Patent Application
20230031312
The invention relates to a storage for food items and more particularly to a specific configuration for a floatable sandwich bag that includes a sealing zipper and a magnetic holding strap for holding the floatable sandwich bag in a rolled up configuration.
Conventional packaging incorporates a variety of materials to protect and insulate a packaged item. One of these conventional packaging materials is known as “bubble-pack.” Bubble-pack consists of two layers of thin plastic material, such as polyethylene or vinyl formed with random bubbles between the layers and filled with air at time of manufacture. Bubble-pack requires large rolls of bubble material that displace a great deal of volume in storage before use.
Bubble-pack is bulky, and therefore expensive to ship and to store during the period before it is put to use. Furthermore, conventional bubble-pack provides limited protection in certain applications because of the fixed bubble diameter, height, and count in a given material area.
Another conventional packaging material is pre-shaped styrofoam objects. An example of this is styrofoam “peanuts,” which are distributed in mass around a packaged article. Another example is pre-formed styrofoam blocks which are fitted to restrain a packaged item. Styrofoam blocks prevent the packaged item from moving in directions during travel. Styrofoam material experiences some of the same disadvantages of the bubble-pack. Styrofoam material is bulky and expensive to ship and store. Furthermore styrofoam provides limited protection in certain applications because of the fixed dimensions and shape of the styrofoam.
Inflatable packaging devices have overcome some of the limitations of previous packaging materials. Inflatable packaging devices may be shipped and stored in a deflated condition, thereby reducing the expense of shipment and storage. Furthermore, inflatable packaging devices provide cushions of filler material, such as air, which is under pressure. The filler material functions to absorb and redistribute forces acting on the packages, thereby protecting a delicate item of merchandise encapsulated and suspended therein, Articles encapsulated by the inflatable packaging device are prevented from substantially moving m directions relative to the packaging.
The following list of patents disclose several improvements of inflatable packaging devices and are hereby incorporated by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,244, issued Jul. 1, 1986 for “Method For Forming An Inflated Wrapping;” U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,123, issued Dec. 27, 1988 for “Rolled-up Packaging System and Method;” m U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,558, issued Oct. 10, 1989, for “Bag-In-Bag Packaging System;” U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,904, issued Apr. 24, 1994, for “Clam-Like Packaging System;” U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,530, issued Oct. 21, 1994, for “Method for Forming Bag-In-Bag Packaging System;” U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,856, issued Dec. 28, 1993, for “Packaging Device That is Flexible, Inflatable, and Reusable and Shipping Method Using the Device;” U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,830 issued Jun. 27, 1995, for “Continuous, Inflatable Plastic Wrapping Material;” U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,274, issued Aug. 29, 1995, for “Inflatable Package Insert;” U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,235 issued Sep. 5, 1995, for “Bag With Squeeze Valve and Method For Packaging an Article Therein;” U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,470 issued Jan. 30, 1996, for “Merchandise Encapsulating Packaging System and Method Therefor;” U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,532 issued Dec. 31, 1996, for “Self-Sealing Inflatable Bag and Method For Packaging an Article Therein;” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,691 issued Jan. 27, 1998 for “Self-Closing and Self-Sealing Valve Device For Use With Inflatable Structures.”
Some of the above patents disclose air packaging devices involving distinct, separate pouches or bags that are manufactured from two or more plies. For example, several of the inventions disclose a four-ply bag, which are used to form outer and inner chambers. The outer chamber is inflated with a filler material, such as air and is separated from the inner chamber. The inner chamber retains the packaged item, thereby providing a total air cushion around the product.
A disadvantage of these air packaging devices is that they are bulky when inflated, and require a substantial amount of packaging space. Furthermore, the shapes they take when inflated are often not convenient for packaging in containers having cubical dimensions. This entails increased cost for the increased amount of packaging space required.
Therefore, it would be advantageous in the art to provide a packaging device with advantages of previous air packaging systems, while providing improved packaging dimensions. It would be a further advancement in the art to provide an packaging device which floats when immersed in water such that the top of the device is supported above the water to help prevent water from entering the packaging device.
The present invention provides a sealable and floatable sandwich bag wherein the top of the bag is supported above the water. The floatable sandwich bag includes a sealable bag; a zipper for sealing the sealable bag; a hanging ring connected to the sealable bag; and a holding strap attached to the sealable bag.
The invention is also directed towards a holding strap for a floatable sandwich bag, the holding strap includes a food grade vinyl top layer, a food grade vinyl bottom layer and an internal magnetic locking assembly disposed between the top layer and the bottom layer. The internal magnetic locking assembly includes a ferromagnetic carrier substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface; a first plurality of magnets disposed along a section of the top surface, wherein the first plurality of magnets disposed along the top surface are arranged with alternating magnetic polarities; a second plurality of magnets disposed along a section of the bottom surface, wherein the second plurality of magnets disposed along the bottom surface are arranged with alternating magnetic polarities, and wherein the second plurality of magnets disposed along the section of the bottom surface are disposed along a section opposite to the first plurality of magnets disposed along the section of the top surface and engage the first plurality of magnets when the holding strap is rolled.
The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The following brief definition of terms shall apply throughout the application:
The term “comprising” means including but not limited to, and should be interpreted in the manner it is typically used in the patent context;
The phrases “in one embodiment,” “according to one embodiment,” and the like generally mean that the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase may be included in at least one embodiment of the present Invention, and may be included in more than one embodiment of the present invention (importantly, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment);
If the specification describes something as “exemplary” or an “example,” it should be understood that refers to a non-exclusive example; and
If the specification states a component or feature “may,” “can,” “could.” “should,” “preferably,” “possibly,” “typically,” “optionally,” “for example,” or “might” (or other such language) be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not required to be included or to have the characteristic.
Referring, now to
Referring also to
Referring also to
Magnets 42 and 43 are magnets having opposite magnetic poles. Magnets 42 and 43 may be any suitable magnetic alloy such as ferrite that contains at least one of the three main magnetic elements, such as, for example, iron (Fe), nickel Ni),(or cobalt (Co). Further examples include iron and carbon, alnico (iron, nickel, cobalt, and aluminum), permalloy (iron and nickel), and neodymium magnets comprised of alloys of neodymium, iron and boron forming the crystal structure Nd2Fe14B.
Referring also to HG. 6 there is shown a top perspective view of the bottom layer 46 of the holding strap 12 shown in
Referring also to G. 7 there is shown an operational view of the floatable sandwich pouch shown in
The floatable sandwich pouch 10 is then ready for storage in a cooler having ice. As the ice melts the floatable sandwich pouch 10 is held above the melted water by the buoyancy of the floatable sandwich pouch 10.
Referring also to
It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Thus, various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims.
