EP1110877B1 - Packaging bag - Google Patents

Abstract

The pack (15) is made from a continuous synthetic film layer folded to form two parallel walls with an inner fold along one of them, and transverse welds to join the walls and folds. The layer is cut beyond the folds to make separate bags, with strips (2, 3) of synthetic film welded into the folds to make carrying handles. The strips are inserted parallel to one another into the folds as the packs are made; they extend part-way along the packs and have their free ends joined by a weld (11). The surface (26) of one of the strips has a temporary adhesive coating which allows it to be stuck to the side of the pack and removed as required.

Description

The present invention relates to a packaging bag for articles placed side by side, in particular for diapers, and a method for manufacturing this bag.

It is known to form a bag of synthetic material from a continuous film of synthetic material, this film being, at the time of constitution of the bag, folded so as to have two parallel walls and an inner fold along the one of its longitudinal edges, so that it has, seen at the end, a section in the form of "M". The bag is formed by arranging two transverse welds on the film and cutting the film beyond these welds. Spreaders then open the bag thus formed while other organs introduce diapers compressed in the bag. The bottom of the bag is then closed by welding or gluing the side walls of the bag.

A strip of synthetic material can be placed inside said inner ply and can be welded to the film by welding points, this strip being intended to constitute a carrying handle of the bag.

International applications WO91 / 08962 and WO94 / 20378 illustrate such bags and their manufacturing techniques.

Some bags of the same type receive a transparent plastic element attached to their upper part, which forms a carrying handle. International application WO92 / 21582 shows such a bag.

Handle systems existing on this type of bag are considered to be susceptible of improvement, in particular as regards their possibilities of use by the consumers, their implementation at the time of manufacture of the bag or their capacity to receive information. and / or other decorations.

The present invention aims to provide a packaging bag for items placed side by side, especially for diapers, comprising a handle system improved from this point of view.

This bag is of the aforementioned type, comprising a carry handle of the bag.

According to the invention, the bag comprises at least a second strip of synthetic material, placed at the time of constitution of the bag, parallel to the other strip and against it, these two strips extending over only a portion of the length of the bag; one of these strips is connected by one of its longitudinal ends to one of the walls forming said inner ply while the other strip is connected by its adjacent longitudinal end to the other of the walls forming said inner ply, and the two strips are connected to each other by their other longitudinal ends.

These two strips, thus assembled to the bag and connected to one another, form a gripping handle of the bag easy to grip by a user. Indeed, the ends of the strips connected to the wall of the bag extend in the plane of the corresponding lateral face of the bag while the ends of the bands connected to one another extend in a plane perpendicular to this same plan. The strips are each twisted on a quarter turn, which tends to separate them from each other and facilitate the introduction of a finger or thumb of the user to grasp the handle.

The latter is used to hang the hook bag that usually includes a large-area shopping cart, or to receive a decoration.

Bag making also facilitated by this handle structure in two parallel strips. Indeed, these bands are simply positioned in the proper location and fixed to said film, by one of their longitudinal ends, by bonding or welding can be performed simultaneously transverse welds to arrange the ends of the bag.

Said strips may be independent of each other and simply welded or glued to each other at the time of manufacture of the bag; this welding or bonding may be performed prior to the establishment of bands on the film, or at the time of this implementation. These same strips can also be constituted by transverse folding of a primary band, and are thus connected to one another by the continuity of the material of said primary band at the transverse fold; any assembly of the two bands to one another is eliminated.

The strips are preferably connected to the bag at a location longitudinally set back from the location of said transverse welds, so as not to interfere with the holding of these welds transverse to the film.

The bag may advantageously comprise a precut line passing near the ends of the strips which are fixed on it, this line delimiting an opening / closing flap of the bag and said ends being integral with this flap.

These strips can be used to pull on said flap to easily and quickly separate this flap from the rest of the wall of the bag.

At least one of the strips secured to said flap may comprise a "repositionable" adhesive, that is to say capable of allowing several collages / take-offs of this strip relative to the bag.

This adhesive makes it possible to maintain these strips against the wall of the bag before the first opening of this bag and then to hold said flap in the closed position, by gluing the strip or strips against the wall of the bag.

According to one possible embodiment of the invention, the bag comprises, in addition to the two aforesaid strips, two other strips attached to it on its side opposite to that on which are the two aforementioned strips, these two other strips being connected to the bag by one of their longitudinal ends and being connected to one another by their other longitudinal ends, as aforesaid.

The bag thus comprises two pairs of strips located in two locations near its ends, forming two handles. One of these handles, or both handles, can be used for gripping the bag.

The bag may comprise a precut line and / or a repositionable adhesive as mentioned above, so that the handle connected to the flap can be used as a pull tab and / or closing the bag, as indicated above.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the bands of the two pairs of bands are joined to each other at their free ends by a junction zone, this zone comprising a frangible portion, in particular a precut line.

The two pairs of strips thus extend along the upper wall of the bag before the first opening of the latter, and constitute a handle for gripping the bag in various ways.

Opening of the bag is achieved by separating the free ends of the two pairs of strips at said frangible portion, and using one of these pairs of strips as a pull tab to tear the wall of the bag.

• a) utiliser un film continu de matière synthétique, plié de manière à présenter deux parois parallèles et un pli intérieur le long de l'un de ses bords longitudinaux, de telle sorte que ce film présente, vue en bout, une section transversale en forme de "M" ;
• b) placer une première bande de matière synthétique dans ledit pli intérieur ;
• c) fixer cette bande à l'une des parois formant ledit pli intérieur,
• d) aménager deux soudures transversales sur le film pour assembler lesdites parois et ledit pli, et
• e) découper le film au-delà de ces soudures pour individualiser le sac.

The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing the aforementioned bag, this method comprising the following operations, known per se:

• a) using a continuous film of synthetic material, folded so as to have two parallel walls and an inner ply along one of its longitudinal edges, so that this film has a cross-sectional end-view of "M";
• b) placing a first strip of synthetic material in said inner fold;
• c) fixing this band to one of the walls forming said inner fold,
• d) arranging two transverse welds on the film to assemble said walls and said fold, and
• e) cut the film beyond these welds to individualize the bag.

• une opération (b) consistant à placer une première bande et une deuxième bande de matière synthétique dans ledit pli intérieur, ces bandes étant positionnées parallèlement l'une à l'autre et en recouvrement l'une de l'autre ; et
• une opération (c) consistant à fixer l'une des extrémités longitudinales de l'une de ces bandes à la paroi du pli intérieur adjacente à cette bande et l'une des extrémités longitudinales de l'autre de ces bandes contre la paroi du pli intérieur adjacente à cette autre bande.

According to the invention, the method comprises:

• an operation (b) of placing a first band and a second band of synthetic material in said inner ply, these strips being positioned parallel to each other and overlapping one another; and
• an operation (c) of fixing one of the longitudinal ends of one of these strips to the wall of the inner ply adjacent to this strip and one of the longitudinal ends of the other of these strips against the ply wall interior adjacent to this other band.

In the case where the free ends of the strips are not already connected to each other at the time of placing the strips in said inner ply, the method also comprises an operation of connecting these two free ends of the strips. one to the other.

• pour l'opération (b), utiliser des bandes formées chacune de deux matériaux superposés ayant des températures de soudabilité différentes, chaque bande étant disposée dans ledit pli intérieur de telle sorte que le matériau ayant la température de soudabilité la plus basse soit tourné vers la paroi adjacente de ce pli intérieur, et que, donc, les faces des bandes comportant le matériau ayant la température de soudabilité la plus élevée soient tournées l'une vers l'autre ;
• pour l'opération (c), réaliser la fixation desdites extrémités longitudinales des bandes auxdites parois adjacentes du pli intérieur en pinçant l'ensemble film-bandes par l'extérieur au moyen d'organe de pincement susceptible d'être échauffé, et en échauffant cet organe de pincement au-delà de ladite température de soudabilité la plus basse mais en deçà de ladite température de soudabilité la plus élevée.

Preferably, the method also comprises the following operations:

• for operation (b), using strips each formed of two superimposed materials having different weldability temperatures, each band being disposed in said inner fold of such so that the material having the lowest weldability temperature is turned towards the adjacent wall of this inner ply, and that, therefore, the faces of the strips having the material having the highest weldability temperature are rotated towards the adjacent wall. other;
• for operation (c), fastening said longitudinal ends of the strips to said adjacent walls of the inner pleat by pinching the film-strip assembly from the outside by means of a pinch member capable of being heated, and heating this pinch member beyond said lowest weldability temperature but below said highest weldability temperature.

These provisions thus make it possible to weld the strips to the film by the outside of the bag, without welding the strips to one another.

These strips may in particular be made of a coextruded material comprising a polyethylene layer and a polypropylene layer.

• La figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'une portion de film à partir duquel ce sac est fabriqué, et de deux bandes destinées à constituer une poignée de portage du sac ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective du sac obtenu à partir du film et des bandes montrées à la figure 1, après remplissage ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective d'un sac selon une deuxième forme de réalisation ; et
• la figure 4 est une vue en perspective d'un sac selon une troisième forme de réalisation.

For a good understanding, the invention is again described below with reference to the attached schematic drawing showing, by way of non-limiting example, three possible embodiments of the packaging bag that it relates.

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of film from which this bag is manufactured, and two strips for constituting a carrying handle of the bag;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bag obtained from the film and the bands shown in Figure 1, after filling;
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of a bag according to a second embodiment; and
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of a bag according to a third embodiment.

Figure 1 shows a portion of an elongated synthetic film 1 and two strips 2, 3 of synthetic material.

The film 1 comprises two parallel walls 5 and an inner fold along one of its longitudinal edges, formed by two walls 6, 7. The film 1 thus has a section in the form of "M", visible through the cross section. of the film 1 shown in FIG.

It can be deduced from the comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2 that two transverse welds 10 are arranged on the film 1 so as to bind the walls 5 between them and the walls 6 and 7. It is also deduced from these figures that one of the strips 2 is connected, by a longitudinal end 2a, to the adjacent wall 6, by a weld point close to the weld 10, but withdrawing from it, while the adjacent longitudinal end 3a of the other band 3 is connected by an identical weld point to the adjacent wall 7. The two strips 2, 3 are furthermore welded to one another at their opposite longitudinal ends 2b, 3b along a transverse line 11.

The film 1 is cut beyond the seams 10 to individualize a bag 15 as shown in Figure 2, this bag 15 having two longitudinal walls 16, comprising the welds 10, two side walls 17 and a top wall 18.

This bag is filled by mechanized operations, consisting of opening the bag 15 and to engage in this bag the items to be packaged, especially diapers. These items are compressed before introduction into the bag so that they keep the walls 16 to 18 strained.

The bottom of the bag 15 is then closed by flap the remaining parts and bonding or welding these parts to each other.

As it appears in FIG. 2, the ends 2a, 3a are placed side by side substantially in the plane of the wall 16 and are substantially perpendicular to the plane in which the ends 2b, 3b extend at the level of the line. 11.

The two strips 2, 3 are each twisted on a quarter turn, which tends to separate them one another. They constitute a gripping handle 20 of the bag, and the space existing between them because of their twisting facilitates the introduction by a consumer of one or more fingers or the thumb to seize the bag 15.

FIG. 3 represents a bag comprising two pairs of strips 2, 3 constituting two handles 20. The strips 2, 3 of a pair of strips are fixed to the film 1 in the aforementioned manner, close to the location of one welds 10 while the strips 2, 3 of the other pair of strips are fixed to the film 1, also in the aforementioned manner, close to the other weld 10.

In addition, the bag 15 comprises a pre-cut line 25 arranged transversely on the wall 18 and extending over a portion walls 17, and passing near the zone for fixing the strips 2, 3 of a handle 20.

The two handles 20 can be used individually or simultaneously to carry the bag 15, and the line 25 defines a flap 26 for opening / closing the bag 15. The handle 20 secured to this flap 26 can be used as a pull tab for tear easily the wall of the bag 15 at the line 25, so that access to the items is easy and quick to achieve.

The strips of this handle 20 may comprise a repositionable adhesive making it possible to hold the flap 26 in the closed position and thus protecting the articles remaining in the bag 15.

FIG. 4 shows a bag 15 also comprising two pairs of strips 2, 3, each of which is fixed to the film 1 in the aforementioned manner.

In this case, the strips 2, 3 are joined to each other at their free ends by a weld zone 11, this zone 11 comprising a transverse precut line 30.

This bag 15 comprises a precut line 25 similar to that mentioned above.

The two pairs of strips 2, 3 extend, before the first opening of the bag 15, along the wall 18 and thus constitute a handle for gripping the bag 15 in various ways.

At the time of opening of the bag 15, the two pairs of strips 2, 3 are separated by tearing at the line 30, so that the pair of strips 2, 3 integral with the flap 26 can be used as a tab of pull to open the bag 15, and / or as a closing tab of the bag 15, as indicated above.

The invention thus provides a packaging bag for articles placed side by side, especially for diapers, to overcome the disadvantages of prior art homologous bags. Indeed, this bag comprises an improved handle system from the point of view including the possibilities of use of this system by consumers, the manufacture of the bag or the capacity of the bag to receive information and / or other decorations.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above as examples but that it embraces on the contrary, all the variants. Thus, the strips 2, 3 can be constituted by transverse folding of a primary band, and thus be connected to one another by the continuity of the material of said primary band at the transverse fold; in the case of the bag shown in FIG. 4, the two pairs of strips 2, 3 can be constituted by assembling two longitudinal primary strips, having a length corresponding to that of the bag and intended to be connected at their ends, to said film, one of these longitudinal primary strips constituting two of the strips 2 of the pairs of strips and the other of these longitudinal primary strips constituting the two other strips 3 of these pairs of strips, these two longitudinal primary strips being assembled one to the other. other outside their ends joined to the film; the precut 30 may be arranged at the portion by which these two longitudinal primary bands are assembled to one another; this assembly and this pre-cut can be carried out before placing the strips in said inner ply, or, alternatively, these two longitudinal primary strips may have an arcuate shape in the longitudinal direction so that their portions to be assembled and pre-cut are lie outside said longitudinal fold when their ends are engaged in this same fold; these welds and precut can then be performed simultaneously with the fixing of said ends to said film.

Claims (12)

1. Bag (15) for packaging articles placed side by side, especially disposable nappies, of the type formed from a continuous plastic film (1), this film (1) being, at the time of the construction of the bag (15), folded so as to have two parallel walls (5) and an internal fold (6, 7) along one of its longitudinal edges, in such a way that it has, seen on end, a cross section in the form of an "M", and two transverse wells (10) being provided on the film (1) in order to join said walls (5) and said fold (6, 7) together, the film (1) then being cut beyond these welds (10) in order to separate off the bag (15), the latter including a first plastic strip (2, 3) placed on the inside of said internal fold (6, 7) and welded to the film (1), said strip being intended to form a handle for carrying the bag (15),
   which bag (15) is characterized in that it includes at least a second plastic strip (3, 2) placed, at the time of construction of the bag (15), parallel to said first strip (2, 3) and against the latter, these two strips (2, 3) extending over only part of the length of the bag; one of these strips (2, 3) is connected via one of its longitudinal ends (2a, 3a) to one of the walls (6, 7) that form said internal fold, while the other strip (3, 2) is connected via its neighbouring longitudinal end (3a, 2a) to the other of the walls (7, 6) that form said internal fold; and the two strips (2, 3) are connected together via their other longitudinal ends (2b, 3b).
2. Bag (15) according to Claim 1, characterized in that it includes a prescored line (25) passing close to the ends (2a, 3a) of the strips (2, 3) that are fastened to it, this line (25) defining a flap (26) for opening/closing the bag (15), and said ends (2a, 3a) being attached to this flap (26).
3. Bag (15) according to Claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the strips (2, 3) attached to said flap (26) includes a "repositionable" adhesive, that is to say one suitable for allowing this strip (2, 3) to be bonded to/debonded from the bag (15) several times.
4. Bag (15) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said first and second strips are formed by transversely folding a primary strip and are thus connected to each other by the continuity of material of said primary strip at the transverse fold.
5. Bag (15) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it includes, in addition to said first and second strips, two other strips (2, 3) fastened to it on its opposite side from that on which said first and second strips (2, 3) lie, these two other strips (2, 3) being connected to the bag (15) via one of their longitudinal ends (2a, 3a) and being connected to each other via their other longitudinal ends (2b, 3b) in the aforementioned manner.
6. Bag (15) according to Claim 5, characterized in that it includes a prescored line (25) passing close to the ends (2a, 3a) of the strips (2, 3) of one of its pairs of strips (2, 3), this line (25) defining a flap (26) for opening/closing the bag (15), and said ends (2a, 3a) being attached to this flap (26).
7. Bag (15) according to Claim 6, characterized in that at least one of the strips (2, 3) attached to said flap (26) includes a "repositionable" adhesive, that is to say one suitable for allowing this strip (2, 3) to be bonded to/debonded from the bag (15) several times.
8. Bag (15) according to one of Claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the strips (2, 3) of the two pairs of strips are joined to each other at their free ends via a join region (11), and in that this region (11) includes a frangible portion.
9. Bag (15) according to Claim 8, characterized in that said region (11) via which the strips (2, 3) are joined together includes a prescored line (30).
10. Bag (15) according to one of Claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the two pairs of strips (2, 3) are formed by assembling two longitudinal primary strips, their having a length corresponding to that of the bag (15) and being intended to be connected via their ends to said film, one of these longitudinal primary strips constituting two of the strips (2) of the pairs of strips and the other of these longitudinal primary strips constituting the two other strips (3) of these pairs of strips, these two longitudinal primary strips being joined together away from their ends joined to the film.
11. Process for manufacturing a bag (15) according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises the following operations:

    a) a continuous plastic film (1), folded so as to have two parallel walls (5) and an internal fold (6, 7) along one of its longitudinal edges, is used in such a way that this film (1) has, seen on end, a cross section in the form of an "M";

    b) a first plastic strip (2, 3) and a second plastic strip (3, 2) are placed inside said internal fold, these strips (2, 3) being positioned parallel to each other with one overlapping the other;

    c) one of the longitudinal ends of one of these strips (2, 3) is fastened to the wall (6, 7) of the internal fold adjacent to this strip (2, 3), one of the longitudinal ends of the other of these strips (3, 2) is fastened to the wall (7, 6) of the internal fold adjacent to this other strip and the other longitudinal ends of each strip are fastened transversely to each other;

    d) two transverse welds (10) are made on the film (1) in order to assemble said walls (5) and said fold (6, 7); and

    e) the film (1) is cut beyond these welds (10) in order to separate off the bag (15).
12. Method according to Claim 11, characterized in that it also includes the following operations:

    - for operation (b), strips each formed from two superposed materials having different welding temperatures are used, each strip being placed in said internal fold in such a way that the material having the lower welding temperature is turned towards the adjacent wall of this internal fold and therefore in such a way that the faces of the strips comprising the material having the higher welding temperature are turned towards each other; and

    - for operation (c), said longitudinal ends of the strips are fastened to said adjacent walls of the internal fold by pinching the film/strips assembly from the outside by means of a heatable pinching device and by heating this pinching device to a temperature above said lower welding temperature but below said higher welding temperature.

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