Bagrabber a quick bag closure device and locking device

Abstract

A self-locking bag closure device which includes the following: (1) a center concave passageway under a plastic cone which accepts a folded or gathered bag top into the cone, (2) several flexible teeth or tines within the cone to provide increasing tension against the the bagtop as the bag is pulled through the passageway resulting in the bag being locked into position at which point the device cannot be moved further due to the obstruction of the bag contents in one direction and due to the tension of the teeth against the bag in the other direction, and (3) a strong base member for the teeth which prevents the tines or teeth from twisting and releasing the tension.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A bag closure device comprising: 
 a base including a top side, a bottom side, and a central opening defining a passageway;    a plurality of teeth members integral with said base and extending upwardly and inwardly towards said passageway;    memory means for exerting an inward tension of said teeth members towards said passageway in response to an expansive force caused by passage of gathered material of a bag through said passageway in a first direction; and    means on said plurality of teeth members for preventing reverse movement of the gathered material of the bag in a second direction opposite to the said first direction.    
     
     
         2 . The bag closure device as recited in  claim 1  wherein said plurality of teeth members extend upwardly and inwardly from said top side of said base in converging relation to said passageway, said plurality of teeth members terminating at distal end zones in surrounding relation to said passageway to define a frustoconical configuration.  
     
     
         3 . The bag closure device as recited in  claim 1  further including means for permitting movement of the gathered material of the bag in said reverse direction to thereby remove the closure device from the bag.  
     
     
         4 . The bag closure device as recited in  claim 2  wherein said means for preventing reverse movement comprises a plurality of secondary teeth members on said distal end zones of said plurality of teeth members.  
     
     
         5 . The bag closure device for attachment about gathered material of bag in order to close the bag and protectively encapsulate contents within the bag, said device comprising: 
 a base including a top side, a bottom side, and an open central portion formed about a passageway;    a plurality of teeth members integral with said base and extending upwardly and inwardly from said top side in surrounding relation to said passageway,. Said teeth members converging towards one another and terminating at distal end zones in spaced relation about said passageway;    said teeth members including memory means for exerting means for exerting inward tension towards said passageway in response to an expansive force caused by passaage of the gathered material of the bag through said passageway in a second direction opposite to said first direction; and    said teeth members being structured and disposed to permit fast, uninterupted movement of the gathered material of the bag through said passageway in said first direction to quicklly lock the bag closed while reducing the interior volume of the bag to a minimum defined by the contents therein.    
     
     
         6 . The bag closure device as recited in  claim 5  further including means for permitting movement of the gathered material of the bag in said reverse direction to thereby remove the closure device from the bag.  
     
     
         7 . The bag closure device as recited in  claim 6  wherein said means for preventing reverse movement comprises a plurality of secondary teeth members on said distal end zones of said plurality of teeth members.