GB2212128A

GB2212128A - Apparatus for holding a bag during filling

Info

Publication number: GB2212128A
Application number: GB8726119A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Denise Burgwin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-11-07
Filing date: 1987-11-07
Publication date: 1989-07-19
Also published as: GB8726119D0

Abstract

Apparatus (10) for holding a bag during filling comprises projections (12) over which the handles of a carrier bag may be placed for holding open the mouth of the bag and hooks (14) for attaching the apparatus (10) to a fixed structure such as a supermarket checkout desk. The apparatus (10) provides rear and side walls (16) for supporting the sides of the bag, and a floor (18) which support the weight of the contents of the bag, until the bag is lifted out of the apparatus. <IMAGE>

Description

Apparatus for Use During Bag Filling The present invention relates to apparatus for use during bag filling.

The invention arises from an appreciation of problems frequently experienced at supermarket checkouts.

Flimsy carrier bags of plastics material are commonly provided by supermarkets. These lack rigidity. It is often necessary for the carrier bags to be filled quickly with items of many different shapes and sizes but the flimsy nature of the bag material can make this difficult.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the difficulties experienced during the filling of bags.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for holding a bag during filling thereof, the apparatus comprising means for holding open the mouth of the bag and means for attaching the apparatus to a fixed structure for support.

Preferably the holding means comprise projections over which handles of a bag may be located. The projections may project upwardly in the uppermost region of the apparatus.

Preferably the attachment means comprise a hook or hooks for location over a lip of a fixed structure, whereby the apparatus may be hung from the fixed structure. The or each hook may be located at or near the top of the apparatus.

The apparatus may further comprise a downwardly projecting leg for resting on a surface below the apparatus.

The apparatus preferably further comprises members located to support the walls of a bag during filling thereof. The said members may comprise upwardly extending walls defining a box in which a bag may be received. The said members may further comprise a surface on which a bag may rest during filling, the weight of the contents of the bag being borne by the said surface.

The apparatus may be constructed substantially entirely from strip or bar material. The strip or bar material may be metal bar. The strip or bar material may form.mesh or grid panels between which a bag may be received during filling.

In another aspect, the invention provides apparatus for supporting a bag during filling and comprising a surface on which the bag may rest, the surface bearing the weight of the bag contents, in use, and means for holding open the mouth of the bag.

Preferably the apparatus comprises members located above the said surface to further support the walls of a bag during filling thereof. The said members may comprise upwardly extending walls defining a box in which a bag may be received.

The holding means may comprise projections over which the hand-les of a bag may be located. The projections may project upwardly in the uppermost region of the apparatus.

The apparatus may further comprise means for attaching the apparatus to a fixed structure for support.

The attachment means may comprise a hook or hooks for location over a lip of a fixed structure, whereby the apparatus may be hung from the fixed structure. The or each hook may be located at or near the top of the apparatus. The apparatus may comprise a downwardly projecting leg for resting on a surface below the apparatus.

The apparatus may be constructed substantially entirely from strip or bar material. The strip or bar material may be metal bar. The strip or bar material may form mesh or grid panels between which a bag may be received during filling.

One embodiment of apparatus embodying the invention will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus according to the invention; and Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is for holding a bag during filling of the bag. The apparatus 10 comprises means in the form of projections 12 for holding open the mouth of the bag (not shown) and means in the form of hooks 14 for attaching the apparatus 10 to a fixed structure for support.

In more detail, the apparatus 10 is a three-sided box having three generally vertical walls 16 and a floor 18. The base is open to the front. The walls and floor are grids formed from metal bar. The side walls 16A have an outline defined by a continuous bar 20 to which is attached a serpentine bar 22 to form the grid. The floor 18 is formed by two perpendicular sets of bars 24,26. The cross bars 24 extend between and are attached to the bars 20 along their lower length. The bars 26 run over the bars 24 and are welded thereto. The floor 18 is therefore a square mesh of bar.

The bar 24 nearest the back of the box defines the lowermost extent of the back panel 16B. The upper edge of the panel 16B is defined by a bar 28 extending between the upper sections of the bars 20, near the rear upper corners thereof. The back panel is completed by a further serpentine bar 30 attached to the bar 28 and to the rearmost bar 24. Two further lengths of bar 32 are attached to respective bars 20 to form legs of generally triangular profile, the feet of which are under the front corners of the side walls 16A.

A hook 34 projects behind the rear wall 16B from the top of each side wall 16A. Each hook projects generally horizontally from the wall 168 until reaching an elbow 36 at which the hook turns down to extend generally vertically. The tips of the hooks 34 are connected by a continuation 37 of the hooks 34.

The serpentine bars 22,30 are slightly oversized with respect to the height of the walls 16. The bars 22 are attached in position so that the bars 22 project above the bar 20 at two positions. Similarly, the bar 30 projects above the bar 28 at one position, approximately mid-way across the back panel 168.

It will be apparent from the above description that the whole apparatus is manufactured from lengths of metal bar.

The apparatus described above may be used in the following manner. The apparatus is supported by hooking the hooks 34 over a lip on a fixed structure such as a supermarket checkout. The apparatus will come to rest when either the bottom edge of the rear panel 168 is resting against part of the checkout, or when the legs 32 are resting on a horizontal surface beneath the apparatus. A bag to be filled may now be introduced into the box from above or from the front, with the mouth of the bag at the top of the box. The bag handles can be placed over convenient ones of the projections formed by the serpent bars 22,30 so that the mouth of the bag is held open. The user does not now need to hold the bag mouth open, but may use both hands for filling the bag.

The apparatus 10 is preferably designed with a particular bag size in mind, so that when the bag is fully open, the walls of the bag will be resting against the walls 16A,16B, and the bottom of the bag will be resting on the floor 18. The weight of the contents of the bag will therefore be supported on the floor 18, and the walls of the bag will be supported by the walls 16A, 168. This assists the user by preventing the bag deforming during filling. The impact of articles dropped into the bag is also borne by the floor 18, so that puncturing of the bag is reduced or eliminated.

When the bag is fuli, the handles can be taken off the bars 22,30 and the full bag lifted out of the apparatus 10, conveniently through the open front of the box.

Variations and modifications to the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In particular, a wide variety of other materials could be used. The design shown in the accompanying drawings is particularly suited to manufacture in metal bar but other design could be adopted when other materials are used.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. Apparatus for holding a bag during filling thereof, the apparatus comprising means for holding open the mouth of the bag and means for attaching the apparatus to a fixed structure for support.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a surface on which a bag may rest during filling, the weight of the contents of the bag being borne by the said surface.

3. Apparatus for supporting a bag during filling and comprising a surface on which the bag may rest, the surface bearing the weight of the bag contents, in use, and means for holding open the mouth of the bag.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, and further comprising means for attaching the apparatus to a fixed structure for support.

5. Apparatus according to any of claims 1, 2 or 4, wherein the attachment means comprise a hook or hooks for location over a lip of a fixed structure, whereby the apparatus may be hung from the fixed structure.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the or each hook is located at or near the top of the apparatus.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the apparatus comprises a downwardly projecting leg for resting on a surface below the apparatus.

8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, and further comprising members located to support the walls of a bag during filling thereof.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said members comprise upwardly extending walls defining a box in which a bag may be received.

10. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the holding means comprise projections over which the handles of a bag may be located.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the projections project upwardly in the uppermost region of the apparatus.

12. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, the apparatus being constructed substantially entirely from strip or bar material.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the strip or bar material is a metal bar.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the strip or bar material forms mesh or grid panels between which a bag may be received during filling.

15. Apparatus substantially as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed in the foregoing specification or claims and/or shown in the drawings, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.