U.S. patent application number 11/939339 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-13 for tubular bag.
This patent application is currently assigned to Zaweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki Deutschland. Invention is credited to Andreas Michalsky.
Application Number | 20080063320 11/939339 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35425340 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080063320 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Michalsky; Andreas |
March 13, 2008 |
TUBULAR BAG
Abstract
A tubular bag with cap closure for the accommodation of fluid
foodstuffs, wherein the base of the bag is constructed especially
as a standing base and is welded or sealed fluid-tight with the bag
as a separate component along the base-end bag edge, wherein the
tubular part of the bag is manufactured from a single cut of film,
especially a cut of laminated film, the longitudinal edges of which
are sealed one over the other to form a "lap seal" (inner/outer
seal) or alternatively constructed as a "fin seal" (inner/inner
seal). A cap closure that is part of a relatively stiff cover is
welded or sealed fluid-tight with the upper or closure-end bag
edge. The tubular bag according to the invention has an enhanced
filling capacity and improved stability.
Inventors: |
Michalsky; Andreas;
(Memmingen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KNOBBE MARTENS OLSON & BEAR LLP
2040 MAIN STREET
FOURTEENTH FLOOR
IRVINE
CA
92614
US
|
Assignee: |
Zaweigniederlassung Der Huhtamaki
Deutschland
Ronsberg-Allgau
DE
|
Family ID: |
35425340 |
Appl. No.: |
11/939339 |
Filed: |
November 13, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10857257 |
May 27, 2004 |
|
|
|
11939339 |
Nov 13, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/42 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/008 20130101;
B65D 75/5883 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/042 |
International
Class: |
B65D 33/16 20060101
B65D033/16; B65D 30/16 20060101 B65D030/16 |
Claims
1. A tubular bag with cap closure for the accommodation of fluid
foodstuffs, wherein the base of the bag is constructed as a
standing base and is welded or sealed fluid-tight with the bag as a
separate component along the base-end bag edge, wherein the cap
closure is part of a relatively stiff cover, which is fluid-tight
welded or sealed with the upper or closure-end bag edge, and
wherein the tubular part of the bag is plastically deformed within
a mold to form a durable profile
2. A bag according to claim 1, wherein the base is constructed from
a relatively stiff or rigid or alternatively flexible disc, the
circumferential edge of which is welded or sealed with the
circumferential edge of the tubular part of the bag, which edge is
deformed at its base somewhat radially towards the outside.
3. A bag according to claim 1, wherein the cap closure comprises a
screw cap.
4. A bag according to claim 1, wherein the durable profile
comprises a bulge.
5. A bag according to claim 1, wherein the durable profile forms a
barrel shape.
6. A bag according to claim 1, wherein the durable profile forms a
bullet shape.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
10/857,257 titled TUBULAR BAG, filed May 27, 2004. The disclosure
of the above-reference application is considered part of the
disclosure of this application and is incorporated by reference
herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention concerns a tubular bag, especially with cap
closure, for the accommodation of pasteurized products of fluid
foodstuffs, for example milk or similar, wherein the base of the
bag is constructed especially as a standing base and, if
applicable, is welded or sealed fluid-tight with the bag as a
separate component along the base-end bag edge.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Tubular, especially sealed, bags are generally known. They
are, as mentioned above, predominantly used to accommodate fluid or
flowable products. They are convenient and practical to use. The
products can be released from the sealed bag simply by squeezing
it, provided the bag has an opening. Bags without such an opening
generally have a tear-off closure. With respect to their packaging
weight, the bags have compact packaging in comparison with cans or
bottles for example and offer the advantage of a very low
empty/full weight ratio.
[0006] A bag of this type is known from AT 293 944. This concerns
containers constructed in the shape of a tube, wherein the tubular
piece that forms the tube is sealed by welded seams at both tube
ends running transversely to the longitudinal direction, wherein
one of these welded seams forms a cone, into which a neck part of a
closure equipped with a screw thread is sunken and connected by
means of welding with the tubular part. The disadvantage of this
tube is that the transversely running welded seam of the base does
not permit the container to stand upright, which means this
container cannot be set down like a bottle. Accordingly, in AT 293
944 a standing base, together with a tubular bag section
constructed to be collapsible and flexible, is proposed.
[0007] The known construction, however, does not yet have the
properties of a dimensionally stable bottle or an equally
dimensionally stable can for the accommodation of drinks or
similar.
[0008] Furthermore, the aforementioned tubular film bags of the
type specified are used in many cases for filling with fluids.
Since the starting point for manufacturing these stand-up bags is
always a rectangular cut of film, conventional stand-up bags when
full are considerably wider at the head area than at the base area.
This is even more so the case the more the base of a full stand-up
bag is spread out by the bag's contents. Such spreading does not
take place in the head area, since there is always a closure part
sunken into the head area and this prevents it from spreading
apart. The longitudinal edges of the stand-up bag merge into a flat
head seam. The disadvantage with this conventional embodiment is
that, due to their flat head seams, the bags are pressed flat and
therefore cannot be filled too close to the top, otherwise it would
be not possible to prevent these bags from overflowing.
[0009] A further disadvantage of the aforementioned tubular bags is
the low level of stability. The sealed bags known at present either
have no standing base at all or have an oval-shaped standing base.
These bases demonstrate, in a side view of the sealed bag,
insufficient latitudinal extension in the z-direction, which means
their stability is unsatisfactory. Since it is predominantly fluid
contents that are distributed in such bags, this is particularly
problematic, because if the bag falls over, its entire contents
will pour out.
[0010] Attempts so far to provide a solution that offers high
stability have used a firm, i.e. stiff, plastic insert to make the
sealed bag stable. However, this measure has had a negative effect
on the originally good empty/full weight ratio. Furthermore, the
volume of waste produced by an empty or used sealed bag has
increased, which is also disadvantageous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Accordingly, an aim of the present invention is to create a
tubular bag of the type mentioned at the start, which resembles a
conventional bottle or drinks can or similar, wherein the
construction is meant to be such that it is particularly suited to
series production.
[0012] A further aim of the invention is to provide a stand-up bag
that avoids the poor filling behavior caused by the aforementioned
bag shape and that offers a larger internal filling capacity
without use of additional material and that, whilst avoiding the
aforementioned disadvantages, has a standing base that is
inexpensive to manufacture.
[0013] One aspect of the present invention lies in the fact that
the tubular part of the bag is manufactured from a single cut of
film, especially a cut of laminated film, the longitudinal edges of
which are sealed one over the other to form a "lap seal". Such an
inner/outer seal has the advantage that there are no sealed edges
protruding radially towards the outside. Accordingly, the tubular
part of the bag may acquire the appearance of a conventional bottle
or drinks can.
[0014] Alternatively a "fin seal" can be provided, by means of
which the longitudinal edges of the cut of laminated film are
sealed easily and cost-effectively with one another in order to
create a fluid-tight seal or weld.
[0015] Furthermore, the cap closure may be a relatively stiff cover
that is welded or sealed fluid-tight with the upper or closure-end
bag edge. To this end, it is possible to use hot or cold sealing.
This also applies to the following usage of the term "seal" or
"sealed". The bag according to the invention acquires its basic
profile from the relatively stiff cover, which can have a circular
or oval or even rectangular circumferential profile. Furthermore,
with the cap closure being constructed as a screw closure, this
avoids the tubular part of the bag being scratched and therefore
damaged when opening or closing said cap closure. To unscrew or
screw on the screw closure, it is merely necessary to hold the
tubular bag by the circumferential edges of its cover using the
thumb and index finger of one hand in order to then unscrew or
screw on the screw cap. In so doing, any damaging effect on the
flexible part of the container or bag may be avoided.
[0016] Preferably, the standing base is also comprised of a
relatively stiff part, for example a disc with a vertical
circumferential edge, which, for connection with the tubular part
of the bag, fits inside of this and is welded or sealed with this
along the base-end circumferential edge of the tubular part.
Alternatively, the standing base can be manufactured from a
flexible disc with vertical circumferential edge. This involves a
preformed flat-bottomed cup made of the same material as the
tubular part of the bag.
[0017] There is also the option of manufacturing the standing base
from a V or W-shaped folded cut of film, wherein the latter can be
inserted into the inside of the bag by means of a blade engaged
from below and can be welded or sealed with the lower bag edge to
form a roughly U-shaped welded or sealed seam.
[0018] If the base is manufactured from a relatively stiff
component, the whole bag, in conjunction with the relatively stiff
cover, represents a dimensionally stable entity. It is suitable as
a replacement for conventional bottles or cans, which in some
countries are now subject to a deposit.
[0019] To manufacture the tubular part of the bag a film material
is used, which preferably is plastically deformable, especially by
blow-molding, to form a durable profile that is, for example,
barrel or bullet-shaped or similar. It is also possible to impress
a permanent relief-type surface structure in the tubular part of
the bag.
[0020] In order to ensure a permanently high level of
impermeability between cover and, if applicable, base on the one
hand and tubular part of the bag on the other hand, the cover (and,
if applicable, also the base) may have at least one circumferential
groove or dent, into which the cut of film attached to a tube can
be fitted using a designated tool during welding or sealing with
the cover and/or base in such a way that the respectively
designated circumferential edge of the tubular part of the bag sits
snugly against the cover and, if applicable, the base over the
entire circumference. Alternatively, it is also possible to use a
type of shrink sealing along the cover and base circumferences. It
is also possible to pressure-wrap the cut of film around the cover
and base in order to manufacture, whilst maintaining the pressure,
the aforementioned "lap-seal" seam.
[0021] Since the bag is manufactured from a single cut of film,
"off-the-roll" manufacturing of the bag can occur. This simply
requires that the individual cuts of film be cut off the respective
film web and assigned to cover and base.
[0022] In order to enhance the weld or seal efficiency, the cover
has a vertical circumferential edge with at least two, especially
three, circumferential ribs arranged at an axial distance from one
another, with which the designated edge of the tubular part of the
bag can be welded or sealed. The standing base can also be
constructed and welded in the same manner.
[0023] In some embodiments, the previous shortcoming in the poor
filling capacity of the tubular bags mentioned at the start is
solved by a tubular film bag, especially stand-up bag, with a
closure part sealed in the area of a head seam and, if applicable,
with a base, wherein the bag on both sides in the head area is
pulled inwards diametric to the longitudinal axis, thus along its
longitudinal edges, especially longitudinal seal seams, to form at
least a W-fold (gusset), e.g. the bag is gusseted.
[0024] Owing to the gusset, the latitudinal extension in the head
area of the tubular film bag is lower than with conventional
stand-up bags. However, because of the gusset in the shape of a
W-fold, the bag can spread out at right angles to the longitudinal
axis of the bag and the width of the bag, e.g. in the z-direction,
during filling. This is facilitated by the fact that initially the
outer edges on the sides of the bag in the head area of the bag are
pulled inwards on both sides in the direction of the closure part.
During filling, this pull-in can unfold in the z-direction.
[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, the W-fold,
e.g. the gusset, is fixed in the area of a head seam by reciprocal
sealing. On this occasion, four layers of film are positioned in
the shape of a folded W, whereby one film layer, to create the
V-fold at the centre of the W that is formed as a result of the
pull-in, is sealed in between the films that form the outer flanks
of the W in such a way that it is not possible for the pull-in,
namely the V, to slip towards the outside. Therefore, the bag does
not expand widthways, being held together as a result of the head
seam, but instead expands in the z-direction. In so doing, the
cross-section of the stand-up bag is optimized in the head area
through the formation of a usable bag interior capacity that
increases in the z-direction.
[0026] According to this embodiment, the tubular film bag when
filled forms an approximately can-like shape, which, compared with
conventional bags, offers improved stability, because the upper
areas of the bag no longer protrude beyond the standing base and
thus no longer create an imbalance. Furthermore, this bag shape is
attractive because of its symmetry and produces a pleasant
aesthetic effect.
[0027] According to another embodiment of the invention, a flat
molded piece with a closure piece is sealed in between the gussets
and head seam. On this occasion, the gussets may extend, depending
on the embodiment of this molded piece, as far as this piece.
[0028] Owing to the gusset, the head seam in the head area is more
robustly constructed, namely four-ply instead of two-ply. As a
result of this reinforcement, the attachment of a molded piece is
optimized. Furthermore, reinforcement of the head seam makes it
easier to open a closure, especially a twist closure, compared with
conventional tubular film bags because, thanks to this
reinforcement, the entire head area can serve as a grip to hold on
to when turning the twist closure, rather than holding on to only
the flat molded piece.
[0029] According to another embodiment of the invention, the molded
piece is circular, oval or acute oval-shaped. On this occasion, the
respective embodiment is based on aesthetic considerations and can
favorably enhance, for example, a design or a motif applied to the
stand-up bag, thus further optimizing the aesthetic shape of the
bag compared with conventional stand-up bags.
[0030] According to one advantageous embodiment, the tubular film
bag is equipped on both sides with a double W-fold. In this
embodiment there are two V-shaped pull-ins per longitudinal side of
the tubular film bag. These four V-shaped pull-ins are arranged so
as to encompass the flat molded piece. In this way it is possible
to give the tubular film bag, especially stand-up bag, additional
stability by fluting its longitudinal sides, especially in the head
area, and thereby to prevent the risk of twisting.
[0031] According to another embodiment, the V-shaped pull-ins at
both longitudinal sides of the tubular film bag can be arranged
asymmetrically. One implementation option consists, for example, of
having single gusseting on one longitudinal side of the tubular
film bag and two-fold gusseting on the diametrically opposed
longitudinal side. In this way it is possible, for example, to
produce a tubular film bag that in a filled state is approximately
triangular in shape at the head area.
[0032] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
tubular film bag is sealed at the base end either by a base seam or
by a base that is sealed in separately. Such a base seam could, for
example, be constructed in the shape of a W-fold, the outer edges
of which run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bag and are
sealed in such a way that a W is formed when the bag is full and
the central fold of this W pulls apart during filling so that an
oval or a circular base is formed. This embodiment is particularly
advantageous because the tubular film bag is conveniently
manufactured from a single cut of film, which is possible with this
base design. In this embodiment, the base area is four-ply sealed
to the side edges. Above the base area, the four-ply seal changes
to a two-ply seal.
[0033] The above embodiment is particularly suitable for a fin-seal
bag that has side seal seams.
[0034] According to another embodiment, which is particularly
suitable for a lap-seal bag without side seams, a separate base is
sealed into the tubular bag. Sealing in a base in this way offers
the advantage that the tubular bag can be filled at the base end
rather than at the head end. Since the base-end opening is always
larger than the head-end opening, filling can be faster if effected
at the base end.
[0035] Furthermore, a lap-seal bag is particularly suitable for the
construction of a W-fold, which is pulled-in in the head area,
because a lap-seal bag is flexible at its side edges and therefore
easy to pull together to form a W-fold.
[0036] In summary, it can be noted that, in addition to a visually
optimized design, the new stand-up bag shape also offers a greater
filling capacity in the upper bag area, which means the bag can be
filled closer to the top.
[0037] The stability of the tubular bag according to some
embodiments of the invention is achieved by means of a tubular
sealed bag, wherein, prior to being inserted into the tubular part
of the sealed bag, the base is manufactured from a rectangular,
especially square, cut of film in such a way that the cut of film
is folded and sealed along the superimposed, now shorter edges.
[0038] Another aspect of some embodiments of the invention is that
a cut of film, essentially rectangular, especially square or, with
respect to its side edges, slightly pulled in at the fold-over
area, is used to form a standing base for the sealed tubular bag.
Such a cut of film can be manufactured from the same material,
especially from the same film web, as the sealed bag. The size of
the standing surface and the stability of the bag are defined by
the size of the rectangular cut of film and by the width of the
sealed edges in the tubular part of the sealed bag and in the cut
of film. This happens as follows:
[0039] A cut of film is used, the width of which corresponds to the
width that will later be required for the standing area of the
sealed bag and for an edge area for a seal surface of the base. The
depth, e.g., the z-direction of the standing base, is determined by
the length of the cut of film. The cut of film is folded in the
centre parallel to its latitudinal extension so that the
longitudinal edges of the cut of film become the now shorter,
superimposed edges of the folded cut of film. These shorter
superimposed edges are sealed to produce a pocket, the outer edges
of which have a fin-type seal.
[0040] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
cut of film is sealed in such a way that when turned in the
direction of insertion, it passes easily as a cone shape into the
tubular part of the sealed bag. In this manner, the base can be
easily pushed into the film tube.
[0041] When the base is turned, the pocket reveals a smooth outer
edge, which conforms most favorably to the round, tubular part of
the sealed bag.
[0042] The pocket is sealed into the tubular part of the sealed bag
with a sealed edge that runs at the bottom all the way around the
base. The stability of the base and of the bag is determined by the
width of this edge. Thus, a wider edge offers greater stability
and, furthermore, in the case of a filled bag, ensures that the
base will not turn back outwards.
[0043] Sealing may be performed using a sealing medium. The sealing
medium is preferably sealing film, which is used as the inner layer
of the base and which, with the application of pressure and/or
heat, self seals in the areas where heat or pressure is applied, or
which, when the base is turned, seals against a corresponding inner
sealing film in the tubular part of the sealing bag. It is
possible, however, to use other sealing materials and adhesives to
this end.
[0044] The pocket manufactured from the cut of film is turned
inside out so that the sealing medium initially on the inside is
now on the outside. In this respect, it should be mentioned that
the sealing medium is allocated at least along the edges of the
original cut of film.
[0045] This inside-out pocket is now, according to one embodiment
of the invention, inserted into the tubular part of the sealed bag
and sealed with the circumferential edge of the sealed bag in such
a way that a tubular stand-up bag is produced, wherein the shorter
sealed edges of the base are located within the stand-up bag. The
essential advantage of having a base manufactured separately from a
cut of film is that the size and standing area of the base can be
specified exactly. In this manner, it is possible to specify
exactly the latitudinal extension as well as the expansion of the
base in the z-direction, whereby only the circumference of the
tubular stand-up bag needs to be taken into consideration. It is
easily possible to create a circular standing base, which
practically eliminates the risk of the stand-up bag falling
over.
[0046] According to another embodiment of the invention, it is not
absolutely necessary to turn the pocket prefabricated from a cut of
film inside out, because its fin-seal edges can always be folded
back in order that the prefabricated base can be inserted into the
tubular part of the sealed bag and sealed with its circumferential
edges. In both cases, insertion is executed such that the pocket
manufactured from the cut of film is inserted into the tubular part
of the sealed bag in such a way that the opening of the pocket is
accessible from the outside, even after the pocket has been sealed
in the tubular part of the sealed bag, so that the inside of the
pocket provides the standing surface of a filled sealed bag.
[0047] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
tubular bag is manufactured from a cut of film that is sealed along
one side seam, wherein the longitudinal seal seam is constructed as
a lap seal or as a fin seal. Thus the base manufactured from the
cut of film can be used for all tubular sealed bags. As a result,
tubular sealed bags have an, in effect, essentially circular base,
which is airtight as a result of being sealed with the tubular part
of the sealed bag.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0048] The embodiments of the bag according to the invention are
described in more detail below with reference to the enclosed
drawings.
[0049] FIG. 1: A tubular bag according to the invention in
perspective view;
[0050] FIG. 1a: An alternative bag base construction according to
FIG. 1 in perspective view;
[0051] FIG. 1b: Another alternative embodiment of the tubular bag
base construction according to FIG. 1 in perspective view;
[0052] FIGS. 1c and 1d: A third alternative tubular bag base
construction according to FIG. 1 in perspective view and in side
view;
[0053] FIG. 2: Another embodiment of a bag according to the
invention in perspective view;
[0054] FIG. 3: A schematic representation of another embodiment of
the tubular film bag according to the invention;
[0055] FIG. 4: A schematic representation of a cut of film for
manufacturing another alternative standing base according to the
invention;
[0056] FIG. 5: A folded embodiment of the cut of film from FIG.
4;
[0057] FIG. 6: A completely folded and edge-sealed embodiment of
the cut of film from FIGS. 4 and 5; and
[0058] FIG. 7: A schematic representation of the insertion of the
standing base according to the invention into a tubular sealed
bag.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0059] The tubular bag 10 represented schematically in FIG. 1 has a
cap closure 11 and serves to accommodate pasteurized products or
fluid foodstuffs, for example milk, lemonade, mineral water or
similar. The base 12 is constructed as a standing base and is
especially welded or sealed fluid-tight as a separate component
along the base-end edges of the bag. The corresponding sealed edge
13 is represented in FIG. 1 as a broken line. The tubular part 14
of the bag 10 is manufactured from a single cut of film, especially
laminated film (rectangular cut of film). The longitudinal edges 15
and 16 are sealed one over the other to form a "lap seal". This
entails inner/outer sealing without forming a sealed edge that
protrudes radially towards the outside. This gives an extremely
smooth surface to the tubular part 14 of the bag 10 over the entire
circumference.
[0060] The cap closure 11 is part of a relatively stiff cover 17,
which is welded or sealed fluid-tight with the upper or closure-end
bag edge.
[0061] According to FIG. 1a, the standing base 12 may consist of a
relatively rigid disc 18 with a vertical circumferential edge 19.
As such, the base 12 forms a kind of flat-bottomed cup, which is
inserted into the tubular part 14 of the bag 10 with the vertical
circumferential edge entering first or subsequently (as shown in
FIG. 1) and is then welded or sealed with the inside of the
designated circumferential edge of the tubular part 14.
[0062] Alternatively, according to FIG. 1, the base may consist of
a flexible disc 20, the circumference of which is welded or sealed
with a circumferential edge 21 of the tubular part 14 of the bag
10, which edge is shaped to face outwards. A high level of
stability of the bag 10 is also achieved with this construction, in
the manner of a bottle or similar.
[0063] According to FIGS. 1c and 1d, the standing base may
alternatively be manufactured from a V or W-shaped folded cut of
film 22, wherein this cut of film can then preferably be inserted
into the inside of the bag by means of a blade engaged from below
(arrow 23 in FIG. 1d) and can be welded or sealed with the lower
edge of the bag to form a roughly U-shaped welded or sealed seam
24. The sealed seam 24 is preferably constructed in such a way that
the seal line extends across the area of the circumferential edge
32 that is outermost at the base end. In this embodiment, when the
bag 10 is filled the base 12 can spread relatively unimpeded until
it is almost flat. In this embodiment, the V or W-shaped prefolded
base piece is presealed before insertion into the tubular part 14
of the bag 10. Alternatively, it is also possible, of course, to
seal the base after the base piece has been inserted into the
tubular part 14 of the bag 10. The longitudinal edge of the V or
W-shaped folded cut of film 22 that points inwards is identified in
FIGS. 1c and 1d with the reference number 25.
[0064] As FIG. 1 with respect to the cover 17 and FIG. 1b with
respect to the standing base 12 clearly demonstrate, the cover 17
and the standing base 12, if manufactured from a relatively stiff
material, have at least one circumferential groove or dent 26 and
27, into which the cut of film attached to a tube can be fitted
using a designated tool, which is not represented in detail here,
during welding or sealing with the cover and, if applicable, the
base in such a way that the respectively designated circumferential
edge of the tubular part 14 of the bag 10 sits snugly against the
cover 17 and, if applicable, the base 12 over the entire
circumference.
[0065] According to FIG. 1, the cover 17 has a vertical
circumferential edge 28, which when assembled according to FIG. 1
projects into the inside of the bag. This circumferential edge has
at least two, here three, circumferential ribs 29 arranged in axial
distance from one another, with which the designated edge of the
tubular part 14 of the bag 10 can be welded or sealed. Similarly,
the circumferential edge 30 of the standing base 12 according to
FIG. 1b can have circumferential ribs. These circumferential ribs
are merely graphically suggested in FIG. 1b.
[0066] As already mentioned at the start, the cap closure
preferably comprises a screw cap. However, it is also possible to
use a plug-type cap or similar as the closure.
[0067] In FIG. 2 an alternative embodiment of a tubular bag 10 is
represented, wherein the tubular section or part 14 is "bellied
out" radially towards the outside within a corresponding mold,
especially blow mold. This preferably involves lime deformation of
the film used for the tubular part 14. Naturally, any other
profile, especially a rotationally symmetrical profile, of the
tubular part 14 of the bag 10 is also possible. This depends on the
requirements of the customer and the corresponding mold for
manufacturing the desired profile.
[0068] With respect to the advantageousness of the bag described,
it should also be mentioned that the bag is also especially suited
to accommodate fruit juices with low amounts of CO2. The demand for
drinks with a low amount of CO2 is growing increasingly stronger.
Accordingly, there is obviously no additional need to create a
container that can withstand the relatively high pressures
generated when filled with drinks containing CO2. On the other
hand, in such a case, it is possible to use material with a high
level of heat-resistance. Consequently, the foodstuffs used to fill
the bag described may, without any problem, be pasteurized or
heat-treated to preserve them. Preferably, the filling process is
carried out at the cover end. After filling, the cap closure is
attached, preferably in conjunction with a security strip, familiar
from bottle closures.
[0069] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a tubular film
bag according to one embodiment of the invention. In the area of a
head seam 35, a side area of the tubular film bag is pulled in
diametric to a longitudinal axis 33 of the bag on both sides of the
bag 10, in the area of its edge(s), to form a W-fold 34. The W-fold
34 forms a gusset. In addition, a closure part 11 is arranged in
the area of the head seam 35. The closure part 11 is located on a
flat molded piece 36, which is sealed into the head seam.
[0070] The schematic representation in FIG. 3 also demonstrates
that the tubular film bag according to the invention is suited to
both a fin-seal seam (left area) and a seamless embodiment (right
area). In the area of the fin-seal seam, the W-fold is 6-ply sealed
(not depicted), whilst the W-fold in the area of the seamless
pull-in is 4-ply sealed.
[0071] According to FIGS. 4 to 7, a square cut of film 22 with a
width of 11 cm is provided at the edges, in an area that extends 5
mm in from the outside edge, with sealing film, which serves as the
sealing medium. After this, the cut of film 22 is folded in the
centre parallel to a latitudinal extension so that the edge areas
38 with sealing film sit one over the other. The narrow edge areas
37 are sealed together in such a way that the sealing film seals
against itself. Then the cut of film 22, which forms a pocket, is
turned inside out in order that the fin-seal edges 42 formed from
the narrow sealed edges 37 end up inside the pocket. After this,
this inside-out pocket 40, which now has a latitudinal extension of
10 cm, is inserted into the tubular part 14 of a sealed bag 10,
which when empty and flat has a latitudinal extension of 100.5 mm,
i.e. it is slightly wider than the inside-out pocket 40, until the
edges of the pocket are flush with the edges 32 of the tubular part
14 of the sealed bag 10. The sealing film applied to the cut of
film 22 is now in direct contact with the edge area 32 of the
tubular part 14 of the sealed bag 10. Sealing takes place in such a
way that the sealing film-covered edge area 38 of the pocket 40
manufactured from the cut of film 22 and turned inside-out is
sealed with the edge area 32 of the tubular part 14 of the sealed
bag 10 with the result that, when the seal bag 10 is filled, a
standing surface 41 is formed.
[0072] Once the sealed bag 10 has been filled, the base 12
manufactured from the pocket 40 deforms in such a way that it
creates a circular base 12, which is hermetically sealed with the
tubular sealed bag 10.
[0073] The result is a stand-up bag with optimum standing
properties that is simple and cost-effective to manufacture and
which offers the advantage that the sealed bag can be filled at any
time from the base end and which can be collapsed to make it small
and without hard parts for disposal.
[0074] At this juncture, it should be pointed out that all the
parts described above have been claimed for themselves alone and in
any combination, especially the details described in the drawing.
Revisions to this are familiar to the man skilled in the art.
* * * * *