Magnetically resealable bag and methods of making the same

Abstract

A magnetically resealable bag including a polymer substrate. The polymer substrate including a front panel, a back panel, a closed bottom and an opening. The inside of the opening including a first side strip and a second side strip. The first side strip and second side strip include a layer of a magnetizable composition, and at least one layer of a polymer material arranged to provide a covering over the layer of the magnetizable composition. A top portion of the first side strip is coupled to the inside at the front panel of the bag and a top portion of the second side strip is coupled to the inside of the back panel of the bag, and a bottom portion of the first and second side strip is free of the inside of the opening. The first side strip and second side strip are aligned and permanently magnetized.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A magnetically resealable bag, the magnetically resealable bag comprising:
 a polymeric substrate, the polymeric substrate comprising a front panel, a back panel, a closed bottom and an opening, and an inside and an outside;   the inside of the opening comprising a first side strip and a second side strip;   the first side strip and the second side strip comprising at least one first layer of polymer material and a layer of a magnetizable composition, the magnetizable composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer and magnetizable particles, the at least one first layer of polymer material is arranged so as to provide a covering over the layer of the magnetizable composition;   a top portion of the first side strip is coupled to the inside of the opening at the front panel of the bag, and a bottom portion of the first side strip is free of the inside of the opening at the front panel of the bag;   a top portion of the second side strip is coupled to the inside of the opening at the back panel of the bag, and a bottom portion of the second side strip is free of the inside of opening at the back panel of the bag; and   
       wherein the magnetizable composition of the first side strip and the second side strip are aligned and permanently magnetized so as to form a reopenable and resealable closure. 
     
     
         2 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first side strip comprises the magnetizable composition having a plurality of poles having a first leading edge comprising a first pole and the second side strip comprises a plurality of poles having a second leading edge comprising a second pole that is opposite to the first pole. 
     
     
         3 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 1  wherein the first side strip and the second side strip comprise the at least one first layer of polymer material and a second layer of polymer material. 
     
     
         4 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one first layer of polymer material is different than the second layer of polymer material. 
     
     
         5 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 4 , wherein the first layer of polymer material is formed of a more compliant polymer material than the at least one first layer. 
     
     
         6 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first layer of polymer material comprises polyethylene. 
     
     
         7 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 3 , wherein the second layer comprises polyethylene terephthalate. 
     
     
         8 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 3 , wherein the top portion of the first side strip and the second side strip are coupled to the inside of the opening of the bag at the second layer. 
     
     
         9 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 8 , wherein the top portion of the first side strip and the top portion of the second side strip are coupled to the inside of the opening of the bag with the at least one first layer of polymer material. 
     
     
         10 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic composition comprises about 70% to about 95% magnetizable particles and about 5% to about 30% by weight polymer material. 
     
     
         11 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetically resealable bag further comprises a removable top portion above the opening of the magnetically resealable bag and the removable top portion is laser scored above the opening to facilitate removal of the top portion of the magnetically resealable bag. 
     
     
         12 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 1 , wherein the closed bottom of the bag is arranged to form a stand-up pouch. 
     
     
         13 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric substrate comprises a metallized foil laminated polymer. 
     
     
         14 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first layer of polymer material has a thickness of about 1.0 to about 2.0 mils. 
     
     
         15 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one second layer of polymer material has a thickness of about 0.25 to about 1.0 mils. 
     
     
         16 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic layer has a thickness of about 8 to about 30 mils. 
     
     
         17 . A magnetically resealable bag, the magnetically resealable bag comprising:
 a polymeric substrate, the polymeric substrate comprising a first side panel, a second side panel, a closed bottom and an opening, and an inside and an outside;   the inside of the opening comprising a first side strip and a second side strip;   the first side strip and second side strip comprising at least one first layer of polymer material and a layer of a magnetizable composition, the magnetizable composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer and magnetizable particles;   a top portion of the first side strip and a top portion of the second side strip comprising the at least one first layer of polymer material and a bottom portion of the first side strip and the second side strip comprising the at least one layer of polymer material and the layer of the magnetizable composition wherein the at least one first layer of polymer material forms a covering over the layer of the magnetizable composition;   the top portion of the first side strip is coupled to the inside of the opening at the front panel of the bag, and the bottom portion of the first side strip is free of the inside of the first side panel; and   the top portion of the second side strip is coupled to the inside of the opening at the back panel, and the bottom portion of the second side strip is free of the inside of the second side panel; and   wherein the first side strip and second side strip are aligned and magnetized so as to form a magnetically reopenable and resealable closure.   
     
     
         18 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 17 , wherein the top portion of the first side strip is coupled to inside of the opening at the front panel of the magnetically resealable bag and the top portion of the second side strip is coupled to the inside of the opening at the bag panel of the bag by a heat seal. 
     
     
         19 . The magnetically resealable bag of  claim 17 , wherein the first side strip and the second side strip comprise the at least one first layer of polymer material and a second layer of polymer material. 
     
     
         20 . A method of making a resealable package, the method comprising:
 a) heating a magnetizable composition to a temperature at which the magnetizable composition is in flowable form, the magnetizable composition comprising at least one thermoplastic polymer material and magnetizable particles;   b) extruding the magnetizable composition at an elevated temperature to a moving transfer belt or roller with a releasable coating and marrying a heat sealable film downstream to the magnetizable composition;   c) aligning the magnetizable composition while the magnetizable composition is in flowable form;   d) chilling the magnetizable composition;   e) magnetizing the magnetizable composition to form a first magnet and a second magnet;   f) forming a first side strip and a second side strip of the magnetizable composition and heat sealing film; and   g) coupling the first side strip and the second side strip to an inside surface of a magnetically resealable bag.