PH26755A - Bag made of flexible synthetic material and possessing a stiffening stabilizing - Google Patents

Description

BAG MADE OF FLEXIBLE SYNTHETIC MATERIAL AND

POSSESSING A STIFFENING AND STABILIZING MEANS

The subject of the present invention is a bag made of flexible synthetic material of the type obtained from at least one strip of synthetic film shaped so as to define, by means of welds, a bottom on which the bag rests, two side walls, a stiffening and gripping zone connecting the two side walls, and a front face like~ wise connecting the two side walls, the said front face corresponding to the side on which the content of the bag is poured after the latter has been opened.

These bags give full satisfaction, and the re- sults published in the above~mentioned applications are obtained. . llowever, as regards large~capacity bags, it emerged that it was still necessary to perfect the stability of the bag, to prevent it from falling over onto its sides or tipping forwards.

The present invention proposes to overcome . 20 hace disadvantares.

, 26755 ‘

This result is achieved by means of a bag meade of flexible synthetic material, of the type obtained from at least one strip of synthetic film shaped so as to de~ fine, by means of welds, a bottom, on which the bag rests, two side walls, a gripping and stiffening zone connecting the two side walle, and a front face likewise comecting the two side walls, the said front face cor- responding to the side on which the content of the beg is poured after the latter has been opened, charecterized in that the front face is provided with a means of gstiffen~ he : ing end stabilizing the bag. *

The retaining and stebilizing means can consist, for example, of a rigid buttress, The said buttress can be made of any material, for exsmple é¢ardboard, PVC or any other synthetic material.

The buttress can also perform other functions, such as, for example, participate in the closing of the bag.

According to another embodiment, the retaining oo meens will consist of one or more vertical stiffening ribs arranged on the said side face.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the stiffening and stabilizing means is produced as a result of the formation of folds on the front edges of the bag or the provision of stiffening or structuring elements on the said edges,

Stiffening can also be obtained by two essential means: = a modification of the structure of the film, = the provision of an element forming an extra thickness, hence a stiffening element,

These two means cen be used or put into effect on the inside or outside of the bag.

Processes for providing the said bags with the said retaining and stabilizing means are also a subject of the invention,

The invention will be understood better by means of the following description made with reference to the attached drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a bag accord- to the invention with a buttress; ~ Figures 2 to 5 illustrate bags of the type of that in

Figure 1, with different forms of buttresses; ~ Figure 6 is a rear perspective view of a bag with a gripping handle with a shape matching that of the but- tress of Figure 1; = Figure 7 illustrates an oblong buttress occupying the entire front face of the bag; - Pigures 8 and 9 show, enlarged, the configuration of

Figure 7 which particpates in the closing of the bag;

. ¥ 26755 - Figure 10 illustrates an oblong buttress having means of closing the bag: ~ Figures 11 end 12 show, enlarged, the configuration of Figure 10, illustrating the method of closing the bag; . - Figure 13 1s a perspective view of a beg according to the invention, with two front stiffening ribs; - Figure 13 A is a cross-section of the bag along line A-A of Figure 13; = Figure 14 is a perspective view of a bag according to the invention, with one front stiffening rib; ~- Figure 14 B is a crosss-section of the bag along the line B-B of Figure 14; - Figure 15 shows a machine for forming the ribs of the bags of Figures 13 and 14; = Figures 154, 15B and 15C are cross-sections of the shap~ ing machine of Figure 15 along the lines A-Ay B-B and

C-C respectively; ~ Figure 16 is a perspective view of a bag according to the invention, with stiffening of the front edges; - Figures 17 to 25 illustrate diagrammatically various em- bodiments making it possible to achieve the desired stif- fening at the front edges of the bags - Figure 26 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for producing the bas of Figures 16 to 25; a v 26755 . ~ Figure 27 is a disgrammatic sectional view illustrat- ing a particular embodiment of the apparatus of Pipgure 26, corresponding to the bag of Tigure 17.

Reference will first be made to Figure 1,

According to this embodiment of the invention, a bag (1) comprising essentially: - two side walls such as (2); - a bottom (3), on which it is to rest; ~ a stiffening and gripping zone (4) comecting the two side walls (2) to one another; - and a front face (5) likewise connecting the two side

R walls (2) to one another; is provided, according to the invention, with a stiffen- ing and stabilizing means.

This can be: : - a rigid buttress (6) ~ and/or one or more vertical ribs (7).

The buttress will preferably be arranged in such a way that, when the bag is placed on a plane surface, the base (61) of the buttress can bear on the said plane surface,

It con be made of any material, for exrmple syn- thetic material, if appropriate recycled material to 1imit the cost price, cardboard, etc. in a non-limiting way.

It can also assume any form compatible with the function assigned to it, such as, for example, but in a non-limiting way: = a semicircular form as shown in Pigure 1; - a four-cornered form (7), as shotm in Fipure 23 - a trapezoidal form (8), truncated if appropriate, as shown in Tipure 3; - p recessed form (9) in the shape of a horse shoe, ps shown in Figure 4; - a trapezoidal form (10) as shown in Figure 5, the base angles being folded against the side walls to rein- force stabilization even further,

It will be seen that, in all the illustrative forms proposed, there is a contact line (6', 7', 8', 9, 10! respectively) between the buttress (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) and the surface on which the bag provided with it rests.

Optionally, as shovm in Figure 6, in order to save material, the buttress (6) can be cut out from the element (1}) attached in the abovementioned stiffening and gripping zone (4).

Other forms of front buttress can be used, =nd they will advantageously perform one or more additional functions besides the desired function, that is to say the stiffening ond stabilization of the bag,

Thus, it can be very advantageous if the buttress participates in the closing of the bag once the latter -6 - co has been opened,

In the embodiment shown in Fipures Ty 8 and 9, to which reference will now be made, the buttress is of a general oblong and trapezoidal form. Tt is made integral with the bag (1) by means of two welding or bonding lines (13, 14), one (13) located substantially at the base of the front face nnd the other (14) arranged slightly offset relative to the upper pert of the sgid buttress (12), thus defining a zone (15) open on three sides, in particular in the direction of the top of the bag where the pouring orifice (16) is to be made,

This structure of the upper part of the bag is shown enlarged in Figure 8.

To close the bag sgain after first use, the upper horn (17) possessing the orifice (16) 1s folded against the buttress (12) and inserted between the zone (15) and the front face of the bag, as shown in Figure 9,

In the alternative form illustrated in Figures 10, 11 and 12, the function of which is completely iden~ tical to the preceding function, the bag has a buttress (18) provided in its upper part with a means (19) of closing and nipping the upper horn (17) of the bag. As shown in Figure 11, the means (19) consist essentially of two tabs (20, 21) substantially symmetrical relative to the longitudinal exis of the buttress (18) end inter— -T -

acting with a finger (22) located between the ssid tabs.

The bag is closed by folding down the upper horn (17) of the bag, so as to place it over the tabs (20,21) and under the finger (22), where it if retained as a result of the nipping effect obtained in this wey o

The buttress of the type described above end 11lustrated in Figures 1 to 12 can be attached to the bag by any means such as welding or bonding, at any moment during the process of mamfacturing and filling the bag,

For example, the buttress (6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 18) can be attached by means of a process similar to that making it possible to fasten the stiffening and gripping element (11), as described by way of example in French

Patent Application No. 83-18257 in the applicant's neme,

According to a second embodiment, the stiffening and stabilizing means can consist of one or more vertical ribs (7), already shown in Figure 1. In this illustra- tion, these ribs (7) are used together with a buttress, such as (6), of the type illustrated above.

The rib or ribs (7) can also contribute nlone to obtaining the desired result, that is to say the stiffen- ing and stabilizing of the bog,

Thus, Figures 13 and 13 A show a bag (1') equipped with two vertical front ribs (23, 24) of this type.

Advantageously, the lower edge of the front face of the bag (1') in contact with the surface, on vhich the latter is placed, will also be reinforced by memns of a weld (25),

Figures 14 and 14B illustrate an embodiment of the sme type as the preceding embodiment, but with a single stiffening and stabilizing rib (26), if appropriate rein- forced by a weld (27) on the lower edge of the front face,

The ribs (23, 24, 26) can be produced by way of non-limiting exomple, by means of the following apparatus.

A shaper (28) of a type mown to a person skilled in the art, to which a film (29) is delivered to be shaped in a contimudus tube (30) and then filled with the liquid to be packaged and converted into individual bags or pouches by meens of a central pipe (31) among other : 15 things, contains processing stations ond stations for shaping the rib or ribs (23, 24, 26).

The production cof two ribg (23, 24) will be taken ag an example,

At the first station (32), the film at this stage being ready to be welded so as to be converted into a contimous tube (30), a shaver (33) into which the film passes, gives the latter a W shape.

At the station (34) located dovmstrerm of this, the following procedures are carried out jointly or in suc~ cession:

- the film (29) is welded to shape it into a tube (30) in the conventional wey by mesns of a welding jaw (35); ~ the abovementioned W-shaped fold is welded at its two edges (36, 37) by means of two welding elements (38, 39), an insulating element (40) being interposed to prevent the two edges (36, 37) from being welded to one another,

Finally, the station (41) located dovmstream is equipped with two spacer fingers (42, 43) which unfold the W-shaped zone 80 as to give it the desired structure for forming the front face of the future bag.

Reference will now be made to Figure 16. The bag (101) according to the invention has on its front face (102) two edges (103, 104) which are stiffened so as to give the bag stability and shape.

This result is obtained either as a result of the formation of folds or by the provision of stiffening or structuring elements at the said edges,

These elements are attached to the surface of the sheath forming the bag by means of bonding, sealing, weld- ing or any other suitable process.

As will be illustrated later, the said elements will be made from a single material or a composite mate rial, flat or angular, etc.

Thus, Figure 17 shows a reinforcement (105) at~ tached to the outside of the bag and forming mn angle, the vertex of which marke the edge of the bage The re~ inforcement (105) can have any opening mgle. It is also possible to give it a certain elasticity, so that the angle remains clearly defined even when the bag 1s completely filled,

Figure 18 illustrates a similar structure with an outer reinforcement (106) which is attached to the edge and surrounds an insert (107) arranged parallel to the said edges, The insert can be made of any material.

In the embodiment of Figure 19, the reinforcement (108) is obtained ty pinching the edge of the bag, a8 illustrated above,

In Figure 20, the same result is obtained by at- taching a beed (109) along the edge.

In Figure 21, the edge is marked along the margin of a reinforcing strip (110).

In Figure 22, the corner of the outer reinforce ment (111) is pinched, thus marking the edge in a more pronounced way.

Finally, the embodiment illustrated in Figure 23 shows en outer reinforcement (112) folded back on itself and defining a longitudinal cavity (113) which can be empty or inflated, thus achieving a more prommmnced stiffening, -1l -

In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 24 and 25, the film constituting the bag is weakened either on the inside (114) or on the outside (115).

In this case, folding can be carried out by means of hot or cold stemping,

Reference will now be made to Figures 26 and 27 which illustrate an apparatus making it possible to ob~ tain the embodiments of Figures 17 to 23.

The stiffening element will preferably be fitted when the film is shaped from a sheath on a shaper prede-— termining the form and dimensions of the finished pack

A feed system will convey the stiffening element which will be attached to the film sheath on the shaper,

Thus, the bags according to the invention are obtained from a sheath (116) which passes over a aie (117),

This die possesses one or more shapers (118) to form the front edges.

At the shaper (118), the stiffening element (119 )s caming from a supply reel (120), is attached by welding, bonding or sealing by means of en appropriate device 1), its type being governed by the fastening method, thot is to say welding, bonding or sealing. The device (121) will have, for example, a head (122) of a profile matching that of the shaper (118),

The system operates in an alternating manner, that is to say, when a bag is being filled, the film feed is stopped and the device attaches a stiffening element to the beg which is being shaped,

The stiffening element will be cut mtomatically, before or during fitting, to the necessary length, for example the length of the edge corresponding to the filled and closed bag.

According to an alternative embodiment, the upper edges of the bag will likewise be reinforced as indi- - | 10 cated by the reference number (123). The structure of ) oo BN this horizontal reinforcement will be identical to that. . » . Cee a illustrated in Figures 17 to 25 for the vertical rein- forcement.

It vill be fitted in the way indicated in Figure 26, from a supply (124) and according to a method of operation identical to that described above regarding the vertical reinforcement.

It will be appreciated that the invention applies to all the embodiments, in particular lrrespective of the type of materials used,

Claims (2)

1. + Y CLAIMS ¢ le Bag made of flexible synthetic material, of the type obtained from at least one strip of synthetie film shaped so as to define, by means of welds, a bot- tom (3), on vhich the bag rests, two side walls (2), a stiffening and gripping zone (4) comnecting the two side wells (2), and a front face (5) likewise comecting the two side walls (2), the said front face corresponding to the side on vhich the content of the bag is poured after the latter has been opened, characterized in thet the °° front face (5) is provided with a mesns of stiffening and stabilizing the bag.
2. 2. Beg according to Cleim 1, characterized in that the stiffening and stabilizing meems consists of a rigid buttress (6). 3+ Bag according to Claim 1, characterized in that the buttress (6) is arranged in such a vay that, when the bag is placed on a plane surface, the base (6') of the buttress (6) can bear on the latter. CAZES MICHEL Inventor