FLEXIBLE ENCLOSURE HAVING A TEAR STRIP

Organization Name

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Inventor(s)

Jose Manuel Septien Rojas of Naperville IL (US)

David J. Matthews of Gilman IL (US)

Eric Plourde of Frankfort IL (US)

Clifton R. Howell of Elburn IL (US)

FLEXIBLE ENCLOSURE HAVING A TEAR STRIP - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18604215 titled 'FLEXIBLE ENCLOSURE HAVING A TEAR STRIP

The patent application describes a flexible enclosure with a resealable assembly and a tear strip for easy access.

The flexible enclosure has a front sidewall and a back sidewall.
It includes first and second zipper segments that are coupled with the front and back sidewalls.
The zipper segments are mateable and releasable from each other.
A tear strip with an elongated strip body is integrated into the front sidewall.
The tear strip has a pull tab for user access.
When the pull tab is pulled, the strip body breaks from the resealable assembly and tears an access opening through the front sidewall.

Potential Applications: - Packaging industry for easy opening and resealing of packages. - Food industry for convenient access to food products. - Medical industry for sterile packaging that can be easily opened.

Problems Solved: - Difficulties in opening traditional packaging. - Ensuring resealability of packaging after initial opening. - Providing a user-friendly access mechanism for flexible enclosures.

Benefits: - Improved user experience with easy access to contents. - Enhanced convenience in opening and resealing packaging. - Potential for increased product freshness and longevity.

Commercial Applications: Title: "Resealable Flexible Enclosure Technology for Enhanced Packaging Solutions" This technology can be utilized in various industries such as food packaging, medical packaging, and consumer goods packaging to provide a user-friendly and convenient opening and resealing mechanism.

Questions about the technology: 1. How does the tear strip integrated into the front sidewall improve user experience? - The tear strip allows for easy access to the contents of the flexible enclosure without the need for additional tools. 2. What are the potential cost-saving benefits of implementing this resealable assembly in packaging solutions? - By providing a resealable mechanism, this technology can reduce product waste and improve overall product quality.

Original Abstract Submitted

Flexible enclosure includes a front sidewall and a back sidewall and also includes a resealable assembly having first and second zipper segments that are coupled with the front and back sidewalls, respectively. The first and second zipper segments are mateable with and releasable from each other. The flexible enclosure also includes a tear strip having an elongated strip body that extends along the front sidewall. The tear strip also includes a pull tab that is accessible to a user along the front sidewall. The strip body defines an integrated portion of at least one of the first and second zipper segments. The strip body breaks from the resealable assembly and tears an access opening through the front sidewall when the pull tab is pulled away from the front sidewall by the user.