NZ503868A - bag with tape reinforced strip between front and folded over rear portion, for opening bag by tearing front - Google Patents

Abstract

Carrier strip 7 is adhered to a first panel 2 of the bag, and carries a reinforced tape 9 in a region 10 not adhered to panel 2. Closing flap 6 from another panel of the bag overlies the tape reinforced region 10 of the strip 7. The tape reinforced region 10 of strip 7 extends laterally of first panel 2 so as a user can grasp and pull strip 7 through closing flap 6 to open the bag.

Description

NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 503868 Date. 07 April 2000 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ' ' .1 C? "Bag Opening Features" ■ ^ v <7 r-^ n : l v i : # We, CARTER HOLT HARVEY LIMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand of 640 Great South Road, Manukau City, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: -2-50 3B'&8„ .Vp'''• V;" 1 The present invention relates to a bag opening feature. Many types of bag are known including those solely of paper or multiple plies of paper. Other bag forms include bags of the kind having an outer of one or more paper plies and an inner (usually in the form of a pouch) formed from a plastics material which is capable of being heat sealed to enclose particulate or the like products.

Usually such a pouch still sealed is capable of being extracted upon opening of one or other of the ends. Irrespective of whether or not one is dealing with a pouch pack of the kind described it is usual to refer to a bag as having two ends. A first end is that known as the "factory end" which is the end of the sleeve or sleeves that are closed at the bag making factory. The other end is referred to as the "customer end" which is that end that is closed by the user of the bag. In the case of such pouch pack bags described previously (see for example our New Zealand Patent Specification No. 242034) it is usual for provision to be made at one or other of these ends for the extraction of the pouch.

The present invention envisages a new form of opening feature for a paper bag or a bag formed from a laminate of paper plies irrespective of whether or not such plies are adhered one to each other continuously, in part or at all (which can be used at either a factory or a customer end depending which end of the bag is provided with the feature.

Accordingly all reference hereafter to customer end should be taken as including the provision of similar features at a factory end or indeed even the provision of such a feature at both a factory and a customer end.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide bags having an opening feature and methods of providing an opening feature and of opening bags which will provide an alternative to existing bag opening features and bag employing the same.

In a first aspect the present invention consists in a bag of at least one paper ply having at least two panels and capable of being closed or being closed at an end (hereafter "said end"), said end having an opening feature defined by a carrier strip adhered to and extending across a first panel of the bag at or adjacent said end, said carrier strip including carried thereon a reinforcement tape, that part of the carrier strip carrying said reinforcement tape not being adhered to said panel, and a closing flap from the other or another panel ("the second panel") of the bag capable of overlying at least some of the tape reinforced region of said carrier strip and being fixed directly or indirectly to the first panel to achieve or to have achieved closure, wherein the tape reinforced region of said carrier strip extends laterally to (and preferably beyond one lateral extent of) its bag panel so as to be capable of being grasped by a person wishing to open said end and thereafter can when desired be pulled through the closing flap to achieve opening.

Preferably said bag is of a kind having an outer of one or more plies of paper and preferably an inner pouch which preferably is of a heat sealable plastics film material.

Preferably said end is the customer end.

In other preferred forms however it can be the factory end or the factory end as well.

Preferably said bag of one or more plies of paper is one having front and rear flat panels which in a lie flat form are interconnected by a seam which extends through the length of the bag.

Preferably said bag (if the opening feature is at the customer end) is provided with a block bottom of a known kind or any other kind at its factory end.

Irrespective of the form of bag preferably the carrier strip and reinforcing tape extends beyond a lateral edge of the panel to which it is fixed.

Preferably that region of said carrier strip bearing the reinforcing tape overlies other regions of said carrier strip so as not to be adhesively affixed to said front panel.

Preferably the arrangement of the folds in that respective is substantially as hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a bag opening feature in a bag of paper (whether of one or more plies) wherein there is disposed at and/or beyond one edge a pull tab being part of a tear strip embodied in a carrier strip affixed across a first panel of the bag at or adjacent the end to be opened, the tear strip itself being overlayed by a closing flap from the other panel ("the second panel") such that upon pulling of the tear tab (and thus the tear strip) across the width of the bag, rupture and thus opening of the bag can occur.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of forming a bag having an opening feature of any of the kinds hereinbefore described as being the present invention where the provision of the carrier strip with its reinforcing tape and or tear strip/tab is fixed to the bag panel in the bag making line or out of the bag making line.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a bag having an opening feature of the kind substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in the use of a bag opening feature of a bag of the kind substantially as herein defined and/or described with or without reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

In the most preferred form of the present invention the following features are present, (i) the bag is of paper or plies or paper (and may include an inner lining or pouch of a plastics material), (ii) the carrier strip is preferably of paper, (iii) the reinforcement to provide the tear strip is preferably provided by self adhesive plastics tape material, (iv) the fold of the carrier strip leaves the tape reinforced part of the carrier strip unfixed to the bag of paper even though it may (on closure) be fixed adhesively to the overlying closing flap of the other panel, (v) the bag of paper preferably has the closing flap affixed over the tape reinforcement part of the carrier strip to a region of carrier strip which extends further away from the end, and (vi) there is an exposure to an edge of the tear strip (eg; as a tear tab) capable of being uplifted or otherwise grasped in order to achieve the rupture opening (preferably such exposure being to one side only of the bag).

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a plan view of a lay flat bag of a kind having multiple paper plies forming a staggered sleeve outer with a blocked bottom, the front and rear panels being interconnected by a conventional seam feature which extends through the length of the bag, Figure 2 is the reverse side view of the bag of Figure 1 showing a patched block bottom of a known kind for a lie flat bag, each of Figures 1 and 2 showing the preferred asymmetric extension of a carrier strip beyond one lateral edge, such carrier strip being reinforced to define a tear strip or having affixed thereto a self adhesive plastics film tape to provide a reinforcing tape across the carrier strip, Figure 3A is a close up view of the tear tab part of the customer end of the bag of Figure 1 showing how the tab precut at least to the edge of the overlying closure flap can be readily grasped beyond the lateral extent of the gusseted bag, Figure 3B is a similar view to that of Figure 3A showing how if desired both the overlying flap and indeed even the tear tab there below can have some perforation feature that assists in the tear tab being pulled as a tear strip up through the overlying closing flap, Figure 4 is a similar view to that of Figure 1 but showing the bag of Figure 1 after opening, Figure 5 is a perspective cut away view of a preferred bag of the present invention at the customer end, Figure 6 is a side elevational view in the direction A-A of Figure 1, and Figure 7 is a similar view to Figure 6 showing the tear strip having been uplifted to burst through the overlying closing flap.

In the preferred form of the present invention the bag 1 has a front panel 2 and a rear panel 3 interconnected by a simple seam. Each panel 2 and 3 is formed from multiple plies of paper each formed into a sleeve form with each sleeve being slightly staggered as to length.

The bag is provided with a patched block bottom end 4.

Whilst reference is made hereto to simply the bag having front and rear panels the present invention will have equal application to bag forms (with or without an internal plastics pouch) which have the front and rear panels interconnected by a gusset or pleated feature and accordingly such bags fall within the scope of the present invention also.

Whilst reference hereafter will be made to the customer end 5 the opening feature could be at either end or indeed both.

The closure of the bag is achieved by an extension of the panel 3 which provides a flap 6 capable of being affixed over the carrier strip 7 to be affixed thereon to and the tear strip 10 which is a self adhesive plastics film reinforced region of the carrier strip 7 which has been folded over the remainder of the carrier strip 7 so as not to be adhesively affixed to the outer ply of the paper bag panel 2 (see Figures 5 and 6).

The opening of the bag is achieved manually by grasping the tear tab 9 and pulling in an upward and lateral direction in a manner that results in the flap 6 being ruptured along the entire lateral dimension. This action is depicted in Figure 7 with the fully opened bag shown in Figure 4. The rupturing of flap 6 allows the contents of the bag (in this case a sealed plastic pouch) to be exposed.

In a preferred form the tear or opening tape 9 is about 4mm wide x about 63 micron thick polypropylene. However, other flexible plastics may be used.

The paper strip 7 is preferably either a bleached or natural brown sack converting kraft with tear properties not likely to restrict bag opening.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate the advantages of the present invention as an alternative to other opening features.

Property G.T'cs cf KZ {\ f - -- - f L\ i-; A R r^i-i r '1 ^ U Q^U^LiiN/

Claims (14)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A bag of at least one paper ply having at least two panels and capable of being closed or being closed at an end (hereafter "said end"), said end having an opening feature defined by a carrier strip adhered to and extending across a first panel of the bag at or adjacent said end, said carrier strip including carried thereon a reinforcement tape, that part of the carrier strip carrying said reinforcement tape not being adhered to said first panel, and a closing flap from the other or another panel ("the second panel") of the bag capable of overlying at least some of the tape reinforced region of said carrier strip and being fixed directly or indirectly to the first panel to achieve or to have achieved closure, wherein the tape reinforced region of said carrier strip extends laterally of and at least to an extent to across said first panel so as to be capable of being grasped by a person wishing to open said end and thereafter can when desired be pulled through the closing flap to achieve opening.

2. A bag of claim 1 wherein said carrier strip extends beyond one lateral extent of its said first panel.

3. A bag of claim 1 or 2 wherein it is of a kind having an outer of one or more plies of paper and an inner pouch of a heat sealable plastics film material.

4 A bag of any one of the preceding claims wherein said end is the customer end.

5. A bag of claim 3 wherein said outer has each ply of paper interconnected by a seam which extends through the length of the bag, each to define a lie flat tubular form.

6. A bag of any one of the preceding claims wherein the opening feature is at the customer end and the factory end is provided with a block bottom.

7. A bag of claim 2 wherein both the carrier strip and reinforcing tape extend beyond a lateral edge of the first panel.

8. A bag of any one of the preceding claims wherein that region of said carrier strip bearing the reinforcing tape overlies other regions of said carrier strip.

9. A bag of claim 8 wherein the arrangement of the carrier strip is substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A bag opening feature in a bag of paper (whether of one or more plies) wherein there is disposed at and/or beyond one edge a pull tab being part of a tear strip embodied in a carrier strip affixed across a first panel of the bag at or adjacent the end to be opened, the tear strip itself being overlayed by a closing flap from the other panel ("the second panel") such that upon pulling of the tear tab (and thus the tear strip) across the width of the bag, rupture and thus opening of the -7- bag can occur.

11. A bag of any one of the preceding claims wherein the following features are present: (i) the bag is of paper or plies or paper (and may include an inner lining or pouch of a plastics material), (ii) the carrier strip is of paper, (iii) the reinforcement to provide the tear strip is provided by self adhesive plastics tape material, (iv) the fold of the carrier strip leaves the tape reinforced part of the carrier strip unfixed to the bag of paper even though it may (on closure) be fixed adhesively to the overlying closing flap of the other panel, (v) the bag of paper has the closing flap affixed over the tape reinforcement part of the carrier strip to a region of carrier strip which extends further away from the end, and (vi) there is an exposure adjacent to or beyond an edge of the bag of the tear strip (eg; as a tear tab) capable of being uplifted or otherwise grasped in order to achieve the rupture opening.

12. A bag having an opening feature of the kind substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

13. The use of a bag opening feature of a bag of the kind substantially as herein defined and/or described with or without reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

14. A method of forming a bag of any one of claims 1 to 12 which includes the provision of the carrier strip with either its reinforcing tape or tear stip and tab to a first panel. "c? ^ , , V■ rj ^ 'v.* I ' V ' - ^ dated this fcik pay of sloo\ AJ PARK per aueots for thi ap 'licant h \hbrary\patents\dj[j\specs\420425