Bag dispensing system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bag dispensing systems are cumbersome and time-consuming, especially when handling large volumes, as they require a two-handed operation and can lead to fasteners becoming dislodged during transportation, making it difficult to attach and detach bags from hangers.
Innovation Solution
A bag dispensing system where each bag is frangibly connected to a header with a fastener that securely holds the bags together in a stack, allowing for easy assembly and single-handed operation, with a hanger design that securely engages the fastener formation to prevent separation and facilitate easy bag detachment and replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bags are fixed to hanger using expandable fasteners, then bags can be securely held during dispensing, but fasteners become dislodged during transportation making assembly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The fasteners are pre-assembled with the bags at the factory before shipping to the user. This preliminary assembly ensures that the fasteners are already in place and properly positioned, eliminating the risk of dislodgement during transportation and simplifying the user's task to only attaching the pre-assembled unit to the hanger.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the bag, header, and fastener into a single pre-assembled unit. By merging these components before shipping, the system ensures that all parts remain together during transportation and can be attached to the hanger as one integrated assembly, resolving the contradiction between secure holding and assembly ease.
2Reliability
If two-handed operation is required for bag opening, then secure control is maintained, but dispatching speed decreases for large volumes
Solution Approach 1:
The bag design incorporates a self-opening mechanism where the bag can be opened with a single hand by pulling the free upper side edge of the front sheet. The frangible connection and free edge design allow the bag to automatically open or be easily opened without requiring two-handed manipulation, enabling the dispatcher to maintain control security while significantly increasing dispatching speed for large volumes.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispensing system for mailing and other bags comprises a plurality of bags (10) arranged as a stack, each bag being frangibly connected along their upper side edge at (15) to a header (16), and a fastener (18) extending through the header (16) of each bag for securing the bags (10) together into an assembly, the system further comprising hanger (24) for supporting the bag assembly, the hanger (24) comprising a formation (26) arranged to engage a complimentary formation (20) on the rear of the fastener (18). The hanger (24) can be permanently fixed to a support structure and the assembly of bag (10) is then fitted to the hanger by engaging the formation (20) on the fastener with the complimentary formation (26) on the hanger (24). The bags (10) then hang from the hanger (24) in such a way that they can easily and singlehandedly be opened and detached by pulling them away from their header (16).