Flexible Reclosable Enclosure With Tamper-Evident Flap

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing flexible packaging solutions struggle to transition fully to flexible designs without rigid components, as they either face manufacturing difficulties and costs with tearable tape strips or lack assurance of hermetic sealing and protection from debris with frangible seals.

Innovation Solution

A flexible reclosable enclosure with a flap that integrates a zipper assembly, where the flap covers the zipper and features lines of weakness for irreparable separation, providing tamper evidence and debris protection, manufactured from mono-material films like polyethylene.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a tearable tape strip is used to seal the zipper assembly, then tamper evidence and debris protection are improved, but manufacturing difficulty and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetamper evidenceVSAvoidmanufacturing difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The flap is divided into a main body and a tearable tab portion through a predefined break line. The tab can be separately torn off to expose the zipper assembly, providing tamper evidence functionality without requiring a separate tape strip component. This segmentation allows the flap to serve multiple functions while simplifying manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The flap structure is designed to simultaneously provide debris protection, tamper evidence, and zipper access control. By integrating these functions into a single flap component rather than requiring separate tape strips and flaps, the design reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If a tearable tape strip is used to seal the zipper assembly, then tamper evidence and debris protection are improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedebris protectionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The flap and tab are merged into a single integrated structure formed from one continuous piece of flexible material. The break line creates a weak point that allows easy separation of the tab from the flap body, eliminating the need for separate tape strip components and reducing manufacturing steps and material costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The break line is pre-formed during manufacturing to create a predetermined separation point. This preliminary action ensures that the tab can be easily torn off by the user without requiring additional tools or complex manufacturing processes, reducing both manufacturing cost and operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If the zipper assembly is exposed through an access slot without a flap, then manufacturing is simpler, but hermetic sealing assurance and tamper evidence are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidhermetic sealing assurance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The tab portion of the flap is designed as a disposable element that is torn off during first use to expose the zipper assembly. This simple, low-cost component provides critical hermetic sealing assurance and tamper evidence functionality during initial packaging, then is discarded after serving its purpose, allowing the zipper to remain exposed for subsequent reclosable operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The flap structure segments the hermetic sealing function (provided by the flap covering the zipper) from the long-term access function (provided by the exposed zipper after tab removal). This segmentation allows the package to provide both hermetic sealing assurance during storage and easy reclosable access after opening.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Ease of manufacture

If the zipper assembly is exposed through an access slot without a flap, then manufacturing is simpler, but protection from debris collection is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoiddebris collection

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The tab portion serves as a temporary protective cover that is discarded after first use. During storage and transport, the intact flap with tab provides debris protection over the zipper assembly. After the tab is torn off to enable first opening, the zipper remains exposed for reclosable operations, but the initial debris protection function has been fulfilled by this simple, disposable element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS12454391B2Flexible reclosable enclosure with flap

Publication Date: 2025.10.28 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC

AI summary

A reclosable enclosure includes a body having a front panel and a back panel secured to each other and forming a cavity therebetween to store contents. The body includes a flap that extends from a top end of the body. The reclosable enclosure includes a zipper assembly coupled to an interior surface of at least the front panel. The zipper assembly includes a first profile strip and a second profile strip that form a reclosable zipper to selectively close the cavity. The flap blocks access to the reclosable zipper and is sealed to at least one of the front panel or the second profile strip in an intact state of the flap. The flap defines one or more lines of weakness to permit irreparable separation of a sub-flap from a remainder of the flap to access the reclosable zipper.