Patent Publication Number: US-2007099783-A1

Title: Bag forming device

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      Certain types of bags are commonly manually manufactured. For example, reusable or re-closable bags, such as those used in connection with bedding, are hand stitched due to the intricacies and manufacturing obstacles associated with such types of bags. Such manual labor typically increases the cost of manufacturing such bags and reduces productivity of the manufacturing entity who makes the bags.  
     SUMMARY  
      A bag forming device includes a movement device adapted to move bag material in a folded configuration through the bag forming device along a path. The folded configuration provides a first portion and a second portion of the bag material joined at a fold. The first portion is wider in a width direction than the second portion such that the first portion extends wider than the second portion. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a bag forming device according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 2   a  is a schematic view of a bag forming device according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 2   b  is a schematic view of a bag forming device according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a bag forming device according to an embodiment of the invention; and  
       FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a bag forming device according to an embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a bag forming device according to the invention is shown and described. In  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a bag forming device is shown as including a number of components, as will be described, and passing bag material  12  through such components. The bag material  12 , in an embodiment, is generally passed along the direction as shown by path  26 . Of course, the path  26  may be different from that shown or may include a number of different directions in connection with rollers, pulleys or other material direction changing components. The bag material  12  generally comprises a first portion  14  and a second portion  16  connected at a fold area  18 . In an embodiment, the bag material  12  is passed in a continuous fashion, such as from a roll of bag material, through the bag forming device  10  and shown. Any method known to one skilled in the art, including an appropriate organization of rollers and pulleys and other feeding devices, may be used to feed the bag material  12  through the bag forming device  10 . For example, the bag material  12  may be a single sheet of rolled plastic or other bag material that is folded in the bag forming device  10  or may be pre-folded.  
      In an embodiment, a width  20  of the first portion  14  is greater than the width  22  of the second portion  16 . As such, the greater width  20  of the first portion  14  provides a region  15  of the first portion  14  that extends beyond the second portion  16 . This region  15  allows room for a seal area  24  where adhesive material may be placed and which is able to be folded over the second portion  16  to close the bag as will be discussed.  
      With continued referenced  FIG. 1 , a resealable seal formation device  28  is positioned along the path  26  to dispense resealable seals  34  on the seal area  24 . In an embodiment, the resealable seal formation device  28  generally includes a seal roll  30  and a seal delivery component  32 . The seal role  30  contains a role of resealable seal material that is passed from the roll  32  to the seal delivery component  32 . The seal delivery component  32 , in an embodiment, intermittently distributes the resealable seal material as discrete seals  34  along seal areas  24  of the bag material  12 . In an embodiment, each resealable seal  34  is a removable piece of tape that, upon removal, leaves an adhesive film on the seal area  24 . Accordingly, when the seal area  24  is folded over the top of the second portion  16 , the remaining adhesive film adheres the seal area  24  to the second portion  16 .  
      With continued referenced  FIG. 1 , a cutting tool  36 , in an embodiment, is positioned along the path  26 . The cutting tool  36  cuts a portion of the seal area  24  to form angled configurations  38 . It will be understood that, although the angled configurations  38  are shown as angles, any geometric configuration may be used.  
      Further along the path  26  is located a sever and seal device  48 . The sever and seal device  48 , in an embodiment, severs the bag material  12  and seals it to form edges of a remaining bag. An example of such a device is provided in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/981,818, entitled Packaging Device and Method, filed Nov. 5, 2004 and assigned to the assignee of the present application, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. In an embodiment, the sever and seal device  48  severs the bag material  12  across both the first portion  14  and second portion  16 , while adhering the first portion  14  to the second portion  16  at an area proximate the sever and seal device  48  to form a resulting edge.  
      With continued reference to  FIG. 1  and reference to  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , a pleat formation device  40  is also located along the path  26 . In an embodiment, the pleat formation device  40  is an angled member extending along the path  26  and having a first angled side  42  connected to a second angled side  44  by a center portion  46 . In an embodiment, the pleat formation device  40  rides against the fold  18  and pushes this material toward an interior region between the first portion  14  and the second portion  16 . In an embodiment, an internal guide  48  may be positioned in coordination with the pleat formation device  40  to generally bias the bag material  12  towards the pleat formation device  40 . More specifically, the center portion  46  pushes the fold  18  toward the internal guide  48  and toward the interior portion of the bag material  12 . The first angled side  42  and second angled side  44 , in coordination with the internal guide  48 , allows the bag material  12  to stay out from this interior region. The result, as shown in  FIG. 2   b , is that edges  62  reside outside of the interior region of the bag material  12  and the fold  18  is pushed toward an interior region of the bag material  12 . As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, movement of bag material  12  toward an interior region allows a pleat (see  50  in  FIG. 4 ) to be formed after the sever and seal device  48  seals to edges (edges  54  and  56  in  FIG. 4 ) of a bag.  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 1, 3  and  4 , the operation according to an embodiment of the invention is described. In  FIG. 1 , bag material  12  is moved along path  26  while resealable seal formation device  28  distributes resealable seals along seal areas  24 . Similarly, cutting tool  36  cuts areas from seal area  24  to form angled configurations  38 . Additionally, pleat formation device  40  presses bag material  12  toward an interior region between first portion  14  and second portion  16 .  
      In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 , the sever and seal device  40  is shown in an open or un-severing and un-sealing position. Here, the sever and seal device  40  is open, thereby allowing an item  58  to be dropped along path  64  such that it falls into the bag material  12  as shown. The sealed surface or edge  56 , formed during a previous cycle of the bag forming device  10 , prevents the item  58  from falling out through the edge  56 . In  FIG. 3 , the sever and seal device  48  closes and severs and seals the bag material  12  to form edge  54  of a bag  52 . Additionally, fold  18 , which has been pushed toward an interior of the bag material  12 , is locked into place by virtue of the formation of edges  54  and  56  by the sever and seal device  48 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , upon release from the a sever and seal device  48 , the bag  52 , having edges  54  and  56 , is released. Also, a new edge  56   a  a is formed at an upper portion of the bag material  12  which will serve as an edge  56  of a new bag  52  during a next cycle of the bag formation device  10 . Additionally, the bag  52  has a pleat  50  formed by the fold  18  that has been pressed toward the interior of the bag material  12  by the pleat formation device  40 . The pleat  50  generally is comprised of fold  18  and edges  62 . In an embodiment, the pleat  50  assists in helping the bag to stand upward when set on the pleat  50 .  
      The present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the foregoing embodiments, which are merely illustrative of the best modes for carrying out the invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the method and apparatus within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby. This description of the invention should be understood to include all novel and non-obvious combinations of elements described herein, and claims may be presented in this or a later application to any novel and non-obvious combination of these elements. Moreover, the foregoing embodiments are illustrative, and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this or a later application.