Patents by Inventor Art Malin

Art Malin has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6115892
    Abstract: A zipper strip for a reclosable package having a transverse zipper is provided. The zipper strip comprises a male interlocking profile and a female interlocking profile. Each profile includes an interlocking member and an integral web which defines a leading flange. The leading flanges are sealed to thermoplastic film material which is used to make the reclosable packages and to each other. One of leading flanges is provided with a perforation along its length so that it can be separated by pulling the profiles apart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Art Malin, Lawrence Share, Donald L. Van Erden
  • Patent number: 6088998
    Abstract: A zipper strip for a reclosable package having a transverse zipper is provided. The zipper strip comprises a male interlocking profile and a female interlocking profile. Each profile includes an interlocking member and an integral web which defines a trailing flange. One or both of the profiles are provided with high compression members which allow one or both of the interlocking members to be sealed to thermoplastic film without being crushed or distorted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Art Malin, Ronald L. Ramsey, Lawrence Share, Richmond M. Scott
  • Patent number: 6044621
    Abstract: A zipper strip for a reclosable bag or package includes a male interlocking profile and a female interlocking profile. The male interlocking profile includes a male interlocking member and a male web coextruded therewith. In like manner, the female interlocking profile includes a female interlocking member and a female web. The male interlocking member snappingly engages into the female interlocking member to join the profiles to one another. One of the male and female webs is wider than the other in at least one of two directions from the male and female interlocking members, the greater width being represented by at least one flange extending widthwise beyond the other web. The zipper strip is designed to be attached to thermoplastic sheet material by sealing the at least one flange thereto without sealing the male and female webs to each other. Methods for securing the zipper strip to thermoplastic sheet material, and for making packages on a horizontal form-fill-and-seal machine, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Art Malin, Donald L. Van Erden, James G. Kohl, Jr., Michael J. McMahon
  • Patent number: 6017412
    Abstract: A method for attaching reclosable zipper strips transversely to thermoplastic film material which may be used to make reclosable bags or packages in a form-fill-seal machine is claimed. The zipper strip includes a male profile and a female profile. The male profile includes a male interlocking member and an integral web comprising a trailing flange and, optionally, a leading flange. Likewise, the female profile includes a female interlocking member and an integral web comprising a trailing flange and, optionally, a leading flange. As the film material is advanced into the form-fill-seal machine in bag length increments, the interlocked zipper strip is disposed on the film material transversely thereto with the trailing flange oriented in a direction opposite to the motion of the film material. The zipper strip is then sealed to the film material at its extremities. In this manner the male and female profiles are sealed to each other and to the film material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Donald L. Van Erden, Art Malin, Michael J. McMahon, Lawrence Share
  • Patent number: 6014795
    Abstract: A slide zipper assembly comprising an interlocked zipper and a slider is provided. The zipper has a first profile and a second profile. The profiles have arms ending in hooks that are engaged when the zipper is in a closed position. The slider is disposed for movement along the zipper. The slider has an opening end and a closing end. At the opening end the slider has a separator that extends downwardly to engage a profile arm to bend the same so that its hook disengages from the hook of the opposite profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. McMahon, Donald L. Van Erden, Robert G. Kobetsky, Art Malin, Zdenek Machacek
  • Patent number: 5953796
    Abstract: A slide zipper assembly comprising an interlocked zipper and a slider is provided. The zipper has a first profile and a second profile. The profiles have arms ending in hooks that are engaged when the zipper is in a closed position. The slider is disposed for movement along the zipper. The slider has an opening end and a closing end. At the opening end the slider has a separator that extends downwardly to engage a profile arm to bend the same so that its hook disengages from the hook of the opposite profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. McMahon, Donald L. Van Erden, Robert G. Kobetsky, Art Malin, Zdenek Machacek
  • Patent number: 5747126
    Abstract: A reclosable bag is formed of a first wall and a second wall of a polymeric sheet material joined to form an enclosure with a mouth defined by the wall edges. The bag has a closure for selectively opening and sealing the mouth. The closure includes a first and a second mutually interlocking profile, each of which extends along and is bonded to the internal surface of its respective first and second wall. The first and second mutually interlocking profiles are extruded from a first polymeric resin material, and have a web portion which is bonded to the wall. Coextruded onto the web portions, or applied to the web portions following the extrusion of the strips, is at least one rib of a second polymeric resin material which includes an ultraviolet-light-excitable tracer material. The second polymeric resin material has a lower melting point than the first polymeric resin material, and is used to bond the profiles to the sheet material of the walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Van Erden, Art Malin
  • Patent number: 5672009
    Abstract: A reclosable plastic pouch has a first elongated zipper member having a profile and a flange having a longitudinal perforation therein. The flange is above the profile and attached to one wall of the pouch above and below the perforation line and to the opposite wall of the pouch only above the perforation line. A mating profile is attached only to the opposite wall of the pouch below the perforation line. A notch at an edge of the pouch, aligned with the perforation line, facilitates the plastic to tear along the perforation line so that the portion of the pouch above the perforation line may be readily removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Art Malin
  • Patent number: 5638586
    Abstract: Packages being produced on a form, fill and seal machine as provided with transverse zippers inserted thereinto through a fin seal gap. Pairs of fin sealing bars are separated by a gap to produce the fin seal gap. The fin seal gap is opened, perhaps by vacuum means, and a zipper probe inserts a zipper having a web into the tube of plastic sheet material being formed into bags. The web of the zipper is sealed to the plastic sheet material, and the zipper probe withdrawn from the tube. Cross seal jaws seal both transverse ends of the package, a knife separates each package from that previously made, and a fin gap sealer seals the fin seal gap to complete the manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Art Malin, Donald Van Erden, Michael McMahon
  • Patent number: 5592802
    Abstract: Packages being produced on a form, fill and seal machine as provided with transverse zippers inserted thereinto through a fin seal gap. Pairs of fin sealing bars are separated by a gap to produce the fin seal gap. The fin seal gap is opened, perhaps by vacuum means, and a zipper probe inserts a zipper having a web into the tube of plastic sheet material being formed into bags. The web of the zipper is sealed to the plastic sheet material, and the zipper probe withdrawn from the tube. Cross seal jaws seal both transverse ends of the package, a knife separates each package from that previously made, and a fin gap sealer seals the fin seal gap to complete the manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1997
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Art Malin, Donald Van Erden, Michael McMahon
  • Patent number: 5557907
    Abstract: Packages being produced on a form, fill and seal machine as provided with transverse zippers inserted thereinto through a fin seal gap. Pairs of fin sealing bars are separated by a gap to produce the fin seal gap. The fin seal gap is opened, perhaps by vacuum means, and a zipper probe inserts a zipper having a web into the tube of plastic sheet material being formed into bags. The web of the zipper is sealed to the plastic sheet material, and the zipper probe withdrawn from the tube. Cross seal jaws seal both transverse ends of the package, a knife separates each package from that previously made, and a fin gap sealer seals the fin seal gap to complete the manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Art Malin, Donald Van Erden, Michael McMahon