Flexible bags – With closure – For access opening in sidewall
Patent
1991-06-28
1992-12-01
Marcus, Stephen
Flexible bags
With closure
For access opening in sidewall
383211, B65D 3316
Patent
active
051674556
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a container with a resealable cover and in particular to one to contain a foodstuff or the like.
A container having at least one flexible wall formed of a material such as a plastics film, an opening being present in the wall for access to the contents of the container, a cover overlying the opening, is disclosed in EP-A 0249337. The cover includes means to indicate if the contents of the container have been tampered with. It is one object of this invention to provide a container having an opening covered by a resealable cover of this type which cover can be sealed and unsealed many times without allowing the flexible wall to be damaged, e.g. torn.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a container having at least one flexible wall portion, an opening being present in the flexible wall portion, a cover overlying the opening, one side of the cover being in permanent sealing engagement with the underlying part of the flexible wall on one side of the opening, the opposite side of the cover being in resealable sealing engagement with the underlying part of the flexible wall on the said opposite side of the opening, restraining means being present to prevent repeated release and sealing of the cover to the flexible wall from causing damage to the flexible wall.
Preferably the opening is an elongate slit or the like in one face of the flexible container wall but stops short of the edges thereof. Typically the flexible wall of the container is formed of a plastics material prone to tearing and is usually a plastics but may be other materials. The wall may be single or multiple ply.
The restraining means is preferably provided by an increase in the effective length of an edge of the cover in the region at the end of the slit opening, where repeated release and sealing of the container is most likely to generate stresses likely to cause tears or rips in the flexible wall. Most preferably the cover is formed of a material having high resistance to tearing; an example of a suitable material is low density polyethylene. The increase in effective length can be provided by a deformation in an edge of the cover, e.g. a return indentation or the like. The cover may be made of preformed shape, e.g. by stamping or punching out from a wide length or from a length of tape.
In order that the invention may be well understood one embodiment will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying diagramatic drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front elevation of one bag;
FIG. 2 is the front elevation of the cover thereof;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the top of the opened bag;
FIG. 4 is a front elevation of another cover.
The same reference numerals are used where possible to describe the different embodiments.
As shown in FIG. 1, a bag or like container of the invention is of rectangular shape as seen in plan and has a transverse slit 2 across the front face towards the top end. The length of the slit 2 is less than the width of the front face of the bag 1 by a distance of about 5 mm at each side. The slit has an upper edge 2A and a lower edge 2B. A cover 3, shown separately in FIG. 2, overlies the slit 2 and is formed of low density polyethylene film having a high tear resistance. The cover 3 has a rectangular main body portion 4 having two integral earlike side portions 5. The body portion 4 is dimensioned to be almost as wide as the width of the front face of the bag 1 and to extend perhaps 50 mm in height. The top and bottom edges 4A, 4B of the body 4 are outwardly curved, as shown. The upper part of the side portions 5 stand proud of the top edge 4A and merge therewith in a return bend 7, increasing the effective length of the edge. The top edge 4A includes a centrally located extension which comprises an adjacent strip 8 and a remote smaller strip 9. The longitudinal sides of the strip 8 are perforated at 10 for ease of tearing, as will be explained later. The underside of the cover (apart from the strip 8) has a coating of contact pressure sensitive adhes
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Marcus Stephen
McDonald Christopher
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