Shrink-wrapped seed pillows
AssigneeBall Horticultural Company
InventorRobert Scott Conrad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Seed pillows are disclosed herein. An exemplary seed pillow may include a first water-soluble film, a seed cluster disposed on the first water-soluble film, and a second film that is positioned over the first water-soluble film and the seed cluster. The second film may have a first portion that is fused to a second portion of the first water-soluble film from ultrasonic vibrations. Further, the first water-soluble film and the second film may be shrink-wrapped around the seed cluster through heat application to the first water-soluble film and the second film for a first period of time.
Claims18
A seed pillow, comprising:
- a first water-soluble film;
- a seed disposed on the first water-soluble film;
- a second film that is positioned over the first water-soluble film and the seed, the second film having a first portion that is fused to a second portion of the first water-soluble film;
- a coating applied to an exterior surface of the second film;
- and
- a third water-soluble film positioned over the exterior surface of the second film, the third water-soluble film having a third portion that is fused to the first portion of the second film from ultrasonic vibrations.
A seed pillow, comprising:
- a first water-soluble film;
- a seed disposed on the first water-soluble film;
- a second film that is positioned over the first water-soluble film and the seed, the second film having a first portion that is fused to a second portion of the first water-soluble film;
- a third water-soluble film that is positioned over the second film, the third water-soluble film having a third portion that is fused to the first portion of the second film;
- and
- a coating that is disposed between the second film and the third water-soluble film.
A method for producing seed pillows, the method comprising:
- depositing a seed on a first water-soluble film that is disposed on a first roller;
- rotating the first roller through a first contact point with a first ultrasonic welding wheel that is vibrating at a frequency to fuse a first portion of the first water-soluble film to a second portion of a second film without contacting the seed to create a seed pillow;
- applying a coating to an exterior surface of the second film;
- and
- rotating a second roller through a second contact point with a second ultrasonic welding wheel to fuse the second portion of the second film to a third portion of a third water-soluble film, the third water-soluble film being positioned over the exterior surface of the second film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.