Apparatus and method for manufacturing a pouched product

1 . An apparatus for manufacturing a pouched product, the apparatus comprising:

a forming unit arranged to feed a continuous supply of a pouch material configured as a continuous channel member defining a longitudinal axis;

a dosage unit operably engaged with the forming unit and arranged to introduce a dose of a filler material, having at least one object within the dose, into a pouched portion of the channel member, the pouched portion having a closed leading edge such that the pouched portion is arranged to retain the dose of the filler material, having the at least one object within the dose, within the pouched portion; and

an object metering unit arranged to introduce objects into the dosage unit, and including a rotatable feed member arranged to meter the objects introduced into the dosage unit so as to direct the at least one object into the dose of the filler material.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising an inspection unit operably engaged between the object metering unit and the forming unit and arranged to inspect the at least one object, or the dose of the filler material having the at least one object within the dose, the inspection unit including an emitter arranged to oppose a detector such that at least the at least one object is directed therebetween.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the inspection unit is arranged between the object metering unit and the dosage unit, or is operably engaged with the dosage unit, to inspect the at least one object, prior to the at least one object being introduced into the dose of the filler material.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the inspection unit is operably engaged with the dosage unit, prior to the forming unit, and arranged to inspect the at least one object upon or after the at least one object being introduced into the dose of the filler material.

5 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the emitter is a light emitter and wherein the detector is arranged to detect light transmitted through and around the at least one object, or through and around the at least one object within the dose of the filler material, to determine an integrity of the at least one object or to determine a presence or absence of the at least one object within the dose of the filler material.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the forming unit is arranged to close a first portion of the channel member to form the closed leading edge of the pouched portion and a closed trailing edge of a previous pouched portion, and to close a second portion of the channel member to form a closed trailing edge of the pouched portion and a closed leading edge of a subsequent pouched portion.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the forming unit is arranged to divide the channel member through the longitudinal axis, between the closed trailing edge and the closed leading edge of the respective pouched portions serially disposed along the longitudinal axis of the channel member, into a plurality of discrete pouched products such that each discrete pouched product includes therein the dose of the filler material, having the at least one object within the dose.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , comprising a conveying unit arranged to receive the pouched products from the forming unit and to convey the pouched products to a packaging unit for packaging the pouched products.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , comprising an inspection unit operably engaged with the conveying unit and arranged prior to the packaging unit to inspect each pouched product directed to the packaging unit, the inspection unit including an emitter arranged to oppose a detector such that the pouched products are conveyed therebetween.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the emitter is a light emitter and wherein the detector is arranged to detect light transmitted by the emitter through each conveyed pouched product to determine a presence or absence of the at least one object within the pouched product or to determine an integrity of the at least one object within the pouched product.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the conveying unit is arranged to divert any pouched product, determined by the inspection unit to demonstrate the absence of the at least one object within the pouched product or to demonstrate a lack of integrity of the at least one object within the pouched product, away from the packaging unit.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dosage unit comprises a body member defining a filler channel extending therethrough between a filler inlet and an outlet, and an object channel extending from an object inlet into communication with the filler channel between the filler inlet and the outlet, the object channel being arranged to receive the at least one object through the object inlet from the object metering unit in communication therewith, and to direct the at least one object into the filler channel, and the filler channel being arranged to receive the dose of the filler material through the filler inlet, to receive the at least one object from the object channel into the dose of the filler material, and to direct the dose of the filler material including the at least one object to the outlet for introduction of the dose into the pouched portion of the channel member.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the body member defines a purge channel in communication with the object channel or the filler channel, before the outlet, the purge channel being arranged to receive a selectively actuated flow of a purge substance therein to clear the object channel or the filler channel of any objects or filler material remaining therein.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising an object transfer unit operably engaged with the object metering unit, the object transfer unit being arranged to remove the at least one object from the rotatable feed member and direct the at least one object into the dosage unit and into the dose of the filler material.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a filler transfer unit operably engaged with the dosage unit, the filler transfer unit being arranged to direct the dose of the filler material into the dosage unit.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a dose transfer unit operably engaged with the dosage unit, the dosage transfer unit being arranged to direct the dose of the filler material having the at least one object from the dosage unit into the pouched portion.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a clearing unit operably engaged with the dosage unit, the clearing unit being arranged to be selectively actuated to clear the dosage unit of any objects or filler material remaining therein.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the feed member is rotatable about an axis and comprises a peripheral surface extending at a radius about the axis, the peripheral surface defining a plurality of angularly spaced-apart pockets each arranged to successively receive the at least one object therein at a receiving position of the feed member, and to dispense the at least one object from each pocket and into the dosage unit upon rotation of the feed member to move successive pockets into a dispensing position of the feed member.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , comprising a retention device operably engaged with the feed member and arranged to retain the at least one object within the respective pocket of the feed member upon rotation of the feed member between the receiving position and the dispensing position.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the retention device comprises a negative pressure assembly disposed in fluid communication with the feed member and arranged to apply a negative pressure to at least a portion of the pockets to maintain the at least one object within the at least a portion of the pockets during rotation of the feed member between the receiving position and the dispensing position.

21 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the retention device comprises a retaining member disposed adjacent to the peripheral surface of the feed member and having a retention surface extending adjacent to and along the peripheral surface at least between the receiving position and the dispensing position of the feed member.

22 . The apparatus of claim 18 , comprising a hopper assembly arranged to receive a plurality of the objects and to manipulate the plurality of objects so as to feed the at least one object therefrom into each pocket defined by the peripheral surface of the feeder device upon rotation thereof to the receiving position.

23 . The apparatus of claim 22 , comprising an agitation device arranged to interact with the hopper assembly so as to agitate the objects therein and facilitate feeding of the objects into the pockets of the feeder device.

24 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the object metering unit is arranged to introduce objects including capsules, pellets, microcapsules, beads, rods, flavoring agent members, or combinations thereof.

25 . A method of manufacturing a pouched product, the method comprising:

feeding a continuous supply of a pouch material using a forming unit, the pouch material being configured as a continuous channel member defining a longitudinal axis;

introducing a dose of a filler material, having at least one object within the dose, into a pouched portion of the channel member using a dosage unit, the pouched portion having a closed leading edge such that the pouched portion is arranged to retain the dose of the filler material, having the at least one object within the dose, within the pouched portion; and

introducing objects into the dosage unit, using an object metering unit including a rotatable feed member, by metering the objects introduced into the dosage unit using the rotatable feed member so as to direct the at least one object into the dose of the filler material.

26 . The method of claim 25 , comprising inspecting the at least one object, or the dose of the filler material having the at least one object within the dose, using an inspection unit operably engaged between the object metering unit and the forming unit, the inspection unit including an emitter arranged to oppose a detector such that at least the at least one object is directed therebetween.

27 . The method of claim 26 , comprising inspecting the at least one object with the inspection unit arranged between the object metering unit and the dosage unit, or operably engaged with the dosage unit, prior to the at least one object being introduced into the dose of the filler material.

28 . The method of claim 26 , comprising inspecting the at least one object upon or after the at least one object being introduced into the dose of the filler material, with the inspection unit operably engaged with the dosage unit, prior to the forming unit.

29 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the emitter is a light emitter and wherein inspecting the at least one object, or the dose of the filler material having the at least one object within the dose, comprises detecting, using the detector, light transmitted by the emitter through and around the at least one object, or through and around the at least one object within the dose of the filler material, to determine an integrity of the at least one object or to determine a presence or absence of the at least one object within the dose of the filler material.

30 . The method of claim 25 , comprising closing a first portion of the channel member, using the forming unit, to form the closed leading edge of the pouched portion and a closed trailing edge of a previous pouched portion.

31 . The method of claim 30 , comprising closing a second portion of the channel member, using the forming unit, to form a closed trailing edge of the pouched portion and a closed leading edge of a subsequent pouched portion.

32 . The method of claim 31 , comprising dividing the channel member through the longitudinal axis, using the forming unit, between the closed trailing edge and the closed leading edge of the respective pouched portions serially disposed along the longitudinal axis of the channel member, to form the channel member into a plurality of discrete pouched products with each discrete pouched product including therein the dose of the filler material, having the at least one object within the dose.

33 . The method of claim 32 , comprising conveying the pouched products, using a conveying unit arranged to receive the pouched products from the forming unit, to a packaging unit for packaging the pouched products.

34 . The method of claim 33 , comprising inspecting each pouched product directed to the packaging unit, using an inspection unit operably engaged with the conveying unit and arranged prior to the packaging unit, the inspection unit including an emitter arranged to oppose a detector such that the pouched products are conveyed therebetween.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the emitter is a light emitter and wherein inspecting each pouched product comprises detecting, using the detector, light transmitted by the emitter through each conveyed pouched product to determine a presence or absence of the at least one object within the pouched product or to determine an integrity of the at least one object within the pouched product.

36 . The method of claim 35 , comprising diverting, using the conveying unit, any pouched product determined by the inspection unit to demonstrate the absence of the at least one object within the pouched product or to demonstrate a lack of integrity of the at least one object within the pouched product, away from the packaging unit.

37 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the dosage unit comprises a body member defining a filler channel extending therethrough between a filler inlet and an outlet, and an object channel extending from an object inlet into communication with the filler channel between the filler inlet and the outlet, and wherein the method comprises receiving the at least one object through the object inlet from the object metering unit in communication therewith and directing the at least one object into the filler channel, receiving the dose of the filler material through the filler inlet, receiving the at least one object from the object channel into the dose of the filler material, and directing the dose of the filler material including the at least one object to the outlet for introduction of the dose into the pouched portion of the channel member.

38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the body member defines a purge channel in communication with the object channel or the filler channel, before the outlet, and wherein the method comprises receiving a selectively actuated flow of a purge substance in the purge channel to clear the object channel or the filler channel of any objects or filler material remaining therein.

39 . The method of claim 25 , comprising removing the at least one object from the rotatable feed member, and directing the at least one object into the dosage unit and into the dose of the filler material, using an object transfer unit operably engaged with the object metering unit.

40 . The method of claim 25 , comprising directing the dose of the filler material into the dosage unit, using a filler transfer unit operably engaged with the dosage unit.

41 . The method of claim 25 , comprising directing the dose of the filler material having the at least one object from the dosage unit into the pouched portion, using a dose transfer unit operably engaged with the dosage unit.

42 . The method of claim 25 , comprising selectively actuating a clearing unit operably engaged with the dosage unit to clear the dosage unit of any objects or filler material remaining therein.

43 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the feed member is rotatable about an axis and comprises a peripheral surface extending at a radius about the axis, the peripheral surface defining a plurality of angularly spaced-apart pockets, and wherein the method comprises successively receiving the at least one object in each pocket at a receiving position of the feed member, and dispensing the at least one object from each pocket and into the dosage unit upon rotation of the feed member to move successive pockets into a dispensing position of the feed member.

44 . The method of claim 43 , comprising retaining the at least one object within the respective pocket of the feed member, using a retention device operably engaged with the feed member, upon rotation of the feed member between the receiving position and the dispensing position.

45 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the retention device comprises a negative pressure assembly disposed in fluid communication with the feed member, and wherein the method comprises applying a negative pressure to at least a portion of the pockets to maintain the at least one object within the at least a portion of the pockets during rotation of the feed member between the receiving position and the dispensing position.

46 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the retention device comprises a retaining member disposed adjacent to the peripheral surface of the feed member, and wherein the method comprises retaining the at least one object within the at least a portion of the pockets during rotation of the feed member between the receiving position and the dispensing position, using a retention surface of the retaining member extending adjacent to and along the peripheral surface at least between the receiving position and the dispensing position of the feed member.

47 . The method of claim 43 , comprising receiving a plurality of the objects in a hopper assembly and manipulating the plurality of objects so as to feed the at least one object from the hopper assembly into each pocket defined by the peripheral surface of the feeder device upon rotation thereof to the receiving position.

48 . The method of claim 47 , comprising agitating the objects within the hopper assembly using an agitation device arranged to interact therewith to facilitate feeding of the objects into the pockets of the feeder device.

49 . The method of claim 25 , wherein introducing objects into the dosage unit comprises introducing objects, including capsules, pellets, microcapsules, beads, rods, flavoring agent members, or combinations thereof, into the dosage unit.