Bag Closure with Segmented Opening for Filling and Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Plastic bags with closures, such as zip closures, face challenges during filling due to natural bias and constriction, which complicates filling and can lead to contamination and sealing issues, especially when filled with powders or liquids.
Innovation Solution
A bag design featuring a multi-panel assembly with a non-bonding zone that allows a first mode opening for filling and a second mode opening for sealing, where the closure elements are protected from contamination, using a thermoplastic and non-thermoplastic material relationship to prevent bonding between the closure panels under heat and pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the closure parts are joined together with end-regions prevented from separating, then the closure can provide an airtight seal, but the natural bias and constriction reduce the opening size available for filling
Solution Approach 1:
The closure is divided into two separate halves that can be independently positioned. One half is attached to the bag body while the other half remains free to move, allowing the opening to be enlarged for filling without compromising the sealing capability when the halves are brought together.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure halves are designed to be dynamically separable and reconfigurable. During filling, the halves can be separated to create a larger opening, and during sealing, they are brought together to form the airtight closure, providing dynamic adaptability between different functional states.
2Ease of operation
If the closure parts are exposed during filling to enable access to the bag interior, then filling is possible, but the closure parts become contaminated by the contents
Solution Approach 1:
The closure half that is susceptible to contamination is extracted from the filling path area and positioned away from the bag opening during the filling operation. This allows filling to proceed without the closure parts being exposed to contaminants while maintaining accessibility to the bag interior.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary mechanism or structure is introduced to facilitate filling without requiring direct exposure of the closure parts. This intermediary allows material to be introduced into the bag while keeping the closure components protected and isolated from contamination.
3Productivity
If the opening is expanded to facilitate filling, then the filling process is simplified, but the end-regions of the plastic zip separate and the bag can no longer be sealed closed
Solution Approach 1:
The closure system is segmented into separate components that can be independently managed. This allows the opening to be expanded for efficient filling while the closure halves remain positioned to maintain their sealing relationship, preventing separation that would compromise sealing functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy filling without restricting the opening size and protects closure elements from contamination, allowing for efficient sealing and re-sealing while maintaining the integrity of contents.
Implementation Method 1
using a thermoplastic and non-thermoplastic material relationship to prevent bonding between the closure panels under heat and pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A bag wherein in a first mode the mouth of the bag has a perimeter defined by the front panel and back panel and two sides of the bag closure. Strips at the mouth are not configured to close the bag in the first mode. The bag also has a second mode. This allows a second mode opening to the bag's containment region to be created. The perimeter of the second mode opening is defined by the two mutually engageable closure strips.