FIELD The present invention relates to an article used for measuring dry granular or liquid products and reclosing or resealing bags containing such products.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a measuring scoop which can be used for measuring both dry granular or liquid products and for reclosing bags used for the storage of such products.

BACKGROUND Measuring scoops have been found to be useful in detergency applications in which consumers have found such devices to be an added convenience as they are able to determine the correct amount of detergent to be added to various types of soils and washing applications.

In addition, plastic bags have become to be popular packaging for detergent products, which are for example in a liquid and or granular form.

Plastic bags are sometimes inserted inside a box for added protection during shipping and storage of the box. Some detergent products are packaged only in plastic bags, without an outer box. When using a plastic bag package, once the mouth has been opened, it is desirable to close the mouth until the package is used again. By closing the mouth, the ingredients can be freshly maintained, e. g. prevent moisture from entering the package, as well as keep the contents from spilling out of the mouth of the package. Therefore, it is important in detergent applications to provide some type of closure device for bags.

However, both the measuring scoops and closure devices of the related art have some disadvantages. Regarding measuring scoops, for example, it is

often easy for a consumer to misplace or lose a measuring scoop between uses. Further, for example, when the measuring scoop is inserted into the plastic bag package, the measuring scoop often gets covered or buried in the product and is hard to locate when the consumer is again ready to use it. In addition, many measuring scoops have a long, extended handle portion which when inserted into a plastic bag package, the handle may pierce through the plastic wall creating a hole in which the ingredients may spill out.

Therefore, there is a need for a measuring scoop having a compact configuration and with a handle having a grasping slot. None of the existing art provides all of the advantages and benefits of the present invention.

SUMMARY The present invention relates to a measuring scoop with a thin film bag comprising a measuring cup portion and a handle portion. The handle portion extends from the measuring cup portion and has a grasping slot. The length of the handle portion is equal to or less than the length of the measuring cup portion in the direction where the handle portion extends.

The present invention also relates to a measuring scoop with a thin film bag comprising a measuring cup portion and a handle portion. The handle portion extends from the measuring cup portion and has a grasping slot. The grasping slot leans with respect to the direction where the handle portion extends. The ratio of the length of the handle portion to the length of the measuring cup portion in the direction where the handle portion extends is from about 1: 1 to about 1: 10.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become evident to those skilled in the art from a reading of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing and distinctly claiming invention, it is believed the present invention will be better understood from the following description of preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify identical elements and in which:

Fig. 1 is a right perspective view of one embodiment of the measuring scoop of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a right side elevational view thereof; Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof; Fig. 5 is a front elevational view thereof; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the measuring scoop of the present invention; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the measuring scoop of the present invention; Fig. 8 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the measuring scoop of the present invention; Fig. 9 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the measuring scoop of the present invention; Fig. 10 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the measuring scoop of the present invention; Fig. 11 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the measuring scoop of the present invention; Fig. 12 is a view of one embodiment of the present invention attached as a closure device to a package.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As used herein,"comprising"means that other steps and other ingredients which do not affect the end result can be added. This term encompassed the terms"consisting of'and"consisting essentially of'.

All cited references are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Citation of any reference is not an admission regarding any determination as to its availability as prior art to the claimed invention.

The measuring scoop of the present invention has a compact configuration such that the length of the handle portion is equal to or less than the length of the measuring cup portion in the direction where the handle portion extends. The handle portion of the measuring scoop of the present invention also has a grasping slot. Therefore, the measuring scoop of the present invention has many advantages. After the consumer opens the package and removes the scoop, the consumers can conveniently reclose the bag by using the measuring

scoop. The consumer folds the opened mouth of the package and clips the mouth by using the grasping slot of the measuring scoop, thereby keeping the folded and closed configuration of the package. Therefore, the ingredients of the package is secure, as well as keep moisture and other foreign material from entering the package. Furthermore, since the measuring scoop is compact such that the length of the handle portion is equal to or less than the length of the measuring cup portion in the direction where the handle portion extends, it is unlikely that the measuring scoop will be accidentally knocked off, or otherwise become unclipped from the package. In addition, since the measuring scoop is attached to the package, it is unlikely that the consumer will lose the scoop.

Also, for the next use, the scoop is conveniently attached on the outside of the package, as opposed to be being buried inside the package ingredients, which is messy and is difficult for the consumer to access the scoop.

With reference now to Figs. 1-5 showing embodiments of the present invention, the measuring scoop 10 has a measuring cup portion 20 and a handle portion 28.

The measuring cup portion 20 is the portion of the measuring scoop 10 which is able to scoop ingredients from the package, such as dry granular or liquid products, and preferably measure the amount of ingredients. The measuring cup portion 20 may have any suitable configuration. Suitable configurations includes, but are not limited to, cube, rectangular parallelepiped, sphere, hemisphere or cone.

In the preferred embodiments shown in Figs. 1-5, the measuring cup portion 20 has a generally cubic configuration. The measuring cup portion 20 primarily has two portions; a top portion 21 and a base portion 22. The base portion 22 has one bottom wall 26 and four side walls including a front side wall 23, a right side wall 24, a left side wall 25, and a back side wall 27. The bottom wall 26 is tapered at the corners to enhance easy storage, such as in a bag. The top portion 21 has four walls, a front side wall 23', a right side wall 24', a left side wall 25', and a back side wall 27'. The top portion 21 also has a bottom edge 50.

All the side walls 23,24,25 and 27 of the base portion 22 terminate at the bottom edge 50 of the top portion 21. Alternatively, the measuring cup portion 20 may be formed only by the base portion 22 without the top portion 21.

Preferably, the capacity of the measuring cup portion 20 can range from about 15ml to about 400ml, more preferably, from about 25 ml to about 275 ml.

Preferably, at least one of the sidewalls of the base portion 22 or the top portion 21 contain measurement markings which can be used to enable the consumer to measure the desired amount of detergent to be used in a particular washing application.

The handle portion 28 is the portion of the measuring scoop 10 which the consumer grabs to scoop the ingredients from the package. The handle portion 28 may have any suitable plan view configurations. Suitable configurations include, but are not limited to, rectangular, trapezoid, square, semi-circle.

In the particularly preferred embodiments shown in Figs. 1-5, the handle portion 28 has a generally trapezoid plan view configuration. The handle portion 28 has a first side wall 29, a second side wall 30, and a free end 30A. Both the first side wall 29 and the second side wall 30 terminates at the free end 30A.

The handle portion 28 extends outwardly from the measuring cup portion 20, more specifically from a portion of the surface of the back side wall 27'.

Alternatively, the handle portion 28 may extend form the entire portion of the surface of the back side wall 27'. Alternatively, the handle portion 28 may extend from the surface of the back side wall 27'of the top portion 21 and the bask side wall 27 of the base portion 22. In the preferred embodiments shown in Fig. 1, the handle portion 28 extends from the measuring cup portion 20 in the direction indicated by 28L.

The handle portion 28 has the length 28L in the direction where the handle portion 28 extends from the measuring cup portion 20. The measuring cup portion 20 has the length 20L in the direction where the handle portion 28 extends from the measuring cup portion 20. The length 28L and the length 20L are measured at the longest dimension of the handle portion 28 and the measuring cup portion 20, respectively. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the length of 28L is determined by the longest dimension between the free end 30A and the inner surface 27A'of the back side wall 27'of the top portion 21.

The length of 20L is determined by the longest dimension between the inner surface 27A'of the back side wall 27'and the outer surface 23A'of the front side wall 23'. The length 28L of the handle portion 28 is preferably equal to or less than the length 20L of the measuring cup portion 20 in the direction where the handle portion 28 extends. More preferably, the ratio of the length 28L of the handle portion 28 to the length 20L of the measuring cup portion 20 is from about 1: 1 to about 1: 10, more preferably, from about 3: 5 to about 1: 6. The combined

length of the length 28L and the length 20L typically defines the longest dimension of the measuring scoop 10. When the ratio of the length 28L of the handle portion 28 to the length 20L of the measuring cup portion 20 is in the above range, the measuring scoop maintains a compact configuration.

The handle portion 28 has a grasping slot 35 such that the measuring scoop 10 maintains the closure of the folded mouth of the package by anchoring the grasping slot 35 to the folded mouth. The grasping slot 35 preferably leans with respect to the direction where the handle portion 28 extends. Alternatively, the grasping slot 35 may extend parallel to the direction where the handle portion extends. The grasping slot 35 may lean with respect to the direction where the handle portion 28 extends at the angle X of from more than 0° to less than or equal to 90°, preferably the angle X of from about 45° to about 90°, preferably the angle X of from about 75° to about 90°. More preferably, the grasping slot 35 leans with respect to the direction where the handle portion 28 extends at the angle of about 90° (i. e., the grasping slot 35 extends generally perpendicular to the direction where the handle portion 28 extends). When the grasping slot 35 leans with respect to the direction where the handle portion 28 extends at the angle of about 0°, the grasping slot 35 generally extends parallel to the direction where the handle portion 28 extends as shown in Fig. 11. When the grasping slot 35 leans with respect to the direction where the handle portion 28 extends at the angle of about 90°, the grasping slot 35 generally extends perpendicular to the direction where the handle portion 28 extends as shown in Figs. 1,3 and 4.

The angle between the grasping slot and the direction where the handle portion extends means any angle which is less than 90°.

The shape of the grasping slot 35 may be any suitable configuration.

Suitable configuration includes, but is not limited to, a straight line, a regularly or irregularly curved line, or a zigzag line. If the shape of the grasping slot 35 is not a straight line, the direction where the grasping slot extends may be defined by a direction of a straight line connecting the starting point 31 and the end point 32.

In the preferred embodiments shown in Figs. 1,3 and 4, the grasping slot 35 is a straight line extending perpendicular to the direction where the handle portion 28 extends. The grasping slot 35 extends from the first side wall 31 towards the second side wall 30 and extends between the starting point 31 and the end point 32. The grasping slot 35 has two opposing surfaces 35A and 35B extending to connect the starting point 31 and the end point 32. The grasping

slot 35 should be long enough to be able to clip the top folded portion of the package, so that the package remains closed. Preferably, the ratio of the length of the grasping slot to the handle portion width 28W is from about 1: 7 to about 19: 20, more preferably, from about 1: 2 to about 4: 5. The length of the handle portion width may be defined by the following: the longest straight line which extends perpendicular to the direction where the handle portion extends, and does not intersect any portion of the measuring cup portion. The grasping slot has a dimension (D) which is perpendicular to the direction where the handle portion extends. The dimension (D) is defined by the following equation: D=HsinX wherein H is the straight line connecting the starting point and the end point of the grasping slot, and wherein X is the angle between the direction where the straight line connecting the starting point and the end point extends and the direction where the handle portion extends. When X is 90°, D equals to H.

Another embodiment of the grasping slot of the handle portion is possible.

In Fig. 6, the grasping slot 135 has teeth along at least one surface 135A or 135B of the grasping slot 135. Preferably, the grasping slot 135 has teeth along both surfaces 135A and 135B of the grasping slot 135. The teeth is notched or jagged, which is shaped up and down like a sine, or wave-shaped curve. The teeth helps maintain the thin film bag closed because it makes it more difficult for the measuring scoop to become unclipped.

Fig. 7 shows another embodiment of the grasping slot. The grasping slot 235 shown in Fig. 7 leans with respect to the direction where the handle portion 28 extends, but is not perpendicular to the direction where the handle portion 28 extends. The grasping slot 235 extends from starting point 231 of the side wall 29 of the handle portion to the end point 232 on the handle portion. The grasping slot 235 leans with respect to the direction where the handle portion extends at the angle of about 80°. The length of the grasping slot 235 is shown as 235L. It is shown that 235L is less than the width of the handle portion.

Fig. 8 shows another embodiment of the grasping slot, wherein the shape is curved. The grasping slot 335 shown in Fig. 8 extends from starting point 331 of the side wall 29 of the handle portion to the end point 332 on the handle portion. The direction of the grasping slot 335 is the same as a straight line which connects from starting point 331 to ending point 332 (shown as a dotted

line). The grasping slot 335 leans with respect to the direction where the handle portion extends at an angle of about 80°. The length of the grasping slot 335 is shown as 335L. It is shown that 335L is less than the width of the handle portion.

Fig. 9 shows another embodiment of the grasping slot 435, wherein the shape is in a zig-zag. The grasping slot 435 shown in Fig. 9 extends from starting point 431 of the side wall 29 of the handle portion to the end point 432 on the handle portion. The direction of the grasping slot 335 is the same as a straight line which connects from starting point 331 to ending point 332 (shown as a dotted line). The length of the grasping slot 435 is shown as 435L. It is shown that 435L is less than the width of the handle portion.

Fig. 10 shows another embodiment of a handle portion which has a concave portion 500. Consumers can place their fingers on the concave portion or put their fingers through the hole and grip the handle portion.

Fig. 11 shows another embodiment of the grasping slot 635. The grasping slot 635 shown in Fig. 11 extends from starting point 631 of the free end 630A of the handle portion to the end point 632 on the handle portion.

Fig. 12 shows one embodiment of the measuring scoop shown in Fig. 6 attached as a closure device to a package. The grasping slot 135 with teeth extends generally perpendicular to the direction where the handle portion extends. In order to effectuate the grasping slot 135, the grasping slot 135 is opened from the starting point 31 to the end point 32 and placed over the bag's fold, thereby gripping the fold and keeping the bag closed. Consequently, the opening of the bag is firmly held shut and positively secure, ensuring that the bag will not open and will not substantially allow moisture or air to enter the inside of the bag. In addition, since the measuring cup portion does not stick out from the bag, it is unlikely that the measuring scoop will be accidentally knocked off, or otherwise become unclipped from the package. In addition, since the measuring scoop is attached to the package, it is unlikely that the consumer will lose the scoop. Also, for the next use, the scoop is conveniently attached on the outside of the package, as opposed to be being buried inside the package ingredients, which is messy and is difficult for the consumer to access the scoop.