[go: up one dir, main page]

WO2007010465A2 - Processus de fabrication d'un emballage flexible - Google Patents

Processus de fabrication d'un emballage flexible Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2007010465A2
WO2007010465A2 PCT/IB2006/052418 IB2006052418W WO2007010465A2 WO 2007010465 A2 WO2007010465 A2 WO 2007010465A2 IB 2006052418 W IB2006052418 W IB 2006052418W WO 2007010465 A2 WO2007010465 A2 WO 2007010465A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
reinforcing member
wall material
flexible wall
package
perimeter
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/IB2006/052418
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2007010465A3 (fr
Inventor
Robert Paul Cassoni
Michael Joseph Dipaola
Heiner Bouten
Peter John Whitlock
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Procter and Gamble Co
Original Assignee
Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Procter and Gamble Co filed Critical Procter and Gamble Co
Priority to EP06780090A priority Critical patent/EP1910069A2/fr
Publication of WO2007010465A2 publication Critical patent/WO2007010465A2/fr
Publication of WO2007010465A3 publication Critical patent/WO2007010465A3/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/74—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by welding and severing, or by joining and severing, the severing being performed in the area to be joined, next to the area to be joined, in the joint area or next to the joint area
    • B29C65/743—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by welding and severing, or by joining and severing, the severing being performed in the area to be joined, next to the area to be joined, in the joint area or next to the joint area using the same tool for both joining and severing, said tool being monobloc or formed by several parts mounted together and forming a monobloc
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/40—General aspects of joining substantially flat articles, e.g. plates, sheets or web-like materials; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles; Joining single elements to substantially flat surfaces
    • B29C66/41—Joining substantially flat articles ; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles
    • B29C66/43—Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles
    • B29C66/431—Joining the articles to themselves
    • B29C66/4312—Joining the articles to themselves for making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles, e.g. transversal seams
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/40—General aspects of joining substantially flat articles, e.g. plates, sheets or web-like materials; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles; Joining single elements to substantially flat surfaces
    • B29C66/41—Joining substantially flat articles ; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles
    • B29C66/43—Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles
    • B29C66/432—Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles for making tubular articles or closed loops, e.g. by joining several sheets ; for making hollow articles or hollow preforms
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/40—General aspects of joining substantially flat articles, e.g. plates, sheets or web-like materials; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles; Joining single elements to substantially flat surfaces
    • B29C66/41—Joining substantially flat articles ; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles
    • B29C66/43—Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles
    • B29C66/432—Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles for making tubular articles or closed loops, e.g. by joining several sheets ; for making hollow articles or hollow preforms
    • B29C66/4322—Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles for making tubular articles or closed loops, e.g. by joining several sheets ; for making hollow articles or hollow preforms by joining a single sheet to itself
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/81—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/814—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/8141—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/81411—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined characterised by its cross-section, e.g. transversal or longitudinal, being non-flat
    • B29C66/81421—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined characterised by its cross-section, e.g. transversal or longitudinal, being non-flat being convex or concave
    • B29C66/81422—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined characterised by its cross-section, e.g. transversal or longitudinal, being non-flat being convex or concave being convex
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/83—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof characterised by the movement of the joining or pressing tools
    • B29C66/834—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof characterised by the movement of the joining or pressing tools moving with the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/8351—Jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders, drums, bands, belts or chains; Flying jaws
    • B29C66/83511—Jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders, drums, bands, belts or chains; Flying jaws jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders or drums
    • B29C66/83513—Jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders, drums, bands, belts or chains; Flying jaws jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders or drums cooperating jaws mounted on rollers, cylinders or drums and moving in a closed path
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B29C65/04—Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding, i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B29C65/08—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure using ultrasonic vibrations
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B29C65/14—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure using wave energy, i.e. electromagnetic radiation, or particle radiation
    • B29C65/16—Laser beams
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
    • B29C66/05—Particular design of joint configurations
    • B29C66/10—Particular design of joint configurations particular design of the joint cross-sections
    • B29C66/11—Joint cross-sections comprising a single joint-segment, i.e. one of the parts to be joined comprising a single joint-segment in the joint cross-section
    • B29C66/112—Single lapped joints
    • B29C66/1122—Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/70—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material
    • B29C66/71—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/70—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material
    • B29C66/72—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the structure of the material of the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/723—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the structure of the material of the parts to be joined being multi-layered
    • B29C66/7234—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the structure of the material of the parts to be joined being multi-layered comprising a barrier layer
    • B29C66/72343—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the structure of the material of the parts to be joined being multi-layered comprising a barrier layer for liquids
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/81—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/814—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/8141—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/81427—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined comprising a single ridge, e.g. for making a weakening line; comprising a single tooth
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/83—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof characterised by the movement of the joining or pressing tools
    • B29C66/834—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof characterised by the movement of the joining or pressing tools moving with the parts to be joined
    • B29C66/8341—Roller, cylinder or drum types; Band or belt types; Ball types
    • B29C66/83411—Roller, cylinder or drum types
    • B29C66/83413—Roller, cylinder or drum types cooperating rollers, cylinders or drums
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B2155/00—Flexible containers made from webs
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B2155/00—Flexible containers made from webs
    • B31B2155/001—Flexible containers made from webs by folding webs longitudinally
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B2155/00—Flexible containers made from webs
    • B31B2155/001—Flexible containers made from webs by folding webs longitudinally
    • B31B2155/0014—Flexible containers made from webs by folding webs longitudinally having their openings facing transversally to the direction of movement
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B2160/00—Shape of flexible containers
    • B31B2160/10—Shape of flexible containers rectangular and flat, i.e. without structural provision for thickness of contents
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
    • B31B70/008—Stiffening or reinforcing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
    • B31B70/74—Auxiliary operations
    • B31B70/81—Forming or attaching accessories, e.g. opening devices, closures or tear strings
    • B31B70/84—Forming or attaching means for filling or dispensing contents, e.g. valves or spouts
    • B31B70/844—Applying rigid valves, spouts, or filling tubes

Definitions

  • This invention relates to the process for the manufacture of flexible packages.
  • the packages may be suitable for a variety of applications.
  • the process may utilize a continuous flexible wall material sequentially attached to a reinforcing member.
  • the process may have the ability to produce multiple flexible packages in a continuous in-line production process.
  • moisture containing cleansing articles such as wet wipes (such as adult toilet wipes, cleaning wipes, and wet baby wipes for the hands, face, or diaper change wiping) are often packaged in either hard plastic "tubs" or smaller, often flexible packages for more portable use.
  • wet wipes or other moisture containing articles
  • the articles may be dispensed with one hand (for example when holding a baby with the other hand). In such a case, it may be desirable to be able to open the package, dispense an article, and close the package with a single hand.
  • a package for articles such as moisture containing cleansing articles
  • moisture containing cleansing articles are that it be flexible, compact, and remain open or closed without further action by the user.
  • some or all of these attributes may be desired for packages for uses other than containing moisture containing cleansing articles.
  • These attributes and others may be desired in any combination.
  • Packages having some or all of these attributes (and others not necessarily included on this list) may be desired for a wide variety of applications.
  • Processes known and used to assemble packages with the desired attributes generally do not complete the package assembly as a single process. Known processes may require some amount of human manipulation during the process to complete assembly of the packages.
  • the present invention relates to a process for making a flexible package comprising the steps of providing a continuous flexible wall material, providing a reinforcing member comprising a perimeter of an opening, attaching the flexible wall material to a first portion of the reinforcing member perimeter to provide a composite structure comprising an attached first portion and an unattached second portion, cutting the flexible wall material at points beyond the reinforcing member to produce package pre-forms, and attaching the remainder of the flexible wall material to the remainder of the reinforcing member perimeter to fully form the flexible package.
  • the reinforcing member may be in the shape of a square, rectangle, circle, ellipse, polygon or oval.
  • the reinforcing member may comprise a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposed side edges.
  • the flexible wall material may be first attached to the opposed side edges. The flexible wall material may then be attached to the leading and trailing edges.
  • a package pre-form seal may be created at a location external to the perimeter of the reinforcing member.
  • the package pre-form seal may then be cut at a location intermediate to the edges of the package pre- form seal to create discrete package pre-forms.
  • the process may comprise a further step of forming a gusset in the bottom of the flexible package.
  • the process for making a flexible package may comprise the steps of providing a continuous flexible wall material, providing a reinforcing member comprising a perimeter, attaching the flexible wall material to a portion of the reinforcing member perimeter, closing the reinforcing member, forming a package pre-form seal outboard of the perimeter of the reinforcing member, cutting along a line at a position intermediary to the seal edges to create discrete segments of flexible packages, opening the reinforcing member and attaching the flexible wall material to the remaining portion of the reinforcing member perimeter.
  • attachment of the flexible wall material to a portion of the reinforcing member perimeter may occur while the reinforcing member is in a closed or sufficiently closed configuration. In other embodiments of the present invention, attachment of the flexible wall material to a portion of the reinforcing member perimeter may occur while the reinforcing member is in an open or sufficiently open configuration.
  • the process for making a flexible package may comprise the steps of providing a continuous flexible wall material, providing a reinforcing member comprising a perimeter, attaching the flexible wall material to a portion of the reinforcing member perimeter, closing the reinforcing member, forming a pre-form seal outboard of the perimeter of the reinforcing member, opening the reinforcing member and attaching the flexible wall material to the remaining portion of the reinforcing member perimeter, and cutting along a line at a position intermediate to the seal edges to create discrete packages.
  • the present invention may also relate to the production of multiple package preforms continuously attached to each other prior to separation into discrete packages.
  • Fig. 1 is a plan view of an exemplary flexible package, which can be produced by the production line of the present invention.
  • Fig. 2 is a plan view of exemplary reinforcing member shapes.
  • Fig. 3 is a plan view of multiple composite structures and package pre-forms made according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the production line of the present invention in which the reinforcing member experiences both closed and open configurations.
  • Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the production line of the present invention for producing flexible packages in which the reinforcing member remains in an open configuration.
  • Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the production line of the present invention for producing flexible packages in which the reinforcing member is in a partially closed configuration.
  • Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the production line of the present invention for producing flexible packages with an optional gusset.
  • the present invention may reduce or eliminate the need for discrete pieces of flexible wall material and human manipulation.
  • the present invention can combine the use of a continuous flexible wall material with a fully automated system into a continuous process for assembling flexible packages.
  • the package can be opened or closed with one hand.
  • continuous process refers herein to an in-line production process that may produce multiple packages without stopping.
  • the continuous process may comprise providing a plurality of reinforcing members, providing a supply of flexible wall material and aligning the reinforcing members and the flexible wall material in a spaced-apart relationship on an assembly line.
  • the reinforcing members and flexible wall material may be attached to form composite structures, package pre-forms and further processed into packages.
  • continuous flexible wall material refers herein to a component of a package made according to the process of the present invention that is sufficiently long so as to produce multiple packages from that component.
  • material refers herein to include either a natural or synthetic material or any combination thereof, including films, film laminates, non-woven laminates, sponges, non-woven webs, woven webs, knitted fabrics, foams, natural materials, and any combination thereof, or dry lap materials including wood pulp, and the like, having a single layer or multiple layers.
  • non-woven fabric or “non-woven material” or “non-woven web” or “non-woven” refers herein to a material made from continuous filaments and/or discontinuous fibers, without weaving or knitting by processes such as spun-bonding and melt-blowing.
  • the non-woven material can comprise one or more layers of the non- woven material, wherein each layer can include continuous filaments or discontinuous fibers.
  • fluor refers herein to any material comprising a solid, liquid crystalline, or liquid continuous phase and a gaseous dispersed phase. Because of the dispersed gaseous phase, foam has a density less than the density of the continuous phase.
  • film refers herein to any polymeric sheet made by a process such as, but not limited to, extrusion of a polymeric material through a narrow slot of a die.
  • the polymeric sheet can optionally be impervious to a liquid and pervious to an air vapor.
  • polymer or “polymeric” refers herein to thermosetting and/or thermoplastic compositions, including but not limited to, polyolefins, including polyethylene, polypropylene, linear low density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, low density polypropylene, high density polyethylene, high density polypropylene, polyesters, polyamides, polyacetals, polyethers, poly (meth) acrylates, thermoplastic elastomers, styrenic block copolymers, metallocene-catalyzed polyolefins, polyether amides, polyurethanes, polyvinylchloride, superabsorbent materials, rayon, ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene vinyl alcohol, and blends and copolymers, filled polymers, biconstituent or bicomponent mixtures thereof and combinations thereof.
  • the polymeric material can also include various pigments to provide desired colors and/or visual effects and other components such as antioxidants, fillers (such as magnetoplumbite-structure fer
  • a "natural material” means herein a material derived from plants, animals, insects or byproducts of plants, animals, and insects.
  • Non-limiting examples of natural materials include cellulosic fibers, cotton fibers, keratin fibers, silk fibers and the like.
  • Non-limiting examples of cellulosic fibers include wood pulp fibers, hemp fibers, jute fibers, and the like.
  • Non-limiting examples of keratin fibers include wool fibers, camel hair fibers and the like.
  • Attachment refers to a component of a flexible package is at least partially secured directly or indirectly (by one or more intermediate members) to another component of the flexible package.
  • Attachment may be relatively continuous or intermittent. Relatively continuous attachment may imply that the components are bonded together over substantially all of one or more dimensions of a common interface between the components. Intermittent attachment may imply that the components are bonded together with one or more individual, discrete bonds that are not continuous or bond patterns having open areas free of bonds. Attachment may be conducted by a variety of methods well known in the art such as adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, mechanical bonding, ultrasonic bonding, heat bonding, pressure bonding, stitching, induction bonding, RF bonding, microwave bonding, laser bonding, and the like. If the attachment is performed by an adhesive applicator, the adhesive applicator may apply an effective amount of adhesive so as to make the attachment.
  • flexible or “highly flexible” means herein that the material out of which the package walls are constructed will tend to conform or deform in the presence of externally applied forces. As measured under the Stiffness of Fabric test, the flexible wall material may have a peak load of less than about lOOOgf.
  • reinforcing member means herein a component of the package which offers more resistance to bending or deformation than the flexible packaging material as a whole.
  • Figure 1 shows a flexible package 20 made according to the present invention in an open configuration.
  • the package 20 may comprise as its basic components a flexible wall material 40 and a reinforcing member 50. These basic components may provide primary functions of a package for a wide variety of moisture containing articles, and also normally define the size, shape and the perimeter of a particular package. These basic components may also be combined to produce a flexible package which can store articles (not shown). Further the package 20 may be opened and closed with a single hand. As shown in Figure 1, the basic arrangement of the flexible wall material 40 of the package 20 may be such that the flexible wall material 40 surrounds the articles to be contained and dispensed. In this exemplary configuration, the flexible wall material 40 may define a flexible package having four side walls, such as side walls 80 and 81, bottom wall 82, and an opening 70. The package 20 may also comprise an end seal 30 formed according to the present invention. The package 20 shown in Figure 1 may also comprise a reinforcing member 50 defining a perimeter of the opening 70 of the package 20.
  • the bottom wall 82 of the package 20 may be formed by a single sheet of continuous flexible wall material 40 or by multiple sheets of flexible wall material 40.
  • a single sheet of flexible wall material 40 inserted into a production line of the present invention may be folded or otherwise configured to provide two opposing panels 42 and 44 (shown in Figure 5).
  • the opposing panels 42 and 44 may be attached to the reinforcing member 50 to form a continuous bottom wall 82 of a package 20 and two opposing side walls (such as side wall 81).
  • separate opposing sheets of flexible wall material 40 may also be used to form a bottom wall 82.
  • the separate, opposing sheets of flexible wall material 40 may each have an upper end (not shown) and a distal end (not shown).
  • the upper ends of the sheets of flexible wall material 40 may be attached to opposing sides of the reinforcing member 50.
  • the free distal ends of the sheets may be attached together to provide a sealed bottom wall 82.
  • the package 20 may take on various overall shapes. As exemplified in Figure 1, the package 20 may be in a substantially parallelepiped configuration. Alternative shapes of the package 20 may also include, but are not limited to, tubular, square, V-shape, U- shape, gusseted, and non-gusseted.
  • the package 20 may contain a reinforcing member 50 comprising a perimeter. The perimeter may initially serve as the border of the reinforcing member 50 and provide a structure on which to attach the flexible wall material 40. The perimeter may be discernible as any pathway or portion along the reinforcing member 50 that may form a closed loop. Once the package 20 of the current invention has been produced, the perimeter of the reinforcing member 50 may also define the opening 70 of the package 20.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may comprise hinge elements 15 so as to enable the package 20 to open and close.
  • the overall dimensions of package 20 may be selected to result in a configuration useful for containing various articles.
  • the package 20 may have an overall length dimension L of from about 70 to about 600 mm.
  • the overall length dimension L may be from about 70 mm to about 450 mm and from about 70 mm to about 300 mm in yet another embodiment.
  • the width dimension W may be from about 30 mm to about 400 mm.
  • the width dimension W may be from about 30 mm to about 300 mm and may be from about 30 mm to about 200 mm in yet another embodiment.
  • the height dimension of the package 20 in the closed configuration H c may be from about 30 mm to about 300 mm.
  • the height dimension in the closed configuration may be from about 30 mm to about 750 mm and from about 30 mm to about 1450 mm.
  • the height of the package 20 when in the open configuration H 0 may be greater than the height of the package 20 when in the closed configuration H c .
  • the height dimension of the package 20 in the open configuration H 0 may be from about 40 mm to about 400 mm.
  • the height dimension of the package in an open configuration may be from about 40 mm to about 800 mm and from about 40 mm to about 1500 mm in yet another embodiment.
  • the shape of the reinforcing member 50 may be in the shape of, but not limited to, rectangular, square, circular, ovoid, polygonal and elliptical.
  • Hinge elements 15 may be located at an axis point of the reinforcing member 50 and may generally be provided as an opposing pair.
  • the resulting finished package 20 may generally assume the overall shape of the reinforcing member 50 e.g., a circular reinforcing member 50 may yield a generally cylindrical package; an ovoid reinforcing member 50 may yield a tubular ovoid package, etc.
  • the production line 100 of the present invention corresponds to a continuous process of an in-line assembly of the package 20.
  • Figure 3 exemplifies that the flexible wall material 40 may be introduced into the production line 100 in such a manner as to form opposing side panels A and A . This may be by folding the flexible wall material 40 into a U- or V- shaped formation as shown in Figure 3.
  • a composite structure 16 may exist after initial attachment of the flexible wall material 40 to a reinforcing member 50.
  • the composite structure 16 may comprise the flexible wall material 40 in an unattached state outboard of the leading edge 51 and trailing edge 52 of the reinforcing member 50 of the composite structure 16.
  • Opposing side panels B and B of the flexible wall material 40 may be situated between sequentially attached reinforcing members 50 which comprise composite structures 16.
  • Creating package pre-form seals 34 in the flexible wall material 40 outboard of the reinforcing member 50 may convert the composite structure 16 into a package pre-form 17.
  • the package pre-form seal 34 may comprise two longitudinal edges 31 and 32.
  • Multiple package pre-forms 17 connected to each other may form a package pre-form chain 25 comprising a series of package pre-forms 17 linked together.
  • Each of the package pre-forms 17 of the chain 25 may have a reinforcing member 50 in either a closed or open configuration.
  • Opposing side panels C and C of the flexible wall material 40 may be situated between the package pre-form seals 34 and the reinforcing member 50 which together may comprise a package pre-form 17.
  • the package pre-form seal 34 may be cut, at a location intermediate to the two longitudinal edges 31 and 32, to produce an end seal 30 of a package pre-form 17.
  • Opposing side panels D and D of the flexible wall material 40 may be situated between the reinforcing member 50 and the end seal 30.
  • the area of flexible wall material 40 characterized by D and D may generally be termed a flap 35.
  • the production line 100 may be an in-line assembly of the package 20.
  • the production line 100 depending on the complexity of the flexible package 20, can include any number of stations, wherein each station may provide either a particular component of the flexible package for attaching to the rest of the components into a final product or may manipulate the provided components to further manufacture the final package.
  • the sequential order of the stations can vary depending upon the type of flexible package 20 being produced, its particular design, as well as many other processes and production considerations.
  • the production line 100 can be configured to form any suitable configuration of the stations on the production floor.
  • the production line 100 may have a linear configuration of the stations, however, the configuration may also be curvilinear, circular, rectilinear, U-shape, C-shape, X-shape, cross-shape, or any combination thereof. Further, several production lines 100 can be situated in any suitable relation to each other to form any suitable arrangement on the production floor.
  • the production line 100 may comprise one or more stations, such as assembly stations, cutting stations, closing stations, opening stations, and gusseting stations. The stations may be placed in any order and some or all stations may be utilized for the production of a flexible package.
  • the machine direction may be the designated direction of flow of workpieces from the beginning of the process to the final product. It should be understood that any or all steps may be performed in the cross direction (CD).
  • the cross direction may be designated as a direction perpendicular to the machine direction.
  • Figure 4 depicts a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a composite structure 16 being processed into a package pre-form 17 and further processed in the production line 100 of the present invention to produce a flexible package 20 such as shown in Figure 1.
  • a reinforcing member 50 may be partially attached to the flexible wall material 40 forming a composite structure 16.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be in a sufficiently open configuration during attachment.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be positioned into a sufficiently closed configuration following the initial attachment of the flexible wall material 40 to the reinforcing member 50.
  • a package pre-form seal 34 may be cut (as discussed above) to produce a package pre-form 17 comprising at least one end seal 30. It has now been discovered that if the reinforcing member 50 was positioned in a sufficiently closed configuration, the reinforcing member 50 may be reopened to allow the flap 35 comprising the flexible wall material 40 and the end seal 30 to be naturally drawn into position for attachment of the flexible wall material 40 to the remainder of the reinforcing member 50 to transform the package pre-form 17 into a package 20. Without being bound by theory, this may be a natural result of an appropriately selected relationship between the overall size of the package 20 and the size of the reinforcing member 50.
  • Figure 5 depicts a production line of an in-line assembly of a package 20.
  • An assembly station 75 may receive both the flexible wall material 40 (such as from a continuous supply) and the reinforcing member 50 (as a series of discrete parts).
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be positioned to accept the attachment of a portion of the flexible wall material 40 on portions of the reinforcing member 50 perimeter to produce a composite structure 16.
  • Package pre-form seals 34 may then be formed outboard of the reinforcing member 50 to create a package pre-form 17.
  • package pre-forms 17 may remain connected to form a package pre-form chain 25 (as shown in Figure 3) or the package pre-form seals 34 may be cut at a location intermediate to the package pre-form seal edges, such as edges 31 and 32, to produce a cut edge 33 thereby further producing individual package pre-forms 17.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be at least partially attached to the flexible wall material 40 in the assembly station 75.
  • the assembly station 75 may be provided with the ability to detect any loss of synchronization between the flexible wall material 40 and the reinforcing member 50.
  • the detection means for detecting loss of synchronization may be implemented in a wide variety of ways.
  • the detection means may be optical cells or mechanical feelers situated at a measured and known fixed distance from the points of attachment.
  • the detection means may be adapted to ensure synchronization relative to detection marks applied to the flexible wall material 40 and/or the reinforcing member 50.
  • a flexible wall material 40 may be provided in a substantially continuous manner (i.e., the flexible wall material may be supplied continuously during the normal operation of the process) such as from a bulk supply roll (not shown).
  • Suitable flexible wall materials may include either a natural or synthetic material or any combination thereof, including films, film laminates, non-woven laminates, sponges, non-woven webs, woven webs, knitted fabrics, foams, natural materials, and any combination thereof, or dry lap materials including wood pulp, and the like, having a single layer or multiple layers and any combination thereof. Additional suitable flexible wall materials may be found as disclosed in US Pat. Nos.
  • the flexible wall material 40 may include a fibrous substrate such as an extensible non-woven web that comprises polyolefin fibers and/or filaments.
  • the flexible wall material 40 may have a peak load in grams-force (gf) as measured under the Stiffness of Fabric Test of less than about 250 g f , or less than about 500 gf, or less than about 1000 gf. It will be appreciated, by those of skill in the art, that the Stiffness of Fabric Test can be employed on materials not commonly thought of as "fabrics" such as leather, synthetic leather, plastics, and other materials from which packages can be made.
  • the flexible wall material 40 may be provided by bulk supply roll or on-line formation.
  • the process may be equipped with a formation station where the flexible wall material 40 may be created.
  • Methods for creating a flexible wall material 40 such as, for example, films, knitted fabrics, woven fibrous webs, non-woven fibrous webs, laminates or combinations thereof are well known in the art.
  • the flexible wall material 40 may be fed into a trough 55 to allow for a general U-shape of the flexible wall material 40 to form opposing panels 42 and 44 situated on either side of the reinforcing member 50.
  • a single sheet of flexible wall material 40 may be fed into a trough 55 to form a continuous bottom wall 82.
  • multiple sheets of flexible wall material 40 may be fed into a trough 55.
  • the distal ends of the sheets (not shown) may then be attached together to form a bottom wall 82.
  • the uppermost portion of the trough 55 may comprise a guide track 60 for receiving items such as reinforcing members 50. Providing Reinforcing Members
  • a plurality of reinforcing members 50 may be provided in a substantially sequential manner (i.e., the reinforcing member may be supplied in a pattern of one reinforcing member following another reinforcing member at specified intervals during the normal operation of the process).
  • the reinforcing members 50 may be dropped onto a guide track 60 by a mandrel 65 (shown in Figure 7).
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be placed into the track 60 from the same directional plane.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be provided to the production line 100 in such a manner as to have a leading edge 51, trailing edge 52, and two opposing side edges 53 and 54.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be of any convenient and desired configuration. It may be useful to provide a reinforcing member 50 comprising a perimeter. It may also be useful to provide a reinforcing member 50 which provides a defined perimeter of the opening 70 of the package 20.
  • the perimeter may be in the shape of a square, rectangle, circle, elliptical, polygon or oval configuration.
  • the package 20 may be formed into the same perimeter shape of the reinforcing member, but the overall shape of the package 20 should not be so limited.
  • the hinge elements 15 may be located on the leading edge 51 and trailing edge 52 of the reinforcing member 50. Such a hinge element 15 could be an area of weakness, reduced diameter, or the like within the reinforcing member 50 providing a defined location where the reinforcing member 50 can bend about a folding axis.
  • the hinge elements 15 can be actual hinge structures such as a pinned structure.
  • the hinge elements 15 may also be so called "living hinges" in which joints are created by an area or zone of weakness in the reinforcing member 50 as a whole.
  • the hinge elements 15 designed as "living hinges" are areas of less material and preferred bending and weakness designed to allow the reinforcing member 50 to be opened and closed multiple times throughout its life. It may be desired to design the reinforcing member 50 and the hinge elements 15 such that the reinforcing member tends to be stable in at least a closed and near full open position. Thus, it may be desired that when the reinforcing member 50 is in the open configuration (as shown in Figure 1), it does not tend to close on its own in the absence of externally applied forces. This may allow the reinforcing member 50 to hold the opening 70 of the package 20 open for article retrieval and use.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be composed of a variety of materials including, but not limited to, cardboard, corrugated paper, wood, metal, cardstock, thermoplastic material, non-thermoplastic material (i.e., plastic), paper, ceramic, bone, thermosetting polymers and combinations thereof.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be, but need not be, comprised of a thermoplastic material.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be comprised of a high density polyethylene injection molded frame.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may also be comprised of polypropylene, polyethylene, and combinations thereof.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be of a thickness sufficient to provide some degree of rigidity as compared with the flexible wall material 40.
  • the materials of the reinforcing member 50 and the flexible wall material 40 may be the same or similar and may be selected to be compatible with the method of attachment utilized to attach the reinforcing member 50 to the flexible wall material 40.
  • the flexible wall material 40 may be attached to at least a portion of the perimeter of the reinforcing member 50. As shown in Figure 5, attachment of the flexible wall material 40 to the reinforcing member 50 may occur more than once during production.
  • the term "attach” is not limited to securing the flexible wall material 40 to the entire perimeter of the reinforcing member 50. Rather, attachment may occur multiple times to various portions of the perimeter.
  • the flexible wall material 40 may be partially attached to a first portion of the perimeter of the reinforcing member 50 in an assembly station 75. The first partial attachment of the flexible wall material 40 to a first portion of the perimeter of the reinforcing member 50 may occur in the machine direction.
  • the flexible wall material 40 may also be attached to the opposing side edges 53 and 54 of the reinforcing member 50.
  • the composite structure 16 may then be in either a closed or open configuration.
  • the flexible wall material 40 may be cut prior to any further attachment of the flexible wall material 40 to the reinforcing member 50. Attachment of the flexible wall material 40 to the remainder of the perimeter may occur following the initial attachment or may occur prior to or following the opening and/or closing of the reinforcing member 50 and/or cutting of the flexible wall material 40.
  • the attachment of the flexible wall material 40 to the remainder of the perimeter of the reinforcing member 50 may occur in the cross direction. In another embodiment, attachment of the remainder of the flexible wall material 40 may also occur to the leading edge 51 and trailing edge 52 of the reinforcing member 50.
  • the flexible wall material 40 and the reinforcing member 50 may be brought together in a face-to-face relationship by way of bonding rolls 77.
  • the bonding rolls 77 may form a bonding nip whereby the flexible wall material 40 and the reinforcing member 50 may be brought into contact and may be compressed.
  • compression may improve adhesive spread and/or penetration into the flexible wall material 40 and/or the reinforcing member 50 thus providing for a stronger adhesive bond.
  • the bonding rolls may impart bonding by heat and/or pressure so as to fuse the flexible wall material 40 and the reinforcing member 50.
  • the flexible wall material 40 extending outboard of the reinforcing member 50 may be attached together to form a package pre-form seal 34.
  • the adhesive applicator may apply an effective amount of adhesive so as to attach the flexible wall material 40 together.
  • the opposing flexible wall material panels 42 and 44 may be brought together in a face-to-face relationship by way of a profile sealer 37.
  • the profile sealer 37 may form a package pre-form seal 34 whereby the opposing panels 42 and 44 may be brought into contact with each other and pressed together.
  • compression may improve adhesive spread and/or penetration into the flexible wall material 40 thus providing for a stronger adhesive bond.
  • the profile sealer 37 may impart bonding by heat and/or pressure so as to fuse the flexible wall material 40.
  • the profile sealer 37 may include multiple seal bars 38 and supply heat in a conventional manner.
  • the profile sealer 37 may supply the fusion energy necessary to adhere the flexible wall material 40 together.
  • the seal bars 38 of the profile sealer 37 may be positioned on opposite sides of the production line and, when actuated, seal the flexible wall material 40 creating a package pre-form seal 34.
  • the seal bars 38 may exert an external pressure along the longitudinal length of the flexible wall material 40 to form a package pre-form seal 34.
  • the package pre-form seals 34 may be formed at time intervals according to the overall size of the package 20. Optionally, the spacing between the package pre-form seals 34 may be varied according to specifications of the desired package 20.
  • the package pre-form seal 34 may have two longitudinal edges 31 and 32 delineating the boundary of the package pre-form seal 34.
  • the package pre-form seals 34 may have a generally constant width throughout the package pre-form seal 34.
  • the package pre-form seals 34 of the flexible wall material 40 may be severed to create discrete segments of package pre-forms 17. Cutting may occur by various cutters, including but not limited to, knives and lasers. In one embodiment, a series of guillotine-type cutters (not shown) may be employed to sever the package pre-form chain 25 (as shown in Figure 3) into package pre-forms 17. The cutters may be aligned so as to sever the package pre-form seals 34. Cutting of the package preform seal 34 may generally occur at a position intermediate to the two longitudinal edges 31 and 32 of the package pre-form seal 34.
  • two package preform seals 34 may be formed external to either the leading edge 51 or trailing edge 52 of the reinforcing member 50 prior to cutting the flexible wall material 40.
  • cutting may generally occur in the area of the unattached flexible wall material 40 situated between the two package pre-form seals 34.
  • the cutting of the flexible wall material 40 may occur immediately following, or in conjunction with, the formation of the package pre-form seals 34.
  • the cutters may be located within the profile sealer 37 and upon activation, the cutters may extend beyond the seal bars 38 to create the cuts which would separate the package pre-forms 17.
  • suction cups may be located on opposite sides of the flexible packages so that, by withdrawing the suction cups away from one another, the reinforcing member may be opened.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be in an open configuration at any point in the production line 100.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be provided to the production line 100 in an open configuration.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may also be placed into an open configuration at any point during production.
  • Opening of the reinforcing member 50 may be done in a variety of ways.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be formed by injection molding in an open configuration.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may also be opened by mechanical means. Methods that may be used to open the reinforcing member 50 may include, but are not limited to, suction cups, pry bars, flat ploughs, tongs, magnetic force, air blasts, ploughs, and combinations thereof.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be in a closed configuration at any point in the production line 100.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be provided to the production line 100 in a closed configuration.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may also be placed into a closed configuration while moving through the production line 100, such as prior to reaching an assembly station 75.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may also be placed into a closed configuration after passing through an assembly station 75 (as shown in Figure 7).
  • Closure of the reinforcing member 50 may be conducted in a variety of ways.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may be formed by injection molding in a closed configuration.
  • the reinforcing member 50 may also be closed by any mechanical means such as closure bars 95 placed along the production line 100 or by magnetic force or air blasts and combinations thereof.
  • Figure 6 exemplifies that closure bars 95 may also be located along the topside of the production line 100 and placed into the hinge elements 15 of the reinforcing member 50 in order to close the reinforcing member 50 (also shown in Figure 7).
  • the reinforcing member 50 may also be closed by pressure exerted by the flexible wall material 40 following attachment.
  • the flexible wall material 40 may be fed into a trough 55 in the production line 100.
  • the trough 55 may further comprise at least one folding board 90.
  • the flexible wall material 40 may be passed through the trough 55 in such a manner as to follow the shape of the folding board 90 thus allowing the flexible wall material 40 to fold in an upward direction forming a gusset.
  • the Stiffness of Fabric Test is run for purpose of the present specification is a modification of the Stiffness of Fabric Test by Circular bend as described in the ASTM D 4032-94. (hereby incorporated by reference).
  • the Stiffness of Fabric Test for purposes of the present specification is conducted as follows: Summary of Test Method
  • a pusher-ball forces a swatch of material through an orifice in a platform.
  • the maximum force required to push the fabric through the orifice is an indication of the material's stiffness (resistance to bending).
  • Circular Bend Stiffness Tester having the following parts:
  • the bottom of the pusher-ball plunger should be set at 3 mm above the top of the orifice plate. From this position, the downward stroke length is 57 mm.
  • Force-Measurement Gage dial or digital type Dial gages with maximum reading pointer in different capacities ranging from 1 to 50 lbf, 0.5 to 25 kgf, or 5 to 200 N with 100 graduations minimum; or Digital gage with maximum reading "hold” feature and capacity of 100 lbf, 50 kgf, or 500 N, with 1000 graduations minimum.
  • Actuator manual or pneumatic.
  • Specimen Marking Template 102 by 102 mm. Stop Watch, for checking stroke speed.
  • specimen marking template specified above mark and cut five test specimens from staggered areas of each swatch of material to be tested. It will be appreciated that it may not be practical or possible to obtain all samples from a particular swatch (or particular product if the material is only available as incorporated into a product). In such a case, it is acceptable to take samples from multiple products or swatches. Samples with bonded, seals, seams or the like should be avoided. Lay each specimen flat to form a square 102 by 102 mm. Handling of specimens should be kept to a minimum and to the edges to avoid affecting stiffness properties. Conditioning
  • Pneumatic Actuator Set the air pressure control to the actuator at 324 kPa. Using a stopwatch, adjust the pneumatics to provide plunger speed of 1.7 + 0.15 s under no load conditions. Manual Actuator — Using a stop-watch, establish and confirm a plunger speed of 1.7 + 0.3 s.
  • the clearance may be increased to 6.3 mm maximum. In reporting, the results should indicate the pusher-ball clearance, if not standard.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Making Paper Articles (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un processus de fabrication d'emballages flexibles. Ce processus peut utiliser une matière de paroi flexible continue fixée séquentiellement sur un élément de renforcement. Ce processus peut être capable de former plusieurs emballages en un moment unique.
PCT/IB2006/052418 2005-07-15 2006-07-14 Processus de fabrication d'un emballage flexible Ceased WO2007010465A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP06780090A EP1910069A2 (fr) 2005-07-15 2006-07-14 Processus de fabrication d'un emballage flexible

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US11/182,685 2005-07-15
US11/182,685 US20070012589A1 (en) 2005-07-15 2005-07-15 Process for manufacture of a flexible package

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2007010465A2 true WO2007010465A2 (fr) 2007-01-25
WO2007010465A3 WO2007010465A3 (fr) 2007-04-19

Family

ID=37478835

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IB2006/052418 Ceased WO2007010465A2 (fr) 2005-07-15 2006-07-14 Processus de fabrication d'un emballage flexible

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US20070012589A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP1910069A2 (fr)
WO (1) WO2007010465A2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR3032185B1 (fr) * 2015-01-29 2019-05-17 Coveris Flexibles France Sac preforme en matiere plastique flexible, notamment en pet/pe, d'epaisseur inferieure a 200 mirons
US10611541B2 (en) 2016-04-29 2020-04-07 Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. Flexible dispenser for compact stack of folded tissues
USD798735S1 (en) 2016-04-29 2017-10-03 Kimberly-Clark Worlwide, Inc. Sheet material dispenser

Family Cites Families (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8809077D0 (en) * 1988-04-18 1988-05-18 Rasmussen O B Polymeric bags & methods & apparatus for their production
US5006380A (en) * 1988-06-28 1991-04-09 First Brands Corporation Draw tape bag with multilayer draw tape
US5127208A (en) * 1990-10-19 1992-07-07 Reynolds Consumer Products Inc. Method and apparatus for forming a reclosable package
US5518801A (en) * 1993-08-03 1996-05-21 The Procter & Gamble Company Web materials exhibiting elastic-like behavior
US5650214A (en) * 1996-05-31 1997-07-22 The Procter & Gamble Company Web materials exhibiting elastic-like behavior and soft, cloth-like texture
US6350057B1 (en) * 1997-05-22 2002-02-26 Sealstrip Corp. Reinforced reclosable package seals
US6394652B2 (en) * 1999-06-18 2002-05-28 The Procter & Gamble Company Flexible bags having stretch-to-fit conformity to closely accommodate contents in use
WO2002022448A2 (fr) * 2000-09-14 2002-03-21 J Laursen Associates (Pty) Ltd. Sac renforce
FR2820361B1 (fr) * 2001-02-02 2003-07-25 Flexico France Sarl Procede de fabrication de sachets a profiles de fermeture complementaires, machine et sachets obtenus
US6820393B2 (en) * 2001-04-18 2004-11-23 Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc. Apparatus for manufacturing flexible packages having slide closures
US6899460B2 (en) * 2001-10-23 2005-05-31 S.C. Johnson Home Storage, Inc. Storage bag with openly biased mouth
US8695793B2 (en) * 2004-10-22 2014-04-15 The Procter & Gamble Company Flexible stable easily opened package

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1910069A2 (fr) 2008-04-16
US20070012589A1 (en) 2007-01-18
WO2007010465A3 (fr) 2007-04-19

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6371645B1 (en) Open mesh bag
KR102618136B1 (ko) 퇴비화 가능한 조성물, 물품, 및 퇴비화 가능한 물품의 제조 방법
US6974406B2 (en) Side-sealed bag having label section and method of production therefor
KR100772807B1 (ko) 초음파친화적 접착제를 포함하는 복합체 및 흡수용품
KR20120023740A (ko) 적층된 부드러운 위생 제품용 플라스틱 백
US20010042584A1 (en) Method of making a winged absorbent article
US8409066B2 (en) Method and apparatus for folding a web
RU2670170C1 (ru) Способ и устройство для образования пачки, содержащей стопку абсорбирующего бумажного материала салфеток и упаковку
HU223579B1 (hu) Abszorbens cikk elasztikus viselkedésű derékövvel
US11685625B2 (en) Non-uniform tail sealing and methods thereof
US20220017320A1 (en) Non-Uniform Tail Sealing and Methods Thereof
RU2677807C1 (ru) Пачка, содержащая стопку абсорбирующего бумажного материала салфеток и упаковку
JP2024538346A (ja) 高伸長ゾーンと低伸長ゾーンとを有する前側腰部領域及び／又は後側腰部領域を備えた吸収性物品並びに製造方法
CH701252A2 (it) Dispositivo di chiusura ad apertura rapida mediante l'uso di una sola mano per sacchetti sigillati in materiale plastico o di carta.
US20240208753A1 (en) Non-Uniform Tail Sealing and Methods Thereof
US20070012589A1 (en) Process for manufacture of a flexible package
US9382086B2 (en) Tail sealing and methods thereof
RU2678176C1 (ru) Пачка, содержащая стопку абсорбирующего бумажного материала салфеток и упаковку
RU2743919C1 (ru) Впитывающие изделия и способы изготовления впитывающих изделий с улучшенным связыванием боковых швов
CN107405237A (zh) 吸收性物品
KR100866673B1 (ko) 부채꼴로 접힌 재료의 적층물 및 그의 조합물
WO2025065728A1 (fr) Articles absorbants dotés de régions de taille reliées de manière réattachable et procédés et appareils de fabrication d'articles absorbants
US7762300B2 (en) Apparatus for manufacturing reclosable bags utilizing zipper tape material
KR20000069094A (ko) 절첩형 웨브 조립체와 적층체 형성 방법
EP1075381B1 (fr) Materiaux en bande se pretant a un allongement discontinu

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2006780090

Country of ref document: EP

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

WWW Wipo information: withdrawn in national office

Country of ref document: DE

WWP Wipo information: published in national office

Ref document number: 2006780090

Country of ref document: EP