Closure for closing an access side of a flexible packaging, coil comprising a closure strip and use thereof

Abstract

An elongate closure (10; 110) for closing an access side of a flexible packaging comprises an elongate plastic body (12; 112), wherein the body (12; 112) has a first face (22; 120) that is turned towards the access side of the flexible packaging in a closed position, a second face (24; 122) that is turned away from the access side of the flexible packaging in a closed position, and at least one thickened rib (14, 16; 114) extending over the length of the body (12; 112), wherein the at least one thickened rib (14, 16; 114) has at least two projecting parts (26; 124) separated by a recess (28; 126) at the second face (24; 122). The elongate closure can be a clip band type closure or a twist tie type closure.

Claims

1. An elongate closure comprising: an elongate plastic body having: a first face; and a second face; and one or more thickened ribs extending over the length of the elongate plastic body; wherein a first thickened rib of the one or more thickened ribs comprises: a first set of at least two projecting parts separated by a first recess at the second face of the elongate plastic body; and a second set of at least two projecting parts separated by a second recess at the first face of the elongate plastic body; wherein a distance between a bottom of the first recess and a bottom of the second recess is larger than a thickness of the elongate plastic body.

2. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the first face is orientated towards an access side of a flexible packaging in a closed position; wherein the elongate closure is configured for closing the access side of the flexible packaging; and wherein the second face is orientated away from the access side of the flexible packaging in a closed position.

3. The closure according to claim 1 further comprising a second thickened rib; wherein the first and second thickened ribs are positioned, respectively one at each longitudinal edge of the elongate plastic body; and wherein the first and second thickened ribs are spaced apart in a width direction of the elongate plastic body.

4. The closure according to claim 3, wherein: the second thickened rib comprises: a first set of at least two projecting parts separated by a first recess at the second face of the elongate plastic body; and a second set of at least two projecting parts separated by a second recess at the first face of the elongate plastic body; and an outermost projecting part of each first set of projecting parts of each thickened rib and an outermost projecting part of each second set of projecting parts of each thickened rib are each separated by a third recess.

5. The closure according to claim 4, wherein the third recess between the each of the respective sets of outermost projecting parts has a curved bottom.

6. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the first thickened rib is arranged at a longitudinal center line of the elongate plastic body.

7. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the closure is symmetrical.

8. The closure according to claim 1, wherein each of the projecting parts have a rounded top.

9. The closure according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the first and second recesses have a curved bottom.

10. The closure according to claim 8, wherein one or more of the first and second recesses have a curved bottom; and wherein at least one of the rounded tops and curved bottoms describe a circular arc section.

11. The closure according to claim 10, wherein the radius of the circular arc section of at least one of the rounded tops is larger than the radius of the circular arc section of at least one of the curved bottoms.

12. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the elongate plastic body and the first thickened rib are made of the same plastic.

13. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the elongate plastic body and the first thickened rib form a single entity.

14. A coil comprising: the elongate closure of claim 1; wherein: the first face is an upper face; the second face is a lower face; and the elongate closure is configured to be wound onto the coil for use in a packaging device.

15. The coil according to claim 14, wherein the first thickened rib is positioned at a first longitudinal edge of the elongate plastic body; wherein a second of the one or more thickened ribs is positioned at a second longitudinal edge of the elongate plastic body; and wherein the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge are spaced apart in the width direction of the elongate plastic body.

16. The coil according to claim 15, wherein: the second of the one or more thickened ribs comprises: a first set of at least two projecting parts separated by a first recess; and a second set of at least two projecting parts separated by a second recess; and an outermost projecting part of each first set of projecting parts of each of the first and second thickened ribs and an outermost projecting part of each second set of projecting parts of each of the first and second thickened ribs are each separated by a third recess.

17. The coil according to claim 14, wherein the elongate plastic body comprises one thickened rib being the first thickened rib arranged at a longitudinal center line of the elongate plastic body.

18. The coil according to claim 14, wherein a second thickened rib of the one or more thickened ribs comprises: a first set of at least two projecting parts separated by a first recess; and a second set of at least two projecting parts separated by a second recess; and a distance between a bottom of the first recess of the second thickened rib and a bottom of the second recess of the second thickened rib is larger than the thickness of the elongate plastic body.

19. A method of closing an access side of a flexible packaging comprising: necking the access side of the flexible packaging; and closing the neck with the elongate closure of claim 2.

20. A method of closing an access side of a flexible packaging comprising: necking the access side of the flexible packaging; forming a discrete length of an elongate closure from the coil of claim 14; and closing the neck with the elongate closure.

21. The closure according to claim 1, wherein a distance between a bottom of the first recess at the second face and a center plane is larger than half the thickness of the elongate plastic body.

22. The closure according to claim 4, wherein each of the projecting parts have a rounded top.

23. The closure according to claim 4, wherein the closure is symmetrical.

24. The closure according to claim 4, wherein one or more of the first and second recesses have a curved bottom.

25. The closure according to claim 4, wherein the elongate plastic body and the first thickened rib are made of the same plastic.

26. The closure according to claim 4, wherein the elongate plastic body and the first thickened rib form a single entity.

27. The closure according to claim 4, wherein a distance between a bottom of the first recess at the second face and a center plane is larger than half the thickness of the elongate plastic body.

28. The closure according to claim 22, wherein one or more of the first and second recesses have a curved bottom; and wherein at least one of the rounded tops and curved bottoms describe a circular arc section.

29. The closure according to claim 28, wherein at least one of the rounded tops and at least one of the curved bottoms each describe a circular arc section; and wherein the radius of the circular arc section of at least one of the rounded tops is larger than the radius of the circular arc section of at least one of the curved bottoms.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is further illustrated by the attached drawings, wherein

(2) FIG. 1 shows a view of an embodiment of a clip band type closure according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a partially closed condition; \

(5) FIG. 4 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a closed condition;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a view of an embodiment of a twist tie type closure according to the invention; and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a cross section of the embodiment of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) In FIG. 1 an embodiment of a single elongate closure of the clip band type according to the invention is shown that is indicated in its entirety by reference numeral 10. It will be understood that in a coiled strip only the length would differ. The closure 10 comprises an elongate body 12 of plastic material having thickened ribs 14 and 16 respectively along its longitudinal edges 18 and 20 and a first face 22 and second face 24 (upper face respectively lower face in a strip according to the invention).

(9) FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the embodiment of FIG. 1, from which the details of the ribs 14 and 16 can be derived. At the second face 24 each of the ribs 14, 16 has two projecting parts 26 that are separated by a recess 28. Each projecting part 26 has a curved, in particular rounded top 30. The recess 28 has a curved bottom. Similarly at the first face 22 each of the ribs 14, 16 has two projecting parts 34 that are separated by a recess 36. A projecting part 34 has a curved (rounded) top 38, while the recess 36 has a curved bottom. At the longitudinal edges 18 and 20 a side recess 42, also having a curved bottom, is present between the outermost projecting part 26 at the second face 24 and the outermost projecting part 34 at the first face 22. The centre plane of the body 12 is indicated by A. The body 12 has a thickness d1. The distance d2 represents the thickness of the elongated rib 14 between the bottoms of the recess 36 at the first face 22 and the bottom of the recess 28 at the second face 24. As can be seen the distance d3 between the bottom of the recess 28 at the second face 24 and the centre plane A is larger than 0.5*d1.

(10) FIG. 3 shows the embodiment of a clip band closure 10 of FIGS. 1-2 in an U condition, with a bottom part 42 and legs 44 and 46 bended at right angles to the bottom part 42.

(11) FIG. 4 shows this embodiment of a clip band closure 10 in a closed condition, wherein the ends 48 and 50 are further bended at right angles with respect to the legs 44 and 46, such that the end 50 overlaps the end 48. A seal 52 locally connecting the end 50 to the end 48 is applied for visible inspection that a packaging, the neck of which is contained in the closure (in the closed condition thereof), has not been accessed in an unauthorized manner.

(12) FIG. 5 is an embodiment of a closure 110 of the twist tie type according to the invention. The twist tie closure 110 comprises an elongate body 112 having along its longitudinal centre line a thickened rib 114. Numerals 116 and 118 indicate the respective wing parts of the body 112 adjacent the rib 114. The body 112 has a first face 120 and second face 122 (upper face respectively lower face in a strip according to the invention).

(13) FIG. 6 shows a cross section of the twist tie embodiment of FIG. 5. At the second face 122 the rib 114 has two projecting parts 124 that are separated by a recess 126. Each projecting part 124 has a curved, in particular rounded top 128. The recess 126 has a curved bottom.

(14) Similarly at the first face 120 the rib 114 has two projecting parts 132 that are separated by a recess 134. A projecting part 132 has a curved (rounded) top 136, while the recess 134 has a curved bottom. The twist tie according to the invention can be applied to a gathered neck of a flexible packaging by bending the closure 110 around the neck and twisting the ends 140, respectively 142 around one another.