# US 8,464,502 B2 · Packaging device for packing stacked soft hygienic products into a plastic bag

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- Number: US 8,464,502 B2
- Document ID: US8464502B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/792,866
- Filed: 2010-06-03
- Published: 2010-12-09
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2009-06-05
- Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Applicants: Stephan Spiekers; Geert Ivo Coletta Maria Cloostermans-Huwaert; Andre Josephine Karel De Saert; Markus Port; Ibrahim Ulas; Thomas Reinhold Albert Wessel
- Inventors: Stephan Spiekers; Geert Ivo Coletta Maria Cloostermans-Huwaert; Andre Josephine Karel De Saert; Markus Port; Ibrahim Ulas; Thomas Reinhold Albert Wessel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8464502B2

## CPC

- B65D 75/12: with the ends of the tube closed by flattening and heat-sealing
- B65B 9/067: the web advancing continuously (B65B9/08 takes precedence)
- B65B 35/40: by reciprocating or oscillatory pushers
- B65B 61/005: {for removing material by cutting}
- B65B 63/02: for compressing or compacting articles or materials prior to wrapping or insertion in containers or receptacles
- B65D 75/566: {Hand holes or suspension apertures}
- B65D 75/5827: {Tear-lines provided in a wall portion (B65D75/5805, B65D75/5816 take precedence)}
- B65D 75/5833: {for tearing out a portion of the wall}
- B65B 2009/063: {Forming shoulders}
- B65B 2220/10: Creating an off-center longitudinal seal on horizontal or vertical form fill seal [FFS] machines
- B65D 85/07: for compressible or flexible articles (for wearing apparel B65D85/18)
- B65D 2575/586: with means for reclosing
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00)

## Abstract

A packaging device for packing stacked soft hygienic products, e.g. sanitary napkins, panty liners or the like, into a plastic bag made of an endless film, has specific forming shoulder (21) and MD sealing unit (5) to produce a MD seal (35) at a closure edge (46) of the bag. Thus four integral side panels are available at the bag (WB) for imprinting.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A packaging device for packing stacked soft hygienic products into a plastic bag made of an endless film, said packaging device comprising:
i) a stack forming unit for bundling products into a stack,
ii) a stack transport unit for supplying the formed stack to
iii) a wrapping station, the wrapping station including
a supply tunnel through which the formed stacks are delivered to the wrapping station in a row,
a film feed for feeding the film from a film stock,
a funnel-shaped forming shoulder arranged around the supply tunnel with a substantially rectangular cross section design, over which the fed film is drawn to guide the film onto the supply tunnel and to form a tube-like film envelope around the stacks leaving the supply tunnel,
iv) a machine direction sealing unit for sealing the longitudinally running edges of the tube-like film envelope, and
v) a cross direction sealing unit for forming and sealing the crosswise running edges of the tube-like film envelope for each plastic bag simultaneously separating the sequenced bags, wherein
vi) the funnel-shaped forming shoulder has an asymmetric shape to guide the longitudinally running edges of the film to align with one longitudinal corner of the supply tunnel and the stacks, respectively, and
vii) the machine direction sealing unit is located in the vicinity of said longitudinal corner to produce a machine direction seal at the plastic bag running along a longitudinal closure corner of each plastic bag.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The packaging device of claim 1, wherein the funnel edges of the forming shoulder terminate at the machine direction corners of the supply tunnel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The packaging device of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the forming shoulder is an oblique chute.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The packaging device of claim 3, wherein an idle roller is provided in front of the oblique chute top surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The packaging device of claim 1, wherein the MD sealing unit comprises a pair of cooperating sealing rollers, which form a sealing gap in front of the longitudinal closure corner for the longitudinally running edges of the tube-like film envelope of the bag and the parallel axes of rotation of which sealing rollers take acute angles versa the adjacent side walls of the plastic bag.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The packaging device of claim 5, wherein one of the sealing rollers has a circular cutting blade to incorporate a trim function into the sealing unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The packaging device of claim 1, wherein at least one pulling unit arranged lengthwise of the tube-like film envelope to transport same in synchronism with the stacks leaving the supply tunnel.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A packaging device according to claim 7, wherein the pulling unit comprises endless belt conveyors engaging the side portions of the tube-like film envelope.