GB2287693A - Closure for a flexible bag - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible bag (10), suitable for conveying soiled clothing to a laundry, is closed at one end (11) by a base (13), openable at an opposite end (12), and has a flexible wall (14) connected to the base (13) and forming an enclosure in which the bag contents can be stored. A flexible strap (16) secured at one end to the flexible wall (14) and near to the openable end (12), is of a sufficient length, in relation to a collapsed state of an adjacent circumferentially extending portion of the flexible wall, to permit the strap to be wound around the collapsed portion and for the free end of the strap to pass between a winding portion of the strap and the collapsible wall portion and to form a simple frictionally retained knot e.g. a half-hitch to close the openable end of the bag. The bag may be inverted, after filling and closing of the openable end, and be conveyed to a laundry utilising a carrier loop (15) provided on the base (13); alternatively, the knot-forming strap (16) may be of sufficient length to form a carrier loop itself. <IMAGE>

Description

FLEXIBLE BAG This invention relates to a flexible bag which is closed at one end and which is openable at an opposite end, and which may be used to store and to transport contents, such as soiled laundry.

The present invention has therefore been developed primarily, though not exclusively, in relation to a laundry bag.

Laundry bags are used in hospitals and other similar institutions, where very substantial volumes of soiled linen required to be laundered on a regular basis. It is important therefore that laundry bags, for such use, must be cheap to produce, easy to clean and sterilise, and which can be loaded and unloaded without difficulty.

A laundry bag has a normally open end, through which soiled linen can be introduced into the bag, and must be capable of being closed in simple and yet reliable manner, so that the bag contents can be retained within the bag while it is transported to the laundry installation.

However, bearing in mind that laundry bags themselves must be capable of being easily and reliably cleaned, and which will be particularly important for hospital use, this imposes certain difficulties in the design of suitable closure systems to close the open end of the bag when it has been filled with laundry.

Therefore, potential use of fasteners which would be acceptable for other uses e.g. hook and loop fasteners, such as VELCRO (VELCRO is a registered trade mark) are not suitable, because they are liable to become "linted" up with fibres during washing, and would therefore soon be rendered inoperable.

Zip fasteners also have been found to be easily damaged during washing, and snap or pop (press) type stud fasteners also are liable to be damaged during the washing process.

It is also known to use cords taken through eyelets arranged around the periphery of the mouth opening to the bag, and which are acceptable for use with bags used by the military, or for hiking, or "duffle bags", but again eyelet type of fasteners are not suitable for laundry use, since the eyelets are liable to become damaged during squeezing after washing, and the cord used to tighten-up the mouth of the bag is liable to fray and break. Also, it is usually necessary to tie a knot in the cord, and with handling of the bag and contents, the cord knot can become unduly tightened or become entangled with other washing, which is a further inconvenience to laundry personnel who have to open up each bag and then unload the contents into washing machines at the laundry.

The present invention therefore seeks to provide an improved type of closure for a flexible bag which is closed at one end and which is openable at an opposite end, and which has a service life as good as that of the material from which the bag is made, despite repeated washing, and which is capable of being easily operated to close a filled bag, and easily released to allow the bag contents to be discharged.

According to the invention there is provided a flexible bag which is closed at one end and which is openable at an opposite end and which comprises: a base forming said closed end of the bag; a flexible wall connected to the base and forming an enclosure in which the bag contents can be stored, after introduction through said openable end; and, a flexible strap secured at one end to the flexible wall and near to said openable end of the bag, said strap being of such a length, in relation to a collapsed state of an adjacent circumferentially extending portion of the flexible wall, to permit the strap to be wound around said collapsed portion and to form a simple frictionally retained knot to close the openable end of the bag.

The knot may be formed by taking the free end of the strap between a winding portion of the strap and the collapsible wall portion.

The flexible bag according to the invention may be used as a laundry bag in order to store and to transport soiled linen / garments to a washing installation e.g. in a hospital, and can readily be filled with these items when the base of the bag is lowermost, and the open end can then be closed by winding the flexible strap around the flexible wall of the bag by at least one turn, and then by passing the free end of the strap under the strap winding and tightening the knot thus formed, in order to collapse the circumferential wall portion and thereby close the end of the bag.

The knot is a simple knot, known as a half-hitch, and by reason of the friction between the overlapping surfaces of the strap within the knot (and desirably also the frictional contact between the strap and the bag wall), this provides a sufficient force to prevent the bag contents being unloaded even when the bag is inverted.

To facilitate handling of the bag e.g. by an automatic conveyor system to transport filled bags in a laundry in a hospital, preferably, a carrier loop is secured externally to the base (which will extend upwardly thereof when the bag is inverted) so that the bag can readily be attached to an overhead conveyor system.

A strap of knitted or woven fabric may be used, and preferably having textured surface, to improve the frictional force which can be generated between overlapping surfaces of the strap i.e. within the knot.

Evidently, by the simple form of knot which can be formed, this provides a quick and easy-to-form knot following filling of the bag, but which can be readily released or untied to release the bag contents, and which may take place by gravity discharge direct from the bag and into the mouth of a washing machine.

The strap may be formed from any suitable flexible material, and preferably from a single length of fabric band or tape stitched together at each end to form a flattened loop, and in which the ends which are stitched together are also stitched to the wall of the bag. When the strap is formed as a loop, the knot may be formed by taking the free end of the strap through the loop after taking the strap around the wall portion of the bag.

Although it will not be essential, it may be desirable to provide a release portion on the strap, positioned to be just short of the knot when the latter is formed, and which can be gripped manually to obtain even easier release of the knot and opening of the bag.

A preferred embodiment of flexible bag according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective and schematic illustration of an embodiment of an inverted laundry bag according to the invention; Figure 2 is a detailed view, to an enlarged scale, illustrating how the openable end of the bag can be closed by a releasable strap type fastening arrangement; and Figure 3 a to d illustrates successive stages in closing the bag end, and which illustration in practice will be applied to the bag e.g. stencilled or heat transferred as a set of operating instructions.

Referring now to Figure 1 and 2 of the drawings, a flexible bag according to the invention is designated generally by reference 10 and is closed at one end 11 and which is openable at an opposite end 12. The bag is shown inverted in Figure 1, but for initial loading of the laundry bag with soiled linen and garments, closed end 11 will be lowermost, and the material to be stored and transported in the bag 10 is introduced into the bag via the upper open end 12.

The bag is preferably made entirely of flexible material e.g. readily washed woven cloth, and has a base 13 which forms the closed end 11 of the bag, and a generally cylindrical wall 14 is connected to the base 13 and forming an enclosure in which the bag contents can be stored, after introduction through the openable end 12. After filling of the bag with soiled contents, and closure of the end 12, (by use of a releasable strap arrangement as described in more detail below), bag 10 will then normally be inverted to take-up the position shown in Figure 1, and then be transported by means of a carrier loop 15 secured externally to the base 13 and projecting upwardly therefrom.

When the laundry bag is used, the loaded bag can be conveyed via an overhead conveyor system, onto which the carrier loop 15 can be fitted e.g. by placing over a carrier hook, and can then be conveyed automatically. When each bag arrives at an unloading point e.g. at a laundry, it is a simple matter to release the fastening arrangement, with the end 12 of the bag located above or adjacent to a washing machine, and the contents of the bag can then readily be discharged into the washing machine. The laundry bag also may be washed at the same time. If required, an elasticated strip may be attached to the bag wall, near to the open end 12, to assist in the retention of the bag mouth on a frame e.g. a wheeled frame in a hospital, for loading purposes.

The releasable fastening strap arrangement will now be described, which is shown in released position in Figure 1, and in a simple knotted fastening position closing the lower end of the bag in Figure 2.

The releasable fastening arrangement comprises a flexible strap 16 which preferably is a flexible band of textured material which is folded into a flattened loop form, and which is secured at one end 17 to the flexible cylindrical wall 14 of the bag 10. The strap 16 is of such a length, in relation to a collapsed state of an adjacent circumferentially extending portion of the flexible wall, to permit the strap 16 to be wound around the collapsed portion and for the free end 18 of the strap 16 to pass between a winding portion of the strap 16 and the collapsed flexible wall portion, as shown in Figure 2.

The strap 16 therefore is readily taken around in a single loop around an adjacent circumferentially extending portion of the flexible wall 14, and forms a simple "half-hitch" type of knot, and upon tightening of the knot, the bag end is closed, and the frictional engagement between the overlapping portions of the strap within the knot, as well as the frictional engagement with the outer surface of the collapsed portion of the flexible wall 14, is sufficient to maintain the bag end closed, despite the load within the bag pressing downwardly towards the end 12 when the bag is inverted as shown in Figure 1.

Alternatively, the knot may be formed by taking the free end of the strap through the loop after the strap has been wound around the flexible wall of the bag. The strap 16 is flexible, and may be made of knitted or woven material, and preferably has a textured surface, to improve the frictional force which can be generated between overlapping surfaces of the strap within the knot, and also the frictional engagement with the outer surface of the bag wall.

Evidently, by the simple form of half hitch knot which can be formed, this provides a quick and easy-to-form knot following filling of the bag, but which can be readily released or untied to release the bag contents, and which may take place by gravity discharge direct from the bag and into the mouth of a washing machine.

It has been found that a simple "half hitch" type of closure knot is sufficient to provide closure of the bag, even when inverted and filled with soiled linen, although evidently if a greater degree of fastening security is required, the strap 16 may be wrapped more than once around the bag, before the strap end 18 passes between the strap windings and the outer surface of the bag during formation of a suitable knot.

The strap 16, as illustrated, comprises a single band or length of fabric which has its two ends stitched together, to permit a flattened loop form to be taken up, and the ends 17 which are stitched together can then also be stitched at the same time, or subsequently, to the wall of the bag 10.

The knotted formation shown in Figure 2 can be fairly readily released, when required, by simple manual engagement with a portion 19 of the strap 16 immediately above the "knot" formation, and upon pulling of portion 19 this draws free end 18 of the strap upwardly and out of the knot, and the weight of the contents in the bag then causes the collapsed end portion of the bag to expand and allow the bag contents to be discharged downwardly under gravity.

However, although not shown, if further means is required to facilitate release of the strap, a release portion may be provided on the strap e.g. on the portion 19, and which will be positioned just short of the knot when the latter is formed, and which can be gripped securely and pulled in order to untie the knot. Although Figure 1 shows the strap 16 attached externally to the bag wall, it should be understood that an additional strap may also be attached to the inner surface of the bag wall, whereby the bag is fully reversible; and similarly an additional carrier loop may be provided on the inner face of the base 13.

Figure 3a to d shows successive stages in the closing operation, whereby strap 16a is wound around the neck of bag 10a, as shown in Figure 3b, is then tucked underneath itself as shown in Figure 3c, and is then pulled tight, as shown in Figure 3d, to form a closing knot.

Claims (11)

1. A flexible bag which is closed at one end and which is openable at an opposite end and which comprises: a base forming said closed end of the bag; a flexible wall connected to the base and forming an enclosure in which the bag contents can be stored, after introduction through said openable end; and a flexible strap secured at one end to the flexible wall and near to said openable end of the bag, said strap being of such a length, in relation to a collapsed state of an adjacent circumferentially extending portion of the flexible wall, to permit the strap to be wound around said collapsed portion and to form a simple frictionally retained knot to close the openable end of the bag.

2. A flexible bag according to Claim 1, in which the length of the flexible strap, relative to the circumferential extent of the collapsible wall portion, is sufficient to enable at least a half-hitch type knot to be formed.

3. A flexible bag according to Claim 1 or 2, in which a carrier loop is secured externally to the base so that, upon filling of the bag and inversion of the bag, the bag may readily be attached to an overhead system via said carrier loop.

4. A flexible bag according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which an elasticated strip is incorporated in the flexible wall of the bag, near to said openable end, to facilitate fitting of the bag mouth on a carrier frame, for loading purposes.

5. A flexible bag according to any preceding Claim, in which the strap is formed from a single length of fabric band or tape stitched together at each end to form a flattened loop, and in which the ends which are stitched together are also stitched to the wall of the bag.

6. A flexible bag according to any one of the preceding Claims, in which a release portion is provided on the strap, positioned to be just short of the knot when the latter is formed, and which can be gripped manually to assist in release of the knot and opening of the bag.

7. A flexible bag according to any one of the preceding Claims, in which an additional flexible strap is secured internally of the bag and to the flexible wall of the bag.

8. A flexible bag according to any one of Claims 3 to 7, in which an additional carrier loop is secured internally of the bag to the base thereof.

9. A flexible bag according to any one of the preceding Claims, in which the knot can be formed by taking the free end of the strap between a winding portion of the strap and the collapsible wall portion.

10. A flexible bag according to Claim 5, in which the knot can be formed by taking the free end of the strap through the loop after taking the strap around the flexible wall of the bag.

11. A flexible bag according to Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in any of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings.