Sheet Material Capable of Being Formed Into a Resealable Package

Abstract

A package includes a sheet of flexible material that has a first configuration of a generally flat configuration and a second configuration of a folded and sealed configuration. In the flat configuration, both prior to and after sealing, a user can utilize the sheet as a working surface. The flexible material includes a foldable portion and sealing areas disposed on first and second package portions on opposite sides of the foldable portion. When a sealed package is desired, a user can fold the sheet generally about the foldable portion so that the sealing areas generally align with one another. The user can then compress the aligned and abutting sealing areas to ensure sealing. To access the sealed contents, a user can simply pull the folded flexible material portions generally apart from one another to separate the engaged sealing areas.

1 . A sheet configured to be folded into a reclosable package, the sheet comprising:
 a sheet of flexible material having edges, an interior face, and an exterior face;   a foldable portion disposed across the sheet, the foldable portion dividing the sheet into first and second panels that are configured to be folded with respect to one another about the foldable portion;   cohesive zones on the interior face of the sheet along the edges thereof, the cohesive zones having first and second cohesive opposing zone portions on the first and second panels respectively;   the first and second cohesive zone portions configured to be engaged to form a sealed package when the first and second panels of the sheet are folded together about the foldable portion; and   opposed unsealed outer edge flaps of the interior faces along each edge of the sealed package between the edges of the sheet and the cohesive zones, the opposed unsealed outer edge flaps configured to be gripped and pulled apart to separate the first and second cohesive zone portions.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet of  claim 1  wherein the sheet includes opposing end edges and opposing side edges, and further comprising complementary coupling components disposed on the interior face of the sheet along the end edges thereof, one of the complementary coupling components along one of the opposing end edges and the other of the complementary coupling components along the other opposing end edge; wherein the cohesive zones extend between the complementary coupling components and the foldable portion along each of the opposing side edges. 
     
     
         3 . The sheet of  claim 2  wherein the opposed unsealed outer edge flaps of the interior faces of the folded sheet are further disposed between each end edge of the sheet and the respective complementary coupling component. 
     
     
         4 . The sheet of  claim 2  wherein the complementary coupling components are interlocking strips. 
     
     
         5 . The sheet of  claim 4  wherein the interlocking strips fasten together with the use of a zipper member. 
     
     
         6 . The sheet of  claim 1  further comprising one or more intermediate cohesive zones extending between the cohesive zones on the interior face of the sheet along the edges thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The sheet of  claim 1  wherein the foldable portion is a fold line. 
     
     
         8 . The sheet of  claim 7  wherein the fold line is marked with indicia disposed either on the exterior face or the interior face. 
     
     
         9 . The sheet of  claim 7  wherein the fold line is pre-crimped. 
     
     
         10 . The sheet of  claim 1  wherein the opposed unsealed outer edge flaps comprise first and second flaps and at least a portion of the first flap is larger than a portion of the second flap. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The sheet of  claim 1  wherein the sheet is detachably secured to a plurality of sheets in a rolled configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The sheet of  claim 12  wherein the plurality of sheets are rolled in a folded configuration. 
     
     
         14 .- 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The sheet of  claim 1  wherein:
 the sheet has side edges and end edges; 
 the foldable portion is disposed across the sheet between the side edges; and 
 the cohesive zone disposed on the sheet interior face includes side strips of cohesive material disposed along the side edges and end strips of cohesive material disposed along the end edges of the first and second flexible panels; 
 wherein a first peel force between the engaged end strips of cohesive material is less than a first peel force between the engaged side strips of cohesive material. 
 
     
     
         18 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The sheet of  claim 17  wherein a corner region of the end and side strips of cohesive material is scalloped. 
     
     
         22 . The sheet of  claim 17  wherein outer portions of at least one of the end and side strips of cohesive material is scalloped to provide easier opening when the strips of cohesive material are engaged. 
     
     
         23 . The sheet of  claim 1  wherein the cohesive zones are disposed across a majority of the interior face of the sheet. 
     
     
         24 . The sheet of  claim 23  wherein the cohesive zones are disposed across the entire interior face of the sheet. 
     
     
         25 . A sheet configured to be folded into a reclosable package, the sheet comprising:
 a sheet of flexible material having end edges, side edges, an interior face, and an exterior face;   a foldable portion disposed across the sheet, the foldable portion dividing the sheet into first and second flexible panels that are configured to be folded with respect to one another about the foldable portion;   complementary coupling components disposed on the interior face of the sheet along end edges thereof, one component along one of the opposing end edges and the complementary component along the other end edge;   opposing cohesive strips disposed on the interior face of the sheet along each of the side edges thereof;   a foldable portion disposed across the sheet between the side edges, the foldable portion dividing the sheet into first and second flexible panels that are configured to be folded with respect to one another about the foldable portion to align and sealingly engage the complementary coupling components and the cohesive strips to form a sealed interior; and   opposed unsealed outer edge flaps of the interior faces of the folded sheet disposed along each side and the end of the sealed package between the side edges and the cohesive strips and the end edges and the coupling components, the opposed unsealed outer edge flaps configured to be gripped and pulled apart to separate the first and second cohesive strip portions to separate engaged cohesive strips along the side edges and engaged coupling components along the end edges.   
     
     
         26 . The sheet of  claim 25  wherein the foldable portion is a fold line. 
     
     
         27 . The sheet of  claim 26  wherein the fold line is pre-crimped. 
     
     
         28 . The sheet of  claim 25  wherein the coupling components are interlocking strips. 
     
     
         29 . The sheet of  claim 28  wherein the interlocking strips fasten together with the use of a zipper member. 
     
     
         30 . The sheet of  claim 25  further comprising one or more intermediate cohesive strips extending between at least one of the side cohesive strips and the coupling components; wherein the one or more intermediate cohesive strips are configured to align with folding of the sheet to provide the ability to divide the sealed interior into a plurality of sealed interiors.