Method of forming multi-compartment tobacco pouch

Abstract

Methods of forming a tobacco pouch having two or more compartments are disclosed. The methods include forming a multi-compartment tobacco pouch with a vertical form fill seal machine.

Claims

1. A method of forming a multi-compartment pouch with a vertical form fill seal machine, comprising: providing a film tube having a length extending along a machine direction and a width extending along a transverse direction; sealing a bottom edge of the film tube with a first transverse heat seal and forming a first tobacco compartment; filling the first tobacco compartment with an amount of tobacco; sealing the first tobacco compartment at a first position along the length of the film tube at a first distance from the bottom edge with a second transverse heat seal to enclose the first tobacco compartment forming a first side comprising a first portion of the film tube and a second, opposing side comprising a second portion of the film tube and forming a second tobacco accessory compartment; sealing the second tobacco accessory compartment at a second position along the length of the film tube at a second distance from the bottom edge, the second distance being greater than the first distance, with a third transverse heat seal to enclose the second tobacco accessory compartment forming a first side comprising a third portion of the film tube and a second, opposing side comprising a fourth portion of the film tube and wherein the enclosed second tobacco accessory compartment being free of tobacco; disposing a tobacco accessory within the second tobacco accessory compartment prior to the sealing of the second tobacco accessory compartment with the third transverse heat seal; and forming a reclosable access opening in one of the first and second sides of at least one of the first and second compartments, wherein the reclosable access opening comprises a foldable flap.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a reclosable access opening includes forming a reclosable access opening in the first tobacco compartment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a reclosable access opening includes forming a reclosable access opening in the second tobacco accessory compartment and disposing a tobacco accessory within the second tobacco accessory compartment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the forming a reclosable access opening includes forming a reclosable access opening in the first tobacco compartment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a reclosable access opening includes forming a reclosable access opening in the first tobacco compartment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising folding the second tobacco accessory compartment onto the first tobacco compartment and about the second transverse heat seal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second tobacco accessory compartment is configured to contain cigarette paper.

8. A method of forming a multi-compartment pouch with a vertical form fill seal machine, comprising: providing a film tube having a length extending along a machine direction and a width extending along a transverse direction; sealing a bottom edge of the film tube with a first transverse heat seal and forming a first tobacco compartment; filling the first tobacco compartment with a first amount of tobacco; sealing the first tobacco compartment at a first position along the length of the film tube at a first distance from the bottom edge with a second transverse heat seal to enclose the first tobacco compartment forming a first side comprising a first portion of the film tube and a second, opposing side comprising a second portion of the film tube and forming a second tobacco compartment; filling the second tobacco compartment with a second amount of tobacco; sealing the second tobacco compartment at a second position along the length of the film tube at a second distance from the bottom edge, the second distance being greater than the first distance, with a third transverse heat seal to enclose the second tobacco compartment forming a first side comprising a third portion of the film tube and a second, opposing side comprising a fourth portion of the film tube and forming a third tobacco accessory compartment; sealing the third tobacco accessory compartment at a third position along the length of the film tube at a third distance from the bottom edge, the third distance being greater than the second distance, with a fourth transverse heat seal to enclose the third tobacco accessory compartment forming a first side comprising a fifth portion of the film tube and a second, opposing side comprising a sixth portion of the film tube and wherein the third tobacco accessory compartment is free of tobacco; disposing a tobacco accessory within the third tobacco accessory compartment prior to the sealing of the third tobacco accessory compartment with the fourth transverse heat seal; and forming a reclosable access opening in one of the first and second sides of at least one of the first, second, and third compartments, wherein the reclosable access opening comprises a foldable flap.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the forming a reclosable access opening includes forming a reclosable access opening in the third tobacco accessory compartment and disposing a tobacco accessory within the third tobacco accessory compartment.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the forming a reclosable access opening includes forming a reclosable access opening in the first tobacco compartment and the second tobacco compartment.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the forming a reclosable access opening includes forming a reclosable access opening in the third tobacco accessory compartment and disposing a tobacco accessory within the third tobacco accessory compartment.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the forming a reclosable access opening includes forming a reclosable access opening in the first tobacco compartment and the second tobacco compartment.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the forming a reclosable access opening includes forming a reclosable access opening in the first tobacco compartment and the second tobacco compartment.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising folding the first tobacco compartment onto the second tobacco compartment and folding the third tobacco accessory compartment onto the first tobacco compartment.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the first amount of tobacco is a different tobacco or tobacco blend than the second amount of tobacco.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the third tobacco accessory compartment is configured to contain cigarette paper.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The schematic drawings are not necessarily to scale and are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation. The drawings depict one or more aspects described in this disclosure. However, it will be understood that other aspects not depicted in the drawing fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Referring now to the drawings, in which some aspects of the present invention are illustrated.

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a vertical form fill seal machine.

(3) FIGS. 2A-2F illustrate one exemplary method of forming the multi-compartment tobacco pouch.

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a reclosable access opening.

(5) FIGS. 4A-4B illustrates a reclosable access opening.

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates a multi-compartment tobacco pouch.

(7) FIG. 6 illustrates a multi-compartment tobacco pouch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of illustrative vertical form fill seal machine 10. A film layer or preformed film tube 11 may be supplied from a roll 12 to a shaping element or collar 13. The shaping element 13 disposes the film about the fill tube 16. In the case of a film layer 11 being provided to the shaping element or collar 13, a longitudinal heating element 50 seals the film layer to form a film tube. The seal may be a fin seal or a lap seal. The film tube 11 travels in the machine direction as indicated by the arrows 15 along the vertical form fill seal machine fill tube 16. A transverse or horizontal sealing element 18 forms a transverse seal to the film tube to form the compartments of the multi-compartment tobacco pouch 40. FIG. 1 illustrates a multi-compartment tobacco pouch 40 having three compartments, where the first two contain a first material 20 and the last one contains a second material 30. It is understood that the multi-compartment tobacco pouch 40 may have fewer or more compartments, as desired.

(9) The film layer or film tube 11 may or may not be patterned prior to being applied to the shaping element 13. A cutting element may separate the multi-compartment tobacco pouch 40 from the continuous film tube 11 following formation of the multi-compartment tobacco pouch 40.

(10) FIGS. 2A-2F illustrate one exemplary method of forming the multi-compartment tobacco pouch 40 utilizing the vertical form fill seal machine (not shown for clarity). It is understood that while a discrete length (or machine direction distance value) is illustrated, a continuous length of film would be moving through the vertical form fill seal machine and a dicing or cutting element would separate the multi-compartment tobacco pouch 40 from the continuous length of film (as illustrated in FIG. 1). The illustrated distinct length of film for FIGS. 2A-2F is utilized for clarity.

(11) FIG. 2A illustrates providing a sheet (typically continuous) of film 11 that may be folded onto itself to form the film tube 21. A seal or seam 22 may be formed along the machine direction of the film 11 to form the tube 21 as shown in FIG. 2B.

(12) FIG. 2C illustrates a second seal or seam 23 opposing the seal or seam 22 may be formed along the machine direction of the film 11 to form the tube 21. A bottom transverse seal 25 may be formed along the bottom edge of the film tube 21. The film tube 21 defines an open first or top end 24.

(13) A first material 20 such as tobacco or a tobacco accessory may enter the open first or top end 24 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2D. A second transverse seal 26 is formed to create a first compartment 41 (such as a tobacco compartment). A first material 20 or a second material 30 may then be filled into the top end 24 and a third transverse seal 27 is formed to create a second compartment 41 (such as a tobacco compartment or a tobacco accessory compartment) as shown in FIG. 2E.

(14) FIG. 2F illustrates the formation of a third compartment 43 by applying third transverse seal 26 to the top end 24. In one embodiment the first compartment 41 contains tobacco material, the second compartment 42 contains tobacco material (same or different type of tobacco or tobacco blend than the first compartment), and the third compartment 43 contains a tobacco accessory, such as cigarette paper. The tobacco accessory may be placed into the third compartment 43 within the vertical form fill seal machine or after the formation of the multi-compartment tobacco pouch 40.

(15) FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B illustrate reclosable access opening 45. The reclosable access opening 45 may be present on the film 11 prior to being processed by the vertical form fill seal machine or the reclosable access opening 45 may be applied to the multi-compartment tobacco pouch 40 following the formation of the compartments 41, 42, 43. The reclosable access opening 45 may be formed with a laser or die cut device.

(16) FIG. 5 shows a multi-compartment tobacco pouch 40 with a first compartment 41 access opening 45 open and exposing tobacco material 20, and a second compartment 42 with a sealed access opening 45 and a third compartment 43 access opening 45 open and a tobacco accessory 35 being placed into the third compartment 43.

(17) FIG. 6 illustrates a multi-compartment tobacco pouch 40 folded onto itself. The first compartment 41 is folded (along or adjacent to the second transverse seal 26) onto the second compartment 42, and the third compartment 43 is folded (along or adjacent to the third transverse seal 27) onto the first compartment 41.

(18) The specific embodiments described above are intended to illustrate the invention. However, other embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims, and it is to be understood that the specific embodiments described above are not intended to be limiting.