Bag for flowable materials

Abstract

A bag for containing flowable materials, having a front panel, a rear panel coextensive with the front panel, and a pair of folded gussets. Each of the gussets has front and rear gusset layers joined at a central crease and a pair of outer gusset edges joined continuously along and to side edges of the front and rear panels. The bag has a bottom closure and at its initially open top portion, the front and rear gusset layers are joined to the respective front and rear panels along lines spaced from or adjacent to the joined side edges of the respective front and rear gusset layers and front and rear panels, to provide stiffened, fastened layer corner portions in the top portion of the open bag.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A bag for containing flowable materials, comprising: 
 a front panel;    a rear panel opposite the front panel;    a pair of folded gussets, each having interconnected front and rear gusset layers and a pair of outer gusset edges joined continuously along and to side edges of the front and rear panels;    a bottom closure and an initially open top portion; and    means for joining top portions of the front and rear gusset layers to the respective front and rear panels to provide stiffened corner portions in the top portion of the open bag.    
     
     
         2 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the top portions of the front and rear gusset layers are joined to the respective front and rear panels to provide fastened layers at the stiffened corner portions.  
     
     
         3 . The bag of  claim 2 , wherein the fastened layers extend from tops of the front and rear panels in a range of length up to approximately 50% of bag height.  
     
     
         4 . The bag of  claim 2 , wherein the fastened layers extend from tops of the front and rear panels for a distance representing a major portion of bag height located above a fill line for material to be contained in the bag.  
     
     
         5 . The bag of  claim 2 , wherein the fastened layers are joined for a width of joining in the range of from less than ¼ inch to 2 inches.  
     
     
         6 . The bag of  claim 5 , wherein the fastened layers are spaced inwardly from the side edges of the front and rear panels.  
     
     
         7 . The bag of  claim 5 , wherein the fastened layers are spaced inwardly from the side edges of the front and rear panels by ¼ inch or less.  
     
     
         8 . The bag of  claim 5 , wherein the fastened layers extend inwardly from the side edges of the front and rear panels.  
     
     
         9 . The bag of  claim 6 , wherein the width of fastened layers is constant throughout the length thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The bag of  claim 8 , wherein the width of fastened layers is constant throughout the length thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The bag of  claim 9 , wherein the fastened layers are joined continuously throughout the length thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The bag of  claim 10 , wherein the fastened layers are joined continuously throughout the length thereof  
     
     
         13 . The bag of  claim 10 , wherein the fastened layers are joined intermittently throughout at least a portion of the length thereof  
     
     
         14 . The bag of  claim 8 , wherein the width of fastened layers tapers from a top width to a point of merger with the side edges of the front and rear panels.  
     
     
         15 . The bag of  claim 8 , wherein the width of fastened layers tapers from a bottom width to a point of merger with the side edges at the tops of the front and rear panels.  
     
     
         16 . The bag of  claim 1 , formed of fusible film and wherein the means for joining the front and rear gusset layers to the respective front and rear panels comprises fusion welds.  
     
     
         17 . A bag for containing flowable materials, comprising: 
 a front panel having top, bottom and side edges defining a front panel width and height;    a rear panel having top, bottom and side edges defining a rear panel width and height the same as the front panel width and height;    a pair of folded gussets extending between top and bottom gusset edges, each of the gussets having front and rear gusset layers joined at a central crease and a pair of outer gusset edges joined continuously along and to the side edges of the front and rear panels;    a bottom bag closure; and    means for joining top portions of the front and rear gusset layers to the respective front and rear panels along lines parallel to the joined side edges of the respective front and rear gusset layers and front and rear panels to provide stiffened double layer corner portions in the top portion of the bag.    
     
     
         18 . The bag of  claim 17 , wherein the folded gussets each have a length equal to the height of the front and rear panels, and a width equal to a major portion of one half the width of the front and rear panels.  
     
     
         19 . The bag of  claim 17 , wherein the bottom closure is formed by joining the bottom edges of the front and rear panels through the bottom gusset edges of both gusset layers.  
     
     
         20 . The bag of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 means for joining the front and rear gusset layers to the respective front and rear panels on diagonal lines extending from the bottom bag closure to the side edges of the front and rear panels so that, when the bag is filled, bottom portions of the gussets unfold and overlie folded bottom portions of the front and rear panels to define a square bag bottom.