Tobacco Pouch Closure

Abstract

A receptacle closure comprising a pair of resilient beads secured to opposite walls of a receptacle adjacent the receptacle opening. The beads are located on the receptacle walls in a manner such that when the receptacle is closed one bead overlaps and snugly engages the other bead to form a tight seal.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to closures for various types of receptacles. In particular, this invention relates to an improved closure for tightly sealing a tobacco pouch or similar receptacle to prevent the contents thereof from becoming stale and to retain the contents intact.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Typically, pipe smokers carry a daily or weekly supply of pipe tobacco in a tobacco pouch. A vexatious problem universally encountered by pipe smokers is the loss of moisture and consequent drying out of the tobacco supply. While prior art tobacco pouches have been improved to the extent that now many pouches incorporate a moisture proof liner and may include an integral pad which may be periodically dampened, truly effective means for providing a tight seal have been long overdue in the art.

In addition to the problem of providing a tight seal to prevent the loss of moisture from the tobacco, many prior art seals are somewhat unreliable in their operation and are extremely bulky in the area of the seal which inhibits the ability to design a tobacco pouch having an esthetically pleasing appearance.

One prior art tobacco pouch closure which has come to the attention of the patentee herein is U.S. Pat. No. 2,107,216 issued Feb. 1, 1938 to Harry L. Rogers, which shows a pair of solid - beaded edges which engage each other in a butting,side-by-side relation when the pouch is closed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention obviates the above mentioned problems and difficulties heretofore encountered in tobacco pouch closures by providing a pair of generally hollow beads on the inner walls of the tobacco pouch inwardly adjacent the pouch opening. The beads are disposed adjacent the pouch opening in offset relationship, one to the other, in a manner such that as the tobacco pouch is closed one bead overlaps and firmly contacts the other bead to form a tight seal. Due to the overlapping relationship, the bulk of the seal in the area of the closure is considerably reduced thereby enabling the design of tobacco pouches having a pleasing, esthetically attractive appearance.

In accordance with the invention, one bead comprising the seal is formed generally integral with one wall of the pipe pouch, closely adjacent the elongated pouch opening. The second bead is located on the opposite pouch wall more closely adjacent the pouch opening than the first bead but positioned so that when the pouch is closed, the upper portion of the first bead firmly contacts the lower portion of the second bead thereby forming an effective pouch seal while eliminating much of the bulk heretofore existing.

Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide means for tightly sealing a receptacle.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for tightly sealing the opening of a tobacco pouch to prevent the smoker's supply of tobacco from losing moisture and becoming stale.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a receptacle closure, a pair of beads adjacent an elongated opening of the receptacle which cooperate with each other in an overlapping relation to provide a tight closure seal.

It is also an object to this invention to provide a tobacco pouch closure having a pair of beads on opposite walls of the pouch which overlap to form a seal having a minimum of bulk to provide a slim pouch having a pleasing appearance.

Additional objects of this invention will become apparent to those versed in the art upon an understanding of the following detailed description of the tobacco pouch closure of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric partially cutaway view of a tobacco pouch incorporating the closure of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the tobacco pouch shown in FIG. 1 generally taken along Section line 2 -- 2 thereof, but wherein the pouch is in its closed condition;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view of a bead forming part of the closure; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to that shown in FIG. 2 of a modified tobacco pouch.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a tobacco pouch generally referred to by reference numeral 10 is seen to include a front wall 12, and a back wall 14 which extends upwardly to form a flap 16 suitable for being folded over the pouch opening 18. Pouch walls 12 and 14 and flap 16 are of generally unitary construction, the walls being folded over at the lower edge 20 and being stitched or otherwise secured to each other along sides 22 and 24. The top portion of wall 12 defines an edge 26 while the top portion of wall 14 defines an imaginary edge illustrated by line 28. Edge 28 is labeled as an "imaginary" edge due to the extension of wall 14 into the formation of flap 16 so that in fact, a true edge at line 28 is not seen. Edges 26 and 28 define pouch opening 18.

Turning now to FIG. 2 in addition to FIG. 1 of the drawings, walls 12 and 14 include an inner, moisture proof lining 30 which, in the illustrated embodiment is also of unitary construction. The lining extends along the inner surface of wall 12, curves along the lower edge 20 and then extends upwardly along the inner surface of wall 14 and along the inner surface of flap 16.

In accordance with the invention a pair of longitudinal hollow beads are formed and secured to liner 30 adjacent opening 18. Specifically, wall 12 includes a bead 32 slightly below the level of its top edge 26. Similarly, wall 14 includes a bead 33 below the level of its imaginary edge 28.

The construction of bead 32 on wall 12 is shown in detail in FIG. 3, it being understood that bead 33 is of substantially identical construction. As seen in FIG. 3, a loose portion of material 35 having a rectangular shape and having a length approximately equal to the length of opening 18 is welded at 37 - 38 to form a small loop longitudinally of wall 12, adjacent edge 26. A tubular insert 40 fabricated of resilient rubber or plastic is inserted into the opening formed by material 35 to form hollow bead 32. It should be noted that the subject invention is not restricted to the illustrated bead construction but may encompass various types of bead constructions in the configuration described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, bead 32 is secured to wall 12 at a position relative to the edge 26 which is at a slightly lower level than the level relative to edge 28, at which bead 33 is secured to wall 14. Since edges 26 and 28 are at substantially the same level and since bead 33 is secured to wall 14 a given distance below edge 28 then, in accordance with the invention, bead 32 is secured to wall 12 a dimension slightly less than the given distance plus the thickness of bead 33. By means of this construction, bead 33 tightly overlaps bead 32 to form a tight seal when the flap 16 is folded into its normal closed position.

Folding the flap causes wall 12 to be urged or biased against wall 14 in the vicinity of the opening to form the tight closure. As will be readily apparent from a close inspection of FIG. 2, the overlapping relationship of beads 32 and 33 form a closure having a minimum of bulk which results in a tobacco pouch having a pleasing appearance.

Referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, a modified pouch is shown wherein flap 16 has been removed and a zipper 42 substituted as the means for urging walls 12 and 14 together to thereby cause beads 32 - 33 to fit snugly against each other in overlapping relationship to again form a tight seal while displaying a slim, pleasing appearance.

It is obvious that upon study by those skilled in the art, the disclosed invention may be altered or modified in physical appearance and construction without departing from its inventive concept. Therefore, the scope of protection to be given this invention should not be limited by the embodiments described above, but should be determined by the essential descriptions thereof which appear in the appended claims.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A receptacle comprising a pair of flexible walls defining an opening along one edge; one wall of said pair including a resilient bead of substantial thickness in relation to said one wall inwardly of said receptacle extending parallel to and adjacent said opening; said other wall also including a resilient bead of substantial thickness in relation to said other wall inwardly of said receptacle extending parallel to said opening; said beads being located on said walls in a manner whereby when said receptacle is in its closed condition the lower portion of one bead substantially overlaps and firmly engages the upper portion of the other bead thereby forming a tight seal.

2. The receptacle as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said beads is located a first given distance below the edge of its respective receptacle wall defining said opening and wherein said other bead is located a second given distance below the edge of its receptacle wall forming said opening and wherein said second given distance comprises a dimension slightly less than the first given distance plus the thickness of said bead.

3. The receptacle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said receptacle walls include a generally moisture proof inner liner and wherein each of said beads comprise a strip of material fastened to said liner inwardly of the receptacle forming an elongated pocket substantially the length of said opening, each of said pockets receiving a resilient tubular member whereby when said receptacle is in its closed condition said overlapping and engaging beads will form a tight seal.

4. The receptacle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the overlapping relationship of said beads effects a relatively slim receptacle in the closure area.

5. A receptacle having an opening comprising a first wall including an edge defining one side of said receptacle opening and a bead of substantial thickness in relation to said first wall disposed closely adjacent said edge; a second wall including an edge defining a second side of the receptacle opening and a bead of substantial thickness in relation to said second wall disposed more closely adjacent said latter edge than said first wall bead; said second wall bead being disposed to snugly overlap said first wall bead when the receptacle is closed to form a tight seal, and means for closing said opening by urging one wall towards the other.

6. The receptacle as set forth in claim 5 wherein the overlapping relationship of said beads provides a slim receptacle in the area of said opening.