Paper bag for receiving sanitary articles and corresponding method

Abstract

A paper bag (1) for containing hygiene articles, in particular diapers, comprising a bag body formed from a one-piece material web, said bag body having a front wall (2) and a rear wall (3) folded back onto said front wall, the front wall (2) and the rear wall (3) being connected to one another via lateral flat seams (4), a closable bag opening (5) being arranged at one of the longitudinal ends of the paper bag (1), and a head fold being inserted between the front and rear walls (2, 3) being arranged at the opposite longitudinal end, the head fold having at least two mutually facing head fold sections (7, 8), characterized in that the paper bag (1) further comprises a carrying handle (9), for example made of paper, which is attached to the bag body in the region of the head fold. The invention further relates to a corresponding method for producing a paper bag.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a bag for containing hygiene articles, in particular diapers, comprising a bag body formed from a single-piece material web, which bag body has a front wall and a rear wall folded back onto it, the front wall and the rear wall being connected to one another via lateral flat seams. A closable bag opening is arranged at one of the longitudinal ends of the paper bag, and a head fold is arranged at the opposite longitudinal end between the front and rear walls, the head fold having at least two mutually facing head fold sections. Such a bag is already known, for example, from the document EP 3 901054 A1.

[0002] Paper bags for the automated packaging of hygiene products such as diapers and sanitary pads (AHP Absorbent Hygiene Products) have recently become available on the market as an innovative bio- and fiber-based alternative to the plastic bags that have been commonly used for decades. Plastic packaging for AHP has been optimized over the years, particularly by reducing the material thickness to a very thin 40-70 µm. To be sustainable, paper packaging must also compete with low material consumption. However, none of the bags currently available on the market feature an integrated handle solution for the consumer. In the interest of recyclability, the handle of the paper bag should also be made of paper. However, this presents challenges: A paper handle should ideally be integrated into the bag manufacturing process. Packaging of the AHP takes place inline with its production; these processes are complex enough; adding a handle during this process step would require massive investments across many lines and also result in efficiency losses and waste in these comparatively expensive processes. The production of a handle during bag conversion should fit seamlessly into the bag manufacturing process without a significant loss of efficiency. This is a particular challenge, as the bag is manufactured using a flat web that passes through various folding tools and stages. Any application of additional material to the paper web causes friction or disruption, which must be kept to a minimum. A handle should be manufactured using as little material as possible.This means that the handle material (paper) should be as thin as possible and take up as little surface area as possible. Unlike plastic, paper has little stretchability and tears very quickly, especially when mechanically weakened, corners, cutouts, etc. These should be avoided as much as possible through design. The same applies to design-related force peaks that act on small areas or points. Attached paper handles generally require a relatively large contact surface for adhesion to the bag body unless they are mechanically anchored. This adhesion can be achieved via an adhesive or heat sealing. In both cases, the peel tensile forces that occur when the handle is used pose a challenge. An advantageous design not only directs the forces to the outermost seam area, but also relieves it. The handle must match the bag format; formats vary greatly.A handle should "grow or shrink with the bag." The application of a handle using an adhesive or heat-sealing coating must therefore also adapt to the format of the bag. At the same time, the handle must reliably fulfill its intended function and blend harmoniously into the packaging design. Plastic bags feature so-called strap or crosshandles, in which a narrow plastic strip runs along the bottom fold and is welded or sealed in the side seams of the bottom fold during the cut-off seam welding process to individually separate the bags. This option is not available with paper bags. Furthermore, due to the material, there is no cut-off seam, only flat seams. Furthermore, with paper bags, the corners caused by the top fold are removed during the chevron seam welding process because paper is stiffer than thin, flexible plastic.The removal of this area makes filling the bag much easier, as during filling the flattened bag must smoothly develop into a hollow body into which the AHP can be inserted.

[0003] It is therefore an object of the invention to further develop a paper bag for holding hygiene articles in such a way that it is easier to transport and less likely to be damaged.

[0004] The problem is solved by the features of the independent claims. The dependent claims each relate to advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0005] Accordingly, it is proposed that the paper bag further comprise a carrying handle, for example made of paper, which is attached to the bag body in the region of the top fold. The lateral flat seams can run along the bag's long sides. The top fold can be inserted in an M-shape between the front and back walls, so that the top fold forms an outer fold with the front wall, an outer fold with the back wall, and an inner fold located between the two top fold sections. The carrying handle can overlap the inner fold and accordingly also comprise an inner fold. As a result, the carrying handle is protected in the top fold when the paper bag is folded flat.

[0006] A carrying handle allows the bag to be carried comfortably, possibly in combination with other items while shopping. Furthermore, the controlled carrying behavior prevents the consumer from accidentally damaging the paper web or seams – thus promoting the use of thinner, more resource-efficient paper options. The position of the carrying handle in the top fold is advantageous for the filling process because it is out of the way and outside the range of movement of the AHP and filling tools such as the infeed shuttle.

[0007] The carrying handle can consist of a narrow strip of paper. The strip can have a width of 30-80 mm, for example, 40-60 mm. The paper strip can have a paper thickness of 40-90 gsm, for example, 45-65 gsm. The carrying handle can be made of supercalendered paper. This allows for a translucent appearance, which integrates the handle more discreetly and harmoniously into the packaging design. Supercalendered paper also offers increased strength.

[0008] The carrying handle may be formed from a flat strip of material. The handle may extend substantially in the longitudinal direction of the head fold. The opposite longitudinal ends of the carrying handle may be attached to the head fold via respective flat seams.

[0009] The top pleat sections can be connected to the front wall and the back wall via respective top pleat side seams. The longitudinal ends of the carrying handle can be attached to at least one of the top pleat side seams. The top pleat side seams can run diagonally to the bag's longitudinal and transverse directions, for example at an angle of 45°. The longitudinal ends of the carrying handle can each have an arrow shape. The arrow shape can be adapted to the course of the top pleat side seams. The arrow-shaped longitudinal ends of the carrying handle can each have two flanks that are diagonally aligned to one another. A first of the flanks can be connected to a top pleat side seam facing the front wall, and a second of the flanks can be connected to a top pleat side seam facing the back wall. The top pleat side seams can be designed as a chevron seam.The carrying handle can be attached to the top-fold side seam from the outside, for example, using a flat seam. The flat seam for attaching the carrying handle can be designed in the same format, at least in terms of orientation and width, as the underlying top-fold side seam. The flat seam for attaching the carrying handle and the underlying top-fold side seam can have a common outer edge facing away from the bag. The flat seam for attaching the carrying handle and the underlying top-fold side seam can also have a common inner edge facing the bag body.

[0010] By attaching the carrying handle to the top-fold side seam, the tensile and peeling forces can be distributed almost ideally into the bag construction, preventing perpendicular loading across the entire seam width. Furthermore, the particularly fragile end points of an attached handle can be reinforced and protected by the bag construction. Furthermore, force peaks or debit book points due to tearing are prevented.

[0011] The material strip of the carrying handle can be attached to the bag body using a heat-sealed seam. The carrying handle can be fully or partially coated with a heat-sealable coating.

[0012] It can be provided that the carrying handle extends in its width orientation at least partially over the first head fold section and at least partially over the second head fold section. The carrying handle can lie flat on the head fold sections when the paper bag is empty. For example, the length of the carrying handle can correspond to the bag width. As soon as the bag is filled, the carrying handle can protrude from the bag body at least partially due to the then bent head fold. It can be provided that the surface area of ​​the head fold is larger than the surface area of ​​the carrying handle. The carrying handle can be arranged in its width orientation centrally in the head fold. The carrying handle can therefore always be centered in the middle of the bag, regardless of the head fold width. The paper bag and the carrying handle can be made of the same material.

[0013] The invention further relates to a method for producing a paper bag with a carrying handle, in particular for producing a paper bag according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps: Continuously providing a first paper web; Continuously folding the paper web so that it has a front wall, a rear wall, and a top fold inserted between the front and rear walls; Continuously feeding a second paper web so that it rests on the first paper web in the region of the top fold; Periodically creating lateral flat seams for connecting the front and rear walls, and periodically creating top fold side seams for connecting the top fold sections to the respectively associated front or rear wall section, wherein, in the course of the periodically creating the top fold side seams, the second paper web is also fastened to the top fold side seams in the region of the top fold side seams; Periodically separating the first and second paper webs so that a bag body is provided from the first paper web and a carrying handle for carrying the bag body is provided from the second paper web.

[0014] Because the handle is applied during bag production, or the handle is sealed at the same time as the bag seams and simultaneously separated when the bags are separated from each other, the handle length always automatically corresponds to the bag width, which is very variable depending on the application.

[0015] The first and second paper webs can have a heat-sealable coating partially or completely. The seams can be created by heat-sealing the corresponding paper web sections.

[0016] It can be provided that the second paper web intended for the carrying handle has a width which is smaller than the width of the head fold.

[0017] The second paper web can either be separated from the parent roll of the first paper web in the machine direction and guided into the handle position or onto the top fold in the same process. This offers the advantageous option of fully or partially coating the handle and, if necessary, printing it together with the paper for the bag construction. This also enables register-controlled feeding, which is crucial for partial coating and positional printing.

[0018] Alternatively, the second paper web can be fed from a separate roll. Depending on the weight and format of the AHP-filled sales package, it may be advisable to use thinner or thicker paper.

[0019] It can be planned that the separation takes place only after the flat seams have been created. This can prevent typical predetermined breaking points that can occur due to microcracks during pre-punching.

[0020] By applying the handle paper web to the bag paper web over its entire surface in the machine direction, friction and, above all, edges and layer jumps in the machine that are at risk of tearing and could get caught or tear can be avoided.

[0021] At the same time, existing tools for producing flat seams in the chevron area, as well as the cutting tools, can be used highly efficiently for bag production. There is no need to procure, set up, or operate additional tools.

[0022] It may be provided that the material web intended for the bag body and / or the carrying handle has a grammage of 60 g / m 2<.

[0023] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained with reference to the following figures. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a paper bag with a carrying handle according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the top gusset area of ​​a paper bag with a carrying handle according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of a carrying handle end of a paper bag with a carrying handle according to an embodiment of the invention, attached by means of a flat seam to a chevron seam.

[0024] The Figure 1The paper bag 1 shown is already in the filled state, in which the bag interior has been filled with diapers and the bag opening 5 (not shown) has been closed by means of a transverse flat seam. The bag 1 has a bag body with a front wall 2 and a rear wall 3 connected to it via lateral flat seams 4. On the head side of the bag 1, a head fold 6 is provided, which is inserted between the front wall 2 and the rear wall 3. The head fold 6 has a first head fold section 7 facing the front wall and a second head fold section 8 facing the rear wall 3, wherein the first head fold section 7 is connected to the front wall 2 via a first lateral head fold flat seam 13 in the form of a chevron seam and the second head fold section 8 is connected to the rear wall 3 via a second lateral head fold flat seam 14 in the form of a chevron seam.The carrying handle 9 is arranged centrally in the head fold 6 in the width direction and extends essentially in the longitudinal direction of the head fold from one lateral bag flat seam 4 to the opposite bag flat seam 4 and has a length that corresponds to the bag width. The width B1 of the carrying handle is less than the width B2 of the head fold. The longitudinal ends 10 of the carrying handle 9 are arrow-shaped and have a shape adapted to the course of the chevron head fold seams with two end flanks 15, 16 that are inclined to one another. A first of the end flanks 15 is attached to the second head fold side seam 13 by means of a first flat seam 11 and the second of the end flanks 16 is attached to the second head fold side seam 14 by means of a second flat seam 12.The end flanks 15, 16 are flush with the outer edges of the head pleat side seams 13, 14 and the seam width of the head pleat side seams 13, 14 corresponds to the seam width of the flat seams 11, 12.

[0025] Figure 2 shows the head area of ​​a bag 1 in the empty state. It is clearly visible that the carrying handle 9 lies flat on the head fold 6 in this state, and the inner fold of the carrying handle 9 corresponds to the inner fold of the head fold 6. Furthermore, it is clearly visible that the longitudinal ends 10 of the carrying handle 9 are arrow-shaped, and the flat seams 11, 12 of the end flanks 15, 16 of the carrying handle 9, which are heat-sealed to the chevron seams 13, 14 of the head fold 6, have the same format as the chevron seams 13, 14.

[0026] Figure 3shows a detailed view of the connection area between the bag body and a longitudinal end 10 of the carrying handle 9. The arrow-shaped end contour of the longitudinal end 10 projects into the crease in which the two head fold side seams 13, 14 meet and is connected to both head fold side seams 13, 14 via flat seams 11, 12, which have the same width as the underlying head fold side seams 13, 14 and are flush with the outer edges and the inner edges of the head fold side seams 13, 14.

[0027] 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

[0028] 1 Paper bag 2 Front wall 3 Back wall 4 Side flat seam 5 Sealable bag opening 6 Head fold 7 First head fold section 8 Second head fold section 9 Carrying handle 10 Longitudinal end 11 First flat seam for attaching the carrying handle 12 Second flat seam for attaching the carrying handle 13 First head fold side seam 14 Second head fold side seam 15 First flank 16 Second flank

Claims

1. A paper bag (1) for containing hygiene articles, in particular diapers, comprising a bag body formed from a one-piece material web, said bag body having a front wall (2) and a rear wall (3) folded back onto said front wall, said front wall (2) and said rear wall (3) being connected to one another via lateral flat seams (4), said bag opening (5) being closable at one of the longitudinal ends of the paper bag (1) and a head fold (6) being inserted between the front and rear walls (2, 3) at the opposite longitudinal end, said head fold (6) having at least two mutually facing head fold sections (7, 8), characterized in that the paper bag (1) further comprises a carrying handle (9), for example made of paper, which is attached to the bag body in the region of the head fold (6).

2. Paper bag (1) according to claim 1, wherein the carrying handle (9) is formed from a flat strip of material and extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the head fold (6), the opposite longitudinal ends (10) of the carrying handle (9) being attached to the head fold (6) via flat seams (11, 12).

3. Paper bag (1) according to claim 2, wherein the head fold sections (7, 8) are connected to the front wall (2) and the rear wall (3) via respective head fold side seams (13, 14) and at least one of the longitudinal ends (10) of the carrying handle (9) is attached to at least one of the head fold side seams (13, 14).

4. Paper bag (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrying handle (9) extends in its width direction at least in sections over the first head fold section (7) and at least in sections over the second head fold section (8).

5. Paper bag (1) according to one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the top fold side seams (13, 14) run obliquely to the bag longitudinal and transverse directions, and wherein the longitudinal ends (10) of the carrying handle (9) each have an arrow shape which is adapted to the course of the top fold side seams (13, 14).

6. Paper bag (1) according to claim 5, wherein the arrow-shaped longitudinal ends (10) of the carrying handle each have two flanks (15, 16) which are inclined to one another, a first of the flanks (15) being connected to a top fold side seam (13) facing the front wall (2) and a second of the flanks (16) being connected to a top fold side seam (14) facing the rear wall (3).

7. Paper bag (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrying handle (9) lies flat on the head fold sections (7, 8) when the paper bag (1) is in the unfilled state.

8. Paper bag (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the surface of the head fold (6) is larger than the surface of the carrying handle (9).

9. Paper bag (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrying handle (9) is arranged centrally in the head fold (6).

10. Paper bag (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the length of the carrying handle corresponds to the bag width 11. Paper bag (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the paper bag (1) and the carrying handle (9) are made of the same material.

12. A method for producing a paper bag (1) with a carrying handle (9), in particular for producing a paper bag (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: continuously providing a first paper web; continuously folding the paper web so that it has a front wall (2), a rear wall (3) and a head fold (6) inserted between the front and rear walls (2, 3) with at least two head fold sections (7, 8) facing one another; continuously feeding a second paper web so that it rests on the first paper web in the region of the head fold (6);Periodically creating lateral flat seams (4) for connecting the front and rear walls (2, 3) and periodically creating head fold side seams (13, 14) for connecting the head fold sections (7, 8) to the respectively associated front or rear wall section (2, 3), wherein, in the course of the periodically creating the head fold side seams (13, 14), the second paper web is further fastened to the head fold side seams (13, 14) in the region of the head fold side seams (13, 14); Periodically separating the first and second paper webs into separate paper web sections, so that a bag body is provided from the first paper web and a carrying handle (9) for carrying the bag body is provided from the second paper web.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first and second paper webs have a heat-sealable coating partially or over their entire surface and the seams are produced by heat-sealing the corresponding paper web sections.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the second paper web has a width (B2) which is smaller than the width (B1) of the head fold (6).

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the second paper web is severed from the parent roll of the first paper web in the machine direction and guided into the gripping position in the same process or wherein the second paper web is fed from a separate roll.

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