Bag having an improved heat seal closure and associated methods
First Claim
1. A multiwall bag of tubular form comprising:
- an inner tube having at least one layer of polymeric material including an inner front wall region and an inner back wall region positioned to face opposite the inner front wall region;
an outer tube having at least one layer of paper material and positioned to substantially surround outer surfaces of the inner tube, the outer tube having an open end region, a closed end region being initially in an open position, adapted to receive filling material therethrough, and then sealingly closed to a closed position, an outer front wall region positioned between the open end region and the closed end region, and an outer back wall region positioned between the open end region and the closed end region and positioned to face opposite the outer front wall region;
a bag seal zone formed adjacent the open end of the outer tube so that the at least one layer of polymeric material of inner surfaces of the inner front wall region of the inner tube abuttingly contacts and seals to inner surfaces of the inner back wall region of the inner tube;
a fin member formed of a plastic material and connected to the bag seal zone and extending substantially the entire lateral extent of and along the outer front and back wall regions, the fin member including at least a pair of spaced-apart elongate fin strips positioned to face opposite each other;
a zipper track connected to each of the pair of elongate fin strips of the fin member, the zipper track including a first track strip and a second track strip, the first and second track strips being adapted to positioned between an open positioned defined by the first and second track strips being spaced apart to allow access to inner portions of the bag and a sealingly closed positioned defined by the first and second track strips abuttingly contacting each other to prevent ready access to the inner portions of the bag; and
a zipper block slidably connected to the zipper track to allow the zipper block to slidably move along the zipper track and move the first and second track strips between the open position and the closed position, the fin member, the zipper track, and the zipper block defining a slider zipper and fin combination.
17 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multiwall bag having a slider zipper and fin combination and methods of forming same are provided. The multiwall bag, for example, can include a tube body. A bag seal zone can be formed in the tube body, and a combination fin member, zipper track, and zipper block can be connected to an end of the tube body in the bag seal zone. The other end of the tube body can be filled with product so that the bag seal zone operates as a constructive bottom during filling. Then, the end of the tube body through which product is filled can be closed and sealed to provide a bag filled with product. The method can include forming a tube body, sealing inner surfaces of the tube body to define a bag seal zone, and connecting a combination fin member, zipper track, and zipper block to the bag seal zone.
55 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A multiwall bag of tubular form comprising:
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an inner tube having at least one layer of polymeric material including an inner front wall region and an inner back wall region positioned to face opposite the inner front wall region;
an outer tube having at least one layer of paper material and positioned to substantially surround outer surfaces of the inner tube, the outer tube having an open end region, a closed end region being initially in an open position, adapted to receive filling material therethrough, and then sealingly closed to a closed position, an outer front wall region positioned between the open end region and the closed end region, and an outer back wall region positioned between the open end region and the closed end region and positioned to face opposite the outer front wall region;
a bag seal zone formed adjacent the open end of the outer tube so that the at least one layer of polymeric material of inner surfaces of the inner front wall region of the inner tube abuttingly contacts and seals to inner surfaces of the inner back wall region of the inner tube;
a fin member formed of a plastic material and connected to the bag seal zone and extending substantially the entire lateral extent of and along the outer front and back wall regions, the fin member including at least a pair of spaced-apart elongate fin strips positioned to face opposite each other;
a zipper track connected to each of the pair of elongate fin strips of the fin member, the zipper track including a first track strip and a second track strip, the first and second track strips being adapted to positioned between an open positioned defined by the first and second track strips being spaced apart to allow access to inner portions of the bag and a sealingly closed positioned defined by the first and second track strips abuttingly contacting each other to prevent ready access to the inner portions of the bag; and
a zipper block slidably connected to the zipper track to allow the zipper block to slidably move along the zipper track and move the first and second track strips between the open position and the closed position, the fin member, the zipper track, and the zipper block defining a slider zipper and fin combination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22)
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12. A multiwall bag of tubular form comprising:
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a tube body having at least one inner layer of polymeric material and at least one outer layer of paper material positioned to substantially surround outer surfaces of the inner layer of polymeric material, the tube body having a pair of opposing tube ends, an outer front wall region positioned between the pair of opposing tube ends, an outer back wall region positioned to face opposite the outer front wall region and between the pair of opposing tube ends;
a bag seal zone formed adjacent one of the pair of tube ends so that an inner surface of the at least one layer of polymeric material of the front wall of the inner tube abuttingly contacts and seals to an inner surface of the back wall of the tube body;
a fin member connected to the bag seal zone and extending substantially the entire lateral extent thereof, the fin member including at least a pair of spaced-apart elongate fin strips positioned to face opposite each other and each positioned to extend along one of the either the outer front or back wall regions;
a zipper track connected to each of the pair of elongate fin strips of the fin member, the zipper track including a first track strip and a second track strip, the first and second track strips being adapted to positioned between an open positioned defined by the first and second track strips being spaced apart to allow access to inner portions of the bag and a sealingly closed positioned defined by the first and second track strips abuttingly contacting each other to prevent ready access to the inner portions of the bag; and
a zipper block connected to the zipper track to allow the zipper block to slidably move along the zipper track and move the first and second track strips between the open position and the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (13, 19, 20)
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23. A method of forming a multiwall bag having a zipper associated therewith, the method comprising:
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laminating a plurality of layers of material, the plurality of layers including at least one layer of polymeric material and at least one layer of paper material;
forming a tube body from the laminated layers so that the at least one layer of polymeric material defines an inner surface of the tube body and the at least one layer of paper material defines an outer surface of the tube body, the tube body having a front wall and a back wall positioned to face opposite the front wall;
sealing an end portion of the inner surface of the front wall to an opposite facing end portion of the inner surface of the back wall to thereby define a bag seal zone; and
connecting a combination of a fin member, a zipper track connected to the fin member, and a zipper block connected to the zipper track to the bag seal zone. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of forming a multiwall bag having a zipper associated therewith, the method comprising:
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forming a tube body from laminated layers so that at least one layer of polymeric material defines an inner surface of the tube body and at least one layer of paper material defines an outer surface of the tube body, the tube body having a front wall and a back wall positioned to face opposite the front wall;
sealing an end portion of the inner surface of the front wall to an opposite facing end portion of the inner surface of the back wall to thereby define a bag seal zone; and
connecting a combination of a fin member, a zipper track connected to the fin member, and a zipper block connected to the zipper track to the bag seal zone. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of using a bag comprising:
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filling a bag with product through a first end of the bag; and
stopping the product from reaching a second end of the bag by a bag seal zone positioned adjacent the second end, the second end having at least a combination of a zipper track and a zipper block positioned on the zipper track connected to the second end so that the bag seal zone operates as a constructive bottom to thereby enhance protection of the combination of the zipper track and the zipper block during filling.
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40. A method of using a bag comprising:
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moving a zipper block positioned on a zipper track to a zipper block open position, the zipper track being connected to a fin member, the fin member being connected to a sealed end of a bag defining a bag seal zone and having a fin seal zone positioned between the zipper track and the bag seal zone;
separating the zipper track to a zipper track open position;
separating the fin seal zone along a score line formed therein to provide access to the bag seal zone; and
separating the bag seal zone to thereby provide access to contents of the bag.
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Specification