The present disclosure provides an apparatus for forming a stream of individual packets, comprising a folder arranged to form a tubular web structure, a feeder arranged to feed the formed tubular web structure to a nip; a first rotor comprising a first sealing jaw and a knife, a second rotor comprising a second sealing jaw and an anvil, the sealing jaws, the knife and anvil rotating into opposing relation at the nip so as to form a severed, completed packet beyond the nip. The apparatus includes an open ended packet catcher adjacent the first and second rotors, which is arranged to catch the severed, completed packets beyond the nip whereby a stream of packets is established. The packet catcher includes a stripper disposed in a proximal location to at least one of the anvil, the knife and the sealing jaws when the anvil, the knife and/or the sealing jaws are rotated beyond the nip, whereby, should a completed packet stick to any of the anvil, the knife and/or the sealing jaws, the stripper is operative to free the stuck packet from the anvil, the knife and/or the sealing jaw. The present disclosure provides a fin sealer and method to seal a radially outwardly directed fin of a tubular web structure by directing the fin through a nip between a first and a second fin sealing rollers while communicating heat to the fin through at least one of the fin sealing rollers, the fin sealer being further arranged to maintain a nominal face-to-face relation between an outer annulus of the first fin sealing roller and an outer annulus of the second fin sealing roller with a flexible connection between a hub element of the second fin sealing roller with the outer annulus of the second fin sealing roller. A cooling system is also provided, which is operative upon one of the rotors of a cut and seal station.

A method and apparatus for pleating or otherwise shaping a web are described herein. The method and apparatus may have numerous applications. In some embodiments, the method and apparatus are used in the formation, filling, and sealing of unit dose packages for consumer products. A method and apparatus for forming sealing two moving webs together, which webs have portions that are non-planar are also described herein.

A film comprising a polymer blend which comprises from 90 to 95 wt % of a low density olefm-based plastomer or elastomer having a density equal to or less than 0.905 g/cc; from 5 to 10 wt % of a high modulus amorphous polymer; wherein a film comprising the polymer blend exhibits an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of equal to or greater than 10,000 cc/m.sup.2.Math.day is provided. Also provided is a packaging comprising the film, a method of making the film and a method of forming and filling a packaging comprising the film.

A film comprising a polymer blend which comprises from 90 to 95 wt % of a low density olefm-based plastomer or elastomer having a density equal to or less than 0.905 g/cc; from 5 to 10 wt % of a high modulus amorphous polymer; wherein a film comprising the polymer blend exhibits an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of equal to or greater than 10,000 cc/m.sup.2.Math.day is provided. Also provided is a packaging comprising the film, a method of making the film and a method of forming and filling a packaging comprising the film.

There is described a packaging apparatus (1) for forming a plurality of sealed packages (2) from a tube (3) of a web of packaging material (4) which is continuously filled with a pourable product. The packaging apparatus comprises an isolation chamber (10) separating an inner environment (11) containing a sterile gas from an outer environment (12). The packaging apparatus further comprises a delimiting element (48) arranged, in use, within the tube (3) and being designed to divide the tube (3), in use, into a first space (49) and a second space (50). The packaging apparatus (1) also comprises a pressurizing device (47) for pressurizing the second space (50) by means of a pressurized sterile gas. The delimiting element (48) is arranged within the isolation chamber (10).

A protective packaging formation device is provided herein. The device includes an inflation assembly having a fluid conduit that directs fluid between overlapping plies of a polymeric web. The device also includes a driving mechanism that drives the film in a downstream direction. The device also includes a sealing mechanism that includes a thin film heater that heats the plies to create a longitudinal seal that seals the plies of film together. The driving mechanism drives the web such that the web slides across the heating assembly in a downstream direction to trap fluid between the plies.

A sealing element for heat sealing packaging material for producing sealed packages comprises a heating element arranged to heat-seal the packaging material so as to form the sealed packages and a groove arranged to be engaged by a cutting element carried by a counter-sealing element interacting with the sealing element during a cutting operation in which a sealed package is separated from a portion of the packaging material, wherein the sealing element further comprises a resilient element received within the groove so as to prevent clogging particles from entering into the groove.

An automatic loader and packager station inserts and packages sensitive silicone vaginal rings into sealable pouches, wherein the silicone material is malleable, viscous and sticky, making it hard to accurately insert and seal the rings in a medically sealed package. The circular vaginal rings are axially elongated to reduce their width into the loading position, for accurate loading into scalable package pouches, without contamination of exterior openings of the respective package pouches into which the vaginal rings are inserted for sealed distribution. To accommodate malleable, viscous and/or sticky vaginal rings from manufacture to insertion into sealable pouches, the vaginal rings are moved upon a low friction, preferably roller-based conveyor before being loaded into the sealable pouches.

A package is provided, comprising a packaging material having a bulk layer and being formed into a three-dimensional container by folding the packaging material along predefined crease lines thus forming a fracture along the crease lines. The package comprises a plurality of corners, wherein at least one of the corners is arranged at an area of the packaging material in which two or more crease lines intersect.

A package is provided, comprising a packaging material having a bulk layer and being formed into a three-dimensional container by folding the packaging material along predefined crease lines thus forming a fracture along the crease lines. The package comprises a plurality of corners, wherein at least one of the corners is arranged at an area of the packaging material in which two or more crease lines intersect.