Patent Grant
11459157
Conventional plastic bags of a wide variety of sizes and shapes are used in various situations. Bulk materials, such as flour, sugar, rice, seed, animal feed, chemicals, powdered materials or the like, for example, typically have been packaged in woven plastic bags in the past. Pet food, bird seed and other products sold in retail stores typically have not been packaged in conventional woven plastic bags. Among other reasons for this, woven plastic bags were considered too rudimentary to be printed with high end graphics suitable for consumer type of packaging. In addition, the high speed requirements in the filling and packaging operations limited the use of the woven bags in these applications. Conventional bag processing equipment could not cut and shape woven bags at the speeds required for high volume production.
Laminated woven sacks (LWS) were developed using a woven polypropylene structure laminated to a bi-oriented polypropylene film (BOPP) that can be reverse printed with high end graphics suitable for consumer type of packaging. The LWS provides a stronger, more attractive bag than the more conventional multiwall bags used for that purpose over the last 20 years. Due to their tough strong structure, conventional LWS bags are typically sewn shut on both ends. These LWS recently met with success and have been successfully substituted for the conventional multiwall paper bags used in the pet food industry for many years.
One major drawback of the sewn LWS has been the closing of the bags at high speed filling lines, such as those for filling such bags with pet food. Experience has shown that sewing production lines are typically slower than the filling of the multiwall pinch bottom bags. Additionally, the sewn bags do not provide an aesthetically pleasing and useful clean display on the ends of the bags, thus making it difficult for consumers to identify or find a desired brand quickly when the bags are displayed on the shelves at the point of sale, such as when they are stacked on top of one another. In addition, the sewn ends required puncturing the plastic bags and thus result in a bag that is not sealed, leading to somewhat reduced shelf-life and possible infestation of the contents of the bag. Thus, there is a need for pinch laminated woven sacks that overcome these drawbacks in the filling and closing operations while allowing an attractive graphic display of the bags' ends at the retail outlet and also providing a strong, durable bag which remains sealed.
A further disadvantage of the newly developed pinch bottom laminated woven sack, however, is that it does not include an easy open feature that allows the consumer or purchaser to quickly and easily open the bag without the use of scissors or knives. There is a need for such a pinch bottom laminated woven sack which is easy to open without the use of scissors, knives or other such instruments, and also does not require the use of excessive force.
Woven plastic bags have been used and are conventional for certain applications. An example of a conventional woven plastic bag is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,979 (“the '979 patent”), issued on Feb. 15, 1983. The '979 patent describes the use of woven strips of highly longitudinally-oriented, high-density polyethylene or polypropylene in a bag construction in which the bag is formed from a seamed tube made of the woven plastic material. The seamed tube has gussets on either side and, when a portion is cut from the rest of the tube, a bag having 2 open, unsealed ends is provided. The '979 patent describes the use of ultrasonic spot welds to seal portions of a bag made of such woven plastic strips, as opposed to sewing the seams of a bag or using a hot melt adhesive to seal the gusset forming pleat. The '979 patent is hereby incorporated by reference herein. The '979 patent purports to be an improvement for sealing a plastic bag. As noted in the '979 patent, sewing one end tends to take longer, thus adding time to the manufacturing process. In addition, the sewn ends in a conventional bag tend to be a weak portion of the bag, and a likely location for rips, tearing, and subsequent loss of contents during storing, shipping and handling. In addition, such bags may not provide sufficient protection from infestation from vermin and/or insects.
Another example of plastic bags is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication Number US 2010/0029455 A1 (“the '455 publication”), published on Feb. 4, 2010, which describes production of web sections from a flexible web material that is provided with tear-off lines produced by laser beam processing at the distance of the length of the web sections to be formed. The tear-off lines weaken the flexible web material, but do not result in complete separation of the web sections from the web material, which occurs upon tearing the flexible web material. The '455 publication is incorporated by reference herein.
More recently, some types of plastic bags have provided improvements in sealing the ends of the bags. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,051 B2 (“the '051 patent”), issued on Oct. 5, 2004, a process for sealing side fold sacks made of plastic film is described. According to the '051 patent, a web of plastic tubular film is cut to provide a staggered detachment along a perforation so that one wall (e.g., the front wall) projects beyond the opposing wall (e.g., the back wall). The projecting portion of the first wall is then folded over and sealed to the opposing wall by means of a plastic adhesive such as a polyurethane adhesive or hot melt. The '051 patent is hereby incorporated by reference herein. However, such bags involve plastic films, not woven plastic materials, and therefore are unable to handle the weight loads of conventional bulk bags made of paper and other materials. Such bags are useful for only certain lightweight contents, such as bread.
There are a variety of conventional ways of providing for reusable openings in bags. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,465 B1 (“the '465 patent”), issued Nov. 12, 2002, describes a peelable opening in a multiwall, pinched bottom open mouth bag construction. The '465 patent also describes the use of an adhesive layer that can be used so that the bag opening is reclosable. The '465 patent is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
In other types of conventional plastic bags, such as those used in retail and grocery stores, the use of a weakened portion provided by one or more perforations in the plastic bag wall is known. A number of approaches have been taken in connection with such bags, including those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,235 (the '235 patent), issued Feb. 23, 1993, as well as in U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2005/0087542 A1 (the '542 application), published Apr. 28, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,655 (the '655 patent), issued Nov. 9, 1999, and U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2006/0072856 (the '856 application), published Apr. 6, 2006. However, none of these bags are woven bags, let alone bags with multiple layers. The '235 patent, the '655 patent, the '542 application, and the '856 application are hereby incorporated by reference.
Newly developed pinch laminated woven sacks overcome these drawbacks in the filling and closing operations while allowing an attractive graphic display of the bags' ends at the retail outlet and also providing a strong, durable bag which remains sealed. However, such bags still remain susceptible to leakage, breakage and infestation at both ends of the seam and in the area along the top and bottom of the gussets. There is a need for such a pinch bottom laminated woven sack that includes one or more feature(s) that prevent leakage, breakage and/or infestation at both ends of the seam and in the area along the top and bottom of the gussets. Moreover, the bag needs to be strong enough to avoid leakage, breakage or infestation, which can begin with a small opening or crack that then gets larger over time, such as with additional forces or movement of the bag. At the same time, however, it is desirable to avoid “solutions” that require additional plastic material, additional adhesive material, such as for extra strength, or that slow the speed of manufacture. Such “solutions” increase the cost of the bag.
Typically woven and non-woven bags are sealed with a single or double fold at each end with tape over the single or double fold, stitching at both ends, or a zipper at one end and a single or double fold at the other end. However, opening woven and certain non-woven bags has proven difficult, due to the strength of the bag. Therefore, what is needed are woven and non-woven bags that are easier to open, that do not add much to the cost or time to manufacture, and are not susceptible to inadvertent tearing, punctures, breaking, or the like.
The present disclosure provides woven plastic bags comprising one or more features that prevent leakage and/or infestation at both ends of the bag when closed, and also in the area of a seam and in the area along the top and bottom of the gussets, when present. The disclosure further provides an improved easy open feature to be used on woven bags, particularly bags of woven flat polymer strips that cannot be torn by hand. The disclosure further provides a tape sealant that provides security for the ingredients of a heavy, woven bag designed to hold from 10 pounds up to 50 pounds, or up to 100 pounds, or up to 150 pounds or more of ingredients during transport, storage and marketing, and yet can be easily opened by hand by a typical retail consumer.
The disclosure can be described, therefore, in certain embodiments as a bag including a front wall, a back wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall wherein the first and second side walls are disposed on opposite sides of the front and back walls and connect the front wall to the back wall. The bag can be formed as a tubular bag (formed from a flat bag sheet) cut to produce a top end and a bottom end, or as a typical 6 sided bag in which each of the walls of the bag are composed of laminated layers including a first layer composed of a woven polymer and providing an interior surface of the bag and a second layer composed of a polymer film providing an exterior surface of the bag. In certain embodiments the bag includes one or more additional layers, including a third layer composed at least in part of a polymer laminated between a first and second layer.
It is an aspect of the disclosure that the disclosed bags also can include, in certain embodiments, an easy open feature including an elongated weakened area spanning a portion of the front wall or the back wall, or a combination thereof and/or a side wall, and a length of a sealing tape with a layer of adhesive on the bottom surface such that the sealing tape adheres to the exterior bag surface and completely covers and seals the weakened area. Such a sealing tape is generally available on a roll or sheet from which it can be peeled and adhered to a desired surface. The tape is thus a long and relatively thinner product with a first end and a second end disposed oppositely of the first end and a first edge and a second edge disposed oppositely of the first edge. The sealing tape further comprises a bottom surface comprising an adhesive and adapted to adhere to a surface and a top surface opposite of the bottom surface. In certain embodiments the sealing tape additionally can include a center section extending generally in parallel to the first and second edges of the sealing tape over substantially the entire length of the sealing tape from the first end to the second end, and adapted such that when the sealing tape is adhered to a surface such as the surface of a bag, at least a portion of the center section can be removed from the surface while the two sections on either side of the center section of the sealing tape remain adhered to the surface.
In a first embodiment the center section can be defined by polymer strings or waxed fiber strings attached to the bottom surface of the tape and extending at least of portion of the length of the tape or in certain embodiments, substantially the entire length of the tape. The strings are adapted such that when the center section, which is disposed between the strings is pulled up toward the top surface of the tape, the strings cut through the tape such that the center section is removed and the sections on either side of the center section remain adhered to a surface.
In a second embodiment an additional and separate strip of tape, termed the “center strip” herein can provide the center section of the sealing tape and can comprise a first end and a second end that are substantially continuous with the first and second ends of the sealing tape and a first edge and a second edge that overlap with the inner edges of the sections of the sealing tape on either side of the center section. In certain embodiments the center strip can be adhered to the bottom surface or to the top surface of the inner edges of the sealing tape sections on either side of the center strip, or a combination thereof such that the center strip of tape forms the center section of the sealing tape and can be removed from a surface without removing the entire sealing tape. In certain embodiments, the long edges of the center strip of tape can overlap with the top or bottom surface of the sections of the sealing tape on either side of the center strip of tape, or in certain embodiments the sealing tape is composed of 3 portions, with a first strip of sealing tape on a first side of the center strip, a second strip of the sealing tape on a second side of the center strip and a center strip disposed between the first and second strips of the sealing tape. In this latter configuration the inside edges of the first and second strips abut and optionally overlap the outer edges of the center strip such that the three portions seal as a single tape when adhered to a surface such as the surface of a bag.
It is an aspect of the disclosure that the disclosed bags can have an easy open feature and that an easy open feature can comprise a weakened area including cuts or perforations in a pattern that provides access to any contents of the bag when the bag surface is torn or opened along the weakened area. In certain embodiments, therefore, when a sealing tape as disclosed herein is adhered to a surface of a bag, the center section of the sealing tape is disposed such that the center section covers at least a portion of the weakened area, and in certain embodiments the center section covers at least a portion of the weakened area and the remainder of the sealing tape does not cover any portion of the weakened area. In yet other embodiments, the center portion covers the entire weakened area.
In certain embodiments a sealing tape is placed on the surface of a bag so that a linear weakened area is substantially centered in the width of the sealing tape and the center section of the sealing tape can extend to be on both sides of the weakened area, so that pulling up on one end of the center section of the sealing tape is effective to remove the center section and expose at least a portion of the weakened area without removing the entire width of the sealing tape, or while leaving the sections of the sealing tape on either side of the center section still adhered to the surface. This configuration of sealing tape with a separately removable center section, either comprising edging strings, or a center strip of tape allows a user to open the bag by pulling up only a portion of the sealing tape, which requires substantially less force, or hand strength than would be required to pull up the entire width of the sealing tape.
In certain embodiments the disclosed bags can be configured with a step cut pattern on one or both ends of the bag. A step cut bag is known in the art to provide a better seal when the step cut end is folded over and affixed to the surface of a bag with an adhesive or other means such as heat, for example. In the step cut end, where the end of the front and back walls of the bag intersect, meet or make a junction with the side walls, the line of the upper or lower edge of the stepped portion of the bag steps up or down. When the side walls are configured as gussets, a fold line typically runs perpendicular to the top and bottom end of the front and back walls and is positioned in the center line of the side walls. In such embodiments, the side walls can include another step down or up to the gusset fold line. In the production of the disclosed bags, a bag blank, or flat sheet is provided and formed into a tube by folding the blank so that the two side edges overlap on the front or back wall of the bag and are bonded to form a seam. Prior to forming the tube, a continuous sheet of material is cut to separate the individual bags from the continuous sheet by a single cut that forms the bottom end of one bag and the top end of the subsequent bag, (or the reverse) simultaneously so that one end steps up and the other end steps down.
In conventional step cut bags, and particularly in bags with at least one woven polymer layer, the steps are often cut as right angles. It is a discovery presented in the present disclosure, however, that by forming the cuts as curves, or as obtuse or acute angles with respect to the horizontal line of the bag front or back wall, significant reductions in leakage or infestation are obtained. In such a bag leakage can be reduced by as much as 66% or more for storage of 25-40 pound or larger bags of dry pet food in some examples. The disclosure can be further defined, therefore, in some embodiments as a step cut bag in which the junctions at the top and/or bottom end of the back wall and the first side wall and the second side wall, and the junctions of the front wall with the first side wall and the second side wall, are curved or angled cuts other than a 90° or square angle, or a combination of curved and angled cuts. It is a further embodiment that in those bags in which a gusset with a central fold line extends from the bottom end to the top end of the respective side walls and dividing the first side wall into a front first side wall and a back first side wall and dividing the second side wall into a second front side wall and a second back side wall, the end cut of the bag will include a step cut, as a curve or acute angle, or a combination of curves and acute angles between the side wall ends and the gusset fold lines. In certain embodiments the junctions of the back wall and the front wall with the first and second side walls, and at the gusset fold lines at least in part, are cut at angles between about 15° and about 75°, or angles between about 30° and about 60° or angles of about 45° with respect to the top end of the front wall, or are cut at least in part in radial, elliptical, parabolic, or hyperbolic curves, or combinations of curves and angles other than right angles. In “combination” in this context can mean that some junctions are curves and others are angled, or that some single steps can incorporate both a curve and an angle.
It is an aspect of the disclosure that the woven polymer bag has an easy open feature. As discussed elsewhere, as heavy duty woven bags are used for retail or consumer products, there is a need to provide an easy way to open such bags without the use of tools. It is a further aspect of the disclosure that the easy open feature is covered and sealed with a tape that is tightly or strongly adhered to a surface of the bag to prevent leakage or infestation into the product within the bag. The adhesion must be much stronger than in smaller bags that are not subject to the stresses of a bag holding 20-150 pounds of product, for example. The seal of the easy open feature must also be stronger than in a single layer bag, or a smaller bag because of the difficulty of making an easy open feature in a woven polymer material that provides a sufficient seal.
The easy open feature can be configured in various ways and can include a weakened area, a zipper, a bar and groove, or other methods or configurations known in the art. In certain embodiments the easy open feature is a series or line of perforations or a line of cuts, or a combination thereof, through some or all of the bag layers on the front or back wall of a bag, or a weakened area that extends from the front wall, across a side wall and across the back wall. The weakened area can also include a curved or arcuate feature somewhere along the line of the weakened area, with such a feature to serve as a thumb tab for use in opening the bag. In certain embodiments a thumb tab feature can be near either end of the weakened area or nearer to the center, or at the center of the weakened area. In certain embodiments, therefore, the easy open feature is a weakened area formed by a line of perforations or cuts spaced apart from the bottom or top edge of the bag when the bag ends are sealed, at a distance of from about 10% to about 30%, or from 5% to 40% of the distance from the top edge to the bottom edge of the bag, or at a distance of from about 10% to about 30%, or from about 5% to about 40% of the distance from the bottom edge to the top edge of the front or rear wall of a bag, and extending horizontally over about 60% to about 99%, or from about 1% to about 99% of the width of the front wall, the back wall of a bag or both the front wall and back wall. It is understood in this disclosure that the width of the weakened area is generally not a critical measurement and that the width can vary considerably depending on the intended contents, or intended use of the bag and so any length of line or perforations can fall within the spirit of the present disclosure so long as the weakened area can be efficiently sealed with a tape as disclosed herein and provide a sufficient opening to conveniently remove the contents of the bag, when opened.
It is a further aspect of the disclosure that the sealing tape both provides an effective seal for the bag and also can be removed at least in part by a typical consumer, without the use of tools such as a knife or scissors. In certain embodiments the sealing tape includes a center section as discussed above adapted such that when one pulls up on the center section of the sealing tape, the sealing tape separates into a section that is removed and two sections, one on either side of the center section, that remain adhered to the bag surface. In certain embodiments the center section is about 5%, 10%, 12.5%, 15%, 25% or about 40%, or about 5% to about 50% of the total width of the sealing tape. Again the exact width of the center section can vary depending on the intended use of the bag. The center section is of a sufficient width to cover at least a portion of the width of the easy open feature and is narrow enough that the force required to pull up the center section of the sealing tape is significantly less than the force required to remove the entire width of the sealing tape. In certain embodiments, the sealing tape can have a width of from about 1 to about 5 inches, or from about 1.5 to about 3 inches for example. Again, the width of the sealing tape is not an exact requirement but can vary depending on the intended use of a bag and the weight of contents of the bag during use. In certain embodiments, one end, or both ends of the sealing tape forms a tab region, such as to provide a pull tab. The tab can be formed by folding over an end of the sealing tape and creating an area of double thickness with the two adhesive faces of the bottom of the tab region adhering to each other. In this way, no adhesive is in contact with the bag in the tab region. The tab can be further formed by cutting a portion of the sealing tape between and along the edges of the center section and folding the cut portion on itself to create a tab that does not adhere to the surface of a bag in the tab region. This facilitates opening the sealing tape (and thus the bag) because the cuts have already been started without compromising the seal of the bag. It will be understood that other types of tabs, including adding a pull feature to the end of the sealing tape to create a tab can also be employed. In alternative embodiments the tab portion of the sealing tape can be manufactured without adhesive on the bottom surface. As used herein, the bottom surface of the tape is intended to convey its normal meaning in the art, which would be the exterior surface of the tape that adheres to another surface, such as the surface of the bag, and the top would be the exposed side of the tape that does not adhere.
The disclosed bags are described herein as heavy duty bags or bags designed to hold 10 pounds or more, or 10-150 pounds of dry product, and can also be described as bags that can withstand the standard drop test requirements in accordance with ASTM D5276-98 (ASTM D5276-98 (2009), Standard Test Method for Drop Test of Loaded Containers by Free Fall, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa., 2009) within an acceptable failure rate, for example, less than 5% or less than 3% or less than 1% failure rate when subjected to a drop test including hanging a filled bag at 145° F. for 72 hours followed by a six point drop test from a height of at least four feet, followed by storage at −27° F. for 24 hours followed by another six point drop test from a height of at least four feet and repeating this test sequentially for five drop test cycles. The described bags can also be defined in certain embodiments as having an acceptable failure rate as defined above when subjected to a drop test in accordance with the ASTM D5276-98 drop test standard, including hanging a filled bag at 145° F. for 144 hours followed by a ten point drop test from a height of at least four feet followed by storage at −27° F. for 72 hours followed by another ten point drop test from at height of at least four feet, and repeating the cycle five times. It is further understood that the sealing tape covering the easy open feature also has to endure these tests and fall within the acceptable failure rate. It is further understood that a six point drop test includes dropping the bag onto the front, back, top, bottom, and the two sides, while a ten point drop test includes the six point test and additionally dropping the bag on the four corners of the bag.
It is also an aspect of the disclosure that the sealing tape exhibits a peel resistance that is measurable according to a 180 Degree Peel Test per the (ASTM D3330/3330M-04(2010) Test Method for Peel Adhesion of Pressure Sensitive Tape) standard and that the center section of the sealing tape has a peel resistance of no more than 50%, or no more than 40% or no more than 30%, or no more than 20% of the peel resistance of the entire sealing tape, or in other words, the force required to open the bag with the center section no more than 50%, or 60%, or 70%, or 80% of the force required to open the entire sealing tape. Functionally, therefore, the sealing tape as described herein provides the peel resistance of the full width of the sealing tape during transport and storage to prevent leakage and then provides a significantly reduced peel resistance when the bag is opened by peeling off a smaller portion of the sealing tape. The present inventors have demonstrated, for example, that with a sealing tape of 3 inches in width and a center section with a width of ⅜″, an average force of from 8-10 pounds at a 180° angle was required to peel the entire tape from the bag, while an average force of only about 3 to 4 pounds was required to peel the center section of the tape. Thus a reduction in the force required to open a woven bag was reduced by more than 50%, and in certain cases up to 70%, making the bags significantly easier for a consumer to open by hand and without losing any sealing integrity of the bag.
In certain embodiments of the bags disclosed herein the front wall or the back wall of a bag comprises a seam extending from the top edge to the bottom edge of the front or back wall, wherein a portion of the front or back wall adjoining the seam comprises a tab adjacent to or extending vertically into the seam and a corresponding cut-out in the opposite end of the wall adjacent to or extending into the seam. The tab and cutout can be vertical with respect to the top and bottom ends of the bag and small relative to the size of the front or back wall of the bag, and can in certain embodiments be from about ⅜ inch to about ⅝ inch in width with a depth of about ⅛ inch to about ½ inch and can be disposed at the edge of the end of a portion of the bag that overlaps two edges of layered material to create the seam.
The laminated bags of the disclosure can be composed of two or more layers including a woven polymer layer. In certain embodiments, the woven polymer layer includes woven strips of polypropylene, high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyester, or combinations of any thereof. The polymer strips are understood to be flat, planar strips woven into a sheet by crossed strips referred to as warps and wefts, or woofs. In certain embodiments the strips are about ⅛ to ¼ inch wide flat strips. A second laminated layer can include polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, or any combination thereof, or it can include oriented polypropylene, biaxially-oriented polypropylene, oriented polyethylene, biaxially-oriented polyethylene, oriented polyethylene terephthalate, biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate, oriented polyamide, biaxially-oriented polyamide, coated paper or any combination thereof, and can include a printed area thereon. In certain embodiments the bags can include a third layer that can include polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, or any combination thereof, or it can include oriented polypropylene, biaxially-oriented polypropylene, oriented polyethylene, biaxially-oriented polyethylene, oriented polyethylene terephthalate, biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate, oriented polyamide, biaxially-oriented polyamide, or any combination thereof, wherein the third layer laminates the first layer to the second layer. In certain embodiments the three layers can comprise polypropylene and in certain embodiments the three layer can comprise polyethylene.
The disclosure can also be described in certain embodiments as a sealing tape for an easy open feature of a bag comprising a woven polymer layer, wherein the sealing tape comprises at least one center section as described herein and wherein the center section is about 5%, 10%, 12.5%, 15%, 20%, 25%, or from 5% to 40% of the total width of the sealing tape. Features of the sealing tape can include those in which the width of the center section is about 5% to about 50%, or about 10% to about 40% or about 30%, 12.5% or 10% of the total width of the sealing tape. In certain embodiments the sealing tape is from 1.5 to 5 inches in width, or from 1 to 3 inches in width, for example. The sealing tape can further include a tab portion disposed at one or both ends wherein the tab portion does not adhere to a surface of bag. In certain embodiments, the entire end of the tab is free of adhesive. In certain embodiments the tab region includes small parallel cuts from the outer end of the tab to the area of the sealing tape that adheres to the bag, wherein the cuts substantially conform to the edges of the center section.
In certain embodiments, the sealing tape has a first peel resistance from the bag surface and the center section of the sealing tape has a significantly lower peel resistance. Peel resistance can be defined as the force required to be exerted at a certain angle (90° or 180°, for example) and at a certain rate in order to peel the sealing tape from a surface. As used herein, the peel resistance is directed to the force required to remove the sealing tape from the bag or an analogous surface. In certain embodiments the peel resistance of the center section of the sealing tape is no more than 50%, or no more than 40%, or no more than 30%, or no more than 20% of the peel resistance of the entire width of sealing tape. It is further understood that the entire width of the sealing tape in this context would be meant to convey an identical sealing tape without a separate or separatable center section so that the sealing tape peels as a single strip.
The present disclosure can also be described in certain embodiments as a laminated woven polymer bag including a first layer of polymer comprising woven flat polymer strips of about ⅛ to ¼ inch in width and a second layer of a polymer film; a front wall, a back wall a left side wall and a right side wall; and an easy open feature on at least one of the front or the back wall thereof, or across a side wall and one or both of the front wall and back wall, wherein the easy open feature comprises an elongated weakened area spanning a portion of the front wall, side wall, and/or the back wall wherein the weakened area is sealed with a sealing tape comprising a length and a width and adhered to the front or back wall of the bag by an adhesive on the bottom of the sealing tape. In certain embodiments the sealing tape includes two strings adhered to the bottom of the sealing tape, the strings spaced apart such that the weakened area is disposed under the sealing tape and between the two strings, such that pulling up on one end of the sealing tape at a position between the two strings is effective to cut the sealing tape along the lines of the two strings to expose the weakened area without removing an area of the sealing tape outside the two strings. In certain embodiments the sealing tape includes a center section strip of tape adhered to the top or bottom of the sealing tape and covering the weakened area; and a weakened area created by a line of perforations or cuts, in which the weakened area comprises a line of perforations or cuts substantially parallel to the top or bottom edge of the front or back wall and spaced apart from the bottom or top edge of the bag when the bag ends are sealed, at a distance of from about 10% to about 30% of the distance from the top edge to the bottom edge, or at a distance of from about 10% to about 30% of the distance from the bottom edge to the top edge of the front or rear wall of the bag, and extending horizontally over about 60% to about 99% of the width of the front wall or the back wall. The two strings can be spaced apart with about 25% to about 40% of the total width of the sealing tape between the two strings, or the width of the center section tape can be about 25% to about 40% of the width of the sealing tape. In certain embodiments the sealing tape can be about 1.5 to 3 inches in width. At least one end of the tape in the portion of the tape between the two strings can form or include a pull tab, in which the tab is not adhered to the front or back wall of the bag. In certain embodiments the adhesive, when the sealing tape is sealed to the bag has less than a 3% failure rate when subjected to a drop test in accordance with the drop test standard ASTM D5276 (ASTM D5276-98(2009) Standard Test Method for Drop Test of Loaded Containers by Free Fall) including hanging the filled bag at 145° F. for 72 hours followed by a six point drop test from a height of at least four feet, followed by storage at −27° F. for 24 hours followed by another six point drop test from a height of at least four feet. Alternatively, in certain embodiments the adhesive has less than a 3% failure rate when the bag is subjected to a drop test in accordance with ASTM D5276 including hanging the filled bag at 145° F. for 144 hours followed by a ten point drop test from a height of at least four feet followed by storage at −27° F. for 72 hours followed by another ten point drop test from at height of at least four feet.
Such bags can include a first layer comprising woven flat strips of polypropylene, high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyester, or any combination thereof, a second film layer including polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, or any combination thereof, and/or another film layer including oriented polypropylene, biaxially-oriented polypropylene, oriented polyethylene, biaxially-oriented polyethylene, oriented polyethylene terephthalate, biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate, oriented polyamide, biaxially-oriented polyamide, or any combination thereof.
The present disclosure can also be described in certain embodiments as bags that have certain sections that are separated by a non-right angled portion or edge, a curved portion or edge, or a combination thereof, and/or bags that comprise a cut-out and corresponding tab at opposing ends of the bag proximal to the portions of the back or front wall that form the seam. In one embodiment, the bag comprising a front wall, a back wall having a first portion and a second portion, a first side wall having a first portion proximal to the first portion of the back wall and a second portion proximal to the front wall, a second side wall having a first portion proximal to the second portion of the back wall and a second portion proximal to the front wall, an interior surface, an exterior surface, a top end, a bottom end, a first layer and a second layer, each of the front wall, back wall, first side wall and second side wall having an interior surface, an exterior surface, a top end and a bottom end, wherein the first layer comprises a woven polymer and the second layer comprises a polymer or paper attached to the first layer, wherein the back wall projects further than the top end of the first portion of the first side wall and the top end of the first portion of the second side wall, the top end of the first portion of the first side wall and the top end of the first portion of the second side wall projects further than the top end of the second portion of the first side wall and the top end of the second portion of the second side wall, and the top end of the second portion of the first side wall and the top end of the second portion of the second side wall projects further than the top end of the front wall, wherein at least a portion of the bottom end of the front wall projects further than the bottom end of the second portion of the first side wall and the bottom end of the second portion of the second side wall, the bottom end of the second portion of the first side wall and the bottom end of the second portion of the second side wall project further than the bottom end of the first portion of the first side wall and the bottom end of the first portion of the second side wall, and the bottom end of the first portion of the first side wall and the bottom end of the first portion of the second side wall project further than the bottom end of the back wall, and wherein the top end of the first portion of the back wall and the top end of the first portion of the first side wall, the top end of the first portion of the first side wall and the top end of the second portion of the first side wall, the top end of the second portion of the first side wall and the top end of the front wall, the top end of the front wall and the top end of the second portion of the second side wall, the top end of the second portion of the second side wall and the top end of the first portion of the second side wall, the top portion of the first portion of the second side wall and the top portion of the second portion of the back wall, the bottom end of the first portion of the back wall and the bottom end of the first section of the first side wall, the bottom end of the first portion of the first side wall and the bottom end of the second portion of the first side wall, the bottom end of the second portion of the first side wall and the bottom end of the front wall, the bottom end of the front wall and the bottom end of the second portion of the second side wall, the bottom end of the second portion of the second side wall and the bottom end of the first portion of the second side wall, and the bottom end of the first portion of the second side wall and the bottom end of the second portion of the back wall are separated by an angled edge or portion, a curved edge or portion, or a combination thereof, and wherein the top end of the second portion of the back wall comprises a cut-out and the bottom end of the second portion of the back wall comprises a corresponding tab.
In certain embodiments the angled edge or portion is between about 15° and about 75°, or between about 30° and about 60°, with respect to the top end of the front wall. In other embodiments the angled edge or portion is about 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, 55°, 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, or 80° with respect to the top end of the front wall. In further embodiments the curved edge or portion is a radial edge or portion, an elliptical edge or portion, a parabolic edge or portion, or a hyperbolic edge or portion. In additional embodiments the bag comprises an easy open or easy access feature, which in certain embodiments can comprise a weakened area.
The present disclosure additionally provides a bag comprising a front wall, a back wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, an interior surface, an exterior surface, a top end, a bottom end, a first layer and a second layer, each of the front wall, back wall, first side wall and second side wall having an interior surface, an exterior surface, a top end and a bottom end, wherein the first layer comprises a woven polymer and the second layer comprises a polymer or paper attached to the first layer, and wherein the bag comprises a weakened area located on the front wall of the bag, the first side wall of the bag and the back wall of the bag proximal the top end of the bag. In some embodiments the first layer comprises polypropylene, high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyester, or any combination thereof. In other embodiments the second layer comprises a film. In still other embodiments the second layer comprises polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, or any combination thereof or paper. In yet other embodiments the second layer comprises oriented polypropylene, biaxially-oriented polypropylene, oriented polyethylene, biaxially-oriented polyethylene, oriented polyethylene terephthalate, biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate, oriented polyamide, biaxially-oriented polyamide, or any combination thereof. In further embodiments at least a portion of the second layer comprises a printed area thereon. In still further embodiments the first layer and second layer are laminated together. In yet further embodiments the first layer and second layer are laminated together using adhesive lamination or extrusion lamination, or by another film layer which may comprise polypropylene, polyethylene, oriented polypropylene or polyethylene, or combinations thereof. In certain embodiments the first, second and third layers comprise polypropylene or the first, second and third layers comprise polyethylene.
In additional embodiments the weakened area comprises a plurality of perforations that penetrate wholly or partially through at least a portion of the front wall of the bag, the first side wall of the bag and/or the back wall of the bag. In some embodiments the plurality of perforations forms a line. In various embodiments the plurality of perforations forms a line that extends from any position on the front wall of the bag, for example about 5%, about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 90%, about 95%, about 97%, about 98% or about 99% of a distance across the front wall of the bag, across the first side wall of the bag, to any position on the back wall of the bag, for example about 5%, about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 90%, about 95%, about 97%, about 98% or about 99% of a distance across the back wall of the bag. In other embodiments the plurality of perforations forms a wave pattern. In further embodiments the plurality of perforations forms a zigzag pattern. In still further embodiments the weakened area comprises a deformation in least a portion of the front wall of the bag, the first side wall of the bag and the back wall of the bag. In yet further embodiments the weakened area further comprises a scoring mark. In certain embodiments each of the first layer and the second layer of the bag comprise a weakened portion. In still other embodiments the back wall of the bag comprises a seam.
In certain embodiments the top end of the back wall projects further than the top end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the back wall and the top end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the back wall, the top end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the back wall and the top end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the back wall projects further than the top end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the front wall and the top end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the front wall, and the top end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the front wall and the top end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the front wall projects further than the top end of the front wall. In other embodiments at least a portion of the bottom end of the front wall projects further than the bottom end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the front wall and the bottom end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the front wall, the bottom end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the front wall and the bottom end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the front wall project further than the bottom end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the back wall and the bottom end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the back wall, and the bottom end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the back wall and the bottom end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the back wall project further than the bottom end of the rear wall. In further embodiments the top end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the back wall and the top end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the front wall are separated by an angled cut, and the bottom end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the back wall and the bottom end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the front wall are separated by an angled cut.
In additional embodiments the portion of the bottom end of the front wall that projects further than the bottom end of the first side wall and the bottom end of the second side wall, and the portion of the bottom end of the first side wall and the bottom end of the second side wall that project further than the bottom end of the rear wall are sealed to the outer surface of the bottom end of the rear wall. In certain embodiments the bottom end of the bag is sealed using an adhesive sealing, heat sealing, adhesive lamination, extrusion lamination, stitching, ultrasonic energy, pressure, tape, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments the bottom end of the bag is sealed using adhesive-to-adhesive sealing or adhesive-to-bag sealing. In further embodiments the bottom end of the front wall, the bottom end of the first side wall, the bottom end of the rear wall and the bottom end of the second side wall each project the same distance. In still further embodiments at least a portion of a single fold of the bottom end of the bag is sealed to the outer surface of the front wall or the outer surface of the rear wall of the bag. In yet further embodiments at least a portion of a double fold of the bottom end of the bag is sealed to the outer surface of the front wall or the outer surface of the rear wall of the bag.
In other embodiments the top end of the front wall, the top end of the first side wall, the top end of the rear wall and the top end of the second side wall each project the same distance. In certain embodiments at least a portion of the bottom end of the front wall projects further than the bottom end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the front wall and the bottom end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the front wall, the bottom end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the front wall and the bottom end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the front wall project further than the bottom end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the back wall and the bottom end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the back wall, and the bottom end of a portion of the first side wall proximal to the back wall and the bottom end of a portion of the second side wall proximal to the back wall project further than the bottom end of the rear wall. In still other embodiments the portion of the bottom end of the front wall that projects further than the bottom end of the first side wall and the bottom end of the second side wall, and the portion of the bottom end of the first side wall and the bottom end of the second side wall that project further than the bottom end of the rear wall are sealed to the outer surface of the bottom end of the rear wall. In additional embodiments the bottom end of the front wall, the bottom end of the first side wall, the bottom end of the rear wall and the bottom end of the second side wall each project the same distance. In certain embodiments the top end and the bottom end of the bag are sealed, and wherein the bag comprises at least ten pounds by weight of a filling material.
In some embodiments the bag further comprises a third layer comprising a polymer between the first layer and the second layer. In certain embodiments the third layer comprises a woven polymer. In other embodiments the third layer comprises a film. In addition, the third layer may comprise polypropylene, high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyester, or any combination thereof. In further embodiments the third layer comprises a polymeric film. In additional embodiments the third layer comprises polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, or any combination thereof. In still other embodiments each of the first layer, the second layer and the third layer of the bag comprise a weakened portion.
In further embodiments the bag comprises printing on the front wall, the first side wall, the back wall, the second side wall, the first end, the second end, or any combination thereof. In still further embodiments at least portions of the surfaces of each of the front wall and the back wall comprise a plurality of discrete areas further comprising printing thereon. In yet further embodiments a portion of the front wall and a portion of the back wall combine to form a discrete portion of the bag located at or near either the top end or the bottom end, wherein the discrete portion of the bag comprises printing. The printing may be on the exterior surface of the bag or may be on the inside surface of an otherwise transparent film layer, which can have reverse printing thereon.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. As used herein numbers and ranges are understood to be approximations and exemplary numbers only and when described in relation to one embodiment of a bag or component of a bag are meant to be equally applied to all embodiments disclosed herein unless such application contradicts the description or unless such individual application is expressly designated as applying only to a particular disclosed bag or feature.
The following drawings are included to further demonstrate certain aspects and embodiments of the present invention. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the detailed description of specific embodiments presented herein.
Referring to
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Bag 1 can be opened as shown in
Referring to
Once the bag 1 is sealed at one end, it can be filled with the desired contents or filling materials. For example, it has been found that a bag 1 with dimensions of 16.5 inches by 6.5 inches by 39.5 inches can durably hold up to about fifty five (55) pounds of material without showing undue stress, undue tearing, undue breakage, undue deformation, or leakage or the like. It is believed that any bulk material can be contained by bag 1, and in certain embodiments the contents can weigh up to 100 pounds or so without undue risk of tearing or damage to bag 1. Once the bag 1 is filled, the second end typically needs to be sealed. The second end of the bag 1 can be sealed in a similar manner as that described above. Alternatively, the bag 1 can have its second end sealed by conventional means such as sewing. Still another approach is to stitch the second end, and then seal the second end in a manner like that described above (not shown). Although not shown, those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that a second end of bag 1 can be sealed using any conventional technique once bag 1 has been filled with the selected amount of the desired material.
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A partial view of a bag with an easy open feature is shown in
An easy open feature includes a sealing tape 806 covering a weakened area (visible in
A partial view of a bag with an easy open feature is shown in
In certain embodiments of the disclosure, the disclosed bags can be laminated woven sacks or bags. In certain embodiments the bags are composed of two or more laminated layers including an inner layer comprised of woven polymer strips. Polymer strips can be extruded polyethylene or polypropylene cut into flat strips of about ⅛ to ¼ inch in width and woven to produce a continuous woven sheet that is then cut into individual bag blanks. The woven layer can be laminated to a polymer film such as a polyester or polypropylene film, and the two layers can be laminated by a third polyethylene or polypropylene film that laminates the first two layers. The second layer of polymer film can also include graphics printed thereon including reverse printed graphics in order to provide an attractive display for commercial purposes. There are certain advantages to providing all three layers in the same polymer such as polypropylene or polyethylene, in that such bags are more easily recycled, for example. For example, a bag having its walls comprise a laminate which has two or three (or more) layers, wherein each of the bag wall layers comprises or consists essentially of the same polymer (such as polypropylene or polyethylene), need not use an adhesive material and thus is a non-adhesive laminate, is easy to recycle. Moreover, any scrap or unusable bags resulting from manufacturing can be recycled as well.
The woven strips create a bag with the requisite strength to hold large amounts of material under stress and are typically not used in smaller bags, holding ten pounds or less because of the increased cost and complexity of producing heavy duty bags. An inner layer of woven flat polymer strips is shown in
It should be understood that the perforations may include or may be replaced with cuts which are longer, and may include cuts in various shapes in addition to the thumb tab, and the bags of the present disclosure may have both cuts and perforations. In addition, the cuts and/or perforations may extend entirely through all layers of the bag wall, or may extend through one or more of the bag wall and not through one or more other layers. For example, the perforations may extend through one or more outer film layers and partially but not entirely through the woven layer. In addition, it will be appreciated that the cuts and/or perforations may include one or more cuts and/or perforations which extend through all three bag layers and others which do not, and may include cuts and/or perforations which extend deeper through one or more layers than other cuts and/or perforations. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the cuts and/or perforations may vary in size and/or in shape, such that, for example, one or more cuts or perforations are greater in length and/or width (and/or depth) than one or more other cuts and/or perforations.
The sealing tape and/or fibers may comprise polymers, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, or combinations thereof, and can include woven polymers or woven polymer strips. It will be appreciated it may be possible to provide a bag in which the two, three, or possibly more layers, as well as the tape and fibers, all comprise a single material or a combination of materials, thus making it much easier to recycle a bag or scrap for manufacturing purposes and also minimized the costs of the bag. For example, the bag wall layers (whether two, three, four, or more layers) may comprise a non-adhesive laminate which is made of a single polymer (such as polyethylene or polypropylene), with the strings and tape also made of the same material or combination thereof as the bag wall layers. In one embodiment, the strings may themselves comprise a braided or woven string with one or more separate fibers or strings braided together (or woven together) to provide greater strength.
In still another embodiment (not shown), a sealing tape and substantially parallel strings may be added to the interior surface of the bag wall. In such an embodiment, a pull tab is provided which extends from the tape and from the exterior surface of the bag wall, or a pull tab can be added to the tape. In such an embodiment, a customer can pull the pull tab and the tape will pull the bag wall defined by the cuts and/or perforations (i.e., the weakened area of the bag wall) with the tape, thus providing an opening for access to the bag contents.
Referring to
Bag 2001a can be opened by pulling the pull tab 2026, which removes the tape 2025 and the portion of bag 2001a defined by the cut 2021 and the first, second, and third row of perforations 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively. Although not shown in this embodiment, it will be understood that the full cut 2021 can be larger or smaller, and can extend to a greater or lesser extent, and the first and second rows of perforations 2022 and 2023, respectfully, can extend any distance from the first end and second end, respectively, of the cut toward the opposite side wall of the bag, for example 50%, 75%, 90% or about 100% of the distance from the ends of the cut to the opposite side of the bag. In addition, although not shown in this embodiment, the tape 2025 can cover less than the full extent of the first and second rows of perforations, whatever distance the rows of perforations extend across the front wall of the bag, and in certain embodiments covers only the full cut portion of the easy open feature 2020. Additionally, the pull tab 2026 can comprise black and white and/or color printing (not shown), for example a coupon (not shown), and can also be used to reclose the bag.
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Once the bag 2100 is sealed at one end, it can be filled with the desired materials. It has been found that a bag 2100 with a height of 41 inches and a width of 28 inches can durably hold at least about fifty (50) pounds of material without showing undue stress, tearing, breakage or the like. It is believed that any bulk material can be contained by bag 2100, and the contents can weigh up to 100 pounds or so without undue risk of tearing or damage to bag 2100. Once the bag 2100 is filled, the second end typically needs to be sealed. The second end of the bag 2100 can be sealed in a similar manner as that described above for the bottom end 2110. Alternatively, the bag 2100 can have its second end sealed by conventional means such as sewing. Still another approach is to seal the second end in a manner like that described for the bottom end 2110 of the bag 2100, and then stitching one of the two ends (not shown). Although not shown, those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that a second end of bag 2100 can be sealed with conventional techniques once bag 2100 has been filled with the selected amount of the desired material.
Referring now to
Those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that the bag according to the invention may vary in size, dimensions, and shape without departing from the scope of the invention, and that the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For example, those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that the disclosed bags can have sealed and sewn ends in a tubular bag with side gussets as shown, or a block bottom and top, or a combination thereof, although not shown. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that a weakened portion or area can be provided in a number of ways that may vary from those expressly described and shown, such as by stressing portions of the bag wall with or without deforming, perforating, or cutting same, as well as varying the size, number, depth, and/or pattern of perforations, cuts, and/or deformations in a bag wall. Similarly, those skilled in the art will understand that the bags may be provided with a re-usable opening (not shown) or a corner portion adapted to allow a person to easily pour out the contents of the bag (not shown), or a combination of those features. Such features are known in certain types of prior art bags. Similarly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that terms such as “front” and “rear,” and “top” and “bottom,” are useful in describing a bag, but essentially depend on a bag's orientation when such terms are used, and are therefore not limiting as to a bag's orientation.
This application is a continuation of and claims benefit of priority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/621,850, filed on Jun. 13, 2017, which in turn claims benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/350,127, filed Jun. 14, 2016, and which was also a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/440,970, filed Feb. 23, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/678,641, filed Apr. 3, 2015, which claims benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/975,689, filed Apr. 4, 2014, and which was also a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/495,772, filed Apr. 24, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/610,904, filed Jan. 30, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/682,289, filed Nov. 20, 2012, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/372,211, filed Feb. 13, 2012. All of the foregoing applications are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
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