Process and apparatus for producing packets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346569-B2
Application number	US-201113805001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2011
Priority date	Jul 7, 2010
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A process for sequentially forming a plurality of enclosed containers ( 32 ) comprising a product, the process involving passing a continuous web ( 10 ), comprising a strip of container material having two opposing edges ( 4, 6 ), to a folding station ( 12 ), whereupon each open container is sequentially formed by folding the web, to bring into contact two contiguous edge portions ( 9 a, 9 b ) from only one edge of the web, then sealing the two edges together to form a portion of the web into an open container, depositing the product onto the web so that it is held within the open containers, and then sealing the open containers to form the enclosed containers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for sequentially forming a plurality of enclosed tetrahedral containers comprising a product, the process involving:
passing a continuous web, comprising a strip of container material having two opposing edges, to a folding station, whereupon each open container is sequentially formed by folding the web, to bring into contact two contiguous edge portions from only one edge of the web, then
sealing the two edge portions together to form a portion of the web into an open container, wherein the open containers are tetrahedral containers, albeit with one face missing; wherein the edge which is folded alternates from one container to the next;
depositing the product onto the web so that it is held within the open containers, and then
sealing the open containers to form the enclosed tetrahedral containers comprising the product.

2. An apparatus for sequentially forming a plurality of enclosed tetrahedral containers comprising a product, the apparatus comprising:
a folding station and a means for feeding a continuous web of container material having two opposing edges to the folding station, wherein the folding station comprises a means for folding the web being arranged to form a respective open container by folding the web to bring together into contact two contiguous edge portions from only one edge of the web,
the apparatus further comprising a means for sealing an edge arranged to seal the two edge portions together, thereby to sequentially form open containers, wherein the open containers are tetrahedral containers, albeit with one face missing, the apparatus further comprising a means for depositing product and a means for sealing open container, operable to sequentially form enclosed tetrahedral containers comprising the product from the open containers.

3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the web comprises pre-folds at regions of the web when folding is to follow.

4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein folding is carried out by grippers arranged to grip the web at discrete locations on both of its edges, the grippers being arranged to move towards each other, thus compelling the gripped web to yield under compression.

5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein rigid forming members are employed which act to gather the web to fold.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the contiguous edges are brought together and sealed together by ultrasonic sealing.

7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the container material is flexible so that it can fold onto itself without requiring a pre-fold, at any point.

8. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the container material is water-permeable, allowing water to pass freely through the material.

9. A process according to claim 1 wherein the container material is stable in water at 100° C.

10. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the web has straight parallel edges.

11. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the width of the web is from 2 to 10 cm.

12. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the product is a particulate product comprising infusible entities such as tea leaves.

13. A process according to claim 12 , wherein the product comprises other particulate entities which are more prone to breakage than conventional ground leaf tea.

14. A process according to claim 1 , which comprises more than one doser.

15. A process according to claim 1 , which is capable of producing upwards of 500 containers per minute.

16. A process according to claim 1 , wherein a second web of container material is brought into contact with the open containers and is cut and sealed over the opening.

Assignees

• Ford Thomas David Reid
• Howarth James Robert Stirling
• Woodward Adrian Michael
• Conopco Inc

Inventors

• Ford Thomas David Reid
• Howarth James Robert Stirling
• Woodward Adrian Michael

Classifications

• B65B29/028

  packaging infusion material into filter bags · CPC title

• B65D75/50

  Tetrahedral packages · CPC title

• B65B61/08

  using rotary cutters · CPC title

• B65B7/00 Primary

  Closing containers or receptacles after filling · CPC title

• B65B9/042 Primary

  for fluent material · CPC title