A bag-making and packaging machine has a film supply unit that supplies film to a bag-making and packaging unit. The film supply unit has holding mechanisms each having a shaft that holds a film roll, a holding mechanism support frame supporting the holding mechanisms, a moving mechanism that rotates the holding mechanism support frame to move each holding mechanism between a film roll setting position and a film supply position, a splicing mechanism splicing a trailing end portion of the film of the roll of one of the holding mechanisms and a leading end portion of the film of the roll of another one of the holding mechanisms, and a film drawing mechanism that rotates the shafts of the holding mechanisms to draw the film independently from the film rolls attached to the shafts of the holding mechanisms and changes the drawing speed of the film during bag-making and packaging.

A flexible side-gusseted package and methods of making the same are disclosed. The package has a central longitudinal axis, a front panel, a back panel, and a pair of gusseted side panels. The front panel is secured to the gusseted side panels along a pair of side seal lines. The back panel is secured to the gusseted side panels along a pair of side seal lines. Each of the seal lines includes a pair of end portions and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion, e.g., a concave recessed portion, of each side seal line is located closer to the central longitudinal axis than the end portions of the side seal lines to provide a package which is somewhat necked-down at its middle, to facilitate grasping of the package by users.

A flexible side-gusseted package and methods of making the same are disclosed. The package has a central longitudinal axis, a front panel, a back panel, and a pair of gusseted side panels. The front panel is secured to the gusseted side panels along a pair of side seal lines. The back panel is secured to the gusseted side panels along a pair of side seal lines. Each of the seal lines includes a pair of end portions and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion, e.g., a concave recessed portion, of each side seal line is located closer to the central longitudinal axis than the end portions of the side seal lines to provide a package which is somewhat necked-down at its middle, to facilitate grasping of the package by users.

A flexible container is provided. The flexible container includes four panels. The four panels form (i) a body portion; (ii) a neck portion, and a flare portion that extends from the neck portion; (iii) a tapered transition portion between the body portion and the neck portion; and (iv) the neck portion has a reduced width. The flare portion has an expanded end. The width of the flare portion gradually increases from the neck portion to the expanded end.

A welding device for making and hermetically sealing at least one package containing a product, comprises first and second sealing and cutting equipment. Each sealing equipment is configured to receive a film forming a tubular envelope, to seal and cut it transversally for making at least one package. The welding device comprises a support body, bearing the first and the second sealing and cutting equipment, which is connectable to a packaging machine preferably a rotary drum of a packaging machine. Each sealing and cutting equipment comprises an arm operating as a sealing and cutting head and an abutment body. The arm is rotatably constrained to the support body and reversibly movable between an active position substantially abutting the abutment body, and an inactive position raised with respect to the abutment body. A locking device locks the arms in the active position in the welding step.

A welding device for making and hermetically sealing at least one package containing a product, comprises first and second sealing and cutting equipment. Each sealing equipment is configured to receive a film forming a tubular envelope, to seal and cut it transversally for making at least one package. The welding device comprises a support body, bearing the first and the second sealing and cutting equipment, which is connectable to a packaging machine preferably a rotary drum of a packaging machine. Each sealing and cutting equipment comprises an arm operating as a sealing and cutting head and an abutment body. The arm is rotatably constrained to the support body and reversibly movable between an active position substantially abutting the abutment body, and an inactive position raised with respect to the abutment body. A locking device locks the arms in the active position in the welding step.

A flexible package having first, second, and third flexible material layers, with the second flexible material layer being disposed between the first and third flexible material layers; a product receiving chamber having a product receiving chamber outer circumference defined by the first flexible material layer; a plurality of spaced first seals disposed around a package circumference, the first seals sealing the first, second and third flexible material layers together; a plurality of spaced second seals disposed around the product receiving chamber outer circumference, the second seals sealing the second and third flexible material layers together; a plurality of inner expansion chambers, each one of the plurality of chambers being defined between adjacent ones of the first seals; and a plurality of outer expansion chambers, each one of the plurality of chambers being defined between a second seal and an immediately adjacent first seal.

A package having a flexible inner sheet having a first surface and a second surface. The package has an article reservoir for accepting an article to be shipped, one or more expansion chambers and an article retrieval feature. The expansion chambers can be inflated or otherwise expanded to provide structure to the package and to protect the article in the article reservoir.

A shipping package and method of making a shipping package having a flexible inner sheet having a first surface and a second surface. The method includes providing one or more sheets of flexible material, joining the sheet(s) to form an article reservoir for accepting an article to be shipped, one or more expansion chambers, and an article retrieval feature. The expansion chambers can be inflated or otherwise expanded to provide structure to the package and to protect the article in the article reservoir.

Package having a flexible inner sheet having a first surface and a second surface. The package has an article reservoir for accepting an article to be shipped. The expansion chambers can be inflated or otherwise expanded to provide structure to the package and to protect the article in the article reservoir. The inner sheet of the package includes a shrinkable material that can be activated to immobilize articles disposed in the article reservoir.