Not applicable.
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The present invention relates to a closure mechanism for a thermoplastic pouch.
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 consternation in a user 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. In the past, there have been attempts to provide a tactile guide for a closure mechanism on a pouch, for various reasons.
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 hood members in order to allow powder trapped between the interlocking members to pass through the base member. In allowing powder to pass through the zipper, however, 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.
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, the present invention provides a reclosable pouch in combination with an elongate closure mechanism disposed longitudinally across the mount 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 to 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 to 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 includes 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 to 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.
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.
The closure mechanism 68, in one aspect, include a first base member 70 and a second base member 72 as illustrated, for example, in
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. No. 5,070,584, No. 5,478,228, and No. 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. 5,012,461. Other materials and formation techniques sufficient to form structures as described herein are also within the general purview of the present invention.
Referring to
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
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 a rubber or hard metal, such as steel, applied opposite to 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, 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
In one embodiment, illustrated in
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
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
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
A closure mechanism has been presented that may be used on reclosable thermoplastic pouches and that includes a tactile guide path. 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 being 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 the 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.
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