Apparatuses and methods for forming pouch product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020324924-A1
Application number	US-201916382820-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2019
Priority date	Apr 12, 2019
Publication date	Oct 15, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

In an example embodiment, an apparatus for making pouch products includes a conveyor system. The conveyor system includes a first receiving location along a path of the conveyor system, and a dosing location along the path of the conveyor system. The apparatus also includes a first material dispensing station configured to transfer a first material to the first receiving location. The first material includes a first elastic layer and a first support layer. The first material dispensing station includes a dispenser roller configured to hold a roll of the first material, a plurality of rollers configured to convey the first material from the dispenser roller to the first receiving location, and a stripper plate configured remove at least a portion of the first support layer from a portion of the first elastic layer.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An apparatus for making pouch products, the apparatus comprising:
a first material dispensing station configured to transfer a first material to a first receiving location, the first material including,
a first elastic layer, and
a first support layer, and
the first material dispensing station including,
a dispenser roller configured to hold a roll of the first material,
a plurality of rollers configured to convey the first material from the dispenser roller to the first receiving location, and
a stripper plate configured remove at least a portion of the first support layer from a portion of the first elastic layer.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rollers comprises:
at least one tensioner configured to apply tension to the first material as the first material is conveyed from the dispenser roll to the first receiving location.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first material dispensing station further comprises:
a dewrinkling roller configured to reduce wrinkles in the first material.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a doser at a dosing location, the doser configured to deliver a filling material to a portion of the first material.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
a second material dispensing station configured to deliver a second material to a second receiving location, the second material including a second elastic layer and a second support layer, the first material being aligned with the second material at the second receiving location, such that the filling material is between the portion of the first material and a portion of the second material.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second material dispensing station includes,
a second dispenser roller configured to hold a roll of the second material, a second plurality of rollers configured to convey the second material from the second dispenser roller to the second receiving location, and a second stripper plate configured remove at least a portion of the second support material from the second elastic material, the second stripper plate adjacent the second receiving location.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second material dispensing station further comprises:
a second dewrinkling roller configured to reduce wrinkles in the second material.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second dewrinkling roller has a bowed outer surface.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
a heat knife assembly at a cutting and sealing location.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the heat knife assembly comprises:
a heat knife assembly roller, and a plurality of heat knives along the heat knife assembly roller, the heat knife assembly configured to seal a peripheral portion of the first elastic material to a second peripheral portion of the second elastic material, such that the filling material is enclosed between the first elastic material and the second elastic material to form a pouch product.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an ejector system at a product ejection location, the ejector system configured to remove product from the apparatus.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a waste removal system at a waste removal location, the waste removal system including,
a waste vacuum configured to remove remnants of the first material and remnants of the second material.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a conveyor system, the conveyor system including a rotatable drum or a linear conveyor.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the rotatable drum includes a plurality of divots therein, the plurality of divots configured to allow a vacuum to be communicated to the plurality of divots at the dosing location, such that a portion of the first elastic material is pulled into the plurality of divots at the dosing location.

15 . An apparatus for making pouch products, the apparatus comprising:
a rotatable drum including,
a plurality of divots along a central portion of the rotatable drum; and
a vacuum source configured to communicate a vacuum to each of the plurality of divots so as to draw a first elastic layer of a first material into each of the plurality of divots.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of divots are arranged in two lanes.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of divots comprises at least one air hole therethrough.

18 . An apparatus for making pouch products, the apparatus comprising:
a rotatable drum including,
a plurality of divots along a central portion of the rotatable drum, the plurality of divots configured to travel along a path of the rotatable drum;
a first material dispensing station configured to transfer a first material to a first receiving location along the path of the rotatable drum, the first material including,
a first elastic layer, and
a first support layer, and
the first material dispensing station including,
a dispenser roller configured to hold a roll of the first material, and
a stripper plate configured remove at least a portion of the first support layer from a portion of the first elastic layer; and
a vacuum source configured to communicate a vacuum to each of the plurality of divots so as to pull at least a portion of the first elastic layer into each of the divots.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , apparatus further comprising:
a doser at a dosing location, the doser configured to deliver a filling material to a portion of the first material.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising:
a second material dispensing station configured to deliver a second material to a second receiving location, the first material being aligned with the second material at the second receiving location, such that the filling material is between the portion of the first material and a portion of the second material.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the second material dispensing station includes,
a second dispenser roller configured to hold a roll of the second material, the second material including a second support material, and a second stripper plate configured remove at least a portion of the second support material from the second material, the second stripper plate adjacent the second receiving location.

22 . The apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising:
a heat knife assembly at a cutting and sealing location along the path of the rotatable drum.

23 . The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the heat knife assembly comprises:
a heat knife assembly roller, and a plurality of heat knives along the heat knife assembly roller, the heat knife assembly configured to seal a peripheral portion of the first elastic material to a second peripheral portion of the second elastic material, such that the filling material is enclosed between the first elastic material and the second elastic material so as to form a pouch product.

24 . The apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising:
an ultrasonic rotary sealer and cutter at a cutting and sealing location along the path of the rotatable drum.

25 . The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:
an ejector system at a product ejection location, the ejector system configured to remove product from the apparatus.

26 . The apparatus of cl

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Nelson Gregory L
• Newcomb Christopher Ryan
• Evans James D
• Nguyen Thien
• Chalkley Jarrod W
• Powell Robert V

Classifications

• B65B2220/16

  Packaging contents into primary and secondary packaging · CPC title

• B65B5/101

  by gravity (B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence) · CPC title

• B32B38/10

  Removing layers, or parts of layers, mechanically or chemically · CPC title

• B32B2439/00

  Containers; Receptacles · CPC title

• B32B37/203

  One or more of the layers being plastic · CPC title