The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 28, 2002
Filed:
Jun. 02, 2000
Balbir Singh, Media, PA (US);
David A. Blythe, Philadelphia, PA (US);
Stephen R. Holten, Pasadena, CA (US);
Gary Willison, Houston, TX (US);
Mars Incorporated, McLean, VA (US);
Abstract
The present invention is directed to process and apparatus for forming a dual compartment package. The process includes forming an elongated rectangular U-shaped package having an inside and outside wall configured to form an open top end, and an inside and outside wall configured to form an open bottom end. The U-shaped package is filled with product. A zipper assembly having inter-locking members is separated into a first zipper component and a second zipper component. The first zipper component is attached to the inner side of the open top end walls thereby sealing the top end to the first zipper component. The open bottom end walls are placed adjacent the first zipper component, and the second zipper component is reattached to the first zipper component thereby locking the open bottom end walls between the inter-locking members of the zipper assembly. The U-shaped package forms two compartments that are separately filled with a product, in which the product is dispensed from the bottom end of the package after one of the interlocking members is released from the sealing/release assembly. The dual compartment package can also be formed with two separate compartments.