Storage Bag Closure Lip Design for Grasping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Storage bags with slick surfaces make it difficult for users to grasp and manipulate the interlocking mechanisms for sealing and unsealing, and they often lack distinct features to differentiate them from other bags, leading to confusion in identification and usage.
Innovation Solution
The storage bag design incorporates specific lip configurations with varying distances and textures, along with colored lips and dimples, to provide visual and tactile cues for easy grasping and unsealing, and to distinguish the bags from others.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the storage bag uses a slick plastic surface for the closure mechanism, then the bag is easier to manufacture and has a smoother appearance, but it becomes difficult for users to grasp and manipulate the interlocking members
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing textured regions at specific locations on the closure profiles (at the interlocking members and lips) while keeping other areas smooth. This localized texturing improves grasping ability exactly where needed without compromising the overall smooth appearance and manufacturability of the bag.
2Ease of manufacture
If all storage bags have the same uniform appearance, then manufacturing is simpler and costs are lower, but users cannot easily distinguish between different bags containing different items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color changes by providing lips in different colors (e.g., first lip in a first color, second lip in a second color) to enable easy visual distinction between different storage bags. This allows users to quickly identify bag contents without adding complex manufacturing steps.
3Ease of manufacture
If the lip extends a constant distance from the interlocking member throughout, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but it provides poor visual cues for users to determine where to grasp the bag for unsealing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the lip into multiple portions with different characteristics. The first portion has a first distance from the interlocking member, the second portion has a second distance, and a third portion provides a visual cue. This segmented structure creates clear visual guidance for users while remaining manufacturable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing a third portion of the lip with different visual characteristics (such as different color or texture) at a specific location. This localized variation provides clear visual cues for grasping without requiring complex manufacturing throughout the entire lip structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage bag includes first and second side surfaces that form an interior of the bag with an opening to the interior. A first closure profile connected to the first side surface and positioned adjacent to the opening has a top edge and includes an interlocking member that extends between first and second sides of the first closure profile forms a lip between the interlocking member and the top edge. A second closure profile connected to the second side surface and positioned adjacent to the opening of the bag has a top edge and includes an interlocking member. A first portion of the lip of the second closure profile smoothly transitions into a third portion of the lip of the second closure profile, and the third portion of the lip of the second closure profile smoothly transitions into a second portion of the lip of the second closure profile.