Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SPECIFICATION
This invention relates to reclosable film plastic
hang-up merchandise contents display bags and method of
making same, and is more particularly concerned with such
bags adapted to support contents of substantial weight.
Merchandise contents display bags have been popular
in recent years, especially in self-service stores for
displaying for sale small parts in relatively small num-
bers such as hardware items, of which nuts, screws,
washers, and the like are representative.
Heretofore, bags of this type have often been pro-
vided with headers consisting of folded over strip material
secured across the tops of the bags and provided with a
hang-up hole by which the bag could be hung on a hook for
merchandise display purposes. The header strip was
lS adapted to contain various information printed or stamped
thereon, such as merchandise and source identification~
pricing, etc. Bags having the prior structure are e~em-
plified in U.S. Patent No. 2,146,308. A disadvantage of
such prior bags is that the header required assembling a
separate header strip with the bag material, and the strip
has generally been of a different material. For example,
where the bag is of a plastic ilm material, the header
has generally been made from paper stapled or otherwise
fastened to the bag. In general, also, such bags have not
been reclosable, but have required tearing the header from
the bag leaving the bag open and the contents unprotected
~ven if it is desired to store part of the contents in
the bag after the bag has been opened.
While it would be advantageous from a
cost standpoint to make the bags entir~ly from
extruded plastic material, including the header
structure, a drawback has been that the plastic
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film of the header structure, even if made of double ply
has tended to sag under the weight of contents r especially
hardware contents. Not only is such sagging unsightly, but
where the bag is of the reclosable fastener type sagging is
undesirable due to the sag strain on the fastener. As shown
in U.S. Patent No. 4,000,768, it has been proposed to e~uip
the top of the bag with separately formed handle of suffi-
cient width to prevent sagging in cooperation with a trans-
verse reinforcing bead below the handle. However, that is
an expensive multi-part construction and requires special
handling and equipment for manufacture, so that the bags
are uneconomical for display and sale of low cost proclucts
such as hardware items of the type mentioned, especially if
the bags are small. There is also need for a low cost plas-
tic bag which may or may not have hang-up means, but is
equipped with pocket means to receive selective identifica-
tion means such as printed cards.
It is therefore an important object of the present
invention to provide a simple, low cost, efficient reclos-
able film plastic hang-up and~or identification pocket mer-
chandise contents display bag and method o~ ma]cing the same
which will permit utilization of high speed bag making ap-
paratus, and method of making the same.
The present invention provides:
A reclosable film plastic merchandise contents
display bag having front and rear walls joined at least at
closed sides and providing an openable top for the bag,
comprising: complementary separable fastener profiles on
said walls across said openable top and adapted to be sepa-
rated from a closed condition into an opened condition; a
fastener-opening front pull flange extending up from the
fastener profile on said front wall; a fastener-opening
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rear pull flange, substantially longer than said front pull
flange, extending up from the fastener profile on said rear
wall; a panel on the front of said rear pull flange and
providing therewith a plural thickness header for the bag;
said panel having its sides secured to said rear pull
flange and a lower edge of said panel being separable re-
lative to said front pull flange; matching hang-up holes
through said panel and said rear pull flange adjacent to
the upper ends thereof; and a header reinforcing rib struc-
ture above said holes securing the upper ends of said panel
and said rear pull flange together and stiffening the
header against sagging under the weight of package contents
when the bag is hung on a hanger extending through said
hang-up holes.
A reclosable film plastic bag having front and
rear walls joined at least at closed side edges and pro-
viding an openable top for the bag, comprising: complemen-
tary separable fastener profiles on said walls across said
openable top and adapted to be separated from a closed con-
dition into an opened condition; a fastener-opening front
pull flange extending up from the fastener proflle on said
front wall; a fastener-opening rear pull flange, substan-
tially longer than said front pull flange, extending up
from the fastener profile on said rear wall; a panel on the
front of said rear pull flange and providing therewith a
plural thickness header for the bag; said panel having its
sides secured to said rear pull flange and a lower edge of
said panel being separable relative to said front pull
flange; and a header reinforcing rib structure securing the
upper ends of said panel and said rear pull flange together
and closing the ~op of a pocket between said panel and said
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rear pull flange.
A method of making a reclosable film plastic
merchandise contents display bag, comprising: providing
front and rear walls; joining said walls at least along
side edges; forming complementary separable fastener pro-
files on said walls across an openable top of the bag,
whereby the bag is adapted to be opened by separation of
said profiles from a closed condition into an opened con-
dition; providing a fastener-opening front pull flange ex-
tending up from the fastener profile on said front wall;
providing a fastener-opening rear pull flange, substan-
tially longer than said front pull flange, exte~ding up
from the fastener profile on said rear wall; providing a
panel on the front of said rear pull flange and securing
sides of said panel to sides of said rear pull flange to
provide therewith a plural thickness header for the bag,
the lower edge of said panel being adjacent to but sepa-
rable from said front pull flange, providing matching hang-
up holes through said panel and said rear pull flange ad-
jacent to the upper ends of the panel and rear pull flange;
and forming a header reinforcing rib structure above said
holes and thereby securing the upper ends of said panel and
said rear pull flange together and stiffening the header
against sagging under the weight of package contents when
the bag is hung on a hanger extending through said hang-up
holes.
A method of making a reclosable film plast.ic bag,
comprising: providing front and rear walls; joining said
walls along at least side edges; forming complementary se-
parable fastener profiles on said walls across an openable
top of the bag, whereby the bag is adapted to be opened by
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3~3
separation o said profiles from a closed condition into
an opened condition; providing a fastener-opening front
pull flange extending up from the fastener profile on said
front wall; providing a fastener-opening rear pull flange,
su~stantially longer than said front pull flange, extending
up from the fastener profile on sa;~d rear wall; providing
a panel on the front oP said rear pull flange and securing
sides of said panel to sides of said rear pull flange to
provide therewith a plural thickness header for the bag,
the lower edge of said panel being adjacent to but separ-
able from said front pull flange; and forming a header re-
inforcing rib structure that secures the upper ends of said
panel and said rear pull flange together and thereby forming
a pocket between said panel and said rear pull flange.
A method of making and filling reclosable film
plastic merchandise contents display bags, comprising:
providing a continuous bag blank strip having a portion
providing front and rear ~ag walls joined along a bottom
edge, complementary separable fastener profiles on said
walls across an openable top of the bag, a fastener-opening
~ront pull 1ange extending up from the fastener profile on
said front wall, a fastener opening rear pull flange ex-
tending up from the fastener profile on said rear wall, a
portion providing a panel on the front of said rear pull
flange extending up from the fastener profile on said rear
wall, a portion providing a panel on the front of said
rear pull flange and having a lower edge separable rela-
tive to the upper edge of said front pull flange, a header
reinforcing bead structure securing the upper ends of said
panel and said rear pull flange together; guiding and run-
ning said strip downwardly through bag filling apparatus
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including cross sealing the lower end of the strip closed;
inserting a filling nozzle between the separated edges of
said panel and said front pull flange, and extending the
nozzle between said separable fastener profiles to the in-
terior of the bag; from said nozzle, filling bag contents
into a bag section above the lower cross sealed end of said
strip; cross sealing across the strip at a predetermined
height above said sealed lower end and thus closing a
filled bag section; and separating the filled bag section
from the strip.
Other objects, features and advantages of the in-
vention will be readily apparent from the following des-
cription of certain representative embodiments thereof,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings although
variations and modifications may be effected without de-
parting from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts
embodied in the disclosure and in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of bags embodying
the present invention and showing the same hung on a hanger;
Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken sub-
stantially along the line II-II of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a view showing a one piece plastic ex-
trusion adapted for economically simultaneously producing
two strips of bag blanks embodying the invention;
Fig. 4 is a schematic illustration showing a
method of converting the extrusion of Fig. 3 into a pair of
bag blank strips;
Fig. 5 is a schematic illustration showing how
the bag strips are adapted to be filled and then separated
by bag sections;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan
view taken substantially along the line VI-VI of Fig. S;
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: .
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Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail
view taken substantially along the line VII-VII of Fig. 5;
Fig. 8 is a schematic illustration of a 1at one
piece extrusion adapted for producing a single bag blank
strip; and
Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional detail view
showing the bag blank derived from the extrusion of Fig.
8.
Reclosable film plastic merchandise contents
display bags 10 (Figs. 1 and 2) may be adapted to be hung
on a hanger 11 for sales display of contents such as
small hardware items 12. Bags for this purpose may be
on the order of 3 to 4 inches wide and 6 or 7 inches
long. Each bag has a front wall 13 and a rear wall 14.
The front and rear walls are joined at closed side edges
15 and a closed bottom edge 16. Complementary separable
fastener proiles 17 and 18 on the walls 13 and 14,
respectively, are disposed across an openable top of the
bag and are adapted to be separated from a closed con-
dition into an opened condition. To facilitate opening,
a fastener-opening front pull flange 19 extends up from
the fastener profile 17 and cooperatively a fastener
opening rear pull flange 20, substantially longer than
the front pull flange 19, extends up from the fastener
profile 18. A panel 21 on the front of the rear pull
flange 20 provides therewith a plural thickness header
22 for the bag. The panel 21 has its opposite sides 23
secured to the rear pull flange 20, and a lower edge 2
of the panel 21 is located adjacent to, but preferably
free from the front pull flange 19. Desirably, the ront
pull flange has at or adjacent to and along its upper
edge, a narrow reinforcing bead 25 to facilitate gripping
~1~33~3
the pull flange 19.
To accommodate the hanger 11, the panel 21 and the
rear pull flange 20 may have adjacent to their upper edges
means comprising matching hang-up holes 27. Above the
holes 27, a header reinforcing rib structure 28 is
provided securing the upper edges of the panel 21 and the
rear pull flange 20 together and stiffening the header 22
against sagging under the weight of the package contents
12 when the bag is hung on the hanger 19.
Although the header 22 may be only long enough,
that is longer than the front pull flange 19, to accom-
modate the holes 27 and the reinforcing rib 28, in the
preferred construction shown, the header is of substantial
width, so that the panel 21 may be imprinted on its
inside or outside surface with desirable information such
as merchandise scurce, merchandise description, price
information, advertising, or the like.
In addition, by having the panel 21 and the rear
pull flange 20 of sufficient width, they are adapted to
provide an identification housing pocket 29 therebetween
in the header 22 and into which access may be had through
the open lower edge of the panel 21. This permits
identification indicia or information imprinted on a card
26 or the like, to be inserted and retained within the
pocket 29. Such an arrangement provides for convenient
mass production of the bags 10 without imprint, if desired,
for sale to customers who may wish to supply their own
information cards, or for whom such cards can be supplied
on a private label basis. This is especially desirable
for diverse small volume or variable volume merchandise.
The information or identification cards are adapted to
be produced at lower cost than the bags and for low
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volume products a~ford unlimited versatility with a
standard unprinted bag.
High speed mass production of the bags 10 is
adapted to be accomplished, for example, by providing a
tubular e~truded plastic film 30 tFig. 3) from which a
pair of bag blank strips 31 (Fig. 4) can be conveniently
produced at the same time. To this end, the tubular
extrusion 30 is provided interiorly thereof with the
fastener profiles 17 and 18 preferably integrally extruded
in one piece therewith, and located properly in longitu-
dinally extending spaced parallel relation. The rear
wall profiles 18 are provided at complementary longitudinal
lines opposite the respective profiles 17. Location of
the profiles 17 and 18 is such that when the extrusion 30
is folded along a median diametrical fold line 32 between
the opposed profiles 17 and 18, the complementary profiles
17 and 18 for each of the bag blank strips 31 will be
brought together into closed fastener relationship.
In a convenient, economical and efficient manner of
forming the reinforcing ribs 28 for the bag blank strips
31, secondary extruded complementary fastener profiles 33
and 34 are provided by adjacent spaced parallel pairs at
the proper locations between the profiles 17 and 18 at
each side of the extrusion 30 to mate when the extrusion
is flattened. As a result, the joined fastener profiles
17 and 18 as well as the joined fastener profiles 33 and
34, not only maintain the parts of the folded extrusion
30 in proper orientation, but the joined profiles also
provide convenient rib rails for tracking the collapsed
bag making extrusion through processing apparatus, for,
among other things, converting the collapsed extrusion 30
into the bag strips 31.
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By way o e example, the collapsed extrusion may be
advanced, a~ lndicated by directional arrow 35 in Fig. 4,
between spaced sets oE driven grooved rotar~ tracking
rollers 37 and 38 whereln the closed closure profiles 17
and la and the rib proEiles 33 and 34 track in complement-
ary groove~ oE the rollers 37 and 38 for maintaining
accurate straight-on advance of th~ ba~ material, as well
as accurately maintaining a correct relationship between
~he front panels 21 and the rear pull flanges 20 after
separation of the narrow pull flanges 19 from the front
panel portions 21 of the extrusion by means o slitters
39. It will be readily understood that at high speed
the relationship would otherwise be difficult to maintain,
because oE the flexibility of the thin film plastic bag
lS material. At the same time, the two ba~ blank strips 31
are separated by means of a slitter 40.
~t preferably a convenient location upstream from
the slitter station representec~ by the slitters 39 and 4~,
suitable punching means (not shown) punch when required,
the hanq-up holes 27 in the two bag blank strips. The
punched and ~eparated bag blank strips 31 ma~ be rolled
up on reels oE suitable volume for storage or transporta-
tion to bag filling apparatus. On the other hand, in a
large volume bagging operation, the separated bag blank
s~rips 31 may be fed directly to bag filling apparatus.
In bag filling apparatus, such as schematically
illustrated in Fig. 5, one of the bag blank strips 31 is
fed through guide means comprising a cooperative pair of
guide rollers 41 engaging the strip 31 therebetween
and having aligned guide grooves 42 tracking the rib
provided by the fastener 17, 18. Concurrently aligned
guide grooves 43 in the rollers 41 track the rib provided
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by the fastener 33, 34. ~ shallow clearance groove 44 in
the roller 41 which opposes the face of the s~rip 31
having the pull flange reinforcing bead 25, accommodates
that bead. Through this arrangement, the strip 31 is
accurately guided toward a filling nozzle 45.
In a desirable form, the filling nozzle 45 is
constructed and arranged to extend diagonally downwardly
into the bag strip 31 at a location downstream and below
the guide rollers 41 to project into the contents receiving
area of the bag blank strip 31, through the slit between
the pull flange 19 and the adjacent edge 24 of the front
panel 21, and between the fastener profiles 17 and 18
which are progressively separated by the nozzle 45 as the
strip 31 advances. Predetermined quantities of the
preferred bag contents 12 are discharged from the nozzle
45 at suitable timed bag filling intervals as indicated
by the directional arrow 47. Such filling intervals are
controlled in timed relation to bag sealing and advancing
means of any preferred construction, as exemplified in
the beforementioned U.S. Patent No. 2,146,308. Such means
may comprise a gripping and pull down device 48 and heat
sealing means 49, by which the strip 31 is progressively
sealed thereacross to provide the sealed side edges 15
for the successive filled bags 10, and the filled bag
sections being advanced a bag section at a time. Each
filled and sealed bag section may then be separated from
the strip 31 as by means of a tear-off or cut-off device
50, and the separated bags 10 received on a receiver 51,
such as a conveyor, receptacle, or the like. Downstream
from the nozzle 45 and upstream from the pull down and
sealing means 48, 49, means are provided for refastening
the fastener profiles 17, 18, and accurately ~uiding the
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bag blank strip 31 downwardly toward the pull down and
sealing means 48, ~9, herein comprising cooperating
rollers 52 having cooperating aligned tracking grooves 53
trackingly receiving the bag upper end rib 28. Similarly
tracking grooves 54 in the rollers 52 cooperate to receive
the profiles 17 and 18, rejoining the profiles into closed
fastener condition, and tracking the resulting rib in
strip guiding relation. `A shallow groove 55 in the roller
i ~ 52 which engages the fronttthe bag blank strip 31 clears
the bead 25.
As best seen in Fig. 7/ after the bag sections
have been completed, the relationship of the fastener
profiles 17 and 18 and the rib profiles 33 and 34 is
such that although the fastener prov~ded by the profiles
17 and 18 can be opened reasonably easily, the rib
fastener provided by the profiles 33 and 34 is very
difficult to open and will therefore fairly securely
resist separation. This is desirable because the principal
function of the rib 28 is for manufacturing guidance and
ultimately hang-up reinforcement and/or top closure for
the pocket 29. To attain the desirable result of differ-
ential resistance to separability of the respective sets
of fastener profiles, the principle best disclosed in UOS.
Patent No. 3,198,228 is preferably employed. That is, the
male fastener 17 is of arrowhead shape in cro~s-section
with the side of the profile which is toward the inside
of the bag 10 providing a somewhat wider, larger prong 57,
and that side of the female profile 18 providing a
complementary groove of matching size, as compared to the
opposite side of the fastener where the male profile prong
is narrower and relatively smaller and that slde of the
female profile similarly fashioned. This provides sub-
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stantially greater resistance to opening of the fastener
by pressures exerted from inside the bag and lesser
resistance to digital opening of the profile by manip-
ulation of the pull flange l9, relative to the pull flange
20.
On the contrary, while the male profile 33 of the
rib fastener 28 is also of arrowhead shape in cross-
section, it has a wider and larger side prong 58 which
is at the top or outward side of the profile, and the
female profile 34 is of complementary shape, so that the
greatest resistance to separation of the profiles 33 and
34 is relative to vestigal flanges 59 where the bag blank
was separated from the head-to-head bag blank derived
from the collapsed multi-bag extrusion. As a result
lS even if some separating force may be applied to the ves-
tigal flanges 59, the particular orientation of the
fastener profiles 33 and 34 will strongly resist separa-
tion. Since the front panel 21 is of substantial length
and has its sides fixedly secured to the sides of the
elongate rear pull flange 20, there is little likelihood
of a separating force being applied to the rib fastener
28 by way~of the panel 21 and the flange 20.
If preferred, the bag blank strips may be fashioned
as best seen in Figs. 8 and 9 from a unitary extruded
single flat strip 60, on which the separable closure
profiles 17' and 18' for the bag and the reinforcing rib
closure profiles 33' and 34' are all located on one face
of the extruded blank strip 60 and properly aligned so
that when the flat extrusion is folded along a line 61,
the profiles 17' and 18' will match and close the bag
pouch area. When the profiles 33' and 34' are brought
into registration by folding along a line 62 therebetween,
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the reinforcing rib 28' results and the front panel 21'
lies in opposed relation to the elongate rear pull ~lange
20' and has its edge ad~acent to the edge of the short
- front pull flan~e 19' having thereon the reinforcing bead
25'. In this instance, the very narrow portion 63 of the
web between the profiles 33' and 34' need not be trimmed
away, but will serve to encase the outer side of the
rib 28' as a protective barrier against separation of
the profiles 33' and 34', and also enhance the reinforcing
value of the rib 28'. Filling of the bag 10' may be
effected in similar fashion as described in connection
with Figs. 5 and 6.
If preferred, of course, the bag 10' may be formed
from a tubular extrusion and the pull flange 19' separated
from the adjacent edge of the front panel 21' by slitting
means such as the slitters 39 shown in Fig. 4.
Where it is desired to imprint directly on the
bags 10 or 10', the reinforcing rib 28 or 28', as well as
the rib which in turn is provided by the separable closure
fasteners comprising the profiles 17 and 18 or 17' and 18'
will serve conveniently as track means for guiding the
bag blank strip material through the printing apparatus.
To facilitate such printing, at least those areas of the
bag material to be imprinted may be treated to facilitate
receiving the printing ink.
Where the weight of the contents to be supported by
the bags in hang-up position is such that there may be
unusual strain on the reinforcing rib 28, the profile
elements 33, 34 may be adhesively secured together or
welded together.
If it is preferred to provide bags which can be
filled from the bottom end instead of through the sepa-
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rable closure as described in connection with Fig. 5, the
bag 10' in Fig. 9 is well suited for the purpose. In
such case, the bag 10' may be made from an extrusion in
which the panel 21' is joined at its lower edge to the
upper edge of the front pull flange 19', as indicated in
dash outline in Fig. 9, with desirably a weakening along
the jointj so that when it is desired to gain access into
the bag, the line of weakening can be broken. This
provides an ideal tamperproof bag. For such a tamperproof
bag, the filling of the bag may be effected through the
bottom end 16' which for this purpose, will be opened as
by slitting where the bag 10' as modified is made from a
tubular extrusion, but which will be in the first instance
separated where the bag is made from a flat extrusion.
After the bag has been filled through its bottom end, the
bottom end is permanently sealed, as is customary practice
with bags which are designed to be loaded through their
bottom ends.
It may also be noted that the bag 10' in Fig. 9 is
illustrated without a hang-up hole, since for some purposes
such hang-up hole may not be needed. However, the bag does
have a pocket between the panel 21' and the rear pull
flange 20' into which may be selectively inserted a display
or identification member such as a card 26 (Figs. 1 and 2).
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