S.c. Johnson Home Storage, Inc.

Judi R Welsh

Brian C Dais

Jose Porchia

Kenneth A Toney

Thomas P O'Connor

James W Burke

In a thermoplastic bag having a reclosable fastener extending along the mouth of the bag and a slider straddling the fastener for opening and closing the fastener, the fastener including two opposing interlocking profiles along the side walls of the bag, the slider adapted to maintain straddling relation with the fastener, an improved endstop means proximate to at least one end of the reclosable fastener, the endstop means being formed from the material of the profiles and rising vertically from the fastener to a height adequate to engage the slider and prevent movement of the slider past the end of the bag. A rail extends along the length of at least one of the profiles on the outside thereof, the rail extending to a point sufficient to permit the slider to cooperate with the rail to maintain straddling relation with the fastener when the slider reaches the endstop. Docking means and methods of making endstop means and docking means are also disclosed.

Endstop and docking means for thermoplastic bags

A reclosable fastener assembly comprising a first fastener strip, a second fastener strip and a slider. The first fastener strip has an inner surface and an outer surface, including at least an uppermost closure element and a bottommost closure element positioned along the length of the inner surface. The second fastener strip has an inner surface and an outer surface, including at least an uppermost closure element and a bottommost closure element positioned along the length of the inner surface. The closure elements along the second fastener strip are adapted to engage with the closure elements along the first fastener strip, thereby interlocking the second fastener strip with the first fastener strip. The slider has a top and side walls depending from opposite sides of the top for receiving the fastener strips therebetween, the side walls extending downward from the top to a point below the uppermost closure elements, so that at least a portion of the fastener strips are held between the side walls. The side walls also extend from a separating end of the slider to a pinching end. Pinching means are positioned proximate to the pinching end. The slider also includes a separating leg depending from the top between the first and second side walls at the separating end of the slider. The separating leg penetrates at least one of the uppermost closure elements of the first or second fastener strips, but not the bottommost closure elements.

Growing community of inventors

Midland, MI, United States of America

Judi R Welsh