DESC:
FIELD
The present disclosure relates to packaging machines for forming, filling and sealing flexible pouches and more particularly relates to an improved, high speed vertical form, fill seal (VFFS) machine.
BACKGROUND
A vertical form, fill seal machine (VFFS) is a widely used machine in the packaging industry. VFFS machines facilitate automated assembly-line product packaging and are commonly used for packaging of food items. A VFFS machine is designed to form plurality of bags out of a roll of plastic film, while simultaneously filling the bags with the product and sealing the filled bags. Both solids and liquids can be bagged by using the VFFS machine.
A typical VFFS machine can be divided into four functional areas, namely, the following:
• filler;
• forming;
• paper feeding, aligning, and registration; and
• closing, sealing, and cutting.
In operation, a flexible packaging film is looped through low friction rollers and the rollers guide the film to a forming area, where a forming collar shapes the flat flexible packaging film into a round film tube. Further, horizontal or cross sealing jaws pull the film through the forming area and simultaneously create top and bottom seals in pouches. A product to be filled in the pouches then enters the machine through a forming tube. Finally, vertical sealing or edge sealing jaws seal edges in the pouches.
Typically, the flexible packaging film is roll-fed into the machine through un-wounding from a feeder roll. Further, a dancer roll is used to maintain a constant tension on an unwind web of the packaging film. Typically, an unwinding motor and dancers are required for maintaining tension and maintaining critical accuracy in the feed.
Typically, the flexible packaging film is threaded up and then down over a forming collar, thereby forming the web into a chute-like tube. Subsequently, a vertical sealing of a pouch takes place. The pouch is then filled and horizontal seal is applied, while a knife or a cutter cuts the sealed pouch from the descending web of the flexible packaging film. Simultaneously, the paper pulling takes place.
Commonly used VFFS machines are designed to form single pouch from at a time a film roll through the collar and forming tube assembly. In a two-track VFFS machine, however, a single film roll is slit inline to paper movement into two parts to form two pouches through the collar and forming tube assembly with specified fixed pouch width. A cutter is provided to separate the sealed packages or pouches into single or multiple units. Additionally, a plurality of rollers is disposed to guide the film from the film feeder to the forming collar.
Generally, the number of forming tubes and collars can be increased to form multiple pouches at a time. In such a case, either more than one separate film rolls are fed using multiple feeders or a single film is cut along its longitudinal direction to obtain multiple films. It is observed in such a case that a center distance between two adjacent forming collars has to be adjusted depending on pouch widths, which is tedious and time consuming.
Thus, there is a need to provide a configuration of the VFFS machines in which the distance between the forming tubes need not be changed every time the width of the pouch to be manufactured changes.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies are as follows:
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form, fill and seal packaging machine.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a high speed form, fill and seal packaging machine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vertical form, fill and seal packaging machine that does not require adjustments while forming pouches of varied widths.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a vertical form-fill seal machine that enables forming of two line of pouches simultaneously from a single film;
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
Described herein is a vertical form, fill seal (VFFS) machine comprising a frame, at least one material feeder disposed on an operative top of the frame, a packaging material feeder disposed on an operative side of the frame for feeding a film, a first tube connected to and in fluid communication with the at least one material feeder, the first tube disposed on the frame, operatively below the at least one material feeder, a second tube disposed co-axially over the first tube covering a substantial portion of the first tube, a third tube connected to and in fluid communication with the at least one material feeder, the third tube disposed on the frame, operatively below the at least one material feeder, a fourth tube disposed co-axially over the third tube covering a substantial portion of the third tube, a first forming collar disposed on the second tube such that the film from the film feeder moves over the first forming collar and then onto the second tube to form a first chute-like tube, and a second forming collar disposed on the fourth tube such that the film from the film feeder moves over the second forming collar and then onto the fourth tube to form a second chute-like tube, wherein the second forming collar is disposed on the fourth tube such that the second chute-like tube formed by the second forming collar is formed in a direction opposite that of formed by the first forming collar.
In an embodiment, the vertical form, fill seal machine comprises a longitudinal sealing assembly having a pair of longitudinal sealing arms and for sealing lateral edges of the films formed into the first and second chute-like tubes, the pair of longitudinal sealing arms operatively disposed near a lower operative end of the second and fourth tubes, respectively.
In an embodiment, the longitudinal sealing assembly attached to the frame via at least one of a slider-crank mechanism and a shaper quick-return mechanism.
In an embodiment, the vertical form, fill seal machine comprises a horizontal sealing assembly operatively disposed below the first longitudinal sealing assembly, wherein horizontal sealing assembly includes two longitudinal sealing jaws for sealing the films formed into the first and second chute-like tubes, horizontally.
In an embodiment, the horizontal sealing assembly is mounted on an operative side portion of the frame and includes a servo driven ball screw arrangement that drives the horizontal sealing assembly up down.
In an embodiment, the vertical form, fill seal machine comprises a dancer roller for maintaining a substantially constant tension in the film that unwinds from the film feeder and pulled into the VFFS machine.
In an embodiment, the vertical form, fill seal machine comprises a plate disposed above the operative top end of the forming collars such that the film from the film feeder is guided by a plurality of rollers over the plate.
In an embodiment, the vertical form, fill seal machine comprises a blade cutting assembly disposed on the operative top of the plate to cut the film into two films, longitudinally.
In an embodiment, the blade cutting assembly is disposed near the vertex of the plate such that a blade cuts the film passing over the operative top of the plate into desired widths.
In an embodiment, the two films are re-oriented by the slanting edges of the plate disposed away from a direction from which the film enters onto the plate.
In an embodiment, the two films are re-oriented at 90 degrees of a direction from which the film enters onto the plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
The vertical form-fill seal machine in accordance with the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a vertical form-fill seal machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic perspective side view of a vertical form, fill seal machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 illustrates an isometric view of a forming collars assembly of the vertical form, fill machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 illustrates an isometric cut view of the vertical form, fill seal machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 illustrates another isometric view of the vertical form, fill seal machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6A illustrates a top view of a plate of a vertical form-fill seal machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 6B illustrates a perspective view of the plate of FIG. 6A; and
FIG. 6C illustrates an isometric view of the plate of FIG. 6B with the cutting blade assembly disposed thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The vertical form-fill seal machine of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the embodiments, which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure.
The embodiments herein, the various features and the advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so that there is no unnecessary confusion about the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The description hereinafter, of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Referring to FIGURES 1 to 5, a vertical form, fill seal (VFFS) machine 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is disclosed. A practical embodiment of this machine proposed to be marketed as “Maxima - Universal Centre Twin Tube form fill seal Machine (SH&DH)” comprises a frame 101, a first material feeder 102a for feeding the material to be packaged operatively disposed on an operative top 101a of the frame 101, a second material feeder 102b for feeding the material to be packaged operatively disposed on an operative top 101a of the frame 101, a film (or packaging material) feeder 103 suitably disposed on an operative side of the frame 101 for feeding a film F'; a first tube 104a connected to and in fluid communication with the first material feeder 102a, the first tube 104a disposed on the frame 101 and operatively below the first material feeder 102a, a second tube 105a disposed co-axially over the first tube 104a covering a substantial portion of the first tube 104a, a third tube 104b connected to and in fluid communication with the second material feeder 102b, the third tube 104b disposed on the frame 101 and operatively below the second material feeder 102b, a fourth tube 105b disposed co-axially over the third tube 104b covering a substantial portion of the third tube 104b, a first forming collar 106a disposed on the second tube 105a such that the film from the film feeder 103 moves over the first forming collar 106a and then onto the second tube 105a to form a first chute-like tube from the film, and a second forming collar 106b disposed on the fourth tube 105b such that the film from the film feeder 103 moves over the second forming collar 106b and then onto the fourth tube 105b to form a second chute-like tube from the film, the second forming collar 106b is disposed on the fourth tube 105b such that the second chute-like tube formed by the second forming collar 106b is formed in a direction opposite that of formed by the first forming collar 106a.
Further, the VFFS machine 100 comprises a longitudinal sealing assembly 107 having a pair of longitudinal sealing arms 107a and 107b for sealing lateral edges of the films formed into the first and second chute-like tubes, the pair of longitudinal sealing arms 107a and 107b operatively disposed near a lower operative end of the second and fourth tubes 105a and 105b, respectively. In an embodiment, longitudinal sealing assembly 107 is attached to the frame 101 via a slider-crank mechanism or a shaper quick-return mechanism (not shown).
The VFFS machine 100 further comprises a horizontal sealing assembly 108 for sealing the longitudinally sealed first and second chute-like tube shaped films horizontally, the horizontal sealing assembly 108 operatively disposed below the first longitudinal sealing assembly 107 and have two longitudinal sealing jaws (not shown) for sealing the films horizontally. The horizontal sealing assembly 108 is mounted on an operative side portion of the frame 101 and includes a servo driven ball screw arrangement (not shown) that drives the horizontal sealing assembly 108 up down. With this up down movement, the sealed and material filled packages or pouches are pulled, and thereby the film from the film feeder 103 also gets pulled.
Further, a dancer roller D' is provided for maintaining a substantially constant tension in the film F' that is being unwound from the film feeder 103 and pulled into the VFFS machine 100. Further, a plate 110 is disposed above the operative top end of the forming collars (106a, 106b) such that the film F' from the film feeder 103 is guided by a plurality of rollers R over the plate 110 (FIG. 4). Further, a blade cutting assembly 111 is disposed on the operative top of the plate 110 to cut the film F' into two equal parts longitudinally.
In an embodiment, the blade cutting assembly 111 is disposed on the operative top of the plate 110 near the vertex V of the plate 110 such that a blade B' of the blade cutting assembly 111 cuts the film F' passing over the operative top of the plate 110 into desired widths, preferably two films of equal width (F1 and F2). Further, the two cut films so formed are re-oriented by the slanting edges of the plate 110 disposed away from the direction from which the film F' enters onto the plate 110. Particularly, the slanting edges of the plate 110 guides and re-orient the two cut films on to the forming collars (106a, 106b) to form the first and second chute-like tubes.
FIG. 6A illustrates a top view of the plate 110 of the vertical form, fill seal machine 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The plate 110 is having a shape such that a vertex V is formed. In particular, the plate 110 has two parallel edges (AB and DE), a third edge BD that connects the two parallel edges AB and DE at one end. The fourth edge (AFVE) has a characterized profile as shown in FIG. 6A.
More specifically, the plate 110 is configured by joining two trapezoidal shaped portions (110a, 110b). In particular, each of the two trapezoidal shaped portions (110a, 110b) are characterized by a pair of parallel edges AB and CF and CV and DE, with one side having a length greater than the other. Particularly, the length of AB is greater than CF while DE is greater than CV. The edges AB and CF are joined by edges BC and AF. The two trapezoidal shaped portions 110a, 110b are connected in the same plane to each other to configure the plate 110 such that a vertex V is configured at the line of joining (CVF) of the two trapezoidal shaped portions 110a, 110b. Further, each trapezoidal shaped portion has an edge that is slanting with respect to the edge BCD of the plate 110, typically, the edge AF is slanted with respect to BC and VE is slanted with respect to CD such that AF and VE do not intersect.
The blade B' of the blade cutting assembly 111 cuts the film F' passing over the operative top of the plate 110 through the edge BCD of the plate 110. In an operative configuration, the blade B' is disposed over the film F' so that the blade B’ cuts the film F' into two films F1 and F2, which are re-oriented by the slanting edges AF and VE of the plate 110 that are disposed away from the direction from which the film F' enters onto the plate 110. Particularly, the slanting edges AF and VE of the plate 110 guides and re-orient the two cut films onto the forming collars 106a, 106b to form the two chute-like tubes from each of the two cut films.
More specifically, the film F' that is cut into two parts, the first part of the film F1 is guided and re-oriented by the edge VE of the plate 110 such that it turns by an angle of 90 degrees and then while moving below the egde VE moves in the direction shown by the arrow and then onto the first forming collar 106a. The second part F2 of the film F’ moves a bit further over the plate 110 (particularly, the portion of the plate 110 defined by the trapezoidal shaped portion ABCF) and then the slanting edge AF facilitates the re-orientation of the second part F2 such that that the second part F2 of the film F’ turns by an angle of 90 degrees and then while moving below the egde AF moves in the direction shown by the arrow and then onto the second forming collar 106b. In between the slanting edges (AF and VE) and the forming collars, the films F1 and F2 are guided by a plurality of rollers (not shown in the figure).
In accordance with the present disclosure, the distance of the slanting edges VE and AF from the edge BCD are chosen such that the distances correspond to the centers of the first and second forming collars.
FIG. 6B illustrates a perspective view of the plate 110 of FIG. 6A; and FIG. 6C illustrates an isometric view of the plate 110 of FIG. 6A with the blade cutting assembly 111 disposed thereon.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.

TECHNICAL ADVANCES AND ECONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The technical advancements offered by vertical form-fill seal machine of the present disclosure include the realization of:
? a vertical form-fill seal machine with two forming collars;
? a vertical form a vertical form-fill seal machine that does not require the distance between the forming collars to be altered;
? -fill seal machine that is capable of forming pouches independent of film width;
? a vertical form-fill seal machine that does not require the distance between the forming collars to be altered every time the width if the pouch changes;
? a vertical form-fill seal machine that enables forming of two pouches at a time from a single film;
? a vertical form-fill seal machine that enables cutting of a single film into two sub-portions for forming two pouches.
,CLAIMS:1. A vertical form, fill seal (VFFS) machine (100) comprising:
a frame (101);
at least one material feeder (102a, 102b) disposed on an operative top (101a) of the frame;
a packaging material feeder (103) disposed on an operative side of the frame for feeding a film (F');
a first tube (104a) connected to and in fluid communication with the at least one material feeder, the first tube disposed on the frame, operatively below the at least one material feeder;
a second tube (105a) disposed co-axially over the first tube covering a substantial portion of the first tube;
a third tube (104b) connected to and in fluid communication with the at least one material feeder, the third tube disposed on the frame, operatively below the at least one material feeder;
a fourth tube (105b) disposed co-axially over the third tube covering a substantial portion of the third tube;
a first forming collar (106a) disposed on the second tube such that the film from the film feeder moves over the first forming collar and then onto the second tube to form a first chute-like tube; and
a second forming collar (106b) disposed on the fourth tube such that the film from the film feeder moves over the second forming collar and then onto the fourth tube to form a second chute-like tube, wherein the second forming collar is disposed on the fourth tube such that the second chute-like tube formed by the second forming collar is formed in a direction opposite that of formed by the first forming collar.
2. The vertical form, fill seal machine (100) as claimed in claim 1 comprising a longitudinal sealing assembly (107) having a pair of longitudinal sealing arms (107a) and (107b) for sealing lateral edges of the films formed into the first and second chute-like tubes, the pair of longitudinal sealing arms operatively disposed near a lower operative end of the second and fourth tubes, respectively.
3. The vertical form, fill seal machine (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the longitudinal sealing assembly (107) attached to the frame via at least one of a slider-crank mechanism and a shaper quick-return mechanism.
4. The vertical form, fill seal machine (100) as claimed in claim 1 comprises a horizontal sealing assembly (108) operatively disposed below the first longitudinal sealing assembly, wherein horizontal sealing assembly includes two longitudinal sealing jaws for sealing the films formed into the first and second chute-like tubes, horizontally.
5. The vertical form, fill seal machine (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the horizontal sealing assembly is mounted on an operative side portion of the frame and includes a servo driven ball screw arrangement that drives the horizontal sealing assembly up down.
6. The vertical form, fill seal machine (100) as claimed in claim 1 comprises a dancer roller (D') for maintaining a substantially constant tension in the film (F') that unwinds from the film feeder and pulled into the VFFS machine.
7. The vertical form, fill seal machine (100) as claimed in claim 1 comprises a plate (110) disposed above the operative top end of the forming collars such that the film (F') from the film feeder is guided by a plurality of rollers (R) over the plate.
8. The vertical form, fill seal machine (100) as claimed in claim 1 comprises a blade cutting assembly (111) disposed on the operative top of the plate to cut the film (F') into two films, longitudinally.
9. The vertical form, fill seal machine (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the blade cutting assembly is disposed near the vertex (V) of the plate such that a blade (B') cuts the film (F') passing over the operative top of the plate into desired widths.
10. The vertical form, fill seal machine (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the two films are re-oriented by the slanting edges of the plate disposed away from a direction from which the film (F') enters onto the plate.
11. The vertical form, fill seal machine (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the two films are re-oriented at 90 degrees of a direction from which the film (F') enters onto the plate.