AU2014100243A4 - Warp Knit, rib weave woven cotton singlet bag - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A reusable cotton singlet shape bag (fig 1) which provides an environmentally sustainable alternative to all single use plastic ( HDPE etc) singlet shape bags used in supermarkets and retail stores that integrally includes two handles (8, 9) and a lower bag section (4) manufactured from tubular knitted cotton fabric which has a high load carrying ability allowing the fabric to stretch in all directions according to the load placed within the bag section and suspended by the handles, will fit the supermarket loading frames at the self loading/checkout locations and when empty the bag also is able to be folded into a small relatively compact size for reuse. V ztace~ 1~ I -4; k5 'S.- it f~v. V *.~ a .' A A4 g~ S / ( c ~ c~ \ \> 4,. ----L A /' I> A '<1 ~ A ;J~ S ~ / ~;- 'S A' '7-. , 7< It 4.'

Description

1 Title: Warp knit, rib weave cotton singlet bag Summary of Innovation Technical problem 1. Many societies have used the H.D.P.E. and their derivatives as their cheep production costs in supplying new clean 'give away' plastic shopping bags at no direct cost to consumers has culminated in billions of singlet shape bags has created an environmental problem. These types of bags are basically single use and are discarded into general rubbish for transport to landfill stations. 2. Supermarkets and retail outlets are the biggest "suppliers" of HDPE (etc) bags to consumers, even though they supply alternative reuse bags these bags are poorly designed, bulky and are not suited to their packing systems and utilize plastic within their design. Some supermarkets have recycling points for recycling of plastic bags of which only a fraction are deposited for recycling. 3. The retail industry through consumer pressure the manufacturing industry has provided 'environmentally green" bags manufactured to AUS Standard ATSM D 6954-04. This standard provides the bag to spend at least two weeks in an industrial composter to produce pieces of plastic 5mm or less in size to decompose over thousands of years in landfill. 4. Some local and state governments have passed legislation in banning of plastic bags of that are 35microns or less and have allowed thicker bags to be sold or given away to encourage multiple re use and recycling, this will cause thicker plastic bags into landfill and cause further environmental problems. 5. Plastic supermarket bags due to their light weight are easily distributed by wind or water into our rivers and marine environments as their low disintegration rates creating problems for aquatic life.

2 6. Current reuse bags are bulky and have not gained large consumer acceptance as they do not lend themselves to easy portability and become soiled thus less desirable for placing of foodstuffs. 7. The current re-use bags are not able to be packed or folded conveniently into a hand bag or pocket. 8. Plastic bags supplied by retail and supermarket have a low load carrying ability as demonstrated by the checkout procedures of either double bagging heavy items or only placing a low number of items in each bag creating a greater number of bags used per customer and subsequently going to land fill. 9. Lightweight Supermarket bags when loaded will compress and become thinner ribbons causing discomfort to the consumer's hands due to the increase of pressure points.

3 Solution to the Problem 10. The present innovation described in this document is an environmentally sustainable product, produced from a natural 100% cotton fiber being a natural product and is very easily able to be decomposed in landfill, home or industrial composter or aquatic environment as it is easily ingested and broken down by mould, bacteria, insects and invertebrates. 11. The knitted cotton singlet bag is preferred to be easily adapted to the current retail supermarket operator or self serve checkout loading frames by the simple single twist of the opposed handles left and right to the arms of the bag frames that will provide the support while loading. 12. The knitted cotton bag as described in this document also has superior load carrying capacity due to the knitted cotton material being able to stretch in multiple directions with out compromising its strength and when unpacked it will return to its original shape, with the stitching of the handles and neck of the bag limiting the elasticity of the opening and carrying. 13. The knitted cotton bag is machine or hand washable if soiled, ensuring long serviceable life facilitates reuse and recycling. 14. The cotton used in the manufacture of this innovation has a high wicking ability to assist moisture transference from the packaging to the bag and may aid in cooling by evaporation and reduce sweating of fresh vegetables and fruits. 15. The design of this innovation will create soft and natural comfort on the consumer's hands as the design of the handles spreads the weight over a wider area. 16. The bags in this innovation are able to carry a large number of items as most items are individually wrapped/packaged thus reducing /eliminating cross contamination of foodstuffs or goods.

4 17. The knitted cotton bags are easily compressed to fit within a palm rolled, folded or scrunched or for carrying in purse pocket or hand to the shops for use. 18. The knitted cotton bag as described is able to have a high load carrying ability and will not split or tear require double bagging and if signs of were to occur and the consumer declares the bag no longer to be of use it then has many past life uses such as a polishing rag (glass, furniture, car, bike) dish washing, plant container, motor trades rag, can be shredded for greater absorbency and used in spills for various industrial uses and even in compost bins for garden. 19. The knitted cotton bags are easily compressed to fit within a palm rolled, folded or scrunched for carrying in purse pocket or hand to the retail outlet for use. 20. The knitted cotton bag as described is able to have a high load carrying ability and will not split or tear require double bagging and if signs of were to occur and the consumer declares the bag no longer to be of use it then has many past life uses such as a polishing rag (glass, furniture, car, bike) dish washing, plant container, motor trades rag, can be shredded for greater absorbency and used in spills for various industrial uses and even in compost bins for garden.

5 Advantageous effect of Innovation 21. The innovation has the ability to conserve resources to minimize the effects of single use plastic shopping bags on the environment and in landfill by providing an environmental practical alternative that can be digested by nature being a natural sustainable product. 22. The innovation product would utilize the current world wide cotton farming production to produce an environmentally sustainable product. 23. The innovation uses the manufacturing facilities already producing knitted cotton material for the underwear industry. 24. The innovation of the product utilizes the current manufacturers of underwear for the retail industry for consumers. 25. The innovation if found in a marine environment will be broken down by the bacteria and marine life as it will sink to the bottom of rivers lakes and oceans where it is a naturally occurring product and easily attacked by organisms and if found on the seashore it will be again attacked by bacteria and organisms to be broken down into cellulose for digestion and sugars. 26. Cotton singlet material will not float like plastic and be a danger to aquatic life. 27. Multiple secondary reuses in households, industry and can be washed, or reused as a secondary item use giving this innovative product an extremely high environmental cost advantage. 28. The innovation as a shopping grocery bag will have high consumer acceptance as the design has already worldwide acceptance. 29. The bag in this innovation can be used as the current plastic singlet bag loading racks can be utilized without modification or re-training as fitted in the supermarkets and some retail outlets.

6 30. The bag in this innovation has been designed for a long useful life and any printing/logos/advertising with natural dyes or bio-degradable ink will also ensure a long visual customer relationship.

7 Brief description of drawings 31. In order that the innovation can be more readily understood and manufactured, the following is a description of the drawings that is broken into 2 main processes 1.Cutting and 2.Sewing. 32. If printing is required on the bags then the printing is completed before manufacturing process begins. 33. Figure 1 (fig 1) is an isometric view of the manufactured bag illustrating the two (a&b) handles being formed from the tubular knitted cotton material after the cutting and sewing process. Figure 2 (fig 2) is the pattern created for the cutting process. Cutting 34. Using the pattern from fig.2 length is determined by a horizontal cut across the bottom (f) of the tubular knitted material as the top edge is already created from the manufacturing process and initial horizontal cut maybe required to straighten the top knitted edge from the manufacturing process of the knitted singlet cotton tube. 35. The knitted cotton tube is folded in half vertically so both edges left & right meet as this will create symmetry, and facilitate the cutting process, i.e. four (4) layers with one cut. 36. The pattern is used to mark the yoke or top of the bag to crate the hole in which goods will be placed and marked for the handle holes or arms left and right. 37. The first cut is (c) which is the yoke or the top opening of the bag will be cut as per the pattern (fig2) and which is cut on the same line for the back top of the bag opening- one cut for both. 38. The side holes (e&d) left and right of the material will be cut as per the pattern (fig2) which will form the handles; this completes the handles (a&b) as one cut will be made for both sides of the knitted cotton tube 8 39. All off cuts being recycled for other uses. 40. The sewing process will be done with an over locker sewing machine using a marinised cotton thread. Sewing 41. All sewing lines at start and finish of will be sewn over each other to minimize fraying/unraveling. 42. The first sewing will be the top of the handles where the cotton material will be a small overlap and sewn enclosing the top of the handles. Overlapping will give extra strength to the bag where the most strain will be created when carrying goods. 43. The top of the bag which is the opening to the bag (c) the edges are folded over once and starting at the top of (a) handle a continuous line of sewing is created along (gi) along to handle (b) along (g2) to finish back at handle(a)at the beginning of the sewing. This edge is completed in a circular pattern with out any breaks. 44. The left or right handle hole (d&e) is to be completed next and will be the same for both sides on the cut. The edge will be folded over and sewn from the top of the handle clockwise around the handle hole (hl&h2) or (il&i2) to finish at the top of the handle (a or b) as this will complete the top part of the bag. 45. If the bag is to be screen printed on the printing process would be inserted here and then bag returned for final sewing 46. Bag will then be sewn across the base (f) by over locking the open section front and back from left to right thus enclosing the lower bag section (j).

Claims (5)

1. A reusable bag (refer figure 1) made from tubular knitted cotton material when held upright has the bag on the lower section and handles on the higher section opposed and formed integrally with the bag section as all being formed from one section of tubular knitted cotton material with the handles being upward from the bag section, and said handles (a,b) are created by joining (d l,d2) the top of the tubular knitted cotton material suitable to be held by supermarket/shop loading frames at checkout points and able to be filled by access to the container from the opening (c) at the top of the bag section formed from the enclosing (f) of the bottom of the tubular knitted cotton material which by manufacture is stretchable in all directions and the stitching used to create the bag is able to be stretch with the material so that the bag may be loaded and filled as required with the number and size of goods to be carried.

2. A bag as claimed in 1 wherein the bag is formed/manufactured from a single piece of tubular knitted cotton fabric with a gsm of 20 to 200gsm, ideally manufactured with 180gsm to keep the bag durable, light weight, compact and washable.

3. The bag as according to 1 and 2 wherein the handles (a, b) the yoke (c) and right and left (e, d) cutout sections creating handles and base (f) are folded over and stitched so that all folds and joins of the knitted cotton material is doubled, becomes part of the integrity of the bag creating strength and aesthetics and ensures longer life for reuse by eliminating fraying of the knitted cotton material where it has been cut during manufacture.

4. A bag as claimed in 1,2,3, of the claims wherein the material is manufactured from warp knit rib weave tubular cotton material

5. As per claims 1,2,3,4, the bag substantially described as here in with reference to and illustrated by the accompanied drawings.