Side seamed plastic produce bag, method of making and dispenser for same

Abstract

A side seamed plastic bag includes a front wall and a taller back wall, first and second side edges sealed together and a seamless bag bottom. The taller back wall provides means for finding the bag opening. The bag is joined at the side edges to additional bags by a perforation. The bag is corona treated on at least one of the front and back walls and advertising or promotional material is printed on the corona treated surface. The invention includes means for manufacturing the bags and winding them onto cores or forming the bags into coreless rolls. Dispensers are provided for both the cored and coreless rolls. The dispensers include a vertical container with an open top that is mounted on a planar base. The container includes a vertical slit for dispensing the bags. The dispenser for cored rolls includes a vertical rod on which the core revolves.

1 . A side-seamed plastic bag, comprising: 
 a front wall, said front wall having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge, a second side edge and a first predetermined height; 
 a back wall, said back wall having an upper edge, a lower edge, a first side edge, a second side edge and a second predetermined height greater than said first predetermined height;  
 said front wall and said back wall being formed from a single piece of plastic film such that said bottom edge of said front wall is joined seamlessly with said lower edge of said back wall;  
 said first side edge of said front wall being attached to said first side edge of said back wall at a first side seam;  
 said second side edge of said front wall being attached to said second side edge of said back wall at a second side seam;  
 a perforation, said perforation being spaced from said second side seam, extending from said upper edge of said back wall to said lower edge and joining said bag to a subsequent bag.  
   
     
     
         2 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 1 , wherein said bag is made by extruding a continuous tube of plastic film; 
 flattening said tube, said tube having an upper surface, a lower surface, first and second side edges;    slitting said upper surface to remove a strip of plastic material to form a slit, said slit having a first side and a second side, said first and second sides being parallel to said first and second side edges of said tube;    removing said strip;    forming a perforation perpendicular to said first and second side edges across an entire width of said tube;    sealing said tube at a first side seam spaced from and parallel to said perforation;    sealing said tube at a second side seam, said second side seam being spaced from and parallel to said first side seam;    cutting said lower surface at a point below and between said first and second sides of said slit in said upper surface to form two facing bag streams.    
     
     
         3 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 1 , wherein at least one surface of the bag has been corona treated.  
     
     
         4 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 1 , wherein at least one surface of the bag has informational material printed on the bag.  
     
     
         5 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the side seamed bags are wound about a cylindrical core.  
     
     
         6 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 1  wherein the side-seamed plastic bag is on a coreless roll.  
     
     
         7 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 2  wherein the side-seamed plastic bag is on a coreless roll.  
     
     
         8 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 6  wherein the coreless roll comprises: 
 a first planar base; a first open topped semi-cylindrical container, said first open top cylindrical container having a top end, a bottom end and a vertical slit, said vertical slit extending from said top end to said bottom end; said first container being attached at said bottom end to said first planar base; and whereby, when a coreless bag roll is inserted into said first container from said top end and a leading bag is extended through said vertical slit, bags are continuously dispensable from said first container with said vertical slit serving as a means for parting perforations between bags.    
     
     
         9 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 7  wherein the coreless roll comprises: 
 a first planar base, a first open topped semi-cylindrical container, said first open top cylindrical container having a top end, a bottom end and a vertical slit, said vertical slit extending from said top end to said bottom end; said first container being attached at said bottom end to said first planar base; and whereby, when a coreless bag roll is inserted into said first container from said top end and a leading bag is extended through said vertical slit, bags are continuously dispensable from said first container with said vertical slit serving as a means for parting perforations between bags.    
     
     
         10 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 1 , wherein said a plurality of said plastic bags are associated with a dispenser for the bags and wherein said plurality of side seamed plastic bags are rolled on cylindrical cores which comprising a second planar base, a first vertical rod, said first vertical rod having an upper end, a lower end and being sized and shaped to fit slidably within said cores; said first vertical rod being affixed at its lower end to said second planar base; a second open topped semi-cylindrical container, said second container having a top end, a bottom end and a vertical slit, said vertical slit extending from said top end to said bottom end; said second container being attached at said bottom end to said second planar base and disposed centrally about said first vertical rod; and whereby, when a bag roll on a cylindrical core is inserted into said second container from said top end with said cylindrical core placed over said first vertical rod and a leading bag is extended through said vertical slit, bags are continuously dispensable from said second container with said vertical slit serving as a means for parting perforations between bags.  
     
     
         11 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 2 , wherein said a plurality of said plastic bags are associated with a dispenser for the bags and wherein said plurality of side seamed plastic bags are rolled on cylindrical cores which comprising a second planar base, a first vertical rod, said first vertical rod having an upper end, a lower end and being sized and shaped to fit slidably within said cores; said first vertical rod being affixed at its lower end to said second planar base; a second open topped semi-cylindrical container, said second container having a top end, a bottom end and a vertical slit, said vertical slit extending from said top end to said bottom end; said second container being attached at said bottom end to said second planar base and disposed centrally about said first vertical rod; and whereby, when a bag roll on a cylindrical core is inserted into said second container from said top end with said cylindrical core placed over said first vertical rod and a leading bag is extended through said vertical slit, bags are continuously dispensable from said second container with said vertical slit serving as a means for parting perforations between bags.  
     
     
         12 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 1 , comprising a dispenser for side-seamed plastic bags rolled on cylindrical cores, comprising: a third planar base; a second vertical rod, said second vertical rod having an upper end, a lower end and being sized and shaped to fit slidably within said cores; said second vertical rod being affixed at its lower end to said third planar base; and whereby, when a bag roll on a cylindrical core is placed over said second vertical rod, bags are continuously dispensable from said dispenser with said third planar base providing friction for parting perforations between bags.  
     
     
         13 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 2 , comprising a dispenser for side-seamed plastic bags rolled on cylindrical cores, comprising: a third planar base; a second vertical rod, said second vertical rod having an upper end, a lower end and being sized and shaped to fit slidably within said cores; said second vertical rod being affixed at its lower end to said third planar base; and whereby, when a bag roll on a cylindrical core is placed over said second vertical rod, bags are continuously dispensable from said dispenser with said third planar base providing friction for parting perforations between bags.  
     
     
         14 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 1  comprising a dispenser for side-seamed plastic bags rolled on cylindrical cores, including a first horizontal rod, said horizontal rod being sized and shaped to fit slidably within said cylindrical core; a first dispenser frame, said first dispenser frame comprising means for removably maintaining said first horizontal rod at a first pre-determined distance from said first dispenser frame, said first pre-determined distance being greater than one half of a diameter a roll of said plastic bags rolled on cylindrical cores; means for attaching said first dispensing frame to either of a vertical surface and a horizontal surface; and whereby, when said bag roll on a cylindrical core is suspended on said first horizontal rod, bags are continuously dispensable from said roll.  
     
     
         15 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 2  comprising a dispenser for side-seamed plastic bags rolled on cylindrical cores, including a first horizontal rod, said horizontal rod being sized and shaped to fit slidably within said cylindrical core; a first dispenser frame, said first dispenser frame comprising means for removably maintaining said first horizontal rod at a first pre-determined distance from said first dispenser frame, said first pre-determined distance being greater than one half of a diameter a roll of said plastic bags rolled on cylindrical cores; means for attaching said first dispensing frame to either of a vertical surface and a horizontal surface; and whereby, when said bag roll on a cylindrical core is suspended on said first horizontal rod, bags are continuously dispensable from said roll.  
     
     
         16 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 1  comprising a dispenser for side-seamed plastic bags rolled on cylindrical cores, comprising: a second horizontal rod, said second horizontal rod being sized and shaped to fit slidably within said cylindrical core; a second dispenser frame, said second dispenser frame comprising means for removably maintaining said second horizontal rod at a first pre-determined distance from said second dispenser frame, said first pre-determined distance being greater than one half of a diameter of said plastic bags rolled on cylindrical cores; said means for removably maintaining said second horizontal rod at a first pre-determined distance from said second dispenser frame being pivotally mounted so that said bags rolled on cylindrical cores pivot downwardly as bags are removed from said roll; means for attaching said second dispensing frame to either of a vertical surface and a horizontal surface; and whereby, when a bag roll on a cylindrical core is suspended on said second horizontal rod, bags are continuously dispensable from said roll with either of a vertical surface and a horizontal surface providing friction for parting perforations between bags.  
     
     
         17 . A side seamed plastic bag as described in  claim 2  comprising a dispenser for side-seamed plastic bags rolled on cylindrical cores, comprising: a second horizontal rod, said second horizontal rod being sized and shaped to fit slidably within said cylindrical core; a second dispenser frame, said second dispenser frame comprising means for removably maintaining said second horizontal rod at a first pre-determined distance from said second dispenser frame, said first pre-determined distance being greater than one half of a diameter of said plastic bags rolled on cylindrical cores; said means for removably maintaining said second horizontal rod at a first pre-determined distance from said second dispenser frame being pivotally mounted so that said bags rolled on cylindrical cores pivot downwardly as bags are removed from said roll; means for attaching said second dispensing frame to either of a vertical surface and a horizontal surface; and whereby, when a bag roll on a cylindrical core is suspended on said second horizontal rod, bags are continuously dispensable from said roll with either of a vertical surface and a horizontal surface providing friction for parting perforations between bags.  
     
     
         18 . A side-seamed plastic bag, comprising: 
 a front wall, said front wall having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge, a second side edge and a first predetermined height;    a back wall, said back wall having an upper edge, a lower edge, a first side edge, a second side edge and a second predetermined height greater than said first predetermined height;    said front wall and said back wall being formed from a single piece of plastic film such that said bottom edge of said front wall is joined seamlessly with said lower edge of said back wall;    said first side edge of said front wall being attached to said first side edge of said back wall at a first side seam;    said second side edge of said front wall being attached to said second side edge of said back wall at a second side seam;    a perforation, said perforation being spaced from said second side seam, extending from said upper edge of said back wall to said lower edge and joining said bag to a subsequent bag, wherein in the manufacturing process a strip of plastic is removed.