Flexible bags – With closure – Including securing element designed to extend through...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-04
2004-10-19
Pascua, Jes F. (Department: 3727)
Flexible bags
With closure
Including securing element designed to extend through...
C383S088000, C024S442000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06805486
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sheet materials including surface fasteners. In particular, the present invention relates to sheet materials having surface fastening elements which may be used in the field of closures and more particularly in the field of flexible bag closures.
2. Description of Related Art
Sheet materials are used in many industries for the production of a large number of products which ultimately serve a variety of purposes. Some of these uses include the manufacture of webs in the form of one layer articles as well as multilayer laminates which function in the manufacture of containers and receptacles. Containers and receptacles ultimately serve the function of holding a product and therefore require closures for the protection of the container's contents.
Closures currently know in the art may be broadly divided into three categories: a) adhesive attachment closures; b) rail fasteners; and c) hook and loop closures. Adhesive attachment closures are characterized by the use of materials which have different levels of adhesiveness or “tackiness.” A large number of adhesives are used in the closure industry to either permanently seal a product, such as a bag, and render the seal inoperable after initial opening or to non-permanently seal a product and allow for repeated opening and closure of a product. The adhesiveness of the material used depends on the particular application and will vary according the peel and sheer strength necessary.
The permanent seal product is commonly known in the industry as a “peel-seal” and after initial adhesion, the product may be opened through pull-apart force. Once this “peel-seal” has been opened, or separated, the properties of the adhesive no longer maintain their adhesiveness or tackiness, thereby preventing resealing of the product. Such a seal is primarily useful with products which will be quickly utilized or consumed, such as snack foods or other edibles which are packaged in small containers. A second benefit of such a seal is that it is tamper-evident and allows a user, which encounters the product, to determine if the closure has been opened. The major drawback to such a closure system is its lack of resealing properties. If a user does not utilize or consume the package contents, a secondary form of closure is necessary. Snack chip bags, such as those used for tortilla or potato chips, are exemplary of this closure system. An entire industry has developed around the need for a secondary closure for such closure systems in the form of “chip-clips” which provide a reusable closure after the peel-seal has been opened.
Non-permanent seal products are also known in the industry and maintain their adhesiveness, or tackiness, after initial opening. These utilize a different type of adhesive that will maintain its adhesiveness after the initial opening of the product. The major convenience offered by such a closure system is based on the ability of a user to initially open a container or receptacle, such as a bag, remove contents, and reseal the container or receptacle. This allows the contents to remain fresh and helping to prevent the intrusion of unwanted objects, such as dust, and organisms, such as insects, into the container. U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,190 ('190), entitled “Reclosable Package Having Outer Reclosable Closure and Inner Non-Reclosable Closure,” discloses a bag having wall panes which define a receptacle space. This reference is of interest for showing a bag having a closure system which includes a one-time openable non-reclosable peel seal closure in combination with a reclosable closure system which may be a pressure sensitive adhesive. Although the '190 patent discloses the combination of a peel-seal along with a reclosable closure system, it suffers from its inapplicability to receptacle contents which are in particulate form. If such a package were utilized with products such as snack foods, the pressure sensitive adhesive would immediately adhere portions of the snack food and loose its adhesive abilities. After only a few uses the reclosable portion of the package would be inoperable for its intended purpose and a secondary form of closure would be necessary.
A further disadvantage of the adhesive closure is the adhesive itself. In the comestible food industry, be it for human or animal consumption, the contact between chemical adhesives and food items is not advisable. A further difficulty is presented when the food is intended for animal consumption. Most animals, and especially dogs, have a heightened sense of smell. If a closure system is necessary for a container which will hold dog food, for example, the adhesive closure system will pose a problem due to the aromatic byproducts of the adhesives. Dogs and other animals will avoid food which has been exposed to adhesives or packaged in containers which utilize adhesives. Therefore, adhesive closure systems are only useful under limited circumstances.
Rail fasteners are also well know in the art and are commonly used for closures, particularly bag closures. These assume the configuration of a groove, commonly constructed from plastic, and a corresponding, complementary tongue that fits into the groove to create a closure system. The rail fastener systems, when used for bag closures, provide users with the benefit of a reclosable closure system which does not adhere to the container contents and still allows for repeated use as the contents of the container are used. One drawback to the traditional rail fastener closure system is that it is difficult to utilize. If the tongue and groove are not accurately positioned, the user might attempt, repeatedly, to make the necessary tongue and groove seal without success.
Of even greater concern is when such a seal is utilized in comestible items such as snack foods and pet foods. If the user does not make a proper tongue and groove seal or a partial seal, it might appear that a seal has been made, when only a partial seal has taken place. Such a partial seal allows dust and organisms, such as bacteria or insects, to intrude into the package container, ruining the package contents and possibly jeopardizing the health of the consumer, be it a human or an animal. An alternative form of rail fastener is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,297 ('297), entitled “Foldable Top Bag and Method.” The '297 patent discloses a collapsible bag with complementary reclosable fastener structures carried on the outer faces of the upper wall portions. The fasteners may be in the form of complementary, extruded, multi-profile fastener strips having a plurality of resiliently flexible, arrow-shaped profiles. The fasteners strips may also be in the form of a plurality of spaced, parallel, extruded plastic, multi-profile fastener strips. Both of these rail fasteners attempt to solve the problem of accurately matching of the tongue and groove to create a closure by providing either a plurality of resilient flexible, arrow-shaped profiles or a plurality of spaced, parallel, multi-profile fastener strips.
A further form of closure system is the hook and loop fastener. This type of closure typically assumes the configuration of woven or extruded hooks and loops. The loop portion of the fastener system relies on a multiplicity of raised loops which allow for the hook portion of the fastener system to engage. The hook is commonly constructed in a similar manner to the loop portion but usually of a stronger or higher denier thread. If the hook is woven, the loops created after the initial weaving function must be cut, or sheared, to create a severed product. This severed loop is thus transformed into a hook and engages the complementary raised portions of loop to create a hook and loop closure system. If the hook is extruded, it will assume the required shape of a hook upon hardening and similarly engage the raised portion of loop.
Such hook and loop closures provide a great advantage to the reclosable container industry but also lacks the ability to provide a
Buchanan Jerry E.
Fujisawa Nobuo
Smith David D.
Kramer & Amado P.C.
Pascua Jes F.
YKK Corporation of America
LandOfFree
Closure system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Closure system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Closure system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3317577