US3299927A

US3299927A - Envelope bag with filling neck and means for closing the same

Info

Publication number: US3299927A
Application number: US489352A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clarizio Giacomo
Original assignee: Scholl Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: Scholl Manufacturing Co Inc
Priority date: 1965-09-22
Filing date: 1965-09-22
Publication date: 1967-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 1984-01-24
Also published as: GB1167031A

Description

G CLARIZIO Jan. 24, 1967 ENVELOPE BAG WITH FILLING NECK AND MEANS FOR CLOSING THE SAME Filed Sept. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Jan. 24, 1967 G. CLARIZIO 3,299,927

ENVELOPE BAG WITH FILLING NECK AND MEANS FOR CLOSING THE SAME Filed Sept. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent ()fiice 3,299,927 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 3,299,927 ENVELOPE BAG WITH FILLING NECK AND MEANS FOR CLOSING THE SAME Giacomo Clarizio, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Scholl lglfgl:K Co., Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Filed Sept. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 489,352 11 Claims. (Cl. 150--2.2)

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 248,097, filed Dec. 28, 1962, now Patent No. 3,244,210, issued Apr. 5, 1966.

This invention relates to improvements in envelope bags of the type having a filling neck, and more particularly concerns such a bag with new and improved means for closing the same.

The type of bag with which the present invention is principally concerned includes an open-ended neck extending therefrom and of substantial length so that after the bag is filled it can be tightly closed against leakage by folding the neck several times toward the body and then securing the folded neck. The present invention concerns a desirable and advantageous means for securing and retaining the folded neck in its folded and liquid-tight condition, as it must be where, for example, the bag is used as a hot water bag or ice bag such as may be used in hospitals, clinics, dentists offices, sick rooms and similar locations for application to an afiliction and the like.

An important object of the present invention is to provide new and improved means for securing envelope bags in closed condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel securing means for foldably necked bags of the type which will function as hot water bags or ice bags.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved means for securing a folded filling neck of an envelope bag in a manner enabling ready opening and replacement of the contents of such a bag.

Still another object of the invention is to provide new and improved securing strap means for the filling necks of envelope bags of the character described.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide therewith a bag made of thermoplastic film or sheet material with new and improved filler neck securing means also made from a thermoplastic material and secured thereto by thermoplastic fusing.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide new and improved means for securing a closing strap to a filling neck of an envelope bag.

It is also an object of the invention to provide new and improved means for making securing means for the filling neck of an envelope bag.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a bag embodying principles of this invention, showing the novel filling neck closing means.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the same bag showing the filling neck closed.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional detail view taken on the lines III-III of FIGURE FIGURE 4 is a sectional detail view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing a slight modification;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmental elevational view of a modified bag structure depicting the filling neck in a preliminary stage of manufacture;

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view of the neck of the same bag in a succeeding stage of manufacture;

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of the same neck with a fastening strip secured in operative relation thereto; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on the line VIIIVIII of FIGURE 7.

As seen in FIGURE 1, a bag embodying the invention comprises a body part 10 which may be generally rectangular in outline and provided with a relatively long and substantially narrower neck 11 projecting from its top edge and defining an entrance or filler opening or passage into the bag. One side of the neck extends upwardly as indicated at 12, a short distance beyond the other side of the neck, in order to facilitate filling substances through the neck into the body part 11 of the bag. This bag is preferably made of thermoplastic sheet material such as polyethylene, rubber hydrochloride, vinyl or any other suitable thermoplastic and heat-scalable film or sheet material. Desirably, also, the front and back faces of the bag body and the neck are multi-ply for strenth and safety and comprise a single piece of material, as set forth and claimed in my aforesaid parent application.

Where the bag has been made from tubular stock flattened and folded and heat-sealed along side edges, the front of the bag body 10 and the neck 11 comprises inner and outer plies 13 and 14- (FIG. 3) and the back of the body and the neck comprises corresponding inner and

outer plies

15 and 17. Along the top edge of the front portion of the neck the plies define a closed fold 18, and along the top edge of the neck extension portion 12 the plies are joined on a closed fold 19.

When the bag is put to use and filled to the desired extent, it is closed by folding the neck 11, starting by folding the extending back portion 12 over the neck opening and about the closure fold 18 and onto the front of the neck, and the folding then continued by increments throughout the length of the neck and the folded neck then is secured against unfolding.

A highly desirable type of means for retaining the bag closed, and which is particularly advantageous when the bag is to be reused, comprises a securing strip 20 which is desirably slightly narrower than the length of the extension portion 12 of the neck and of suflicient length so that when wrapped about the neck the opposite end portions of the strip will overlap with a female snap fastener element 21 on one end portion and snappingly engaged with a complemental male element 22. Conveniently, the securing strip 20 is made from plastic strip material of substantial thickness and strength, such as two or three times the thickness of the basic sheet material of the bag itself, so as to afford adequate stiffness for the purpose while, nevertheless, being adequately flexible. For convenience in retaining it in place, the securing strip 20 is attached, preferably permanently to the extended portion 12 of the neck, above the fold 18, in face-to-face relation to the front face of the extended portion, by fusing or cementing and with the opposite end portions of the strip projecting to opposite sides beyond the neck 11.

When the bag is to be closed, the closure strip carrying neck extending portion 12 is folded down as shown in dash outline in FIGURE 3, and the folding continued increment-by-increment until the neck has been folded several times and desirably until the fold reaches the bag body, substantially as shown in FIGURE 2. Then the extending end portions of the retaining strip 20 are brought together into overlapping relation and the

snap fastener elements

21 and 22 snapped together to retain the closure until it is desired to open the bag, whereupon the reverse action is effected. With this arrangement, the closed strip effectively retains the folds of the neck 11 from unfolding and by virtue of the several folds retains the contents within the bag against escape. Further, with this arrangement, the closed strip 20 may be used as a handle to pick up the bag by inserting a finger or two inside the overlapped and secured together end portions of the strip. When it is desired to empty or change the contents of the bag, it is a simple matter to unsnap the ends of the strip 20, unwind the neck of the bag, and it is then open ready for emptying of the contents and replacement of the contents if desired.

In FIGURE 4 is disclosed a slight modification of the bag, with all of the elements which are identical with the bag of FIGURES l3 being identified with primed reference numerals indicating the same elements and for which elements it will be understood the same description applies. The difference in this modified form resides in that instead of the bag having been made from a tubular stock sheet, it has been made from a folded sheet which has been heat sealed along the top edge to provide a heat seal seam 23 which, however, is functionally the same as the fold edge 19 once the heat sealing has been accomplished. That is, the bag is functionally made from a folded collapsed tubular sheet material so that the interface area between the collapsed plies is thoroughly sealed against fluid entry.

In the modification of FIGURES 8, a construction is illustrated in which double ply material is utilized similarly as in the form of FIGURES 1-3, namely, thin film or sheet material of preferably film or plastic type, towards a single tubular sheet which is collapsed into fiat multi-ply relation and folded to define a bag body 30 and a filler neck 31 extending from the top rear of and provided with an upward back extension 32 projecting up from a closure fold 34 of the front portion of the neck 31. Along its bottom edge, the bag body 30 has an integral closed fold 35. Along the sides and top of the body 30 and the sides of the neck 31, effective heat sealing is provided by a pair of spaced parallel heat seal seams 37 affording double protection against breakout of the heat sealed edges.

For retaining the neck 31 closed after it has been folded in the same manner as described in respect to the neck 11, that is by first folding down the extended portion 32 onto the front face of the neck 31 and then continuing the folding until the neck has been entirely folded down to the body 30, a securing strip 37 is provided having means for securing it in place comprising a female snap fastener 38 on one end portion and a complemental male snap fastener 39 on its opposite end portion.

To provide for attachment of the securing strip 37 to the neck 31 and more particularly extension portion 32 in a manner which precludes its pulling loose, the extension portion 32 is treated to convert it into a securing strip receiving and retaining loop. This is easily effected by notching out the heat sealed side marginal areas of the extension portion 32 as shown at 40, and desirably spaced upwardly a substantial distance from the fold edge 34 of the front face portion of the neck so that there will be minimum, if any, tendency for material poured into the upward neck opening from entering into the side openings afforded by the notches 40 to provide the securing strip-receiving loop. After the notches 40 have been cut out, the strip 37 is inserted by threading it through the loop and it will be apparent that the strip is then held quite effectively against being pulled from its assembled relation with the portion 32 by any force acting toward the upper fold edge defining the loop.

In order to avoid slipping of the retaining strip 37 from the loop, the strip is preferably anchored therein as by means of stapling or otherwise, and conveniently by fusing, heat tacking at one or more places, three such fused tack areas 41 being shown and having been found suitable to resist any sort of separating force that may be applied in use.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention provides an exceedingly secure, though simple and easily manipulated envelope bag closure. When the multi-folded neck portion is secured by means of the securing strip, the bag is completely liquid-proof and Will withstand rough handling, actually to a degree far more than necessary for even rough usage, careless handling, dropping, and the like.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a plastic sheet bag,

a single tubular sheet of folded thermoplastic material defining a bag body and an open-ended neck extending therefrom,

a heat seal seam defining a closed edge at each end of the bag including the side of the neck, the top portion outwardly thereof and the edge of the body,

each end edge at the neck and the bottom of the body being defined only by a fold in the sheet,

the sides of the bag being multi-ply,

one side of said neck extending outwardly beyond the other to facilitate filling the bag,

a strip of material stiffer and thicker than said tubular sheet secured across the inner face of the extended side of the neck above the other side and extending in both directions beyond the neck, and

complemental snap fastener elements carried respectively by said strip adjacent the ends thereof for engagement with each other after said neck has been wound around said strip down to the bag body.

2. A multi-ply plastic sheet bag comprising a body portion having an upwardly extending filler neck of substantial length and with a filler opening in its upper portion,

a closure retaining strip attached to said upper portion adjacent to said opening and substantially spaced from the body portion and being substantially narrower than the length of the neck and having opposite end portions extending to opposite sides of the neck in the unsecured condition of the neck and strip,

the neck being adapted to be folded a plurality of times with the starting fold including said retaining strip and then continuing with the starting fold inside and said opening thus thoroughly sealed by the folding and the end portions of the strip then brought into overlapping relation,

and means on the strip for securing the overlapping end portions to thereby retain the folded neck against unfolding.

3. In a bag of the character described including a body portion and a foldably closable filling portion having a filling opening,

said filling portion comprising double plies of material defining a loop adjacent to said opening,

and a securing strip engaged in said loop with its opposite end portions projecting beyond opposite sides of the filling portion and having securing means on said end portions for securing said filling portion against unfolding from folded closed condition.

4. In a bag of the character described including a body portion and a foldably closable filling portion having a filling opening,

a securing strip engaged in said loop with its opposite end portions projecting beyond opposite sides of the filling portion and having securing means on said end portions for securing said filling portion against unfolding from folded closed condition,

and means securing said strip against endwise displacement from said loop.

5. In a bag of the character described including a body portion and a foldably closable filling portion having a filling opening,

one part of said filling portion projecting beyond said filling opening and comprising double plies of material joined together along the sides and top thereof but otherwise free from one another and notched out along said sides spaced from said opening and defining a sidewardly opening loop in spaced adjacency to said opening,

and a securing strip engaged through said loop with its opposite end portions projecting beyond opposite sides of the filling portion and having securing means on said end portions for securing said filling portion against unfolding from folded closed condition.

6. A container comprising a fiat envelope type bag of sheet material having a body part, and

a filler passage neck extending from said body part and having an opening across its outer end portion,

a strip of material stifier than said bag attached to said neck adjacent to and parallel with said opening in position enabling free access into the opening and having opposite end portions projecting substantially to each respective side of the neck,

said neck being windable about said strip toward said body part to close and seal said opening and the strip then being at the center of the wound-up neck,

said end portions of the strip being bendable toward and into overlapping relation to one another and into overlying relation to the wound neck,

and securing means carried by said strip to secure the end portions thereof after winding of the neck and overlapping of said end portions whereby to maintain the bag in sealed condition.

7. A plastic sheet bag comprising a body portion and an upwardly extending narrower neck of substantial length having an opening at its top,

a transverse closure strip secured across the upper end portion of said neck contiguous to said opening and having end portions projecting substantially to respective opposite sides of the neck,

said strip being substantially narrower than the length of the neck and being spaced substantially from said body portion and serving as a fold guide for folding the neck closed about the strip by a plurality of folds toward the body portion with the strip then being at the center of the fold and said end portions being then bendable into overlapping fold-retaining relation to one another over the folded neck,

and means on the end portions of the strip for securing them in said overlapping fold-retaining relation.

8. A plastic sheet bag comprising a body portion and an upwardly extending narrower neck of substantial length having an opening at its top,

said neck having a double ply Wall with openings at its opposite sides whereby to define a loop,

a transverse closure strip threaded through said loop and secured across the upper end portion of said neck and having ends projecting to opposite sides of the neck,

said strip being adapted to serve as a fold guide for folding the neck closed by a plurality of folds toward the body portion,

and means on the end portions of the strip for securing them in overlapping relation after the neck has been folded closed,

9. A plastic sheet bag comprising a body portion and an upwardly extending narrower neck of substantial length having an opening at its top,

a transverse closure strip secured across the upper end portion of said neck and having ends projecting to opposite sides of the neck,

and respective male and female snap fasteners on the end portions of the strip for securing them in over lapping relation after the neck has been folded closed.

10. A method of making a liquid containing bag comprising:

forming liquid retaining sheet-thin pliable material into a bag body and a foldably closable filling neck with an upwardly opening filling opening and having a rear upward double-ply extension above the opening,

securing said material together along the edges thereof on said body and said filling neck and said extension but leaving opposed faces of the material otherwise unsecured,

notching out the opposite sides of said extension to provide loop openings,

and threading a retaining strip through one of said loop openings and out the other with opposite end portions of the strip projecting beyond said opposite sides for securing said neck against unfolding from folded closed condition.

11. A method of making a liquid containing bag comprising:

notching out the opposite sides of said extension to provide loop openings,

threading a retaining strip through one of said loop openings and out the other with opposite end portions of the strip projecting beyond said. opposite sides for securing said neck against unfolding from folded closed condition,

and securing said strip to said extension against displacement therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner.

6Q JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A PLASTIC SHEET BAG, A SINGLE TUBULAR SHEET OF FOLDED THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL DEFINING A BAG BODY AND AN OPEN-ENDED NECK EXTENDING THEREFROM, A HEAT SEAL SEAM DEFINING A CLOSED EDGE AT EACH END OF THE BAG INCLUDING THE SIDE OF THE NECK, THE TOP PORTION OUTWARDLY THEREOF AND THE EDGE OF THE BODY, EACH END EDGE AT THE NECK AND THE BOTTOM OF THE BODY BEING DEFINED ONLY BY A FOLD IN THE SHEET, THE SIDES OF THE BAG BEING MULTI-PLY, ONE SIDE OF SAID NECK EXTENDING OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE OTHER TO FACILITATE FILLING THE BAG,