Abstract:
The present invention relates to polymeric bags, particularly polymeric drawstring trash bags. The present invention comprises a trash bag having an elastic drawstring. The elastic drawstring trash bag features a short seal and an inner seal at each upper corner of the drawstring trash bag. The short seal and inner seal are separated by a small unsealed area. The inner seal serves to reduce the upper opening of the drawstring trash bag, while the elastic drawstring utilized with the bag provides a bag that allows the bag to fit snugly on many common trash receptacles.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to improvements in the construction and manufacture of polymeric bags. In particular, the present invention relates to improvements in the construction and manufacture of drawstring-type polymeric bags, especially polymeric trash bags. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Polymeric bags are ubiquitous in modern society, available in a variety of different combinations of materials, capacities, thicknesses, dimensions and colors. Such bags are used for a variety of purposes including for long-term storage, food storage and trash collection. In response to consumer demand, manufacturers of polymeric bags have developed innovations over the years to improve the utility and performance of polymeric bags. The present invention is of particular interest to polymeric bags used for trash collection and the method for securely closing and carrying such bags. Furthermore, the present invention provides advantages when applying such bags to trash receptacles. 
         [0006]    The utility and desirability of polymeric trash bags is primarily driven by the convenience of securely closing and carrying a particular trash bag after filling it with debris. Over the years, several different methods have been commonly available, each method having certain advantages and disadvantages. One of the oldest methods for securing a trash bag is to provide a twist-tie to accompany the bag, allowing a consumer to bunch the upper opening of the bag together after filling. The twist-tie may be used to hold the bunched plastic together, securing the bag for disposal. 
         [0007]    Another common configuration is the multi-flap bag, also commonly known as a wave-cut bag, where the top edges of the bag are cut in a wave-like pattern to provide two or more flaps extending upward from the top of the bag. These flaps allow the user to tie the opposing flaps together, securing the contents of the bag inside while also providing a convenient handle for carrying the filled bag. 
         [0008]    As the name suggests, drawstring bags utilize drawstrings, also known as draw tapes, which are incorporated into the bag design. In particular, a pair of drawstrings may be enclosed within two hems running along the top edges of the panels forming the trash bag. In the drawstring trash bags known in the prior art, a pair of short seals, located near the upper corners of the bag, are formed by applying heat and pressure to weld the drawstrings and the panels of the bag together. After the ends of the drawstrings are securely anchored within the hems to the upper corners of the bag, the drawstring can be pulled through a pair of centrally located cutouts to close the opening of the bag, securing the trash within while also providing a convenient handle for carrying the filled bag. 
         [0009]    It would be desirable to offer improved versions of drawstring bags versus what is known in the prior art. For example, as discussed herein, it is desirable to provide drawstring trash bags with a reduced opening width with an elastic drawstring thereby allowing the upper opening of the bag to fit tightly over the upper edge of a trash receptacle. The present invention addresses this need and provides additional advantages that will more fully discussed herein. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention is directed toward an improved construction of a drawstring trash bag. Specifically, the present invention provides a drawstring trash bag having a first panel and a second panel joined along three edges to form the bag. The bag is provided with hems along the upper edges of the respective panels, each hem containing a drawstring. 
         [0011]    At the upper corners of the drawstring trash bag, a short seal is applied. The short seals weld the first panel, the second panel, and the two drawstrings together. Additionally, an inner seal is spaced apart from each respective short seal along the upper opening of the improved elastic drawstring trash bag. The inner seals also weld the first panel, the second panel, and the two drawstrings together. 
         [0012]    Certain embodiments of the present invention include elastomers in the composition of the drawstring providing both the ability for the drawstring to stretch, but more importantly to allow the drawstring contract after it expands. This allows the drawstring trash bag to be stretched over a trash receptacle while the elastic drawstrings create a snug fit around the outside of the receptacle. 
         [0013]    It is contemplated that the present invention may be utilized in ways that are not fully described or set forth herein. The present invention is intended to encompass these additional uses to the extent such uses are not contradicted by the appended claims. Therefore, the present invention should be given the broadest reasonable interpretation in view of the present disclosure, the accompanying figures, and the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    A full and complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the detailed description of the present invention and preferred embodiment when viewed with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings can be briefly described as follows. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  provides a perspective view of a drawstring trash bag as known in the prior art to provide context for understanding the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  provides an enlarged perspective view of the upper corner of a drawstring trash bag as known in the prior art. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  provides an enlarged perspective view of the upper corner of a drawstring trash bag as contemplated by one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  provides a perspective view of a drawstring trash bag as contemplated by one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    The present disclosure illustrates one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention. It is not intended to provide an illustration or encompass all embodiments contemplated by the present invention. In view of the disclosure of the present invention contained herein, a person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that innumerable modifications and insubstantial changes may be incorporated or otherwise included into the depicted embodiments without diverging from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. Rather, the scope of the invention shall be broadly defined by the appended claims which are intended to more fully and accurately encompass the invention to the fullest extent possible. However, it is fully appreciated that the use of certain terminology shall not be construed to conclusively limit the scope of protection if otherwise within the spirit of the present invention. 
         [0020]    Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a drawstring trash bag  100  as known in the prior art is depicted to provide context for an appreciation of the present invention. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the drawstring trash bag  100  is comprised of a first panel  102  and a second panel  104  joined along three sides. When manufactured using a blown-film extrusion process, as is typical, a drawstring trash bag  100  may be formed from a flattened tube, the bottom  108  defined by a folded edge of the flattened tube, the sides  106  sealed using any one of several methods that are well known in the prior art. The various types of construction of drawstring trash bags  100  are well-known in the art and the particular method of manufacture is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. 
         [0021]    The drawstring trash bag  100  as depicted in  FIG. 1  is provided with a pair of drawstrings  116  enclosed within the hems  112  of the drawstring trash bag  100 . As known in the prior art, the top portions of the first panel  102  and the second panel  104  are folded and sealed to form the hems  112 . The hem seals  118  run the width of the bag with the drawstrings  116  within the hems  112 . It is then necessary to provide a pair of short seals  120  at the upper corners of the drawstring trash bag  100 , sealing the first panel  102 , second panel  104  and the pair of drawstrings  116  together. 
         [0022]    The short seals  120  must be sufficiently strong to allow a consumer to pull the drawstrings  116  through the cut-outs  122  to close the upper opening of the drawstring trash bag  100 . If the short seals  120  are not strong enough, the drawstrings  116  will dislodge, eliminating the benefits of the drawstring trash bag  100 . Typically, the short seals  120  are rectangular in shape, having a width from one-eighth to one-half of an inch and the height of the hems  112 , the distance from an upper opening of the bag to the bottom of the hem seal  118 . 
         [0023]    Looking now at  FIG. 2 , an enlarged perspective view of an upper corner of a prior art drawstring trash bag  100  is provided to provide additional context for the present invention. As can be seen, the short seal  120  welds together the first panel  102 , the second panel  104 , and the drawstrings  116  contained within the hems  112 . As discussed above, it is critical that the short seals  120  be of sufficient strength to permanently weld the front panel  102 , second panel  104 , and drawstrings  116  together so the drawstring does not dislodge when pulled by a consumer. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  depicts an embodiment of the present invention. This particular embodiment of an improved elastic drawstring trash bag  300  includes all of the aspects described with respect to  FIG. 1 , but adds an additional inner seal  320  spaced apart from the short seal  120  and positioned along the upper hems  112  of the improved elastic drawstring trash bag  300 . The inner seals  320  weld the first panel  102 , the second panel  104 , and the drawstrings  116  together much like the short seal  120  at the corners of the improved elastic drawstring bag  300 . In preferred embodiments, it is contemplated that the inner seals  320  extend from the upper edge of the drawstring trash bag  300  to the hem seal  118  of the upper hems  112  while being substantially rectangular in shape. 
         [0025]    The inner seals  320  essentially reduce the width of the upper opening of the improved elastic drawstring trash bag  300 . However, when an individual stretches the upper opening around the upper rim of a trash receptacle, the polyethylene material used for the first panel  102  and second panel  104  stretches, allowing the improved elastic drawstring trash bag  300  to be placed over the upper rim of a trash receptacle, even if the trash receptacle is larger than the upper opening of the improved elastic drawstring trash bag  300 . Notably, prior art trash bags such as those depicted in  FIG. 1  have traditionally utilized drawstrings that intentionally minimizes any potential stretching to ensure that an individual can pull the drawstring out without causing the drawstring to stretch and become useless. Therefore, the present invention utilizes drawstrings which may include elastomers to provide desirable elastic characteristics, controlled stretching properties, and additional advantages over the prior art. 
         [0026]    In particular, elastomers included in the drawstrings  116  of the improved elastic drawstring trash bag  300  are specifically intended to allow a limited amount of stretching. The limited stretching allows the improved elastic drawstring trash bag  300  to fit over the rim of a trash receptacle, even if the circumference of the rim is larger than the reduced width (resulting from the inner seals  320 ). More importantly, after the improved elastic drawstring trash bag  300  is stretched over the rim of a trash receptacle, the elastomers in the drawstrings  116  cause the drawstrings  116  to contract to their original length, providing a tight fit of the drawstrings around the outside of the trash receptacle. 
         [0027]      FIG. 4  provides an enlarged view of the upper corner of a drawstring trash bag  100  as contemplated by the present invention. As in  FIG. 3 , the short seal  120  and the inner seal  320  can be seen, with an unsealed area  302  located between the two areas. The inner seals  320  are likely to be substantially rectangular in shape, but it is not necessarily a requirement of the present invention. Typically, the inner seals  320  are approximately the same size and shape as the short seals  120 . Therefore, the inner seals  320  may be approximately one-eighth to one-half inch when measured along the width of the bag and will typically span from the upper opening of the bag to the hem seals  118 . 
         [0028]    As noted, the embodiments depicted herein are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Indeed, it is contemplated that any number of different embodiments may be utilized without diverging from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to more fully encompass the scope of the present invention.