Patent Abstract:
Reclosable zippers for reclosable packages are disclosed. The zippers include male and female profiles. The female profiles are periodically inwardly and/or upwardly deformed in order to generate tactile and audible feedback when the zippers are opened or closed by the user. The deformation of the female profiles typically maintains the strength of the zipper.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     1. Field of the Disclosure 
     The present disclosure relates to zippers for reclosable packages wherein the zipper profile is configured and arranged to produce audible and tactile feedback during opening and closing operations. In particular, the zipper includes laterally crushed female zipper profile elements. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In the prior art, it is known to deform male zipper profiles to produce a zipper which will produce audible and tactile feedback during opening and closing operations by the user. Examples of such prior art can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,872 entitled “Interlocking Closure Device”, issued to Cisek on Jul. 22, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,040 entitled “Apparatus for Making a Zipper for a Reclosable Thermoplastic Bag”, issued to Dais et al. on Oct. 5, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,468 entitled “Closure Arrangement for Reclosable Bag and Method Thereof”, issued to Tomic et al. on Mar. 9, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,100 entitled “Closure Member for a Reclosable Thermoplastic Bag”, issued to Porchia et al. on Jul. 15, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,228 entitled “Apparatus for Making a Zipper for a Reclosable Thermoplastic Bag” issued to Dais et al. on Dec. 26, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,750 entitled “Zipper for Reclosable Thermoplastic Bag”, issued to Gundlach et al. on Aug. 18, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,584 entitled “Zipper for a Reclosable Thermoplastic Bag and a Process and Apparatus for Making”, issued to Dais et al. on Dec. 10, 1991. 
     This cited prior art has deformed that male element of the zipper profile in order to produce the audible and tactile feedback. However, deformation of the male elements may, under some circumstances, reduce the mating strength and reliability of the zipper. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a zipper for a reclosable package wherein operation of the zipper provides an improved audible and tactile feedback to the user. 
     It is therefore a further object of the present disclosure to provide a zipper which maintains its strength and reliability. 
     These and other objects are attained by applying a crushing or compressing force at periodical intervals on the sides, top or both of a female profile, thereby plastically deforming the female profile such that the female profile remains deformed after the force is removed. The intermittent areas of deformation will produce vibrations thereby producing audible and tactile feedback, when the male profile is engaged with or disengaged from the female profile. Moreover, the inward deformation of the female elements depending on the deformation may increase the strength of the zipper. Similarly, as more mass is deformed by the deformation of the female element as compared to the male element, the resulting audible and tactile feedback is typically more robust. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further objects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a female profile of the present disclosure, showing the periodic deformed areas of the female profile. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the female profile of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the female profile of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a female profile of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of a further embodiment of a female profile of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of a further embodiment of a female profile of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the undeformed area of a female profile of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the undeformed area of a female profile of the present disclosure, shown engaging a male profile. 
         FIGS. 9A-9E  are top plan views of the deformed female zipper profile, showing various arrangements of the deformations. 
         FIG. 10  is an illustration of typical apparatus used to produce the periodic deformation of the female profile of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of possible inward deformations of the female zipper profile pursuant to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of further possible inward deformations of the female zipper profile pursuant to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of still further possible inward deformations of the female zipper profile pursuant to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 14  is a plan view of another typical apparatus used to produce the periodic inward deformations of the female profile of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 15  is a side plan view of the female profile, after operation of the device of  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 16  is a top plan view of the female profile, after operation of the device of  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 17  is a schematic of the use of two gears transversely across from each other inwardly deforming portions of legs of the female profile. 
         FIG. 18  is a schematic of a single gear inwardly deforming portions of a single leg of the female profile. 
         FIG. 19  is a schematic of two offset gears deforming portions of the legs of the female profile, with one leg being deformed differently from the other leg. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, one can see that  FIG. 1-3  are various views of a female profile  12  of the present disclosure, while  FIGS. 4-6  are various views of an alternative embodiment of a female profile  12 . When combined with the male profile  14  as shown in  FIG. 8 , a zipper  10  is formed. Zipper  10  is typically for use with a reclosable package. Zipper  10 , including female and male profiles  12 ,  14 , may be made from conventional material such as, but not limited to, some form or blend of low density polyethylene, including low density polyethylene, linear low density, polyethylene, metallocene linear low density polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate and similar materials. Additionally, use of high modulus materials may be incorporated into the zipper  10  in order to enhance the tactile and audible feedback, such as, but not limited to, polypropylene, high density polyethylene, or filler such as talc, cyclic olefin co-polymers, and similar materials or mixtures thereof. 
     As will be described, there are a number of methods of deforming the female profiles. The female profile can be deformed inwardly, or upwardly, so that the height of the female profile varies, or a combination of both. The deformations can take different shapes and be evenly or unevenly distributed along the longitudinal length of the female profile. Additionally, the deformations of the first arm can be similar or different from the deformations of the second arm. Moreover, some embodiments may have deformations on only one of the arms of the female profile. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  7  and  8 , zipper  10  further includes female profile  12  which includes a base  16  and first and second upwardly extending female detent arms  18 ,  20  which terminate in respective first and second inwardly extending detent hooks  22 ,  24 . Male profile  14  includes a base  26  and a male element  28  extending perpendicularly therefrom. Male element  28  includes post element  30  extending from base  26  terminating in an arrowhead-shaped detent element  32 . In the closed and interlocked configuration shown in cross section in  FIG. 8 , male element  28  extends to within the space  34  defined between first and second upwardly extending female detent arms  18 ,  20  and first and second inwardly extending detent hooks  22 ,  24  engage and interlock with the male element  28  above the arrowhead-shaped detent element  32 . 
     Furthermore, as shown in the various figures, first and second upwardly extending female detent arms  18 ,  20  include periodic inwardly deformed areas  38 , which may, as shown in  FIG. 1 , further include upwardly deformed areas  38 ′. These inwardly deformed areas  38  (and/or upwardly deformed area  38 ′) alternate with undeformed areas  36 . These inwardly deformed areas  38  and upwardly deformed areas  38 ′ cause increased tactile and audio feedback when the zipper  10  is opened or closed and further increases the strength of the engaged zipper. As will be described, there are a number of methods of deforming the female profiles. The female profile can be deformed inwardly, upwardly so that the height of the female profile varies, or a combination of both. As shown in  FIGS. 9A-9E , the inwardly deformed portions  38  (or alternatively, with respect to each of  FIGS. 9A-9E , upwardly deformed portions  38 ′) can be arranged in various configurations.  FIG. 9A  illustrates the inwardly deformed portions  38  of first upwardly extending female detent arm  18  being adjacent (i.e., directly or transversely across from) to those of second upwardly extending female detent arm  20 .  FIG. 9B  illustrates the inwardly deformed portions  38  of first upwardly extending female detent arm  18  being offset from those of second upwardly extending female detent arm  20 .  FIG. 9C  illustrates non-uniform spacing between the inwardly deformed portions  38 .  FIG. 9D  illustrates inwardly deformed portions  38  being formed on first upwardly extending female detent arm  18 , with second upwardly extending female detent arm  20  being free of inwardly deformed portions  38 .  FIG. 9E  illustrates how inwardly deformed portions  38  may have various shapes. As further shown in  FIG. 1 , the first and second upwardly extending female detent arms  18 ,  20  have alternating undeformed portions  36  and inwardly deformed portions  38  (along with upwardly deformed portions  38 ′) wherein the inwardly deformed portions  38  may be formed in an alternating, periodic or intermittent manner. The distance between the deformed and undeformed portions may vary. These distances may be even or uneven. Similarly, this principle may be incorporated into a double zipper. The principle of the method of deformation of inwardly deformed portions  38  is illustrated in  FIGS. 10-13 . In  FIG. 10 , an undeformed section of female zipper profile  12  is presented to crushers  100 ,  102  (or, alternately, as described herein, rotating gears). This undeformed section of female zipper profile  12  may be at room temperature. Alternately, it still may be relatively soft from retention of the heat of the extrusion process which formed it, or it can be reheated to aid in the deformation or crushing process. First and second crushers  100 ,  102  impinge against respective first and second upwardly extending female detent arms  18 ,  20  thereby upwardly crushing first and second upwardly extending female detent arms  18 ,  20  to achieve the upwardly crushed configurations of deformed portions  38 ,  38 ′ of  FIGS. 11-13 . The deformations illustrated in  FIG. 11  are above the base  16  and likewise below the apices of the first and second upwardly extending female detent arms  18 ,  20 . Additionally, the deformation illustrated in  FIG. 13  includes a pinch structure  39  at the middle of the upwardly extending female detent arms  18 ,  20 . However, in other envisioned embodiments, the frequency and size of the crushed areas can be modified to produce the desired effect and can even be varied along the length of the zipper  10 . The elevation and height of the crush can be varied such that the entire height of the female profile  12  is crushed, from base  16  to the first and second inwardly extending detent hooks  22 ,  24 , or just a vertical portion of the female profile  12 , or just the top sections of the female profile. 
     First and second crushers  100 ,  102  may be implemented as first and second rotating bevel gears  104 ,  106  (see  FIG. 14 ), wherein the spaces between successive gears would allow for the alternating undeformed portions  36  between inwardly (or upwardly) deformed portions  38  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), or as reciprocating opposed anvils, the reciprocation of which would allow for alternating undeformed portions  36  or inwardly (or upwardly) deformed portions  38 . Other embodiments use opposed gears with parallel vertical axes of rotation without the need for beveling. Still further envisioned embodiments include using a single gear opposed with a a non-toothed roller or a flat plate whereby only a single detent arm  18 ,  20  is deformed and the other detent arm is left intact or whereby different deformations may be formed on different arms of the female profile. 
       FIG. 14  illustrates an alternative apparatus  200  for inwardly and downwardly deforming the first and second upwardly extending female detent arms  18 ,  20  of the female profile  12 , as transported by roller  202 . The deforming function is performed by the teeth of first and second rotating bevel gears  104 ,  106 . First and second rotating gears bevel  104 ,  106  are oriented at a ninety degree angle (i.e., a right angle) with respect to each other, and at a forty-five degree angle with respect to the base  16  of female profile  12 . Typically, one of first and second intermeshing drive bevel gears  108 ,  110  is rotationally driven by a rotary source (not shown) and the other of first and second intermeshing drive bevel gears  108 ,  110  rotates in concert therewith, whereby both first and second rotating bevel gears  104 ,  106  are driven. Alternately, the female profile  12  may be positioned between the first and second rotating gears bevel  104 ,  106  and pulled therethrough, thereby causing the gears  104 ,  106  to rotate. Again, while the undeformed and inwardly deformed portions  36 ,  38  are shown as having approximately equal longitudinal length, other embodiments may have different ratios, including those with much longer inwardly deformed portions  38  than undeformed portions  36 . 
       FIGS. 17-19  illustrate various possible placements of the first and second gears  104 ,  106 . In  FIG. 17 , first and second gears  104 ,  106  are directly across from each other with first and second gears  104  impinging against first upwardly extending female detent arms  18 ,  20 , respectively, to form inwardly deformed portions  38 . In  FIG. 18 , first gear  104  is a single opposed with respect to first plate  130  and impinges against first upwardly extending detent arm  18  to form inwardly deformed portions  38  while no inwardly deformed portions  38  are formed on second upwardly extending detent arm  20 . In  FIG. 18 , first and second gears  104 ,  106  are offset from each other and are opposed to respective first and second plates  130 ,  132 , thereby forming inwardly deformed portions  38  in respective first and second upwardly extending female detent arms  18 ,  20 . The gears  104 ,  106  of  FIGS. 17-19  are not necessarily drawn to scale with respect to the female profile  12 . 
     In this way, a zipper for a reclosable package is formed, wherein the zipper produces audible and tactile feedback during operation. Furthermore, the inward deformation of the female profiles may aid in increasing the strength of the zipper. 
     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 and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1