U.S. patent application number 11/371447 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-13 for stacked plastic bag system with auto-inserting tongue mechanism and method for easy opening.
This patent application is currently assigned to Inteplast Group, Ltd.. Invention is credited to Ben Tseng, Ching-Yao Wang.
Application Number | 20070209961 11/371447 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38477836 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070209961 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tseng; Ben ; et al. |
September 13, 2007 |
Stacked plastic bag system with auto-inserting tongue mechanism and
method for easy opening
Abstract
A stacked plastic film bag system includes a plurality of open
top bags and at least one tongue for separating front and back
panels of a bag that is next to be dispensed. Each bag has a header
for maintaining the plurality of stacked open top bags in a
mechanically pressed and/or heat-sealed. The tongue(s) extends
below the front panel tops of the bags so as to permit a bag user
to pull off a most forward bag wherein the front panel of the next
sequential bag will be pulled forward so as to position in front of
the tongue and will fall back to rest after complete removal of the
most forward bag to effect interleafing of the tongue between the
front panel and the back panel of each next sequential bag to ready
it for easy removal and to inhibit static cling of the front and
back panels.
Inventors: |
Tseng; Ben; (East Brunswick,
NJ) ; Wang; Ching-Yao; (Roseland, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Kenneth P. Glynn
24 Mine Street
Flemington
NJ
08822
US
|
Assignee: |
Inteplast Group, Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
38477836 |
Appl. No.: |
11/371447 |
Filed: |
March 9, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/554 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 9/042 20130101;
B65D 33/001 20130101; B65D 33/007 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/554 |
International
Class: |
B65D 1/34 20060101
B65D001/34 |
Claims
1. A stacked plastic film bag system, which comprises: (a) a
plurality of stacked open top bags, each bag including: a front
panel and a back panel, said front panel and said back panel being
formed of a flexible plastic film, and each having an inside and an
outside, and each having a top, a bottom, a left side and a right
side, said front panel having a predetermined width at it's top and
having a predetermined height, said back panel and said front panel
being connected to one another at said sides and said bottom and
being open at said top to establish said bag; (b) each of said
plurality of stacked open top bags having a header for maintaining
said plurality of stacked open top bags in a mechanically pressed
or heat sealed stack with sufficient connection between bags to
maintain said stack and to permit pull-apart removal of each
sequential bag from said stack; and, (c) at least one tongue
connected to said headers and extending downwardly therefrom in
front of said plurality of stacked open bags, said at least on
tongue extending to at least one half inch below said front panel
tops of said plurality of stacked open bags so as to permit a bag
user to pull off a most forward bag wherein the front panel of the
next sequential bag will be pulled forward so as to position in
front of said at least one tongue and will fall back to rest after
complete removal of said most forward bag to effect interleafing of
said at least one tongue between the front panel and the back panel
of said next sequential bag to ready it for easy removal and to
inhibit static cling of said front panel to said back panel of said
next sequential bag.
2. The stacked plastic film bag system of claim 1 wherein each said
header includes a perforation to render each bag removable from
said header with little force.
3. The stacked plastic film bag system of claim 1 wherein said
header includes at least two perforations for hanging said
plurality of stacked open bags on a corresponding hanger.
4. The stacked plastic film bag system of claim 1 wherein said at
least one tongue is a flat member connected to a front area of a
frontmost header.
5. The stacked film bag system of claim 1 wherein said at least one
tongue has an inverted U-shaped side view, extends over said
headers of said plurality of stacked open bags, and is attached to
a front most header and to a backmost header.
6. The stacked plastic film bag system of claim 1 wherein there are
at least two tongues.
7. The stacked plastic film bag system of claim 1 wherein there are
two tongues.
8. The stacked plastic film bag system of claim 7 wherein said two
tongues are separate members from one another.
9. The stacked plastic film bag system of claim 7 wherein said two
tongues are part of a single member having a common overheader
section.
10. The stacked plastic film bag system of claim 1 wherein each bag
of said plurality of stacked open bags is attached to each adjacent
bag for pull-apart separation from one another, with an attachment
selected from the group consisting of heat seal, mechanical
compression weld and combinations thereof.
11. A method of dispensing a bag from a stacked plastic bag system,
which comprises: A) Providing a stacked film bag system, including:
(a) a plurality of stacked open top bags, each bag including: a
front panel and a back panel, said front panel and said back panel
being formed of a flexible plastic film, and each having an inside
and an outside, and each having a top, a bottom, a left side and a
right side, said front panel having a predetermined width at it's
top and having a predetermined height, said back panel and said
front panel being connected to one another at said sides and said
bottom and being open at said top to establish said bag; (b) each
of said plurality of stacked open top bags having a header for
maintaining said plurality of stacked open top bags in a
mechanically pressed or heat sealed stack with sufficient
connection between bags to maintain said stack and to permit
pull-apart removal of each sequential bag from said stack; and, (c)
at least one tongue connected to said headers and extending
downwardly therefrom in front of said plurality of stacked open
bags, said at least on tongue extending to at least one half inch
below said front panel tops of said plurality of stacked open bags
so as to permit a bag user to pull off a most forward bag wherein
the front panel of the next sequential bag will be pulled forward
so as to position in front of said at least one tongue and will
fall back to rest after complete removal of said most forward bag
to effect interleafing of said at least one tongue between the
front panel and the back panel of said next sequential bag to ready
it for easy removal and to inhibit static cling of said front panel
to said back panel of said next sequential bag; B.) Removing a most
forward bag from said stack by pulling it forward and
simultaneously opening the next sequential bag to automatically
insert said at least one tongue between said next sequential bag
front panel and back panel and to inhibit static cling
therebetween.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein each said header includes a
perforation to render each bag removable from said header with
little force.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein said header includes at least
two perforations for hanging said plurality of stacked open bags on
a corresponding hanger.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein said at least one tongue is a
flat member connected to a front area of a frontmost header.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein said at least one tongue has an
inverted U-shaped side view, extends over said headers of said
plurality of stacked open bags, and is attached to a front most
header and to a backmost header.
16. The method of claim 11 wherein there are at least two
tongues.
17. The method of claim 11 wherein there are two tongues.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein said two tongues are separate
members from one another.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein said two tongues are part of a
single member having a common overheader section.
20. The method of claim 11 wherein each bag of said plurality of
stacked open bags is attached to each adjacent bag for pull-apart
separation from one another, with an attachment selected from the
group consisting of heat seal, mechanical compression weld and
combinations thereof.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to plastic bags typically used
in supermarkets and other retail stores, especially in produce and
similar departments. Such bags are made of thin plastic and they
often stick when being opened for the first time. The present
invention bags are assembled into a stack with at least one, and
preferably two or more frontal, downwardly extending tongues that
prevent static return of the front of each bag as its predecessor
bag is removed. Thus, the tongue(s) enables ease of removal of each
next bag by interposing between the front and back sections of the
most forward bag remaining in the stack after each predecessor
bag(s) has been removed. The tongue(s) maintain front/back
separation of each most forward bag sequentially, to render them
easier to slide the hand between the front panels and the back
panels to remove them from the stack.
Information Disclosure Statement
[0003] The following prior art is representative of the state of
the art in the field of plastic film bags:
[0004] Stacked plastic bags, and/or roll mounted produce bags are
commonly found in modem grocery stores and supermarkets. These bags
are designed for customers to use when purchasing fresh produce or
other products. In some instances the actual purchasing customers
open the bags, while in other instances, a store clerk or other
person may do so. The bags currently available are difficult for
customers to use for several reasons. First, the bags that are
stacked together tend to cling together and are difficult to open.
Second, it is difficult to tell the open end of the bag from the
closed end of the bag. Roll-mounted produce bags that identify the
proper end to open, is partially opened by dispensing rack and
eliminates the problem of sticking. However, stacked bags take less
space and do not require the investment, location and instation of
roll dispensers.
[0005] Various designs have been developed for dispensers for roll
mounted bags, incorporating a number of different technologies.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,055 issued to Milner, discloses a device
for separating a continuous strip of plastic bags mounted on a roll
separated by scores lines. The bags pass between a plate and a
pressure bar. A prong projects outwardly from the center portion of
the plate to facilitate separation of the bags along the score
lines and to display the next bag for easy grasping by an
operator.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,191 issued to Richardson, describes a
one piece paperboard carton blank folded into a rectangular shape
for packaging and dispensing from a roll of individual plastic
bags, particularly disposable milk bags for feeding babies. The
individual bags are connected by perforations. The carton includes
a tab protruding in the direction opposite to the direction of
withdrawal of bags from the roll When the center of the perforated
edge of the bag is impaled on the tab, further withdrawal of a
succeeding bag is restrained and the first bag is readily separated
to facilitate its dispensing while locating the leading edge of the
succeeding bag where it may be easily reached for withdrawal.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,262 issued to Simhaee, discloses a
plastic bag dispenser that holds a continuous roll of bags
connected by perforated separation lines. The dispenser is provided
with a tongue, which the bags are dispensed over, that engages the
separation line between the bag at the end of the roll and the next
bag. The roll of bags rests in curved grooves in the dispenser that
cause the roll to abut and frictionally engage an interior surface
of the dispenser, preventing freewheeling of the roll.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,019 issued to Morris, describes a bag
separator and dispenser for use with bags wound on a core and
separated by perforation lines at each end of the bags. The
perforation lines include a slot that is collinear with the
perforations and is used to engage a separator projection. The
projection enters the slot as the bags are pulled from the roll.
The dispenser includes two braking devices to control the removal
of bags from the roll, a braking bar underneath the roll of bags
and a pair of fingers that are attached to the channel for the core
and are designed to engage the core as the number of bags on the
roll decreases.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,535 issued to Kannankeril, discloses a
roll of bags having a core with an indexing member on at least one
end. The dispenser comprises a wire frame formed into channels to
support the core. The dispenser includes at least one brake
attached to a support member and disposed at an angle to the
support member to provide tension to the edges of the roll of bags
as the core passes through the channel passageway as the bags are
removed from the roll. Spaced apart from the support is a
separating tongue. The tongue engages the slot regardless of
whether the bags are drawn over or under the tongue.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,594 issued to Yeh et al describes a roll
mounted T-shirt bag and dispensers for same. The bag is designed
for fresh produce and includes front and rear panels, first and
second side gussets, a bottom seam, a top seam and a U-shaped
cutout forming an openable bag mouth and a pair of carrying
handles. The bags are joined above and below the upper and lower
seams at first and second perforation lines. The bags are wound
onto a cylindrical core to form a compact roll. In a variant of the
invention, the bags are folded inwardly from the side edges prior
to rolling onto the core to form a more compact roll Dispensers are
described that are designed to hold the roll-mounted bags in both
folded and unfolded form The dispensers include a separating tongue
designed to engage the U-shaped cutout and permit the bags to be
dispensed from the bottom of the bag roll. The dispensers are
designed for mounting to either vertical or horizontal surfaces and
function efficiently in very limited spaces.
[0012] Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is
neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby. The present invention
eliminates the need for dispensers that open bags or that start the
opening process by approaching the problem from the standpoint of
eliminating the sticking problem at its source, and hence, enabling
stacked bags to be dispensed without the heretofore clinging
problems that have plagued the use of flat stacked bags.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention relates to a stacked plastic film bag
system that includes a plurality of bags and at least one tongue
for separating front and back panels of a bag that is next to be
dispensed. More specifically, the present invention includes a
plurality of stacked open top plastic film bags. Each bag includes
a front panel and a back panel, said front panel and said back
panel being formed of a flexible plastic film, and each having an
inside and an outside, and each having a top, a bottom, a left side
and a right side. The front panel has a predetermined width at it's
top and has a predetermined height. The back panel and the front
panel are connected to one another at said sides and said bottom
and each bag is open at said top.
[0014] Each of said plurality of stacked open top bags has a header
for maintaining said plurality of stacked open top bags in a
mechanically pressed or heat sealed stack with sufficient
connection between bags to maintain said stack and to permit
pull-apart removal of each sequential bag from said stack.
[0015] The present invention system also includes at least one
tongue connected to said headers that extends downwardly therefrom
in front of said plurality of stacked open bags. The at least on
tongue extends to at least one half inch below said front panel
tops of said plurality of stacked open bags. Thus, it is extended
so as to permit a bag user to pull off a most forward bag wherein
the front panel of the next sequential bag will be pulled forward
so as to position in front of said at least one tongue and will
fall back to rest after complete removal of said most forward bag
to effect interleafing of said at least one tongue between the
front panel and the back panel of said next sequential bag. This is
to ready it for easy removal and to inhibit static cling of said
front panel to said back panel of said next sequential bag. The
desired length of the tongue(s) of the present invention is, as
mentioned, at least one half inch below the top of the front panel,
and is preferably at least one inch below the top of the front
panel. Preferred are lengths in the range of about three inches to
about five inches. These tongue length ranges become more narrow as
the width of the bags decrease. This is because the hang sweep of a
front panel increases with width In other words, wider bags tend to
bellow out further and hang lower than narrower bags, and thus
there is some leeway in the balance of having the tongue short
enough for the front panel to pass in front of it but long enough
to keep separation between the front panel and back panel of the
bag. Thus, a standard supermarket of grocery bag with a width of
about 12 inches should have tongue member(s) of about 3 to 5 inches
overall, and thus about 11/2 to 31/2 inches extended below the top
of the front panel.
[0016] In some preferred embodiments, each bag header includes a
perforation to render each bag removable from said header with
little force. In some preferred embodiments, the header includes at
least two orifices for hanging said plurality of stacked open bags
on a corresponding hanger.
[0017] The stacked present invention system tongue(s) may be
single, double, triple or more individual tongue units or may be
connected by a common header ("overheader") that covers at least a
portion of the bag headers. In some preferred embodiments, the
tongue is a flat member connected to a front area of a frontmost
header. In other preferred embodiments, the tongue has an inverted
U-shaped side view, extends over said headers of said plurality of
stacked open bags, and is attached to a front most header and to a
backmost header. In some preferred embodiments, there are at least
two tongues, and two tongues are most preferred for standard size
(Approx. 12 wide). In some preferred embodiments, tongues are
separate members from one another. In other preferred embodiments,
the two tongues are part of a single member having a common
overheader section.
[0018] In some preferred embodiments, each bag of said plurality of
stacked open bags is attached to each adjacent bag for pull-apart
separation from one another, with an attachment selected from the
group consisting of heat seal, mechanical compression weld and
combinations thereof.
[0019] In addition to the foregoing described system, the present
invention also includes the method of dispensing bags utilizing the
system Hence, the present invention also includes a method of
dispensing a bag from a stacked plastic bag system, which
comprises:
A) Providing a stacked film bag system, including:
[0020] (a) a plurality of stacked open top bags, as described
above; [0021] (b) a header for each of said plurality of stacked
open top bags, as described above; [0022] (c) at least one tongue
connected to said headers and extending downwardly therefrom in
front of said plurality of stacked open bags, as described above;
B.) Removing a most forward bag from said stack by pulling it
forward and simultaneously opening the next sequential bag to
automatically insert said at least one tongue between said next
sequential bag front panel and back panel and to inhibit static
cling therebetween.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The present invention should be more fully understood when
the specification herein is taken in conjunction with the drawings
appended hereto wherein:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a front view of one preferred embodiment of the
present invention stacked plastic film bag system and FIG. 2 is a
side view thereof, FIG. 3 is a side view of the present invention
bag system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 above, but with a user in the
process of dispensing a bag therefrom, and FIG. 4 illustrates a
front view of the same system, but after bag removal, showing the
auto-insertion of the tongues between the front panel and back
panel of the next bag to be dispensed therefrom;
[0025] FIGS. 5 and 6 show front and side views, respectively, of a
tongue shown in the preceding Figures;
[0026] FIGS. 7 and 8 show front and side views, respectively, of a
present invention system tongue that is a stand-alone, flat
member;
[0027] FIGS. 9 and 10 show front and side views, respectively, of a
present invention system double tongue/overheader member;
[0028] FIGS. 11 and 12 show front and side views, respectively, of
a present invention system triple tongue/overhead member.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0029] The prior art produce bags have a number of disadvantages
that are overcome by the present invention. For example, the need
for dispensers that partially open the bags is eliminated.
Concomitantly, the cost of making, shipping, installing and
maintaining dispensers is also eliminated. Also, the bags
themselves do not stick together and a user's finger(s) are easily
fitted between the front panel and the back panel of the front bag
for grasping and removing the bag.
[0030] FIG. 1 is a front view of one preferred embodiment of the
present invention stacked plastic film bag system 100 and FIG. 2 is
a side view thereof In FIGS. 1 and 2, there is a plurality of
plastic film bags 80. By this invention, a plastic bag for produce
and the like is provided. It may be of any number of sizes and
shapes, and be utilized within the present invention system.
[0031] For example, a preferred plastic bag may comprise a single
plastic sheet, folded to define to generally parallel bag walls
connected at one end by two plastic tubes. A transverse heat seal
is formed between the bag walls in a line that is generally
parallel to the integral fold line and of the bag, to define a
separate bag section having an interior that is from the rest of
the bag.
[0032] In FIG. 1, a plurality of the types of bags just described
are stacked in a flat, layered arrangement and assembled. FIG. 1
shows front bag 35 and its perforated 66 header 25 with the
heat-sealed areas 110, 111, 112, and 113 that will stop the bag
headers, such as header 25 and those under it, from tearing or
falling apart. The heat-sealed areas 201 and 202 keep the tongues
75 and 85 and header 25 sealed together. Three orifices (design
holes) 10, 11, 12 are cut through or otherwise formed in the
headers and can put on any design rack for the end user. (Such a
rack 91 is shown in FIG. 3, below). In addition, tongues 75 and 85
are attached to the front and back headers and can incidentally aid
in the prevention of the headers from separating and the parallel
bag walls from separating or disorienting. FIG. 2 shows a side view
thereof with identical elements identically numbered. Referring to
FIGS. 3 and 4, wherein the same system as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is
presented, but in different stages of use. Thus, FIG. 3 is a side
view of the present invention bag system 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2
above, but with a user in the process of dispensing a bag
therefrom, and FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of the same system,
but after bag removal, showing the auto-insertion of the tongues
between the front panel and back panel of the next bag 35 to be
dispensed.
[0033] The primary function of tongues 75 and 85 is as described
above, i.e., they are extended downwardly below the tops of the
front panels of the bags so as to permit a bag user 50 to pull off
a most forward bag 135 wherein the front panel 67 of the next
sequential bag 35 will be pulled forward so as to position in front
of the tongues 75 and 85 and will fall back to rest (see
specifically FIG. 4) after complete removal of the most forward bag
135 to effect interleafing of tongues 75 and 85 between the front
panel and the back panel of the next sequential bag 35. This is to
ready bag 35 for easy removal and to inhibit static cling of its
front panel to its back panel. Moreover, the semi-flexible plastic
tongues 75 and 85 will decrease the human force needed to separate
and while pulling the bag off the other bags; therefore, the bag's
own potential force is slightly increased so that it becomes
mechanically easier to dispense.
[0034] Furthermore, FIG. 3 and 4 show the headers, such as header
25, with its perforations 66, hold the upper than plastic opening
of the back panel while allowing for ease of opening the front
panel 67 so that a user or customer will easily place items in the
bags. After a bag has been filled (or before, as the user may
desire), the perforations 66 permit the user or customer to pull
the bags one by one, as needed.
[0035] Also, FIG. 1 shows pressure indentations 77, 87, 97, the
compression holes or combination heat weld/ pressure holes that
keep the bags together and in alignment. These attachments easily
yield to minor pulling force during bag removal from the stack and
aid in bringing the front panels forward (in front of the tongues)
of each next sequential bag when the bag in front of it is
removed.
[0036] FIGS. 5 and 6 show front and side views, respectively, of a
tongue 85 shown in the preceding Figures. Tongue 85 has a front
portion 81, a top portion 83 and a back portion 87 to create an
inverted U-shape for straddling the top of the headers of a stack
of bags.
[0037] FIGS. 7 and 8 show front and side views, respectively, of a
present invention system tongue 185, with front 181, and top 183,
that is a stand-alone, flat member. Tongue 185 is typically heat
and/or compression welded to the front header of a stack so that it
extends below the top edge of the front panels of the bags as more
fully explained above.
[0038] FIGS. 9 and 10 show front and side views, respectively, of a
present invention system double tongue/overheader member 201. It
includes an overheader section 203 and tongue extensions 205 and
207. The overheader section has a top 209 and a back 211 and
straddles the headers of a stack of bags. The overheader section
203 assists in alignment of the tongue sections and adds
reinforcement to the bag headers.
[0039] FIGS. 11 and 12 show front and side views, respectively, of
a present invention system triple tongue/overhead member 301. It
includes a flat overheader section 303 and three tongue extensions
305, 307 and 309. (In the alternative, as many tongue extensions as
desired may be used, or a single wide tongue or tongue section
could be used.) The overheader section 303 is attached to front
header of a stack of bags. The overheader section 303 assists in
alignment of the tongue sections and adds reinforcement to the bag
headers.
[0040] Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the
present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It
is therefore understood that within the scope of the appended
claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as
specifically described herein.
* * * * *