Methods of making gusseted flexible package with shaped sides
AssigneeFres-co System USA, Inc.
InventorJeffrey Scott Beer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible side-gusseted package and methods of making the same are disclosed. The package has a central longitudinal axis, a front panel, a back panel, and a pair of gusseted side panels. The front panel is secured to the gusseted side panels along a pair of side seal lines. The back panel is secured to the gusseted side panels along a pair of side seal lines. Each of the seal lines includes a pair of end portions and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion, e.g., a concave recessed portion, of each side seal line is located closer to the central longitudinal axis than the end portions of the side seal lines to provide a package which is somewhat necked-down at its middle, to facilitate grasping of the package by users.
Claims15
A method of making a plurality of side-gusseted flexible packages each having a central longitudinal axis, said method comprising:
- forming a web of flexible material into a tubular member having a central longitudinal axis and a plurality of sequentially located sections extending along said central longitudinal axis, each of said sections being arranged to be formed into a respective one of said side-gusseted flexible packages, each of said side-gusseted flexible packages comprising a front panel, a back panel, and a pair of gusseted side panels, said front panel having a first side edge, a second side edge, a top edge and a bottom edge, said back panel having a first side edge and a second side edge, a top edge and a bottom edge, each of said gusseted side panels comprising pair of gusset sections connected to each other by a fold line, with one of said pair of gusseted side panels being connected between said first side edge of said front panel and said first side edge of said back panel, with the other of said pair gusseted side panels being connected between said second side edge of said front panel and said second side edge of said back panel;
- sealing portions of said front panel to portions of said gusseted side panels along respective front panel seal lines at said front panel side edges, each of said front panel seal lines having an end edge portion and an intermediate edge portion with said intermediate edge portions of said front panel seal lines being located closer to said central longitudinal axis than said end edge portions thereof;
- sealing portions of said back panel to portions of said gusseted side panels along respective back panel seal lines at said back panel side edges, each of said back panel seal lines having an end edge portion and an intermediate edge portion with said intermediate edge portions of said back panel seal lines being located closer to said central longitudinal axis than said end edge portions thereof;
- cutting portions of said package immediately outside said front and back panel seal lines;
- sealing the bottom edges of said front and back panels together along a bottom seal line.
A method of making a plurality of side-gusseted flexible packages, each having a central longitudinal axis, said method comprising:
- forming a front panel and a back panel from a web of flexible material, said front panel having a first side edge, a second side edge, a top edge a bottom edge and a central longitudinal axis located midway between said first and second side edges of said front panel, said back panel having a first side edge and a second side edge, a top edge, a bottom edge and a central longitudinal axis located midway between said first and second side edges of said back panel;
- forming a pair of tubes from a web of flexible material, each of said tubes of said pair having a longitudinal axis and an outer surface;
- adhesively securing a portion of said outer surface of said pair of tubes to said back panel with said tubes being spaced from each other and with said longitudinally axes of said tubes extending parallel to said central longitudinal axis of said back panel;
- disposing said front panel over said back panel and on portions of said pair of tubes to form a pair of gusseted side panels;
- sealing portions of said front panels to portions said tubes along a pair of front panel seal lines and sealing portions of said back panels to portions of said tubes along a pair of back panel seal lines to form a body having a pair of gusseted side panels and a central longitudinal axis, said central longitudinal axis being located midway between said gusseted side panels, each of said gusseted side panels comprising pair of gusset sections connected to each other by a fold line;
- each of said front panel seal lines having an end edge portion and an intermediate edge portion with said intermediate edge portions of said front panel seal lines being located closer to said central longitudinal axis than said end edge portions thereof;
- cutting portions of said package immediately outside said front and rear panel seal lines;
- and
- sealing said bottom edges of said front and back panels together along a bottom seal line to form a hollow side-gusseted package having an open top.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.