Tube pack bag making
AssigneeFrito-Lay North America, Inc.
InventorsGarrett William Kohl, Steven Kenneth Tucker, Anthony Robert Knoerzer, Jay E. Gehring
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and device are disclosed for forming and filling tubes containing a product, with the filling process taking place from the longer side of the tube, rather than the shorter side. An elongated product delivery tube contains product diverters that evenly spread out the product, allowing a clean seal in less time. An optional vibrator helps the product to settle quickly. Throughput is increased over the prior art, as well as facilitating improvements in opening the tube and in marketing.
Claims16
A product delivery tube for a vertical form, fill, and seal machine, wherein a cross-section of said product delivery tube has
- first and second sides opposite each other, said first and second sides being substantially parallel;
- and
- first and second rounded ends that join said first and second sides together.
An improvement to a vertical form, fill, and seal machine, said improvement comprising:
- a product delivery tube whose cross-section has first and second sides opposite each other, said first and second sides being substantially parallel;
- and
- first and second rounded ends that join said first and second sides together.
A method of packaging products, comprising:
- installing, on a vertical form, fill, and seal machine, a former/delivery tube assembly, wherein a cross-section of a delivery tube of said former/delivery tube assembly has first and second sides opposite each other that are substantially parallel and first and second ends that are substantially rounded and that join said first and second sides together;
- delivering a product through said delivery tube into bags formed on said vertical form, fill, and seal machine.
A tube pack having a longer dimension of length L and a shorter dimension of width W and containing a product, said tube pack comprising:
- a first transverse seal and a second transverse seal on opposite sides of said tube pack having said longer dimension.
- wherein L≧2½·W,
- wherein said tube pack is filled to at least 75% of volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.