US4672723A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Stabilized reclosable extruded plastic fasteners
Assignee: Minigrip Inc
•
Filing: 1986-05-27
•
Granted: 1987-06-16
•
Expires: 2006-05-27
Abstract
Abstract A reclosable extruded plastic fastener for joining sheet material such as walls of bags, and method of making the same. The fastener comprises a grooved female profile and a complementary hook-headed male profile, and a stabilizing structure especially advantageous when pressing the profiles together into closed fastener assembly. The female profile has a generally square base with at least one stop shoulder to minimize tipping of the female profile about a thin, thermal bridge minimizing, heat transfer limiting stem. The hooked jaw arms of the female profile may have various geometric shapes. The male profile has an interhooking barb which interengages with the hooked jaws of the female profile. Stabilizing ribs are spaced from the head, but the rib at the inner side of the head is closer to the head than at the other or outer side, so that there is a desirable differential fastener separating relationship retaining the fastener efficiently with greater hold against opening due to internal bag forces.
Inventors
- 👤 Gilbert P. J. M. Hugues
- 👤 Steven Ausnit
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 03:54
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D33/00; B65D33/16; B65D33/25; B65D33/2508; B65D33/2541; A; A44; A44B; A44B19/00; A44B19/10; A44B19/16; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S24/00; Y10S24/30; Y10S24/50; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/30; Y10T24/309; Y10T24/45; Y10T24/45152; Y10T24/45157; Y10T24/45168
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
271 words
A reclosable extruded plastic fastener for joining sheet material such as the walls of bags, and comprising: a grooved female profile having a broad base and a thin and relatively short stem extending from the base for connecting the base in closely spaced relation to a material sheet area, said base having at least one shoulder spaced laterally from said stem for stopping engagement with the sheet area for limiting rocking of the female profile on said stem, and groove-defining fastener arm means on and projecting away from said base and having fastener jaw hook means directed into the groove of this profile; said stem by its short and thin structure minimizing the thermal bridge between said female profile base and said sheet for improving the differential cooling between said profile and film during extrusion; a male profile having a barbed head complementary to and reclosably interengagable with said fastener hook means in the groove of said female profile by pressing said profiles toward one another for closing the fastener, an attachment leg for connecting the male profile head to a material sheet area, and rib structure at opposite sides of, and spaced laterally relative to said head, and the spacing of said rib structure at one side of said head being substantially closer to said head than the spacing relative to the head of the rib structure at the opposite side of the head; and said shoulder and said rib structure cooperating for facilitating fitting together of said female and said male profiles by maintaining the profiles against relative lateral displacement when pressing said profiles together for closing the fastener.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
271 words
A reclosable extruded plastic fastener for joining sheet material such as the walls of bags, and comprising: a grooved female profile having a broad base and a thin and relatively short stem extending from the base for connecting the base in closely spaced relation to a material sheet area, said base having at least one shoulder spaced laterally from said stem for stopping engagement with the sheet area for limiting rocking of the female profile on said stem, and groove-defining fastener arm means on and projecting away from said base and having fastener jaw hook means directed into the groove of this profile; said stem by its short and thin structure minimizing the thermal bridge between said female profile base and said sheet for improving the differential cooling between said profile and film during extrusion; a male profile having a barbed head complementary to and reclosably interengagable with said fastener hook means in the groove of said female profile by pressing said profiles toward one another for closing the fastener, an attachment leg for connecting the male profile head to a material sheet area, and rib structure at opposite sides of, and spaced laterally relative to said head, and the spacing of said rib structure at one side of said head being substantially closer to said head than the spacing relative to the head of the rib structure at the opposite side of the head; and said shoulder and said rib structure cooperating for facilitating fitting together of said female and said male profiles by maintaining the profiles against relative lateral displacement when pressing said profiles together for closing the fastener.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A fastener according to claim 1, wherein said female profile base is substantially flat and has two shoulders spaced substantially equally from said stem.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A fastener according to claim 1, wherein said female profile base is arched away from the associated sheet so that said stem is substantially longer than the narrow spacing of said shoulder from the adjacent sheet area.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
A fastener according to claim 1, wherein said base of the female profile has a portion which extends to a substantially wider extent from the stem toward what will be the inside of an associated bag than said base extends to the opposite side of the stem, and said shoulder being at the extremity of the wider portion of the base.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A fastener according to claim 1, wherein said stem is offset from a center line through said leg of said male profile.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A fastener according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said female profile arm means is substantially thicker at said base than at said jaw hook means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
A fastener according to claim 1, wherein said male profile has barbs at its opposite sides which are adapted to interhook with the jaw hook means of the female profile, the barb at the side of said head which is to be at the inner side of a bag being wider than the opposite barb.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
A fastener according to claim 7, wherein respective ribs are on either side of said male profile and with the rib located on the inner side of the bag being closer to said wider barb than the spacing of the rib from the other barb.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
154 words
A reclosable extruded plastic fastener structure for joining sheet material such as the walls of bags, comprising: a grooved female profile having a broad base and a relatively short and thin stem of minimal thermal bridge effect extending from the base and connecting the base in closely spaced relation to a sheet, said base having at least one shoulder spaced laterally from said stem and normally narrowly spaced from the sheet, for stopping engagement with the sheet for limiting the rocking of the female profile on said stem, and groove-defining fastener arms on said base projecting away from said shoulder and having jaw hooks adapted for fastener closing press-together engagement with a complementary male profile; and said shoulder when rocked from its spaced relation to the sheet into stopping engagement with the sheet maintaining the female profile against engagement-defeating lateral displacement relative to the male profile when pressing the profiles together for fastener closing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
154 words
A reclosable extruded plastic fastener structure for joining sheet material such as the walls of bags, comprising: a grooved female profile having a broad base and a relatively short and thin stem of minimal thermal bridge effect extending from the base and connecting the base in closely spaced relation to a sheet, said base having at least one shoulder spaced laterally from said stem and normally narrowly spaced from the sheet, for stopping engagement with the sheet for limiting the rocking of the female profile on said stem, and groove-defining fastener arms on said base projecting away from said shoulder and having jaw hooks adapted for fastener closing press-together engagement with a complementary male profile; and said shoulder when rocked from its spaced relation to the sheet into stopping engagement with the sheet maintaining the female profile against engagement-defeating lateral displacement relative to the male profile when pressing the profiles together for fastener closing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
A fastener structure according to claim 9, wherein said female profile is of at least 65 mils and the sheet is under 1.25 mils.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
A fastener according to claim 9, wherein said female profile base is substantially flat has two of said shoulders spaced substantially equally from said stem.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A fastener according to claim 9, wherein said female profile base is arched away from the associated sheet so that said stem is substantially longer than the narrow spacing of said shoulder from the adjacent sheet.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
61 words
A fastener according to claim 9, wherein said base of the female profile has a portion which extends to a substantially wider extent from the stem toward what will be the inside of an associated bag than said base extends to the opposite side of the stem, and said shoulder being at the extremity of the wider portion of the base.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
A fastener according to claim 9, wherein said stem is offset from a center line through said female profile.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
A fastener according to claim 9, wherein at least one of said female profile arm means is substantially thicker at said base than at said jaw hook means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
146 words
A reclosable extruded plastic fastener structure for joining sheet material such as the walls of bags, and comprising: a male profile having a hooked head complementary to and reclosably interengagable with fastener hook means of a female profile by pressing the profiles toward one another for fastener closing, an attachment leg for connecting the male profile head to a material sheet area, and a rib structure at opposite sides of, and spaced laterally relative to said leg, the spacing of said rib structure at one side of said leg being substantially closer to said head than the spacing of said rib structure relative to said head at the opposite side of the leg; and said rib structure cooperating for stabilizing positioning of said male profile relative to the female profile by maintaining the profiles against relative lateral displacement when pressing the profiles together for fastener closing.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
146 words
A reclosable extruded plastic fastener structure for joining sheet material such as the walls of bags, and comprising: a male profile having a hooked head complementary to and reclosably interengagable with fastener hook means of a female profile by pressing the profiles toward one another for fastener closing, an attachment leg for connecting the male profile head to a material sheet area, and a rib structure at opposite sides of, and spaced laterally relative to said leg, the spacing of said rib structure at one side of said leg being substantially closer to said head than the spacing of said rib structure relative to said head at the opposite side of the leg; and said rib structure cooperating for stabilizing positioning of said male profile relative to the female profile by maintaining the profiles against relative lateral displacement when pressing the profiles together for fastener closing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
55 words
A fastener according to claim 16, wherein said male profile has barbs at its opposite sides which are adapted to interhook with the jaw hook means of the female profile, the barb at the side of said head which is to be at the inner side of a bag being wider than the opposite barb.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
165 words
A method of making a reclosable extruded plastic fastener structure for joining sheet material such as the walls of bags, and comprising: forming a grooved female profile with a broad base and a relatively short and thin, thermal bridge minimizing stem, extending from the base and connecting the base in closely spaced relation to a sheet; providing said base with at least one shoulder spaced laterally from said stem and normally narrowly spaced from the sheet, for stopping engagement with the sheet and thereby limiting rocking of the female profile on said stem; providing groove-defining fastener arms on said base projecting in the opposite direction from said stem and with jaw hooks on said arms adapted for fastener closing press-together engagement with a complementary male profile; and said shoulder when rocked from its spaced relation to the sheet into stopping engagement with the sheet maintaining the female profile against engagement-defeating lateral displacement relative to the male profile when pressing the profile together for fastener closing.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
165 words
A method of making a reclosable extruded plastic fastener structure for joining sheet material such as the walls of bags, and comprising: forming a grooved female profile with a broad base and a relatively short and thin, thermal bridge minimizing stem, extending from the base and connecting the base in closely spaced relation to a sheet; providing said base with at least one shoulder spaced laterally from said stem and normally narrowly spaced from the sheet, for stopping engagement with the sheet and thereby limiting rocking of the female profile on said stem; providing groove-defining fastener arms on said base projecting in the opposite direction from said stem and with jaw hooks on said arms adapted for fastener closing press-together engagement with a complementary male profile; and said shoulder when rocked from its spaced relation to the sheet into stopping engagement with the sheet maintaining the female profile against engagement-defeating lateral displacement relative to the male profile when pressing the profile together for fastener closing.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 18, which comprises providing the female profile of a size at least 65 mils and providing said sheet of under 1.25 mils.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method of making a fastener according to claim 18, which comprises forming said female profile base substantially flat and with two of said shoulders spaced substantially equally from said stem.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method of making a fastener according to claim 18, which comprises forming said female profile base in arched fashion away from the associated sheet so that said stem is substantially longer than the closely spaced relation of said shoulder from the adjacent sheet.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method of making a fastener according to claim 18, which comprises forming said base of the female profile to extend to a substantially greater width portion from the stem toward what will be the inside of an associated bag than to extend to the opposite side of the stem, and providing said shoulder to the extremity of the greater width portion of the base.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method of making a fastener according to claim 18, comprising offsetting said stem from a center line through said female profile.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method of making a fastener according to claim 18, comprising forming at least one of said female profile arms substantially thicker at said base than at said jaw hook means.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of making stabilized reclosable extruded plastic fastener structure for joining sheet material such as the walls of bags, and comprising: forming a male profile having a barbed head complementary to and reclosably interengagable with jaw hook means of a female profile by pressing the profiles toward one another for fastener closing; providing an attachment leg for connecting the male profile head to a material sheet; providing rib structure at opposite sides of, and spaced laterally relative to, said leg; spacing said rib structure at one side of said leg substantially closer to said head than the spacing of the rib structure from the head at the opposite side of the leg; and effecting stabilizing cooperation of said rib structure with the female profile and thereby maintaining the profiles against relative lateral displacement when pressing the profile together for fastener closing.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of making stabilized reclosable extruded plastic fastener structure for joining sheet material such as the walls of bags, and comprising: forming a male profile having a barbed head complementary to and reclosably interengagable with jaw hook means of a female profile by pressing the profiles toward one another for fastener closing; providing an attachment leg for connecting the male profile head to a material sheet; providing rib structure at opposite sides of, and spaced laterally relative to, said leg; spacing said rib structure at one side of said leg substantially closer to said head than the spacing of the rib structure from the head at the opposite side of the leg; and effecting stabilizing cooperation of said rib structure with the female profile and thereby maintaining the profiles against relative lateral displacement when pressing the profile together for fastener closing.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method of making a fastener according to claim 25, which comprises forming said male profile with barbs at its opposite sides which are adapted to interhook with the jaw hook means of the female profile, and providing the barb at the side of said head which is to be at the inner side of a bag wider than the opposite barb.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3074520A
Cited
DE1289367B
Cited
US3338284A
Cited
US3338285A
Cited
US3347298A
Cited
US3425469A
Cited
US3679511A
Cited
US3808649A
Cited
US3918131A
Cited
US4020884A
Cited
US4363345A
Cited
GB2133462A
Cited
US4484352A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-06-15 | 1990-12-15 | 1991-06-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-06-15 | 1994-12-15 | 1995-06-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-06-15 | 1998-12-15 | 1999-06-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |