Bag securement system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for resealing bags comprises affixing a malleable strip along a vertical axis of a bag such that, when the bag is rolled, the malleable strip retains its shape to hold the bag closed. In one embodiment, the malleable strip comprises a metallic material. In an alternative embodiment, a self-adhesive is affixed to one side of the malleable strip. In an alternative embodiment, the malleable strip is affixed into a vertical spine of the bag.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to resealing bags.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Twist ties are commonly used for many purposes, one of which is to seal closed the open end of, for example, a plastic or paper bag. This is accomplished by closing the throat of the bag and manually twisting the tie around itself and the throat of the bag. More recently, bags have been provided with a twist tie that is adhered along the top edge of the bag, parallel to the bag opening, with the ends of the twist tie protruding beyond the edges of the bag. After the bag is rolled, the ends of the twist tie that protrude past the edges of the bag are bent around the roll to hold the bag closed. Beyond use of twist ties, other means have been attempted to solve the problem of resealing bags such as the use of a “chip clip.”

[0003] None of these approaches provides a satisfactory solution to the problem of resealing bags. Use of a separate twist tie or chip clip is cumbersome and necessitates a stock of separate product apart from the bags for which resealing is desired. Resealing the self-adhesive twist tie is cumbersome as it is dependent on the precision with which the bag is rolled such that a sufficient length of ends of the twist tie protrude past the edges of the bag to be bent around the bag. Chip clips are expensive to manufacture and use of a chip clip is cumbersome and replicates the need for stocking separate product in addition to bags for which resealing is desired.

[0004] What is thus needed is an inexpensive means for resealing bags that eliminates the need for a separate stock of product. This resealing means should be easy to use and should result in a satisfactory repeated resealing of the bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] A means for resealing bags in accordance with the principles of the present invention eliminates the need for a separate stock of materials. A means for resealing bags in accordance with the principles of the present invention is easy to use and provides for a satisfactory repeated resealing of the bag. A means for resealing bags in accordance with the principles of the present invention provides these advantages inexpensively.

[0006] A means for resealing bags in accordance with the principles of the present invention comprises affixing a malleable strip along a vertical axis of a bag such that, when the bag is rolled, the malleable material retains its shape to hold the bag closed. In one embodiment, the malleable strip comprises a metallic material. In an alternative embodiment, a self-adhesive is affixed to one side of the malleable strip. In a preferred embodiment, the malleable strip is affixed into a vertical spine of the bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 is an embodiment of a means for resealing bags in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

[0008] FIG. 2 is an alternative embodiment of a means for resealing bags in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 3 depicts the embodiment of FIG. 2 being applied to a bag.

[0010] FIG. 4 depicts the embodiment of FIG. 1 being affixed to a bag during manufacturing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A means for resealing bags in accordance with the principles of the present invention provides for the sealing of a bag after the original manufacturer's seal has been broken. Referring first to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a means for resealing bags in accordance with the principles of the present invention is seen. This means comprises a malleable strip of material 10 that retains its shape when bent or twisted. In a preferred embodiment, this malleable strip comprises a metallic material. In a further preferred embodiment, this malleable strip comprises a low carbon wire. In an alternative embodiment, this malleable strip comprises a plurality of low carbon wires side by side.

[0012] In some applications it is desirable to constitute a malleable strip that does not include metallic materials. Therefore, in a further alternative embodiment, the malleable strip can comprise a composite polymeric material such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,068, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated, in which the malleable strip can be made of two dissimilar polymers such as a flat elongated ribbon like thermoplastic substrate having a thermoplastic monofilament such as oriented polyethylene disposed generally in the middle of one side and is bonded in place forming a homogeneous.

[0013] The malleable strip 10 is adapted to be affixed along a vertical axis of a bag such that, when the bag is rolled, the malleable strip retains its shape to hold the bag closed without the necessity of the user taking any additional actions. FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of a means for resealing bags in accordance with the principles of the present invention which comprises a self-adhesive 12 affixed to one side of the malleable strip 10. In this alternative embodiment, the user applies the malleable strip 10 with the self-adhesive 12 towards a bag along the vertical axis of the bag. Thereafter, when the bag is rolled, the malleable strip retains its shape to hold the bag closed, again without the necessity of the user taking any additional actions.

[0014] FIG. 3 depicts the malleable strip 10 of FIG. 2 being applied to a bag 14 along a vertical axis 16 of the bag 14. The malleable strip 10 is affixed along a vertical axis 16 of the bag 14 such that, when the bag 14 is rolled, the malleable strip 10 retains its shape to hold the bag 14 closed. While the malleable strip 10 can be affixed along any vertical axis 16 of the bag 14, it is preferred that it is affixed in the general proximity to the center vertical axis 18 of the bag 14. By affixing the malleable strip 10 in the general proximity to the center vertical axis 18 of the bag 14, the force of the bag 14 attempting to resume its unrolled shape is equally distributed on both sides of the malleable strip 10.

[0015] FIG. 4 depicts a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which the malleable strip 10 of FIG. 1 is affixed to a bag 14 along a vertical axis 16 of the bag 14 during manufacture. In a preferred embodiment, the malleable strip 10 is affixed into a vertical spine 22 of the bag 14 such that, when the bag 14 is rolled, the malleable strip 10 retains its shape to hold the bag 14 closed. The spine of a bag is defined as the seam where two ends of a material are adhered together to form a tube. By so affixing the malleable strip 10 along the vertical spine 22 of the bag 14 the force of the bag 14 attempting to resume its unrolled shape is equally distributed on both sides of the malleable strip 10.

[0016] In addition, it is much easier and less expensive to incorporate a malleable strip 10 into the spine 22 of the bag 14 as the bag 14 is being manufactured as opposed to a secondary operation of adhering a twist tie along the top edge of the bag after it has already been manufactured, as seen in the prior art. When the malleable strip 10 is incorporated into the spine 22 of the bag 14, the bag 14 provides protective coating over the malleable strip 10.

[0017] Still further, in a preferred embodiment pursuant to which a self-adhesive 12 is applied along an entire side of the malleable strip 10, manufacturers do not need to worry about different sizes, different lengths and different adhesive patterns. This is as opposed to the prior art which have a skip or programmed pattern to the application of the adhesive onto the twist tie so as to leave adhesive off of the ends of the twist tie.

[0018] While the invention has been described with specific embodiments, other alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it will be intended to include all such alternatives, modifications and variations set forth within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for resealing bags comprising:

a malleable strip adapted to be affixed along a vertical axis of a bag such that, when the bag is rolled, the malleable strip retains its shape to hold the bag closed.

2. The apparatus for resealing bags of claim 1, wherein the malleable strip comprises a metallic material.

3. The apparatus for resealing bags of claim 2, wherein the malleable strip comprises a low carbon wire.

4. The apparatus for resealing bags of claim 2, wherein the malleable strip comprises a plurality of low carbon wires.

5. The apparatus for resealing bags of claim 1, wherein the malleable strip comprises a non-metallic material.

6. The apparatus for resealing bags of claim 5, wherein the nonmetallic material is a composite polymeric material.

7. The apparatus for resealing bags of claim 1, further wherein a self-adhesive is affixed to the malleable strip.

8. The apparatus for resealing bags of claim 5, further wherein the self-adhesive is affixed along an entire side of the malleable strip.

9. The apparatus for resealing bags of claim 1, further wherein the malleable strip is affixed in the general proximity to a center vertical axis of the bag.

10. The apparatus for resealing bags of claim 1, further wherein the malleable strip is affixed into a vertical spine of the bag.

11. The apparatus for resealing bags of claim 1, further wherein the malleable strip is affixed along a vertical axis of the bag during manufacturing.

12. The apparatus for resealing bags of claim 11, further wherein the malleable strip is affixed along a vertical spine of the bag during manufacturing.

13. A method of manufacturing a resealing bag comprising:

affixing a malleable strip along a vertical axis of a bag.

14. The method of manufacturing a resealing bag of claim 13, further wherein the step of affixing a malleable strip comprises affixing a metallic material along a vertical axis of a bag.

15. The method of manufacturing a resealing bag of claim 14, wherein the step of affixing a metallic material comprises affixing a low carbon wire along a vertical axis of a bag.

16. The method of manufacturing a resealing bag of claim 14, wherein the step of affixing a metallic material comprises affixing a plurality of low carbon wires along a vertical axis of a bag.

17. The method of manufacturing a resealing bag of claim 13, further wherein the step of affixing a malleable strip comprises affixing a non-metallic malleable material along a vertical axis of a bag.

18. The method of manufacturing a resealing bag of claim 13, further wherein the step of affixing a non-metallic malleable material comprises affixing a composite polymeric material along a vertical axis of a bag.

19. The method of manufacturing a resealing bag of claim 13, further including affixing a self-adhesive to the malleable strip.

20. The method of manufacturing a resealing bag of claim 19, further wherein the step of affixing a self-adhesive to the malleable strip comprises affixing the self-adhesive along an entire side of the malleable strip.

21. The method of manufacturing a resealing bag of claim 13, further wherein the step of affixing a malleable strip along a vertical axis of a bag further comprises affixing the malleable strip in the general proximity to a center vertical axis of the bag.

22. The method of manufacturing a resealing bag of claim 13, further wherein the step of affixing a malleable strip along a vertical axis of a bag further comprises affixing the malleable strip into a vertical spine of the bag.