Plastic bag dispensing apparatus

Abstract

 For serially dispensing flexible plastic bags or the like from a wound package in which the bags are joined along perforated severance lines a housing (10) defines a confining chamber adapted to receive and confine the wound package of bags for unwinding during dispensing of bags therefrom. The housing (10) has a bag dispensing, elongate, narrow slot (12) through which individual bags may be serially drawn and dispensed. The slot (12) has a smoothly curving, sinuous profile longitudinally thereof so that the bags may be smoothly drawn from the housing and separated along the perforated severance lines with the next bag being retained by the sinuous slot in position for dispensing.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for serially dispensing flexible plastic bags which are joined along perforated severance lines.

[0002] The use of plastic bags, normally in the nature of t-shirts or handle bags, has become increasingly popular, particularly in grocery stores and the like. Such plastic bags may be provided to users thereof in various and sundry ways, such as from a stack of bags, or from rolls of bags in which the bags are joined along perforated severance lines. Typically, the rolls of bags are positioned at various accessible locations adjacent points of intended use. The mounting means for such rolls have usually taken the form of either vertically or horizontally mounted spindles upon which the wound rolls are freely mounted. A user withdraws an individual bag from the roll, but then must grasp the roll to prevent other bags from being unrolled therefrom as the user tears the severance line to remove the individual bag.

[0003] Commonly owned U.S. Patent Nos. 4,793,539 and 4,930,385 to Haenni et al. and Wilfong et al. disclose apparatus for serially dispensing plastic grocery bags or the like from a supply roll which consists of bags serially joined along perforated severance lines. These patents further disclose dispensing nozzles having slots of a zig-zag or sawtooth configuration through which the bags are threaded to be withdrawn. The zig-zag or sawtooth slot exerts sufficient resistance upon the bags as they are serially withdrawn or dispensed through the slot so as to hold the penultimate bag in position while the perforated severance line is fractured to remove the last bag.

[0004] While the plastic bag dispensing apparatus disclosed in the above-referenced patents represent a significant advance in the art, certain limitations in use have been noted. Specifically, the plastic bags withdrawn through the nozzles disclosed in these patents are gathered or bunched by the zig-zag slots such that the dispensed bags look used and are crumpled. While such used or crumpled appearance does not detract from the utility of the bags, the appearance is important since some customers may object thereto. Additionally, the sharp corners of the zig-zag or sawtooth slots have a tendency to exert undue localized pressures upon the bags being withdrawn or dispensed therethrough.

[0005] It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a plastic bag dispensing apparatus which overcomes the limitations and disadvantages heretofore encountered with plastic bag dispensing apparatus.

[0006] It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a plastic bag dispensing apparatus which permits the bags to be withdrawn or dispensed from the apparatus in a flat state and in a smooth fashion without any undue localized pressure being exerted on the bags being dispensed.

[0007] These objects of the present invention are achieved in the embodiment illustrated herein by the provision of a housing defining a confining chamber adapted to receive and confine therein at least one wound package or roll of bags which are joined along perforated severance lines. The housing has an elongate narrow slot therein through which individual bags may be serially drawn and dispensed. The slot has a smoothly curving, sinuous profile longitudinally thereof and is of a width relative to the thickness of the bags such that withdrawal of the bags through the slot is frictionally retarded or resisted. This resistance facilitates the severance of the leading bag from the immediately following bag joined thereto along the perforated severance line. The profile and length of the slot permit the individual bags to be withdrawn and dispensed in a flat, non-crumpled form, and the smoothly curving sinuous profile of the slot permits withdrawal and dispensing of the bags without any undue localized pressure being applied to the bags being dispensed.

[0008] Some of the objects and advantages of the present invention having been stated, others will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred practical embodiment of the bag dispensing apparatus of the present invention illustrating the apparatus in use;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the cover of the housing in open position for receipt of wound rolls of bags therein;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2 as seen from the bottom thereof;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view of the latching means for the cover of the dispensing apparatus in closed position; and

Figure 6 is a detail view, like Figure 5, with the latching means in open position.

[0009] Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a dispensing apparatus generally indicated at 10 for serially dispensing plastic grocery bags or the like from at least one wound roll R of such bags serially joined along perforated severance lines. The housing 10 includes a body portion 11 which is preferably cylindrical in form and of a diameter and length to receive and confine therein a plurality of wound rolls R and R' of serially connected bags to be dispensed. The cylindrical body portion 11 defines therewithin a chamber which receives and confines the rolls of bags R and R' and mounts the rolls for rotation within the chamber as bags are serially withdrawn from the dispensing apparatus 10.

[0010] Body portion 11 has an elongate, narrow slot 12 formed therein through which individual bags may be serially drawn and dispensed. The slot 12 has a width relative to the thickness of the bags being dispensed such that withdrawal of the bags through the slot 12 is frictionally retarded or resisted to assist in separation of the leading bag from the immediately following bag along the perforated severance line connecting the two and to hold the immediately following bag in position for subsequent withdrawing and dispensing once the leading bag has been removed.

[0011] Preferably, the housing body portion 11 is formed by a lower body member 13 and an upper body member 14. Lower body member 13 is stationery, and upper body member 14 is hingedly mounted on lower body member 13 by a hinge 15 which preferably extends throughout the length of the lower and upper body members 13, 14.

[0012] Lower and upper body members 13 and 14 preferably comprise a half-cylinder closed at their opposite ends by end caps 13a, 13b and 14a, 14b. The rearward edges 13c, 14c of the lower and upper body members 13 and 14 are substantially straight while the forward edges 13d, 14d thereof are formed in smoothly curved, sinuous, mating profiles which define the slot 12 when upper body member 14 is in closed position. Preferably, the sinuous profile of slot 12 comprises a sine wave.

[0013] A bracket means 20 is mounted on lower body member 13 for mounting of the dispensing apparatus 10 on any suitable accessible surface adjacent to the location where the bags are to be withdrawn and used. Bracket means 20 comprises end cap members 21, 12 mounted on opposite ends 13a and 13b, respectively, of lower body member 13 by suitable screws 23. End cap members 21 and 22 have formed integrally therewith a connecting member 24 extending longitudinally beneath lower body member 13 in spaced relation thereto. Connecting member 24 has suitable screw holes 25 formed therethrough for receipt of suitable mounting screws (not shown).

[0014] Latching means is provided for latching the upper body member 14 in closed position. Such latching means comprises slidable latches 26, 27 mounted in elongate slots 30, 31 in end cap members 21 and 22 of bracket means 20, respectively. The end caps 14a and 14b of upper body member 14 have suitable bayonet slots 32, 33 formed therein for receipt and locking cooperation with latches 26 and 27, respectively.

[0015] While the housing 11 may be formed of any suitable material, it is preferred that the cylindrical housing 11 be formed of clear plastic capable of withstanding the shocks and wear normally associated with the extended use of the apparatus to contain and dispense plastic bags therefrom. Preferably bracket means 20 is formed of a high impact plastic of any suitable color.

[0016] In operation, the dispensing apparatus 10 is mounted on a suitable supporting surface at a location adjacent to the point where the plastic bags are to be used by screws being inserted through holes 25 in connecting member 24 or by any other suitable attachment means. Latch members 26 and 27 are then moved to the unlatched position and upper body member 14 is pivoted from the closed position to the open position.

[0017] Wound rolls of bags R and R' are then positioned within lower body member 13 with the leading ends of the wound rolls of bags resting on the sinuously curved forward edge 13d of lower body member 13. The rolls of bags to be dispensed may be of the same type bags or of different type bags having different characteristics for bags suitable for use at the location where the dispensing apparatus 10 is mounted.

[0018] Once the wound rolls of bags R and R' are properly positioned within lower body member 13, upper body member 14 is pivoted from the open position to the closed position, and latch members 26 and 27 are moved rearwardly to the latched position. The smoothly curved sinuous profile lower forward edges 13d and 14d of lower and upper body members 13 and 14 defining slot 12 frictionally grip the leading bags therebetween.

[0019] Individual bags may then be smoothly and evenly withdrawn from the rolls R or R' through the slot 12 while such withdrawal is being frictionally retarded or resisted. Once the leading bag has been fully withdrawn from the dispensing apparatus 10, the same may be removed from the immediately following bag by tearing along the perforated severance line. The sinuous curved nature of the slot 12 facilitates withdrawal of the bags in a flat, non-crumpled form and also insures that no excessive localized pressure is applied to the bags during withdrawal thereof.

[0020] In the drawings and specifications, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. A dispensing apparatus adapted for serially dispensing flexible plastic bags or the like from a wound package (R, R1) in which the bags are joined along perforated severance lines, said apparatus comprising a housing (10) defining a confining chamber adapted to receive and confine therein a wound package of bags for unwinding during dispensing of bags therefrom, and a bag dispensing, elongate, narrow slot (12) in said housing through which individual bags may be serially drawn and dispensed, characterised in that the said slot has a smoothly curving, sinuous profile longitudinally thereof whereby bags may be smoothly drawn from said housing and separated along the perforated severance lines with the next bag being retained by the sinuous slot in position for dispensing.

2. A bag dispensing apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein said housing (10) includes a mounting bracket (20) for mounting said bag dispensing apparatus in a suitable accessible location.

3. A bag dispensing apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein said housing (10) encloses the wound package (R, R1) of bags and includes an access opening into said chamber and movable cover means (14) for selectively closing and opening said access opening.

4. A bag dispensing apparatus according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said slot (12) has a width relative to the thickness of individual bags such that withdrawal of the bags is frictionally retarded.

5. A bag dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said slot (12) has a sine wave profile.

6. A bag dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said housing (10) comprises upper and lower body members (14, 13), the upper body member (14) being openable and the front edges of said upper and lower body members defining said slot (12) when said upper body member (14) is in closed position.

7. A bag dispensing apparatus according to Claim 6 wherein said housing (10) includes latch means (26, 27, 30, 31) securing said upper body member (14) in closed position.

8. A bag dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said housing has a length sufficient to receive and confine a plurality of wound packages of bags (R, R1) and said slot (12) extends longitudinally substantially throughout the length of said housing.

9. A bag dispensing apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 7 wherein said slot (12) is at least as long as the length of the wound package of bags mounted by said housing (10).

Drawing