Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
1
Apparatus and process for manufacturing of a packaging sachet
The present invention relates to an apparatus to manufacture a packaging
sachet, and to a
process for manufacturing of a packaging sachet.
Background of the invention
Packaging sachets are a common way to package liquid or pasty consumer goods
in small
portions. Examples are sachets suitable for one-time-usage containing
mayonnaise, mustard,
catchup, liquid soap, skin cream, etc. The model that is most used is a
rectangular, flat, 'two-
dimensional', sachet, made from foil, often closed on both short ends with a
seal and over its
length closed with two side seal, or with one back seal, for example a fin
seal. Such sachets
are normally opened by removing an end part and squeezing out the content of
the sachet.
An alternative packaging suitable for one-time¨usage is a packaging which is
capable of
standing upright, wherein the often liquid content of the packaging does not
run out of the
packaging after opening. In this way, the opened packaging allows the user to
dip objects into
the opened packaging, like a finger, or pieces of food, like French fries.
Such a packaging
often comprises a plastic cup with a closure seal made of foil, which is
removed to open the
cup.
U54048781 relates to a process for manufacturing a rimmed container
preparatory to the
filling and closing thereof from a one piece homogeneous blank, composed
entirely of heat
formable material containing just the requisite amount of material for forming
the rimmed
container to be filled, filling rim and an apparatus for performing the
process, wherein the
process includes the steps of uniformly heating a substantially rigid planar
preshaped
homogeneous blank of thermo plastic material, out to at least immediately
adjacent the portion
thereof adapted to form the container rim to a formable state while leaving
the outermost
periphery portion of the rim rigid, then while holding said rigid outermost
peripheral blank
portion forming the heated blank portion into a cavity, to produce a
container.
A need was recognized to provide a packaging that can be used by a consumer
irrespective of
his/her preference for either squeezing or dipping, as the packaging will
facilitate both options.
Such a packaging has a bottom part on which it can stand, whereas the upper
part can be
opened. Such opening of the sachet can be provided over the entire upper part
of the sachet,
to allow access and dipping by an object. Alternatively, it can be opened at
the front side,
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
2
providing an opening, to allow squeezing-out of the content. Such an inventive
packaging is
made from flexible material, has a cross-sectional shape that has more than
two corners,
preferably triangular, and has a front side which preferably is tilted
forward, in this way
providing a 'spout' which after removing its tip, allows content to be
squeezed out. An example
of such packaging is depicted in Figure 2.
Although the skilled person in general will be capable of manufacturing such a
revolutionary
three dimensional packaging sachet from a blank of foil, it was recognized as
a big challenge
to produce such a packaging in an efficient manner, especially at a rate and
scale that is
desired for industrial production.
Summary of the invention
To overcome these manufacturing complications, surprisingly, an apparatus and
a method is
provided, which allows the efficient production of a three-dimensional
packaging sachet with
more than two sides, which meet the requirements set-out above, at a fast and
efficient
manner. Accordingly, in a first aspect the present invention relates to an
apparatus (100) for
manufacturing of a packaging sachet, comprising:
= a plunger body (101) comprising blades (102) which are laterally
ejectable,
= a forming body (103) suitable to receive the plunger body (101) and
comprising
a side planes (104),
a lateral sealing clamp units (105),
= an end sealing clamp unit (106),
= a forming table (107), comprising an opening (108) providing access for
the
plunger body (101) to the forming body (103),
= a filling unit (109).
In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a process for the
manufacturing of a
packaging sachet containing a product, the process comprising the steps of:
a) Positioning a blank comprising areas to form a seal rim on a
forming table
(107),
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
3
b) Moving a plunger body (101) comprising laterally ejectable blades (102)
into a
forming body (103) comprising side planes (104) and lateral sealing clamp
units
(105), wherein the ejectable blades (102) are laterally ejected from the
plunger
body (101), thereby guiding areas of the blank to be sealed together into the
lateral
seal clamp units (105) of the forming body (103), the areas remaining
separated
from each other by a blade (102).
c) Retracting the laterally ejectable blades (102) of the plunger body
(101) into the
plunger body,
d) Sealing the areas of the blank present in the lateral sealing clamp
units (105),
thereby providing a preform,
e) Removing the plunger body (101) from the forming body (103),
f) Filling the preform with product,
g) Closing the preform by sealing via an end sealing clamp unit (106),
thereby
providing a packaging sachet comprising product,
h) Releasing the sachet.
Description of figures
Figure 1 shows a typical form of the apparatus (100) of the invention, showing
a forming table
(107), located below a plunger body (101) which comprises three blades (102),
and a bottom
side (113), wherein the forming table is positioned above a rotation table
(110) to which two
forming bodies (103) are mounted. The forming bodies (103) comprise three side
planes
(104), two of them are fixed to the rotation table (110), whereas one of them
is removable,
wherein the removable plane consists of two plane parts. Between the side
planes lateral
sealing clamp units (105) are visible that run along the vertical edges of the
side planes (104)
of the forming bodies (103). The top edges (112) of the mounted side planes of
the forming
bodies comprise an end-sealing clamp unit (106). The figure further shows a
wedge (114) and
a filling nozzle (117) attached to a pusher (115).
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
4
Figure 2 shows a typical packaging (200) to be produced by the apparatus and
process of the
invention. The packaging has two side planes (202), a front plane (201), a
bottom plane (203),
three lateral seal rims (204) and a back seal rim (205). The front plane has a
triangular shape,
and is tilted forward, allowing functioning as a spout during emptying the
sachet by squeezing.
Figure 3 shows the location of angles a, 13, and y. Angle a is the angle
formed between the
length of the plunger body (a vertical axis) and the bottom surface of the
plunger body
(understood as an angle between lines in a plane which is perpendicular to a
plane parallel to
the length of the plunger body and to a plane parallel to the bottom surface
of the plunger
body). Angler. is the angle between the forming table and the length of the
plunger body (a
vertical axis, understood as an angle between lines in a plane which is
perpendicular to a
plane parallel to the length of the plunger body and to a plane parallel to
the forming table).
Angle y is the angle between the bottom face of the plunger body and the
forming table, i.e the
absolute difference between angle a and angle I.
Figure 4 shows an apparatus according to the invention. On the forming table
(107) a blank is
positioned.
Figure 5 shows an apparatus according to the invention, comprising all
features as shown in
Figure 1. In addition a blank holder (111) is located at the top of the
forming table. The forming
table is positioned under an angle relative to the length of the plunger body,
wherein the
bottom plane of the plunger body and the forming table are oblique and form
parallel planes,
in this way forming an angle y of 0 At the forming table a blank is present.
A preform is held
by the vertical clamp seal unit of a disassembled forming body positioned
under the filling the
unit.
Figure 6 shows a cross sectional view of the forming body, indicating the
three side planes
(104) of a forming body (103). Between the side planes are lateral sealing
units (105) located.
The sealing units comprise of two parts, each part connected to a respective
side plane. The
side plane (104) indicated in the top of Figure 6 comprises two sub side
planes, and are both
removable and as can be seen, when it is removed, two entire sealing clamp
units are
removed with the removable side wall (104), one sealing clamp unit, comprising
two halves,
connected to one sub side plane.
1 35
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
Detailed description of the invention
Apparatus
Forming table
5 The apparatus according to the invention comprises a forming table (107).
The forming table
provides the area on which a pre-cut two-dimensional piece of packaging
material is
positioned. Such a pre-cut piece of material is referred to in the field as a
blank. The forming
table comprises an opening (108). This opening allows a plunger body (101) to
access a
forming body (103), thereby shaping the blank into a preformed sachet. Such a
preformed
sachet is closed yet, but is an intermediate product, and is hereby referred
to a "preform".
Access to the forming body (103) is preferably provided via the upper part of
the forming body.
Consequently, the opening (108) in the forming table preferably has a similar
shape as the
cross section of the plunger body. In this way, optimal fit results. The
opening (108) preferably
has a triangular shape. The forming table (107) can suitably be positioned
horizontally. In a
preferred aspect, the forming table is positioned oblique relative to the
length of the plunger
body (101). In this manner an angle 13 is present between the forming table
and the length of
the plunger body, which is normally a vertical axis. The angler. can have a
value of between
that of angle a and 90 . Preferably it has the same value as angle a.
Blank holder
Preferably, the apparatus comprises a blank holder (111). Such a blank holder
positions a
blank on the forming table (107). Preferably, during the process of moving the
plunger body
(101) into the forming body (103), the blank holder keeps the part of the
blank not pushed yet
into the forming body flat on the forming table. In this manner, optimal
forming of the pre-form
from the forming table into the forming body results, and the risk of
wrinkling or tearing of the
blank is reduced or prevented. Such a blank holder is especially preferred if
the angle y
between the forming table and the plunger body is more than 10 . The angle y
is preferably of
between 0 and 60 , more preferably of between 0 and 30 , most preferably 0 .
Angle
y = angler. - angle a.
Plunger body
The plunger body (101) is suitably positioned above the forming table (107).
The plunger body
is movable into the forming body (103), preferably in a vertical manner. The
cross-sectional
shape and dimension of the plunger body (101) preferably reflects the shape
and dimension of
the front plane (201) of the packaging sachet. It is most preferred that a
cross-section of the
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
6
plunger body comprises three corners, preferably has a triangular cross
section. The bottom
face of the plunger body preferably has not more than three corners and
preferably is a
triangle shape. This is optimal for creating a sachet with a triangular front
plane (201) and
three lateral seal rims (204).
Most preferably, the lower side (113) of the plunger body, i.e. the side
directed towards the
forming body (103), is oblique relative to the length of the plunger body
(101), in this way
forming an angle a. The angle a defines to what extent the front side of the
resulting
packaging sachet is tilted forward. The angle a preferably is of between 30
and 90 ,
preferably of between 40 and 80 , most preferably if between 50 and 70, see
Figure 3. As
said, in a preferred situation, the forming table is positioned with an angle
13 relative to the
length of the plunger body, normally a vertical axis. 13 is greater than a and
can be up to 90 . It
is most preferred, that the side (113) of the plunger body (101) directed to
the forming body
(103) is oblique relative to the length of the plunger body with an angle a,
and that the forming
table (107) is positioned oblique relative to the length of the plunger body
(101) with an angle
13, and wherein the angles a and 13 are the same. In this way, the oblique
lower side of the
plunger and the forming table form parallel planes. The angle y between the
forming table and
the surface of the plunger body is 0 in this preferred case. In this way, the
risk of wrinkling or
damage of the blank during inward movement of the plunger is reduced to a
minimum.
The plunger body (101) comprises blades (102). These blades can be ejected
from the
plunger body and can be retracted into the plunger body. The blades are
located along edges
of the plunger body, and hence, the blades are ejectable and retractable in a
lateral manner
and preferably perpendicular to the length of the plunger body. The length of
the plunger is the
dimension of the moving direction of the plunger. When the plunger body moves
into the
forming body (103), the blades fit into the lateral sealing clamp units (105)
which are suitably
positioned between the side planes (104) of the forming body. This is the
location where the
lateral seals of the packaging sachet are formed. The blades (102) help to
guide the areas of
the blank which will form the lateral seal rims (204) of the sachet into the
lateral seal clamp
units (105).
The plunger body (101) most preferably comprises means to allow air to pass
through the
plunger body, preferably to prevent the formation of under-pressure in the
preform when the
plunger body (101) is removed from the preform. Such a means preferably
comprises an
opening in the plunger body connecting the bottom plane (113) of the plunger
body, the plane
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
7
directed towards the forming body (103), to the outside world. It may be
preferred that the
means to allow air to pass through the plunger body comprises a means to add
air below the
plunger body, preferably to add air below the plunger body into the preform.
In this manner an
air pulse or an overpressure can be created in the preform, when the plunger
body is not
removed totally from it yet, which may be beneficial for testing the integrity
of the preform.
Forming body
The forming body (103) is suitable to receive the plunger body (101). It is
preferably located
downstream of the forming table (107), preferably below it. Preferably, the
forming body
comprises at least three side planes (104), most preferably it comprises three
side planes.
Lateral sealing clamp units (105) are present between the side planes (104),
preferably
located at the edges of the side planes. In this way, each of the lateral
edges, i.e. in the
direction of the plunger movement, normally the vertical direction, of the
forming body
comprises a lateral sealing unit, which results in three lateral sealing clamp
units in the most
preferred situation. The lateral sealing clamp units are oriented parallel to
the length of the
forming body (104), i.e. parallel to the direction of the plunger movement,
normally and
preferably vertical. In this way, a lateral sealing clamp unit (105) suitably
comprises two parts,
one at one side plane of the forming body and one at the flanking side plane
of the forming
body. When the sealing clamp unit is activated, a seal is formed at the
packaging material
present in the seal clamp unit. The seal clamp unit is preferably a heat-seal
clamp unit.
Accordingly, it is preferred that the forming body (103) comprises three side
planes (104), and
the forming body comprises three lateral sealing clamp units (105).
The apparatus comprises an end sealing clamp unit (106). It is highly
preferred that the end
sealing clamp unit (106) is located at the forming body. This end sealing
clamp unit suitably
comprises two parts, which are preferably located respectively at the upper
parts of two side
planes (104) of the forming body. The upper parts are normally the parts
directed towards the
forming table (107) at the moment the preform is produced in the forming body,
as will be
clear for the artisan.
It is preferred, that at least one of the side planes (104) is removable from
the forming body
(103). This allows transportation of the preform from the manufacturing unit
of the apparatus
to e.g. the filling unit of the apparatus, by freeing created lateral seal
rims 204, preferably two
lateral seal rims, which otherwise would prevent such movement. For most
efficient working of
the apparatus, it is preferred that the at least one removable side plane
consists of two sub-
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
8
planes, which can move relative to each other, for example by means of
rotation. Preferably,
the forming body comprises one removable side plane which consists of two sub-
planes,
which can move relative to each other and relative to the rest of the forming
body, for example
by means of rotation. This situation is indicated in Figure 6. Preferably, at
least one,
preferably two, of the side planes is not removable from the forming body. A
non-removable
side plane is preferably mounted to the apparatus in a fixed manner. This
allows the
preparation of a preform in the forming body and the filling process of the
preform to be
carried out at different locations in the apparatus, to increase efficiency of
production, as will
be set out below. The end sealing clamp unit (106) is preferably located at
the upper part of
the forming body (103) at non-removable side planes. Non-removable side planes
are
preferably mounted to a rotation table (110) of the apparatus, as set out
below.
When a side plane (104) is removed from the forming body, it is preferred that
the sealing
clamp units in connection with this removable side plane are removed together
with the side
plane, connected with this side plane. In case of the preferred situation
wherein the removable
side plane (104) comprises two sub-planes, each sub-plane is removed together
with a
sealing clamp unit attached to it. Alternatively, one half of the sealing
clamp unit remains at a
non-removable side plane and the other half of the sealing clamp unit is
removed together
with the removable side plane or the sub-side plane, respectively. In this
case, when a
removable side plane or preferably a sub-side plane, is removed, at two,
preferably two
vertical, edges a half sealing clamp unit is removed with it.
Rotation table
It is preferred, that the apparatus further comprises a rotation table (110).
The rotation table is
normally connected to the frame of the apparatus with a rotation axis (116).
Such a rotation
table facilitates the transportation of the preform from an area in the
apparatus where the
preform is made to an area where the preform is filled and closed. In this
manner the
production goes twice as fast as manufacturing of the preform can be carried
out
simultaneously with filling of another preform in the same apparatus. The dry
manufacturing
step is separated from the wet filling step, which is considered an advantage.
It is preferred,
that at least a gripping means is present at the rotation table. Such a
gripping means allows to
hold the preform in place during transportation from the area where the
preform is made. It is
preferred, that at least a lateral clamp seal unit (105) of the forming body
(103) is mounted to
the rotation table (110), to allow such transportation. This lateral clamp
seal unit preferably
functions as a gripping means to hold the preform in place during
transportation. Such a
lateral clamp seal unit is preferably connected to two side planes (104) of
the forming body
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
9
which are connected to the rotation table (110), and in this way qualify as
non-removable side
planes. It is preferred that the rotation table accommodates more than one
forming body
(103), preferably it accommodates two forming bodies. This is conveniently
carried out, when
at least one lateral sealing clamp of these forming bodies is mounted to the
rotation table,
most preferably, wherein at least two side planes (104) and a lateral sealing
clamp unit (105)
of these forming bodies (103) are mounted to the rotation table (110). The
skilled person will
understand, that the term "forming body" encompasses the interpretation of a
temporarily
disassembled forming body, wherein not all side planes (104) are connected,
but wherein only
the side planes that are mounted to the rotation table are present. Before the
forming body
receives the plunger body, the temporarily removed side plane is connected to
the non-
removed, mounted, side plane or planes, thereby re-assembling the forming
body. In this
respect, when the rotation table comprises one or more forming bodies, in
preferably all but
one of the forming bodies at least one side plane (104) is absent, i.e.
temporarily removed
during working of the apparatus.
In this respect, the present invention preferably relates to an apparatus,
wherein the apparatus
further comprises a rotation table (110) accommodating more than one forming
body (103),
preferably two, to which rotation table at least one, preferably two, non-
removable side planes
of the forming bodies (103) are connected.
Filling unit
The packaging sachet preferably comprises a dressing, sauce, soup or skin
cream, more
preferably a catchup or a sauce. Such consumer products are filled into the
packaging sachet.
The apparatus of the invention further comprises a filling unit (109),
preferably a filling nozzle
(117). Such a filling unit is preferably moveable upwards and downwards,
thereby allowing
bottom-up filling procedures of the preform. The filling unit preferably
comprises a pusher
(115), which can guide the filling nozzle inwards and outwards of the prepack
during the filling
process.
The filling unit is preferably located at an area of the apparatus distant
from the area where
the preform is manufactured. In this way, the apparatus preferably comprises a
preform
manufacturing area, comprising the forming table and the plunger body, and a
filling- and
closure area, wherein the filling- and closure area are preferably co-located.
In such a
preferred constellation, a rotation table (110) is preferably present,
comprising one or more,
preferably two, forming bodies, which are transported from the preform
manufacturing area to
the filling and closure area and back to the preform manufacturing area,
wherein during
transportation of the preform to the filling and closure area and back to the
preform
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
manufacturing area a side plane is removed, which is reassembled temporarily
before the
plunger body enters the forming body.
Wedge
5 The apparatus preferably further comprises a wedge (114). The wedge is
located in the
apparatus at the location where the closure of the preform is carried out,
preferably at the
filling area. Such a wedge pushes a side of the preform inwards, relative to
the preform. The
wedge in this manner, guides a part of the preform into the direction of the
preferred end
sealing clamp unit. In this way, a back seal rim (205) is formed, closing the
preform.
As will be understood by the skilled person, the apparatus of the invention
normally comprises
an apparatus frame to which the essential and preferred elements are arranged
relative to
each other. In this respect, the forming table is fixed to an apparatus frame.
A plunger body is
movably mounted normally above this forming table, whereas normally the
forming body is
present below the forming table. The forming body can be mounted directly to
an apparatus,
but preferably is mounted to a rotation table which is rotationally mounted to
the apparatus
frame with an axis (116). As set-out above, preferably more, most preferably
two, forming
bodies are mounted to the rotation table, wherein preferably two side planes
of a forming body
are mounted to the rotation table and one side plane is removable, and
moveably connected
to the apparatus frame. This detachable side plane is located in the
manufacturing area of the
apparatus, and mounted to the apparatus frame below the forming table, to
reattach to the
side planes mounted to the rotation table when the forming body is
reassembled. The filling
unit and pusher are moveably mounted to the apparatus frame, normally parallel
to the
plunger. It will be understood by the skilled person, that preferably,
especially in an industrial
setting, more apparatuses of the invention are arranged in series to allow
mass production of
a packaging sachet. In this respect, the apparatus of the invention functions
as a unit in a
production constellation comprising more apparatuses of the invention. The
apparatus of the
invention, or preferably a series of them, are preferably connected to such a
production
constellation, for example a packaging machine, via a connection of the
apparatus frame to a
framework of the production constellation, as the skilled person will
understand. In this
respect, preferably the invention further relates to a packaging machine
comprising more than
one apparatus of the invention.
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
11
Process
The present invention, in a further aspect, relates to a process of
manufacturing of a
packaging sachet comprising a filling. This process is preferably carried out
with an apparatus
of the invention.
In step a) of the process, a blank is positioned on a forming table (107).
Such a blank is
preferably made from flexible material, which can be sealed. Such material is
suitably a
laminate of materials selected from paper, polymer, and metal, as known in the
art. The blank
comprises areas which will form the lateral sealing rims of the packaging
sachet. These areas
are normally located at the edges of the blank.
In step b), a plunger body (101) comprising blades (102) which are laterally
ejectable is moved
into a forming body (103) comprising side planes (104), lateral seal clamp
units (105) and
preferably an end sealing clamp unit (106). The lateral sealing clamp units
are preferably
located between the side planes, along the edges of the side planes, normally
the edges in
the direction of the movement of the plunger, normally the vertical edges. By
moving the
plunger body into the forming body, the blank is pushed into the forming body.
The blades
(102) are in the ejected state, i.e. laterally ejected from the plunger body,
thereby guiding
areas of the blank to be sealed together into the lateral seal clamp units
(105) of the forming
body (103), the areas remaining separated from each other by a blade (102).
The blades allow
proper guidance of the flexible material into the slits of the lateral sealing
clamp units and
reduce the risk of wrinkling or damage of the blank when the blank is pushed
in the forming
body during step b) of the process. The areas to be sealed together are
normally outer edges
of the blank. These areas are guided to be located against each other into the
lateral sealing
clamp units (105) of the forming body (103). These areas of the blank will
form the lateral seal
rims (204) of the packaging sachet.
In step c), the laterally ejectable blades (102) of the plunger body are
retracted into the
plunger body. In this manner, the areas of the blank present in the lateral
sealing clamp units,
comprising the areas of the blank to be sealed together, contact each other.
In step d), the areas of the blank present in the lateral sealing units are
sealed. These are the
areas of the blank to be sealed together. This is done by activating the
lateral sealing clamp
units (105). In this manner, lateral seal rims (204) are provided and a
preform sachet is
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
12
provided. Such a preform is still open, preferably at the (future) back side
of the resulting
packaging sachet. Sealing preferably comprises heat sealing.
In step e), the plunger body (101) is removed from the preform. This is done
by removing the
plunger body from the forming body (103). The preform is hold in place by the
lateral seal
clamp units (105). Removal of the plunger body can be done when sealing has
started, and
hence step e) is carried out preferably at the same time and/or after step d).
It is preferably
removed in a vertical, upward direction. As will be understood, during removal
of the plunger
body from the preform, the lateral blades are in the retracted state, i.e. in
the plunger body.
In a next step, step f), of the process, the preform is filled with product.
This product is
preferably a liquid food product such as a dressing or a sauce, or with a
liquid personal care
product such as a skin cream or a soap. The product is preferably catchup or
mayonnaise.
Filling is preferably carried out via a filling unit (109). Such a filling
unit preferably comprises a
filling nozzle (117). Filling is preferably carried out via bottom-up filling.
This reduces the risk of
spoilage of areas of the preform that need to be sealed together at a later
stage of the
process, such as in step g). The filling unit preferably comprises a pusher
(115), which can
guide the filling nozzle inwards and outwards of the prepack during the
filling process.
In step g) of the process the preform is closed by sealing, preferably heat
sealing. Sealing
preferably is carried out via the end clamp sealing unit (106). Thereto, the
two parts of the end
sealing clamp unit, preferably respectively located at two side planes (104)
of the forming
body (103), move together, are activated, and close the preform. In this
manner, the preform
is closed, and a packaging sachet is formed. This seal preferably provides the
back seal rim
(205) of the packaging sachet. It is highly preferred, that before closing
step g), a wedge
guides a part of the preform into the direction of the end sealing clamp unit,
in the direction
parallel to the end sealing clamp unit. Closing step g) preferably comprises
closing of an end
clamp seal unit and wherein simultaneously with the closing of the end clamp
seal unit, said
wedge is moved away from the end clamp seal unit, thereby allowing the end
clamp seal unit
to close and to close the preform to result in a packaging sachet.
In step h), the packaging sachet resulting from step g) is released. Releasing
the packaging
from the apparatus is suitably done by opening the sealing clamp units that
held the
packaging sachet in place. Releasing preferably comprises opening of the
preferred end
sealing clamp unit (106) and of a lateral sealing clamp unit.
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
13
It is preferred, that the preparation of the preform is carried out at a
separate part of the
apparatus than where filling and closing of the preform is conducted. To this
end, the forming
body can preferably be disassembled, as described above, by removing at least
one of the
side planes. The preform is preferably transported to a filling and closing
unit. Consequently, it
is preferred that the invention relates to a process wherein the process
further comprises the
steps of
= After step e), releasing at least some of the lateral clamp seal units
(105),
= Detaching at least part of the forming body (103) from the preform, to
allow
transportation of the preform to a filling unit.
It is preferred, that when at least some of the lateral sealing clamp units
(105) are released, all
but one lateral sealing clamp unit is released. The one not removed is
preferably the clamp
seal unit closest to the rotation axis. In this way, one lateral sealing clamp
unit (105) functions
as a gripping means to transport the preform to the filler, e.g. in a filling
unit. This is preferably
the sealing clamp unit closest to the rotation axis (116) of the rotation
table. When at least part
of the forming body (103), is moved away from the preform, it is preferred
that at least one
side plane, preferably one side plane, is removed from the forming body. As
set out above, the
removable side plane preferably comprises two sub planes. Hence this step is
preferably
carried out by removing two sub-planes from the forming body. The sealing
clamp unit
adjacent to a sub-plane is preferably removed together with the sub plane.
This prevents the
formed lateral seal rims (204) to lock the preform thereby preventing rotation
of the rotation
table and transportation of the preform, e.g. to the filling unit. The removal
is conveniently
carried out over just a short distance, sufficient to allow the rotation table
to rotate and the
preform to be transported.
It is preferred that after step h), wherein the formed packaging sachet is
released, the
removed part of the forming body is returned back in its original position,
thereby
reassembling a forming body (103). Therefore, in this preferred situation the
process further
comprises the step
= after step h) returning the de-attached part of the forming body back in
its
original position, thereby reassembling a forming body (103).
It is understood by the skilled person, that the original position is normally
meant as being
connected to two side planes (103) of a forming body, to reassemble a forming
body. It is
preferred, that the transportation of the preform to a filling unit occurs via
rotation of a rotation
table (110) to which the preform is connected via at least one lateral sealing
clam unit (105).
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
14
This is preferably the lateral sealing clamp unit located closest to the
rotation axis (116) of the
rotation table.
As set out in the description of the apparatus of the invention, it is
preferred, that more than
one forming body (103) is attached to a rotation table. To this end, it is
preferred, that when
the de-attached part of the forming body, preferably comprising one or more,
preferably one,
side plane of the forming body is returned in its original position, i.e. the
position in connection
with the rest of a forming body, a forming body is reassembled with different
side planes than
the forming body from which the de-attached part originated from. This is the
consequence of
the rotation of a rotation table, which brings the remaining side planes (104)
of a forming body,
i.e. the non-removable parts, back from the filling area towards the removable
side plane
which is returned into position.
The invention will now be exemplified by the following, non-limiting examples.
Examples
Example 1
An example of an apparatus according to the invention has been depicted in
Figure 5. The
apparatus comprises a forming table (107), located below a plunger body (101)
which
comprises three blades (102). On the forming table (107) a blank is positioned
from flexible
and sealable foil. The forming table is positioned under an angle 6, relative
to the length of the
plunger body. The bottom plane (113) of the plunger body (101) is oblique,
having an angle a
relative to the length of the plunger body, and angles a and 6 are the same,
to minimize any
wrinkling or damage during the formation of the preform.
The cross section of the plunger body is triangular. The bottom side (113) of
the plunger body
is oblique, relative to the length of the plunger. The blades are positioned
along the edges of
the plunger body. The plunger body comprises a channel to allow air to pass
through the
body, to maintain atmospheric pressure below the plunger body during movement
of the
plunger body. The forming table is positioned above a rotation table (110) to
which two
forming bodies (103) are mounted. A blank holder (111) is positioned at the
top of the forming
table. The forming bodies (103) comprise three side planes (104), two of them
are fixed to the
rotation table (110), whereas one of them is removable (the one not connected
to the rotation
table). Between the side planes lateral sealing clamp units (105) are visible
that run along the
vertical edges of the side planes (104) of the forming bodies (103). The top
edges (112) of the
mounted side planes of the forming bodies comprise an end-sealing clamp unit
(106). The
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
figure further shows a wedge (114) and a filling nozzle (117). The figure
shows that one
forming body is used for forming the preform, whereas simultaneously the
second forming
body, which is disassembled and from which a side plane is removed, is used
for filling the
preform and closing it to result in a packaging sachet comprising a product.
During the filling
5 and closure procedure, the preform is held to the apparatus by a gripping
means, which is in
the present example the lateral sealing clamp unit connected to the rotation
table.
Example 2
Example 2 relates to Figure 4, wherein another embodiment of the present
invention is shown
10 in a schematic manner. This embodiment comprises all elements of the
invention and as
described in Example 1, but the difference is that the angle 13, relative to
the length of the
plunger body, is 90 . No blank holder is depicted.
Example 3
15 Example 3 describes the inventive process of manufacturing a packaging
sachet comprising
mayonnaise. A pre-cut piece of flexible and heat-sealable foil is positioned
on the forming
table (107). The forming table contains a hole (108). A plunger body (101)
having a triangular
cross section is then moved towards the blank. The bottom plane (113) of the
plunger body,
which is the plane directed towards the forming table, is oblique, and forms
an angle relative
to the length of the plunger body. The forming table is also oblique, and
forms the same angle
relative to the length of the plunger body. The plunger body fits into hole in
the forming table
regarding shape and dimension. The plunger body (101) comprises three
laterally ejectable
blades (102). The plunger body is moved through the hole in the forming table
into a forming
body (103) positioned below the forming table. The forming table comprises
three side planes
(104) and three lateral sealing clamp units (105) positioned between the side
planes. When
the plunger body is moved into the forming body the three ejectable blades
(102) are laterally
ejected from the plunger body, thereby guiding areas of the blank to be sealed
together into
the lateral seal clamp units (105) of the forming body (103). The areas to be
sealed, in the
lateral sealing clamp units remaining separated from each other by a blade
(102). Then the
blades are retracted into the plunger body, allowing the areas of the blank to
be sealed to
attach. The lateral sealing clamp units are activated, thereby sealing the
areas of the blank
together that are in the lateral sealing clamp units, resulting in a preform
with three side seals
(204). The plunger body is removed from the blank, after sealing has started.
Then two lateral
seal clamp units are disassembled and one side plane is detached from the
forming body. The
preform remains connected to the apparatus as still one lateral sealing clamp
unit is in the
CA 02997313 2018-03-02
WO 2017/050540
PCT/EP2016/070738
16
closed position, and is holding the preform. The forming unit that is without
the detached side
plane, is connected to a rotation table. The rotation table comprises a second
forming unit
wherein one side plane is absent. The forming unit containing the preform is
transported to a
filling unit by turning 180 of the rotation plate. The 180 rotation
positions the forming body
containing the preform under the filling unit, and brings the forming unit
returning from the
filling unit back under the forming table. Under the forming table, the third
side plane including
at its vertical outer edges two halve lateral sealing units is reattached
thereby reassembling
the forming body. The disassembled forming body comprising the preform is
filled with
mayonnaise. This is done by bringing down a filling nozzle that is connected
to a pusher,
together forming a filling unit, towards the bottom of the preform. The
preform is filled with a
bottom-up procedure. When the preform is filled, a wedge (115) is brought
forward, pushing
the upper part of the preform that is exposed to the outside, i.e. not facing
a remaining side
wall of the forming body, inwards into the preform. Then the end sealing unit,
which is located
at the upper edges (112) of the two side walls of the forming body mounted to
the forming
table (110) is activated. The two halves of the end sealing unit come towards
each other to
form the heat seal. When the two halves approach each other, the wedge (115)
retracts, to
prevent contact with the end sealing unit. When the end seal has been made,
the two halves
of the end seal unit return to their original position at their respective top
edges of the two side
walls of the forming body. Now the packaging sachet comprising mayonnaise has
been
formed. The lateral seal unit releases the packaging. This process proves to
make the
packaging sachet with a three dimensional shape comprising three side rim
seals and a
triangular front plane in an efficient and fast manner, suitable for
industrial production.
