Patent EA-003541-B1 (EA)
Title: Gussetted plastic bag
IPC: B31B50/64
Filed: 2001-02-15
Abstract: 1. A plastic T-shirt bag, comprising a tube of plastic film having side gussets, each gusset including an inner fold, a seal line at the bottom of the bag intersecting said inner folds, and handles formed in the gussetted portions of the bag, the improvement comprising at least one tape adhered to the bottom of the bag and extending across at least one of said inner folds close to or overlapping said seal line, whereby the tape reduces the tendency of the junction of the inner fold and seal line to fail when the bag is loaded. 2. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 1, wherein a separate tape is applied to opposite sides of said bag. 3. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 1, wherein the tape is folded over the bottom of said bag. 4. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 1, wherein the tape is applied to only one side of said bag. 5. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 1, wherein the tape includes a pressure sensitive adhesive coating. 6. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 1, wherein the tape is thermally bonded to the bag. 7. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 6, wherein the tape is thermally bonded to the bag along said seal line. 8. A plastic T-shirt bag according to claim 1, wherein the tape is about half the thickness of the plastic film. 9. A plastic T-shirt bag according to claim 1, wherein a separate tape is applied across said junction. 10. A plastic T-shirt bag, comprising a plastic tube having side gussets, each gusset including an inner fold, a seal line at the bottom of the bag intersecting said inner folds, and handles formed in the gussetted portions of the bag, the improvement comprising at least one tape adhered to the bottom of the bag and extending across both of the junctions of said inner folds and said seal line, whereby the tape reduces the tendency of the junction of the inner fold and seal line to fail when the bag is loaded. 11. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 10, wherein a separate tape is applied to opposite sides of said bag. 12. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 11, wherein the tape is folded over the bottom of said bag. 13. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 11, wherein the tape is applied to only one side of said bag. 14. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 11, wherein the tape includes a pressure sensitive adhesive coating. 15. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 11, wherein the tape is thermally bonded to the bag. 16. A plastic T-shirt bag as defined in claim 15, wherein the tape is thermally bonded to the bag along said seal line. 17. A method of manufacturing a plastic bag, comprising gussetting a tubular plastic web, forming a seal line across the gussetted tubular web, and applying at least one reinforcing tape over the seal line, the tape extending into the gussetted regions of the bag. 18. A method of manufacturing a plastic bag according to claim 17, wherein a reinforcing tape is applied to each side of the bag. 19. A method of manufacturing plastic bags according to claim 17, wherein a single tape is folded over the sealed end of the bag. 20. A method of manufacturing plastic bags according to claim 17, wherein the gussetted tubular web is sealed at both ends prior to application of the tape. 21. A method of manufacturing plastic bags according to claim 17, wherein the reinforcing web is thermally bonded to the bag along the seal line when the seal line is formed. 22. A method of manufacturing plastic bags according to claim 17, wherein after the reinforcing tape has been applied to one end of the bag, handles are cut into the opposite end of the bag to form a T-shirt bag.