FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to handled bags, and more particularly, relates to single use, food service, sealable bags with integrated venting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional lunch bag-shaped paper bags have been in use in the food industry since at least the commencement of take-out fast food services. These upper open ended paper bags are easy to open, fill and close, providing simple access to its contents.

More recently, handled paper and plastic bags are becoming more commonly used in food delivery. While the use of these handled paper and plastic bags continues to proliferate in the food service industry, especially with the recent growth of third party food delivery services, the potential for food tampering also increases. Both the food preparer/provider and the consumer would like assurance the food prepared has not in any manner been touched or tampered prior to the delivery, as well as assure the consumer that they received the proper delivery without having to immediately open the sealed delivery bag.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a single use, handled paper or plastic delivery bag that is capable of being sealed in a manner that enables the end consumer assurance that the handled bag has not been opened, and that the prepared food therein has not been tampered with. It is also desirable to provide a sealed bag assembly that enables a note, such as a purchase receipt, order ticket, pick ticket, etc., to be easily attached to the sealed bag assembly for simple viewing of the order information such as the order number, consumer identification, order contents, purchase price, date and time, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a tamper evident delivery bag assembly comprising a sheet-like first panel, an opposed sheet-like second panel, and a bottom gusset. Each the first and second panel includes an interior surface that faces the opposing panel and an exterior surface, and each panel further includes a respective upper section terminating at an upper first edge of the first panel and an opposed upper second edge of the second panel. The first and second edges cooperate to at least partially define a bag opening into a content receiving region extending between the bag opening, the panels and the bottom gusset. The upper sections are movable between an opened condition and a closed condition, the closed condition where the first and second edges generally oriented in opposed, adjacent, relationship to one another.

The present inventive delivery bag assembly further includes a single use closure tape member laterally mounted to the first panel upper section, and includes an upper lateral portion extending laterally above the first edge thereof in an unsealed condition. An adhesive is disposed on an interior surface of the tape upper lateral portion facing the second panels when in the unsealed condition. A removable protective strip is provided that covers the adhesive to maintain the tape in the unsealed condition until sealing is required. Hence, when the protective strip is removed, and the panel upper sections are aligned in the closed condition, the tape upper lateral portion can be folded over the second edge of the second panel such that the adhesive is brought into contact with the exterior surface of the second panel, substantially sealing the bag opening in a sealed condition.

In accordance with the present invention, the closure tape member further includes a note tab extending downwardly from the middle lateral portion. The note tab includes a tab adhesive disposed on an interior surface thereof facing the exterior surface of the first panel. A removable protective cover is disposed over the tab adhesive, in an unmounted condition, preventing unintentional adherence of the note tab to the exterior surface of the first panel. When the protective cover is removed, a note can be placed between the tab adhesive of the note tab and the exterior surface of the first panel, and adhered therebetween in a mounted condition.

Accordingly, by additionally adhering the note to the sealed bag assembly, bag contents and delivery destination can be easily identified, especially if the bag assembly has already been sealed.

In one specific embodiment, the lateral dimension of the note tab is in the range of about ¼ to about ⅓ the lateral length of the middle lateral portion of the closure tape member.

In another configuration, the note tab is positioned along one of the left side, the middle and the right side of the middle lateral portion of the closure tape member.

In another embodiment, a vertical dimension of the note tab extending downwardly from a lower edge of the middle lateral portion is in the range of about ¼ inch to about 1½ inch.

In still another specific embodiment, the note tab includes a tab cutout configured to facilitate the ease of removal of the protective cover. The tab cutout, in one example, is positioned at a lower corner of the note tab.

Yet another configuration provides the delivery bag assembly with a first handle mounted to the upper section of the first panel having a pair spaced-apart first leg portions upstanding from the first edge. Further, a second handle is mounted to the upper section of the second panel having a pair spaced-apart second leg portions upstanding from the second edge The first and second handles together with the first and second leg portions are generally aligned adjacent one another and collectively define a gripping passage therethrough when the upper sections are oriented in the closed condition. The tape upper lateral portion includes a pair of handle cutouts strategically aligned with the leg portions of the first handle such that when the tape upper lateral portion is folded over the second edge of the second panel in the sealed condition, the leg portions of the first and second handles are received through the respective handle cutouts of the tape member.

In one specific embodiment, the tape upper lateral portion defines a middle closure section having a closure height extending vertically from the first edge to an upper edge of the middle closure section. The closure height is less than a vertical height of the gripping passage such that when the tape upper lateral portion is folded over the second edge of the second panel to the sealed condition, the middle closure section passes unobstructedly under the aligned handle members and through the gripping passage.

Another configuration provides the tape upper lateral portion that defines a first outer closure section and a second outer closure section on opposed sides of the middle closure section. At least one of the first outer closure section and the second outer closure section defines a closure cutout configured to facilitate the ease of removal of the protective strip.

In one embodiment, the bag assembly is comprised of one of paper material and plastic material.

In still another specific configuration, the tape member includes a plurality of elongated scoring slits extending in a direction substantially transverse to the respective first and second edge of the respective first and second panel and across the bag opening when the upper sections are in the closed condition and the tape member is in the sealed.

In another aspect of the present invention, a tamper evident method for delivering one or more food containers in a bag assembly that is configured to mount a note thereon. The method includes providing a handled delivery bag assembly having a sheet-like first panel, and an opposed sheet-like second panel, each the first and second panel having an interior surface that faces the opposing panel and an exterior surface Further, each panel further includes a respective upper section terminating at an upper first edge of the first panel and an opposed upper second edge of the second panel. The first and second edges cooperate to at least partially define a bag opening into a content receiving region extending between the bag opening and the first and second panels. The upper sections are movable between an opened condition and a closed condition. The bag assembly further includes a single use closure tape member laterally mounted to the first panel upper section at a middle lateral portion thereof, and having an upper lateral portion extending laterally above the first edge thereof in an unsealed condition. The closure tape member further including a note tab extending downwardly from the middle lateral portion in an unmounted condition. The method further includes reorienting the upper sections of the bag assembly to the opened condition to enable receipt of the one or more food containers in the content receiving region, and repositioning the upper sections of the bag assembly from the opened condition to the closed condition, orienting the first and second edges generally in opposed, adjacent, relationship to one another. The method includes exposing a closure adhesive disposed on an interior surface of the tape upper lateral portion facing the second panel when in the unsealed condition, and subsequently, folding the tape upper lateral portion over the second edge of the second panel such that the adhesive is brought into contact with the exterior surface of the second panel, substantially sealing the bag opening in a sealed condition. In accordance with the present invention, the method further includes exposing a tab adhesive disposed on an interior surface of the note tab facing the exterior surface of the first panel. Next, the method includes placing the note between the exposed tab adhesive of the note tab and the exterior surface of the first panel; and adhering the note therebetween in a mounted condition.

In one specific embodiment, the exposing the closure adhesive includes removing a protective strip from the closure adhesive; and the exposing the tab adhesive includes removing a protective cover from the tab adhesive.

Another embodiment includes the bag assembly having a first handle mounted to the upper section of the first panel having a pair spaced-apart first leg portions upstanding from the first edge, and a second handle mounted to the upper section second panel having a pair spaced-apart second leg portions upstanding from the second edge. The first and second handles together with the first and second leg portions are generally aligned adjacent one another and collectively defining a gripping passage therethrough when the upper sections are oriented in the closed condition. The tape upper lateral portion define a pair of handle cutouts strategically aligned with the leg portions of the first handle, wherein, the folding the tape upper lateral portion includes receiving the leg portions of the first and second handles through the respective handle cutouts of the tape member.

In yet another embodiment, the tape upper portion defining a middle closure section having a closure height extending vertically from the first edge to an upper edge of the middle closure section, the closure height being less than a vertical height of the gripping passage. The folding the tape upper lateral portion includes passing the middle closure section unobstructedly under the aligned handle members and through the gripping passage toward the sealed condition.

