Bag apparatus with reclosable pour spout

• US 6,120,184 A
• Filed: 11/17/1999
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mondi Bags USA LLC (Mondi PLC)
• Original Assignee: Stone Container Corporation (Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation)
• Inventors: Laurence, James B., Bartles, Bruce, Wiggins, Steve, Crosby, Morris
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascua, Jes F.
• Application Number:
  US09/441,938
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 383/205, 383/203, 383/210, 383/211, 383/84, 383/85, 383/86, 383/906, 229/238
• US Class Current: 383/205
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 31/04 with multiple walls B65D81/3881 takes precedence; for shock absorbing purposes B65D81/03
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/20 using pressure-sensitive adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5838 combined with separate fixed tearing means, e.g. tabs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 383/906 Dispensing feature

Abstract

A bag for the containment of fluent material, having an openable and reclosable pour spout. The bag includes a tubular bag body, and at least one flattened end forming a bag mouth. A closure flap emanates from one side of the bag mouth, to be folded over across the mouth to close the bag. A spout structure is affixed to an outer surface of one of the sides of the bag mouth. The spout structure includes a base sheet affixed to the bag body, and a spout flap releasably affixed to the base sheet. Upon sealing of the bag end, the spout flap becomes non-releasably affixed to an inside portion of the closure flap of the bag body. The spout flap is separable from the base sheet, via a first adhesive material is affixed to one or both of the spout flap and base sheet, for enabling repeated opening and reclosing of a portion of a portion of the bag mouth at the spout flap.

Claims

1. A bag apparatus, having a repeatedly openable and reclosable pour spout, comprising:

a tubular bag body, fabricated from at least one layer of bag material;

the tubular bag body having at least one end configured to form an open mouth and having first and second opposing sides adjacent the mouth;

a closure flap emanating from the first of the opposing sides of the mouth, and operably configured to be folded across the mouth and over at least a first portion of an outer surface of the second of the opposing sides of the mouth;

the closure flap having an inside surface operably configured to be placed in juxtaposed alignment over the at least first portion of the outer surface of the second of the opposing sides of the mouth;

a spout structure, operably affixed to a portion of the outside surface of the tubular bag body, including

a base sheet, operably positioned on and over at least a further portion of the portion of the outer surface of the second of the opposing sides of the mouth, the base sheet having an outside surface;

a spout flap, operably disposed in substantially aligned overlying contact with the base sheet, the spout flap having an inside surface;

a first adhesive material operably disposed on at least one of the inside surface of the spout flap and the outside surface of the base sheet, the first adhesive material being operably disposed to releasably hold the inside surface of the spout flap to the outside surface of the base sheet, after the spout flap and the base sheet have been brought into the substantially aligned overlying contact with each other;

the spout structure being operably disposed on the further portion of the portion of the outer surface of the second of the opposing sides of the mouth, so that upon operable positioning of a second, substantially non-releasable adhesive material upon the inside surface of the closure flap and further upon the juxtaposed alignment of the closure flap over and against the portion of the outer surface of the second of the opposing sides of the mouth, the spout flap becomes non-releasably affixed to a portion of the inside surface of the closure flap;

complete separation of the spout flap from the base sheet enabling a portion of the mouth of the bag to be reopened for providing access to an interior region of the tubular bag body, the first adhesive material permitting the spout flap and base sheet to be repeatedly separated and releasably reattached to one another, to, in turn, permit at least a portion of the mouth to be repeatedly opened and reclosed.

2. The bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spout flap further comprises:

at least first and second flap sheets laminated to one another.

3. The bag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least first and second flap sheets are fabricated from different materials.

4. The bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive material is disposed to remain on the spout flap, upon separation of the spout flap from the base sheet.

5. The bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive material is disposed to remain on the base sheet, upon separation of the spout flap from the base sheet.

6. The bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base sheet comprises a sheet, fabricated from a polymer-based material.

7. The bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive material comprises at least one material from the group consisting of polyesters, polyethylenes, polyamids.

8. The bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spout structure is operably disposed upon the further portion of the portion of the outer surface of the second of the opposing sides of the mouth so that, after the juxtaposed alignment of the closure flap over the portion of the outer surface of the second of the opposing sides of the mouth and non-releasable affixation of the spout flap to the closure flap, upon initial separation of the spout flap and the base sheet, and upon continued pulling of the spout flap, a portion of the closure flap, to which the spout flap is non-releasably affixed, becomes partially separated from a remaining portion of the closure flap, for facilitating partial opening of the mouth of the bag.

9. The bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein portions of the inside surface of the spout flap and of the base sheet are free of the at least one adhesive material, so that an object may be inserted between the portions of the inside surface of the spout flap and the base sheet, for facilitating grasping of the spout flap, toward permitting pulling of the spout flap away from the base sheet.

10. The bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bag body is formed from plurality of layers of bag material.

11. The bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the layers of bag material is fabricated from paper.

12. The bag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the layers of bag material is fabricated from a plastic material.

13. The bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bag body is gusseted.

14. The bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bag body is fabricated from a plurality of layers of bag material, with the at least one end of the bag being cut to form a stepped end.