Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Gregory H Crunkleton

Basil Carl Linton

Eric Joseph Fenzl

Steven Ausnit

Robert E Hogan

Ronald Cortigiano, Sr

Robert C Stolmeier

Jeffrey Griffin

Matthew W Nysted

Charles Shultz

Jorge Lustgarten Laufer

Basil C Linton

The present disclosure relates to a reclosable package or bag with a slider zipper, and further including a first gusset with a perforated line or similar line of weakness formed between the slider zipper profiles in order to provide tamper evidence and a second gusset formed below one zipper profile in order to allow the filled packaged to stand up for display purposes. This package or bag is typically bottom filled, but then displayed to the customer in the orientation with the bottom in the upper position and the zipper in the lower position. One alternative embodiment substitutes a press-to-close-zipper for the slider zipper. A further alternative embodiment omits the perforated line and provides for a separation in the web between the zipper profiles to form a mouth for the package or bag.

Double gusseted slider package

A reclosable package comprises a receptacle having first and second walls, respective mouth portions of the front and rear walls forming a mouth that communicates with an interior volume of the receptacle; a zipper having mutually interengageable zipper strips, one zipper strip being joined to the mouth portion of the front wall and the other zipper strip being joined to the mouth portion of the rear wall; a slider mounted to the zipper, the slider initially being parked in a position whereat the zipper is closed along a majority of its length; and a tack seal that resists movement of the slider in an opening direction from the initially parked position. The tack seal is designed to rupture and no longer resist slider movement when a predetermined threshold level of force is exerted by the slider.

Tamper-evident feature for slider-operated reclosable packaging

Reclosable bags having a slider-actuated string zipper and tamper-evident features. In one aspect, the bag comprises: a receptacle having a mouth and an interior volume; a string zipper installed in the mouth; a slider mounted to the string zipper; a membrane depending within the interior volume to block access to a portion of the interior volume when the string zipper is open; and a hood joined to the receptacle and shrouding the mouth. The membrane is made by forming a gusset. Then a string zipper is installed inside of the gusset and heat sealed in place. Later a hood or shroud is attached to the bag walls at an elevation traversed by the gusset panels. A layer of non-sealable material is applied on a surface of a gusset panel to prevent the gusset panels from being sealed together when the hood is heat sealed to the bag walls.

Tamper-evident slider-actuated string-zippered bag and related method of manufacture

The present invention includes a method and apparatus wherein webless zipper is provided with concave seal bridges. These concave seal bridges are complementary in shape to convex sealing bars. This captures or positions the seal bridges of the zipper profiles resulting in improved alignment of the profiles and improved performance of the manufacturing apparatus.

Method of sealing a zipper with concave bridges or bases using convex sealing bars

A reclosable bag having a top flap with holes configured to allow a stack of such bags to be mounted on a wicket or a pair of dispensing posts, and having a slider-actuated zipper (e.g., a string zipper) installed in a mouth at the top of the bag. The wicket flap is suspended between two zones of attachment generally located at opposite ends of the mouth of the bag. In one embodiment, the flap is attached to the slider end stops stomped in opposing ends of the zipper.

Top-fill reclosable bag having wicket flap and related method of manufacture

Reclosable bags having a slider-actuated string zipper and a tamper-evident feature. In one aspect, the reclosable bag comprises: a receptacle having a mouth and an interior volume; a string zipper installed in the mouth; a slider mounted to the string zipper; and a tamper-evident feature that blocks access to all or a portion of the interior volume. The tamper-evident feature may take the form of an internal membrane that partitions the interior volume or an external header that covers the string zipper. In some embodiments with a partitioned interior volume, the tamper-evident feature comprises a peel seal.

Tamper-evident reclosable bag having slider-actuated string zipper

A reclosable bag having a bottom flap with holes configured to allow a stack of the bags to be mounted on a wicket, a slider-actuated string zipper installed in a mouth at the top of the bag, and an open string zipper, not actuated by a slider, installed at the bottom of the bag. The wicket flap has a line of weakened tear resistance, such as a perforated line, along which the bag can be torn. Product is inserted into the receptacle via the open string zipper, and then that zipper is closed. After filling, the receptacle can be separated from the flap, which remains on the wicket, by tearing along the tear line.

Reclosable bag having wicket flap and slider-actuated string zipper

A reclosable bag having a top flap with holes configured to allow a stack of such bags to be mounted on a wicket or a pair of dispensing posts, and having a slider-actuated zipper (e.g., a string zipper) installed in a mouth at the top of the bag. The top flap is connected to a double layer of film that forms one side of the receptacle mouth and is joined to one strip of the zipper. The flap, which extends downward near its connection to the double layer of film, can be wrapped under and around the bottom of one side of the slider. The holes in the flap (for the wicket) are disposed above the zipper when the wrapped-around flap is fully extended upward.

A slider-zipper assembly in which the slider has a design lending itself to economical manufacture using an injection molding process. The slider comprises a frame that straddles the zipper, a plow supported by the frame and separating respective sections of two interlockable profiled zipper parts, and a plurality of projections that latch under the zipper parts to retain the slider on the zipper. The frame has three bridging members, a first opening disposed between the first and second bridging members, and a second opening disposed between the second and third bridging members, the plow being connected to and depending downward from the second bridging member. First and second retaining projections are disposed entirely under the first opening with no portion of the first and second bridging members overhanging any portion thereof, and third and fourth retaining projections are disposed entirely under the second opening with no portion of the second and third bridging members overhanging any portion thereof.

Molded sliders for actuating zippers in reclosable packages

A reclosable package or bag having a slider-operated string zipper. The respective parts of the string zipper comprise a respective base strip and a respective set of profiled closure elements projecting from a front side of the base strip. The upper margins of the respective bag walls are joined to the backs of the respective base strips. The slider rides on the string zipper with the upper margins of the bag film being disposed between the zipper and the slider.

Reclosable packaging having slider-operated string zipper

A reclosable bag having a bottom flap with holes configured to allow a stack of the bags to be mounted on a wicket, a slider-actuated string zipper installed in a mouth at the top of the bag, and a band seal at the bottom of the bag. The bottom of the bag is closed. The wicket flap has a line of weakened tear resistance, such as a perforated line, along which the bag can be torn. The bag on top of the stack can be filled through the open zipper with product. After filling, the zipper is closed by operating the slider and then the filled bag is separated from its flap, which remains on the wicket, by tearing along the tear line.

Methods and apparatus for low-cost manufacture of reclosable packages having slider-operated zippers. One method of manufacture comprising the following steps: (a) joining film material to a back side of a first flangeless zipper strip having a first closure profile on its front side; (b) joining film material to a back side of a second flangeless zipper strip having a second closure profile on its front side, the first and second closure profiles of the first and second zipper strips being interlockable to form a string zipper assembly; and (c) loading a slider comprising a plow onto an open section of the string zipper assembly with the plow being inserted between the first and second flangeless zipper strips. Respective portions of the first and second portions of film are respectively disposed between the slider and the string zipper assembly when the slider is loaded. This method further comprises the step of trimming a marginal portion of the film material that extends beyond the portion of film material joined to the back side of either of the first flangeless zipper strip.

Growing community of inventors

Nicolson, GA, United States of America

Gregory H Crunkleton