Pack of unfolded plastic bags

Abstract

In an embodiment of the invention, a bottom seal of a plastic bag is strengthened by welding together 8 layers of plastic film. In one respect, an embodiment of the invention provides a bag pack that includes multiple T-shirt style plastic bags. The bag pack may be manufactured by folding a 4-layered structure into an 8-layered structure, welding a bottom edge, and then unfolding the 8-layered structure before stacking 4-layered bags into a bag pack.

1 . A bag pack including a plurality of plastic T-shirt style bags, each of the plurality of plastic T-shirt style bags comprising:
 a body at least partially open on a top end, the body having substantially four layers, the four layers being a front layer, a rear layer, and two gusset layers, each of the two gusset layers being disposed between the front layer and the rear layer;   a first handle and a second handle coupled to a top end of the body, a mouth being defined on the top end between the first handle and the second handle; and   a first internal rib and a second internal rib coupled to the four layers.   
     
     
         2 . The bag pack of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second internal ribs are substantially triangular in shape, the first internal rib intersecting the second internal rib, a plane of the first internal rib being substantially orthogonal to a plane of the second internal rib when each of the plurality of T-shirt style bags is removed from the bag pack and opened. 
     
     
         3 . The bag pack of  claim 1 , further comprising a center tab disposed on the mouth of each of the plurality of plastic T-shirt style bags. 
     
     
         4 . The bag pack of  claim 3 , further comprising a hanging aperture disposed in the center tab, the hanging aperture configured to receive a first hanging portion of a dispensing rack. 
     
     
         5 . The bag pack of  claim 2 , wherein the center tab includes a frangible portion, the frangible portion configured to tear when a bag is dispensed from a dispensing rack such that the center tab is retained with the plastic T-shirt style bag rather than the dispensing rack. 
     
     
         6 . The bag pack of  claim 1 , further comprising a first slit in the first handle and a second slit in the second handle, the first slit and the second slit configured to receive a first and second handing portion of a dispensing rack, respectively. 
     
     
         7 . The bag pack of  claim 1 , wherein a weld at a bottom of the body includes 8 layers of plastic film. 
     
     
         8 . A bag pack, the bag pack formed by a process comprising:
 forming a plurality of gusseted side walls in a polyethylene tube to produce a gusseted portion, each of the plurality of gusseted side walls substantially meeting in a center of the polyethylene tube, the gusseted portion being a 4-layered structure;   folding the gusseted portion along a longitudinal axis to produce a folded portion, the folded portion being an 8-layered structure;   welding a bottom edge of the folded portion to produce a bottom weld;   cutting the folded portion to separate a folded bag from the folded portion, the folded bag including the bottom weld, the folded bag having 8 layers;   welding at least a portion of a top edge of the folded bag;   at least partially unfolding the folded bag to produce an unfolded bag; and   stacking the unfolded bag onto another unfolded bag to produce a pack of uncut bags.   
     
     
         9 . The bag pack of  claim 8 , wherein welding the bottom edge is a contact welding process. 
     
     
         10 . The bag pack of  claim 8 , wherein cutting and welding at least the portion of the top edge are performed simultaneously. 
     
     
         11 . The bag pack of  claim 8 , wherein welding at least the portion of the top edge of the folded bag includes preventing a weld between two middle layers of the 8 layers. 
     
     
         12 . The bag pack of  claim 11 , wherein preventing the weld between the two middle layers of the  8  layers includes inserting a separator between the two middle layers. 
     
     
         13 . The bag pack of  claim 11 , wherein the separator is a metallic component having an anti-stick coating. 
     
     
         14 . The bag pack of  claim 13 , wherein the separator is Teflon-coated steel. 
     
     
         15 . The bag pack of  claim 11 , further comprising, before the folding, applying a non-stick ink to a predefined portion of a top surface of the gusseted portion. 
     
     
         16 . The bag pack of  claim 15 , wherein the non-stick ink includes a mold release agent. 
     
     
         17 . The bag pack of  claim 8 , wherein at least partially unfolding the folded bag includes flattening the unfolded bag. 
     
     
         18 . The bag pack of  claim 8 , further comprising forming at least one alignment hole prior to the stacking. 
     
     
         19 . The bag pack of  claim 18 , wherein forming the at least one alignment hole includes punching the at least one alignment hole in the folded bag. 
     
     
         20 . The bag pack of  claim 18 , wherein forming the at least one alignment hole includes punching the at least one alignment hole in the unfolded bag.