Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to spaced multi-rib zippers, reclosures or closures for flexible packaging, wherein openings or lines of weakness are created between rows of mating elements.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/000,194, filed on May 19, 2014, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    Field of the Disclosure 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates to closures for flexible packaging, particularly those with openings or lines of weakness created between rows of mating elements. 
         [0004]    Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    The prior art includes various multi-rib closure strips for reclosable flexible packages. The prior art includes U.S. Published Patent Application 2013/0305500 entitled “Spaced Multi-Rib Zipper”, published on Nov. 21, 2013 on behalf of Septien Rojas et al.; and U.S. Published Patent Application 2013/0209000 entitled “Easy Open and Reclosable Package with Die-Cut Web and Reclosure Mechanism”, published on Aug. 15, 2013 to Owensby et al. Alternatives to the current method of slitting a multi-rib zipper or closure, or feeding two separate zipper or closure strips, are envisioned. In particular, feeding and sealing a single strip to a web would typically simplify production of reclosable packages. 
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0006]    It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a method of production of multi-rib zippers or closures, wherein feeding and sealing of a single strip to a web is involved. 
         [0007]    This and other objects are attained by a zipper, reclosure or closure with two sets of mating elements. Each set of mating elements typically includes a plurality of mating elements thereby creating a multi-alignment zipper, reclosure or closure. Openings are formed between the rows of mating elements in the zipper or closure such that when the zipper or closure is applied to the web or film there is an opening already created for the product to be retrieved through, or there is a perforated panel that can be removed to gain access to the product. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Further objects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  Is a top view of a first embodiment of zipper or closure of the present disclosure. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a second embodiment of the zipper of closure of the present disclosure. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view along plane  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numeral refer to like elements throughout the several views, one sees that  FIG. 1  discloses a spaced multi-rib closure strip (or zipper)  10  which is typically made from polymeric material. Multi-rib closure strip  10  includes a base  20 , a first set (or plurality) of spaced multiple mating elements or ribs  30 , comprising ribs  31 ,  32 ,  33  and a second set (or plurality) of spaced multiple mating elements or ribs  40 , comprising ribs  41 ,  42 ,  43 . It is noted that rib  31  is shown in phantom throughout the various figures to illustrate that some embodiments would include two ribs in the first set of spaced multiple mating elements or ribs  30 , and other embodiments would include three ribs. It is envisioned that different embodiments could include a different number of ribs. Additionally, the first and second sets of multiple mating elements or ribs  30 ,  40  could be Aplix® or Velcro® (hook-and-eye) configurations. 
         [0013]    Oval-shaped openings  50  are created at periodic intervals along the central longitudinal axis of base  20 , between the first and second sets of spaced multiple mating elements or ribs  30 ,  40 . Moreover, the major axes of the oval-shaped openings align with or are formed along the central longitudinal axis of the base  20 . Therefore, when the closure strip  10  is applied as shown in U.S. Published Patent Application 2013/0209000, there is an opening already created for the product to be retrieved through, or there is a perforated panel that can be removed to gain access to the product. Similarly, the openings  50  of  FIG. 1  or the panels  55  of  FIG. 2  could be rectangular. The openings  50  ( FIG. 1 ) or the perforations (or other lines of weakness, such as, but not limited to, score lines defining a weakened periphery)  55  with panel  57  formed therewithin ( FIG. 2 ) are typically produced just upstream of the application step thereby typically achieving simplified registration but this could also be done in an earlier process.  FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the spaced multi-rib closure strip (or zipper)  10  of  FIG. 2 . Typically, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the length of the openings  50  exceeds the distance between the openings  50 . Similarly, typically, in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the length of the panels  57  exceeds the distance between the panels  57 . 
         [0014]    Further, as shown in both  FIGS. 1 and 2 , score lines  60  (or similar lines of weakness, such as perforations) may optionally be incorporated into portions of the central longitudinal axis of base  20  aligned with the openings  50  or perforations  55  so that when the closure  10  is folded along its longitudinal axis, the first and second sets of multiple mating elements or ribs  30 ,  40  are easily aligned and interengaged or interlocked with each other. 
         [0015]    Additionally, it is envisioned that some embodiments could omit the openings  50  of  FIG. 1  but retain the scored line  60  or similar line of weakness along the central longitudinal axis of the base  20 . 
         [0016]    Further, another feature could be to seal the removable patch of U.S. Published Patent Application 2013/0209000 to the perforated/scored panels  55  of  FIG. 2  herein so that when the patch is removed, it also removes the perforated/scored panels  55 , thereby eliminating the need to remove the perforated/scored panels  55  during the manufacturing process. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates how the closure  10  could be attached to a package, bag or similar container. Peel seals  102 ,  104  are positioned outwardly adjacent from perforated or scored panels  55  and attach the closure  10  to a rear wall  100 . Similarly, hard seals  202 ,  204  are formed at the ends of closure  10  and attach the closure  10  to the front wall  200 . Hard seals  202 ,  204  are illustrated as exaggerated in the horizontal direction and are envisioned to be ordinary hard seals. Peel seals  102 ,  104  could each be a single strip of peel seal material that extends across the entire width of the bag. Alternately, there could be an embodiment with peel seal  102  replaced by a hard seal because accessing the product compartment above the closure  10  typically is not necessary in many designs of reclosable packages. 
         [0018]    The present disclosure allows for a single strip to be fed into a packaging machine so that it can be folded to mate onto itself in a lengthwise direction, but with a pre-cut opening between the mating closure elements. 
         [0019]    Further advantages of the disclosure are that feeding and sealing a single strip is much easier than feeding and aligning multiple strips. Further, having a score line will typically improve the ease of aligning the mating elements or ribs. Further, having the perforated section removed with the removal of the patch eliminates the need to remove it during the manufacture of the package or closure strip. 
         [0020]    Thus the several aforementioned objects and advantages are most effectively attained. Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby.