Web of cleaning products having a modified internal atmosphere and method of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016200501-A1
Application number	US-201514596984-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2015
Priority date	Jan 14, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A web of cleaning products and a method of manufacturing the same is disclosed. The web includes first and second carrier sheets and a plurality of pouches containing a cleaning composition. Each of the pouches is disposed in a respective depression formed in an upper surface of the first carrier sheet. A first internal atmosphere is enclosed within each of the pouches. The first carrier sheet is sealed to the second carrier sheet such that a second internal atmosphere exists between the second carrier sheet and the plurality of pouches. The second internal atmosphere has a greater absolute pressure than the first internal atmosphere so that the plurality of pouches and at least a portion of the cleaning composition in the plurality of pouches are compressed into the plurality of depressions in the first carrier sheet by the second internal atmosphere.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A web of cleaning products comprising:
a first carrier sheet having a plurality of depressions formed in its upper surface; a plurality of pouches disposed in the plurality of depressions and containing a cleaning composition; a first internal atmosphere enclosed within each of the plurality of pouches; a second carrier sheet sealed to the upper surface of the first carrier sheet and enclosing the plurality of pouches within their corresponding depressions; and a second internal atmosphere at least between the second carrier sheet and the plurality of pouches, the second internal atmosphere having a greater absolute pressure than the first internal atmosphere so that the plurality of pouches and at least a portion of the cleaning composition in the plurality of pouches are compressed into the plurality of depressions in the first carrier sheet by the second internal atmosphere.

2 . The web of claim 1 , the plurality of pouches being made of a water-soluble material.

3 . The web of claim 2 , the first and second carrier sheets being made of a water-resistant material.

4 . The web of claim 1 , the first internal atmosphere being a vacuum and having an absolute pressure substantially equal to zero.

5 . The web of claim 1 , the second internal atmosphere having an absolute pressure greater than or equal to atmospheric pressure.

6 . The web of claim 1 , the first internal atmosphere including a gaseous mixture different from air.

7 . The web of claim 1 , each of the plurality of pouches comprising:
an internal holder thermoformed to the first carrier sheet and filled with the cleaning composition; and and an internal lid sealed to and covering an open end of the internal holder.

8 . The web of claim 1 , the second carrier sheet being sealed to the first carrier sheet about a rim of each of the plurality of depressions so that each of the plurality of depressions defines a separate sealed interior cavity containing the second internal atmosphere.

9 . The web of claim 8 , comprising a first plurality of weakened tear lines formed in the first carrier sheet about the rim of each of the plurality of depressions, and a second plurality of weakened tear lines formed in the second carrier sheet to define a plurality of external lids corresponding with the plurality of depressions, each of the second plurality of weakened tear lines being aligned with a corresponding one of the first plurality of weakened tear lines.

10 . A cleaning product comprising:
a first water-resistant carrier sheet having a depression formed in its upper surface; a water-soluble pouch disposed in the depression and containing a cleaning composition; a first internal atmosphere enclosed within the water-soluble pouch; a second water-resistant carrier sheet sealed to the upper surface of the first water-resistant carrier sheet about a rim of the depression; and a second internal atmosphere at least between the second water-resistant carrier sheet and the water-soluble pouch, the second internal atmosphere having a greater absolute pressure than the first internal atmosphere so that the water-soluble pouch and at least a portion of the cleaning composition are compressed into the depression in the first water-resistant carrier sheet by the second internal atmosphere.

11 . The cleaning product of claim 10 , the first internal atmosphere being a vacuum and having an absolute pressure substantially equal to zero.

12 . The cleaning product of claim 11 , the second internal atmosphere having an absolute pressure greater than or equal to atmospheric pressure.

13 . The cleaning product of claim 10 , the pouch including an internal holder thermoformed to the first water-resistant carrier sheet and an internal lid sealed to and covering an open end of the internal holder.

14 . The cleaning product of claim 10 , the cleaning composition being at least one of a dishwashing detergent, a laundry detergent, a water softener, or a rinse aid.

15 . The cleaning product of claim 10 , the water-soluble pouch including an outwardly extending peripheral flange sealed to the upper surface of the first water-resistant carrier sheet about the depression in the first-water-resistant carrier sheet.

16 . the cleaning product of claim 10 , wherein exterior walls of the water-soluble pouch are flush with interior walls of the depression in the first water-resistant carrier sheet such that the second internal atmosphere does not exist between the exterior walls of the water-soluble pouch and the interior walls of the depression.

17 . A method of making a web of cleaning products, the method comprising:
positioning a first film to cover a first carrier sheet; feeding the first film and the first carrier sheet on to a mold of a forming machine with the first carrier sheet being positioned between the mold and the first film; forming the first film and the carrier sheet over the mold at the same time to define a plurality of internal holders in the first film and a plurality of external holders in the first carrier sheet corresponding with the plurality of internal holders; filling each of the plurality of internal holders with a cleaning composition; positioning a second film to cover the first film; evacuating air between the first film and the second film; sealing the second film about a rim of each of the plurality of holders to define a plurality of pouches; exposing the plurality of pouches to an external pressure greater than an internal pressure of each of the plurality of pouches so that the external pressure compresses the plurality of pouches and at least a portion of the cleaning composition in the plurality of pouches into the plurality of external holders in the first carrier sheet; and sealing a second carrier sheet to the first carrier sheet to enclose the plurality of pouches in their corresponding external holders.

18 . The method of claim 17 , the first and second films being made of a water-soluble material.

19 . The method of claim 18 , the first and second carrier sheets being made of a water-resistant material.

20 . The method of claim 19 , comprising sealing the second carrier sheet about a rim of each of the external holders.

21 . The method of claim 17 , comprising sealing the second film to the first film inside a vacuum chamber having an absolute pressure substantially equal to zero so that the internal pressure of each of the plurality of pouches is substantially equal to zero.

22 . The method of claim 17 , comprising forming a plurality of holes in the second film and, after sealing the second film to the first film, evacuating air from the plurality of pouches through the plurality of holes.

23 . The method of claim 22 , comprising sealing close the plurality of holes after evacuating the air between the first and second films.

24 . The method of claim 17 , comprising filling each of the plurality of pouches with a gaseous mixture different from air.

25 . The method of claim 17 , comprising cutting the first film and the second film and removing an area of waste material produced by cutting the first film and the second film to separate the plurality of pouches.

26 . The method of claim 17 , comprising sealing the second carrier sheet to the first carrier sheet about a rim of each of the plurality of external holders so that each of the pluralit

Assignees

• Monosol Llc

Inventors

• Lee David M
• Edwards David Brian

Classifications

• B65D81/2023

  in a flexible container (B65D81/2038 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65B61/005

  for removing material by cutting · CPC title

• B65D81/2084

  in a flexible container · CPC title

• B65D81/3261

  Flexible containers having several compartments · CPC title

• B65B31/02

  Filling, closing, or filling and closing, containers {or wrappers} in chambers maintained under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure or containing a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas · CPC title