Container With mid-level closure and tear-off features

Abstract

A snack food package employs a container bag that has an area of weakness formed at a location about one-third of the way down from the top to enable facile removal of an emptied upper section of the bag. An associated closure strip assembly is located just below the area of weakness to enable closing of the bottom section of the bag containing remaining product. Covering elements overlie the exposed surfaces of the closure strip components, to protect them against contamination by particulate matter, until the top section of the bag has been removed.

1 . A package comprised of a normally closed container defining an interior space, and a consumable product mass contained in said container and normally substantially filling said interior space, said consumable product mass consisting of a large multiplicity of discrete pieces of similar solid matter; said container having a top and a bottom, and mutually spaced opposite lateral portions extending therebetween, and being comprised of two substantially flexible wall portions defining said interior space and having mutually confronting interior surfaces; an intermediate closure strip assembly extending substantially entirely across said container between said opposite lateral portions and at a level intermediate said top and bottom thereof, said intermediate closure strip assembly being spaced from said top by at least about one-quarter of the distance between said top and bottom, to define a top section of said container, and being spaced from said bottom by at least about one-quarter of said distance, to define a bottom section of said container; said intermediate closure strip assembly being comprised of a pair of mated, interengageable elongate closure strip components, one of said closure strip components being affixed on the interior surface of each of said wall portions of said container, and said closure strip components being normally spaced from one another with a portion of said product mass interposed therebetween, elements of said closure strip components being longitudinally aligned for mated interengagement in the substantial absence of said interposed product mass portion; displaceable protective cover elements normally overlying confronting surfaces of said interengageable elements of said closure strip components so as to prevent substantial contamination of said confronting surfaces by said product mass or associated materials; and at least one area of weakness provided on each of said wall portions of said container and extending thereacross within said top section of said container adjacent said intermediate closure strip assembly, said areas of weakness being aligned with one another to enable facile, manual removal of said top section of said container from the remainder thereof, following which the container may be closed at said intermediate level using said intermediate closure strip assembly. 
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1  wherein said product mass is a snack food. 
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 1  wherein said flexible wall portions are comprised of a synthetic resinous material, a metal foil, paper, or a laminate of combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 1  wherein said intermediate closure strip assembly is spaced from said top of said container about one-third of said distance between said top and said bottom, to define said top and bottom sections. 
     
     
         5 . The package of  claim 1  wherein said pair of closure strip components comprises a first component formed with at least one groove element extending longitudinally along said confronting surface thereof, and a second component formed with at least one tongue element, engageable in said at least one groove element of said first component, extending longitudinally on said confronting surface thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 1  wherein said protective cover elements are attached to said wall portions of said container at locations spaced from said areas of weakness toward said top of said container so as to be removable simultaneously with removal of said top section. 
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 1  additionally including a top closure strip assembly extending substantially entirely across said container between said opposite lateral portions and at a location adjacent said top of said container, said top closure strip assembly being comprised, affixed, and aligned as aforesaid with respect to said intermediate closure strip assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The package of  claim 7  additionally including means formed thereinto for facilitating removal of a top marginal portion, above said top closure strip, for opening of said container. 
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 1  wherein said container is substantially flat, with said wall portions substantially coextensive, when said container is empty and collapsed. 
     
     
         10 . A package comprised of a normally closed container defining an interior space, and a consumable product mass contained in said container and normally substantially filling said interior space, said consumable product mass consisting of a large multiplicity of discrete pieces of similar solid matter; said container having a top and a bottom, and mutually spaced opposite lateral portions extending therebetween, and being comprised of two substantially flexible wall portions defining said interior space and having mutually confronting interior surfaces; an intermediate closure strip assembly extending substantially entirely across said container between said opposite lateral portions and at a level intermediate said top and bottom thereof, said intermediate closure strip assembly being spaced from said top by at least about one-quarter of the distance between said top and bottom, to define a top section of said container, and being spaced from said bottom by at least about one-quarter of said distance to define a bottom section of said container; said closure strip assembly being comprised of a pair of mated, interengageable elongate closure strip components, one of said closure strip components being affixed on the interior surface of each of said wall portions of said container, and said closure strip components being normally spaced from one another with a portion of said product mass interposed therebetween, elements of said closure strip components being longitudinally aligned for mated interengagement, in the substantial absence of said interposed product mass portion; and at least one area of weakness provided on each of said wall portions of said container and extending thereacross within said top section of said container adjacent said intermediate closure strip assembly, said areas of weakness being aligned with one another to enable facile, manual removal of said top section of said container from the remainder thereof, following which the container may be closed at said intermediate level using said intermediate closure strip assembly. 
     
     
         12 . A container defining an interior space for containing a consumable product mass consisting of a large multiplicity of discrete pieces of similar solid matter, that normally substantially fills said interior space; said container having a top and a bottom and mutually spaced opposite lateral portions extending therebetween, and being comprised of two substantially flexible wall portions defining said interior space and having mutually confronting interior surfaces; an intermediate closure strip assembly extending substantially entirely across said container between said opposite lateral portions and at a level intermediate said top and bottom thereof, spaced from said top by at least about one-quarter of the distance between said top and bottom, to define a top section of said container, and being spaced from said bottom by at least about one-quarter of said distance to define a bottom section of said container; said intermediate closure strip assembly being comprised of a pair of mated, interengageable elongate closure strip components, one of said closure strip components being affixed on the interior surface of each of said wall portions of said container, elements of said closure strip components being longitudinally aligned for mated interengagement; displaceable protective cover elements normally overlying confronting surfaces of said interengageable elements of said closure strip components so as to prevent substantial contamination of said confronting surfaces by a product mass or associated materials; and at least one area of weakness provided on each of said wall portions of said container and extending thereacross within said top section of said container adjacent said intermediate closure strip assembly, said areas of weakness being aligned with one another to enable facile, manual removal of said top section of said container from the remainder thereof, following which the container may be closed at said intermediate level using said intermediate closure strip assembly. 
     
     
         12 . A method for consuming a product mass, comprising:
 providing a package comprised of a normally closed container defining an interior space, and a consumable product mass contained in said container and normally substantially filling said interior space, said consumable product mass consisting of a large multiplicity of discrete pieces of similar solid matter; said container having a top and a bottom and mutually spaced opposite lateral portions extending therebetween, and being comprised of two substantially flexible wall portions defining said interior space and having mutually confronting interior surfaces; an intermediate closure strip assembly extending substantially entirely across said container between said opposite lateral portions and at a level intermediate said top and bottom thereof, said intermediate closure strip assembly being spaced from said top by at least about one-quarter of the distance between said top and bottom, to define a top section of said container, and being spaced from said bottom by at least about one-quarter of said distance to define a bottom section of said container; said intermediate closure strip assembly being comprised of a pair of mated, interengageable elongate closure strip components, one of said closure strip components being affixed on the interior surface of each of said wall portions of said container, and said strip components being normally spaced from one another with a portion of said product mass interposed therebetween, elements of said closure strip components being longitudinally aligned for mated interengagement in the substantial absence of said interposed product mass portion; and at least one area of weakness provided on each of said walls of said container and extending thereacross within said top section of said container adjacent said intermediate closure strip assembly, said areas of weakness being aligned with one another to enable facile, manual removal of said top section of said container from the remainder thereof, following which the container may be closed at said intermediate level using said intermediate closure strip assembly;   opening said package;   removing a portion of said consumable product mass, to so reduce the contents as to fill only said bottom section of said container;   effecting manual removal of said top section of said container from said remainder thereof, by separation along said areas of weakness; and   effecting closure of said bottom section of said container utilizing said intermediate closure strip assembly.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said product is a snack food.