Patent US5366294A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5366294A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Recloseable package having recloseable profile strips with a heat barrier
Assignee: Reynolds Consumer Products Inc
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Filing: 1993-12-02
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Granted: 1994-11-22
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Expires: 2013-12-02
Abstract
Abstract A recloseable package having recloseable profile strips with a heat barrier is disclosed. The profile strips have flange elements and recloseable , mated profile strips. The package is made by providing mated top and bottom profile strips, providing top and bottom package films on opposite sides of the mated strips and applying heat and pressure to the films adjacent the flanges sufficient to simultaneously form heat seals respectively between the top film and the top profile strip flange and between the bottom film and bottom profile strip flange. The heat barrier may comprise a thickened flange element, buffer strip or a coextrusion of high temperature resin on the inside layer of the flange element. The heat barrier prevents the flanges from fusing together during the formation of flange-film seals.
Inventors
- 👤 Lawrence W. Wirth
- 👤 Wayne M. Wegner
- 👤 Mladomir Tomic
- 👤 Raymond Buchko
- 👤 Johann Natterer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 16:22
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B61/00; B65B61/18; B65B61/188; B65D; B65D33/00; B65D33/16; B65D33/25; B65D33/2508; B65D33/2516; B65D33/2525; B65D33/2533; B65D33/2541; B65D75/00; B65D75/28; B65D75/30; B65D75/32; B65D75/325; B65D75/326; B31; B31B; B31B70/00; B31B70/74; B31B70/81; B31B70/813; B31B70/8131; B31B70/8132; B65D2575/00; B65D2575/28; B65D2575/30; B65D2575/32; B65D2575/3209; B65D2575/3218; B65D2575/3245; B65D2575/36; B65D2575/361; B65D2575/362; B65D2575/365; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S24/00; Y10S24/30; Y10S24/50; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/45; Y10T24/45152; Y10T24/45157; Y10T24/45168
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
A recloseable package comprising: a) film walls sealed to each other and to recloseable profile strips located along one side of said film walls to form the package, b) the recloseable profile strips each comprising: i) a flange element having a front and back side; and ii) a recloseable element on the front side of the flange element; and c) a heat barrier forming a part of the recloseable profile strips and associated with the front side of at least one of the flange elements sufficient so that at least one of the film walls may be heat sealed to the respective back side of the pair of recloseable profile strips by the concurrent application of heat and pressure while the recloseable elements of the profile strips are mated, without also fusing the flange elements of the recloseable profile strips in the area of the heat barrier, due to the presence of said heat barrier.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
A recloseable package comprising: a) film walls sealed to each other and to recloseable profile strips located along one side of said film walls to form the package, b) the recloseable profile strips each comprising: i) a flange element having a front and back side; and ii) a recloseable element on the front side of the flange element; and c) a heat barrier forming a part of the recloseable profile strips and associated with the front side of at least one of the flange elements sufficient so that at least one of the film walls may be heat sealed to the respective back side of the pair of recloseable profile strips by the concurrent application of heat and pressure while the recloseable elements of the profile strips are mated, without also fusing the flange elements of the recloseable profile strips in the area of the heat barrier, due to the presence of said heat barrier.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The package of claim 1 wherein the heat barrier comprises a thickened section of the flange element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The package of claim 2 wherein the thickened section is between about 10 and 24 mils thick.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
The package of claim 2 wherein ridges are formed on the thickened section so as to be between the flanges of mated profiles strips and wherein the ridges contribute about 4 to 6 mils of the flange section thickness and the remainder f the thickened section is a minimum of 5 mils thick.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The package of claim 1 wherein the heat barrier comprises a buffer strip.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
The package of claim 5 wherein the buffer strip is made of a material selected from the group consisting of paper, foil, metallized plastic, and plastic having a higher softening point than that of the flange element.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
The package of claim 1 wherein the profile strips each comprise an extruded resin, the heat barrier comprises a resin coextruded with the resin of at least one of the profile flanges so as to be between the flanges of the mated profile strips, and wherein the softening point of the resin comprising the heat barrier is higher than that of the resin forming the coextruded flange portion of the profile strip.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The package of claim 7 wherein the resin comprising the heat barrier is coextruded on the flange of only one of the profile strips.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The package of claim 7 wherein the extruded resin comprises a blend of low density polyethylene and 0-10% EVA and the resin comprising the heat barrier is selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyproylene polybutylene and ionomer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
12 words
The package of claim 9 wherein the blend comprises about 2% EVA.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
The reclosable package of claim 1 wherein the heat barrier is sufficient so that both of the film walls may be simultaneously heat sealed to the respective back sides of the pair of strips while the strips are mated without also fusing the flange elements of the strips to each other.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
124 words
A profile strip for use in making recloseable packages, the profile strip comprising: a) a flange element having a front and back side; b) a recloseable element on the front side of the flange element; and c) a heat barrier forming a part of the profile strip and associated with the front side of the flange element, said heat barrier being functional so that a film may be heat sealed to the back side of the profile strip by the concurrent application of heat and pressure while the profile strip is mated to a corresponding profile strip without also fusing the flange elements of the two mated profile strips in the area of the heat barrier, due to the presence of said heat barrier.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
124 words
A profile strip for use in making recloseable packages, the profile strip comprising: a) a flange element having a front and back side; b) a recloseable element on the front side of the flange element; and c) a heat barrier forming a part of the profile strip and associated with the front side of the flange element, said heat barrier being functional so that a film may be heat sealed to the back side of the profile strip by the concurrent application of heat and pressure while the profile strip is mated to a corresponding profile strip without also fusing the flange elements of the two mated profile strips in the area of the heat barrier, due to the presence of said heat barrier.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The profile strip of claim 12 wherein the heat barrier comprises a thickened section of the flange element.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The profile strip of claim 13 wherein the thickened section is between about 10 and 24 mils thick.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
54 words
The profile strip of claim 13 wherein ridges are formed on the thickened section so as to be between the flanges of mated profile strips and wherein the ridges contribute about 4 to 6 mils of the flange section thickness and the remainder of the thickened section is a minimum of 5 mils thick.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
59 words
The profile strip of claim 12 wherein the profile strip comprises an extruded resin and the heat barrier comprises a resin coextruded with the resin of the front side of the flange element and wherein the softening point of the resin comprising the heat barrier is higher than the softening point of the resin of the coextruded flange element.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
The profile strip of claim 16 wherein the flange element comprises a blend of low density polyethylene and 0-10% EVA and the resin comprising the heat barrier is selected from the group consisting of polyester, polypropylene, polybutylene and ionomer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
The profile strip of claim 17 wherein the blend comprises about 2% EVA.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
The profile strip of claim 12 wherein the heat barrier comprises a buffer strip.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
The profile strip of claim 19 wherein the buffer strip is made of a material selected from the group consisting of paper, foil, metallized plastic, and plastic having a higher softening point than that of the flange element.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
60 words
The profile strip of claim 12 wherein the heat barrier is functional so that a film may be heat sealed to the back side of the profile strip simultaneous to another film being heat sealed to the back side of a mated, corresponding profile strip without also fusing the flange elements of the two mated profile strips to each other.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
The profile strip of claim 12 wherein the profile strip carriers two sets of reclosable elements on the front side of the flange element.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
259 words
A recloseable plastic package including: a) a first package wall; b) a second package wall joined to said first package wall to define a container openable at one side for insertion or removal of product; c) a pressure fastenable and releasable closure mechanism disposed between said first and second package walls adjacent said openable side of said container; d) a seal between said first and second package walls disposed parallel to said releasable closure mechanism and disposed between said releasable closure mechanism and said product; e) a first flange member extending from said first package wall outwardly of said closure mechanism; f) a second flange member extending from said second package wall outwardly of said closure mechanism and adjacent and separated from said first flange member; g) a heat barrier including a buffer strip disposed between said first and second flange members, and forming part of one of the flange members, said strip having a first surface which is sealable to either said first or second flange member and a second surface which is sealable to neither said first flange member nor said second flange member, said strip acting as a buffer between said first and second flange members such that when heat and pressure are concurrently applied to said package to seal said closure mechanism to said first and second package walls, said buffer strip is operative to prevent said flange members from sealing to each other and to maintain said flange members in a separated condition to facilitate release of said closure mechanism to open said package.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
259 words
A recloseable plastic package including: a) a first package wall; b) a second package wall joined to said first package wall to define a container openable at one side for insertion or removal of product; c) a pressure fastenable and releasable closure mechanism disposed between said first and second package walls adjacent said openable side of said container; d) a seal between said first and second package walls disposed parallel to said releasable closure mechanism and disposed between said releasable closure mechanism and said product; e) a first flange member extending from said first package wall outwardly of said closure mechanism; f) a second flange member extending from said second package wall outwardly of said closure mechanism and adjacent and separated from said first flange member; g) a heat barrier including a buffer strip disposed between said first and second flange members, and forming part of one of the flange members, said strip having a first surface which is sealable to either said first or second flange member and a second surface which is sealable to neither said first flange member nor said second flange member, said strip acting as a buffer between said first and second flange members such that when heat and pressure are concurrently applied to said package to seal said closure mechanism to said first and second package walls, said buffer strip is operative to prevent said flange members from sealing to each other and to maintain said flange members in a separated condition to facilitate release of said closure mechanism to open said package.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-11-21 | 1998-05-23 | 1998-11-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-11-21 | 2002-05-23 | 2002-11-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-11-21 | 2006-05-23 | 2006-11-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |