Flexible bags – Bag having means to facilitate opening it by severing bag... – Including means for reclosing the bag
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-08
2001-05-01
Pascua, Jes F. (Department: 3727)
Flexible bags
Bag having means to facilitate opening it by severing bag...
Including means for reclosing the bag
C383S061100, C383S063000, C383S066000, C383S201000, C383S208000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224262
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bags and methods of bag assembly are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,733 and U.S. Ser. No. 08/896,179, filed Jul. 17, 1997, both of which are herein incorporated by reference. The film material which constitutes the front wall of a typical bag is a biaxially oriented polypropylene, such as a reverse printed biaxially oriented polypropylene, or a cast polypropylene. This material rips or tears in an irregular fashion. Thus, if an openable joint is formed through such front wall, an even and orderly tearing along the joint is not assured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a patch is provided to be attached to a wall of a bag wherein a zipper element is then attached to the patch. The wall includes an openable joint and the patch includes an openable joint in registry therewith. The openable joints are in registry with an openable mouth defined by the zipper arrangement. The patch reinforces the openable joint of the bag wall which otherwise would tend to tear prematurely or tear in an irregular and uncontrolled fashion. The patch can be composed of a material which tears in a controlled fashion along the openable joint of the patch. The openable joints of the bag wall and the patch can constitute perforations along a line or other pattern.
The film material which constitutes the wall of the bag can be a biaxially oriented polypropylene, such as a reverse printed biaxially oriented polypropylene, or a cast polypropylene. Although this material rips or tears in an irregular fashion, the patch material constitutes a material having a molecular orientation in a manner such as to have a directional tearing along the line of perforations. Such materials include polyethylene (PE), a polyethylene/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) blend, or a polypropylene, or any combination of the above in a blend or in a lamination or coextrusion.
The patch can be heat sealed to the bag wall and to the zipper element or can be adhesively secured to the bag wall and to the zipper element. In an exemplary embodiment, the patch is comprised of a polypropylene layer laminated with or coextruded with a polyethylene layer. The polypropylene layer is arranged adjacent the polypropylene front wall of the bag and the polyethylene layer is arranged adjacent the zipper element. Since the zipper element can be a polyethylene material, the patch can be heat sealed easily to the polyethylene zipper element. The polypropylene layer can be easily sealed to the front wall of the bag. Other polymers can be used having two or more layers such that one layer is compatible to be adhesively secured to, or heat sealed to, the bag wall film and a facing layer includes a surface which is compatible to be adhesively secured to, or heat sealed to, the zipper element. By using a lamination or coextrusion of a polypropylene layer and a polyethylene (or PE/EVA) layer, a relatively inexpensive polyethylene zipper element can be heat sealed to the patch and the patch can be heat-sealed to the polypropylene bag wall material.
Thus, the invention provides at least two advantages. A first advantage includes the use of a patch having an orientation to cause regular, linear ripping of the patch material along a line of perforations wherein the patch reinforces a portion of the bag wall to ensure that the bag wall rips along the line of perforations. As a second advantage, the patch can include a laminated or coextruded structure having different materials on opposite faces thereof, the laminated or coextruded patch being compatible for being secured to the bag wall on one face thereof and the zipper element on an opposite face thereof.
When the patch material is formed of a laminated layer arrangement, an adhesive can be used between the two layers to form the lamination. When a coextruded patch is used, the two layers can be coextruded together with or without a tie layer.
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Hogan John F.
Yeager James W.
Innoflex Incorporated
Pascua Jes F.
Rockey Milnamow & Katz Ltd.
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