Reclosable Bag Rolls With Staggered Sliders for Compact Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturers face increased shipping and material costs due to the alignment of sliders on adjacent reclosable bags causing uneven roll thickness, necessitating larger containers or reduced bag counts.
Innovation Solution
A roll of reclosable bags with staggered sliders offset along the closure member and an overlapping shingled arrangement, packaged in a container with a cross-sectional area correlated to the number of bags using specific equations, optimizing packaging efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If sliders on adjacent reclosable bags are aligned during stacking, then the closure mechanism functions properly, but the roll thickness becomes uneven causing increased container size or reduced bag capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by deliberately misaligning the sliders on adjacent bags in a staggered pattern. Instead of symmetric alignment where all sliders are at the same position, the sliders are offset at different positions along the closure members, creating an asymmetric distribution that eliminates thick spots in the rolled configuration.
2Productivity
If sliders are staggered on adjacent bags, then packaging efficiency increases and container size decreases, but the stacking arrangement becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the closure member into distinct segments with sliders positioned at different locations. Each bag's slider is positioned at a specific offset position, creating a segmented pattern across the stack that simplifies the overall packaging arrangement while achieving the desired compact roll configuration.
3Volume of stationary object
If the number of bags in the container is reduced to accommodate uneven roll height, then container size decreases, but the quantity of stored bags decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by transitioning from a two-dimensional alignment problem (sliders aligned in the same plane) to a three-dimensional staggered arrangement. By offsetting sliders along the closure member dimension, the solution distributes thickness variations across multiple dimensions, enabling more efficient space utilization in the rolled configuration and increasing the number of bags that can be accommodated.
Data Source
AI summary
A package of reclosable bags and method of packaging the same including a roll having a number x of reclosable bags each having opposite first, and second panels joined along corresponding first and second sides thereof and a mouth having a width defined therebetween. The mouth having a closure member along its width, and a slider for opening and closing the reclosable bag offset along the closure member relative to the slider of each adjacent reclosable bag in the roll. The roll of reclosable bags rolled about an axis parallel with the mouth of each bag and housed in a container having a plurality of walls defining a compartment. The container having a cross-sectional area linearly correlated with the number of reclosable bags in the roll defined by an equation of cross-section=m(x)+b.