Flexible, Plastic Bag Having a Resizable Storage Space

Abstract

A flexible, plastic bag has a resizable storage space which includes reclosable internal compartments. The bag includes a body portion having first and second opposing bag walls. Each of the bag walls has first and second wall portions with internal surfaces. The bag also includes first and second reclosure mechanisms on the internal surfaces of the wall portions. The reclosure mechanisms are spaced apart and at least partially define the reclosable, internal compartments. The bag further includes first and second overlapping tear seams separating and connecting the first and second portions of the first and second bag walls, respectively and located adjacent the second reclosure mechanism between the reclosure mechanisms to allow the first portions of the first and second walls to be completely severed from the second portions of the first and second walls along a prescribed tear pattern delineated by the tear seams.

Claims

1. A flexible, plastic bag having a resizable storage space, the bag comprising: a body portion having first and second opposing bag walls, each of the bag walls having first and second wall portions with internal surfaces; first and second reclosure mechanisms on the internal surfaces of the wall portions, the first and second reclosure mechanisms being spaced apart and at least partially defining first and second reclosable, internal compartments, respectively; and first and second overlapping tear seams separating and connecting the first and second portions of the first and second bag walls, respectively, and located adjacent the second reclosure mechanism between the reclosure mechanisms to allow the first portions of the first and second walls to be completely severed from the second portions of the first and second walls along a prescribed tear pattern delineated by the tear seams wherein the storage space is resizable.

2. The bag as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a tear strip located adjacent the first reclosure mechanism to provide an opening into the bag.

3. The bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the prescribed tear pattern is a generally straight-line pattern.

4. The bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the tear seams is a single continuous tear seam.

5. The bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reclosure mechanisms are substantially parallel.

6. The bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first reclosure mechanism has male and female closure portions disposed on the first wall portions of the first and second bag walls.

7. The bag as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second reclosure mechanism has male and female closure portions disposed on the second wall portions of the first and second bag walls, respectively.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective, environmental view of a flexible, substantially transparent, plastic bag constructed in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention and storing or holding a plurality of consumable food items shown in phantom in a storage space within the bag;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the bag of FIG. 1 without the food items;

[0025] FIG. 3 is a view, partially broken away and in cross-section, of the bag taken along lines 3-3 in FIG. 2;

[0026] FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the bag with food items of FIG. 1 together with a human hand in the process of removing an upper tear strip (as indicated by an arrow) to permit access to the food items within the storage space through an upper opening in the bag;

[0027] FIG. 5 is a view similar to the view of FIG. 4 but with the human hand holding three food items which have been removed from the bag through the opening as now allowed after removal of the upper tear strip from the bag;

[0028] FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the bag with a human hand in the process of removing or severing upper portions or a stage of the bag walls (as indicated by an arrow) after removal of food items from the now empty, upper internal compartment of the bag; and

[0029] FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the bag with the severed upper portion of the bag now totally removed from the bag and the remaining food items now sealed in a lower inner compartment of the bag for consumption at a later time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, a reclosable pouch in the form of a flexible, thermoplastic, storage bag, generally indicated at 10, comprises a body portion, generally indicated at 12, including first and second bag walls 14 and 16, respectively. The first and second bag walls 14 and 16 are joined at first and second side edges 18 and 20, respectively, and at a bottom edge 22. Each of the bag walls 14 and 16 include upper and lower portions 15 and 17. An opening 24 is disposed at a top edge 26 of the bag 10 for removal of food items 60 from the bag 10.

[0032] A first reclosure mechanism, generally indicated at 28, and two lips 30 (FIG. 1) are also disposed at the top edge 26 to facilitate separation of the bag walls 14 and 16 from each other. The first reclosure mechanism 28 is disposed between a second reclosure mechanism, generally indicated at 34, and the top edge 26 of the bag 10. The second reclosure mechanism 34 is disposed between the first reclosure mechanism 28 and the bottom edge 22 (approximately ½ way but could vary between ⅓ to ⅔ of the way).

[0033] Referring specifically to FIG. 3, male and female closure elements or portions 38 and 40, respectively, of the first reclosure mechanism 28 are disposed on opposing internal sides or surfaces 42 and 44 of the first and second bag walls 14 and 16, respectively. In addition, male and female elements or portions 46 and 48 of the second reclosure mechanism 34 are disposed on the internal sides or surfaces 50 and 52, respectively, of the first and second bag walls 14 and 16. Preferably, although not necessarily, the first reclosure mechanism 28 is substantially parallel to the second reclosure mechanism 34 and the two are spaced from one another by a distance that is sufficiently large to define first and second reclosable, internal compartments 54 and 56, respectively, which allow the bag 10 and its storage space to be resized to accommodate a quantity of product such as the consumable food items 60 remaining in the bag 10 after partial removal of the food item 60 from the bag 10.

[0034] Preferably, the reclosure elements or portions 38, 40, 46 and 48 have a cross sectional shape as shown in FIG. 3 and/or may be formed in accordance with the teachings of Geiger, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,248, Zieke et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,789, and/or Porchia et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,561, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

[0035] A tear strip 62 is located adjacent the first reclosure mechanism 28 to provide the opening 24 into the bag 10 when removed as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0036] Referring again to FIG. 3, the bag walls 14 and 16 include first and second tear seams 64 and 66, respectively, which separate and connect the upper and lower portions 15 and 17 of the first and second bag walls 14 and 16, respectively. The tear seams 64 and 66 are located adjacent the second reclosure mechanism 34 and between the mechanisms 28 and 34 to allow the first portions 15 of the first and second walls 14 and 16 to be completely severed from the second portions 17 of the first and second walls 14 and 16 along a prescribed tear pattern, delineated by the tear seams 64 and 66 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In this way, the storage space within the bag 10 is resizable. The tear pattern is preferably a straight-line pattern and each of the tear seams 64 and 66 is preferably a single, continuous tear seam.

[0037] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.