“Deli” bag with extra thin walls and increased strength and method of manufacturing same
“Deli” bags are formed by extruding first and second aligned sheets of high density polyethylene film having a thickness no greater than 0.0008 inches. The aligned sheets are heat sealed along the sides and either the top or bottom edges to form each bag. After printing indicia on the wall of each bag, mating closure tracks are created. The tracks are situated proximate the non-sealed top or bottom of the bag. A closure member in the form of a slide or zipper is installed as the bags are separated and stacked. The closure member co-operates with the closure tracks to open and close the bag. Preferably, four side-by-side bags can be processed at the same time, increasing efficiency and reducing manufacturing cost. The bags have extra thin walls, increased strength and keep food fresher.
1 . A method of manufacturing plastic deli bag(s), comprising:
providing a first extruded sheet to a conveyor surface, the first extruded sheet comprising a high density poyethylene film having a thickness no greater than 0.0008 inches;
providing a second extruded sheet to the conveyer the conveyer surface in alignment with the first extruded sheet;
conveying, by the conveyer surface, the first extruded sheet aligned with the second extruded sheet to a heated reciprocating platen;
heat-sealing using the heated reciprocating platen to join the first extruded sheet to the second extruded sheet at a first side edge, a second side edge, and a bottom side edge to form a bag defining a mouth at a non-sealed top side edge in communication with a bag interior;
conveying, by the conveyor surface, the formed bag from the heated reciprocating platen to a print station comprising a print roller configured to deposit ink on an exterior of a front wall of the bag to form a printed text or image;
printing on an exterior surface of the bag using the print roller;
conveying, by the conveyer surface, the formed bag from the print station to a second reciprocating platen comprising a blade and elongated heated protrusions extending toward the conveyor surface; and
cutting, using the second reciprocating platen, the formed bag to separate the formed bag from an adjacent one or more bags.
2 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:
creating mating closure tracks disposed proximate the non-sealed top edge of the formed bag and configured for reversibly sealing the non-sealed fourth side edge of the bag.
3 . The method of claim 2 , comprising:
providing a closure member co-operating with the mating closure tracks for opening and closing the bag.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the closure member is a slide member.
5 . The method of claim 3 wherein the closure member is a zipper member.
6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:
conveying, by the conveyor surface, the cut bag onto a platform to form a stack of bags.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first extruded sheet and the second extruded sheet have a width at least as wide as two side-by-side bags and constitute a first set of aligned sheets, the method comprising,
arranging the first set of aligned sheets and a second set of aligned sheets in side-by-side relation whereby the printing further comprising concurrently printing on an exterior surface of a second bag formed by the second set of aligned sheets wherein three to four bags may be printed at the printing station simultaneously.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first extruded sheet and the second extruded sheet comprising a thickness no greater than 0.00010 inches.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first extruded sheet and the second extruded sheet comprising a thickness no greater than 0.00050 inches.