U.S. patent application number 13/105316 was filed with the patent office on 2011-11-17 for stand-up bag of a heat-sealable plastic film.
Invention is credited to Jochen Brauer, Alfons Kruse.
Application Number | 20110280501 13/105316 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42310703 |
Filed Date | 2011-11-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110280501 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brauer; Jochen ; et
al. |
November 17, 2011 |
Stand-Up Bag of a Heat-Sealable Plastic Film
Abstract
A stand-up bag with a film carry handle for transporting and
dispensing liquid, granular or other flowable products is provided.
The stand-up bag is made from a heat-sealable plastic film and
includes two face panels connected to each other by a head weld and
on their longitudinal edges by longitudinal welds. The stand-up bag
further includes an inwardly folded film floor, a reclosable
closure, and a film carry handle. The reclosable closure is a
reclosable spout provided at a head seam connecting the face panels
and has a screw closure. The film carry handle is attached
approximately centrally to one of the face panels.
Inventors: |
Brauer; Jochen; (Lohne,
DE) ; Kruse; Alfons; (Dinklage, DE) |
Family ID: |
42310703 |
Appl. No.: |
13/105316 |
Filed: |
May 11, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/26 ; 383/25;
383/28 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41B 9/023 20130101;
B65D 75/56 20130101; B65D 75/008 20130101; Y02W 30/80 20150501;
A41B 9/04 20130101; B65D 75/5883 20130101; Y02W 30/807 20150501;
A41B 9/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/26 ; 383/25;
383/28 |
International
Class: |
B65D 33/10 20060101
B65D033/10; B65D 33/16 20060101 B65D033/16; B65D 33/38 20060101
B65D033/38 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 12, 2010 |
EP |
10 162 623.2 |
Claims
1. A stand-up bag for transporting and dispensing liquid, granular
or other flowable products, the stand-up bag formed from a
heat-sealable plastic film, the stand-up bag comprising: two face
panels connected by a head weld along a top edge and by
longitudinal welds along longitudinal edges of the face panels, an
inwardly folded film floor, a reclosable closure, and a film carry
handle, wherein the reclosable closure includes a reclosable spout
having a screw closure, the reclosable spout being positioned at
the head weld, and wherein the film carry handle is attached
approximately centrally to one of the face panels.
2. The stand-up bag according to claim 1, wherein the film carry
handle is attached to an inside surface of one of the two face
panels of the bag.
3. The stand-up bag according to claim 1, wherein the film carry
handle is attached to at least one of an inside surface of one of
the two face panels and an inside surface of the film floor, and is
accessible via a handle opening in the at least one of the
respective face panel and respective film floor, and wherein the
handle opening is closed by a film patch provided on a back of the
film carry handle that is secured to an inside surface of the
bag.
4. The stand-up bag according to claim 3, wherein the handle
opening is closed by a tear-off film section defined within at
least one of one of the two face panels and the film floor.
5. The stand-up bag according to claim 3, wherein the film carry
handle comprises a loop (11) made of a film strip that extends over
a support patch (12), wherein the support patch projects outwardly
on both sides of the loop and is attached to at least one of the
film patch and the inner face of the bag.
6. The stand-up bag according to claim 1, wherein the film carry
handle further comprises ends that are secured through openings in
one of the two face panels to a film patch that is attached to an
inside surface of the bag.
7. The stand-up bag according to claim 1, wherein the film carry
handle further comprises a handle loop and a reinforcement sheet
attached to an inside surface of the bag, wherein the handle loop
of the film carry handle is formed from a portion of the
reinforcement sheet and having side edges defined by two slits each
extending longitudinally along the handle loop, and wherein a
closure sheet partially defining the inside of the bag covers an
opening formed by the handle loop.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of European Patent
Application No. EP 10 162 623.2 filed May 12, 2010, which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The field of the invention relates generally to a stand-up
bag manufactured from a heat-sealable plastic film with two face
panels that are connected by a head weld and, on their longitudinal
edges, by longitudinal welds, with an inwardly folded film floor
and with a reclosable closure. The plastic film can be a
multilayered, coextruded film or a composite film that has a
heat-sealable, polymer layer on the inside of the bag. The stand-up
bag can be produced from a film web so that the film floor is made
of the same film as the face panels. However, the embodiments of
the stand-up bag described herein also include embodiments that
have a film floor produced from a separate film. A stand-up bag
with the features described herein is suitable for packaging
liquid, pasty, powdery or granular products. The possible fields of
application extend from the packaging of beverages, liquid
concentrates, liquid cleaning agents, detergents, viscous body care
products to cereals and rice.
[0003] European Patent Application No. EP 1 798 157, which relates
to U.S. Publication No. 2008/0063319, describes a stand-up bag with
a reclosable spout that is provided at a head seam connecting the
face panels. The reclosable spout has a screw closure.
[0004] Stand-up bags with the features described above are known
from practice. They are stable, characterized by low weight and,
after they have been emptied, can be folded up again and disposed
of in a space-saving manner. Due to their low dimensional
stability, however, flexible bags are more difficult to handle when
pouring out the contents. It is difficult to hold the bags while
pouring out or tipping out the contents, since the bag's walls are
resilient and the shape as well as the bag volume change constantly
as the contents flow out. Metered pouring of the contents requires
some skill, in particular with increasing package size.
[0005] In view of this, the object of the invention is to improve
the handling of a stand-up bag used for packaging purposes. In
particular, the object is to provide a stand-up bag that can be
held securely while pouring out or tipping out the contents and
that makes possible a metered dispensing of liquid, pasty and
flowable products.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The subject matter of the invention and solution for this
object is a stand-up bag according to claim 1.
[0007] The exemplary embodiment of the stand-up bag includes a film
carry handle attached to one of the face panels of the bag. It is
provided approximately in the center on the face panel. The
reclosable closure includes a reclosable spout that is provided at
the head seam, which connects the face panels. The reclosable spout
also includes a screw closure.
[0008] In the example embodiment of the stand-up bag, the
positioning of the film carry handle on the face panel of the
stand-up bag means that, while the contents are being poured out,
the package is always held such that the removal opening provided
with the reclosable closure inevitably lies at the lowest point.
This makes possible a metered dispensing of the contents as well as
an easy emptying of the residue. During the pouring operation, the
volume and the shape of the stand-up bag may change. However, the
stand-up bag, according to the embodiments described herein, can
always be held securely in one hand and aligned such that the
contents of the stand-up bag flow toward the removal opening. The
film carry handle can thereby have a handle loop that is aligned
either parallel or transversely to the longitudinal edges of the
bag.
[0009] The film carry handle preferably lies inward of the outer
edge of the stand-up bag and therefore is not in the way during
transport of the flattened and initially unfilled bag. The film
carry handle according to the invention furthermore makes it
possible for the package to be folded up and discarded in a
space-saving manner after it has been completely emptied.
[0010] The stand-up bag may include several different embodiments
of the film carry handle. The selection of a particular embodiment
of the film carry handle is determined by the amount of strain the
film carry handle is required to withstand, which depends on the
size of the stand-up bag or the fill weight for which it is
designed. A first embodiment provides that the film carry handle is
attached to the inner face of a face panel or of the film floor,
and can be accessed via a handle opening in the face panel or in
the film floor. Attachment is preferably a weld, although an
adhesive connection may also be employed. The handle opening is
closed by a film patch that is provided on the back of the film
carry handle and is secured to the inner face of the bag.
Preferably, the handle opening is closed by a tear-off section of
the face panel or of the film floor, so that the film carry handle
is provided entirely inside the outline of the stand-up bag. When
the stand-up bags first leave a bag production plant, the bags are
shipped as flattened, unfilled bags, having smooth surfaces and as
a result can be stacked and easily transported. The transport of
filled stand-up bags, in particular in boxes or other outer
packaging, is not impaired either if the film carry handle is
concealed behind a smooth outer surface of the bag.
[0011] In the case where the film carry handle has to be designed
for great stresses, another embodiment of the film carry handle may
be used. In this case, the film carry handle has a loop made of a
film strip that surrounds a support patch. The support patch
projects past both ends of the loop and is attached to the rear
film patch and/or to the inner face of the bag, preferably by
welding. The particular embodiment of the carry handle has the
advantage that the force acting when the stand-up bag is being
carried is initially transmitted to the support patch and thus over
a larger surface area. The uniform distribution of force makes it
possible to transfer larger loads. In the case of smaller stand-up
bags, which are designed for a lower fill weight, the film carry
handle can also be embodied as a simple film strip. To attach a
simple film carry handle of this type, it is advisable to connect
the ends through openings in the bag sheath with a film patch that
is attached to the inside of the bag and close the openings.
According to a further possible embodiment of the film carry
handle, a reinforcement sheet is provided on the inner face of the
bag and secured to the inner face, and a grip loop is formed from a
section of the bag film and the reinforcement sheet, wherein the
section of the bag film forming the grip loop is defined by two
slits, one slit on each side edge of the section. In addition, a
closure sheet is provided that covers an opening formed by the
handle loop on the inside of the bag. In order to achieve increased
carrying capacity, the slits defining the handle loop can be
provided between two welds connecting the reinforcement sheet to
the inside of the bag or inside an adhesive surface connecting the
reinforcement sheet to the inside of the bag.
[0012] The face panels and the film floor can be shaped by folding
a flat material web. The fold edges between the film floor and the
film surfaces of the face panels are advantageously reinforced by
welds, so called blind welds. Alternatively, there is the
possibility of making the film floor and the film parts of the face
panels from different films and to connect them to one another by
welds.
[0013] A multiplicity of polymers and material combinations lend
themselves as plastic film for producing stand-up bags. In
particular, the stand-up bag can be produced from transparent
polymers or equipped with windows in order to be able to recognize
the fill level. Advantageous material combinations are, for
example, PET/PE, OPP/PE, PET/OPA/PP, OPP/PP and PE/PE. In addition,
transparent barrier layers can be provided by SiOx coated or by
coextruded barrier polymer layers, e.g. EVOH. Composite materials
that have one or more layers of biologically degradable and
renewable raw materials can also be used as plastic films.
Cellulose/starch-polyester and OPLA/PLA polyester compounds can be
cited as examples. For forming the exemplary embodiments of the
stand-up bag as described herein, composite materials may be used
that include a metallic intermediate layer or an intermediate layer
of a metallized polymer. Advantageous material combinations include
PET/Alu/PE, PET/Alu/PP and OPP (metallized)/PP.
[0014] The thickness of the plastic film depends largely on the
size of the bag and the fill weight for which the stand-up bag is
designed. A stand-up bag for liquids with a fill volume of
approximately 2.5 liters, for example, can be made from a plastic
film that has a triple-layer structure with an outer layer of PET
12 .mu.m thick, an intermediate layer of PET 12 .mu.m thick and a
polyethylene layer 100 .mu.m thick on the inside of the bag. To
increase the drop resistance, finally woven fabric can also be used
in the film composite. A plastic film of this type has, for
example, a layer composite of PE/woven fabric/PE.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The invention is explained below based on illustrated
embodiments. Therein:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a flattened stand-up bag
with a film carry handle attached to a face panel,
[0017] FIG. 2 is a detail view of the film carry handle for use on
a stand-up bag according to FIGS. 1 and 2,
[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates the handling of a stand-up bag shown in
FIG. 1 when pouring out liquid or pasty contents and
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of a film carry
handle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The stand-up bag shown in the figures is made of a
heat-sealable, preferably multilayer plastic film and is used for
holding powders, granules, pastes or liquids. The stand-up bag is
manufactured as a flat bag and filled with contents in a filling
machine. In its basic structure it is formed by two face panels 1
connected to each other by a head weld 2 and on their longitudinal
edges by longitudinal welds 3, an inwardly folded film floor 4, and
a reclosable closure 5. The stand-up bag can be made from a film
web by folding. Here, the film floor 4 and the face panels 1 are
made of the same film. However, it is also possible to make the
film floor 4 and the face panels 1 from different films and to
connect them to one another by welds.
[0021] In the case of the stand-up bag shown in FIG. 1, a
reclosable spout 6 is the reclosable closure 5 and is provided at
the head weld 2 connecting the face panels 1. A film carry handle 8
is attached to one of the face panels and has the structure shown
in FIG. 2. The film carry handle 8 lies inside the outer edge of
the stand-up bag. It is attached to the inner face of the face
panel 1 and can be accessed through a handle opening in the face
panel. The handle opening is closed by a film patch 9 that is
provided on the rear of the film carry handle 8 and is secured to
the inner face of the bag. FIG. 1 shows that the handle opening is
formed by tearing out a section 10 of the film of the face panel
1.
[0022] The detail view of the film carry handle 8 shown in FIG. 2
shows that the film carry handle 8 has a loop 11 made of a film
strip and engaged around a support patch 12. The support patch 12
projects on both sides of the loop 11 and is attached on the
projecting ends by a weld to the rear film patch 9. In addition or
alternatively, it can also be attached directly to the inner face
of the bag.
[0023] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the film carry
handle 8 that can be provided on a film wall 1. A handle loop 17 of
the film carry handle 8 is defined long its side edges by two slits
18, and is formed by a section of the bag material and of a
reinforcement sheet 19 attached to the inner face of the bag. The
reinforcement sheet 19 is, for example, adhered with a large-area
application of adhesive to the inner face of the bag, but other
types of attachment are not to be excluded. The opening formed by
the handle loop 17 is covered by a closure sheet 20 on the inside
of the bag.
[0024] The face panels 1 and the film floor 4 can be shaped by
folding a flat material web. The fold edges between the film floor
4 and the film areas of the face panels 1 are reinforced by welds
14. The welds 14 form blind welds and do not have a sealing
function. They are used exclusively to reinforce or stiffen the
stand-up bag.
[0025] FIG. 3 shows the handling of a stand-up bag used as a
package for liquids or viscous products when pouring out the
contents. Providing the film carry handle 8 on the face panel 1 of
the stand-up bag means that while the contents are being poured out
the package is always held such that the spout opening is at the
lowest point and a complete emptying of the package is easily
possible. In the illustrated embodiment, the reclosable spout 6 is
provided approximately in the center of the head weld 2.
Arrangements off-center are also easily possible. Likewise, the
film carry handle 8 can be aligned parallel or transversely to the
longitudinal edges of the bag.
* * * * *