US3079066A - Temporary sealing means for bags - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 26, 1963 R. E. ROOP 3,079,066-

TEMPORARY SEALING MEANS FOR BAGS Filed Dec. 21, 1960 L\ UIIIIIIl/IIIIIl/IIII FIG-.5

ROBERT E. lZooP .United States Patent 3,079,066 TEMPORARY SEALING MEANS FOR BAGS Robert E. Roop, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 77,318 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-62) This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in bag construction, and more specifically relates to a novel sealing means for bags. 7 In many instances, it is desired to temporarily seal a bag in a manner which permits the ready opening and A typical example 10f such a bag a sweater, is packaged within the bag to prevent the enarnined, it must be removed from the bag and, if not bought, is returned to the bag and the bag' should again be sealed. The present invention has as a primary object the provision of an extremely simple temporary seal which may be readily incorporated in bags of existing construction.

, Another object of the invention is to provide a simple temporary seal for bags which permits the opening and re'closure thereof, the seal being in the form of an additive member which may be applied to only those bags which it is desired to open and reseal.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel temporary seal for closures of bags, the seal including the simple expedient of providing one or more openings in the closure member of the bag and overlying the exterior surface of the closure member about and over the opening with a strip having a releasable adhesive coating thereon, the strip and the adhesive coating thereof projecting through the opening and temporarily bonding with the portion of the bag underlying the opening to temporarily retain the closure in place.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel bag construction wherein the bag is provided with a closure flap and the closure flap is provided with at least one opening therethrough, the closure flap also being provided 'on the exterior surface thereof with a strip having a releasable adhesive coating thereon, the releasable adhesive coating serving to releasably secure the strip to the closure flap and portions of the strip and adhesive coating projecting through openings in the closure flap and engaging underlying portions of the bag to releasably temporarily secure the closure flap to the bag to effect the sealing of the bag.

* With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claim and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing:

{{Ih the drawing:

QFIGURE l is a perspective view of a bag formed in accordance with the invention and employing the temporary sealing means.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1, and shows the closure flap of the bag in an open position with the temporary sealing means still carried thereby.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective rear view of the bag of FIGURE 1 in its open position and with the temporary sealing strip spaced therefrom prior to the application thereof. }';FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional new taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1, and shows the specific details of the temporary closure.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1, and shows further the details of the temporary seal.

article from becoming soiled. When the article is being Reference is now made to the drawings in detail, wherein there is illustrated a conventional type of bag, generally referred to by the numeral 6. The bag 6 includes a body portion 7 having a closed lower end 8 and an article receiving opening 9 at the upper end thereof. The article receiving opening 9 is normally closed by a closure flap 10 which is formed as a part of one of the walls of the body portion 7. During the normal use of the bag '6, the closure flap 10 is folded to its position of FIGURE 1 overlying the body portion 7.

The bag 6, as described above, is a conventional bag which may be for-med in any desired manner and of any material, although the illustrated bag is formed of plastic material. In accordance with the invention, the closure flap 10 is provided with at least one opening 11 therethrough, although the number of openings may vary and the openings may be there in number, as illustrated in the example bag. A strip 12 is secured to the outer surface of the closure flap 10in overlying relation to the openings 11. The strip 12 is provided on one side thereof with an adhesive layer 13 which may be of any tacky, non-permanent type adhesive. It is to be understood that the tape 12 is secured to the closure flap lit by means of the adhesive coating 13 thereof.

Due to the relatively small size of the openings 11, the adhesive layer of the strip 12 does not come into contact with either the article packaged within the bag 6 or the handle of the package even though the closure flap 10 may be in the open position of FIGURE 2. On the other hand, when the closure flap 10 is swung to its hag closing position of FIGURE 1, pressure may be exerted on the strip 12 in the vicinity of the openings 11, with the result that the strip 12 will have those portions thereof overlying the openings 11 depressed into the openings 11, with the adhesive layer 13 engaging the underlying portion of the body 7 of the bag, as is clearly shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. The adhesive between the adhesive layer 13 and the body portion 7 is sufficient to retain the closure flap 10 in the bag closing position. However, when it is desired to inspect the contents of the bag 6, it is merely necessary to engage one corner of the closure flap 1!} and pull the same upwardly. The upward pull on the closure flap 1d will be sufficient to effect the release of the adhesive material 13 from the body portion 7 of the bag, thus permitting the closure fiap 10 to be swung from its bag closing position of FIGURE 1 to the open position of FIGURE 2.

Although the temporary sealing means have been illustrated only in conjunction with a bag having a closure flap, the invention is not intended to be so limited. If desired, the principles of the invention could be used with other types of bag construction. For example, in even the simplest type of bag wherein the body portion terminates abruptly into the mouth of the bag, it would be merely necessary to provide the body portion with openings, such as the openings .11, in one wall thereof adjacent the open mouth of the bag. The strip 12 or a similar strip may then be secured to the one wall of the body portion of the bag in overlying relation to the openings formed therein. When the bag is squeezed together at its mouth, the adhesive material would serve to temporarily secure together the opposed portions of the body portion to effect the desired closing of the mouth of the bag.

From the foregoing discussion of the invention, it will be obvious that the invention may be incorporated in any type of bag construction merely by providing one or more openings in the closure portion of the bag and applying a suitable strip having an adhesive layer thereon of the nonsetting or releasable type. Furthermore, because the adhesive layer of the strip is of the non-setting type, the bag may be opened and reclosed many times.

It will be apparent that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the desired end.

However, attention is again directed to the fact that variations may be made in the example form of the invention disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A-bag and closure therefor adapted by its structure for continuous and unlimited opening, closing and positive sealing, said bag having an open end defined by an upper edge, said bag including identical first and second w'alls in opposed relation to each other, said first and second walls being permanently securedtogether along'respective bottom and side edge portions thereof, a fiap forming an integral extension of said second wall and joined thereto along a fold line, said fold line being parallel to and in alignment with said upper bag edge, said flap eoextensively overlying a limited portion of said first wall for temporarily closing said open end, a plurality of circular-openings in said flap in generally parallel alignment tosaid fold line so as to be disposed immediately adjacent said first wall, a narrow elongated strip'of pressure sensitive adhesive tape overlying said openings and-secured to the outer surface of said flap, the portions of said tape overly ing the openings being deformablethrough said openings upon the application of pressure thereto so as to contact and temporarily adhere said tape portions to said first wall whereby said bag may be repeatedly opened and reclosed with ease. 5

References Cited in thefile .of this patent UNITED SUITATESVPATENTS 2,066,495 Swift Jan. s, 1937 2,394,335 Shapir o- Feb. 5, 1946 2,400,406 Godoy May 14, 1945 2,72 ,031 Guthrie Dec. 6; 955 2,874,890 Evanstein p h Feb. 24, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 107,877 Great Britain July 19, 1917 494,159 Great Britain Oct. 19, 1.1338

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