Method for forming packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809336-B2
Application number	US-201313776761-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2013
Priority date	Feb 28, 2012
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for formation, filling, and sealing unit dose packages for consumer products are described herein. A filling system with a filling control system is also disclosed. Although the filling system is described in conjunction with a method for forming, filling, and sealing unit dose packages, the filling system and filling control system can be used in other dispensing processes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for making a package containing a consumer product comprising the steps of:
a) placing a first web of material having an original un-deflected configuration adjacent to an element having a cavity therein, and moving said first web of material over the element having the cavity therein; wherein the cavity is in the form of a continuous trough in the direction the web is moved;
b) temporarily deflecting a portion of the first web of material downward into the cavity to form a deflected portion of said first web of material, wherein said deflected portion of said first web of material is substantially free of plastic deformation;
c) depositing a product onto the first web of material;
d) placing a second web of material over the first web of material and the product; and
e) at least partially closing and sealing the first web of material having the deflected portion therein to said second web of material along one or more sealing lines.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the first and second webs of material comprise a film material comprising a vapor barrier.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein said film material undergoes an elastic deformation in an amount less than or equal to about 6%.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second webs of material have an elastic modulus that ranges from greater than or equal to about 1,000 N/m up to about 90,000 N/m.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the first web of material is mechanically deflected into the cavity.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein vacuum is also applied to the first web of material to assist in deflecting the first web of material, or in retaining said deflected portion of said first web of material in the cavity.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the first web of material is deflected into the cavity using vacuum.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein step (c) occurs at the same time as, or before step (b) so that the first web of material is deflected into the cavity by the force of depositing the product on the first web of material.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein said first web of material is moved through said process in a machine direction, wherein said first web of material has a width oriented in the cross-machine direction, and said first web of material is deflected so that said first web of material has a profile in the cross-machine direction.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein said first web of material is deflected so that said first web of material also has a profile in the machine direction.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the element having a cavity formed therein comprises a plate.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the cavity has a depth of less than or equal to about 4 mm.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein the product is deposited onto the deflected portion of said first web of material at a height of less than or equal to about 10 mm.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the product comprises a fluid, and more than one dose of the product is deposited onto a deflected portion of said first web of material, wherein each dose is deposited onto its deflected portion of said first web of material using a nozzle, and there are two or more nozzles substantially aligned in the direction of travel of the first web of material.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein said first web of material moves at a velocity, and the product is deposited onto the first web of material by a dispensing device, and said dispensing device is movable relative to said moving first web of material, and said dispensing device moves with a constant velocity.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein said first web of material moves at a velocity, and the product is deposited onto the first web of material by a dispensing device, and said dispensing device is movable relative to said moving first web of material, and said dispensing device moves with a variable velocity.

17. The process of claim 1 wherein the product comprises a fluid that is deposited onto the deflected portion of said first web of material using a slot-shaped nozzle.

18. The process of claim 17 wherein the fluid is deposited in a ribbon-shaped configuration.

19. The process of claim 1 wherein said element comprises a plurality of cavities arranged in adjacent lanes.

20. A process for making a package containing a consumer product comprising the steps of:
a) placing a first web of material having an original un-deflected configuration adjacent to an element having a cavity therein, and moving said first web of material over the element having the cavity therein; wherein the cavity is in the form of a continuous trough in the direction the web is moved and wherein the cavity comprises side walls formed by two stationary side rails and a bottom surface formed by the top surface of a moving belt;
b) temporarily deflecting a portion of the first web of material downward into the cavity to form a deflected portion of said first web of material, wherein said deflected portion of said first web of material is substantially free of plastic deformation;
c) depositing a product onto the first web of material;
d) placing a second web of material over the first web of material and the product; and
e) at least partially closing and sealing the first web of material having the deflected portion therein to said second web of material along one or more sealing lines.

21. The process of claim 20 wherein at least one of said first and second webs of material have an elastic modulus that ranges from greater than or equal to about 1,000 N/m up to about 90,000 N/m.

22. The process of claim 21 wherein said film material undergoes an elastic deformation in an amount less than or equal to about 6%.

23. The process of claim 20 wherein the first web of material is mechanically deflected into the cavity.

24. The process of claim 20 wherein the first web of material is deflected into the cavity using vacuum.

25. The process of claim 20 wherein step (c) occurs at the same time as, or before step (b) so that the first web of material is deflected into the cavity by the force of depositing the product on the first web of material.

26. The process of claim 20 wherein said first web of material moves at a velocity, and the product is deposited onto the first web of material by a dispensing device, and said dispensing device is movable relative to said moving first web of material, and said dispensing device moves with a constant velocity.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Pallotta Shawn Christopher
• Orndorff Jason Matthew
• Broad Gavin John
• Tecleab Adal Amine
• Breithaupt Cullen Joseph

Classifications

• B65B9/00 Primary

  Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, e.g. liquids or semiliquids, in flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material; Subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages · CPC title

• B65B9/023 Primary

  Packaging fluent material (B65B9/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65B9/042

  for fluent material · CPC title

• B65B45/00

  Apparatus or devices for supporting or holding wrappers during wrapping operation · CPC title