Package With Opening Feature

Abstract

A package for holding a food product is disclosed herein. The package includes a flexible material having a first portion forming a first side of the package, a second portion forming a second side of the package, a first closed end, and a second closed end. The first portion and the second portion are in face-to-face contact at each of the first closed end and the second closed end and are spaced apart to form an interior space. A removable portion is removably attached to a base portion by an opening feature. The opening feature comprises at least one line of weakening in at least one of the first portion and the second portion. The at least one line of weakening extends across the first closed end and the second closed end and the at least one of the first portion and the second portion defining the interior space.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A package for holding a food product, the package comprising:
 a flexible material having a first portion forming a first side of the package and a second portion forming a second side of the package;   a first closed end and a second closed end, wherein the first portion and the second portion are in face-to-face contact at each of the first closed end and the second closed end;   an interior space for receiving a food product between the first closed end and the second closed end, the first portion and the second portion being spaced apart to define the interior space;   a removable portion removably attached to a base portion by an opening feature, the opening feature comprising at least one line of weakening in at least one of the first portion and the second portion, the at least one line of weakening extends across the first closed end and the second closed end and the at least one of the first portion and the second portion defining the interior space.   
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the opening feature comprises a first line of weakening in the first portion and a second line of weakening in the second portion. 
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the opening features comprises a notch in at least one of the first closed end and the second closed end. 
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one notch comprises a first notch in the first closed end and a second notch in the second closed end. 
     
     
         5 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the flexible material comprises an outer layer and an inner layer. 
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 5 , wherein the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening are in the outer layer. 
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 5 , wherein the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening are in the inner layer. 
     
     
         8 . The package of  claim 5 , wherein the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening are in one of the outer layer and the inner layer. 
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 5 , wherein the outer layer comprises paper and the inner layer comprises a polymer film. 
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 5 , wherein the outer layer comprises paper and the inner layer comprises a metallized material for heating the food product in a microwave oven. 
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the first line of weakening is aligned with the second line of weakening. 
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the first line of weakening is offset from the second line of weakening. 
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening are slits. 
     
     
         14 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening are perforations. 
     
     
         15 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening comprises a strip of metallized material for weakening the flexible material upon heating the package. 
     
     
         16 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion comprises at least one seam, the at least one seam including an overlap of edges of material. 
     
     
         17 . The package of  claim 16 , the seam comprises a first seam in the first portion and a second seam in the second portion. 
     
     
         18 . A method of forming a package for holding a food product, the method comprising:
 obtaining a flexible material having a first portion and a second portion;   positioning the first portion and the second portion to form an interior space;   forming a first closed end and a second closed end, the first portion and the second portion being in face-to-face contact at each of the first closed end and the second closed end;   forming an opening feature comprising at least one line of weakening in at least one of the first portion and the second portion, the at least one line of weakening extends across the first closed end and the second closed end and the at least one of the first portion and the second portion defining the interior space.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the flexible material comprises a web of material comprising the first portion and the second portion, the positioning the first portion and the second portion comprise folding the web of material and forming seam adjoining the free edges of the web of material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the flexible material comprises a first web of material and a second web of material, the method comprises joining the first web of material to the second web of material to form a first seam and a second seam. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the line of weakening comprises a first line of weakening in the first portion and a second line of weakening in the second portion. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein obtaining the flexible material comprises forming a laminate comprising an outer layer and an inner layer. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the forming the laminate comprises forming the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening in the outer layer. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the forming the laminate comprises forming the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening in the inner layer. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the forming the laminate comprises forming the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening in one of the outer layer and the inner layer. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the outer layer comprises paper and the inner layer comprises a polymer film. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the outer layer comprises paper and the inner layer comprises a metallized material for heating the food product in a microwave oven. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first line of weakening is aligned with the second line of weakening. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first line of weakening is offset from the second line of weakening. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening are slits. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening are perforations. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the first line of weakening and the second line of weakening comprises a strip of metallized material and the forming the opening feature comprises heating the package to activate the metallized material and weaken the flexible material.