Patent Application
20070180668
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1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a closure assembly, and more particularly, to a closure assembly having at least one grip member adjacent thereto and a slider operationally disposed thereon.
2. Description of the Background of the Invention
Closure assemblies in combination with sliders are well known to those skilled in the art. In one instance, a closure assembly includes spaced apart upper and lower pairs of interlocking profiles. A slider disposed on the closure assembly includes a separator finger that extends only between the upper pair of opposing interlocking profiles so that the slider does not separate the lower pair of profiles. When the slider is slid along the closure assembly in a first direction, the slider only opens the upper pair of opposing interlocking profiles. A user must then manually open the lower pair of opposing interlocking profiles, such as by pulling the profiles apart. When the slider is slid in a second direction along the closure assembly, the slider utilizes projections thereon to close and interlock the upper and lower pairs of opposing interlocking profiles.
According to one aspect, a reclosable pouch comprises first and second side panels and a mouth at an upper end of the pouch. A first closure mechanism that includes complementary opposing interlocking profiles is disposed on the first and second side panels and a second closure mechanism that includes complementary opposing interlocking profiles is disposed on the first and second side panels and spaced from the first closure mechanism. A slider is adapted to straddle the mouth of the pouch and is movable between a first position and a second position. A separator member is disposed adjacent one end of the slider for separating the interlocking profiles of the first closure mechanism when the slider is moved toward the first position. A protrusion is disposed adjacent an opposite end of the slider for engaging the interlocking profiles of the first and second closure mechanisms when the slider is moved toward the second position. A grip member is disposed between the first closure mechanism and the mouth.
According to a different aspect, a reclosable pouch comprises first and second side portions and an opening at an upper end of the pouch. A first closure strip that includes complementary opposing interlocking members is disposed on the first and second side portions and a second closure strip that includes complementary opposing interlocking members is disposed on the first and second side portions and spaced from the first closure strip. A slider is adapted to straddle the mouth of the pouch and is movable between a first position and a second position. A separator member is disposed adjacent one end of the slider for separating the interlocking members of the first closure strip when the slider is moved toward the first position. A protrusion is disposed adjacent an opposite end of the slider for engaging the interlocking members of the first and second closure strips when the slider is moved toward the second position. A first flange and a second flange adjacent the opening of the pouch extend from the first side portion and the second side portion, respectively. A grip member is disposed on at least one of the first and the second flanges.
In another aspect, a method of opening a closed pouch includes the step of moving a slider straddling a mouth of a pouch having opposing first and second side panels from a first position to a second position. A separator member disposed within the slider opens interlocking profiles of a first closure mechanism disposed between the mouth of the pouch and a second closure mechanism when the slider is moved toward the second position. Another step includes gripping at least one grip member disposed between the first closure mechanism and the mouth of the pouch and the opposing first and second side panels adjacent the mouth of the pouch. Finally, a different step recites pulling at least one of the opposing first and second side panels in a direction substantially opposite each other and away from an interior of the pouch.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the attached drawings, in which like elements are assigned like reference numerals.
A slider 30 is operationally disposed on the upper end 18 of the pouch over the mouth 16 to move between a first position and a second position. More particularly, the slider 30 is movable between an opening end 32 and a closing end 34, wherein the first and second positions may coincide with the opening and closing ends 32, 34 or any two positions therebetween. The slider 30 defines a channel 36 extending between a closing side 38 and an opening side 40 thereof. The slider 30 at least partly opens the mouth 16 and the closure assembly 22 when the slider 30 is moved along the closure assembly 22 toward the opening end 32 and at least partly closes the mouth 16 and the closure assembly 22 when moved toward the closing end 34.
As shown in
The upper female and male interlocking profiles 42, 44 are spaced between the mouth 16 and the lower male and female interlocking profiles 46, 48. A medial space 50 is defined by the space between the upper female and male interlocking profiles 42, 44 and the lower male and female interlocking profiles 46, 48. Each of the upper and lower female interlocking profiles 42, 48 includes a pair of inwardly hooked arms 52 for interlocking receipt of the upper and lower male interlocking profiles 44, 46, respectively. The upper male interlocking profile 44 has a symmetrical barbed head 54. The lower male interlocking profile 46 has an asymmetrical barbed head 56 to provide a differential opening force, such that more force is needed to open the lower male and female interlocking profiles 46, 48 from an interior side 58 of the closure assembly 22 than from an exterior side 60 thereof. In one embodiment, the asymmetrical barbed head 56 includes a single hook 62 that is turned toward the interior side 58. In another embodiment (not shown), the asymmetrical barbed head 56 may include a pair of opposing hooks in which the hook on the interior side 58 is larger than a hook extending toward the exterior side 60. In a further embodiment (not shown), both the upper and lower male interlocking profiles 44, 46 may, for example, have asymmetrical barbed heads or symmetrical barbed heads. In yet another embodiment (not shown), both the upper and lower male interlocking profiles 44, 46 may be disposed on the first or second side panel 12, 14 and the upper and lower female interlocking profiles 42, 48 disposed on the opposing first or second side panel 12, 14. In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the male and female profiles may be disposed on any of the first or second panels 12, 14 and may comprise any type of interlocking profile known to those skilled in the art.
A first grip member 64 is disposed on the inner wall 28 of the first side panel 12 between the mouth 16 and the first closure mechanism 24. A second grip member 66 is disposed on the inner wall 28 of the second side panel 14 between the mouth 16 and the first closure mechanism 24. The first and second grip members 64, 66 have substantially triangular cross-sections with apexes 68, 70, respectively. The apex 68 of the first grip member extends toward the second side panel 14 and the apex 70 of the second grip member 66 extends toward the first side panel 12. In a different embodiment depicted in
In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, one or both of the first and second grip members 64, 64′, 64″ and 66, 66′, 66″ may be disposed on the inner and outer walls 28, 72 of the side panels 12, 14 or the first and second flange portions 74, 76. In one embodiment (not shown), a plurality of grip members are provided on at least one of the first and second side panels 12, 14. The plurality of grip members may be disposed on the inner wall 28 of the side panels 12, 14, the outer wall 72 of the side panels 12, 14, or a combination of the inner and outer walls 28, 72 of the side panels 12, 14. For example, a pair of grip members may be provided on the inner wall 28 of the first side panel 12 and an opposing pair of grip members provided on the inner wall 28 of the second side panel 14. In a different example, a pair of grip members on the first side panel includes one grip member on the inner wall 28 and a second grip member on the outer wall 72. In a different embodiment, only one grip member is provided on the inner or outer walls 28, 72. One skilled in the art will realize the various combinations of grip members encompassed by the present disclosure may be included on various panels and flanges of reclosable pouches.
Any combination of the grip members disclosed herein will assist a user in opening, holding, or filling the pouch 10. The grip members assist a user in opening, holding, or filling the pouch 10 regardless of whether the slider 30 is disposed on the pouch 10, e.g., if the slider 30 is removed from the pouch 10 the user may still use the grip members to hold the pouch 10 and pull the first and second closure mechanisms 22, 24 apart to open the pouch 10. Further, combining grip members with the pouch 10 will provide the user a visual cue to determine whether the pouch 10 is fully opened when the slider is slid toward the opening end 32, i.e., the first and second closure mechanisms 24, 26 are unsealed. The grip members may also be made of similar or different materials from each other or the pouch 10 itself to provide, for example, a different tactile feel or coefficient of friction to assist in gripping the pouch 10. Further, the grip members may be colored differently from each other or the pouch 10 itself to make the grip strip more prominent and to provide other visual cues. For example, all or a portion of the first and second flange portions 74, 76, the first and second grip members 64″, 66″, and the first and second closure mechanisms 24, 26 of the embodiment depicted in
The slider 30 of
The slider 30 of
The closure assembly 22, including the first and second closure mechanisms 24, 26 and the slider 30, may be made of any material suitable for providing a relatively resilient slider and a relatively flexible closure assembly. In one embodiment, the slider 30 is molded of a relatively stiff or rigid polymeric material and the closure assembly 22 is extruded from a more pliable polymeric resin.
To open the closure assembly 22, a user urges the slider 30 in an opening direction along the mouth 16 of the pouch 10 from a first position, e.g., the closing end 34, toward a second position, such as the opening end 32. Movement of the slider 30 in the opening direction opens the upper female and male interlocking profiles 42, 44. The remaining lower male and female interlocking profiles 46, 48 of the second closure mechanism 26 are opened by, for example, grasping the upper end 18 of the first and second side panels 12, 14 and at least one grip member and urging at least one of the first and second side panels 12, 14 away from the opposing first and second side panel 12, 14. To close the closure assembly 22, the user urges the slider 30 in an opposite, closing direction, i.e., toward the closing end 34 of the pouch 10, along the mouth 16 of the pouch 10, thereby closing the upper female and male interlocking profiles 42, 44, and the lower male and female interlocking profiles 46, 48.
The apparatus described herein advantageously allows for grip members to be provided on an upper end of a pouch for assisting a user in opening a closure mechanism not fully opened by a slider when same is moved toward an opening end of the pouch.
Numerous modifications 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 what is herein disclosed and to teach the best mode of carrying out same. The exclusive rights to all modifications which come within the scope of this disclosure are reserved.
