Patent Publication Number: US-10759552-B2

Title: Machine and method of manufacturing a two-compartment pouch

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/862,785 filed on Sep. 23, 2015 which claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/053,976 filed on Sep. 23, 2014, both of which are incorporated herein in entirety by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a machine and a method of manufacturing a pouch, and in particular to a machine and a method of manufacturing a two-compartment pouch. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Flexible pouches known as “stick packs” are elongated, rectangular pouches having a single side seal, bottom seal, and a top seal. Stick packs are formed on a vertical forming machine where the laminate material is pulled from a roll around a fill tube. Side edges of the laminate are then overlapped and sealed with a seal bar to form a tubular sleeve. Spaced a distance beneath the fill tube is a puller having a seal bar and die cut device. The seal bar forms a horizontal bottom seal across the sleeve. The puller then pulls the sleeve downwardly while the fill tube deposits material from a reservoir into the sleeve. When the puller has traveled the length of the stick pack, it stops and is moved upwardly to the start position where the seal bar places another horizontal seal in the sleeve to seal the contents in the sleeve. The die cutter then cuts through the seal so that a stick pack is formed and separated from the sleeve. The puller then repeats the process when the puller returns to the bottom. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A machine and a method for forming a two-compartment pouch having a lower compartment and an upper compartment are provided. The machine has a lower compartment fill tube and an upper compartment fill tube. The lower compartment fill tube is operable to fill a lower compartment and the upper compartment fill tube is operable to fill an upper compartment of the two-compartment pouch. The machine also includes a thin film drawer that is operable to pull or draw a thin film sheet. The thin film drawer draws the thin film over the lower compartment fill tube and the upper compartment fill tube such that side edges of the thin film sheet are aligned parallel and adjacent to each other. 
     A side seal bar is included and is operable to seal the pair of side edges to each other and thereby form a sleeve that extends around and downwardly from the lower compartment fill tube and the upper compartment fill tube. 
     A puller assembly can be included and has a lower seal bar with a die cutter and an upper seal bar that is spaced apart from the lower seal bar. The puller assembly is operable to move upwardly and downwardly in a vertical direction and thereby pull a sleeve of the thin film, and compartments formed from the sleeve, in a downward direction. The puller assembly can produce a bottom seal on the sleeve using the lower seal bar and in so doing initiates formation of a lower compartment for a two compartment pouch. The puller assembly then pulls the sleeve downwardly while the partially formed lower compartment is being filling by the lower compartment filler tube. Once a predetermined amount of product is filled into the lower compartment, the upper seal bar can produce an intermediate seal spaced apart from the bottom seal and thereby complete the lower compartment of the two-compartment pouch. In addition, the intermediate seal initiates formation of an upper compartment of the two-compartment pouch. 
     The puller assembly can move upwardly to a top position while the upper compartment fill tube is filling the partially formed upper compartment is being filled with the upper compartment filler tube. Once a predetermined amount of product is filled into the upper compartment, a top seal is produced on the sleeve using the lower seal bar and thereby complete the upper compartment of the two-compartment flexible pouch. At the same time, the lower seal bar also produces a bottom seal for the next two-compartment pouch to be manufactured. Finally, the die cutter makes a cut across or between the top seal and bottom seal and a completed two-compartment flexible pouch is separated from the sleeve while another two-compartment pouch is being manufactured in a similar manner. 
     The puller assembly can move upwardly and downwardly on a pair of vertical puller assembly support rods. In addition, the lower seal bar can be a pair of lower seal bars that move inwardly and outwardly with respect to each other and the sleeve. Likewise, the intermediate seal bar can be a pair of intermediate seal bars that move inwardly and outwardly with respect to each other and the sleeve. The pair of lower seal bars produce the top seal for a first two-compartment flexible pouch and the bottom seal for a second two-compartment flexible pouch and produces the top seal and the bottom seal at the same time. Stated differently, the top seal and the bottom seal can be a single seal that is between an upper compartment of the first two-compartment flexible pouch and a lower compartment of the second two-compartment flexible pouch. Furthermore, the die cutter can cut the single seal to remove the first two-compartment flexible pouch from the bottom seal of the sleeve which is in the process of being manufactured into the second two-compartment flexible pouch. 
     The process for manufacturing the two-compartment pouch includes providing the machine discussed above and providing a thin film sheet that has a pair of oppositely disposed side edges. The sheet is drawn over the lower compartment fill tube and the upper compartment fill tube using the thin film drawer and the pair of side edges are aligned parallel and adjacent to each other. The side seal bar seals the side edges together and thereby produces a sleeve of the thin film sheet. The sleeve of the thin film sheet extends in a downwardly direction and also surrounds at least a portion of the lower compartment fill tube and the upper compartment fill tube such that the tubes can provide products into the sleeve. 
     While the puller assembly is in a top position, a bottom seal is produced on the sleeve using the lower seal bar and the sleeve with the bottom seal is pulled downwardly with the puller assembly. In some instances, the lower compartment fill tube initiates filling of the bottom sealed sleeve with a first product while the puller assembly is pulling the sleeve with the bottom seal downwardly. After a desired amount of the first product is fed into the sleeve bounded by the bottom seal, an intermediate seal that is spaced apart from the bottom seal on the sleeve is produced using the upper seal bar. In this manner, the lower compartment of the two-compartment flexible pouch is formed between the bottom seal and the intermediate seal. 
     The puller assembly is then moved upwardly to a top position. In some instances, the upper compartment fill tube initiates filling of the sleeve above the intermediate seal with a second product while the puller assembly is moving upwardly to the top position. After a desired amount of the second product is filled into the sleeve above the intermediate seal, a top seal that is spaced apart from the intermediate seal on the sleeve is produced using the lower seal bar. In this manner, the upper compartment of the two-compartment flexible pouch is formed between the intermediate seal and the top seal. Finally, the two-compartment flexible pouch is cut or removed from the sleeve using the die cutter. 
     The intermediate seal can be a frangible seal so that when broken, the two products in the lower compartment and the upper compartment can be mixed together before opening the flexible pouch. In the alternative, the intermediate seal can be a permanent seal with perforations such that the two compartments can be detached and opened separately. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a two-compartment flexible pouch according to an aspect disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of a machine for manufacturing a two-compartment flexible pouch according to an aspect disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic illustration of the machine shown in  FIG. 2  with a puller assembly at a different position; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic illustration of the machine shown in  FIG. 3  with a puller assembly in a different position; 
         FIG. 5  is a side cross-sectional view of the machine shown in  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic illustration of a process for manufacturing a two-compartment flexible pouch according to an aspect disclosed herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Described is a method and machine for forming a novel two-compartment pouch. The method includes the steps of drawing a film over a pair of fill tubes; sealing side edges of the film to form a sleeve; forming a bottom seal on the sleeve; pulling the sleeve downwardly; filling a bottom portion of the pouch using one of the fill tubes; forming a second seal over the filled bottom portion; filling an upper portion of the pouch using the other fill tube; and sealing the upper portion. 
     The machine is a flexible pouch manufacturing apparatus that has a pair of fill tubes. For example, the pair of fill tubes can include a lower compartment fill tube and an upper compartment fill tube. The machine also includes a film drawer that is operable to draw a thin film that has a pair of oppositely disposed side edges over the pair of fill tubes. The film drawer is also operable to align the pair of side edges of the thin film such that they are parallel and adjacent to each other. 
     A side seal bar is included and is operable to seal the pair of side edges of the thin film to each other and thereby form a sleeve that extends around and downwardly from the pair of fill tubes. In this manner, thin film material or thin film sheet is taken from a roll of the material, unrolled, and formed into a sleeve that is then formed into a plurality of two-compartment pouches. 
     A puller assembly that has a lower seal bar with a die cutter and an upper seal bar spaced apart from the lower seal bar is also part of the machine. The puller assembly moves upwardly and downwardly in a vertical direction relative to the machine and the sleeve of the thin film. The puller assembly produces a bottom seal on the sleeve using the lower seal bar and then pulls the bottom sealed sleeve downwardly, e.g. while the lower compartment fill tube is filling the bottom sealed sleeve with a first product. The upper seal bar is then used to produce an intermediate seal that is spaced apart from the bottom seal and thereby produces a lower compartment of the two-compartment flexible pouch. The puller assembly then moves in an upwardly direction to a top position, e.g. while the upper compartment fill tube is filling the sleeve above the intermediate seal, i.e. the upper compartment. Once the upper compartment is filled to a desired level with the second product, a top seal is produced using the lower seal bar and thereby produces the upper compartment of the two-pouch flexible pouch. After the two compartments have been manufactured, the two-compartment flexible pouch is completed by cutting the top seal the sleeve above using the die cutter. The manufactured two-compartment flexible pouch can then be dropped or placed onto a conveyor belt for further processing such as printing thereon, weighing, indexing, packaging, and the like. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1 , an inventive two-compartment pouch having a single side seal  110 , a bottom seal  120 , and a top seal  130  is shown generally at reference numeral  10 . The two-compartment flexible pouch  10  has a lower compartment  100  and an upper compartment  150 . The lower compartment  100  is formed by the bottom seal  120 , an intermediate seal  140 , and the side seal  110 . The upper compartment  150  is formed by the intermediate seal  140 , the side seal  110 , and the top seal  130 . The intermediate seal  140  can be a frangible seal so that when the seal is broken the products in the lower compartment  100  and the upper compartment  150  can be mixed together before opening the flexible pouch  10  via the top seal  130 , e.g. using a tear notch  132 . In the alternative, the intermediate seal  140  can be a permanent seal with perforations that afford for the lower compartment  100  to be detached and opened separately from the upper compartment  150 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , a machine for manufacturing the two-compartment flexible pouch  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is illustrated at reference numeral  20 . The machine  20  includes a pouch filling system  200  that has a first filling tube  202 , e.g. an upper compartment filling tube, and a second filling tube  204 , e.g. a lower compartment filling tube. The first filling tube  202  is in fluid communication with a first reservoir  203  and the second filling tube  204  is in fluid communication with a second reservoir  205 . The material in the reservoir  203  and/or  205  can be liquid, particulate, or solid. The reservoirs  203 ,  205  are located above the fill tubes  202 ,  204  and thus the contents of the reservoirs can be gravity fed. However, it is appreciated that this is not required and that filling materials can be provided to the filling tubes  202 ,  204  utilizing a pump, vacuum, etc. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the filling tubes  202 ,  204  are positioned side by side, which in turn allows a sheet of flexible film  102  to be fed from behind and pulled around the filling tubes  202 ,  204  so that opposing side edges  103  of the flexible film  102  can overlap and be aligned vertically and parallel to each other. The machine  20  includes a side seal bar  210  which seals the edges  103  to each other and forms a continuous sleeve as in a conventional stick pack type machine. As such, the sleeve produced by the machine  20  has a single side seal  110 . 
     The flexible sleeve formed by sealing the edges  103  to each other using the side seal bar is fed to a puller assembly  240  which can be mounted on a pair of support and/or guide rods  242 . It is appreciated that the puller assembly  240  can move reciprocally upwardly and downwardly, e.g. using a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a mechanical drive system, and the like. 
     The puller assembly  240  has a lower seal bar  244  which can be a pair of lower seal bars  244  (e.g. see  FIG. 5 ). The lower seal bar  244  has a sealing portion  241  which can seal opposing sides of the sleeve using heat, pressure, ultrasound, and the like. As such, the seal bar  244  can produce a seal across the sleeve which affords for separate compartments to be present below the seal and above the seal. In particular,  FIG. 2  illustrates the lower seal bar  244  providing a bottom seal  120  for a flexible pouch that is just starting to be manufactured and a top seal  130  for a flexible pouch that is being completed. A product P can be supplied within the sleeve above the bottom seal  120  using the filling tube  204 . 
     Before, during, and/or after filling of the sleeve above the bottom seal  120  with the product P, the puller assembly  240  pulls the sleeve in a downward direction to a bottom position as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . In addition,  FIG. 3  illustrates that a lower compartment of the sleeve has been filled and an upper seal bar  246  with a sealing portion  247  has produced an intermediate seal  140 . Furthermore, after the intermediate seal  140  has been produced, a second product L is dispersed into the sleeve above the intermediate seal  140  using the fill tube  202 . In this manner, the lower compartment  100  of a two-compartment flexible pouch has been manufactured and the upper compartment  150  is being filled with a desired product L. 
     Also shown in  FIG. 3 , the lower seal bar  244  with a die cutter  243  affords for cutting of the seal  120 ,  130  such that a two-compartment flexible pouch  10  with the top seal  130  is removed from the bottom seal  120  of the next flexible pouch to be manufactured. 
     After the intermediate seal  140  has been completed or manufactured, the puller assembly  240  can move in an upwardly direction to a top position as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . In addition, and upon completion of filling the sleeve above the intermediate seal  140  with the product L to a desired level, the lower seal bar  244  affords for the top seal  130  to be produced. It is appreciated that during the production of the top seal  130 , the bottom seal  120  for the next two-compartment flexible pouch to be manufactured is also produced. After the top seal  130  is produced on the sleeve, the machine and process repeats the cycle with the filler tube  204  providing product P within the sleeve and above the bottom seal  120 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 5 , a side cross-sectional view of the machine and flexible pouch being manufactured in  FIG. 4  is shown. As shown in the figure, the puller assembly can have a pair of oppositely disposed lower seal bars  244  and a pair of oppositely disposed upper seal bars  246 . It is appreciated that the upper seal bars  246  are spaced apart from the pair of lower seal bars  244 , e.g. using one or more support bars or beams  249 . In addition, the upper seal bars  246  can be spaced apart from the lower seal bars  244  a distance that is equal to the length of the lower compartment  100 . Stated differently, the puller assembly  240  can produce the bottom seal  120  and the intermediate seal  140  on the sleeve without movement of the sleeve relative to the puller assembly  240 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a schematic flowchart of a process for making a two-compartment flexible pouch using the machine  20  is provided and shown generally at reference numeral  30 . The process  30  includes providing the machine  20  and a thin film sheet at step  300 , followed by drawing the thin film sheet around the pair of fill tubes at step  310 . The side edges of the thin film sheet that has been drawn around the fill tubes are sealed at step  320 . A top seal for a first two-compartment pouch that is nearing manufacture completion and a bottom seal for a second two-compartment pouch that is just beginning to be manufactured is produced across the sleeve at step  330 . 
     Once the bottom seal is produced, the puller assembly pulls the sleeve material with the bottom seal in a downward direction and a filler tube fills the sleeve above the bottom seal, i.e. the lower compartment, with a first product at step  340 . Upon completion of filling the lower compartment, an intermediate seal is produced at step  350 . In addition, a die cutter that is part of the puller assembly can cut between the tops seal of the first two-compartment pouch and the bottom seal of the second two-compartment pouch either before, during or after the intermediate seal is produced. 
     After the intermediate seal is produced, the puller assembly moves in an upwardly direction to a top position at step  360 . Upon completion of filling the upper compartment above the intermediate seal with a second product, the lower seal bar produces a top seal for the second two-compartment flexible pouch and a bottom seal for another two-compartment pouch to be manufactured at step  370 . Thereafter, the cycle repeats and the filling tube  204  begins to provide the first product into a lower portion of the next two-compartment flexible pouch that is being manufactured. 
     The above examples, aspects, and embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to and do not limit the scope of the instant disclosure. Changes, modifications, and the like will be apparent to those skilled in the art and yet fall within the scope of the instant disclosure. As such, it is the claims, and all equivalents thereof, which define the scope of the invention.