Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 11/505,008, filed Aug. 16, 2006, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/914,995, filed Aug. 10, 2004, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/748,467 filed Dec. 26, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,921 issued Aug. 24, 2004; which is a continuation of No. 09/456,179 filed Dec. 8, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,172, issued Jan. 23, 2001; which is a continuation of No. 09/294,957 filed Apr. 20, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,512, issued Feb. 1, 2000; which is a continuation of No. 08/957,304 filed Oct. 23, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,047, issued May 11, 1999; which is a continuation of No. 08/501,900 filed Sep. 9, 1995, now abandoned; which is a continuation of No. 08/275,281 filed Jul. 12, 1994; now U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,845, issued Oct. 31, 1995; which is a continuation of No. 07/966,427 filed Oct. 26, 1992, now abandoned. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention relates to recloseable fasteners for attachment to plastic film, plastic film having a recloseable fastener transversely attached thereon, bags made from plastic film having a recloseable fastener attached thereto, and methods and apparatus for making film and bags having recloseable fasteners attached thereto. Even more particularly, the present invention is related to plastic film having a recloseable fastener thereon which may be used (a) in a form, fill, and seal packaging machine to package items in a recloseable bag and (b) to make recloseable bags which may be connected to one another. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Plastic bags are well known in the art. Such bags may be used for containing a variety of items. A popular use for plastic bags is to contain and display food items such as poultry and the like. Exemplary of the prior art are the following patents: 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,140 discloses an easy-to-open synthetic resin bag including (a) a bag body substantially composed of a pair of laminated walls made of synthetic resin films, the peripheries of the laminated walls being heat-sealed to form a sealed border region while defining an unsealed storing space within the sealed border region, (b) a tear string which is heat sealed along an imaginary opening line on the inside of one of the laminated walls, the tear string having both ends thereof heat sealed in a sandwiched condition on the corresponding portion of the sealed border region, (c) a pulling tab formed by cutting a part of one side portion of the sealed bolder region which corresponds to one end of the tear string, the pulling tab being tearable from the bag body integrally with the tear string, and (d) a tear string retaining portion including a transverse opening which is formed by cutting off a part of the other side portion of the sealed border region and a pair of inside and outside heat sealed portions which are located at both sides of the transverse opening, the transverse opening extending in a direction perpendicular to the tear string such that the tear string passes through a central portion of the transverse opening. Due to such a tear string, retaining portion, the separation and complete removal of the tear string from the bag is reliably prevented while assuring the easy bag opening operation. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,736 discloses a recloseable package including interlocking closure strips positioned outside of a hermetic seal or seal area and the method for producing same. The hermetic seal is of the easy-open or peelaway type so as to not destroy the integrity of the package or closure strips upon opening of the package. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,543 discloses a form, fill, seal and separate packaging machine forecloseable containers to web by a plurality of stations disposed along a path of travel of a thermoplastic web including a device to attach a pair of mated, resealable closure strips to the base web. The machine is intermittent in its operation, with movement of the web through the machine controlled so that the various steps of applying the closure strips, forming, filling, sealing and separating the recloseable containers are performed during periodic stops of the machine. The machine is further characterized by its use of two pairs of web belts to move the web through the machine. A first pair of web belts initially receive the folded web stock and partially form and completely fill the containers. The second pair of web belts overlap with the downstream end of the first pair of belts, but are disposed lower than the first belts. When the filled partially formed containers pass from the first pair of belts to the second pair of belts, the unsealed free ends are exposed for final sealing and severing. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,530 discloses a modified zipper elements for easy open containers having interlocking zipper elements and a tear strip for opening the container along the upper edge, wherein the bases of the zipper elements are extended upward towards the tear strip to limit the area of tearing and protect the zipper elements, and a method for making. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,017 discloses a recloseable bag material, method and apparatus which is a new method of making a form fill bag having a recloseable fastener thereon and a mechanism therefor wherein a continuous length of film is advanced and joined first and second fastener profile strips are laid laterally onto the film of a length substantially equal to one-half of the film width, the film is advanced and formed into a tube with the side edges folded together and seamed, the first profile strip is attached to the surface of the film prior to forming it into the tube and the second opposed interlocked profile strip is attached to the inner surface of the film after it is formed into a tube, and a cross-seam is formed in the tube above the closure strip to form the bottom of the succeeding bag, and a completed bag is cut from the film by cutting below the bottom seam and above the fastener strips. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,975 discloses a method and apparatus for making recloseable bags with fastener strips in a form fill and seal machine from a supply of thin thermoplastic film with the film being formed into tubular shape about a filling tube with the edges of the film brought together and joined solely by a zipper strip having recloseable pressure interlocking members thereon with the zipper strip preferably heat sealed to the film and the zipper strip having a web between the pressure interlocking members which provides a tamper-evident juncture between the edges of the film so that the web must be severed for access to the interior of a bag formed from the film, and individual bags formed from the continuous tube by filing the tube through the filling tube and cross-seaming and cutting individual bags from the continuous film tube. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,951 discloses a recloseable package and method of making recloseable package including interlocking closure strips positioned outside of a hermetic seal or seal area and the method for producing same. The hermetic seal is of the easy-open or peelaway type so as to not destroy the integrity of the package or closure strips upon opening of the package. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,683 disclosed a recloseable bag, material, and method of and a device for making same wherein in one aspect extruded resiliently flexible plastic profiled recloseable fastener strip device for recloseable bags is located across the longitudinal formation axis of the bag wall web material, and in another aspect of the invention single strip fastener strip has at one or more suitable locations there along separations across the profiles, such as notches, to facilitate bending or folding of the strip upon itself so that the self-interlocking profiles of the portions of the strip folded upon themselves are adapted for recloseable interlocking with one another. The interlockable portions of the strip may have separable airtight sealing ribs therealong. The web and fastener material and fastener assembly is especially suitable for machines wherein the bags are formed, filled and sealed. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,865 discloses a recloseable shipping sack and method, the sack having a pouring mouth from which discrete pourable contents may be discharged, including a primary non-recloseable stitched closure fastener across and closing the mouth against unintentional discharge of the contents and including a device such as chain stitch and rip strip for facilitating digital opening of the primary closure fastener. A secondary, recloseable fastener, desirably of the zipper type, extends across the sack mouth outwardly from the primary closure fastener and is adapted for selectively opening and closing the sack mouth after opening of the primary closure fastener. A method of making the recloseable sack is also disclosed. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,589 discloses a plastic bag having a closure structure and a method for making same, the structure having a first thin inner layer of flexible plastic material with a first fastener element extending therealong formed of a resilient material and being of one piece with the layer, a second thin layer of flexibly plastic material facing the first layer and having a uniform second fastener element extending therealong formed of a resilient material and being of one piece with the second layer and shaped to be releasably interlocked with the first fastener element, a first outer layer positioned over the outer surface of the first inner layer and laminated thereto, the first inner and outer layers providing a first substantially monolithic wall so that the first inner layer provides a support with the layers coacting and allowing a stronger lock with a thin film, and a second outer layer positioned over the outer surface of the second inner layer and laminated thereto, the second inner and outer layers providing a second substantially monolithic wall so that the second inner layer provides a backing for the support allowing a stronger lock with a thin film, the outer layers laminated to the inner layer opposite fastener elements so as to reinforce the inner layers in the area of the fastener elements. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    In accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention there is provided a recloseable bag made from plastic film having recloseable fastener assemblies thereon, film having a recloseable fastener assembly attached thereon, and a method for making recloseable bags from plastic film having recloseable fastener assemblies thereon. The recloseable bag has a recloseable fastener assembly connected to a single wall of the bag, and the film has a recloseable fastener connected to one side thereof which does not require attachment to any other portion of the film when making a bag. The fastener may have an easy bag opening tamper-proof member attached thereto to indicate if the bag has been previously opened. 
         [0015]    The film of the invention has the advantage of having a recloseable fastener assembly completely connected thereto prior to being fed to a bag making machine or a form, fill, and seal machine, thereby eliminating the need to apply a recloseable fastener assembly during the bag making process or during the form, fill, and seal process, thereby eliminating the need for the equipment necessary to add a recloseable fastener during the form, fill, and seal process. 
         [0016]    The film of the invention has the additional advantage of being capable of forming a recloseable bag on a vertical or horizontal form, fill, and seal machine. 
         [0017]    The bag and film of the invention has the advantage of allowing the recloseable fastener assembly to be located at any desired distance from the top or bottom of the bag because the fastener assembly is attached to only one wall of the bag of the invention. The length of the fastener assembly may be much less than the width of a bag formed with the fastener assembly thereon. Such small length fasteners allow liquids, powders, and other small granular materials to be poured from the bag through the fastener assembly. 
         [0018]    A good use for the bags of the invention when the ends of the fastener assembly are not sealed to front wall of the bag is to store non-perishable items such as ice glazed food products that are not susceptible to freezer burn since air and moisture is able to enter the bag around the ends of the fastener assembly after the front wall of the bag has been penetrated to gain access to the fastener assembly or even before the bag wall has been penetrated such as when a line of perforations is utilized for allowing easy access to the fastener assembly. 
         [0019]    In accordance with the first, second and third embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method for making recloseable bags on a bag making machine where the recloseable fastener strips are independently attached to the same side of the bag film preferably transversely to the longitudinal forming axis in-line with the bag making machine, a unique two-piece interlocking fastener assembly that minimizes the size of the opening at the fastener strip ends, film having a plurality of the unique recloseable fasteners each with two interlocking profile strips attached thereon, and an apparatus for attaching the unique fastener assembly to a sheet of film including a mechanism for supplying a continuous film of flexible bag material and a mechanism for feeding preferably the coiled recloseable profile strip material preferably transversely across the bag material film, and a mechanism for positioning, cutting, and attaching enough of the recloseable profile strip material to form a preferably transversely positioned recloseable fastener for a single bag during each cycle of the apparatus, the recloseable fasteners each being spaced a single bag length apart and each profile strip of each recloseable fastener being maintained in the interlocked position and being independently connected to the same side of the film that forms one panel of the resulting bag. The bag material can be wound into a roll in the folded or unfolded state or fed directly into a conventional form, fill, and seal machine that is in-line with the apparatus for positioning and attaching the recloseable fastener strip material to the bag material web. 
         [0020]    In accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention there is provided a chain of coilable interconnected recloseable bags and a method for making the same. A chain of bags are interconnected by a series of preferably transverse cross-seals including a plurality of spaced tearlines between adjacent bags. Each bag of the coilable chain includes preferably a transversely positioned recloseable fastener secured to the outer or inner surface of material that forms its front wall. The present invention allows a single bag to be easily torn away from the chain of bags. 
         [0021]    The method of making the chain of coilable recloseable bags includes supplying a continuous film of plastic web material and moving said film forward in a bag forming direction. A plurality of recloseable fasteners are secured to the surface of the web material, that forms the front wall of each bag, preferably transversely across the web. The web is drawn forward bringing the inside surface of said web material that forms the front wall of each bag next to the surface of a web material that forms the back wall of each bag. The longitudinal edges of the web materials that form the front and back wall of each bag are sealed together to form a tube of plastic web material. 
         [0022]    The front wall and back wall of the tube are cross-sealed to each other to form the top and bottom end of each bag. A tearline is cut in the tube between the seals of each bag and the chain of bags are coiled into a roll. The method can include the application of a twin seal with a tearline between them thereby creating a closed top end and a closed bottom end on each bag or a single seal and tearline can be applied which creates an open end and a closed end on each bag. The method of the present invention also includes a rupturable line of weakness applied to the front wall of each bag adjacent to the recloseable fastener for entering the bag. The recloseable bags on a roll can be conveniently used by the customer. The recloseable bags of the present invention also have the unique property of being less likely to leak when the bag is placed on its back wall with the recloseable fastener facing up. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of the bag of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a partly cut-away, side elevational view of the bag shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the bag of  FIG. 1  taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a roll of film of the first embodiment of the present invention having a plurality of recloseable fasteners connected thereto; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a partly cut-away, partly cross-sectional, detailed perspective view of the recloseable fastener connected to the bag of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 6A  is perspective view of the bag of the second embodiment of the present invention including a pull-out plug for easy opening; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6B  is a cross-sectional view of the bag of  FIG. 6A  taken along lines  6 B- 6 B of  FIG. 6A ; 
           [0030]      FIG. 6C  is a perspective view of the film of the second embodiment of the invention wound into a coil without a supporting core; 
           [0031]      FIG. 6D  is a perspective view of the film of the second embodiment of the invention staggered into a fan-folded stack; 
           [0032]      FIG. 6E  is a perspective view of an apparatus for connecting the recloseable fasteners of the invention to a sheet of film; 
           [0033]      FIG. 6F  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  6 F- 6 F of  FIG. 6E  showing the fastener attaching device heat sealing the fastener to the film of the present invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of the roll of film of the third embodiment of the present invention having a plurality of recloseable fasteners connected onto a folded web; 
           [0035]      FIG. 7B  is a perspective view of a bag made from the film of  FIG. 7A ; 
           [0036]      FIG. 7C  is a partly cut-away, partly cross-sectional detailed perspective view taken along lines  7 C- 7 C of  FIG. 7A  of a recloseable fastener of the invention connected to the film of the invention; 
           [0037]      FIG. 8A  is a side view of the bags of the fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0038]      FIG. 8B  is a cross-sectional view of the bag of  FIG. 8A  taken along lines  8 B- 8 B of  FIG. 8A ; 
           [0039]      FIG. 8C  is a web material flow diagram showing the method of the fourth embodiment of the present invention of converting the extruded film into recloseable bags on a roll; 
           [0040]      FIG. 8D  is a perspective view of the front wall web material of the fourth embodiment wound into a coil; and 
           [0041]      FIG. 8E  is a perspective view of the front wall web material of the fourth embodiment of the invention staggered into a fan-folded stack. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0042]    Referring now to the drawings, in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is shown the recloseable bag of the invention generally indicated by the numeral  10 . Bag  10  has a top end generally indicated by the numeral  12  and a bottom end generally indicated by the numeral  14 . Bag  10  has a front wall  16  and a back wall  18 . 
         [0043]    Bag  10  has a seal  20  at the top end  12  at which the front wall  16  is joined to the back wall  18 , and a seal  22  at the bottom end at which the front wall  16  is joined to the back wall  18 . Located on the back wall  18  is a seam generally indicated by the numeral  24 . 
         [0044]    As best can be seen in  FIG. 5 , connected to front wall  16  is a recloseable fastener assembly generally indicated by the numeral  26  having two opposite ends  26   a  and  26   b . Recloseable fastener assembly  26  includes two profile strips generally indicated by the numerals  28  and  30  which are shown in the drawings to be interlocked. Profile strip  28  contains a groove  32  and profile strip  30  contains a protuberance  34  which is lockingly received in the groove  32 . 
         [0045]    Each end  26   a  and  26   b  of recloseable fastener assembly  26  is preferably sealed in any conventional manner such as heat sealing to the inside of front wall  16  to prevent air or liquids from entering or leaving bag  10  through the ends  26   a  and  26   b  of recloseable fastener assembly  26  after the front wall  16  has been opened by the user of the bag  10  to gain access to recloseable fastener assembly  26 . However, if desired, the ends  26   a  and  26   b  need not be sealed to the inside of front wall  16 , and after opening front wall  16 , air or liquids can enter or leave bag  10  through the ends  26   a  and  26   b  of bag  10  and through the opening in front wall  16 . 
         [0046]    The bag  10  is air tight prior to opening the front wall  16  to gain access to recloseable fastener assembly  26 . Therefore, products can be vacuum packed in bag  10 . 
         [0047]    Groove  32  is formed in groove body  36 , and groove body  36  is connected to groove body arm  38 . A portion of groove body arm  38  is connected to the inside of front wall  16  at seal  40 . Groove body arm  38  could be made separately from groove body  36  and attached to groove body  36  in any conventional manner such as heat sealing. 
         [0048]    Protuberance  34  is integrally connected to protuberance body  42 , and protuberance body  42  is integrally connected to protuberance body leg  44 . A portion of protuberance body leg  44  is connected to the inside of front wall  16  at seal  46 . Protuberance body leg  44  could be made separately from protuberance body  42  and attached to protuberance body  42  in any conventional manner such as heat sealing. 
         [0049]    A string  48  for tearing a portion of front wall  16  to expose and provide access to recloseable fastener  26  is located adjacent to the inside of front wall  16  and seal  40 . String  48  has an exposed end  50  connected to pull tab  52  for grasping by the customer and pulling to tear a portion of the front wall  16  covering recloseable fastener  26 . If desired, string  48  could be replaced with a plurality of perforations in front wall  16  between seal  40  and protuberance body  42 . If desired, string  48  and the plurality of perforations in front wall  16  could be omitted from bag  10 , and the portion of front wall  16  between seal  40  and protuberance body  42  could be opened with a sharp object such as knife or scissors. 
         [0050]    A roll of film  54  on a paper core  54   a  placed on an axle or roller  56  containing the recloseable fastener  26  is shown in  FIG. 4 . Film roll  54  can be prepared by connecting recloseable fastener  26  to a flat sheet of film  55  at seal  40  and  46 . String  48  of recloseable fastener  26  may be connected to recloseable fastener  26  prior to attaching recloseable fastener  26  to film  55 . If desired, film  55  may be perforated to allow string  48  to extend therethrough. Also, as stated above, string  48  could be eliminated and replaced with a plurality of perforations on front wall  16  to permit access to recloseable fastener  26  by tearing along the plurality of perforations. If desired, recloseable fastener  26  could be attached to film  55  parallel to the edge  55   a  of film  55 , i.e., rotated 90 degrees from the orientation shown in  FIG. 4  where recloseable fastener is shown in the preferred orientation perpendicular to the parallel edges  55   a  of film  55 . 
         [0051]    To make the bag  10  of the invention from the roll of film  54 , each side  56  and  58  of the film  54  is folded together as shown in  FIG. 1  to overlap and form seal  24 . The combined length of sides  56  and  58  must be greater than the length of recloseable fastener  26  to enable seal  24  to be formed. Top seal  20  and bottom seal  22  can then be made simultaneously or in any desired order. For example, bottom seal  22  could be made first, the bag could then be filled with a product such as a food item or the like, and then the top seal  20  could be made. The roll of film  54  could be used on a conventional form, fill, and seal machine. Such machines are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,683 shows a typical form, fill, and seal operation with the exception that a recloseable fastener is added, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,683 is hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0052]    Any conventional bag making film known in the art may be utilized as the film stock to make bag  10 . The seals of the invention are preferably made by heat sealing as is well known in the art. Such bag film is commonly referred to as plastic film, and is commonly made from polymeric materials. 
         [0053]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6A and 6B  is shown the recloseable bag of the second embodiment of the invention generally indicated by the numeral  110 . Bag  110  has a top end generally indicated by the numeral  112  and a bottom end generally indicated by the numeral  114 . Bag  110  has a front wall  116  and a back wall  118 . 
         [0054]    Bag  110  has a generally horizontal seal  120  at the top end  112  at which the front wall  116  is joined to the back wall  118 , and a seal  122  generally parallel to seal  120  at the bottom end at which the front wall  116  is joined to the back wall  118 . Located on the back wall  118  is a seam generally indicated by the numeral  124  which is generally perpendicular to seal  120  and  122 . 
         [0055]    As can best be seen in  FIG. 6A , connected to front wall  116  is a recloseable fastener assembly generally indicated by the numeral  126  having two opposite ends  126   a  and  126   b . Recloseable fastener assembly  126  includes two fastener profile strips generally indicated by the numerals  128  and  130  which are shown in the drawings to be interlocked. Fastener profile strip  128  contains a groove  132  and fastener profile strip  130  contains a protuberance  134  which is lockingly received in the groove  132 . 
         [0056]    Groove  132  is formed into groove body  136 , and groove body  136  is connected to groove body arm  138 . A portion of groove body arm  138  is connected by heat-sealing or welding to the inside of front wall  116  at seal  140 . As shown in  FIG. 6A  and  FIG. 6B  groove body  136  is connected to a groove body leg  139 . A portion of groove body leg  139  may be connected to the inside of front wall  116  at peelable seal  141 . 
         [0057]    Peelable seals such as peelable seal  141  are well known in the art and are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,736, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Peelable seals such as peelable seal  141  are made to peel open easily using minimal opening forces by utilizing low sealing temperatures, reduced dwell time, and light pressures. Peelable seals can also be produced by utilizing a single polymer or from a combination of polymers that molecularly produce low seal strengths. 
         [0058]    As can best be seen in  FIG. 6B , protuberance  134  is preferably integrally connected to protuberance body  142 . A portion of protuberance body  142  is connected by heat-sealing or welding to the inside of front wall  116  at seal  146 . 
         [0059]    As can be seen in  FIG. 6A , an easy opening pull-out plug  150  is located on bag  110  and is defined by a plurality of perforations  150   a  in front wall  116  between seal  140  and seal  146 . Pull-out plug  150  may be torn or pulled-out as indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 6  to expose and provide access to recloseable fastener  126 . Pull-out plug  150  is similar to the pull-out plug disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,965, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Pull-out plug  150  has an exposed tab or end  153  connected to pull-out plug  150  for grasping by the customer and pulling in the direction indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 6A  to remove pull-out plug  150  and provide an opening  153   a  in the front wall  116  covering recloseable fastener  126 . If desired, pull-out plug  150  could be replaced with a single line of perforations or line of weakness such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,213, which is hereby incorporated by reference. If desired, easy opening pull-out plug  150  and perforations  150   a  in front wall  116  could be emitted from bag  110 , and the portion of front wall  116  between seal  140  and seal  146  could be a continuous sheet of film which could be opened with a sharp instrument such as knife or scissors. Bag  110  would be well suited for packaging perishable items such as cereal and the like since peelable seal  141  would prevent the passage of air and moisture into the bag through recloseable fastener assembly  126  when bag  110  includes an easy opening feature such as pull-out plug  150  that requires perforations to be cut through front wall  116  of bag  110 . 
         [0060]    Thus, to open a bag  110  that has been filled with a desired product such as rice, cereal, meat, or the like, pull-out plug  150  is torn or pulled out as explained above to expose and provide access to recloseable fastener  126  through opening  153   a . Profile strip  130  is then pulled away from profile strip  128 , forcing peelable seal  141  away from sealing contact with the inside of front wall  116 . The interior of bag  110  may then be accessed through opening  153   a , between profile strips  128  and  130 , and between front wall  116  and peelable seal  141 . As mentioned above, pull-out plug  150  could be replaced with a line of perforations or line of weakness or a continuous sheet of film, and recloseable fastener assembly  126  would be accessed by tearing the line of perforations or weakness, or opening the sheet of film with a knife or scissors. 
         [0061]    Each end  126   a  and  126   b  of recloseable fastener assembly  126  is preferably sealed at seams  126   c  and  126   d  in any conventional manner such as heat sealing to the inside of front wall  116  to prevent air or liquids from entering or leaving bag  110  through the openings  125   a  and  125   b  at ends  126   a  and  126   b  of recloseable fastener assembly  126  after the front wall  116  has been penetrated by the user of the bag  110  to gain access to recloseable fastener assembly  126 . However, if desired, the openings  125   a  and  125   b  at ends  126   a  and  126   b  need not be sealed to the inside of front wall  116 , and after penetrating front wall  116 , air or liquids can enter or leave bag  110  through the openings  125   a  and  125   b  at ends  126   a  and  126   b  of bag  110  and through the penetrations in front wall  116 . 
         [0062]    Groove body arm  138  and groove body leg  139  could be an integral part of groove body  136  or as shown in  6 B could be made separately from groove body  136  and attached to groove body  136  during a separate operation in any conventional manner such as heat sealing. Groove body arm  138  and groove body leg  139  could be opaque in color for optically identifying where one bag should end and another bag begins without having to print some type of colored identifier on the film at each bag location. 
         [0063]    To make the bag  110  as shown in  FIG. 6A  of the invention from the coil of film  60  as shown in  FIG. 6C , each side  156  and  158  of the film  155  is folded together as shown in  FIG. 6A  to overlap and form seal  124 . The combined length of sides  156  and  158  must be greater than the length of recloseable fastener  126  to enable seal  124  to be formed. Top seal  120  and bottom seal  122  can then be made simultaneously or in any desired order. For example, bottom seal  122  could be made first, the bag could then be filled with a product such as a food item or the like, and then the top seal  120  could be made. The coil of film  40  could be used on a conventional form, fill, and seal machine. Such machines are well known in the art. 
         [0064]    As shown in  FIG. 6C  film  155  could also be wound after a plurality of recloseable fastener assemblies  126  have been attached along with a plurality of perforations, lines of weakness, or pull-out plugs into a coreless coil  60  or as shown in  FIG. 6D  film  155  could be formed into a fan folded stack  65  in a zig-zag fashion. Film  155  could be folded after a plurality of recloseable fasteners  126  have been attached along with a plurality of perforations, lines of weakness, or pull-out plugs  150  prior to being formed into a coil  60  or into a fan-folded stack  65 . 
         [0065]    As shown in  FIG. 6E  an apparatus  170  for making zippered film includes an unwinding device  175  for feeding a continuous supply of bag film  155  forwardly while attaching a plurality of two-piece recloseable fastener assemblies such as fastener assembly  126  to the inner surface of the film  155  that forms the inside of each resulting bag  110 . The fastener assemblies  126  are fed laterally across the upper surface of the film  155  at right angles to the machine direction, that is, transversely to the longitudinal forming axis of the film. The fastener material  126  is supplied from a spool  171  fed through a guide slot  172  up to a stop plate  173 . Stop plate  173  has a tab  173   a  connected thereto which is force fitted in slot  172   a  in the top of guide slot  172  enabling the location of stop plate  173  within guide slot  172  to be varied as desired for different fastener assembly lengths. A cut-off device  177  cuts a length of fastener material  126 . Cut-off device  177  is similar to apparatus that are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,017 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,683. U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,017 is hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0066]    As can best be seen in  FIG. 6F , both groove body  136  and protuberance body  142  of each recloseable fastener assembly  126  are independently connected to the film by a mechanism which includes an attaching device  179  such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,017 that preferably utilizes heat sealing technology. Device  179  includes a first platen  179   a  that is heated and an second platen  179   b  that could also be heated. First and second platens  179   a  and  179   b  have a device for moving the two platens together and apart such as cylinders  178   a  and  178   b  that are shown in  FIG. 6E . First platen  179   b  includes guide slot  172  which extends from one end of platen  179   b  to the other end of platen  179   b  for positioning the fastener assembly  126  accurately while sealing fastener assembly  126  to film  155  to create roll of film  154 . Each fastener assembly  126  is connected to the film  155  in a location that is preferably a single bag&#39;s length away from the previous fastener assembly  126 . 
         [0067]    As shown in  FIG. 6E  a punching mechanism  180  for providing an easy bag opening feature such as a line of perforations, or a pull-plug  150  on film  155  could be added to the apparatus for making roll of film  154 . The punching mechanism  180  could consist of a single serrated blade to produce a single line of perforations in film  155  with each stroke of the mechanism  180  or as shown a serrated elongated shaped rectangular blade  181  with circular ends could be utilized to produce pull-out plug  150  in film  155  with each stroke of the mechanism  180 . 
         [0068]    Any device known in the art for providing easy opening features could be utilized. The location of the mechanism  180  for providing easy opening could be incorporated into the apparatus  170  for making roll of film  154  anywhere desirable, but the mechanism  180  would preferably be located in a place whereby the easy opening feature would be provided in or on the film  155  immediately prior to the attaching of recloseable fastener assembly  126  onto film  155 . 
         [0069]    The apparatus  170  for making rolls of film  154  includes a rewinding device  182  for winding film  155  into a roll on a supporting core  154   a  or into coil  60  without supporting core material as shown in  FIG. 6C . The rewinding device  182  could be replaced by a device capable of forming film  155  into a fan folded stack  65  in a zig-zag fashion as shown in  FIG. 6D . 
         [0070]    The apparatus for making zippered film could be connected to a form, fill, and seal machine, that is, provided in-line or part of the form, fill, and seal machine. As a result the method for making bag  110  would not require that film  155  be formed into a roll of film  154  since the film  155  would be fed directly into the form, fill, and seal machine. The device  182  for rewinding the film into roll  154  would not be a required part of the apparatus for making zippered film when the in-line method is used. As a result of not having to wind film  155  into a roll  154 , film  155  could have the fastener assemblies  126  attached by apparatus  170  parallel to the longitudinal forming axis of film  155  as shown in  FIG. 8D  rather than transversely to the longitudinal forming axis. 
         [0071]    Any conventional bag making film known in the art may be utilized as a film stock to make bag  110 . The seals of the invention are preferably made by heat sealing as, is well known in the art. Such bag film is commonly referred to as plastic film, and is commonly made from polymeric materials. 
         [0072]    In  FIGS. 7A and 7B  is shown an alternate embodiment of recloseable fastener assembly  126  generally indicated by the numeral  1266  connected to a sheet of film  1155 . A roll of folded film  1154  on a paper core  1154   a  containing the pre-applied recloseable fastener assembly  1266  is shown in  FIG. 7A . As can best be seen in  FIG. 7A  film roll  1154  can be prepared by connecting recloseable fastener assembly  1266  to a flat sheet of film  1155  at seal  1400  and seal  1466 . A single line of perforations or line of weakness  1155   b  is provided in film  1155 , such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,213, to provide access through film  1155  when recloseable fastener assembly  1266  is opened. After a plurality of recloseable fastener assemblies  1266  are connected to film  1155  and a single line of perforations or line of weakness  1155   b  are provided in film  1155 , film  1155  is folded and wound on a paper core  1154   a  as shown in  FIG. 7A . If desired, a pull-out plug  150  described above could be substituted for the single line of perforations or line of weakness  1155   b  in film  1155 . In  FIG. 7A  a folded web of bag film is shown with one side longer than the other creating a lip  1155   a  which is commonly referred to in the art as J-sheeting. J-sheeting with the recloseable fastener assemblies  1266  pre-applied as shown in  FIG. 7A  can be formed into recloseable bags by many different bag machine types known in the art such as side-weld bag machines that are used to manufacture many different bag types such as bread bags. 
         [0073]    As can best be seen in  FIG. 7C  recloseable fastener assembly  1266  has groove body  1366  with groove body arm  1388  connected at the locking side  1366   a  of groove body  1366  so as to minimize the size of opening  1255   a  at fastener end  1266   a  and opening  1255   b  at fastener end  1266   b . An arm such as  1388  is connected at the locking side of either profile strip  1366  perpendicular to the direction the protuberance  1344  of the protuberance body  1424  is lockingly received by the groove  1322  of the groove body  1366 . If desired, profile strip  1366  could be interchanged with profile strip  1422  and arm  1388  could be attached to profile strip  1422  in the same manner in which arm  1388  is shown attached to profile strip  1366 , and profile strip  1366  would be connected to the inside of film  1155  by heat-sealing or welding as was profile strip  1422 . The profile strip including the arm  1388  of fastener  1266  needs to be the one of the two profile strips farthest from the film  1155  to which fastener assembly  1266  is connected. By reducing the size of openings  1255   a  and  1255   b  at fastener ends  1266   a  and  1266   b , the flow of air and liquids can be minimized through the ends  1266   a  and  1266   b.    
         [0074]    Shown in  FIG. 7B  is a third embodiment of the present invention generally indicated by the numeral  1010  being formed from J-sheeted film  1155 . Recloseable bag  1010  has a front wall  1012  and a rear wall  1014  which are made from a single, integral piece of plastic film. Front wall  1012  is joined to rear wall  1014  by side seams  1016  and  1018  and by bottom fold  1020 . Front wall  1012  has a top edge  1012   b  which is not connected to rear wall  1014 , and rear wall  1014  has a top edge  1014   b  which is not connected to front wall  1012 . Top edge  1014   b  is located at a distance above top edge  1012   b  to form lip  1155   a . Thus a mouth  1022  is formed in the top of bag  1010 . Goods such as poultry, beef, or any other product to be stored in bag  1010  could be inserted into bag  1010  through mouth  1022 . As shown in  FIG. 7B  bag  1010  includes a seam  1025  sealing off mouth  1022 . Seam  1025  is normally created after bag  1010  has been filled with the goods to be stored in bag  1010 . Bag  1010  has a recloseable fastener assembly  1266  connected to the inside of front wall  1012  at seal  1400  and seal  1466 . Recloseable fastener assembly  1266  is positioned transversely to the longitudinal forming axis of film  1155  that forms bag  1010 . Bags such as bag  1010  are commonly referred to in the art as side seal or side weld bags and are usually sold to product packers as finished bags that are often hand loaded before being sealed shut. A good use for recloseable bag  1010  would be to package bakery items such as tortillas. 
         [0075]    Recloseable bag  1010  could be formed from J-sheeted film  1155  which includes recloseable fastener assemblies  1266  that have been attached by a machine, such as apparatus  170  shown in  FIG. 6E , that is in-line with the bag forming process and therefore film  1155  would not need to be wound into roll  1154 . As a result of having never to be wound into a roll  1154 , as shown in  FIG. 8D  film  1155  could have the recloseable fastener assemblies  1266  positioned parallel to the longitudinal forming axis of film  1155  rather than positioned transversely to the longitudinal forming axis. 
         [0076]    Referring now to  FIGS. 8A and 8B  is the fourth embodiment of the present invention showing a collapsed tubular web generally indicated by numeral  218  of plastic having a front wall  211  and a rear wall  212 . The tubular web  218  includes a plurality of identical interconnected recloseable bags  210 . Each bag  210  has a top end  223  and a bottom end  224 . Each bag  210  has a front wall  211  and a back wall  212 . 
         [0077]    Each bag  210  has a seal  220   a  at the top end  223  and a seal  220   b  at the bottom end  224  at which the front wall  211  is joined to the back wall  212 . Each bag  210  has side edge seals  221   a  and  221   b  at which the front wall  211  is joined to the back wall  212 . 
         [0078]    As can best be seen in  FIG. 8B , connected to front wall  211  is a recloseable fastener generally indicated by the numeral  213 . Recloseable fastener  213  includes two interlocking profile strips generally indicated by the numerals  214  and  215  which are shown in the drawings to be interlocked. Profile strip  214  contains a groove  225  and profile strip  215  contains a protuberance  226  that is lockingly received in the groove  225 . 
         [0079]    A flange  216  is connected to the outside of profile strip  214 . Flange  216  is connected to front panel  211  along flange edge  219 . A rupturable perforation line  217  in front wall  211  provides a tear line for tearing open to enter bag  210  once the recloseable fastener  213  is opened. Each end  216   a  and  216   b  of flange  216  is preferably secured to front wall  211  in any conventional manner such as heat sealing to the front wall  211  to prevent air or liquids from entering or leaving through flange ends  216   a  and  216   b . However, if desired, the flange ends  216   a  and  216   b  need not be sealed to the front wall  211  so air and liquids can enter or leave bag  210  through the flange ends  216   a  and  216   b.    
         [0080]    The flange  216  could be integrally connected to the profile strip  214  or as shown in  FIG. 8B  the flange  216  could be made separately from profile strip  214  and attached to flange  216  in any conventional manner such as heat sealing. 
         [0081]    Recloseable fastener  213  with attached flange  216  could be replaced with any of the previously described fastener arrangements such as shown in  FIG. 5  which includes a groove body arm  38  and a groove body leg  44  for use in attaching recloseable fastener assembly  26  to the inside of the wall that forms the front panel of the bag instead of attaching fastener assembly  26  to the outside of the wall of the front panel of the bag as shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B . Recloseable bags such as bag  210  could be used as freezer storage bags and would be very conveniently dispensed from a roll or coil rather than individual bags that are loosely packed. 
         [0082]    The collapsed tubular web  218  or recloseable bags  210  is formed by connecting a plurality of bags  210  together by perforation lines  222  extending across the tube  218  transversely to the side edge seams  221   a  and  221   b  and between the top end seals  220   a  and bottom end seals  220   b  of two adjacent bags  210 . 
         [0083]    The preferred method of producing the collapsed tubular web of recloseable bags of the present invention according to  FIG. 8C  requires a plastic film be blown into a tube  251  on a conventional blown film tube extrusion machine  250 . Such machines are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,543,343 shows a typical blown film tube extrusion machine with the exception that a recloseable fastener is added, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,543,343 is hereby incorporated by reference. The tube  251  is collapsed and both side edges are slit open creating two separate webs of material  211  and  212 . After passing over several idler rolls such as  252   a  and  252   b , the two webs of material  211  and  212  are forced to follow two different web paths. Web material  211  that forms the front wall travels through a sealing device  256  where a series of spaced recloseable fasteners  213  are transversely secured to the underside of the web material  211 , a bag&#39;s length apart, by preferably heat sealing. Recloseable fasteners  213  are preferably only slightly shorter than the width of web material  211 . Such sealing devices are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,017 shows such a device. Rupturable perforation lines  217  are cut in front wall  211  adjacently below the recloseable fastener  213  by sealing device  256 . A serrated knife  257  required to produce the perforation line  217  is incorporated into the typical sealing device  256 . 
         [0084]    Back wall web material  212  is diverted around sealing device  256  by passing over preferably at least one additional idler roll  253 . At nip section  258  the web materials that form the front wall  211  and the back wall  212  are rejoined by passing through two preferably driven nip rolls  258   a  and  258   b  where they are secured together by continues seams along the longitudinal edges  224   a  and  224   b  of front wall  211  and the longitudinal edges  224   c  and  224   d  of back wall  212  by any conventional method such as heat sealing.” 
         [0085]    The web materials that form front wall  211  and the rear wall  212  with their peripheral edges  224   a ,  224   b    224   c , and  224   d , sealed together reform a tube  218  with a plurality of spaced recloseable fasteners  213  and perforation lines  217  transversely secured a bag&#39;s length apart along the length of tube  218 . 
         [0086]    The tube  218  passes through a cutting cross-sealing device  260  that applies one bag stop end seal  220   a  and the adjacent bags bottom end seal  220   b  simultaneously while cutting the perforation line  222  extending transversely across the tube  218  and between the top end seals  220   a  and bottom end seal  220   b . Such cutting sealing devices are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,962 shows a typical cutting sealing device with the exception that a straight cut is included for making separated bags. While the present invention could also produce separated bags the preferred embodiment is bags connected to one another by the perforation lines  222  between adjacent bags. The device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,962 could accomplish this by utilizing a serrated knife, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,962 is hereby incorporated by reference. 
         [0087]    The tube  218  has been converted, as described above, into a series of recloseable bags  210  connected together making it possible to wind them into roll  262  by any conventional winding machine  263 . The recloseable bags  210  can be wound onto any preferred core material  264  such as a paper tube or can be would into roll  262  without any supporting core material  264 . Roll  262  can be produced with any desired number of recloseable bags  10  making up the roll  262 . 
         [0088]    As shown in  FIG. 8D  front wall web material  211  could be wound after a plurality of recloseable fasteners  213  have been attached along with a plurality of rupturable perforation lines  217  into a coil  270  or as shown in  FIG. 8E , front wall web material  211  could be formed into a fan folded stack  275  in a zig-zag fashion. If desired, a plurality of recloseable fasteners shown in phantom lines generally indicated by the numeral  213   a  could be positioned on film  211  in a direction parallel to the longitudinal forming axis. Front wall web material  211  could also be wound into a roll on a supporting core material such as was shown in the third embodiment of the present invention. Front wall web material  211  in the roll, coiled, or fan folded state could be formed into recloseable bags during packaging operations where product is being sandwiched between front web material  211  and another web such as back wall web material  212  resulting in a bag such as recloseable bag  210  that contains product within. The packaging of products as previously described is well known in the art and a specific product that could utilize a recloseable bag formed as described would be sliced bacon. Any conventional bag making film known in the art may be utilized as the film stock to make bag  210 . Such bag film is commonly referred to as plastic film, and is commonly made from polymeric or polyolefin materials such as polyethylene. The seals and seams of the invention are preferably made by heat sealing but any other well known methods of securing polymeric materials together such as applying adhesives could also be utilized. 
         [0089]    Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail above, it should be understood that the invention is in no sense limited thereby. Other variations are possible. For example referring to the fourth embodiment, a single web of material could be unwound from a roll and folded, out of line with blown film tube extrusion machine  250 , after the recloseable fasteners  213  have been attached and the perforated bag openings  217  have been applied. Then the side opposite the fold could be sealed closed and the remaining steps of the method of making recloseable bags on a roll according to the present invention would follow as previously described above. Also a device for staggering the bags could replace the winder so as to fan fold stack the interconnected bags into a container in a zigzag fashion versus winding them into a roll. Furthermore, the top end  223  of each bag  210  could be unsealed so the series of bags could be dispensed from the roll with one end open, allowing product to be loaded through the open end and later sealed shut by the user after loading. The rupturable line of weakness  217  could also be eliminated requiring the user to cut each bag open or a tear string could be incorporated to assist in creating an opening adjacent the recloseable profile strips  214  and  215  of each bag  210 . In addition the front wall  211  could be formed from a transparent flexible film and the back wall  212  could be formed from a opaque flexible film. As taught in the fourth embodiment, many other applications could utilize a film with pre-applied recloseable fasteners that are greater than half the width of the web each located a bag length apart with each profile strip independently connected to the same side of the film, such as, lidding films for vacuum formed trays or lidding films covering forming webs used in vacuum packaging. 
         [0090]    Many of the elements of the various embodiments of the present invention could be interchanged with one another, e.g., the recloseable fastener assembly of the second embodiment could be substituted for the fastener assembly of the third embodiment and vice versa. The fastener assemblies of the present invention could not only be interchanged, but they could be positioned transversely or parallel to the longitudinal forming axis of the zippered film as shown in  FIG. 8D . Therefore, many combinations and substitutions are possible as is made apparent from the teachings of my invention. Accordingly, the scope of my invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the following appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Technology Category: b