EP3858755A1 - Bag with side gusset - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a side gusset bag with a first front wall (1a) and a second front wall (1b) which are opposite one another and which are provided on longitudinal edges (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) by a first side gusset (3a) and a second side gusset (3b) are connected to one another, a filling space formed between the front walls (1a, 1b) and the side gussets (3a, 3b) being delimited in the direction of at least one corner of the bag by a separating seam (6) which connects the first side gusset (3a) with the first front wall ( 1a) connects and delimits the filling space (4) from a ventilation space (8) provided with a ventilation opening (7) and at least one air passage (9) being provided between the filling space (4) and the ventilation space (8). According to the invention it is provided that on the longitudinal edge (2a) of the separating seam (6) connecting the first front wall (1a) with the first side gusset (3a) an additional seam (14) inserted into the filling space (4) is placed in front of it.

Description

The invention relates to a side gusset bag with a first front wall and a second front wall which are opposite one another and which are connected to one another at the longitudinal edges by a first side gusset and a second side gusset, a filling space formed between the front walls and the side gussets passing through in the direction of at least one corner of the bag a separating seam is delimited which connects the first gusset to the first front wall and delimits the filling space from a ventilation space provided with a ventilation opening and wherein at least one air passage is provided between the filling space and the ventilation space.

Side gusset bags of the type described are used in practice for various applications and are characterized by good functional properties. More specifically, the present invention relates to a gusseted bag that has a vent. Ventilation may be necessary or appropriate for various reasons.

In particular, in the case of large gusseted bags that are stacked and transported lying down, there is a risk of slipping or bursting if the closure is tight. If, for example, several gusseted bags are stacked on top of one another, the weight of the gusseted bags at the bottom creates a lot of pressure, which leads to compression. In order to avoid instability or bursting of the gusset bags, air must be able to escape, for which purpose the ventilation is provided.

In this context, on the one hand, enough air should be able to escape, while on the other hand the penetration of foreign substances, dirt, insects or other pests should also be prevented.

The side-gusset bag is usually designed as one-way packaging, so that low manufacturing costs and efficient use of material are also sought. In order to achieve low manufacturing costs, the gusseted bag should be designed as simply as possible and easy to manufacture, with additional components such as attached valves or the like, which are basically also known from the prior art, should be dispensed with as far as possible. Additional components might also result in foreign substances which can be disadvantageous in recycling.

A typical field of application of the gusseted bag is the packaging of food and animal feed, whereby the protection of the packaged goods against contamination, parasites or the like must be ensured. Dog food, in particular, comes into consideration as pet food, which is sold as dry food in large quantities and often also in large container sizes of, for example, 15 kg. The side-gusset bag is, however, basically also suitable for other applications in which ventilation in the manner described is expedient. Other filling goods can be, for example, cat litter, pourable building materials and pourable cleaning agents such as detergents.

Various designs of gusseted bags of the generic type are known from the prior art. So describes the DE 10 2007 062 814 A1 a gusseted bag of the generic type, which is intended in particular for pelleted pet food. The gusset pouch points in the area a bottom on obliquely running corner welds, which connect the side folds inserted between the front walls with the front walls. These separating seams extend from an associated longitudinal seam to a transverse sealing seam which forms the lower edge of the gusseted bag. The separating seam in the form of the corner weld runs in relation to the in Fig. 1 Side gusset bag shown in the flat state at an angle of approximately 45 ° to the longitudinal seam or the transverse sealing seam. At the same time, the corner weld extends approximately over half the width of the entire side fold, that is to say approximately up to a kink line of the side fold at its center.

The shape of the corner weld with the structural variants described can also be used as an exemplary possibility for the side-gusset bag according to the invention explained below. The corner welding as a separating seam delimits a ventilation space from a filling space, the filling space and the ventilation space being connected by at least one air passage. The air passage can be arranged, for example, adjacent to the longitudinal seam, formed by an interruption in the separating seam or designed as a kind of labyrinth. Even with the design in the manner of a labyrinth ( Fig. 4 ) the two subsections are jointly referred to as a separating seam within the scope of the invention.

The corner welds according to DE 10 2007 062 814 A1 are not only provided for venting, but also enable the gusseted bag to be unfolded in a controlled manner when the gusseted bag is filled, in order to be able to form the gusseted bag approximately in the shape of a parallelepiped.

Already according to the DE 10 2007 062 814 A1 is recognized as a problem that the ventilation performance is still in need of improvement in certain cases. For this purpose, the ventilation space provided with a ventilation opening in the associated front wall is roughened on the inside. This ensures that the film surfaces do not lie close to one another. However, roughening as a separate process step is complex. Furthermore, there is the risk that the paths provided per se for venting are at least partially closed by kinking in the unfolded state of the gusseted bag.

More generic side gusset bags are from the DE 1 868 662 U (Fig. 5), EP 2 043 750 B1 , EP 1 820 745 A1 , EP 2 845 820 B1 and GB 1,162,013 famous. In the case of the various types of rejects, it is also evident that the separating seam can optionally be segmented, that is to say can be formed from several individual connection points.

From the EP 1 881 929 B1 a side gusset bag is known which has a reclosure. Heat-sealed seams running diagonally between the gussets and the front walls are provided on a base, which facilitate erection. In principle, ventilation is possible with such a bag type, but not provided here.

The gusseted bags of the generic type with a venting function have a simple construction, but are still in need of improvement with regard to their venting properties. In practice, inadequate or strongly fluctuating ventilation capacities are sometimes observed. This can in part also be attributed to the fact that the layers of the front walls and side folds lie flat on top of one another and / or are kinked, as a result of which air transport is impaired.

Against this background, the invention is based on the object of reliably enabling a good ventilation performance with a simple construction.

The subject of the invention and the solution to the problem is a gusset bag according to claim 1.

Based on a generic side gusset bag, the invention provides that an additional seam introduced into the filling area is in front of the longitudinal edge of the separating seam connecting the first front wall with the first side gusset. In the case of a filled and, in particular, pressurized gusseted bag, the additional seam serves to initiate kinks or to kink them.

While according to the prior art the separating seam runs essentially along a usually straight line and squeezing cannot be ruled out there, the upstream additional seam leads to an additional kinking of the first front wall and the gusset underneath when internal pressure acts. Due to the different position of the separating seam on the one hand and the additional seam on the other hand, the material sections are, so to speak, braced against one another by the tensile forces that act, so that inside the gusset bag, starting from the filling space in the direction of the separating seam, there are always warps that allow air to pass through for ventilation and thus in particular enable the delivery of air under pressure.

The described configuration at the transition from the filling space to the ventilation space is initially described in the context of the invention with reference to the first front wall and the first side fold. Of course, you can also and alternatively, corresponding ventilation spaces can be provided on both sides of each front wall and / or on both front walls. The ventilation spaces can be arranged in a bottom area and / or a head area of the gusseted bag.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the side gusset bag is formed from film, with a web of material being able to be folded in the form of a tube without restriction or individual material sections for the front walls and the side gussets being connected to one another to form the two front walls and the side gussets. Corresponding processes for bag production are known to the person skilled in the art.

In addition to film, a plastic fabric composite such as the one already mentioned at the beginning comes into consideration for the formation of the gusseted bag EP 2 845 820 B1 is known.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the side gusset bag is provided with longitudinal seams on its longitudinal edges, which there connect the side gussets to the front walls and / or are provided for stabilization. The width of corresponding longitudinal edges is typically in a range from 4 mm to 16 mm, in particular 6 mm to 12 mm and, for example, 8 mm.

If, according to a preferred embodiment, the front walls and the side gussets are heat-sealable on the inside of the bag facing the filling space, the separating seams, the previously described optionally provided longitudinal seams and also further connecting seams can easily be formed by heat sealing, which is common with side gusset bags made of plastic film is preferred. For this purpose, films can be extruded and / or laminated in multiple layers.

Conventional bag films have, for example, a heat-sealable layer made of polyolefin, in particular polyethylene, in which case an outer layer of the film is often made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or oriented, in particular biaxially oriented, polypropylene (BOPP).

In addition, largely single-type bag films are also known, which facilitate recycling. In the case of a side-gusset bag made entirely on the basis of polyethylene or entirely on the basis of polypropylene, however, in the case of a multilayer design of the film, it is then expedient to select and arrange the layers in such a way that only one inner layer is melted at a suitable sealing temperature and the Side gusset bag on its outside is not affected.

As is also known per se from the prior art, the separating seam leaves an air passage free between the filling space and the ventilation space. An interruption which is arranged in the middle or approximately in the middle with regard to the separating seam is particularly preferred.

The separating seam preferably extends from the assigned longitudinal edge to a transverse seam which connects the first side fold with the first front wall. Depending on the design of the bag, such a transverse seam can extend over the entire width of the gusseted bag. This is provided in particular when the transverse seam also forms the upper edge of the gusseted bag. Alternatively, it can be provided that the transverse seam is limited to the area of the associated side fold.

The separating seam connects the associated longitudinal edge, preferably provided with a longitudinal seam, to the transverse seam with at least one interruption, the separating seam usually running at an angle between 30 ° and 60 °. The separating seam can also consist of pieces slightly offset from one another and have curvatures and / or bends. For example, it is possible for the separating seam to have a change in direction in the direction of the vent opening at a central or approximately central interruption in order to guide air in a targeted manner to the vent opening for the purpose of venting in the event of excess pressure.

If - as described above - the separating seam extends from the associated longitudinal edge to a transverse seam, the result is approximately a triangular shape for the ventilation space.

Depending on the design of the gusset bag, the vent opening can be formed in the transverse seam if it otherwise closes the gusset bag at an upper edge or a lower edge or if the air to be diverted is guided to the outside via further subsequent flow paths.

However, an embodiment is particularly preferred in which the ventilation opening is formed in the first front wall or the side gusset. Of course, a ventilation opening can also be provided on the first front wall and the first side gusset. If the ventilation opening is arranged on the side gusset, overall there is somewhat better protection against soiling because the side gusset is folded in between the front walls and is also fixed there by the separating seam.

The vent opening can be designed as a simple incision. Such an incision can be formed particularly easily in the manufacturing process. If there is no overpressure, the two edges of the incision are usually at the same height and seal the bag at least against dirt, foreign substances, insects and other pests. A type of valve function can thus be implemented in a simple manner through an incision.

The incision is preferably straight and has a length of typically 2 to 15 mm, in particular 4 to 10 mm. As will be explained in more detail below, the incision can run obliquely with respect to the longitudinal edge, in particular at an angle between 30 ° and 60 °.

According to a further development of the invention, the ventilation opening formed as an incision can be arranged at a comparatively small distance of 0.8 mm to 10 mm, preferably 1 mm to 8 mm, particularly preferably 2 mm to 5 mm, from a support seam. The support seam then preferably runs parallel or approximately parallel to the incision, which is usually straight, as a ventilation opening. Starting from the filling space and the air passage in the separating seam, the support seam is arranged behind the incision as a ventilation opening, viewed in the direction of flow. In the event of overpressure, the first side fold and the first front wall are pressed away from one another. The connection at the support seam then has the effect that the materials can lift off from one another in an arc shape at the incision, whereby a good ventilation performance can then be achieved.

In addition to an incision preferably combined with a support seam, other configurations of the at least one ventilation opening can also be considered. For example can - then preferably without additional Support seam - several small ventilation openings can also be provided in the ventilation space in the manner of a perforation, which also provide a certain protective effect. Such small holes can be produced, for example, by a laser or by needles.

The additional seam is provided in order to cause a kinking or kinking of the filled side-gusseted bag in front of the separating seam if there is overpressure in the filling space - for example due to external compression. The additional seam must be introduced into the interior in order to achieve the desired deformation. On the other hand, it goes without saying that the available volume of the filling space should not be excessively impaired. In relation to the width of the front walls, the additional seam extends along the transverse direction over preferably less than 20% and in particular less than 10% of the width of the front walls.

The front walls could have a width between 150 mm and 500 mm, in particular between 250 mm and 425 mm, for example approximately 375 mm. Since the filled side-gusset bag has approximately the shape of a parallelepiped, the strip width of the side gussets between the two front walls is referred to as depth in the context of the invention. The depth of the side folds is preferably between 80 mm and 200 mm, particularly preferably between 115 mm and 160 mm, for example around 135 mm. If connecting seams are provided on the longitudinal edges, the dimensions of the inner filling space are reduced in accordance with the width of these connecting seams.

Starting from the assigned longitudinal edge or starting from a longitudinal seam provided on the longitudinal edge, that is to say starting from the inner edge of the filling space adjoining the filling space, the additional seam can Longitudinal seam by 5 mm to 30 mm, in particular by 8 mm to 18 mm, for example 12 mm along the transverse direction into the filling space.

The shape of the additional seam can be varied. An inclined course, for example a triangular shape with an optionally also rounded tip pointing in the direction of the filling space, has also proven to be particularly expedient with regard to the stability in the event of overpressure.

According to the function described, the additional seam causes an additional kink when viewed from the filling space, so that the additional seam can also be referred to as a kink seam. The person skilled in the art can easily determine a suitable distance from the separating seam. Along the assigned longitudinal edge, for example, a distance can be determined between the start of the separating seam and the point at which the additional seam extends the furthest into the filling space along the transverse direction. This distance determined along the longitudinal seam, that is to say the longitudinal direction of the gusseted bag, is typically between 3 mm and 30 mm, in particular between 5 mm and 25 mm, for example between 8 mm and 20 mm.

As already explained at the beginning, the ventilation space can be arranged in the head area or in the area of a bottom of the side gusset bag, with the formation of a ventilation space being possible at each transition between the side gusset and the front wall.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that at least one ventilation space is arranged in the head area of the gusseted bag. It can also be provided that the side folds on the head area are shortened relative to the front walls, for example by to arrange a zipper or slider closure above the side gussets. Zippers or sliders are reclosers that have interlocking profile strips. In addition to tongue and groove connections, Velcro-like closures with individual, for example mushroom-shaped elements can also be provided. While a zipper is pressed together by hand by a user, a slider comprises a sliding element for separating and bringing together the profile strips.

If at least one ventilation space is formed in the head area, the side gusset bag can also have a stand-up base, which is formed from a separate material section. The separate material section is then connected to the front walls and the side gussets around its circumference.

The invention is explained below with the aid of a drawing that shows only one exemplary embodiment.

• Fig. 1 einen befüllten Seitenfaltenbeutel in einer Perspektive,
• Fig 2 eine schematische Ansicht des Seitenfaltenbeutels gemäß der Fig. 1 in einem flachgelegten Zustand,
• Fig. 3 die Detailansicht eines Eckbereichs des Seitenfaltenbeutels, bei einem in dem Seitenfaltenbeutel wirkenden Überdruck,
• Fig. 4 einen Detailausschnitt der Anordnung gemäß der Fig. 3.

Show it:

• Fig. 1 a filled side gusset bag in perspective,
• Fig 2 a schematic view of the gusseted bag according to FIG Fig. 1 in a laid-flat state,
• Fig. 3 the detailed view of a corner area of the gusset bag, with an overpressure acting in the gusset bag,
• Fig. 4 a detail of the arrangement according to FIG Fig. 3 .

the Fig. 1 shows a side gusset bag with a first front wall 1a and a second front wall 1b which are opposite one another and are connected to one another at longitudinal edges 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d by a first side gusset 3a and a second side gusset 3b.

Between the front walls 1a, 1b and the side gussets 3a, 3b, a filling space 4 is formed on the inside of the side gusset bag, in which dry food 5 for dogs is received. As a result of the pelletized dry feed 5, air also remains in the filling space 4. In order to prevent the stack from slipping or even bursting of individual gusset bags when the gusset bag is compressed, in particular when it is stacked, the gusset bag has a ventilation function.

For this purpose, the filling space 4, which is filled with dry food 5 in the exemplary embodiment, is delimited by a separating seam 6 formed by means of heat sealing from a ventilation space 8 provided with a ventilation opening 7, with an air passage 9 between the filling space 4 and the ventilation space 8 through an interruption in the separating seam 6 is formed. In the exemplary embodiment shown, such a ventilation space 8 is also provided, for example, in the same way between the first front wall 1a and the second side fold 3b. In principle, the formation of corresponding ventilation spaces 8 is also possible on the opposite, second front wall 1b.

For better visibility, in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG Fig. 1 the vent 7 is formed in the first front wall 1a. Alternatively, the ventilation opening 7 can also be formed in the first side fold 3a at a corresponding position, so that even better protection against soiling is then achieved. Of course, both in the first front wall 1a as well as in the first side gusset 3a each have a ventilation opening 7.

In principle, a plurality of ventilation openings 7 for the one ventilation space 8 can also be provided in the first front wall 1 a or the first side fold 3 a. As described below, however, the formation of precisely one ventilation opening 7 in the first front wall 1a and / or the first side fold 3a for the ventilation space 7 shown is advantageous.

Longitudinal seams 10 in the form of heat-sealed seams are provided on all of the longitudinal edges 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d. In the exemplary embodiment, the longitudinal seams have a width of approximately 8 mm, for example.

The separating seam 6 extends from the longitudinal seam 10 to a transverse seam 11, which in the exemplary embodiment is limited only to the area of the associated first side fold 3a. This is provided in the exemplary embodiment because the two side gussets 3a, 3b are shortened in a head area of the side gusset bag with respect to the two front walls 1a, 1b and a reclosure 12 is also arranged above the side gussets 3a, 3b (see also Fig. 2 ). Before it is opened for the first time, the gusset bag is then closed by a closure seam 13 running in the transverse direction. If, on the other hand, no reclosure 12 is provided in the case of a simpler configuration of the gusset bag, the transverse seam 11 can also be drawn through as the upper edge of the gusset bag along the transverse direction.

According to the invention, an additional additional seam 14 is provided on the longitudinal edge 2a connecting the first front wall 1a to the first side fold 3a, which, viewed from the filling space 4, is upstream of the separating seam 6 and is led into the filling space 4. Since a longitudinal seam 10 is provided on the corresponding longitudinal edge 2a in the exemplary embodiment, the additional seam is formed by the sealed area which protrudes from the longitudinal seam 10 into the filling space 4.

The separating seam 6 serves on the one hand to delimit the ventilation space 8 from the filling space 4. On the other hand, the separating seam 6 also supports the formation of a cuboid shape of the filled gusseted bag. According to the embodiments known from the prior art, kinking then takes place precisely along the separating seam 6, which is why in the embodiments known from the prior art the layers of the first front wall 1a and the first side fold 3b lying on top of one another to a certain extent form the air passage 8 Can squeeze dimensions.

As will be described in detail below, the upstream additional seam 14 already causes a first buckling at the additional seam 14 when there is overpressure, and thus a certain distortion due to the forces acting between the first front wall 1a and the first side fold 3a, which in the Fig. 3 is recognizable. The forces acting on the additional seam 14 on the one hand and on the separating seam 6 on the other hand at overpressure means that the first front wall 1a is always lifted off the first side gusset 3a and a passage remains for the discharge of air, thus in the event of overpressure In the filling space 4, air can reliably and in particular reproducibly pass through the air passage 9 into the ventilation space 8 and finally through the ventilation opening 7 to the outside.

In the exemplary embodiment, starting from the inner edge of the longitudinal seam 10, a distance a between the beginning of the separating seam 6 and the Point can be determined at which the additional seam 14 extends the furthest along the transverse direction into the filling space. This distance a can be, for example, between 3 mm and 30 mm, for example 10 mm measured along the longitudinal direction.

Already in the Fig. 1 it can be seen that the vent opening 7 is arranged adjacent at a short distance from a support seam 15 which connects the first front wall 1a and the first side fold 3a and thus holds them together immediately adjacent to the vent opening 7.

According to the Fig. 4 can be achieved in that the vent opening 7, which is initially only formed as an incision, can open in an arc-shaped manner to the outside in the event of an overpressure.

If, on the other hand, there is no overpressure, the edges of the ventilation opening 7 formed as an incision lie exactly next to one another, so that there is good protection against dirt, moisture and the access of insects or other pests.

The individual connections and components of the gusseted bag are also in the Fig. 2 can be seen in a flattened gusseted bag. In addition, the Fig. 2 it can be seen that a stand base 16 is formed by a separate material section which is connected around its periphery to the front walls 1a, 1b and the side gussets 3a, 3b.

While according to the Fig. 1 the separating seam 6 with the centrally arranged air passage 9 is guided in the direction of the ventilation opening 7, FIG Fig. 2 an embodiment simplified in this regard with a straight separating seam 6 which is interrupted to form the air passage 9.

Claims (18)

Side gusset bags with a first front wall (1a) and a second front wall (1b) which are opposite one another and which are connected to one another at longitudinal edges (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) by a first side gusset (3a) and a second side gusset (3b), wherein a filling space (4) formed between the front walls (1a, 1b) and the side gussets (3a, 3b) is delimited in the direction of at least one corner of the bag by a separating seam (6) which connects the first side gusset (3a) with the first front wall (1a ) connects and delimits the filling space (4) from a ventilation space (8) provided with a ventilation opening (7) and wherein at least one air passage (9) is provided between the filling space (4) and the ventilation space (8), characterized in that at the longitudinal edge (2a) of the separating seam (6) connecting the first front wall (1a) with the first side fold (3a) is preceded by an additional seam (14) introduced into the filling space (4). Gusseted bag according to Claim 1, characterized in that the longitudinal edges (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) are provided with longitudinal seams (10). Side gusset bag according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the front walls (1a, 1b) and the side gussets (3a, 3b) are heat-sealable on an inside of the bag facing the filling space (4), the separating seam (6) being formed by heat sealing. Side gusset bag according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the dividing seam (6) extends with at least one interruption from the associated longitudinal edge (2a) to a transverse seam (11) which connects the first side gusset (3a) with the first front wall (1a) connects. Side gusset bag according to Claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the ventilation opening (7) is formed in the first front wall (1a) or the first side gusset (3a). Side-gusseted bag according to Claim 5, characterized in that the vent opening (7) is designed as an incision. Gusseted bag according to Claim 6, characterized in that the ventilation opening (7) is arranged at a distance of 0.8 mm to 10 mm from a support seam (15). Gusseted bag according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the separating seam (6) has a central interruption as an air passage (9). Gusseted bag according to Claim 8, characterized in that the separating seam (6) at the interruption has a change in direction in the direction of the ventilation opening (7). Side gusset bag according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the additional seam (14) is guided into the filling space (4) by 5 mm to 30 mm, starting from the associated longitudinal edge (2a). Side gusset bag according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the additional seam (14) has a triangular shape with a point pointing in the direction of the filling space (4). Side gusset bag according to one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the front walls (1a, 1b) have a width between 150 mm and 500 mm. Side gusset bag according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the side gussets (3a, 3b) have a depth of 80 mm to 200 mm. Side gusset bag according to one of Claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the ventilation space (8) is arranged in a head area. Side gusset bag according to Claim 14, characterized in that the side gussets (3a, 3b) are shortened in the head area with respect to the front walls (1a, 1b). Side gusset bag according to one of Claims 1 to 15, characterized by a reclosure (12). Side gusset bag according to one of Claims 1 to 16, characterized in that an additional ventilation space (8) is arranged between the first front wall (1a) and the second side gusset (3b). Side gusset bag according to one of Claims 1 to 17, characterized in that a stand-up base is formed by a separate material section (16) which is connected around its periphery to the front walls (1a, 1b) and the side gussets (3a, 3b).

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