Closure mechanism including closure profiles having a hollow core

Abstract

A reclosable pouch includes interlocking male and female closure elements having elongate hollow closure profiles. The male closure profile has a hollow shaft section, and the female closure profile has a channel with at least one hollow side. Alternatively, a set of hollow male closure profiles may also form one or more female closure profiles therebetween. A set of pleated grip strips may be disposed adjacent the closure elements to aid in opening a pouch. The closure elements and grip strips may be integral with pouch sidewalls, may be secured and/or separately extruded on to, for example, a polymer, directly to pouch sidewalls, or may be secured to backing strips to form a closure strip, which may subsequently be secured to pouch sidewalls.

1 . A closure mechanism for a reclosable pouch, wherein the closure mechanism comprises: 
 an elongate male closure profile including at least one hollow core shaft and at least one male interlocking member disposed on the shaft; and    an elongate female closure profile including at least one hollow core channel wall and at least one female interlocking member, wherein the female interlocking member is disposed between a distal end of the hollow core channel wall and a base end thereof;    wherein at least one of the male interlocking members is configured to engage and interlock with at least one of the female interlocking members.    
   
   
       2 . The closure mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the male closure profile further comprises at least one ridge having an enclosed hollow core disposed adjacent to the shaft.  
   
   
       3 . The closure mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the male closure profile is disposed on a first reclosable pouch sidewall and the female closure profile is disposed on a second reclosable pouch sidewall opposite the first male closure profile.  
   
   
       4 . The closure mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the closure mechanism further comprises at least one of 
 a first base member attached to a side of the male closure profile opposite the male interlocking member, wherein the first base member and the male closure profile define the hollow core shaft; and    a second base member attached to a side of the female closure profile opposite the female interlocking member, wherein the second base member and the female closure profile define the hollow core channel wall.    
   
   
       5 . The closure mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the female interlocking member comprises at least one female barb extending from the hollow core channel wall and is configured to engage at least one male interlocking member.  
   
   
       6 . The closure mechanism of  claim 5 , wherein the female interlocking member further comprises a second female barb extending from the hollow core channel wall and configured to engage the at least one male interlocking member.  
   
   
       7 . The closure mechanism of  claim 6 , wherein the male interlocking member comprises a first male barb and a second male barb, wherein the first female barb engages the second male barb, and the second female barb engages the first male barb when the male closure profile is fully interlocked with the female closure profile.  
   
   
       8 . The closure mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the male interlocking member includes a wall member having at least one pleat therein, and wherein the channel wall of the female closure mechanism includes at least one pleat therein.  
   
   
       9 . An elongate extruded male closure profile comprising: 
 at least one shaft including a first shaft wall laterally spaced from a second shaft wall, a hollow core disposed between the first shaft wall and the second shaft wall, a base end, and a distal end opposite the base end;    at least one male interlocking member proximate the distal end of the shaft; and    at least one ridge having a hollow core laterally adjacent the base end of the shaft and a flange extended laterally outwardly from the ridge opposite the shaft.    
   
   
       10 . The male closure profile of  claim 9 , wherein the ridge includes a first ridge wall extended angularly upwardly from the base end of a shaft wall and a second ridge wall extended angularly downwardly from an end of the first ridge wall opposite the base end of the shaft wall.  
   
   
       11 . The male closure profile of  claim 9  further comprising at least one backing member disposed across the base end of the first shaft wall and the second shaft wall defining an enclosed hollow core between the first shaft wall and the second shaft wall.  
   
   
       12 . The male closure profile of  claim 9 , wherein the male closure profile is a single layer.  
   
   
       13 . An elongate female closure profile comprising: 
 a channel member including at least one interior wall defining an interior of a channel and a female interlocking member, wherein the interior wall comprises a first sidewall and a second sidewall extended from a bottom wall; and    first and second exterior walls;    wherein the first exterior wall is laterally spaced from the interior wall to form a first hollow core and the second exterior wall is laterally spaced from the interior wall to form a second hollow core.    
   
   
       14 . The female closure profile of  claim 13 , wherein the interior wall and at least one of the exterior walls converges proximate a distal end thereof.  
   
   
       15 . The female closure profile of  claim 14  further comprising a flange extending laterally from a base end of the exterior wall opposite the distal end.  
   
   
       16 . The female closure profile of  claim 14 , wherein the female interlocking member comprises at least one female barb extending into the channel from the interior wall near the distal end thereof.  
   
   
       17 . The female closure profile of  claim 14  further comprising at least one backing member disposed across the interior wall and at least one of the exterior walls opposite the distal end and defining an enclosed hollow core.  
   
   
       18 . (canceled)  
   
   
       19 . The female closure profile of  claim 13 , wherein the female interlocking member comprises at least two female barbs extending into the channel from the interior wall between a distal end of the interior wall and a base end of the interior wall opposite the distal end.  
   
   
       20 . The female closure profile of  claim 13 , wherein the female interlocking member is configured to engage a complementary male interlocking member.