Foam in bag packaging system and method for producing the same

A packaging system for producing a foam-in-bag cushion upon demand comprising

• a bag formed of flexible plastic film material and defining therein an enclosed space of a volume corresponding to the size of the foam cushion to be produced, said enclosed space being vented to the outside of said bag to permit the escape of gases generated during the formation of the foam cushion while preventing the escape of foam therefrom,
• a foam precursor packet positioned at a predetermined location within said enclosed space in said bag and being formed of a barrier material capable of maintaining foam precursor components in a relatively stable and unreacted state, said packet including a first compartment and a second compartment with a first frangible seal separating said first and second compartments and adapted to be broken when it is desired to form the foam cushion, said packet also including a second frangible seal between said second compartment and said enclosed space in said bag,
• a first foam precursor component contained in said first compartment of said packet,
• a second foam precursor component contained in said second compartment of said packet,
• said first and second foam precursor components being adapted to be mixed upon breaking of said first frangible seal and to react to form foam which will break said second frangible seal and expand from said packet into said enclosed space in said bag until said enclosed space is substantially filled with foam and said foam cushion is formed,
• said packet having a predetermined length and width such that said first and second compartments are only of a size required for the amounts of said first and second foam precursor compositions for the production of the size of foam cushion desired, and
• means for securing said packet in said bag at said predetermined location.

A packaging system for producing a foam-in-bag cushion upon demand comprising,

• a bag formed of flexible plastic film material and defining therein an enclosed space vented to the outside of said bag to permit the escape of gases generated during formation of foam while preventing the escape of foam therefrom;
• a packet formed of a barrier material capable of maintaining foam precursor components in a relatively stable and unreacted state and being positioned in said enclosed space in said bag, said packet defining therein an enclosed space and having first and second frangible seals dividing said enclosed space into first, second and third compartments, said packet also including a third frangible seal between said second compartment and said enclosed space in said bag for escape of foam into said enclosed space of said bag upon formation of such foam,
• a first foam precursor component contained in said first compartment in said packet,
• a virgin second foam precursor component contained in said second compartment in said packet,
• a recycled second foam precursor component contained in said third compartment in said packet,
• said first and second foam precursor components being adapted to be mixed upon breaking of said first and second frangible seals and to react when mixed to form foam which will break said third frangible seal and escape from said packet into said bag until said enclosed space in said bag is substantially filled with foam, and
• said frangible seals each being formed by a band of printing extending transversely along one of contiguous surfaces of said packet, said band of printing comprising a pattern of spaced apart printed areas separated by intersecting lines of unprinted surface areas defining a grid pattern with said lines intersecting at substantially right angles, a heat seal extending along said band of printing and joining said contiguous surfaces together along said lines of unprinted surface areas, said grid pattern being arranged relative to said heat seal such that a longitudinal center-line of said heat seal does not cross all of the intersections of said lines of unprinted surface areas.

A method of producing a foam-in-a-bag packaging system comprising:

• feeding a pair of panels of flexible plastic film material into superposed relation along a predetermined path of travel;
• feeding elongate, packets each having first and second compartments separated by a frangible seal and containing first and second foam precursor components, between said superposed panels at spaced apart locations with said packets disposed transversely of said panels;
• securing said packets to said plastic film material to prevent said packets from moving relative thereto;
• forming successive elongate bags from said superposed panels having side edges and opposite end edges joined, and with said packet being located adjacent one end of said bag,
• forming vent openings in said bag to the exterior thereof in spaced relation to said packet to provide for the escape of gases during foam formation;
• and
• separating said successive bags from each other by transversely severing the plastic film material.

A method of forming a foam-in-bag packaging system comprising

• forming an elongate packet of flexible barrier material of a predetermined length and width and having a plurality of compartments therein separated by at least one interior frangible seal and having an exterior frangible seal, and dispensing into said compartments first and second foam precursor components which when mixed will form foam;
• forming an elongate bag having a substantially enclosed interior space substantially the size of a packaging cushion to be formed and including said packet in said interior space adjacent one end of said bag, the predetermined width of said packet being substantially less than the length of said bag;
• folding said bag along transverse fold lines parallel to said packet to form a folded bag in which the dimension lengthwise of said packet is substantially greater than the dimension width wise of said packet, and
• folding said folded bag along a fold line substantially corresponding to said interior frangible seal of said packet so that the folded barrier material forms a mechanical barrier to said foam precursor components.