Bag for containing a plurality of personal care articles and method of making same

Abstract

A bag for holding multiple hygiene articles, in particular diapers, which is made of a material comprising a paper layer and a sealable coating arranged at least partially, in particular over the entire surface, on the paper layer and facing an interior of the bag, wherein the bag has a front wall and a rear wall formed from a continuous web of material and extending at least in a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension, wherein the bag has a head region and a bottom region on the opposite transverse sides, wherein the front wall and the rear wall are folded over each other via a folding arrangement provided in the head region and are heat-sealed together in the area of ​​side edges extending in the longitudinal dimension, each having the sealable coating in a predetermined width.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a bag for accommodating a plurality of hygiene articles, in particular diapers, which is formed from a material having a paper layer and a sealable coating arranged thereon at least in sections, in particular over the entire surface, which coating faces an interior of the bag, wherein the bag has a front bag wall and a rear bag wall, which are formed from a continuous material web and which extend at least in one longitudinal dimension and in one transverse dimension, wherein the bag has a head region and a bottom region on the opposite transverse sides, wherein the front bag wall and the rear bag wall are folded onto one another via a folding arrangement provided in the head region and in the region of longitudinally extending,the side edges having a sealable coating are heat-sealed to one another in a predetermined width.

[0002] Hygiene product packaging made of PE film is particularly well known from the state of the art. Although this is a highly economically and ecologically optimized packaging application, consumers prefer paper – based on the assumption that it is more environmentally friendly. A particular challenge, however, is that the separation and simultaneous welding of the side edges of the bags cannot be achieved with this material using the cut-and-seal process that is used with PE bags. Paper with an additional film layer, for example, made of polyethylene (PE), is often used for this function. However, this can limit recyclability and compostability. Against this backdrop, coatings that are film-free and contain a high proportion of biodegradable ingredients are preferable.Furthermore, a further challenge with paper with a sealable coating is the bonding of packaging outer sides, where the paper layers of the material face each other, for example, in corner areas. FR 2 854 870 A1 discloses a bag for packaging hygiene products. Further bags are also known from the publications DE 20 2015 106 355 U1, FR 1 470 595 A, US 4 966 286 A, and DE 20 15 205 A1.

[0003] It is therefore the object of the invention to improve an environmentally friendly hygiene product packaging in such a way that production is simplified.

[0004] This object is achieved by a bag having the features of claim 1 and by the method according to claim 8. The dependent claims each relate to advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0005] Accordingly, it is provided that the bag is provided as a wicket bag and has a protruding material section in the bottom area on the front or rear bag wall, in which at least two wicket pin holes are arranged. Since the bag material used cannot be separated and joined by means of separating and welding, it is particularly advantageous to join the side edges of the bag together over a width of several millimeters by heat sealing. By welding the surfaces of the coating facing the interior and welding these opposing sealing coatings, it is sufficient to apply the sealing coating to the paper in a thickness that corresponds to half the sealing material thickness required to join the side edges. It can be provided that the bottom area is intended for removing the hygiene articles. For this purpose, the bottom area can have perforations.The perforation can be introduced particularly near the side edges parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the bag. The bags are intended to be provided as wicket bags or pin stack bags for filling with hygiene articles. For this purpose, the base area has an opening facing the interior of the bag. Furthermore, the base area has a projecting material section on the front or rear bag wall. This can be used to close the bag. The projecting material section also has two wicket pin holes. To prevent the material from tearing when pulled off the wicket pin, it can be provided that the projecting material section is folded back on itself and the wicket pin holes are arranged in this double-layered section.

[0006] The sealed side edges are designed as flat seams. To optimally utilize the properties of the sealable paper for the bag, flat seams are particularly suitable for connecting the two material layers. This allows the layers to be joined particularly easily as the flat material web passes through a welding station, for example, by vertically lowering the welding bars. Furthermore, the seam width can be selected so that two flat seams on adjacent bags are created simultaneously and can be separated in a subsequent step.

[0007] Furthermore, the predetermined width of the side edges can be between 5 and 15 mm, preferably 8 and 12 mm, and particularly preferably 10 mm. The seam width can be selected, for example, depending on the bag size or the item to be packaged in order to provide the necessary stability on an individual basis.

[0008] Furthermore, in the filled state, the bag has a body formed by the front and rear bag walls, which body has a front surface, a rear surface, two side surfaces connecting the front surface and the rear surface, and two top and bottom surfaces connecting the front surface and the rear surface and adjoining the side surfaces.

[0009] Furthermore, the flat seams are intended to run along the side panels when the bag is filled. When filled, the front and back bag walls can curve around the packaged items, so that the flat seams run along the side panels created by the shape of the item. The flat seams can extend perpendicular to the side panels. The flat seams are heat-sealed to the side panels using sealing wax applied to these or to corresponding sections of the side panels.

[0010] It can be provided that at least one corner protruding from the body is formed at the transitions between the top surface and the adjacent side surfaces. By filling the bag with a plurality of articles which, when combined, have a substantially cube-shaped outer contour, the bag adapts to this shape and forms outwardly protruding corners at its unfilled edge areas. For example, in a bag without a top fold, i.e., when the front and rear bag walls are folded over one another with a single fold, two corners can protrude.

[0011] In addition, the folding arrangement provided in the head region can have an inserted head fold, so that at least two opposite corners protruding from the body are formed at the transitions between the head surface and the adjacent side surfaces. The head fold can in particular be designed such that the folding arrangement in the head region has three folds, so that a fold is inserted between the front and rear bag walls. The head fold can, for example, serve to create a base with which the filled bag can be stood upright without falling over. Furthermore, the head fold can give the bag an attractive appearance or allow more articles to be accommodated in the bag. If a head fold is provided, the bag has four corners in the head region instead of two, which are created by the two outer folds of the corresponding folding arrangement.

[0012] It can be provided that at least one corner protruding from the body at the transitions between the head area and the adjacent side areas is folded back onto the head area. In the fold arrangement without a head fold, the head area can, in particular, have two corners. In the fold arrangement with a head fold, the head area can, in particular, have four corners. For optical and spatial reasons, it may be expedient to fold the protruding corners back onto the bag body.

[0013] In particular, the corners folded back onto the head surface can be heat-sealed to the head surface by means of sealing wax applied at least locally to the paper layer. The sealing wax can be applied to the inside of the corners and / or to the corresponding areas of the head surface, either selectively or over the entire surface. Since the paper cannot be sealed "outside-to-outside," applying the sealing wax to these areas ensures that the material can be bonded in these areas as well.

[0014] Furthermore, the front and rear bag walls can be heat-sealed to one another via a flat seam arranged in the base region, extending in the transverse dimension and having the sealable coating over a predetermined width. This allows the bag to be closed after filling. The flat seam protruding from the bag is attached to the bag body by applying and heating a sealing wax, at least in sections. The width of the flat seam can be dimensioned such that a flat handle strip is formed in the base region. The handle area can be formed, in particular, after the bag has been filled. In this case, a closing weld can be applied below the handle to close off the interior of the bag. Above the handle, a weld comprising a separation process to form the wicket area can also be applied.

[0015] Furthermore, the bag can have a handle bar arranged in the head region, which is formed by at least partially heat-sealing the front and rear bag walls, wherein the handle bar extends across the transverse dimension and, starting from the folding arrangement, in the longitudinal direction with a predetermined handle width. In this embodiment, a handle bar can be provided in the head region instead of the inserted head fold or instead of the bag being designed as a flat bag. The front and rear bag walls can be heat-sealed to one another over the entire area of ​​the handle bar. The front and rear bag walls can also be heat-sealed to one another over only a partial area of ​​the handle bar. The predetermined handle width can be 4-8 cm, preferably 5-7 cm, particularly preferably 8 cm.

[0016] The handle bar can also have a punched-out carrying handle.

[0017] Furthermore, a method for producing bags according to one of the preceding claims is claimed, comprising the following steps: providing an endless material web which has a paper layer and a sealable coating arranged at least in sections, in particular over the entire surface, on the paper layer, wherein the material web is folded onto one another along the endless direction with the paper layer facing outwards via a folding arrangement, wherein the material web is folded onto one another in such a way that it has a projecting material section opposite the folding arrangement, in which at least two wicket pin holes are arranged;

[0018] Heating the material web in the region of sealing seams to be applied transversely to the continuous direction, wherein the sealing seams have at least twice the predetermined width; separating the material web along the applied sealing seams to form individual bags. By producing sealing seams with a width corresponding to twice the predetermined width, it is possible to produce two side seams of adjacent bags simultaneously per sealing process. In particular, it can be provided that the produced seams are severed in the center.

[0019] Heating the material web can include preheating the seal seams to be applied. Alternatively, the heating can also include heat sealing the seal seams.

[0020] The process step of separating the sealed seams may include securing the material web. This securing preferably takes place before the sealed seams are separated.

[0021] In addition, the separation of the sealed seams may include reheating the sealed seams to heat-seal the folded material web layers. In particular, it may be provided that the initial heating of the material web and the separation of the sealed seams take place at separate stations.

[0022] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained with reference to the following figures. Fig. 1 shows an unfilled bag in a top view of the front bag wall; Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the head region of two bags with an inserted head fold; Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the head region of a filled bag with an inserted head fold; Fig. 4 shows a side view of the head region of a filled bag with a simple fold without an inserted head fold; Fig. 5 shows a side view of the head region of a filled bag with an inserted head fold; Fig. 6 shows a side view of the bottom region of a filled bag with a welded handle strip; Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of an unfilled bag with a folded-over pull-off strip; Fig. 8a shows a front view of an embodiment of the bag with a welded handle strip and an inserted head fold; Fig. 8b shows a side view of an embodiment of the bag with a welded handle strip and an inserted head fold.

[0023] The Figure 1The bag 1, shown in the unfilled state, is formed from a continuous material web 24. The material has a paper layer 2 and a sealable coating 3 arranged over its entire surface. The paper layer 2 faces the outside of the bag and the sealable coating 3 faces a bag interior 4. The bag has a rectangular shape with a longitudinal dimension 7 and a transverse dimension 8, wherein the longitudinal dimension 7 is greater than the transverse dimension 8. In the region of a folding arrangement 11 in the illustrated embodiment, the material web 24 is folded back on itself with an inserted head fold 22, i.e. by means of three folds, so that a front bag wall 5 and a rear bag wall 6 are formed. The head fold is inserted by approximately 6 to 7 centimeters between the front and rear bag walls 5, 6.The superimposed material web sections have aligned side edges 13 that extend in the longitudinal dimension of the bag. In the area of ​​the side edges 13, the front and rear bag walls 5, 6 are heat-sealed to one another over a predetermined width b, so that 1 cm wide sealing seams 25, each formed as flat seams, connect the bag walls 5, 6 to one another. In the area of ​​the head fold 22, the front and rear bag walls are not directly welded to one another, but rather the front bag wall 5 is welded to the head fold section facing it, and the rear bag wall 6 is welded to the head fold section facing it. In the bottom area 28 of the bag 1, the bag 1 is open, so that no sealing seam is provided on the bottom transverse side 9 in the direction of the transverse dimension 8.On the rear bag wall 6, a projecting material section 26 is provided, extending beyond the bag opening 30. A short material web section is also folded back onto this section, which is also secured to the rear bag wall 6 at the side edges 13 by corresponding sealed seams 25. Two holes 27 are provided in the folded-back section, which serve to secure the bag to wicket pins. The purpose of folding back is to prevent the holes 27 from tearing out when the bag 1 is pulled off the wicket pins.

[0024] Figure 2shows, in particular, the folding arrangement 11 of the head fold 22 using two adjacent bags 1. As can be seen, the head fold 22 has a total of three folds, two of which are created by folding the front and rear bag walls 5, 6 back onto themselves, and the third fold is arranged in between and connects the folded-back sections to one another, so that the head region 10 has the shape of a "Y" from a side perspective. It can also be seen that the sealing seam 25 follows the course of the head fold 22 and is formed, on the one hand, between the front bag wall 5 and the head fold section folded back onto it, and, on the other hand, between the rear bag wall 6 and the head fold section folded back onto it. The bags 1 shown also each have sealing seams 25 with a predetermined width b of 1 cm.

[0025] In Figure 3a filled bag 1 can be seen, which is an embodiment as a bag 1 with an inserted head fold 22. In the filled state, the bag essentially has six outer surfaces, namely a head surface 19, a front surface 15, a back surface 16, two opposite side surfaces 17 and 18 and optionally a bottom surface 20. As can be seen, when the bag is filled, a sealing seam 25 runs centrally on the side surface 17 and, opposite, the further sealing seam 25 runs on the side surface 18 (not shown). This protrudes from the bag 1 perpendicular to the side surface 17 or 18. When the bag 1 is filled, corners 21 form in the edge regions of the head fold which, due to their shape and position, cannot be filled with hygiene articles and also protrude from the bag.The essentially triangular-shaped corners have the paper layer 2 on their outer surfaces, as do the remaining outer surfaces of the bag 1, in particular the side surfaces 17, 18 adjacent to the corners and the top surface 19. As a result, heat sealing between corners 21 and the adjacent surfaces is not readily possible. Therefore, a sealing wax can advantageously be applied to the top or bottom surfaces of the corners 21 or the corresponding surfaces of the bag 1 onto which the corners are folded back. By heat sealing the corners 21 to the outside of the bag, an attractive appearance and secure closure of the bag 1 can be ensured.

[0026] Figure 4shows an embodiment of a bag 1 having a head region with a "simple" folding arrangement 11, in which the front bag wall 5 is folded back onto the rear bag wall 6 by means of a single fold. As a result, as shown, the filled bag 1 has only two corners 21 protruding laterally from the head area 19, each of which directly borders the sealing seams 25. In this embodiment, the corners have a particularly tetrahedral shape. It is particularly advantageous to fold the corners 21 back onto the head area 19 and secure them there using the sealing wax.

[0027] Figure 5shows an embodiment of a bag 1 which has a head region with a more complex folding arrangement 11, in which a head fold 22 is inserted between the front bag wall 5 and the rear bag wall 6, which is designed as described above. As a result, as shown, the filled bag 1 has corners 21 on four opposite edge regions and laterally protruding from the head surface 19, each corner 21 comprising a sealing seam section on the outside. In this embodiment, the corners have a particularly triangular shape. In this embodiment too, it is particularly advantageous to fold the corners 21 back onto the head surface 19 or onto the transition region between the head surface 19 and the side wall 17 or 18 and to secure them there using the sealing wax.

[0028] The Figure 6The bottom region 28 shown is located on the transverse side 9 of the bag 1 opposite the head region 10. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this bottom region 28 is designed as a handle strip 23 which extends in the plane of the longitudinal dimension 7 and the transverse dimension 8 of the bag 1 and thus projects perpendicularly from the body 14 of the bag 1. The handle strip 23 has an oval punched-out carrying handle 29, by means of which the bag can be carried. If the handle strip is alternatively arranged in the head region, this can be created before the bag is filled, i.e. when the bag is still in a flat state, by creating a flat sealing seam with the predetermined handle width Gb. If the handle strip is provided in the bottom region, it is heat-sealed over its entire surface after the bag 1 has been filled. In the process, the interior space 4 of the bag 1 is also closed.At the upper end of the handle bar 23, the section containing the wicket pin holes 27 is cut off. In a separate step, the carrying handle 29 is punched out.

[0029] Figure 7shows the bottom area 28 in an enlarged view. Adjacent to the bag opening 30 is the projecting material section 26, which has a free section directly adjacent to the opening 30, in which the sealable coating 3 of the rear bag wall is exposed. Adjacent to this, the bag 1 has the so-called wicket area, in which the rear bag wall 6 is folded back on itself and is heat-sealed either over its entire surface or only in the area of ​​the side edges 13 over the predetermined width b. As described above, two holes 27 are provided in the wicket area in order to attach the bag or a plurality of bags 1 to wicket pins. The folding back prevents the holes from being torn out when a bag 1 is pulled off the wicket pins.

[0030] The Figures 8a and 8bEach shows an embodiment of the bag 1 with an inserted top fold 22 on the one hand and a welded handle bar 23 on the other, in a front view and a side view. The folding arrangement 11 with the top fold 22 serves as a base for the bag 1 by enlarging the top surface 19. The sealing seams 25 extending over the side surfaces 17 and 18 spread out in a "Y" shape into the corners 21 in the top area and merge into the handle bar 23 at the bottom. The front bag wall 5 and the rear bag wall 6 curve around the filled bag 1 in such a way that there are no seams on the front surface 15 and the rear surface 16.

[0031] The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, in the figures and in the claims may be essential for the realization of the invention both individually and in any combination. List of reference symbols

[0032] 1Bag 2Paper layer 3Sealable coating 4Interior 5Front bag wall 6Rear bag wall 7Longitudinal dimension 8Transverse dimension 9Transverse side 10Header area 11Fold arrangement 13Side edges 14Body 15Front face 16Rear face 17Side face 18Side faces 19Header area 20Bottom area 21Corner 22Header fold 23Handle bar 24Material web 25Sealing seams 26Protruding material section 27Wicket pin hole 28Bottom area 29Carrying handle 30Bag opening bPredetermined width of sealing seam GbWidth of handle bar

Claims

1. A bag (1) for containing a plurality of personal care articles, in particular diapers, which is formed from a material which has a paper layer (2) and a sealable coating (3) which is arranged thereon at least in sections and which faces an interior space (4) of the bag (1), wherein the bag (1) has a front bag wall (5) and a rear bag wall (6) which are formed from a continuous material web and which extend at least in a longitudinal dimension (7) and in a transverse dimension (8), wherein the bag (1) has a head region (10) and a base region (28) on the opposite transverse sides (9), wherein the front bag wall (5) and the rear bag wall (6) are folded onto one another via a folding arrangement (11) provided in the head region (10) and are heat-sealed to one another in the region of side edges (13) extending in the longitudinal dimension (7) and each having the sealable coating (3) in a predetermined width (b), characterized in that the bag (1) is provided as a wicket bag, wherein the base region (28) has an opening (30) which faces the interior space (4) of the bag (1), and the bag (1) has, in the base region (28) on the front or the rear bag wall (5, 6), a protruding material section (26) in which at least two wicket pin holes (27) are arranged, and wherein the side edges (13) which are sealed to one another are formed as flat seams, wherein the bag (1), in the filled state, has a body (14) which is formed by the front and rear bag wall (5, 6) and which has a front surface (15), a back surface (16), two side surfaces (17, 18) which connect the front surface (15) and the rear surface (16), and two top and bottom surfaces (19, 20) connecting the front surface (15) and the rear surface (16) adjacent the side surfaces (17, 18), wherein the flat seams extend in the region of the side surfaces (17, 18) and are heat-sealed to the side surfaces (17, 18) by means of a sealing lacquer applied to the flat seams or to corresponding sections of the side surfaces (17, 18).

2. The bag (1) according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined width (b) of the side edges (13) is between 5 to 15 mm, preferably 8 to 12 mm, particularly preferably 10 mm.

3. The bag (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the filled state at least one corner (21) protruding from the body (14) is formed at each of the transitions between the top surface (19) and the adjacent side surfaces (17, 18).

4. The bag (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the folding arrangement (11) provided in the top region (10) has an inlaid top fold (22), so that at least two opposite corners (21) protruding from the body (14) are formed at each of the transitions between the top surface (19) and the adjacent side surfaces (17, 18).

5. The bag (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein at least one of the corners (21) projecting from the body (14) is folded back onto the top surface (19) at the transitions between the top surface (19) and the adjacent side surfaces (17, 18), wherein the corners (21) folded back onto the top surface (19) are heat-sealed to the top surface (19) by means of a sealing lacquer applied at least locally onto the paper layer (2).

6. The bag (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the front bag wall (5) and the rear bag wall (6) are heat-sealed to each other via a flat seam arranged in the bottom region (28), extending in the transverse dimension (8) and having the sealable coating (3) in a predetermined handle width (Gb), so that a flat handle strip (23) is formed in the bottom region (28).

7. The bag (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, which has a handle strip (23) arranged in the top region (10), which is formed by heat-sealing the front bag wall (5) and the rear bag wall (6) at least in sections, wherein the handle strip (23) extends over the transverse dimension (8) and starting from the folding arrangement (11) in the longitudinal direction in a predetermined handle width (Gb).

8. A method for producing bags (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: providing an endless material web (24), which has a paper layer (2) and a sealable coating (3) arranged at least in sections on the paper layer (2), wherein the material web (24) is folded onto each other along the endless direction with the paper layer (2) pointing outwards via a folding arrangement (11), wherein the material web (24) is folded onto each other such that it has a projecting material section (26) opposite the folding arrangement (11), in which at least two wicket pin holes (27) are arranged, wherein the bottom region has an opening pointing towards the interior of the bag; heating the material web (24) in the region of sealing seams (25) to be applied transversely to the endless direction, wherein the sealing seams (25) have at least twice the predetermined width (b); separating the material web (24) along the applied sealing seams (25) into individual bags (1), the mutually sealed side edges (13) of which are formed as flat seams, wherein the separation of the material web (24) takes place in a step following the heating of the material web (24); filling the bag (1) with a plurality of articles, wherein the bag (1) in the filled state has a body (14) formed by the front and rear bag wall (5, 6), which has a front surface (15), a rear surface (16), two side surfaces (17, 18) connecting the front surface (15) and the rear surface (16) and two top and bottom surfaces (19, 20) connecting the front surface (15) and the rear surface (16) and adjacent to the side surfaces (17, 18), wherein the flat seams run in the region of the side surfaces (17, 18); heat-sealing the flat seams to the side surfaces (17, 18) by means of a sealing lacquer applied to the flat seams or to corresponding sections of the side surfaces (17, 18).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the separation of the sealing seams (25) comprises fixing the material web (24).

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the separation of the sealing seams (25) comprises renewed heating of the sealing seams (25) for heat-sealing the material web layers folded one on top of the other.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the folding arrangement (11) comprises an inserted top fold (22).

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising the step of: before inserting the top fold (22): applying a sealing lacquer at least in regions onto the material web section provided for the top fold (22).

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