Reclosable Bag
A reclosable bag for storing edibles is provided and includes a body having an inner surface defining an inner volume that receives the edibles and an outer surface formed on an opposite side of the body than the inner surface. A seal extends substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body and is formed by joining a first portion of the inner surface to a second portion of the inner surface. A deadfold material is disposed in the seal between the first portion of the inner surface and the second portion of the inner surface, is formed from a malleable material, and is retained in position along the body by the seal.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application No. 62/134,837, filed on Mar. 18, 2015. The entire contents of the aforementioned application are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis disclosure relates to reclosable bags.
BACKGROUNDMany edibles (e.g., cereal, candy, chocolate, dried fruits, chips, cookies, or other food products) are sold in bags. Some edibles such as cereal are stored in a bag and the bag is placed inside a box (e.g., a cereal box). Most food manufacturers and retailers sell edibles in bags that are sealed. In some examples, the seal prevents moisture from entering the bag. In other examples, the seal prevents undesirable objects from entering the bag (e.g., dust, insects, etc.) In yet other examples, the seal extends the life of the edibles or prevents the edibles from spoiling. However, once a consumer opens the seal of a bag, the edibles inside the bag are at risk of being exposed to moisture and being spoiled. Therefore, there is a need for a reclosable bag that prevents moisture and other undesirable objects from entering the bag after the consumer breaks the seal of the bag.
SUMMARYIn one configuration, a reclosable bag for storing edibles is provided and includes a body having an inner surface defining an inner volume that receives the edibles and an outer surface formed on an opposite side of the body than the inner surface. A seal extends substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body and is formed by joining a first portion of the inner surface to a second portion of the inner surface. A deadfold material is disposed in the seal between the first portion of the inner surface and the second portion of the inner surface, is formed from a malleable material, and is retained in position along the body by the seal.
In one configuration, the deadfold material includes a first element and a second element, whereby the first element and the second element are spaced apart from one another by a gap extending in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. In this configuration, the first portion of the inner surface and the second portion of the inner surface may be attached to one another within the gap. Alternatively, the first portion of the inner surface and the second portion of the inner surface may be spaced apart from one another within the gap such that the first element and the second element oppose one another within the gap. Regardless of the particular construction of the reclosable bag, the gap may be about 1 mm to about 5 mm in the first direction.
In one configuration, the first element is formed from metal and the second element is formed from metal. Further, the seal is formed by welding the first portion of the inner surface to the second portion of the inner surface at a first location along the first element and at a second location along the second element. The seal may additionally be formed by welding the first portion of the inner surface to the second portion of the inner surface at a third location within the gap, whereby the first location, the second location, and the third location extend along an entire length of the first element and the second element in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The first portion of the inner surface and the second portion of the inner surface may be ultrasonically welded to one another at the first location, the second location, and the third location.
A method of manufacturing a reclosable bag is also provided and includes forming a sheet of material having a first surface and a second surface disposed on an opposite side of the sheet of material than the first surface into a body having a substantially cylindrical shape. The method further includes aligning a first longitudinal edge of the sheet with a second longitudinal edge of the sheet such that a first portion of the first surface opposes a second portion of the first surface. A deadfold material is positioned between the first portion of the first surface and the second portion of the first surface. The first portion of the first surface is attached to the second portion of the first surface to retain the deadfold material between the first portion and the second portion.
In one configuration, attaching the first portion to the second portion includes ultrasonically welding the first portion to the second portion.
In one configuration, positioning the deadfold material includes positioning a first element and a second element between the first portion and the second portion. A longitudinal axis of the first element and a longitudinal axis of the second element are aligned with a longitudinal axis of the body such that all three of the axes are substantially parallel to one another.
In one configuration, attaching the first portion of the first surface to the second portion of the first surface includes attaching the first portion to the second portion at a first location along an entire length of and adjacent to the first element and at a second location along an entire length of and adjacent to the second element. Attaching the first portion of the first surface to the second portion of the first surface may additionally include attaching the first portion to the second portion at a third location between the first element and the second element.
In one configuration, attaching the first portion to the second portion at the third location includes attaching the first portion to the second portion along an entire length of the first element and the second element. Attaching the first portion to the second portion at the first location, the second location, and the third location may include ultrasonically welding the first portion to the second portion at the first location, the second location, and the third location.
In one configuration, positioning the deadfold material between the first portion of the first surface and the second portion of the first surface includes positioning a malleable material between the first portion and the second portion. Further, a first end of the cylindrical body and a second end of the cylindrical body may be sealed, whereby the first end and the second end extend substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge.
The details of one or more implementations of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Like reference symbols and the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe bag 100 further includes a seal 130 that maintains the structural integrity of the bag body 110. In some examples, a press may bind opposite edge portions of a rectangular sheet to form the bag body 110. The seal 130 extends from the first end 112 of the bag body 110 to the second end 114 of the bag body 110. A foldable deadfold material 150 is embedded in the seal 130. When the deadfold material 150 is folded, the deadfold material 150 retains its folded shape, thereby allowing the bag body 110 to remain folded as well.
Once a consumer purchases the box 10, the consumer may break the seal of the second end 114 of the bag body 110 to access the edibles 50. If the bag 100 is not reclosed properly, moisture 80 may enter the bag 100 and spoil the edibles 50. Further, the moisture 80 may diminish the taste or nutritional value of the edibles 50. For example, the moisture 80 may make the cereal 50c less crunchy than desirable. Another negative consequence of not closing the bag 100 properly is that debris or an insect 82 may enter the bag 100.
The deadfold material 150 allows the consumer to reclose the bag 100 even after the consumer has broken the seal at the second end 114. As shown in
Although in the example of
Referring to
The deadfold material 150 is disposed in the seal 130. The deadfold material 150 can be folded along a length LD of the deadfold material 150. When the deadfold material 150 is folded along its length LD, the deadfold material 150 retains its folded shape, thus allowing the bag body 110 to remain folded when the deadfold material 150 is folded. Because the bag body 110 remains folded when the deadfold material 150 is folded, the reclosable bag 100 can be closed to prevent moisture 80 from entering the reclosable bag 100. Being able to close the reclosable bag 100 after removing some edibles 50 from the bag 100 allows the remaining edibles 50 (or any other items stored in the reclosable bag 100) to remain relatively moisture free. Further, being able to fold the bag body 110 and close the reclosable bag 100 may extend the life of the edibles 50.
Referring to
Referring again to
In the examples of
As shown in
In the example of
The second distance D2 may be further shortened. The shorter the second distance D2 is, the tighter a user can reclose the bag 100 when there is a large amount of edibles within the reclosable bag body 110. However, a shortened second distance D2 will increase the cost of the reclosable bag 100 due to use of a longer length of the deadfold material 150.
The deadfold material 150 includes a first end portion 150a and a second end portion 150b. The second end portion 150b of the deadfold material 150 is near the open second end 114 of the bag body 110; the first end portion 150a is further away from the open second end 114. When the bag body 110 is folded at the folded region 150f near the first end portion 150a, the second end 114 of the bag body 110 is placed in proximity to the first end 112. In some implementations, the unfolded length LU is greater than one-half of the body length LB (LU>0.5 LB) and the folded length LF is less than one-half of the body length LB (LF>0.5 LB). The unfolded length LU may be less than, equal to, or greater than the folded length LF, depending on where a user folds the reclosable bag 100.
The bag 100 may reside within a box 10. A first end 10a (e.g., a bottom) of the box 10 may support the sealed first end 112 of the bag 100. A second end 10b (e.g., a top) of the box 10 may be open to provide access to the bag 100 (e.g., the open second end 114). In some implementations, when the bag 100 is in the folded position, the sealed first end 112 of the bag 100 touches the second end 10b of the box 10 but the open second end 114 does not touch the second end 10b of the box 10. If the folded length LF is greater than the unfolded length LU, a portion of the folded portion 110f may need to be folded around the unfolded portion 110u of the bag body 110. Therefore, when the folded length LF is less than the unfolded length LU, an additional fold may be avoided; however, when the folded length LF is greater than the unfolded length LU, an additional fold (or more) may be needed in the folded portion 110f to tighten the enclosure of the bag 100.
The gaps 174 and 174a are shown as being open such that the first layer 132 and the second layer 134 are spaced apart from one another along the length of each gap 174, 174a. The gap 174b is shown with the first layer 132 being attached to the second layer 134 along a length of the gap 174b such that the adjacent wires 172b, 172c are separated from one another in the location of the gap 174b by the joined layers 132, 134 that form the seal 130. The layers 132, 134 may be joined by ultrasonically welding the layers 132, 134 together in the area of the gap 174b when forming the seal 130, as will be described below. While the gaps 174, 174a are shown as being open and the gap 174b is shown as being closed, all of the gaps 174, 174a, and 174b may be closed or, alternatively, all of the gaps 174, 174a, and 174b may be open. Further, any configuration of open gaps and closed gaps may be used. For example, each of gaps 174a, 174b may be open or closed or, alternatively, one of the gaps 174a, 174b may be open while the other gap 174a, 174b is closed.
In the examples of
While the seal 130 is shown in
Any of the configurations shown in
Ultrasonic welding equipment can be customized to fit the exact specifications of the parts being welded. The parts (e.g., the longitudinal edge portions 710) are sandwiched between a fixed shaped nest (anvil) and a sonotrode (horn) connected to a transducer. The transducer emits approximately a 20 kHz low-amplitude acoustic vibration. Common frequencies used in ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics are 15 kHz, 20 kHz, 30 kHz, 35 kHz, 40 kHz, and 70 kHz. When welding plastics, the interface of the two parts is specially designed to concentrate the melting process. One of the materials usually has a spiked energy director that contacts the second plastic part. The ultrasonic energy melts the point contact between the parts, creating a joint (e.g., seal 130). This process is a good automated alternative to glue, screws, or snap-fit designs.
An ultrasonic welding system may include: a press to put the two parts to be assembled under pressure; a nest or anvil where the parts are placed and that allows the high frequency vibration to be directed to the interfaces; and an ultrasonic stack composed of a converter or piezoelectric transducer, an optional booster, and a sonotrode. All three elements of the stack may be specifically tuned to resonate at the same ultrasonic frequency (Typically 20, 30, 35 or 40 kHz). The ultrasonic welding system may also include: a converter that converts the electrical signal into a mechanical vibration; a booster that modifies the amplitude of the vibration; a sonotrode that applies the mechanical vibration to the parts to be welded; an electronic ultrasonic generator or power supply that delivers a high power AC signal with a frequency that may match the resonance frequency of the stack; and a controller controlling the movement of the press and the delivery of the ultrasonic energy.
Some ultrasonic welding systems may include fewer or additional components. For example, some controllers may not control the movement of the press and may instead rely on a machine operator to control the movement of the press.
With reference to
The sealing mechanism 504 and film transport belts 506 are disposed along a length of the fill tube 502 and encounter the sheet of material 700 once the sheet of material 700 has taken the shape of a cylinder. The sealing mechanism 504 may be an ultrasonic welding apparatus that engages an outer surface 512 of the material 700 at longitudinal edges 710 to join the sheet 700 at opposed portions of an inner surface 514 of the sheet 700. Namely, the sealing mechanism 504 may include a pair of wheels 516 (
The transport belts 506 are disposed on opposite sides of the fill tube 502 and apply a force on the material 700 to draw the material 700 through the sealing mechanism 504. The transport belts 506 each include a series of rollers 518 that drive respective belts 520. The belts 520 are in contact with the outer surface 512 of the material 700 which, in turn, applies a force on the material 700 in the direction (Y) shown in
The cross-sealing jaws 508 are disposed on opposite sides of the fill tube 502 and cooperate to seal the first end 112 and the second end 114. Namely, the cross-sealing jaws 508 are selectively drawn toward one another to seal the bag 100 at the first end 112 and at the second end 114 and, further, to separate adjacent bags 100 from one another. The cross-sealing jaws 508 seal the first end 112 and the second end 114 by applying pressure and heat to lateral edge portions 712, 712 of the sheet of material 700, thereby sealing the ends 112, 114 and ensuring the edibles 50—received from the fill tube 502 and disposed therein—remain within the bag 100 until the bag 100 is opened at either end 112, 114. The cross-sealing jaws 508 also sever the material 700 at the first end 112 and at the second end 114 once the ends 112, 114 are sealed to separate adjacent bags 100 following formation of the bags 100.
The deadfold feeding system 510 cooperates with the sealing mechanism 504 to simultaneously insert the deadfold material 150 into the seal 130 at the time of joining the longitudinal edges 110. The deadfold material 150 may include a pair of metal wires 172, 172a that are carried by a substrate 173. The substrate 173 may be formed from a plastic material and may serve to maintain a proper spacing between the wires 172, 172a when the wires 172, 172a are placed between the longitudinal edges 110 of the sheet 700. While the wires 172, 172a are described as being supported by a substrate 173, the wires 172, 172a could alternatively be supplied without the substrate 173, as shown in
The deadfold sealing system 510 includes a cutting mechanism 522 and a spacer 524. The spacer 524 is disposed upstream from the cutting mechanism 522 and serves to separate the longitudinal edges 110 of the sheet 700 from one another to allow the wires 172, 172a to be placed between the edges 110 and to allow the cutting mechanism 522 to extend into and between the longitudinal edges 110. Allowing the cutting mechanism 522 to extend into and between the longitudinal edges 110 allows the cutting mechanism 522 to cut the wires 172, 172a to a desired length at the same time the wires 172, 172a are located between the longitudinal edges 110. Accordingly, the wires 172, 172a are inserted between opposing portions of the inner surface 514 of the sheet 700 when the longitudinal edges 110 are aligned with one another.
In operation, the deadfold material 150 is fed along the spacer 524 via a series of rollers 526. The rollers 526 cause the deadfold material 150 to be drawn between the sheet of material 700 in an area where portions of the inner surface 514 oppose one another at the longitudinal edges 110. The deadfold material 150 is cut to length by the cutting mechanism 522 just before the longitudinal edges 110 are fed though the wheels 516 of the sealing mechanism 504.
As described above, when the longitudinal edges 110 of the sheet of material 700 are fed through the wheels 516, the edges 110 are joined to one another via an ultrasonic weld. In so doing, the deadfold material 150 is encapsulated between the opposing portions of the inner surface 514 of the sheet 700 when the longitudinal edges 110 are aligned with one another. Specifically, the wheels 516 ultrasonically weld the opposed inner surfaces 514 of the sheet 700 together, thereby trapping the deadfold material 150 between the surfaces 514. The wheels 516 may include a formation that likewise creates an ultrasonic weld in the gap 174 disposed between the wires 172, 172a such that the wires 172, 172a are separated from one another in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of each wire 172, 172a by the material of the sheet 700.
The method 600 also includes sealing the first end 112 of the tubular body 110, while keeping the second end 114 open at 630 (
In some implementations, the deadfold material 150 is positioned at one of the longitudinal edge portions 710 before sealing 620 the longitudinal edge portions 710 together to form the tubular body 110 and the seal 130 along the longitudinal portions 710. This eliminates the step of interposing the deadfold material 150 between the first and second layers 132, 134 of the seal 130.
In some implementations, the first and second layers 132, 134 of the seal 130 are ultrasonically welded (as shown in
As discussed above, ultrasonic welding can be used to form the seal 130 (when the bag body 110 includes two longitudinal sides 710a, 710b, as shown in
A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A reclosable bag for storing edibles, the reclosable bag comprising:
- a body having an inner surface defining an inner volume that receives the edibles and an outer surface formed on an opposite side of the body than the inner surface;
- a seal extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body and formed by joining a first portion of the inner surface to a second portion of the inner surface; and
- a deadfold material disposed in the seal between the first portion of the inner surface and the second portion of the inner surface, the deadfold material being formed from a malleable material and retained in position along the body by the seal.
2. The reclosable bag of claim 1, wherein the deadfold material includes a first element and a second element, the first element and the second element being spaced apart from one another by a gap extending in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
3. The reclosable bag of claim 2, wherein the first portion of the inner surface and the second portion of the inner surface are attached to one another within the gap.
4. The reclosable bag of claim 2, wherein the first portion of the inner surface and the second portion of the inner surface are spaced apart from one another within the gap, the first element and the second element opposing one another in the first direction within the gap.
5. The reclosable bag of claim 2, wherein the gap is about 1 mm to about 5 mm in the first direction.
6. The reclosable bag of claim 2, wherein the first element is formed from a metallic strip or wire and the second element is independently formed from a metallic strip or wire.
7. The reclosable bag of claim 2, wherein the seal is formed by welding the first portion of the inner surface to the second portion of the inner surface at a first location along the first element and at a second location along the second element.
8. The reclosable bag of claim 7, wherein the seal is formed by welding the first portion of the inner surface to the second portion of the inner surface at a third location within the gap.
9. The reclosable bag of claim 8, wherein the first location, the second location, and the third location extend along an entire length of the first element and the second element in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.
10. The reclosable bag of claim 8, wherein the first portion of the inner surface and the second portion of the inner surface are ultrasonically welded to one another at the first location, the second location, and the third location.
11. A method of manufacturing a reclosable bag comprising:
- forming a sheet of material having a first surface and a second surface disposed on an opposite side of the sheet of material than the first surface into a body having a substantially cylindrical shape;
- aligning a first longitudinal edge of the sheet with a second longitudinal edge of the sheet such that a first portion of the first surface opposes a second portion of the first surface;
- positioning a deadfold material between the first portion of the first surface and the second portion of the first surface;
- attaching the first portion of the first surface to the second portion of the first surface to retain the deadfold material between the first portion and the second portion.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the attaching the first portion to the second portion includes ultrasonically welding the first portion to the second portion to form a seal.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the positioning the deadfold material includes positioning a first element and a second element of the deadfold material between the first portion and the second portion.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein positioning the first element and the second element includes aligning a longitudinal axis of the first element and a longitudinal axis of the second element with a longitudinal axis of the body such that all three of the axes are substantially parallel to one another.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein attaching the first portion of the first surface to the second portion of the first surface includes attaching the first portion to the second portion at a first location along an entire length of and adjacent to the first element and at a second location along an entire length of and adjacent to the second element.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein attaching the first portion of the first surface to the second portion of the first surface includes attaching the first portion to the second portion at a third location between the first element and the second element.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein attaching the first portion to the second portion at the third location includes attaching the first portion to the second portion along an entire length of the first element and the second element.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein attaching the first portion to the second portion at the first location, the second location, and the third location includes ultrasonically welding the first portion to the second portion at the first location, the second location, and the third location.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein positioning the deadfold material between the first portion of the first surface and the second portion of the first surface includes positioning a malleable material between the first portion and the second portion.
20. The method of claim 11, further comprising sealing a first end of the body having a substantially cylindrical shape and a second end of the body having a substantially cylindrical shape, the first end and the second end extending substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 7, 2016
Publication Date: Sep 22, 2016
Inventors: John Joseph Michels (Portage, MI), Paul A. Pezzoli (Portage, MI)
Application Number: 15/062,624