A bag dispensing apparatus and a bag dispensing system are disclosed. The bag dispensing apparatus includes a housing, a bag retaining mechanism, and a bag locking mechanism. A roll of bags is stored in the bag dispensing apparatus and a leading bag of the roll of bags can be directly hanged on the bag dispensing apparatus for use. The storage and use of the bags are cleverly integrated to save the space, and the operation is more convenient.

In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided that facilitate the opening of a mouth of a plastic bag when removing the plastic bag from a plastic product bag dispenser. The plastic product bag dispenser includes a frame including a spindle configured to hold and permit dispensing of a roll of plastic produce bags, a bag separator coupled to the frame configured to permit separation of a leading plastic produce bag from an adjacent plastic produce bag along the line of weakness, and a bag opening facilitator including a frictional element having a higher coefficient of friction relative to surfaces of the front and rear sidewalls of the plastic produce bag than portions of the bag separator adjacent the bag opening facilitator. The frictional element of the bag opening facilitator is configured to retain in place a portion of the rear sidewall proximate the openable mouth while permitting a portion of the front sidewall proximate the openable mouth to move relative to the retained in place portion of the rear sidewall to open the mouth of the plastic produce bag.

A bag dispenser includes a frame with a roller portion for receiving a bag roll defined by a plurality of bags attached to a leading bag to be dispensed, the roller defining a longitudinal axis. A brake plate is configured to capture the leading bag against the frame for providing frictional force on the leading bag to limit sliding thereof, the brake plate pivotally attached to the frame via a pivot arm, the brake plate pivotable with respect to the frame between a non-pivoted friction-application position and a pivoted bag roll-installment position, the pivot arm configured to pivot with respect to the frame along a pivot plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

A bag dispenser includes a frame with a roller portion for receiving a bag roll defined by a plurality of bags attached to a leading bag to be dispensed, the roller defining a longitudinal axis. A brake plate is configured to capture the leading bag against the frame for providing frictional force on the leading bag to limit sliding thereof, the brake plate pivotally attached to the frame via a pivot arm, the brake plate pivotable with respect to the frame between a non-pivoted friction-application position and a pivoted bag roll-installment position, the pivot arm configured to pivot with respect to the frame along a pivot plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

Reusable shopping or produce bags are made from a fabric material. The fabric material may be woven or non-woven. The bags may be used with existing grocery store fixtures. For example, a reusable shopping bag can be designed to hang on existing checkout fixtures designed for conventional plastic shopping bags. Similarly, a roll of produce bags can be dispensed from an existing fixture designed for conventional plastic produce bags. Thus, the bags may be used in grocery stores with little to no reconfiguration of existing check outs and product display areas.

A bag dispensing apparatus and a bag dispensing system are disclosed. The bag dispensing apparatus includes a housing, a bag retaining mechanism, and a bag locking mechanism. A roll of bags is stored in the bag dispensing apparatus and a leading bag of the roll of bags can be directly hanged on the bag dispensing apparatus for use. The storage and use of the bags are cleverly integrated to save the space, and the operation is more convenient.

A bag dispenser includes a frame with a roller portion for receiving a bag roll defined by a plurality of bags attached to a leading bag to be dispensed, the roller defining a longitudinal axis. A brake plate is configured to capture the leading bag against the frame for providing frictional force on the leading bag to limit sliding thereof, the brake plate pivotally attached to the frame via a pivot arm, the brake plate pivotable with respect to the frame between a non-pivoted friction-application position and a pivoted bag roll-installment position, the pivot arm configured to pivot with respect to the frame along a pivot plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

A bag dispenser includes a frame with a roller portion for receiving a bag roll defined by a plurality of bags attached to a leading bag to be dispensed, the roller defining a longitudinal axis. A brake plate is configured to capture the leading bag against the frame for providing frictional force on the leading bag to limit sliding thereof, the brake plate pivotally attached to the frame via a pivot arm, the brake plate pivotable with respect to the frame between a non-pivoted friction-application position and a pivoted bag roll-installment position, the pivot arm configured to pivot with respect to the frame along a pivot plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

A dispenser is disclosed for dispensing plastic bags from bag rolls. The dispenser includes a base frame and an arm pivotally connected to the base frame. A roll stop is attached to the arm to be inserted in the core of the bag roll when one is nested on the frame. The roll stop includes an internal spring which applies a braking force to the interior of the core of the bag roll to prevent the bag roll from spinning.

Described is a produce bag dispenser with a bag opening device. The bag opening device helps a customer in a retail store to open a produce bag as the produce bag is being removed from the produce bag dispenser. The bag opening device includes a sleeve and a friction plate with a frictional element. The sleeve attaches the bag opening device to the produce bag dispenser. The friction plate, with a frictional element such as rubber or other sticky or gritty material on it, is positioned below the bag separator of the produce bag dispenser. As the customer separates one bag from the roll of produce bags with the bag separator, they slide the bag along the frictional element of the friction plate, which opens the bag for the customer as the bag is separated from the roll of produce bags.