Patent Application
20230294893
The present disclosure relates generally to an improved bag and methods of use. More particularly the present disclosure relates to a recyclable and compostable paper bag for carrying ice and methods of using the same.
Plastic bags and plastic packaging on goods is a common and known practice. One of the problems with using plastic to transport and store items is that plastic bags are not biodegradable and thus add to the pollution of our planet. Additionally, plastic bags are typically not reused and may be thrown out once any items are emptied from the bag. One area that is impacted by this problem is the area of packaging and transporting ice. Ice, such as dry ice or frozen water, is typically stored in clear plastic bags that are sealed with some sort of tie. While there are numerous potential solutions to the pollution problem, the results of applying such potential solutions are unpredictable.
Therefore, what is needed is an improved bag and methods of using the same having the following characteristics and benefits over the prior art.
The subject matter of this application may involve, in some cases, interrelated products, alternative solutions to a particular problem, and/or a plurality of different uses of a single system or article.
In one aspect, an improved bag is disclosed. In this aspect, the bag comprises a body, which forms an interior capable of holding a plurality of items. The body also forms an opening, which is sealable by a twine tie. Finally, in this aspect, a first and second handle are connected to the body.
In another aspect, a freezer is disclosed. In this aspect, the freezer comprises a body forming an interior for storing a bag. In this aspect, the bag comprises a body having three layers of material, two handles connected to the body, and a plurality of ice sealed inside the body.
In yet another aspect, a method of using a bag is disclosed. In this aspect, the bag comprises at least one layer of wax laminate and a plurality of ice inside the bag, and the method comprises the step of maintaining an external temperature around the bag below a melting point of the plurality of ice.
It should be expressly understood that the various physical elements of the present disclosure summarized and further disclosed herein may be of varying sizes, shapes, or otherwise dimensions and made from a variety of different materials or methods of manufacture without straying from the scope of the present disclosure.
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention and does not represent the only forms in which the present disclosure may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments.
Generally, the present disclosure concerns an improved bag for carrying a plurality of items. For example, the improved bag disclosed herein may be used to carry numerous different types of items that are traditionally packaged in plastic, such as groceries and other commonplace items. In a preferred embodiment, the improved bag is used to store and transport ice. Also, in said preferred embodiment, the bag is made from a biodegradable material, such as paper. When the bag is made from paper, the bag may also be coated with a wax laminate. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, not all types of wax are biodegradable. For example, petroleum-based waxes, such as paraffin and microcrystalline wax, may not biodegrade. Therefore, in most embodiments, the wax laminate may be an animal or plant-based wax laminate. Some non-limiting examples of animal wax laminates may include, but are not limited to, beeswax, tallow, lanolin, or ambergris. Plant wax laminates may include, but are not limited to, soy wax or carnauba wax. Petroleum based wax such as paraffin and microcrystalline wax may be used but are preferably not used due to their potential lack of biodegradability.
In most embodiments, the wax paper forms a bag body, which may be sealed with a twine tie. In some embodiments, the material that forms the body of the paper bag may be at most three (3) millimeters (mm) in thickness, and in other embodiments the material that forms the body of the paper bag may be at most 1.5 mm in thickness. The exact thickness of the material that forms the bag body may be critical to the reduction to practice of the present disclosure. For example, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, paper, even paper coated or laminated with wax, is an inferior storage method to plastic for liquids, especially liquid water. The reason for this is that paper is made from cellulose, which is hydrophilic. When liquid water is added to paper, the hydrophilic hydrogen bonds of cellulose’s chemical structure tend to weaken and begin to dissolve in the water. Depending on the quantity of the liquid polar solvent added to a paper material, the tensile strength of the paper may substantially decrease, thus creating a high likelihood of tearing. In other words, the thicker the layer of paper, the higher the amount of polar solvent that will be needed to cause a likelihood of tearing.
Pure paper may be more susceptible to tearing from being wet than paper that is coated or laminated with a biodegradable laminate, such as the wax paper that forms the body of the ice bag in the preferred embodiment. The reason for this is that, unlike cellulose in paper but like plastic, wax is hydrophobic and thus is not soluble in water. Therefore, a paper bag coated with a wax laminate may be even less susceptible to tearing than pure paper. Additionally, coating a paper with a wax laminate may also reduce the thickness required for the bag to be water-resistant, thus allowing the overall combined thickness of the paper and laminate layers in the preferred embodiment to be 1.5 mm or less.
In some embodiments, depending on the method of use, the paper bag’s level of water resistivity may not matter. For example, in most embodiments, the paper bag may be used to transport and hold ice, which is frozen water. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, frozen or solid water is not miscible with paper, waxed or unwaxed, and thus, ice does not tend to create a likelihood of bag tearing from becoming wet. Therefore, in some embodiments, a method of using the paper bag(s) containing ice may comprise the step of maintaining the ice inside the bag at a temperature of zero (0) degrees Celsius (°C). In most embodiments, the bag may not be insulated, which means the temperature of the ice inside the bag may be maintained by maintaining the external temperature of the bag at the requisite degree.
Turning now to
While several variations of the present disclosure have been illustrated by way of example in preferred or particular embodiments, it is apparent that further embodiments could be developed within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, or the inventive concept thereof. However, it is to be expressly understood that elements described in one embodiment may be incorporated with any other embodiment in combination with any other elements disclosed herein in the various embodiments. It is also to be expressly understood that any modifications and adaptations to the present disclosure are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and are inclusive, but not limited to the following appended claims as set forth.
