Patent Publication Number: US-6698927-B2

Title: Bag stuffer with improved spring

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to bag stuffers having an insert movable from a collapsed orientation which enables compact storage of an expandable bag containing the insert, to an expanded orientation which provides a commercial display of the expandable bag containing the insert, and in particular to such a bag stuffer with an improved spring. 
     Bag stuffers or expanders are well-known in the retail art. Each includes an insert movable from a collapsed orientation which enables compact storage, to an expanded orientation which provides a commercial display of the expandable bag containing the insert. Bag stuffers are used with a wide variety of expandable articles which, for reasons of economy, are preferably shipped and stored in a relatively flat or collapsed orientation, but are best presented in commercial displays in an expanded orientation. Such articles include backpacks, baseball bags, basketball bags, beach bags, belt bags, briefcases, cooler bags, cosmetic kits, cross trainer bags, duffle bags, Dop kits, bowling bags, fashion totes, hand bags, locker bags, lunch bags, pilot cases, purses, roller skating bags, snorkeling bags, soft-sided luggage, sports bags, sportsman&#39;s gear bags, tackle bags, tennis bags, utility bags and the like. The present invention can be used to stuff any of these bags and any other soft bags not specifically listed, as well. 
     Initially the function of the bag stuffer was performed by cardboard forms or crushed paper which had to be inserted by the retailer after receipt of the collapsed article from the manufacturer. Indeed, some bag stuffers still require the retailer to insert his hand or an instrument into the collapsed article to activate the bag stuffer, that is, to move the insert from its collapsed orientation to its expanded orientation. Modern bag stuffers, however, typically include means for biasing the insert to the expanded orientation, and releasable restraining means which are disposed about the insert in the collapsed orientation for restraining movement of the insert from the collapsed orientation to the expanded orientation. 
     In its simplest form, the restraining means may be disposed about the outside of the expandable bag containing the insert so that the retailer has only to cut or otherwise disable the restraining means in order to activate the insert. This is generally not an acceptable situation as the restraining means (or the article used to cut or disable the restraining means) may mar the exterior surface of the bag, thereby rendering it unsaleable. Accordingly, most modern restraining means are disposed about the insert and within the expandable bag containing the insert, so that the restraining means cannot mar the exterior surface of the bag. 
     A further disadvantage of the known bag stuffers is the requirement that the ends of the biasing means (which is typically a coil spring) must be secured to the planar elements or panels of the insert against which they bear by adhesive or the like. The use of adhesive is typically messy and time consuming (as the adhesive must be given an opportunity to dry before it is subjected to forces which may result in relative movement of the spring and the panel), and therefore expensive. While non-adhesive techniques exist for securing the spring ends and planar elements of the insert together, these typically involve expensive and/or compound mechanisms. Accordingly, the need remains for a bag stuffer wherein the ends of the biasing means are directly secured to the planar elements without adhesives and without expensive and/or compound mechanisms. 
     A further disadvantage of the known bag stuffers is the limitations on the configurations of the expandable bags with which they are useful. Thus while the known bag stuffers are typically useful with relatively shallow, generally rectangular bags, the various planar elements of the insert which abut the bag and are used to force the bag to its expanded orientation could not be used in connection with cylindrical or duffel-type bags or other bags not having parallel sides. Additionally, even where the bag has parallel sides, the biasing means typically cannot separate the planar elements by more than a given distance (determined by the length of the coil spring biasing means) unless an intermediate panel or flap is used (with the biasing means acting on the flap which in turn separates the planar elements). Accordingly, the need remains for a bag stuffer which can expand unusually shaped bags and which, without the presence of intermediate elements (such as flaps) permits the biasing means to move the planar elements abutting the bag to a desired separation greater than the length of the biasing means. 
     One of the inventors of the present application (Hedaya) has contributed to this field in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,542,767 and 5,259,674, as well as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/768,882 filed Jan. 24, 2001 for an Improved Bag Stuffer, which are all incorporated here by reference. Both patents disclose the use of springs to deploy panels of a bag expander or stuffer. The pending U.S. patent application discloses improved designs and placement for the springs. 
     A need still remains for a bag stuffer of increased efficience and reduced cost and complexity for the luggage industry and related fields. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a bag stuffer which is safe to use, simple and inexpensive to manufacture and deploy. 
     Another object is to provide a bag stuffer where the ends of the biasing means can be directly secured to the insert planar elements without adhesives and without expensive and/or compound mechanisms. 
     A further object is to provide a bag stuffer which permits the biasing means to move the planar elements abutting the bag to a desired separation greater than the length of the biasing means without the presence of intermediate elements such as flaps. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a bag stuffer which, in one embodiment, is useful with non-rectangular bags. 
     It has been found that the above and related objects of the present invention are obtained in a bag stuffer for an expandable bag, the stuffer having a floor panel and one or two side panels connected at one of two hinges to one end or to both opposite ends of the floor panel. The panels form insert means and biasing means in the form of a uniquely shaped and placed spring is provided at each hinge. 
     The insert means are movable from a collapsed orientation with the side panel(s) laying flat on and over the floor panel, for enabling compact storage of an expandable bag containing the insert means, to an expanded orientation with the side panel pushed up and away from the floor panel, for providing a commercial display of an expanded bag containing the insert means. 
     According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the spring is shaped like the letter Z and utilizes a torsional twisting of the middle, body or torso portion of the Z to bias the side panel(s) toward its outward or open position. 
     The panels are substantially rigid, substantially planar elements that are connected to each other at the hinges. 
     The springs are each Z shaped torsion springs with straight torso or body portions and straight or bent arms extending at angles from opposite ends of the torso portion. The arms respectively lie flap against an inside surfaces of the floor and side panels. The torso portion is held outside the hinge or hinge area of the insert which is simply a fold line in the insert material between the panels. The straight middle or torso portion extends through a pair of spaced openings in the insert at the hinge or fold line to hold the spring in place in the simplest, cheapest yet most effective manner. This simply and efficiently locks the springs in place without glue or other structures, and caused the springs to act immediately at the hinge area on the fold lines to open the side panels. This local action of all the torsional spring force of the invention immediately in the hinge areas, among other things, distinguishes the present invention over the prior art. 
     Where corrugated cardboard is used as the panel material, the corrugations extend parallel to the serial connection of the panels to each other. This is also transverse to the fold lines forming the hinge areas between the panels. The arms or ends of each Z shaped spring lie flat against the inner surfaces of the cardboard and have a strong, wear-resistant area against which to apply the spring force to open the panels without damaging the cardboard material or exposing the tips of the spring. 
     Although certain preferred embodiments of the invention include a bottom panel and a pair of opposite side panels which are either folded to the same side of the bottom panel or to opposite sides of the bottom panel to form a Z shape for the insert as well, the invention operates just as well for certain types of bags with a bottom panel and only a single side panel to form an L shaped insert. 
     The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the bag stuffer of the invention, in an open flat position before insertion into a bag to be stuffed; 
     FIG. 2 is a side sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the bag stuffer of FIG. 2, in a folded position inside a collapsed bag that is vacuum sealed in a wrapper for storage and shipment; 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but of the stuffer of the invention in an expanded position inside the expanded bag for display; and 
     FIG. 5 is a view of the torsion spring of the invention superimposed on a pair of intersecting planes to better illustrate the shape of the spring. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings, the invention embodied in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a bag stuffer generally designated  10  in an open flat orientation or position before it is inserted into an expandable bag. The expandable bag, shown schematically at  12  in FIGS. 3 and 4, may be soft-sided luggage, a purse, a cosmetic kit, a Dop kit, a briefcase, a backpack or any other type of soft bag. Its is not necessarily a rectangular right angled parallelepiped or box-like configuration. The bag may be of cylindrical, trapezoidal, irregular or of any other configuration. 
     It will be appreciated by those familiar with the bag stuffer art that the soft portions of the bag  12  which can be folded down to a collapsed position for storage and transport, are typically randomly crumpled and not folded in a neat and orderly manner as shown in FIG. 3, for example. For the present invention it is sufficient for the bag to have an area inside, usually at the bottom of the bag, which can receive the bag stuffer of the present invention in its collapsed or closed orientation shown in FIG.  3 . 
     Returning to FIGS. 1 and 2, the bag stuffer  10  comprises an insert or insert means, generally designated  14 , movable from a collapsed orientation (FIG. 3) enabling compact storage and shipping of the expandable bag  12  containing the insert  14  and to an expanded orientation (FIG. 4) providing a commercial display of the expandable bag  12  containing the insert  14  expanded. 
     In FIG. 1, the insert comprises a pair of substantially planar, substantially rigid end elements or panels  16  and  17 , which are connected at hinges or hinge areas  18 ,  18 , to the opposite ends of a base element or bottom panel  20 . The end panels are shaped to correspond generally to the sides of the bag to be stuffed. 
     The panels  16 ,  17  and  20  are preferably formed of one or more sheets of paperboard, e.g. corrugated cardboard like, having edges that are softer than the interior surface of the bag  12  so that they do not mar or damage the bag. 
     The bag stuffer  10  additionally includes biasing means positioned immediately at each hinge or hinge area  18 ,  18 , for biasing the insert  14 , and in particular the planar elements  16  and  17 , from their collapsed orientation where the side element  16 ,  17  lie flat down on top of and parallel to the top surface of bottom panel  20 , like the position shown in FIG. 3, to the expanded orientation illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 biasing means in the form of a Z shaped spring  21  is provided at each hinge  18  of insert  14 . Each spring  21  biases one of the side panels  16 ,  17  upwardly and outwardly with respect to the bottom panel  20 , toward the expanded position of FIG.  4 . 
     Each biasing spring  21  is a torsion spring having a middle, body or torso portion  22  with a pair of opposite ends, and an arm  24  and  25 , extending at an angle φ from each of the opposite ends. The biasing force is substantially contributed by twisting or torsion of torso  21  and all of this force is exerted exactly at the hinges  18  for opening the side panels  16 ,  17 . 
     Arms  24  and  25  may be straight or bent but each must lie flat against the inner surface of the bottom or side panel  16 ,  17  and  20 . The torso  22  of each spring  21  is held at the hinge  18  by passing through a pair of hole, slits or openings  28 ,  28 , cut at or transversely across the hinge  18 . This creates a raised retaining portion of cardboard material  30  extending over part of torso  22  to hold the spring to the hinge regardless of the angular position of the side panels  16 , 17  with respect to the bottom panel  20 . The spring is easily inserted by a free end of one of the arms  24  or  25 , into one of the holes  28 , slide across the hinge  18  and passed into the other hole  28  to bring the torso  22  parallel to the hinge  18  under the material  30 , and to place the arms  24  and  25  against the inner surfaces of the panels  16  and  17 . 
     Although no structure is needed to keep the arms  24 ,  25  flat against the inside surfaces of the insert, tape  32  may be used over the arms and, in particular over the ends of the arms, to protect the ends. Alternatively the ends can pass through additional slots or holes in the panels (not shown). It is best, however, that all parts of the springs remain at inside surfaces of the insert  14  to protect the bag  12  against any damage due to the hard, tempered steel springs  21 . 
     Wire that is bent to form the springs may be about 2.5 mm in diameter, or within the range of about 1 to 5 mm in diameter and made of tempered spring steel or other appropriate steel of non-steel material with good resiliency. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the stuffer collapses into a collapsed bag  12  that is also closely wrapped, e.g. vacuum wrapped, by plastic  34 . This keeps the stuffer collapsed against the opening bias of springs  21 . 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the expanded bag  12 , after wrapping  34  has been removed and the bag shaken to open cause Z shaped springs to push side panels  16  and  17  up and way from bottom panel  20 . This happens quickly and spontaneously due to the flexible nature of the bag. 
     FIG. 5 illustrate the pre-bent positions of arms  24  and  25  on torso  22  of the spring  21 . Each arm is bent at an angle φ of about 60° or within the range of about 20° to 110° (preferably 40° to 80°) to the torso  22 . Each arm  24  also lies in a first plane A with the torso  22  that is at an angle θ of about 40° or within the range of about 10° to 270° (preferably 20° to 100°) to a second plane B containing the other arm  25  and torso  22 . This helps increase or decrease the torsional force exerted by each spring when it bent into the collapsed position of FIG.  3 . 
     While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.