EP1137574B1 - Bag opening method and apparatus - Google Patents
Bag opening method and apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1137574B1 EP1137574B1 EP00960873A EP00960873A EP1137574B1 EP 1137574 B1 EP1137574 B1 EP 1137574B1 EP 00960873 A EP00960873 A EP 00960873A EP 00960873 A EP00960873 A EP 00960873A EP 1137574 B1 EP1137574 B1 EP 1137574B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- bag
- receiving surface
- opening
- wall
- base
- 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.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
- B65B43/26—Opening or distending bags; Opening, erecting, or setting-up boxes, cartons, or carton blanks
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B67/00—Apparatus or devices facilitating manual packaging operations; Sack holders
- B65B67/02—Packaging of articles or materials in containers
- B65B67/04—Devices facilitating the insertion of articles or materials into bags, e.g. guides or chutes
Definitions
- the invention relates to a method of and apparatus for opening bags, particularly, but not exclusively, plastic bags, e.g. at supermarket checkouts and any other retail operation or domestic and commercial environments.
- bags is intended to cover bags of any shape or size, including bags which have finger-like parts and are used as gloves.
- Plastic bags such as thin film polythene bags supplied at supermarket checkouts for holding items of shopping, can be difficult to open as electrostatic forces tend to cause sides of bag walls thereof to cling together. This is known as "tube blocking".
- the plastic is slippery and therefore is difficult to grip to pull the sides apart. Bags made from the thinnest sheets of plastic can be the most difficult to open.
- Apparatus are known for facilitating the usage of an uppermost paper bag of a stack of paper bags, but such apparatus do not provide any assistance in opening plastic bags where sides of the bag wall are clinging together. Examples of such known apparatus are described in US-A-3782073 upon which the preamble of claim 10 is based, and US-A-3972157.
- I provide a method of opening a plastic bag using a bag opening apparatus, the bag having a bag wall and a top end in which an access opening to the bag is provided, the method being performed when the bag is collapsed such that the bag wall has two opposite sides held together, the bag opening apparatus including a body which provides a bag receiving surface being adapted to receive and retain the side of the bag wall by being made of or including a material which provides a high coefficient of friction between the bag and the bag receiving surface, the method including placing one of the two sides of the bag wall of a single plastic bag on the bag receiving surface so that the one side is lowermost on the body, applying pressure manually to the opposite uppermost of the two sides of the bag wall, and sliding the uppermost side relative to the lowermost side and the body, relatively to move the two sides of the bag wall and thus facilitate opening of the access opening at the top end of the bag.
- the lowermost side of the bag may be retained in contact with the bag receiving surface by means of at least one of attractive electrostatic forces, adhesion, and frictional forces, acting between the bag and the surface.
- At least part of the bag receiving surface is made of a tacky material which weakly adheres to the lowermost side of the bag in contact with the surface, but which readily permits the adhesive to be released to enable the bag to be used, after opening.
- One such suitable material is a multi-phase thermoplastic rubber including a polymer phase and being oil extended.
- One polymer may be of the styrene terpolymer kind, such as Styrene Ethylene Butylene Styrene terpolymer, with an oil extension, such as an oil of the napthenic type.
- the material may contain a filler, such as a mineral filter, for example calcium carbonate.
- the bag opening apparatus may include a suction means to retain the lowermost side of the bag in contact with the bag receiving surface as the uppermost side is slid, by virtue of reduced air pressure created between the lowermost side of the bag and the bag receiving surface.
- the method in this case may include the steps of placing the lowermost side of the bag in contact with the bag receiving surface, operating the suction means to reduce the air pressure between the lowermost side of the bag and the suction means, and then sliding the uppermost side of the bag relative to the lowermost side and the base, the lowermost side of the bag being retained in contact with the suction means by virtue of reduced air pressure between the lowermost side and the suction means, thus facilitating opening of the access opening at the top end of the bag.
- the bag opening apparatus may include a hook-like formation or other stop with which the top end of the bag engages whilst being separated from the uppermost side and which indicates that the bag is in the correct position.
- At least part of the bag receiving surface which provides the retention forces may be a different colour from the remainder of the base, in order that the user might see the part through the bag sides.
- the bag opening apparatus may be fixed to a surface, for example to a supermarket checkout desk, using adhesive means or mechanical fasteners such as screws.
- a bag opening apparatus for opening a single plastic bag which is collapsed such that two opposite sides of a bag wall thereof are held together, the apparatus including a base adapted to be secured to a surface, and a body interconnected to or integral with the base the body including a bag receiving surface which is adapted to receive a side of the bag wall and to retain the side in contact with the bag receiving surface as the opposite side of the bag wall is slid relative thereto, thus to facilitate opening of the bag, the bag receiving surface being adapted to received and return the side of the bag wall to being made of or including a materials which provides a high coefficient of friction between the bag and the bag receiving surface.
- FIG. 1 there is shown a bag opening apparatus 1 and a bag 2, the bag 2 having a top end 5 in which an access opening to the bag 2 is provided.
- the bag 2 includes a bag wall and the bag is collapsed as a result of the bag manufacturing process, and during storage, such that the bag wall has two opposite sides 3 and 4 held together.
- the bag 2 may be made from polythene film, and the two sides 3 and 4 of the bag 2 tend to cling together and can be difficult to separate in order to open the access opening at the top end 5 of the bag 2.
- the bag opening apparatus 1 includes a body 6 with a first end 7 and a second end 8, and a user places the bag 2, top end 5 first, on a bag receiving surface 9 of the base 6 such that a lowermost side 3 of the bag wall 2 is in contact with the bag receiving surface 9, as illustrated in Figure 2.
- the user may then apply pressure manually to the opposite uppermost side 4 of the bag 2 and slide the uppermost side 4 towards the first end 7 of the body 6, the lowermost side 3 being held back by retaining forces between the lowermost side 3 and the bag receiving surface 9 of the base 6, as illustrated in Figure 3.
- the lowermost 3 and uppermost 4 sides of the bag 2 thus become separated and the access opening may be opened more easily.
- the bag receiving surface 9 of the bag opening apparatus 1 may be made from a material such as polypropylene to which the bag is attracted, by electrostatic forces for example.
- the bag receiving surface 9 may be roughened and/or textured and/or made from a suitable material (again for example polypropylene, or polythene or another material) to provide a high coefficient of friction between the bag 2 and bag receiving surface 9, the lowermost side 3 of the bag 2 thus being retained in contact with the bag receiving surface 9 by means of frictional forces between the two.
- At least part of the bag receiving surface 9 may be tacky, to provide adhesion between the lowermost side 3 of the bag 2, and the part of the surface 9, an embodiment of such a version being described in more detail with reference to Figure 4 below.
- the body 6 of the bag opening apparatus 1 further includes a suction means 10 which includes a resilient disc 10' embedded in a similarly dimensioned, disc-shaped recess in bag receiving surface 9 of the body 6, adjacent to the second end 8 of the body 6.
- the disc 10' includes top surface 11 which in this example lies generally flush with the bag receiving surface 9 although may stand proud or be below the general surface 9, and an opposite, bottom surface 12 which is received in the body 6.
- the recess 13 is provided to increase the flexibility of the disc 10'.
- the bottom surface 12 of the disc 10' is concave, and the area of the body 6 directly underneath the bottom surface 12 of the disc 10' is convex. Thus there is a pocket of air 16 in a chamber between the body 6 and the disc 10'.
- a user may depress the resilient disc 10', thus expelling air contained in the air pocket 16 out through an air outlet hole H or holes which opens from the pocket 16.
- an air outlet hole H there is provided a one way valve V of any desired type, to deter or prevent air passing back through the hole H into the air pocket 16.
- opening 14 communicates the partial vacuum of the air pocket 16 to the bag 2. Reduced pressure thus assists in keeping the lowermost side 3 of the bag 2 in contact with the bag receiving surface 9 as the user slides the uppermost side 4 back to separate the sides, as shown in Figure 3.
- the lowest side or base of the body 6 which is in contact with a surface S may be recessed as indicated at R to permit air expelled from the air pocket 16 to pass through the outlet opening H and one way valve V to atmosphere through vents indicated at W in Figure 2.
- the second end 8 of the bag opening apparatus 1 includes a hook-like formation 17 which extends above the bag receiving surface 9 towards the first end 7 of the opening apparatus 1, to provide a stop for the top end 5 of the bag 2 as the bag 2 is placed on the base 6.
- the body 6 in this example is deeper at the first end 7 than at the second end 8 so that when the opening apparatus 1 is placed on a generally horizontal surface, the bag receiving surface 9 of the body 6 is inclined at an angle to the horizontal, and the uppermost side 4 of the bag 2, when pulled back is being pulled "up-hill", increasing frictional forces between the lowermost side 3 of the bag 2 and the bag receiving surface 9 and thus assists in retaining the lowermost side 3 in contact with the bag receiving surface 9.
- the invention is particularly useful at a supermarket or other retail outlet checkout to assist in the opening of supermarket shopping bags by customers or staff, but may also be used to open other bags in other locations such as plastic food and bin bags in the kitchen, polythene or other plastic gloves, or the like.
- the bag opening apparatus 1 may be fixed to a surface, such as a supermarket/trade counter or a kitchen work surface or cupboard, or may be placed, unfixed on a surface. Adhesive pads may be provided underneath the base of the body 6 to stick the apparatus 1 to a surface, or the body 6 may be provided with holes for screws or other similar fasteners. Alternatively, the bag opening apparatus 1 may be incorporated into a supermarket checkout or a bag dispenser or the base of the body 6 may co-operate with a clip attached to a surface S which allows the apparatus 1 to be readily replaced when necessary without risking causing damage to the surface S.
- the opening apparatus 1 may be used inclined at an angle to the horizontal of between 0 and 90°.
- the disc 10' need not be disc-shaped; but may be generally rectangular, for example.
- the disc 10' also need not include a recess 13, provided the material used is sufficiently flexible to enable the user to expel air from the air pocket 16 without there being such a recess 13.
- the suction disc 10' may include more than one hole 14 in the uppermost surface thereof.
- the hole 14 or holes may be positioned elsewhere than in the top of the disc 10' than the centre.
- the disc 10' may be made from rubber or another similarly resilient material.
- a bag opening apparatus 20 includes a base 26 which may be secured, e.g. by fasteners and/or adhesive pads or the like, to a surface such as a supermarket checkout.
- the fasteners may pass through openings 21 in the base 26, provided for this purpose.
- the base 26 is made of e.g. moulded plastic but could be made of e.g. metal.
- a body 27 which is generally rectangularly shaped in plan view, and has walls 28 depending from an upper bag receiving surface 29.
- the body 27 may conveniently be made by moulding in plastic, or otherwise as desired.
- the bag receiving surface 29 provides a generally "apple" shaped recess 22.
- the shape of the recess 22 is immaterial to the function of the bag opening apparatus 20, but may be provided of any aesthetically pleasing shape as desired.
- an adhesive pad 30 which in this example, is entirely made of a generally tacky rubbery material of the kind which provides weak adhesive forces to e.g. a plastic bag placed on the pad 30.
- the material of the pad 30 is of the kind which, when wiped with a damp cloth to remove any surface contaminants, returns to its fully tacky condition.
- One suitable kind of generally tacky rubbery material is a thermoplastic multi-phase rubber with a polymer phase and some mineral filler.
- the rubber may contain pigment to give it a desired colouring.
- the polymer phase may be of the styrene terpolymer type, such as Styrene Ethylene Butylene Styrene terpolymer, which is commercially available as Kraton G from Shell Chemicals.
- the polymer may be oil extended, with for example, an oil of the napthenic type.
- a suitable mineral filler for the material of the generally tacky rubbery material is calcium carbonate.
- elastomer material such as Sorbothane.
- the pad 30 may be retained in the recess by an adhesive as desired.
- a surface covering part 32 of a textured e.g. stippled, rubbery material is also provided.
- This may be made of the same material as the adhesive pad 30, or in another soft rubbery plastic material, by injection moulding or otherwise as desired. Stipples could instead be provided integrally during moulding of the body 27, in the material of the body 27.
- the rubbery stippled part 32 When the bag is placed on the bag receiving surface 29, the rubbery stippled part 32 will further grip the bag to facilitate its retention on the bag receiving surface 29 during opening thereof.
- the base 26 and body 27 are intended to separable.
- the body 27 may be removed from the base 26, and replaced with a replacement body 27 having a new adhesive pad 30.
- the body 27 and base 26 are interconnected in snap fit manner, the base 26 having a pair of location portions 34 against each of which one of a pair of opposite walls 28 of the body 27 may locate, and indicated in figure 7 of the drawings.
- a pair of catch members 35 Spaced inwardly of the other opposite two sides of the base 26, are a pair of catch members 35 which include outwardly extending resilient parts which, as the body 27 is moved into co-operation with the base 26, snap into fit in small corresponding recesses 36 provided on the inside of the other side walls 28 of the body 27. It will be appreciated that the depending side walls 28 will be able to deform relative to the bag receiving surface 29, to a sufficient extent to enable the outwardly extending portions of the catch members 35 to locate in the recesses 36.
- the body 27 and base 26 are firmly held together and will not become separated during normal use of the apparatus 20. Nevertheless, if it is desired to separate the body 27 and base 26, to enable a replacement body 27 to be provided, this may be achieved by grasping the body 27 e.g. in sculptured recesses 40 and sharply pulling the body 27 away from the base 26.
- the body 27 and the base 26 when assembled have an internal hollow H, although in another example, the body 26 and base 27 when assembled may be solid.
- the actual shape of the adhesive pad 30 may be different to that shown and usually would be in a contrasting colour to the remainder of the base 26.
- the rubbery stippled part 32 need not be provided if this is not required.
- the extent of the tacky adhesive pad 30 may be greater than that shown over the bag receiving surface 29, particularly where no rubbery stippled part 32 is provided.
- the shape of the bag receiving surface 29 and of the body 26 may be sculptured as indicated at 40 to facilitate usage of the apparatus 20 by a user.
- the bag recess surface 29 may be generally inclined throughout a substantial portion of its extent as is the bag receiving surface 9 of the previous examples.
- retaining forces to retain the lowermost side of the bag may be provided by a suction means similar to that described in Figures 1 to 3, in conjunction with an adhesive pad such as described at 30 in Figures 4 to 10 and/or in conjunction with a rubbery stippled part such as the part 32 indicated in Figures 4 to 10, or another friction means.
- the body 27 and base 26 are snap-interfitted, in another example, they may otherwise be interconnected so as to be separable to facilitate replacement of the body 27, or at least a part of the body 27 in which or on which the adhesive pad 30 is provided.
- the body 27 and base 26 may be unitary with the entire apparatus 20 requiring replacement when it is desired to replace the pad 30.
- the apparatus 20 may in this example interconnect with a formation such as clip provided on a sales counter or another mounting, to facilitate mounting a replacement of the apparatus 20, as desired.
- FIG 11 a third embodiment of a bag opening device in accordance with the invention is illustrated. As with the figure 4-10 embodiment, this includes a base 46 and a body 47.
- the base 46 has openings 48 by which the base 46 may be attached to a surface e.g. by fasteners, and integral recesses 49 for receiving double sided adhesive pads so that alternatively, the base 46 may be adhered to a mounting surface.
- a pair of hinge formations 50 which are adapted to be received in corresponding openings 51 in the body 47, so that the body 47 may be hinged relative to the base 46.
- lug formations 52 are formed along an opposite side of the base 46.
- the lugs 52 snap-interfit with formations inside the body 47 to retain the body 47 in a closed position relative to the base 46.
- fixings fixing the base 46 to a mounting surface may be concealed.
- the body 47 has a bag receiving surface 59, in which there is provided a recess 60 for an adhesive pad made of a material similar to the pad 30 described with reference to figures 4-10.
- the body 47 may be hinged upwardly relative to the base 46 at the side where the lugs 52 snap-interfit with the body 47, with sufficient force to disengage the lugs 52 from their corresponding recess formations inside the body 47.
- access may be gained to the fixings, to enable the body 47 and the base 46 to be replaced.
Abstract
Description
Claims (11)
- A method of opening a plastic bag (2) using a bag opening apparatus (1;20), the bag (2) having a bag wall and a top end (5) in which an access opening to the bag (2) is provided, the method being performed when the bag (2) is collapsed such that the bag wall has two opposite sides held together, the bag opening apparatus (1;20) including a body (6;27;47) which provides a bag receiving surface (9;29;59) being adapted to receive and retain the side of the bag wall by being made of or including a material which provides a high coefficient of friction between the bag (2) and the bag receiving surface (9;29;59), the method including placing one of the two sides of the bag wall of a single plastic bag (2) on the bag receiving surface (9;29;59) so that the one side is lowermost on the body (5;27;47), applying pressure manually to the opposite uppermost of the two sides of the bag wall, and sliding the uppermost side relative to the lowermost side and the body (6;27;47), relatively to move the two sides of the bag wall and thus facilitate opening of the access opening at the top end of the bag (2).
- A method according to Claim 1 wherein the lowermost side of the bag (2) is retained in contact with the bag receiving surface (9;29;59) by means of at least one of attractive electrostatic forces, adhesion, and frictional forces, acting between the bag (2) and the surface (9;29;59).
- A method according to Claim 2 wherein at least a part (30) of the bag receiving surface (9;29;59) is made of a tacky material which weakly adheres to the lowermost side of the bag (2) to retain the lowermost side in contact with the surface (9;29;59), but which readily permits the adhesion to be released to enable the bag (2) to be used, the tacky material having a smooth or textured surface.
- A method according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the part (30) of the bag receiving surface (9;29;59) made of tacky material is a multi-phase thermoplastic rubber including a polymer phase and being oil extended or similar, such as a polymer of the styrene terpolymer type.
- A method according to Claim 4 wherein the polymer is Styrene Ethylene Butylene Styrene terpolyme, and the oil extension is of the napthenic type.
- A method according to any one of Claims 4 or 5 wherein the material includes a filler, such as a mineral filler.
- A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the bag opening apparatus (1) includes a suction means (10) to retain the lowermost side of the bag (2) in contact with the bag receiving surface (9) as the uppermost side is slid, by virtue of reduced air pressure created between the lowermost side of the bag (2) and the bag receiving surface (9), the method including the steps of placing the lowermost side of the bag (2) in contact with the bag receiving surface (9), operating the suction means (10) to reduce the air pressure between the lowermost side of the bag (10) and the suction means (10).
- A method according to Claim 7 wherein the suction means (10) is operated by depressing the bag receiving surface (9) to expel air from beneath the bag receiving surface (9) to create a partial vacuum, and wherein the air is expelled through a one way valve (V), from a chamber (16) beneath the bag receiving surface (9).
- A method according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the bag opening apparatus (1;20) includes a stop formation (17) and the method includes placing the bag on the bag receiving surface (9) so that the top end of the bag engages with the stop (17) to indicate that the bag is in a correct position for performance of the subsequent method steps.
- A bag opening apparatus (1,20) for opening a single plastic bag (2) which is collapsed such that two opposite sides of a bag wall thereof are held together, the apparatus (1,20) including a base (26;46) adapted to be secured to a surface, and a body (6;27;47) interconnected to or integral with the base (26,46) the body (6;27;47) including a bag receiving surface (9;29;59) which is adapted to receive a side of the bag wall and to retain the side in contact with the bag receiving surface (9;29;59) as the opposite side of the bag wall is slid relative thereto, thus to facilitate opening of the bag (2), characterised by the bag receiving surface (9;29;59) being adapted to receive and retain the side of the bag wall by being made of or including a material which provides a high coefficient of friction between the bag (2) and the bag receiving surface (9;29;59).
- A bag opening apparatus according to Claim 10 wherein the base and body are interconnected by a hinge means which permits the body and base relatively to be hinged, or the base and body are interconnected by inter-engagement of snap-interfitting formations.
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GBGB9923621.8A GB9923621D0 (en) | 1999-10-07 | 1999-10-07 | Plastic bag opener |
GB9923621 | 1999-10-07 | ||
GB0015842A GB0015842D0 (en) | 1999-10-07 | 2000-06-29 | Bag opening method and apparatus |
GB0015842 | 2000-06-29 | ||
PCT/GB2000/003636 WO2001025091A1 (en) | 1999-10-07 | 2000-09-22 | Bag opening method and apparatus |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1137574A1 EP1137574A1 (en) | 2001-10-04 |
EP1137574B1 true EP1137574B1 (en) | 2003-07-23 |
Family
ID=26244559
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP00960873A Expired - Lifetime EP1137574B1 (en) | 1999-10-07 | 2000-09-22 | Bag opening method and apparatus |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1137574B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE245565T1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU7303300A (en) |
DE (1) | DE60004006T2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2001025091A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE102010019111A1 (en) * | 2010-04-30 | 2011-11-03 | Hochschule Bochum | Device for opening bags utilized for packaging e.g. fruits in supermarket, has elastomer pressing element laid and/or applied at bag during winding process of bag roller with force, and pressurized with force in direction on hinge bracket |
SE535464C2 (en) * | 2010-12-10 | 2012-08-21 | Henrik Karlsson | Device for dividing thin layers |
US9340325B2 (en) | 2014-01-16 | 2016-05-17 | Josephine Pontoriero | Apparatus to facilitate separation of layers of material |
JP6118488B1 (en) * | 2015-12-15 | 2017-04-19 | 株式会社アプリコ | Bag-shaped member opening device and method for opening bag-shaped member |
WO2017160911A1 (en) * | 2016-03-17 | 2017-09-21 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Bag dispenser for facilitating bag opening |
IT201600088382A1 (en) * | 2016-08-31 | 2018-03-03 | Tecnosoft S R L | Device for opening bags, particularly plastic bags for food use, and the relative method. |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2673016A (en) * | 1952-10-11 | 1954-03-23 | Gerbe John | Bag distending apparatus |
US2932142A (en) * | 1955-03-28 | 1960-04-12 | Int Standard Electric Corp | Device for opening letter envelopes, bags, or like articles |
US2851838A (en) * | 1956-03-09 | 1958-09-16 | Mac Inc | Packaging machines |
US3782073A (en) * | 1971-08-19 | 1974-01-01 | M Musser | Bag holder and opening device |
US3972157A (en) * | 1975-03-24 | 1976-08-03 | Sanford Meyers | Bag holding and opening apparatus |
US4601690A (en) * | 1984-10-15 | 1986-07-22 | Jacobson Ralph S | Plastic bag opening device utilizing disposable multilayer adhesive strips |
-
2000
- 2000-09-22 AU AU73033/00A patent/AU7303300A/en not_active Abandoned
- 2000-09-22 WO PCT/GB2000/003636 patent/WO2001025091A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2000-09-22 AT AT00960873T patent/ATE245565T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2000-09-22 EP EP00960873A patent/EP1137574B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2000-09-22 DE DE60004006T patent/DE60004006T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE60004006D1 (en) | 2003-08-28 |
DE60004006T2 (en) | 2004-02-26 |
EP1137574A1 (en) | 2001-10-04 |
WO2001025091A1 (en) | 2001-04-12 |
ATE245565T1 (en) | 2003-08-15 |
AU7303300A (en) | 2001-05-10 |
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