The present invention relates to a device that can be used to close previously opened packages and the like. One embodiment of the invention comprises an apparatus for securely closing previously opened food packaging, such as bags of potato chips and other snacks.
Many food stuffs, particularly snack foods such as chips and the like, are sold in large bags that are opened by tearing at the top of the bag. Typically, all of the contents of such large “family size” bags are not consumed immediately upon the initial opening of the bag in one sitting. Rather, there is often a substantial amount of contents remaining in the bag after the initial opening of the bag. Once opened, exposure of the bag's contents to air expedites spoiling of the contents. As such, there is a need for a means to keep the torn opening of the bag closed tightly to help keep the contents fresh.
Clip-like devices have been used to close opened food bags. However, the present invention provides advantages not present in such clip-like devices.
Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a device that can keep an opening of a package securely closed. Another object of the invention is to provide a device that can securely close the torn opening of a food bag to help keep the food fresh, and can be easily removed to reopen the bag and expose the contents at will. These and other objects of the invention can be obtained in the preferred embodiments of the invention described below.
A closure apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a base having an upper surface and a lower surface, and first and second complementary handle sections attached to the base and extending upwardly from the upper surface of the base. The two handle sections together form a grippable handle and define a space therebetween for receiving a strap therethrough.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the lower surface of the base is concave.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the upper surface of the base is convex.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the two handle sections are arcuate.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a strap is attached to the base, the having a first fastener positioned at an end thereof, and a second fastener, the first and second fasteners adapted for complementary engagement.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the closure apparatus includes means for connecting the first and second handle sections together. As such, the first and second handle sections are moveable between an open position in which there is a space between the handle sections for receiving the strap therethrough, and a connected position in which the handle sections are connected to each other.
According to another embodiment of the invention the first handle section has a protruding member, and the second handle section has a recess shaped and sized to receive the protruding member so that the first handle section can be frictionally engaged to the second handle section.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the first and second handle sections are moveable between an open position in which the first and second handle sections define the space for receiving a strap therethrough to a connected position wherein the protruding member of the first handle section is positioned within the recess of the second handle section whereby the first and second handle sections are frictionally engaged.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the first handle section has a lower end attached to the upper surface of the base, and an upper end sloped in a first orientation. The second handle section has a lower end attached to the upper surface of the base, and an upper end sloped in a second orientation complementary to the first orientation of the sloped upper end of the first handle section.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a protruding member is formed on the upper end of the first handle section, and a recess shaped and sized to receive and engage the protruding member is formed in the upper end of the second handle section so that the first handle section can be frictionally engaged to the second handle section.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the upper end of the second handle section is positioned substantially above the upper end of the first handle section.
According to another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for closing opened packaging comprises a base having an upper surface and a lower surface, a strap attached to the base, and first and second complementary handle sections attached to the base. The handle sections extend upwardly from the upper surface of the base, and together form a grippable handle. A space exists between the handle sections to receive the strap therethrough.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the lower surface of the base is concave to facilitate positioning of the lower surface of the base on a package.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a matrix of support members are formed in the base to provide structural reinforcement to the base.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a layer of rubber is attached to the lower surface of the base to position on a package opening. The rubber layer minimizes movement of the base when positioned on a package.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the strap has a first end attached to the base and a second end opposite to the first end. A first section of fasteners is positioned on a bottom surface of the strap proximate the second end, and a second section of fasteners positioned on a top surface of the strap. The first section of fasteners and the second section of fasteners are adapted for complementary engagement with each other.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the first section of fasteners is comprised of hook fasteners, and the second section of fasteners is comprised of loop fasteners.
A method of securely closing an opened package according to an embodiment of the invention comprises providing a closure device having a base having an upper surface and a lower surface, a strap having a first end attached to the base and a second end opposite to the first end, and a first section of fasteners positioned on a bottom surface of the strap proximate the second end, and a second section of fasteners positioned on a top surface of the strap. The first section of fasteners and the second section of fasteners are adapted for complementary engagement with each other. First and second complementary handle sections are attached to the base and extend upwardly from the upper surface of the base. The handle sections form a grippable handle and define a space therebetween for receiving the strap therethrough. The base is positioned over an opening in the package, and the strap is wrapped over the base and around the package. The strap is pulled through the space between the handle sections, and the first section fasteners are pressed against the second section fasteners to engage the first section fasteners and second section fasteners together.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the first handle section is attached to the second handle section, and the user grips the handle sections to carry the package.
A bag closure apparatus 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in
The base 20 has an upper surface 21 and a bottom surface 22. As shown in
Each handle section 11, 12 has an upper end 13, 14, respectively, and a lower end 15, 16, respectively. The lower ends 15, 16 of the handle sections 11, 12 are mounted on the upper surface 21 of the base 20, and the handle sections 11, 12 extend upwardly from the upper surface 21 of the base 20, as shown in
The handle sections 11, 12 and base 20 can be made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic or other suitable material. The handle sections 11, 12 and base 20 can be made using injection molding, three dimensional printing, or other suitable manufacturing process.
The handle sections 11, 12 can be arced toward each other such that the upper end 13 of the first handle section 11 faces the upper end 14 of the second handle section 12, as shown in
The upper ends 13, 14 of the handle sections 11, 12 can be contoured in complementary orientations, as shown in
The apparatus 10 can include attachment means for connecting the handle sections 11, 12 together. The attachment means can be comprised of a protruding member such as a nodule 17 formed on the upper end 13 of the first handle section 11, shown in
An anti-slip cover layer 28 can be positioned on the bottom surface 22 of the base 20, as shown in
The apparatus 10 can include an elongate substantially flat strap 30 attached to the base 20, as shown in
The strap 30 can include means for releasably attaching the strap 30 to itself. As shown in
A method of using the closure apparatus 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in
As shown in
The handle sections 11, 12 are then moved from the open position to the closed position by pressing the cavity 18 of the second handle section 12 onto the nodule 17 of the first handle section 11, thereby securely locking the handle sections 11, 12 together. The connected handle sections 11, 12 form a single handle that can be grasped by the user, and used to lift and transport the securely bound bag 50, as shown in
Because the strap 30 is stretchable and the hook fasteners 38 can be attached at any position on the strap 30, the apparatus 10 can be used with a variety of sizes of bags. For example, the strap 30 can be wound around the packaging and through the passage space 19 multiple times to close smaller packaging. In addition, the adjustable nature of the apparatus 10 enables the apparatus 10 to conform to the decreasing volume of the bag 50 as its contents are consumed over time. So for example, as dog food from the bag 50 is consumed, the strap 30 can be pulled farther so that there is increased tension and the base 20 is forced downwardly with greater pressure to accommodate the decrease in volume of the bag 50 due to the consumption of food within the bag 50. Furthermore, the adjustable nature of the strap 30 allows the user to determine the level of tension that is applied to the bag 50 so that the contents of the bag 50 are not crushed.
The separable handle sections 11, 12 provide a more efficient means of closing and sealing the bag 50 than would a device with a single inseparable handle by providing a means to easily and quickly slip the strap 30 between the handle sections 11, 12 rather than having to try to push the end 32 of the strap 30 underneath a single inseparable handle. In addition, the handle sections 11, 12 enables users to apply better tension to the strap 30 to create a tighter seal than what would be obtained using a single inseparable handle. A single molded handle would increase the time it takes to secure the apparatus on the bag 50, and would often result in the hook fasteners 38 engaging the loop fasteners 39 at unintended areas of the strap 30.
A brand logo, advertising or other decorative insignia can be imprinted on the upper surface 21 of the base 20. As such, the base 20 can provide a means for promoting a brand or business relating to the bag 50.
It should be noted that while the closure apparatus 10 is described above as being used with a dog food bag 50, the invention is not so limited. The apparatus 10 can be used to close a variety of food packaging, including but not limited to, all types of snack foods in bag storage containers, cereal bags, bags of rice, bags of dry pet food, bird seed bags, cookie bags, snack foods boxes, frozen foods bags, mesh bags for produce such as oranges, bags used by restaurants to store durable goods. The apparatus 10 can also be used outside of the food industry and has applications other than closing packaging. For example, the apparatus 10 can be used to bundle items together such as wood logs, pipes, and the like. The apparatus 10 can be used to keep a charcoal bag or salt bag (road salt) closed after opening.
The apparatus 10 can provide a more efficient option to other devices in the bag closure field, particularly in comparison to known potato chip clips. The apparatus 10 can provide a more durable option without fewer moving parts than a typical chip clip, and therefore is less likely to break. The stretchable strap 30 helps keep the contents of the bag 50 fresher longer by providing a generally tighter closure, and can be less prone to falling off through user error.
A closure apparatus according to another preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in
The base 120 has an upper surface 121 and a bottom surface 122. As shown in
Each handle section 111, 112 has an upper end 113, 114, respectively, and a lower end 15, 16, respectively. The lower ends 115, 116 of the handle sections 111, 112 are mounted on the upper surface 121 of the base 120, and the handle sections 111, 112 extend upwardly from the upper surface 21 of the base 20, as shown in
The handle sections 111, 112 can be arced toward each other such that the upper end 13 of the first handle section 11 faces the upper end 14 of the second handle section 12, as shown in
The upper ends 113, 114 of the handle sections 111, 112 can be contoured in complementary orientations. As shown in
The apparatus 10 can include attachment means for connecting the handle sections 111, 112 together. As shown in
A closure apparatus and method of using same are described above. Various changes can be made to the invention without departing from its scope. The above description of the preferred embodiments and best mode of the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not limitation—the invention being defined by the claims and equivalents thereof.
This application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/790,335, filed Mar. 15, 2013, which is incorporated herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61790335 | Mar 2013 | US |