Easy opening packaging article

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to an easy opening packaging article, such as an end-seal bag or the like, having a tear initiator and one or more grip assisters. According to various embodiments, the tear initiator and grip assisters are configured to assist a user in opening the packaging article. In particular, the grip assisters are configured to reduce the likelihood that a loose piece of plastic is generated during the opening process, and to reduce the likelihood that undesired tears in the packaging article are generated during the opening process.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A flexible packaging article comprising:
 a plastic film formed into an enclosure for receiving a product and defining at least one openable portion;   at least one seal closing the openable portion of the enclosure;   at least one article skirt comprising a portion of plastic film extending outwardly from the seal and opposite the enclosure;   at least one tear initiator defined on the skirt, the at least one tear initiator being configured for initiating one or more manually-propagated tears capable of being propagated through the seal to open at least the openable portion of the enclosure; and   one or more grip assisters defined on the skirt and configured for assisting grip of the plastic film during manual tearing, the one or more grip assisters comprising at least one cut in the skirt defining:
 an opening, 
 a first hanging chad on a first side of the cut, and 
 a second hanging chad on a second side of the cut, 
 wherein the first hanging chad comprises at least a pair of projected portions and a recessed portion in between the pair of projected portions, and wherein the second hanging chad comprises at least one projected portion aligned with the first hanging chad's recessed portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more grip assisters is defined by a single cut in the skirt. 
     
     
         3 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the first hanging chad's pair of projected portions comprise a first outer lobe having a substantially convex rounded edge and a second outer lobe having a substantially convex rounded edge. 
     
     
         4 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 3 , wherein the first hanging chad's recessed portion includes a substantially concave rounded edge; and
 wherein the second hanging chad's projected portion comprises a medial lobe having a substantially convex rounded edge.   
     
     
         5 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 4 , wherein the first outer lobe, second outer lobe, and medial lobe are sized such that they cannot be easily grasped by a user. 
     
     
         6 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 5 , wherein the radius of curvature of the first outer lobe's substantially convex rounded edge, the radius of curvature of the second outer lobe's substantially convex outer edge, and the radius of curvature of the medial lobe's substantially convex outer edge are between 0.12 inches and 0.20 inches. 
     
     
         7 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the first hanging chad's base width to its full width is between 0.881:1 and 0.75:1. 
     
     
         8 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the length of the first hanging chad is between 0.3 and 0.38 inches 
     
     
         9 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the opening defined by the at least one cut is sufficiently large to enable an adult human finger to extend through the opening. 
     
     
         10 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tear initiator comprises one or more longitudinally aligned slits, the one or more slits being configured for generating the manually-initiated, manually-propagated tear in a machine direction along the packaging article. 
     
     
         11 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tear initiator comprises one or more longitudinally aligned slits, the one or more slits being configured for generating the manually-initiated, manually-propagated tear in a transverse direction along the packaging article. 
     
     
         12 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the first hanging chad's pair of projected portions extend away from the at least one tear initiator and in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the tear initiator; and
 wherein the second hanging chad's projected portion extends toward the tear initiator and in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the tear initiator.   
     
     
         13 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more grip assisters comprise a first grip assister and a second grip assister, the first grip assister being spaced from the tear initiator and positioned on a first side of the tear initiator, and the second grip assister being spaced from the tear initiator and positioned on a second side of the tear initiator. 
     
     
         14 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 13 , wherein the first grip assister, second grip assister, and at least one tear initiator are configured such that, when a user inserts at least one finger into the first and second grip assisters and pulls both the first and second grip assisters in a transverse direction away from the at least one tear initiator, the tear initiator generates a tear that manually propagates from the tear initiator, through the seal, and along at least a portion of the enclosure in a machine direction. 
     
     
         15 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one cut defining the first grip assister and the at least one cut defining the second grip assister are configured such that stress concentration points generated by a user pulling both the first and second grip assisters in a transverse direction away from the at least one tear initiator are located away from the ends of the cut defining the first grip assister and away from the ends of the cut defining the second grip assister. 
     
     
         16 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the packaging article has a first side and a second side, the first side of the article being sealed to the second side of the article at the at least one seal;
 wherein the at least one tear initiator comprises a first-side tear initiator defined on the first side of the article and a second-side tear initiator defined on the second side of the article, the first-side and second-side tear initiators being aligned with one another; and   wherein each of the one or more grip assisters comprises a pair of grip assisters aligned with one another, each grip assister pair comprising a first-side grip assister defined on the first side of the article and a second-side grip assister defined on the second side of the article.   
     
     
         17 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one seal comprises a heat seal. 
     
     
         18 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic film is a heat-shrinkable multilayer film. 
     
     
         19 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the packaging article is a lay-flat, end-seal bag and the plastic film comprises seamless plastic film tubing. 
     
     
         20 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 1 , wherein the packaging article is a lay-flat, side-seal bag and the plastic film comprises seamless plastic film tubing. 
     
     
         21 . A flexible packaging article comprising:
 a plastic film formed into an enclosure for receiving a product and defining at least one openable portion;   at least one seal closing the openable portion of the enclosure;   at least one article skirt comprising plastic film extending outwardly from the seal and opposite the enclosure;   at least one tear initiator defined on the skirt, the at least one tear initiator being configured for initiating one or more manually-propagated tears capable of being propagated through the seal to open at least the openable portion of the enclosure; and   one or more grip assisters defined on the skirt and configured for assisting grip of the plastic film during manual tearing, the one or more grip assisters comprising at least one curvilinear cut in the skirt defining an opening in the skirt and at least one hanging chad, wherein:
 the curvilinear cut includes first and second ends spaced apart from one another and wherein the hanging chad comprises a base edge defined between the first and second ends of the curvilinear cut, the lateral distance between the first and second ends of the curvilinear cut defining the hanging chad's base width; 
 the hanging chad extends outwardly from its base edge in a direction away from the at least one tear initiator, the distance between the hanging chad's base edge and its outermost edge defining the hanging chad's length; 
 the hanging chad further comprises a first outer lobe having a substantially convex rounded edge and a second outer lobe having a substantially convex rounded edge, the first and second outer lobes being defined on lateral sides of the hanging chad and extending laterally past the first and second ends of the curvilinear cut, the lateral distance between the widest points of the first and second outer lobes defining the hanging chad's full width; and 
 the ratio of the hanging chad's base width to its full width is between 0.881:1 and 0.75:1. 
   
     
     
         22 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 21 , wherein the hanging chad's base width is between 0.69 inches and 0.88 inches and the hanging chad's full width is between 0.75 inches and 1.0 inches. 
     
     
         23 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 21 , wherein the hanging chad's length is between 0.3 inches and 0.38 inches. 
     
     
         24 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 21 , wherein the enclosure has a closed bottom, a closed first side edge, a closed second side edge, and an open top, and
 wherein the at least one seal comprises a plastic-film-to-plastic-film seal defining at least a portion of at least one member selected from the group consisting of: the closed bottom, the closed first side edge, and the closed second side edge.   
     
     
         25 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 21 , wherein the packaging article has a first side and a second side, the first side of the article being sealed to the second side of the article at the at least one seal;
 wherein the at least one tear initiator comprises a first-side tear initiator defined on the first side of the article and a second-side tear initiator defined on the second side of the article, the first-side and second-side tear initiators being aligned with one another; and   wherein each of the one or more grip assisters comprises a pair of grip assisters aligned with one another, each grip assister pair comprising a first-side grip assister defined on the first side of the article and a second-side grip assister defined on the second side of the article.   
     
     
         26 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one tear initiator comprises one or more longitudinally aligned slits, the one or more slits being configured for generating the manually-initiated, manually-propagated tear in a machine direction along the packaging article. 
     
     
         27 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one tear initiator comprises one or more longitudinally aligned slits, the one or more slits being configured for generating the manually-initiated, manually-propagated tear in a transverse direction along the packaging article. 
     
     
         28 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one seal comprises a heat seal. 
     
     
         29 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 21 , wherein the plastic film is a heat-shrinkable multilayer film. 
     
     
         30 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 21 , wherein the packaging article is a lay-flat, end-seal bag and the plastic film comprises seamless plastic film tubing. 
     
     
         31 . The flexible packaging article of  claim 21 , wherein the packaging article is a lay-flat, side-seal bag and the plastic film comprises seamless plastic film tubing.