Patent Publication Number: US-2012045152-A1

Title: Slider actuated opening feature

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     SEQUENTIAL LISTING 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a feature that is actuated by a slider for maintaining a mouth of a pouch in an open condition. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     A pouch, such as a bag having flexible walls defining a mouth and an interior cavity, is useful for storing items therein. Generally, an item may be inserted and removed from the interior cavity through the mouth. However, if the pouch has flexible walls, the mouth often must be maintained in an open position by a user with one hand, for example, while inserting an item into the pouch using the other hand. This can sometimes be cumbersome or inconvenient and, therefore, it is desirable to have a pouch with a mechanism for holding the mouth in an open position that will free up both hands of a user for performing other tasks. 
     One design developed to alleviate this situation includes a reclosable plastic bag having a zipper closure and a camber-inducing strip disposed adjacent a top of the bag on an outside of one or more sides of the bag co-extensively with the zipper closure. The camber-inducing strips have a retained coil memory, such that when the zipper closure is disengaged, the camber-inducing strips bow outwardly to cause the top of the bag to assume a wide-open posture. The plastic bag may include a slider coupled to the zipper closure for engaging and disengaging same. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one example, a pouch includes sidewalls that define a mouth, a cam member disposed proximate the mouth, and a slider coupled to the mouth and moveable therealong. The slider engages the cam member to maintain the mouth in a spread apart condition. 
     According to another example, a closure assembly includes a first closure member opposing a second closure member and a slider coupled to the first and second closure members, wherein the closure members comprise elongate strips. The slider de-couples the first closure member from the second closure member when urged in an opening direction along the closure members and couples the first closure member to the second closure member when urged in a closing direction along the closure members. The closure assembly further includes a cam member disposed proximate at least one of the first and second closure members. The slider engages the cam member to maintain the first and second closure members in a spread apart condition when urged in the opening direction. 
     According to a further example, a method of maintaining a mouth defined by sidewalls of a pouch in a spread apart condition, wherein the pouch includes an opening feature disposed proximate the mouth and a slider coupled to the mouth and moveable therealong, includes the steps of sliding the slider in an opening direction along the mouth to automatically engage the opening feature, and engaging the opening feature with the slider to maintain the mouth in a spread apart condition. 
     Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, wherein similar structures have similar reference numbers. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a partial isometric view of a pouch having an opening feature according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the pouch of  FIG. 1  in an open position; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a pouch having an opening feature according to another embodiment shown in a closed position; 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the pouch of  FIG. 3  in an open position; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a pouch having an opening feature according to yet another embodiment shown in a closed position; and 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the pouch of  FIG. 5  in an open position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a pouch  20  includes an opening feature according to one aspect of the invention. The pouch  20  has a first sidewall  22  and a second sidewall  24  that are connected together along peripheral side and bottom edges (only peripheral side edges  26 ,  28  are shown) to define an interior space  30  and an open mouth  32  along a top edge, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill. The pouch  20  can be made from any suitable material, such as paper, foil, and/or flexible thermoplastic, and the sidewalls  22 ,  24  may be connected in any suitable manner, such as folding, heat sealing, and/or adhesive. 
     As illustrated more clearly in  FIG. 1 , an elongate closure mechanism  34  is disposed along the first and second sidewalls  22 ,  24  across substantially the entire length of the mouth  32  between the peripheral side edges  26 ,  28  to allow the mouth to be selectively sealed and opened. The closure mechanism  34  may include any elongate sealing members, such as elongate resealable closure strips, that are sufficient to releasably close the mouth  32  along the length of the closure mechanism. Preferably, the closure mechanism  34  includes first and second interlocking members  36 ,  38 , wherein each of the interlocking members  36 ,  38  includes an elongate closure profile disposed along the mouth  32  of the pouch  20  and projects inwardly toward the other interlocking member. The elongate closure profiles of the first and second interlocking members  36 ,  38  may include one or more interlocking male and female profiles, respectively, as known in the art. However, the closure mechanism  34  of the present invention is not limited to any specific configuration of closure profiles and may include other shapes and/or numbers of closure profiles that, preferably, would form a seal across the mouth  32  of the pouch  20 . Some examples of closure mechanisms that may be adapted for use as described herein are illustrated in Pawloski U.S. Pat. No. 7,410,298 and Pawloski et al. U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,736, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. Other contemplated resealable members may include adhesive strips, hook and loop fasteners, and other inter-engaging mechanisms sufficient to releasably close and reclose the mouth  32 . Further, the closure mechanism  34  may be integral with or separate and attached to the respective first and second sidewalls  22 ,  24 . 
     An opening feature  50  is coupled to the pouch  20  proximate the mouth  32  and the peripheral edge  26 . The opening feature  50  includes first and second cam members  52 ,  54 , disposed on the first and second sidewalls  22 ,  24 , respectively. The cam members  52 ,  54  can be selectively squeezed together by a slider to pivot from a closed position with the mouth  32  closed into an open position that maintains the mouth  32  of the pouch  20  in an open condition. The second cam member  54  (best seen in  FIG. 1 ) is disposed below the mouth  32  and the closure mechanism  34  of the pouch  20  and includes a first portion, such as a first arm  56 A, attached to the sidewall  24  and a second portion, such as a second arm  58 A, coupled to the first arm and extending angularly away from the first arm and sidewall. Preferably, the second arm  58 A is disposed at an obtuse angle from the first arm  56 A as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , such as at an angle between 90° and 180°, and more preferably at an angle between about 145° and about 175°, such as an angle of about 150°. The second arm  54  is spaced away from the sidewall  24  when the mouth  32  is closed, and the first and the second portions of the cam member  54  define a pivot point therebetween about which the cam member  54  can pivot against the sidewall  24  as described below. The second cam member  54  may further include a support structure  60 A, such as, plastic webbing or a generally inelastic rib, coupled between the first and second arms  56 ,  58  to maintain the second arm at a predefined and/or fixed angle with respect to the first arm. In other embodiments, the support structure  60 A may be omitted and the first and second arms  56 ,  58  may be made from a material that is sufficiently resilient so that the angle between the arms  56 ,  58  is maintained under stress without requiring the support structure  60 A. In addition, the second arm  58 A may also include a detent  62 A, such as a notch, the function of which will be described in more detail hereinafter. As would be apparent to one of ordinary skill, the first cam member  52  is preferably, although not necessarily, a mirror image of the second cam member  54  disposed on the first sidewall  22  and likewise includes a first arm  56 B and a second arm  58 B that are angularly aligned so as to define a pivot point therebetween, a support structure  60 B connecting the first and second arms  56 B and  58 B, and a detent  62 B defined in the second arm  58 B. The first arm  56 A and the first arm  56 B are aligned with each other on opposite sidewalls  24  and  22 , respectively, generally parallel to the closure mechanism  34  with the pivot points facing each other on opposite sides of the mouth  32 . Alternatively, one of the cam members  52  or  54  may simply be a straight strip of resilient material without having angled portions forming a pivot point. The first and second cam members  52 ,  54  may be made from any material having suitable structural properties, for example, a resilient, flexible plastic, such as, polyethylene or polypropylene, metal, wood, and similar materials, and may be attached to the sidewalls  22 ,  24  in any suitable manner, such as, by snapping into engagement structures, heat sealing, and/or adhesive. Further, the position of the cam members  52 ,  54  may be modified in other embodiments, for example, to be placed along the closure mechanism  34  or above the closure mechanism. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the arms  56 A,  58 A,  56 B, and  58 B of the cam members  52 ,  54  have the shape of rectangular strips. However, the cam members  52 ,  54  may have any other shape sufficient to provide the functionality of pivoting apart to maintain the mouth  32  open in response to selective actuation by a slider as described in further detail herein. 
     The pouch  20  further includes a slider  70  that is coupled to the mouth  32  to slide therealong in an opening direction A and in a closing direction B opposite the opening direction for opening and closing the closure mechanism  34 . The slider  70  may take any shape sufficient to actuate the opening feature  50  in accordance with the manner described herein. In the embodiment shown, the slider  70  includes generally parallel, opposing sidewalls  72 ,  74  that are spaced from each other and coupled together by a top wall  76  to define a channel  78  therebetween. The mouth  32 , including the interlocking members  36 ,  38  and top edges of the sidewalls  22 ,  24 , are disposed within the channel  78 . The slider  70  further includes an extension  80  that extends downwardly from a lower portion of the sidewall  74  for engaging the opening feature  50 . In the present embodiment, the extension  80  is shown proximate a first end  82  of the sidewall  74  and slider  70 . However, in other embodiments, the extension can be disposed proximate an opposite second end  84  of the sidewall  74  or anywhere between the first and second ends  82 ,  84 . Preferably, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill, another extension that is preferably a mirror image of the extension  80  also extends downwardly from the sidewall  72 . 
     In use, the slider  70  is slid in the opening direction A along the closure mechanism  34  towards the peripheral edge  26  until the slider  70  automatically engages the opening feature  50  to maintain the mouth  32  in a spread-apart condition. When the slider  70  first reaches the cam members  52 ,  54 , the first arms  56 A and  56 B enter into the channel  78  and/or between the extensions  80  of the slider. As the slider moves further along the opening feature  50 , portions of the slider  70 , such as the sidewalls  72 ,  74  and/or the extensions  80 , slide over the second arms  58 A,  58 B of the cam members  52 ,  54  and urge the second arms together therebetween, thereby causing the cam members  52 ,  54  to pivot about the respective pivot points and urge the first arms  56 A,  56 B apart into an open position. As best seen in  FIG. 2 , because the first arms  56 A,  56 B are coupled to the sidewalls  22 ,  24 , the action of urging the first arms apart simultaneously functions to maintain the mouth  32  in a spread-apart condition. If it is desired to close the mouth  32 , the slider  70  is slid in the opposite closing direction B to disengage from the opening feature  50 , whereby the pivoting action of the cam members  52 ,  54  is reversed. 
     The slider  70  optionally may also be configured to releasably lock with a detent on the opening feature in the open position. In one example best seen in  FIG. 1 , a portion of the slider  70 , such as extensions  80  and/or other similar feature, lockingly engage with the cam members  52 ,  54  by resiliently snapping into the notches of detents  62 A,  62 B in the second arms  58 A,  58 B and thereby releasably lock the opening feature  50  in the open position to maintain the mouth  32  in the spread-apart condition. Engagement of the slider  70  with the detents  62 A,  62 B preferably also provides a tactile and/or audible indication to the user that the slider  70  has fully engaged the opening feature  50 . The detents  62 A,  62 B may additionally or alternatively include projections that interlockingly snap-fit with complimentary notches in the slider  70 . Other types and arrangements of releasable locking and/or tactile/audible indicating features that would be suitable for releasably locking the slider  70  and the opening feature  50  in the open position may be used, such as with other snap-fit detent structures, adhesives, interference or clamping fits, and/or other locking mechanisms as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill. The slider may be released from the detents  62 A,  62 B by, for example, bending the extensions  80  outwardly out of the notches. 
     Preferably, the slider  70  includes features to close or occlude the closure mechanism  34  of the pouch  20  when slid in the closing direction B and to separate or de-occlude the closure mechanism  34  when slid in the opening direction A. Generally, such features may include closure bars to press the closure mechanism  34  together and a separator member for separating the closure mechanism as known in the art. The slider  70  and pouch  20  may also include features that facilitate the slider to remain engaged with the mouth  32  and the closure mechanism  34 . For example, the pouch  20  may include heat sealed portions adjacent the side edges  26 ,  28  that interact with a separator member of the slider  70  to prevent the slider from sliding off of the mouth  32 . In the present embodiment, the detents  62 A,  62 B or other portions of the arms  56 ,  58  may also interact with the slider  70  to prevent the slider from sliding off of the mouth  32 . If portions of the opening feature  50  are used to maintain the slider  70  on the mouth  32 , then the mouth  32  of the pouch  20  could be widened by omitting the heat sealed portions adjacent the side edges  26 ,  28 , which are features commonly used in prior pouches to retain a slider thereon. Exemplary sliders suitable to be adapted for use with the opening feature are disclosed in Porchia et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,285 and Ackerman U.S. Pat. No. 7,574,782, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. Other sliders may also be adapted for use consistent with the disclosure herein. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , another embodiment of the invention includes the pouch  20  similar to  FIGS. 1 and 2  with cam members  52 ,  54  having first and second arms  56 ,  58 , wherein the second arms  58  extend from the first arms  56  by different angles compared to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the first arms  56 A and  56 B attached to the respective outer surfaces of side walls  22  and  24  are relatively long, and the second arms  58 A and  58 B are relatively short and project outwardly therefrom at substantially right angles. The slider  70  of  FIGS. 3 and 4  is generally similar to the slider of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , but includes a tapered portion  100  within the channel  78  defined by and between the sidewalls  72 ,  74 . The tapered portion  100  is formed by angled portions of opposing inner surfaces of one or both of the sidewalls  72 ,  74  such that the channel  78  is narrower toward the first end  82  of the slider  70  than at the second end  84 . However, in other embodiments, the tapered portion  100  may be narrower at any location between the first and second ends  82 ,  84 . The tapered portion  100  can be used in conjunction with or in the alternative to the extensions  80  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  to engage automatically the opening feature  50  and maintain the mouth  32  in a spread apart condition, as seen in  FIG. 4 . The second arms  58 A,  58 B are short enough to fit between wider portions of the channel  78  so that, in operation, as the slider  70  travels across the opening feature  50 , the first arms  56 A,  56 B of the cam members  52 ,  54  pass through the channel  78  of the slider until the second arms  58 A,  58 B reach the tapered portion  100 . When the second arms  58 A,  58 B engage against the tapered portions  100 , the angled portions of the inner surfaces of the sidewalls  72 ,  74  push against the distal ends of the second arms  58 A,  58 B and rotate the cam members  52  about pivot points as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate another embodiment generally similar to the pouch  20  of  FIGS. 3 and 4 , but wherein portions of the cam members  52 ,  54  are disposed on inner surfaces of the sidewalls  22 ,  24  of the pouch. For example, the first arms  56  of the cam members  52 ,  54  are disposed on inner surfaces of the sidewalls  22 ,  24  and the second arms  58 A,  58 B extend through an opening in each respective sidewall  22 ,  24  to outer surfaces thereof. The arrangement of the first arms  56  on inner surfaces and the second arms  58  through the sidewalls  22 ,  24  to outer surfaces provides an alternative method of securing the cam members  52 ,  54  to the pouch  20 . In the present embodiment, the first arms  56  need not be attached to the sidewalls  22 ,  24  in order for the first arms to urge apart the sidewalls  22 ,  24  and maintain the mouth in a spread-apart condition. In other embodiments, the cam members  52 ,  54  may include additional projections, such as arms  110  that extend perpendicularly from the first arms  56  through the sidewalls  22 ,  24  to further secure the cam members  52 ,  54  to the pouch. The additional arms  110  are configured so that the inner surfaces of the slider  70  at the tapered portion  100  do not engage the arms  110  as the slider  70  is slid along the mouth  32 . For example, the cam members  52 ,  54  may be angled with respect to the mouth  32  so that the second arms  58  are in line with the slider  70  but the additional arms  110  are positioned below the slider  70  as the slider slides along the mouth. In another example, the additional arms  110  may extend through the sidewalls  22 ,  24  a shorter distance than the second arms  58  so that the slider  70  passes over the arms  110  without engaging same. 
     Other embodiments of the disclosure including all the possible different and various combinations of the individual features of each of the foregoing described embodiments are specifically included herein. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     An opening feature is disclosed herein that allows a pouch to be automatically maintained in an open, spread apart condition when a slider is slid in an opening direction. In one example, the slider functions to open and close a mouth of the pouch and to engage the opening feature to maintain the mouth in an open condition. The opening feature disclosed herein allows a user to selectively engage the opening feature with the slider to maintain the mouth in a spread apart condition without the mouth automatically spreading apart, thereby providing more user control than some of the prior art designs. In addition, the ability to selectively maintain the mouth in a spread apart condition without the use of camber-inducing strips may provide a mouth that is easier to close and seal when desired. Further, the opening feature and slider disclosed herein can in some embodiments be easily applied to existing pouches without any substantial redesign to such pouches. 
     Numerous modifications to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is presented for enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the invention and to teach the best mode of carrying out same. The exclusive right to all modifications within the scope of the impending claims is expressly reserved. All patents, patent publications and applications, and other references cited herein are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.