Patent Publication Number: US-9889955-B2

Title: Apparatus and method for packaging flat products

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/751,427 filed Jan. 11, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in the entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to packaging. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus for packaging hamburger patties in a vacuum sealed pouch. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is well known in the art to stack hamburger patties prior to packaging by hand. These hamburger stackers include a conveyor belt and stacker operable to sack and transport a sack of hamburger patties. However, during transportation or manipulation of the package containing the hamburger patties, it is common for the hamburger patties to become un-stacked within the package. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to provide an apparatus and method for stacking hamburger patties and keeping the hamburger patties stacked during transportation and use by the consumer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A method and apparatus for packaging patties or similar flat items such as food items, disc . . . etc. into a flexible pouch. The method comprising the steps of stacking a plurality of patties by a stacker, the patties stacked on top of one another, lowering the plurality of patties into a flexible pouch, vacuuming the air out of the flexible pouch to seal the pouch, the vacuum creating an air tight seal and forming a pair of frangible seals in the pouch, the frangible (or solid) seals positioned adjacent to the plurality of patties. The method further comprising the step of raising the patties from a first position to a second position before lowering the plurality of patties into the flexible pouch. The method further comprising the step of moving the patties to the stacker by means of a conveyor belt. 
     The apparatus for packaging patties into a flexible pouch, the apparatus comprising a stacker, the stacker having two side members operable to lift a plurality of patties received from a first conveyor. The apparatus further including a patty holder, the patty holder positioned adjacent to the stacker, the patty holder having two side members operable to lower the plurality of patties into a flexible pouch. A vacuum is further positioned adjacent to the patty holder, the vacuum operable to remove the air from the flexible pouch. A frangible seal creator is also provided operable to create a frangible seal on the flexible pouch. The stacker includes a biasing member extending between the pair of side members. The pair of side members each include a lower bracket to hold the plurality of patties. The vacuum includes a free end having an elongated rod having a plurality of apertures in fluid communication with both the vacuum and the interior of the flexible pouch. A gripper is further provided to hold the flexible pouch in an open position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of the process and apparatus for hamburger filling into a pouch; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a frontal perspective view of the hamburger patty holder and stack of hamburger patties inserted into a hamburger patty pouch; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a frontal perspective side view of the hamburger patty holder and the hamburger patties held in place inside the pouch; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a frontal perspective view of the hamburger patty holder releasing the hamburger patty within the pouch; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a frontal perspective view of vacuum rods being inserted into the pouch to remove air from the pouch; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a frontal perspective view the vacuum rods being removed from the pouch; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of a pouch having a frangible seal on either side of the stack of hamburger patties; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a cross sectional view of the tool utilized to create the frangible seal as shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a frontal perspective view of the pouch having the frangible seal on either side of the stack of hamburger patties; and 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a frontal view of the pouch having a frangible seal. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides for a method and apparatus for stacking, storing and sealing hamburger patties within a pouch. The apparatus for packaging patties into a flexible pouch, the apparatus comprising a stacker, the stacker having two side members operable to lift a plurality of patties received from a first conveyor. The apparatus further including a patty holder, the patty holder positioned adjacent to the stacker, the patty holder having two side members operable to lower the plurality of patties into a flexible pouch. A vacuum is further positioned adjacent to the patty holder, the vacuum operable to remove the air from the flexible pouch. A frangible seal creator is also provided operable to create a frangible seal on the flexible pouch. The stacker includes a biasing member extending between the pair of side members. The pair of side members each include a lower bracket to hold the plurality of patties. The vacuum includes a free end having an elongated rod having a plurality of apertures in fluid communication with both the vacuum and the interior of the flexible pouch. A gripper is further provided to hold the flexible pouch in an open position. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates the process of taking the hamburger patties to a stacked position and then to a packaged state. The assembly line  10  includes the packaging apparatus  12  for packaging and sealing the hamburger patties  14 . The conveyor  16  is supported by legs  17 . The conveyor  16  moves the hamburger patties  14  down the conveyor  16  to the stacker  18 . 
     The stacker  18  is operable to stack the hamburger patties  14  into a stacked position arranging the hamburger patties on top of one another into a stack of hamburger patties  14  of two to twenty patties. In the present embodiment, a stack  26  consists of eleven hamburger patties  14 . The stacker  18  then moves the stack  26  to an upper platform  25 . The stack is moved along the platform to the filling apparatus  12 . The stack  26  is held by a hamburger patty holder  50 . The hamburger patty holder  50  is operable to securely hold and transport the stack  26 . The stacker  18  is operable to lift the patties and simultaneously stack as the patties  14  move along the conveyor belt  16 . 
     The hamburger patty holder  50  further includes an inward protrusion  51  located at a lower end of hamburger patty holder  50 .The hamburger patty holder  50  is made of two elongated rods operable to hold the stack  26  between the two rods. The rods, at a lower end, include the inward protrusions  51  which define supporting portions to prevent the stack  26  from falling out of the bottom between the two rods of the hamburger patty holder. 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate the pouch of the present invention operable to accept the stack  26  of the hamburger patties  14 . The pouch  20  includes an upper end  30  and a lower end  32 , The upper end  30  includes an opening  34  wherein the stack  26  of hamburger patties  14  is inserted into. The pouch  20  further includes tear notches  36  and a pressed to close zipper  38 . A gripper  40  is utilized to hold the pouch  20  in an open position. The gripper  40  allows the opening  34  at the first end  30  of the pouch  20  to remain in an open position allowing for the hamburger patty holder  50  to insert the stack  26  into the opening  34  of the pouch  20 . 
       FIGS. 4-7  illustrate the hamburger patty holder  50  inserting the stack  26  into the pouch  20 .  FIGS. 4-7  illustrate the insertion and removal of the hamburger patty stacker  50  into the pouch  20 . The hamburger patty holder  50  includes a biasing member  52  connecting between a rod  50   a  and a second rod  50   b  of the hamburger holder  50 . The biasing member  52  is connected at a connection point  54 . In the present embodiment, the biasing member is a spring. The hamburger patty holder  50  further includes the protrusions  51  located at a lower end of the rods  50   a ,  50   b  of the hamburger patty holder  50 . 
     The pouch  20  is held in an open position by means of the grippers  40 . The hamburger patty stacker  50  is inserted into the opening  34  of the pouch  20 . The hamburger patty stacker  50  is lowered into the pouch  20  at the opening  30 .  FIG. 6  illustrates the release of the hamburger patty holder  50 . The rods  50   a ,  50   b  are separated  60  away from the stack  26 . As the rods  50   a ,  50   b  are spaced away from the stack  26 , the stack  26  rests on a lower portion of the pouch  20 . Once the stack  26  is in place within the pouch  20 , the hamburger patty holder  50  is removed  62  from the pouch  20 . 
     The next process in the assembly is vacuum sealing of the pouch  20 .  FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate vacuum rods  70  being inserted to the pouch  20 . The vacuum. rods  70  are inserted into the opening  34  of the pouch  20 . The vacuum rods are connected to a vacuum  74 . The vacuum rods  70  include a plurality of apertures  72  extending along the outer surface of the vacuum rod  70 . The vacuum  74  then sucks the air through the apertures  72  to remove the air from the interior of the pouch  20 , As the air is removed from the interior of the pouch  20 , the rods  70  are slowly removed from the interior of the pouch  20 . As the rods  70  are removed from the pouch  20 , care is taken to seal the pouch to prevent any air from entering the interior of the pouch  20  before the pouch  20  is sealed. p  FIGS. 7-10  illustrate the pouch  20  having a frangible seal  80  disposed on either side of the stack  26 . The frangible seal  80  is created on the pouch to prevent any further movement of the stack  26 . Although the vacuum seal created by the vacuum rods  70 , as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , prevent any movement of the stack during transportation, the pouch does not prevent movement of the stack after the vacuum seal has been broken by the user. 
     The frangible seal  80  prevents movement of the stack after the user has broken the vacuum seal. The frangible seal, by nature, may also be broken if the user chooses. The frangible seal  80  is created by an apparatus similar to the one as shown in  FIG. 8 . The seal generally extends the length and height of the stack  26 . The apparatus  90  as shown in  FIG. 8  includes an upper plate  92  and a lower plate  94  wherein the upper plate  92  includes a protrusion  96  and the lower plate  94  includes an indentation  98 . The protrusion  96  and the indentation  98  fit together within one another to create the frangible seal  80 . One or both of the plates  92 ,  94  need be heated to further the seal  80 .  FIG. 10  further shows a top seal  100  created in a similar manner as the frangible seal  80 . The top seal  100  may be provided to further prevent air from disrupting the vacuum seal. In this manner, the vacuum  74  and sealing  90  steps occur following the pouch being deposited upon an outlet conveyor  24 , following which a finished sealed package 27  is deposited upon a further removal conveyor  22  (again  FIG. 1 ). 
     As previously described, the present apparatus packages patties into a flexible pouch, the apparatus including a stacker, the stacker having two side members operable to lift a plurality of patties received from a first conveyor. The apparatus further including a patty holder, the patty holder positioned adjacent to the stacker, the patty holder having two side members operable to lower the plurality of patties into a flexible pouch. A vacuum is further positioned adjacent to the patty holder, the vacuum operable to remove the air from the flexible pouch. A frangible seal creator is also provided operable to create a frangible seal on the flexible pouch. The stacker includes a biasing member extending between the pair of side members. The pair of side members each include a lower bracket to hold the plurality of patties. The vacuum includes a free end having an elongated rod having a plurality of apertures in fluid communication with both the vacuum and the interior of the flexible pouch. A gripper is further provided to hold the flexible pouch in an open position. 
     The invention is not restricted to the illustrated examples and embodiments as described above and are not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. The methods, apparatus, compositions, and the like described herein are exemplary and not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art.