Reclosable animal feed container

Abstract

A reclosable animal feed container is disclosed. The reclosable animal feed container comprises a flexible body defining a cavity to contain animal feed and having a closed bottom portion and a top portion; a removable portion coupled to the top portion removable to define an opening that provides access to animal feed contained within the body; and a closure device coupled to the body proximate the top portion and comprising a first deformable member extending from a first side of the body. The opening is reclosable by providing one or more folds to the top portion of the body and bending the first deformable member to engage the first side of the body.

1 . A reclosable animal feed container comprising:
 a flexible body defining a cavity to contain animal feed, the body having a closed bottom portion and a top portion;   a removable portion coupled to the top portion removable to define an opening that provides access to animal feed contained within the body;   a closure device coupled to the body proximate the top portion, the closure device comprising a first deformable member extending from a first side of the body;   wherein the opening is reclosable by providing one or more folds to the top portion of the body and bending the first deformable member to engage the first side of the body.   
   
   
       2 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 1  wherein the closure device further comprises a second deformable member extending from a second side of the body, and wherein the opening is further reclosable by bending the second deformable member to engage the second side of the body. 
   
   
       3 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 2  wherein the closure device comprises a pair of spaced apart pliable wires at least partially encapsulated in a polymer material. 
   
   
       4 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 2  wherein the closure device comprises a pair of spaced apart pliable wires coupled together by a web of polymer material. 
   
   
       5 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 2  wherein the closure device is coupled to the body with an adhesive. 
   
   
       6 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 5  wherein the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive. 
   
   
       7 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 2  wherein the body comprises a front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of gusseted side walls. 
   
   
       8 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 7  wherein the pair of gusseted side walls comprise a first gusset side wall and a second gusset side wall wherein the first gusset side wall comprises nutritional information written in a first language and the second gusset side wall comprises nutritional information written in a second language. 
   
   
       9 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 7  wherein the first deformable member and the second deformable member are folded into the pair of gusseted side walls during transportation of the bag from the manufacture to the retailer. 
   
   
       10 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 1  wherein the closure device is coupled to the body by a thread and a sewing operation. 
   
   
       11 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 1  wherein the body comprises woven strips of a polymer material 
   
   
       12 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 11  wherein the closure device is woven into the body. 
   
   
       13 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 1  wherein the removable portion comprises a first tape wrapped around the top portion of the body, a second tape coupled to the first tape, and a thread releasably coupled to the first tape, the second tape, and the body. 
   
   
       14 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 1  wherein the body comprises a first indicia orientated in a first direction and a second indicia orientated in a second direction that is 180 degrees relative to the first direction. 
   
   
       15 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 1  wherein the bottom of the body is closed with a thread by a sewing operation. 
   
   
       16 . The reclosable animal feed container of  claim 1  wherein the bottom of the body is closed with a thread by a sewing operation after the animal feed is introduced into the body. 
   
   
       17 . A method of packaging animal feed comprising:
 providing a flexible hollow body that contains animal feed, the body having a top and a bottom, the top and the bottom each having an opening;   closing the opening in the top by application of a removable portion;   coupling a closure device to the body proximate the top, the closure device comprising a deformable member and configured to engage the body during a reclosing operation by the consumer;   introducing animal feed through the opening at the bottom to a cavity defined by the body and the top;   closing the opening in the bottom to contain the animal feed within the body.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the closure device includes ends projecting from opposite sides of the body and configured to engage the respective sides during a reclosing operation. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the reclosing operation comprises folding the top of the body one or more times and bending a first end of the deformable member to engage a first side of the body and bending a second end of the deformable member to engage a second side of the body. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of closing the opening in the top by application of the removable portion comprises applying a strip of material to the top adjacent the opening, and sewing a thread across the top through the body and through the strip of material. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of closing the opening in the bottom comprises sewing a thread across the bottom. 
   
   
       22 . A method of using an animal feed container having a flexible body with a closed bottom portion and a top portion, the method comprising:
 opening the top portion of the body;   closing the top portion of the body by:
 providing one or more folds to the body and 
 engaging the body with a closure device that is coupled to the body proximate the top portion by bending a first deformable member extending from a first side of the body. 
   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the step of engaging the body with the closure device further comprises bending a second deformable member extending from a second side of the body. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the step of opening the top portion comprises removing a removable portion coupled to the top portion and configured to be readily removed to define an opening to provide access to animal feed contained within the body. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the step of comprises removing the removable portion comprises separating a thread and tape strip from the top portion of the body.