Wave-cut overlapping trash bags

• US 7,048,224 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Poly-America LP (Poly-America)
• Original Assignee: Olympic General Corporation
• Inventors: Allgood, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MATECKI, KATHERINE A
• Application Number:
  US10/644,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20050040278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 242/521, 242/526.1, 242/526.3, 242/528, 242/534, 242/160.4, 493/14, 493/18, 493/196, 493/197, 493/233, 493/234, 493/230, 493/238, 206/390
• US Class Current: 242/526.1
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2155/00 Flexible containers made from webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2155/003 starting from tubular webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2160/10 rectangular and flat, i.e. without structural provision for thickness of contents
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 70/14 Cutting, e.g. perforating, punching, slitting or trimming cutting window openings B31B70/83
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 70/266 involving gusset-forming
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 70/36 by continuously feeding them to stationary members, e.g. plates, ploughs or cores
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 70/942 by winding up
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 70/946 the bags being interconnected
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 70/96 in an overlapping arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/002 Rolls, strips or like assemblies of bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/1608 Integral flaps for tying above the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4192 for handling articles of limited length in shingled formation
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/191 Bags, sachets and pouches or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/006 Winding articles into rolls
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/6627 in combination with auxiliary means for overlapping articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/10 from or with devices for breaking partially-cut or perforated webs, e.g. bursters

Abstract

A process for assembling wave-cut trash bags for overlapping dispensing includes the steps of providing a flattened blown-film polymeric tube; providing sets of closely spaced, parallel seals extending across the entire width of the flattened blown-film polymeric tube at periodic intervals there along; providing a transversely extending line of perforations between the seals comprising each set of closely spaced, parallel seals; and providing a wave shaped line of perforations extending transversely across the entire width of the flattened blown-film polymeric tube at a location equidistance between adjacent closely spaced, parallel sets of seals. The flattened blown-film polymeric tube is separated along each transversely extending line of perforations and along each wave shaped line of perforations after which the leading end of each following trash bag is positioned in an overlapping relationship with the trailing end of the preceding trash bag to facilitate overlapping dispensing.

Claims

1. A process for assembling wave-cut trash bags for overlapping dispensing including the steps of:

providing a flattened blown-film polymeric tube;

providing sets of closely spaced, parallel seals extending transversely across the entire width of the flattened blown-film polymeric tube at equally spaced intervals therealong;

providing a line of perforations extending transversely across the entire width of the flattened blown-film polymeric tube between the closely spaced, parallel seals comprising each set thereof;

providing a wave shaped line of perforations extending across the entire width of the flattened blown-film polymeric tube at a location equidistant from each of the closely spaced, parallel sets of seals;

folding the flattened blown-film polymeric tube axially into a multi-layer, fractional width configuration;

positioning a signal receiving target between the layers of the folded flattened blown-film polymeric tube;

directing a signal through the transversely extending line of perforations positioned between the closely spaced, parallel seals and through the perforations comprising the wave-cut line of perforations and thereby locating each end of each trash bag comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube;

applying opposed axially directing forces to the flattened blown-film polymeric tube and thereby separating the trash bags comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube at each of the transversely extending line of perforations positioned between the closely spaced, parallel seals;

following the separation step, positioning the leading sealed end of the following trash bag comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube in an overlapping relationship with the trailing sealed end of the preceding trash bag comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube;

applying opposed axially directing forces to the flattened blown-film polymeric tube and thereby separating the trash bags comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube along each wave shaped line of perforations formed therein;

following the separating step positioning the leading wave-cut end of the following trash bag comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube in an overlapping relationship with the wave-cut trailing end of the preceding trash bag comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube; and

rolling the trash bags comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube into a roll with the sealed end of each following trash bag in the roll overlapping the sealed end of each preceding trash bag in the roll and with the wave-cut open end of each following trash bag in the roll overlapping the wave-cut open end of the preceding trash bag in the roll.

2. The roll of trash bags constructed in accordance with claim 1.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of directing a signal through the perforations formed in the flattened blown-film polymeric tube is carried out by directing an electromagnetic beam through the perforations formed in the flattened blown-film polymeric tube.

4. The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of directing a signal through the perforation formed in the flattened blown-film polymeric tube is carried out by directing an electric spark through the perforations formed in the flattened blown-film tube.

5. The process according to claim 1 wherein the wave shaped lines of perforations which are formed in the flattened blown-film polymeric tube to define the open ends of the trash bags comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube are arranged in accordance with a predetermined pattern which eliminates force concentrations when the opposed axially directed forces are applied to the flattened blown-film polymeric tube to separate the trash bags comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube along the wave shaped lines of perforations formed therein.

6. The process according to claim 1 is further characterized by applying a predetermined electrostatic charge to the wave-cut ends of the trash bag comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube prior to the step of positioning the leading wave-cut end of the following trash bag in an overlapping relationship to the trailing wave-cut end of the preceding trash bag comprising the flattened blown-film polymeric tube.