Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Supreme Plastics Holdings Limited

Illinois Took Works Inc.

Supreme Plastics Holding Limited

Murray Edward Bruce Leighton

Rusty Koenigkramer

The baghas an openingwhich is reclosable by way of zipper profiles. A spoutis formed from flanges of the zipper profiles and folds out from the inside of the bag for use in dispensing its contents. After use, it is folded away and the bag sealed by the zipper. Zippers useful in making the bag are also disclosed (FIGS.to), one being a slider zipper. A method of making the bag and apparatus for carrying out the method are disclosed (see FIGS.to), as is incorporation of the process in reel-to-reel, pre-made bag and form-fill-seal types of process.

Reclosable bag

The disclosure relates to relates to the use of trim sensors, registration sensors or pressure sensors to sense the position of a zipper during the manufacture of reclosable packages, particularly manufacturing processes wherein the ends of the zipper need to line up at the fin seal to insure success of the closure. The output of the sensors is used to adjust belt or roller speeds, or similar operational parameters to bring the zipper profiles into alignment at the fin seal.

Fin seal registration in manufacture of reclosable packages

A reclosable zipper fastener has a sliderand first and second profiles. Each profile has a bodyand a flangewhich has three zones which are, successively and in the direction away from the body, an anti-seal zone, a line-of-weakness formation zoneand a sealing zone. The zipper can be used in a bag in which it is secured internally of a top seal, the line-of-weakness zonesforming lines along which a top portion of the bag can be removed to open the bag. The bag can then be sealed using the zipper. A tamper-evident feature is thus provided.

Reclosable bag and zipper therefor

A reclosable fastener () comprising a two-part body and a single flange () is located between two webs () of material from which a bag is to be made on a form-fill-seal machine. The fastener is attached initially to the inside of one web () by the flange (). The combination passes between sealing jaws () to seal the webs to the fastener at thickened zones () at the margins of the body By making the body compact, and by using sealing jaws () which are longer than the body, the webs () form around the ends of the fastener body.

Method of and apparatus for sealing zipper to a substrate

A reclosable bag () has a top seal () and a reclosable zipper (). A tear string () passes through the top seal () and has a free end which can be grasped to open the top seal. The bag is made using cross-web technology with the tear strings () being attached to the lengths of zipper and the free ends of the strings being concertinaed in the top seal zone.

Reclosable bags having a tear-open string

An apparatus for application of zippers to film materialcomprises an applicator barfor presenting pre-cut lengths of zipperto the film and a heated sealing barfor sealing the pre-cut lengths to the film. The applicator bar, the sealing bar, feed rollersand a zipper cutterare mounted for movement with the film on a linear motor. A pneumatic cylinderraised the application bar towards the film. The applicator bar moves in direction C to apply the zipper to the filmmoving in direction A, then moves with the sealing bar and the film in direction B, away from the film in direction C', back to its starting position in direction B&#x2032;, then towards the film again in direction C. A further length of zipper may be fed to the applicator bar at any time after the bar has moved away from the film in direction C&#x2032; and therefore during an end portion of the forward stroke of the motor, or during its return stroke.

Application of zippers to film material

A plastics bag has at least one seal () extending parallel to the mouth of the bag to close the sides. Preferably, a reclosable zipper seal () is provided below a top seal (). A novel tag is provided, secured to the zipper seal () and extending through the top seal (). The tag () is generally M-shaped in cross-section with its outside legs secured to the seals and with an inner tuck which the consumer can withdraw from the mouth of the bag and break open to make an access hole through the seal or seals into the interior of the bag to facilitate full opening of the mouth of the bag. Methods of manufacturing such bags are also described, particularly for use with form-fill-seal machines.

Plastics bags and methods of making the same

The apparatus applies a transverse zipper strip to a film () moving continuously in a direction (). A continuous belt () is driven by sprocket wheels () and carries upper seal bars () which receive pre-cut lengths of zipper at station (). The pre-cut lengths are attached to the film () by a lower seal bar () which moves towards the film () at position A when an upper seal bar carrying a zipper strip is located directly above the film. Sealing takes place as the upper and lower seal bars move at the same speed as the film () from position A to position B where the zipper is released from the upper seal bar (). The process then repeats for the next zipper strip length.

The bags are produced on a form-fill seal machine operating horizontally or vertically. Zipper strips () are initially attached to a continuous web () which is subsequently formed into a continuous run of bags having end seals () and a back seal (). The continuous run is separated into individual bags and the zipper strips finally attached to the bag walls by application of heat and/or pressure by a belt sealer () operating in a direction perpendicular to that of movement of the continuous web.

Reclosable bag production

Plastics bag and method of making the same

A heat sealing jaw ( ), particularly for use in a form-fill-seal machine for the sealing of plastics bags incorporating a zipper seal, comprises a plurality of spaced heat sealing wires ( ) in its active surface and a plurality of pressure switches ( ) underlying the wires. When the jaw is moved into contact with the zipper and an overlying host material the zipper imparts pressure to a switch or switches and this effects heating of a predetermined wire or wires to create the seal at the correct position. Thus, the seal is made at the correct position even if the position of the zipper on the host material should change. A pair of aligned jaws ( ) are preferably used, one on each side of the host material.

Sealing of reclosable plastics bags

In the manufacture of plastics bags using reclosable zipper strip ( ) with engageable male and female profiles ( ), a butt splicing operation is used to speed up the changeover from one reel of zipper strip to another. The trailing end of one strip and the leading end of the next strip are brought together in abutting relationship within a splicing unit, sealing material ( ) is overlaid on the end zones of opposite sides of the strips, and this is sealed to the underlying zipper strips, preferably using heat and pressure. The flanges ( ) of the zipper strips are held apart by separator plates ( ) during the sealing operation.

Growing community of inventors

Harrogate, United Kingdom

Murray Edward Bruce Leighton