SELF-OPENING BAGS WITH ATTACHING FEATURES

Abstract

A self-opening bag includes front and real walls joined at their respective first and second side and bottom edges. The bag is folded at least once parallel to its side edges. At least one attaching feature is located on the outer surface of the bag adjacent the upper end and between the folded walls. The bag is releasably attached to a subsequent bag. The at least one attaching feature causes the bag to open as the bag is pulled from the subsequent bag. The once folded bag may be sealed at the bottom edges after folding to form a star-sealed bag bottom. The bags may be removably attached to each other at a perforation line and wound onto a compact roll for use with a bag dispenser. The bags may have an upper seam, a U-shaped cut and a pair of bag handles. The bags may be corona treated.

Claims

1. A self-opening bag, comprising: a front wall, said front wall having an inner surface, an outer surface, first and second side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge; a rear wall, said rear wall having an inner surface, an outer surface, first and second side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge; said front wall being joined to said rear wall adjacent respective first and second side edges thereof; said front wall being sealed to said rear wall adjacent respective bottom edges thereof; an open mouth disposed adjacent said top edges; said bag being folded twice parallel to said side edges to form a Z-folded bag one third of a width of said bag; said outer surface of said front wall having first, second and third portions, each of said portions having an upper end adjacent said open mouth; said outer surface of said rear wall having fourth, fifth and sixth portions, each of said portions having an upper end adjacent said open mouth; at least one attaching feature, said attaching feature being selected from the group comprising: cold staking, hot pinning, multiple corona treatment, corona treatment with pressure points, knife cutting with pressure, wherein said knife cutting with pressure causes edges of a knife cut through adjacent bag layers to adhere together, special resin formulations, and glue spotting; said attaching feature disposed at at least one of a first point between said second portion and said third portion adjacent said upper end and a second point between said fourth portion and said fifth portion adjacent said upper end; said attaching feature securing at least one of said second portion to said third portion and fourth portion to said fifth portion; said bottom edges of said folded bag being releasably attached to said top edges of a subsequent folded bag; said folded bags being rolled into a compact bag roll; and said at least one attaching feature causing said bag to open as said bag is pulled from said subsequent bag.

2. The self-opening bag, as described in claim 1, wherein said front and rear walls of each of said bags is removably attached by a perforation line at said bottom edges to said top edges of said subsequent bag.

3. The self-opening bag, as described in claim 1, further comprising: a chisel cut, said chisel cut extending through a center point of said perforation line; and whereby, when said compact roll is installed in a bag dispenser said chisel cut will engage a separating tongue when bags are pulled from said roll.

4. The self-opening bag, as described in claim 1, wherein the bags are rolled about a core.

5. The self-opening bag, as described in claim 1, further comprising at least one side gusset, said side gusset extending inwardly from at least one of said first and second side edges of said front and rear walls.

6. The self-opening bag, as described in claim 1, further comprising a bottom gusset, said bottom gusset extending upwardly from said bottom edges.

7. The self-opening bag, as described in claim 1, wherein said outer surface of at least one of said front wall and said rear wall of said bags is corona treated.

8. The self-opening bag, as described in claim 1, wherein said attaching feature is any of a natural substance, a synthetic substance and other attaching means not requiring a separate substance.

9. The self-opening bag, as described in claim 1, wherein said attaching feature is any of sprayed, rolled and dropped on said outer bag surfaces.

10. The self-opening bag, as described in claim 1, wherein said attaching feature comprises any of mechanical and electrical manipulation of said bag surfaces.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a Z-fold Tri-fold bag with attaching features;

[0027] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the FIG. 1 embodiment being folded;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a C-fold Tri-fold bag with attaching features;

[0029] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the FIG. 2 embodiment being folded;

[0030] FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a compact roll of FIG. 1 bags in a dispenser illustrating the self opening feature;

[0031] FIG. 2C is a perspective view of the FIG. 1 embodiment illustrating joined attaching features during opening of the bag;

[0032] FIG. 2D is a perspective view of the FIG. 1 embodiment illustrating the parting of an attaching feature during bag opening;

[0033] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a gusseted C-fold Tri-fold bag with attaching features;

[0034] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the FIG. 3 embodiment being folded;

[0035] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a gusseted Z-fold Tri-fold bag with attaching features;

[0036] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the FIG. 4 embodiment being folded;

[0037] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a once folded rectangular bag with attaching feature;

[0038] FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the FIG. 5 embodiment being folded;

[0039] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a once folded, gusseted rectangular bag with attaching feature;

[0040] FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the FIG. 6 embodiment being folded;

[0041] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a once folded rectangular bag with attaching feature prior to folding;

[0042] FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the FIG. 7 embodiment with bottom sealed after being folded;

[0043] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a once folded, gusseted rectangular bag with attaching feature prior to folding;

[0044] FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the FIG. 8 embodiment with bottom sealed after being folded;

[0045] FIG. 8B is a bottom side perspective view of the FIG. 8 embodiment after bag opening;

[0046] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a multi-fold bag with attaching feature that is sealed prior to folding;

[0047] FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the FIG. 9 embodiment partially folded;

[0048] FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the FIG. 9 embodiment after folding;

[0049] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a multi-fold bag with attaching feature that is sealed after folding;

[0050] FIG. 10A is a perspective view of the FIG. 10 embodiment partially folded;

[0051] FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the FIG. 10 embodiment after folding;

[0052] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a stack of vertically folded bags with an attaching feature adjacent an upper end of the bag;

[0053] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of multiple stacks of header bags prior to insertion in a dispensing container;

[0054] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of multiple stacks of bags enclosed in a flexible outer cover with dispensing aperture;

[0055] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of multiple stacks of bags in a dispensing container;

[0056] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a t-shirt style bag with attaching feature that is sealed at the bottom after folding;

[0057] FIG. 15A is a perspective view of the FIG. 15 embodiment partially folded;

[0058] FIG. 15B is a perspective view of the FIG. 15 embodiment after folding;

[0059] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a portion of a film tube from which a bottom gusset bag with attaching feature is formed;

[0060] FIG. 16A is a partial perspective view of the FIG. 16 tube after formation of the gusset and sealing of the side edges;

[0061] FIG. 16B is a partial perspective view of the FIG. 16 embodiment prior to folding; and

[0062] FIG. 16C is a partial perspective view of the FIG. 16 embodiment partially folded.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0063] (1) FIGS. 1-16 illustrate a self-opening bag 10 providing the desired features that may be constructed from the following components. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 1A, a front wall 14 is provided. The front wall 14 has an inner surface 18, an outer surface 22, first 26 and second 30 side edges, a top edge 34 and a bottom edge 38. A rear wall 42 is provided. The rear wall 42 has an inner surface 46, an outer surface 50, first 54 and second 58 side edges, a top edge 62 and a bottom edge 66. The front wall 14 is joined to the rear wall 42 adjacent respective first 26, 54 and second 30, 58 side edges thereof. The front wall 14 is sealed to the rear wall 42 adjacent respective bottom edges 38, 66 thereof. An open mouth 70 is located adjacent the top edges 34, 62. The bag 10 is folded twice parallel to the side edges 26, 54, 30, 58 to form a Z-folded bag 74 one third of a width 78 of the bag 10.

[0064] The outer surface 22 of the front wall 14 has first 82, second 86 and third 90 portions. Each of the portions 82, 86, 90 has an upper end 94 adjacent the open mouth 70. The outer surface 50 of the rear wall 42 has fourth 98, fifth 102 and sixth 106 portions. Each of the portions 98, 102, 106 has an upper end 110 adjacent the open mouth 70. At least one attaching feature 114 is provided. The attaching feature is selected from the group that includes cold staking (not shown), hot pinning 242, multiple corona treatment (not shown), corona treatment with pressure points (not shown), knife cutting (not shown), special resin formulations (not shown), and glue spotting (not shown). The attaching feature 114 is located at at least one of a first point 118 between the second portion 86 and the third 90 portion adjacent the upper end 94 and a second point 122 between the fourth portion 98 and the fifth 102 portion adjacent the upper end 110. The attaching feature 114 secures at least one of the second portion 86 to the third portion 90 and fourth portion 98 to the fifth portion 102. The bottom edges 38, 66 of the folded bag 74 are releasably attached to the top edges 34, 62 of a subsequent folded bag 74. The folded bags 74 are rolled into a compact bag roll 166. The at least one attaching feature 114 causes the bag 74 to open as the bag 74 is pulled from the subsequent bag 74.

[0065] (2) In a variant of the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, the front 14 and rear 42 walls of each of the bags 10 is removably attached by a perforation line 162 at the bottom edges 38, 66 to the top edges 34, 62 of the subsequent bag 10.

[0066] (3) In another variant, as illustrated in FIG. 2C, the bags 10 include a chisel cut 170. The chisel cut 170 extends through a center point 174 of the perforation line 162. When the compact roll 166 is installed in a bag dispenser 178 the chisel cut 170 will engage a separating tongue 182 when bags 10 are pulled from the roll 166.

[0067] (4) In still another variant, the bags 10 are rolled about a core 186.

[0068] (5) In yet another variant, as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 3A, 6, 6A, 8 and 8A, the bags 10 include at least one side gusset 190. The side gusset 190 extends inwardly from at least one of the first 26, 54 and second 30, 58 side edges of the front 14 and rear 42 walls.

[0069] (6) In a further variant, as illustrated in FIGS. 16, 16A, 16B and 16C, the bag 10 further includes a bottom gusset 194. The bottom gusset 194 extends upwardly from the bottom edges 38, 66.

[0070] (7) In still a further variant, as illustrated in FIG. 9A, the outer surface 22, 50 of at least one of the front wall 14 and the rear wall 42 of the bags 10 is corona treated 198.

[0071] (8) In yet a further variant of the invention, the attaching feature 114 may be a natural or synthetic substance or other attaching means not requiring a separate substance.

[0072] (9) In another variant, the attaching feature 114 may be sprayed, rolled or dropped on the outer bag surfaces or may involve mechanical or electrical manipulation of the bag surfaces 18, 22, 46, 50.

[0073] (10) In a final variant, the attaching 114 feature comprises any of mechanical and electrical manipulation of said bag surfaces 18, 22, 46, 50.

[0074] The self-opening bags 10, have been described with reference to particular embodiments. Other modifications and enhancements can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims that follow.