Re-sealable plastic bag, to hold or house personal belongings in luggage

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plastic bag to hold or house different products and in a more specific way it refers to a re-sealable plastic bag to hold, house or, shelter and temporally safeguard personal belongings before going through the luggage's overhaul examination points, for example at airports. The plastic bag includes a translucent plastic sheet doubled by half, in which the inferior fold forms the bottom and lateral thermo seals that generate opposite adjacent vertical panels, with a superior opening or mouth and a central superior union nearby the opening or mouth that forms handles, and also includes a seal formed of a male plastic band and female plastic band, coupling between them, nearby the central superior union, the plastic bands being thermo bonded, each one of them to each vertical opposite panel, for the re-seal and re-opening of the opening or mouth of the bag.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Mexican Application number PA/u/2004/000050 filed with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property on Feb. 19, 2004 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a device which includes a plastic bag to hold or house multiple products. More specifically, a re-sealable plastic bag which temporarily restrains and/or protects personal objects is disclosed. The disclosed device may be used in luggage during travel and facilitates examination of luggage, at airports for example.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During the examination of luggage which occurs during travel, particularly during security checks at airports, luggage is often set in open trays for inspection and examination. Handling by agents during this procedure may result in damage or loss of luggage items. Some items may even be stolen. These procedures can be unsettling for the traveler, generating disquiet, insecurity and distrust. In order to provide more efficient handling and inspection of luggage items, thus providing greater peace of mind for the traveler, the plastic bag as described herein has been developed.

A plurality of plastic bags are known, most of them with seals that allow closing and re-opening. Generally, these bags are intended for guarding, protecting and/or containing food products. None of the plastic bags that are now marketed or known disclose a bag that contemplates the combination of the structure and function of a bag for the intention and purposes indicated herein which will be further described.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

In certain embodiments, an object of the invention is to provide or make available a re-sealable plastic bag for personal belongings, for use particularly during travel. The resealable plastic bag according to the invention allows protection and at the same time exhibition of luggage items without access to the interior of the bag.

Another objective of the invention is to make available said re-sealable plastic bag to hold or house personal belongings. The objects and personal belongings of the travelers are displayed for inspection while minimizing risk of damage and/or loss of the objects and personal belongings. Use of plastic bags according to the invention provides security and confidence to the traveler.

Another objective of the invention is to make available said re-sealable plastic bag to guard personal belongings during luggage examination, that additionally provides a simple structure that allows a firm and substantially hermetic seal.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention, will become clear and apparent from the study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are intended to illustrate and in no way limit the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some embodiments, the re-sealable plastic bag according to the invention includes a translucent plastic sheet doubled by half. The inferior fold forms a bottom and laterally thermo-seal generating adjacent vertical panels, with a superior open mouth and a central superior union. The central superior union is next to said opening or mouth and has a substantially rectangular shape, with lateral arc edges that function as handles. The opening or mouth also includes a seal conformed by a male plastic band and a female plastic band, capable of coupling next to said union, the male and female plastic bands together capable of forming a thermo bond, in each vertical opposite panel, for the re-seal and re-opening of the open mouth of said bag.

The male plastic band of said seal consists of an elongated side strait profile with two male projections, with a slight flange on the end of the male projections, with a certain separation between the male projections, perpendicular to the inside face of the elongated side strait profile. The female plastic band includes a substantially concave elongated side profile. The concave face includes two end semicircular guide channels, adapted to receive and hold said male projections of said male band, generating a firm seal which is substantially hermetic.

The outside face of the said plastic male and female bands, represent areas for the partial or total thermo seal in the inside face of the vertical opposite panels of said plastic bag.

The thermo seal between said male and female plastic bands of the seal and of said vertical opposite panels, generates a line of weakness trimming the opposite vertical adjacent panels in the thermo seal line, in such a way that when one attempts to open the mouth of the sealed bag, the superior section of the vertical adjacent panels, that create the mouth will break, which serves as an indicator of an improper handling of the bag. In some embodiments, the thermo seal is a partial thermo seal. In alternate embodiments, the thermo seal is a complete thermo seal.

The correct opening of the mouth of the bag, meaning the re-opening of the seal, has to be done very close to the location of the seal, holding both panels at one side of the bag or inserting a fingernail into the coupling point of both plastic bands of the seal, in order to achieve the uncoupling or unlocking and therefore the re-opening of the mouth of the bag.

In preferred embodiments, the plastic bag is made out of a translucent material in order to allow observation and inspection of the articles that are contained within the bag without the need to open the bag.

Certain embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of inspecting personal belongings which includes placing the personal belongings in the bag as described above, sealing the bag, inspecting the bag, reopening the bag; and removing the belongings. In some embodiments, X-rays are used to inspect the bag.

In preferred embodiments the line of weakness trimming the opposite vertical adjacent panels in the thermo seal line is checked after the inspection to determine possible improper handling if the line of weakness is broken.

Certain embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of determining improper handling of personal belongings by placing personal belongings in the bag described above, sealing the bag, allowing the bag to be inspected, retrieving the bag, and inspecting the line of weakness to determine if the personal belongings have been improperly handled. In preferred embodiments, the inspection is an airport inspection.

In order to have a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, the present description should be considered in conjunction with it's accompanying drawings as an integral part of the invention, provided solely to illustrate and not to limit the invention which is described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1.—shows a side view of the re-sealable plastic bag to hold personal belongings.

FIG. 2.—shows a transverse cross section of the male and female plastic bands of the seal, that allow the re-seal and re-opening of the opening or mouth of the bag.

FIG. 3.—shows a transverse cross section of the male and female plastic bands coupled and fit together to form the seal.

FIG. 4.—illustrates an elevational view of the bag during the opening procedure.

FIG. 5.—illustrates a conventional perspective view of one portion of the bag, when the plastic bands are in the coupling process.

While the described embodiment represents the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is therefore to be determined solely by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The particular characteristic details of the re-sealable plastic bag to lodge or house personal belongings during luggage transport are clearly shown in the present description and in the accompanying illustrative drawings attached, using reference numbers to point out the parts referred to.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the re-sealable plastic bag to hold or house personal objects or belongings during the carrying out of the inspection and/or transport of the luggage. The re-sealable plastic bag to hold or house personal objects or belongings as they are transported in luggage includes a translucent plastic sheet 1 doubled by half, in which in it's inferior folds forms the bottom of it 2 and opposite adjacent vertical panels 3 have a superior opening or mouth 4 with a substantially rectangular shape, whose lateral edges are arched to form handles, and further including a seal 6 for the re-seal and re-opening of the opening or mouth of said bag.

FIG. 2 shows a transverse cross section of the male and female plastic bands of the seal, which allows re-sealing and re-opening of the opening or mouth of the bag. The seal 6 is conformed by intercoupling between a male plastic band 7 and a female plastic band 8.

The male plastic band 7 of said seal includes an elongated side strait profile 9 with two male projections 10, with a slight flange end 11, with a certain slight separation between them, perpendicular to the inside face of the elongated side strait profile 9. The female plastic band 8 includes a substantially concave elongated side profile 12, in which its concave face comprises two end semicircular guide channels 13, adapted to receive and hold said male projections 10 of said male band 7, generating a firm seal which is substantially hermetic.

FIG. 3 shows a transverse cross section of the male and female plastic bands coupled to form the seal. The male projections 10 of the elongated side strait profile 9 of said male plastic band 7 are completely housed within the semi-circular edge guide channels 13 of said concave profile 12 of the female plastic band 8, in such a way that they go in to them by pressuring and/or partially deforming the semicircular edge guides 13 during coupling. The edge flanges 11 temporally hold captive said male projections 10 in the coupling.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the bag during the opening procedure. The seal 6 allows the complete closing of the mouth 4 of the bag by coupling the male and female plastic bands in a substantially hermetic seal between the male 7 and female 8 plastic bands. Opening of the seal 6 may be initiated at one of the ends or at any other selected point, always taking care in separating both plastic bands in an adequate form.

FIG. 5 shows a conventional view of one portion of the bag during the coupling process. The male plastic band 7 and the female plastic band 8 tend to couple in such a way that the male projections 10 as they insert gradually in a continuous way into the semicircular edge guide channels 13 of said concave profile 12 generate a firm closing which is substantially hermetic.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been sufficiently described in order that a person with average knowledge in the field, may reproduce and obtain the mentioned results of the present invention.

It will be understood by those of skill in the art that numerous and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it should be clearly understood that the forms of the present invention are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A re-sealable plastic bag to hold or house objects and personal belongings in luggage during travel comprising:

a translucent sheet doubled by half, in which the folded inferior forms a bottom and lateral thermo seals form opposite adjacent vertical panels with a superior opening or mouth;

a central top union next to the opening or mouth that functions as handles; and

a seal conformed by a male plastic band and a female plastic band coupling between them next or nearby to said union, said each plastic bands being thermo bonded to each vertical opposite panel for the re-seal and re-opening of the opening of the mouth of said bag.

2. The re-sealable plastic bag according to claim 1, wherein said male plastic band of said seal comprises an elongated side strait profile with two male projections with a slight edge flange with a certain slight separation between said projections which are perpendicular to the vertical panels.

3. The re-sealable plastic bag according to claim 2, wherein said female plastic band comprises a substantially concave profile comprising two semicircular edge guide channels adapted to receive and hold said male projections of said male band.

4. The re-sealable plastic bag according to claim 1, wherein an outside face of said plastic male and female bands represents specific areas for the partial or complete thermo seal in an inside face of said vertical opposite adjacent panels of said plastic bag.

5. The re-sealable plastic bag according to claim 1, wherein the thermo seal between the male and female plastic bands of the seal and said opposite vertical panels of the bag, generate a line of weakness trimming the opposite adjacent vertical panels in said thermo seal line.

6. The re-sealable plastic bag according to claim 4, wherein the thermo seal is a partial thermo seal.

7. The re-sealable plastic bag according to claim 4, wherein the thermo seal is a complete thermo seal.

8. A method of inspecting personal belongings comprising:

placing the personal belongings in the bag according to claim 5;

sealing the bag;

inspecting the bag;

reopening the bag; and

removing the belongings.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein inspecting the bags further comprises X-raying the bags.

10. The method of claim 8, which further comprises inspecting the line of weakness and determining possible improper handling if the line of weakness is broken.

11. A method of determining improper handling of personal belongings comprising:

placing personal belongings in the bag according to claim 5;

sealing the bag;

allowing the bag to be inspected;

retrieving the bag; and

inspecting the line of weakness to determine if the personal belongings have been improperly handled.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the inspection is at an airport.