WO2012078106A1

WO2012078106A1 - Device for separating of thin layers

Info

Publication number: WO2012078106A1
Application number: PCT/SE2011/051489
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henrik Karlsson
Original assignee: Henrik Karlsson
Priority date: 2010-12-10
Filing date: 2011-12-09
Publication date: 2012-06-14
Also published as: SE1051304A1; SE535464C2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1) for facilitating the separation of thin objects which adhere to each other, such as for example bags (2) of plastic or similar material, and which consists of a stationary body (6). A number of grooves (7-7²) extending in defined directions, which are embedded in said body (6), are arranged to exhibit a sticky surface or another material adhering to an intended applicable object, and which grooves (7-7²) converge in a common centre for picking up one separable side of a bag or another thin object by means of a grip obtained between the thumb and further finger/fingers of the person in question.

Description

Device for separating thin layers The present invention relates to a device for facilitating the separation of thin objects which adhere to each other, such as for example bags of plastic or similar material, and which consists of a stationary body .

It is known that it is a problem to open for example thin plastic bags at home and in shops, for example at the fruit and vegetable counters, in a hygienic and simple way, and to be able to open bags when one wishes to put fruits and vegetables into them in the shop or when one wishes to put bread into the freezer in smaller packages at home. It could be possible to use so called banknote counters in the form of fingerstalls provided with short projections, but one seldom has such in the pockets when one goes out shopping, or it could also be possible to use other more or less complicated opening tools.

A known way, which is not very good, is to lick two fingers in order to use them to separate the opening of the bag easily. This is not very hygienic, since one uses the same moistened fingers to touch and pick up different objects in the shop or at home. By licking the fingers one also exposes oneself to the risk of being infected after having touched the handles of a trolley or a wire basket, since it is known that infec- tions may easily spread through such contact due to all bacilli and bacteria existing there. It is also possible to crease the opening of the bag between the hands, but this is time-consuming and does not always lead to a successful opening, at least not at the first attempt.

By WO 01/25091 Al, for example, which corresponds to EP 1137574 Bl, a method and a device to open plastic bags easily is previously known. The method comprises the use of a friction increasing surface or a suction device, which clings to one of the walls of the bag, while the adjacent wall of the bag, which then has decreased the engagement with the wall of the bag adjacent to the bottom, is lifted up. However, only one finger is used to separate the upper wall of the bag from the lower wall of the bag in order to be able to open the bag properly, see for example column 3, 0017 and Figs. 2 and 3. There is then a risk of dropping the bag on the floor, and it is known that plastic bags on floors constitute a serious risk for the customers, who might slip.

If it instead were possible to separate the walls of the bag from contact with each other as well as open the bag by means of one and the same manipulation, this would essentially facilitate the situation.

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to obtain a device, which among other things solves the problems and wishes described above in an effective and safe way.

Said object is reached by means of a device according to the present invention, which is mainly characterized in that a number of grooves extending in defined directions, which are embedded in said body, are arranged to exhibit a sticky surface or another material adhering to an intended applicable object, and which grooves converge in a common centre for picking up and thereby opening one separable side of a bag or another thin object by means of a grip obtained between the thumb and further finger/fingers of a person.

The invention is described below as a number of preferred embodiments, whereby it is referred to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1-4 illustrate a device according to the invention in operation from the beginning to the end when opening a plastic bag,

Figs. 5-7 illustrate examples of bag openers seen from different directions,

Fig. 8 illustrates a combined cover and bottom of the bag opener,

Fig. 9 illustrates a shaft of the bag opener,

Fig. 10 illustrates the shaft received directly by the bag opener at its underside,

Figs. 11-12 illustrate various examples of bag openers,

Figs. 13-17 illustrate variants of the bag opener, and

Figs. 18-19 are perspective views of a variant of the invention with removable hood and specially designed bottom and a holder body for the hood.

A device 1 intended to be used in various places, such as shops, households and other places, where one wishes to separate plastic bags 2 and other double- sided products which tend to adhere to one another and thereby make it more difficult to separate for example the openings 3 of the bags, so that one layer 4 of the two layers 4, 5 of the bag may be separated from the remaining layer 5 of the bag 2 or another object, which one wishes to separate, is shown as an example in Fig. 1 and in Figs. 2-4 as a process of opening a bag 2. Said device 1 for facilitating the separation of adhering thin objects, such as for example bags 2 of plastic or similar material, and which is constituted by a stationary body 6 with a number of grooves 7, 7¹, 7², 7³, ...7ⁿ extending in defined direc- tions, which are located in said body 6, and which grooves 7-7ⁿ exhibit a sticky surface 8 or another material, which makes the body and its grooves 7-7" adhere to an intended applicable object, is arranged to be stationary and/or mobile, i.e. easy to move and bring to an intended place, for the opening of bags, for example. Said grooves 7-7ⁿ, which converge in a common centre 9 of the body 6 in order to, in the region of said centre 9, make it possible to pick up one separable side 10 of a bag 2 or any other thin object by means of a grip obtained between the thumb 11 and a further finger or fingers 12, 13 of a person, preferably the forefinger, but also the middle finger, may be used to obtain an effective picking grip 15 by means of the hand 14 and thereby an opening of said bag.

When the body 6 of said device 1 prefer- ably exhibits a circular shape, at least three grooves 7, 7¹, 7² are arranged, which converge in a common said centre 9 on the upper side 16 of the body. Said number of grooves 7-7ⁿ are curved and/or inclined in relation to an imaginary plane 17, which, preferably, coincides with the plane bottom 18 of the body 6.

Preferably, said grooves 7-7ⁿ extend along a dome-shaped convex body 6 in the direction 19 towards the centre 9 of the body, which is located at the top portion 20 of the body. Said centre 9 of the body 6 may exhibit a pointed star-shaped portion 21 with straight valleys 22 and straight peaks 23, respectively, which are illustrated as examples in Figs. 5-6. Said valleys 22 run into adjacent valleys 24 of the grooves. The width B of said grooves 7, for example, corresponds to the width of the thumb and fingers of a person, and, preferably the grooves 7 extend from the area situated near by the outer peripheral portion of the body, as is shown in Fig. 5, for example. The grooves may start with a curved entrance portion 7A. As well as straight valleys and peaks the grooves may exhibit rounded shapes in the illustrated way.

In Fig. 14 the function of the device 1 is illustrated when the body 6 is straight and when grooves 7-7² extend angularly in relation to one another, i.e. two grooves 7, 7² in alignment with one another and one groove 7¹ extending perpendicularly in relation to the other grooves 7, 7².

In Fig. 15 a body 6 is shown, which is formed by a structure similar to a roof, and where the flat sides 50, 51, 52, 53 form surfaces, against which the bag is put and the fingers are moved, from its lower portions 50A, 51A, 52A, 53A towards its top portion 50B, 51B, 52B, 53B, as is described above.

In Fig. 16 a body 6 is shown, which exhibits inclined surfaces 75, 76, which are flat or provided with grooves and arranged in pairs opposite to one another.

In Fig. 17 a variant of a body 6 is shown, which is formed as a plate with parallel surfaces 100,

101, which are flat or provided with grooves and arranged in pairs opposite to one another.

Preferably, the body 6 exhibits a

removable bottom portion 28, on which a shaft 25 is arranged, which is to be connected to a bottom connection 31 of the body 6, and by means of said shaft 25 and bottom connection 31 said body 6 may be supported by an upright 26, which, preferably, also forms a bearing shaft for a roll 27 of plastic bags 2. Alternatively, the body 6 may be fastened with screws to a support 32, as is shown in the middle of Fig. 12. However;

- It is not necessary to attach the bottom portion 28 to the body 6 by means of a shaft 25 and a bottom connection 31 to make it possible for the upright 26 to support the body 6.

- The bottom portion 28 may be attached to the body 6 separately.

- The upright 26 may be attached to the body 6 separately.

- The bottom portion 28, the upright 26 and the body 6 may all be put together at the same time, but they are not dependent on one another to be fastened.

At least the grooves 7-7ⁿ of said body 6 are provided with material 29, which increases the adherence to a plastic bag 2 etc., which is applicable

thereon, in that the material of the body 6 and/or a layer, which is threaded thereon and which includes said material, or where said material is sprayed on the body 6, at least along the surfaces, grooves, etc., which are used for the opening operation, causes the applied bag sheet to adhere to the body thanks to the vacuum effect of the material or thanks to the physical effect adhesion.

At least the grooves 7-7ⁿ, but preferably the entire upper portion 16 of the body 6, are covered with a sticky material in the form of TPE, silicone or another polymer material or another material exhibiting similar properties. The upper portion of said body may be covered with either a permanently or removably attached hood 30 of a material which increases the adherence to a plastic bag 2, etc., and said hood 30 is arranged to be able to be attached to the body 6 and to be removed therefrom, respectively, in order to be exchanged and/or cleaned .

The material, which makes one of the layers 4, 5 of for example a plastic bag 2 adhere to the body 6, may, besides the fact that it is sticky, oily plastic, such as TPE or silicone, be of a kind that is static or has a friction increasing grip by exhibiting a coarse surface, for example in the form of sandpaper, which, however, must not damage the bags 2. A highly polished, extremely smooth surface of the hood has, for example, the effect that objects stick more easily to the surface .

A raised edge 36 extending round the embedded grooves in the body 6 makes it possible to further facilitate the opening of the plastic bags 2. The edges make it more easy to separate the different layers of the plastic bag 2 from one another and thereby it is easier to get hold of and open the plastic bag. If one moves the hand/the palm of the hand along the bag 2 when it is applied to the hood 30 of the body 6, the raised edge 36 causes the different layers 4, 5 of the plastic bag to be separated from one another more easily. By moving the entire hand/palm of the hand along the plastic bag 2, which is applied to the hood 30, the different layers 4, 5 of the plastic bag 2 are more easily separated from one another. Then, by moving the fingers in the embedded grooves 7-7ⁿ the plastic bag is opened. In practice it may be sufficient to move the palm of the hand along the plastic bag to separate the layers of the bag from one another, but the opening operation may also be carried out as a combination of moving the fingers in the grooves after having moved the palm of the hand along the plastic bag. The raised edges 36 may extend in different ways and in different directions on the surface, and they do not have to follow any special patterns or similar. In practice this means that the edges 36 raised from the surface of the body 6 may extend in any way.

A number of small holes 35 in the bottom of the embedded grooves 7-7" in the shell of the body 6 may function as a valve, which conveys air out of as well as lets air into the pocket formed in the space between the hood 30 and said embedded grooves 7-7". When the fingers are pressed down against the hood 30 and press against the bottom of the groove 7-7" the air disappears out through the hole 35, and then, when the fingers are removed from the hood 30, air is let into the pocket through the hole again and the hood returns to its normal position. The device operates also without these holes, the only differrence is that it takes longer time for the hood to return to its normal position, since the air must be sucked in from the area round the grooves. Correspondingly, the air must be removed when the hood is pressed down and the air is pressed away.

Oblong or circular holes 37 in the bottom portion 38 are intended to be screw holes in order to fasten the bottom portion 28 in a suitable support, for example existing eguipment in a shop, by means of screws. It is also possible to use the screw holes in order to fasten the bottom portion 28 by means of for example screws and nuts together with a U-shaped hold around a round or angular object, for example a tube or a latch of the equipment in a shop or for example round the handle of a trolley or a carriage for cleaning purposes. Of course, it is also possible to fasten the bottom portion 28 by means of tape or in any other suitable way. In practice screw holes 37 are only applicable for bottom portions exhibiting a flat underside, i.e. the bottom portions which do not have any conical tube on the underside.

Such a preferably conical tube 38 on the underside of the bottom portion is intended to be wedged, for example to be attached in the tube, preferably of cardboard, but also other material may be used, on which plastic bags are usually rolled. The conical shape means that the diameter of for example the cardboard tube, against which the bottom portion is to be wedged, may vary without making it difficult to fasten the bottom portion, since it is simply pressed down until it is properly wedged against the edges of the cardboard tube.

It is an advantage that both types of bottom portion has a plate, since the hood cannot come loose as it is tightened round the body 6, since it is then clamped between the body 6 and the plate of the bottom portion. The hood 30 may exhibit a ring 39 in its peripheral portion similar a ring located at the very bottom of a balloon, around which the lips are put when the balloon is inflated. The ring 39 exhibits such a diameter that it cannot get out of the space that may arise between the body 6 and the bottom portion 28 when the hood 30 is clamped between them.

Thanks to the design of the bottom portion 28 it is not possible to reach the underside of the body 6 and in that way, consciously or unconsciously, remove the hood by pulling it so that it comes loose from the body 6. The hood 30 may exhibit various sizes. If it is smaller than the body 6, it has to be stretched in order to enclose the body 6.

The invention may also make it easier for persons with functional impairments, for example persons whose hands have impaired strength and mobility, such as rheumatics who usually have difficulties in gripping and opening plastic bags, to open such bags, and it may also be used in other fields than as mentioned above, such as for example on carriages for cleaning, in order to open big and small plastic bags for garbage, etc.

By the expression plastic it is to be understood that also other materials tending to adhere to one another owing to for example static electricity or other physical effects, which makes it difficult to separate the walls of plastic bags, are to be included. For example, it could also be possible to use materials consisting of maize starch or similar and which are compostable, but which also tend to be difficult to open.

By the expression parallel is meant two separate lines extending side by side with one another and which are located at a constant distance from one another.

The function and method of use should have been clear and understood from the above description and the illustrations of the drawings. An alternative embodi- ment of the invention is defined in one of the claims, according to which the grooves are missing and instead the shape of the body is important.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are possible,

especially as far as the nature of the different parts is concerned, or by using equivalent techniques, without departing from the scope of the invention as it is defined in the patent claims. For example, the shape of the body may be varied. In the illustrated examples the shape is spherical, but also other shapes may be used, such as roof-shape and plate-shape. For example, it could also be possible to spray the material in question on the body in order to increase its adherence to objects separated, for example plastic bags.

Claims

P a t e n t C l a i m s 1. Device (1) for facilitating the separation of thin objects which adhere to each other, such as for example bags (2) of plastic or similar material, and which consists of a stationary body (6), c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that a number of grooves (7-7ⁿ) extending in defined directions, which are embedded in said body (6), are arranged to exhibit a sticky surface (8) or another material adhering to an intended applicable object, and which grooves (7-7ⁿ) converge in a common centre (9) for picking up and thereby opening one separable side (10) of a bag or another thin object by means of a grip (15) obtained between the thumb (11) and further finger/fingers (12, 13) of the person in question.

2. Device according to Claim 1, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d i n that at least three grooves (7-7²) converge in a common centre (9) .

3. Device according to anyone of the

preceding Claims , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said number of grooves (7-7ⁿ) are curved or inclined in relation to an imagined plane (17) .

4. Device according to Claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said grooves (7-7ⁿ) extend along a dome-shaped body (6) towards the centre (9) of the body at its top portion (20) .

5. Device according to Claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the centre (9) of the body (6) exhibits a pointed star-shaped portion (21) with straight valleys (22) and straight peaks (23), respectively, and which valleys (22) run into adjacent valleys of the grooves ( 7-7ⁿ) .

6. Device according to anyone of the

preceding Claims , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that a number of vent holes (35) are arranged in the bottom of said grooves (7-7ⁿ) .

7. Device according to anyone of the Claims 4-6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said body (6) is supported by an upright (26) , which preferably also forms a bearing shaft for a roll (27) of plastic bags 2.

8. Device according to anyone of the

preceding Claims , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that on the upper surface of said body (6) a number of raised edges (36) extend, preferably that they extend along the grooves (7-7ⁿ) embedded in the body (6) .

9. Device according to anyone of the Claims 4-8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the body (6) exhibits a preferably removable bottom portion (28), on which a shaft (25) for the body (6) is arranged, and preferably also a conical bottom tube (38) for the

reception of a suitable tubular upright.

10. Device according to Claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that screw holes (37), circular or oblong, extend through said bottom portion (28) .

11. Device according to anyone of the

preceding Claims , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that least the grooves (7-7ⁿ) of said body (6) are provided with material (29) , which increases the adherence to a plastic bag (2) etc., applicable thereon.

12. Device according to anyone of the

preceding Claims , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the entire upper portion of the body (6) is covered with sticky material in the form of TPE, silicone or another adhesive material of polymer material.

13. Device according to anyone of the

preceding Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the upper side of said body is covered with a hood (30) of a material, which increases the adherence to a plastic bag (2) etc., and that said hood (30) is arranged either to be permanently attached to the body (6) or removably attached to the body, whereby it can be removed therefrom, for example in order to be exchanged.

14. Device according to Claim 13,

c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the external surface of the hood (30) exhibits a highly polished, smooth surface which makes it easier for objects to adhere to it.

15. Device according to anyone of the Claims 13-14, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the hood (30) exhibits a ring (39) at its peripheral portion, preferably at the lower edge of the hood, which is to be clamped between a body (6) and a bottom portion (28) .

16. Device (1) for facilitating the separation of thin objects which adhere to each other, such as for example bags (2) of plastic or similar material, and which consists of a stationary body (6) , c h a r a c t e r - i z e d i n that the upper surface of said body is convex with said sticky surface (8) or other friction increasing material located on its upwards turned, upper surface, and which is arranged to adhere to one separable side (10) of a bag or another thin object by means of a grip (15) obtained between the thumb (11) and a further finger/further fingers (12, 13) of the person in guestion.

17. Device (1) for facilitating the separation of thin objects which adhere to each other, such as for example bags (2) of plastic or similar material, and which consists of a stationary body, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that at least two parallel vertical surfaces (100, 101), which are located opposite each other and at a mutual distance from each other, or contact surfaces (50, 52; 51, 53; 75, 76), which are located at an angle in relation to each other, and which exhibit a sticky surface or a friction increasing material on their contact

surfaces, are arranged to adhere to an applicable bag in order to pick up and open one separable side (10) of the bag by means of a grip (15) obtained between the thumb

(11) and a further finger/further fingers (12, 13) of the person in question.

18. Device according to anyone of the

preceding Claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the body exhibits spherical shape.