Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
G~ r; ~ ,i , , , ~
A Suspended Bag
The invention relates to a suspended bag consisting of
two sheets of foil welded or bonded together along the margins
thereof and a suspending means arranged centrally at the top.
The suspended bag in accordance with the invention is
intended to separate the packaging of two different materials,
particularly in the case wherein one packaged material is a
solid with a low packing density and the other material is a
liquid. The necessity of packaging such different materials
together occurs for instance in the case of salad dressings when
one component is in the form of finely comminuted herbs, which
may be dried, and the other component is a two-phase one such as
a salad dressing composed of salad oil, vinegar, wa~er and
spices.
Such a dried packaged material does no~ offer any
resistance to external forces acting on the bag so that a bag
with such a filling may be easily bent, dented and creased. On
the other hand, such a liquid filling is difficult to package
since (a) the oil is likely to get on the parts of the material
to be seamed, (b) is sensitive to the atmosphere so that it
sometimes has to be packaged under nitrogen, and ~c) has a gas
cushion in the package.
The suspended packaqe in accordance with the present
invention is able to meet all these requirements in an excellent
manner and substantially ensures that the bag retains its shape,
as well as offering other advantages.
It has been seen that a dual chamber bag with
dimensions in accordance with the golden section as tentatively
aimed at for esthetic reasons, is not suitable.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention,
it is proposed that the interior space of the bag be subdivided
into two chambers, by a horizontally arranged welded or bonded
seam, of which the upper chamber is smaller than the lower one
and the welded or bonded seam dividing the two chambers from
each other bears such a relationship to the dimensions of the
overall bag that each of the two chambers form a horizontally
aligned rectangle with a horizontal side length substantially
longer than the vertical side length thereof.
The expressions "upper", "lower", "horizontal" and
"vertical" are used herein as relating to the dependant bag
which may be suspended using the top, centrally placed
suspending means
The invention will be described in detail with
reference to the drawing.
The suspended bag in accordance with the present
invention comprises two sheets of foil welded or bonded together
at their margins. The interior space in the bag is subdivided
by a horizontally extending welded or bonded seam 3 into two
chambers 1 and 2. At the top the suspended bag has a centrally
arranged suspending means 4.
It is necessary for the sheets of foil to be made of a
suitable material selected in accordance with the requirements
of the different materials to be packaged. Preferably the
sheets of foil consist of a composite foil, a thin aluminum foil
sheet has been found to be advantageous as one component of such
a composite foil. For packaging a salad dressing the sheets of
foil have to be in the form of a composite foil which is liquid-
and gas-tight and is resistant to the components of the material
to be packaged therein.
The upper chamber 1 of the suspended bag is to be
smaller than the lower chamber 2. The dimensions and the
placing of the welded or bonded seam 3, which separates the two
chambers from each other, bear such a relationship to the
overall dimensions of the suspended bag that the two cham~ers 1
and 2 form a horizontally aligned rectangle, whose horizontal
side length is substantially longer than its vertical side
length. Preferably, the external dimensions of the suspended
bag are about 14 by 17 cm. It is convenient if the upper
chamber is such that the ratio between its long side 5 to its
short side 6 is about 12:5 and the lower chamber is such that
the ratio of the long side 7 to the short side 8 is about 12:8.
In order to ensure a reliable closure or seal and also
to ensure that the bag keeps its shape, the welded or bonded
seams 3, 9 and 10 should be relatively broad. The central
welded or bonded seam 3 between the chambers is to have a
breadth of approximately 1.5 cm. The lateral welded or bonded
seams 9 should have a breadth of approximately 0.8 cm and the
upper welded or bonded seam 10 a breadth of approxLmately 2 to
3 cm~ All of these dimensions are applicable in the case of the
particularly preferred use of the suspended bag for packaging a
salad dressing.
The suspended bag in accor~ance with the invention
preferably has its upper chamber 1 fi'led with a solid material
having a low packing density and a li~uid material in the lower
chamber 2.
-- 4 --
~ he suspended bag is preferably used for packagin~ a
salad dressing. In this case the upper chamber 1 of the
suspended bag is filled with coarsely chopped and possibly dried
herbs while the lower chamber is filled with the liquid portion
of the salad dressing.
Once the bag in accordance with the invention has been
filled with such materials, its advantageous properties will
become particularly evident. The relatively heavy material in
the lower chamber will act as a weight on the bag so as to
ensure that the upper chamber keeps its shape. Additionally,
having the upper chamber filled with light material and the
lower one with heavier material means that in the lower chamber
there is a displacement of the center of gravity downwards so
that the suspended bag is stabilized. Even though overfilling
is avoided, the preferred size ratios of the chambers also prove
to be advantageous for the filling operation and to prevent
surface tension effects of the liquid fill leading to soiling of
the seam which is welded or bonded after the filling operation.
Moreover, the size and shape of the lower chamber ensures that
during shi~ping of the suspended bag, the li~uid ma~erial is
moved, so that in the case of a multi-phase material, such as a
salad dressing or mayonnaise r the phases are kept in a
satisfactorily mixed and possibly emulsified state.
It is convenient to have a line of weakness or a tear
line 11 running through the center welded or bonded seam 3 and
~, _, ' ~, . ! ;
preferably parallel thereto so that the two chambers of the
suspended bag may be separated from each other along this line.
It is convenient if a start-of-tear notch 12 is
provided on both sides of the line of weakness or tearing 11
within the welded or bonded seam 3 at a distance from the
outside of the suspended bag which is greater than the breadth
of said welded or bonded seam 9. When the chambers of the
suspended bag are detached along the line of wea~ness or tear
line 11, this start-of-tear notch 12 will be on the outside of
each of the parts of the separated suspended bag at such a
position that the two chambers may be opened by tearing at the
notch.
Tne suspension means 4 at the top of the bag
preferably include an opening within the upper welded or bonded
seam 10. The type of opening is conventional.
