U.S. patent application number 11/397664 was filed with the patent office on 2006-08-03 for apparatus and methods for combining beverage containers and snack food hanging pouches.
Invention is credited to Forrest Kelly Clay.
Application Number | 20060169604 11/397664 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29419507 |
Filed Date | 2006-08-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060169604 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Clay; Forrest Kelly |
August 3, 2006 |
Apparatus and methods for combining beverage containers and snack
food hanging pouches
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for manufacturing snack food hanging
pouches, and for combining beverage containers and snack food
hanging pouches, are disclosed. A combined beverage and snack food
package according to the invention can include a beverage container
and a snack food hanging pouch that is suspended from the
protrusion of the beverage container. A snack food hanging pouch
according to the invention can include a pouch portion that is
adapted to contain a snack food item, and a hanger portion that is
attached to the pouch portion, having a hanging hole that is
adapted to fit onto the protrusion of a beverage container. The
pouch portion can be adapted to contain a loose snack food item or
a packaged snack food item.
Inventors: |
Clay; Forrest Kelly;
(Worland, WY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOODCOCK WASHBURN LLP
ONE LIBERTY PLACE, 46TH FLOOR
1650 MARKET STREET
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19103
US
|
Family ID: |
29419507 |
Appl. No.: |
11/397664 |
Filed: |
April 3, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10151745 |
May 20, 2002 |
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11397664 |
Apr 3, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/213 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 23/12 20130101;
B65B 9/20 20130101; B65D 33/14 20130101; B65B 51/306 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/213 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/28 20060101
B65D081/28 |
Claims
1. Apparatus for manufacturing a snack food hanging pouch, the
apparatus comprising: a delivery hopper that delivers a snack food
item into a tubular pouch material; and a pouch forming assembly
that severs a snack food hanging pouch from the tubular pouch
material, wherein the snack food hanging pouch contains the snack
food item and has a hanging hole via which the snack food hanging
pouch can be suspended from a protrusion of a beverage
container.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a former that
wraps a sheet of pouch material film about a longitudinal axis to
form the tubular pouch material.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch forming assembly
comprises a pair of opposing sealer/stripper heads that seal and
sever the pouch material to form the snack food hanging pouch.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the
sealer/stripper heads includes a first seal former that forms a
first seal and a second seal former that forms a second seal such
that the snack food item is contained between the first seal and
the second seal.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the
sealer/stripper heads includes a first cutter that strips the snack
food hanging pouch away from the tubular pouch material.
6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the
sealer/stripper heads includes a hole cutter that forms the hanging
hole.
7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the
sealer/stripper heads includes a hole sealer that forms a
reinforcement seal around at least a portion of the hanging
hole.
8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the
sealer/stripper heads includes a perimeter sealer that forms a
closure seal along at least a portion of a perimeter of the hanging
pouch.
9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the snack food hanging pouch
includes a hanger portion, and at least one of the sealer/stripper
heads includes a perimeter cutter that cuts the tubular pouch
material to form a perimeter of the hanger portion.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a division of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 10/151,745, filed May 20, 2002, which is incorporated
herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to packaging systems. More
particularly, the invention relates to apparatus and methods for
manufacturing snack food hanging pouches, and for combining
beverage containers and snack food hanging pouches.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is well known that consumers frequently associate certain
snack foods and beverages with one another, and that consumers
frequently consume snack foods and beverages in combination. For
example, consumers might be inclined to eat peanuts when drinking
beer, to eat popcorn when drinking soda pop, or to eat trail mix
when drinking water.
[0004] To capitalize on this, the food and beverage industry has
attempted to increase sales of both snack foods and beverages by
tying sales of certain beverages to sales of snack food items that
are often associated with those beverages. For example, the seller
of popcorn might offer the popcorn purchaser a "cents-off" coupon
that can be redeemed with the purchase of a bottle of soda pop, or
the seller of bottled water might offer a coupon that can be
redeemed with the purchase of a bag of trail mix.
[0005] Although this approach provides the beverage purchaser with
an incentive to purchase the snack food item, or the snack food
purchaser with an incentive to purchase the beverage, such an
approach requires the purchaser to actually retrieve both the
beverage and the snack food. The extra effort required to locate
the additional item and then to carry it or place it into the
shopping cart is often just enough to discourage the purchaser from
making the additional purchase. Even if the beverage and the snack
food are placed in reasonable proximity to each other, the consumer
can still be dissuaded from buying both the snack food and the
beverage by having to pick up and carry more than one item.
[0006] It would be advantageous, therefore, to manufacturers,
packagers, and merchandisers of snack foods and/or beverages if
combined beverage/snack food products were available that entice
the consumer to purchase both the snack food and the beverage,
without requiring the consumer to select and carry separate items.
Thus, there is a need in the art for combined beverage and snack
food packages comprising a beverage container and a snack food
hanging pouch. There is further a need in the art for apparatus and
methods for manufacturing such snack food hanging pouches, as well
as apparatus and methods for combining such snack food hanging
packages and beverage containers.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The invention satisfies the aforementioned needs in the art
by providing apparatus and methods for manufacturing snack food
hanging pouches, and for combining beverage containers and snack
food hanging pouches.
[0008] A combined beverage and snack food package according to the
invention can include a beverage container, and a snack food
hanging pouch that is suspended from the protrusion of the beverage
container. The beverage container can be a bottle, for example, and
the protrusion the neck of the bottle. A snack food hanging pouch
according to the invention can include a pouch portion that is
adapted to contain a snack food item, and a hanger portion that is
attached to the pouch portion, having a hanging hole that is
adapted to fit onto the protrusion of a beverage container. The
pouch portion can be adapted to contain a loose snack food item or
a packaged snack food item.
[0009] The snack food hanging pouch can include a first seal formed
proximate a first end of the pouch portion, and a second seal
formed proximate a second end of the pouch portion to contain the
snack food item between the first seal and the second seal. A
reinforcement seal can be formed around at least a portion of the
hanging hole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0010] Other features of the invention are further apparent from
the following detailed description of the embodiments of the
present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawing.
[0011] FIG. 1 depicts a preferred embodiment of a snack food
hanging pouch according to the invention.
[0012] FIGS. 2A and 2B depict alternate preferred embodiments of
the hanger portion of a snack food hanging pouch according to the
invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 depicts a preferred embodiments of combined beverage
and snack food packages according to the invention.
[0014] FIGS. 4-7 depict apparatus according to the invention for
manufacturing a snack food hanging pouch.
[0015] FIGS. 8A and 8B depict a preferred embodiment of a stripping
and sealing assembly for manufacturing a snack food hanging pouch
in accordance with the invention.
[0016] FIGS. 9A-9C depict preferred embodiments of a
sealer/splitter head for manufacturing a snack food hanging pouch
in accordance with the invention.
[0017] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a snack
food hanging pouch according to the invention.
[0018] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a
combined beverage and snack food package according to the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] FIG. 1 depicts a preferred embodiment of a snack food
hanging pouch 100 according to the invention. As shown, the snack
food hanging pouch 100 comprises a pouch portion 102 and a hanger
portion 104. The pouch portion 102 is adapted to contain a snack
food item 106. The snack food item 106 can be a loose snack food
item or a packaged snack food item. Examples of loose snack food
items include loose pretzels, nuts, trail mix, or popcorn (which
can be popcorn kernels or already popped). Examples of packaged
snack food items include bags of pretzels, nuts, trail mix,
popcorn, or microwaveable popcorn.
[0020] The hanger portion 104 of the snack food hanging pouch 100
is attached to the pouch portion 102, and has a hanging hole 112
that is adapted to fit onto a protrusion of a beverage container
(not shown in FIG. 1). Preferably, the beverage container is a
bottle, such as a two-liter soft drink bottle, for example, and the
protrusion is a neck of the bottle (see FIG. 3).
[0021] Preferably, the pouch portion 102 of the snack food hanging
pouch 100 is made of a polymeric material, such as plastic, for
example. Preferably, the polymeric material is transparent, so that
the consumer can see the snack food item 106 contained within the
pouch portion 102, though it may be desirable to use colored or
printed material to further enhance the marketing appeal of the
pouch 100. It should be understood, however, that the pouch portion
102 could be made of paper, cardboard, foil, or any other suitable
material.
[0022] Snack food items, such as potato chips, corn chips, and
popcorn, for example, are frequently highly sensitive to oxygen and
moisture and tend to become stale rapidly if exposed to room air
for even a relatively short period of time. Consequently, it is
preferred that such snack food items are packaged in bags that are
manufactured from a flexible film material having inherent
moisture- and oxygen-barrier properties. Examples of suitable
materials include waxed paper, metal foil, thermoplastic film, and
the like. Such bags can be contained in the pouch portion 102 of
the snack food hanging pouch 100. Alternatively or additionally,
the snack food hanging pouch 100 (or at least the pouch portion
102) can be made of such a material.
[0023] Frequently, snack food packages are constructed from a
laminate film having a plurality of layers. While the respective
layers may have a variety of properties, at least one layer is
typically selected so as to provide each of the needed moisture and
oxygen barrier properties. Again, the snack food item can be
packaged in a bag made of such a laminate film, and the bags
contained in the pouch portion 102 of the snack food hanging pouch.
Alternatively or additionally, the snack food hanging pouch 100 (or
at least the pouch portion 102) can be made of such a laminate
film.
[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the hanger portion 104 of the
snack food hanging pouch 100 is also made of a polymeric material,
such as plastic, for example. As with the pouch portion 102, the
hanger portion 104 can be made of a transparent polymeric material,
or it can be made of colored or printed material to further enhance
the marketing appeal of the pouch 100. Generally, it is preferred
that the hanger portion 104 is made of the same material as the
pouch portion 102. More preferably, the hanger portion 104 is
integrally formed with the pouch portion 102. For example, as
described in detail below in connection with FIGS. 4-7, the snack
food hanging pouch 100 can be formed from a sheet of polymeric
material. It should be understood, however, that the hanger portion
104 could be made of paper, cardboard, foil, or any other suitable
material.
[0025] Preferably, the snack food hanging pouch 100 includes a
first (or bottom) seal 110 formed proximate a first end (or bottom)
111 of the pouch portion 102. A second (or top) seal 108 can be
formed proximate a second end (or top) 109 of the pouch portion 102
to contain the snack food item 106 between the first seal 110 and
the second seal 108. The snack food hanging pouch 100 can also
include a reinforcement seal 114 formed around at least a portion
of the hanging hole 112. The reinforcement seal 114 helps to ensure
that the snack food hanging pouch 100 does not break away from the
beverage container from which it is suspended. The snack food
hanging pouch 100 can also include a closure seal 118 formed
proximate at least a portion of a perimeter 116 of the hanger
portion 104. The closure seal 118 enhances the appeal of the
hanging pouch 100 by sealing the flaps 117 that can be formed when
the hanger portion is formed from, for example, a tubular sheet of
polymeric material. It is anticipated that such flaps 117 will tend
to curl in the absence of a closure seal 118, and thereby adversely
affect the marketing appeal of the product.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the hanger portion 104 can have a
generally semi-circular overall shape. That is, the hanger portion
perimeter 116 can be generally semi-circular. FIGS. 2A and 2B
depict alternate preferred embodiments of a hanger portion 104 of a
snack food hanging pouch 100 according to the invention. As shown
in FIG. 2A, the hanger portion 104 can have a generally rectangular
overall shape. That is, the hanger portion perimeter 116 can be
generally rectangular. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2B, the hanger
portion can have a generally triangular overall shape. That is, the
hanger portion perimeter 116 can be generally triangular.
Preferably, in an embodiment wherein the hanger portion perimeter
116 is generally triangular, the hanger portion 104 can have a
rounded end 120, as shown in FIG. 2B.
[0027] FIG. 3 depicts a preferred embodiment of a combined beverage
and snack food package 300 according to the invention. As shown,
the package 300 comprises a beverage container 302 and a snack food
hanging pouch 100. The beverage container 302 includes a protrusion
304. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the beverage
container 302 is a bottle and the protrusion 304 is a neck of the
bottle. The snack food hanging pouch 100 contains a snack food item
106, and is suspended from the protrusion 304 of the beverage
container 302. Preferably, as described above, the snack food
hanging pouch 100 includes a hanging hole 112 via which the snack
food hanging pouch 100 is suspended from the protrusion 304 of the
beverage container 302. The beverage container can include a label
310 and the snack food item can include a label 107.
[0028] A typical soft drink bottle, as depicted in FIG. 3, has a
crown, closure, or cap 306, which is typically crimped over the
neck 304 of the bottle 302. The neck 304 of a soft drink bottle,
such as a two-liter soft drink bottle, for example, typically
includes an annular bead portion 308 that extends radially outward
from the neck of the bottle along the perimeter thereof.
Preferably, the hanging hole 112 is sized and shaped such that it
is stretched slightly as it is fitted over the cap 306. After the
hanging hole 112 has been fitted over the cap 306, the hanging hole
112 returns to its original shape (due to the elastic "memory" of
the material from which it is made), and thus fits snugly onto the
neck 304 of the bottle 302. The pouch 100 can be made to rest on
the annular bead portion 308, or to be fitted over the annular bead
308 to rest on the shoulder 309 of the bottle 302.
[0029] It should be understood that the embodiment depicted in FIG.
3 is merely an exemplary, preferred embodiment, and that a snack
food hanging pouch 100 according to the invention can be adapted to
be suspended from any beverage container having a suitable
protrusion. For example, a snack food hanging pouch according to
the invention can be suspended from the neck of a beer, water, or
pop bottle, for example, or from the spout or spigot of a dispenser
container, such as a 5-liter water container that has a spigot for
dispensing the water contained therein. The combined package 300
can then be offered for sale as a single product or stock keeping
unit (SKU), and labeled with a single product identifier, such as a
universal product code (UPC).
[0030] FIGS. 4 through 7 depict apparatus according to the
invention for manufacturing a snack food hanging pouch 100. As
shown, FIGS. 4 through 7 depict a film drive unit 10 of a packaging
machine 11. The packaging machine 11 has a shaft 12 that receives a
roll 13 of plastic film. The film 14 is delivered to a former 15,
which wraps the film 14 about a longitudinal axis, z, so as to form
tubular pouch material 16. The tubular pouch material can be moved
via a pair of rollers 17 and 18.
[0031] A delivery hopper 19 is located above the former 15. The
snack food item, which can be either a loose snack food item or a
packaged snack food item, is delivered through an end 19e of the
delivery hopper 19 into the tubular pouch material 16.
[0032] The tubular pouch material 16, after passing the rollers 17
and 18 enters a pouch forming assembly (see FIGS. 8A, 8B), which
can be contained in a housing 30, as shown. The pouch forming
assembly, which is described below in connection with FIGS. 8A and
8B, forms discrete snack food hanging pouches 100 in accordance
with the invention. The rollers 17 and 18 can be mounted on
supports 31 and 32 which, in turn, can be mounted on linkages 33
and 34. Linkages 33 and 34 can be pivotally mounted at their joint
35 so that the rollers 17 and 18 can be adjusted in their spacing
from each other. Preferably, the rollers 17 and 18 are mounted on
supports 31 and 32 so as to be rotatable about generally parallel
axes x.sub.1 and x.sub.2. Extending downwardly from within the
former 15 is a back seal bar 36 which co-operates with the roller
18 to join the longitudinal edge portions 14e of the film strip 14
to form the tubular pouch material 16. In a preferred embodiment,
the longitudinal edge portions 14e can be heat sealed.
[0033] Other examples of packing machines that can be adapted for
use in manufacturing a snack food hanging pouch according to the
invention are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,850,780, 4,663,917,
4,128,985, 4,288,965, 4,910,943, 5,125,217, 5,366,130, 5,463,850,
5,537,798, 5,551,206, and 5,622,033. In essence each of these
packaging machines receives a strip of plastic film that is pulled
passed a former so as to form a tube. The edges of the strip are
sealed together, and product is delivered to the interior of the
tube through the former. A sealing head engages the tube and forms
discrete bags, which are then severed from the remainder of the
tube. Typically, closing bars and/or stripping bars can be employed
to aid the packaging process.
[0034] It should be understood that the rollers 17 and 18 described
above are merely one example of how the tubular pouch material can
be moved through a packaging machine. The film can be pulled
through the packaging machine by a variety of methods. For example,
a vacuum could be to the rollers to draw the pouch material into
frictional contact with the rollers. The machine can be provided
with a pair of co-operating belts, as described in a number of the
above patent specifications, to which a vacuum may or may not be
delivered. The film is drawn into contact with the driven belts to
thereby pull the film through the machine. The belts can be made to
pass around rollers that are driven by electric motors that have
suitable control characteristics, such as stepping, servo, computer
controlled motors, or the like.
[0035] The packaging machine can be provided with vibration members
which engage the sides of the tube and cause the sides of the tube
to vibrate transverse of the longitudinal direction of movement of
tube to cause the snack food item being packaged to move towards
the bottom of the pouch being formed. This is to reduce the volume
that the snack food item occupies within the pouch portion of the
snack food hanging pouch, and to reduce the possibility that the
snack food item will be engaged by the closing bars and/or the
sealing heads.
[0036] FIGS. 8A and 8B depict a preferred embodiment of a pouch
forming assembly 50 for manufacturing a snack food hanging pouch
100 in accordance with the invention. Preferably, the assembly 50
operates in a rotary manner and, accordingly, can operate on a
continuous basis. As described above, the packaging machine 11 can
include a delivery hopper 19 that delivers the snack food item 106
to the interior of a tubular pouch material 16. The pouch forming
assembly 50 severs discrete pouches 100 from the pouch material 16.
Preferably, the assembly 50 includes two opposing sealer/splitter
heads 54, each of which is mounted on a respective arm 55 that is
fixed to a respective shaft 56. The shafts 56 can be rotatably
driven in opposite directions, with the same angular velocity. Each
head 54 can be pivotally mounted on the end of the respective arm
55, as well as being movable longitudinally of the respective arm
55.
[0037] The sequence of operation of the above described assembly 50
is as follows. As the tubular pouch material 16 is driven past the
delivery hopper 19, the snack food item 106 is delivered to the
interior of the tubular pouch material 16. The heads 54 engage the
pouch material 16 to sealingly close the material 16 at one or more
locations. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the heads 54 can
engage the material 16 to form one or more seals to contain the
snack food item within a pouch portion of the snack food hanging
pouch, and sever the pouch 100 from the remainder of the material
16. Once the pouch 100 has been formed, and is allowed to fall
freely from the assembly 50, the arms 55 rotate to the position
shown in FIG. 8B. Thereafter the heads 54 are forced into
engagement with the pouch material 16 so as to bring the pouch
material 16 together for stripping and sealing. Preferably, the
heads 54 are moved toward each other and are moved in the direction
of movement of the material 16 at a velocity greater than the
velocity of the material 16. Accordingly, the heads 54 will cause
stripping of the pouch material 16 to thereby reduce the volume
occupied by the snack food item 106 within the pouch portion 102.
Upon the heads 54 reaching a predetermined position, the pouch
material 16 can be sealed and severed from the remainder of the
pouch material 16 so that a completed snack food hanging pouch 100
is formed.
[0038] FIGS. 9A-9C depict preferred embodiments of a
sealer/splitter heads for manufacturing snack food hanging pouches
according to the invention that have hanger portions shaped as
shown in FIGS. 2A, 1, and 2C, respectively. FIG. 9A depicts a head
54 having a first seal former 71, which forms the first (or bottom)
seal 110 of the pouch portion 102 of the subsequent snack food
hanging pouch 100'. A second seal former 72 forms the second (or
top) seal 108 of the pouch portion 102 of the current hanging pouch
100. Thus, the pouch portion 102 of the current hanging pouch 100
is formed between the second seal 108 and the first seal 110 (which
would have been formed on the current hanging pouch 100 during the
previous rotation of the heads 54).
[0039] A first cutter 73 severs the current hanging pouch 100 from
the remainder of the tubular pouch material 16. In the embodiment
shown in FIG. 9A, the first cutter 73 also forms a generally
rectangular perimeter 116 of the hanger portion 104 (as depicted in
FIG. 2A). A hole cutter 74 forms the hanging hole 112. A hole
sealer 75 forms a reinforcement seal 114 around the hanging hole
112. A perimeter sealer 76 forms a closure seal 118 along the
perimeter 116 of the hanger portion 104.
[0040] As shown in FIGS. 9B and 9C, the head 54 can include a
perimeter cutter 78 that cuts the perimeter 116 of the hanger
portion 104. FIG. 9B depicts a head 54 having a perimeter cutter 78
that forms a generally semi-circular perimeter 116 of the hanger
portion 104 (as depicted in FIG. 1). FIG. 9C depicts a head 54
having the perimeter cutter 78 that forms a generally triangular
perimeter 116 of the hanger portion 104 (as depicted in FIG. 2B).
Scrap material, i.e., those portions of the pouch material 16 that
is not used to form part of a hanging pouch, can be allowed to fall
into a bin, or the like, where it can be collected for reuse,
recycling or disposal.
[0041] It should be understood that the configuration of sealers
and cutters can be varied in any number of ways to manufacture a
snack food hanging pouch having any desired shape, and having any
desired number or configuration of seals.
[0042] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method 400 for manufacturing a
snack food hanging pouch according to the invention. At step 402, a
tubular sheet of packaging material, having a longitudinal axis, is
provided. Apparatus and methods for providing such a tubular sheet
of packaging material are described above. Preferably, the tubular
sheet of packaging material is formed from a flat sheet of
packaging material, such as a polymeric film that can be provided
as a roll of film. At step 404, a first seal is formed across the
tubular sheet, transverse to the longitudinal axis. A snack food
item is inserted into the tubular sheet, proximate the first seal,
at step 406. At step 408, a second seal is formed across the
tubular sheet, transverse to the longitudinal axis, such that the
snack food item is contained between the first seal and the second
seal. The first seal and the second seal define a pouch portion of
the snack food hanging pouch. Thus, a pouch portion of the snack
food hanging pouch can be formed, wherein the pouch portion
contains the snack food item.
[0043] At step 410, the tubular sheet is severed, transverse to the
longitudinal axis, proximate the first seal, to form a first end of
the snack food hanging pouch. At step 412, a hanger portion of the
snack food hanging pouch is formed proximate the second seal. The
hanger portion is formed such that it includes a hanging hole via
which the snack food hanging pouch can be suspended from a
protrusion of a beverage container. Thus, a hanger portion of the
snack food hanging pouch can be formed, wherein the hanger portion
is attached to the pouch portion and has a hanging hole that is
adapted to fit onto a protrusion of a beverage container.
[0044] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method 500 for manufacturing a
combined beverage and snack food package according to the
invention. At step 502, a snack food hanging pouch, such as
described in detail above, that contains a snack food item is
provided. Snack food hanging pouches can be manufactured as
described above, and allowed to collect in a bin or fall one-by-one
onto a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt can deliver the snack food
hanging pouches to a "combining location," i.e., a location where
snack food hanging pouches are combined with beverage containers to
form a combined package according to the invention. Similarly, a
bin containing a number of snack food hanging pouches can be
wheeled to the combining location. Alternatively, the snack food
hanging pouches can be crated and shipped to a remote combining
location, i.e., a location other than the location where the
hanging pouches are manufactured where the pouches are combined
with beverage containers. Examples of such a remote combining
location include another plant where the beverage containers are
manufacturer or filled, or a point of sale, such as a supermarket,
for example.
[0045] At step 504, a beverage container having a protrusion is
provided. Beverage containers can be conveyed to the combining
location in a line, such as might be found at a bottling plant, or
they can be crated and shipped to the combining location.
[0046] At step 506, the snack food hanging pouch and the beverage
container are combined to form a combined beverage and snack food
package according to the invention. Preferably, the snack food
hanging pouch is suspended from the protrusion of the beverage
container. This can be done at the point of sale (e.g., at the
supermarket), or manually at another combining location. For
example, the beverage containers can be conveyed to the combining
location in a line, and an operator can suspend a hanging pouch
from each container as it passes. Alternatively, the process can be
automated. That is, machinery can be used to suspend the hanging
pouches from the beverage containers.
[0047] The combined packages can then be boxed, shipped, and
shelved (or otherwise displayed for sale).
[0048] Thus, there have been described apparatus and methods for
manufacturing snack food hanging pouches, and for combining
beverage containers and snack food hanging pouches. Those skilled
in the art will appreciate that numerous changes and modifications
can be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention, and that
such changes and modifications can be made without departing from
the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, that the
appended claims cover all such equivalent variations as fall within
the true spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *