US 2006O171611A1

(19) United States

(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2006/0171611 A1
Rapparini (43) Pub. Date: Aug. 3, 2006
(54) FLEXIBLE BAG WITH HERMETICALLY (30) Foreign Application Priority Data
RE-CLOSEABLE OPENING
Mar. 31, 2003 (IT).............................. BO2OO3AOOO181
75) Inventor
(75) I tor: Gino R ini, Bol
ino Rapparini, IT
Bologna (IT) Publication Classification
Correspondence Address:
OBLON, SPIVAK, MCCLELLAND, MAIER &
(51) Int. Cl.
B65D 33/14 (2006.01)
NEUSTADT, P.C. B65D 33/6 (2006.01)
RSX-14
9
(us
(US) (52)
B65D 33/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. ................ 383/66; 383/906; 383/5; 383/203
(73) Assignee: ICA S.P.A., Bologna (IT) (57) ABSTRACT
(21) Appl. No.: 10/548,954 A flexible bag with a hermetically re-closeable opening. Part
of the body of bag is provided with an easy-open area by
(22) PCT Filed: Mar. 19, 2004 which an adhesive label is externally attached to keep
hermetically closed the easy-open area to assure hermetic
(86). PCT No.: PCT/BO4/OO816 sealing even after further opening and re-closing.
Patent Application Publication Aug. 3, 2006 Sheet 1 of 6 US 2006/0171611 A1

FIG. 1
Patent Application Publication Aug. 3, 2006 Sheet 2 of 6 US 2006/0171611 A1

FIG. 2
Patent Application Publication Aug. 3, 2006 Sheet 3 of 6 US 2006/0171611 A1

FIG. 3
Patent Application Publication Aug. 3, 2006 Sheet 4 of 6 US 2006/0171611 A1

FG. 4.
Patent Application Publication Aug. 3, 2006 Sheet 5 of 6 US 2006/0171611 A1

F.G. 5
Patent Application Publication Aug. 3, 2006 Sheet 6 of 6 US 2006/0171611 A1

FIG. 6
US 2006/0171611 A1
FLEXBLE BAG WITH HERMETICALLY
RE-CLOSEABLE OPENING
TECHNICAL FIELD
0001. The present invention relates to the packaging
technique of bags made of flexible material, and in particular
concerns hermetic bags that can be opened and hermetically
re-closed. International Classification B 65 b.
STATES OF THE ART
0002. Several types of sealed bags are known that are
provided with Systems of opening and re-closing. In all the
known systems the problem of the hermetic re-closing upon
partial serving still persists. The problem is due to the fact
that after the first few openings, especially when the content
is powdery, the adhesiveness of the flexible re-closing
devices decreases significantly.
0003. The solution suggested by the present invention
successfully resolves the problems that still challenge this
technological field.
DESCRIPTION
0004 The invention is now explained by the following
description with reference to the figures of the drawings
attached as a unrestrictive example.
0005 FIG. 1 represents schematically a flexible bag (5)
provided with an adhesive label (2) with a non-stick pre
hensile flap (3) and warranty seals (4) to reveal signs of
alteration of the sealed package. One might notice indicated
with broken line the easy-open below area (1) on the side of
the bag by the already mentioned adhesive label (2). A
dotted line indicates the fragile area of the warranty seals
(4).
0006 FIG. 2 represents the bag of figure (1) after an
opening operation. It can be noticed the configuration of the
open bag (5) and the position of the label (2) directed
upwards. It can be noticed also the two warranty seals that
highlight the breaking of the fragile lines of seals (4). In this
FIG. 2 it can be noticed the presence of the wide opening (1)
corresponding to the dotted line of the previous figure. It is
evident that the adhesive part of the adhesive label (2) does
not come in touch with the powdery product poured out
wards.
0007 FIG. 3 represents the configuration of the bag in
hermetic closing position. In this figure the breaking of the
seals (4) in showed.
0008 FIG. 4 represents a flexible bag (5) packaged under
vacuum and its squared parallelepipedic shape and its per
fect hermetic Sealing are highlighted. The airtight sealing is
guaranteed even with the presence of the facilitated opening
area (1), of the adhesive label (2) pushed by the external
atmosphere against the sealed bag (5). It can be noticed that
the dotted areas (4), still intact and guaranteed sealed, are
also highlighted.
0009 FIG. 5 represents the bag of figure (4) after the
operation of opening of the label (2) pulled upwards through
the prehensile flap (3). It can be noticed that the package
does not have the parallelepipedic shape because of the
isobaric conditions created after the opening.
Aug. 3, 2006
0010 FIG. 6 shoes the stance that the bag takes after the
hermetic closing, which is of course not in vacuum condi
tions anymore. The violation of the warranty seals (4) can
also be observed.
0.011) In the figures each single detail is marked as
follows:
0012. 1 indicates an area with facilitated opening previ
ously created upon the strip of flexible material to be
packaged in hermetic bags.
0013 2 indicates an adhesive label.
0014 3 indicates a non-stick prehensile flap.
00.15 4 indicates fragile area that function as warranty
seals.
0016 5 indicates a flexible bag.
0017. The evidence of the figures highlights the simplic
ity of the invention and its reliability also for airtight
under-vacuum bags.
0018. The invention of course allows for several varia
tions of practical realization as far as the proportioning and
the structural dimensioning are concerned and as well as the
materials used in the realization of the bags.
0.019 All flexible bags with hermetically re-closable
openings which will feature the body provided with an
easy-open area by which is externally attached an adhesive
label to keep hermetically closed said below easy-open area,
in order to assure hermetic Sealing even after further opening
and reclosing, such as described, showed and hereinafter
claimed, will be considered as being part of protection
sphere of the present invention.
1-7. (canceled)
8. A flexible bag comprising:
a body for containing a pourable product; and
a hermetically sealed re-closable opening,
wherein a part of the body is provided with an easy-open
area, and wherein an adhesive label is externally
attached to the body so as to be pulled upwards for
opening the easy-open area and to be adhered to the
body so as to assure hermetic sealing even after open
ing and re-closing,
wherein the bag is to be filled with the pourable product
and sealed under vacuum or controlled atmosphere, and
the bag, after having been filled and sealed, has essen
tially a square parallelepiped shape, and the re-closable
opening is provided at a side face of the bag.
9. The bag of claim 8, wherein the adhesive label assures
initial hermetic conditions of the bag packaged under
vacuum or under controlled atmosphere, despite the pres
ence of the easy-open area.
10. The bag of claim 8, wherein the adhesive label is
provided with a prehensile flap that facilitates its opening
operation.
11. The bag of claim 10, wherein the prehensile flap is
located at a lower part of the label to perform upwards
US 2006/0171611 A1 Aug. 3, 2006
2

opening and to allow serving of contents of the bag without 13. The bag of claim 8, wherein the bag is sealed at a top
Soiling the adhesive interior of the label during pouring of surface of the body.
the contents. 14. The bag of claim 13, wherein a sealing portion
12. The bag of claim 8, wherein the adhesive label projects upwards from the top surface of the body.
includes fragile areas configured to perform a function of
warrant seals to reveal alterations to the bag. k . . . .