Particle-tolerating closure arrangement for reclosable bag and methods thereof

• US 6,152,600 A
• Filed: 11/03/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Reynolds Consumer Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Reynolds Consumer Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Tomic, Mladomir
• Primary Examiner(s): Garbe, Stephen P.
• Application Number:
  US09/185,241
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 383/63, 383/64, 24/587
• US Class Current: 383/63
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/2541 characterised by the slide fastener, e.g. adapted to interlock with a sheet between the interlocking members having sections of particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 24/50 including member having elongated, resilient, interlocking face with identical, parallel cross-sections throughout its length
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45168 for container [e.g., bag]

Abstract

A method for making a reclosable bag providing a particle-tolerant closure arrangement preventing the interference with the closure arrangement by small particles and granular-type products. The female profile includes first and second legs deflectable between a mated position when engaged with a male profile and an unmated position when not engaged with the male profile. Each of the first and second legs include an attachment end and an engagement end, and the first and second legs have opposing sections that are separated by a distance in the unmated position based upon a grain size of the granular product to be stored in the bag. The male profile includes a stem having a head and a base at opposite ends thereof, and is arranged to interlock with the first and second legs. The method includes attaching the attachment end of the first and second legs to the film, and attaching the base of the stem to the film. A zipper for a reclosable bag, and a reclosable bag are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A reclosable bag comprising:

(a) first and second opposing panel sections;

a female profile and a male profile;

(b) said female profile secured to the first panel section of the bag;

(i) said female profile including first and second opposing legs;

(A) the first and second legs each including an attachment end arranged to attach to the first panel section, and an engagement end arranged to engage the male profile;

(c) said male profile secured to the second panel section of the bag and arranged to operably interlock with said female profile;

said male profile including a base, a stem, and a head;

(i) said base being secured to said second panel section;

said base having a first width;

(A) said first width being no greater than any other width across said head;

(B) said first width being a greatest dimension of width across said male profile;

(ii) said stem extending from said base with a same width as said first width;

said stem further including a region having a second width;

(A) said second width being less than said first width;

(B) the region including first and second notches on opposite sides of the stem;

the engagement end of the first leg engaging the first notch, and the engagement end of the second leg engaging the second notch;

(1) the second notch being deeper than the first notch; and

(iii) said head extending from said stem, at an end of said male profile opposite of said base;

(A) said head being no wider than said first width.

2. A recloseable bag according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said head is tapered inwardly.

3. A recloseable bag according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) a height of the male profile is at least 0.010 inch less than a height of the female profile.

4. The bag of claim 1, wherein each of the engagement ends of the first and second legs include a flat surface arranged to contact the male profile.

5. The bag of claim 1, wherein the first notch is angled with respect to the stem no more than about 90 degrees.

6. The bag of claim 5, wherein the second notch is angled with respect to the stem greater than about 90 degrees.

7. The bag of claim 1 wherein:

the first and second panel sections are joined together along three edges to create an enclosed region for holding a granular product.