AU9719701A - Reinforced reclosable package seals - Google Patents

Description

S&FRef: 511458D1

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

0.0 10.0 0 0 0 0 *000 .06:0.

Name and Address of Applicant: Sealstrip Corporation PO Box 522 200 N. Washington St.

Boyertown Pennsylvania 19512 United States of America Actual Inventor(s): Harold M. Forman Address for Service: Invention Title: Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower,Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Reinforced Reclosable Package Seals The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845c REINFORCED RECLOSABLE PACKAGE SEALS Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to packaging systems, and more particularly to flexible packages of the kind shown in my copending earlier application further having a primary reinforced openable and resealable interlocking closure which may be further provided with hinge formations and V-notch reinforcements spaced along the length of the closure, the resealable interlocking closure having male and female parts with the primary reinforcement being formed in the female part. Several ways for forming the primary reinforcement are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods and apparatus for e0 lo making such packages and closures from a continuous web of flexible film, the closures being formed during package formation at line speed.

eooees e Background of the Invention As described in my earlier application, in the past, the methods of making reclosable flexible packages have involved either the extrusion of the locking structure is along with the film extending longitudinally in the direction of film extrusion along the opposite edges of the film, or by heat sealing a separately made resealable closure structure to the package film. The first type of package formation results in packages having the reclosable feature in the consumer non-preferred position along the long edge of the package, while the second type of package formation results in packages which are 0.0" 20 expensive to make because of the need to inventory and store rolls of the separate 0: resealable closure structure for attachment to the packaging film and the need to insure that the separately obtained packaging film and closure structure are made of compatible materials. Shown and described in my earlier application is a resealable interlocking closure of the same general kind as shown and described in this application, but which does not include the improved features of the present invention, namely, the primary reinforcement in the female part and the hinge formations and V-notch reinforcements, each of which contributes to making a superior closure.

Object of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art, or at least to provide a useful alternative.

[I:\DAYLIB\LIBLL] 12240specie.doc:keh Summary of the Invention There is firstly disclosed herein apparatus for making a package comprising a package body, a resealable interlocking closure, and end seals at opposite ends of the package, comprising in combination: means for transporting in lengthwise direction a web of flexible packaging material of selected width and indeterminate length; means for layering said web at package length intervals to form stacks of packaging material extending widthwise of the web; means for securing together the layers of each of said stacks of packaging material to form a strip; packaging means for wrapping a product within that portion of the flexible packaging material extending between and including one of a sequential pair of •said strips of packaging material, said packaging means folding said strip upon itself with S•the ends of said strip in overlapped relationship; package sealing and severing means for sealing and severing from one ooooo S•another adjacent ends of successive packages, and interlocking closure forming means for simultaneously forming the inner and outer separable portions of said resealable interlocking closure with the inner portion fitted within the outer portion, said outer portion including said overlapped strip ends.

There is further disclosed herein apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package, comprising in combination; means for transporting in lengthwise direction a web of flexible packaging material of selected width and indeterminate length; means for layering said web in the direction of the running length to form a stack of packaging material extending widthwise of the web; means for securing together the layers of said stack of packaging material to form a strip; means for folding said strip upon itself with the ends of said strip in overlapped relationship; and means for forming said folded strip into inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure, said outer portion including said overlapped strip ends.

[I:\DAYLIB\LIBLL] I 2240specie.doc:keh -3- There is further disclosed herein an apparatus for making resealable interlocking closures for resealable packages, comprising in combination: means for transporting in lengthwise direction web of flexible packaging material of selected width and indeterminate length; means for layering said web with at least one strip of heat sealable material of selected thickness; means for securing together the said strip of heat sealable material and the said packaging material; and means for forming inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure in the said secured together strip of heat sealable material and packaging material.

The package and system disclosed herein can also utilise a novel converter device mounted atop or adjacent to standard packaging apparatus to form a small amount of the running packaging film into the resealable closure structure as an integral part of the film oriented in one form in the consumer desired direction extending transversely to Is the long dimension of the package. The converter functions with both horizontal and vertical form/fill/seal wrapping machines and with overwrap packagers, and uses diverse double sided heat seal packaging films such as polypropylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, high and medium density polyethylene, thermoplastic heat seal coated non- .i plastic films, and various film laminations.

The package formation preferably begins by feeding the plastic film, as it unwinds from the storage roll, into the converter, where the film is automatically layered by fanfolding across the entire width of the film to form a stack. Layering other than by fanfolding to form a stack may be utilized, as for example heat sealing a strip of heat sealable material to the packaging film, but fanfolding is a convenient, fast and economical method of stack forming. The number of folds will vary depending on the thermoforming properties and thickness of the particular film being used. The stacked layers are immediately edge heat sealed together widthwise of the running film forming a multilayered strip of typically one half inch width extending completely across the film width in plane with the film, the strip layers being unsecured to one another between the edge seals. Next, the multilayered strip carried by the packaging film is abraded on one surface to remove the thermoplastic heat seal coating, in one case except at one end, and in another case except at both opposite ends, and leave the remainder of that surface of the strip uncoated, the film being then passed into the package forming apparatus where the product wrapping and longitudinal package sealing takes place. After emerging from [I:\DAYLIB\LIBLL] I 2240specie.doc:keh -4the package forming apparatus the package ends are sealed and the package resealable locking feature is formed in the stacked layers of film or in the strip which has been heat sealed to the film, with or without the hinges and the V-notch reinforcements as desired.

The entire process takes place at packaging line speed.

In another preferred form of the invention the package formation begins by feeding the plastic film, as it unwinds from the storage roll, into the converter, where the film is first longitudinally folded along one edge before being fanfolded as previously described. A modification of this form is preferably provided by adding a strip of film to at least one longitudinal marginal edge of the web in lieu of edge folding, the strip being of substantially the same width as the package longitudinal seal. The point of application S of the strip determines the form of the primary reinforcement of the interlocking closure.

In the foregoing described preferred forms of the invention the reinforced S•resealable interlocking closures are all formed transversely to the direction of film flow.

In one other preferred form of the invention the reinforced resealable interlocking closures are formed in line with the direction of film flow along one edge of the package and may be formed in either of the two previously described ways, by fanfolding or by S adding a strip of heat sealable material to the packaging film. In this preferred form of the invention the primary reinforcement extends the full length of the female part of the .go resealable closure.

*oooo 20 My earlier patent application discloses a similar interlocking closure, except that 1 in that package structure the male and female parts are reversed as compared to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and as previously noted the hinge structures and V-notch reinforcements are absent. In the present invention, the female part of all embodiments of the invention except one is formed on the face of the package where the longitudinally extending package seal is formed. This is a very significant difference, in that by so forming the female portion to include the longitudinally extending overlapped central region of the package, it includes in its structure several times the number of plies in the male part that interlocks with it, the number of additional plies being determined by the particular form of the invention utilized. In the form of the invention where the interlocking closure is along one edge of the package, the female part of the closure can also be fiormed with more plies than the male part to provide a reinforced interlock. These reinforcements provide a much stronger package lock which better prevents the packages from inadvertent opening. When incorporated, the Vnotches provide further resistance to opening of the interlock, and the hinges provide the [I:\DAYLIB\LIBLL] 12240specie.doc:keh -4aability to control the shape of the package opening. Therefore, the invention at least in a preferred embodiment provides novel reinforced openable and resealable interlocking closures for packages.

The invention further preferably provides packages having novel reinforced openable and resealable interlocking closures which may be provided at intervals along their lengths with hinge structures which separate the interlocking closures into segments and control the shape of the package opening.

The invention preferably provides a package having a novel reinforced openable and resealable interlocking closure which may be provided at intervals along its length with V-notch reinforcements.

~The invention preferably provides a package having a novel reinforced openable and resealable interlocking closure as aforesaid in which the reinforcement is partly ooooo provided by selectably added layers of the packaging or other film.

The invention preferably provides packages having novel reinforced openable 15 and resealable interlocking closures as aforesaid in some of which the closure is formed transversely to the direction of packaging film flow and in others of which the closure is formed in line with the direction of packaging film flow during the packaging operation running at line speed.

.o The invention further preferably provides novel packages as aforesaid in which 20 the reinforced resealable interlocking closure is integrally formed from layered together contiguous portions of the packaging film during the packaging process and does not °o require that additional materials be added to the packaging film to form the resealable closure, and in another form the resealable interlocking closure is formed in a heat sealable strip heat sealed to the packaging film.

The invention preferably provides novel packages as aforesaid in which the packages may be formed from a variety of packaging films such as polypropylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, high and medium density polyethylene, and various film laminations.

The invention preferably provides novel packages as aforesaid in which the reinforced resealable interlocking closure is integrally formed from the packaging film by reversely fanfolding the packaging film either across or orthogonal to its width to form a stack, sealing together the reversely folded stack in plane with the film, and thermoforming the sealed stack into the resealable locking feature.

[I:\DAYLIB\LIBLL] I 2240specie.doc:keh The invention further preferably provides a package having a novel reinforced openable and resealable interlocking closure in which the resealable closure extends only partly across the package to limit the open size of the closure.

The invention still further preferably provides novel methods and apparatus for making packages according to the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a package according to the invention showing 10o the longitudinally extending package seal uppermost, the package end seals, the integrally formed reclosable locking feature with the reinforced female portion uppermost, and the hinges and V-notch reinforcements; Figure 1A is a diagrammatic end view of an open package tube before end sealing showing the longitudinally extending package seal as a conventional single s5 overlap type as seen in Figure 1; [I:\DAYLIB\LIBLL] 12240specie.doc:keh Figure 1B Is a digrammatic end view of an open package tube before end sealing showing the longitudinally extending package seal as a conventional double overlap type; Figure 2 Is an enlarged cross sectional view through the resealable closure and end seal as would be seen when viewed off the package center along the line 2-2 on Figure 1, showing both the male and female portions as formed of three plies of the packaging film and corresponding to the longitudinal seal package type of Figure 1A; Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view through the resealable closure and package end seal as would be seen when viewed centrally of the package along the line 3-3 on Figure 1, showing the male portion formed of three plies of the packaging film and the reinforced female portion formed of six plies of the packaging film, also as corresponding to the longitudinal seal package type of Figure 1A; 15 Figure 3A is an enlarged cross sectional view through the resealable closure and package end seal as would be seen when viewed centrally of the package along the line 3-3 on Figure 1 if the package longitudinal seal were as shown in Figure 1B, showing the male portion as formed of three plies of the packaging film and the reinforced female portion as formed of nine plies of the packaging film; Figures 4 and 5 respectively show the tearing off of the package endseal and the opening of the resealable closure of a package as shown in Figure 1 with the package opening shape being octagonalized by the action of the hinge formations; 25 Figure 5A is an enlarged fragmentary view through the portion of the reclosable seal in the phantom circle on Figure 5 showing the hinge formations and V-notch reinforcements; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of apparatus for and method of formation of packages according to the invention, showing the stages of package and closure forming from the packaging film during the packaging process; Figure 7 is an isometric view of the portion of the apparatus which accomplishes the fanfolding of the film; Figures 8A through 8E are cross sectional views through the apparatus of Figure 7 showing the stages of formation of a fanfolded and sealed film stack; Figure 8F is an enlarged fragmentary view through the portion of the sealed stack shown in the phantom circle on Figure 8E; 6 Figure 9 is a cross sectional view through the package end sealing and closure forming device for the reinforced resealable locking closure feature, the hinge formations and V-notches being formed at the same time when desired; Figure 10 is an end view of the film scouring wheels seen in Figure 6 before the wrapping station; Figure 11 is a plan view of an alternative form of package according to the invention showing the package end seals and an arcuate integrally formed resealable locking feature according to the invention.

Figure 12 is a digrammatic fragmentary end view of the longitudinally extending package seal of an open package tube before end sealing, shown as a single overlap type of the kind seen in Figure 1A, except also showing an additional longitudinally extending strip sandwiched between the overlapped •margins of the packaging film web; i Figure 12A is an enlarged cross sectional view through the resealable closure and package end seal as would be seen when viewed centrally of a package along a line such as 3-3 on Figure 1 if the package longitudinal seal were as shown in Figure 12, showing the male portion as formed of three plies of the packaging film and the reinforced female portion as formed of six plies of the packaging film with the added central ply; Figure 12B is a diagrammatic showing of a typical apparatus for S. overlaying a film strip onto a web; Figure 13 is an isometric view of a package according to the invention showing a longitudinally extending reinforced reclosable side edge package :seal; 'i 25 Figure 14 is a diagrammatic line drawing view through the package of Figure 13 as would be seen when viewed along line 14-14 on Figure 13 except that the longitudinal package seal Is shown as a single overlap type instead of a double overlap type; Figure 15 is an enlarged cross sectional view through the resealable closure as would be seen when viewed along the line 15-15 on Figure 13, showing the male part as formed of three plies of the packaging film and the female part as formed of five plies of the packaging film; Figure 16 is a diagrammatic illustration of apparatus for and method of formation of packages according to the invention of the type shown in Figure 13, showing the stages of package forming and closure from the packaging film during the packaging process; Figure 17 is a cross sectional view through the fanfolder apparatti for forming the fanfolded stacks of packaging film from which the male and female parts of the interlocking resealable closure of Figure 13 are formed, as would be seen when viewed along line 17-17 on Figure 16; Figure 18 is a cross sectional view through the heated dies which form the male and female parts of the resealable closure shown in Figures 13 and 15, this showing being also applicable to the following cooling devices which set the formed parts, and the insulator blocks therebetween, as would be seen when viewed along line 18-18 on Figure 16; Figure 19 shows an interlock closer for interlocking the formed parts of the closure prior to package formation; Figure 20 shows apparatus for continuously forming bags with a resealable closure of the type Illustrated in Figure 13; Figure 21 shows a package similar to that of Figure 1 except that the resealable closure extends only partly across the package; and Figure 22 is a diagrammatic showing of an apparatus for overlaying a film strip onto a web transversely to the direction of movement of the web to form a strip of stacked film as an alternative to a fanfolded stack.

Figures 22A and 22B are isometric enlargements of the sealing bars part of the apparatus of Figure 22 showing the web and film strip prior to and during a sealing operation.

20 Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments .In the several figures, like elements are denoted by like reference characters, which to the extent possible are the same as the correspondingly placed reference characters in the earlier application.

Considering first Figures 1 and 11, there are seen packages 20 and o* having at opposite ends heat sealed end seals 21A/21B and 21'A/21'B, tearoff feature 62, and resealable package locking closures 22 and 22'. The packages are identical except for the shape of the resealable locking closures, closure 22 in Figure 1 being formed along a straight line, while closure 22' In Figure 11 is formed along an arc. The straight line form of closure requires less package length than the arcuate form, but the arcuate form provides somewhat easier package opening because the opening force is effectively applied to a shorter length of the closure. Both types are formed in the same way, as will be subsequently shown. The closures 22 and 22' may also have formed into their structures at intervals along their length, hinge formations 31 and/or reinforcing V-notches 60. Figure 1 is shown with the longitudinal package seal, which is normally the bottom surface of the package, shown uppermost to reveal details of the resealable closure 22. X 8 The single overlap type of longitudinal seal as seen In Figure I is shown in diagrammatic end view in Figure IA as an open package tube before end sealing, showing the overlapped outer and inner margins 48 and 49 of the package bottom surface 23, and the continuous package upper surface 24. An enlarged cross section of this closure structure not taken through the overlap is shown in Figure 2, while a cross section of the closure structure taken through the single overlap is shown in Figure 3. A cross section of the closure structure as would be seen when taken through the double overlap longitudinal package seal structure shown diagrammatically in Figure I B as having an outer layer 48, a middle layer 50 and an inner layer 51, is shown in Figure 3A.

All of these closures are illustratively shown as formed of single or multiple thermally fused triple plies or layers of packaging film, the formation of such triple plies into a strip 30 being described hereinafter. As will be subsequently shown, the resealable closures are formed during the package making process 15 from multiple reversely fanfolded layers of the film from which the packages are made, as best seen in the enlarged cross-sectional views of Figures 2, 3 and 3A to which attention should be now directed.

The internested closure sections of all of Figures 2, 3 and 3A are seen to r. be formed in an arrowhead shape with the lower legs of the arrowhead angled inwardly downward toward one another. This angled orientation of the base legs results in easier package opening and reclosing. In Figure 2 the upper film portion 23 of the package 20 is seen reversely folded into three thermally fused layers 23A/23B/23C forming the outer female section 22A of the closure 22, with the lower film portion 24 being similarly folded into three thermally fused *25 layers 24A/24B/24C forming the inner male section 22B of the closure 22.

This structure is the cross section through the interlocking closure taken at any point that Is not through the longitudinal package seals shown in Figure IA as 48/49 and in Figure 1B as 48/50/51, and is the same for all of the packages. It is identical to the structure of Figure 2 of my earlier application and functions in the same way. The package overlap structures of Figures 3 and 3A however depart materially from that of Figure 2 as will be now described.

Considering first the single overlap structure of Figure 3, it is seen that the inner male closure portion 22B Is the same as that of Figure 2, consisting of three layers of packaging film 24A/24B/24C, but that the outer female portion 22A instead of also having only three layers has six thermally fused layers in the overlap region of margins 48/49. namely, layers 48A/48B/48C/49A/49B/49C. This renders the female closure portion 22A substantially stiffer in this overlap region located centrally of the package, and provides increased holding power of the male closure portion 22B within the female portion 22A at the maximum opening stress region of the package. In the double overlap structure of Figure 3A it is seen that the inner male closure portion 22B is also the same as that of Figure 2, consisting of three layers of packaging film 24A/24B/24C, but that the outer female portion 22A instead of also having only three layers has nine thermally fused layers in the overlap region of margins 48/50/51, namely, the layers 48A/48B/48C/50A/50B/- 50C/51A/51B/51C. This renders female closure portion 22A even stiffer In this overlap region than the structure of Figure 3.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the opening of the package 20 by first tearing off the end seal 21B adjacent to the closure 22, as shown in Figure 4, by go means of the tearoff feature 62 shown in Figure 1, and then opening the resealable locking closure 22 by separating the outer and inner sections 22A 15 and 22B as shown in Figure 5. The separation process, for those interested, is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of my earlier application and show the outer and inner sections 22a and 22b, corresponding to 22A and 22B of the present application, being respectively expanded and compressed as the inner section .22b is pulled out of the outer section 22a, and then shown springing back to their static state conditions. The process is identical for the resealable closure .o of the present application and the drawings are not here repeated. Figure also illustrates the action of the hinge formations 31 which permit the stiff interlock seal 22 to flex about the hinges 31 and form, in the package shown, a S. generally octagonal opening that renders access to the package interior much 25 easier. Fewer or more hinges 31 may of course be used depending on the package opening size and the nature of the contents. The reinforcing Vnotches 60 stiffen the sections of the resealable closure disposed between the hinges 31. The hinges 31 and V-notches 60 are seen more clearly in the enlarged fragmentary showing of Figure Figure 6 is a diagrammatic showing of apparatus for producing finished packages as shown in the Figures. Film 25 from a roll 26 of heat sealable packaging film is spooled off and fed around roller 27 and between rollers 28 to the film fanfolding device 29 where at package length intervals the film is multiple bfolded and edge heat sealed into strips 30 extending fully widthwise of the running film with the strip layers 30 being unsecured to one another between the edge seals. For the straight seal of Figure 1 the strip width is approximately one half inch, while for the arcuate form of Figure I 1 it could be about one inch. To accomplish this the film 25 is either made of thermoplastic material or is thermoplastically coated. The fanfolding device 29 and the process of forming the film 25 to include the heat sealed fanfolded strip 30 are shown in detail in Figures 7 and 8, the position of the apparatus of Figure 7 being that shown in the operating cycle position of Figure 8C.

The device 29 consists of, a pair of fanfolding plates 37 having window slots 38, the plates being synchronously shiftable toward and away from one another In slightly separated parallel planes, upper and lower film clamping guide rods 39, and upper and lower heating bars 40A and 40 B carried on the guide bars 39. The upper heating bar 40A is provided along its lower face with a centrally longitudinally extending slot 35 which forms a pair of downturned legs 52 extending widthwise of the running length of the film, while the lower heating bar 40B is provided along its upper face with a similar centrally •11. .longitudinally extending slot 35 which forms a pair of upturned legs 52, the downturned and upturned pairs of legs 52 being positioned in apposed relationship. The film 25 moves from right to left between the plates 37 as shown by arrows 41 in Figure 8A. As shown in Figure 8B by the arrows 42, the plates 37 are shifted toward one another into overlapping position to form a .three layer fanfold of film 25 with the windows 38 of the plates 37 vertically aligned. Next, as shown in Figure 7 and in Figure 8C by the arrows 43, the film clamping guide rods are shifted toward one another through the windows 38 to clamp the three layers of film together.

As shown in Figure 8D by arrows 44, the plates 37 are then retracted away from one another, while as shown by arrows 45 the heating bars 40A and 40B are shifted toward one another so that the upper and lower pairs of legs 52 25 of the heating bars engage the upper and lower outer surfaces of the fanfolded film strip to edge seal the layers together into the heat sealed strip 30 with the layers of strip 30 being unsecured to one another between the edge seals 53 as best seen in Figure 8F. The unsecured condition of the layers of strip shortens the time required to subsequently form the interlocking closure because the layers conform to the forming dies more easily and do not have to be first resoftened to be formed. Finally, as shown by arrows 46 in Figure 8E, the rods 39 and heating bars 40A and 40B are retracted, and the strip moves out of the fanfolding device on its way to the packaging device 33. It should be understood that during the course of formation of the strip 30 the entire apparatus 29 moves in the direction of motion of the film 25 and then retracts to its initial position in preparation for the next cycle of strip formation, as shown by the arrow 47.

These strips 30 then proceed to a device for removing the thermoplastic 11 coating from most of the undersurface of the strip, shown illustratively as an abrader generally designated as 63. Other known types of devices are also usable for this purpose, such as corona devices. As seen in Figures 6 and the abrader 63 includes a pair of abrading wheels 64 driven by motors supported on a carrier bar 66. The carrier bar 66 reciprocates transversely to the running length of the film to treat the undersurface of the strip 30 which will form the non-sealable facing surfaces of the interlocking closure, as shown by arrow 67, and also moves longitudinally with the film, as shown by arrow 68, for a distance sufficient to complete abrasion of the desired portion of the strip. In the case of a single overlap package as shown diagrammatically in Figure IA, the longitudinal film margin which forms the portion 48 is left with its thermoplastic surface intact so that it can subsequently be heat sealed to @ooo the opposite film margin 49 during package formation by packaging machine 33. This also is the case for the margin 48 of the double overlap package as shown diagrammatically in Figure 1B, and for the opposite longitudinally extending fim margin which forms the interface between layers 50 and 51. In this latter case, if an abrader is utilized, only one abrading wheel would be used.

Upon completion of a strip treatment the abrader moves downward out of engagement with the film strip 30 and returns to its starting place to engage the next strip. The film then passes around the rollers 32 and into the packaging machine 33 where the items 34 to be packaged, carried on conveyor 36, are wrapped and emerge for end sealing and package cutting by the device :designated generally as 69, and formation of the resealable interlocking closure 25 by the device designated generally as 70, being thereafter carried away for packing for shipment by the conveyor 36.

The completion of the packaging by end sealing and reclosable seal formation takes place respectively at the sealing station sealing device 69 and forming device 70 shown in Figure 6 and in the enlarged cross sectional detail of Figure 9, to both of which reference should now be made. After emerging from the package forming apparatus 33 the package ends are sealed by the sealing device 69, and at the same time the package resealable locking feature is completed from the strip 30 by a closure former 70. A wrapped product carrying a strip 30 and shown as 71 emerges from the packaging machine 33 and passes to a position between the sealing device 69 and the closure former The upper and lower heat sealing bars 72 and 73 move toward one another to heat seal the ends of adjacent packages to form the opposite end seals 21A and 21B shown in Figures 1 and 11 followed closely by the desceni of the 12 cutting bar 74 which severs the seals 21A/21B of the adjacent packages from one another. Moreover, the apposed faces of strip 30 are held in proper position for closure forming at former 70 by the immediately adjacent heat seal 21B.

As seen in Figure 6, the strips 30 have been wrapped during packaging so that each strip is disposed in two layers, one above the other with the abraded surfaces in contact, but remain unsecured to one another so that they may be subsequently separated. As seen in Figure 9 the closure former consists of an anvil die 54 formed at the lower end of the upper heater block 55, a lower recess die 56 formed at the upper end of lower heater block 57, a pair of apposed reciprocable forming plates 58, vacuum ports 59 in the lower heater block 57, and heaters 61 in the upper and lower heater blocks. The anvil die 54 and recess die 56 are shown as configured to produce the upper end of the arrowhead interlock shape, but also formed longitudinally along 15 these dies are the proper configurations to form the hinges 31 and/or the reinforcing V-notches 60 when it is desired to include them in the interlock closure.

In one method of forming the resealable closure, as the edge sealed strip comes into position between the upper and lower heater blocks 55 and 57 of the forming device 70, the latter move vertically toward one another, and the forming sequence is initiated by moving the heated upper anvil 54 and lower *i ~recess 56 Into mating position and heat forming the strip 30 into the recess 56 where the strip is retained in position by vacuum drawn through the manifolds 59. The anvil 54 then retracts while the vacuum continues to hold the strip in 25 the recess 56. The forming plates 58 then move toward one another and shape the inturned lower legs of the arrowhead shape into the heat softened strip Finally, the forming plates 58 are retracted and the vacuum is released, thereby releasing the formed resealable closure. The forming device is then retracted to its starting position in preparation for forming the next closure.

This sequence repeats and produces a continuous line of packaged products.

In a second, and preferred method of forming the resealable closure, as the edge sealed strip 30 comes into position between the upper and lower heater blocks 55 and 57 of the forming device 70, the latter move vertically toward one another, and the forming sequence is initiated by moving the heated upper anvil 54 and lower recess 56 into mating position and heat forming the strip 30 Into the recess 56. Next, the forming plates 58 then move toward one another and press the upper sides of the strip 30 against the sides of the upper heater block male die 55. The upper heater block and male die are then retracted, and the forming plates 58 are moved further inward to pinch together the portion of the strip 30 therebetween and form the arrowhead shape in the interfltted parts of the resealable closure. Then, the lower heater block and female die 56 are moved further upward toward the forming plates 58 to move the rear surfaces of the arrowhead into a more planer alignment, rendering the arrowhead more triangular in shape and more similar to the showing of Figure 2a of parent application S.N.08/861,576. The forming plates 58 are then retracted to their starting position in preparation for forming the next closure. This forming method does not require the use of vacuum, and dispenses with the need for that type of apparatus.

Considering now the embodiments of the invention which are formed by edge folding the film web 25 or adding a film strip to increase the number of layers of the longitudinally extending package seal, consider first the edge folding form of making the package. If film web 25 is longitudinally single folded along one edge before entering the fanfold device 29, the single overlap packaging apparatus which produces a longitudinal package seal as shown in Figure 1A, will produce an interlock 22 as seen in Figure 3A rather than as seen in Figure 3. This is because the fanfold device 29 will make a six fold through the folded edge of strip 30. Devices for edge folding running webs are well known in the art, and the edge fold width would be made about the same :as the width of the package longitudinal seal.

If instead of edge folding the running web 25, an additional strip 75 of packaging film, or other heat sealable film, is laid over one longitudinal margin of the web 25 with the web edge and one strip edge substantially congruent, 25 two different structures can be produced depending upon the point on the web where the overlay is introduced. If the overlay of strip 75 is done before entry of the web 25 into the fanfold device 29, then the same interlock closure structure results as previously described for edge folding the web, namely, the interlock closure structure shown in Figure 3A. However, if the overlay of strip 75 is done after the strip 30 has been formed, then the longitudinal package seal will appear as shown in the detail of Figure 12, and a different interlock closure structure is formed, as shown in Figure 12A. Strip 75 is shown for illustrative purposes as about three times the thickness of the packaging film but can be ot'f any thickness desired, as determined by the particular application. Apparatus for applying a strip 75 to a web are well known in the art, and typically could be as shown in Figure 12B in which are seen a film strip roll 76, a pair of strip pulling rollers 77, and a pair of positioning rollers 78 which may also be heat sealing rollers applying the strip to the web 14 The strip 75 could also be a strip slit off of one longitudinally running edge of the web 25 just prior to overlay on the web.

Consider now the isometric view of package 79 as seen In Figure 13, which shows a longitudinally extending reinforced reclosable side edge package seal 80 having an outer female part 80A and an Inner male part 80B, the seal being best seen in the diagrammatic showing of Figure 14, and a rupturable seal 81 by means of which the package edge margin 82 may be removed to open the package by providing access to the resealable closure 80. Figure 14 also discloses a single overlap longitudinal package seal 83, which could also be a double overlap seal as a function of the particular type of wrapping machine. Figure 15 shows an enlarged cross sectional view through resealable closure 80 as would be seen when viewed along line 15-15 on Figure 13, with S.the male part 80B formed of three plies 80B 1/80B2/80B3 of the packaging film and the female part 80A as illustratively formed of five plies 15 80A1 /80A2/80A3/80A4/80A5 of the packaging film. Apparatus for forming the seal 80 and the package 79 is seen in Figure 16, to which reference should now be made.

In Figure 16 there is seen a web of packaging film 84 moving into the broad end of the fanfolding apparatus 85 and emerging from its narrow end as a narrowed web having formed therein the two stacks of folded film 86 and 87 which are immediately heat sealed by the heat seal rollers 90 into sealed strips .006 which respectively will become the female part 80A and the male part 80B of the resealable interlocking closure. As shown in Figure 17 the four fanfold i *guide plates 88 continuously form the five layer female stack 86, and the two 25 fanfold guide plates 89 continuously form the three layer male stack 87. The heat sealed stacks 86 and 87 then respectively enter the heated female forming die 91 and heated male forming die 92 where the interlocking female and male parts 80A and 80B respectively are formed in the stacked strips 86 and 87, as best seen in the showing of Figure 18. If instead of a fanfolded stack it is desired to utilize a strip of heat sealable material to form the strips 86 and 87, the fanfolding apparatus 85 may be replaced with a pair of strip appliers of the kind shown in Figure 12B.

Upon emergence from the heated forming dies, the closure parts and 80B pass through thermal insulating blocks 93 of the same cross section as the dies and into the cooled setting dies 94 which quickly cool the parts to stable mechanical configurations. Before the web enters into the packaging apparatus 96 the double perforation wheels 95 apply the tear-off perforation lines 81 to the web. The packager 96 wraps the product, forms the longitudinal package seal 83 best seen In Figure 14, and positions the closure parts 80A and 80B for closure, after which the latter are pressed together Into interlocking fit by the press rollers 97 and 98, as best seen in larger detail in Figure 19. Successive incomplete packages of product are then end sealed and severed by package end sealer and cutter 99 to form indivudual finished packages 79.

An apparatus for making a continuous series of bags with resealable interlocking closures, somewhat similar in concept to that of Figure 16, is shown in Figure 20 where there are seen a web 100 having the running longitudinal edges stack formed by the male and female stackers 101 and 102 into stacks 103 and 104, which stacks are then edge sealed by heat seal rollers 105. The sealed stacks, as before, enter the heated forming dies 106 and 107 where the male and female interlocks 108 and 109 are formed, and emerge oQ :from the cooled setting dies 110 and 111. The web with the interlocks formed 15 thereon is advanced by drive rollers 112 and 113, and the web edge carrying the female interlock 109 is turned over the inverter bar 114 into alignment with the male interlock 108, and the two are pressed into engagement by the press rollers 115 and 116. The bags are completed by the side sealer 117 which heat seals the side edges of the bags and does one of two other things. One option is to make a narrow edge seal and also sever successive bags from one another.

Another option is to make a wider fin seal with a line of severance formed midway between the edges of the seal and not to sever the bags, but to wind them on a roll or reverse fold them into a stack for bulk packaging. If instead of a fanfolded stack it is desired to utilize a strip of heat sealable material to *•25 form the strips 103 and 104, the fanfolding devices 101 and 102 may be replaced with a pair of strip appliers of the kind shown in Figure 12B.

An alternative form of package to that shown in Figure 1 is shown in Figure 21 as 119, and can be produced by the same apparatus as shown in Figure 6 by a modification to the closure former dies 70. As seen in Figure 21 the package 119 has most of the same features as the package of Figure 1, namely, an end seal 120, a tear-of feature 121, and a resealable closure 122.

However, the package of Figure 21 differs from that of Figure 1 in that the resealable closure 122 extends only partly across the width of the package, the rest of the package in line with the closure 122 being Ibrmed as a permanent heat seal 123. This form of package is useful when the package contents is a pourable material, such as cereal or rice, or the like, and it is desirable to have the package open only partly for better pouring control. The relative lengths of the resealable closure 122 and permanent seal 123 can be proportioned as desired by the configuration of the closure forming dies Considering finally Figures 22, 22A and 22B, there Is shown an alternative apparatus for forming the stacked edge-sealed strip from which the resealable Interlocking package closure is formed transversely to the web.

Instead of fanfolding the web of packaging fim as previously shown and described, a stack is formed by securing a separate strip of substantially constant thickness material to the web of packaging film transversely to its running length rather than colinearly as shown In Figure 12B. Multiple strips can be so stacked or a single strip of whatever thickness is desired. In Figure 22 there is seen packaging film 124 spooling off of a roll 125 and passing into and through a sealing device 126 where a piece 127 of a strip of flexible material 128 which spools off of a roll 129 Is heat sealed to the film 124 after being severed from the strip 128 by the knife and anvil 130. Stacked heatsealed strips 131 are produced at package length intervals by the apparatus to be now described.

:A vacuum belt 132 draws the strip material from the supply roll 129 in the manner well known in the art and feeds it through the knife and anvil 130 i transversely across the upper surface of the web 124, the strip being picked up by the vacuum belt 133 and carried to a point approximately an Inch from the far edge 134 of the web 124, the one inch representing the spacing of the knife o. 130 from the near edge 135 of the web 124. Next, the knife 130 severs the the piece 127 from the strip 128, and the vacuum belt 133 moves the ends of severed strip 127 the remaining inch into congruency with the web edges 134 and 135. At this point in the cycle the movement of web 124 and the vacuum 25 belts 132 and 133 are stopped, as seen in Figure 22A, and the severed piece 127 is heat sealed to the web 124. Heat sealing is effected by the upper heat seal bars 136 and lower heat seal bars 137 which, as seen in Figure 22B, are moved respectively down and up to heat seal the edges of the stacked strip and web, as at 138. The sealer bars are then retracted, and movement of the web 124 and strip 128 resumes for the next cycle.

The surface of the strip 128 which is not sealed to the web 124 does not have heat-sealable properties so that a surface abrading device such as is shown at 63 In Figure 6 is not needed. However, a patch of hot melt material is applied to either the terminal upper inch of one or both ends of the strip 131 at a downstream station, depending upon the type of longitudinal seal that is to be formed.

Having now described the Invention in connection with particularly illustrated embodiments thereof, it will be understood that modifications and 17 variations of the invention may now occur from time to time to those normally skilled in the art without departing from the essential scope or spirit of the invention, and accordingly it is intended to claim the invention both broadly and specifically as indicated In the appended claims.

go** o* o

Claims (24)

1. Apparatus for making a package comprising a package body, a resealable interlocking closure, and end seals at opposite ends of the package, comprising in combination: means for transporting in lengthwise direction a web of flexible packaging material of selected width and indeterminate length; means for layering said web at package length intervals to form stacks of packaging material extending widthwise of the web; means for securing together the layers of each of said stacks of to packaging material to form a strip; packaging means for wrapping a product within that portion of the flexible packaging material extending between and including one of a sequential pair of said strips of packaging material, said packaging means folding said strip upon itself with V the ends of said strip in overlapped relationship; package sealing and severing means for sealing and severing from one another adjacent ends of successive packages, and interlocking closure forming means for simultaneously forming the inner and outer separable portions of said resealable interlocking closure with the inner portion fitted within the outer portion, said outer portion including said overlapped strip 20 ends.

2. Apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package, comprising in combination; means for transporting in lengthwise direction a web of flexible packaging material of selected width and indeterminate length; means for layering said web in the direction of the running length to form a stack of packaging material extending widthwise of the web; means for securing together the layers of said stack of packaging material to form a strip; means for folding said strip upon itself with the ends of said strip in overlapped relationship; and means for forming said folded strip into inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure, said outer portion including said overlapped strip ends.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for folding said strip upon itself with the ends of said strip in overlapped relationship so that said [R:\LIBLL] 12240specie.doc:keh -19- overlapped strip ends become a part of said resealable closure outer portion, positions said overlapped ends to be located substantially centrally along the length of said resealable closure outer portion.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including means for forming at least one hinge structure along the length of said resealable closure.

Apparatus as set forth to claim 2 further including means for forming a plurality of reinforcing V-notches along the length of said resealable closure.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for forming said folded strip into inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure to simultaneously forms the inner and outer separable portions of said resealable interlocking closure with the inner portion fitted within the outer portion.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for securing together the fanfolded layers of said strip of packaging material and said means for forming said folded strip into inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure are both heat sealing means.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further including means for removing from a portion of one of the outer layers of said layered strip of packaging material its said thermoplastic heat sealing properties.

9. Apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable 20 package as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for forming said inner and outer portions of the resealable interlocking closure from said strip comprise in combination: an upper heated male die and a lower heated mating female die; means for moving said strip between said dies; means for moving said dies toward one another into mating position and forming said strip into the recess of said female die; a pair of colinearly disposed forming plates and means for moving said plates toward one another and orthogonally to said male die for pressing the upper sides of the strip against the sides of said male die; means for retracting said male die out of said female die and out from between said forming plates; means for moving said forming plates further toward one another to pinch together the portion of the strip therebetween and form an arrowhead shape in the interfitted parts of the resealable closure; [R:\LIBLL] 12240specie.doc:keh means for moving said female die toward said forming plates to move the rear surfaces of the arrowhead into a more planer alignment, rendering the arrowhead more triangular in shape; and means for retracting said forming plates and female die to their initial positions in preparation for forming the next closure.

Apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for layering said web to form at least one strip of packaging material comprises means for fanfolding said web of packaging material to form said stack, and means for heat sealing said stack to form said strip.

11. Apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for layering said web to form at least one strip of packaging material comprises means for heat sealing a strip of heat sealable material to the packaging film. :°oooo

12. Apparatus for making a package, said apparatus being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one embodiment, as that embodiment is depicted in the accompanying drawings.

13. Apparatus for making resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package, said apparatus being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one embodiment, as that embodiment is depicted in the accompanying drawings. 20

14. An apparatus for making resealable interlocking closures for resealable packages, comprising in combination: S.i means for transporting in lengthwise direction web of flexible packaging material of selected width and indeterminate length; means for layering said web with at least one strip of heat sealable material of selected thickness; means for securing together the said strip of heat sealable material and the said packaging material; and means for forming inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure in the said secured together strip of heat sealable material and packaging material.

15. The apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package as set forth in claim 14 including further means for folding said at least one secured together strip of heat sealable material and packaging material upon itself with the strip ends in overlapped relationship, and for forming said folded strip and [R:\LIBLL] 12240specie.doc:keh -21- packaging material into said inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure, said outer portion including said overlapped strip ends.

16. The apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package as set forth in claim 14 wherein said at least one strip of heat sealable material of selected thickness is layered widthwise transversely to the running length of the said web.

17. The apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package as set forth in claim 14 wherein said at least one secured together strip of heat sealable material of selected thickness and packaging material comprises two strips of heat sealable material and packaging material spaced apart from one another and i from the longitudinally extending edges of said web and wherein said means for forming said inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure continuously form said **fee: Soportions extending lengthwise of said web of packaging material, one portion in each of said spaced apart strips.

18. The apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package as set forth in claim 14 wherein the said interlocking closure outer portion is thicker than said interlocking closure inner portion and is formed by means for adding thereto at least one additional thickness of material.

19. The apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a 20 resealable package as set forth in claim 14 wherein said at least one secured together strip of heat sealable material of selected thickness and packaging material comprises two strips of heat sealable material and packaging material spaced apart from one another and from the longitudinally extending edges of said web and wherein said means for forming said inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure continuously form said portions extending lengthwise of said web of packaging material, one portion in each of said spaced apart strips, the strip of heat sealable material which partly forms the outer portion of said interlocking closure being thicker than the' strip of heat sealable material which partly forms the inner portion of said interlocking closure.

The apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package as set forth in claim 14 wherein said means for forming said inner and outer portions of the resealable interlocking closure comprised: means for positioning said strip between a heated male die and a heated female die of a forming device; [R:\LIBLL] I 2240specie.doc:keh -22- means for moving said dies toward one another into mating position and forming the strip into the recess of said female die; means for moving a pair of colinearly disposed forming plates toward one another and orthogonally to said male die and pressing the sides of the strip against the sides of said male die; means for retracting said male die out of said female die and out from between said forming plates; means for moving said forming plates inward to pinch together the portion of the strip therebetween and form an arrowhead shape in the interfitted parts of the resealable closure; ::I means for moving said female die toward said forming plates to move the rear surfaces of the arrowhead into a more planer alignment, rendering the arrowhead more triangular in shape, and; means for retracting said forming plates and female die to their initial positions in preparation for forming the next closure.

21. The apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package as set forth in claim 14, further including means for forming at least one hinge structure along the length of said closure. S"o

22. The apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a SS 20 resealable package as set forth in claim 14, further including means for forming a plurality of reinforcing V-notches along the length of said closure. go o:

23. The apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package as set forth in claim 14 wherein said flexible packaging material has thermoplastic properties, and wherein the means for securing together said strip of heat sealable material and said web of packaging material and forming said interlocking closure are heat sealing means.

24. The apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package as set forth in claim 15 wherein the said means for folding said secured together strip of heat sealable material and packaging material upon itself with the ends of said strip in overlapped relationship and for forming said folded secured together strip of heat sealable material and packaging material into inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure positions said overlapped strip ends substantially centrally along the length of said resealable interlocking closure outer portion. [R:\LIBLL] 12240specie.doc:keh -23- The apparatus for making a resealable interlocking closure for a resealable package as set forth in claim 15 wherein the said means for folding said secured together strip of heat sealable material and packaging material upon itself with the ends of said strip in overlapped relationship and forming said folded strip into inner and outer portions of a resealable interlocking closure positions said overlapped strip ends substantially centrally along the length of said resealable interlocking closure outer portion, and further including means for forming at least one hinge structure along the length of said closure and means for forming a plurality of reinforcing V-notches along the length of said closure. Dated 12 December, 2001 Sealstrip Corporation Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON *ss o* S* [R:\LIBLL]12240specie.doc:keh