Easy opening rear seam bags and packaging methods

Abstract

A package bag may be made from a sheet of flexible packaging material that has been folded along a longitudinal direction with the edges of the sheet brought together and sealed to form a longitudinal rear seam. A starter cut has been formed only in the longitudinal seam to facilitate opening the package bag. The package bag may be opened by pulling in opposite directions on the longitudinal seam at points on either side of the starter cut. Such package bags may be made from a sheet of flexible roll stock having one or more notches formed at spaced apart locations along one or more edges of the sheet. When the sheet is folded such that the edges meet and are sealed to form a longitudinal rear seam of a package bag, the notches provide a starter cut for opening the package bag.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to packaging and more particularly to easy open bags and methods of manufacturing such bags. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Modern packaging for food and other products often uses sealed bags having seams at one or more ends of the bag and an exposed seam that usually runs the entire length of the rear of the bag. Such bags have been conventionally made of a packaging material, such as a synthetic resin film or a laminated material formed by laminating the synthetic resin film and an aluminum foil or the like. The package bag is filled with a material to be packed, such as liquids, powders or viscous materials, before being hermetically sealed. [0003] To open the package bag, therefore, it is common practice for a user of the products stored in the bag to cut a sealed portion of the package film as the packaging material with a knife or scissors or break it open with a fingertip. When the package bag is to be cut with a knife ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011] According to an embodiment of the invention, a package bag may be made from a sheet of flexible packaging material that has been folded along a longitudinal direction with the edges of the sheet brought together and sealed to form a longitudinal rear seam. A starter cut is formed only in the rear seam to facilitate opening the package bag. The package bag may be opened by pulling in opposite directions on the longitudinal seam at points on either side of the starter cut.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the invention a composition of matter is provided for forming a package bag. This composition of matter includes a sheet of flexible roll stock having one or more notches formed at spaced apart locations along one or more edges of the sheet. When the sheet is folded such that the edges meet and are sealed to form a longitudinal rear seam, the notches provide a starter cut only in the rear seam for opening package bags formed from the sheet.

Problems solved by technology

When the package bag is to be cut with a knife or scissors, the opening procedure is troublesome, as it requires a tool.

When the package film is to be ruptured with a fingertip, the opening of the package film may not be accomplished easily.

Unfortunately, the material from which these bags are made and the sealing of the seams can make the bag difficult to open.

However, a tear string could be hard to manage on large bags like potato chips.

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