Abstract:
An in-line process for packaging flavor pieces includes printing a flavor slurry onto an advancing bottom barrier web in desired shapes and patterns of flavor pieces. A top barrier web is laminated over the printed flavor slurry joining the top and bottom barrier sheets with a series of closed form seals surrounding one or more the flavor pieces. Die cuts through the laminated web separate combinations of the sealed flavor pieces. Gaps in the seals registered with die cuts allow the two barrier webs to be locally separated for accessing the flavor pieces. The bottom barrier web can be affixed to a pressure-sensitive label stock for attaching one or more combinations of sealed flavor pieces to other substrates.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a non-provisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 60/942,159, filed Jun. 5, 2007, and is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention relates to packages containing edible flavor pieces, such as breath strips, and to manufacturing processes for producing such packages. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Breath and other flavor strips are well known but challenges remain for making and packaging such strip materials in a cost effective manner and for allowing the application of such strip materials to different types of products and product packages. Typical flavor strips are thin, flat, and rectangular in shape and occupy considerable packaging area. The rectangular shape limits how the flavor strips can be packaged or sealed. 
         [0004]    Many flavor strip products available in the market today are extruded in a wide web format and slit both longitudinally to narrower widths and transversely to limited lengths in preparation for packaging. The resulting square or rectangular shapes limit the packaging options for this product. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The invention in one or more of its preferred embodiments involves printing and packaging flavor pieces, such as flavor or breath mints, in a variety of shapes and sizes, all in one in line process. For example, the flavor or breath mints can be formed as a flavor slurry that is printed onto a film barrier substrate for forming the flavor pieces in a wide variety of shapes at various thicknesses. The various shapes allow the flavor pieces to be applied to a variety of packaging, including packaging where space is limited. The overall process is intended to be efficient with minimal waste. 
         [0006]    The flavor slurry can be dispensed in a heated form through a rotary screen or a die extruder. The printed flavor slurry can then be chilled (cured) and sealed in between two barrier materials. Both the application of the flavor slurry and the packaging of the applied slurry can be accomplished in a single or otherwise continuous in-line process. The end product includes single or multiple flavor pieces, such as flavor or breath mints, within a food-safe barrier film package. In addition, the packaged flavor pieces can be produced as a pressure sensitive product, such as for automatic application to another product package, or as non-pressure sensitive product, such as for dropping into another package. 
         [0007]    The flavor slurry can be printed or otherwise applied to the barrier material in various thicknesses and shapes and sealed in place within a package that can be further customized for different uses for meeting the packaging needs of customers through an efficient manufacturing process. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an in-line press for printing a succession of flavor dots divided into individual strips. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the assembled web through one of the flavor dots together with an adjoining section containing surrounding heat seal. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a top view of a flavor strip. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 4A-4D  show alternative flavor strip configurations. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]    According to one embodiment of the invention as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , an in-line press  10  is arranged for making a matrix of sealed flavor dots for mounting on product packaging or other substrates. An individual sealed flavor dot assembly  40  as constructed by the press  10  is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0013]    A web of pressure-sensitive label stock  42  is unwound from a roll  12  of the press  10 . The pressure-sensitive label stock  42  includes a base sheet  44  backed by a pressure-sensitive adhesive  46  and a liner  50  having a release coating  48  for releasably bonding the base sheet  44  to the liner  50 . Both the base sheet  44  and the liner  50  can be made of paper or film, but the base sheet  44  is preferably made as a film such as polypropylene and the liner is preferably made of paper. Although the pressure-sensitive label stock  42  is shown in roll form for supplying the press  10 , the individual layers of the pressure-sensitive label stock  42  could be assembled along the press  10 . 
         [0014]    An applicator station  14  applies a dry-release or “fugitive” adhesive  52  to the base sheet  44  of the web of pressure-sensitive label stock  42 , and prior to curing, a web substrate  54 , which is also preferably a similar film such as polypropylene is unwound from a roll  16  and laminated at station  17  to the pressure-sensitive label stock  42  to complete a dry-release bond. The dry-residue adhesive  52  provides a clean release (i.e., no tearing and minimal tackiness) upon breaking the adhesive bond and preferably extends throughout all or nearly all of the overlapping space between the base sheet  44  and the web substrate  54 . Other dry-release bonds, which are effective between other types of substrates, such as mixtures of adhesive and release, could also be used. Of course, the dry-release adhesive  52  could be applied first to the web substrate  54  and then laminated to the base sheet  44  with similar effect. 
         [0015]    An applicator station  18  applies a layer of permanent adhesive  56 , which can be a pressure-sensitive adhesive, to the web substrate  54 , and a web bottom barrier sheet  58  is unwound from a roll  20  and laminated at station  21  to the web substrate  54 . Similar to the dry-release adhesive  52 , the permanent adhesive  56  could be applied first to the web bottom barrier sheet  58  and then laminated to the web substrate  54 . The web bottom barrier sheet  58  can be a single or multiple ply construction, and is preferably a commercially available poly barrier material in multiple ply format, such as a combination of polypropylene and polyester (PET) films or as a metal foil itself or in combination with a protective film. 
         [0016]    A printing station  22  prints a release coating  62  in a matrix pattern on the web bottom barrier sheet  58 . The release coating  62  is preferably comprises a release agent approved for contact with food products, including silicone or wax-based agents or agents that contain vegetable oils or other FDA approved ingredients. 
         [0017]    A printing station  24  dispenses a heated flavor slurry  250  via a rotary screen or a die extruder onto to the patterned release coating  64  in corresponding array of predetermined shapes. The flavor slurry  25  can be of a type such as disclosed in US Patent Application Publications 2004-0247746 and 2004-0241294, which are hereby incorporated by reference. The rotary screen is preferably made of nickel or other food compatible material with openings of predetermined shape and thickness. In accordance with conventional screen printing practices, a squeegee forces metered amounts of the flavor slurry  25  through the openings and onto the patterned release coating  64 . The die extruder, which is preferably made of stainless steel or other food compatible material, incorporates a pump for forcing metered amounts of the flavor slurry  25  through extrusion heads of a desired shape. The extruder can be fashioned from air-eject dies, which are ordinarily used for punching holes in webs. 
         [0018]    A heater  26  heats the flavor slurry  25  to a temperature optimum for dispensing by the printing station  24 . Temperatures around 260 degrees Fahrenheit are preferred for this purpose. The release coating  62  is formulated to withstand the elevated temperatures of the flavor slurry  25  to assure that the slurry  25  does not permanently adhere to the web bottom barrier sheet  58   
         [0019]    A chiller  28  follows the printing station  22  for immediately cooling and solidifying the flavor slurry into flavor dots  60  having the desired shape and thickness. Flavor slurries of other forms can be dried or otherwise cured into the desired solid form. 
         [0020]    A web top barrier sheet  64 , which can be made of a single or multiple ply material similar to the web bottom barrier sheet  58  is unwound from a roll  30  and directed through a heat-sealing station  32  for joining the web top and bottom barrier sheets  58  and  64  together through a series of closed form seals  66  surrounding the flavor dots  60 . However, the heat seals  66  are spaced apart from the flavor dots  60  to provide a surrounding encasement and include one or more unsealed edges so that the top and bottom barrier sheets  58  and  64  can be pealed apart by a customer for breaking the heat-seals and releasing the flavor dots. Other patterned sealing methods could also be used including cold sealed bonds. 
         [0021]    A die cut station  34  cuts through one or more of the substrate layers for separating one or more of the printed flavor dots  60  into strips and for individually dispensing the printed flavor dots  60  from the strips as shown for example in  FIG. 3 , which is described below. A waste winder  35  takes up unused trimming from the die cut station, including a matrix separating groups of the flavor dots  60  into strips, and winds the trimming matrix into a roll for recycling or disposal. 
         [0022]    A print station  36  prints text or graphic on the web top barrier sheet  64 . The print station  36  can print repetitively, such as web offset, or variably, such as ink jet. Other print stations can be used to print on the opposite surface of the web top barrier sheet  64  or either surface of the bottom barrier sheet  58 . 
         [0023]    A main winder  38  winds an assembled web  39  of flavor dots  60  into a roll for delivery to an applicator. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , a strip  70  of flavor dots  60  is shown through a clear top barrier sheet  64 . The heat seal  66  is applied in a pattern that surrounds the flavor dots  60  but includes gaps  72  that cooperate with die cut slits  74  and perforations  76  to enable the flavor dots  60  to be individually dispensed. The gaps  72  provide openings for peeling the top barrier sheet  64  apart from the bottom barrier sheet  58  for breaking the heat seal  66  and releasing the flavor dots  60 . The release agent allows the flavor piece to be easily removed from the bottom barrier sheet  58  without damaging the flavor dots  60 . 
         [0025]    As shown in the accompanying  FIGS. 4A-4D , the flavor pieces can be printed as dots, rectangles, squares, or other shapes. The sealed flavor strips can be die-cut to shape, such as for separating combinations of the individual sealed flavor pieces from a web. 
         [0026]    The pressure-sensitive versions of the sealed flavor products can be arranged for automatic application to other product packaging. The non-pressure-sensitive versions can also be applied to product packaging using other bonding or attaching techniques or can be captured within the other product packaging, such as by being dropped into the packaging before the other product packaging is sealed. 
         [0027]    The flavor products themselves containing not only one or more flavor patterns but also their protective barrier layers can be made in different shapes and sizes for accommodating customer-packaging needs. The barrier layers or other layers, particularly in the form of labels, can be printed with text or graphics that can be related to the flavor pieces captured between the barrier layers or entirely independent thereof. The flavor product can be made as a part of a larger label. Either barrier layer can be clear or opaque and printed with logos or other product related information. For example, the overlying barrier layer can be opaque and printed with product logos or information. Clear layers can be mirror printed from inside surfaces. The interior surfaces of opaque layers can be printed with hidden information (such as for use as a game piece). However, any ink on a barrier surface adjacent to the flavor pieces should be approved for food use. 
         [0028]    The flavor pieces can be printed in many different sizes, shapes, and thicknesses as controlled by the printer/applicator, e.g., screen printer. Typical flavor slurries contain mixes of various oils and powders that set in a gelatinous form. For purposes of printing, the gelatinous slurries are mechanically stirred to the desired printing consistency. For example, such screen printable slurries can have a viscosity of around 15,000 centipoises. Screen thickness can be set for printing the slurries to different thicknesses, e.g., 12 to 20 mill. Preferably, the slurries should remain at the required consistency during printing and set only upon application of heat or other curing mechanism. 
         [0029]    The ability to convert the flavor product in a single pass through a press allows for printing on the inside of the flavor product films, this offers gaming capabilities in addition to the flavor product. For example, a printed flavor product can contain gaming information on the inside of the barrier films with one or more printed flavor pieces.