Child-resistant reclosable bags

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10118737-B2
Application number	US-201313973312-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2013
Priority date	Oct 24, 2012
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to plastic or polymeric container with reclosable zippers which make the package child-resistant. In one typical embodiment, this is achieved by a zipper with a high internal opening force and a low external opening force, wherein three flanges are sealed to the bag walls, and one external flange is left unsealed. In order to encounter the low external opening force, the user must grab the unsealed external flange while applying an external opening force to the zipper.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container or bag, including:
a first wall and a second wall, the first wall and the second wall being joined together so as to form a storage volume therebetween and a mouth;
a zipper attached to the first wall and second wall, thereby making the mouth reclosable, and defining an inside of the container or bag oriented toward the storage volume and an outside of the container or bag oriented toward the mouth, the zipper including:
a first profile including a first interior flange, a first interlocking element and a first exterior flange; and
a second profile including a second interior flange, a second interlocking element and a second exterior flange, the second exterior flange having sufficient length to include a manually grippable portion;

wherein the first interior flange is attached to the first wall on an inside of the container or bag, the second interior flange is attached to the second wall on an inside of the container or bag; and
wherein the second wall extends beyond the second exterior flange, the second exterior flange being unattached to the second bag wall, whereby opening forces applied to the outside of the second wall of the package or bag are transmitted to the second interior flange and to the interior of the first and second interlocking elements whereby increased interior opening forces are encountered, thereby resisting access to the interior of the bag, and whereby opening forces applied to the manually grippable portion of the second exterior flange are transmitted to the first and second interlocking elements whereby decreased exterior opening forces are encountered.

2. The container or bag of claim 1 wherein the first wall and the second wall are formed of polymeric material.

3. The container or bag of claim 1 wherein the zipper is formed of polymeric material.

4. The container or bag of claim 3 wherein the first interlocking element is a first of a male and a female element and the second interlocking element is a second of a male and a female element.

5. The container or bag of claim 4 wherein male element includes a shaft element and an arrowhead element, wherein the arrowhead includes a first side oriented toward the outside and a second side oriented toward the inside, wherein the second side is more enlarged than the first side, thereby causing inside opening threes to be greater than outside opening forces.

6. The container or bag of claim 5 in a child-resistant application.

7. A container or bag, including:
a first wall and a second wall, the first wall and the second wall being joined together so as to form a storage volume therebetween and a mouth;
a zipper attached to the first wall and second wall, thereby making the mouth reclosable, and defining an inside of the container or bag oriented toward the storage volume and an outside of the container or bag oriented toward the mouth, the zipper including:
a first profile including a first interior flange, a first interlocking element and a first exterior flange; and
a second profile including a second interior flange, a second interlocking element and a second exterior flange, the second exterior flange having sufficient length to include a manually grippable portion;

wherein the first exterior flange is attached to the first wall on an outside of the container or bag and the second interior flange is attached to the second wall on an inside of the container or bag; and
wherein the second wall extends beyond the second exterior flange, the second exterior flange being unattached to the second bag wall, whereby opening forces applied to the outside of the second wall of the package or bag are transmitted to the second interior flange and to the interior of the first and second interlocking elements whereby increased interior opening forces are encountered, thereby resisting access to the interior of the bag, and whereby opening forces applied to the manually grippable portion of the second exterior flange are transmitted to the first and second interlocking element whereby decreased opening forces are encountered.

8. The container or bag of claim 7 wherein the first interior flange is attached to the first wall on an inside of the container or bag.

9. The container or bag of claim 7 wherein the first wall, the second wall and the zipper are formed of polymeric material.

10. The container or bag of claim 9 wherein the first interlocking element is a first of a male and a female element and the second interlocking element is a second of a male and a female element.

11. The container or bag of claim 9 wherein male element includes a shaft element and an arrowhead element, wherein the arrowhead includes a first side oriented toward the outside of the container or bag and a second side oriented toward the inside, wherein the second side is more enlarged than the first side, thereby causing inside opening forces to be greater than outside opening forces.

12. The container or bag of claim 11 in a child-resistant application.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Septien Rojas Jose Manuel
• Wihlborg Lars
• Greco Charles
• Mauro Jeffry
• Russell Glyn

Classifications

• B65D33/2541 Primary

  characterised by the slide fastener, e.g. adapted to interlock with a sheet between the interlocking members having sections of particular shape · CPC title

• B65D33/2508 Primary

  using slide fasteners with interlocking members having a substantially uniform section throughout the length of the fastener; Sliders therefor · CPC title

• B65D2215/08

  for fooling children, e.g. fake closures · CPC title