Patent ID: 8147934

Claim:
An easy-open package comprising: a tubular member formed from a peelable thermoplastic laminate having a first side edge and an opposing second side edge; a longitudinal seam connecting said first side edge of said laminate to said opposing second side edge of said laminate and defining a tubular member having a first tubular member end and an opposing second tubular member end, and an inner surface and an outer surface; wherein said longitudinal seam comprises a heat sealed portion having a predetermined seal strength and a non-heat sealed portion adjacent to and parallel with said heat sealed portion; wherein said non-beat sealed portion comprises a plurality of tear notches; a top seal formed proximate to said first tubular member end; a bottom seal formed proximate to said second tubular member end; and a peelable removable strip formed by manually tearing said non-heat sealed portion between two tear notches to peel away from said package and expose a product enclosed therein; wherein said removable strip has a width defined by substantially parallel side edges extending perpendicular to said longitudinal seam and a length defined, by at least a portion of the circumference of said package.