Abstract:
A food package for packaging bread that is constructed from a generally planar opaque base panel upon which the loaf of bread rests and a substantially transparent covering that covers the bread in a manner such that the top, sides and ends of the loaf of bread are clearly visible to the prospective purchaser when the package is positioned on the shelf of the retail outlet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to food bags. More particularly, the invention concerns bags for packaging food items for display and, more specifically, concerns bags of the type used in the food industry to package bread. 
         [0003]    2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    In the past, a wide variety of different types of food packages have been developed for the package and display of a number of different types of food items. In those instances where the food item is packaged for display in grocery stores and similar retail outlets, it is desirable that at least a portion of the food item be visible to prospective purchasers. Accordingly, in the past a number of different types of so-called “window bags” have been designed. Basically these types of prior art bags are constructed from an opaque bag material, such as paper and have a viewing “window” provided therein that is formed from a transparent plastic sheet or film, so as to display a portion, but not all of the packaged food item. 
         [0005]    Exemplary of the foregoing types of “window bags” is the bag shown in  FIG. 1  of the drawings and the bread package illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,048,213 issued to Grogan. The Grogan bread package comprises of a loaf of bread enclosed within a wrapper which consists in part of practically transparent material and in part of opaque material so wrapped around the loaf as to display the rounded top portion for inspection and to conceal the lower portion of the loaf within the opaque portions. 
         [0006]    As will be apparent from the discussion that follows, the package of the present invention uniquely comprises a generally planar opaque base panel upon which the loaf of bread rests and a substantially transparent covering that covers the bread in a manner such that the top, sides and ends of the loaf of bread are clearly visible to the prospective purchaser when the package is positioned on the shelf of the retail outlet. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    By way of brief summary, the food package of the present invention comprises a bag for containing bread that includes a generally planar base disposed in a first plane and formed of an opaque printable material having first and second ends and first and second sides; and a cover connected to the base, the cover being constructed from a thin, substantially transparent foldable material, the cover having first and second edges, the first edge being connected to the first side of said base and said second edge being connected to the second side of said base. Uniquely, each of the first and second sides of the cover has a pleated area permitting the cover to be movable from a first position wherein the cover is disposed in a second plane generally parallel to the first plane to a second position wherein the cover is an expanded configuration. 
         [0008]    With the forgoing in mind it is an object of the invention to provide a food package that uniquely comprises a generally planar opaque base panel upon which the loaf of bread rests and a substantially transparent covering that covers the bread in a manner such that the top, sides and ends of the loaf of bread are clearly visible to the prospective purchaser when the package is positioned on the shelf of the retail outlet. 
         [0009]    Another object of the invention is to provide a food package of the aforementioned character in which the base panel of the food package is sturdy and easily printable. 
         [0010]    Another object of the invention is to provide a food package as described in the preceding paragraphs that provides an adequate degree of stiffness so that when the package is in use it will retain its expanded shape. 
         [0011]    Another object of the invention is to provide a food package that is relatively easy and inexpensive to fabricate using conventional packaging equipment. 
         [0012]    These and other objects of the invention will be achieved by the food package described in greater detail in the paragraphs that follow. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a generally perspective view of a prior art bread package. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a generally perspective view of one form of the bread package of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2A  is a generally perspective view of the bread package shown in  FIG. 2  as it appears in a partially expanded configuration. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2B  is a bottom plan view of the bread package shown in  FIG. 2A  illustrating indicia imprinted on the bottom surface of the base panel of the bread package. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an exploded, plan view of the cover and base panel of the bread package of the present invention as the components appear prior to being folded and interconnected. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a generally perspective, exploded view of the cover and base panel of the bread package of the present invention in position to be interconnected. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is an exploded, generally perspective view of the cover and base panel of the bread package as they appear when in position to be folded along a fold line located proximate the first end of the package. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a generally perspective rear view similar to  FIG. 5 , but showing the first end portion of the package partially folded along the fold line. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a generally perspective rear view similar to  FIG. 6 , but showing the first end portion of the package fully folded along the fold line. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a view taken along lines  8 - 8  of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a view taken along lines  9 - 9  of  FIG. 2A . 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a greatly enlarged, cross-sectional view of the area designated in  FIG. 9  as  10 - 10 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]    Referring to the drawings, and particularly in  FIG. 1 , a typical type of prior art bread bag is there shown. This type of prior art bag is constructed from an opaque bag material, such as paper “P” and has a viewing “window” “W” provided therein that is formed from a transparent plastic sheet or film, so as to display a portion, but not all of the packaged food item. 
         [0026]    Turning to  FIGS. 2 ,  2 A,  2 B,  3  and  4 , one form of the novel food package of the present invention for containing bread can be seen to comprise a base  14  that is formed of an opaque printable material such as readily commercially available Kraft paper. As best seen in  FIG. 4 , base  14  is generally rectangular shaped and has an upper surface  16 , a lower indicia carrying surface  18  (see, for example, the indicia “I” illustrated in  FIG. 2B ) and first and second ends  19  and  20 . Upper surface  16  has a first side portion  22  and a second side portion  24 . 
         [0027]    A substantially transparent cover  26  is affixed to base  14  in the manner illustrated in  FIG. 2  of the drawings. As been seen in  FIG. 2A , cover  26  has a first side  28 , the lower margin  28   a  of which is folded and adhesively secured to first side portion  22  of upper surface  16  of base  14  and has a second side  30 , the lower margin  30 a of which is folded and adhesively secured to second side portion  24  of upper surface  16  of base  14 . 
         [0028]    Cover  26 , which has a first end portion  26   a  can be constructed from various thin, substantially transparent, foldable materials, but a readily commercially available polyester material has proven most satisfactory for use in constructing the cover. 
         [0029]    In the manner illustrated in  FIGS. 5 through 9  the drawings wherein the cover  26  and the base panel  14  have been interconnected along their respective side portions, first end portion  26   a  of cover  26  and the first end portion  19  of base  14  are first folded along a fold line  31  in the manner shown in FIGS.  6  and  7 .This done, the folded end portion is then adhesively secured to the marginal portion  33  ( FIG. 6 ) of the lower surface  18  of base  14  ( FIG. 2B ). A novel feature of the cover  26  resides in the fact that each of the first and second sides  28  and  30  of the cover, has a pleated area  35  ( FIG. 2A ). More particularly, first side  28  has an upper portion  28   b  and a lower portion  28   c  with the pleated area  35  being disposed intermediate upper portion  28   b  and said lower portion  28   c.  Similarly, second side  30  has an upper portion  30   b  and a lower portion  30   c  with the pleated area  35  being disposed intermediate upper portion  30   b  and said lower portion  30   c.    
         [0030]    With the novel construction described in the preceding paragraphs, with base  14  disposed in a first plane and with the cover securely affixed to the base in the manner previously described, cover  26  is movable from the first configuration shown in  FIG. 4 , wherein it is in a partially expanded configuration, to a second position shown in  FIG. 2  of the drawings, wherein the cover is a fully expanded configuration to expeditiously accept the loaf of bread. 
         [0031]    The method of the present invention comprises forming a food package from the generally planar, opaque base  14  and the substantially transparent cover  26 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 4 through 7  of the drawings, one form of the method of the invention comprises the steps of first imprinting the indicia “I” on the upper surface  16  of the base panel to form an imprinted base panel  38  ( FIG. 2B ). Next, the lower portions  28   a  and  30   a  of the first and second sides of the cover are folded in a manner to form first and second connector panels  40  ( FIG. 4 ). This done, the first and second connector panels are securely, adhesively bonded to the upper surface  16  of the imprinted base panel  38  to form a first subassembly  42  having the fold line  31  (see  FIG. 5 ). Next, the first subassembly  42  is folded along fold line  31  to form a connector segment  44  ( FIG. 6 ). Finally, the connector segment  44  is adhesively bonded to the lower surface of the imprinted base panel  38  to form the food package  46  illustrated in  FIG. 7  of the drawings. 
         [0032]    Having now described the invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in this art will have no difficulty in making changes and modifications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.