CA2036456A1 - Reclosable bag and method of making - Google Patents
Reclosable bag and method of makingInfo
- Publication number
- CA2036456A1 CA2036456A1 CA002036456A CA2036456A CA2036456A1 CA 2036456 A1 CA2036456 A1 CA 2036456A1 CA 002036456 A CA002036456 A CA 002036456A CA 2036456 A CA2036456 A CA 2036456A CA 2036456 A1 CA2036456 A1 CA 2036456A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- layer
- along
- forming
- flaps
- bag
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
- B31B70/74—Auxiliary operations
- B31B70/92—Delivering
- B31B70/94—Delivering singly or in succession
- B31B70/946—Delivering singly or in succession the bags being interconnected
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B2150/00—Flexible containers made from sheets or blanks, e.g. from flattened tubes
- B31B2150/002—Flexible containers made from sheets or blanks, e.g. from flattened tubes by joining superimposed sheets, e.g. with separate bottom sheets
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
- B31B2160/00—Shape of flexible containers
- B31B2160/10—Shape of flexible containers rectangular and flat, i.e. without structural provision for thickness of contents
Landscapes
- Making Paper Articles (AREA)
- Bag Frames (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A chain of interconnected plastic bags, and a method of making two chains of interconnected chains of plastic bags are disclosed. The bags of the chain are connected by lines of weakness. The bags include front and rear walls, a header, a flap and an access opening.
The flap is resealably connected to the rear wall.
A chain of interconnected plastic bags, and a method of making two chains of interconnected chains of plastic bags are disclosed. The bags of the chain are connected by lines of weakness. The bags include front and rear walls, a header, a flap and an access opening.
The flap is resealably connected to the rear wall.
Description
- ~036~
11-618CA RECLOSABLE B~G ~ND ~ET~OD OF MA~I~G
~elated A~Plications This application is related to co-pending applica-tion, Serial No. 614,569, entitled "Packaging Machine and Method" the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
Back~round of the Invention 1. Field of the In~ention.
The invention relates to packaging, and more particularly to a chain of interconnected reclosable plastic bags, and the method of making a chain of reclosable plastic bags.
11-618CA RECLOSABLE B~G ~ND ~ET~OD OF MA~I~G
~elated A~Plications This application is related to co-pending applica-tion, Serial No. 614,569, entitled "Packaging Machine and Method" the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
Back~round of the Invention 1. Field of the In~ention.
The invention relates to packaging, and more particularly to a chain of interconnected reclosable plastic bags, and the method of making a chain of reclosable plastic bags.
2. Description of the related art.
Reclosable flexible plastic bag containers are known. In one proposal an individual bag has a front wall which extends beyond a back wall to form a closure flap which folds over the bacX wall. An adhesive strip is placed on the flap to form a closure. This bag, however, lacked a header for hanging the bag, was complicated to produce, and did not provide an attrac~
tive appearance when loaded with a bulky product.
Another proposal provided a single layer of plastic folded back on itself and sealed along the bottom and sides. Inside the bag a closure was formed with interlocking parts which joined the sides of the bag together. The bag was initially torn open but could be resealed by the interlocking parts. This bag did not provide a header for hanging the bag, did not lend itself to automatic filling, and did not provide an attractive appearance when loaded with a bulky product.
In addition, the process of forming the bag involved an additional extrusion for forming the interlocking parts.
203~
Other known flexible plastic bag constructions could not be produced efficiently in volume quantities, did not lend themselves to bag filling machines, failed to provide means for hanging the bag for display purposes, or lacked an attractive display appearance.
Production of chains of flexible plastic bags is now well known. Some such chains are formed of one row of interconnected bags joined side by side. For example one proposal folded a single layer of flexible plastic back on itself leaving a f old edge and an open edge. Seals were providPd to form headers and sides to the individual bags. The individual bags were filled from the open edge and then sealed to close the bag.
The ba~s were then separated from the chain. This arrangement had no recloseability and lacked a desirable appearance when filled with a bulky product.
Other known chains of flexible bags did not lend themselves to efficient production in volume or a high volume filling operation. Other known proposals lacked recloseability and the ability to hang in a display.
Summary of the Invention The present invention provides chains of bags, each o~ which, when loaded with a bulky material to form a package, hangs on a display rack with a substantially flat front wall and a bulged rear wall. This produces an attractive commercial product.
The provision of a package for products such as nylon stockings that are bulky that can hang from a point of purchase display with a relatively flat front produces one of the outstanding advantages of the invention. Point of purchase display packages are typically imprinted to provide a prospective purchaser with source identity through a trademark and information as to the contents of a package. A ~lat package 2~6~
facilitates customer discernment of a message imprinted on the package. By contrast circular packages often used for bulky products provide limited information to a prospective customer unless that customer in one way or another scans around the circular package. Moreover a flat hanging package with an attractive presentation of source identification and of product information enhances the potential for an impulse purchase of a product.
In addition, each of the bags of the present invention is reclosable. This feature permits the product to be examined in the store by a prospective buyer without destruction of the packaging. The reclosable bag may be reused after the sale since it i5 not destroyed by opening.
Each finished plastic bag of the chain includes a front wall which remains substantially flat when the bag is loaded and a rear wall joined to the front wall along its bottom and sides. When th~ bag is loaded with a bulky product, the rear wall bulges outwardly in response to pressure from bag contents more than the ~ront wall. The bag includes a header and an opening formed near the top of the rear wall and adjacent the header. A flap extends downwardly from the header partially overlapping the rear wall and overlying the opening. A resealable adhesive between the flap and an adjacent portion of the rear wall releasably by secures the two together to close the opening.
The chain of bags of the present invention may be produced at high volume rates and are well suited for use with a high volume bag filling machine such as that disclosed in the referenced co-pending application entitl~d "Packaging Machine and Method." The chain of the novel bags comprises a plurality of bag elements and lines of weakness between the bag elements.
2036~5~
The present invention also relates to a new process for forming two chains of inter-connected bags.
The process produces two chains of inter-connected bags having the described advantageous characteristics. The process produces two chains of the described bags at high production volumes.
The m~thod starts by conveying a continuous web of plastic film from a supply along a path. The continuous web is folded lengthwise to form a double layer. The folded web is slit longitudinally to produce two layers of different widths positioned in a confronting relationship. Next flaps are formed at intervals along both edge portions of the wider layers. The flaps and adjacent header portions of the wide layer are folded over the other layer and sealed along a line adjacent to the flaps to form headers. The layers are sealed together along transverse lines located, longitudinally speaking, between the flaps. The transverse seals are then perforated creating lines of weakness between each adjacent pair of bags. The continuous web is then slit and sealed longitudinally along its center to form two chains of bags. Further steps of applying adhesive between each bag flap and the associated rear wall of the same bag and of ~orming a hole in each header for hanginy the bag are also performed.
Accordingly the objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved chain of bags, each of which is especially suited for packaging bulky products and a process of making such chains of bags.
Brief Description of the Drawinqs Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a single bag;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a chain of connected plastic bags according to the present invention, 2~36~
Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of process steps showing a web being folded, cut and unfolded;
Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a process of flaps being formed and folded in the web of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view o~ the step of folding flaps inward;
Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a process step of forming headers in the web of Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of a process step of raising a flap, applying adhesive to the web of Figure 6, and punching a hole in the header;
and Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing process st~ps of forming side connections, forming lines of weakness, and dividing the web of Figure 7.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a package in the form of a finished and loaded plastic bag 10 is provided.
The bag 10 is shown hanging from a display hanger 11 projecting through a hole 12a in a header 13. The bag includes a front wall joined to and depending from the header 13. The front wall 14 remains substantially flat when the bag 10 is loaded with a light but bulky product such as nylon stockings. The bag includes a rear wall 15 which bulges outwardly in response to pressure from the bag contents more than the front wall 14.
~he bag 10 includes side connections 16, 17 defining side edges and, once loaded and sealed to form a package, a permanent bottom connection 18 joining the front and rear walls 14, 15A The bag 10 has a top end 19 and bottom end 20.
~36~
The bag 10 includes an access opening 21 formed in the rear wall 15 immediately below the header 13. A
flap 22 extends from the base of the header 13~ The flap 22 partiallv overlaps the rear wall 15 and covers the access opening 21. An adhesive 23 placed between the flap 22 and an adjacent portion of the rear wall lS
resealably connects the flap 22 to the rear wall 15.
The resealable flap 22 allows the contents of the ba~ to be examined b~v prospective purchasers and removed after purchase without breaking the bag. Further, it provides the purchaser with a bag that may be subsequently used for other purposes.
Referring to Figure 2, a chain 24 of interconnected plastic bags 10 is shown. The bags are connected together by lines of weakness 25. First and second temporary openings 26, 27 are formed in each bag 10 near the bottom end 20 for conveying the bag on a mandrel in a subsequent filling operation. The openings 26, 27 do not survive the bag filling process and are not a part of the final product seen by the customer. The first and second side connections 16, 17 terminate a predeter-mined distance from the bottom end 20 of the bag leaving a small unsealed distance along the sides of each bag between a termination point 28 of the side connections 16, 17 and a temporary end connection 29. The temporary openings 26, 27 and connection 29 serve to allow conveyance of the bag on a mandrel in a bag-filling process. The bag filling process is described more fully in the referenced related application.
An important feature of the plastic bag 10 of the present invention is the substantially flat appearance of the front wall 14 when the bag 10 hangs on a display hanger 11. The rear wall 15 bulges in response to the force of the bag contents more than the front wall 14.
This gives the bag a pleasing appearance. The front 2036~
wall 14 is directly secured to the header 13 while the rear wall 15 is not. The rear wall 15 is secured indirectly to the header 13 through the adhesive 23 and the flap 22. This results in the rear wall 15 expanding and taking up the bulge of the bag contents.
Figures 3-8 illustrate the steps of a process for forming two chains 24 of inter-connected plastic bags.
The process begins by creating a continu~us layered web 30 of two confronting layers 31, 32. This may be ac-complished by feeding separate webs of plastic film fromtwo sources and placing the separate webs in a confront-ing relationship to form a layered web 30. In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, however, the layered web 30 is created by feeding a single continuous web 33 of plastic film from a single supply to a V-board 34. The film 33 is fed off center over the V-board 34 as shown in Figure 3. The film 32 is continuously cut longitudinally at an off-center position dividing the web into twc parts 31, 32 of unequal width. The V board 34 and a set of V-board rollers 35 achieve the step of folding the web 33 lengthwise forming a double-layer continuous two-part folded web 30 of plastic film having a fold 36. The narrower part has been referred to as the first layer 31 and the wider part as the second layer 32.
The step of cutting the film longitudinally is preferably done by a conventional slitting knife 37 as the film is crossing the V-board 34. Thus, the film is in two parts before it is folded and the fold 36 is placed in the part that becomes the second layer 32.
After leaving the V-board rollers 35, the second layer 32 of the double-layer web 30 is unfolded leaving two confronting separate layers 31, 32 of differing widths. The second layer 32 is unfolded by passing the continuous web across an unfolder roller 38. The ---` 203~5~
resulting two layers 31, 32 are now positioned in a confronting relationship with the center of the first layer 31 being aligned with the center of the second layer 32. The proper alignment of the two layers 31, 32 is achieved by fixing the positions of the fold 36 and the knife 37 with conventional web alignment mechanisms.
The web 30 next passes through a notch cutter 39 where notches 40 are formed at intervals along both sides of the second layer 32 as seen in Figure 4. The notches 40 define the flaps 22 of the individual bags 10 .
After leav.ing the notch cutter 39, the web 30 contacts a fc,lding roller 41 having a length less than the width of the second layer 32. The outer edges of the second layer 32, including the flaps 22, fold inward as the web contacts the folding roller 45 as seen in ~igure 5. The outer edges of the second layer 37 are further folded and pressed by conventional hold-down members 42. ThP outer edges of the second layer 32, including the flaps 22, now overlap the outer edges of the first layer 31. The folding step is done at a predetermined position so the resulting folds define the top ends 19 of the bags 10.
The next step is to form the header seal lines 43.
The header seal lines 43 seal the second layer 32 upon itself along lines located at a predetermined position to form headers 13. The header seal lines 43 are formed by conventional heat seal rollers 44. The header seal lines 43 run parallel to the side of web 30 defining headers 13 on the individual bags 10. The flaps 22 and headers 13 are locked in position by the header seal lines 43, Thus a single sheet of film, the second layer 32, forms the front wall 14, the header 13, and the flap 22 of each ba~ 10.
2~36~
The next step is to apply adhesive 23 between each of the flaps 22 and a portion of the first layer 31 on both sides of the web 30. The step of applying the adhesive 23 comprises raising the flaps 22 and applying a bead of adhesive material 23 to the first layer 31 at spaced intervals, or what will become the rear walls 15 of the individual bays 10. The flaps 22 may be raised by any number of conventional means. In the preferred embodiment, the flaps are raised by jets of air emitted from compressed air nozzles 45. The flaps 22 are held in a raised position for a short while by fingers 46 while the adhesive 23 is being applied. The adhesive 23 is applied by conventional glue guns 47. In the preferred embodiment, the adhesive 23 is first heated, and then applied with glue guns sold under the trademark NORDSON SWIRLGUN by Nordson Corporation of Westlake, Ohio.
After the headers 13 are formed in the web 30, the holes 12 are punched at spaced intervals along both sides of the web 30 at positions corresponding to the center of each bag by a conventional punch 43. The holes 12 permit the bags 10 to be hung from hangers 11.
The next step is to form side connections 16, 17.
The side connections are formed by transverse seals 49 of the layered web at spaced intervals located lon-gitudinally speaking, between adjacent flaps 22. The transverse seals 49 are heat seals joining the first and second layers 31, 32 together. The seals 49 are formed at positions which correspond to the side connections 16, 17 on the individual bags. The transverse seals 49 are not continuous across the width of the layered web.
Each transverse seal is interrupted near the center of the layered web to form the first and second temporary openings 26, 27 in the individual ~ags. The transverse seals 39 do not extend across the headers 12. The - 203~
transverse seals 49 are formed with a reciprvcating interrupted heater bar 50. Opposing the heater bar 50 is a back-up drum 51.
The lines of weakness 25 are formed between the bags 10. The lines of weakness 25 are formed along the center line of the transverse heat seals 49. The lines of weakness 25 allow the bags 10 to be separated from one another without damaging the bags. In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the lines of weakness are perforated lines formed by a conventional perforating roller 52. Opposing the perforating roller is a perforating back-up roller 53.
The final step is to longitudinally cut the continuous layered web with a hot knife 54 along its lS center to form two identical chains of bags. The hot Xnife 54 seals the first and second layers 31, 32 together forming the temporary end connections 29.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifica-tions and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.
Reclosable flexible plastic bag containers are known. In one proposal an individual bag has a front wall which extends beyond a back wall to form a closure flap which folds over the bacX wall. An adhesive strip is placed on the flap to form a closure. This bag, however, lacked a header for hanging the bag, was complicated to produce, and did not provide an attrac~
tive appearance when loaded with a bulky product.
Another proposal provided a single layer of plastic folded back on itself and sealed along the bottom and sides. Inside the bag a closure was formed with interlocking parts which joined the sides of the bag together. The bag was initially torn open but could be resealed by the interlocking parts. This bag did not provide a header for hanging the bag, did not lend itself to automatic filling, and did not provide an attractive appearance when loaded with a bulky product.
In addition, the process of forming the bag involved an additional extrusion for forming the interlocking parts.
203~
Other known flexible plastic bag constructions could not be produced efficiently in volume quantities, did not lend themselves to bag filling machines, failed to provide means for hanging the bag for display purposes, or lacked an attractive display appearance.
Production of chains of flexible plastic bags is now well known. Some such chains are formed of one row of interconnected bags joined side by side. For example one proposal folded a single layer of flexible plastic back on itself leaving a f old edge and an open edge. Seals were providPd to form headers and sides to the individual bags. The individual bags were filled from the open edge and then sealed to close the bag.
The ba~s were then separated from the chain. This arrangement had no recloseability and lacked a desirable appearance when filled with a bulky product.
Other known chains of flexible bags did not lend themselves to efficient production in volume or a high volume filling operation. Other known proposals lacked recloseability and the ability to hang in a display.
Summary of the Invention The present invention provides chains of bags, each o~ which, when loaded with a bulky material to form a package, hangs on a display rack with a substantially flat front wall and a bulged rear wall. This produces an attractive commercial product.
The provision of a package for products such as nylon stockings that are bulky that can hang from a point of purchase display with a relatively flat front produces one of the outstanding advantages of the invention. Point of purchase display packages are typically imprinted to provide a prospective purchaser with source identity through a trademark and information as to the contents of a package. A ~lat package 2~6~
facilitates customer discernment of a message imprinted on the package. By contrast circular packages often used for bulky products provide limited information to a prospective customer unless that customer in one way or another scans around the circular package. Moreover a flat hanging package with an attractive presentation of source identification and of product information enhances the potential for an impulse purchase of a product.
In addition, each of the bags of the present invention is reclosable. This feature permits the product to be examined in the store by a prospective buyer without destruction of the packaging. The reclosable bag may be reused after the sale since it i5 not destroyed by opening.
Each finished plastic bag of the chain includes a front wall which remains substantially flat when the bag is loaded and a rear wall joined to the front wall along its bottom and sides. When th~ bag is loaded with a bulky product, the rear wall bulges outwardly in response to pressure from bag contents more than the ~ront wall. The bag includes a header and an opening formed near the top of the rear wall and adjacent the header. A flap extends downwardly from the header partially overlapping the rear wall and overlying the opening. A resealable adhesive between the flap and an adjacent portion of the rear wall releasably by secures the two together to close the opening.
The chain of bags of the present invention may be produced at high volume rates and are well suited for use with a high volume bag filling machine such as that disclosed in the referenced co-pending application entitl~d "Packaging Machine and Method." The chain of the novel bags comprises a plurality of bag elements and lines of weakness between the bag elements.
2036~5~
The present invention also relates to a new process for forming two chains of inter-connected bags.
The process produces two chains of inter-connected bags having the described advantageous characteristics. The process produces two chains of the described bags at high production volumes.
The m~thod starts by conveying a continuous web of plastic film from a supply along a path. The continuous web is folded lengthwise to form a double layer. The folded web is slit longitudinally to produce two layers of different widths positioned in a confronting relationship. Next flaps are formed at intervals along both edge portions of the wider layers. The flaps and adjacent header portions of the wide layer are folded over the other layer and sealed along a line adjacent to the flaps to form headers. The layers are sealed together along transverse lines located, longitudinally speaking, between the flaps. The transverse seals are then perforated creating lines of weakness between each adjacent pair of bags. The continuous web is then slit and sealed longitudinally along its center to form two chains of bags. Further steps of applying adhesive between each bag flap and the associated rear wall of the same bag and of ~orming a hole in each header for hanginy the bag are also performed.
Accordingly the objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved chain of bags, each of which is especially suited for packaging bulky products and a process of making such chains of bags.
Brief Description of the Drawinqs Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a single bag;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a chain of connected plastic bags according to the present invention, 2~36~
Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of process steps showing a web being folded, cut and unfolded;
Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a process of flaps being formed and folded in the web of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view o~ the step of folding flaps inward;
Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a process step of forming headers in the web of Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of a process step of raising a flap, applying adhesive to the web of Figure 6, and punching a hole in the header;
and Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing process st~ps of forming side connections, forming lines of weakness, and dividing the web of Figure 7.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a package in the form of a finished and loaded plastic bag 10 is provided.
The bag 10 is shown hanging from a display hanger 11 projecting through a hole 12a in a header 13. The bag includes a front wall joined to and depending from the header 13. The front wall 14 remains substantially flat when the bag 10 is loaded with a light but bulky product such as nylon stockings. The bag includes a rear wall 15 which bulges outwardly in response to pressure from the bag contents more than the front wall 14.
~he bag 10 includes side connections 16, 17 defining side edges and, once loaded and sealed to form a package, a permanent bottom connection 18 joining the front and rear walls 14, 15A The bag 10 has a top end 19 and bottom end 20.
~36~
The bag 10 includes an access opening 21 formed in the rear wall 15 immediately below the header 13. A
flap 22 extends from the base of the header 13~ The flap 22 partiallv overlaps the rear wall 15 and covers the access opening 21. An adhesive 23 placed between the flap 22 and an adjacent portion of the rear wall lS
resealably connects the flap 22 to the rear wall 15.
The resealable flap 22 allows the contents of the ba~ to be examined b~v prospective purchasers and removed after purchase without breaking the bag. Further, it provides the purchaser with a bag that may be subsequently used for other purposes.
Referring to Figure 2, a chain 24 of interconnected plastic bags 10 is shown. The bags are connected together by lines of weakness 25. First and second temporary openings 26, 27 are formed in each bag 10 near the bottom end 20 for conveying the bag on a mandrel in a subsequent filling operation. The openings 26, 27 do not survive the bag filling process and are not a part of the final product seen by the customer. The first and second side connections 16, 17 terminate a predeter-mined distance from the bottom end 20 of the bag leaving a small unsealed distance along the sides of each bag between a termination point 28 of the side connections 16, 17 and a temporary end connection 29. The temporary openings 26, 27 and connection 29 serve to allow conveyance of the bag on a mandrel in a bag-filling process. The bag filling process is described more fully in the referenced related application.
An important feature of the plastic bag 10 of the present invention is the substantially flat appearance of the front wall 14 when the bag 10 hangs on a display hanger 11. The rear wall 15 bulges in response to the force of the bag contents more than the front wall 14.
This gives the bag a pleasing appearance. The front 2036~
wall 14 is directly secured to the header 13 while the rear wall 15 is not. The rear wall 15 is secured indirectly to the header 13 through the adhesive 23 and the flap 22. This results in the rear wall 15 expanding and taking up the bulge of the bag contents.
Figures 3-8 illustrate the steps of a process for forming two chains 24 of inter-connected plastic bags.
The process begins by creating a continu~us layered web 30 of two confronting layers 31, 32. This may be ac-complished by feeding separate webs of plastic film fromtwo sources and placing the separate webs in a confront-ing relationship to form a layered web 30. In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, however, the layered web 30 is created by feeding a single continuous web 33 of plastic film from a single supply to a V-board 34. The film 33 is fed off center over the V-board 34 as shown in Figure 3. The film 32 is continuously cut longitudinally at an off-center position dividing the web into twc parts 31, 32 of unequal width. The V board 34 and a set of V-board rollers 35 achieve the step of folding the web 33 lengthwise forming a double-layer continuous two-part folded web 30 of plastic film having a fold 36. The narrower part has been referred to as the first layer 31 and the wider part as the second layer 32.
The step of cutting the film longitudinally is preferably done by a conventional slitting knife 37 as the film is crossing the V-board 34. Thus, the film is in two parts before it is folded and the fold 36 is placed in the part that becomes the second layer 32.
After leaving the V-board rollers 35, the second layer 32 of the double-layer web 30 is unfolded leaving two confronting separate layers 31, 32 of differing widths. The second layer 32 is unfolded by passing the continuous web across an unfolder roller 38. The ---` 203~5~
resulting two layers 31, 32 are now positioned in a confronting relationship with the center of the first layer 31 being aligned with the center of the second layer 32. The proper alignment of the two layers 31, 32 is achieved by fixing the positions of the fold 36 and the knife 37 with conventional web alignment mechanisms.
The web 30 next passes through a notch cutter 39 where notches 40 are formed at intervals along both sides of the second layer 32 as seen in Figure 4. The notches 40 define the flaps 22 of the individual bags 10 .
After leav.ing the notch cutter 39, the web 30 contacts a fc,lding roller 41 having a length less than the width of the second layer 32. The outer edges of the second layer 32, including the flaps 22, fold inward as the web contacts the folding roller 45 as seen in ~igure 5. The outer edges of the second layer 37 are further folded and pressed by conventional hold-down members 42. ThP outer edges of the second layer 32, including the flaps 22, now overlap the outer edges of the first layer 31. The folding step is done at a predetermined position so the resulting folds define the top ends 19 of the bags 10.
The next step is to form the header seal lines 43.
The header seal lines 43 seal the second layer 32 upon itself along lines located at a predetermined position to form headers 13. The header seal lines 43 are formed by conventional heat seal rollers 44. The header seal lines 43 run parallel to the side of web 30 defining headers 13 on the individual bags 10. The flaps 22 and headers 13 are locked in position by the header seal lines 43, Thus a single sheet of film, the second layer 32, forms the front wall 14, the header 13, and the flap 22 of each ba~ 10.
2~36~
The next step is to apply adhesive 23 between each of the flaps 22 and a portion of the first layer 31 on both sides of the web 30. The step of applying the adhesive 23 comprises raising the flaps 22 and applying a bead of adhesive material 23 to the first layer 31 at spaced intervals, or what will become the rear walls 15 of the individual bays 10. The flaps 22 may be raised by any number of conventional means. In the preferred embodiment, the flaps are raised by jets of air emitted from compressed air nozzles 45. The flaps 22 are held in a raised position for a short while by fingers 46 while the adhesive 23 is being applied. The adhesive 23 is applied by conventional glue guns 47. In the preferred embodiment, the adhesive 23 is first heated, and then applied with glue guns sold under the trademark NORDSON SWIRLGUN by Nordson Corporation of Westlake, Ohio.
After the headers 13 are formed in the web 30, the holes 12 are punched at spaced intervals along both sides of the web 30 at positions corresponding to the center of each bag by a conventional punch 43. The holes 12 permit the bags 10 to be hung from hangers 11.
The next step is to form side connections 16, 17.
The side connections are formed by transverse seals 49 of the layered web at spaced intervals located lon-gitudinally speaking, between adjacent flaps 22. The transverse seals 49 are heat seals joining the first and second layers 31, 32 together. The seals 49 are formed at positions which correspond to the side connections 16, 17 on the individual bags. The transverse seals 49 are not continuous across the width of the layered web.
Each transverse seal is interrupted near the center of the layered web to form the first and second temporary openings 26, 27 in the individual ~ags. The transverse seals 39 do not extend across the headers 12. The - 203~
transverse seals 49 are formed with a reciprvcating interrupted heater bar 50. Opposing the heater bar 50 is a back-up drum 51.
The lines of weakness 25 are formed between the bags 10. The lines of weakness 25 are formed along the center line of the transverse heat seals 49. The lines of weakness 25 allow the bags 10 to be separated from one another without damaging the bags. In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the lines of weakness are perforated lines formed by a conventional perforating roller 52. Opposing the perforating roller is a perforating back-up roller 53.
The final step is to longitudinally cut the continuous layered web with a hot knife 54 along its lS center to form two identical chains of bags. The hot Xnife 54 seals the first and second layers 31, 32 together forming the temporary end connections 29.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifica-tions and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.
Claims (12)
1. A chain of interconnected plastic bags comprising: bag elements and lines of weakness between said bag elements, each bag element comprising:
first and second sides;
first and second ends;
front and rear walls of flexible plastic film;
a connection along said first side;
a connection along said second side;
a temporary end connection;
an access opening formed near said first end;
a first temporary opening formed along said first side near said second end;
a second temporary opening formed along said second side opposite said first temporary opening;
a header formed at said first end of said bag;
a flap extending from said header and covering said access opening; and adhesive means resealably joining said flap to said rear wall.
first and second sides;
first and second ends;
front and rear walls of flexible plastic film;
a connection along said first side;
a connection along said second side;
a temporary end connection;
an access opening formed near said first end;
a first temporary opening formed along said first side near said second end;
a second temporary opening formed along said second side opposite said first temporary opening;
a header formed at said first end of said bag;
a flap extending from said header and covering said access opening; and adhesive means resealably joining said flap to said rear wall.
2. A chain of interconnected bags according to Claim l wherein said front walls, said headers and said flaps are formed by one sheet of plastic film.
3. A chain of interconnected bags according to Claim l wherein said lines of weakness link said bag elements adjacent said side connections to form said chain.
4. A process for forming two chains of intercon-nected plastic bags comprising said steps of:
conveying a continuous web of plastic film along a path;
folding said web lengthwise to form a double layer continuous web having a folded edge;
continuously cutting said web at an off-center position to produce a first and a second layer, said first layer being separate from said second layer, said first layer having a width less than said second layer;
continuously positioning said layers in a confronting relationship with the longitudinal center of said first layer aligned with the longitudinal center of said second layer to form a continuous layered web;
forming flaps at intervals adjacent both side edges of said second layer;
continuously folding spaced predetermined portions adjacent of both side edges of said second layer including said flaps inward so that the predeter-mined portions overlap said first layer to form folded edges along both sides of said second layer;
sealing said folded over portions of said second layer along spaced lines located predetermined distances inward from said folded edges to form headers;
applying adhesive between each of said flaps and portions of said first layer confronting said flaps;
sealing said first and second layers together along transverse seal lines at longitudinally spaced intervals along said continuous layered web, said seal lines being located between adjacent flaps;
forming transverse lines of weakness by weakening said continuous layered web at spaced intervals, said lines of weakness being located between adjacent flaps; and longitudinally dividing said continuous layered web to form two chains of bags and simultaneous-ly forming a temporary end connection between said first and second layers in each of said two chains.
conveying a continuous web of plastic film along a path;
folding said web lengthwise to form a double layer continuous web having a folded edge;
continuously cutting said web at an off-center position to produce a first and a second layer, said first layer being separate from said second layer, said first layer having a width less than said second layer;
continuously positioning said layers in a confronting relationship with the longitudinal center of said first layer aligned with the longitudinal center of said second layer to form a continuous layered web;
forming flaps at intervals adjacent both side edges of said second layer;
continuously folding spaced predetermined portions adjacent of both side edges of said second layer including said flaps inward so that the predeter-mined portions overlap said first layer to form folded edges along both sides of said second layer;
sealing said folded over portions of said second layer along spaced lines located predetermined distances inward from said folded edges to form headers;
applying adhesive between each of said flaps and portions of said first layer confronting said flaps;
sealing said first and second layers together along transverse seal lines at longitudinally spaced intervals along said continuous layered web, said seal lines being located between adjacent flaps;
forming transverse lines of weakness by weakening said continuous layered web at spaced intervals, said lines of weakness being located between adjacent flaps; and longitudinally dividing said continuous layered web to form two chains of bags and simultaneous-ly forming a temporary end connection between said first and second layers in each of said two chains.
5. A process for forming two chains of intercon-nected plastic bags according to Claim 4 and further comprising said step of forming a hole in said ap-proximate center of each said header for hanging said bag in a display.
6. A process for forming two chains of intercon-nected plastic bags according to Claim 4, and further comprising said step of interrupting said transverse seal lines near said center of said continuous layered web.
7. The process of Claim 4 wherein the dividing step is performed along the approximate center of the layered web.
8. The process of Claim 4 wherein the cutting step is performed prior to the completion of the folding step.
9. A process for forming two chains of intercon-nected plastic bags comprising the steps of:
a) moving a pair of plastic webs of differing widths along a path of travel in superposed relationship;
b) positioning the layers with their longitudinal centers aligned such that as the layers are moved along the path the wider projects in both lateral directions past edges of the narrower layer;
c) forming flaps at intervals along both side edge portions of the wider layer;
d) folding both of the side portions and adjacent header portions of the wider layer including said flaps inward over the narrower layer in overlapping relationship to form folded edges along both sides of said wider layer;
e) forming laterally spaced longitudinal seals between said folded over portions and said narrower layer along lines located predetermined distances inward from said folded edges to form headers;
f) applying adhesive between each of said flaps and portions of said narrower layer confronting said flaps;
g) sealing said layers together along transverse seal lines at longitudinally spaced intervals between the layers, said seal lines being located between adjacent flaps;
h) forming transverse lines of weakness to weakening said transverse seals; and, i) longitudinally dividing said layers to form two chains of bags and simultaneously forming an end connection between said layers in each of said two chains.
a) moving a pair of plastic webs of differing widths along a path of travel in superposed relationship;
b) positioning the layers with their longitudinal centers aligned such that as the layers are moved along the path the wider projects in both lateral directions past edges of the narrower layer;
c) forming flaps at intervals along both side edge portions of the wider layer;
d) folding both of the side portions and adjacent header portions of the wider layer including said flaps inward over the narrower layer in overlapping relationship to form folded edges along both sides of said wider layer;
e) forming laterally spaced longitudinal seals between said folded over portions and said narrower layer along lines located predetermined distances inward from said folded edges to form headers;
f) applying adhesive between each of said flaps and portions of said narrower layer confronting said flaps;
g) sealing said layers together along transverse seal lines at longitudinally spaced intervals between the layers, said seal lines being located between adjacent flaps;
h) forming transverse lines of weakness to weakening said transverse seals; and, i) longitudinally dividing said layers to form two chains of bags and simultaneously forming an end connection between said layers in each of said two chains.
10. A process for forming two chains of intercon-nected plastic bags according to Claim 9 and further comprising said step of forming a hole in said ap-proximate center of each said header for hanging said bag in a display.
11. A process for forming two chains of intercon-nected plastic bags according to Claim 9, and further comprising said step of interrupting said transverse seal lines near said center of said continuous layered web.
12. The process of Claim 9 wherein the dividing step is performed along the approximate center of the layered web.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US50000090A | 1990-03-26 | 1990-03-26 | |
| US07/500,000 | 1990-03-26 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2036456A1 true CA2036456A1 (en) | 1991-09-27 |
Family
ID=23987628
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002036456A Abandoned CA2036456A1 (en) | 1990-03-26 | 1991-02-15 | Reclosable bag and method of making |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0449497A1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH05162755A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU7378391A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2036456A1 (en) |
| IE (1) | IE910894A1 (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA912110B (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US9139317B2 (en) | 2012-08-21 | 2015-09-22 | Intertape Polymer Corp. | Method and apparatus for opening bags while maintaining a continuous strip of bag precursors |
| US8904740B2 (en) | 2012-08-21 | 2014-12-09 | Intertape Polymer Corp. | Method and apparatus for changing a strip of sealed bag precursors in to open bags |
| CN114654806A (en) * | 2020-12-22 | 2022-06-24 | 安徽颍上县天成印业包装有限公司 | Plastic woven sack seals and uses loading attachment |
Family Cites Families (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB800289A (en) * | 1957-01-03 | 1958-08-20 | Dickinson John & Co Ltd | Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of self-sealing bags, envelopes and like containers |
| GB868215A (en) * | 1958-04-23 | 1961-05-17 | Dickinson John & Co Ltd | Improvements in or relating to bags or bag-like containers, and to a method and apparatus for their production |
| FR1344448A (en) * | 1962-10-17 | 1963-11-29 | Herve & Fils Sa | Continuous manufacturing process of so-called pouches |
| US3954049A (en) * | 1973-11-09 | 1976-05-04 | Vision Wrap Industries, Inc. | Method of making flexible bag |
| US4015771A (en) * | 1975-01-14 | 1977-04-05 | Sengewald Karl H | Packaging bag of thermoplastic synthetic plastic film |
| US4360355A (en) * | 1978-06-06 | 1982-11-23 | Suominen Heikki S | Adhesive envelope for a shipping label or the like |
| CA1126701A (en) * | 1981-10-06 | 1982-06-29 | Wijnand Groen | Packages and method of making them |
-
1991
- 1991-02-15 CA CA002036456A patent/CA2036456A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1991-03-15 IE IE089491A patent/IE910894A1/en unknown
- 1991-03-20 EP EP91302419A patent/EP0449497A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1991-03-20 JP JP3080535A patent/JPH05162755A/en active Pending
- 1991-03-21 ZA ZA912110A patent/ZA912110B/en unknown
- 1991-03-26 AU AU73783/91A patent/AU7378391A/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| IE910894A1 (en) | 1991-10-09 |
| JPH05162755A (en) | 1993-06-29 |
| EP0449497A1 (en) | 1991-10-02 |
| ZA912110B (en) | 1992-03-25 |
| AU7378391A (en) | 1991-10-03 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Discontinued |