초록 ▼

A multiple compartment package having a connecting bridge with a frangible internal barrier is made from two composite or thermoplastic sheets or webs welded together to form the front and back walls of the package, and the central bridge portion is defined by one or more partitions spanning the sho

A multiple compartment package having a connecting bridge with a frangible internal barrier is made from two composite or thermoplastic sheets or webs welded together to form the front and back walls of the package, and the central bridge portion is defined by one or more partitions spanning the short distance between the webs. In the preferred embodiment, multiple partitions form a plurality of parallel compartment strips to create an obstruction to penetration of substances from one packet to the other. One process for making the invention uses a comb-shaped mask and a thermoplastic insert strip interwoven between the tines of the comb. The tines are extended down between the welding heads of the packaging machine, preventing welding from taking place between the thermoplastic sheets wherever the comb mash is, with the result that the welding occurs between the strip and an alternating one of the side webs creating a zig-zag pattern that forms the vacant barrier compartments. In a significant modification, this physical mask is replaced by mask coatings printed onto both sides of the strip, or printed on the webs rather than the strip, to cause the same localized compartment-forming welding failure as the physical comb mask. The perimeter seal of a single or multiple package can be provided with a preferred rupture point using the same techniques.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A method of creating a frangible internal barrier in a bridge defined between left and right packets defined in a substantially endless series between front and back package webs, using a packaging machine which defines a feed direction, a longitudinal direction being defined as sai

[ I claim:] [1.] A method of creating a frangible internal barrier in a bridge defined between left and right packets defined in a substantially endless series between front and back package webs, using a packaging machine which defines a feed direction, a longitudinal direction being defined as said feed direction, and said machine including a welder for receiving two package webs fed therethrough in said feed direction to form, at a longitudinally established welding situs in said machine, a substantially continuous longitudinal welded band separating the respective left and right packets and defining a bridge therebetween, said method comprising the following steps:(a) inserting a longitudinally extended comb mask having a plurality of tines into said welder in the feed direction at least as far as said welding situs and being laterally positioned to lie at least partially in registry with said welded band, such that in operation, as said packaging machine feeds said two package webs into said welder, said welder is prevented from welding together said two package webs on immediate opposite sides of said tines due to their presence;(b) feeding a longitudinally extended thermoplastic strip between said webs and interweaving same between the tines of said mask, such that said strip is alternately welded to one of said webs but is blocked from the other of said webs in the region registering with said mask such that continuous separable regions are defined between said strip and alternating ones of said webs where said tines were effectively withdrawn and said strip is pleated to form at least one interweb partition comprising said barrier.