US20060021956A1 - Dispensing apparatus for plastic bags - Google Patents
Dispensing apparatus for plastic bags Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20060021956A1 US20060021956A1 US11/237,472 US23747205A US2006021956A1 US 20060021956 A1 US20060021956 A1 US 20060021956A1 US 23747205 A US23747205 A US 23747205A US 2006021956 A1 US2006021956 A1 US 2006021956A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- packet
- bags
- front cover
- housing
- bag
- Prior art date
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F13/00—Shop or like accessories
- A47F13/08—Hand implements, e.g. grocers' scoops, ladles, paper-bag holders
- A47F13/085—Shopping-bag holders
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F9/00—Shop, bar, bank or like counters
- A47F9/02—Paying counters
- A47F9/04—Check-out counters, e.g. for self-service stores
- A47F9/042—Shopping bags or carton-dispensing systems therefor
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D33/00—Details of, or accessories for, sacks or bags
- B65D33/001—Blocks, stacks or like assemblies of bags
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Auxiliary Apparatuses For Manual Packaging Operations (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/760,925, filed on Jan. 20, 2004, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
- The invention relates to a dispensing apparatus for dispensing plastic bags, such as the type commonly provided in the produce section of a grocery store for customers' use, from a stack of serially arranged bags that are flattened and folded and stacked together.
- Plastic bags have been replacing paper bags in the United States since the 1970s (and elsewhere more recently) in the grocery and retail products industries as a result of the superior and inherent moisture-resistant properties and strength of plastic. In these industries, these plastic bags have usually included integrally connected front and rear wall portions and, sometimes, gusseted side wall portions, all secured together at the bottoms thereof by a seal to define a closed bottom on the bag. The bag walls are open at the top to define a mouth portion on the bag. Some of these bags are of the “T-shirt” type which provides spaced integral handles laterally extending upwardly from opposed sides of the open mouth of the bag at the top to provide ease in carrying of the bag by the consumer. However, these plastic bags have also included handleless, generally flat-top rectangular-shaped bags, similar to the prior paper bags, without upwardly extending handles. These plastic bags have been provided to and used by the grocery and retail product industries in the form of packs of a plurality of superimposed bags connected together and adapted to be serially opened and removed from the rack, or in the form of a roll of plastic bags connected end-to-end and mounted on a rack to be serially removed and opened up, for packaging of the grocery or retail products. The produce bag market in the United States grocery industry has been dominated over the years by plastic bags on a roll. These bags are typically manufactured of LDPE or HMW-HDPE in gauges from 0.50 to 0.35 mil. The biggest complaint with this style bag by shoppers is the difficulty in getting the bag opened.
- More recently, grocery produce bags of the “star seal” configuration have been introduced. The star seal design is well known in the industry as a bag having multiple layers and longitudinally folded over on itself and sealed at the bottom so that when it is opened up, the bottom of the bag viewed from the inside resembles a star. This bag got its start in the HMW-HDPE can liner market because of the excellent bottom seal strength it offers with thin-gauge films.
- Star seal bags have been provided both in roll form as described for instance in U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,953, and in pack form as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,393 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,811, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- Grocery produce bags of this star seal type have been accepted in part because of their strength, but also because they are somewhat easier to open than the traditional roll produce bags. Openability of this star seal type bag is improved as a result of the increased number of layers of film at the bag mouth. However, particularly with respect to the roll form star seal bags, shoppers still often mistake the bottom of the bag for the top of the bag, leading to frustration in opening of the bag.
- Additionally, star seal bags and other configurations of bags provided in packets, which can include bags generally referred to as header-style bags as well as T-shirt type bags, up to now have been dispensed from a rack having one or more hooks from which one or more stacks of bags hang down, as depicted in the above-referenced patents. The amount of vertical space occupied by the hanging bags thus is at least as great as the length of the bags, which typically is about 20 inches. It would be desirable to provide a dispensing apparatus that takes up less space and has better aesthetics than such prior dispensing racks.
- The invention addresses the above needs and achieves other advantages by providing a dispensing apparatus for a packet of bags having a housing configured to house the lower part of a bag packet (i.e., the part distal from the mouth portion of the bags) to substantially prevent access to the lower ends of the bags while allowing a mouth portion of the packet to be accessed through an opening in the housing. A bag mount of the apparatus engages the packet near the mouth portion to secure the packet. Consumers thus can access the upper ends of the bags for removing bags one at a time. The housing in preferred embodiments accommodates bag packets substantially longer than the housing; the lower part of the packet is folded into the housing so that the dispenser is relatively compact in size.
- In one embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises a rear portion and a front cover connected to the rear portion. The bag mount is attached to the rear portion proximate the opening in the housing. The front cover is pivotally attached to the rear portion so as to be movable between an open position providing access to an interior of the housing so that a lower portion of a packet of bags attached to the bag mount can be received in the interior of the housing, and a closed position in which the housing substantially encloses said lower portion of the packet of bags while the mouth portion of the packet of bags projects out from the housing to allow a bag to be grasped at an upper end thereof and removed from the packet.
- The pivot axis for the front cover is preferably spaced from the bag mount by a distance that is substantially less than the length of the packet of bags. Accordingly, when the front cover is moved to its closed position, the lower portion of the packet of bags is folded into the interior of the housing. Thus, the dispensing apparatus occupies substantially less space than a conventional dispensing rack wherein the packet simply hangs from a hook.
- A further advantage of the dispensing apparatus is that the lower ends of the bags are contained in the housing and thus are not readily accessible to shoppers. The upper ends of the bags at the mouth portion of the packet, on the other hand, are presented for ready grasping. The dispensing apparatus thereby encourages proper bag removal (i.e., grasping and pulling the open upper end of a bag to detach it from the packet) and discourages improper bag removal (i.e., grasping and pulling the closed lower end of a bag to detach it from the packet). As a further consequence, shoppers are less likely to attempt to open the lower end of the bag.
- Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, shown in an open condition with a packet of bags loaded in the dispenser; -
FIG. 2 is a view similar toFIG. 1 , showing the loaded dispenser in a closed condition; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dispenser in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, shown closed and empty; -
FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the dispenser ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the dispenser ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 6 is a top elevation of the dispenser ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a dispenser in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, shown in a closed condition with a packet of bags loaded in the dispenser; -
FIG. 8 depicts a packet of T-shirt style bags as used with the dispenser ofFIG. 7 according to one embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the dispenser ofFIG. 7 , shown with the dispenser open and without the packet of bags; -
FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the dispenser ofFIG. 7 ; -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a dispenser in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention, shown in an open condition with a packet of bags loaded in the dispenser; -
FIG. 12 is a view similar toFIG. 11 , showing the loaded dispenser in a closed condition; -
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the dispenser ofFIG. 11 , shown closed and empty; -
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the dispenser ofFIG. 11 , shown closed and loaded with a packet of bags; -
FIG. 15 is a side elevation view of the dispenser ofFIG. 11 ; -
FIG. 16 is a front elevation view of the dispenser ofFIG. 11 ; and -
FIG. 17 is a top view of the dispenser ofFIG. 11 . - The present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
- A dispensing
apparatus 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention is depicted inFIGS. 1 and 2 , and a dispensing apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment is shown inFIGS. 3-6 . The two embodiments differ in only minor respects, as noted below. The dispensing apparatus includes ahousing 12 formed by arear portion 14 and afront cover 16. The rear portion and front cover are pivotally connected to each other by ahinge arrangement 18 located proximate a bottom edge of the rear portion. The hinge arrangement is attached to thefront cover 16 at a location proximate a lower end (when the front cover is closed as shown inFIG. 2 ) of the front cover. By virtue of the hinge arrangement, the front cover can be pivoted between a closed position (FIG. 2 ) and an open position (FIG. 1 ). - The front cover and rear portion are suitably shaped so that the
housing 12 defines an interior space for accommodating a lower portion of a packet P of bags. The packet P can be any type of bags, including but not limited to header style bags such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,393 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,811, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, or T-shirt style bags. The packet P has an aperture A extending through the packet proximate a mouth portion of the packet. The mouth portion is the portion of the packet at which the open ends or mouth ends of the bags are located. The dispensing apparatus includes a bag mount or hook 20 for engaging the aperture in the bag packet so that the packet can hang from the hook with the lower portion of the packet contained in the interior space of thehousing 12. The illustrated packet P has a protruding mounting “tab” at its mouth portion, through which the aperture A extends, but alternatively the mouth portion of the packet can have other shapes such as squared off, rounded, etc. A bag packet typically has severable support means at the mouth portion, by which bags can be detached from the packet by severing the severable support means. The severable support means can have various forms. In some cases, an aperture extends through the packet at the mouth portion and a notch, perforation, or the like (e.g., see FIG. 1 of the '811 patent) is provided in each bag near the aperture so that the film material of the bag can readily be torn through by pulling the bag away from a hook or the like engaged in the aperture. In other cases, a detachable tab (not shown) can be provided at the mouth portion of the packet, the tab having an aperture therethrough for engagement by a hook or the like; a perforation, notch, or the like, is provided in a film portion connecting the tab to the rest of the packet, such that the film portion can readily be torn through by pulling the bag away from the hook, thereby detaching a bag from its tab, which remains on the hook (e.g., see FIGS. 9-11 of the '811 patent). - The packet P of bags can be constructed so that the bags are self-opening, i.e., each bag tends to open as the bag is removed from the packet P. For example, successive bags in the packet can be joined together by frangible bonds of predetermined strength that facilitate the opening of the bags during removal from the packet. In particular, the bags can be folded so that each respective bag comprises multiple layers in the packet. Less than all of the layers can be bonded to the successive bag, or the layers closest to the successive bag can be bonded thereto by a bond that is stronger than the bond between the other layers of the respective bag and the successive bag. Thus, as a person pulls each bag from the packet, the bond(s) between the bag and the packet can cause the bag to begin to open. Further, before the bag is removed from the packet, the bag can cause the successive bag in the packet to begin to open. Such self-opening bag packets and the formation of bonds in packets to provide the self-opening feature are further described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,788, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,811, noted above. Bonds B, which extend between only select layers of each bag, e.g., to connect the outer layers of adjacent bags in the packet, can be formed by corona treatments. For example, adjacent layers of successive bags in the packet can be exposed to a corona treatment and then pressed together to form a corona-induced pressure bond. Pressure bonded areas or cold welds C can be formed to extend through the packet and join the bags, e.g., to maintain the bags in the configuration of the packet during handling and loading onto the
apparatus 10. Such bonds are also described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,335,788 and 6,446,811. It is appreciated that the bonds B, C can be formed in various configurations and arrangements in the packet. - The mouth portion of the packet of bags is accessible through an
opening 22 defined in thehousing 12 between a rear upper edge of thefront cover 16 and therear portion 14. The mouth portion of the bag packet, at which the open upper ends of the bags are located, is thus presented for ready access, while the lower ends of the bags are contained within the housing and hence are not readily accessible as long as the front cover is closed as shown inFIG. 2 . While theopening 22 in the illustrated embodiment is on an upper side of the housing, alternatively the opening can be on another side of the housing, such as the front side. - The
front cover 16 in the illustrated embodiment has a somewhat cylindrical configuration, formed by afront panel 24 of curved, generally U-shaped form, and a pair of spaced,parallel side panels 26 joined to the opposite side edges of thefront panel 24. The front cover thus is open on one side that faces therear portion 14 when the front cover is closed. The rear portion substantially closes the open side of the front cover when the front cover is closed, but the open side is exposed when the front cover is opened, so that the lower portion of a bag packet can be received into the front cover as inFIG. 1 . - The dispensing
apparatus 10 further comprises a latchingarrangement 28 for latching the front cover in the closed position. With particular reference toFIGS. 3-6 , the latching arrangement includes alatch member 30 in the form of a wire or rod, connected to apivot member 32 also in the form of a wire or rod, such that thelatch member 30 is substantially parallel to thepivot member 32 and is spaced from the pivot member in a forward direction (i.e., toward the front cover 16). Thepivot member 32 is journaled for rotation about its axis in apertures formed through a pair of laterally spaced,parallel walls 34 that are joined to opposite side edges of therear portion 14, the journaling apertures in thewalls 34 being located proximate an upper end of thefront cover 16 when the front cover is closed. When thepivot member 32 is rotated one direction or the other through an angle about its axis, thelatch member 30 is caused to move up or down along an arc. Atorsion spring 36 is affixed to thepivot member 32 and engages thelatch member 30 to bias the latch member in a downward direction. The opposite ends of thelatch member 30 extend outwardly through vertically elongatedapertures 38 in thewalls 34, and thetorsion spring 36 biases the latch member downwardly against the lower edges of theapertures 38. - In this lowered position of the
latch member 30, and when thefront cover 16 is closed, the latch member is located in latchingslots 40 defined in upper edges of theside panels 26 of the front cover. The engagement of thelatch member 30 in the latchingslots 40 prevents the front cover from being opened. To open the front cover, the opposite ends of thelatch member 30 are pushed upwardly against the force of thetorsion spring 36 to disengage the latch member from the latchingslots 40, and the front cover is pulled forwardly. When the latch member is released, it returns to its lowered position by action of the torsion spring. The upper edges of theside panels 26 of the front cover can be provided with ramped cam surfaces 41 (FIG. 5 ) for engaging the latch member and pushing it upwardly as the front cover is moved toward its closed position; once the latch member encounters the latchingslots 40 it will snap into the slots by action of the torsion spring. Thus, closing the front cover and latching it closed does not require manipulation of the latch member by hand. Advantageously, however, the front cover cannot be opened unless the latch member is lifted. - The
hinge arrangement 18, previously referred to, includes a hinge wire or pin 42 rotatably journaled in apertures formed through thewalls 34 at locations proximate the lower edge of therear portion 14. Thepin 42 extends through apertures formed through lugs orbushings 44 affixed to the rear lower end of thefront cover 16. If it is desired to prevent the front cover from being able to freely fall downward upon disengagement of the latchingarrangement 28, thehinge arrangement 18 can be designed as a friction or detent type of mechanism such that the front cover can be moved only by application of force to the front cover. For instance, thepin 42 can be mounted to thefront cover 16 in such a way as to prevent relative rotation between the pin and front cover, and the pin can frictionally engage theside walls 34 so that rotation of the pin requires a torque greater than that exerted by the weight of the front cover alone; alternatively, the pin can be mounted in the side walls to prevent rotation therebetween, and the above-described frictional engagement can be between the pin and the front cover. - The
front panel 24 of the front cover can include a vertically extendingslot 46 extending downwardly from a rear upper edge of the front panel. Theslot 46 can be helpful in removing a bag from the dispenser in that the slot allows the upper end of the bag, grasped just below thehook 20, to be pulled downwardly away from the hook. Such downward force on the bag is generally helpful either for detaching the bag from a tab or header portion that remains engaged on the hook (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,393, particularly FIGS. 5-7 and associated description), or for causing the hook to tear through the aperture in the bag (see, for example, FIGS. 9-15 and associated description in the '393 patent), depending on the particular style of bag being used. - In use, the dispensing
apparatus 10 can be mounted on asupport stand 50 or other support device, as shown in the first embodiment ofFIGS. 1 and 2 . The apparatus can also include acup 52 or the like for holding a quantity of twist ties or other bag closure devices. To prepare the dispensing apparatus for operation, thefront cover 16 is opened and a packet P of bags is hung from the hook 20 (FIG. 1 ). The packet can extend down below the location of thehinge arrangement 18; for instance, the hinge can be located about midway along the vertical extent of the packet. Thefront cover 16 is then closed (FIG. 2 ). Any portion of the packet that hangs down below the hinge is folded into the interior of the housing when the front cover is closed. - To remove a bag from the dispenser, the outermost bag in the packet is grasped at a point just below the
hook 20 and is pulled forwardly and downwardly, along the slot 46 (if present) in the front cover, so as to sever the severable support means of the bag and detach the bag from the hook and the remaining bags. If the bag is a self-opening bag such as described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,446,811 and 5,941,393, the process of detaching the bag may also cause the upper end of the bag to be opened up. The bag can then be filled with merchandise. As noted, thedispenser 10 can optionally include acup 52 or the like for holding a quantity of twist ties or other closures that can be applied to a bag to close it after it has been filled with merchandise. - The invention is susceptible to numerous variations. For instance,
FIG. 7 shows adispensing apparatus 110 in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention. The dispensingapparatus 110 differs from theapparatus 10 described above primarily in the arrangement by which a bag packet P1 is secured in thedispenser 110. The packet P1, shown individually inFIG. 8 , is illustrated as a packet of T-shirt style bags. Each bag of the packet P1 is sealed at the top and bottom by heat seals L1, L2, and the packet P1 defines two apertures A2 extending therethrough and severable means that facilitate the removal of bags from the packet. In particular, perforations F1 extend between the apertures A2 and a top of the packet, and another perforation F2 connects the apertures A2. Each bag is configured to be torn along the perforations F1, F2 when removed from the remaining packet so that a tab T1 of each bag remains with the packet. A slot-like aperture A1 in the tab is structured to receive a hook or other bag mount. As shown inFIG. 8 , the sides of each bag are folded to form side gussets, and the side edges S1 of each bag are intersected by the apertures A2. Thus, when a bag is removed from the packet, the mouth portion of the bag is open with two loop-like handles H1 extending (upward as shown inFIG. 8 ) from the mouth portion. Weld areas C1 can be formed as heat welded points that extend through the packet so that all of the tabs of the bags are adhered to one another and the tabs are not removed from the packet as the bags are torn therefrom. - The dispensing
apparatus 110 ofFIGS. 7, 9 , and 10 includes ahousing 112 formed by arear portion 114 and afront cover 116. The rear portion and front cover are pivotally connected to each other by ahinge arrangement 118 located proximate a bottom edge of the rear portion. The hinge arrangement is attached to the front cover at a location proximate a lower end (when the front cover is closed as shown inFIG. 7 ) of the front cover. By virtue of the hinge arrangement, the front cover can be pivoted between a closed position (FIG. 7 ) and an open position (FIG. 9 ). - As shown in
FIG. 10 , a bag mount or hook 120 for engaging the aperture A1 in the bag packet P1 extends rearwardly from aflange 148 of therear portion 114 of thedispensing apparatus 110. Thus, with theflange 148 positioned in a vertical arrangement, the packet can be disposed so that thehook 120 extends through the aperture A1, and the packet can be folded over the flange so that the packet hangs from the flange and the hook with the lower portion of the packet contained in the interior space of thehousing 112. - Similar to the embodiment described above in connection with
FIG. 1 , the dispensingapparatus 110 defines anopening 122 in thehousing 112. The mouth portion of the bag packet P1 is thus presented for ready access through theopening 122, while the lower ends of the bags can be contained within the housing and hence are not readily accessible as long as thefront cover 116 is closed as shown inFIG. 7 . It is appreciated that while theopening 122 in the illustrated embodiment is on an upper side of the housing, the opening can alternatively be on another side of the housing, such as the front side. - The
front cover 116 in the illustrated embodiment defines afront panel 124 of curved, generally U-shaped form, and a pair of spaced,parallel side panels 126 joined to the opposite side edges of thefront panel 124. Acover member 127 extends between the side panels so that theopening 122 is defined between thecover member 127 and thefront panel 124. A latchingarrangement 128 for latching the front cover in the closed position includes alatch member 130 that is connected to apivot member 132, each of which can be in the form of a wire or rod configured so that thelatch member 130 is substantially parallel to thepivot member 132 and is spaced from the pivot member in a forward direction (i.e., toward the front cover 116). Thepivot member 132 is journaled for rotation about its axis in apertures formed through a pair of laterally spaced,parallel walls 134 that are joined to opposite side edges of therear portion 114. A torsion spring 136 is affixed to thepivot member 132 and engages thelatch member 130 to bias the latch member in a downward direction. The opposite ends of thelatch member 130 extend outwardly through vertically elongatedapertures 138 in thewalls 134, and the torsion spring 136 biases the latch member downwardly against the lower edges of theapertures 138. Thus, the latch member is structured to engage latchingslots 140 in theside panels 126 when thefront cover 116 is closed to prevent the front cover from being opened. The front cover can be opened by pushing the opposite ends of thelatch member 130 upwardly against the force of the torsion spring 136 to disengage the latch member from the latchingslots 140, and pulling the front cover forwardly. - The
front panel 124 of the front cover can also include a vertically extendingslot 146 extending partially through the front panel from theopening 122 to aid in the removal of a bag from thedispenser 110. The slot allows the upper end of the bag, grasped proximate to the mouth of the bag and below the tab T1, to be pulled downwardly away from theflange 148 andhook 120. As described above, such downward force on the bag is generally helpful for detaching the bag from the tab T1 that remains engaged to the packet and thedispensing apparatus 110. In other embodiments of the present invention, a dispensing apparatus similar to the one shown inFIG. 7 can be used to dispense bags that do not define a tab, and theopening 122 can be helpful for causing the hook to tear through an aperture in the bag to release the bag from the hook. In any case, the dispensingapparatus 110 can be mounted on a support stand or other support device, as set forth above, and can include a cup or other device for holding twist ties and the like. - To prepare the
dispensing apparatus 110 for operation, thefront cover 116 is opened and a packet P1 of bags is hung from the hook 120 (FIG. 10 ). The packet can extend down below the location of thehinge arrangement 118; for instance, the hinge can be located about midway along the vertical extent of the packet. Thefront cover 116 is then closed (FIG. 7 ). A portion of the packet that hangs down below the hinge can be folded into the interior of the housing when the front cover is closed. - To remove a bag from the
dispenser 110, the outermost bag in the packet is grasped at a point just below the tab and is pulled forwardly and downwardly, along the slot 146 (if present) in the front cover, so as to sever the severable support means of the bag and detach the bag from the hook and the remaining bags. The process of detaching the bag can cause the mouth portion of the bag to be opened, and the bag can then be filled with merchandise. -
FIGS. 11-17 illustrate adispensing apparatus 210 in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention. Theapparatus 210 is shown inFIG. 11 with a packet P of bags that is similar to the bag packet P shown in the embodiment ofFIG. 1 , i.e., with the bags being structured to be removed from the packet P by tearing a severable support means (such as portion of the bag defined between an aperture A through the bags and a top edge of the bags) and so that no tab or other portion of each bag is left in theapparatus 210 when the bag is removed; however, it is appreciated that other configurations of bags can be provided in and dispensed from the apparatus, including the T-shirt style bags of packet P1 shown inFIG. 8 with a detachable tab T1. The packet P of bags is typically provided with the aperture A being structured to receive ahook 220 or other bag mount, as described above, and each bag can be provided in a folded configuration in the packet P. For example, the bags can be similar to those described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,941,393 and 5,335,788 and marketed under the name QuikStar®, a registered trademark of Hilex Poly Co. LLC of Hartsville, S.C. - Similar to the dispensing
apparatuses apparatus 210 ofFIGS. 11-17 includes ahousing 212 formed by arear portion 214 and afront cover 216. Therear portion 214 andfront cover 216 are pivotally connected to each other by ahinge arrangement 218 located proximate a bottom edge of therear portion 214 Thehinge arrangement 218 is attached to thefront cover 216 at a location proximate a lower end (when the front cover is closed as shown inFIGS. 12 and 13 ) of thefront cover 216. By virtue of thehinge arrangement 218, thefront cover 216 can be pivoted between an open position (FIGS. 11 and 14 ) and a closed position (FIGS. 12 and 13 ). In particular, thehinge arrangement 218 can include ashaft 250 in the form of a rod, wire, or the like, which rotatably connects thefront cover 216 to therear portion 214, e.g., by passing at least partially through each of thefront cover 216 and therear portion 214 so that at least one of thefront cover 216 orrear portion 214 can be rotated about an axis of theshaft 250. - Further, the
hinge arrangement 218 can include a mechanism for regulating the speed at which thefront cover 216 opens. For example, as shown inFIGS. 16 and 17 , one or moreelastomeric members 252 can be positioned to frictionally resist the rotation of thefront cover 216. Theelastomeric members 252 of the illustrated embodiment are mounted on theshaft 250. Eachmember 252 has a generally rectangular outer cross-sectional shape and is disposed in a correspondingly shaped portion of thefront cover 216 so that themembers 252 are restricted from rotating relative to thefront cover 216. Further, theshaft 250 defines a J-shapedleg 254 that is engaged to therear portion 214 so that theshaft 250 is restricted from rotating relative to therear portion 214. Thus, as thefront cover 216 rotates relative to therear portion 214, theelastomeric members 252 rotate relative to theshaft 250. The frictional contact between theelastomeric members 252 and theshaft 250 frictionally resists opening of thefront cover 216 and, therefore, reduces the speed at which thefront cover 216 pivots relative to therear portion 214, e.g., when thefront cover 216 is opened by the force of gravity thereon. Thus, the speed of opening of thecover 216 is regulated by theelastomeric members 252. It is appreciated that various spring and/or damper elements can be used in combination with or in alternative to theelastomeric members 252, such as springs, bushings, and the like. - As shown in
FIG. 11 , the bag mount or hook 220 for engaging the aperture A in the bag packet P extends from aflange 248 of therear portion 214 of thedispensing apparatus 210. As also shown, e.g., inFIG. 11 , thehook 220 can extend generally perpendicularly from theflange 248. With the dispensingapparatus 210 in its typical upright configuration as illustrated inFIGS. 11-14 , thehook 220 extends in a generally vertical direction away from therear portion 214. Thus, the packet P can be disposed so that thehook 220 extends through the aperture A, with a top portion of the packet P that is secured by thehook 220 extending generally horizontally against theflange 248, and the packet P being folded over theflange 248 so that the packet P hangs from theflange 248 and thehook 220 with the lower portion of the packet P contained in aninterior space 213 defined by thehousing 212. The terms “generally vertical” and “generally horizontal” are meant to include configurations in which thehook 220 is disposed at a relatively small angle, e.g., about 30°, from the vertical direction and/or theflange 248 is disposed at a relatively small angle, e.g., about 30°, from the horizontal direction. That is, as shown inFIG. 11 , theflange 248 can be disposed at an angle that is about 30° relative to horizontal, and thehook 220 can extend substantially perpendicularly therefrom. - The
hook 220 illustrated in the embodiment ofFIGS. 11-17 defines afirst portion 260 that extends from afirst end 262 affixed to therear portion 214 of the housing to a second distal end 264 (FIG. 15 ). Second andthird portions 266, 268 of thehook 220 extend in generally opposite directions from thedistal end 264 of thefirst portion 260 and generally perpendicular to thefirst portion 260. Thefirst portion 260 can be disposed in a generally vertical orientation, and the second andthird portions 266, 268 can be disposed generally horizontally. The second andthird portions 266, 268 can be oriented to extend toward the front and rear of thedispensing apparatus 210, i.e., in directions that are generally parallel to the motion of thefront cover 216 when it is being latched closed and parallel to the direction of motion of the bags when they are dispensed from theapparatus 210. Thus, the second andthird portions 266, 268 can retain the bags, even if the packet P or individual bags shift slightly toward the rear or front of theapparatus 210, e.g., if the packet P is pushed toward the rear of theapparatus 210 when thefront cover 216 is closed or pulled toward the front of theapparatus 210 when the bags are pulled individually from the packet P. Thehook 220 can be formed from a continuous length of material, such as a metal rod, that is bent to define the illustrated configuration, such that the metal rod or other material extends continuously in a curved configuration between ends of the rod that are affixed to therear portion 214 of the housing. More particularly, thefirst portion 260 can be defined by first and secondparallel legs hook 220 that extend between the first and second ends 262, 264 (FIG. 15 ), and the second andthird portions 266, 268 of thehook 220 can be defined by a generally C-shapedcurve 274 that connects the first andsecond legs FIG. 17 ). Such a C-shapedcurve 274 can be sized to receive the apertures A of the bags. That is, the C-shapedcurve 274 can define a distance D1 between the “top” of the C-shapedcurve 274 and theopposite leg 272 and a similar distance D2 between the “bottom” of the C-shapedcurve 274 and theopposite leg 270. The distances D1 and D2 can correspond to the diameter of the aperture A in the bag packet P (or to the longest chord measured across the aperture A when the aperture A is elongated by stretching or manipulating the bags) so that the C-shapedcurve 274 can be inserted through the aperture A of the packet P and the packet P can be received onto thelegs hook 220. - As discussed above in connection with the other embodiments of the present invention, the dispensing
apparatus 210 defines anopening 222 in thehousing 212 that connects theinterior space 213 of thehousing 212 with the outside of the housing. Theopening 222 is located near thehook 220 so that the mouth portion of the bag packet P is presented for ready access through theopening 222, while the lower ends of the bags can be contained within thehousing 212 and hence are not readily accessible as long as thefront cover 216 is closed. With the front cover closed, the hook is generally disposed or contained in the interior space of the housing, an aspect that can facilitate the use of the dispensing apparatus by restricting access to the hook and/or the top portion of the bags. More particularly, thefront cover 216 in the illustrated embodiment defines afront panel 224 of curved, generally U-shaped form, and a pair of spaced,parallel side panels 226 joined to the opposite side edges of thefront panel 224. Acover member 227 extends between the side panels so that theopening 222 is defined between thecover member 227 and thefront panel 224. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover member is part of the front cover and is structured to be disposed over a top edge of the rear portion when the front portion is closed so that a portion of the packet is disposed between the top edge of the rear portion and the cover member. In this way, the hook can be disposed between the flange and the front cover when the cover is closed, thereby substantially hiding the hook from view and/or substantially preventing access to the bag mount by the user when the front cover is closed. Thus, a user unfamiliar with the operation of the apparatus is less likely to attempt to “thread” or “back” the bag off the hook, i.e., by manipulating the top portion of the bag relative to the hook in a manner generally opposite to the motion used to place the packet on the hook and thereby remove the bag from the hook without tearing the bag. Instead, the user is presented with access to only the mouth portion of the bag, and when the user pulls on the bag from the accessible portion, the bag tears is torn or otherwise removed from the packet and the hook. In any case, the dispensingapparatus 210 can be mounted on asupport stand 50 or other support device, as set forth above, and can include a cup or other device for holding twist ties and the like. - As described above in connection with the other embodiments of the present invention, a latching
arrangement 228 is provided for latching the front cover in the closed position. The latching arrangement includes alatch member 230 that is connected to apivot member 232, each of which can be in the form of a shaft, wire, rod, or the like that is configured so that thelatch member 230 is substantially parallel to thepivot member 232 and is spaced from the pivot member in a forward direction (i.e., toward the front cover 216). Thepivot member 232 is journaled for rotation about its axis in apertures formed through a pair of laterally spaced,parallel walls 234 that are joined to opposite side edges of therear portion 214. One or more torsion springs 236 are affixed to thepivot member 232 and engage thelatch member 230 to bias the latch member in a downward direction. The opposite ends of thelatch member 230 extend outwardly through vertically elongated apertures 238 in thewalls 234, and the torsion springs 236 bias the latch member downwardly against the lower edges of the apertures 238. Thus, the latch member is structured to engage latching slots 240 in theside panels 226 when thefront cover 216 is closed to prevent the front cover from being opened. The front cover can be opened by pushing the opposite ends of thelatch member 230 upwardly against the force of the torsion springs 236 to disengage the latch member from the latching slots 240, and pulling the front cover forwardly. - The
front panel 224 of the front cover can also include a vertically extendingslot 246 extending partially through the front panel from theopening 222 to aid in the removal of a bag from thedispenser 210. The slot allows the upper end of the bag, grasped proximate to the mouth of the bag to be pulled downwardly away from theflange 248 and thehook 220. As described above, such downward force on the bag is generally helpful for detaching the bag from the packet and thedispensing apparatus 210. In other embodiments of the present invention, a dispensing apparatus similar to the one shown inFIG. 11 can be used to dispense bags that define a tab as described above in connection withFIG. 7 . In any case, theslot 246 can extend from afirst end 280 at theopening 222 to asecond end 282 in a direction that extends generally away from thehook 220. Further, theslot 246 can also define an additional open portion at thesecond end 282 of theslot 246. In particular, theslot 246 can define a generally arrow-shape portion at the second end of the slot. The arrow-shape portion includes first andsecond portions FIG. 16 . In other embodiments, the first andsecond portions slot 246 so that the slot defines a generally T-shape portion distal to theopening 222. Although the present invention is not limited to any particular theory of operation, it is believed that such aslot 246 with an arrow-shape or T-shape portion distal to theopening 222 can facilitate the spreading of the bag and thereby assist a user to open the bag and remove the bag from the packet P. Further, the dimensions of theslot 246, including the arrow-shape or T-shape portion, are such to prevent direct access to the bags therethrough. That is, theslot 246 can be sufficiently narrow to prevent a user from reaching through theslot 246 and into the interior space of the housing to access the bags. - The dispensing
apparatus 210 is typically prepared for operation by opening thefront cover 216 and hanging a packet P of bags from the hook 220 (FIG. 11 ). The packet can extend down below the location of thehinge arrangement 218; for instance, the hinge can be located about midway along the vertical extent of the packet. Thefront cover 216 is then closed (FIG. 12 ). A portion of the packet that hangs down below the hinge can be folded into the interior of the housing when the front cover is closed, as illustrated inFIG. 15 . - To remove a bag from the
dispenser 210, the outermost bag in the packet is grasped at a point proximate the mouth of the bag and is pulled forwardly and downwardly, i.e., along the slot 246 (if present) in the front cover, so as to detach the bag from the hook and the remaining bags of the packet, e.g., by severing the bag between its top edge and the aperture A that receives thehook 220 and/or breaking any bonds between the outermost bag and the adjacent bag in the packet P. The process of detaching the bag can cause the mouth portion of the bag to be opened, and the bag can then be filled with merchandise. Further, the process of detaching the outermost bag from the packet can also cause the adjacent bag in the packet P to be partially unfolded and opened so that next bag in the packet is still attached to thehook 220 and the packet P, but with a portion E of the bag unfolded and partially pulled from the packet P, as shown inFIG. 15 , toward or through theopening 222. In this way, outermost bag can be easily grasped by a user simply by grasping the partially unfolded portion E thereof. - Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
Claims (24)
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US11/237,472 US20060021956A1 (en) | 2004-01-20 | 2005-09-28 | Dispensing apparatus for plastic bags |
AU2006200771A AU2006200771A1 (en) | 2005-09-28 | 2006-02-24 | Dispensing apparatus for plastic bags |
MXPA06003657 MXPA06003657A (en) | 2005-09-28 | 2006-03-31 | Dispensing apparatus for plastic bags. |
CA2541888A CA2541888C (en) | 2005-09-28 | 2006-04-03 | Dispensing apparatus for plastic bags |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/760,925 US7624881B2 (en) | 2004-01-20 | 2004-01-20 | Dispensing apparatus for plastic bags |
US11/237,472 US20060021956A1 (en) | 2004-01-20 | 2005-09-28 | Dispensing apparatus for plastic bags |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/760,925 Continuation-In-Part US7624881B2 (en) | 2004-01-20 | 2004-01-20 | Dispensing apparatus for plastic bags |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20060021956A1 true US20060021956A1 (en) | 2006-02-02 |
Family
ID=40260458
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/237,472 Abandoned US20060021956A1 (en) | 2004-01-20 | 2005-09-28 | Dispensing apparatus for plastic bags |
Country Status (1)
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US (1) | US20060021956A1 (en) |
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US20080128465A1 (en) * | 2006-12-01 | 2008-06-05 | Wilfong Harry B | Recessed dispenser for plastic bags |
ITTV20120088A1 (en) * | 2012-05-17 | 2013-11-18 | Giulia Denis | DISTRIBUTOR FOR BAGS |
US20140263121A1 (en) * | 2013-03-12 | 2014-09-18 | Blue Shoe Innovations, Llc | Dispensing and handling rack system for flexible food and beverage holder |
US8960493B1 (en) | 2013-08-26 | 2015-02-24 | No Touch Easy Gloves, Inc. | Method and apparatus for disposable glove dispensing |
US9622599B2 (en) * | 2015-07-23 | 2017-04-18 | Ronald A. Davis, Jr. | Bag holder apparatus and method |
US9622598B1 (en) * | 2015-07-23 | 2017-04-18 | Ronald A. Davis, Jr. | Bag holder apparatus and method |
WO2018148235A1 (en) * | 2017-02-07 | 2018-08-16 | B&B Medical Products, LLC | Medical instrument hygienic system |
US10610032B2 (en) | 2018-05-25 | 2020-04-07 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Bagging station and shopping bag holder |
US10617236B2 (en) * | 2018-05-25 | 2020-04-14 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Bagging station with shopping bag holder |
US10625895B2 (en) | 2017-10-26 | 2020-04-21 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Bag retaining fixture |
US20200138539A1 (en) * | 2018-11-02 | 2020-05-07 | Bunnycap, Llc | No-contact cover for stethoscopes and other articles |
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US20080128465A1 (en) * | 2006-12-01 | 2008-06-05 | Wilfong Harry B | Recessed dispenser for plastic bags |
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