Patent Application
20130343676
1. Field of the Invention
Our invention relates to a storage bag. More specifically, our invention relates to a storage bag with features for maintaining the opening of the bag, and maintaining the opening to a size that is about equal to a size of the bottom end of the bag.
2. Related Art
Storage bags or pouches made from flexible plastic materials are well known. Such bags can be used to store a variety of items, with one of the most common uses being the storage of perishable food. In order to effectively preserve food, and in order to prevent food or other items from leaking out of a storage bag, the storage bag often includes a sealing mechanism for closing the opening of the bag. One common type of sealing mechanism, which is often referred to as a fastener assembly or a zipper, includes interlocking closure profiles at a top end of a bag. The interlocking closure profiles are pressed and pulled apart by a slider that is movable across the top end of the bag, thereby sealing and unsealing the opening of the bag. Examples of storage bags that include such a sealing mechanism are sold by the assignee of this application under the ZIPLOC® trademark.
In filling a storage bag, materials are passed through the opening to the interior of the bag. Given the usual size of storage bags, coupled with the inherent difficulty of manipulating some materials, it can sometimes be difficult for a person to maintain the opening of the bag open while directing materials into the bag. It is advantageous, therefore, to provide a storage bag with a structure to maintain the opening of the bag open. Further, it is advantageous to configure the bag such that the bag will stand upright during the filling operation.
One example of a structure for maintaining the opening of a storage bag open is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,364,361, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. In this patent, a storage bag includes a sealing mechanism that closes the opening. When unsealed, a biasing rail maintains the opening of the bag open. Thus, anytime the bag is unsealed, the opening of the bag will have a non-flat shape.
An example of maintaining the shape of an opening of a bag is shown in Japanese Patent Application Pub. No. 2005-88893. In this publication, a shape-retaining tape is provided adjacent to the mouth of a bag such that the mouth of the bag can be maintained in any shape. Apparently, in order to allow for differently shaped openings, and in order to allow the bag to be folded into different shapes, the bag set forth in Japanese Patent Application Pub. No. 2005-88893 does not include a sealing mechanism. In order to further allow the bag to be folded and formed into different shapes, the bag set forth in this publication does not have discernable sides or a bottom.
According to one aspect of our invention, a storage bag is provided. The storage bag includes a first side surface and a second side surface connected to the first side surface so as to form an interior of the bag with an opening thereto. A first fastener strip is positioned adjacent to the opening of the bag, with the first fastener strip including at least one interlocking profile and a flange extending below the at least one interlocking profile. A portion of the flange is attached to the first side surface. A second fastener strip is positioned adjacent to the opening of the bag, with the second fastener strip including at least one interlocking profile and a flange extending below the at least one interlocking profile. A portion of the flange is attached to the second side surface. A slider is configured to press together the at least one interlocking profile of the first fastener strip and the at least one interlocking profile of the second fastener strip as the slider moves from the first end to the second end of the bag. The slider is also configured to separate the at least one interlocking profile of the first fastener strip and the at least one interlocking profile of the second fastener strip as the slider moves from the second end to the first end of the bag. A first shape-retaining strip formed from a shape-retaining material is provided between the flange of the first fastener strip and the first side surface of the bag, and a second shape-retaining strip formed from a shape-retaining material is provided between the flange of the second fastener strip and the second side surface of the bag.
A storage bag is provided according to another aspect of our invention. This storage bag includes a first side surface, and a second side surface connected to the first surface so as to form an interior of the bag with an opening thereto. A first fastener strip is positioned adjacent to the opening, with the first fastener strip including at least one first interlocking profile. A second fastener strip is positioned adjacent to the opening, with the second fastener strip including at least one second interlocking profile. A slider is configured to press together the at least one interlocking profile of the first fastener strip and the at least one interlocking profile of the second fastener strip as the slider moves from the first end to the second end of the bag. The slider is also configured to separate the at least one interlocking profile of the first fastener strip and the at least one interlocking profile of the second fastener strip as the slider moves from the second end to the first end of the bag. A first shape-retaining strip is positioned adjacent to the first fastener strip, and a second shape-retaining strip is positioned adjacent to the second fastener strip. The first and second shape-retaining strips are capable of maintaining a first position in which the opening of the bag is substantially closed with the first and second fastener strips positioned adjacent to each other. The first and second shape-retaining strips are also capable of maintaining a second position in which the opening of the bag is substantially open with the first and second fastener strips separated from each other.
A storage bag is provided according to yet another aspect of our invention. The storage bag includes a first side surface and a second side surface connected to the first surface so as to form an interior of the bag with an opening thereto. The first side surface is directly connected to the second side surface along a first end of the bag and a second end of the bag, and the first side surface is connected to the second side surface at a bottom end of the bag with a k-seal connection that is changeable between (i) a flat configuration with the first side surface positioned adjacent to the second side surface at the bottom end, and (ii) an expanded configuration with the first side surface spaced from the second side surface at the bottom end. A first fastener strip is positioned adjacent to the opening, with the first fastener strip including at least one interlocking profile. A second fastener strip is positioned adjacent to the opening, with the second fastener strip including at least one interlocking profile. A first shape-retaining strip is positioned adjacent to the first fastener strip, and a second shape-retaining strip is positioned adjacent to the second fastener strip. The first and second shape-retaining strips are capable of maintaining the opening of the bag such that a distance from the first side surface to the second side surface at the opening is about equal to the distance from the first side surface to the second side surface at the bottom end of the bag.
Our invention relates to a storage bag that includes features for maintaining open an unsealed opening to the interior of the bag. The bag may further have a bottom end that is changeable between a flat and an expanded configuration, with the opening being maintained at a size that is substantially equal to the size of the expandable bottom of the bag.
As will be apparent from the description herein, the term “bag” encompasses a broad range of structures designed to contain items, such as pouches, envelopes, packets, and the like. In general, the term bag as used herein simply means a somewhat flexible container with an opening, with the bag being useable to carry any number of items.
As will be described below, the side surfaces 102 and 104 of the bag 100 may be formed from a variety of plastic materials. As such, the side surfaces 102 and 104 may be directly laminated together at ends 106 and 108 of the bag 100. In other embodiments, however, additional surfaces may be provided to connect the first and second side surfaces 102 and 104 at ends 106 and 108 of the bag 100. For example, a gusset-type connection may be formed at the ends 106 and 108 between the first and second sides 102 and 104, thereby allowing the side surfaces 102 and 104 to expand at ends 106 and 110 in the same manner as the bottom end 110 (described below). Those skilled in the art will recognize the many configurations to form a resealable bag that includes a fastener assembly as described herein. It should also be apparent from the foregoing discussion, that the term “connected” as used herein is general and allows for either a directly attached connection, or a connection with intervening structures.
The bag 100 may be formed from a variety of materials. In embodiments of our invention, the bag 100 is formed from thermoplastics, such as, high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), and polypropylene (PP). Other materials that may be used include styrenic block copolymers, polyolefin blends, elastomeric alloys, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic copolyesters, thermoplastic polyamides, polymers and copolymers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), saran polymers, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers, cellulose acetates, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), ionomer, polystyrene, polycarbonates, styrene acryloacrylonitrile, aromatic polyesters, linear polyesters, and thermoplastic polyvinyl alcohols.
In one embodiment of the invention, the sides 102 and 104 of the bag 100 are formed as a multilayer laminate structure including a sixty gauge nylon layer laminated to a 5.5 mil LDPE/LLDPE sealant layer. Other embodiments with a laminate structure include a PET layer laminated to an LDPE/LLDPE sealant layer. Still other embodiments include an LDPE/LLDPE blend. Such multilayer laminate configurations give the bag 100 more stiffness than other, single, thin layer bags. This additional stiffness aids when the bag 100 is positioned upright during a filling operation, as will be described more fully below.
The fastener assembly 114 can also be manufactured from a variety of materials such as those described above as being capable of forming the sides 102 and 104 of the bag 100. Further, the slider 116 of the fastener assembly, which will be more fully described below, can be formed of any suitable material, such as, for example, polybutylene terephthalate, polypropylene, nylon, polystyrene, acetal, polyketone, high density polyethylene, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or the like. Those skilled in the art will recognize numerous other possible materials to construct elements of the bag.
The bag 100 may be constructed using a variety of processes and techniques. In some embodiments, the first and second side surfaces 102 and 104 are formed from a single sheet of plastic material that is folded in a manner to create the gusset surfaces 118 and 120 at the bottom end 110. In this embodiment, the first and second side surfaces 102 and 104 are directly connected along ends 106 and 108, for example, by laminating the side surfaces 102 and 104 at ends 106 and 108. In other embodiments, each of the side surfaces 102 and 104, as well as the gusset surfaces 118 and 120, are formed as separate pieces, which are attached to create the final bag structure. Those skilled in the art will recognize numerous other methods for creating the bag structure.
The fastener assembly 114 is provided at a top end 112 of the bag 100 adjacent to the opening 103. The details of the fastener assembly are shown in
The interlocking profiles 122, 124, 126, and 128 are pressed together and separated by the slider 116 moving along the top end 112 of the bag 100. The slider 116 includes a first sidewall 130 and a second sidewall 132, with the first and second sidewalls 130 and 132 extending the length of the slider 116. A top wall 134 connects the first and second sidewalls 130 and 132. As shown in
As shown in
The first and second fastener strips 118 and 120 can be initially formed separate from the other parts of the bag 100. The first and second fastener strips 118 and 120 can then be connected to the first and second side surfaces 102 and 104 of the bag with a variety of techniques, such as a lamination process. Further details of the connection between the first and second fastener strips 118 and 120 and the first and second side surfaces 102 and 104 will be described more fully below.
A shape-retaining strip 105 is provided adjacent to the first fastener strip 118, and a shape-retaining strip 107 is provided adjacent to the second fastener strip 120. The shape-retaining strips 105 and 107 are made from a material that can be easily bent, but will retain the bent shape. As such, when the opening 103 is formed by unsealing and separating the first and second fastener strips 118 and 120, the shape retaining strips 105 and 107 will maintain the shape of the opening by keeping the first and second fastener strips 118 and 120 separated. In embodiments of the invention, the shape-retaining strips 105 and 107 are formed from a resin material. Examples of such resins include stretched polyolefin resins, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. More specific examples of resins that can be used to form the shape memory strips 105 and 107 include strips of resin made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), medium-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polypropylene (PP), ethylene-propylene copolymers, ethylene-pentene copolymers, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene-(metha) acrylic acid ester copolymers, ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymers, ethylene-proylene-butene copolymers, and high-density polyethylene. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, when such polyolefin resins are stretched in a forming process, the ensuing resin strip can be provided with the shape-retaining properties, i.e., being easily bent, but still able to retain the bent shape. As will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art, there are many possible alternative resins, as well as other materials, that could be used to form shape-retaining strips that have the properties described above. Additionally, further details of shape-retaining strips can be found in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application Pub. No. 2005-88893.
It should be noted that while the depicted bag 100 is shown with two shape-retaining strips 105 and 107, in alternative embodiments, only one of the shape-retaining strips 105 and 107 may be used. Further, while the shape-retaining strips 105 and 107 in the depicted bag 100 extend continuously from one end 106 to the other end 108, in other embodiments, one or both of the shape-retaining strips 105 and 107 may be provided over only a portion of the length between the ends 106 and 108. In still other embodiments, a plurality of discontinuous shape-retaining strips are provided along the length between the ends 105 and 107. Those skilled in the art will recognize the numerous other configurations of the shape-retaining strips 105 and 107 that will achieve the functionality described herein.
There are a variety of ways that the shape-retaining strips 105 and 107 can be attached to the rest of bag 100. One embodiment of attaching the shape-retaining strips 105 and 107 to the bag 100 is shown in
With the configuration shown in
As seen in
The bag 100 in
As is apparent from the foregoing description, the bag 100 can be provided in a flat configuration, or in an expanded configuration. In the flat configuration, the bag 100 takes up a minimal amount of space. Thus, the flat configuration is convenient, for example, when the bag 100 is not in use and being stored. Notably, the bag 100 may be either sealed or unsealed with the fastener assembly 114 in the flat configuration. The shape-retaining strips 105 and 107 can maintain the opening in a closed position, even if the first and second fastener strips 118 and 120 are unsealed. Thus, the shape-retaining strips 105 and 107 aid in maintaining the flat configuration of the bag.
As is also apparent from the foregoing description, in the expanded configuration, the gusset surfaces 118 and 120 are separated about the fold line 122 from each other, and the first and second side surfaces 102 and 104 can be separated from each other at the bottom end 110. Thus, the bag 100 may stand upright on the bottom end 110. The stiffer, multilayer configurations of the 100 described above may further aid in maintaining the bag 100 in an upright position. The bag 100 may also be either sealed or unsealed with the fastener assembly 114 in the expanded, upright position. When unsealed, the shape-retaining strips 105 and 107 can be used to maintain the opening 103 in different shapes. Thus, the bag 100 can be manipulated to a position that makes it easy to fill. Further, even after the bag 100 is filled with a material, the bag 100 may be sealed and still be maintained in the upright position.
Although this invention has been described in certain specific exemplary embodiments, many additional modifications and variations would be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure. It is, therefore, to be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. Thus, the exemplary embodiments of the invention should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention to be determined by any claims supportable by this application and the equivalents thereof, rather than by the foregoing description.
The invention described herein can be used in the commercial production of storage bags. Such storage bags have a wide variety of uses, such as being utilized to store food, chemicals, or other substances.
