Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Donald L Crevier

Michael J McMahon

John H Schneider

Stanley Piotrowski

Steven Ausnit

Nigel Dean Knight

Patricia I Norek

Lawrence Share

David J Matthews

Joel L Johnson

Art Malin

Steve Ausnit

Michael A Pollack

Eric Paul Plourde

Robert E Hogan

Duane B Piechocki

James H Pool

Charles Thorpe

Steven M Henn

Michael Mcmahon

Methods of making slide-zippered reclosable packages are provided. In one embodiment, a pair of opposing film extensions are provided on each package between which a zipper and slider are attached. In another embodiment, sliders are inserted on to zippered packages output from a form-fill-seal machine or the like. In yet another embodiment, during package formation a reclosable zipper is sealed to each package and then a slider is inserted on to the zipper. In yet another embodiment, during package formation a reclosable zipper is sealed to each package and a slider is inserted on to each zipper, either before or after zipper sealing.

Methods of making slide-zippered reclosable packages on horizontal form-fill-seal machines

A tamper evident package has a first wall and a second wall facing the first wall. A zipper is provided at a top of the package. The first and second walls include portions that extend over the zipper and the first wall extension portion has a line of weakness that extends parallel to the zipper. A peel seal joins the first wall and the second wall above the interlocking members of the profiles and sections of the first and second walls extend beyond the peel seal. If the zipper has a slider, a pocket is formed in one of the walls to accommodate the slider. The slider pocket extends parallel to the zipper. Methods of forming the package on various types of form, fill and seal equipment as well as the equipment are also disclosed.

Tamper evident reclosable package

Storage bags having two or more evacuable reclosable compartments. Each compartment can be opened (to allow an article or goods to be placed inside), hermetically sealed, and then evacuated without disturbing the vacuum in the other compartment(s). Each compartment has a respective zipper that provides a hermetic seal and a respective valve through which air is exhausted from the compartment interior.

Multicompartment evacuable storage bag

A reclosable bag that can be hermetically sealed. The bag comprises a pair of zipper strips that are joined in respective zones without substantial deformation of the longitudinal profiled closure elements. These zones of zipper strip joinder assist in providing a leakproof transition from the openable section of the zipper to the corner seals, where the longitudinal profiled closure elements are either substantially deformed (e.g., crushed) or absent. The method of manufacture involves the steps of ultrasonically welding a wide area and then thermally crushing a narrower area overlapping the wide welded area to form leakproof zipper joints. This method can be applied to string (flangeless) zippers as well as flanged zippers.

Leakproof zipper end crush for reclosable bag and related method of manufacture

A method of making a reclosable product package (), a package-making apparatus () for the method and the reclosable product package () in which block cheese or another product () which does not slide well during packaging in placed on a continuous length of thermoplastic packaging film (). Various folding directions () of the packaging film () and various placement of reclosable zippers () produce various reclosable product packages () with various peel seal () arrangements.

Reclosable package methods for block cheese and other products that do not slide well

A side-gusseted bag having a slider-operated zipper. The zipper parts are joined only at one end, the free ends of the zipper parts being separable to allow the associated side gusset of the bag to be inverted to form a pouring spout. The zipper flanges at the joined ends of the zipper are inserted in a corner formed by one gusset panel and an opposing portion of the bag wall. The other gusset panel is sealed to the other bag wall at the elevation of the zipper flanges.

Gusseted reclosable package with slider-operated zipper

An ultrasonic welding assembly comprising a horn, an anvil and an anvil cover. The horn comprises a generally T-shaped flattening surface and a rail projecting forward of the flattening surface. The rail is shaped to serve as a dam for flowing thermoplastic zipper material during stomping of slider end stops. The horn further comprises a plurality of vertical energy directors designed to direct ultrasonic energy into the mass of zipper material and deflect flowing zipper material toward the dam. The horn further comprises first and second recesses located on opposite sides of a stem of the T-shaped flattening surface. The anvil cover overlies opposing portions of the anvil and comprises a T-shaped cutout. The T-shaped flattening surface of the horn fits in the T-shaped cutout of the anvil cover. The resulting zipper has slider end stops located at opposing ends. Each end stop comprises flattened zipper material having a plurality of spaced indentations, the indentations being formed by the energy directors during stomping. The zipper can be pre-heated prior to ultrasonic stomping. A flange of the zipper can be cooled by fluid during ultrasonic stomping of the zipper parts.

Method and apparatus for ultrasonically stomping slider end stops on zipper

A method for making a reclosable bag () with gussets () in which a zipper profile () is attached to bag-making film (), while leaving side margins () of the film. The film () is folded as a tube (). Gusset-forming wheels () indent the tube () to form the side gussets (). The side gussets () are sealed to the tube () and/or the zipper profile () with the profile sealed to the tube. The tube () is sealed and cross-cut to form the bag (). In an alternative method, lengths of tubular gusset material () are positioned on a lower web () of film () transverse to a bag-forming direction. A zipper () is sealed in the bag-forming direction to the webs (), and the gusset material (). The webs () and the material () are sealed to each other to form an end seal () as well as cross-cut and sealed to form the gussets () of a reclosable bag (). The webs () may be sealed above the zipper () to form a tamper-evident feature ().

Methods of making a gusset style pouch in a reclosable bag

A method and a system for forming slider end stops on a zipper tape that comprises first and second interlockable zipper parts. The method comprises the following steps: (a) transmitting sufficient ultrasonic wave energy into first and second areas of the zipper tape to cause the first and second interlocked zipper parts to deform and fuse in the first and second areas, the first and second areas being separated by a gap; and (b) applying sufficient heat and pressure onto a third area of the zipper tape to cause the interlocked zipper parts to deform and fuse in the third area, at least part of the third area being located between the first and second areas in the gap. The first and second areas do not impinge upon the zipper rails. The third area does impinge upon the zipper rails. Thus the zipper rails are deformed in the third area, but not in adjacent areas located below and contiguous with the first and second areas. The zipper tape and packaging film are cut along a midline of the third area to sever each package from the continuous web.

Method for forming slider end stops on zipper

A package having two or more compartments, adjacent compartments being seperated by a peel seal tape. A peel seal is formed by joining peel seal material coated on one surface of a substrate to one package wall, the other surface being coated with sealant material for hard sealing the substrate to the package wall. The substrate and coatings are formed by extrusion. The adjacent compartments of the package are filled with different materials. When one compartment is squeezed with sufficient pressure, that pressure breaks open the peel seal, allowing the respective contents of the two compartments to be mixed without removing the contents from the still externally sealed package.

Package with peel seal tape between compartments and method of manufacture

An apparatus for closing a slider-operated zipper on a moving filled package, comprising means for performing the following steps: conveying a package forward in a straight line; guiding a slider on a zippered portion of the package through a channel as the package moves forward; blocking forward movement of the slider at a predetermined position inside the channel as the package continues to move forward; and releasing the slider when the force being exerted by the slider in the forward direction reaches a level substantially equal to a predetermined threshold. This apparatus can be employed in association with a continuous band sealing apparatus. The means for blocking forward movement of the slider at a predetermined position inside the channel are a pair of spring-loaded plungers, e.g., ball plungers. If the slider end stop is weak, the slider will be pulled off the advancing package and will fall onto an ejection ramp.

Method for closing slider-operated zipper on filled reclosable pouch

An apparatus () for feeding sliders () from a source of sliders to the slider insertion area () of at least two slider insertion devices (). A sensor () on a sender track () detects a lack of sliders () in the sender track. A signal is sent from the sensor () to actuate a vibratory bowl () of sliders () and a plunger () to open a passage, thereby releasing the sliders () to a sender track (). When a sensor () detects a lack of sliders () in a loading rack () or a slider insertion area (), the sensor () signals a plunger () and a pneumatic valve () to open a passage to provide an air blast, thereby launching the sliders () onto the slider insertion area () of each slider insertion device (). A directional gate () sends the sliders () to either sender track () prior to launching to either slider insertion device (), or a directional gate () sends the sliders () to either slider insertion device () after launching of the sliders ().

Dual inserter applicator

Reclosable package and methods for block cheese and other products that do not slide well

A tamper evident package has a first wall and a second wall facing the first wall. A zipper is provided at a top of the package. The first and second walls include portions that extend over the zipper and the first wall extension portion has a line of weakness that extends parallel to the zipper. A peel seal joins the first wall and the second wall above the interlocking members of the profiles and sections of the first and second walls extend beyond the peel seal. If the zipper has a slider, a pocket is formed in one of the walls to accommodate the slider. The slider pocket extends parallel to the zipper. Methods of forming he package on various types of form, fill and seal equipment as well as the equipment are also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Essex, IL, United States of America

Donald L Crevier