Patent Publication Number: US-8978719-B2

Title: Bag&#39;s fitting and a bag with said fitting

Description:
This application is a U.S. National Phase Application under 35 USC 371 of International Application PCT/IL2010/000189 filed Mar. 9, 2010. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of packaging. More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of bags and fitting, particularly for filling bags using a dispenser. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Some bulk products are packaged in bags by dispensing machines, these machines usually fills bags automatically. Still there are cases that the work must be done manually. For example, in order  10  protect a product in its package bags that were just filled with foam are inserted in the spaces of the package, the foam is harden in few seconds and holds the product in place. For this purpose the present invention provides a fitting to be coupled with bag enabling fast connection to a dispenser. 
     Hence, these bags and fitting are useful for filling bags with foam materials. The foam—e.g., polyurethane foam—is generally created by mixing two chemicals components and this foam is hardened within 10-30 seconds. In some cases, a foam dispenser is used to dispense small portions of foam directly into a dedicated bag and these bags, filled with the foam&#39;s portions, are used for packaging. 
     The present invention is particularly useful for the dispenser that is described in the patent application PCT/IL2005/000356, which was published on Oct. 6, 2005 under the number WO 2005/091721. 
     Since foam is hardened within few seconds, the duration of connecting and disconnecting the bag to and of a dispenser is critical and must be as short as possible. Moreover, if the dispensing process stops for more than few seconds the leftover foam in the dispenser&#39;s outlet hardens and should be removed before continuing dispensing. 
     The fitting and the attached bag of the present invention enables the connection of a bag to the dispenser and to disconnect it quickly and easily. It also can be accessorized by a mechanism that is located on the fitting, which removes leftover foam from the dispenser&#39;s outlet during the connection or disconnection. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a bag&#39;s fitting and a bag with said fitting, particularly for connecting bags to a dispenser and in some cases to a mounting-shoe that is installed on the dispenser&#39;s outlet. 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a bag, with a fitting that is attached to its opening, enables to connect this bag fast and easy to the outlet of a dispenser and to fast and easy to remove it after filling. The fitting of the present invention is designed for this purpose and a bag can be attached to this fitting by way of welding, gluing or any other form of attachment. 
     The fitting can includes a mechanism e.g., flexible stripe, a tooth or a rouge portion, which partly raised of the fitting&#39;s upper surface and located on the upper surface of the fitting. While the fitting is connected or disconnected, the mechanism slides along the dispenser outlet and removes any leftover. 
     Moreover, the fitting can includes information for identifying its existence and the characters of the attached bag. Color of the fitting can use for visual identification, but also can includes printed information e.g., barcode, imprinting codes, holograms, chip or holes in a particular location. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention a bag&#39;s fitting is provided designed to enable attaching bag&#39;s inlet to the lower side of the fitting in order to easily connect and disconnect the fitting with the bag on and out of a dispenser. This fitting has at least one passage that enables material to pass from the dispenser to the bag. 
     According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the provided bag&#39;s fitting further includes a connecting means enabling to connect it to a dispenser or to a mounting-shoe of a dispenser. This connecting means can be bayonet, Velcro, magnet or any other connecting means. 
     According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the provided bag&#39;s fitting further includes sliders or edges for sliding into guide rails that are located on the mounting-shoe that is installed on the outlet of the dispenser. 
     According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the provided bag&#39;s fitting further includes a cleaning means, in order to remove any leftover from the dispenser&#39;s outlet, while connecting or disconnecting it. This cleaning means can be a flexible stripe, a tooth or a rouge portion, which partly raised of the fitting&#39;s upper surface and located on the upper surface of the fitting in the way that it slides along the dispenser outlet, while inserting or removing the fitting, and removes any leftover. 
     According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the provided bag&#39;s fitting further includes an identification means in order to identify the existence of the fitting and/or to identify bag&#39;s characters. The identification means can be printed on the fitting, imprinted on it, can be hologram, chip or by a way of hole or holes located in a particular location of the fitting. While using holes for identification, identifying can be done by the existence or non existence or a combination of the holes in a particular location in the fitting, and at least one of these holes can be used for identification by the way of allowing passage—when the hole is exists—a light from a source to a sensor or blocking the light when the hole dose not exists. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention a coupled bag and fitting is provided wherein (a) the bag&#39;s opening is attached to the lower side of the fitting; (b) the fitting designed to easily connect and disconnect, the bag and fitting, on and out of a dispenser or a dispenser&#39;s mounting-shoe; and (c) the fitting has at least one passage that enables material to pass from the dispenser into the bag. 
     According to a preferred embodiment the coupled bag and a fitting of the present invention is provided, wherein the fitting further includes a connecting means enabling to connect it to a dispenser or to a mounting-shoe of a dispenser. The connecting means can be bayonet. Velcro, magnet or any other connecting means. Moreover, the fitting can further includes sliders or edges for sliding into guide rails that are located on the mounting-shoe of the dispenser. 
     According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention the coupled bag and fitting is provided, wherein the fitting further includes a cleaning means, in order to remove any leftover from the dispenser&#39;s outlet, while connecting or disconnecting the fitting. This cleaning means can be a flexible stripe, a tooth or a rouge portion, which partly raised of the fitting&#39;s upper surface and located on the upper surface of the fitting in the way that it slides along the dispenser outlet, while inserting or removing the fitting, and removes any leftover. 
     According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention the coupled bag and fitting is provided with identification means in order to identify the existence of the fitting and/or to identify the characters of the attached bag. The identification means can be printed on the fitting imprinted on it or by a way of hole or holes in particular locations on the fitting. The identification, using the holes, is done by the existence or non existence or a combination of the holes in a specific location in the fitting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. 
       In the figures: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates the use of the present invention with a preferred embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of the bag&#39;s fitting of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates another view of the bag&#39;s fitting in order to show in detail the flexible stripe. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the other aspect of the present invention—a bag with a fitting assembled as one unit ready for use. 
     
    
    
     A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is a bag&#39;s fitting and a bag coupled with the fitting. The principles and operation of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawing and the accompanying description. 
     The description is refers to three figures.  FIG. 1  illustrates the use of the present invention using a preferred embodiment. The supplying unit of a dispenser  10  is shown with its outlet  11  on which the mounting-shoe (not shown) is installed. A bag&#39;s fitting  20  with an attached bag  25  is connected to the outlet  11  by sliding in the fitting  20  through the guide rails that are located beside the dispenser&#39;s outlet. The produced foam is passed through the fitting  20  directly to the bag  25 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a preferred embodiment of the bag&#39;s fitting according to the present invention. The bag&#39;s fitting  20  is comprised of a base rim  22  onto which the bag&#39;s opening is welded; two sliders  23 —with a passage between and with edge stoppers  23   a —to enable slide-in of the fitting onto the guide rails of the dispenser&#39;s mounting shoe (as deep as the edge stoppers  23   a  allow); a flexible stripe  24  with partly raised surface  24   b  whose edges are connected in the fitting&#39;s passage. The corner of the raised surface removes the leftover foam from the dispenser&#39;s outlet while the fitting slides-in to the mounting shoe. The raised surface  24   b  is also compensates for any high deviation of the dispenser&#39;s outlet; and a passage  24   a  in the raised surface of the flexible stripe, which enables foam to pass through, from the dispenser into the bag. While the fitting  20  is connected to the dispenser&#39;s outlet  11  and a bag  25  is attached, wherein its opening is welded to the fitting&#39;s base rim  22 , the foam is dispensed through the dispenser&#39;s outlet  11  directly into the bag  25 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates another view of the bag&#39;s fitting  20  in order to show in detail the flexible stripe  24 . The flexible stripe  24  is a part of the fitting, which is connected in the passage by its edges and is capable of moving up and down. While the fitting  20  is slides in, the stripe adjusts itself to the dispenser&#39;s outlet and the corner  24   c  of the raised surface  24   b  removes any leftover foam that may remain in the dispenser&#39;s outlet. The passage  24   a  in the raised surface of the flexible stripe  24 , enables the foam to pass through, from the dispenser into the bag. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the other aspect of the present invention—a bag with a fitting assembled as one unit ready for use. The opening of the bag  25  is welded or glued  26  to the fitting  20 . For filling the bag  25  with dispensed foam, the bag is attached via the fitting to the dispenser&#39;s outlet. While sliding-in the fitting, the blade removes any leftover foam and the dispenser is ready to supply foam to the bag. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the fitting includes a reflecting face  27  enables—by way of any sensing method such as a barcode, chip, hologram, holes in particular location or other identification method—to recognize the bag&#39;s existence and characters. Moreover, different colors of the fittings enable visual recognition of different bags. 
     Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art, accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.