FILLING BAG

Abstract

 The filling bag 1 is formed of a body portion 2 and a neck portion 3. The neck portion 3 forms a funnel, starting from a narrow end 4 and expanding to a wide end 5. A first resealable opening 6 forms the wide end 5. The second resealable opening 7 is formed in the body portion 2. Both the first and second resealable openings 6, 7 comprise a respective zipper, via which they may be opened and closed. The first resealable 6 opening also comprises a zipper arrangement to connect it to an opening 9 of the item of furniture 8 to be filed. The second resealable opening 7 results in the filling bag 1 being easier to refill, particularly by a customer. This means one filling bag 1 can be supplied and used multiple times to fill different items of furniture 8 or refill the same items of furniture 8, and so reduces the costs involved.

Description

Technical Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a filling bag for filling an item of furniture with beans.

Background to the Invention

[0002] Items of furniture which must be filled with beans (typically polystyrene beans) often must be filled onsite by a user. In addition, such items then to need to be re-filled over the life of the item. The items of furniture have one or more openings to allow beans in. These openings are particularly sized and shaped, and can be difficult to fill from a normal container of beans without spilling many of the beans. To avoid this, specially designed filling bags can be used which have an opening specially designed to connect to the item furniture and fill it, reducing the amount of spillage.

[0003] Unfortunately, these filling bags are difficult to fill (or refill) with beans due to the openings being sized and shaped for filling the item of furniture. Specialist machinery is required to fill them, which is typically only found in the bean supplier's factory. As such, currently reusing filler bags is difficult to impossible, and if filler bags are to be used a separate filler bag must be supplied with each set of beans (the set of beans contained in the filler bag). This adds a significant amount of cost to supplying beans, making filler bags unviable commercially.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a filling bag for filling an item of furniture with beans, the filling bag comprising two resealable openings: a first resealable opening through which, in use, the item of furniture can be filled with beans; and a second resealable opening through which, in use, the filling bag can be refilled with beans, wherein the second resealable opening is larger than the first resealable opening, the second resealable opening is large enough to, when unsealed and in use, sit over an opening in a container for the filling bag when filled with beans, and the first resealable opening is sized to, in use, connect to the item of furniture.

[0005] The second resealable opening results in the filling bag being easier to refill, particularly by a customer. This means one filling bag can be supplied and used multiple times to fill different items of furniture or refill the same items of furniture, and so reduces the costs involved.

[0006] The filling bag may comprise a neck portion. The neck portion may form a funnel. The funnel may expand from a narrow end to a wide end. The wide end may be formed by the first resealable opening. The wide end may have the first resealable opening formed in it. The filling bag may be formed by a barrier with the first and second resealable openings in the barrier. The barrier may form the funnel. The barrier may be the filling bag wall.

[0007] One or more of the resealable openings may be a zip opening, wherein the respective zip opens and closes the respective opening. The first respective opening may be arranged to attach to an opening of the furniture. The first respective opening and/or furniture opening may be arranged to, in use, attach together to form one unbroken passage between the filling bag and the item of furniture. The first resealable opening and furniture opening may comprise a zipper arrangement to allow one to attach to the other in use.

[0008] The second resealable opening may be opposite the first resealable opening. The second resealable opening may face the narrow end of the neck portion. The filling bag may comprise a body portion. The body portion may comprise the second resealable opening. The body portion may be attached to the wide end of the neck portion. The body portion may be monolithic with the neck portion. The body portion and neck portion may form the filling bag.

[0009] The second resealable opening may be at an opposite end of the filling bag to the first resealable opening. The body portion may widen from the neck portion.

[0010] The filling bag may comprise a wall forming the outline of the filling bag. The filling bag may be formed by the wall, first resealable opening and second resealable opening. The wall may comprise a flexible material. The wall may be formed from the flexible material. The wall may comprise plastic. The wall may be formed from plastic. The wall may be translucent. The wall may be transparent.

[0011] A first end of the body portion may be the neck portion. A second end of the body portion may be formed by the second resealable opening.

[0012] The neck portion may narrow to a narrow end formed by the first resealable opening. The neck portion and body portion may connect at the wide end of the neck portion.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided bean furniture filling system, comprising a filling bag according to the first aspect.

[0014] The second resealable opening results in the filling bag being easier to refill, particularly by a customer. This means one filling bag can be supplied and used multiple times to fill different items of furniture or refill the same items of furniture, and so reduces the costs involved.

[0015] The bean furniture refilling system may comprise the container. The container may be a shipping container. The container may be a carton. The bean furniture refilling system may comprise the item of furniture. The item of furniture may be a bean bag. The item of furniture may be a couch. The item of furniture may be a chair. The item of furniture may comprise one or more furniture openings. The or each furniture opening may comprise a zipper operable to open and close the furniture opening.

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0016] In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one or more embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1

shows a first embodiment of the filling bag;

Figure 2

shows a second embodiment of the filling bag;

Figure 3

shows the first embodiment of the filling bag, connected to the item of furniture; and

Figure 4

shows the first embodiment of the filling bag, open over an opening of the shipping carton.

[0017] As shown in figure 1, the filling bag 1 is formed of a body portion 2 and a neck portion 3. The neck portion 3 forms a funnel, starting from a narrow end 4 and expanding to a wide end 5. A first resealable opening 6 forms the wide end 5. At the narrow end 4 the neck portion 3 forms into the body portion 2. The second resealable opening 7 is formed in the body portion 2. The body portion 2 expands out from the narrow end 4 of the neck portion 3, forming the body of the filling bag. Both the first and second resealable openings 6, 7 comprise a respective zipper, via which they may be opened and closed. The first resealable 6 opening also comprises a zipper arrangement to connect it to an opening 9 of the item of furniture 8 to be filed.

[0018] An alternative embodiment is shown in figure 2. In this embodiment, the first resealable opening 6 forms the narrow end 4 of the neck portion 3 and the wide end 5 forms with the body portion 2. In this embodiment the body portion 2 is substantially the same width as the wide end 5.

[0019] For either embodiment, as shown in figure 3 in use to fill an item of furniture 8 (in this case a bean bag) the first resealable opening 6 is opened and the zipper arrangement is used to connect it to an opening 9 in the item of furniture 8. There is then an unbroken passage between the filling bag 1 and the item of furniture 8, allowing the beans to pass from the filling bag 1 to the item of furniture 8 without spilling. When the item of furniture 8 has been sufficiently filled, the zipper arrangement can be used to disconnect the first resealable opening 6 and the furniture opening 9, and both can be closed (the furniture opening 9 via a respective zipper).

[0020] To refill the filling bag 1, of either embodiment described above, as shown in figure 4 the second resealable opening 7 is opened via its zipper and the second resealable opening 7 is then fitted over the opening 10 of the shipping carton 11 for the filling bag 1. Replacement beans can then be easily poured into the filling bag 1, with a reduced likelihood of any beans spilling. Once the filling bag 1 is sufficiently refilled, the second resealable opening can be taken off the shipping carton opening 10 and closed.

[0021] The one or more embodiments are described above by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of protection afforded by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A filling bag for filling an item of furniture with beans, the filling bag comprising two resealable openings: a first resealable opening through which, in use, the item of furniture can be filled with beans; and a second resealable opening through which, in use, the filling bag can be refilled with beans, wherein the second resealable opening is larger than the first resealable opening, the second resealable opening is large enough to, when unsealed and in use, sit over an opening in a container for the filling bag when filled with beans, and the first resealable opening is sized to, in use, connect to the item of furniture.

2. A filling bag according to claim 1 comprising a neck portion, preferably wherein the neck portion forms a funnel.

3. A filling bag according to claim 2 wherein the funnel expands from a narrow end to a wide end, optionally wherein the wherein the wide end is formed by the first resealable opening and the neck portion narrows to the narrow end formed by the first resealable opening.

4. A filling bag according to claim 3 wherein the second resealable opening faces the narrow end of the neck portion, optionally wherein the second resealable opening is opposite the first resealable opening.

5. A filling bag according to any preceding claim wherein one or more of the resealable openings is a zip opening, wherein the respective zip opens and closes the respective opening.

6. A filling bag according to any preceding claim wherein the first respective opening is be arranged to attach to an opening of the item of furniture.

7. A filling bag according to claim 6 wherein the first respective opening is arranged to, in use, attach to the furniture opening to form one unbroken passage between the filling bag and the item of furniture.

8. The filling bag according to any preceding claim comprising a body portion, optionally wherein the body portion comprises the second resealable opening.

9. The filling bag according to any of claims 8 wherein the body portion is monolithic with the neck portion.

10. The filling bag according to either of claims 8 or 9 wherein the body portion and neck portion form the filling bag and the body portion widens from the neck portion.

11. The filling bag according to any of claims 8 to 10 wherein a first end of the body portion is at the neck portion and a second end of the body portion is formed by the second resealable opening.

12. The filling bag according to any preceding claim wherein the second resealable opening is at an opposite end of the filling bag to the first resealable opening.

13. The filling bag according to any of claims 8-12, wherein the wide end is formed by the first resealable opening and the neck portion and body portion connect at the wide end of the neck portion.

14. A bean furniture filling system, comprising a filling bag according to any of claims 1-13.

15. A bean furniture refilling system according to claim 14 comprising the container.

Drawing