Patents Examined by Stephen P. Garbe
  • Bag
    Patent number: 6419393
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a bag which is free from development of tears around a hole formed therein when pierced with tubular or hollow needle suction means. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a bag for containing a liquid or powdery material, the bag comprising a penetrable portion to be pierced with tubular or hollow needle suction means for delivering the material out of the bag, the penetrable portion comprising a laminated sheet having an outer layer including at least one of a calendered film (e.g., aluminum foil) and a stretched film, and an inner layer of an unstretched film, wherein a peeling strength between the outer layer and the inner layer is 0.0490 to 3.4323 N/15 mm width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Daiwa Gravure Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukihiko Shibata
  • Patent number: 6419135
    Abstract: A bottom support cord having a limited stretch for use with a conventional produce harvesting receptacle, such as a fruit picking bucket or bag often used in the harvesting of tree fruit, such as apples, pears, and peaches. The bag is typically tubular with a top opening and a bottom opening. A pair of stretchable support cords replace the typical support ropes that permanently attach to the bag at the bottom and removably attached near the top at a pair of cord receivers. The support cords have a tubular outer sheath that stretches. Within the outer sheath, a non-stretchable inner cord limits the outer sheath's extension. The bag folds upwardly, near the bottom to retain a quantity of produce within. When both support ropes are removed from the cord receivers, the bottom of the bag folds down to dump the produce. The stretchable support cords extend to increase the holding capacity of the bag automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Inventor: Kasper B. Sali
  • Patent number: 6416220
    Abstract: A produce bag has one side wall of a synthetic resin mesh material. The bag offers increased strength and reliability when used with automatic bag filling equipment. The mesh material forms a rear wall of the bag when a group of the bags are placed on wicket pins of the equipment for receiving produce. The front or forward wall is of a synthetic resin film. A reinforcing strip of synthetic resin film is formed along an upper portion of the mesh wall of the bag and spaced holes for wicket pin attachment are formed in the reinforcing strip. The synthetic resin film side wall has a side wall portion which extends below the mesh wall, with a lower fold being formed in the film wall to form a bottom of the bag. The synthetic resin film side also has an extension from the lower fold which is folded upwardly to join with and enclose a lower portion of the mesh side wall. The bottom portion of the bag is thus formed of synthetic resin film which yields to the impact of articles entering the bag to fill it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Kenneth Fox Supply Co.
    Inventors: L. Keith Fox, Kenneth S. Fox
  • Patent number: 6416841
    Abstract: A heat resistant and heat sealable tear tape that can be used with a plastic package. The tear tape comprises a layer of an oriented film and a layer of a polymer sealant material. The polymer sealant has a melt temperature of below approximately 220° F. A plastic package can be made having a tear tape to provide a hermetically sealed package with a tear tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Pechiney Emballage Flexible Europe
    Inventors: Jay D. Hodson, Steven Andrew Willis, Greg John Seeke
  • Patent number: 6409384
    Abstract: A reclosable plastic bag comprises first and second opposing body panels, a zipper, a slider, and a grab tab. The opposing body panels are joined to each other along a pair of sides and a bottom bridging the pair of sides. The zipper extends along a mouth formed opposite the bottom. The slider is slidably mounted to the zipper for movement between a closed position and an open position. Movement of the slider is effectuated using a grab tab extending upward from the slider. In one embodiment, first and second upstanding panels extend upwardly from the respective first and second body panels and form a pocket containing the zipper and the slider. The grab tab on the slider extends upwardly toward or above an upper end of the pocket so as to be easily graspable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Pactiv Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander R. Provan, Thomas L. Coomber, Toby R. Thomas
  • Patent number: 6409385
    Abstract: A flexible, plastic packaging apparatus having a plurality of compartments for containing product therein and a center section interconnecting the plurality of compartments and defining a handle therein whereby the packaging apparatus can contain product separately in each of the compartments and the handle can be used to transport the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Aventis CropScience S.A.
    Inventor: John F. Gee
  • Patent number: 6409034
    Abstract: A hinged cap with a cap body having a raised portion with an outlet opening in its upper boundary wall, a hinged lid connected via a hinge to said cap body, and a locking arrangement formed on cap body and on hinged lid. At least the raised portion is formed of an elastically deformable material, and the hinged lid positions tight against at least the lip of the outlet opening in a closed position, exerting pressure on the raised portion in the direction of closure. An element formed of an elastically deformable material is provided on the hinged connection which generates a biasing between the cap body and the hinged lid in order to bring the hinged lid into an opened position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Kunststoffwerk Kutterrer GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Horst Schorner
  • Patent number: 6405910
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for use with a handheld device. The apparatus includes a panel configured to provide support for the handheld device, defining an aperture and having a mating structure located in the aperture. The apparatus further includes a clip assembly operative to engage an article of clothing and configured to releasably attach to the mating structure, and thereby to impart a first configuration to the apparatus. The apparatus also includes a replacement insert configured to releaseably attach to the mating structure in place of the clip assembly, and thereby to impart a second configuration to the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: James C. Infanti, Jason Griffin
  • Patent number: 6405911
    Abstract: A communication accessory device for simultaneously carrying a pair of communication devices. The communication accessory device includes a panel that has a belt loop formed thereon for removably receiving a belt of a user. A first strap is provided for forming a first loop for removably attaching a communication device to the panel. The first loop is attached to the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Inventor: Gerald D. Howard
  • Patent number: 6402015
    Abstract: A self-sealing envelope having an adhesive assembly positioned in such a manner so as to both adhesively secure the seal flap and adhere the envelope to another surface. When the seal flap of the envelope is in its closed position, the seal flap is received by, and only partially covers, a first portion of the adhesive assembly, with a second portion of the adhesive assembly remaining exposed. This first portion of the adhesive receives and seals the closed seal flap. The exposed second portion of the adhesive assembly is adapted to adhesively receive a surface, such as a package, another envelope, or other suitable surface, thereby retaining the envelope on such surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Winkeler + Dunnebrier, AG
    Inventor: Robert W. Collins
  • Patent number: 6401994
    Abstract: A vehicle mountable article carrier for use by law enforcement personnel to safely and securely store and transport weapons, contraband, evidence gathered from a crime scene, or the personal property of a person taken into custody. The vehicle mountable article carrier is a briefcase like device with an upper and lower cover. A plurality of individual lockable compartments are located within the lower cover. A plurality of vehicle attachment device having a bolt and a pivotal cap are used to secure the vehicle mountable article carrier to the trunk of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Inventors: Joel R. Ham, Jason M. Durham
  • Patent number: 6402377
    Abstract: A drawtape bag comprising a pair of pliable thermoplastic body panels, a pliable drawtape and an elastomeric strip. The pair of pliable thermoplastic body panels are joined to each other along a pair of opposing sides and a bottom bridging the opposing sides. At least one of the body panels forms a hem extending along a mouth end disposed opposite the bottom. The hem includes one or more drawtape holes. The pliable drawtape is housed within the hem and includes a gathered section. The drawtape is partially exposed by the drawtape holes which allow the drawtape to be pulled therethrough to close the bag and to be used as a handle. The elastomeric strip is connected to the gathered section of the drawtape. The elastomeric strip comprises behenamide to inhibit or prevent blocking of the elastomeric strip to the hem or drawtape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Pactiv Corporation
    Inventors: Tin T. Vo, Wayne J. Moras, Steven P. Long
  • Patent number: 6402379
    Abstract: A bag includes first and second polyolefin walls with a thickness of between 3 and 12 mils. The bag has joined opposing side edges, opposing end edges, and at least one seal line proximate one of the end edges. The seal line extends laterally from one side edge to the other for sealing closed an end of the bag. The improvement in the bag is a perforated tear line defining an easy-open corner portion of the bag removable to form a pourer. The perforated tear line includes a vertical segment defined by a series of closely spaced perforations formed in the first and second walls of the bag and closer to one side edge of the bag than the other. The vertical segment extends in a straight path outwardly from the seal line and generally parallel to the closer side edge of the bag. An arcuate transition segment of perforations begins at an end of the vertical segment and extends in an arcuate path towards the closer side edge of the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Rex International Incorporated
    Inventor: Timothy L. Albright
  • Patent number: 6402375
    Abstract: A slider device includes a top wall, first and second sidewalls, and a separating structure. The first sidewall depends from the top wall and includes a first hooking construction. The second sidewall also depends from the top wall and includes a second hooking construction. The top wall and first and second sidewalls define a first cavity that operably receives a closure mechanism having first and second selectively engageable closure profiles. The separating structure selectively separates the first and second profiles of the closure mechanism. The separating structure includes a stabilizer and a separator. The stabilizer extends from the second sidewall and the second hooking construction into the first cavity. The stabilizer retains a lower portion of the second closure profile proximate to a lower portion of the first closure profile. The separator depends from the top wall and extends from the first sidewall into the first cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Reynolds Consumer Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael E. Schreiter, Mladomir Tomic
  • Patent number: 6401949
    Abstract: A baby bottle (10) having a dispensing member (20) and a sealing membrane (14) disposed between the dispensing member (20) and an open end (15) of the container (10). A threaded collar (26) engages the open end and a shoulder (34) extends laterally adjacent an extent of the thread. The sealing membrane (14) includes ports (42) for communicating fluid therethrough. The sealing membrane (14) moves from a sealing position with a sealing surface (24) in bearing contact with the open end (15) and a dispensing position with the sealing surface (24) spaced apart from the open end for fluid flow through the ports (42). The sealing membrane moves in response to the shoulder (34) moving as the collar (26) is rotated and moved longitudinally outwardly relative to the end (15) by the camming action of the thread on the bottle (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Babeetender, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Lyle, Leslie Jones Talbott, Timothy Talbott, William R. Greene
  • Patent number: 6398048
    Abstract: A beverage container is provided with a hydrophobic vent consisting of a relatively thick and rigid disc-shaped piece of macroporous plastic having pore sizes averaging from 7-350 microns. The vent can be welded, molded or secured to the sidewall, bottom or cap of a plastic beverage container thus eliminating all moving parts. The macroporous plastic is resistant to oxidative abrasion, contamination and wetting and is strong enough to resist breakage. In one embodiment a baby bottle is provided which consists of a plastic bottle body, a nipple, and means for fastening the nipple to the bottle body. The bottle body is provided with a macroporous plastic vent which can be welded, molded or secured to the sidewall or bottom of the bottle body thus eliminating all moving parts. The bottle body can be washed repeatedly as a single unit with the vent intact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Inventor: Gregory Kevorkian
  • Patent number: 6398412
    Abstract: A gusseted bag made of a flexible weldable material has a closed bottom end that at the inside top end is provided with a reclosable device. Side gussets are inserted between the two bag walls that form the front bag wall and the rear bag wall to stretch from the bottom end to the top end and terminate at a distance below the upper edge of the bag walls and thus define a top area of the bag without side gussets. The reclosable device is formed between the two bag walls, the upper ends of the side gussets being closed by welding to themselves and reach freely into the interior space of the bag underneath the reclosable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Bischof und Klein & Co. KG
    Inventors: Johannes Wedi, Rolf Dewert
  • Patent number: 6398025
    Abstract: A head cover capable of being used for receiving golf clubs of various kinds and various sizes, is disclosed. The head cover for golf clubs of this invention comprises a head protection part. The head protection part consists of an outer layer defining a cavity therein and a liner provided within the cavity to define a head pocket for receiving the head of a golf club therein. The liner consists of upper and lower parts, the upper and lower parts of the liner being integrated into a single structure with an elastic band loop interposed between the upper and lower parts. The head cover for a golf club of this invention covers more securely any kind of or any size of golf club head, is reduced in the production cost, and is convenient to the golfer in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Inventor: Jin Tae Choe
  • Patent number: 6398785
    Abstract: A self-drilling and tapping multi-drive bone screw (10) for rigid fixation of craniomaxillofacial tissue grafts and bone plates has a tip (12a) which incorporates a defined twist drill shaft with a sharp cutting point tip (12b) to easily pierce and drill a pilot hole and prepare for the insertion of self-tapping screw threads (12c). A cylindrical dome shaped head (14) for rigid fixation of craniomaxillofacial tissue grafts and geometrically sized bone plates is formed on the screw distal to the drilling and tapping features. A spline feature (14e) is incorporated into the cylindrically dome shaped head for easy pickup, assembly and insertion of the bone screw with a corresponding spline driver tool (20). The spline driver feature also allows the bone screw (10) to be driven with either a standard square or cross blade driver tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Inventors: Joseph Edward Carchidi, Alan R. Balfour
  • Patent number: 6398052
    Abstract: A bottle for storing and dispensing contents comprises at least one grip portion for improving a user's grip on the bottle. The grip portion is situated on the side of the bottle and extends at least partially along the height of the bottle and comprises a recessed grip panel formed in the side of the bottle adapted to receive the user's fingers and the grip panel is tapered at an angle with respect to the vertical direction. Preferably, the back of the bottle is thinner than the front so that a user can grip the bottle from the back. Preferably, there are a plurality of ribs inclined at a first angle with respect to the horizontal direction and a plurality of cross-hatch ribs inclined at a second angle, the second angle differing from the first at approximately ninety degrees and the ribs forming a lattice arrangement. Preferably, the bottle further comprises a plurality of ridges, situated on the side wall of the bottle for providing strength and rigidity to the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jizu John Cheng, Jeffrey D. Krich