Container With mid-level closure and tear-off features

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...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[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.

[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.

Problems solved by technology

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.

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.

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