Patent Publication Number: US-6698474-B1

Title: Bag handling apparatus

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an apparatus for use in handling a bag, and more particularly, the invention is directed to an apparatus for holding a bag open for ease in filling the bag with food or other material. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of bags to store material is common in many commercial and residential tasks. Commonly used bags are often constructed of inexpensive materials such as plastic or paper. Plastic bags are particularly popular to store food in the home and to transport food to other locations, such as to school, work or an outdoor location. 
     Inexpensive plastic bags typically do not include substantial structural support. As a result, the bags must be held open by the user when the bag is being filled. Such types of bags may be held open with one hand by the user, while the user&#39;s other hand is used to coordinate food into the bag. Depending on the type of food being filled, the task of filling the bag may be difficult and time consuming. Further, the process may result in a littered workspace and soiled hands for the user, each requiring additional time for the user to perform appropriate cleaning. 
     There is a need in the art for an apparatus that holds a bag open while material is loaded into the bag, that allows a bag to be quickly and easily mounted to and released from the apparatus, and further allows the benefit of “hands free” use for the user. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An apparatus for holding a bag open for ease in filling the bag with material. The apparatus is adapted to hold a plastic bag open while an operator fills the bag with food. The apparatus advantageously allows for “hands free” use by the operator. 
     In a preferred embodiment, an apparatus for use in handling a bag that has two sides, an open end and a closed end, includes a center support member, a bag tensioner mounted to the support member, and a pair of spaced apart tines mounted to the bag tensioner and extending downwardly with respect to the bag tensioner. The tines have a length greater than a length of the bag sides and a width for defining an opening in the bag open end. The bag tensioner is adjustable from a bag tensioning position to a bag release position, such that in the release position the first tine and the second tine are disposed at the bag release distance such that the tines are insertable into the open end of the bag. When the bag is mounted on the tines and the apparatus is set upon a flat surface, the support member and the tines locate the apparatus such that an opening in the open end of the bag is readily accessible for loading. 
     The tensioner may be a pair of parallel spaced movable arms each associated with one of the tines wherein the arms can be moved toward one another to place the tensioner in the bag release position. The arms may includes a set of ribs defining an operator engagement location. The arms may include a pinch tab extending upwardly from the arm and defining an engagable location for engagement by a finger of an operator of the apparatus. 
     The apparatus may be a single uniformed piece of molded plastic. 
     In one embodiment, when a bag is mounted on the tines and the apparatus is set upon a flat surface, the support member and the tines balance the apparatus without additional support. Further, when a bag is mounted on the tines and the apparatus is set upon a flat surface, a bottom of the support member and a bottom of each of the tines may define a plane; that is co-planar with the flat surface. 
     The center support member may be an elongated column having a length greater than 4.0 inches, wherein the center support member defines a handle for use by an operator of the apparatus. The center support may extend downwardly at an angle away from the tensioner and away from the tines. 
     The tines may have a width that decreases as the tine extends downwardly from the tensioner. Each of the tines may extend downwardly from the tensioner and terminate in an arcuate bottom portion. A distance between the tines may decrease as each of the tines extends downwardly from the tensioner. 
    
    
     Other objects and advantages and a fuller understanding of the invention will become apparent to others with ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing a plastic bag mounted on the apparatus; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus  10  constructed in accordance with the present invention. The apparatus  10  is designed and adapted to hold a bag open while a user fills the bag with food. The apparatus allows for an operator to mount a bag on the apparatus, set the apparatus and the mounted bag onto a flat surface, and with “hands free” operation of the apparatus, fill the bag with food. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 1, a plastic bag  20  is shown mounted on the apparatus  10 . The plastic bag  20  as shown is a conventional bag, having two sides  22   a ,  22   b , a sealed closed end  24 , and an unsealed open end  26 . Slightly offset from the open end  26  is a zipper  28  that allows the bag to be locked once filled with food. It should be understood by others with ordinary skill in the art that other types of bags can be used in the practice of this invention. 
     The apparatus  10  includes a center support member  30 , a bag tensioner  40  and a pair of spaced apart tines  52 ,  54 . The bag tensioner  40  is mounted to the support member  30  at a location  32  at the upper end of the support member  30 . The pair of spaced apart tines  52 ,  54  are mounted to the bag tensioner  40  at two location  53 ,  55  respectively at the distal end of the tensioner with respect to the center support member  40 . The tines  52 ,  54  extend downwardly with respect to the bag tensioner  40 . FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG.  1 . As best seen in FIG. 3, the tines  52 ,  54  have a length L T  greater than a length of the bag sides and a width W T  for defining an opening in the bag open end. 
     The apparatus as shown in FIGS. 1-3 is a single uniformed piece of molded plastic. In other words, the support member  30 , tensioner  40  and tines  52 ,  54  are all formed together as parts of a single unit. However, it should be understood by others with ordinary skill in the art that other types of materials, connection techniques, and manufacturing methods can be used to produce an apparatus accordance with the present invention. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the tensioner  40  is formed by a pair of parallel spaced movable arms  42 ,  44 . Each arm is associated and attached with one of the tines  52 ,  54  at a connection point  53 ,  55  respectively. As best shown in FIG. 2, the arms  42 ,  44  can be moved toward one another to place the tensioner in a bag release position represented by the dashed lines. FIG. 2 is a top view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     Referring still to FIG. 2, the bag tensioner  40  is adjustable from a bag tensioning position to a bag release position. In the release position, the first tine  52  and the second tine  54  are disposed at a bag release distance D R  such that the tines  52 ,  54  are insertable into the open end of the bag. As stated, the tines  52 ,  54  are represented in FIG. 2 in dashed lines in the bag release position. A bag tension distance D T  is also shown in FIG.  2 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, a bag  20  is shown mounted on the two tines  52 ,  54 . In this position, the tines are separated by a bar tension distance D T  as best shown in FIG.  2 . When the bag  20  is mounted on the tines as illustrated in FIG. 1, and the apparatus  10  is set upon a flat surface, the support member  30  and the tines  52 ,  54  locate the apparatus  10  such that an opening in the open end of the bag is readily accessible for loading. The opening is defined in FIG. 1 by the open end  26  of the bag  20 . In this position, the bag is tensioned and essentially will not move off the tines without the application of a material force. For example, gravity alone will not remove the bag. 
     Advantageously, the support member  30  and the times  52 ,  54  balance the apparatus  10  in this position without any additional support. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a bottom surface  62  of the support member  30 , a bottom surface  64  of the first tine  52 , a bottom surface  66  of the second tine  54  together define a plane that is co-planar with a flat surface. This flat surface  90  is best seen in FIG.  3 . This positioning allows the apparatus to rest in a fixed location without support of the operator and at the same time hold the mounted bag in a tensioned position. This positioning advantageously allows the operator to enjoy “hands free” operation of the apparatus while filling the bag with food as the bag rests on the flat surface  90 . 
     The pair of parallel spaced movable arms  42 ,  44  may includes a set of ribs defining an operator engagement location. Only one set  70   a ,  70   b ,  70   c ,  70   d  is shown in FIG. 1 and 3. In the embodiment shown, the arm also include a pinch tab  72 ,  74  extending upwardly from each arm  42 ,  44 . The tabs  72 ,  74  define an engagable location for engagement by a finger of an operator of the apparatus. 
     The application of the apparatus  10  positioned in the orientation shown in FIG. 1 will now be discussed. An operator may first place the index finger of his/her left hand on the outside of the first tab  72  and the thumb of his/her left hand of the outside second tab  74 . The ribs  70   a  . . .  70   d  conveniently allow the operator to engage his/her finger or thumb in the proper location. By squeezing the two tabs  72 ,  74  together, the tines  52 ,  54  are moved toward one another. After application of an adequate manual force, the distance between them will become the release distance D R  shown in FIG.  2 . The apparatus is designed such that the force required to move the tines is not excessive, allowing use by the elderly and children. With the tines  52 ,  54  separated by release distance D R , the operator must use his/her right hand to place to prepare the bag for insertion of the tines. As shown in FIG. 1, the bag has been oriented such that the sealed side  78  of the bag is cooperatively aligned with the tines. After orienting the bag, the operator must slip the tines  52 ,  54  into the bag  20  until the bottom of each time is near or adjacent the bottom inside of the bag  20 . The operator then may disengage his/her finger and thumb from the tabs  72 ,  74 , allowing the tines to separate to a tension distance D T  as shown in FIG.  2 . In this position, the bag  30  is tensioned and an opening at the top of the bag is defined by the bags top edge  26 . 
     In one embodiment, the center support member  30  is an elongated column having a length greater than 4.0 inches. With at least this length, the center support member  30  defines a convenient handle for use by an operator of the apparatus. As best seen in FIG. 3, the center support shown extends downwardly at an angle away from the tensioner  40  and away from the tines  52 ,  54 . 
     The tines may be conveniently shaped for ease of use by an operator. Each of the tines  52 ,  54  has a width that decreases as the tine extends downwardly from the arms  42 ,  44 . As shown in FIG. 3, the tine  54  extends downwardly from the arm  44  and terminates in an arcuate bottom portion  80 . Further, the internal side walls  82 ,  84  of the tines  52 ,  54  may be conveniently shaped and contoured to ease insertion into the bag. As best seen in FIG. 2, with the bag in the tensioning position, the distance between the tines decreases as each of the tines  52 ,  54  extends downwardly from the tensioner  40 . In other words, the internal side walls  82 ,  84  of each tine curve toward the opposing tine as the tines extend toward the bottom surface  64 ,  66  respectively. 
     Many modifications and variations of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the foregoing disclosure. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention can be practiced otherwise than has been specifically shown and described.