Multiple Seal Drawstring Trash Bag

Abstract

The present invention describes various embodiments of a drawstring bag. The drawstring bag is generally constructed from a first panel and a second panel continuously joined along a first side edge, a bottom, and a second side edge with the top of the panels generally defining the open top of the bag. The bags feature drawstrings extending along the open top of the bag. The drawstrings may exhibit elastic-like properties or be manufactured of elastic materials. First and second short seals anchor the ends of the drawstrings to the sides of the bag. In certain embodiments, the present invention will have one or more reduced opening seals proximate to the short seals. The reduced opening seals are generally opposite the side edges of the bag with respect to the short seals. The reduced opening seals may be substantially oval in shape. Furthermore, the reduced opening seals may be vertically oriented with the sides of the bag or oriented at an angle to the sides. In certain preferred embodiments, the reduced opening seals will be oriented at an angle of between 10 and 45 degrees to the sides, with 15 degrees from vertical being preferred, and the reduced opening seals can be oriented outward or inward.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to improvements in the construction and manufacture of plastic bags. In particular, the present invention relates to improvements in the construction and manufacture of drawstring trash bags.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Plastic bags are ubiquitous in modern society, available in different combinations of capacity, thickness, dimensions and color. Plastic bags may be used for product packaging, long-term storage of goods, food storage, and trash collection among many other uses. In response to consumer demand, manufacturers of plastic bags have developed innovative, new technology over the years to improve the utility and performance of polymeric bags. The present invention described herein is one such improvement and is of particular relevance to drawstring trash bags.

[0006] Drawstring trash bags are a popular alternative to twist-tie or flapped trash bags. As the name suggests, drawstring bags incorporate drawstrings into the bag design. In a typical drawstring trash bag known in the prior art, a pair of drawstrings are enclosed within hems running along the opening of the trash bag. The ends of the drawstrings are physically joined to the bag by seals welding the drawstrings to the panels of the bag allowing users to pull the drawstrings through the access cut-outs in the respective hems. The pulled drawstrings may then be tied together to securely close the bag while also providing a convenient handle for carrying the bag.

[0007] Despite their utility, traditional drawstring trash bags still suffer from certain disadvantages. For example, when a traditional drawstring trash bag is placed onto a receptacle with the top of the drawstring trash bag pulled over the upper rim of the receptacle, a traditional drawstring trash bag does not offer any means to secure the bag in place. Consequently, when trash is placed into the receptacle, the force on the bag as the trash falls into the bag and the overall weight of the trash already in the bag tends to pull the sides of traditional drawstring trash bags into the trash can. Therefore, it would be desirable to offer an alternative to traditional drawstring trash bags known in the art so as to provide a means for securing the bag over a trash receptacle.

[0008] Solutions to the problem of securing the bag on the trash receptacle have generally focused on the use of elastic materials for the drawstrings, or drawstrings which otherwise exhibit elastic-like properties. In some solutions, the elastic drawstrings are used in combination with multiple seals to provide a reduced opening bag. The present invention expands on these solutions by identifying new and advantageous solutions to the multiple seals for reducing the opening of a drawstring trash bag.

[0009] In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide an elastic drawstring trash bag that is similar in configuration to a traditional drawstring bag. Specifically, it would be advantageous to provide an elastic drawstring trash bag where the elastic drawstring could be pulled through the centrally-located cut-out holes at the top of the bag rather than the upper corners of the drawstring bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention encompasses various embodiments of a drawstring bag. The drawstring bags are constructed from a first panel and a second panel. The first panel and the second panel are continuously joined along a first side edge, a bottom, and a second side edge of the respective first and second panels. The top of the respective first and second panels generally define the open top of the bags.

[0011] The various embodiments feature a first hem extending along the open top of the bag from the first side edge to the second side edge of the first panel while a second hem extends along the open top of the bag from the first side edge to the second side edge of the second panel. A first drawstring is disposed within the first hem and a second drawstring is disposed within the second hem.

[0012] The various embodiments of the present invention will have a first short seal welding the first panel, the second panel, the first drawstring, and the second drawstring together. The first short seal is located adjacent to the first side edge of the bag. Similarly, certain embodiments of the present invention will also have a second short seal welding the first panel, the second panel, the first drawstring, and the second drawstring together. This second short seal is generally located adjacent to the second side edge.

[0013] Some embodiments of the present invention will also have a first reduced opening seal proximate to the first short seal. The first reduced opening seal is generally opposite the first side edge with respect to the first short seal. In certain embodiments, the first reduced opening seal will be substantially oval in shape. The first reduced opening seal may also be vertically oriented with the first side edge of the bag or oriented at an angle to the first side edge of the bag. In certain preferred embodiments, the first reduced opening seal will be oriented at an angle of between 10 and 45 degrees to the first side edge of the bag with an angle of 15 degrees from vertical being preferred. In some embodiments, the first reduced opening seal will be oriented outward from vertical while in other embodiments, the first reduced opening seal will be oriented inward from vertical.

[0014] Some preferred embodiments of the present invention will also have a second reduced opening seal proximate to the second short seal. The second reduced opening seal is generally opposite the second side edge with respect to the second short seal. In certain embodiments, the second reduced opening seal will be substantially oval in shape. The second reduced opening seal may also be vertically oriented with the second side edge of the bag or oriented at an angle to the second side edge of the bag. In certain preferred embodiments, the second reduced opening seal will be oriented at an angle of between 10 and 45 degrees to the second side edge of the bag with an angle of 15 degrees from vertical being preferred. In some embodiments, the second reduced opening seal will be oriented outward from vertical while in other embodiments, the second reduced opening seal will be oriented inward from vertical.

[0015] In many, but not all, embodiments, the first drawstring and the second drawstring may exhibit elastic-like properties or be manufactured with elastic polymeric materials.

[0016] It is contemplated that the present invention may be utilized in ways that are not fully described or set forth herein. The present invention is intended to encompass these additional uses to the extent such uses are not contradicted by the appended claims. Therefore, the present invention should be given the broadest reasonable interpretation in view of the present disclosure, the accompanying figures, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED DRAWINGS

[0017] A full and complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the detailed description of the present invention and preferred embodiment when viewed with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings can be briefly described as follows.

[0018] FIG. 1 provides an elevation view of a drawstring trash bag as contemplated by one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 2 provides an enlarged view of the upper corner of a drawstring trash bag as contemplated by one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 3 provides an enlarged view of the upper corner of a drawstring trash bag as contemplated by another embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 4 provides an enlarged view of the upper corner of a drawstring trash bag as contemplated by an additional embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 5 provides an enlarged view of the upper corner of a drawstring trash bag as contemplated by yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 6 provides an enlarged view of the upper corner of a drawstring trash bag as contemplated by a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The present disclosure illustrates one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention. It is not intended to provide an illustration or encompass all embodiments contemplated by the present invention. In view of the disclosure of the present invention contained herein, a person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that innumerable modifications and insubstantial changes may be incorporated or otherwise included within the present invention without diverging from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to those embodiments disclosed herein. The appended claims are intended to more fully and accurately encompass the invention to the fullest extent possible, but it is fully appreciated that certain limitations on the use of particular terms is not intended to conclusively limit the scope of protection.

[0025] Referring initially to FIG. 1, an elevation view of a drawstring trash bag 100 is provided as contemplated by one embodiment of the present invention. In combination with FIG. 1, FIG. 2 provides an enlarged view of an upper corner of the same drawstring trash bag 100 to provide a better understanding of certain embodiments of a drawstring trash bag 100 as contemplated by the present invention. The depicted drawstring trash bag 100 is constructed from a first panel 102 and a second panel 104 of polyethylene which is joined along the first side edge 106, the second side edge 108 and the bottom 110 of the respective first and second panel 102 and 104.

[0026] The drawstring trash bag 100 as depicted would generally be manufactured using the same processes currently utilized in the industry. More specifically, drawstring trash bags are typically manufactured using a blown-film extrusion process as well-understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art. In the blown-film extrusion process, the drawstring trash bag 100 is formed from a flattened polymeric tube. The bottom 110 is typically defined by a folded edge of the flattened tube. The first and second side seals 126 and 128 are provided proximate to the side edges 106 and 108 of the bag 100. The side seals 126 and 128 are generally linear, spaced inward from the respective side edges 106 and 108 and extend the entire length of the bag 100. While this is the preferred method of manufacture, a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that other methods of manufacture may be used in combination with the present invention.

[0027] The depicted drawstring trash bag 100 is provided with a first drawstring 120 enclosed within the first hem 116 and a second drawstring 122 enclosed within the second hem 118. To form the respective hems 116 and 118, portions of the first panel 102 and second panel 104 are folded over the respective drawstrings 120 and 122. A hem seal 114 is then created to weld the first panel 102 to form the first hem 116. Similarly, another hem seal 114 is created to weld the second panel 104 thereby forming the second hem 118. The respective hems 116 and 118 will then contain the drawstrings 120 and 122, but the ends of drawstrings 120 and 122 must be anchored to the upper corners of the drawstring trash bag 100 to make the drawstrings useful.

[0028] To anchor the drawstrings 120 and 122 to the upper corners of the drawstring trash bag 100, a first short seal 130 is provided in the first upper corner with a second short seal 132 provided in the second upper corner of the drawstring bag. The short seals 130 and 132 weld the drawstrings 120 and 122 and the panels 102 and 104 together. The short seals 130 and 132 must generally be strong enough to securely hold the ends of drawstrings 120 and 122 while a consumer pulls the drawstrings 120 and 122 through the centrally-located access cut-outs 124. As the drawstrings 120 and 122 are pulled through the centrally-located access cut-outs 124, the upper opening of the drawstring trash bag 100 closes, securing the trash and debris within the bag 100.

[0029] FIGS. 1 and 2 further depict a first reduced opening seal 134 and a second reduced opening seal 136 as contemplated by one embodiment of the present invention. In the depicted embodiment the reduced opening seals 134 and 136 are located in the hem regions 116 and 118, welding the drawstrings 120 and 122 and panels 102 and 104 together in a similar manner as the short seals 130 and 132. The first reduced opening seal 134 is located proximate but inward from the first short seal 130. Similarly, the second reduced opening seal 136 is located proximate but inward from the second short seal 132. In the depicted embodiment, the first and second reduced opening seals 134 and 136 are generally oval in shape.

[0030] Looking now at FIG. 3, another embodiment of the present invention is depicted. This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in two aspects. First, the linear side seal 126 of the previous embodiment is replaced with a wider side seal 226 which extends from the side edge 106 of the bag inward. Additionally, the depicted embodiment features a first reduced opening seal 134 which is angled. In the depicted embodiment, the oval-shaped first reduced opening seal 134 can be oriented in any desired direction from zero degrees, vertically, to 90 degrees, or a horizontal orientation. An orientation of approximately 10 to 45 degrees from vertical is generally desirable with 15 degrees from vertical orientation being preferred. The orientation can be either outward, wherein the upper portion of the first reduced opening is closer to the first side edge than the lower portion of the first reduced opening seal as depicted in FIG. 3, or inward, wherein the upper portion of the first reduced opening is farther from the first reduced opening than the lower portion of the first reduced opening seal as depicted in FIG. 4. The orientation of the oval-shaped first reduced opening seal 134 rotated 15 degrees from vertical outward is preferred, especially when combined with a drawstring having elastic properties. In particular, it has been found that the stretch curve of an elastic drawstring can be enhanced by controlling the height, width, and orientation of the reduced opening seal 134. This results in a drawstring trash bag 100 with an elastic drawstring that is comfortable to use and, more importantly, will typically grip the top of a trash receptacle when placed over the receptacle.

[0031] FIG. 5 depicts an additional embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 depicts a drawstring trash bag 100 with a reduced opening seal 134 as previously described. However, in FIG. 5, the reduced opening seal 134 is quadrilateral in shape. The seal is generally oriented at an outward angle. This embodiment illustrates that the present invention is intended to encompass numerous different configurations and shapes for the reduced opening seal 134 beyond what is explicitly depicted herein. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention may incorporate reduced opening seals 134 which may be either concave or convex, have straight or curved sides, and may have an area within the outermost boundary of the reduced opening seal which is not sealed.

[0032] FIG. 6 depicts another embodiment similar to that depicted in FIG. 3 as the reduced opening seal 134 is substantially oval in shape. However, the reduced opening seal 134 of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6 contains an unsealed area within the boundaries of the reduced opening seal 134. In the depicted embodiment, the reduced opening seal 134 forms a closed loop with substantially uniform width. This configuration may be advantageous in certain instances by providing a more reliable seal. While FIGS. 3 to 6 depict only the first reduced opening seal 134, it is contemplated that the same principles and definitions may be equally applied to the second reduced opening seal 136.

[0033] As previously noted, the specific embodiments depicted herein are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Indeed, it is contemplated that any number of different embodiments may be utilized without diverging from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to more fully encompass the full scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drawstring bag comprising: a bag comprising a first panel and a second panel, the first panel and the second panel continuously joined along a first side edge, a bottom, and a second side edge of the respective first and second panels, the top of the respective first and second panels generally defining the open top of the bag, a first hem extending along the open top of the bag from the first side edge to the second side edge of the first panel, a second hem extending along the open top of the bag from the first side edge to the second side edge of the second panel, a first drawstring disposed within the first hem and a second drawstring disposed within the second hem, a first short seal welding the first panel, the second panel, the first drawstring, and the second drawstring together, the first short seal located adjacent to the first side edge, a second short seal welding the first panel, the second panel, the first drawstring, and the second drawstring together, the second short seal located adjacent to the second side edge, and a first reduced opening seal proximate to the first short seal.

2. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: the first reduced opening seal being substantially oval in shape.

3. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: the first reduced opening seal being vertically oriented with the first side edge of the bag.

4. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: the first reduced opening seal being oriented at an angle to the first side edge of the bag.

5. The drawstring bag of claim 4, further comprising: the first reduced opening seal being oriented at an angle of between 10 and 45 degrees to the first side edge of the bag.

6. The drawstring bag of claim 5, further comprising: the first reduced opening seal being oriented at an angle of 15 degrees from vertical.

7. The drawstring bag of claim 5, further comprising: the first reduced opening seal being oriented outward from vertical.

8. The drawstring bag of claim 5, further comprising: the first reduced opening seal being oriented inward from vertical.

9. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: a second reduced opening seal proximate to the second short seal.

10. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: the second reduced opening seal being substantially oval in shape.

11. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: the second reduced opening seal being vertically oriented with the second side edge of the bag.

12. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: the second reduced opening seal being oriented at an angle to the second side edge of the bag.

13. The drawstring bag of claim 4, further comprising: the second reduced opening seal being oriented at an angle of between 10 and 45 degrees to the second side edge of the bag.

14. The drawstring bag of claim 5, further comprising: the second reduced opening seal being oriented at an angle of 15 degrees from vertical.

15. The drawstring bag of claim 5, further comprising: the second reduced opening seal being oriented outward from vertical.

16. The drawstring bag of claim 5, further comprising: the second reduced opening seal being oriented inward from vertical.

17. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: the first drawstring exhibits elastic-like properties.

18. The drawstring bag of claim 17, further comprising: the first drawstring is manufactured from elastic materials.

19. The drawstring bag of claim 17, further comprising: the second drawstring exhibits elastic-like properties.

20. The drawstring bag of claim 19, further comprising: the first drawstring is manufactured from elastic materials, and the second drawstring manufactured from elastic materials.

21. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: the first reduced opening seal having an unsealed area located within the first reduced opening seal.

22. The drawstring bag of claim 1, further comprising: the first reduced opening seal being substantially oval in shape,

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