A zipper storage bag, slider storage bag, zipper bag, zip lock bag, or zippie is an inexpensive flexible rectangular storage bag, usually transparent, made of polyethylene[1][2] or similar plastic, that can be sealed and opened many times, either by a slider, which works in a similar way to a zip fastener, or by pinching together the two sides of a mechanical sealing mechanism with one's fingers. The bags are made in many sizes; a typical small size is 1.5 by 2.5 inches (3.8 cm × 6.4 cm), and a typical large size is 9 by 12 inches (23 cm × 30 cm). Material thickness (gauge) varies; smaller bags are typically 40 to 45 μm.
Many such bags are used to contain foodstuffs, such as sandwiches and freezer storage. Single and multiple small items for sale are often packed in small zipper bags for convenience and visibility.
Several types of reclosable features are available for plastic bags.[3][4] Sometimes other types of bag, such as a cloth bag for toiletries fitted with a conventional zip fastener, are described as zipper bags.[5]
One bag was patented by Robert W. Vergobbi on May 18, 1954.[citation needed] In the same year, Minigrip licensed them as pencil bags. The zipper storage bag's most recognized function was not realized until 1957, when a fifth-grader named Robert Lejeune demonstrated that the bag could also be used safely as a food storage device.[6] Eleven years later, in 1968, Dow Chemical Company began marketing them under the name Ziploc. Widetrack ribs were added in 1982, clicking zippers in 1993 and color in 1997.[7]
See also
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References
edit- Yam, Kit L (2009). The Wiley Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-08704-6.
- ^ "Polyethylene (PE) Plastic". UL LLC. January 4, 2016.
- ^ "Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bags". SC Johnson & Son, Inc. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- ^ US6962439B2, Tahiri, "Leak resistant tamper evident reclosable plastic bag", published 2005
- ^ US3473589A, Gotz, "Plastic bag", published 1967
- ^ "Ten minute zipper bag". Hooray Design Blog. August 1, 2011. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
- ^ "Bag for storage and removal of oxygen",
- ^ Macneal, David (20 April 2015). "The Surprisingly Complex Design of the Ziploc Bag". Wired. Retrieved 20 April 2015.