US3429718A - Compartmented package - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent O 3,429,718 CDMPARTMENTED PACKAGE Jan Helms, Sterling, Mass., assignor to General Packets, Inc., Hopkinton, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 8, 1967, Ser. No. 644,693 U.S. Cl. 99-171 2 Claims Int. Cl. B65d 31/12 ABSTRACT F 'I'HE DISCLOSURE A package and method of making it wherein the package comprises an envelope of sealable material having seals extending across it presenting a relatively elongated pocket for an implement such as a stirrer for a beverage and two other seals which extend transversely thereto and therefrom to an opposite side edge of the package providing sealed compartments for pourable materials, e.g. sugar and instant coffee or tea, wherein all three of the compartments are easily openable by making but two tears, one at each end of the package.

This invention relates to a new and improved packet or envelope having a plurality of separate compartments in which articles of different nature are packaged. This packet or envelope provides a complete package and contains e.g. three separate objects all of which are made available by making two simple tears in the envelope, one at an end edge thereof and one at a corner in an opposite edge.

As an example of this invention, the envelope may be made so as to contain sugar or some condiment or sauce, etc., in one compartment; a napkin in another compartment, and a coffee stirrer, spoon or similar elongated implement in the third compartment, all of the compartments being completely sealed ott from each other and from the atmosphere.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a view in elevation illustrating the completed filled packet or envelope;

FIG. 2 shows a blank from which it may be made;

FIG 3 illustrates diagrarnmatically the filling of two of the compartments, and

FIG. 4 illustrates diagrammatically the filling of a third compartment.

Referring now to FIG. l, the novel packet comprises a single sheet of scalable material which is folded along one edge as at 10. It is provided with two longitudinal edge seals 12 and 14 and an intermediate longitudinal seal 16 parallel to the two edge seals 12 and 14 and extending the same distance i.e., from the fold to a line which is indicated at 18 short of the extreme end edge 20 of the envelope or package. Seal 16 is however closer to the seal at one edge than the other.

The reference numeral 22 indicates a cross seal completely closing the envelope or packet and numeral 24 indicates another shorter cross seal which extends only between the edge seal 12 and the intermediate seal 16. Thus three compartments are formed, that at A being long and narrow; that at B shorter and wider; and that at C the width of B but longer.

As shown in FIG. 1, the three compartments are par- 3,429,718 Patented Feb. 25, 1969 lCC ticularly provided to package sugar or other materials such as for instance powdered milk, instant beverage, or the like; a napkin or serviette; and a stirrer for coffee, tea, etc. In order to open the envelope or packet in order to pour out the sugar, milk, condiment, etc., it is only necessary to tear off the corner at 26 along the dotted line 28, and to give access to the napkin and the stirrer it is only necessary to tear a strip 22 at edge 20 along the dotted line at 30. Therefore it will be seen that all three of the compartments are laid oepn by merely making two tears.

At the same time this envelope or packet is very simply and inexpensively manufactured and filled. Starting with an oblong blank such as at 32 in FIG. 2, the same is folded in centrally thereof along the line 34 which corresponds to the fold 10 in FIG. 1. With the blank folded, the seals at the edges 12 and 14 and the intermediate seal 16 are provided as by automatic machinery. This now provides two compartments, FIG. 3, one at 36 (A) which is elongated and narrow, and one at 38 which is elongated and wider. It is now simple to insert the stirrer or other elongated implement 40 into the pocket 36, and powdered material, fluid material, or other desired condiment or seasoning is poured into compartment 38 as for instance by a hopper or the like which is generally indicated at 42 and which will deposit material as at 44 in the bottom of the compartment.

As soon as these two operations have been accomplished, the seal 24 is provided completely closing the compartment B. Compartments A and C are still open and the napkin 46 is now easily insertable as shown in FIG. 4 into the compartment at C for which the seal 24 is the bottom. Then it is only necessary to provide a closure at 22 along the tops of and connecting seals 12, 14 and 16. The tear lines as well as legends, etc. can be pre-printed on the blank before it is first folded but it will be seen that it is only necessary to tear off the corner at 26 to give access to whatever material is in the sealed-off chamber B and then to tear along the line 30 to give access both to the stirrer and the napkin in compartments A and C.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A package comprising a single sealable sheet folded upon itself, two edge seals extending from the fold to a point adjacent the opposite end, a parallel and equal length seal intermediate the edge seals and closer to one side edge seal than the other forming an elongated narrow compartment containing an elongated implement, a fourth seal extending from the intermediate seal and the farther edge seal forming a shorter sealed compartment with pourable material therein, a short compartment above the last-named compartment and beside the elongated compartment, the two shorter compartments together substantially equaling the length of the elongated compartment, and a final seal closing the elongated and the thirdnamed compartment at the end of the package opposite the fold.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein the second-named compartment is openable by tearing a contiguous corner of the package, and the first and third-named compartments being openable by tearing the area of the package 4 adjacent the nal seal located at the end of the package 3,083,821 4/ 1963 Woodson 206-47 opposite the fold. 3,144,976 8/ 1964 Freshour 206-47 X References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner. 2,705,579 4/ 1955 Mason. 5 U.S. C1. X.R. 2,745,751 5/1956 Pichardo 99-171 20G- 47; 229--56 2,791,324 5/1957 Knoop etal. 99-171 X

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