Multi-compartment flexible package

Abstract

A flexible package having a main package compartment and a segregated internal compartment package. The main package generally includes a plurality of outer panel portions. These panel portions can include a front panel portion, a back panel portion, and a bottom panel portion. The formation of these panels into the main package defines an internal cavity for holding material contents. Any of the panels can be gusseted with the processes and techniques known to one skilled in the art. The main package includes the segregated internal compartment package, wherein the compartment package can include at least one internal panel portion having a transverse edge portion adapted joined to an inner surface of one of the main package panels, i.e. the front or back panels, within the internal cavity to define a second compartment cavity distinct from the internal cavity of the main package. At least two separate openings are available into the package to enable selectively separate access into the internal cavity of the main package and the compartment cavity of the segregated internal compartment package.

1 . A multi-compartment flexible package, comprising: 
 a main package having at least 
 a first panel including an inner first panel surface, an outer first panel surface, a plurality of first panel edge portions, a top portion, and a bottom portion;  
 a second panel including an inner second panel surface, an outer second panel surface, and a plurality of second panel edge portions joined to the plurality of first panel edge portions to define an inner cavity of the main package, wherein the inner second panel surface and the inner first panel surface are within the inner cavity;  
 at least one gusseted panel; and  
   an internal compartment panel including two longitudinal edge portions, and a transverse edge portion transverse to the two longitudinal edge portions, wherein the two longitudinal edge portions are joined to the inner surface of the first panel within the inner cavity and the transverse edge portion is joined to the inner surface of the first panel intermediate the top portion and the bottom portion of the first panel to define a second compartment cavity distinct from the inner cavity of the main package.    
     
     
         2 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 1 , wherein the first panel is a front panel of the main package.  
     
     
         3 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 2 , the second panel further including a second bottom portion, and the at least one gusseted panel is a bottom panel, wherein the gusseted bottom panel is joined to the bottom portions of the front panel and the second panel in a substantially transverse relationship.  
     
     
         4 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 1 , wherein the first panel is a back panel of the main package.  
     
     
         5 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 4 , the second panel further including a second bottom portion, and the at least one gusseted panel is a bottom panel, wherein the gusseted bottom panel is joined to the bottom portions of the back panel and the second panel in a substantially transverse relationship.  
     
     
         6 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 1 , wherein the first panel further includes a longitudinal seal intermediate the edge portions of the first panel and substantially traversing from the transverse edge portion to the top portion of the first panel to longitudinally seal the internal compartment panel to the first panel to define the second compartment cavity.  
     
     
         7 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 6 , wherein at least one barrier is disposed between the longitudinal seal and the second panel to prevent joining of the internal compartment panel to the inner second panel surface.  
     
     
         8 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 6 , wherein a top portion of the internal compartment panel distal the transverse edge portion is joined to the inner surface of the second panel creating a first top seal.  
     
     
         9 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 8 , wherein the first top seal is a temporary seal providing selective disengagement of the top portion of the internal compartment panel from the second panel.  
     
     
         10 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 9 , wherein another top portion of the internal compartment panel distal the transverse edge portion is joined to the inner surface of the first panel creating a second top seal.  
     
     
         11  The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 10 , wherein the second top seal is a temporary seal providing selective disengagement of the top portion of the internal compartment panel from the first panel.  
     
     
         12 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 1 , wherein the joining of the transverse edge portion of the internal compartment panel to the first panel is a temporary seal capable of selective disengagement from the first panel to bring the inner cavity and the second compartment cavity into fluid communication.  
     
     
         13 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 6 , wherein the longitudinal seal is a temporary seal capable of selective disengagement from the first panel to bring the inner cavity and the second compartment cavity into fluid communication.  
     
     
         14 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 6 , further including a notch extending a distance into at least a portion of the longitudinal seal proximate the top portion of the first panel and adapted to enable selective tearing transverse to the longitudinal seal for access into both the inner cavity and the second compartment cavity.  
     
     
         15 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 1 , wherein the internal compartment panel further comprises a lip portion distal the transverse edge portion and extending above the top portion of the first panel.  
     
     
         16 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 1 , wherein at least one barrier is selectively disposed between the internal compartment panel and the second panel to prevent joining of the internal compartment panel to the inner second panel surface.  
     
     
         17 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one barrier is disposed substantially along the transverse edge portion of the internal compartment panel.  
     
     
         18 . A multi-compartment flexible package, comprising: 
 a main package having at least 
 a front panel including an inner front panel surface, an outer front panel surface, a plurality of front panel edge portions, and a top and bottom front portion;  
 a back panel including an inner back panel surface, an outer back panel surface, a plurality of back panel edge portions, and a top and bottom back portion, wherein the back panel is joined to the plurality of front panel edge portions to define an inner cavity of the main package, wherein the inner back panel surface and the inner front panel surface are within the inner cavity; and  
   an internal compartment panel including two longitudinal edge portions, and a transverse edge portion transverse to the two longitudinal edge portions, wherein the two longitudinal edge portions are joined to the inner surface of the back panel within the inner cavity and the transverse edge portion is joined to the same inner surface of the back panel intermediate the top and bottom portion of the back panel to define a second compartment cavity distinct from the inner cavity of the main package.    
     
     
         19 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 18 , further including at least one gusseted panel.  
     
     
         20 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one gusseted panel is a bottom gusseted panel joined to the bottom portions of the front panel and the back panel in a substantially transverse relationship.  
     
     
         21 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 18 , wherein the back panel further includes a longitudinal seal intermediate the edge portions of the back panel and substantially traversing the longitudinal length of the back panel portion from the transverse edge portion to longitudinally seal the internal compartment panel to the back panel to define the second compartment cavity.  
     
     
         22 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 21 , wherein at least one barrier is disposed between the longitudinal seal and the front panel to prevent joining of the internal compartment panel to the inner surface of the front panel.  
     
     
         23 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 18 , wherein the joining of the transverse edge portion of the internal compartment panel to the back panel is a temporary seal capable of selective disengagement from the back panel to bring the inner cavity and the second compartment cavity into fluid communication.  
     
     
         24 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 21 , wherein the longitudinal seal is a temporary seal capable of selective disengagement from the back panel to bring the inner cavity and the second compartment cavity into fluid communication.  
     
     
         25 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 21 , further including a notch extending a distance into at least a portion of the longitudinal seal proximate the top portion of the back panel and adapted to enable selective tearing transverse to the longitudinal seal for access into both the inner cavity and the second compartment cavity.  
     
     
         26 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 18 , wherein the internal compartment panel further comprises a lip portion distal the transverse edge portion and extending above the top portion of the back panel.  
     
     
         27 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 18 , wherein at least one barrier is disposed between the internal compartment panel and the front panel to prevent joining of the internal compartment panel to the inner surface of the front panel.  
     
     
         28 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 27 , wherein the at least one barrier is disposed substantially along the transverse edge portion of the internal compartment panel.  
     
     
         29 . A multi-compartment flexible package, comprising: 
 a main package having at least 
 a first panel including an inner first panel surface, an outer first panel surface, a plurality of first panel edge portions, a top portion, and a bottom portion;  
 a second panel including an inner second panel surface, an outer second panel surface, and a plurality of second panel edge portions;  
 at least one side panel including a plurality of side panel edge portions joined to edge portions of the first panel and the second panel to define an inner cavity of the main package, wherein the inner second panel surface and the inner first panel surface are within the inner cavity; and  
   an internal compartment panel including two longitudinal edge portions, and a transverse edge portion transverse to the two longitudinal edge portions, wherein the two longitudinal edge portions are joined to the inner surface of the first panel within the inner cavity and the transverse edge portion is joined to the inner surface of the first panel intermediate the top portion and the bottom portion of the first panel to define a second compartment cavity distinct from the inner cavity of the main package.    
     
     
         30 . The multi-compartment package of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one side panel is gusseted.  
     
     
         31 . The multi-compartment package of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one side panel is two side panels, with a first of the side panels being joined to a first of the edge portions of the second panel and a first of the edge portions of the first panel, and the second of the side panels being joined to a second of the edge portions of the second panel and a second of the edge portions of the first panel.  
     
     
         32 . The multi-compartment package of  claim 31 , wherein at least one of the two side panels is gusseted.  
     
     
         33 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 29 , wherein the first panel further includes a longitudinal seal intermediate the edge portions of the first panel and substantially traversing from the transverse edge portion to the top portion of the first panel to longitudinally seal the internal compartment panel to the first panel to define the second compartment cavity.  
     
     
         34 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 33 , wherein at least one barrier is selectively disposed between the longitudinal seal and the second panel to prevent joining of the internal compartment panel to the inner surface of the second panel.  
     
     
         35 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 29 , wherein the joining of the transverse edge portion of the internal compartment panel to the first panel is a temporary seal capable of selective disengagement from the first panel to bring the inner cavity and the second compartment cavity into fluid communication.  
     
     
         36 . The multi-compartment flexible package of  claim 33 , wherein the longitudinal seal is a temporary seal capable of selective disengagement from the first panel to bring the inner cavity and the second compartment cavity into fluid communication.  
     
     
         37 . A method of forming a multi-compartment flexible package with a package forming machine, comprising the steps of: 
 feeding a roll of a first panel web in the package forming machine, the first panel web having a first panel width defined by a first top edge portion and a first bottom edge portion;    feeding a roll of a second panel web in the package forming machine planarly parallel and separate from the first panel web, the second panel web having a second panel width substantially the same as the first panel width;    feeding a roll of a gusseted bottom panel web in the package forming machine intermediate the first panel web and the second panel, wherein the gusseted bottom panel web has a bottom panel width smaller than the first and second panel width;    feeding a roll of an internal panel web in the package forming machine intermediate the first panel web and the gusseted bottom panel, wherein the internal panel web has an internal panel width smaller than the first and second panel width, the internal panel width being defined by an internal top edge portion and an internal bottom edge portion;    confrontingly aligning each of the first panel web, the second panel web, the gusseted bottom panel web, and the internal panel web whereby the intermediately aligned internal panel web is positioned such that the internal bottom edge portion substantially aligns between the first top edge portion of the first panel web and the gusseted bottom panel web;    sealing the internal bottom edge portion of the internal panel web to the first panel web;    sealing the bottom gusseted panel web to the first panel web and the second panel web;    transversely sealing across the width of the first panel web two spaced side seals to define side portions of the multi-compartment package and a main package cavity, and wherein the sealing of the internal bottom edge portion of the internal panel web to the first panel web forms a second compartment cavity distinct from the main package cavity within the multi-compartment package;    cutting away the multi-compartment package from an adjacently connected multi-compartment package.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising the step of sealing across the width of the first panel web intermediate the two side seals a longitudinal seal to bond a portion of the internal panel web to the front panel web transverse to the internal bottom edge portion of the internal panel web.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising the step of filling at least one of the second compartment cavity and the main package cavity with contents.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising the step of sealing top portions of the first panel and the second panel together to close off access into the second compartment cavity and the main package cavity.  
     
     
         41 . A method of forming a multi-compartment flexible package, comprising the steps of: 
 alignably feeding a first panel, a second panel, a bottom panel, and an internal compartment panel along a general web path in a package forming machine such that a main package having a main inner cavity is defined by at least the first panel, the second panel, and the bottom panel, and wherein the internal compartment panel is aligned between the first panel and the second panel within the main inner cavity such that the internal compartment panel traverses some distances short of the full longitudinal length of the first panel;    sealing longitudinal edges of the internal compartment panel intermediate corresponding longitudinal edges of the first and second panel; and    sealing a transverse edge of the internal compartment panel to an inside surface of the first panel transverse to the longitudinal edges of the first panel between a top portion of the first panel and the bottom panel to define a second compartment having a compartment cavity, wherein the main inner cavity and the compartment cavity are distinct cavities within the multi-compartment flexible package.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising the step of sealing a longitudinal seal along the first panel between the two longitudinal edges of the first panel to seal a portion of the internal compartment panel to the first panel.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising the step of selectively providing a barrier material between the second panel and at least a portion of the proximate internal compartment panel to prevent joining of the internal compartment panel to the second panel.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising providing the barrier material between the second panel and the transverse edge of the internal compartment panel.