Method and apparatus for making a flat bottom pillow pouch
AssigneeFrito-Lay North America, Inc.
InventorsPatrick Joseph Bierschenk, Martin Bernhard Dierl, Chad Arthur Huebner, Jerry Mike Reaves, Steven Kenneth Tucker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention discloses a flat bottom pillow pouch that can stand upright on its bottom transverse seal. The flat bottom pillow bag can be made from the same film as a standard pillow pouch and requires less film than prior art stand up packages. The flat bottom pillow pouch disclosed herein has no gussets.
Claims30
A method for making a package having a flat bottom, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a first end seal with a pair of sealing jaws to form an open-ended tube wherein said first end seal is formed beneath a product delivery tube having at least two pairs of fingers in a retracted position;
- b) providing said at least two pairs of fingers in an extended position thereby forming a package bottom having a pair of outwardly-extending flaps;
- c) folding said first end seal with a folding device;
- d) folding each of said flaps inwardly and beneath said package bottom.
A vertical form, fill, and seal machine, said machine comprising:
- a product delivery tube having an extension, wherein said extension comprises at least two pairs of fingers being movable between an extended position and a retracted position;
- a folding device for folding a bottom, transverse seal adjacent to a package bottom thereby creating a pair of flaps;
- and
- a pair of side folding members wherein each folding member folds each flap beneath said package bottom.
A method for making a package having a flat bottom, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a tube of packaging film on a vertical form fill and seal machine;
- b) forming an end seal on said tube, wherein said end seal comprises no tucks, wherein said end seal is formed beneath a product delivery tube having at least two pairs of fingers in a retracted position, wherein said fingers extend down below said product delivery tube;
- c) positioning said fingers in an extended position thereby defining a flat bottom in said package;
- d) folding said end seal with a folding device to make a plurality of flaps;
- and
- e) folding each of said flaps inwardly and beneath said package bottom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.