The invention relates to machines and processes for the production of sachet or pouch style packages similar to those commonly used for condiments such as ketchup as well as other products.
The inventor of the machines and processes described and claimed herein is also the inventor of new designs for sachet or pouch style packages. Certain of those designs and films for use with those designs are described and/or claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,939 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/189,595, the disclosures of which are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
FIG. 62A through FIG. 67 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,939 show some examples of sachet or pouch style packages having a location for an outlet aperture in or on one wall or face of the package, that outlet location being covered by a flap member. The flap member covers an outlet or outlet creating means at the outlet location. The outlet location is in or on the same wall or face of the package that forms a wall or face of the flap member, and the flap member is folded over and sealingly attached to or around the outlet location such that the two portions of the same surface of film are sealed together. The outlet is opened by raising the flap member.
There is a need for these and similar packages to be produced efficiently on high speed production equipment.
In certain embodiments of the invention, a machine and process are provided for manufacturing a sachet or pouch style package with a foldover flap.
In certain embodiments of the invention, a machine and process are provided for manufacturing a sachet or pouch style package requiring various sizes similar to prior sachet or pouch style packages, except that the subject machine will be capable of creating an outlet aperture or outlet creating means in one wall or face of said sachet, covered by a flap member covering said outlet or outlet creating means and being sealingly attached to its own same surface over and/or around said outlet creating means, which outlet would be created by raising said flap. Embodiments are provided capable of producing packages as described and/or claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,939.
The machine may have the capability of forming a bulge or puff in at least one wall of said pouch to increase its volumetric capacity. It will also be realized that the embodiments of the machine will handle heavier gauge films than those utilized to produce prior sachets, in order for the packages to have a degree of rigidity to maintain specific shapes.
A machine in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention has the capability of supporting and intermittently controllably feeding specific lengths of packaging material, mainly plastic film, from rolls, the packaging material having the strength to be indexed or drawn through said machine by draw rollers even when heated to sealing temperatures. The machine's functions is controlled by a PLC and has a servo or stepper motor for indexing the film, in addition to pneumatics including air activated cylinders as well as a vacuum pump or source. As will be appreciated, certain operations as described below preferably take place during the rest period between indexes.
An example of a high speed form-fill-seal machine incorporating inventive elements is shown in
Initially, the first film passes through a heating station comprising a fixed film preheater 1 and a reciprocating heater 1A. This station heats the film for formation of a bulge. Next, the first film is brought into a bulge forming station comprising a fixed pressure bar 2A and a vacuum forming bulge die. The plastic of the film is forced into the die, thermoforming a puff or bulge 17 in the film. The pressure bar (or plate) 2A may be covered with a resilient rubber-like layer. The heating station may be considered part of the bulge forming station since that is where the film is heated to facilitate the thermoforming. Embodiments of the machine may, of course, make pouches without a bulge or puff.
The second film enters an outlet means creating station comprising a punch and die 9 or other means to create an outlet aperture or score or fault line or other aperture creating means in the second film. The aperture, score or fault line, or other aperture creating means is preferably made during the rest period between indexes, although it may be created at other times as well. The second film is then fed to join the first film at a filling and sealing station comprising a set of reciprocating seal dies 3.
Extending downward between each package defined by the vertical heat seal, between the reciprocating seal dies 3, which are shown in
The filling means comprising filler nozzle 15 supplies the flowable product to the packages after the set of reciprocating seal dies 3 come together to create a lower seal and a pair of parallel edge seals in a squared “U” configuration about each filler nozzle 15. In this manner, the seal dies 3 seal the first film and second film together forming a pouch to be filled.
The filling means fill a controlled quantity of product to a specific level in the dispensing package, which in this embodiment is not beyond the top of the bulge. It will be appreciated that at this stage the package has a flat length of the package walls 16 which will ultimately become the flap and a portion of the pouch.
At each index, the lower surface of the sealing dies 3 creates a double width horizontal seal which comprises the lower seal of one pouch and simultaneously comprising the upper seal of the preceding pouch. That is, the product-containing area of the preceding pouch (the pouch that just exited the seal die) is sealed at the top by the lower surface of the sealing dies 3.
At the following index, after passing through a set of guide rollers 20A, 20B, a set of chill dies 5 act to chill or cool the hot seals of the pouches to set them. At the next index, the now filled and sealed members, after again possibly passing through another set of guide rollers 21A, 21B, are drawn through suitable slitting means, just at or subsequent to the pouch passing through the draw roller station, by means of driven crush cutter rollers 6 (the drawing depicts slitting anvil rollers 6A and slitting crush rollers 6B). The draw rollers 4 (knurled metal draw rollers 4A and rubber draw rollers 4B) are generally narrow, since they preferably will only draw the filled pouches along the narrow edge seal area. It will be seen that sets of guide rollers are placed just beneath each of the vertical heat seals after being created. Guide rollers may also be located beneath the chill dies to maintain the proper tracking of the various film utilized.
After passing through the slitting crush rollers, the following index brings the now slit pouches to the cut-off and flap making station, shown in an enlarged view in
The cut-off mechanism in the cut-off and flap making station comprises a reciprocating horizontal knife blade 10 cutting the film against a fixed anvil knife 11. Simultaneous with or proximate in time to the cutting action above, the unfilled portion above the bulge of the filled pouch beneath the knife may be compressed against a properly positioned reciprocating heated vacuum bar 8 and a horizontal reciprocating pressure bar 12 opposing it. The pressure bar 12 bar compresses the flat unfilled portion of the pouch 16 just above the bulge formation 17 which, by virtue of vacuum suction holds the row of pouches firmly. This position is shown in
As shown in
The flap 19, which is folded over, has two walls. Consequently, the flap sealing heat of both the vacuum bar and the folder bar must each pass through two layers of plastic film. If the proper material is not used, this sealing heat could seal together the inside walls of the flap as well as those of the pouch beneath the flap, thereby rendering the pouch functions inoperable. Thus, certain embodiments of the invention preferably use film as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,939 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/189,595, e.g., a multi-layer plastic film where the sealing surface of the flap that is sealed to its own surface seals at a much lower temperature than the surfaces and the inner walls of the flap.
For example, the film may be selected such that the flap seals to its own surface at 175° F. while inner surfaces seal at 240° F. The temperatures in both the heated vacuum bar and the flap folder bar are very accurately controlled so as not to cause this sealing of the inner flap and pouch surfaces. The heated vacuum bar 8 is heated by a heater 23, and the heated swiveled flap folder is heated by a heater 23A. (Vacuum manifold 24 and insulated spacer 22 are also shown.) The instant that the folder bar is in position, the heated vacuum bar advances forward and compresses the flap against the heated folder bar which acts as the vacuum bar's stop, sealing the flap to its own surface. Just as the vacuum bar starts retracting, the flap folder bar may swivel upward and away, the vacuum may then cut off instantly, thereby releasing the now complete pouch with flap sealed over the outlet location, which then drops onto a conveyor.
It will be further understood that the flap folder may fold a number of pouches in a row across the machine. To do this, both the swiveling flap folder bar and the fixed folder bar may be formed with alternate “teeth” so that the fixed bar can remain in place to hold the flap horizontal while the swiveling flap folder bar passes through the interstices between to fold the flap down.
Various aperture forming means may be utilized which require either a punch station, scoring station or a breakaway tip, etc. These can all be mounted on various portions of the machine frame as well as elsewhere. This includes where the second film or web is intermittently traveling horizontally before it goes into its vertical travel or is traveling vertically before or within the machine.
A unit for printing UV curing adhesives and/or inks may be mounted on the machine. This may be used as an alternative means for sealing the flap, such that one of the heat sealing films on the flap wall as described above may be rendered unnecessary. Also, constant draw rollers may be utilized to feed the film from roll stock, eliminating the requirement to start and stop (brake) the rolls, in which case a small dancer roller would take up the slack created by the intermittently acting draw roller.
It will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications may be made without departing from the invention as defined by the claims. For example, certain inventive elements of the machine may be used in combination with other elements. Parts of the depicted machine may be omitted or modified, consistent with the scope of the claims. Machines in accordance with the invention may be used to produce a variety of pouch designs from a variety of film combinations, including but not limited to pouches with flaps, reclosable pouches, and/or other containment and dispensing packages with breakaway tips. For example, the aperture creating die set may be replaced with a breakaway tip and hinge cap forming means to create structures such as those depicted in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,939 or others.
This application is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/733,306, filed Dec. 12, 2003, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/433,007, filed Dec. 13, 2002, entitled “Machine to Make E-Z Open Pouch with Flap and Bulge,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60433007 | Dec 2002 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10733306 | Dec 2003 | US |
Child | 11430040 | May 2006 | US |