EP0881156B1 - Bande de fermeture à profilés avec couche d'étanchéité pelable - Google Patents

Bande de fermeture à profilés avec couche d'étanchéité pelable Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0881156B1
EP0881156B1 EP97401182A EP97401182A EP0881156B1 EP 0881156 B1 EP0881156 B1 EP 0881156B1 EP 97401182 A EP97401182 A EP 97401182A EP 97401182 A EP97401182 A EP 97401182A EP 0881156 B1 EP0881156 B1 EP 0881156B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
peel seal
film strip
peel
zipper tape
polymeric resin
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
EP97401182A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0881156A1 (fr
Inventor
Ronald L Ramsey
Lawrence Share
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.)
Illinois Tool Works Inc
Original Assignee
Illinois Tool Works 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 Illinois Tool Works Inc filed Critical Illinois Tool Works Inc
Priority to DE69732347T priority Critical patent/DE69732347T2/de
Priority to EP97401182A priority patent/EP0881156B1/fr
Priority to ES97401182T priority patent/ES2236785T3/es
Priority to AT97401182T priority patent/ATE287833T1/de
Priority to DK97401182T priority patent/DK0881156T3/da
Publication of EP0881156A1 publication Critical patent/EP0881156A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0881156B1 publication Critical patent/EP0881156B1/fr
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
    • 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
    • B65D33/2516—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 comprising tamper-indicating means, e.g. located within the fastener
    • B65D33/2533—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 comprising tamper-indicating means, e.g. located within the fastener the slide fastener being located between the product compartment and the tamper indicating means

Definitions

  • the present invention relates, in general, to the packaging art, and, more particularly, is concerned with a continuous reclosable plastic zipper of a type which is used to close the mouth of a bag or package, and which includes a tamper-evident, non-reclosable peel seal with a feature giving a clear indication of the integrity of the peel seal.
  • a member having a plurality of ribs may be on one side of the bag mouth, while a member having a plurality of channels may be on the other side, the ribs locking into the channels when the sides of the mouth of the bag are pressed together.
  • the ribs may simply be the intervals between channels on a strip which may lock into another of the same kind.
  • some form of male/female interengagement is used to join the two sides of the bag mouth together.
  • the so-called members, or strips, are bonded in some manner to the material from which the bags themselves are manufactured.
  • pull flanges extend above the rib and groove strips, which pull flanges may be pulled apart for access to the interior of the bag.
  • reclosable plastic bags and packages are assembled using two interlocking rib and groove members which reclosably seal the plastic bag or package.
  • a strip-like area adjacent and parallel to one of the two interlocking rib or groove members is continuously given a treatment, for example, a flame or corona discharge treatment, to cause an adhesive to preferentially adhere to the treated area.
  • the adhesive which is applied to the treated area to form the peel seal, is retained on the treated area, rather than on the opposed interlocking rib or groove member not so treated, when the peel seal is broken for the first time. Thereafter, the peel seal remains broken, as the adhesive does not have an affinity for the untreated plastic of the opposite rib or groove number once it has been separated therefrom.
  • Peel seals are also disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 4,925,318; 4,969,967; and 5,188,461.
  • Each of these patents shows a package having a closure area comprising first and second opposed surfaces.
  • Profiled portions adapted to be releasably interengaged to permit connection and disconnection of the opposed surfaces, are secured to and extend over each of the opposed surfaces.
  • the profiled portions are each formed integrally with an outer layer of a strip material secured to the associated one of the opposed surfaces.
  • the outer layer of the strip material is formed of a material well-suited for forming a peel-seal weld with the other opposed surface of the package, such as a portion of the outer layer of the opposing strip material.
  • the profiled portions themselves, then, are formed from the peel-seal material.
  • the outer layer of each strip material is secured to the one of the first and second opposed surfaces via a base layer of the strip material to which the outer layer is secured by means of a non-peel-seal type connection.
  • the profile portions, being formed from a peel-seal material, are frequently damaged during the peel-seal welding process, or during the opening of the peel seal when the package is initially opened.
  • the present invention is defined in the appended claim 1 which is delimited in the two part form in view of document US 4 925 318.
  • the peel seal zipper of the invention comprises a peel seal zipper tape wherein first and second mutually interlocking zipper profiles, such as a male zipper profile and a female zipper profile, are disposed on a top surface of a laminated film strip.
  • the top surface of the strip is formed by a sealant material.
  • the laminated film strip includes three layers: a first layer of a sealant material forming the top surface thereof; a second layer below the first layer; and a third layer below the second, the third layer being of a non-peel-seal material.
  • the second layer is of a material that has limited bond strength with both the sealant material and the non-peel-seal material.
  • the zipper tape is folded over so that the zipper profiles disposed on the laminated film strip may be interlocked with one another.
  • the act of folding the zipper tape in this manner leaves portions having a surface of a sealant material facing each other, and portions having a surface of a non-peel-seal material facing outward.
  • Plastic sheet material is bonded to the outwardly facing portions of non-peel-seal material during the manufacture of plastic bags and packages.
  • the facing portions of the laminated film strip are sealed to one another.
  • the peel seal thus formed has the desired characteristic of providing a visual indication of having been initially opened, and is not resealable thereafter.
  • the initial breaking and separation of the peel seal sets up an internal stress within the polymeric resin material in the second layer, causing a whitening or discoloration that provides the desired visual indication of opening.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a representative embodiment of the peel seal zipper tape 10 of the present invention.
  • the zipper tape 10 comprises a peel-sealable laminated film strip 12, at least one male zipper profile 14, and at least one female zipper profile 16 interlockable with the male zipper profile 14 to form a resealable closure for a reclosable plastic bag or package.
  • Each male and female zipper profile 14, 16 is applied onto a base web 18, previously applied to the laminated film strip 12.
  • two male zipper profiles 14 and two female zipper profiles 16 are shown in Figure 1. It should be understood that the zipper tape 10 may, should a particular application so require, have only one male zipper profile 14 and one female zipper profile 16. It should further be understood that interlockable zipper profiles of designs other than that shown in Figure 1 may be used in the practice of the present invention, such as zipper profiles having interlocking rib and groove members.
  • the male and female zipper profiles 14, 16 may be extruded from a first polymeric resin material onto base webs 18 previously applied to film strip 12.
  • the first polymeric resin material may be polyethylene, preferably a low-density polyethylene (LDPE).
  • Base webs 18 may be applied to film strip 12 by extrusion from a second polymeric resin material and may be flattened onto the film strip 12 by passage therewith through a nip formed between two rolls.
  • the second polymeric material may also be polyethylene, preferably a low-density polyethylene (LDPE).
  • FIG 2 is an enlarged (relative to Figure 1) cross-sectional view of film strip 12, which will be seen to comprise three separate and distinct layers.
  • a first layer 20 forms a top surface 22 of the film strip 12 and comprises a third polymeric resin material.
  • the third polymeric resin material is a sealant material. Because the top surface 22 of the film strip 12 is formed by a sealant material, when the film strip 12 is folded in such a way that the top surface 22 is within the fold, the facing top surfaces 22 may be sealed to one another. Therein lies the purpose for incorporating laminated film strip 12 into the present invention.
  • the third polymeric resin material may be an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer material having a strong adhesion to polyethylene. This is especially so where the base webs 18 have been extruded from polyethylene.
  • EVA ethylene vinyl acetate
  • the third polymeric resin material (sealant material) of the first layer 20 should have a strong adhesion to the second polymeric resin material of the base webs 18, so that the base webs 18 may be firmly attached to the top surface 22 of the laminated film strip 12 when applied thereto.
  • Laminated film strip 12 also has a second (middle) layer 24, comprising a fourth polymeric resin material, and a third layer 26, comprising a fifth polymeric resin material which forms a bottom surface 28 for the film strip 12.
  • the fifth polymeric resin material is a non-peel-sealable material, so that the bottom surface 28 of the film strip 12 may be non-removably sealed to plastic film or sheet material from which plastic bags or packages are fashioned.
  • the fifth polymeric resin material may also be polyethylene, preferable low-density polyethylene (LDPE).
  • the fourth polymeric resin material of the second (middle) layer 24 separates the third polymeric resin material (sealant material) of the first layer 20 from the fifth polymeric resin material (non-peel-seal material) of the third layer 26.
  • the fourth polymeric resin material has a limited adhesion to the third polymeric resin material (sealant material), and a limited adhesion (incompatibility) to the fifth polymeric resin material (non-peel-seal material), so that the second (middle) layer 24 will separate from the first layer 20 and the third layer 26 in the region of a peel seal, when the peel seal is initially broken.
  • the forces associated with the separation cause a whitening or discoloration in the fourth polymeric resin material of the second (middle) layer 24 in the region of the broken peel seal, giving an obvious visual indication that the peel seal has been broken.
  • Peel-sealable laminated film strips 12 of the variety with which the present invention may be practiced may be obtained from Curwood, Inc. of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S.A. under product numbers 1834K and 1837. Peelable films of this type are designed to be heat-sealed to themselves or to other films, and to be peeled apart under known, predictable forces. When peeled apart, the separation mechanism is delamination within the peelable film itself. The delamination, which comprises one layer peeling off of its neighboring layer within the film structure, occurs because the bond between the two layers is weaker than the bond between the peelable film and the material to which it is sealed. These films, when peeled open, usually show a frosted white imprint indicating where they had been sealed together.
  • Figures 3a, 3b and 3c illustrate how these peelable films function.
  • laminated film strip 12 is disposed adjacent to a film 25.
  • a heat-seal sealing bar 27 is disposed adjacent to laminated film strip 12 to heat-seal it to film 25.
  • Figure 3b shows the heat seal 29 produced by heat-seal sealing bar 27 between the first layer 20 of laminated film strip 12 and film 25.
  • Figure 3c shows the separation of heat seal 29 caused by the delamination of the second (middle) layer 24 from the first layer 20 and the third layer 26 when the heat seal 29 is broken.
  • the present invention combines peelable films of this type with reclosable plastic zippers.
  • the peel seal zipper tape 10 of the present invention may be used as described in the following example, although it should be understood that the use of the zipper tape 10 is not limited to the type of package shown in that example.
  • Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the zipper tape 10 shown in Figure 1.
  • Film strip 12 has been folded at each end and male zipper profiles 14 interlocked with their neighboring female zipper profiles 16.
  • the third polymeric resin material (sealant material) of the first layer 20 of the laminated film strip 12 is disposed within the folds 30, so that seals between the facing portions of the film strip 12 may ultimately be formed.
  • Figure 5 shows a typical next step wherein the laminated film strip 12 is cut or slit at folds 30, so that male zipper profiles 14, interlocked with female profiles 16, are disposed on short webs 32 of film strip 12, while female profiles 16 are disposed on long web 34 of film strip 12.
  • Figure 6 shows the attachment of a bottom sheet 36 of plastic packaging film to the underside of the long web 34, the underside of the long web 34 being that side of the film strip 12 formed by the fifth polymeric resin material (non-peel-sealable material) on the bottom surface 28 thereof.
  • Heat-seal sealing bars 38 bond the long web 34 to the bottom sheet 36.
  • Figure 7 shows seals 40 produced by heat-seal sealing bars 38 between long web 34 and bottom sheet 36. Pockets 42 are formed in bottom sheet 36 for a consumer food product 44.
  • FIG 8 shows the attachment of a top sheet 46 of plastic packaging film to the topsides of the short webs 32 and to the edges 48 of bottom sheet 36.
  • the topsides of the short webs 32 are that side of the film strip 12 formed by the fifth polymeric resin material (non-peel-sealable material) on the bottom surface 28 thereof.
  • Heat-seal sealing bars S0 bond the top sheet 46 to the edges 48 of bottom sheet 36.
  • Heat-seal sealing bars 52 bond the top sheet 46 to the topsides of the short webs 32, forming seals 54, shown in Figure 9. At the same time, heat-seal sealing bars 52 form peel seals 56 between the short webs 32 and the long web 34.
  • Figure 9 shows the end result of the process, two packages 58 filled with a consumer food product 44, each package 58 having a tamper-evident, non-reclosable peel seal 56 and a reclosable opening formed by interlocking male and female zipper profiles 14, 16.
  • the two packages 58 may be separated from one another by cutting at the point indicated by the dashed line 60.
  • the mouths of each of the two packages 58 may be sealed external to the peel seals 56, and may be provided with perforations, so that a consumer may tear open the mouth of a package 58 as a first step in gaining access to the contents (consumer food product 44) thereof.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Bag Frames (AREA)
  • Sealing Material Composition (AREA)
  • Cable Accessories (AREA)
  • Specific Sealing Or Ventilating Devices For Doors And Windows (AREA)

Claims (15)

  1. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable comprenant un premier (14) et un deuxième (16) profilés de fermeture à accrochage mutuel, lesdits profilés de fermeture étant disposés sur une surface supérieure d'un ruban de film stratifié (12) comprenant une pluralité de couches (20, 24, 26), ladite surface supérieure étant formée d'une matière d'étanchéité (20), caractérisée en ce que ledit ruban de film stratifié (12) comprend 3 couches (20, 24, 26) dans lesquelles la couche intermédiaire (24) présente une adhérence limitée aux deux couches adjacentes (20, 26), si bien que la couche intermédiaire (24) se séparera des deux autres couches adjacentes (20, 26) lorsque la couche d'étanchéité pelable sera rompue pour la première fois, entraínant un blanchiment ou un changement de couleur de la zone où la couche d'étanchéité a été rompue, pour fournir une indication visuelle nette de l'intégrité de la couche d'étanchéité pelable.
  2. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle ledit premier (14) et ledit deuxième (16) profilés de fermeture à accrochage mutuel sont extrudés à partir d'une première matière de résine polymère.
  3. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 2, dans laquelle ladite première matière de résine polymère est le polyéthylène.
  4. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 3, dans laquelle ledit polyéthylène est le polyéthylène basse densité (LDPE).
  5. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 1, comprenant en outre une première et une deuxième toiles de base (18), ladite première toile de base (18) étant disposée entre ledit premier profilé de fermeture à imbrication (14) et ladite surface supérieure (20) dudit ruban de film stratifié (12), et ladite deuxième toile de base (18) étant disposée entre ledit deuxième profilé de fermeture à imbrication (16) et ladite surface supérieure (20) dudit ruban de film stratifié (12).
  6. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 5, dans laquelle lesdites première et deuxièmes toiles de base (18) sont extrudées à partir d'une deuxième matière de résine polymère.
  7. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 6, dans laquelle ladite deuxième matière de résine polymère est le polyéthylène.
  8. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 7, dans laquelle ledit polyéthylène est le polyéthylène basse densité (LDPE).
  9. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle ledit ruban de film stratifié comprend une première couche (20) de ladite matière d'étanchéité, ladite première couche formant ladite première surface dudit ruban de film stratifié (12).
  10. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 9, dans laquelle ladite matière d'étanchéité (20) est une troisième matière de résine polymère.
  11. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 10, dans laquelle ladite troisième matière de résine polymère est une matière copolymère éthylène/acétate de vinyle (EVA).
  12. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 10, dans laquelle ledit ruban de film stratifié (12) comprend en outre une deuxième couche (24) d'une quatrième matière de résine polymère, ladite deuxième couche (24) étant en dessous de ladite première couche (20), et une troisième couche (26) d'une cinquième matière de résine polymère, ladite troisième couche (26) étant en dessous de ladite deuxième couche (24) et formant une surface inférieure dudit ruban de film stratifié (12), ladite cinquième matière de résine polymère étant une matière d'étanchéité non pelable.
  13. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 12, dans laquelle ladite quatrième matière de résine polymère (24) présente une adhérence limitée à ladite troisième matière de résine polymère (20) et une adhérence limitée à ladite cinquième matière de résine polymère (26).
  14. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 12, dans laquelle ladite cinquième matière de résine polymère (26) est le polyéthylène.
  15. Bande de fermeture à couche d'étanchéité pelable selon la revendication 14, dans laquelle ledit polyéthylène est le polyéthylène basse densité (LDPE).
EP97401182A 1997-05-29 1997-05-29 Bande de fermeture à profilés avec couche d'étanchéité pelable Expired - Lifetime EP0881156B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE69732347T DE69732347T2 (de) 1997-05-29 1997-05-29 Komplementärer Profilverschlussstreifen mit einer abreissbaren Abdichtungsschicht
EP97401182A EP0881156B1 (fr) 1997-05-29 1997-05-29 Bande de fermeture à profilés avec couche d'étanchéité pelable
ES97401182T ES2236785T3 (es) 1997-05-29 1997-05-29 Cinta de cierre perfilada con una capa selladora pelable.
AT97401182T ATE287833T1 (de) 1997-05-29 1997-05-29 Komplementärer profilverschlussstreifen mit einer abreissbaren abdichtungsschicht
DK97401182T DK0881156T3 (da) 1997-05-29 1997-05-29 Aftrækningsforseglingslynlåstæpe

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP97401182A EP0881156B1 (fr) 1997-05-29 1997-05-29 Bande de fermeture à profilés avec couche d'étanchéité pelable

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0881156A1 EP0881156A1 (fr) 1998-12-02
EP0881156B1 true EP0881156B1 (fr) 2005-01-26

Family

ID=8229763

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97401182A Expired - Lifetime EP0881156B1 (fr) 1997-05-29 1997-05-29 Bande de fermeture à profilés avec couche d'étanchéité pelable

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0881156B1 (fr)
AT (1) ATE287833T1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69732347T2 (fr)
DK (1) DK0881156T3 (fr)
ES (1) ES2236785T3 (fr)

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3416755A1 (de) * 1984-05-07 1985-11-07 Nyffeler, Corti AG, Kirchberg Kalt- oder heisssiegelbare mehrschichtfolie fuer wiederverschliessbare verpackungen
DK576888D0 (da) * 1988-10-17 1988-10-17 Schur Int As Brdr Fremgangsmaade ved fremstilling af poseemballager med oprivelig svejselukning, saadanne emballager med genlukningsprofildele, samt hjaelpemateriale til brug ved denne fremstilling
FR2686578A1 (fr) * 1992-01-27 1993-07-30 Alsacienne Aluminium Recipient, notamment pot ou barquette, comportant un opercule de refermeture pourvu d'une couche de vernis a pouvoir adherent permanent.
CA2129405C (fr) * 1993-08-27 1999-12-21 Todd Carlson Materiau pour fermeture a glissiere et configuration de celle-ci

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69732347D1 (de) 2005-03-03
EP0881156A1 (fr) 1998-12-02
ATE287833T1 (de) 2005-02-15
DK0881156T3 (da) 2005-05-30
DE69732347T2 (de) 2005-06-30
ES2236785T3 (es) 2005-07-16

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