The invention relates to a waste bag system as recited in the introduction to claim 1.

There are known various waste bag systems which are arranged in such a manner that the bag opening is always closed when the bag is mounted in the holder therefor.

One of these systems is disclosed in Danish Patent No. 113,625 describing a holder with two spring- loaded arms on which the waste bag is suspended by means of channels provided in the edge of the bag. The arms are spring-loaded in such a manner that they are pressed against each other so that the bag is always closed, and the bag is opened by pressing a lever connected to one of the arms of the holder. This system operates satisfactorily but has several drawbacks. The bags are comparatively expensive to produce because of the requirement of at least two supporting channels by the bag opening and it is difficult to place the bags on the holder because the holder must be opened at the same time while the channels of the bag are slid over the two supporting arms at the same time. The holder which is constituted of several parts, preferably of surfaced metal parts, is furthermore difficult to clean and keep clean and it may therefore appear unhygienic.

Waste systems of the mentioned kind may find use countless places, i.a. as waste system for kitchen use; waste system for toilet and bathroom, i.a. for used hygienic and sanitary articles such as cotton wool, cleaning tissues, sanitary towels etc.; waste system for e.g. medical and dental clinics and

hospitals for used disposables etc.; for use in workshops, office premises etc.; on the whole all places where waste is to be collected in a closed waste bag for hygienic reasons to avoid obnoxious smells etc.

It is the object of the invention to provide a new waste bag system of the kind where the bag opening is always closed but manufactured in such a manner that a very high degree of hygiene can be achieved and simultaneously in such a manner that the bags are easy to use and replace.

This is achieved by designing the waste bag system according to the invention as disclosed in . the characterising part of claim 1. There is obtained a holder without complicated, mechanical parts and it may therefore be designed so that it is easy to clean and the bags may be designed in such a manner that they are very cheap to produce which will permit very frequent replacement of the bags.

The holder and the spring means may be designed fully plane, but to ensure that the bag opening is always completely closed even if the edge of the plastic bag stretches somewhat in use, the system according to the invention is preferably designed as disclosed in the characterising part of claim 2. This will permit the spring means to yield fully back to its starting position so that the opening is always completely closed.

The securing means for securing the bag spring to the holder and thus for securing the bag to the holder may be designed as disclosed in the characterising part of claim 3. This will permit quick replacement of the bag and due to its design there will be no doubt as to how to place a new bag.

Preferably, the waste bag system according to the invention is designed as disclosed in the characterising part of claim 4. By this design the spring is arranged in the bag and is replaced every time a bag is replaced. This ensures that the system is always operating as desired since there is always a new spring to keep the bag closed. It is furthermore advantageous that the bag remains closed when lifted off the holder thereby avoiding obnoxious smells, the contents of the bag falling out when being carried away etc. The spring may be secured externally along one edge of the bag or internally depending on how the bag is produced. If the spring is arranged internally of the bag edge, it is not necessary to secure same so carefully as is the case if the spring is secured externally of the bag since in the latter case it is necessary that the outer ends of the spring are carefully secured to the bag.

The waste bag system may also be designed as disclosed in the characterising part of claim 5 where the spring is permanently secured to the holder so that the bag by replacement thereof is secured thereto for example by adhesion. At one of the outer edges of the opening the bag may be provided with an adhesive tape, an adhesive layer or the like provided with a covering strip that is removed before adhering the bag to the spring.

Preferably, the spring in the waste bag system according to the invention is designed as disclosed in the characterising part of claim 6. This embodiment is very advantageous both where the spring is arranged on the bag and where it is arranged on the holder. This will entirely ensure that the bag is always closed when arranged on the holder and even if the bag edge is somewhat stretched by a violent

opening of the bag.

A quite concrete embodiment of the waste bag system* may be designed as disclosed in the characterising part of claim 7. The backwardly bent spring fits tightly to the double-inclined or curved holder and the bag will not hang out from the wall to which the holder is secured but will hang neatly towards . the wall. This embodiment moreover provides the possibility of designing the holder with an additional area immediately above the bag opening which may be used for for example instructions or advertisements.

The invention also relates to a plastic bag for use as a waste bag, for example in a waste bag system as described above. The bag comprises two plane pieces of plastic which are joined along the edge apart from an area constituting the bag opening. By one edge of the bag opening there is secured a spring means, preferably designed as a sheet material of plastic. Such a bag may not only be used for a waste bag system as described above but may also be used independently as a waste bag provided with a self- closing opening. In case, at a central area by the spring, the bag is externally provided with an adhesive layer, perhaps covered by cover paper or the like, such a bag may be suspended and function without holders, for example by adhering same directly to a tiled wall, a cupboard door or the like. The bag is of course particularly suitable for a waste bag system of the kind described above in that the bag is secured to a holder as described above.

The bag according to the invention is preferably designed as disclosed in the characterising part of claim 9 thereby ensuring that it will always be

closed both when arranged on a holder as described above and when removed therefrom.

For simplifying arrangement of the bag according to the invention on a holder according to the invention it is preferably designed as disclosed in the characterising part of claim 10. This will simultaneously simplify the use of the bag due to the flap at the bag edge and a higher degree of hygiene is achieved since the opening means, i.e. the flap is replaced whenever a bag is replaced.

The invention will be further described in the following with reference to the drawing showing various embodiments wherein

Fig. 1 is the waste bag system according to the invention according to a first embodiment,

Fig. 2 is the same bag system as in Fig. 1 but in a top view,

Fig. 3 is a plane section III-III in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 2 but with an open bag,

Fig. 5 is the waste bag system according to another embodiment,

Fig. 6 is a plastic bag, for example for use in connection with the waste bag system shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 is a top view of the bag in Fig. 6.

Figs. 1-3 of the drawing show a waste bag system mounted on a tiled wall and comprising a holder 2 and

a waste bag 1, and Fig. 4 shows the same .bag but being open.

The holder 2 may be secured to ; the wall in a generally known manner, i.e. by screwing, glueing etc. The holder 2 consists of an elongate, substantially rectangular block, for example made of polyethylene, polypropylene or another suitable type- of plastic and with a curved or two-sided, inclined face 3,4 such that the block is thickest at the centre, see Figs. 1 and 2. The holder may. be divided into two areas, an area 3 where a waste bag is. secured and an area 4 above whereto user information or advertisements may be applied. In the forwardly facing centre area of the holder there are provided a number of securing means which may for example be. pins 5 each having a head with a greater diametre or, greater sectional area than the pin itself. The bag 1 may also be secured by adhesion or in some other: known manner. Where pins 5 are used, the waste bag 1 provided with corresponding holes is mounted ^■ byr: pressing the holes of the bag over the securing, means: 5 and remain there. The opening of the bag is at its rear edge secured to a spring 7 for example by glueing or thermowelding. The spring 7 and the bag 1 are preferably produced of polyethylene, polypropylene or of another suitable type of plastic but such that the bag is a common soft plastic bag whereas the spring 7 is hard and rigid and perhaps designed with a form corresponding to the front 3 of the holder 2. As will appear from Fig. 3, the spring 7 is secured externally of the bag 1 but nothing prevents the spring from being arranged internally of the bag and secured to one of the edges of the bag.

The side of the bag edge which is not secured to the spring 7 is preferably designed with an opening flap 8.

Fig. 4 shows the waste bag system in use. When desiring to put waste in the bag 1, one pulls the flap 8 or the edge of the bag when there is no flap until the bag has the required opening. This will deform the bag spring 7 and will close the bag as soon as the flap 8 is released. It is necessary that the spring 7 has an extent substantially corresponding to the entire width of the opening when the bag is closed so that the recoiling of the spring 7 will completely close the bag as will appear from Figs. 1-3.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of the invention in that the spring 7' is permanently secured to the holder 2 by means of the securing means 5 which may be designed as the previously shown securing means but which may also be screws, rivets, glue or the like. The spring 9 may in that case be a metal or steel spring. The bag 1 is secured to the spring 7' by glueing for example by providing the rear of the bag along the edge of the opening with an adhesive layer which may for example be covered by a covering strip until the bag is to be used.

Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawing show a bag according to the invention which is particularly adapted for use in connection with the holder shown in Figs. 1-4. In the spring 8 and the rear wall of the bag 1 there are provided a suitable number of holes 6 corresponding to the number of securing means 5 on the holder 2.

The waste bag 1 and the spring 7 and perhaps the holder 2 are preferably designed of polyethylene or polypropylene as described above, but may of course also be designed of other types of plastic. Preferably, however, at least the bag with the spring is made of a plastic material which is converted into

harmless substances when incinerated.

It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the holder as well as the bag according to the invention may be designed in countless other ways than the ones shown without departing from the basic invention particularly with a view to use of a closing spring of an extent corresponding to at least one edge of the bag, i.e. normally to half the circumference of the opening edge.