Method and Apparatus for Handling Perishable Items

Abstract

A first container bag according to the present invention has top and bottom seals that are considered a lockup seal and an internal peel seal that will hold the gas and product in, but will also allow for ease of opening after removal of the top seal. This bag is such as that conventionally formed by use of VFFS technology, and includes the top and bottom end seals. However, the present invention provides additional features including a peel-away or otherwise separable seal, and a perforated segment. By tearing the bag at the perforated segment, the end seal may be bypassed, thus providing access to the internal separable “peel-away” seal. This configuration allows for a bag configuration which allows for the transportation of materials via the bag from a first, loading, location to a second, unloading, location, at which the items within the bag may be removed from the bag without the use of tools, and without tear-off discharge during the bag opening process. A second container bag according to the present invention has a bottom seal that is considered a lockup seal and an upper peel seal. A method of manufacturing and using each bag in a food service environment is also disclosed.

1 . A flexible bag for containing food products, said bag comprising:
 a body portion including a sheet of flexible material formed in a tubular manner generally relative to a longitudinal bag axis extending along the length of the tube;   a longitudinal seal extending the length of said body portion and being generally aligned along said bag axis, said longitudinal seal configured to cooperate with said body portion so as to define a continuous tubular flexible material boundary such that a discrete tubular length of flexible material is provided, said tubular length having an upper end and a bottom end, and also having a transverse width;   a transverse bottom seal portion configured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximate said bottom end of said tubular length, said transverse bottom seal portion having a first sealing characteristic;   a transverse upper seal portion configured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximate said upper end of said tubular length, said transverse bottom seal portion also having said first sealing characteristic;   a transverse interior seal portion configured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximate said upper end of said tubular length but spaced further down from said upper end of said tubular length than is said transverse upper seal portion, such that said transverse upper seal portion is intermediate said upper edge of said tubular length and said transverse interior seal portion, and such that said body portion, longitudinal seal portion, bottom seal portion, and interior seal portion combine to define a product storage volume, said transverse interior seal portion having a second sealing characteristic being less intact than said first sealing characteristic; and   a transverse partially perforated portion intermediate said transverse upper seal portion and said transverse interior seal portion, said transverse partially perforated portion configured to facilitate its tearing along a perforation line extending partially but not completely transversely across said tube width,   said body portion, longitudinal seal, first and second transverse end seals, said perforated portion, and said transverse interior seal configured to cooperate to allow a user to tear said perforated portion along said perforation line, separate said transverse interior seal, and remove said food products from said content storage portion, said top seal configured to provide a secondary barrier should said transverse seal become prematurely ruptured.   
   
   
       2 . The flexible bag as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said first sealing characteristic provides a serrated seal. 
   
   
       3 . The flexible bag as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said second sealing characteristic provides a peel-apart seal. 
   
   
       4 . The flexible bag as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said second sealing characteristic provides a peel-apart seal. 
   
   
       5 . A method of continuously forming, filling and sealing bags, comprising:
 forming a tube of film including a tubular length with a longitudinal seal, and feeding the film tube vertically downward;   providing a transverse bottom seal configured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximate said bottom end of said tubular length, said transverse bottom seal portion having a first sealing characteristic;   providing a transverse upper seal portion configured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximate said upper end of said tubular length, said transverse bottom seal portion also having said first sealing characteristic;   providing a transverse interior seal portion configured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximate said upper end of said tubular length but spaced further down from said upper end of said tubular length than is said transverse upper seal portion, such that said transverse upper seal portion is intermediate said upper edge of said tubular length and said transverse interior seal portion, and such that said body portion, longitudinal seal portion, bottom seal portion, and interior seal portion combine to define a product storage volume, said transverse interior seal portion having a second sealing characteristic being less intact than said first sealing characteristic; and   providing a transverse partially perforated portion intermediate said transverse upper seal portion and said transverse interior seal portion, said transverse partially perforated portion configured to facilitate its tearing along a perforation line extending partially but not completely transversely across said tube width,   such that a bag is providing such that said body portion, longitudinal seal, first and second transverse end seals, said perforated portion, and said transverse interior seal configured to cooperate to allow a user to tear said perforated portion along said perforation line, separate said transverse interior seal, and remove said food products from said content storage portion, and said top seal configured to provide a secondary barrier should said transverse seal become prematurely ruptured.   
   
   
       6 . The flexible bag as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said first sealing characteristic provides a serrated seal. 
   
   
       7 . The flexible bag as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said second sealing characteristic provides a peel-apart seal. 
   
   
       8 . The flexible bag as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said second sealing characteristic provides a peel-apart seal. 
   
   
       9 . A method for processing food products, said method comprising the following steps: 
     A) providing a plurality of food product-containing bags each including a flexible bag containing food products, each said product-containing bag itself comprising:
 1) a body portion including a sheet of flexible material formed in a tubular manner generally relative to a longitudinal bag axis extending along the length of the tube; 
 2) a longitudinal seal extending the length of said body portion and being generally aligned along said bag axis, said longitudinal seal configured to cooperate with said body portion so as to define a continuous tubular flexible material boundary such that a discrete tubular length of flexible material is provided, said tubular length having an upper end and a bottom end, and also having a transverse width; 
 3) a transverse bottom seal portion configured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximate said bottom end of said tubular length, said transverse bottom seal portion having a first sealing characteristic; 
 4) a transverse upper seal portion configured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximate said upper end of said tubular length, said transverse bottom seal portion also having said first sealing characteristic; 
 5) a transverse interior seal portion configured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximate said upper end of said tubular length but spaced further down from said upper end of said tubular length than is said transverse upper seal portion, such that said transverse upper seal portion is intermediate said upper edge of said tubular length and said transverse interior seal portion, and such that said body portion, longitudinal seal portion, bottom seal portion, and interior seal portion combine to define a product storage volume including said food products, said transverse interior seal portion having a second sealing characteristic being less intact than said first sealing characteristic; and 
 6) a transverse partially perforated portion intermediate said transverse upper seal portion and said transverse interior seal portion, said transverse partially perforated portion configured to facilitate its tearing along a perforation line extending partially but not completely transversely across said tube width, 
 said body portion, longitudinal seal, first and second transverse end seal portions, said perforated portion, and said transverse interior seal configured to cooperate to store said food products yet to subsequently allow a user to tear said perforated portion along said perforation line, separate said transverse interior seal, and remove said food products from said content storage portion, and said top seal configured to provide a secondary barrier should said transverse seal become prematurely ruptured; 
 
     B) accumulating a plurality of said product-containing bags into a container; 
     C) transporting said container including said plurality of said product-containing bags from a first location to a second location; 
     D) removing at least one of said product-containing bags from said container while at said second location; 
     E) tearing said perforated portion along said perforation line transverse such that said partially perforated portion is torn but said flexible bag is still in one piece; F) subsequent to step “E”, rupturing said transverse inner seal to provide access to said food product within said product storage volume; 
     G) removing said food product from within said product storage volume such that said flexible bag is separate from said food products; and 
     H) discarding said flexible bag while said flexible bag is still in one piece. 
   
   
       10 . A method for processing food products, said method comprising the following steps: 
     A) providing a plurality of food product-containing bags each including a flexible bag containing food products, each said product-containing bag itself comprising:
 1) a body portion including a sheet of flexible material formed in a tubular manner generally relative to a longitudinal bag axis extending along the length of said tube; 
 2) a longitudinal seal extending the length of said body portion and being generally aligned along said bag axis, said longitudinal seal configured to cooperate with said body portion so as to define a continuous tubular flexible material boundary such that a discrete tubular length of flexible material is provided, said tubular length having an upper end and a bottom end, and also having a transverse width; 
 3) a transverse bottom seal portion configured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximate said bottom end of said tubular length, said transverse bottom seal portion having a first sealing characteristic; and 
 4) a transverse upper seal portion configured to seal across the width of said tubular length proximate said upper end of said tubular length, such that said body portion, longitudinal seal portion, bottom seal portion, and upper seal portion combine to define a product storage volume including said food products, said transverse interior seal portion having a second sealing characteristic being less intact than said first sealing characteristic; 
 said body portion, longitudinal seal, upper and bottom end portions, and said transverse interior seal configured to cooperate to store said food products yet to subsequently allow a user to manually grasp said bag and separate said transverse interior seal, and remove said food products from said content storage portion; 
 
     B) accumulating a plurality of said product-containing bags into a container; 
     C) transporting said container including said plurality of said product-containing bags from a first location to a second location; 
     D) removing at least one of said product-containing bags from said container while at said second location; 
     E) rupturing said transverse inner seal to provide access to said food product within said product storage volume; 
     G) removing said food product from within said product storage volume such that said flexible bag is separate from said food products; and 
     H) discarding said flexible bag while said flexible bag is still in one piece.