Airtight storage bag

Abstract

An airtight storage bag is defined by at least one plastic film formed into a pouch. The pouch has a containment region with an openable mouth. There are a first resealable zone extending across the openable mouth to allow closure of the month, and a second resealable zone also extending across the mouth and located on the containment region side of the first resealable zone to allow airtight closure of the containment region. A vent is located between the first and second resealable zones to allow displacement of fluid from the containment region via the vent. The second resealable zone when sealed seals the containment region from the exterior of the bag.

1 . An airtight storage bag defined by at least one plastic film formed into a pouch that defines a containment region with an openable mouth, said bag further comprising,
 a first resealable zone extending completely across said openable mouth, to allow closure of said openable mouth,   a second resealable zone extending completely across said openable mouth, located on the containment region side of said first resealable zone, to allow airtight closure of the containment region, and   a vent located between said first and second resealable zones, to allow displacement of fluid from said containment region via said vent, at least when said first resealable zone is sealed,   wherein said second resealable zone when sealed seals the containment region from the exterior of said bag.   
   
   
       2 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said vent is closer to said first resealable zone than said second resealable zone. 
   
   
       3 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said pouch is defined by,
 (a) one folded sheet of plastics film to define two overlying plies that are sealed along non-folded edges, except for said openable mouth, to define side edges of said pouch, or   (b) two overlying sheets of plastics film, sealed along all free edges, except for the openable mouth, to define side edges and a bottom edge of said pouch.   
   
   
       4 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 3  wherein at least one of said sheets of plastics film is a multi-ply plastics film, said multi-ply plastics film being of at least two plies laminated to or with each other, namely an interior-most ply and an exterior-most ply. 
   
   
       5 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 3  wherein sealing of said edges is done by heat or ultrasonic sealing. 
   
   
       6 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said interior-most ply at a region intermediate of said first and second resealable zones, includes,
 (a) at least one intermediate strip having two opposite edges and that extends from at least one of the side edges of the pouch, and   (b) at least two other strips each with edges immediately adjacent to respectively each of the opposite edges of the at least one intermediate strip,   wherein the at least one intermediate strip is of a material that is not sealable or is sealable to a lesser extent as compared to the at least two other strips so that at said seal of at least one of said side edges of said pouch and where said intermediate strip is located, an opening to the exterior of the pouch may be created for said vent to allow passage therethrough of fluid from said containment region.   
   
   
       7 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said exterior-most ply is a nylon material and said at least one intermediate strip is an oriented polypropylene (OPP) and said at least two other strips are a cast polypropylene (CPP). 
   
   
       8 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said vent consists of at least one internal aperture through the interior-most ply of said at least two plies and at least one external aperture through the exterior-most ply of said at least two plies, said internal aperture and said external aperture being in fluid communication with each other. 
   
   
       9 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 1  wherein at or near said openable mouth two opposed walls of the pouch are defined by the at least one plastic film and said vent exists at one or both of said walls. 
   
   
       10 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said vent consists of at least one aperture through said plastic film, to allow passage therethrough of fluid from said containment region. 
   
   
       11 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said first resealable zone and second resealable zone is established by any one or more of
 (a) a reclosable profile strip,   (b) an adhesive band (with or without a peelable backing layer), and   (c) a foldable region.   
   
   
       12 . An airtight storage bag comprising or including,
 a plastics pouch having an interior and an exterior with an openable mouth definable between two opposed walls of said plastics pouch,   a first resealable zone extending completely across said openable mouth,   a second resealable zone extending completely across said openable mouth, interiorly of said first resealable zone, and   a vent, located between said first and second resealable zones, to vent from the interior of said plastics pouch, at least when said first resealable zone is sealed, to said exterior,   wherein after content is located in said plastics pouch and said first resealable zone is sealed, creation of an interior pressure higher than an exterior pressure of the plastics pouch in the vicinity of said vent causes gas in the interior of said plastics pouch to expel to said exterior via said vent, and thereafter said second resealable zone can be sealed to seal said openable mouth and thus seal in the content of said plastics pouch.   
   
   
       13 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said vent consists of at least one aperture through said plastic film, to allow passage therethrough of fluid from said containment region. 
   
   
       14 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said first resealable zone and second resealable zone is established by any one or more of,
 (a) a reclosable profile strip   (b) an adhesive band (with or without a peelable backing layer), and   (c) a foldable region.   
   
   
       15 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said pouch is defined by,
 (a) one folded sheet of plastics film to define two overlying plies that are sealed along non-folded edges, except for said openable mouth, to define side edges of said pouch, or   (b) two overlying sheets of plastics film, sealed along all free edges, except for the openable mouth, to define side edges and a bottom edge.   
   
   
       16 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 15  wherein at least one of said sheets of plastics film is a multi-ply plastics film, said multi-ply plastics film being of at least two plies laminated to or with each other, namely an interior-most ply and an exterior-most ply. 
   
   
       17 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said interior-most ply at a region intermediate of said first and second resealable zones, includes,
 (a) at least one intermediate strip having two opposite edges and that extends from at least one of said side edges of said pouch, and   (b) at least two other strips each with edges immediately adjacent to respectively each of the opposite edges of the at least one intermediate strip,   wherein the at least one intermediate strip is of a material that is non sealable or is sealable to a lesser extent as compared to the at least two other strips so that at said seal of at least one of said side edges of said pouch and where said intermediate strip is located, an opening to the exterior of the pouch may be created for said vent to allow passage therethrough of fluid from said containment region.   
   
   
       18 . An airtight storage bag as claimed in  claim 17  wherein said exterior-most ply is a nylon material and said at least one intermediate strip is an oriented polypropylene (OPP) and said at least two other strips are a cast polypropylene (CPP). 
   
   
       19 . A method of use of an airtight storage bag having a plastics pouch that has an interior and an exterior with an openable mouth definable between two opposed walls of said plastics pouch, comprising or including the steps of
 (i) opening said airtight storage bag and locating content in the interior via said openable mouth,   (ii) sealing a first resealable zone that extends completely across said openable mouth,   (iii) creating an interior pressure higher than an exterior pressure of the plastics pouch in the vicinity of a vent to cause gas in the interior of said plastics pouch to expel to said exterior via said vent,   (iv) thereafter sealing a second resealable zone that extends completely across said openable mouth located interior of said vent on at least one said walls, to seal in the content of said airtight storage bag.   
   
   
       20 . A method as claimed in  claim 19  wherein said vent consists of at least one aperture through said plastic film, to allow passage therethrough of fluid from said containment region. 
   
   
       21 . A method as claimed in  claim 19  wherein said first resealable zone and second resealable zone is established by any one or more of,
 (a) a reclosable profile strip   (b) an adhesive band (with or without a peelable backing layer), and   (c) a foldable region.   
   
   
       22 . A method as claimed in  claim 19  wherein said pouch is defined by,
 (a) one folded sheet of plastics film to define two overlying plies that are sealed along non-folded edges, except for said openable mouth, to define side edges of said pouch, or   (b) two overlying sheets of plastics film, sealed along all free edges, except for the openable mouth, to define side edges and a bottom edge of said pouch.   
   
   
       23 . A method as claimed in  claim 22  wherein at least one of said sheets of plastics film is a multi-ply plastics film, said multi-ply plastics film being of at least two plies laminated to or with each other, namely an interior-most ply and an exterior-most ply. 
   
   
       24 . A method as claimed in  claim 23  wherein said interior-most ply at a region intermediate of said first and second resealable zones, includes,
 (a) at least one intermediate strip having two opposite edges and that extends from at least one of the side edges of the pouch, and   (b) at least two other strips each with edges immediately adjacent to respectively each of the opposite edges of the at least one intermediate strip,   wherein the at least one intermediate strip is of a material that is not sealable or is sealable to a lesser extent as compared to the at least two other strips so that at said seal of at least one of said side edges of said pouch and where said intermediate strip is located, an opening to the exterior of the pouch may be created for said vent to allow passage therethrough of fluid from said containment region.   
   
   
       25 . An airtight storage bag defined by at least one multi-ply plastics film having an interior most ply and an exterior-most ply laminated to or with said interior most ply and formed into a pouch that defines a containment region with an openable mouth extending between side edges defined by heat sealing of the at least one multiply plastic film of the pouch, said bag further comprising,
 a first resealable zone extending completely across said openable mouth, to allow closure of said openable mouth,   a second resealable zone extending completely across said openable mouth, adjacent to and located on the containment region side of said first resealable zone, to allow airtight closure of the containment region, and   a vent located between said first and second resealable zones, to allow displacement of fluid from said containment region via said vent, at least when said first resealable zone is sealed,   wherein said interior-most ply, at a region intermediate of said first and second resealable zones, includes   (a) at least one intermediate strip having two opposite edges and that extends from at least one of the side edges of the pouch, and   (b) at least two other strips each with edges immediately adjacent to respectively each of the opposite edges of the at least one intermediate strip,   wherein the at least one intermediate strip is of a material that is non-heat sealable or heat sealable to a lesser extent as compared to the at least two other strips so that at the at least one heat sealed side edge of said pouch and where said intermediate strip is located, an opening to the exterior of the pouch may be created for said vent,   wherein said second resealable zone when sealed seals the containment region from the exterior of said bag.