RELATED APPLICATION
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Application Ser. No. 62/071,114 dated Oct. 14, 2014
FEDERALLY SPONSORED
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“Not Applicable”
JOINT RESEARCH
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“Not Applicable”
SEQUENCE LISTING
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“Not Applicable”
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
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In the retail markets and food service industry, it is common today for take-out meals or foods to go to be packaged in paper or plastic bags. These types of bags have been manufactured for years by many companies in various sizes, thickness, colors, custom prints, and for specific applications. Also in these industries and markets, in conjunction with the packaged food provided, a paper napkin of some sort is normally included by an attendant at the establishment, or by the purchaser themselves into the bag. The napkins are then used in conjunction with the consuming of the meal as part of the dining experience.
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The paper napkins that go into these bags have also been manufactured by many companies over the years and been dispensed or given out in various evolving sizes, shapes, folds, thickness, colors, custom design, and plies. To reduce costs over the years, the size, thickness, and folds have varied to save money, reduce waste, and save maintenance time.
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Within the food service industry, but not limited to them, the practice of supplying napkins with each meal has changed little over the years. It has been a requirement of the retailer to provide this service, but also a constant source of expense, customer complaints, and waste. One of the number one complaints the fast food companies (now more referred to as Quick Serve Restaurants or QSRs) experience from patrons is calls or emails stating unhappiness over receiving no or a minimal amount of napkins in the bag caused by error of the drive-thru attendant. It has long been a desire of these QSR concepts, led by the big players, to have greater control over this function of service and expense within their restaurants. It is completely up to the attendant to assign and dispense napkins to the customers based on size and quantity of the meal(s) purchased.
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For example, if one person drives through and orders one meal to go, the QSR might chose to routinely dispense two napkins to that customer. If a family of four comes through, with each person ordering a different meal, commonly four sandwiches and fries, they might get eight napkins, also two per person, or maybe six. The amount of napkins would be the sole discretion of the restaurant operator, but designed to answer the cleanliness needs of their customers. Control of the number of napkins dispensed per purchase, the assurance of napkins in the bag, and the speed at which those napkins are provided along with the whole delivery process of the meal, have long been of key importance to the operators and their customers. QSR concepts have run studies to increase traffic flow through their drive-up window, which on average account for about 65% of their overall sales versus dine-in. This is surprising to most people, but true, and a big reason for the concerns of operators to speed, accuracy, and expense of the services provided.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Napkin in a Bag or Bagnap
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Currently, the napkins in many forms and the bags are separate products purchased by the chains and restaurant concepts through various distributors of these commodity type products. Also, not much separates one manufacturer from another and the two products, bags and napkins, remain separate products. My concept is to combine these two products through the manufacturing process into one product, “Napkin in a Bag” or “Bagnap”. This would be a value-added product that would eliminate the need for attendants to put the napkins in the bag, reduce the drive-thru time, and assure customer satisfaction with the proper number of napkins in the bag as chosen by the food service concept or retailer for size of bag (typically small, medium, and large) and meal ordered. Also, convenience stores, kiosks, grocery stores, or any place wanting a napkin to be packaged with the food to go in a bag would be a potential client domestically and internationally.
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In conjunction with the food concept retailer, the numbers of napkins per bag, the size of bags and napkins, the customization of bags or napkins or both, the colors, would all be determined within the limitations of the manufacturing process. The new manufacturing process will combine the existing technologies of napkin making and bag making to create a distinctly unique product, that when completed and folded would have the chosen number of napkins loose within the bag. Loose is the key, as we intend to blow or place the napkins inside the bag versus attaching to the bag which may or may not have been attempted before.
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This manufacturing equipment is in the advanced development stage right now and could seek a separate patent upon completion. I'm working closing with the best company in their field that has for years been well known as a top equipment manufacturer to these industries for bags and napkins. It is my intention to partner with them as manufacturer to customer in the development, creation, and selling of this concept/product/machine. Completion of this patent request is key to the secrecy, completion, capital expenditures, customer commitment, and success of the product(s).
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Napkins currently in use by the restaurant concepts are folded and/or dispensed in several ways with some of them following patents. My product will not need to be dispensed (use of a dispensing unit) and as such be easily constructed to not interfere with any potential existing patents. The bags being used have all been standard within the industry for decades mostly, and are of very common sizes, shapes, and designs. The machines that make these bags and napkins are very common as well and standard in the industry. Some minor patentable variations might exist, but these patents are all widely known, especially by the manufacturer I'm working with, whom might also be the holder of several of those patents.
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Bagnap or Napkin in a Bag is a brand new concept or product idea never successfully attempted before. To have bags arrive at the retailer's location with napkins already inside. The market for this product is very clear and the need apparent. The product will be clear and concisely different than anything that exists in the market today. The machine that makes these products will be unique unto itself and potentially patentable as well. What I am doing here is securing the invention concept/idea so as to make the investment, creation, and ultimate production of this product a reality for the customers that will want this product. I filed a provisional patent first to allow time to further develop the manufacturing process. We are ready to take the project and invention forward from the concept stage to finalize all the way through the production process. The successful completion of the patent process is an integral part of the development and final product. This will be a new manufacturing company for America, employ skilled workers, slow the importing of foreign napkins, and create jobs in the State(s) of Illinois and Wisconsin and potentially others down the road.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
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In the drawing I've shown what exists today, a food service style bag and paper napkins separately. In the lower picture/drawing the combination together (my invention) of the two products to be now as one. The napkins can be seen peeking out of the slightly open bag. Depending on the desired size of the napkins and the different size bags, the napkins may or may not be visible with the bag fully closed. It will be our goal to keep the napkins if possible below the thumb cut-out (to ease bag opening) that is common in these type bags today.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
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Two commodity products exist today that I intent to combine into one. I do not intent to significantly alter the products, accept at the express wishes of a customer, to be much different than the products that exist today. What my idea, concept, invention will be, is the combination by mechanical placement or through forced air (blown) of paper napkins into paper bags (plastic might be possible down the road). This will incur during the manufacturing process of the bags and before they are completed and ready for packing and shipment. Paper bags are currently sold in bundles or bales and shipped in truckloads. Napkins are sold in truckloads too, but usually in case packs.
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It's somewhat a simplification, but essentially we'll combine the current machines, bag making machines and napkin making equipment components and parts, into one complete unit or machine that encompasses both processes and functions.
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This occurrence is underway and with trialing we hope to have it completed within a year. The current belief is that we can take existing printed or plain bag making technology and add the somewhat new/modified napkin making and folding components into the production line such that the finished product will maintain profitable machine speeds, the desired number of napkins per bag, comparable (bulk) packing requirements, and do so with minimal (similar to industry standards) maintenance downtime.
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To my knowledge from extensive years in the paper industry, no such product exists today, and has been patented with napkin(s) loosely placed inside a bag before being packaged and shipped to customers.
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To further expand on the invention, is to provide retailer customers with a designated number of napkins per bag or size order of their choosing. Most QSRs concepts today have small, medium, and large size bags. Some use four sizes, especially if they do large party catering. However, those are more limited in use than the three main sizes. Therefore, what we expect is that the QSRs and other customers will designate to us they want two napkins for a small bag, four for a medium size, and six to eight for the large meals. This means we will develop equipment to create over time three different sizes with potential different amounts of napkins per bag by the customer's request.
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Small bag—Typically from size #2-#6 industry sizes, or size A—feature two napkins.
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Medium bag—Typically from #7-#12 or size B—feature four napkins possibly.
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Large bag-Typically from #16-#25 or size C—featuring six to eight napkins.
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Just after the forming and gluing process of the bags, the designated amount of napkins will feed in from the napkin folding and cutting equipment to place, inject, or blow the napkins into the formed bags. The bags will probably have to be blown open to accomplish this. The bags with the napkins inside will then travel alone a conveyor belt, be collected, and packaged for shipment. Currently, bags and napkins are manufactured complete separate and even by different companies. The two don't come together until such time as the retailer's attendant manually combines the two. The overall machine will be one complete unit, not two completely separate machines, but utilize known or commonly utilized parts for standard napkin and bag machines today.
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What my invention offers the restaurant retailer is efficiencies, savings, reduced steps in meal prep, eases the attendant's job, eliminates customer complaints, and reduces storage needs most likely. It will also save them on handling of packaging (boxes and inner packs of the napkins used currently) and reduced waste and tipping fees. This will save landfill space and reduce their carbon footprint.
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This invention will help the QSR's and others compete better for customers through reduced waiting times versus other competitors through the drive-thru window, better assurance of each bag/meal leaving the restaurant with napkins and the right number of napkins. With attendants today, you have no napkins in a bag (the biggest complaint), too few napkins, or for the operator's liking too many napkins being handed out.
