Abstract:
The invention relates to a packaging bag comprising at least one flap ( 24, 28 ) which is folded against one face of the bag body ( 10 ) and which is held in position by means of a removable linking element ( 30, 32 ). The invention is characterized in that the bag also comprises an element ( 50 ) which is designed to ensure that the bag can be opened and reclosed, which extends transversely to the fold line ( 22 ) of the flap and which covers the entire width of said flap ( 24, 28 ) and at least a substantial part of the bag body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This present invention concerns the area of packaging bags. More precisely, this present invention concerns the area of packaging bags that include opening/closure resources that are capable of multiple successive openings and closures for example, and that take the form of complementary extrusions though not limited to these. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Document EP-A-1 321 381 illustrates one example of a known packaging bag, which is suitable for multiple successive openings and closures. This bag includes a flap which is folded back onto itself and held in this position by a detachable element, allowing single or multiple use as required. It also includes a second element to provide for re-closeable opening, placed at the end of the flap. 
     Though promising, the packaging bag described in document EP-A-1 321 381 had not experienced the commercial success expected. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The objective of this present invention is to perfect the known bags. A particular objective of this present invention is to propose bags that are intended to receive contents that are packed under high pressure, such as baby nappies or equivalent, while still allowing easy access to the contents after removing a first article. 
     This objective is attained in the context of this present invention, by means of a packaging bag that includes at least one flap which is folded back against one face of the bag body, and held in this position by a detachable connecting element, characterised by the fact that it also includes an element designed to allow re-closeable opening, which lies across the fold line of the flap and covers the full width of the flap and at least a substantial part of the bag body. 
     On reading the following detailed description, the professional engineer will understand that the bag according to this present invention, in particular, by virtue of the specific arrangement of the element used to effect the re-closeable opening action, allows easy access to all the contents of the bag, while the bags of previous design as described in document EP-A-1 321 381 provide only limited access via the straight section of the flap. 
     According to another advantageous characteristic of this present invention, the element designed to provide for re-closeable opening covers all of the bag body. 
     According to another advantageous characteristic of this present invention, the bag includes two flaps folded against faces of the bag body that are diametrically opposite, and held in this position by respective detachable connecting elements. 
     According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the element designed to provide for re-closeable opening includes a closure element which is suitable for multiple openings and closures. 
     According to another advantageous characteristic of this present invention, the bag includes resources that prevent the closure element, which is suitable for multiple openings and closures, from being stressed by the contents of the bag when the said at least one flap is held folded back by the detachable connecting element. 
     This present invention also concerns a process for the creation of a bag, which includes stages designed to fit the flap of a bag, an element designed to provide for re-closeable opening which extends across the fold line of the flap and covers the full width of the flap and at least a substantial part of the bag body, to fold the flap formed in a bag body back onto itself and to hold the flap in this position by means of a detachable connecting element. 
     This present invention also concerns a device for the manufacture of bags that include resources suitable for fitting the flap of a bag, an element designed to provide for re-closeable opening, which lies across the fold line of the flap and covers the full width of the flap and at least a substantial part of the bag body, resources capable of folding back onto itself the flap formed in the bag body, and resources that are able to generate a detachable connection that is capable of holding the flap in this position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other characteristics, aims and advantages of this present invention will appear on reading the detailed description that follows, with reference to the appended drawings, which are provided by way of non-limited examples and in which: 
         FIG. 1  schematically represents a view in perspective of a packaging bag according to this present invention before formation of the folded flap, 
         FIG. 2  provides a schematic view in perspective of the same bag after folding of the flap, 
         FIG. 3  schematically represents the same bag after opening of the re-closeable opening element to provide access to the contents of the bag, 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  represent views that are respectively similar to those of the aforementioned  FIGS. 1 and 2 , before and after closure, of a bag according to one implementation variant of this present invention, which includes two flaps folded on diametrically opposite faces of the bag, 
         FIG. 6  represents a view in cross-section of a closure assembly according to this present invention, equipped with a slide, 
         FIGS. 7 and 8  show other variants according to this present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The attached  FIGS. 1 and 2  show a bag according to the present invention, at two successive stages of its manufacture. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , originally the bag of this present invention includes a bag body  10  of generally tubular shape having a aperture for an opening  12  and a bottom  14  at the other end. Preferably, the bag body  10  is outlined by four main mutually-orthogonal walls. Its section is thus generally square or rectangular. Two of these walls are illustrated in  FIG. 1  with the references  15  and  16 . The two additional walls are respectively parallel and perpendicular to each of these two walls  15  and  16 . 
     The walls of the bag can be the subject of many methods of implementation. 
     The walls are preferably made from a thermoplastic material. 
     These walls can be mono or multi-layer, and mono or multi-material. Where appropriate, it can concern a paper base covered with a layer of thermoplastic material, or again with a metallised thermoplastic layer. 
     The bag  10  can be created from a single sheet or several sheets, such as two sheets welded together at their edges, preferably along one of the edges connecting the main walls, such as the edge common to walls  15  and  16 . 
     As mentioned previously, in the context of this present invention, one part  20  of the bag body  10 , here adjacent to the bottom  14 , is folded back onto itself in the form of a flap. The part  20  of the bag  10  folded in the form of a flap has a length  11  that is more or less equal to twice the width  12  of the bag. The aforementioned lengths  11  and width  12  of the bag are assumed to be perpendicular to the fold line  22  of the flap. 
     The aforementioned folding operation is indicated by an arrow, referenced P, in  FIG. 1 . The flap thus obtained from the bottom  14  is referenced  24  in  FIG. 2 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the flap  24  thus preferably covers the whole section of the bag so that after creation of the flap  24  at the bottom, the bag  10  has a triple thickness in the form of layers referenced  25 ,  26  and  27  in  FIG. 2 . 
     The flap  24  is held in this position by a detachable connecting element. The latter can be the subject of many implementation variants. 
     According to a first method of implementation, the aforementioned detachable connecting element can be formed from a self-adhesive strip. Such an self-adhesive strip can be provided on the end of the bag and on the flap, in the form of the strip referenced  30  in  FIG. 1 , or again on one of the walls  16  of the bag, intended to receive the end of the flap, in the form of the strip referenced  32  in  FIG. 1 , or again of two complementary self-adhesive strips corresponding to the two strips  30  and  32  shown in  FIG. 1 . (These two strips  30  and  32  being brought into contact during the folding of the flap  24 ). 
     The aforementioned strips  30  and/or  32  lie parallel to the fold line  22  of the flap, more or less over the full height  13  of the bag, with the said height  13  being assumed to be parallel to the fold line  22 . 
     According to another implementation variant, the detachable connection resource can be formed from complementary elements located respectively at the aforementioned strips  30  and  32  shown in  FIG. 1 , that is one on the end of the bag coincident with the end of the flap  24  and the other at a wall  16  of the bag body intended to receive the end of the aforementioned flap  24 . 
     By way of a non-limited example, such complementary elements can be formed from complementary structures of the “VELCRO” type (e.g. hook and loop structures) or again from complementary male/female extrusions, or even from complementary hooked structures (possibly operated by a slide). 
     Such connection elements are well known to the professional engineer and will therefore not be described in detail in what follows. 
     In the context of this present invention, the bag also includes at least one closure element, which is suitable for multiple openings and closures. Such a closure assembly is referenced  50  in the attached figures. 
     As has been indicated previously, in the context of this present invention, this element  50  designed to provide for re-closeable opening, extends across the fold line  22  of the flap and covers the full width of the flap and at least a substantial part of the bag body. It thus provides easy access to all the contents of the bag. 
     Preferably, the bag includes resources that prevent the closure element  50  from being stressed by the contents of the bag when the flap is held folded back by a connection element  30 ,  32 . 
     By way of a non-limited example, the closure assembly  50  is preferably provided on one edge of a flap, across the fold line  22 . 
     The closure assembly  50  can itself be the subject of many variants, it can be a self-stick element, complementary elements of the “VELCRO” type (e.g. hook and loop structures), complementary elements of the male/female type, or again complementary elements of the hooked type. 
     Attached  FIG. 6  shows an advantageous variant of this present invention in which the closure element  50  is thus formed from two complementary extrusions  52 ,  54  that respectively include an element  53  of the male type and a complementary element  55  of the female type. 
     All of these resources are well known to the professional engineer. They will therefore not be described in detail in what follows. 
     Where appropriate, these opening/closure resources making up element  50  can be operated by a slide  60 . 
     Such a slide has been shown in diagrammatic form in the attached  FIG. 6 . Here again, it can be the subject of many methods of implementation. 
     Such a slide  60  preferably includes a base  62  which carries two lateral cheeks  64 ,  65  and a low central wall  66  forming between them two non-parallel channels  67 ,  68  respectively accommodating at least the top of one of the two support webs  52 ,  54  of the said at least one closure element  50  so that, depending on the direction of movement of the slide  60 , the latter forces the element  50  to open or to close respectively. Where appropriate, though this arrangement is not imperative, the low central wall  66  can enter between the complementary extrusions  53 ,  55 . 
     Once the flap  24  located at the bottom  14 , folded back and held by the associated connection resources  30  and  32 , the bag  10  can be filled under pressure in a conventional manner via the aperture  12  and then closed off at the aperture  12  by any appropriate conventional means. 
     In use, in order to provide access to the contents of the bag, it is necessary only to break the connection element  30 ,  32 , in order to deploy the flap  24 . The bag then returns to a geometry that is close to that illustrated in  FIG. 1 . It is then possible to open the element  50 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , to gain easy access to the contents C of the bag, a set of baby nappies for example, even though the latter have been packed under pressure in an originally sealed bag  10 . 
     In particular, this present invention can be applied in order to facilitate access to baby nappies, for example. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  show an implementation variant in which the bag has two flaps  24  and  28  folded on diametrically opposite faces of the bag, namely respectively a bottom part  20  and the mouth aperture part  21 . Of course it is necessary in this case to provide retention resources  30 ,  32 , similar to those previously described, associated with the flap  28  formed on the aperture. 
     This present invention also has the advantage of stiffening the ends of the bags or containers  10 , in particular at the bottom. In fact as can be seen in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the bottom of the bag has three thicknesses  25 ,  26 ,  27 . This also applies to the aperture, in the event that the bag has two flaps. This is extremely useful for positioning on a shelf at the point of sale. 
     Of course this present invention is not limited to the particular methods of implementation have just been be described, but extends to any variant that complies with its spirit. 
     During the closure of the bag, the slide ( 60  can be placed on the flap as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , or away from the flap, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
     In the context of this present invention, the detachable connection resources  30 ,  32 , and the closure element  50  can be made from the material of the film comprising the wall of the bag, during the manufacture of this film, or again can be formed initially from separate elements that are attached, by welding for example, onto the film making up the bag. 
     According to the methods of implementation previously described, the flaps  24  and  28 , respectively provided at the bottom  14  and the aperture  12 , lie in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the direction of introduction of the contents into the bag  10  via the aperture  12 . 
     On the other hand, according to the variants illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the flaps  24  and  28  lie in a plane that is generally parallel to the direction of introduction of the contents into the bag  10  via the aperture  12 . To this end, according to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the flaps  24  and  28  are folded onto themselves against one of the faces surrounding the opening aperture  12 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 7 , according to a variant of the invention, each flap  24  or  28  can cover only part of the area of the wall of the bag body  10  against which the said flaps  24  and  28  are folded. This variant in which the flaps  24  and  28  cover only part of the section of the bag can apply any of the methods of implementation of the invention.