Zippered Film And Bag

Abstract

Reclosable bags, plastic film for making the bags, and a method and apparatus for making the bags are disclosed. The bag has a reclosable fastener ( 26 ) connected to a single wall of the bag, and the film ( 55 ) has a reclosable fastener ( 26 ) connected to one side thereof which does not require attachment to any other portion of the film ( 55 ) when making a bag. The fastener ( 26 ) has a tamper-proof member attached thereto to indicate if the bag has been previously opened. The film ( 55 ) can be wound into a roll ( 54 ) suitable for use on conventional bag making machines including form, fill, and seal machines or a chain of coilable reclosable bags can be produced therefrom since the fasteners ( 26 ) are connected to the web preferably transversely to the bags longitudinal formation axis. The method and apparatus for making the film ( 55 ) includes supplying a continuous web of bag making material, feeding from a coil of continuous fastener material enough fastener material to make a single fastener, ( 26 ) positioning, cutting, and attaching the fastener ( 26 ) to the film ( 55 ), with a plurality of fasteners ( 26 ) attached thereon.

1 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A reclosable bag, comprising:
 a bag body formed from at least one rectangular sheet of film material, said bag body having a top end, a bottom end, a front wall, and a back wall, said front wall being joined to said back wall by upper and lower seams respectively provided at said top and bottom ends; and   a reclosable fastener assembly positioned within said bag body and having first and second fastener strips respectively extending along the length of the assembly, said fastener strips being configured for releasable engagement with each other;   said first fastener strip being joined at a first seal to an inside surface said front wall of said bag body, and said second fastener strip being joined at a second seal to said inside surface of said front wall of said bag body, said first seal being located above said second seal;   said front wall of said bag body having a removable plug, defined by a weakened region of said front wall, positioned between said first seal and said second seal, and extending parallel to said reclosable fastener assembly, said removable plug being removable to provide an opening for accessing said reclosable fastener assembly within said bag body, said opening being spaced from said reclosable fastener assembly so that a portion of said front wall of said bag body extends between said reclosable fastener assembly said opening.   
     
     
         51 . The reclosable bag in accordance with  claim 50 , wherein said bag body is formed from a single sheet of film material, with lateral edges of said rectangular sheet of film material from which said bag body is formed joined to each other along a back seam extending along said back wall, said fastener assembly having a length no more than one-half the width of said rectangular sheet of film. 
     
     
         52 . The reclosable bag in accordance with  claim 50 , wherein said weakened portion formed on said front wall comprises perforations. 
     
     
         53 . The reclosable bag in accordance with  claim 50 , wherein said fastener assembly includes at least one flange joining a respective one of said first and second fastener strips to the inside surface of said front wall of said bag body at a respective one of said first and second seals.