Patent ID: 6041579
Filing Date: 2000-03-28
Classification: B65B,B65D

Abstract:
A machine for making a sealed liquid pouch with a free-floating straw inside the pouch, said machine comprising bag-forming means for making a bag from impervious plastic film material, a filler mechanism for placing a liquid inside said bag, and a straw convecting means for directing a straw in said pouch prior to sealing said pouch, said straw convecting means being a convection tube through which said straw is convected by gravity, said tube having a lower dispensing end located in said bag at a predetermined position, said machine being a vertical bag forming machine having a vertically oriented filler spout located internally of a plastic film tube having a sealed bottom end, said filler spout having a liquid dispensing lower end, said lower dispensing end of said convection tube being disposed within said plastic film tube and spaced a predetermined distance immediately above said liquid dispensing lower end of said filler spout to release a straw in said plastic film tube during dispensing of liquid within said plastic film tube and preventing said straw to interfere with a transverse sealing mechanism, said bag forming means having a plastic film tube forming head for folding a film sheet and disposing opposed side edge portions of said film sheet in overlap relationship, a vertical sealer for sealing said overlapped side edge portions together to form said plastic film tube, a tube engaging drive mechanism for displacing said tube in a sequential manner, said transverse sealing mechanism forming a bottom and top seal across said tube, and tube expanding means to maintain said tube in a transverse expanded condition to effect an uninterrupted top seal of a filled plastic tube portion to form one of said sealed liquid pouches and a bottom seal of a plastic tube portion now being filled, said tube expanding means having a pair of outwardly biased pusher arms secured to opposed sides of said filler spout and frictionally engaging opposed inner side ends of said plastic film tube to maintain said tube expanded and taunt in the area of said liquid dispensing lower end of said filler spout and in the area of said transverse sealing mechanism.