MXPA00004014A - Reclosable pouch with reinforced handle - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible package, and a method of forming such package, which includes two sheets of material joined together at side portions and a bottom portion, with the top edge being open. The top edge is sealed at one portion thereof to provide a reinforced portion, and the remaining portion forms a discharge spout. A handle opening is formed in thereinforced portion, and a fastening strip extends across the entire top edge to provide a openable fastening strip at the spout, and to provide a non-openable portion adjacent the handle opening to provide reinforcement thereat.

Description

BAG WITH REINFORCED ASA. WHAT CAN BE CLOSED BACK, AND METHOD TO OBTAIN IT / Background of the Invention This invention relates, generally, to bags or packages made of a flexible material and, more particularly, to packages of this type, which include a small bag to contain material there and a passage, which can be opened. and close, selectively, through which the material can be downloaded from the package. Packages obtained from a film, monolayer or flexible multilayer, such as polyethylene, nylon or polyester, are manufactured in a wide variety of shapes, which are designed to better contain a particulate material, and also allow the material to be discharged , in an easy and conventional way, when desired. In some cases, the nature of the material to be packed makes it very convenient to supply the package with a reduced width, adjacent to the discharge opening of the package, in order to supply the package with a tube through which the material can be discharged. or emptied more easily. A typical package of this type is described by Tobolka, U.S. Patent No. 5,378,065. However, because the equipment and conventional methods of i i t t t, i v = .. .. i ^^, ^. "^ ._. ,. - t _. «.« «....» »-» - ^ .. - ».,.

The manufacture of the package generally does not make it economically feasible to attach a selectively openable closure device, such as a zipper-type closure strip, through only a portion of the discharge edge of the bag, until now it is not known to manufacture a package with a reduced discharge tube, and a closure strip that extends just through the portion of the discharge tube into the bag. Additionally, bags that are designed to have discharge tubes, often contain liquids and other relatively heavy materials and, therefore, it is convenient to supply the package with a handle, to be easily carried. In general, the easiest and least expensive way to supply a plastic package with a handle, is simply to drill an opening through the side walls of the package, by which the fingers of the hand can be inserted into the opening to carry the bag. However, drilling a hole in the side walls of the package adversely affects the structural integrity of the thin plastic material from which the package is made and this problem is exacerbated when the material contained in the package is relatively heavy. In accordance with the present invention, a package is provided which is formed with a convenient discharge tube, while, at the same time, it has a closure strip for selectively opening and closing the discharge tube, and the package is provided with a portion of reinforced handle, which is easy to produce and strong enough to carry a package with relatively heavy materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a flexible package for containing material and allowing this material to be discharged therefrom. The package includes two layers or two sheets of a flexible material, joined together at the side portions to form a bag portion to contain the material, and has an edge portion, through which the material can be unloaded. A reinforced portion is disposed adjacent an edge portion, in which the two sheets of flexible material are sealed together over a predetermined area, and this reinforced portion is spaced from one of the sealed side portions, to provide a discharge passage of material. A handle opening is formed in the reinforced portion, and an elongate fastener strip extends through the two sheets of material, adjacent an edge portion. This elongate fastener strip includes a first portion, which extends through the material discharge passage and can be selectively opened and closed, to open and close the material. passage, and a second portion, which can not be opened, extending through the reinforced portion, adjacent the handle opening and between this handle opening in an edge portion, to provide additional reinforcement in the opening of the handle. handle. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the handle opening is provided with a flap of flexible material, disposed in the handle opening and attached to one of the flexible sheets by a hinge connection, so that the flap can be moved outside the opening by the hinge connection, to provide a more comfortable surface for contact with a hand, which extends through the handle opening. A small break tab can be provided to extend between the fin and one edge of the handle opening, to temporarily hold the tab in place. Also, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the two sheets of the flexible material are sealed together on the two opposite side portions and include a closed bottom side portion, and a discharge edge extends between the opposite side portions and is parallel to the bottom side portion, to form the bag with a generally rectangular configuration. The present invention also provides a method for obtaining a flexible package to contain ^^ te ^^ .. material and this method comprises the steps of continuously moving two bands of flexible material along a predetermined path of movement with these two bands being juxtaposed, so that the opposite side edges of the moving bands are placed adjacent to each other, and continuously depositing an elongate, selectively openable fastening strip between the two webs in the travel direction of the web and sealing the fastening strip to a web in a position adjacent to one of its side edges. The method also includes joining together the adjacent portions of the two bands, along the other of their side edges, to provide a closed bottom side of the flexible package, and seal the two bands together along seal lines located in a spaced relation parallel to each other and extending transverse to the path of movement to supply two opposite side portions of the flexible package. The method also includes the step of compressing a portion of the elongate fastener strip, which extends between the seal lines to cause this portion not to be able to open, and forms a handle opening, which extends through the two bands. in a position adjacent to the compressed portion of the fastening strip and between this fastening strip and the closed bottom side of the flexible package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a plan view of the flexible package of the present invention; and Figure 2 is a schematic view showing the method by which the flexible package of the present invention is obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Looking in more detail at the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a flexible package 10 for containing a material and allowing the material to be discharged therefrom. This package 10 is constructed of two sheets or layers 12 of flexible material (which may be a single sheet folded into itself or of multiple sheets joined together) joined at their side portions 14, to form a bag portion 16 to contain there material (not shown) and has an upper edge portion 18 through which the material can be discharged. It will be understood that in Figure 1, only one of the two sheets 12 of flexible material is visible, but an identical sheet of flexible material, having an identical configuration, is disposed behind the visible sheet 12 and sealed throughout the the side edges 14 and the bottom edge 20, to form the bag 16, with a generally rectangular configuration. A ^. ^. lA. ^ ^ AJ ^.,. "", "^, ^" _, Conventional reinforcement 20 'is formed at the bottom edge o20, so that the bottom surface of the package 10 can be flattened and allow the package to be erected. The sheets 12 of flexible material are sealed together 5 over a predetermined area, to form a reinforced portion 22, which is disposed adjacent the discharge edge 18 and this reinforced portion 22 is spaced from one of the side edges 14 to supply a passage 24 of unloading material that has a reduced area, in compassion with the bag 16, so as to form a discharge tube, through which the material, inside the bag 16, can be easily discharged, when the package 10 is turned over, so that the passage or discharge tube 24 go down. A handle opening 26 is formed in the reinforced portion 22 and extends through both sheets 12 of flexible material, to allow the package 10 to be carried by inserting the fingers of the hand through the handle opening 26. This handle opening 26 can be perforated sheets 12 of the flexible material, to provide an unobstructed opening, but, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the handle opening 26 has a flap 28 of flexible material, disposed within the handle opening 26 and attached to one of leaves 12 of flexible material, in a hinge connection 30, so the 7 flap 28 can be moved out of the handle opening 26, around the hinge connection 30, to provide a more comfortable surface for contact with the fingers of the hand, which extend through the handle opening 26. A break tab 32 can be provided to extend between the flap 28 and an edge of the handle opening 26, to temporarily retain the flap in position within the handle opening 26, until the bag is used, and allow the handle can be moved out of the opening 26 of handle exerting a small force on the flap 28 to tear off the break tab 32. An elongated grip strip 34, which can be reopened and closed, extends all the way through two sheets 12 of flexible material, adjacent to the portion 18 of the discharge edge. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fastener strip 34 is of the conventional zipper type of the fastener, but it will be understood that other equivalent fasteners can be used, which can be opened and reclosed. The grip strip 34 includes a The first portion 36 extends through the discharge passage or tube 24, and this portion can be selectively opened and closed in a conventional manner to open and close the discharge passage 24. The fastener strip 34 also includes a second portion 38, which extends to through the reinforced portion 22 of the package 10, adjacent 8 '"AW > fliarilMÍ' S - l '• * -' • - '-. ^^ ml? Uam ^ mm ^^ .. ^,... ^ ^," &"; Jj, ^ ¡. .. closely to the handle opening 26 and this second portion 38 is disposed between the handle opening 26 and the upper edge portion 18. This second portion 38 is formed so that it will not open when the first fastener strip portion 5 is opened to discharge material through the discharge passage 24. There are many ways in which the second portion 38 may become impossible to open, but, in the preferred embodiment, the fastener strip 34 is simply compressed into a small area 34 thereof, which is adjacent to the discharge passage 24, as illustrated in Figure 1. The ends of the fastening strip 34, adjacent to each side edge of the package 10, can also be compressed so that they can not be opened. Looking at Figure 1, it will be noted that the second The non-openable portion 38 of the fastening strip 34 extends along the entire length of the handle opening 26, to provide the reinforcement of the sheets 12 of flexible material, just above the handle opening 26, so when package 10 is taken, the charge imposed by the height of the material in the bag is carried in the reinforced portion of the package 10, which is provided by the sealed and reinforced package portion 22, and the non-openable portion 38 of the fastening strip 34. It is evident that the maximum reinforcement of the leaves is obtained using the combination of the reinforced package portion 22 MdHUM || a ^ | HM ----- itiiiÉiinim n? R | | T | I and the non-openable portion 38 of the fastening strip 34, but in some packages 10 the reinforcement provided by the non-openable portion 38 of the fastening strip 34 is sufficient, and the portion 22 of the reinforced package can be significantly reduced in size (for example just around the periphery of the opening). 26 of the handle). Thus, the flexible package of the present invention is formed with a convenient discharge passage or tube 24, and this discharge tube can be easily opened and closed selectively by the operation of the openable portion 36 of the fastener strip 34. Additionally, package 10 is provided with a reinforced portion 22 and a fastener strip portion 38, which can not be opened. As an example only, the bag can be used to contain live fish that are taken from an aquarium, with an appropriate amount of water to keep the fish alive, while being transported from a warehouse to the home aquarium. The passage or discharge tube 24 allows water and fish to be easily discharged from the container, and the relatively heavy load imposed on the bag by the weight of the water, can be easily carried without tearing or breaking the package 12, due to the reinforcement supplied above the handle opening 26. Also, as will be described in more detail below, the flexible package of the present invention is easy to manufacture, because the strip 10 fastener 34 can be applied continuously to the sheets 12 of flexible material, as the sheets 12 move along a conventional assembly line forming the package. Finally, many conventional packages with 5 handles, which are used to contain material that is subjected to decomposition, must include a seal that extends through the upper portion of the bag, to prevent any migration inside the package and the tear strip and separation is provided, by which this seal can be remove when the contents of the package are going to be downloaded. In most cases, the handle opening is located above the tear and separation strip, and when this strip is removed to remove the seal from the package, the handle is also removed. In package 10 of this According to the invention, a tear and separation seal (not shown) can easily be added to the package 10, coming from the fastening strip 34, after the package 10 has been filled with a material and, since the handle opening 26 will remain in place. its place and it will be fully functional in retain the bag or assist in unloading the material from the bag, even after the tear and separation seal has been removed. The method for forming the package 10 of the present invention is illustrated schematically in Figure 2. This The process begins with a roll 40 of flexible material, and 11 '-rf n-f? ^ s "teaafe» »- this flexible material is unwound from the roll and folded on itself, in a conventional manner, to form two sheets or layers 12 of material that overlap. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, conventional and well known equipment 5 is used to unwind the flexible material and fold it on itself, as described above and illustrated in Figure 2, but it will be understood that the package 10 of this invention can also be made using other conventional and well-known equipment that joins together the two sheets of unwrapped material, from separate rolls of material (not shown) or using conventional and well-known equipment, whereby a sheet of material is Divide into two pieces, with one being arranged on top of the other. After the sheets of material are folded, another strip of flexible material is unwound from a second roll 42, and this strip of flexible material passes over a rotary bar and a folding station 44, in which the flexible strip of the material 42 It bends and inserts between the two sheets 12 of flexible material, to form the reinforcement 20 at the bottom of the package 10, all in a well known and conventional manner. This stage can be omitted if the package is not going to be an "erect" package. At the same time, a continuous length of the fastening strip 4 is unwound from a roll 46 and placed 12 g ^ Hjj ^ between the two sheets 12 of flexible material, to extend in the direction of travel of the sheets 12 of flexible material, along the top or discharge edges 18 thereof, and the bands or leaves 12, which are continuously moved, of flexible material go along a predetermined trajectory of movement with the two bands 12 being juxtaposed, so that the opposite lateral edges of the moving bands 12 are located adjacent to each other in the top of edge 18 of unloading of the package, and the strips 12 are first transported past a sealing station 48 of the conventional fastener strip, in which the fastening strip 34 is sealed to the traveling strips or sheets 12. Next, the 12 travel bands move past a station 49 handle sealer, in which the two bands are sealed together to form the reinforced portion 22 of the package 10, and, at the same time, the reinforcement strip 42 is sealed to the two sheets of material at its bottom edge at the bottom. reinforcement station 51. The traveling belt then moves past a first station 50 forming the profile, in which this fastening strip 34 is compressed into small portions thereof, which are located adjacent to the two side edges of the package 10, and a second one. 52 profiler station, in the which portion 34 'of the fastener strip 34 which is located 13 adjacent to the discharge passage 24 of the package 10, it is also compressed, thus causing both compressed portions of the fastening strip unable to operate or to open, while leaving the first portion 36 of the fastener strip 5, which can be opened and closed. Next, the traveling band passes through a first sealing station 54, which, in a conventional manner, includes a heat seal, which initiates the seal along both side edges 14 of the package 10, and a second side sealing station 56 is provided to complete the seal along both side edges 14 of the pack 10. The traveling band is then passed under conventional cooling bars 58, and then a handle punching station 60. , in which the handle opening 26. Finally, a cutting blade 62 extends through the traveling belt and cuts this web traveling on the sealed side edges 14, to separate the travel belt into two separate packages 10. In some systems, the reinforced portion 22 and the seals for the strip 42, can be carried out in the forming stations 50 and 52 and the side sealing station, 54, 56, in this case the aforementioned loop sealing stations 49, and the reinforcing sealing station 51, can be used to make a background stamp, rather than forming a reinforcement. 14 While all the equipment used in the method of forming the packs 10 of the present invention is conventional, this equipment is used in a novel manner, as described above, to form a bag having a passage or discharge tube 24, provided with a first strip portion 36, openable fastener, and a reinforced package portion 22, in which the handle opening 26 is formed adjacent the second fastener strip portion 38, which can not be opened. In the preferred mode of the present invention, the handle opening 26 is oblong in configuration and extends in a direction generally parallel to the fastener strip 34, as illustrated in Figure 1, but the handle opening 26 can be formed in a variety of ways. configurations and for a variety of orientations, depending on the application of the package. Because the fastening strip 24 can be placed continuously on the travel band in its travel direction, as described above, and the portions of the fastening strip 34 that can not be opened, can be compressed easily in the two profiling stations 50, 52, all of which provide a relatively easy and fast method of forming the package 10 with all its attributes and advantages, as described above. Therefore, it will be easily understood by the people skilled in the art that the present invention is 15 • aMBaia-aA "'- - • * -" - - • .... ^ t ^ M? T ^ susceptible to a utility and application m. { wide handle. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention, in addition to those described herein, as well as many variants, modifications and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and its foregoing description, without departing from the substance or scope of the invention. the present invention. Therefore, the present invention has been described in detail in relation to its preferred embodiment, it will be understood that this description is illustrative and exemplary of the present invention only and is for the purpose of providing a complete description and carrying out the invention. The above disclosure does not intend or should not be construed as limiting the present invention or otherwise, to exclude any other modality, adaptation, variant, modification and equivalent arrangement, the present invention is limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents. 16 ) ^ ^^ ».. ^», .., * ^ "..". _,. ^ .., itiíliltfÉilÉilMÉ'f i.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS 1. A flexible package, to contain material and allow this material to be unloaded from it, this package includes: 5 a) two sheets of flexible material, joined together at the side portions, to form a bag portion to contain the material and that it has an edge portion, through which the material can be unloaded; 10 b) a reinforced portion, disposed adjacent an edge portion, in which these two flexible sheets are sealed together over a predetermined area, this reinforced portion is spaced from one of the sealed side portions 15 to provide a discharge passage of material; c) a handle opening, formed in the reinforced portion; and d) an elongate fastener strip, which extends through two sheets of material adjacent an edge, and includes a first portion, which extends through the material discharge passage and which can be selectively opened and closed, for open and close this passage, and a second portion, which can not be opened, which is
1. ^. ^. A ^^^ ..,,. ,,., ....... .... -. t mmmiin i ,,., .....,. . . , ... t? "A" extends through the reinforced portion, adjacent the handle opening and between this handle opening and an edge portion, to provide additional reinforcement to the handle opening.
2. 2. A flexible package, as defined in claim 1, wherein the handle opening is provided with a fin of flexible material, disposed within the handle opening and joined by hinge connection to at least one of the sheets Flexible, this flap can be moved out of the handle opening, around the hinge connection, to provide a more comfortable surface for contact with one hand, which extends through this handle opening.
3. 3. A flexible package, as defined in claim 2, wherein the flap is temporarily held in a position within the handle opening in at least one small flap tongue, which extends between the flap and an edge of the flap of handle.
4. 4. A flexible package, as defined in claim 1, wherein the two sheets of flexible material are sealed together in two opposite side portions and include a closed bottom side portion, and wherein the portion of the discharge edge extends between the opposite lateral portions and parallel to the lateral portion 18 -HiiriÜtwr-TItUttii-irffi? L < t ¿ .-., "• .., í,. .. ^ - M? * ^ - ^. background, to form the bag with a generally rectangular configuration.
5. 5. A flexible package to contain material and allow the material to be unloaded from it, this package includes: a) two sheets of flexible material, joined together at the side portions, to form a bag portion, to contain the material, and having an edge portion, through which the material can be unloaded; b) a handle opening, formed in the two sheets of flexible material, in a location proximate an edge portion; c) an elongate grip strip, which extends through the two sheets of material, adjacent to an edge, and includes a first portion, which extends through the material discharge passage and which can be selectively opened and closed, to open and close this passage, and a second portion, which can not be opened, extending between the handle opening and an edge portion, to supply the reinforcement in this handle opening.
6. 6. A method for obtaining a flexible package for containing material and allowing the material to be discharged therefrom, this method comprises the steps of: a) continuously moving two s of flexible material 5 along a predetermined path of movement, with both s being juxtaposed, so that the opposite lateral edges of the s in motion, are placed adjacent to each other. B) continuously depositing an elongate, selectively releasable fastening strip between the two s in the travel direction of the and sealing the fastening strip to a , in a position adjacent to one of its side edges; 15 c) joining together the adjacent portions of the two strips, along the other of their side edges, to provide a closed bottom side of the flexible package; d) sealing the two bands together, along seal lines 20 located in parallel and spaced relation to each other, and extending transverse to the movement path to supply two opposite side portions for the flexible package; twenty e) compressing a portion of the elongate fastener strip, which extends between the seal lines, to cause the portion not to be able to open; f) forming a handle opening, extending through the two bands, in a position adjacent to the compressed portion of the fastener strip and between the fastener strip and the closed bottom side of the flexible passage. 21 '- »• * • -« • * - rnff i - »" - •' - "" • "" "r-jiri