Patent Application
20190375522
The present disclosure pertains to a process and apparatus for packaging a product, such as a waste product, in a sealed tubular container. The content of the disclosure also pertains to packaging a product in a container formed by one or more, heat bonded plastic sheets, and in some implementations just one heat bonded plastic sheet. The disclosure further pertains to packaging a product in a container heat that is sealed against leakage of its contents, such as leakage of liquid and gaseous contents.
In order to dispose safely of waste products, such as used disposable diapers, bandages and feminine hygiene products (e.g., tampons and sanitary napkins), ways have been sought for enabling individuals to enclose each product, produced by the individuals, in a container that can then be easily and safely collected and stored and then transported as a plurality of containers to a centralized waste disposal facility. In particular, ways have been sought for enabling individuals to enclose each product in a container, from which solids (including microorganisms), liquids and gases cannot escape or leak while a plurality of containers is being collected, stored, transported and disposed of.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a process for enclosing a product, such as a waste product, in a finally-sealed tubular plastic container includes providing a source, such as a roll, of a sheet of a plastic, such as thermoplastic, film. The sheet has a first lengthwise portion and a second lengthwise portion, which is spaced lengthwise away from the first lengthwise portion with a pair of second widthwise end portions on opposite sides of the second lengthwise portion. The sheet further includes a third lengthwise portion, which is spaced lengthwise further away from the first lengthwise portion than the second lengthwise portion. The third lengthwise portion may have a tubular form and opposite widthwise sides of which have been heat sealed together, such as along substantially the entire connection of the second and third lengthwise portions. The second lengthwise portion of the sheet may be moved away from the source and about an open-ended, vertically-extending tubular pipe and then toward an open top end of the pipe to form the second lengthwise portion of the sheet into a tubular form around the pipe with the second widthwise end potions overlapping each other. The overlapping second widthwise end portions of the second lengthwise portion of the sheet may be sealed to each other, such as by heat sealing, to form the second lengthwise portion of the sheet into a plastic tube with the pipe at an interior of the tube. The sealing may be done while pressing the overlapping second widthwise end portions against an exterior surface of the pipe. The tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, may be moved into an open top end of the pipe, such as with first opposed rotating rollers that are on opposite sides of, frictionally engage, the tube, and then downwardly through the pipe, so that the interior of the tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, is open at the top end of the pipe. The product may be placed into the interior of the tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, at the open top end of the pipe, so that the product then falls or is transported downwardly through the tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, and the pipe to the heat sealed top of the third lengthwise portion of the sheet. The tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, may be moved further downwardly through, and outwardly of, the pipe, such as with second opposed rotating rollers that are on opposite sides of, frictionally engage, the tube. The opposite widthwise sides of the top portions of the tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, may be sealed, such as by heat sealing, along the top of the tube, such as along substantially the entire width of the top of the tube formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, to enclose the product in the tube.
Optionally, the process may also include the step of engaging the product in the tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, after the tube is moved downwardly through the pipe, between third opposed rotating rollers that are above the second rollers and that have mating semi-circular apertures, which may be centered along the length of the third rollers and which urge the product to move downwardly in the tube with rotation of the third rollers. Also, the third rollers may be biased, such as spring biased, against opposite widthwise sides of the tube, so that the third rollers and their apertures can reversibly move widthwise apart when urged by the size of the product in the tube between the third rollers.
In another aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus for enclosing a product, such as a waste product, in a finally-sealed tubular plastic container includes a source, such as a roll, of a sheet of a plastic, such as thermoplastic, film having a first lengthwise portion. The sheet also includes a second lengthwise portion, spaced lengthwise away from the first lengthwise portion, with a pair of second widthwise end portions on opposite sides of the second lengthwise portion. The sheet further includes a third lengthwise portion, which is spaced lengthwise further away from the first lengthwise portion than the second lengthwise portion, which has a tubular form and opposite widthwise sides of which have been heat sealed together along substantially the entire width of the top of the third lengthwise portion. The apparatus also may have an open-ended, vertically-extending tubular pipe adjacent to the source. A mandrel may be disposed between an outer surface of the pipe and the source, which may be adapted to form the second lengthwise portion of the sheet into a tubular form around the pipe with the second widthwise end portions overlapping each other when the second lengthwise portion is moved away from the source along the mandrel toward the outer surface of the pipe and then toward an open top end of the pipe. A first sealing device may be disposed adjacent to an exterior surface of the pipe for sealing, such as heat sealing, to each other the overlapping second widthwise end portions of the tubular form of the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, such as while pressing the overlapping second widthwise end portions against the exterior surface of the pipe, to form the tubular form of the second lengthwise portion of the sheet into a plastic tube with the pipe at an interior of the tube. Also, the apparatus may include first opposed rotating rollers that are on opposite widthwise sides of, and frictionally engage, the exterior of the tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, and that are adapted to move the tube toward an open top end of the pipe. Further, second opposed rotating rollers may be included that are on opposite widthwise sides of, and frictionally engage, plastic tubes formed by the second and third lengthwise portions of the sheet, that are below an open bottom end of the pipe, and that are adapted to move the second and third lengthwise portions downwardly and thereby move the tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, into the open top end of the pipe and then downwardly in the pipe to and through the open bottom end of the pipe, so that the interior of the tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, is open at the top end of the pipe. A second sealing device may be disposed below the pipe for sealing, such as heat sealing, to each other, opposite widthwise sides of top portions of the tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, along substantially the entire width of top portions of the tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, and thereby enclose a product in the tube.
In some implementations, the apparatus may also include third opposed rotating rollers that are above the second rollers and that are on opposite width wise sides of, and may contact, the tube, formed by the second lengthwise portion of the sheet, after it moves downwardly in the pipe. The third rollers may be adapted to move any product within the tube downwardly out of, and away from, the bottom of the pipe. The third rollers may have mating semi-circular apertures which may be centered along the length of the third rollers to engage the product as it passes downwardly in the tube between the third rollers. The apertures in the third rollers may urge the product to move downwardly in the tube with rotation of the third rollers. Also, the third rollers may be biased, such as spring biased, against opposite widthwise sides of the tube, so that the third rollers and their apertures can reversibly move widthwise apart when urged by the size of the product in the tube between the third rollers.
In yet another aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus for enclosing a product, such as a waste product, in a finally-sealed tubular plastic container includes an open-ended, vertically-extending tubular pipe. The apparatus may also include a source of a tube of a plastic, such as a thermoplastic, extending downwardly in the pipe from an open top end of the pipe to and through an open bottom end of the pipe. An interior of the tube may be open at the top end of the pipe for insertion of a product into the interior of the tube. First opposed rotating rollers may be disposed on opposite widthwise sides of, and frictionally engage, the tube, that are below an open bottom end of the pipe, and that are adapted to move the tube downwardly in the pipe. Second opposed rotating rollers may be positioned above the first rollers and on opposite widthwise sides of, and contact, the tube. The third rollers may be adapted to move the product within the tube downwardly out of, and away from, the bottom of the pipe. The third rollers may have mating semi-circular apertures which are advantageously centered along the length of the third rollers to engage the product as it passes downwardly in the tube between the second rollers. The apertures in the second rollers may urge the product to move downwardly in the tube with rotation of the second rollers. A sealing device may be disposed below the pipe for sealing, such as heat sealing, to each other, opposite widthwise sides of top portions of the tube to thereby enclose the product in the tube.
In accordance with this disclosure, the term “sheet” may refer to a thin continuous sheet of a plastic film or foil, such as a film or foil that can be heat sealed to itself to provide a liquid and gas barrier around about a product, such as a waste product. In some implementations, the sheet may include a thermoplastic film, such as a sheet made from polyolefins, more specifically Polyethylene or polypropylene, and more specifically LDPE, or polyesters, and/or sheets coated with heat or pressure activatible adhesives. The sheet extends lengthwise, i.e., along the length of the sheet, from a substantially continuous source, such as a roll of the film.
Herein, the term “product” may refer to any organic product with a biologic or liquid or gaseous content which is to be contained. A product can be any compressible solid product, such as a food product, e.g., a meat or dairy product. The term “waste product” includes any disposable diaper, bandage, feminine hygiene product (e.g., a tampon or sanitary napkin), or used medical supplies and clinical waste products, such as waste bandages, swabs, bandages, dressings, gloves, sheets, and the like.
The apparatus 10 disclosed herein can be used for packaging a plurality of individual products, such as waste products, in a sheet 14 of a plastic, such as thermoplastic, film. With the apparatus 10, the sheet 14 is formed into a continuous, generally tubular structure 16 of discrete tubular plastic containers 18, each holding and safely enclosing one or more products against leakage.
As shown in
In the apparatus 10, as shown in
As the sheet 14 is unwound from the roll 20 in the apparatus 10, the second lengthwise portion 26 of the sheet may be moved lengthwise away from the roll and upwardly towards an open-ended, vertically-extending tubular pipe 40 adjacent to the roll. In this regard, the second lengthwise portion 26 is moved initially up to and over a forming shoulder 42, extending widthwise relative to the sheet 14, and then moved downwardly beneath a pair of identical mandrels 44. The mandrels 44 are adjacent to, and surround, the tubular outer surface 46 of the pipe 40 and extend lengthwise away from the forming shoulder 42. The mandrels 44 are symmetrical widthwise, relative to the sheet 14, about the pipe 40, and each has a lower forming surface 48, against which the second lengthwise portion 26 of the sheet is moved downwardly from the forming shoulder 42 toward the bottom 49 of the lower forming surface 48 of each mandrel 44 to the tubular outer surface 46 of the pipe 40. At the bottom 49 of the lower forming surfaces 48 of the mandrels 44, the second lengthwise portion 26 of the sheet is moved upwardly around the pipe 40, towards its open top end 50, whereby the second lengthwise portion 26 is provided with a tubular form 52 around, and adjacent to, the outer surface 46 of the pipe. The widthwise bottom ends 54, 54A of the mandrels 44 overlap, so that the widthwise end portions 56, 56A on opposite sides of the second lengthwise portion 26 of the sheet 14 are symmetrical about the pipe and overlap in the tubular form 52 of the second lengthwise portion 26 around the pipe.
Adjacent to the tubular outer surface 46 of the pipe 40 are a first pair of opposed rotating mating rollers 58. The first rollers 58 rotate widthwise on opposite widthwise sides of, and frictionally engage, the exterior of the tubular form 52 of the second lengthwise portion 26 of the sheet 14. The first rollers 58 are adapted to move the tubular form 52 of the second lengthwise portion 26 from the bottom 49 of the lower forming surfaces 48 of the mandrels 44 toward the open top end 50 of the pipe.
Also, a downwardly-elongated first heating device 60 may be provided adjacent to the tubular outer surface 46 of the pipe 40, such as above the rollers 58. The first heating device 60 heat seals the overlapping widthwise end portions 56, 56A of the second lengthwise portion 26 of the sheet 14 to each other. Thereby, the first heating device 60 may at least partially make the tubular form 52 of the second lengthwise portion 26 of the sheet 14 into the plastic tube 28 with the pipe 40 at the interior of the tube. In some implementations, the first heating device 60 has a downwardly-extending, heated electric wire that continuously contacts the overlapping widthwise end portions 56, 56A as the second lengthwise portion 26 of the sheet 14 is moved upwardly from the bottom of the lower forming surfaces 48 of the mandrels 44 toward the open top end 50 of the pipe. Optionally, the first heating device 60 may press the overlapping widthwise end portions 56, 56A against the outer surface 46 of the pipe to enhance the heat seal of the tube 28.
In the apparatus 10, as shown in
In the apparatus 10, as shown in
Thereby, the apparatus 10 forms the tube 28, formed by the second lengthwise portion 26 of the sheet 14, into a finally-sealed, tubular plastic container 70 containing a product. The finally-sealed, tubular plastic container 70 may be produced as one container 70 in a continuous string of finally-sealed tubular plastic containers 70, each containing a product which cannot leak out of its container.
In additional implementations, the first and second heating devices 60 and 65 can be replaced by other devices for sealing portions of the sheet 14 of film to each other. For example, such alternative sealing devices could each include a source of an adhesive for bonding together the portions of the sheet 14 and a device for curing or otherwise activating the adhesive between the portions of the sheet, as well as a device for pressing together the portions of the sheet.
In further implementations, the second heating device 65 can include two, vertically-separate, widthwise, heated electric wires, so that the heating device can form a pair of parallel heat seals 71 at the top portions of each plastic tube (e.g., 28 and 32). This would permit the resulting adjacent finally-sealed, tubular plastic containers to be separated (e.g., by cutting the sheet of film 14 between the heat seals 71 of the containers 70).
As shown in
The rollers 58, 62 and 72 of the apparatus 10 can be driven in various ways, such as by electric motors. Likewise, the heat sealing devices 60 and 65 of the apparatus 10 can be powered in various ways, such as by a source of electricity. The apparatus 10 and its motors and its heat sealing devices 60 and 65 can be actuated in various ways, such as by a start/stop button, which can be pushed by a user each time a product is to be wrapped in a plastic tube 28. Alternatively, the apparatus 10 and its motors and its heat sealing devices 60 and 65 can be actuated by an optical sensor that is adjacent to the open top end 50 of the pipe 40 and that can sense the insertion of a product into the open top end 50 of the pipe 40.
The apparatus of this disclosure can be used in a process for packaging a product, such as a waste product, in a finally-sealed tubular plastic container 70:
In additional implementations of the process and apparatus of this disclosure, two or more sheets 14 of the plastic film can be formed into a sealed tubular plastic container 70. This can be done by unwinding a second lengthwise portion 26 of each sheet of film surrounding an open-ended, vertically-extending tubular pipe 40, such as from a separate source of film, which in some implementations may be a separate roll 20 of film. Each roll 20 may be adjacent to, and has its axis 21 tangential to, the pipe 40. The second lengthwise portion 26 of each sheet may be unwound lengthwise, relative to the sheet, from its roll and upwardly towards the pipe 40 adjacent to the roll. In this regard, the second lengthwise portion 26 of each sheet may be moved away from the roll and initially up to and over a separate forming shoulder 42, extending widthwise relative to the sheet, and then moved downwardly beneath a separate mandrel 44. The mandrel 44 for each sheet may be adjacent to, and surround, a part of the tubular outer surface 46 of the pipe 40 and extend lengthwise away from the forming shoulder 42 for the sheet. The mandrels 44 for the two or more sheets may be symmetrical about the pipe 40. Each mandrel 44 may have a lower forming surface 48, against which the second lengthwise portion 26 of a sheet is moved downwardly from its forming shoulder 42 towards the bottom 49 of the lower forming surface 48 of the mandrel 44 to the tubular outer surface 46 of the pipe 40. At the bottom 49 of the lower forming surfaces 48 of the mandrels 44, the second lengthwise portions 26 of the sheets may be moved upwardly together around the pipe 40 and towards its open top end 50, whereby the second lengthwise portions 26 together may be provided with a tubular form 52 around, and adjacent to, the outer surface 46 of the pipe. The widthwise ends of the mandrels 44 may overlap, so that the widthwise end portions 56, 56A on opposite sides of the second lengthwise portion 26 of each sheet 14 overlap the widthwise end portions 56, 56A on opposite sides of the second lengthwise portion 26 of one or more other sheets 14 in the tubular form 52 of the second lengthwise portions 26 of the sheets around the pipe. Then, two or more, first heating devices 60, adjacent to the tubular outer surface 46 of the pipe 40 and above a first pair of opposed rotating mating rollers 58, may heat seal the overlapping widthwise end portions 56, 56A on opposite sides of the second lengthwise portions 26 of the one or more other sheets 14 to each other. Thereby, the first heating devices 60 may make the tubular form 52 of the second lengthwise portions 26 of the sheets 14 into a plastic tube 28. In some implementations, each first heating device 60 is a downwardly-extending electric wire that continuously contacts a pair of overlapping widthwise end portions 56, 56A of second lengthwise portions 26 of two sheets 14 as they move together moved upwardly from the bottom 49 of each lower forming surface 48 of one of the mandrels 44 toward the open top end 50 of the pipe. Optionally, each first heating device 60 also presses a pair of overlapping widthwise end portions 56, 56A of second lengthwise portions 26 of two sheets 14 against the outer surface 46 of the pipe to enhance the heat seal of the tube 28.
The present disclosure also relates to an apparatus for packaging a product, such as a waste product, in a sealed tubular plastic container; the apparatus, in some implementations, may comprise:
The present disclosure also relates to a kit of parts, which in some implementations may comprise an apparatus as set out herein above and a roll of a sheet of the plastic film wound about the axis of the roll for use with the apparatus.
Some implementations of the present apparatus, kit of parts and process may advantageously make use of relatively simple thermoplastic films and may also avoid direct contact of waste products with parts of the apparatus, otherwise necessitating a regular cleaning and/or disinfection of this contact surface. In such implementations, the waste product rather may essentially only be placed in contact with the film surface that forms the internal surface of the packaging and may get sealed into the film.
As such, some implementations of the apparatus and process are particularly useful for handling and discarding dangerous waste products such as clinical waste or the like into an essentially hermetically sealed packaging, which can be discarded directly, and does not exhibit any surface that was exposed to the waste products.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018341 | Feb 2017 | NL | national |
This application is a National Phase Application of International Application PCT/NL2018/050085, filed Feb. 7, 2018, which claims priority to Dutch Patent Application No. 2018341, filed Feb. 8, 2017, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/NL2018/050085 | 2/7/2018 | WO | 00 |
