Freezer Bag Holder

Abstract

A holder for holding a thin-walled bag such as a freezer bag in a position for easy filling. The bag holder comprises two pieces, one being a generally tubular, open ended bag support member and the other being a funnel-like member which press-fits around the upper rim of the bag support member. The funnel member includes a chute or funnel surface that leads into the interior of a bag that is clamped between the funnel and support.

Description

This invention relates to a device for holding a bag upright with its upper end opened to permit easy placement of articles into the bag.

In the field of preserving and canning of foods, and particularly the home preserving of foods, convenient containers are necessary to hold the foods after they have been prepared. Thin-walled plastic bags are commonly used by home canners for this purpose. They are inexpensive, not subject to breakage, provide a good means for sealing the food therein and are disposable after use. With all these advantages, however, such thin-walled plastic bags are somewhat difficult to use because they are very flexible and are not so easily positioned to allow the user to place prepared food into the bag.

Numerous devices have been proposed for aiding the filling of bags. One, as shown in Smith U.S. Pat. No. 56,819, takes the form of a hoop supported by a stand or the like. A bag is secured to the hoop by inserting it from below through the loop and then turning the open end over the upper edge of the hoop. After this has been done, a funnel-like member is disposed with its lowermost end projecting inside the open-topped bag while its sloping outer surface wedges the bag between the funnel and the hoop. However, the bag, being supported entirely by the hoop, can stretch or slide out of the bag holder as it is filled.

In another bag-holding apparatus, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,429, a funnel member is provided which has a lower portion shaped so that it can be inserted into the interior of a bag placed in a receptacle. The area between the lower portion of the funnel and the receptacle comprises a slot for holding the bag. The bag can slip out of the slot, however, and may bulge non-uniformly as it is filled.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a holder for a thin-walled bag, such as a freezer bag, in an open position to permit foods and the like to be placed therein without causing the bag to slip free, bulge, or stretch as it is filled.

To accomplish these and other objectives, a two-part interfitting bag holder has been developed. A bag support member, open at its top and bottom, has an annular upper lip or rim around which a skirt on a second, funnel-like, member fits. The bag is positioned in the bag support member with its open end folded outwardly and downwardly over the upper rim of the latter. The funnel-like member fits on the bag support member and provides unobstructed movement of the food into the bag. The funnel-like member has a bearing surface for resting on the upper surface of the upper rim, and it presses the bag down on the latter rim. The skirt clamps the bag around the rim, and it also has an angled lower edge for catching the bag so that it does not slide out from between the skirt and rim.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become more clear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof as shown in the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view, partially in section, showing the two parts of the bag holder, with a bag placed in the bag support member, and

FIG. 2 is a vertical section showing the two bag holder parts in their interfitted relation and clamping a bag in position for filling.

The bag support member designated generally at 10 is generally tubular in shape, and is open at each end for bag insertion and filling, as will be discussed. The tubular body has a circular or cylindrical upper end or rim 14. Below the rim it flares outwardly at a rounded shoulder 12 of larger diameter than the rim 14.

A second part of the bag holder comprises a funnel-like member 18 which fits around the upper rim 14 of bag support 10. Interiorly, member 18 includes a frusto-conical funnel surface 20 for directing articles through the open top part of the thin-walled flexible bag such as the freezer bag shown at 16. The funnel-shaped member also includes a downwardly facing flat annular bearing surface 22 shaped to rest upon the flat annular top surface 24 of upper rim 14. Surface 22 of the funnel member 18 intersects inside funnel surface 20 at the neck thereof, and at this plane (see FIG. 2) the inside diameter of funnel surface 20 is no larger than, and preferably is less than, the inside diameter of upper rim 14.

Extending downwardly from funnel surface 20 and below bearing surface 22 thereof, is a rim-encircling skirt or flange 26. This has an acutely angled edge 28 at its lowermost end. Skirt 26 and the angled edge 28, as will be described, cooperate with rim 14 and shoulder 12 respectively in holding the freezer bag in its open position.

Both the bag support member 10 and funnel member 18 are conveniently made of metal or preferably of plastic, e.g. polypropylene or polyethylene, or impact polystyrene.

In use, a freezer bag 16 is inserted into bag support member 10 through the open lower end 29 thereof, and the top part of the bag extends upwardly through the opening defined within upper rim 14. The top part of freezer bag 16 extends above and out of the bag support member a sufficient distance so that the open end of the bag can be folded outwardly and downwardly around the upper rim 14.

In FIG. 2, the funnel member 18 is shown interfitted with the bag support member 10 to hold the bag 16 in place for filling. In this position the thin-walled bag 16 is held so that food or other articles poured into funnel member 18 will be directed into it. Surface 22 provides a bearing surface for member 18 and rests upon the bag where it is folded over top surface 24.

The downwardly extending funnel skirt 26 has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the upper rim 14 so as to provide room for the downwardly folded portion of the bag 16 which is clamped between skirt 26 and rim 14. The spacing between skirt 26 and rim 14 should be sufficient to accommodate the thickness of bag 16 yet tight enough to provide a gripping action to secure the bag in open position and prevent it from slipping while being filled.

The angled tip or edge 28 at the lowermost end of skirt 26 is shaped to fit against the surface of shoulder 12, and when the funnel 18 is seated on member 10, edge 28 catches onto and thereby helps hold the downturned edge of the bag 16.

As shown in FIG. 2, funnel surface leads inwardly of the inner edge of the annular top surface 24 of rim 14. Articles will slide down the frusto-conical shaped surface 20 past surface 24 and then will fall directly into bag 16. There are no edges or obstructions projecting inwardly into the funnel opening and no food can accumulate on the top of member 10.

As the bag 16 is filled, it will expand outwardly until it rests against and is confined by the inside of bag support member 10. Furthermore, assuming that the bag 16 is positioned inside bag support member 10 with its bottom resting on support surface 30, the bag 16, as it is filled, will be supported by surface 30 rather than hanging from upper rim 14, as in some prior art bag holders. Since it is confined laterally, and does not hang free, bag 16 will not be stretched and will fill uniformly.

Once the bag has been filled, the funnel-like member 18 is removed from the position shown in FIG. 2 so that the open end of the bag may be closed by tying a knot in the bag or securing it with a suitable tying material. Once the bag 16 has been sealed, the bag support member 10 is lifted off, thereby permitting the filled bag 16 to pass through the open bottom of the bag support member 10, ready for subsequent storage, freezing, etc.

While the foregoing description has been made with particular emphasis upon a preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that modifications in form may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for holding a thin-walled bag in an open position for filling, the holder comprising in combination;

a generally tubular bag support member open at each end and having an upper rim with a cylindrical outside surface and a top surface,

and a funnel member having an inwardly tapering funnel surface and a rim-encircling skirt which extends axially beyond said funnel surface, said skirt sized to closely encircle the outside surface of said upper rim so as to exert a circumferential clamping force on a bag when the bag is placed in the support member and an open upper portion of the bag is folded over the top surface of the rim and downwardly around the outside surface of said rim,

said funnel member having a downwardly facing bearing surface adjacent to and joining said funnel surface, for mating with the top surface of said upper rim,

said funnel surface having an inside diameter where it joins said bearing surface that is not in excess of the inside diameter of the top surface of said rim.

2. The holder of claim 1 wherein said rim-encircling skirt has a circumferential lower edge which is acutely angulated in the radial direction and shaped to catch a bag between said edge and said bag support member.

3. The holder of claim 2 wherein said bag support member below said upper rim has a rounded shoulder of larger diameter than the rim, and said edge bears against said shoulder so as to grip a bag therebetween.

4. The holder of claim 1 wherein said funnel surface is shaped to lead articles past and through the upper rim of the support member into the bag without accumulation on the top surface of the support member.

5. The holder of claim 1 wherein said upper rim is a right angular cylindrical surface, said top surface is a flat annulus in a horizontal plane, and said bearing surface is a horizontal annulus for mating with said top surface.