FI78436B - LAETTARE FOERSLUTBART FOERREGLANDE TILLSLUTNINGSDON. - Google Patents

Abstract

A male closure element comprising a U-shaped channel element including a profile portion (18) comprising a base portion (20) having a pair of spaced-apart, parallelly disposed webs (21) attached to the base portion (20) and extending therefrom, the webs (21) terminating in hooks (22) comprising hook portions (23) facing away from each other and hook projections (31) facing toward each other. The closure element may be employed with interlocking fastening devices to provide thereto improved ease of occlusion characteristics.

Description

1 78436

Easier closing closure device Lättare förslutbart förreglande ti 1lslutningsdon

Reference to an Application Related to This Application: This application relates to co-pending U.S. Application No. 509,709, filed June 30, 1983, for a lockable closure device that is removably removable and easier to close.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a closure device, i.e. a closure device, and in particular to a closure device provided with interlocking closures, which has improved closure properties.

Description of the prior art

Closure devices intended for use in plastic bags and the like are generally known. In addition, methods of manufacturing closure devices made of plastic material are generally known.

The closure devices used in plastic bags should be relatively easy to open and should also provide a satisfactorily tight closure.

However, it has been found that in some prior art closure devices with interlocking closures, the male and female closure elements tend to overlap rather than close when closed as opposed to a normal closed position. Such an unsealed situation, and the overlapping position of the male and female closure elements in the plastic bag, prevents the closure elements from locking and results in 2 78436 that the contents of the bag will not be securely closed in the bag.

Thus, it would be desirable to provide more secure control of the opposing closure elements so that the elements would better engage repeatedly in a normal closed position, and that the elements would be prevented from engaging an unlocked and superimposed position.

For this reason, there is a continuing need to provide closure devices that overcome the above disadvantages. This need is satisfied by the invention, the characteristic features of which are set out in the appended claims.

According to the invention, there is generally provided a closure device with interlocking closures having a closed height of between about 1.52 mm (60 mils) and about 2.16 mm (85 mils), preferably about 1.78 mm (70 mils), and having a respective closed width of between about 2.41 mm (95 mils) and about 3.18 mm (125 mils), preferably about 2.79 mm (110 mils), comprising a female closure element and a male closure element shaped so as to: the male and female closure elements engage each other in a lockable connection, the male closure element comprising a profile portion comprising a base portion having a pair of spaced parallel spaced webs connected to and projecting from the base portion, said webs terminating outwardly of the hooks; The female closure element includes a profile portion comprising a base portion having a pair of spaced parallel webs structurally connected to the base portion and adapted to extend over the webs of the male closure element, the webs of the female closure element terminating toward the hooks facing the hooks.

Even more particularly, according to the invention, the male closure element comprises a U-shaped trough element comprising a profile part comprising a base part with a pair of spaced parallel webs 3 78436 connected to the base part and projecting therefrom, said webs terminating in hooks which facing away from each other. The hook portion of each web of the male closure element comprises a hook portion and a hook protrusion. The hook parts face each other and the hook projections face each other. Because the two hook protrusions face each other, they reduce the width of the transverse opening between the webs of the dog closure element in the region of the hooks, thus preventing each web of the female closure element from tending to enter the gap between the webs of the male closure element. The male closure element according to the invention thus reduces the possibility of the elements overlapping each other when closing a closure device with interlocking closures with a male closure element and a female closure element, which leads to greater closure ease and more secure closure.

Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a male closure element as described above, the base portion of which is resiliently flexible.

Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a container having a male closure element as described above.

The invention thus includes the features of the structure, the combination of elements and the arrangement of the parts, which are set out below by way of example in the form of a structure.

Brief explanation of the drawings

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a flexible container with a closure device according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a section of a prior art non-closing closure device in which the elements extend over each other;

Figure 3 shows a section of the closure device of Figure 2 in a misaligned position;

Fig. 4 shows a section of the closing device according to Fig. 2 in a correctly aligned position just before closing; 4,78436

Figure 5 shows a section of the closure device according to Figure 2 in the closed position;

Figure 6 shows a section of a dog closure element according to the invention;

Figure 7 shows a section of a closure device according to the invention in a misaligned position;

Figure 8 shows a section of a closure device according to the invention in a correctly aligned position just before closing;

Figure 9 shows a section of a closure device according to the invention in a closed position.

Detailed description of the invention

In carrying out the invention, certain embodiments have been selected to illustrate it in the accompanying drawings and in this specification, with reference to Figures 1-9.

Figure 1 shows a typical flexible plastic container 10 folded from a base portion 11 and heat-sealed along the side edges 12 to form a bag or sack. The sidewalls may extend past the closure device 14 to form gripping portions to facilitate opening of the closure device 14.

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 show a closure device according to the prior art, in which the closure elements are in a stacked position, in a misaligned position, in a correctly aligned position and in a closed position, respectively.

Figure 2 shows a male profile portion 18 connected to a flange portion 19 and comprising a base portion 20, a pair of spaced parallel webs 21 extending generally perpendicular to the base portion 20, and male hook portions 22 projecting from the web 21 and extending away from each other. Both male hook portions have rounded brush surfaces 23 and 23 'that generally function to guide the hook portions to close with the female hook portions of the mating closure element. The female profile portion 24 is connected to the flange portion 25 and comprises a base portion 26, a pair of spaced parallel webs 27 extending generally perpendicular to the base portion 26, and female hook portions 28 projecting from the web 27 and facing each other. Both female hook portions have rounded brush surfaces 29 and 29 'which act to guide the hook portions to close with the male hook portions of the mating closure element. The profile parts 18 and 24 shown in Fig. 2 can be formed separately and then connected to the plastic film forming the side wall 13, or they can be formed integrally with the side walls as shown in Fig. 1.

It can be seen from Figure 2 that when the prior art closure device is in a position where the elements extend over each other just before the device is to be closed, the web and hook portions of the second closure element fit into an empty or open trough between the web and hook portions of the second closure element. therefore, the closure of the compatible closure elements should take place. This superimposition of the gutter-closing elements of the plastic bag means that the contents of the bag will not be sealed in the bag.

Figure 3 shows the non-closing closure device of Figure 2 in a misaligned position just before attempting to close it. When the male profile portion 18 is misaligned with respect to the female profile portion just before attempting to close the interlocking closure device, the surface 23 'of the second male hook portion 22 and the surface 29' of the second female hook portion 28 are in balance so that the surface 23 'and surface 29' can slide either to the closed position, as shown in Figure 4, or to the overlapping position, as shown in Figure 2.

In order to ensure the closure of the closure device with interlocking closures according to the prior art, the male profile part 18 and the female profile part 24 must always be correctly aligned transversely just before the closure device is to be closed, as shown in Fig. 4. That is, the surfaces 23 and 23 'of both male profile portions 22 should be located in a laterally inward position relative to the surfaces 29 and 29' of both female profile portions 28. When contact pressure is applied to the closure devices provided with the interlocking closures shown in Fig. 4, the male profile portion 18 and the female profile portion 24 interlock in the normal closed position shown in Fig. 5.

According to the invention, when the outer surfaces 32 of the male profile parts 22 'are shaped as shown in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9, it has been found that such a structure is less sensitive to alignment and provides more secure control of compatible closure elements, and the elements adhere more easily and precisely to the desired closed position. position compared to previously known closure devices with interlocking closures.

Figure 6 shows in detail the male profile part 18 'according to the invention, the hook protrusions 31 in the hook parts 22' being seen extending from the broken lines 23 "shown in the figure, forming a reduced opening between the hook parts 22 'and thus physically preventing the male closure element and the female closure element. thus shown in Fig. 2. Thus, any overlap between the male closure element and the female closure element is desired to be prevented, and another desired feature is achieved, i.e. easy closure by providing a guiding action on the female closure member hook surfaces 32 which can slide along the outer closure of the male closure. This control helps to guide the male and female closure elements to the correct closing position.As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the hook protrusions 31 may be of the desired length and may virtually close the gap or void therebetween. space and prevents the hook and web parts of the female closure element from entering this space, thus virtually completely ensuring the closure and eliminating the possibility of overlapping between the male and female closure elements.

Factors to be considered in the manufacture may limit the extent to which the hook projections 31 are placed close to each other, thus reducing the steering effect between the male closure element according to the invention and the conventional locking female closure element. Satisfactory results are obtained when the lengths of the hook projections 31 on a proportional scale relative to the closed height and closed width of the locking device with interlocking closures are between about 0.13 mm (5 mils) and about 0.20 mm (8 mils) measured from the broken lines shown in Fig. 6. 33 between. However, it is preferred that the lengths of the hook protrusions 31 on a proportional scale relative to the closed height and closed width of the closure closure closure are between about 0.13 mm (5 mils) and about 0.51 mm (20 mils), since such lengths provide the above-mentioned desired characteristics of closure devices with interlocking closures.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, certain portions of the hook portions 22 "of the male closure element of the invention have lengths on a proportional scale relative to the closed height and closed width of the interlocking closure device between about 0.13 mm (5 mils) and about 0.25 mm ( 10 mil) measured between the dashed lines 34 shown in Figure 6.

In this context, the term "proportional" is used to mean the relative proportions of the closure elements of a closure device provided with interlocking closures when the male and female closure elements are closed to each other. Thus, when the closure device with the interlocking closures of the invention has a closed height of between about 1.52 mm (60 mils) and about 2.16 mm (85 mils) and a closed width of between about 2.41 mm (95 mils) and about 3.18 mm (125 mils), the lengths of the hook portions of the 8,78436 male closure element are between about 0.13 nm (5 mils) and about 0.25 mm (10 mils), and the lengths of the hook protrusions of the male closure element are between about 0.13 mm (5 mils) and about 0.51 mm (20 mils) on a proportional scale in relation to the closed height and closed width of the closure device with interlocking closures.

Thus, when the closed height and closed width of the interlocking closure device of the invention are either increased or decreased, the lengths of the hook portions and hook protrusions of the male closure element should be increased or decreased proportionally to maintain the relative proportions of the closure elements.

Figure 7 shows a male closure element according to the invention in a position misaligned with respect to the female closure element just before it closes with it. It can be seen from Figure 7 that although the male closure element and the female closure element are misaligned as much as in the case of Figure 3, the hook projections 31 extending from the hook portions 22 'of the male closure element guide them to the desired closing alignment for locking.

It can be seen from Figure 8 that when the male closure element according to the invention is correctly aligned with the female closure element just before closing, this not only leads to easier closure between the elements, but also prevents the male closure element and the female closure element from moving to the unlocked position.

The contact pressure exerted on the closure device with interlocking closures applied to the position according to Fig. 8 locks the male profile part 18 'according to the invention and the female profile part 24 to the normally closed position shown in Fig. 9.

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It should be noted that during the closing operation of the female profile portion 24 and the male profile portion 18 ', at least one of the base portions 26 and 20 bends, or the webs 27 and 21 bend, or the hooks 28 and 22' bend, or some combination of these portions bend to effect closure.

In general, the closure device of the invention may be formed of thermoplastic materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, or the like, or a combination thereof. Thus, resins such as high density polyethylene, medium density polyethylene and low density polyethylene, or mixtures thereof can be used to make the novel closure device of the invention.

The closure device according to the invention can be manufactured by extrusion or by another known method of manufacturing such devices. The closure device can be made of separate closure elements for later attachment to the film, or the closure profile parts can be made as integral parts of the film. In addition, one or both of the closure elements of the closure device may be manufactured with or without a flange portion, depending on the intended use or the expected additional manufacturing steps.

In a practical embodiment of the invention, the closure device may be formed as an integral part of the side wall of the container, or may be attached to the container or film from which the container is to be made, using any of a number of known methods. A thermoelectric device may be applied to the film in contact with the flange portion of the closure element, or such a device may be applied to the film in contact with the base portion of the flange-free closure element to provide heat transfer through the film and form a molten area at the flange portion or base portion of the film. After cooling, the interface area joins the film and the sealing element. The thermoelectric device can be rotating plates, or resistance-heated sliding wires, or ίο 7 8 4 36 movable heating strips etc., the connection between the film and the sealing element can also be achieved by using hot-melt adhesives, or by hot-air jets applied to the interface, or by ultrasonic heating, or . In general, the closure device can be made of a non-heat-sealable material, so that the container can be economically manufactured by heat-sealing the above-mentioned components to form a container.

The closure device according to the invention provides several advantages for containers available to consumers. For example, the closure device is easy to close and does not tend to twist and twist when attempting to close, as some prior art devices do, such as the arrowhead container available under the trade name ZIPLOC (Reg. Trademark) from Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan. . This provides convenience for Closing operation.

In addition, the closure device is more difficult to open from inside the container than from outside, which ensures that products, such as food, remain more securely in the container. The profile parts of the closure device have approximately standard cross-sections. This not only simplifies the manufacture of the devices, but also contributes to the physical flexibility of the device, which is its desired feature.

The closure device according to the invention can also be used as a flexible small tube, because good sealing can be achieved in its gripping surfaces and the space formed between the closed closure elements acts as a channel which does not flatten when the closure device is bent.

In general, the closure device according to the invention can be manufactured in several different forms for different applications. In addition, male and female closure elements can be placed on opposite sides of the film. Such an embodiment would be suitable for wrapping an object or set of objects, such as wires. Generally, the male * and female closure elements in the 11,78436 film should be parallel, but this also depends on the intended use.

We hope that it will be appreciated that we do not wish to be limited to the precise details of the structure shown and described, as alternative embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Thus, having explained the invention, we set forth our patent protection claims in the following novelty claims.

Claims (19)

A male closure member for closures having interlocking closure members, said male closure member having a u-shaped channel member comprising a profile member (18 ') having a base member (20) with a pair of spaced apart spaced apart portions (21) one piece is attached to the base member and extends therefrom, the bodies ending in hooks with hook portions (22 ') projecting away from each other, characterized in that the hooks comprise hook projections (31) which are facing each other. Male closure element according to claim 1, characterized in that the base part (20) is elastically flexible. 3. A male closure element according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the webs (21) is elastically flexible. Male closure element according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said hooks is elastically flexible. 5. A male closure element according to claim 1, characterized in that the base part (20) is attached to a flange part (19). i7 78436 A male closure element according to any one of claims 1 to 5 for a closure member having interlocking closure members, the sealed height of which is between about 1.5 mm (60 mils) and about 2.2 mm (85 mils), and the corresponding sealed ones width is between about 2.4 mm (95 mils) and about 3.2 mm (125 mils), it can be noted that the lengths of the hook projections (31) on a proportional scale relative to the sealed height and the sealed width of the the closure member having interlocking closure portions is between about 0.13 mm (5 mils) and about 0.51 mm (20 mils), or between about 0.13 mm (5 mils) and about 0.20 mm (8 mils), and / or that the lengths of the hook parts (22 ') on a proportional scale relative to the sealed height and the sealed width of the sealing member with interlocking sealing members are between about 0.13 mm (5 mils) and about 0.25 mm (10 mm). mil). A closure member with interlocking closure members, comprising a male closure member according to claim 1 and a shaped female closure member, the male closure member and the female closure member engaging each other in a regular closure, the female closure member comprising a profile member (24). base portion (26) having a pair of spaced apart parallel living bodies (27), which are integrally attached to the base portion and are spaced apart from each other so as to extend beyond the bodies (21). the male closure element, wherein the bodies (27) of the female closure member terminate in hooks (28) which are aligned with each other to engage the hooks of the male closure member; and wherein the male closure member comprises a profile member (18 ') having a base member (20) having a pair of spaced apart parallel spaced members (21) attached to the base member and extending therefrom, the bodies terminating in hooks with hook members. (22 ') directed away from each other, characterized in that the hooks of the male closure member comprise hook projections (31) which are directed towards each other. is 78 436 8. Sealing means with interlocking closure parts according to claim 7, characterized in that the base part (20) of the male closure element and / or the base part (26) of the female closure element is elastically flexible. A closure member with interlocking closure members according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one of the male closure member's life (21) and / or at least one of the female closure member's life (27) is elastically flexible. 10. A closure member with interlocking closure members according to claim 7, characterized in that Stmin at least one of the hooks of the male closure element and / or at least one of the hooks of the female closure element (28) is elastically flexible. 11. Sealing members with interlocking closure parts according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a sealed height which is between about 1.5 mm (60 mil) and about 2.2 mm (85 mil), and one against - corresponding sealed width, which is between about 2.4 mm (95 mils) and about 3.2 mm (125 mils). A closure member with interlocking closure members according to claim 11, characterized in that the lengths of the hook projections (31) in proportion to the closed height and the closed width of the closure with interlocking closure parts are between about 0.13 mm (5 mils). ) and about 0.51 mm (20 miles). Closures with interlocking closure members according to claim 11, characterized in that the lengths of the hook projections (31) in proportion to the closed height and the closed width of the closure with interlocking closure parts are between about 0.13 mm (5 mils). ) and about 0.20 mm (8 mil). i9 78436 A closure member with interlocking closure members according to claim 11, characterized in that the lengths of the hook parts (22 ') proportionally scale relative to the sealed height and the width of the closure with interlocking closure parts are approximately 0, 13 mm (5 mil) and about 0.25 mm (10 mil). A container with two side walls and a closure member having mutually regulating closure portions as claimed in claims 7 to 14, comprising a female closure member and a male closure element formed to engage the female closure member in regular closure, wherein the female closure member comprises a profile portion (24) having a base portion (26) having a pair of p! spaced apart from each other, parallel parallel bodies (27), which are integrally attached to the base member and located at such a distance from each other that they extend beyond the bodies (21) of the male closure element, wherein the bodies (27) ) in the female closure member terminates in hooks (28) which are aligned with each other to engage the hooks of the male closure member; and wherein the male closure member comprises a profile member (18 ') having a base member (20) having a pair of p! spaced apart spaced apart parallel portions (21), which are integrally attached to the base portion and extend therefrom, the ends ending in hooks with hook portions (22 ') extending away from each other, characterized therein; the hooks of the male / male closure member comprise hook projections (31) which are directed towards each other. Container according to claim 15, characterized in that the female closure element is connected to a film which forms one of the TVs! the side walls, and the male closure element is connected to a film which forms the second of the televisions! side walls.