Continuous process for trash bag with inner bag
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| Title: | Continuous process for trash bag with inner bag |
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| Patent Number: | 9,315,319 |
| Publication Date: | April 19, 2016 |
| Appl. No: | 13/479691 |
| Application Filed: | May 24, 2012 |
| Abstract: | Trash bags may be formed to include first and second sidewalls joined along a first side edge, an opposite second side edge, and a closed bottom edge to form an outer bag. A second inner bag may be inserted within the first bag to form a “bag-in-a-bag” type configuration in which the inner bag is bonded to the outer bag along side seals by a continuous process. The bags may also be bonded together along the hem and the draw tape. When the side seals of the inner bag and the outer bag are sealed together by a continuous rather than a reciprocating process, the inventors have surprisingly found that such seals require carefully controlled process conditions to prevent inadequate seals. |
| Inventors: | Maxwell, Jason R. (Elgin, IL, US); Fraser, Robert W. (Lombard, IL, US); Borchardt, Michael G. (Naperville, IL, US); MacPherson, Jack A. (Aurora, IL, US); Dorsey, Robert T. (Western Springs, IL, US); Binger, Scott (Bridgeview, IL, US); Broering, Shaun T. (Fort Thomas, KY, US) |
| Assignees: | The Glad Products Company (Oakland, CA, US) |
| Claim: | 1. A bag having an interior and an exterior and comprising: an outer bag having a first sidewall made of a first flexible thermoplastic web material and a second sidewall of a sheet of the first flexible thermoplastic web material of the same sheet folded, overlaid and joined to the first sidewall to provide an interior volume, the first and second sidewalls joined along a first sealed side edge, an opposite second sealed side edge, and a closed bottom folded edge, the first and second sidewalls un-joined along their respective top edges to define an opening opposite the bottom edge for accessing the interior volume; an inner bag separated from and within the interior volume of the outer bag and having a first sidewall made of the first flexible thermoplastic web material and a second sidewall of a sheet of the first flexible thermoplastic web material of the same sheet folded, overlaid and joined to the first sidewall to provide an interior volume, the first and second sidewalls of the inner bag joined along the first sealed side edge and the second sealed side edge of the outer bag, and a closed bottom folded edge of the inner bag, the first and second sidewalls un-joined along their respective top edges to define an opening opposite the bottom edge for accessing the interior volume; a first hem seal extending from the first sealed side edge to the second sealed side edge along the first sidewall, wherein along a length of the first hem seal, the first hem seal is broken or partially broken along one side of the first hem seal compared to an opposing side of the first hem seal; and a first continuous seal securing the outer bag first sealed side edge and the inner bag first sealed side edge together. |
| Claim: | 2. The bag of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sidewalls of the outer bag and the first and second sidewalls of the inner bag are folded over at the respective top edges and attached to the inside of the first and second sidewalls of the inner bag forming a hem extending along the open top end disposed opposite the bottom edge of the outer bag, the hem being secured by the first hem seal and a second hem seal, the hem including one or more draw tape notches and a draw tape within the hem, the hem having an exterior surface and an interior surface where the outer bag first and second sidewalls form both the interior surface and the exterior surface of the hem. |
| Claim: | 3. The bag of claim 2 , wherein the draw tape is sealed at a first tape seal and a second tape seal by a continuous sealing process. |
| Claim: | 4. The bag of claim 2 , wherein the draw tape notches are centered between the first and second side edges. |
| Claim: | 5. The bag of claim 3 , wherein the hem is sealed at the first tape seal and the second tape seal. |
| Claim: | 6. The bag of claim 1 , wherein the outer bag first sidewall is lightly tacked or selectively laminated to the inner bag first sidewall. |
| Claim: | 7. The bag of claim 2 , wherein the inner bag has an interior surface and the first hem seal is formed by attaching a hem flap of the inner bag to the interior surface of the sidewall of the inner bag. |
| Claim: | 8. The bag of claim 1 , wherein the outer bag first sidewall is thicker than the inner bag first sidewall. |
| Claim: | 9. The bag of claim 1 , wherein the outer bag first sidewall is thinner than the inner bag first sidewall. |
| Claim: | 10. The bag of claim 1 , wherein at least one sidewall of the outer bag or inner bag is incrementally stretched. |
| Claim: | 11. A bag having an interior and an exterior and comprising: an outer bag having a first sidewall made of a first flexible thermoplastic web material and a second sidewall of the first flexible thermoplastic web material, overlaid and joined to the first sidewall to provide an interior volume, the first and second sidewalls joined along a first sealed side edge, an opposite second sealed side edge, and a closed bottom edge, the first and second sidewalls un-joined along their respective top edges to define an opening opposite the bottom edge for accessing the interior volume; an inner bag separated from and within the interior volume of the outer bag and having a first sidewall made of the first flexible thermoplastic web material and a second sidewall of the first flexible thermoplastic web material, overlaid and joined to the first sidewall to provide an interior volume, the first and second sidewalls of the inner bag joined along the first sealed side edge and the second sealed side edge of the outer bag, and a closed bottom edge of the inner bag, the first and second sidewalls un-joined along their respective top edges to define an opening opposite the bottom edge for accessing the interior volume; and a first continuous side seal extending along a length of the outer bag from the bottom edge to the top edges, the first continuous side seal securing the outer bag first sealed side edge and the inner bag first sealed side edge together, wherein the first continuous side seal is formed by a continuous sealing process that applies heat directly to one side of the outer bag and not an opposing side of the outer bag such that along the length of the first continuous side seal the first continuous side seal is broken or partially broken along one side of the first continuous side seal compared to an opposing side of the first continuous side seal. |
| Claim: | 12. The bag of claim 11 , wherein the first and second sidewalls of the outer bag and the first and second sidewalls of the inner bag folded over at the respective top edges and attached to the inside of the first and second sidewalls of the inner bag forming a hem extending along the open top end disposed opposite the bottom edge of the outer bag, the hem having a hem seal, the hem including one or more draw tape notches and a draw tape within the hem, the hem having an exterior surface and an interior surface where the outer bag first and second sidewalls form both the interior surface and the exterior surface of the hem, wherein the hem seal is broken or partially broken along one side of the hem seal compared to an opposing side of the hem seal. |
| Claim: | 13. The bag of claim 11 , wherein the draw tape is sealed at the first side edge to form a first tape seal and the tape seal is broken or partially broken along one side of the tape seal compared to an opposing side of the tape seal. |
| Claim: | 14. A bag having an interior and an exterior and comprising: an outer bag having a first sidewall made of a first flexible thermoplastic web material and a second sidewall of the first flexible thermoplastic web material, overlaid and joined to the first sidewall to provide an interior volume, the first and second sidewalls joined along a first sealed side edge, an opposite second sealed side edge, and a closed bottom edge, the first and second sidewalls un-joined along their respective top edges to define an opening opposite the bottom edge for accessing the interior volume; and an inner bag separated from and within the interior volume of the outer bag and having a first sidewall made of the first flexible thermoplastic web material and a second sidewall of the first flexible thermoplastic web material, overlaid and joined to the first sidewall to provide an interior volume, the first and second sidewalls of the inner bag joined along the first sealed side edge and the second sealed side edge of the outer bag, and a closed bottom edge of the inner bag, the first and second sidewalls un-joined along their respective top edges to define an opening opposite the bottom edge for accessing the interior volume; wherein: the outer bag first sealed side edge and the inner bag first sealed side edge are sealed together by a continuous sealing process that applies heat directly to one side of the outer bag and not an opposing side of the outer bag to form a first side seal that is broken or partially broken along one side of the first side seal compared to an opposing side of the first side seal; the first side seal extends along a length of the outer bag from the bottom edge to the top edges; and the outer bag second sealed side edge and the inner bag second sealed side edge are sealed together by a continuous sealing process that applies heat directly to one side of the outer bag and not an opposing side of the outer bag to form a second side seal that is broken or partially broken along one side of the second side seal compared to an opposing side of the second side seal. |
| Claim: | 15. The bag of claim 14 , wherein the first and second sidewalls of the outer bag and the first and second sidewalls of the inner bag folded over at the respective top edges and attached to the inside of the first and second sidewalls of the inner bag forming a hem extending along the open top end disposed opposite the bottom edge of the outer bag, the hem having a hem seal, the hem including one or more draw tape notches and a draw tape within the hem, the hem having an exterior surface and an interior surface where the outer bag first and second sidewalls form both the interior surface and the exterior surface of the hem, and wherein the hem seal is broken or partially broken along one side of the hem seal compared to an opposing side of the hem seal. |
| Claim: | 16. The bag of claim 15 , wherein the draw tape and the hem are sealed at the first side edge to form a first tape seal and the tape seal broken or partially broken along one side of the tape seal compared to an opposing side of the tape seal. |
| Claim: | 17. The bag of claim 14 , wherein the outer bag and the inner bag are laminated together. |
| Claim: | 18. The bag of claim 1 , wherein the first continuous side seal is formed by a continuous sealing process that applies heat directly to one side of the outer bag and not an opposing side of the outer bag such that along a length of the first continuous side seal the first continuous side seal is broken or partially broken along one side of the first continuous side seal compared to an opposing side of the first continuous side seal. |
| Claim: | 19. The bag of claim 2 , wherein the second hem seal is broken or partially broken along one side of the second hem seal compared to an opposing side of the second hem seal. |
| Claim: | 20. The bag of claim 3 , wherein the tape seal is broken or partially broken along one side of the tape seal compared to an opposing side of the tape seal. |
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| Assistant Examiner: | Helvey, Peter |
| Primary Examiner: | Pickett, J Gregory |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Feix, Thomas C. |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.09315319 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Abstract: | Trash bags may be formed to include first and second sidewalls joined along a first side edge, an opposite second side edge, and a closed bottom edge to form an outer bag. A second inner bag may be inserted within the first bag to form a “bag-in-a-bag” type configuration in which the inner bag is bonded to the outer bag along side seals by a continuous process. The bags may also be bonded together along the hem and the draw tape. When the side seals of the inner bag and the outer bag are sealed together by a continuous rather than a reciprocating process, the inventors have surprisingly found that such seals require carefully controlled process conditions to prevent inadequate seals. |
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