ES2635111T3 - Flexible and stackable container, and its manufacturing method and system - Google Patents

Abstract

A stackable and flexible container (10) for storing a quantity of a product, comprising: a sealed container formed from a single sheet (26) of film and retaining the amount of the product disposed therein, the container having a first side (42) having a first outer surface, a second side (44) disposed opposite the first side, and first outward corner seals (58, 60), formed in the film at the edges of the first side and surrounding the first side of the container, and a few second corner seals (62, 64) extending outward, formed in the film at the edges of the second side and surrounding the second side of the container; and wherein the film sheet (26) has a lower leading edge (28), an upper trailing edge (30), and lateral edges (32, 34) arranged opposite, the lateral edges (32, 34 being sealed) ) together to form a combined flap and corner seal, joining the side portions of the front and rear edges (28, 30) towards each other and sealing them together, to form a front and rear seals (70, 72 ), bending inward portions of the first side and portions of the second side into the container, characterized in that a lid attachment (14) is attached to the first side of the container, the front and rear seals (70, 72) being fixed a the outer surface of the container (12),

Description

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Before giving the film the shape of the flexible container 12 for the container 10, it can be directed through a preprocessing station 106 for further treatment of the film, which may not have been practical or desirable during the preparation of the film. film and its wound on film roll 102. The treatments performed at the preprocessing station 106 may include drilling, marking or

5 mechanical or laser die-cutting, or other appropriate process for defining the flap 22 that can be arranged under the cover attachment 14, the application of a detachment or pull tab 24 on the flap 22, the date coding, the application of RFID chips, or any other preprocessing of the appropriate film to be produced at the time of the formation of the containers 10. In some embodiments of the packaging machine 100, it may even be desirable to fix the lid accessories 14 at the station 106 prior processing, before forming flexible containers 12. with the film In other embodiments, the preprocessing station 106 may be omitted, so that no preprocessing occurs while the film sheet of the film roll 102 is unwound.

After passing through the pre-processing station / s 106, the film band is directed to a station

Formation 108 having a molding edge 110, or other device such as a formation box or sequential folding system configured to wrap the film around a formation tube 112, in a manner known in the art. In the present example, the forming tube 112 is a product filling tube 114, which has a funnel 116 to receive the product to be disposed in the container 10, and to fill the container 10 with the product as the film progresses along the forming tube 112, as discussed in more detail below. The forming tube 112 is configured to give the film the desired shape based on the design characteristics of the final container, such as a square, rectangular, oval, trapezoidal, round, irregular shape, and the like. Depending on the characteristics of the film to be processed and / or of the container 10 to be manufactured, and other factors, the entire film can be simply or partially wrapped around the forming tube 112 to shape the film, or folding devices can be used to form folds in the

25 corners 52-56 of the film, if a more permanent conformation is desired during the initial stages of the packaging formation process. Of course, when other types of packaging machines that are of the VFFS type are used, a forming tube will not necessarily have to be used and, instead, the film may be wrapped directly around the product to be stored in the container 10.

After forming the film around the forming tube 112, the film strip travels along the transport path to a station 118 of combined flap / corner seal, to form corner seals 58-62 at the corners 52 -56 between the sides 42-48 of the container 12, and to create a combined flap and corner seal 64 on the side edges 32, 34 of the film strip. In an implementation of the packaging machine 100, the corner seals 56-64 can be formed in the station 118 by providing flat forming plates, which protrude outwardly from the square or rectangular forming tube 112. Each of the forming plates extends from a corner of the forming tube 112, in parallel planes that are perpendicular to the surface of the side 42 to which the cover fitting 14 is to be fixed, and to the opposite side 44 of the container 12, so that two plates extend from the corners that define the side edges of the upper side 42 and two plates extend from the corners that define the lower side 44 of the container 12. So that the film is properly wrapped around the forming plates , station 118 may additionally include a forming bar disposed between each pair of forming plates, to form the film and prepare it to seal the corner seals 58-64. Once the film band has passed through the forming plates and forming bars, the film band is directed beyond the soldering devices of the station 118, which weld the overlapping portions of the film at the corners 52 -56 and on the side edges 32, 34 to complete

45 side seals 58-64. Depending on the configuration of the container 10, the forming plates could protrude outward in planes that are not perpendicular to the surface of the upper side 42, such that the corner seals 58-64 are not perpendicular to the upper side 42. In such implementations, the base 16 of the lid attachment 14 may be formed in a manner that is complementary to the orientation of the corner seals 5864.

In a corner of the forming tube 112, portions of the film are joined close to the side edges 32, 34 of the film, to form the combined flap and corner seal 64. The flap seal is formed by joining the inner surfaces of the film. To ensure the integrity of the combined flap and corner seal 64 during use of the container 10, an additional fold can be formed in the corner, the folded portion 55 being welded in the coincident portion of the seal 64 to reinforce the corner seal 64. Downstream of the corner seal welding devices, an additional molding edge can be provided to bend inward a portion of the corner seal 64 formed on the side edges 32, 34, on itself, so that it is overlapped with the portion deployed An additional welding device may be provided, to form a second weld in the corner seal 64 once the film has passed through the molding edge, to retain the additional crease. Alternatively, the portion of the corner seal 64 can be folded out and welded in a similar manner. Although in the present illustrated example the side edges 32, 34 are located in a corner of the container 12, and are welded to form the combined flap and corner seal 64, those skilled in the art will understand that the packaging machine 100 can be configured such that the side edges 32, 34 are at any of the corners 52, 56 of the container 12, or at any point along any of the flat surfaces, so that the fin seal or, alternatively, A flap seal, be formed separately from corner seals. In the illustrated example, the flap seal can be formed in one of the

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closing.

As mentioned above, the forming tube 112 of the illustrated embodiment of the packaging machine 100 is a product filling tube 114. Once the leading edge 28 of the container 12 5 has been closed during the sealing process at the closing station 132, the product can be added to the container 12. At this time, a specified amount of the product can be poured through the funnel 116 , inside the filling tube 114, which will fall by gravity into the container 12 where the product will be contained, due to the seal 70 on the leading edge 28 of the container 12. Once the container 12 has received the product, or while receiving it, the container 12 is advanced to align the rear edge 30 of the container 12 at the closing station 132, and the rear edge 30 is folded and sealed in the manner described above, thus sealing the container 12 with the product arranged in it. In some implementations, the additional weight of the product in the container 12 can pull the film and increase the tension of the film at the closing station 132. In order to control the tension of the film while the seals 70, 72 are formed in the closing station 132, it may be necessary to provide a lifting mechanism that engages and lifts the container 12 located downstream, enough to relieve

15 partially or totally the tension in the film, so that the seals 70, 72 are properly formed in the packages 12.

At the same time that the seals 70, 72 of the adjacent containers 12 are formed, a gas introduction operation can be carried out, if necessary, to introduce a desired atmosphere into the container 12. Of course, the introduction of gas can occur continuously, or at other times as the container is formed and filled 12. Additionally, inflators or deflators, or heated gas or cooled gas may be provided, and used during one or more of the previous steps to achieve a slack or Desired tension in the container 12. Once the container 12 has been sealed, it can be separated from the film strip to prepare it for any final processing stage and for the containerization. Accordingly, the closing station 132 may include

25 additionally a blade or other separation device (not shown), near the sealing bars 136, to cut the common seal 70/72 and separate the adjacent containers 12. Alternatively, the separation can occur at a downstream station. After separation, the container 12 may fall to a conveyor 138 or otherwise be transported thereto, for delivery to the remaining processing stations.

The conveyor 138 may include a timing belt or chain 140 to maintain an appropriate separation between the containers 12, and the alignment with the remaining processing stations. Other types of conveyors can be used, such as intermittent motion conveyor belts, shuttle transfer devices, and the like. If necessary, the conveyor 138 may include guide rails or other container control devices, to ensure that the containers are properly aligned and spaced while moving along the conveyor 138. The first station along the conveyor 138 it can be a top bag seal / folding station 142. The folding / sealing station 142 can fold the seal 72 and the corresponding loose portion of the film around the lid attachment 14, and the outer surface of the relatively stationary portion of the container 12, to conform the loose portion to the outer surfaces of the lid and container accessory 14, and affix the seal to the outer surface of the container 12. The seal 72 can be fixed to the surface of the container 12 using heat, pressure or time sealing techniques, or by applying an adhesive on heat between the seal and the outer surface, or by other welding processes. When the loose portion of the film is folded and sealed, it should be relatively flat and conform to the stationary portion of the container 12, due to the folds made on the sides 42, 44 during the formation of the edge seals 70, 72. After sealing the rear seal 72 to the container 12, the timing belt or chain 140 can reposition the

45 container 12 in a first container turner 144, which can reorient the container 12 to fold and seal the front seal 70. The reorientation can be a 180 ° rotation of the container, to place the front seal 70 on top of the container 12 Once the container 12 has been turned, the timing belt or chain 140 can transfer the container 12 to a lower bag seal / seal station 146, to fix the front seal 70 to the outer surface of the container 12 similar to that described for the folding / sealing station 142. Alternatively, the front seal 70 can be folded and fixed without reorienting the container 12, or at the same time the rear seal is folded and fixed.

Once the seals 70, 72 have been fixed to the outer surface of the container 12, the sides 84, 86 of the lid fitting 14 can be sealed to the corresponding portions of the corner seal 58, 60 of the container 12, so that the container 10 can properly store and maintain the freshness of the product stored therein, once the flap 22 has been removed and the container 12 is no longer sealed. During the preparation process, the timing belt or chain 140 may first place the container 12 in a second container turner 148, which can rotate the container 12 so that the lid attachment 14 is disposed at the top. The belt

or distribution chain 140 may then move the container 12 to a final lid sealer 150, which may be configured to seal the sides 84, 86 of the lid attachment 14 to the corresponding portions of the corner seals 58, 60, and / or to seal the lower surface 50 of the base 16 to the upper surface of the upper side 42. The final sealant 150 can carry out a sealing process similar to that performed in the lid application station 122, such as heat sealing, adhesive sealing or similar, or other welding processes. If necessary, one or more post-processing stations (not shown) can be included along the conveyor

65 138, for any additional operation to be carried out before transport, such as date coding, weight control, quality control, labeling or marking, installation of RFID tags, and the like. At the end of

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pull tab 24, but the strongest seal located in the welded portion 280 may withstand, so that the perforations 20 defining the flap 22 yield before the weld detaches to separate the flap 22 from the container 12. The frequency of the perforations 20 can be adjusted accordingly, to ensure that the flap 22 begins to separate from the film sheet 26 at the desired location, for example near the

5 welded portion 280 of the pull tab 24.

Figs. 17a-17c graphically illustrate another alternative embodiment, which is not part of the invention, of an easily open feature for the upper side 42 of the flexible and stackable container 10 of Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the flap 22 may be defined by perforations 20 that cross 100% of the film sheet 26, and which define the flap 22. The feature may additionally include the pull tab in the form of a cover portion 290, formed by a metallized sheet or other suitable material and having a complementary geometric shape, but that is larger than the flap 22 so that the cover portion 290 of the pull tab extends beyond the edges of the flap 22, with tongues 292 folded over the folds 294 to form the grip portions of the pull tab. Adhesive seal areas 296 15 may attach the tongues 292 to the upper surface of the cover portion 290, as the container 10 is formed. The area 298 of the cover portion 290 that overlaps the flap 22 may be fixed thereto with a seal, which does not come off when the flap 22 of the film sheet 26 is released. The seal seal zone 298 may extend to the perforations 20, or may be disposed inwardly from the perimeter of the flap 22. The portions of the pull tab 24 extending beyond the seal seal zone 298 may be attached to the outer surface of the upper side 42, to form a detachable seal zone 300, such as that formed by a pressure sensitive adhesive or other similar coating. When the pull tab is initially attached to the upper side 42, the cover portion 290 is completely superimposed on the flap 22, the detachable seal area 300 serving to seal the container 12 despite the complete penetration of the perforations 20. Additionally , cover portion 290 covers the

25 perforations 20 to prevent the perforations 20, and the air or liquids that may pass through them, from affecting the barrier properties of the film sheet 26. After pulling the pull tab to separate the flap 22 from the film sheet 26, the flap 22 and the cover portion 290 can be pressed down again on the upper side 42, such that the detachable seal is reformed around the opening created by the detachment of the flap 22, to reseal the container 12 and provide a level of barrier protection for the product stored therein.

Figs. 18a-18c graphically illustrate another alternative embodiment, which is not part of the invention, of an easy opening feature for the upper side 42 of the flexible and stackable container 10 of Fig. 1. The easy opening feature includes the flap 22 and a cover portion 310 of a pull tab, with 35 configurations similar to those of Figs. 17a-17c, but configured so that the flap does not completely detach from the film sheet 26 during normal use. The perforations 20 may extend around virtually the entire periphery of the flap 22, but not entirely around it. The cover portion 310 also includes a single tongue 312, folded back on a crease 314 and held by an adhesive seal area 316. The tongue 312 may be arranged opposite the side of the flap 22 that is not perforated. The perforations 20 can also be provided in the detachable tongue area in a zigzag configuration 318, to create a weakness point at which tear or detachment of the flap 22 begins. The cover portion 310 additionally includes a seal zone closure 320 fastened to the flap 22, within the area defined by the perforations, and a detachable seal zone 322 extending beyond the flap 22. When the tab 312 is pulled, the flap 22 does not separate completely from sheet 26 of film,

45 and neither the flap 22 nor the cover portion 310 completely detach from the container 12. With this configuration, the flap 22 and the cover portion 310 are properly aligned with the opening in the upper side 42 of the container 12, when they are replaced over the opening to close and seal the container 12.

Figs. 19a-19c graphically illustrate another additional alternative embodiment, which is not part of the invention, of an easily open feature for the upper side 42 of the flexible and stackable container 10 of Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the flap 22 may be defined by a line of reduced resistance, formed by a series of alternating marking lines 330 and interruptions in marking or connections 332. Marking lines 330 can penetrate completely through film sheet 26, while connections 332 they are areas without penetration or partial penetration, but less than 100% penetration, so that the connections 332 55 maintain the union of the flap 22. The length of the marking lines between the connections can range between 2.54 mm and 50.8 mm, and the length of the connections may be within the range of 0.051 mm and 2.29 mm, depending on the implementation. The pull tab may be similar to that shown in Figs. 17a-17c, and include a cover portion 334 that covers the flap 22 and with a single tongue 336 folded over a fold 338, and held by an adhesive seal zone 340. A seal seal zone 342 of the cover portion 334 is fixed to the film sheet 26 in the flap 22, and can extend to the marking lines 330 as shown, or it can be arranged inwardly from the perimeter of the flap 22. A detachable seal zone 344 extends beyond the seal seal zone 342, and may be attached to the outer surface of the upper side 42 with a pressure sensitive adhesive, or other similar coating. When the pull tab is initially fixed to the upper side 42, the cover portion 334 is completely superimposed on the flap 22, 65 serving the detachable seal area 344 to seal the container 12 despite the complete penetration of the marking lines 330 To separate the flap 22 by the connections 332, the tongue 336 is pulled from the upper side 42

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Claims (1)

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