Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
12866~3
FLEXIBLE PILFER PROOF REUSABLE BAG WITH
TEARABLE HANDLE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME
Background
The invention is directed to the flexible packaging
art. Flexible plastic bags of the general type involved
herein are known. For example, see U.S. patent 4,252,269.
When goods are packaged and sealed in the bag as disclosed
in said patent, the bag is destroyed when one gains access
to the contents of the bag. Such destruction of the bag
is considered to be an unnecessary waste. In~patent
4,573,203, there is disclosed a flexible plastic bag which
enables goods to be sealed therein while allowing the seal
to be broken whereby the goods can be accessed and the bag
reused. In said patent, the bag is manufactured from two
separate webs of flexible plastic material, one web being
used to form the front and rear panels and gusset of the
bag, and the other web being used to form a loop handle
connected to the front and rear panels adjacent the gusset
outer boundary.
The present invention is directed to a solution of
the problem of constructing a flexible plastic bag by a
high speed mass production technique wherein the bag is
pilfer proof but may be opened at the gusset and wherein
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the handle structure of the bag may be utilized to carry,
open and reseal the bag.
Summar~_of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a pilfer proof
reusable bag of flexible plastic material having generally
rectangular front and rear panels and a gusset integral with
the panels at a closed end of the bag. The gusset has a
inner fold region and a pair of outer fold regions at the
closed end of the bag. The gusset is provided with a
frangible region, preferably defined by perforations along
the inner fold region. A loop handle disposed between
the gusset outer fold regions is also provided with a frang-
ible region, preferably defined by perforations, so as to
be separable into two handle portions. The two handle
portions are releasably joined together proximal the inner
fold region of the gusset. The front and rear panels are
open at the other end of the bag to facilitate introducing
goods into the bag. The handle and gusset may be integrally
joined whereby the entire bag is produced from a single
web of plastic material. Alternatively, the handle may
be separately formed and welded to the gusset whereby the
bag is produced from two webs of plastic material.
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there
is shown in the drawings a form which is presently prefer-
red; it being understood, however, that this invention is
not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumental-
ities shown.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filled package made
from one embodiment of a bag of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bag in Figure 1
prior to filling.
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3
in Figure 1.
Figures 4A, 4B and 5-8 show the manner in which the bag
in Figure 1 may be mass produced from a single moving web.
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Figure 4A is a partial plan view of a continuous web
of Elexible plastic material having a double-backed adhesive
member applied thereto.
Figure 4B is a partial pLan view of an alternate em-
bodiment of the web in Figure 4A wherein an adhesive compo-
sition is painted in a predetermined pattern on the web.
Figure 5 is a partial plan view of the web after it
has been folded and perforated.
Figure 6 is a partial plan view of the web after it
has been die cut to form the loop handle.
Figure 7 is a partial plan view of the web wherein
the loop handle has been die cut to form aligned openings
for use in grasping the handle.
Figure 8 is a partial plan view of the web after it
has been folded to form a gusset with the handle tucked
inside.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the
web in Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of the loop handle
showing the manner in which the handle is separated into
two portions.
Figure 11 is a perspective view of the package
showing the manner in which the handle portions are used
to separate the gusset joint to access the goods in the bag.
Figure 12 is a perspective view of a filled package
made from another embodiment of a bag of the present
invention.
Figure 13 is a perspective of the bag in Figure 12
prior to filling.
Figure 14 is a sectional view taken along the line 14-
14 in Figure 12.
Figures 15-18 show the manner in which the bag in
Figure 12 may be mass produced from two moving webs.
Figure 15 is a partial plan view of a continuous web
of flexible plastic material.
Figure 16 is a partial plan view of the web after it
has been folded and perforated.
1.
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Figure 17 is a perspective view of a portion of the
web with the handle web attached thereto.
Figure 18 is a partial plan view of the web with the
handle web attached thereto.
Figure 19 is a partial plan view of the web after it
has been folded to form a gusset with the handle tucked
inside.
Figure 20 is a perspective view of a portion of the
web in Figure 19.
Figure 21 is a perspective view oE the loop handle
showing the manner in which the handle is separated into
two portions.
Figure 22 is a perspective view of the package showing
the manner in which the handle portions are used to access
the frangible portion of the gusset so as to open the bag.
Detailed Description of First Embodiment
Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals in-
dicate like elements, there is shown in Figure 1 a package
10 made from one embodiment of the bag of the present in-
vention wherein the entire bag is produced by a high speed
mass production technique from a single piece of flexi~le
plastic material. The package is sealed so as to prevent
access to the goods except in a manner which will be readily
apparent and described in greater detail hereafter. The
package lO is filled with products such as feminine napkins
12. The package is in the shape of a hexahedron due to
the bag structure described hereafter.
Referring to Figures 4A, 4B and 5-ll, the bag is con-
structed from a single moving web 14 of flexible thermoplas-
tic material. The web is provided with spaced circular
wicket perforations 16 proximal the web bottom edge 18. See
Figures 4A and 4B. The web is provided with an adhesive
element, either a continuous double-backed adhesive strip
20 applied to the web (Figure 4A) or an adhesive composition
20' painted on the web in a predetermined pattern (Figure
4B). In Figure 4A, the double-backed adhesive strip 20'
is spaced from a fold line 22 and traverses lines 24 which
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define the side edges of the bag panels to be cut from the
web. In Fiaure 4B, the adhesive composition 20' is painted
on the web so as to terminate proximal lines 24' at regions
26. For purposes of further explanation, it is assumed
that the web embodiment shown in Figure 4A is employed
although it should be understood that the following descrip-
tion of the invention applies equally well to the web
embodiment shown in Figure 4B.
Preferably, the web 14 is a single, unitary piece of
material which is opaque and has printing on its outer
surface. The web may be a laminate wherein an outer trans-
parent layer is adhesively or otherwise bonded to an inner
opa~ue layer having printing on its outer surface. The
outer layer protects the printing. The web may be made of
polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene, etc.
Figures 5-8 show the manner in which continuous web
14 is processed to make the bag. As shown in Figure 5,
the web is folded over at line 22 to form overlying front
and rear panels 28, 30. Front panel 28 is shorter in
height than rear panel 30 whereby the rear panel has a tab
32 projecting beyond the front panel 28. ~ach circular
perforation 16 is connected by a line of perforations to
the bottom edge 18 of the tab. When the web 14 is folded
as shown in Figure 5, the inner surface of the front panel
28 is adhesively secured to the exposed surface of the
adhesive member 20. The adhesive joint is made strong
enough to secure the inner surface of the front panel there-
to, but weak enough so that the panel may be separated or
peeled away from strip 20 by pulling the panel to break
the adhesive joint whereupon the panels may be resecured
at the joint by restoring contact with the adhesive member.
Thus, the front and rear panels are releasably joined to
eachother at the region of the strip 20.
A line of perforations 34 is formed in panel 28
in the region between the fold line 22 and the location of
adhesive strip 20. A like line of perforations 34' is
formed in the rear panel 30 between the fold line and the
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location of the adhesive strip. Perforations 34, 34'
flank fold line 22 and define a frangible region of a
handle as described hereafter.
A portion of the front and rear panels 28, 30 is die
cut along lines 36 which extend from the fold line 22 to a
reqion inside adhesive strip 20 and to the opposite side
edges of the panels which are defined by lines 24. See
Figure 6. ~s a result, there is defined a loop handle 38
having a bight 40 and a base 42. The base is located
along adhesive strip 20 and is integral with a gusset to
be formed from the web. See Figures 3 and 9.
Aligned oval shaped openings 44 are die cut in the
loop handle 38 between the perforations 34 and the region
of adhesive strip 20. See Figure 7. The openings 44
permit the handle to be grasped by the user. Web 14 is
then folded at fold lines 50, 50' to form a gusset 46
having an inner fold region 48 at the adhesive strip 20
and outer fold regions at the regions of fold lines 50,
50'. See Figures 7-9.
Web 14 is cut along lines 24 which define the side
edges of gusset 46 and the side edges of panels 28, 30.
The side edges of the gusset and panels are heat-welded
together to form the hag 52 as shown in Figure 2. The
gusset defines a closed top end of bag 52. The bottom
ends of the front and rear panels 28, 30 are open so that
the bag may be "bottom loaded" with product through opening
55.
The baq 52 as shown in Figure 2 may be loaded as a
stack of bags on a bagging machine with prongs or wickets
extending through the aligned holes 16. When product is
machine-fed into the bottom of the bag, it is done with
sufficient force so as to strip the bag off the prongs by
tearing the tab 32 from the holes 16 to the edge 18 of the
tab. The bag is structurally formed so as to be capable
of being machine loaded with bulky goods which causes the
handle 38 to pop up and the gusset 46 to flatten at the
closed end of the bag whereby the bag assumes the shape of
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a hexahedron. The open bottom end of the bag is then
sealed by heat-welding or the like to form the sealed
package 10 shown in Figure 1. The hexahedral shape and
the flexible handle permit the filled bags to be conven-
iently stacked side by side and one atop the other with
the front and rear panels prominently displayed.
The adhesive joint running across the inner fold
region of the gusset, including the base 42 of handle 38,
seals the bag and effectively renders the bag pilfer proof
when the bag is filled as shown in Figures 1 and 3. To
break the seal and access the goods within the bag, a
tearaway handle portion 53 lying between the lines of per-
forations 34, 34' at the loop handle bight 40 is stripped
away from the handle. See Figure 10. As a result, the
handle 38 is separated into two portions 54, 56 which may
then be pulled apart as shown in Figure 11 to break the
adhesive joint running across the inner fold region of the
gusset including the base of the handle. Such access does
not destroy the utility of the bag, since the handle por-
tions 54, 56 remain intact, whereby the bag may be reused
as a shopping bag once the contents are depleted.
Detailed Description of Second Embodiment
Referring to Figure 12, there is shown a package 110
made from another embodiment of the bag of the present
invention wherein the bag is produced by a high speed mass
production technique from two webs of flexible plastic
material. The package is sealed so as to prevent access
to the goods except in a manner which will be readily
apparent and described in greater detail hereafter. The
package 110 is filled with products such as feminine napkins
112. The package is in the shape of a hexahedron due to
the bag structure described hereafter.
Referring to Figures 15-21, the bag is constructed
in part from a moving web 114 of flexible thermoplastic
material. The web is provided with spaced circular wicket
perforations 116 proximal the web bottom edge 118. See
Figure 15. Lines 124 define the side edges of each bag
121~6~3
panel to be cut from the web. A fold ]ine 122 traverses
lines 124.
Preferably, the web 114 is a single, unitary piece of
material which is opaque and has printing on its outer sur-
face. The web may be a laminate wherein an outer transpar-
ent layer is adhesively or otherwise bonded to an inner
opaque layer having printing on its outer surface. The
outer layer protects the printing. The web may be made of
polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene, etc.
Figures 16-18 show the manner in which continuous web
114 is processed in conjunction with a separate handle web
to make the bag. As shown in Figure 16, the web is folded
over at line 122 to form overlying front and rear panels
128, 130. Front panel 128 is shorter in height than rear
panel 130 whereby the rear panel is a tab 132 projecting
beyond the front panel 128. Each circular perforation 116
is connected by a line of perforations to the bottom edge
118 of the tab.
A line of perforations 134 is formed in panel 128 in
the region of the fold line 122. A like line of perforations
134' is formed in the rear panel 130 in the region of the
fold line. Perforations 134, 134' flank the fold line 122
and define a frangible region of a gusset as described
hereafter.
A single continuous handle web 137 having spaced
handle portions 138 therealong is applied to the web 114
as shown in Figures 17 and 1%. The handle web 137 is made
of a flexible thermoplastic material. The web may be made
of polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene, etc. It is
preferred that the handle web be transparent. Each handle
portion 138 includes a loop handle 141 provided with spaced
parallel lines of perforations 139, 139' at the loop bight
140. Each handle portion 138 also includes flange portions
143, 143' which are line welded to panels 128, 130 respec-
tively to secure the handle portion to the panels.
Aligned oval-shaped openings 144 are die cut in loop
handle 141 on both sides of bight 140. The openings 144
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permit the handle to be grasped by the user. The loop
handle 141 is provided with mating structure preferably in
the form of a rib 145 on handle portion 154 and a groove
147 on handle portion 156 for receiving the rib. The rib
and groove form a slide closure for releasably joining
both portions of loop handle lAl. Thus, the user may
releasably join both portions of loop handle 141 together
simply by pressing the rib and groove structures 145, 147
together between the thumb and forefinger and by sliding
the fingers along the structures so as to press and lock
the rib and groove together along their entire length.
The joint seals off and protects an associated portion of
panels 128, 130 along the region of fold line 122. The
upper edges 149, 149' of handle portion 138 below the rib
and groove structures 145, 147 are permanently joined, by
heat welding or the like, so as to seal off and protect
associated portions of the panels 128, 130 along the region
of fold line 122.
Web 114 is folded at fold lines lS0, 150' to form a
gusset 146 having an inner fold region at the region
of fold line 122 and outer fold regions at the regions of
fold lines 150, 150'. See Figures 19-20.
Web 114 is cut along lines 124 which define the side
edges of gusset 146 and the side edges of panels 128, 130.
The side edges of the gusset and panels are heat welded
together to form bag 152 as shown in Figure 2. The gusset
defines a closed top end of bag 152. The bottom ends of
the front and rear panels 128, 130 are open so that the
bag may be "bottom-loaded" with product through opening 155.
The bag 152 as shown in Figure 13 may be loaded as a
stack of bags on a bagging machine with prongs or wickets
extending through the aligned holes 116. When product is
machine-fed into the bottom of the bag, it is done with
sufficient force so as to strip the bag off the prongs by
tearing the tab 132 from the holes 116 to the edge 118 of
the tab. The bag is structurally formed so as to be capable
of being machine-loaded with bulky goods which causes the
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handle 138 to pop up and the gusset 146 to flatten at the
closed end of the bag whereby the bag assumes the shape of
a hexahedron. The open bottom end of the bag is then sealed
by heat-welding or the like to form the sealed package 110
shown in Figure 12. The hexahedral shape and the flexible
handle permit the filled bags to be conveniently stacked
side by side and one atop the other with the front and rear
panels prominently displayed.
The press-lock joint running across the loop handle
141, together with the sealed edges 149, 149' of the handle
portion, completely seal the perforated portion of the gus-
seted top end of the bag and effectively render the bag
pilfer-proof when the bag is filled as shown in Figures 12
and 14. To break the seal and access the goods within the
bag, a tear-away handle portion 153 lying between the lines
of perforations 139 139' at the loop handle bight 140 is
stripped away from the handle. See Figure 21. As a result,
the handle 138 is separated into two portions 154, 156
which may then be pulled apart as shown in Figure 22 to
break the press-lock joint by releasing rib 145 from groove
147. Such access does not destroy the utility of the bag,
since the handle portions 154, 156 remain intact, whereby
the bag may be reused as a shopping bag once the contents
are depleted.
The present invention may be embodied in other speci-
fic forms without departing from the spirit or essential
attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be
nade to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing
specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.
