Flap Bag With C-Fold

The invention relates to a flap bag, consisting of multilayered material and having two opposite lateral edges and a bottom, wherein an opening region is provided opposite the bottom for inserting a packaged item into the flap bag, wherein an upper edge and an edge set back from the upper edge are arranged in the opening region, and in the region between the upper edge and the set-back edge in the multilayered material has at least one opening for mechanical handling of the flap bag for inserting the packaged item into the flap bag according to the features of the preamble of claim 1.

Such flap bags are known and are referred to as such because in the opening region the multilayered material forms a flap between an upper edge and an edge set back from the upper edge, has at least one opening, usually two openings, into which corresponding pins of a packaging machine engage. These pins on the packaging machine hold the flap bag during the filling process and at the same time the opening region is opened by the packaging machine so that the flap bag is easily accessible for inserting the packaged item. After the packaged item has been properly inserted into the flap bag, the bag can be closed in the region of the set-back edge and then the flap described above can be removed, for example by cutting it off with a knife.

However, such known flap bags have the disadvantage that they consist of two layers of multilayered material, with the lateral ends of the two layers, which form the lateral edges, being joined together. In the case of a plastics material, for example, these lateral ends of the two layers are welded together. However, this has the disadvantage that it creates a predetermined breaking point, so that there is a risk that the seam with which the two lateral ends of the two layers of the multilayered material are connected to one another will tear open, in particular in the region of the height at which the set-back edge is located, and thus the flap bag can no longer be used. This disrupts the insertion or filling process and creates waste material because such a damaged flap bag can no longer be used. However, the known flap bag can not only tear open in the region of its lateral edges when the opening region is opened with a packaging machine for inserting the packaged item, but there is also the risk if compressed packaged items (for example diapers) have been placed in the flap bag and then expand again when the corresponding gripping arms of the packaging machine have been guided out of the flap bag. This expansion can also lead to the lateral edges tearing, in particular in the region of the set-back edge.

It has already been considered to reinforce this region of the lateral edges, for example by double seams, which, however, makes the manufacturing process of the flap bag more complex. Costs also increase if the thickness of the multilayered material is increased, since such an increase in thickness is only necessary to prevent tearing in the opening region, but not for storing the packaged item in the flap bag. The same applies to padding in the opening region, which could fundamentally prevent the insertion of the packaged item and/or the expansion of the opening region with the packaging machine from causing the joint between the two layers of the multilayered material in the region of the two lateral edges of the flap bag to tear open. However, such padding is made of a different material than the multilayered material, such that a flap bag cannot be easily recycled. In addition, the costs increase again because padding has to be arranged on the flap bag in addition to the manufacture thereof.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing an improved flap bag which avoids the disadvantages described above.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

According to the invention, it is provided that the multilayered material is formed in a continuous manner in the region of the lateral edges and that the free ends of the multilayered material in the region between the lateral edges are non-detachably connected to one another in an elongate joining region. According to the invention, the joining region (also referred to as the connecting region) with which the free ends of the multilayered material are connected to one another in order to form the flap bag is thus moved to a region of the flap bag in which, when the opening region of the flap bag is opened with a packaging machine and also when the packaged item is inserted into the flap bag, the opening region is subjected to significantly less stress than is the case in the region of the lateral edges. This prevents the opening region around the set-back edge from tearing when the opening region of the flap bag is opened with the packaging machine and when the packaged item is inserted into the flap bag, since there is continuous multilayered material there which is much more resistant to external forces than would be the case if the two lateral elongate ends of the two layers of multilayered material, i.e. the lateral edges, were connected to one another by means of a seam. It is also not necessary to reinforce this opening region, in particular to increase the thickness of the multilayered material. Padding is also not necessary. In addition, the elongate joining region, with which the free ends of the multilayered material are non-detachably joined together, can be carried out using a known and established joining technique, such as welding (in particular for plastics materials) or gluing (in particular for paper materials).

In this context, the term “non-detachably” means that when the flap bag is used as intended, the connected lateral edges of the two layers of the multilayered material are not separated from one another. Only if the bag is used in an improper manner (for example if an excessive amount of force is applied to the flap bag from the outside) could the connection become detached.

It is self-evident that the flap bag according to the invention has a bottom which is arranged opposite the opening region. To ensure that the flap bag is completely closed (except for the opening region), the elongate joining region extends from the set-back edge to the bottom region.

The design according to the invention can be easily applied to flap bags with single or multiple folded lateral edges. The bottom can also be formed in the simplest form by non-detachably joining the elongate edges of the multilayered material together. Alternatively, it is conceivable to fold the multilayered material in this end region in such a way that there is a multiple fold there or that the flap bag is designed as a stand-up bag.

In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the flap bag consists of only one layer of the multilayered material and only one elongate joining region is provided. This makes it very easy and cost-effective to manufacture a flap bag according to the invention, since only one layer of the multilayered material has to be handled in order to form the flap bag. A single folding of the multilayered material (so-called C-fold) is sufficient to form the lateral edges of the bag, the joining region as well as the bottom and the opening region with the flap present there.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the flap bag consists of more than one layer of the multilayered material and at least two elongate joining regions are provided. This makes it possible to use different materials of the multilayered material to manufacture the flap bag. For example, one layer of the multilayered material may be made of an opaque material, while another layer of the multilayered material may be made of a transparent material to allow visibility of what is inside the flap bag. The materials of at least two layers of the multilayered material are the same or may be different from one another.

In a further development of the invention, the at least one elongate joining region runs approximately parallel to the lateral edges. This has the advantage that the joining of the free ends of the multilayered material can be carried out very effectively in an automated manner in the feed direction (or, if necessary, transversely thereto) during the manufacture of the flap bag.

In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the free ends of the multilayered material are connected to one another in an abutting manner in the elongate joining region. This results in a continuous, smooth surface of the multilayered material even in the joining region, so that the multilayered material of the flap bag can also be easily printed across the joining region, for example.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the free ends of the multilayered material are connected to one another in an overlapping manner in the elongate joining region. This overlap has the advantage that a larger joining region is available in which the free ends of the multilayered material can be glued or welded together, for example. If they are glued together, a sufficiently wide adhesive strip can be applied to increase the strength of the joining region. If they are welded together, for example, one or two (or more than two, depending on the load on the flap bag) welds can be carried out. The latter is particularly useful when a heavy packaged item is to be inserted into the flap bag.

The flap bag according to the invention can be made of different materials. In particular, one layer of the multilayered material consists of a plastics film. If there are several layers of the multilayered material, these can all be made from the same plastics film or from a plastics film of different materials. It is also conceivable that the multilayered material is a flat material that consists substantially of fibers of plant origin (such as paper). In this case, too, several layers of the multilayered material can consist of this flat material. A material combination of plastics and paper (or comparable material) is also conceivable. In particular, to comply with hygiene regulations and/or to achieve the required tightness of the flap bag, the paper (or comparable material) can be coated and/or impregnated with plastics.

In the case of multilayered material made of paper (possibly impregnated and/or thinly coated with plastics), it is particularly advantageous that the multilayered material is formed in a continuous manner in the region of the lateral edges and the free ends of the multilayered material in the region between the lateral edges are non-detachably connected to one another in an elongate joining region. This is because a non-detachable connection of the lateral edge region of the mutually facing lateral edges of the multilayered material cannot be achieved with paper to the same extent as is the case with welded lateral edges of the multilayered material made of plastics. If, in a flap bag according to the prior art, the plastics multilayered material known in the prior art were replaced by a paper multilayered material, there is a significantly greater risk that the lateral edges will separate from one another during the filling process and/or when the filled items are decompressed, since with paper, when connecting the two lateral edges (even if they overlap to some extent), the connecting forces (in particular adhesion forces) cannot be as high as is the case when welding the two lateral edges of the plastics multilayered material. In the case of flap bags made of paper, which are not yet known, there would therefore be a risk in the prior art that one layer of the multilayered material could be pulled away from the other layer of the multilayered material in the connecting region. This is advantageously not the case according to the invention, since the free ends of the multilayered material are arranged in the region between the lateral edges and are non-detachably connected to one another in an elongate joining region.

If the multilayered material consists of paper (or comparable materials, such as cardboard or the like), the lateral edges of the layers of the multilayered material can not only be glued together in an abutting or overlapping manner in the connecting region, but alternatively or additionally can also be non-detachably connected to one another by the action of a laser. Instead of using a laser, an interrupted or continuous embossing of the overlapping lateral edges can also be considered. Perforation can be provided in the connecting region of the overlapping lateral edges (alternatively or additionally also in the multilayered material). This perforation, as well as the interrupted embossing, serves to allow air to escape from the filling space of the flap bag during or after filling with the packaged item and/or to ventilate the filling space after the filling process has been completed (for example during transport or storage of the filled flap bag). The perforation also provides an opening aid for the user of the flap bag. The embossing or perforation described above can of course also be implemented with plastics multilayered material, as can interrupted welding or gluing.

An embodiment of a flap bag is shown in FIG. 1 to 3 and described below, with different variants of the elongate joining region being shown in FIG. 4 and also described below.

A flap bag 1 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1 to 3 in different views. The flap bag 1 has two opposite lateral edges 2, 3 and a bottom 4. An opening region 5 is provided opposite the bottom 4. In the opening region 5, there is an upper edge 6 and an edge 7 set back from the upper edge 6. The region between the upper edge 6 and the set-back edge 7 is also referred to as the “flap.” In this region, there is at least one opening 8, in this embodiment two openings 8.

The embodiment of the flap bag 1 shown in FIG. 1 to 3 forms a receiving space for a packaged item (not shown) from a layer of multilayered material 9. For this purpose, two layers of the multilayered material 9 lie one above the other in an expandable manner in the largest part of the flap bag 1. A single layer of the multilayered material 9 is present only in the region between the upper edge 6 and the set-back edge 7. In this embodiment, the multilayered material 9 is folded multiple times in the region of the two lateral edges 2, 3. However, it is also conceivable that only a single fold is provided. The same applies to the bottom 4. In this embodiment, the bottom 4 is folded (in particular folded several times) in such a way that a standing bottom is formed with which the flap bag 1 can be placed on a flat surface, as can be seen in FIG. 3. However, it is also conceivable that the end region of the two layers of the multilayered material 9 in the region of the bottom 4 is closed, for example by gluing, welding or the like.

It is substantial for the invention that the multilayered material 9 is formed in a continuous manner in the region of the lateral edges 2, 3. As a result, this region, in particular in the region of the set-back edge 7, is significantly more resistant to the opening of the flap bag 1 with a packaging machine and/or the expansion of a packaged item after the insertion process (which was previously compressed, such as diapers), so that no more tears can form there. This is supported by the fact that an elongate joining region 10 is arranged in the region between the two lateral edges 2, 3, since this region is not or significantly less stressed by the packaging process and/or the expansion of the packaged item. In particular, when a free end 11 of the multilayered material 9 and another free end 12 of the multilayered material 9 are arranged in an overlapping manner and are non-detachably connected to one another (as shown by way of example in FIG. 1 to 3), an extremely resistant flap bag 1 is provided. As an alternative to the overlap, it is conceivable that the two free ends 11, 12 of the multilayered material 9 are non-detachably connected to one another in an abutting manner. In addition, it could be considered that the two free ends 11, 12 are non-detachably connected to one another in an abutting manner and then a strip is placed over this joining region, which is also non-detachably connected to the multilayered material 9.

It is important for the invention that the at least one elongate joining region 10 is placed in a region of the multilayered material 9 which is spaced apart from the particularly stressed regions of the lateral edges 2, 3 in the region of the set-back edge 7. For example, in the embodiment it is shown that the elongate joining region 10 is arranged approximately in the middle between the two lateral edges 2, 3. However, it is also conceivable to arrange at least one elongate joining region 10 off-center.

FIG. 1 to 3 show that the elongate joining region 10 is not only arranged centrally between the two lateral edges 2, 3, but also runs parallel thereto. The parallel course is appropriate with regard to the manufacturing process of the flap bag 1. However, it is not excluded that the elongate joining region 10 also runs obliquely to one of the lateral edges 2, 3.

FIG. 4 shows different variants of the flap bag 1 in cross section.

FIG. 4A shows a layer of the multilayered material 9, the free ends 11, 12 of which are overlapping and non-detachably connected to one another in the joining region 10. The joining region 10 is arranged approximately in the middle between the two lateral edges 2, 3.

FIG. 4B shows, analogously to the embodiment according to FIG. 4A, that the joining region 10 is arranged off-center to the two lateral edges 2, 3.

FIG. 4C shows two layers of the multilayered material 9, whose corresponding free ends 11, 12 are connected to one another in two joining regions 10. These two joining regions 10 are preferably designed identically (here overlapping, alternatively abutting), but can also be designed differently from one another (for example, one joining region 10 overlapping and the other joining region 10 abutting). In this embodiment, the two joining regions 10 are arranged approximately opposite one another and off-center between the two lateral edges 2, 3. They can also be arranged approximately opposite one another in the middle between the two lateral edges 2, 3 or arranged differently from one another off-center between the two lateral edges 2, 3. The two joining regions 10 are each arranged on one side of the flap bag 1.

FIG. 4D shows an embodiment in which again two layers of the multilayered material 9 are present, the corresponding free ends 11, 12 of which are non-detachably connected to one another in two joining regions 10 (also shown overlapping here, alternatively abutting). However, compared to the previous variants, the two joining regions 10 are only arranged on one side of the flap bag 1. For example, the multilayered material 9 with the smaller extension (in relation to the circumference) between the two joining regions 10 can consist of a transparent material in order to obtain a view of the packaged item (not shown) in the flap bag 1, whereas the remaining multilayered material 9 with the larger extension (in relation to the circumference) consists of an opaque material. Here, too, equal extensions of the two multilayered materials are possible.

Finally, FIG. 4E shows a further embodiment of the flap bag 1 in cross section, in which a total of four pieces of the multilayered material 9 are non-detachably connected to one another in corresponding joining regions 10. The cross section of the flap bag 1 shown in FIG. 4E is symmetrical, but it is also conceivable to arrange the joining regions 10 asymmetrically over the circumference of the layers of the multilayered material 9. In this case, as in the embodiments shown in FIG. 4A to 4D, it is important that each joining region 10 is arranged at a distance from a lateral edge 2 or a lateral edge 3 in such a way that it is not, or only insignificantly, subjected to the forces when the packaged item is inserted into the flap bag 1 and/or by the expansion of the inserted packaged item.

While FIGS. 4D and 4E show that the lateral edges 11, 12 are spaced apart from one another, it can also be considered that the two lateral edges 11, 12 are arranged in an abutting manner against one another and are joined (connected) to one another in this region. To reinforce this connecting region, it can be reinforced with an additional strip of multilayered material (the same or a different multilayered material). Alternatively, the two lateral edges 11, 12 can be arranged in an abutting manner against one another, but not yet connected to one another, and the non-detachable connection can only be realized when the additional strip of the multilayered material is placed and glued, welded, (interrupted or continuous) embossed or the like. In this case, too, a perforation can be made.

All variants shown in FIG. 4A to 4E have in common that they have the opening region 5 and the bottom 4 (simple, folded, designed as a standing bottom or the like). While FIG. 4A to 4E show a rounded shape of the lateral edges 2, 3, it can also be considered that the multilayered material is instead folded over once or folded over several times (as can be seen in FIG. 1 to 3).

Packaged items can be in particular piece goods, but can also be in powder or liquid form or a combination thereof.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

- 1. Flap bag
- 2. Lateral edge
- 3. Lateral edge
- 4. Bottom
- 5. Opening region
- 6. Upper edge
- 7. Set-back edge
- 8. Opening
- 9. Multilayered material
- 10. Joining region (also referred to as connecting region)
- 11. Free end of the multilayered material
- 12. Further free end of the multilayered material

Flap Bag With C-Fold

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