WO1998051578A1

WO1998051578A1 - Fruit tie bag

Info

Publication number: WO1998051578A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/009611
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steven Andrew Oosthuyse
Original assignee: Handelman, Joseph, H.
Priority date: 1997-05-13
Filing date: 1998-05-13
Publication date: 1998-11-19
Also published as: AU7480798A

Abstract

A protective bag (10) for use in growing fruit (26) includes an integral tie means (24) for tying to a stalk (28) of the fruit. The invention also provides a method of securing a fruit bag to an individual fruit.

Description

FRUIT TIE BAG

This invention relates to the growing of fruit. More particularly, this

invention relates to a protective bag for use in growing fruit and to a method of

securing a fruit bag to an individual fruit.

In this specification, the term fruit includes, unless the context clearly

indicates otherwise, any seed bearing organ which is produced by a plant. It will therefore include fruits such as tomatoes, cucumbers, egg plant, or the like, which

may sometimes be referred to as vegetables.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a

protective bag for use in growing fruit, which includes an integral tie means for

tying to a stalk of the fruit.

The tie means may extend from an open end of the bag. The tie

means may be in the form of string, which extends from a corner of the bag . The

string may be secured down the length of the bag.

An inner surface of the bag may be coated with a hydrophobic

material. The protective bag may be formed of a composite material which

includes a layer of cellulosic material, with the inner coating of hydrophobic material comprising a synthetic plastics material in the form of polyethylene.

In one embodiment of the invention, the bag is formed of sheet

material consisting of kraft paper or white low density paper coated with

polyethylene. The paper may have a unit weight of between 28 g to 40 g per m²

and the polyethylene coating may have a unit weight of between 9 g to 1 5 g per

The protective bag may be formed of a reflective material having a

colour which enhances reflection of the sun's rays. In a preferred embodiment of

the invention, the colour of the bag is white. Alternatively, the bag may be

manufactured of glycine or rice paper.

At least one fold line may be defined at an open end of the bag for

folding back a portion of the open end in order to close off that part of the open

end in use. The portion may be in the form of a flap.

The protective bag may include a plurality of perforations which are

defined in at least one of the sides of the bag for allowing flow of substances

through the bag . The perforations may be positioned at a lower end of the bag .

Further perforations may be provided at an upper end of the bag for allowing flow

of air from the lower end of the bag towards the upper end of the bag. The

perforations at the upper end of the bag may be provided below the fold line so that the perforations will be covered by the flap in use. The size of the

perforations may be in the order of between about 0, 1 mm and 1 mm.

The fruit may be a mango, which may be covered from an early stage

of its development when it is about the size of a marble or that of a golf ball until

it is ripe.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a

method of securing a fruit bag to an individual fruit, the method including the steps

of inserting the fruit in the bag;

closing off at least a first portion of an open end of the bag so that a stalk of the fruit protrudes through a second portion of the open end; and

tying the second portion of the open end to the stalk with a tie means, so

that the fruit is substantially enclosed in the bag.

The step of closing off the first portion may include the step of folding

over a triangular portion of the open end and securing it in position. The triangular

portion may be secured in position by means of stapling it to a side of the bag or

by means of an adhesive material.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a

protective bag for use in growing fruit which includes

a sheet formed of flexible material which is folded over to form two panels, the panels being sewn together with sewing yarn along two transversely spaced,

longitudinally extending side edges to form side seams, with an opening defined

at one end

between the side seams; and

a tie means formed by means of free ends of the sewing yarn

on either side of the opening.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a

method of fabricating a bag for use in protecting growing fruit which includes the

steps of

folding a sheet of flexible material so that opposite ends of one side of the

sheet abut;

sewing the sheet with sewing yarn along two transversely spaced longitudinally extending side edges, thereby forming an opening between the

abutting ends; and

forming a tie means by means of free ends of the sewing yarn on at least

one side of the opening .

The bag may be made in various sizes depending on the size of fruit.

The invention is now described by way of example with reference to

the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a schematic, three-dimensional view of a protective bag in

accordance with a third aspect of the invention, for use in growing fruit;

Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of the bag shown in Figure 1 , in use;

Figure 3 shows a side view of a protective bag in accordance with a first

aspect of the invention, for use in growing fruit;

Figure 4 shows a further side view of the bag of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of the bag shown in

Figures 3 and 4, in use.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the reference numeral

1 0 generally designates a protective bag, in accordance with the invention, for use

in growing fruit.

The bag 1 0 includes a body 1 2 formed of a sheet of sheet material which is folded in half to form two panels 1 4. The panels 14 are sewn together

with sewing yarn 1 6 along two transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side

edges 1 8 to form side seams 20. The sheet material consists of kraft paper

externally coated with polyethylene.

An opening 22 is defined at one end of the bag 1 0 between the side

seams 20. A tie means or tie 24 is formed on either side of the opening 22 from

knotted ends of the sewing yarn 1 6. In use, the bag 1 0 is located over an individual fruit such as a mango

26, when the mango 26 is then at an early stage of its development and about the

size of a golf ball. The opening 22 of the bag 1 0 is closed off by gathering the

panels 1 4 around a stem 28 of the mango 26. The bag 1 0 is secured to the stem

by securing the ties 24 around the stem 28. The bag 1 0 is left around the mango

26 until it is ripe and ready to be picked as shown by reference numeral 30.

Referring now to Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, a protective bag

for use in growing fruit, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, is

generally indicated by reference numeral 40.

The protective bag 40 includes an integral tie means in the form of a

string 42 which extends from an open end 44 of the bag 40. The bag 40 includes

a first side 46 as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings and a second side 48 as

shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. The bag 40 is formed of a rectangular panel

of a cellulosic material such as paper, having an inner surface which is coated with

a hydrophobic material (not shown) . Ends 50 and 52 of the panel of material

overlap and are secured to each other by means of an adhesive material (not

shown) . And end 42.1 of the string 42 is secured down the length of the bag 40 between the overlapping ends 50 and 52.

A plurality of perforations 54 are defined at the lower end 56 of the

bag 40. It will be appreciated that in use, a fruit such as mango gives off water which collects in the lower end 56 of the bag 40. The perforations 54 therefore

allows flow of accumulated water from the bag 40. A further row of perforations

58 is defined on the side 46 of the bag 40 approximate the open end 44 of the bag

to allow flow of air via the perforations 54 through the bag and out of the

perforations 58.

A triangular flap 62 is defined at the open end 44 of the bag 40 by

fold line 60.

In use, a fruit such as a mango 64 is inserted into the bag 40, when

the mango 64 is at an early stage of its development and about the size of a golf

ball. The triangular flap 62 of the bag 40 is closed off by folding the flap over so

that it abuts the side 46 of the bag 40. The flap 62 is secured in position by means of staples 66, with a pedicel or peduncle (fruit stalk) 68 of the mango 64

protruding through a second portion 70 of the open end 44 of the bag 40. The

second portion 70 of the open end 44 is then tied to the stalk 68 by means of the

string 42, so that the mango 64 is substantially enclosed in the bag 40.

The applicant believes that the advantages of the invention are that

the bag protects the fruit from insects, fungal spore infection, solar injury, wind

damage, hail, sap spurt at harvest, and bacterial infections.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . A protective bag for use in growing fruit, which includes an integral

tie means for tying to a stalk of the fruit.

2. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 1 , in which the tie means

extends from an open end of the bag.

3. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 2, in which the tie means is

in the form of string.

4. A protective bag as claimed in Claim 3, in which the string extends

from a corner of the bag .

5. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 4, in which the string is

secured down the length of the bag.

6. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 1 , in which an inner surface is coated with a hydrophobic material.

7. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 6, in which the bag is formed

of a composite material which includes a layer of cellulosic material, with the inner

coating of hydrophobic material comprising a synthetic plastics material.

8. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 7, in which the synthetic

plastics material is polyethylene.

9. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 1 , which is formed of a

reflective material having a colour which enhances reflection of the sun's rays.

1 0. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 9, in which the colour of the

bag is white.

1 1 . The protective bag as claimed in Claim 1 , in which the fruit is a

mango.

1 2. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 1 , in which at least one fold

line is defined at an open end of the bag for folding back a portion of the open end

in order to close off that part of the open end in use.

1 3. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 1 2, in which the portion is in

the form of a flap.

14. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 1 , which includes a plurality

of perforations which are defined in at least one of the sides of the bag for

allowing flow of substances through the bag.

1 5. The protective bag as claimed in Claim 1 4, in which the perforations

are positioned at a lower end of the bag.

1 6. A method of securing a fruit bag to an individual fruit, the method

including the steps of inserting the fruit in the bag;

closing off at least a first portion of an open end of the bag so that a stalk

of the fruit protrudes through a second portion of the open end; and

tying the second portion of the open end to the stalk with a tie means, so that the fruit is substantially enclosed in the bag.

1 7. The method as claimed in Claim 1 6, in which the step of closing off

the first portion includes the step of folding over a triangular portion of the open end and securing it in position.

1 8. The method as claimed in Claim 1 7, in which the triangular portion is

secured in position by means of stapling it to a side of the bag.

1 9. The method as claimed in Claim 1 7, in which the triangular portion is

secured in position by means of an adhesive material.