Produce bag dispenser with bag opening device

Abstract

Described is a produce bag dispenser with a bag opening device. The bag opening device helps a customer in a retail store to open a produce bag as the produce bag is being removed from the produce bag dispenser. The bag opening device includes a sleeve and a friction plate with a frictional element. The sleeve attaches the bag opening device to the produce bag dispenser. The friction plate, with a frictional element such as rubber or other sticky or gritty material on it, is positioned below the bag separator of the produce bag dispenser. As the customer separates one bag from the roll of produce bags with the bag separator, they slide the bag along the frictional element of the friction plate, which opens the bag for the customer as the bag is separated from the roll of produce bags.

1 . A produce bag dispenser comprising:
 a frame;   a spindle rotatingly coupled to the frame, wherein the spindle is configured to hold a roll of produce bags;   a bag separator coupled to the frame, wherein the bag separator comprises:
 a separator plate of rigid material lying in a plate plane; and 
 a separator corner extending from the separator plate, wherein the separator corner lies in a separator corner plane, and wherein a separator corner angle between the separator corner plane and the plate plane is between about 60 degrees and about 120 degrees; 
   and   a bag opening device removably coupled to the bag separator, wherein the bag opening device comprises:
 a sleeve that slides over the separator plate to couple the bag opening device to the bag separator, wherein the sleeve has a first opening and a second opening, and wherein the separator corner extends through the first opening; 
 a friction plate coupled to the sleeve, wherein a plane angle between the friction plate and the separator corner is greater than about 90 degrees and less than or equal to about 180 degrees; and 
 a frictional element coupled to the friction plate. 
   
     
     
         2 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has a trapezoid shape in top view. 
     
     
         3 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein the sleeve has an isosceles trapezoid shape in the top view. 
     
     
         4 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve comprises:
 a trapezoid shaped sleeve plate having a first base side, a second base side opposing the first base side, a first leg side, and a second leg side opposing the first leg side;   a first flange coupled to the first leg side;   a second flange coupled to the second leg side; and   a sleeve channel defined by the sleeve plate and the first and the second flange, wherein the separator plate slides into the sleeve channel through the second opening.   
     
     
         5 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 4 , wherein a first flange coupling plate couples the friction plate to the first flange, and wherein a second flange coupling plate couples the friction plate to the second flange. 
     
     
         6 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 4 , wherein the first flange comprises:
 a first flange side plate coupled to the first leg side, wherein the first flange side plate is perpendicular to the sleeve plate; and   a first flange bottom plate coupled to the first flange side plate, wherein the first flange bottom plate is perpendicular to the first flange side plate, and wherein the first flange bottom plate lies in a bottom plate plane.   
     
     
         7 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 6 , wherein the sleeve plate is parallel to the bottom plate plane. 
     
     
         8 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 6 , wherein the first opening in the sleeve is between the first base side and the bottom plate plane, and wherein the second opening in the sleeve is between the second base side and the bottom plate plane. 
     
     
         9 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the plane angle is between about 120 degrees and about 170 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the friction plate and the separator corner are coplanar. 
     
     
         11 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the frictional element is coupled to a friction plate front surface. 
     
     
         12 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein a friction plate angle between the sleeve and the friction plate is between about 90 degrees and about 150 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . The produce bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the separator corner angle is about 90 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . A bag opening device for a produce bag dispenser, the bag opening device comprising:
 a sleeve comprising:
 a trapezoid shaped sleeve plate of rigid material lying in a sleeve plate plane and having a first base side, a second base side opposing the first base side, a first leg side, and a second leg side opposing the first leg side; 
 a first flange coupled to the first leg side, wherein the first flange comprises:
 a first flange side plate coupled to the first leg side, wherein the first flange side plate is perpendicular to the sleeve plate; and 
 a first flange bottom plate coupled to the first flange side plate, wherein the first flange bottom plate is perpendicular to the first flange side plate, and wherein the first flange bottom plate lies in a bottom plate plane; 
 
 a second flange coupled to the second leg side, wherein the second flange comprises:
 a second flange side plate coupled to the second leg side, wherein the second flange side plate is perpendicular to the sleeve plate; and 
 a second flange bottom plate coupled to the second flange side plate, wherein the second flange bottom plate is perpendicular to the second flange side plate, and wherein the second flange bottom plate lies in the bottom plate plane; 
 
 a sleeve channel defined by the sleeve plate and the first and the second flange; 
 a first opening into the sleeve channel between the first base side and the bottom plate plane; and 
 a second opening into the sleeve channel between the second base side and the bottom plate plane; 
   a friction plate coupled to the sleeve;   and   a frictional element coupled to the friction plate.   
     
     
         15 . The bag opening device of  claim 14 , wherein the friction plate is a flat plate of rigid material, and wherein a friction plate angle between the bottom plate plane of the sleeve and the friction plate is between about 100 degrees and about 140 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The bag opening device of  claim 14 , wherein the frictional element is coupled to a friction plate front surface, and wherein a first flange coupling plate is coupled to a friction plate rear surface and the first flange. 
     
     
         17 . The bag opening device of  claim 16 , wherein the friction plate is coupled to the second flange with a second flange coupling plate. 
     
     
         18 . The bag opening device of  claim 14 , wherein the sleeve plate is isosceles trapezoid shaped. 
     
     
         19 . The bag opening device of  claim 14 , wherein the friction plate is rectangular shaped in front view. 
     
     
         20 . The bag opening device of  claim 14 , wherein the sleeve plate plane is parallel to the bottom plate plane.