Child resistant slider zipper

A plastic slider zipper is disclosed which includes a pair of plastic zipper strips with ends melted together to form an end piece with a predetermined thickness, a slider slidably engaging the pair of plastic zipper strips with two side walls and a plow, a first gap between the two side walls near a first end of the slider being small enough to squeeze the zipper strips into an interlocking position, the plow located between the two side walls being able to separate the interlocked zipper strips, a top of the slider having an opening near a second end of the slider, the second end being opposite to the first end, and a fork-like part removably inserted in the opening, the fork-like part having two columns with a space therebetween approximately matching the predetermined thickness for the two columns to straddle the end piece.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of zippers, and, more particularly, to a zipper with a child resistant slider for a plastic bag.

Plastic bags are widely used for storage of food and household items. It is desirable to keep certain food and chemicals not accessible by a child. Most plastic bags come with a slider zipper, but they generally do not have locking mechanism. Even though some slider zippers do have locking mechanisms, they tend not to be easy to use by adults. As such what is needed is a child resistant slider zipper that is easy to use by an adult.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification are included to depict certain aspects of the disclosure. A clearer conception of the disclosure, and of the components and operation of systems provided with the disclosure, will become more readily apparent by referring to the exemplary, and therefore non-limiting, embodiments illustrated in the drawings, wherein like reference numbers (if they occur in more than one view) designate the same elements. The disclosure may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the description presented herein.

DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to a plastic bag with a child resistant slider zipper. A preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1illustrates a plastic bag120having a child resistant slider zipper110in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. When a slider100is located at a first end of the zipper110, the zipper110is closed. The zipper110can be opened by sliding the slider100toward an opposite end of the zipper100. In order to prevent a small child from opening the zipper110, the slider100has a locking mechanism according the embodiment of the present disclosure, which will be described hereinafter.

FIG. 2is a perspective view of the child resistant slider100ofFIG. 1. The slider100includes a slider body202and a tap tab232. The slider body202contains a structure (not shown) that closes and opens the zipper110. The tap tab232is connected to the slider body202through a flexible member235which allows the tab232to move away or toward the slider body202. In an embodiment as shown inFIG. 2, the flexible member235is secured to a first end of the slider body202, and the tab232can make a swing motion around the first end of the slider body202. As shown inFIG. 2, there is a fork-like part220formed by two columns222and227attached to the tab232. When the tab232swings toward the slider body202, the fork-like part220can be inserted in an opening205on a top near a second end of the slider body202. The second end is opposite to the first end of the slider body202. When the fork-like part220is inserted in the opening205while the slider100is at the first end of the zipper110, i.e., the zipper110is closed, the slider100is locked in place, so that the zipper110remain closed. When the fork-like part220is pulled out of the opening205, the slider100is free to move away from the first end of the zipper110to open the zipper110. Without the fork-like part220inserted in the opening205, the slider100can slide in either directions to either open or close the zipper110.

To facilitate the pull-out of the fork-like part220, the tab232is made wider than the slider body202. Alternatively, the tab232's front may have an overhang portion beyond slider body202, so that a user's fingers can grab on the tab232.

As shown inFIG. 2, in an embodiment, a front of the fork-like part220has a convex member225which snaps into a concave space (not shown) in the slider body202, so that the fork-like part220is firmly engaged with the slider body202to prevent a young child to pull it out of the slider body202. Alternatively, the dimensions of the opening205and the fork-like part220can be made tightly matched, so that fictions therebetween can prevent their easy disengagement.

FIGS. 3A and 3Bare cross-sectional view of the child resistant slider zipper110ofFIG. 1at work. The cross-sections are horizontally taken at location A-A′ onFIG. 2so that an internal structure of the slider body202is revealed. Referring toFIG. 3A, the slider body202has a hollow section with a plow301located in the middle thereof. Side walls305and307at the first end of the slider body202is thicker than side walls213and216at the second end of the slider body202so that the gap at the first end is smaller than the gap at the second end of the slider body202. As a result, when the slider body202slides from the right-hand side to the left-hand side, the small gap at the first end will squeeze the zipper strips325and327together to interlock them. When the slider body202slides from the left-hand side to the right-hand side, the plow301will separate the zipper strips325and327, and the large gap at the second end of the slider body202will leave the zipper strips325and327separated.

In an embodiment, the zipper strips325and327can employ a male-and-female type interlocking structure. For instance, the zipper strip325has a groove running through its length; and the zipper strip327has a convex member also runs through its length. The convex member can be snapped into the groove to be interlocked when the two strips325and327are squeezed together. The groove and the convex member can be pulled apart by the plow301.

Referring toFIG. 3Aagain, as the zipper strips325and327are made from a plastic material, they can be melted together to form an end piece312with a predetermined thickness, which is thinner preferably than the thickness of the individual zipper strip325or327. In an embodiment, the end piece312is approximately 3 millimeters long to provide enough strength to join the zipper strips325and327.

Referring toFIG. 3B, the slider body202is located near the end piece312, and the fork-like part220is inserted in the opening205with the columns222and227straddling the end piece312. A space between the columns222and227approximately matches the thickness of the end piece312, so that the end piece312tightly fits into the space. Besides, the columns222and227are close enough to the plow301so that the outwardly curved zipper strips325and327block the column222and227to move toward the right. Note that the columns222and227are secured to the slider body202through the opening205, so that in this case the slider body202also cannot slide to the right. The slider body202can be unlocked by pulling the fork-like part220out of the opening205as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3A. Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 3B, the column222and227can also be secured horizontally by portions213and216protruding from the side walls of the slider body202, respectively.

Referring toFIG. 3Bagain, to effectively lock the slider body202to the zipper110, the columns222and227should be as close to the plow301as possible. Their separation should be able accommodate the bending of the zipper strips325and327but not more. In an embodiment, a distance between the column222or227and the plow301is approximately 3 millimeters.

FIG. 4is a cross-sectional view of the child resistant slider zipper110taken at location B-B′ ofFIG. 2. As shown inFIG. 4, the columns222and227are of one piece of material extended from the tab232, and are inserted in the opening205of the slider body202defined by the walls213and216. As a result, the columns222and227snuggly straddles the end piece312which is connected to the plastic bag120. As shown inFIG. 4, the columns222and227are tapered with their bottom cross-sectional area smaller than that of the top, so that the fork-like part220can be easily inserted in the opening205. In addition, the column222has a concave space416to accommodate a convex member413on an internal surface of the side wall213. At the same time, the column227has a convex member427to snap in a concave space424on an internal surface of the side wall216. Alternatively, the columns222and227have symmetrical structures, i.e., concave spaces on both columns222and227corresponding to convex members on the side walls213and216, respectively, or vice versa.

As shown inFIG. 4, the side walls213and216each has a “L” shaped contour with a bottom piece402and405, respectively, to narrow the bottom opening of the slider body202. A purpose for such narrowing is to keep the slider body202always engaging the zipper strips325and327while sliding.

As shown inFIG. 4, the tab232is wider than the slider body202defined by the side walls213and216. It is desirable that the entire slider100including the slider body202, the fork-like part220, the tab232and the flexible member235are formed by one plastic injection.

Although the disclosure is illustrated and described herein as embodied in one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the disclosure and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure, as set forth in the following claims.