EP0220476B1 - Reclosable container with grip strip - Google Patents

Reclosable container with grip strip Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0220476B1
EP0220476B1 EP86112924A EP86112924A EP0220476B1 EP 0220476 B1 EP0220476 B1 EP 0220476B1 EP 86112924 A EP86112924 A EP 86112924A EP 86112924 A EP86112924 A EP 86112924A EP 0220476 B1 EP0220476 B1 EP 0220476B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ridges
grip strip
grip
container
inches
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP86112924A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0220476A3 (en
EP0220476A2 (en
Inventor
John O. Mccree
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
DowBrands Inc
Original Assignee
DowBrands Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by DowBrands Inc filed Critical DowBrands Inc
Priority to AT86112924T priority Critical patent/ATE63519T1/de
Publication of EP0220476A2 publication Critical patent/EP0220476A2/en
Publication of EP0220476A3 publication Critical patent/EP0220476A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0220476B1 publication Critical patent/EP0220476B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D33/00—Details of, or accessories for, sacks or bags
    • B65D33/16—End- or aperture-closing arrangements or devices
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D33/00—Details of, or accessories for, sacks or bags
    • B65D33/007—Details of, or accessories for, sacks or bags for facilitating the separation of the two walls, e.g. walls of inequal height, tabs; for maintaining the mouth of the sack or bag open
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D33/00—Details of, or accessories for, sacks or bags
    • B65D33/16—End- or aperture-closing arrangements or devices
    • B65D33/25—Riveting; Dovetailing; Screwing; using press buttons or slide fasteners
    • B65D33/2508—Riveting; Dovetailing; Screwing; using press buttons or slide fasteners using slide fasteners with interlocking members having a substantially uniform section throughout the length of the fastener; Sliders therefor

Definitions

  • the container In reclosable plastic bags or other containers, particularly those containing a zipper type reclosable closure such as taught in U.S.-A-4,263,079, the container usually carries lips located above the reclosable closure feature, which lips are required to be grasped between the thumb and a finger, for example, and pulled to open the closure. Some degree of force is necessary to open the closure, which is relatively secure to avoid accidental opening. Since such bags are often found in the kitchen, it is not uncommon for one's fingers to be greasy. Since lips of such bags are commonly formed from smooth films such as those formed of polyolefin resin, the ease with which the lips of the bag can be grasped and kept hold of while pulling during opening can be easily negated when the fingers are greasy.
  • the present invention is an improvement to reclosable plastic containers, such as bags, ensuring ease of grasping of the lips of bags both from a location and securing standpoint, the improvement simultaneously leading to ease of manufacture of such containers containing such improved grasping feature, hereinafter called grip strips.
  • This improvement is accomplished by modifying the lip of a reclosable bag by including on opposed surfaces thereof a plurality of generally parallel small ridges in order to provide a large area of ridged surface to grip the top or lip of the bag when opening or filling the bag. It has also been found that when a larger number of ridges are used, the ridges can be considerably smaller than when a single rib is employed and still produce an improved gripping surface.
  • small ridges are easier to produce than fewer large ribs. Small ridges require less modification to the die when added to the film by extrusion. In addition, small ridges can be produced by other techniques than extrusion such as by embossing, and a plurality of such small ridges can also provide reinforcement for the lip of the bag.
  • Figure 1 is a perspective view of a reclosable bag with improved grip strips of this invention
  • Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the bag of Figure 1 partially broken away to show a grip strip on the inside of one lip
  • Figure 3 is a partial plan view of an extrusion die employed for extruding the ridges forming the grip strip on a lip of the bag shown in Figure 1
  • Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the lower edge of the die plate shown in Figure 3
  • Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a grip lip having a single ridge as typically employed in the prior art
  • Figure 6 is a view like Figure 5 only showing a grip strip with a plurality of ridges formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and manufactured using the die plate of Figure 3
  • Figure 7A - 7E is a cross-sectional view of various embodiments of grip strips of the present invention showing some variation in ridge spacing, shape and size
  • Figure 8D shows an enlarged cross-section of the
  • FIG. 1 there is shown a container or bag 10 having opposed side walls 12 and 13, reclosable fastener elements 14, opposed lips 16 and 18, each opposed lip containing grip strips 20 and 21 respectively, which grip strips provide for improved ease of opening and holding the bag for filling.
  • Figure 2 is a view like Figure 1 showing through a broken away section the inside of side 13 of the bag 10 with its lip 16 and grip strip 20, the latter comprising a plurality of elongated generally parallel ridges 22 extending from substantially one edge 15 of the bag to the other edge 17 as a strip or band across lip 16 above reclosable fastener 18. Ridges 24 are preferably substantially continuous along their length.
  • Bag 10 can be formed in a process such as shown and described in U.S. -A- 4,515,647, with the cut-away 30 of a die 29 for grip strip ridges 22 being located to the outside of the extrusion openings 31 of each profile extrusion such as shown in fragmentary Figure 3. Cut-away 30 in the front or lower edge of the die 29 form teeth-like die projections 32 being shown in somewhat exaggerated detail for clarity.
  • the cut-aways 30 which form the ridges 22 of grip strip 20 for example, are shown to be of a triangular configuration so as to provide ridges 22 with a generally triangular configuration, as shown in Figure 6, for example and described in more detail later.
  • a land 34 between cut-aways 30 is purposely not as great as the spacing "x" between the peaks 25 of adjacent ridges 22.
  • the land area 34 ( Figure 4) between cut-aways 30, which form ridges 22, is greatly extended to the distance roughly shown as about "x” minus the width "w” of one ridge 22 ( Figure 6).
  • the spacing between the ridges 22 effected by the draw-down in the extrusion process, but also the particular shape of each of the ridges 22 as disclosed hereinafter.
  • the cut-away openings 30 can take various configurations approaching a rectangle, all the way to a saw tooth type opening, such as a right triangular configuration or take the shape of a equilateral triangle.
  • a shape is desired which can present at least an edge to be engaged by a finger or a thumb when gripping the lip to open the bag containing a grip strip 20, such as shown in gripping edge 41 of ridge 22 in Figure 8D or gripping edges 42 of ridge 43 in Figure 8E, which edges are shown slightly rounded because some rounding occurs in draw-down during the extrusion process.
  • Figure 5 illustrates a grip lip 36 of the prior art which has a film thickness "t" of about two to three thousandths of an inch (0.05 to 0.08 mm), and a grip lip height "h” of from two to five hundredths of an inch (0.5 to 1.3 mm). There generally are only one or two such ribs 36 on a grip lip.
  • the film thickness "t" can be about the same as that in Figure 5, that is about two to three thousandths of an inch thick (0.05 to 0.08 mm), but the ridges are only about two to nine thousandths of an inch (0.05 to 0.23 mm) tall and they are spaced at a density of about 12 to 16 ridges per lineal inch (2.54 cm) of film across the grip strips width w, which in the illustration shown in Figure 6 gives a spacing x of about 0.06 to 0.08 inches (1.5 to 2.0 mm) from tip 23 to tip 23 of adjacent ridges 22.
  • Figure 7A - 7E Various modifications of this invention are shown in Figure 7A - 7E, for example, all on about the same scale (50 times actual size) as that used for Figures 5 and 6, the various ridge heights and ridge spacing. While all of these embodiments are operable (the embodiments of Figures 7B through 7E were actually made), if there was a preference it would be for the embodiment of Figure 7D.
  • the number (7) for Figure 7A, (12) for Figure 7B, (24) for Figure 7C, (16) for 7D, and (20) for 7E gives the number of ridges 22 or ridges 43 per inch (2.54 cm) of film being about 7 to 24 (preferably 12 to 16), 16 ribs per inch (2.54 cm) of film and with ridges from 0.002 to 0.009 inches (0.05 to 0.23 mm) tall preferably 0.003 to 0.005 inches (0.08 to 0.13 mm) tall. If one goes much below 0.002 inches (0.05 mm) in height ridges became difficult to feel. While a higher ridge may be easier to feel, it requires more material to form and is more difficult to form, as explained earlier.
  • a grip strip according to this invention provides a better feel, but it is more foolproof because one can grip the lip anywhere and find more than one ridge upon which to engage fingers for pulling zippers or other reclosable elements apart or holding the bag even with greasy fingers.
  • the prior art grip lip As against 63 percent for the grip strip of this invention, while 8 percent thought that they were about equally effective.
  • the numbers were 25 percent, 72 percent and 3 percent, respectively showing an overwhelming preference for the grip strip of this invention, especially with greasy hands where the test is the most severe.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Bag Frames (AREA)
  • Making Paper Articles (AREA)
  • Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
EP86112924A 1985-09-26 1986-09-18 Reclosable container with grip strip Expired - Lifetime EP0220476B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT86112924T ATE63519T1 (de) 1985-09-26 1986-09-18 Wiederverschliessbarer beutel mit griffstreifen.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US78112585A 1985-09-26 1985-09-26
US781125 1985-09-26

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0220476A2 EP0220476A2 (en) 1987-05-06
EP0220476A3 EP0220476A3 (en) 1988-09-07
EP0220476B1 true EP0220476B1 (en) 1991-05-15

Family

ID=25121777

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP86112924A Expired - Lifetime EP0220476B1 (en) 1985-09-26 1986-09-18 Reclosable container with grip strip

Country Status (9)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0220476B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS6278062A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
KR (1) KR930001030B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
AR (1) AR247699A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
AT (1) ATE63519T1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BR (1) BR8604711A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CA (1) CA1265105A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE3679277D1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
HK (1) HK70391A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7137736B2 (en) 2003-05-19 2006-11-21 S.C. Johnson Home Storage, Inc. Closure device for a reclosable pouch
US7419300B2 (en) 2004-06-16 2008-09-02 S.C. Johnson Home Storage, Inc. Pouch having fold-up handles
US7494333B2 (en) 2004-06-04 2009-02-24 S.C. Johnson Home Storage, Inc. Apparatus for forming multiple closure elements
US7850368B2 (en) 2004-06-04 2010-12-14 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Closure device for a reclosable pouch

Families Citing this family (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0644822Y2 (ja) * 1988-06-06 1994-11-16 株式会社生産日本社 合成樹脂製の袋体
JPH0619482Y2 (ja) * 1989-08-09 1994-05-25 株式会社生産日本社 合成樹脂製袋体
JPH0637946Y2 (ja) * 1989-09-07 1994-10-05 株式会社生産日本社 合成樹脂製袋体
JPH0398856A (ja) * 1989-09-12 1991-04-24 Kureha Plast Kk 減圧包装用プラスチックス袋
US5209574A (en) * 1991-11-22 1993-05-11 Minigrip, Inc. Reclosable plastic bag with sliderless zipper
JP2593466Y2 (ja) * 1992-03-25 1999-04-12 ワイケイケイ株式会社 レール状ファスナー
GB2271756B (en) * 1992-10-20 1996-09-25 Welton Packaging Limited Bags
JP2002337892A (ja) * 2001-05-22 2002-11-27 Showa Highpolymer Co Ltd プラスチックファスナー付き袋体及びその製造方法
US6994535B2 (en) 2002-06-27 2006-02-07 S.C. Johnson Home Storage, Inc. Method and apparatus for forming a guide rib on a section of plastic film
JP4869666B2 (ja) * 2005-09-21 2012-02-08 カルソニックカンセイ株式会社 モータ構造およびモータのヨーク

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3984047A (en) * 1973-07-26 1976-10-05 Mobil Oil Corporation Reinforced thin wall plastic bag
US4363345A (en) * 1980-06-02 1982-12-14 Union Carbide Corporation Reclosable container
NZ203576A (en) * 1982-03-24 1986-05-09 Union Carbide Corp Reclosable plastics bag:non slip gripping edges
DK82383D0 (da) * 1982-03-24 1983-02-23 Union Carbide Corp Fremgangsmade til fremstilling af en genlukkelig beholder, samt ensadan genlukkelig beholder
US4736496A (en) * 1982-12-27 1988-04-12 The Dow Chemical Company Closure for thermoplastic containers

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7137736B2 (en) 2003-05-19 2006-11-21 S.C. Johnson Home Storage, Inc. Closure device for a reclosable pouch
US7410298B2 (en) 2003-05-19 2008-08-12 S.C. Johnson Home Storage, Inc. Closure device for a reclosable pouch
US7494333B2 (en) 2004-06-04 2009-02-24 S.C. Johnson Home Storage, Inc. Apparatus for forming multiple closure elements
US7850368B2 (en) 2004-06-04 2010-12-14 S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Closure device for a reclosable pouch
US7419300B2 (en) 2004-06-16 2008-09-02 S.C. Johnson Home Storage, Inc. Pouch having fold-up handles

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BR8604711A (pt) 1987-06-23
KR870002991A (ko) 1987-04-14
CA1265105A (en) 1990-01-30
ATE63519T1 (de) 1991-06-15
JPH0349822B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1991-07-30
DE3679277D1 (de) 1991-06-20
EP0220476A3 (en) 1988-09-07
KR930001030B1 (ko) 1993-02-13
EP0220476A2 (en) 1987-05-06
HK70391A (en) 1991-09-06
AR247699A1 (es) 1995-03-31
JPS6278062A (ja) 1987-04-10

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