Appeal No. 1999-2092 Page 6
Application No. 08/798,718
from the outlet port 28. As will soon be described, the
opening means 22 is operative for tearing the bag body 12
to separate the outlet extension 30 from the outlet port
28 to thereby open the outlet port 28 to permit drainage
of the fluid from the main body portion 26 of the
internal fluid chamber 14.
The material of sheets 13 and 15 in the area of
outlet port 28 at the base of outlet extension 30 is not
weakened by a score line or similar means to maintain the
sealed integrity of the outlet extensions until the
tearing operation is performed.
While the outlet port 28 and associated outlet
extension 30 may be variously located on the bag body 12,
in the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5 and
6, the bag body 12 includes seams 36, 38 and 39 which
define, respectively, the top peripheral edge and the
opposite peripheral side edges of the bag 10. Another
seam 54 extends from the side seam 39 in a path below and
generally parallel to the top edge seam 36, and generally
defines the uppermost extent of the main body portion 26
of the internal fluid chamber 14. Seam 54 terminates in a
spaced relationship from the side seam 38, and seam 55
thereafter extends in a generally upwardly sloping path
from seam 54 until the top edge seam 36 is joined. By
virtue of this construction, the confines of the outlet
extension 30, the outlet port 28, and the sealed end 34
of the outlet extension 30 are defined within a corner
section 40 of the bag 10.
Also by virtue of this construction, an upper
portion 59 of the bag body 12 is formed, being isolated
from communication with the interior fluid chamber 14 by
the seams 54 and 55. The opening means 22 includes a tap
member 42 which is integrally formed on the upper portion
59 adjacent to seam 55.
More particularly, a portion of the upper portion 59
is crimped (see FIG. 6), such as by electronic welding.
This crimping weakens the polyvinyl chloride material to
form a preformed tear seam 46. As is best shown in FIGS.
1 and 2, the preformed tear seam 46 extends between a
first tearing edge 48 (see FIG. 2) which intersects the
top edge seam 36 and a second tearing edge 50 which joins
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Last modified: November 3, 2007