[0001] This invention relates in general to the packaging art, and is more particularly
concerned with a new and improved tamper evident package.
[0002] In U.S. Patent No. 4,786,190 dated November 22, 1988, of Donald L. VanErden and Hugo
Boeckman, there is disclosed a bag type package having a mouth end with a nonreclosable
peel seal above which is a reclosable fastener of the type which can be opened by
pulling apart flange portions above the reclosable fastener whereby to open the reclosable
fastener, after which the peel seal can be opened by continuing pull apart opening
force. Thereafter, the reclosable fastener can be utilized to reclose the package
if desired, but the peel seal remains permanently open after it has once been opened
for access into the package.
[0003] However, insofar as the package disclosed in said copending application is concerned,
there is no superficial tamper evident feature, that is, something at the outside
of the package that would make any tampering immediately obvious, so that if the reclosable
fastener is opened and the peel seal opened surreptitiously, the package can be closed
by means of the reclosable fastener and then it may be overlooked that the peel seal
has been disturbed. This may be of particular concern where the package is displayed
for sales purposes. For some products, it is highly desirable that the product be
hermetically sealed within the package for shelf life and to maintain freshness of
the product as well as to maintain product free from contamination. The peel seal
provides hermetic seal assurance; and in a sense may be considered a tamper evident
nonreclosable closure means. However, because the peel seal is located inwardly relative
to the reclosable fastener, the package is subject to apprehension of possible pilfering
or tampering which may not be detected until the reclosable fastener has been legitimately
opened to gain access to the peel seal closure.
[0004] While U.S. Patent Nos. 3,198,228, 3,473,589 and 3,780,781 disclose reclosable profile
fasteners or zippers, and a tear-off or tear-open top on the bag for access to the
zipper, there is no disclosure in those patents of a bag or package that has the hermetic
seal advantages of a peel seal inwardly relative to the reclosable fastener.
[0005] An important object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved bag
or package structure having a pilfer/tamper evident feature together with a reclosable
fastener and a peel seal nonreclosable closure.
[0006] Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved bag or package equipped
with a hermetic peel seal nonreclosable closure and a reclosable fastener, and pilfer/tamper
evident means which must be destructively passed to gain access to the reclosable
fastener and the peel seal closure.
[0007] According to the present invention there is provided a package having opposed wall
panels secured together and defining a receptacle space therebetween, and comprising
a package mouth defined between upper end portions of said wall panels which extend
between opposite sides of the package; a one- time openable non-reclosable peel seal
closure means extending in a relatively narrow band from side-to-side of the package
and securing said panels together substantially below the upper ends of said upper
end portions and initially maintaining said mouth fixedly closed; reclosable fastener
means located below said upper ends of said upper end portions, but above said peel
seal closure means and functioning for maintaining said mouth closed after said non-reclosable
peel seal closure means has been opened; said fastener means being reclosable by digital
pressure applied theretoward on the outer faces of the wall panel areas, and being
adapted to be manually pulled open and reclosed for selectively opening and closing
said mouth; and pilfer/tamper evident means securing said upper end portions against
separation and requiring permanent destruction of said pilfer/tamper evident means
before access can be had to said fastener means, so that after said pilfer/tamper
evident means has been destroyed, said fastener means can be opened, if closed, responsive
to digital pullapart force applied to said upper end portions of the wall panels for
gaining access to said non-reclosable peel seal closure means, and said non-reclosable
peel seal closure means being then openable by continuing pullapart force applied
to said upper end portions of said wall panels, after said fastener means has been
pulled open, for gaining complete access into said receptacle space, and said fastener
means being thereafter reclosably closable as the sole closure for the package mouth.
ON THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent
from the following detailed description of representative embodiments thereof, taken
in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, although variations and modifications
may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts
embodied in the disclosure, and in which:
Fig. 1 is a fragmental plan view of a package structure embodying the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially along
the line II-II in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the package with the
tamper evident means destructively removed for opening the package;
Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view taken substantially along the line IV-IV in Fig.
3;
Fig. 5 is a schematic view demonstrating certain steps in assembling and completing
the package; and
Fig. 6 shows a modification.
[0009] A bag or package structure 10 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and embodying the present
invention, comprises wall panels 11 which may be plastic film and may be hermetically
sealed along a bottom heat sealed seam 12 and hermetically sealed along side heat
seal seams 13. This encloses a product receiving space 14 within which any desired
product 15 may be packaged.
[0010] At the upper or mouth end of the package 10, the wall panels 11 have upper end portions
17 provided with a reclosable fastener means 18 which in the present instance comprises
a zipper having complementary extruded plastic profiled fastener strips 19, one of
which is permanently connected to the inside of one of the portions 17 and the other
of which is permanently connected to the inside of the other of the portions 17. One
of the fastener strips 19 has a groove shaped profile 20 which receives an aligned
rib shaped profile 21 on the other of the fastener strips in a releasably interlocked
manner so that the zipper 18 can be opened by pulling apart upward flange extensions
22 of the portions 17 and applying pull apart force sufficient to unsnap the zipper
profiles which have been previously snappingly interlocked by opposed pressure applied
to the outside of the portions 17.
[0011] Spaced inwardly from the reclosable fastener 18 is a hermetic peel seal closure 23
which extends across the package 10 and together with the bottom seal 12 and the side
edge seals 13 fully hermetically seals the product space 14.
[0012] Tamper evident means 24 are provided at the top ends of the pull flange extensions
22. To this end, the upper ends of the flange extensions 22 are permanently sealed
as by means of a heat seal seam 25 which at its opposite ends joins the contiguous
ends of the side seals 13. As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, two of the packages 10 may be
formed head-to-head so that a common double width seam 25 connects the packages. Then
the double width seam 25 may be split along a median line 26 to separate the packages,
and with the single width seam 25 intact on each package.
[0013] A line of weakening 27 such as perforations extends on each of the flange extensions
22 parallel and adjacent throughout a major extent length from side-to-side of the
respective flange extensions 22 and with the ends of the lines of weakening 27 turned
arcuately downwardly and extending across the side seams 13 at spot seals 28 and which
spot seals seal the ends of the zipper 18 to the side seams 13. This affords handy
digitally engagable ears 29 at the opposite ends of a destructively removable tamper
evident tear-off strip 30 defined by the coincident lines of weakening 27.
[0014] For gaining entrance into the product space 14, therefore, it is necessary first
to remove the tear-off strip 30 which can be readily accomplished by grasping one
of the ears 29 and ripping the tear-off strip from the top ends of the flange extensions
22. This leaves the package 10 in the condition shown in Fig. 4 wherein the top ends
of the flange extrusions 22 are free from one another. Then, by grasping the flange
extensions 22 and pulling them apart, the zipper 18 can be opened by applying pull
apart separation force in opposite directions to the wall panel portions 17, as seen
at schematic A. By continuing the pull apart force to the peel seal 23, the peel seal
is permanently opened, as seen at schematic B. When it is desired to reclose the package,
the reclosable zipper 18 is closed by applying closing pressure thereto from opposite
sides through the panel portions, and the zipper returns to the condition shown in
full lines in Fig. 4.
[0015] In Fig. 5 is shown schematically how two package making film strips S capable of
producing two lines of packages 10 can be fed along a production line to receive the
product 15 within the product space areas of the packages and the strips S then brought
together, the respective peel seals 23 formed, the zippers 18 closed, the joint top
seals 25 completed and the thus formed lines of packages 10 separated by severing
the joint top seals 25 longitudinally along the median line 26. Either at this time
or prior the lines of weakening or perforations 27 may be formed. After the lines
of packages 10 have been separated as stated, the individual packages 10 in each line
may be separated from each other before or after being filled with product 15.
[0016] In Fig. 6 is shown a modification of the disclosure in Fig. 5 in that the wall panels
11′ are primarily formed from sheet material such as plastic film of suitable gauge,
but the upper end portions 17′ are provided in the form of extruded plastic fastener
strips attached to the wall panel sheet material as by means of fusion welding or
hot melt adhesive at 31. The reclosable fastener means 18′ comprises integral extruded
plastic interlockable fastener profiles 20′ and 21′ on the strips 17′. Initially the
strips 17′ are of double width, with two sets of the profiles 20′ and 21′, and with
these sets of profiles spaced sufficiently to provide ample material for provision
of the joint top seal 25′ for the two lines of packages 10′ which are adapted to be
separated from one another along the median severance line 26′. Just as discussed
in connection with Fig. 5, the individual package 10′ is in each line may be separated
from each other before or after being filled with product.
[0017] The peel seals 23′ are formed across the sheet body portions of the panels 11′ and
spaced from the joints 31. The lines of weakening or perforations 27′ are formed in
the head-to-head upper portions 17′ of the lines of bags 10′ so that after the separation
26′ there will be provided for each of the bags 10′ a destructively removable pilfer/tamper
evident tear-off strip 30′.
[0018] It will be understood that variations and modifications may be effected without departing
from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.
1. A package having opposed wall panels secured together and defining a receptacle
space therebetween, and comprising: a package mouth defined between upper end portions
of said wall panels and which extend between opposite sides of the package; a one-time
openable non-reclosable peel seal closure means extending in a relatively narrow band
from side-to-side of the package and securing said panels together substantially below
the upper ends of said upper end portions and initially maintaining said mouth fixedly
closed; reclosable fastener means comprising a plastic extruded profile zipper assembly
extending from side-to-side of the package and located below said upper ends of said
upper end portions, but above said peel seal closure means and functioning for maintaining
said mouth closed after said non-reclosable peel seal closure means has been opened;
said zipper assembly having spot seals at said opposite sides of the package; said
zipper assembly being reclosable by digital pressure applied theretoward on the outer
faces of the wall panel areas, and being adapted to be manually pulled open and reclosed
for selectively opening and closing said mouth; and pilfer/tamper evident means securing
said upper end portions against separation and comprising a permanent connection extending
from side-to-side of the top ends of said upper end portions, and a line of weakening
extending throughout most of its length parallel to and adjacent to said connection
requiring permanent destruction of said pilfer/tamper evident means by tearing off
of a top end strip comprised of said upper end portions when it is desired to gain
access into the package; said lines of weakening turning downwardly at their ends
to the side edges of said package and across said spot seals; so that after said pilfer/tamper
evident means has been destroyed, said fastener means can be opened, if closed, responsive
to digital pullapart force applied to said upper end portions of the wall panels for
gaining access to said non-reclosable peel seal closure means, and said non-reclosable
peel seal closure means being openable by continuing pullapart force applied to said
upper end portions of said wall panels, after said fastener means has been pulled
open, for gaining complete access into said receptacle space, and said fastener means
being thereafter reclosably closable as the sole closure for the package mouth.
2. A method of making a package having opposed wall panels secured together and defining
a receptacle space therebetween, and comprising: providing a package mouth defined
between upper end portions of said wall panels and which extend between opposite sides
of the package; providing a one-time openable non-reclosable peel seal closure means
extending in a relatively narrow band from side-to-side of the bag and securing said
panels together substantially below the upper ends of said upper end portions and
initially maintaining said mouth fixedly closed; providing reclosable fastener means
comprising a plastic extruded profile zipper assembly extending from side-to-side
of the package and located below said upper ends of said upper end portions, but above
said peel seal closure means and functioning for maintaining said mouth closed after
said non-reclosable peel seal closure means has been opened; providing said zipper
assembly with spot seals at said opposite sides of the pakage; said zipper assembly
being reclosable by digital pressure applied theretoward on the outer faces of the
wall panel areas, and being adapted to be manually pulled open and reclosed for selectively
opening and closing said mouth; and providing pilfer/tamper evident means and thereby
securing said upper end portions against separation, and comprising providing a permanent
connection extending from side-to-side of the top ends of said upper end portions,
and providing a line of weakening extending throughout most of its length parallel
to and adjacent to said connections and requiring permanent destruction of said pilfer/tamper
evident means by tearing off of a top end strip comprised of said upper end portions
when it is desired to gain access into the package; turning said lines of weakening
downwardly at their ends to the side edges of said package and across said spot seals;
so that after said pilfer/tamper evident means has been destroyed, said fastener means
can be opened, if closed, responsive to digital pullapart force applied to said upper
end portions of the wall panels for gaining access to said non-reclosable peel seal
closure means, and said non-reclosable peel seal closure means being openable by continuing
pullapart force applied to said upper end portions of said wall panels, after said
fastener means has been pulled open, for gaining complete access into said receptacle
space, and said fastener means being thereafter reclosably closable as the sole closure
for the bag mouth.
3. A method according to claim 5, which comprises providing said tear off strip with
ear means adjacent to said spot seals and facilitating digital manipulation for tearing
off said strip.
4. A method according to claim 3, which comprises providing said ear means by the
turning of said lines of weakening downwardly across said spot seals.
5. A method of making a package having opposed wall panels secured together and defining
a product receiving space therebetween, and comprising: forming said wall panels primarily
from sheet material; providing a package mouth defined between upper end portions
of said wall panels and which extend between opposite sides of the package; permanently
closing the upper ends of said upper end portions; providing a reclosable extruded
plastic fastener comprising interengageable fastener profiles; providing lines of
weakening across said upper end portions adjacently below said upper ends of said
upper end portions whereby to define a tear off strip; providing a separable fastener
spaced below said lines of weakening and providing spot seals at ends of said fastener
at the opposite sides of said package; extending the opposite end portions of said
line of weakening across said spot seals; and providing a peel seal closure spaced
below said reclosable fastener; whereby it is necessary to tear off said tear-off
strip before gaining access through said reclosable fastener to said peel seal for
opening said peel seal to gain access into said product receiving space.