Plastic bag dispenser

Details Plastic bag dispenser Plastic bag dispenser

1996-09-19

2001-05-15

Peterson, Kenneth E. (Department: 3724)

Severing by tearing or breaking

Severing by manually forcing against fixed edge

With housing for work supply

C225S077000, C225S051000, C242S598500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06230953

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to devices for dispensing a continuous web of articles. Specifically, the invention relates to plastic bag dispensers, such as the type used for self-service produce, grocery, or garbage bags.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a supermarket or food market, fruits and vegetables are often displayed in bulk, possibly in piles of loose items. Consumers must then take a bag from a nearby source and pick and bag their own produce. The most common form of these produce bags are cylindrical rolls of plastic bags, mounted horizontally or vertically on a shaft. The bags have perforated separation lines between them. Separation is accomplished by grabbing the end bag with one hand, anchoring the next bag or the roll with the other hand, and pulling. Unfortunately, this not only separates the bag from the roll, but can deform or even tear the bag. Sometimes, consumers will attempt to simply jerk the bag from the roll, without holding the adjacent bag. This, too, can damage the bag or simply reel out the roll. After any bag separation, the end of the next bag can be difficult to find or grab as it may lie flat on the surface of the roll.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide an improved dispenser for a continuous web of articles.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a dispenser with improved means for easily separating articles from a continuous web with one-handed operation and retaining the next article in an easily accessible position.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved means for preventing free-wheeling of the continuous web during dispensing.
It is a further object of the invention that the dispenser be economical and simple to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, a plastic bag dispenser holds a continuous roll of bags, connected by perforated separation lines. The dispenser is provided with a tongue, which the bags are dispensed over, that engages the separation line between the bag at the end of the roll and the next bag. This begins the separation of the separation line, as well as holds the next bag behind the tongue. A finger is provided on the upstream side of the tongue, with a gap between the finger and tongue. As a bag is separated, a portion of the front edge of the next bag is held in the gap, holding the bag in position for the next user. The roll of bags is mounted in the dispenser so that the roll frictionally engages an interior surface of the dispenser.
As individual bags are dispensed, the roll of bags decreases in weight. This can cause a significant difference in the frictional force between the roll and the interior surface of the dispenser which is needed to prevent freewheeling of the roll as the bags are being dispensed. A large difference is undesirable because it can mean either that there is too much friction when the roll is full or too little friction when the roll is depleted. The frictional force is a component of force due to the weight of the roll. In accordance with this invention, the roll of bags is mounted in such a way that the frictional component of force is increased, as a percentage of the total force, as the weight of the roll decreases. Hence, in this way the maximum and minimum frictional forces which retard freewheeling are maintained within acceptable limits for the entire roll, i.e., when the roll is full and when it is depleted.


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