Molding Or Extruding A Container Patents (Class 53/561)
  • Publication number: 20100095639
    Abstract: A method for spraying the exterior surfaces of blow molded plastic beverage bottles with a treatment to minimize, restrict, or inhibit bottle jams during the use of an air transport system. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Inventors: Michael HOHENHORST, Martin BACKHAUS
  • Publication number: 20100089008
    Abstract: A plant for heat-welding and blow moulding containers having feed apparatus for feeding a thermoformable and heat-weldable plastics material in a preferred direction and a plurality of stations for processing the plastics material to form the containers when in use. The stations, which are located in succession along the preferred direction comprise one or more filling stations to fill the containers with filling material when in use, and at least one station for welding an insert onto a container, each insert defining the opening of a corresponding container. The insert welding station is located upstream of the one or more filling stations in the preferred direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Massimiliano Parini, Roberto Tagliaferri
  • Patent number: 7665281
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a packaging with a packaging tray, into which a product for packing can be filled and which is closed with a lid, whereby at least one form-fit connection connects the packaging tray with the lid and the connection includes first and second connection elements. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for the production of a packaging as well as a packaging machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: CFS Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Dietmar Send, Peter Riegger, Joachim Wokurka
  • Patent number: 7637079
    Abstract: An installation for filling weekly blister packs, i.e. packaging units, with doses of different medicaments corresponding to the weekly requirements of several patients and to be taken by the respective patient in a certain order according to the day of the week and the time of the day, according to a doctor's prescription. The installation is provided with output stations associated with the medicaments, for automatically filling all or selected compartments line-by-line. In order to control the output stations in such a way as to fill the weekly blister pack with the prescribed medicament, an electronic control unit processes information about patients, the information being continuously supplied to the unit in such a way that it is synchronized with the blister pack advancing movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Edwin Kohl
    Inventors: Hans Klingel, Edwin Kohl
  • Patent number: 7614205
    Abstract: Described is a unit (1) for feeding powdered infusion material to a machine (M) producing packs (3) made from filter material (5). The machine (M) comprises a production line (2) for making such packs (3) and consists of a conveyor (4) with mobile recesses (7) moving in a feed direction (L) designed to be covered with filter material (5) and to form impressions (8) in the filter material (5); rotary feeders (10) fitted to the unit (1) designed to feed an amount or dose (C) of the powdered infusion material into the impressions (8), and rotary precompactors (14) mounted on the rotary feeders (10) acting together with rotary feeders (10) to distribute the doses (C) uniformly inside the impressions (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A.
    Inventor: Roberto Conti
  • Patent number: 7607279
    Abstract: A web packaging system provides easy access and changing of tooling, to change a product receiving cavity pocket in a lower web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Alkar-RapidPak, Inc.
    Inventors: Daryl W. Shackelford, Craig R. Bonneville, Kenric Gibbs, Tou T. Vang, Ryan Gitzlaff
  • Patent number: 7588030
    Abstract: A medicament container and a method of manufacturing the container housing at least one individual dose of medicament using a carrier having first and second opposing faces and through walls defining a through hole extending between the first and second opposing faces, the method including inserting the carrier into a mould having an element for protrusion into the through hole from the first face so as to define with the through walls a generally cup-shaped space, filling the generally cup-shaped space with a mould material so as to form a generally cup-shaped insert in the through hole, removing the carrier and insert from the mould, depositing an individual dose of medicament in the generally cup-shaped insert, and sealing the medicament and insert in the through hole by sealing first and second sheets respectively with the first and second faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Meridica Limited
    Inventors: Andrew John Ede, John Kelshaw Conway, Christopher Michael Wright
  • Publication number: 20090223175
    Abstract: A method and device for the manufacture of packaging units or disposable single-use kegs. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventor: Alois Monzel
  • Patent number: 7559185
    Abstract: Described is an apparatus (5) for making pods (1) containing respective doses (4) of an infusion product. The apparatus comprises: revolving drum conveyor means (6) with pockets (7) uniformly distributed on it; a line (B) for feeding a first web (12) of filter material which feeds the first web (12) to the conveyor means (6) ; actuating means (8) for moving the first web (12) against the pockets (7) on the revolving drum conveyor means (6) to form on the first web (12) a series of impressions (L); and a second line (A) for feeding a second web (11) of filter material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A.
    Inventor: Roberto Conti
  • Publication number: 20090173039
    Abstract: A stream of products is packaged and biologically treated by the system. The system has an index conveyor with a filling station and a packaging station. Discrete packages are filled with the stream of products, sealed and moved on an index conveyor. The system moves the discrete packages an irradiation chamber at a steady rate on a continuous speed conveyor. A controller matches the cyclical rate of the index conveyor with the steady rate of the continuous speed conveyor and uses a buffer to transition from the cyclical rate to the steady rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: Multivac, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas B. Slomski, Richard Galloway, Steven Poth, Patrick Ditchfield
  • Publication number: 20090145089
    Abstract: Apparatus for molding and filling a device having a body defining an opening in communication with an interior chamber for receiving a substance therein, and a closure including a penetrable and resealable portion for sealing the opening and substance received in the device. A mold includes within the aseptic chamber plural mold cavities shaped to form the closure and body, and substantially sterile surfaces extending about and contiguous to the peripheries of the mold cavities. An assembly device including end-of-arm tooling having an engaging portion engageable with each of the body and closure is movable relative to the mold to engage and de-mold the substantially sterile closures and bodies from the mold cavities. Flexible barriers are coupled to the mold and the tool to substantially prevent the passage of contaminants from the molding machine and tool therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2009
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Daniel Py, Benoit Adamo, John Guthy, Nathaniel Houle, M. Jeffrey Willey
  • Publication number: 20090126323
    Abstract: A system for processing a simplified plastic container (C) that is to be filled with a hot product includes the step of blow-molding parison to form a container body, where the container body has a neck, a base, a side surface relatively free of structural geometry that surrounds an interior of the container body and, prior to being filled with the hot product, a projection (12) extending from the container body. After the container body is filled with a hot product in a production line, the neck of the filled container body is capped with a cap and then, the container body is cooled. During the cooling operation, the hot product is contracted so that the projection extending from the container can be pushed (P) into the container body like a traditional push-up so that the resultant, filled and cooled container body is relatively free of structural geometry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Paul Kelley, Kent Goss, Philip Sheets, Ted Lyon, Charles A. Ryl-Kuchar
  • Patent number: 7516598
    Abstract: A method for permanently deforming a flexible film material, in which the film material is deformed, forming a receptacle depression, the film material being kept under controlled tension while it is being moulded, so that controlled creases are formed in the film material, and a method of manufacturing a product packed in flexible film material, especially a food product, using the method and device for permanently deforming a flexible film material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Mars Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard Merken-Schiller, Stefan Eberhardt, Pamela Czechowski
  • Publication number: 20090077933
    Abstract: This present application relates to a transport system for the transport of bottles or similar containers between at least a first machine, for example a blow molding machine for the manufacture of the containers out of plastic, and at least one second machine, for example a filling machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: Martin BACKHAUS, Thomas STIENEN
  • Publication number: 20090071104
    Abstract: A device for the sterile filling of liquids in bottles, having a sterilizer which is used to sterilize the bottles with H2O2, a filling element which is used to fill the bottles, a closing element which is used to apply a closing element as a closing lid, and structure to adjust the temperature of the bottle whereby condensation of the H2O2 on the surface of the bottle is prevented. Also, a method for sterile filling of liquids in bottles comprising the steps of the bottles are sterilized with H2O2, then filled and closed. During sterilization, the bottles have such a temperature that condensation of the H2O2 is prevented on the surface of the bottles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Applicant: KRONES AG
    Inventor: Sven Fischer
  • Patent number: 7490453
    Abstract: Apparatus for molding and filling a container having a container body defining an opening in communication with an interior chamber for receiving a substance therein, and a container closure including stopper receivable within the opening for sealing the opening and substance received in the container. A mold includes within the aseptic chamber plural mold cavities shaped to form the container closure and container body, and substantially sterile surfaces extending about and contiguous to the peripheries of the mold cavities. An assembly device including end-of-arm tooling having an engaging portion engageable with each of the container body and container closure is movable relative to the mold to engage and de-mold the substantially sterile container closure and container bodies from the mold cavities. Flexible barriers are coupled to the mold and the tool to substantially prevent the passage of contaminants from the molding machine and tool therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Medical Instill Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Py, Benoit Adamo, John Guthy, Nathaniel Houle, Jeffrey Willey
  • Patent number: 7311513
    Abstract: The installation for manufacturing objects such as receptacles by thermoforming pellets of thermoplastic material includes conveyor means for conveying the pellets through the various stations in the installation, said stations including a heating station and a thermoforming station. The conveyor means comprise conveyor elements (46) defining cells (48) which are open upwards and downwards, and each of which is suitable for containing one pellet (12) while the entire top and bottom faces of the pellet remain unobstructed, means for depositing the pellets in the cells, drive means for driving the conveyor elements through the heating station, and transfer means (20) for transferring the heated pellets to the thermoforming station. The heating station includes bottom heater means (52) that co-operate with a support for the pellets while said conveyor elements are being driven through the heating station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Erca Formseal
    Inventors: Dominique Schwab, Timothy Cooper
  • Patent number: 7308782
    Abstract: A method and a device for the production of filled and sealed containers involves a) a plastic tube that is extruded, b) at least one container which is impermeable to vapour and which is provided with one filling opening formed from the plastic tube, c) the filling product being introduced into the container through the filing opening and subsequently d) the filling opening being sealed by welding. The tube is made of at least one layer making the container impermeable to oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Inventor: Bernd Hansen
  • Patent number: 7299609
    Abstract: A piston-cylinder arrangement is provided for mounting and actuating the lower tool of an indexing packaging machine, which has an annular piston head that has a ratio of outer diameter to inner diameter that is less than two, and which drives a relatively oversized hollow piston rod having a protruding mounting portion that projects upwardly and outwardly from the main cylinder, to the upper end of which is mounted an upper mounting plate connected to the lower tool of a station of the packaging machine. The oversized piston rod or shaft ensures stable and tilt-free mounting of the lower tool that ensures the parallelism thereof with the upper stationary tool, while providing more than the necessary force for activating the lower tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Inventor: Moshe Epstein
  • Patent number: 7244221
    Abstract: An apparatus for pressforming a paperboard sheet into an articulable pressformed container. The apparatus includes a pair of male and female, matingly engagable dies, which have interfacing forming surfaces in the shape of a container for engaging a paperboard sheet. A first one of the dies has a plurality of ridges extending from the forming surface and a second one of the dies has a plurality of grooves within the forming surface. The grooves register with the ridges when the dies matingly engage for creating creases in the paperboard sheet. The invention also includes a method for simultaneously shaping the container and forming fold creases on the container thereby making the container articulable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Rogar Capital Corporation
    Inventors: Garold W. Alexander, Benjamin K. Hoblet, Michael R. Fought, Jeffrey C. Reasinger
  • Patent number: 7237371
    Abstract: Deep draw packaging includes placing an object (C) in a concave container portion (1) formed by molding a film with small shrinkability (A), that is a film having a residual thermal shrinkage rate at 100° C. of 1 to 15 %. The film (A) is formed by stretching a film having deep draw moldability and then thermally relaxing the film. The film has a surface which is formed of a heat sealable material which becomes the inner wall of the container portion. The concave container portion (1) is thereafter transferred to to a vacuum packaging apparatus (5) where it is covered by a cover portion (2) formed of a film (B) which can be heat welded to the film (A). A side face portion (11) and a bottom face portion (12) of the concave container portion (1) are thermally shrunk into close contact with the object (C). Less curling is exhibited when an upper peripheral portion (13) of the concave container portion (1) is sealed with the film (B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Kureha Chemical Industry Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masataka Yamamoto, Takeo Omori
  • Patent number: 7140162
    Abstract: A unit for feeding products (3) to a blistering machine (M) includes a delivery group (2, 2a, S) for selectively distributing products (3) to a station (SR), where the products (3) are introduced into respective blisters (40) of a blister band (4), moving in a forward direction (W) inside the blistering machine (M). The filling station (SR) is defined by a conveyor (10) consisting of a belt (11) provided with seas (110). Each seat (110) receives a relative product (3) distributed by the delivery group (2, 2a, S) and releases the products (3) into a respective blister (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A.
    Inventor: Ivano Baroncini
  • Patent number: 7104035
    Abstract: A blister packaging machine comprises a forming station in which a plurality of cup-shaped depressions can be formed into a bottom sheet, a filing station, in which a product can be filled into the cup-shaped depressions, and a downstream sealing station, in which a cover sheet can be sealed onto the bottom sheet. The filling station comprises a brush box disposed above the bottom sheet, in which several rotatably driven roller brushes are disposed parallel to each other. The roller brushes are connected to a rotary drive which is received in a drive gearbox disposed next to the brush box. A magnetic coupling is thereby provided for transmitting a drive motion of the rotary drive to the roller brushes through a wall of the drive gearbox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: IWK Verpackungstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Bernd Hähnel
  • Patent number: 7055296
    Abstract: A method for controlling a blister packaging machine has a work station which at least operates in cycles and which performs at least one first adjusting motion for a time period TV1 during one work cycle, followed by a treatment state for a time period TB, in which a product and/or material is treated. A second adjusting motion is then performed for a time period TV2 followed by a resting state for a time period TR. The time periods TV1, TB, TV2 and TR and a cycle rate R (=cycles/min) of the packaging machine are preset and at least the cycle rate R can be changed to a different cycle rate RV using an input device. A cycle time difference ?T which results from the changed cycle rate RV is substantially used to change the duration TR of the resting state. The time periods TV1, TB and TV2 preferably remain unchanged when entering a different cycle rate RV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: IWK Verpackungstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Richard Christ
  • Patent number: 6945012
    Abstract: A unit (1) for feeding products (3) to a blistering machine (M) includes a delivery group (2,2a,S) for selectively distributing products (3) to a station (SR), where the products (3) are introduced into respective blisters (40) of a blister band (4), moving in a forward direction (W) inside the blistering machine (M). The filling station (SR) is defined by conveying means (10) consisting of a belt (11) provided with seats (110). Each seat (110) receives a relative product (3) distributed by the delivery group (2,2a,S) and releases the products (3) into a respective blister (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: I.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.p.A.
    Inventor: Ivano Baroncini
  • Patent number: 6874300
    Abstract: Pouches which can then be filled and sealed are made by thermoforming a film (29) into moulds (23) in a conveyor (8, 10, 11, 21) while holding the side edges (45) of the film to the side margins (46) of the conveyor by under-pressure applied to the underside of the film through a plurality of holding orifices (44) which extend up through the conveyor and into each side margin (46).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Giacomo Di Lauretis, Mario Rosario Di Donna
  • Patent number: 6868654
    Abstract: A form-fill-and-seal (FFS) packaging machine is described wherein a zipper is attached to the package simultaneously with the sealing operation at the sealing and evacuation station. The attached zipper is thereafter welded in place at the zipper welding and cutting station. A zipper blank feeder and a channel-forming die with an impulse sealer are integrated into the sealing die of a packaging machine forming a combination work station. The zipper is installed at an existing work station and shares the existing lifting device. This enables the retrofitting of an FFS packaging machine to include a zipper attachment function without changing the footprint thereof. The combination work station forms a channel for the zipper blank between the thermoformed web and the lidstock. While the sealing die is providing a seal about the lid, the impulse sealer in the channel-forming die attaches the zipper to an initial attachment portion of the packaging film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Pro-Pac Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Douglas
  • Publication number: 20040187444
    Abstract: Disclosed are flexible pouches including a process for manufacturing said pouches from preforms. Also disclosed is a process for manufacturing and filling said pouches wherein the preform/pouch is handled via the neck portion throughout the production line. In one embodiment, the filled pouch is further dressed, decorated, or inserted into a rigid outer container, for example a box. In a preferred embodiment, the production line is a modified version of the type commonly used for handling rigid containers, such as those used to manufacture and fill soft drinks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2003
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Inventors: Gerald A. Hutchinson, Robert A. Lee
  • Publication number: 20040118087
    Abstract: An apparatus that receives packaging containers and a mixture of powdered chemicals and compresses the powder into the containers at a pressure sufficient to form a solid of the powder yet not so high as to rupture the container. The apparatus is computer controlled and fully automated. The apparatus mixes a batch of chemicals in powder form, apportions a quantity of the mixture into the container and compresses it into a solid. Alternatively, the apparatus comprises a mold instead of the container for receiving the mixture portion, presses the portion into the mold and then the mold is rotated in a vertical plane to discharge the molded portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventor: Jeffrey K. Slaboden
  • Patent number: 6729486
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a packaging container and a method of producing a packaging container for liquid contents. The packaging container has a casing produced from a web-shaped multilayer material and in the form of a sleeve, which, at one end, is connected to a bottom portion and at the other end is connected to a top portion produced from a blow molded thermoplastic material. The casing is formed by winding of the multilayer material into sleeve form and liquid-tight sealing of the material edges to a joint seam extending longitudinally of the sleeve, the top portion being manufactured in that thermoplastic material is extruded to form a hose which is blow molded into continuous top portions which are separated from one another and connected to the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA
    Inventor: Göran Hermodsson
  • Publication number: 20040055260
    Abstract: A compact form-fill-seal machine capable of the high speed production, collation and loading into cartons of a variety of small dispensing packages with instant opening features including fault lines in the lower containment formation. It can make a variety of formations in the upper cover member as well as fault lines. It also produces simple cups and tubs. The machine operates at extremely high efficiency with practically every known thermoformable plastic film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventor: Sanford Redmond
  • Publication number: 20040050020
    Abstract: In a web packaging machine (10) and method packaging a food product (P) between upper and lower webs (14 and 25), wherein the lower web (14) is transported through a series of stations which form the lower web (14) into a component of a package at a forming station (18), and receive the food product (P) at a loading station (20), and close the package with the upper web (25) at a closing station (26), a pasteurization station (300) is provided between the loading station (20) and the closing station (26) and pasteurizing the food product (P).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Robert E. Hanson, Craig R. Bonneville, Tou T. Vang, Vernon D. Karman, Gary Lee Hahn, Nelly Feze, John J. Jurkowski
  • Publication number: 20040045265
    Abstract: In the process of the invention a strip of containers (5) made of a heat-formable material is guided through a deviated course in a transversal direction with the respect to a main horizontal line of advancement (F), in which the strip of containers undergoes, in sequence, a fist rotation of a quarter of a full turn about a vertical-axis first guide (6), a first twist by half a full turn, a second rotation, by half a full turn, about a second guide (7) having a winding axis which is parallel to the line of advancement (F).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Inventors: Andrea Bartoli, Primo Finetti
  • Patent number: 6701695
    Abstract: A form-fill-and-seal (FFS) packaging machine is described wherein a zipper is attached to the package simultaneously with the sealing operation at the sealing and evacuation station. The attached zipper is thereafter welded in place at the zipper welding and cutting station. A zipper blank feeder and a channel-forming die with an impulse sealer are integrated into the sealing die of a packaging machine forming a combination work station. The zipper is installed at an existing work station and shares the existing lifting device. This enables the retrofitting of an FFS packaging machine to include a zipper attachment function without changing the footprint thereof. The combination work station forms a channel for the zipper blank between the thermoformed web and the lidstock. While the sealing die is providing a seal about the lid, the impulse sealer in the channel-forming die attaches the zipper to an initial attachment portion of the packaging film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Inventor: Brian Douglas
  • Patent number: 6689307
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a packaging container and a method of producing a packaging container for liquid contents. The packaging container has a casing produced from a web-shaped multilayer material and in the form of a sleeve, which, at one end, is connected to a bottom portion and at the other end is connected to a top portion produced from a blow molded thermoplastic material. The casing is formed by winding of the multilayer material into sleeve form and liquid-tight sealing of the material edges to a joint seam extending longitudinally of the sleeve, the top portion being manufactured in that thermoplastic material is extruded to form a hose which is blow molded into continuous top portions which are separated from one another and connected to the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventor: Göran Hermodsson
  • Publication number: 20040016205
    Abstract: A form-fill-and-seal (FFS) packaging machine is described wherein a zipper is attached to the package simultaneously with the sealing operation at the sealing and evacuation station. The attached zipper is thereafter welded in place at the zipper welding and cutting station. A zipper blank feeder and a channel-forming die with an impulse sealer are integrated into the sealing die of a packaging machine forming a combination work station. The zipper is installed at an existing work station and shares the existing lifting device. This enables the retrofitting of an FFS packaging machine to include a zipper attachment function without changing the footprint thereof. The combination work station forms a channel for the zipper blank between the thermoformed web and the lidstock. While the sealing die is providing a seal about the lid, the impulse sealer in the channel-forming die attaches the zipper to an initial attachment portion of the packaging film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Applicant: PRO-PAC SERVICES., INC.
    Inventor: Brian Douglas
  • Patent number: 6675555
    Abstract: In a unit for feeding articles to a blister band, a casing has two apertures for a blister band to enter and come out of the casing. The casing supports and contains operative means for feeding articles to blisters made in the blister band. The casing is connected to a blistering machine for feeding the articles, and is removed from the blistering machine for cleaning and/or sterilizing the casing and the operative means in a suitable area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Marchesini Group S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giuseppe Monti
  • Publication number: 20040000128
    Abstract: Pouches which can then be filled and sealed are made by thermoforming a film (29) into moulds (23) in a conveyor (8, 10, 11, 21) while holding the side edges (45) of the film to the side margins (46) of the conveyor by under-pressure applied to the underside of the film through a plurality of holding orifices (44) which extend up through the conveyor and into each side margin (46).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Applicant: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Giacomo Di Lauretis, Mario Rosario Di Donna
  • Patent number: 6666001
    Abstract: A blow molded plastic beverage container, comprising neck, shoulder, body and base portions. A bulge is formed in one, or both, of the shoulder and base portions bulging to facilitate gripping and handling the container. Preferably, a respective bulge is formed in both the shoulder and base portions, forming a pair of bulges that bracket the container body. Also, preferably, grooves are formed in the shoulder and base portions of the container to facilitate formation of the bulges. The container is formed in a multi-step process from a preform that may have a conventional design. In this process, the preform is expanded into an initial container shape having a neck portion, a shoulder portion, a body portion, and a base portion. That container is filled with a beverage, and a bulge is formed in one, or both, of the shoulder and base portions of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: PepsiCo Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher J. Mero
  • Patent number: 6662531
    Abstract: The method and the installation of the invention enable re-entrant receptacles to be thermoformed, filled, and closed, the rim of each receptacle having a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of its body. Prior to thermoforming a row of receptacles, preliminary cuts separated by attachment points are made in a transverse stripe of the strip of the thermoplastic strip that is to be used for thermoforming in a subsequent cycle, and for each receptacle that is to be thermoformed, the cuts define practically the entire final periphery of the rim of said receptacle, the attachment points being broken when the receptacles are separated in a subsequent cycle after the filled receptacles have been closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Erca Formseal
    Inventors: Dominique Schwab, Bernard Gandon, Michel Luc
  • Patent number: 6638476
    Abstract: A unit for sterilizing strip packaging material for a pourable food product packaging machine, and having a sterilizing chamber for containing a liquid sterilizing agent and along which the packaging material is fed; a control circuit for controlling the sterilizing agent, and in turn having a collecting tank, input means for feeding the sterilizing agent from the tank to the chamber, and a drain assembly for draining the sterilizing agent from the chamber into the tank; a control system for controlling the temperature in the chamber; and preheating system for preheating the sterilizing agent in the tank, and which may be activated prior to feeding the sterilizing agent from the tank into the chamber; the preheating system for preheating the sterilizing agent may be activated independently of the control system for controlling the temperature in the chamber to bring the sterilizing agent to a temperature at least equal to that of the chamber before the sterilizing agent is fed into the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventors: Detlef Elias, Paolo Benedetti
  • Publication number: 20030136087
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for populating transport tapes with electronic components includes a mold support having at least one recess over which a flat plastic strip is disposed. A heater heats the mold support and/or the plastic strip in an area of the recesses. An embossing tool, which has the electronic component in its embossing area, together with the electronic component, is embossed into the plastic strip in the direction of the recess into the mold support to form a tape pocket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Rudolf Lehner, Stefan Paulus
  • Patent number: 6550224
    Abstract: A method for producing stand-up blister packages, and in particular a stable, easy-to-fill stand-up blister package that has no undercut of the blister dome, and can be produced with a high cycle number, without malfunctions and with a good, reproducible quality, in hot-seal machines. For this purpose, a fold line is produced through the heating of a linear region, independently of the heating during the process of sealing the blister edges with the carrier part. The apparatus has a corresponding heating station for heating and creating a fold line in the blister dome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Adolf Illig Maschinenbau GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Ekkehard Kleinschmidt
  • Patent number: 6465061
    Abstract: A paper composite for realizing packages in three-dimensional form having a layer of yieldable paper with a degree of yieldingness in any direction not less than 10% and impermeablilizing film having a yieldingness compatible with yieldable paper. A method for realizing packages where a leaf of composite is faced to a cavity of at least a mould, the leaf being bounded in correspondence of a continuous edge of the cavity, and subsequently tangentially stretching the leaf of composite to adhere to an inner surface of the cavity to obtain a concave valve. The valve has the shape of the cavity. The package obtained is a concave container having a closure film applied to the filling, and may have two concave valves joined together along the facing edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Inventor: Giorgio Trani
  • Patent number: 6412255
    Abstract: For assembling mail items, a type of envelope is selected from different types. Another station is accordingly set and a flat object is packaged in an envelope of the selected type. Prior to the assembly of a series of mail items, a set of basic finishing instructions applying to the series is activated. This set contains a first and a second set of instructions, each for selecting a first respectively second one of the different types of envelopes and with an instruction for an associated first respectively second setting of the other station, and a selection criterion for selecting, per individual mail item, one of the sets of instructions. Thus, within the framework of a preset set of basic finishing instructions, another one of the available types of envelope can simply be selected per mail item to be assembled individually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Neopost B.V.
    Inventors: Gerhard Hidding, René Scheltes, Bertus Karel Edens
  • Patent number: 6399014
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a packaging container and a method of producing a packaging container for liquid contents. The packaging container has a casing (2) produced from a web-shaped multilayer material and in the form of a sleeve, which, at one end, is connected to a bottom portion (4) and at the other end is connected to a top portion (3) produced from blow moulded thermoplastic material. The casing (2) is formed by winding of the multilayer material into sleeve form and liquid-tight sealing of the material edges to a joint seam (9) extending longitudinally of the sleeve, the top portion (3) being manufactured in that thermoplastic material is extruded to form a hose (15) which is blow moulded into continuous top portions which are separated from one another and connected to the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventor: Göran Hermodsson
  • Patent number: 6334290
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing packages having a heating device for heating a bottom sheeting strip, a forming device, a filling device, a sealing device for sealing on a top strip, and a cutting device for separating the packages. For forming downward-drawn rims on the packages that make them easy to drink from, additional recesses are embodied in the forming device, and the bottom sheeting strip is pressed by means of protrusions into recesses disposed on the upper part of the forming device. The cutting device also has a stamping knife, which cuts the package out of the foil composite in the region of the downward-drawn rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Reichert, Martin Weinmann
  • Patent number: 6324819
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing packaging containers of plastics, a packaging container, in particular produced according to said method, a method of producing filled and closed packaging containers, a molding station for a plastic packaging container and a packaging machine having such a molding station. According to the invention a packaging container is produced in a continuous method and an associated packaging machine in a combined deep-drawing/blow-molding operation with undercuts and is subsequently filled in a continuous process with a packaging material and sealed, wherein the closed packaging containers are subsequently separated from one another and discharged, optionally provided with a reclosable cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Kourtoglou S.A. Food Packaging Machinery
    Inventor: Dimitrios Kourtoglou
  • Patent number: 6282870
    Abstract: A process and a device for packaging products in thermoformed boxes, uses a single strip of thermoplastic or thermoformable material to produce cavities (B) and covers (A) and to fold them down (13) about the product to be packaged before thermowelding (14) their edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Mecaplastic
    Inventor: Patrick Robache
  • Patent number: 6205743
    Abstract: The parisons (P) manufactured by an extrusion group (1,1″) are gripped between the mould and the counter-mould (S,S′) mounted, together with the associated actuating mechanisms, on a carriage (19) which, after receiving the parisons, moves into a blowing station (Z1) for the formation of the bottles which then remain suspended from the nozzles of this station. By means of a set of three self-centring closing and opening grippers (P1, P2, P3), the groups of bottles are then transferred from the said blowing station to a sprue-removal and mouth-calibrating station (Z2), to a quality control station (Z3) and then to a filling station (Z4). By means of a fourth self-centring gripper (P4) with an independent movement the filled bottles are finally transferred into an end capping station (Z5). A conveyor (59) which collects together and removes all the production waste is provided underneath the various work stations which are aligned with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Techne Technipack Engineering Italia S.p.A.
    Inventor: Fabrizio Castellari