PRODUCE BAG DISPENSER WITH BAG OPENING DEVICE
Described is a produce bag dispenser with a bag opening device. The bag opening device helps a customer in a retail store to open a produce bag as the produce bag is being removed from the produce bag dispenser. The bag opening device includes a sleeve and a friction plate with a frictional element. The sleeve attaches the bag opening device to the produce bag dispenser. The friction plate, with a frictional element such as rubber or other sticky or gritty material on it, is positioned below the bag separator of the produce bag dispenser. As the customer separates one bag from the roll of produce bags with the bag separator, they slide the bag along the frictional element of the friction plate, which opens the bag for the customer as the bag is separated from the roll of produce bags.
This application claims priority to United States provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/693,549, filed Jul. 3, 2018 and entitled “Produce Bag Dispenser with Bag Opening Device”, which is incorporated entirely herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical FieldThis invention relates to produce bag dispensers in retail stores, and specifically to a bag opening device that couples to a produce bag dispenser and helps open a produce bag as the produce bag is being removed from the dispenser.
State of the ArtProduce bag dispensers are often provided by grocery retail stores in the produce section and are used to dispense plastic produce bags. A roll of plastic produce bags is loaded onto the produce dispenser. Customers remove one bag at a time to load with produce purchases. The produce bag dispensers have a mechanical bag separator to help separate one bag at a time from the roll. But it can be difficult and time-consuming for the consumer to open a dispensed produce bag once the bag is separated, because the sides of the produce bag stick together.
Accordingly, what is needed is a bag opening device for a produce bag dispenser that helps a customer open the produce bag as well as removing the bag from the dispenser.
As discussed above, embodiments of the invention relate to produce bag dispensers in retail stores, and specifically to a bag opening device that couples to a produce bag dispenser and helps open the produce bag as it is being removed from the dispenser. Produce bag dispensers are used in produce sections of retail stores to supply customers with bags for the produce they are purchasing. The produce bags are on rolls that are mounted to the produce bag dispensers. The produce bag dispensers have a bag separator that helps customers separate one bag at a time from the roll. Once the produce bag is separated from the produce bag dispenser, however, it can be difficult and tedious for the customer to open the produce bag, because the plastic sides of the produce bag tend to stick together. Disclosed is a produce bag dispenser that includes a bag opening device. The bag opening device includes a frictional element that the customer can use to rub the produce bag against to separate the front side of the produce bag from the back side of the produce bag. This allows the customer to open the produce bag as they are removing the produce bag from the dispenser. Being able to remove an opened produce bag from the dispenser saves the customer time and reduces customer frustration.
The bag opening device removably attaches to the bag separator of the produce bag dispenser. The bag opening device includes a sleeve with a first opening and a second opening. The bag separator slides into the second opening until a separator hook of the bag separator extends from the first opening. A friction plate with a frictional element is coupled to the sleeve. The separator hook is used to separate a bag from the roll of produce bags. The friction plate with frictional element is positioned below the separator hook. A frictional element is also mounted to a top surface of the sleeve. A customer slides a produce bag along the frictional element, separating the sides of the plastic bag from each other and opening the bag. The open bag is removed from the bag dispenser using the separator hook. The customer has an open produce bag to use. The bag opening device eliminates the frustration of trying to open the plastic bag, while not interfering with the bag separation capabilities of the bag dispenser.
A bag separator 130 is coupled to frame 112, as best seen in
Bag separator 130 includes a separator plate 132 and a separator corner 136 coupled to separator plate 132, best seen in
Bag opening device 120 is coupled to bag separator 130, see
Bag opening device 120 is coupled to bag separator 130 to couple bag opening device 120 to produce bag dispenser 110. Bag opening device 120 is used by a customer to open a produce bag while the produce bag is being removed from roll of produce bags 116 on produce bag dispenser 110. Sleeve 150 couples bag opening device 120 to bag separator 130. Friction plate 190 is positioned below separator corner 136 of produce bag dispenser 110 once sleeve 150 and bag opening device 120 are coupled to bag separator 130, see
Bag opening device 120 is removably coupled to produce bag dispenser 110 in this embodiment, so that bag opening device 120 can be retrofitted on existing produce bag dispensers and added or removed as desired.
Sleeve 150 of bag opening device 120 is designed to slip over separator plate 132, with separator corner 136 extending out of a first opening 152 of sleeve 150 of bag opening device 120, as shown in
Sleeve 150 includes a sleeve plate 156, a first flange 168, and a second flange 178, as shown in
First flange 168 is coupled to first leg side 162 of sleeve plate 156, as shown in
First flange bottom plate 172 is a plate of rigid material that is coupled to first flange side plate 170. First flange bottom plate 172 is perpendicular to first flange side plate 170, and parallel to sleeve plate 156 and sleeve plate plane 166. First flange bottom plate 172 lies in a bottom plate plane 174, see
Second flange 178 is coupled to second leg side 164 of sleeve plate 156, as shown in
Second flange bottom plate 188 is coupled to second flange side plate 180. Second flange bottom plate 188 is perpendicular to second flange side plate 180, and parallel to sleeve plate 156 and sleeve plate plane 166. Second flange bottom plate 188 lies in bottom plate plane 174, see
Sleeve channel 182 is defined by sleeve plate 156 and first and second flange 168 and 178, see
Bag opening device 120 also includes friction plate 190 coupled to sleeve 150, and frictional element 196 coupled to friction plate 190.
Friction plate 190 is a flat plate of rigid material, rectangular shaped in this embodiment. Friction plate 190 is coupled to sleeve 150, forming a friction plate angle 184 between sleeve 150 (specifically bottom plate plane 174) and friction plate 190 (specifically friction plate plane 194), see
Friction plate 190 is coupled to sleeve 150. Friction plate 190 has a friction plate front surface 198, see
Friction plate 190 is coupled to sleeve 150 using a first flange coupling plate 176 and a second flange coupling plate 186 (
Frictional element 196 is coupled to friction plate front surface 198 of friction plate 190 (
A bag opening device has been shown and described. The bag opening device couples to a produce bag dispenser in a retail store and helps to open the produce bag as the produce bag is being removed from the produce bag dispenser. The bag opening device includes a sleeve and a friction plate with a frictional element. The sleeve couples the bag opening device to the produce bag dispenser. The friction plate, with a frictional element such as rubber or other sticky or gritty material on it, is positioned below the bag separator of the produce bag dispenser. As a customer separates one bag from the roll of produce bags with the bag separator, they slide the bag along the frictional element of the friction plate, which opens the bag for the customer as the bag is separated from the roll of produce bags. The produce bag dispenser with the bag opening device provides a means to both separate one produce bag from the roll and open the produce bag for the customer.
The embodiments and examples set forth herein were presented in order to best explain the present invention and its practical application and to thereby enable those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the foregoing description and examples have been presented for the purposes of illustration and example only. The description as set forth is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teachings above.
Claims
1. A produce bag dispenser comprising:
- a frame;
- a spindle rotatingly coupled to the frame, wherein the spindle is configured to hold a roll of produce bags;
- a bag separator coupled to the frame, wherein the bag separator comprises: a separator plate of rigid material lying in a plate plane; and a separator corner extending from the separator plate, wherein the separator corner lies in a separator corner plane, and wherein a separator corner angle between the separator corner plane and the plate plane is between about 60 degrees and about 120 degrees;
- and
- a bag opening device removably coupled to the bag separator, wherein the bag opening device comprises: a sleeve that slides over the separator plate to couple the bag opening device to the bag separator, wherein the sleeve has a first opening and a second opening, and wherein the separator corner extends through the first opening; a friction plate coupled to the sleeve, wherein a plane angle between the friction plate and the separator corner is greater than about 90 degrees and less than or equal to about 180 degrees; and a frictional element coupled to the friction plate.
2. The produce bag dispenser of claim 1, wherein the sleeve has a trapezoid shape in top view.
3. The produce bag dispenser of claim 2, wherein the sleeve has an isosceles trapezoid shape in the top view.
4. The produce bag dispenser of claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises:
- a trapezoid shaped sleeve plate having a first base side, a second base side opposing the first base side, a first leg side, and a second leg side opposing the first leg side;
- a first flange coupled to the first leg side;
- a second flange coupled to the second leg side; and
- a sleeve channel defined by the sleeve plate and the first and the second flange, wherein the separator plate slides into the sleeve channel through the second opening.
5. The produce bag dispenser of claim 4, wherein a first flange coupling plate couples the friction plate to the first flange, and wherein a second flange coupling plate couples the friction plate to the second flange.
6. The produce bag dispenser of claim 4, wherein the first flange comprises:
- a first flange side plate coupled to the first leg side, wherein the first flange side plate is perpendicular to the sleeve plate; and
- a first flange bottom plate coupled to the first flange side plate, wherein the first flange bottom plate is perpendicular to the first flange side plate, and wherein the first flange bottom plate lies in a bottom plate plane.
7. The produce bag dispenser of claim 6, wherein the sleeve plate is parallel to the bottom plate plane.
8. The produce bag dispenser of claim 6, wherein the first opening in the sleeve is between the first base side and the bottom plate plane, and wherein the second opening in the sleeve is between the second base side and the bottom plate plane.
9. The produce bag dispenser of claim 1, wherein the plane angle is between about 120 degrees and about 170 degrees.
10. The produce bag dispenser of claim 1, wherein the friction plate and the separator corner are coplanar.
11. The produce bag dispenser of claim 1, wherein the frictional element is coupled to a friction plate front surface.
12. The produce bag dispenser of claim 1, wherein a friction plate angle between the sleeve and the friction plate is between about 90 degrees and about 150 degrees.
13. The produce bag dispenser of claim 1, wherein the separator corner angle is about 90 degrees.
14. A bag opening device for a produce bag dispenser, the bag opening device comprising:
- a sleeve comprising: a trapezoid shaped sleeve plate of rigid material lying in a sleeve plate plane and having a first base side, a second base side opposing the first base side, a first leg side, and a second leg side opposing the first leg side; a first flange coupled to the first leg side, wherein the first flange comprises: a first flange side plate coupled to the first leg side, wherein the first flange side plate is perpendicular to the sleeve plate; and a first flange bottom plate coupled to the first flange side plate, wherein the first flange bottom plate is perpendicular to the first flange side plate, and wherein the first flange bottom plate lies in a bottom plate plane; a second flange coupled to the second leg side, wherein the second flange comprises: a second flange side plate coupled to the second leg side, wherein the second flange side plate is perpendicular to the sleeve plate; and a second flange bottom plate coupled to the second flange side plate, wherein the second flange bottom plate is perpendicular to the second flange side plate, and wherein the second flange bottom plate lies in the bottom plate plane; a sleeve channel defined by the sleeve plate and the first and the second flange; a first opening into the sleeve channel between the first base side and the bottom plate plane; and a second opening into the sleeve channel between the second base side and the bottom plate plane;
- a friction plate coupled to the sleeve;
- and
- a frictional element coupled to the friction plate.
15. The bag opening device of claim 14, wherein the friction plate is a flat plate of rigid material, and wherein a friction plate angle between the bottom plate plane of the sleeve and the friction plate is between about 100 degrees and about 140 degrees.
16. The bag opening device of claim 14, wherein the frictional element is coupled to a friction plate front surface, and wherein a first flange coupling plate is coupled to a friction plate rear surface and the first flange.
17. The bag opening device of claim 16, wherein the friction plate is coupled to the second flange with a second flange coupling plate.
18. The bag opening device of claim 14, wherein the sleeve plate is isosceles trapezoid shaped.
19. The bag opening device of claim 14, wherein the friction plate is rectangular shaped in front view.
20. The bag opening device of claim 14, wherein the sleeve plate plane is parallel to the bottom plate plane.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 6, 2019
Publication Date: Jan 9, 2020
Inventors: Jacob Krause (Ward, AR), Yurgis Mauro Bacallao (Centerton, AR)
Application Number: 16/433,544