U.S. patent application number 12/901950 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-14 for vertical form, fill, and seal system for hot fill liquids.
Invention is credited to Robert Charles Kelly, LARRY DEE WALKER.
Application Number | 20110083402 12/901950 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43853726 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110083402 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WALKER; LARRY DEE ; et
al. |
April 14, 2011 |
VERTICAL FORM, FILL, AND SEAL SYSTEM FOR HOT FILL LIQUIDS
Abstract
A vertical form, fill, and seal packaging system may comprise a
source of flexible thermoplastic packaging material, a tubular
folder, a product dispenser of the tubular folder, and a side
sealer. The source of flexible packaging material in an elongated
thin flat strip of material may comprise successive flat package
blanks as integral longitudinally contiguous sections. The tubular
folder may be adapted to receive a strip material and progressively
forms in passage to a depending and upwardly open tubular
configuration, with opposite longitudinal edge portions of the
material being progressively juxtaposed in a passage so as to
extend in vertical and parallel directions. The product dispenser
of the tubular folder for discharging measured quantities of
materials may be through a fill tube extending downward into an
interior of the depending tube of packaging material through an
upwardly open end. The side sealer may be used for sealing the
juxtaposed vertically extending longitudinal edge portions of the
tube. A method of making packages may comprise the steps of folding
a single sheet of thermoplastic film into a tube; sealing an open
vertical end or side around a filing tube; tucking gussets; sealing
bottom; and filing an opened cavity of package with a hot material
at 160.degree. F. or greater.
Inventors: |
WALKER; LARRY DEE; (Dallas,
TX) ; Kelly; Robert Charles; (Houston, TX) |
Family ID: |
43853726 |
Appl. No.: |
12/901950 |
Filed: |
October 11, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61250373 |
Oct 9, 2009 |
|
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
53/451 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 9/20 20130101; B65B
61/186 20130101; B65B 61/24 20130101; B65B 9/2042 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/451 |
International
Class: |
B65B 9/08 20060101
B65B009/08 |
Claims
1. A method of making packages comprising: folding a single sheet
of thermoplastic film into a tube; sealing an open vertical end or
side around a filing tube; tucking gussets; sealing substantially
flat bottom of the package; and filing an open cavity of the
package with a hot material at 160.degree. F. or greater.
2. The method of making packages of claim 1, further comprising
sealing an upper horizontal portion of the package.
3. The method of making packages of claim 1, further comprising
lowering the package down to one lower level position.
4. The method of making packages of claim 1, further comprising
cutting between the packages.
5. The method of making packages of claim 1, further comprising
transferring the package to a bottom forming section wherein:
bottom corners of the package are gripped folded under and sealed
so that they remain folded under; and seam is perpendicular to
vertical seam or at a 45 or 90 degree angle which form a general
flat bottom.
6. The method of making packages of claim 1, further comprising
transferring the package to a bottom forming section wherein:
bottom corners of the package are gripped folded under and sealed
so that they remain folded under; and seam is perpendicular to
vertical seam or at a 45 or 90 degree angle which form a seating
surface enabling the package to set upright.
7. The method of making packages of claim 1, further comprising
using a single layer polymer that is selected from a group
consisting of a highly orientated polyethylene terephthalate (PET),
nylon or other high barrier polymers or copolymers, that provide
gas, moisture barrier properties.
8. The method of making packages of claim 1, further comprising
adding a threaded access component onto the package.
9. The method of making packages of claim 1, further comprising
adding fitting onto the package.
10. The method of making packages of claim 1, further comprising
screwing a cap onto the package.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Application No. 61/250,373 filed on Oct. 9, 2009, the
entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention generally relates to a method and
system of making thermal plastic packages, and more specifically,
to a vertical, form, fill and seal system for hot filled liquids
into thermoplastic packages geometrically designed to stand up
properly and to be made from a single roll of thermal plastics.
[0003] Many beverages and food items have to be packaged into
glass, cans, or plastic bottles which may withstand pasteurization
temperatures in order to insure longer shelf life and product
integrity. These conventional containers consume 40% to 65% more
electrical energy to produce than packages and are considerably
more expensive.
[0004] As can be seen, there is a need for a flexible thermoplastic
package that can be filled at temperatures sufficiently high enough
to insure pasteurization of the product being filled and at the
same time to insure the sterilization of the interior itself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In one aspect of the present invention, a method of making
packages may comprise folding a single sheet of thermoplastic film
into a tube; sealing an open vertical end or side around a filing
tube; tucking gussets; sealing a bottom of the package; and filing
an open cavity of the package with materials.
[0006] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with reference to
the following drawings, description and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical machine that
manufactures a package;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a
package;
[0009] FIG. 3 is an exploded side view of the exemplary embodiment
of the package shown in FIG. 2;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment
of the package taken along line 4-4 shown in FIG. 2; and
[0011] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method of making the
exemplary embodiment of the package shown in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The following detailed description is of the best currently
contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the
invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense,
but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general
principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is
best defined by the appended claims.
[0013] Various inventive features are described below that can each
be used independently of one another or in combination with other
features.
[0014] Broadly, embodiments of the present invention generally
provide systems and methods of making packages.
[0015] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a vertical form, fill
and seal system 1. In an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention, a source of flexible packaging material 2 in an
elongated thin flat strip of material with a width which comprises
successive flat package blanks as integral longitudinally
contiguous sections. The flexible packaging material 2 may include
FDA & USDA approved thermoplastic multi layered film which may
withstand a minimum of 212 degrees F. The materials may include a
single layer polymer or multi-layer thermoplastic polymer bonded
together, such as highly orientated polyethylene terephthalate
(PET), nylon or other high barrier polymers, for example, that
provide gas, moisture barrier properties.
[0016] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a
tubular folder 3 may be adapted to receive the strip material and
progressively forms the same in passage to a depending and upwardly
open tubular configuration, with opposite longitudinal edge
portions of the material being progressively juxtaposed in passage
through the former so as to extend in vertical and in parallel
directions, for example. A product dispenser 4 of the tubular
folder 3 for discharging measured quantities of materials through a
fill tube extending downward into an interior of the depending tube
of packaging material through an upwardly open end. Quantities of
material may be selected from a group consisting of hot liquids,
hot viscous materials, and liquids containing solids, which may
range from 160.degree. F. to 220.degree. F.
[0017] A side sealer 5 may be used for sealing the juxtaposed
vertically extending longitudinal edge portions of the tube. An
exemplary embodiment may further include a feeding machine to draw
the packaging material downward and thus successively presenting
integral tubular package blanks for filling, sealing and packaging
formation. An exemplary embodiment may further include a package
end sealer 5 which comprises a front and a rear sealing jaws
relatively movable horizontally, for example, between an open
position and a closed position with knives to cut within the
sealing jaws to produce discrete packages dropping downward when
the sealing jaws are open.
[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2-4, in an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention, a package 10 may be manufactured from the system
shown in FIG. 1. In an exemplary embodiment, the package 10 may
have a top seal 12, fitting 14, a threaded access component 16, a
threaded cap 18, and the flat bottom 20 with a bottom seal. In an
exemplary embodiment, the package 10 may be made from a single roll
of thermoplastic film with sizes ranging from 1 oz to 5 gallon, for
example, in an alloy of two to six layers.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 5, the process of making packages may
include the steps of folding single sheet of thermoplastic film
into a tube in step 42; sealing an open vertical end or side around
a filing tube in step 44; sealing a bottom at a horizontal portion
in step 46; filling an opened cavity of the package with a hot
material at 160.degree. F. or greater in step 48; and sealing the
upper horizontal edge of the package at step 50. The exemplary
embodiment may further include the steps of lowering the package
down to one lower level position at step 52; and cutting
horizontally between the packages at step 54; and transferring the
package to the bottom forming section where the bottom corners of
the package are gripped folded under and sealed so that they remain
folded under and the seam is perpendicular to the vertical seam or
at a 45 or 90 degree angle which form a general flat bottom or
seating surface enabling the package to set upright at step 56. In
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the process of
making packages may further include the steps of adding a threaded
access component onto the package; adding fitting onto the package;
and screwing a cap onto the package. In an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention, the process of making packages may further
include the steps of using a single layer polymer that is selected
from a group consisting of a highly orientated polyethylene
terephthalate (PET), nylon or other high barrier polymers that
provide gas, moisture barrier properties.
[0020] It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing
relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
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