CN217477603U

CN217477603U - System for making pouches

Info

Publication number: CN217477603U
Application number: CN202123038049.0U
Authority: CN
Inventors: M·勃兰特桑斯; 特奥多尔·贝雷斯库波戈莫洛夫; 塔索斯·卡拉兰姆拜德斯; 马努·华日斯蒂曼西西多尔
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 2021-12-06
Filing date: 2021-12-06
Publication date: 2022-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 2031-12-06

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for making pouches comprising: a) a flat belt conveyor unit, b) a heating unit, c) a dispensing unit, d) a composition supplying unit, e) a sealing unit, and f) a cutting unit.

Description

System for making pouches

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system for making a water soluble pouch containing a composition.

Background

Today's detergent compositions come in a variety of product forms, such as granular, liquid, and single-dose forms, including water-soluble pouches.

There are several methods and systems for making water-soluble pouches containing products such as detergents, for example, vertical filling, circular drum filling, and flat belt filling. However, these methods still have many disadvantages. For example, a problem associated with vertical filling machines is that such methods are not very efficient, are intermittent and slow. The circular drum method overcomes some of the disadvantages of the first vertical filling method because it does not require speed variation (no acceleration/deceleration process). However, the spillage from the pouch is quite significant due to the circular motion, which results in product spilling into the seal area, resulting in sealing problems (seal leakage). Furthermore, this method has an even more serious problem when used with liquid products, which are likely to spill in large amounts due to circular motion. And filling and sealing must be performed near the highest point of the drum's circular motion, which greatly reduces the overall speed and throughput of the pouch forming process. Moreover, the small operating window also leads to other limitations compared to horizontal filling machines, such as more restrictions on the shape of the pouches, in particular for multi-chamber pouches, each chamber containing a different product, and for pouches filled with a different product form (e.g. a powder product). The flat belt filling process, in which pouch formation and filling is carried out on a flat belt, may overcome the disadvantages of the round drum filling process to some extent, but it still has some disadvantages. In particular, flat-panel conveyor-filling systems often include a reciprocating filling unit that is generally movable only in the same plane (i.e., the unit is a fixed distance from the open pouches to be filled). When it is desired to fill different products (e.g., from a liquid to a solid pellet, or from a high viscosity product to a low viscosity product), the fixed vertical distance of the reciprocating filling unit can cause problems such as splashing and/or stringing of the filled product. In addition, conventional flat belt filling systems include a long belt that is neither compact nor flexible.

Therefore, there is a need for alternative and more efficient systems to produce water-soluble pouches.

Provided is a system for horizontal continuous manufacture of water soluble pouches, preferably at high speed. In particular, the system method allows for great flexibility in the film size used, the pouch size, the pouch shape, the product morphology and properties, the time required for each step (e.g., varying the speed of constant speed movement), etc., without affecting the overall yield of pouch production.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The present invention relates to a system for making a water soluble pouch containing a composition, the system comprising:

a) a flat conveyor unit comprising a conveyor belt and a support base supporting the conveyor belt, wherein the conveyor belt comprises a plurality of mold cavities and the conveyor belt is configured to form an array of open water-soluble pouches in continuous motion and in a horizontal position by delivering a first water-soluble film onto the conveyor belt and drawing the first water-soluble film into the mold cavities,

b) a heating unit configured to heat the first water-soluble film after the first water-soluble film is conveyed onto the conveyor belt,

c) a dispensing unit configured to fill the continuously moving and horizontally positioned array of open water soluble pouches with composition, wherein the dispensing unit comprises a plurality of spouts, wherein the spouts are capable of moving horizontally at the same speed and in the same direction as the pouches such that each open pouch is below the same spout during dispensing, respectively, and the spouts are capable of moving vertically such that the distance of an open pouch from a spout is adjustable,

d) a composition supply unit configured to store the composition and supply the composition to the dispensing unit,

e) a sealing unit configured to form an array of closed water-soluble pouches by feeding a second water-soluble film onto the array of open water-soluble pouches after filling and subsequently sealing the first and second water-soluble films together, and

f) a cutting unit configured to cut the array of closed water-soluble pouches in both a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction to obtain a plurality of separated water-soluble pouches.

Preferably, the flat conveyor belt is able to move continuously in a horizontal position until it rotates about an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement and then moves in the opposite direction, which is also horizontal.

In some embodiments, the first water-soluble film is drawn into the mold cavity by applying a vacuum. Preferably, the first water-soluble film is held in the mold cavity by the application of a vacuum. In particular, the vacuum may be applied through holes in the mold cavity. The holes in the mold cavity may be arranged in any suitable manner. One or more holes (e.g., 2, 3, 5,10, 100, or 1000) may be disposed in each mold cavity. The holes may be of any shape, for example circular. In particular, the apertures can be of any size so long as the water-soluble film is not pulled into the apertures at the deformation, plastic deformation, or heat deformation temperatures, thereby destroying the structural integrity of the finished pouch.

In some embodiments, the mold cavity may have chamfered edges (e.g., a 45 degree chamfer) or rounded edges. This arrangement may help prevent weak spots from being created at the corners. In other embodiments, the mold cavity may be made of aluminum, which may preferably have a protective anodizing treatment to prevent corrosion.

In some embodiments, the conveyor belt and/or plate further comprises a plurality of openings located at both longitudinal side edges of the conveyor belt and/or plate through which a vacuum can be applied. The vacuum applied to the plurality of openings may help to hold the side edges of the first water-soluble film against the side edges of the belt and/or plate. In particular, the opening can be of any size so long as the water-soluble film is not pulled into the opening at the deformation, plastic deformation, or heat deformation temperature, thereby destroying the structural integrity of the finished pouch.

In some embodiments, the plurality of mold cavities are arranged in an array of 2 to 20 (preferably 3 to 15) in width and 1 to 10 (preferably 2 to 5) in length.

In some embodiments, the support base comprises a series of processing stations including a heating station, a forming station, a filling station, a sealing station, and a Machine Direction (MD) cutting station. In particular, two or more of the processing stations may be combined, for example the heating station and the forming station may be combined into a heating/forming station.

In some embodiments, the heating unit comprises an infrared lamp, which is preferably capable of heating the first water-soluble film to 50 to 150 ℃, or even 80 to 120 ℃. Preferably wherein the infrared lamp is capable of heating the first water-soluble film after the first water-soluble film is conveyed onto a conveyor belt. This arrangement can allow the heating to be coordinated with the application of vacuum and allow multiple heating/vacuuming operations, allowing the forming step to be performed at a higher speed and reducing the failure rate than if the water-soluble film were heated before being fed to the conveyor belt. More preferably wherein the infrared lamp comprises at least two independently operable segments (e.g. two or three segments). Most preferably, wherein the plurality of segments are capable of independently heating the first water-soluble film to the same or different temperatures, e.g., room temperature (i.e., without heating) to 50 ℃,70 ℃, 90 ℃, 110 ℃, 120 ℃, 150 ℃. In a specific embodiment, the infrared lamp comprises two zones. In one embodiment, the heating unit further comprises a protection device configured to be inserted in front of the infrared lamp when the system is shut down, thereby protecting the system from heat damage.

In some embodiments, each of the water-soluble pouches comprises a plurality of chambers, preferably arranged in horizontally adjacent fashion. Preferably, each chamber contains a different composition. In this embodiment, the dispensing unit comprises a plurality of orifice sets, wherein each orifice set is configured to dispense one of a plurality of compositions to be filled.

In some embodiments, the dispensing unit may also include a servo motor to drive the movement of the dispensing unit (or spout). In other embodiments, the dispensing unit may further comprise a back suction pump to prevent stringing and/or leakage of the composition to be filled.

In some embodiments, the composition supply unit comprises a reservoir and a fluid channel, wherein the reservoir contains the composition, and the fluid channel is in fluid communication with the plurality of spouts and the reservoir. In particular embodiments where the dispensing unit comprises a plurality of sets of spouts, the composition supply unit comprises a plurality of reservoirs comprising different compositions to be filled into different chambers of each pouch and a plurality of fluid channels, each of the plurality of fluid channels being in fluid communication with one of the plurality of sets of spouts and one of the plurality of reservoirs, respectively.

In some embodiments, the sealing unit comprises a wetting device and a sealing roller, wherein the wetting device is configured to wet the first water-soluble film and/or the second water-soluble film by applying a sealing composition prior to sealing, and the sealing roller is configured to press the first water-soluble film and the second water-soluble film together to form a seal. The sealing roll may or may not heat the water-soluble film. When the sealing roller heats the film, the heating temperature may be 30 ℃,50 ℃,70 ℃, 90 ℃, 110 ℃, 120 ℃, 150 ℃ or any interval thereof. Furthermore, the sealing roller may be motor-driven or follow the film as a result of contact with the film. In some embodiments, the roller may have a metal inner core that is wrapped with a layer of silicone to achieve better film compliance by applying pressure to the entire seal area. In a particular embodiment, the wetting means comprises a wetting roller made of an absorbent material (e.g. a felt made of a natural material such as wool or a shrinkable synthetic material) with a water-containing sealing composition (preferably comprising > 90% water, more preferably > 95%, most preferably consisting of water) carried in the absorbent material, the wetting roller being configured to apply the sealing composition onto the second water-soluble film as it is fed to the wetting roller before the second water-soluble film is fed to the array of filled open water-soluble pouches. In another specific embodiment, the wetting apparatus comprises a sprayer configured to apply a sealing composition comprising water (preferably comprising > 90% water, more preferably > 95%, most preferably consisting of water) onto the second water-soluble film before the second water-soluble film is fed to the array of filled open water-soluble pouches.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a collection unit configured to collect the plurality of separated water-soluble pouches. In particular, the collection unit may comprise a conveyor belt or a collection bucket. Furthermore, the system may further comprise an intermediate production line, wherein the water-soluble pouches may preferably be stored for 1 minute to 3 months. The system may further comprise a packaging line, and the water-soluble pouches may be transferred from the intermediate line to the packaging line, preferably after storage.

In some embodiments, the cutting unit comprises:

a Machine Direction (MD) cutting device configured to cut the closed array of water-soluble pouches longitudinally in the machine direction,

a cross-direction (CD) cutting device configured to cut the closed array of water-soluble pouches in a cross-machine direction after the machine direction cut,

a first transfer drum configured to suck the closed water-soluble pouches after longitudinal cutting by applying vacuum and then transfer them to a transverse cutting device,

a second transfer drum configured to suck the closed water-soluble pouches by applying vacuum after the cross cutting and then transfer them to the collection unit.

Some embodiments may contain two cutting units, where the first cutting unit provides Machine Direction (MD) cutting and the second cutting unit provides Cross Direction (CD) cutting. Alternatively, a first of the two cutting units provides a cross-direction (CD) cut and a second cutting unit provides a machine-direction (MD) cut.

Machine Direction (MD) cutting and cross direction Cutting (CD) may be performed simultaneously or sequentially.

In some embodiments, the flat sheet may have grooves in the Machine Direction (MD) to facilitate Machine Direction (MD) cutting.

In some embodiments, the Machine Direction (MD) cutting device and/or the Cross Direction (CD) cutting device may comprise a flexible curvilinear cutter. In a preferred embodiment, the Cross Direction (CD) cutting means comprises a flexible curved knife and the Machine Direction (MD) cutting means comprises a rotary knife. In particular, the flexible curvilinear cutter is formed from a flexible blade cutting element, a blade carrying element, and a plurality of spring elements. The proximal end of each spring element is operatively fixedly attached to a separate location on the cutting element, while the distal end of each spring element is fixedly attached to a separate location on the blade carrying element. Alternatively, the flexible blade cutting element is directly connected to the blade carrying element.

In some embodiments, the CD cutting apparatus comprises a rotary anvil and a rotary knife roll, wherein a plurality of knives are disposed on the rotary knife roll. In particular, the rotatable anvil may have a chamber for receiving a pouch to be cut. Preferably wherein the CD cutting apparatus is configured such that the knife is in spaced contact with the array of pouches and cuts the array of pouches in a transverse direction. In a particular embodiment, to achieve a more precise cut, the CD cutting device is arranged to be able to rotate at a variable speed, wherein the rotating knife roller rotates between cuts at a speed faster than the line speed, and decelerates during the cut, e.g. to the line speed.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a first film transport unit comprising at least one roller from which the first water-soluble film is unwound and a second film transport unit comprising at least one roller from which the second water-soluble film is unwound. Preferably, the first film conveying unit includes two rollers from which the first water-soluble film is unwound, and is disposed such that one of the two rollers is operated and the other is on standby when conveying the first water-soluble film; and wherein the second film conveying unit comprises two rollers from which the second water-soluble film is unwound, which are disposed such that one of the two rollers is on and the other is on standby while conveying the second water-soluble film. More preferably, wherein the two rollers of the first film feeding unit are arranged to be automatically switched to each other when the first water-soluble film on the work roller is used up, and the two rollers of the second film feeding unit are arranged to be automatically switched to each other when the second water-soluble film on the work roller is used up.

In some embodiments, the first film transport unit and/or the second film transport unit may further comprise a splicing device configured to automatically switch the two rolls between on-duty and standby. One exemplary overlapping device may comprise a thermal welder capable of overlapping the water-soluble film, and another exemplary overlapping device may comprise an ultrasonic welder capable of overlapping the water-soluble film. The ultrasonic welder may include a welding head capable of reciprocating at supersonic speeds (i.e., on the order of 20,000 times per second). The heat generated by the friction between the two water-soluble films causes them to weld together. In one embodiment, overlapping the two water-soluble films by ultrasonic welding comprises placing the ends of the two water-soluble films horizontally such that the ends overlap each other and are adjacent to a working face of a welding horn (adapted for supersonic reciprocation) such that the welding horn reciprocates at supersonic speeds and simultaneously moves the wheel laterally over the overlapping water-soluble films along the overlapping portion, the wheel being biased toward but not too close to the welding horn, the lateral movement of the wheel causing the ends of the water-soluble films to be pressed against the reciprocating ends of the welding horn at the overlapping portion. In one embodiment, the overlapping device may comprise an ultrasonic welder, which may in particular comprise a welding horn, a wheel, and an ultrasonic energy generator.

In some embodiments, the first film transport unit and/or the second film transport unit may further comprise a stretching device (e.g., a plurality of rollers having different speeds) configured to stretch the first water-soluble film and/or the second water-soluble film to control film tension. In some embodiments, the stretching device comprises a tension roller. In some particular embodiments, the stretching device comprises an S-shaped tension roller. The presence of the stretching means may facilitate the formation of the open water-soluble pouch in the mould cavity and/or facilitate sealing. In one embodiment, the unwound water-soluble film is maintained at a tension of from about 20N/m to about 80N/m, preferably from about 40N/m to about 60N/m (force per unit width of film). The preferred range of tension may be based on film composition and thickness.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a vacuum pump unit configured to apply a vacuum. Preferably, the vacuum pump unit is arranged to apply at least two different negative pressures to the mould cavity, including a first negative pressure (e.g. a low negative pressure) and a second negative pressure (e.g. a high negative pressure). More preferably, the low negative pressure is less than 80% of the high negative pressure, preferably less than 70% of the high negative pressure. Most preferably, the first underpressure is from 0mbar to-400 mbar, preferably from-10 mbar to-100 mbar, and the second underpressure is from-200 to-700 mbar, preferably from-250 to-500 mbar. In particular, the at least two different negative pressures correspond to at least two sections of the infrared lamp. More particularly, the first section of the infrared lamp is configured to heat the first water-soluble film to a first temperature after the first water-soluble film is conveyed to the conveyor belt, and apply a first negative pressure (e.g., a low negative pressure) to the mold cavity after the first section of the infrared lamp heats the first water-soluble film; the second section of the infrared lamp is configured to heat the first water-soluble film to a second temperature after the first water-soluble film moves to the second section, and a second negative pressure (e.g., a high negative pressure) is applied to the mold cavity after the second section of the infrared lamp heats the first water-soluble film.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a temperature and humidity control unit and/or an air extraction unit. In particular, the temperature and humidity control unit is arranged to maintain a temperature of 15 ℃ to 30 ℃, preferably 18 ℃ to 27 ℃, more preferably 20 ℃ to 25 ℃, and a humidity of 20% to 50%, preferably 25% to 40%.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a dusting unit configured to apply a powder composition comprising an adsorbent material, preferably selected from the group consisting of: zeolite, talc, starch, zinc stearate, calcium carbonate, sodium sulfate, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the powder composition may further comprise a silica flow aid.

In some embodiments, the composition is a liquid fabric or surface cleaning product, preferably a liquid laundry detergent or an automatic dishwashing detergent.

In some embodiments, the system may further comprise a printing unit configured to print a pattern on the first and/or second water-soluble film (preferably the first water-soluble film before heating). Preferred printing units include a printing roll or a combination of printing rolls, for example, each printing roll printing a different color on the water-soluble film. Or may use a contactless printing technique. Preferably, the printed matter is on the inner surface of the water-soluble film, for example, the surface that is in direct contact with the encapsulated composition. The printed matter is thus less susceptible to damage from external exposure (e.g. rubbing or smearing) due to accidental contact with water.

In some embodiments, the system can further comprise a trim collection unit configured to collect and transfer the trimmed edges of the film into a collection container. Automated collection and/or transfer may be achieved by using vacuum.

In some embodiments, the system may further comprise a registration subsystem configured to assist in registration or positioning of the film and/or pouch. For example, such a registration subsystem may be used to ensure proper positioning of the print area relative to the deformation area, or positioning of the pouch relative to the cutting unit, or positioning of the mold cavity relative to the filling nozzle. The registration subsystem may include a time-based counting unit. In particular, the registration subsystem may ensure the correct pouch position.

In some embodiments, the system may also include a bale-based buffer unit located between the pouch manufacturing line and the packaging line for temporarily holding pouches that have been produced but not yet packaged. This disconnection between the manufacturing line and the packaging line enables the two lines to run independently of each other, thereby maximizing the speed of each line. For example, if the packaging line must run at a lower speed (e.g., when the number of packages is small), the manufacturing line does not need to slow down; when the manufacturing line must run at a slower speed (e.g., due to capacity limitations), the packaging line does not need to be slowed down and still can continue with a large number of packages. The packaging line can load the pouches into packaging bags, packaging barrels, or combinations thereof.

The term "Machine Direction (MD)" as used herein refers to the direction of flat belt travel. The term "cross-machine direction (CD)" as used herein refers to a direction perpendicular to the direction of flat-bed conveyor belt travel in the horizontal plane.

These and other features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the appended claims.

Drawings

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the invention, it is believed that the present invention will be better understood from the following description of the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows an exemplary system for making a water-soluble pouch containing a composition according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows an exemplary cutting unit of a system for manufacturing a water-soluble pouch containing a product according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 shows a film delivery unit of a system for making water-soluble pouches according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The utility model relates to an explanation of reference numeral:

(FIG. 1):

a system (1) for making a water-soluble pouch;

a flat belt conveyor unit (11);

a conveyor belt (12);

a plurality of mold cavities (121);

a support base (13);

a heating unit (14);

a distribution unit (15);

a plurality of nozzles (151);

a composition supply unit (16);

a reservoir (161);

a fluid channel (162);

a first water-soluble film (171);

a second water-soluble film (172);

a first film conveying unit (173);

a second film feeding unit (174);

a wetting device (181);

a sealing roller (182);

an MD cutting device (191);

a CD cutting device (192).

(FIG. 2):

a cutting unit (20);

an MD cutting device (21);

multiple disc cutters (211)

A CD cutting device (22);

rotary anvil (220)

A rotating knife roll (221);

a plurality of cutters (222);

a first transfer drum (23);

a second transfer drum (24);

a conveyor belt (25);

a collection unit (26).

(FIG. 3)

A work roll (31);

a standby roller (32);

a lapping device (33);

a stretching device (34);

a conveyor belt (35).

Detailed Description

The operation of the system of the present invention includes continuously feeding the water-soluble film to an endless working surface (e.g., a flat belt), preferably to a horizontal portion of an endless working surface, or in other cases, to a non-horizontal portion of the working surface, and then continuously moving toward the horizontal portion and finally reaching the horizontal portion. However, it is preferable to feed the film directly to the horizontal portion.

In one embodiment, the operation of the system of the present invention comprises the steps of:

a) continuously feeding a first water-soluble film onto a horizontal portion of a continuously rotating endless work surface (e.g., a flat belt conveyor) containing a plurality of mold cavities, or onto a non-horizontal portion thereof, and continuously transferring the film to said horizontal portion;

b) forming an array of continuously moving, horizontally positioned, open pouches from a film on a continuously moving work surface in a horizontal position and in a mold cavity on the work surface by applying heat to the film and a vacuum;

c) filling an array of continuously moving and horizontally positioned open pouches with the composition to obtain an array of horizontally positioned open and filled pouches;

d) continuously, sealing the open pouch array by feeding a second water-soluble film (preferably, having applied thereon a sealing composition) to the open and filled pouch array in a horizontal position to obtain a closed pouch array in a horizontal position; and

e) cutting the array of sealed pouches into a plurality of individual pouches comprising MD cutting and CD cutting.

Typically, the horizontal portion of the work surface will continue to move in a horizontal position until it is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement, typically through an angle of about 180 degrees, and then moved in the opposite direction, which may also be a horizontal movement, and finally the work surface will again be rotated to return to the initial horizontal position and continue movement (from or at which point the work cycle is resumed).

The phrase "endless working surface" as used herein means that the working surface is free of end edges in at least one direction, preferably only one direction. For example, the work surface is preferably part of a rotating flat belt conveyor containing mold cavities, as described in more detail below.

The horizontal portion of the work surface may have any width, which is typically determined by the number of rows of mold cavities in the width direction, the dimensions of the mold cavities, and the amount of space required between the mold cavities. The horizontal portion of the endless work surface may have any length, typically depending on the number of steps to be performed on that portion of the work surface (during continuous horizontal movement of the work surface), the time required for each step, and the optimal speed of movement of the work surface required to accomplish those steps.

Preferred working face widths are up to 1.5 meters, or even up to 1.0 meter or preferably between 30 and 80 centimeters.

The preferred horizontal position of the endless working surface is from 2 to 20 meters, or even from 4 to 12 meters, e.g. 4,5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Preferably, the filling, sealing and MD cutting are performed at the level of the work surface while the work surface is in continuous motion, whereas the CD cutting is not performed at the level of the work surface. In particular, the CD cutting may be performed in a CD cutting device separate from the work surface (e.g., a flat belt).

Thus, the operation is preferably performed on a non-end work surface which is maintained in horizontal motion for a period of time to complete the steps of forming the web of pouches, filling and sealing the pouches and preferably even cutting the pouches apart from one another (alternatively two or more pouches remain attached to one another or the web of pouches is cut into individual pouches, as described below). The web of endless pouches or pouches is then removed from the work surface, preferably after the sealing step or after the MD cutting step, and the work surface is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement, typically through an angle of about 180 degrees, and then moved in the opposite direction, typically also horizontally, and thereafter rotated again, with step a) then being resumed.

Preferably, the working surface is a part of a moving revolving belt, such as a conveyor belt or a flat belt, and/or is preferably detachably connected thereto. In particular, the surface may be a discrete plate (e.g., Rockwell's iTrack) moving on a magnetic conveyor belt. The work surface is then preferably removed and replaced by another differently sized work surface or work surface containing differently shaped or sized mold cavities. This makes the apparatus easy to clean and can then be used to produce different types of sachets. For example, it may be a conveyor belt with a series of plates, the number and size of which will depend on the length of the horizontal portion and the diameter of revolution of the work surface, and may for example comprise 30 to 200, such as 50, 70, 90, 120, 150 or any section thereof, for example each plate length (direction of movement of the plate and the work surface) is 5 to 50cm, such as 4,5,10,15,20,30,40,50 cm or any section thereof.

The plates are then assembled to form the endless working surface or a part thereof, typically the surfaces of the plates contain cavities, e.g. there may be several cavities per plate, e.g. up to 20 cavities, or even 2 to 15 or even 3 to 13 cavities in the width direction. And for example up to 15 or even 1 to 10 or even 2 to 6 or even 2 to 5 cavities in the length direction (i.e. the direction of movement of the plate).

The work surface, or a conveyor belt typically attached to the work surface, may be continuously moved by any known method. A zero elongation chain drive system is preferably used to drive the work surface or the conveyor belt connected to the work surface.

If a flat belt conveyor is used, it preferably comprises: a) a main belt (preferably made of steel) and b) a series of flat plates comprising 1) a surface with mould cavities, whereby the flat plates form an endless working surface with mould cavities as described above; and 2) a vacuum channel connection; and 3) preferably a substrate, between the plate and the vacuum channel connection. The plates are then preferably secured to the main belt with the connection between the plates being airtight. The flat belt as a whole can then preferably be moved along (above or below) a stationary vacuum system (vacuum chamber).

It will be appreciated that all of the plates and main belts are continuously moving, typically at the same constant speed.

The mold cavity can be of any shape, length, width and depth depending on the desired size of the pouch. The cavities on each work surface may also be of different sizes and shapes from each other, if desired. For example, preferably the volume of the final pouch may be between 5 ml and 300 ml, or even 10 ml to 150 ml, e.g. 10 ml, 12 ml, 15 ml, 20 ml etc., the size of the mould cavity being adjusted accordingly.

The film is typically fed to or on top of the work surface and preferably continuously to its horizontal position, typically at a constant speed throughout the process. This operation can be carried out using any known method, preferably using a roll from which the film is unwound.

The open pouches can be formed in the mold cavity by any method, and as mentioned above, preferred methods include (at least) using a vacuum or a thin air to draw the film into the mold cavity. Other preferred methods include heating the film to make it more flexible or even stretch to conform to the shape of the mold cavity. Preferably, the film may be drawn into the mold cavity in conjunction with the application of a vacuum to the film, or a combination of all of these methods.

Preferably each mold cavity contains one or more apertures which are connected to a vacuum system which provides vacuum suction to the film over the apertures through the apertures, as described in more detail herein. Preferably, the vacuum system is a vacuum chamber comprising at least two different components, separated from each other in different compartments according to the invention.

Heat may be applied in any manner, such as contact heating (e.g., passing the film under heated rollers), passing the film under a heating element or through hot air before or after feeding the film onto the work surface, or indirect heating, such as heating the work surface or heating the film with a hot object, such as to a temperature of 50 ℃ to 150 ℃, or even 80 ℃ to 120 ℃, preferably such as using infrared light. Any suitable IR lamp may be used, including infrared quartz tube lamps. In particular, the temperature of the IR emitting surface of the IR lamp may be 150 to 1000 ℃, e.g. 200 ℃, 300 ℃,400 ℃,500 ℃,700 ℃,1000 ℃.

The film may be wetted in any manner, for example by spraying a wetting agent (including water, a solution of the film material or a plasticizer for the film material) directly onto the film, or indirectly by wetting the working surface or by applying a wetting object to the film, before or immediately after feeding the film onto the working surface.

The filling of the array of open pouches while it is continuously moving horizontally can be done by any known method of filling (moving) objects. The exact most preferred method depends on the form of the product and the desired filling speed.

Generally, the preferred method involves on-line filling in a continuous motion using a dispensing unit with a spout located above an open pouch, typically in a continuous reciprocating motion, moving the spout at the same speed in the same direction of motion as the pouch, so that each open pouch is under the same spout or group of spouts during the dispensing step. After the filling step, the spout is swung back and returned to the starting position to begin another racking/filling step.

Each orifice or a plurality of orifices connected together are preferably associated with a means for accurately controlling dispensing of the composition in precisely the correct set amount or volume during a single revolution of each orifice (e.g., filling of a single sachet). In particular, a flow meter may be used to control the precise filling. In addition, the dispensing unit can drive the liquid using a positive displacement pump (gear pump, screw pump, slide pump, flexible vane pump, roots pump, rotary piston pump). In a preferred embodiment, a gear pump is used.

A highly preferred method of filling an open pouch is a reciprocating filling method. This method preferably uses a mobile filling station that can be returned (change direction of movement) and that is adjustable in speed. The filling station typically has a series of spouts which each move in the same direction at the same speed as the open pouch (to be filled) during the time that the composition needs to be dispensed into the open pouch. Subsequently, typically, when the pouch is filled, the spout or group of spouts that has filled the pouch stops moving with the pouch and returns in the opposite direction, then stops again, is positioned above the other packages to be filled, and starts moving in the opposite direction, i.e. in the same direction as the open pouch and at the same speed as the open pouch. When it reaches the speed of the pouch, it continues to maintain this speed and begins to dispense and fill the bag as in the previous fill cycle. The speed of movement of the return can be higher than the speed of movement during filling.

More preferably, the system of the present invention comprises a dispensing unit movable in a vertical direction, which can vary the height of the spout as required to accommodate different compositions to be filled, preferably to maximize filling speed and/or minimize splashing and/or stringing. In some embodiments, the racking unit moves in a vertical direction when filling stops. In particular, the height of the spout in the dispensing unit may be adjusted within a range of 50cm (i.e., the difference between the uppermost position and the lowermost position of the spout is 50cm), 40cm, 30cm, 20cm, 10cm, or 5 cm. Furthermore, the height of the nozzle may be adjusted by any suitable means, such as a cylinder, bolts, etc. The spouts may be arranged so that their heights are adjusted simultaneously or separately.

The filled open pouch is then sealed, which can be done by any method. Preferably, the sealing is also performed in a continuous, constant-speed movement in a horizontal position, and preferably in a horizontal position on the above-mentioned endless work surface.

Preferably the closure is made by continuously feeding a second material or film, preferably a water-soluble film, and covering it onto the open pouch web, and then preferably sealing the first film and the second film, typically in the area between the die cavities, i.e. the area between the pouches. The lidding material is preferably fed onto the open pouch at the same speed and in the same direction of motion as the open pouch.

The sealing may be performed in any manner. The sealing may be performed in a non-continuous manner, for example by moving the array of pouches to another sealing area and sealing apparatus. However, the sealing is preferably performed in a continuous manner, and preferably at a constant speed, while the array of sealed pouches is continuously moving at a constant speed. The sealing is preferably also carried out in a horizontal position, preferably also in said horizontal position of the working surface.

Preferred methods include heat sealing, wet sealing, and combinations thereof. Heat and moisture (e.g., aqueous compositions) can be preferably applied to the lidding material in any manner. In one embodiment, the lidding material (e.g., second water-soluble film) may be wetted by: a solvent (e.g., water) is sprayed on the sealing material, or an object containing the solvent (e.g., a water-containing sponge) is brought into contact with the sealing material. Preferably when sealing is used, a roller with cavities sized to the dimensions of the parts of the pouch not contained by the mould cavities and having a pattern of pouches is used. The array of pouches is rolled (continuously) by passing it under a roller. Here, the heated rolls are only in contact with the sealing area, i.e. the area between the pouches around the edges of the mould cavity. Typically, the sealing temperature may be selected from the range of 30 ℃,50 ℃,70 ℃, 90 ℃, 110 ℃, 120 ℃ or any two, depending of course on the film material. A movable, returnable sealing device is also useful which operates as the returnable, movable filling/dispensing device described above. The sealing device is contacted with the area between the mold cavities and the rim surrounding the mold cavities for a certain time to form a seal, and then removed from the sealing area and returned in the opposite direction to start another sealing cycle.

The array of sealed and preferably sealed pouches may then be cut by a cutting unit that cuts the pouches from each other into individual pouches, or into a joined form of two or more pouches, which is also sometimes desirable. The cutting can be carried out by any known method, preferably also in a continuous manner, preferably at a constant speed and preferably in a horizontal position. Preferably, the array of sealed pouches is first MD cut at the level of the above mentioned non-terminal work surface and can then be transferred to a CD cutting device (i.e. another work surface) for CD cutting.

The cutting device is, for example, a sharp object or a hot component, in the latter case the cutting device "burns" through the membrane/sealing area. A preferred method may be that for MD cutting, while the array of pouches is moving in one direction (continuously and/or horizontally, e.g. still on the endless work surface of the invention), a stationary device may be used to contact the inter-pouch region in the direction of movement to cut the pouches in a continuous manner in the direction of movement. For CD cutting, the preferred method may be intermittent cutting, for example, by placing a cutting device on the cutting area for a short period of time, removing the device after cutting, and repeating this operation for the next group of pouches. The preferred spaced cutting means for CD cutting may be a hot wire, a hot knife or a roller containing a knife on its surface. As the roller rotates, the knives intermittently contact the moving array of pouches and cut them in the width direction. Alternatively, the pouch may be cut using a laser.

In some embodiments, the system according to the invention may further comprise one or more drums (e.g. a first transfer drum and/or a second transfer drum) capable of loading and transporting the pouches (open pouches or closed pouches). In particular, the drum has a plurality of mould cavities on its surface. The mould cavities are arranged to draw the pouches by vacuum. The shape and size of these mold cavities can be designed according to the pouch to be treated.

In one embodiment, the system according to the present invention may further comprise a coating unit configured to apply a coating composition onto the pouch. In particular, the coating combination unit may comprise an atomizer and a nebulizer. Alternatively, the coating combination unit may comprise a rotating brush.

The coating composition may be a powder or a suspension in a non-aqueous solvent. Preferably, the coating composition may comprise from 50% to 99.95% of an adsorbent material, preferably selected from: zeolites, overdried zeolites, zeolites loaded with flavors and/or actives, talc, starch, zinc stearate, calcium stearate, micro powder calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, micro powder sodium sulfate, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment, the system according to the present invention may further comprise a quality control unit for detecting leakage of the composition containing pouch during the high speed manufacturing process. The quality control unit may include an image forming device and an image processing device that detect the flat panel and/or the conveyor belt. The imaging device may be positioned at any suitable location, including on a flat plate or on a conveyor belt. The imaging device may be a camera, such as a black and white camera or a color camera. The method may be performed one or more times along the production line. The composition-containing pouch is located in the cavity of a panel that is disposed in a pouch production line.

The pouch used in the present invention may be of any form, shape and may be made of any material suitable for preserving the composition prior to use, e.g. not allowing the composition to leak from the pouch before the filled composition is contacted with water. The exact implementation will depend, for example, on the type and amount of composition in the package, the pouch's characteristic requirements for the composition to be preserved, protected, shipped, or leaked.

Preferred films are made of polymeric materials. The film may be obtained by methods known in the art, such as casting, blow moulding, extrusion or extrusion blowing of polymeric materials.

Preferred polymers, copolymers or derivatives thereof may be selected from: polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl pyrrolidones, polyalkoxylates, (modified) celluloses, (modified) cellulose-ethers or-ester-amides, polycarboxylic acids and salts thereof including polyacrylates, maleic/acrylic acid copolymers, polyanilines or peptides, polyamides including polyacrylamides, polysaccharides including starches and gelatins, natural gums such as xanthan gum and carrageenan. Preferably, the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylates and acrylic copolymers, including polymethacrylates, methylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, dextrin, maltodextrin, ethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose; most preferably, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers and/or Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC).

The polymer weight average molecular weight may be any value, preferably from about 1,000 to 1,000,000, or even from 10,000 to 300,000, or even from 15,000 to 200,000, or even from 20,000 to 150,000.

In some embodiments, the water-soluble film comprises a polyvinyl alcohol homopolymer or a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer, such as a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol homopolymers and/or polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, wherein the polyvinyl alcohol copolymer is preferably selected from the group consisting of sulfonated and carboxylated anionic polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, especially carboxylated anionic polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, such as a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol homopolymers and carboxylated anionic polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, or a mixture of two or more polyvinyl alcohol homopolymers. In some embodiments, the water-soluble film may be those available from Monosol under the trade name M8630, M8900, M8779, M8310. In some embodiments, the film may be opaque, transparent, or translucent. The film may comprise a printed area. The printed area may be achieved by techniques such as flexography or inkjet printing. The film may further comprise a bittering agent. Suitable bittering agents include, but are not limited to: naringin, sucrose octaacetate, quinine hydrochloride, benethanaminium, or combinations thereof. Exemplary levels of bitterant include, but are not limited to, 1 to 5000ppm,100 to 2500ppm, or 250 to 2000 ppm. The water-soluble film or the water-soluble pouch or both may be covered with a lubricant. In some embodiments, the lubricant may be selected from: talc, zinc oxide, silicon dioxide, silicone, zeolite, silicic acid, alumina, sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, sodium citrate, sodium tripolyphosphate, potassium citrate, potassium tripolyphosphate, calcium stearate, zinc stearate, magnesium stearate, starch, modified starch, clay, kaolin, gypsum, cyclodextrin, or a combination thereof.

The composition packaged in the package is preferably a liquid or solid detergent composition or care composition, preferably a laundry or dishwashing composition, a hard surface cleaner and/or a fabric or surface care composition, such as a conditioner, a rinse additive, a pre-treatment and/or an impregnating composition.

Fig. 1 shows a system 1 for making a water soluble pouch according to one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the system 1 for preparing water-soluble pouches comprises a flat belt conveyor unit 11, a heating unit 14, a dispensing unit 15, a composition supply unit 16, a first film delivery unit 173, a second film delivery unit 174, a sealing unit and a cutting unit. The flat conveyor unit 11 comprises a conveyor belt 12 and a support base 13, the dispensing unit 15 comprises a plurality of nozzles 151, the composition supply unit 16 comprises a reservoir 161 and a fluid channel 162 in fluid communication with the nozzles 151 and the reservoir 161, the first film delivery unit 173 delivers a first water-soluble film 171 onto the conveyor belt 12, the second film delivery unit 174 delivers a second water-soluble film 172 onto the filled open water-soluble pouches, the sealing unit comprises a wetting device 181 and a sealing roller 182, and the cutting unit comprises an MD cutting device 191 and a CD cutting device 192. The conveyor belt 12 comprises a plurality of flat plates, wherein a plurality of mold cavities 121 are provided in the surfaces of the flat plates. The first film feeding unit 173 continuously feeds the first water-soluble film 171 onto the conveyor belt 12 while the system 1 is in operation. After being conveyed to the conveyor belt 12, the heating unit 14 heats the first water-soluble film 171 to facilitate the formation of open pouches, and the first water-soluble film 171 is drawn into the mold cavities 121 by applying a vacuum to the mold cavities, thereby forming a continuously moving array of open pouches in a horizontal position. The continuously moving, horizontally positioned array of open pouches is then filled with the composition through the plurality of nozzles 151, during which the plurality of nozzles 151 are continuously moved horizontally at the same speed and in the same direction as the array of open pouches. After filling, the plurality of spouts 151 stop moving with the pouches, return in the opposite direction, and then stop again so that they are positioned above the next array of open pouches to be filled. Further, the plurality of nozzles 151 can be vertically moved. The second water-soluble film 172 is unwound from the second film delivery unit 174 and delivered to the wetting apparatus 181 is capable of applying (e.g., by spraying or direct contact) a sealing composition (e.g., water) to the surface of the second water-soluble film 172, which is then delivered to the open water-soluble pouch after filling. The sealing roller 182 seals the first water-soluble film 171 and the second water-soluble film 172 to open the water-soluble pouch. After sealing, the MD cutting device 191 and the CD cutting device 192 sequentially cut the closed array of water-soluble pouches to provide individual pouches.

Fig. 2 shows a cutting unit 20 of a system for making water-soluble pouches according to another embodiment of the present invention. The cutting unit 20 includes an MD cutting device 21, a CD cutting device 22, a first transfer cylinder 23 and a second transfer cylinder 24. The MD cutting device 21 includes a plurality of disc cutters 211 arranged in parallel along the MD direction and configured to rotationally cut the array of closed water-soluble pouches in the Machine Direction (MD) to obtain a plurality of longitudinal columns. The CD cutting device 22 comprises a rotary anvil 220 and a rotary knife roll 221, wherein a plurality of knives 222 are arranged on the rotary knife roll 221, which are configured to cut an array of water-soluble pouches that have been cut into a plurality of longitudinal columns in the Cross Direction (CD) to obtain a plurality of separated water-soluble pouches. In this embodiment, the MD cutting device 21 cuts the array of closed water soluble pouches after sealing in the Machine Direction (MD). The first transfer drum 23 then sucks the pouches by vacuum and transfers them to the CD cutting device 22. In the CD cutting device 22, the knife 222 intermittently contacts the moving array of pouches and cuts them in the transverse direction as the rotating knife roll 221 rotates. The second transfer drum 24 then sucks the pouches by vacuum, transferring them to a collection unit 26. This embodiment is more compact and flexible compared to a design where the entire cutting unit and the filling and sealing unit are located on the same flat conveyor.

Figure 3 shows a film delivery unit of a system for making water-soluble pouches according to another embodiment of the present invention. The film feeding unit comprises a work roll 31, a standby roll 32, a lapping device 33 and a stretching device 34. When the water-soluble film is conveyed, the work roller 31 is in a working state, and the standby roller 32 is in a standby state. The film delivery unit may also include a sensor capable of monitoring the amount of water-soluble film on the work roll 31. When the sensor detects that the water-soluble film is nearly exhausted (e.g., less than 5% remaining), the sensor communicates with the clutch 33. Then, the lapping device 33 switches the conveyance of the water-soluble film from the work roller 31 to the standby roller 32. Specifically, the lapping device 33 cuts the water-soluble film unwound from the work roll 31, and then connects the water-soluble film unwound from the standby roll 32 to the end of the conveyed water-soluble film. The standby roll 32 becomes a new work roll, and the original work roll 31 becomes a new standby roll after being replenished with a new water-soluble film. Further, the stretching device 34 stretches the water-soluble film before it is conveyed to the conveyor belt 35. In particular, the stretching device 34 may comprise a plurality of rollers having different rotation speeds.

Claims

1. A system for making pouches, characterized in that said system comprises:

a) a flat conveyor unit comprising a conveyor belt and a support base supporting the conveyor belt, wherein the conveyor belt comprises a plurality of mold cavities and the conveyor belt is configured to form an array of open water-soluble pouches that are continuously moving and in a horizontal position by delivering a first water-soluble film onto the conveyor belt and drawing the first water-soluble film into the mold cavities,

c) a dispensing unit configured to fill the array of continuously moving and horizontally positioned open water soluble pouches with a composition, wherein the dispensing unit comprises a plurality of spouts, wherein the spouts are capable of horizontal movement at the same speed and in the same direction as the pouches such that each open pouch is below the same spout during dispensing, and the spouts are capable of vertical movement such that the distance of an open pouch from a spout is adjustable,

2. The system for making pouches according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of mold cavities are provided in an array of 2 to 20 in width and 1 to 10 in length.

3. The system for making pouches according to claim 1, wherein said support base comprises a series of processing stations including a heating station, a forming station, a filling station, a sealing station, and a Machine Direction (MD) cutting station.

4. The system for making pouches according to claim 1, characterized in that said heating unit comprises infrared lamps capable of heating said first water-soluble film to 50 to 150 ℃.

5. The system for making pouches according to claim 4, characterized in that said infrared lamp comprises a plurality of independently operable zones and said plurality of zones can be independently turned on or off or heating said first water-soluble film to different temperatures.

6. The system for making pouches according to claim 1, characterized in that said sealing unit comprises a wetting device and a sealing roller, wherein said wetting device is configured to wet said first water-soluble film and/or said second water-soluble film by applying a sealing composition prior to sealing, and said sealing roller is configured to press said first water-soluble film and said second water-soluble film together to form a seal.

7. The system for manufacturing pouches according to claim 1, characterized in that said system further comprises a collection unit configured to collect said plurality of separated water-soluble pouches.

8. System for manufacturing pouches according to claim 7, characterized in that said cutting unit comprises:

a Machine Direction (MD) cutting device configured to cut the array of closed water-soluble pouches longitudinally along the machine direction,

a cross-direction (CD) cutting device configured to cut the array of closed water-soluble pouches perpendicular to the machine direction after the machine direction cut,

a first transfer drum configured to suck the closed water-soluble pouches after longitudinal cutting by applying vacuum and then transfer them to a transverse cutting device, and

9. The system for making pouches according to claim 8, characterized in that said Cross Direction (CD) cutting device comprises a rotating anvil and a rotating knife roll with a plurality of knives disposed on said rotating knife roll and said cross direction cutting device is configured such that said knives contact the array of pouches at intervals and cut the array of pouches in the cross direction.

10. The system for making pouches according to claim 1, characterized in that said system further comprises a first film transport unit comprising at least one roller from which said first water-soluble film is unwound and a second film transport unit comprising at least one roller from which said second water-soluble film is unwound.

11. The system for manufacturing pouches according to claim 10, wherein said first film conveying unit comprises two rolls over which said first water-soluble film is unwound, which are arranged such that one of said two rolls is on standby and the other is on standby when conveying said first water-soluble film, and wherein said second film conveying unit comprises two rolls over which said second water-soluble film is unwound, which are arranged such that one of said two rolls is on standby and the other is on standby when conveying said second water-soluble film,

wherein the two rollers of the first film feeding unit are arranged to be automatically switched to each other when the first water-soluble film on the work roller is used up, and the two rollers of the second film feeding unit are arranged to be automatically switched to each other when the second water-soluble film on the work roller is used up.

12. The system for manufacturing a pouch according to claim 1, characterized in that said system further comprises a vacuum pump unit configured for applying a vacuum.

13. A system for making pouches according to claim 1, characterized in that said system further comprises a temperature and humidity control unit, and/or an air extraction unit.

14. The system for making pouches according to claim 1, wherein each water-soluble pouch contains a plurality of chambers.

15. The system for making pouches according to claim 1, characterized in that said system further comprises a powdering unit.

16. The system for making a pouch according to claim 1, characterized in that said composition is a liquid fabric or a surface cleaning product.