Easy-open packages formed from peelable thermoplastic laminates

1. An easy-open package comprising:

a tubular member formed from a peelable thermoplastic laminate having a first side edge and an opposing second side edge;

a longitudinal seam connecting said first side edge of said laminate to said opposing second side edge of said laminate and defining a tubular member having a first tubular member end and an opposing second tubular member end, and an inner surface and an outer surface; wherein said longitudinal seam comprises a heat sealed portion having a predetermined seal strength and a non-heat sealed portion adjacent to and parallel with said heat sealed portion; wherein said non-beat sealed portion comprises a plurality of tear notches;

a top seal formed proximate to said first tubular member end;

a bottom seal formed proximate to said second tubular member end; and

a peelable removable strip formed by manually tearing said non-heat sealed portion between two tear notches to peel away from said package and expose a product enclosed therein; wherein said removable strip has a width defined by substantially parallel side edges extending perpendicular to said longitudinal seam and a length defined, by at least a portion of the circumference of said package.

2. The easy-open package according to claim 1 , wherein said laminate has a tear resistance of less than 400 gram-force in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal seam.

3. The easy-open package according to claim 1 , wherein said tear resistance of said peelable laminate is less than 200 gram-force in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal seam.

4. The easy-open package according to one of claim 1 , 2 or 3 wherein said direction perpendicular to said longitudinal seam is the transverse direction of said laminate.

5. The easy-open package according to claim 1 , wherein said seal strength of said heat sealed portion is between 60 and 2,500 gram-force/in.

6. The easy-open package according to claim 1 , wherein said heat sealed portion forms an overlap seal.

7. The easy-open package according to claim 1 , wherein said heat sealed portion forms a fin seal.

8. The easy-open package according to claim 1 , wherein said top and bottom seals are formed by crimping said inner member surface together.

9. The easy-open package according to claim 1 , wherein said product is a comminuted meat product.

10. The easy-open package according to claim 1 , wherein said peelable thermoplastic laminate comprises:

an oriented monolayer or multilayer first substrate having a heat shrinkage greater than 10% at 102° C. and comprising a first layer of polyethylene;

a non-oriented multilayer second substrate having heat shrinkage value of between 0 and 10% at 102° C. and comprising a first layer of polyethylene;

an adhesive layer of solvent-based polyurethane joining said first layers of said first substrate to said outer layer of said second substrate; and

wherein said laminate includes a peelable system adapted to separate at the interface between said adhesive layer and said first substrate by a force of between 60 and 2,500 gram-force/in.

11. The easy-open package according to claim 10 , wherein said oriented first substrate is biaxially oriented.

12. The easy-open package according to claim 10 , wherein said adhesive layer is solvent-based polyether polyurethane adhesive.

13. The easy-open package according to claim 10 , wherein said peelable laminate has a Slow Rate Penetration Resistance value greater than 11 Newtons.

14. The easy-open package according to claim 13 , wherein said peelable laminate has a Slow Rate Penetration Resistance value greater than 14 Newtons.

15. The easy-open package according to claim 10 , wherein said first layers have a surface energy of at least 36 dynes/cm 2 .

16. The easy-open package according to claim 1 , wherein said peelable thermoplastic laminate comprises:

a non-oriented multilayer first substrate having a heat shrinkage of between 0 and 10% at 102° C. and comprising a first layer of polyethylene and a second layer of a blend of ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer and polybutene; wherein said first layer of said first substrate is an outer layer and is at least 25% by basis weight of said laminate;

a non-oriented multilayer second substrate having heat shrinkage value of between 0 and 10% at 102° C. and comprising a first layer of polyethylene;

an adhesive layer of polyethylene or solvent-based polyurethane joining said first layer of said first substrate to said first layer of said second substrate; and

wherein said laminate includes a peelable system adapted to separate within said second layer of said first substrate by a force of between 60 and 2,500 grams-force/in.

17. The easy-open package according to claim 16 , wherein said first layer of said second substrate is at least 30% by basis weight of said laminate.

18. The easy-open package according to claim 10 or 16 , wherein said second substrate further includes:

a second layer of polyamide;

a third layer of ethylene/vinyl alcohol; and

a fourth layer of polyamide

19. The easy-open package according to claim 16 , wherein said first layers have a surface energy of at least 36 dynes/cm 2 .

20. The easy-open package according to claim 1 , wherein said package is a chub package.

21. An easy-open package comprising:

a tubular member formed from a peelable thermoplastic laminate having a first side edge and an opposing second side edge;

a longitudinal seam connecting said first side edge of said laminate to said opposing second side edge of said laminate and defining a tubular member having a first tubular member end and an opposing second tubular member end, and an inner surface and an outer surface; wherein said longitudinal seam comprises a heat sealed portion having a predetermined seal strength and a non-heat sealed portion adjacent to and parallel with said heat sealed portion; wherein said non-heat sealed portion comprises a plurality of tear notches;

a top seal formed proximate to said first tubular member end;

a bottom seal formed proximate to said second tubular member end;

wherein said laminate comprises an oriented monolayer or multilayer first substrate having a heat shrinkage greater than 10% at 102° C. and comprising an outer layer of polyethylene; a non-oriented monolayer or multilayer second substrate having heat shrinkage value of between 0 and 10% at 102° C. and comprising a first layer of polyethylene; an adhesive layer of solvent-based polyurethane joining said first layer of said first substrate to said first layer of said second substrate; wherein said laminate includes a peelable system adapted to separate at the interface between said adhesive layer and said first layer of said first substrate by a force of between 60 and 2,500 gram-force/in; and

a peelable removable strip formed by manually tearing said non-heat sealed portion between two tear notches to peel away from said package and expose a product enclosed therein; wherein said removable strip has a width defined by substantially parallel side edges extending perpendicular to said longitudinal seam and a length defined by at least a portion of the circumference of said package.

22. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said laminate has a tear resistance of less than 400 gram-force in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal seam.

23. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said tear resistance of said peelable laminate is less than 200 gram-force in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal seam.

24. The easy-open package according to one of claim 21 , 22 or 23 , wherein said direction perpendicular to said longitudinal seam is the transverse direction of said laminate.

25. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said seal strength of said heat sealed portion is between 60 and 2,500 gram-force/in.

26. The easy-open chub package according to claim 21 , wherein said heat sealed portion forms an overlap seal.

27. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said heat sealed portion forms a fin seal.

28. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said top and bottom seals are formed by crimping said inner member surface together.

29. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said top and bottom seals are formed by crimping together said inner member surface.

30. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said product is a comminuted meat product.

31. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said oriented first substrate is biaxially oriented.

32. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said adhesive layer is solvent-based polyether polyurethane adhesive.

33. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said peelable laminate has a Slow Rate Penetration Resistance value greater than 11 Newtons.

34. The easy-open package according to claim 33 , wherein said peelable laminate has a Slow Rate Penetration Resistance value greater than 14 Newtons.

35. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said first layers have a surface energy of at least 36 dynes/cm 2 .

36. The easy-open package according to claim 21 , wherein said package is a chub package.

37. An easy-open package comprising:

a tubular member formed from a peelable thermoplastic laminate having a first side edge and an opposing second side edge:

a longitudinal seam connecting said first side edge of said laminate to said opposing second side edge of said laminate and defining a tubular member having a first tubular member end and an opposing second tubular member end, and an inner surface and an outer surface; wherein said longitudinal seam comprises a heat sealed portion having a predetermined seal strength and a non-heat sealed portion adjacent to and parallel with said heat sealed portion; wherein said non-heat sealed portion comprises a plurality of tear notches;

a top seal formed proximate to said first tubular member end;

a bottom seal formed proximate to said second tubular member end;

wherein said laminate comprises a non-oriented multilayer first substrate having a heat shrinkage of between 0 and 10% at 102° C. and comprising a first layer of polyethylene and a second layer of a blend of ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer and polybutene; wherein said first layer of said first substrate is an outer layer and is at least 25% by basis weight of said laminate; a non-oriented multilayer second substrate having heat shrinkage value of between 0 and 10% at 102° C. and comprising a first layer of polyethylene; an adhesive layer of polyethylene or solvent-based polyurethane joining said first layer of said first substrate to said first layer of said second substrate; wherein said laminate includes a peelable system adapted to separate within said second layer of said first substrate by a force of between 60 and 2,500 gram-force/in.; and

a removable strip formed by manually tearing said non-heat sealed portion between two tear notches to peel away from said package and expose a product enclosed therein; wherein said removable strip has a width defined by substantially parallel side edges extending perpendicular to said longitudinal seam and a length defined by at least a portion of the circumference of said package.

38. The easy-open package according to claim 37 , wherein said laminate has a tear resistance of less than 400 gram-force in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal seam.

39. The easy-open package according to claim 37 , wherein said tear resistance of said peelable laminate is less than 200 gram-force in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal seam.

40. The easy-open package according to one of claim 37 , 38 or 39 , wherein said direction perpendicular to said longitudinal seam is the transverse direction of said laminate.

41. The easy-open package according to claim 37 , wherein said seal strength of said heat sealed portion is between 10 and 2,500 grams-force/in.

42. The easy-open chub package according to claim 37 , wherein said heat sealed portion forms an overlap seal.

43. The easy-open package according to claim 37 , wherein said heat sealed portion forms a fin seal.

44. The easy-open package according to claim 37 , wherein said top and bottom seals are formed by crimping said inner member surface together.

45. The easy-open package according to claim 37 , wherein said product is a comminuted meat product.

46. The easy-open package according to claim 37 , wherein said first layer of said first substrate is at least 30% by basis weight of said laminate.

47. The easy-open package according to claim 21 or 37 , wherein said second substrate further includes:

a second layer of polyamide;

a third layer of ethylene/vinyl alcohol; and

a fourth layer of polyamide.

48. The easy-open package according to claim 37 , wherein said outer layer have a surface energy of at least 36 dynes/cm 2 .

49. The easy-open package according to claim 37 , wherein said package is a chub package.