Patent Application
20250083872
The subject matter described herein relates to zipper assemblies of resealable enclosures having tear strips that tear open the enclosures with the zipper assemblies enabling repeated sealing and opening of the enclosures.
Many enclosures include recloseable zipper assemblies to allow users to repeatedly open and close the enclosures. For example, plastic bags may have zipper assemblies with opposing profiles formed from intermeshing or interlocking elements. These elements may be bodies having complimentary or matching shapes to allow the profiles to interlock with each other to close the enclosure. A user may pull the profiles away from each other with sufficient force to separate the elements to open the enclosure. The zipper assemblies can be coupled with the enclosures by attaching opposite sides of the profiles with panels of the enclosures.
Some enclosures have tear strips that extend across front walls or panels of the enclosures. The tear strips may include tabs or other ends that can be gripped and pulled by the user to tear through the front walls or panels and provide openings in these walls or panels to allow the users access to the zipper assemblies. The users can then pull open the zipper assemblies to access contents inside the enclosures. Some known tear strips can be formed to directly contact (e.g., lie upon) the flanges of the zipper assemblies. These tear strips may be co-extruded with the zipper assemblies and without any adhesive, peel seal material, heat seal material, or any other material between the tear strips and flanges of the zipper assemblies (where the flanges can be heat sealed to the walls or panels of the enclosures).
These tear strips may be in direct contact with the flanges so that, when the tear strips are separated from the flanges, the tear strips may leave no residue, or scum, behind. That is, there is a clean separation between the tear strip and the flange with no adhesive, heat seal material, peel seal material, or any other material between the tear strip and the flange. But these tear strips can be difficult to separate from the flanges, thereby frustrating users who may be unable to easily pull the tear strips and separate the tear strips from the flanges.
It may be advantageous to have a tear strip and a zipper assembly that differ from those that are currently available.
A zipper assembly for a resealable enclosure may include an elongated flange having a panel side and an opposite facing side. The panel side can be coupled with an inner surface of a panel of the resealable enclosure. The zipper assembly also can include an interlocking element protruding from the flange and shaped to mate with another interlocking element of another flange to close the enclosure and shaped to be pulled apart to open the enclosure. The zipper assembly can include a tear strip disposed in the flange and spaced apart from the flange by gaps. The tear strip can be pulled to tear through the panel of the resealable enclosure to provide access to the zipper assembly inside the enclosure.
A resealable enclosure may include panels disposed around an interior cavity and a zipper assembly coupled with the panels. The zipper assembly can include elongated flanges having panel sides and opposite facing sides. The panel sides can be coupled with inner surfaces of the panels. The zipper assembly can include interlocking elements protruding from the flanges. The interlocking elements can be shaped to mate with each other to close the enclosure and shaped to be pulled apart to open the enclosure. The zipper assembly also can include tear strip disposed in at least one of the flanges and spaced apart from the at least one of the flanges by gaps. The tear strip can be pulled to tear through at least one of the panels to provide access to the zipper assembly inside the enclosure.
A zipper assembly for a resealable enclosure can include a first elongated flange configured to be coupled to a first panel of the enclosure. The first elongated flange can include a first interlocking element. The zipper assembly can include a second elongated flange that can be coupled to a second panel of the enclosure. The second elongated flange can include a second interlocking element. The first and second interlocking elements can be shaped to mate with each other. The zipper assembly can include a tear strip disposed within an opening of the first elongated flange such that the tear strip does not contact the first elongated flange.
The inventive subject matter may be understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below:
Embodiments set forth herein include enclosures having zipper assemblies with tear strips. The enclosure can define an interior cavity where the content is stored. The enclosure may be initially opened by pulling the tear strip and at least partially separating the tear strip from the zipper assembly and the enclosure. The tear strip can tear an access opening through a front wall or panel of the enclosure. This opening can allow a user to access the zipper assembly located between the front panel or wall and an opposing rear panel or wall. The zipper assembly can have first and second zipper segments with interlocking bodies that mate with each other to close the enclosure, separate from each other to allow a user to access the interior of the enclosure, and then mate with each other again to close the enclosure.
In some embodiments, a peel seal material is applied to a surface that interfaces with the walls or panels of the enclosure. The peel seal material may comprise a polymeric material. For example, the peel seal material may comprise at least one of polyethylene (including a polyethylene copolymer), polypropylene, ionomers, amorphous polyester, vinyl acetate, polybutylene, or nylon EVOH. Other examples of peel seal material include polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, poly (lactic acid), poly (vinyl chloride), polyamide-6, poly (ethylene naphthalate), poly (ethylene terephthalate), poly (m-xylylene adipamide), poly(vinyl alcohol), ethylene vinyl alcohol, and poly (vinylidene chloride).
In some embodiments, the zipper assembly may be at least partially formed from polypropylene (PP) or high-density polyethylene HDPE. Optionally, the zipper assembly, or parts thereof (e.g., tear strip) may be made from a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) resin that can provide higher strength and stiffness when compared with PP, HDPE, or other known materials. Providing greater strength and stiffness to the tear strip can enable the use of stronger materials in the layers of the pouch that may not otherwise be used for sealed packaging. Furthermore, the use of COC in the tear strip can allow for more consistent and reliable bag opening by the consumer.
The panels 102, 104 can be discrete sections of a flexible material. In some embodiments, the discrete sections may be provided by different webs (or films) of the flexible material. Discrete sections are not portions of the same piece of flexible material. Discrete sections are typically cut from different webs or cut from the same web at different times. For example, the front panel 102 may be obtained from a first continuous web of flexible material, the back panel 104 may be obtained from a different second continuous web of the same flexible material. Yet in some embodiments, the front and back panels 102, 104 may be formed by folding the same sheet of material onto itself.
In the illustrated embodiment, the front panel 102 and the back panel 104 are directly attached to each other along a sealed frame 120. The sealed frame 120 can include corresponding edges of the front and back panels 102, 104 being sealed to one another. As shown, the sealed frame 120 can extend along a perimeter of the enclosure 100.
The zipper assembly 200 includes opposing flanges 202, 204, or base parts, that face each other and that can be sealed to the inner surfaces of the front and back panels 102, 104 of the enclosure 100. Each flange 202, 204 can have a panel side 206, 208 that faces and is sealed to a different one of the panels 102, 104, and a facing side 210, 212 that faces away from the panel 102 or 104 to which the flange 202, 204 is coupled but faces toward the facing side 210 or 212 of the other flange 202 or 204. Optionally, both the flanges 202, 204 may be attached to the same panel 102 or 104. For example, the panel side 206 of the flange 202 and the facing side 212 of the flange 204 may be attached to the panel 102. The flange 204 may be taller than the flange 202 (in the perspective of
Each of the flanges 202, 204 includes an interlocking body 214, 216 protruding from the facing side 210, 212 of that flange 202, 204. The interlocking body 214 can be referred to as a male interlocking body and the interlocking body 216 may be referred to as a female interlocking body. The female interlocking body 216 receives the male interlocking body 214 to close the zipper assembly 200 (and the enclosure 100). The male interlocking body 214 may be pulled out of the female interlocking body 216 to open the zipper assembly 200 (and the enclosure 100).
The flange 202 having the male interlocking body 214 may be wider (or taller in the perspective of
The flange 202 is shown as including the tear strip 106, but alternatively, the flange 204 may have the tear strip 106. The tear strip 106 can be provided in the flange 202, 204 that is wider or taller than the other flange 204, 202, or can be provided in the flange 202, 204 that is narrower or shorter than the other flange 204, 202. Alternatively, the tear strip 106 can be in either flange 202, 204 having the same width or height as the other flange 204, 202 (e.g., within manufacturing tolerances). The flanges 202, 204 may be formed from PP or HDPE in one example. The tear strip 106 can be formed from PP, HDPE, or COC.
As shown, the tear strip 106 is disposed or located between the opposite sides 206, 210 of the flange 202. Alternatively, the tear strip 106 can be disposed or located between the opposite sides 208, 212 of the flange 204. Stated differently, the tear strip 106 may have a thickness that does not extend or protrude beyond the facing side or the panel side of the flange 202, 204 in which the tear strip 106 is disposed.
The tear strip 106 may be spaced apart from the flange 202 by gaps 218, 220. While the description of the tear strip 106 focuses on the tear strip 106 being included in the flange 202, a similar description applies to embodiments where the tear strip 106 is in the other flange 204. These gaps 218, 220 may be intentionally or purposefully formed to ensure that the tear strip 106 can more easily be separated from the flange 202 when compared with tear strips that are in direct contact with the flange or base part. For example, the tear strip 106 can be spaced apart from opposing edges 222, 224 of the flange 202 so that no part of the tear strip 106 directly contacts, abuts, or otherwise engages the flange 202. The flange 202 may include an opening that extends from one edge 222 to the other opposite or opposing edge 224 with the tear strip 106 sized to fit within this opening and leaving the gaps 218, 220.
At least part of these gaps 218, 220 may be filled with a material that allows the tear strip 106 to be more easily separated from the flange 202 than if the tear strip 106 were in direct contact with the flange 202. For example, peel seal material 226 described above may be applied to the facing side 210 of the flange 202 such that the peel seal material 226 extends over and into the gaps 218, 220. This peel seal material 226 can further separate the tear strip 106 from the flange 202. For example, the peel seal material 226 may be disposed between the tear strip 106 and each of the opposing edges 222, 224 of the flange 202 along the direction in which the width (or height in the perspective of
The peel seal material 226 can allow for the tear strip 106 to remain separate from the flange 202 and for the tear strip 106 to be easily separated from the flange 202. For example, the peel seal material 226 may tear much more easily (e.g., with less pulling force) than if the tear strip 106 were in direct contact with the flange 202. The peel seal material 226 can be a different material from the tear strip 106 and the flange 202 so that the peel seal material 226 is not and cannot be considered part of the tear strip 106 or the flange 202 (so that the tear strip 106 and the flange 202 are clearly separate from each other). For example, the peel seal material 226 can be low density polyethylene resin with a vinyl acetate co-polymer (EVA) blended with polybutylene.
As the tear strip 106 is pulled, the tear strip 106 tears through not only the panel 102, but also the peel seal material 226. Remnants or residue (referred to herein as scum 404) of the peel seal material 226 is left behind. That is, pulling the tear strip 106 leaves some of the peel seal material 226 on the tear strip 106 and/or on the edges of the flange 202 as scum 404, as shown in
The zipper assembly 700 includes opposing flanges 702, 704, or base parts, that face each other and that are sealed to the inner surfaces of the front and back panels 102, 104 of the enclosure 100. Each flange 702, 704 can have a panel side 706, 708 that faces and is sealed to a different one of the panels 102, 104, and a facing side 610, 612 that faces away from the panel 102 or 104 to which the flange 702, 704 is coupled but faces toward the facing side 710 or 712 of the other flange 702 or 704.
Each of the flanges 202, 204 includes one or more of the interlocking bodies 214, 216 described above. The flange 702 having the male interlocking body 214 may be wider (or taller) than the flange 704 having the female interlocking body 216. Alternatively, the flange 704 having the female interlocking body 216 may be wider (or taller) than the flange 702 having the male interlocking body 214. Alternatively, the flanges 702, 704 may have the same or nearly the same (e.g., within manufacturing tolerances) width or height.
The flange 702 is shown as including the tear strip 106, but alternatively, the flange 704 may have the tear strip 106. The tear strip 106 can be provided in the flange 702, 704 that is wider or taller than the other flange 704, 702, or can be provided in the flange 702, 704 that is narrower or shorter than the other flange 704, 702. Alternatively, the tear strip 106 can be in either flange 702, 704 having the same width or height as the other flange 704, 702 (e.g., within manufacturing tolerances). The flanges 702, 704 may be formed from PP or HDPE in one example.
As shown, the tear strip 106 is disposed or located between the opposite sides 706, 710 of the flange 702. Alternatively, the tear strip 106 can be disposed or located between the opposite sides 708, 712 of the flange 704. Stated differently, the tear strip 106 may have a thickness that does not extend or protrude beyond the facing side or the panel side of the flange 702, 704 in which the tear strip 106 is disposed.
As described above, the tear strip 106 may be spaced apart from the flange 702 by the gaps 218, 220. While the description of the tear strip 106 focuses on the tear strip 106 being included in the flange 702, a similar description applies to embodiments where the tear strip 106 is in the other flange 704. Also as described above, at least part of these gaps 218, 220 may be filled with the peel seal material 226 that allows the tear strip 106 to be more easily separated from the flange 702 than if the tear strip 106 were in direct contact with the flange 702.
One difference between the flange 202 shown in
The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. “Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description may include instances where the event occurs and instances where it does not. Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it may be related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about,” “substantially,” and “approximately,” may not be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and/or interchanged, such ranges may be identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise.
This written description uses examples to disclose the embodiments, including the best mode, and to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to practice the embodiments, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The claims define the patentable scope of the disclosure, and include other examples that occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/581,093 (filed 7 Sep. 2023), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63581093 | Sep 2023 | US |
