An apparatus for manufacturing delivery systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing delivery systems. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a delivery system and a delivery system. The apparatus comprises a feeder mechanism, a dosing drum, and a pair of forming rollers. The feeder mechanism is configured to store powder for forming an agglomeration of powder to be placed in a delivery system. The dosing drum comprises a recess located in its circumferential surface. The recess is configured to receive powder from the feeder mechanism. The dosing drum is configured to form an agglomeration of powder and place the agglomeration of powder on a first web of sheet material. Each roller comprises a profile. The profiles are configured to abut at a nip point and seal a first web of sheet material and a second web of sheet material around an agglomeration of powder to form a web of delivery systems.

Description

[0001] An Apparatus for Manufacturing Delivery Systems

[0002] Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing delivery systems. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a deliveiy system and a delivery system.

[0003] Background of the Invention

[0004] It is known to provide alternatives to combustible aerosol provision systems. Such systems are referred to a non-combustible aerosol provision systems and aerosol-free delivery systems. In such systems at least one substance is delivered to a user. In noncombustible aerosol provision systems an aerosol is generated from an aerosol- generating material, whereas in aerosol-free delivery systems a substance is delivered without generating an aerosol. It is also known to provide the substance to be delivered in a deliveiy system. Some delivery systems may be configured to be placed in a receptacle section of an aerosol-generating apparatus. Some delivery systems may be configured to be placed into a consumer’s mouth.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for manufacturing delivery systems. The apparatus comprises a feeder mechanism configured to store powder for forming an agglomeration of powder to be placed in a ; a dosing drum comprising a recess located in its circumferential surface, the recess being configured to receive powder from the feeder mechanism, the dosing drum being configured to form an agglomeration of powder and place the agglomeration of powder on a first web of sheet material; and a pair of forming rollers, each roller comprising a profile, the profiles configured to abut at a nip point and seal a first web of sheet material and a second web of sheet material around an agglomeration of powder to form a web of delivery systems.

[0007] In some embodiments, the delivery system may be a pouch. In some embodiments, the recess maybe non-square and non-rectangular in shape.

[0008] That is, the recess may be a non-square parallelogram. It this context a non-square parallelogram is a shape that does not have square corners but may have perpendicular adjacent sides. In some embodiments, the recess may comprise rounded corners.

[0009] In some embodiments, the dosing drum may comprise a plurality of recesses spaced around its circumferential surface.

[0010] In some embodiments, the pitch between circumferentially spaced recesses is in the range of about 30 mm to about 50 mm.

[0011] In some embodiments, the dosing drum may comprise a plurality of recesses spaced across its width. In some embodiments, the gap between adjacent recesses may be less than about 10 mm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the recesses in the circumferential surface may be substantially tessellated.

[0013] In some embodiments, the plurality of recesses may have a plurality of differently shaped volumes.

[0014] In some embodiments, the volume of the recess may be in the range of 200 mm3 to 800 mm3.

[0015] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a compression surface, and the dosing drum may comprise a moveable piston, a piston surface may form the bottom of the recess, wherein the moveable piston may be configured to compress the powder received in the recess against the compression surface as the dosing drum rotates.

[0016] In some embodiments, the compression surface may be formed by a stationary curved wall. In some embodiments, the piston may be configured to reduce the volume of the recess in the range of about 40% to about 90%.

[0017] In some embodiments, the piston may be configured to apply in the range of 80 N to too N of force on the powder received in the recess.

[0018] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise web rollers configured to pass a first web of sheet material between the dosing drum and the compression surface.

[0019] In some embodiments, the profiles of the pair of delivery system forming rollers may be non-square and non-rectangular in shape.

[0020] In some embodiments, the pair of delivery system forming rollers may comprise a plurality of profiles spaced around their circumferential surfaces.

[0021] In some embodiments, the pitch between circumferentially spaced recesses may be in the range of about 30 mm to about 50 mm. In some embodiments, the pair of delivery system forming rollers may comprise a plurality of profiles spaced across its width.

[0022] In some embodiments, the gap between adjacent profiles on the pair of delivery system forming rollers may be less than about 10 mm.

[0023] In some embodiments, the profiles in the circumferential surfaces of the pair of delivery system forming rollers may be substantially tessellated.

[0024] In some embodiments, the plurality of profiles may have a plurality of different shapes.

[0025] In some embodiments, the profiles on the pair of delivery system forming rollers may be heated and configured to form a seal between the first and second webs of sheet material. In some embodiments, the feeder mechanism may comprise a dosing chamber, the dosing chamber may comprise a scraping edge configured to remove excess powder from an opening to the recess in the dosing drum. In some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a pair of flattening rollers located downstream of the pair of profiled rollers, the pair of flattening rollers may be configured to flatten out the sealed web of deliveiy systems.

[0026] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a cutter configured to cut delivery systems from the web of deliveiy systems.

[0027] In some embodiments, the cutter may be a laser cutter. In some embodiments, the cutter may be a mechanical cutter. In some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a hydration station comprising a waterjet configured to adjust the moisture of the web of delivery systems.

[0028] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a delivery system. The method comprises the steps of: filling a recess in a dosing drum with powder; placing the agglomeration of powder on a first web of sheet material; placing a second web of sheet material over the agglomeration of powder on the first web of material; transporting the agglomeration of powder and webs through a pair of profile rollers; and heating the profiles on the pair of profile rollers to form a continuous seal around the periphery of the delivery system to seal the agglomeration of powder within the webs to form a web of delivery systems.

[0029] In some embodiment, the continuous seal may form a non-square and non-rectangular boundary such that the delivery systems are non-square and non-rectangular in shape. In some embodiments, the recess in the dosing drum may be filled from a feed mechanism.

[0030] In some embodiments, the method may further comprise the step of forming an agglomeration of powder in the dosing drum. In some embodiments, forming the agglomeration of powder in the dosing drum may comprise moving a piston towards a compression surface to compress the powder into an agglomeration of powder. In some embodiments, the method may further comprise the step of flattening the web of deliveiy systems using a flattening roller.

[0031] In some embodiments, the method may further comprise the step of cutting the web of delivery systems into individual delivery systems.

[0032] In some embodiments, the method may further comprise the step of spraying water on the delivery systems to adjust their moisture content.

[0033] In some embodiments, the deliveiy system may be a pouch.

[0034] In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a delivery system. The delivery system comprises a first web of sheet material and a second web of sheet material sealed together around the periphery to define a cavity therebetween; wherein the seal is a continuous seal around the periphery of the delivery system; and an agglomeration of powder of powder for delivering a substance located in the cavity.

[0035] In some embodiments, the delivery system may be non-square and non-rectangular in shape. In some embodiments, the agglomeration of powder of powder may occupy in the range of about 60 % to about 95 % of the volume of the cavity.

[0036] In some embodiments, the agglomeration of powder of powder may have a moisture content of in the range of about 18 % to about 50 %.

[0037] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0038] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. i shows a schematic perspective partial view of an apparatus for manufacturing delivery systems;

[0039] Fig. 2 shows a schematic front view of an apparatus for manufacturing deliveiy systems; Fig. 3 shows an enlarged schematic perspective view of a feeder mechanism;

[0040] Fig. 4 shows an enlarged schematic perspective view of a portion of an apparatus for manufacturing a delivery system;

[0041] Fig. 5 shows an enlarged schematic front view of a dosing drum of an apparatus for manufacturing a delivery system; Figs. 6a-c show embodiments of the circumferential surface of the dosing drum;

[0042] Fig. 7 shows an enlarged schematic perspective view of a pair of forming rollers and cutter of an apparatus for manufacturing a deliveiy system;

[0043] Figs. 8a-c show embodiments of the circumferential surface of a forming roller; and Figs. 9a to 9g show embodiments of delivery systems manufactured by an apparatus.

[0044] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0045] As used herein, the term “delivery system” is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user, and includes: non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosol-generating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials; and aerosol-free delivery systems that deliver the at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine. According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user. In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

[0046] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosolgenerating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0047] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0048] Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non- combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non- combustible aerosol provision device.

[0049] In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosolgenerating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

[0050] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a non- combustible aerosol provision device thp thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol-modifying agent. In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and / or an aerosol-modifying agent.

[0051] In some embodiments, the delivery system is an aerosol-free delivery system that delivers at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

[0052] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material or a material that is not intended to be aerosolised. As appropriate, either material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and / or one or more other functional materials.

[0053] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance. The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.

[0054] In one embodiment the active substance is a legally permissible recreational drug In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.

[0055] As noted herein, the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

[0056] The active substance may be CBD or a derivative thereof

[0057] As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like. Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemaiy, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, maijoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberiy, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens

[0058] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is tobacco. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.

[0059] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour.

[0060] As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice

[0061] (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cheriy, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberiy, citrus fruits,

[0062] Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang- ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, maijoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.

[0063] In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and / or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.

[0064] In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not alimited to eucolyptol, WS-3.

[0065] Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or semi-solid (such as a gel) which may or may not contain an active substance and / or flavourants.

[0066] The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and / or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.

[0067] The aerosol-generating material may comprise a binder, such as a gelling agent, and an aerosol former. Optionally, a substance to be delivered and / or filler may also be present. Optionally, a solvent, such as water, is also present and one or more other components of the aerosol-generating material may or may not be soluble in the solvent. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially free from botanical material. In particular, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially tobacco free. The aerosol-generating material may comprise or be in the form of an aerosolgenerating film. The aerosol-generating film may comprise a binder, such as a gelling agent, and an aerosol former. Optionally, a substance to be delivered and / or filler may also be present. The aerosol-generating film may be substantially free from botanical material. In particular, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is substantially tobacco free.

[0068] The aerosol-generating film may have a thickness of about 0.015 mm to about 1 mm.

[0069] For example, the thickness may be in the range of about 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm or 0.15 mm to about 0.5 mm or 0.3 mm.

[0070] The aerosol-generating film may be continuous. For example, the film may comprise or be a continuous sheet of material. The sheet may be in the form of a wrapper, it may be gathered to form a gathered sheet or it may be shredded to form a shredded sheet. The shredded sheet may comprise one or more strands or strips of aerosol-generating material.

[0071] The aerosol-generating film maybe discontinuous. For example, the aerosol-generating film may comprise one or more discrete portions or regions of aerosol-generating material, such as dots, stripes or lines, which may be supported on a support. In such embodiments, the support may be planar or non-planar.

[0072] The aerosol-generating film may be formed by combining a binder, such as a gelling agent, with a solvent, such as water, an aerosol-former and one or more other components, such as one or more substances to be delivered, to form a slurry and then heating the slurry to volatilise at least some of the solvent to form the aerosolgenerating film.

[0073] The sluriy may be heated to remove at least about 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt% or 90 wt% of the solvent.

[0074] The aerosol-generating material may comprise or be an “amorphous solid”. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating materiel comprises an aerosol-generating film that is an amorphous solid. The amorphous solid may be a “monolithic solid”. The amorphous solid may be substantially non-fibrous. In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may, for example, comprise from about 50wt%, 6owt% or owt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or ioowt% of amorphous solid. The amorphous solid may be substantially free from botanical material. The amorphous solid may be substantially tobacco free.

[0075] The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Eiythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauiyl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

[0076] The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of a pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and / or antioxidants. An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosol-modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent

[0077] The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavourant, a colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.

[0078] An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

[0079] Referring now to Fig. 1, a schematic perspective partial view of an apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2, shown in Figs. 9a to 9g, is shown. In Fig. 1, only a selection of the features of the apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2 is shown.

[0080] The apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems comprises a feeder mechanism 4, a dosing drum 5, and a pair of forming rollers 6. The feeder mechanism 4 is configured to store powder 8 for forming an agglomeration of powder 9 to be placed in a delivery system 2. The dosing drum 5 comprises a recess 11 located in its circumferential surface 12. The recess 11 is configured to receive powder 8 from the feed mechanism 4. The dosing drum is configured to form an agglomeration of powder 9 and place the agglomeration of powder 9 on a first web of sheet material 14.

[0081] In some embodiments, the delivery system 2 may be a pouch.

[0082] Each of the pair of delivery system forming rollers 6 comprises a profile 16. The profiles 16 are configured to rotate through a nip point 17. The profiles 16 on each of the pair of delivery system forming rollers 6 are configured to seal the first web of sheet material 14 and a second web of sheet material 19 around an agglomeration of powder 9 at the nip point to form a web 20 of delivery systems 2.

[0083] An agglomeration of powder may be a mass of powder that is collected together to form a specified shape. In some embodiments, the agglomeration of powder may be a mass of powder that is collected together and compressed into a specified or given shape. The agglomeration of powder may be an agglomeration of moist powder. That is, the agglomeration of powder may be an agglomeration or collection of powder with a moisture content. The powder may have an moisture content that can be augmented during the manufacturing process or in the packaging process by spraying water onto the delivery systems or into the package for the delivery systems. Referring to Fig. 2, a schematic front view the apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2 is shown. The apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 1 shown in Fig. 2 is generally the same as the apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2 shown in Fig. 1.

[0084] The main difference between the partial view of the apparatus i for manufacturing delivery systems 2 shown in Fig. 1 and the front view of the apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2 is illustrated in the feeder mechanism 4. In some embodiments, such as that shown in Fig. 1, the feeder mechanism 4 may be formed by a feeder drum 23. In some embodiments, such as that shown in Fig. 2, the feeder mechanism 4 may be alternatively formed by, for example, a hopper.

[0085] In the form of a feeder drum 23, as shown in Fig. 1, the feeder drum 23 may comprise a dosing chamber 26. The dosing chamber 26 may comprise a scraping edge 27. The scraping edge 27 may be configured to remove excess powder 8 from an opening 28 to the recess 11 in the dosing drum 5. The scraping edge 27 may be formed by the circumferential surface 29 of the feeder drum 23.

[0086] In such an embodiment, the feeder drum 23 and the dosing drum 5 may rotate in opposite directions, such that at their closest point the surfaces are moving in the same direction. In such an embodiment, the scraping edge 27 may be a separate component. The scraping edge 27 may be a component that does not rotate but stays fixed. The scraping edge 27 may be in contact with the dosing drum 5 such that as the dosing drum 5 rotates, the scraping edge 27 removes any excess powder 8 from the opening 28 to the recess 11.

[0087] Referring now to Fig. 3, a schematic perspective view of a feeder mechanism 24 is shown where the feeder mechanism 4 is formed by a hopper 24, as shown in Fig. 2. In embodiment where the feeder mechanism 24 is formed by the hopper 24, the hopper 24 may located directly above the dosing drum 5. In such an embodiment, the feeder mechanism 4 may further comprise an agitation bar 31. The agitation bar 31 may be configured to vibrate to ensure that the powder 8 remains mobile and keeps flowing towards the bottom of the hopper 24 to be transferred to the dosing drum 5 to maximise filling of the recess 11 in the dosing drum 5. The hopper 24 may further comprise a level sensor 32. The level sensor 32 may be configured to indicate when the level of powder 8 in the hopper 24 is low. The feeder mechanism 4 may further comprise an air conveyor 33. The air conveyor 33 may be configured to transport a charge of powder 8 from a bulk supply (not shown) to the apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2. The air conveyor 33 may have its own control system. The air conveyor 33 may be configured to automatically shut off once its chamber is full.

[0088] The feeder mechanism 4 may further comprise an auger system 34. The auger system 34 may be configured to meter out the powder 8 at a low, consistent rate into the hopper 24. The auger system 34 may comprise a control system configured to indicate when the level of powder 8 therein is low.

[0089] Referring now to Fig. 4, a schematic perspective view of a portion of the apparatus 1 for manufacturing a delivery system 2 is shown. As shown, the apparatus 1 may further comprise a first spindle 41 and a second spindle 42. The first spindle 41 may be configured to receive the first web of sheet material 14. The second spindle 42 may be configured to receive the second web of sheet material 19.

[0090] The first web of sheet material 14 may be provided in the form of a first bobbin 43. The first bobbin 43 of the first web of sheet material 14 may be received on the first spindle

[0091] 41. The second web of sheet material 19 may be provided in the form of a second bobbin 44. The second bobbin 44 of the second web of sheet material 19 may be received on the second spindle 42. The first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19 may be formed from a material, such as, for example, but not limited to, fleece, film, non-woven webs, or foil with a binder layer, or any other material that may be sealed via the application of heat or ultrasound.

[0092] The apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2 may further comprise a first plurality of rollers 46 and tensioning arm 47. The first plurality of rollers 46 may be configured to guide the first web of sheet material 14 along a first web conveyance path. The first tensioning arm 47 may be configured to provide constant tension on the first web of sheet material 14. The apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2 may further comprise a second plurality of rollers 48 and tensioning arm 49. The first plurality of rollers 48 may be configured to guide the second web of sheet material 19 along a second web conveyance path. The second tensioning arm 49 may be configured to provide constant tension on the second web of sheet material 19. A third tensioning arm may be provided for the waste web outfeed.

[0093] In the present embodiment, the first web of sheet material 14 may be guided along the first web conveyance path in order to form a lower web of the delivery system 2 manufactured by the apparatus 1. The second web of sheet material 19 may be guided along the second web conveyance path in order to form an upper web of the delivery system 2 manufactured by the apparatus 1. Referring now to Fig. 5, there is shown an enlarged schematic front view of the dosing drum 5 of the apparatus 1 for manufacturing a delivery system 2. The dosing drum 5 may be generally cylindrical. The dosing drum 5 may be rotatable about a longitudinal axis A. The longitudinal axis A of the dosing drum 5 about which it rotates may coincide with the centre line of the dosing drum 5. The dosing drum 5 may comprise a circumferential surface 12.

[0094] The dosing drum 5 comprises the recess 11 located in its circumferential surface 12. The recess 11 is configured to receive powder 8 from the feeder mechanism 4. The dosing drum 5 is also configured to form an agglomeration of powder 9 and place the agglomeration of powder 9 on the first web of sheet material 14. The recess 11 may comprise a leading edge 51. The leading edge 51 may be considered to be the part of the recess 11 furthest forward in the direction of rotation of the dosing drum 5. The recess 11 may comprise a trailing edge 52. The trailing edge 52 may be considered to be the part of the recess 11 furthest rearward in the direction of rotation of the dosing drum 5.

[0095] The recess 11 of the dosing drum 5 may extend from the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5 into the dosing drum 5, as shown in Fig. 1. The recess 11 may be nonsquare in shape. That is, the recess 11 may have a generally circular, triangular, teardrop, heart, diamond, or any other shape that is not square. The recess 11 may also be non-rectangular in shape. Non-square and non-rectangular shapes may include square and rectangular shapes with rounded corners.

[0096] The recess 11 of the dosing drum 5 may be formed as a right-prism. That is the cross- sectional area of the recess 11 may be constant throughout the depth of the recess 11, i.e. radial distance from the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5. In some embodiments, the recess 11 of the dosing drum 5 may be formed from a shape other then a right prism. That is, the cross-sectional area of the recess n may vaiy or taper along its depth dimension. For example, the cross-sectional area of the recess n may taper or reduce with distance from the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5. Thus, a circular recess 11 formed as a right prism may form a cylindrical or disk-shaped agglomeration of powder 9 and a circular recess 11 formed with a taper may form a cone or truncated cone agglomeration of powder 9. The volume of the recess 11 may be in the range of about 200 mm3 to about 800 mm3.

[0097] As the dosing drum 5 is rotated, the leading edge 51 of the recess 11 passes the feed mechanism 4. At this point, powder 8 stored in the feed mechanism 4 may begin to be transferred into the recess 11 of the dosing drum 5. As the dosing drum 5 continues to rotate more of the recess 11 aligns with the feed mechanism 4 to facilitate the transfer of the powder 8 into the recess 11. The dosing drum 5 continues to rotate until the trailing edge 52 of the recess 11 is also aligned with the feed mechanism 4, which enables the whole of the recess 11 to be filled with powder 8.

[0098] As the dosing drum 5 continues to rotate, the leading edge 51 of the recess 11 moves past the feeder mechanism 4 and may come into contact with the scraping edge 27. The scraping edge 27 may push powder 8 backwards towards the trailing edge 52 of the recess 11 in order to ensure the recess 11 is completely filled. Any excess powder 8 that cannot be pushed into the recess 11 to fill the recess 11 is removed by relative motion of the dosing drum 5 relative to the scraping edge 27.

[0099] It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, there may be an instant where the whole recess 11 is aligned with the feed mechanism 4 so that powder can be deposited into the whole recess 11 at the same time. It will also be appreciated that in some embodiments, the leading edge 51 of the recess 11 may be out of alignment with the feed mechanism 4 before the trailing edge 52 of the recess 11 has come into alignment with the feed mechanism 4.

[0100] Referring now to Fig. 6a, it can be seen that in some embodiments, the dosing drum 5 may comprise a plurality of recesses 11. Fig. 6a shows the circumferential surface 12 of a dosing drum 5 stretched out into a 2D plane in order to better aid understanding of the following description. It will be appreciated that the 2D view in Fig. 6a could be curved around a central axis in order to form a circumferential surface 12 of a dosing drum 5. The plurality of recesses n may be spaced around the circumferential surface 51 of the dosing drum 5. The plurality of recesses 11 may be equidistantly spaced around the circumferential surface 51 of the dosing drum 5. Thus, the constant supply of powder 8 to the feed mechanism 4 may be constantly and evenly distributed. The pitch P between circumferentially spaced recesses 11 may be in the range of about 30 mm to about 50 mm. That is, the distance around the circumferential surface 51 of the dosing drum 5 between the leading edge 51 of one recess 11 and the leading edge 51 of the circumferentially adjacent, i.e. angularly spaced, recess 11 may be in the range of about 30 mm to about 50 mm. Furthermore, the gap G between adjacent circumferentially spaced recess 11 may be in the range of about 2 mm to about 15 mm. That is, the distance between the trailing edge 52 of one recess 11 and the leading edge 51 of a circumferentially adjacent recess 11, behind the one recess 11 when considering the rotation of the dosing drum 5, may be in the range of about 2 mm to about 15 mm. In some embodiments, the gap G may be less than 10 mm. In some embodiments, the gap may be in the range of about 5 mm to about 10 mm.

[0101] These parameters enable the maximum amount of recesses 11 to be used around the circumferential surface 51 of the dosing drum 5 of a given width, which helps to increase agglomeration of powder 9 output, whilst ensuring that the space between the agglomerations of powder 9 placed onto the first web of sheet material 14 are large enough for the apparatus 1 to be able to form a sufficient seal to create durable delivery systems 2. Thus, the minimum distance between adjacent recesses 11 maybe about 2 mm. In some embodiments, the minimum distance between adjacent recesses 11 may be about 5 mm.

[0102] Referring now to Fig. 6b, it can be seen that in some embodiments, the dosing drum 5 may comprise a plurality of recesses 11 spaced across its width. As with Fig. 6a, Fig. 6b shows the circumferential surface 12 of a dosing drum 5 stretched out into a 2D plane. The plurality of recesses 11 may be spaced across the width of the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 11, i.e. in the direction of the longitudinal axis A. As the width of the dosing drum 5 extends transversely to the direction of travel of the recesses 11, the plurality of recesses 11 may be referred to as transversely spaced recesses 11. The plurality of recesses 11 extending across the width of the dosing drum 5 may be in addition to the plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses 11 to form an array of recesses 11, as shown in Fig. 6b, or as an alternative. The plurality of recesses n spaced across the width of the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 11 may be aligned. That is, the leading edges 51 of the transversely spaced recesses 11 may be aligned such that they rotate past the same point in space simultaneously. Furthermore, the trailing edges 52 of the transversely spaced recesses 11 may be aligned such that they rotate past the same point in space simultaneously.

[0103] Therefore, the dosing drum 5 may comprise an array of recesses 11 arranged in columns of recesses 11 that extend circumferentially around the dosing drum 5 and rows which extend transversely across the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5. Thus, the dosing drum 5 may be able to place row after row of delivery systems 2 onto the first web of sheet material 14.

[0104] Referring now to Fig. 6c, it can be seen that in some embodiments, the dosing drum 5 may comprise a plurality of recesses 11 in the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5 that are tessellated. As with Figs. 6a and 6b, Fig. 6c shows the circumferential surface 12 of a dosing drum 5 stretched out into a 2D plane.

[0105] In the context of the present invention, the term ‘tessellated’ is used to mean that the plurality of recesses 11 fit together closely without large gaps. Thus, the available surface area of the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5 is used more efficiently in order to provide a greater number of the agglomerations of powder 9 to the first web of sheet material 14. This helps to maximise output for a given size of dosing drum 5. The plurality of recesses 11 may be arranged such that each column of recesses 11 that are spaced circumferentially are offset from the adjacent columns of recesses 11. That is, the leading edge 51 of a recess 11 in one circumferentially extending column of recesses 11 may be offset in the circumferential direction from the leading edge 51 of a recess 11 in the adjacent circumferentially extending columns of recesses 11. In some embodiments, the leading edges 51 of recesses 11 in alternate circumferentially extending columns of recesses 11 may be circumferentially aligned, as shown in Fig. 6c. The trailing edge 52 of a recess 11 in one circumferentially extending column of recesses 11 may be offset in the circumferential direction from the trailing edge 52 of a recess 11 in the adjacent circumferentially extending columns of recesses 11. In some embodiments, the trailing edges 52 of recesses 11 in alternate circumferentially extending columns of recesses 11 may be circumferentially aligned, as shown in Fig. 6c. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, a dosing drum 5 may comprise recesses 11 having a plurality of differently shaped volumes. That is, a single dosing drum 5 may comprise a plurality of recesses 11 formed by a first plurality of recesses and a second plurality of recesses. The first plurality of recesses and the second plurality of recesses may be different in terms of shape and / or volume.

[0106] For example, the first plurality of recesses may be the same shape as the second plurality of recesses but have a larger cross-sectional area. In some embodiments, the shape and cross-sectional area of the opening of the first plurality of recesses and the second plurality of recesses may be the same but the depth of one plurality of recesses may be larger than the other, or the volume of one may be tapered whilst the other is not. In other examples, the volumes of the first plurality of recesses and the second plurality of recesses may be the same but their shapes may be different. Alternatively, both the shapes and the volumes of the first and second plurality of recesses may be different.

[0107] It will be understood that in some embodiments, the first plurality of recesses may form adjacent columns of circumferentially spaced recesses on one side of the dosing drum 5 and the second plurality of recesses may form adjacent columns of circumferentially spaced recesses on the other side of the dosing drum 5. Alternatively, the columns of first and second pluralities of recesses 11 may alternate in the transverse direction across the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5. It will be understood that in some embodiments, the first plurality of recesses may form adjacent rows of transversely spaced recesses over one semi-circle of the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5 and the second plurality of recesses may form adjacent rows of transversely spaced recesses over the other semi-circle of the circumferential surface of the dosing drum 5. Alternatively, the rows of first and second pluralities of recesses 11 may alternate in the circumferential direction around the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5.

[0108] It will be appreciated that the dosing drum 5 may comprise more than two pluralities of recesses. The apparatus 1 may be configured to separate the two or more configurations of delivery system 2 formed at a later point in the process or the different configurations of delivery system 2 may be packaged in a container comprising an assortment of delivery systems 2.

[0109] Referring back to Fig. 5, the apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2 may further comprise a compression surface 55. The compression surface 55 may be located adjacent to a portion of the dosing drum 5. The compression surface 55 may be configured to apply pressure to one side of the powder 8 in the recess 11 of the dosing drum 5 in order to compact the powder 8 into an agglomeration of powder. The compression surface 55 may be a stationary element. The stationary compression surface 56 may comprise a low-friction material, such as, for example, Teflon ®. The low-friction stationary surface 55 reduces the amount of friction between the powder 8 in the recess 11 of the dosing drum 5 and the compression surface 55 as the dosing drum 5 rotates. The compression surface 55 may be formed by a stationary curved wall. The geometry of the stationary curved compression surface 55 may be closely matched to the curvature of the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5.

[0110] In alternative embodiments, the compression surface 55 may be a movable element, such as, for example, but not limited to a conveyor belt 56 that moves with the dosing drum 5 so that there is no relative motion between the compression surface 55 and the powder 8 in the recess 11 of the dosing drum 5. The conveyor belt 56 may be formed from, for example, but not limited to a stainless-steel belt. The apparatus 1 may further comprise a support element 57. The support element 57 may be configured to support the stainless-steel belt against the compression load placed on the compression surface 55- The surface of the support element 57 may be formed from a low friction material.

[0111] The conveyor belt 56 may be supported and moved by a plurality of rollers 58. At least one of the plurality of rollers 58 may be driven by a servomotor (not shown).

[0112] The dosing drum 5 may further comprise a moveable piston 61. The piston 61 may piston surface 62. The piston surface 62 may form the bottom of the recess 11. The moveable piston 61 may be configured to compress the powder received in the recess 11 against the compression surface 55 as the dosing drum 5 rotates.

[0113] In some embodiments, the piston surface 62 of the piston 61 may be profiled. Thus, the profiled surface 62 of the piston 61 may provide the cross-sectional area change over the depth of the recess n. Thus, the profiled piston surface 62 may form a part of the side wall of the recess 11 as well as the bottom wall.

[0114] The moveable piston 61 may be driven by a rotary cam 63. The rotaiy cam 63 may have a profile that is optimised for the powder fill weight of each recess 11 and the predetermined compression ratio for the agglomeration of powder 9 of each of the different configurations of the delivery system 2.

[0115] Referring to Fig. 5, it can be seen that as the dosing drum 5 rotates, in the anti- clockwise direction as shown, the recess 11 that has been filled with powder 8 by the feed mechanism 4 comes into alignment with the compression surface 55. When the whole of the recess 11 in the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5 is covered by the compression surface 55, the rotary cam 63 causes the moveable position 61 to move radially outwards. This radial movement of the moveable piston 61 reduces the distance between the piston surface 62 and the compression surface 55. The reduction in distance means that the volume of the recess 11 is reduced and the powder 8 is compressed. The powder 8, which is loosely held together prior to compression, is then compressed and packed together more tightly to form an agglomeration of powder 9. In some embodiments, the moveable piston 61 may be configured to reduce the volume of the recess 11 by about 40 % to about 90 %. The moveable piston 61 may travel in the range of about 0.1 mm to about 6 mm in the radial direction. In some embodiments, the moveable piston 61 may be configured to apply in the range of about 80 Newtons (N) to about too Newtons of force on the powder 8 received in the recess 11 of the dosing drum 5.

[0116] Once the powder 8 in the recess 11 of the dosing drum 5 has been compacted to form an agglomeration of powder, the recess 11 may be rotated out of alignment with and beyond the compression surface 55. After this, as the dosing drum 5 continues to rotate, the moveable piston 61 may be configured to move further outwards in the radial direction in order to remove the agglomeration of powder 9 from the recess 11 in the dosing drum 5. Alternatively, the agglomeration of powder 9 may fall from the recess 11 in the dosing drum 5 under the force of gravity. The agglomeration of powder 9 is deposited by the dosing drum 5 onto the first web of sheet material 14 at a release point. The release point is typically the lowest point of the rotational path of the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5. As the dosing drum 5 continues to rotate, the rotaiy cam 63 allows for the moveable piston 61 to return to its original position in order to receive the next charge of powder 8 from the feed mechanism 4. The apparatus 1 may further comprise a vacuum station 65. The vacuum station 65 may be configured to remove any remining powder 8 from the recess 11 of the dosing drum 5. The vacuum station 65 may be located after the release point but before the feed mechanism 4 in the direction of rotation of the dosing drum 5. In some embodiments, it will be appreciated that the apparatus 1 may comprise rollers that form a part of the first plurality of rollers 46 of the first web of sheet material 14 that are configured to pass the first web of sheet material between the dosing drum 5 and the compression surface 55. Therefore, the first web of sheet material 14 is located proximate to the agglomeration of powder 9 formed in the recess 11 of the dosing drum 5 at and before the release point. Thus, the agglomeration of powder 9 is less likely to break when it is deposited onto the first web of sheet material 14 and more of the powder 8 is likely to be retained on the fir tweeb of sheet material 14.

[0117] In some embodiments, as shown in Fig. 5, the first web of sheet material 14 may be passed underneath the dosing drum 5 in a tangential fashion in order to have the agglomeration of powder 9 deposited onto the first web of sheet material 14. After the agglomeration of powder is deposited onto the first web of sheet material 14, the agglomeration of powder is transported downstream in the apparatus 1, where the second plurality of rollers 48 substantially align the second web conveyance path with the first web conveyance path. In some embodiments, when the first and second web conveyance paths are aligned, the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19 may be in contact or may be spaced by a distance in the range of about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm, depending on the thickness of the webs of sheet material. Whilst some of the embodiments described herein, such as described above, mainly deal with unconnected first and second webs of sheet material on different conveyance paths, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments the first and second webs of sheet material may correspond to upper and lower or first and second portions of a single web of sheet material that are connected by a fold. The fold may be an angled fold within the web of sheet material along a fold line or a curved portion of the web where the web has been bent over on itself. The fold may be performed by a folding apparatus or garniture (not shown) located downstream of the dosing drum 5.

[0118] Referring now to Fig. 7, an enlarged schematic perspective view of a pair of delivery system forming rollers 6 and a cutting station 95 is shown. The pair of delivery system forming rollers 6 may comprise a first delivery system forming roller 71 and a second delivery system forming roller 72. The first delivery system forming roller 71 may be located above the first and second conveyance paths of the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19. The second delivery system forming roller 72 may be located below the first and second conveyance paths of the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19.

[0119] Referring briefly to Fig. 1, the first delivery system forming roller 71 may be generally cylindrical. The generally cylindrical first delivery system forming roller 71 may comprise a circumferential surface 73. The circumferential surface 73 may comprise a first profile 74. The first profile 74 may be a projection extending from the circumferential surface 73 of the first delivery system forming roller 71. The first profile 74 may extend radially outwards from the circumferential surface 73 of the first delivery system forming roller 71.

[0120] The first profile 74 on the first delivery system forming roller 71 may be non-square and non-rectangular in shape. That is, the first profile 74 may have a generally circular, triangular, tear-drop, heart, diamond, or any other shape that is not square or rectangular. Non-square and non-rectangular shapes may include squares and rectangles with rounded corners. In some embodiments, each of the corners of the first profile 74 are rounded. Thus, the first profile 74 may not be considered rectangular because it has rounded corners. In some embodiments, the first profile 74 may be any shape except for square with pointed corners, square with rounded corners, rectangular with square corners, or rectangular with rounded corners.

[0121] Referring now to Fig. 8a, the first profile 74 may be a hollow projection. That is, the first profile 74 may be perimetrical. In other words, the first profile 74 may be a projection from the circumferential surface 73 of the first delivery system forming roller 71 that defines the perimeter or boundary of a non-square shape and a non-rectangular shape. Thus, the interior 75 of the perimeter defined by the first profile 74 may be formed by the circumferential surface 73 of the first delivery system forming roller 71. The first profile 74 on the first delivery system forming roller 71 may be heated. The first profile 74 on the first delivery system forming roller 71 may be configured to form a seal 18 between the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19.

[0122] The shape of the first profile 74 on the first delivery system forming roller 71 may be configured to substantially match the shape of the recess 11 in the dosing drum 5. That is, the shape of the first profile 74 may match the perimeter of the opening to the recess 11 in the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5.

[0123] The first profile 74 may comprise and end face 76. The end face 76 of the first profile 74 may be the most radially outward surface of the first profile. The end face 76 of the first profile 74 may comprise an inner edge 77 and an outer edge 78. The interior of the first profile 74 may be defined by the inner edge 77.

[0124] In some embodiments, the inner edge 77 of the end face 76 of the first profile 74 may define a perimeter that corresponds to the perimeter of the opening to the recess 11 in the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5. In some embodiments, the inner edge 77 of the end face of the first profile may define a perimeter that is the same shape but slightly larger than the perimeter of the opening to the recess 11 in the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5. This helps prevent the agglomeration of powder 9 from being crushed by the first profile 74 of the first delivery system roller 71 and reduces the likelihood and / or amount of powder 8 that may be trapped in the seal 18 formed.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first profile 74 may be formed such that the distance between the agglomeration of powder 9 on the first web of sheet material 14 and the seal 18 formed by the first profile 74 is in the range of about 0.1 mm to about 4 mm.

[0126] In some embodiments, the first profile 74 may be raised from the circumferential surface 73 of the first deliveiy system forming roller 71 by a distance in the range of about 0.2 mm to about 5 mm. In some embodiments, the width of the projection forming the perimeter of the first profile may be in the range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm. That is, the distance between the inner edge 77 of the first profile 74 and the outer edge 78 of the first profile 74 may be in the range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm. Therefore, the width of the seal 18 formed by the first profile of the first delivery system forming roller 71 may be in the range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm. In some embodiment, the seal 18 may be a continuously formed seal extending fully around the agglomeration of powder 9. In some embodiments, the seal 18 may be a continuously formed seal extending fully around the periphery of the delivery system 2.

[0127] In the context of the present invention, the continuous seal 18 extending around the periphery of the deliveiy system 2 may be considered to be a seal without any gaps in the outline it forms around the agglomeration of powder 9 in between the first and second webs of sheet material. The continuous seal is the part of the delivery system 2 where the first and second webs of sheet material are adhered or affixed to each other. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, there may be more than two webs of sheet material used to form the deliveiy system. In some embodiments, the continuous seal may be formed in all of the webs of sheet material or in only some of the webs of sheet material but at least in two. The continuous seal may be largely planar. In some embodiments, the continuous seal may have a contact width. The width of the seal will depend on the profile of the delivery system forming rollers. In some embodiments, the continuous seal may have a constant thickness. In some embodiments, the interior 75 of the first profile 71 may comprise a recess (not shown). The recessed interior 75 may be configured to allow the agglomeration of powder 9 to extend beyond the circumferential surface 73 of the first delivery system forming roller 71 during sealing of the first web of sheet material 14 to the second web of sheet material 19 around the agglomeration of powder 9. The recessed interior 75 reduces the height requirement of the first profile 74.

[0128] In an alternative embodiment, the first profile 74 of the first delivery system forming roller 71 may be the circumferential surface 73 of the first delivery system forming roller 71. The circumferential surface 73 may comprise at least one recess (not shown) that is similar in shape and size to the recess 11 in the dosing drum 5. Therefore, the circumferential surface may be heated to form a continuous seal across the whole of the first and second webs of sheet material except for in the recesses which are configured to receive the agglomeration of powder 9 during the seal forming process. The second delivery system forming roller 72 may be generally cylindrical. The generally cylindrical second delivery system forming roller 72 may comprise a circumferential surface 83. The circumferential surface 83 may comprise a second profile 84. The second profile 84 may be a projection extending from the circumferential surface 84 of the second delivery system forming roller 72, as is also illustrated in Fig. 1. The second profile 84 may extend radially outwards from the circumferential surface 83 of the second deliveiy system forming roller 72.

[0129] The second profile 84 on the second deliveiy system forming roller 72 may be nonsquare and non-rectangular in shape. Non-square and non-rectangular shapes may include squares and rectangles with rounded corners. That is, the second profile 84 may have a generally circular, triangular, tear-drop, heart, diamond, or any other shape that is not square. The second profile 84 of the second delivery system forming roller 72 may substantially match or correspond to the first profile 74 on the first delivery system forming roller 71. Thus, the profiles 74, 84 on the pair of delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 may be non-square and non-rectangular in shape. In some embodiments, each of the corners of the second profile 84 may be rounded. Thus, a pillow shaped second profile 84 may not considered rectangular because it has rounded corners. In some embodiments, the second profile 84 may be any shape except for square with pointed corners, square with rounded corners, rectangular with square corners, or rectangular with rounded corners.

[0130] The second profile 84 may be a hollow projection. That is, the second profile 84 may be perimetrical. In other words, the second profile 84 may be a projection from the circumferential surface 83 of the second delivery system forming roller 72 that defines the perimeter or boundary of a non-square and non-rectangular shape. Thus, the interior 85 of the perimeter defined by the second profile 84 may be formed by the circumferential surface 83 of the second delivery system forming roller 72.

[0131] The second profile 84 on the second delivery system forming roller 72 may be heated.

[0132] The second profile 84 on the second delivery system forming roller 72 may be configured to form a seal 18 between the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19.

[0133] The shape of the second profile 84 on the second delivery system forming roller 72 may be configured to substantially match the shape of the recess 11 in the dosing drum 5.

[0134] That is, the shape of the second profile 84 may match the perimeter of the opening to the recess 11 in the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5. The second profile 84 may comprise and end face 86. The end face 86 of the second profile 84 may be the most radially outward surface of the second profile 84. The end face 86 of the second profile 84 may comprise an inner edge 87 and an outer edge 88. The interior 85 of the second profile 84 may be defined by the inner edge 87.

[0135] In some embodiments, the inner edge 87 of the end face 86 of the second profile 84 may define a perimeter that corresponds to the perimeter of the opening to the recess 11 in the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5. In some embodiments, the inner edge 87 of the end face 86 of the second profile 84 may define a perimeter that is the same shape but slightly larger than the perimeter of the opening to the recess 11 in the circumferential surface 12 of the dosing drum 5. This helps prevent the agglomeration of powder 9 from being crushed by the second profile 84 of the second delivery system forming roller 72 and reduces the likelihood and / or amount of powder 8 that may be trapped in the seal 18 formed.

[0136] In some embodiments, the second profile 84 may be formed such that the distance between the agglomeration of powder 9 on the first web of sheet material 14 and the seal 18 formed by the second profile 84 is in the range of about 0.1 mm to about 4 mm.

[0137] In some embodiments, the second profile 84 may be raised from the circumferential surface 83 of the second delivery system forming roller 72 by a distance in the range of about 0.2 mm to about 5 mm. In some embodiments, the width of the projection forming the perimeter of the second profile may be in the range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm. That is, the distance between the inner edge 87 of the second profile 84 and the outer edge 88 of the second profile 84 may be in the range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm. Therefore, the width of the seal 18 formed by the second profile of the second delivery system forming roller 72 may be in the range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm. In some embodiments, the seal 18 may be a continuously formed seal extending fully around the agglomeration of powder 9. In some embodiments, the seal 18 may be a continuously formed seal extending fully around the periphery of the delivery system 2.

[0138] In some embodiments, the interior 85 of the second profile 84 may comprise a recess (not shown). The recessed interior 85 may be configured to allow the agglomeration of powder 9 to extend beyond the circumferential surface 83 of the second delivery system forming roller 72 during sealing of the first web of sheet material 14 to the second web of sheet material 19 around the agglomeration of powder 9. The recessed interior 85 reduces the height requirement of the second profile 84.

[0139] In an alternative embodiment, the second profile 84 of the second delivery system forming roller 72 may be the circumferential surface 83 of the first delivery system forming roller 72. The circumferential surface 83 may comprise at least one recess (not shown) that is similar in shape and size to the recess 11 in the dosing drum 5. Therefore, the circumferential surface may be heated to form a continuous seal across the whole of the first and second webs of sheet material except for in the recesses which are configured to receive the agglomeration of powder 9 during the seal forming process.

[0140] In some embodiment, the circumferential surfaces 73, 83 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 may be covered in a coating. In some embodiments, the first and second profiles 74, 84 of the first and second deliveiy system forming rollers 71, 72 may be covered in a coating. The coating may be a nonstick coating. The coating may be, for example, but not limited to Teflon ® or a similar material.

[0141] The non-stick coating may prevent the parts of the material forming the webs of sheet material 14, 19 or loose powder, or any adhesive used on the web from sticking to the forming rollers 71, 72. Thus, the apparatus 1 may run continuously for a shift without having to be stopped to be cleaned.

[0142] In some embodiments, a shaft supporting the first pouch forming roller 71 may be mounted to a first housing (not shown) and a shaft supporting the second pouch forming roller 72 may be mounted to a second housing (not shown). In some embodiments, the first and second housing may be mounted such that they are movable relative to one another. In some embodiments, the first and second housings may be hingedly joined together or cantilevered. Therefore, the first and second pouch forming rollers 71, 72 may be rotated away from each other in order to facilitate cleaning or maintenance of the rollers 71, 72 or apparatus 1 when the apparatus is not running. In some embodiments, the first and second housings may be movable relative to one another in a linear fashion. The first and second housings may be linearly movable relative to one another in a direction perpendicular to their axis of rotation. For example, the first housing may be moveable in an upwards direction away from the second housing. Additionally or alternatively, the second housing may be movable in a downwards direction away form the first housing.

[0143] This arrangement may also allow for the pressure applied to the web between the two rollers to be varied by locating the two housings such that a gap between the first and second pouch forming rollers 71, 72 can be varied. Advantageously, this arrangement ensures that the pressure distribution is uniform and perpendicular. Therefore, the webs of material are transported in the correct straight conveyance path, i.e. perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rollers 71, 72.

[0144] As illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 7, the first web of sheet material 14 with an agglomeration of powder 9 deposited thereon is fed towards the pair of delivery system forming rollers 6. The second web of sheet material 19 is also fed towards the pair of delivery system forming rollers 6. The first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19 and agglomeration of powder 9 are fed into the pair of delivery system forming rollers 6. As the webs of sheet material 14, 19 and agglomeration of powder 9 enter the pair of delivery system forming rollers 6, the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 rotate such that the first and second profiles 74, 84 encompass the agglomeration of powder 9 held between the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19. The heated first and second profiles 74, 84 cause a seal 18 to be formed between the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19 to enclose the agglomeration of powder in a cavity between the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19 to form a web 90 of deliveiy system delivery systems 2. The heated profiles 74, 84 may be heated to a temperature of up to about 180 degrees Celsius. A contact time of the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19 with the first and second profiles 74, 84 of about 1 second may form a sufficient seal 18.

[0145] The seal 18 may be completed at the nip point 17. The nip point 17 is the point where the distance between the first and second profiles 74, 84 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 is at its minimum. The distance between the first and second profiles 74, 84 at the nip point 17 may be configured to compress the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19 together. Therefore, the seal 18 between the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19 may be formed by both compression and heat.

[0146] Referring to Fig. 1, it can be seen that in some embodiments, each of the pair of delivery system forming rollers 6 may comprise a plurality of profiles spaced around their circumferential surfaces 73, 74. That is, the first delivery system forming roller 71 may comprise a plurality of profiles 74 spaced around its circumferential surface 73. In addition, the second delivery system forming roller 72 may comprise a plurality of profiles 84 space around its circumferential surface 84.

[0147] The plurality of profiles 74, 84 may be spaced around the circumferential surfaces 73, 83 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72, respectively. The plurality of profiles 74, 84 may be equidistantly spaced around the circumferential surfaces 73, 83 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72, respectively.

[0148] Fig. 8a shows the circumferential surface 73, 83 of the first and second deliveiy system forming rollers 71, 72 stretched out into a 2D plane in order to better aid understanding of the following description. It will be appreciated that the 2D view in Fig. 8a could be curved around a central axis in order to form a circumferential surface 73, 74 of either the first or second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72.

[0149] The pitch P’ between circumferentially spaced profiles 73, 83 on the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72, respectively, may be in the range of about 30 mm to about 50 mm. That is, the distance around the circumferential surface 73, 83 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 between a leading edge 91 of a profile 74, 84 and the leading edge 91 of a trailing circumferentially adjacent, i.e. angularly spaced, profile 74, 84 may be in the range of about 30 mm to about 50 mm. It will be appreciated that it is preferable that the pitch on the first deliveiy system forming roller 71 is the same as the pitch on the second delivery system forming roller 72.

[0150] Furthermore, the gap G’ between adjacent circumferentially spaced profiles 74, 84 on the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72, respectively, my be in the range of about 2 mm to about 15 mm. That is, the distance between the trailing edge 92 of one profiles 74, 84 and the leading edge 91 of a circumferentially adjacent profile 74, 84, when considering the rotation of the first and second delivery system forming rollers, 71, 72, respectively, may be in the range of about 2 mm to about 15 mm. In some embodiments, the gap G’ may be less than 10 mm. In some embodiments, the gap may be in the range of about 5 mm to about 10 mm.

[0151] Referring now to Fig. 8b, it can be seen that in some embodiments, the circumferential surfaces 73, 83 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 may comprise a plurality of profiles 74, 84 spaced across their width. As with Fig. 8a, Fig. 8b shows the circumferential surface 73, 83 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 stretched out into a 2D plane. The plurality of profiles 74, 84 may be spaced across the width of the circumferential surfaces 73, 83 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72, i.e. in the direction of the rotational axis. As the width of the deliveiy system forming rollers 71, 72 extends transversely to the direction of travel of the profiles 74, 84, the plurality of profiles 74, 84 may be referred to as transversely spaced profiles 74, 84. The plurality of profiles 74, 84 extending across the width of the first and second deliveiy system forming rollers 71, 72 may be in addition to the plurality of circumferentially spaced profiles to form an array of profiles 74, 84, as shown in Fig. 8b, or as an alternative. Therefore, the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 may each comprise an array of profiles 74, 84 arranged in columns of profiles 74, 84 that extend circumferentially around the first and second deliveiy system forming rollers 71, 72, respectively, and rows of profiles 74, 84 that extend transversely across the circumferential surfaces 73, 83 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72, respectively. Thus, the pair of deliveiy system forming rollers 6 may be able to seal row after row agglomerations of powder 9 inside of the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19.

[0152] Referring now to Fig. 8c, it can be seen that in some embodiments, the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 may comprise a plurality of profiles 74, 84 in the circumferential surfaces 73, 83, respectively, that are tessellated. That is, the profiles 74, 84 in the circumferential surfaces 73, 83 of the pair of delivery system forming rollers 6 may be substantially tessellated. As with Figs. 8a and 8b, Fig. 8c shows the circumferential surface 73, 83 of the first and second deliveiy system forming rollers 71, 72. stretched out in a 2D plane. In the context of the present invention, the term ‘tessellated’ is used to mean that the plurality of profiles 74, 84 fit together closely without large gaps. Thus, the available surface area of the circumferential surface 73, 74 of the first and second deliveiy system forming rollers 71, 72 is used more efficiently in order to seal a greater number of agglomerations of powder 9 between the first and second webs of sheet material 14, 19 per rotation of the rollers 71, 72. This helps to maximise the output of sealed delivery system in the web 80 leaving the pair of delivery system forming rollers 6.

[0153] The plurality of profiles 74, 84 may be arranged such that each column of profiles 74, 84 that are spaced circumferentially are offset from the adjacent columns of profiles 74,

[0154] 84. That is, the leading edge 91 of a profile 74, 84 in one circumferentially extending column of profiles 74, 84 may be offset in the circumferential direction from the leading edge 91 of a profile 74, 84 in the adjacent circumferentially extending columns of profiles 74, 84. In some embodiments, the leading edges 91 of profiles 74, 84 in alternate circumferentially extending columns of profiles 74, 84 may be circumferentially aligned, as shown in Fig. 8c. The trailing edge 92 of a profile 74, 84 in one circumferentially extending column of profiles 74, 84 may be offset in the circumferential direction from the trailing edge 92 of a profile 74, 84 in the adjacent circumferentially extending columns of profiles 74, 84. In some embodiments, the trailing edges 92 of profiles 74, 84 in alternate circumferentially extending columns of profiles 74, 84 maybe circumferentially aligned, as shown in Fig. 8c.

[0155] Furthermore, it will be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, the first and second deliveiy system forming rollers 71, 72 may comprise profiles 74, 84 having a plurality of differently shaped volumes. That is, the first delivery system forming roller 71 may comprise a plurality of profiles 74 formed by a first plurality of profiles and a second plurality of profiles. The first plurality of profiles and the second plurality of profiles may be different in terms of shape and / or volume. The second delivery system forming roller 72 may comprise a plurality of profiles 84 formed by a first plurality of profiles and a second plurality of profiles. The first plurality of profiles and the second plurality of profiles may be different in terms of shape and / or volume. It will be appreciated that the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 may be mirror images of one another so that the profiles may align to form a seal. In some embodiments, the first plurality of profiles may be the same shape as the second plurality of profiles but define a larger cross-sectional area. In other examples, the cross-sectional area defined by the first plurality of profiles and the second plurality of profiles may be the same but their shapes may be different. Alternatively, both the shapes and the cross-sectional areas defined by the first and second plurality of profiles may be different.

[0156] It will be understood that in some embodiments, the first plurality of profiles may form adjacent columns of circumferentially spaced profiles on one side of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 and the second plurality of profiles may form adjacent columns of circumferentially spaced profiles on the other side of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72. Alternatively, the columns of first and second pluralities of profiles may alternate in the transverse direction across the circumferential surfaces 73, 74 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers

[0157] 71, 72. It will be understood that in some embodiments, the first plurality of profiles may form adjacent rows of transversely spaced profiles over one semi-circle of the circumferential surface 73, 83 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 and the second plurality of profiles may form adjacent rows of transversely spaced profiles over the other semi-circle of the circumferential surface 73, 83 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72. Alternatively, the rows of first and second pluralities of profiles may alternate in the circumferential direction around the circumferential surface 73, 83 of the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71,

[0158] 72. It will be appreciated that the first and second delivery system forming rollers 71, 72 may comprise more than two pluralities of profiles. The apparatus 1 may be configured to separate the two or more configurations of delivery system 2 formed at a later point in the process or the different configurations of delivery system 2 may be packaged in a container comprising an assortment of delivery systems 2.

[0159] Referring back to Fig. 7, the apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2 may further comprise a cutting station 95. The cutting station 95 may be located downstream from the pair of delivery system forming rollers 6. The cutting station 95 may comprise a cutter 96. The cutter 96 may be configured to cut individual deliver systems 2 from the web 90 of delivery systems 2. In some embodiments, the cutter 96 may be a laser cutter, as shown in Fig. 7. In other embodiments, the cutter 96 may be a mechanical cutter.

[0160] In some embodiments, the apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2 may further comprise a pair of flattening rollers 97. The pair of flattening rollers 97 may be located downstream of the pair of profiled rollers 6. The pair of flattening rollers 97 may also be located upstream of the cutting station 95. The pair of flattening rollers 97 may be configured to flatten out the sealed web 90 of delivery systems before the web 90 is cut by the cutter 96. The distance between the pair of flattening rollers 97 at the nip may be in the range of about 0.5 mm to about 6 mm.

[0161] Furthermore, in some embodiment, the apparatus for manufacturing deliveiy systems 2 may further comprise a hydration station 98. The hydration station 98 may be located downstream of the cutting station 95. The hydration station 98 may comprise a water jet 99 configured to adjust the moisture of the delivery systems 2. The waterjet 99 may spray water onto the delivery systems 2 in order to raise the moisture level of the delivery system 2.

[0162] The apparatus may further comprise excess web removal rollers too configured to remove the excess web cut away from the deliveiy systems 2. The apparatus too may also comprise a conveyor for transporting the individual cut delivery systems 2 from the cutting station 95 downstream in the apparatus 1.

[0163] Although described in detail above in relation to each of the features of the apparatus 1 for manufacturing delivery systems 2, a method for manufacturing a delivery system, will now be described hereinafter.

[0164] The method comprises the steps of filling a recess 11 in a dosing drum 5 with powder 8 to form an agglomeration of powder 9, placing the agglomeration of powder 9 on a first web of sheet material 14, placing an second web of sheet material 19 over the agglomeration of powder 9 on the first web of material, transporting the agglomeration of powder 9 and webs of sheet material 14, 19 through a pair of profile rollers 6, and heating the profiles 74, 84 on the pair of profile rollers 6 to seal the agglomeration of powder 9 within the webs of sheet material 14, 19 to form a web 90 of delivery systems 2. The method may further comprise filling the recess n in the dosing drum 5 from a feed mechanism 4, such as, for example a feeding drum or an auger system 34.

[0165] The method may further comprise forming an agglomeration of powder 9 in the dosing drum 5 by compressing the powder 8. Forming the agglomeration of powder 9 in the dosing drum 5 may comprise moving the piston 61 towards the compression surface 55 to compress the powder 8 into the agglomeration of powder 9.

[0166] The method may further comprise the step of flattening the web 90 of deliveiy systems 2 using a pair of flattening rollers 97. The method may further comprise cutting the web

[0167] 90 of deliveiy systems 2 into individual delivery systems 2. The method may further comprises spraying water onto the delivery systems 2 to adjust their moisture content.

[0168] Referring finally to Figs. 9a to 9g, there is shown examples of non-square and non- rectangular delivery systems 2. Each of the exemplary delivery systems 2 comprises a first web of sheet material 14 and a second web of sheet material 19 sealed together around the periphery and defining a cavity therebetween. An agglomeration of powder 9 for delivering a substance is located in the cavity. Each delivery system 2 is nonsquare and non-rectangular in shape. In some embodiments, each of the corners of the delivery system 2 are rounded. Thus, the pillow shaped delivery system 2 is not considered rectangular because it has rounded corners. In some embodiments, the pouch delivery systems are any shaped except for square with pointed corners, square with rounded corners, rectangular with square corners, or rectangular with rounded corners.

[0169] As explained previously, the shape of the delivery system 2 is defined by the outline of the continuous peripheral seal. Thus, the shape of the delivery system 2 is defined by its cross-sectional shape at the seal between the webs of sheet material. Thus, it will be understood that a delivery system may be flattened and would form a non-square and non-rectangular shape.

[0170] In some embodiments, the agglomeration of powder 9 may occupy in the range of about 60 % to about 95 % of the volume of the cavity. In some embodiments, the agglomeration of powder 9 may have a moisture content in the range of about 18 % to about 50 %. The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc, other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.”

Claims

Claims1. An apparatus for manufacturing delivery systems, the apparatus comprising: a feeder mechanism configured to store powder for forming an agglomeration of powder to be placed in a delivery system; a dosing drum comprising a recess located in its circumferential surface, the recess being configured to receive powder from the feeder mechanism, the dosing drum being configured to form an agglomeration of powder and place the agglomeration of powder on a first web of sheet material; and a pair of delivery system forming rollers, each roller comprising a profile, the profiles configured to rotate through a nip point and seal a first web of sheet material and a second web of sheet material around an agglomeration of powder at the nip point to form a web of deliveiy systems.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recess is non-square and non- rectangular in shape.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the dosing drum comprises a plurality of recesses spaced around its circumferential surface.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pitch between circumferentially spaced recesses is in the range of about 30 mm to about 50 mm.

5. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dosing drum comprises a plurality of recesses spaced across its width.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claim 3 to claim 5, wherein the gap between adjacent recesses is less than about 10 mm.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claim 3 to claim 6, wherein the recesses in the circumferential surface are substantially tessellated.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claim 3 to claim 7, wherein the plurality of recesses have a plurality of differently shaped volumes.

9. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the volume of the recess is in the range of about 200 mm3 to about 800 mm3.

10. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a compression surface, and wherein the dosing drum comprises a moveable piston, a piston surface forming the bottom of the recess, wherein the moveable piston is configured to compress the powder received in the recess against the compression surface as the dosing drum rotates.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the compression surface is formed by a stationary curved wall.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the piston is configured to reduce the volume of the recess in the range of about 40% to about 90%.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claim 10 to claim 12, wherein the piston is configured to apply in the range of 80 N to too N of force on the powder received in the recess.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claim 10 to claim 13, further comprising web rollers configured to pass a first web of sheet material between the dosing drum and the compression surface.

15. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the profiles of the pair of delivery system forming rollers are non-square and non- rectangular in shape.

16. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pair of delivery system forming rollers comprise a plurality of profiles spaced around their circumferential surfaces.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the pitch between circumferentially spaced profiles is in the range of about 30 mm to about 50 mm.

18. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pair of delivery system forming rollers comprises a plurality of profiles spaced across its width.19- The apparatus according to any one of claim 16 to claim 18, wherein the gap between adjacent profiles on the pair of delivery system forming rollers is less than about io mm.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claim 16 to claim 19, wherein the profiles in the circumferential surfaces of the pair of delivery system forming rollers are substantially tessellated.

21. The apparatus according to any one of claim 16 to claim 20, wherein the plurality of profiles have a plurality of different shapes.

22. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the profiles on the pair of delivery system forming rollers are heated and configured to form a seal between the first and second webs of sheet material.

23. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the feeder mechanism comprises a dosing chamber, the dosing chamber comprising a scraping edge configured to remove excess powder from an opening to the recess in the dosing drum.

24. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a pair of flattening rollers located downstream of the pair of profiled rollers, the pair of flattening rollers configured to flatten out the sealed web of delivery systems.

25. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a cutter configured to cut delivery systems from the web of delivery systems.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the cutter is a laser cutter.2.

7. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the cutter is a mechanical cutter.

28. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a hydration station comprising a waterjet configured to adjust the moisture of the delivery systems.

29. A method for manufacturing a delivery system, the method comprising the steps of: filling a recess in a dosing drum with powder to form an agglomeration of powder; placing the agglomeration of powder on a first web of sheet material; placing a second web of sheet material over the agglomeration of powder on the first web of material; transporting the agglomeration of powder and webs through a pair of profile rollers; heating the profiles on the pair of profile rollers to form a continuous seal around the peripheiy of the delivery system to seal the agglomeration of powder within the webs to form a web of delivery systems.

30. The method according to claim 29, where the continuous seal forms a non- square and non-rectangular boundary such that the delivery systems are non-square and non-rectangular in shape.

31. The method according to claim 29 or claim 30, wherein the recess in the dosing drum is filled from a feed mechanism.

32. The method according to any one of claim 29 to claim 31, further comprising forming an agglomeration of powder in the dosing drum by compressing the powder.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein forming the agglomeration of powder in the dosing drum comprises moving a piston towards a compression surface to compress the powder into an agglomeration of powder.

34. The method according to any one of claim 29 to claim 33, further comprising the step of flattening the web of deliveiy systems using a pair of flattening rollers.

35. The method according to any one of claim 29 to claim 34, further comprising cutting the web of delivery systems into individual deliveiy systems.

36. The method according to any one of claim 29 to claim 35, further comprising spraying water on the delivery systems to adjust their moisture content.37 ■ A delivery system comprising: a first web of sheet material and a second web of sheet material sealed together around the periphery to define a cavity therebetween; wherein the seal is a continuous seal around the periphery of the delivery system; and an agglomeration of powder of powder for delivering a substance located in the cavity.

38. The deliveiy system according to claim 37, wherein the deliveiy system is non- square and non-rectangular in shape.

39. The deliveiy system according to claim 37 or claim 38, wherein the agglomeration of powder occupies in the range of about 60 % to about 95 % of the volume of the cavity.

40. The delivery system according to any one of claim 37 to claim 39, wherein the agglomeration of powder has a moisture content in the range of about 18 % to about 50 0 / 0.

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