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.

An apparatus is improved to successively make plastic bags each of which includes an end surface provided with a spout, by employing the general feeding way of panel material, to be simple in structure, low in cost, high in speed and to make it possible to successively make the plastic bags two by two. A first folded portion is formed in a first web of panel material 1. An aperture is formed in a second web of panel material 2. A spout is inserted into the aperture, the spout and the second web of panel material 2 being heat sealed with each other. The second web of panel material 2 is guided by a guide device 18 to be folded after being heat sealed so that a second folded portion should be formed in the second web of panel material. The spout is turned over by the second folded portion. The second folded portion and the first folded portion are heat sealed with each other while the second folded portion and the second web of panel material 2 are heat sealed with each other about the spout.

A method of making a storage bag comprising the following steps performed in any order: (a) forming a composite tube having an inner surface comprising a higher melting polymer, an outer surface comprising a lower melting polymer, two ends, and a diameter; (b) flattening the tube in a direction perpendicular to the diameter; (c) forming a joint at one of the ends at a temperature between respective melting points of the higher melting polymer and the lower melting polymer; (d) providing a composite sheet having a first side comprising a higher melting polymer and a second side comprising a lower melting polymer; and (e) disposing the composite sheet over the joint such that the first side comprising a lower melting polymer engages the joint and forming a lap seam over the joint at a temperature between respective melting points of the higher melting polymer and the lower melting polymer, and a storage bag made by such method.

An apparatus successively makes plastic bags each of which includes an end surface provided with a protrusion, without specially supplying a web of bottom gusset material. A first web of panel material is folded along a first folded line at a position adjacent to a side edge of the first web, while a second web of panel material is folded along a second folded line at a position adjacent to a corresponding side edge of the second web. A first folded portion is formed in the first web. There exists a distance between the side edge and the first folded line, which is larger than twice a distance between the corresponding side edge and the second folded line by a predetermined distance, after being folded. The end surface is formed by the first folded portion, the protrusion being formed by the predetermined distance.

A soft package with strengthened hot pressing traces includes a first side wall and a second side wall formed with a folded portion along a folding line and the distal edge of the second side wall is securely adhered to that of the first side wall except of the folding line and the distal edge of the folded portion. A top wall is divided into a first portion and a second portion, wherein a distal edge of the first portion of the top wall is securely adhered to that of the folded portion and a distal edge of the second portion is securely adhered to that of a top portion of the first side wall to form a bag structure. Two strengthened pressing traces are formed on two opposite sides of the top wall. A nozzle is mounted onto the top wall and outwardly extending through the top wall.

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 web of first or second material is provided with the spout, and a plastic bag is made from side gusset materials in addition to webs of the first and second materials. An aperture is formed in the web of the first or second panel material, and the spout is inserted into and positioned with the aperture, whenever the webs of the first and second panel materials are fed intermittently. After the webs of the first and second panel materials are superposed on each other, whenever the webs of the first and second panel materials are fed intermittently, the webs of the first and second panel materials are heat sealed with each other in a longitudinal direction thereof by a longitudinal seal device, and the webs of the first and second panel materials are heat sealed with the side gusset materials in a width direction thereof by a cross seal device.

A spout is mounted on a plastic film being longitudinally and intermittently fed. The plastic film is punched by a punch blade to form an aperture. A carriage is moved for a distance corresponding to a space between the punch blade and a seal head and between a punch receiver and a seal receiver. The spout is inserted into the aperture. The spout and the plastic film are heat sealed with each other by the seal head.

Method and system for the assembly and collection of non-filled spouted pouches (10) to be transported to a remote filling device. According to the invention, a pick and place robot system (25) is provided comprising a camera system (11) on the basis of which a gripping device (28) is operable to pick up the spouted pouches, and a robot arm (29) is operable to transport the spouted pouches to a storage rail (21), wherein the gripper can place the spouted pouches.

A punching machine includes a punch blade and a support for supporting a spout. The punching machine further includes a drive mechanism. When the punch blade and the spout supported by the support face each other in a direction perpendicular to a web with the web interposed between the punch blade and the spout, the drive mechanism moves one of the punch blade or the support towards the other in the vertical direction to punch a hole in the web using the punch blade and the spout.