Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D31/00—Bags or like containers made of paper and having structural provision for thickness of contents
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B2155/00—Flexible containers made from webs
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B2155/00—Flexible containers made from webs
  • B31B2155/002—Flexible containers made from webs by joining superimposed webs, e.g. with separate bottom webs
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B2160/00—Shape of flexible containers
  • B31B2160/20—Shape of flexible containers with structural provision for thickness of contents
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
  • B31B70/02—Feeding or positioning sheets, blanks or webs
  • B31B70/10—Feeding or positioning webs
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B—MAKING CONTAINERS OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
  • B31B70/00—Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags
  • B31B70/74—Auxiliary operations
  • B31B70/81—Forming or attaching accessories, e.g. opening devices, closures or tear strings
  • B31B70/84—Forming or attaching means for filling or dispensing contents, e.g. valves or spouts
  • B31B70/844—Applying rigid valves, spouts, or filling tubes

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a container made of flexible material, which can be produced in particular from sheets or films of synthetic material, simple or complex, which is capable of receiving a liquid, viscous or pulverulent product to be poured for its use.
• This invention also relates to a method of manufacturing the container in question, and to an installation intended for the implementation of the method of manufacturing said container.
• these containers are. limited in their uses.
• such containers have a relatively limited capacity compared to their size, and are hardly suitable for large volumes, especially volumes greater than one liter.
• Adapting these containers to large volumes would require an exaggerated increase in their height, with the harmful consequences of a lack of rigidity and a reduction in their stability in the standing position.
• the present invention aims to eliminate all these drawbacks, by providing a container made of flexible material of the type under consideration, which has a greatly increased capacity for a sheet or film surface, and a height, practically unchanged, and which is provided with means allowing the pouring of its contents as well as its recapping, this container remaining economically feasible from simple constituents and in limited number.
• the flexible material container object of the invention belonging to the genus specified in the introduction, has a generally cylindrical or frustoconical appearance and it has an upper part, made of the same material as its side faces, which has a central zone located at the top of the container, on which a stopper is fixed and, on either side of the central zone, two substantially triangular zones which sink between the two lateral faces, so as to define "hollows", and who connect by a vertex at points of the lateral welds located at a distance below the top of the container.
• the generally cylindrical or frustoconical shape of this container leads to a significant increase in its volume, the invention making it possible to envisage capacities of up to 2 liters or more.
• the stopper located in the upper part naturally allows the pouring and the filling of the container, which on the whole achieves the equivalent of a bottle, a bottle or a small can, standing upright even partially emptied, while presenting additional advantages resulting from its flexibility: absence of re-entry of air during the pouring of the content, hence a perfect liquid jet, and possibility of flattening after use, so that the container forms a waste of minimum volume.
• the presence of the stopper with its base is also advantageous, in that it strengthens and stiffens the upper part of the container and that it provides a point of grip for guiding and handling the container during its manufacturing process.
• the stopper has a square or rectangular base, located in the central zone of the upper part of the container and occupying substantially the entire extent of this central zone. Thanks to the shape of its base, the cap can be easily unscrewed and screwed back, without twisting the container.
• the stopper advantageously has, above the base, a flange defining lateral grooves which can be used for guiding and holding the stopper and / or of the entire container during its manufacturing process which will be defined below. -after.
• the plug can be located in an asymmetrical position, at a shorter distance from the top of a lateral weld than from the top of the other weld lateral, the two "hollows" of the upper part being of unequal importance, so as to facilitate pouring.
• the asymmetrical position of the plug allows the addition of a handle in the form of a gripping tab, projecting above the upper face of the base in the region not comprising the plug, the tab being made of '' one piece with the base, which further facilitates the use of the container.
• the method according to the invention for manufacturing the container made of flexible material previously defined, essentially consists of:
• the manufacturing of the containers is thus ensured continuously, from two heat-sealable films, one of which corresponds to the upper part and to the lateral faces, and the other of which corresponds to the bottoms of the containers, with fixing of the caps during the process of manufacturing, welding of the plugs on the first film still flat guaranteeing easy fixing of these plugs.
• the installation of the plugs at a position located upstream of the manufacturing line makes it possible to then use these plugs to guide the first film, to pull it downstream precisely and to then handle the individual containers resulting from the cut made between the side welds.
• the first film is deformed so as to be brought into a folded "T" configuration, the plugs being positioned in the upper position, and the production of the welds, including the welds fixing the folds of the upper part of the containers, is produced in this "T" configuration, the separation of the containers then allowing their elongation with the formation of the above-mentioned "hollows".
• simultaneous line or curvilinear welds of the bottoms and the welds fixing the folds of the upper part are carried out simultaneously, then in a later step the lateral welds of the containers.
• the elongation of the containers after their separation is obtained by inflating these containers through their stopper.
• This inflation operation gives the containers their final configuration, causing them to lengthen with unfolding of the folds of the upper part and formation of "hollows".
• This procedure makes it possible to form the "hollows" of the upper part of the containers, without shortening annoying of this upper part.
• the welding of the upper part of the containers having a provisional configuration in "T" (seen in profile), allows to simultaneously carry out the welding of the bottoms, since there is no shortening. The manufacture of the containers concerned is thus made simple and rapid.
• the invention proposes an installation which comprises, in combination:
• the former includes a horizontal flat guide supporting the upper part of the first film provided with the plugs, and two converging lateral guide bars, so as to bring progressively the first film in a "T" configuration, a device with heating jaws being provided downstream of this shaper, for fixing the folds of the upper part of the containers by welding.
• the heating jaw device for fixing the folds of the upper part of the containers by welding, is associated, in the same welding station, with a double station for welding the bottoms of the containers. -; this welding station is followed by a station carrying out the lateral welds of the same containers.
• the installation according to the invention also comprises, beyond the cutting station ensuring the separation of the containers, a gripping device, for driving and inflating the separate containers, where these containers are taken up and driven by their plugs, and inflated through their plugs to receive their final configuration.
• the installation may also include, downstream of the previously detailed device, means for individually taking up the containers, filling these containers and screwing the caps; these latter means can be produced in the form of a turret, and make it possible to have a complete production line, supplying at its outlet filled and closed containers, ready to be dispatched.
• Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a flexible material container according to the present invention
• Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of this container, passing through its widest area, according to II-II of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same container, passing through one of its narrowest zones, according to III-III of Figure l;
• Figure 4 is another view in vertical section, passing through an area of intermediate width, along IV-IV of Figure l;
• Figure 5 is a front view of a variant of this container;
• Figure 6 is an overall perspective view of another container of flexible material according to the present invention.
• Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of the cap of this container, with its base;
• Figure 8 is a plan view from above of the cap of Figure 7 with its base;
• Figures 9 and 10 are partial views illustrating variants of this container.
• Figure 11 is an overall view, in plan from above, of an installation for manufacturing a container according to the invention, the installation being shown in two separate sections;
• Figure 12 is an overall side view of the installation of Figure 11, also shown here in two separate sections;
• Figures 13, 14 and 15 are cross-sectional views, in several successive planes, of the shaper bringing the first film into a "T"configuration;
• Figure 16 is a plan view illustrating the welds made in the upper parts of the containers;
• Figure 17 is a horizontal sectional view, showing certain details of the station performing the vertical welds
• Figures 18 and 19 are views, respectively from the front and side, of a finished container, before inflation;
• Figures 20 and 21 are views, respectively front and side, of the same container finished after inflation.
• the container which is the subject of the invention a first embodiment of which is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, is designated by the reference 1 and has a general cylindrical or frustoconical appearance, and it is essentially constituted by two opposite lateral faces 2, by a bottom 3 and by an upper part 4 on which a plug 5 is placed.
• the container 1 is mainly made of sheet or film of flexible heat-sealable synthetic material, the plug 5 naturally being made of a more rigid material.
• the two lateral faces 2 and the upper part 4 of the container result from the same sheet of flexible material, folded in "U” or in "W” as specified below, which has previously received the stopper 5 having a base 6 square or rectangular.
• the bottom 3 results from another flexible sheet, added.
• the two lateral faces 2 are joined to one another by substantially vertical lateral welds 7 and 8, which extend over the entire height of the container.
• the upper part 4 is substantially flat and the sheet of flexible material here forms an inverted "U", as shown in the sectional view of. FIG. 2.
• This central zone 9 corresponds to the widest part of the container 1.
• the container gradually narrows to a practically zero thickness corresponding to the vertical welds 7 and 8, the upper part 4 forming in section an "W" reversed like the 'illustrate Figures 3 and 4.
• these two triangular zones 10 and 11 which define respective "hollows” in the form of tetrahedra on either side of the central zone 9, are advantageously of unequal lengths, this asymmetry bringing the plug 5 closer together. one of the vertical welds 7 or 8 and thus facilitating the pouring of the contents of the container.
• the lower part of the container also has, in section, the shape of a "W", curvilinear welds or in broken lines ensuring the sealed connection of the added base 3 with the two lateral faces 2, the starting points of the welds 14 are located on the vertical welds 7 and 8 at a certain level above the base of the container.
• the principle of such a bottom 3, forming a bellows, is well known for example by French patent No. 1349272, and it will not be described in more detail.
• a container 1 of flexible material of large capacity is thus obtained, which remains upright even when it is partially emptied, and which can be capped after use. Thanks to the square or rectangular shape of its base 6, the plug 5 placed on the upper part 4 can be easily unscrewed and re-screwed.
• the flexibility of the container 1 makes the liquid jet perfect because there is no re-entry of air, unlike a rigid container such as a bottle.
• one of the vertical welds 8 may include an enlarged upper part 15, for example of trapezoidal shape, possibly pierced with an opening 16, which forms a handle facilitating the gripping of the container for opening / closing the cap 5 and for pouring the liquid.
• This container can also be laid flat in a negligible space, when it is empty, either for its delivery to a place where it will be filled later, or after its use.
• the flexible container 1, described above, can be produced from complexes of the polyester-polyethylene type, or polyester - aluminum - polyethylene, or polypropylene - polyethylene, or alternatively complexes including polyamide, comprising at least one face made of hot-melt material . Sheets or films of pure polyethylene or other unique heat-sealable material can also be used. In the case of complexes of which one side is difficult to weld, it is advisable to provide cutouts, such as those indicated in 17 and 18 in FIG. 1, to form vertical welds 7 and 8 effectively joining the two lateral faces 2 above all their meager height the local insertion, between these faces 2, of the bottom 3 and of zones 10 and 11 of the upper part 4.
• the base 6 of the plug 5 is also fixed by welding to the central zone 9 of the upper part 4. It will be noted that this plug 5 also includes, above the base 6, a flange 19 making it possible to define lateral grooves useful in the manufacturing process of the container.
• Figures 6 to 8 show another embodiment, in which the elements corresponding to those previously described are designated by the same references.
• the plug 5 is here located in an asymmetrical position relative to the base 6, therefore at a shorter distance from the top of the side weld 7 than from the top of the other side weld 8, which facilitates pouring.
• the use of the container is facilitated by the presence of a handle 15 in the form of a thin gripping tab, protruding above the upper face of the base 6 in the region without the cap. 5, the tab 15 being produced in one piece with the base 6.
• the stopper 5 always comprises, at a low height above the base 6, a flange 19 which defines an annular groove facilitating the guiding and the holding of this stopper 5 and / or of the whole of the container 1.
• Two ribs 19A and 19B diametrically opposite, here provided between the flange 19 and the base 6, allow to block in rotation the stopper 5 and the entire container 1, when tightening between two opposite jaws belonging to an automatic gripping device.
• FIGS. 6 to 8 show by way of example a gripping handle 15 having the appearance of a "T”
• FIG. 9 illustrates a variant in which the handle 15, still integral with the base 6, has the configuration of a closed handle, which turns out to be more advantageous, in the case of a larger container 1, therefore heavier when full.
• FIG. 10 illustrates another variant, in which the screw cap is replaced by a tubular endpiece 5A initially closed by a welded cap 5B, which leads to a simpler and more economical embodiment in the case of a container not requiring to be filled in.
• these various variants do not include any modification with respect to the embodiment described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.
• FIGS. 11 and 12 The installation for manufacturing the container 1 previously described is shown, as a whole, in FIGS. 11 and 12. It comprises a support for a reel 20 of printed film, of horizontal axis 21, with a drive device with tangential roller 22. -A set of rollers 23 ensures, downstream from the reel 20, a constant tension of the film 24, necessary for its alternating printing.
• a set of photoelectric cells 25 and 26 makes it possible to control the unwinding of the coil 20, at two speeds, one of which is slightly higher than the desired average speed, and the other of which is slightly lower than this speed. average.
• an automatic work station is provided, successively comprising in the direction of advance of the film indicated by an arrow 27:
• the pulling device 33 operates with a correction effect of the advance position, thanks to a photoelectric cell, which makes it possible to carry out all the preceding operations at very exact locations depending on the printing of the film 24.
• the base 6 is always welded to the film 24 at the precise location required ..
• Jaws 34 for blocking the film 24 are provided in the downstream part of the device 33. - At the outlet of the device drawing 33, beyond the jaws 34, there is provided a roller 35 of horizontal axis, in permanent rotation, which prevents the film 24 from making a "wave" when the drawing speeds are fast. , the film 24 forms a soft strand 36. So far, this film 24 retains a flat configuration, without wrinkles.
• the film 24 passes over a generally triangular shaping device, narrowing downstream. In this zone, the film 24 thus passes from a flat configuration to a configuration folded first in an inverted “U” then tightened in "T", the plugs 5 being positioned in the upper part, and the lateral parts of the film 24, corresponding to the side faces 2 of the containers, "falling" downwards. More particularly, as illustrated in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15, the film 24 first folded in an inverted “U” gradually progresses to a "T” conformation, its two lateral “drooping" parts being brought together one of the other until practically one comes into contact with the other.
• the upper part of the film 24 is supported by a horizontal flat guide 37, while, on either side of the lateral parts of the film 24, two converging lateral guide bars 38 are provided.
• Guide rollers 42 bring the film 41, coming from the reel 40, to a horizontal guide located under the upper part of the film 24.
• a punching device 43 which prepares the film 41 for welding.
• This last film 41 is thus brought, folded in “V”, between the tightened lateral parts of the first film 24, folded in "T”.
• the assembly of the two films 24 and 41 then arrives at a first welding station 44, where simultaneously:
• the next station 50 performs vertical welds, becoming the lateral welds 7 and 8 of the containers 1, by means of two pairs of heating jaws 51 and 52, followed by a pair of cooling blocks 53, details of this station 50 being shown in Figure 17.
• Elastic heating blocks 54 and 55 are inserted into one of the jaws 51 and 52 of each pair, opposite the other jaw, to compensate for the differences in thicknesses resulting from the variable number (two or four) parts of films to be welded together.
• the next station 56 ensures the pulling in front of the strip, formed by the two films 24 and 41 welded one to the other, this station 56 comprising a pair of vertical bars 57, as well as an upper support member 58.
• a cutting station 59 is provided, ensuring the separation of the containers l according to the vertical welds 7 and 8, associated with a device 60 for gripping, driving and inflating the separate containers 1, where these containers are taken. and swollen with air or other gas by their caps 5.
• FIG. 20 and 21 show the same packaging 1 in the final state, inflated and stretched vertically.
• the containers 1, removed and inflated by the device 60 still undergo a final operation of welding the tabs located at their upper corners, this operation being provided by a last welding station 61 followed by a cooling station 62.
• the containers 1, empty but inflated, are finally taken up on a turret 63, driven in rotation discontinuously about a vertical axis 64, which presents these containers 1 at stations successively ensuring their filling with precise dosing, laying at 65 screwed closure caps, and the evacuation of the filled receptacles l on an outlet conveyor 66 /
• the containers 1 are held by the flange 19 of their stopper, with precise angular positioning thanks to the ribs 19A and 19B as described above.
• the invention is not limited to the sole embodiments of this container made of flexible material which have been described above, by way of examples; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variant embodiments or applications respecting the same principle, and this also applies, naturally, to the manufacturing process and to the installation intended for the implementation of this process.
• the container can have lateral faces either of short profile, or broken down into facets, and that this container can have a rather cylindrical or frustoconical appearance depending on its dimensioning.
• the invention also includes, as such, an element for producing this container made of flexible material, this relatively rigid element comprising a plug 5 with its base 6 of square or rectangular shape, as well as a lug or handle gripping 15 made in one piece with the base 6 and projecting above the latter, as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the shape of the lug or grip handle can however give rise to many variants.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Bag Frames (AREA)
• Making Paper Articles (AREA)
• Shaping Of Tube Ends By Bending Or Straightening (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26229306

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (20)

Citations (6)

• 1993
  • 1993-02-16 WO PCT/FR1993/000154 patent/WO1993016928A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1993-02-16 EP EP93905396A patent/EP0626921B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-02-16 AT AT93905396T patent/ATE125224T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1993-02-16 DE DE69300281T patent/DE69300281T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1993-02-16 AU AU36354/93A patent/AU3635493A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1993-02-23 TW TW082101270A patent/TW252083B/zh active
  • 1993-02-25 MX MX9301039A patent/MX9301039A/es unknown

Patent Citations (6)

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