Intermittent and continuous motion high speed pouch form-fill-seal apparatus and method of manufacture

Abstract

A high speed, flexible pouch form-fill-seal machine includes a form line having a plurality of pouch forming stations that conducts an operation to form a body of the pouch. An intermittent transport means transports the laminate material between each of the pouch forming stations, and stops at each station so that the corresponding pouch forming operation can be performed. The machine includes a fill-seal line having a plurality of pouch fill-seal stations arranged sequentially along the fill-seal line that conducts an operation to open, fill and seal the flexible pouch. A continuous transport means transfers the pouch between the plurality of pouch fill-seal stations, and the continuous transport means moves continuously between the each of the pouch fill-seal stations so that the corresponding pouch fill-seal operation can be performed. A transfer means transfers the formed flexible pouch from the fill line to the fill-seal line.

1 . A machine for forming, filling and sealing a flexible pouch comprising:
 a form line, wherein (he form line includes a first frame;   a plurality of predetermined pouch forming stations arranged sequentially along the form line that perform an operation to form a body of the pouch from a roll of laminate material, wherein the body of the pouch includes a panel having an inner surface and an outer surface, and an upper edge, an opposed lower edge and two side edges extending therebetween;   an intermittent transport means secured to the frame for transporting the laminate material between each of the pouch forming stations, wherein the intermittent transport means stops at each of the forming stations so that the corresponding pouch forming operation can be performed;   a fill-seal line, wherein the fill-seal line includes a second frame;   a plurality of predetermined pouch fill-seal stations arranged sequentially along the fill-seal line, wherein each of the pouch fill-seal stations performs an operation to open, fill and seal the pouch;   a continuous transport means secured to the second frame for transferring the pouch between the plurality of pouch fill-seal stations, wherein the continuous transport means moves continuously between the each of the pouch fill-seal stations so that the corresponding pouch fill-seal operation can be performed; and   a transfer means for transferring the formed pouch from the fill line to the fill-seal line.   
   
   
       2 . The machine as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the form line has a linear orientation. 
   
   
       3 . The machine as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the form line includes:
 a material feed station for unrolling the roll of laminate material along a horizontal plane;   an alignment station for checking an alignment of the unrolling material, wherein the alignment station includes an optical reading means that identifies a registration mark on the material and uses the registration mark to determine if the material is in alignment with respect to a vertically oriented axis, and adjusting the alignment of the unrolling material with respect to the vertically oriented axis;   a cutting station for cutting the width aligned material into sections having an inner surface and an outer surface, and positioning a first section on top of a second section, wherein the first section inner surface faces the second section outer surface;   a sealing station for forming a side seam defining adjacent pouches in the aligned sections; and   a cutting station for separating the panel of material into individual pouches along an outermost edge of the side seam, wherein each pouch includes a front panel, a back panel, and each panel has an upper edge and a lower edge,   
   
   
       4 . The machine as set forth in  claim 3  further comprising an opening means insertion station for adding an opening means to the pouch used to access the product in the pouch. 
   
   
       5 . The machine as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the fill-seal line has a linear orientation. 
   
   
       6 . The machine as set forth in  claim 5  wherein the fill-seal line includes:
 an opening station for opening the pouch;   a fill station for filling the pouch with a product;   a seal station for sealing the pouch; and   a finishing station for finishing the filled pouch.   
   
   
       7 . The machine as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the machine includes a plurality of form lines that feed a corresponding fill-seal line. 
   
   
       8 . The machine as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising an unloading station for removing the pouch from the form line intermittent transport means and placing the pouch on the fill-seal line continuous transport means. 
   
   
       9 . The machine as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the transfer means is a robot. 
   
   
       10 . The machine as forth in  claim 9  wherein the robot includes an arm with a gripping means for picking up the formed flexible pouch from the form line and placing the formed flexible pouch on the fill-seal line. 
   
   
       11 . The machine as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a pouch carrier operatively attached to the continuous transport means for transporting the pouch between stations. 
   
   
       12 . The machine as set forth in  claim 1  wherein a plurality of transversely arranged pouches move across the fill-seal line stations. 
   
   
       13 . A machine for forming, filling and sealing a flexible pouch comprising:
 a form line, wherein the form line includes a first frame;   a plurality of predetermined pouch forming stations arranged linearly along the form line that perform an operation to form a body of the pouch from a roll of laminate material, wherein the body of the pouch includes a panel having an inner surface and an outer surface, and an upper edge, an opposed lower edge and two side edges extending therebetween;   an intermittent transport means secured to the frame for transporting the laminate material between each of the pouch forming stations, wherein the intermittent transport means stops at each of the forming stations so that the corresponding pouch forming operation can be performed;   a fill-seal line having a linear orientation, wherein the fill-seal line includes a second frame;   a plurality of predetermined pouch fill-seal stations arranged linearly across the fill-seal line, wherein each of the pouch fill-seal stations performs an operation to open, fill and seal the pouch;   a continuous transport means secured to the second frame for transferring the pouch between the plurality of pouch fill-seal stations, wherein the continuous transport means moves continuously between the each of the pouch fill-seal stations so that the corresponding pouch fill-seal operation can be performed; and   a transfer means for transferring the formed flexible pouch from the fill line to the fill-seal line, wherein the transfer means is a robotic device.   
   
   
       14 . The machine as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the form line includes:
 a material feed station for unrolling the roll of laminate material along a horizontal plane;   an alignment station for checking an alignment of the unrolling material, wherein the alignment station includes an optical reading means that identifies a registration mark on the material and uses the registration mark to determine if the material is in alignment with respect to a vertically oriented axis, and adjusting the alignment of the unrolling material with respect to the vertically oriented axis;   a cutting station for cutting the width aligned material into sections having an inner surface and an outer surface, and positioning a first section on top of a second section, wherein the first section inner surface faces the second section outer surface;   a sealing station for forming a side seam defining adjacent pouches in the aligned sections;   a cutting station for separating the panel of material into individual pouches along an outermost edge of the side seam, wherein each pouch includes a front panel, a back panel, and each panel has an upper edge, a lower edge; and   an unloading station for removing the pouch from the form line intermittent transport means and placing the pouch on the fill-seal line continuous transport means.   
   
   
       15 . The machine as set forth in  claim 14  further comprising an opening means insertion station for adding an opening means to the pouch used to access the product in the pouch. 
   
   
       16 . The machine as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the fill-seal line includes:
 an opening station for opening the pouch;   a fill station for filling the pouch with a product;   a seal station for sealing the pouch; and   a finishing station for finishing the filled pouch.   
   
   
       17 . The machine as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the machine includes a plurality of form lines that feed a corresponding fill-seal line, 
   
   
       18 . The machine as forth in  claim 13  wherein the robotic device is a robot that includes an arm with a gripping means for picking up the formed flexible pouch from the form line and placing the formed flexible pouch on the fill-seal line. 
   
   
       19 . The machine as set forth in  claim 13  further comprising a pouch earner operatively attached to the continuous transport means for transporting the pouch between stations. 
   
   
       20 . A method of forming, filling and sealing a flexible pouch on a unitary form- fill-seal machine, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing a fill line having a transport means for transporting a laminate material between a plurality of pouch forming stations, wherein the transport means stops and at each of the pouch forming stations so that the corresponding pouch forming operation can be performed;   unrolling a roll of laminate material at a material feed station;   aligning the laminate material at an alignment station for checking the alignment of the unrolling material;   cutting the aligned material at a cutting station into sections having an inner surface and an outer surface, and positioning a first section on top of a second section, wherein the first section inner surface faces the second section outer surface;   sealing a seam at a sealing station for forming a seam defining adjacent pouches in the aligned sections;   separating the panel into individual pouches at a cutting station, wherein the panel is separated along an outermost edge of the seam, and each formed pouch includes a front panel, a back, panel, and each panel has an upper edge, a lower edge;   removing the pouch from the form line using a transfer means and placing the pouch on a fill-seal line transport means, wherein the fill-seal line transport means moves continuously; and   providing a plurality of predetermined pouch fill-seal, stations arranged sequentially along the fill-seal line that perform an operation to open, fill and seal the flexible pouch and the continuous transport means continuously moves the pouch between an opening station for opening the pouch, a fill station for filling the pouch with a product, and a closing station for sealing the pouch.   
   
   
       21 . The method as set forth in  claim 20  wherein the robotic device is a robot that includes an arm with a gripping means for picking up the formed flexible pouch from the form line and placing the formed flexible pouch on the fill-seal line.