed product. At least one area of weakness, or tear line, extends across each of the wall portions within the top section of the container, adjacent the corresponding intermediate closure strip assembly component. The areas of weakness are aligned with one another to enable facile, manual removal of the top section of the container from the remainder thereof, following which the container may be closed, at the intermediate level, by use of the intermediate closure strip assembly. 
         [0050]    Additional objects of the invention are attained by the provision of a package, as hereinabove and hereinafter described, wherein displaceable protective cover elements, normally overlying confronting surfaces of the interengagable elements of the intermediate closure strip components, are provided so as to prevent substantial contamination of their functional surfaces by the product mass or by associated materials. In preferred embodiments the protective cover elements are attached to (or integrally formed on) the wall portions of the container at locations spaced from the lines of weakness, toward the top and within the container, so as to be removed simultaneously with removal of the top section. 
         [0051]    Further objects are attained by the provision of a container, as hereinabove and hereinafter described, and still further objects are provided by the provision of a method for consuming a product mass, utilizing a package comprised of the normally closed container herein described. In accordance with the method, the package is initially opened, and a portion of the consumable product mass is removed, thereby reducing the contents so as to fill only the bottom section of the container. The top section of the container is then removed, by separation along the areas of weakness, and finally closure of the bottom section of the container is effected utilizing the intermediate closure strip assembly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0052]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a package embodying the present invention, including a container bag shown in partial section and from which wall portions are broken away to expose both a contained product mass and also protective cover elements overlying the components of an intermediate closure strip assembly; and 
           [0053]      FIG. 2  is a front (or rear) view of the package of  FIG. 1  from which a wall portion of the container bag is broken away to show the contained product and the protective cover elements, and from which a top portion has been removed to open the bag. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0054]    Turning now in detail to the appended drawings, therein illustrated is a package embodying the present invention and comprised of a container, in the form of a bag generally designated by the numeral  10 , containing a product (e.g., a snack food) comprised of a large quantity of discrete pieces  12 . 
         [0055]    The bag  10  provides opposite wall portions  14 ,  16 , which wall portions may be of multi-layer laminated construction (consisting, for example, of at least one layer of a plastic film bonded to a layer of metal foil). It will be appreciated that, in the illustrated embodiment, the bag  10  is fabricated from a tubular section, and that, while wall portions  14 ,  16  are without definitive boundaries, they are generally distinguishable due to deformation caused by the presence of a top, laterally extending seam  18  and a bottom laterally extending seam  20 , which define the top and bottom limits of the interior space and also produce distinguishable (but again not definitive) opposite lateral portions  22 . It will be appreciated that a similar container bag can be constructed by joining separate wall portions to one another with lateral seams (not illustrated), rather than being elements of a unitary component, in which case the lateral portions may be well defined. In any event, when the bag  10  is empty and flattened, the wall portions  14 ,  16 , in the illustrated embodiment, will lie against one another and be substantially coextensive. 
         [0056]    About one-third of the way down from the top of the bag  10  are provided a first elongate intermediate closure strip component  24 , extending across the interior surface  17  of the wall portion  14  and, in alignment therewith, a second elongate closure strip component  26  on the interior surface of the opposite wall portion  16 . The closure strip components  24 ,  26  extend between the opposite lateral portions  22 , and may be provided by separately formed parts secured to the inner surfaces  17  or, in appropriate instances, integrally formed therewith. 
         [0057]    The closure strip component  24  on the wall portion  14  is formed with a groove  26  that extends along its length, and the closure strip component  28  on the opposite wall portion  16  is formed with a rib or tongue  30  that extends along its length. As will be appreciated, the tongue  30  of component  28  is dimensioned and configured to be received in the groove  26  of the component  24  and to be engaged, with a friction or interference fit, by the groove-defining structure, to thereby produce a secure and substantially sealed mated relationship. Interengagement is achieved by pressing the elements  26 ,  30  of the strip components  24 ,  28  together, as by the application of simple manual closing force, generally by running one&#39;s opposed thumb and forefinger across the width of the bag  10 ; alternatively, a mechanical slider or the like may be provided to assist closure. 
         [0058]    Lines or areas of weakness  32 , formed into both wall portions  14 ,  16 , also extending laterally across substantially the entire width of the bag, the areas  32  registering substantially with one another when the closure strip components  24 ,  28  are similarly mutually aligned. The lines or areas  32  are constructed to permit manual tearing across the width of the bag  10 , so as to enable facile removable of an upper section A from a lower section B; a notch or other feature (not shown) may be provided to initiate properly localized tearing. While they are certainly preferred for optimal convenience, the weakened areas or lines may be eliminated in certain instances, with section separation being effected using scissors or another cutting device. 
         [0059]    Somewhat arbitrarily, the features are so located that section A comprises approximately one-third of the length of the bag  10  (measured from top to bottom), with the section B constituting the remaining two-thirds of the length. Needless to say, after the top section A is removed the bottom section B can be closed by interengagement of the intermediate closure strip components  24 ,  28 ; this would normally occur when a corresponding volume of the contained product  12  has been consumed and product is no longer interposed between the closure components. The specific proportions of the sections A and B may vary substantially, depending upon the overall dimensional and volumetric characters of the container. Indeed, a long container might desirably be constructed to have, for example, three sections, with two intermediate closure assemblies (and associated areas of weakness) being provided to define a central section as well as top and bottom sections. 
         [0060]    Because snack foods and the like are typically covered with salt, sugar, flavorings, seasonings, or other particulate matter (and indeed, because they themselves tend to produce particulates), a tendency would exist for such matter to deposit on the surfaces of the closure elements  26 ,  30 . Such contamination would tend not only to interfere with the attainment of an effective, air-tight seal when the components are interengaged but, indeed, the presence of a substantial amount of contamination could preclude effective interengagement. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, therefore, the container is provided with protective cover (or shielding or masking) elements  34  (shown fragmentarily in  FIG. 2 ), which extend laterally across the width of the bag with one element  34  normally overlying the surface of each closure strip component  24 ,  28  to prevent (or at least diminish) deposits of particulate matter on the engagement surfaces of the associated components. (The product pieces  12  are shown fragmentarily in  FIG. 2 , to expose underlying elements  24 ,  26 ,  32 , and  34 .) 
         [0061]    The protective cover elements  34  will most desirably be attached to the parts of the wall portions that define the upper section of the bag, above the lines of weakness  32 . Such a construction will cause the cover elements  34  to be removed automatically along with those parts of the bag, as when the product  12  has fallen to a level at which closure of the lower portion B would normally be effected, to functionally expose the strip components  24 ,  28  so as to permit that to occur. 
         [0062]    It will be noted that, in addition to being provided with intermediate closure strip components  24  and  28 , corresponding top closure strip components  24 ′,  28 ′ are formed immediately below the top seam  18 , and include groove and tongue elements,  26 ′  30 ′. Corresponding areas of weakness  32 ′ also extend across the bag, between the top seam  18  and the strip components  24 ′,  28 ′, and an associated opening-initiation notch  36  (only the remaining fragment of which is seen) is provided at one end. Needless to say, the bag  10  is initially opened by tearing along the areas of weakness  32 ′, and the bag can be closed by interengagement of the elements  26 ′,  30 ′ on components  24 ′,  28 ′, again by the application of force across the bag. 
         [0063]    Flexible wall portions comprising the container will normally be gas-impermeable, particularly when the package contains a food product. They will advantageously be comprised of a film of synthetic resinous material (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate), a foil element, a paper element, or a plural- or multi-layer laminate comprised of combinations of such web materials; the wall portions will typically be about 3 to 12 mils thick. 
         [0064]    Although, as noted above, the intermediate closure strip assembly (and associated elements) will preferably be spaced from the top of the container by about one-third of the distance between the top and bottom, other proportions may be preferred. As a practical matter, however, any defined section will usually constitute at least one-quarter of the overall length of the container that is available product containment. 
         [0065]    A first component of the closure strip assembly will usually be formed with at least one groove (or other “female”) element extending lengthwise in the confronting surface thereof, and a second component will similarly be formed with at least one tongue element (or rib, rail, or other “male” element), engageable in the at least one groove element of the first component. Albeit preferred, it will be appreciated that the male and female elements need not be continuous or of uniform configuration, as long as secure, mated interengagement is afforded. 
         [0066]    As also discussed above, the package will normally additionally include a closure strip assembly extending between the opposite lateral portions of the container and at a location adjacent the top. It may be comprised, affixed, and aligned as described with respect to the intermediate closure strip assembly, or the closure assemblies may have different features and characteristics, if necessary or desirable. 
         [0067]    Lines or areas of weakness may be produced by any suitable means, such as chemical treatment, embossment, and laser or mechanical perforation, although complete perforation will of course be undesirable where freshness of the contained product is a factor. Closure features may include sliders or other suitable devices for facilitating interengagement of the mating elements. 
         [0068]    It will be appreciated that, except as may be dictated by practical considerations, there is no limitation upon the size of the containers to which the concepts of the present invention may be applied; for example, they would obviously be superfluous where the total contents (e.g., of a small bag) would normally be consumed at a single sitting. Also, while containers having gussets, pleats, folds, flat bottom walls, and the like are contemplated, in most instances the container will be substantially flat when empty and collapsed, with the opposite wall portions substantially coextensive. Other modifications and variations, within the scope of the appended claims, will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art. 
         [0069]    Thus, it can be seen that the present invention provides a package, and a container utilized therein, wherein and whereby access to a remaining mass of a partially consumed product contained therein is facilitated. Effective and optimized closure of the container may be promoted, and a partially filled container may have improved appearance. The invention provides a method for partially consuming a product mass contained in a bag or like container, whereby a remaining portion of the contents is optimally maintained.