Flexible bags – With closure – Rib and groove
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-01
2001-10-23
Pascua, Jes F. (Department: 3727)
Flexible bags
With closure
Rib and groove
C024S399000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305844
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to the field of bags comprising complementary closure strips actuated both for opening and for closing by a cursor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such bags are described, for example, in documents EP-A-00510010, EP-A-0102301, and EP-A-0479661.
Generally, the cursors have two lateral flanges interconnected via a web and which co-operate with an elongate central tongue placed between the closure strips to define two converging passages for the interfittable complementary closure strips. Thus, when the direction of displacement of the cursor relative to the closure strips tends to force the closure strips into engagement, the bag is closed. In contrast, when the cursor is displaced in the opposite direction, the bag is opened by means of the central tongue separating the closure strips.
Such bags that are actuated both for opening and for closing by a cursor have already given good service.
Cursors make it easier to open and close bags. The presence of a cursor is particularly well received by the elderly or the visually handicapped.
Nevertheless, the majority of known cursor-fitted bags do not give complete satisfaction. In particular, most of such bags are not completely leakproof when the strips are in the closed position. Leakage is due to the fact that the strips remain separate ahead of the cursor because of the presence of the central tongue placed between the closure strips.
Nevertheless, leakproofing is required in numerous applications, in particular, but in non-limiting manner, for the bags which are used for freezing foodstuffs.
Attempts have been made to remedy that drawback by making a cutout in the closure strips or in the film close to the end which receives the cursor when the bag is in its closed position, so that the tongue of the cursor penetrates into the cutout or is situated between portions of film that are independent of the closure strips, thereby enabling the strips to be properly engaged over their entire length when in the closed position. Examples of such means are to be found in documents U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,067,208, 5,442,837, and 5,020,194.
Nevertheless, the means proposed in that context turn out to be very complex. And even so, they do not always provide bags that are completely leakproof. Furthermore, they present the major drawback of not retaining the cursor properly and consequently of running the risk, for example, of the cursor being swallowed by young children.
Other solutions have also been proposed in which the central tongue of the cursor is mounted to move relative to the cursor between an active position in which said tongue is placed between the closure strips, and a retracted position in which the tongue is at a distance from the closure strips. An example of such means is to be found in document WO-A-98/23493.
In theory, those solutions make it possible to improve bag leakproofing. Nevertheless, in practice, they turn out to be too complex since leakproofing is not guaranteed if the user forgets to move the cursor tongue into its retracted position. In addition, those solutions can sometimes be rather unreliable insofar as the tongue can become completely separated from the cursor after it has been handled frequently.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to improve the performance of known cursor-fitted bags.
The main object of the present invention is to propose bags with better leakproofing than known prior bags.
Another object of the present invention is to propose means that reduce the risk of the cursor being removed by accident, in particular so as to reduce the risk of it being swallowed by young children.
Another object of the present invention is to propose means that enable high production throughput to be obtained by automatic means.
In the context of the present invention, these objects are achieved by a bag comprising two generally parallel sheets forming the main walls of the bag, complementary closure strips fixed to respective ones of said sheets in the vicinity of the mouth of the bag, and a cursor having two side flanges interconnected by a web, the flanges being placed on the outsides of the sheets at the mouth of the bag and co-operating with a central elongate tongue to define two converging passages for the complementary closure strips, wherein the tongue is interrupted so as to be set back from the longitudinal end of the cursor, in particular at the wider end of the cursor corresponding to the diverging ends of the passages, and wherein side flanges are provided in the vicinity of their free edges remote from the web with urging means for urging the sheets of the bag towards each other, said means occupying the entire longitudinal extent of the tongue and extending longitudinally beyond each end thereof so as to ensure that the bag is leakproof when it is in its closed position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3259951 (1966-07-01), Zimmerman
patent: 4905298 (1990-02-01), Walor
patent: 5020194 (1991-06-01), Herrington et al.
patent: 5067208 (1991-11-01), Herrington, Jr.
patent: 5301394 (1994-04-01), Richardson et al.
patent: 5442837 (1995-08-01), Morgan
patent: 5722128 (1998-03-01), Toney et al.
patent: 5947603 (1999-09-01), Tilman
patent: 6047450 (2000-04-01), Machacek et al.
patent: 6088887 (2000-07-01), Bois
patent: 0 102 301 (1984-03-01), None
patent: 0 510 010 (1991-06-01), None
patent: 0 479 661 (1992-04-01), None
patent: 2 761 956 (1998-10-01), None
patent: WO98/23493 (1998-06-01), None
patent: WO 98/45181 (1998-10-01), None
Flexico-France
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
Pascua Jes F.
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