Abstract:
A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing resealable closing means for flexible package, that may be applied to the package after the forming of the package by way of attaching the closing means on the outer face of the package.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims benefit of an earlier filed U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/427,225, filed on Nov. 19, 2003. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to packages for products in general, and more particularly to device and method for applying resealable flexible patches to packages.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0003]    Resealable packages are widely used in a variety of fields such as food, sanitary products etc. Various methods and devices are used to allow for resealing of a package, yet most of these suffer of drawbacks such as poor sealing, short lifecycle, installation which is hard to made on soft packages and high manufacturing costs. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]    The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The present invention will be better understood if read in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:  
         [0005]    [0005]FIGS. 1 and 2 are top and side view of a resaelable attachable patch according to some embodiments of the present invention;  
         [0006]    [0006]FIGS. 3A and 3B are front and side cross- sectional views of a package with a resealable attachable patch according to some embodiments of the present invention;  
         [0007]    FIGS.  4  is a schematic isometric view of a rollable sheet with replaceable resealable attachable patches according to some embodiments of the present invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIGS. 5A and 5B are top and cross sectional views of a package with a resealable attachable patch according to some embodiments of the present invention; and  
         [0009]    [0009]FIGS. 6A and 6B are three-dimensional isometric vies of a package with a resealable attachable patch according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]    In the following description, various aspects of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details presented herein. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the present invention.  
         [0011]    Reference is made now to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a resaelable attachable patch, usable for resealable packages. A patch  10  is disclosed in which a manually operable sealing means, such as a zipper, is included. Patch  10  may comprise of an attachable thin material  12  preferably flexible, a non-attachable portion  14  and sealing means  15  with engagable edges (not shown). Non-attachable portion  14  may be made of thin flexible material and may be placed over an opening in a package. Portion  14  may be cut along a line formed along sealing means  15  and sealing means  15  may be formed one at each of the edges of said cut in portion  14 . Sealing means  15  may have any suitable form and design allowing the parts to engage or disengage from one another as desired. Sealing means  15  may also include a manually operable handle  16  for engaging and disengaging engagable edges of sealing means  15 . Patch  10  may be attached to a wall of a package, onto a precut opening in said wall, in various ways such as manual sticking, automated sticking, heat bonding and the like. Patch  10  may also include strengthened areas  18  at each end of sealing means  15 .  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a side view of patch  10  in which layer  22  may be an attaching material, attachable by means of adhesive material by manual sticking, automated sticking, heat bonding and the like, that may connect sealing means  15  onto an outer face of a package over a pre-cut opening in a flexible package. Sheet  24  is part of a package onto which patch  10  may be attached by any of the aforementioned means.  
         [0013]    Reference is made now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, which are a front and a side cross sectional views respectively of package  30 , having an opening cut  32  in one of its surfaces. Resaelable attachable patch  34  may be attached to package  30  using attaching means such as an adhesive manual sticking, automated sticking, heat bonding and the like applied in layer  40 , and may include a resealing closure  38  with engagable edges (not shown) and with operating means  36  usable for opening and closing said closure  38 .  
         [0014]    In one embodiment of the present invention a resaelable attachable patch may be provided on a carrying rollable sheet. Reference is made now to FIG. 4 which is a schematic isometric view of sheet  50  having plurality of resaelable attachable patches  52  of the type disclosed herein arranged on it. Sheet  50  may be stowed in a roll  54  and may be used in automated production setups for attaching patch  52  onto a package in any appropriate stage of an automated or semi-automated manufacturing process. The attaching of patch  52  may be carried out before the package has been formed, or afterwards, as desired.  
         [0015]    Resaelable attachable patch of the present invention may have various forms and embodiments. Reference is made now to FIGS. 5A and 5B which are top and cross sectional views of a package  62  with a resealable attachable patch  64  and to FIGS. 6A and 6B which are three-dimensional isometric vies of a package  62  with a resealable attachable patch  64  according to some embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0016]    Package  62  may comprise a resealable attachable patch  64  which may be attached so as to cover an opening  66  cut in one side of package  62 . Package  62  may be made of soft and flexible material or of a non-flexible material. Resealable attachable patch  64  may comprise an attachable area  66  substantially flat for attaching it to package  62  and sealing walls  67  substantially parallel to each other. Sealing walls  67  may have sealing edges  68  at their outer ends made to engage with each other, such as a in a zipper and operating means  69  made to seal or unseal resealable attachable patch  64  by engaging or disengaging sealing edges  68  from one another. Sealing walls  67  may be at a folded position, as illustrated in FIGS. 5A, 5B and  6 A or in an upright position, as illustrated in FIG. 6B. Folded position of sealing walls  67  may be used for stowing package  62  and for additional sealing while upright position of sealing walls  67  may be for allowing access to the content inside package  62 .  
         [0017]    It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the resealing device may be of various embodiments, and patch  10  may be applied onto a package during a stage later than the preparing of the package, and even after the package has been filled with its content. It will also be apparent that patch  10  may be attached to a flexible package before or after being filled without damaging the package or its content. It will also be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that a resealable attachable patch according to the present invention may have various shapes and forms such but not limited to a round or ellipsoid shape, and may comprise any desired form of engagable/disengagable means.  
         [0018]    While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.