U.S. patent application number 10/917871 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-16 for self-closing sealable valve bag.
This patent application is currently assigned to Mid-America Packaging, LLC. Invention is credited to David G. Johnson.
Application Number | 20060035777 10/917871 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35800701 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060035777 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Johnson; David G. |
February 16, 2006 |
Self-closing sealable valve bag
Abstract
A valve bag comprising: a bag body; a valve passage formed in
the bag body; and a sealable valve sleeve secured within the valve
passage, an exterior portion of the valve sleeve extending along an
adjacent portion of the bag body, the exterior portion of the valve
sleeve being unsecured to the adjacent portion of the bag body.
Inventors: |
Johnson; David G.; (Little
Rock, AR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HAHN LOESER & PARKS, LLP
One GOJO Plaza
Suite 300
AKRON
OH
44311-1076
US
|
Assignee: |
Mid-America Packaging, LLC
Twinsburg
OH
|
Family ID: |
35800701 |
Appl. No.: |
10/917871 |
Filed: |
August 13, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
493/213 ;
383/44 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 31/142
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
493/213 ;
383/044 |
International
Class: |
B65D 30/24 20060101
B65D030/24; B65D 30/26 20060101 B65D030/26 |
Claims
1. A valve bag comprising: a bag body; a valve passage formed in
the bag body; and a sealable valve sleeve secured within the valve
passage, an exterior portion of the valve sleeve extending along an
adjacent portion of the bag body, the exterior portion of the valve
sleeve being unsecured to the adjacent portion of the bag body.
2. The valve bag according to claim 1, wherein the valve sleeve
comprises an upper valve support having an inner end, a lower valve
support having an inner end, and a valve liner having an inner end,
the upper valve support inner end extending beyond the valve liner
inner end.
3. The valve bag according to claim 1, wherein the valve sleeve
comprises an upper valve support having an inner end, a lower valve
support having an inner end, and a valve liner having an inner end,
the lower valve support inner end extending to about the valve
liner inner end.
4. The valve bag according to claim 1, wherein the valve sleeve
comprises an upper valve support having an inner end, a lower valve
support having an inner end, and a valve liner having an inner end,
the upper valve support inner end extending beyond the valve liner
inner end, the lower valve support inner end extending to about the
valve liner inner end.
5. The valve bag according to claim 2, wherein the bag body
comprises an inner flap and an outer flap, the inner flap and the
outer flap partially overlapping forming the valve passage.
6. The valve bag according to claim 5, wherein the inner flap has
an inner end, an inner end of the valve sleeve extending beyond the
inner flap inner end.
7. The valve bag according to claim 6, wherein a first portion of
the inner flap is attached to a first portion of the lower valve
support, and a second portion of the inner flap, extending
interiorly from the first portion of the inner flap, is unattached
to the lower valve support.
8. The valve bag according to claim 2, wherein the valve liner is a
tubular sleeve having open ends.
9. A method of sealing the valve bag according to claim 1,
comprising: after filling the valve bag, rotating the unsecured
exterior portion of the valve sleeve to permit access to opposite
exterior surfaces of the valve sleeve; and applying force to the
opposite exterior surfaces of the valve sleeve sealing the valve
sleeve.
10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: applying
heat to the opposite exterior surfaces of the valve sleeve.
11. A valve bag comprising: a bag body having an inner flap and an
outer flap, the inner flap and the outer flap at least partially
overlapping; a valve passage formed between the overlapping inner
and outer flaps; and a sealable valve sleeve secured to the inner
and outer flaps, the valve sleeve having a first end portion
extending exteriorly beyond an end of the outer flap, the valve
sleeve first end portion being unsecured to an adjacent portion of
the inner flap.
12. The valve bag according to claim 11, wherein the valve sleeve
has a second end portion extending interiorly beyond an end of the
inner flap.
13. The valve bag according to claim 12, wherein the valve sleeve
second end portion is secured to the outer flap.
14. The valve bag according to claim 12, wherein the valve sleeve
second end portion is unsecured to an adjacent portion of the inner
flap.
15. A method of sealing the valve bag according to claim 11,
comprising: after filling the valve bag, rotating the first end
portion of the valve sleeve to permit access to opposite exterior
surfaces of the valve sleeve; and applying force to the opposite
exterior surfaces of the valve sleeve first end portion sealing the
valve sleeve.
16. A valve bag comprising: a bag body having an inner flap and an
outer flap, the inner flap and the outer flap at least partially
overlapping; a valve passage formed between the overlapping inner
and outer flaps; and a sealable valve sleeve secured to the inner
and outer flaps, the valve sleeve comprising a tubular sleeve
having an upper valve support secured to an upper portion thereof
and a separate lower valve support secured to a lower portion
thereof, the valve sleeve having: a first end portion extending
exteriorly beyond an end of the outer flap, a second end portion
extending interiorly beyond an end of the inner flap and a middle
portion between the first end portion and the second end portion,
the valve sleeve first end portion being unsecured to an adjacent
portion of the inner flap, the valve sleeve middle portion being
secured to both the outer flap and the inner flap, the valve sleeve
second end portion being secured to an adjacent portion of the
outer flap and being unsecured to the inner flap.
17. A method of sealing the valve bag according to claim 16,
comprising: after filling the valve bag, rotating the first end
portion of the valve sleeve away from the adjacent portion of the
inner flap allowing access to the exterior surfaces of the upper
valve support and the lower valve support; and applying at least
one of force and heat to the exterior surfaces of the upper valve
support and the lower valve support sealing the valve sleeve.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to valve bags, and more
particularly to valve sleeves used in valve bags for granular
products, such as animal feed, animal supplements, grains, and
fertilizers.
[0002] Flexible bags such as paper shipping sacks may include
sealable sleeves placed in the filling valves. A sealable sleeve
provides a convenient means to securely close the flexible bag to
prevent the contents of the bag from leaking or sifting out of the
bag. Sleeves may be constructed of polyethylene tubing or of paper,
for example.
[0003] A typical paper sleeve for a paper shipping sack (such as a
pasted valve type multi-wall shipping sack) is made from a
rectangular sheet of kraft paper that is rolled into a cylindrical
shape and secured in the cylindrical shape by overlapping and
gluing opposing edges of the sheet of paper to one another, forming
a lapped seam. Such a sleeve is typically mounted to an opening,
called a valve or filling aperture, located in a corner of the bag,
that is used to allow introduction of the product that is to be
held within the bag. This arrangement has been used even in more
advanced shipping sacks that include a thermoplastic film liner
adhered to the inner surface of the sleeve valve. In order to seal
the paper sleeve and therefore the valve or filling aperture after
the shipping sack is full, heat is applied to the thermoplastic
film liner near an exterior end of the sleeve valve to secure the
contents within the shipping sack. Sealing is typically
accomplished using conduction heating, pressure, microwave energy,
or ultrasonic application.
[0004] The trend in manufacturing processes now, however,
particularly with extended valve tube bags, is not to provide one
sealing apparatus per packing apparatus, since it requires less
capital expense to use only one or two sealing apparatus for a
packaging line, and the line speed can also be increased if common
sealing apparatus are used for all the packing apparatus. The
difficulty lies in that the filled, but unclosed and unsealed bags
must be transported by conveyer to the sealing apparatus location.
The bags may typically be dropped onto a conveyer.
[0005] Due to the stiffness of the valve tube material, the valve
tube tends to remain open somewhat, as the bag is dropped onto the
conveyer, leading to unacceptable spillage and dusting. In
addition, the operation of the sealing apparatus may require that
the bag be tipped from an upright position, to a position on its
side, further leading to the possibility of dusting and
spillage.
[0006] The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in
present valve bags. Thus, it is apparent that it would be
advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one
or more of the limitations set forth-above. Accordingly, a suitable
alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed
hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, this is accomplished
by providing a valve bag comprising: a bag body; a valve passage
formed in the bag body; and a sealable valve sleeve secured within
the valve passage, an exterior portion of the valve sleeve
extending along an adjacent portion of the bag body, the exterior
portion of the valve sleeve being unsecured to the adjacent portion
of the bag body.
[0008] The foregoing and other aspects will become apparent from
the following detailed description of the invention when considered
in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0009] FIG. 1 shows an unfilled self-closing sealable valve bag
according to the present invention; and
[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the
valve bag shown in FIG. 1 showing details of the valve.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a self-closing sealable valve bag 10 with a top
12 and bottom 14. A self-closing valve 16 is positioned between
overlapping flaps 20, 22 (See FIG. 2), typically in the top 12 of
the bag 10.
[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, the top 12 of bag 10 is formed by at
least partially overlapping inner flap 20 and outer flap 22. A
valve passage 18 is formed between the overlapping flaps 20,
22.
[0013] Valve (or valve sleeve) 16 is positioned within the valve
passage 18 and is secured (as described below) to the inner and
outer flaps 20, 22. Valve 16 consists of a tubular valve liner 24,
which is preferably formed from a polymeric material such as
polyethylene, with an upper valve support 26 and a lower valve
support 28 secured to the valve liner 24. Typically, valve supports
26, 28 are formed from kraft paper and are separate flat pieces of
the kraft paper.
[0014] An exterior portion 30 of the valve sleeve 16 extends
laterally beyond the end of outer flap 22. The exterior portion 30
of valve sleeve 16 is not secured to inner flap 20 (shown at 50).
This allows the unsecured exterior portion 30 to be rotated upward
after bag 10 is filled so that both sides of this exterior portion
30 are accessible by a sealing device. Depending upon the material
used for the valve liner 24, pressure and/or heat is applied to the
exterior portion 30 to seal the valve 16 closed. Other means, not
shown, can be used to seal the valve closed, such as adhesives,
deformable closure systems, similar to those commercially available
under the trademark Ziploc.RTM., etc.
[0015] Preferably, the inner end 32 of the upper valve support 26
extends interiorly beyond the valve liner inner end 38. Also,
preferably, the inner end 34 of the lower valve support extends to
the valve liner inner end 38. The interior portion of the valve
sleeve 16 is secured to and only partially supported by the inner
flap 20. At least a portion (the right most portion shown in FIG.
2) is not secured to and is unsupported by the inner flap 20.
Preferably, the inner end 42 of the inner flap extends below and is
unsecured to the lower valve support 28.
[0016] In one embodiment, the valve sleeve 16 has a first or
exterior end 30 that remains unsecured to the adjacent portion of
the inner flap 20, a middle portion 36 that is secured to the inner
flap 20, and a second end portion (the right most portion shown in
FIG. 2) that is unsecured and unsupported by the inner flap 20.
[0017] During filling, material flows into bag 10 through valve
passage 18 in valve sleeve 16. As the material approaches the top
12 of bag 10, the material will fill the area between the inner end
42 of the inner flap and the lower valve support 28 causing the
valve sleeve 16 to collapse and close the valve passage 18. This
allows temporary handling of the filled bag until the exterior
portion 30 of valve 16 can be permanently sealed closed.
* * * * *