Guided clamps for quick easy opening and closing of dispenser outlet

Abstract

This invention concentrates on making squeeze-to-open self-closing devices for small hand held plastic bags with or without reclosable closures; having bag openings limited to under 4 inches for possible grasping of opposing ends of the bag opening for squeezing, by the same hand holding said plastic bag; for bags wider than 4 inches cater-cornering the 4 inches and under said plastic bag is possible; when reclosable closures are used they can be made with a tamper evident shipping seal thereby eliminating the need for conventional off-set lip and ridges made for gripping and easier opening, along with the usual single or double track seals at the bag outlet top portion. A small hand held pill box or container is offered for fabrication; using only two separate male and female ribbons extruded from conventional extrusion profiles; cut to predetermined lengths; superimposed and aligned for seal welding respective edges for shaping a cylindrical container bottom for up-right standing.

What I claim is:  
     
         1 . A small hand held reclosable flat plastic bag having a “ZIPLOC” or equal interlocking closure for bag openings under 4 inches, to make digital squeezing at its opposing ends possible while holding said bag with the same hand; said squeezing opens the closure aided by the addition of a guide attachment; upon release of the squeeze effort the closure automatically self closes; said guide attachments being made stiff enough to withstand the squeeze effort required to open the occluded closure, must be at least four times the thickness of the plastic bag sheet, and made part of the “ZIPLOC” or equal male and female elements by addition to each of their extrusion profiles, said guides being short attachments to the male and female “ZIPLOC” or equal elements running full length of the bag opening, each spaced 45 degree angles from each other sufficiently to make the assembly of the extruded superimposed bag sheet ribbons bulge or separate to form a throat portion, which when grasped lengthwise and digitally squeezed guides the mouth of the nested closure elements to open, and upon release of the squeeze effort automatically self-closes, due to the addition of said guide attachments at the throat portion and inherent resilience and plastic memory of the thermoplastic material used such as low density polyethylene.  
     
     
         2 . A plastic bag according to  claim 1 , wherein said reclosable flat plastic bag flat discharge opening span is more than 4 inches, whereby cater-cornering with a 4 inch slotted outlet can be made, or else both hands per usual practice for opening is required.  
     
     
         3 . A plastic bag having a flat discharge opening span of less than 4 inches having a pair of nested male and female curved quadrant clamps forming a simple resilient reclosable closure with the inside radius of the concave portion of the female curved quadrant clamp a few thousandths of an inch shorter than its mating outside nested contact, plus bowing the longitudinal edges of the female concave curved portion towards each other forms a positive resilient press fit with its mating male counterpart when occluded, using thermoplastic material such as low density polyethylene, after the assembly of two separate male and female plastic extruded ribbons, each cut to the desired bag opening length, made from individual extrusion profiles, the male profile consisting of the male portion of a snap-in shipping lip seal end, the aforementioned male curved quadrant clamp, male guided throat attachment, and thin gauge plastic sheet, thus for the male profile assembly which when extruded in ribbon form is cut to the desired bag opening length and superimposed for nesting and alignment with its female profile extruded ribbon counterpart, then seal weld the ends of the nested male and female curved quadrant clamps, fusion weld the flat superimposed plastic sheets along their corresponding side and bottom edges and spot weld the female snap-in shipping lip seal portion at its lengthwise mid point enough to penetrate for joining the welded portion to its counterpart male to penetrate for joining the welded portion to its counterpart male lip end of the curved quadrant clamp for protection against tampering until severed by the initial squeeze to open operation by the purchaser,  
     
     
         4 . A plastic bag according to  claim 3 , wherein said simple resilient reclosable closure is replaced by a resilient inter-meshed closure device consisting of male and female curved quadrant clamps each having serrated “V” shaped notches running full length and parallel to the longitudinal axis of and on the convex portion of the male curved quadrant clamp element and on the concave portion of its counterpart the female quadrant clamp element both resiliently inter-meshed with one another when occluded.  
     
     
         5 . A plastic bag according to  claim 3 , wherein said simple resilient reclosable closure is replaced by a simple resilient reclosable interlocking closure device consisting of a male curved quadrant clamp element having at its mid-quadrant location atop its convex portion, running full length and parallel to its longitudinal axis a key-hole shaped nodule having the same profile as its female counterpart which is imbedded within the concave portion of the female curved quadrant clamp element which self seals upon release of the squeeze to open effort and requires manual assistance to compress into an interlocked occlusion.  
     
     
         6 . A plastic bag according to  claim 5 , wherein the simple resilient reclosable interlocking closure device using a key-hole shaped nodule assembly is replaced by a conventional reclosable “ZIPLOC” or equal interlocking joint which self seals upon release of the squeeze to open effort and requires manual assistance to compress into an interlocked occlusion.  
     
     
         7 . A small hand held all plastic pill box made from flexible resilient thermoplastic material such as low density polyethylene, having guided clamps for quick easy opening and closing of a flat narrow dispenser outlet from a pair of plain nested male and female curved quadrant clamps relying on the resiliency of the plastic and the guide reinforcement at its throat portion, for forming a tight seal closure, and to F.D.A.'s satisfaction leaves no interlocking grooves for dirt and bacteria build up, capable of being made from extrusion profiles of two separate male and female ribbons, the male ribbon profile consisting of the male portion of a snap-in shipping lip seal end, the aforementioned male curved quadrant clamp, and the thick male guide throat attachment connected to the heavy gauge 30 mil plastic sheet, thus for the male profile assembly consisting of the aforementioned integrated male parts in ribbon form is cut to a predetermined length and superimposed for nesting and alignment with its female ribbon profile counterpart, is seal welded at the ends of the nested male and female curved quadrant clamps, the guide throat attachment and the flat superimposed plastic sheets along their corresponding sides and quadrantal spaced seams at its bottom edges and spot welded female snap-in shipping lip seal portion at its lengthwise mid point enough to penetrate through for welding a portion of its counterpart male lip end of the curved quadrant clamp for protection against tampering until severed by the initial squeeze to open operation by the purchaser.  
     
     
         8 . A small hand held all plastic pill box according to  claim 7 , wherein the open ends of the superimposed plastic sheets are laterally compressed towards one another to form a cylindrical outlet when bonded to an F.D.A. approved standard tube cap for sealing the outlet.  
     
     
         9 . A small hand held all plastic pill box according to  claim 7 , wherein the improved plain nested male and female curved quadrant clamps are post formed by heating the elongated cylindrical outlet of a low density polyethylene vial to its softening point and clamping it to shape the curved quadrant nested clamps by cooling to set its permanent shape capable of being digitally squeezed for dispensing and upon release of squeeze effort self-closes.  
     
     
         10 . For larger than 4 inch wide plastic bags, a 4 inch or under bag opening slotted outlet can be cater-cornered for dispensing.  
     
     
         11 . Plastic bags or containers having elongated flat nested dispensing lips can be made to include a tamper evident shipping seal consisting of an extra thin resilient plastic strip made part of the top outer lip portion running full length of said elongated flat nested dispensing lips extending slightly beyond and below the thickness of the lower nested lip portion to include a short hook with pointed end for making only linear contact at the outer underside portion of the bottom outlet lip forming a lock, when closure is in its occluded position, said linear contact being no more than {fraction (1/16)} inch from its outer strip portion and beveled a distance of ⅛ inch thereto to permit it to slide over the upper portion of the lower lip while the closure is in the process of being occluded, while in the occluded position the extra thin resilient plastic strip is spot welded at its midway point of the elongated closure outlet for embedment into the lower lip, thus keeping the closure in a closed position for prevention of product discharge prior to customer usage; said heat sealed joint being severed prior to purchase indicates possible tampering for rejection by the purchaser; said heat sealed joint is easily severed by the purchaser, by applying sufficient digital force, to shear the fused embeded heat sealed joint at the opposing ends of a resilient reclosable closure.  
     
     
         12 . Plastic bags or containers having elongated flat nested dispensing lips can be provided with a tamper evident shipping seal consisting of two thin gauge plastic strips each attached and extending beyond the lower and upper outlet lips of said flat nested dispensing lips to form nested contact with one another for fusion welding, using a conventional heater the likes of a simple kitchen appliance electric heated bag sealer, after filling the plastic bag or container, which if a pill box, after filling prescriptions by the pharmacist, said sealed shipping seal is easily broken open by the purchaser, when said elongated flat nested dispensing lips are part of this patent's curved quadrant clamps, by applying sufficient digital force, at their opposing lip ends.  
     
     
         13 . A reclosable plastic bag according to  claim 1 , whereby said reclosable plastic bag is made by other means than extrusion of separate male and female extruded ribbons.  
     
     
         14 . A reclosable plastic bag according to  claim 3 , whereby said reclosable plastic bag is made by other means than extrusion of separate male and female extruded ribbons.  
     
     
         15 . A reclosable plastic bag according to  claim 3 , whereby said reclosable plastic bag discharge opening span is more than 4 inches.  
     
     
         16 . A basic flat standard plastic bag having no reclosable or interlocking closure joint at its bag opening mouth is provided with low density polyethylene plastic or equal; guide mouth opening and closing plastic stiffeners; said stiffeners create a throat portion within the plastic bag which when digitally squeezed laterally at opposing ends opens the mouth of the bag outlet for discharge of product and upon release of the squeeze effort automatically self closes; said guide stiffeners may be extruded integrally with the thinner plastic bag sheets or independently for bonding to said plastic sheets.