Apparatus and method for making a reclosable storage bag
AssigneeSimple Packaging Solutions, Inc.
InventorsDwight P. Fowler, Andrew McG. Martin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A storage bag and a method and apparatus for forming such a storage bag. The storage bag contains a reclosure tie formed as an integral marginal portion of the bag beyond an edge of the bag. The marginal portion includes overlying layers of bag material that form an elongated structure along an axis with first and second ends. A fused closure is formed in the marginal portion parallel to the axis and over a portion of the marginal portion spaced from one end thereof. This structure defines a tail and open loop that wrap around an opened bag thereby to close the bag in a positive fashion.
Claims37
A method for forming successive storage bags from an indeterminate length of polyethylene-based film, each storage bag having a removable closure tie, said method comprising the steps of:
- A. forming the film into a wall of an open-ended, hollow structure extending along a first axis,
- B. clamping a portion of the hollow structure along a second axis that is transverse to the first axis to form a margin portion in coextensive film wall portions, said margin portion having first and second sections disposed along the second axis and providing a boundary between successive storage bags,
- C. perforating the film walls in said margin portion along a perforation line that is parallel to the second axis,
- D. severing the film walls in the margin portion along a severance line that is parallel to and spaced from the second axis thereby to form a removable closure tie between the perforation and severance lines and to form an adjacent first sealing area,
- E. forming a first seal between the film walls along a line in the first sealing area that is parallel to the second axis and that is coextensive with the first and second sections,
- F. forming a second seal between the film walls along a line in the removable closure tie that is parallel to the second axis and that is coextensive with only the first section whereby the film walls in the second section remain unsealed and the unsealed film wall is free of any film structure that fails by delamination.
Apparatus for forming, from a continuous cylinder lying along a first axis and formed of a sealable, elastic polymeric film, storage bags with contents pouches and integrally formed, reclosure tie means for reclosing each bag, said apparatus comprising:
- A. clamping means for clamping a portion of the continuous cylinder along a second axis that is transverse to the first axis to form a margin portion in coextensive film wall portions of the continuous cylinder, said margin portion having first and second sections disposed along the second axis for providing a boundary between successive storage bags,
- B. perforating means for perforating the film walls in said margin portion along a perforation line that is parallel to the second axis,
- C. severing means for severing the film walls in the margin portion along a severance line that is parallel to and spaced from the second axis thereby to form a removable closure tie in the margin portion between the perforation and severance lines and to form an adjacent first sealing area,
- D. first sealing means for forming a first seal between the film walls along a line in the first sealing area that is parallel to the second axis and that is coextensive with the first and second sections,
- E. second sealing means for forming a second seal between the film walls along a line in the removable closure tie that is parallel to the second axis and that is coextensive with only the first section to form a tail in the first section and to form a loop in the second section that is free of any film structure that fails by delamination.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.