Patent Publication Number: US-6659644-B2

Title: Plastic bag with arcuate vent pairs

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application 60/262,183 filed Jan. 17, 2001. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns a novel plastic storage and transportation bag having vents to allow moist heated air to be removed from the body of the bag such that food transported therein may retain its freshness. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Grocery stores and fast food restaurants, as well as other restaurants that offer a take out menu, are packaging foods in plastic bags which are durable, strong, easy to carry, easy to store and are economical to manufacture and use. Such bags are typically airtight and most are designed to keep air out so as to keep foods from becoming stale. However, when transporting hot foods, or fresh baked items, airtight bags tend to not only keep fresh air out, but also keep moist hot air in. Such moist hot air tends to soften baked goods, sandwich breads, fried foods and other items such that dining pleasures are diminished. Fresh cooked items transported in such bags often have the appearance and flavor of left-overs rather than fresh cooked food. 
     Attempts have been made to circumvent the effect of moist hot air within a plastic bag, but these efforts have generally proven ineffective. In most of these attempts, ventilation holes or slits are made in plastic bags, but as a result of the placement of the ventilation holes or slits and the natural stresses in plastic bags, especially those held from above by handles incorporated in the plastic, the holes or slits fail to open to a desirable degree, and moist hot air remains in the bag to break down the food. Such attempts are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,152 where a T-shirt type plastic bag for carrying hot food is described and U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,269 where an automatic ventilating system for plastic bags is described. 
     It has been found, however, that the holes or slits defined in bags constructed in accordance with the teachings of these patents often do not open in food transport situation and, as such, are insufficient to keep moist hot air away from hot foods carried therein. In most cases, because of the placement of the holes or slits and/or the design of the slits or holes described therein, the holes and slits fail to open allowing very little or no ventilation. 
     Further, placement of too many holes or slots, to overcome the lack of ventilation, may weaken the plastic bag such that a structural failure may occur causing the loss of the contents of the bag and a mess. 
     It would be desirable to have a plastic bag that could be economically and inexpensively produced, stored in quantity in small spaces, and which can store and transport fresh hot foods such that the foods remain fresh and hot. Further, it would be desirable for such a bag be strong and durable and have a desirable appearance both when stored and when in use. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a receptacle having at least a front and a back panel and forming a body for carrying objects is provided with a plurality of vents. In a preferred embodiment of the receptacle, the vents are cut into the material of the receptacle and are arcuate in shape. In a preferred embodiment the receptacle is a plastic bag. In one embodiment, the arcuate cuts of the receptacle or bag of the present invention are in the form of half circles, each half circle perforating the body of the bag such that a flap is formed. The vents are placed on the body of the bag in pairs and located such that the endpoints of each half circle vent is located within the half circle of another vent. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, pairs of vents are placed on the body of the bag to give maximum opening of the vents when the bag is in use. The vents are so placed so that they do not interfere with the stress caused by the use of a built in handle when the bag is carrying an object. In this manner, the vent cuts, which are in effect holes in the structure of the bag, do not affect the strength of the bag. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a bag having front and rear panels as well as side gusset panels is provided. Further, in one embodiment, the bag includes square bottom seals. 
     It is a feature of the present invention that there is no limit to the style of bag into which the pairs of vents may be defined. The vents of the present invention may be cut or punched into any style bag including but not limited to sinewave (wavy top), deli, side gusseted, bottom gusseted, recloseable, bottom and side sealed, as known by those having skill in the art. Further, the bag of the present invention may be manufactured on conventional bag making equipment with only minimal changes necessary. 
     The bag of the present invention may be made from plastic tubing or sheeting stock of various gauges and widths depending on the ultimate application for which the bag will be used. It is to be understood that the bag of the present invention may be made of a number of other materials, and variations of the thicknesses of the materials, without departing from the novel scope of the present invention. 
     The bag of the present invention may be made so that each individual bag is loose, or headered, or saddled, as known by those having skill in the art. The bag may be made in any of the above noted manners depending on the needs of the user. The bag of the present invention can include a handle aperture, which allows for the creation of a handle thereon. The bag can also include square-bottom seals, such as those made, on a four layer side gusseted bag, by heat-sealing the outer two layers of the side gussets together at approximately 45E angle from the bottom apex of the fold while not sealing the two inner layers together. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, handles are defined in the front and rear panels of the bag in such a manner that the handles are generally formed after the placement of objects within the bag by the weight of the object applied to openings and perforations defined in the bag panels. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a handle design is defined in the front and rear panels of the bag in such a manner that the handles widen out when your hand is inserted. The handle is in the form of a reversed teardrop with the top being of a size having a range from 1 to 1.5 inches, preferably at least 1.25 inches in diameter, and the bottom being of a size having a range of between 0.25 and 0.375 inches, preferably at least 0.375 inches in diameter. The sides of the handle meet at the tangent of both of these diameters. It will be understood by persons having skill in the art that a range of sizes and shapes may be used for the handle of such bags without departing from the novel scope of the present invention. 
     A more detailed explanation of the invention is provided in the following description and claims and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an embodiment of a bag of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an erected bag of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is perspective view of a bag of the present invention with an object inside. 
     FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a filled bag of the present invention 
     FIG. 5 is an elevational view of another embodiment of the bag of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, a plastic bag  10  having a plurality of panels  11 , namely a front panel  12 , a back panel  14 , a left side panel  16  and a right side panel  18 , is shown. Bag  10  further comprises an opening  20  and a bottom  22 . The illustrative bag  10  is a side gusseted plastic bag having square bottom seals  23 , however, it is to be understood that the present invention may be utilized on bags having different configurations, including but not limited to a sinewave (wavy top) bag, a deli bag, a bottom gusseted bag, a recloseable bag and a bottom and side seal bag, without departing from the novel scope of the present invention. Bag  10  further comprises a top  24  which is defined by the upper perimeter of the tops of panels  11 . Left side panel  16  and right side panel  18  are generally known as gusset areas  19 . Gusset areas  19  each further define fold lines  19   a,  running there through. 
     As can be seen in the Figures, a plurality of arcuate vents  30  are cut into plastic bag  10 . Vents  30  are made in the shape of generally half circles  32  are cut such that they are always in vent pairs  34 . Each arcuate vent  30  is cut intobag  10  such that at least one end point  30   a  of each half circle  32  falls within the half circle of another vent  30 . Vent pairs  34  are placed on bag  10  in a fashion so as to give maximum opening of vents  30  in bag  10  when bag  10  is in use. While vents  30  are described as being cut into bag  10 , it is to be understood that vents  30  may be punched in to bag  10 , or may be melted into bag  10  or may be molded into bag  10  when bag  10  is created, or may be made in any other fashion and by any other method, known to those having skill in the art, without departing from the novel scope of the present invention. 
     Vents  30  are placed in such a manner that they are not located in the natural stress areas created by a handle  44 , described in greater detail below, and the use of handle  44 . In this manner, vents  30  do not cause a weakening or interfere with the structural integrity of bag  10 . In a preferred embodiment, vents  30  are placed generally in the upper portion  10   a  of bag  10 . Because of the natural phenomenon of heat rising, the placement of vents  30  in the upper portion  10   a  of bag  10  allows the best means for removal of the hot moist air. Any number of vents  30  may be placed in bag  10  without departing from the novel scope of the present invention. 
     Plastic bag  10  further comprises a unique handle  44  defined in front panel  12  and back panel  14 . Handle  44  is comprised of generally round openings  46 , generally centered in the front  12  and rear  14  panels, small opening  48  located generally horizontally from approximately the center of openings  46  and on both sides of each opening  46  and perforated line  47  joining each small opening  48  to its respective generally round opening  46 . It is to be understood that a handle on a bag of the present invention, while desirable, is optional and that bags without handles are contemplated and are not a departure from the novel scope of the present invention. In the use of handle  44  of bag  10  of the present invention, when an object is placed into bag  10  and the user lifts bag  10 , using openings  46 , perforated lines  47  are allowed to tear, from opening  46  to small openings  48 , allowing the expansion of openings  46 , perforated lines  47  and openings  48 , into large easy to hold handles (not shown). In this way, wide apertures are made in front panel  12  and rear panel  14 , once fully open, leaving gusset areas  19  (in left side  16  and right side  18  panels) intact. Typically, handles in other bags are found in the gusseted areas. In such bags a handle defined in the gusset areas may cut into the fold line of the gusset and detract from the appearance of the bag once the bag is opened. 
     In a preferred embodiment, handle  44  comprises two openings  46 , one on each of front panel  12  and back panel  14 . Each opening  46  has a diameter of approximately one inch and is centered in the area between the gusset fold line  19   a , shown in FIG. 1, and approximately 2 inches from the top of the bag. Two small openings  48 , each having a diameter of approximately 0.25 inch, are located approximately 3.5 inches apart with larger opening  46  generally centered between them. Perforated lines  47  are located generally parallel to top line  24  and between each small opening  48  and large opening  46 , such that perforated lines  47  connect large opening  46  to each small opening on its respective panel  11 . Handle aperture  44  is formed when bag  10  is opened, the user puts a weighty object into bag  10  and lifts bag  10  by openings  46 . Such lifting, in the presence of an objects of a sufficient weight within bag  10 , allows perforations  47  to tear, between opening  46  and openings  48  respectively in each of front panel  12  and rear panel  14 , forming handles  44 . In a preferred embodiment, perforated lines  47  are made such that they do not detract from the appearance of bag  10 . While handles defined in front panel  12  and rear panel  14  are shown and described, it is to be understood that handles defined in different ways and on different panels of bags, of the present invention, or no handles at all, may be employed without departing from the novel scope of the present invention. 
     Although an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications and substitutions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the novel spirit and scope of the invention.