Bag Closure System

Abstract

A system and method for sealing a flexible container such as a paper-based bag having two sets of opposing panels that can be pressed together and folded over each other. The system includes a strip of material having an adhesive on a single side of a top ply that is attached to a surface of a second or bottom ply that is partially coated with a release coating such that that part of the top ply is releasably attached to the bottom ply and part of it is permanently attached to the bottom ply. The user removes the portion of the top ply from the portion of the bottom ply that is coated with a release coating, partially folds the top edges panels and places the bottom surface of the top ply over opposite panels of the bag. Some embodiments have a second top ply attached to the first top ply.

Claims

1. A method of sealing a bag having a first panel, an opposing second panel and an opening between the first panel and the second panel comprising the steps of: applying a strip of adhesive material to an exterior surface of the first panel; separating a portion of the strip of adhesive material away from the exterior surface of the first panel revealing a bottom surface of the strip of adhesive material coated with an adhesive; applying the bottom surface of the strip of adhesive material to an exterior surface of the second opposing panel without removing the strip of adhesive material from the exterior surface of the first panel.

2. A method of sealing a bag having a front panel, an opposing back panel and an opening between the front panel and the back panel comprising the steps of: forming a strip of material comprised of: a top ply with a bottom surface coated with an adhesive; a bottom ply with a top surface coated with a release coating; wherein the bottom surface of the top play is applied directly to and laid flush against the top surface of the bottom ply thereby releasably attaching the top ply to the bottom ply at a first end and non-releasably attaching the top ply to the bottom play at a second end forming a hinge; applying an adhesive to a bottom surface of the bottom ply; applying the bottom surface of the bottom ply to an exterior surface of the front panel at a point that is adjacent to the opening; separating a portion of the top ply away from the bottom ply revealing the bottom surface of the top ply; applying the bottom surface of the top ply to an exterior surface of the back panel.

3. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of folding a top edge of the back panel over a top edge of the front panel before applying the bottom surface of the top ply to an exterior surface of the back panels.

4. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of applying a release coating to a corner of the bottom surface of the top ply proximate to the first end of the top ply.

5. A method of sealing a bag having a front panel, an opposing back panel and an opening between the front panel and the back panel comprising the steps of: coating a bottom side of a top ply of a strip of material with an adhesive; partially coating a top surface of a bottom ply of the strip of material with a release coating; attaching the bottom surface of the top ply to the top surface of the bottom ply forming an assembled strip of material wherein a first portion of the top ply is non-releasably attached to the bottom ply and a second portion of the top ply is releasably attached to the bottom ply.

6. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of: removing the top ply from the portion of the bottom ply that is coated with a release coating; folding a top edge of the back panel over a top edge of the front panel; applying the bottom surface of the top ply that is no longer attached to the bottom ply to an exterior surface of the back panel thereby attaching the front and to the back panel with the top ply.

7. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of providing the top ply with a flexible portion that serves as a hinge when the top ply is partially removed from the bottom ply.

8. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of applying a release coating to a corner of the bottom surface of the top ply.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0010] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of bag featuring the bag closure system prior to use;

[0011] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view thereof showing a user grasping the tab and partially peeling the top ply away from the bottom ply;

[0012] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view thereof showing the top ply peeled all the way back to the hinge portion while the bottom ply stays attached directly to the bag;

[0013] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view thereof showing the folding of the open ends of the bag;

[0014] FIG. 5 is an additional front perspective view thereof;

[0015] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view thereof showing the top ply being placed over the exterior surfaces of the bag;

[0016] FIG. 7 is a front perspective view thereof showing the top ply having been placed over the outer surfaces of the bag; and

[0017] FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view thereof showing the completely sealed bag;

[0018] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the label itself; and

[0019] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the top ply partially peeled back from the bottom ply.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the bag closure system. This disclosure uses a typically paper-based bag 10 with two sets of opposing panels-a front 11a and back 11b panel and the two side panels 12. These panels are joined to a bottom panel 13 at one end and define an opening or open end 14 at the opposing ends of said panels. The bag can be partially closed by pressing the front panel 11a and back panel 11b together so that the top edges of the front and back panels 11a, 11b that are adjacent to the opening 14 are flattened against each. FIG. 1 also shows the strip of material 15, made up of a top ply 18 and a bottom ply 19, attached to the bag 10 near the point where the two opposing front and back panels 11a, 11b have been folded to form a crease 17. Note, the terms front and back and side are arbitrary and interchangeable. When referring int this disclosure to front and back panels being used to seal the bag, those designations are arbitrary in that any set of opposing panels can be used with this disclosure. The panels need not be the front or back panels, but only need to be opposing panels.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the strip of material 15 includes a top ply 18 and a bottom ply 19 each of which have a top surface 18a, 19a and a bottom surface 18b, 19b. A bottom surface 18b of the top ply 18 is coated with an adhesive 16 (see FIGS. 9 and 10). The bottom ply 19 includes a release coating 22 that extends partially along the top surface 19a of the bottom ply 19. This release coating 22 does not extend all of the way from one end 19c of the bottom ply 19 to the other 19d, but rather the end 19d of the bottom ply 19 that is positioned farthest away from the opening 14 does not have the release coating 22 applied to it. Instead, the adhesive 16 that is applied to the bottom surface 18b of the top ply 18 non-releasably binds to the top surface 19b of the bottom ply 19 at the end 19d that does not have a release coating 22 thereby forming a hinge 21. Note, in the inventor's anticipated best mode, more than half of the bottom ply 19 is coated with a release coating 22 and only a small portion of the top surface 19a of the bottom ply 19 is permanently attached to the top ply 18.

[0022] FIG. 2 also shows the tab 20 which is a portion of the bottom surface 18b of the top ply 18generally a cornerthat is coated with a release coating 22. Preferred embodiments include the tab 20 being located at a second end 18d of the top ply 18 of the strip of material 15. When the top ply 18 is laid flush against the bottom ply 19, the release coating 22 on the tab area 2 of the top ply 18 is in contact with the release coating 22 that is present on the top surface 19c of the bottom ply 19. FIG. 2 shows the user grasping the tab 20 and pulling it downward away from an exterior surface 23 of the bag 10. It is also possible for the user to pull the front and back panels 11a, 11b downward and away from the strip of material 15 causing the tab 20 to become separated from the bottom ply 19 making it easier for the user to grasp the top ply 18 by the tab 20.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows the top ply 18 disengaged from the bottom ply 19 at one end, 18c, but still attached at an opposing end, 18d, to the bottom ply 19. FIGS. 4 through 7 show the user folding the opposing front and back panels 11a and 11b of the bag 10 over on themselves to temporarily close the bag 10 and to position the ends of the front and back panels 11a and 11b of the bag 10 such that the top ply 18 can be placed over the exterior surfaces 23 of both the front panel 11a and the back panel 11b of the bag 10. FIG. 8 shows the sealed bag 10 that results from the above process. In this embodiment, the side of the top ply 18 featuring the adhesive 16 is attached to the exterior surfaces of two opposing panels of the bag 10 resulting in a sealed bag.

[0024] FIGS. 9 and 10 show images of the strip of material 15. Preferred embodiments of the top ply 18 also include a hinge area 21 that is located in the top ply 18 at the point where the top ply 18 contacts the bottom ply 19 where the release coating 22 stops. Some embodiments feature a tab 20 or a portion of the bottom surface 18b of the top ply 18 that includes a release coating or otherwise is configured to not to attach to the bottom ply or the bag 10. This tab 20 makes it easier for the user to grip the top ply 18 and peel it away from the bottom ply 19.

[0025] Still other embodiments of the bag closure system can include multiple strips of material 15 positioned in different places on the exterior surfaces 23 or the interior surfaces of the bag 10. Some embodiments include a plurality of strips of material 15 as described above all positioned one or more exterior surfaces 23 of the bag 10 near the opening 14. While less desirable, the same strips of material 15 can be placed on an interior surface of one or both of the opposing front 11a and back panels 11b. In fact, these strips of material 15 can also be placed on side panels 12 of the bag 10. In addition, the strip of material 15 can be positioned to fit over two opposing sides of the bag 10 at a point that is not adjacent to the open end 14 of the bag 10, but rather the strip of material 15 can be positioned such that top ply 18 extends from a front panel 1 la to a back panel 11b without covering the opening 14 of the bag 10. Further, the sides 12 of the bag 10 can be folded to form a crease or fold 17 that runs at least part of the way from the opening of the bag 10 to the bottom panel of the bag 10. In the above-described embodiment, that means that the two shorter sides 12 of the bag can be folded such that the fold or crease 17 is perpendicular to the crease 17 formed when the open end 14 of the bag 10 is closed as described above.

[0026] In use, the user bends the top edges 24 of the sides of the bag 10 away from the side to which the strip of material 15 is attached. This causes the tab 20 to physically separate from bottom ply 19 allowing the user to grab the tab 20 and pull the majority of the top ply 18 away from the bottom ply 19 featuring the release coating. The user then folds top the edges 24 of the front and back panels 11a and 11b of the bag 10 over on themselves one or more times. At that point, the user simply lays the top ply including the adhesive 16 over the exterior surface 23 of the folded sides of the bag 10 causing the adhesive 16 that is already attached to an exterior surface 23 of one panel of the bag 10 to be attached to the exterior surface 23 of the opposing panel of the bag 10 holding the two opposing panels 11a, 11b of the bag 10 together.

[0027] Other embodiments of the bag closure system 10 include multiple layers of material joined end to end. In other words, a first or top ply 18 is attached to a bottom ply 19 just as described above. An additional or second top ply 18 with a bottom surface coated with an adhesive can be applied to a top surface 18a of the first top ply 18. Said top surface 18a of the first top ply 18 can be partially coated with a release coating 22 so that the bottom surface 18b of the second top ply 18 can be releasably attached at one end and non-releasably attached at an opposing end to the top surface 18a of the first top ply 18. When the user separates the first top ply 18 from the bottom ply 19 and the second top ply 18 from the top surface 18a of the first top ply 18 an accordion-like structure is formed with adhesive exposed on the bottom surfaces of the first and second top ply and that can be laid across the exterior surfaces of two opposing panels of the bag 10.

[0028] Yet another embodiment of the bag closure system incudes a release coating on a portion of the bottom surface of the bottom ply (the surface that comes into contact with the exterior surface of one of the bag's panels). This configuration leaves the bottom ply partially attached to the exterior surface of the panel to which it is attached, i.e, a portion of the bottom ply's bottom surface stays attached to the panel and a portion can be easily lifted away from that exterior surface. In this way, when the user peels a portion of the top ply away from the bottom ply, a portion of the bottom ply can also be separated from the exterior surface of the panel allowing the user to lift that portion of the bottom ply when applying the top ply to the opposing panel. Preferred embodiments of this configuration include a bottom ply with adhesive coated on the bottom surface of the bottom ply said coating extending from a first end 19c of the bottom surface of the bottom ply toward the second end 19d, but not reaching the second end 19d of the bottom ply. In this manner, the bottom ply stays partially attached to the exterior surface of the panel to which it is attached. When the user lifts the first end of the top ply, the second end of the top ply that is attached by adhesive to the second end of the bottom ply, pulls that second end of the bottom ply away from the exterior surface of the panel to which it is attached and the user can lay the bottom surface of the top ply over the exterior surface of the opposing panel. In this manner, the length of the strip of adhesive material can be extended.

[0029] Each example embodiment disclosed herein has been included to present one or more different features. However, all disclosed example embodiments are designed to work together as part of a single larger system or method. This disclosure explicitly envisions compound embodiments that combine multiple previously-discussed features in different example embodiments into a single system or method.

[0030] Additionally, unless expressly stated to the contrary, the terms first, second, third, etc., are intended to distinguish the particular nouns they modify (e.g., element, condition, node, module, activity, operation, etc.). Unless expressly stated to the contrary, the use of these terms is not intended to indicate any type of order, rank, importance, temporal sequence, or hierarchy of the modified noun. For example, first X and second X are intended to designate two X elements that are not necessarily limited by any order, rank, importance, temporal sequence, or hierarchy of the two elements. Further as referred to herein, at least one of and one or more of can be represented using the (s) nomenclature (e.g., one or more element(s)).

[0031] Reference throughout the specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

[0032] Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

[0033] It is understood that the above-described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment, including the best mode, is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, if any, in conjunction with the foregoing description.

[0034] While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. [0035] Clause 1. A method of sealing a bag having a first panel, an opposing second panel and an opening between the first panel and the second panel comprising the steps of applying a strip of adhesive material to an exterior surface of the first panel; separating a portion of the strip of adhesive material away from the exterior surface of the first panel revealing a bottom surface of the strip of adhesive material coated with an adhesive; applying the bottom surface of the strip of adhesive material to an exterior surface of the second opposing panel without removing the strip of adhesive material from the exterior surface of the first panel. [0036] Clause 2. A method of sealing a bag having a front panel, an opposing back panel and an opening between the front panel and the back panel comprising the steps of forming a strip of material comprised of a top ply with a bottom surface coated with an adhesive; a bottom ply with a top surface coated with a release coating; wherein the bottom surface of the top play is applied directly to and laid flush against the top surface of the bottom ply thereby releasably attaching the top ply to the bottom ply at a first end and non-releasably attaching the top ply to the bottom play at a second end forming a hinge; applying an adhesive to a bottom surface of the bottom ply; applying the bottom surface of the bottom ply to an exterior surface of the front panel at a point that is adjacent to the opening; separating a portion of the top ply away from the bottom ply revealing the bottom surface of the top ply; applying the bottom surface of the top ply to an exterior surface of the back panel. [0037] Clause 3. The method of Clause 3 further comprising the steps of folding a top edge of the back panel over a top edge of the front panel before applying the bottom surface of the top ply to an exterior surface of the back panels. [0038] Clause 4. The method of Clause 4 further comprising the steps of applying a release coating to a corner of the bottom surface of the top ply proximate to the first end of the top ply. [0039] Clause 5. A method of sealing a bag having a front panel, an opposing back panel and an opening between the front panel and the back panel comprising the steps of coating a bottom side of a top ply of a strip of material with an adhesive; partially coating a top surface of a bottom ply of the strip of material with a release coating; attaching the bottom surface of the top ply to the top surface of the bottom ply forming an assembled strip of material wherein a first portion of the top ply is non-releasably attached to the bottom ply and a second portion of the top ply is releasably attached to the bottom ply. [0040] Clause 6. The method of Clause 6 further comprising the steps of removing the top ply from the portion of the bottom ply that is coated with a release coating; folding a top edge of the back panel over a top edge of the front panel; applying the bottom surface of the top ply that is no longer attached to the bottom ply to an exterior surface of the back panel thereby attaching the front and to the back panel with the top ply. [0041] Clause 7. The method of Clause 7 further comprising the steps of providing the top ply with a flexible portion that serves as a hinge when the top ply is partially removed from the bottom ply. [0042] Clause 8. The method of Clause 8 further comprising the steps of applying a release coating to a corner of the bottom surface of the top ply.