초록 ▼

A method of packaging point-of-purchase items involves supplying plastic bags as a continuously attached length of bags, each bag being separated from adjacent bags along the supply length by a perforated tear line. The length of bags is stored on a storage form or in another suitable manner permitt

A method of packaging point-of-purchase items involves supplying plastic bags as a continuously attached length of bags, each bag being separated from adjacent bags along the supply length by a perforated tear line. The length of bags is stored on a storage form or in another suitable manner permitting advancement of bags when pulled out of the stored condition. The perforated tear line cuts entirely through the web of bags. However, the perforation along one side of each bag is broken to present an open flap through which contents can be added to the bag prior to removal from the web. The method of using the bags for packaging produce, groceries or other articles generally selected at point of sale and which are generally segregated by type for later pricing by weight or unit, permits a user to at least partially fill a bag prior to removal from the web.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of packaging point-of-purchase items, comprising the steps of:producing bags as a continuous web, each of said bags being separated from an adjacent bag by a perforated tear line which extends through the web of bags crosswise to a length of the continuous web of bags, each of said bags

1. A method of packaging point-of-purchase items, comprising the steps of:producing bags as a continuous web, each of said bags being separated from an adjacent bag by a perforated tear line which extends through the web of bags crosswise to a length of the continuous web of bags, each of said bags being sealed along a sealing line adjacent to the perforated tear line; breaking said perforation line on one side of said continuous web, while retaining at least a partial integrity of said perforation tear line on a remaining side of said web such that a flap defining an entry to each of said bags is formed, thereby forming a continuous web of pre-opened bags; storing said continuous web of pre-opened bags on a bag supply; providing said bag supply of said continuous web of pre-opened bags at the point-of-purchase for said items; and loading the point-of-purchase items into at least one of said bags through said entry prior to removal of said at least one bag from a remainder of said continuous web of pre-opened bags. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said continuous web is comprised of thermoplastic tubing, and said step of producing includes heat sealing said tubing at selected intervals to thereby form said sealing line.3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said point-of-purchase items include items provided by a vendor as a bulk commodity for selection and repackaging by a consumer.4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said bulk commodity includes at least one of fruits, vegetables, nuts and spices.5. A method according to claim 1 wherein respective width and height dimensions of said bags measured in inches are in a range of about 8×10 to about 16×24.6. A method according to claim 1, wherein respective width and height dimensions of said bags measured in inches are in a range of about 10×14 to about 12×20.7. A method according to claim 1, wherein a wall thickness of said bags does not exceed about 1.4 mils.8. A method according to claim 1, wherein a wall thickness of said bags is in a range of about 0.35 mils to about 0.9 mils.9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of providing said bag supply further comprises providing said continuous web of pre-opened bags on a dispensable supply roll, and further comprising unrolling said continuous web of pre-opened bags from said dispensable supply roll prior to said step of loading.10. A method of packaging point-of-purchase items comprising:providing a web of pre-opened bags to a consumer at a point-of-purchase, each of the bags being separated from at least one additional bag by a tear line that extends through the web of pre-opened bags in a direction that is about normal to the length of the web of bags, each bag having an open ply and an attached ply, an insertion edge of the attached ply being adjacent the tear line, and an insertion edge of the open ply of each bag being at least partially separated from at least one ply of an additional bag; causing each of the bags to be sealed along a sealing line such that when a particular bag is removed from the web of pre-opened bags, it can retain contents placed therein; pulling one of the bags from the web of pre-opened bags at a location to produce tension to at least partially draw the insertion edge of an open ply away from an insertion edge of an attached ply to define an entry into the bag that is being pulled before the bag that is being pulled breaks off from the web of pre-opened bags; and breaking the bag that is being pulled from the web of pre-opened bags along one of the tear lines. 11. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising forming a flap with said insertion edge of said open ply to further define the entry into the bag that is being pulled and dispensed.12. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising providing an excess portion having an excess edge on at least one bag that is capable of extending to a position in which said excess edge is substantially flush with the tear line and the attached ply of the bag that is being pulled, at least one of the excess edge and the insertion edge of the open ply of the bag that is being pulled being at least partially folded away from the tear line.13. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising providing a visual indicator on one of the open ply and attached ply of the bag that is being pulled, the visual indicator denoting a place at about the center of the bag that is being pulled which can be pulled to further open the open ply and the attached ply of the bag that is being pulled apart from each other as the bag that is being pulled is being dispensed from the web of pre-opened bags.14. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising:providing a storage form for containing the web of pre-opened bags; winding the web of pre-opened bags around a supply roll of the storage form; providing a locking device on the supply roll of the storage form to increase tension against the dispensing of bags from the storage form when at least one of the bags is pulled as it is being dispersed from the storage form. 15. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising:providing a storage form for containing the web of pre-opened bags; winding the web of pre-opened bags around a supply roll of the storage form; mounting the supply roll on the storage form to increase tension against the dispensing of bags from the storage form as said roll rotates when at least one of the bags is pulled as it is being dispensed from the storage form. 16. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising:providing a storage form for containing the web of pre-opened bags, the storage form including a dispensing rack and at least one core lock that engage the dispensing rack; winding the web of pre-opened bags around a supply roll of the storage form, the supply roll having an axis; positioning the supply roll on the core lock to rotate with the core lock about the axis of the supply roll; and causing the core lock to provide tension against the dispensing of bags from the storage form by rotating on the dispensing rack with the supply roll about the axis of the supply roll when at least one of the bags is pulled as it is being dispensed from the storage form. 17. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising:providing a storage form for containing the web of pre-opened bags, the storage form including a dispensing rack and at least one core lock having a rolled inside surface, a plurality of ribs extending inwardly from the rolled inside surface of the core lock and engaging the dispensing rack; winding the web of pre-opened bags around a supply roll of the storage form, the supply roll having an axis; positioning the supply roll on the core lock to rotate with the core lock about the axis of the supply roll; and causing the ribs of the core lock to provide tension against the dispensing of bags from the storage form by rotating on the dispensing rack with the supply roll about the axis of the supply roll when at least one of the bags is pulled as it is being dispensed from the storage form. 18. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising:providing a storage form for containing the web of pre-opened bags; winding the web of pre-opened bags around a supply roll of the storage form; providing a ratcheting mechanism on the storage form to increase tension on the supply roll against the dispensing of bags from the storage form and allow the roll to rotate when at least one of the bags is pulled as it is being dispensed from the storage form. 19. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising providing a visual indicator line on at least one of the open ply and attached ply of the bag that is being pulled, the visual indicator line denoting a place on the bag that is being pulled that can be pulled to further open the open ply and the attached ply of the bag that is being pulled apart from each other as the bag that is being pulled is being dispensed from the web of pre-opened bags.20. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising providing a visual tape indicator on at least one of the open ply and the attached ply of the bag that is being pulled, the visual tape indicator denoting a place on the bag that is being pulled that can be pulled to further open the open ply and the attached ply of the bag that is being pulled apart from each other as the bag that is being pulled is being dispensed from the web of pre-opened bags.21. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising providing the open ply of the bag that is being pulled with a first color and providing the attached ply of the bag that is being pulled with a second color, the first color being different from the second color, wherein the first and second colors together denote a place on the bag that is being pulled that can be pulled to further open the open ply and the attached ply of the bag that is being pulled apart from each other as the bag that is being pulled is being dispensed from the web of pre-opened bags.22. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 further comprising providing a vent on at least one of the open ply and the attached ply of the bag that is being pulled to allow for the evacuation of air from between the open ply and the attached ply of the bag that is being pulled during the manufacturing of the web of pre-opened bags.23. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 wherein said web of pre-opened bags comprises a high-density polyethylene material.24. The method of packaging point-of-purchase items of claim 10 wherein said web of pre-opened bags comprises a low-density polyethylene material.