ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 6 -- United States Patent no. 12,279,677, issued on April 22, was assigned to IDEMITSU UNITECH Co. LTD. (Tokyo).

"Tape, zipper tape, and container with tape and method for manufacture therefor" was invented by Takumi Todaka (Tokyo), Ryo Katada (Tokyo), Takuto Ogawa (Tokyo) and Tomoyuki Kitajima (Tokyo).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A tape includes, in a cross-sectional shape: a first and a second portion which are configured to be at least partially in opposition. The first portion includes: thick portions provided in corresponding one of a first and a third region, out of the first, a second, and the third region in a width direction of the tape; a first and a second th...