U.S. patent application number 13/540173 was filed with the patent office on 2012-10-25 for pouch opening feature and method for making the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to SONOCO DEVELOPMENT, INC.. Invention is credited to John Prizzi, Barry R. Reese, Lea Wayne.
Application Number | 20120269468 13/540173 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41568897 |
Filed Date | 2012-10-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120269468 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Prizzi; John ; et
al. |
October 25, 2012 |
Pouch Opening Feature and Method for Making the Same
Abstract
A flexible packaging structure has built-in opening features in
a laminate with a first structure adhesively joined to a second
structure. A tear area is formed by laser ablation of the laminate
along a junction between the first and second portions preferably
prior to assembling the laminate into the package. Laser ablation
begins at the center of the tear area and progressively moves the
laser in a direction radially outward from the center of the tear
area. During assembly of the package, a seal is formed between end
portions of the first and second portions of the laminate. A score
line and a sealant reduction area are also introduced to the
package to facilitate opening. The package is opened by pulling the
seal near the tear area in a direction along the score line until
the contents of the package are accessible.
Inventors: |
Prizzi; John; (Southbury,
CT) ; Reese; Barry R.; (Hartsville, SC) ;
Wayne; Lea; (Downers Grove, IL) |
Assignee: |
SONOCO DEVELOPMENT, INC.
Hartsville
SC
|
Family ID: |
41568897 |
Appl. No.: |
13/540173 |
Filed: |
July 2, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12180709 |
Jul 28, 2008 |
8230664 |
|
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13540173 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
383/207 ;
383/200 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C 59/007 20130101;
Y10T 156/1052 20150115; B29C 2791/009 20130101; B65D 75/5816
20130101; Y10T 428/15 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/207 ;
383/200 |
International
Class: |
B65D 30/10 20060101
B65D030/10 |
Claims
1. A flexible package having built-in opening features comprising:
a laminate having a first structure comprising one or more layers
of flexible material laminated to a second structure comprising at
least a sealant layer, the laminate having a substantially circular
tear area in a top seal area of the laminate, the tear area being
formed by using a laser beam to penetrate through at least a
portion of a thickness of the laminate, wherein the laser beam
initially starts acting on the laminate at a center of the tear
area, and the laser beam is progressively moved along a path
extending around and radially outwardly from the center and
finishes by defining an outer perimeter of the tear area; the
laminate, having the tear area, being formed into a tube and
opposite longitudinal edge portions of the laminate being joined
together, a top end of the tube being closed by sealing the
laminate in the top seal area, and a bottom end of the tube being
closed by sealing the laminate in a bottom seal area, thus forming
a package having a front panel and a rear panel, with a first
juncture between the front and rear panels forming a first
longitudinal edge of the package and a second juncture between the
front and rear panels forming an opposite second longitudinal edge
of the package, and with the tear area forming a tear feature at
the first longitudinal edge of the package where tearing of the
laminate can be initiated to open the package.
2. The flexible package of claim 1, wherein the tear area
penetrates completely through the thickness of the laminate forming
a hole through the laminate.
3. The flexible package of claim 1, comprising a region of the
sealant layer in the top seal area ablated by a laser beam so as to
form a sealant reduction area, the sealant reduction area being
positioned along a path along which the laminate will be torn
during opening of the package.
4. The flexible package of claim 3, further comprising a
longitudinal fin seal sealing together an inside fin panel and an
outside/visible fin panel, and wherein the sealant layer on a
portion of the inside fin panel is laser-ablated, said portion of
the inside fin panel being located along said path along which the
laminate will be torn during opening of the package.
5. The flexible package of claim 1, further comprising a score line
in the laminate adjacent to the tear area.
6. The flexible package of claim 5, wherein the score line is a
laser-formed score line.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of currently pending U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 12/180,709, filed Jul. 28, 2008, the
entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This disclosure relates to food or beverage containers in
the form of a sealed pouch or the like formed from flexible
laminate material. The laminate typically includes at least a
barrier layer and a sealant layer. Edges of the laminate material
are sealed together via the sealant layer to create the pouch or
other configuration.
[0003] A variety of food and non-food products are packaged using
flexible packaging materials formed primarily of laminations of one
or more of polymer films, metallized polymer films, paper, metal
foil, and the like. In many instances, it is desirable to provide
easy access to the contents of the package such that a user can
provide minimal effort to open the package without the risk of
injury. Packages that are easily opened, however, typically suffer
from being poorly sealed resulting in the contents of the package
being adversely affected (e.g., becoming soggy, drying out, etc.)
by exposure to the surrounding environment.
[0004] Easy opening of such flexible packaging has been a
longstanding problem to which much effort has been devoted toward
developing a satisfactory solution by many workers in the field.
Mechanical or laser ablation to form a notch or line of weakening
in the laminate material, at which tearing of the material can be
initiated, has been the typical approach. In the case of
laser-formed opening features, a past approach has been to ablate
partway through the thickness of the laminate to weaken it while
attempting to not compromise the barrier function of the laminate.
These techniques have not met with complete success in all cases,
particularly when the unablated portions of the laminate are a
highly extensible material, because the extensible layers may not
tear easily. Instead, the highly extensible materials typically
stretch, and thus, result in opening failures of the package.
[0005] Further, mechanical processes to form a notch or line of
weakening in the laminate material add complexity and scrap to the
manufacturing process. The equipment involved with mechanical
processes, such as die-cutting equipment, typically involves
numerous moving parts. Manufacturing processes involving moving
parts typically malfunction more frequently and become misaligned,
and thus, additional maintenance of the manufacturing process is
required to repair and/or align the moving parts. Mechanical
processes also can create scrap that may interfere with the
manufacturing process or may need to be removed by a separate
process, adding cost and complexity to the overall manufacturing
process.
[0006] Accordingly, there is a need for an improved manufacturing
process to produce opening features for sealed pouches formed from
flexible laminate that securely seals the contents of a package
during the packing process but allows the package to be easily
opened by the consumer.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0007] The present disclosure addresses the above needs and
achieves other advantages, by providing a flexible packaging
structure and method for making same, in which the structure has
opening features built into the structure. In accordance with one
embodiment of the invention a laminate with a first structure is
joined in face-to-face relation to a second structure through the
use of an adhesive. After assembly of the packaging structure a
seal area is formed that includes an end of a front portion and an
end of a rear portion of the laminate, the rear portion of the
laminate being adjacent to the front portion when the laminate is
in a flat or unassembled state. The seal areas include a first tear
area along the front portion of the laminate and a second tear area
along the rear portion of the laminate. Both the first and second
tear areas are formed prior to foaming the seal and preferably when
the laminate is in the flat or unassembled state.
[0008] In some embodiments, the first and second tear areas may
have a laminate thickness that is different, and preferably less
than, the thickness of the laminate adjacent to the tear areas. The
flexible packaging structure may optionally have first and second
tears areas that are completely free from any laminate material. To
create the tear area any number of mechanical, electrical, thermal,
or chemical means may be used. Ideally, the first and second tear
areas are formed using laser ablation.
[0009] The tear areas of the laminate may be positioned along a
junction between the front and rear portions of the laminate, and
such tear areas may take the shape of substantially parabolic
segments with respect to the junction. A fold may then be
introduced along the junction such that the tear areas partially or
fully overlap. The fold will also act to bring the sealant film of
the front and rear portions together to form a seal in the flexible
package. Prior to forming a seal, however, portions of the sealant
film may be removed from a sealant reduction area to facilitate
opening the completed package. Additionally, a score line may be
formed in the seal area of the laminate. Such a score line is
preferably oriented in a tearing direction and adjacent the first
tear area.
[0010] In accordance with another embodiment, the flexible
packaging structure has built-in opening features and is
constructed from a laminate with a first structure joined to a
second structure in a face-to-face relationship via a sealant layer
of the laminate. The opening feature is formed in the laminate and
includes a substantially circular tear area. Laser ablation may be
used to form the tear area such that some or all of the laminate is
removed along a junction between the first and second portions of
the laminate. A center of the tear area can be offset in a
perpendicular direction from a line formed by the junction between
the first and second portions. The tear area may be formed prior to
assembling the laminate into the flexible packaging structure.
During assembly of the flexible packaging structure a fold may be
introduced along the junction of the laminate, and thus, forming a
groove at the tear area.
[0011] A seal is formed between end portions of the first and
second portions with a sealant film, and a score line is formed
along the seal adjacent to the tear area. A sealant reduction area
of the first portion may be formed prior to forming the seal by
having a portion of the surface sealant film removed prior to
assembly of the flexible packaging structure. The flexible
packaging structure is opened by pulling the seal near the junction
and the tear area in a direction generally parallel to the score
line until the contents of the flexible packaging structure are
accessible.
[0012] The process of producing the package in accordance with the
present disclosure comprises adhesively joining the first structure
to a second structure so as to form a laminate. A sealant film can
then be a layer of the laminate. The tear area of the flexible
packaging structure is formed by using laser ablation to penetrate
through a least a portion of a thickness of the laminate material.
More specifically, laser ablation of the tear area of the laminate
begins at a center of the tear area and progressively moves the
laser in a direction radially outwardly from the center until the
laser creates a substantially circular perimeter of the tear
area.
[0013] The process may involving the formation of other opening
features such as forming a score line adjacent the tear area and
substantially perpendicular to the junction between the first and
second structures. Further, a sealant reduction area can be formed
by removing a portion of the sealant film of the laminate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Having thus described the disclosure in general terms,
reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are
not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic depiction of a first phase of a
manufacturing method for making a flexible packaging structure in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic depiction of a second phase of the
method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic depiction of a second phase of the
method in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the laminate used to form a
flexible packaging structure in accordance with one embodiment of
the invention
[0019] FIG. 5 is a front view of a package that can be formed from
a flexible packaging structure made in accordance with the
embodiment FIG. 4;
[0020] FIG. 6 shows an enlarged portion of the tear area of the
package in FIG. 5 in a partially opened state.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The present inventions now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
some but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed,
these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should
not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein;
rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will
satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like
elements throughout.
[0022] As an initial overview of preferred embodiments of the
invention, a flexible packaging laminate is constructed to have a
built-in opening feature. The laminate is constructed as a
multi-layer structure by adhesively laminating a first structure to
a second structure, wherein each of the first and second structures
comprise one or more layers of flexible material. Adhesive may be
applied to one of the structures before lamination. Once the
laminate is formed, laser ablation operations are performed along
portions of the laminate using a laser to penetrate through at
least a portion of a thickness of the laminate material. Laser
ablation of the tear areas of the laminate preferably begins at the
center of a tear area, and progressively the laser moves in a
direction radially outwardly from the center until the laser
delineates, for example, a substantially circular perimeter of the
tear area. The laser ablation process may also be used to form a
score line adjacent the tear area and substantially perpendicular
to a junction between two portions of the laminate. Further, laser
ablation may also be used to form a sealant reduction area along
the second structure of the laminate by, for example, ablating an
area of the second structure of the laminate. The second structure
of the laminate may be a sealant film.
[0023] More particularly, with reference to FIG. 1, a first phase
of the manufacturing process is depicted. A first structure 10 is
advanced from a supply roll 12 by suitable web driving and handling
equipment (not shown) to an optional print station 14 comprising a
printing apparatus, such as a rotogravure printer or the like, for
printing graphics and/or indicia on the first structure by applying
inks to a surface of the first structure. The first structure 10
comprises one or more layers of flexible packaging material.
Various materials can be used for the layer(s) of the first
structure, including polymers such polyesters, polyolefins
(including homopolymers and copolymers), polyamides, and others;
paper; metal foil; and the like. The first structure 10 may include
an outer layer (not illustrated) that is substantially transparent
and is reverse-printed in the print station 14, i.e., the inks are
applied to the surface of the first structure 10 that is
subsequently laminated to another structure, as described below,
from the opposite side of the first structure, which will form an
exterior of a package constructed from the packaging laminate, such
that the inks are visible through the first structure. As an
example, the first structure 10 can comprise a layer of polyester
such as polyethylene terephthalate or the like.
[0024] Prior to printing the first structure in the print station,
the surface of the first structure that is subsequently laminated
to the other structure can be treated by a corona discharge or
flame treatment apparatus 16 to render the surface more receptive
to the inks and/or to render the surface more readily bondable to
the adhesive that is subsequently applied to the surface as
described below. Alternatively, the first structure 10 can have
already been so treated prior to being wound into the supply roll
12, such that the treatment apparatus 16 is unnecessary.
[0025] Following the optional corona/flame treatment and/or
optional printing operation, and with reference to FIG. 1, the
first structure 10 is advanced to an optional first adhesive
application station 18 at which, for example, a pressure-sensitive
adhesive (not illustrated) is applied to the first structure.
[0026] The pressure-sensitive adhesive can comprise various
compositions. Pressure-sensitive adhesives form viscoelastic bonds
that are aggressively and permanently tacky, adhere without the
need of more than a finger or hand pressure, and require no
activation by water, solvent or heat. Pressure-sensitive adhesives
are often based on non-crosslinked rubber adhesives in a latex
emulsion or solvent-borne form, or can comprise acrylic and
methacrylate adhesives, styrene copolymers (SIS/SBS), and
silicones. Acrylic adhesives are known for excellent environmental
resistance and fast-setting time when compared with other resin
systems. Acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives often use an acrylate
system. Natural rubber, synthetic rubber or elastomer sealants and
adhesives can be based on a variety of systems such as silicone,
polyurethane, chloroprene, butyl, polybutadiene, isoprene, or
neoprene. When the packaging laminate of the invention is to be
used for food packaging, the pressure-sensitive adhesive generally
must be a food-grade composition. Various pressure-sensitive
adhesives are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for
use in direct food contact, as regulated by 21 CFR Part 175.300. A
preferred food-grade pressure-sensitive adhesive for use in the
present invention is Jonbond 743 available from Bostik Findley.
Additives (e.g., particulates or the like) can be added to the
pressure-sensitive adhesive to reduce the tenacity of the bond to
the underlying second structure 42, if necessary, so that the
pressure-sensitive adhesive readily detaches from the second
structure on opening (particularly on the very first opening).
[0027] The optional adhesive application station 18 can comprise
any suitable device capable of accurately applying the
pressure-sensitive adhesive to the first structure. For example, as
shown, the adhesive application station can comprise a roll 24 that
picks up the pressure-sensitive adhesive from a reservoir 26 on the
outer surface of the roll. A doctor blade 28 may be used to scrape
off any excess adhesive. The first structure 10 is contacted by the
roll 24; a backing roll 30 provides support on the opposite side of
the first structure 10. After the optional first adhesive
application station 18, the first structure 10 is advanced to a
dryer 31 such as an oven or the like, to dry any pressure-sensitive
adhesive applied to the first structure.
[0028] The first structure 10 is then advanced to a second adhesive
application station 32 at which a permanent laminating adhesive
(not illustrated) may be applied to the first structure 10 as an
alternative to the application of a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
The permanent laminating adhesive is applied in such a manner that
a sufficiently large proportion of the surface is covered by the
permanent adhesive 34 to permit the first structure 10 to be
adhesively attached to a second structure 42 at a downstream
laminating station 40. A suitable adhesive application device 32,
as shown, for the permanent adhesive can be a roll 24 as previously
described. The permanent adhesive 34 can comprise various
compositions. Suitable examples include two-component polyurethane
adhesive systems, such as Tycel 7900/7283 available from Henkel.
After the application of the permanent adhesive 34, the first
structure 10 is advanced to a dryer 33 such as an oven or the
like.
[0029] The first structure 10 is then advanced to a laminating
station 40, comprising a pair of rolls forming a nip therebetween.
The first structure 10 is passed through the nip along with a
second structure 42 that is advanced from its own supply roll 44,
and the first and second structures 10, 42 are laminated to each
other. The second structure 42 comprises one or more layers of
flexible material, and is coextensive with the first structure
10--i.e., the width of the second structure 42 is substantially
equal to the width of the first structure 10 and the longitudinal
edges of the second structure 42 substantially coincide with the
longitudinal edges of the first structure 10.
[0030] The laminate may also optionally include a metallization
layer or a metal foil layer between the first structure 10 and the
second structure 42. This is beneficial in enhancing the barrier
performance of the laminate as already noted. Additionally,
however, the metallization layer or 85 metal foil layer can also be
helpful when a laser is used for ablating only the first structure
10 or the second structure 42. For example, it can be difficult to
employ a sufficiently high laser energy to ablate through a
polyethylene sealant layer without ablating through the laminate
more deeply than desired. Thus, the metallization layer or metal
foil layer can be helpful in "tuning" the laser to penetrate only
up to the metallization layer or foil layer.
[0031] The resulting laminate 46 is then advanced to a reel-up (not
shown) where it is wound into a roll for subsequent processing in
the second phase of the manufacturing process as described below.
Alternatively, it is possible for the reel-up operation to be
omitted, such that the laminate is directly advanced to the second
phase.
[0032] With reference to FIG. 2, the second phase of the process is
now described. A supply roll 48 of the laminate 46 formed in the
first phase of the process is shown. The laminate is advanced from
the supply roll to a first laser ablation station 50 at which an
ablated area is formed through the thickness of the first structure
10. The first ablation station 50 can comprise a laser 54 and
sensor 56 as depicted in FIG. 2. The use of lasers for ablating
through flexible materials is generally known, for example as
described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,499, incorporated herein by
reference. The depth of the ablation formed by the laser can be
regulated by regulating the power output or beam intensity of the
laser beam, the width or spot size of the laser beam, and the
amount of time a given spot on the film surface is irradiated by
the beam. These factors generally are selected based on the
characteristics of the material being ablated. Some materials are
more readily ablated by lasers than other materials, as known in
the art. Sensor 56 can detect a feature, such as an eye mark, on
the laminate 46 whose location is known, so that the ablation by
laser 54 is in registration with the parameters of the package
design based on signals from the detector, as would be understood
by one of ordinary skill in the art.
[0033] Next, the laminate is advanced to an optional second
ablation station 60 that can comprise a laser 64 and sensor 66. The
operation of the laser 64 is synchronized with the advancement of
the laminate in a manner as described above.
[0034] As an alternative to the use of lasers for ablation of the
laminate, ablation of the laminate 46 may be accomplished by
cutting or chemical removal. For instance, as depicted in FIG. 3, a
first ablation station 50' can comprise a kiss roll 51 and backing
roll 53 that form a nip through which the laminate is passed. The
kiss roll 51 comprises a rotary cutting die defining a cutting edge
(not shown). The kiss roll acts in conjunction with the backing
roll to cut partially through the thickness of the laminate
starting from the outer surface of the first structure 10, such
that the first structure 10 is substantially ablated through while
the second structure 42 is left intact. The second ablation station
60' likewise comprises a kiss roll 61 and backing roll 63 for
ablating through the second structure 42.
[0035] Additionally, it is within the scope of the invention to
ablate one side of the laminate via laser and to cut or otherwise
mechanically or chemically ablate the other side. This can be
advantageous, for example, when one of the structures making up the
laminate is readily ablated by a laser but the other structure is
not. For instance, when the first structure 10 is a polyester such
as PET, it can readily be ablated with a laser, but if a
polyethylene heat seal layer is employed on the opposite side,
laser ablation may not be the best choice because polyethylene does
not ablate well with a laser. In this case, kiss cutting or other
mechanical process can be used to ablate the inner structure
42.
[0036] After the ablation operations, the laminate 46 can be sent
to a reel-up (not shown) and wound into a roll for subsequent
processing. The laminate can also be slit into a plurality of
partial widths and wound into multiple rolls. In this latter
instance, each partial width would have the recurring patterns of
adhesives applied with suitably configured adhesive applicators to
the full-width material, and would have the recurring ablated areas
formed by suitably configured ablation devices acting on either the
full-width laminate prior to slitting or acting on each
partial-width portion after slitting.
[0037] Some possible applications for the resulting laminate are
now explained with reference to FIGS. 4-6. FIGS. 4-6 show a
flexible package 94 and the associated laminate portion 70. The
flexible package 94 includes a laminate portion 70 cut from the
laminate 46 that is manipulated to form a package to hold one or
more of an assortment of contents and is sealed to enclose the
contents.
[0038] As illustrated in FIG. 4, a flexible package 94 is formed
from a laminate portion 70 cut from laminate 46 using various
methods known in the art. Laminate portion 70 includes a number of
sections that make up different parts of a fully formed flexible
package 94. The laminate 70 includes a top end 74 with a top seal
area 76 represented by a hatched region. Top portion 74 also
includes first tear area 78 and second tear area 79 and one or more
sealant reduction areas 80. The laminate portion 70 also includes a
bottom end 72 with a bottom seal area 76 represented by a hatched
region.
[0039] FIG. 4 also illustrates parts of the laminate portion 70
that make up the different panels or portions of a finished
flexible package 94. The panels spanning the entire height of the
laminate portion 70 include the front panel 82, first-visible rear
panel 84, visible fin panel 86, second-visible rear panel 88,
covered rear panel 90, and interior fin panel 92. Each of the
panels of the laminate portion 70 abut one or more other panels at
junctions 93 illustrated by dashed lines. In particular, visible
fin panel 86 forms a junction 93 with a side of the first-visible
rear panel 84, and the front panel 82 forms another junction 93
with the first-visible rear panel 84. The second-visible rear panel
88 forms a junction 93 with the front panel 82, the same junction
93 also separating the first tear area 78 from the second tear area
79. Another junction 93 is located between the second-visible rear
panel 88 and the covered rear panel 90. Finally, a junction exists
between the covered rear panel 90 and the interior fin panel
92.
[0040] The tear areas 78, 79 of the laminate are preferably
positioned along the junction 93 between the front panel 82 and the
second-visible rear panel 88 in an abutting relationship. The shape
of the tear areas 78, 79 may be substantially semi-circular or
parabolic segments with respect to the junction 93. Together, tear
areas 78, 79, when abutting each other, may form a substantially
circular area on the laminate portion 70. A center area formed
between the combination of the abutting tear areas 78, 79 may be
offset in a perpendicular direction from the junction 93 existing
between tear areas 78, 79.
[0041] The sealant reduction areas 80 are positioned in the top
seal portion 76 of the laminate portion 70. In a preferred
embodiment, sealant reduction areas 80 are located in the top seal
portion 76 of the front panel 82, the first-visible rear panel 84,
and the interior fin panel 92. The sealant reduction areas 80 of
the preferred embodiment are also positioned adjacent to one or
both of tear areas 78, 79. The sealant reduction areas 80 are also
preferably positioned along a path that the laminate portion will
be torn by a user of the flexible package 94.
[0042] Formation of the first tear area 78, second tear area 79,
and sealant reduction areas 80 may be accomplished through the use
of a laser ablation process discussed above. By performing laser
ablation on a surface of the laminate portion 70, a laser can be
configured to penetrate through either a portion or the full
thickness of the laminate portion 70. Ablation of a tear area of
the laminate portion 70 preferably begins at a center of the area
to be ablated and progressively moves the laser in a direction
radially outwardly from the center of the tear area. The use of
such a technique helps in reducing the amount of scrap material
from the laminate portion 70 that may be produced during the
ablation process. Ablation of the laminate portion 70 may also
include the formation of a score line adjacent to the tear areas
78, 79. Such a score line is preferably oriented in a tearing
direction and adjacent the tear areas 76, 78.
[0043] FIG. 5 illustrates a fully assembled flexible package 94
constructed from the laminate portion 70 described above. The edges
or creases of the flexible package are formed along the respective
junctions 93 to form the different panels and fin of the flexible
package 94. The flexible package 94 is manipulated into a tubular
shape, and bottom end 72 and the top end 74 of the laminate portion
70 are sealed together along seal areas 76. After the flexible
package 94 has been sealed, tear areas 76, 78 are exposed along the
junction between the front panel 92 and second-visible rear panel
88 to form a groove to assist in beginning the opening process of
the flexible package 94.
[0044] When the flexible package 94 is opened, a tear is created in
the flexible package 94 at the groove formed by the tear areas 76,
78 as illustrated in FIG. 6. After a tear is created in the
flexible package 94, the tear is propagated in a transverse
direction such that the tear passes through the sealant reduction
areas 80 to facilitate opening the flexible package 94. By opening
flexible package 94 at the tear areas 76, 78 and through the
sealant reduction areas 80, the laminate portion is more readily
torn and less susceptible to stretching. Thus, the occurrence of
opening failures in the flexible package 94 can be reduced.
[0045] Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions
set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to
which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings
presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated
drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are
not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that
modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included
within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms
are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive
sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
* * * * *