MAIMON, Ran (29 Gad Machnes Street, Petach-tikva, 49357, IL)
MAIMON, Ran (29 Gad Machnes Street, Petach-tikva, 49357, IL)
What is claimed is:
1. A bag attachable to an article to permit convenient disposal of the article after use, said bag comprising: a bottom section having an adherent outer surface for attachment to the article; a top section overlying said bottom section; and a tubular main section joined at one end to said bottom section; said tubular main section being of an expansible construction, normally in a contracted condition between said top section and bottom section, but being expandable to an expanded condition to define a compartment for receiving the article after use; at least one of said sections being formed with an opening to be used when introducing the used article into said compartment formed by said tubular main section in its expanded condition.
2. The bag according to Claim 1, wherein the opposite end of said tubular main section is free and not joined to said top section; and wherein said top section is formed with said opening to enable pulling out said tubular main section via said opening, and to be expanded to its expanded condition before introducing the used article into said compartment.
3. The bag according to Claim 2, wherein said opening in the top section is in the form of weakened lines manually rupturable to define said opening.
4. The bag according to Claim 2, wherein said free end of the tubular main section carries closure elements to facilitate closing said compartment after receiving the used article.
5. The bag according to Claim 4, wherein said closure elements are pull cords.
6. The bag according to Claim 1, wherein the opposite end of said tubular main section is joined to said top section; and wherein said bottom section is formed with said opening to enable pushing therethrough the used article into said compartment defined by the tubular main section in its expanded condition.
7. The bag according to Claim 6, wherein said top section includes a pressure-sensitive adhesive on its face facing said bottom section and adherent thereto in the contracted condition of the tubular main section, said top section being forcibly separatable from said bottom section to expand the tubular main section and to define said compartment for receiving the used article.
8. The bag according to Claim 7, wherein said top section is sufficiently large such that, after the used article has been received in the compartment defined by the expanded tubular main section, it can be wrapped around the bottom section to enclose the bag and to enable said adhesive to retain the bag in compact form with the used article therein.
9. The bag according to any one of Claims 1-8, wherein said adherent outer surface of said bottom section is covered by a peelable protective layer.
10. The bag according to any one of Claims 1-9, wherein said tubular main section of said bag is of a plastic film.
11. The combination of a bag according to Claim 1 applied to an article to be disposed of after use.
12. The combination of Claim 11, wherein said article is a diaper to be disposed of after use.
13. The combination of Claim 11, wherein said article is a feminine hygiene product to be disposed of after use.
14. The combination of Claim 11, wherein said article is a container of food products to be disposed of after the food products have been removed.
15. The combination of Claim 11, wherein said article is a container of dangerous substances to be disposed of after said substances have been removed. |
BAG CONSTRUCTIONS PARTICULARLY USEFUL FOR DISPOSING USED ARTICLES, SUCH AS DIAPERS
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bag construction, and particularly to a bag construction especially useful for disposing soiled articles, but also useful for disposing other types of articles such as feminine hygiene products, containers of food products and containers of dangerous substances.
Disposable diapers have come into widespread use because they relieve the user of the need to further handle a diaper after it has been soiled. However, the used article must still be handled until it is disposed. This is not always convenient, and therefore there is a tendency merely to flush a used article down the toilet. Flushing used articles down the toilet, however, frequently blocks the toilet, and for that reason is generally prohibited.
This problem has been recognized for a long time, and various disposable diaper constructions have been devised addressing this problem, as shown for example in the following US Patents : 2,494,307, 2,685,879, 2,699,170, 3,295,526, 3,369,545, 3,554,195, 3,563,242, 3,578,155, 3,585,999, 3,604,423, 3,731,689, 3,865,110, 3,877,432, 4,085,753, 4,034,760, 4,923,455, 6,210,386, US Published Application 2002/000/4656 and US Published Application 2002/0029546. However, insofar as known, none of these proposed designs has yet found any widespread use, which is probably due to inconvenience in their use and/or the cost of their production.
Similar problems exist with respect to disposing of other types of articles after use, such as feminine hygiene products, containers of food products, and containers of dangerous substances.
OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a bag construction particularly useful for disposing articles after use, particularly diapers, which bag construction is very convenient for use and can be produced in volume and at low cost. According to a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bag attachable to an article to permit convenient disposal of the article after use, said bag
comprising a flat bottom section having an adherent outer surface for attachment to the article; a flat top section overlying the flat bottom section; and a tubular main section joined at one end to the flat bottom section; the tubular main section being of a bellows construction, normally in a contracted condition between the flat top section and flat bottom section, but being expandable to an expanded condition to define a compartment for receiving the article after its use; at least one of the flat sections being formed with an opening to be used when introducing the used article into the compartment formed by the tubular main section in its expanded condition.
Two embodiments of such a bag construction, and several applications of such a bag construction are described below for purposes of example.
In one described embodiment of the bag construction, the opposite end of the tubular main section is free and not joined to the flat top section; in addition, the flat top section is formed with the opening to enable pulling out the tubular main section via the opening and to be expanded to its expanded condition before introducing the used article into the compartment.
According to further features in that described embodiment, the opening in the flat top section is in the form of weakened lines manually rupturable to define the opening.
According to a further feature in that described preferred embodiment, the free end of the tubular main section carries closure elements to facilitate closing the compartment after receiving the used article. In the described preferred embodiment, the closure elements are pull cords, but could be merely extensions integrally formed in the free end of the tubular main section.
In a second described preferred embodiment of the bag construction, the opposite end of the tubular main section is joined to the flat top section and the flat bottom section is formed with the opening to enable pushing therethrough the used article into the compartment defined by the tubular main section in its expanded condition.
According to a further feature in the latter embodiment, the flat top section includes a pressure-sensitive adhesive on its face facing and adherent to the flat bottomed section in the contracted condition of the tubular main section, the flat top section being forcibly separatable from the flat bottom section to expand the tubular main section and to define the compartment for receiving the used article.
According to a still further feature in the latter embodiment, the flat top section and the flat bottom section are sufficiently large such that, after the used article has been received in the compartment defined by the expanded tubular main section, they can be brought into contact with each other to enclose the bag and to enable the adhesive to retain the bag in compact form with the used article therein.
In both described embodiments, the adherent outer surface of the flat bottom section is preferably covered by a peelable protective layer.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the combination of a bag including the features briefly described above attached to an article to be disposed of after use. The invention is particularly useful for disposing soiled diapers, but may be used for conveniently disposing many other types of articles after use.
As will be described more particularly below, such a bag can be conveniently attached to a diaper or other article to be disposed after use, so as to be ready for use at any desired time in order to dispose of the used article in a convenient manner. In addition, such a bag can be manufactured in volume and at relatively low cost.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 illustrates a diaper having a bag constructed in accordance with the present invention attached thereto for convenient use in order to dispose of a diaper after having been soiled; Fig. 2 illustrates the operative condition of the bag of Fig. 1 when used for disposing a used article;
Fig. 3 schematically illustrates the bag of Figs. 1 and 2 in its normal condition; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the bag of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the bag of Fig. 3 illustrating the removal of the protective layer to enable attaching the bag to a diaper;
Figs. 6 and 7 are two views illustrating the bag of Figs. 1-5 in its operative condition for use in receiving a soiled diaper;
Fig. 8 illustrates a second bag constructed in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 9 illustrates the bag of Fig. 8 in its open operative condition for receiving a soiled diaper; and Figs. 10-12 illustrate other applications of the bag of Figs. 1-9.
It is to be understood that the foregoing drawings, and the description below, are provided primarily for purposes of facilitating understanding the conceptual aspects of the invention and possible embodiments thereof, including what is presently considered to be a preferred embodiment. In the interest of clarity and brevity, no attempt is made to provide more details than necessary to enable one skilled in the art, using routine skill and design, to understand and practice the described invention. It is to be further understood that the embodiments described are for purposes of example only, and that the invention is capable of being embodied in other forms and applications than described herein.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The Embodiments of Figs. 1-7
Fig. 1 illustrates a diaper, generally designated 2, which may be of any conventional disposable construction. For purposes of example, Fig. 1 illustrates the diaper as including a crotch portion 3, and two side portions 4, 5, each including an adhesive 6, 7 for applying the diaper to the baby.
In accordance with the present invention, a bag, generally designated 10, is attached to a suitable portion of the diaper to permit convenient disposal of the diaper when soiled. Thus, Fig. 1 illustrates the normal condition of bag 2, whereas Fig. 2 illustrates the opened operative position of bag 2 for use, after the diaper has been soiled, to dispose the soiled diaper.
Figs. 3-5 more particularly illustrate the construction of bag 2, whereas Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the bag in its operative position for use in receiving the soiled diaper.
As shown particularly in Fig. 3, bag 10 includes a flat bottom section 11, a flat top section 12 overlying flat bottom section 11, and a tubular main section 13 of a bellows construction normally in a contracted condition, as shown in Fig. 3, but expandable to an expanded condition, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, to define a compartment for receiving the soiled diaper. Flat bottom section 11 includes an adherent out surface, in the form of a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating 14 (Fig. 5)
normally covered by a peelable protective layer 15, which is peeled away when attaching the bag to the diaper.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3—5, one end of the tubular main section 13 is joined to the flat bottom section H 5 while the opposite end of the tubular main section, i.e. facing the flat top section 12, is free, i.e., not attached to section 12. In this embodiment, the flat top section 12 includes an opening 16, in the form of weakened lines, more particularly illustrated in Fig. 4, which are rupturable to define an opening through the fiat top section in order to provide access to the free end of the tubular main section 11. Bag 10, as illustrated in Figs. 3-5. may be manufactured and supplied separately as individual packages, and individually used by the user for disposing a soiled diaper in the following manner:
When a bag 10 is to be used for this purpose, protective strip 15 is peeled away from the flat bottom section 11, and the bag is then applied to the diaper, as shown in Fig. 1, by pressing the adhesive coating 14 against the diaper.
After the diaper has been soiled and is to be disposed of, flat top section 12 is opened via the weakened lines 16 to provide access to the free end of the tubular main section 13 of the bag. The free end of the main tubular section 13 is then pulled out of opening 16, as shown in Fig. 2, and more particularly in Figs. 6 and 7, to define a compartment of suitable size for receiving the soiled diaper.
As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the free end of the tubular main section 13 is provided with closure elements, in the form of pull cords 16 and 17, to facilitate closing the compartment after receiving the soiled diaper. The so-bagged soiled diaper may then be conveniently disposed of in any suitable manner. The Embodiment of Figs. 8 and 9
Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a bag, generally designated 20, of similar construction as bag 10 of Figs. 1—7, in that it also includes: a flat bottom section 21; a flat top section 22 overlying section 21; a tubular main section 23 of a bellows construction normally in a contracted condition but expandable to an expanded condition to define a compartment for receiving the soiled diaper; an adhesive coating 24 on the outer surface of the flat bottom section 21 for attaching the bag to a diaper; and a protective layer 25 peelable away from the flat bottom section 21 in order to permit the attachment of the bag to a diaper.
Bag 20 illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, however, has several important differences: first, the flat bottom section 21 is formed with an opening 26 for introducing the soiled diaper into the compartment defined by the expanded tubular main section 23. The end of the tubular main section is attached to the flat bottom section 21 around opening 26. In addition, the opposite end of the tubular main section 23, namely that facing the flat top section 22, is attached to the flat top section, as shown by the broken lines in Fig. 9. Further, the surface of bond section 21 facing the top section 22 is coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, as shown at 27 in Fig. 9, such that the top section 22 adheres to it in the contracted condition of the bag, as shown in Fig. 8, and retains the bag in its contracted condition. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 8, the top section 22 is slightly wider than the bottom section 21, so that the two opposite ends of the top section project past the top section, as shown at 22a in Fig. 8, to serve as finger— pieces for opening the bag.
The manner of using the bag illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 will be apparent from the above. Thus, the bag may be attached to the diaper in the same manner as described above, by peeling away protective strip 25 and pressing the bottom of the bag against the diaper until firmly attached to the diaper by the pressure-sensitive adhesive 14 coating on the outer surface of the flat bottom section 21. As indicated above, the pressure-sensitive adhesive 27 on the bottom section 21 is effective to hold the bag in its collapsed or contracted position illustrated in Fig. 8 until ready for use. As also shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the two sections 21 and 22 are sufficiently long, so as to permit them: (1) to securely hold the bag in its contracted position until ready for use; and (2) after the diaper has been introduced into the compartment defined by the tubular main section 23, to be wrapped around the bag and thereby to retain the bag in compact form with the soiled diaper therein. If desired, the previously-removed protective strip 25 may be applied to the bottom section 21 to close the opening 26.
Thus, when the bag is to be used for receiving a soiled diaper, flat top section 22 is grasped and pulled outwardly away from the flat bottom section 21. This causes the tubular main section 23 of the band to expand, as shown in Fig. 9, and thereby to define the compartment for receiving the soiled diaper. The soiled diaper may then be pushed into the compartment via opening 26 in the flat bottom section 21, the outer ends of the two flat sections 21 and 22 may then be wrapped around the bag containing the soiled diaper and thereby close opening 26 of the bag. The previously- removed protective strip 25 may then be applied to close opening 26 The bag, with
the soiled diaper therein, may then be conveniently disposed in any suitable manner at any suitable time.
While the invention has been described with respect to two preferred embodiments, it will appreciated that these are set forth merely for purposes of example, and that many other variations and applications of the invention may be made. For example, such a bag construction may be used for disposing other articles, such as hygienic products, food packaging, etc.
Thus, such a bag construction may be used for conveniently disposing other types of articles after use. Fig. 10 illustrates a feminine hygiene product 30 having a bag 32 attached thereto, and constructed in accordance with the invention for conveniently disposing such product after use. Fig. 11 illustrates a container of food products 40 having a bag 42 constructed as described above for convenient disposal after the food products have been removed; and Fig. 12 illustrates a container of dangerous substances for convenient disposal after such substances have been removed.
The bag may be constructed of any desired size or material, for the particular application. Other closures or opening constructions may be used. The bags could be applied to the article, e.g., diaper, as supplied to the consumer, or could be supplied in separate packaging, such as in individual units or in rolls including a plurality of such units, for individual application to the article at the time of use or other items of disposal.
Many other variations, modifications and application of the invention will be apparent.