1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in the construction and manufacture of polymeric bags. In particular, the present invention relates to improvements to the drawtape used in drawstring-type polymeric bags, especially polymeric trash bags.
2. Description of the Related Art
Polymeric bags are ubiquitous in modern society. As a natural result of the widespread adoption and use of polymeric bags, the bags are available in a countless number of combinations of capacities, thicknesses, dimensions and colors. Polymeric bags may be used in numerous ways including for long-term storage, food storage and trash collection. In response to consumer demand, manufacturers of polymeric bags have also developed several innovations over the years to improve the utility and performance of polymeric bags. The present invention is of particular interest to the use of polymeric bags for trash collection and with respect to the methods for securely closing and carrying such trash bags.
While the polymeric trash bags available to consumers are available in a variety of different configurations, certain configurations are designed to cater to certain uses and particular segments of the population. When considering the utility of polymeric trash bags, one issue of primary concern to both consumers and manufacturers is how the consumer can securely close and carry the trash bag after filling it with debris. Securing the trash bag is of critical importance to containing the trash and other debris inside the trash bag when it is collected and transported. Over the years, the industry has developed several different methods for securely closing and carrying trash bags, each method having certain advantages and disadvantages over the other methods.
Drawstring trash bags are a popular alternative to flapped or twist-tie trash bags. As the name suggests, drawstring bags utilize a drawstring, also known as a drawtape, which is incorporated into the bag design. Drawtapes are typically enclosed within the hems running along the upper opening of the bag. To minimize the possibility of puncture or tear during use, the drawtapes are usually stronger than the material used to construct the bag. To close the bag, the central portions of the drawtapes are pulled vertically through the small access cut-outs in the hems, thereby pulling the opposing upper corners of the bag together. The drawtapes can then be tied together, securing the contents of the bag and allowing the drawstring bag and its contents to be hauled away. The demand for new and improved drawtapes and drawstring bags is the driving force behind the innovation of the present invention.
The invention disclosed herein will be especially advantageous in the context of lawn and leaf bags. Lawn and leaf bags are typically used for the collection and disposal of yard waste such as grass clippings, fallen leaves, and other bulky yard debris. As a person collects yard waste or works on outdoor projects, it is common for the person to wear outdoor yard gloves to protect one's hands from dirt and other matter which may irritate the skin. However, outdoor yard gloves can also negatively affect the dexterity of a person's fingers when the gloves are worn, making it difficult to grasp smooth, slippery surfaces such as the drawtapes of trash bags. This problem is further compounded as oils, dirt, and other contaminants accumulate on the surfaces of the gloves making gripping even more difficult.
This gripping challenge is highlighted by the difficulty in certain circumstances to quickly and easily grip the drawtapes of a lawn and leaf bag while wearing outdoor yard gloves. For example, it may be difficult to grasp the drawtapes contained in a drawstring lawn and leaf bag due to the relatively small exposed area of the drawtapes, the decreased dexterity associated with wearing outdoor gloves, and contaminants which may accumulate. Furthermore, this same problem may also be present with respect to drawstring kitchen bags where liquids and oily cleansers may make it moderately more difficult to grip the drawstring.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a drawstring trash bag which features a drawtape that is easier to grasp. This would be advantageous in numerous contexts, especially in the context of lawn and leaf bags and, in other situations, when gripping a drawstring may be complicated due to the use of gloves or the presence of contaminants which make the drawtape “slippery” due to a decreased coefficient of friction.
It is known to provide a ribbed drawtape for a thermoplastic bag. In particular, the ribbed drawtape is known to permit decreasing the thickness of the drawtape while providing substantially similar functional qualities. Specifically, it is known that drawtapes used in connection with drawstring bags have a tendency to “rope” when a force is applied such as when the drawtapes are pulled to close the trash bag. “Roping” is the effect of a drawtape curling in as stress is applied and can result in the formation of a circular, rope-like structure. For a traditional drawtape, the diameter of the rope is correlated with the stiffness of the drawtape across its width. Accordingly, thicker drawtapes, which tend to be stiffer, often result in the formation of larger diameter “ropes.” The known ribbed drawtape contains vertical ribs across the width of the drawtape, stiffening an otherwise thin tape, and thereby increasing the diameter of the resulting “rope.” Therefore, by providing vertical ribs across the width of the drawtape, the stiffness increases, which permits decreasing the thickness of the thermoplastic drawtape. However, to provide the desired effect, the ribs must extend vertically across the width of the drawtape. Since the ribs are in the same direction as a force applied by a person pulling on the drawtape, the vertical ribs do not facilitate in making the drawtape easier to grip.
It is also known to provide a flexible bag having a drawtape closure wherein the drawtape exhibits elastic-like behavior by embossing the drawtape with an accordion-type pattern. Specifically, it is known to emboss a drawtape with a plurality of deeply-embossed deformations which are vertically oriented across the width of the drawtape. The vertical embosses are intended to impart elastic-like properties, allowing the drawtape to stretch and retract in a manner similar to an accordion. Importantly, because the behavior is desired along the length of the drawtape, the deep embossing necessarily extends in the vertical direction. In light of the foregoing, like the ribbed drawtape discussed previously, the embossing is oriented in the same direction as a person pulling on the drawtape of the drawstring bag. Again, this does not substantively facilitate a person's ability to grip the drawtape.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for a drawtape for a polyethylene bag wherein the drawtape is more easily grasped during use. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide an embossed drawstring with an enhanced gripping surface to facilitate the gripping of the drawstring. The present invention addresses these needs by providing an enhanced gripping surface on the drawtape as discussed herein.
The present invention is directed to a drawtape for drawstring polymeric bags. The drawtape is manufactured from polyethylene and is imprinted with an embossing pattern comprised of a plurality of embosses. In certain embodiments, the plurality of embosses may be substantially circular or elliptical in shape, substantially uniform in size, and distributed evenly within the embossing pattern. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the plurality of embosses may have a substantially uniform depth and be imprinted so as to extend from the base of the drawtape in a single direction. It is contemplated that the present invention may be manufactured with at least 20% high-density polyethylene. In certain embodiments, the drawtape has a width of between 0.5 inches and 2 inches with a thickness of between 1.5 and 3 mils. In certain embodiments, the width may be 1 inch with a thickness of 2.25 mils. In certain embodiments, the polyethylene drawtape is a three-ply, co-extruded drawtape.
The present invention is also directed to a polymeric bag comprised of a front panel and a back panel which are joined along a first side, a second side, and the bottom of the respective panels. The top end of the front panel is folded and sealed to form a first hem while the top end of the back panel is folded and sealed to form a second hem. A drawtape is disposed within at least one of the two hems and is imprinted with an embossing pattern comprising a plurality of embosses. In certain embodiments, the plurality of embosses are substantially circular in shape, are substantially uniform in size and are distributed evenly within the embossing pattern. Furthermore, the plurality of embosses may have a substantially uniform depth. In some embodiments, the embossed drawtape may have a width between 0.5 inches and 2 inches and a thickness of between 1.5 mils and 3 mils. In certain embodiments, the width of the drawtape is 1 inch with a thickness of 2.25 mils.
It is contemplated that the present invention may be utilized in ways that are not fully described or set forth herein. The present invention is intended to encompass these additional uses to the extent such uses are not contradicted by the appended claims. Therefore, the present invention should be given the broadest reasonable interpretation in view of the present disclosure, the accompanying figures, and the appended claim.
A full and complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the detailed description of the present invention and certain embodiments when viewed with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings can be briefly described as follows.
The present disclosure illustrates several embodiments of the present invention. It is not intended to provide an illustration or encompass all embodiments contemplated by the present invention. In view of the disclosure of the present invention contained herein, a person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that innumerable modifications and insubstantial changes may be incorporated or otherwise included within the present invention without diverging from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to those embodiments disclosed herein. The appended claims are intended to more fully and accurately encompass the invention to the fullest extent possible, but it is fully appreciated that certain limitations on the use of particular terms is not intended to conclusively limit the scope of protection.
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As with the drawtape 150 utilized with the drawstring bag 100 of
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An alternative way to describe the relationship between adjacent embosses 204 is to describe the separation between adjacent embosses 204. The separation between adjacent embosses 204 is defined herein to be the shortest distance from the outer edge of a first emboss 550 to the outer edge of the closest adjacent emboss. In certain embodiments, it may be desirable for the separation between adjacent embosses 204 to be substantially uniform throughout the pattern and approximately 1.5 mm. However, in other embodiments, the separation between adjacent embosses 204 may vary between 0.2 mm and 7 mm. In certain embodiments, the separation between adjacent embosses 204 may vary between 0.8 mm and 4 mm.
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For purposes of the present invention, an enhanced gripping pattern can be defined as an embossing pattern which enhances the gripping properties of the material that is embossed. More specifically, an enhanced gripping pattern for a drawtape is an embossing pattern which increases the gripping properties, i.e. an increased coefficient of friction, across the width of the drawtape which is the direction in which the drawtape is pulled out of a trash bag. The enhanced gripping patterns disclosed herein are known to provide the desirable increase in gripping. The increased gripping properties are notably lacking in the known ribbed or elastic-like drawtapes.
An enhanced gripping pattern may comprise a plurality of embosses 204 wherein at least some of the plurality of embosses 204 are not aligned substantially in the direction of the width of the drawtape 200. Specifically, in several depicted embodiments of the present invention, at least one emboss of an enhanced gripping pattern has a dimensional ratio defined as ratio of the height of the emboss (measured in the direction of the width of the drawtape shown by arrow W) to the breadth of the emboss (measured in the direction of the length of the drawtape as shown as arrow L). The dimensional ratio of the at least one emboss should be less than about 10:1. In certain embodiments, the dimensional ratio should be less than 3:1. Furthermore, in other embodiments the dimensional ratio should be less than 1:1 with the breadth of an emboss being greater than or equal to the height of the emboss. In other embodiments, the ratio may apply to a subset of the plurality of embosses or all of embosses of the embossing pattern.
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Blocking is the tendency of certain plastic materials to stick or adhere to one another due to compression, warm temperatures, and other factors. Blocking is frequently present in traditional drawstring trash bags such as that depicted in
As previously noted, the specific embodiments depicted herein are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Indeed, it is contemplated that any number of different embodiments may be utilized without diverging from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to more fully encompass the full scope of the present invention.
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 12/190,856 filed Aug. 13, 2008.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12190856 | Aug 2008 | US |
Child | 12883846 | US |