Packaging machine and packages made therewith

Abstract

Provided herein is a liquid-filled, non-reclosable tetrahedral or pillow-shaped packaging container having a longitudinal fin seal and a pair of transverse seals. In the case of tetrahedral packages, the transverse seals are perpendicular to one another. Also provided herein is an apparatus for the formation of such fin seals as part of a continuous packaging and filling operation. A third aspect of the apparatus of the present disclosure is the development of a heated jaw that exhibits consistent heating across the jaw face. Yet another feature of the apparatus of the present disclosure is provided in a modified, closed-loop electrical system for real-time monitoring and adjustment of the temperatures of the heated jaws, as they are moving.

1 . An apparatus for continuously producing a fin-seal on a string of linked packages produced on a continuous fill packaging machine, each of said packages being formed from a strip-shaped sheet of packaging material having opposed longitudinal edges, an exterior surface, and an interior surface, the interior surface having a meltable coating, said fin-seal apparatus comprising: (a) a tube-forming subassembly for bending said sheet of packaging material, such that the longitudinal edges of said sheet of packaging material are substantially aligned with one another and, at the areas adjacent the longitudinal edges, the interior surfaces of said sheet of packaging material are in contact with one another; (b) a seal-heating subassembly for heating said sheet of packaging material in the area of the longitudinal edges to melt the meltable coating; and (c) a seal-pressing subassembly for pressing the longitudinal edges together to form a longitudinal seal and to form a tube of packaging material. 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising (d) a tube-conveying subassembly for conveying said sheet of packaging material through said tube-forming subassembly, said seal-heating subassembly, and said seal-pressing subassembly. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said tube-forming assembly comprises a forming ring having an aperture therein and a slot that extends from said aperture, said slot approximating the size of said fin-seal. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said seal-heating subassembly comprises a pair of longitudinal heater arms that are pivotally joined, said heater arms each containing a heater cartridge. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein pneumatic cylinders control the movement of said longitudinal heater arms. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said seal-pressing subassembly comprises at least one pair of opposed rollers, said rollers being made either entirely of stainless steel or having a stainless steel shaft and a urethane flange. 
     
     
         7 . A liquid-filled tetrahedral package, said package being comprised of a strip-shaped sheet of packaging material having opposed longitudinal edges, an exterior surface, and an interior surface, the interior surface having a meltable coating, said package having a longitudinal fin seal and having a first transverse seal on one end of said package and a second transverse seal on an opposite end of said package, said second transverse seal being substantially perpendicular to said first transverse seal. 
     
     
         8 . The package of  claim 7 , wherein said longitudinal fin seal comprises the longitudinal edges of said sheet of packaging material, said longitudinal edges having been aligned such that, in the area of said longitudinal fin seal, the interior surfaces of said packaging material contact one another and having been heated and pressed to form said longitudinal fin seal. 
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 8 , wherein said longitudinal fin seal lies substantially flat against said package. 
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 7 , wherein said packaging material has a construction selected from the group consisting of a multi-layer paper construction, a multi-layer foil construction, and a multi-layer film construction. 
     
     
         11 . A closed-loop electrical system for independent temperature control of heated jaws in a continuous fill packaging machine, said heated jaws being conveyed in an endless circuit, said electrical system comprising (a) at least two power rails; (b) a plurality of heated jaws, each of said heated jaws comprising electrical contacts that contact said power rails, a thermocouple that measures the temperature at the face of said heated jaw, and a wireless transmitter that transmits readings from the thermocouple; (c) an antenna for powering said wireless transmitters and for receiving temperature transmissions from said wireless transmitters; and (d) a programmable logic controller for evaluating the temperature transmissions and adjusting the energy supplied to said power rails; wherein at least one of said power rails includes a base-level segment for maintaining said heated jaws at a target temperature and a power-correction segment for boosting the energy supplied to any given heated jaw when the temperature differential between the temperature transmissions for the given heated jaw and the target temperature is more than 10° F. 
     
     
         12 . The closed-loop electrical system of  claim 11 , wherein the power-correction segment of said electrified power rail has a length such that only one of said heated jaws is in contact with the power-correction segment at any given time. 
     
     
         13 . The closed-loop electrical system of  claim 11 , wherein said programmable logic controller maintains the temperature transmissions for each of said heated jaws as said jaws are conveyed past said antenna and boosts the energy supplied to the base-level segment of said power rails when the temperature transmissions for all heated jaws are below the target temperature. 
     
     
         14 . A heated jaw for a continuous fill packaging machine, said heated jaw comprising (a) a base, optionally having a separable support component attached thereto; (b) an insulator block attached to said base; (c) a heated jaw block attached to said insulator block on a side opposite said base, said heated jaw block comprising a heated jaw face, a heater cartridge embedded in said heated jaw block, and an axially bored channel proximate to the heated jaw face; (d) a thermocouple embedded in the axially bored channel for measuring the temperature of the heated jaw face; and (e) a wireless transmitter connected to said thermocouple and attached to said base for transmitting the temperature of the heated jaw face to an antenna. 
     
     
         15 . The heated jaw of  claim 14 , wherein the heated jaw face has a patterned surface created by a plurality of lines engraved therein. 
     
     
         16 . The heated jaw of  claim 14 , wherein said heated jaw face comprises a face component and a rear component between which components said heater cartridge is positioned. 
     
     
         17 . The heated jaw of  claim 14 , wherein said heater cartridge is a uniform power density cartridge. 
     
     
         18 . The heated jaw of  claim 14 , wherein said heater cartridge is a variable power density cartridge. 
     
     
         19 . The heated jaw of  claim 14 , wherein said heater cartridge is embedded in a thermally conductive core before being embedded in said heated jaw block. 
     
     
         20 . The heated jaw of  claim 19 , wherein said thermally conductive core is comprised of copper. 
     
     
         21 . The heated jaw of  claim 14 , further comprising a first headspace plate that is attached at a proximal end to the top of said insulator block and a second headspace plate that is attached at a proximal end to the bottom of said insulator block, the distal ends of each of said headspace plates extending angularly over the heated jaw face. 
     
     
         22 . The heated jaw of  claim 14 , wherein said wireless transmitter is held in a transmitter housing.