U.S. patent application number 14/591139 was filed with the patent office on 2015-05-07 for bag for pouring.
The applicant listed for this patent is Peel Plastic Products Limited. Invention is credited to Brian George Hutchison, Michael Reid Martin, Arjang Tajbakhsh.
Application Number | 20150125094 14/591139 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50485402 |
Filed Date | 2015-05-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150125094 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Martin; Michael Reid ; et
al. |
May 7, 2015 |
BAG FOR POURING
Abstract
A bag made of plastic film suitable for pouring has first and
second side panels and back and bottom gussets extending between
the panels. Margins at front and top edges of the first side panel
join margins at front and top edges of the second side panel at a
first seam. A bottom margin of the back gusset joins a rear margin
of the bottom gusset at a second seam with the back gusset
terminating at a top, rear part of the first seam and the bottom
gusset terminating at a bottom, front part of the first seam. A
part of the bag film material integral with the back gusset and
rear parts of the first and second side panels is formed as a
handle at the rear of the bag. A closeable pouring device is
integrated into a top front part of the first seam.
Inventors: |
Martin; Michael Reid;
(Toronto, CA) ; Hutchison; Brian George;
(Brampton, CA) ; Tajbakhsh; Arjang; (Richmond
Hill, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Peel Plastic Products Limited |
Brampton |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
50485402 |
Appl. No.: |
14/591139 |
Filed: |
January 7, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13655784 |
Oct 19, 2012 |
8961012 |
|
|
14591139 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
383/7 ; 383/109;
383/113; 383/120; 383/42; 383/61.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 31/10 20130101;
B31B 2160/10 20170801; B65D 33/10 20130101; B31B 2170/20 20170801;
B65D 33/25 20130101; B31B 70/876 20170801; B31B 70/874 20170801;
B65D 31/02 20130101; B31B 2155/00 20170801; B65D 75/5883 20130101;
B31B 2155/002 20170801; B65D 75/56 20130101; B65D 33/08 20130101;
B65D 33/06 20130101; B65D 33/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/7 ; 383/120;
383/42; 383/61.3; 383/109; 383/113 |
International
Class: |
B65D 30/08 20060101
B65D030/08; B65D 33/02 20060101 B65D033/02; B65D 33/25 20060101
B65D033/25; B65D 30/20 20060101 B65D030/20; B65D 33/06 20060101
B65D033/06 |
Claims
1. A bag formed of plastic film material, the bag having a first
side panel, a second side panel, a back gusset extending between
the first and second side panels, and a bottom gusset extending
between the first and second side panels, margins at front and top
edges of the first side panel joining margins at front and top
edges of the second side panel at a first seam, a bottom margin of
the back gusset joining a rear margin of the bottom gusset at a
second seam, the back gusset terminating at a top, rear part of the
first seam, the bottom gusset terminating at a bottom, front part
of the first seam.
2. A bag as claimed in claim 1, a part of the bag film material
integral with the back gusset and rear parts of the first and
second side panels formed as a handle at the rear of the bag.
3. A bag as claimed in claim 2, the bag having a generally wedge
shaped horizontal sectional form over a major intermediate part of
its height when the bag is full of product material and is seated
on the bottom gusset.
4. A bag as claimed in 3, the bottom gusset and a front part of the
first seam extending generally vertically when the bag is full of
product material and is seated on the bottom gusset.
5. A bag as claimed in claim 4, the handle strengthened by a
stiffener element of thermoplastic material extending generally
vertically when the bag is full of product material and is seated
on the bottom gusset, the stiffener element thermally welded to the
plastic film material forming the handle.
6. A bag as claimed in claim 4, the handle strengthened by a
stiffener element extending generally vertically when the bag is
full of product material and is seated on the bottom gusset, the
stiffener mechanically attached to the plastic film material
forming the handle.
7. A bag as claimed in claim 1, at least a front part of the bottom
gusset terminating as a generally triangular part, an apex of the
triangular part terminating at the first seam.
8. A bag as claimed in claim 1, the back gusset being generally
rectangular.
9. A bag as claimed in claim 1, in which at a front bottom corner
of the bag, a first margin portion of the first side panel is
thermally welded to a second margin portion of the second side
panel, a third margin portion of the first side panel is thermally
welded to a fourth margin portion of the bottom gusset, and a fifth
margin portion of the second side panel is thermally welded to a
sixth margin portion of the bottom gusset.
10. A bag as claimed in claim 1, in which at a rear bottom corner
of the bag, a first margin portion of one of the first and second
side panels is thermally welded to a second margin portion of the
back gusset, a third margin portion of said one of the first and
second side panels is thermally welded to a fourth margin portion
of the bottom gusset, and a fifth margin portion of the back gusset
is thermally welded to a sixth margin portion of the bottom
gusset.
11. A bag structure for the bag of claim 1, at least a part of at
least one seam being open to allow filling of the bag.
12. A bag as claimed in claim 1, the bag having a closeable pouring
device partially inserted between the first and second side panels,
edges of the first and second side panels adjacent the closeable
pouring device being seam welded to each other and sealed around
the outer surface of the closeable pouring device.
13. A bag as claimed in claim 12, the closeable pouring device
being one of a slide fastener or zip, a Velcro.RTM. type fastener,
and an opening cut at the time the bag is first used for
pouring.
14. A bag as claimed in claim 12, the first seam having a middle
part extending diagonally between a top part of the first seam and
a front part of the first seam, the closable pouring device sealed
in the diagonally extending middle part.
15. A bag as claimed in claim 1, at least part of the bag made of a
multi-ply material with at least one of the plies being one of a
surface thermoplastic material, a surface layer amenable to
accepting printing thereon, a barrier layer and a strength
layer.
16. A bag as claimed in claim 1, the first and second side panels
being generally rectangular in shape.
17. A bag as claimed in claim 1, the seams being thermoplastic
welds.
18. A bag as claimed in claim 1, the seams being effected using
adhesive.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present U.S. Utility patent application claims priority
pursuant to 35 U.S.C. .sctn.120 as a continuation of U.S. Utility
application Ser. No. 13/655,784 entitled "Bag with handle", filed
Oct. 19, 2012, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety and made part of the present U.S. Utility patent
application for all purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a bag made of flexible plastic
film material, the bag suitable for pouring.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0003] Plastic bags are a ubiquitous and highly practical mode of
carrying things and there is a whole panoply of shapes and
structures of such bags depending on the particular function of the
bag. Many bags have handles of some kind or other. These may be
merely formations in the material of the bag itself or may include
additional elements which are attached to the main carcass of the
bag and which provide added strength and convenience.
[0004] Of particular interest from the viewpoint of reducing
packaging materials are plastic bags that might replace in the
marketplace freestanding, relatively thick-walled plastic jugs.
Such a replacement is desirable for many reasons. Firstly, the
volume of plastic material required in thick-walled plastic jugs is
generally much higher in comparison with plastic bags configured to
function as jugs. Secondly, placing of graphic materials is much
easier on plastic bags where simple printing directly onto a
paper-like plastic sheet can be implemented with the plastic sheet
or a ply thereof being of a material such as polyester which
readily accepts industry standard printing inks. This is in
comparison with stiff-walled jugs which generally have some contour
in the walls making it difficult for a print head to seat against
anything but a very small wall area. This essentially mandates a
relatively expensive process step of attaching labels to such jugs.
Finally, prior to filling, thick-walled jugs being stored or
shipped take considerable space in comparison with a compact stack
of flat plastic bags.
[0005] The structure of a handled bag that is to function as a jug
should have the strength to hold granular or fluid contents. It
should also have a form enabling it to be gripped in one hand,
moved from a standing into a pouring position and back again, and,
ideally, for the pouring position to be retained as substantially
all the contents of the bag are poured from a spout or functionally
similar means. Throughout the use cycle, the bag should
substantially retain a jug form and function until the contents
have been emptied. Finally, such a structure must be easy to
manufacture.
[0006] While bags with handles are known that can provide a
substitute for jugs made of more rigid materials, further
improvements are possible to improve the performance and
manufacturability of such bags. Limitations and disadvantages of
conventional and traditional approaches to bag-with-handle designs
and manufacture thereof will become apparent to one of ordinary
skill in the art through comparison of such bag and handle
arrangements with the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements
illustrated in the following figures are not drawn to common scale.
For example, the dimensions of some of the elements are exaggerated
relative to other elements for clarity. Advantages, features and
characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods,
operation and functions of related elements of structure, and the
combinations of parts and economies of manufacture, will become
apparent upon consideration of the following description and claims
with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a
part of the specification, wherein like reference numerals
designate corresponding parts in the various figures, and
wherein:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a side view of a bag according to an embodiment of
the invention.
[0009] FIGS. 2 to 4 show sectional views on the lines A-A, B-B, and
C-C respectively of FIG. 1 when the bag contains granular or fluid
material.
[0010] FIGS. 5 to 9 show successive views of parts of the bag of
FIG. 1 in the course of its manufacture in a handle side mount
process according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0011] FIGS. 10a and 10b show sectional views to a larger scale of
part of the bag of FIG. 1 during its manufacture.
[0012] FIG. 11 shows a sectional view at the same larger scale
illustrating an alternative handle construction being formed during
manufacture of a bag.
[0013] FIG. 12 shows a sectional view at the same larger scale
illustrating a further alternative handle construction being formed
during manufacture of a bag.
[0014] FIG. 13 shows a side view of a bag according to an
embodiment of the invention, the bag being particularly equipped
for pouring.
[0015] FIGS. 14 to 16 show parts of a bag in the course of
successive stages in its manufacture in a handle cross mount
process according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0016] FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate techniques for welding sheet
plastic material according to embodiments of the invention.
[0017] FIGS. 19 to 24 show views of parts of a bag similar to the
bag of FIG. 1 in the course of its manufacture in an alternative
manufacturing process according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0018] FIGS. 25a to 25e are sectional views showing stages in the
exemplary manufacturing method described with reference to FIGS. 19
to 24.
[0019] FIG. 25f is a sectional view showing an alternative to the
bag configuration of FIG. 25e according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0020] FIG. 26 shows part a sheet plastic web used in the
manufacture of a bag according to another embodiment of the
invention made using an exemplary manufacturing method.
[0021] FIGS. 27a to 27d, are sectional views showing stages in the
exemplary manufacturing method described with reference to FIG.
26.
[0022] FIG. 28 shows a sheet plastic web used in the manufacture of
a bag according to another embodiment of the invention made using
an exemplary manufacturing method.
[0023] FIGS. 29a and 29b are sectional views showing stages in the
exemplary manufacturing method described with reference to FIG.
28.
[0024] FIGS. 30 and 31 are perspective views from above and below,
respectively, of an alternative form of bag according to an
embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION INCLUDING THE PRESENTLY
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a pouch form bag 10
formed of plastic sheet material having a front panel 12 and a back
panel 14. The front and back panels 12, 14 are joined at one side
16 either as a seam weld, by folding of the original web sheet
material from which the bag is formed, or by a gusset panel. At the
top and bottom of the bag, the front and back panels 12, 14 are
joined by seam welds 18, 20, but could alternatively incorporate
gusset panels either as separate panels welded to flanking panels
12, 14 or formed as a fold in the sheet plastic material. A side
gusset panel 22 extends between panels 12, 14 and is seam welded to
them at welds 24, 26. Extending from the seam welds 24, 26 on the
distal side of the welds from the panels 12, 14 are panel extension
pieces 28, 29. The extension pieces 28, 29 each have a slot form
aperture 34 formed generally centrally within the extension pieces,
the apertures 34 being aligned with each other, the extension
pieces together forming a handle 62. The extension pieces 28, 29
are cut away as shown at 27 to allow the gusset panel 22 to operate
effectively when the bag is filled. The structure of FIG. 1 is
shown in cross-section in FIGS. 2-4.
[0026] Further details of the structure of the FIG. 1 bag are
illustrated by FIGS. 5-10a which illustrate stages in an exemplary
production process for the bag. The production process is
particularly adapted to the use of a sheet material having two face
plies, one made of a material having high thermoplasticity and the
other made of a material which is relatively unthermoplastic. Such
a sheet material could, for example, be a multi-ply sheet plastic
material having a thermoplastic polyethylene ply at one surface and
a polyester ply at the reverse surface, the latter being
particularly suited for accepting printed indicia but not being
thermoplastic.
[0027] To obtain a high production rate, processing operations are
performed on a continuous web of plastic sheet material. During a
production run, the web is fed continuously under tension from an
input end where the web is unformed to an output end where,
essentially, a complete bag has been produced and is cut from the
web leading end. The web is led past a series of processing
stations where processing operations are performed including, for
example, positioning, stamping, cutting, folding and thermoplastic
welding, depending on the stage of manufacture of the bag. As shown
in FIGS. 5 to 9 which depict a handle side mount production
process, a leading end portion of such a web 80 is shown moving in
the direction of arrow A. The web is folded (FIG. 5) and a tuck 82
is formed at the location of the fold (FIG. 6). At a subsequent
station, the web is slit (FIG. 7) at apices 84 of the two folds
formed by the tuck 82. This creates a separated V-section gusset
panel 86 which is then combined with a handle web 88 at a combining
station.
[0028] Before reaching the combining station, the handle web 88 is
similarly processed as a continuous web drawn under tension (FIG.
8). The handle web 88 in this embodiment is made of polyethylene
sheet material but, if desired, a multiple ply plastic sheet
material can be used. For example, a nylon ply can be incorporated
for strength, while a polyester ply can be used if the handle is to
receive printed indicia. The handle web 88 is subjected to a
stamping step to create carrying apertures 90 and to a folding step
to produce wing sections 92 with an aperture 90 located at the
centre of each wing section 92. The two webs 80, 88 are brought
together at the combining station and, using a positioning blade
94, the folded gusset and handle panels 86, 88 driven to the left
as shown so that they lodge a precise distance into the gap between
panels of the folded bag web 80 (FIG. 9).
[0029] As shown in FIG. 10a, the method of cutting and positioning
results in a desired juxtaposition of polyethylene plies to enable
thermoplastic welding/sealing. Thus, regions 96 of the gusset panel
86 have a polyethylene ply 98 facing a polyethylene ply 100 of the
bag panels 12, 14 at contact regions 101. Regions 102 of the
polyethylene handle part 88 also face the polyethylene ply 100 of
the bag web panels 12, 14, but at regions 104 immediately adjacent
the regions 101. The overlapping parts of the webs, including the
handle part, are then passed through a series of heat welding
stations where a weld 105 is effected to cover both the regions 101
and 104. The hot press tool (not shown) applies heat and pressure
through polyester plies to hot melt the underlying polyethylene of
the panel edges and the edges of gusset part 86 and handle part 88.
The polyester plies are not melted but they do transmit the applied
heat to the polyethylene. FIG. 10a depicts a finished bag with the
handle 62 nestled against gusset panel 22 whereas FIG. 10b shows
the handle 62 pulled out to a position it would have for carrying
or pouring purposes.
[0030] Referring in detail to FIGS. 11 and 12, there are shown
alternative handle arrangements. As in the embodiments of FIGS. 10a
and 10b, these have the merit of a desired juxtaposition of
polyethylene plies to enable thermoplastic welding/sealing. A
particular advantage of these embodiments is that in the course of
production, and in comparison with the process described with
reference to FIGS. 5 to 9, no separate insert is required. Instead,
a folded strip is cut from the web, in a process step similar to
that illustrated in FIG. 7. The folded strip therefore has the same
multi-ply structure as the primary web and so has one face which
can be heat welded and the other face which is not thermoplastic.
The folded strip is the source of both the bag handle and the
associated gusset panel.
[0031] In the case of the FIG. 11 structure, such a folded strip
168 is partly inserted into a gap between the front and back panels
12, 14 so that parts of the folded strip project out beyond the
front and back panels 12, 14. The projecting parts have apertures
90 by means of which the completed bag can be carried. The inserted
part of the folded strip makes up the gusset panel 86 and the
outwardly projecting parts are joined together and function as the
carrying handle 62. End regions of the gusset panel 86 contact
respective edge portions of the polyethylene ply 100 of the bag web
panels at respective junction contact regions 101. The polyethylene
plies of the gusset panel and the respective front and back panels
are welded at those junctions as shown at 105. Edge regions of the
outwardly projecting parts of the folded strip contact each other
at a further junction region and the contacting polyethylene plies
are glued together as shown at 107. Whereas welds and glued areas
are shown as thick structures, it will be understood that this is
for illustrative purposes only. In fact, welded areas are normally
of sheet plastic form almost indistinguishable from the sheet
plastic making up the bag panels. For strength and handling comfort
the welds 105 and 107 extend almost to the apertures 90 but the
boundaries of the welds are separated from the boundaries of the
respective apertures by a distance of about one quarter of an
inch.
[0032] In the case of the FIG. 12 structure, the folded strip is
fully inserted into a gap between extensions 28, 29, respectively,
of the front and back panels 12, 14. An inner part of the folded
strip makes up the gusset panel 86 with end regions of the gusset
panel 86 contacting and heat welded at welds 105 to respective
inner surface portions of the polyethylene ply 100 of the bag web
panels at respective junction contact regions 101. Outer parts of
the folded strip have apertures 90 aligned with apertures 91 in the
front and back panels 12, 14, the aligned apertures in the
completed bag serving to enable carrying of the bag. Outer edge
regions of the folded strip and outer edge regions of the
extensions 28, 29 of the front and back panels 12, 14 contact each
other at a further junction region where all four layers are welded
at weld 107.
[0033] The web may be subjected to other welding steps to seal
panels at their edges. However, one seam is left open to allow
customers to fill the bag, this seam being welded by the customer
after the bag is filled. In the case of the embodiment of FIGS. 5,
6 and 7, the seam that is left open for shipping is conveniently
the gap formed when the two "pages" of the web 80 are folded, as
shown at the left hand side of the figures.
[0034] It will be understood that a handled bag using the
principles of the invention can be made in many different ways. For
example, as shown in the sequence of manufacturing steps
illustrated in FIGS. 14-16, a strip comprising a combined handle
web portion and gusset panel are applied from the side (arrow A) as
bag webs 110, 124 are driven in the direction of arrow B. The bag
webs 110, 124 consist of successive sections that are,
respectively, to be bag front and back panels, the webs 110, 124
having a polythene ply at the surface 109 and a polyester ply at
the reverse surface. At a tacking station, a double gusset web
portion 112 folded at each end as shown is moved across the bag web
110 and tack welded to it. The double gusset web portion 112 has
aligned handle apertures 90 and aligned welding apertures 144 with
a polyethylene ply at surface 118 and a polyester ply at its
reverse surface.
[0035] Following tack welding of the double gusset web portion 112
to the web 110, the web 124 is brought down onto the web 110 with
the web portion 112 sandwiched between the webs 110 and 124. The
assembly is then advanced to a seam welder where a hot press tool
produces thermoplastic welds at polyethylene contact regions. As in
the prior embodiment, the juxtaposition of the webs 110, 112 and
124 is such as to bring polyethylene plies face-to-face in order to
be able to effect thermal welds at desired regions. Thus, as
illustrated in FIG. 15 (showing the arrangement of facing
polyethylene plies) and FIG. 16 (showing the position of thermal
welds) the polyethylene plies 118 face the polyethylene plies of
webs 110, 124. Sealing thermal welds are made at 105 to attach the
webs 110, 124 to the web portion 112 at positions corresponding in
the finished bag to the end regions of the gusset panel 86. The
weld positions 105 also correspond to inner end regions of
contiguous parts of the handle 62. Outer end regions of the handle
parts are joined at a thermal weld 107 which fasten four plies
together. This includes a weld between the inner polythene plies of
the webs 110, 124 which are effected through the through holes 114.
Further welds are effected at 145, corresponding to a gusset panel
of the preceding bag in the continuous process and along edges 126.
The preceding, finished bag is then separated by cutting at line
128, the detached bag having side gusset panels with one side
gusset panel having an associated handle 62.
[0036] The choice of attaching the gusset/handle in a side mount
process or a cross mount process generally depends on the location
of other gusset panels. It will be appreciated that, viewing the
handle seams as being along one side of the bag, additional gusset
panels can be incorporated along one or both of the top and bottom
of the bag and along the opposite side of the bag, provided that a
region of the bag perimeter is left open for filling.
[0037] As illustrated in FIGS. 10a and 10b, the contiguous welds at
regions 101, 104 can provide a strong, sealing union between pieces
of a plastic sheet material which have a heat weldable ply at one
surface and a non-heat weldable ply at the opposite surface. As
shown in the exploded view of FIG. 17, the union is characterized
by plastic sheets 130, 132 having heat weldable plies 134, 136
facing one another but with the sheets 130 projecting beyond
respective sheets 132 to form projecting margins 138. In this
arrangement, a single weld with contiguous regions serves to weld
each sheet 130 to its adjacent sheet 132, but also serves to weld
the two sheets 130 together. The multiple union thermal weld may
find application in structures additional to the bag handle
arrangement shown in the previous figures, particularly where the
need to print indicia or the need for other characteristics of the
sheet plastic material mean that a ply at one surface does not lend
itself readily to thermoplastic welding whereas a ply at the
opposite surface is heat weldable.
[0038] An alternative implementation is illustrated in FIG. 18.
Here, plastic sheets 130 and 132 have polyethylene plies 134, 136
facing one another and plies 141 at their other surfaces that are
not thermally weldable. The sheets 130 have apertures 144 by means
of which a polyethylene ply 136 of one of the sheets 132 is exposed
to the polyethylene ply 136 of the other sheet 132 when the sheets
130 and 132 are brought together. The sheets 130, 132 are then heat
welded together so that the contact regions between respective
facing sheets 130, 132 are welded at a region surrounding the
aperture 144, and other contact regions of the sheets 132 are
thermally welded through the apertures 144. It will be appreciated
that in this embodiment, the multiple union is effective in terms
of strength but, unlike the FIG. 17 embodiment, may not be
effective as a seal because part of the polyethylene ply of the
sheets 132 overlay non-thermoplastic plies of the sheets 130.
[0039] Alternative embodiments of bag structure and method of
manufacture are shown with reference to FIGS. 19 to 25. These
figures illustrate a bag structure characterized by a sheet
material, such as polyethylene, which is heat weldable at both of
its faces. The figures also illustrate a method of manufacturing
the bag from separate web portions. Such a method may be adopted
for example in a short production run where it is inefficient to
set up continuous process equipment. FIGS. 19 to 24 show web
portions, and a bag structure formed from the web portions, in plan
view, while FIGS. 25a to 25e show the web portions and bag
structure in vertical sectional view with lengths of the plastic
sheet material depicted as lines. Referring firstly to FIGS. 19 and
20, two webs of plastic sheet material are processed: a wide web 36
and a narrow web 38. Apertures 34 are first formed in the webs 36,
38 in punching procedures. The webs 36, 38 are then cut at lines
40, 42 respectively to form rectangular web portions 44, 46 and the
web portions are folded as shown in FIGS. 20, 22 and 25a. Then, as
shown in sectional view in FIG. 25b, the smaller V section piece is
inserted into the larger V-section piece so that edges 47 are
aligned with each other and the apertures 34 are aligned with each
other. As shown in FIG. 25c, the smaller V-section piece is then
welded to the respective front and back panels 12, 14 as shown at
24, 26. This leaves a region between the welds 24, 26 to function
as the gusset panel 22, so allowing the front and back panels 12,
14 to be pulled apart when the bag is filled up to a limit
determined by the width of the gusset panel 22. As shown in FIG.
25d, the overlapping extension lengths 28, 29 are seam welded to
each other and to the panels 12, 14 as indicated at 37. The welds
24, 26 are each spaced from the weld 37 by sections of sheet
plastic material within which the apertures 34 are present. Further
seam welds 18, 20 are applied along the top and bottom of the bag.
It will be appreciated however that this may be a two-phase
operation with one of the welds 18, 20 being left open to permit
filling of the bag 10 which is then sealed by applying the final
seam weld. It will also be appreciated that other folds can be
configured, such as that shown in FIG. 25f to provide further
gusset panels 54, the folds being implemented before the side seams
18, 20 are welded. Such additional gussets provide for further
storage volume in the bag and, as will be explained presently, are
of particular value if the bag is to function as a pouring bag.
[0040] The structure represented in FIGS. 19-25 is formed from two
separate web portions 36, 38. Referring to FIGS. 26 and 27, an
alternative embodiment of bag 10 is formed from a single web as
shown in the exemplary manufacturing sequence depicted by the plan
view of FIG. 26 and the schematic sectional views of FIGS. 27a to
27d. As shown, a web portion 58 has adjoining areas corresponding
to the front and back panels 12, 14, the gusset panel 22 and the
extension pieces 28, 29. The rectangular web portion 58 of sheet
plastic material is subjected to a punching procedure to form
carrying apertures 34 and is cut from the web. The web portion 58
is folded at lines 60 to the form shown in FIG. 27b. Subsequently,
as shown in FIG. 27c, a first weld 24 is implemented to join the
front panel 12 and the extension piece 28 and a second weld 26 is
implemented to join the back panel 14 and the extension piece 29.
The gusset panel 22 is defined between the two welds 24, 26.
Lastly, as shown in FIG. 27d, the upper edges of the extension
pieces are seam welded at 37. The welds 24, 26, 37 are spaced from
the respective carrying apertures 34, and in the finished
structure, the carrying apertures 34 are aligned with each
other.
[0041] It will be appreciated that because the web portion 58, when
fully welded, is in effect an endless loop, the particular
positions of the folds 60 and the welds 24, 26, 37 and the sequence
of folding and welding can be altered, but with the result that a
structure is obtained that is visually and functionally comparable
to the structure shown in FIGS. 26 and 27.
[0042] Bags made by the processes illustrated in FIGS. 19 to 27,
have apertured extension pieces 28, 29 above the welds 24, 26 which
function as a handle 62 while the span extending directly between
the welds 24, 26 functions as a gusset panel 22. The handle 62 has
four thicknesses of sheet plastic material with the weld 37 being a
4-ply weld.
[0043] An alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 28-29,
where FIG. 28 shows in plan view an exemplary web portion 58 with
carrying apertures 34 and fold positions 60, and FIGS. 29a, 29b
show successive stages in the manipulation and welding of the web
portion 58. In this embodiment, there are two handle parts 64, 66,
each of a single ply. While this embodiment appears visually
similar to the previously illustrated embodiments, the top weld 37
is only a two ply weld and only one thickness of sheet material
defines each carrying aperture 34.
[0044] As previously indicated, a bag using the design principles
of the invention may find application as a jug for containing and
storing granular materials and fluids. One such arrangement is
shown in FIG. 13. At the junction of the side opposite handle 62
and at the top edge of the bag, the corner is cut as shown along
line 72 and a pouring spout/cap combination 74 is partially
inserted between the cut front and back panels 12, 14. The cut
edges at 72 are then seam welded to each other and sealed around
the outer surface of the pouring spout 74. Whereas one form of
pouring device is shown, it will be appreciated that the reclosable
spout function can be provided by other means such as a slide
fastener or zip, a Velcro.RTM. fastener, or, if closing is not
important, by a simple opening which is cut at the time the
container is first used. To improve the "posture" of the bag when
functioning as an upright jug, a toe weld is applied as shown at
70. Also, for the same purpose, the weld 20 along the bottom of the
bag is inclined upwardly (as shown in FIG. 13) from its junction
position with the lower diagonal weld 76 to the toe weld 70.
Although not shown in FIG. 13, the web from which the bag 10 is
formed can be folded to introduce gussets at any or all of the top,
bottom or other side of the bag. The additional gussets can
alternatively be implemented as separate inserts with welds being
applied to fix the inserts in position.
[0045] Depending on the particular carrying and pouring
characteristics that are desired and the expected weight
distribution of contents in the filled bag, it may be convenient to
site the carrying aperture 34 other than generally centrally. For
example, the carrying aperture may be situated closer to the top or
bottom of the bag. In another alternative, the slot-form aperture
may be oriented so as to be inclined to the vertical. In a further
alternative, the carrying aperture 34 may be configured as a
plurality of apertures for insertion of individual fingers to
enhance pouring control.
[0046] It will be appreciated that the handle may be held atop the
bag for carrying but is normally held at the side for pouring. To
assist in the carrying mode if the bag contents will be heavy, any
or all of its seams can be strengthened as part of the
manufacturing process. A strengthening rod, tube or leaf of
thermoplastic material is located at the region of a weld prior to
welding so that when the weld is completed it provides greater
stiffness than is obtained from a weld made solely of the
thermoplastic sheet materials. This is particularly valuable for a
bag as illustrated in FIG. 13 which is to function as a pouring
jug. It will be understood that some dexterity may be necessary in
handling a jug having the bag form described herein, especially if
most of the original contents of the bag have been dispensed. As
shown in FIG. 13, a locally strengthened zone is formed during
manufacture by positioning a thermoplastic rod 166 at the site of
the seam weld 37. When this seam is formed, the rod 166 is melted
and melds with the material of the extension pieces 28, 29. When
the bag is used to pour, the strengthened zone assists in
maintaining the jug form of the bag as the contents become
depleted. Such a rod or other form of strengthening element can
alternatively be welded to the bag in a separate process step after
the weld has been applied. In a further alternative, a
strengthening element can be mechanically applied, such as by
stapling.
[0047] If desired for aesthetic or other purposes, a handle 62
which is shorter than the full height of the bag is used by
appropriately trimming the web portions as shown at 73 before
folding and welding takes place or by punching out the unwanted
parts of the bag handle once the welding is complete.
[0048] The embodiments of the invention previously described relate
to pouch bags which are generally rectangular in plan. In such a
pouch bag, for efficient use of plastic sheet material and ease of
manufacturability, each of the several panels of the bag is
generally rectangular, with seam welds along the boundaries of the
panel where it joins other panels which may be gusset panels. It
will be appreciated that any of the bag panels, including the
extension pieces 28, 29 as illustrated in FIG. 1, can have a shape
that is other that rectangular, provided that adjacent panels have
appropriate shapes as needed to make the boundary welds possible.
For example, the front and back panels 12, 14, which are the major
panels in terms of determining the overall shape of the bag 10, may
have a generally elliptic or triangular configuration.
[0049] A particular configuration of bag embodying the invention is
shown in FIGS. 30 and 31. The bag has front and back panels 146,
148, side gusset panels 150 and a bottom gusset panel 152. The
front and back panels 146, 148 have a press-to-close sealing
arrangement 154 at the top of the bag. A handle 156 is sealed to
the bottom of the bag as shown in the inverted view of FIG. 31. In
this arrangement, the handle 156 is heat welded at edges 158 to
exposed edge parts 160 of the front and back panels as shown at
contact regions 162. Adjacent edge regions of the front and back
panels 146, 148 are heat welded to the bottom gusset panel 152 at
contact regions 164.
[0050] In each of the embodiments of the invention described, the
bag is formed from sheet plastic material that is at least partly a
heat-sealable thermoplastic material and sealing/welding is
effected by heat sealing. Such materials include, by way of example
and not limitation, polyolefins such as polyethylene and
polypropylene, vinyl polymers, and the like. The materials may be
low-, medium- or high-density polymers and may be single or
multi-layer composite material. Composite laminated materials may
include adhesive layers. Sealing resins such as ethylene vinyl
acetate may be used to improve sealing of certain polymer layers
and the use of such sealing resins may obviate the use of adhesive
tie layers. The invention contemplates the use of thermoplastics
films which are made of, or which include, a barrier sheet material
such as, for example, EVOH or a metal layer which provides a
barrier generally preventing the transmission of gases. The
thickness of the film material is selected mainly on the basis of
the intended weight the bag must carry and generally ranges from
about 2 to 20 mils.
[0051] The type of thermoplastic sheet material used will depend on
the purposes to which the bag is to be put, whether it is easy to
handle in manufacturing, whether it can be readily printed upon,
whether it is waterproof, whether it is strong enough to resist
tearing or bulging, etc.
[0052] A particular implementation uses a multi-ply plastic sheet
material including a polyethylene layer which makes effective
thermoplastic welds/bonds and has high strength, and a layer of
polyester which accepts printed indicia very well. In the
manipulation of the web portions, generally polyethylene surfaces
are brought together where two parts of the sheet material have to
be joined so that a bond/weld can be implemented by using
thermoplastic heat sealing techniques rather than adhesive bonding.
Similarly such manipulation is configured so as generally to
present the polyester surfaces outwardly for application of print
indicia. It will be understood however, that whereas thermoplastic
welding of materials such as polyethylene is preferred, a bag
according to this invention can be manufactured with any or all of
the welded seams being substituted by adhesive seams.
[0053] In one example, the sheet plastic material of the bag has a
polyethylene layer 1 to 7 mils thick, an adhesive polymer layer 0.1
to 0.5 mils thick, and a polyester layer 0.5 mils thick, the layers
being coextruded or adhesively laminated. The layer thicknesses can
be varied depending on desired sheet material characteristics. For
example, the polyester layer which is better suited for accepting
printed indicia than the polyethylene, can be made somewhat thicker
to provided increased stiffness to the bag. This can be quite
important where the bag is to function as a pouring bag and will be
lodged or stored in an upright position similar to a jug. The
multilayer plastic material can include additional layers of
material depending on characteristics desired in the finished
material. In another example, the plastic sheet material has outer
layers of polyethylene so that both surfaces of the material are
heat sealable. In yet another example, the plastic sheet material
has a layer of nylon for added strength and/or a barrier layer such
as metal foil, metallized polyester or EVOH. The selection of ply
materials and the number of layers of each material is chosen for
the particular properties desired in the bag. Thus, polyethylene
has good heat sealing properties and relatively high strength. A
copolymer polyethylene with high elastomeric content can be used
where a softer material is required. The sheet film material or
particular web portions used in the bag construction can be formed
from thermoplastic film that has been oriented during manufacture
to impart mechanical strength along a particular axis or at a
critical stress site. Such oriented strength can be imparted by for
example stretching at ambient temperatures, melt orienting during
extrusion, etc. Heat sealing and bonding of layers of sheet
material is effected by the application of temperature and pressure
for a predetermined time at locations where the layers are to be
heat sealed. The temperature, pressure and time are selected based
on the particular nature of the sheet materials being bonded
together. Bonding is typically effected at multiple bonding
stations, with the bonded material subsequently being cooled.
[0054] Referring back to FIG. 1, whereas the various weld lines,
whether they are to weld sheet material edges together as at the
welds 18, 20 or to weld the faces of two panels together as shown
at welds 24, 26, are shown in the illustrated embodiments simply as
straight lines, other more complex welds can be used to obtain
particular bag characteristics. For example, as shown in FIG. 13,
at the end of the gusset panel 22, diagonal area welds 78 are used
at each pair of the overlapping sheet materials to effect a neat
end formation for the gusset panel 22. It will be appreciated that
a weld may contribute to any or all of structural shape, strength
sealing and "posture" benefits. For effective sealing, both to
prevent loss of contents and also to prevent intrusion from outside
of contaminants, welds must overlap at their junctions.
[0055] There have been described herein various embodiments of a
bag structure. Also described in brief detail are particular
production process steps involved in manufacturing such bag
structures. Such embodiments and processes have features that
distinguish the present invention from the prior art. It will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that the bags and the
manufacture thereof may be modified in numerous ways and may assume
many embodiments other than the preferred forms specifically set
out and described above. Accordingly, it is intended by the
appended claims to cover all modifications of the invention which
fall within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *