EP4077153A1

EP4077153A1 - Bag

Info

Publication number: EP4077153A1
Application number: EP20841769.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Simona BASILIOTTI; Marco BASILIOTTI
Original assignee: Basiliotti Srl
Current assignee: Basiliotti Srl
Priority date: 2019-12-20
Filing date: 2020-12-18
Publication date: 2022-10-26
Also published as: WO2021124243A1; IT201900025171A1

Abstract

The bag (1) comprises a wrap (2) made of flexible material and defining at least one containment volume (V), on the wrap (2) being defined at least one opening (3) for the introduction/extraction of objects and/or items of clothing, wherein the wrap (2) comprises at least one portion made at least partly of a biopolymer.

Description

BAG

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a bag.

Background Art

Currently, the majority of the bags on the market are made from a synthetic polymeric material.

Plastic bags, typically used to transport goods and purchased products, have now to be subjected to specific technical standards and usage limits to meet the ever-increasing need to protect the environment.

The synthetic polymeric materials that are obtained by polymerization reactions from petroleum-derived materials have manufacturing processes with a high environmental impact.

The different types of synthetic polymeric materials differ in chemical composition, chemical-physical properties and intended use and comprise PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PU (polyurethane), PS (polystyrene).

The use of these synthetic polymeric materials has, however, many drawbacks including the fact that they are not biodegradable and therefore their disposal, in addition to being environmentally harmful, also has significant management and implementation costs.

To at least partly overcome this problem, materials obtained from recycled plastics are currently being used. However, even these materials are not without their drawbacks.

The recycling of plastic materials is very expensive for government institutions causing the accumulation of large quantities of plastics to be recycled in landfills, an alternative which is convenient from an economic point of view, but not from an environmental one.

Therefore, the aspect of environmental pollution is becoming increasingly important; in this regard, the European Union has issued specific regulations (EN 13432:2002) that manufacturers of materials are required to comply with.

It takes, therefore, special relevance the development of materials starting from renewable sources.

In addition, in many sectors of industrial and commercial activities, there is the need to renew products and to search for new ones in order to distinguish them from those of competitors.

Other bags of known type are described in WO 2012/142271 and GB 2 460 215.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to devise a bag that is environmentally sustainable.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a bag that is of fine workmanship and has a reduced environmental impact.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a bag that allows overcoming the mentioned drawbacks of the prior art within a simple, rational, easy, effective to use and low cost solution.

The objects set out above are achieved by the present bag having the characteristics of claim 1.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a bag, illustrated by way of an indicative, yet non-limiting example, in the accompanying tables of drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an axonometric view of the bag according to the invention. Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to these figures, reference numeral 1 globally indicates a bag.

It should be pointed out that in the context of the present discussion, the word “bag” relates to a generic small wrap adapted to contain various objects and goods for sale, such as, e.g., bags commercially known as “ dust bags” .

The bag 1 comprises a wrap made of flexible material and defining at least one containment volume V.

An opening 3 is defined on the wrap 2 for the introduction/extraction of objects and/or items of clothing.

According to the invention, the wrap 2 comprises at least one portion made at least partly of a biopolymer.

It is specified that in the context of the present discussion the term “biopolymer” relates to materials directly derived from organic materials or microorganisms, or can be obtained by classical chemical synthesis from renewable monomers.

In detail, the biopolymers are selected from the list comprising: polymers directly extracted from natural material, plants and animals. As an example of the type of polysaccharides such as cellulose, starch and starch mixtures are part of this category of polysaccharides and, in addition, proteins. Monomers in turn can be produced by fermentation of carbohydrates or sugars contained in foodstuffs; polymers produced by chemical synthesis, using organic and renewable monomers such as poly-lactic acid (e.g., PLA: a bio-polyester polymerized from lactic acid monomers) or polyester; polymers produced by microorganisms isolated from natural or genetically modified environments such as e.g., polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).

In detail, the biopolymer comprises poly-olefins obtained from raw materials of natural origin.

The expression “natural origin” relates to raw materials derived from nature and/or conforming to its principles, i.e. not artificial or altered by man. According to a preferred embodiment of the bag 1, the poly-olefins comprise polyethylene obtained from the fermentation of sugar cane.

The bag 1 comprises at least one further portion made at least partly of a fabric of natural origin selected from the list comprising: wool, cotton, silk, hemp, linen, jute, yarn of nettle, sisal, coconut, broom, hibiscus, manila, straw, bamboo, soy, kapok, or combinations thereof.

Alternatively, the bag 1 comprises at least one further portion made at least partly of a polymeric material of synthetic and/or recycled origin.

The expression “material of synthetic origin” relates to the materials obtained from artificial raw materials, that is, derived from technological modifications and not normally present in nature.

In addition, the expression “recycled material” relates to a material made from post-consumer waste, within the limits of weight imposed by the technologies used to produce the material itself.

According to a preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1 , the bag 1 comprises a front portion 4 made at least partly of polyethylene obtained from the fermentation of sugar cane and a back portion 5 made at least partly of recycled polyester, preferably recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET).

It cannot however be ruled out from the scope of the present discussion that the back portion 5 is made from the naturally sourced fabric and/or from recycled material.

It cannot also be ruled out that the front portion 4 and the back portion 5 consist of polyethylene obtained from the fermentation of sugar cane.

In detail, polyethylene obtained from the fermentation of sugar cane is transparent.

It is specified that the term “transparent” relates to the fact that polyethylene can be crossed throughout its thickness by the light radiation, thus allowing the vision of the objects arranged behind it.

In other words, the front portion 4 is transparent; this allows the objects and/or items of clothing contained inside the wrap to be viewed and displayed.

To enable opening and/or closing of the bag 1, the latter comprises closure means 6 associated with the opening 3.

According to a preferred embodiment of the bag 1, the closure means 6 comprise at least one hinge element associated with the opening 3, wherein the closure means 6 are made at least partly of a compostable material.

It should be noted that the expression “compostable material” relates to organic materials which are transformed into compost through the composting process. According to an alternative embodiment of the bag 1, the closure means 6 comprise at least one hinge element associated with the opening 3, wherein the closure means 6 are made at least partly of a biopolymer obtained from corn. Furthermore, according to an alternative embodiment of the closure means 6, the latter comprise a hinge element associated with the opening 3, wherein the closure means are made at least partly of polyethylene obtained from the fermentation of sugar cane.

Alternatively, the closure means 6 comprise at least one strip of adhesive material made on an auxiliary portion of the wrap contiguous to the opening 3 and projecting from the latter.

In detail, the auxiliary portion, in use, is arranged folded at least partly on itself to close the opening 6.

Preferably, the closure means 6 comprise at least two strips of adhesive material made on the auxiliary portion and arranged parallel to each other.

In addition, the auxiliary portion comprises at least one pre-cut line.

The pre-cut line consists of an area of weakening of the auxiliary portion that can be torn off manually by a user or, alternatively, of a dotted line adapted to indicate the line along which the aforementioned auxiliary portion is to be cut. Advantageously, the pre-cut line is positioned between the strips of adhesive material.

This allows the bag to be used for both shipping and return procedures.

More in detail, the two strips of adhesive material may be subdivided into a first strip of adhesive material made in the proximity of the edge of the auxiliary portion and a second strip of adhesive material arranged in the proximity of the opening 3.

This way, the first strip of adhesive material is used when closing the bag 1 for the shipment of the material contained therein, and the second strip of adhesive material is used when the bag 1 is used for returning the material contained therein.

This means that the auxiliary portion is initially folded at least partly on itself to close the opening 6 in order to seal the bag 1 for the shipment of the material contained therein.

Next, if the users are to return the material contained in the bag 1, they cut the auxiliary portion by following the pre-cut line and further fold the auxiliary portion itself on the opening 6 therein, securing it by means of the second strip of adhesive material.

The bag 1 is, in addition, provided with gripping means 7 associated with the wrap 2 and configured to allow the grip of the bag itself by a user.

The gripping means 7 comprise a lace element that is closed on itself and defining a slot into which the hand of a user is insertable.

Alternatively, the gripping means are of the type of a handle associated with the upper portion of the opening 3.

It has in practice been ascertained that the described invention achieves the intended objects. In particular, the fact is emphasized that the particular solution of providing for the use of polyethylene obtained from the fermentation of sugar cane allows making an environmentally sustainable bag.

Claims

1) Bag (1) comprising a wrap (2) made of flexible material and defining at least one containment volume (V), on the wrap (2) being defined at least one opening (3) for the introduction/extraction of objects and/or items of clothing, characterized by the fact that said wrap (2) comprises at least one portion made at least partly of a biopolymer.

2) Bag (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said biopolymer comprises polyolefins obtained from raw materials of natural origin.

3) Bag (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said polyolefins comprise polyethylene obtained from the fermentation of sugar cane.

4) Bag (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one further portion made at least partly of a fabric of natural origin selected from the list comprising: wool, cotton, silk, hemp, linen, jute, yarn of nettle, sisal, coconut, broom, hibiscus, manila, straw, bamboo, soya, kapok or combinations thereof.

5) Bag (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one further portion made at least partly of a polymeric material of synthetic and/or recycled origin.

6) Bag (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least a front portion (4) made at least partly of polyethylene obtained from the fermentation of sugar cane and at least a back portion (5) made at least partly of recycled polyester, recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET).

7) Bag (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises closure means (6) associated with said opening (3).

8) Bag (1) according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that said closure means (6) comprise at least one hinge element associated with said opening (3), said closure means (6) being made at least partly of a compostable material.

9) Bag (1) according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that said closure means (6) comprise at least one hinge element associated with said opening (3), said closure means (6) being made at least partly of a biopolymer obtained from corn.

10) Bag (1) according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that said closure means (6) comprise at least one hinge element associated with said opening (3), said closure means (6) being made at least partly of polyethylene obtained from the fermentation of sugar cane.

11) Bag (1) according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that said closure means (6) comprise at least one strip of adhesive material made on an auxiliary portion of said wrap (2) contiguous to said opening (3) and projecting from the latter.

12) Bag (1) according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that said auxiliary portion, in use, is arranged folded at least partly on itself to close said opening (6).

13) Bag (1) according to one or more of claims 11 or 12, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least two strips of adhesive material made on said auxiliary portion and arranged parallel to each other.

14) Bag (1) according to one or more of claims 11-13, characterized by the fact that said auxiliary portion comprises at least one pre-cut line positioned between said strips of adhesive material.

15) Bag (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said polyethylene obtained from the fermentation of sugar cane is transparent.

16) Bag (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises gripping means (7) associated with said wrap (2) and configured to allow the grip of said wrap (2) by a user.

17) Bag (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said front portion (4) and said back portion (5) consist of polyethylene obtained from the fermentation of sugar cane.