GB2173770A - Closure device for flexible bags and containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A closure device for a flexible bag or container, comprises a flexible plastics or paper sheet (1) partially and permanently secured directly or indirectly to the bag or container so that apart (1B) of the device is free of, or removably adhered directly, or indirectly to the bag to enable it to be wound about the gathered neck of the bag and thereby effect closure thereof. In one embodiment the device comprises two sheets (1A, 1B) the lower sheet 1A being fixedly adhered to the bag, and the upper or outer sheet (1B) being permanently adhered to the lower sheet (1A) at one end and removably adhered at the other. The lower sheet (1A) may have a release coating to facilitate removal. In another embodiment the device comprises a sheet (1) adhered permanently to the bag at an adhesive part and adhered removably to the bag over a further part. A protective element is employed to aid release. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Closure device for flexible bags and containers The present invention refers to a closure device for flexible bags and containers, applicable to all types of flexible bags and containers, whether of plastic material, paper or derivatives, or mixtures thereof.

Particularly, the device of the invention is designed to achieve a good closure of the flexible bags used in disposing of solid residues or garbage, proportioning clear advantages with respect to spillage and bad odour isolation and protection, guaranteeing high levels of security, healthiness and appearance in the storage, transportation and temporary deposit of said bags in public thoroughfares.

According to the invention there is provided a closure device for flexible bags and containers comprising sheet means partially and permanently securable directly or indirectly to the bag or container so that a part of the device is free of or directly or indirectly adhereable removably from the bag to be wound onto the neck, determining the construction of the bag and thereby effecting closure thereof.

The closure device of the invention is comprised, in a preferred embodiment, of two superimposed, flexible, interconnected, adhesive plastic or paper sheets, the assembly of both being adhered at a zone close to the mouth of the bag, parallel to the edge defined by the mouth.

According to this embodiment, the posterior face of the upper sheet is provided with adhesive, with the exception of a central section thereof, so that one of the lateral adhesive zones constitutes the permanent fixing means of such upper sheet to the lower sheet, whereas the other zone will provisionally be secured to the zone of the lower sheet provided with an anti-adherent, such as silicone or the like, enabling it to be removed at the time of its use.

The entire lower sheet, in turn, will be adhered to the surface of the bag, at its posterior face which is provided with adhesive, its anterior face having a zone provdied with an anti-adherent substance, such as silicone or the like.

The operation of closing the bag takes place as follows. Utilising the flexibility of the bag and of the closure device, the mouth of the bag is constricted and the upper sheet is then removed from the lower sheet at the zone of the lower sheet provided with the anti-adherent substance, by introducing the fingers into the central zone of the sheets, at which zone the upper sheet is adhesivefree. Once one end of the upper sheet has been freed, this sheet is wound about the neck of the previously constricted bag, firstly pressing the mouth of the bag due to the lack of adhesive in the central zone of the upper sheet, to finally seal the said mouth of the bag due to the adhesive existing at the free end of the upper sheet.

According to a second embodiment, the closure device is comprised of one or more flexible adhesive sheets made of plastic or the like, which are secured to the surface of the bag at a zone close and parallel to the mouth thereof.

Fixing by adherence of the said sheet or sheets to the bag takes place partially, that is only one end zone of the said sheet or sheets is permanently secured to the bag, whereas the adhesive surface of the rest of the sheet or sheets is covered or protected with a protecting element which can be removed at the time of use, that is at the time at which the bag is closed. Said closing operation takes place by constricting the mouth of the bag so that, once the protecting element has been removed from the sheet or sheets, they are wound about the said constriction, the bag thereby being perfectly closed.

According to a variant of the described second embodiment, and without departing from the spirit of the invention, the central zone of the sheet or sheets can be secured by adherence permanently to the bag, whereas each of the lateral zones will be provided with the adhesive covered by the removable protecting element, these lateral zones acting as the closure means.

According to another alternative variant of the said embodiment, the central zone of the sheet or sheets can be adhesive-free and its lateral zones can be provided with adhesive. Thus, one of the said lateral zones will be permanently secured to the bag, whereas the opposite zone will be provided with an adhesive having poorer adherence characteristics, enabling it to be removed from the bag at the time of its use.

According to a further alternative variant of the embodiment being described, the protecting element of the sheet or sheets is comprised of a substance deposited on the surface of the bag, in correspondance with the adhesion zone of the sheet or sheets to be protected. According to a further alternative variant of the closure embodiment, the protecting element is comprised of the adhesive sheet itself, so that a part of the said sheet is permanently secured to the bag and the remainder thereof overlaps, facing its adhesion face, being removed at the time of use.

In any one of the said embodiments, positioning of the closure device on the bag in question will preferably take place automatically in the production line, wherefore an assembly of elements or devices will be stamped and supported on a roll of anti-adherent paper, so that a machine, mechanically and/or electronically synchronised with the production line, automatically positions the said closure devices or sheets on the bags.

The present invention will now be described further by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the preferred embodiment of the closure device, formed of two superimposed sheets, the lower of which is permanently secured to the corresponding bag.

Figure 2 shows the upper of the two sheets constituting the closure illustrated in figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the posterior face of the upper sheet represented in figure 2, which posterior face has two lateral zones provided with adhesive and an adhesive-free intermediate zone.

Figure 4 shows the lower of the two sheets constituting the closure represented in figure 1.

Figure 5 shows the anterior face of the same sheet represented in the preceding figure, which has an adhesive-free zone and another zone treated with an anti-adherent substance, such as silicone or the like to which the upper sheet will be secured, enabling the removal thereof.

Figures 6 to 12 represent the second embodiment and its variants of the closure device, wherein: Figure 6 shows a front view of a bag to which the closure device is applied, before use.

Figure 7 shows lateral and upper views of the sheet constituting the closure device represented in the preceding figure.

Figure 8 shows a front view of the sheet constituting the closure device along with the corresponding protecting element.

Figure 9 shows the sheet constituting the closure device secured to a part of the bag, in which the protecting element is comprised of a substance incorporated in the lateral surface of the bag.

Figure 10 shows the closure device of the invention formed of a sheet, in which the protecting element is comprised of the sheet itself since it overlaps.

Figure 11 shows a front view of the closure device in which the two end lateralzones of the sheet are provided with a protecting element, whereas the central part will constitute the permanent fixing means to the bag.

Figure 12 shows the posterior part of the sheet constituting the closure device, presenting an adhesive-free central zone and two lateral zones provided with adhesive, the left adhesive zone constituting the permanent fixing means to the bag, whereas the right adhesive zone constitutes the useful part, determining the closure.

Figure 13 shows the mode of application, at the time of closure, of the device of the invention applied to a bag, when said closure device is formed of two super-imposed sheets as represented in figure 1.

Figure 14 shows a roll of paper, of silicone or the like, on which the sheets constituting the closure device of the invention are stamped and supported.

Figure 15 schematically shows the process for automatically positioning the sheets or closure device on the bags, which positioning is carried out in the production line.

Figures 1 to 5 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the closure device which, in this case, is comprised of two superimposed sheets 1A and 1B.

The sheet 1A is secured to the bag 2, whereas the sheet 1 B is adhered to the anterior face of sheet 1A, so that it can be partially removed therefrom at the time of use.

According to this embodiment, the anterior or outer face 3 of the sheet 1 B, both faces of which are shown in figures 2 and 3, is adhesive-free. The said face can be subject to any type of silk-screen process, depending on the use, trademark, etc., whereas the inner or posterior face 4 has an adhesive-free intermediate zone 5 and a lateral zone 6 provided with adhesive for its permanent fixing to the outer face of sheet 1A, whereas the other lateral zone 7 of the said sheet 1B also has adhesive for its possible fixing to the sheet 1A, this zone 7 having poorer adherence characteristics to enable it to be removed from the sheet 1A at the time of use.

Figures 4 and 5 show both sides of the sheet 1A.

Thus, the entire surface of the posterior face 8 is provided with adhesive to be permanently fixed to the bag 2, whereas the anterior face 9, on which the sheet 1B will precisely be secured, has an adhesive-free zone 10 to which the zone 6 of the sheet 1B will be permanently secured. The other zone 11 of the anterior face 9 of the sheet 1A, is provided with an ant-adherent substance, such as silicone or the like, to which the zone 7 of the of the sheet 1 B will be secured, and since the said zone 11 is treated with an anti-adherent substance, such as silicone or the like, zone 7 will readily be removed from the sheet 1A at the time of use, that is at the time the bag 2 is closed.

As it can be observed from the drawings, figures 6 to 12 represent the second embodiment of the closure device of the invention. The said closure device is comprised of one or more sheets 1 which are fixed to a flexible bag 2, close and parallel to the mouth of the said bag 2. The outer face of the sheet or sheets 1 is adhesive-free and can be subject to any type of silk-screen process, depending on the use, trademark, etc., whereas the inner face 12 is provided with an adhesive, so that through a zone 13 the said sheet 1 is permanently fixed to the bag 2, whereas the remainder of the said inner face 12, also provided with adhesive, is protected or covered by a protecting element 14 which can be removed at the time of use, that is, when closing the bag 2, which closing operation takes place by constricting the mouth of the bag 2, then freeing the sheet 1 from the protecting element 14 and then winding the said sheet 1 about the constricted neck of the bag 2.

It must be emphasised that the permanent fixing zone 13 of the sheet 1 to the bag 2 must have a sufficient length and adherence to resist the traction force necessary to remove the protecting element 14 and to position the free surface of the sheet 1 on the constricted zone of the bag 2.

Figure 9 shows one alternative of the second emdodiment of the closure device represented in the three preceding figures. Said figure 9 illustrates that the sheet 1 is permanently fixed, at its zone 13, to the bag 2 as previously described, but in this case the protecting element is comprised of a substance 15 applied to the surface itself of the bag, the remainder of the sheet 1 being adhered to the said substance. This zone must present poorer adherence characteristics to enable removal thereof and then to proceed with the closing operation, as previously indicated.

Figure 10 illustrates a further alternative of the closure device, in which the sheet 1 will permanently be fixed through its zone 13, whereas the remainder of the surface 16 of the said sheet 1 overlaps, in such a manner that it faces the adhesive surface, so that to proceed with the closing operation it will be necessary to separate or remove this overlapped portion and then to proceed as indicated in the preceding cases.

Figure 11 also shows another alternative of the closure device, in which the sheet 1 is permanently fixed to the corresponding bag, through an intermediate zone 13 of the said sheet 1, whereas at one side and the other of the said intermediate zone 13 are determined the end zones 17 and 18 provided with their corresponding protecting element 14, in such a manner that these zones 17 and 18 will act as operative parts and in opposite directions in the closing operation of the bag, once the protecting elements 14 have been removed.

Figure 12 shows yet another alternative of the closure device, in which the sheet 1 has an adhesive-free central zone 19, so that the said sheet 1 will be permanently fixed to the bag through its adhesive zone 13, whereas the opposite part or zone 20 will be provided with adhesive having poorer adherence characteristics. In this case, the said sheet 1 is fixed to the bag through the zone 13 and the zone 20, so that the user can introduce his fingers between the sheet 1 and the bag, through the adhesive-free zone 10, to pull the zone 20 and remove it from the bag to thereby close it. This zone 20 will constitute the useful part during closure.

Figures 13 to 15 represent the mode of utiiising and the mode of automatically positioning the closure device in its preferred embodiment, these processes being applicable to the second embodiment and its variants.

Figure 13 shows the manner in which the preferred embodiment of the corresponding bag 2 is closed. Thus, utilising the flexibility of the sheets 1A and 1B of the bag 2, and since the central zone 5 of the sheet 1 B is adhesive-free, the fingers of a hand can be introduced between both sheets 1A and 1B through the said central zone 5, to remove by drawing the zone 7 of the sheet 1 B with respect to the zone 11 corresponding to sheet 1A.

Then, having constricted the mouth of the bag 2, it is surrounded with the sheet 1B which initially presses the mouth of the bag, due to the iack of adhesive in the central zone 5, to finally seal the said mouth of the bag 2, due to the adhesive existing in the zone 7 of the sheet 1 B.

Figures 14 and 15 show the process for positioning the described closure device on the corresponding bag, which takes place automatically in the production line. Thus, the corresponding roll of siliconised paper 21, on which there are stamped and supported the closure devices formed of the superimposed sheets 1A and 1B, as shown in figure 14, is conveyed to the production line of the bags 2, so that a machine, mechanically and/or electronically synchronised with the production line of the said bags, will automatically position the closure devices, that is the assembly of the two sheets 1A and 1B, on each of the bags as illustrated in figure 15.

Claims (14)

1. A closure device for flexible bags and containers comprising sheet means partially and permanently securable directly or indirectly to the bag or container so that a part of the device is free of or directly or indirectly adhereable removably from the bag to be wound onto the neck, determining the construction of the bag and thereby effecting closure thereof.

2. A closure device as claimed in claim 1 in which the sheet means comprises two interconnected sheets forming an assembly permanently adhered, through the lower sheet, to the bag or container; the upper or outer sheet being partially and permanently secured to the said lower sheet, so that the remainder of the said upper or outer sheets can be removed from the lower sheet to be wound onto the neck, determining the constriction of the bag and thereby effecting closure thereof.

3. A closure device as claimed in claim 2 in which the upper or outer sheet has an adhesivefree central zone, a lateral zone provided with adhesive for its permanent fixing to the inner or lower sheet, and a lateral zone facing the former provided with an adhesive for its possible fixing to the inner or lower sheet.

4. A closure device as claimed in claims 2,3 or 4 in which the entire surface of the posterior face of the inner or lower sheet is provided with adhesive for the permanent fixing to the bag, whereas its anterior face, to which the outer or upper sheet is adhered, has an adhesive-free zone which corresponds with the fixed zone of the upper sheet, as well as a zone treated with a substance, such as silicone or the like, which corresponds with the removable part of the said upper sheet.

5. A closure device as claimed in claim 1, in which the device is comprised of at least one flexible sheet, adhesive at one of its faces, which is secured, fixed by adherence, partially and permanently to the corresponding bag at a zone close and parallel to the mouth thereof, whereas the remaining adherent surface is covered and protected by a protecting element removable at the time of use, in which the mouth of the bag is constricted, the adhesive sheet is free from the said protecting element, and the bag is closed after the said sheet is rolled and wound about the constricted neck of the bag.

6. A closure device as claimed in claim 5, in which the permanent fixing of the sheet or sheets to the bag takes place at one side of the said sheet, at a sufficient length to resist the traction force necessary to remove the protecting element and to position the adhesive surface on the constriction.

7. A closure device as claimed in claim 5, in which the permanent fixing of the sheet or sheets to the bag takes place at the central zone of the said sheet or sheets, both ends then assisting the closure action in opposite directions.

8. A closure device as claimed in claim 5, in which the protecting element is comprised of a strip portion interpositioned between the adhesive face of the sheet and the bag or container, at a length equal to the part of the adhesive face not permanently fixed to the outer surface of the bag.

9. A closure device as claimed in claim 5 or 8, in which the protecting element is comprised of a siliconised substance deposited on the outer surface of the bag or container, in contact with the adhesive zone to be protected.

10. A closure device as claimed in claim 5, in which the protecting element is comprised of the adhesive sheet itself, since the two halves of the part corresponding to the adhesive face not directly fixed to the outer surface of the bag or container, overlap.

11. A closure device as claimed in claim 5, in which the sheet has an adhesive-free central zone, one of the lateral zones constituting the permanent fixing to the bag, whereas the other lateral zone, provided with adhesive having poorer adherence characteristics, determines the useful part in the closure of the bag.

12. A closure device for flexible bags and containers according to the preceding claims, in which for an automatic positioning on the bags in the production line, an assembly of sheets constituting the closure device are stamped and supported on a roll of paper, of silicone or the like, and are automatically dispensed to the bag by means of a machine, mechanically and/or electronically synchronised with the production line.

13. A closure device for flexible bags and containers constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings of figures 1 to 5,6 to 8,9, 10,11 or 12.

14. A flexible bag or container having adhered thereto a closure device according to any one of the preceding claims.