US20070036471A1

US20070036471A1 - Freestanding upright mounted storage bag with grip for inverted application

Info

Publication number: US20070036471A1
Application number: US11/203,454
Authority: US
Inventors: George Anasis; Steven Speyer; Robert Kelly
Original assignee: Quality Products Inc
Current assignee: Quality Products Inc
Priority date: 2005-08-11
Filing date: 2005-08-11
Publication date: 2007-02-15
Also published as: WO2007022049A2; WO2007022049A3

Abstract

A freestanding upright mounted storage bag with gripping flap for inverted application of a flowable substance. The storage bag may be formed of a single substrate configured to create an application face with an application opening, and also rear, dextral and sinistral faces. The substrate folds against itself, and the faces all join, thereby completing a seal at the application end of the bag. The bag also contains a base face, which interconnects with the rest of the storage bag to form a sealed container. The base face has a gripping flap, formed with a gripping opening to facilitate user grasp of the flap. The gripping flap is designed to rotate from a storage position, in which the bag sits upright upon the base face and flap, to an application position. Finally, the bag includes a spout adapted to cooperate with the application opening for dispensing of the flowable substance.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The instant invention relates to the field of flexible bags; particularly, to a free-standing bag with an application spout and a gripping area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many products today are distributed in heavy duty bags and rigid containers, especially products with a granular structure. It is well known that a variety of flexible heavy duty bags have been developed, including some formed from a single sheet of material folded into a bag shape. Many types of bags are used to store and/or dispense granular substances, and a variety of these containers are freestanding. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,540 ('540), issued to Heydarpour teaches a flexible container with a relatively planar bottom section. Other containers contain a reclosable opening, through which the contents of a flexible bag may be dispersed, like that seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,355 ('355), issued to Schneck.
What has been missing in the art has been a bag or container which is designed to be freestanding and upright during storage, while facilitating easy dispensing of the product from an inverted position. While a variety of freestanding bags are currently present in the art, they all lack distinctive improving features which make the present invention needed. For example, the preferred embodiment of this invention includes a gripping flap positioned opposite the application opening such that during storage the bag stands upright concealing the flap, while to discharge the contents of the bag it must be inverted thus revealing the convenient gripping flap. In addition to this gripping flap, the present invention also includes a resealable spout and stable base face. Finally, the gripping flap is designed to ergonomically correspond to at least one finger of the user, thus allowing the user to more easily dispense the contents of the bag in an efficient and controlled manner.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In its most general configuration, the present invention advances the state of the art with a variety of new capabilities and overcomes many of the shortcomings of prior devices in new and novel ways. In its most general sense, the present invention overcomes the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art in any of a number of generally effective configurations. The instant invention demonstrates such capabilities and overcomes many of the shortcomings of prior methods in new and novel ways.
The present invention consists of a storage bag designed for use with a flowable substance. The invention may be configured from a single substrate folded upon itself and sealed to itself, or multiple substrates. The preferred embodiment of the invention includes a base face upon which the storage bag can stand freely without external assistance. In addition, the bag contains a resealable spout located on an application face. Finally, a gripping flap extends from the base face, opposite from an application end, to facilitate the dispersal of the flowable substance.
These variations, modifications, alternatives, and alterations of the various preferred embodiments may be used alone or in combination with one another as will become more readily apparent to those with skill in the art with reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying figures and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Without limiting the scope of the present invention as claimed below and referring now to the drawings and figures:
FIG. 1 is an elevated perspective view of the application face and dextral face of the freestanding upright mounted storage bag with grip, showing the gripping flap in the storage position;
FIG. 2 is an elevated perspective view of the rear face and dextral face of the freestanding upright mounted storage bag with grip, showing the gripping flap in the storage position;
FIG. 3 is an elevated perspective view of the application face and dextral face of the freestanding upright mounted storage bag with grip, showing the gripping flap in the application position;
FIG. 4 is an elevated perspective view of the application face and the sinistral face of the freestanding upright mounted storage bag with the gripping flap in the application position, and the mounting end oriented over the application end;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the substrate of the freestanding upright mounted storage bag; and
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the substrate of the freestanding upright mounted storage bag showing the presence of the application side flap and the rear side flap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The freestanding upright mounted storage bag with grip (100) of the instant invention enables a significant advance in the state of the art. The preferred embodiments of the device accomplish this by new and novel arrangements of elements and methods that are configured in unique and novel ways and which demonstrate previously unavailable but preferred and desirable capabilities. The detailed description set forth below in connection with the drawings is intended merely as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the designs, functions, means, and methods of implementing the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and features may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
The present invention is a freestanding upright mounted storage bag with grip (100), as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The storage bag (100) may be inverted to facilitate application of a flowable substance contained within the bag (100) which has an interior surface partially in contact with the flowable substance and an exterior surface in contact with the surrounding atmosphere. The bag (100) of the present invention has both a mounting end (110) and an application end (120), and the features of the invention may be configured from a single substrate (130), seen in FIG. 5, or multiple substrate sections joined together. Specifically, a single substrate (130) may be configured to be folded and sealed to form various embodiments of this invention.
First, the basic structure of the substrate (130) will be disclosed, with the detailed description of the substrate (130) variations to follow. The substrate (130) may be configured to create an application face (150) formed with an application opening (152). As seen in FIG. 2, the substrate (130) also forms a rear face (160) with a portion of the rear face (160) sealed to a portion of the application face (150). Additionally, when configured, the substrate (130) of the storage bag (100) forms a dextral face (170) and a sinistral face (180), best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Both the dextral face (170) and the sinistral face (180) interconnect the application face (150) and the rear face (160) and are sealed at the application end (120) to a portion of the application face (150) and a portion of the rear face (160), as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this manner, the application face (150), the rear face (160), the dextral face (170) and the sinistral face (180) all join, thereby completing a seal near the storage bag application end (120), illustrated best in FIG. 4.
The storage bag (100) of the present invention also contains a base face (190), which interconnects the application face (150), the rear face (160), the dextral face (170), and the sinistral face (180). The base face (190) is the face upon which the storage bag (100) rests when not applying the flowable substance. The ability of the bag (100) to rest in an unsupported upright position, such as that seen in FIG. 1, is essential for good product placement in retail stores. The base face (190) is oriented substantially orthogonal to the application face (150) near the intersection with the base face (190). In this configuration, the bag (100) is designed to rest in a substantially vertical position on the base face (190).
Additionally, the base face (190) has a gripping flap (192) designed to rotate from a storage position (193), in which the gripping flap (192) is substantially parallel to the base face (190), as seen in FIG. 1, to an application position (194). As seen in FIG. 3, when in the application position (194), the gripping flap (192) is substantially parallel to the application face (150). The gripping flap (192) is formed with at least one gripping opening (195), illustrated in FIG. 4, designed to cooperate with at least one of the fingers of a human hand. Finally, the bag includes a spout (200) adapted to cooperate with the application opening (152), seen in FIG. 1, such that the flowable substance may be dispensed from the bag (100) in a controlled fashion when the bag is inverted and substantially suspended from the gripping flap (192) in the application position (194), as seen in FIG. 4. In an additional embodiment, the base face (190) may incorporate multiple gripping flaps (192).
In one embodiment, the storage bag (100) previously described is created with a substrate (130) that is a single sheet of material having a first longitudinal edge (131), a second longitudinal edge (132), a first transverse edge (133), and a second transverse edge (134). In addition, the substrate (130) contains a first longitudinal fold line (135), a second longitudinal fold line (136), and a third longitudinal fold line (137), and also contains a first transverse fold line (139), illustrated in FIG. 5. By folding the substrate (130) longitudinally about the first, second, and third longitudinal fold lines (135, 136, 137), and joining the first longitudinal edge (131) to the second longitudinal edge (132), the application face (150), the rear face (160), the dextral face (170) and the sinistral face (180) are formed. The substrate (130) is also folded transversely about the first transverse fold line (139) to create the base face (190), and the substrate (130) is sealed to itself near the mounting end (110) and the application end (120), thus creating the sealed storage bag (100). Furthermore, in an additional embodiment, the storage bag (100) also includes a second transverse fold line (140) and a third transverse fold line (141), positioned such that the gripping flap (192) is created from the substrate (130) when the substrate is folded substantially along the second transverse fold line (140) and the third transverse fold line (141). Alternatively, the gripping flap (192) may be a separate and distinct member that is attached to the base face (190).
One with skill in the art will recognize that the first longitudinal edge (131) and the second longitudinal edge (132) need not lie at one of the corners of the storage bag (100). For instance, the longitudinal edges (131, 132) may lie at any point on the application face (150), the rear face (160), the dextral face (170), or the sinistral face (180). Such embodiments need only incorporate additional fold lines to accommodate creation of the faces (150, 160, 170, 180).
The storage bag (100) may also include a first dextral base fold line (142), which extends from the first transverse edge (133) toward the application end (120). Further, a second dextral base fold line (143) may extend from the first dextral base fold line (142) toward the rear face (160), terminating at the first transverse fold line (139). Similarly, a third dextral base fold line (144) may extend from the first dextral base fold line (142) toward the application face (150), terminating at the first transverse fold line (139). Additionally, a first sinistral base fold line (145) may extend from the first transverse edge (133) toward the application end (120). A second sinistral base fold line (146) may extend from the first sinistral base fold line (145) toward the application face (150) terminating at the first transverse fold line (139), and a third sinistral base fold line (147) may extend from the first sinistral base fold line (145) toward the rear face (160) and terminate at the first transverse fold line (139).
In yet another embodiment, the substrate (130) is folded to create the gripping flap (192) by folding substantially along the first, second, and third dextral base fold lines (142, 143, 144), and by folding substantially along the first, second, and third sinistral base fold lines (145, 146, 147). The first transverse edge (133) and the second transverse edge (134) each have a dextral face transverse midpoint (172), defined as the point equidistant from both the first longitudinal fold line (135) and the second longitudinal fold line. The first transverse edge (133) and the second transverse edge (134) also have a sinistral face transverse midpoint (182), defined as the point equidistant from both the third longitudinal fold line (137) and the second longitudinal edge (132). The first dextral base fold line (142) of the storage bag (100) usually originates at the dextral face transverse midpoint (172) along the first transverse edge (133), while the first sinistral base fold line (145) usually begins at the sinistral face transverse midpoint (182) along the first transverse edge (133).
Additionally, the substrate (130) of the storage bag (100) may include a dextral application fold line (148) extending from the second transverse edge (134) toward the mounting end (110), and a sinistral application fold line (149) extending from the second transverse edge (134) toward the mounting end (110), seen in FIG. 5. When the substrate (130) is folded substantially along the dextral application fold line (148) and the sinistral application fold line (149), the dextral face (170) and the sinistral face (180) are angled toward the spout (200) to improve the controlled dispensing of the flowable substance from the bag (100). Additionally, the dextral application fold line (148) may begin at the dextral face traverse midpoint (172) along the second transverse edge (134), and the sinistral application fold line (149) may begin at the sinistral face transverse midpoint (182) along the second transverse edge (134).
In addition, the application end (120) of the storage bag (100) may be sealed in any variety of manners. In one embodiment, a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the first longitudinal fold line (135) and the dextral application fold line (148) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the application face (150). In this embodiment, the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the second longitudinal fold line (136) and the dextral application fold line (148) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the rear face (160). Here, the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the third longitudinal fold line (137) and the sinistral application fold line (149) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the rear face (160). Finally, the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the second longitudinal edge (132) and the sinistral application fold line (149) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the application face (150).
The mounting end may also be formed in a variety of manners. In one embodiment, seen in FIG. 6, it is beneficial to identify two layers of the gripping flap (190), namely an application side flap (196) and a rear side flap (197). In this embodiment, the first dextral base fold line (142) may be joined to the application side flap (196), and to the rear side flap (197). Similarly, the first sinistral base fold line (145) may be joined to the application side flap (196) and to the rear side flap (197). A portion of the second transverse fold line (140) is joined to a portion of the third transverse fold line (141) between the points at which the application side flap (196) and the rear side flap (197) are joined to the first dextral fold line (142) and the first sinistral fold line (145). In one particular embodiment, the at least one gripping opening (195) is located in the area bounded by the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) joined to the portion of the third transverse fold line (141), and the points at which the application side flap (196) and the rear side flap (197) are joined to the first dextral fold line (142) and the first sinistral fold line (145).
The storage bag (100) of the present invention can be a variety of sizes, shapes, and volumes. The bag (100) has a height (106) and a width (108), as seen in FIG. 2. Generally, the height (106) is at least at least equal in magnitude to that of the width (108). The bag (100) may house both dry and wet substances, including, but not limited to, fertilizer, agricultural chemicals, kitty litter, and animal feed. The bag (100) is generally designed to hold 5 gallons or less, thereby having a height (106) of 30 inches or less and a width (108) of 10 inches or less.
The spout (200) may be formed in any variety of ways. For example, the spout may be formed as a simple opening. In addition, the spout (200) could be a predefined tear area in the application face (150), which may consist of a perforated region of the substrate (130) with a pull-tab, or any other mechanism to tear away the perforated region to create the application opening (152). Alternatively, the spout (200) could be a separate and distinct device attached to the application face (150) as seen in FIG. 1.
The configuration of the storage bag (100) provides a significant benefit to the user. The presence of the gripping flap (192) and the gripping opening (195) allows the user to carry the bag (100) without grasping the portion of the bag (100) containing the flowable substance. This technique is preferred because it reduces the likelihood of puncture and product waste. In addition, carrying of the bag (100) by grasping the gripping flap (192) ensures a reduced chance of the user coming in contact with any hazardous contents should a tear or leak occur in the substrate (130). Finally, the storage bag (100) includes a benign tear location, so that if the substrate did tear during application, it would be at the gripping opening (195), and not in the main storage compartment of the bag (100). This feature protects the user by containing the flowable contents of the storage bag (100) upon failure of the substrate (130), again ensuring that the user does not come into contact with any hazardous contents of the bag (100).
The storage bag substrate (130) may be constructed of virtually any pliable material. However, it is generally preferable to have the substrate (130) constructed of a liquid impervious substrate to ensure dry goods remain dry and liquids do not leak from the storage bag (100). Additionally, in another embodiment the substrate (130) may be translucent so that the user can visually confirm the release of the flowable substance from the storage bag (100). In yet a further embodiment, the substrate (130) may be made of PVC or other thermoplastic material, such as plastic, polypropylene, polyethylene, styrene, cold-formed foil, or other suitable materials for packaging, however, tear resistant paper products may also be used.
In order to assemble the substrate (130) into the storage bag (100) of the present invention, some means of sealing or joining the various elements must be used. The sealing or joining means may, in general, be adhesive, chemical, thermal or mechanical in nature. The seals in this invention may be stronger than the material to which it is attached, and which therefore requires breaking or tearing of the substrate at the intended locations, such as the application opening (152) or the spout (200), to release the contents of the storage bag (100). One with skill in the art will recognize the numerous types of seals that may be incorporated into the present invention. For instance, the longitudinal seals need not lie at one of the corners of the storage bag (100), known as a corner seal. In fact, the longitudinal seals are generally created via a lap-joint where the longitudinal edges (131, 132) overlap by at least ⅛″. Such a seal located down the middle of the rear face (160) is common and is often referred to as a backseal. Alternatively, any of the seals may be fin seals, wherein the interior surface (102) of two edges are joined together.
The storage bag (100) may include multiple internal chambers and may be formed using a manufacturing process incorporating multiple webs of substrate (130). For instance, one web of substrate (130) may be used to form the application face (150), the dextral face (170), and the sinistral face (180), whereas a second web of substrate (130) may form the rear face (160) and be joined to the first web. The design of the storage bag (100) enables the forming, filling, and sealing to be completed in a continuous process.
Numerous alterations, modifications, and variations of the preferred embodiments disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art and they are all anticipated and contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the instant invention. For example, although specific embodiments have been described in detail, those with skill in the art will understand that the preceding embodiments and variations can be modified to incorporate various types of substitute and or additional or alternative materials, relative arrangement of elements, and dimensional configurations. Accordingly, even though only few variations of the present invention are described herein, it is to be understood that the practice of such additional modifications and variations and the equivalents thereof, are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or acts for performing the functions in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed.

Claims

1. An freestanding upright mounted storage bag with grip (100) for inverted application of a flowable substance contained therein having an interior surface (102) partially in contact with the flowable substance and an exterior surface (104) wherein the bag (100) has a mounting end (110) and an application end (120), comprising:

(i) a substrate (130) configured to create;

(a) an application face (150) formed with an application opening (152);

(b) a rear face (160) having a portion sealed to a portion of the application face (150);

(c) a dextral face (170) interconnecting the application face (150) and the rear face (160) and sealed at the application end (120) to a portion of the application face (150) and a portion of the rear face (160);

(d) a sinistral face (180) interconnecting the application face (150) and the rear face (160) and sealed at the application end (120) to a portion of the application face (150) and a portion of the rear face (160), thereby completing a seal near the storage bag application end (120);

(e) a base face (190) interconnecting the application face (150), the rear face (160), the dextral face (170), and the sinistral face (180), and oriented substantially orthogonal to the application face (150) near the intersection with the base face (190), wherein the bag (100) is designed to rest in a substantially vertical position on the base face (190), and the base face (190) has a gripping flap (192) designed to rotate from a storage position (193), in which the gripping flap (192) is substantially parallel to the base face (190), to an application position (1 94), in which the gripping flap (192) is substantially parallel to the application face (150), and the gripping flap (192) is formed with at least one gripping opening (195) designed to cooperate with at least one of the fingers of a human hand; and

(ii) a spout (200) adapted to cooperate with the application opening (152) such that the flowable substance may be dispensed from the bag (100) in a controlled fashion when the bag is inverted and substantially suspended from the gripping flap (192) in the application position (194).

2. The storage bag (100) of claim 1, wherein the substrate (130) is a single sheet of material having a first longitudinal edge (131), a second longitudinal edge (132), a first transverse edge (133), a second transverse edge (134), and a first longitudinal fold line (135), a second longitudinal fold line (136), a third longitudinal fold line (137), and a first transverse fold line (139), such that the substrate (130) is folded longitudinally about the first longitudinal fold line (135), the second longitudinal fold line (136), and the third longitudinal fold line (137) and the first longitudinal edge (131) is joined to the second longitudinal edge (132) thereby creating the application face (150), the rear face (160), the dextral face (170), and the sinistral face (180), and the substrate (130) is folded transversely about the first transverse fold line (139) thereby creating the base face (190), and the substrate (130) is sealed to itself near the mounting end (110) and the application end (120) to create a sealed storage bag (100).

3. The storage bag (100) of claim 2, further including a second transverse fold line (140) and a third transverse fold line (141) positioned such that the gripping flap (1 92) is created from the substrate (130) when the substrate is folded substantially along the second transverse fold line (140) and the third transverse fold line (141).

4. The storage bag (100) of claim 3, further including a first dextral base fold line (142) extending from the first transverse edge (133) toward the application end (120), a second dextral base fold line (143) extending from the first dextral base fold line (142) toward the rear face (160) to the first transverse fold line (139), a third dextral base fold line (144) extending from the first dextral base fold line (142) toward the application face (150) to the first transverse fold line (139), a first sinistral base fold line (145) extending from the first transverse edge (133) toward the application end (120), a second sinistral base fold line (146) extending from the first sinistral base fold line (145) toward the application face (150) to the first transverse fold line (139), a third sinistral base fold line (147) extending from the first sinistral base fold line (145) toward the rear face (160) to the first transverse fold line (139), such that the substrate (130) is folded substantially along the first dextral base fold line (142), the second dextral base fold line (143), the third dextral base fold line (144), the first sinistral base fold line (145), the second sinistral base fold line (146), and the third sinistral base fold line (147) to create the gripping flap (192).

5. The storage bag (100) of claim 4, wherein the first dextral base fold line (142) begins at the dextral face transverse midpoint (172) along the first transverse edge (133), and the first sinistral base fold line (145) begins at the sinistral face transverse midpoint (182) along the first transverse edge (133).

6. The storage bag (100) of claim 4, further including a dextral application fold line (148) extending from the second transverse edge (134) toward the mounting end (110), and a sinistral application fold line (149) extending from the second transverse edge (134) toward the mounting end (110), such that the substrate (130) is folded substantially along the dextral application fold line (148) and the sinistral application fold line (149) thereby angling the dextral face (170) and the sinistral face (180) toward the spout (200) to improve the controlled dispensing of the flowable substance from the bag (100).

7. The storage bag (100) of claim 6, wherein the dextral application fold line (148) begins at the dextral face transverse midpoint (172) along the second transverse edge (134), and the sinistral application fold line (149) begins at the sinistral face transverse midpoint (182) along the second transverse edge (134).

8. The storage bag (100) of claim 7, wherein the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the first longitudinal fold line (135) and the dextral application fold line (148) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the application face (150), the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the second longitudinal fold line (136) and the dextral application fold line (148) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the rear face (160), the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the third longitudinal fold line (137) and the sinistral application fold line (149) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the rear face (160), and the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the second longitudinal edge (132) and the sinistral application fold line (149) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the application face (150).

9. The storage bag (100) of claim 4, wherein the first dextral base fold line (142) is joined to an application side flap (196) of the gripping flap (192) and is joined to a rear side flap (197) of the gripping flap (192), the first sinistral base fold line (145) is joined to an application side flap (196) of the gripping flap (192) and is joined to a rear side flap (197) of the gripping flap (192), and a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) is joined to a portion of the third transverse fold line (141) between the points at which the application side flap (196) and the rear side flap (197) are joined to the first dextral fold line (142) and the first sinistral fold line (145), and the at least one gripping opening (195) is located in the area bounded by the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) joined to the portion of the third transverse fold line (141) and the points at which the application side flap (196) and the rear side flap (197) are joined to the first dextral fold line (142) and the first sinistral fold line (145).

10. The storage bag (100) of claim 1, wherein the bag (100) has a height (106) and a width (108), and the height (106) is substantially equal to, or greater than, the width (108).

11. An freestanding upright mounted storage bag with grip (100) for inverted application of a flowable substance contained therein having an interior surface (102) partially in contact with the flowable substance and an exterior surface (104) wherein the bag (100) has a mounting end (110), an application end (120), a height (106), and a width (108), comprising:

(i) a substrate (130) comprising a single sheet of material having a first longitudinal edge (131), a second longitudinal edge (132), a first transverse edge (133), a second transverse edge (134), and a first longitudinal fold line (135), a second longitudinal fold line (136), a third longitudinal fold line (137), and a first transverse fold line (139), such that the substrate (130) is folded longitudinally about the first longitudinal fold line (135), the second longitudinal fold line (136), and the third longitudinal fold line (137), the substrate (130) is folded transversely about the first transverse fold line (139), and the first longitudinal edge (131) is joined to the second longitudinal edge (132), to create;

(a) an application face (150) formed with an application opening (152);

(e) a base face (190) interconnecting the application face (150), the rear face (160), the dextral face (170), and the sinistral face (180), and oriented substantially orthogonal to the application face (150) near the intersection with the base face (190), wherein the bag (100) is designed to rest in a substantially vertical position on the base face (190), and the base face (190) has a gripping flap (192) designed to rotate from a storage position (193), in which the gripping flap (192) is substantially parallel to the base face (190), to an application position (194), in which the gripping flap (192) is substantially parallel to the application face (150), and the gripping flap (192) is formed with at least one gripping opening (195) designed to cooperate with at least one of the fingers of a human hand, and wherein the height (106) is substantially equal to, or greater than, the width (108); and

12. The storage bag (100) of claim 11, further including a second transverse fold line (140) and a third transverse fold line (141) positioned such that the gripping flap (192) is created from the substrate (130) when the substrate is folded substantially along the second transverse fold line (140) and the third transverse fold line (141).

13. The storage bag (100) of claim 12, further including a first dextral base fold line (142) extending from the first transverse edge (133) toward the application end (120), a second dextral base fold line (143) extending from the first dextral base fold line (142) toward the rear face (160) to the first transverse fold line (139), a third dextral base fold line (144) extending from the first dextral base fold line (142) toward the application face (150) to the first transverse fold line (139), a first sinistral base fold line (145) extending from the first transverse edge (133) toward the application end (120), a second sinistral base fold line (146) extending from the first sinistral base fold line (145) toward the application face (150) to the first transverse fold line (139), a third sinistral base fold line (147) extending from the first sinistral base fold line (145) toward the rear face (160) to the first transverse fold line (139), such that the substrate (130) is folded substantially along the first dextral base fold line (142), the second dextral base fold line (143), the third dextral base fold line (144), the first sinistral base fold line (145), the second sinistral base fold line (146), and the third sinistral base fold line (147) to create the gripping flap (192).

14. The storage bag (100) of claim 13, wherein the first dextral base fold line (142) begins at the dextral face transverse midpoint (172) along the first transverse edge (133), and the first sinistral base fold line (145) begins at the sinistral face transverse midpoint (182) along the first transverse edge (133).

15. The storage bag (100) of claim 13, further including a dextral application fold line (148) extending from the second transverse edge (134) toward the mounting end (110), and a sinistral application fold line (149) extending from the second transverse edge (134) toward the mounting end (110), such that the substrate (130) is folded substantially along the dextral application fold line (148) and the sinistral application fold line (149) thereby angling the dextral face (170) and the sinistral face (180) toward the spout (200) to improve the controlled dispensing of the flowable substance from the bag (100).

16. The storage bag (100) of claim 15, wherein the dextral application fold line (148) begins at the dextral face transverse midpoint (172) along the second transverse edge (134), and the sinistral application fold line (149) begins at the sinistral face transverse midpoint (182) along the second transverse edge (134).

17. The storage bag (100) of claim 16, wherein the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the first longitudinal fold line (135) and the dextral application fold line (148) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the application face (150), the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the second longitudinal fold line (136) and the dextral application fold line (148) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the rear face (160), the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the third longitudinal fold line (137) and the sinistral application fold line (149) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the rear face (160), and the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the second longitudinal edge (132) and the sinistral application fold line (149) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the application face (150).

18. The storage bag (100) of claim 13, wherein the first dextral base fold line (142) is joined to an application side flap (196) of the gripping flap (192) and is joined to a rear side flap (197) of the gripping flap (192), the first sinistral base fold line (145) is joined to an application side flap (196) of the gripping flap (192) and is joined to a rear side flap (197) of the gripping flap (192), and a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) is joined to a portion of the third transverse fold line (141) between the points at which the application side flap (196) and the rear side flap (197) are joined to the first dextral fold line (142) and the first sinistral fold line (145), and the at least one gripping opening (195) is located in the area bounded by the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) joined to the portion of the third transverse fold line (141) and the points at which the application side flap (196) and the rear side flap (197) are joined to the first dextral fold line (142) and the first sinistral fold line (145).

19. An freestanding upright mounted storage bag with grip (100) for inverted application of a flowable substance contained therein having an interior surface (102) partially in contact with the flowable substance and an exterior surface (104) wherein the bag (100) has a mounting end (110), an application end (120), a height (106), and a width (108), comprising:

(i) a substrate (130) comprising a single sheet of material having a first longitudinal edge (131), a second longitudinal edge (132), a first transverse edge (133), a second transverse edge (134), a first longitudinal fold line (135), a second longitudinal fold line (136), a third longitudinal fold line (137), a first transverse fold line (139), a second transverse fold line (140), a third transverse fold line (141), a first dextral base fold line (142) beginning at the dextral face transverse midpoint (172) along the first transverse edge (133) and extending toward the application end (120), a second dextral base fold line (143) extending from the first dextral base fold line (142) toward the rear face (160) to the first transverse fold line (139), a third dextral base fold line (144) extending from the first dextral base fold line (142) toward the application face (150) to the first transverse fold line (139), a first sinistral base fold line (145) beginning at the sinistral face transverse midpoint (182) along the first transverse edge (133) and extending toward the application end (120), a second sinistral base fold line (146) extending from the first sinistral base fold line (145) toward the application face (150) to the first transverse fold line (139), a third sinistral base fold line (147) extending from the first sinistral base fold line (145) toward the rear face (160) to the first transverse fold line (139), a dextral application fold line (148) extending from the second transverse edge (134) toward the mounting end (110), and a sinistral application fold line (149) extending from the second transverse edge (134) toward the mounting end (110), such that the substrate (130) is folded longitudinally about the first longitudinal fold line (135), the second longitudinal fold line (136), and the third longitudinal fold line (1 37), the substrate (130) is folded transversely about the first transverse fold line (139), and the first longitudinal edge (131) is joined to the second longitudinal edge (132), to create;

(a) an application face (150) formed with an application opening (152);

(e) a base face (190) interconnecting the application face (150), the rear face (160), the dextral face (170), and the sinistral face (180), and oriented substantially orthogonal to the application face (150) near the intersection with the base face (190), wherein the bag (100) is designed to rest in a substantially vertical position on the base face (190), and the base face (190) has a gripping flap (192) created by folding the substrate (130) substantially along the first dextral base fold line (142), the second dextral base fold line (143), the third dextral base fold line (144), the first sinistral base fold line (145), the second sinistral base fold line (146), and the third sinistral base fold line (147), wherein the gripping flap (192) is designed to rotate from a storage position (193), in which the gripping flap (192) is substantially parallel to the base face (190), to an application position (194), in which the gripping flap (192) is created from the substrate (130) when the substrate is folded substantially along the second transverse fold line (140) and the third transverse fold line (141) and the gripping flap (192) is substantially parallel to the application face (150), and the gripping flap (192) is formed with at least one gripping opening (195) designed to cooperate with at least one of the fingers of a human hand, and wherein the height (106) is substantially equal to, or greater than, the width (108); and

(ii) a spout (200) adapted to cooperate with the application opening (152) such that the flowable substance may be dispensed from the bag (100) in a controlled fashion when the bag is inverted and substantially suspended from the gripping flap (192) in the application position (194) wherein the substrate (130) is folded substantially along the dextral application fold line (148) and the sinistral application fold line (149) thereby angling the dextral face (170) and the sinistral face (180) toward the spout (200) to improve the controlled dispensing of the flowable substance from the bag (100).

20. The storage bag (100) of claim 19, wherein the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the first longitudinal fold line (135) and the dextral application fold line (148) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the application face (150), the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the second longitudinal fold line (136) and the dextral application fold line (148) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the rear face (160), the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the third longitudinal fold line (137) and the sinistral application fold line (149) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the rear face (160), and the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) located between the second longitudinal edge (132) and the sinistral application fold line (149) is joined to a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) bounding the application face (150).

21. The storage bag (100) of claim 19, wherein the first dextral base fold line (142) is joined to an application side flap (196) of the gripping flap (192) and is joined to a rear side flap (197) of the gripping flap (192), the first sinistral base fold line (145) is joined to an application side flap (196) of the gripping flap (192) and is joined to a rear side flap (197) of the gripping flap (192), and a portion of the second transverse fold line (140) is joined to a portion of the third transverse fold line (141) between the points at which the application side flap (196) and the rear side flap (197) are joined to the first dextral fold line (142) and the first sinistral fold line (145), and the at least one gripping opening (195) is located in the area bounded by the portion of the second transverse fold line (140) joined to the portion of the third transverse fold line (141) and the points at which the application side flap (196) and the rear side flap (197) are joined to the first dextral fold line (142) and the first sinistral fold line (145).