Packaging System and Method
AssigneeDubble Bubble Limited
InventorNeville Howes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A package for an article (1) comprises a pressurised outer bag (5) having gas-tight seals (7) at opposite ends, and an inner web for supporting the article within the outer bag. The web extends along the length of the outer bag and is secured to the outer bag only at the gas-tight seals (7). The web is maintained under sufficient tension by the pressure within the outer bag to suspend the article within the bag and to maintain a space between the article and the outer bag on all sides of the article.
Claims15
A package for an article comprising a pressurised outer bag having gas-tight seals at opposite ends, and an inner pouch for supporting the article within the outer bag, wherein (a) the pouch extends along the length of the outer bag and is secured to the outer bag only at the gas-tight seals;
- (b) the pouch is maintained under sufficient tension by gas pressure within the outer bag to suspend the article within the bag and to maintain a space between the article and the outer bag on all sides of the article;
- and (c) back seals closing the inner pouch and the outer bag respectively are laterally offset from one another.
An assembly comprising a plurality of packages connected end to end to one another, each package comprising a pressurised outer bag having gas-tight seals at opposite ends, and an inner pouch for supporting the article within the outer bag, wherein (a) the pouch extends along the length of the outer bag and is secured to the outer bag only at the gas-tight seals;
- (b) the pouch is maintained under sufficient tension by gas pressure within the outer bag to suspend the article within the bag and to maintain a space between the article and the outer bag on all sides of the article;
- and (c) back seals closing the inner pouch and the outer bag respectively are laterally offset from one another.
A method of packaging an article comprising the steps of:
- (i) securing a plurality of articles to an inner web by wrapping the web around the articles and sealing a back seam to form pouches around the respective articles;
- (ii) forming an outer tube by wrapping a film around the inner web and the articles secured therein and sealing a back seam in the film to form a tube;
- (iii) pressurising the tube;
- and
- (iv) sealing the tube transversely to the length of the pouches on opposite sides of each article to form an outer bag;
- wherein (a) the transverse seals formed in the tube serve to secure the inner pouch to the outer bag;
- (b) the pouch is tensioned by the pressure within the outer bag to suspend the article within the outer bag and to maintain a space between the article and the outer bag on all sides of the article;
- and (c) the back seals closing the inner pouch and the outer bag respectively are laterally offset from one another.
A packaging machine for packaging a continuous stream of articles, comprising:
- (i) a first forming and sealing station at which the articles are supported within pouches formed at fixed intervals in a longitudinally extending web;
- (ii) a second forming and sealing station at which the web and the articles supported thereby are enveloped in a tube;
- (iii) a source of pressurised gas for inflating the tube;
- and
- (iv) a final sealing station at which the inflated tube is sealed transversely to the length of the web and the tube on opposing sides of each article, so as to form a sealed outer bag within which an article is packaged;
- wherein (a) the pressure within the tube serves to tension the web in order to suspend the article within the outer bag and to maintain a space between the article and the outer bag on all sides of the article;
- and
- (b) back seals closing the inner web and the outer bag respectively are laterally offset from one another.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.