Patent Publication Number: US-9850034-B2

Title: Self-opening bags with attaching features

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The instant application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/615,791, filed Feb. 6, 2015, and currently pending, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/771,759, filed Feb. 20, 2013, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,979,367 on Mar. 17, 2015, which is a continuation of PCT Application Serial No. PCT/US11/67515 filed on Dec. 28, 2011 and claims priority to the filing date thereof. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of self-opening film bags and more specifically to folded and gusseted merchandise and produce bags for which attaching features are provided to outer surfaces of the bags. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In supermarkets and grocery stores film bags are used for fresh produce and other grocery items. Such bags provide a low cost, convenient and sanitary method for the collection and transport of otherwise unwrapped food items. Because these bags are usually made of lightweight, very flexible material and because the film used in construction of these bags is often corona treated to enhance ink adhesion, the bag surfaces tend to stick together. This makes the bags difficult to open, often requiring the use of both hands. In order to make the bags easier to use, various systems have been developed to make the bags either self opening or at least easier to open. Some of the inventions that have been developed to provide these features include the following: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,090, issued to Case et al., discloses a bag roll of flexible plastic material that is formed in a continuous strip of bags with transverse severance lines between the individual bags. The Patent proposes to solve a familiar problem in the dispensing of plastic film bags from rolls that normally require the use of two hands. In the first place, it is desirable to sever one bag from the roll while stabilizing the remaining portion of the roll so that additional bags are not released as the first bag is severed from the roll. Further, the actual opening of the individual bag is less than convenient since the extremely thin nature of the bag material has a static cling which tends to keep the bag closed. Of specific interest, is the solving of the second problem wherein a releasable adhesive or bonding material is placed between the outer surface of the inner panel of each bag adjacent to the mouth-defining edge and the outer surface of the outer panel of the same or a following bag aligned beneath in the roll. As the first bag is released from the roll, a greater force is provided by the adhesive so that the following bag provides sufficient resistance to allow the leading bag to be severed from the roll while simultaneously holding the remaining portion of the roll in position. As the roll is stabilized by the adhesive only a single hand is necessary to retrieve the bag and at the same time the first bag is simultaneously opened since the adhesive bonding of the inner panel of each bag adjacent to the bag mouth allows for the bag being dispensed to open more easily and thus a single one-hand operation is achieved. 
     The applied adhesive provides for a releasable adhering or bonding of the inner panel of each bag to the outer panel or panel portions inward thereof in the formed roll. The releasable adhesive bonding allows for the withdrawal of a leading bag from the roll with a resistance to release between the bags which is greater than the resistance required to sever one bag from the roll along the severance line or perforations. Thus, the adhesive provides a resistance to a continued unrolling of the bags while allowing the severance to take place. The opening of the bag is achieved since the adhesive lies solely between the outer surface of the inner panel of each bag and the outer surface of the underlying outer panel. The outer panel of each bag remains free of its associated inner panel at the inward edges and when the user positions the hand over the leading edge portion of the outer panel of the leading bag and the bag is forwardly drawn the mouth automatically is opened in light of the adhesive retained inner panel adjacent the mouth edge thereof. This allows the mouth of the leading bag to be substantially fully opened prior to the release of the associated inner panel adjacent to the leading or mouth defining edge thereof. All of this achieves a single-handed manipulation of the bags so that as it is removed from the roll, the roll is stabilized preventing further unrolling of the following bags and also allowing the dispensed bag to be substantially fully opened. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,092, issued to Campbell et al. is directed to a roll of thermoplastic bags with provision of improved openability. The bags include an area of tacky, pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to an outer surface of the bags such that when the bag is pulled from the roll or stack the adhesive temporarily adheres one side of the bag to the roll or stack and thus causes the front and back of the bag to separate slightly thus providing for an easy opening operation. When the bag is dispensed from the roll, the adhesive on the outside back surface of the bag serves to temporarily adhere that surface to the underlying roll. This causes the front and back top ends of the bag to separate slightly when a bag is dispensed. Thus, the openability of the bag is achieved more easily. More specifically, the bag is being dispensed from the stack while adhesive on the outside back surface of bag serves to temporarily adhere that surface to the underlying stack causing the front and back top ends of the bags to separate slightly as the bag is dispensed. 
     U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0040974, published for Chen illustrates a plastic bag dispenser and manufacturing method thereof. An adhesive is used on top near the opening of each bag for sticking to the next below bag wherein the closed ends are bent downward toward the openings of the bags so as to form a bent section at the underside of the stack. Thus, when the user exerts a small force to pull one bag from the container through the opening assembly a second bag is prevented from being removed from the stack while as the bag is removed from the box dispenser, the opening is exposed in an open state until the bag is completely removed from the widthwise opening and disengaged from the next bag below which is adhered to the immediately above bag by adhesive until the opening is in an open state. At this point, the top halves of both folded sections and the opening of the next bag below are exposed at the top of the container. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,223,016, issued to Bell disclose a method of opening for bags of supple polymeric material subject to interlayer cling. Bags having openings in or truncated portions of gusset panels create graspable regions which can be tensioned in a direction against a region which is tensioned in another direction thus developing a tension in a first sidewall and a second sidewall allowing for a small amount of tension to cause the first sidewall and second sidewall to sheer in opposite directions and inner layer cling to be disrupted between the graspable regions. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,050, issued to Cilla is directed to multi-ply film articles with provision for readily separating the confronting faces of first and second plies of film. A flexible plastic film bag comprises a ply of flat flexible film superimposed over a second ply of flexible plastic film with edges joined to form a bag with an open end. A portion of the film defines the open end of the bag that is “puckered” such that distortion extends across the full width of open end of the bag. The confronting face of the portion of the film is separated from the confronting face of the opposed portion by the “puckered” distortion in the film. Thus, a means for grasping the bag is provided and the confronting faces of the two films of the bag are easily opened. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,017, issued to Hodges is directed to plastic bags having through bores for easy opening. This Patent is another example of a plastic bag that is dispensed from a roll or carton. The bag may have an expandable gusset near one end thereof but the open end has a plurality of through bores that are aligned and extend across the opening for facilitating the opening thereof. The through bores may extend across only one ply of the bag opening or may be offset from one another in both plies such that the bores touch one another and allow for easy opening of the film bag. 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide a system for making thin film bags self-opening or easier to open. It is a further objective to provide such a system that will allow the user to open the bags with only one hand. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a system that is not dependant upon the type of dispenser system that the bags are used with. It is yet a further objective to provide a system that can be used with bags that are folded into compact bag rolls or packs. It is another objective to provide an opening system that works with gusseted bags. Finally, it is an objective of the present invention to provide such a system that does not require adhering subsequent bags in a roll or pack together. 
     While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses all of the deficiencies of prior art self-opening bag inventions and satisfies all of the objectives described above. 
     (1) A self opening bag providing the desired features may be constructed from the following components. A front wall is provided. The front wall has an inner surface, an outer surface, first and second side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge. A rear wall is provided. The rear wall has an inner surface, an outer surface, first and second side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge. The front wall is joined to the rear wall adjacent respective first and second side edges thereof. The front wall is sealed to the rear wall adjacent respective bottom edges thereof. An open mouth is located adjacent the top edges. The bag is folded twice parallel to the side edges to form a Z-folded bag one third of a width of the bag. 
     The outer surface of the front wall has first, second and third portions. Each of the portions has an upper end adjacent the open mouth. The outer surface of the rear wall has fourth, fifth and sixth portions. Each of the portions has an upper end adjacent the open mouth. At least one attaching feature is provided. The attaching feature is selected from the group that includes cold staking, hot pinning, multiple corona treatment, corona treatment with pressure points, knife cutting with pressure, wherein the knife cutting with pressure causes edges of a knife cut through adjacent bag layers to adhere together, special resin formulations, and glue spotting. The attaching feature is located at at least one of a first point between the second portion and the third portion adjacent the upper end and a second point between the fourth portion and the fifth portion adjacent the upper end. The attaching feature secures at least one of the second portion to the third portion and fourth portion to the fifth portion. The bottom edges of the folded bag are releasably attached to the top edges of a subsequent folded bag. The folded bags are rolled into a compact bag roll. The at least one attaching feature causes the bag to open as the bag is pulled from the subsequent bag. 
     (2) In another variant, the front and rear walls of each of the bags is removably attached by a perforation line at the bottom edges to the top edges of the subsequent bag. 
     (3) In still another variant, the bags include a chisel cut. The chisel cut extends through a center point of the perforation line. When the compact roll is installed in a bag dispenser the chisel cut will engage a separating tongue when bags are pulled from the roll. 
     (4) In yet another variant, the bags are rolled about a core. 
     (5) In a further variant, the bags include at least one side gusset. The side gusset extends inwardly from at least one of the first and second side edges of the front and rear walls. 
     (6) In still a further variant, the bag further includes a bottom gusset. The bottom gusset extends upwardly from the bottom edges. 
     (7) In yet a further variant, the outer surface of at least one of the front wall and the rear wall of the bags is corona treated. 
     (8) In another variant of the invention, the attaching feature may be a natural or synthetic substance or other attaching means not requiring a separate substance. 
     (9) In still another variant, the attaching feature may be sprayed, rolled or dropped on the outer bag surfaces or may involve mechanical or electrical manipulation of the bag surfaces. 
     (10) In a final variant, the attaching feature comprises any of mechanical and electrical manipulation of said bag surfaces. 
     An appreciation of the other aims and objectives of the present invention and an understanding of it may be achieved by referring to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description of a preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a Z-fold Tri-fold bag with attaching features; 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 1  embodiment being folded; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a C-fold Tri-fold bag with attaching features; 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 2  embodiment being folded; 
         FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of a compact roll of  FIG. 1  bags in a dispenser illustrating the self opening feature; 
         FIG. 2C  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 1  embodiment illustrating joined attaching features during opening of the bag; 
         FIG. 2D  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 1  embodiment illustrating the parting of an attaching feature during bag opening; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a gusseted C-fold Tri-fold bag with attaching features; 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 3  embodiment being folded; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a gusseted Z-fold Tri-fold bag with attaching features; 
         FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 4  embodiment being folded; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a once folded rectangular bag with attaching feature; 
         FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 5  embodiment being folded; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a once folded, gusseted rectangular bag with attaching feature; 
         FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 6  embodiment being folded; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a once folded rectangular bag with attaching feature prior to folding; 
         FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 7  embodiment with bottom sealed after being folded; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a once folded, gusseted rectangular bag with attaching feature prior to folding; 
         FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 8  embodiment with bottom sealed after being folded; 
         FIG. 8B  is a bottom side perspective view of the  FIG. 8  embodiment after bag opening; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a multi-fold bag with attaching feature that is sealed prior to folding; 
         FIG. 9A  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 9  embodiment partially folded; 
         FIG. 9B  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 9  embodiment after folding; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a multi-fold bag with attaching feature that is sealed after folding; 
         FIG. 10A  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 10  embodiment partially folded; 
         FIG. 10B  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 10  embodiment after folding; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a stack of vertically folded bags with an attaching feature adjacent an upper end of the bag; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of multiple stacks of header bags prior to insertion in a dispensing container; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of multiple stacks of bags enclosed in a flexible outer cover with dispensing aperture; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of multiple stacks of bags in a dispensing container; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a t-shirt style bag with attaching feature that is sealed at the bottom after folding; 
         FIG. 15A  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 15  embodiment partially folded; 
         FIG. 15B  is a perspective view of the  FIG. 15  embodiment after folding; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a portion of a film tube from which a bottom gusset bag with attaching feature is formed; 
         FIG. 16A  is a partial perspective view of the  FIG. 16  tube after formation of the gusset and sealing of the side edges; 
         FIG. 16B  is a partial perspective view of the  FIG. 16  embodiment prior to folding; and 
         FIG. 16C  is a partial perspective view of the  FIG. 16  embodiment partially folded. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     (1)  FIGS. 1-16  illustrate a self-opening bag  10  providing the desired features that may be constructed from the following components. As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 1A , a front wall  14  is provided. The front wall  14  has an inner surface  18 , an outer surface  22 , first  26  and second  30  side edges, a top edge  34  and a bottom edge  38 . A rear wall  42  is provided. The rear wall  42  has an inner surface  46 , an outer surface  50 , first  54  and second  58  side edges, a top edge  62  and a bottom edge  66 . The front wall  14  is joined to the rear wall  42  adjacent respective first  26 ,  54  and second  30 ,  58  side edges thereof. The front wall  14  is sealed to the rear wall  42  adjacent respective bottom edges  38 ,  66  thereof. An open mouth  70  is located adjacent the top edges  34 ,  62 . The bag  10  is folded twice parallel to the side edges  26 ,  54 ,  30 ,  58  to form a Z-folded bag  74  one third of a width  78  of the bag  10 . 
     The outer surface  22  of the front wall  14  has first  82 , second  86  and third  90  portions. Each of the portions  82 ,  86 ,  90  has an upper end  94  adjacent the open mouth  70 . The outer surface  50  of the rear wall  42  has fourth  98 , fifth  102  and sixth  106  portions. Each of the portions  98 ,  102 ,  106  has an upper end  110  adjacent the open mouth  70 . At least one attaching feature  114  is provided. The attaching feature is selected from the group that includes cold staking (not shown), hot pinning  242 , multiple corona treatment (not shown), corona treatment with pressure points (not shown), knife cutting (not shown), special resin formulations (not shown), and glue spotting (not shown). The attaching feature  114  is located at at least one of a first point  118  between the second portion  86  and the third  90  portion adjacent the upper end  94  and a second point  122  between the fourth portion  98  and the fifth  102  portion adjacent the upper end  110 . The attaching feature  114  secures at least one of the second portion  86  to the third portion  90  and fourth portion  98  to the fifth portion  102 . The bottom edges  38 ,  66  of the folded bag  74  are releasably attached to the top edges  34 ,  62  of a subsequent folded bag  74 . The folded bags  74  are rolled into a compact bag roll  166 . The at least one attaching feature  114  causes the bag  74  to open as the bag  74  is pulled from the subsequent bag  74 . 
     (2) In a variant of the invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the front  14  and rear  42  walls of each of the bags  10  is removably attached by a perforation line  162  at the bottom edges  38 ,  66  to the top edges  34 ,  62  of the subsequent bag  10 . 
     (3) In another variant, as illustrated in  FIG. 2C , the bags  10  include a chisel cut  170 . The chisel cut  170  extends through a center point  174  of the perforation line  162 . When the compact roll  166  is installed in a bag dispenser  178  the chisel cut  170  will engage a separating tongue  182  when bags  10  are pulled from the roll  166 . 
     (4) In still another variant, the bags  10  are rolled about a core  186 . 
     (5) In yet another variant, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3, 3A, 6, 6A, 8 and 8A , the bags  10  include at least one side gusset  190 . The side gusset  190  extends inwardly from at least one of the first  26 ,  54  and second  30 ,  58  side edges of the front  14  and rear  42  walls. 
     (6) In a further variant, as illustrated in  FIGS. 16, 16A, 16B and 16C , the bag  10  further includes a bottom gusset  194 . The bottom gusset  194  extends upwardly from the bottom edges  38 ,  66 . 
     (7) In still a further variant, as illustrated in  FIG. 9A , the outer surface  22 ,  50  of at least one of the front wall  14  and the rear wall  42  of the bags  10  is corona treated  198 . 
     (8) In yet a further variant of the invention, the attaching feature  114  may be a natural or synthetic substance or other attaching means not requiring a separate substance. 
     (9) In another variant, the attaching feature  114  may be sprayed, rolled or dropped on the outer bag surfaces or may involve mechanical or electrical manipulation of the bag surfaces  18 ,  22 ,  46 ,  50 . 
     (10) In a final variant, the attaching  114  feature comprises any of mechanical and electrical manipulation of said bag surfaces  18 ,  22 ,  46 ,  50 . 
     The self-opening bags  10 , have been described with reference to particular embodiments. Other modifications and enhancements can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims that follow.