U.S. patent application number 09/728269 was filed with the patent office on 2001-04-26 for multiwall bag with easy open and reclose.
Invention is credited to Jones, Sam Donald Dean JR., Jones, Sam Donald Dean SR., Pfeiffer, Mark Davenport.
Application Number | 20010000461 09/728269 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23627675 |
Filed Date | 2001-04-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010000461 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pfeiffer, Mark Davenport ;
et al. |
April 26, 2001 |
Multiwall bag with easy open and reclose
Abstract
A multiwall bag with an easy open and recloseable feature is
disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a pinch bottom open mouth
(PBOM) bag comprises a pinch closure at one end and a card tab for
opening and reclosing the bag at an opposite open mouth end. The
card includes a front wall and back wall with a three-ply label
affixed to the back wall of the card and a tab which can be
manipulated by a user for prying open the bag. The card is attached
to a notch disposed horizontally along an inner ply of the bag. The
notch is disposed parallel to the open end on an inner ply of the
outer tube of the bag to make tearing away easier for a user of the
bag. Additionally, gussets may be formed on the vertical sidewalls
of the bag or on the bottom wall of the bag to make manufacture of
the bag and filling of commodities easier.
Inventors: |
Pfeiffer, Mark Davenport;
(Spartanburg, SC) ; Jones, Sam Donald Dean JR.;
(Chesnee, SC) ; Jones, Sam Donald Dean SR.;
(Chesnee, SC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GIBBONS, DEL DEO, DOLAN, GRIFFINGER & VECCHIONE
1 RIVERFRONT PLAZA
NEWARK
NJ
07102-5497
US
|
Family ID: |
23627675 |
Appl. No.: |
09/728269 |
Filed: |
December 1, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09728269 |
Dec 1, 2000 |
|
|
|
09411126 |
Oct 4, 1999 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/86 ; 383/113;
383/211 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/38 20130101;
B65D 33/1691 20130101; B65D 33/004 20130101; B65D 33/007
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/86 ; 383/211;
383/113 |
International
Class: |
B65D 030/08; B65D
033/18 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A multiwall bag of tubular form comprising: an inner tube made
of heat sealable material; an outer tube made of non-heat sealable
material having an open end and a closed end and a front wall and a
back wall, said outer tube contiguous with the inner tube; and a
card extruding from the open end of said outer tube along the back
wall; whereby said card is adapted for opening and reclosing the
bag.
2. The multiwall bag of claim 1 wherein said inner tube is made of
plastic material.
3. The multiwall bag of claim 2 wherein said inner tube is made of
polyethylene.
4. The multiwall bag of claim 1 wherein said outer tube is
paper.
5. The multiwall bag of claim 1 wherein said outer tube comprises
at least one ply.
6. The multiwall bag of claim 5 wherein said at least one ply is
paper.
7. The multiwall bag of claim 6 wherein said at least one ply is
kraft paper.
8. The multiwall bag of claim 1 wherein said card is made of
paper.
9. The multiwall bag of claim 8 wherein said card is made of
cardboard.
10. The multiwall bag of claim 1 wherein said card has a label.
11. The multiwall bag of claim 1 0 wherein said label is a
three-ply label.
12. The multiwall bag of claim 11 wherein said three-ply label
comprises: an adhesive; a mylar strip laid on said adhesive; and a
silicone release coating laid on said mylar strip.
13. The multiwall bag of claim 12 wherein said adhesive is step
patterned.
14. The multiwall bag of claim 2 wherein said card has a tab with
no applied adhesive.
15. A pinch bottom open mouth bag comprising: an inner tube made of
heat sealable material; an outer tube made of non-heat sealable
material having an open end and a closed end and a front wall and a
back wall, said outer tube contiguous with the inner tube; and a
card extruding from the open end of said outer tube along the back
wall; whereby said card is adapted for opening and reclosing the
bag.
16. The pinch bottom open mouth bag of claim 15 wherein said inner
tube is made of plastic material.
17. The multiwall bag of claim 16 wherein said inner tube is made
of polyethylene.
18. The multiwall bag of claim 15 wherein said outer tube is
paper.
19. The multiwall bag of claim 15 wherein said outer tube comprises
at least one ply.
20. The multiwall bag of claim 19 wherein said at least one ply is
paper.
21. The multiwall bag of claim 20 wherein the innermost of said at
least one ply is kraft paper.
22. The multiwall bag of claim 15 wherein said card is made of
paper.
23. The multiwall bag of claim 22 wherein said card is made of
cardboard.
24. The multiwall bag of claim 15 wherein said card has a
label.
25. The multiwall bag of claim 24 wherein said label is a three-ply
label.
26. The multiwall bag of claim 25 wherein said three-ply label
comprises: an adhesive; a mylar strip laid on said adhesive; and a
silicone release coating laid on said mylar strip.
27. The multiwall bag of claim 26 wherein said adhesive is step
patterned.
28. The multiwall bag of claim 15 wherein said card has a tab with
no applied adhesive.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
1. The present invention relates to bags and more particularly to
multiwall bags adapted for easy opening and reclosing by a
user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
2. Pinch bottom open mouth (PBOM) bags are commonly known. Such
bags typically consist of an inner tube composed of an inner ply of
a heat sealable plastic material. An outer tube contiguously welded
to the inner tube typically consists of one or more plies of paper
or other flexible material. The inner tube of plastic material is
integrated at bag ends with one or more outer plies of non-heat
sealable material such as paper. The plastic ply may be heat sealed
or adhesively sealed to closure and severed from the outer plies at
the closed end prior to commodity filling and also after filling,
by combined heat and pressure applied to the outermost ply, whereby
upon closure of the outer plies at the open bag end, the commodity
is packaged within the heat sealed inner plastic ply with the
latter sealed within the outer plies, for removal intact with its
packaged contents upon opening of the outer plies. Typically,
gussets may additionally be disposed on the bottom end or sidewalls
of a PBOM bag in order to make empty bags stand upright for easy
loading and, additionally, to increase the storage capacity within
the bag.
3. Recloseable bags are also common, especially in the food
packaging industry. Such bags typically ensure the freshness of the
commodities packaged therein by allowing a consumer to reclose the
bag after opening. Various methods have been attempted for
reclosing bags. For instance, bags have been made recloseable with
the use of a zipper along the mouth end of the bags. Such zippers
can be opened and closed either by digital pressure or by the use
of a slider mounted to the zipper. Other bags have been made
recloseable by sewn threads interposed circumferentially along the
mouth of the bags. However, both of these methods suffer some
defect. Zippers can be unintentionally caught on the outer ply of a
bag and prevent their easy open and closure. Similarly,
circumferential threads may become disjointed on the outer tube of
a bag and prevent the easy opening and resealing of the bag.
4. However, recloseable PBOM bags are even more difficult to
manufacture. A user of a recloseable PBOM bag requires that the
numerous outer plies of the outer tube be easily torn and adhered
with little pressure. Additionally, recloseable PBOM bags with
zippers or threads have been hard to manufacture and difficult for
consumers and packagers to accept. Another opening and closing
method that has been attempted for PBOM bags is a label on a card
which is affixed to the outer tube of a PBOM bag. However, the
label must be strong enough to tear open a number of plies on the
outer tube and the inner tube with only moderate digital pressure,
while bearing enough adhesive to allow for easy reclosing of the
bag. To date, balancing the need for a stronger adhesive while
allowing a user to peel off the label initially with only moderate
pressure has been problematic.
5. Therefore there is a need for PBOM bags which are both easy to
open and easy to reseal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
6. The present invention is a PBOM bag adapted for easy opening and
easy reclosing. The bag comprises a pinch closure at one end and a
card tab for opening and reclosing the bag at an opposite open
mouth end. The card includes a front planar wall and back planar
wall with a three-ply label affixed to the back wall of the card
and a tab disposed on the card which can be manipulated by a user
for prying open the bag. The card is attached to a notch disposed
horizontally along an inner ply of the bag. The notch is disposed
parallel to the open end on an inner ply of the outer tube of the
bag to make tearing away easier for a user of the bag. The bag as
thus formed constitutes the multiwall bag of the present invention
ready for use by a packager of a commodity to be stored in the bag.
After the bag is filled at the open end with a commodity to be
packaged, the inner pouch is may be heat sealed to closure adjacent
said open end. The inner pouch can optionally be adhesively sealed
using hot melt adhesive. The inner pouch is severed thereat at the
open end to seal the pouch closed at said end and to completely
sever the pouch containing the commodity from the outer tube which
is thereupon closed in the outer plies at the open end, again in a
sewn or pinch bottom closure. Additionally, gussets may be formed
on the vertical sidewalls of the bag or on the bottom wall of the
bag to make manufacture of the bag and filling of commodities
easier.
7. As thus packaged, the commodity is contained within a completely
sealed, sift and leak proof inner pouch which is in turn housed
within a completely sealed outer tube for dual protection against
contamination or insect penetration, and wherein the inner pouch is
completely attached to the outer tube. A user of the bag, by using
the tab attached on the card may open the bag with a moderate pull
consequently tearing apart both the outer tube and the inner tube
of the bag and opening its contents. Reclosing the bag is
accomplished by using the three-ply label to seal the plies of the
outer tube and the inner tube at the open end by moderate digital
pressure.
8. The plastic ply is bonded at both bag ends to the contiguous
ply. The plastic ply is heat sealed to closure at its base and
folded over with the outer plies and the latter adhered to the
opposite bag wall in a pinch bottom end closure. At the open bag
end after commodity filling, the inner tube at the open end is heat
sealed to the outer plies and the outer plies are closed. When the
filled bag is opened in the outer plies at the top closure by means
of a tab attached to a card, the inner tube is withdrawn intact
with the card to form a spout.
9. In the bag of the present invention wherein the inner plastic
ply is completely sealed in packaged contents and completely
attached to the outer tube, all that is required for discharging
the packaged contents is to open the bag in its outer plies at one
end by pulling at the tabs of the card. Thereafter, a consumer may
upend the bag to empty the contents of the bag, leaving the
remaining contents of the bag intact as well as the outer bag
structure. Thereafter, a consumer may reclose the opening of the
bag by resealing the easy open card onto the opening of the
bag.
10. Multiwall bags according to the invention find special utility
for the packaging and shipment in about 10 to 100 pound lots, of
powdered comestibles, such as powdered dry milk or eggs, flour,
soya meal, cereals, pet food, and also chemicals, such as
pharmaceuticals, and odoriferous materials, such as fertilizer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
11. A more complete understanding of the present invention may be
obtained by considering the following description in conjunction
with the drawings in which:
12. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multiwall, gusseted, pinch
bottom open mouth bag according to the present invention as factory
produced and supplied to a packer of the commodity to be
packaged.
13. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a multiwall, gusseted, pinch
bottom open mouth bag according to the present invention as
commodity filled and closed.
14. FIGS. 3(a), 3(b) and 3(c) are, respectively, front, rear and
vertical cross sections of the card.
15. FIGS. 4(a), 4(b) and 4(c) are elevational views of,
respectively, the outer ply, the middle ply and the inner ply of
the bag of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
16. Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of an
exemplary embodiment of the bag 10 of the present invention. The
bag 10 is comprised of a top end 21 and a bottom end 31 designated
generally in the figures, with the top end open for loading of
commodities at a packaging site. The bottom end 31 is typically
pinch closed for extra strength. Sidewalls 71 and 81 may be
gusseted for greater volume of product while keeping the bag narrow
for easy storage. One wall of the bag is generally designated 25
and another wall is generally designated as 35. Wall 25 may be
referred to as the first or front wall and wall 35 as the second or
back wall. The back wall 35 has an extension 91 at one end beyond
the respective end edge of the front wall 25.
17. An inner tube 41 of a heat sealable plastic material such as
polyethylene is disposed contiguously within an outer tube 51 which
may comprise a plurality of contiguous plies 61. Although FIG. 1
illustrates a single ply, it should be understood that multiple
plies of non-heat sealable material can be contiguously added to
the outer tube 51 for appropriate strength.
18. Extension 91 protruding from the back panel of bag 10 is used
to seal the bag after the bag has been loaded with the appropriate
commodity. Extension 91 includes a card 95 affixed to a corner
thereof and protruding from the back thereof. Card 95 will be
described in detail in conjunction with FIG. 3. After loading of
the commodity, extension 91 is folded along line B--B over the
front wall 25 of the bag. The inner tube 41 is heat sealed to the
outer tube starting at the opposing ends 21 and 31, leaving the
inner tube attached to the outer tube from the top end 21 through
bottom end 31. By applying heat bars in a known method at opposing
ends to the outer tube, the inner tube is made to seal to the outer
tube. The temperature and the time needed to seal the plastic inner
tube to the paper outer tube will vary depending upon the thickness
of the material used for the inner tube and the total thickness of
the outer tube.
19. A standard pinch bottom closure is formed by using fold line
A--A at the lower end of the outer tube. The contiguous outer plies
are oppositely stepped about the fold line A--A so that an
appropriate pinch closure is made. It is noted that FIG. 1 is drawn
to a bag with a top end 31 open and the bottom end 21 pinch closed.
However, both ends may be pinch closed. After making the closure at
the bottom end, a folded overlapping arrangement is created. At the
open end 31, each ply is stepped up starting at an outermost front
44 of the ply 16 and proceeding to an outermost rear 46 of ply 16,
with the exception of the inner plastic ply 12, which is flush cut
evenly with the innermost non-heat sealable ply 20.
20. Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown filled bag 10 closed in the
manner described above for closing the open end. The packaged
commodity will be completely sealed within the inner tube which
provides an inner sealed pouch closed at both ends 21 and 31.
Generally, the outer plies 61 (not shown in FIG. 2) are
progressively stepped up from the outermost to the innermost ply in
the front wall 25 and the back wall 35. For closing the bag in its
outer plies 61 at the top end 21, a hot melt reactivatable adhesive
in a dormant state is preapplied to at least parts of the extension
21 prior to folding thereof along fold line B--B. A suitable
adhesive is a thermoplastic resin adhesive which may be a
composition of polyethylene, wax and a tackifier, such as a rosin
ester.
21. Referring to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), there are shown detailed
front and rear views of the card 95 of the present invention. FIG.
3(a) illustrates the front of the card as it is affixed to the open
end of the bag 10 of the present invention. FIG. 3(b) illustrates
the back of the card as it is affixed to the open end of the bag 10
of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 3(a), the card 95
is generally rectangular in shape with a tab 105 extruding from the
bottom end of the card. General instructions for the user can be
inserted onto the face of the card 95 for consumer's benefit.
22. In FIG. 3(b), the rear view card 95 illustrates the detailed
structure of the adhesive applied to the back of the card to be
affixed to the front wall 25 of the bag of the invention. The card
comprises a three-ply label with the outermost layer being an
adhesive 115 laid down in a step pattern. In a preferred
embodiment, the step pattern is laid down in a vertical parallel
pattern as shown in FIG. 3(b). The vertical pattern is advantageous
in allowing the user to pry open the tab with moderate digital
pressure. No adhesive is laid down on the tab portion 105 of the
rear of the card.
23. Referring to FIG. 3(c), there is shown a cross-section of card
95 taken at line D--D of FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b). Card 95 comprises a
stiff cardboard layer 155 atop a silicone release coating 145. The
silicone release coating lies atop a mylar strip 135 which is atop
an adhesive 115 laid below the mylar strip in a step pattern. As
thus constituted, the card 95 is adapted for easy opening and
reclosing of the bag with moderate digital pressure.
24. Referring to FIGS. 4(a), there is shown an elevational view of
the top section of back wall 35 of the outer ply of the bag 10 of
the invention. As can be seen, the figure shows the outer ply 51 of
the bag as it is laid flat in planar fashion prior to full assembly
of the bag. Fold lines F--F, G--G, H--H and I--I generally
designate separations of the back wall 35 and the sidewall sections
71 and 81 in FIGS. 4(a), 4(b) and 4(c). Reference line E--E,
repeated in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c), is a line that is flush with the
top of the bag at sidewall sections 71 and 81. It can be seen that
extension 91 is protruded from the back wall 35 of the bag so that
the extension section can be folded over the E--E line for bag
assembly. Extension 91 can be at a vertical elevation of
approximately 1" from reference line E--E. In addition, sidewalls
71 and 81 are flush with the E--E line. Front wall 25 is cut just
below the reference line E--E and can be at a vertical elevation of
approximately 1.25" below the reference line E--E.
25. Similarly, referring to FIG. 4(b), there is shown an
elevational view of back wall 35 of a middle ply of the bag 10 of
the invention. Laid out in a planar fashion, the middle ply has
sidewalls 71 and 81 which are flush with reference line E--E.
Extension 91 of the back wall 35 of the middle ply is protruded
from the reference line E--E so that the middle ply is folded along
with the outer ply during assembly of the bag. Extension 91 can be
at a vertical elevation of approximately 0.75" above the reference
line E--E. Front wall 25 is cut just below the reference line E--E
and can be at a vertical elevation of approximately 1" below the
reference line E--E.
26. Referring to FIG. 4(c), there is shown an elevational view of
the back wall 35 of an inner tube of bag 10 of the present
invention. Laid out in a planar fashion, the inner tube is flush
with the E--E line at the back wall 35 and the sidewalls 71 and 81
with a notch section 5 below the E--E line at one corner of the
front wall 25. The notch section 5 is generally aligned with the
card label of the bag so that the bag as fully assembled has card
95 (not shown in FIG. 4) laid over the notch section generally. The
notch section 5 is approximately 0.25" elevationally below the
reference line E--E. It can be seen that the tearing away of the
label is made easier for a user of the bag with the notch section 5
disposed on the inner tube of the bag of the invention.
27. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that
various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit
of the invention. For example, by adding gussets to the bottom of a
PBOM bag, the bag is made even stronger and advantageously can be
stored upright for easy loading.
28. Although the present invention is described in illustrative
embodiments concerning PBOM bags, it will be understood by one of
ordinary skill in the art that the invention can be easily modified
for other types of multiwall bags such as the stand open satchel
(SOS) bag.
29. Although the present invention is described in various
illustrative embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention
to the precise embodiments disclosed herein. Accordingly, this
description is to be construed as illustrative only. Those who are
skilled in this technology can make various alterations and
modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of this
invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention shall be
defined and protected by the following claims and their
equivalents. The exclusive use of all modifications within the
scope of the claims is reserved.
* * * * *