BOTTOM-GUSSETED PACKAGE AND HEAT-SEALING METHOD

• US 20160067937A1
• Filed: 09/08/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innoflex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innoflex Incorporated
• Inventors: Yeager, James W., Hogan, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 10,322,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/305 involving the use of cartridge heaters
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/133 Fin-type joints, the parts to be joined being flexible the parts to be joined being rigid B29C66/1312
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/346 Making joints having variable thicknesses in the joint area, e.g. by using jaws having an adapted configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4312 for making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles, e.g. transversal seams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4322 by joining a single sheet to itself B29C66/4332 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4722 Fixing strips to surfaces other than edge faces fixing strips to edge faces B29C63/0026
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81427 comprising a single ridge, e.g. for making a weakening line; comprising a single tooth
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81431 comprising a single cavity, e.g. a groove
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81433 being toothed, i.e. comprising several teeth or pins comprising a single tooth B29C66/81429, or being patterned
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81435 comprising several parallel ridges, e.g. for crimping comprising a single ridge B29C66/81427
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8167 Quick change joining tools or surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/841 Machines or tools adaptable for making articles of different dimensions or shapes or for making joints of different dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8412 of different length, width or height
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/849 Packaging machines
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8511 Bag making machines
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7128 Bags, sacks, sachets tea bags B29L2031/7122; medical bags B29L2031/7148
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2155/00 Flexible containers made from webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2155/0012 having their openings facing in the direction of movement
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2160/20 : with structural provision for thickness of contents
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2170/20 : having multi-layered walls, e.g. laminated or lined
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 70/642 : using sealing jaws or sealing dies
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 70/645 : Making seals transversally to the direction of movement
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 51/303 : reciprocating along only one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/003 : Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/04 : Machines constructed with readily-detachable units or assemblies, e.g. to facilitate maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/2042 : Means for altering the cross-section of the tube filling opening prior to transversal sealing, e.g. tube spreading devices subdividing filled tubes to form two or more packages by sealing involving displacement of contents B65B9/12
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/2056 : Machines for packages of special type or form
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 31/16 : of special shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/008 : Standing pouches, i.e. "Standbeutel"

Abstract

A bottom-gusseted package comprises a package body, and a bottom gusset positioned transversely of a longitudinal axis of the package body. Formation of the bottom-gusseted package is effected by positioning individual sleeves transversely of the longitudinal axis of a flexible web which forms the package body. During package formation, the flexible web is cut to form individual packages, with each individual sleeve positioned to form a bottom gusset in a respective package. Cooperating heat-sealing jaws, including cooperating U-shaped sealing surfaces, act to integrate and seal each individual sleeve with the flexible web to form the bottom gusset of each package, with the heat-sealing jaws preferably configured to include cooperating top sealing surfaces for simultaneously forming a top seal in an adjacent one of the packages.

Claims

1. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages, comprising the steps of:

providing a flexible web of material having a longitudinal axis,

providing a plurality of folded, individual sleeves;

joining said individual sleeves to said flexible web in spaced apart relationship longitudinally of said flexible web, with the spacing between said individual sleeves corresponding to the length of each of said bottom-gusseted packages being formed, with laterally-extending edge portions of each individual sleeve oriented toward a bottom of the respective package;

folding said flexible web of material and joining the lateral margins thereof to form a folded flexible web, and to thereby form a package body for each of said bottom-gusseted packages, each package body including a front package panel and a rear package panel joined at opposite side margins thereof, said individual sleeves being positioned generally within said folded flexible web to form a bottom gusset in the respective one of said packages;

providing a pair of cooperating sealing jaws for heat-sealing each of said individual sleeves to form the bottom gusset in each one of said packages, said sealing jaws including respective, cooperating, U-shaped sealing surfaces each including;

(1) a pair of side sealing surfaces to heat-seal opposite lateral margins of each individual sleeve to the respective front and rear package panels at lateral margins thereof, and (2) a transverse sealing surface extending between said side sealing surfaces to respectively heat-seal said laterally-extending edges portions of each sleeve to the front and rear package panels at the bottom of each one of said packages, and

cutting said folded flexible web at intervals each corresponding in length to said length of each of said bottom-gusseted packages, to form said bottom-gusseted packages.

2. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said sealing jaws each further including a transverse, top sealing surface, spaced from the respective U-shaped sealing surface, said top sealing surfaces of said sealing jaws cooperating to heat seal the front and rear package panels to each other to form a top seal in an adjacent one of said packages simultaneously with heat-seals formed by said U-shaped sealing surfaces.

3. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 2, wherein

the spacing between at least a portion of said top sealing surfaces is less than the spacing between said U-shaped sealing surfaces by a dimension equal to at least the thickness of each folded individual sleeve, when said pair of sealing jaws are in a closed orientation.

4. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 1, wherein

the spacing between said transverse sealing surfaces of said U-shaped sealing surfaces is greater than the spacing between said side sealing surfaces of said U-shaped sealing surfaces, when said pair of sealing jaws are in a closed orientation.

5. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 2, wherein

said top sealing surfaces include first portions spaced apart by a dimension which is the same as the spacing between said transverse sealing surfaces, and second portions spaced apart by a dimension which is the same as the spacing between said side sealing surfaces, when said sealing jaws are in said closed position.

6. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 1, including

forming each of said side seals with a dimension of at least G_SS, each of said side sealing surfaces having a transverse dimension greater than G_SS, wherein each of said individual sleeves has a lateral dimension to form a respective gusset having a width of G_W, the spacing between said side sealing surfaces of each of said sealing jaws being less than or equal to G_W minus two times G_SS.

7. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 1, including:

intermittently advancing said flexible web of material after of said individual sleeves has been joined thereto, wherein the flexible web of material is advanced with a tolerance range of dimension T_LD,

wherein each of said gussets has a height G_H, and each of said side sealing surfaces of said U-shaped sealing surfaces extending upwardly from the respective transverse sealing surface by a dimension that is greater than or equal to G_H plus two times T_LD.

8. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 1, including:

intermittently advancing said flexible web of material after said individual sleeves have been joined thereto, wherein the flexible web of material is advanced with a tolerance range of dimension T_LD,

said method including forming top and bottom end seals in adjacent ones of the packages being formed, wherein the spacing between the top and bottom end seals of adjacent ones of packages is equal to or greater than at least two times T_LD.

9. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 1, wherein

each of said individual sleeves has a length which is less than the width of the folded web of flexible material to facilitate formation of said bottom gusset with a width less than the width of the package to permit formation, by said U-shaped sealing surfaces, of side seals between the front and rear package panels of each said package at opposite side edges of the bottom gusset of the package.

10. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said sleeve-forming web comprises a folded web of sleeve-forming material, wherein an inside surface of said of said folded sleeve-forming web non-thermally bondable to itself.

11. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 1, wherein

each one of said sealing jaws includes a removable sealing jaw portion for providing at least a portion of said U-shaped shaped sealing surface.

12. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 11, wherein

said removable sealing jaw portion provides said pair of side sealing surfaces.

13. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 2, wherein

at least a portion of the top sealing surface of each one of said sealing jaws includes at least one removable portion for permitting formation of non-gusseted packages.

14. A method of making bottom-gusseted packages in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said pair of side sealing surfaces of each one of said sealing jaws includes sealing surfaces for heat-sealing said front and rear package panels to each other above the respective one of said individual sleeves forming said bottom gusset.