GB2174361A - Carrier bags - Google Patents

Abstract

A carrier bag for carrying bottles, such as wine bottles, has bag walls (1) which are joined together at side and bottom edges (2, 3, 4) leaving an opening at the top (5). The walls (1) are also joined at an intermediate position (10) to form side-by-side compartments for the bottles. A carrying handle (9) is provided at the top of the bag towards one side so that the bag hangs at an angle when carried with bottles in the compartments. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Carrier bags This invention relates to carrier bags particularly although not exclusively for carrying bottles, such as wine bottles.

Plastics carrier bags are commonly supplied in wine shops, supermarkets and other retail outlets for use by customers to carry purchased bottles of wine. However, where two or more bottles are carried in upright disposition in a conventional plastics bag there is the problem that they tend to swing towards each other. This is inconvenient and there is the danger that the bottles may break.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new construction of carrier bag with which bottles can be carried- safely and conveniently.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a carrier bag comprising opposite walls joined together at side and bottom edges leaving an opening between top edges thereof, characterised in that the walls are also joined together at one or more intermediate positions between the respective joined side edges to define at least two side-by-side longitudinal compartments, and a handle is provided at a location adjacent the said top edges and adjacent the joined edges at one side.

With this arrangement, the bottles can be carried respectively in the different compartments and are prevented from making direct contact with each other by the interposition of the intermediate join or joins between the bag walls. Moreover, because the handle is provided asymmetrically at one side of the bag, the bag will hang at an angle to the vertical when used to carry bottles whereby the bottles will tend to swing in the same direction rather than towards each other.

There may be any suitable number of compartments although, in practice, it is visualised that only two compartments will be provided.

The compartments may be of equal width. Alternatively the compartment containing the handle may be of greater width to provide adequate space for the handle.

The bag walls may be fixed directly to each other at the side and bottom edges. Alternatively, the edges may be fixed together at one or both sides or the bottom via a gusset. At the intermediate join the bag walls may be fixed to each other directly or via a strip or web as desired. The intermediate join may extend continuously from top to bottom of the bag. Alternatively, the join may be discontinuous and/or may terminate spaced from the top and/or bottom of the bag. Spacing of the join from the top is advantageous because it facilitates opening of the bag. The bag walls may be rectangular and may be formed from a suitable flexible plastics material.

With regard to the said handle this preferably comprises a hand grip hole cut through both walls. In particular an arcuate hand grip hole may be provided and this may be disposed with its central axis at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the bag coinciding with the angle at which the bag is intended to hang in use. However, other structures may also be possible, e.g. involving asymmetrically disposed straps at one side of the top opening of the bag.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of a carrier bag according to the invention; and Figure 2 shows the bag in use.

Fig. 1 shows a plastic carrier bag having front and back rectangular walls 1 which are joined together at the sides 2, 3 and bottom 4 thereof. Edges of the walls 1 at the top 5 of the bag are not fixed together whereby an opening is defined therebetween.

The bag can be manufactured from a length of flattened plastics tubing 6, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1. A pair of closely spaced continuous heat welds 7 are formed along the centre of the tubing; continuous heat welds 8 are formed at regular intervals across the tubing; and the tubing 6 is cut longitudinally between the heat welds 7 and transversely immediately after each heat weld 8 thereby to separate individual bags from the tubing 6.

In addition, before implementing the cutting operations, the following further operations are performed.

As desired, advertising matter is printed on the tubing 6 for each bag.

An arcuate hand grip hole 9 is cut out completely through the tubing 6 for each bag.

A longitudinal weld 10 is formed between the sides 2, 3 of each bag. As can be seen, the weld 10 stops a short distance away from the top 5 of the bag. The weld 10 may extend up to or may terminate very slightly spaced from the bottom 4 of the bag. The weld 10 runs parallel to the bag sides 2, 3 and is slightly closer to the side 2 remote from the hand grip hole 9.

The finished bag has two side-by-side longitudinal compartments 11, 12 and bottles, such as wine bottles, can be inserted in these as shown in Fig. 2.

When the loaded bag is carried using the hand grip hole 9, the bag will hang at an angle to the vertical due tothe asymmetrical location of the hole 9; The bottles will then tend to swing with each other about the vertical through the hole 9. The bottles therefore do not tend to move towards each other as would be the case if the handle were located symmetrically between the bottles.

It will be noted that the handle opening is arranged so that its central axis is vertically disposed in use, this arrangement giving optimum carrying strength. Also for reasons of strength, the plastics material forming the tubing may have regions of greater thickness (variable gauge). In particular a band of thicker material may be provided adjacent the side 3 in the region of the handle.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment. Thus, for example, the weld 10 between the compartments 11, 12 need not be a continuous line but may comprise multiple spaced welds or any other suitable arrangement. If desired the side 2 of the bag formed from the folded tubing edge may be gussetted so that the pertaining bag compartment 12 can open out in use. Instead of the arcuate handle hole it is possible to use a hole which is round or elongate or any other suitable shape.

Welding of the tubing material may be effected with electrically heated "skids" or with hot air jets or otherwise as desired.

Aiso, if desired, there may be a further weld line parallel and close to the side 3 to define a strip-shaped zone along such side in which the handle hole 9 is located. In this way additional strength can be obtained.

Claims (10)

1. A carrier bag comprising opposite walls joined together at side and bottom edge leaving an opening between top edges thereof, characterised in that the walls are also joined together at one or more intermediate positions between the respective joined side edges to define at least two side-by-side longitudinal compartments, and a handle is provided at a location adjacent the said top edges and adjacent the joined edges at one side.

2. A bag according to claim 1, wherein there are only two compartments.

3. A bag according to claim 2, wherein one compartment is of greater width than the other compartment and the handle is provided in the former compartment.

4. A bag according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bag walls are fixed directly to each other at the intermediate join.

5. A bag according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bag walls are fixed to each other via a strip or web at the intermediate join.

6. A bag according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the intermediate join terminates spaced from the top of the bag.

7. A bag according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the handle comprises a hand grip hole cut through.both bag walls.

8. A bag according to claim 7, wherein the hand grip hole is arcuate and is disposed with its central axis at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the bag.

9. A bag according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the bag walls are formed from a flexible plastics material.

10. A bag according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.