Flexible, stackable container and method and system for manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a flexible, stackable package formed from a single sheet of film and a lid fitment attached thereto, the sheet of film having oppositely disposed lateral edges and oppositely disposed leading and trailing edges, the method comprising:

• wrapping the sheet of film inwardly with the lateral edges being disposed proximate each with one side of the sheet of film being the inner surface of the package and the opposite side of the sheet of film being the outer surface of the package;
• forming at least three first folds in the sheet of film parallel to the lateral edges of the sheet of film to form corners defining oppositely disposed first and second panels and oppositely disposed third and fourth panels of the package, the first panel having a first planar surface and the second panel having a second planar surface;
• forming second folds on the first panel of the package parallel to the first folds defining the first panel of the package, each second fold being made proximate a corresponding one of the folds defining the first panel and bringing the inner surface of the corresponding first panel into contact with a corresponding portion of inner surface of the adjacent side of the package, and sealing the contacting inner surfaces to form at least one corner seal outwardly extending from the first planar surface in a substantially perpendicular direction, wherein the at least one corner seal surrounds more than two peripheral sides of the first panel;
• sealing the portions of the sheet of film proximate the lateral edges to each other to form an edge seal;
• bringing portions of the leading edge of the sheet of film at the third and fourth panels together and sealing the inner surfaces of the sheet of film proximate thereto together to form a leading seal of the package, wherein two peripheral sides of the first panel and two peripheral sides of the second panel are tucked inwardly toward the interior of the package such that the two peripheral sides of the first and second panels are partially covered by the leading seal;
• bringing of the trailing edge of the sheet of film at the third and fourth panels together and sealing the inner surfaces of the sheet of film proximate thereto together to form a trailing seal of the package, wherein two peripheral sides of the first panel and two peripheral sides of the second panel are tucked inwardly toward the interior of the package such that the two peripheral sides of the first and seconds panels are partially covered by the trailing seal, the package is sealed once the edge seal, the leading seal and the trailing seal are formed, and the leading seal and the trailing seal extend outwardly from the third and fourth panels respectively when formed;
• folding the leading seal over towards corresponding portions of the outer surface of the package to define a fifth panel and attaching the leading seal to the outer surface such that the leading seal is disposed substantially in the plane of the fifth panel;
• and
• folding the trailing seal over towards corresponding portions of the outer surface of the package to define a sixth panel and attaching the trailing seal to the outer surface such that the trailing seal is disposed substantially in the plane of the sixth panel.

A packaging machine for manufacturing a flexible, stackable, sealed package formed from a single sheet of film, the sheet of film having a leading edge and a trailing edge relative to a direction of a transport path through the packaging machine, the packaging machine comprising:

• a forming tube;
• a forming shoulder disposed upstream of the forming tube to form the sheet around the forming tube such that oppositely disposed lateral edges of the sheet are adjacent to each other, the formed sheet of film defining oppositely disposed first and second panels and oppositely disposed third and fourth panels,
• an edge seal station positioned downstream of the forming shoulder, the edge seal station forming an edge seal at adjacent lateral edges of the sheet;
• a corner seal station positioned downstream of the forming shoulder, the corner seal station forming at least one corner seal in the sheet of film at the corners of the forming tube by forming folds in the sheet parallel to one or more corners of the forming tube defining the first or second panel of the package, each fold brining an inner surface of the corresponding portion of the first or second panel into contact with a corresponding portion of an inner surface of the adjacent side of the package, with contacting inner surfaces being sealed to form the at least one corner seal, such that the at least on corner seal extend outwardly substantially perpendicularly from the first or second panel;
• a sealing station comprising engagement bars oriented transverse to the transport path and engaging the leading edge of the sheet of film, and sealing the film proximate the leading edge to form a leading seal;
• and
• a flap sealing station having engagement bars engaging the leading seal and having at least one engagement bar that moves transverse to the transport path to fold the leading seal towards the outer surface of the package and attach the leading seal to the outer surface.