# US 11,298,914 B2 · Apparatus and methods for fabricating tote bags

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- Number: US 11,298,914 B2
- Document ID: US11298914B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/695,275
- Filed: 2019-11-26
- Published: 2020-05-28
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2018-11-26
- Assignees: Freedom, Inc.
- Applicants: Freedom Corp
- Inventors: Paul Fleming
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298914B2

## CPC

- B29C 66/8511: {Bag making machines}
- B32B 5/022: {Non-woven fabric}
- B29C 66/43: {Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles (B29C66/45 takes precedence)}
- B29C 66/431: {Joining the articles to themselves (B29C66/4322 and B29C66/4332 take precedence)}
- B29C 66/472: {said single elements being substantially flat}
- B29C 66/71: {characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125)}
- B29C 66/723: {being multi-layered (B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence)}
- B29C 66/7294: {Non woven mats, e.g. felt}
- B29C 66/72941: {coated}
- B29C 66/73921: {characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics}
- B29C 66/929: {characterized by specific pressure, force, mechanical power or displacement values or ranges}
- B29C 66/9513: {characterised by specific vibration frequency values or ranges}
- B31B 70/642: {using sealing jaws or sealing dies}
- B31B 70/88: Printing; Embossing
- B32B 3/08: characterised by added members at particular parts {(layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B3/14, B32B3/18)}
- B32B 27/12: next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
- B32B 27/32: comprising polyolefins {(comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30)}
- B41M 5/0064: {on plastics, horn, rubber, or other organic polymers}
- B41M 5/035: by sublimation or volatilisation of {pre-printed} design {, e.g. sublistatic (B41M5/0256 takes precedence; printing on textiles D06P5/00)}
- B65D 29/02: {Sacks with laminated or multiple walls}
- D06P 5/004: {using subliming dyes}
- B29C 65/02: by heating, with or without pressure
- B29C 65/08: using ultrasonic vibrations {(non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645)}
- B29C 65/081: {having a component of vibration not perpendicular to the welding surface}
- B29C 65/082: {Angular, i.e. torsional ultrasonic welding}
- B29C 66/73713: {bi-axially or multi-axially}
- B29C 66/81463: {comprising a plurality of single pressing elements, e.g. a plurality of sonotrodes, or comprising a plurality of single counter-pressing elements, e.g. a plurality of anvils, said plurality of said single elements being suitable for making a single joint}
- B29C 2795/00: Printing on articles made from plastics or substances in a plastic state
- B29C 2795/002: before shaping
- B29K 2105/26: Scrap {or recycled material}
- B29L 2017/001: {Carriers of records containing fine grooves or impressions, e.g. disc records for needle playback, cylinder records}
- B29L 2031/463: {Grips, handles (handgrips as part of the body finishing of the vehicles B29L2031/3029)}
- B29L 2031/7129: {open}
- B32B 38/145: {Printing}
- B32B 2250/02: 2 layers
- B32B 2262/0253: Polyolefin fibres
- B32B 2262/0284: Polyethylene terephthalate [PET] or polybutylene terephthalate [PBT]
- B32B 2307/402: Coloured
- B32B 2307/518: bi-axially
- B32B 2307/75: Printability
- B32B 2310/028: using vibration, e.g. sonic or ultrasonic
- B32B 2439/02: Open containers
- B41F 5/00: Rotary letterpress machines {(office printing machines B41L15/00)}
- B41F 5/24: for flexographic printing
- B41F 17/00: Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for
- B41F 17/002: {Supports of workpieces in machines for printing on hollow articles}
- B41M 1/04: Flexographic printing
- B41M 1/12: Stencil printing; Silk-screen printing
- B41M 1/30: on organic plastics, horn or similar materials {(recording sheets having a coating to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity B41M5/50; marking or recording on plastic by irradiation with electromagnetic beams, e.g. laser, B41M5/267)}
- B41M 5/0052: {by thermal printing}
- B41M 5/52: Macromolecular coatings
- B65D 65/40: Applications of laminates for particular packaging purposes {(B65D1/0215, B65D1/28, B65D3/22, B65D5/0281, B65D5/563, B65D9/30, B65D29/02, B65D31/02, B65D75/26, B65D77/2024, B65D81/1275, B65D81/3811, B65D81/3823, B65D81/3834, B65D81/3846, B65D81/3858, B65D81/3874, B65D81/3886, B65D81/3897 take precedence; laminates per se or laminated packages characterised by the composition or)}
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- B31B: MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER (making wound articles, e.g. wound tubes, B31C; combined making and filling B65B)
- B41M: PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING, (correction of typographical errors B41J; processes for applying transfer pictures or the like B44C1/16; fluid media for correction of typographical errors by coating C09D10/00; printing textiles D06P)
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- D06P: DYEING OR PRINTING TEXTILES; DYEING LEATHER, FURS OR SOLID MACROMOLECULAR SUBSTANCES IN ANY FORM
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- B41F: PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES (manifolding devices or office printing machines B41L)

## Abstract

In one method, a piece of nonwoven PET or PP fabric is formed into a tote bag using a bag forming device. Seams of the tote bag are ultrasonically welded using an ultrasonic bag welding device. The ultrasonic bag welding device includes at least one sonotrode. In another method, BOPP film is received and a full-color graphic is printed on the BOPP film for each tote bag using a printer. The printed BOPP film is received from the printer and nonwoven PP or PET fabric is received from a roll of nonwoven PP or PET fabric using a laminator. The printed BOPP film is laminated to the nonwoven PP or PET fabric. The printed BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric is received from the laminator and a finished version of each tote bag is produced using an ultrasonic bag welding device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Apparatus for manufacturing tote bags from nonwoven polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric, comprising:
a bag forming device that forms at least one piece of nonwoven PET fabric into at least one tote bag;
an ultrasonic bag welding device that ultrasonically welds at least one seam of the at least one tote bag using at least one sonotrode operated to produce a frequency greater than or equal to 20 kHz and pressure greater than or equal to 2,500 N.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a dye sublimation printer that prints an image on the at least one piece of the nonwoven PET fabric.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a silkscreen printer that prints an image on the at least one piece of the nonwoven PET fabric.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flexographic printer that prints an image on the at least one piece of the nonwoven PET fabric.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one piece of the nonwoven PET fabric includes recycled plastic.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one piece of nonwoven PET fabric includes a biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film laminated to the at least one piece of nonwoven PET fabric.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising an ultraviolet (UV) printer that prints an image on the BOPP film of the at least one piece of the nonwoven PET fabric.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flexographic printer that prints an image on the BOPP film of the at least one piece of the nonwoven PET fabric.

### Claim 9

Apparatus for manufacturing full-color graphic printed tote bags made from biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film laminated to spunbond nonwoven polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric in one process in which at least one full-color graphic is printed on the BOPP film before lamination, comprising:
a printer that receives BOPP film from a roll of BOPP film and prints at least one full-color graphic on the BOPP film for each of a plurality of tote bags;
a laminator that receives the printed BOPP film from the printer as the printed BOPP film is being printed, receives nonwoven PP or PET fabric from a roll of nonwoven PP or PET fabric, and laminates the printed BOPP film to the nonwoven PP or PET fabric as the printed BOPP film is received from the printer; and
an ultrasonic bag welding device that receives the printed BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric from the laminator as the printed BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric is being laminated, and that produces a finished version of each of the plurality of tote bags by
cutting the printed BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric for the each tote bag,
cutting part of the printed BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric for handles for the each tote bag,
ultrasonically welding the handles to the each tote bag,
forming the each tote bag, and
ultrasonically welding together seams for the each tote bag.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the nonwoven PP or PET fabric is spunbond nonwoven PP or PET fabric.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the printer, the laminator and the ultrasonic bag welding device are operated to produce a finished version of each of the plurality of tote bags at a rate of at least one tote bag per second.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the roll of BOPP film is at least 700 meters long.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the ultrasonic bag welding device further folds the handles and sides for each tote bag before ultrasonically welding the handles to the each tote bag and ultrasonically welding together seams for the each tote bag.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein if the nonwoven PP or PET fabric is PET fabric, the ultrasonic bag welding device performs the steps of ultrasonically welding the handles to the each tote bag and ultrasonically welding together seams for the each tote bag by using at least one sonotrode operated to produce a frequency greater than or equal to 20 kHz and a pressure greater than or equal to 2,500 N.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the printer comprises a flexographic printer.

### Claim 16

Apparatus for manufacturing full-color graphic printed tote bags made from biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film laminated to spunbond nonwoven polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric in one process in which at least one full-color graphic is printed on the BOPP film after lamination, comprising:
a laminator that receives BOPP film from a roll of BOPP film, receives nonwoven PP or PET fabric from a roll of nonwoven PP or PET fabric, and laminates the BOPP film to the nonwoven PP or PET fabric as the BOPP film is received from the roll of BOPP film;
a printer that receives the BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric from the laminator and prints at least one full-color graphic on the BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric as the BOPP film is laminated to the nonwoven PP or PET fabric for each of a plurality of tote bags; and
an ultrasonic bag welding device that receives the printed BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric from the printer as the printed BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric is being printed, and that produces a finished version of each of the plurality of tote bags by
cutting the printed BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric for the each tote bag,
cutting part of the printed BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric for handles for the each tote bag,
ultrasonically welding the handles to the each tote bag,
forming the each tote bag, and
ultrasonically welding together seams for the each tote bag.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the laminator, the printer, and the ultrasonic bag welding device are operated to produce a finished version of each of the plurality of tote bags at a rate of at least one tote bag per second.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the roll of BOPP film is at least 700 meters long.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the ultrasonic bag welding device further folds the handles and sides for each tote bag before ultrasonically welding the handles to the each tote bag and ultrasonically welding together seams for the each tote bag.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein if the nonwoven PP or PET fabric is PET fabric, the ultrasonic bag welding device performs the steps of ultrasonically welding the handles to the each tote bag and ultrasonically welding together seams for the each tote bag by using at least one sonotrode operated to produce a frequency greater than or equal to 20 kHz and a pressure greater than or equal to 2,500 N.