FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a resealable plastic bag with external guides parallel to a seal lock zipper means, which guides allow complete reseal of the package.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Reclosable plastic bags or other containers using a “zipper” type reclosable closure are well known in the art and taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,263,079; 5,070,584 and 5,140,727; Sutrina et al; Dias et al and Kais et al.) There the bag surface adjacent the zipper was shown as smooth. Other patents in this area show interior grip strips above the zipper which strips provide ease of opening the bag and holding it for filling, as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,009,828 (McCree); and 5,647,100 (Porchia et al.).

What is needed, however, is some means to guide the user's fingers, which may not be dry after loading the bag, to track the zipper for complete reseal, since, in many instances the fingers do not completely track behind the seal lock zipper all the way and several attempts are required for complete closure. It is a main object of this invention to provide a resealable bag containing on the exterior surface near the zipper, a track to insure single time complete closure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above needs/objects are met and problems solved by providing a resealable/reclosable bag having two external surfaces, a closed bottom and an open top, an interior seal lock zipper near the top of the bag where the zipper effective to close the bag, and a plurality of exterior guide projections on at least one external surface of the bag adjacent to and parallel to the interior zipper. This allows minimal finger displacement and single time complete closure of the zipper.

Preferably the bag is a thermoplastic material, and the guide projections are on both external surfaces. While in some instances the interior zipper may have a thickened base behind the lock elements of the interior zipper, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,929,487 and 5,211,481 (Tilman et al. and Tilman respectively), that thickened base would not serve or function as a closure guide, just the opposite.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the present invention will be better understood by reviewing the following specification together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a three dimensional view of a bag being closed, not showing the interior zipper means but showing one embodiment of the external parallel guide projections;

FIG. 2, which best illustrates the invention, shows a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a resealable bag with guide projections shown as triangular/v shapes used in conjunction with a variety of exterior thickened bases behind interior lock elements;

FIG. 3 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a resealable bag with guide projection having squared off shapes; and

FIG. 4 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a resealable bag with guide projection having convex shapes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, a resealable plastic bag 10 is shown in the process of being closed by the fingers 12 of a user. The term “resealable” will here be interchangeable with “reclosable”. For the sake of simplicity, the interior zipper is not shown, but guide projections 14 on one exterior surface having one protruding shape 16 and 18 are shown parallel to the top 20 of the bag.

FIG. 2 a resealable plastic bag 10 is shown, with two external surfaces 22 and 24, a closed bottom surface 26, an open top/mouth section 28 and interior seal lock zipper portion 30 having reclosable interlocking profile elements 32 and 34 of a wide variety of designs shown secured/closed. These profile elements can be extruded first and then attached or, as shown, extruded integral with the bag walls and the profile elements can have a thickened base 36 of various shapes as shown. The interior seal lock zipper 30 is near to and usually parallel to the top 20 of the bag. The zipper is effective to close the bag due to the reclosable interlocking profile elements 32 and 34. These elements are longitudinally extending from side to side of the bag forming a rib and grove profile, as is well known.

A plurality of exterior longitudinally extending guide projections 14 are shown on the external surfaces/walls 22 and 24 of the bag adjacent to and parallel to the interior zipper 30. They extend from side 40 to side 42 of the bag 10, as shown in FIG. 1. Food or other items can be inserted into the interior 38 of the bag 10 and the zipper closed by pressing the fingers between the exterior guide projections on top of the zipper and moving the fingers across the bag on the top zipper or gripper base from one side of the bag to the other, along the guide projections 14, to help insure one time complete closure of the zipper, the beginning of such closure being shown in FIG. 1. As is well known, the top 20 of the bag can be pulled apart to release the zipper and open the bag. Both the top 20 interior portions can have grooves or the like for improved ease of opening or holding the bag for filling.

The guide projections 14, can be single or multiple outward extensions, for example, two per side are shown in FIG. 1 and four per side are shown in FIG. 2. They can all have the same or different projection shapes, FIG. 2 illustrating rounded dual triangular projections 14 with a V shaped cavity, FIG. 3 illustrating all exterior and cavity squared off shapes 44, and FIG. 4 illustrating convex interior cavity shapes 46.

The guide projection shapes 14, 44 and 46 have one or more outwardly extending external projections of a substantially continuous extension height 50 along their length, outwardly from the bag, shown in FIG. 2, ranging from about 0.02 inch to 0.05 inch (0.05 cm to 0.13 cm) in order to provide substantial guiding direction with minimal finger displacement, especially if the user has wet hands. These guide projection shapes will be most simply extruded integral with the bag walls and can be of the same material as the bag, preferably a thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or equivalent material.

Having described the presently preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.