Disposable bags with integral tie strips

Abstract

A disposable bag can include a first side wall, a second side wall, and a tie strip secured to the second side wall. The first and second side walls can have top edges that define an opening of the bag therebetween, and the tie strip can be secured adjacent to the opening. The top edge of the second side wall can extend beyond the top edge of the first side wall to define a flap, and the tie strip can be secured to the flap. The bags disclosed herein can be easy to open, they can be easy to tie with the tie strips, the tie strips can also be used as a handle by the consumer and text can be written on them, and the bags and the tie strips together can be readily reprocessed, including composting and/or recycling.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A disposable bag, comprising:
 a first side wall;   a second side wall; and   a tie strip secured to the second side wall.   
     
     
         2 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second side walls have top edges that define an opening of the bag therebetween, and the tie strip is secured adjacent to the opening. 
     
     
         3 . The bag of  claim 2 , wherein the top edge of the second side wall extends beyond the top edge of the first side wall to define a flap. 
     
     
         4 . The bag of  claim 3 , wherein the tie strip is secured to an inner surface of the flap. 
     
     
         5 . The bag of  claim 4 , wherein the tie strip is loosely adhered to the inner surface of the flap. 
     
     
         6 . The bag of  claim 4 , wherein the tie strip is secured to the inner surface of the flap with adhesive. 
     
     
         7 . The bag of  claim 3 , wherein the tie strip is secured to the flap with at least one weld. 
     
     
         8 . The bag of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one weld is positioned intermediate of a width of the bag. 
     
     
         9 . The bag of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one weld is positioned intermediate of a height of the flap. 
     
     
         10 . The bag of  claim 2 , wherein the flap is the tie strip and is separatable from the remainder of the bag. 
     
     
         11 . The bag of  claim 10 , wherein the flap is formed of two layers of the second side wall, joined together by a heat seal. 
     
     
         12 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein a width of the tie strip is about equal to a width of the bag. 
     
     
         13 . The bag of  claim 2 , comprising a second tie strip that is secured adjacent to the opening. 
     
     
         14 . The bag of  claim 13 , wherein the tie strips are positioned in parallel along the flap. 
     
     
         15 . The bag of  claim 13 , wherein widths of the tie strips are each about equal to a width of the bag. 
     
     
         16 . The bag of  claim 13 , wherein the first side wall, the second side wall, and the tie strips are joined by a heat seal positioned adjacent to a first side edge of the bag. 
     
     
         17 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second side walls are joined by a heat seal to define first and second side seams that are positioned adjacent to respective first and second side edges of the bag. 
     
     
         18 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein a fold between the first and second side walls defines a bottom edge of the bag. 
     
     
         19 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of a side edge and a bottom edge of the bag comprises a gusseted seam. 
     
     
         20 . The bag of  claim 1 , comprising at least one perforation line for removing the tie strip from a remainder of the bag. 
     
     
         21 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer, the second layer and the tie strip are each formed of a biodegradable plastic material, a compostable plastic material, and/or a recyclable plastic material. 
     
     
         22 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer, the second layer and the tie strip are each formed of at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), polystyrene (PS), polyester (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPT), copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the tie strip comprises at least one of a monoaxially oriented and biaxially oriented polymer. 
     
     
         24 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the tie strip is formed of a different material than the first and second layers. 
     
     
         25 . The bag of  claim 24 , wherein the tie strip is formed of polypropylene, and the first and second layers are formed of polyethylene. 
     
     
         26 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer, the second layer and the tie strip each have a thickness of between 6 and 200 microns. 
     
     
         27 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the first layer, the second layer and the tie strip each have a thickness of between 10 and 25 microns. 
     
     
         28 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer is substantially transparent or translucent, and the tie strip is substantially translucent or opaque. 
     
     
         29 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the tie strip is colored. 
     
     
         30 . The bag of  claim 1 , wherein the tie strip comprises text. 
     
     
         31 . A roll comprising a plurality of the bag of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         32 . The roll of  claim 31 , comprising perforation lines arranged alongside side edges between adjacent ones of the bags. 
     
     
         33 . A plurality of disposable bags, comprising:
 a first side wall; and   a second side wall,   wherein each of the bags is formed as a tube in which the side walls are joined by a heat seal to provide a closed bottom edge,   wherein one of the bags comprises a first perforation line adjacent to the heat seal of the next bag that allows separation of the bag from the next bag, and   wherein the bag comprises a second perforation line adjacent to the first perforation line that defines a tie strip therebetween.   
     
     
         34 . A disposable bag, comprising:
 a first side wall; and   a second side wall;   wherein the first and second side walls have top edges that define an opening of the bag therebetween,   wherein the top edge of the second side wall extends beyond the top edge of the first side wall to define a flap,   wherein the flap comprises at least two layers and a heat seal extends at least partially across a width of the flap to hold the at least two layers together, and   wherein the flap is separatable from the remainder of the bag to serve as a tie strip.