Lightweight Continuous Band for the Manufacture of Bags for Fruit and Vegetable Produce and Similar Products

Abstract

A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, consisting of a continuous plastic sheet of the same width as that of the aforementioned band; said band features at each of the aforementioned sectors one or more windows of like or different sizes; at least one of the windows is closed by means of a fragment of plastic material of a shape and dimensions suited to said at least one window, and whose edges are fixed to the periphery of the same by thermo-welding or similar procedure; said fragment of plastic material features a plurality of stamped holes of like size, which are evenly distributed throughout the surface of said fragment.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is an innovative continuous band featuring windows closed by fragments of plastic material, said fragments having a plurality of holes evenly distributed throughout their surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Continuous bands for the manufacture of bags are well known, these are joined along their longitudinal edges to form a continuous tube which is divisible into a plurality of sections corresponding to the respective bags.

When the product contained in the bags is fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, the bags must provide appropriate ventilation, this being achieved in various ways, quoting by way of an example that the material of the bag may be of a reticular nature or that the band may feature windows, usually closed by mesh fragments; these solutions also enable consumers to see the product packaged.

In the case of reticular bands, one of the drawbacks is the impossibility to include any type of printed information, and another drawback is the damage which the filaments may inflict on the product. Conversely, the solution which combines windows and mesh fragments enables the printing of any type of information and the visual inspection of the product, but for the bag to feature sufficient mechanical strength, the thickness of the filaments of the mesh must be considerable, entailing a greater use of plastic products and consequently an increase in costs.

The present invention advocates a continuous band which, for the closing of the windows, includes fragments of plastic material featuring a plurality of holes evenly distributed throughout their surface, which solves the aforementioned drawbacks, enabling the printing on the areas without windows, and the visual inspection of the product, and additionally, the weight of a fragment of plastic material with its corresponding holes, providing the same mechanical strength as a mesh fragment of like dimensions, is approximately 40% less; there is thus a saving in the materials employed, entailing financial savings and less use of products which, when they become waste, are difficult to eliminate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, which is the object of the present invention, consists of a continuous sheet of plastic of the same width as that of the aforementioned band; said band features at each of the aforementioned sectors one or more windows of like or different sizes; at least one of the windows is closed by means of a fragment of plastic material of a shape and dimensions suited to said at least one window, and whose edges are fixed to the periphery of the same by thermo-welding or similar procedure; said fragment of plastic material features a plurality of stamped holes of like size, which are evenly distributed throughout the surface of said fragment.

One solution, apparently similar, might be that the continuous sheet should have no windows, and to stamp throughout its surface or in areas chosen beforehand a plurality of holes; however, to obtain a bag with the same mechanical strength as that obtained by the present invention, this would imply that the thickness of the continuous sheet of plastic would be greater, thus eliminating the saving in material and costs, as well as increasing the environmental problems generated when discarding the bags.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1: portrays a perspective view of one sector of the continuous band.

FIG. 2: portrays a perspective view of one sector of the continuous band.

FIG. 3: portrays a perspective view of the fragment of plastic material.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 to 3 portray a preferred embodiment of the lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products which is the object of the present invention, and which features a handle (4).

The continuous band (1) is formed by a continuous sheet (2) of plastic of the same width as that of the aforementioned band; said band features at each of the aforementioned sectors one or more windows (5) of like or different sizes; at least one of the windows is closed by means of a fragment (3) of plastic material of a shape and dimensions suited to said at least one window, and whose edges are fixed to the periphery of the same by thermo-welding or similar procedure; said fragment of plastic material features a plurality of stamped holes (6) of like size, which are evenly distributed throughout the surface of said fragment. Said holes may be square in shape, with rounded corners and may be arranged in a staggered manner in order to give the appearance of a net.

Likewise, the band may feature a plurality of perforations of like or different sizes to enhance the ventilation of the product packaged in the bag manufactured therewith.

The windows may be centred in each of the sectors or disposed symmetrically with regard to the longitudinal axis of the band; in these two cases the fragment of plastic material may be a strip with a width smaller than that of the continuous band.

To increase the mechanical strength of the bag at its weakest points, in correspondence with each of the sectors of the continuous sheet of plastic foreseen for the obtaining of a bag, reinforcements of plastic material are disposed at the areas foreseen for the handles, the thermo-welds and at the edges of the windows; said reinforcements are attached to the side of the continuous sheet of plastic material intended to be the internal part of the bags by means of thermo-welding or similar procedure.

Claims

1. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, of the type intended to be closed over themselves by means of the bonding of their longitudinal edges by thereto-welding or similar procedure to form a continuous tube which is divisible into a plurality of sectors corresponding to respective bags, characterised in that it comprises a continuous plastic sheet of the same width as that of the aforementioned band; said band features at each of the aforementioned sectors one or more windows of like or different sizes; at least one of the windows is closed by means of a fragment of plastic material of a shape and dimensions suited to said at least one window, and whose edges are fixed to the periphery of the same by thermo-welding or similar procedure; said fragment of plastic material features a plurality of stamped holes of like size, which are evenly distributed throughout the surface of said fragment.

2. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each of the sectors of the continuous sheet of plastic material features a plurality of perforations of like or different sizes.

3. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the windows are centred in each of the sectors.

4. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the windows are disposed symmetrically with regard to the longitudinal axis of the continuous plastic sheet.

5. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the fragment of plastic material is a continuous strip with a width smaller than that of the continuous plastic band.

6. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that in correspondence with each of the sectors of the continuous sheet of plastic foreseen for the obtaining of a bag, reinforcements of plastic material are disposed at the areas foreseen for the handles, the thermo-welds and at the edges of the windows; said reinforcements are attached to the side of the continuous sheet of plastic material intended to be the internal part of the bags by means of thermo-welding or similar procedure.

7. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the windows are centred in each of the sectors.

8. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the windows are disposed symmetrically with regard to the longitudinal axis of the continuous plastic sheet.

9. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the windows are disposed symmetrically with regard to the longitudinal axis of the continuous plastic sheet.

10. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the fragment of plastic material is a continuous strip with a width smaller than that of the continuous plastic band.

11. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that in correspondence with each of the sectors of the continuous sheet of plastic foreseen for the obtaining of a bag, reinforcements of plastic material are disposed at the areas foreseen for the handles, the thermo-welds and at the edges of the windows; said reinforcements are attached to the side of the continuous sheet of plastic material intended to be the internal part of the bags by means of thermo-welding or similar procedure.

12. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that in correspondence with each of the sectors of the continuous sheet of plastic foreseen for the obtaining of a bag, reinforcements of plastic material are disposed at the areas foreseen for the handles, the thermo-welds and at the edges of the windows; said reinforcements are attached to the side of the continuous sheet of plastic material intended to be the internal part of the bags by means of thermo-welding or similar procedure.

13. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that in correspondence with each of the sectors of the continuous sheet of plastic foreseen for the obtaining of a bag, reinforcements of plastic material are disposed at the areas foreseen for the handles, the thermo-welds and at the edges of the windows; said reinforcements are attached to the side of the continuous sheet of plastic material intended to be the internal part of the bags by means of thermo-welding or similar procedure.

14. A lightweight continuous band for the manufacture of bags for fruit and vegetable produce and similar products, as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that in correspondence with each of the sectors of the continuous sheet of plastic foreseen for the obtaining of a bag, reinforcements of plastic material are disposed at the areas foreseen for the handles, the thermo-welds and at the edges of the windows; said reinforcements are attached to the side of the continuous sheet of plastic material intended to be the internal part of the bags by means of thermo-welding or similar procedure.