Sonoco Development Incorporated

Robert Charles Hebert

Scott William Huffer

Barry Roland Reese

John A Prizzi

Richard F Jaisle

Jeffrey Edwin Johnson

A flexible packaging laminate is formed to have a built-in opening and reclose feature by forming the laminate as a two-part structure having an outer structure joined in face-to-face relation with an inner structure. Score lines are formed in both structures to enable an opening to be formed through the laminate by lifting an opening portion (e.g., a flap or the like) of the two structures out of the plane of the laminate. The score line through the outer structure defines a larger opening than the score line through the inner structure, such that a marginal region of the outer structure extends beyond the edge of the opening portion of the inner structure. A pressure-sensitive adhesive is used to re-adhere the marginal region to an underlying surface of the inner structure adjacent the opening through the laminate.

Flexible packaging structure with a built-in opening and reclose feature

The invention comprises, in an embodiment, a resealable packaging structure comprising a container having a bottom and at least one sidewall extending upwardly therefrom, wherein the sidewall terminates in a flange. A flexible resealable lid is sealed to the flange. The lid comprises a polyethylene terephthalate layer disposed adjacent the flange, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer disposed adjacent the polyethylene terephthalate layer, and an oriented polypropylene layer disposed adjacent the pressure sensitive adhesive layer. The polyethylene terephthalate layer comprises a laser scored line which penetrates through the thickness of the inner layer but not through the outer layer and defines an opening portion that can be lifted out of the plane of the inner layer, thereby creating an opening through the lid defined by the laser score line.

Method for making a flexible packaging structure with a built-in opening and reclose feature

Flexible packaging structure with a built-in opening and reclose feature, and method for making same

A flexible package for a product includes a resealable closure for resealing one portion of the package to an opposing portion of the package. The resealable closure is formed by applying a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive on the inner surface of at least one of the opposing portions of the package, and applying a layer of cohesive to the inner surface of both of the opposing portions so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is covered by a layer of cohesive. The pressure-sensitive adhesive has a greater affinity for adhering to the cohesive than to the inner surface of the package. Accordingly, pressure-sensitive adhesive is detached from the inner surface of the package when the opposing portions are pulled apart, and the portions can be resealed by pressing the portions back together to cause the pressure-sensitive adhesive to adhere to the portion from which is was detached.

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Cockeysville, MD, United States of America

Robert Charles Hebert