Plastic bag zipper closer

Abstract

A device useful in the closing of the zipper of a plastic bag has an elongate hollow body with one or more sidewalls. A linear sidewall slit is defined within the sidewalls. The sidewall slit is disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body and runs along the entire length of the body. A closer element is disposed within the body. The closer element has a pair of opposed biased surfaces disposed proximate to one another to form a trough. The biased surfaces are spaced apart at the base of the trough by a closer element slit having a width which is the same or slightly smaller than the combined thickness of the plastic bag and zipper combination. The closer element slit is disposed in communication with the sidewall slit. In a typical embodiment, the intersection of the closer element slit and the sidewall slit forms a single L-shaped combined slit.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to zipper closing devices and, more specifically, to plastic bag zipper closing devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Closing the zipper of a plastic bag is a relatively easy task for individuals who only have to close a plastic bag once in a while. However, for workers who pack and close plastic bags for a living, the repetitive effort to close the zipper on the plastic bag can become arduous. Accordingly, there is a need for an efficient yet inexpensive device which can quickly and easily close the zipper on a plastic bag.

SUMMARY

[0003] The invention satisfies this need. The invention is a device useful in closing a zipper on a plastic bag. The device comprises (a) an elongate hollow body having one or more sidewalls, a first end, a second end and a longitudinal axis, (b) a linear sidewall slit defined within the one or more sidewalls, the sidewall slit being disposed along the entire length of the body between the first end and the second end, and (c) a closer element disposed within the body, the closer element comprising a pair of opposed biased surfaces disposed proximate to one another to form a trough, the pair of biased surfaces being spaced apart at the base of the trough by a closer element slit, the closer element slit having a width which is the same or slightly smaller than the width of the plastic bag and zipper combination. The longitudinal axis of the body is in communication with the sidewall slit such that the intersection of the closer element slit and the sidewall slit forms a combined slit.

[0004] Typically, the invention is crafted as a small hand-held device made from a rigid plastic material.

[0005] The invention has been found to provide an effective yet inexpensive tool for quickly and easily closing the zipper on a plastic bag.

DRAWINGS

[0006] These features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying figures where:

[0007] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a device having features of the invention;

[0008] FIG. 2 is an end view of the device illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0009] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the device illustrated in FIG. 2, taken along line 3-3;

[0010] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view of the device illustrated in FIG. 2, taken along line 4-4;

[0011] FIG. 5 is an isometric view illustrating the first step in the use of the device to close a plastic bag; and

[0012] FIG. 6 is an isometric view illustrating the second step in the use of the device to close a plastic bag.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention and several variations of that embodiment. This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments. Practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well.

[0014] The invention is a device 10 useful in closing a zipper 12 on a plastic bag 14. The device 10 comprises an elongate hollow body 16 having one or more sidewalls 18. The body 16 has a first end 20 and a second end 22. In a typical embodiment, the body 16 is generally circular in cross-section and has a single continuous sidewall 18. In such an embodiment, the external diameter of the body 16 is between about ¾ inch and about 1¼ inch and the length of the body 16 is between about 1¼ inch and about 3 inches.

[0015] A linear sidewall slit 24 is defined within the one or more sidewalls 18. The sidewall slit 24 is typically disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis 26 to the body 16 and runs along the entire length of the body 16 between the first end 20 and the second end 22.

[0016] Disposed within the body 16 is a closer element 28. The closer element 28 comprises a pair of opposed biased surfaces 30. The pair of biased surfaces 30 are disposed proximate to one another. The pair of biased surfaces 30 can be flat or curved. One edge of both biased surfaces 30 are disposed proximate to one another but slightly spaced apart to form a closer element slit 34. The edges of the biased surfaces 30 opposite the closer element slit 34 are widely spaced apart from one another so as to form a converging trough 32 which is used to smoothly direct the zipper 12 of a plastic bag 14 into and through the closer element slit 34. In a typical embodiment, the opposed biased surfaces 30 are flat so that the trough 32 is V-shaped.

[0017] In embodiments wherein the trough 32 is V-shaped, the angle formed between each of the biased surfaces 30 and a plane 36 running through the closer element slit 34 and disposed along the longitudinal axis 26 of the body 16 is selected to smoothly draw two halves of the open plastic zipper 12 into the closer element slit 34. In a typical embodiment, each angle is between about 15° and about 30°, preferably between about 20° and about 25°.

[0018] The width of the closer element slit 34 is selected to compress the two halves of an open plastic bag zipper 12 into zippered connection with one another. In this regard, the width of the closer element slit 34 is selected to be the same or slightly smaller than the thickness of the plastic bag 14 and zipper 12 combination when the zipper is in the closed position. The thickness of the plastic bag 14 and zipper 12 combination is the combined thickness of the two plastic bag walls and the two zipper halves which are attached to those two walls. The thickness of the closer element slit 34 can be slightly smaller than the thickness of the plastic bag 12 and zipper 14 combination because the resiliency of the plastic bag 12 and zipper 14 combination allows for a slight degree of compression. In a typical embodiment, the width of the closer element slit 34 is between about 0.06 inches and about 0.08 inches, most typically between about 0.065 inches and about 0.075 inches. The length of the closer element slit 34 is typically between about 0.75 inches and about one inch.

[0019] The closer element slit 34 is typically disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 26 of the body 16 and is in communication with the sidewall slit 24, such that the intersection of the closer element slit 34 and the sidewall slit 24 forms a combined slit 38. As can be seen from the drawings, the combined slit 38 is typically an L-shaped slit.

[0020] In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the body 16 further comprises an end wall 40 disposed at the second end 22 of the body 16 and the closer element slit 34 is defined within that end wall 40. In this embodiment, the end wall 40 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 26 of the body 16.

[0021] In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the sidewall slit 24 comprises a main portion 42 and a V-shaped starter opening 44. The main portion 42 has a width typically chosen to pass the thickness of a plastic bag 14. The width of the main portion 42 is typically between about 0.015 inches and about 0.03 inches. The V-shaped starter opening 44 has a slightly larger width to facilitate the insertion of a plastic bag 14 into the sidewall slit 24. In a typical embodiment, the V-shaped starter opening 44 is defined by opposed sidewall edges 46 of the body 16 and the angle between the opposed sidewall edges 46 is between about 25° and about 35°.

[0022] In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the one or more sidewalls 18 have exterior surfaces 48 which define a pair of opposed planar gripping surfaces 50. The gripping surfaces 50 are disposed generally parallel to one another on opposite sides of the body 16. Such gripping surfaces 50 facilitate the gripping of the device 10 during use.

[0023] In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the body 16 further comprises a retainer member 52. The retainer member 52 allows the device 10 to be conveniently retained at the job site or on the person of the user, such as by a key chain, length of string or length of flexible wire.

[0024] The device 10 can be made from a wide variety of materials. Typically, the device 10 is made from a rigid plastic, such as nylon or polycarbonate.

[0025] In operation, the device 10 is conveniently used to close the zipper 12 on a plastic bag 14. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the forward edge 54 of the plastic bag 14 is inserted into the V-shaped starter opening 44 of the sidewall slit 24 with the zipper 12 disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis 26 of the hollow body 16 and within the interior of the hollow body 16. The plastic bag 14 is then drawn along the sidewall slit 24 from the first end 20 of the body 16 to the second end 22 of the body 16. As the plastic bag 14 is passed from the first end 20 of the body 16 to the second end 22 of the body 16, the zipper 12 is drawn into the closer element 28. In the closer element 28, the trough 32 draws the zipper 12 into the closer element slit 34 at the base of the trough 32. As the zipper 12 passes through the closer element slit 34, the opposite sides of the open zipper 12 are squeezed together, thereby closing the zipper 12.

[0026] Closing the zipper 12 of a plastic bag 14 using the device 10 of the invention is simple, convenient and quick. Closing the zipper 12 a plastic bag 14 with the device 10 of the invention causes little or no stress to the fingers of the user.

EXAMPLE

[0027] In one typical embodiment of the invention, the length of the hollow body 16 is 2.0 inches. The hollow body 16 is circular in cross-section having an outside diameter of 1.0 inches. The closer element 28 is disposed at an end wall 40 located at the second end 22 of the hollow body 16. The pair of opposed biased surfaces 30 within the closer element 28 are disposed at 22.5° with respect to a plane 36 running through the closer element slit 34 along the longitudinal axis 26 of the hollow body 16. The width of the closer element slit 34 is 0.070 inches and the width of the main portion 42 of the sidewall slit 24 is 0.020 inches. The V-shaped starter opening 44 is defined by opposed sidewall edges 46 disposed with respect to one another by an angle of 30°. The entire device is made from nylon.

[0028] Having thus described the invention, it should be apparent that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope and fair meaning of the instant invention as set forth hereinabove and as described hereinbelow by the claims.

Claims

1. A device useful in closing a zipper on a plastic bag, the device comprising: (a) an elongate hollow body having one or more sidewalls, a first end, a second end and a longitudinal axis; (b) a linear sidewall slit defined within the one or more sidewalls, the sidewall slit being disposed along the entire length of the body between the first end and the second end; and (c) a closer element disposed within the body, the closer element comprising a pair of opposed biased surfaces disposed proximate to one another to form a trough, the pair of biased surfaces being spaced apart at the base of the trough by a closer element slit, the closer element slit having a width chosen to be the same or slightly smaller than the combined width of the plastic bag and zipper, the closer element slit being disposed in communication with the sidewall slit such that the intersection of the closer element slit and the sidewall slit forms a combined slit.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the trough is V-shaped.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the width of the closer element slit is between about 0.06 inches and about 0.08 inches.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the closer element slit has a length between about 0.75 inches and about one inch.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the combined slit is L-shaped.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the body further comprises an end wall and the closer element slit is defined within the end wall.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the end wall is disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the sidewall slit comprises a main portion and a V-shaped starter opening.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the width of the main portion is between about 0.015 inches and about 0.03 inches.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the V-shaped starter opening is defined by opposed sidewall edges and wherein the angle between the opposed sidewall edges is between about 25° and about 35°.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more sidewalls have exterior surfaces which define a pair of opposed planar gripping surfaces disposed generally parallel to one another.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the pair of biased surfaces in the closer element are flat and disposed at an angle with respect to one another of between about 15° and about 30°.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the pair of biased surfaces in the closer element are flat and disposed at an angle with respect to one another of between about 20° and about 25°.

14. A device useful in closing a zipper on a plastic bag, the device comprising: (a) an elongate hollow body having one or more sidewalls, a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis and an end wall disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis at the second end of the body; (b) a linear sidewall slit defined within the one or more sidewalls, the sidewall slit being disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body and running along the entire length of the body between the first end and the second end; and (c) a closer element disposed within the body, the closer element comprising a pair of opposed biased surfaces disposed proximate to one another to form a trough, the opposed pair of biased surfaces being disposed with respect to one another by an angle between about 15° and about 30°, the pair of biased surfaces being spaced apart at the base of the trough by a closer element slit, the closer element slit having a length between about 0.75 inches and about one inch and a width between about 0.06 inches and about 0.08 inches, the closer element slit being disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body and in communication with the sidewall slit such that the intersection of the closer element slit and the sidewall slit forms an L-shaped combined slit.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the sidewall slit comprises a main portion and a V-shaped starter opening.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the width of the main portion is between about 0.015 inches and about 0.03 inches.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the V-shaped slit is defined by opposed sidewall edges and wherein the angle between the opposed sidewall edges is between about 25° and about 35°.

18. The device of claim 14 wherein the one or more sidewalls have exterior surfaces which define a pair of opposed planar gripping surfaces disposed generally parallel to one another.

19. The device of claim 14 wherein the pair of biased surfaces in the closer element are flat and are disposed at an angle with respect to one another of between about 20° and about 25°.