U.S. patent application number 09/772189 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-01 for bag with ergonomically disposed handle.
Invention is credited to Klein, Ron, Sturgis, Sheldon.
Application Number | 20020102032 09/772189 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25094246 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020102032 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sturgis, Sheldon ; et
al. |
August 1, 2002 |
Bag with ergonomically disposed handle
Abstract
An apparatus for carrying and delivering pourable product. The
apparatus comprises a bag having a centerline and a pouring region
formed on one side of the centerline. A handle is operably
connected to the bag and is on an opposite side of the centerline
from the pouring region.
Inventors: |
Sturgis, Sheldon;
(Minneapolis, MN) ; Klein, Ron; (Princeton,
MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MERCHANT & GOULD PC
P.O. BOX 2903
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402-0903
US
|
Family ID: |
25094246 |
Appl. No.: |
09/772189 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/10 ; 383/16;
383/20; 383/200; 383/208; 383/209; 383/906 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/5816 20130101;
B65D 75/566 20130101; B65D 33/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/10 ; 383/200;
383/208; 383/209; 383/906; 383/16; 383/20 |
International
Class: |
B65D 033/08; B65D
033/06; B65D 065/28 |
Claims
The claimed invention is:
1. An apparatus for carrying and delivering pourable product, the
apparatus comprising: a bag having a centerline and a pouring
region formed on one side of the centerline; and a handle operably
connected to the bag, the handle being on an opposite side of the
centerline from the pouring region.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the bag has an end edge and
oppositely disposed corners formed along the end edge; and the
handle is adjacent to one corner and the pouring region is adjacent
to the oppositely disposed corner.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the bag has first and second
sidewalls, and the first sidewall is attached to the second
sidewall at a region adjacent to the handle.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising additional
material, the additional material being attached to the bag
adjacent to the handle, thereby increasing the strength of the bag
adjacent to the handle.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the handle is defined by a
hole defined by the first and second sidewalls.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a reinforcing ring
attached to the bag and positioned within the hole defined by the
first and second sidewalls.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the bag defines an interior
volume and pourable product is contained in the interior
volume.
8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the bag defines an outer
surface and the handle is attached to the outer surface of the bag
and does not extend through the sidewalls of the bag.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a carrying handle
positioned proximal to the end edge of the bag and substantially
centered about the centerline of the bag.
10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pouring region is formed
proximal to one of the two oppositely disposed corners formed along
the end edge.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the pouring region is marked
by a dashed line printed on the bag, the marked line extending
across the one of two oppositely disposed corners, the bag defining
a pouring hole when opened along the dashed line.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the bag defines a plurality
of perforations, the plurality of perforations extending across the
one of the two oppositely disposed corners, the bag defining a
pouring hole when opened along the perforations.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the bag has a first end edge
and a second end edge opposite the first end edge; and the handle
is located along the first end edge and the pouring region is
located along the second end edge.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein: the handle is located
catercorner from the pouring region.
15. An apparatus for carrying and delivering pourable product, the
apparatus comprising: a bag having first and second sidewalls, an
interior volume, an end edge, oppositely disposed corners formed
along the end edge, a centerline and a pouring region formed on one
side of the centerline; pourable product positioned within the
interior volume; and a handle operably connected to the bag, the
handle being adjacent one corner and the pouring region adjacent to
the oppositely disposed corner, the handle being defined by a hole
passing through the first and second sidewalls.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein: the first sidewall of the
bag is attached to the secondside wall of the bag to form a handle
region, the handle region defining a hole to form the handle; and
the apparatus further comprises a reinforcing ring attached to the
bag and positioned within the hole defined by the first and second
sidewalls.
17. A method of manufacturing a bag for carrying and delivering
pourable product, the method comprising: providing a bag having an
end edge and oppositely disposed corners defined along the end
edge; defining a pouring region adjacent to one corner of the bag;
and positioning a handle adjacent to the oppositely disposed corner
of the bag.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the bag defines an interior
volume and the method further comprises: placing pourable product
in the interior volume.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the bag has first and second
sidewalls, and the act of positioning a handle adjacent to the
oppositely disposed corner of the bag includes: defining a hole
through the first and second sidewalls.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the act of defining a pouring
region adjacent to one corner of the bag includes: printing a line
on the sidewall of the bag, the line extending across the one
corner of the bag.
21. The method of claim 19 wherein the act of defining a pouring
region adjacent to one corner of the bag includes: defining a
plurality of perforations through the first and second sidewalls of
the bag, the perforations extending across the one corner of the
bag.
22. A method of pouring contents from a bag, the method comprising:
gripping a handle on a bag with a first hand, the handle being
positioned adjacent to a corner along a first end edge of the bag;
gripping a second corner of the bag with a second hand, the second
corner being positioned along a second end edge of the bag, the
second end edge of the bag being positioned opposite the first end
edge, and the second corner being positioned catercorner from the
handle; and rotating the bag and pouring the contents through a
hole defined adjacent to a corner along the first end edge of the
bag and oppositely disposed from the handle.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This disclosure herein relates generally to the field of
bags used to carry pourable product, and more particularly to the
ergonomic disposition of handles on bags used to carry pourable
product.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Bags are often used to transport and act as a unit of
commerce for pourable products. For example, seeds (such as
birdseed and grass seed), dry cement, cat litter and water
softening salt are often displayed for sale in bags on grocery
store shelves. Those same bags are used to contain the product
until it can be poured into its ultimate receptacle for use. Thus,
such a bag should be designed to facilitate ergonomically
convenient carrying and pouring of the contained product if the bag
is to encourage a consumer to choose it for purchase over that of a
competing bag of similar product.
[0003] Because many pourable products are sold in large units, the
bags containing those products are unwieldy without the presence of
some sort of mechanism aiding in the handling of the bag. Adding to
the difficulty presented by the size of the bag is the additional
problem that such bags of product are often heavy. Accordingly,
carrying and manipulating such a bag has typically been aided by
locating a centrally-disposed handle upon the bag. Even an
ordinarily large and unwieldy bag may be easily carried with a
single hand with the aid of a handle.
[0004] As shown in FIG. 1, handles 100 are traditionally formed as
holes defined within a header seal 102 that runs across the top
edge 104 of a bag 105. The bag 105 has first and second lower
corners 106 and 108. These handles 100 are centrally located to
permit a consumer or user to carry the bag 105 in a balanced
fashion and provide a lever arm R.sub.1 that extends from the
handle to a lower corner 108 that is positioned below a pouring
region 110 defined within a corner. These handles may be defined,
in part, by the top edge 104. While a bag 105 fashioned with such a
handle 100 may be relatively easy to carry, such a bag 105 with
this handle placement does not maximize the user's mechanical
advantage gained by use of the handle 100 during pouring.
Additionally, such a bag 105 does not maximize the controllability
of the pouring aperture, potentially leading to some of the product
mistakenly missing its target and thereby going to waste.
SUMMARY
[0005] In general terms, the present invention relates to bags
having a handle offset from the center of a bag opposite from a
pouring spout or opening, wherein the center is defined by the two
side edges of the bag. This configuration increases the lever
action and mechanical advantage when a person pours contents from
the bag.
[0006] One possible aspect of the invention is directed toward an
apparatus for carrying and delivering pourable product. The
apparatus comprises a bag having a centerline and a pouring region
formed on one side of the centerline. A handle is operably
connected to the bag and is on an opposite side of the centerline
from the pouring region.
[0007] Another possible aspect of the invention comprises a bag
having first and second side walls, an interior volume, an end
edge, oppositely disposed corners formed along the end edge, a
centerline and a pouring region formed on one side of the
centerline. Birdseed is positioned within the interior volume. A
handle is operably connected to the bag and is adjacent one corner.
The pouring region is adjacent to the oppositely disposed corner.
The handle is defined by a hole passing through the first and
second sidewalls.
[0008] Another possible aspect of the invention is directed to a
method of manufacturing a bag for carrying and delivering pourable
product. The method comprises: providing a bag having an end edge
and oppositely disposed corners defined along the end edge;
defining a pouring region adjacent to one corner of the bag; and
positioning a handle adjacent to the oppositely disposed corner of
the bag.
[0009] Another possible aspect of the invention is a method of
pouring contents from a bag. The method comprises: gripping a
handle on a bag with a first hand, the handle being positioned
adjacent to a corner along a first end edge of the bag; gripping a
second corner of the bag with a second hand, the second corner
being positioned along a second end edge of the bag, the second end
edge of the bag being positioned opposite the first end edge, and
the second corner being positioned catercorner from the handle; and
rotating the bag and pouring the contents through a hole defined
adjacent to a corner along the first end edge of the bag and
oppositely disposed from the handle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a prior-art bag having a centrally
disposed handle.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a side-view of a bag configured according to one
possible embodiment of the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the bag
illustrated in FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3.
[0013] FIG. 4 illustrates the bag shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 being
tipped to demonstrate a mechanical advantage provided by the
present invention.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the
bag illustrated in FIGS. 2-4.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a side view of another alternative embodiment of
the bag illustrated in FIGS. 2-4.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a side view of another alternative embodiment of
the bag illustrated in FIG. 2-4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in
detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference
numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several
views. Reference to the preferred embodiment does not limit the
scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the
claims attached hereto.
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a bag is generally shown as 200.
The bag 200 is formed by two sidewalls 202 and 204 that are sealed
along their perimeter 206 to define an interior volume 207. The bag
200 has a first end edge 208, a second end edge 210, and first and
second side edges 212 and 214. The first edge 208 and the first
side edge 212 form a first corner 216, and the first end edge 208
and the second side edge 214, form a second corner 218. Similarly,
the second edge 210 and the first side edge 212 form a third corner
220, and the second end edge 210 and the second side edge 214, form
a fourth corner 222. The first and second side edges 212 and 214
define a centerline 224. Although the first end edge 208 is
depicted as being at the top of the bag 200 and the second end edge
210 is depicted as being at the bottom, the first end edge 208 may
be considered to be along the bottom of the bag 200, while the
second end edge is along the top. When so considered, corners 216
and 218 are considered to be along the bottom edge of the bag 200,
while corners 220 and 222 are considered to be along the top. The
bag 200 can be formed using a variety of different materials such
as plastics or cloth. Examples of plastics include polyethylene and
polystyrene. Examples of cloth include burlap and cotton.
[0019] In one possible embodiment, a dashed line 226 is printed on
the surface of the bag 200 to form a pouring region 228 and
indicate where a user should cut open the bag 200 to form a pouring
hole. The dashed line 226 extends diagonally across the second
corner 218 of the bag 200 and from the first end edge 208 of the
bag 200 to the second side edge 214 of the bag 200. In another
possible embodiment, perforations are defined across the second top
corner 218 in an orientation similar to which the dashed line 226
is drawn. The perforations provide a structural weakness in the bag
200 that permits a person to tear open the second corner 218 of the
bag 200 and define a pouring hole (as illustrated in FIG. 4). Other
embodiments are possible. Examples include a pouring spout that is
positioned at the pouring region 228 and is in fluid communication
with the interior volume 207 of the bag 200, a removable patch that
covers a hole in the bag 200, a pull string that a user can pull to
tear open a portion of or all of the first end edge 208 of the bag
200, and a zipper closure or any other sort of resealable closure
running across the first end edge 208 of the bag 200.
[0020] A handle 230 is formed in or attached to the bag 200 and is
positioned proximal to the first end edge 208 of the bag 200. The
handle 230 is offset from the centerline 224 of the bag 200. In one
possible embodiment, the handle 230 is positioned adjacent to the
first corner 216 of the bag 200 and is formed by a hole 232 defined
through the first and second sidewalls 202 and 204 of the bag 200.
Because most people grab the handle 230 with one hand and the
fourth corner 222 with the other hand, positioning the handle 230
so that it is offset from the centerline 224 of the bag 200 in this
manner provides a lever arm R.sub.2 that extends from the handle
230 to the fourth corner 222. The lever arm R.sub.2 of a bag having
such an offset position is greater than the lever arm R.sub.1 of
the prior art.
[0021] When the bag 200 is formed from plastic, the first and
second sidewalls 202 and 204 are heat sealed to one another in a
heat-sealed region 234 surrounding the hole 232 that forms the
handle 230. The heat-sealed region 234 provides structural
reinforcement of the bag 200 at the location of the handle 230 and
prevents contents from spilling through the hole 232 from the
interior volume 207 of the bag 200. A reinforcing ring 236 extends
through both sidewalls 202 and 204 of the bag 200 and is positioned
along the perimeter of the hole 232. The reinforcing ring 236
provides structural rigidity to the handle 230. Additionally, two
layers 238 and 240 of additional material line the first and second
sidewalls 202 and 204 to provide a reinforcing structure for the
handle 230. Other embodiments include only one layer of reinforcing
material or do not include any layers of reinforcing material.
[0022] The bag 200 can be used to hold a variety of different
contents that are pourable. Examples include birdseed, feed such as
dog food or cat food, cat litter, salt, fertilizers, grass seed,
dry cement, and the like.
[0023] In use, as shown in FIG. 4, a user of the bag 200 supports
the bag 200 by the handle 230. When maneuvering the bag 200 into a
pouring position, the user grasps the bag 200 by its fourth corner
222 to apply a rotational force R.sub.rot in order to tip the bag
200 into a pouring position. The mechanical advantage realized by
the user of the bag 200 during the process of tipping the bag 200
into a pouring position is equal to the length of its effective
lever arm R.sub.2, which is maximized by its placement of the
handle 230 in the first corner 216 of the bag 200. The user of the
bag 200 need apply a minimal rotational force at the fourth corner
222 in order to tip the bag 200 into its proper pouring position--a
desirable result for the user.
[0024] Additionally, control of a pouring hole 242 formed in the
pouring region 228 is enhanced by strategically locating the handle
230. As the user tips the bag 200 by applying a rotational force
R.sub.rot to the fourth corner 222, the fourth corner 222 travels
an arcuate route 244, the length of which is equal to radius
R.sub.2 multiplied by the angle through which the bag 200 is
rotated. Similarly, the second corner 218 and hence the pouring
hole 242 travels an arcuate route 246, the length of which is equal
to radius R.sub.3 multiplied by the angle through which the bag 200
is rotated. Thus, the ratio between the distance traveled by the
pouring hole 242 and the fourth corner 222 is R.sub.3/R.sub.2. In
other words, for every inch traveled by the fourth corner 222, the
pouring hole 242 travels only R.sub.3/R.sub.2 of an inch.
[0025] By locating the handle 200 in the first corner 216, as
described in relation to one possible embodiment, the distance
R.sub.3 is reduced as much as possible without reducing the
distance R.sub.2. As a result, control over movement of the pouring
hole 242 is increased as much as possible while still maximizing
the length of the lever arm R.sub.2.
[0026] Referring to FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment of a bag is
generally shown as 248 and is similar to the embodiment illustrated
in FIGS. 2 and 3, first and second corners 216 and 218. The bag 248
has a first end edge 208, second end edge 210, first and second
side edges 212 and 214 and a dashed line 226 to mark where to form
a pouring opening. A handle 250 having a gripping portion 252 is
attached to and projects from the first side edge 212 of the bag
248. The handle 250 can be formed from any suitable material such
as plastic, metal, rope loops, and the like. Additionally, the
handle 250 can be attached to the bag 248 using any suite type of
connection such as adhesive, fasteners such as rivets, and the
like. The handle 250 also can be molded to the bag 248.
[0027] In one possible embodiment as shown, the handle 250 is
positioned along the first side edge 212 of the bag 248 and
adjacent to the first corner 216. Other possible positions for the
handle 250 that increase the lever arm R.sub.2 are possible. For
example, the handle 250 can be attached to the first end edge 208
of the bag 248 or at a position that is distal to the first corner
216 but still provides for a lever arm that is greater than the
lever arm of a bag in which the handle is positioned at the center
of the first end edge 208.
[0028] Yet another possible embodiment of the bag is illustrated in
FIG. 6 and is generally shown as 252. The bag 252 has a first end
edge 208, a second end edge 210, first and second side edges 212
and 214 that define a centerline 224, a first handle 254 similar to
the handle 230, and a dashed line 226 to mark where to form a
pouring opening. Additionally, a second handle 256 is positioned
along the first end edge 208 of the bag 252 and is centered about
the centerline 224. In this embodiment, a user can use the first
handle 254 when pouring contents from the bag 252 and the second
handle 256 when carrying the bag 252. The second handle 256 allows
the bag 252 to be balanced when a user carries it.
[0029] Yet another possible embodiment of the bag is illustrated in
FIG. 7 and is shown generally as 258. The bag 258 has a first end
edge 208, a second end edge 210, first and second side edges 212
and 214 defining a centerline 224, a handle 230, a dashed line 226
to mark where to form a pouring opening, and a pouring region 228
which is demarcated by the dashed line 226. As in the previous
figures, the first corner 216 is located at the intersection of the
first side edge 212 and the first end edge 208. The second corner
218 is located at the intersection of the second side edge 214 and
the first end edge 208. The third corner 220 is located at the
intersection of the first side edge 212 and the second end edge
210. The fourth corner 222 is located at the intersection of the
second side edge 214 and the second end edge 210. The handle 230 is
located along the end edge not containing the pouring region 228
and on the opposite side of the centerline 224 from the pouring
region 228. In the specific embodiment depicted in FIG. 7, the
handle 230 is located in the second corner 218, catercorner from
the pouring region 228.
[0030] When rotating the bag 258 into a pouring position, a user is
expected to grasp the bag 258 by its handle 230 with a first hand
and to grasp the bag 258 immediately beneath the pouring region 228
with a second hand. The user is also expected to apply an upward
force with the first hand, rotating the bag 258 about the region
grasped by the second hand, thereby maneuvering the bag 258 into a
pouring position. Because the user's second hand is anticipated to
grasp the region immediately beneath the pouring region 228,
controllability of the pouring region is maximized, because R.sub.3
(not shown) effectively approaches 0. At the same time, the
effective lever arm R.sub.2 is maximized, thereby providing
mechanical advantage for the bag's user.
[0031] Although the description of the preferred embodiments is
quite specific, it is contemplated that various modifications could
be made without deviating from the spirit of the present invention.
Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the present invention
be dictated by the appended claims, not the description of the
preferred embodiment and method.
* * * * *