A BAG FOR CONTAINING A PRODUCT.

Technical Field

This invention relates to a bag for containing a product.

In particular, the bag is designed to contain a food product, including a pet food, that is preferably in the form of a granular product or a product in pieces.

Background Art

There are prior art bags for containing a food product, for feeding pets, in the form of a granular product or a product in pieces, which have a bag body, made of layered plastic film, and which comprise bag opposite main walls and a first and a second lateral pleat, which are formed by opposed panels designed to extend between the bag opposite main walls and to face a respective main wall of the bag.

Moreover, in the prior art bags, a product outlet mouth and means for opening and closing the product outlet mouth can be formed, where the product outlet mouth is provided at the side at the respective pleat.

In such prior art bags, the opening and closing means are in the form of a single zip, extending on both pleat panels and if necessary on the facing front and rear walls of the bag, making it difficult to close the bag, with the pleat in the condition recessed between the main walls of the bag.

In fact, such a single interlocking zip extending on both pleat panels to which it is sealed, stiffens the assembly, consequently tending to hold open the pleat and to make it difficult or even impossible to keep the bag in a closed condition.

To overcome that disadvantage, in some prior art bags, the bag is closed with the pleat extending flat on the outside of the front and rear walls of the bag, held in that projecting position by the zip in the mutually interlocking condition. However, that configuration is too wide and may interfere with bag positioning in storage areas in the user's home.

Disclosure of the Invention

This invention therefore proposes a new solution as an alternative to the solutions known up to now and, more specifically, proposes to overcome one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages and/or problems and/or to meet one or more of the needs mentioned in, or inferable from, the above.

Therefore, a bag is provided for containing a product, in particular a food product, preferably in the form of a granular product or a product in pieces; the bag having a bag body made preferably of a flexible material such as layered plastic film and comprising opposite bag main walls and at least one pleat, in particular a first and a second lateral pleat; each pleat being formed by opposed panels extending between the opposite main walls of the bag and facing a respective main wall of the bag; the bag body comprising a product outlet mouth, in particular opening at a respective bag pleat and being provided with means for opening and closing the product outlet mouth, the bag being characterized in that the opening and closing means have a first pair of opposed mutually interlocking portions which can engage and disengage each other in order to respectively hold close together and release a respective pleat panel and the opposed main wall, and a separate second pair of opposed mutually interlocking portions which can engage and disengage each other in order to respectively hold close together and release the other pleat panel and the opposed main wall of the bag.

In this way, the opening and closing means do not extend on the pleat folding edge, thus avoiding the stiffening effect seen in prior art bags. That avoids any impediment and difficulty when closing the bag.

Brief Description of the Drawings

These and other innovative aspects of the invention are set out in the appended claims and the technical features and advantages of the invention are also apparent from the detailed description which follows of non-limiting example embodiments of it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the bag according to this invention, in a bag closed condition;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the bag in a bag open condition for unloading the material, or product, contained in the bag;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the bag, in a bag closed again condition after first opening for unloading the material or product;

Figure 4 is a cross-section of the first embodiment of the bag, according to the plane defined by the line IV-IV of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the upper part of the first preferred embodiment of the bag in a bag empty and open for filling condition;

Figure 6 is a cross-section, similar to that of Figure 4, and relating to a second preferred embodiment of the bag;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the upper part of the second preferred embodiment of the bag in a bag empty and open condition.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings show a first embodiment 10 of a bag, made of flexible film, in particular in the form of multi-layer plastic film, the bag 10 being designed to contain a corresponding product, in particular a food product, for example pet food or other food.

The preferred embodiment of the bag is preferably designed to contain a food product in the form of a granular product or a product in pieces, or even another product and material in any state, in particular powdered or even liquid.

It should be noticed that, in the context of this description, the term bag may also be considered suitable for indicating containers having larger dimensions, such as sacks, or the like.

The bag is preferably obtained by suitably folding and joining a flat film, in particular a flexible film, made of layered plastic material.

In particular, for making a bag according to the preferred embodiments, the invention uses a plastic material film, or layered plastic film, where said film has a sealable face, in particular heat-sealable, and an opposite face which is not sealable and which is printed with appropriate writing, colours and images on predetermined areas of it, corresponding to predetermined parts of the front, rear and side faces of the finished bag.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the bag has a bag 10 body, preferably made of flexible material, such as flexible plastic layered film, comprising bag opposite main walls, in particular in the form of a front wall 12 and a rear wall 14, and at least one respective pleat, in particular, as shown, a first and a second lateral pleat 16, 18.

As may be inferred from Figure 1, the longitudinal and transversal axes of extension of the bag are labelled L and T.

Each pleat 16, 18 is respectively formed by opposed panels 16a, 16b, 18a, 18b, which are folded to form a "V" shaped cross-section and extend from a shared edge 16c, 18c or folding and connecting edge between the panels.

In practice, the pleats 16, 18 have the respective panels 16a, 16b, 18a, 18b showing, in cross-section, a "V" shape, the panels extending inwards from the lateral end edge of the respective front wall 12 and rear wall 14, being positioned between the front and rear walls 12, 14, to which they are connected at the respective lateral edges 12a, 12b, 14a, 14b, where there are respective longitudinal connecting strips 126, 128, 146, 148, or sealing strips, between the facing inner surfaces of the front and rear walls 12, 14 and the respective panels 16a, 16b, 18a, 18b of the pleats 16, 18.

Moreover, the bag 10 comprises a bottom closure 20, obtain by joining, or sealing, the inner face of facing transversal portions of the front wall 12 and the rear wall 14 and the respective panels 16a, 16b, 18a, 18b of the pleats 16, 18. In a similar way, this bag, once filled, has an upper closure 22, also in the form of a respective transversal join, or seal, provided between the corresponding facing inner faces of the front and rear walls 12, 14 and the respective panels 16a, 16b, 18a, 18b of the pleats 16, 18.

As shown, the bottom closure 20 and the top closure 22 are in the form of a respective seal, or join, which extends transversally to the bag, along the entire width of the bag.

As may be inferred from the accompanying drawings, the bag panels 18a, 18b are, in the bag closed condition, at least partly, that is to say, at least on the upper part of the bag, which is not occupied by the product, housed or inserted between the bag main walls 12, 14 and facing a respective main wall 12, 14. In contrast, in the bag open condition for product outfeed, they are designed to project laterally beyond the lateral edge of the respective bag main wall, that is to say, they are designed to project outside the outline of the bag opposite main walls 12, 14, as shown in Figure 2.

In the bag closed condition, the inner face of the respective panel 18a, 18b of the pleat is facing a respective inner face or surface of a lateral portion of the respective bag main wall 12, 14.

As shown, in particular in Figure 2, in the bag body a product outlet mouth 31 can be made, using suitable tear means 30, which are illustrated in more detail in the description below.

The bag also comprises means 40 for opening and closing the product outlet mouth 31.

Advantageously, the opening and closing means 40 have a first pair of opposed mutually interlocking portions 41, 42 which can engage and disengage each other in order to respectively hold close together and release a respective pleat panel 18a and the opposed main wall 12, and a separate second pair of opposed mutually interlocking portions 43, 44 which can engage and disengage each other in order to respectively hold close together and release the other pleat panel 18b and the opposed main wall 14 of the bag. As shown, the first and second pairs of opening and closing portions 41, 42, and 43, 44 are provided at the tear means 30 forming the product outlet mouth 31, in particular slightly below the tear means.

Moreover, the first and second pairs of opening and closing portions 41, 42 and 43, 44 are at the same longitudinal level, that is to say, they correspond with one another according to a direction perpendicular to the bag main walls.

Advantageously, each pair of opening and closing portions 41, 42 and 43, 44 is made as a single part. In practice, the first and second portions 41, 42 and 43, 44 of the respective pair of portions are integral with each other or together form a single body.

In this way, the method for making this bag is facilitated.

Moreover, as is evident, in particular in Figure 4, the respective interlocking portion 41, 44 of the opening and closing means extends on the respective bag main wall 12, 14, with which it is associated, for a stretch less than or equal to the corresponding width of the facing panel 18a, 18b of the bag.

In turn, the respective interlocking portion 42, 43 of the opening and closing means extends on the respective pleat panel 18a, 18b for a stretch less than the corresponding width of the same panel 18a, 18b of the bag, as may be clearly inferred from Figure 4.

As shown, the respective interlocking portion 41, 42, 43, 44 extends transversally or horizontally relative to the bag.

Moreover, as indicated, advantageously the respective pair of interlocking portions 41, 42 or 43, 44 is made as a single part.

As illustrated, the portions of the respective pair of interlocking portions 41, 42 or 43, 44 are connected to each other at a respective end 41b, 42b or 43b, 44b at the respective edge, in particular at the corresponding lateral edge 128, 148 of the bag.

Moreover, as illustrated, the portions of the respective pair of interlocking portions 41, 42 or 43, 44 are pressed between opposed end longitudinal strips 128, 148, in particular joining or sealing together the corresponding main wall 12, 14 and the respective panel 18a, 18b of the pleat 18.

As shown, the opposite interlocking portions 41, 42 or 43, 44 of the respective pair of closing means are the same or substantially the same in length, in the direction transversal to the bag.

Opposite the end at the lateral edge 128, 148 of the bag, one end 42a, 43a of the respective interlocking portion, in particular the interlocking portion 42, 43 that is associated with the respective panel 18a, 18b, is transversally distanced from the longitudinal folding and connecting edge 18c between the panels 18a, 18b of the respective pleat 18, towards the inside of the pleat, or towards the corresponding edge, in particular the lateral edge of the bag.

As illustrated, the interlocking portions 41, 44 associated with the respective bag main wall 12, 14 comprise a respective end 41a, 44a, which is transversally distanced, towards the inside of the pleat, from the folding edge 18c of the respective pleat panel and which is at the end 42a, 43a of the corresponding interlocking portion located on the facing pleat panel 18a, 18b.

In practice, as shown, the opening and closing means 40 are close to the bag upper end edge. Interposed between them and the bag transversal upper closing top or edge 22, are the tear means 30 forming the bag product outlet mouth 31.

The interlocking portions 41, 42 or 43, 44 at the respective lateral end 41b, 42b, 43b, 44b, which is opposite to the respective inner end 41a, 42a, 43a, 44a, are permanently associated with each other, being crushed and if necessary sealed between the opposed strips 128, 148 forming the lateral edges of the bag.

In practice, bag opening and closing means 40 are provided, which remain confined within the respective pleat 18 panels and which extend transversally to the bag, in particular being parallel with the top 22 or upper edge of the bag.

In practice, the opening and closing means 40 are in the form of a corresponding hinge, or zip, having opposed portions 41, 42 and 43, 44 with profiles shaped to match each other, comprising projections between which spaces or cavities are formed, for suitably inserting the projections of the opposed mutually interlocking portion. Said projections are supported by corresponding flanges, or bands, extending longitudinally, that is to say towards the top 22 and the bottom 20 beyond the respective interlocking projections supported by them and which are joined, or sealed, to the inner face of the corresponding front and rear walls 12, 14 and of the pleat panels 18a, 18b.

Moreover, there are also advantageous bag tear means 30, which are suitable for forming a bag product outlet mouth 31.

The tear means 30 are suitable for forming a bag product outlet mouth 31 which only opens at a lateral zone of the bag and which, in the open condition, has a general circular shape, as shown in Figure 2.

Moreover, as illustrated, the tear means 30 are provided at the longitudinal end portion of the bag, for tearing the front and rear walls 12, 14 of the bag and the corresponding portions of the panels 18a and 18b of the pleat.

The tearing allows removal of a lateral upper portion 10' of the bag, including a lateral portion 22' of the upper closure 22.

For that purpose, the tear means 30 extend transversally only for part of the transversal extension of the bag.

According to another advantageous aspect, the tear means 30 may also extend transversally, that is to say towards the central or intermediate part of the respective pleat, beyond the inner edge 18c of the respective pleat 18, that is to say, further than the width of the corresponding pleat 18.

In other words, the tear means 30 comprise an inner end 30b, 30b which extends beyond the fold line, or inner edge, 18c connecting the panels 18a, 18b of the respective pleat.

Moreover, as illustrated, the tear means 30 extend transversally until they reach a central zone of the bag, in particular a zone extending between the pleats 16, 18.

In this way, it is possible to obtain a bag lateral mouth 31 that is particularly large.

As shown, the tear means 30 comprise, on the respective wall 12, 14 and on the respective panels 18a, 18b of the pleat 18, a corresponding tear portion 30a, 30a, 30'a, 30'a, which extends transversally to the longitudinal direction of the bag.

In particular, the respective transversal tear portion 30a, 30a, 30'a, 30'a extends from the respective lateral edge, or strip joining the front and rear walls 12, 14 and the panels 18a, 18b of the pleat 18, extending, transversally, beyond the inner longitudinal edge 18c of the respective pleat 18.

At the point of extension of the transversal tear portions 30a, 30a, 30'a, 30'a at the lateral edge, there may be tear guide means, preferably in the form of a corresponding notch made in the respective lateral strip 128, 148.

Moreover, the tear means 30 comprise, on the respective front and rear wall 12, 14, a corresponding tear portion 30b, 30b, which extends longitudinally to the bag.

In particular, the respective tear portion 30b, 30b, on the respective wall 12, 14 extends from the upper transversal edge of the corresponding front and rear wall 12, 14 of the bag, where the respective transversal join or seal 22 is located.

Moreover, the longitudinal tear portions 30b, 30b are connected by a curved joining portion 30ab to the respective transversal tear portion 30a on the front and rear wall 12, 14.

As shown in Figure 1, with the bag filled and closed again, the longitudinal tear portions 30b, 30b extend on the corresponding upper closure transversal seal 22, while the corresponding transversal portions 30a, 30a, 30'a, 30'a extend on the respective longitudinal lateral seal 128, 148.

The tear lines 30a, 30b are, in particular, formed by corresponding means weakening the respective layer of bag material, and in particular they are in the form of thinned lines of the respective film.

The tear lines are, in particular, formed by scoring obtained by laser radiation.

Figures 6 and 7 show a second preferred embodiment 100 of the bag, in which the components that are similar to those of the previous embodiment are labelled with the same character references and, to avoid making this description too complex, are not described again in detail.

In this second preferred embodiment of the bag, the respective interlocking portion 41 ', 44' of the opening and closing means extends on the respective bag main wall 12, 14, with which it is associated, for a stretch greater than the corresponding width of the facing panel 18a, 18b of the pleat.

In particular, the respective interlocking portion 41 ', 44' of the opening and closing means extends from the respective lateral edge 128, 148 of the bag and beyond the folding edge 18c of the respective pleat, extending for a stretch suitable to guarantee mutual interlocking between the portions 41 ', 44' of the closing means provided on facing faces of the front and rear walls 12, 14 of the bag.

As illustrated, the interlocking portions 4 , 44' associated with the respective bag main wall 12, 14 comprise a respective end 41'a, 44'a, which is transversally distanced from the folding edge 18c towards the inside of the bag.

In the bags illustrated herein the inner ends 42a, 43a of the portions of the closing means which are on the panels 18a, 18b of the bag pleat are therefore separate and distanced from each other.

The invention described is susceptible of industrial application. It would be obvious to one skilled in the art that several changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, described in depth above.

In particular, one skilled in the art could easily imagine further embodiments of the invention comprising one or more of the features described herein. It will also be understood that all the details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.