Patent Grant
6860958
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for reducing wrinkles in a film, especially a tubular film such as a lay flat tubular film.
Vertical form/fill/seal (VFFS) packaging systems have proven to be very useful in packaging a wide variety of food and non-food pumpable and/or flowable products. An example of such systems is the ONPACK™ flowable food packaging system marketed by Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation. The VFFS process is known to those of skill in the art, and described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,247 (Tsuruta et al), U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,818 (Shimoyama et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,411 (Su), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,010 (Vogan), all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In such a process, lay-flat thermoplastic film is advanced over a forming device to form a tube, a longitudinal (vertical) fin or lap seal is made, and a bottom end seal is made by transversely sealing across the tube with heated seal bars. A flowable product is introduced through a central, vertical fill tube to the formed tubular film. The pouch is then completed by sealing the upper end of the tubular segment, and severing the pouch from the tubular film above it. The process can be a two-stage process where the creation of a transverse heat seal occurs at one stage in the process, and then, downstream of the first stage, a separate pair of cooling/clamping means contact the just-formed transverse heat seal to cool and thus strengthen the seal. In some VFFS processes, an upper transverse seal of a first pouch, and the lower transverse seal of a following pouch, are made, and the pouches cut and thereby separated between two portions of the transverse seals, without the need for a separate step to clamp, cool, and cut the seals. A commercial example of an apparatus embodying this more more simplified process is the ONPACK™ 2050A VFFS packaging machine marketed by Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation.
In some cases, spreader fingers are used commercially on vertical form/fill/seal equipment such as the ONPACK™ 2070A machine. An example is disclosed in Research Disclosure 420056 published Mar. 20, 1999. A removable set of spreader fingers is attached to a support ring, attached in turn to the bottom end of a solids fill tube of an ONPACK™ 2070A vertical form/fill/seal machine, or preferably directly to the fill tube itself. The top ends of the fingers are shaped to allow them to slide through a slot in the support ring or fill tube and, when pivoted down into position, the edges of a slot guide. This supports the fingers, and prevents any unwanted front-to-back movement of the spreader fingers. The top ends of the fingers are forced against the inside of the fill tube and allow the bottom ends of the fingers to be compressed toward the inside of the film tube as required during part of the machine cycle. The spreader fingers can be removed and replaced with fingers of different length, to match different pouch lengths. U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,550 (Wirsig et al.), incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, also discloses at
Also typical in some VFFS equipment is a pair of squeezing or voiding rollers, e.g. such as shown as reference numeral 15 in FIGS. 1 and 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,861 (Tsuruta), incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. These rollers, which typically have a smooth, hard rubber or synthetic rubber surface, function to remove fluids, fats, and other food debris from the inside surfaces of the tubular film in an area where a transverse seal is to be made. This allows the transverse seals to be made with less contamination present in the seal area, and results in cleaner and stronger seals. These rollers will typically be disposed on either side of the vertically-sealed tube 48, with appropriate pneumatic or hydraulic means to cycle the pair of rollers towards and away from each other in timed fashion to coincide with the pouch making cycle of the particular machine. The voiding rollers are typically located below the lower end of the longitudinal heat sealing device, and below the lower end of the fill tube that provides food product to the formed pouch, but above the level of the transverse seal bars. Rollers can also be beneficial in that they help flatten the pouch, and form a bottom “stop” to allow for and support the filling of the next pouch in the filling sequence.
Thus, typical of current VFFS equipment is an apparatus with a set of spring steel spreader fingers, below and downstream of which is a set of smooth squeezing rollers.
Unfortunately, the weight of a food product, such as a fluid, inside the pouch being formed in a VFFS system, tends to gather the pouch, thus causing wrinkles immediately after the film advances downwardly from the spreader fingers. The presence of large particulates, such as cubed beef, in close proximity to the longitudinal (vertical) fin or lap seal can also result in wrinkles. The smooth rollers located downstream of the spreader fingers do not alleviate the wrinkle problem.
The presence of such wrinkles can result in defective packages, or at least packages that are unacceptable to the film user or food processor. In certain applications such as retort packaging, any wrinkling of the packaging material, especially of the seal area of the package, is considered unacceptable. This is because the low acid foods typically packaged in retort applications require a hermetic package to avoid food spoilage and ensure a safe food product.
The inventors have found that using a pair of chevron patterned rollers downstream of the pair of smooth rollers removes most of the wrinkles in the tubular film. Alternatively, the chevron patterned rollers can be disposed upstream of the pair of smooth rollers (and downstream of spreader fingers if present), but the improvement in the reduction of wrinkles is less pronounced.
The invention reduces the number of rejects in packages made on VFFS equipment by reducing the percentage of packages with an unacceptable level of wrinkles.
In a first aspect, an apparatus for reducing wrinkles in a film comprises a first pair of cylindrical rollers comprising a first roller and a second roller, the first and second roller each in parallel juxtaposed relation to each other, and each having a substantially smooth surface; and a second pair of cylindrical rollers comprising a third roller and a fourth roller, the third and fourth roller each in parallel juxtaposed relation to each other, and at least one of the third and fourth roller having a chevron pattern disposed on the surface thereof; wherein the first pair of cylindrical rollers is adjacent to and spaced apart from the second pair of cylindrical rollers.
In a second aspect, a method for reducing wrinkles in a film comprises providing a first pair of cylindrical rollers comprising a first roller and a second roller, the first and second roller each in parallel juxtaposed relation to each other, and each having a substantially smooth surface; and a second pair of cylindrical rollers comprising a third roller and a fourth roller, the third and fourth roller each in parallel juxtaposed relation to each other, and at least one of the third and fourth roller having a chevron pattern disposed on the surface thereof; wherein the first pair of cylindrical rollers is adjacent to and spaced apart from the second pair of cylindrical rollers; and advancing the film such that the film passes first between and in contact with the first roller and the second roller; and then between and in contact with the third roller and the fourth roller.
In a third aspect, a method for reducing wrinkles in a film comprises providing a first pair of cylindrical rollers comprising a first roller and a second roller, the first and second roller each in parallel juxtaposed relation to each other, and each having a substantially smooth surface; and a second pair of cylindrical rollers comprising a third roller and a fourth roller, the third and fourth roller each in parallel juxtaposed relation to each other, and at least one of the third and fourth roller having a chevron pattern disposed on the surface thereof; wherein the first pair of cylindrical rollers is adjacent to and spaced apart from the second pair of cylindrical rollers; and advancing the film such that the film passes first between and in contact with the third roller and the fourth roller; and then between and in contact with the first roller and the second roller.
The present invention is illustrated by reference to the following drawings, encompassing different views of various embodiments of the invention, wherein:
The pair of voiding rollers 106 includes a first roller 108a and a second roller 108b. These rollers function as described herein to remove fat, liquid and other materials from the inside surfaces of film 102, in preparation for the transverse heat sealing step. Means (not shown), such as a voiding roller assembly, are well known to those of skill in the art for reciprocating the rollers 108a and 108b from an “open” position in which the rollers are separated from one another and the film, and a “closed” position in which the rollers 108a and 108b press on the respective outside surfaces of film 102 to accomplish the voiding function. Such means include pneumatic or hydraulic means for swinging or advancing the respective rollers between the open and closed positions, synchronized by appropriate timing means to the machine packaging cycle. Also, electromechanical means, such as a linear actuator or servo motor on a mechanical link, can be used to actuate the movement of the voiding rollers and chevron rollers. Suitable bearing blocks, e.g., are used in conventional equipment to provide for relative movement and support of the voiding rollers. The rollers themselves will have a journaled center on which the support means (not shown) will carry the rollers and permit free rotation of the rollers about their respective axes, in the direction shown by the arrows, when in contact with the advancing film 102.
The pair of chevron patterned rollers 110 include a first roller 112a and a second roller 112b. It has been found that these rollers function to remove wrinkles that build up in the layflat tubular film 102 during the VFFS process. Means similar to that used for the voiding rollers 106 can be employed for reciprocating the rollers 112a and 112b from an “open” position in which the rollers are separated from one another and the film, and a “closed” position in which the rollers 112a and 112b press on the respective outside surfaces of film 102 to accomplish the dewrinkling function. Such means include pneumatic or hydraulic means for swinging or advancing the respective rollers between the open and closed positions, synchronized by appropriate timing means to the machine packaging cycle. The rollers themselves will have a journaled center on which the support means (not shown) will carry the rollers and permit free rotation of the rollers about their respective axes, in the direction shown by the arrows, when in contact with the advancing film 102.
Although the invention has been described primarily as one in which the pair of chevron patterned rollers is downstream of (typically below) a pair of voiding rollers, the reverse arrangement can also provide some benefit. Thus, the pair of chevron patterned rollers can be disposed in a VFFS system upstream of (typically above) a pair of voiding rollers.
Those skilled in the art will also appreciate, after a review of this specification, that a plurality of pairs of either voiding rollers or chevron rollers can be used in series. That is, in one alternative embodiment, a film can be passed sequentially through a pair of chevron patterned rollers, then a pair of voiding rollers, and then another pair of chevron patterned rollers.
In yet another embodiment, an intervening roller, such as a dancer roller, can be disposed intermediate the voiding rollers and chevron rollers, in the event that the invention is used in a packaging system where the voiding rollers and chevron rollers are not in planar arrangement, that is, where the advancing film does not move in a straight line in the space between the voiding rollers and chevron rollers.
The apparatus and process of the invention can be carried out with any appropriate film; preferred are thermoplastic, polymeric films such as those designed for VFFS applications. An example is FS 7055™ film sold by Cryovac/Sealed Air Corporation. Preferably, the film is sealed at the lowest possible temperature at which relatively strong seals are produced. In general, the film is sealed at a temperature of from about 150° C. to 210° C.
The apparatus and process of the invention can be used to package pumpable products, especially food products.
In use, the pressure on the set of chevron patterned rubber rollers, as well as on the voiding rollers, can be adjusted by suitable means.
This package can be made by a continuous or intermittent VFFS pouch making process.
In a test, an ONPACK™ 2070B vertical/form/fill/seal machine was installed to run beef cubes with brine using two retort-grade thermoplastic films, one of them clear, and the second one white opaque. End seal wrinkles had been prevalent in retort grade packaging applications, and attempts to eliminate them had been unsuccessful. To correct the wrinkle problem, a pair of chevron patterned rollers (rollers with a spiral pattern cut into the surface running from the middle of the rollers towards each of the two respective lateral edges of the roller) along with new bracketry and drive chains were installed on the 2070B equipment, with the new rollers mounted vertically above and spaced apart from a pair of smooth surfaced voiding rollers. The chevron patterned rollers were passively driven, i.e. the chevron rollers did not supply the motive force for advancing the film. The smooth voiding rollers were driven, providing the motive force for advancing the film. It was found that the degree of pressure exerted by the chevron rollers on the film passing between the rollers, when the rollers were brought together and in contact with the film passing between them, was important to proper film advancing.
When the test film was run, it was found that the configuration of the chevron patterned rollers vertically above the driven flat squeeze rollers was found to contribute somewhat, but not a great deal, to reducing the occurrence of wrinkles in the film and final package. A pair of spreader fingers were also present, disposed above the chevron rollers. It was found that the distance between the spreader fingers (305-310 mm) seemed to be an important parameter in reducing wrinkle frequency and severity.
A test was conducted like that of Example 1, but in which the roller position was changed to place the pair of smooth voiding rollers above and spaced apart from the pair of chevron patterned rollers. Also, in this test, the chevron patterned rollers were driven, and the smooth voiding rollers were passive. In addition, the voiding rollers did not contact one another when in a closed condition (without the presence of film therebetween), because the diameter of the chevron rollers was much greater than the diameter of the voiding rollers. Without the voiding rollers touching one another, and therefore not exerting a great deal of pressure on a film passed therebetween, seal voiding (removal of residual product from the interior surfaces of the tubular film, in the vicinity of the film to be transversely sealed) by the voiding rollers, was incomplete.
Nevertheless, when the test film was run, the incidence of wrinkles was reduced, although the occurrence of wrinkles was still unacceptably high. It was also confirmed that the distance between the spreader fingers seemed to be an important parameter in reducing wrinkle frequency and severity.
Beef chuck roasts were purchased and sliced into cube sizes. The cubes were cooked in boiling water for approximately 30 minutes to get them to the same level of firmness as in the previous tests.
A pair of chevron patterned rollers with a more aggressive (steeper angle, where the direction of the lands and grooves formed a smaller angle with the direction of the longitudinal axis of the roller) spiral pattern on each transverse half of the roller, was installed on the ONPACK™ 2070 machine, in a position vertically below and spaced apart from a pair of smooth surfaced voiding rollers. The chevron patterned rollers were chain driven, while the voiding rollers were passive.
New bracketry was made for the two pairs of rollers, that allowed the voiding rollers to touch one another in the absence of film passing therebetween, and permitting various levels of pressure to be applied to them, and thus to the film, during the film advance. This system greatly reduced the incidence of seal wrinkles compared to the same configuration where the voiding rollers did not touch.
Increasing the pressure on the chevron rollers also had a pronounced effect at reducing wrinkles, compared to relatively light pressure. Sixty-nine packages in a row were run without any end seal wrinkles.
The spreader fingers in this particular configuration were bent in to a distance of 280 mm (from 305 mm) and the packages were still wrinkle free.
It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the present invention may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
For example, in an alternative embodiment, a chevron patterned roller can be paired with a smooth surfaced roller, e.g. pairing roller 108a with roller 112b. Such a combination has been found to reduce wrinkles in single wound film passing therebetween, and is expected to provide some improvement in reducing wrinkles in lay flat tubular film. This alternative combination would be practiced in combination with a pair of smooth voiding rollers disposed either upstream or downstream of the alternative chevron roller/smooth roller combination.
Although the invention has been described herein primarily with respect to a pair of smooth rollers in vertical relationship to and spaced apart from a pair of chevron patterned rollers, or a pair made up of a chevron roller and a smooth roller, those skilled in the art will understand that these respective pairs of rollers can have any suitable angle or attitude with respect to one another, and can be associated and disposed in any plane ranging from vertical to horizontal.
Likewise, any suitable chevron pattern can be used, with various, depths of the grooves, spaces between adjacent lands, width of each land, and angle or pitch of the helical arrangement on each transverse half of the chevron patterned roller, as appropriate and effective to effect some degree of wrinkle reduction in film passing between pairs of rollers. The horizontal spacing between lands need not necessarily be constant, and thus the overall pattern on each lateral or transverse half of the roller may not be an exact helix, but may change in angle from the transverse centerline of the chevron roller to each of the two outer lateral edges of the roller. One or more lateral portions of the chevron patterned roller can if suitable be smooth surfaced, so that the chevron pattern appears in one or more bands on the roller.
The present invention can be used for packaging wet flowable and/or pumpable products including low viscosity fluids (e.g. juice and carbonated beverages), high viscosity fluids (e.g. condiments and sauces), fluid/solid mixtures (e.g. soups), gels, etc. Non-food products such as fertilizers, motor oil and engine additives, dry and wet cosmetics, medicaments, medical powders such as foot and talcum powder, sand, cement, and the like can also be beneficially packaged in pouches of the present invention. The present invention finds particular utility in packaging dry flowable and/or pumpable products. These include very finely divided or comminuted products such as flour and cake mixes; somewhat coarser products such as spices and sugar; and even coarser products such as rice and breakfast cereal. Products with larger particulates such as pet food, and non-food dry flowable and/or pumpable products can be beneficially packaged.
“Film” is used herein to mean films, laminates, and webs, either multilayer or monolayer, that may be used in connection with the present invention. The FS laminates, such as FS 7055™, sold by Sealed Air Corporation through its Cryovac Division, are examples of packaging materials suitable for the VFFS process. These laminates are described in e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,562 (Fant), incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
An alternative laminate is based on SCLAIR (™) sealant film, an ethylene/alphaolefin copolymer marketed by DuPont Canada, and described in e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,437 (Storms), incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. A commercial monolayer film from DuPont Canada is FS-3. A commercial multilayer laminate is CL 303. Many other films and laminates useful for dry or wet fluid packaging are available, and can be beneficially used in the present invention.
The present invention can be used in combination with, or as a subsystem of, a variety of equipment systems. A preferred end use is in VFFS applications, for use in such commercially available equipment as ONPACK™ 2070, 2002, and 2050 VFFS packaging equipment. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention can be used in other equipment applications, whether for packaging or simply for advancing film e.g. to a wind up roll, where wrinkle reduction is a desired function.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4458852 | Calvert et al. | Jul 1984 | A |
| 4493548 | Ateya | Jan 1985 | A |
| 4552295 | Smith et al. | Nov 1985 | A |
| 4554714 | Cho | Nov 1985 | A |
| 4589247 | Tsuruta et al. | May 1986 | A |
| 4656818 | Shimoyama et al. | Apr 1987 | A |
| 4768411 | Su | Sep 1988 | A |
| 4808010 | Vogan | Feb 1989 | A |
| 4832186 | Conrad | May 1989 | A |
| 5038550 | Wirsig et al. | Aug 1991 | A |
| 5727724 | Dowling | Mar 1998 | A |
| 6044752 | Harigaya | Apr 2000 | A |
| 6212861 | Tsuruta | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 761 741 | Feb 1971 | DE |
| 0 852 279 | Jul 1998 | EP |
| 1 120 344 | Aug 2001 | EP |
| 5-278904 | Oct 1993 | JP |
| 9124008 | Nov 1995 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20040000742 A1 | Jan 2004 | US |
