MXPA04001438A - Reclosable bag having wicket flap and slider-actuated string zipper. - Google Patents

Abstract

A reclosable bag having a bottom flap with holes configured to allow a stack of the bags to be mounted on a wicket, a slider-actuated string zipper installed in a mouth at the top of the bag, and an open string zipper, not actuated by a slider, installed at the bottom of the bag. The wicket flap has a line of weakened tear resistance, such as a perforated line, along which the bag can be torn. Product is inserted into the receptacle via the open string zipper, and then that zipper is closed. After filling, the receptacle can be separated from the flap, which remains on the wicket, by tearing along the tear line.

Description

RECERRABLE BAG THAT HAS FIN FOR HOOK SUPPORT AND CLOSURE OF RACKER IN RISTRA POWERED BY A SLIDER RELATED PATENT APPLICATION The present application is a continuation in part and claims priority of the United States of America patent application Serial No. 10 / 367,450 filed on February 14, 2003 and which is entitled "Reclosable packaging having a zip fastener in chain driven by sliding ".

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to reclosable bags having slider-operated plastic slide fasteners. In particular, the invention relates reclosable bags operated with a slider having a magazine or fin with holes or slots for mounting a stack of bags on a support hook. Recerratable bags are finding increasing acceptance as primary packaging, particularly as packaging for edible products such as cereal, fresh vegetables, snacks and the like. These bags provide the consumer with the ability to easily store, in a sealed package, if not sealed, any unused portion of the packaged product even after the package is initially opened. The reclosable pouches comprise a receptacle having a mouth or opening with a plastic zipper for opening and closing. In recent years, many zip fasteners have been designed to operate with a slider or slider mounted thereon. As the slide moves in an opening direction, the slide causes the sections of the slide fastener to pass through to open. Conversely, as the slide moves in a closing direction, the slide causes sections of the slide fastener to traverse it to close. Typically, a zip fastener for a reclosable bag includes a pair of interlock strips that join at opposite ends of the bag mouth. The interlocking profiles of the plastic parts of the slide fastener can take various configurations, for example rib and groove interlacing elements having the so-called male and female profiles, the interlacing closing elements in the form of alternating hooks, etc. The reclosable bags that have the slide fasteners operated by a slide are generally more desirable to the consumer than the bags that have slide fasteners without the slides because the slide eliminates the need for the consumer to align the interlocking profiles of the closure. rack before making these profiles engage. Resealable bags are commonly used by sellers of select products in grocery stores to pack cheese and select meats for consumers. To facilitate the handling of reclosable bags by sellers of select products, the bags often include a magazine having one or more holes for mounting a stack of bags to one or more dispensing posts. The reclosable bags are typically mounted to the dispensing posts in bag packages that are composed of a predetermined number of bags. The dispensing posts can, for example, take the form of a U-shaped support hook where the legs of the U-shaped support hook penetrate the respective holes formed in the magazine of each bag. The upper part may take the form of a top loader extending upwards from the mouth with the zipper closure of the bag or a lower loader extending downwardly from the bottom of the bag.

U.S. Patent No. 5,682,730 discloses a plurality of plastic bags formed in unitary packages for shipping and loading onto dispensing posts. This is done by stacking the bags and then joining them in a unit package by penetrating the stack with a heated or ultrasonic pin or a punching element to form the openings. The bags within the package are thermally welded or ultrasonically welded together along the periphery of the openings. To maintain the integrity of the bag package during shipment, the bag is mounted on dispensing posts in the form of a support hook before boarding. More specifically, U.S. Patent No. 5,682,730 discloses a reclosable bag having a lower magazine with two trades for mounting the plastic bag to a pair of dispensing posts. The holes are spaced apart distally along a lateral line running generally parallel to the slide fastener. The lower magazine includes a line of perforations that allows the bag to be torn from the magazine after the bag has been filled with the product. The embodiment illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 5,682,730 has a lower magazine that includes a pair of opposed panels of the magazine connected by a fold. The fold forms a primary lower part, while the seal line of the thermal fusion forms a secondary bottom part in the joint of the receptacle and the loader. This patent further establishes that one of the panels of the magazine can be removed. The upper part of the bag of the patent of the United States of America No. 5,682,730, has a slide fastener operated by slide. The slide fastener comprises two profiled parts of the slide fastener having respective fins or flanges thermally fused to the interior surfaces of the receptacle panels. An alternative to the aforementioned zip fastener design is the so-called zipper closure without tab or string, which has substantially no flange portions above or below the interlocking closure strips. In the case of a slide fastener, the film forming the bag is attached to the back of the bases of the strips of the slide fastener. Rack zippers can be produced at much higher speeds, allow much longer foot lengths to be rolled on a reel, thus requiring less installation time, and use less material than zippered zippers, allowing Substantial reduction in the cost of manufacturing and processing. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10 / 367,450 discloses a resealable pouch in which respective marginal portions of the pouch film are sealed to the back of the respective strips of the closure of zipper without flange and in which the zip fastener in resultant string is driven by means of a slide. There is a continuing need for new designs for reclosable carrier hook bags that can be manufactured at low cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a reclosable bag having a lower flap with holes configured to allow a stack of bags to be mounted to a support hook, a sliding rack-mounted slide fastener installed in a mouth on the upper part of the bag and a zipper closure, not driven by a slide, installed in the bottom of the bag. The invention is further directed to a method for manufacturing these bags. The zipper closure in the lower part of the bag is not intended to be opened once it has been closed.

One aspect of the invention is a reclosable pouch comprising: a receptacle including first and second walls joined on its sides, the first and second walls having respective upper marginal portions forming a mouth in an upper part of the receptacle and lower portions respective in a lower part of the receptacle, a first rack-and-thread closure comprising a first pair of mutually interlacing portions of the slide fastener respectively joined to the upper marginal portions of the first and second walls; a second rack-and-slide fastener comprising a second pair of mutually interlacing portions of the slide fastener respectively attached to the lower portions of the first and second walls, the fastener portions of the second pair being interlocked with each other; a slide mounted on the first rack-and-slide closure for opening and closing the first rack-and-thread closure; and a flap extending downwardly from the bottom of the receptacle. Another aspect of the invention is a method for manufacturing a reclosable bag, comprising the following steps: (a) folding a sheet of bag forming film such that a first portion of the sheet on one side of the fold has a portion of extension extending beyond one edge of a second portion of the folded sheet; (b) joining the backs of the first and second strips of the unfastened slide fastener to one of the first and second portions of the sheet before or after the bending step; (c) joining the backs of the third and fourth strips of the zipper without flange to the other of the first and second portions of the sheet before or after the bending step, the first and the third strips of the slide fastener being mutually confronting to form a first rack-and-loop fastener, and the second and fourth strips of the slide fastener being mutually confronting to form a second rack-and-loop fastener that is farther from the folded edge of the blade than the first fastener zipper in string is; (d) cutting the respective portions of the first and second portions of the sheet adjacent to the first rack zipper to remove the folded edge of the sheet; and (e) inserting a slide in the first rack fastener in string. A further aspect of the invention is a method for manufacturing a reclosable bag, comprising the steps of: (a) folding a film sheet forming the bag such that a first portion of the sheet in a side of the fold has an extension portion that extends beyond one edge of a second portion of the folded sheet; (b) joining the back of a first strip of the zipper without flange to the second portion of the sheet in an area close to where the fold will form or has been formed; (c) joining the back of a second strip of the zipper without flange to the first portion of the sheet in a region that will face the first strip of the zipper without a flange when the sheet is in the folded state, (d) joining the back of a third strip of the zipper without flange to the second portion of the sheet in an area close to the edge of the second portion of the sheet; (e) joining the back of a fourth strip of the zipper without flange to the first portion of the sheet in a zone that will face the third strip of the zipper without flange when the sheet is in the bent state; (f) cutting the respective portions of the first and second sheet portions adjacent to the first and second strips of the zipper without flange to remove the folded edge of the sheet; and (g) inserting the slider in the first and second strips of the slide fastener without flange. Yet another aspect of the invention is a resealable bag comprising: a receptacle having an upper part and a lower part, a first rack-and-pin fastener secured to the upper part of the receptacle to provide access to a interior volume of the receptacle; a second rack zipper fastened to the bottom of the receptacle; a slide mounted on the first rack-and-thread closure for opening and closing the first rack-and-thread closure; and a flap extending downwardly from the bottom of the receptacle, the flap comprising a discontinuity and a weakened or attenuated resistance line to the tear crossing an area disposed between the second rack fastener and the discontinuity. A further aspect of the invention is a method of manufacturing a reclosable bag, comprising the following steps: (a) arranging the film material to form the opposite walls and a fin assembled to one of the walls; (b) joining a first portion of the film material to a rear part of a first strip of the slide fastener without flange before or after the step of disposing; (c) joining a second portion of the film material to a rear part of a second strip of the slide fastener without flange before or after the step of arranging; (d) attaching a third portion of the film material to a rear part of a third strip of the zipper without a flange before or after the step of arranging; (e) joining a fourth portion of the film material to a back part of a fourth strip of the zipper without a flange before or after the step of arranging; (f) aligning the first and second strips of the unfastened slide fastener together; (g) aligning the third and fourth strips of the slide fastener without flange to each other; (h) after steps (b), (c) and (f) have been carried out, assemble a slide on the first and second aligned strips of the zipper without flange, with the first portion of the film material which is disposed between a first side wall of the slide and a rear part of the first strip of the slide fastener without flange, and the second portion of the film material which is disposed between a second side wall of the slide and a rear part of the slide. the second strip of the zipper without a flange; and (i) joining together the fifth and sixth portions of the film material and joining the seventh and eighth portions of the film material together to form a receptacle in concert with the first and second opposing walls and the first and second portions of the film material. zipper in string, the fin being assembled to the receptacle. Other aspects of the invention are described and claimed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a drawing showing a front view of a reclosable bag according to an embodiment of the present invention. For the purpose of this illustration, it has been assumed that the film of the bag is optically transparent, such that the slide fasteners are visible behind a layer of the film. Figure 2 is a drawing showing a sectional view of a rack zipper incorporated in the bottom of the bag shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a drawing showing a sectional view of a closure assembly rack and slide rack [previously disclosed in United States of America patent application Serial No. 10 / 367,450] incorporated in the bag shown in Figure 1. The slide fastener is shown sectioned in a plane in front of the closing end of the slide. Figure 4 is a drawing showing, on an enlarged scale, a sectional view of the rack zipper incorporated in the assembly of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a drawing showing a top view of a section of continuous movement of an automated production line according to one embodiment of the present invention. The assembly of the slide fastener and the film is advanced from left to right as indicated by arrow A. Figure 6 is a drawing showing a top view of a section of intermittent motion of the production line, the section of which follows the continuous movement section shown in Figure 5. The continuous movement in the section shown in Figure 5 becomes intermittent movement in the section shown in Figure 6 by means of a conventional tension assembly. Figure 7 is a drawing showing a sectional view of a folded edge of the film sheet with a zipper in a string installed in the fold and before being trimmed. Reference will now be made to the drawings in which similar elements in the different drawings bear the same reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Shown in Figure 1 is a reclosable bag according to one embodiment of the invention. The bag comprises a receptacle 102 having an upper part 104, a lower part formed by a zipper closure in a row 106, and left and right side seals 108, 100. The zipper closure in the thread 106 comprises a pair of interlaced strips zip fastener joined at their ends by the respective seals 68. Another zipper in string 4 is installed in the upper part 104 of the bag. The slide fastener in string 4 is driven by a slide 10. The slide fastener in string 4 is opened when the slide 10 is moved in the direction of arrow O and closed when the slide 0 is moved in the direction of the arrow. arrow C. The zipper closure in string 4 comprises a pair of interlaced strips of the slide fastener joined at their ends by the end stops of the slide 66. The bag shown in Figure 1 further comprises a flap or panel 112 extending from the bottom of the receptacle 102 in a direction away from the top of the bag. The flap 112 is a rectangle that has a length equal to the width of the receptacle 102. The flap has a line 114 of weakened or attenuated resistance to the tear extending substantially along the total length of the flap 112 in parallel with and spaced apart. of the zipper fastener 106. The line 114 of attenuated resistance to tearing may comprise a line of spaced perforations, a detachment line, or any other functionally equivalent structure. The flap 112 may be integrally formed with either the front wall or the rear wall of the receptacle 102. The flap 102 has a pair of circular holes 116 that are spaced apart distally along a line running generally parallel to the line 114 of attenuated resistance to tearing. These holes are used to mount each bag on a pair of posts or legs of a support hook (not shown in Figure 1) to form a stack. Slits can be used instead of holes. Bags of the type shown in Figure 1 are typically manufactured in a machine. At the end of the production lineWhen each finished bag of the machine leaves, each finished bag is transported and placed on the posts to form a stack. The full posts are then moved and replaced by another series of posts that do not have bags stacked on them. The stack of bags is then removed manually or automatically from the posts while the holes are still aligned, the parallel legs of a U-shaped support hook made of wire are passed through the holes. The stack of bags is secured in the support hook and then placed inside a layer for shipping, for example, to a grocery store. In use, the bags are filled with product manually, as shown in Figure 3 of U.S. Patent No. 5,682,730. Then the open top of the bag is closed by manipulating the slide. Finally, the filled bags are removed from the stack by tearing the bag along the line of attenuated resistance to tearing, thereby separating the filled receptacle from the flap that remains mounted to the support hook. Alternatively, the bags can be sealed together by ultrasonic pins during the process of forming the holes for the dispensing posts. As seen in Figures 2 and 3, the receptacle 102 comprises a front wall 2a and a rear wall 2b. Referring to Figure 2, the aforementioned flap 112 is part of the rear wall 2b and extends beyond the edge of the front wall 2a. The zipper closure in string 106 is sealed, for example, by heat sealing by conduction, to the opposite band-shaped zones in the front and rear walls 2a, 2b of the receptacle. The rack-and-loop zipper 06 extends through the entire width of the receptacle and comprises a pair of mutually interlaced, extruded plastic parts or strips of the slide fastener 6 'and 8'. The strip 6 'of the zip fastener is placed next to the edge of the front wall 2a. The zipper closure in string 106 is not intended to be reclosed and is therefore not designed to open during normal use of the reclosable bag. Although the zipper closure in string 106 has a construction similar to that of the slide fastener in string 4, the zip fastener in string 106 has smaller dimensions and is made of a low slip material. In particular, the strip 8 'of the slide fastener comprises a base and two male-like elements or members similar to a generally arrow-shaped rib projecting from the base, while the strip 6' of the slide fastener comprises two pairs of hook-shaped clamps connected by a sealing bridge. The male profiles respectively intertwine with the female profiles in order to maintain the closure of the zipper closure in string 106. In the disclosed embodiment, the profile of each male member has a stem flanked by ridges or teeth converging on the tip of the profile.

Each female profile comprises a pair of clamping jaws extending from a base or bottom of the female profile. Each jaw comprises a wall and a hook integrally formed at a distal end of the respective wall. The hooks are inclined and directed generally towards each other, the distant ends of the hooks define a mouth that communicates with a slot defined by the walls and the bottom of the female profile. Each pair of jaws receives and interlaces with a respective male member, as seen in Figure 2, the hooks effectively lock or clamp the heads of the male members. Other constructions of the slide fastener which are designed only for interlacing could be used. The plastic material used in the extrusion of the strips 6 'and 8' of the slide fastener is selected or treated to provide low slip surfaces. Because the zipper closure in string 106 is intended to remain closed during use, no opening mechanism is provided, such as a slider or traction flaps. The bag forming film is affixed to the back of the strips 6 'and 8' of the slide fastener, so that no detachment action is generated by external forces exerted when the bag is filled with the product. . After the bag forming film has been attached to the back of the zip fastener strips of the zipper closure in string 106, the ends of the zip fastener strips are fused together by the application of wave energy ultrasonic Referring to Figure 3, the bag further comprises a slide fastener 4 located in the mouth at the top of the receptacle and a slide 10 mounted on the slide fastener 4 in order to open and close the mouth of the bag. The zip fasteners in strings 4 and 108 in the upper and lower part of the receptacle are generally mutually parallel. The zip fastener in string 4 extends through the total width of the receptacle and comprises a pair of mutually interlaced portions or strips of the zipper closure, of extruded plastic, 6 and 8, the latter, according to one embodiment, being similar in structure to the strips 6 'and 8' of the slide fastener, respectively, with various distinctions described hereinafter. However, depending on the closing strength required in the lower part of the bag, the structure of the slide fastener in string 4 may be different. The upper marginal portions of the front and rear of the walls 2a and 2b of the bag (see Figure 3) are respectively sealed to the back of the strips 6 and 8 of the slide fastener by means of a conventional thermal sealing technique by driving. The preferred material of the slide fastener is polyethylene or polypropylene. The zip fastener in string 4 is shown on an amplified scale in Figure 4. Again, the numbers 2a and 2b indicate the opposite walls (made, for example, of plastic film) of the receptacle. The strip 8 of the slide fastener comprises a base 14 and two generally arrow-like rib-like male members or members 20 and 28 projecting from the base 14, while the strip 6 of the slide fastener comprises two pairs of clamp grippers 16, 18 and 22, 24 assembled by a sealing bridge 12. The pairs of clamping jaws 16, 18 and 22, 24 form complementary female profiles, respectively, to receive the male profiles of the closing elements 20 and 28. Referring still to Figure 4, the sealing bridge 12 and the base 14 are resiliently flexible, freestanding structures that have a thickness greater than the thickness of the film of the bag. The male closure elements are formed integrally with the base 14, while the female closure elements are formed integrally with the sealing bridge 12. The upper margins of the walls 2a and 2b of the bag are attached to the back parts of the sealing bridge 12 and base 14, respectively. The upper margins of the bag film may have short free ends that extend beyond the termination points in Figure 4, with the proviso that the free ends are not so long that they interfere with the movement of the slide as length of the zipper closure or become entangled with the profiles of the slide fastener. The face or end surface of the upper edge 30 of the base 14 carrying the male closure elements 20 and 28 is inclined at approximately an angle of 45 ° to facilitate loading of the slide on the slide fastener from above without obstructing on a corner of the upper edge. The lower edge of the base 14 cooperates with a retaining edge on the slide (which will be described later) to increase the starting resistance of the slide. For the same purpose, a rib 26 is formed on the part of the slide fastener 6, the rib 26 cooperating with a retaining edge on the other side of the slide. To open the closed slide fastener, the parts of the slide fastener 6 and 8 are pushed apart with sufficient force by means of the plow of the slide (item 42 in Figure 3) to tear off the heads of the male members of the sliders. female profiles. When the projections of the male members dislodge the hooks of the clamping jaws flexed outwards, the male and female members are no longer interlocked and the slide fastener is open. Numerous configurations for male and female interlocking members are known in the art. The present invention is not limited to being used with male members having an arrow head. Male members having expanded heads with other shapes can be used. For example, instead of an expanded head having a pointed tip, the front face of the expanded head may be rounded. In other words, the head can have a semicircular profile instead of a triangular profile. Alternatively, the expanded head of the male member may have a trapezoidal profile. In addition, although Figures 2 and 4 show rib and groove arrangements, the profiles of the zip fastener strips can take on any shape. For example, any rack zipper could comprise alternating hook-shaped closure elements. The invention is not limited to having two female profiles on one strip of the slide fastener and two male profiles on the other strip of the slide fastener. In the first place, the zipper closure can have a series of complementary male and female profiles, or it can have more than two complementary series of male and female profiles. Furthermore, in the case of the two complementary series of male and female profiles, one part of the slide fastener can have a male profile and a female profile, while the other part of the slide fastener has a female profile and a male profile. Other variations may be apparent to persons skilled in the resealable packaging art. Referring again to Figure 1, the slide fastener in string 4 further comprises end stops 66 to prevent the slide from sliding out of the end of the slide fastener when the slide reaches the closed or fully open position of the slide fastener. These end stops develop double functions, serve as stops to prevent the slide from coming out of the end of the slide fastener and also retain together the two profiles of the slide fastener to prevent the bag from opening in response to the stresses applied to the profiles through the normal use of the bag. According to one embodiment of the invention, the end stops comprise areas sealed by tampering on the same parts of the slide fastener. The sealed end stops comprise sections of the zipper parts that have been fused together and flattened at the ends of the slide fastener. During the training, the thermoplastic material of the slide fastener flows upwards in such a manner that the end stops are of high height above the peak of the non-deformed slide fastener on which the slide moves. This tamper sealing can be carried out using ultrasonic welding equipment of the type disclosed in United States of America patent application Serial No. 10 / 113,489 entitled "Method and apparatus for ultrasonically sealing end stops of the slide in the Zip closure". The tip and anvil of the ultrasonic welding apparatus disclosed therein are specifically designed such that the ultrasonic sealing operation creates a vertical hump on the slide fastener to stop the slide, while at the same time retaining the base of the closure profile of rack to support the start of the slide. Enough heat penetrates towards the mass of the profile of the slide fastener in the areas of the end stop to fuse together the parts of the slide fastener, placing an obstacle to the plow of the slide. Also, a V-shaped notch can be formed at the opposite ends of the upper wall of the slide to receive the vertical humps of the respective formed end stops. This allows the plow to stop against the molten end of the slide fastener in the fully closed condition of the slide fastener. In the assembly of the slide and the slide fastener shown in Figure 3, the slide 10 for opening or closing the reclosable slide fastener is generally formed in such a way that the slide is mounted to the fastener profiles of the fastener. zipper. The upper margins of the walls 2a and 2b of the bag, which are attached to the rear parts of the parts 6 and 8 of the slide fastener, are disposed between the respective parts of the slide fastener and the respective side walls of the slide. . The slide 10 shown in Figure 3 is more fully disclosed in the United States of America patent application Serial No. 10 / 367,450. The slide 10 comprises an upper wall 32, a pair of side walls 34 and 36 connected to opposite sides of the upper wall 32, the upper wall 32 and the side walls 34 and 36 form a tunnel for the passage of the slide fastener in it runs through it. The ends of the slide are open to allow the zipper to penetrate. The width of the tunnel is substantially constant along the section that is divided by the plow and then narrow from a point near the end of the plow to the window or closing opening on one end face of the slide. The narrow section of the tunnel is formed by the substantially flat, inclined interior surfaces (not visible in Figure 3), which converge towards the closing window of the slide. The inclined surfaces guide or tighten the parts of the slide fastener towards one another, causing the profiles of the slide fastener to intertwine, as the slide moves in the closing direction. The side walls 34 and 36 are formed with curved concave indentations where the user can place the tips of an index finger and a thumb to hold the slide. Alternatively, the convexities (for example, the ribs) can be formed on the sides of the slide to facilitate gripping. The slider 10 also comprises a plow or divider 42 that hangs down from a central portion of the upper wall 32 to an elevation below the lower portions of each of the side walls. The plow leaves the tunnel in the slide and is arranged between the opposite sections of the zipper parts penetrating the tunnel. The tip of the plow 42 is truncated and has rounded edges and flattened corners at opposite ends to facilitate insertion of the plow between the profiles of the slide fastener without clogging. The plow 42 comprises an arm having a cross-sectional shape which is a rectangle with rounded corners. The axis of the arm is generally perpendicular to the upper wall of the slide. As the slide moves in the opening direction (ie, with the closing end ahead), the plow 42 separates the incident sections from the parts of the slide fastener 6 and 8. The plow 42 divides the closing end of the slide tunnel in respective passages so that the separate strips penetrate of the zipper closure. As seen partially in Figure 3, the slide 10 further comprises a retention projection or edge 38 projecting inwardly from the side wall 34 and a retention projection or edge 40 projecting inwardly from the side wall 36. The edges 38 and 40 project one towards the other, forming respective stops to secure the slide on the zipper closure. The edges 38 and 40 have generally horizontal, substantially coplanar surfaces, on which the lower edges of the profiles of the slide fastener can rest, thereby effectively securing the slide under the lower edges of the zipper parts to increase the resistance against the start of the slide. To improve the grip, the upper surfaces of the retaining edges may be angled up towards the distant edge. The edges 38 and 40 further comprise respective sloped bottom surfaces 40 and 52, extending downward and outward from the respective inner edges of the generally horizontal surfaces. The inclined surfaces 50 and 52 are each substantially coplanar, with the respective planes of these inclined surfaces crossing in a line inside the tunnel which is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slide. The inclined surfaces 50 and 52 serve to guide the respective strips 6 and 8 of the slide fastener inside the slide tunnel during the insertion of the slide on the slide fastener. The slides are typically inserted at spaced intervals a slide fastener and film assembly that is intermittently advanced in a machine direction on an automated slide insertion equipment. The generally horizontal surfaces of the retaining edges secure under the profiles of the slide fastener and aid in the retention of the slide in the slide fastener, while the lower inclined surfaces of the retaining edges assist in the insertion of the slide. in the slide fastener guiding or driving the respective portions of the slide fastener into the slide passage, including passing over opposite sides of the plow. The slide can be manufactured in multiple parts and welded together or the parts can be constructed to be joined together under pressure. The slide can also be of one piece construction. The slide can be made using any desired method, such as injection molding. The slide can be molded from any suitable plastic, such as nylon, polypropylene, polystyrene, acetal, polyketone, polybutylene terephthalate, high density polyethylene, polycarbonate, or ABS. To reduce the manufacturing cost, the slide can be designed to reduce the amount of material used and increase the speed with which these slides can be injection molded. Suitable designs of injection molded runners are fully disclosed in United States of America patent application Serial No. 10 / 412,438. The reclosable packages of the type shown in Figure 1 can be manufactured on an automatic production line. An exemplary production line is shown in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows a section of the production line in which the strips of the slide fastener and the bag forming film move continuously. Figure 6 shows a further section in which the strips of the slide fastener and the bag forming film move intermittently. The continuous movement in the section shown in Figure 5 is converted to intermittent movement in the section shown in Figure 6 by means of a conventional tension assembly (not shown). Operations performed continuously during continuous advancement include: folding a sheet of film so that one side of the sheet extends beyond the edge of the other (short) side of the sheet, the extending portion being hereinafter referred to as the "fin", introducing a slide fastener into an angle and sealing it on both sides of the sheet at a short distance from the fold; insert another zipper into an angle and seal it on both sides of the folded sheet near the edge of the short side of the folded sheet; and forming a line of perforations in the fin 8 ie, the extended portion of the long side of the folded sheet) at a point beyond the edge of the short side of the folded sheet. Operations performed intermittently during residence times include: inserting the slides in the zipper in adjacent string to which the folded edge of the film has been trimmed; forming the end stops of the slide at separate intervals on that same rack zipper; preseilting the other zip fastener in strings at separate intervals; forming pairs of holes in the fin at spaced intervals; and cutting into slide and slide fastener assembly with a hot knife that both seals and cuts to form separate packages. Other operations are performed during the intermittent advancement of the slide fastener assembly and the film. For example, during each intermittent advance, the slide fastener is opened by a fixed spacer unit at a point upstream of the slide insertion area. In addition, current below the insertion region of the slide, a previously inserted slide is held fixed while the slide and slide fastener assembly moves relative to it, this relative movement of the slide closes a corresponding section of the slide fastener in string, superior. The transition from the continuous advance of the film to the intermittent advancement of the film is achieved by means of a conventional tensioning unit. The above operations will now be described in greater detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows a portion of a sheet 60 of the bag forming film after the sheet has been unwound from a roll (not shown) and then pass over a bending board or plow (not shown) in a conventional manner. The film sheet is pulled completely by means of conventional guide rollers and impellers (not shown). In Figure 5, the number 76 designates the fold in the sheet of the film. Although the fold is along a line generally parallel to the edges of the sheet, the fold line is closer to one edge 73 than to the other edge 71. Because the fold is located off center on the sheet , one side of the folded sheet 60 is longer than the other. The shorter side of the folded sheet is designated 2a in Figure 2; the longer side is designated 2b and will ultimately form the flap for the support hook (point 112 in Figure 1). The sheet of the film 60 continuously advances in the direction indicated by the arrow A. At the same time, a pair of closed slide fasteners 70 and 72, each comprising a respective pair of mutually interlaced strips of the slide fastener without flange , are unrolled from a respective spool (not shown), fed continuously at an angle and guided to the respective positions between opposite sides of the folded sheet 60. The slide fastener 71 is placed near the fold 76, while the closure rack 70 is placed adjacent to edge 73 of the sheet. In a sealing station of the slide fastener, opposite portions of the sheet are attached to the back of the mutually interlocked zip fastener strips of the slide fastener 70 by means of a pair of mutually opposing hot sealing bars 75, conventional ones, (only one of which is visible in Figure 5), while the opposite portions of the sheet are attached to the back of the mutually interlocked zipper strips of the zipper fastener in string 72 by means of a pair of conventional mutually opposite heated sealing bars 74 (only one of which is visible in Figure 5). The sealing station of the slide fastener is a conventional apparatus. As the folded sheet 60 with the closed slide fastener 72 progresses continuously between sets of opposing sealing bars 74, the respective strips of the slide fastener have their backs sealed to the opposite portions of the pouch forming film, thereby continuously attaching or attaching the recessed sections of the slide fastener into a moving string to the immediate or contiguous sections of the zipper fastener. the leaf in movement. The sealing is carried out by electrically heating the sealing bars 74, the heat being conducted through the respective continuous barrier strips (not shown) made of Teflon or similar material, which circulates on the respective sets of rollers (not shown). Each of the Teflon barrier strips passes between a respective side of the folded sheet and a respective sealing bar within the spaces between the opposing sealing bars, the sheet and the slide zipper are sandwiched between and held together by means of of the Teflon barrier strips, which move with the sheet and the slide fastener and prevent the bag forming film from sticking on the opposite heated sealing bars during thermal conduction sealing. The teflon barrier strips and the intermediate leaf and zipper pass through the gripping spaces of a series of guide rollers (not shown). The apparatus that seals the slide fastener 70 to opposite sides of the sheet may have the same construction. Immediately current below the sealing stations of the slide fastener, the folded edge of the sheet 60 above the slide fastener 72 is cut by a pair of stationary blades 78 (only one of which is visible in Figure 5) . More specifically, each blade cuts a substantial portion of the film extending beyond the region of the junction of the zipper strip to the film at the fold 76, thereby removing the folded edge of the sheet. The folded cut edge 2c is shown in Figure 7, with the cut lines indicated by the numerals 160 and 162. The cut lines 160 and 162 should be positioned sufficiently close to the respective strips 6 and 8 of the closure zipper such that the remnants of the film projecting above the zip fastener are not long enough to interfere with the operation of the slide as it moves along the zip fastener. Referring again to Figure 5, a line of separate perforations 114 is formed in the fin 112 by a perforator 164. Other means may also be used to form a line of weakness. The perforator 164 may be a reciprocating device mounted in a fixed station. As the slide and slide fastener assembly advances in the machine direction, the reciprocating device will form the spaced perforations in the fin moving along a line slightly below the edge of the short side of the folded sheet. The slide fastener and perforated film and zipper assembly then routes its path through a conventional tensioning unit (not shown in either Figure 5 or Figure 6) on its way to the machinery shown in Figure 6. The unit Tender turns the continuous advance upstream of the film in the intermittent downstream advance of the film. In the intermittent advance phase, the slide fastener and film assembly moves a packet increment and then stops for a period of time, i.e., the dwell time. This cycle is repeated. Referring to Figure 6, in the first station after the tensioning unit, the slide 10 is inserted into the slide and slide fastener assembly. The insertion station of the slide comprises three units (namely a separating unit, a driving unit and a holding unit) cooperating to insert the slide in the slide fastener while keeping the slide fastener open on both sides of the slide fastener. the insertion area of the slide. Upstream of the insertion area of the slide, a separating unit 80 releases the strips of the zipper in string 72 while the slide fastener and film assembly is advanced by a package length. The separating unit 80 comprises a central separating plate spaced apart from the upper and lower guides disposed above and below the separating plate. Only an upper guide 82 of the separating unit is visible in Figure 6. The upper and lower guides hold the respective strips of the slide fastener 72 in the respective grooves formed in the separator plate (not shown). Therefore, as the slide and slide fastener assembly is removed from the bag forming machine (by conventional means not shown), the separator plate will open the successive packet length sections of the slide fastener during the advances successive zip fastener and film. In the insertion region of the slide, a drive unit 81 comprises an impeller 88 which pushes a slide on the slide fastener 72. The impeller 88 is extended by the drive of an air cylinder 90. When the impeller 88 is retracted, the next slider must be automatically fed to a pre-insert position directly in front of the impeller 88. This is carried out by a conventional pneumatic slider feeder system (not shown). The upper and lower guides of the separating unit 80 further comprise respective sheets projecting in a cantilevered manner in the insertion region of the slide, as taught in the United States of America patent application Serial No. 10 / 436,433 entitled "Method and apparatus for inserting slides during the automated manufacture of reclosable bags". These sheets are arranged to reinforce the respective strips of the slide fastener against deflection as the slide 10 is pushed over the slide fastener. Running under the insertion region of the slide, the slide fastener is fastened by means of a clamping unit 83 comprising a retractable spacer plate 84 which is interposed between the strips of an open section of the slide fastener 72. The clamping unit 83 further comprises upper and lower slide fastener fasteners securing the zip fastener strips against the extended spacer plate 84. Only the upper fastener of the slide fastener 86 is visible in FIG. 6. The spacer plate 84 extends through the fastener 84. actuation of an air cylinder 92. Following the extension of the separator plate 84, the upper and lower fasteners of the slide fastener are extended by driving respective air cylinders which are not shown in Figure 6. Therefore, the Upper and lower guides of the separating unit 80, and the upper and lower fasteners of the clamping unit 83 serve to To stabilize the slide fastener during insertion of the slide. The interposition of the separator plate (not shown) and the separator plate 84 between the strips of the current and downstream slide fastener, respectively, of the insertion region of the slide means that the slide fastener is maintained in an open state, with a space between the strips of the zipper, in the area where the slide is inserted. The strips of the slide fastener are held in the respective positions so that the plow 42 of the slide 42 (see Figure 3) enters the space between the strips of the slide fastener and then the side walls of the slide pass through the strips respectively of the slide fastener during insertion of the slide. The slide is pushed on the slide fastener until the retaining edges on the inside of the slide secure under the strips of the slide fastener to hold the slide securely in the slide fastener. During the same time of stay that a slide is being inserted, a slide end stop structure 67 is formed in the slide fastener in a tamping station with ultrasonic current under the slide insertion device. This slide end stop structure 67 will be further divided during cutting by a hot knife 100 to form two end stops 66 of the slide (see Figure 1), ie the end stop at the position of the slide in the one which leaves the zipper completely closed for a package and the end stop at the position of the slide in which the zipper is left fully open for the next package. The structure of the end stop 67 is formed by an ultrasonic tamper sealing unit 85 comprising a horn 94 and an anvil (not shown in Figure 6). The leather 4 transmits sufficient ultrasonic wave energy towards the plastic material of the zipper closure that the plastic melts into a structure (eg, a vertically extending hump) defined by the surfaces of the leather and the anvil. The horn and the anvil may be of a reciprocating or rotating variety. Although the end stops 67 of the slide are being formed in the rack-and-slide fastener 72, the rack-and-slide fastener 70 is being pre-sealed at package length intervals by means of another ultrasonic tamper-sealing unit comprising a horn 61 and an anvil (not shown in Figure 6). Preferably, the guide means is provided to keep the zip fastener strips in alignment while the pre-seal occurs, such that the male and female profiles are pressed together and interlocked by the sealing mechanism. The pre-sealed regions 68 are divided into two equal parts during cutting by means of the hot blade 100 to form two pre-seals 68 (see Figure 1). Upstream of the pre-sealing station, the strips of the slide fastener of the rack-and-slide fastener 70 are separated by the separator plate 59, such that the sections of the slide fastener between the presealed zones will be opened when the bags come out of the fastener. machine. During the dwell time, other ultrasonic devices form a pair of holes 116 in that portion (i.e., fin 112) of the long side of the sheet extending beyond the edge of the short side of the sheet. For example, a pair of ultrasonic horns 62 and 62 'are designed to form respective pairs of circular holes 116 in each longitudinal section of the flap pack 112. The anvils cooperating with the horns 62 and 62' are not shown in the Figure 6. Alternately, holes or slits can be made using appropriately shaped cutters or punches. After each time of stay, the slide and slide fastener assembly is advanced. During each intermittent advance, a slide retainer unit 87 restrains a slider 10 such that a respective section of the slide fastener is closed. The slide retainer unit 87 comprises a retainer member 96 coupled to a cylinder 98. The retainer member 96 is capable of moving from a retracted position to an extended position by actuating the air cylinder 98. The retainer member 96 is in its position extended when the advancement of the slide and slide fastener assembly begins. In this extended position, the retainer 96 interferes with the slide and obstructs it to advance with the slide fastener. This causes a displacement of the slide relative to the slide fastener in a closing direction of the slide fastener, thereby closing a section of the slide fastener. Before the advance of the length of a package is completed, the retainer element 96 is retracted, which allows the slide to advance past the retracted retainer element. further, during each dwell time, a hot cutting blade 100 (which includes a single blade or a pair of opposing blades) cuts and forms the side seals in the film on both sides of the cut, thus separating a bag (not shown in FIG. Figure 8) of the rest of the sheet 60 in the bag forming machine. Each bag is then placed in such a manner that the holes 116 in the support hook flap 112 align with and are penetrated by a pair of posts. Each successive bag takes its place above the stack of bags mounted to the posts until a predetermined maximum number of bags is obtained. The stack is then removed from the posts and a support hook is inserted into the aligned holes, these steps typically being performed either manually or automatically. It is possible to use a stack of slider bags supported on a hook to pack products, select meats or other products. Because the bottom of the bag is open, the packer can simply lift the top layer from the bottom of the bag, insert the product and then close the bottom of the bag by pressing the zipper strips on the zipper in string 70 closed. According to an alternative embodiment of the automated production line disclosed above, the sheet of the film material and the rack zippers can move intermittently through the section shown in Figure 5. In this case, the lengths The respective zipper closures would be sealed to the film (for example, by reciprocating the sealing bars) during each stay, with the zip fasteners in the string and the film being advanced to equal lengths during each interval between them. successive stay times. The cutting and drilling operations would be carried out during the advancement of the film. A resealable bag having the structure shown in Figure 1 can be made using methods other than those described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. For example, instead of folding the sheet of the film and then inserting it and joining the material of the zip fastener into strings between the opposite portions of the sheet, one side of each material of the zip fastener in strings could be attached to the film, the film is then folded, and subsequently the other side of each zipper Rack zipper is attached to a confronted portion of the folded sheet. Alternatively, the flangeless strips of the respective slide fastener could be joined in parallel to a unfolded sheet, the sheet is then folded along a center line, and the strips of the slide fastener are interlaced after bending. Instead of starting with a single folded sheet, one could start with two sheets that will be sealed on both sides with respective zip fasteners that are fixed at the opposite ends of each receptacle. The use of two sheets again would entail three variations, for each rack-and-pinion closure, of: (1) placing the zipper in a row between the sheets and sealing the sides of the zipper of the respective sheets; (2) sealing one side of the slide fastener in a sheet, placing the other sheet in opposite relation, and then sealing the other side of the slide fastener in sequence to the other sheet; and (3) sealing an unfastened strip of the slide fastener to one sheet, sealing the other unlatched strip of the slide fastener to the other sheet, and then interlocking the strips of the slide fastener while attaching to the respective sheets. The invention does not require that the slide have a plow or a separator finger. The slide and slide fastener assembly could be designed so that the side walls of a riser slider lift or "push" the zipper to open, without the aid of a separate plow or finger, when the slide is moved in one direction Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that different changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for their members without departing from the scope of the invention. they can make many modifications to adapt to a particular situation with respect to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof.Therefore, it is intended that the invention is not limited to the particular mode described as the best way to carry out the invention. this invention, but that the invention will include all modalities that fall within the scope of the attached claims.

As used in the claims, the term "attached" means fused, bound, sealed, adhered, etc. if it is through the application of heat and / or pressure, application of ultrasonic energy, application of a layer of adhesive material or bonding agent, internal placement of an adhesive or bonding strip, etc. As used in the claims, the term "rack fastener" means a slide fastener comprising two interlockable fastener strips having substantially no flange portions.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS 1. A reclosable bag comprising: a receptacle comprising first and second walls joined on their sides, said first and second walls comprising marginal upper portions forming a mouth in an upper part of the receptacle and respective lower portions in the part bottom of the receptacle; a first rack-and-slide fastener containing a first pair of mutually interlacing portions of the slide fastener respectively joined to the marginal upper portions of the first and second walls; a second rack-and-slide fastener containing a second pair of mutually interlacing portions of the slide fastener respectively attached to the lower portions of the first and second walls; a slide mounted on the first slide fastener in sequence to open and close said first slide fastener in a row; and a flap extending below the bottom of the receptacle. 2. The bag according to claim 1, further characterized in that the flap is integrally formed with the first wall. 3. The bag according to claim 1, further characterized in that the fin comprises first and second holes. 4. The bag according to claim 1, further characterized in that the fin comprises first and second slits. 5. The bag according to claim 1, further characterized in that the fin comprises a line of attenuated resistance to tearing. The bag according to claim 1, further characterized in that the slider comprises first and second side walls spaced apart to define therebetween a passage, and a plow that divides said passage in first and second space occupied respectively by portions of the respective portions of the slide fastener of said first rack-and-slide fastener, said marginal upper portions of the first and second walls through said first and second spaces respectively. The bag according to claim 1, further characterized in that one of the parts of the slide fastener of the first rack-and-slide fastener includes first and second male profiles, and the other part of the slide fastener of the first slide fastener in Ristra comprises first and second female profiles which respectively receive the male profiles when the first rack-and-thread closure is closed. A method for manufacturing a reclosable bag, comprising the following steps: (a) folding a sheet of bag forming film such that a first portion of the sheet on one side of the fold has a extension portion extending beyond one edge of a second portion of the folded sheet; (b) joining the backs of the first and second unfastened strips of the slide fastener to one of the first and second sheet portions before or after the bending step; (c) joining the backs of the third and fourth unfastened strips of the slide fastener to the other of the first and second portions of the sheet before or after the bending step, the first and the third strips of the slide fastener being mutually confronting to form a first rack-and-loop fastener, and the second and fourth strips of the slide fastener being mutually confronting to form a second rack-and-loop fastener that is farther from the folded edge of the blade than the first fastener zipper in string is; (d) cutting the respective portions of the first and second portions of the sheet adjacent to the first rack zipper to remove the folded edge of the sheet; and (e) inserting a slide in the first rack fastener in string. A method for manufacturing a reclosable bag, comprising the steps of: (a) folding a sheet of bag forming film such that a first portion of the sheet on one side of the fold has a extension portion extending beyond one edge of a second portion of the folded sheet; (b) attaching the back of a first strip without flange of the slide fastener to the second portion of the sheet in an area close to where the fold will form or has been formed; (c) attaching the back part of a second unfastened strip of the slide fastener to the first portion of the sheet in a region that will face the first unfastened strip of the slide fastener when the sheet is in the folded state, (d) joining the back of a third strip without flange of the slide fastener to the second portion of the sheet in an area near the edge of the second portion of the sheet; (e) attaching the back of a fourth unfastened strip of the slide fastener to the first portion of the sheet in a region that will face the third strip without a zip fastener when the sheet is in the folded condition; (f) cutting the respective portions of the first and second sheet portions adjacent the first and second flangeless strips of the slide fastener to remove the folded edge of the sheet; and (g) inserting the slider in the first and second strips without flange of the slide fastener. 0. A reclosable bag comprising: a receptacle having an upper part and a lower part; a first rack-and-pinion fastener attached to the top of the receptacle to provide access to an interior volume of the receptacle; a second rack zipper fastened to the bottom of the receptacle; a slide mounted on the first rack-and-thread closure for opening and closing the first rack-and-thread closure; and a flap extending downwardly from the bottom of the receptacle, characterized in that the flap is a discontinuity and a line of strength weakened or attenuated by the tear crossing an area disposed between the second rack fastener in the handle and the discontinuity.