GB2334944A

GB2334944A - Dispenser for bags from a stack

Info

Publication number: GB2334944A
Application number: GB9904660A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Dominic Smithson
Original assignee: Cascade Dispensers Ltd
Current assignee: Cascade Dispensers Ltd
Priority date: 1998-03-02
Filing date: 1999-03-01
Publication date: 1999-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-01
Also published as: GB9904660D0; GB2334944B; ZA987327B; AU7007398A; GB9804369D0

Abstract

A dispenser for individual bags from a stack 5 comprises catch means 4 from which the stack 5 can depend and a stack restraining member 7 movable (eg about a hinge 8) between a first position in which a portion 7a can bear against such a depending stack and a second position in which it is deflected from its first position against a restoring force (eg gravity) to permit one side of a first bag of the stack to be grasped and drawn past the member 7. The first portion 7a of member 7 is maintained at a fixed angle to a second portion of that member whereby the portion 7a is directed preferentially towards the stack to restrain it. Member 7 is mounted on the body 1 of the dispenser so that it can be moved clear of and away from the catch means 4 to permit access thereto for engaging a stack 5 thereon. Hinge 8 is above and behind the installed stack. The illustrated dispenser is a twin dispenser including mirror-image parts behind a supporting stand 2.

Description

DISPENSERS FOR BAGS This invention relates to dispensers for dispensing individual pre-formed bags from a stack of such bags.

It is common practice to provide, for example in supermarkets and other retail outlets, dispensers for dispensing pre-formed bags (e.g. plastic bags) from a stack of such bags.

British Patent Application No. GB-A-2309957 (Cascade Dispensers Limited), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes such a dispenser, which comprises a body part and an anchor part for the stack disposed on the body part, the anchor part comprising catch means for engaging a stack of pre-formed bags whereby the stack depends from the catch means for being grasped for removal, and a stack restraining means comprising an elongate member associated with the dispenser and movable (e.g. pivotably) between a first position in which a first portion of the elongate member bears against the stack to restrain the same and a second position in which the elongate member is deflected from its first position against the action of a restoring force to permit one side of a first bag of the stack to be drawn past the stack restraining means to open the said first bag for loading prior to removal from the dispenser. The prior art dispenser may further include stack support means for underlying and supporting a portion of the engaged stack.

It is preferred that at least one region of adhesion is provided between each adjacent pair of bags of the stack.

The particular dispensers described in GB-A-2309957 function satisfactorily, but are relatively expensive and complicated to manufacture. Moreover, the catch means are exposed to view when the dispenser is in use, which is unsightly and can lead to incorrect usage of the dispenser.

There is thus a perceived need for an improved dispenser for dispensing pre-formed bags at points of use.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, therefore, there is provided a dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags from a stack of such bags, the dispenser comprising a body part and an anchor part for the stack disposed on the body part, the anchor part comprising catch means for engaging a stack of pre-formed bags whereby the stack depends from the catch means for being grasped for removal, and the dispenser further comprising a stack restraining means comprising an elongate member associated with the dispenser and movable (e.g. pivotably) between a first position in which a first portion of the elongate member bears against the stack to restrain the same and a second position in which the elongate member is deflected from its first position against the action of a restoring force to permit one side of a first bag of the stack to be drawn past the stack restraining means to open the said first bag for loading prior to removal from the dispenser, characterised in that the said first portion of the elongate member is maintained at a fixed angle with respect to a second portion of the elongate member whereby the first portion of the elongate member is directed preferentially towards the stack to restrain the same.

It is preferred that the point or line of association of the elongate member with the dispenser, e.g. the point or axis of pivotable rotation of the elongate member, lies above the bags, and most preferably also behind the hanging plane of the bags relative to the forward direction of removal of the bags from the dispenser. In that way, the second portion of the elongate member, which is proximal to the point or line of association, e.g. the point or axis of pivotable rotation, is preferably configured to substantially overlie and mask the catch means when the dispenser is in use, so that the catch means, and the portion of the stack of bags that is adjacent to it, is invisible and relatively inaccessible.

It is particularly preferred that the elongate member is mounted (e.g. pivotably) to the body part of the dispenser, rather than to the anchor part for the stack as disclosed in Figs. 7 to 9 of GB-A-2309957. In this way, the elongate member can be moved clear of and away from the anchor part and its catch means, so allowing access to the catch means when engaging a stack of bags thereon. This feature is new and inventive in its own right, and therefore constitutes a second aspect of the present invention.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, therefore, there is provided a dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags from a stack of such bags, the dispenser comprising a body part and an anchor part for the stack disposed on the body part, the anchor part comprising catch means for engaging a stack of preformed bags whereby the stack depends from the catch means for being grasped for removal, and the dispenser further comprising a stack restraining means comprising an elongate member associated with the dispenser and movable (e.g. pivotably) between a first position in which a first portion of the elongate member bears against the stack to restrain the same and a second position in which the elongate member is deflected from its first position against the action of a restoring force to permit one side of a first bag of the stack to be drawn past the stack restraining means to open the said first bag for loading prior to removal from the dispenser, characterised in that the elongate member is mounted (e.g. pivotably) to the body part of the dispenser in such a way that it can be moved clear of and away from the anchor part to permit access to the catch means for engaging a stack of bags thereon. The dispenser according to the second aspect of the present invention suitably includes an elongate member arranged according to the characterising feature of the first aspect of the present invention. The elongate member is suitably configured so that at least part of it (e.g. the second portion) substantially overlies and masks the catch means when the dispenser is in use, so that the catch means, and a portion of the stack of bags that is adjacent to it, is invisible and relatively inaccessible.

The elongate member of the stack restraining means is able, after deflection to allow the one (leading) side of the first (top) bag of the stack to be drawn past the stack restraining means, to return to its first position in which the stack restraining means (particularly the first portion of the elongate member) then bears against the trailing side of the said bag as the mouth of the first bag opens, to keep the mouth of the bag open for loading, prior to removal from the dispenser.

The dispenser may further comprise stack support means for underlying and supporting a portion of the engaged stack, although this is generally less preferred than a freehanging stack of bags.

It is most preferred that the said drawing of one side of the first bag of the stack past the stack restraining means to open the bag for loading is accomplished, via a glue spot or similar region of adhesion between adjacent bags of the stack, by the act of removal of the previous bag from the dispenser. For this purpose, the stack of bags is preferably provided with at least one region of adhesion between at least one pair of adjacent bags. Preferably, at least one region of adhesion is provided between each adjacent pair of bags of the stack. The region(s) of adhesion may take the form of one or more line or spot of glue, suitably located between the bags near the mouths of the bags.

The region(s) of adhesion are preferably provided on tongues of bag material which are arranged to extend away from the bag portions in the central region between the handle portions, i.e. above the general line of the rims of the bags. Conventional glues or other adhesives, such as contact adhesives or hot-melt adhesives may suitably be used, and may be applied as spots or lines in conventional manner. The glue may suitably provide a resistance to breaking between the bags in the range of about 4 to 9 Newtons.

In one particularly preferred form of the invention, the catch means is a relatively large central hook or folded plate, which is received in a large central through-channel of the stack of bags. Alternatively, for example, prongs on a flat plate may be used. Preferably this comprises the sole means for engagement of the dispenser with the stack of bags.

The bags are suitably of the conventional T-shirt or singlet type in which a pair of laterally-spaced handles extends upwardly from a body portion on either side of an open-mouthed portion. The stack can be of the conventional construction, in which the pairs of handles of the individual bags of the stack are bridged by a web of plastic connected to the handle portions at each end by lines of weakness (e.g. defined by perforations), the bridging webs being held together (e.g. by heat-bonding, taping, wrapping, clipping and/or tying) to form a socalled block header. Alternatively, the novel modified design of such stacks according to GB-A-2309957 may be used.

The anchor part may be integral with, or fixedly disposed on, the body part. The body part suitably comprises a base part, which supports the anchor part, the catch means being provided relatively far from the base part and the arrangement being such that in use the stack of bags depends from the catch means.

The stack support means, when present, is suitably adapted to support the engaged stack of bags across substantially the whole width of the stack. The stack support means may, for example, comprise a support plate, mounted to the body part of the dispenser. The stack support means is suitably adapted to support the stack at an angle to the vertical, e.g. 5 - 850, preferably approximately 20 - 60".

The stack support means, when present, preferably has side portions which turn up at an angle to the perpendicular from the plane of the stack support means, e.g. between 20 and 70 , most preferably about 35 - 550, which cause the stack of bags to be supported with the sides of the bags turned somewhat upwards in a bowed arrangement. In this way, when one side of a bag of the stack is opened by the operation of the dispenser, as will be described in more detail below, the other side of the bag, restrained by the restraining means, adopts the correct configuration for defining a rounded, open, mouth of the bag. The configuration of the bag is thus effectively a tube, resulting in much easier loading of articles of shopping into the bag.

The stack restraining means suitably comprises a relatively heavy restraining member which is hinged to the body part of the dispenser in such a way that it can rest alongside or bear against the stack of bags in the region of the bag mouths under the influence of a gravitational restoring force. Where the stack support means is present, the stack restraining means will thus urge the bags towards the stack support means. Where the stack support means is absent, the stack restraining means typically hangs alongside, and bears against, the hanging stack of bags. When a bag is removed from the stack, the restraining means lifts to accommodate this movement, and then falls back to restrain the next bag of the stack. Furthermore, when the region of adhesion between the bag being removed and the next bag of the stack causes the leading side of the said next bag to be drawn past the stack restraining means to open the mouth of the said next bag, the restraining means will similarly fall to restrain the trailing side of the said next bag.

In an alternative, but less preferred, form of the invention, the restraining member of the stack restraining means is hinged to the dispenser via a longitudinally variable hinge, whereby the hinge can move along a defined path according to the number of bags being held in the dispenser. The hinge is most conveniently a slot and pin hinge arrangement in which the hinge pin is retained in a vertical or angled elongate slot along which it can slide freely to and fro. The arrangement is such that the restraining member always lies as close as possible to the stack of bags, maintaining as close a restraint as possible by virtue of the hinge pin tending to rest as low as possible in the slot under the influence of gravity at all times during consumption of the stack.

The characterising features of the present invention can conveniently be used in the dispensers described and claimed in G-A-2309957. The appropriate adjustments to be made to the prior art dispensers are well within the capacity of those skilled in the art, and will not be described in detail here.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags from a stack of such bags, when partially loaded and in use; and Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the dispenser of Figure 1 in the process of being loaded with a stack of bags.

Referring to the Figures, there is shown a dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags from a stack of such bags, the dispenser comprising a body part 1, supported above a base (not shown) by a stand 2, and an anchor part 3 for the stack. The anchor part is integral with, or fixed to, the body part, the whole being constructed in sheet metal.

The anchor part comprises forwardly projecting catch means 4 for engaging a stack 5 of pre-formed bags, whereby the stack depends from the catch means. The catch means 4 is a folded metal plate, located generally centrally of the body part 1. This folded metal plate is received in a large central through-channel 6 of the stack 5, as shown in Figure 2 and described in more detail below.

The dispenser further comprises a stack restraining means which bears against the engaged stack of bags (see Figure 1) to restrain the stack to the support plate. The stack restraining means is adapted to permit one side of a first bag of the stack to be drawn past the stack restraining means to open the bag prior to removal from the dispenser.

This effect is accomplished by constructing the stack restraining means as a relatively heavy restraining member 7, in the form of a metal plate, which is hinged to the body part 1 via hinge 8 in such a way that the restraining member can bear against the engaged stack of bags 5 in the region of the bag mouths.

A first portion 7a of the restraining member 7 is kinked rearwardly from the remainder, whereby it is maintained at a fixed angle with respect to the remainder and the first portion 7a of the restraining member 7 is thereby directed preferentially towards the stack to restrain the same. The first portion 7a is preferably provided centrally of the restraining member 7, to coincide with the central region X of the mouths of the bags.

The restraining member 7 includes a right-angled bend so that it overlies and masks substantially all of the top portion of the stack of bags 5 adjacent to the anchor part 3 when the dispenser is in use (Figure 1). In this way the catch means 4, and the portion of the stack of bags that is adjacent to it, is invisible and relatively inaccessible.

The restraining member 7 is hinged to the body part 1 via hinge 8, the hinge axis lying above the bags and behind the hanging plane of the bags. As shown in Figure 2, this enables the restraining member 7 to be moved clear of and away from the anchor part 3, so allowing access to the catch means 4 when engaging the stack of bags 5 thereon.

The illustrated dispenser is a twin dispenser and includes mirror-image parts behind the stand 2. The dispenser thus holds two stacks of bags, which are accessible simultaneously from opposite sides. For simplicity, only one engaged stack of bags is shown in the Figures.

The stack 5 of bags is of conventional construction as a so-called block header stack of T-shirt or singlet type plastic bags.

Each bag of the stack, when lying flat in the stack, comprises a body portion 9 and two side handle portions 10,11 extending therefrom. The handle portions 10,11 are bridged by bridging webs of a block header 12 connected between the handle portions via lines of weakness 13,14 at each end of the bridging webs.

The stack of bags is provided with a region of adhesion between each pair of adjacent bags (not shown). The region of adhesion takes the form of a spot of glue located between the bags near the mouths of the bags, in the region marked X in Figure 2. Conventional glues such as contact adhesives are used, and are applied as spots in conventional manner.

Furthermore, the block header 12 is configured so as to leave a relatively large through-channel 6 in the stack 5, for receiving the catch means 4 of the dispenser.

To load the stack 5 of bags onto the dispenser the stack restraining means 7 is lifted into an upright position and the through-channel 6 of the stack offered up onto the catch means 4 of the dispenser (arrows A in Figure 2), to engage the stack of bags on the catch means 4. By providing a dispenser in which a large, single, catch is provided, which is easy to engage with a large central through-channel of a stack of bags, the loading operation is considerably simplified.

After the stack of bags is in place it is allowed to hang (Fig. 1) and the stack restraining means 7 is moved down into the operative position (Fig. 1) in which the portion 7a bears against the stack.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the first bag of the stack is opened by hand. The restraining means 7 restrains the trailing side of the bag to the remainder of the stack, roughly in the location of region X (i.e. the glue spot between the adjacent bags). The first bag is then loaded with items of shopping, whereupon it is pulled from the dispenser (arrow B) to leave the next bag ready for use.

Alternatively, the first bag can be pulled from the dispenser before loading.

When the region of adhesion between the bag being removed and the next bag of the stack causes the leading side of the said next bag to be drawn past the stack restraining means to open the mouth of the said next bag, the restraining means 7 lifts to accommodate this movement and then falls back to restrain the trailing side of the said next bag, so preventing the so-called concertina or daisychaining effect described in GB-A-2309957.

Thus, when the adhesive bond X and the lines of weakness 13,14 are broken, and the bag being removed becomes completely detached, the mouth of the next bag is found to be opened in a surprisingly effective and convenient manner, with the trailing side of the mouth restrained at the rim to the remainder of the stack by the stack restraining means.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags from a stack of such bags, the dispenser comprising a body part and an anchor part for the stack disposed on the body part, the anchor part comprising catch means for engaging a stack of pre-formed bags whereby the stack depends from the catch means for being grasped for removal, and the dispenser further comprising a stack restraining means comprising an elongate member associated with the dispenser and movable between a first position in which a first portion of the elongate member bears against the stack to restrain the same and a second position in which the elongate member is deflected from its first position against the action of a restoring force to permit one side of a first bag of the stack to be drawn past the stack restraining means to open the said first bag for loading prior to removal from the dispenser, characterised in that the said first portion of the elongate member is maintained at a fixed angle with respect to a second portion of the elongate member whereby the first portion of the elongate member is directed preferentially towards the stack to restrain the same.
2. A dispenser according to Claim 1, in which the stack restraining means is arranged to be pivotably movable between the said first and second positions.
3. A dispenser according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the point or line of association of the elongate member with the dispenser lies above the bags.
4. A dispenser according to Claim 3, in which the point or line of association of the elongate member lies behind the hanging plane of the bags relative to the forward direction of removal of the bags from the dispenser.
5. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, in which the elongate member is mounted to the body part of the dispenser.
6. A dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags from a stack of such bags, the dispenser comprising a body part and an anchor part for the stack disposed on the body part, the anchor part comprising catch means for engaging a stack of pre-formed bags whereby the stack depends from the catch means for being grasped for removal, and the dispenser further comprising a stack restraining means comprising an elongate member associated with the dispenser and movable between a first position in which a first portion of the elongate member bears against the stack to restrain the same and a second position in which the elongate member is deflected from its first position against the action of a restoring force to permit one side of a first bag of the stack to be drawn past the stack restraining means to open the said first bag for loading prior to removal from the dispenser, characterised in that the elongate member is mounted to the body part of the dispenser in such a way that it can be moved clear of and away from the anchor part to permit access to the catch means for engaging a stack of bags thereon.
7. A dispenser according to Claim 6, in which the stack restraining means is pivotably movable between its said first and second positions.
8. A dispenser according tp Claim 6 or 7,in which the first portion of the elongate member is maintained at a fixed angle with respect to a second portion of the elongate member whereby the first portion of the elongate member is directed preferentially towards the stack to restrain the same.
9. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, when loaded with a stack of individual pre-formed bags.
10. A dispenser according to Claim 9, in which the stack of bags is provided with at least one region of adhesion between at least one pair of adjacent bags.
11. A dispenser for dispensing individual pre-formed bags from a stack of such bags, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.