Method and apparatus for manufacturing tube-shaped packages made of flexible material
AssigneeBP Europack S.p.A.
InventorsSergio Visona′, Giorgio Trani, Marion Sterner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method for manufacturing a tube-shaped package having longitudinal sides and a bottom and made of flexible material, wherein the longitudinal sides of the package are sealed prior to forming the bottom and the bottom is formed by pushing an annular portion of the flexible material inward in a U-shaped arrangement at at least on closed end of the tube-shaped package.
Claims5
A method for manufacturing a tube-shaped package having continuous tubular longitudinal sides and a continuous tubular bottom and made of flexible material, comprising the steps of:
- sealing longitudinal sides of a flexible material to form a continuous tube, then
- sealing to close end of the continuous tube, then
- forming a closed bottom of the continuous tube by pushing an annular portion of the sealed end inwardly into a continuous tubular U-shaped arrangement at said closed end of the tube shaped package, the continuous tubular U-shaped arrangement comprising opposing flaps that face each other around the continuous arrangement, said flaps being at least partially heat-sealed to each other around the continuous U-shaped arrangement.
An apparatus for manufacturing a tube-shaped package, comprising:
- elements for retaining side walls of the tube-shaped package, the package having at least one continuous tubular closed end and the side walls being sealed to form a closed perimeter prior to forming the closed end;
- means that can be inserted axially at least partially in said elements for retaining said side walls so as to form, at said closed end, a continuous tubular annular portion that is folded in a continuous tubular U-shape;
- and means for heat sealing said annular portion folded in a continuous tubular U-shaped arrangement at the closed end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.