Method and system for forming packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10562675-B2
Application number	US-201615142103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2016
Priority date	Apr 29, 2015
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

A method of forming reinforced packages. The method can comprise forming an attached web by adhering a blank to a web of material and moving the attached web in a downstream direction through at least a tube forming assembly and a carton forming assembly. The method also can comprise at least partially forming a tube by folding at least a portion of the web of material as the attached web moves through the tube forming assembly, forming a reinforcement sleeve by folding at least a portion of the blank so that the reinforcement sleeve extends at least partially around the tube as the attached web moves through the carton forming assembly, and forming a reinforced package comprising the reinforcement sleeve and a tube portion by separating the tube portion from a remainder of the tube, the reinforcement sleeve being adhered to the tube portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming reinforced packages, the method comprising:
forming an attached web by adhering a paperboard blank to a web of material;
moving the attached web in a downstream direction through at least a tube forming assembly and a carton forming assembly, the carton forming assembly being downstream from the tube forming assembly, the moving the attached web comprising moving the paperboard blank with the web of material;
at least partially forming a tube by folding at least a portion of the web of material as the attached web moves through the tube forming assembly;
forming a reinforcement sleeve by folding at least a portion of the paperboard blank so that the reinforcement sleeve extends at least partially around the tube as the attached web moves through the carton forming assembly, the forming the reinforcement sleeve being after the at least partially forming the tube, the reinforcement sleeve comprising the paperboard blank; and
forming a reinforced package comprising the reinforcement sleeve and a tube portion by separating the tube portion from a remainder of the tube, the reinforcement sleeve being adhered to the tube portion, the forming the reinforced package being after the forming the reinforcement sleeve.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a bag by at least partially forming a transverse seal in the tube portion.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method comprises forming the transverse seal in the tube before the separating the tube portion from the remainder of the tube.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the forming the transverse seal comprises moving at least a portion of the tube of the attached web between a heat seal roller and a heat seal arm.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the heat seal roller comprises at least one edge, the heat seal arm comprises a curved surface disposed proximate the heat seal roller, the forming the transverse seal in the tube comprises rotating the heat seal roller relative to the heat seal arm with a section of the tube extending along the edge, pressing at least a portion of the curved surface against at least a portion of the edge with the section of the tube disposed between the edge and the curved surface as the heat seal roller rotates, and applying heat to the section of the tube by heating at least one of the heat seal arm and the heat seal roller.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method comprises forming the transverse seal in the tube after the separating the tube portion from the remainder of the tube.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing the paperboard blank onto a conveyor before the forming the attached web, the conveyor comprising a plurality of lugs, at least one lug engaging the paperboard blank after the depositing the paperboard blank on the conveyor, the at least one lug moving the paperboard blank in the downstream direction.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the conveyor comprises two spaced apart lug belts, each comprising lugs of the plurality of lugs.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the adhering the paperboard blank to the web of material comprises moving the paperboard blank on the conveyor to an adhesive applicator, applying adhesive to at least a portion of the paperboard blank by operating the adhesive applicator, and moving the paperboard blank on the conveyor to an attachment assembly.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the adhering the paperboard blank to the web of material further comprises bringing the web of material into contact with the paperboard blank so that the adhesive applied to the paperboard blank secures the paperboard blank to the web of material to form the attached web.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising moving the attached web away from the conveyor over at least one roller to the tube forming assembly.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least partially forming the tube comprises folding a first marginal portion of the web of material and a second marginal portion of the web of material to extend at least partially over a central portion of the web of material.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least partially forming the tube further comprises forming a longitudinal seam by at least partially overlapping and adhering the first marginal portion and the second marginal portion of the web of material.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tube forming assembly comprises two guide rollers and an inner forming plate at least partially extending over the central portion of the web of material, and the at least partially overlapping and adhering the first marginal portion and the second marginal portion of the web of material comprises engaging the first marginal portion and the second marginal portion between the inner forming plate and the respective guide rollers of the two guide rollers so that the first marginal portion and the second marginal portion are moved from being generally planar with the central portion upstream from the two guide rollers to being at least partially overlapped and extending over the central portion downstream from the two guide rollers.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least partially overlapping and adhering the first marginal portion and the second marginal portion of the web of material comprising applying a seam adhesive to at least one of the first marginal portion and the second marginal portion.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the inner forming plate is spaced apart from the central portion of the web of material at an upstream end of the tube forming assembly so that the tube comprises a gusset portion extending from the central portion to each of the first marginal portion and the second marginal portion, and the at least partially forming the tube comprises moving the first marginal portion and the second marginal portion downwardly toward the central portion as the tube is moved in the downstream direction while pushing at least a portion of each of the gusset portions inwardly to form a gusset on respective sides of the tube.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tube forming assembly further comprises a forming wheel disposed upstream from the two guide rollers and the inner forming plate, the forming wheel at least partially engaging the central portion of the web of material during at least a portion of the folding the first marginal portion and the second marginal portion of the web of material.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the paperboard blank comprises a front panel, a first back panel, and a second back panel, and the forming the reinforcement sleeve comprises folding the first back panel and the second back panel relative to the front panel to at least partially overlap the tube.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the forming the reinforcement sleeve further comprises applying a carton adhesive to at least one of the first back panel and the second back panel by operating a carton adhesive applicator prior to the folding the first back panel and the second back panel so that at least one of the first back panel and the second back panel is adhered to the tube after the folding the first back panel and the second back panel.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the folding the first back panel and the second back panel comprises at least partially overlapping and adhering the first back panel and the second back panel with one another.

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Inc
• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Walsh Joseph C

Classifications

• B31B2155/0012

  having their openings facing in the direction of movement · CPC title

• B31B2155/001

  by folding webs longitudinally · CPC title

• B31B70/98

  in stacks or bundles · CPC title

• B31B70/8122

  Applying patches · CPC title

• B31B70/649

  using tools mounted on a drum · CPC title