WO1993015968A1

WO1993015968A1 - Packaging

Info

Publication number: WO1993015968A1
Application number: PCT/GB1993/000255
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jack Collier Spillard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-02-06
Filing date: 1993-02-05
Publication date: 1993-08-19
Anticipated expiration: 1994-08-06
Also published as: GB9202508D0; AU3506193A; GB2279054A; GB9207006D0; GB9415801D0; GB2279054B

Abstract

A bag (1) of transparent plastics material has front and rear panels connected together around the side and bottom edges (3, 4 and 5) leaving an open end (6). Two holes (7 and 8) are formed adjacent to the opening (6). A closure member (2) is creased along a centre line (22) to form superimposed front and rear sections (9 and 10). The inner surface (12) is coated with a pressure-sealing adhesive, and the rear section (10) contains slits which define a pair of tongues (16 and 17) inserted through the holes (7 and 8). The two sections (9 and 10) are secured together by the adhesive around the marginal portions (11 and 19) and through the holes (7 and 8), and the tongues (16 and 17) are also adhesively secured to the front section (9). The closure member (2) could also be of the same width as the bag (1) and adhered through notches in the opposite side edges of the bag.

Description

PACKAGING

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to packaging of the kind which includes a bag, sleeve or like receptacle (referred to herein simply as a "bag"), which is open at one end, in combination with a closure member for closing the open end of the bag.

Generally (but without prejudice to the scope of the present invention) the bag will be transparent in order to display various products for sale which are contained therein. In addition, the closure member will generally be formed of card and will carry printed information, and the closure member may be formed with an eye for use in suspending the packaging from a display rack.

BACKGROUND

GB 855 449 discloses a packaging container of the kind described above, in which the closure member is folded double to form two opposed sections between which the open end of the bag is sandwiched. This open end of the bag is provided with holes through which the opposed portions of the closure member are secured

- together by means of a pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to the inside surfaces of the closure member. There are two major problems with this earlier proposal. Firstly, if the contents of the bag are heavy there is a risk that the bag will pull out of the closure member. Secondly, there is no means of positively positioning the bag relative to the closure member during assembly other than by abutment of the open end of the bag with the crease line of the closure member, but this is not possible if, as is common, the closure member is formed with an eye for receiving a hook or the like.

An aim of the present invention may be viewed as being to provide a form of packaging container which is quick and simple to assemble by hand, and in which the final assembled container is strong and of neat appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect, the present invention proposes a packaging container which comprises a bag having an open end and a closed end, and a separate closure member for closing said open end of the bag, the closure member comprising first and second portions between which said open end is sandwiched, and in which said open end is provided with at least one hole, characterised in that the closure member is formed with a tongue projecting away from the closed end of the bag for insertion through the said hole.

In this instance the term "hole" shall be understood to include slits.

In order to provide more positive positioning of the bag relative to the closure member during assembly the bag preferably has at least two such holes and a respective tongue projects through at least two of said holes.

Although the said hole or holes may only extend through one of the opposed panels of the bag, for increased strength the opposed panels preferably have aligned holes through which the respective tongue is inserted.

In this aspect of the invention the first and second portions of the closure member may be mutually secured by wire staples or the like, but in order to avoid their use the first and second portions of the closure member are preferably both coated on their opposed inner surfaces with pressure-sealing adhesive. The adhesive is preferably arranged such that:

1. The first and second portions of the closure member adhere to each other through the said holes in the bag.

2. The tongues adhere to the opposed portion of the closure member.

3. The first and second portions of the closure member adhere to each other along the enclosed open edge of the bag.

According to a second aspect the present invention proposes a packaging container which comprises a bag and a separate closure member for closing an open end of the bag, the closure member comprising first and second portions coated with a pressure-sealing adhesive between which said end of the bag is sandwiched, and the first and second portions of the closure member are mutually adhered at opposite side edges of the bag.

Such adherance at the side edges of the bag prevents the first and second portions from separating at the edges, which could lead to their being inadvertently pulled apart during handling.

The first and second portions of the closure member may be mutually adhered by edge portions thereof which extend beyond opposite side edges of the bag. Alternatively, or in addition, the first and second portions may be mutually adhered through notches formed in opposite side edges of the bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a packaging container of the invention, prior to assembly,

Figure 2 is a similar view of the container, partly assembled,

Figures 3 and 4 are perspective front and rear views respectively of the assembled container, and

Figures 5 and 6 show, in perspective, two further forms of packaging container of the invention, both partly assembled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the embodiment which is shown by way of example in Fig.s 1 to 4 of the drawings, the packaging container comprises a bag 1 and a closure member 2 for the bag.

The bag 1 is formed of transparent plastics material and includes front and rear panels which are connected together by any convenient means around the side and bottom edges 3, 4 and 5 of the bag, leaving an opening 6 extending along the top edge of the bag. Two holes 7 and 8 are formed in the opposed front and rear panels of the bag 1 adjacent to the top opening 6.

The closure member 2 is formed of a single substantially rectangular sheet of card which is creased along a centre line 22. The sheet can thus be folded in two to form two superimposed front and rear sections 9 and 10 of substantially identical outline. It will be noted in Fig.s 2 and 3 that the closure member 2 is slightly wider than the bag 1 to form projecting side margins 11. The inner surface 12 of the closure member is coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, and the front and rear sections have aligned apertures 14 and 15 forming an eye for reception of a suspension hook mounted on a display rack (not shown). The rear section 10 of the closure member also contains a pair of spaced inverted-U shaped slits which define a pair of inverted-U shaped tongues 16 and 17.

In assembly of the container the tongues 16 and 17 are first pressed forwardly out of the plane of the rear section 10 (Fig. 1). After the contents have been inserted through the open end 6 of the bag the tongues

16 and 17 are inserted through the respective holes 7 and 8, passing through both panels of the bag, as shown in Fig. 2. The bag is pulled along the tongues 16 and

17 in direction A (Fig. 2) until the top edges of the holes 7 and 8 reach the roots of the tongues. It will also be noted in Fig. 2 that in addition to the margins 11 of the closure member projecting beyond the edges of the bag 1 an upper margin 19 of the closure member adjacent to the crease line 22 extends beyond the open upper edge 6 of the bag. The two sections 9 and 10 of the closure member are then pressed together (Fig.s 3 and 4) so that the sections are secured together by the adhesive around the marginal portions 11 and 19 and through the holes 7 and 8. The tongues 16 and 17 are also adhesively secured to the front section 9 of the closure member. The bag is thus quickly and firmly secured to the closure member. In addition, the engagement of the tongues 16 and 17 through the holes 7 and 8 prevents the bag from being pulled from the closure member in normal use.

It will be appreciated that various modifications are possible. For example, the bag 1 and closure member 2 could be formed of various suitable materials. In addition, as shown in Fig. 5, the side edges 3 and 5 of the bag 1 can extended to the side edges 23 and 24 of the closure member 2. In order to adhere the side edges of the front and rear sections 9 and 10 the side edges 3 and 5 of the bag are provided with notches 25 and 26. This arrangement is particularly suitable for wider packaging containers. It will also be appreciated that with wider containers more secure engagement between the bag and closure member can be achieved by the addition of one or more further holes 27 in the bag 1 (Fig. 6) through which corresponding tongues 28 are inserted. Additional holes (not shown) without corresponding tongues could also be provided through which the front and rear sections of the closure member are adhered together.

Claims

1. A packaging container which comprises a bag (1) having an open end (6) and a closed end (4), and a separate closure member (2) for closing said open end of the bag, the closure member comprising first and second portions (9 and 10) between which said open end (6) is sandwiched, and in which said open end is provided with at least one hole (7, 8), characterised in that the closure member is formed with a tongue (16, 17) projecting away from the closed end of the bag for insertion through the said hole (7, 8).

2. A packaging container in accordance with Claim 1, in which the bag has at least two such holes (7, 8) , and said closure member is provided with respective tongues (16, 17) which project through said holes.

3. A packaging container in accordance with Claim 1, in which the bag comprises opposed side panels having aligned holes through which said tongue is inserted.

4. A packaging container in accordance with Claim 1, in which the first and second portions (9, 10) of the closure member are both coated on their opposed inner surfaces with pressure-sealing adhesive.

5. A packaging container in accordance with Claim 4, in which the adhesive is arranged such that said first and second portions of the closure member adhere to each other through said hole (7, 8).

6. A packaging container in accordance with Claim 4, in which the adhesive is arranged such that said tongue (16, 17) adheres to the opposed portion (9) of said closure member.

7. A packaging container in accordance with Claim 4, in which the adhesive is arranged such that said first and second portions of the closure member adhere to each other (19) along an enclosed end edge (6) of the bag.

8. A packaging container in accordance with Claim 4, in which the adhesive is arranged such that said first and second portions of the closure member are mutually adhered at opposite side edges (3, 5) of the bag.

9. A packaging container in accordance with Claim 8, in which the adhesive is arranged such that said first and second portions of the closure member are mutually adhered by edge portions (11) thereof which extend beyond said opposite side edges of the bag.

10. A packaging container in accordance with Claim 8, in which the adhesive is arranged such that said first and second portions are mutually adhered through notches (25, 26) formed in opposite side edges of the bag.