Bulk bag with perforated sections

Abstract

A novel bag for holding, transporting, and pouring a bulk product is provided. In one embodiment, the bag comprises a curved, perforated section at one corner. The section can be removed by tearing along the perforation, thus forming a spout for pouring the product from the bag. In another embodiment, the bag further comprises a second perforated section extending the majority of the way (and preferably the entire way) horizontally across the bag. In this embodiment, the bag could alternatively, or additionally, be opened by tearing along the second set of perforations and separating the resulting two sections of the bag. The bag is typically formed of plastic, and can be used for salt, animal food, and other pourable products.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A bag for holding a pourable product, said bag comprising front and back panels each comprising:
 first and second end portions presenting respective outermost edges;   first and second side portions presenting respective outermost edges, said front and back panels and said end and side portions cooperating to form a chamber for holding the pourable product, said first end portion and said first side portion cooperating to form a first corner;   a seam extending between the first and second side portion outermost edges; and   perforations at said first corner, said perforations extending in a non-linear fashion from the outermost edge of said first end portion, to the outermost edge of said first side portion, said perforations having a radius of curvature of from about 3 inches to about 4 inches when measured from a point that is about 0.25 inches to about 2 inches from said seam and about 0.1 inches to about 0.75 inches from the outermost edge of said first side portion.   
     
     
         2 . The bag of  claim 1 , said bag further comprising a handle adjacent at least one of said first and second end portions. 
     
     
         3 . The bag of  claim 2 , wherein said handle is at said first end portion. 
     
     
         4 . The bag of  claim 2 , wherein said handle is integrally formed with said bag. 
     
     
         5 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein said chamber includes therein a quantity of pourable product, said product being selected from the group consisting of salt, animal food, flour, sugar, cement, seed, fertilizer, ice, sand, rice, spices, soil, pesticides, industrial chemicals, mortar, plaster, marble dust, and stones. 
     
     
         6 . A method of dispensing a pourable product from a bag, the method comprising:
 providing a bag comprising:
 front and back panels each comprising:
 first and second end portions presenting respective outermost edges; 
 first and second side portions presenting respective outermost edges, said front and back panels and said end and side portions cooperating to form a chamber for holding the pourable product, said first end portion and said first side portion cooperating to form a first corner; 
 a seam extending between the first and second side portion outermost edges; and 
 perforations at said first corner, said perforations extending in a non-linear fashion from the outermost edge of said first end portion, to the outermost edge of said first side portion, said perforations having a radius of curvature of from about 3 inches to about 4 inches when measured from a point that is about 0.25 inches to about 2 inches from said seam and about 0.1 inches to about 0.75 inches from the outermost edge of said first side portion; and 
 
 a quantity of the pourable product in said chamber; 
   tearing said first corner at said perforations to form an opening; and   causing said pourable product to exit the bag through the opening.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said tearing comprises removing said first corner. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , said bag further comprising a handle adjacent at least one of said first and second end portions. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said handle is at said first end portion. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said handle is integrally formed with said bag. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said pourable product is selected from the group consisting of salt, animal food, flour, sugar, cement, seed, fertilizer, ice, sand, rice, spices, soil, pesticides, industrial chemicals, mortar, plaster, marble dust, and stones. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising gripping said handle while causing said product to exit said bag. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said causing comprises tilting said bag. 
     
     
         14 . A bag for holding a pourable product, said bag comprising front and back panels each comprising:
 first and second end portions presenting respective outermost edges;   first and second side portions presenting respective outermost edges, said front and back panels and said end and side portions cooperating to form a chamber for holding the pourable product, said first end portion and said first side portion cooperating to form a first corner;   perforations at said first corner, said perforations extending in a non-linear fashion from the outermost edge of said first end portion to the outermost edge of said first side portion; and   a handle adjacent at least one of said first and second end portions and integrally formed with said bag.   
     
     
         15 . The bag of  claim 14 , wherein said handle is at said first end portion. 
     
     
         16 . The bag of  claim 14 , wherein said chamber includes therein a quantity of pourable product, said product being selected from the group consisting of salt, animal food, flour, sugar, cement, seed, fertilizer, ice, sand, rice, spices, soil, pesticides, industrial chemicals, mortar, plaster, marble dust, and stones. 
     
     
         17 . A method of dispensing a pourable product from a bag, the method comprising:
 providing a bag comprising:
 front and back panels each comprising:
 first and second end portions presenting respective outermost edges; 
 first and second side portions presenting respective outermost edges, said front and back panels and said end and side portions cooperating to form a chamber for holding the pourable product, said first end portion and said first side portion cooperating to form a first corner; and 
 perforations at said first corner, said perforations extending in a non-linear fashion from the outermost edge of said first end portion to the outermost edge of said first side portion; 
 a handle adjacent at least one of said first and second end portions and integrally formed with said bag; and 
 
 a quantity of the pourable product in said chamber; 
   tearing said first corner at said perforations to form an opening; and   causing said pourable product to exit the bag through the opening.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said tearing comprises removing said first corner. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said handle is at said first end portion. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said pourable product is selected from the group consisting of salt, animal food, flour, sugar, cement, seed, fertilizer, ice, sand, rice, spices, soil, pesticides, industrial chemicals, mortar, plaster, marble dust, and stones. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising gripping said handle while causing said product to exit said bag. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said causing comprises tilting said bag. 
     
     
         23 . A bag for holding a pourable product, said bag comprising front and back panels each comprising:
 first and second end portions presenting respective outermost edges;   first and second side portions presenting respective outermost edges, said front and back panels and said end and side portions cooperating to form a chamber for holding the pourable product, there being a width “W,” defined as the shortest distance between the respective outermost edges of said first and second side portions, said first end portion and said first side portion cooperating to form a first corner;   a first set of perforations at said first corner, said first set of perforations extending in a non-linear fashion from the outermost edge of said first end portion, or from a seam or area near to said outermost edge of said first end portion, to the outermost edge of said first side portion; and   a second set of perforations extending from one of said respective outermost edges of said first and second side portions a distance of at least about 50% of “W” towards the other of said respective outermost edges of said first and second side portions.   
     
     
         24 . The bag of  claim 23 , said second set of perforations extending a distance of at least about 75% of “W.”. 
     
     
         25 . The bag of  claim 23 , said second set of perforations extending a distance of about 100% of “W.”. 
     
     
         26 . The bag of  claim 23 , said second set of perforations forming a linear pattern that is substantially parallel to at least one of said respective outermost edges of said first and second end portions. 
     
     
         27 . The bag of  claim 23 , said bag further comprising a handle adjacent at least one of said first and second end portions. 
     
     
         28 . The bag of  claim 27 , wherein said handle is at said first end portion. 
     
     
         29 . The bag of  claim 27 , wherein said handle is integrally formed with said bag. 
     
     
         30 . The bag of  claim 23 , wherein said chamber includes therein a quantity of pourable product, said product being selected from the group consisting of salt, animal food, flour, sugar, cement, seed, fertilizer, ice, sand, rice, spices, soil, pesticides, industrial chemicals, mortar, plaster, marble dust, and stones. 
     
     
         31 . The bag of  claim 23 , said front and back panels further comprising a seam extending between the first and second side portion outermost edges, and said first set of perforations having a radius of curvature of from about 3 inches to about 4 inches when measured from a point that is about 0.25 inches to about 2 inches from said seam and about 0.1 inches to about 0.75 inches from the outermost edge of said first side portion. 
     
     
         32 . A method of dispensing a pourable product from a bag, the method comprising:
 providing a bag comprising:
 front and back panels each comprising:
 first and second end portions presenting respective outermost edges; 
 first and second side portions presenting respective outermost edges, said front and back panels and said end and side portions cooperating to form a chamber for holding the pourable product, there being a width “W,” defined as the shortest distance between the respective outermost edges of said first and second side portions, said first end portion and said first side portion cooperating to form a first corner; 
 a first set of perforations at said first corner, said first set of perforations extending in a non-linear fashion from the outermost edge of said first end portion, or from a seam or area near to said outermost edge of said first end portion, to the outermost edge of said first side portion; and 
 a second set of perforations extending from one of said respective outermost edges of said first and second side portions a distance of at least about 50% of “W” towards the other of said respective outermost edges of said first and second side portions; and 
 
 a quantity of the pourable product in said chamber; 
   tearing said first corner at said first set of perforations to form a first opening, at said second set of perforations to form a second opening, or at both said first and second sets of perforations to form first and second openings; and   causing said pourable product to exit the bag through the opening, or through the first and second openings.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said tearing comprises removing said first corner. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , said second set of perforations extending a distance of at least about 75% of “W.”. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , said second set of perforations extending a distance of about 100% of “W.”. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , said second set of perforations forming a linear pattern that is substantially parallel to at least one of said respective outermost edges of said first and second end portions. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said bag comprises a first half at said first end portion and a second half at said second end portion, said first set of perforations being at said first end portion and said second set of perforations being on said second half. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32 , said bag further comprising a handle adjacent at least one of said first and second end portions. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said handle is at said first end portion. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said handle is integrally formed with said bag. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said pourable product is selected from the group consisting of salt, animal food, flour, sugar, cement, seed, fertilizer, ice, sand, rice, spices, soil, pesticides, industrial chemicals, mortar, plaster, marble dust, and stones. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising gripping said handle while causing said product to exit said bag. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said causing comprises tilting said bag. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 32 , said front and back panels further comprising a seam extending between the first and second side portion outermost edges, and said first set of perforations having a radius of curvature of from about 3 inches to about 4 inches when measured from a point that is about 0.25 inches to about 2 inches from said seam and about 0.1 inches to about 0.75 inches from the outermost edge of said first side portion.