Flexible bags – With closure – Rib and groove
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-28
2001-10-09
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)
Flexible bags
With closure
Rib and groove
C024S587110, C024S324000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299353
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a zipper for a reclosable container, such as a bag manufactured by a form, fill and seal apparatus, wherein the base of the female profile includes apertures which allows packaged product, such as powder, which has entered the female profile, to pass through the apertures and return to being packaged within the reclosable container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, it is known to use a zipper with a female profile and a male profile in the manufacture of a reclosable container, such as a bag manufactured by a form, fill and seal apparatus. However, it is further known that if a fine powder product is packaged within the reclosable container, that this fine powder or similar particles can enter the female profile and degrade the performance of the zipper by blocking insertion of the male profile. Furthermore, if the user cleans this fine powder product from the female profile, this powder tends to be discarded rather than returned to the reclosable package. Moreover, this cleaning of the female profile can tend to contaminate any fine powder product that is returned to the reclosable package.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,468 entitled “Closure Arrangement for Reclosable Bag and Method Thereof” and issued to Tomic et al. on Mar. 9, 1999 discloses longitudinal breaks in at least one leg of the female profile. These longitudinal breaks can further occur in both legs of the female profile along with the male profile. However, this can degrade the sealing properties of the zipper. Moreover, this is somewhat inefficient in that the fine powder product must move at a right angle to the direction of insertion of the male profile into the female profile.
A somewhat similar structure and corresponding method are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,770 entitled “Closure Arrangement for Reclosable Bag” issued on Apr. 8, 1997 to May wherein portions are removed from one leg of the female profile by an L-shaped punch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,511 entitled “Method to Improve Welding of Profiled Plastic Film or Tape” and issued to Boeckman on Dec. 28, 1993 discloses longitudinal breaks in the female profile with apertures formed in the film of the container or bag along these longitudinal breaks. Again, this can degrade the sealing properties of the zipper and further requires the precise alignment of the sections of female profile, so that the apertures are positioned in the breaks between these sections.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a zipper for a reclosable container which can accommodate fine powder product entering the female profile.
It is therefore a further object of this invention to provide a zipper for a reclosable container which can efficiently return fine powder product from the female profile to the interior of the reclosable container, with a minimum of possibility of contamination of the fine powder product.
It is therefore a still further object of this invention to provide a zipper for a reclosable container which attains the above objects while maintaining the strength and integrity of the closed zipper.
It is therefore a still further object of this invention to provide a zipper for a reclosable container which attains the above objects without significantly increased manufacturing costs.
These and other objects are attained by providing a zipper with a female profile wherein apertures are periodically formed in the base thereof passing into the interior of the reclosable container. When fine powder product becomes lodged within the female profile, the male profile can push the lodged fine powder product through the apertures in the base of the female profile to return to the interior of the reclosable container. As the legs of the female profile, as well as the male profile, remain intact, there is no degradation of the sealing provided by the zipper. Moreover, the direction of travel of the fine powder product through the apertures is substantially the same as the direction of the male profile as it enters the female profile. As the fine powder product can be returned to the interior of the reclosable container without direct contact with the user, the fine powder product tends to be returned to the interior of the reclosable container free of contamination. To prevent powder from entering the female profile through the apertures the female profile material that is cut to form the apertures may be left attached along an edge, thereby forming a flap that can serve as a simple one-way valve to permit powder to be removed from the profile while preventing powder from entering the profile.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 34554 (1994-03-01), Ausnit
patent: 4532652 (1985-07-01), Herrington
patent: 4817188 (1989-03-01), Van Erden
patent: 4964739 (1990-10-01), Branson et al.
patent: 5017021 (1991-05-01), Simonsen et al.
patent: 5273511 (1993-12-01), Boeckman
patent: 5363540 (1994-11-01), Ddais et al.
patent: 5403094 (1995-04-01), Tomic
patent: 5617770 (1997-04-01), May
patent: 5829884 (1998-11-01), Yeager
patent: 5878468 (1999-03-01), Tomic et al.
patent: 5901625 (1999-05-01), May
patent: 5934806 (1999-08-01), Tomic et al.
patent: 6152600 (2000-11-01), Tomic
patent: 398732 (1990-11-01), None
Machacek Zdenek
Piechocki Duane B.
Hylton Robin A.
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Pitney Hardin Kipp & Szuch LLP
Shoap Allan N.
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