Storage Bag With Lips Shaped To Facilitate Unsealing Of The Bag

Abstract

A storage bag is provided with lips that are shaped to facilitate unsealing of the bag. The lips include a visual cue that indicates to a user where the lips should be grasp during the unsealing operation. The visual cue may include any of a notch, a specific formation of the lips, and a color of the lips. When grasping the lips in the area of the lips indicated by the visual cue, the user can perform a rolling motion that greatly facilitates opening of the bag.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A storage bag comprising:
 a first side surface;   a second side surface connected to the first side surface so as to form an interior of the bag with an opening to the interior;   a first closure profile connected to the first side surface and positioned adjacent to the opening of the bag, the first closure profile including an interlocking member that extends between a first side of the first closure profile and a second side of the first closure profile, the first closure profile forming a lip between the interlocking member and an edge of the first closure profile, the first closure profile being configured such that (i) a first portion of the lip extends a substantially constant distance H1 from the interlocking member to the edge along a portion of the length of the first closure profile starting from the first side, (ii) a second portion of the lip extends a substantially constant distance H2 from the interlocking member to the edge along a portion the length of the first closure profile starting from the second side, and (iii) a third portion is provided between the first and second portions, with a distance in the third portion from the interlocking member to the edge of the first closure profile varying from H1 to H2; and   a second closure profile connected to the second side surface and positioned adjacent to the opening of the bag, the second closure profile including an interlocking member that extends between a first side of the second closure profile and a second side of the second closure profile, the second closure profile forming a lip between the interlocking member and an edge of the second closure profile, the second closure profile being configured such that (i) a first portion of the lip extends a substantially constant distance H3 from the interlocking member to the edge along a portion of the length of the second closure profile starting from the first side, (ii) a second portion of the lip extends a substantially constant distance H4 from the interlocking member to the edge along a portion the length of the second closure profile starting from the second side, and (iii) a distance in the third portion from the interlocking member to the edge of the first closure profile varies from H3 to H4,   wherein the first portion of the first closure profile is positioned opposite to the first portion of the second closure profile, the second portion of the first closure profile is positioned opposite to the second portion of the second closure profile, and the third portion of the first closure profile is positioned opposite to the third portion of the second closure profile, such that a notch is formed in an end of the bag adjacent to the opening.   
     
     
         2 . A storage bag according to  claim 1 , wherein the third portion of the first closure profile and the third portion of the second closure profile are provided in a center region of the lengths of the first and second closure profiles. 
     
     
         3 . A storage bag according to  claim 1 , wherein H1 is about equal to H3, and H2 is about equal to H4. 
     
     
         4 . A storage bag according to  claim 1 , further comprising (i) gripping ridges provided on a surface of the lip of the first closure profile that faces the interior of the bag and (ii) gripping ridges provided on a surface of the lip of the second closure profile that faces the interior of the bag. 
     
     
         5 . A storage bag according to  claim 4 , further comprising (i) gripping ridges provided on a surface of the lip of the first closure profile that faces the exterior of the bag and (ii) gripping ridges provided on a surface of the lip of the second closure profile that faces the exterior of the bag. 
     
     
         6 . A storage bag according to  claim 4 , wherein the surface of the lip of the first closure profile that faces the interior of the bag is provided with a texture that is different than that of the rest of the bag, and the surface of lip of the second closure profile that faces the interior of the bag is provided with a texture that is different than that of the rest of the bag. 
     
     
         7 . A storage bag according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the lip of the first closure profile is one of a different color and a different shade of color than at least a portion of the lip of the second closure profile. 
     
     
         8 . A storage bag according to  claim 1 , wherein the interlocking member of the first closure profile is a first interlocking member, and the first closure profile further comprises a second interlocking member that extends between the first side and the second side of the first closure profile and substantially parallel to the first interlocking member,
 wherein the interlocking member of the second closure profile is a first interlocking member, and the second closure profile further comprises a second interlocking member that extends between the first side and the second side of the second closure profile and substantially parallel to the first interlocking member, and   wherein the first interlocking member of the first closure profile is configured to interlock with the first interlocking member of the second closure profile, and the second interlocking member of the first closure profile is configured to interlock with the second interlocking member of the second closure profile.   
     
     
         9 . A storage bag comprising:
 a first side surface;   a second side surface connected to the first side surface so as to form an interior of the bag with an opening to the interior;   a first closure profile connected to first side surface and positioned adjacent to the opening of the bag, the first closure profile including an interlocking member that extends between a first side of the first closure profile and a second side of the first closure profile, the first closure profile forming a lip between the interlocking member and an edge of the first closure profile, with the lip extending a substantially constant distance H1 from the interlocking member to the edge of the first closure profile; and   a second closure profile connected to the second side surface and positioned adjacent to the opening of the bag, the second closure profile including an interlocking member that extends between a first side of the second closure profile and a second side of the second closure profile, the second closure profile forming a lip between the interlocking member and an edge of the second closure profile, the second closure profile being configured such that (i) a first portion of the lip extends a substantially constant distance H2 from the interlocking member to the edge along a portion of the length of the second closure profile starting from the first side, (ii) a second portion of the lip extends a substantially constant distance H3 from the interlocking member to the edge along a portion of the length of the second closure profile starting from the second side, and (iii) a third portion is provided between the first and second portions, with the third portion extending a substantially constant distance H4 from the interlocking member to the edge of the second closure profile,   wherein the distance H1 is greater than each of the distances H2 and H3, and the distance H4 is greater than the distance H1.   
     
     
         10 . A storage bag according to  claim 9 , wherein the second closure profile includes (i) a fourth portion between the first portion and the third portion, with the distance of the fourth portion from the interlocking member to the edge of the second closure profile varying from H2 to H4, and (ii) a fifth portion between the second portion and the third portion, with the distance of the fifth portion from the interlocking member to the edge of the second closure profile varying from H3 to H4. 
     
     
         11 . A storage bag according to  claim 9 , wherein the distance H2 is about equal to the distance H3. 
     
     
         12 . A storage bag according to  claim 9 , further comprising (i) gripping ridges provided on a surface of the lip of the first closure profile that faces the interior of the bag and (ii) gripping ridges provided on a surface of the lip of the second closure profile that faces the interior of the bag. 
     
     
         13 . A storage bag according to  claim 12 , further comprising (i) gripping ridges provided on a surface of the lip of the first closure profile that faces the exterior of the bag and (ii) gripping ridges provided on a surface of the lip of the second closure profile that faces the exterior of the bag. 
     
     
         14 . A storage bag according to  claim 12 , wherein the surface of the lip of the first closure profile that faces the interior of the bag is provided with a texture that is different than that of the rest of the bag, and the surface of lip of the second closure profile is provided with a texture that is different than that of the rest of the bag. 
     
     
         15 . A storage bag according to  claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the lip of the first closure profile is one of a different color and a different shade of color than at least a portion of the lip of the second closure profile. 
     
     
         16 . A method of unsealing of a storage bag that has lips configured to facilitate the unsealing method, the method comprising:
 providing a sealable storage bag that includes a visual cue to grasp the bag in a center region of the lips of the bag;   grasping the lips in the center region adjacent to the visual cue; and   pulling the lips apart with a rolling motion so as to unseal the bag.   
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the visual cue is provided in a center region of the lengths of the lips. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the visual cue comprises a notch in the bag. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the visual cue includes coloring on at least one of the lips. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the visual cue comprises one of the lips extending above the other lip at a center region of the length of the lips.