Snack food bag sealing apparatus and method of using same

Abstract

The specification and drawings describe and show one embodiment of the present invention in the form of a food bag quick-seal apparatus comprising an elongate rod-shaped member; an elongate C-shaped clamp member for receiving the elongate rod-shaped member; and the C-shaped clamp member further having handle means for facilitating the engagement of the rod-shaped member into the C-shaped clamp member.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an apparatus and method of closing opened bags of food to keep them fresh with an airtight seal.

[0002] There are several devices to close bags for maintaining the remaining food items in the bag fresh. Examples of simple devices are close-pin type of devices. More expensive devices are integrally designed zip-type locking devices. These devices, although temporarily helpful, still do not keep the food fresh for extended periods of time. Items such as chips get stale relatively quickly because air still comes into the bag at places where the seal is not effective such as near the edges of the zip-type devices or at locations where the close-pin does not engage.

[0003] Generally, the invention is a combination of a male portion being shaped in the form of an elongate rod or tube member, which snaps into a C-shaped clamp member serving as the mating female portion. The length of each portion of the invention can be adapted to accommodate any length bag to be sealed. The C-shaped clamp preferably has a flange portion integrally formed with the C-shaped clamp portion, the flange portion, being tangentially formed with the C-shaped clamp portion and serving as handle means for facilitating holding and engaging the rod or tube portion into the C-shaped clamp. After a food bag has been opened, such as a bag of potato chips, a user need only generally flatten the open upper portion of the bag to expel the air from the bag, place the side of the bag against the C-shaped clamp open portion preferably just above the upper level of the remaining food item in the bag, and snap the rod into the C-shaped clamp with the bag in between, thereby providing an airtight seal.

[0004] In the accompanying drawings:

[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the components of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0006] FIG. 2 is an end view of the invention of FIG. 1;

[0007] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the components depicted in FIG. 1 in an engaged position; and

[0008] FIG. 4 is a conceptual depiction of one embodiment of the invention showing an open top food bag (in phantom) with the rod portion projected to be inserted into the C-shaped clamp member with the bag in between.

[0009] Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-4 disclose one embodiment of the present invention, which is a food bag quick-seal apparatus, generally depicted as 10, comprising an elongate rod-shaped member 12 and an elongate C-shaped clamp member 14 for receiving the elongate rod-shaped member 12. The C-shaped clamp member 14 further has handle means 16 for facilitating the engagement of the rod-shaped member 12 into the C-shaped clamp member 14.

[0010] The handle means 16 comprises an elongate planar member 18 integrally formed with the C-shaped clamp member 14 such that the elongate planar member 18 is generally tangential to the elongate C-shaped clamp member 14.

[0011] The elongate C-shaped clamp member 14 is typically made of materials selected from the group consisting of polymeric materials, plastic materials and metal materials. Similarly, the elongate rod member 12 is made of materials selected from the group consisting of polymeric materials, plastic materials and metal materials. As such, injection molding may be a practical economical method of mass producing the invention.

[0012] The elongate C-shaped clamp member 14 and the elongate rod member 12 are made of predetermined lengths so as to seal bags of different widths. The predetermined length of each of the elongate C-shaped clamp member 14 and the elongate rod member 12 are preferably suitable for sealing at least a total width of said bag as shown in FIG. 4. Widths typically may range from a couple of inches for mini-bags or snack bags 20 to in excess of 12 inches for larger bags 20.

[0013] In addition, the surface of the elongate planar member 18 of the handle means 16 may also include predetermined designated location at which one of textual indicia 22, graphic indicia 24 and a combination of such indicia is included. This indicia 22,24 may be included in the form of embossed indicia 26,28 integral to the surface or in the form of decals (labels) 30 having such indicia adhesively applied to the surface, or even a combination of decals and embossing. It is anticipated that the invention could be used to include the trademarks and/or names of various brand snack food manufacturers to promote their products.

[0014] The invention further encompasses within its scope a method for maintaining the freshness of food items in an opened bag 20 comprising:

[0015] providing a food bag quick-seal apparatus 10 comprising:

[0016] an elongate rod-shaped member 12;

[0017] an elongate C-shaped clamp member 14 for receiving the elongate rod-shaped member 12; and

[0018] the C-shaped clamp member 14 further having handle means 16 for facilitating the engagement of the rod-shaped member 12 into the C-shaped clamp member 14;

[0019] placing a side of a bag 20 to be sealed, wherein the bag has been generally flattened in the area to be sealed, against and along an open portion of the C-shaped clamp member 14; and

[0020] aligning the elongate rod member 12 with the open portion of the elongate C-shaped clamp member 14 and snapping said elongate rod member 12 into the elongate C-shaped clamp member 14 with the bag 20 in between, thereby completely sealing said bag 20 along a total width of said bag 20.

[0021] In one application of the invention, the elongate planar member 18 of the handle means 16 may be about 1⅜ inches wide. The preferably extruded C-shaped clamp member 14 with the handle means 16 may be about 9 inches in length which should accommodate most bags of potato chips. Of course shorter version could be made for snack lunch bags. The C-shaped clamp member 14 could be approximately ⅜ inches in diameter for which the rod 12 diameter would be sized to ensure an airtight seal of the bag 20 being sealed when engaged within the C-shaped clamp member 14.

[0022] The invention is anticipated to result in a multitude of cost savings to consumers. Unlike expensive, electronic vacuum-seal food storage systems, the invention is inexpensive. Unlike zipper-lock type bags, the invention will be reusable again and again and should last for years. Unlike the popular, but ineffective, “CHIP-CLIP”, the invention actually performs the task of maintaining the freshness of the product due to the accomplishment of an effective airtight seal.

[0023] The invention is a reusable, preferably a plastic extruded two piece combination (clamp 14 and rod 12). The rod 12 may be hollow but need not be and both components or members should be dishwasher safe. As mentioned above, the C-shaped clamp member 14 is typically placed on the front or back side of an opened food bag 20 just above the remaining product, and the rod member 12 is placed on the side so the bag is between the C-shaped clamp member 14 and the rod member 12. The rod member 12 is then snapped into the C-shaped clamp member 14 thereby airtight sealing the bag 20. The seal can be reopened and sealed an infinite number of times.

[0024] The food stays in its initial packaging, and the invention never comes into contact with the food product. In experiments conducted by the inventor herein, potato chip bags opened and then re-sealed with the invention stayed as fresh and crispy as the day they were opened, in some cases, in excess of three months before. Opened corn chip bags have lasted in excess of six months using the invention.

[0025] It should be understood that the preceding is merely a detailed description of one or more embodiments of this invention and that numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The preceding description, therefore, is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined only by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0026] Now that the invention has been described,

Claims

1. A food bag quick-seal apparatus comprising:

an elongate rod-shaped member;

an elongate C-shaped clamp member for receiving the elongate rod-shaped member; and

the C-shaped clamp member further having handle means for facilitating the engagement of the rod-shaped member into the C-shaped clamp member.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the handle means comprises:

an elongate planar member integrally formed with the C-shaped clamp member such that the elongate planar member is generally tangential to the elongate C-shaped clamp member.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elongate C-shaped clamp member is made of materials selected from the group consisting of polymeric materials, plastic materials and metal materials.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elongate rod member is made of materials selected from the group consisting of polymeric materials, plastic materials and metal materials.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elongate C-shaped clamp member and the elongate rod member are made of predetermined lengths so as to seal bags of different widths.

6. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined length of each of the elongate C-shaped clamp member and the elongate rod member are suitable for sealing at least a total width of said bag.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a surface of the elongate planar member includes one of a textual indicia, a graphic indicia and a combination thereof at predetermined designated locations.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the one of the textual indicia, the graphic indicia and the combination thereof is one of embossed indicia, a decal having such indicia adhesively applied to the surface, a label having such indicia adhesively applied to the surface and a combination thereof.

9. A method for maintaining the freshness of food items in an opened bag comprising:

providing a food bag quick-seal apparatus comprising:

an elongate rod-shaped member;

an elongate C-shaped clamp member for receiving the elongate rod-shaped member; and

the C-shaped clamp member further having handle means for facilitating the engagement of the rod-shaped member into the C-shaped clamp member;

placing a side of a bag to be sealed, where the bag has been generally flattened in an area to be sealed, against and along an open portion of the C-shaped clamp member; and

aligning the elongate rod member with the open portion of the elongate C-shaped clamp member and snapping said elongate rod member into the elongate C-shaped clamp member with the bag in between, thereby completely sealing said bag along a total width of said bag.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the handle means comprises:

an elongate planar member integrally formed with the C-shaped clamp member such that the elongate planar member is generally tangential to the elongate C-shaped clamp member.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the elongate C-shaped clamp member is made of materials selected from the group consisting of polymeric materials, plastic materials and metal materials.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the elongate rod member is made of materials selected from the group consisting of polymeric materials, plastic materials and metal materials.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the elongate C-shaped clamp member and the elongate rod member are made of predetermined lengths so as to seal bags of different widths.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined length of each of the elongate C-shaped clamp member and the elongate rod member are suitable for sealing at least a total width of said bag.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein a surface of the elongate planar member includes one of a textual indicia, a graphic indicia and a combination thereof at predetermined designated locations.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the one of the textual indicia, the graphic indicia and the combination thereof is one of embossed indicia, a decal having such indicia adhesively applied to the surface, a label having such indicia adhesively applied to the surface and a combination thereof.