U.S. patent application number 11/128702 was filed with the patent office on 2005-09-22 for elastic trash bag and method of making the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to Nordson Corporation. Invention is credited to Raterman, John M..
Application Number | 20050207681 11/128702 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32175124 |
Filed Date | 2005-09-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050207681 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Raterman, John M. |
September 22, 2005 |
Elastic trash bag and method of making the same
Abstract
A trash bag capable of being secured to a receptacle includes a
trash bag body having a bag mouth, a hem formed proximate the mouth
and a drawtape contained within the hem to close the bag. At least
one elastic member, such as one or more elastic strands or bands,
is adhesively attached to the drawtape and elastically secures the
mouth to the receptacle. A method of making a trash bag includes
adhesively attaching an elastic member to the trash bag body or
drawtape proximate the bag mouth while the elastic member is in a
stretched state. When released, the elastic member returns to an
unstretched state and the bag gathers along the elastic member
thereby providing a stretchable region adjacent the mouth.
Inventors: |
Raterman, John M.; (Atlanta,
GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOOD, HERRON & EVANS, LLP (NORDSON)
2700 CAREW TOWER
441 VINE STREET
CINCINNATI
OH
45202
US
|
Assignee: |
Nordson Corporation
Westlake
OH
|
Family ID: |
32175124 |
Appl. No.: |
11/128702 |
Filed: |
May 13, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11128702 |
May 13, 2005 |
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10285233 |
Oct 31, 2002 |
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6921202 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
383/75 ; 383/33;
383/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65F 1/0006
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/075 ;
383/033; 383/043 |
International
Class: |
B65D 033/28 |
Claims
1. A trash bag for a receptacle having an opening to receive the
bag, the trash bag comprising: a trash bag body having an open bag
mouth; a hem formed proximate said bag mouth and having at least
one opening in said hem; a drawtape contained within said hem, said
drawtape being accessible at the opening of said hem opening to
allow said drawtape to be pulled therethrough relative to said
trash bag body so as to close said bag mouth; and at least one
elongated elastic member adhesively attached directly to a
generally flat surface of said drawtape so that essentially the
entire length of said elastic member is attached to said drawtape,
said elastic member having an unstretched state and a stretched
state, said elastic member being adhesively attached to said
generally flat surface of said drawtape while in the stretched
state.
2. The trash bag of claim 1, wherein said elastic member comprises
at least one elongated elastic strand.
3. The trash bag of claim 1, wherein said elastic member comprises
at least one elongated elastic band.
4. The trash bag of claim 1, wherein said elastic member is
disposed generally parallel to said drawtape along the entire
length of said elastic member.
5. The trash bag of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is applied to
said at least one elongated elastic member in a manner selected
from the group consisting of a spray, a continuous band, a
continuous swirl, an omega swirl, a sinusoidal swirl and multiple
dots.
6. A method of making a trash bag for a receptacle having an
opening to receive the bag, the method comprising: providing a
trash bag body having an open bag mouth; stretching an elongated
elastic member; applying an adhesive to the elongated elastic
member; and attaching the elongated elastic member directly to a
surface of the trash bag body proximate the bag mouth with the
adhesive while the elastic member is in a stretched state, the
elastic member forming a stretchable region in the trash bag body
when released to an unstretched state.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the elastic member comprises one
of an elastic strand and an elastic band.
8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of applying
the adhesive in a manner selected from the group consisting of a
spray, a continuous band, a continuous swirl, an omega swirl, a
sinusoidal swirl and multiple dots.
9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of applying
the adhesive in a continuous manner so as to adhere the elastic
member to the trash bag body essentially along the entire length of
the elastic member.
10. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of applying
the adhesive in a discrete manner so as to adhere the elastic
member to the trash bag body at spaced apart locations along the
length of the elastic member.
11. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of attaching
the elastic member to the trash bag body to form a ring that
encircles the bag mouth.
12. A method of making a trash bag for a receptacle having an
opening to receive the bag, the method comprising: providing a
trash bag body having an open bag mouth, a hem formed proximate the
bag mouth having at least one opening, and one of a drawtape and a
drawstring contained within the hem; stretching an elongated
elastic member; applying an adhesive to the elongated elastic
member; and attaching the elongated elastic member directly to a
surface of the trash bag body proximate the bag mouth with the
adhesive while the elastic member is in the stretched state, the
elastic member forming a stretchable region in the trash bag body
when released to an unstretched state.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the elastic member comprises one
of an elastic strand and an elastic band.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of applying
the adhesive in a manner selected from the group consisting of a
spray, a continuous band, a continuous swirl, an omega swirl, a
sinusoidal swirl and multiple dots.
15. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of applying
the adhesive in a continuous manner so as to adhere the elastic
member to the trash bag body essentially along the entire length of
the elastic member.
16. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of applying
the adhesive in a discrete manner so as to adhere the elastic
member to the trash bag body at spaced apart locations along the
length of the elastic member.
17. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of attaching
the elastic member to the trash bag body so as to be within the
hem.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein the hem includes two channels,
the one of the drawtape and drawstring positioned within one of the
channels and the elastic member attached to the trash bag body
within the other channel.
19. A method of making a trash bag for a receptacle having an
opening to receive the bag, the method comprising: providing a
trash bag body having an open bag mouth, a hem formed proximate the
bag mouth having at least one opening, and a drawtape contained
within the hem; stretching an elongated elastic member; applying an
adhesive to the elongated elastic member; and attaching the
elongated elastic member directly to a generally flat surface of
the drawtape with the adhesive while the elastic member is in the
stretched state, the elastic member forming a stretchable region in
the drawtape when released to an unstretched state.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the elastic member comprises one
of an elastic strand and an elastic band.
21. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of applying
the adhesive in a manner selected from the group consisting of a
spray, a continuous band, a continuous swirl, an omega swirl, a
sinusoidal swirl and multiple dots.
22. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of applying
the adhesive in a continuous manner so as to adhere the elastic
member to the drawtape essentially along the entire length of the
elastic member.
23. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of applying
the adhesive in a discrete manner so as to adhere the elastic
member to the drawtape at spaced apart locations along the length
of the elastic member.
Description
[0001] This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/285,233 filed Oct. 31, 2002, the disclosure
of which is fully incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to plastic trash bags and,
more specifically, to trash bags having a securing system that
enables the trash bag to be securely fitted to an upper portion of
a trash container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Trash bags are typically formed from two panels of
thermoplastic materials that are sealed along opposing vertical
sides. The horizontal seam along the bottom of the panels is also
sealed. The top side of the panels, however, is not sealed and
provides an opening or mouth for access to the interior of the bag.
The trash bag is inserted as an interior liner of a formed
container or receptacle. The bag mouth is then loosely laid over
the top end of the receptacle to provide an unobstructed opening
for inserting trash into the bag.
[0004] A differentiating feature in many trash bag designs,
however, is the bag closure system. In the typical trash bag
closure system, the bag adjacent to the opening is gathered
together at a point some distance below the mouth. If there is
sufficient bag length above the gathering point, this length may be
tied into a knot to secure its contents. Otherwise, a separate bag
tie may be used to secure the bag from reopening. Typical bag ties
are paper coated flexible wires or a plastic strip with a
self-adjusting locking mechanism. Having separate tie mechanisms is
often undesirable due to the additional expense in manufacturing
and the inconvenience they cause the consumer.
[0005] One way to avoid these problems is to have a closure system
integral to the overall bag design. One particular integral bag
closure system includes tie members that are simple extensions of
the bag body. In this system, an extra length of plastic integral
to the bag body extends above the mouth on opposing sides of the
bag. Now instead of gathering the plastic at a point below the
mouth, the mouth may in essence become the gathering point and the
two lengths of plastic extending upwardly from the mouth are used
to tie a knot in order to secure the bag contents.
[0006] Another integral bag closure system includes a drawtape or
drawstring internal to a hem formed along the mouth of the bag to
form a so-called cinch. The hem may be formed by folding the
plastic of the bag body over itself a short length and heat sealing
the seam with the drawtape/drawstring internal to the hem. In this
design, the hem is provided with one or more access holes that
allow the drawtape/drawstring to be pulled through, gathering the
bag along its mouth to secure its contents. The drawtape/drawstring
advantageously serves as a handle for which to carry the bag.
Furthermore, if two access holes are provided, the drawtape can
then be tied together in a knot to ensure that the contents stay
inside the bag while also providing a handle for which to carry the
bag.
[0007] One shortcoming of traditional trash bags as well as trash
bags with integral closure systems is the securing of the bag mouth
to the opening of the receptacle. For many trash bags, the bag
mouth is loosely laid over the container edge. When consumers fill
the trash bag, the bag mouth often becomes detached from the formed
container and consequently falls down inside the container. This
may occur from the shear weight of the inserted trash or from
simply dragging the mouth into the bag as the consumer repeatedly
inserts trash into the bag. The consumer must then pick up the bag
relative to the container and put the mouth back over the top edge
of the container. Otherwise, the consumer risks missing the inside
of the bag completely and having trash in immediate contact with
the inside surface of the container. This defeats the purpose of
the bag and creates a nuisance for the consumer.
[0008] A mouth securing system has been proposed to overcome this
shortcoming by inserting an elastic ring inside a hem formed along
the mouth of the bag. The ring or loop element is not attached to
the bag but instead just freely floats within the formed hem. The
ring may be completely made from elastic material or have only a
portion made from elastic material. This mouth securing system may
be used with a cinch-type closure system. A number of disadvantages
exist in this design. First, because the elastic ring is not
attached to the bag, it requires that a hem be formed along the
mouth of the bag which adds to the manufacturing cost of the bag.
Without the hem, the ring would simply slide off the bag in its
unstretched state. Second, this design requires that the loop
completely traverse the mouth of the bag. Again, because the
elastic ring is free floating and not attached to the bag,
stretching along the mouth can only occur if the ring forms a
closed loop. Anything less than a closed looped ring would not be
effective in this design.
[0009] Another mouth securing system has been proposed that
augments a closure system utilizing a drawtape design with an
elastic member adhered to the drawtape. In essence, the securing
system is incorporated into the closure system. In this design, a
section of the drawtape is gathered into folds forming a plurality
of crests and troughs. An unstretched elastomeric strip is then
attached to the troughs of the gathered drawtape. This provides the
drawtape with a level of elasticity related to the length of
drawtape attached to the elastic strip. When the drawtape is
stretched, the elastic strip stretches moving the drawtape crests
closer to the troughs. The drawtape may stretch until the crests
and troughs are substantially coplanar. Any further stretching
results in plastic deformation of the drawtape just as if there
were no elastic member. The augmented drawtape is incorporated
within a hem about the mouth of the bag as previously discussed.
For this design to be effective as a way to secure the bag mouth to
the receptacle, the unstretched mouth opening must be smaller than
the receptacle opening. In this way, the mouth must then be
stretched to cover the container opening, thus creating an elastic
restoring force that secures the bag to the receptacle.
[0010] This design, however, also has some disadvantages. First,
this mouth securing system is limited to trash bag designs having
closure systems that employ drawtapes or drawstrings. This is a
significant disadvantage because the drawtape manufacturing process
is more expensive, requires additional materials, and requires more
steps than other closure systems. Furthermore, this design attaches
the elastic member to the drawtape at discrete locations along the
drawtape, i.e., at the troughs of the gather sections, which
complicates the manufacturing process and thereby may add cost to
the bag.
[0011] Therefore, a need exists for a system that secures the mouth
of a trash bag to a container but that overcomes the disadvantages
of the previous designs and additionally works with a host of
closure systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention overcomes the foregoing and other
shortcomings and drawbacks of securing systems designed to secure
trash bags to receptacles. While this invention will be described
in connection with certain embodiments, it will be understood that
the invention is not limited to these embodiments. On the contrary,
the invention includes all alternatives, modifications, and
equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the
present invention.
[0013] The present invention discloses a securing system utilizing
elastic strands, or alternatively elastic bands, adhesively
attached to a trash bag and extending along the bag mouth. There
may be one or more elastic strands or bands of various lengths that
encircle the entire bag or only a selected portion thereof. The
elastic strands or bands are adhesively attached to the bag while
the strands or bands are stretched, or elongated. The adhesive may
be applied to the strands or bands in a continuous manner or at
discrete points along the strands or bands. By way of example, the
adhesive may be applied as a spray, a continuous band, a continuous
swirl, an omega swirl or as multiple dots. When the strands or
bands are allowed to return to their unstretched state, the bag
gathers along the strands or bands thereby providing a stretchable
region along the mouth of the bag. The trash bag and attached
elastic strands or bands are configured so that when the strands or
bands are unstretched, the bag mouth is smaller than the receptacle
opening, but when the elastic strands or bands are stretched, the
bag mouth is larger than the receptacle opening. With this design,
a consumer inserts a bag into a receptacle, stretches the bag mouth
to be larger than the receptacle opening, places the bag mouth over
the receptacle opening, and then releases the bag. The elastic
strands or bands retract creating a restoring force along the bag
mouth that secures the bag to the receptacle.
[0014] The elastic strands or bands may be placed along the mouth
of the bag in several different configurations. In accordance with
one aspect of the present invention, a single strand or band
completely encircles the mouth of the bag as a ring proximate the
bag mouth. In accordance with another aspect of the present
invention, multiple strands or bands that completely encircle the
bag mouth as rings may be placed adjacent each other proximate the
bag mouth to further secure the bag to the receptacle. In
accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention,
multiple elastic strands or bands are spaced circumferentially
about the bag mouth so that in their unstretched state, the bag
mouth is smaller than the receptacle opening and in the stretched
state, the bag mouth is larger than the receptacle opening.
[0015] The securing system of the present invention may be easily
incorporated into existing bags with or without integral closure
systems. For traditional trash bags with no integral closure
system, the elastic strands or bands previously described may be
placed immediately adjacent the bag mouth, in which case a separate
bag tie would have to be used at a gathering point somewhere below
the strands. In one exemplary embodiment, the elastic strands or
bands may be hidden by forming a hem along the mouth of the bag by
folding the top edge over the bag for a distance to cover the
strands or bands and sealing the edge of the hem to the bag body.
The elastic strands or bands are fully enclosed within the hem.
Alternatively, the elastic strands or bands may be placed some
distance away from the mouth end to provide a length of bag
material sufficient to tie a knot or otherwise provide a gathering
point somewhere above the strands or bands that would be secured
using a separate bag tie.
[0016] The securing system of the present invention may also be
easily incorporated into trash bags with integral closure systems.
For trash bags that shape or contour the bag in order to provide
integral tie ends extending above the bag mouth, the elastic
strands or bands previously described may be placed adjacent the
bag mouth. When the bag is full, the mouth is stretched and removed
from the receptacle and the integral tie ends are used to secure
the bag contents. For cinch-type closure systems, the elastic
strands or bands may be placed within the hem, below the hem, or on
the drawtape itself. In this way, the strands or bands effectively
secure the bag to the receptacle while the cinch effectively closes
the bag and may further provide a handle for which to carry the
bag.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and, together with a general description of the
invention given above, and the detailed description of the
embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the
invention.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
with elastic strand segments adhered along their entire lengths to
the trash bag proximate the bag mouth in accordance with the
principles of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an elastic trash bag with
elastic strand segments adhered intermittently along their lengths
to the trash bag proximate the bag mouth in accordance with the
principles of the present invention and shown securely mounted to a
trash receptacle.
[0020] FIG. 3A is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention wherein the elastic strands are elongated
to encircle the entire mouth of the bag to form multiple elastic
rings.
[0021] FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention wherein each elastic ring that encircles
the bag mouth comprises a pair of elastic strand segments attached
to the bag to form the rings.
[0022] FIG. 3C is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention having multiple ring sets that encircle
the entire mouth of the bag.
[0023] FIG. 4A is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention having a pair of elastic strand segments
attached to the bag proximate the bag mouth.
[0024] FIG. 4B is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention having multiple elastic strand segments
spaced circumferentially about the bag mouth.
[0025] FIG. 5A is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention wherein a bag tie closes the bag below
elastic strands which encircle the bag mouth.
[0026] FIG. 5B is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention having a hem formed about the mouth of the
bag and elastic strands located within the hem.
[0027] FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag of
the present invention wherein elastic strands are spaced a distance
from the bag mouth.
[0028] FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag of
the present invention incorporating integral tie ends extending
above the bag mouth that are used to close the bag.
[0029] FIG. 8A is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention incorporating a drawtape closure system
within a hem, wherein elastic strand segments are located below the
hem.
[0030] FIG. 8B is a perspective view of an elastic trash bag of the
present invention with the bag removed from the trash receptacle
and closed using a drawtape, wherein elastic strands encircle the
entire mouth of the bag to form multiple elastic rings.
[0031] FIG. 8C is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention wherein the elastic strands encircle the
mouth of the bag to form elastic rings as in FIG. 3A.
[0032] FIG. 8D is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention wherein the elastic ring comprises a pair
of elastic strand segments that encircle the entire mouth of the
bag as in FIG. 3B.
[0033] FIG. 8E is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention having multiple ring sets that encircle
the entire mouth of the bag as in FIG. 3C.
[0034] FIG. 8F is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag
of the present invention having multiple elastic strand segments
spaced circumferentially about the bag mouth as in FIG. 4B.
[0035] FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of an elastic trash bag of
the present invention wherein a double hem is formed, the first hem
containing a drawtape and the second hem containing elastic strand
segments.
[0036] FIG. 10 is a side view of an elastic trash bag of the
present invention wherein a drawtape and elastic strand segments
are contained inside a single hem.
[0037] FIG. 11 is a side view of an elastic trash bag of the
present invention wherein elastic strand segments are attached to a
drawtape located within a single hem.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0038] Referring to FIG. 1, an elastic trash bag 10 is
schematically illustrated in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention and comprises a trash bag body having two panels
of plastic 12 and 14 (FIG. 2) that are sealed along two vertical
sides 16 and along the bottom side 18 of the two panels 12 and 14.
The top side of the panels 12 and 14 is not sealed and thereby
provides an opening or mouth 20 for access into the interior of the
bag. It will be appreciated that other formations of the trash bag
10 known to those skilled in the art are possible as well.
[0039] In one embodiment of the present invention, multiple elastic
strand segments 22 are adhesively attached to the trash bag 10 and
extend generally parallel to the bag mouth 20 and are positioned
relatively close to the bag mouth. The elastic strands 22 are
attached to at least one of the plastic panels 12 and 14 while the
strands 22 are stretched or elongated. In accordance with one
embodiment, the adhesive may be applied to the strands 22 in a
continuous manner along the entire length of the strands 22 as
shown in FIG. 1 so that the elastic strands 22 are adhered to the
bag 10 along their entire lengths. Alternatively, the strands 22
may be adhered to the bag 10 at discrete spaced locations along the
length of the strands 22 as shown in FIG. 2. When the strands 22
return to their unstretched state (see FIG. 2), the bag panels 12
and 14 gather along the strands 22 thereby providing a stretchable
region 24 along the mouth of the bag 20.
[0040] The strands 22 may comprise elastic strands of LYCRA XAJ
Spandex, a synthetic stranded product manufactured by DuPont, or
any other stranded elastic products such as threaded natural rubber
by way of example. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary
skill in the art that strands 22 may be replaced with one or more
generally flat bands (not shown) without departing from the spirit
and scope of the present invention. The strands 22 can be
adhesively attached to the bag 10 in a number of different manners
such as, by way of example, applying the adhesive as a spray, a
continuous band, a continuous swirl spray, a non-looping swirl
spray in the shape of an omega or sinusoid or as multiple adhesive
dots as known by those skilled in the art. Examples of several of
these adhesive dispensing patterns are fully disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 6,435,425, entitled Module and Nozzle for Dispensing Controlled
Patterns of Liquid Material, U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,518, entitled
Guide System for Positioning an Elongated Strand In a Liquid
Dispensing Environment, and co-pending U.S. Ser. No. 10/021,176,
entitled Method and Apparatus for Use in Coating Elongated Bands,
each disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference
in its entirety.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 2, the trash bag 10 is inserted as an
interior liner of a formed container or receptacle 26 having an
opening 28. The trash bag 10 and attached elastic strands 22 are
configured so that when the elastic strands 22 are unstretched, the
bag mouth 20 is smaller than the receptacle opening 28. But when
the strands 22 are stretched, the bag mouth is larger than the
receptacle opening 28. Thus, to secure the bag 10 to receptacle 26,
the consumer inserts a bag into the receptacle opening 28,
stretches the bag mouth 20 to be larger than opening 28 and places
the bag mouth 20 over opening 28. When the consumer releases the
bag mouth 20, the elastic strands 22 retract and create a restoring
force along the bag mouth 20 that secures the bag to the
receptacle.
[0042] The elastic strands 22 may be placed generally parallel to
the mouth of the bag 10 in several different configurations. FIGS.
3A-3C illustrate several strand configurations according to the
principles of the present invention. FIG. 3A shows one embodiment
wherein the elastic strands 22 completely encircle the bag mouth
20. This type of configuration might be accomplished by using a
single strand 22 or multiple strands 22 (three (3) shown) that are
either continuously or intermittently adhered to the panels 12 and
14 to form a single ring set 30 which encircles the bag mouth
20.
[0043] In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 3B, each ring in set
30 may be composed of two discrete strand segments 22a and 22b that
abut each other end-to-end to form a complete ring. FIG. 3C shows
another embodiment of the present invention wherein multiple ring
sets 30a and 30b may be formed to secure the bag 10 to the
receptacle 26. Multiple ring sets 30a and 30b might be appropriate
when the bag 10 must hold a significant amount of weight or perhaps
the bag is not supported along the bottom.
[0044] FIGS. 4A-4B show additional embodiments of strand
configurations. FIG. 4A shows one embodiment of the present
invention wherein a pair of discrete segments of elastic strands 22
(one shown) are adhered along their entire respective lengths to
the bag 10 and extend proximate the mouth end 20 for respective
lengths less than the width of either bag panel 12 or 14.
Alternatively, the discrete segments of elastic strands 22 may be
adhered to the bag 10 at intermittent locations as shown in FIG. 2.
The minimum length for strands 22 in this configuration is a length
such that when the stretchable region 24, defined by strands 22, is
fully expanded, the bag mouth 20 is just slightly larger than the
receptacle opening 28 thus allowing the bag mouth 20 to be placed
over the receptacle opening 28. This configuration is advantageous
in that it minimizes the amount of elastic material used to secure
the bag 10 to the receptacle 26.
[0045] FIG. 4B shows another embodiment of the present invention
wherein multiple discrete strand segments 22a, 22b, and 22c are
spaced circumferentially about the bag mouth 20 to provide multiple
points along the receptacle opening 28 where the bag 10 is secured
to receptacle 26. The strand segments 22a, 22b and 22c may each
have equal lengths and may be uniformly spaced about the mouth end
20, although other configurations are possible as well. The strand
segments 22a, 22b and 22c may be adhered to the bag 10 along their
entire respective lengths or at intermittent locations. The lengths
for the bands 22a, 22b and 22c for this configuration are provided
such that when all the stretchable regions 24a, 24b, and 24c are
fully expanded, the bag mouth 20 is just slightly larger than the
receptacle opening 28 thus allowing the bag mouth 20 to be placed
over receptacle opening 28.
[0046] The securing system of the present invention is adaptable to
not only traditional trash bags but also to bags having integral
closure systems. FIG. 5A shows one embodiment of the present
invention adapted to a traditional trash bag. FIG. 5A shows elastic
strand segments 22a and 22b placed immediately adjacent the bag
mouth 20. The strand segments 22a and 22b are adhered to the bag 10
end-to-end to form complete rings. When the bag is full, the bag is
gathered together at a point below the strands 22a, 22b and a
separate bag tie 32 is used to prevent the bag from reopening.
Preferably, the strand segments 22a and 22b are hidden from view by
forming a hem 34 along bag mouth 20 and placing the strands
internal to the hem as shown in FIG. 5B.
[0047] FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment for traditional trash
bags wherein the elastic strands 22 are located some distance away
from bag mouth 20 to provide a length of bag material 36 sufficient
to tie a knot or provide a gathering point above the bands that
could be secured using a separate bag tie 32.
[0048] The securing system of the present invention may also be
easily incorporated into trash bags with integral closure systems.
FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a securing system used in
conjunction with a trash bag that is shaped or contoured in order
to provide integral tie ends 38 and 40 extending above bag mouth
20. Elastic strands 22 may be placed proximate the bag mouth 20.
When the bag is full, the integral tie ends 38 and 40 are used to
tie a knot to prevent the bag from reopening.
[0049] FIGS. 8A-8F further illustrate embodiments of the present
invention used in cinch-type closure systems. Cinch-type closure
systems have a drawtape/drawstring 42 internal to a bag hem 34 that
encircles the bag mouth 20. Elastic strands 22 may be placed below
the hem 34 as shown in FIG. 8A. The strands 22 secure the bag 10 to
the receptacle 26 and when the bag is full, the drawtape/drawstring
42 is used to secure the bag contents and provide a handle to carry
the bag, as shown in FIG. 8B. As discussed previously, the elastic
members 22 may completely encircle the bag mouth 20 to form a
single ring set (FIG. 8C) or the ring set 30 may be composed of two
discrete strand segments 22a and 22b that abut each other
end-to-end for form a complete ring (FIG. 8D). As shown in FIG. 8E,
multiple ring sets 30a and 30b may be formed along the mouth of the
bag. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 8F, multiple discrete strand
segments 22a, 22b, and 22c may be spaced circumferentially about
the bag mouth 20.
[0050] FIG. 9 shows an alternate embodiment for cinch-type closure
systems wherein trash bag 10 has two hems 34a and 34b, with the top
hem 34a preferably containing the drawtape/drawstring 42 and the
bottom hem 34b preferably containing elastic strands 22. FIG. 10
shows another embodiment wherein the elastic strands 22 and the
drawtape/drawstring 42 are contained in a single hem 34.
[0051] FIG. 11 shows yet another embodiment for a cinch-type
closure system wherein the elastic strands 22 are attached to the
drawtape 42 and enclosed in the hem 34. The drawtape 42 is
generally flat, i.e. ungathered, so that the strands 22 lie
generally parallel with the drawtape 42. In this design, the
elastic cinch secures the bag mouth 20 to the receptacle 26 and
further provides for closure of the bag and a handle for which to
carry the bag.
[0052] Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize the many
other configurations of strands 22 and bands (not shown) that will
effectively secure the bag 10 to the receptacle 26 without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0053] While the present invention has been illustrated by a
description of various embodiments and while these embodiments have
been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of
the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the
appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and
modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The
invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the
specific details, representative apparatus and method, and
illustrative example shown and described. Accordingly, departures
may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or
scope of applicant's general inventive concept.
[0054] Having described the invention, what is claimed is:
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