US20190100354A1

US20190100354A1 - Recloseable Bag Clasp With Redundant And Confirmatory Engagements

Info

Publication number: US20190100354A1
Application number: US15/722,795
Authority: US
Inventors: Christopher J. Aliberti
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-10-02
Filing date: 2017-10-02
Publication date: 2019-04-04

Abstract

A clasp for securely and redundantly closing and sealing a bag comprises an elongate spine and opposed jaws extending monolithically from the spine transverse to the spine. The jaws each include inwardly-directed upper and lower ribs, and the jaws are resiliently biased toward each other so that the lower ribs of each jaw are biased toward each other and the upper ribs of each jaw are biased toward each other as well. When a bag is applied to the clasp, the clasp confirms the seal, forms a secondary seal, and operates as a handle to carry the bag.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to bags, and more particularly to closure devices for bags with zipper seal closures.

Background of the Invention

There are a huge variety of bags for carrying items. Sealed plastic wraps, coin pouches, clutch purses, soft-sided luggage, duffel bags, medical IV infusion bags—the list is nearly endless. However, there is a class of bags that nearly all consumers encounter and use almost every day: zip-top bags.
Zip-top bags have a re-sealable closure such as a single or double plastic zipper seal. There are a huge number of branded (Ziploc® or Glad® bags) and generic bags. Almost all, though, are designed to be closed, opened, closed, and opened over and over.
Such zip-top bags provide a modicum of fluid and air impermeability. The bags themselves are usually made from a thin, flexible plastic which has fairly good air impermeability and are usually water tight. However, all zip-top bags can be opened at the zipper seal, and so the air- and fluid-impermeability is always jeopardized by the zipper seal.
While zipper seals provide decent air and fluid impermeability, they are not perfect and are thus not reliable. Water and air will eventually pass through the opposed mating portions of the zipper seal, and will affect the objects carried within the bag.
Efforts have been made to increase the impermeability of zipper seals. For instance, some manufacturers have incorporated adhesives: some bags can be closed and then secured with an adhesive above the zipper seal. Other bags include a flap with an adhesive: the flap can be folded over the closed zipper seal and adhered to the bag. Solutions such as these do improve impermeability, but generally do so at the cost of reuse. Such bags can be difficult, if possible at all, to reuse, if the adhesive is strong or if the bag is damaged when removing the adhesive. Further, such bags can generally only be reused once or perhaps twice more.
Some bags incorporate heat seals. After the zipper seal is closed, a heat gun or other heating element melts the plastic sidewalls of the bag to fuse them together. This can be an effective means of forming a fluid and gas-impervious seal, but of course, bags such as these most be ripped to be re-opened, and so they are not reusable. An improved way to cyclically form a fluid and gas impervious seal on a zip-top bag is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A clasp for securely and redundantly closing and sealing a bag comprises an elongate spine and opposed jaws extending monolithically from the spine transverse to the spine. The jaws each include inwardly-directed upper and lower ribs, and the jaws are resiliently biased toward each other so that the lower ribs of each jaw are biased toward each other and the upper ribs of each jaw are biased toward each other as well. When a bag is applied to the clasp, the clasp confirms the seal, forms a secondary seal, and operates as a handle to carry the bag.
The above provides the reader with a very brief summary of some embodiments discussed below. Simplifications and omissions are made, and the summary is not intended to limit or define in any way the scope of the invention or key aspects thereof. Rather, this brief summary merely introduces the reader to some aspects of the invention in preparation for the detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clasp applied to a bag;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clasp of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are section views taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the clasp of FIG. 1, both in isolation and applied to a bag;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an alternate embodiment of a clasp, and are section views taken along a line similar to the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, showing the alternate embodiment of the clasp both in isolation and applied to a bag; and

FIG. 7 is a section view similar to the FIG. 4, showing an alternate arrangement of the clasp of FIG. 1 on the bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference now is made to the drawings, in which the same reference characters are used throughout the different figures to designate the same elements. FIG. 1 illustrates a clasp 10 holding, gripping, and sealing a bag 11. The bag 11 is a conventional zip-top bag having a re-sealable closure, such as marketed under the trademarks Ziploc® or Glad®. The clasp 10 uniquely slides onto the closure of the bag 11 to confirm that the closure is sealed, create an additional seal under the closure, and support the weight of the bag 11 along the entire width of the bag 11.
FIG. 2 illustrates the clasp 10 in isolation in a perspective view. The clasp 10 is formed from a single, monolithic body 12 constructed of a material or combination of materials having characteristics of strength, rigidity, resiliency, shape memory, and durability, such as plastic. The body 12 of the clasp 10 is elongate along a long axis A, extending between opposed open ends 13 and 14. The body 12 has a top 15 and an opposed bottom 16.
At the top 15 of the body 12, the clasp 10 has a spine 20 extending continuously between the ends 13 and 14. The spine 20 has a depth extending between opposed side edges 21 and 22. The side edges 21 and 22 are straight, parallel, and co-planar with each other, such that spine 20 is planar, flat, and has a constant width between the ends 13 and 14. The spine 20 additionally has a thickness between an outer surface 23 and an inner surface 24 which is also constant between the ends 13 and 14. The outer surface 23 is directed upwardly and the inner surface 24 is directed downwardly toward the bottom 16 of the body 12.
From the spine 20, two opposed jaws extend downwardly entirely from the top 15 to the bottom 16. A first jaw 30 extends downward from the side edge 21, and a second jaw 31 extends downward from the side edge 22. The first and second jaws 30 and 31 are each continuous between the ends 13 and 14, and as such are coextensive to the spine 20. With the spine 20, they cooperate to define an elongate interior 25 of the clasp 10 which runs the entire length of the clasp 10.
The first and second jaws 30 are identical but oppositely formed on the spine 20. As such, description of the first jaw 30 will be provided herein with the understanding that such description applies equally to the second jaw 31. For consistency, and because the second jaw 31 has structural elements and features identical to the first jaw 30, the reference characters used to identify those structural elements and features will also be used for those of the second jaw 31, but will be marked with a prime (“′”) symbol to distinguish them from those of the first jaw 30. The first jaw 30 has a proximal end 32, located proximate to the side edge 21, and extends from the proximal end 32 to a distal end 33.
At the distal end 33, the first jaw 30 has a lower outside edge 34. The side edge 21 and the lower outside edge 34 are straight and parallel to each other, and are co-planar with each other. As such, between the opposed side and lower outside edges 21 and 34, and between the opposed open ends 13 and 14, is an outer face 35 of the first jaw 35. The outer face 35 is planar, flat, and has a height between the side and lower outside edges 34 and 35 which is constant between the ends 13 and 14. The first jaw 30 has a thickness between the outer face 35 and an opposed inner face 36. The thickness of the first jaw 30 varies, but is constant in certain sections, as will be explained.
Turning to FIG. 3, a section view of the clasp 10 is shown taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2. At the distal end 33, the first jaw 30 terminates in a lower face 40, which is elongate, shallow, and parallel to the outer surface 23 of the spine 30. The lower face 40 extends from the lower outside edge 34 to a lower edge 41 and is “directed away” from the spine 20, which means a directional arrow extending normal from its surface outward is directed away from the spine 20.
The first jaw 30 includes inwardly-directed first and second, or upper and lower, ribs 42 and 43, each of which projects generally laterally inwardly from the first jaw 30 into the interior 25 of the clasp 10. The lower rib 43 defines, in cooperation with the distal end 33 of the first jaw 30, the lower face 40 and the lower edge 41. The lower rib 43 additionally includes an inner, or convergent, face 44 (hereinafter “convergent face 44”) and an upper face 45. Both of the convergent and upper faces 44 and 45 are elongate and extend continuously between the ends 13 and 14. The convergent and upper faces 44 and 45, converge toward each other and back toward the spine 20, meeting at and defining an acute corner 46 which extends along the full length of the clasp 10 and the lower rib 43, and which projects sharply into the interior 25. The upper face 53 is also aligned into the hold 62 from a lower inner surface 47, which means a directional arrow laying on the upper face 53 is aligned or directed into the hold 62.
Opposite the outer face 35, between the upper and lower ribs 42 and 43, is the short, flat, and vertical lower inner surface 47, which is an inner surface of the jaw 30 like the inner surface 36, but is defined between the upper and lower ribs 42 and 43. The lower inner surface 47 is perpendicular with the lower face 40 and the outer surface 23 of the spine 20, and forms an inward, acute angle with the upper face 45 of the lower rib 43.
The upper rib 42 projects laterally inward from the first jaw 30 between the inner surface 36 and the lower inner surface 47. The upper rib 42 is rectangular prismatic and oriented parallel to the spine 20, extending entirely from end 13 to end 14 along the length of the clasp 10 and the first jaw 30.
The upper rib 42 includes a lower face 50 which defines, together with the lower inner surface 47, an inside square corner. The lower face 50 is parallel to the lower face 40 of the lower rib 43 and directed away from the spine 20. Normal to the lower face 50, the inward face 52 turns upwardly and is directed inwardly. The lower and inner faces 50 and 52 meet at and define a lower edge 51 which runs the entire length of the upper rib 42 between the ends 13 and 14. Opposite the lower face 50 is the upper face 53, directed upward toward the spine 20; the upper face 53 forms a right corner with the inward face 52 at an upper edge 54 and extends from that upper edge 54 to the inner surface 36 of the first jaw 30.
As described above, the first and second jaws 30 and 31 are identical in every way, but are reversed in opposite orientations with respect to each other. The second jaw 31 includes all of the structural elements and features of the first jaw 30, identified with identical reference characters carrying a prime symbol. Some of those structural elements and features are identified in the FIGS., but for clarity of the illustrations, most are left out, since one having ordinary skill in the art would reasonably appreciate and understand the structure of the second jaw 31 from the description of the first jaw 30. FIG. 3 does at least illustrate the outer surface 35′, the inner surface 36′, the lower inner surface 47′, the upper rib 42′, and the lower rib 46′.
The first and second jaws 30 and 31 are formed monolithically to the spine 20 from a resilient material. As such, the first and second jaws 30 and 31 are resiliently biased toward each other so that the upper ribs 42 and 42′ are biased toward each other and the lower ribs 43 and 43′ are biased toward each other. By “resiliently biased,” it is meant that when an object is inserted or placed between the first and second jaws 30 and 31 so as to push them apart from each other in to an expanded position, the resiliency of the material construction of the first and second jaws 30 and 31 produces a biasing force in opposition to the direction of the push, tending to maintain the original position. In other words, if an object is placed between the first and second jaws 30 and 31 to move them apart, the first and second jaws 30 and 31 act to squeeze back to their original position. FIG. 3 illustrates this original position, identified as a neutral position. Further, the construction of the first and second jaws 30 and 31 increases this resiliency: the thickness of the first jaw 30 between the spine 20 and the upper rib 42 is constant, and the thickness of the first jaw 30 from the upper rib 42 to the lower rib 43 decreases constantly and slightly.
In the neutral position, there is no biasing force on the first and second jaws 30 and 31, and the upper ribs 42 and 42′ are separated by a gap 60. The gap 60 is a rectangular prismatic void extending between the upper ribs 42 and 42′ entirely along the length of the clasp 10. The inward faces 52 and 52′ bound the gap 60 on opposed sides of the gap 60, and the inward faces 52 and 52′ are parallel to each other and the lower inner surfaces 47 and 47′, and are perpendicular to the lower faces 40 and 40′. As will be explained in greater detail below, when the bag 11 is applied to the clasp 10, the bag 11 causes the first and second jaws 30 and 31 to separate slightly along the arrowed lines B in FIG. 3, the upper ribs 42 and 42′ to separate slightly, and the inward faces 52 and 52′ assume a slightly transverse, or convergent, orientation with respect to each other, rather than a parallel orientation. This slight separation causes the lower edges 51 and 51′ to be slightly farther apart from each other than the upper edges 54 and 54′ are from each other. Nonetheless, the resiliency of the first and second jaws 30 and 31 to the spine 20 biases the jaws 30 and 31 toward maintaining the parallel nature of the lower inner surfaces 47 and 47′.
In the neutral position, the lower ribs 43 and 43′ are also separated by a gap 61. The gap 61 is a trapezoidal prismatic void extending between the lower ribs 43 and 43′ entirely along the length of the clasp 10. The convergent faces 44 and 44′ bound the gap 61 on opposed sides thereof. The convergent faces 44 and 44′ are slightly transverse; they converge toward each other in a direction upwardly toward the spine 20. When the bag 11 is applied to the clasp 10, the bag 11 places the clasp 10 in the expanded position and causes the lower ribs 43 and 43′ to separate slightly, and the inward convergent faces 44 and 44′ to become more transverse, or more convergent. That is, the angle formed between the convergent faces 44 and 44′ increases slightly.
Defined between the upper ribs 42 and 42′ and the lower ribs 43 and 43′, and between the lower inner surfaces 47 and 47′, is a receiving space or hold 62. The hold 62 is an elongate, generally rectangular, prismatic void or space extending continuously along the first and second jaws 30 and 31 and entirely along the length of the clasp 10, from end 13 to end 14. The hold 62 is open at the open ends 13 and 14, is closed at the lower inner surfaces 47 and 47′, is open between the upper ribs 42 and 42′ at the gap 60, and is open between the lower ribs 43 and 43′ at the gap 61. Thus, entrance to the hold 62 is provided only at the open ends 13 and 14 or at either of the gaps 60 and 61. Each of the upper ribs 42 and 42′ projects into the hold 62 laterally a distance approximately equal to a quarter of the depth of the hold (the depth being measured between the inner surfaces 36 and 36′). As such, the gap 60 has a depth equal to approximately half the depth of the hold 62. Each of the lower ribs 43 and 43′ projects into the hold 62 laterally a distance approximately equal to one-third of the depth of the hold 62, and as such, the gap 61 has a depth equal to approximately one-third the depth of the hold 62. As seen in FIG. 3, the hold 62 has a cross-sectional shape which is roughly square, and for which the depth of the hold 62 is approximately equal to the height of the hold 62 (the height being measured between the lower face 50 of the upper rib 42 and the upper face 45 of the lower rib 43 proximate to the lower inner surface 47). The hold 62 is fairly small, but is sized to closely receive the zipper seal portion of the bag 11, as will be explained.
In the neutral position of the clasp 10, the lower inner surfaces 47 and 47′ of the lower ribs 43 and 43′ are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the spine 20 and the lower surfaces 40 and 40′. They define parallel outer sides of the void 62. And, in the neutral position, the inner surfaces and 36′ above the upper ribs 42 and 42′ are convergent toward the distal ends 33 and 33′ of the first and second jaws 30 and 31. The upper surface 36 on the first jaw 30 is thus transverse with respect to the lower upper surface 47, and similarly, the upper surface 36′ of the second jaw 31 is transverse with respect to the lower upper surface 47′. This provides unique benefits as explained below.
In operation, the clasp 10 confirms closure of the bag 11, provides a secondary, redundant seal to the bag 11, creates a rigid weight-bearing handle across the full length of the bag 11, and can optionally form a tertiary seal in the bag 11.
To apply the bag 11 to the clasp 10, the bag 11 is taken up by hand. Referring briefly back to FIG. 1, the bag 11 is conventionally formed of a thin and flexible sidewall including a lower pouch 70, a zipper seal 71, and free ends 72 above the zipper zeal 71. Just below the zipper seal 71, the sidewall of the bag 11—like most conventional zip-top bags—is slightly thicker. This thicker sidewall 73 provides strength and support between the pouch 70 and the zipper seal 71, to prevent the bag 11 from ripping or tearing just below the zipper seal 71, and to allow the zipper seal 71 to be formed into durable portion of the bag 11.
The bag 11 is taken up by hand by grasping the free ends 72 and threading them into one of the open ends 13 and 14; either will do as the clasp 10 is symmetric. As such, discussion herein will refer to application through the open end 13, with the understanding that application may identically occur through the open end 14. The free ends 72 of the bag 11 are taken up proximate the sides of the bag 11 and passed into the open end 13. The bag 11 is preferably threaded so that the zipper seal 71 enters through the open end 13 at the hold 62 and so that the zipper seal 71 is immediately placed within the hold 62, as shown in FIG. 4. The hold 62 is just slightly smaller than the zipper seal 71, and so the jaws 30 and 31 are pushed slightly apart from each other, into the expanded position, which FIG. 4 illustrates. When this occurs, the resilient material characteristic of the jaws 30 and 31 exerts the resilient bias force on the zipper seal 71 to return the jaws 30 and 31 to the neutral position and maintain them there. This acts to squeeze the zipper seal 71 within the hold 62. As such, the user threading the bag 11 into the clasp 10 feels initial resistance. By continuing to pull the bag 11 along the long axis A of the clasp 10, through the clasp 10, the user introduces more of the zipper seal 71 within the hold 62. The user continues to pull the bag 11 until the sides of the bag 11 are coextensive with the ends 13 and 14 of the clasp 10. In this manner, the bag 11 is applied to the clasp 10.
If the zipper seal 71 has been initially properly registered by the user, that is, if the opposed mating portions of the zipper seal 71 have been properly registered with each other, then application of the bag 11 to the clasp 10 via the process described above will cause the opposed mating portions of the zipper seal 71 to engage with each other and close the zipper seal 71. In other words, if the zipper seal 71 is registered but open when the user begins to apply the bag 11 to the clasp 10, the process of application described above will properly close the zipper seal 71. This is because the zipper seal 71 is closely received in the hold 62 and prevented from lateral and vertical movement by the structure of the clasp 10. The opposed lower inner surfaces 47 and 47′ laterally bound the zipper seal 71 and prevent lateral outward movement of the zipper seal 71 and thus lateral dis-engagement of the zipper seal 71. Further, the upper ribs 42 and 42′ above the zipper seal 71 vertically bound the zipper seal 71 and prevent upward movement of the zipper seal 71. The lower ribs 43 and 43′ below the zipper seal 71 vertically bound the zipper seal 71 and prevent downward movement of the zipper seal 71. Therefore, the upper and lower ribs 42, 42′, 43, and 43′ cooperate to prevent vertical movement of the zipper seal 71 out of the hold 62. The upper and lower ribs 42, 42′, 43, and 43′ also prevent the opposed mating portions of the zipper seal 71 from becoming de-registered; once registered, the zipper seal 71 will remain registered and thus the action of applying remaining portions of the zipper seal 71 through the hold 62 will cause the zipper seal 71 to continue to be registered and thus smoothly engage. Inside the hold 62, there is no manner in which the zipper seal 71 can open. The zipper seal 71, constrained by the hold 62, forms a fluid impervious seal.
Therefore, applying the bag 11 into the clasp 10 confirms proper registration and closure of the zipper seal 71 as that zipper seal 71 is intended to be registered and closed. However, the clasp 11 also provides a secondary seal to the bag 11. When the bag 11 is applied through the clasp 10 according to the process described above, the thicker sidewall 73 just below the zipper seal 71 is pinched between the lower ribs 43 and 43. The lower ribs 43 and 43′ bias the two plies of the thicker sidewall 73 against each other, and, at the acute corners 46 and 46′, are pressed in direct contact with each other to form a secondary seal 74. The acute corners 46 and 46′ extend along the entire length of the clasp 10, and so the secondary seal 74 in the bag 10 also extends along the full length of the clasp 10.
The acute corners 46 and 46′ not only form the secondary seal 74, but they convert the clasp 10 from a mere clasp 10 to a handle. Because the acute corners 46 and 46′ are acute and are oriented inwardly and upwardly into the hold 62, they pinch into the thicker sidewall 73. When the pouch 70 is filled with an object or objects and has some weight, the pouch 70 hangs from the clasp 10. This causes the acute corners 46 and 46′ to bite inwardly and upwardly into the thicker sidewall 73 just under the zipper seal 71. The zipper seal 71 cannot be pulled through the gap 61 because the thicker sidewall 73 is caught by the acute corners 46 and 46′. When this occurs, the clasp 10 supports the weight of the object or objects in the pouch 70; such weight is distributed across the entire clasp 10 and across the entire zipper seal 71, thereby spreading the weight away from one or two locations and mitigating the likelihood that the zipper seal 71 will tear open under the weight of the bag 11. The clasp 10 is rigid, and so it maintains its rigid length along the axis A, thereby providing the bag 11 with defined structure at its top. The bag 11 can be carried much more easily with the clasp 10 than with some other method, such as squeezing, bundling, or rolling the top of the bag 11. This is especially true given that, when the zipper seals of many zip-top bags are bent or bundled in a tight radius, they may open; bunching up the top of a zip-top bag can open the bag.
A tertiary seal 75 may also be formed by arranging the bag 11 within the clasp 80 in the fashion shown in FIG. 7. This is especially useful if the bag 11 has long free ends 72. The bag 11 is applied to the clasp 10 with free ends 72 bent or folded over, and the folded portion is placed into the interior 25 when the zipper seal 71 is slid in between the first and second jaws 30 and 31. In this arrangement, a primary seal is formed by the zipper seal 71, reinforced between the first and second jaws 30 and 31, the secondary seal 74 is formed at the thicker sidewall 73 of the bag 11 just below the zipper seal 71, and a tertiary seal 75 is formed at the spine 20 by the folded free ends 72 of the bag 11. When the free ends 72 are folded or creased over, the plies of the bag 11 are pressed into each other. Further, captured within the interior 25 in this manner, the free ends 25 are prevented from moving, yet the resiliency of the bag 11 tends to urge the free ends 72 outward and upward into their original position. As such, the free ends 72 are biased against the spine 20 and the plies are pressed and held together, thus forming the tertiary seal 75.
To open the bag 11, the clasp 10 can be easily slid off the top of the bag 11. Once removed, the bag 11 operates as a conventional zip-top bag: it may be opened and closed many times. If the user wishes to again close the bag in a fluid impervious manner, he or she merely re-applies the clasp 10 as described above.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an alternate embodiment of a clasp 80. The clasp 80 is similar, and indeed, identical, in many ways to the clasp 10. As such, many of the reference characters used to identify the structural elements and features of the clasp 10 will be used herein to identify and describe the clasp 80. Detailed description will not be made of those identical structural elements and features, the foregoing description of clasp 10 providing sufficient and enabling disclosure of them. Further, not all structural elements and features of the clasp 80 will be identified in FIGS. 5 and 6, for clarity of the illustrations and of the description.
The clasp 80 includes, at least, open ends 13 and 14, a top 15 and opposed bottom 16, spine 20, side edges 21 and 22, outer and inner surfaces 23 and 24, interior 25, and first and second jaws 30 and 31. The first jaw 30 includes, at least, proximal and distal ends 32 and 33, outer and inner faces 35 and 36, lower face 40, lower inside edge 41, lower rib 43, convergent face 44, upper face 45, acute corner 46, and lower inner surface 47. The second jaw 31 includes the same structural elements and features of the first jaw 30. Defined between the lower ribs 43 and 43′ is the same gap 61.
The clasp 80 includes upper ribs 81 and 81′ which are different from the upper ribs 42 and 42′. The upper ribs 81 and 81′ are identical but oppositely formed on the first and second jaws 30 and 31, respectively. As such, description of the upper rib 80 will be provided herein with the understanding that such description applies equally to the upper rib 81′. For consistency, and because the upper rib 81′ has structural elements and features identical to the upper rib 81, the reference characters used to identify those structural elements and features will also be used for those of the upper rib 81′, but will be marked with a prime (“′”) symbol to distinguish them from those of the upper rib 81. The upper rib 81 projects laterally inward and slightly downward into the interior 25 of the clasp 80 from the first jaw 30 between the inner surface 36 and the lower inner surface 47. The upper rib 81 is parallelogram prismatic, extending entirely from the end 13 to the end 14 along the length of the clasp 10 and the first jaw 30.
The upper rib 81 includes a lower face 82 which defines, together with the lower inner surface 47, an acute inside corner. The lower face 82 is transverse to the lower face 40 of the lower rib 43 and is directed away from the spine 20. An inner or inward face 83 turns upwardly from the lower face 82, is directed inwardly, and is parallel to the lower inner surface 47. The lower and inner faces 82 and 83 meet at and define a lower edge 84 which runs the entire length of the upper rib 81 between the ends 13 and 14. Opposite the lower face 82 is the upper face 85, directed toward the spine 20; the upper face 85 forms an obtuse corner with the inward face 83 at an upper edge 86 and extends from that upper edge 86 to the inner surface 36 of the first jaw 30. The lower and upper faces 82 and 85 are parallel to each other and transverse to all other surfaces on the clasp 80.
Like the clasp 10, in the clasp 80, the first and second jaws 30 and 31 are formed monolithically to the spine 20 from a resilient material and are resiliently biased toward each other so that the upper ribs 81 and 81′ are biased toward each other and the lower ribs 43 and 43′ are biased toward each other. FIG. 5 illustrates this original position, identified as a neutral position. The upper ribs 81 ad 81′ are oriented toward each other and away from the spine 20, such that the lower faces 82 and 82′ converge toward each other and away from the spine 20, and the upper faces 85 and 85′ similarly converge toward each other and away from the spine 20.
In the neutral position, there is no biasing force on the first and second jaws 30 and 31, and the upper ribs 81 and 81′ are separated by a gap 91. The gap 91 is a rectangular prismatic void extending between the upper ribs 81 and 81′ entirely along the length of the clasp 10. The inward faces 83 and 83′ bound the gap 91 on opposed sides of the gap 91, and the inward faces 83 and 83′ are parallel to each other and the lower inner surfaces 47 and 47′, and are perpendicular to the lower faces 40 and 40′. When the bag 11 is applied to the clasp 10, the bag 11 causes the first and second jaws 30 and 31 to separate slightly, the upper ribs 81 and 81′ to separate slightly, and the inward faces 83 and 83′ assume a slightly transverse, or convergent, orientation with respect to each other, rather than a parallel orientation. This slight separation causes the lower edges 84 and 84′ to be slightly farther apart from each other than the upper edges 86 and 86′ are from each other. Nonetheless, the resiliency of the first and second jaws 30 and 31 to the spine 20 biases the jaws 30 and 31 toward maintaining the parallel nature of the lower inner surfaces 47 and 47′.
The upper and lower ribs 81 and 43 are directed toward each other; the upper rib 81 is oriented inward and downward, and the lower rib 43 is oriented inward and upward, defining a hold 90 therebetween and between the lower inner surfaces 47 and 47′. The hold 90 is an elongate prismatic void or receiving space extending continuously along the first and second jaws 30 and 31 and entirely along the length of the clasp 10, from end 13 to end 14. The hold 90 is open at the open ends 13 and 14, is closed at the lower inner surfaces 47 and 47′, is open between the upper ribs 81 and 81′ at the gap 91, and is open between the lower ribs 43 and 43′ at the gap 61. Thus, entrance to the hold 90 is provided only at the open ends 13 and 14 or at either of the gaps 91 and 61.
Each of the upper ribs 81 and 81′ projects inwardly and downwardly into the hold 90, but projects laterally into the hold 90 a lateral distance approximately equal to a quarter of the depth of the hold 90 (the depth being measured between the inner surfaces 36 and 36′). As such, the gap 91 has a depth equal to approximately half the depth of the hold 90. As seen in FIG. 5, the hold 90 has a cross-sectional shape which is roughly X-shaped, and for which the depth of the hold 90 is approximately equal to the height of the hold 90 (the height being measured between the lower face 82 of the upper rib 81 and the upper face 45 of the lower rib 43 proximate to the lower inner surface 47). The hold 90 is fairly small, but is sized to closely receive the zipper seal portion of the bag 11, as will be explained.
In operation, like the clasp 10, the clasp 80 confirms closure of the bag 11, provides a secondary, redundant seal to the bag 11, creates a rigid weight-bearing handle across the full length of the bag 11, and can optionally form a tertiary seal in the bag 11. In fact, the clasp 80 has all of the operational and functional characteristics of the clasp 10 but includes a few additional ones.
The bag 11 may be applied to the clasp 80 in the same manner that the bag 11 is applied to the clasp 10, namely, through either of the open ends 13 and 14 by introducing the zipper seal 71 into the hold 90. However, the bag 11 may be applied to the clasp 80 in an additional manner: first into the interior 25 above the upper ribs 81 and 81′ and then into the hold 90. In this additional manner of application, the bag 11 is taken up by hand by grasping the free ends 72 and threading them into one of the open ends 13 and 14; again, discussion herein will refer to application through the open end 13, with the understanding that application may identically occur through the open end 14. The free ends 72 of the bag 11 are taken up proximate the sides of the bag 11 and passed into the open end 13. The bag 11 is preferably threaded so that the zipper seal 71 enters through the open end 13 above the upper ribs 81 and 81′ hold 90. The interior 25 above the upper ribs 81 and 81′ is quite a bit bigger than the zipper seal 71, and so application of the entire bag 11 to the clasp 10 is easily accomplished by pulling the bag 11 through the interior 25.
Once the full length of the bag 11 is within the clasp 10, the bottom of the bag 11 and the clasp 10 are grasped in opposing hands and pulled apart, in effect, pulling the bag 11 down in the clasp 10 from above the upper ribs 81 and 81′ into the hold 90. This causes the zipper seal 71 to bear against the upper ribs 81 and 81′, eventually spreading them widely enough that the zipper seal 71 slips into the hold 90. Once disposed within the hold 90, the zipper seal 71 is secured therein. The zipper seal 71 is closely received in the hold 90 and prevented from lateral and vertical movement by the structure of the clasp 80. The opposed lower inner surfaces 47 and 47′ laterally bound the zipper seal 71 and prevent lateral outward movement of the zipper seal 71 and thus lateral dis-engagement of the zipper seal 71. Further, the upper ribs 81 and 81′ above the zipper seal 71 vertically bound the zipper seal 71 and prevent upward movement of the zipper seal 71. The lower ribs 43 and 43′ below the zipper seal 71 vertically bound the zipper seal 71 and prevent downward movement of the zipper seal 71. Therefore, the upper and lower ribs 81, 81′, 43, and 43′ cooperate to prevent vertical movement of the zipper seal 71 out of the hold. Inside the hold 90, there is no manner in which the zipper seal 71 can open. The zipper seal 71, constrained by the hold 90, forms a fluid impervious seal. The secondary seal 74 is also fluid impervious. In this way, fluid impervious seals are provided to a bag 11 that can be non-destructively and cyclically opened and closed.
To open the bag 11, the clasp 80 can be easily slid off the top of the bag 11. Once removed, the bag 11 operates as a conventional zip-top bag: it may be opened and closed many times. If the user wishes to again close the bag in a fluid impervious manner, he or she merely re-applies the clasp 80 as described above.
A preferred embodiment is fully and clearly described above so as to enable one having skill in the art to understand, make, and use the same. Those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications may be made to the description above without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that some embodiments include only those elements and features described, or a subset thereof. To the extent that such modifications do not depart from the spirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within the scope thereof.

Claims

The invention claimed is:

1. A clasp comprising:

an elongate spine;

opposed jaws extending monolithically from the spine transverse to the spine; and

the jaws each include inwardly-directed upper and lower ribs;

wherein the jaws are resiliently biased toward each other so that the lower ribs of each jaw are biased toward each other and the upper ribs of each jaw are biased toward each other.

2. The clasp of claim 1, wherein the lower ribs are located at distal ends of the jaws.

3. The clasp of claim 2, wherein the upper ribs are located inboard of the lower ribs.

4. The clasp of claim 1, wherein each of the lower ribs comprises:

a lower face directed away from the spine;

an inner face; and

an upper face directed toward the spine, wherein the inner and upper faces of the lower ribs converge toward each other and back toward the spine.

5. The clasp of claim 1, wherein each of the upper ribs comprises:

a lower face directed away from the spine;

an inward face; and

an upper face directed away the spine;

wherein the lower faces of the upper ribs converge toward each other and away from the spine, and the upper faces of the upper ribs converge toward each other and away from the spine.

6. The clasp of claim 5, wherein the upper and lower faces of each of the upper ribs are parallel.

7. A clasp comprising:

an elongate spine;

opposed jaws extending monolithically from the spine transverse to the spine, each including an inner surface and inwardly-directed upper and lower ribs spaced apart from each other on the inner surface by a receiving space; and

the receiving space of the jaws defines a hold between the jaws, the hold characterized as an elongate rectangular prismatic void extending continuously along the jaws;

8. The clasp of claim 7, wherein the inner surfaces of the jaws between the upper and lower ribs are parallel, and between the upper ribs and spine are convergent toward the upper ribs.

9. The clasp of claim 7, wherein the lower ribs are located at distal ends of the jaws.

10. The clasp of claim 9, wherein the upper ribs are located inboard of the lower ribs.

11. The clasp of claim 7, wherein each of the lower ribs comprises an upper face which is directed toward the spine and also aligned into the hold.

12. The clasp of claim 11, wherein each of the lower ribs includes an inner face, and the inner faces of the lower ribs of the jaws converge toward each other in a direction toward the spine.

13. The clasp of claim 12, wherein the upper and lower faces of each of the upper ribs are parallel.

14. A clasp comprising:

an elongate spine;

wherein the jaws are resiliently biased toward each other so that the lower ribs of each jaw are biased toward each other and the upper ribs of each jaw are biased toward each other to maintain a volume of the hold and to maintain the inner surfaces of the jaws between the upper and lower ribs in a parallel arrangement.

15. The clasp of claim 14, wherein the inner surfaces of the jaws between the upper ribs and spine are convergent toward the lower ribs.

16. The clasp of claim 14, wherein the lower ribs are located at distal ends of the jaws.

17. The clasp of claim 16, wherein the upper ribs are located inboard of the lower ribs.

18. The clasp of claim 14, wherein each of the lower ribs comprises an upper face which is directed toward the spine and also aligned into the hold.

19. The clasp of claim 18, wherein each of the lower ribs includes an inner face, and the inner faces of the lower ribs of the jaws converge toward each other in a direction toward the spine, defining an acute angle between the inner face and upper face of each of the lower ribs.

20. The clasp of claim 19, wherein the upper and lower faces of each of the upper ribs are parallel.