Patent ID: 8550715

Claim:
A reclosable zipper comprising: a first profile which includes a first interlocking element, a first consumer side flange with an inwardly facing first consumer side intermeshing contour and an outwardly facing first consumer side flat contour, a first product side flange with an inwardly facing first product side intermeshing contour and an outwardly facing first product side flat contour; and a second profile which includes a second interlocking element, a second consumer side flange with an inwardly facing second consumer side intermeshing contour and an outwardly facing second consumer side flat contour, a second product side flange with an inwardly facing second product side intermeshing contour and an outwardly facing second product side flat contour; wherein the first and second consumer side intermeshing contours are complementary intermeshing contours and the first and second product side intermeshing contours are complementary intermeshing contours so that when the interlocking elements are engaged, the first and second consumer side intermeshing contours are opposing and capable of intermeshing and the first and second product side intermeshing contours are opposing and capable of intermeshing thereby constraining movement of the first and second interlocking elements during subsequent sealing operations; a first consumer side undulation-free region on the first consumer side flange, between the first interlocking element and the first product side intermeshing contour; a first product side undulation-free region on the first product side flange, between the first interlocking element and the first product side intermeshing contour; a second consumer side undulation-free region on the second consumer side flange, between the second interlocking element and the second consumer side intermeshing contour; and a second product side undulation-free region on the second product side flange, between the second interlocking element and the second product side intermeshing contour; wherein the undulation-free regions define a zipper compression cavity when the profiles are compressed together, and the zipper elements are contained within the zipper compression cavity during crushing compression of the zipper profiles; wherein a maximum compression of the interlocking elements along a profile width is defined by the span of the zipper compression cavity.