Resealable Flexible Nonporous Bag

Abstract

A resealable flexible nonporous bag includes inner and outer film pockets having tops that are open or separable. The bag includes a plurality of malleable fibers, some of the fibers being sandwiched between first faces of the inner and outer film pockets and some fibers being sandwiched between second faces of the inner and outer film pockets. There is a first fold line in the inner and outer film pocket first faces, the malleable fibers being weakened adjacent the first fold line so as to predispose the inner and outer film pockets to fold along the first fold line. A second fold line is in the inner and outer film pocket second faces, the malleable fibers being weakened in the second fold line to predispose the inner and outer film pockets to fold along the second fold line.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to food containers and, more particularly, to a resealable nonporous bag for selectively maintaining the freshness of food products within the bag.

The large and growing snack food market depends on having appropriate packaging to keep the food products fresh. Flexible nonporous packaging, such as film packaging, is advantageous in that it is virtually impermeable by air or moisture and is inexpensive to manufacture. However, flexible nonporous packaging is not typically resealable once it is initially opened and, as a result, the food products packaged therein tend to become stale and unappetizing.

Various devices and methods have been proposed for maintaining a flexible nonporous bag in a closed configuration after it has been initially or subsequently opened. Namely, the open end of the package may be rolled up or twisted into a closed configuration. While this method may hold the bag closed for a period of time, the bag opening will naturally move toward the open configuration unless it is specifically held closed by tape, a clip, or other fastener. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, the existing devices include fasteners that may become lost, adhesive or metal sealing tape that increase manufacturing costs, or a malleable member that may be repeatedly twisted and untwisted.

Therefore, it would be desirable to have a resealable nonporous film bag that will hold its shape when rolled or twisted by a user. Further, it would be desirable to have a resealable nonporous bag having a multitude of semi-rigid fibers sandwiched between two

Docket 7492 layers of film. In addition, it would be desirable to have a resealable nonporous bag that may be sealed and unsealed many times without degradation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, a resealable flexible nonporous bag according to the present invention includes inner and outer film pockets having tops that are open or separable. The bag includes a plurality of malleable fibers, some of the fibers being sandwiched between first faces of the inner and outer film pockets and some fibers being sandwiched between second faces of the inner and outer film pockets. There is a first fold line in the inner and outer film pocket first faces, the malleable fibers being weakened adjacent the first fold line so as to predispose the inner and outer film pockets to fold along the first fold line. A second fold line is in the inner and outer film pocket second faces, the malleable fibers being weakened in the second fold line to predispose the inner and outer film pockets to fold along the second fold line.

Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a resealable film bag that will hold its shape when bent, folded, or twisted.

Another object of this invention is to provide a resealable film bag having a multitude of semi-rigid fibers sandwiched between two layers of film.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a resealable film bag that is easy to use and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a resealable flexible nonporous bag according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1b is an exploded view of the resealable bag as in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 2a is a side view of the resealable bag as in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 2b is a sectional view taken along line 2b-2b of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 2c is an isolated view on an enlarged scale taken from FIG. 2b;

FIG. 3a is a fragmentary view of the resealable bag as in FIG. 2a;

FIG. 3b is an elevated perspective view of the resealable bag as in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 4a is a side view of the resealable bag as in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 4b is a sectional view taken along line 4b-4b of FIG. 4a;

FIG. 4c is a side view of the resealable film bag as in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 4d is a sectional view taken along line 4d-4d of FIG. 4c;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of a resealable bag according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A resealable flexible nonporous bag will now be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1a through FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings. More particularly, a resealable flexible nonporous bag 100 includes inner and outer film pockets 110, 120 (FIG. 1b). It is understood that reference to “film” in the specification and claims is meant to include flexible nonporous materials such as film, transparent or translucent plastic, film covered paper, and the like, such as is typically used in potato chip, snack (e.g. pretzels), and cereal packaging. While the present invention may be best understood for use with foil packaging, it should be appreciated that many forms of flexible nonporous materials may be used.

As shown in FIG. 1b, the inner film pocket 110 has a top 112a that is open or separable, a bottom 112b, opposed sides 114, and first and second opposed faces 116a, 116b. Similarly, the outer film pocket 120 has a top 122a that is open or separable, a bottom 122b, opposed sides 124, and first and second opposed faces 126a, 126b.

A plurality of malleable fibers 130 are sandwiched between the inner film pocket 110 and the outer film pocket 120. For example, as shown in FIG. 2c, the malleable fibers 130 may be sandwiched between the first face 116a of the inner film pocket 110 and the first face 126a of the outer film pocket 120. Similarly, malleable fibers 130 may be sandwiched between the second face 116b of the inner film pocket 110 and the second face 126b of the outer film pocket 120 (FIG. 1b). At least some of the malleable fibers 130 are bendable to reclose the inner film pocket top 112a and the outer film pocket top 122a after the tops 112a, 122a are open. In other words, the inner and outer pockets 110, 120 (and the malleable fibers 130 therebetween) may be rolled or bent to close the tops 112a, 122a, and the manipulated (e.g., rolled or bent) malleable fibers 130 may keep the tops 112a, 122a closed until further manipulated. The malleable fibers 130 may include metal, plastic, and/or composite materials, and may be based on performance, cost, bonding, and/or other considerations.

As shown in FIG. 5, the outer film pocket 120 includes at least one fold line 125. A first fold line 125a may be in the inner film pocket first face 116a and the outer film pocket first face 126a, for example, and a second fold line 125b may be in the inner film pocket second face 116b and the outer film pocket second face 126b. Except adjacent the fold line(s) 125, the malleable fibers 130 may be generally uniformly configured between the inner and outer film pockets 110, 120. For example, while it should be understood that numerous configurations of the malleable fibers 130 are possible and likely acceptable, the malleable fibers 130 may extend generally parallel to the opposed sides 124 of the outer film pocket 120, and the malleable fibers 130 may be generally equally spaced (FIG. 1b). At the fold line(s) 125, the malleable fibers 130 may be absent or weakened to dispose inner and outer film pockets 110, 120 to fold along the fold line(s) 125 (e.g., the first and second fold lines 125a, 125b).

The fold line(s) 125 (e.g., the first and second fold lines 125a, 125b) may be generally parallel to or curved away from the outer film pocket bottom 122b (FIG. 3a), and may be relatively closer to the outer film pocket bottom 122b than to the outer film pocket top 122a (FIG. 5). If malleable fibers 130 are between the first faces 116a, 116b and between the second faces 126a, 126b (FIGS. 1b and 5), at least some of the malleable fibers 130 between the first faces 116a, 116b may be coupled to or unitary with at least some of the malleable fibers 130 between the second faces 126a, 126b (e.g., at points 119).

In use, contents may be placed in the inner film pocket 110 in a conventional manner, and the tops 112a, 122a may be sealed in a conventional manner. However, once the tops 112a, 122a are opened (FIGS. 1a, 4b, 4d, and 5), the inner and outer pockets 110, 120 (and the malleable fibers 130 therebetween) may be rolled or bent to close the tops 112a, 122a, and the manipulated (e.g., rolled or bent) malleable fibers 130 may keep the tops 112a, 122a closed until further manipulated. By bending the inner and outer pockets 110, 120 at the fold line(s) 125, malleable fibers 130 may allow the inner and outer pockets 110, 120 to remain in a configuration determined by the placement of the fold line(s) 125. For example, as shown in FIG. 4d, the inner and outer film pockets 110, 120 may then be configured to be self-supporting. For comparison, FIG. 4b shows inner and outer film pockets 110, 120 before being bent along fold lines 125. In addition, the fold line(s) 125 may make the inner and outer film pockets 110, 120 (and the malleable fibers 130) easier to bend than if a fold line 125 was not present.

It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A resealable flexible nonporous bag, comprising:

an inner film pocket having a top and a bottom, said inner film pocket top being open or separable;

an outer film pocket having a top and a bottom, said outer film pocket top being open or separable; and

a plurality of malleable fibers sandwiched between said inner film pocket and said outer film pocket;

wherein said outer film pocket includes at least one fold line;

wherein said malleable fibers are generally uniformly configured between said inner and outer film pockets other than adjacent said at least one fold line;

wherein said malleable fibers are absent or weakened adjacent said at least one fold line to predispose said inner and outer film pockets to fold along said at least one fold line; and

wherein at least some said malleable fibers are bendable to reclose said inner film pocket top and said outer film pocket top after said inner film pocket top is open and said outer film pocket top is open.

2. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 1, wherein:

said inner film pocket has opposed sides and first and second opposed faces;

said outer film pocket has opposed sides and first and second opposed faces;

some said malleable fibers are sandwiched between said inner film pocket first face and said outer film pocket first face;

some said malleable fibers are sandwiched between said inner film pocket second face and said outer film pocket second face; and

at least some said malleable fibers between said inner film pocket first face and said outer film pocket first face are coupled to or unitary with at least some said malleable fibers between said inner film pocket second face and said outer film pocket second face.

3. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 2, wherein a majority of said malleable fibers extend generally parallel to said opposed sides of said outer film pocket and to said opposed sides of said inner film pocket.

4. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 3, wherein each said malleable fiber includes at least one metal.

5. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 3, wherein:

a first said fold line is at said outer film pocket first face; and

a second said fold line is at said outer film pocket second face.

6. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 5, wherein:

said first fold line is generally parallel to or curved away from said outer film pocket bottom; and

said second fold line is generally parallel to or curved away from said outer film pocket bottom.

7. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 1, wherein:

said inner film pocket has first and second opposed faces;

said outer film pocket has first and second opposed faces;

some said malleable fibers are sandwiched between said inner film pocket first face and said outer film pocket first face;

some said malleable fibers are sandwiched between said inner film pocket second face and said outer film pocket second face;

one said fold line is at said outer film pocket first face; and

another said fold line is at said outer film pocket second face.

8. A resealable film bag, comprising:

an inner film pocket having a top, a bottom, and first and second opposed faces; said inner film pocket top being open or separable;

an outer film pocket having a top, a bottom, and first and second opposed faces; said outer film pocket top being open or separable;

a plurality of malleable fibers, some said malleable fibers being sandwiched between said inner film pocket first face and said outer film pocket first face, some said malleable fibers being sandwiched between said inner film pocket second face and said outer film pocket second face, at least some said malleable fibers being bendable to reclose said inner film pocket top and said outer film pocket top after said inner film pocket top is open and said outer film pocket top is open;

a first fold line in said inner film pocket first face and said outer film pocket first face, said malleable fibers being absent or weakened adjacent said first fold line to predispose said inner and outer film pockets to fold along said first fold line;

a second fold line in said inner film pocket second face and said outer film pocket second face, said malleable fibers being absent or weakened adjacent said second fold line to predispose said inner and outer film pockets to fold along said second fold line;

said inner and outer film pockets are constructed of a flexible, nonporous material.

9. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 8, wherein at least some said malleable fibers between said inner film pocket first face and said outer film pocket first face are coupled to or unitary with at least some said malleable fibers between said inner film pocket second face and said outer film pocket second face.

10. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 9, wherein:

said first fold line is generally parallel to or curved away from said outer film pocket bottom; and

said second fold line is generally parallel to or curved away from said outer film pocket bottom.

11. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 10, wherein:

said outer film pocket has opposed sides; and

a majority of said malleable fibers extend generally parallel to said opposed sides of said outer film pocket.

12. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 8, wherein:

said first fold line is generally parallel to or curved away from said outer film pocket bottom; and

said second fold line is generally parallel to or curved away from said outer film pocket bottom.

13. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 8, wherein:

said outer film pocket has opposed sides; and

a majority of said malleable fibers extend generally parallel to said opposed sides of said outer film pocket.

14. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 8, wherein at least one said malleable fiber includes at least one metal.

15. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 8, wherein said first fold line is relatively closer to said outer film pocket bottom than to said outer film pocket top.

16. A resealable film bag, comprising:

an inner film pocket having a top, a bottom, and first and second opposed faces; said inner film pocket top being open or separable;

an outer film pocket having a top, a bottom, and first and second opposed faces; said outer film pocket top being open or separable;

a plurality of malleable fibers sandwiched between said inner film pocket first face and said outer film pocket first face, at least some said malleable fibers being bendable to reclose said inner film pocket top and said outer film pocket top after said inner film pocket top is open and said outer film pocket top is open; and

a first fold line in said inner film pocket first face and said outer film pocket first face, said malleable fibers being absent or weakened adjacent said first fold line to predispose said inner and outer film pockets to fold along said first fold line.

17. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 16, wherein said first fold line is generally parallel to or curved away from said outer film pocket bottom.

18. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 17, wherein said first fold line is relatively closer to said outer film pocket bottom than to said outer film pocket top.

19. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 18, wherein:

said outer film pocket has opposed sides; and

a majority of said malleable fibers extend generally parallel to said opposed sides of said outer film pocket.

20. The resealable flexible nonporous bag of claim 19, wherein:

at least one said malleable fiber includes at least one metal; and

said inner and outer film pockets are constructed of aluminum foil.