Abstract:
It is disclosed a bag ( 1 ) comprising: a flexible laminar element ( 2 ) having a housing portion ( 3 ) and two end portions ( 4 ) disposed on opposite sides of the housing portion ( 3 ), engagement means ( 6 ) to join the end portions ( 4 ) to each other, and a handle ( 7 ) arranged at the end portions ( 4 ), the engagement means ( 6 ) defining an articulation line ( 12 ) spaced apart from the handle ( 7 ) and interposed between a substantially flattened connecting region ( 13   a ) and an open region ( 13   b ) adapted to wrap or surround the packaged goods.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention refers to a bag for transportation of packaged goods, in particular food products ready for use.  
           [0002]    The bag is of the type to be used for manual transportation of packaged goods supplied in limited amounts, such as in the case of home delivery of “pizzas” or sweets and cakes housed in the respective wrappers or trays.  
         DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
         [0003]    It is known that home transportation of food products ready for use possibly still hot is greatly widespread.  
           [0004]    It is the typical case of takeaway pizzas or pizzas by the slice supplied or home delivered still hot and individually introduced into appropriate wrappers generally consisting of cardboard boxes or trays.  
           [0005]    It has been ascertained that transportation of these food products to be immediately eaten gives rise to some drawbacks, in spite of the presence of wrappers or trays suitably arranged for the products themselves.  
           [0006]    For example, the packages must be maintained in a predetermined, substantially horizontal, position. Transportation is therefore uncomfortable and hard and it is also subjected to mistakes concerning an incorrect support of the packages, that will result in damages to the food products contained therein.  
           [0007]    If the food is very hot, it is also possible that the manual support for the packages may cause burns or trouble to the hands of the individual carrying said packages. In case of partly open or not perfectly closed packages, an inaccurate support may rather often give rise to partial escape of the food products contained therein. Even when the wrappers are properly closed and correctly supported, contents of same may damage said wrappers or trays wetting them or making them greasy and penetrating there through, above all if they are made of cardboard, until said contents reach the outer surfaces.  
           [0008]    These inconveniences are very likely to affect those assigned to transportation and delivery of said food products, because they must carry a great number of packages.  
           [0009]    Partial escape of the food products and contamination with the same by the staff charged with delivery of the food are to be avoided due to fundamental hygienic reasons and also because these inconveniences make a very negative impression on purchasers at the delivery.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    Under this situation the technical task underlying the present invention is to devise a bag capable of obviating the above mentioned drawbacks.  
           [0011]    Within the scope of this technical task it is an important aim of the invention to devise a bag enabling packages even of wide and flattened sizes and containing hot foods to be transported with ease and comfort.  
           [0012]    Another important aim of the invention is to devise a bag capable of spontaneously maintaining the packages containing the food in a correct and substantially horizontal position.  
           [0013]    It is a further important aim of the invention to devise a bag that can be immediately adapted to transportation of a plurality of packages, piled up upon each other.  
           [0014]    Another aim of the invention is to devise a bag immediately adaptable to packages of different sizes and shapes.  
           [0015]    A further by no means last aim of the invention is to devise a bag of simple structure and low costs, so that it can be widely used for transportation of boxes or trays for food products, in particular in a pizzeria for taking away and delivering pizzas or pizzas by the slice, in cardboard boxes or the like, and at a confectioner&#39;s for taking away sweets and cakes in trays.  
           [0016]    The technical task mentioned and the aims specified are achieved by a bag for transportation of packaged goods, in particular food products ready for use, comprising: a flexible laminar element having a housing portion and two end portions positioned on opposite sides of said housing portion, engagement means to join said end portions to each other, and support means arranged close to at least one of said end portions. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    Further features and advantages of the invention will be best clarified in the following by the detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 shows the bag in a first embodiment thereof and under use conditions, housing a flattened box-shaped wrapper of the type commonly used for packaging pizzas;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 shows how the bag in FIG. 1 is able to damp oscillations during use;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 shows the bag in a second embodiment and while housing three box-shaped wrappers piled up upon each other;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the bag, in a flattened and non operating position;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 shows how to arrange the bag in FIG. 4 to make it become operating;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 shows the bag in FIG. 5 while housing three box-shaped wrappers piled up upon each other. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]    The bag in accordance with the invention is generally identified with the reference numeral  1 .  
         [0025]    It generally comprises a flexible laminar element  2  substantially defined by three portions disposed consecutive to and in alignment with each other: a substantially central housing portion  3  and two end portions  4  positioned on opposite sides of the housing portion  3 .  
         [0026]    Preferably the housing portion  3  and end portions  4  are all delimited by main sides  5  of the laminar element  2 .  
         [0027]    Bag  1  then comprises engagement means  6  to join the end portions  4  to each other, and support means  7  set at least at one of the end portions  4  to enable a manual support of bag  1 .  
         [0028]    Under use conditions, bag  1  is closed and supported at the end portions  4  and preferably open at the main sides  5 .  
         [0029]    In detail, the laminar element  2  is preferably a continuous strip of plastic material consisting of polyethylene and portions  3  and  4  are similar to each other.  
         [0030]    In addition, the main sides  5  are parallel to each other and define the major extension direction of the laminar element  2 , when in an unfolded and completely open position as shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIGS. 4 and 5 also show that the laminar element  2  can be pierced with holes, i.e. provided with a plurality of holes  8  at least at the housing portion  3 . Holes  8  are of small sizes, of a diameter less than one millimeter for example, so as to enable aeration of the packaged goods, denoted at  9 , without however allowing a substantial escap of fluids, if any.  
         [0032]    Also applied to the laminar element  2  are print elements  2   a  adapted to promote positioning of the packaged goods  9 .  
         [0033]    In terms of sizes it is provided for the laminar element  2  to extend in a direction substantially parallel to the main sizes  5  in a manner adapted to enable wrapping of a plurality of packaged goods  9  piled up upon each other, such as three boxes for takeaway pizzas as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6.  
         [0034]    Still in detail, said engagement means  6  is defined by at least a heat sealing region  10  (FIGS. 1, 2,  3 ) which is more or less thin or continuous.  
         [0035]    Alternatively, the engagement means  6  is defined by fitting couplings  11  (FIGS. 4, 5,  6 ) making the end portions  4  of the laminar element  2  rigid with each other. The fitting couplings  11  can be made using the support means  7  as the male element and a slot  11  a as the female element.  
         [0036]    At all events, through the lower edge of the heat seal  10  or of the fitting couplings  11  the engagement means  6  defines an articulation line  12  spaced apart from the grasping point of the support means  7 .  
         [0037]    In case of presence of said fitting couplings  11  the articulation line  12  is defined by the slot  11   a.    
         [0038]    Practically the articulation line  12  delimits a substantially flat connecting region  13   a  on one side and an open region  13   b  on the other side, at which open region the laminar element  2  wraps or surrounds the packaged goods  9 .  
         [0039]    In this way, as shown in FIG. 2, bag  1  is able to at least partly compensate for the oscillations of the hand supporting the bag itself.  
         [0040]    In fact, under use conditions, the little movements of a hand cause oscillation of the connecting region  13   a  around the articulation line  12 , while the open region  13   b , due to the inertia of the packaged goods  9  wrapped in it, keeps substantially steady.  
         [0041]    In addition, the wide connecting region  13   a  and the articulation line  12  enable packages and trays to be maintained in the correct flat position, irrespective of the position of the hand supporting the bag, since the open region  13   b  can freely maintain its position by effect of the weight of the packaged goods.  
         [0042]    The support means  7  preferably comprises a single manual grasping element: a handle made rigid with the laminar element  2  or formed of one piece construction therewith.  
         [0043]    In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the support means  7  is formed from a single ribbon  7   a  of polyethylene, like the laminar element  2 , heat sealed at its ends by localized heating and pressure.  
         [0044]    In addition, ribbon  7   a  is partly inserted between the end portions  4 . In this way bag  1  appears more trimmed and heat sealing of ribbon  7   a  helps in making the end portions  4  rigid with each other.  
         [0045]    In the examples shown in FIGS. 3, 4,  5 ,  6  the support means  7  is made of at least one opening  7   b  formed in at least one end portion  4  and adapted to enable insertion therein of one hand or the hand fingers.  
         [0046]    In addition, in FIGS. 4, 5 and  6  the opening  7   b  is formed in a shaped tailpiece  7   c  extending in one piece from an end portion  4  of the laminar element  2 .  
         [0047]    Use of the bag is as follows.  
         [0048]    The bag  1  can be supplied already closed in th form of a ring by heat sealing of the end portions  4  and in this case the packaged goods  9  are inserted through the main sides  5  of the laminar element  2 . In case of transportation of several packaged goods, the latter are piled up upon each other.  
         [0049]    Should bag  1  be supplied open and unfolded as shown in FIG. 4, the packaged goods  9  can possibly be inserted before closing the bag ring-like through coupling by fitting of the shaped tailpiece  7   c  in slot  11   a . Positioning of the packaged goods  9  can be facilitated by the print elements  2   a  reproduced internally of the laminar element  2 .  
         [0050]    Once the packaged goods  9  have been inserted, transportation of same takes place through manual grasping of the support means  7 .  
         [0051]    Bag  1  has a structure that can be obtained in a very cheap manner by three working steps in succession.  
         [0052]    First a high density polyethylene film is extruded, in a manner known by itself. Then the film is printed and pierced with holes by a flexography machine.  
         [0053]    Finally the same film is cut and possibly heat sealed, and a handle is also applied thereto during a further sequence that can be fully automated.  
         [0054]    The invention achieves important advantages.  
         [0055]    In fact a simple, cheap and well trimmed band has been made available which is capable of supporting packaged food products without the packages being touched at all, which products can be also hot and may even present the danger of fluid escape.  
         [0056]    In addition, transportation is steady because the little oscillations of the hands are not immediately transmitted to the packages and said packages tend to spontaneously keep their horizontal lying.  
         [0057]    The bag is also of very flexible use, due to the fact that several packages can be piled up and that it immediately adapts itself to different sizes.  
         [0058]    The transported goods are then perfectly aerated due to the presence of wide openings at the main sides  5 , and of holes  8 .  
         [0059]    On the whole, bag  1  is particularly advantageous when used at a “pizzeria”, for taking away or delivering pizzas or pizzas by the slice, and at a confectioner&#39;s for taking away sweets and cakes in trays.