Patents by Inventor Donald L. Van Erden
Donald L. Van Erden 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).
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Patent number: 5026563Abstract: A plastic film bag for foodstuffs or the like having opposed film bag walls joined at their edges and forming a mouth between the walls at one side, reclosable fastener strips between the walls at the bag mouth having facing releasably interlocking profiles thereon with a base for each of the strips, each base web having an outer portion and an inner portion which is adjacent the contents of the bag, one inner portion bonded to the wall of the bag and the other inner portion substantially unattached, the inner portions of the webs being continuous with a perforate tear line therethrough, a sealing strip over the tear line, the outer edges of the film at the mouth bonded to each other above the fastener strips so that the outer edge can be cut leaving pull flanges with the inner portions of the base webs sealing the interior of the bag until the tear lines are torn.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 1989Date of Patent: June 25, 1991Assignee: Zip-Pak IncorporatedInventors: Donald L. Van Erden, Daniel P. McDonald
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Patent number: 5023122Abstract: A reclosable plastic film for a bag and the method and mechanism for making the same. The film may be employed for making various types of bags, but in each case the arrangement provides for a tear strip wherein a series of perforations are placed in the film extending parallel to the fastener profiles, and a sealing cap layer is placed over the perforations which cap layer is grain oriented and sufficiently frangible so that as the film is torn along the line of perforations, the cap layer will tear, providing sealing until tearing occurs. A method and apparatus are provided wherein a completed film for a bag may be constructed in a single pass with the film first being perforated, the cap layer laid over the film while molten, and the profiles then attached to the film oriented relative to the location of the perforations.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1989Date of Patent: June 11, 1991Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventors: Hugo Boeckmann, Donald L. Van Erden
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Patent number: 5019027Abstract: An apparatus and method for manufacturing reclosable thermoplastic containers which eliminates the need for spot-sealing zipper closures or zipper closure elements to a web of thermoplastic film prior to forming side seals and zipper end seals is provided. Opposing seal jaws provide increased heat and pressure to zipper closures in a manner which results in improved hermetic and fluid-tight side seals and zipper end seals.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 1990Date of Patent: May 28, 1991Assignee: The Dow Chemical CompanyInventors: Hugo Boeckmann, Donald L. Van Erden, Mark D. Bauer
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Patent number: 5002781Abstract: A flexible plastic film reclosable package for foodstuffs or the like having opposed plastic film walls joined to each other completely around their circumference and having a bag mouth between the walls at one side, fastener strips between the walls in the bag mouth having reclosable pressure interlocking rib and groove profiles joined to close the bag with a peel seal material in the base of the groove to initially hermetically seal the bag and lock the rib in the groove, the fastener strips having outwardly extending base webs to form pull flanges with one of the strips having an inwardly extending base web laminated to the film and either no base web or a very short protective base extending inwardly from the other fastener strip and a protector board inserted in the bag between the profiles and the contents.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 1990Date of Patent: March 26, 1991Assignee: Zip-Pak IncorporatedInventor: Donald L. Van Erden
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Patent number: 4947525Abstract: A flexible continuous reclosable plastic zipper having one strip with a groove and another strip with a rib for interlocking insertion therein, a hot melt plastic peel seal in the base of the groove with the rib bonded to the peel seal material to initially join the rib and groove and with the rib and groove breaking apart away from the bonding material at the first opening and thereafter releasably interlocking in a normal manner with the peel seal material remaining within the groove. The groove is made sufficiently deep so that with initial interlocking, the rib must penetrate to the base of the groove deeper than normal operation to lock to the peel seal. When broken from the peel seal, the rib inserts sufficiently for the jaws of the groove to snap over the rib and then locks without interference from the peel seal which is relatively rigid and nonadhesive after the rib is first broken away.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 1989Date of Patent: August 14, 1990Assignee: Zip-Pak IncorporatedInventor: Donald L. Van Erden
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Patent number: 4925316Abstract: A bag has wall panels defining a receptacle space and providing a bag mouth arrangement between upper end portions of the wall panels. A tamper evident, and if desired hermetic seal, non-reclosable closure adjacent to a reclosable zipper and located adjacently below upper end portions of the wall panels is accessible to be opened when the zipper is open. The zipper is arranged for intermittent opening and closing of the bag and its opposite ends are sealed into the side edges of the bag. The non-reclosable closure may be a peel seal or a rupturable connection.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 1987Date of Patent: May 15, 1990Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventors: Donald L. Van Erden, Hugo Boeckmann
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Patent number: 4912616Abstract: A bag structure and the method of forming wherein the bag is formed of a thin film material with wall panels and an openable bag top having pressure closable rib and groove profile fasteners at the top and upwardly extending pull flanges with a fold formed at the top of one of the wall panels and extending downwardly to attach to one of the fasteners and the flange of that fastener attached directly to the fastener so that the pull flange can apply an opening force directly to the fastener and so that the side wall and the fold can expand and move outwardly without applying a direct force to the fastener which would tend to open the fastener.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 1989Date of Patent: March 27, 1990Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventor: Donald L. Van Erden
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Patent number: 4846585Abstract: A reclosable plastic film bag and the method of making the same with the bag having opposed side walls, pressure closable separable opposed rib and groove fastener elements on confronting faces of the top for closing the bag, plastic film above the fastener elements hermetically closing the bag top, lines of tear perforation through the film to tear off the top and perforation sealing strips attached to the surface of the film preventing the passage of air through the perforations.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 1988Date of Patent: July 11, 1989Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventors: Hugo Boeckmann, Donald L. Van Erden
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Patent number: 4840611Abstract: Gusseted bags are provided with extruded reclosable plastic profile strips along free upper end portions of face walls flanking a bag mouth, the fastener strips being free to separate throughout their lengths when opening the bag mouth to the full extent permitted by opposite side expanding gussets of the bag so that free access into the bag such as for inserting or removing contents such a tray loaded with products such as cookies, or the like, or for pouring contents therefrom selectively between either of the separated ends of the upper end portions of the face walls and the corresponding ends of the fastener strips is permitted. The fastener strips may have interlockable wraparound extensions. A method of making the bags is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 1987Date of Patent: June 20, 1989Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventors: Donald L. Van Erden, Steven Ausnit
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Patent number: 4817188Abstract: An improved reclosable bag structure such as formed out of plastic film or laminations thereof with front and back wall panels attached at their bottom and side edges and reclosable rib and groove profile fastener strips along the inner surface of the panels at the bag top with at least one of the strips secured by a layer of bonding element that has a limited area to secure the fastener strip only at its upper edge at a location above the profile or alternatively the strip uses a bond preventing element that permits only the upper edge of said strip to be secured to said panel at a location above the profile with this manner of securing accommodating outward movement of the film panel to apply a force on the strips in a shear rather than a peel mode.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 1988Date of Patent: March 28, 1989Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventor: Donald L. Van Erden
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Patent number: 4808099Abstract: An apparatus for making extruded film tube having joined to its inside surface a closure strip extending generally transversely, preferably helically, relative to the axis of the tube and the tube and closure strip being adapted to be converted into a ribbon sheet form with the closure strip extending as individual closure strip sections across the ribbon sheet form at longitudinally spaced intervals, and adapted for making bags.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 1987Date of Patent: February 28, 1989Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventor: Donald L. Van Erden
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Patent number: 4786190Abstract: A bag has wall panels defining a receptacle space and providing a bag mouth between upper end portions of the wall panels. A tamper evident, and if desired hermetic seal, non-reclosable closure located inwardly from a reclosable closure and located below upper ends of the upper end portions is accessible to be opened when the reclosable closure is open, and the reclosable closure is arranged for interim opening and closing of the bag. The non-reclosable closure may be a peel seal or a tear line. The reclosable closure may be formed from pressure sensitive adhesive.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 1988Date of Patent: November 22, 1988Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventors: Donald L. Van Erden, Hugo Boeckmann
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Patent number: 4759642Abstract: A four corner bag especially suitable for packaging dry cereal, and method of making the bag from sheet or plastic film material. The bag is provided with opposite wall panels joined at a closed bag bottom and closed opposite sides, the panels defining an openable bag top provided with a reclosable fastener along the inner ends of upstanding pull flanges. Lower corner chamfer seals extend from the closed bottom to the sides of the bag. Upper corner chamfer seals extend from adjacent to the ends of the reclosable fastener to the top edges of the pull flanges. Thereby, when the bag is filled, the chamfer seals will free the four corners of the bag from interfering with easy reception and packing of the filled bag in a fairly close fitting carton.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 1986Date of Patent: July 26, 1988Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventors: Donald L. Van Erden, Bruce J. Maliner
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Patent number: 4736450Abstract: Gusseted bags are provided with extruded reclosable plastic profile stirps along free upper end portions of face walls flanking a bag mouth, the fastener strips being free to separate throughout their lengths when opening the bag mouth to the full extent permitted by opposite side expanding gussets of the bag so that free access into the bag such as for inserting or removing contents such as a tray loaded with products such as cookies, or the like, or for pouring contents therefrom selectively between either of the separated ends of the upper end portions of the face walls and the cooresponding ends of the fastener strips is permitted. The fastener strips may have interlockable wraparound extensions. A method of making the bags is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 1985Date of Patent: April 5, 1988Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventors: Donald L. Van Erden, Steven Ausnit
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Patent number: 4704842Abstract: A system for handling zipper-equipped wrapper sheet material to be used in a form, fill, and seal machine for wrapping product enables the wrapper sheet to be drawn from a supply with a flap sheet portion overlying a panel sheet portion and subsequently disposing the flap sheet portion such that it is folded back away from the panel sheet portion to fully open up the wrapper sheet material. The folding over of the flap sheet portion brought about by apparatus which permits continuously flow of wrapper sheet to the form, fill, and seal machine at conventional machine high speed production rates. The system is made adjustable to handle zipper-equipped wrapper sheet material of various sizes. Devices are included to ensure proper tensioning of the line of wrapper sheet material passing to the form, fill, and seal machine.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1985Date of Patent: November 10, 1987Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventors: Hugo Boeckmann, Donald L. Van Erden
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Patent number: 4701361Abstract: An extruded film tube has joined to its inside surface a closure strip extending generally transversely, preferably helically, relative to the axis of the tube and the tube and closure strip are adapted to be converted into a ribbon sheet form with the closure strip extending as individual closure strip sections across the ribbon sheet form at longitudinally spaced intervals, and adapted for making bags. A method of making the material, and apparatus for practicing the method are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 1985Date of Patent: October 20, 1987Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventor: Donald L. Van Erden
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Patent number: 4698274Abstract: Plastic tubular film structure for forming multiple bags. The tubular film structure has a first pair of rib elements, a second pair of diametrically opposed rib elements, a first pair of groove elements between said pairs of rib elements and a second pair of groove elements diametrically opposed to the first pair, with the elements in the pairs being closely spaced and being on the inner surface of the tube. Each of the pairs of rib elements are aligned with each adjacent pair of groove elements as the tubing is flattened to form first and second sets of the aligned pairs of rib and groove elements, so that by forming a continuous slit between the elements of one layer at one set and the elements of the other layer at the other set, and with the tube being subsequently folded so that an element adjacent the slit of the first set is folded onto the second set, and an element adjacent the slit of the second set is folded onto the first set, two continuous strips of double interlocking profile film are formed.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 1985Date of Patent: October 6, 1987Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventors: Steven Ausnit, Donald L. Van Erden
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Patent number: 4691372Abstract: A method of making materials for bags of the type having reclosable fasteners wherein the wall portions are of a laminate structure and wherein interlockable fastener elements are directly bonded to interior faces of the walls. The lamina of the inner faces of the wall panels serves as the sole bonding agent for the fastener elements. The invention includes a method for making such bags.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 1986Date of Patent: September 1, 1987Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventor: Donald L. Van Erden
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Patent number: 4663915Abstract: A method of and apparatus for packaging a blocky product such as cheese, into a wrapped envelope package, with material especially adapted for said packaging and wherein a bottom face of the product article is engaged on a panel area of the wrapper sheet which sheet has extended portions that are wrapped about the article and sealed across a top face of the article, with one of the portions of the wrapper sheet having a reclosable zipper and a web portion alongside said zipper which is adapted to be severed or ruptured to provide a mouth opening for access to the article within the package and the mouth opening being reclosable by the enclosed zipper. The zipper may be provided with structure to prevent its being pulled open during the wrapping and sealing of the wrapper about the article. The web portion may have guidance for severing or rupturing the same when access is desired into the package.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 1986Date of Patent: May 12, 1987Assignee: Signode CorporationInventors: Donald L. Van Erden, Steven Ausnit
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Patent number: 4651394Abstract: Apparatus for making flexible plastic bags with integral pressure interlocking rib and groove elements on the confronting top edges, comprises an extruder for extruding a continuous tube with pairs of closely spaced interlocking elements on the surface of the tube, the total pairs being a multiple of 2 with at least 4 pairs on the tube, a slitter for slitting the tube lengthwise between profiles of alternate pairs, and a folder for folding the tube between each adjacent pair and for bringing the profile adjacent the slit over onto the closest profile of the pair which has not been slit.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 1985Date of Patent: March 24, 1987Assignee: Minigrip, Inc.Inventors: Steven Ausnit, Donald L. Van Erden