WO2000059362A1

WO2000059362A1 - Vacuum cleaner bag closure

Info

Publication number: WO2000059362A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/007519
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul A. Moshenrose; William G. Fish; Michael E. Embree
Original assignee: Oreck Holdings, Llc
Priority date: 1999-04-06
Filing date: 2000-03-21
Publication date: 2000-10-12
Also published as: AU3907400A

Abstract

Sealable dirt containers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a sealable bag (120) includes a bag body (22) having an opening (26), and a plate member (128) attached to the bag body (22) proximate the opening (26). The plate member (128) has an aperture (130) therethrough, the aperture (130) at least partially aligned with the opening (26). The plate member (128) includes a back surface (136) that is scored to define a hingeline (156) separating a first portion (150) and a second portion (152), the first and second portions being hingeable along the hingeline (156) so that the first portion (150) is engageable with the second portion (152) to sub stantially seal the opening (26). The opening (26) may be disposed in a flexible lateral wall (25) of the bag body (22), or alternately, in an end portion of the bag body (22). In another embodiment, an apparatus includes an adhesive layer (158) disposed on at least the first portion (150) to secure the first portion (150) to the second portion (152). A non-stick sheet (160) may be disposed on the adhesive layer (158), the non-stick sheet (160) being removable to expose the adhesive layer (158). In yet another embodiment, a sealable bag (320) includes a bag body (22) having an opening (26), a first plate member (328) attached to the bag body (22) proximate the opening (26), and a second plate member (329) attached to the bag body (22) proximate the opening (26), the first and second plate members being engageable to substantially seal the opening (26).

Description

VACUUM CLEANER BAG CLOSURE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to sealable dirt containers, suitable for use with, for example, a vacuum cleaner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vacuum cleaners are a pervasive and well-established appliance for commercial and residential floor care. A wide variety of vacuum cleaner configurations are available to suit the needs of a particular application or user, including upright vacuums, canister models, and hand-held models. A common element in almost all vacuum cleaner configurations is a vacuum cleaner bag.

A prior art vacuum cleaner bag 20, such as the general types disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,090,975 to Requejo et al, is shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner bag 20 includes a bag body 22 that has two enclosed ends 24 and an opening 26 that leads to an interior region (not shown) of the bag 20. A mounting plate 28 (typically constructed of cardboard) having an aperture 30 therethrough is attached to the bag body 22, the aperture 30 of the mounting plate 28 being aligned with the opening 26. A flexible sealing gasket 32 is disposed about the opening 26 and situated between the mounting plate 28 and the bag body 22. Figure 2 shows the vacuum cleaner bag 20 of Figure 1 partially installed in an upright vacuum cleaner 40. The upright vacuum cleaner 40 includes a base unit 42 and a closeable bag housing or outer bag 44 attached to a handle 46. The base unit 42 typically includes an electric motor for producing suction and for rotating one or more roller brushes that dislodge dirt and particulates from a floor surface. An exhaust duct 48 is coupled with the base unit 42 and projects into the outer bag 44.

As depicted on Figure 2, the vacuum cleaner bag 20 is installed in the vacuum cleaner 40 by opening the outer bag 44 and inserting the vacuum cleaner bag 20 into the outer bag 44. The vacuum cleaner bag 20 is coupled to the exhaust duct 48 by inserting the exhaust duct 48 through the aperture 30 of the mounting plate 28, and through the gasket 32 into the opening 26. During operation of the vacuum cleaner 40, dirt and particulates are drawn by suction into the base unit 42 and discharged through the exhaust duct 48, and are deposited into the interior region of the bag. Eventually the bag becomes filled with the dirt and particulates. The filled vacuum cleaner bag 20 is removed from the exhaust duct and from the outer bag 44, and a fresh vacuum cleaner bag 20 is installed. Although desirable and beneficial results are achievable using the vacuum cleaner bag 20, some difficulties may be encountered once the bag has been filled. For example, after the bag has been filled, allergens (e.g. pollen, fungi, etc.) and fine particulates (e.g. dust, skin scale, etc.) may become airborne within the bag and may escape from the opening 26 during removal, transport and disposal of the bag in a waste receptacle.

Also, the bag must be carefully handled during removal from the outer bag 44. Jostling of the bag during removal occasionally causes dirt and particulates to fall into the outer bag or onto the floor surface. As a result, additional labor must be expended to re-clean the floor surface or to clean the vacuum cleaner 40.

Furthermore, the bag must be carefully handled to prevent spillage of the contents after it has been removed from the outer bag 44. If the bag has been filled above the opening 26, the bag outer bag must be positioned to ensure that the opening 26 always faces upward. Even when the bag is not filled above the opening 26, the bag member 22 must be handled carefully so that the contents of the bag member 22 are not squeezed out of the opening 26.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward sealable dirt containers. In one embodiment, a sealable bag includes a bag body having an opening sized to receive a dirty air stream in a vacuum cleaner, and a plate member attached to the bag body proximate the opening. The plate member has an aperture therethrough, the aperture being sized to receive the dirty air stream and being at least partially aligned with the opening. The plate member further includes a back surface facing the bag body that is scored at least partially through the plate member to define a hingeline separating a first portion of the plate member and a second portion of the plate member, the first and second portions being hingeable along the hingeline so that the first portion is engageable with the second portion to substantially seal the opening. In another embodiment, the hingeline intersects the aperture so that the first and second portions are hingeably coupled by a pair of hinge members. Alternately, the hingeline does not intersect the aperture so that the first and second portions are hingeably coupled by a single hinge member.

In an alternate embodiment, the bag body comprises a lateral wall, a first closed end and a second closed end, the opening being disposed in the lateral wall. Alternately, the opening may be disposed in the an end portion of the bag body. In a further alternate embodiment, the aperture is concentrically positioned with respect to the opening.

In another embodiment, a sealable dirt container includes an adhesive layer disposed on at least a first surface of the first portion. The adhesive layer secures the first portion to the second portion. Alternately, a sealable dirt container includes a non-stick sheet disposed on the adhesive layer, the non-stick sheet being removable to expose the adhesive layer.

In yet another embodiment, a sealable dirt container includes a bag body having an opening disposed therein, a first plate member attached to the bag body proximate the opening, and a second plate member hingeably attached to the first plate member. The first plate member has an aperture therethrough that is at least partially aligned with the opening, and a first surface facing away from the bag body. The second plate member has a second surface engageable with the first surface by hingeably actuating the second plate member to at least partially seal the aperture. Alternately, a sealable dirt container may further include a third plate member hingeably attached to the first plate member and having a third surface engageable with the first surface to at least partially seal the aperture by hingeably actuating the third plate member. In still another embodiment, a sealable dirt container includes a bag body having an opening disposed therein, a first plate member attached to the bag body proximate the opening, and a second plate member attached to the bag body proximate the opening. The first plate member has a first surface and the second plate member has a second surface, the first and second surfaces being engageable to substantially seal the opening. Alternately, the first and second plate members include first and second contoured edges, respectively, that substantially surround the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a vacuum cleaner bag embodiment in accordance with the prior art.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the vacuum cleaner bag of Figure 1 partially installed in an upright vacuum cleaner.

Figure 3 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a sealable bag in accordance with the invention. Figure 4 is a partial sectional view of the sealing plate taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the sealable bag apparatus of Figure 3 in a partially closed position.

Figure 6 is an isometric view of the sealable bag apparatus of Figure 3 in a fully closed position.

Figure 7 is a partial isometric view of an alternate embodiment of a sealable bag apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Figure 8 is a partial isometric view of another alternate embodiment of a sealable bag apparatus in accordance with the invention. Figure 9 is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of a sealable bag apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Figure 10 is an isometric view of the sealable bag apparatus of Figure 9 partially installed in an embodiment of a vacuum cleaner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is generally directed toward sealable dirt containers suitable for use with, for example, a vacuum cleaner. Many specific details of certain embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following description and in Figures 3-10 to provide a thorough understanding of such embodiments. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the present invention may have additional embodiments, or that the present invention may be practiced without several of the details described in the following description.

Figure 3 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a sealable dirt container in the form of a sealable bag 120 in accordance with the invention. In this embodiment, the sealable bag 120 includes a bag body 22 having two enclosed ends 24, a flexible lateral wall 25, and an opening 26 disposed in the flexible lateral wall 25. The opening 26 leads to an interior region of the bag and is sized to receive a dirty air stream in a vacuum cleaner. The sealable bag 120 further includes a sealing member in the form of a sealing plate 128 having an aperture 130 therethrough. The sealing plate 128 is attached to the bag proximate the opening 26 with the aperture 130 aligned at least partially with the opening 26. In this embodiment, the aperture 130 is concentrically disposed with respect to the opening 26. A flexible sealing gasket 132 is situated between the sealing plate 128 and the bag member 22 and is disposed about the opening 26. The bag member 22 may be constructed of any suitable materials, including cellulose (i.e. paper), synthetic or natural fiber materials. Known vacuum bag materials suitable for use with the present invention include the types disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,894 to Gin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,942 to Winters, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,975 to Requejo et al., or the treated materials used to construct the Celoc® Hypo-Allergenic filter system bag available from the Oreck Corporation of New Orleans, Louisiana. The plate 128 may be constructed of any suitable material, including cardboard, plastic, or metal. Figure 4 is a partial sectional view of the sealing plate 128 viewed along the line of IV - IV of Figure 3. The sealing plate 128 has a front surface 134 facing away from the bag body 22 and a back surface 136 facing toward the bag body 22. The gasket 132 may be attached to the back surface 136 of the plate 128. A cut (or score) 138 is disposed in the back surface 136. The cut 138 extends partially through the plate 128 and divides the sealing plate 128 into a first portion 150 and a second portion 152.

The first portion 150 and the second portion 152 are joined together by a pair of hinge segments 154 that are hingeable along a hingeline 156 (shown in Figure 3). The front surface 134 of the sealing plate 128 may be coated with an adhesive layer 158. A removable, non-stick sheet 160, formed by a sheet having a non-stick coating on one surface, may be used to cover adhesive layer 158 and is shown in a partially removed position in Figure 3. The hingeline 156 divides the front surface 134 into a first surface 162 (associated with the first portion 150) and a second surface 164 (associated with the second portion 152). Although the sealing plate 128 is depicted in Figure 3 as being an approximately square plate, alternate shapes may be used, including for example rectangular plates, circular or annular plates, or any other shape. The similar, planar plates are commonly used to mount and retain the bag relative to other vacuum cleaner components and to maintain proper alignment of the sealing elements with respect to interfacing components of the vacuum cleaner. The sealing plate 128 may continue to perform these functions as well. Similarly, the aperture 130 need not be circular, but may be any shape, including square, rectangular, or oval.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the sealable bag 120 is installed and used in a vacuum cleaner by slideably engaging the aperture 130 of the plate 128 onto the dirty air duct 48 of the vacuum cleaner 40 (shown in Figure 2), thereby projecting the duct 48 through the aperture 130 and the gasket 132, and into the opening 26. Dirt and particulates are then drawn from a floor surface by the vacuum cleaner and passed into the duct and are carried by the air stream through the duct and into the sealable bag 120. When the sealable bag 120 is filled and ready to be sealed, the sealing plate 128 is disconnected from the duct 48.

To seal the sealable bag 120, the non-stick sheet 160 is removed from the sealing plate 128 to expose the adhesive layer 158. Figure 5 shows the sealable bag 120 in a partially closed position with the non-stick sheet 160 removed. As shown in Figure 5, the plate 128 is folded along the hingeline 156, hingeably rotating the first portion 150 and the second portion 152 about the hinge segments 154 to actuate the first surface 162 toward the second surface 164. The bag member 22 remains connected to the back surface 136 of the sealing plate 128 as the first and second portions 150, 152 are hingeably actuated about the hingeline 156.

The first and second portions 150, 152 are hingeably actuated about the hingeline 156 until the first surface 162 is brought into contact with the second surface 164 in a fully closed position. Figure 6 is an isometric view of the sealable bag 120 in the fully closed position. In this embodiment, the bag body 22 may become slightly distorted as the sealing plate 128 is folded about the hingeline 156 into the closed position. In this position, the adhesive layer 158 adheres the first and second surfaces 162, 164 together to secure the sealing plate 128 in the closed position. The wall of the bag surrounding the sealable aperture must be flexible, and have enough of such flexible material provided so that the overall bag structure may be permitted to flex to permit the sealing mechanism to operate without rupturing the wall of the bag.

Although the sealable bag apparatus 120 is shown and described above as being used in an upright vacuum cleaner, the invention may have numerous embodiments and may be practiced in conjunction with different vacuum cleaner configurations. For example, additional embodiments may be configured to operate with canister vacuum cleaners, wet-dry vacuum cleaners, hand-held vacuum cleaners, or other types of vacuum cleaners that operate in conjunction with a vacuum cleaner bag. The sealable bag 120 advantageously enables a user to seal the opening 26 of the bag after the bag has been filled with dirt, particulates, debris, etc., reducing the discharge of allergens and fine particulates that may become airborne within the bag and escape out of the opening 26. The user's potential exposure to such allergens and fine particulates during the bag change procedure is thereby reduced. Similarly, in industrial or manufacturing environments, the sealable bag 120 may advantageously reduce the presence of undesirable fine particulates.

Furthermore, the sealable bag 120 prevents the contents of the bag 22 from being spilled during handling. Because the sealable bag 120 prevents spillage, the labor associated with cleanup of the spilled contents of the bag is eliminated. After the opening 26 has been sealed, the sealable bag may be handled and transported confidently and without undue attention.

Figure 7 is a partial isometric view of an alternate embodiment of a sealable bag 220 in accordance with the invention. In general, this alternative embodiment and those described in the following paragraphs are similar to previously described embodiments, and common elements and steps are identified by the same reference numbers. Only significant differences in construction or operation are described in detail.

As shown in Figure 7, the sealable bag 220 includes a bag body22 having an opening 26. A sealing plate 228 having an aperture 230 is attached to the bag body22 with the aperture 230 at least partially aligned with the opening 26. In this embodiment, however, the sealing plate 228 has a hingeline 256 that does not intersect the aperture 230.

The hingeline 256 divides the sealing plate 228 into a first portion 250 and a second portion 252, the first and second portions 250, 252 being hingeably coupled by a single hinge segment 254. The first portion 250 includes a first surface 262 and the second portion includes a second surface 264. The second portion 252 is hingeable about the hinge segment 254 so that the second surface 254 is engageable with the first surface 262 in a closed position. In Figure 7, the second portion 252 is shown in a partially closed position with respect to the first portion 250. Only the first portion 250 of the sealing plate 228 is attached to the bag body 22.

In operation, the sealable bag 220 may be filled with dirt and particulates. When the user is ready to seal the bag body22, the second portion 252 of the sealing plate 228 is hingeably actuated about the hingeline 256 until the second surface 264 is brought into contact with the first surface 262. The bag body22 remains attached to the first portion 250 of the sealing plate 228 as the second portion 252 is hingeably actuated and the first and second surfaces 262, 264 are brought into contact. Thus, the aperture 230 is sealed by the second portion 252, and the contents of the bag body22 are prevented from spilling or escaping out of the opening 26 and into the surrounding environment.

To ensure that the aperture 230 remains sealed, the second surface 264 may be secured to the first surface 262 in a variety of ways. For example, an adhesive layer may be used along with a pealable, non-stick sheet, as described above. Alternately, glue, adhesive strips, mechanical clips, interlocking fabric strips (i.e. Velcro®), or other attachment devices may also be used to securely hold the second surface 264 in contact with the first surface 262.

The sealable bag 220 having the sealing plate 228 with the hingeline 256 that does not intersect the aperture 230 advantageously permits the bag body22 to be attached to only the first portion 250 of the sealing plate 228. Because the second portion 252 is not attached to the bag body22, the second surface 264 may be brought into contact with the first surface 262 to seal the opening 26 without bending, folding, or distortion of the bag body22. Because the bag body22 is not distorted when the second portion 252 is hingeably actuated into the closed position, dirt and particulates are not squeezed out of the opening 26.

Alternately, the second portion 252 of the sealing plate 228 may be sized to only partially cover the aperture 230, and a third portion (not shown) may be hingeably attached to the first portion 250 and sized to cover the remainder of the aperture 230. In this way, one or more additional portions may be utilized to cover and seal the aperture 230, and thus, seal the opening 26 of the bag body22.

Figure 8 is a partial isometric view of another alternate embodiment of a sealable bag 320 in accordance with the invention. In this embodiment, the sealable bag 320 includes a bag body22 having an opening 26, a first semi-annular sealing plate 328 having a first surface 362, and a second semi- annular sealing plate 329 having a second surface 364. The first and second sealing plates 328, 329 are attached to the bag body22 proximate the opening 26. The first sealing plate 328 has a first contoured edge 331, and the second sealing plate 329 has a second contoured edge 333, the first and second contoured edges 331, 333 being positioned proximate the opening 26 and cooperating to substantially surround the opening 26. A splitline 356 divides the first and second sealing plates 328, 329. The first and second sealing plates 328, 329 are closely spaced along the splitline 356.

When the user desires to seal the opening 26 of the bag body22, the first and second sealing plates 328, 329 are rotated about the splitline 356, to bring the first surface 362 into contact with the second surface 364. As described above, the first and second surfaces 362, 364 may be secured together in a variety of ways. Because the bag body22 remains attached to the first and second sealing plates 328, 329, the opening 26 is sealed and the contents of the bag body22 cannot escape. Thus, the above-described advantages are achievable using an apparatus having separate first and second sealing plates 328, 329.

Alternately, the first and second sealing plates 328, 329 of the sealable bag 320 might initially be joined into a single plate member, similar to the sealing plate 128 shown in Figures 3-6. When the user desires to seal the bag body22, the single plate member could be separated into the first and second sealing plates 328, 329 and closed as described above.

Figure 9 is an isometric view of yet another alternate and preferred embodiment of a sealable bag 420 having a bag member 422 with a closed lower end 424 and an opening 426 disposed in an upper end portion 425 of the bag member 422. A plurality of bendable, openable flaps 427 project into and partially obstruct the opening 426. A sealing plate 428 having an approximately elliptical aperture 430 is attached to the bag member 422 with the aperture 430 concentrically aligned with the opening 426.

The structure of the sealing plate 428 is similar to the structure of the previously described sealing plate embodiment 128 shown in Figures 3 and 4 except that the gasket 132 is omitted. In brief, the sealing plate 428 has a front surface 434 facing away from the bag body 422 and a back surface 436 facing toward the bag body 422. A cut (or score) 438 is disposed within the back surface 436 and extends only partially through the sealing plate 428, dividing the sealing plate 428 into a first portion 450 and a second portion 452.

The first portion 450 and the second portion 452 are joined together by a pair of hinge segments 454 that are hingeable along a hingeline 456. An adhesive layer 458 covers the front surface 434, and a removable, non-stick sheet 460 covers the adhesive layer 458. The removable sheet 460 is shown in a partially removed position in Figure 9. The hingeline divides the front surface 434 into a first surface 462 and a second surface 464.

When a user desires to seal the sealable bag 420, the removable sheet 460 is removed from the sealing plate 428 to expose the adhesive layer 458.

The hinge segments 454 of the sealing plate 428 are hingeably actuated, rotating the first and second portions 450, 452 to bring the first and second surfaces 462,

464 into a closed position.

Figure 10 shows the sealable bag 420 partially installed into an openable housing or shell member 444 of a vacuum cleaner 440. In this embodiment, dirt and particulates enter the shell member 444 through a dirty air port 445 disposed within an openable top 447 of the shell member 444, and are deposited into the bag body422 through the aperture 430 and opening 426. In a fully installed position within the shell member 444, the sealing plate 428 of the sealable bag 420 rests upon a circumferential support lip (not shown) or any other suitable support structure on the interior of the shell member 444. Thus, the sealing plate 428 also serves to mount and support the sealable bag 420 within the shell member 444 during use of the vacuum cleaner.

In Figure 10, the sealing plate 428 is shown in the closed position. Because the bag body 422 remains connected to the back surface 436 of the sealing plate 428 as the first portion 450 and the second portion 452 are hingeably actuated about the hingeline 456, the opening 426 of the bag body422 is sealed. Thus, the user's exposure to allergens and fine particulates during removal, transport, and disposal of the sealable bag apparatus 420 is reduced. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the sealing plate 428 of the sealable bag 420 not only seals the opening 426 when actuated into the closed position, it also serves as a convenient handle for lifting and removing the filled bag body422 from the shell member 444.

The detailed descriptions of the above embodiments are not exhaustive descriptions of all embodiments contemplated by the inventors to be within the scope of the invention. Indeed, persons skilled in the art will recognize that certain elements of the above-described embodiments may variously be combined or eliminated to create further embodiments, and such further embodiments fall within the scope and teachings of the invention. It will also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the above-described embodiments may be combined in whole or in part with prior art methods to create additional embodiments within the scope and teachings of the invention.

Thus, although specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. The teachings provided herein of the invention can be applied to other sealable dirt containers, and not just to the sealable bags for use with vacuum cleaners described above and shown in the figures. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the foregoing disclosure, but instead its scope is to be determined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A sealable bag for use with a vacuum cleaner, comprising: a bag having a flexible wall section with an opening disposed therein, the opening being sized to receive a dirty air stream from the vacuum cleaner; and a sealing member having an aperture therethrough, the aperture being sized to receive the dirty air stream and being at least partially aligned with the opening in the bag to permit the dirty air to enter the bag, the sealing member having a back surface facing the bag wall and connected thereto with the sealing member having a first portion and a second portion adjacent the first portion, the first portion having a first surface facing away from the bag wall and the second portion having a second surface facing away from the bag wall, and wherein the first and second portions are hingeably connected to each other along a hingeline to permit the first surface to be moved into engagement with the second surface to substantially seal the opening.

2. The bag of claim 1 wherein the hingeline intersects the aperture.

3. The bag of claim 1 wherein the sealing member comprises an annular member.

4. The bag of claim 1 wherein the sealing member comprises a cardboard member.

5. The bag of claim 1 wherein the bag has a lateral wall, a first closed end and a second closed end, and the opening is disposed in the lateral wall.

6. The bag of claim 1 wherein the bag has an end portion and the opening is disposed in the end portion.

7. The bag of claim 1 wherein the aperture in the sealing member is concentrically positioned with respect to the opening in the wall of the bag.

8. The bag of claim 1 for vacuum cleaners of the type having a dirty air duct wherein the aperture in the sealing member is sized to closely receive and engage the dirty air duct of the vacuum cleaner.

9. The bag of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer disposed on at least a portion of the first surface of the sealing member to secure the first and second portions together after they are brought into engagement.

10. The bag of claim 9, further including a non-stick sheet disposed on the adhesive layer, the non-stick sheet being removable to expose the adhesive layer prior to the sealing of the bag opening.

11. The bag of claim 1, further including a sealing gasket disposed about the opening to prevent leakage from the interior of the bag during filling.

12. A sealable bag, comprising: a bag having a flexible wall section with an opening disposed therein; and a first sealing member hingeably attached to a second sealing member, the first sealing member having an aperture therethrough and being attached to the bag proximate the opening, the aperture being at least partially aligned with the opening, the first sealing member having a first surface facing away from the bag wall and the second sealing member having a second surface engageable with the first surface by hingeably actuating the second sealing member to at least partially seal the aperture.

13. The bag of claim 12, further having an adhesive layer disposed on at least a portion of the first surface to secure the first and second surfaces together after they are brought into engagement.

14. The bag of claim 12, further including a non-stick sheet disposed on the adhesive layer, the non-stick sheet being removable to expose the adhesive layer prior to the sealing of the bag opening.

15. The bag of claim 12, further including a third sealing member hingeably attached to the first sealing member, the third sealing member having a third surface engageable with the first surface of the first sealing member to at least partially seal the aperture by hingeably actuating the third sealing member.

16. A sealable bag, comprising: a bag having a flexible wall section with an opening disposed therein; and a first sealing member attached to the bag wall proximate the opening and a second sealing member attached to the bag wall proximate the opening, the first sealing member having a first surface and the second sealing member having a second surface, the first and second surfaces being engageable to substantially seal the opening in the wall of the bag.

17. The bag of claim 16, further including an adhesive layer disposed on at least a portion of the first surface of the first sealing member to secure the first and second surfaces together after they are brought into engagement.

18. The bag of claim 16 wherein the first sealing member has a first contoured edge and the second sealing member has a second contoured edge, the first and second contoured edges cooperating to substantially surround the opening.