Abstract:
The invention teaches a new type of mesh bag suitable for machine packaging. The first end of the mesh bag is a reserved opening for filling and sealing. The second end of the mesh bag includes a one-pull, easy-open mechanism and a re-closing mechanism. The re-closing mechanism is a drawstring perforating around the second end of the mesh bag. The one-pull, easy open mechanism is a line of easy open stitches which sews a small strip of hard paper with the wall of the mesh bag at its second end. The two mechanisms can be pre-set in parallel or integrated in a same line with the small strip of the hard paper overlaid on the drawstring.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to the field of designing and manufacturing of packaging bags such as woven bas or mesh bags for containing fruits, nuts or produce. More particularly, the invention relates to a packaging bag with an easy-open and re-closable end other than the end with an opening for filling and sealing. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Mesh bags have been widely used in commercial packaging and storing, laundry, as well as sports. More particularly, light weight and heavy duty mesh bags are widely used for containing and storing fruits, nuts, onions, garlic, and etc. 
         [0005]    Traditionally, there are two ways to seal the opening of the mesh bag.  FIG. 1A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a mesh bag  11  according to the prior art. The bottom end of the mesh bag  11  is sealed with a line of stitches  13  or other kind of sealing which constitutes a bottom, i.e., a dead end, to avoid leakage. The top end of the mesh bag  11  is reserved open and has an annular band or lace or a drawstring (herein after as the drawstring)  12  perforating around the top edge of the mesh bag  11 . After the mesh bag  11  is filled with onions or the like, the user pulls the drawstring  12  and tie it up as shown in  FIG. 1B . To take the onions or the like out from the mesh bag  11 , the user may either untie the drawstring  12 , or cut the drawstring  12  with a knife or a pair of scissors, or slit the mesh bag  11  from its top with a knife or a sharp tool. The shortcoming of the mesh bag  11  is that it is not suitable for machine packaging. 
         [0006]      FIG. 2A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a mesh bag  21  according to another prior art. The bottom end of the mesh bag  21  is sealed with a line of stitches or other kind of sealing which constitutes a dead end to avoid leakage. After the mesh bag  21  is filled with onions or the like, it is sealed along its top edge with a sewed line of stitches  22  as shown in  FIG. 2B . To take the onions or the like out from the mesh bag  21 , the user may cut along the line of sealing stitches  22  or simply make a slit  23  on the mesh bag  21  from its top with a knife or a sharp tool as shown in  FIG. 2C . The mesh bag  21  is suitable for machine filling and sealing. However, it has two major shortcomings: first, the user has to use a knife or a sharp tool to open it to take the onions or like out of the mesh bag; and second, after it is opened, the user has to use external means to reclose the opening for keeping the remaining onions or the like in the mesh bag. 
         [0007]    What is desired is a mesh bag suitable for machine packaging, which has a one-pull easy-open, re-closable end such that when the use is to open the mesh bag, only a single pull is needed and when the user is to re-close the bag, he just needs to pull the re-closing drawstring and tie it up. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention teaches a new type of mesh bag suitable for automatic machine packaging. One end of the mesh bag is a reserved opening for filling and sealing. The other end of the mesh bag includes a one-pull, easy-open mechanism and a re-closing mechanism. The re-closing mechanism is a drawstring, perforating around the end of the mesh bag. The one-pull, easy open mechanism is a line of easy open stitches which sew a small strip of hard paper with the end of the mesh bag. The two mechanisms can be pre-set in parallel or integrated in a same line, with the small strip of the hard paper overlaid on the drawstring. 
         [0009]    To fill the mesh bag, a packaging machine opens the top end by a sucking apparatus. After the mesh bag is filled with onions or the like, the packaging machine seals the opening with a line of stitches or other kind of sealing such as heat sealing. 
         [0010]    When the user is to open the mesh bag, the users puts the end with the easy open mechanism and the re-closing mechanism upward. Then, he pulls the tip of the line of the easy open stitches and the line of stitches is thereby removed. When the user is to re-close the bag, he just needs to pull the re-closing drawstring and tie it up. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a mesh bag according to the prior art; 
           [0012]      FIG. 1B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the re-closing procedure by tying-up the mesh bag according to  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a mesh bag according to another prior art; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the mesh bag according to  FIG. 2A  which was filled with onions or the like and was machine-sealed with a line of stitches; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2C  is a schematic diagram illustrating the filled mesh bag according to  FIG. 2B  which was opened using a knife or a sharp tool; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a mesh bag with an easy-open end according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3B  is a schematic diagram illustrating both the front and the back views of the easy-open mechanism according to  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a mesh bag for containing onions or the like according to another embodiment of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the mesh bag according to  FIG. 4A  which is filled with onions or the like and sealed with a line of stitches; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4C  is a schematic diagram illustrating the mesh bag according to  FIG. 4A  which is filled with onions or the like in a position to be opened by a user; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5A  is a schematic diagram illustrating the front view of the easy-open end of a mesh bag according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the back view of the easy-open end of the mesh bag according to  FIG. 5A ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 6A  is a schematic diagram illustrating the front view of the easy-open end of a mesh bag according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the back view of the easy-open end of the mesh bag according to  FIG. 6A ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 7A  is a schematic diagram illustrating the front view of the easy-open end of a mesh bag according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 7B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the back view of the easy-open end of the mesh bag according to  FIG. 7A ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 8A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a packaging bag with an easy-open end according to another embodiment of the invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 8B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the back view of the packaging bag according to  FIG. 8A ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 8C  is a schematic diagram illustrating the packaging bag according to  FIG. 8A  which is sealed after being filled with articles; and 
           [0030]      FIG. 8D  is a schematic diagram illustrating the packaging bag according to  FIG. 8A  which is opened by removing the easy-open strip. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]      FIG. 3A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a mesh bag  31  with an easy-open end  32  according to a typical embodiment of the present invention. A piece of annular plastic membrane or film  35  is moulded or integrated with the top end of the mesh bag  31 . The primary purpose of the membrane or film  35  is to avoid ventilation when a packaging machine is to open the top end by sucking. There are two pairs of punch holes  34  on the membrane or film  35  for setting the mesh bag on the holders of the packaging machine. The bottom end of the mesh bag is sealed or seamed with a line easy-open stitches which constitutes an easy-open mechanism  32 . 
         [0032]    In operation, the packaging machine sucks the two folded sides of the membrane or film  35  apart such that the top end of the mesh bag  31  opens its mouth from which the onions or the like are inputed into the mesh bag  31 . After the mesh bag  31  is filled with onions or the like, it is sealed or seamed by sewing with a line of stitches across the membrane or film  35 . To take the onions or the like out from the mesh bag  31 , the user may turn the bag upside down and remove the easy open stitches by pulling the its string.  FIG. 3B  is a schematic diagram illustrating both the front view  32   a  and the back view  32   b  of the easy-open mechanism  32  according to  FIG. 3A . Note that the textual product information, label, graphics and trademark are preferably oriented toward the easy-open end  36  and they look upside-down when the bag is in the filling and packaging position. However, when the user is to open the bag, he would put the easy-open end upward and thus the textual product information, label, graphics and trademark would look upright for normal reading. 
         [0033]      FIG. 4A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a mesh bag  41  for containing onions or the like according to another typical embodiment of the invention. The mesh bag  41  is made of soft, flexible materials with sufficient strength to hold onions or the like. The mesh bag  41  has an unsealed opening  42  at its first end for filling. The second end of the mesh bag  41  is pre-sealed with a line of easy-open stitches  44  sewn across the entire transverse length of the bag. The line of easy-open stitches  44 , together with the enclosure, i.e., the mesh bag wall, forms a bottom of the mesh bag, i.e., a dead end, to avoid leakage. The second end of the mesh bag also includes a pre-set annular band or lace or a drawstring (herein after as the drawstring)  43  perforating the mesh bag  41 . After the mesh bag  41  is filled with onions or the like, the unsealed opening  42  is then sealed using a packaging machine with a sewing function or a thermal sealing function. While the mesh bag  41  is being filled by a packaging machine, the opening  42  is usually upward. However, as shown in  FIG. 4A , the textual product information, labels, signs, graphics, and trademark  45  are oriented downward or upside down.  FIG. 4B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the mesh bag  41  filled with onions or the like and sealed with a line of stitches  46 .  FIG. 4C  is a schematic diagram illustrating the mesh bag  41  filled with onions or the like in a position to be opened by a user. When the user is to open the mesh bag  41 , he does not need to cut the mesh bag  41  as in the situation of the prior arts. Rather, he just needs to pull the line of easy-open stitches  44 . The line of easy-open stitches  44  will be easily removed when it is pulled by the user. After part of the onions or the like is taken from the mesh bag  41 , the user may re-close it by pulling the drawstring  43  and tie it up as illustrated in  FIG. 1B . 
         [0034]      FIG. 5A  is a schematic diagram illustrating the front view of the easy-open end of the mesh bag  51  according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. Adjacent to the very edge  55  of the mesh bag  51  is the easy-open mechanism which includes a hard-paper slip or strip (herein after as the slip)  53  and a line of easy-open stitches  54  which sews the hard-paper slip  53  and the wall or enclosure (herein after as the wall) of the mesh bag  51  together along the edge  55 . Next to the hard-paper slip  53  is the drawstring  52  which is used for re-closing and tying-up.  FIG. 5B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the back view of the easy-open end of the mesh bag  51  according to the preferred embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 5A . The re-closing mechanism is a drawstring  52 , perforating the mesh bag wall. However, the hard-paper slip  53  is not annular. It is only on one side of the mesh bag  51 . The line of easy-open stitches  54  actually sews the hard-paper slip  53  and two sides of the mesh bag wall together. After the two sides of the mesh bag wall are sewed together, the wall and the sealed end constitute a bag or pocket for containing onions or the like. To open the filled mesh bag, the user simply removes the line of easy-open stitches  54  by pulling it to one direction. To re-close the mesh bag, the user simply pulls the drawstring  52  and ties it up. 
         [0035]    The comparative positions of the re-closing drawstring and the line of easy-open stitches can be interchanged.  FIG. 6A  is a schematic diagram illustrating the front view of the easy-open end of the mesh bag  61  according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. Adjacent to the very edge  65  of the mesh bag  61  is the drawstring  62  which is used for re-closing and tying-up. Next to the drawstring  62  is the easy-open mechanism which includes a hard-paper slip  63  and a line of easy-open stitches  64  which sews the hard-paper slip  63  and the wall of the mesh bag  61  together along the edge  65 .  FIG. 6B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the back view of the easy-open end of the mesh bag  61  according to the preferred embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 6A . The re-closing drawstring  62  is annular, perforating the mesh bag wall. However, the hard-paper slip  63  is not annular. It is only on one side of the mesh bag  61 . The line of easy-open stitches  64  actually sews the hard-paper slip  63  and two sides of the mesh bag wall together. After the two sides of the mesh bag wall are sewed together, the wall and the sealed end constitute a bag or pocket for containing onions or the like. To open the filled mesh bag  61 , the user simply removes the line of easy-open stitches  64  by pulling it to one direction. To re-close the mesh bag, the user simply pulls the drawstring  62  and ties it up. 
         [0036]      FIG. 7A  is a schematic diagram illustrating the front view of the easy-open end of the mesh bag  71  according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. Adjacent to the very edge  75  of the mesh bag  71  is the drawstring  72  which is used for re-closing and tying-up. The easy-open mechanism includes a piece of hard-paper slip  73  and a line of easy-open stitches sewed along the hard-paper slip  73 . In this embodiment, the easy-open mechanism is integrated with the drawstring  72 . In particular, the drawstring  72  is pre-set along the wall of the mesh bag  71 . To make a bag or pocket using the mesh bag wall, the end must be sealed along the edge  75 . In this embodiment, the hard-paper slip  73 , the two sides of the wall of the mesh bag  71  and the drawstring  72  are all sewed together along the edge  75  with the line of easy-open stitches  74 .  FIG. 7B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the back view of the easy-open end of the mesh bag  71  according to the preferred embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 7A . The pre-set re-closing drawstring  72  is annular, perforating the mesh bag wall. However, the hard-paper slip  73  is not annular. It is only on one side of the mesh bag  71 . The line of easy-open stitches  74  actually sews the drawstring  72 , the hard-paper slip  73  and two sides of the mesh bag wall together. After the two sides of the mesh bag wall are sewed together, the wall and the sealed end constitute a bag or pocket for containing onions or the like. To open the filled mesh bag, the user simply removes the line of easy-open stitches  74  by pulling it to one direction. To re-close the bag, the user simply pulls the drawstring  72  and ties it up. 
         [0037]      FIG. 8A  is a schematic diagram illustrating a packaging bag with an easy-open end  87  according to another embodiment of the invention. The enclosure or the wall of the packaging bag is a tube or a cylindrical member  81  made of flexible materials such as woven textile.  FIG. 8B  is a schematic diagram illustrating the back view of the packaging bag according to  FIG. 8A . The first end  82  of the packaging bag is an opening for filling with articles. There are four holes  84  on the first end  82  for inserting the packaging bag through the holders  85  of a packaging machine. In operation, to open the mouth of the packaging bag, the packaging machine pulls the first end  82  from both its front side and its back side, thus the front side and the back side slide along the holders  85  in opposite directions. The textual product information, labels, graphics, or trademark  86  are toward the second end  83  of the packaging bag. The second end  83  constitutes a bottom of the packaging bag for avoid leakage. The bottom is made by sewing a hard paper strip  87  as shown in  FIG. 3B  and the tube or cylindrical member  81  together with a line of easy-open stitches  88 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 8C  is a schematic diagram illustrating the usage position of the packaging bag according to  FIG. 8A  which is sealed at its first end  82  with a line of sealing stitches after it was filled with articles. To open the packaging bag, the user just needs to turn the bag up as shown in  FIG. 8C  and pulls the line of easy-open stitches  88 . After the hard paper strip  87  and the easy-open stitches  88  are removed as shown in  FIG. 8D , the second end  83  of the bag is thus open and the user may take the articles out from the bag. 
         [0039]    The enclosure or the wall of the packaging bag as illustrated above can be made of mesh, paper, laminated paper, plastic, synthetic resin, woven textile, leno fabric, knitting fabric, with poly or any other flexible materials with sufficient strength for holding articles. There are several ways to make the enclosure or the wall. For example, it can be a single piece of tube or cylindrical member. For another example, it can be made by folding one piece of scare or rectangular materials from the middle line and seaming or sealing the two edges which parallel to the middle line. Further, it can also be made by using two pieces of square or rectangular materials and seaming or sealing from two paralleling sides. 
         [0040]    Although the invention has been described with reference to at least one specific embodiment, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, alternative embodiments or other equivalent solutions of implementing the easy-open, re-closable mesh bag structure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It is therefore contemplated that such modifications, equivalents, and alternatives can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.