CA1205050A

CA1205050A - Taped multibags

Info

Publication number: CA1205050A
Application number: CA000412723A
Authority: CA
Inventors: G. James Kent
Original assignee: WR Grace and Co
Current assignee: Cryovac LLC
Priority date: 1982-10-04
Filing date: 1982-10-04
Publication date: 1986-05-27
Also published as: BE897892A; FI833573A; FR2533893B1; ES526211A0; IT8323079A1; IT1166976B; FR2533893A1; ES8502934A1; GB2128575A; JPS5984751A; DK454083D0; NZ205128A; SE8304495L; ZA835929B; MX172093B; GB8323812D0; NL8302974A; DE3336095A1; AU1784083A; DK454083A

Abstract

TAPED MULTIBAGS

ABSTRACT OF TIE DISCLOSURE
A series of packaging bags is provided that comprises a plurality of multiple-bag units, each including a separable chain of side-sealed bags, said plurality being sequentially arranged on and removably affixed to a carrier. In one advantageous mode, the multiple-bag units are imbricated longititudinally on carrier tape and said bags are separable by lines of perforation. A method of packaging is also provided, comprising providing a series of multiple-bag units, each including a separable chain of side-sealed bags, said plurality being sequentially arranged on and removably affixed to a carrier; feeding said series of multiple-bag units to a loading station; and, as each unit is presented at the loading station, repeatedly inflating the bags of said presented unit at the loading station; loading the bags of said presented unit with product; and advancing said unit to a bag closing station.

Description

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BACKGROUND OF T}E INVENTION
The invention relates generally to a series of packaging bags on a carrier which, in use, are sequentially advanced to a loading station More particularly, the invention relates to a series of taped, imbricated bags which is fed ~o a taped bag loader.
In the field of packaging articles such as food products, it is known to load the products into plastic bags, and then to seal the bag openings. It is also known to carry out the sealing operation in a vacuum chamber where the residual atmosphere within the bag can be with-drawn and the package sealed under vacuum conditions in order to avoid deterioration of the food product in the sealed bag.
It is known to load product articles into packaging bags, made of flexible heat shrinkable film material, by supplying bags to a bag loader, in the form of a continuous chain of discrete bags carried releasably on adhesively-coated support tapes. Articles to be packaged are situated a-t a loading station typically by feeding on a conveyor belt into a guide from which the article is loaded into the leading bag of -the chain, after opening of the bag for example by an inflation air jet. The bag loader accepts the bags in shingled or imbricated configuration, and it is then left up to eit.her the operator or some article-advancing means, to remove the top loaded bag from the imbrica-ted bag chain before the next successive bag can be inflated and loaded. Supplying the bags in imbricated configuration in a taped chain offers considerable advantages over supplying the bags one at a time to the loading equipment.
The present invention aims to provide a packaging system which is capable of more rapid and economic operation for loading articles into bags which are fed to a loading station in the form of a sequence of bags.
Such system is intended to enable the packaging operation to be speeded up in the vacuumizing and sealing steps as well.

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U.S. Patents 3,l61,347 and 3,331,182 disc1Ose typica:L bag loading processes and apparatus and illustrate the use of a chain of bags in imbricated form supported 0l1 a continuous support member so that the imbricated bags arrive a-~ a loading station where the uppermost bag is pneumatically infLated and has a product article placed therein, after which the bag is removed from its elongate support member and delivered ready for subsequent advance to a bag closing station.
Of general interest is the disclosure of IJ.K. Patent Applica-tion 2,078,654A for "Loading Plastic Bags For Packaging Purposes" pub-lished January 13, 1982, directed to a pac~aging process that utilizes a chain of side-sealed packaging bags with the mouths of the bags facing laterally of the chain of bags. Several oE the bags are loaded in a batch, and the bags are subsequently closed in batch-wise fashion.
Of general interest are the disclosures of U.S. Patents 3,587,843; 3,587,844; and 3,587,845 for "Package Of Bags" issued June 28, l971 to Wing, directed to a chain of imbricated bags connected together and in one embodiment being supported by two longitudinal strands oE
tape.
Of general interest is the disclosure oE U.S. Patent 3,507,090 issued April 21, 1970 to D'Angelo, directed to apparatus for filling a series of long open-ended bags affixed to a shingle strip with each bag over-lying the open end of the next bag.
Of general interest is the disclosure of U.S. Patent 2,653,752 issued September 29, 1953 to Vogt, directed to appartus for feeding bags in succession in an upright position to and from a filling mechanism, the bags being connected together in a chain by two or more ~apes serving as the means for advancing the bags.

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SUMMARY OF T~E INVENTION
The present invention is direc-ted to multibags on a carrier which may be handled essentially as a single bag upon sequential presenta-tion -to a bag loader thereby multiplying output from the loader. This handling advantage ls also realized in subsequent vacuumizing and sea]ing operations, further enhancing productivity.
Accordingly, there is provided a series of packaging bags, comprising a plurality of multiple-bag units, each including a separable chain of side-sealed bags, said plurality being sequentially arranged on and removably affixed to a carrier.
Preferrably, said multiple--bag units are imbricated longitudi-nally on carrier tape and said bags are separable by lines o:E perforation.
Also, there is provided a method of packaging, comprising providing a series of multiple-bag units, each including a separable chain of side-sealed bags, said plurality being seqLIentially arranged on and removably affi~ed to a carrier; feeding said series of multiple-bag units to a loading station; and as each uni-t is presen-ted at the loading station, inflating the bags of each presented unit a-t the loading station;
loading the bags of each presented unit with produc-t; and advancing each said unit to a bag closing station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF T~ DRAWINGS
-Further details are given below with reference to the embodi-ments shown in the drawings wherein;
FIG. 1 shows a conventional perforated series of side-sealed bags;
FIGS. 2A,B show representative multibag units having two and three component bags, respectively;

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FIG. 3A shows partially a series of multlple-bag units serially arranged on longi-tudinal strands of carrier tape;
FIG. 3B shows partially a series of multiple-bag units imbri-cated longi~udinally on carrier tape;
FIG. 4A shows partially a series of multiple-bag units serially arranged on transverse carrier tape; and ~t5~ ~C~-~
FIG. 4~ shows partially a series of~multiple-bag units imbricat-ed transversely on carrier tape.

DESCRIPTION OF T~E PR~FERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring specifically to the drawings, in FIG. l a conven-tional series 10 of perforated side-sealed plastic bags is shown, for example being of indefinite length and made of polyethylene. Bags within the series, such as bags 11 and 12, are separated by a line of perfora-tion 17, with side-seals 14 and 15 on either side of perforation 17. Ba8 ll, for example, is defined by side seals 13 and 14, fold line 18 and extended lip opening 16. Such a series of bags may be made by conven-tional techniques, for example, first extrudil1g a plastic tube, then collapsing said tube to a lay-flat configuration possibly following orientation, cutting along one fold line to form an extended lip opening, and repeatedly forming transverse seals, such as by impulse welding, and lines of perforation at regular intervals along the collapsed -tube to create a series of side-sealed bags which open la-terally and which are separated by lines of perforation. Such a series of side-sealed bags is the starting material for utilization of the present invention.
In general, it is contemplated that component bags within the feed series are separable, i.e. a bag may be readily separated from an adjacent bag by pulling along a predetermined line of weakness. ~ost preferably, such lines of weakness are lines of perforation, as discussed above. Another mode, for e~ample, includes scored lines, wi-th or without one side of the series being scored completely through.
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In FIGS. 2A and 2B, there are shown representative examp1es of multibag units, for defin:itional purposes. In FIG. 2A, there i5 shown a two bag multibag unit 25, having component bags 26 and 27 which have been jointly separated from a chain oE perEorated s-ide-seale(l bags at separated lines of perforation 3~ and 35. Bag 26, for example, is as disc~lssed above having extended :Lip opening 28, fold 29, and side-seals 30 and 33.
At the junction between the two bags making up the multibag unit there are side-seals 3~ and 31 juxtaposed about line of perforation 32. Line of perforation 32, however, is partially separated as indicated between points A and B. Preferably, partial separation between bags within a multibag unit is symme~rical with respect to the length of the bags as shown. Op~ionally, the partial separation may be asymmetric even -to the extent tha-t partial separation begins at an edge of the multibag unit.
Thus, in the example shown, bags 26 and 27 are held together by perfora-tion segments 36 and 37 -to unify the multibag unit. In FIG. 2B, there is shown a -three bag mul-tibag unit 45, having component bags 46, ~7 and ~
Individual bags within unit 45 have been partially separated along their respec-tive lines oi perfora-tion as indicated by segments AB as discussed in connection with FIG. 2A. Multibag uni-ts of any number of bags may be made.
The bags are used preferably by longitudinally imbricating on carrier tape so that a series of such taped multibags may be fed -to a conventional taped bag loader with the advantage tha-t a multibag unit may be handled during loading, vacuumizing and sealing essentially as a single bag, thereby correspondingly multiplying output from the packaging operation. Optionally, the sealing operation may include trimming off excess material beyond the outermost seals of each unit. :Fo~Llowing sealing of -the loaded bags, the individual bags within a unit may be easily separated due to the pre-existing partial separation along the Y16LI6/sb ~ 3 ~
lines of perfora~ion delimiting the bags within a multibag unit. Com-ponent ba~s may easily be separate(l from ~heir respec~ive mul~ibags at any time a~ter the packaging operation as desired, for example imrnediately after vacuumizing and sealing or during marketing by ~he retai]er or later by the end user.
In FIGS. 3A -through 4B, various modes of the invention are shown. In ~IG. 3A, part of a series 50 of multibags Oll carrier tape is shown. Multibags 51A and 51B, being two bag units for example, are arranged seq~entially on carrier tapes 52A,B in longitudinal fashion, i.e. the carrier tape extends leng-thwise o-f the multibag units. In use, the series is fed -to a conven-tional taped bag loader so that each multi-bag unit is presented for loading essentially as a prior art single bag, and then, after loading, removed Erom the carrier tape and passed to a closing station. Generally, any number of carrier tapes are contemplated, as may be needed for a given application; however, 2 to 5 carrier tapes are preferred, with 2 tapes being most preferred for usual app]ications.
In FIG. 3B, part of a multibag series 60 is shown having representa-tive multibags 61A,B,~ imbricated or shingled on longitudinal carrier tapes 62A,B with the leading multibag unit being the uppermost unit.
In ~IG. 4A, par-t of a series 70 of multibag units is shown taped laterally, i.e. representa-tive mul-tibag units 71A,B are sequen-tially and removably affixed to carrier tapes 72A,B which extend widthwise of the bags. Loading of the bags with product is conducted transverse of the forward feed direction of the carrier tape. In FIG. 4B, part of a series 80 of multibags imbricated on lateral carrier tape is shown.
Representatively, multibags 81A,B are imbricated on carrier tapes 82A,B
with the leading multibag 81A being uppermost.

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Although the present invention has been described in conjunc-tion with preferred embodiments, it :is to be understood that modifications and variations may be utilized without departing from the principles and scope of the invention~ as those sk:illecl in the art wi.ll readily under-stand. Accorcling:Ly, such modi.fications and variat:ions may be practiced within the scope of the following claims-Y16LI8/sb ''7

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A series of packaging bags, comprising a plurality of multiple-bag units, each including a separable chain of side-sealed bags, said plurality being sequentially arranged on and removably affixed to a carrier.

2. A series of packaging bags as in claim 1, wherein said carrier is oriented longitudinally with respect to said bags.

3. A series of packaging bags as in claim 1, wherein said carrier is oriented laterally with respect to said bags.

4. A series of packaging bags as in claim 1, wherein said units are imbricated on said carrier with the leading unit being upper-most.

5. A series of packaging bags as in claim 1, wherein said carrier is tape and said bags are separable by lines of perforation.

6. A series of packaging bags as in claim 5, further provided that perforations between component bags of each multibag unit are par-tially separated.

7. A series of packaging bags as in claim 6, wherein the extent of partial separation of said perforations is interior of the width of said bags.

8. A series of packaging bags as in claim 6, wherein the extent of partial separation of said perforations begins at an edge of said bags.

9. A series of packaging bags as in claim 5, wherein the number of carrier tapes is in the range of 2 to 5.

10. A series of packaging bags as in claim 9, wherein the number of carrier tapes is 2.

11. A series of packaging bags, comprising a plurality of multiple bag units, each including a chain of side-sealed bags, perforated so as to be separable, said plurality being imbric-ated longitudinally on and removable affixed to carrier tape, further provided that perforations between bags within a unit are partially separated.

12. A method of packaging, comprising:
(a) providing a series of multiple-bag units, each including a separable chain of side-sealed bags, said plurality being sequentially arranged on and removably affixed to a car-rier:
(b) feeding said series of multiple-bag units to a loading station; and, as each unit is presented at the loading station, repeatedly (c) inflating the bags of said presented unit at the loading station;
(d) loading the bags of said presented unit with pro-duct; and (e) advancing said unit to a bag closing station.

13. A method of packaging as in claim 12, further compris-ing:
(f) unitarily vacuumizing and sealing each said load-ed unit.

14. A method of packaging as in claim 13, further comprise-ing:
(g) separating the bags of each loaded and sealed unit.