Plastic bag roll

Abstract

A roll of plastic bags having integral handles which can also be used to close each bag. The bags are formed as a continuous web of folded and flattened bags each joined to a longitudinally contiguous bag by a perforated severance line. The handles are defined by a cut-out region so that separation of the bags is effected by tearing the line of perforations only across a relatively short length.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to plastic bags which are provided on a roll to be dispensed one at a time and, more particularly, to such a bag which is formed with unitary handles which are also usable for closing the bag.[0002]Conventionally, plastic bags used for holding trash or the like are manufactured by extruding a tube of plastic material, expanding the tube with air before the plastic has set, flattening the tube, forming transverse heat seals and adjacent perforations at equally spaced intervals, and longitudinally folding and / or rolling up the flattened tube for storage and transport in a dispensing carton. The bags are removed one at a time from the dispensing carton by tearing them off the roll at the perforations.[0003]When such a bag is filled, it is necessary to close it by utilizing a separate tie. The use of a separate tie is disadvantageous for a number of reasons. It is necessary to hold the bag closed with one hand while applying the ti...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]According to the present invention there is provided a roll of plastic bags formed as a continuous web of folded and flattened bags each joined to a longitudinally contiguous bag by a perforated severance line. The web is formed from a tubular plastic strip having a central longitudinal axis and the sides of the strip are tucked in to form two equal inward folds, reducing the width of the strip by one half. The reduced width strip is folded in half along the central longitudinal axis so that there are eight layers of plastic material. The perforated severance lines are parallel one to the other, are equally spaced along the strip and are orthogonal to the central longitudinal axis of the strip. A pair of parallel heat seal lines flank each of the severance lines. A first of the heat seal lines extends through all eight layers of the plastic material and a second of the heat seal lines is formed of two heat seal lines each of which extends through a respective four contiguous layers of the plastic material. Finally, there is a cut-out region through the eight layers which extends from the central longitudinal axis along each severance line a first predetermined distance and then substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis a second predetermined distance past the second heat seal line and then back to the central longitudinal axis. Accordingly, each first heat seal line is effective to seal the bottom of a respective bag, and each cut-out region and respective adjacent second heat seal line is effective to form a pair of handles of a respective bag.

Problems solved by technology

The use of a separate tie is disadvantageous for a number of reasons.

With overly full bags, the ties may be difficult to apply.

They also reduce the useful capacity of the bag.

When pulling a bag from a dispenser carton, this can pose difficulty for a user.

Images