Abstract: The bag for receiving refuse may include a bag body, the bag body including an inside surface, an outside surface, and a rim defining a mouth. The bag may also include a first strip of material disposed on the inside surface of the bag body proximate the rim. The strip may include an inside surface, an outside surface that faces the inside surface of the body, a top edge, and a bottom edge. The bag may also include a front wall, a back wall, and a hem, the hem including a drawstring. The strip may include a printed design. The design could be letters, numbers, pictures, writing, or any other design. When the bag is inserted into a trash receptacle such that the rim of the bag is folded over the rim of the receptacle, the printed design is visible from outside the receptacle.

Abstract: The bag may include a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a first fastening strip and a second fastening strip. The fastening strips may include a base portion having a pair of spaced-apart webs extending from the base portion. The webs may include hook portions extending from the webs. The fastening strips may have wide base portions. The fastening strips may have thick base portions. The fastening strips may provide a greater surface area for the user to apply a force during the occlusion process and may reduce the occlusion effort. The fastening strips may have a lower occlusion force. The fastening strips may provide improved alignment of the fastening strips. The fastening strips may have an improved perception of seal security with a high opening force and/or a high peel force.

Abstract: The container includes a base and a detachable cover. To releasably attach the base and cover, the base includes a first closure portion and the cover includes an engagable second closure portion. In one aspect, the first and second closure portions are configured for engagement in both a fully engaged position and an intermediately engaged position. In the intermediately engaged position, the container can be further configured to vent steam during, for example, microwaving. In another aspect, the container including the first and second closure portions can be configured for simplified engagement of the base and cover, preferably by enabling engagement via a downward push applied to the center of the cover. In yet another aspect, the first and second closure portions can be configured with diverging flanges that simplify detachment of the base and cover.

Abstract: The evacuation device is configured to remove air from a container via a one-way valve element attached to the container. The evacuation device includes a motor with a rotating shaft that extends along an axis line. The shaft is operably interconnected to a reciprocating element reciprocally movable within a chamber along a direction parallel to the axis line. Reciprocal motion of the reciprocal element draws air into and exhausts air from the chamber. To facilitate the operable interconnection, the evacuation device includes a cam having a cylindrical sidewall mounted to the rotating shaft. Disposed circumferentially into the cylindrical sidewall is a channel. The evacuation device further includes a yoke connected to the reciprocal element and having a follower element received in the channel. Rotation of the cam causes the follower element to move with respect to the channel, thereby converting rotational motion to linear translation. The evacuation device may also include a pressure adjustment feature.

Abstract: A closure device for a thermoplastic bag which includes two opposing, longitudinally extending interlockable male and female fastening strips having respective male and female closure elements or profiles with outside wings that are deformed when the closure device is fully occluded.

Abstract: In one aspect, a bracket for evacuating a storage bag having a one-way valve element is provided that has parallel first and second flat panels that delineate a gap. A bag can be placed into the gap such that the valve element on the bag aligns with an aperture disposed through the first panel. To evacuate the bag, a nozzle of an evacuation device can be inserted through the aperture and pressed against the bag sidewall about the valve element. When the evacuation device is activated, the sidewall of the bag is pulled against the rim of the nozzle and air is drawn through the valve element. In another embodiment, the nozzle can be pressed against the first panel around the aperture. In another aspect, the bracket can be included as part of a handheld evacuation device.

Abstract: The container includes a base and a detachable cover. To releasably attach the base and cover, the base includes a first closure portion and the cover includes an engagable second closure portion. In one aspect, the first and second closure portions are configured for engagement in both a fully engaged position and an intermediately engaged position. In the intermediately engaged position, the container can be further configured to vent steam during, for example, microwaving. In another aspect, the container including the first and second closure portions can be configured for simplified engagement of the base and cover, preferably by enabling engagement via a downward push applied to the center of the cover. In yet another aspect, the first and second closure portions can be configured with diverging flanges that simplify detachment of the base and cover.

Abstract: The bag for receiving refuse may include a bag body, the bag body including an inside surface, an outside surface, and a rim defining a mouth. The bag may also include a first strip of material disposed on the inside surface of the bag body proximate the rim. The strip may include an inside surface, an outside surface that faces the inside surface of the body, a top edge, and a bottom edge. The bag may also include a front wall, a back wall, and a hem, the hem including a drawstring. The strip may include a printed design. The design could be letters, numbers, pictures, writing, or any other design. When the bag is inserted into a trash receptacle such that the rim of the bag is folded over the rim of the receptacle, the printed design is visible from outside the receptacle.

Abstract: A container 100 includes a cover 102 and a base 104. The container cover 102 includes a first closure portion, an engagement portion 208, and an alignment portion. The base 104 includes a second closure portion. The first closure portion of the cover 104 is sealingly engageable with the second closure portion of the base 104 to define a sealed storage area. The covers 102 stack together in two different ways. First, the covers 102 can be stacked into an “aligned” stack. Second, the covers 102 can be stacked into a releasably locked stack. The alignment portion of the cover 102 is engageable with the alignment portion of a second cover 602 to form an aligned cover stack. The engagement portion 208 of the cover 102 includes one or more engagement lugs 424 that are engageable with corresponding engagement lugs 624 of the engagement portion 608 of a second cover 602 to form a releasably locked cover stack 750.

Abstract: The bag may include first and second sidewalls joined along a first side edge, a second side edge and a bottom edge. The sidewalls may be un-joined along their top edges to form an opening. When the bag is placed in a trash receptacle, the top edges may be folded over the rim of the receptacle. To assist with securing the bag to the receptacle, the bag may include an elongated elastic strap of elastic material attached by a first end to an attachment point proximate the first sidewall and by a second end to an attachment point proximate the second sidewall. The strap length and attachment point locations are selected so that, when the strap is in a relaxed state, the strap may not extend to the side edge. The strap may be stretched commensurate with the side edge when folding the top edges about the receptacle rim.

Abstract: A closure device providing a visual confirmation of occlusion. The closure device includes a first and a second interlocking fastening strips which are arranged to be interlocked over a predetermined length, at least one of the fastening strips having a surface alteration providing visual confirmation of occlusion of the closure device. The surface alteration may be a slit which opens or closes upon occlusion of said closure device. In one embodiment, the surface alteration may extend into a coextruded portion. The color of the coextruded portion is exposed when the surface alteration is open and hidden when the surface alteration is substantially closed.

Abstract: A flexible storage bag for storing food items and the like is provided with a separation material positioned to cover an aperture disposed in and/or a one-way valve element attached to the storage bag. The separation material may be a non-woven material. When latent air remaining in the interior volume of the storage bag is exhausted through the aperture and/or one-way valve element, the air passes through the separation material. The separation material functions to remove liquids that may be entrained in the exhausting air. In an embodiment, the separation material may be treated with a low surface energy substance to improve the liquid removal function. In another embodiment, the separation material may be provided as a plurality of layers or as part of the one-way valve element.

Abstract: A pressurized aerosol sprayer and method of making a pressurized aerosol sprayer are disclosed. In one embodiment the aerosol sprayer includes an aerosol sprayer actuator attached to an aerosol container, wherein the sprayer actuator includes an actuator housing, a trigger piece having a trigger and operatively associated with the actuator housing to activate the release of fluid from the container, a nozzle in fluid communication with the container, and a trigger loop encircling the trigger.