US3363826A

US3363826A - Carrying bag and method of making same

Info

Publication number: US3363826A
Application number: US482250A
Authority: US
Inventors: Behler Wolfgang
Original assignee: A LINNEBORN GmbH
Current assignee: A LINNEBORN GmbH
Priority date: 1964-08-25
Filing date: 1965-08-24
Publication date: 1968-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1985-01-16
Also published as: AT256697B; CH431365A

Description

Jan. 16, 1968 w. BEHLER I CARRYING BAG AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Aug. 24, 1965 INVENIOR. WOLFGANG BEHLEI'? 9 Claims. (Cl. 229-s4 ABSTRACT UP THE DISCLOSURE Carrying bag consisting of two upwardly open pouches integrally interconnected by a pair of flexible and coextensive straps produced by forming two symmetrical marginal cutouts along a pair of superposed and peripherally interconnected layers of sheet material.

My present invention relates to shopping bags and like carrying containers adapted to be held in the hand of the user and to carrying bags of this character composed in Whole or in part of a synthetic-resin foil.

While shopping and carrying bags provided with handgrips have long been in common use, the recent development of relatively high-strength synthetic-resin foils has led to a sharp increase in the number of types of carrying bags made from this material. In order to keep the costs of such bags low, it has been proposed to provide handgrips integrally (i.e. in one piece) with the foil at the upper end of the bag. Various techniques have been used for this purpose. Thus, a flat tubular synthetic-resin foil section may be provided with a heat seal transverse to the longitudinal folds of the tubes to form the bottom of a carrying bag, while the extremity remote from this seal is provided centrally with a stamped-out or cut-out portion defining a carrying grip or handle. The handle portions on each of the broad surfaces of the tube can be spread outwardly to form an opening through which goods can be placed in or removed from the bag. This arrangement has been found to have several disadvantages, primarily resulting from the fact that the handgrips are readily torn from the remainder of the bag when the latter is composed of a synthetic-resin foil and is carrying a large load.

It has also been proposed to provide a heat-sealed seam at the upper end of the bag and then to form this upper end with a U-shaped cutout designed to remove a portion of the inner edges of the gusset-type side folds as well as the greater part of the seam. The remaining portion of the upper edge forms a carrying grip through which the seam extends. The seam is thus weakened while carrying is made inconvenient and filling of the bag is hindered because of the interconnected handgrips. Thus, when the bag is spread to permit access thereto, a strain is placed upon the handgrip. Other constructions using added handles or grip members, reinforcing in the region of the handles, and the like have proved to be unsatisfactory because of high manufacturing costs, difficulty in storing the bags, etc. Moreover, many of these conventional bag constructions have proved to be difficult to manipulate, especially by children and others commonly using the carrying bag. In other systems, publicity printed on the bag also was obscured by the manner in which the bag was held.

It is an object of my invention, therefore, to provide an improved carrying bag for substantially all-around use which is free from the disadvantages mentioned above and which will permit the user to employ the bag for best advantage.

United States Patent Another object of my invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive carrying bag with handgrips which have little or no tendency to tear and which can be formed integrally from a synthetic-resin foil.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved, relatively simple method of making carrying bags of the character described.

These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained, in accordance with the present invention, by a method of making a carrying bag which comprises the steps of cutting a pair of openings in a pair of juxtaposed sheet-like layers, interconnected along a pair of opposite longitudinal edges, at a location along these edges and intermediate the extremities thereof to subdivide the layers into sections bridges by a relatively narrow web formed between the openings; prior to the cutting operation or subsequently thereto, the remaining perimetral sides of the layers can be joined together. Thus, according to one aspect of this invention, the bag is formed from a generally flat synthetic-resin tube whose longitudinal edges are simple folds between two integral and juxtaposed layers of foil. Prior to, concurrently with or subsequently to the cutting operation, the tube can be heat sealed along seams perpendicular to the longitudinal edges at opposite ends thereof to close the bottoms of the dual bag formed by the openings. The result is a twin-pouch bag arrangement in which the longitudinal connecting web not only holds the pouches together but also provides a handgrip for carrying same. Access is afforded to each of the bag sections by spreading the lips of the cutouts.

According to another aspect of this invention, a generally flat tube length is severed transversly to the major dimension of a continuous tube to provide lengths whose longitudinal edges can be heat-sealed and then provided with the cutouts. The integral folds of the tubular section thus constitute the bottom edges of the dual carrying bag.

The present invention thus provides that a tubular section of synthetic resin can be provided between its closed ends with a pair of respective cutouts separated by a web of material and extending inwardly from the longitudinal edges of the bag transversely to its closed end. Advantageously, the cutouts, which can be produced by punching, stamping or incising operations, are located symmetrically with respect to a median line through the bag perpendicular to the closed ends and midway along the longitudinal edges thereof. The webs of the juxtaposed layers thus form a plurality of connecting members for holding the dual bag together, while constituting a carrying grip. The tube of synthetic resin form can be seamed or seamless and the synthetic-resin foil is preferably a thremally fusible material capable of being heat sealed.

The resulting twin-pouch carrying bag has many surprising advantages Which might not be discerned at first glance. For example, the improved method is not only substantially simpler than any which have been proposed earlier, but also provides a handgrip which is free from any heat-sealed seam.

The width of the grip can sufficiently accommodate any load without significantly interfering with access to the pouch. Furthermore, the webs can be multi layered and, therefore, practically tear resistant. The dual-pouch arrangement, moreover, provides no tear points as have heretofore developed when incision methods were used to form handles; moreover, the twin pouches permit separation of the goods to be carried so that, for example, hard goods may be placed in one pouch while the other accommodates soft goods. Another surprising advantage is that relative vertical disorientation of the handgrips is not possible since the outer web, in the present case, overlies the other Web. When conventional separable grips are provided, there is a tendency for one or the other to fall downwardly when large loads are carried. Furthermore the arrangement of the present invention is particularly suitable for overthe-arm carrying of the goods. The carrying bag is thus conducive to use of imprinted advertising which is more or less constantly revealed unless concealment is desired. When the imprint is placed on one layer only, the user need only reverse the bag so that the imprinted side forms the inner surface and the unspoiled surface is exposed.

These objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank formed into a carrying bag according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bag; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another bag according to the invention.

In FIG. 1, I show a generally rectangular blank I which is severed from a continuous strip of generally fiat tubular synthetic-resin foil 1' in a direction transverse to the major dimension of this continuous strip along the line 2. The foil length 1 comprises a pair of integral (i.e. one-piece) layers la and 1b interconnected at the longitudinal edges 1c and 1d by foils. While simple folds may be used for this purpose, it is preferred to use gussets as illustrated at 11c and 1 The opposite extremities 2 of the length are provided with heat-sealed scams 5 to close the bottoms of the pouches 6, '7 defined between a pair of U-shaped cutouts 3a., 3b and the extremities 2. The

cutouts

3a, 3b have

bight portions

3a, 3b extending parallel to the longitudinal edges 10, 1d and the cutouts extend between one-fifth and one-half the length of the blank 1. The cutouts, moreover, define between them two elongated and

coextensive webs

4a and 4b in the layers 1a, 1b, the webs having a width of at least several centimeters and preferably be tween one-sixth and one-fourth of the width of the blank so that the depth of either

cutout

3a, 3b is greater than the width of each web. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the mouth 1g of the pouches 6 and 7 can be spread by separating the

webs

4a, 4b to permit access to the pouches. The

webs

4a and 4b are in superimposed relationship and can overlie the arm of the user.

In use, as seen in FIG. 2, the carrying bag has its two symmetrical pouches 6, 7 interconnected by a handgrip consisting of two nested straps of inverted U-shape, these straps being the

webs

4a, 4b integral with the pouch-forming layers 1a, 1b of flexible sheet material. The open tops of these pouches define two pairs of parallel edges 1g, 1h, lli, 1 with lower strap 41) bridging central portions of the inner edges 1h, 1i while upper strap 4a similarly bridges central portions of the outer edges 1g, 1

In FIG. 3, I show a modified construction wherein the longitudinal edges are heat sealed together at 100 while the bottom 12 is constituted by a fold integrally connecting the two layers a and 101). In this arrangement, the blank is severed from the continuous tubular strip and heat-sealed transversely to the major dimension of this strip. The cutouts are provided along these heat-sealed por- 4 tions while the folds of the tube constitute the bottoms of the pouches.

I claim:

1. A carrying bag comprising two substantially symmetrical upwardly open pouches integrally interconnected by a handgrip consisting of two nested, flexible straps of inverted U-shape, the open tops of said pouches forming an inner and an outer pair of parallel edges, said outer pair of edges having central portions bridged by one of said straps, said inner pair of edges having central portions bridged by the other of said straps.

2. A carrying bag as defined in claim 1 wherein said handgrip has a width of several centimeters and said pouches as measured along said edges extend over at least four times the width of said handgrip.

3. A carrying bag comprising two substantially coextensive juxtaposed layers of sheet material having a pair of interconnected opposite longitudinal edges formed with cutouts at an intermediate location along said edges, said cutouts substantially symmetrically inwardly from said edges to define respective openings separated by a pair of coextensive elongated webs lying generally parallel to said edges and together forming a carrying grip, the width of said webs being a minor fraction of the width or" said layers transverse to said edges, said layers being joined together at opposite extremities of said edges whereby the juxtaposed layers between said openings and the respective extremity form of a pair of pouches interconnected by said webs.

4. A carrying bag as defined in claim 3 wherein said layers are composed of a synthetic-resin foil.

5. A carrying bag as defined in claim 4 wherein said layers are constituted of one piece with a pair of folds interconnecting the layers.

6. A carrying bag as defined in claim 5 wherein said folds extend along said longitudinal edges and said opposite extremities are provided with heat-sealed seams closing the bottoms of said pouches.

7. A carrying bag as defined in claim 5 wherein said folds extend along said extremities and said longitudinal edges are formed with heat-sealed seams closing said pouches laterally.

8. A carrying bag as defined in claim 3 wherein said cutouts are of generally U-shaped configuration.

9. A carrying bag as defined in claim 3 wherein the width of each web transverse to said longitudinal edges is substantially less than the depth of either of said cutouts; said web having a length ranging between substantially one-fifth and one-half the length of said layers along said longitudinal edges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,246,672 4/1966 Naito 3 FOREIGN PATENTS 820,236 7/1937 France.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner,

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner,