Beverage bag structure

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a beverage bag structure having a plurality of bag sections with one of the bag sections carrying a dry beverage material and with the other bag section having scored areas which can be easily severed by human hands to provide a handle structure lor dipping the bag structure into hot fluid. In the past, various types of tea bags and beverage bags have been used as exemplified by expired U.S. Patent No. 2,413,686. This patent discloses a tea bag construction having a handle structure formed integral with heat sealed areas of the tea bag structure and where the material comprising the handle structure is of the same material and structural strength as the material that encases the tea. The patentee states that he employs a sheet material of foraminous construction as for example, filter paper, performated parchment paper or Cellophane, cotton gauze and the like. Also, the patentee further states that a filter paper base layer is coated on one side with the thermal setting partially fused plastic lamina or other suitable filter sheet base layer coated with a thermal setting plastic lamina for forming the heat seal border joint seams or flanges. More specifically, the patentee contemplates using a 6½ pound fiberous pulp stock sheet of approximately .001 thick of high wet tensile strength to provide a filter paper layer and with this layer having a finely powdered copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate uniformly sprinkled or sprayed, partially fused by heat to 60° C and

2Q pressure rolled thereon for providing a satisfactory, pervious, dry and extremely thin coating of lamina which does not materially affect the filtering capacity of the layer.

Other less pertinent U.S. patents known to me generally concerning beverage bags are listed, as follows;

<td> 25</td><td> Inventor</td><td> Patent No.</td><td> Patent Title</td>

<td></td><td> L.L. Salfisberg</td><td> 2,298,240</td><td> Marked and Scored Package</td>

<td></td><td> L. Barnett</td><td> 2,359,292</td><td> Infusion Package with handles</td>

<td></td><td> M. Weisman</td><td> 2,377,118</td><td> Package</td>

<td> 30</td><td> C.A. Trotman</td><td> 2,614,934</td><td> Tea Packaging System</td>

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<td> 1</td><td> Inventor</td><td> Patent No.</td><td> Patent Title</td>

<td></td><td> R.W. Vergobbi</td><td> 2,794,744</td><td> Infusion Bag</td>

<td></td><td> V.C. Wardell</td><td> 2,838,400</td><td> Tea Bag</td>

<td></td><td> K.R. Johnson</td><td> 2,852,389</td><td> Infusion Package</td>

<td> 5</td><td> 3.P. Whelan</td><td> 2,869,718</td><td> Infusion Bag</td>

As indicated, various disadvantages have been found to exist with previous types of tea bag constructions such as the one disclosed in U.S. Patent 2,413,686 and from other known constructions of which workers in this art are aware.

Based on my recent studies 1 have found a number of ways to improve the above-discussed beverage or tea bags with sturdier handle assemblies since materials commonly used for tea bags have been found to be rather weak for use as the same material for the handle section of the beverage bag structure.

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72568-10

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved beverage bag construction filled with a beverage brewing material such as tea, coffee and the like where the beverage bag structures can be economically manufactured at economical costs on a high production basis with automatic highspeed packaging machines.

Still other objects of this invention are to provide a new and improved beverage bag structure for high speed manufacture and for use in a microwave oven comprised of a porous bag section and a scored bag handle section, the scores being breakable to form a bag handle with an integral enlarged tab at an outer end, the bag section carrying a dry beverage material, the porous bag and scored bag handle sections being comprised of lapped heat sealable sheets of different materials in heat sealed assembly together and where the sheets of the sections have varied strengths with the bag handle section being of a scored synthetic plastic sheet material sufficient to carry the load of the porous bag section when the dry beverage synthetic plastic sheet material becomes dampened, the bag section being comprised of sheets of heat sealable coated porous tea bag paper, the scores being oriented on the handle section so that the scores can be broken to form the bag handle with the integral enlarged tab at the outer end of the handle formed exclusively from the synthetic plastic sheet material of the handle section.

Still further features of my invention concern a beverage bag structure comprised of a porous bag section and a scored bag handle section, the bag section carrying a dry beverage material and having a series of gussets to facilitate the dispersion of the beverage into the water when immersed, the porous bag and bag handle sections being comprised of different types of heat sealable sheet materials having varied strengths with the bag handle section being of a material sufficient to carry the load of the porous bag section when the dry beverage material becomes dampened.

According to important features of my invention, I have found that excellent results can be obtained where a gussetted beverage bag structure for human consumption is comprised of a porous bag section and a scored bag handle section having spaced rows of scores which when hand severed from connected

<img file="CA1298569C_D0001.tif" />

72568-10 handle segments are joined in end-to-end relation for suspending the bag section in a liquid, the bag section carrying a dry beverage material, the porous bag and bag handle sections being comprised of different types of heat sealable materials having varied strengths with the bag handle section being of a material sufficient to carry the load of the porous bag section when the dry beverage material becomes dampened.

Other important objects of this invention can be attained by manufacturing the bag section of a spun bonded olefin which is comprised of bonded high density polyethylene fibers of high wet strength.

Yet other features of my invention concern the concept of manufacturing and providing the handle section comprised of a class of materials including sheet nylon or Mylar with a heat seal coating applied thereto and having a thickness in the range of two to three mils.

Yet other and still further objects of my invention concern a new and improved beverage bag structure having a bag handle section provided with a spirally shaped continuous scored area which when hand broken operates to provide an elongated handle for dipping the bag structure into a body of fluid.

Futher features of my invention concern a gussetted beverage bag structure for human consumption comprised of a porous bag section and a scored bag handle section with the scored bag handle section having a scored area which when hand severed transforms the handle section into a ribbon-like handle for suspending the bag section in a liquid, a heat seal joining said bag section and said scored bag handle section in end-to-end relation, the bag section carrying a dry beverage material, the porous bag and bag handle sections being comprised of different heat sealable sheet materials having varied strengths with the bag handle section being of a material sufficient to carry the load of the porous bag section when the dry beverage material becomes dampened, the scored bag handle section having scores oriented relative to one another to permit the scores to be fractured and to transform the material of the handle section into a relatively long handle comprised only of the material of the bag handle section enabling the bag section to be dunked into a cup of fluid so that the beverage material can flavor the fluid.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of my beverage bag structure;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the beverage bag structure of Figure 1 showing the handle structure in its broken away position ready for use;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a beverage cup having hot water and with the beverage bag structure of Figure 2 immersed in the water as used;

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of my beverage bag structure as seen in Figure 1 only highlighting other features of my invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line

5- ,5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows as seen in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section as seen on the line

6- 6 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows as seen in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical section similar to Figure 5 only showing a modified construction for heat sealing the bag and handle sections in assembly together; and

Figures 8-13 inclusive, are all side elevations of different embodiments of beverage bag structures with each embodiment having a different type of a handle structure.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally a beverage bag structure. The structure 10 is adapted to be used with a beverage cup 11 and immersed in the hot beverage water 12 therein so that the water bag can be flavored. The beverage bag structure can contain any desired material including coffee or tea. The beverage bag structure 10 includes a porous bag section 13 and a bag handle section 14 (Figure 1).

The bag handle section has a scored area 15. The porous bag section 13 and the bag handle section 14 are comprised of different types of materials as further described hereafter, and a heat seal 16 is used to secure the sections 13 and 14 in bonded assembly together.

The bag handle section 14 and its scored area 15 has a series of score lines 17, 18 and 19 which are generally of a type that is well-known in the art. The score lines 17 and 18 can be comprised of identations or perforations. The score line 17 are vertically spaced and are ail parallel to the seal 16. The score line 18 extends vertically at one side of the lines 17 and the score line 19 is parallel to the score lines 17 but horizontally spaced from one end of the lower most score line 17 leaving a space 20 between handle tab or tag 21. Thus, when the score lines are severed a series of linked handle portions 22 (Figure 2) are generated with endmost handle portion 23 linking the other handle portions 22 to the structure 10 (Figure 2) to form a bag handle H. In all forms of my invention, the bag handle H are formed from the material of the handle section at the scored area thereof.

According to the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1 illustrating my tapered beverage bag or tea or coffee bag, a piece of plastic is provided at one end of the bag and the plastic has scored or slit areas which enable the handle to be formed when the scored or slit areas are'severed so that the bag can be dipped into and out of a beverage cup. The advantage of using the plastic strip is to provide a stronger so-called handle so that when the weight of the bag is increased because of the water content that is added to the bag after it has been suspended in fluid, the handle will remain in tact. One concern has been that with the fragile material that is used for making tea bags, that the handle may fracture particularly if the bag is designed for coffee rather than tea since the weight of the bag and the size of the bag would then be greater.

The material used to be attached to the tea bag material to form the string and tag is preferably any sheet material which would have sufficent wet

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<img file="CA1298569C_D0002.tif" />

strength. A preferred material nt the present time is a Dupont material called Tyvek. Tyvek is a spunbonded olefin which is made from high density polyethylene fibers which are bonded together to form a paper-like sheet of unusually high strength. It is made in various thicknesses. We are currently using 5½ mil thickness as it seems to have adequate strength for our purposes and it appears a satisfactory range of thickness would be from ty to 7 mils. It also has the advantage that i t may be heat sealed to the tea bag material in our package forming machine.

Other materials such as sheet nylon or Mylar with a heat seal coating applied could also be used. These materials in the range of two or three mil thickness would have sufficient strength for our use.

Mylar is a trade-mark of Dupont. Mylar is actually a polyester film which is produced from the reaction of polyethylene with terephthalic acid.

Nylon is actually a polymide film. Either Nylon or Mylar with a heat seal coating or laminated to another film could be used for the bag handle section or header portion of the package. These materials in gauges as low as one mil thickness can be used. A two or three mil material is preferred for additional strength, however.

The material for the coffee bag or porous bag section itself is what we normally call tea bag paper. This material is normally available in one to four mil thickness. According to trade information, this material is identified, as fibrous pulp stock with a copolymer heat seal coating, or filter paper with a heat seal coating, or a thin porous filter paper embodying a thermoplastic material on at least one surface, or wet-laid non-woven packaging material, and vegetable fibrous pulp stock.

According to my invention, it is my present belief that while paper tea bags are currently being used that the bags can be made from plastic fibers rather than paper. Some filter sheets are currently being made from plastic fiber and, if they become cheap enough, could be used as coffee or tea bag material. If these new plastic filter sheets were stronger than the current paper tea bags, they might actually be stronger than would be needed for the handle portion of the bag. It is also important that all materials used in the beverage bag structure be non-toxic, insoluable in hot boiling water, and impart no odor or taste even to the slightest degree to the beverage.

*Trade-mark _ « _

The beverage bag 10 is of a gussetted construction having gussetts formed at a lower end of the bag section as indicated at 24,24. By providing the beverage bag 10 with gussetts, the dispersion of the contents such as coffee or tea of the beverage bag, when dipped in hot water, can be facilitated as is known in this part.

Figures 4 and 5 show the details of the gussetted beverage bag construction.

The bag sections 13 and 14 are joined together by 16 heat seal as previously described. The details of this construction are further shown in Figure 5 and with the modified construction shown in Figure 7. In Figure 5, it will be observed that the porous bag section 13 has an extended sealed area where the dry beverage material 25 is sealed into the porous bag section 13. The upper and lower seals 16a and 16b co-act with the side seals and the lower seals of the bag section to completely incapsulate the dry beverage material 25 so that it cannot be accidently released from the porous bag section. Now in order to secure the porous bag section 13 with the bag handle section 14, the porous bag section has a pair of free legs or strips 26 which extend above the lower seal area 16b. The lower edge of the bag handle section is positioned between the strips 26 in a sandwich like construction and a heat seal is formed there through whereby the porous bag section is physically bonded to the bag handle section in assembled relation to form the beverage bag structure 10.

In Figure 7, the construction is varied so that the lower edge of bag handle section 14 is located on one side of upper strips 26' of porous bag section 13’ and heat seal 27 is formed through them to finally attach the porous bag section is assembly with the bag handle section. In this construction, the heat seal shown at 16b in Figure 5 can be eliminated.

Machine-made packages of the type shown in Figure 2 desirably have the following characteristics:

1. The 7 wide web of filter paper roll stock can be folded in half and a wide gussett formed at the fold. The vertical seals are Ü” and the top seal 3/8 wide.

2. In the top seal a Z shaped perforation is made back and forth across the package.

3. A 5/8 x 15/16 tag is attached to the top and leading edge of the Z shaped perforation.

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In order to use the package the customer pulls on the tag and the perforation when broken allows the top seal to unfold, allowing the package to be lowered into a cup while holding onto the tag.

Our interest in using the beverage bag structure having a scored area for producing a Z string is as follows:

1. Using the pouch stock for the tag is less expensive.

2. We judge that packaging speeds for manufacture of beverage bags will be higher and greater efficiency attained using the Z string construction.

3. Collation of the Z string pouches after they are discharged out of the machine will be easier because the Z string is intrinsic to the package.

4. The Z string appears more sanitary to the user because it is part of the pouch itself.

OTHER MODIFICATIONS

As indicated previously, Figures 8-13 inclusive, show a series of modified beverage bag structures where the porous bag sections are all essentially identical but the bag handle sections are of a modified construction in each instance. The bag structures are all preferably provided with gussets.

The reference numeral 30 indicates another embodiment of my beverage bag structure as shown in Figure 8. The beverage bag structure 30 includes beverage bag and handle sections 31 and 32 joined at 33 by a heat seal in either of the ways illustrated in Figure 5 and 7. The handle section 32 has a scored area 34 that is comprised of a pair of L-shaped score lines 35,35 and a third score line 36 positioned in horizontal, parallel adjacency but vertically spaced from the seal 33. The L-shaped score lines 35,35 also have long legs 35a,35a positioned in vertically spaced parallel relation to the score line 36 as well as upright score lines or legs 35b,35b. The score lines at the scored area 34 are oriented so as when they are severed an enlarged tab 37 will be at an outer most end of the handle that can be broken away from the bag section 31 much in the same way as is illustrated in Figure 2 only with the handle having its handle portions oriented in a slightly different manner. The enlarged tab is located at an upper right hand corner of the handle section 32. It wili thus be seen that the bag structure in Figure 8 has a series of spaced rows of scores or score lines. Some of these rows of score lines are vertically extending and transversely spaced while others of the score lines are disposed in vertically spaced

- 10 1298569 rows which are alternatively oriented so that the ends of the rows terminate on opposite sides of the bag handle section. Further, the segment at one end of the connected handle segments is joined integrally with the porous bag section after the other scores or score lines in the spaced rows have been broken to facilitate dangling of the bag section is body of fluid or water.

Figure 9 shows still another beverage bag structure 40 which includes a beverage bag section 41 and a handle section 42. These sections are joined by a heat seal 43 in the same manner as previously described. The handle section 42 has a scored area 44 which is divided by a series of vertically extending parallel score lines 45 and 46 with score lines 45 and 46 co-acting in such a way that when the score lines are broken, an enlarged finger tab on handle portion 47 will be produced at an outer end of the handle which handle portion 47 is disposed at one side of the sections 41 and 42. The scored area 42 also has a score line 48 (positioned at right angles to score lines 45 and 46) which serves to sever the scored area defined by the scored lines 45 and 46 from the handle section 42 at a point slightly above the heat seal 43. When the handle score lines are broken, a connecting handle portion 50 is left adjoining the handle at one end to the beverage bag structure 40 as seen in Figure 9. It will be further observed that the score lines are oriented in such a way that the score lines 45 all terminate at their juncture with the score line 48. The score lines 46 all terminate at an outer upper edge of the handle structure 42. It is in this way that the score lines can be broken to produce a handle H which has a series of linked connecting handle portions and which has an appearance somewhat analogous to Figure 2 when the component parts of the scored area 44 are broken away.

Also shown in Figure 10 is another type of a beverage bag section 50 including a bag section 51 and a handle section 52 joined by heat seal at 53. The handle section 52 has a scored area 54. A series of horizontally extending score lines 55 are provided on the handle section and three upright score lines 56,56,56 are provided on opposite sides of score lines 55. When the score lines are broken, the handle section will produce a finger tab 57 at an outer end of the handle as is generally shown in Figure 2.

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Shown in Figure 11 is still another modified beverage bag construction 60 including beverage bag sections 61 and handle sections 62. These sections are joined at 63 by a heat seal. The handle section 62 has a spirally shaped continuous scored area 64 which when hand broken operates to provide an elongated handle for 5 dipping the bag structure into a body of fluid. The scored area is so configurated that a relatively large centrally located tab portion 65 is provided. This tab portion 65 provides the end of the handle so that the user can grip the tab portion 65 and allow the bag to be dangled in a cup of coffee or tea as desired by a user after the score lines have been broken. In this form of my invention, the scored 10 area 64 has a width that is substantially co-extensive with the width of the package as contrasted to the corresponding handle section shown in Figure 12 as will now be further described.

A bag structure 70 is shown in Figure 12 and it includes a bag section 71 and a handle section 72 which are bonded together by a heat seal 73 as previously described. The handle section 72 has a scored area and the scored area enables a handle to be formed having a tab 75 at the end of the handle when the score lines are broken. This modification is quite similar to the beverage bag structure of Figure 11 as indicated at 60 except that the width of the handle section 72 is less than the width of the bag section 71. The handle structure provided on a bag of this type will be shorter in length than the one illustrated in Figure 11.

Shown in Figure 13 is still another modification of my beverage bag structure as indicated at 80. Here again the beverage bag 81 which may contain any suitable dehydrated material such as tea, coffee and the like is shown. The beverage bag structure also has a handle section 82 that is joined by heat seal 83 to the beverage bag section 81 as previously described. The handle section 82 has a scored area 84 which scored area includes horizontal score lines 85 which are all horizontally parallel with each other and with the seal 83. Also provided are horizontally spaced vertically extending score lines 86-86-86 which are at right angles to the score lines 85 and to the seal 83. These score lines are all so associated and positioned relative to one another so that when the score lines are broken an enlarged handle portion 87 will be provided at the end of the handle that

- 12 1298569 will be formed therefrom. Here again, the handle portion 87 is located centrally on the handle section 82 and not at a corner such as is shown in Figures 9 and 10.

Thus, it will be observed that the handle portion for the handle can be formed from different areas of the handle section such as from the central area of the handle section or from corner areas or from side areas depending upon the location of the score lines.

It is thus seen, therefore, that there is provided an improved article in which the objects of the invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet all conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments may be made in the above invention for use for different purposes and as various changes might be made in the embodiments and method above set forth, it is understood that all of the above matters here set forth or shown In the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

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