U.S. patent application number 11/674923 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-16 for apparatus and method of forming a flexible pouch with improved side seam.
This patent application is currently assigned to PPi Technologies, Inc.. Invention is credited to R. C. Murray.
Application Number | 20070189644 11/674923 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38368560 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070189644 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Murray; R. C. |
August 16, 2007 |
APPARATUS AND METHOD OF FORMING A FLEXIBLE POUCH WITH IMPROVED SIDE
SEAM
Abstract
An improved flexible pouch, apparatus and methodology for a
pouch having an upper edge, a lower edge, and side edges extending
therebetween. The side seal is 4-6.+-.1 mm wide. The apparatus and
method includes the steps of unrolling the material along a
horizontal orientation, and turning the sheet of material to have a
vertical orientation. The method also checks the alignment of the
sheet of material, and adjusts the alignment relative to a vertical
axis, to align the outer edges of the sheet of material. The method
cuts the roll width of material into sections, and positions the
aligned sections together to form the body of the pouch. The method
forms side seams by sealing along the side edges of each pouch. The
method also separates the individual pouches from the roll width of
material, and removes the pouches from the machine.
Inventors: |
Murray; R. C.; (Lakewood
Ranch, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GIFFORD, KRASS, SPRINKLE,ANDERSON & CITKOWSKI, P.C
PO BOX 7021
TROY
MI
48007-7021
US
|
Assignee: |
PPi Technologies, Inc.
Sarasota
FL
|
Family ID: |
38368560 |
Appl. No.: |
11/674923 |
Filed: |
February 14, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60772949 |
Feb 14, 2006 |
|
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11674923 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
383/107 ;
383/104; 383/200 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/20 20130101;
B65D 75/58 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/107 ;
383/104; 383/200 |
International
Class: |
B65D 30/00 20060101
B65D030/00; B65D 30/16 20060101 B65D030/16; B65D 33/00 20060101
B65D033/00 |
Claims
1. A flexible pouch with an improved side seam for packaging a
product, said pouch comprising: a front panel having an inner
surface and an outer surface, and an upper edge, an opposed lower
edge and side edges extending therebetween the upper edge and the
lower edge; a back panel having an inner surface and an outer
surface, and an upper edge, an opposed lower edge and side edges
extending therebetween the upper edge and the lower edge wherein
the front panel inner surface faces the back panel inner surface; a
side seal joining the front panel to the back panel along a side
seam, wherein the side seam has a width of 4-6 mm.+-.1 mm; and an
opening means formed in the pouch for accessing the product
contained within the pouch.
2. The pouch as set forth in claim 1 wherein the pouch includes an
insert positioned between the front panel lower edge and back panel
lower edge so that the pouch can stand upright.
3. A method of forming a flexible pouch having an improved side
seam, said method comprising the steps of; providing a roll of
flexible material having a material locating indicia positioned at
a predetermined location on the flexible material; unrolling the
material from the roll along a horizontally oriented plane;
changing a planar orientation of the unrolling material to a
vertically oriented plane; checking the alignment of the unrolling
material with respect to a vertically oriented axis using the
material locating indicia, and correcting the alignment if the
unrolling material is out of alignment; cutting the aligned
material into at least two sections, wherein each section has an
inner surface and an outer surface, and an outer edge; rotating a
first section 180 degrees and placing the first section on top of a
second section, so that the inner surface of the first section
faces the inner surface of the second section, and the outermost
edges of the first section and the second section are in alignment;
forming a side seam defining adjacent pouches in the aligned
sections, wherein the width of the side seam for each pouch is 4-6
mm.+-.1 mm; sealing a lower edge of the pouch using a sealing
means; and separating the adjacent pouches in the aligned sections
into individual pouches along an outermost edge of each side
seam.
4. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein said step of aligning
the material includes the step of adjusting the position of the
material 2 degrees from a vertically oriented axis.
5. The method as set forth in claim 3 further includes the step of
positioning an insert between the front panel and back panel prior
to the step of sealing.
6. The method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the step of forming
the side seam includes using a heat weld to form the side seam.
7. The method as set forth in claim 3 further including the step of
including an opening means in the pouch for dispensing product from
the pouch.
8. An apparatus for forming a flexible pouch for a product that has
an improved side seal comprising: a base; a transport means secured
to the base for transporting a film of laminate material, wherein
the film of laminate material is provided on a roll and includes a
registration mark in a predetermined location; a material feed
station for unrolling the roll of laminate material along a
horizontal plane; a material turning station for modifying the
orientation of the unrolling material to a vertical plane; an
alignment station for checking the alignment of the unrolling
material, wherein the alignment station includes an optical reading
means that identifies the registration mark and uses the
registration mark to determine if the material is in alignment with
respect to a vertically oriented axis, and adjusting the alignment
of the unrolling material with respect to the vertically oriented
axis; a cutting station for cutting the width aligned material into
sections having an inner surface and an outer surface, and
positioning a first section on top of a second section, wherein the
first section inner surface faces the second section outer surface;
a sealing station for forming a side seam defining adjacent pouches
in the aligned sections, and the width of the side seam for each
pouch is 4-6 mm.+-.1 mm; and a cutting station for separating the
panel of material into individual pouches along an outermost edge
of the side seam, wherein each pouch includes a front panel, a back
panel, and each panel has an upper edge, a lower edge.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising an unloading station
for removing the pouch from the transport means and placing the
pouch in a receptacle.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising forming a lower
edge seal at the sealing station.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising an opening means
insertion station for adding an opening means to the pouch used to
access the product in the pouch.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 60/772,949 filed Feb. 14, 2006, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a flexible pouch
for packaging a product and, more specifically, to a flexible pouch
with an improved side seam for packaging a product and an apparatus
and method of manufacturing the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Various types of disposable, portable containers are known
in the art for storing a fluid or dry product, such as a liquid,
granular material, powder or the like. One example of such a
container is a flexible pouch. Consumers prefer the convenience of
flexible pouches, due to their shape, size, shelf life and storage
adaptability. Manufacturers recognize the packaging benefits of a
flexible pouch, since the pouch can be formed and filled on the
same manufacturing line. An example of a method and apparatus for
filling a flexible pouch with a product is disclosed in commonly
assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,601, which is incorporated herein by
reference.
[0004] The flexible pouch is made from a flexible material, such as
an extrusion or a laminate composed of sheets of plastic or
aluminum or the like. An outer layer of the material may have
preprinted information, such as a logo or the like, to provide the
consumer with information regarding the contents of the pouch. The
material is available in sheet form, on a roll, and a plurality of
pouches may be fabricated from one width of the roll.
[0005] The pouch may be formed using conventionally known
manufacturing techniques, such as a horizontal form-fill-seal
machine with single or multiple lanes, a flat bed pre-made pouch
machine, a vertical form-fill-seal machine, or the like. The
machine includes a number of stations, with a particular operation
or operations taking place at each station. The pouch is generally
formed by folding a sheet or sheets of material over each other to
achieve a predetermined shape. The pouch may also include an insert
or gusset positioned between two parallel edges to form a pouch
capable of standing unsupported. Edges, such as a side edge may be
joined together using a sealing technique such as bonding or
welding. Alternatively, the roll is folded to form a pouch with
three open sides. An upper edge of the front panel and back panel
is generally not sealed until after the pouch is filled. The empty
pouch may be placed in a corner, or gripper assembly or a holder
such as a cup or puck or combination of both prior to the filling
process. The pouch is ready to be filled, sealed and finished as
required.
[0006] It is advantageous to concurrently form a plurality of
pouches from one width of the roll of material, or multiple lanes
across the machine bed. For example, a high speed multiple lane
machine, can form approximately 100-200 pouches per lane in a
minute. At such a high machine speed, it is important to control
the tolerance of the side seam. Each pouch formed from the roll
width typically has a side seam dimension of 5-10 mm and tolerance
of .+-.2 mm, for a total seam dimension in the range of 3-12 mm.
Present manufacturing techniques require this large of seam size
and tolerance due to slippage of the unrolling material during the
high speed manufacturing process. However, the failure rate of the
narrow seam increases due to this large variation. The integrity of
the side seal is an important functional feature of the pouch, and
a poor seal can lead to a failure of the seam. Thus, there is a
need in the art for an apparatus and method of making a flexible
pouch with an improved side seam seal width and tolerance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Accordingly, the present invention is an improved flexible
pouch for a product and an improved apparatus and method for
manufacturing the pouch. The flexible pouch includes a front panel
and a back panel each having an upper edge, a lower edge opposite
the upper edge, and side edges extending therebetween the upper and
lower edges. The side seal is 4-6 mm.+-.1 mm wide.
[0008] The apparatus and method of forming a pouch with a reduced
side seam seal includes the steps of unrolling a sheet of material
having a predetermined width along a horizontal orientation, and
turning the sheet of material to have a vertical orientation. The
method also includes the steps of checking the alignment of the
sheet of material, and adjusting the alignment with respect to a
vertical axis, so that the edges of the sheet of material are in
alignment. The method further includes the steps of cutting the
roll width of material in halt and joining the two material
sections together to form the front and back panels of the pouches
in the width of material. The method still further includes the
step of delineating individual pouches in the roll width of
material by sealing together the side edges and lower edge of each
pouch. The method also includes the steps of separating the
individual pouches from the roll width of material, sorting the
pouches and removing the pouches from the pouch-forming
machine.
[0009] One advantage of the present invention is that a flexible
pouch with an improved side seam and method of making such a
flexible pouch using a high speed apparatus that moves the film in
multiple index steps in a linear manner is provided. Another
advantage of the present invention is that the method of making the
flexible pouch results in more precise side seams, with a reduced
seam width and tolerance. Still another advantage of the present
invention is that the flexible pouch has improved pouch strength
and stability. A further advantage of the present invention is that
the method of making a flexible pouch with improved side seam is
cost effective since less laminate material is required. Still a
further advantage of the present invention is that the method and
apparatus for making the flexible pouch improves the
cost-effectiveness of manufacturing the pouch.
[0010] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood after
reading the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a flexible pouch with
improved side seam, according to the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method of forming and filling the
flexible pouch of FIG. 1, according to the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 3a is an elevational view of the film as it is
unrolled, according to the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 3b is an elevational view of the film after it is cut,
according to the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 4 is an elevational view of an apparatus for forming a
flexible pouch using the method of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] Referring to FIG. 1, a flexible pouch 10 is illustrated. The
pouch 10 is filled with a product (not shown) and sealed. The
filled pouch may assume various shapes, such as cylindrical, cube,
conical or the like. The type of product and usage of the pouch
influences the shape. The type of product is unlimited, and could
have a solid or a liquid form.
[0017] The flexible pouch 10 is preferably formed from a roll of
flexible, preprinted laminate material. The choice of laminate
material is nonlimiting, and is influenced by factors such as the
product contained in the pouch 10, the shape of the pouch or the
anticipated use of the pouch. Preferably, the laminate is either a
three, four or five gauge material, and the outer layer is
preprinted. It should be appreciated that a portion of the material
may be a clear laminate, in order to view the contents of the
pouch. For example, the laminate material may include at least one
layer of virgin polyethylene terphalate (PET) and at least one
layer of aluminum foil (AL) and another layer such as EVOH, PET,
polyethylene, or polypropylene or nylon or the like. The laminate
may also include a metalized foil paper layer laminated to a cast
polypropylene layer and another layer of PET, polyethylene or EVOH.
It should be appreciated that there may be a fourth layer of nylon.
Another material example includes a cast polypropylene (CPP) layer,
a polyethylene (PET) layer, a foil (AL) layer, a nylon (ONO) layer
and another CPP layer. Another example of a material structure is
the use of nylon, foil, nylon, and cast polypropylene
(ONO/AL/ONO/CPP) or CPP/NY/AL/CPP. A further example of a laminate
material structure is CPP/AL/ONO/PE. This structure works well when
the product has a short shelf life, and the nylon eliminates
stretching or cracking of the AL layer. Advantageously, a pouch 10
made using the cast polypropylene laminate material retains its
filled shape even as the product is removed from the pouch 10. It
should be appreciated that if a filled carbonated pouch is stored
at ambient temperature, the laminate will start to creep after a
period of time, such as ten days. The laminate material may include
an extrusion layer to contain "creepage" or "stretch" of the film
after filling due to carbonation expansion, if the product is
carbonated. In addition, the selected material may be organoleptic
compliant in order to avoid the transfer of odor contaminants to
the product, or product contamination during the shelf life period
of the product.
[0018] The pouch 10 itself is defined by a panel, which may be
formed using one or more sheets of material. In this example, the
pouch 10 includes a front wall 12 and a back wall 14, and the edges
are joined along a seam. With one sheet of material, it is folded
so that the outer edges are joined together to form one seam.
Alternatively, the pouch may be formed from two facing panels of
material that are joined together along corresponding side
edges.
[0019] Further, the pouch is defined by an upper edge 16, an
opposed lower edge 18, and at least one side edge 20 extending
therebetween the upper and lower edges 16, 18. The edges of the
pouch 10 are sealed using heat or ultrasonically or by a
combination of heat and ultrasonically. In this example, the pouch
includes three fin-style seams, such as an upper seam, a bottom
seam and a side seam 22. The side seam 22 has a width of 4-6 mm
with a tolerance of .+-.1 mm. One of the seams may include a
fitment sealed between the walls of the pouch, such as a spout.
[0020] The pouch 10 may include a sidewall. The sidewall
advantageously allows the pouch 10 to acquire another shape, such
as cylindrical, or to stand upright. The sidewall may be integrally
formed in the panel as a gusset 24 or a separate piece of material
as an insert (not shown). The sidewall may be located between the
side edges of the panels, between the lower edges, between the
upper edges, or a combination thereof. The gusset 24 or insert may
be generally wider at the lower edge and taper upwardly towards the
upper edge, or be of a uniform dimension. The sidewall may be
formed between the lower edges of the pouch 10 to provide a base
for the pouch 10 to stand upright. A sidewall formed between the
side or upper edges may serve as an area for receiving an opening
means 26, to be described.
[0021] The pouch 10 further includes an opening means 26 for
accessing the contents of the pouch. Various types of opening means
26 are known in the art for this purpose. An example of an opening
means 26 for accessing the contents or dispensing the contents from
the pouch 10 is a cap secured to a fitment. The fitment is made
from a material such as polypropylene. It should be appreciated
that the fitment is usually applied prior to filling the pouch. The
fitment is sealed, such as ultrasonically or heat sealed, between
the edges of the pouch. The pouch 10 may be filled through the open
opposite end or through the spout. The spout fitment may have a
tamper-evident means. If the product is a carbonated product, the
spout fitment may include a carbonation insert and oxygen scavenger
to reduce oxygen in the head space.
[0022] Another example of an opening means 26 is a straw-pierceable
portion for receiving a straw. Still another example of an opening
means is a resealable fitment, such as a zipper that is sold under
the name TopTite.TM.. A further example of an opening means 26 is a
tear-off portion. The tear-off portion usually has an integral tear
notch 28 for initiating the tearing. Still a further example of an
opening means is a pull tab covering an opening in the pouch.
[0023] It should be appreciated that the pouch 10 may include other
components or features, as is known in the art. For example, the
unfilled flexible pouch 10 may advantageously include a guide
packet formed in a panel or wall of the pouch 10 prior to filling
and sealing, to facilitate the separation of the front and rear
panels prior to the filling of the pouch 10. An example of a pouch
with a guide pocket is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/310,221. Still another example of a
component or feature is an integrally formed label, which may
include a barcode. The barcode enables information, such as
shipping data, of shelf life or the like, to be read by a
scanner.
[0024] The pouch 10 may form one compartment for the product.
Alternatively, the pouch 10 may include multiple discrete
compartments. An example of such a pouch is disclosed in commonly
assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/367,613, which is
incorporated herein by reference. Further, the pouch may
incorporate any of the above-described features in any combination.
The finished pouch may assume various shapes, such as cylindrical,
cubical, conical or the like, as influenced by the type of product
and intended usage of the pouch.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 3, a method for forming the flexible pouch
10 using the high speed machine 70 described with respect to FIG. 3
is illustrated. The method begins in block 100 at a first station
with the step of providing a roll of material 30 and unrolling the
film from the roll along a horizontally oriented plane. The initial
width of the roll of material is determined by the desired finished
size of the pouch 10 and the number of pouches obtained from the
width. Typically, three to four pouches, representing six to eight
panels, as shown at 32, can be obtained from a width of the roll of
material on a three lane machine or four lane machine,
respectively. The film may pass through an ultraviolet light
chamber without reflection to remove pathogen and microbiological
contaminants.
[0026] The method advances to block 110 and the planar orientation
of the unrolling material 30 is changed from a horizontal
orientation to a vertical planar orientation. For example, the
machine 70 utilizes an angled roll bar to modify the planar
orientation of the unrolling material. The vertical orientation is
advantageous in aligning the unrolling material 30 prior to
cutting. A precise alignment is advantageous, especially at a
higher machine speed, because the seam tolerance is more precise. A
tighter tolerance reduces the amount of material required.
[0027] The methodology advances to block 115 and the alignment of
the unrolling material at a predefined location is determined. For
example, an optical reading means may be utilized, such as an
optical scanner or the like. The optical reading means preferably
identifies a predetermined portion location of the material, such
as an edge of the material or a registration mark as shown at 34.
As previously described, the roll is a preprinted laminate of
material layers. An outer layer of the preprinted material may
include a locating indicia (not shown), such as a registration mark
34, for checking the alignment of the material. The registration
marks may be positioned on the material to denote an outer edge of
the material.
[0028] The methodology advances to block 120 and the determined
alignment of the unrolling material is used to automatically
correct the alignment of the unrolling material. In this example, a
moveable roller is utilized to adjust the alignment of the material
along a vertically oriented axis. Preferably, the adjustment
movement is .+-.2 degrees from the vertically oriented axis.
[0029] The methodology advances to block 125 and the roll width of
the aligned unrolling material is cut into sections at a cutting
station. In this example, the material is split into two sections
36 at the cutting station. Each section 36 has an outer surface and
an inner surface 36a, 36b.
[0030] The methodology advances to block 130 and one of the two
sections of material is rotated 180 degrees and positioned on top
of the other section of material, so that the inner surfaces 36a,
36b face each other, as shown in FIG. 4b. It should be appreciated
that the outermost edges of each section of material are
automatically in alignment, since the sections were in alignment
prior to the step of cutting as shown at 44.
[0031] The methodology advances to block 135 and a features such as
a gusset or insert is optionally applied between the aligned first
and second unrolling sections of material. A fitment, such as a
spout, may be inserted at this station, or alternatively at a later
station.
[0032] The methodology advances to block 140 and an edge is sealed.
For example, a seam 22 defining each of the pouches 32 in the roll
width of material 30 is formed in the aligned first and second
unrolling sections of material, as shown in FIG. 4b. In this
example, the seam 38 is a side section 22. The lower edge of each
pouch may also be sealed at this time. For example, a seal is
applied to the combined first and second unrolling sections of
material to form each of the side seams joining each front panel to
each back panel in a heat-sealing operation. The width of the side
seal seam for each individual pouch is approximately 4.+-.1 mm. It
should be appreciated that two side seal seams may be adjoining,
and the seal width increased to 8.+-.1 mm. Advantageously, the
precise alignment of the roll of material prior to cutting out the
sections used to form the pouch panels allows for a decrease in the
width of the side seal. One example of a sealing process is a heat
weld that includes the application of heat and compression. Another
example of a seal is an ultrasonic seal. Still another example of a
seal is a combination of a heat seal and an ultrasonic seal.
[0033] The methodology advances to block 145, and each of the
pouches are separated from each other, such as at a cutting
station. For example, each section of material may be first
separated into panels along its width, or through the side seam of
the pouches as shown at 38. The pouches are then separated into
individual pouches as shown at 40. In this example, the width
represents the side seams. The material is cut using a known
cutting apparatus, such as a laser or punch or the like. The
pouches may be separated using a double stop cutting process,
whereby two cuts are made at the same time, to separate the upper
and lower edges of two pouches at the same time from the sheet of
material.
[0034] The methodology advances to block 150 and the separated
pouches are further finished. For example, a lower edge 18 of the
pouch may be trimmed to shape, i.e. the corners may be angled. The
cut may be performed using a cutter or a die cut or the like.
Alternatively, the methodology may include the step of applying a
fitment. The sequencing of this step is determinable by the type of
fitment.
[0035] The methodology may include the step of forming a crease or
guide pocket a top portion of each panel 12, 14 in a creasing
operation in order to facilitate opening and filling the pouch. An
example of a method of forming a crease in a panel to facilitate
opening the pouch is disclosed in commonly assigned patent
application Ser. No. 10/310,221, which is incorporated herein by
reference.
[0036] The methodology advances to block 155 and the pre-made pouch
10 is then removed from the machine and is ready for filling. The
formed pouch may be loaded into a carrier and the carrier is
transferred to a fill-seal machine. It should be appreciated that
the fill-seal machine may be integral with the pouch forming
machine, or may be a separate machine.
[0037] It should be appreciated that a particular manufacturing
station may perform one or a plurality of operations, to enhance
the efficiency of the methodology and apparatus.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 4, a machine 70 for carrying out the
method described with respect to FIG. 3 is illustrated. Various
styles of machines 70 are contemplated for filling the pouch 10,
such as a flat bed, conveyor or the like. An example of such a
machine is manufactured by Nishibe, such as the model number
SBM500, SMB600 or SMB700. The machine includes a base 92 and a
transport means 90, such as a conveyor, that transports the
material through the various stations. The roll of material is
mounted along a horizontally oriented axis, and is unrolled along
at a material feed station 72. The machine 72 includes a plurality
of rollers that changes the orientation of the unrolling material
from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation at a
material turning station 74.
[0039] The unrolling material passes through an alignment station
76. At the alignment station, material rolls pass through an
optical reader. As previously described, the optical reader reads a
predefined point with respect to the material. This predefined
point may be a registration mark on the material, or the edge of
the material.
[0040] The machine utilizes the registration marks 34 to
automatically adjust the orientation of the unrolling material
position along a vertically oriented axis. For example, rollers are
used to adjust the position of the unrolling material .+-.2 degrees
relative to a vertically oriented center axis.
[0041] The machine includes a cutting station 78 where the aligned
material is cut into a predetermined number of sections, which in
this example are two. One of the sections is rotated 180 degrees,
and the first and second sections of this example are positioned
such that inner sides face one another. The sections are used to
form the front panel and back panel of the pouch, respectively.
[0042] It should be appreciated that a feature, as previously
described, may be added between the facing sheets at an appropriate
station, such as the insert station shown at 79. The facing
sections are transferred along the conveyer to a sealing station
80. The sealing station, as previously described, forms the seams
joining the facing sections of material and delineating each pouch.
In this example, the side edges of each of the pouches along the
width of material are heat-sealed in this operation. Because of the
precise alignment of the material sheets, the width of the side
edge seam is 4 mm, with a tolerance of .+-.1 mm.
[0043] The material is moved along the conveyer 90 to a cutting
station 82 and the material is cut into individual pouches. For
example, the pouch is cut along the side seam. The pouch is then
cut along the upper edge and lower edge.
[0044] The conveyer 90 then transfers the individual pouches to an
unloading station 84, wherein the individual pouches are taken off
the conveyor and placed into a receptacle 96, such as a holder, or
magazine or the like. It should be appreciated that the pouches 10
are fully formed, except for that the upper edges 16 of the panels
12, 14 are unsealed.
[0045] The pouches are now ready for filling. It should be
appreciated that the pouches may be filled and sealed on another
machine, or at fill-seal stations associated with the above
described machine.
[0046] The present invention has been described in an illustrative
manner. It is to be understood that the terminology which has been
used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather
than of limitation.
[0047] Many modifications and variations of the present invention
are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the
scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be
practiced other than as specifically described.
* * * * *