Composite containers for bulk solids, related systems and methods

Abstract

A container for holding bulk solids, the container comprising: a tubular body extending at least partially around an interior of the container to form a tubular body having a top end and a bottom end; at least one sealing member positioned in the interior of the container spaced apart from each of the top and bottom ends of the tubular body, the at least one sealing member sealingly engaging at least one section of the tubular body; a reclosable lid attached to the top end of the tubular body to form a closed top end of the container, the reclosable lid comprising pulp fibers; and a bottom plate attached to the bottom end of the tubular body to form a closed bottom end of the container, the bottom plate comprising pulp fibers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a composite container such as a can and packaging bulk solids such as dry or moist commodities in the composite can. The composite can as disclosed herein comprises a cardboard body made of a cardboard-based laminate, which may include one or more outer polymer layers in addition to a cardboard core layer. In addition, the composite can comprises additional can components such as a top sealing member, a bottom sealing member, a top rim, a reclosable lid, and an optional bottom panel. Background Art

[0002] Composite cans based on cardboard for packaging granules or granular goods (such as baby food, coffee, tea, cereals, tobacco, etc.) that are sensitive to moisture and air are well known in the technical field. In the field of packaging of consumer goods, particularly consumer goods packaged in relatively rigid composite cans (the composite cans are used as protective shipping and storage containers at the retail end and as storage and distribution containers at the consumer end), the different functions of the composite cans may lead to conflicting requirements for their design. For economic and environmental reasons, the amount of material required for producing the composite cans should be as little as possible, while still providing enough rigidity and shape stability for the composite cans. At the retail end, it is hoped that the composite cans allow efficient and space-saving transportation and storage, and they are stackable.

[0003] Cans based on cardboard usually have the problem of low shape stability of the cardboard body, which has been proven to be a special problem in the manufacturing and filling process before the can is finally sealed. Although sufficient shape stability and protection of the packaged goods are provided in the filled and fully assembled composite can, the relatively thin cardboard body material may be damaged when the force applied to the cardboard body is applied to the cardboard body during the production and filling process of the composite can. The inherent tension in the hard cardboard material causes the tubular body formed by the rectangular cardboard blank to deviate from the expected body shape, making it difficult to process the tubular body at high speed in the manufacturing machine. The tubular body that deviates from the expected shape is more easily damaged by the gripper, conveyor and other equipment on the manufacturing line. Such damage may lead to an undesirable high scrap rate because the damaged tubular body will have to be discarded. For example, the tubular body transported on the conveyor belt may be piled up on the conveyor belt into a tubular body that is closely arranged and pressed against each other, thereby causing the tubular body to present a deformed structure with a shortened elongation in the conveying direction and an increased elongation perpendicular to the conveying direction. A tubular body deformed in this way may become stuck in the machine, or may be difficult to grasp and reposition with a gripper. In addition, it may be difficult to attach elements such as top sealing members, bottom sealing members, top rims, bottom plates, etc. without damaging the exposed end edges of the tubular body. In order to minimize the risk of deformation or damage to the tubular body during the manufacturing process, it may be necessary to reduce the manufacturing speed, which results in a lower than preferred production efficiency for the composite can.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a low-cost, high-speed production process for composite cans made from commonly used materials that produces minimal waste on the production line.

[0005] It is an object of the present disclosure to overcome or ameliorate at least one disadvantage of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative. Summary of the invention

[0006] According to one aspect, the present disclosure generally relates to a container for holding bulk solids, the container comprising: a tubular body extending at least partially around the interior of the container to form a tubular body having a top end and a bottom end; at least one sealing member positioned in the interior of the container at an interval from each of the top end and the bottom end of the tubular body, the at least one sealing member sealingly engaging at least one section of the tubular body; a reclosable lid attached to the top end of the tubular body to form a closed top end of the container, the reclosable lid comprising pulp fibers; and a bottom plate attached to the bottom end of the tubular body to form a closed bottom end of the container, the bottom plate comprising pulp fibers.

[0007] According to another aspect, the present disclosure generally relates to a method for forming a container for holding bulk solids, the method comprising: obtaining a body blank; positioning the body blank, the body blank extending at least partially around the interior of the container to form a tubular body having a top end and a bottom end; positioning at least one sealing member in the interior of the container spaced apart from each of the top end and the bottom end of the tubular body, the at least one sealing member being sealingly engageable with at least one section of the tubular body; attaching a reclosable lid to the top end of the tubular body to form a closed top end of the container, the reclosable lid comprising pulp fibers; and attaching a bottom plate to the bottom end of the tubular body to form a closed bottom end of the container, the bottom plate comprising pulp fibers.

[0008] According to another aspect, the present disclosure is generally directed to an assembly line for forming a container for holding bulk solids, the assembly line comprising: a supply of body blanks, sealing members, a reclosable lid, and a bottom plate, the bottom plate comprising pulp fibers; a body forming station for bending body blanks from the supply of body blanks at least partially around the interior of the container; a sealing station for attaching sealing members from the supply of sealing members to the tubular body in the interior of the container; a filling station for filling the tubular body with a sealing member; and a sealing member for sealing the body blanks. The bottom end is filled with bulk solids inside the container; a bottom plate applying station for attaching a bottom plate from a supply of bottom plates to the bottom end of the tubular body to form a closed bottom end of the container; a cover attaching station for attaching a reclosable cover from a supply of reclosable covers to the top end of the tubular body to form a closed top end of the container; and a bottom plate applying station for attaching a bottom plate from a supply of bottom plates to the bottom end of the tubular body to form a closed bottom end of the container.

[0009] According to other aspects of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing a composite can and packaging dry or wet goods in the composite can, the method comprising:

[0010] - picking up a body blank from a stack of body blanks and transferring said body blank to a body forming station;

[0011] - forming a tubular body by bending the body blank and joining two opposite edges of the body blank together in an end-to-end joint, the joint extending in a height direction of the tubular body;

[0012] - sealing the joint by welding a sealing strip to the joint on the inner surface of the tubular body, thereby forming an intermediate tank;

[0013] - transferring the intermediate tank to the top sealing station;

[0014] - sealing the top opening at the top end of the tubular body by welding a peripheral flange of a top sealing member to the inner surface of the tubular body at a distance from the top end edge of the tubular body;

[0015] - transferring the tundish to a top rim application station;

[0016] - transferring the intermediate tank to a filling unit;

[0017] - filling the intermediate tank with the dry or moist commodity through the bottom opening of the tubular body;

[0018] - transferring the filled intermediate tank to a sealing unit, to which the filled intermediate tank is transported in a closed conveying system while maintaining a protective gas atmosphere;

[0019] - sealing the bottom opening of the tubular body by welding a peripheral flange of a bottom sealing member to the inner surface of the tubular body at a distance from the bottom end edge of the tubular body, the sealing of the bottom opening being performed while maintaining the protective gas atmosphere;

[0020] - applying a bottom plate (217) to the bottom end of the bottom-sealed intermediate tank (403; 503), the bottom plate (217) covering the entire bottom opening (213), the bottom plate (217) being a molded plate comprising pulp fibers;

[0021] - placing the bottom-sealed intermediate tank (403; 503) on a conveyor (2d), wherein the bottom plate (217) rests on the conveyor (2d) during the transfer of the intermediate tank (403; 503) to the lid attachment unit (7);

[0022] - turning over the filled and bottom-sealed intermediate tank so that the top end of the tubular body is in an upward position in the vertical direction and transferring the intermediate tank to the cover attachment unit;

[0023] - Attaching a reclosable cover at the top end of the tubular body, wherein an inner surface of the reclosable cover is in direct contact with an upper surface of the top rim.

[0024] The bottom plate covers the entire bottom opening, thereby minimizing, inhibiting, and / or preventing insect nesting in the space between the bottom sealing member and the bottom end of the tubular body, while it also stabilizes the tank.

[0025] The intermediate tank may be placed in a protective gas atmosphere during the filling process of the intermediate tank or by introducing the filled intermediate tank into a vacuum chamber to evacuate the air.

[0026] Thus, air contact between the filled goods in the open intermediate container can be prohibited before the goods are safely enclosed in the composite can. Another technical effect is that the atmosphere in the sealing station and the sealing step can be very well controlled, because it is not necessary to remove air from the filled open container before sealing the container. It has been found that this is a considerable advantage, because the pressure difference in the sealing step may have a negative impact on the sealing process by causing turbulence in the packaged material. Such turbulence may cause powdery material to be trapped in the seal and potentially impair the tightness of the seal.

[0027] According to another aspect, the present disclosure generally involves the following steps:

[0028] - transferring the tundish to a top rim application station;

[0029] - applying the top rim to the intermediate tank by inserting at least a lower portion of the top rim into the top opening over the top sealing member;

[0030] - welding or gluing the inserted portion of the top rim to the inner surface of the tubular body;

[0031] - transferring the tundish to a conveyor and placing the tundish on the conveyor with the top rim resting on the conveyor and the bottom opening at the bottom end of the tubular body facing vertically upwards;

[0032] Optionally, the composite can has a top closure having a lid formed from a paperboard member.

[0033] As disclosed herein, during transfer of the intermediate tank from the top sealing station to the top rim applying station, the longitudinal axis of the intermediate tank may be arranged in a substantially vertical direction, with the top end of the tubular body pointing upward in the vertical direction.

[0034] In the method disclosed herein, during the application and attachment of the top sealing member and the top edge to the top opening of the tubular body, the top end edge of the tubular body is vertically directed upward and the bottom end edge of the tubular body is vertically directed downward. Thereafter, the intermediate tank including the tubular body, the top sealing member and the top edge is turned upside down so that the top end edge is vertically directed downward and the bottom end edge is vertically directed upward. The intermediate tank with the top edge attached can be turned over in a edge applicator or in a conventional turning device downstream of the edge applicator.

[0035] By attaching the top rim to the tubular body and turning the tundish upside down before transporting it to the filling unit, the tundish will rest on the conveyor with a durable top rim during transfer to the filling unit.

[0036] By attaching the top sealing member prior to filling the tank, the risk of finding residues of the packaged material outside the top sealing member in the upper end of the tank can be reduced or eliminated, while also reducing or eliminating the risk of particulate material contaminating the weld area and negatively affecting the sealing quality of the top sealing member.

[0037] The top rim causes the container body wall to conform to the contour of the top rim and have a desired predetermined and stable shape.

[0038] The weld seal between the top rim and the tubular body can be formed by any suitable method, such as by high frequency induction welding. In order to achieve a tight seal, the weld seal is preferably a continuous seal extending around the top opening to produce a moisture-proof and preferably airtight seal. In a composite tank produced according to the method as disclosed herein, high frequency induction welding is a preferred method for attaching tank components, such as a body sealing strip, a top rim, a bottom plate, and a top sealing member and a bottom sealing member.

[0039] Compared with the adhesive attachment previously common in the field of using technology, by means of welding, the top edge is connected to the inner surface of the tubular body, and the connection of the top edge to the tubular body can be made tighter and more slender. As explained herein, the welded top edge is preferably a molded fiber edge and is arranged to extend from the inner surface of the tubular body to the inner surface of the lid in parallel with the material in the tubular body. The top edge is more rigid than the cardboard-based material in the tubular body, and constitutes a shape-stable continuation or supplement of the upper end of the tubular body, and provides a first abutment surface, which resists deformation when pressed against a second abutment surface on the inner surface of the reclosable lid. Therefore, even after the consumer opens the can for the first time and after the top sealing member is destroyed or removed, the composite can can be repeatedly opened and closed with a high level of tightness.

[0040] The top rim thus constitutes a rigid and dimensionally stable portion at the top end of the tubular body which can form a tight seal against the inner surface of the cap.

[0041] The top rim is preferably welded to the interior surface of the tubular body such that an upper portion of the top rim extends beyond the top end edge of the tubular body.

[0042] The top rim may be a profiled element comprising a circumferential flange extending outwardly from the upper edge of the lower portion of the top rim, the top rim being applied to the intermediate tank so that the circumferential flange covers the upper end edge of the tubular body. The circumferential flange constitutes a rigid protection for the cardboard material in the top end edge of the tubular body.

[0043] The top edge, which is attached to the tubular body so that a portion of the top edge extends in the height direction of the tubular body out of the top opening in the tubular body, forms a rigid, wear-resistant and dimensionally stable support on which the intermediate tank can rest after being turned over 180° to be placed upside down on a conveyor for transfer to a filling unit. The intermediate tanks can form closely spaced rows or slide on a conveyor belt without causing deformation of the jammed material in the tubular body or damage to the top end edge of the tubular body.

[0044] The top edge may have any suitable cross-sectional profile as long as at least a portion of the top edge can fit inside the top opening. The lower portion of the top edge may have different thicknesses in different portions of the top edge. Preferably, no portion of the top edge is arranged to extend downwardly on the outer surface of the body tube. A top edge having a generally I-shaped or L-shaped profile may be preferred because it can be easily inserted into the top opening and attached to the inner surface of the tubular body by welding and applying pressure perpendicular to the inner surface of the tubular body.

[0045] As explained herein, in subsequent processing steps, the cardboard body is supported and protected by the top rim without risk of damaging the exposed cardboard edge. The top rim provides support and protection for the intermediate tank during processing steps that may be performed while the intermediate tank rests on the top rim, such as filling and sealing the bottom opening, degassing, etc.

[0046] After the top sealing member has been applied to the top opening, the top edge makes it possible to fill the container from the bottom end. Alternatively, if the top end sealing member is applied after the composite can has been filled with contents in the form of particles or granules, the turbulence generated when the top sealing member is pushed into the container body may cause some particles or granules to escape from the tubular body and eventually reach the outside of the top sealing member in the space between the top end edge of the top sealing member and the tubular body. Users who open the composite can and find that the exposed top sealing member is soiled by the packaged material will usually think that the can is not as hygienic as desired. In addition, some of the packaged material may remain in the welded seal between the top sealing member and the inner surface of the tubular body, making the seal not as tight as desired and making it difficult to accurately control the strength of the seal.

[0047] The method as disclosed herein may further comprise:

[0048] - Placing the bottom-sealed intermediate tank on a conveyor belt so that the bottom plate rests on the conveyor belt during the transfer of the intermediate tank to the cover attachment unit.

[0049] The bottom plate may be in the form of a closed ring extending in the bottom ring plane and having an outer contour and an inner contour and a height in a height direction perpendicular to the bottom ring plane. The bottom plate has an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion in the height direction of the bottom reinforcement edge. The bottom plate may be applied in the following manner:

[0050] - inserting the top rim portion of the bottom plate and optionally also the lower rim portion of the bottom plate into the tubular body at the bottom end edge, wherein the lower end edge of the bottom reinforcing rim is outside the container body or flush with the bottom end edge of the tubular body; and

[0051] - Attaching the bottom plate to the inner surface of the tubular body, preferably by welding, such as by high frequency induction welding.

[0052] The advantages of providing the composite tank with a bottom plate are similar to those obtained by using the top edge. In an intermediate tank that has been filled from the bottom end and sealed with a bottom sealing member, the bottom plate enhances the shape stability at the bottom end of the tubular body and protects the bottom end edge of the cardboard material in the tubular body from wear when the filled and bottom-sealed intermediate tank is transported on a conveyor in a manner upright on the bottom plate. In the fully assembled composite tank, the bottom plate continues to serve as a support element that protects the cardboard material at the bottom end of the composite tank from moisture that may be present on the countertop or other surface on which the user places the tank. The bottom plate can further form a rigid and shape-stable support element that cooperates with a mating stacking element at the upper part of another composite tank when the composite tanks are stacked on top of each other.

[0053] After the bottom sealing member has been applied to the filled intermediate tank, the sealed and filled intermediate tank can be turned over by 180° in the sealing unit or in a conventional turning device downstream of the sealing unit.

[0054] The method as disclosed herein may involve processing two or more tundishes, such as four tundishes, simultaneously in one or more processing steps, such as:

[0055] - sealing the top opening;

[0056] - applying said top edge;

[0057] - welding or gluing the top edge;

[0058] - turning the intermediate tank 180°;

[0059] - filling the intermediate tank;

[0060] - sealing the bottom opening;

[0061] - turning the filled and bottom-sealed intermediate tank by 180°; and

[0062] - Attaching the reclosable lid.

[0063] According to another aspect, the present disclosure generally relates to an assembly line for manufacturing composite cans, for example according to the method as disclosed herein, and filling the composite cans with dry or moist commodities. The assembly line comprises a plurality of machine units connected by a conveyor, wherein the machine units include:

[0064] - body forming unit;

[0065] - filling unit;

[0066] - a sealing unit; and

[0067] - Cover attachment unit.

[0068] In the assembly line as disclosed herein, a gas box may be arranged between the filling unit and the sealing unit.

[0069] The body forming unit of the assembly line may include:

[0070] - Body blank picking station;

[0071] -body forming station;

[0072] - Top sealing station; and

[0073] - Top edge application station.

[0074] The sealing unit of the assembly line may comprise a can sealing station and an optional rim application station.

[0075] Any machine unit of the assembly line may be at least partially arranged in the outer housing. In addition, any machine unit or part of a machine unit may be arranged to operate in a modified gas atmosphere (also referred to herein as a protective gas atmosphere) in the outer housing. As disclosed herein, the sealing unit may be arranged in the outer housing and may be arranged to operate in a protective gas atmosphere in the outer housing. In addition, any tank component applicator as disclosed herein may be at least partially arranged in an inner housing inside the outer housing.

[0076] The method as disclosed herein may include a degassing step performed together with the filling step. The degassing step may include supplying a protective gas to the product stream during the filling step. The protective gas may be nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. During the filling of the intermediate tank, the protective gas may be blown into the dry or moist product stream before the product stream reaches the internal compartment of the intermediate tank.

[0077] Alternatively, or in addition, the sealing of the bottom opening may be performed in the protective gas atmosphere. When the product flow is treated with a protective gas in the filling step, the filled intermediate tank is preferably conveyed to the closing step in the sealing unit while maintaining the protective atmosphere, for example by moving the intermediate tank through a tunnel filled with the protective gas. Alternatively, the filled intermediate tank may be introduced into a vacuum chamber to evacuate the air, after which the filled intermediate tank is placed in the protective atmosphere and sealed.

[0078] The application of tank components (such as top sealing members, bottom sealing members, top edges and bottom plates) can be performed using an attachment unit, which includes a welding unit, such as a high-frequency induction welding unit, which is configured to fasten the components to the tubular body during the production of the composite tank. The welding unit may include an induction welding energy generator for softening or melting a weldable layer, which forms a part of the tubular body and / or the applied tank components. The device may further include a conveying device, which is configured to convey the intermediate tank flow to the attachment unit and convey the intermediate tank flow from the attachment unit. The conveying device may include a feeding arrangement, a main conveyor component and a movable gripping arrangement in sequence. The feeding arrangement can be configured to transfer the intermediate tanks one by one to the main conveyor component in a continuous manner, and the gripping arrangement can be configured to transfer the intermediate tanks from the main conveyor component to the welding unit. The device can be arranged so that during normal operation of the device, the intermediate tanks are arranged close to each other on the upstream side of the feed arrangement, and the feed arrangement is configured to separate the adjacent intermediate tanks from each other in the feed direction by increasing the feed speed of each individual intermediate tank along the feed arrangement and thereby increasing the distance between adjacent intermediate tanks fed along the feed arrangement. The main conveying mechanism component can be configured to operate at a conveying speed approximately corresponding to the discharge speed of the intermediate tank when it is discharged from the feed arrangement and consistent with the discharge speed, so that the intermediate tanks transferred to the main conveying mechanism component and transferred along the main conveying mechanism component remain separated. The movable gripping arrangement can be configured to grip at least two intermediate tanks, such as four intermediate tanks, and transfer these intermediate tanks simultaneously from the main conveying mechanism component to the attachment unit, and the attachment unit is preferably configured to simultaneously fasten the tank component to each of the intermediate tanks transferred simultaneously.

[0079] The feeding arrangement may comprise a feeding screw member having an increasing pitch, so that when the intermediate tanks are transported by the feeding screw member, the feeding speed of each individual intermediate tank and the distance between adjacent intermediate tanks increase with increasing pitch. Such a feeding screw member produces a defined distance between intermediate tanks, thereby allowing controlled positioning and proper gripping of the intermediate tanks.

[0080] The feed screw element allows controlling the feed speed at the inlet of the feed screw element. By adjusting this inlet speed relative to the speed at which the tundishes are conveyed towards the feed screw element, for example by making the inlet speed only slightly lower than the conveying speed of a conveyor belt arranged to convey the tundishes to the feed screw element, a filled open tundish can be prevented from colliding with a slow-moving train of tundishes at high speed, and the open tundish will more smoothly approach and join the upstream train of tundishes.

[0081] It may be preferred that the feed screw arrangement comprises two feed screw members arranged in parallel along each side of the tundish flow so that each tundish is conveyed between two feed screw members arranged to operate in cooperation with each other. This provides a secure feed grip for the tundish and reduces the risk of the tundish slipping through its space in the feed screw.

[0082] The main conveyor member may comprise sliding guides and carrying bars, the sliding guides being configured to support the intermediate tank and allow the intermediate tank to slide in the conveying direction when the intermediate tank is transferred to the main conveyor member, and the carrying bars being distributed at prescribed distances along the moving and conveying parts of the main conveyor member so as to push the container along the sliding guides. In this way, the intermediate tank is prevented from sliding relative to conventional moving parts (such as conveyor belts), which sliding would cause the distance between adjacent intermediate tanks to vary randomly, thus causing problems in the subsequent gripping step. The use of sliding guides and carrying bars as described herein further improves the positioning of the intermediate tank prior to gripping, since the distance between adjacent transferred intermediate tanks transferred to the gripping arrangement is predetermined and constant.

[0083] The transport device may further include an inlet conveyor member configured to feed containers to the feed arrangement. The inlet conveyor member may be configured to operate at a transport speed approximately corresponding to and consistent with an initial feed speed at the inlet side of the feed arrangement. This allows the intermediate tank to be smoothly transferred between the inlet conveyor member and the feed arrangement. Preferably, the inlet conveyor member also forms a support for the intermediate tank when the intermediate tank is fed along the feed arrangement. The inlet conveyor member may be configured to allow the intermediate tank to slide while being supported when the feed speed of the intermediate tank increases during the feeding along the feed arrangement. The inlet conveyor member may include an endless steel belt that transports and supports the intermediate tank.

[0084] The attachment unit may include at least two sub-units, each sub-unit including a cavity suitable for receiving at least one end portion of the intermediate tank, to which a tank component (such as a top sealing member, a bottom sealing member or a rim) will be fastened, wherein an induction welding energy generator (such as a coil) extends around the cavity so as to circumferentially surround the intermediate tank placed in the cavity along a distance corresponding to the peripheral edge of the tank component, and the tank component is placed in the intermediate tank in its intended fastening position, and each unit further includes a tank component positioning device, which is configured to position the tank component in the intended fastening position.

[0085] The positioning device may be in the form of a pressing plunger which positions the tank component inside the tubular body of the intermediate tank and then expands radially to exert a radially outward pressing force on the inserted tank component and to press a section of the tank component against the inner surface of the tubular body. When the tank component is welded to the tubular body, the tank component is held under pressure against the inner surface of the tubular body.

[0086] The positioning device may comprise two parts which are axially movable relative to each other:

[0087] - a base plate comprising or consisting of a rigid material, and

[0088] - An elastically deformable plunger skirt.

[0089] The base plate is connected to the end section of the first piston so that the coverage area surface of the base plate is perpendicular to the axial direction. The plunger skirt is connected to the end section of the second piston. The first piston and the second piston are configured to be axially displaceable synchronously and independently of each other. Compared with the unexpanded state, the end section of the second piston is configured to be closer to the end section of the first piston when the plunger skirt is in an expanded state.

[0090] When the tank component is inserted into the attachment position in the tubular body, the first piston and the second piston are axially displaced synchronously with each other, thereby moving together as a single unit. When the plunger skirt is converted to the expanded state, the first piston and the second piston are displaced independently of each other so that the second piston is displaced relative to the first piston in the axial direction. Therefore, the plunger skirt is pressed downward on the base plate and flattened so that the outer periphery of the plunger skirt presents an expanded state. After the container element is applied to the desired position inside the container body, once the pressure applied to the elastically deformable plunger skirt from the first and second pistons stops, the elastically deformable plunger skirt will automatically return to the unexpanded state.

[0091] The base plate has a footprint surface with a peripheral edge including a plurality of side edge sections connected by corner sections.The plunger skirt covers a surface of the base plate opposite the footprint surface.

[0092] As described herein, the plunger skirt is convertible between an unexpanded state and an expanded state. The plunger skirt has an outer periphery that is located at a circumferential edge of a footprint surface of the base plate in the unexpanded state and at least partially outside of the circumferential edge of the footprint surface of the base plate in the expanded state.

[0093] In the unexpanded state, the outer periphery of the plunger skirt preferably has a shape corresponding to the shape of the peripheral edge of the footprint surface.

[0094] At least one side edge section of the peripheral edge of the base plate may include a curved section that bends in an inward direction from the peripheral edge of the covering area surface, and at least one corresponding side section of the outer periphery of the plunger skirt may include a curved section that bends in an inward direction from the outer periphery of the plunger skirt.

[0095] The plunger skirt is arranged on the top of the base plate so as to cover the upper surface of the base plate opposite to the surface of the covering area. When the plunger skirt is in an unexpanded state, the plunger skirt will not contact the tank part or at least will not exert any force on the tank part during the process of the tank part being inserted into the attachment position inside the tubular body. When the tank part has reached the attachment position, the plunger skirt is expanded in the radial direction so as to press the edge area of ​​the tank part circumferentially against the inner surface of the tubular body. In this expanded state of the plunger skirt, the cross-sectional area defined by the outer periphery of the plunger skirt is larger than in the unexpanded state of the plunger skirt.

[0096] By providing at least one curved segment of the circumferential edge of the covering area surface of the base plate and at least one corresponding curved segment of the outer periphery of the plunger skirt, the risk of the positioning unit hitting the upper edge of the tubular body and thereby damaging the tubular wall of the tubular body when inserting the tank part can be significantly reduced or eliminated.

[0097] During the transition to the expanded state, the plunger skirt will flatten and any one or more inwardly curved segments will simultaneously straighten to at least some extent so that the outer periphery of the plunger skirt extends beyond the circumferential edge of the footprint surface. Thus, by carefully selecting the shape and / or material properties of the plunger skirt in the unexpanded state, the desired shape change can be obtained during the transition. The material used for the plunger skirt can be any useful elastically deformable, wear-resistant and heat-resistant material known in the art, such as a natural or synthetic rubber material, for example polyamide, polyurethane, polyester, etc.

[0098] The method as disclosed herein may be performed at least in part using an apparatus having components as set out above, and may comprise the following steps:

[0099] Transferring the intermediate tanks one by one from the feed arrangement to the main conveyor components in a continuous manner,

[0100] Transfer of the tundish from the main conveyor member to the attachment unit by means of a movable gripping arrangement,

[0101] adjacent containers are separated from one another in the transport direction by increasing the feed speed of each individual intermediate tank along the feed arrangement and thereby increasing the distance between adjacent intermediate tanks fed along the feed arrangement,

[0102] operating the main conveyor means at a transport speed approximately corresponding to and consistent with the discharge speed of the intermediate tanks when they are discharged from the feed arrangement so that intermediate tanks transferred to and along the main conveyor means remain separated;

[0103] gripping at least two intermediate tanks by means of the movable gripping arrangement and transferring these intermediate tanks simultaneously from the main conveyor member to the attachment unit, and

[0104] The tank components are simultaneously fastened to each of the simultaneously transferred intermediate tanks.

[0105] The movable gripping device may include a first and a second gripping element arranged to operate on opposite sides of the intermediate tank flow, wherein the gripping elements can be moved toward and away from each other for gripping and releasing the intermediate tank, respectively, wherein the gripping elements can be moved in a synchronized manner along the intermediate tank flow between the main conveyor member and the welding unit to simultaneously transfer two or more intermediate tanks, each clamping element being provided with at least two recesses, such as four recesses, for gripping on each side of a corresponding number of simultaneously gripped intermediate tanks, wherein the distance between the recesses of the gripping elements corresponds to the distance between the intermediate tanks positioned on the main conveyor member during operation of the equipment.

[0106] The movable gripping arrangement may be configured to grip four containers and transfer the four intermediate tanks simultaneously from the main conveyor member to the welding unit, wherein the welding unit is configured to simultaneously fasten a tank component to each of the four intermediate tanks.

[0107] The feed arrangement may comprise a second movable gripping arrangement and an outlet conveyor member arranged downstream of the attachment unit, wherein the second movable gripping arrangement is configured to grip at least two intermediate tanks and to transfer these intermediate tanks simultaneously from the attachment unit to the outlet conveyor member.

[0108] A sliding guide, such as a fixed sliding plate, can be arranged at one end of the outlet conveyor member so that the intermediate tanks can slide on the sliding plate from the outlet conveyor member to another conveyor member in order to transport the intermediate tanks to subsequent machine units in the production line. Such a sliding plate reduces the feed speed of the intermediate tanks and reduces the distance between them. Thus, the intermediate tanks are again arranged in a continuous row close to each other in the same way as at the upstream side of the feed arrangement.

[0109] As described herein, the attachment unit can be arranged in an external housing, and a protective gas atmosphere can be formed in the external housing. An outlet port for the intermediate tank can be arranged in the external housing, wherein the size of the opening is adapted to the size of the intermediate tank being processed. The outlet port can include a short tunnel arranged at one end of the outlet conveyor member, wherein the sliding plate constitutes the bottom of the tunnel. The outlet conveyor pushes the intermediate tank onto the fixed sliding plate, thereby forming a row of continuous intermediate tanks passing through the outlet tunnel. Since the size of the outlet tunnel is adapted to the size of the intermediate tank, these tanks fill the cross-section of the outlet tunnel, whereby the outlet port becomes relatively airtight during the operation of the device without the need for any additional equipment. The fixed sliding plate is provided in the outlet tunnel to ensure that there is always such an intermediate tank in the outlet tunnel: the intermediate tank acts as a "plug" and prevents the escape of protective gas and the entry of air from the external housing through the outlet. In a corresponding manner, the size and shape of the inlet port having an inlet tunnel into the external housing can be adapted to the size and shape of the intermediate tank produced on the assembly line as disclosed herein. However, since the inlet conveyor may already be arranged in a protective gas atmosphere, it is usually sufficient to arrange a closable hatch at the inlet of the attachment unit, in order to allow closing of the inlet port as required.

[0110] When transporting an intermediate tank that has been filled but not yet sealed, it is desirable to keep the protective gas atmosphere intact from the time it is formed until the bottom of the intermediate tank has been closed over the filled contents. The protective gas atmosphere may already be generated during the filling phase, for example by blowing protective gas into the material flow before the material reaches the tank. Alternatively, the filled intermediate tank may be introduced into a vacuum chamber to evacuate the air, the tank being subsequently placed in a modified gas atmosphere and the bottom sealing member being applied.

[0111] In all cases, the filled cans are conveyed to the sealing unit in a closed conveying system while maintaining the protective gas atmosphere. To ensure that no protective gas escapes at the interface between the conveying system and the can sealing unit, tightly fitting introduction and exit tunnels may be arranged at the inlet and outlet of the sealing unit, as disclosed herein.

[0112] The method as disclosed herein may include applying a scoop in a compartment formed between the top sealing member and the reclosable lid. Preferably, the scoop is applied to the intermediate tank after filling and before the reclosable lid is attached to the top end of the tubular body. The scoop may be applied directly to the top sealing member, or may be placed in a scoop holder arranged above the top sealing member. The scoop holder may be formed as an integral part of the top edge, or may be an additional part of the top edge. The scoop holder arranged on the top edge may include a scraper plate for scraping excess scooped contents from the scoop head. The scoop head and the scoop holder may have a matching shape so that the scoop can be placed so that the scoop head is securely mounted in the scoop holder and the scoop handle is maintained above the top sealing member in a substantially horizontal position. The scoop head and scoop holder may be arranged such that the scoop head may snap engage with the scoop holder, for example by providing the scoop head with one or more protruding elements, such as one or more knobs or ridges, which snap under the edge of the scoop holder when the scoop head is pressed into the scoop holder. The snap engagement between the scoop head and the scoop holder ensures that such a scoop holder is securely held in a predetermined position in the scoop holder without rattling, and that the scoop handle does not fall into the contents of the composite can after the top sealing member is removed by the user.

[0113] The reclosable lid may have a scoop holder in the form of a clamp arranged on the inner surface of the reclosable lid. The scoop holder on the inner surface of the reclosable lid may be provided as an alternative or in addition to the scoop holder on the top edge.

[0114] The scoop may be placed in the can as is, or may be pre-packaged in a hygienic wrapper, such as a plastic bag or a composite bag.

[0115] The barrier properties of a can as disclosed herein can be designed to meet different tightness requirements, depending on the commodity packaged in the can. For example, in a can for dry peas, a lower barrier level may be acceptable than in a can for, for example, infant formula that is highly sensitive to oxygen and moisture exposure. The combination of an airtight gasket seal between the upper edge of the top rim and the interior surface of the reclosable lid and an airtight weld seal between the top rim and the interior surface of the tubular body can provide a can with excellent barrier properties even after the top sealing member has been removed.

[0116] The can produced by the method as disclosed herein may preferably have a barrier property that remains substantially unchanged even after the top seal member is broken or removed. In other words, the contents of the closed can are equally well protected or nearly equally well protected regardless of whether the top seal member has been opened. This also means that the seal formed between the reclosable lid and the top rim and the welded seal formed between the top rim and the interior surface of the can preferably have a barrier property that provides the same level of protection for the packaged contents as an unbroken top seal member.

[0117] As described herein, a welding process, particularly a high frequency induction welding process, provides a highly controlled way to form a bond having a predetermined level of tightness between the top edge and the tubular body. The bonding is performed by supplying energy to heat and locally soften or melt one or more components in the molded fiber edge and / or on the inner surface of the tubular body, and pressing the molded fiber edge and the tubular body together in a direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the tubular body. The material used to create the weld seal may be provided by a thermoplastic film or coating of the molded fiber edge, a thermoplastic film or coating on the inner surface of the tubular body, or both. In certain embodiments, the molded fiber edge and the tubular body may be bonded / sealed without the use of plastic material. It may be preferred that the molded fiber edge is made of softwood pulp material. The molded fiber edge can be produced by any suitable molded fiber process known in the art, such as transfer molding or thermoforming molding (in-mold curing). By controlling the amount of energy supplied, the pressure applied, and the welding time, the welding process can be adapted to the materials being welded and a weld seam with a desired level of tightness is obtained. The welding process is therefore precise and predictable and is an effective way to produce a reliable seal with a predetermined level of tightness.

[0118] After the packaged product is filled for the jar, the bottom end is closed to seal the product in the internal compartment of the jar. As described herein, the closure of the bottom end is performed by attaching the bottom sealing member to the inner surface of the tubular body. The bottom sealing member is preferably attached to a smaller inward distance from the bottom end edge of the tubular body to provide stackability and / or to facilitate the application of a bottom plate at the bottom end of the tubular body. The insertion of the bottom sealing member may produce a pressure slightly higher than the ambient pressure inside the sealed intermediate tank. It has been found that this overpressure can cause the top sealing member to bulge outward slightly. In a two-layer top sealing member (which has a partially cut-off tear strip in the upper outer layer of the sealing member), it has been found that the slightly outward bulge in the top sealing member promotes the gripping end of the tear strip to rise from the layer below. In this way, the gripping end is easier to grip, thereby helping to pull the top sealing member apart.

[0119] The bottom sealing member can be made of any suitable material, such as cardboard, plastic, metal and the laminate of such materials, wherein the bottom sealing member based on cardboard is usually preferred. The bottom sealing member based on cardboard can be made of laminated material, and the laminated material includes a cardboard layer and a thermoplastic polymer layer, and the thermoplastic polymer layer is arranged on the inner surface of the cardboard layer facing the inner part of the container body. Another thermoplastic polymer layer can be arranged at the outer surface of the cardboard layer. In some embodiments, the bottom sealing member based on cardboard can be free of plastic material. The bottom sealing member can be attached to the inner surface of the tubular body by welding, such as by high-frequency induction welding. Before or during the bottom sealing member is inserted into the bottom opening, the peripheral edge zone is bent to the outside of the plane of the bottom sealing member to form a flange and the bottom sealing member is shaped, and the flange is aligned with the inner surface of the tubular body and can be welded to the inner surface of the tubular body. The sensitivity of the welding seal between the bottom sealing member and the container body wall to the contamination caused by the packaged material is much lower than the welding seal between the top sealing member and the inner surface of the tubular body. The cardboard-based bottom seal member is usually thicker and more compressible than the top seal member, and is more likely to form a tight seal between the bottom seal member and the tubular body. When the bottom seal member is inserted into the bottom opening, the amount of packaged material that may escape from the intermediate tank is very small. Since the bottom seal member is only inserted a very small distance into the tubular body, the insertion step only generates minimal turbulence at the surface of the packaged material. Therefore, the amount of material lost in the closing step is minimal. Any material that eventually falls outside the bottom seal member after the intermediate tank has been closed and sealed can be easily removed and will not make the fully assembled composite tank look dirty.

[0120] Alternatively, the bottom end of the composite tank may be closed by any suitable method known in the art, such as by folding and sealing an end section of the container wall.

[0121] After sealing the bottom, optionally after attaching a bottom plate to the bottom end of the composite can, the composite can can be transported in a conventional manner to equipment such as a code marking unit, weighing unit, leaflet inserter, scoop inserter, etc.

[0122] The cover applying step of the method as disclosed herein may further comprise applying a frame structure by mechanically attaching the frame structure to the top edge. The mechanical connection between the top edge and the frame structure may be achieved by providing matching profiles on the top edge and the frame structure. Such matching profiles preferably comprise snap-fit ​​features, such as mutually engaging ridges and tracks or protrusions and holes / cavities, etc.

[0123] The frame structure may be configured to cooperate with a plug-in lid or a hinged lid to hold the lid in a closed position with an interior surface of the lid in direct contact with an upper surface of the top rim. The frame structure may be applied together with the lid.

[0124] The attachment between the frame structure and the top rim may be achieved by forming a snap connection between the frame structure and the top rim.

[0125] The mechanical connection between the top edge and the frame structure is preferably irreversible, meaning that once the connection is established, it can only be disconnected by breaking or damaging the connected parts.

[0126] The frame structure can form a part of a cover component, and the cover component further includes a cover portion connected to the frame structure by a hinge. The cover portion can be a complete cover or can be only a part of a cover, and the part is assembled together with one or more additional cover portions to form a container cover. For example, the cover portion can be an external cover portion, and the external cover portion defines the shape and size of such a section of the cover: the section is exposed to the outside of the composite can and is combined with an internal cover portion (such as an internal sealing member) in the container cover, and the internal cover portion provides an abutment surface that cooperates with the corresponding abutment surface on the top edge to form a gasket seal between the cover and the top edge. The internal sealing member can take the form of a plane disk, and can be made of cardboard, plastic or any suitable laminate, and can include elastically compressible materials, such as natural or synthetic foam materials or other elastically compressible polymer materials, which can contribute to the tight seal between the cover and the top edge. The internal sealing member can be attached to the external cover portion by adhesive or welding. However, it may be preferred that the inner sealing member is mechanically attached to the outer cover part, such as by snapping into a groove extending along an edge of the outer cover part on an inner surface of the outer cover part.

[0127] Attaching the inner sealing member to the outer cover portion under tension may be advantageous as it has been found that a tensioned inner cover portion has enhanced sealing capabilities.

[0128] When the cover part forms a complete cover, the inner surface of the cover forms a seal against the adjacent surface of the top edge. The inner surface of the cover may be covered with a resiliently compressible material at least in the area corresponding to the adjacent surface of the top edge, or may include a layer of resilient material on the inner surface of the cover.

[0129] By lid, framework or cover part being arranged to the part separated from described top edge, these parts can be attached to described top edge after described intermediate tank has been filled and bottom end has been closed.Lid, framework or cover part can have three-dimensional profile shape, and it has stacking feature, decorative relief element, locking element and other abnormality and irregularity.In addition, lid or cover part can have non-planar surface, such as circular surface or irregular surface.All such three-dimensional features make it difficult to handle intermediate composite tank in bottom filling process, because intermediate tank may not be safely placed on the non-planar upper surface formed by described lid or cover part.Parts with complicated three-dimensional shape are expensive to manufacture, and when transferring intermediate tank, gripping and repositioning tank, attaching tank part, filling and closing tank between different processing stations, may be easily damaged in process.By applying framework or cover part after filling and closing tank, the quantity of tank that is damaged in process and has to be discarded can be reduced. The upper closure including the lid and two-piece rim / frame construction as disclosed herein can be used to retain waste at a lower level than conventional one-piece rim constructions. The top rim as disclosed herein has a simple shape that does not have protruding features that may be damaged during the production process and can serve as a support and reinforcement element for the tubular body during the manufacturing and filling processes as described herein. In the assembled composite can, the top rim helps stabilize and shape the cardboard-based body during transportation and storage.

[0130] The reclosable lid may be applied to the upper end of the intermediate tank after the inner packaging compartment in the tubular body has been filled with the packaged product and the bottom end of the tubular body has been closed.

[0131] The reclosable lid can be a separate part of the composite can that can be completely removed when the can is opened. Alternatively, as described herein, the lid can be attached to the frame structure by a hinge. The hinge can be a movable hinge, i.e. a bendable connector between the lid and the frame structure. The movable hinge can be integrally formed with the lid and / or the frame structure, or can be a separately formed element attached to the lid and the frame structure. Alternatively, the hinge can be a two-piece hinge, wherein a first hinge portion is arranged on the lid and a second hinge portion is arranged on the frame structure. Alternatively, a two-piece hinge construction can be used to attach the lid directly to the top edge.

[0132] If the reclosable lid comprises an outer part and an inner sealing disc, the inner sealing disc is preferably attached to the outer part of the reclosable lid before the reclosable lid or lid component is attached to the intermediate tank. Alternatively, although less preferred, the inner sealing disc may be attached to the outer part of the reclosable lid after the reclosable lid or lid component is attached to the intermediate tank.

[0133] In a composite can produced according to the method disclosed herein, the inner contour of the top edge defines the shape and size of the access opening, whereby the access opening is smaller than the top opening of the tubular body. The opening area of ​​the access opening is preferably 85% to 99% of the area of ​​the top opening of the tubular body, such as 90% to 98% of the area of ​​the top opening of the tubular body or 94% to 97% of the area of ​​the top opening of the tubular body. The top edge is preferably embedded in the can opening as little as possible so that the size of the access opening is maximized. The elongated top edge and the larger access opening make it easy to access the contents in the can and facilitate shoveling or pouring the contents from the can. The elongated inner top edge minimizes the risk of particulate material being captured on the surface of the edge during shoveling or pouring the contents from the can or when the closed can is moved or shifted between distribution occasions. A user who opens the can and finds that the top edge is soiled will consider the can to be dirty and less hygienic than desired. It is often desirable to keep the packaged product away from the access opening where it is more likely to be contaminated because it may more easily come into contact with the hands of a person opening the can and removing the contents through the access opening. Contaminated contents in the can that are caught on the top rim may fall back into the can and, in turn, may contaminate the remaining contents in the can.

[0134] If the packaging can is provided with a frame structure mechanically connected to the top edge, it may be preferred that no part of the frame structure extends into the access opening and does not affect the area of ​​the access opening. The frame structure can then be used to provide features such as lid hinges, means for holding the lid in a closed position above the access opening, locking elements, stacking elements, etc.

[0135] The top rim or frame structure may further be configured with means for retaining the lid in a closed position, wherein the interior surface of the lid is in direct contact with the upper edge of the top rim. Such means may consist of snap-fit ​​locking elements as known in the art, comprising cooperating ridges and grooves, female / male locking elements, etc. on the rim or frame structure and the lid. In addition, the closure arrangement on the composite can may preferably include a locking arrangement.

[0136] The locking arrangement may include a first locking element and a second locking element, the first locking element being arranged on the frame structure (if present), the tubular body or composite tank, or the top rim, and the second locking element being arranged on the tank lid. The first and second locking elements may be mating locking elements, such as male / female locking elements, comprising hooks and other protrusions arranged to interengage with ridges, hooks, tracks, holes, cavities, loops, etc.

[0137] The locking arrangement may include at least one locking tab, the locking tab being permanently attached to the top edge or frame structure, such as at the front edge section and / or side edge section of the tank near the opening. The locking tab has a free end section extending toward the reclosable lid in the height direction of the composite tank. The free end section of the locking tab includes a first locking element, which is arranged to cooperate with a second locking element on the outer surface of the reclosable lid. Preferably, the locking tab has an extension in the height direction of the composite tank, the extension allowing the free end section to reach a certain distance above the top section of the outer cover surface, so that the first and second locking elements can be arranged to cooperate on the top section of the outer cover surface at the edge of the reclosable lid. When the locking tab is in a closed position so that the first and second locking elements engage with each other, the lid and the top edge or frame structure are firmly clamped together and maintained under tension. The locking tab is preferably hingedly connected to the top rim or frame structure, preferably by means of a living hinge integrally formed with the top rim or frame structure and the locking tab.

[0138] An embedded gripping area may be arranged in the outer cover surface of the top section of the cover part. The embedded gripping area is arranged at the free end section of the locking tab and serves to provide access to the free end section of the locking tab in a direction perpendicular to the height direction of the cover part. Thus, the locking tab can be easily manipulated even if no part of the locking tab in the closed position extends beyond the outer cover surface of the top section of the cover part in the height direction of the cover part.

[0139] Alternatively, although generally less preferred, the locking arrangement may be provided by a locking tab or buckle closure extending from an edge on the lid, such as from a front edge on the lid, and comprising at least one locking element which may be secured into or onto a corresponding locking element on the top edge or frame structure.

[0140] The locking element is preferably designed to allow repeated opening and closing of the locking arrangement. Gripping means such as finger grippers, friction enhancing elements, pull tabs, etc. may facilitate manipulation of the locking arrangement.

[0141] One or more stacking members at the can opening can be arranged circumferentially on the cover and / or frame structure, and the frame structure is connected to the top edge of the near opening surrounding the packaging can. The cover can be provided with matching stacking members arranged on the upper outer surface and the inner lower surface of each cover, so that the cover can be stacked separately before being applied to the intermediate tank in a process for producing a packaging can as disclosed herein. In a similar manner, the cover parts including the cover parts hingedly connected to the frame structure can be provided with matching stacking members, so that the cover parts can be stacked separately.

[0142] The stacking member at the can opening may take the form of a peripheral boss on the outer cover surface or on the top edge or on a frame structure connected to the top edge. When one can is stacked on top of another can, the bottom edge or bottom plate of the first can is supported on the peripheral boss.

[0143] The cover component for the composite tank as disclosed herein has a lateral direction and a height direction perpendicular to the lateral direction, and includes a cover part and a frame structure, the cover part including a top section and a sidewall section. The top section has an outer cover surface and an inner cover surface opposite to the outer cover surface and a peripheral edge surrounding the outer cover surface. The frame structure includes an upper section and a lower section in the height direction, and has a lower edge surface. A stacking member can be arranged on the outer cover surface, and the stacking member on the outer cover surface includes a cover component stacking step and a tank stacking step. The tank stacking step includes a first support surface, the first support surface is arranged at a first level below the highest level of the outer cover surface in the height direction of the cover component, and the cover component stacking step includes a first support surface, the first support surface is arranged at a second level below the highest level of the outer cover surface and below the first level in the height direction of the cover component. The cover component stacking step is arranged at the peripheral edge of the outer cover surface outside the tank stacking step in the lateral direction of the cover component, and the frame structure is suitable for being assembled on the cover component stacking step and supported by the cover component stacking step. The can stacking step is adapted to receive and support a bottom edge of a composite can.

[0144] The cover part and the frame structure of the cover part as disclosed herein may be a completely separable part, a partially separable part or a completely inseparable part. In a cover part with a completely separable part, the parts are detachably and reclosably connected to each other in the closed configuration of the cover part. In a cover part with a partially separable part, the parts are connected to each other by a hinge and can be moved between the closed configuration of the cover part and the open configuration of the cover part by pivoting around the hinge. A cover part with an inseparable part is a cover part in which the frame structure forms an integral continuation of the side wall section of the cover part.

[0145] As explained herein, the bottom plate may be attached to the tubular body of the composite can at the bottom end of the tubular body. In a composite can in which a stacking step is provided on the reclosable lid or on a lid part comprising the reclosable lid, the bottom plate is adapted to cooperate in stacking with a can stacking step on a top section of the lid or lid part.

[0146] In the composite tank as disclosed herein, the lower end surface of the bottom plate may be adapted to cooperate in stacking with the first support surface of the tank stacking step, and the inner wall of the bottom plate may be adapted to cooperate in stacking with the second support surface of the tank stacking step. When a second tank as disclosed herein is stacked on a first tank as disclosed herein, the lower end surface of the bottom plate of the second tank rests on the first support surface of the tank stacking step of the first tank, and the second support surface of the tank stacking step restricts lateral movement of the second tank relative to the first tank.

[0147] As described herein, the stacking member is arranged on the outer cover surface of the cover part and includes a cover part stacking step and a container stacking step, wherein the cover part stacking step is arranged laterally outward and below the can stacking step. By arranging the stacking member at the very edge of the cover part, the stacking member minimally intrudes on the top surface of the cover, and the large central area of ​​the cover can be used for display purposes, such as for conveying information, logos, and / or for design purposes. Since the stacking steps are arranged at a level below the central area of ​​the top surface of the cover part, they are not conspicuous, and their technical features as stacking member functions may not be obvious to the end user of the composite can. The composite can can be considered to have a more attractive and "well-designed" appearance and fewer technical features, which may be beneficial when the can is placed where it may be seen (such as on a countertop in a user's home or on a shelf in a store).

[0148] When stacked together, the cover parts provided with stacking steps as disclosed herein are nested in each other so that they can be stacked in a space-saving but efficient and stable manner, wherein each cover part adds less height to the stack than the height of the cover parts. Thus, the combined height of the stacked cover parts is less than the sum of the individual heights of the cover parts. The space-saving stacking configuration is advantageous for transport and storage purposes and in the production process of composite cans. The space-saving stacking allows for a more efficient supply of cover parts in the production process, since the storage box for the cover parts can accommodate a greater number of cover parts and does not need to be frequently refilled.

[0149] Thus, the double-stepped configuration of the peripheral zone of the cover portion of the cover component allows stable and efficient stacking of individual cover components and composite cans including the cover component. Providing separate stacking steps for the cover component and the composite can on the outer surface of the cover portion of the cover component allows the size and configuration of each stacking step to be set to best suit a specific stacking purpose.

[0150] The cover part of the cover component is provided with two distinct and distinct stacking members at the peripheral edge of the outer cover surface, and the stacking members are arranged into two generally L-shaped stacking steps. When viewed in the lateral direction of the cover component, the cover component stacking steps are located outside the tank stacking steps, and when viewed in the height direction, the cover component stacking steps are located below the tank stacking steps. When a second cover component is stacked on a first cover component, the cover component stacking steps of the first cover component receive the lower section of the frame structure of the second cover component in a mating manner, so that the lower section of the frame structure is assembled on the cover component stacking steps in a nested manner.

[0151] The cover member stacking step and the can stacking step may each include a second support surface.

[0152] The second support surface of the cover part stacking step may be arranged to support the inner wall of the lower section of the frame structure, i.e. to support the second cover part in the lateral direction of the cover part. Thus, when the cover parts are stacked on top of each other on a horizontal surface, the first and second support surfaces may be arranged to bear forces in two substantially perpendicular directions corresponding to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

[0153] The cover stacking step and / or the tank stacking step may include one or more interruptions, such as two interruptions, three interruptions or four interruptions. The interruptions may be arranged as pairs of interruptions at relative positions along the peripheral edge of the outer cover surface, such as pairs of interruptions at opposite side zones of the peripheral edge of the outer cover surface. The interruptions may be arranged only in the top zone of the cover part, or may also be arranged in the frame structure of the cover part.

[0154] The interruption in one or two stacking steps can be used as a separation device, which is used to facilitate the gripping and separation of a single cover component from the stack of cover components when the cover component is applied to the intermediate tank in the production process of the composite tank disclosed herein. The setting of the separation device is particularly useful when stacking cover components that are tightly assembled on each other (wherein there is a very thin dividing line between the stacked cover components). Although such tightly assembled cover components form a compact stack with a smooth and regular shape, which is conducive to storing and transporting the stacked cover components and handling the stack of cover components in a packaging machine, it has been found that the cover components tend to stick together tightly and are difficult to separate at the high speed required in the production process. In addition to helping to separate the tightly stacked cover components by inserting a gripping member into the interruption, the interruption also resists the formation of sub-atmospheric pressure in the space between the stacked cover components because the interruption acts as an air channel between the inside of the stack and the outside of the stack. The lower air pressure in the internal space between the stacked cover components produces a suction force, which tends to keep the cover components firmly together. Conversely, if the pressure inside the stack is higher than the pressure outside the stack, it may tend to force the cover components apart, thereby reducing the stability of the stack.

[0155] The stacking step can extend over a locking tab arranged at the edge of the cover, whereby the locking tab in the closed position forms a continuation of the side wall section of the cover part. At the same time, the portion of the stacking step arranged on the locking tab can contribute to improving the grip of the locking tab and facilitate maneuvering the locking tab between the open position and the closed position.

[0156] An embedded gripping area may be arranged in the outer cover surface of the top section of the cover part. The embedded gripping area is arranged at the free end section of the locking tab and serves to protect the free end section of the locking tab from accidental opening while providing access to the free end section of the locking tab. Thus, the locking tab can be easily manipulated even if no part of the locking tab in the closed position extends beyond the outer cover surface of the top section of the cover part in the height direction of the cover part.

[0157] As an alternative to a continuous or discontinuous boss or stacking step arranged at the periphery of the outer cover surface, the stacking member at the can opening may be provided as two or more support surfaces cooperating with corresponding stacking members at the bottom of the can. The stacking member at the bottom of the can may be in the form of a bottom edge extending downwardly as set out above, or may be in the form of a spherical protrusion or other protrusion that provides the required spacing between the can bottom sealing member and the peripheral boss or other support surface on which one or more stacking members at the bottom of the can rest when one can is stacked on top of another.

[0158] The tubular body of the composite can as disclosed herein can have four main body wall sections; a front wall section arranged opposite to the rear wall section and two opposite side wall sections extending between the front wall section and the rear wall section. The body wall sections are connected by curved corner sections, which provide a smooth, slightly rounded appearance for the packaging can. In addition, the shape of the body wall sections can deviate from the planar shape, wherein one or more body wall sections have an outward or inward curvature. When the tubular body has one or more outwardly curved body wall sections, the curvature of any such body wall section is always less than the curvature of any curved corner section, that is, the radius of curvature of the corner section in the tubular body of the composite can as disclosed herein is always less than any radius of curvature of the body wall section. The transition between the corner section and the body wall section can be regarded as a significant change in curvature, or can be regarded as a continuous change in curvature.

[0159] Alternatively, the tubular body may be manufactured without a distinct body wall section, and may have any suitable footprint shape, such as circular, oval or elliptical.

[0160] In composite cans, there is a conflict between minimizing the amount of cardboard material used in the can and making the can rigid enough to avoid the can being damaged or collapsing, for example during production or when being stacked for transport and storage. It has been found that the shape stability and rigidity of the composite can can be significantly improved compared to conventional packaging cans with planar walls by making all the can walls only slightly curved outwards. Therefore, the radii of curvature of the top and bottom end edges of the tubular body that control the curvature of the can wall section are preferably selected so that the can wall section has an approximately planar shape, which means that the can wall section is perceived by the naked eye as being planar.

[0161] Composite cans based on cardboard as disclosed herein are used as protective transport and storage cans at the retail end and as storage and distribution cans at the consumer end. In addition to an openable and closable lid, the composite can is manufactured to have a top sealing member, which is attached to the tubular body inside the can at a distance from the top end edge of the tubular body. The top sealing member keeps the contents fresh and prevents the contents from being contaminated until the filled and sealed can is delivered to the consumer. Once the top sealing member is destroyed or removed to approach the contents in the can, the ability of the can to protect the contents from the adverse effects of the environment depends largely on the ability of the reclosable lid to form a tight closure at the near opening of the can. The composite cans used for products such as infant formula, coffee, tea, cereals, etc. usually contain more packaged products than the products used at each distribution. Therefore, it is desirable that the product left in the can retain characteristics such as taste, smell, scoopability, vitamin content, color, etc. at least for a period of time, corresponding to the expected time when the consumer runs out of all the contents in the packaging can.

[0162] As described herein, by joining the top edge to the inner surface of the tubular body by means of welding (such as high frequency induction welding), an attachment with better sealing ability can be obtained than the sealing ability that can be obtained by conventional adhesive attachment. The welded top edge is preferably a molded fiber edge, and connects the inner surface of the tubular body with the inner surface of the cover, and helps to form a continuous barrier between the tubular body and the cover. The welded seal forms a first seal between the top edge and the inner surface of the tubular body, and the contact surface of the top edge and the contact surface of the cover form a second seal between the top edge and the cover. The first seal is a permanent seal that always exists, while the second seal is an openable seal that is only effective when the cover is closed on the tank access opening and the inner surface of the cover is pressed against the top edge.

[0163] The lid or lid part can be applied using a lid attachment unit, which is a device for automatically applying the lid to the intermediate tank. The lid attachment unit may include a rotatable unit with a lid holding member, a lid feeding unit and a lid applying unit. The device may further include an item applying unit, which is configured to apply a single additional item to the intermediate tank, to a retainer arranged on the top edge or on the inner side of the lid. The additional item can be a spoon or other tool, a toy, a brochure, etc. Alternatively, an item applicator can be provided as a device separate from the lid attachment unit.

[0164] After the cover has been applied (eg in the form of a cover component), the assembled composite can can be conveyed in a conventional manner to other equipment in the packaging line, such as a case packer, a code labeler, a weighing unit and a palletizer. The packaging line usually ends with a palletizer.

[0165] definition

[0166] The sheet material based on cardboard for forming the tubular body and the bottom sealing member is mainly made of cellulose fiber or paper fiber, and the cellulose fiber or paper fiber forms a cardboard layer in the paperboard material. The cardboard layer can be a single layer or multilayer material. The sheet material is a laminate, and in addition to the cardboard layer, the laminate can also include at least one thermoplastic polymer layer in the form of a film or a coating. The polymer layer can also be arranged on the surface of the sheet material that will form the external surface of the composite container. In certain embodiments, the sheet material based on cardboard can be free of plastic material. The sheet material can be covered, printed, embossed, etc., and can include fillers, pigments, bonding agents and other additives as known in the technical field.

[0167] The term "tubular body" should be understood to mean any hollow tubular shape that the body blank presents during the manufacturing and filling process of the composite tank as disclosed herein, as well as the shape that the body has in the final assembled and filled composite tank. Therefore, as used herein, the tubular shape can be a cylindrical shape, or a shape with any other useful cross-section, such as a square, rectangular or other polygonal cross-section or a modified polygonal cross-section shape with rounded corners. The tubular shape also includes any instantaneous shape that the tubular body may present during the manufacturing process. For example, the cross-section of the tubular body may initially present a teardrop-shaped appearance, with a distinct peak at the end-to-end junction between the edges of the body blank and a curved region opposite to the peak.

[0168] As used herein, the term "tank component" refers to the tubular body of the composite tank and any component intended to be attached to the tubular body to form an integral part of the composite tank as disclosed herein. Examples of tank components that may be part of the composite tank as disclosed herein are: tubular body, body sealing strip, top sealing member, bottom sealing member, top rim, reclosable lid and frame structure, lid component, bottom plate, scoop holder and scoop. Only the tubular body, body sealing strip, top sealing member, bottom sealing member, top rim and reclosable lid are mandatory components of the composite tank as disclosed herein.

[0169] The top and bottom sealing members are sheet-like components, which are applied to the tubular body interior of the composite can so that they cover the cross-sectional area of ​​the tubular body. The bottom sealing member forms the bottom end closure of the composite can, and the top sealing member forms the internal shipping seal of the composite can. The top sealing member is usually attached to the near opening of the composite can at a distance from the edge of the opening, and the distance is at least enough to allow the top edge to be attached to the top sealing member and can also allow a spoon or other additional items to be accommodated in the space between the top sealing member and the inner surface of the reclosable lid. The shipping closure that can be completely or partially removed can be airtight or breathable. The airtight closure can be made of any material or material combination suitable for providing an airtight seal for the compartment defined by the shipping closure, such as aluminum foil, paper covered with silicon, plastic film or its laminate. When the bulk solids stored in the packaging container are sensitive to air and / or moisture and it is desired to avoid the packaged bulk solids from contacting with ambient air, an airtight shipping closure is advantageous. Since the shipping closure is a removable closure, it has no impact on the recyclability of the composite paperboard container.

[0170] The composite paperboard container may contain no plastic parts, such as a plastic rim part, a plastic cover part or a plastic bottom part. Therefore, such a composite paperboard container allows a user to recycle the container without first separating the plastic parts from the tubular body.

[0171] The density of the cover 221, cover member 231, top edge 223 and bottom plate 217 may be between 0.2 and 1.5 kg / dm 3 in the range of 0.2 to 1 kg / dm 3 in the range of 0.4 to 0.8 kg / dm 3 within the range.

[0172] The cover 221, cover member 231, top rim 223 and bottom plate 217 according to the present disclosure may be molded and therefore may need to have structural durability, preferably similar to that of a plastic rim. For rim members to be connected to additional rim portions, such as inner rim members and outer rim members, the rim members need to have a certain flexibility and need to be structurally stable and capable of being structurally stable.

[0173] The edge may include a U-shaped or square edge U-shaped track section, as seen in the cross-sectional view, the track section includes the first and second side wall sections as opposite wall sections, and a bottom section facing the end edge of the tubular body. The draft angle between the bottom section and the first side wall section may be in the range of 0 to 10 degrees, optionally in the range of 0 to 5 degrees. Since the tubular body wall is formed by a paperboard blank and therefore has a thin rectangular cross section, a draft angle in the range of zero to ten degrees or in the range of zero to five degrees will enable a tight fit to be achieved between the tubular body, the bottom section and the first side wall section. This improves the durability and packaging safety of the packaged goods.

[0174] The top and bottom sealing members can be made of paper, cardboard, plastic film, and laminates of such materials. Typically, the bottom sealing member is made of a laminate comprising a cardboard base. The bottom sealing member is typically covered with an outer layer of a thermoplastic polymer material. The top sealing member is typically a flexible component made of a laminate of a thermoplastic polymer material layer. However, cardboard-based top sealing members that do not contain plastic materials can also be used in the embodiments described herein. The top sealing member is typically arranged to be partially or completely removed when the composite can is first opened, and may be provided with opening devices such as tear strips, gripping tabs, etc. as known in the art.

[0175] The top edge and bottom plate may be made of a molded pulp fiber material, such as a softwood pulp fiber material, which is applied to the interior surface of the tubular body of the composite tank, wherein at least one section of the edge or plate is welded to the interior surface of the tubular body. The top edge and bottom plate provide enhanced rigidity to the tubular body at the end edges of the tubular body. Preferably, the molded edge and plate are sufficiently elastically deformable so that they can withstand lateral deformation without breaking or permanent deformation, for example when inserted into the tubular body or when subjected to accidental impact during use. The edge or plate may also cover the end edges of the tubular body and may optionally extend onto the outer surface of the tubular body.

[0176] As referred to herein, an "intermediate tank" is a tank formed after bending a paperboard blank into a tubular shape and sealing the joined edges of the bent paperboard blank to form a tubular body. The processed tank remains an "intermediate tank" until the last component is applied to complete the composite tank. Generally speaking, the composite tank is fully assembled when the reclosable lid is applied as the final component.

[0177] Composite cans as disclosed herein are cans for dry or moist commodities, which are often referred to as "bulk solids". Such products are non-liquid, usually granular materials that can be poured, scooped or removed from the can by hand. The cans are usually disposable cans that are discarded when their contents are emptied.

[0178] "Granular material" or "granular commodity" should be broadly understood to include any material in the form of granules, granules, grounds, plant fragments, short fibers, flakes, seeds, chips, etc. Granular commodities suitable for packaging in a composite can as disclosed herein are generally flowable, non-liquid commodities, allowing the desired amount of the commodity to be poured, scooped or removed by hand from the composite can.

[0179] The composite can as disclosed herein may be a can for food products or consumer products such as baby formula, coffee, tea, rice, flour, sugar, rice, peas, beans, lentils, cereals, soup powder, egg milk powder, pasta, snacks, etc. Alternatively, the packaged goods may be non-food such as tobacco, detergent, dishwashing powder, fertilizer, chemicals, etc.

[0180] An openable or peelable top seal member refers to a seal member that can be completely or partially removed by a user to gain initial access to the interior compartment of the composite can by breaking the seal between the seal member and the interior surface of the tubular body of the can, or by tearing or otherwise destroying the seal member itself. A tearable seal member may be provided with one or more predetermined weaknesses, such as perforations or cuts partially through the diaphragm, and may have a tear strip disposed therein to facilitate removal of the seal member. A peelable top seal member is typically provided with a gripping tab to facilitate initial separation from the interior surface of the tubular body and subsequent removal of the seal member.

[0181] The top sealing member is preferably placed at a distance from the upper end edge of the tubular body of the composite can, which allows the top edge to be attached to the inner surface of the tubular body between the top end edge of the top sealing member and the tubular body. Alternatively, the upwardly pointing edge portion of the destructible sealing diaphragm can extend into the welded joint between the top edge and the inner surface of the tubular body. The distance between the top end edge of the top sealing member and the tubular body can be about 10 to 60 millimeters. If the top sealing member is placed at a distance of 30 to 60 millimeters from the top end edge of the tubular body, the space above the top sealing member can be used to accommodate a spoon or other articles provided with the packaged product. The example of other articles that can be provided is a leaflet, a coupon and / or a clamp, a fork or other tools.

[0182] The weld seal between the top rim and the interior surface of the tubular body is preferably a leak-proof seal, more preferably a moisture-proof seal, and most preferably an airtight seal. A can can be considered airtight if a can with a volume of about 1 L provides an oxygen barrier of about 0.006 cc oxygen / 24 hours or less at 23°C and 50% relative humidity.

[0183] When the packaged product is sensitive to moisture and / or susceptible to degradation when exposed to ambient air, it may be desirable for the composite can and any seals between the elements of the can to have a higher level of tightness. It may also be desirable for the composite can to be aroma proof so as to preserve the flavor and aroma in the packaged goods and prevent the packaged product from absorbing flavor and aroma from outside the composite can. Thus, the composite can can act as a barrier in both the inward and outward directions.

[0184] By placing the filled commodity in the open intermediate tank in a protective gas atmosphere combined with the filling step, the amount of air trapped inside the tank when the bottom closure is applied can be minimized. In addition, since the protective gas atmosphere is formed before the filled intermediate tank reaches the sealing station, the atmosphere in the sealing station and the sealing step can be very well controlled because it is not necessary to remove the air from the filled open container before sealing the container. It has been found that this is a considerable advantage because the pressure difference in the sealing step may have a negative impact on the sealing process by causing turbulence in the packaged material. Such turbulence may cause powdery material to be captured in the seal and potentially damage the tightness of the seal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0185] The present invention will be further explained below by way of non-limiting examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0186] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing an assembly line for producing and filling composite cans;

[0187] Figure 2a shows an exploded view of a composite tank as disclosed herein;

[0188] Figure 2b A spoon and a stack of spoons are shown;

[0189] Figure 3 Show Figure 2a A composite tank in which all parts are assembled;

[0190] Figure 4 A tank component applicator is shown;

[0191] Figure 5 The attachment unit is shown in a first production stage, which may be as follows Figure 4 A portion of a tank component applicator as shown in ;

[0192] Figure 6 Show Figure 5 an attachment unit in a second production stage;

[0193] Figure 7 A transfer plate with a transfer cavity is shown; and

[0194] Figure 8 A positioning device is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0195] The present invention will be illustrated below by examples. These examples are included to explain the principles of the present invention, but not to limit the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Details from two or more examples may be combined with each other.

[0196] Figure 1 An assembly line 1 is illustrated which can be used to produce composite tanks (broadly referred to as "vessels") and fill the composite tanks with bulk solids according to the method as disclosed herein. The assembly line 1 is configured for assembling composite tanks by forming a tubular body and attaching tank components to the tubular body in an intermediate tank stream. Figure 2a and Figure 3 An exemplary tank 101 is shown, which may be Figure 1 It should be understood that Figure 3 The particular shape of the tank 101 shown in should not be considered a limitation of the invention, as the assembly line 1 is suitable for the production and filling of tanks of any useful shape or size, and is suitable for the production of composite tanks without the optional components disclosed herein.

[0197] The illustrated assembly line 1 comprises a plurality of machine stations or units 3-10 connected by conveyors 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d. Starting from the start of the assembly line 1, the machine units are: body forming station or body forming station unit 3, filling station or filling unit 4, gas box 5, sealing station or sealing unit 6, cleaning station or cleaning unit 8, can turning station or can turning unit 9, spoon insertion station or spoon insertion unit 10, and lid attachment station or lid attachment unit 7. Another conveyor 2e is arranged at the end of the assembly line 1 and is arranged to convey the produced composite can from the lid attachment unit 7, for example, further to a packaging device (not shown).

[0198] The production of composite tanks on the assembly line 1 is described below with reference to a single composite tank. It should be understood that when the assembly line 1 is in operation, a plurality of composite tanks are produced continuously and leave the cap attachment unit 7 at the end of the assembly line 1. As explained herein, the machine units of the assembly line 1 (such as any tank component attachment unit) can be configured to process a plurality of intermediate tanks, such as 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 intermediate tanks, simultaneously. Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 Exemplary tank component attachment stations or units 405, 406 are shown in FIG.

[0199] Thus, the assembly line 1 may include or be provided with a supply of body blanks, sealing members, reclosable lids, rims, and bottom panels, each as further described herein.

[0200] The body forming unit 3 comprises: a body blank picking station 11 , a body forming station 12 , a top sealing station 13 and a top edge applying station 14 .

[0201] In the body blank picking station 11, a body blank 16 is picked up from a pile of body blanks 16 and transferred to the body forming station 12. In the body forming station 12, a tubular body is formed by bending the body blank 16 and joining two opposite edges of the body blank together in an end-to-end joint (also called "butt-join"). Figure 2a As shown in , the joint extends in the height direction H of the tubular body between the top end and the bottom end of the tubular body. The joint is then sealed by a sealing strip welded to the inner surface of the tubular body, thereby forming an intermediate tank. The sealing strip and the inner surface of the tubular body include a weldable polymer layer on the abutting surface. As disclosed herein, the sealing strip is preferably welded to the inner surface of the tubular body by high frequency induction welding.

[0202] After the tubular body is formed and the sealing strip is applied, the intermediate tank is transferred to the top sealing station 13, and the top opening at the top end of the tubular body is sealed by attaching a top sealing member on the top opening. The top sealing member is attached by welding the peripheral flange of the top sealing member to the inner surface of the tubular body. As disclosed herein, the top sealing member can be a flexible component made of a laminate of one or more layers of thermoplastic polymer material, and the peripheral flange is formed by folding the edge section of the top sealing member out of the plane of the top sealing member and aligning it with the inner surface of the tubular body, however, without departing from the present disclosure, the top sealing member may not contain plastic material. The top sealing member is welded from Figure 1The top sealing member can be removed from the storage box that is not visible in the can and applied at a distance from the edge of the top opening to allow the top rim to be attached above the top sealing member. If the composite can includes a scoop, leaflet or other supplementary items, the top sealing member can be applied at a sufficient distance from the edge of the top opening to allow the items to be received in the space formed between the top sealing member and the interior surface of the reclosable lid.

[0203] After sealing the top opening, the top rim can be applied. Thus, the intermediate tank with the top sealing member applied can be transferred to a top rim application station 14 where the top rim is applied to the intermediate tank by inserting at least the lower portion of the top rim into the top opening over the top sealing member. Preferably, the top rim is inserted into the tubular body so that the upper end edge of the top rim remains outside the tubular body or flush with the top end edge of the tubular body, whereby the top rim protects the fragile cardboard edge of the tubular body and forms a rigid resting surface for the intermediate tank in subsequent processing steps.

[0204] like Figure 1 As illustrated in the figure, the body forming unit 3 is enclosed in an outer housing 20. A tank turning arrangement may further be provided within the outer housing 20 so that the intermediate tank with the top rim attached can be turned upside down directly after the rim is applied. Alternatively, the intermediate tank is turned over in a conventional turning device placed downstream of the top rim application station 14. An example of a conventional turning device is illustrated by a tank turning unit 9, which is located downstream of the body forming unit 2. The tank turning station or unit 9 operates by turning the intermediate tank over on an inclined conveyor.

[0205] After applying the top edge and turning the tundish upside down, the tundish is transferred to the first conveyor 2a and placed so that the top edge rests on the conveyor 2a and the bottom opening at the bottom end of the tubular body faces upward in the vertical direction. The tundish moves by the conveyor 2a to the filling unit 4 where it is filled with dry or moist commodity through the bottom opening of the tubular body.

[0206] Subsequently, while still resting on the top edge, the filled intermediate tank is moved by the second conveyor 2b to the gas box 5, where the filled intermediate tank is treated with a protective gas while the intermediate tank moves through the gas box 5. The gas box 5 is an optional part of the process equipment for performing the method as disclosed herein, which can be used, for example, when the packaged goods are sensitive to oxygen and / or moisture. In addition, as explained herein, a protective gas atmosphere can be generated for the filled intermediate tank by other means. After leaving the gas box 5, the filled intermediate tank is transferred to the sealing unit 6 on the third conveyor 2c. The third conveyor 2c moves through a gas tunnel, which is tightly fitted to the wall of the sealing unit 6 at the entrance of the sealing unit 6 so as to maintain the protective atmosphere generated in the gas box 5.

[0207] In the sealing unit 6, the bottom opening of the tubular body is sealed by attaching a bottom sealing member to the bottom opening in a tank sealing station 21, the attachment being performed by welding the peripheral flange of the bottom sealing member to the inner surface of the tubular body at a distance from the bottom end edge of the tubular body. Thus, before the bottom sealing member and the opposing surfaces of the tubular body are welded to each other, the bottom sealing member is applied in a manner corresponding to the top sealing member by folding the peripheral edge section of the bottom sealing member into alignment with the inner wall of the tubular body. The sealing unit 6 preferably comprises a bottom plate application station 22 for applying the bottom plate after the bottom sealing member has been inserted into the tubular body and welded in place.

[0208] like Figure 1 As seen in FIG. 1 , the sealing unit 6 is enclosed in an outer housing 23, which is similar to the outer housing 20 enclosing the body forming unit 3. By adapting the size and shape of the inlet and outlet ports 24, 25 of the outer housing 23 to the size and shape of the intermediate tank produced on the assembly line 1, during the production process, the inlet and outlet ports 24, 25 can be kept substantially sealed by the intermediate tank continuously passing through the inlet and outlet ports 24, 25. Therefore, during the bottom sealing operation, the protective gas atmosphere inside the outer housing 23 can be maintained.

[0209] After filling, bottom sealing, and application of the bottom plate, the intermediate tank is turned over again so that the top rim is in a vertically upward position.

[0210] Similar to the first turning operation performed after the top edge is applied, the can turning arrangement can be part of the sealing unit 6 so that the intermediate can is turned directly after the bottom seal and the bottom plate application. Figure 1 In the assembly line 1 shown in FIG. 2 , the intermediate tank is instead turned over in a conventional turning unit 9 arranged downstream of the sealing unit 6 .

[0211] exist Figure 1 In the example shown in , a cleaning unit 8 is arranged between the sealing unit 6 and the turning unit 9. In the cleaning unit 8, any product residues that may have escaped to the outside of the intermediate tank in the previous process steps are removed by pressurized air. The cleaning unit 8 is optional for the assembly line as disclosed herein and may be particularly useful when the packaged goods are powders or granular materials with small-sized particles or containing fragments that may cause dust.

[0212] As described herein, a spoon or other object may be placed over the top sealing member prior to final closure of the composite can by attaching the lid. Figure 1 As shown in , the spoon insertion unit 10 and / or other object insertion units can be arranged in the processing line downstream of the composite can having been turned over to a position where the top end faces upward. Figure 1 In the assembly line shown in FIG. 1 , the spoon insertion unit 10 is placed after the turning unit 9 .

[0213] The filled and sealed intermediate tank is then transported on the conveyor 2d to the cover attachment unit 7 and the reclosable cover is attached to the top end of the tubular body so that the inner surface of the reclosable cover is in direct contact with the upper surface of the top rim. As explained herein, the reclosable cover can be applied as part of a cover component, which further comprises a frame structure. Preferably, the cover component is mechanically attached to the upper rim by a snap-fit ​​connection.

[0214] The assembly line may further include quality control equipment and equipment for removing defective intermediate composite cans and fully assembled composite cans from the composite can flow. Such quality control equipment may include detection equipment for detecting defects in intermediate cans or machine failures during production, such as visual inspection devices, X-ray machines that may be placed after the cap attachment unit 7, etc. In addition, the quality control equipment may include a can rejection station, which is usually placed after one or more of the body forming unit 3, the filling unit 4, the sealing unit 6, the spoon insertion unit 10, and the cap attachment unit 7 to determine that any defective composite cans are removed from the production line.

[0215] As disclosed herein, a composite tank is filled with a dry or moist commodity in the form of granules or chunks, granules, flakes, particles, etc. The commodity flows into the composite tank under the influence of gravity.

[0216] Figure 2a and Figure 3 The composite tank 201 shown in FIG. Figure 11 and includes a tubular body 203 having a tubular body wall 205. The body wall 205 extends from a bottom end edge 207 at the bottom end of the tubular body 203 to a top end edge 209 at the top end of the tubular body 203 in the height direction H of the tank 201. The tubular body 203 has a top opening 211 at the top end and a bottom opening 213 at the bottom end.

[0217] The bottom sealing member 215 is positioned adjacent to the bottom end of the tubular body 203 and covers the bottom opening 213. In this regard, the bottom sealing member 215 is positioned within the interior of the tubular body 203 and sealably engages the tubular body 203, the bottom end of the tubular body 203, and each of the top end of the tubular body 203, the bottom end of the tubular body 203, and the top sealing member 227 as further described herein. The tubular body 203 has been formed by bringing the side edges of the body blank together in an end-to-end manner and sealing the joint with the sealing strip 214, as described herein.

[0218] The bottom end edge 207 is reinforced by a reinforcing bottom plate 217, which is applied to the inner surface of the body wall 205 and / or the peripheral flange 216 of the bottom sealing member 215 between the bottom sealing member 215 and the bottom end edge 207. The bottom plate 217 is a molded plate comprising pulp fibers (such as softwood pulp fibers). In this regard, the bottom plate 217 may not contain plastic material. The bottom plate 217 covers the entire bottom opening 213. In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom plate 217 has an outwardly directed flange 219, which covers the bottom end edge 207 of the tubular body 203 and engages the bottom end of the tubular body 203 to form the bottom edge of the tank 201. The bottom plate 217 reinforces the bottom end edge 207, stabilizes the shape of the tubular body 203, and protects the bottom end edge 207 from mechanical deformation. The bottom plate 217 also serves as a protective barrier against water and other fluids that may be present on the surface on which the can 201 is placed. The bottom plate 217 defines a downwardly open space between the bottom sealing member 215 and the bottom edge of the can 201, which space can be used to accommodate a stacking element arranged at the upper end of another can when two or more cans are stacked on top of each other.

[0219] The composite can 201 is provided with a closure arrangement comprising a lid 221 and a top rim 223 extending along the edge of the top opening 211. Figure 3As shown in , the cover 221 may include a planar inner sealing disk that seals against the top rim 223 when the composite can 201 is closed. The can 201 is further provided with a fully or partially removable top sealing member 227 that seals to the body wall 205 along the upwardly folded peripheral flange 218. Thus, the top sealing member 227 is positioned in the interior of the tubular body 203 and sealably engages the tubular body 203, and the top sealing member 227 is spaced apart from each of the top end of the tubular body 203, the bottom end of the tubular body 203, and the bottom sealing member 215.

[0220] The top edge 223 may form a closed loop, such as Figure 2a As seen in.

[0221] The top edge 223 and / or the bottom plate 217 can be attached to the end portion of the tubular body along the end edge of the tubular body at the connection portion of the top edge 223 and / or the bottom plate 217. The connection portion of the top edge 223 and / or the bottom plate 217 has a distal edge. The tubular body can be made of a laminated sheet material including a cardboard substrate layer and a thermoplastic welding layer. In some embodiments, the tubular body can be free of plastic material and welding layer.

[0222] The tubular body may have a thermoplastic welding layer on the laminated sheet material, the thermoplastic welding layer having a basis weight of at least 15 g / m 2 , for example, at 20 g / m 2 Up to 160 g / m 2 In the range of 35 g / m 2 Up to 140 g / m 2 , or 40 g / m 2 Up to 120 g / m 2 The inventors have found that such a basis weight of the thermoplastic welding layer provides an enhanced weld for a rim comprising pulp fibers. Typically, the rim is a plastic rim, thus facilitating welding between the plastic rim and a paperboard container comprising the thermoplastic welding layer. However, if the thermoplastic welding layer has such a basis weight, an improved seal can be achieved between the tubular body according to the present invention and the rim, which is durable and moisture resistant.

[0223] The thermoplastic welding layer may comprise or consist of a polyethylene layer.

[0224] The thermoplastic welding layer may include metal powder or a metallized polymer dispersed therein.

[0225] In addition to the mandatory structural cardboard base layer and the internal thermoplastic welding layer as disclosed below, the laminated body sheet material that can be used in the composite packaging container disclosed herein may include one or more layers. As seen sequentially from the outside to the inside, the laminated body sheet material may have the following structure:

[0226] a) optional polymer coating, such as varnish,

[0227] b) optional printed and / or colored layers,

[0228] c) Cardboard base layer,

[0229] d) an optional polymer tie layer, such as a polyethylene (PE) layer,

[0230] e) An inner thermoplastic welding layer, such as a polyethylene (PE) layer. The inner thermoplastic welding layer may be composed of two or more sub-layers, such as a polyethylene (PE) layer and a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) layer. The sub-layers may be co-extruded to form the inner polymer layer, or may be formed as separate films laminated together.

[0231] The tubular body is connected to the top rim 223 and / or the bottom plate 217 by welding the end zone of the tubular body to the connection zone of the top rim 223 and / or the connection zone of the bottom plate 217. When viewed in the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, the distal edge of the connection zone is located at a distance of at least 4 mm from the end edge of the tubular body.

[0232] The lid 221, the top edge 223 and the bottom plate 217 can all be molded parts comprising pulp fibers. In this regard, one or more of the lid 221, the top edge 223 and the bottom plate 217 can be free of plastic material. The molded parts can be made of 95% to 100% pulp fibers (such as softwood pulp fibers, optionally virgin softwood pulp fibers), optionally 98% to 100% pulp fibers. The example of such material that has been developed for molding applications (such as molded trays and blisters, molded boxes or embossed boxes, etc.) is produced in Billerud Gruvön and sold as Billerud FibreForm®. Similar materials are Advantage Formable papers that can be obtained from Mondi.

[0233] The tubular body of the composite paperboard container may be made of a laminated sheet material comprising a cardboard substrate layer and an inner thermoplastic welding layer. The composite paperboard packaging container to which the present disclosure relates is intended to store moisture-sensitive bulk solids, but is generally not intended to be stored in a cooling space (such as a refrigerator), and therefore does not require an outer polymer resin layer, such as polyethylene. However, the tubular body of this type of composite paperboard container is typically provided with an outer coating composition, such as a varnish, to increase wear resistance and provide an aesthetically pleasing packaging container.

[0234] Hope to provide the packaging with improved recyclability for sensitive goods such as food products, without sacrificing the durability or packaging safety of the packaged goods. However, because the top edge 223 is a molded edge comprising pulp fibers, so compared with traditional plastic edges, the structure may have poor flexibility and may also have a more irregular surface, which may reduce the sealing tightness between edge and the tubular paperboard body. Therefore, the durability or packaging safety of the packaged goods may be reduced, because there may be the risk of air and / or moisture infiltrating the space between tubular body and the edge. However, the inventor surprisingly found that by providing the edge with the connecting zone extending at least 4mm in the longitudinal direction from the end edge of the tubular body and the edge being welded to the tubular body of the inner layer provided with a thermoplastic welding layer, satisfactory sealing tightness can be achieved, thereby allowing the sensitive goods of packaging such as food products, while providing a neat appearance at the bottom of the container that is easily recycled or at the upper container edge. It has been found that a rim having a connection region extending at least 4 mm in the longitudinal direction from the end edge of the tubular body, optionally extending 4 mm to 50 mm in the longitudinal direction from the end edge of the tubular body, optionally extending 5 mm to 40 mm in the longitudinal direction from the end edge of the tubular body, provides enhanced shape stability to the rim through the tubular body wall, which provides support for the most vulnerable part of the rim, namely one or more connection regions.

[0235] The edge can be an inner edge, and the composite paperboard container can further include a cover member. The cover member can be a molded cover member including pulp fibers (such as softwood pulp fibers) and can be made of the same material and in the same manner as the inner edge. The cover member can include a cover portion and an outer edge portion, which can be molded into one piece and connected to each other via a hinged area. The outer edge portion can be connected to the inner edge. The outer edge member can be mechanically connected to the inner edge, such as by a snap connection, a slide-in connection, etc.

[0236] The rim may alternatively be part of a rim and cover member, wherein the rim portion and the cover portion of the rim and cover member may be moulded in one piece, wherein the rim portion is connected to the cover portion via a hinge region and wherein the rim portion is welded to the tubular body.

[0237] The edge can be connected to the inner surface or outer surface of the tubular body via the first connection area. The first connection area is a circumferential connection area extending around the entire periphery of the tubular body. The first connection area is connected to the tubular body along the entire end area, connected to the inner surface and / or the outer surface of the tubular body.

[0238] The edge may be provided with a thermoplastic layer on the surface facing the tubular body. The thermoplastic layer provides the edge with fewer irregular surfaces and thus enhances sealing and improves the durability or packaging safety of the packaged goods. Without departing from the present disclosure, the edge may not have such a thermoplastic layer.

[0239] The top rim 223 defines a perimeter of an access opening that is smaller than the upper container body opening 211 as defined by the upper end edge 209 of the tubular body 203 .

[0240] As explained herein, the top rim 223 is attached to the inner surface of the body wall 205 at the top opening 211. The top rim 223 extends in the height direction H of the composite tank 201, and has a lower rim portion facing the bottom sealing member 215 and an upper rim portion facing away from the bottom sealing member 215. The top rim 223 extends around the entire periphery of the top opening 211. The upper portion of the top rim 223 protrudes upward in the height direction H above the top end edge 209, whereby a portion of the top rim 223 is arranged above the top end edge 209 in the height direction H of the composite tank 201.

[0241] The top rim 223 may be coupled to the interior surface of the body wall 205 by a weld seal extending around the top opening 211. The weld seal preferably extends continuously around the top opening 211 and is a leakproof weld seal, and preferably also a moisture-proof weld seal, and most preferably a gas-tight weld seal.

[0242] As described herein, the weld seal between the top edge 223 and the body wall 205 can be formed by supplying energy to heat and locally soften or melt one or more thermoplastic components in the coating or film on the inner surface of the top edge 223 and / or the body wall 205, and pressing the top edge 223 and the body wall 205 together in a direction perpendicular to the body wall 205. The temperature and pressure can be controlled and adjusted to form a strong and tight seal without damaging the welded parts. The thermoplastic material used to form the weld seal can be provided by a partially thermoplastic top edge 223, a thermoplastic film or coating on the inner surface of the body wall 205, or a thermoplastic material from both the top edge 223 and the body wall 205. The top edge 223 is preferably made of molded pulp fibers. For example, the surface of the top edge or the surface of the bottom plate to be welded to the container body can be formed by a polymer composition having a lower softening point and melting point than other parts of the edge. Additionally, the abutment surface on the top edge 223 may be formed from a resilient thermoplastic polymer.Any suitable welding technique may be used, such as ultrasonic welding or high frequency induction welding, with high frequency induction welding being preferred, as described herein.

[0243] The top rim 223 and body wall 205 may be joined without the use of thermoplastic materials without departing from the present disclosure.

[0244] The cover 221 is a molded part having a three-dimensional shape that provides an upper exterior surface of the cover 221. The cover may have an interior surface that includes a rib pattern. The composite tank may include a planar sealing disk that is applied to the interior surface of the cover 221. When the composite tank 201 is in a state such as Figure 3 221, the sealing disc can be arranged to seal against the upper portion of the top edge 223. Alternatively, the inner sealing surface of the cover can be formed integrally with the cover. Another alternative for forming a sealed closure between the top edge 223 and the cover 221 is to arrange a sealing ring on the inner surface of the cover 221, or to apply a sealing coating on selected areas of the inner surface of the cover and / or on the top edge 223.

[0245] The cover 221 is connected to the frame structure 230 by a hinge 229, wherein the cover 221 and the frame structure 230 together form a cover part 231. The hinge 229 is a movable hinge, which is formed integrally with the cover 221 and the frame structure 230 as a flexible connector between the cover 221 and the frame structure 230. As described herein, the illustrated hinge is intended only as a non-limiting example, and it should be understood that any other type of functional hinge can be used for the connector between the frame structure and the cover. In addition, the cover can be a removable type without any permanent connection to the frame structure. The cover part 231 can be made of molded pulp fiber material, preferably made of softwood pulp fiber material.

[0246] The frame structure 230 is applied to the composite tank 201 at the top end edge 209 and is mechanically attached to the top rim 223 by a snap connection. The frame structure 230 is attached to the top rim 223 after the top rim 223 has been welded to the interior surface of the body wall 205. The frame structure 230 is applied to the top rim 223 by pressing the frame structure 230 down over the upper edge of the top rim 223 until the frame structure 230 is locked in place on the top rim 223 by cooperating snap features on the top rim 223 and the frame structure 230. When the frame structure 230 has been attached to the top rim 223, it can only be removed again by breaking or damaging the snap connection between the top rim 223 and the frame structure 230.

[0247] The interior compartment 208 that houses the packaged merchandise is defined by a top sealing member 227 at the upper end of the tubular body 203 and a bottom sealing member 215 at the bottom end of the tubular body 203 .

[0248] In order to approach the packaged goods in the internal compartment 208 for the first time, the user needs to open the lid 221, and expose the packaged goods by removing the top seal member 227 completely or in part. The top seal member 227 can be arranged to be peeled off from the wall 205 of the tubular body 203, or can be arranged to have a device for destroying the top seal member 227, so that it can be at least partially removed by approaching the opening. Such a device can be in the form of one or more predetermined weakened parts, such as partially passing the perforation or the incision of the top seal member 227. When the top seal member 227 was a tear-off type, the narrow edge portion of the top seal member 227 could be left at the inner surface of the body wall 205. Any such remainder of the top seal member 227 should preferably not be too large, so that it can not extend into and limit the approaching opening defined by the inner periphery of the top edge 223.

[0249] Once the top sealing member 227 is removed, the packaged goods in the interior compartment 208 can be accessed through the access opening by simply opening the lid 221. Figure 2a (which shows the interior of the top edge 223), the area of ​​the access opening is defined by the inner perimeter or inner contour of the top edge 223. Since the top edge 223 is applied to the inner surface of the body wall 205 and increases the thickness of the body wall in the inward direction, the area of ​​the access opening is always smaller than the area of ​​the top opening 211 of the tubular body 203.

[0250] When the composite can 201 is opened, a desired amount of the packaged commodity can be removed from the composite can 201 through the access opening with the aid of a spoon or by pouring. The spoon may preferably be provided together with the composite can 201. The spoon may initially be placed on the top sealing member 227, which may be removably attached to the interior surface of the lid 221, which interior surface may be formed by the above-mentioned sealing disk. When placed on the top sealing member 227, the spoon may be packaged in a protective package such as a paper bag or a plastic bag. Another alternative is to attach the spoon to the top rim 223, for example by placing the spoon head in a spoon holder 240 provided on the top rim 223, such as Figure 2a In the illustrated embodiment, the scoop holder 240 also serves as a scraper plate for scraping excess scooped material from the scoop. Figure 2b An example of a spoon 280 is shown in FIG. The spoon 280 has a spoon head 281 and a spoon handle 282. Typically, the spoons 280 to be inserted into the intermediate tank during the process of manufacturing the composite tank disclosed herein are arranged in a stack, such as Figure 2b , where the spoon heads 281 are nested within each other. To facilitate stacking of spoons 280 having planar handles 282, the proximal end of the handle 282 may be provided with a stacking stabilizing arrangement 284. The stacking stabilizing arrangement 284 allows identical spoons 280 to be stacked within each other and facilitates keeping the stack 283 of spoons together, thereby simplifying storage and handling of the spoons 280 and the storage of the spoons to the Figure 1 The scoop shown in FIG. 1 is inserted into the loading unit 10 .

[0251] Advantageously, scoop head 281 has a tapered shape to allow scoops 280 to fit tightly inside one another in an efficient and space-saving manner.

[0252] As an alternative to stacking scoops 280 having scoop heads 281 and scoop handles 282 arranged in the same orientation, the scoops 280 may be stacked in alternating opposite orientations, as is known in the art.

[0253] It should be understood that Figure 2bThe scoop 280 shown in the scoop constitutes only one example of a suitable scoop configuration, and scoops with differently shaped scoop heads, differently shaped handles, different ratios between the scoop head and the scoop handle, etc. may be used in a composite can as disclosed herein. The scoop may further have provisions for additional stacking stability and / or for improving retention of the scoop 280 in the scoop holder. For example, the scoop head may include a thin snap-in ridge that serves to releasably lock the scoop head in a desired position in the scoop holder. Such additional fastening elements for the scoop head may prevent the scoop head from accidentally falling out of the scoop holder, and may also serve to prevent the scoop handle from falling into the composite can.

[0254] like Figure 1 and Figure 2a The closure arrangement shown on the composite tank 201 in FIG. 2 provides a tight closure between the cover 221 and the tubular body 203, and the closure arrangement has a top rim 223 directly attached to the inner surface of the body wall 205 and a cover part 231 including the cover 221 and the frame structure 230. When the cover 221 is closed on the composite tank 201, the upper edge of the top rim 223 can abut against the above-mentioned sealing disk and form a seal between the top rim 223 and the cover 221.

[0255] In order to keep the lid 221 fixed in the closed position between dispensing occasions, the closure arrangement of the composite can 201 may further include a locking arrangement 245, such as in Figure 2a and Figure 3 The locking arrangement 245 may include first and second mating locking elements, such as female locking elements, such as grooves arranged on the cover 221, and male locking elements, such as ribs arranged on a locking member 246, which is arranged on the frame structure 230. The locking member 246 is hingedly connected to the frame structure 230, such as by a living hinge 249 formed integrally with the frame structure 230 and the locking member 246.

[0256] This type of locking arrangement 245 is closed by moving the locking member 246 upwardly and inwardly over the cover 221 to a position where the locking elements cooperate to engage. The locking arrangement 245 is opened by pulling the locking member 246 until the connection between the locking elements is released and pivoting the locking member 246 downwardly at the hinge 249. When the locking member 246 is in the closed position where the first and second locking elements engage each other, the cover 221 and the frame structure 230 are securely clamped together, with the top edge 223 tightly sealing against the above-mentioned sealing disk on the inner surface of the cover 221, or against a sealing ring or sealing surface arranged on the inner side of the cover 221.

[0257] like Figure 3As best shown in FIG. 2 , the cover component 231 is provided with a cover component stacking step 251 and a can stacking step 252. As shown in the figure, the stacking steps 251, 252 can extend over the locking member 246.

[0258] The cover component stacking step 251 is arranged to enable the cover components 231 to be stacked on top of each other in a stack that can be loaded into the cover attachment unit. The tank stacking step 252 is arranged to enable the composite tanks 201 to be stacked on top of each other.

[0259] An embedded gripping area 265 may be arranged in the cover 221 at a free end section of the locking member 246 opposite the hinge 249. Thus, the locking member 246 is easily accessible and protected from accidental release when the locking member 246 is in the closed position.

[0260] In e.g. Figure 1 The assembly line shown in Figure 1 is produced and filled as Figure 2a and Figure 3 The composite tank 201 shown in .

[0261] As described herein, a composite can as disclosed herein is produced in the following sequence: forming a tubular body, applying a top sealing member and a top rim to the tubular body, turning the tubular body upside down, filling the tubular body with dry or wet goods through the bottom opening of the tubular body, closing the bottom opening of the tubular body, applying a bottom plate to the tubular body, turning the sealed can over so that the top sealing member faces upward again, and finally applying a cover or cover component to the top end of the tubular body.

[0262] Figure 4-7 It can be used in Figure 1 The equipment for applying tank components in the top sealing station 13, the top edge application station 14, the sealing unit 6 and the bottom plate application station 22 of the assembly line 1 shown in FIG.

[0263] refer to Figure 2a and Figure 3 The bottom sealing member 215, the bottom plate 217, the top edge 223 and the top sealing member 227 can be used Figure 4-7 Example of a tank part of an rig.

[0264] refer to Figure 4 , showing a tank sealing station or tank sealing unit 401, which may be Figure 1 The sealing unit 6 in.

[0265] The intermediate tank 403 is transported through the tank sealing unit 401 in the running direction R. The transport device 402 comprises a feed arrangement 411 in the form of two feed screw members arranged at respective opposite sides of the intermediate tank 403, a main conveyor member 413, a movable gripping arrangement 415, and an outlet conveyor member 419. Figure 4 Only one feed screw member is shown in FIG. An outlet conveyor member 419 is arranged downstream of the can sealing unit 401, and a fixed sliding plate 421 is arranged downstream of the outlet conveyor member 419 at the outlet of the can sealing unit 401. More details of a useful conveying arrangement are described in WO 2013 / 009226 A1, which is referenced herein.

[0266] The tank sealing station 405' is located downstream of the feeding arrangement 411, and the bottom plate applying station 405" is located downstream of the tank sealing station 405'. Figure 8 As illustrated, the movable gripping arrangement 415 moves the intermediate tank 403 to a sealing station 405' where a bottom sealing member 427 is attached to the inner side of the tubular body wall of the intermediate tank 403 by welding. The intermediate tank 403 is then moved to a bottom plate application station 405'' where a bottom plate 417, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown in Figure 4-6 As illustrated in the example of FIG, a plurality of bottom sealing members and bottom plates 417 may be simultaneously attached to a plurality of corresponding intermediate tanks 403 in order to increase the operating speed of the tank sealing station 401. In the illustrated embodiment, four bottom sealing members and four rims are simultaneously attached to corresponding intermediate tanks 403. Alternatively, bottom sealing members, rims, or other tank components as disclosed herein may be simultaneously attached to the tanks in groups of any other number other than four (e.g., two, three, six, eight, or ten), or may be sequentially attached to the tanks.

[0267] The transport device 402 and the can sealing station 401 can be enclosed in an outer housing 20, 23, such as Figure 1 The outer housing 20, 23 is suitable for protecting the tank sealing station 401 and / or providing and maintaining a protective gas atmosphere inside the tank sealing station 401. The protective gas may be, for example, nitrogen, carbon dioxide or a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

[0268] Degassing of the intermediate tank can be done in Figure 1The filling of the intermediate tank 403 is carried out simultaneously in the filling unit 4 shown in FIG. Degassing can include supplying a protective gas to the material flow to be contained in the tank during the filling process. The protective gas can be blown into the material flow before the material reaches the tank. If the material is treated with a protective gas during filling, the intermediate tank 403 is preferably conveyed to a tank component applicator, such as a tank sealing station 401 arranged downstream of the filling unit 4, while maintaining the modified gas atmosphere, for example by moving the tank through a tunnel filled with a protective gas, such as in FIG. Figure 1 exemplified by the covered conveyor 2c between the gas box 5 and the sealing unit 6. Alternatively, the filled intermediate tank 403 may be introduced into a vacuum chamber to evacuate the air, subsequently placing the tank in a modified gas atmosphere and applying a bottom sealing member.

[0269] Figure 5 and Figure 6 The example illustrates an attachment station or attachment unit 505 for attaching a tank component, such as a bottom plate 517, to an intermediate tank 503. The attachment station or attachment unit 505 comprises a holding device 523, a supporting device 525, a positioning device 528 and a transfer plate 529.

[0270] exist Figure 7 An example of a transfer plate 529 is illustrated in FIG. The transfer plate 529 extends in a first direction x parallel to the running direction R of the tank component applicator, of which the attachment station or attachment unit 505 forms part, and in a second direction y perpendicular to the first direction x. The transfer plate 529 comprises a cavity section 531 having at least one through-going transfer cavity 533 adapted to receive and hold the tank component (in this case the bottom plate 517) during the transfer to align with the end of the intermediate tank 503. The transfer cavity 533 has a first open area A1 and is sized and configured so that the tank component can be fitted into the transfer cavity 533 and held therein during the transfer to the intermediate tank 503.

[0271] As an alternative, in particular when the tank component is a sheet-like tank component (such as a top sealing member or a bottom sealing member), the transfer plate 529 may be omitted so that the tank component is placed directly on top of the holding device 523 .

[0272] In order to fit and hold the tank component in the transfer chamber 533, the shape of the transfer chamber 533 is manufactured to correspond to the shape of the tank component.

[0273] In the case of a tank part that includes an edge portion to be folded to form a peripheral flange before or during the tank part is inserted into the tank, as in the case of a bottom sealing member or a top sealing member, the first open area A1 of the transfer cavity 533 can be smaller than the surface area of ​​the tank part before folding. The area difference corresponds to the area of ​​the portion of the tank part that forms the peripheral flange. Such a folded flange is typically band-shaped and can have a width in the range of 1 to 10 mm, such as a width in the range of 2 to 5 mm, see Figure 8 . Thus, a folded peripheral flange on a sheet-like tank component (such as a top sealing member or a bottom sealing member) can be formed by pressing the tank component downward through a transfer cavity 533 having a smaller cross-sectional area than the tank component, thereby forcing the tank component to fold at the edge of the transfer cavity so as to be accommodated within the first open area A1 of the transfer cavity.

[0274] The wall of the transfer chamber 533 may include a retaining element 534 adapted to retain the tank component in the transfer chamber 533, see Figure 7 Such a retaining element 534 is particularly useful for an annular tank member (such as a top edge) that does not cover the first open area A1 of the transfer chamber 533. When the tank member is a sheet-like tank member, the retaining element 534 can be omitted.

[0275] exist Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, there are four retaining elements 534, each retaining element 534 is suitable for maintaining the corresponding side of the roughly rectangular or square annular tank component. In the illustrated embodiment, the retaining elements 534 are arranged so that they will maintain the tank component at the center of each side. It will be feasible to use one, two, three, four or more such retaining elements 534. The retaining element 534 can be elastically compressible, for example, due to material properties or by being biased by a spring. Alternatively or additionally, for example, due to material properties, the tank component (such as the edge) itself can be elastically deformable. The retaining element 534 can be used to compensate for the tolerance of the size of the tank component and / or the transfer chamber 533. In addition, the retaining element 534 can be used to temporarily press one or more sides of the tank component inwardly, so that the tank component presents a reduced cross section, thereby more easily inserting into the intermediate tank 503. Therefore, in the process of inserting the edge type tank component, the risk of the fragile paper jam edge of the tubular body of the intermediate tank 503 can be eliminated or at least significantly reduced.

[0276] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As illustrated in the example, the transfer plate 529 may include a covering area 535, which is at least as large or approximately as large as the first open area A1 of the transfer chamber 533. As seen in the second direction y, the covering area 535 is arranged adjacent to the chamber area 531. The covering area 535 has a minimum extension y1 in the second direction y, which is at least 1.0 times, preferably at least 1.2 times, and more preferably at least 1.4 times the maximum extension y2 of the area A1 of the transfer chamber 533 in the second direction y. The use of a transfer plate with a covering area 535 is conducive to preventing excessive escape of protective gas from the inside of the tank component applicator when the tank component is placed in the transfer chamber 533 and transported to align with the intermediate tank 503. When the tank component is alternatively a sheet component, it can be picked up by a suction member and placed to align with the opening in the intermediate tank 503, and the sheet tank component will be inserted into the opening. As explained herein, the transfer plate 529 may be omitted and the sheet-like can component may be placed directly on top of the holding device 523 .

[0277] After being applied in the intermediate tank 503, the sheet-like tank component covers the tank opening and prevents gas from escaping through the intermediate tank 503. If the tank component applicator is operated without a protective atmosphere or if a certain loss of protective gas can be tolerated, a transfer plate without a covering area can be used when applying the tank component. In addition, the attachment unit 505 can include an inner housing 547, such as in Figure 5 and Figure 6 The inner housing 547 is located as shown by the dotted line. Figure 1 53 and are arranged to provide enhanced protection to prevent the protective gas from escaping from the space above the positioning cavity 537 of the holding device 523.

[0278] In order to facilitate the placement of the tank component into the transfer cavity 533 of the transfer plate 529, the following can be set: Figure 7 The recess 536 is illustrated in FIG. The recess 536 provides space for the gripping members 544a, 544b, 544c, 544d, which are arranged to move the tank components from the storage box 543 to the transfer chamber 533, see FIG. Figure 5 and Figure 6 If the retaining element 534 is provided in the transfer plate 529, the notches 536 are preferably positioned so that they do not interfere with the retaining element 534. Thus, the notches 536 may be located in the corners of the transfer cavity 533. Such gripping members 544a, 544b, 544c, 544d with their corresponding notches 536 are particularly useful when the tank components form a ring including an inner volume filled with a gas (e.g., air), such as a bottom rim.

[0279] If the tank component is a sealing member or a cover, the tank component can be placed into the transfer chamber 533 by a gripping device (such as one or more suction cups) instead. In such a case, the recess 536 can be omitted. However, when the tank component is annular (such as a top edge), the suction cup is not suitable.

[0280] In the illustrated embodiment, the embodiment may be, for example, Figure 1 In the bottom plate application station 22 of the assembly line 1 shown in FIG. 1 , when viewed in the first direction x, there are four cavity sections 531 arranged in a row. Each cavity section 531 comprises a corresponding transfer cavity 533 and is arranged together with a corresponding corresponding cover section 535 .

[0281] When the tank component (illustrated as the bottom plate 517) is attached to the intermediate tank 503, the holding device 523 holds the intermediate tank 503. The holding device 523 includes at least one through positioning cavity 537, which has a second open area A2 corresponding to the first open area A1 of the transfer cavity 533. The positioning cavity 537 is suitable for receiving a section of the intermediate tank 503. If there is a covering section 535, the size and shape of the covering section 535 of the transfer plate 529 are selected so that the covering section 535 can cover or at least substantially cover the second open area A2 of the positioning cavity 537.

[0282] The supporting device 525 is arranged to support the intermediate tank 503 and to position the intermediate tank 503 in the holding device 523 .

[0283] The positioning device 528 is arranged to position the tank component in the intermediate tank 503, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 Thus, when viewed in the vertical direction z, the positioning device 528 is aligned with the positioning cavity 537. The positioning device 528 is vertically adjustable, thereby allowing the tank component to be inserted into the intermediate tank 503 to a desired preselectable attachment position. Figure 8 As described, the positioning device 528 can be expanded in the radial direction of the positioning cavity 537 and press the vertically extending portion of the tank component in the direction toward the wall of the positioning cavity 537, whereby the tank component is pressed against the inner side of the tubular wall of the intermediate tank 503 placed in the positioning cavity 537.

[0284] In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment unit 505 is arranged to process four intermediate tanks 503 simultaneously. When viewed in the first direction x of the attachment unit 505, the transfer plate 529 includes four cavity sections 531 arranged in a row. In a corresponding manner, the holding device 523 includes four positioning cavities 537, and the support device 525 is suitable for supporting the four intermediate tanks 503 and positioning the intermediate tanks 503 in the corresponding positioning cavities 537 of the holding device 523. In addition, the attachment unit 505 includes four positioning devices 528 aligned with the positioning cavities 537, so that each positioning device 528 is associated with a corresponding positioning cavity 537. It should be understood that, as explained herein, the attachment unit can be arranged for processing any suitable number of intermediate tanks simultaneously.

[0285] The transfer plate 529 can be Figure 5 The first position shown in Figure 6 In the first position, the transfer plate 529 has been moved in the y direction so that the transfer cavity 533 has been moved away from the holding device 523. In this position, the transfer plate 529 is arranged to receive the tank component in the transfer cavity 533. If the transfer plate 529 is provided with a covering area 535, as shown in FIG. Figure 5-7 As shown in FIG. 5 , during the process of the tank component being applied to the transfer cavity 533, the covering area 535 covers or substantially covers the second open area A2 of the positioning cavity 537 in the first position, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 Thus, the loss of protective gas through the positioning cavity 537 can be minimized, or preferably eliminated.

[0286] In the second position, if Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 5 , the transfer plate 529 has moved in the y direction, wherein the transfer cavity 533 has been aligned with the positioning cavity 537 of the holding device 523 and the positioning device 528 arranged above the positioning cavity 537. When the transfer plate 529 is in the second position, the positioning device 528 can push the tank component located in the transfer cavity into the intermediate tank. Tank components, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 The bottom plate 517 shown in FIG. 5 is pushed from the transfer cavity 533 in the transfer plate 529 into the intermediate tank 503 by the tank component moving downward in the z direction through the transfer cavity 533 and at least partially through the positioning cavity 537 of the holding device 523 .

[0287] The holding device 523 may include a welding station or welding unit 539 as disclosed herein. The welding unit is preferably a high frequency induction welding unit and is arranged around the positioning cavity 537. The welding station or welding unit 539 is suitable for welding the tank component to the intermediate tank 503 and includes a coil extending around the positioning cavity 537. As explained herein, since the positioning device 528 can expand in the radial direction of the positioning cavity 537, the tank component can be pressed against the welding unit 539.

[0288] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the bottom plate 517 or other tank parts can be placed in the transfer cavity 533 of the transfer plate 529 by means of an optional tank part supplier 541, which includes at least one gripping station or gripping unit 542. A stack of tank parts, such as the bottom plate 517, can be stored in a storage box 543. The number of stacks in the storage box 543 and the number of gripping units 542 correspond to the number of transfer cavities 533 in the transfer plate 529. The gripping unit 542 is capable of gripping a single tank part (here, the bottom plate 517), moving it from the opening 545 in the storage box 543, and placing it in the corresponding transfer cavity 533. As an example, four separate tank parts are gripped simultaneously. The gripping unit 542 includes four gripping members 544a, 544b, 544c, 544d, which grip at the corners of the bottom plate 517. The positions of the gripping members 544a, 544b, 544c, 544d correspond to the positions of the notches 536 of the transfer plate 529. As explained herein, such gripping members 544a, 544b, 544c, 544d and their corresponding notches 536 are particularly useful when the tank component is not a sheet-like element (such as a bottom sealing member, an inner sealing member, or a top sealing member) but forms a ring (such as a top rim).

[0289] Figure 8 The example illustrates a positioning device 828 as disclosed herein. The positioning device 828 can be used as Figure 5 and Figure 6 The positioning device 528 of the attachment unit 505 illustrated in the example, or can be used to position the tank component in any attachment unit for attaching the tank component in the tubular tank body. Therefore, the positioning device can be used to place the tank component in the tubular body, using or not using a transfer plate.

[0290] Figure 8 The top sealing member 827 is illustrated as being in the process of being placed in the intermediate tank 803. Figure 8As can be seen, the cross-sectional area of ​​top sealing member 827 is greater than the internal cross-sectional area of ​​intermediate tank 803. When placed in intermediate tank 803, the edge zone 833 of top sealing member 827 will be folded upwards so that it conforms to the inner surface of tank wall 805. The illustrated top sealing member 827 is a foldable member, such as a laminate of plastic film, plastic film, paper, paper / plastic laminate etc. Without departing from the disclosure, such a foldable member can be free of plastic material. Such as the tank parts of top sealing member and bottom sealing member can be preformed with a sealable edge zone extending perpendicular to the main plane of the tank parts instead. In such a case, when the tank parts are inserted into the tubular tank body, the edge zone does not need to be folded.

[0291] The positioning device 828 includes a base plate 849, which includes or is composed of a rigid material (such as metal or a composite material), and a plunger skirt 851, which includes an elastically deformable material, such as rubber or plastic. The plunger skirt 851 is located on the top of the base plate 849 so that it at least partially covers the upper surface of the base plate 849, which is opposite to the lower footprint surface 853 of the base plate 849.

[0292] In the process that the tank part is applied in the intermediate tank 803, the footprint surface 853 is configured to face the tank part, which is the top sealing member 827 here. The footprint surface 853 of the base plate 849 has a circumferential edge 855, which has a roughly polygonal shape in the illustrated example. However, it should be understood that the footprint surface can have any other suitable shape suitable for the cross-sectional shape of the composite tank being produced. In the illustrated example, the roughly polygonal shape is a roughly square shape, which includes four side edge sections connected by the outwardly rounded corner sections. In the illustrated embodiment, each side edge section is slightly bent inward. Therefore, the circumferential edge 855 of the footprint surface 853 of the base plate 849 with the inwardly bent side edge section deviates from the cross-sectional shape or footprint of the composite tank produced. Alternatively, the base plate of the positioning device can have the same footprint as the intermediate tank 803, wherein there is a straight side edge section between the curved corner sections.

[0293] It may be advantageous to arrange a curved side edge section at least on the side of the base plate 849 that will face the sealing strip 814 covering the joint in the tubular body 805 during the insertion of the tank component. The sealing strip 814 locally thickens the tubular wall 805 of the intermediate tank 803 and also constitutes a bending line at which the tubular wall 805 tends to bend, thereby causing the tubular wall 805 to deviate from a desired planar or approximately planar shape. When the positioning device 828 inserts the tank component 827 into the intermediate tank 803, the slightly inwardly curved side edge section of the circumferential edge of the footprint surface of the base plate allows the base plate to move along the joint without damaging the sealing strip or the tank body material.

[0294] By relatively moving relative to the base plate 849, the plunger skirt 851 can be converted between an unexpanded state and an expanded state.

[0295] In the unexpanded state of the plunger skirt 851, the shape of the outer contour of the plunger skirt 851 corresponds to the shape of the outer contour of the base plate 849. Therefore, in the unexpanded state, the plunger skirt 851 has the same or substantially the same footprint as the base plate 849.

[0296] When viewed relative to the base plate 849, the outer periphery 861 of the plunger skirt 851 is located at or on the peripheral edge 855 of the base plate 849. Preferably, when the plunger skirt 851 is in an unexpanded state, the outer periphery 861 of the plunger skirt 851 coincides with the peripheral edge 855 of the footprint surface 853 of the base plate 849, or is located slightly inside the peripheral edge 855 of the footprint surface 853 of the base plate 849.

[0297] In the expanded state of the plunger skirt 851 , the footprint defined by the outer periphery 861 of the plunger skirt 851 is larger than in the unexpanded state of the plunger skirt 851 .

[0298] During the transition to the expanded state, pressure is applied from above to the plunger skirt 851. As a result, the side edge sections of the plunger skirt 851 are stretched between the corners, and any curved side edge sections are thereby straightened. By selecting the shape and material properties of the plunger skirt 851, the desired shape change can be obtained during the deformation process.

[0299] In the expanded state of the plunger skirt 851, the outer periphery 861 of the plunger skirt 851 is at least partially located outside the corresponding circumferential edge 855 of the base plate 849. By converting the plunger skirt 851 to the expanded state, it can be brought into contact with the edge section 833 of the top sealing member 827 and press the edge section 833 of the top sealing member 827 against the inner side of the body wall 805.

[0300] If the tank component attachment unit is provided with a transfer plate 529 including a retaining element 534 exerting an inwardly directed force on the tank component as disclosed herein, the plunger skirt 851 can help press the tank component back in a radial direction to prevent the tank component itself from being unable to fully rebound from the deformed structure imposed on the tank component by the retaining element 534.

[0301] Figure 8 The positioning unit shown in FIG. 8 includes a first piston 871 and a second piston 873 coaxial with the first piston 871. Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the first and second pistons 871, 873 extend in an axial direction A that is consistent with the vertical direction z of the attachment unit 505. The base plate 849 is attached to the end region of the first piston 871 so that the footprint surface 853 is perpendicular to the axial direction A. The plunger skirt 851 is attached to the end region of the second piston 873. The first and second pistons 871, 873 are configured to move together in the axial direction A as a single unit and move independently of each other as separate elements.

[0302] During the process of displacing the positioning device 828 into the intermediate tank 803, the plunger skirt 851 remains in an unexpanded state until the tank member 827 moves to the attachment position. When the tank member 827 has reached the attachment position, the plunger skirt 851 is converted to an expanded state by moving the end section of the second piston 873 closer to the end section of the first piston 871, thereby pressing the edge section of the plunger skirt 851 radially outward.

[0303] The outer periphery 861 of the plunger skirt 851 presses the tank component 827 against the inner side of the body wall 805 of the intermediate tank 803 placed in the positioning cavity. The edge region of the outer periphery of the plunger skirt 851, which is arranged to contact with the tank component and apply pressure to the tank component in the expanded state of the plunger skirt 851, may have a contact surface which is slightly inclined relative to the vertical direction of the positioning device in the non-expanded state of the plunger skirt.

[0304] In order to further improve the contact between the tank component and the tank body material in the corner area, a thickened corner area can be arranged on the upper surface of the base plate, that is, on the surface of the base plate opposite to the covering area surface. The thickened corner area forms a raised area on the upper surface of the base plate, and is used to force the plunger skirt to move further outward, thereby applying increased pressure on the applied tank component and improving the contact between the tank component and the tubular body. Therefore, the connection formed between the tank component and the corner area of ​​the tubular tank body can be improved. In particular, the increased pressure in the corner area of ​​the tubular body can help to form a tight seal between the body material and the sheet-like tank component. Excess material present in the corner area of ​​the sheet-like tank component (such as the bottom sealing member or the top sealing member) will usually wrinkle at the corner of the tank when the tank component is folded and aligned with the tubular body wall. In such a case, the increased pressure generated at the corner area of ​​the tubular body will compress the folds and will help to form a good functional bond, such as a heat weld between the body material and the sheet material in the tank component. When the tank component is bonded to the wall of the tubular tank body using a heat welding process, at least one of the tank component and the tubular wall, and preferably both, include a sufficient amount of thermoplastic material to produce a functional bond. However, as explained herein, such a bond can be achieved without the use of plastic materials without departing from the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A container for holding bulk solids, the container comprising: a tubular body extending at least partially around an interior of the container to form a tubular body having a top end and a bottom end; at least one sealing member positioned within the interior of the container spaced from each of the top and bottom ends of the tubular body, the at least one sealing member sealingly engaging at least one section of the tubular body; a reclosable lid attached to the top end of the tubular body to form a closed top end of the container, the reclosable lid comprising pulp fibers; and A bottom plate is attached to the bottom end of the tubular body to form a closed bottom end of the container, the bottom plate comprising pulp fibers.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein The bottom plate is free of plastic material.

3. The container according to claim 2, wherein: The bottom plate defines an outward flange that engages the bottom end of the tubular body.

4. The container of claim 2, further comprising a rim attached to a top end of the tubular body above the sealing member such that the reclosable lid contacts the rim.

5. The container according to claim 4, wherein The rim comprises pulp fibers and is free of plastic material.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The at least one sealing member is a top sealing member spaced apart from each of the top end of the tubular body and the bottom end of the tubular body, and the container further includes a bottom sealing member positioned in the container spaced apart from each of the top end of the tubular body, the bottom end of the tubular body and the first sealing member.

7. A method of forming a container for holding bulk solids, the method comprising: obtaining a body blank; positioning the body blank, the body blank extending at least partially around an interior of the container to form a tubular body having a top end and a bottom end; positioning at least one sealing member within the interior of the container spaced from each of the top end and the bottom end of the tubular body, the at least one sealing member sealingly engaging at least one section of the tubular body; attaching a reclosable lid to the top end of the tubular body to form a closed top end of the container, the reclosable lid comprising pulp fibers; as well as A bottom plate is attached to the bottom end of the tubular body to form a closed bottom end of the container, the bottom plate comprising pulp fibers.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The bottom plate is free of plastic material.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The bottom plate defines an outward flange, and attaching the bottom plate includes engaging the bottom end of the tubular body with the flange of the bottom plate.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein: Attaching the reclosable cover to the top end of the tubular body includes attaching a rim to the top end of the tubular body over the at least one sealing member such that the reclosable cover contacts the rim.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The rim comprises pulp fibers and is free of plastic material.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The at least one sealing member is a top sealing member spaced apart from each of the top end of the tubular body and the bottom end of the tubular body, and the method further includes positioning a bottom sealing member spaced apart from each of the top end of the tubular body, the bottom end of the tubular body and the first sealing member in the container, and the bottom sealing member can be sealingly engaged with the tubular body.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein: Positioning the body blank so as to extend at least partially around the interior of the container includes transferring the body blank to a body forming station, bending the body blank using the body forming station, and joining two opposite edges of the body blank together in an end-to-end manner using the body forming station to form an intermediate container, the at least one sealing member being a top sealing member, and positioning the top sealing member in the interior of the container includes transferring the intermediate container to a top sealing station and attaching the top sealing member to the tubular body using the top sealing station.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transferring the intermediate container to a filling station and filling the intermediate tank with bulk solids through the bottom end of the tubular body using the filling station to form a filled intermediate container.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transferring the filled intermediate container to a bottom sealing station and sealably attaching a bottom sealing member to the tubular body such that the bottom sealing member is spaced apart from the top sealing member.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising positioning the filled intermediate container on a conveyor and transferring the filled intermediate container to a cap attachment station, attaching the reclosable cap comprising attaching the reclosable cap to the top end of the tubular body using the cap attachment station.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transferring the filled intermediate container to a top rim application station and attaching a rim to the top end of the tubular body above the top sealing member using the top rim application station so that the reclosable cover is positioned to contact the rim.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: Filling the intermediate tank with bulk solids includes supplying a protective gas to the bulk solids.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising positioning a scoop within the interior of the container between the top sealing member and the reclosable lid.

20. An assembly line for forming a container for holding bulk solids, the assembly line comprising: a supply of body blanks, sealing members, reclosable lids, and bottom sheets, the bottom sheets comprising pulp fibers; a body forming station for bending a body blank from the supply of body blanks at least partially around an interior of the container; a sealing station for attaching a sealing member from a supply of sealing members to the tubular body in an interior of the container; a filling station for filling the interior of the container with bulk solids through the bottom end of the tubular body; a bottom sheet application station for attaching a bottom sheet from the supply of bottom sheets to the bottom end of the tubular body to form a closed bottom end of the container; a cap attachment station for attaching a reclosable cap from a supply of reclosable caps to a top end of the tubular body to form a closed top end of the container; as well as A body sheet application station is provided for attaching a bottom sheet from the supply of bottom sheets to the bottom end of the tubular body to form a closed bottom end of the container.

21. The assembly line of claim 20, wherein: The bottom plate of the supply of bottom plates is free of plastic material.

22. The assembly line of claim 21, wherein: The reclosable cover of the supply of reclosable covers comprises pulp fibers.

23. The assembly line of claim 20, further comprising a supply of rim and a rim attachment station configured to apply a rim from the supply of rim to the top end of the tubular body.

24. The assembly line of claim 23, wherein: The edge of the supply of edge comprises pulp fibers and is free of plastic material.

25. The assembly line of claim 24, wherein: The sealing member is a top sealing member, the sealing station is a top sealing station for attaching the top sealing member of the supply portion of the top sealing member to the tubular body in the interior of the container, and the assembly line further includes a supply portion of a bottom sealing member and a bottom sealing station, the bottom sealing station being configured to apply the bottom sealing member of the supply portion of the bottom sealing member to the tubular body in the interior of the container at intervals from the top sealing member.

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