Abstract:
An apparatus for the formation of packaging from unitary blanks comprising a first tool having a convex end surface said convex end surface having edges that define a first center segment and a first plurality of triangular segments and a second tool having a concave end surface said concave end surface having edges that define a second center segment and a second plurality of triangular segments.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Ser. No. 60/067,453, filed Dec. 4, 1997. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device and method for forming packaging. More specifically the present invention relates to tooling and a method of using the tooling to mold small self-standing packaging containers or sachets from unitary generally rectangular cardboard blanks. 
     Small disposable packaging containers or sachets are commonly used to provide consumer samples for assorted products, especially for fluidic products. The unitary blanks used to form the sachets are laminated with a moisture proof coating and, when molded, form a completely sealed and sterile environment. The sample products include lotions, perfumes, food products and other consumer goods which would benefit from small sealed unitary packaging. High quality cosmetics are marketed through the use of sachets emblazoned with trademarks and configured for particular trade dresses. Self standing sachets are used in the hotel and restaurant industry to provide consumer products in bathroom facilities, eliminating the need for storage baskets or the like. There is an ongoing need in the art to provide improved tooling for forming sachets in appealing self-standing shapes. 
     Various apparatus have been developed for the formation of packaging containers from unitary blanks. The previous apparatus contain sharp corners and edges which might damage unitary blanks during the forming of packaging containers or sachets. These previous apparatus formed sachets that rely on sharp folds and corners for support points and had difficulty forming curved or bowed support surfaces from unitary blanks. The present invention has been fashioned with rounded edges and curved surfaces to better form curved or bowed surfaces from unitary blanks. The curved surfaces of the present invention decrease the chances of puncturing unitary blanks and create more possibilities for the configuration of unitary blanks. The present invention may more easily form curved surfaces and integrate these surfaces with sharply angled surfaces to create containers that were previously very troublesome to form. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention involves the use of tooling with curved surfaces and rounded edges to form packages or sachets from unitary generally rectangular cardboard blanks. An object of the present invention is to decrease the incidence of damaged packaging due to the sharp edges used on previous tooling. Another object of the invention is to increase the number of packaging shapes possible by forming curved surfaces in packaging containers fashioned from the unitary blanks. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front bottom perspective of a sachet formed by the tooling of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the first mandrel of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2B is a front elevation view of the second mandrel of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2C is a side elevation view of the first mandrel of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2D is a side elevation of the second mandrel of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2E is bottom view of the first mandrel of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2F is a top view of the second mandrel of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of one embodiment of the unitary blank used in the present invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is an elevation view showing the formation of a package by the complementary mandrels of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of the finished molded package or sachet  94  created by the improved tooling of the present invention and illustrates the base configuration  98 . As can be seen by FIG. 1, the sachet base  98  assumes the general configuration of the forming surfaces  12  and  42  integral to mandrels  10  and  40 , shown in FIGS. 2A-2F, from which it was formed. End triangular segments  74  are shown curving inwardly into the sachet structure from center segment  72  to create recesses  87 . There is no exact line of delineation or border between triangular segments  74  and center segment  72 , but rather a gradual succession as shown by curved edges  73 . The curved edges  73  and gradual slope between triangular segments  74  and center segment  72  resist puncturing caused by previous tooling, as no abrupt fold or crease is created. The curved edges  73  also allow the sachet  94  to stand erect upon on its center segment  72  while being supported at opposite ends by the bottom of sealed side seams  92  created by the fusing of package sides  86  during the forming process, as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 2A is a front elevation view of the first mandrel of the present invention generally shown as  10 . The mandrel  10  has a forming surface  12  that is convex in shape and located on its bottom end. The forming surface  12  is hemmed by a rounded perimeter edge  17  which defines the general exterior outline of the forming surface  12 . A center segment  14  is bowed outward and defined by rounded edges  16 . Bordering the center segment  14  are two triangular segments  18  that slope upward from the center segment  14  to complete the forming surface  12  of the first mandrel  10 . The rounded edges  16  created a gradual succession between the center segment  14  and the triangular segments  18 . 
     The lengthwise sides of the first mandrel  10 , as shown in FIG. 2A, have flat parallel center sections  20  defined by generally straight longitudinal edges  24  which extend for substantially the length of the first mandrel  10 . Angled side sections  22  abut flat parallel sections  20  and converge to generally straight longitudinal end edges  26 . This convergence of angled side sections  22  is consistent with the shape of the triangular segments  18  located on the forming surface  12  which defines the bottom ends of the angled side sections  22 . A bore  30  is located on the top end  28  of the first mandrel  10  and is used for mounting the mandrel  10  to a positioning device such as a cylinder shaft, gear box shaft, solenoid shaft, motor shaft and other actuation devices known to persons of ordinary skill in the art. 
     The complementary or second mandrel is shown in FIG. 2B generally as  40 . The mandrel  40  has a forming surface  42  that is concave in shape and located on its top end. The forming surface  42  is bordered by a rounded perimeter edge  47  which defines the general exterior outline of the forming surface  42 . A center segment  44  is bowed inward and defined by rounded edges  46 . Bordering the center segment  44  are two triangular segments  48  that slope upward from the center segment  44  to complete the forming surface  42  of the second mandrel  40 . As in the first mandrel  10 , the rounded edges  46  created a gradual succession between the center segment  44  and the triangular segments  48 . 
     The lengthwise sides of the second mandrel  40 , as shown in FIG. 2B, have flat parallel center sections  50  defined by generally straight longitudinal edges  54  which extend for substantially the length of the first mandrel  40 , and are similar to generally straight longitudinal edges  24  of the first mandrel  10 . Angled side sections  52 , similarly to angled side sections  22  of the first mandrel  10 , abut flat parallel sections  50  and converge to generally straight longitudinal end edges  56 . This convergence of angled side sections  52  is consistent with the shape of the triangular segments  48  located on the forming surface  42  which defines the top end of the angled side sections  52 . A bore  60  is located on the bottom end  58  of the second mandrel  40  and is used for mounting the mandrel  40  in a similar manner as mandrel  10 . 
     The forming surface  42  of the second mandrel  40  is fashioned to be complementary to the forming surface  12  of the first mandrel  10 , as shown in FIGS. 2A-2F. When forming surface  12  and forming surface  42  are brought together, both surfaces should substantially adjoin throughout. This complementary function allows unitary blanks, when placed between the forming surfaces  12  and  42 , to be generally supported throughout on the areas which contact the forming surfaces  12  and  42 . By supporting the unitary blanks on both sides the final shape of the sachet is better determined and the occurrence of puncturing is decreased. 
     FIG. 2C is a side elevation view of the first mandrel  10  and helps to better illustrate how the angled side sections  22  converge to longitudinal end edges  26 . Triangular sections  18  generally assume the planar cross section of angled side sections  22  at the forming surface  12  located at the bottom end of the first mandrel  10 . Bowed center segment  14  curves to rounded edges  16  which faintly define one side of the triangular sections  18 . FIG. 2D is a side elevation view of the complementary or second mandrel  40  and, similar to FIG. 2C, shows angled side sections  52  converging to longitudinal end edges  56 . 
     FIG. 2E is a bottom view of the first mandrel  10 . In this view the horizontal planar features of the forming surface  12  are better illustrated. The center segment  14  is located between triangular segments  18  and bordered by rounded edges  16 . Longitudinal end edges  26  are shown at the vertexes of triangular segments  18  as angled side sections  22  converge outwardly from flat parallel center sections  20 . 
     FIG. 2F is a top view of the second mandrel  40 . In this view, similar to FIG. 2E, the horizontal planar features of the forming surface  42  are better illustrated. The center segment  44  is located between triangular segments  48  and bordered by rounded edges  46 . The center segment  44  and rounded edges  46  differ slightly from the rounded edges  16  of the first mandrel, as the arc of the center segment  44  and rounded edges  46  extend inwardly to the second mandrel  40  in a concave fashion. The degree of curvature for the rounded edges  46  is also less than the degree of curvature for the rounded edges  16 . Longitudinal end edges  56  are shown at the vertexes of triangular segments  48  as angled side sections  52  converge outwardly from flat parallel center sections  50 . 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of one embodiment of the unitary blanks  70  used to form the packages or sachets of the present invention. The unitary blank  70  may be composed of a relatively rigid sheet of paper coated or otherwise covered with a thermoplastic material. In other embodiments a suitable substantially thermoplastic or metallic unitary blank may also be used. Unitary blank  70  is generally rectangular in form with integral cap segments  71  located on either end. At the center of the unitary blank  70  is a bottom segment  80 , defined by parallel creases  82 , from which the final molded container will stand upright upon. The center segment  72  is located in this bottom segment  80 . Bordering the center segment  72  are triangular segments  74 . There is no exact line of delineation or border between triangular segments  74  and center segment  72 , but rather a gradual succession. When the bottom  80  is fully formed the triangular segments  74  will slope upward from the center segment  72 . Finger creases  78  are positioned along lines A and A′. When the forming surfaces  12  and  42  sandwich the unitary blank, these finger creases  78  will create a curving point along lines A and A′ to allow the center segment  72  to gradually curve upward to triangular segments  74 . Opposing end triangle segments  85  will become upright and opposing end rectangular segments  88  will become upright and make contact with their opposite rectangular segments  88 . 
     The formation of the container takes place when the two mandrels are brought together and sandwich the unitary blank  70 , as shown in FIG. 4, by a package forming and filling machine. Such a machine is disclosed within the following U.S. Pat. No., 5,313,767 entitled “Multiple Package Forming and Filling Machine” issued to Gentile on May 24, 1994 and is incorporated by reference herewithin. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, when the two opposing sides  86  of the unitary blank  70  are brought together by mandrels  10  and  40  in a forming die  96 , the two opposing sides  86  will pivot upward about parallel creases  82 , the triangular segments  74  will slope upward about finger creases  78  forming recesses, opposing end triangle segments  85  will become generally upright and opposing end rectangular segments  88  will become upright and make contact with their opposite rectangular segments  88 . The die  96  will then heat and fold the blank unitary blank  70  along side creases  84  and, after the sachet is filled, close the top of the unitary blank  70  to seal the package in its molded form. 
     It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction illustrated and described above, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.