Draw Tape Bag

A roll of draw tape bags comprising:

• a plurality of bags, each bag including a first sidewall, a second sidewall joined to the first sidewall so as to define a closed bottom end, a first edge, a second edge, and an open top end;
• the plurality of bags arranged to define a length with the first sealed edge of at least one bag joined to the second sealed edge of an adjacent bag;
• at least one of the sidewalls forming a hem extending along the open top end disposed opposite the bottom end, the hem including one or more draw tape notches;
• a pliable thermoplastic draw tape in an extended state housed within the hem;
• a strip of elastic material having a relaxed condition and a stretched condition, the elastic strip stretched lengthwise under tension to an expanded stretched length;
• a first discrete region and a second discrete region along the length of the elastic strip attached in the stretched expanded length condition to a first discrete region and a second discrete region of the draw tape in the extended state;
• wherein the length of the plurality of bags is rolled together about an axis normal to the first and second edges of the bags to form a roll, the roll being perforated and continuous or interleaved, whereby the roll prevents some attached elastic strips from returning to the relaxed condition.

A draw tape bag comprising:

• a pair of pliable thermoplastic body panels joined to each other along a pair of opposing sides and a bottom bridging the opposing sides, at least one of the body panels forming a hem extending along a mouth end disposed opposite the bottom, the hem including one or more draw tape notches;
• a pliable thermoplastic draw tape in an extended state housed within the hem, the draw tape being partially exposed by the respective draw tape notches which allow the draw tape to be pulled therethrough to close the bag and to be used as a handle;
• and
• a stretched elastomeric strip having a first end and a second end wherein the first and second ends are connected to a first portion and a second portion respectively of an extended section of the draw tape.

A method of manufacturing draw tape bags, comprising:

• forming a flattened thermoplastic tube in a machine direction;
• dividing the thermoplastic tube into first and second portions along a dividing line extending in the machine direction, each of the portions including a pair of pliable thermoplastic sheets joined to each other along a bottom disposed in the machine direction, the sheets being separable from each other along a mouth end formed opposite the bottom;
• forming a hem on at least one of the sheets along the mouth end;
• forming draw tape notches in the hem at regular distance intervals corresponding to a desired width of the draw tape bags;
• inserting a pliable thermoplastic, extended draw tape into the hem, a stretched elastomeric strip having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends being connected to a first section and a second section of the draw tape respectively;
• and
• sealing the sheets to each other along side seal structures generally transverse to the machine direction to create individual draw tape bags.