Expandable bag assemblies with an integral support structure for filling
First Claim
1. An expandable bag assembly with support aid for filling the bag assembly comprising:
- a flexible bag having a closed end portion, an open end portion, and collapsible sidewalls that define an internal cavity, the open end portion defining a mouth of the bag and being moveable to an open position to receive fill material into the internal cavity and being moveable to a closed position, the collapsible sidewalls being movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position; and
a plurality of substantially planar stiffeners attached to the sidewalls around the mouth of the bag, wherein each of the stiffeners is distinct from and adjacent to other ones of the stiffeners and is moveable relative to the adjacent ones of the stiffeners when the mouth of the bag is in the open position, the stiffeners being spaced apart by intervening gaps that allow the bag to be folded to form a substantially planar configuration, the stiffeners including an integral fold line about which the stiffener can be folded, the stiffeners defining a positionable self-supporting structure proximate to the mouth of the bag and configured to define a portion of the internal cavity proximate to the mouth of the bag and to retain the mouth of the bag and the portion of the internal cavity in the open position to receive fill material therein, the self-supporting structure being configured to rest on at least a portion of the collapsible sidewalls in the collapsed position while holding the mouth of the bag in the open position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Expandable bag assemblies and associated methods are disclosed herein. Certain aspects of the invention are directed toward an expandable bag assembly that includes a flexible bag with closed and open ends and collapsible sidewalls disposed between the ends. The assembly beneficially includes an integrated support structure provided with stiffeners and a mechanism for attachment to help hold a mouth of the bag in an open position while filling the bag. The assembly can be compressed for easy packaging and storage and be expanded into a self-supported, open position without memory folds. The assembly is also configured to retract during closure of the open end of the bag.
61 Citations
38 Claims
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1. An expandable bag assembly with support aid for filling the bag assembly comprising:
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a flexible bag having a closed end portion, an open end portion, and collapsible sidewalls that define an internal cavity, the open end portion defining a mouth of the bag and being moveable to an open position to receive fill material into the internal cavity and being moveable to a closed position, the collapsible sidewalls being movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position; and a plurality of substantially planar stiffeners attached to the sidewalls around the mouth of the bag, wherein each of the stiffeners is distinct from and adjacent to other ones of the stiffeners and is moveable relative to the adjacent ones of the stiffeners when the mouth of the bag is in the open position, the stiffeners being spaced apart by intervening gaps that allow the bag to be folded to form a substantially planar configuration, the stiffeners including an integral fold line about which the stiffener can be folded, the stiffeners defining a positionable self-supporting structure proximate to the mouth of the bag and configured to define a portion of the internal cavity proximate to the mouth of the bag and to retain the mouth of the bag and the portion of the internal cavity in the open position to receive fill material therein, the self-supporting structure being configured to rest on at least a portion of the collapsible sidewalls in the collapsed position while holding the mouth of the bag in the open position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An expandable bag assembly with support aid for filling the bag assembly comprising:
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a flexible bag having a closed end portion, an open end portion, and collapsible sidewalls that define an internal cavity, the open end portion defining a mouth of the bag and being moveable to an open position to receive fill material into the internal cavity and being moveable to a closed position, the collapsible sidewalls being movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position; and a plurality of substantially planar stiffeners attached to the sidewalls around the mouth of the bag, wherein each of the stiffeners is distinct from and adjacent to other ones of the stiffeners and is moveable relative to the adjacent ones of the stiffeners when the mouth of the bag is in the open position, the stiffeners being spaced apart by intervening gaps that allow the bag to be folded to form a substantially planar configuration, the stiffeners defining a positionable self-supporting structure proximate to the mouth of the bag and configured to define a portion of the internal cavity proximate to the mouth of the bag and to retain the mouth of the bag and the portion of the internal cavity in the open position to receive fill material therein, the self-supporting structure being configured to rest on at least a portion of the collapsible sidewalls in the collapsed position while holding the mouth of the bag in the open position, wherein the stiffeners have upper and lower portions, and at least one of the stiffeners includes a living hinge intermediate the upper and lower portion.
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22. An expandable bag assembly with support aid for filling the bag assembly comprising:
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a flexible bag having a closed end portion, an open end portion, and collapsible sidewalls that define an internal cavity, the open end portion defining a mouth of the bag and being moveable to an open position to receive fill material into the internal cavity and being moveable to a closed position, the collapsible sidewalls being movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position; and a plurality of substantially planar stiffeners attached to the sidewalls around the mouth of the bag, wherein each of the stiffeners is distinct from and adjacent to other ones of the stiffeners and is moveable relative to the adjacent ones of the stiffeners when the mouth of the bag is in the open position, the stiffeners being spaced apart by intervening gaps that allow the bag to be folded to form a substantially planar configuration, the stiffeners defining a positionable self-supporting structure proximate to the mouth of the bag and configured to define a portion of the internal cavity proximate to the mouth of the bag and to retain the mouth of the bag and the portion of the internal cavity in the open position to receive fill material therein, the self-supporting structure being configured to rest on at least a portion of the collapsible sidewalls in the collapsed position while holding the mouth of the bag in the open position, wherein the flexible bag has a first longitudinal axis, and the stiffeners have a second longitudinal axis skewed relative to the first longitudinal axis.
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23. An expandable bag assembly with support aid for filling the bag assembly comprising:
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a flexible bag having a closed end portion, an open end portion, and collapsible sidewalls that define an internal cavity, the open end portion defining a mouth of the bag and being moveable to an open position to receive fill material into the internal cavity and being moveable to a closed position, the collapsible sidewalls being movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position; and a plurality of substantially planar stiffeners attached to the sidewalls around the mouth of the bag, wherein each of the stiffeners is distinct from and adjacent to other ones of the stiffeners and is moveable relative to the adjacent ones of the stiffeners when the mouth of the bag is in the open position, the stiffeners being spaced apart by intervening gaps that allow the bag to be folded to form a substantially planar configuration, the stiffeners defining a positionable self-supporting structure proximate to the mouth of the bag and configured to define a portion of the internal cavity proximate to the mouth of the bag and to retain the mouth of the bag and the portion of the internal cavity in the open position to receive fill material therein, the self-supporting structure being configured to rest on at least a portion of the collapsible sidewalls in the collapsed position while holding the mouth of the bag in the open position, wherein the stiffeners are formed by a flowable stiffener material applied to the flexible bag and allowed to harden to a stiff condition. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A disposable bag assembly, comprising:
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a body portion having a first longitudinal axis, an internal cavity, sidewalls and an open end portion that defines a mouth of the bag moveable to an open position to receive fill material into the internal cavity and being moveable to a closed position, the sidewalls being collapsible and movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position; and a plurality of substantially planar stiffeners attached to the sidewalls of the bag proximate to the open end portion, each of the stiffeners being distinct from and adjacent to other ones of the stiffeners, each of the stiffeners having a second longitudinal axis and being moveable with a portion of the flexible sidewall relative to the adjacent ones of the stiffeners when the mouth of the bag is in the open position, the stiffeners being spaced apart by intervening gaps that allow the bag to be folded to form a substantially planar configuration, each of the stiffeners being corrugated with ridges substantially parallel to the second longitudinal axis, the stiffeners forming a conformable, self-supporting structure proximate to the mouth of the bag and configured to rest on at least a portion of the collapsible sidewalls in the collapsed position and to be positionable to retain the mouth of the bag and the portion of the internal cavity in the open position to receive fill material therein, wherein the bag has a first longitudinal axis, and the stiffeners have a second longitudinal axis substantially skewed relative to the first longitudinal axis. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A disposable bag assembly, comprising:
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a body portion having a first longitudinal axis, an internal cavity, sidewalls and an open end portion that defines a mouth of the bag moveable to an open position to receive fill material into the internal cavity and being moveable to a closed position, the sidewalls being collapsible and movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position; and a plurality of substantially planar stiffeners attached to the sidewalls of the bag proximate to the open end portion, each of the stiffeners being distinct from and adjacent to other ones of the stiffeners, each of the stiffeners having a second longitudinal axis and being moveable with a portion of the flexible sidewall relative to the adjacent ones of the stiffeners when the mouth of the bag is in the open position, the stiffeners being spaced apart by intervening gaps that allow the bag to be folded to form a substantially planar configuration, each of the stiffeners being corrugated with ridges substantially parallel to the second longitudinal axis, the stiffeners forming a conformable, self-supporting structure proximate to the mouth of the bag and configured to rest on at least a portion of the collapsible sidewalls in the collapsed position and to be positionable to retain the mouth of the bag and the portion of the internal cavity in the open position to receive fill material therein, wherein each of the stiffeners has an integral living hinge about which the stiffener can move.
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34. A disposable bag assembly comprising:
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a flexible bag having a closed end and open end, the bag being movable between an expanded position and a collapsed position; and an integrated support structure having a plurality of stiffeners spaced apart from and adjacent to each other, wherein the stiffeners have a grooved texture and are configured to be movable relative to each other while the bag is in the collapsed position and the support structure is holding and maintaining the open end of the bag assembly in a self-supporting open fillable position and wherein the stiffeners are spaced apart by intervening gaps that allow the bag to be folded are further configured to fold with the flexible bag to form a substantially planar configuration such that the stiffeners are aligned to form a compact stack when the bag and stiffeners are in a folded condition, wherein the flexible bag has a first longitudinal axis, and the stiffeners have a second longitudinal axis substantially skewed relative to the first longitudinal axis. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification