FORM - 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
The Patents Rules, 2006
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10 and Rule 13)


A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING, FILLING AND SEALING POUCHES WITH A NON-LINEAR EDGE
HINDUSTAN UNILEVER LIMITED, a company incorporated under
the Indian Companies Act, 1913 and having its registered office
at 165/166, Backbay Reclamation, Mumbai -400 020, Maharashtra, India
The following specification describes the invention


FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming, filling and sealing pouches with a non-linear edge.
The invention has been developed primarily for use in the packaging of detergent powders and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use.
BACKGROUND AND RELATED ART
Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field.
Pouches, or bags made of plastic films are used for packaging various products like creams, powders, liquids, tablets, noodles, granular detergents and pastes. Pouches enable packaging and selling of these products in small as well as large quantities; typically in the range of 200 g to 10 kg. Generally, pouches are manufactured/filled in two ways. One way is to fill a material in "pre-formed pouches", which are formed at one station and transported or moved to a filling station where they are filled and sealed. Sometimes these pouches are transported to distant locations for the purpose of filling and sealing. The second way is to use automatic Form-Fill-Seal (FFS) machines which enable forming, filling and sealing in a systematic on-line operation starting from a web of film or laminate. With the advent of FFS machines, the industry has witnessed high production rates of pouches.
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Pouches can be manufactured from a single web of a film or a laminate (a laminate has two or more layers of films which are bonded to each other) ; or by using two webs of film or laminates. Three-side-seal pouches are made by using a single web of film; whereas four-side-seal pouches are made by using two webs of film.
In addition to performing the primary function of packaging; pouches are almost always used to convey product information, and as effective tools for branding. Logos, brand-names, holograms, decorative artwork related to the product by which the package stands-out on the shelf and readily catches the eye of a prospective buyer are generally printed on pouches.
Contoured pouches, i.e. pouches that have attractive appearance or shape are known in the art. A popular product
that is sold in such attractive profiled pouches is MARS®, a well-known confectionery brand.
Brand Development teams have constantly been looking for pouches with which they can convey interesting shapes or patterns that form part of the brand mnemonics. Such pouches are very iikely to beat other pouches on the shelf, when it comes to aesthetics and brand image.
WO 06/01814 0 Al (Unilever Pic) describes a multi-track FFS process, in which one or more edges of the sachets have non¬linear profiles over at least 10% of the length of the edge, in which after sealing the two webs to each other, the un¬wanted areas are punched out from the sealed edges of the sachets to define the non-linear edges. A major drawback of this method is the generation of a relatively high amount of
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scrap packaging material. Such a process has relatively high environment-impact,
Profiled pouches that are made without generation of scrap material have been described in WO 01/23271 A2 and WO/2004/106182 Al (both by CRYOVAC INC). The described pouches have zigzag or S-shaped lateral edges. The pouches are formed on a pouch former, which also forms (seals) the zigzag lateral edges along the cross-direct!on of the film movement (i.e. in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the film which is known as the machine direction). In both the above cases, the end sealing component is configured to provide a pouch with a lateral edge having a concave portion and a convex portion, in a zigzag or non-linear sealing surface. The apparatus also includes separate cutting component for cutting the lateral edges between subsequent pouches.
Whilst the benefit of the above applications is that the process does not result in any scrap material between contiguous pouches; one of the limitations is that the zigzag or S-shaped profiles are sealed and cut in separate operations, with separate tools. A further limitation is that even for a minor increase in height of the pouch, the dimensions of the pouch-former would need modification, and at the same time, the entire tooling pertaining to the top and bottom seals of the zigzag or S-shaped profile, as well as the cutting blade would need to be changed; thereby making the process relatively less amenable for any changes in pouch dimensions.
Further, the present inventors have found that non-linear profiles, e.g. steep angular curves or intricate patterns
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are relatively difficult to effect and cut-along at the same time, as the tooling will become complex.
Thus there is a need in the art for a method for making pouches with a non-linear edge, which overcomes some or all of the above drawbacks and limitations of the prior art. Particularly, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for making pouches with a non-linear edge which has relatively higher adaptability towards changes in pouch dimensions, and has relatively lower complexity of tooling,
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for making pouches with a non-linear edge with relatively higher adaptability towards changes in pouch dimensions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for making pouches with a non-linear edge which involves relatively lower complexity of tooling.
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the specification.
The present inventors have provided a solution to the above problems with a view to meet the above objects.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of forming, filling and sealing pouches with a non¬linear edge, comprising the steps of: (i) drawing a web of film over a forming shoulder to form
a tube having vertically overlapping edges; (ii) sealing the edges with a vertical sealer to define a vertical seal, while the tube continuously moves along machine direction; (iii) effecting a horizontal seal across the tube at a predetermined location below the vertical sealer, to simultaneously define a non-linear top horizontal seal of a pouch filled with a product, and a non¬linear bottom horizontal seal of a pouch to be filled with the product; and effecting a non-linear line of weakness between the top and bottom seals, to define the non-linear edge; and, (iv) filling the product within the pouch to be filled.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides an
apparatus for use in a method according to the first aspect,
the apparatus comprising:
(i) a forming shoulder for assembling a pouch from a web of film;
(ii) a vertical sealer for sealing the vertically overlapping edges;
(iii) a means for continuous movement of the tube along machine di rection;
(iv) a pair of horizontal sealing jaws located below the vertical sealer, each jaw having non-linear top and bottom raised projections, and a means for effecting a line of weakness, located there-between; and,
(v) a filling means for filling the pouch with a product.
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In a third aspect, the present invention provides a pouch with a non-linear edge, obtainable by a method according to the first aspect.
The term "comprising" is meant not to be limiting to any subsequently stated elements but rather to encompass non-specified elements of major or minor functional importance. In other words the listed steps, elements or options need not be exhaustive. Whenever the words "including" or "having" are used, these terms are meant to be equivalent to "comprising" as defined above.
Except in the operating and comparative examples, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numbers in this description indicating amounts of material ought to be understood as modified by the word "abOut".
It should be noted that in specifying any range of concentration or amount, any particular upper concentration can be associated with any particular lower concentration or amount.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following description of preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures in which:
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figure 1 is am isometric view of an apparatus according to the invention;
figure-2 is an enlarged view of a portion of figure-1 showing the scaling jaws and pouches;
figure-3 is an isometric view of the sealing jaws of figure-1; and,
figure-4 is an isometric view of a pouch made on the apparatus of figure-1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the detailed description of the accompanying figures, like numerals have been used to indicate like features in all figures.
Figure-1 is an isometric view of an apparatus for use in a method of forming, filling and sealing pouches with a non¬linear edge According to the invention. The apparatus is constructed in the form of an enclosed frame on which all parts for the formingr filling, and sealing of the pouches are mounted.
In this figure, a continuous web of film 1 is un-wound from a roll (not shown) and is drawn over conveying Aluminium rollers 2 ancl 3. it then reaches a forming shoulder 4 on which the sheet of film 1 is folded over itself so that the opposite vertical edges 5 and 6 are juxtaposed to form a common overlapping edge. A vertical sealer 7 then seals the overlapping edges to each other to form a tube 8. Pulling means (not shown) for continuous movement then continuously pull the tube 8 along machine direction, (shown by a solid
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arrow) as set on a stroke length lever (not shown), The tube is then sealed in the horizontal direction by a pair of horizontal sealing jaws 9 and 10 at a predetermined location below the vertical sealer 7, Each horizontal sealing jaw has two raised projections which are shaped to provide the non¬linear top and bottom seals (these features can be seen clearly in figure-3) . The horizontal sealing jaws simultaneously define the non-linear Cop horizontal seal of a pouch 11 filled with a product, (In continuum can be seen pouch 11a which is also filled with the product) ; and the non-linear bottom horizontal seal of a pouch 12 to be filled with the product* In the pouch to be filled 12, a product is continuously fed through filling port 13. The open end of the tube is then sealed with the horizontal sealing jaws, at a pre-determined location, which corresponds to a distance of one pouch length. The cycle is repeated to form plurality of pouches.
Referring now to Figure-2 which shows an enlarged view of a portion of figure-1, the tube is 8 (not seen) is sealed in the horizontal direction by a pair of horizontal sealing jaws 9 and 10. Each horizontal sealing jaw has two raised projections (can be seen clearly in figure-3) which are shaped to provide the non-linear top and bottom seals. The horizontal sealing jaws simultaneously define the non-linear top horizontal seal of a pouch 11 filled with a product (the seal cannot be seen in this view as it is blocked by the jaw 10), and the non-linear bottom horizontal seal 14 of the pouch 12 to be filled with the product. In continuum can be seen pouch 11a which is also filled with the product. Perforations 15 defining the line of weakness are formed between the non-linear top horizontal seal and the bottom horizontal seal 14 for later severing the filled and sealed pouches to form individual pouches therefrom.
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Referring now to figure-3 which is an isometric view of the sealing jaws of figure-1, each jaw 9 and 10 has two raised projections 16 and 17 (common numerals for raised projections of both jaws), which are shaped to provide the non-linear top and bottom seals, with a groove 18 therebetween. A means for effecting a line of weakness (in the form of a knife) is present in the groove.
Turning now to figure- 4, which is an isometric view of a pouch made on the apparatus of figure-1, the pouch 11 has a top non-linear horizontal seal 19 and a bottom non-linear horizontal seal 14, and a vertical seal 20 running along the length of the pouch, including both the horizontal seals. The non-linear edges can be seen clearly.
Turning now to the preferred aspects of the method, it is preferred that the lateral web-wander of the web of film is not greater than 5 mm. Wander in the range of 0.5 to 5 mm is acceptable. This to ensure proper alignment of the web of film during its movement, so that the vertically overlapping edges are neither under-lapped, nor do the overlapping edges overshoot each other. This might affect the profile of the non-linear edge.
It is preferred that the web of film has artwork on it. When printed with artwork, any web-wander beyond the above preferred range is undesirable, because, if it wanders more than the above range, the artwork may not come in registration or alignment with the vertical seal, and more specifically, the non-linear top and bottom horizontal seals may not be in registration with the artwork and brand mnemonics .
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Further, it is preferred that the continuous movement along the machine direction is synchronised with respect to the artwork on the web of film. If this does not happen, then each pull may result in un-equal pull-lengths, in which case, on some occasions, each resultant pouch length may not have the entire artwork on it. This may be done by use of servo-motor controlled mechanism. This may also be done by using sealing jaws that are capable