US20100254635A1

US20100254635A1 - Resealable food package

Info

Publication number: US20100254635A1
Application number: US12/467,671
Authority: US
Inventors: Miki Clements; Janice Harville
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-04-01
Filing date: 2009-05-18
Publication date: 2010-10-07

Abstract

The present invention relates to a resealable package for storing food articles that may include: a first film sheet, where first film sheet includes four edges; a second film sheet, where second film sheet includes four edges, wherein three edges of the second film sheet and three edges of the first film sheet are permanently joined; a cavity formed between the first film sheet and second film sheet, where the first film sheet and second film sheet are substantially the same size, 5.5 inches in length and 10.5 inches in width; and a mechanism to seal the first film sheet and second film sheet along the fourth edge of the respective sheets.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE

This application claim priority to U.S. Provisional Application, Ser. No. 61/165,542 filed on Apr. 1, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to food packages for storing food, and, more particularly, to a resealable food package for storing food articles therein, thereby maintaining freshness of the food articles.
2. Description of Related Art
The food industry has always been intrigued by the question of best possible way of storing of food articles without the food articles losing their freshness and nutritional value. Many attempts have been made to provide a package system for storing and dispensing of food articles in the most efficient manner. One such attempt is the use of reclosable package for storing and dispensing the food articles such as biscuits, bacon, hamburgers, other meats and the like.
The reclosable package maintains the freshness and the nutritional value of the food articles stored therein once the reclosable package is opened for dispensing the food articles, and thereafter closed again to store the food articles left in the reclosable package. The reclosable package is also useful for storage of the food articles in a refrigerator or a freezer as the reclosable packages provide excellent oxygen and moisture barriers that prevent food articles from spoiling. At the same time, currently available reclosable package allows easy access to the food article stored therein. The currently available reclosable package enables manufacturers of the food articles to store the food articles, which are for direct sale to the consumers.
However, the use of currently available reclosable packages for storing food articles has certain disadvantages. The reclosable packages are usually of a large size, and accordingly results in wastage of the package while being utilized for storing a lesser quantity of the food articles. Further, the large sized reclosable package occupies more space in a refrigerator or a freezer. Moreover, because of the large size of the reclosable packages, the zipper arrangement of the reclosable packages becomes ineffective after a short time, and as such the food articles stored in the reclosable packages become stale and lose their nutritional value.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a resealable food package that may efficiently and conveniently store food articles. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to obviate above and other disadvantages from existing art and to provide a resealable food package for efficiently storing the food articles. Another object of the present invention is to provide a resealable food package for maintaining freshness and nutritional values of the food articles stored therewithin. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a resealable food package, which may be lightweight, easy to construct, user friendly, devoid of any harmful effects on the food articles and may have low production cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a resealable package for storing food articles comprising: a first film sheet, where first film sheet includes four edges; a second film sheet, where second film sheet includes four edges, wherein three edges of the second film sheet and three edges of the first film sheet are permanently joined; a cavity formed between the first film sheet and second film sheet, where the first film sheet and second film sheet are substantially the same size, 5.5 inches in length and 10.5 inches in width; and a means to seal the first film sheet and second film sheet along the fourth edge of the respective sheets. In one exemplary embodiment, the first film sheet and second film sheet are substantially rectangular and may be made of a plastic material. In another exemplary embodiment, the means to seal includes a zipper arrangement along the four edge of each film sheet. The zipper arrangement may include a first zipper track on the first film sheet and a second zipper track on the second film sheet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective front view of a resealable food package, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment described here in detail for illustrative purposes are subject to many variations. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.
The present invention provides a resealable food package for storing and dispensing food articles in most efficient manner. The present invention finds its utility in food industry and may be extensively used to store and dispense food articles at multitude of places like homes or commercial places such as restaurants, fast food places, confectioneries, retail shops and the like.
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective front view of a resealable food package 100 for storing a food article (not shown). The resealable food package 100 includes a first rectangular film sheet (herein after referred to as a first sheet 10) having four edge portions, and a second rectangular film sheet (herein after referred to as a second sheet 20) having four edge portions. The first sheet 10 and the second sheet 20 are of same size. Moreover, three edge portions of the first sheet 10 are sealed to the three edge portions of the second sheet 20, thereby configuring a cavity between the first sheet 10 and the second sheet 20. The cavity may be utilized to store the food article. Accordingly, the first sheet 10 and the second sheet 20 may be made of a material used in the food industry to store food article. For example, the first sheet 10 and the second sheet 20 may be made of a plastic material.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that appearance, structural configuration and the material of the resealable food package 100 is set forth herein for purposes of illustration and that the present invention is not limited to the appearance, structural configuration or the material of the first sheet 10 and the second sheet 20.
A fourth edge portion 12 of the first sheet 10 and a fourth edge portion (not shown) of the second sheet 20 include a zipper arrangement 30. More specifically, the fourth edge portion 12 of the first sheet 10 includes a first zipper track having a male rib and groove configuration. Further, the fourth edge portion of the second sheet 20 includes a second zipper track having a female rib and groove configuration. The first zipper track and the second zipper track run throughout a length of the fourth edge portion 12 and the fourth edge portion of the second sheet 20 respectively.
The first zipper track and the second zipper track are configured to releasably couple with each other in a manner such that the male rib and the groove of the first zipper track and the female rib and the groove of the second zipper track mate together to configure an air tight sealing of the resealable food package 100. In an embodiment of the present invention, a movable slider may be employed to mate the male rib and the groove of the first zipper track with the female rib and the groove of the second zipper track respectively. It will be evident to a person skilled in the art that the first zipper track and the second zipper track may have any configuration known in the art for closing and opening of the resealable food package 100.
In use, the food article may be stored in the cavity configured between the first sheet 10 and the second sheet 20 of the resealable food package 100. After the food article has been stored in the resealable food package 100, the male rib and the groove of the first zipper track, and the female rib and the groove of the second zipper track are mated with each other either manually or by employing the movable slider. Moreover, in order to remove the food article from the resealable food package 100, the movable slider may be moved along the zipper arrangement 30 so as to detach the male rib and the groove of the first zipper track from the female rib and groove of the second zipper track respectively.
The resealable food package, as described herein, provides for storage of the food articles, thereby allowing the food articles to remain fresh for a longer period of time. At the same time, the disclosed resealable food package maintains the nutritional value of the food articles stored therewithin. In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first sheet 10 and the second sheet 20 may be about 5 ½ inches in length and about 10 ½ inches in width. Further, the zipper arrangement 30 configured on the fourth edge portion of the first sheet 10 and the second sheet 20 may be about 10 ½ inches extending throughout a width of the fourth edge portion of the resealable food package 100. The size of the disclosed food resealable food package is convenient for use since the resealable food package may store a smaller quantity of the food article. More specifically, in case a user wishes to store a limited quantity of the article, the user may utilize the disclosed resealable food package instead of using a conventionally available large sized storage bag.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but such are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A resealable package for storing food articles comprising:

a. a first film sheet, where first film sheet includes four edges;

b. a second film sheet, where second film sheet includes four edges, wherein three edges of the second film sheet and three edges of the first film sheet are permanently joined;

c. a cavity formed between the first film sheet and second film sheet, where the first film sheet and second film sheet are substantially the same size, 5.5 inches in length and 10.5 inches in width; and

d. a means to seal the first film sheet and second film sheet along the fourth edge of the respective sheets.

2. The resealable food package according to claim 1, where said the first film sheet and second film sheet are substantially rectangular.

3. The resealable food package according to claim 1, where the first film sheet and second film sheet are made of a plastic material.

4. The resealable food package according to claim 1, where the means to seal includes a zipper arrangement along the four edge of each film sheet.

5. The resealable food package according to claim 4, where the zipper arrangement includes a first zipper track on the first film sheet and a second zipper track on the second film sheet.

6. The resealable food package according to claim 5, where the first zipper track includes a male rib and groove configuration and the second zipper track includes a female rib and groove configuration, where the first zipper track and second zipper track may be coupled to seal the four edge of the film sheets.

7. The resealable food package according to claim 6, where a movable slider is used to couple the first zipper track to the second zipper track.