GB2308349A

GB2308349A - A paper sack with a tear strip

Info

Publication number: GB2308349A
Application number: GB9525969A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Sutherland
Original assignee: BPB Ltd; BPB Industries PLC
Current assignee: BPB Ltd
Priority date: 1995-12-19
Filing date: 1995-12-19
Publication date: 1997-06-25
Also published as: GB2308349A8; GB9525969D0

Abstract

A paper sack 1 has first and second lines of reinforcement 5, 6 extending substantially parallel to each other and spaced apart with incisions 12, 13 positioned in the wall of the sack between the lines of reinforcement, or notional extensions thereof, so that the wall can be grasped and the strip 11 defined by the reinforcements may be torn from the rest of the sack. Preferably the lines of reinforcement are formed by lines of glue joining the plies of a multi-ply sack. Third and fourth lines of reinforcement 9, 10 may be provided extending sideways from the second line allowing a large panel 16 to be torn back (Figure 4).

Description

PAPER SACKS The present invention relates to paper sacks having means to provide easy access to the contents of said sacks.

Paper sacks are well known. For some time now they have been used to carry a variety of goods. They are inexpensive to manufacture and yet form sturdy reliable containers.

It is well known for paper sacks to have a multi-wall construction in which the sack wall is formed from a plurality of plies of paper lying side-by-side. Normally these plies of paper are joined together at the bottom of the sack and at the mouth of. the sack after filling. Over the main area of the walls, however, the plies are not joined together.

Once filled with goods, paper sacks have to be firmly sealed to prevent reopening during transport etc.

Customarily, the end of the sack is sewn up. This strong closure means that access to the goods is difficult when needed. Paper sacks therefore, have been developed so that access can be made through the face of the sack. In particular, as acknowledged in GB-A-2276862, paper sacks have been designed with reinforced tear strips glued onto their front panel. These reinforced strips are designed to be taken hold of and torn away when access to the goods is required. The opening which is formed has the shape and size of the reinforced strip which has been torn-out. This means that the opening which is formed will be narrow.

GB-A-2276862 itself teaches a paper sack with tear lines defined by strips of a synthetic material, the material having been applied initially as a fluid in a strip to the wall of the sack and allowed to dry.

The tear strips extend lengthwise along the sack. It is therefore best to pull them out with the sacks laid horizontally, so that the contents do not immediately fall through the torn opening.

Therefore, according to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a paper sack having first and second lines of reinforcement extending side by side and spaced apart on a wall of the sack, together with means, located between the lines of reinforcement or notional extensions thereof for grasping the sack wall and starting to tear out the strip between the lines of reinforcement.

In use, when it is desired to open the sack a tear is started by grasping the sack wall, between the two glue lines, using the means provided. Then by pulling on the wall material the strip of material between the two glue lines can be torn out. The tear can readily extend out to each of the glue lines, but will then run along them not across them, because of their greater strength. Thus the lines of reinforcement guide tearing out of the strip between the glue lines.

There are several possibilities for the feature to assist the user in grasping the wall material and initiating the tearing out of the strip between the two lines. One possibility for this would be a marking on the sack exterior accompanied by instructions to pierce through the sack wall and start tearing at that point. Preferred however is a line of weakening or cut extending through the sack wall and positioned between the lines of reinforcement or notional extension thereof. When it is desired to open the sack, the user can push their thumb through the sack wall at this cut or line of weakening and then grasp the sack wall and tear out the strip between the two lines of reinforcement. Another possibility would be a tab glued onto the sack wall so that the user could grasp this tab and in this way initiate tearing out of the strip between the lines of reinforcement.

It is strongly preferred that the sack has walls formed from a plurality of plies of paper, and that the lines of reinforcement are lines of glue joining the paper plies to each other.

In a development of the invention the sack wall also has third and fourth lines of reinforcement, which extend sideby-side and sideways from the second line, the spacing between the third and fourth lines being greater than the spacing between the first and second lines. In this form of the invention, after tearing out the strip between the first and second lines the user can use the opening so formed to grasp the sack wall and tear out the wider strip between the third and fourth lines thus forming a larger opening. Once again the third and fourth lines define edges to the strip which is torn out and facilitate tearing out this strip.

Preferably the first and second lines of reinforcement extend parallel to each other. However it is conceivable that they could diverge slightly from each other or converge slightly so long as they extend generally side-byside and are spaced apart. Similarly it is preferred that the third and fourth lines, when present, run parallel to each other and at right angles to the second line. However it is conceivable that they could intersect the second line at some angle other than 90 and that they could converge slightly towards each other or diverge from each other rather than extending truly parallel.

In a preferred arrangement the first and second lines of reinforcement extend transversely across the sack wall, i.e. roughly parallel to an end of the sack, and fairly close to one end. This allows the sack to be opened in an upright position, if so desired, with the opening near the top.

In this arrangement, the third and fourth lines preferably run longitudinally along the sack.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a paper sack according to the first aspect of the present invention; Fig.2 shows the paper sack of Fig.1 with the tear strip partly torn out; Fig. 3 shows the sack after the tear strip has been removed; Fig. 4 shows the paper sack with the panel between the third and fourth lines partly torn out.

Referring first to Figs 1, 2, and 3, there is shown a double wall paper sack 1 closed by stitching through a reinforcing strip at the top 2 and at the bottom 3. The front wall 4 of paper sack 1 has four reinforcement lines 5, 6, 9 and 10. Each reinforcement line comprises a strip of synthetic material, more particularly glue, in between the two plies (not shown) of the sack wall 4.

First and second reinforcement lines 5 and 6 define the side edges of a tear strip 11. The ends of these lines 5,6 are indicated at 7. At opposite ends of the tear strip 11 are two incisions 12 and 13 respectively. Each of these is an arcuate semi-circle cut through the sack wall to provide a thumb notch. This notch is located near the side edge of the sack, between notional extensions of the lines 5,6 beyond their ends 7. The user pushes his/her fingers through incision 12 to grasp hold of the tear strip 11 and pull it back away from the remainder of the sack wall 4 in the direction of the opposite incision 13 as indicated in Fig. 2. This leaves a first opening 15 as shown in Fig. 3.

Equally, the user could start at incision 13 and tear the tear strip 11 in the direction of incision 12.

Reinforcement lines 9, 6 and 10 define three edges of a rectangular panel 16 in the sack wall 4. To open the paper sack 1 further, the user takes hold of the two ends 7 of reinforcement line 6 and tears the panel 16 downwards towards the bottom seam 3 as shown in Fig. 4. When the paper starts to tear, the tear(s) tend to run along the lines 9,10, so that the edges 17,18 of the torn-out panel 16 correspond to the reinforcement lines 9 and 10 respectively. The paper sack can be opened as much as is required by tearing the panel 16 as far down the wall 4 of the paper sack as necessary. The torn panel 16 forms a flap which is still attached to the wall 4 of the paper sack 1 along the lower edge 19. If desired, this flap can be loosely replaced at its original position to shield the contents of the paper sack 1, in particular to shield the contents from light.

Claims

1. A paper sack having first and second lines of reinforcement extending side by side and spaced apart on a wall of the sack, together with means, located between the lines of reinforcement or notional extensions thereof for grasping the sack wall and starting to tear out the strip between the lines of reinforcement.

2. A paper sack according to claim 1, having walls formed from a plurality of plies of paper, and wherein the lines of reinforcement are lines of glue joining the paper plies to each other.

3. A paper sack according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the means for grasping the sack wall is a line of weakening through the plies of the paper, adjacent an end of the two lines.

4. A paper sack according to any one of the preceding claims, having a third and a fourth line of reinforcement each extending sideways from the second line, the third and fourth lines extending side-by-side and spaced apart with a spacing between them greater than the spacing between the first and second lines.