U.S. patent application number 10/597424 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-22 for re-sealable bag.
This patent application is currently assigned to Zip Pack IP AG. Invention is credited to Rainer Garger.
Application Number | 20080118191 10/597424 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34891817 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080118191 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Garger; Rainer |
May 22, 2008 |
Re-Sealable Bag
Abstract
A re-sealable bag (1) including a closure (13) is provided,
which is sealed to the front wall (3) in the interior of the bag
(1). The two-part closure (13) is sealed by the edges of the two
closure parts (13a, 13b) to the internal face of the front wall (3)
below the removal opening that is covered by a security strip (11).
A cover sheet (15), which is sealed to the internal closure part
(13a) and to the internal face of the front wall (3) above the
opening, protects the closure (13) from coming into contact with
the contents prior to the initial opening of the bag.
Inventors: |
Garger; Rainer; (Wien,
AT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
VOLPE AND KOENIG, P.C.
UNITED PLAZA, SUITE 1600, 30 SOUTH 17TH STREET
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19103
US
|
Assignee: |
Zip Pack IP AG
Goldach
CH
|
Family ID: |
34891817 |
Appl. No.: |
10/597424 |
Filed: |
February 21, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
February 21, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CH05/00096 |
371 Date: |
July 25, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/203 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 33/2583 20130101;
B65D 33/2533 20130101; B65D 75/5833 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/203 |
International
Class: |
B65D 33/14 20060101
B65D033/14 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 26, 2004 |
CH |
312/04 |
Claims
1. Re-sealable bag (1) comprising a closure (13) attached in an
interior thereof to one of the front or rear walls (3, 5), with the
closure comprising two closure parts (13a, 13b), which are at a
distance from a connecting or latching area (19) of the closure
(13), which form a connection to the wall (3, 5), and having free
edges that are connected undetachably to the wall (3, 5), and with
a safety strip (11) above an opening (27) above the latching area
(19) of the closure (13), the safety strip (11) is configured so
that it can be separated from the wall (3, 5) before an initial
opening for exposing the opening (27), both of the closure parts
(13a, 13b) are connected to the wall (3, 5) underneath the opening
(27) and a cover sheet (15) is attached to an inner one of the
closure parts (13a) and also to the wall (3, 5) above and to a side
of the opening (27).
2. Bag (1) according to claim 1, wherein edges of the inner and the
outer closure parts (13a, 13b) are connected to the front wall (3)
by a single common seam (17b) or by two separate bonding, fusing,
or sealing seams (17b).
3. Bag (1) according to claim 1, wherein a lower edge of the cover
sheet (15) is fixed undetachably at the inner closure part
(13a).
4. Bag (1) according to claim 3, wherein the lower edge of the
cover sheet (15) is fixed directly on or at a distance to an inner
grooved closure (19a).
5. Bag (1) according to claim 1, wherein free edges of the closure
parts (13a, 13b) are connected to each other and the closure (13)
is produced in one part.
6. Bag (1) according to claim 1, wherein the cover sheet (15) is
produced in one part with the closure (13) or with the inner
closure part (13a).
7. Bag (1) according to claim 1, wherein the inner closure part
(13a) is connected to the wall (3) in a peelable way.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The subject matter of the invention is a re-sealable bag
according to the preamble of claim 1.
[0002] Re-sealable bags, especially for bulk goods, such as rice
and the like, are known in many configurations. They usually
include a closure made from two complementary profiled strips,
which can be connected by pressing them together and which can be
opened by pulling them apart or by means of a slide.
[0003] From EP-0 843 636 B1 such a closure is known. Here, the two
profiled strips are bonded to the still flat foil web, from which
the bag is formed at a later time. The two foil strips forming the
closure are connected to the foil web, such that the two free
edges, i.e., the edges lying opposite the engaging edges, do not
come into contact, but instead extend wing-like away from the
engaging parts. In the area of the foil coming to lie directly
underneath the overlapping edges of the closure, a perforation is
formed, which enables a strip to be detached from the foil to
permit access to the closure, which is lying behind and is arranged
in the interior of the bag. The production of such a bag or the
attachment of the closure can be realized with simple means before
the bag is produced. However, on one hand, the handling of this
known closure is impractical, because the access to the closure
through the slot-like opening is very narrow after the removal of
the perforated strip and, on the other hand, the resealing is also
impractical, because pressure must be exerted on the closure from
the rear side via the partially still present contents, in order to
be able to reconnect the closure.
SUMMARY
[0004] One objective of the present invention is to create a
re-sealable bag with a re-sealable closure, which is protected
within the bag behind a tear-open strip before the initial opening
and which is optimally accessible after the removal of the strip
providing protection before the initial opening and thus can be
opened and reclosed easily.
[0005] This objective is achieved by a re-sealable bag with the
features of claim 1. Advantageous configurations of the bag are
described in the dependent claims.
[0006] Through the possibility created by the invention for opening
and closing the closure by folding out the bag from the inside, it
becomes possible to provide access to the bag as if the closure
were attached to the upper end of the bag. The reclosing can be
performed by guiding the closure between two fingers pressed
against each other, as is possible with a bag to be opened at the
top. Before opening, the closure lies in the interior of the bag
protected and away from contact before the initial opening. Any
attempted manipulation is immediately visible. The upper end of the
bag, through which the bag has been filled, can be sealed with a
seam using very simple means, e.g., bonding or stitching. Before
the initial opening, the contents do not come into contact with the
closure, because the closure is completely separated from the
contents by a cover sheet. Only after the initial opening, i.e.,
the cutting of the cover sheet, is it possible to access the
contents from the outside. When emptying the bag, contents coming
into contact with the closure can be removed easily and thus the
closure can be kept clean.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to
illustrated embodiments. Shown are
[0008] FIG. 1 a perspective view of a bag, cut-away on one side,
completely unopened,
[0009] FIG. 2 a schematic cross section through the front bag wall
in the area of the closure in a second configuration of the
invention,
[0010] FIG. 3 a schematic cross section through the front bag wall
in the area of the closure, completely unopened,
[0011] FIG. 4 a schematic cross section through the front bag wall
in the area of the closure, with the safety band torn away,
[0012] FIG. 5 a schematic cross section through the front bag wall
in the area of the closure, with the closure pulled out from the
bag,
[0013] FIG. 6 a schematic cross section through the front bag wall
in the area of the closure, with the closure opened,
[0014] FIG. 7 a schematic cross section through the front bag wall
in the area of the closure, with the closure cut,
[0015] FIG. 8 a schematic cross section through the front bag wall
in the area of the closure, with the closure reclosed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] On the only partially illustrated bag 1, the upper region of
the front wall 3 and the rear wall 5 are visible. The two walls 3,
5 are connected to each other undetachably by a bond and/or thread
seam 7, in short, seam 7, at the top after the bag is filled. The
base of the bag 1 is not visible. Two perforation lines 9, which
are connected to each other at their ends and which are formed by
notches or laser-created holes, are visible in the front wall 3.
The perforation lines 9 define a tear-away or safety strip 11,
which can be torn away by hand from the front wall 3 composed of a
film or a different coated material. Behind the safety strips 11, a
closure 13 and a cover sheet 15 are attached to the inside of the
front wall 3 by sealing seams 17a and 17b. The edges of the inner
and the outer closure parts (13a, 13b) can be connected to the
front wall (3) by a common seam or by two separate bonding or
sealing seams 17b.
[0017] The lower edge of the cover sheet 15 is attached at the
inner closure part 13a by a sealing seam 17c. The upper edge and
the side edges of the cover sheet 15 are fixed undetachably at the
inside of the front wall 3 by a bonding or sealing seam. The outer
closure part 13b and the inner closure part 13a can be connected to
each other detachably by a tear-away or grooved closure 19, also
called a "cut-n-seal" closure. Gripping strips 21 for better
handling can be formed on the inner and one of the outer closure
parts (13a, 13b) of the tear-away or grooved closure 19.
[0018] For an unopened bag 1, the grooved closure 19 lies protected
between the cover sheet 15 and the front wall 3, so that no
contents can reach the area of the grooved closure 19.
[0019] Obviously, the closure arrangement could also be arranged on
the rear wall 5.
[0020] For better clarity, FIG. 7 shows only the front wall 3 of
the opened bag 1 after removing the safety strip 11 and opening the
grooved closure 19, i.e., pulling apart the two parts 19a and 19b.
In addition, the inner closure part 13a is cut along a cutting line
23 with a blade 25 or, if provided, along a perforation cutting
line 23. Alternatively, the closure part 13a which lies on the
inside could be connected directly to the front bag wall 3 by a
peelable connection 29 (FIG. 2). This configuration would enable
the opening B to be exposed without the aid of a blade.
[0021] The opening process is explained step-by-step with reference
to the schematic views in FIGS. 3 to 8. In FIG. 3, which
corresponds to FIG. 1, the closure 13 lies behind the safety strip
11. The latter is completely or partially pulled away in FIG. 4.
The pulling away can be realized by hand without tools. Here, with
a fingernail, the perforation 9 is opened and thus the safety strip
11 is gripped. Now the closure 13 is freely accessible in or behind
the opening 27, which is created in the front wall 3 after pulling
away the safety strip 11. The closure 13 can be closed at this
time, i.e., the grooved closure parts 19a and 19b can be joined
together; it is also possible to arrange the closure 13 unclosed
between the safety strip 11 and the cover sheet 15 before the
initial opening. After pulling away the safety strip 11, the
closure 13 can be pulled out from the opening 27 (compare FIG. 5).
If the grooved closure parts 19a and 19b have not yet been pulled
apart (as shown in FIG. 5), these can be pulled apart in a known
way at the gripping strips 21 (FIG. 6). With the blade 25, a cut
can be created from the outside at the position A, i.e., between
the two closure parts 13a and 13b, or, if a perforation line 23 is
present in this position, this line can be opened with a finger or
a different pointed object (state according to FIG. 7). In this
way, a removal opening B, which is located behind the opening 27,
is created. The removal opening B can be reclosed by pressing
together the two grooved closure parts 19a and 19b (state as shown
in FIG. 8). The reclosing is performed outside of the front wall 3.
If desired, the closure 13 can now be pressed back into the
interior of the bag 1 (not shown). As an alternative to a grooved
closure without a slide, such a closure with a slide (not shown)
can also be used.
[0022] The production of bags 1 with the closure 13 according to
the invention is simple, because the closure 13 and the cover sheet
15 can be attached by long-known sealing processes onto the still
band-shaped films, which form the front wall 3 and the rear wall 5
and if necessary the base.
[0023] In another configuration of the invention according to FIG.
2, the cover sheet 15 can be attached directly or formed/extruded
directly on the grooved closure part 19a.
[0024] The two closure parts 13a and 13b can also be connected to
each other along their free edges or can be composed from a single
drawn part.
[0025] Furthermore, the cover sheet 15 can be produced integrally
with the closure part 13a instead of with an attachment to the
closure part 13a by the sealing seam 17c.
* * * * *