Apparatus for Dispensing Plastic Bags

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing plastic bags is disclosed. The apparatus includes a dispensing rack having a base, opposing sides, and a front portion. The opposing sides include tracks that accommodate a spindle capable of being inserted through a core of a roll of plastic bags and into the tracks such that the roll of plastic bags is seated in the dispenser rack and rotatable with respect to the spindle. The front portion of the dispensing rack is formed with a tongue which engages with a slit between bags on a roll and causes a bag to separate along a perforation. The front portion of the dispensing rack may also be formed with wedges which angle downward from the sides of the dispensing rack toward a lower portion of the tongue. When a bag is detached, the wedges catch the next bag and hold the next bag in place.

1 . A dispensing rack for dispensing bags, comprising:
 a base;   a spindle capable of being inserted through a core of a roll of bags;   opposing sides attached to the base and formed with opposing tracks to accommodate the spindle such that a roll of plastic bags on the spindle is seated in the dispensing rack and rotatable with respect to the spindle; and   a front portion comprising:
 a tongue positioned to engage with a slit between bags on a roll to cause a bag to be separated from the roll along a perforation, and 
 wedges positioned to form nooks on opposite sides of the tongue to catch a next bag from the roll of plastic bags when a bag is detached from the roll of plastic bags and hold the next bag in place. 
   
     
     
         2 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , wherein each wedge is attached to a respective one of the opposing sides of the dispensing rack and angles downward from the respective opposing side toward a lower portion of the tongue. 
     
     
         3 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , wherein the wedges angle upward from a lower portion of the tongue such that a distance between the tongue and the wedges increases toward the top of the tongue. 
     
     
         4 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , wherein the wedges are attached to opposite sides of a lower portion of the tongue and the nooks are formed where the wedges meet the tongue. 
     
     
         5 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , wherein the wedges are attached to a bottom of the front portion of the dispensing rack forming the nooks as gaps between the wedges and a lower portion of the tongue. 
     
     
         6 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a resistance bar connected between the opposing sides and positioned to contact a roll of plastic bags seated within the dispensing rack and provide resistance to the roll of plastic bags when the roll of plastic bags is rotated with respect to the spindle.   
     
     
         7 . The dispensing rack of  claim 5 , wherein as bags are dispensed from the roll of plastic bags and a size of the roll of plastic bags decreases, the spindle lowers within the tracks in the opposing sides of the dispensing rack to maintain contact between the roll of plastic bags and the resistance bar. 
     
     
         8 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , further comprising a vertical mounting plate attached to a vertical portion of the base. 
     
     
         9 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , further comprising a horizontal mounting plate attached to a horizontal portion of the base. 
     
     
         10 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a horizontal bottom portion and a vertical back portion that are perpendicular with respect to each other, the opposing sides are connected at an angle with respect to the horizontal bottom portion of the base such that top portions of the opposing sides are not parallel to the horizontal bottom portion of the base, and the tracks are perpendicular with respect to the top portions of the opposing sides. 
     
     
         11 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , wherein the spindle comprises stoppers at opposite ends of the spindle, wherein a diameter of the stoppers are smaller than a diameter of the core of the roll of plastic bags and larger than a width of the tracks. 
     
     
         12 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a chain attaching the spindle to the base.   
     
     
         13 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , wherein the base in substantially “L”-shaped comprising a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, the opposing sides are semi-circular, and a curved portion of each opposing side attaches between the horizontal portion and the vertical portion of the base. 
     
     
         14 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , wherein the wedges are angled toward a lower portion of the tongue to guide a bag being pulled from the dispenser rack such that a slit between the bag and a next bag on the roll of bags catches on the tongue. 
     
     
         15 . The dispensing rack of  claim 1 , wherein the wedges crinkle the next bag caught in the nooks to initiate separation between the front and back panels of the next bag to make the next bag easier to open when detached from the dispensing rack. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus comprising:
 a roll of plastic bags comprising a hollow core and a plurality of plastic bags wound around the core, wherein the plastic bags are attached to each other with a perforation separating adjacent bags and a slit is formed in a portion of each perforation; and   a dispenser for dispensing the plastic bags, the dispenser comprising:
 a base; 
 a spindle inserted through the core of the roll of plastic bags, 
 opposing sides attached to the base and formed with opposing tracks to accommodate the spindle such that the roll of plastic bags on the spindle is seated in the dispensing rack and rotatable with respect to the spindle, and 
 a front portion comprising:
 a tongue positioned to engage with the slit between adjacent bags on the roll of plastic bags to cause a bag to be separated a next bag on the roll of plastic bags along the perforation separating the bag and the next bag, and 
 wedges positioned to form nooks on opposite sides of the tongue to catch the next bag when the bag is detached from the roll of plastic bags and hold the next bag in place. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the core is flush with sides of the roll of plastic bags formed by the plurality of plastic bags wound around the core. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the dispensing rack further includes a resistance bar connected between the opposing sides and positioned to contact the roll of plastic bags provide resistance to the roll of plastic bags when the roll of plastic bags is rotated with respect to the spindle, and as bags are dispensed from the roll of plastic bags and a size of the roll of plastic bags decreases, the spindle lowers within the tracks in the opposing sides of the dispensing rack to maintain contact between the roll of plastic bags and the resistance bar. 
     
     
         19 . A method of dispensing plastic bags from a dispenser comprising:
 pulling on a first bag on a roll of bags that is rotatably seated in a dispenser;   catching a slit formed in a perforation between the first bag and a second bag on the roll of bags on a tongue of the dispenser;   causing by the tongue the first bag to be detached from the roll of bags along the perforation between the first bag and the second bag as the first bag is pulled; and   catching the second bag in nooks formed by wedges of the dispenser on opposite sides of the tongue such that portions of the second bag protrude from the nooks.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 pulling on the portions of the second bag;   catching a slit formed in a perforation between the second bag and a third bag on the roll of bags on the tongue;   causing by the tongue the second bag to be detached from the roll of bags along the perforation between the second bag and the third bag as the second bag is pulled; and   catching the third bag in the nooks such that portions of the third bag protrude from the nooks.