Ribbed film structures with pigment created visual characteristics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604429-B2
Application number	US-201313838770-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Nov 16, 2010
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

In one example embodiment, a film includes a coextruded structure having both an extruded ribbed skin layer that includes a plurality of ribs, and a core layer. The ribs are spaced apart by a web that is integral with the ribs. The film also includes a coloring agent that is substantially more apparent in the ribs than in the web, such that a contrast in color and/or color intensity between the ribs and the web is visible.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A film, comprising:
a coextruded film comprising a skin layer and a core layer; and
a plurality of extruded ribs, where consecutive extruded ribs are spaced apart from each other by thinner portions that are integral with the consecutive extruded ribs; and
wherein:
the skin layer includes a coloring agent;
the extruded ribs of the skin layer have a color of the coloring agent; and
the thinner portions of the skin layer have a different color than the color of the coloring agent.

2. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein the skin layer and the core layer both comprise thermoplastic materials.

3. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein the coloring agent is present only in the skin layer.

4. The film as recited in claim 3 , wherein the coloring agent is apparent substantially only in the extruded ribs of the skin layer.

5. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein the coloring agent is substantially opaque.

6. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein the coloring agent is present in the core layer.

7. The film as recited in claim 6 , wherein the film further comprises a voiding agent in the skin layer.

8. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein there is a visible contrast between the extruded ribs and the thinner portions, and the visible contrast is at least one of: a contrast in color or a contrast in intensity of color.

9. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fibbed-skin layer includes indicia perceptible by one or more senses of a user, and wherein the indicia are one of:
substantially cosmetic in nature; or
indicative of a physical property of the film.

10. The film as recited in claim 9 , wherein the indicia comprise one or more of: corrugations; extruded ribs and thinner portions of contrasting respective colors; discontinuities in the extruded ribs that have the same color as the extruded ribs; discontinuities in the extruded ribs that have a different color than the extruded ribs; haziness in the thinner portions; substantially black extruded ribs; or substantially white extruded ribs.

11. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein the skin layer includes indicia perceptible by one or more senses of a user, and wherein the indicia are indicative of post-extrusion processing of the film, and the post-extrusion processing comprises one or more of MD stretching, MD ring rolling, TD stretching, or TD ring rolling.

12. The film as recited in claim 11 , wherein the indicia comprise one or more of: corrugations; extruded ribs and thinner portions of contrasting respective colors; substantially white extruded ribs; substantially black extruded ribs; discontinuities in the extruded ribs that have the same color as the extruded ribs; discontinuities in the extruded ribs that have a different color than the extruded ribs; or haziness in the thinner portions.

13. The film as recited in claim 1 , wherein the coloring agent comprises one or more of: a dye; a pigment; or a stress-sensitive coloring agent.

14. A thermoplastic product at least partly constructed from the film of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic product comprises one of a grocery bag, a trash bag, a sack, a yard waste bag, packaging materials, a feminine hygiene product, a baby diaper, and adult incontinence product, a sanitary napkin, a bandage, a food storage bag, a food storage container, a thermal heat wrap, a facial mask, a cleaning wipe, or a hard surface cleaner.

15. The film as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of intermittent compressions extending long each of the extruded ribs.

16. The film as recited in claim 15 , wherein the intermittent compressions differ in color from portions of the extruded ribs that are not compressed.

17. The film as recited in claim 15 , wherein intersections of compressions of the intermittent compressions and the extruded ribs provide the extruded ribs with a stitched appearance.

18. A film, comprising:
a coextruded film comprising a skin layer and a core layer, wherein the skin layer includes a coloring agent and the core layer is devoid of the coloring agent; and
a plurality of extruded ribs extending across the film in a first direction, where consecutive extruded ribs are spaced apart from each other by thinner portions that are integral with the consecutive extruded ribs; and
a plurality of compressions extending across the film in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, the plurality of compressions intersecting with the plurality of extruded ribs;
wherein intersections of compressions and the extruded ribs provide the extruded ribs with a stitched appearance.

19. The film of claim 18 , wherein:
portions of the extruded ribs that intersect with the compressions of the plurality of compressions have a first color; and
portions of the extruded ribs that do not intersect with the compressions of the plurality of compressions have a second color differing from the first color.

20. The film of claim 19 , wherein the thinner portions have a third color that differs from the first color and the second color.

Assignees

• Glad Products Co

Inventors

• Borchardt Michael G
• Fish Theodore J
• Cisek Kenneth E
• Dorsey Robert T

Classifications

• B65D33/01

  Ventilation or drainage of bags · CPC title

• B32B3/30 Primary

  characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. {hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs (apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26)} · CPC title

• B29C48/0018

  combined with shaping by orienting, stretching or shrinking, e.g. film blowing (B29C48/0017 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C48/0019

  combined with shaping by flattening, folding or bending · CPC title

• B29C48/21

  the layers being joined at their surfaces · CPC title