Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SPECIFICATION
This invention relates in general to the
packaging art, and is more particularly concerned with
reclosable bags.
Numerous and varied reclosable bag structures
have been proposed, and some have proven to be
commercially quite good.
In particular, there has been some emphasis on
providing tamper evident bags, and bags that are
hermetically sealed until they are opened for access to
the contents, whereafter a reclosable fastener device
comes into play for maintaining the contents within the
bag until access is again desired. By way of example,
attention is directed to the following U~S. Patents as
representative of various approaches to the type of bag
with which the present invention relates by way of
improvement.
U.S. Patent 2,978,769 and 3,172,443 disclose
nonreclosable frangible connections of fastener profiles.
U.S. Patent 3,325,084 discloses a closure flap
provided with closure profiles that will meet with closure
profiles on the front of the bag or package.
U.S. Patent 3,326,399 discloses the use of
magnetic reclosable fastening means.
UOS. Patents 3,198,228; 3,473,589 and 3,780,781
disclose reclosable profile fasteners or zippers, and a
tear off top on the bag for access to the zipper.
U.S. Patent 3,543,343 discloses a bag with
reclosable fastener profiles and a tear cord for opening
~he bag.
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U.S. Patent 3,625,270 discloses a tear ribbon
device for opening the bag.
U.S. Patent 3,746,215 discloses a funnel
arrangement which retains the bag sealed closed until the
funnel is everted and the end ~nipped off.
U.S. Patents 3,991,801; 4,191,230 and 4,235,653
disclose other arrangements of funnel bags.
U.S. Patent 4,241,865 discloses a heavy duty bag
to be made from paper and equipped with a primary rip cord
closure and a hood thereover provided with a reclosable
zipper of the interlocking teeth type.
In spite of the fairly high state of development
- in this art, there is still room for improvement and the
attainment of simplicity and economy in dual fastener
bags, that is, bags that have hermetic or at least tamper
evident non-reclosable closure means and associated
reclosable closure means.
An important object of the present invention is
to provide a new and improved bag or package structure
having non-reclosable closure means which is readily
digitally openable when associated reclosable closure
means are in an open condition, the bags being reclosable
by means of the latter closure means.
To the attainment of that object, the present
invention provides a bag having opposed wall panels
secured together at a bottom end and at opposite sides,
and comprising a bag mouth defined by and between upper
end portions of the wall panels, reclosable closure means
located substantially below the upper ends of the upper
end portions of and responsive to digital closing pressure
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for attaining a closed condition of the reclosable closure
means for closing the mouth, the reclosable closure means
being openable responsive to digital pullapart force for
opening the bag mouth to gain access into the bag, there
being non--reclosable closure means located inwardly
relative to the reclosable closure means for initially
maintaining the bag mouth closed independently of the
reclosable closure means, and the non-reclosable closure
means being openable by pullapart force when the
reclosable closure means is open.
ON THE DRAWINGS
Other objects, features and advantages of the
present invention will be readily apparent from the
following description of representative embodiments
thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, although variations and modifications may be
effected without departing from the spirit and scope of
the novel concepts embodied in the disclosure, and in
which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bag structure
embodying the invention;
Fig. 2 is a fragmental vertical sectional detail
view taken along the line II-II in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified bag
structure embodying the invention;
Fig. 4 is a vertical fragmental sectional detail
view taken substantially along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of still another
modified bag structure embodying the invention;
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Fig. 6 is a vertical fragmental sectional detail
view taken substantially along the line VI-VI in Fig. S;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the upper
portion of the bag of Figs. 5 and ~ showing the reclosable
fastener means in the open condition; and
Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional
detail view showing the upper portion of a bag similar to
the bag of Figs. 1 and 2, but with a modified reclosable
fastener structure.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a package or bag 20
has opposed wall panels 21 providing a receptacle space
22. The panels 21 are secured together at a bottom end 23
such as by means of a fold in the material from which the
wall panels 21 are made; or by a seam if the panels 21
have been or are formed as separate sheets. Opposite
sides of the panels are secured together as by means of
heat seal seams 24 where the bag material lends itself to
such sealing, as where the material is of well known
plastic film which may be either monofilm or laminate,
depending upon the use to which the bag is to be put.
Where the material is not susceptible of fused sealing,
adhesive securement may be effected.
By and between their upper end portions, the bag
wall panels 21 define a bag mouth 25 through which access
may be had into the receptacle space 22, after reclosable
closure means 27 located at the upper end portions of the
wall panels 21, and non-reclosable closure means 28
located inwardly -from the reclosable closure means 27,
have been opened.
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In one desirable form, the reclosable astener
means 27 may comprise a stripe of pressure sensitive
adhesive 29 which is permanently secured to one of the
wall panels 21 and has an adherent surface 30 which is
releasably engagable with the other of the wall panels
21. As shown, the reclosable fastener strips 29 extends
entirely across the mouth from side-to-side so that when
- this fastener is closed, the bag mouth 25 is substantially
thoroughly closed against ingress or egress relative to
1~ the pouch 22. However, when it is desired to open the
fastener 27, digital engagement of the upper ends of the
side wall panels 21, serving as pull flanges 31, and
pulling them apart will pull the fastener surface 30 away
from the engaged wall panel and thus open the bag mouth
25. Digital pressure to press the upper portions of the
wall panels 21 together in line with the fastener 27 will
cause the fastener surface 30 to readhere releasably to
the confronting wall panel area and, thus, close the bag
mouth 25.
As to the non-reclosable fastener 28, it
preferably comprises a peel seal 32 wherein the
confronting inside face areas of the wall panels 21 are
heat sealed in a fashion to effect a face-to-face peel
seal. Such seal is not a permanent seal, but a seal that
can be opened, that is, peeled open or apart by pullapart
force applied to the upper end portions of the wall panels
21, after gaining access through the opened reclosable
seal 27. Thereafter, the peel seal 28 remains open, but
the bag can be reclosed by means of the reclosable seal
- 30 27. ..
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A bag 20' as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 comprises
opposed wall panels 33 providing a receptacle space 34.
At their bottom ends, the panels 33 are secured together
as by means of a heat seal 35. Opposite sides of the
panels are secured together as by means of heat seal seams
37. Of course, if the materi~al of the wall panels 33 is
not susceptible of heat sealing, the closure seams 35 and
37 may be effected by adhesive means.
At the upper or mouth end of the bag 20', the
panels 33 are connected together by means of an integral
inwardly projecting fold 38 which is secured at its
opposite ends to the upper end portions of the side seal
seams 37. Along its inner edge, the fold 38 is provided
with non-reclosable closure means 39 in the form of a line
of weakening such as perforations which extend throughout
the length of the fold. Reclosable closure means 40 are
provided by a stripe of pressure sensitive adhesive, which
is permanently secured to one of the wall surfaces within
the fold 38 and has an adherent surface 41 which is
2~ releasably engagable with the opposing inner wall surface
of the fold. The adhesive stripe 40 desirably extends
throughout the length of the fold 38.
When it is desired to open the bag 20', digital
pullapart force applied to the upper or outer edges of the
fold 38 where they integrally join the upper ends of the
wall panels 33 will pull the fastener surface 41 away from
the engaged fold wall and thus open the fastener 40. By
additional pullapart force applied to the now opened fold
38, the non-reclosable seal line of weakening or
perforation line 39 is separated for gaining full access
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.
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into the bag pouch 34. Then, when it ;s desired to
reclose the bag, digital pressure applied to the upper end
portions of the bag walls 33 and toward the fastener 40
will cause the fastener 40 to reclose the bag mouth by
releasably adherent engagement of the fastener surface 41
with the confronting inwardly projecting wall of the fold
38.
In a bag 42 as shown in Figs. 5-7, opposed wall
panels 43 are, similarly as in Figs. 1 and 2, formed from
a folded sheet or separate sheets wherein the panels 43
are secured together by means of a bottom fold 44 and are
secured together at the sides of the bag by means of seal
seams 45, which may be heat seals or adhesive seals, as
the case may be. Upper end portions of the wall panels 43
provide bag mouth structure including reclosable closure
means 47 and non-reclosable closure means 48. In this
instance, the reclosable closure means 47 comprises a flap
49 extending across the width of the bag 42 and formed as
an extension from the top end of one of the wall panels 43
and bent down overlapping the outer face of the other of
the wall panels 43. Carried by the inner face of the flap
49 is digital pressure responsive means 50 in the form of
a stripe of pressure sensitlve adhesive extending across
the width of the flap 49 and having an adherent surface 51
which is separably, i.e., releasably, but reclosably
engagable with the wall panel 43 when such wall panel is
overlapped by the flap 49.
The non-reclosable closure means 48 conveniently
comprises a transverse line 52 of weakening, desirably
perforations, extending across the upper portion of the
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overlapped wall panel 43 so that the line 52 is concealed
by the flap 49 in the closed condition of the flap.
Desirably, the weakening line 52 is disposed in alignment
with the reclosable closure means adhesive 50. Above the
non-reclosable closure weakening line 52, the panel 43
having such line is desirably permanently fixedly secured
a~ by means of heat sealing or adhesive 53 to the
contiguous face of the other of the wall panels 43.
Thereby, the only way in which access can be gained into
the bag 42 is by breaking the weakened line non-reclosable
closure means 52. Thereafter, the opening provided by
breaking the line 52 can be closed by the reclosable
closure means 47, the slit opening at the opened weakened
line 52 being reclosably closed by means of the adhesive
stripe 50, thus avoiding unintentional spillage from or
intrusion into the bag 42.
Normally, the closure flap 49 will be retained
in place by the adhesive stripe 50. When it is desired to
gain access into the bag 42, the distal or free terminal
end portion of the flap 49 is adapted to be grasped
digitally and the reclosable closure 47 pulled open from
the closed position shown in Figs. 5 and 6 into the open
position in Fig. 7. This exposes the non-reclosable
closure 48 which can be readily ripped open by digital
manipulation for opening a mouth opening 52a. Interim
closing of the opening now provided at 52 can then be
readily effected by moving the closure flap 49 into the
closing position and applying digital pressure to effect
releasable adherence of the reclosable closure stripe 50
with the bag wall inwardly relative to tbe reclosable
closure means 47.
.
.
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In Fig. 8, is shown a bag 54 which is much the
same as the bag 20 in Fig. 1, having wall panels 55 which
are secured together at the bottom and side edges, but are
not permanently secured together at their upper end
portions where a bag mouth 57 is provided. Reclosable
closure means 58 in this instance comprise a stripe of
pressure sensitive adhesive 59 permanently attached to and
extending across the inside surface of one of the wall
panels 55 and a similar stripe of pressure sensitive
adhesive 60 permanently secured to and extending across
the inside surface of the other of the wall panels 55.
The adhesive stripes 59 and 60 are aligned so that by
applying digital pressure on tha outside surfaces of the
wall panels 55 in line with the stripes 59 and 60l
respective releasably adherent surfaces 61 on the adhesive
stripes will engage with sufficient adherence to retain
the bag mouth 57 temporarily closed. The bag mouth 57 can
be readily opened by pullapart digital force on pull
flanges 62 provided by the upper portions of the wall
panels 55 above the reclosable closure 58.
Non-reclosable closure means 63 for the bag 54
comprises a peel seal 64 across the upper portion of the
bag 54 and located inwardly relative to the reclosable
closure means 58. The peel seal 64 corresponds to the
peel seal 32 in Figs. l and 2, and is adapted to be
openable, that is peeled openr by pullapar~ force applied
through the pull flanges 62 after the reclosable closure
means 58 has been been opened.
Frvm the foregoing, it will be appreciated that
in all forms of the invention the non-reclosable closure
_g _
means provides a tamper evident device. Throughout, the
digitally reclosable means is located substantially below
the upper ends of the upper end portions oE the bag wall
panels, in an advantageous arrangement enabling the upper
end portions to be conveniently manipulated for pullapart
opening of the bagO
Certain of the non-reclosable closures assist in
hermetically sealing the associated bags. After any form
of the non-reclosable closure means has been opened it
will be apparent that access has been gained or attempted
to be gained into the bag. Inspection as to whether there
has been tampering with the non-reclosable closure means
can be easily effected. The reclosable closure means must
be opened in order to gain access to the non-reclosable
closure means. After the non reclosable closure means has
been opened, interim closing of the bag is effected by
reclosing the reclosable closure means.
It will be understood, of course, that full
closure of the pouches provided by the bags will be
effected after the bags have been filled. For instance,
where it is desired to fill the bags through their upper
or mouth ends, the peel seal non-reclosable closure means
may be closed after the filling. On the other hand, it
may be desired to fill the bags through an open side or an
open bottom which is sealed after the filling has been
accomplished, and in such case the non-reclosable closure
means may be closed before filling. From the various
forms of non-reclosable and reclosable closure means
disclosed, it will be apparent that various appropriate
comb;nations thereof may be chosen for various particular
needs.
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It will be understood that variations and
modifications may be effected without departing from the
spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present
invention.
.. . . . .
