Apparatus for forming product containing pouches from a travelling web of adhered films includes a film support surface, including a plurality of mold configurations (224), and a film retention chamber (243, 244) in the film support surface preceding and trailing each of the mold configurations (224). A vacuum system applies vacuum to the mold configurations (224) and film retention chambers (243, 244) to form product containing pockets and to secure the film in the film retention chambers (243, 244). Separation blades in synchronous register with the mold configurations (224) separate the pouches from the travelling web. In one form the film support surface comprises a rotary forming drum and a rotary blade drum includes the separation blades.
B65B 9/04 - Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, between opposed webs one or both webs being formed with pockets for the reception of the articles, or of the quantities of material
B65B 47/10 - Apparatus or devices for forming pockets or receptacles in or from sheets, blanks, or webs, comprising essentially a die into which the material is pressed or a folding die through which the material is moved by application of fluid pressure by vacuum
Apparatus and method for separating product containing pouches from a travelling web of adhered films carried on a film support surface includes a rotary blade drum assembly having blade configurations with blade portions arranged to form the entire perimeter edge of the flange of the pouch which rotate in synchronous registration with grooves in the film support surface. In one form, at least one blade portion and associated groove portion are non-linear and other than longitudinal or transverse to the film support surface of the forming drum or travelling web of films. The blade portions may be heated and the rotary blade drum assembly may include insulating guides for the pouches.
B65B 61/08 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages by cutting using rotary cutters
B65B 9/04 - Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, between opposed webs one or both webs being formed with pockets for the reception of the articles, or of the quantities of material
B65B 61/10 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for severing webs, or for separating joined packages by cutting using heated wires or cutters
B65D 65/46 - Applications of disintegrable, dissolvable or edible materials
B65D 75/32 - Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding one or both sheets or blanks being recessed to accommodate contents
6.
POUCH FORMING MOLD CONFIGURATION, METHOD AND POUCH
A mold configuration (120, 220, 222, 320, 420, 426) for forming a pocket (108) in a film (102, 104, 202) comprising: a film support surface (122, 322); a perimeter edge (126, 226, 326, 426) at said film support surface (122, 322); wall surfaces inward of the perimeter edge (126, 226, 326, 426) defining a mold cavity (120); the wall surfaces including transition wall surfaces (125, 225, 325, 425) extending to a bottom wall surface (128, 228, 328, 428); and a plateau surface (330, 430) inward of the perimeter edge (126, 226, 326, 426). In one form, the perimeter edge (126, 226, 326, 426) includes sharp corner profile perimeter edge (126, 226, 326, 426) portions defining at least one sharp corner profile. A method of forming a pouch (100, 200, 206, 300, 400), includes using the disclosed mold configuration (120, 220, 222, 320, 420, 426). A resultant pouch (200) has a perimeter seal seam (111, 211, 311, 411, 511) having at least one sharp corner profile.
B65D 75/32 - Articles or materials enclosed between two opposed sheets or blanks having their margins united, e.g. by pressure-sensitive adhesive, crimping, heat-sealing, or welding one or both sheets or blanks being recessed to accommodate contents
B65D 65/46 - Applications of disintegrable, dissolvable or edible materials
Apparatus for forming pouches comprising: a base forming drum (21, 23) having base tooling cavities (22), mechanism feeding a base stock film along a base stock path, a system displacing the base stock film into the base tooling cavities (36) to form pockets within each base tooling cavity; mechanism feeding material into each pocket of the base stock film; a lid forming drum (43) having lid tooling cavities (42), mechanism feeding a lid stock film of along a lid stock path, a system displacing the lid stock film into the lid tooling cavities to form lid recesses within each lid tooling cavity; mechanism (31, 32) feeding a material into each lid recess of the lid stock film; and mechanism bringing the base stock film and the lid stock film into contact under pressure. In one form, material fed into the lid recesses is a hardenable material. In another, cooling is used to cool the lid recesses.
patents
