CA2042692A1 - Tamper-evident tandem recloseable package and method of making same - Google Patents

Abstract

TAMPER-EVIDENT TANDEM RECLOSEABLE PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A flexible tandem package which can be readily separated into two, distinct recloseable packages and the method for making the same is disclosed. The package includes first and second sheets sealed to opposite surfaces of a double recloseable seal fastener assembly. The film sheets are further sealed hermetically together around the periphery of each of the easily separable two distinct packages. Parallel lines of weakening disposed in the central portion of the recloseable seal fastener assembly provide tamper-evident tear strips for each of the two distinct packages.

Description

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B~kqround and 8ummary o he Invention Th~ present lnvent~on relates g~n~r~lly ~o recloseable packages ~or herme~cically se~l~ng con~umable product~ be'cw~en generally oppo . ing p~ckag~ slde pan~
~nd more particul~rly to reclos~able packdg~:; for s~od S products and ~he 1 ike in which each dis~inc t package has its own associated recloseable ~eal ~nd to ~ method for manufacturins1 such packages in tandem.
~ he freshnes~ of certain processed meats and/or food products such aEI bacon, Qliced luncheon 10 meats, cheese~ and the like dep~nd~ upon the ~xten'c to which the food product package i~ vacuu~ pAcksd or ga~
~lushed and sub~equently hermetically sealed. Often, the purchaser doe~ not use the Eood products contalned within such p~ckag~s at once, but ra~her u~es th~m over 15 an estended period of time. ~hen the initial hermetic s~al o the p~ckage has been breached duri~g opening o th~ pack~ge, a portion or por~ions of th~ palck~ge are ~ .

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of ten r~oved. In 3ucb lns'cances, ~he paclcage c~nnot be effectively r~sealed in ~ manner to pre~2r~e the fre~hneE~ of the food products stored within~ ~he purch~er ~ul3t oft~n repack the ~ood products in a 5 different suitably reclo~eab,le container.
The packag~ of th~ present invention provide~
a 801u~ion ~co the abo~e mentioned proble~ in tha~ it has two distinct p~ckage ~ections e~ch with it~ o~n he~etic seal, interior of a packag~ reclo~eable ~eal, v~hich extends around ~he entire periphery o the product 80 that the reclo~eable packag0 i8 liquid ~ight and suitably ret~ins within the p~ckage, fluida of the products contained ~her~in, including water, juices~
oils and the like. The recloseable seal i~ pen~anently attached at its ends ~o hat each dis~inct pnokage section can be opened and clo~ed repeatedly to re~ove portions of ~he package cont0n~s ~ithout de~roying th~
integrity of the packag2. A ~zipper~ ~eal con~isti~g of inter~ngaging components 3uch as rib and groove f~3tener elemen~s iæ the preferred recloseable seal means.
The ~eclo~eable seal~ as~ociated with each . distinct package s~ction~ ~r8 attached to confronting : faces o t~e packaging film~. Interengaging fastener elements of the recloseable ~aal~ are pro~rided in p~irs 25 each having a centr~l interconnect~ng ~eb and are adher2d directly to the oppo ing package panels. Each intereng~g~ng fastener ~ ent i8 perm~nen~ly anchored to its respec'cive opposing packzlge panel and i8 8ealed at th~ oppo~lte end~ th~r~of, ~h~ch d~cre~81~ the . ~ .. .. . . .

pos~ibility th~t tbe pack~g63 fil~ ~ay t~ar sr ~r~te ldhen the package s~ction 18 ~cce~sed. C~ntral ~b por~ion~ of the tandQ~ ckEIg~ ~hich a~parate the t~o dl~inct package aection~ pr~f~z~bly contain a tamp~r-evident feature in the form of a pair o~ line~ of weakening egtending therein which must be broken for the u~er to obt~in acce~s to the ~wo package sec~ion recloseable ~eals.
Th~ hermetic se~l di~pc~ed ~rolmd the periphery of the food product in each package has ~n ~asy op~n or peel seal port~ on located peripherally ad~acen~ ~co th~ reclo~eable seal. The peel ~eal i~
opened with digit~l pull~ rt ~orces w~ich ar~ al~o used to oE~en the recloseabl~ se~ ripher~l hermetic saal can maintain a vacuum, pres~urized and/or ga~-flu~hed environ~nent within the p~clcage. The peel seal area of the hermetic Ye~l ~ill be form~d by effec~ing a face-to-face ~eal b~tween tws plies of pla~tic fil.m exterior of the product wit~ the s~crength of the seal permitting separation withollt deRtruc~ion or tearing of either ply.
~ccordlngly~ it i~ a general object o~ ~:he present inve~tion to provide an improved recloseable package whis:h can be e~sily Manuf~etured in a continuou~
length o~ d~s~inc~c tandem pack~ges in which each of the two package sections thereof h~s it~ own reclos~able seal.
Another obj ec o the present invention i8 to pro~de a r~clo~eabl~ p~ckag~ ~hi~ ~n be ~a~ily .
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manufac~ured in a tandem p~ckage ~s~e~bly ~her~n ~dch of the tandem package~ ha~ a herm~tic ~ urrounding the packaged product~ a recloseable 8~1 e~t~rlor of the hesmetic se~l and a per~anently sealed ~e r ~trlp exterior of the reclos~able seal.
A further ob~ct o~ the present invention i8 to provide a tandem package havi~g two distinc package section~ co~taining a food product portion or the like, each p~ck~ge ha~ing a sep2.ate recloaeable ~al associated wi~h each food product portion, t~e two distinct package ~ec~ion being joined by a p~ckage cen~ral web por~ion having lin~3 o~ weakening 2~sociated therewith ~hich de~ine diRtinct package ~ctlon tear 5t~ip8 .
Still ano~her obj~ct o~ the preaent invention is to proYide an improved method of manufacturing reclo~eabl~ produc~ packages in tande~, ~herein each package ha~ a peel se~l and a r~clo~able seal, wherein the recloseable ~eal ~lements are att~ched to the ~irst and second package filmO
Yet ano~her objec~ o~ the pre~ent invention is to provide an i~prov~d me~hod o~ making recloseable packages in tande~, wherein a double fastener as~embly is adhered to confronting ~ur~aces o~ oppo~ing p2ckage panels so a~ to provide each dis~inct p~ck~ge with its own ta~per~evident ~r strip.
These and other objects of ~he pres~nt invention will become more readily apparen~ ~rom a reading of ~he following d~tailed de~cr~p~ion.

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, , Brie~ D~scriptiorl o the Drawinsls Figure 1 i8 a p~r3p~!ctive vi~ of a p~ck~ge~
incorpora~ing the princ~pl~s of 'cb~ pr~en'c inveJltion~, 5 the package having been ~parated f ro~ a t~ns~em p~ckage;
Figure 2 18 a ¢ro~-sec'cional Vi~W t~ken ~long 1 ine 2-2 of Figure 1 t Figure 3 i~ a ~ragmentary cro~ ectional vie~d of the re¢lose~bl~ 8~1 are~ of Figur8 2 ~
Flgure 4 i~ ;~ cro~s-sec~ional YieW of a t~ndem package having ~wo distinct~ r~closeablf~ pack~ges joi~ed by a central ~ b portion pzior to sep~rationt ~nd Figure 5 i8 ~n enl~rged view o~ ~be cen~ral web portion of Figure 4 .
Detail~d Description of_~he_Invention ~igures 4 and 5 illustrate ~n ~m~odi~ent of a recloseabl~ p~ck~g~ 100 eor4atruct~d in ~ccordance wilth the principle~ of the presen~ invef~tion wh$ch i8 manufactured in tandem and i~ separated after manufacturQ along a cent~r line 103 into two dis'cinct courlterpart packaq~ 110, 210. ~rhe first and second f ilDI ~heets 116 and 116 which ~re coNbined to forD~ the p~ckaye 100 can be Dlade froDI a var~etS of D~ae~ri~ls including plllstlc film~ ulti-layered laminates or co-e~ctrus~o~s, thermoorm~bl~ t~rialE~ and ~h~ like. A
pre~rred pla~ic fil~ for a~s~mbly o~ the packages 10 and for use in th~ method of the present invention i8 one ~h~ch i~ s~iow to alr, c~yg~n or ~oistur~., When the packag~ film sheets 116, 114 ~re formed froEI a l~Dlnated con~truction, it 18 d~zirable to .
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, , use a thin, inner l~yer which 1~ i~perviou~ to ~ir, o~yg~n or moi~ture in co~bin~tion with an out~ layer ha~ing ~uS~f ici~nt ~lexibility and de~irable ~Jtr~ctural char~ct~ris~cics 80 th~t ~he la~ina'c~ can function as package ~idewall. For purpol3es ~ illustra'cion a~d disc:u~iols, each f ilm sl~eet ~ill be ~hown as ~ 8~gl~
heat-sealable lamina. In actual pr~c~ e, each film sheet will likely be a laminate of two or~D~ore l~yers which will proYide sufficient prot~ction to th~ product (e.gr, o~ygen and moisture b~rrier~ ard whic~ can ~orm a h~rm~tic, and if desired, peelable ~eal at thin inner 3urfaces~ A8 i8 known in the ar~, a surface o~
vinylldene chloride poly~er pl~stlc fll1as, ~uch a~
~Sar~n~ in contact with a surface o~ an ethyler~e vinyl a¢e~ate pl~stic ilm, or of a ~8urly~ iono~er il~
con~c~ct with a ~Surlyn~ iono~er ~iJ~tur~ or of ~
polyethylene in contact ~i~ch a polyethylene ~i~ture can form such d~sired bonds.
The ~andem p~ckalge 100 i~ elabled by advancing a p20k~ge first fil~ sheet 116 having a width ~t 3ufficient to accommodate ~wo separate produ~t portion~ 112, 212 in two diE~t~ncé p~ckage section~ 110, 210. ~n e~s~ly separable ~cwo-piece! i~ter~ngaged fasten~r a~sembly 127 i~ ~ppli~d to the central portion of the f irst f ilm sheet llC to form a ccntral web portion 105 o~ the t~nde~ package 100 nd which define~
th~ ~djoini~g two di~tim;~ ck~ge ~ection~ 119, 210.
The int~r~ng~ged fa~tener as~bly 127 ir1cludes ~n elong~t~d fir3t, or lower, fa~ener ele~ent strip 130, which contain~ 'cwo p~rallel f ~t~ne~ el~ents, ~bown ~a8 r1b el~ nta 132, 232 e~tending Along the oppo~ite endc ~J 'J ' ~J ,, ~ J /) th~r~of~. rhe t~o firE3~c fzls~ener ele~n~c~ 132, 23~ ar~
interconne~ted by a central ~ir~t 1ast~ner el~ent strip integral web 150 80 th~t th2 first ~ nt striR 130 D2ay be ex~ruded a8 a continuous length. ~n elong~ted ~econd, or upp*r7 fas~en*r element ~trip 131 ~l~o cont~ins two parallel fast~n~ ents, illu~trated ~8 groove elements 134, 234 which extend ~long the op~osi~e end~ thereof. ~Similar to ~he fir#~ rib el~en~s 132, 232, the ~cond groove el~en~ 134 9 23~ ar~
10 interconnected by a cen~ral second ~astener element strip integral web 152 which al~o permit~ the second f~stener ele~ent strip to be e~truded in ~ continuous length.
Althougb illu~trated a3 h~ving double ribs a~d 15 d~uble groove~, th~ ~ir~ and se~ond f~ener ele~ent~
need not b~ limited to any particula~ nu~ber of interengaging astener elz~ent~ or l~ited in the ori~ntation of the rib and groove ele~ents, i.e., upper or lower. Rath~r, it i~ preferred ~hat the fastener 20 ele~ent~ have a sufficient width and depth ~o be ~ecurely interengaged wh~n ~e~bled to withstand the rigorous handling which co~monly occur~ during transport~ ret~il diaplay and the like wi~hout separating. Additionally, the first and second fastener 25 el2~en~ o~ the double fa~ener ~sembly 127 can take any nu~ber of variou~ ch~ract2ri~tic8 and configuratio~s in addition to t~e rib and groove configurations illustra~ed hereinO
~ irst and second fa~t@ner elesent ~trip~
30 130~ 131 ar~ pr~~rably intereng~g~d prior to applying the double f~tener asse~bly 127 to the irs~ film sheet lll;o l~he interengaged f~lst~rler el~ents of the flr~t and second in~eqral ~ebs 150 ~ 151 provid4 ~ch of the two di31;inct package ~ection~ 110, 210 ~th a reclos~ble seal 126, 226.
Additionally, the fir~t and second ~eb~ 150 151 ha~e a preselect~d width betwe~n ',:he r~clo~eable seal fa~tener el~nts which i8 ~uf~icient to pro~ide a tamper~evident Jcear strip 160, 260 for each dis~inct package ~ction a~ ~aore fully d~cribed bQlo~. The wid~h o~ ~che oppos~te sides of e~ch of ~he f ir~t and second webs 150, 151~ iB al~o wide enough to ~er~e a~
re~pectiv~ package sealing ~lange~ 135a, 135b ~h~ch provid~ the double f ast~ner a~3s~bly 127 Yith re~pect~v~
upper and lower surfaces to adhere the fir~ ~nd second f ilm sheet~3 116, 11~ ~oge~her . Becau~e the f irs~ d second in~gral webs 150, 151, have r@~p~cti~
confronting ~ilm sheet portion~ a'ctached ther~to ~hey are thick enough to serve a~ pair~ of ~clulge pull flanges 136, 137 And ~36, 237 associated with their re~pective di~tinct package section3 110, 210. In this regard, the outside surface~ of the ~wo sealing flanges 136, 137 are adhered re3pectively to the first and second f ilm sheetR.
Th~ double f~stener as~elably 127 ~
applied a~ a unit ~co the firs~ or bottom fil~ sheet 116 in the form of a continuous strip ~nd tri~med, ~ ~
convenien~ time during ~che Dlanufacturing proceR~, to define ~che eventu~l fini~hed package mouth~ ~ne separat~ rib and groo~ fastener ~ nts 132~ 232 ~nd 134, 234 are permameDtly att ched at the end~

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of the ~wo packag~ sec~ion reclo~eabl~ 126, 226 ~o that the fasten~r m~erlal la not w~sted ln Sh2 tri~ing o~E th~ packages ~nd ~o ~h~t ~h~n the r~clo~szlblç ~al 1 op~n2d, the purch~ser c~nnot disrupt the int~grity of 5 the interior herm@tic ~eals 144, 24~ of the two di~t$nct package ~ectiona 110, 21n.
After the double fastener as~e~ably 127 i~
fi~ted onto th0 bo~tom fil~ ~heet 116, and the end~
the~eof ar~ att~ched tog~her, two food product portion 112, 212, ~uch as sliced lunchesn ~e~t or the like" are E~ itio~2d on the bottc~ fllm she~ 116 in th~ two distinc~ paclcage ~ction~ 110, 210~ l~e top film sheet 114 i8 brougl9t into contac. ~i'cb th@ t~o ood product portion~ 112, 212, the bottom film ~heet 116 and the ~ouble fasten@r a~se~bly second fA~t~n~r s~rip 131, and a vacuum i~ applied therebetw~en. A fir~t permanent, hermetic s~al 144, 2~4 i~ for~ed in th~
margins 122, 222 surrounding ~ach food product 112, 212 in the two dis~inct package section~ 110, 210. The~e outer hermetic seals 144, 244 surround ~ach food produc~
portion 112, 212 on three ~ides. The h~rm~ia ~eal~
144, 244 ~ay be co~pletely extended around the p~riph~ry of the ~o food produc~ portions 112, 212 by for~i~g an inner peel~ble hermetic seal 146, 246 in ~ch di~tinct package sec.ion 110, 210 interio~ of the r~sloseable 8~al8 126, 226 and ~x~erior o~ the food p~odue~ portions 112, 212. It is preferable ~hat the inner he~e~ic 8~18 1~6, 2~6 ~re ~ecure, yet peelable her~tic s~al~
~hiah maintain a Aecur2 ~al during hanalln~ and storag~

~ 2 ~ ,,r~ 2 th~t c2ln be peeled back upon the applic~tiorl o~ digltal ~orce~ applied ~o ~he ~econd reclose~bl~ ~al~ 126, 226l The top fi~ Rh¢e~ 114 ~y then ~ zldh~r~d ~o tb~ ~econd ~ealing flange 135b o~ the doubl~ f~st~n~r ~ss~bly 127, thereby sealing . he two produck portions 112, 212 into ~heir respective di~inc~ package sec:tion~ llO, 210.
~eans for separa~ing ~nd gaining acce~ to ~he recloseable ~3eals 126, 226 of the two p~ck~ge s~ctisn as well as ~ean~ for indlcatin51 prior op2ning o~ th~
package 8~!Ction8 are illu~trated as parallel llne~ of weakening 170, 270, which extend longitudin~lly through the package central web portis~n 105 between th~
reclo~eable l3eals 126, 226 o~ th~ ~wo pack~g~ ~ection~.
The line~ of weakening 170, 270 s~rv~ a~ a coDpo~enl: o~
a tamper-evident fe~ture ~hich ir~dicates prlor ~ccess to the recloseable seals 126 ~ 226 O In thi~ r~gard, it i~
preferable that th~ two oppo~ing ~irst and second in~egral web~ lS0, 152 &re adher~d tog~ther ~long the t~nde~ package center line 103, such ~ by ad~esiYe means~ h~at sealing or ul~rasonic welding. ~he lines of weakerling c~n be ~dlDini~tered to the p;~ck~g~ ce~tr~l web portion 105 in any suitable manner 1uch a~ by p~rforation~ or scoring. Addition~lly, ~i~cher one or both o the ir~t and s~cond ~ast~ r ~ n~c s~rip~
130, 131 of the doubl~ ten~r a~e~bly 127 ~y b~
provided ~i~ch a vi~ually di~tinctive l~yer such a~
relatively bright red l~yer 190 ~hich i3 e~ther co-e~truded wi~ch the f~ener ~l~men~ ~rip, such as the f~rst, or bottaæ ~t~ner ele~ trlp 130, o~

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sepa~t~ly a~erQd th~rQto. The color~d l~yer 190 ser~e~ ~o provide ~ach of the ~c~o p~ck~ge ~l~cti9n~ 110 ,, 210 wi~i~ a visually di~tillctive appe~r~c~ ~h~ ~ither o~
the lin~ o~ ~eakenlng 170, 270 ~r~ brokon. In this 5 regard, the ~ e~ of weakening 170, 270 ar@ e~cterior of th~ reclo~eabl~ eal~ 126, 22~ and irat~rior of the ~eal en the first and ~econd integral w~ba 150~ 152., Af~er a~embly of the fir~ and ~econd fil3 ~heet~ 114 and 116 to the doubl~ f~s~ner a~ae-lbly 127, the two d~ stinc~ ckaye sec~ionE 110 ) 210 may be ~ep~rated f ra~ each other along a longitudinal line 103 e~ct~nding througb ~he center of the package central web por~ion 105 be~cween th~ ræclo~oabl~ s~al~ 126, 22S.
Wh~n i'c ~ d~ired ~o open a finish~d p~ckage, the user grips the package and ~ar~ of~ the t~r ~trip 160 along the line of weak~ning 170 and e~ es a packag~ mouth 195 to gain acce~s to the im~er s~cond recloMeable seal 126. ~e e%ce~s laat~i~ of ~he fir~t and Qecond integral webs 150, 151 exte~ndlng f r~ the respective fas ener ele~nts 132, 134 up to tbe package mou~h 195 ~r~ co pro~ide pack~ge pull fl~anges 136, 137 of Rubstan~ially siDIilar l~ngth which a~e gripp~d by the user ~or applying digit~l pull ap~rt forces th~reto in order to op~n the reclo~e~ble seal 126 o~ the p~ck~ge ~5 section 110 . The r~clo~eabl~ ~al in~remgaged ~as~2ner eleal~nts 132, 134 wlll separ~e and op~n tn or~ a package ~ctlon ~aouth 195, th~reby allowlng acce~s ~o the inner p~elable h~rme~ic s~al 1~6 and tho food product portion cont~in~d t~r~by.
Figures 1-3 illu~tr~t~ ~ pack~ge 10 ~thich ha~
been re~ov~d f roDI it~ cou~torp~rt pack~ge by separ~ing the two along ~he central web portioA center line 3.

The top and bot'co~ f il~ sheets 14, 16 cooperativ~ly enclose a ood product portion 12 positioned on 'che fir~t film ~heet 16. q~he food produc~ or the lik~ is desi r~bly position~d on ~he ~irst f ilD she~t 16 to S provide a peripheral ~argin 22 surrounding it~ ~he f llm sheet~ 14, 16 contact each other around the food product 12 to fo~ a continuous edge ~eal 2d~ e~tending arow~d the periphery of the food product.
q~he package 10 has ~ first ~eclo~e~ble seal 26 di~posed above a second, inner peelable hermstic s~al 46. Th~ r~clo~able ~e~1 26 includ~s z~ pair o~ fa~ten~r 8trip8 2~, 29 ~7~th interengaging f~t~ner el~ents 32, 34 adhered to conf ronting fsce~ of ~he first ~nd ~econd film sheets 14, 16~ The re~r surfaces of th~
intereng~ging fast~ner strips 28, 29 e~ch includ~ filla sealing surfaces 35a~ 35b which extend tran3v~r~ely to the faRtener strip~ 28, 29 ~nd which ~re s~al~d Jco the package f il~ sheet~ 1~, 16 by any sui~abl~ n3 ~uch as heat sealing or ~dhe~i~e 8~aling. The ~ealing flange~
35a, 35b of the int~rengaging fa~ten~r element~ 28, 29 ar~ sufficlen~ly wid~ ~o Sha each flange ha~ a large enough ~ur~ace to adh~re to the p~ck.age ~ilm sh~et~ and to ser~e as p~ckage pull ~lange~ 36, 37 ~o 2188i8~C the user in separa~ing the reclo~eable s~al ~t~ner elements of ~he ~in~h~d package.
q!h~ two ae~l~ng 1ange~ 35a, 35b e~tend up to and t~r;oin~e a1: th~ p~ck~e top 65 . A 1 in~ of weakenin~ 7û i~ di~posed p~rallel to ~nd inter~or of the paclcage top 65 ~nd de~ e~ a te~r ~trip C0 e~tending a~c or ~lightly e~t2rior of the lin~ o~ k~ning 79.
The two ~ealing flanges 135~, 135b may ~ sealQd tog~th@r along the tear ~r~p 60. Ei~h~r or bo h of th~
~e~ling fl~slge~ 135a, 135b ~ay includ~ ~ color~d lay~r, ~hown as ~ red portion, in the p~ckage ~rea aboYe tha line o w~akel~ing 70O
To open the p~ck~ge 10, t~e uEser grip~ t~
tear strip 60 alon~ the p~ckage top 65 and tezlr~ it o~f along th~ lin~ oiE weaken~ng 70. The p~ckalg~ ~out~ 62, wl~ich is formed by the opposing fastener el~ent ~e~ling flanges 35a, 35b i accessed and the u~er grips tho ~ree ~dge~ of th~ pull flange~ 36, 37 ~nd applies d~gital pull ap~r~ îorce~ to Op~JI the reclose~ble 8~1 26.
Fur~cher e~er~ion of digital forces will sep~rate ~he peel ~e~l portion 46 of the hermet~¢ ~e~l 44, ~hereby allowing acce~s to the palckage contents 12. ~he recloQeable seal ~6 iR p~manently ~ecured together a'c its ends 8û ~o th~ the lik~l~hood of des~ructio~ of the integrity of the pack~ge 10 i8 grezltly dimlni~hed~.
~anufacture o~ the packages of the p~e~ent in1ention i3 gre~tly si~pli~i~d ln th~t ~he ~hree major package componen~, na~ely, the ~ir~t or bottoDI packag~
filD~ 116, th~ double fast~n~r ;~sse~bly 127 and 'cb~e~
3econd or covering packas~ fil~ 114 can be supplied ~o one or ~o~e p~ckage a~sq~bly 8tatiiin8 ill a co~ti~uou~
~hion to as~e~ble, i~E d~ired, a continuoue l~gth of tande~ p~ckag~ which cl~n thG~ epar~ted into ~ep~rate tandesl p~ekages 100 ~nd further separ~t~d il~tO
i~di~sidu~ ckaq~.

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It will ~ ~een that ~hile cert~in e~bodlments of the present invention have been ~hown ~nd d~scribed, it ~,rill be o~vious to those~ skill~d in the art th~t changes and modi~ ca.tions m~y ~e made ther~in without departing ~rom the t~ue spirit of ~che ~cope of the invention.

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Claims (27)

1. A method of making tamper-evident recloseable packages in tandem, each package containing a product between first and second sheets of packaging material, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a first film sheet of a width sufficient to provide two continuous package sections on said first film sheet, the two package sections being separated from each other by a first film sheet central web portion;
applying a double fastener strip assembly to said first film sheet central web portion, wherein said double fastener strip assembly has a first double fastener element strip having separate first interengaging fastener elements interconnected by a first integral web, and a second double fastener element strip having separate second interengaging fastener elements interconnected by a second integral web, the second interengaging fastener elements being interengaged with said first interengaging fastener elements, the first and second integral webs having respective first and second sealing flanges disposed on opposite sides thereof of their respective integral webs, said double fastener strip assembly being adhered to said first film sheet central web portion by at the entire double fastener assembly first integral web package sealing flange, each of said interengaged first and second fastener elements providing a recloseable seal for each of said two package sections;
placing a product portion onto said first film sheet in each of said two package sections on opposite sides of said double fastener strip assembly, providing a second film sheet having a width at least equal to that of said first film sheet and attaching the second film sheet by adhering the entire double fastener assembly second integral web package sealing flange to said second film sheet;
contacting said first and second film sheets with each other at a hermetic seal area adjacent to and around the periphery of each of said two products to create a hermetic seal interior of the recloseable seal of each of said two package sections, the hermetic seal completely enclosing each of said two product between said first and second film sheets, wherein said hermetic seal includes at least one peelable bond area adjacent to each recloseable seal of each said package section; and forming two lines of weakening in said first film sheet central web portion, each of the two lines of weakening defining a tear strip associated with each of said two package sections, said two lines of weakening passing through said first and second fastener element strip integral webs exterior of said first and second fastener elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second integral web package sealing flanges are adhered to said first and second film sheets by adhesive means.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second integral web package sealing flanges are adhered to said first and second film sheets by heat sealing means.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second double fastener element strips include interengaging rib and groove fastener elements.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of vacuum packing said product between said first and second film sheets.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the step of separating said tandem recloseable package into two separate package sections along a longitudinal line of said double fastener assembly midway between said two recloseable seals.

7. The method of claim 1, further including the step of forming a visually distinctive portion in a central portion of said double fastener assembly.

8. A recloseable package made in accordance with the method of claim 1.

9. A method of making a recloseable package in tandem, comprising the steps of:
providing a continuous length of a first package panel, the first package panel having a width sufficient to provide two counterpart package portions separated by a first package panel central web portion;
providing a continuous length of double fastener assembly, the double fastener assembly having a first double fastener strip having two interengaging fastener elements disposed along opposite sides of and interconnected to a first integral web, said double fastener assembly further having a second double fastener strip having two interengaging fastener elements disposed along opposite sides of and interconnected to a second integral web, said first and second interengaging element strips being interengaged with each other, each of said first and second fastener elements having a sealing flange disposed on a side opposite that of said respective interengaging fastener elements to provide two recloseable seals in said first package panel central web portion;
adhering said continuous length of double package panel, the second package panel having a width approximately equal to said first package panel width;
adhering second package panel continuous length to said first package panel continuous length, and adhering said second package panel continuous length to said second fastener element sealing flange so as to provide each of the two counterpart package portions with a permanent hermetic seal around part of the perimeter of each of said two counterpart package portions and a peelable hermetic seal around the remainder of the perimeter of each of said two counterpart package portions;
applying two lines of weakening to said double fastener assembly, each of the two lines of weakening being disposed generally parallel to and exterior of the two recloseable seals; and, severing said continuous lengths of said first and second package panels at preselected intervals to define individual tandem, recloseable packages.

10. The method of claim 9, further including the step of separating said individual, tandem recloseable packages into two separate recloseable packages by separating said two counterpart package portions along a longitudinal line of said double fastener assembly disposed between said two lines of weakening.

11. The method of claim 9, further including the step of applying a visually distinct portion to one of said first or second double fastener integral webs, the visually distinct portion extending generally along the centerline of said double fastener assembly and proximate to said two lines of weakening.

12. The method of claim 9, further including the steps of adding a product to each counterpart product portion of said tandem package and vacuum packing said product between said first and second package panels.

13. A tandem recloseable package made in accordance with the method of claim 9.

14. A tandem recloseable product package, each tandem recloseable package having a tamper-evident tear strip associated therewith comprising:
a base film sheet having a width sufficient to provide two recloseable package sections;
an elongated double fastener assembly extending longitudinally across said film base sheet in approximately the center of the base film sheet, the double fastener assembly including a first, lower fastener element strip having a pair of elongated first interengaging fastener elements disposed on opposite sides thereof, the pair of first interengaging fastener elements being interconnected by a first integral web and a second, upper, fastener element strip having a pair of elongated second interengaging fastener elements disposed on opposite sides thereof, the pair of second interengaging fastener elements being interconnected by a second integral web, the first and second pairs of interengaging fastener elements being interengaged with each other, each of said first and second fastener element strips having respective sealing flanges on opposite surfaces thereof;
a cover film sheet adhered to said second fastener element strip sealing flanges so as to form two recloseable seals associated with said two recloseable package sections, the cover film sheet further being adhered to said base film sheet around the periphery of each of said two recloseable package sections and interior of said two recloseable seals so as to form a hermetic seal which completely encloses each of said package sections, the hermetic seal including at least one peelable bond area interior of and adjacent to each of said two package section recloseable seals;
said double fastener assembly including two elongated line of weakening disposed generally parallel to and exterior of said two package section recloseable seals, the two elongated lines of weakening defining two package section tear strips; and said tandem recloseable package being adapted to be longitudinally separated between and spaced from said recloseable seals.

15. The tandem recloseable package of claim 14, wherein said double fastener assembly includes a visually distinctive portion.

16. The tandem recloseable package of claim 14, wherein the peelable bond area of said hermetic seal is formed by adhesive means.

17. The tandem recloseable package of claim 14, wherein said peelable bond area of said hermetic seal is formed by heat sealing means.

18. The tandem recloseable package of claim 14, wherein said first and second interengaging fastener elements include interengaging rib and groove elements.

19. The tandem recloseable package of claim 14, wherein said package is for enclosing perishable food products.

20. A recloseable, flexible, tandem package for hermetically sealing a food meat product in two distinct, easily separable product packages, each of the two distinct packages having its own distinct recloseable seal to permit periodic access to the package after initial opening of said package, comprising, in combination:
two opposing, flexible, oxygen-impermeable package sidewalls, the package sidewalls including first and second sheets of package film contacting each other and bonded together to define said two distinct packages hermetically bonded at three sides and having a fourth side containing a package mouth portion, elongated double continuous recloseable fastener means forming two recloseable seals generally parallel to each other, each of said two recloseable seals being disposed at separate respective mouth portions of said two distinct packages, the double continuous fastener means including two double strips of first and second interengaging fastener elements interconnected by respective first and second integral webs, the strips of first and second interengaging fastener elements being adhered to the opposing package side walls by way of said first and second integral webs thereof and proximate to said package mouth portion to form a hermetic peelable seal adjacent to and interior of said recloseable fastener means, the double continuous fastener means and said first and second film sheets respectively bonded thereto having two parallel lines of weakening extending therein, said two lines of weakening defining two package tear strips, said double continuous fastener means including means for separating said tandem package into two packages.

21. The recloseable package of claim 20, wherein said food meat product is vacuum packed between said first and second film sheets.

22. The recloseable package of claim 20, wherein said first and second interengaging fastener element package sealing flanges are bonded to said first and second film sheets by adhesive means.

23. The recloseable package of claim 20, wherein said first and second interengaging fastener element package sealing flange are bonded to said first and second film sheets by heat sealing means.

24. The recloseable package of claim 20, wherein said double continuous fastener means includes a visually distinctive portion.

25. The recloseable package of claim 20, wherein said double continuous fastener means includes a visually distinctive portion, the visually distinctive portion being disposed between said two lines of weakening.

26. The method of claim 1, further including the step of gas flushing each of said two package sections.

27. The method of claim 9, further including the step of gas flushing each counterpart product portion of said tandem package.