# US 2010/0166340 A1 · Pack of unfolded plastic bags > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0166340 A1 - Document ID: US20100166340A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/319,093 - Filed: 2008-12-31 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-31 - Assignees: Ips Industries, Inc. - Inventors: Robert D. Bailey; Jack Randal Wilkerson; Tien Tjiu Tan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100166340A1 ## CPC - B65D 33/001: {Blocks, stacks or like assemblies of bags} - B65D 33/065: {Integral handles (B65D33/08 takes precedence)} - B31B 70/982: {involving folding of the bags} - B31B 2155/00: Flexible containers made from webs - B31B 2155/0012: {having their openings facing in the direction of movement} - B31B 2155/003: {starting from tubular webs} - B31B 2160/10: rectangular and flat, i.e. without structural provision for thickness of contents - B31B 2160/106: {obtained from sheets cut from larger sheets or webs before finishing the bag forming operations} - B31B 2170/10: interconnected - 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 - 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) ## Abstract In an embodiment of the invention, a bottom seal of a plastic bag is strengthened by welding together 8 layers of plastic film. In one respect, an embodiment of the invention provides a bag pack that includes multiple T-shirt style plastic bags. The bag pack may be manufactured by folding a 4-layered structure into an 8-layered structure, welding a bottom edge, and then unfolding the 8-layered structure before stacking 4-layered bags into a bag pack. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A bag pack including a plurality of plastic T-shirt style bags, each of the plurality of plastic T-shirt style bags comprising: a body at least partially open on a top end, the body having substantially four layers, the four layers being a front layer, a rear layer, and two gusset layers, each of the two gusset layers being disposed between the front layer and the rear layer; a first handle and a second handle coupled to a top end of the body, a mouth being defined on the top end between the first handle and the second handle; and a first internal rib and a second internal rib coupled to the four layers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The bag pack of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second internal ribs are substantially triangular in shape, the first internal rib intersecting the second internal rib, a plane of the first internal rib being substantially orthogonal to a plane of the second internal rib when each of the plurality of T-shirt style bags is removed from the bag pack and opened. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The bag pack of claim 1, further comprising a center tab disposed on the mouth of each of the plurality of plastic T-shirt style bags. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The bag pack of claim 3, further comprising a hanging aperture disposed in the center tab, the hanging aperture configured to receive a first hanging portion of a dispensing rack. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The bag pack of claim 2, wherein the center tab includes a frangible portion, the frangible portion configured to tear when a bag is dispensed from a dispensing rack such that the center tab is retained with the plastic T-shirt style bag rather than the dispensing rack. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The bag pack of claim 1, further comprising a first slit in the first handle and a second slit in the second handle, the first slit and the second slit configured to receive a first and second handing portion of a dispensing rack, respectively. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The bag pack of claim 1, wherein a weld at a bottom of the body includes 8 layers of plastic film. ### Claim 8 A bag pack, the bag pack formed by a process comprising: forming a plurality of gusseted side walls in a polyethylene tube to produce a gusseted portion, each of the plurality of gusseted side walls substantially meeting in a center of the polyethylene tube, the gusseted portion being a 4-layered structure; folding the gusseted portion along a longitudinal axis to produce a folded portion, the folded portion being an 8-layered structure; welding a bottom edge of the folded portion to produce a bottom weld; cutting the folded portion to separate a folded bag from the folded portion, the folded bag including the bottom weld, the folded bag having 8 layers; welding at least a portion of a top edge of the folded bag; at least partially unfolding the folded bag to produce an unfolded bag; and stacking the unfolded bag onto another unfolded bag to produce a pack of uncut bags. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The bag pack of claim 8, wherein welding the bottom edge is a contact welding process. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The bag pack of claim 8, wherein cutting and welding at least the portion of the top edge are performed simultaneously. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The bag pack of claim 8, wherein welding at least the portion of the top edge of the folded bag includes preventing a weld between two middle layers of the 8 layers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The bag pack of claim 11, wherein preventing the weld between the two middle layers of the 8 layers includes inserting a separator between the two middle layers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The bag pack of claim 11, wherein the separator is a metallic component having an anti-stick coating. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The bag pack of claim 13, wherein the separator is Teflon-coated steel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The bag pack of claim 11, further comprising, before the folding, applying a non-stick ink to a predefined portion of a top surface of the gusseted portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The bag pack of claim 15, wherein the non-stick ink includes a mold release agent. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The bag pack of claim 8, wherein at least partially unfolding the folded bag includes flattening the unfolded bag. ### Claim 18 (depends on 8) The bag pack of claim 8, further comprising forming at least one alignment hole prior to the stacking. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The bag pack of claim 18, wherein forming the at least one alignment hole includes punching the at least one alignment hole in the folded bag. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The bag pack of claim 18, wherein forming the at least one alignment hole includes punching the at least one alignment hole in the unfolded bag.