Drawstring trash bag with thick hem region

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a thermoplastic drawstring trash bag wherein the thermoplastic drawstring trash bag has an enhanced thickness region in one or more panels of the drawstring trash bag. The enhanced thickness region has an average thickness that is greater than the thickness of the remaining portions of the panels forming the drawstring trash bag. The enhanced thickness region is generally in the area of the hems and traverses the hem seals.

Claims

1. A drawstring bag of thermoplastic film comprising: a first panel and a second panel, the first panel and second panel joined along a first side edge, a second side edge, and a bottom edge, a top edge of the first panel folded upon itself to form a first hem along an upper opening of the drawstring bag with a first hem seal defining a bottom of the first hem, a first drawstring disposed and secured within the first hem, a first enhanced thickness region defined in the thermoplastic film of the first hem, the first enhanced thickness region extending from the upper opening of the drawstring bag to below the first hem seal, an average thickness of the first enhanced thickness region greater than an average thickness of the first panel excluding the first enhanced thickness region and less than an average thickness of the first drawstring, wherein each of the average thicknesses is measured through a single layer of the thermoplastic film, and the first panel excluding the first enhanced thickness region devoid of a ribbed pattern.

2. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: the first enhanced thickness region extends from the upper opening of the drawstring bag to at least one inch below the first hem seal.

3. The drawstring bag of claim 2, further comprising: the first enhanced thickness region extends from the upper opening of the drawstring bag to between two inches and four inches below the first hem seal.

4. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: a top edge of the second panel folded upon itself to form a second hem along an upper opening of the drawstring bag with a second hem seal defining a bottom of the second hem, the second hem seal extending from the first side edge to the second side edge of the drawstring bag, a second drawstring disposed and secured within the second hem, a second enhanced thickness region defined in a thermoplastic film forming the second panel, the second enhanced thickness region extending from the first side edge to a second side edge and traversing the second hem seal, and wherein an average thickness of the second enhanced thickness region measured across the thermoplastic film forming the second panel is greater than an average thickness of the second panel excluding the second enhanced thickness region.

5. The drawstring bag of claim 4, further comprising: the second enhanced thickness region extends from the upper opening of the drawstring bag to below the second hem seal.

6. The drawstring bag of claim 5, further comprising: the second enhanced thickness region extends from the upper opening of the drawstring bag to at least one inch below the second hem seal.

7. The drawstring bag of claim 6, further comprising: the second enhanced thickness region extends from the upper opening of the drawstring bag to between two inches and four inches below the second hem seal.

8. A drawstring bag of thermoplastic film comprising: a first panel and a second panel, the first panel and second panel joined along a first side edge, a second side edge, and a bottom edge, a top edge of the first panel folded upon itself to form a first hem along an upper opening of the drawstring bag with a first hem seal defining a bottom of the first hem, a first drawstring disposed and secured within the first hem, the thermoplastic film of the first panel divided into an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion extending below the first hem seal, an average thickness of each layer of the upper portion greater than an average thickness of each layer of the lower portion and less than an average thickness of the first drawstring, wherein each of the average thicknesses is measured through the thermoplastic film from a first side to an opposing second side, and the lower portion of the thermoplastic film devoid of a ribbed pattern.

9. The drawstring bag of claim 8, further comprising: the upper portion of the first panel extends at least one inch below the first hem seal.

10. The drawstring bag of claim 9, further comprising: the upper portion of the first panel extends between two inches and four inches below the first hem seal.

11. The drawstring bag of claim 8, further comprising: a top edge of the second panel folded upon itself to form a second hem along an upper opening of the drawstring bag with a second hem seal defining a bottom of the second hem, the second hem seal extending from the first side edge to the second side edge of the drawstring bag, a second drawstring disposed and secured within the second hem, a second enhanced thickness region defined in a thermoplastic film forming the second panel, the second enhanced thickness region extending from the first side edge to a second side edge and traversing the second hem seal, and wherein an average thickness of the second enhanced thickness region measured across the thermoplastic film forming the second panel is greater than an average thickness of the second panel excluding the second enhanced thickness region.

12. The drawstring bag of claim 11, further comprising: the second enhanced thickness region extends from the upper opening of the drawstring bag to below the second hem seal.

13. The drawstring bag of claim 12, further comprising: the second enhanced thickness region extends from the upper opening of the drawstring bag to at least one inch below the second hem seal.

14. The drawstring bag of claim 13, further comprising: the second enhanced thickness region extends from the upper opening of the drawstring bag to between two inches and four inches below the second hem seal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED DRAWINGS

(1) A more complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the detailed description of the present invention when viewed in conjunction to the accompanying drawings. The drawings can be briefly described as follows.

(2) FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 provides an elevation view of a cross section of the top section of one embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3 provides a front elevation view of one embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 provides a back elevation view of one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) The present disclosure illustrates one or more embodiments of the present invention. It is not intended to provide an illustration of or encompass every embodiment contemplated in connection with the present invention. In view of the disclosure of the present invention contained herein, a person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that innumerable modifications and insubstantial changes may be incorporated or otherwise included within the present invention without diverging from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to those embodiments disclosed herein. The appended claims are intended to more fully and accurately encompass the invention to the fullest extent possible, but it is fully appreciated that the use of particular terms may not be intended to conclusively limit the scope of protection.

(7) Referring initially to FIG. 1, a perspective view of drawstring trash bag 100 is shown according to one embodiment of the present invention. The drawstring trash bag 100 is formed from a first panel 102 and a second panel 104, the first panel 102 and second panel 104 are both rectangular in shape. To define the body of the bag, the first panel 102 and the second panel 104 are joined along a first side edge 106, a second side edge 108, and a bottom edge 110 of the respective first panel 102 and second panel 104.

(8) In some embodiments, the first panel 102 and the second panel 104 may be formed from a single thermoplastic film folded to define a bottom edge 110 where the first panel 102 and the second panel 104 are joined. In such embodiments, the first panel 102 and second panel 104 may be joined by one or more seals extending along the first side edge 106 and the second side edge 108. In alternative embodiments, the first panel 102 and the second panel 104 may be formed from a single thermoplastic film folded to define a first edge 102 while the first panel 102 and second panel 104 may be joined by one or more seals extending along the second side edge 108 and the bottom edge 110. Finally, in other embodiments, the first panel 102 and the second panel 104 may be formed of separate thermoplastic films joined by one or more seals extending along the first side edge 106, the second side edge 108, and the bottom edge 110 or the first panel 102 and the second panel 104 may be a tubular thermoplastic film joined by flattening the tube to define the first side edge 106 and the second side edge 108 with a seal extending along the bottom edge 110.

(9) In many embodiments, including the depicted embodiment, a distal end 112 of the first panel 102 is folded over to define the first hem 120 with a first hem seal 116 provided across the width of the drawstring trash bag 100. The first hem seal 116 also defines the bottom of the first hem 120. FIG. 2 depicts a cross-section view of the first hem 120 and the second hem 122. In this cross-section view, a distal end 114 of the second panel 104 is folded over to define the second hem 122 with a second hem seal 118 provided across the width of the drawstring trash bag 100. The second hem seal 118 also defines the bottom of the second hem 122.

(10) A first drawstring 130 is disposed within the first hem 120, the first drawstring 130 extending across the width of the drawstring trash bag 100. Similarly, a second drawstring 132 is disposed within the second hem 122, the second drawstring 132 extending across the width of the drawstring trash bag 100. In some embodiments, the ends of the first drawstring 130 and the second drawstring 132 are anchored to the upper corners of the drawstring trash bag 100 by providing short seals 140 and 142 welding together the first panel 102, the second panel 104, the first drawstring 130, and the second drawstring 132. It is contemplated that the drawstrings of the present invention may be either non-extensible or extensible drawstrings as known in the art.

(11) FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 provide additional views of the front and rear of the drawstring trash bag 100 illustrating that each of the first panel 102 and the second panel 104 of the drawstring trash bag 100 is divided into an upper portion 150 and a lower portion 160. In embodiments of the present invention, the upper portion 150 and the lower portion 160 of the drawstring trash bag 100 have different thicknesses. Specifically, the thickness of thermoplastic film in the upper portion 150 of the first panel 102 and the second panel 104 is greater than the thickness of the thermoplastic film in the lower portion of the first panel 102 and the second panel 104.

(12) Variations in the manufacturing process results in some variability in the thickness of any thermoplastic film. However, the thickness a thermoplastic film is typically described in terms of the average thickness of the film across an area. In the case of the present invention, the average thickness of the thermoplastic film in the lower portions 160 of the drawstring trash bag 100 is less than the average thickness of the thermoplastic films in the upper portions 150 of the drawstring trash bag 100. A person having ordinary skill in the art would understand the methods of measuring and determining the thickness of such thermoplastic films and, further, would understand that in some embodiments of the present invention the localized thickness of the thermoplastic film at certain points in the upper portions 150 may actually be less than the localized thickness of the thermoplastic film at certain points in the lower portion 160 of the drawstring trash bag 100.

(13) The thickness of the upper portion 150 and lower portion 160 of a panel 102 or 104 may be defined in terms of the ratio of the average thickness of the upper portion 150 to the average thickness of the lower portion 160 or in terms of specific average thicknesses, or range of thicknesses, for each of the respective portions 150 and 160. For example, in certain embodiments of the present invention, the ratio of the average thickness of the upper portion 150 of a panel 102 or 104 to the average thickness of the lower portion 160 of a panel 102 or 104 may be in the range of 1.1:1 and 4:1. Moreover, in some embodiments, the ratio of the average thickness of the upper portion 150 of a panel 102 or 104 to the average thickness of the lower portion 160 of a panel 102 or 104 may be in the range of 2:1 to 3:1. With regard to specific average thicknesses for certain embodiments, the average thickness of the lower portion 160 may be between 0.7 mil and 0.95 mil while the average thickness of the upper portion 150 may be greater than 1.1 mil. Additionally, in some embodiments the average thickness of the lower portion 160 may be between 0.7 mil and 1.2 mil while the average thickness of the upper portion 150 may be greater than 1.2 mil.

(14) Alternatively, the first panel 102 and the second panel 104 can be described in terms of each respective panel 102 and 104 having an enhanced thickness region. In this case, like with the upper portion 150 and lower portion 160, the enhanced thickness region of a panel 102 or 104 may be defined in terms of the ratio of the average thickness of the enhanced thickness region of a panel 102 or 104 to the average thickness of the panel 102 or 104 excluding the enhanced thickness region. For example, in certain embodiments of the present invention, the ratio of the average thickness of the enhanced thickness region of a panel 102 or 104 to the average thickness of the panel 102 or 104 excluding the enhanced thickness region may be in the range of 1.1:1 and 4:1. Moreover, in some embodiments, the ratio the average thickness of the enhanced thickness region of a panel 102 or 104 to the average thickness of the panel 102 or 104 excluding the enhanced thickness region may be in the range of 2:1 to 3:1. With regard to specific average thicknesses for certain embodiments, the average thickness of a panel 102 or 104 excluding the enhanced thickness region may be between 0.7 mil and 0.95 mil while the average thickness of the enhanced thickness region of same panel 102 or 104 may be greater than 1.1 mil. Additionally, in some embodiments the average thickness of the panel 102 or 104 excluding the enhanced thickness region may be between 0.7 mil and 1.2 mil while the average thickness of the enhanced thickness region of same panel 102 or 104 may be greater than 1.2 mil.

(15) In certain embodiments of the present invention, the upper portion 150 or enhanced thickness region of a panel 102 or 104 traverses the respective hem seal 116 or 118 and extends at least one inch below the bottom of the first hem seal 116 or second hem seal 118. Moreover, in some embodiments, the upper portion 150 or enhanced thickness region of a panel 102 or 104 traverses the respective hem seal 116 or 118 and extends between two inches and four inches below the bottom of the first hem seal 116 or second hem seal 118. Additionally, in some embodiments the upper portion 150 or enhanced thickness region of a panel 102 or 104 may extend to the upper opening 120 and 122 of the drawstring trash bag or, in other embodiments, all the way to the top edge 112 or 114 of the respective panel 102 or 104. Furthermore, in some embodiments the transition at the bottom of the upper portion 150 or enhanced thickness region of a panel 102 or 104 may be quick and abrupt while in other embodiments the transition may be a gradual decrease in film thickness from the upper portion 150 to the lower portion 160 of the drawstring trash bag 100.

(16) In some embodiments, the use of increased air cooling during the extrusion process can be used to increase the thickness of the film in the upper portion 150 of the drawstring trash bag 100. Increased cooling can be provided by increasing the air flow along the surface of extruded film. In other embodiments, the thermoplastic film may be formed with a multi-layered die where additional thermoplastic material can be co-extruded in the upper region. Furthermore, the additional thermoplastic material may differ from the thermoplastic material used for the remainder of the thermoplastic film. Regardless, the present invention is not intended to be limited in scope with respect to the method of creating the thicker upper portions 150.

(17) As previously noted, the specific embodiments depicted herein are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Indeed, it is contemplated that any number of different embodiments may be utilized without diverging from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to more fully encompass the full scope of the present invention.