Patent ID: 8021048

Claim:
A reclosable pouch, comprising: first and second pouch sidewalls attached together to define a pouch interior having an opening defined by unattached edges of the first and second pouch sidewalls; a closure mechanism extending between a first side edge and a second side edge of the pouch, wherein the closure mechanism includes first and second complementary interlocking closure elements attached proximate to the unattached edges of the first and second pouch sidewalls, respectively, each closure element having an elongate profile extending between a first end and a second end; first and second guide rails disposed on exterior sides of the first and second complementary interlocking closure elements, respectively, wherein each of the guide rails extends completely from the first side edge to the second side edge; a slider disposed in straddling relation over the guide rails of the first and second complementary interlocking closure elements; and an end-stomp defined by a fused-together portion of the first and second interlocking closure elements proximate one of the ends of the closure mechanism, the end-stomp including a flattened region that is substantially symmetrical about a vertical transverse centerline of the closure mechanism, a first raised ridge that is substantially parallel to the interlocking closure elements, and a second raised ridge that is substantially perpendicular to the first raised ridge, wherein the second raised ridge abuts an un-fused region of the closure mechanism and extends away from the pouch interior and beyond opening side lateral edges of the first and second complementary interlocking closure elements a distance that is at least as large as a vertical thickness of a slider top wall, and wherein each of the first raised ridge and the second raised ridge has a first lateral thickness greater than a second lateral thickness of the flattened region.