Patent US4744674A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4744674A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Non-reclosable mechanically fillable and closable link bag structure and method
Assignee: Minigrip Inc
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Filing: 1987-01-07
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Granted: 1988-05-17
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Expires: 2007-01-07
Abstract
Abstract A container structure including a bag body formed of flexible plastic film with a top through which the contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior and a mechanically interconnectable rib and groove fastener along the top which is unopenable manually externally such as by having an absence of flaps or projections at the top. In one form the top of the bag has to be torn off along predisposed paths to remove the interlocked rib and groove element, and in another form, the walls have to be cut at an appropriate location so that they may be pulled apart.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Nocek
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 17:52
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D33/00; B65D33/16; B65D33/25; B65D33/2508; B65D33/2541; B65B; B65B43/00; B65B43/12; B65D33/2516; B65D33/2525
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A container structure comprising in combination: a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior; a mechanically interlockable rib and groove continuous fastener along said top located at the edge of the film with an absence of projections of any substantial grippable length extending above said fastener so that a lateral separating force connot be applied externally of the bag for opening; and means below said fastener for normally cooperating with said fastener for maintaining the bag closed; said means being forcibly separable to permit opening of the bag.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
104 words
A container structure comprising in combination: a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior; a mechanically interlockable rib and groove continuous fastener along said top located at the edge of the film with an absence of projections of any substantial grippable length extending above said fastener so that a lateral separating force connot be applied externally of the bag for opening; and means below said fastener for normally cooperating with said fastener for maintaining the bag closed; said means being forcibly separable to permit opening of the bag.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 1: wherein said means comprises frangible means for joining the bag walls below said fastener.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 1: wherein said means permits tearing the top from the bag and thereby removing the fastener from the bag separating the material of the bag walls for access to the interior.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 3: wherein said means is in the form of perforations extending across the bag substantially parallel to the top.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 1: wherein said means comprising said bag walls connected by spot seals extending across the bag.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 1: wherein said means comprising the bag walls joined by a peelable adhesive seal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 1: wherein said rib and groove are mechanically joined to each other to provide a permanent seal for the top of the bag.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
119 words
A container structure comprising in combination: a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior; a mechanically interlockable rib and groove continuous fastener along said top located initially along upwardly projecting top extension flap structure at the top edge of the film; said bag top and rib and groove element being free of means for applying opposite separating forces to the rib and groove by virtue of said top extension flap structure having been trimmed off; and means below said said fastener for normally cooperating with said fastener for maintaining the bag closed; said menas being forcibly separable to permit opening of the bag.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
119 words
A container structure comprising in combination: a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior; a mechanically interlockable rib and groove continuous fastener along said top located initially along upwardly projecting top extension flap structure at the top edge of the film; said bag top and rib and groove element being free of means for applying opposite separating forces to the rib and groove by virtue of said top extension flap structure having been trimmed off; and means below said said fastener for normally cooperating with said fastener for maintaining the bag closed; said menas being forcibly separable to permit opening of the bag.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 8: including a flap extending above one of said rib and groove members with an absence of means extending above the other of said members.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
95 words
A container structure comprising in combination: a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior; a closure including opposed mechanically connectable continuously extending interlockable rib and groove elements along the top of the bag, said rib and groove elements when interlocked being separable only by means of other abnormal separating forces; and a secondary closure including frangible means located below said closure which means will rupture before said abnormal forces can separate said closure thereby exposing contents of the bag.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
95 words
A container structure comprising in combination: a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior; a closure including opposed mechanically connectable continuously extending interlockable rib and groove elements along the top of the bag, said rib and groove elements when interlocked being separable only by means of other abnormal separating forces; and a secondary closure including frangible means located below said closure which means will rupture before said abnormal forces can separate said closure thereby exposing contents of the bag.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 10: wherein said frangible means includes a plurality of sequential spot seals joining the walls of the bag and being frangible with the application of said abnormal forces.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 10: wherein said secondary closure includes a continuous frangible junction between the walls separable with the application of said abnormal forces.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 10: wherein said frangible means includes a surface-to-surface peelable connection joining said walls within the bag and separable with the application of said abnormal forces.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
102 words
A container structure comprising in combination: a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior; a mechanically interconnectable rib and groove continous fastener along the top of the bag with said rib and groove being manually unseparable when interlocked; and means accommodating manual removal of a strip from the top of the bag and said rib and groove fastener so that said bag is permanently closed by the rib and groove when filled and openable solely by removal of said strip from the top of the bag.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
102 words
A container structure comprising in combination: a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior; a mechanically interconnectable rib and groove continous fastener along the top of the bag with said rib and groove being manually unseparable when interlocked; and means accommodating manual removal of a strip from the top of the bag and said rib and groove fastener so that said bag is permanently closed by the rib and groove when filled and openable solely by removal of said strip from the top of the bag.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 14: wherein said means accommodating manual removal is in the form of a lateral weakened area of the film so that a strip may be torn from the film.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 14: wherein said means accommodating manual removal is in the form of perforations through the material of the bag walls extending across the top of the bag.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
103 words
A container structure comprising in combination: a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior; mechanically interconnectable rib and groove elements along the top of the bag, said rib and groove elements when interlocked being unopenable by separation of the bag walls beneath the closure of a predetermined force; and a frangible means in the bag wall being frangible at a force less than said predetermined forces so that forces applied to the bag wall will fracture said frangible means preventing separation of the rib and groove elements.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
103 words
A container structure comprising in combination: a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior; mechanically interconnectable rib and groove elements along the top of the bag, said rib and groove elements when interlocked being unopenable by separation of the bag walls beneath the closure of a predetermined force; and a frangible means in the bag wall being frangible at a force less than said predetermined forces so that forces applied to the bag wall will fracture said frangible means preventing separation of the rib and groove elements.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 17: wherein said frangible means is in the form of means weakening the normal strength of the material of the bag wall.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
A container structure constructed in accordance with claim 17: wherein said frangible means is in the form of perforations in the material of the bag walls.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
122 words
A method in making a container structure comprising a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior, comprising: providing a mechanically interlockable rib and groove continuous fastener along said top located initially along upwardly projecting top extension flap structure at the top edge of the film; providing means below said fastener for normally cooperating with said fastener for maintaining the bag closed; trimming off said extension flap structure so that said bag top and rib and groove elements are free of means for applying opposed separating force to the rib and groove element; and constructing said means to be forcibly separable to permit opening of the bag.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
122 words
A method in making a container structure comprising a bag body formed of a flexible plastic film having a top through which contents may be filled or emptied from the bag interior, comprising: providing a mechanically interlockable rib and groove continuous fastener along said top located initially along upwardly projecting top extension flap structure at the top edge of the film; providing means below said fastener for normally cooperating with said fastener for maintaining the bag closed; trimming off said extension flap structure so that said bag top and rib and groove elements are free of means for applying opposed separating force to the rib and groove element; and constructing said means to be forcibly separable to permit opening of the bag.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 20, which comprises leaving a flap of said extension flap structure extending above one of said rib and groove members while trimming off the flap extension structure above the other of said members.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 20, which comprises providing said means as frangible means joining walls of the bag below said fastener.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method according to claim 20, which comprises providing said means as a tearable structure so that the top of the bag can be torn therefrom and thereby removing the fastener from the bag and separating the material of walls of the bag for access to the bag interior.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 23, which comprises forming said means as perforations extending across the bag substantially parallel to said top.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 20, which comprises providing said means by connecting said bag body film by spot seals extending across the bag.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 20, which comprises providing said means by joining walls of the bag by a pealable adhesive seal.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 20, which comprises providing said rib and groove mechanically joined to each other to provide a permanent seal for the top of the bag.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-05-17 | 1991-11-16 | 1992-05-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-05-17 | 1995-11-16 | 1996-05-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-05-17 | 1999-11-16 | 2000-05-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |