GB2278822A

GB2278822A - Packaging of round tea bags

Info

Publication number: GB2278822A
Application number: GB9416496A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Roy Rimmer; Stephen John Barratt
Original assignee: Premier Brands UK Ltd
Current assignee: Premier Brands UK Ltd
Priority date: 1991-06-14
Filing date: 1992-05-29
Publication date: 1994-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 2012-05-29
Also published as: GB9416496D0; GB9416495D0; GB2279638B; GB2279638A; GB2278822B

Abstract

Round tea bags arranged in one or more stacks, and wrapped in a flexible sleeve 36 to form a package, are characterised in that each end 50 of the sleeve is sealed and the seal 52 has a curved configuration to follow the curvature of the round tea bags. The sleeve is formed by heat sealing, the material of the sleeve being a foil laminate which has a heat sealable coating or film on its interior surface. <IMAGE>

Description

1 2278822 1 Improvements Relatinq to Infusion Packages This invention

relates to infusion packages, and in particular concerns infusion packages in the form of tea bags. Although reference is made hereinafter to tea bags, it is to be understood that the invention can be applied to other infusion bags where the bags contain material other than tea. However, as tea bags are the most common form of infusion bag to which the present invention relates, reference will be made hereinafter only to tea bags in the interests of simplicity.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided round tea bags arranged in one or more stacks, and wrapped in a flexible sleeve to form a package, characterised in that each end of the sleeve is sealed and the seal has a curved configuration to follow the curvature of the round tea bags.

The sleeve is preferably formed from a roll of the sleeve material which is fed to a wrapping machine, and at said machine, the stack or stacks of round tea bags is or are wrapped in the sleeve material,, followed by subsequent sealing of same to form the package. In this way, the packages can be formed in a continuous manner.

To achieve the continuous production,, it is preferred that the single stacks or groups of stacks are fed from a round tea bag manufacturing machine via conveying means to the wrapping machine.

In a typical case, the tea bags are grouped in two stacks each containing 20 bags, so that the resulting package is a foil sealed sachet containing 40 round tea bags arranged in two separate stacks.

2 The bags may be manufactured on a machine which cuts the tea bags from webs of tea bag material between which portions of tea have been placed, said machine serving not only to connect the webs, and to cut the individual bags from such webs, but also to group the tea bags in stacks ready for transportation to the wrapping machine.

By way of example. an embodiment of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein:- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a round tea bag making machine, a transfer conveyor, and a flow wrapping machine; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the packages according to the embodiment of the invention, which results from the manufacturing process illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, tea bags 10 are produced by a machine, not shown in detail, whereby a first and lower web 12 and second and upper web 14 are brought together to form a laminated web 16, and between which webs are arranged portions 18 of tea each of a quantity for a single tea bag.

The laminated upper and lower webs 12. 14 pass through stations of the machine whereby the webs are sealed together around the tea portions 18 by sealing rollers 20, and then the individual round tea bags 22 are cut f rom the webs by cutting rollers 24.

The cut tea bags 22 pass to a magazine 26 into which the cut bags are pushed one by one by reciprocating displacers 28, and form pairs of stacks in the magazine. Whdn' tle stAc.

3 are of a certain height,, typically 20 tea bags high,, each pair of stacks is displaced from the magazine into a f eed conveyor which transports the pair of stacks 32 to a wrapping machine 33 whereat the stacks are wrapped in wrapping material 34 which forms a sleeve around the pair of stacks,, and the thus wrapped stacks are severed f rom the remainder of the wrapping material to form a package 36 as shown in Fig. 2.

The pairs of stacks which form groups, are displaced on the conveying means 30 in any suitable manner. Typically, the conveying means comprises a conveyor 30 on which the stacks are supported, and a rear pusher 38 which engages the rear of the rearmost stack, and supports the group. Additionally a front holder 40 holds the front end of the front stack 32 whereby the group is held in stable stacked condition. This is important in relation to the conveying of round tea bags in this manner. If desired there may be intermediate spacers (not shown) which lie between the two stacks of tea bags at the sides thereof in order to enhance the stability of the stacks.

In the arrangement shown, the pusher 38 and the front holder member 40 are carried by the conveyor, but the front holder member could be carried by a separate and overhead conveyor 42 simply to assist in the ejection of the groups from the manufacturing machine.

The conveyor as shown comprises a pair of side walls 44,, 46 which form adjustable guides in that the bag edges are supported lightly against these walls as conveying takes place. The spacing between the walls can be finely adjusted.

At the flow wrapping machine 33, the wrapping material is sealed longitudinally (48 Fig. 2) around the groups of tea 4 bags, and this is followed by transverse sealing 50 to the front and rear of the bags. As indicated in Fig. 2, the sealing bars for effecting the transverse seals form seals 52 of curved configuration, so that the seal 52 around the tea bag at each end of the package may be such as to conform to the tea bag curvature, whereby the bags will be held firmly in stacks inside the package. In this connection, it is preferable that the sleeve be a neat fit around the tea bags to hold same in stable condition.

The packages are severed transversely from the remainder of the wrapping material by means of a transverse cutting device.

The manufacture of the tea bags and the wrapping of same in the sleeve material takes place on a continuous basis.

The present application so divided out of co-pending application No 9325095.9.

Claims

1. Round tea bags arranged in one or more stacks, and wrapped in a flexible sleeve to form a package, characterised in that each end of the sleeve is sealed and the seal has a curved configuration to follow the curvature of the round tea bags.