KR100356760B1 - Flexible bag for storing compressed products - Google Patents

Abstract

An improved side opening top gusset, rectangular flexible bag (10) for containing a stack of compressed flexible articles (20). The bag has front and back panels (40, 41), two side panels (30, 31) and top and bottom panels (50, 51), all of which are connected together to form an internal compartment (19) for containing the stack under compression. The stack is arranged within the bag in such a way that the side panels are under tension. The bag further including two welds one adjacent each juncture between the top (50) and the side panels (30, 31). Each of the welds joins the top and the panels together along a continuous line (100) so as to create external pockets (2, 3) on the bag. The external pockets have no access to the internal compartment of the bag. The bag further including a continuous line of weakness (5) located at least partially within one of the side panels. The line of weakness defines a portion (25) of the side panel to be at least partially separated from the remainder of the side panel for gaining access to said articles. The improvement to the bag is that the bag further includes a pull tab (7), adjacent to the line of weakness, for initiating the opening of the bag along the line of weakness. The pull tab is located on the side panel having the line of weakness (5) and is located on the pocket (2) so as to reduce the exposure of the articles to the atmosphere.

Description

Flexible bag for storing compressed products

Field of invention

The present invention relates to an easy-to-open flexible bag for storing a number of compressible products, such as disposable absorbent bandages, baby diapers, sanitary napkins, incontinence briefs, and the like.

The present invention relates in particular to a bag having pull tabs on one side panel to initiate opening of the bag.

Background technology

Relatively soft and flexible compressible products, such as disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, incontinence briefs, and the like, have been widely used in many parts of the world for the last 20-30 years. In the past, these products were typically folded and stacked in the middle and then inserted into paper or cardboard boxes or flexible bags with little or no compression in a direction substantially parallel to the thickness. In such a situation, the dimensions of the paper carton or flexible bag are generally determined by the number of individual products stacked to form a layer disposed within the box or bag.

In recent years, the trend of consumer purchasing in the field of disposable absorbent products, especially in the United States, has increased in one-time purchases and decreased purchase frequency. Manufacturers have responded by continually increasing the number of individual products housed in a single package, resulting in relatively large quantities of disposable absorbent products such as baby diapers, for example 32, 44, 48, 64, 96, etc. Many large packs to receive came up. As the volume of the relatively low density flexible compressible product became a problem, the result was a bulky but light weight package. This combination of large volume and low weight increases the manufacturer's storage and disposal costs, quickly fills the retailer's limited storage location, and reduces the convenience of storage and use for the consumer. In addition, the relatively large volume of package material required to receive the disposable absorbent product in an uncompressed state must be disposed of after the package is completely emptied. In the case of a box, additional efforts are required for the end user to break the box or minimize the size of the empty container before throwing it into the trash. In addition, such excessive packaging causes an unnecessary amount of waste and adversely affects the surrounding environment.

In recent years, to overcome the problem of packaging compressible products, manufacturers have begun to pack a relatively large number of products in smaller flexible plastic bags while under compression. An example of such a bag is a side-opening flexible bag with a longitudinally oriented carrying handle, assigned to Muckenfuhs, on Oct. 8, 1991, which is incorporated herein by reference, and which is entitled "Side Panel." (SIDE OPENING FLEXIBLE BAG WITH LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED CARRYING HANDLE SECURED TO SIDE PANELS), US Patent No. 5,054,619. This reference discloses a side open top gusset flexible plastic bag that houses a stack of compressed flexible products. The bag has a top, bottom, front, back and side panels, the side panels being in tension. The bag has a continuous cut line located at least partially on one of the side panels. This perforation forms part of the side panel that will be partially removed to access the product. Typically, this type of bag has a pull tab for initiating the opening of the bag on the side panel. In general, the pull tab includes a cut of a predetermined length, which extends through the bag material to allow insertion of a user's finger therein to initiate opening of the bag.

A drawback of the packages described above is that the cuts forming the pull tabs for initiating the opening can often expose the packaged product to undesired external contamination of the atmosphere before opening. It is recognized that external contaminants are generally undesirable for such sanitary articles because they are primarily in contact with the body. Such contaminants are undesirable for aesthetic and safety reasons. Consumers recognize that contaminants can introduce bacteria that can harm a user. In addition, liquid contaminants can render products such as absorbent products obsolete. Protecting diapers from external contaminants before opening will be considered an important feature for consumers.

Accordingly, it has been desired to have a flexible bag with a large reduction in external exposure of the product prior to opening, for storing a large number of flexible products in a compressed state.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lateral open top gusset flexible bag for receiving a stack of flexible articles in a compressed state, such that the pull tab does not expose the product to external contamination before opening.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag having a handle that can be used even after opening.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided an improved side-opening top gusset rectangular flexible bag for receiving a stack of compressed flexible products. The bag has a front and back panel, two side panels, an upper and a lower panel, all of which are joined together to form an interior compartment for receiving the compressed stack. The stack of flexible articles is arranged in the bag such that the side panels are in tension. The bag has two welds adjacent each seam between the top and side panels. Each joint joins the top and side panels together along a continuous line to form an outer pocket on the bag. This outer pocket does not communicate with the inner compartment of the bag. The bag further comprises a continuous cut line located at least partially within one of the side panels. The perforations form a portion of the side panel that is adapted to be at least partially separated from the rest of the side panel to access the product. An improvement to the bag is to include a pull tab near the perforation line. The pull tab includes a means for initiating tear along a substantially continuous cut line. This pull tab is disposed on a pocket adjacent to the side panel having a perforation line to reduce product exposure to the atmosphere.

Although this specification concludes with the claims specifically claiming and highlighting this invention, it is thought that this invention is easily understood from the following description in connection with an accompanying drawing.

1 is a simplified perspective view of a flexible bag according to the present invention.

2 is a side view of an unfilled bag according to the invention.

3A is a simplified perspective view of the bag of the present invention showing the user grasping the pull tab and opening the bag.

3B shows the bag after opening in a view similar to that of FIG. 3A.

4 is a view similar to the first view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Although the present invention will be described in terms of providing an easily openable flexible bag that houses one or more folded disposable absorbent diaper laminates, the present invention is not limited to such applications. As pointed out herein herein, the present invention will be practiced to have the greatest advantage in reducing storage, transport and handling costs in certain conditions where at least one of the dimensions, such as thickness, is associated with a substantially compressible flexible product. In addition, the present invention can automatically dispense individual flexible products one at a time due to the action of the compressive force acting on the flexible product for a significant period of the useful life of the bag. Particularly preferred details of flexible bags that are included herein and that are particularly easy to open for compressed disposable diapers will enable those skilled in the art to readily apply the present invention to other applications.

1 shows a simplified perspective view of a particularly preferred embodiment of a substantially rectangular flexible bag 10 of a side opening top gusset in accordance with the present invention. Bag 10 houses a number of compressed flexible products 20 arranged in a stack. The bag 10 includes opposing front and back panels 40 and 41, opposing side panels 30 and 31 and opposing upper and lower panels 50 and 51. All of the panels described above are joined together to form an interior compartment 19 for receiving the compressed stack of flexible products 20 in a compressed state. A stack of compressed articles is placed in the bag 10 such that the side panels 30, 31 are in an extended state.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible bag 10 is an upper gusset bag formed by folding a web of film, paper, plastic or other suitable material. Methods of forming the upper gusseted flexible bag from a continuous web of material are known in the art. A general method for making and filling an upper gusseted flexible bag similar to the method of the present invention is provided by Merkenpus, dated Oct. 8, 1991, with a longitudinally oriented carrying handle fixed to the side panel of the invention. One Side Open Flexible Bag (SIDE OPENING FLEXIBLE BAG WITH LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED CARRYING HANDLE SECURED TO SIDE PANELS).

Improvements in the construction of such bags according to the invention can be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1 in relation to the second degree. FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the bag 10 in a flat folded state before being filled with the product 20. The bag is folded along the top gusset, and the top panel 50 collapses inwardly in parallel with the front panel 40. The bag is further folded at approximately a midline of the side panels 30, 31 such that the side panels 30, 31 are parallel to the front panel 40, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bag 10. ) Comprises a substantially continuous tear line 5 at least partially disposed in the side panel 30. The tear line 5 forms a predetermined portion 25 of the side panel 30 that will be partly separated from the rest of the side panel for access to eject the product 20.

Bag 10 preferably has a handle 80 for easy transport. The handle 80 preferably extends longitudinally across the top of the bag between the side panels 30, 31. The handle 80 may be made of the same material as the bag or other suitable material. The handle 80 may be secured to the bag 10 by any suitable means known in the art. In order for the handle to support the weight of the bag well, the bag 10 is provided with a reinforcement joint adjacent seam 53 between the top panel and the side panel. 2 shows a reinforcing joint adjacent to the side panel 30, but similar joints exist at corresponding positions adjacent to the adjacent side panel 31. The reinforcing junction couples the top panel 50 to the side panels 30, 31 along a substantially continuous line 100 to make the outer pockets 2, 3 shown in FIG. 1. In addition, the joint couples the handle 80 to the bag. Preferably, the junction extends from line 100 to the top of the bag. The outer pockets 2, 3 are formed from the side walls and the part of the upper wall adjacent to the seam 53 on and on the reinforcing joint 1. The outer pocket is not substantially in communication with the inner compartment 19.

An improvement of the flexible bag 10 according to the invention lies in the arrangement of the pull tab 7 to initiate the opening of the bag. The present invention contemplates placing the pull tab 7 on the pocket 2. This substantially reduces the exposure of the product 20 to the atmosphere prior to opening since the pocket 2 is not substantially in communication with the interior compartment 19. The pull tab 7 comprises means for initiating tear along a substantially continuous cut line 5. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pull tab 7 is formed by a cut of a predetermined length extending through the pocket. As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the pull tab 7 allows the user to easily insert a thumb or finger into the pull tab to initiate tearing along the perforation line 5, thereby allowing for use. Part 25 is partially removed to expose product 20. Since the pull tab is located above the reinforcement joint on the pocket 2 rather than below the joint, the exposure of the product to the atmosphere prior to opening is substantially reduced.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the handle 80 is along the reinforcement joint 1 or above the reinforcement joint 1 to be disposed on the interior of the pockets 2, 3. , 31), to the bag. The reinforcing joints enhance the attachment force of the handle to the bag so that the handle can easily support the weight of the bag. The handle 80 is preferably wider than the pull tab 7 and is secured to the side panel 30 outside the area of the pull tab 7 so that the handle remains in place when the bag is opened. . However, it would be possible to practice the invention with a handleless bag if the joint is placed on the bag in any way.

The shape of the pull tab 7 should be such that it is easily gripped so that the user can exert sufficient force to pull the panel along the tear line 5. Preferably, the tab is large enough to allow most people to insert a fingertip through it. The portion 25 partially removed from the rest of the bag is preferably large enough to facilitate removal of the product therein. However, the portion is preferably small enough to prevent the product from coming out of the bag upon opening. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the unconstrained folded edge of the compressed product 20 is directed into a fan-like array through an opening through the stretched side panel 30 when the bag is opened. Begin to protrude; This is caused by the partial weakening of the compressive force acting on the laminate of the product 20, such as a compressed disposable diaper, housed within the flexible bag 10. However, the top end of the material partially separated from the side panel 30 remains attached to the flexible bag 10. Thus, the end of the carrying handle 80 fixed to the side panel 30 in the region 82 remains fully functional if the user wishes to carry the bag with the handle after opening.

Another embodiment of a pull tab according to the invention is shown in FIG. 4 is a simplified perspective view of a bag 110 according to the present invention. This bag 110 is similar to the bag 10 of the previous embodiment except for the pull tab 107. Pull tab 107 includes two perforations 171, 172 extending from where the reinforcing joint begins to the bag upper edge. By pulling the pull tab 107, the tear lines 171, 172 tear the bag along this line, and tearing the bag along the tear line 105 continues, thereby opening the bag.

In one preferred embodiment, the substantially continuous cutout line 5 comprises a substantially continuous perforation line. In that case, the cutout line 5 has a different land to perforation ratio along different parts of the line. At the top of the bag where the user feels the need to tear the section of the bag where the top panel, the side panel and the handle are all fastened together, this land-to-pore ratio should be very low due to the amount of material to be destroyed. If there is a section above the seam where the handle is not secured to the top and side panels, the land-to-pore ratio can be increased. Finally, only portions of the sidewalls rupture in the portion below the seam, further increasing the land-to-pore ratio. In one embodiment, a preferred material for the formation of a bag is a polymer film, such as low to medium density polyethylene, having a thickness of up to about 50 to 75 microns, and the handle is formed of the same material. In this case, the land-to-pore ratio is 2: 3 when the three layers of material need to be ruptured, 3: 3 where the two layers need to be ruptured, and only the side panels need to be ruptured. 4: 3. The ratio is preferred but not essential.

While various embodiments have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The terminology used to describe the invention is used in the sense of description rather than in a restrictive sense, and all equivalents thereof are intended to be included within the appended claims.

Claims (9)

A rectangular flexible bag 10 having a side open top gusset for receiving a compressed flexible product 20 arranged in one stack, the bag 10 having opposing front and back panels 40, 41. And opposing side panels 30 and 31 and opposing upper and lower panels 50 and 51; All the panels are connected together to form an interior compartment (19) for receiving the laminate in a compressed state such that the opposing side panels (30, 31) are in tension; The bag (10) has two joints (1) each adjacent to each seam between the top panel (50) and the side panels (30, 31); The bag 10 further comprises a continuous cutout line 5 partially positioned within one of the side panels 30, 31, the continuous cutout line 5 being the remainder of the side panels 30, 31. Forming a predetermined portion (25) of the side panel (30, 31) that can be partially detached from the article (20) to provide access to the product (20); The bag 10 further comprises a pull tab 7 adjacent the perforation line 5, the pull tab 7 along the continuous cut line 5 so that the bag 10 can be opened. A flexible bag (10) comprising means for initiating tearing of the bag (10), Each of the splices 1 joins the top panel 50 and each side panel 30, 31 together along a continuous line 100 so that the outer pockets 2, 3 on the bag 10. The outer pockets 2, 3 are inaccessible to the inner compartment 19, and the pull tab 7 has the perforations 5 thereon with the side panels 30, 31. A flexible bag, characterized in that it is located on the outer pocket (2, 3) adjacent to) to reduce the exposure of the product (20) to the atmosphere. The method of claim 1, The means for initiating tearing of the bag (10) along the perforation line (5) comprises a cut of a predetermined length extending through the pocket (2, 3) for receiving the means. The method of claim 1, The means for initiating tearing of the bag 10 along the perforation line 5 allows the top panel 50 and the side panels 30, 31 to follow the continuous line in the pockets 2, 3. A flexible bag comprising two additional cutouts on the pocket (2, 3) extending from a time point adjacent to the time point at which the abutment (1) starts to bond to the upper edge of the image. The method of claim 1, The bag 10 further comprises a handle 80. The method of claim 4, wherein The handle (70) extends longitudinally across the top panel (50). The method of claim 5, The handle 80 is a flexible bag that is fixed along the inside of the pocket (2, 3). The method of claim 6, The handle 80 is a flexible bag that remains fixed to the bag 10 after the bag 10 is opened. The method of claim 1, The bag (10) is a flexible bag formed of a polymer film. The method of claim 1, The perforated line (5) comprises a perforated line.