Device for closing bags

Abstract

A bag closure device particularly suited for large bags or sacks comprised of a flexible strap on one end of which is attached a ring or other grasping means and on opposing sides of which are attached hook and loop material such as Velcro™. As the device is wrapped around the open end of a bag, the ring or other grasping means is used to firmly cinch the device around said bag opening in a manner that the hook and loop material engage and maintain secure closure of the subject bag.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional Patent Application 60/394,923

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION—FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a device to close bags, and particularly large multi-layered paper bags or large plastic bags typically containing from ten pounds to upward of fifty pounds of contents such as the type in which dry pet food, gardening and landscaping products and bulk foods are sold.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Buying in bulk typically results in a lower cost per unit. Accordingly, oversized bags and sacks have become a common sight on the consumer landscape for items such as pet foods, gardening and landscaping products, bulk foods, cat litter, construction materials and a variety of other products.

However, buying in bulk leads to storage issues for the consumer; more product must be stored and for a longer period of time. In addition, the opening and closing of the subject bag is more frequent over the life of the bag for large bags resulting in ineffectiveness of many existing closure devices as well as damage to the subject bag. Moreover, many devices in the prior art do not effectively scale-up to address the particular difficulties of closing and maintaining closure of large sacks and bags. The present invention is designed to address these issues for large bulk bags, while also being useful for closing smaller bags.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART

A common way in which to close bags is by a spring loaded clip, commonly referred to as a “bag clip” or a “chip clip.” U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,791 to Groth (1983) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,677 to Dorman (1998) disclose such a device which through use of a spring interposed between opposing T-shaped members the device clamps down over the top of a folded bag. These devices are ubiquitous and are effective for their intended purpose when utilized with small bags (for example, such as 12 oz. potato chip bags) but when utilized on large, multi-layered bulk bags they fail to securely close the bags for a number of reasons: (i) the dimension between the opposing T-members is frequently not wide enough to accommodate the greater thickness of the folded-over multi-layer bulk bag; (ii) the spring pressure is insufficient to maintain closure in light of the greater mass inside the bag, and (iii) scaling up the device to address the foregoing shortcomings would result in the need for a very strong spring pressure resulting in a device that is difficult to use.

U.S. Patent No. 5,598,608 to Naslund (1997) represents one version of an alternative to sealing bags. This device uses a hinged clip with locking clasp between which the bag opening is placed to seal the opening. This device is also effective for its intended purpose, but again functions best with small bags and does not perform well when scaled up to accommodate the larger bags which are the primary target of the present invention.

In addition to the widely available devices described by the aforementioned patents and similar devices, the subject matter of bag closure devices has proven a fertile ground for the inventive mind. Among the great variety of approaches to addressing this problem are devices and methods described in patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,735 to Paxton (1993), U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,500 to Tucker (1994), U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,463 to Schnieder (1973), U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,302 to Rocchisani (1966) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,523 to Robbins, III (1990), and U.S. Pat. No. 3,164,250 to Paxton (1965) to name a few. All the foregoing devices, which take a great variety of forms, are generally effective for their intended purpose, but typically do not scale well when applied to larger bags, tend to lose the effectiveness with repeated usage due to wear of the plastic components, or cause rips or tears on the subject bag being closed with repeated use on that bag.

In response to these shortcomings, existing bag closing devices are often not used at all on larger bags. Many garden sheds, garages and kitchen pantries can be found with large bulk bags stacked on top of one another to secure their openings, or large food bags topped with heavy cans to secure the bag opening, or worse, spilled contents can be found when bags have toppled without a secure means of closing their open ends.

The present invention has been designed specifically for use with large bulk bags, is easily scalable, is easy to use, does not damage the subject bag through repeated use and continues to perform well after repeated use.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION—OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

Accordingly, the objects and advantages of the present invention are to provide a bag closure device for large bulk bags that:

(a) is scalable for a variety of bag sizes;

(b) maintains its effectiveness through repeated use;

(c) does minimal damage to the subject bag on which it is used, even with repeated use;

(d) offers improved product protection; and

(e) is easy to use.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

SUMMARY

The present invention is a bag closure device comprised of an elongated piece of flexible material such canvas, webbing or other sturdy material onto which hook and loop or Velcro™ is sewn, glued or otherwise attached and which includes on one end a ring, dowel or other means by which the user can firmly grasp and close the device in order to assure effective closure of the subject bag. The device is used by wrapping the device around the opening of the bag and cinching or bringing together the opposing ends of the device to interlock the Velcro® or hook and loop material. The flexibility of the material used in the device permits use on a wide variety of sizes of bags and avoids sharp or hard edges that may damage the subject bag through repeated use.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows the device in use on a bag;

FIG. 2 shows a side elevation view of the device;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the side opposite that shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view referenced as 4-4 in FIG. 1. For purposes of clarity, the bag around which the device is wrapped is not depicted in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Preferred Embodiment

Referring now to the drawings, the device and its use is generally depicted in FIG. 1. The device is comprised of a flexible strap, typically a webbing or canvas material 14, typically one to four inches wide and five to eighteen inches long. On one end of the strap 16 is attached a grasping means such as a ring 15, which may be made from plastic, metal or other sturdy material, or other device such as a dowel or loop. In the embodiment presented, said ring 15 or other grasping means is attached to the device by wrapping a strip of flexible material 16 around said ring 15 or other means which is folded back under said strip 16 and fixed into place with stitching 17, glue or other similar means. On the opposing end of the strap from where the ring 15 or other grasping means is located, a segment of hook component 18 of the hook and loop material, which segment 18 is typically the same width as the flexible strap 14, but typically is shorter than said strap's 14 length, is sewn 17 or glued at the end of such strap 14. As seen in FIG. 3, the opposing side of the strap from that on which the hook segment 18 is placed, is covered by a segment of loop component 19 of the hook and loop material, which loop segment 19 is typically the same width of the strap 14 and substantially the same length of the strap 14, although such loop segment 19 may be shorter than the length of the strap 14. The device also functions with the hook and loop segments transposed from the presentation described above.

The device is utilized by grabbing the ring 15 or other grasping means in one hand, and the end of the device on which the hook segment 18 is located in the other hand. The strap is then wrapped around the opening of the bag 12 in a manner that as the two grasped ends are brought together to engage the hook component 18 and the loop component 19, the throat of the bag opening is cinched in the manner depicted in FIG. 1. Use of the ring 15 or other grasping means permits a secure grip to firmly cinch the device around the subject bag for even large, sturdy bags and sacks. To release the device from the bag 12, one simply pulls outward on the ring 15 or other grasping means, thereby releasing the hook segment 18 from the loop segment 19 and the bag 12 will open.

In describing the above embodiments, certain terms and specifications have been used in a generic sense and not for purposes of limitation. It will also be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of the parts herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for closing bags comprising:

(a) an elongated generally flat member made of flexible material,

(b) said member having attached on one end a ring or other grasping means, and

(c) said member having attached on its opposing sides hook and loop material such that upon wrapping the device around the open end of a bag and bringing together the opposing ends of the device in a manner that cinches closed the open end of the bag the hook and loop engage and maintain closure of the bag.

2. (canceled)

3. A method for keeping a bag closed, the method comprising:

surrounding and contacting, with a strap, a portion of the bag that has been constricted to close an opening to an interior of the bag;

placing a first end of the strap over a second end of the strap;

engaging a hook disposed on either the second end or the first end with a corresponding loop disposed on either the first end or the second end, respectively, to releasably attach the first end to the second end.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising constricting the portion of the bag to close the opening to the interior of the bag.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein constricting the portion of the bag includes placing and holding the second end of the strap to the portion of the bag, and then pulling the first end around the portion of the bag to squeeze the portion of the bag together and close the opening.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein pulling the first end around the portion of the bag includes pulling a ring fastened to the first end of the strap.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein placing the first end of the strap over the second end of the strap includes holding the second end to the portion of the bag and moving the first end of the strap toward the second end.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein placing the first end of the strap over the second end of the strap includes moving the second and first ends toward each other.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein engaging the hook with the corresponding loop includes pressing the first and second ends together.

10. The method of claim 3 further comprising separating the first end of the strap from the second end of the strap to remove the strap from the bag and open the bag.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

surrounding and contacting, with the strap, a portion of another bag that has been constricted to close an opening to an interior of the bag;

placing the first end of the strap over the second end of the strap;

engaging the hook disposed on either the second end or the first end with a corresponding loop disposed on either the first end or the second end, respectively, to releasably attach the first end to the second end.