Patent Application
20110075951
a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to new, efficient multifold plastic grocery bags, especially for use with dispensers for plastic bags from rolls, and particularly what are referred to as grocery bags (not limited to use in grocery stores or to be used for groceries, but commonly called plastic grocery bags or produce bags). The present invention multifold plastic grocery bags and rolls of these bags, utilize a full width M-shaped fold in place of unfolded and conventional star folded bags. The present invention bags are balanced, even thickness, narrow, flat sealed, reliable and compact, and are very efficiently dispensed.
b. Description of Related Art
The following patents are representative of the field pertaining to the present invention:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,424,963 B2 to Mark E. Daniels describes a wire frame plastic bag dispenser includes an angled lower bag roll support urging perforated, rolled plastic bags toward a bag roll restraining element attached to the frame. A constraining movement element prevents lateral movement of the bag roll. A perforation parter separates bags as they are pulled from the roll. The bags may be folded along at least one vertical axis to form a more compact bag roll and may have a chisel cut in the perforation to aid in separation by the perforation parter. The frame includes four corners each of approximately 90 degrees, has a C shape in a horizontal plane, and includes a dispensing end, a back end, and two sides. The lower bag roll support includes a proximal end attached to the back end and extends downwardly to a distal end. The perforation parter may be located outwardly from the dispensing end of the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,270,256 B2 to Mark E. Daniels describes a series of roll mounted bags and dispensers are described. The bags may be folded along at least one axis and rolled. The compact roll of bags is placed in various dispensers. As the upper portion of the first bag is pulled from the roll, the roll will rotate, presenting the succeeding bag for dispensing after the first bag is removed. Variations of the dispenser include one with a bag opening means with a mounting member and bag opening element causing the bags to open as they are pulled from the dispenser. The dispenser includes mechanisms for supporting the bag roll and constraining its movement along its horizontal axis. Another variation of the dispenser has a perforation parting means that facilitates separation of one bag from a subsequent bag. The dispenser may be removably attached to a dispenser support that attaches to a surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,281 to Ebrahim Simhaee describes a continuous web of bags formed of a plurality of layers to be separated along a line of perforations that extends through all of the layers transverse of the web, in which at least one of the outermost layers is detached from the web at the separation line. Apparatus accomplishes this detachment in a moving web by engaging the outermost layer outer surface and exerting a force in a manner to produce the detachment from the separation line. Both the outermost upper and lower web layers can be detached at the separation line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,535 to Charles Paul Kannankeril et al. describes a bag dispensing system providing plastic bags from a roll of bags where one end is attached to the top of the next bag by perforation lines with a slot therebetween. The roll of bags provides a core having an indexing member on at least one end. The dispenser comprising a wire frame formed into channels to support the core. The channels include a core retaining member for restraining the core in the channel. The dispenser includes at least one brake attached to a support member and disposed at an angle thereto to provide tension to the edges of the roll of bags as the core passes through the channel passageway as bags are removed from the roll. Spaced apart from the support is a separating tongue. The tongue engages the slot regardless of whether the bags are drawn over or under the tongue.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,666 to Ebrahim Simhaee describes a roll of plastic bags for use with a dispenser having opposing tracks in which the roll is supported, and a separating tongue for enabling individual bags to be separated from the roll. The roll of plastic bags is wound on an axle, the plastic bags being in a star sealed configuration. The ends of the axle project beyond the ends of the roll a distance sufficient to enable the axle to be supported for rotational and translational movement in the tracks in such a way that the roll frictionally engages a dispenser surface. Separation lines are provided between adjacent bags, a slot in each separation line being engageable by the tongue within the dispenser so that individual bags can be dispensed from the roll one at a time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,262 to Ebrahim Simhaee describes a plastic bag dispenser holds a continuous roll of bags, connected by perforated separation lines. The dispenser is provided with a tongue, which the bags are dispensed over, that engages the separation line between the bag at the end of the roll and the next bag. This begins the separation of the separation line, as well as holds the next bag behind the tongue. A finger is provided on the upstream side of the tongue, with a gap between the finger and tongue. As a bag is separated, a portion of the front edge of the next bag is held in the gap, holding the bag in position for the next user. The roll of bags rests in curved grooves in the dispenser that cause the roll to abut and frictionally engage an interior surface of the dispenser, preventing free-wheeling of the roll. The curvature of the grooves causes the component of force which creates the frictional engagement to increase as the size of the roll decreases.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,019 to Joseph W. Morris describes a bag dispenser, for separating and dispensing a series of plastic bags where one end is attached to the top of the next bag by perforation lines with a slot therebetween. The series of bags are dispensed from a device comprising a wire frame formed into channels to support the core that the series of bags are rolled onto. The channels allow the core to rotate in place but restrict its linear movement to the vertical direction. The dispenser has two braking devices, a braking bar underneath the roll of bags and a pair of fingers that are attached to the channels to engage the core. The braking bar is positioned transversely to the series of bags so that it supports them. The pair of fingers does not engage the core until the number of bags on the core has decreased and the core has begun to descend. The two braking devices work in combination to retard the rotation and dispensing of the bags and thus to apply a tension to the series of bags. Attached to the frame is a separator with, preferably, a symmetric projection on its end. The projection will engage the slot regardless of whether the bags are drawn over or under the projection. Additionally, the separator is preferably coiled in its midsection to function as a spring. As the user pulls on the bags, a tension is created by the braking devices and the user to deflect the separator which remains deflected until the projection engages the slot. Thus, when the separator engages the slot, the separator recoils through its normal position to facilitate the separation of the two bags.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,084 to Mark E. Daniels describes a rack for dispensing plastic bags from a roll of bags joined end-to-end and separated by a line of perforations and either an opening or a rupturable central area between the bags along the perforation line, comprising a rectangular cradle to hold the roll for removal of bags by unrolling them over a horizontal side element and past a pair of snagging elements which intercept the rupturable central area to restrain each ensuing bag as the preceding bag is pulled away from the roll so as to enable the preceding bag to be separated from the ensuing bag along the perforated and open or rupturable central area line. Provision is made to enable the cradle to be mounted either on or under a store counter, or against a wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,424 to Ebrahim Simhaee describes a roll of plastic bags is wound on an axle which is adapted to be retained within a dispensing device. The bags may be of any configuration but, preferably, are of the type known as a star seal with individual bags separated by perforated separation lines. The bags are wound around a core which can be retained on the axle so that the roll can rotate with respect to the axle when the axle is fixed within the dispensing device. A slot is provided in each separation line between adjacent bags, the slot adapted to engage a complementary tongue in the dispensing device for separating the individual bags. The width of the roll is such relative to the tongue that when an individual bag has been separated from the roll, portions of the next bag on the roll extend forwardly of the tongue where they are in a position to be grasped by a user and subsequently severed from the roll. The roller may include a feature for retarding rotation of the roll of bags relative to the axle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,371 to Mark E. Daniels describes a method and device for dispensing T-shirt type plastic bags from a roll joined end to end in series but separable along perforated lines where the bag ends are connected, whereby the bags are rolled and the roll of bags is placed in a cradle for unrolling and passing between two bars above and parallel to the axis of the roll, at least one of the bars having a centrally disposed hooking snagging element past which the series of bags is drawn. When the open space between the straps of each T-shirt bag passes the snagging element, the latter catches the leading edge of the ensuing bag to restrain it sufficiently so that further pulling on the preceding bag results in its detachment along the perforated line for the ensuing bag. Rack means are provided to enable the method to be practiced.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
The invention solves the problems and overcomes the drawbacks and deficiencies of prior art by providing a plurality of multifold plastic grocery bags composed of at least two plastic grocery bags in series connected to one another by continuous plastic sheet and defined by a separation border, each of the plastic grocery bags having sides, a sealed bottom and an openable top, and arranged with each bottom connected to an adjacent bag top. The plastic grocery bags separation border includes at least one separation fault selected from the group consisting of perforation, orifice, thin and combinations thereof. The plastic grocery bags are folded first in half in a first direction from side to side and then each half being folded in half again from side to side in an opposite direction from the first half fold, to create a flat, full width single M-shaped fold.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the separation fault is a plurality of perforations.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the separation fault is established after the bags are folded and is a combination of perforations and at least one orifice.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the orifice is at least ¾ inch in width.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the orifice is centrally located and has perforations left and right of the orifice.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, there are a total of four folded sections of the single M-shaped fold, and each fold has two layers of plastic sheet, and all folds have equal widths.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the at least two plastic grocery bags is at least fifty plastic grocery bags.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the plastic grocery bags are plastic selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene-polypropylene blend.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the plastic grocery bags have a predetermined width measured from side to side and a predetermined length measured from top to bottom and the predetermined length is greater than the predetermined width.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the plastic grocery bags have a predetermined folded width and have a predetermined folded length and the predetermined length is at least five times greater than the folded width.
In some other preferred embodiments of the present invention, it its provided a multifold plastic grocery bag roll comprised of: a) a support core; and, b) a roll of plastic grocery bags on the support core and having at least two plastic grocery bags in series connected to one another by continuous plastic sheet and defined by a separation border, each of the at least two plastic grocery bags having sides, a sealed bottom and an openable top, each of the at least two plastic grocery bags being arranged with each bottom connected to an adjacent bag top; the at least two plastic grocery bags separation border including at least one separation fault selected from the group consisting of perforation, orifice, thin and combinations thereof; the at least two plastic grocery bags being folded first in half in a first direction from side to side and then each half being folded in half again from side to side in an opposite direction from the first half fold to create a flat, full width single M-shaped fold.
The additional features set forth above are also features integrated with the present invention rolls.
Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and together with the detail description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,
The length of individual sections is determined by the distance between top opening 109 and thin heat sealed bottom 111. The distance between bag opening 109 and thin heat sealed bottom 111 is the same as the distances between bag opening 209 and thin heat sealed bottom 211, bag opening 309 and thin heat sealed bottom 311 and bag opening 409 and thin heat sealed bottom 411. The front view of hollow plastic tube 4 also provides an improved view of the front surface 105, 205, 305 and 405 formed by top openings 109, 209, 309 and 409 and thin heat sealed bottoms 111, 211, 311 and 411. This pattern will be continued throughout the entire length of hollow plastic tube 4.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,
With perforations 613, 713 and 813 applied, the front surfaces 605 and 705 are defined as the distance between perforations 613 and 713 and the distance between 713 and 813 respectively. This pattern will be continued throughout the entire length of plastic grocery bags 6A. Front surface 505 is defined as the distance between top opening 509 and perforation 613. Top surface 805 is defined as the distance between perforation 813 and heat sealed bottom 811. Top openings 509, 609, 709 and 809 are created when perforations 613, 713 and 813 are separated.
Top opening 509 maintains position relative to front 505 and back 507 as described above in
Top opening 509 maintains position relative to front 505 and back 507 as described above in
Top opening 509 maintains position relative to front 505 and back 507 as described above in
The distance between front 505 and back 507 has been exaggerated in the above view to better illustrate the key features of the present invention plastic grocery bag 6D. In the preferred embodiment, the distance between front 505 and back 507 will be defined as twice the thickness of the material selected for production. This will result in a thin, compact profile in the final M-shape folded plastic grocery bag 6D. The final plastic grocery bag 6D will have a length that is much longer than it is wide. This design allows for efficient use of space when storing the present invention plastic grocery bag.
In the present embodiment of plastic grocery bags 8, optional orifices 1021, 1121 and 1221 are created in the middle of perforations 1013, 1113 and 1213 respectively. Optional orifices 1021, 1121 and 1221 are adapted to catch and aid in separation of perforations 1013, 1113 and 1213 when used with a suitable plastic bag dispenser, such as described below in
Separation Fault Methods 25 provides a list of some possible ways to create the separation faults in the present invention plastic grocery bag. The first is through the use of a perforation or perforations as illustrated in
A thin or thins may be used in a similar fashion as perforations. A thin is a section of the plastic grocery bag that is thinner than the surrounding plastic. This makes the thin easy to break and allows for a controlled break line to be maintained.
An orifice or orifices may also be used, as described in
Multiple Production Methods 27 are listed in diagrammatic presentation 20. The first is a single bag continuous sheet, as illustrated in
The present invention may also be created using a multiple bag continuous sheet. In this method, a length of plastic is extruded that has a width of multiple plastic grocery bags when laid flat. Individual plastic bags can be formed by applying thin heat seals perpendicular and parallel to the length of extruded plastic. Separation faults as described above are applied near the perpendicular thin heat seals to allow the plastic bags to be separated easily, and cuts are made in the parallel thin heat seals to separate the sheet into multiple single bag continuous sheets. This creates multiple single sheet continuous runs of plastic grocery bags.
During production, the separation faults can be applied to the plastic grocery bags before the M-fold is created or after, depending on the faults selected. For example, in one particular embodiment of the present invention, perforations may be applied to the plastic grocery bags as they are extruded but prior to folding. Prior to folding, the perforation tools only need to penetrate two layers of plastic, reducing the force required and wear on tooling. Once the perforations are created, the plastic bags may be folded and a single orifice may be created in the middle of the perforation. In this configuration, the orifice would puncture either layers of plastic and create a multifold plastic bag similar to the embodiment described in
Once the plastic grocery bags are formed as described above, they may be wrapped around a central support core selected from the Support Core Configurations 29. The support core may have a square or circular cross-section and can either be a hollow or solid structure. The support core should be designed to be connected to a plastic bag dispenser, as described below in
A first set of opposing side panels 407 is mounted to back section 403 of the base frame 430 to stabilize the movement of a nested plastic bag roll 419. In this embodiment, first set of opposing side panels 407 project forward at a right angles on opposite sides of back section 403. A second set of opposing side panels 408 is located on the bottom section 401 of the base frame 430 to also stabilize the movement of a nested plastic bag roll 419. In this embodiment, second set of opposing side panels 408 project forward at a right angles on opposite sides of bottom section 401.
An elongated open guide bar 406 for movement of plastic bag 420 from the nested plastic bag roll 419 is located toward the open front 425 of the bottom section 401 of the base frame 430. Elongated open guide bar 406 is adapted to assist the movement of plastic bag 420 from the plastic bag roll 419. In the present embodiment, elongated open guide bar 406 is a loop of material located on the bottom section 401 of base frame 430 and oriented perpendicularly therefrom. Forward side guard 412 is located at open front 425 on base section 401 to maintain proper alignment of plastic bag 420 over the rip tongue 413.
Rip tongue 413 is located at the open front 425 of bottom section 401 and is transverse to bottom section 401. Rip tongue 413 is adapted to catch and separate a passing bag 420 along perforation 422 from a nested plastic bag roll 419.
A swing arm 415 is located along bottom section 401 of the base frame 430. In the present embodiment of the plastic bag dispenser 410, swing arm 415 is generally “L” shaped, with a right angle bend where it extends past the depth of the bottom section 401. The swing arm 415 is attached to the bottom section 401 by swing arm base 427. In the present embodiment of the plastic bag dispenser 410, swing arm base 427 is a mounting bracket with a recess adapted to allow swing arm 415 to act as an axle when couple with swing arm base 427. A plastic bag roll stop 423 is located at the free end of swing arm 415 and is adapted to keep plastic bag roll 419 in place during use. As plastic bag roll 419 is depleted, the swing arm 415 rotates about swing arm base 427 towards bottom section 401 and rear section 403 of base frame 430.
To operate the plastic bag dispenser 410, a plastic bag 420 is pulled down over the rip tongue 413. This causes nested plastic bag roll 419 to unroll until perforations 422 in plastic bag 420 pass over the rip tongue 413. As the perforations 422 pass over rip tongue 413 the plastic bag 420 separates from the nested plastic bag roll 419. The next plastic bag 424 on the nested plastic bag roll 419 is then positioned in the open front 425 for use. The plastic bag roll 419 is prevented from unraveling when not in use by friction between the plastic bag roll 419 and the bottom section 401 and back section 403 of base frame 430.
To summarize, the present invention thus provides a multifold grocery bag which comprises at least two plastic grocery bags in connected in series and defined by a separation border. Each individual plastic grocery bag has sides, a sealed bottom and an openable top and is connected to adjacent bags such that the openable top of one bag is removable connected to the sealed bottom of the next bag by a separation fault. The plastic grocery bags are folded first in half in a first direction from side to side and then each half being folded in half again from side to side in an opposite direction from said first half fold, to create a flat, full width single M-shaped fold. The multifold grocery bags can then be wrapped onto a support core to form a plastic bag roll for use with a plastic bag dispenser.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those particular embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
