Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR PLASTIC BAGS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a dispensing apparatus for dispensing plastic bags,
such as the type commonly provided in the produce section of a grocery store
for
customers' use, from a stack of serially arranged bags that are flattened and
folded
and stacked together.
Plastic bags have been replacing paper bags in the United States since the
1970s (and elsewhere more recently) in the grocery and retail products
industries
as a result of the superior and inherent moisture-resistant properties and
strength of
plastic. In these industries, these plastic bags have usually included
integrally
connected front and rear wall portions and, sometimes, gusseted side wall
portions,
all secured together at the bottoms thereof by a seal to define a closed
bottom on
the bag. The bag walls are open at the top to define a mouth portion on the
bag.
Some of these bags are of the "T-shirt" type which provides spaced integral
handles laterally extending upwardly from opposed sides of the open mouth of
the
bag at the top to provide ease in carrying of the bag by the consumer.
However,
=
these plastic bags have also included handleless, generally flat-top
rectangular-
shaped bags, similar to the prior paper bags, without upwardly extending
handles.
These plastic bags have been provided to and used by the grocery and retail
product industries in the form of packs of a plurality of superimposed bags
connected together and adapted to be serially opened and removed from the
rack,
or in the form of a roll of plastic bags connected end-to-end and mounted on a
rack
to be serially removed and opened up, for packaging of the grocery or retail
products. The produce bag market in the United States grocery industry has
been
dominated over the years by plastic bags on a roll. These bags are typically
manufactured of LDPE or HMW-HDPE in gauges from 0.50 to 0.35 mil. The
CA 02541888 2014-01-10
biggest complaint with this style bag by shoppers is the difficulty in getting
the bag opened.
More recently, grocery produce bags of the "star seal" configuration have been
introduced. The star seal design is well known in the industry as a bag having
multiple layers
and longitudinally folded over on itself and sealed at the bottom so that when
it is opened up,
the bottom of the bag viewed from the inside resembles a star. This bag got
its start in the
HMW-HDPE can liner market because of the excellent bottom seal strength it
offers with
thin-gauge films.
Star seal bags have been provided both in roll form as described for instance
in U.S.
Patent No. 6,230,953, and in pack form as described in U.S. Patent No.
5,941,393 and U.S.
Patent No. 6,446,811.
Grocery produce bags of this star seal type have been accepted in part because
of their
strength, but also because they are somewhat easier to open than the
traditional roll produce
bags. Openability of this star seal type bag is improved as a result of the
increased number of
layers of film at the bag mouth. However, particularly with respect to the
roll form star seal
bags, shoppers still often mistake the bottom of the bag for the top of the
bag, leading to
frustration in opening of the bag.
Additionally, star seal bags and other configurations of bags provided in
packets,
which can include bags generally referred to as header-style bags as well as T-
shirt type bags,
up to now have been dispensed from a rack having one or more hooks from which
one or
more stacks of bags hang down, as depicted in the above-referenced patents.
The amount of
vertical space occupied by the hanging bags thus is at least as great as the
length of the bags,
which typically is about 20 inches. It would be desirable to provide a
dispensing apparatus
that takes up less space and has better aesthetics than such prior dispensing
racks.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention addresses the above needs and achieves other advantages by
providing
a dispensing apparatus for a packet of bags having a housing configured to
house the lower
part of a bag packet (i.e., the part distal from the mouth portion of the
bags) to substantially
prevent access to the lower ends of the bags while
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allowing a mouth portion of the packet to be accessed through an opening in
the
housing. A bag mount of the apparatus engages the packet near the mouth
portion
to secure the packet. Consumers thus can access the upper ends of the bags for
removing bags one at a time. The housing in preferred embodiments
accommodates bag packets substantially longer than the housing; the lower part
of
the packet is folded into the housing so that the dispenser is relatively
compact in
size.
In one embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises a rear portion
and a front cover connected to the rear portion. The bag mount is attached to
the
rear portion proximate the opening in the housing. The front cover is
pivotally
attached to the rear portion so as to be movable between an open position
providing access to an interior of the housing so that a lower portion of a
packet of
bags attached to the bag mount can be received in the interior of the housing,
and a
closed position in which the housing substantially encloses said lower portion
of
the packet of bags while the mouth portion of the packet of bags projects out
from
the housing to allow a bag to be grasped at an upper end thereof and removed
from
the packet.
The pivot axis for the front cover is preferably spaced from the bag mount
by a distance that is substantially less than the length of the packet of
bags.
Accordingly, when the front cover is moved to its closed position, the lower
portion of the packet of bags is folded into the interior of the housing.
Thus, the
dispensing apparatus occupies substantially less space than a conventional
dispensing rack wherein the packet simply hangs from a hook.
A further advantage of the dispensing apparatus is that the lower ends of
the bags are contained in the housing and thus are not readily accessible to
shoppers. The upper ends of the bags at the mouth portion of the packet, on
the
other hand, are presented for ready grasping. The dispensing apparatus thereby
encourages proper bag removal (i.e., grasping and pulling the open upper end
of a
bag to detach it from the packet) and discourages improper bag removal (i.e.,
grasping and pulling the closed lower end of a bag to detach it from the
'packet).
As a further consequence, shoppers are less likely to attempt to open the
lower end
of the bag.
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In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
dispensing
apparatus for a packet of plastic bags, the packet having a mouth portion at
which open ends
of the bags are located, the mouth portion defining severable support means
for the packet,
the dispensing apparatus comprising:
a housing defining an interior configured to at least partially receive the
packet of
bags and an opening connecting the interior to an outside of the housing; and
a bag mount structured to engage the severable support means of the packet of
bags so
as to secure the packet to the bag mount, the bag mount being disposed in the
interior of the
housing and proximate the opening such that the mouth portion of the packet is
accessible
through the opening and a lower portion of the packet is contained in the
housing, the mouth
portion of the packet being accessible to allow bags to be removed one at a
time from the
packet while the housing substantially prevents access to the lower portion of
the packet.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
dispensing system for dispensing plastic bags, comprising:
a housing defining an interior and an opening connecting the interior to an
outside of
the housing;
a packet of plastic bags disposed at least partially in the interior of the
housing, the
packet having a mouth portion at which open ends of the bags are located; and
a bag mount engaging the packet of bags and thereby securing the packet to the
bag
mount, the bag mount being disposed in the interior of the housing and
proximate the opening
such that the mouth portion of the packet is accessible through the opening to
allow bags to
be removed one at a time from the packet while the housing substantially
prevents access to a
lower portion of the packet contained in the housing.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
dispensing apparatus for a packet of plastic bags, the packet having a mouth
portion at which
open ends of the bags are located, the mouth portion defining severable
support means for the
packet, the dispensing apparatus comprising:
a housing defining an interior configured to at least partially receive the
packet of
bags and an opening connecting the interior to an outside of the housing; and
a bag mount structured to engage the severable support means of the packet of
bags so
as to secure the packet to the bag mount, the bag mount being disposed in the
interior of the
housing and adjacent and aligned with the opening such that the mouth portion
of the packet
is accessible through the opening and a lower portion of the packet is
contained in the
housing, the mouth portion of the packet being accessible to allow bags to be
removed one at
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a time from the packet while the housing substantially prevents access to the
lower portion of
the packet.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
dispensing system for dispensing plastic bags, comprising:
a housing defining an interior and an opening connecting the interior to an
outside of
the housing;
a packet of plastic bags disposed at least partially in the interior of the
housing, the
packet having a mouth portion at which open ends of the bags are located; and
a bag mount engaging the packet of bags and thereby securing the packet to the
bail
mount, the bag mount being disposed in the interior of the housing and
adjacent and aligned
with the opening such that the mouth portion of the packet is accessible
through the opening
to allow bags to be removed one at a time from the packet while the housing
substantially
prevents access to a lower portion of the packet contained in the housing.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be
made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale,
and
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention, shown in an open condition with a packet of bags
loaded in the dispenser;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the loaded dispenser in a closed
condition;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dispenser in accordance with a second
embodiment of the invention, shown closed and empty;
FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the dispenser of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the dispenser of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a top elevation of the dispenser of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a dispenser in accordance with a third
embodiment of the invention, shown in a closed condition with a packet of bags
loaded in the dispenser;
FIG. 8 depicts a packet of T-shirt style bags as used with the dispenser of
FIG. 7 according to one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG 7, shown with the
dispenser open and without the packet of bags;
FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the dispenser of FIG. 7;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a dispenser in accordance with a fourth
embodiment of the invention, shown in an open condition with a packet of bags
loaded in the dispenser;
FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11, showing the loaded dispenser in a
closed condition;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 11, shown closed and
empty;
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 11, shown closed and
loaded with a packet of bags;
FIG. 15 is a side elevation view of the dispenser of FIG. 11;
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1 FIG. 16 is a front elevation view of the dispenser of
FIG. 11; and
FIG. 17 is a top view of the dispenser of FIG. 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter with
reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which some but not all embodiments of the
invention are
shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and
should not be
construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these
embodiments are
provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements.
Like numbers refer
to like elements throughout.
A dispensing apparatus 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the
invention is
depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a dispensing apparatus in accordance with a
second
embodiment is shown in FIGS. 3-6. The two embodiments differ in only minor
respects, as
noted below. The dispensing apparatus includes a housing 12 formed by a rear
portion 14
and a front cover 16. The rear portion and front cover are pivotally connected
to each other
by a hinge arrangeinent 18 located proximate a bottom edge of the rear
portion. The hinge
arrangement is attached to the front cover 16 at a location proximate a lower
end (when the
front cover is closed as shown in FIG. 2) of the front cover. By virtue of the
hinge
arrangement, the front cover can be pivoted between a closed position (FIG. 2)
and an open
position (FIG. 1).
The front cover and rear portion are suitably shaped so that the housing 12
defines an
interior space for accommodating a lower portion of a packet P of bags. The
packet P can be
any type of bags, including but not limited to header style bags such as
described in U.S.
Patent No. 5,941,393 and U.S. Patent No. 6,446,811, or T-shirt style bags. The
packet P has
an aperture A extending through the packet proximate a mouth portion of the
packet. The
mouth portion is the portion of the packet at which the open ends or mouth
ends of the bags
are located. The dispensing apparatus includes a bag mount or hook 20 for
engaging the
aperture in the bag packet so that the packet can hang from the hook with the
lower portion of
the packet contained in the interior space of the housing 12. The illustrated
packet P has a
protruding mounting "tab" at its mouth portion, through which the aperture A
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extends, but alternatively the mouth portion of the packet can have other
shapes such as
squared off, rounded, etc. A bag packet typically has severable support means
at the mouth
portion, by which bags can be detached from the packet by severing the
severable support
means. The severable support means can have various forms. In some cases, an
aperture
The packet P of bags can be constructed so that the bags are self-opening,
i.e., each
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example, adjacent layers of successive bags in the packet can be exposed to a
corona treatment and then pressed together to form a corona-induced pressure
bond. Pressure bonded areas or cold welds C can be formed to extend through
the
packet and join the bags, e.g., to maintain the bags in the configuration of
the
packet during handling and loading onto the apparatus 10. Such bonds are also
described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,335,788 and 6,446,811. It is appreciated that
the
bonds B, C can be formed in various configurations and arrangements in the
packet.
The mouth portion of the packet of bags is accessible through an opening
22 defined in the housing 12 between a rear upper edge of the front cover 16
and
the rear portion 14. The mouth portion of the bag packet, at which the open
upper
ends of the bags are located, is thus presented for ready access, while the
lower
ends of the bags are contained within the housing and hence are not readily
accessible as long as the front cover is closed as shown in FIG. 2. While the
opening 22 in the illustrated embodiment is on an upper side of the housing,
alternatively the opening can be on another side of the housing, such as the
front
side.
The front cover 16 in the illustrated embodiment has a somewhat
cylindrical configuration, formed by a front panel 24 of curved, generally U-
shaped form, and a pair of spaced, parallel side panels 26 joined to the
opposite
side edges of the front panel 24. The front cover thus is open on one side
that faces
the rear portion 14 when the front cover is closed. The rear portion
substantially
=
closes the open side of the front cover when the front cover is closed, but
the open
side is exposed when the front cover is opened, so that the lower portion of a
bag
packet can be received into the front cover as in FIG. 1.
The dispensing apparatus 10 further comprises a latching arrangement 28
for latching the front cover in the closed position. With particular reference
to
FIGS. 3-6, the latching arrangement includes a latch member 30 in the form of
a
wire or rod, connected to a pivot member 32 also in the form of a wire or rod,
such
that the latch member 30 is substantially parallel to the pivot member 32 and
is
spaced from the pivot member in a forward direction (i.e., toward the front
cover
16). The pivot member 32 is journaled for rotation about its axis in apertures
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formed through a pair of laterally spaced, parallel walls 34 that are joined
to
opposite side edges of the rear portion 14, the journaling apertures in the
walls 34
being located proximate an upper end of the front cover 16 when the front
cover is
closed. When the pivot member 32 is rotated one direction or the other through
an
angle about its axis, the latch member 30 is caused to move up or down along
an
arc. A torsion spring 36 is affixed to the pivot member 32 and engages the
latch
member 30 to bias the latch member in a downward direction. The opposite ends
of the latch member 30 extend outwardly through vertically elongated apertures
38
in the walls 34, and the torsion spring 36 biases the latch member downwardly
against the lower edges of the apertures 38.
In this lowered position of the latch member 30, and when the front cover
16 is closed, the latch member is located in latching slots 40 defined in
upper edges
of the side panels 26 of the front cover. The engagement of the latch member
30 in
the latching slots 40 prevents the front cover from being opened. To open the
front
cover, the opposite ends of the latch member 30 are pushed upwardly against
the
force of the torsion spring 36 to disengage the latch member from the latching
slots
40, and the front cover is pulled forwardly. When the latch member is
released, it
returns to its lowered position by action of the torsion spring. The upper
edges of
the side panels 26 of the front cover can be provided with ramped cam surfaces
41
(FIG. 5) for engaging the latch member and pushing it upwardly as the front
cover
is moved toward its closed position; once the latch member encounters the
latching
slots 40 it will snap into the slots by action of the torsion spring. Thus,
closing the
front cover and latching it closed does not require manipulation of the latch
member by hand. Advantageously, however, the front cover cannot be opened
unless the latch member is lifted.
The hinge arrangement 18, previously referred to, includes a hinge wire or
pin 42 rotatably journaled in apertures formed through the walls 34 at
locations
proximate the lower edge of the rear portion 14. The pin 42 extends through
apertures formed through lugs or bushings 44 affixed to the rear lower end of
the
front cover 16. If it is desired to prevent the front cover from being able to
freely
fall downward upon disengagement of the latching arrangement 28, the hinge
arrangement 18 can be designed as a friction or detent type of mechanism such
that
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the front cover can be moved only by application of force to the front cover.
For
instance, the pin 42 can be mounted to the front cover 16 in such a way as to
prevent relative rotation between the pin and front cover, and the pin can
frictionally engage the side walls 34 so that rotation of the pin requires a
torque
greater than that exerted by the weight of the front cover alone;
alternatively, the
pin can be mounted in the side walls to prevent rotation therebetween, and the
above-described frictional engagement can be between the pin and the front
cover.
The front panel 24 of the front cover can include a vertically extending slot
46 extending downwardly from a rear upper edge of the front panel. The slot 46
can be helpful in removing a bag from the dispenser in that the slot allows
the
upper end of the bag, grasped just below the hook 20, to be pulled downwardly
away from the hook. Such downward force on the bag is generally helpful either
for detaching the bag from a tab or header portion that remains engaged on the
hook (see, for example, U.S. Patent No. 5,941,393, particularly Figures 5-7
and
associated description), or for causing the hook to tear through the aperture
in the
bag (see, for example, Figures 9-15 and associated description in the '393
patent),
depending on the particular style of bag being used.
In use, the dispensing apparatus 10 can be mounted on a support stand 50
or other support device, as shown in the first embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.
The
apparatus can also include a cup 52 or the like for holding a quantity of
twist ties or
other bag closure devices. To prepare the dispensing apparatus for operation,
the
front cover 16 is opened and a packet P of bags is hung from the hook 20 (FIG.
1).
The packet can extend down below the location of the hinge arrangement 18; for
instance, the hinge can be located about midway along the vertical extent of
the
packet. The front cover 16 is then closed (FIG. 2). Any portion of the packet
that
hangs down below the hinge is folded into the interior of the housing when the
front cover is closed.
To remove a bag from the dispenser, the outermost bag in the packet is
grasped at a point just below the hook 20 and is pulled forwardly and
downwardly,
=
along the slot 46 (if present) in the front cover, so as to sever the
severable support
means of the bag and detach the bag from the hook and the remaining bags. If
the
bag is a self-opening bag such as described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent
Nos.
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6,446,811 and 5,941,393, the process of detaching the bag may also cause the
upper end of the bag to be opened up. The bag can then be filled with
merchandise. As noted, the dispenser 10 can optionally include a cup 52 or the
like for holding a quantity of twist ties or other closures that can be
applied to a
bag to close it after it has been filled with merchandise.
The invention is susceptible to numerous variations. For instance, FIG. 7
shows a dispensing apparatus 110 in accordance with a further embodiment of
the
invention. The dispensing apparatus 110 differs from the apparatus 10
described
above primarily in the arrangement by which a bag packet P1 is secured in the
dispenser 110. The packet P1, shown individually in FIG. 8, is illustrated as
a
packet of T-shirt style bags. Each bag of the packet P1 is sealed at the top
and
bottom by heat seals Ll, L2, and the packet P1 defines two apertures A2
extending
therethrough and severable means that facilitate the removal of bags from the
packet. In particular, perforations Fl extend between the apertures A2 and a
top of
the packet, and another perforation F2 connects the apertures A2. Each bag is
configured to be torn along the perforations Fl, F2 when removed from the
remaining packet so that a tab T1 of each bag remains with the packet. A slot-
like
aperture Al in the tab is structured to receive a hook or other bag mount. As
shown in FIG. 8, the sides of each bag are folded to form side gussets, and
the side
edges S1 of each bag are intersected by the apertures A2. Thus, when a bag is
removed from the packet, the mouth portion of the bag is open with two loop-
like
handles H1 extending (upward as shown in FIG. 8) from the mouth portion. Weld
areas Cl can be formed as heat welded points that extend through the packet so
that all of the tabs of the bags are adhered to one another and the tabs are
not
removed from the packet as the bags are torn therefrom.
The dispensing apparatus 110 of FIGS. 7, 9, and 10 includes a housing 112
formed by a rear portion 114 and a front cover 116. The rear portion and front
cover are pivotally connected to each other by a hinge arrangement 118 located
proximate a bottom edge of the rear portion. The hinge arrangement is attached
to
the front cover at a location proximate a lower end (when the front cover is
closed
as shown in FIG.7) of the front cover. By virtue of the hinge arrangement, the
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front cover can be pivoted between a closed position (FIG. 7) and an open
position
(FIG. 9).
As shown in FIG. 10, a bag mount or hook 120 for engaging the aperture
Al in the bag packet PI extends rearwardly from a flange 148 of the rear
portion
114 of the dispensing apparatus 110. Thus, with the flange 148 positioned in a
vertical arrangement, the packet can be disposed so that the hook 120 extends
through the aperture Al, and the packet can be folded over the flange so that
the
packet hangs from the flange and,the hook with the lower portion of the packet
contained in the interior space of the housing 112.
Similar to the embodiment described above in connection with FIG. 1, the
dispensing apparatus 110 defines an opening 122 in the housing 112. The mouth
portion of the bag packet P1 is thus presented for ready access through the
opening
122, while the lower ends of the bags can be contained within the housing and
hence are not readily accessible as long as the front cover 116 is closed as
shown
in FIG. 7. It is appreciated that while the opening 122 in the illustrated
embodiment is on an upper side of the housing, the opening can alternatively
be on
another side of the housing, such as the front side.
The front cover 116 in the illustrated embodiment defines a front panel 124
of curved, generally U-shaped form, and a pair of spaced, parallel side panels
126
joined to the opposite side edges of the front panel 124. A cover member 127
extends between the side panels so that the opening 122 is defined between the
cover member 127 and the front panel 124. A latching arrangement 128 for
latching the front cover in the closed position includes a latch member 130
that is
connected to a pivot member 132, each of which can be in the form of a wire or
rod configured so that the latch member 130 is substantially parallel to the
pivot
member 132 and is spaced from the pivot member in a forward direction (i.e.,
toward the front cover 116). The pivot member 132 is journaled for rotation
about
its axis in apertures formed through a pair of laterally spaced, parallel
walls 134
that are joined to opposite side edges of the rear portion 114. A torsion
spring 136
is affixed to the pivot member 132 and engages the latth member 130 to bias
the
latch member in a downward direction. The opposite ends of the latch member
130 extend outwardly through vertically elongated apertures 138 in the walls
134,
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and the torsion spring 136 biases the latch member downwardly against the
lower
edges of the apertures 138. Thus, the latch member is structured to engage
latching slots 140 in the side panels 126 when the front cover 116 is closed
to
prevent the front cover from being opened. The front cover can be opened by
pushing the opposite ends of the latch member 130 upwardly against the force
of
the torsion spring 136 to disengage the latch member from the latching slots
140,
and pulling the front cover forwardly.
The front panel 124 of the front cover can also include a vertically
extending slot 146 extending partially through the front panel from the
opening
122 to aid in the removal of a bag from the dispenser 110. The slot allows the
upper end of the bag, grasped proximate to the mouth of the bag and below the
tab
T1, to be pulled downwardly away from the flange 148 and hook 120. As
described above, such downward force on the bag is generally helpful for
detaching the bag from the tab T1 that remains engaged to the packet and the
dispensing apparatus 110. In other embodiments of the present invention, a
dispensing apparatus similar to the one shown in FIG. 7 can be used to
dispense
bags that do not define a tab, and =the opening 122 can be helpful for causing
the
hook to tear through an aperture in the bag to release the bag from the hook.
In
any case, the dispensing apparatus 110 can be mounted on a support stand or
other
support device, as set forth above, and can include a cup or other device for
holding twist ties and the like.
To prepare the dispensing apparatus 110 for operation, the front cover 116
is opened and a packet 11 of bags is hung from the hook 120 (FIG. 10). The
packet can extend down below the location of the hinge arrangement 118; for
instance, the hinge can be located about midway along the vertical extent of
the
packet. The front cover 116 is then closed (FIG. 7). A portion of the packet
that
hangs down below the hinge can be folded into the interior of the housing when
the
front cover is closed.
To remove a bag from the dispenser 110, the outermost bag in the packet is
grasped at a point just below the tab and is pulled forwardly and downwardly,
along the slot 146 (if present) in the front cover, so as to sever the
severable
support means of the bag and detach the bag from the hook and the remaining
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bags. The process of detaching the bag can cause the mouth portion of the bag
to
be opened, and the bag can then be filled with merchandise.
FIGS. 11-17 illustrate a dispensing apparatus 210 in accordance with a
fourth embodiment of the invention. The apparatus 210 is shown in FIG. 11 with
a
packet P of bags that is similar to the bag packet P shown in the embodiment
of
FIG. 1, i.e., with the bags being structured to be removed from the packet P
by
tearing a severable support means (such as portion of the bag defined between
an
aperture A through the bags and a top edge of the bags) and so that no tab or
other
portion of each bag is left in the apparatus 210 when the bag is removed;
however,
it is appreciated that other configurations of bags can be provided in and
dispensed
from the apparatus, including the T-shirt style bags of packet P1 shown in
FIG. 8
with a detachable tab Tl. The packet P of bags is typically provided with the
aperture A being structured to receive a hook 220 or other bag mount, as
described
above, and each bag can be provided in a folded configuration in the packet P.
For
example, the bags can be similar to those described in the aforementioned U.S.
Patent Nos. 5,941,393 and 5,335,788 and marketed under the name Quikstar , a
registered trademark of Hilex Poly Co. LLC of Hartsville, South Carolina.
Similar to the dispensing apparatuses 10, 110 described above, the
dispensing apparatus 210 of FIGS. 11-17 includes a housing 212 formed by a
rear
portion 214 and a front cover 216. The rear portion 214 and front cover 216
are
pivotally connected to each other by a hinge arrangement 218 located proximate
a
bottom edge of the rear portion 214 The hinge arrangement 218 is attached to
the
front cover 216 at a location proximate a lower end (when the front cover is
closed
as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13) of the front cover 216. By virtue of the hinge
arrangement 218, the front cover 216 can be pivoted between an open position
(FIGS. 11 and 14) and a closed position (FIGS. 12 and 13). In particular, the
hinge
arrangement 218 can include a shaft 250 in the form of a rod, wire, or the
like,
which rotatably connects the front cover 216 to the rear portion 214, e.g., by
passing at least partially through each of the front cover 216 and the rear
portion
214 so that at least one of the front cover 216 or rear portion 214 can be
rotated
about an axis of the shaft 250.
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Further, the hinge arrangement 218 can include a mechanism for regulating
the speed at which the front cover 216 opens. For example, as shown in FIGS.
16
and 17, one or more elastomeric members 252 can be positioned to frictionally
resist the rotation of the front cover 216. The elastomeric members 252 of the
illustrated embodiment are mounted on the shaft 250. Each member 252 has a
generally rectangular outer cross-sectional shape and is disposed in a
correspondingly shaped portion of the front cover 216 so that the members 252
are
restricted from rotating relative to the front cover 216. Further, the shaft
250
defines a J-shaped leg 254 that is engaged to the rear portion 214 so that the
shaft
250 is restricted from rotating relative to the rear portion 214. Thus, as the
front
cover 216 rotates relative to the rear portion 214, the elastomeric members
252
rotate relative to the shaft 250. The frictional contact between the
elastomeric
members 252 and the shaft 250 frictionally resists opening of the front cover
216
and, therefore, reduces the speed at which the front cover 216 pivots relative
to the
rear portion 214, e.g., when the front cover 216 is opened by the force of
gravity
thereon. Thus, the speed of opening of the cover 216 is regulated by the
elastomeric members 252. It is appreciated that various spring and/or damper
elements can be used in combination with or in alternative to the elastomeric
members 252, such as springs, bushings, and the like.
As shown in FIG. 11, the bag mount or hook 220 for engaging the aperture
A in the bag packet P extends from a flange 248 of the rear portion 214 of the
dispensing apparatus 210. As also shown, e.g., in FIG. 11, the hook 220 can
extend generally perpendicularly from the flange 248. With the dispensing
apparatus 210 in its typical upright configuration as illustrated in FIGS. 11-
14, the
hook 220 extends in a generally vertical direction away from the rear portion
214.
Thus, the packet P can be disposed so that the hook 220 extends through the
aperture A, with a top portion of the packet P that is secured by the hook 220
extending generally horizontally against the flange 248, and the packet P
being
folded over the flange 248 so that the packet P hangs from the flange 248 and
the
hook 220 with the lower portion of the packet P contained in an interior space
213
defined by the housing 212. The terms "generally vertical" and "generally
horizontal" are meant to include configurations in which the hook 220 is
disposed
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at a relatively small angle, e.g., about 30 , from the vertical direction
and/or the
flange 248 is disposed at a relatively small angle, e.g., about 30 , from the
horizontal direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the flange 248 can be
disposed
at an angle that is about 30 relative to horizontal, and the hook 220 can
extend
substantially perpendicularly therefrom.
The hook 220 illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 11-17 defines a first
portion 260 that extends from a first end 262 affixed to the rear portion 214
of the
housing to a second distal end 264 (FIG. 15). Second and third portions 266,
268
of the hook 220 extend in generally opposite directions from the distal end
264 of
the first portion 260 and generally perpendicular to the first portion 260.
The first
portion 260 can be disposed in a generally vertical orientation, and the
second and
third portions 266, 268 can be disposed generally horizontally. The second and
third portions 266, 268 can be oriented to extend toward the front and rear of
the
dispensing apparatus 210, i.e., in directions that are generally parallel to
the motion
of the front cover 216 when it is being latched closed and parallel to the
direction
of motion of the bags when they are dispensed from the apparatus 210. Thus,
the
second and third portions 266, 268 can retain the bags, even if the packet P
or
individual bags shift slightly toward the mar or front of the apparatus 210,
e.g., if
the packet P is pushed toward the rear of the apparatus 210 when the front
cover
216 is closed or pulled toward the front of the apparatus 210 when the bags
are
pulled individually from the packet P. The hook 220 can be formed from a
continuous length of material, such as a metal rod, that is bent to define the
illustrated configuration, such that the metal rod or other material extends
continuously in a curved configuration between ends of the rod that are
affixed to
the rear portion 214 of the housing. More particularly, the first portion 260
can be
defined by first and second parallel legs 270, 272 of the hook 220 that extend
between the first and second ends 262, 264 (FIG. 15), and the second and third
portions 266, 268 of the hook 220 can be defined by a generally C-shaped curve
274 that connects the first and second legs 270, 272 of the hook 220 (FIG.
17).
Such a C-shaped curve 274 can be sized to receive the 'apertures A of the
bags.
That is, the C-shaped curve 274 can define a distance D1 between the "top" of
the
C-shaped curve 274 and the opposite leg 272 and a similar distance D2 between
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the "bottom" of the C-shaped curve 274 and the opposite leg 270. The distances
D1 and D2 can correspond to the diameter of the aperture A in the bag packet P
(or
to the longest chord measured across the aperture A when the aperture A is
elongated by stretching or manipulating the bags) so that the C-shaped curve
274
can be inserted through the aperture A of the packet P and the packet P can be
received onto the legs 270, 272 of the hook 220.
As discussed above in connection with the other embodiments of the
present invention, the dispensing apparatus 210 defines an opening 222 in the
housing 212 that connects the interior space 213 of the housing 212 with the
outside of the housing. The opening 222 is located near the hook 220 so that
the
mouth portion of the bag packet P is presented for ready access through the
opening 222, while the lower ends of the bags can be contained within the
housing
212 and hence are not readily accessible as long as the front cover 216 is
closed.
With the front cover closed, the hook is generally disposed or contained in
the
interior space of the housing, an aspect that can facilitate the use of the
dispensing
apparatus by restricting access to the hook and/or the top portion of the
bags.
More particularly, the front cover 216 in the illustrated embodiment defines a
front
panel 224 of curved, generally U-shaped form, and a pair of spaced, parallel
side
panels 226 joined to the opposite side edges of the front panel 224. A cover
member 227 extends between the side panels so that the opening 222 is defined
between the cover member 227 and the front panel 224. In the illustrated
embodiment, the cover member is part of the front cover and is structured to
be
disposed over a top edge of the rear portion when the front portion is closed
so that
a portion of the packet is disposed between the top edge of the rear portion
and the
cover member. In this way, the hook can be disposed between the flange and the
front cover when the cover is closed, thereby substantially hiding the hook
from
view and/or substantially preventing access to the bag mount by the user when
the
front cover is closed. Thus, a user unfamiliar with the operation of the
apparatus is
less likely to attempt to "thread" or "back" the bag off the hook, i.e., by
manipulating the top portion of the bag relative to the hook in a manner
generally
opposite to the motion used to place the packet on the hook and thereby remove
the
bag from the hook without tearing the bag. Instead, the user is presented with
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access to only the mouth portion of the bag, and when the user pulls on the
bag
from the accessible portion, the bag tears is torn or otherwise removed from
the
packet and the hook. In any case, the dispensing apparatus 210 can be mounted
on
a support stand 50 or other support device, as set forth above, and can
include a
cup or other device for holding twist ties and the like.
As described above in connection with the other embodiments of the
present invention, a latching arrangement 228 is provided for latching the
front
cover in the closed position. The latching arrangement includes a latch member
230 that is connected to a pivot member 232, each of which can be in the form
of a
shaft, wire, rod, or the like that is configured so that the latch member 230
is
substantially parallel to the pivot member 232 and is spaced from the pivot
member in a forward direction (i.e., toward the front cover 216). The pivot
member 232 is journaled for rotation about its axis in apertures formed
through a
pair of laterally spaced, parallel walls 234 that are joined to opposite side
edges of
the rear portion 214. One or more torsion springs 236 are affixed to the pivot
member 232 and engage the latch member 230 to bias the latch member in a
downward direction. The opposite ends of the latch member 230 extend outwardly
through vertically elongated apertures 238 in the walls 234, and the torsion
springs
236 bias the latch member downwardly against the lower edges of the apertures
238. Thus, the latch member is structured to engage latching slots 240 in the
side
panels 226 when the front cover 216 is closed to prevent the front cover from
being
opened. The front cover can be opened by pushing the opposite ends of the
latch
member 230 upwardly against the force of the torsion springs 236 to disengage
the
latch member from the latching slots 240, and pulling the front cover
forwardly.
The front panel 224 of the front cover can also include a vertically
extending slot 246 extending partially through the front panel from the
opening
222 to aid in the removal of a bag from the dispenser 210. The slot allows the
upper end of the bag, grasped proximate to the mouth of the bag to be pulled
downwardly away from the flange 248 and the hook 220. As described above,
such downward force on the bag is generally helpful for detaching the bag from
the
packet and the dispensing apparatus 210. In other embodiments of the present
invention, a dispensing apparatus similar to the one shown in FIG. 11 can be
used
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to dispense bags that define a tab as described above in connection with FIG.
7. In
any case, the slot 246 can extend from a first end 280 at the opening 222 to a
second end 282 in a direction that extends generally away from the hook 220.
Further, the slot 246 can also define an additional open portion at the second
end
282 of the slot 246. In particular, the slot 246 can define a generally arrow-
shape
portion at the second end of the slot. The arrow-shape portion includes first
and
second portions 284, 286 that are disposed at an angle converging in a
direction
away from the opening and the hook, as shown in FIG. 16. In other embodiments,
the first and second portions 284, 286 can instead be collinear and
perpendicular to
the rest of the slot 246 so that the slot defines a generally T-shape portion
distal to
the opening 222. Although the present invention is not limited to any
particular
theory of operation, it is believed that such a slot 246 with an arrow-shape
or T-
shape portion distal to the opening 222 can facilitate the spreading of the
bag and
thereby assist a user to open the bag and remove the bag from the packet P.
Further, the dimensions of the slot 246, including the arrow-shape or T-shape
portion, are such to prevent direct access to the bags therethrough. That is,
the slot
246 can be sufficiently narrow to prevent a user from reaching through the
slot 246
and into the interior space of the housing to access the bags.
The dispensing apparatus 210 is typically prepared for operation by
opening the front cover 216 and hanging a packet P of bags from the hook 220
(FIG. 11). The packet can extend down below the location of the hinge
arrangement 218; for instance, the hinge can be located about midway along the
vertical extent of the packet. The front cover 216 is then closed (FIG. 12). A
portion of the packet that hangs down below the hinge can be folded into the
interior of the housing when the front cover is closed, as illustrated in FIG.
15.
To remove a bag from the dispenser 210, the outermost bag in the packet is
grasped at a point proximate the mouth of the bag and is pulled forwardly and
downwardly, i.e., along the slot 246 (if present) in the front cover, so as to
detach
the bag from the hook and the remaining bags of the packet, e.g., by severing
the
bag between its top edge and the aperture A that receives the hook 220 and/or
breaking any bonds between the outermost bag and the adjacent bag in the
packet
P. The process of detaching the bag can cause the mouth portion of the bag to
be
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CA 02541888 2006-04-03
opened, and the bag can then be filled with merchandise. Further, the process
of
detaching the outermost bag from the packet can also cause the adjacent bag in
the
packet P to be partially unfolded and opened so that next bag in the packet is
still
attached to the hook 220 and the packet P, but with a portion E of the bag
unfolded
and partially pulled from the packet P, as shown in FIG. 15, toward or through
the
opening 222. In this way, outermost bag can be easily grasped by a user simply
by
grasping the partially unfolded portion E thereof.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth
herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions
pertain
having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions
and the
associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are
not to
be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and
other
embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended
claims.
Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and
descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
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