U.S. patent application number 10/687590 was filed with the patent office on 2004-04-29 for plastic zipper and plastic bag provided with the zipper.
This patent application is currently assigned to ISHIZAKI SHIZAI CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Ishizaki, Akira.
Application Number | 20040078940 10/687590 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32105200 |
Filed Date | 2004-04-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040078940 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ishizaki, Akira |
April 29, 2004 |
Plastic zipper and plastic bag provided with the zipper
Abstract
A plastic bag which is made by fusing a material film to have an
upper opening portion. A zipper is provided on an inner surface of
the opening portion, and the zipper has a groove formed on a base
tape and a ridge formed on another base tape, the groove and the
ridge being capable of engaging with and disengaging from each
other. At least the base tapes are colored differently. The base
tapes respectively have parts which serve as flaps, and the flap
parts are of different widths. Thereby, the opening portion of the
plastic bag has a step.
Inventors: |
Ishizaki, Akira;
(Kashiba-Shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BURNS DOANE SWECKER & MATHIS L L P
POST OFFICE BOX 1404
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22313-1404
US
|
Assignee: |
ISHIZAKI SHIZAI CO., LTD.
|
Family ID: |
32105200 |
Appl. No.: |
10/687590 |
Filed: |
October 20, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/400 ;
383/63 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 33/255 20130101;
B65D 33/007 20130101; Y10T 24/2534 20150115; A44B 19/16
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
024/400 ;
383/063 |
International
Class: |
A44B 019/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 21, 2002 |
JP |
2002-306265 PAT. |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A plastic zipper comprising: a groove formed on a first base
tape and a ridge formed on a second base tape, the groove and the
ridge being capable of engaging with and disengaging from each
other; wherein: at least the first base tape and the second base
tape are colored differently; and at least a dimension from the
groove to one side of the first base tape and at least a dimension
from the ridge to one side of the second base tape are different
from each other.
2. A plastic bag which is made of a plastic film and which has an
opening portion on one side, comprising: a zipper which is provided
on an inner surface of the plastic film of the opening portion, the
zipper comprising a groove formed on a first base tape and a ridge
formed on a second base tape, the groove and the ridge being
capable of engaging with and disengaging from each other; wherein:
at least the first base tape and the second base tape of the zipper
are colored differently; at least a dimension from the groove to
one side of the first base tape and at least a dimension from the
ridge to one side of the second base tape are different from each
other; and the first base tape and the second base tape are located
such that an upper side of the first base tape and an upper side of
the second base tape are on different levels.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a plastic zipper which is
to be used as an opening portion of a plastic bag and a plastic bag
provided with the zipper.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] A plastic bag 1 shown by FIGS. 3a and 3b is conventionally
known. The plastic bag 1 is made by the following processes. A
material film 2 is folded in double so that the turn-around portion
will be the bottom of the bag 1. Then, the double film is fused at
side portions a and is cut at the fused portions a, or the double
film is cut at the portions a by fusion. In this way, a bag 1 with
an upper opening portion 3 is made.
[0005] In the opening portion 3 of the bag 1, a plastic zipper 5 is
provided. The plastic zipper 5 comprises a groove 7 formed on a
base tape 6 and a ridge 8 formed on another base tape 6, and the
groove 7 and the groove 8 are capable of engaging with and
disengaging from each other. The base tapes 6 with the groove 7 and
the ridge 8 respectively are fused on the inner surface of the bag
1 at the opening portion 3.
[0006] When opening the portion 3, the user picks the film 2 of the
bag 1 at the portion 3 (which will be hereinafter referred to as
flaps 4) by finger and pulls the flaps 4 away from each other.
Because the tops of the flaps 4 are on the same level, it is
difficult and troublesome to pick the flaps 4 by finger.
[0007] A way of solving this problem is, as shown by FIG. 3b,
cutting one of the flaps 4 off at the alternate long and short
dashed line X so that the tops of the flaps 4 will be on different
levels. In this case, if printing is made on the film 2, it is easy
to distinguish the longer flap 4 and the shorter flap 4 from each
other, and it is easy to open the bag 1 by pushing the inner side
of the longer flap 4 by finger.
[0008] However, if the flaps 4 are transparent or if the zipper 5
is located at almost the top end of the opening portion 3, it is
difficult to distinguish the longer flap 4 and the shorter flap 4
from each other and the outer sides and the inner sides of the
respective flaps 4 from each other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a plastic
zipper which is to be employed in an opening portion of a bag, the
zipper being of a structure which enables a user to pick an opening
portion of a bag from inside easily.
[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
plastic bag which has an opening portion which can be picked from
inside easily.
[0011] In order to attain the objects, according to a first aspect
of the present invention, a plastic zipper comprises a groove
formed on a first base tape and a ridge formed on a second base
tape, the groove and the ridge being capable of engaging with and
disengaging from each other. At least the first base tape and the
second base tape are colored differently, and at least a dimension
from the groove to one side of the first base tape and at least a
dimension from the ridge to one side of the second base tape are
different from each other.
[0012] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a
plastic bag which is made of a plastic film and which has an
opening portion on one side comprises a zipper which is provided on
an inner surface of the plastic film of the opening portion, the
zipper comprising a groove formed on a first base tape and a ridge
formed on a second base tape, the groove and the ridge being
capable of engaging with and disengaging from each other. At least
the first base tape and the second base tape of the zipper are
colored differently, and at least a dimension from the groove to
one side of the first base tape and at least a dimension from the
ridge to one side of the second base tape are different from each
other. Also, the first base tape and the second base tape are
located such that an upper side of the first base tape and an upper
side of the second base tape are on different levels.
[0013] The plastic zipper according to the first aspect of the
present invention has base tapes of which at least dimensions from
their respective groove and ridge to their respective one sides are
different from each other. By providing the plastic zipper on the
inner surface of an opening portion of a plastic bag, the base
tapes can be used as flaps which are of different lengths. Thus, a
step can be made in the opening portion of the plastic bag.
Further, at least the first base tape and the second base tape are
colored differently (or the first base tape including the groove
and the second base tape including the ridge may be colored
differently), and thereby, the longer flap and the shorter flap can
be easily distinguished from each other. Consequently, the user can
open the plastic bag easily by pushing the longer flap on the inner
surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] These and other objects and features of the present
invention will be apparent from the following description with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a plastic zipper according to
the present invention and a plastic bag provided with the
zipper;
[0016] FIG. 2 is an illustration which shows opening of the plastic
bag; and
[0017] FIGS. 3a and 3b are a perspective view and a sectional view
of a conventional plastic zipper and a plastic bag provided with
the zipper.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Preferred embodiments of a plastic zipper and a plastic bag
according to the present invention will be described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a plastic bag 20 provided with a plastic zipper
10. This plastic bag 20 is made of a material film 21 basically by
the same processes as the manufacturing processes of the plastic
bag 1 shown by FIG. 3. The plastic bag 20 has an upper opening
portion 22.
[0020] The zipper 10 comprises a groove 12 formed on a base tape 11
and a ridge 13 formed on another base tape 11, and the groove 12
and the ridge 13 are capable of engaging with and disengaging from
each other. The groove 12 and its base tape 11, and the ridge 13
and its base tape 11 are respectively made by extrusion molding
integrally, and are colored differently. For example, one is
blue-colored, and the other is red-colored or white-colored. Any
color combination is possible as long as the colors are
distinguishable from each other.
[0021] The coloring is implemented by mixing a pigment in a plastic
material. The groove 12 and its base tape 11, and the ridge 13 and
its base tape 11 may be colored, or only the base tapes 11 may be
colored by adopting bicolor extrusion molding.
[0022] The base tapes 11 are of different widths A and B. More
specifically, a dimension A1 from the groove 12 to one side of the
base tape 11 and a dimension B1 from the ridge 13 to one side of
the base tape 11 are equal, but a dimension A2 from the groove 12
to the other side of the base tape 11 is longer than a dimension B2
from the ridge 13 to the other side of the base tape 11.
[0023] The zipper 10 is fused onto the inner surface of the opening
portion 22 such that the dimensions A2 and B2 are located upper.
Also, if the zipper 10 is positioned such that the upper sides of
the base tapes 11 are respectively on the same level with the upper
sides of the plastic film 21 of the bag 20, the upper portions of
the base tapes 11 with the dimensions A2 and B2 respectively serve
as flaps 23a and 23b. In this case, a step (of a difference C) is
made between the flaps 23a and 23b.
[0024] The flaps 23a and 23b with the dimension A2 and the
dimension B2 respectively are the base tapes 11 of the zipper 10,
and the colors of the flaps 23a and 23b are different from each
other. Thereby, the lengths of the flaps 23a and 23b, and the inner
surfaces and the outer surfaces of the flaps 23a and 23b can be
easily distinguished from each other. As FIG. 2 shows, the user
picks the longer flap 23a by the fingers of one hand and pushes the
flap 23a outward (in the direction shown by arrow "Y"). Meanwhile,
the user picks the shorter flap 23b by the fingers of the other
hand. Thus, the flaps 23a and 23b are pulled in the opposite
direction and thereby separated from each other. In this way, the
opening portion 22 can be put open, and the groove 12 and the ridge
13 can be disengaged from each other.
Other Embodiments
[0025] The zipper 10 may have two grooves 12 and two ridges 13
arranged in two rows so as to ensure the airtightness of the bag
20.
[0026] In the embodiment above, the zipper 10 is positioned such
that the upper side of each of the base tapes 11 is on the same
level with the corresponding upper side of the plastic film 21 of
the bag 20. However, the upper portions of the respective base
tapes 11 may protrude from the respective upper sides of the
plastic film 21. Also, the lower portions of the base tapes 11,
that is, the portions with the dimension A1 and the dimension B1
are not necessarily required to be equal to each other. For
example, the dimension B1 may be equal to the dimension A2, and the
dimension A1 may be equal to the dimension B2.
[0027] Although the present invention has been described in
connection with the preferred embodiment above, it is to be noted
that various changes and modifications are possible to those who
are skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be
understood as being within the scope of the present invention.
* * * * *