TREA

Closure mechanism and method of closing

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Information

  • Patent Application
  • 20100303390
  • Publication Number
    20100303390
  • Date Filed
    May 29, 2009
    15 years ago
  • Date Published
    December 02, 2010
    13 years ago
Information
Abstract
An elongate resealable closure mechanism includes a first base member and a second base member. First and second parallel spaced apart pairs of opposing interlocking members project from opposing interior surfaces of the base members. A plurality of partial indentations is disposed along an exterior surface of the first base member between the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.


REFERENCE REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable


SEQUENTIAL LISTING

Not applicable


FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a closure mechanism for a thermoplastic pouch.


BACKGROUND

A thermoplastic pouch having a resealable closure mechanism applied longitudinally across a mouth thereof to allow repeated opening and closing of the pouch is known in the art. The closure mechanism can include multiple pairs of interlocking closure profiles, which can be difficult to seal and/or can cause a user consternation in not knowing whether the multiple pairs of interlocking closure profiles have been properly sealed. It is therefore desirable to provide a reclosable closure mechanism for a thermoplastic pouch that includes a tactile guide path for a user's fingers to assure proper sealing of the closure mechanism. There have been attempts to provide a tactile guide for a closure mechanism on a pouch for various reasons in the past.


For example, one thermoplastic pouch has front and rear walls and a single pair of mutually interlocking opposing rib and groove closure elements disposed across a mouth of the pouch. Outer surfaces of the walls are roughened coextensive with and over the rib and groove elements to provide a series of ridges with valleys therebetween that inhibit easy sliding of a user's fingers along the ridges and valleys in order to facilitate a user's application of force tangential to the outer surfaces in order to open the bag by displacing the opposing rib and groove elements tangentially past one another.


Another thermoplastic pouch has a powder-resistant flexible zipper, wherein the flexible zipper includes a line of longitudinally spaced apart apertures that extend completely through first and second base members of the zipper. The apertures are disposed between spaced apart pairs of interlocking hook members in order to allow powder trapped between the interlocking members to pass through the base member; however, in allowing powder to pass through the zipper, the apertures may diminish the sealing integrity of the zipper, especially if the pair of interlocking members interior to the apertures should inadvertently open.


A further thermoplastic pouch has a double profile closure mechanism disposed across a mouth of the pouch. External ridges are disposed on the pouch running parallel to and between the double profiles. Alternatively, or in addition to the external guide ridges, one or more internal ridges is disposed on the pouch running parallel to the double profiles. The internal and/or external guide ridges assist in alignment of the closure mechanism to facilitate closing thereof. The ridges disposed on the pouch require the addition of extra material to the pouch, which may add to the cost to manufacture the pouch.


The tactile guide path disclosed herein may overcome some of the drawbacks with the known tactile guide arrangements by providing a guide path for a user's fingers on a multiple zipper closure mechanism without sacrificing the sealing integrity of the closure mechanism. Further the tactile guide path may be manufactured in a post-production process without the addition of extra material to the pouch.


SUMMARY

In one aspect of the present invention, an elongate resealable closure mechanism includes a first base member and a second base member, wherein each of the first and second base members extends longitudinally between opposite ends thereof. First and second parallel spaced apart pairs of opposing interlocking members extend longitudinally between the opposite ends and project from opposing interior surfaces of the base members. A plurality of partial indentations extends longitudinally along an exterior surface of the first base member between the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members.


In another aspect of the present invention, a reclosable pouch in combination with an elongate closure mechanism includes a mouth defining an opening into an interior of the pouch and an elongate closure mechanism disposed longitudinally across the mouth for resealably closing the mouth. The elongate closure mechanism includes a first elongate base member disposed on one side of the mouth and a second elongate base member disposed on an opposite side of the mouth, wherein an interior surface of the first base member faces an interior surface of the second base member. A pair of opposing interlocking members projects from the opposing interior surfaces of the first and second base members and extends longitudinally across the mouth. A plurality of partial indentations is disposed along an exterior surface of the first base member, wherein the plurality of partial indentations extends longitudinally along the closure mechanism adjacent to the pair of opposing interlocking members and on a side thereof opposite the mouth.


In a further aspect of the present invention, a method of closing a pouch is disclosed, the pouch including an elongate resealable closure mechanism for resealably closing a mouth into an interior of the pouch, the closure mechanism comprising a first base member and a second base member, wherein each of the first and second base members extends longitudinally along the mouth between opposite ends thereof, first and second parallel spaced apart pairs of opposing interlocking members projecting from opposing interior surfaces of the base members, and a first plurality of partial indentations extending longitudinally along an exterior surface of the first base member, wherein the plurality of partial indentations is disposed between the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members, and the method including the steps of grasping the closure mechanism between a first finger and a second finger, locating the first finger between the first and second pairs of interlocking members by feeling whether the first finger is engaged against the first plurality of partial indentations, and locating the second finger on an exterior surface of the second base opposite the first finger. The method further includes the steps of forcing the first and second opposing fingers together to locally occlude the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members therebetween, sliding the first and second opposing fingers along the closure mechanism with the first and second fingers forced together, and maintaining the first finger between the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members while performing the sliding step by feeling the first plurality of partial indentations with the first finger, whereby the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members are occluded along the length thereof and the mouth is sealed.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS


FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a pouch including a closure mechanism according to one aspect of the invention;



FIG. 2A is a partial cross-sectional isometric view of a first aspect of the closure mechanism of FIG. 1, taken generally along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;



FIG. 2B is a partial cross-sectional isometric view of a second aspect of the closure mechanism of FIG. 1, taken generally along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;



FIG. 3 is an enlarged exterior partial side view of the closure mechanism of FIG. 1;



FIG. 4 is an isometric partial cross-sectional view of a closure mechanism according to another aspect of the invention, taken generally along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1; and



FIG. 5 is an isometric partial cross-sectional view of a user's fingers engaging the closure mechanism of FIG. 1 in one possible method of using the pouch of the present invention.





Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, wherein similar structures have similar reference numbers.


DETAILED DESCRIPTION


FIG. 1 illustrates a reclosable pouch 50 having a first sidewall 52 and a second sidewall 54 that are connected by, for example, folding, heat sealing, and/or an adhesive, along three peripheral edges 56, 58, 60 to define an interior space 62 between the first and second sidewalls 52, 54 and a mouth 64 along a top edge 66 where the first and second sidewalls 52, 54 are not connected so as to allow access to the interior space 62. An elongate closure mechanism 68 is disposed along the first and second sidewalls 52, 54 across the mouth 64 extending longitudinally between the peripheral edge 56 and the peripheral edge 60 of the pouch 50 to allow the mouth 64 to be repeatedly occluded and deoccluded, thereby respectively sealing and unsealing the mouth 64.


The closure mechanism 68, in one aspect, includes a first base member 70 and a second base member 72 as illustrated, for example, in FIGS. 2A and 2B. A first pair 74 of opposing interlocking members 74a and 74b project from opposing interior surfaces 76 and 78 of the base members 70 and 72, respectively. Similarly, a second pair 80 of opposing interlocking members 80a and 80b project from the opposing interior surfaces 76 and 78 of the base members 70 and 72, respectively. The second pair 80 of opposing interlocking members is parallel to and spaced on an exterior side from the first pair 74. Each pair of the opposing interlocking members 74a and 74b, and 80a and 80b includes elongate generally constant profiles disposed across the mouth 64 of the pouch 50. Each pair 74, 80 of opposing interlocking members is illustrated in FIG. 2 as having a single male and a female profile. However, each of the pairs 74, 80 of opposing interlocking members may include one or more sets of elongate profiles as desired that form a seal across the mouth 64 of the pouch 50, for example, as illustrated in Pawloski et al. U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,736, Pawloski U.S. Pat. No. 7,410,298, and Dais et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,070,584, 5,478,228, and 6,021,557. Further, the first and second base members 70, 72 may be integral with or separate and attached to the respective first and second sidewalls 52, 54.


In a preferred embodiment the sidewalls 52, 54 and the closure mechanism 68 are made of thermoplastic, which may be formed by known thermoplastic extrusion and bag forming techniques, such as, disclosed in Dais et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,070,584, 5,478,228, and 6,021,557, Geiger et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,248, Zieke et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,789, and Porchia et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,561. Other materials and formation techniques sufficient to form structures as described herein are also within the general purview of the present invention.


Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a first plurality 82 of partial indentations 84 is disposed along an exterior surface 86 of the first base member 70, wherein the first plurality of partial indentations extends longitudinally along the closure mechanism 68 between the first and second pairs 74, 80 of opposing interlocking members. A second plurality 88 of partial indentations 90 may optionally be disposed along an exterior surface 92 of the second base member 72, wherein the second plurality of partial indentations also extends longitudinally along the closure mechanism between the first and second pairs 74, 80 of opposing interlocking members.


In one aspect, each plurality 82, 88 of partial indentations is arranged in a generally linear pattern extending completely from the peripheral edge 56 to the peripheral edge 60, as illustrated for the pluralities 82 and 88 of partial indentations in FIG. 1. However, each plurality 82, 88 of partial indentations may extend partially across the sidewalls 52, 54 or may be broken up into regions including indentations and regions lacking indentations (not shown). Further, each plurality 82, 88 of partial indentations may be arranged in a curvilinear pattern between the peripheral edges 56, 60, as illustrated for the plurality 88 of partial indentations in FIG. 3, or may be alternatively arranged as a mix of generally linear and curvilinear patterns.


The partial indentations 84, 90 that make up the first and second pluralities 82 and 88, respectively, may be generally linear, generally curvilinear, or may have shapes having generally linear and/or curvilinear perimeters. The partial indentations 84, 90 may be manufactured, in one preferred method, for example, using a double roller mechanism applied to create the partial indentations 84, 90, wherein the double roller mechanism includes a first roller wheel with cutting and/or embossing surfaces applied to the exterior surfaces 86, 92 and a second roller wheel with a smooth surface of rubber or hard metal, such as steel, applied opposite the first roller wheel. In another method, a double roller having complimentary opposing male and female embossing surfaces may be used to create the partial indentations 84, 90. Alternatively, the double roller mechanism may be applied such that the embossing surfaces thereon are applied to interior surfaces of the first and second base members 70, 72.


The partial indentations 84 and 90 do not extend completely through the respective first and second base members 70 and 72. Rather, each of the partial indentations 84, 90 extends only part way through the corresponding base member, thereby not allowing any leakage therethrough. The partial indentations 84, 90 may touch each other, as shown for example in FIG. 1 as overlapping offset zigzag or interlocking diamond shapes, which according to one preferred aspect, is used for the indentations 84, 90 of one or more of the pluralities of indentations 82, 88. Alternatively, the partial indentations 84, 90 may be spaced apart from each other longitudinally, as shown for example in FIGS. 2 and 4, such that spacing between longitudinally spaced partial indentations 84, 90 may be constant or variable along the first and/or second pluralities 82, 88, respectively. The partial indentations 84, 90 may include longitudinally spaced apart transverse linear indentations and/or may include indicia such as words, logos, or other informational patterns, and may be selected for aesthetics of the pattern or to enhance the tactile sensation imparted to a user's fingers. FIG. 3 illustrates some other exemplary possible patterns that may be utilized for the partial indentations 84, 90, such as wavy lines, and longitudinally spaced sets of transversely aligned circles.


In one embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2A, the exterior surfaces 86, 92 of the respective first and second base members 70, 72 do not have indentations and are therefore smooth in regions that are directly opposite of or coextensive with the pairs of opposing interlocking members 74, 80. Thus, a transverse space is formed between each of the pluralities 82, 88 of the longitudinally spaced partial indentations 84, 90, respectively, and each adjacent interlocking member. In another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 2B, regions that are directly opposite of or coextensive with the pairs of opposing interlocking members 74, 80 are adjacent to or may slightly overlap with uppermost and lowermost extremes of the pluralities 82, 88 of the longitudinally spaced partial indentations 84, 90, respectively.


In another aspect, a closure mechanism 68a optionally includes a third pair 94 of opposing interlocking members 94a and 94b projecting from the opposing interior surfaces 76 and 78 of the base members 70 and 72, respectively, as shown in FIG. 4. The third pair 94 of opposing interlocking members is parallel to and spaced from the second pair 80 on an opposite side thereof from the first pair 74 of opposing interlocking members. In this aspect, the first and second pluralities 82, 88 of partial indentations 84, 90, respectively, are disposed along the respective exterior surfaces 86, 92 of the respective first and second base members 70, 72 coincident with the second pair 80 of opposing interlocking members and transversely spaced between the first pair 74 and the third pair 94 of interlocking members. It is contemplated that further aspects may include more than three pairs of opposing interlocking members, as desired.


It is contemplated that a third plurality 96 of partial indentations 98 may be disposed along an exterior surface 86 of the first base member 70, wherein the third plurality 96 of partial indentations 98 extends longitudinally along the closure mechanism 68 below the lowermost pair of opposing interlocking members, for example, the first pair 74 of opposing interlocking members. Similarly, a fourth plurality 100 of partial indentations 102 may be disposed along an exterior surface 92 of the second base member 72, wherein the fourth plurality 100 of partial indentations 102 extends longitudinally along the closure mechanism 68 below the lowermost pair of opposing interlocking members, for example, the first pair 74 of opposing interlocking members. Similar to the first and second pluralities 82, 88, the third and fourth pluralities 96, 100 of partial indentations 98, 102, respectively, may be longitudinally continuous or longitudinally spaced. In one embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 2A, the third plurality 96 of partial indentations 98 is transversely spaced from a bottom edge of the first pair 74 of opposing interlocking members. In another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 2B, a top edge of the third plurality 96 of partial indentations 98 are adjacent to or may slightly overlap with a bottom edge of the first pair 74 of opposing interlocking members.


In use, each of the first and second pluralities 82, 88 of the partial indentations 84, 90, respectively, can provide a tactile guide path for a user's finger to facilitate proper occlusion of the closure mechanism 68. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, to occlude the closure mechanism 68 that includes the first plurality 82 of the partial indentations 84, a user grasps the closure mechanism 68, for example, between a first finger 104 and a second finger 106. The user locates the first finger 104 between the first and second spaced apart pairs 74, 80 of opposing interlocking members by feeling whether the first finger 104 is engaged against the first plurality 82 of the partial indentations 84. The second finger 106 is located on the exterior surface 92 of the second base 72 opposite the first finger 104. Thus grasped, the user forces the first and second opposing fingers 104, 106 together as indicated by the arrows 108 shown in FIG. 5 to locally occlude the first and second spaced apart pairs 74, 80 of opposing interlocking members that are disposed on either side of the user's fingers. The user slides the first and second opposing fingers 104, 106 along the closure mechanism 68 as illustrated by the arrow 110 shown in FIG. 5 with the first and second fingers 104, 106 forced together such that the first finger 104 is guided by the first plurality 82 of the partial indentations 84. The user maintains the first finger 104 between the first and second spaced apart pairs 74, 80 of opposing interlocking members while sliding the first and second fingers 104, 106 by feeling the first plurality 82 of the partial indentations 84 with the first finger 104, whereby the first and second spaced apart pairs 74, 80 of opposing interlocking members are occluded along their entire length and the mouth 64 is sealed.


INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

A closure mechanism that may be used on reclosable thermoplastic pouches and including a tactile guide path has been presented. The tactile guide path may facilitate proper occlusion of the closure mechanism by guiding one or more of a user's fingers along a preferred path along the length of the closure mechanism.


It is also contemplated that regions adjacent to and between the pairs of opposing interlocking members 74, 80 may be thicker than, and therefore stiffer than, the pouch sidewalls 52, 54 or other portions of the closure mechanism 68. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that embossing and/or creation of the partial indentations in the above-noted regions may increase the pliability of the above-noted regions over a base that does not have such partial indentations, which can feel better to a user and can make the opposing interlocking members 74, 80 easier to occlude.


Numerous modifications to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is presented for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the invention and to teach the best mode of carrying out same. The exclusive right to all modifications within the scope of the impending claims is expressly reserved. All patents, patent publications and applications, and other references cited herein are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

Claims
  • 1. An elongate resealable closure mechanism, comprising: a first base member and a second base member, wherein each of the first and second base members extends longitudinally between opposite ends thereof;first and second parallel spaced apart pairs of opposing interlocking members extending longitudinally between the opposite ends and projecting from opposing interior surfaces of the base members; anda plurality of partial indentations extending longitudinally along an exterior surface of the first base member between the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members.
  • 2. The closure mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a second plurality of partial indentations disposed along an exterior surface of the second base member between the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members.
  • 3. The closure mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of partial indentations comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart partial indentations.
  • 4. The closure mechanism of claim 3, wherein at least one of the longitudinally spaced partial indentations that comprise the plurality of longitudinally spaced partial indentations has a curvilinear perimeter.
  • 5. The closure mechanism of claim 3, wherein at least one of the longitudinally spaced partial indentations is a transversely aligned linear shape.
  • 6. The closure mechanism of claim 5, further comprising a third pair of opposing interlocking members projecting from the opposing interior surfaces of the first and second bases, wherein the third pair of opposing interlocking members extends longitudinally between the opposite ends and is disposed intermediate and parallel to the first pair of interlocking members and the second pair of interlocking members.
  • 7. The closure mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of partial indentations comprises a plurality of interlocking diamond shapes.
  • 8. The closure mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of partial indentations is arranged in a generally linear pattern along the exterior surface of the first base member.
  • 9. The closure mechanism of claim 8, wherein at least some of the partial indentations are curvilinear.
  • 10. The closure mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of partial indentations is arranged in a curvilinear pattern along the exterior surface of the first base member.
  • 11. The closure mechanism of claim 1, wherein the exterior surface of the first base member does not have indentations directly opposite and aligned with the first pair of opposing interlocking members or the second pair of opposing interlocking members.
  • 12. A reclosable pouch in combination with an elongate closure mechanism, the combination comprising: a mouth defining an opening into an interior of the pouch; andan elongate closure mechanism disposed longitudinally across the mouth for resealably closing the mouth, the elongate closure mechanism comprising:a first elongate base member disposed on one side of the mouth, and a second elongate base member disposed on an opposite side of the mouth, wherein an interior surface of the first base member faces an interior surface of the second base member;a pair of opposing interlocking members projecting from the opposing interior surfaces of the first and second base members and extending longitudinally across the mouth; anda plurality of partial indentations disposed along an exterior surface of the first base member, wherein the plurality of partial indentations extends longitudinally along the closure mechanism adjacent to the pair of opposing interlocking members and on a side thereof opposite the mouth.
  • 13. The reclosable pouch of claim 12 further comprising a second plurality of partial indentations disposed along an exterior surface of the second base member, wherein the second plurality of partial indentations is disposed adjacent to the pair of opposing interlocking members and on a side thereof opposite the mouth.
  • 14. The reclosable pouch of claim 12 further including a second pair of opposing interlocking members projecting from the opposing interior surfaces of the first and second base members and extending longitudinally across the mouth, wherein the second pair of opposing interlocking members is parallel to and spaced from the first named pair of opposing interlocking members such that the plurality of partial indentations is disposed between the first named and the second pairs of opposing interlocking members.
  • 15. The reclosable pouch of claim 14 further including a second plurality of partial indentations disposed along an exterior surface of the first base member, wherein the second plurality of partial indentations is adjacent to the second pair of opposing interlocking members on a side thereof opposite the first named plurality of partial indentations.
  • 16. The closure mechanism of claim 12, wherein the plurality of partial indentations includes a linear pattern of interlocking diamond shapes.
  • 17. The reclosable pouch of claim 12, wherein the plurality of partial indentations is arranged in a generally curvilinear pattern along the exterior surface of the first base member.
  • 18. The reclosable pouch of claim 17, wherein at least some of the partial indentations are generally diamond shaped
  • 19. A method of closing a pouch having an elongate resealable closure mechanism for resealably closing a mouth into an interior of the pouch, the closure mechanism comprising a first base member and a second base member, each of the first and second base members extending longitudinally along the mouth between opposite ends thereof, first and second parallel spaced apart pairs of opposing interlocking members projecting from opposing interior surfaces of the base members, and a plurality of partial indentations extending longitudinally along an exterior surface of the first base member, wherein the plurality of partial indentations is disposed between the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members, the method comprising the steps of: grasping the closure mechanism between a first finger and a second finger;locating the first finger between the first and second pairs of interlocking members by feeling whether the first finger is engaged against the first plurality of partial indentations;locating the second finger on an exterior surface of the second base opposite the first finger;forcing the first and second opposing fingers together to locally occlude the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members therebetween;sliding the first and second opposing fingers longitudinally along the closure mechanism with the first and second fingers forced together; andmaintaining the first finger between the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members while performing the sliding step by feeling the first plurality of partial indentations with the first finger, whereby the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members are occluded along the length thereof and the mouth is sealed.
  • 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the closure mechanism further comprises a second plurality of partial indentations extending longitudinally along an exterior surface of the second base member, wherein the second plurality is disposed between the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members: wherein the step of locating the second finger further includes the step of feeling whether the second finger is engaged against the second plurality of partial indentations; andwherein the step of maintaining further includes the step of maintaining the second finger between the first and second pairs of opposing interlocking members while performing the sliding step by feeling the second plurality of partial indentations with the second finger.