GB2616607A

GB2616607A - Sachet filling device

Info

Publication number: GB2616607A
Application number: GB2203486.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rucker Simon; Wright Jeremy; Osman Thomas
Original assignee: Liberty Herbal Tech Ltd
Current assignee: Liberty Herbal Tech Ltd
Priority date: 2022-03-14
Filing date: 2022-03-14
Publication date: 2023-09-20
Also published as: GB202203486D0; WO2023175311A1

Abstract

A sachet filling device 1 has a base 10 and an upper part 20 above the base in use. The base has a plurality recesses (11 fig 3) suitable to hold a sachet (100 fig 3), the upper part has a plurality of apertures (30 fig 2) aligned with the recesses. The recesses may have an upper portion that has a cylindrical or conical shape (11a fig 5) and a slot shaped lower portion (11b fig 5) having a width that is smaller than the upper part of the recess. The lower part of the recesses may have a waveform shape and a pair of vertically extending grooves (11e fig 5) to receive the side edges of the sachet. The recesses may be arranged in at least one row, arranged along a straight line that passes through the centre of the recesses of that row.

Description

SACHET FILLING DEVICE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device and method for filling sachets with cut, ground, granular or powdered material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sachets or bags with water and/or vapour permeable walls are commonly used to contain organic matter and crystalline substances intended for human consumption. For example, sachets filled with tea, coffee and other herbal materials are commonly used in the preparation of infused beverages. In addition, sachets filled with various different types of herbal material are also produced for use with vaporisers that are designed to heat material located inside the sachet in order to produce a vapour.

Sachets are often filled, sealed and distributed by companies that use automated production lines to produce large numbers of sachets with standard, uniform fillings. Smaller distribution companies and individual end users may also want to fill sachets with their own customised preparations of material instead of buying pre-filled sachets, for example to achieve a desired flavour or medicinal property. However, small distribution companies and individual end users typically do not have access to automated sachet filling and sealing machinery, and so are generally constrained to filling sachets individually and by hand.

Individual hand filling of sachets allows small companies and individual end users to produce sachets containing customised preparations. However, this approach has several disadvantages. For example, individual hand filling of sachets is rather laborious and time consuming, and can result in inconsistent filling of sachets.

It is an object of the present invention to address the above-described disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a sachet filling device for filling sachets with cut, ground, granular or powdered material; the sachet filling device comprising a base and an upper part that is configured to be located above the base in use. The base may comprise a plurality of recesses, each of the recesses being configured to receive and hold a sachet therein. The upper pad may comprise a plurality of apertures, each of the apertures being aligned with a respective one of the recesses and configured to guide material towards the recess with which it is aligned when the upper part is positioned above the base.

The device of the present invention advantageously allows a user to fill a plurality of sachets with cut, ground, granular or powdered material at the same time. The device also minimises the probability of material falling outside the sachets during sachet filling operations.

The device is preferably a table-top device, that is a portable device that is designed and intended for use by small to medium sized sachet filling operations and by individual end users. The device is preferably designed to be operated by hand, and not as part of an automated production line.

The upper pad of the device may be completely detachable from the base during normal use of the sachet filling device, for example when sachets are being placed in or removed from the recesses of the base, but configured to be mounted to the base by being placed thereon in use.

The recesses may each comprise an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion of each recess may be configured to receive and hold a main body of an open ended sachet with the sachet in an open configuration, with a closed lower end of the sachet being received and held in the lower portion of the recess. The upper portion of each recess may have a generally cylindrical or conical shape, and the lower portion of each recess may comprise a slot. The lower portion of each recess may have a width that is lower than the width of the upper portion of the recess. Recesses with this shape have been found to be particularly effective at holding sachets securely and in an open configuration.

The lower portions of the recesses may blend smoothly into the upper portions of the recesses. Avoiding sharp edges and sudden changes of contour between the upper and lower portions of the recesses facilitates introduction and correct positioning of sachets in the recesses, and also facilitates removal of the sachets.

The lower portions of the recesses may be waveform in shape in plan view. Recesses with waveform shaped lower portions have been found to hold the closed lower ends of sachets more securely, thereby preventing the sachets from moving into incorrect positions during use of the sachet filling device.

The recesses may each comprise a pair of vertically extending grooves that are configured to receive side edges of a sachet therein. The vertically extending grooves may help with alignment and secure retention of the sachets.

The recesses may be arranged in at least one row, preferably in a plurality of rows, the recesses within each row being arranged along a straight line that passes through the centres of the recesses of that row. Arranging the recesses in straight rows facilitates the closing and sealing of multiple sachets at the same time using a single sachet closing tool such as a hand-held heat sealing tool or crimping tool.

The slot shaped lower portions and/or the vertically extending grooves of each recess in each row may be aligned with the line along which the recesses of that row are arranged. Arranging the apertures in this way allows sachets held within a row of apertures to be aligned with each other within a plane, which facilitates closing of the sachets using a sachet closing tool.

The base may comprise, for each row of recesses, a pair of aligning pins that extend upwardly from the base, a first one of the aligning pins being arranged at a first end of the row and a second one of the aligning pins being arranged at an opposed second end of the row. The aligning pins may be used to ensure correct alignment of a sachet closing tool. The aligning pins of each row may be arranged on the line along which the recesses of that row are arranged, in which case they may be received between jaws of the sachet closing tool when the sachet closing tool is used to close and seal sachets in that row. Alternatively the aligning pins of each row may be offset from the line along which the recesses of that row are arranged, in which case they may be engaged by an external surface of a jaw of the sachet closing tool when the sachet closing tool is used to close and seal sachets in that row.

The base may comprise a plurality of locating pins that extend upwardly from the base at locations outboard of the recesses, the locating pins being configured to be received within a corresponding plurality of openings provided in the upper part of the sachet filling device in order to ensure correct location of the upper part with respect to the base when the upper part is mounted to the base.

The base may be mounted to or configured to be mounted to a vibration generating apparatus, for example a shaking table comprising a motorised system that is configured to vibrate the sachet filling device. The vibration generating apparatus may advantageously be used to ensure consistent filling of the sachets, and to reduce the probability of material becoming stuck within the apertures of the upper part.

The apertures may be oval in shape in plan view. Oval apertures have been found to be less likely to become blocked with cut, ground, granular or powdered material than apertures having a circular cross section.

Each aperture may include a section that tapers outwardly in a direction away from its upper opening and/or a section that tapers inwardly in a direction towards its lower opening. Apertures including upper sections that taper outwardly away from their upper openings have been found to be less likely to become blocked with cut, ground, granular or powdered material than apertures that are not tapered. In addition, apertures including lower sections that taper inwardly towards their lower openings have been found to allow material to be directed more accurately into sachets held in the recesses of the base than apertures having a constant cross section.

The upper part may comprise a planar upper surface, and each of the apertures may terminate in an upper opening formed in the upper surface of the upper part. Arranging the apertures to open onto a planar upper surface of the upper part enables material to be introduced into the apertures by placing the material on the upper surface of the upper part and then drawing the material across the upper surface of the upper part such that the material falls into the apertures as it passes over the upper openings of the apertures. A scraper tool is preferably supplied together with the device, the scraper tool comprising a scraping edge that is configured to be used to drag material across the upper surface of the upper part and into the apertures.

The upper part may comprise a wall that extends upwardly from the upper surface and at least partially surrounds the upper openings of the apertures. The wall may help to retain material on the upper surface of the upper part of the sachet filling device while the material is being drawn across the upper surface. The wall preferably surrounds the upper openings of the apertures, but may include a gap for allowing excess material to be drawn off the upper surface once the apertures have been filled with material.

The upper part may comprise a blocking mechanism for selectively blocking and unblocking the apertures, the blocking mechanism being switchable between a first configuration in which it blocks the apertures and a second configuration in which it does not block the apertures. The blocking mechanism is advantageously able to control when material is permitted to fall through the apertures into sachets held in the recesses of the base. In this way the blocking mechanism allows a user to fill each aperture with the desired quantity of material before the material is introduced into the sachets, thereby allowing the sachets to be filled evenly with a desired quantity of material.

The blocking mechanism may be provided with a user-operable actuation device such as a lever that is operable to switch the blocking mechanism from the first configuration to the second configuration in order to selectively unblock the apertures.

The blocking mechanism may be configured to permit the upper part of the sachet filling device to be positioned on the base when the blocking mechanism is in the first configuration (in which the apertures are blocked), but to inhibit placement of the upper part of the sachet filling device onto the base while the blocking mechanism is in the second configuration (in which the apertures are unblocked). The blocking mechanism may, for example, comprise at least one tapered or keyhole shaped slot that is configured to receive a protruding part of the base therein, the tapered or keyhole shaped slot being configured to permit the upper part of the sachet filling device to be positioned on the base only when the blocking mechanism is in the first configuration. The blocking mechanism may further be provided with a biasing device such as a spring that is configured to bias the blocking mechanism into the first configuration.

The blocking mechanism may comprise a blocking plate that is movable with respect to the upper part of the sachet filling device, the blocking plate being configured to support material located within the apertures thereon when the blocking mechanism is in the first configuration, and comprising a plurality of holes that are configured to be brought into alignment with the apertures when the blocking mechanism is in the second configuration.

The blocking plate may be located between first and second plates that together form a body of the upper part of the sachet filling device. The first and second plates preferably remain coupled together during normal use of the sachet filling device, but may be configured to be separated from each other in order to facilitate cleaning of the first and second plates and the blocking mechanism.

The upper part may comprise a body and a volumetric measuring component that is mounted to the body of the upper part, the apertures extending through the body of the upper part and the volumetric measuring component, wherein the volumetric measuring component is located above the body of the upper part and readily detachable therefrom. The volumetric measuring component may be one of a plurality of volumetric measuring components of different thicknesses that are supplied with or available for the sachet filling device, the volumetric measuring components being interchangeable with each other in order to vary the volumes of the apertures to thereby control the quantity of material that is delivered to each sachet during a filling cycle.

Each of the apertures may terminate in a protruding formation provided on an underside of the upper part, each of the protruding formations being aligned with a respective one of the recesses of the base when the upper part is mounted above the base. The protruding formations may be configured to be received within open upper ends of sachets held in the recesses of the base. By extending into open upper ends of sachets held in the recesses of the base, the protruding formations may ensure that any material passing through the apertures during a filling cycle is correctly received within the sachets and does not fall outside the sachets.

The protruding formations extend downwardly on the underside of the upper part of the sachet filling device when the upper part is mounted above the base. However, it will be appreciated that the protruding formations may not be the lower-most portions of the upper part of the sachet filling device. For example, the protruding formations may be located inside one or more recesses or indentations provided on the underside of the upper part.

Each of the protruding formations may have a shape that tapers inwardly in a direction away from the upper part, that is in a direction towards the base when the upper part is mounted above the base. The protruding formation may, for example, have a part-conical shape.

The protruding formations may be oval in shape in plan view. In this case the protruding formations may have major transverse axes that are aligned with the slot shaped lower portions and/or the vertically extending grooves of the recesses of the base when the upper part is mounted above the base. Forming the protruding formations with oval shapes arranged in this way maximises the probability of the protruding formations being received correctly within open upper ends of sachets held in the recesses of the base.

Each protruding formation may have a central axis, first and second sides arranged on a first transverse axis perpendicular to the central axis, and third and fourth sides arranged on a second transverse axis perpendicular to the central axis and the first transverse axis. Each protruding formation may extend further from the upper part (and towards the base when the upper part is mounted above the base) on the first and second sides than on the third and fourth sides. In other words, the lower ends of the protruding formations may not terminate within a plane, but may instead have profiled shapes when viewed from the side that extend further towards the base on opposed first and second sides thereof than on opposed third and fourth sides.

The first and second sides of each protruding formation may taper towards a point, and the third and fourth sides may curve inwardly when viewed from the side.

The first and second sides of the protruding formations may be aligned with the slot shaped lower portions and/or the vertically extending grooves of the recesses of the base. Providing the protruding formations with profiled ends that are aligned with the recesses in this manner further increases the probability of the protruding formations being received correctly within open upper ends of sachets held in the recesses of the base.

Each of the protruding formations may be surrounded by an annular recess. The annular recesses may be configured to receive open upper ends of sachets held in the recesses of the base therein in order to ensure correct location of the sachets with respect to the upper part and the protruding formations. The annular recesses preferably each taper inwardly in a direction away from the base and towards/into the upper part.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of filling sachets using a sachet filling device according to the first aspect of the present invention, comprising steps of: a) placing a plurality of open ended sachets in the recesses provided in the base of the sachet filling device; b) arranging the upper part of the sachet filling device above the base with the apertures of the upper part aligned with the recesses of the base; c) placing material to be introduced into the sachets on an upper surface of the upper part; d) introducing the material into the apertures of the upper part by moving the material across the upper surface of the upper part; e) allowing the material to fall from the apertures into the sachets held in the recesses of the base, and f) closing and sealing the open ends of the sachets.

The material with which the sachets are filled is preferably in cut, ground, granular or powdered form. The material may comprise coffee, tea, other herbal materials and/or crystalline substances, and may optionally have medicinal properties.

The sachets may comprise a material that is permeable to water and/or vapour, and the filled sachets may be intended for infusion in water and/or for heating in a vaporiser device.

The step of introducing the material into the apertures of the upper part may comprise filling each aperture up to an open upper end thereof. Filling the apertures up to their open upper ends promotes predictable and consistent filling of the sachets.

The method may further comprise a step of removing excess material from the upper surface of the upper part. The excess material is preferably removed from the upper surface of the upper part before the material is allowed to fall from the apertures into the sachets.

The method may further comprise, between the steps of introducing the material into the apertures of the upper part and allowing the material to fall from the apertures into the sachets, blocking the apertures to retain the material in the apertures, and then unblocking the apertures to allow the material to fall from the apertures into the sachets.

The method may further comprise vibrating the sachet filling device. The sachet filling device may be vibrated before and/or after the material has been allowed to fall from the apertures into the sachets. Vibration of the sachet filling device before the material has been allowed to fall from the apertures into the sachets promotes even filling of the sachets and prevents the material from becoming compacted and stuck within the apertures. Vibration of the sachet filling device after the material has been allowed to fall from the apertures into the sachets encourages the material to settle uniformly in the sachets away from their open upper ends.

The sachets are preferably closed and sealed before being removed from the recesses of the base. The step of closing and sealing the open ends of the sachets preferably comprises using a sachet closing tool, for example a hand-held heat sealing tool or crimping tool, to close and seal multiple sachets at the same time while the sachets are still held in the recesses of the base.

The method may further comprise any other steps associated with the normal operation of a sachet filling device including any of the features described above in connection with the first aspect of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 schematically illustrates a sachet filling device in accordance with one possible embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 schematically illustrates the sachet filling device in an exploded state; Figure 4 schematically illustrates an upper plan view of a base of the sachet filling device; Figure 5 schematically illustrates an upper plan view of a recess of the base; Figures 6 and 7 schematically illustrate cross-section views through the sachet filling device; Figure 8 schematically illustrates an underside plan view of an upper part of the sachet filling device; Figure 9 and 10 schematically illustrates a protruding formation provided on an underside of the upper part; Figures 11 and 12 schematically illustrate cross-section views through the protruding formation; Figures 13 and 14 schematically illustrate a sachet being filled with cut, ground, granular or powdered material by the sachet filling device; Figures 15 and 16 schematically illustrate a scraper tool and a hand-held heat sealing tool that are used in combination with the sachet filling device during sachet filling and sealing operations; Figure 17 schematically illustrates a sachet to be filled with cut, ground, granular or powdered material using the sachet filling device, and Figures 18a and 18b schematically illustrate an actuation mechanism of the sachet filing device that is used to control the delivery of material into sachets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Figures 1 to 3 illustrate a table-top sachet filling device 1 in accordance with one possible embodiment of the present invention for allowing small to medium sized sachet filling operations and individual end users to fill a plurality of sachets with custom preparations of cut, ground, granular and/or powdered material at the same time. The sachet filling device 1 is shown from the front in Figure 1, in plan view (from above) in Figure 2, and in an exploded state in Figure 3.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the sachet filling device 1 comprises a base 10 that is mounted on top of a shaking table 18 comprising a motorised shaking system 18a via an adapter plate 19, and an upper part 20 that is mounted on top of the base 10. The upper part 20 is configured to be detached from the base 10 by being lifted upwardly away from the upper surface 10a of the base 10, and is completely decoupled from the base 10 when not mounted thereto.

Figure 4 illustrates a plan view of the base 10 in isolation. As shown in Figure 4, the base 10 is generally rectangular in plan view and comprises a set of twenty five recesses 11 formed in its upper surface, each of which is configured to receive and hold an open ended sachet to be filled with cut, ground, granular or powdered material, as described in more detail below. The recesses 11 are arranged in five rows 12 of five recesses, the recesses 11 within each row 12 being arranged along a straight line that passes through the centre of each recess 11 in that row 12.

Figure 5 illustrates a close-up plan view of a single one of the recesses 11, and Figures 6 and 7 illustrate cross-section views of the sachet filling device 1, each of which cuts through several of the recesses 11. In particular, Figure 6 illustrates a cross-section view taken in a vertical plane that extends in a direction perpendicular to the rows 12 of recesses 11 (and therefore cuts through a single recess 11 from each row 12), and Figure 7 illustrates a cross-section view taken in a vertical plane that extends in a direction that is aligned with one of the rows 12 of recesses 11 (and therefore cuts through each of the recesses 11 in one of the rows 12).

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, each of the recesses 11 comprises a cylindrical upper portion 1 1 a that opens onto the upper surface 10a of the base 10 and extends downwardly into the base 10 in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 10a of the base 10. Each of the recesses 11 further comprises a slot shaped lower portion 11 b that is connected to the upper portion 11 a of the recess 11 via a transition section 11c, and extends downwardly therefrom towards or to a lower surface of the base 10. The slot shaped lower portions 11 b of the recesses 11 blend smoothly into the cylindrical upper portions 11 a of the recesses 11 at the transition sections 11c.

The lower portion 11 b of each recess 11 is significantly narrower than the upper portion 11a of the recess 11 in a width direction, and extends in a length direction that is aligned with the line of the row 12 in which the recess 11 is arranged. The lower portion 11 b of each recess 11 has a waveform shape in plan view that is generated by a series of vertically extending ridges lid that extend up the sidewalls of the lower portion 11 b of the recess 11 on alternating sides thereof.

Each recess 11 further comprises a pair of vertically extending grooves 11e that extend up opposing sides of the cylindrical upper portion 11a of the recess 11. The vertically extending grooves 11e of each recess 11 are also aligned with the line of the row 12 in which the recess 11 is arranged, and blend into the ends of the slot shaped lower portion llb of the recess 11.

Figure 17 illustrates a sachet 100 that the sachet filling device 1 is designed to be used to fill. The sachet 100 comprises a flattened tubular body 101 formed of a material that is permeable to water and/or vapour. The tubular body 101 is closed at one end 102 thereof and open at the other end 103. The sachet 100 preferably includes an elongated closed portion 104 that extends from the closed end 102 of the sachet 100 along a significant portion of the tubular body 101. The sachet 100 also includes an open portion 105 that extends from the inner end of the closed portion 104 up to the open end 103 of the sachet 100, and folded or creased side edges 106 that extend from the closed end 102 towards the open end 103 of the sachet 100. The sachet 100 is supplied in a flat form, but can be opened by pushing the side edges 106 inwardly towards each other.

In use of the sachet filling device 1, each of the recesses 11 is designed to receive one of the sachets 100 therein, with the closed end 102 of the sachet 100 (including the elongated closed portion 104) being received and held in the slot-shaped lower portion llb of the recess 11, the main body of the sachet 100 (that is the open portion 105 of the tubular body 101) being received and held in the cylindrical upper portion 11a of the recess 11, and the creased side edges 106 of the sachet 100 being received and held in the vertically extending grooves 11e of the recess 11.

Each row 12 of recesses 11 is provided with a pair of aligning pins 13 that extend upwardly from the upper surface 10a of the base 10 at opposed ends of the row 12. The aligning pins 13 are used to ensure correct alignment of a sachet closing tool with respect to the base 10 after the sachets 100 have been filled with material, as described in more detail below.

The base 10 further comprises a set of locating pins 14 that extend upwardly from the upper surface 10a of the base 10 at locations outboard of the recesses 11. The locating pins 14 are used to ensure correct alignment of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 with respect to the base 10, as described in more detail below.

The base 10 is also provided with a plurality of cut outs 15 that extend through the thickness of the base 10 at various positions between the rows 12 of recesses 11 in order to reduce the weight of the base 10.

The upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 is shown from a front side thereof in Figure 1, in plan view from above in Figure 2, and from below in Figure 8.

As shown in Figure 1, the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 is formed by a stack of three plates 21, 22, 23 arranged on top of each other. The stack includes a first plate or lower plate 21 that is configured to sit on top of the base 10 of the sachet filling device 1 when the upper part 20 is mounted to the base 10 as illustrated in Figure 1, a second plate or middle plate 22 that is arranged on top of the first/lower plate 21, and a third plate or upper plate 23 that is arranged on top of the second/middle plate 22. The plates 21, 22, 23 may each be formed of a polymeric or plastics material.

The lower and middle plates 21, 22 are connected to each other to form a main body 20' of the upper part 20 by a first set of fasteners in the form of thumb screws 22a. The lower and middle plates 21, 22 are configured to remain coupled together during normal use of the sachet filling device 1. However, the lower and middle plates 21, 22 may be detached from each other by unscrewing the first set of thumb screws 22a in order to facilitate cleaning of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1, as described in more detail below.

The upper plate 23 is connected to the main body 20' of the upper part 20 (formed by the lower and middle plates 21, 22) by a second set of fasteners in the form of thumb screws 23a. The upper plate 23 is configured to remain coupled to the main body 20' of the upper part 20 while the sachet filling device 1 is being used to fill sachets, but may be detached from the main body 20' of the upper part 20 by unscrewing the second set of thumb screws 23a in order to allow the upper plate 23 to be replaced by other alternative upper plates 23, as described in more detail below.

As shown in Figures 2 and 8, each of the lower, middle and upper plates 21, 22, 23 has a generally rectangular shape in plan view. The lower plate 21 additionally comprises a pair of handles 24 that extend outwardly from opposed ends thereof, which may be held by a user in order to facilitate manipulation of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1.

As shown in Figure 8, the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 comprises a set of vertically extending openings 25 that extend through the thickness of the lower and middle plates 21, 22. The openings 25 have the same spacing as the locating pins 14 of the base 10, and are configured to receive the locating pins 14 of the base 10 therein when the upper part 20 is mounted to the base 10 in the manner illustrated in Figure 1. The upper part 20 also comprises five pairs of holes 26 having the same spacing as the aligning pins 13 of the base 10, which are configured to receive the aligning pins 13 therein when the upper part 20 is mounted to the base 10.

As shown in Figures 2 and 8, the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 further comprises a set of twenty five vertically extending apertures 30. Each of the apertures 30 extends through the thickness of the upper part 20 along a central axis al from an upper opening 30a provided in a planar upper surface 20a of the upper part 20, through the various plates 21, 22, 23 that together form the upper part 20, to a lower opening 30b provided on the underside 20b of the upper part 20.

As with the recesses 11 provided in the base 10, the apertures 30 of the upper part 20 are arranged in five rows 31 of five apertures, the apertures 30 within each row 31 being arranged along a straight line that passes through the centre of each aperture 30 in that row 31. The apertures 30 of the upper part 20 have the same spacing as the recesses 11 of the base 10, and are arranged such that each one of the apertures 30 is aligned with and located directly above a respective one of the recesses 11 of the base 10 when the upper part 20 is mounted to the base 10 in the manner illustrated in Figure 1 so that material can be directed into sachets held in the recess 11 of the base 10 via the apertures 30.

As shown most clearly in Figures 2 and 3, the apertures 30 are surrounded by a wall 27 that extends upwardly from the upper surface 20a of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1. The wall 27 defines a loading bed on the upper surface 20a of the upper part 20 for receiving material to be introduced into sachets held in the recesses 11 of the base 10 during sachet filling operations. A gap 27a is provided in the wall 27 at a front side of the upper part 20, which leads to a chute 28, and an open-topped receptacle 60 is located on the adapter plate 19 below a distal end of the chute 28. The gap 27a in the wall 27 and the chute 28 are configured to allow excess material to be removed from the loading bed 20a and directed into the open-topped receptacle 60 during sachet filling operations.

As shown in the cross-section views of Figures 6 and 7, the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 is provided with a blocking plate 41 that is located within a recess or slot formed between the lower and middle plates 21, 22 of the upper part 20. The blocking plate 41 takes the form of a thin metal plate, and has a rectangular shape in plan view. The blocking plate 41 extends across the majority of the length and width of the upper part 20, and intersects each of the apertures 30 formed therein, thereby dividing each of the apertures 30 into an upper portion and a lower portion. In particular, the blocking plate 41 divides each aperture 30 into an upper portion that extends through the middle and upper plates 22, 23 of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 from the upper opening 30a of the aperture to the blocking plate 41, and a lower portion that extends through the lower plate 21 of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 from the blocking plate 41 to the lower opening 30b of the aperture 30.

As shown in the plan views of Figures 2 and 8, each of the apertures 30 has an oval shape in plan view in both its upper and lower portions (that is both above and below the blocking plate 41). Each of the oval apertures 30 has a major transverse axis a2 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis al of the aperture 30 and is aligned with the longer length direction of the oval aperture 30, and a minor transverse axis a3 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis al and the major axis a2 and is aligned with the smaller width direction of the oval aperture 30. The major axis a2 of each aperture 30 is aligned with the line of the row 31 in which the aperture 30 is arranged.

As shown in the cross-section views of Figures 6 and 7, each of the apertures 30 expands in width in both the major and minor axis directions a2, a3 through its upper portion in a direction from its upper opening 30a towards the blocking plate 41. The lower portions of the apertures 30 (below the blocking plate 41) are wider than the upper portions of the apertures 30 (above the blocking plate 41). However, each of the apertures 30 then tapers inwardly through its lower portion in a direction from the blocking plate 41 towards its lower opening 30b.

The blocking plate 41 is provided with a set of twenty five holes 41a that extend therethrough in a vertical direction perpendicular to the plane of the blocking plate 41, which have the same arrangement and spacing as the apertures 30 of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1. The blocking plate 41 is configured for sliding movement relative to the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 in a left/right direction when the sachet filling device 1 is viewed from the front, as shown in Figures 1 and 6.

In particular, the blocking plate 41 is movable between a first position (as shown in Figure 6) in which the holes 41a in the blocking plate 41 are not aligned with the apertures 30 of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 and the blocking plate 41 therefore blocks the apertures 30, and a second position in which the holes 41a in the blocking plate 41 are aligned with the apertures 30 and the apertures 30 are therefore unblocked such that material is able to fall from the apertures 30 into sachets located in the recesses 11 of the base 10. The direction of movement of the blocking plate 41 from the first position to the second position is indicated by arrow A in Figure 6.

The position of the blocking plate 41 is controlled using a user-operable lever 42 that is mounted to the lower plate 21 of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1. The lever 42 is shown most clearly in Figures 18a and 18b, in which the middle and upper plates 22, 23 have been omitted for clarity.

As shown in Figures 18a and 18b, the lever 42 is pivotally connected to one of the handles 24 of the lower plate 21, and further connected to the blocking plate 41 via a link mechanism 43. In the present embodiment the link mechanism 43 comprises a sliding bar that is pivotally connected to the lever 42 and further connected to a mounting block that extends upwardly from the blocking plate 41 adjacent to an end thereof.

The lever 42 is movable between a first position, shown in Figure 18a, in which it extends towards the blocking plate 41, and a second position, shown in Figure 18b, in which it extends away from the blocking plate 41. The first position of the lever 42 corresponds to the first position of the blocking plate 41 (in which it blocks the apertures 30), and the second position of the lever 42 corresponds to the second position of the blocking plate 41 (in which the apertures 30 are unblocked).

When the lever 42 is in its first position the blocking plate 41 is held in its first position and the apertures 30 remain blocked. However, when a user of the sachet filling device 1 moves the lever 42 from its first position into its second position, the link mechanism 43 acts on the blocking plate 41 to move the blocking plate 41 in the first direction A from its first position into its second position, thereby unblocking the apertures 30. The lever 42 can then be moved back into its first position, causing the link mechanism 43 to act on the blocking plate 41 to move the blocking plate 41 back from its second position into its first position. In this way the blocking mechanism 40 can be operated to selectively block and unblock the apertures 30 of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1, thereby controlling when material located within the apertures 30 is permitted to fall from the apertures 30 into sachets located in the recesses 11 of the base 10.

In addition to the twenty five holes 41a corresponding to the apertures 30 of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1, the blocking plate 41 is also provided with a further hole 44 located towards the end of the blocking plate 41 that is connected to the lever 42, as shown in Figures 18a and 18b. This further hole 44 is provided in a tab portion that extends outwardly from the end of the blocking plate 41, and is configured to receive one of the locating pins 14 of the base 10 therein when the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 is arranged on the base 10, in particular the central one of the three locating pins 14 provided at the right hand side of the base 10 when the sachet filling device 1 is viewed from the front, as shown in Figure 1. (The locating pin that is received in this further hole is identified as 14a in Figure 3.) The further hole 44 takes the form of an elongate slot that is aligned with the direction of movement A of the blocking plate 41. The slot 44 has a keyhole shape, and includes a wider end 44a located towards the lever 42 and a narrower end 44b that extends away from the lever 42. The wider end 44a of the slot 44 is aligned with the locating pin 14a when the blocking plate 41 is in its first position (in which it blocks the apertures 30), as shown in Figure 18a, and the narrower end 44b of the slot 44 is aligned with the locating pin 14a when the blocking plate 41 is in its second position (in which the apertures 30 are unblocked), as shown in Figure 18b.

The wider end 44a of the slot 44 has a width that is slightly greater than the diameter of the locating pin 14a such that the locating pin 14a is able to pass therethrough when the blocking plate 41 is in its first position with respect to the upperpart 20 of the sachet filling device 1, thereby enabling the upper part 20 to be placed on top of and removed from the base 10 when the blocking plate 41 is in its first position. However, the narrower end 44b of the slot 44 has a width that is smaller than the outer diameter of the locating pin 14a and is configured to engage a circumferential groove 14b in the locating pin 14a when the blocking plate 41 is in its second position with respect to the upperpart 20 of the sachet filling device 1, thereby preventing the upper part 20 from being placed on top of or removed from the base 10 when the blocking plate 41 is in its second position. The blocking mechanism 40 is therefore configured to prevent the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 from being placed on the base 10 unless the apertures 30 are blocked.

The blocking mechanism 40 may optionally also be provided with a biasing device such as a spring (not shown) that is configured to bias the blocking plate 41 into its first position (in which it blocks the apertures 30).

As shown in the cross-section views of Figures 6 and 7 as well as the underside plan view of Figure 8, each of the apertures 30 of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 terminates in a protruding formation 50 provided on the underside 20b of the upper part 20. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, each of the protruding formations 50 is located inside an indentation 51 provided on the underside of the upper part 20, and so the protruding formations 50 do not extend below the lower-most portion of the upper part 20. However, the protruding formations 50 extend outwardly from a body of the upper part 20 within their respective indentations 51 and are configured to extend into the open upper ends of sachets held in the recesses 11 of the base 10 during sachet filling operations in order to promote correct alignment of the sachets and ensure that material passing through the apertures 30 is received within the sachets and does not fall outside the sachets, as described in more detail below.

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate one of the protruding formations 50 from below and from a perspective angle. One of the protruding formations 50 will now be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. However, it will be appreciated that each of the protruding formations 50 has a similar shape and arrangement.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the protruding formation 50 is defined by an annular wall 52 that extends downwardly from a body of the lower plate 21. The annular wall 52 is oval in shape in plan view, and is aligned with the oval shape of the aperture 30 that passes therethrough (and with the line of the row 31 in which the aperture 30 is arranged). The annular wall 52 shares a central axis al with the aperture 30 that passes therethrough.

The annular wall 52 has an outer surface that tapers inwardly in a direction away from the upper part 20 (and towards the base 10 when the upper part 20 is mounted to the base 10), resulting in a pad-conical shape. An annular recess or trough 53 is formed between the outer surface of the annular wall 52 and the sidewall of the indentation 51 in which the protruding formation 50 is located, which tapers inwardly in a direction towards and into the upper part 20.

The protruding formation 50 has a first transverse axis a4 that extends in a first direction perpendicular to its central axis al, and a second transverse axis a5 that extends in a second direction perpendicular to its central axis al and first transverse axis a4. The first transverse axis a4 is aligned with the longer length direction of the protruding formation 50, and the second transverse axis a5 is aligned with the shorter width direction of the protruding formation 50. The protruding formation 50 comprises first and second sides 50a, 50b that are arranged on the first transverse axis a4 on opposing sides of the central axis al, and third and fourth sides 50c, 50d that are arranged on the second transverse axis a5 on opposing sides of the central axis al. Figures 11 and 12 show cross-section views through the protruding formation 50 in vertical planes. The view of Figure 11 is taken in a plane that is parallel to the second transverse axis as and faces along the first transverse axis a4 (aligned with the length direction of the protruding formation 50), and the view of Figure 12 is taken in a plane that is parallel to the first transverse axis a4 and faces along the second transverse axis a5 (aligned with the width direction of the protruding formation 50).

As shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12, the protruding formation 50 extends further from the body of the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 on the first and second sides 50a, 50b than on the third and fourth sides 50c, 50d. In addition, the first and second sides 50a, 50b of the protruding formation 50 each taper towards a point at the lower end of the protruding formation 50, as shown in Figure 11, and the third and fourth sides 50c, 50d each curve inwardly when the protruding formation 50 is viewed from the side in a direction aligned with the second transverse axis a5, as shown in Figure 12. The protruding formation 50 therefore has a beak-like shape that is similar to the shape of an open beak of a bird.

The upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 is also provided with a plurality of cut outs 29 that are provided on the underside of the lower plate 21 at various positions between the rows 31 of apertures 30 in order to reduce the weight of the upper part 20, as shown in Figures 6 and 8.

Operation of the sachet filling device 1 will now be described.

When a user wishes to fill sachets with a preparation of cut, ground, granular or powdered material 110, the user first removes the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 from the base 10 by lifting the upper part 20 vertically away from the upper surface 10a of the base 10.

Sachets 100 of the type illustrated in Figure 17 are then placed in the recesses 11 of the base 10, with the closed end 102 of the sachet 100 (including the elongated closed portion 104) being received and held in the slot-shaped lower portion 11 b of the recess 11, the main body of the sachet 100 (that is the open portion 105 of the tubular body 101) being received and held in an open configuration in the cylindrical upper portion 11a of the recess 11, and the creased side edges 106 of the sachet 100 being received and held in the vertically extending grooves 11e of the recess 11. In this way the sachets 100 held by each recess 11 in each row 12 are aligned with each other within a common vertical plane that extends through the recesses 11 of that row 12.

The upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 is then placed on top of the base 10, with the locating pins 14 of the base 10 being received within the openings 25 of the upper part 20 in order to ensure correct alignment of the upper part 20 with respect to the base 10, such that the apertures 30 of the upper part 20 are aligned with the recesses 11 of the base 10.

As the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 is placed on top of the base 10, the protruding formations 50 on the underside of the upper part 20 are received within the open upper ends 103 of the sachets 100 held in the recesses 11 of the base 10 and the open upper ends 103 of the sachets 100 are received within the troughs 53 surrounding the protruding formations 50, as shown in Figures 13 and 14. The shapes of the protruding formations 50 and their alignment with the sachets 100 aids their introduction into the open upper ends 103 of the sachets 100.

Once the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 has been placed on top of the base 10, the material 110 to be introduced into the sachets is then placed on the loading bed of the upper part 20, that is the planar upper surface 20a of the upper part within the wall 27.

The material 110 is then repeatedly drawn across the surface 20a of the loading bed using a scraper tool 120, illustrated in Figure 15, in order to introduce the material 110 into the upper portions of the apertures 30. The shaking table 18 may optionally be operated to vibrate the sachet filling device 1 during this step in order to ensure that the material 110 is evenly distributed within the upper portions of the apertures 30 down to the upper surface of the blocking plate 41.

Once the apertures 30 have each been filled with material 110 up to their open upper ends 30a, the scraper tool 120 is used to sweep excess material off the loading bed and into the open-topped receptacle 60 via the gap 27a in the wall 27 and the chute 28. The shaking table 18 may then be operated to vibrate the sachet filling device 1 again in order to loosen the material 110 within the apertures 30.

The lever 42 of the blocking mechanism 40 is then operated to move the blocking plate 41 from its first position (in which it blocks the apertures 30) into its second position (in which the holes 41a in the blocking plate 41 are aligned with the apertures 30) in order to allow the material 110 held in the upper portions of the apertures 30 to fall down into the sachets 100 held in the recesses 11 of the base 10, as shown in Figures 13 and 14. The protruding formations 50, which extend into the open upper ends 103 of the sachets 100, ensure that the material 110 is received within the sachets 100 and does not fall outside the sachets 100.

Once the material 110 has been received in the sachets 100, the lever 42 of the blocking mechanism 40 is then operated to move the blocking plate 41 back from its second position into its first position, and the upper part 20 of the sachet filling device 1 may then be lifted off the base 10 in order to expose the filled sachets 100 in the recesses 11 of the base 10. The shaking table 18 may also be operated to vibrate the sachet filling device 1 after the material 110 has been received in the sachets 100 (either before or after removal of the upper part 20) in order to cause the material 110 to settle uniformly in the sachets 100 away from their open upper ends 103.

The sachets 100 may then be closed and sealed one row at a time using a sachet closing tool. The sachet closing tool may, for example, be a hand-held crimping tool or heat sealing tool 130 as illustrated in Figure 16, comprising a pair of jaws 131 that are pivotable relative to each other around a pivot axis 132 and configured to be brought together around the upper ends 103 of the sachets 100 to close and seal the upper ends 103 of the sachets 100. The aligning pins 13 at the ends of each row 12 of recesses 11 may be used to align the sachet closing tool 130 with the filled sachets 100 held in the recesses 11 in order to facilitate correct positioning of the sachet closing tool 130 with respect to the sachets 100 to be closed.

If each of the apertures 30 is filled up to its open upper end 30a before the blocking plate 41 is moved into the second position in order to allow the material 110 contained in the apertures 30 to fall into the sachets 100 held in the recesses 11 of the base 10 then each sachet 100 will receive the same quantity of material 110, the quantity of material 110 that is received by each sachet 100 being defined by the volumes of the upper portions of the apertures 30 (that is the portions of the apertures 30 located in the middle and upper plates 22, 23 above the blocking plate 41). In the present embodiment the upper portion of each aperture 30 has a volume of approximately 1200mm3 such that each sachet 100 will receive approximately 1200 mm3 of material 110 in each filling cycle. However, it will be appreciated that other volumes could be selected depending on the size of the sachets 100 and the extent to which it is desired to fill the sachets 100.

In order to allow a user of the sachet filling device 1 to vary the quantity of material 110 that is introduced into each sachet 100 in each filling cycle, the sachet filling device 1 may also be supplied with a plurality of alternative upper plates 23, the alternative upper plates 23 having different thicknesses and therefore different aperture volumes.

When a user of the sachet filling device 1 wants to change the volume of material 110 that is introduced into each sachet 100 in each filling cycle, they are able to do so by unscrewing the second set of thumbscrews 23a, removing the existing upper plate 23 from the lower and middle plates 21, 22 of the upper part 20, and replacing it with another upper plate 23 that defines a different aperture volume. The upper plates 23 of the upper part 20 therefore act as interchangeable volumetric measuring components for allowing sachets 100 to be filled with different quantities of material 110.

As mentioned above, the lower and middle plates 21, 22 are intended to remain coupled together during normal use of the sachet filling device 1. However, the lower and middle plates 21, 22 may be detached from each other by unscrewing the first set of thumb screws 22a in order to provide access to the blocking plate 41 for cleaning.

Various directional terms such as upper, lower, top, bottom, vertical and horizontal have been used throughout this specification. It will be appreciated that these terms are intended to apply when the sachet filling device 1 and its various components including the base 10 and the upper part 20 are in their normal orientations for use, as illustrated in Figure 1.

It will be appreciated that the above-described embodiment is included for illustrative purposes only, and that many modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A sachet filling device comprising a base and an upper part that is configured to be located above the base in use; wherein the base comprises a plurality of recesses, each of the recesses being configured to receive and hold a sachet therein; and wherein the upper part comprises a plurality of apertures, each of the apertures being aligned with a respective one of the recesses and configured to guide material towards the recess with which it is aligned when the upper part is positioned above the base.
2. A sachet filling device according to Claim 1, wherein each of the recesses comprises an upper portion with a generally cylindrical or conical shape, and a slot shaped lower portion, the slot shaped lower portion of each recess having a width that is lower than the width of the upper portion of the recess.
3. A sachet filling device according to Claim 2, wherein the lower portions of the recesses are waveform in shape in plan view.
4. A sachet filling device according to any preceding claim, wherein each recess comprises a pair of vertically extending grooves that are configured to receive side edges of a sachet therein.
5. A sachet filling device according to any preceding claim, wherein the recesses are arranged in at least one row, preferably in a plurality of rows, the recesses within each row being arranged along a straight line that passes through the centres of the recesses of that row.
6. A sachet filling device according to Claim 5, wherein the base comprises, for each row of recesses, a pair of aligning pins that extend upwardly from the base, a first one of the aligning pins being arranged at a first end of the row and a second one of the aligning pins being arranged at an opposed second end of the row.
7. A sachet filling device according to any preceding claim, wherein the base comprises a plurality of locating pins that extend upwardly from the base at locations outboard of the recesses, the locating pins being configured to be received within a corresponding plurality of openings provided in the upper part of the sachet filling device in order to ensure correct location of the upper part with respect to the base when the upper part is mounted to the base.
8. A sachet filling device according to any preceding claim, wherein the base is mounted to or configured to be mounted to a vibration generating apparatus.
9. A sachet filling device according to any preceding claim, wherein the apertures are oval in shape in plan view.
10. A sachet filling device according to any preceding claim, wherein each aperture comprises a section that tapers outwardly in a direction away from its upper opening and/or a section that tapers inwardly in a direction towards its lower opening.
11. A sachet filling device according to any preceding claim, wherein the upper part comprises a planar upper surface, and each of the apertures terminates in an upper opening formed in the upper surface of the upper part.
12. A sachet filling device according to any preceding claim, wherein the upper part comprises a blocking mechanism for selectively blocking and unblocking the apertures, the blocking mechanism being switchable between a first configuration in which it blocks the apertures and a second configuration in which it does not block the apertures.
13. A sachet filling device according to any preceding claim, wherein the upper part comprises a body and a volumetric measuring component that is mounted to the body of the upper part, the apertures extending through the body of the upper part and the volumetric measuring component, wherein the volumetric measuring component is located above the body of the upper part and readily detachable therefrom.
14. A sachet filling device according to any preceding claim, wherein each of the apertures terminates in a protruding formation provided on an underside of the upper part, each of the protruding formations being aligned with a respective one of the recesses of the base when the upper part is mounted above the base.
15. A sachet filling device according to Claim 14, wherein each of the protruding formations has a shape that tapers inwardly in a direction away from the upper part.
16. A sachet filling device according to Claim 14 or Claim 15, wherein the protruding formations are oval in shape in plan view.
17. A sachet filling device according to any of Claims 14 to 16, wherein each protruding formation has a central axis, first and second sides arranged on a first transverse axis that is perpendicular to the central axis, and third and fourth sides arranged on a second transverse axis that is perpendicular to the central axis and the first transverse axis, wherein each protruding formation extends further from the upper part on the first and second sides than on the third and fourth sides.
18. A sachet filling device according to any of Claims 14 to 17, wherein each of the protruding formations is surrounded by an annular recess.
19. A method of filling sachets using the sachet filling device of any preceding claim, comprising steps of: a) placing a plurality of open ended sachets in the recesses provided in the base of the sachet filling device; b) arranging the upper part of the sachet filling device above the base with the apertures of the upper part aligned with the recesses of the base; c) placing material to be introduced into the sachets on an upper surface of the upper part; d) introducing the material into the apertures of the upper part by moving the material across the upper surface of the upper part; e) allowing the material to fall from the apertures into the sachets held in the recesses of the base, and f) closing and sealing the open ends of the sachets.
20. A method according to Claim 19, wherein the step of introducing the material into the apertures of the upper part comprises filling each aperture up to an open upper end thereof.
21. A method according to Claim 19 or Claim 20, further comprising a step of removing excess material from the upper surface of the upper part.
22. A method according to any of Claims 19 to 21, further comprising, between the steps of introducing the material into the apertures of the upper part and allowing the material to fall from the apertures into the sachets, blocking the apertures to retain the material in the apertures, and then unblocking the apertures to allow the material to fall from the apertures into the sachets.
23. A method according to any of Claims 19 to 22, further comprising vibrating the sachet filling device before and/or after the material has been allowed to fall from the apertures into the sachets.
24. A method according to any of Claims 19 to 23, wherein the step of closing and sealing the open ends of the sachets comprises using a sachet closing tool to close and seal multiple sachets at the same time while the sachets are still held in the recesses of the base.