GB2234734A - Bundles of carrier bags and a method of dispensing bags from the bundle - Google Patents

Abstract

A bundle of carrier bags (2) has an opening adjacent to an edge thereof, a marginal portion (7,14, figs 3-5, not shown) of the bundle being defined between the opening and the edge. The bundle (2) includes handle means (8), such as a tube, which serves to stiffen the marginal portion of the bundle such that the stiffened portion provides a handle for the bundle of bags, each of the bags being removable from the bundle by severing the bag along at least one line of weakness (9, 10 or 16, Fig 3, 4 or 5) associated with the bag and positioned within or adjacent to the marginal portion of the bundle. <IMAGE>

Description

undle of Carrier aas and Ythod o? dispensing Dgfi from the Bundle This Invention relates to a bundle of carrier bags, to a dispensing system for the bags and to a method of dispensing bags from the bundle.

Tt ir common practice for stores to provide carrier bags of plastics material at checkout counters. Particularly where large volumes of goods pass through the checkout, a large number of carrier bags are required and a problem arises in making these readily available to a customer. Various systems for dispensing carrier bags have been devised but these are generally complicated and also take up a considerable amount of space. In practice they 8omotimes actually slow down the rate of passage of customers through the checkout.

Handling of large numbers of carrier bags of plastics material is awkward, In order to make the process easier, it has already been proposed to manufacture carrier bags in bundles with the bags joined together, for example, by welds. Lines of perforations are proved on each bag so that the bag can be Fsparated fron the welded areas by tearing along the perforations. For example in a veststyle carrier bag it has been proposed to provide a cross member extending between the handles of each bag and to provide perforations along the line of the boundaries between the handles and the cross menbers.The cross members of all the bags of a bundle are joined together by welds and a bag can be removed from the bundle by tearing along the perforations, leaving the crows member attached to the remaining part of the bundle. Such an arrangement facilitates handling of the bags but the bundle is nonetheless very floppy and slippery and therefore difficult to handle.

It is an object of the invention to provide a bundle of carrier bags, a dispensing system for the bags and a method of dispensing bags from the bundle which mitigates at least some of the disadvantages described above.

According to the invention a bundle of carrier bags has an opening adjacent to an edge thereof, a marginal portion of the bundle being defined between the opening and the edge, wherein the bundle includes handle means which serves to stiffen the marginal portion of the bundle such that the stiffened portion provides a handle for the bundle of bags1 each of the bags being removable from the bundle by severing the bag along at least one line of weakness associated with the bag and positioned within or adjacent to the marginal portion of the bundle.

Stiffening of the marginal portion of the bundle such that the stiffened portion provides a handle for the bundle makes handling of the bundle of bags very much easier and also enables the bags to be used in a very simple and compact dispensing system.

The opening in the bundle of bags is preferably adjacent to a top edge thereof so that the marginal portion of the bundle is a top portion of the bundle, but it is within the scope of the invention for the opening to be adjacent to a side or bottom edge of the bundle.

The handle means may take any of various forms.

Preferably the handle means comprises A member which passes through the opening in the bundle of bags and substantially encloses the marginal portion of the bundle. Tn such a case the member can be gripped by a person and the marginal portion cf the bundle is stiffened by that member.

Although the remaining part of the bundle may still be very slippery, the fact that the part of the bundle which is gripped is relatively stiff makes handling of the bundle much easter. Other forms of handling means may be provided: for example, relatively stiff strips may be fixed on one or more faces of the marginal portion of the bundle of bags.

The handle means may comprise a tubular member which substantially surrounds the marginal portion of the bundle. The handle means may be made of cardboard in which case it is preferably of polygonal, for example square, cross-section. AlternatIvely the handle means may be made of plastics mtcrial in which case it may be preferable for it to be of circular cross-section.

While it is possible to have a small gap in the member to aid in fitting the member around the marginal portion of the bundle, it is preferable for the handle member to be an endless member, at least when the bundle is fully assembled. In the latter case the handle member has a greater stiffness and it is impossible for the bag to come sway from the handle member while it and the marginal portion are unbroken and connected to one another.

Preferably the handle means extends along substantially the whole length of the marginal portion so that the marginal portion is stiffened along its whole length.

Various different arrangements may be provided for enabling each of the bags to be removed from the bundle.

In a first preferred arrangement, each of the bags is removable from the bundle by severing the bag along lines of weakness provided at opposite ends of the marginal portion, the removed bag being separate from the marginal portion Of the bundle. In a second preferred arrangement each of the bags is removable from the bundle by severing the bag along one line of weakness provided in the marginal portion, the removed bag including its respective part of the marginal portion of the bundle. ither of the two arrangements described are particularly suitable when the bags are vest-style carrier bags.

In a case where the bags are not vest-style carrier bags a preferred arrangement is for each of the bags to be removable from the bundle by severing the bag along a line of weakness which extends around the marginal portion and forms a boundary between the marginal portion and the remainder of the bundle, the removed bag being separate from the marginal portion of the bundle.

The lines of weakness may be provided by any suitable method. Lines of perforations are an advantageous form for the line of weakness.

The present invention also provides a dispensing station for dispensing carrier bags, the station including a bundle of carrier bags as defined above and mounting means which pass through the opening adjacent to the edge of the bundle to mount the bundle for dispensing of bags.

The marginal portion of the bundle may extend over the top of the mounting means. Thus a person can mount the bags on the systen simply by positioning the marginal portion of the bags over the mounting means.

Preferably the bundle is suspended from the mounting means. In that case the weight of the bags keeps the bags together in a bundle hanging from the mounting means. It is not, however, essential for the bottoms of the bags to be suspended in mid-air. Some of the weight of the bags may be taken by a surface on which the bottoms of the bags rest, Bundles of carrier bags may be supplied to a customer in a carton with the handle means provided. It is then a very simple matter for a person to open the carton and remove the bundles by their handle means as they are required.

The present invention also provides a method of dispensing a carrier bag in which a bundle of carrier bags, which has an opening adjacent to one edge thereof with a marginal portion of the bundle being defined between the opening and the edge and includes handle means which serves to stiffen the marginal portion of the bundle, is carried by the handle means frown a carton in which it is provided to a dispensing station at which bags aro removed one at a time from the bundle by severing the respective bag along at least one line of weakness associated with the bag and positioned within or adjacent to the marginal portion of the bundle.

The bundle of carrier bags employed in the invention may take any of the forms described above.

By way of example certain illustrative embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing system comprising a bundle of bags mounted on a dispensing frame; Fig. 2 is'a side sectional view of the dispensing system of Fig. 1 but showing a plurality of bundles mounted on the dispensing frame; Fig. 3 is a front view of a bundle of bags having a first arrangement of perforations: Fig. 4 is a front view of a bundle of bags having a second arrangement of perforations; and Fig. 5 is a front view of a bundle of bags having a third arrangement of perforations.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 there is shown a dispensing system comprising a dispensing frame 1 on which one (Fig. 1) or more (Fig. 2) bundles 2 of vest-style flexible plastics carrier bags are mounted.

The frame 1 is made of a metal bar bent to provide two parallel side parts 3 interconnected by a transverse end part 4 of inverted tU" shape. The side parts 3 are inclined downwardly towards the end part 4. The upper ends of the side parts 3 that are not shown in Figs I and 2 are fixed to an appropriate support which may take any of various forms, for example it may be a vertical wall or a support of a stand or any other support structure.

Each of the bundles 2 of vest-style plastics carrier bags comprises a bundle of, typically, 200 bags each of which has a lower bag part 5 and a pair of upstanding handlers 6 joined across their tops by a marginal portion defined by an integral cross member 7 (not visible in Fig. 1). The bags are stacked on top of one another in an aligned bundle and a handle member 8 in the form of a square cardboard tube surrounds and encloses the cross members 7 of the bundle.The handle member 7 extends the full length of the cross members 7 between the handles 6 and is substantially stiffer than the cross members 7. Tho tube is attached around the cross members 7 after they have bean positioned in a bundle in any suitable manner, for example by fixing together with adhesive ovcrlapptng opposite ends of a length of cardboard after bending the length into the desired shape. Alternatively overlapping ends of the cardboard may be fixed together by passing a tab on one end through a slot in the other end. Other fixing arrangements may also be used.

Tn order to enable a bag to be removed from a bundle 2, it is provided with one or more lines of perforations.

Fig. 3 shows a first arrangement for the perforations. In this case there are two lines 9 of perforations, each at the boundary between a respective handle 6 and the cross member 7. In this case the cross members 7 of the bags in a bundle are all joined together, for example by one or more welds extending through the bundle of bags. Thus a bag can be removed from the bundle by simply pulling the bag itself away from the handle member 8 in which the cross member 7 of the bag is held, causing tearing along both of the lines 9 50 that the bag itself is removed and the cross member 7 of the bag remains within the handle member 8.

Fig. 4 shows a second arrangement of the perfora- tions. In this case there is a single line 10 of perforations running down the cross member 7 at the centre thereof across its entire width. In this case the cross members 7 of the bags in a bundle are not joined together.

Thus a bag can be removed from the bundle by simply pulling the bag itself away from the handle member a in which the cross member 7 of the bag is held, causing tearing along the line 10 of perforations, so that the bag and cross member is removed wth opposite halves of the cross member 7 remaining fixed to respective handle 6.

Fig. 5 shows a third arrangement of perforations being used on a bag that is not a vest-style bag but rather has a punched out handle. In this case the bag does not have upstanding handles but has a handle built into the bag part 5 by providing an aperture il through the top of the bag. Such bags are well known. . In this case there is an upper extension 12 provided as an integral part of the bag the extension having upwardly extending side portions 13 and a transverse cross member 14. An opening 15 is defined between the cross member 14 and the top of the bag part 5.

It will be understood that the cross member 14 and bide portions 13 correspond to the cross member 7 and handles 6 respectively of the bags of Figs. 1 to 4 and that the handle member 8 is positioned around the cross member 14.

In the case of the arrangement of Fig. 5 there are two lines 16 of perforations, each at the boundary between a respective side portion 13 and the bag part 5. The cross members 14 of the bags in the bundle are all joined together, for example by one or more welds extending through the bundle of bags. Thus, a bag can be removed from the bundle by simply pulling the bag part 5 away from the handle member 8 in which the cross member 14 of the beg is held, causing tearing along both of the lines 16 of perforations, so that the bag part 5 4 is removed from the bundle and the cross member 14 and side portions 13 remain with the bundle.

In use, a number of bundles (for example 4 bundles) of bags are supplied in a cardboard carton by a bag manufacturer with the handle members 8 fixed around the bundles. The bundles of bags can be laid in a carton with the end at which the handle member 8 is provided varying from one bundle to another (since the bundle is somewhat thicker in the vicinity of the handle member 8).

The dispelling system described with reference to Fig. 1 and 2 is provided at a checkout counter and one or more bundles 2 of bags can be taken out of the carton by a person holding the bags by the handle member 8 and carried to the checkout counter where the handle member is passed over the top of the end part 4 of the dispensing frame.

The bags are then suspended from the frame in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

taken a bag is required, a person simply has to take hold of the bag at the front (the lower end) of the dispensing frame and pull it so as to tear along the lines of perforations. Once an entire bundle of bags has been used, the handle member 8 can be lifted away from the dispensing frame and the first bag of the next bundle taken. It is not of course necessary to remove the handle member 8 of one bundle before bags from another bundle are removed.

In the description above, the bags are described as if they were of only one sheet thickness. It will be understood of course that the bag part will necessarily be of at least two sheets thickness and the other parts will also usually be of at least two sheets thickness. The perforations are of course provided through all the sheets.

If desired, it is possible to remove more than one bag from the bundle at a time simply by gripping a number of bags and pulling them as a group from the handle member 8.

While in the embodiment of tho invention described the cross members 7 are stiffened by a relatively stiff member, the effect can be achieved with a relatively flexible member, for example by wrapping a flexible sheet of plastic. material tightly around the cross members 7.

Claims (21)

Claims:

1. A bundles nf carrier bags, which bundle has an opening adjacent to an edge thereof, a marginal portion of the bundle being defined between the opening and the edge, wherein the bundle includes handle means which serves to stiffen the marginal portion of the bundle such that the stiffened portion provides a handle for the bundle of bags, each of the bags being removable from the bundle by severing the bag along at least one line of weakness associated with the bag and positioned within or adjacent to the marginal portion of the bundle.

2. A bundle according to claim 1, in which the handle means comprises a member which passes through the opening and substantially encloses the marginal portion of the bundle.

3. A bundle according to claim 2, in which the member comprises a tubular member which substantially surrounds the marginal portion of the bundle.

4. b bundle according to claim 2 or 3, in which the handle means is made of cardboard.

5. A bundle according to any preceding claim, in which the handle means extends along substant~a:ly the whole length of the marginal portion.

6. A bundle according to any preceding claim, in which each of the bags is removable from the bundle by severing the bag along lines of weakness provided at opposite ends of the marginal portion, the removed bag being separate from the marginal portion of the bundle.

7. A bundle according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which each of the bags is removable from the bundle by severing the bag along one line of weakness provided in the marginal portion, the removed bag including its respective part of the marginal portion of the bundle.

8. A bundle according to claim 6 or 7, in which the bags are vest-style carrier bags.

3. A bundle according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which each of the bags is removable from the bundle by revering the bag along a line of weakness which extends around the marginal portion and forms a boundary between the marginal portion and the remainder of the bundle, the removed bag being separate from the marginal portion of the bundle.

10. A bundle according to any preceding claim in which the lines of weakness are defined by perforations.

11. A bundle of carrier bags substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

12. A carton containing a plurality of bundles of carrier bags, each bundle being as claimed in any of claims I to 11.

13. A dispensing station for dispensing carrier bags, the station including a bundle of carrier bags as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11 and mounting means which pass through the opening adjacent to the edge of the bundle to mount the bundle for dispensing of bags.

14. A dispensing station according to claim 13, in which the marginal portion of the bundle extends over the top of the mounting means.

15. A dispensing station according to claim 13 or 14, in which the bundle is suspended from the mounting means.

16. A dispensing station for dispensing carrier bags, the station being substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A method of dispensing a carrier bag in which a bundle of carrier bags, which has an opening adjacent to one edge thereof with a marginal portion of the bundle being defined between the opening and the edge and includes handle means which serves to stiffen the marginal portion of the bundle, is carried by the handle means from a carton in which it is provided to a dispensing station at which bags are removed one at a time from the bundle by severing the respective bag along at least one line of weakness associated with the bag and positioned within or adjacent to the marginal portion of the bundle.

18. A method according to claim 17, in which the dispensing station includes mounting means which pass through the opening adjacent to the edge of the bundle to mount the bundle for dispensing of bags.

19. A method according to claim 18, in which the marginal portion extends over the top of the mounting means when the bundle is mounted on the mounting means.

20. A method according to any of claims 17 to 19, in which the bundle of carrier bags is a. claimed in any of claims 1 to 11.

21. A method of dispensing a carrier bag, the method being substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.