Venting reclosable bags
First Claim
1. A vented bag comprisinga bag body having side walls defining a cavity therebetween for holding material therein and having an opening for accessing the cavity;
- and a reclosable closure secured to the side walls at the bag opening, the closure comprising extruded male and female interlocking profiles extending along opposing sides of the opening and constructed to releasably interlock along opposite sides of the male profile; and
an extruded valve flange laterally spaced apart from the interlocking profiles and extending from one side of the closure to engage an opposing surface of the closure when the profiles are interlocked;
the closure defining a vent passage extending from an air space between the opposing sides of the opening and between the interlocking profiles and the valve flange;
the flange and opposing surface constructed to separate in response to pressure in said cavity for venting the bag with the profiles interlocked, and to increase a contact pressure therebetween in response to presence of a vacuum in said cavity.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A reclosable bag has a bag body and a reclosable, zipper-type closure. The reclosable closure has extruded male and female interlocking profiles extending along opposing sides of an opening of the bag and are constructed to releasably interlock. The closure also has an extruded valve flange extending from one side of the closure to engage an opposing surface of the closure when the profiles are interlocked. The flange and opposing surface are constructed to separate in response to pressure within the bag for venting the bag with the profiles interlocked, and to increase a contact pressure therebetween in response to presence of a vacuum in the bag. The closure also defines a vent passage extending from an air space between the opposing sides of the opening and between the interlocking profiles and the valve flange. In use, the interlocking profiles are engaged to close the bag opening, and then the bag sides are compressed together to force entrapped air out through the vent opening, deflecting the valve flange away from its opposing surface.
107 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A vented bag comprising
a bag body having side walls defining a cavity therebetween for holding material therein and having an opening for accessing the cavity; - and
a reclosable closure secured to the side walls at the bag opening, the closure comprising extruded male and female interlocking profiles extending along opposing sides of the opening and constructed to releasably interlock along opposite sides of the male profile; and
an extruded valve flange laterally spaced apart from the interlocking profiles and extending from one side of the closure to engage an opposing surface of the closure when the profiles are interlocked;
the closure defining a vent passage extending from an air space between the opposing sides of the opening and between the interlocking profiles and the valve flange;
the flange and opposing surface constructed to separate in response to pressure in said cavity for venting the bag with the profiles interlocked, and to increase a contact pressure therebetween in response to presence of a vacuum in said cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
a first side portion, on a side adjacent the valve flange, arranged to engage one side of the male interlocking profile; - and
a second side portion, on a side opposite the valve flange, arranged to engage another side of the male interlocking profile;
the second side portion having a greater lateral thickness than the first side portion.
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22. A closure for bags, the closure comprising
a first closure strip comprising a first elongated base, a first extruded interlocking profile extending from the elongated base, and an extruded valve flange laterally spaced apart from the interlocking profile and extending from the elongated base; - and
a second closure strip comprising a second elongated base, a second extruded interlocking profile extending from the second elongated base and configured to releasably interlock with the first extruded interlocking profile when pressed together, and a flange contact surface laterally spaced from the second extruded interlocking profile and configured to engage the valve flange of the first closure strip to form an air-tight seal therebetween when the profiles are interlocked, with the closure defining an air space between the interlocked profiles and the valve flange;
the closure further defining an air vent passage extending into the air space with the profiles interlocked;
wherein the valve flange is constructed to separate from the contact surface in response to pressure on a first side of the valve flange, and to be biased against the contact surface in response to presence of a vacuum on said first side of the valve flange. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
a first side portion, on a side adjacent the valve flange with the profiles interlocked, arranged to engage one side of the other of the first and second interlocking profiles; - and
a second side portion, on a side opposite the valve flange with the profiles interlocked, arranged to engage another side of the other of the first and second interlocking profiles;
the second side portion having a greater lateral thickness than the first side portion.
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34. The closure of claim 22 wherein said first side of the valve flange is directed away from the first extruded interlocking profile.
Specification