Method for forming a folded bag and bag formed thereby

Abstract

A folded bag comprising a front side, a rear side, and left and right sides connecting the front and rear sides, each side having a top edge and a bottom edge; a plurality of left simple gussets and a plurality of right simple gussets formed in each of the left and right bag sides, respectively, wherein each simple gusset includes first and second outwardly-extending wings formed by respective first and second outwardly-extending folds and separated by an inwardly-extending fold; and a bottom edge seal subsuming all of the bottom edges such that the simple gussets are restrained from unfolding at the bottom edge seal and are unrestrained from unfolding along the top edges of the front, rear, and left and right sides. One or more of the simple gussets may be converted to a compound gusset by additional longitudinal folding, thus reducing further the folded width of the bag.

Claims

1. A method for forming a folded bag having a front side, a rear side, and left and right sides connecting said front and rear sides, each of the sides having a top edge and a bottom edge opposite the top edge, the method comprising the steps of: first forming a tube of material; second forming said tube of material into a plurality of left side simple gussets and a plurality of right side simple gussets in said left and right bag sides, respectively, wherein each simple gusset includes first and second outwardly-extending wings, formed by respective first and second outwardly-extending longitudinal folds and separated by an inwardly-extending longitudinal fold, and wherein none of said left side simple gussets overlaps any of said right side simple gussets as folded, and vice versa; third forming at least one compound gusset by longitudinally folding inwardly and directly upon itself each of said outwardly-extending wings of at least one of said simple gussets; and sealing together all of said bottom edges, including all of said gussets, in a transverse seal, such that said simple gussets are restrained from unfolding at said bottom edge seal and are unrestrained from unfolding along said top edges of said front, rear, and left and right sides.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein none of said left side and right side compound gussets extends across a centerline of said bag.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein an air channel is provided in said folded bag between said left side and right side compound gussets.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said third forming step for said compound gusset comprises the further steps of: a) first folding a portion of said first outwardly-extending wing inwardly onto a remaining portion of said first outwardly-extending wing; and b) second folding a portion of said second outwardly-extending wing inwardly onto a remaining portion of said second outwardly-extending wing.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein said remaining portion of said first outwardly-extending wing comprises at least half of said first outwardly-extending wing.

6. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein said remaining portion of said second outwardly-extending wing comprises at least half of said second outwardly-extending wing.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 comprising the further step of forming a tab in said front side.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said material forming said tube is selected from the group consisting of seamless tubular stock, seamed sheet stock, paper, and plastic film, all of said stock being of nominally uniform thickness.

9. A folded bag formed from a tubular material of uniform material thickness, comprising: a) a front side, a rear side, and left and right sides connecting said front and rear sides, each of said bag sides having a top edge, and a bottom edge opposite said top edge; b) a plurality of left side simple gussets and a plurality of right side simple gussets formed in each of said left and right bag sides, respectively, wherein each simple gusset includes first and second outwardly-extending wings, formed by respective first and second outwardly-extending longitudinal folds and separated by an inwardly-extending longitudinal fold; c) at least one compound gusset formed by folding inwardly and directly upon itself each of said first and second outwardly-extending wings of at least one of said plurality of simple gussets, wherein, in folded bags comprising a plurality of compound gussets, said first and second outwardly-extending wings of each single gusset are folded inwardly directly upon themselves; and d) a bottom edge seal subsuming all of said bottom edges, including all of said gussets, such that said simple and compound gussets are restrained from unfolding at said bottom edge seal, and are unsealed along the entire length of said top edges and therefore are unrestrained from unfolding along said top edges of said front, rear, and left and right sides, defining thereby an open bag mouth.

10. A folded bag in accordance with claim 9 comprising an air channel in said folded bag between said left side gussets and said right side gussets.

11. A bag having a front side, a rear side, and left and right sides connecting said front and rear sides, and having a plurality of simple gussets formed in each of said left and right sides, and having at least one compound gusset formed from at least one of said plurality of simple gussets, wherein said left and right side simple gussets, said at least one compound gusset, and said front and rear sides are sealed together in only a bottom bag seam, the entire extent of opposite ends of said plurality of left and right side gussets and said at least one compound gusset being free to unfold when said bag is opened for use.

12. A bag in accordance with claim 11 wherein said plurality of gussets are selected from the group consisting of simple gussets, compound gussets, and combinations thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a system in accordance with the present invention, showing a pack of bags comprising multiple simple or compound gussets as described above, mounted on a supporting structure;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 10, showing a simple-gusset bag folded in accordance with the prior art, wherein the deployed length length.sub.1 of the bag equals the deployed width width.sub.1 of the bag, and wherein the gussets extend less than half the width of the bag and hence do not overlap;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the bag shown in FIG. 2 in a first step in a first method for forming a compound gusseted bag from a simple gusseted bag;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the bag shown in FIG. 2 in a second step in a first method for forming a compound gusset from a simple gusset;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the bag shown in FIG. 2 in a third step in a first method for forming a compound gusset from a simple gusset;

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the bag shown in FIG. 2 in a fourth and final step in a first method for forming a compound gusset from a simple gusset;

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the bag shown in FIG. 2 in a third step in a second method for forming a compound gusset from a simple gusset;

(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the bag shown in FIG. 2 in a fourth and final step in a second method for forming a compound gusset from a simple gusset;

(10) FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 12;

(11) FIG. 10 is an isometric view of an exemplary single-pleated bag partially unfolded, as is known in the prior art and substantially as shown in FIG. 4 of the incorporated '815 patent;

(12) FIG. 11 is an isometric view of an exemplary bag in accordance with the present invention having a plurality (two) of simple pleats in the right and left side walls, being sealed together in a single bottom seal and fully open at the top (or “mouth”) thereof;

(13) FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a currently preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention having three simple pleats in the right and left side walls, being sealed together in a single bottom seal and fully open at the top thereof; and

(14) FIG. 13 is an isometric view showing bag 230 (FIG. 8) partially deployed.

(15) Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate currently preferred embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(16) Referring to FIG. 1 for reference, and as disclosed in the incorporated '815 patent, in a presently preferred embodiment the bag portions 12 of a pack 10 of bags are contained and hang within supportive structure 14 alongside 16. Bag-attachment attachment header portion 18 is preferably, but not necessarily, folded over first lip 20, which is only a portion of the entire structure lip. Alternatively, all portions of bag pack 10 may be disposed within supportive structure 14 (not shown).

(17) Referring again to the '815 patent, it will be seen that such folding of the attachment header portion over the first lip serves to dispose all the bag parting features of all the bags outside the structure. An exemplary supportive structure 14 comprises at least a first lip 20, and may include a second and opposed lip 22. Applying FIG. 1 to the present invention, bag portions 12 and pack 10 should be considered as being formed in accordance with the present invention and comprising bags 130,230,330,430 as described below.

(18) Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 10, a longitudinally-folded bag 30 formed from tubular stock in accordance with the prior art comprises a rear side 32, a front side 34, a left side 36, and a right side 38. A simple gusset is formed in each of the left and right sides, comprising a single inward-extending longitudinal fold 40a and two complementary outward-extending longitudinal folds 42a, 42b in left side 36, and a single inward-extending longitudinal fold 40b and two complementary outward-extending longitudinal folds 42c, 42d in right side 38, resulting in first and second left wings 44a,44b and first and second right wings 44c, 44d. (Note: As used herein the terms “inward” and “outward” should be taken to mean respective directions toward or away from a longitudinal centerline of a bag.) Wings 44a, 44b, 44c, including front and back sides 32,34, are sealed together at the bottom of the bag in seal 46.

(19) Referring now to FIGS. 3 through 6, beginning with bag 30 in FIG. 2 a sequence of steps is shown in a first method for forming a bag with a compound gusset from a simple gusset in accordance with the present invention.

(20) In FIG. 3, wings 44a, 44c are raised, longitudinally folding side 34 in the middle.

(21) In FIG. 4, wings 44b, 44d are longitudinally folded upward and then inward in the middles thereof and laid inwards on top of themselves.

(22) In FIG. 5, folded wings 44a,44c are lowered into the original position shown in FIG. 2.

(23) In FIG. 6, wings 44a,44c are longitudinally folded upward and then inward in the middles thereof and laid inwards on top of themselves, resulting in first novel left and right compound gussets 46a, 46b in a folded bag 130.

(24) Note that compound gussets 46a,46b are not identical to the C-folds of West '222. The distinction from the disclosure of West is claimed in Claim 2. Having formed left and right simple gussets, West '222 then folds inwardly and together both the first and second outwardly-extending wings 30,32 and 30′,32′ in each left and right simple gusset to form a “C-fold”, as shown in FIG. 2C. West's seventh and eighth folds serve to completely enclose the folded bag within only one side (front or rear) of the final bag, whereas the opposite side is completely enclosed.

(25) To the contrary, a method for forming a compound gusset in accordance with the present invention calls for folding inwardly and independently each wing 44a,44b,44c,44d of each simple gusset separately, as shown sequentially in FIGS. 3-8, to form left and right “compound gussets” as thus defined herein. This method does not form a C-fold comprising both first and second outwardly-extending wings folded together as disclosed by West '222. Further, it will be seen that the folded bag is never completely enclosed by either rear side 32 or front side 34 as occurs in West '222. Such compound gussets and the claimed method for forming in accordance with the present invention are distinct from any gussets known in the prior art.

(26) Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, and 7 and 8, a sequence of steps is shown in a second method for forming a compound gusset from a simple gusset in accordance with the present invention.

(27) The steps shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are common to both the first and second methods.

(28) In FIG. 7, wings 44a, 44c are longitudinally folded in the middles thereof and outward and downward.

(29) In FIG. 8, folded wings 44a, 44c are lowered onto folded wings 44b, 44d, resulting in second novel left and right compound gussets 46c,46d in a folded bag 230. Note that compound gussets 46c, 46d are not identical with the C-folds of West.

(30) Of course, it is fully within the scope of the present invention that the second inward folds forming the compound gusset may be formed either before or after the first inward fold forming the simple gusset.

(31) Note that bags 130,230 as folded are substantially less than one-half the width of prior art bag 30. Hence, less than half of front side 34 is included in first wings 44a,44c, and less than half of rear side 32 is included in second wings 44b,44d. Thus, width.sub.2 is significantly less than width.sub.1.

(32) Note further that because simple gussets 36,38 do not overlap across a centerline of bags 130,230 as folded in FIG. 2, novel compound gussets 46a,46b and 46c, 46d also cannot overlap each other, and thus bags 130,230 comprise an inherent central air channel 148,248 between the gussets in communication with the interior of folded gusset wings 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d, allowing air to flow easily into the folded gussets when bags 130,230 are opened by an operator pulling on front side 34.

(33) Referring now to FIG. 11, a novel bag 430 folded in accordance with the present invention comprises two simple gussets 440 formed in each bag side 436,438. Bag 430 is sealed along a bottom edge by seal 442 subsuming bag rear side 432, front side 434, left side 436, and right side 438 including all gussets 440.

(34) Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 12, a novel bag 330 folded in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of left and right simple gussets 336 defining an air channel 348 therebetween. Further, an optional folded tab 350 may be formed in front side 334 to facilitate an operator's gripping a closed bag to pull the bag open (not shown in FIG. 12).

(35) Bag 330 comprises three simple gussets in each left and right side. It will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that a bag in accordance with the present invention may comprise any number of simple gussets beyond one, enabling such bags to have a deployed length length.sub.1 more than twice the deployed width width.sub.1 of the bag, as limited by one simple gusset in the prior art. It will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that any and all of each simple gusset 336 can be further folded to form a compound gusset (not shown) as just described above and shown in FIGS. 2-8. Thus, a plurality of gussets in accordance with the present invention may be selected from the group consisting of simple gussets, compound gussets, and combinations thereof.

(36) Referring now to FIG. 13, bag 230 (FIG. 8) is shown as being partially deployed.

(37) It should be pointed out that because the bottom of any single-seal bag, including those of the present invention and of the prior art, has only a width dimension (L=0), the length materials of the bag sides are all compressed and retained in the bottom seal. Thus, all such bags, upon being deployed, will have a complex transition zone having a gradually increasing length L between the bottom seal and the region of full deployment of the sides.

(38) As has been pointed out above, in a compound-gusseted bag, the rearmost compound gusset may include a portion of the rear side of the bag, and the foremost compound gusset may include a portion of the front side of the bag (width.sub.2<width.sub.1), i.e., the folded bag width may be as little as half the deployed width of the bag, affording use of a conveniently narrower package for a bag pack. Further, a bag may be compound-gusseted a second or more time as may be desired, resulting in a folded bag possibly only one-quarter or less of the deployed width of the bag (resulting in width.sub.2<<width.sub.1). It will be seen, however, that the narrower the width the bottom seal 42, as in bags having compound gussets (e.g. FIG. 13), the deeper the transition zone in the deployed bag.

(39) While the invention has been described by reference to various specific embodiments, it should be understood that numerous changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts described. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the described embodiments, but will have full scope defined by the language of the following claims.