Patent ID: 9636883
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: B31B

Claim:
1. An apparatus for manufacturing a spouted pouch package including a pouch and a spout, the pouch including a body section which is heat-sealed at side edges thereof, a top gusset section provided on a top end portion of the body section, and a bottom gusset section provided on a bottom end portion of the body section, the spout being attached to the top gusset section of the pouch, the apparatus comprising: a folding unit which folds a long package material while conveying the package material, the package material being folded in a width direction of the package material such that a conveying direction in which the package material is conveyed is aligned with a width direction of the pouch; a spout-attaching unit which attaches the spout to a portion of the folded package material which corresponds to the top gusset section with the spout being attached to a portion separate from and in between the heat-sealed side edges extending along lateral sides of the top gusset section, of the top gusset section of the pouch; a first sealing unit including sealing bars which heat-seal a portion of the folded package corresponding to a peripheral edge of the top gusset section and a portion of the folded package corresponding to a top edge of the body section each other; a second sealing unit including sealing bars which heat-seal portions of the folded package corresponding to side edges of the body section to each other and heat-seals a portion of the folded package corresponding to a peripheral edge of the bottom gusset section and a portion of the folded package corresponding to a peripheral edge of the bottom end portion of the body section to each other; a cutting unit which cuts the heat-sealed portions formed at the portions corresponding to the side edges of the body section, thereby releasing the spouted pouch package; wherein a conveying unit is configured to convey the package material to said folding unit, then to said spout-attaching unit, then to said first and second sealing units, and then to said cutting unit; wherein said long package material is a single elongated sheet having substantially parallel lateral side edges, and wherein said spout-attaching unit attaches a spout for a spouted package adjacent a first of said lateral side edges and distal to the other of said lateral side edges, and wherein after attachment of said spout said first sealing unit heat seals said package material along said first lateral side edge to form an enclosed tubular shape from said single elongated sheet; wherein said folding unit is configured to fold said package material such that said package material has an extending side portion along said first lateral side edge for receiving said spouts, said extending side portion forming an entire top gusset section of a spouted package to be formed, said package material extending downward from said extending side portion to a bottom end corresponding to a bottom of a pouch package to be formed and extending upwardly again to an opposite top end corresponding to a height of said extending side portion; and wherein said spout-attaching unit is configured to attach said spouts to said extending side portion while said package material is conveyed in a substantially horizontal direction and said first sealing unit is configured to seal said package material while said package material is conveyed in a substantially horizontal direction.