Storage bags with grip flanges

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to plastic storage bags with grip features incorporated into the closure. The grip features improve a user's ability to grip the closure during opening of the plastic storage bag. The grip features also improve a user's ability to grip the closure during filling of the plastic storage bag when the closure is in its normal configuration or when rolled down the sides of the plastic bag.

1 . A plastic storage bag comprising
 a storage pouch including a front panel and a back panel welded along selected sides to the front panel to define a storage area and free from the front panel along one side to provide an entryway into the storage area, and   a press-to-close closure coupled to the storage pouch and configured to selectively close off the entryway into the storage area, the press-to-close closure including a front flange and a back flange, each of the front flange and the back flange having a base strip that extends from a corresponding one of the front panel of the storage pouch and the back panel of the storage pouch, a lock feature, and gripping features arranged between the lock feature and a free end of the base strip,   wherein the gripping features include ridges that extend both from an interior side of the base strip and an exterior side of the base strip at the same location between the storage pouch and the free end of the base strip.   
     
     
         2 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 1 , wherein all gripping features extend both from an interior side of the base strip and an exterior side of the base strip at the same location between the storage pouch and the free end of the base strip. 
     
     
         3 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 1 , wherein a final ridge at the free end of the base strip extends only from the interior side of the base strip. 
     
     
         4 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 1 , wherein the gripping features include beads at the free end of the base strips, and the beads are larger than the ridges in at least one dimension. 
     
     
         5 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 4 , wherein the beads are at least about twice the height along the base strip as the ridges. 
     
     
         6 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 4 , wherein the beads extend at least about twice the width extending away from the base strip as the ridges. 
     
     
         7 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 4 , wherein the beads extend both from an interior side of the base strip and an exterior side of the base strip. 
     
     
         8 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 4 , wherein the bead of the back flange is larger than the bead of the front flange in at least one dimension. 
     
     
         9 . The plastic storage back of  claim 8 , wherein the bead of the back flange is at least about twice the height as the bead of the front flange. 
     
     
         10 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 1 , wherein the ridges have a shape selected from shark fin, rectangle, trapezoid, t-shape, triangle, polygon, or crescent. 
     
     
         11 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 10 , wherein each of the ridges has a shark fin shape with a curved top side and a flat bottom side. 
     
     
         12 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 11 , wherein the flat bottom side is substantially perpendicular to an associated flange. 
     
     
         13 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 12 , wherein the each of the ridges has a fillet that extends from the associated flange to the flat bottom side. 
     
     
         14 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 13 , wherein the fillet forms an obtuse angle with both the associated flange and the flat bottom side of the ridge. 
     
     
         15 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 14 , wherein the fillet extends from the associated flange between about one-fourth to one-third of the overall height of the ridge from the associated flange. 
     
     
         16 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 1 , wherein the storage pouch includes a gusseted floor interconnecting the front panel and the back panel along a bottom edge of the storage bag. 
     
     
         17 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 16 , wherein front flange and the back flange each include ridges located at substantially the same distance from the pouch so as to contact one another when the front flange is adjacent to the back flange to encourage space between the base strips of the front flange and the back flange. 
     
     
         18 . A plastic storage bag comprising
 a storage pouch including a front panel, a back panel welded along selected sides to the front panel to define a storage area and free from the front panel along one side to provide an entryway into the storage area, and a gusseted floor interconnecting the front panel and the back panel along a bottom edge of the storage bag; and   a press-to-close closure coupled to the storage pouch and configured to selectively close off the entryway into the storage area, the press-to-close closure including a front flange and a back flange, each of the front flange and the back flange having a base strip that extends from a corresponding one of the front panel of the storage pouch and the back panel of the storage pouch, a lock feature, and ridges that extend both from an interior side of the base strip and an exterior side of the base strip at the same location between the storage pouch and the free end of the base strip,   wherein front flange and the back flange each include ridges located at substantially the same distance from the pouch so as to contact one another when the front flange is adjacent to the back flange to encourage space between the base strips of the front flange and the back flange and to provide a full hoop around the entryway when the press-to-close closure is rolled down and around the storage pouch for filling of the storage pouch.   
     
     
         19 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 18 , wherein each of the front flange and the back flange has a bead at the free end of an associated base strip, and the beads are larger than the ridges in at least one dimension. 
     
     
         20 . The plastic storage bag of  claim 19 , wherein the beads extend both from an interior side of the base strip and an exterior side of the base strip.