Pactiv Corporation

Tenneco Packaging Inc.

Reynolds Presto Products Inc.

Reynolds Consumer Products Inc.

Craig E. Cappel

Jon M. La Rue

Craig E Cappel

Toby R Thomas

David V Dobreski

Alexander R Provan

Gerald R Winiecki

Larry E Benedict

James N Gomoll

Mark R Gartz

Frank Andrew Petlak

Nathan A Kolovich

Timothy W Pistner

Jeff Hautzinger

Jon Michael LaRue

H Bernard Kirkland

Johann Natterer

Michael W McManus

Gary E Rehwinkel

Russell J Talbo

John D Athans

Scott W Follansbee

Marshall Van Domelen

David J Thomas

Michael E Marcuccilli

Veron C Catchmann

Michael W Mcmanus

Jon M La Rue

Venon C Catchman

Container includes a base, a cover, and a pull tab. The base has a bottom, a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom, and a rim at an upper edge portion of the side wall. The cover has a closed condition and an open condition and an outer edge portion interengageable with the rim of the base when the cover is in the closed condition. The pull tab extends outwardly from at least one of the base or the cover. The pull tab having a deformable formation to be deformed when the cover is moved from the closed condition to the open condition, the pull tab remaining attached to the at least one of the base or the cover when moved from the closed condition to the open condition. Additional embodiments relate to a tamper evident feature for a container, and a method for containing product in a container.

Tamper evident container with full tab

Container including a bottom and sidewalls with undulating pattern of peaks and valley. At least one stacking feature is provided to allow a plurality of containers to be stacked. In one embodiment, the stacking feature is disposed proximate a bottom edge of the sidewall at a peak. In another embodiment, the stacking feature is a stack flap disposed proximate a top edge of the container. Alternatively, the stacking feature is a stack ring having a shape which corresponds to the sidewall perimeter and has an inwardly protruding lip.

Container with stacking feature

A reclosable package includes a tray, a top sheet, and a fastener. The tray has a well for receiving contents and a peripheral flange surrounding the well. The top sheet is attached to the peripheral flange. The fastener has two interlocking members, one attached to the peripheral flange and the other attached to the top sheet. A tamper-evident feature located on the package prevents access to the fastener and is connected thereto by one or two lines of weaknesses. In one embodiment with one or two lines of weakness in the top sheet, the fastener remains adjacent to the tray's peripheral flange, which is intact after the tamper-evident feature is removed by tearing along these lines of weakness. In a second embodiment with two lines of weakness, the tamper-evident feature, comprised of portions of the peripheral flange and the top sheet, is torn from the package along both lines of weakness.

Method for making reclosable package having an accessible zipper

Foldable container including a base having a first base portion and an opposing second base portion. The base has a base surface free of hinge lines between the first base portion and the second base portion. A sidewall surrounds at least a portion of the base and extends generally upward from the base with a non-uniform height to define a compartment. A rim having a first rim portion and an opposing second rim portion is disposed proximate the top edge of the sidewall. At least one transition region is formed in the sidewall to allow the first base portion to pivot between an open position and a closed position. When in the open position, the container defines a plate. When in the closed position, the first base portion defines at least a portion of a cover relative to the second base portion. A packaged product is also provided, including a foldable container and a cover member removably attached to the rim of the foldable container in the open position to contain a product therein.

Convertible container and plate

A method of forming a container () includes heating two webs of material and indexing the webs into a vacuum thermoformer () which forms first () and second trays () simultaneously, wherein the second tray is disposed within a space of the first tray to define a reservoir () therebetween. A portion of the first tray is brought into contact with a flange portion of the second tray, and joined by a heat seal within the vacuum thermoformer. A punch device within the vacuum thermoformer perforates a drain aperture () in a central region of the bottom of the second tray, such that the drain aperture is in fluid communication with the reservoir. The cut-out section is adhered to the bottom of the first tray to eliminate the presence of any scrap material. The joined first and second tray is indexed out of the vacuum thermoformer and trimmed to separate an assembled container from the web supply.

Method of forming a container having an internal reservoir

A container includes a first tray, and a second tray disposed within the space of the first tray to define a reservoir therebetween. The first tray has a first bottom wall and a surrounding first sidewall, which extends generally upwardly from the first bottom wall to define a space therein. The second tray has a second bottom wall and a surrounding second sidewall, which also extends generally upwardly from the second bottom wall. The second bottom wall has at least one aperture defined in a central region thereof, and also has an upper surface, which slopes downwardly toward the at least one aperture. The reservoir defined between the first and second trays is in fluid communication with the aperture.

Container having internal reservoir

Foldable container including a base having a first base portion and an opposing second base portion. The base has a base surface free of hinge lines between the first base portion and the second base portion. A sidewall surrounds the base and extends generally upward from the base to define a compartment. A rim having a first rim portion and an opposing second rim portion is disposed proximate the top edge of the sidewall. At least one transition region is formed in the sidewall to allow the first base portion to pivot between an open position and a closed position, When in the open position, the container defines a plate. When in the closed position, the first base portion defines at least a portion of a cover relative to the second base portion. A packaged product is also provided, including a foldable container and a cover member removably attached to the rim of the foldable container in the open position to contain a product therein.

A unit operation station for use in a web processing machine comprising: a shuttle system including an input roller for receiving a web and an attached zipper, an output roller and a the connecting element for maintaining the input roller and the output roller in a fixed position relative to each other; a plurality of stations performing distinct operations for mechanically altering the attached zipper, one of the plurality of stations including a slider-insertion mechanism for placing a slider onto the zipper; a web path located beyond the input roller and including the plurality of stations; a driver for providing reciprocating movement to the shuttle system to cause intermittent movement of the web and the attached zipper along the web path; wherein the output roller releases the web and the attached zipper at a rate substantially equal to a continuous input feed rate of the web and the attached zipper, and wherein the shuttle system moves at a speed substantially equal to the continuous input/output feed rate of the web as it enters and exits the plurality of stations.

Unit operations on a web with attached zipper and method of performing the same

Methods are provided for making slider-operated fasteners for use in reclosable plastic bags using at least a double index and dual unit operations. The methods involve forming two preseals, forming two notches within the preseals, applying two sliders into the previously formed notches, and applying two end stops proximate the previously applied sliders by having the various stations perform their respective functions, either simultaneously or at generally the same time, on different parts of the fastener spaced approximately at a double index. Also provided are methods of producing finished bags by applying the slider-operated fastener to a flat web of plastic film and conveying the web to a vertical or a horizontal form-fill-seal machine.

Methods for applying sliders to reclosable plastic bags

The present invention relates to a process used for packaging a product in a web of material that has a zipper attached thereto. The process includes providing a web of material having first and second edges and a zipper including first and second interlocking members. The first and second interlocking members of the zipper are interlocked together. The first interlocking member of the zipper is attached to the web at an intermediate portion of the web between the first and second edges of the web. The second interlocking member has an attachment region that is facing away from the web. One edge of the web is folded away from the zipper and toward the other edge of the web. Unit operations are performed on the zipper to create zipper segments from the zipper while the zipper is exposed. Each of the zipper segments is associated with an individual food package made from the web.

Process for making a recloseable package

Reclosable package having an accessible zipper and a method for making the same

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Pittsford, NY, United States of America

Craig E Cappel