| US 7,537,386 B2 | ||
| Tamper-evident feature for slider-operated reclosable packaging | ||
| Basil C. Linton, Loganville, Ga. (US); Gregory H. Crunkleton, Nicolson, Ga. (US); and Steven Ausnit, New York, N.Y. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, Ill. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 23, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/166,521. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0291754 A1, Dec. 28, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. B65D 33/16 (2006.01); A44B 19/38 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 383—64 [383/5; 383/61.2; 383/61.3; 24/388] | 8 Claims |
| 1. A reclosable package comprising:
a receptacle comprising first and second walls, respective mouth portions of said first and second walls forming a mouth that
communicates with an interior volume of said receptacle;
a zipper comprising first and second zipper strips, said first zipper strip being joined to said mouth portion of said first
wall and said second zipper strip being joined to said mouth portion of said second wall, respective first ends of said first
and second zipper strips being inseparable, respective second ends of said first and second zipper strips being inseparable,
and confronting portions of said first and second zipper strips disposed between said first and second ends being separable
and mutually interengageable;
a slider, having sidewalls defining a channel, mounted to said zipper for causing said confronting portions of said first
and second zipper strips to separate when said slider is moved in one direction along said zipper and for causing said confronting
portions of said first and second zipper strips to interengage each other when said slider is moved in an opposite direction
along said zipper, said slider being parked in a position adjacent said first ends of said first and second zipper strips
in an initial configuration; and
a rupturable zone of fusion in which a portion of said slider is fused with a confronting portion of said first zipper strip
or a confronting portion of said mouth portion of said first wall, disposed within the channel of the slider, said zone of
fusion being designed to rupture when said slider is urged to move toward said second ends of said first and second zipper
strips with a predetermined threshold level of force.
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