High throughput hermeticity tester

Abstract

A hermeticity tester includes a vacuum bubble tank and a pouch rack disposed within an internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank. The vacuum bubble tank includes a tank and a tank lid that define the internal volume and are transparent. The vacuum bubble tank is configured to contain a liquid and hold a vacuum. The pouch rack includes a base, outer walls coupled to the base, a pouch rack lid, and a plurality of dividers. The base, the outer walls, and the pouch rack lid define a rack internal volume. The dividers are disposed within the rack internal volume and partition the rack internal volume into a plurality of compartments. The pouch rack lid is transparent, and the base, the outer walls, the pouch rack lid, or combinations thereof include holes enabling liquids to flow into and out of the rack internal volume.

Description

HIGH THROUGHPUT HERMETICITY TESTERCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 649,511 filed May 20, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUNDField

[0002] The present specification generally relates to hermeticity testing and, more specifically, to hermeticity testers and methods for using the same for conducting hermeticity testing and / or leak testing for sealed packaging.Technical Background

[0003] Sealed packaging, such as but not limited to sealed plastic pouches, are used to store various types of items in a hermetic environment, where the items can include but are not limited to food products, liquids, medicines, consumer goods, electronics, and many other types of articles. Sealed packaging made on commercial production lines must meet certain quality standards and must be made of materials that can protect the contents stored within the sealed plastic pouches. This protection is a function of the materials, such as plastic films and the like, that are used and the sealing processes used to make the sealed packages. Developing new sealed packages having new designs, new plastic films, or new sealants requires testing the hermeticity of a large number of the sealed packages, such as through leak testing, at conditions under the standard test method in ASTM-D3078.SUMMARY

[0004] To test the quality of the plastic films and seals, sealed plastic pouches and other sealed packages are tested in a vacuum bubble tank. Gas-filled sealed plastic pouches are placed inside the vacuum bubble tank, which is filled with a liquid, such as but not limited to water. The vacuum bubble tank is sealed, vacuum is drawn, and any incomplete pouch seal will be evident by bubbles escaping from the gas-filled sealed plastic pouches. The standard test method for hermeticity testing using a vacuum bubble tank is found in ASTM-D3078. The vacuum bubble tank enables identification of the specific sealed plastic pouches exhibiting leaks as well as the specific location of each leak.

[0005] To satisfy industry testing requirements for hermeticity for a new material, sealant, or package design, a large number of sealed plastic pouches must be tested, such as up to or even exceeding 200 pouches. Current testing capability only allows for testing of a few pouches at a time in a typical vacuum bubble tank, which is a limitation of the size of the vacuum bubble tanks. For instance, a typical vacuum bubble tank can be used to test from 2-6 pouches at a time, depending on the size of the vacuum bubble tank, while still being able to identify the specific location of the leaks. This limitation has been identified as a bottleneck in the pouch validation process. Even the largest commercially-available vacuum bubble tanks can test limited numbers of pouches at a time. Additionally, pouches simply placed in a tank are hard to keep track of in order to identify leakers, which is due to pouch movement while pulling the vacuum.

[0006] High-throughput hermeticity testing systems have been developed and implemented at commercial scale for many products. However, all of these existing high-throughput hermeticity testing systems have the disadvantage of only being able to determine pass / fail of a sealed plastic pouch. These existing high-throughput hermeticity testing systems are not able to show the leak location, and some cannot show how severe the leak is. Therefore, an ongoing need exists for high-throughput hermeticity testers capable of conducting hermeticity testing of a large number of sealed plastic pouches while also being able to easily identify the pouches are leaking (i.e., leakers) and the location and severity of each of the leaks.

[0007] The present disclosure satisfies this ongoing need and solves the problems in the art by providing a hermeticity tester that includes a vacuum bubble tank and a pouch rack disposed within the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank. The pouch rack may be removable from the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank. The pouch rack comprises a base, outer walls, and a pouch rack lid that cooperate to define a pouch rack internal volume. The pouch rack further comprises a plurality of dividers that partition the pouch rack internal volume into a plurality of compartments. The pouch rack enables better utilization of the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank, which allows for the testing of a greater number of sealed plastic pouches simultaneously during each vacuum cycle of the vacuum bubble tank. The pouch rack further keeps the sealed plastic pouches in discrete locations for easy identification of the leakers and specific location and severity of the leaks in each of the leakers, among other features.

[0008] According to one aspect, a hermeticity tester is disclosed. The hermeticity tester comprises a vacuum bubble tank and a pouch rack. The vacuum bubble tank comprises a tankand a tank lid defining an internal volume, wherein the tank, the tank lid, or both are transparent, and the vacuum bubble tank is configured to contain a liquid and hold a vacuum. The pouch rack is disposed within the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank, wherein the pouch rack comprises: a base, outer walls coupled to the base, and a pouch rack lid, wherein the base, the outer walls, and the pouch rack lid define a rack internal volume; and a plurality of dividers disposed within the rack internal volume and partitioning the rack internal volume into a plurality of compartments, wherein: the pouch rack lid is transparent; and the base, the outer walls, the pouch rack lid, or combinations thereof comprise through holes configured to enable liquids to flow into and out of the rack internal volume.

[0009] A method of leak testing a plurality of pouches simultaneously using the hermeticity test according to embodiments disclosed herein is also disclosed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 schematically depicts a front perspective view of a hermeticity tester, according to embodiments shown and described herein;

[0011] FIG. 2 schematically depicts a front perspective view of a vacuum bubble tank of the hermeticity tester of FIG. 1, according to embodiments shown and described herein;

[0012] FIG. 3 schematically depicts a front perspective view of a pouch rack of the hermeticity tester of FIG. 1, according to embodiments shown and described herein;

[0013] FIG. 4 schematically depicts an end view of the pouch rack of FIG. 3, according to embodiments shown and described herein;

[0014] FIG. 5 schematically depicts a front perspective view of another embodiment of a pouch rack, according to embodiments shown and described herein;

[0015] FIG. 6 schematically depicts an end view of the pouch rack of FIG. 5, according to embodiments shown and described herein;

[0016] FIG. 7 schematically depicts a front perspective view of the pouch rack of FIG. 5 having sub-dividers disposed in compartments of the pouch rack, according to embodiments shown and described herein; and

[0017] FIG. 8 schematically depicts a front perspective view of the sub-divider of FIG. 7, according to embodiments shown and described herein.

[0018] Reference will now be made in greater detail to various embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present disclosure is directed to high-throughput hermeticity testers for testing hermeticity of sealed pouches used for packaging. The hermeticity testers disclosed herein include a vacuum bubble tank and a pouch rack disposed within the vacuum bubble tank, where the pouch rack enables hermetic testing of a plurality sealed pouches (e.g., at least 8 sealed pouches, or even at least 12 sealed pouches) simultaneously, which being able to identify the presence and location of each of the leaks. Referring now to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the hermeticity tester 100 disclosed herein is schematically depicted. The hermeticity tester 100 may include a vacuum bubble tank 110 comprising a tank 112 and a tank lid 114 defining an internal volume, wherein the vacuum bubble tank 110 may be configured to contain a liquid and hold a vacuum. The hermeticity tester 100 may also include a pouch rack 140 disposed within the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110. The pouch rack 140 may include a base 142, outer walls 144 coupled to the base 142, and a pouch rack lid 146, wherein the base 142, the outer walls 144, and the pouch rack lid 146 define a rack internal volume. The pouch rack 140 may further include a plurality of dividers 160 disposed within the rack internal volume and partitioning the rack internal volume into a plurality of compartments 162. The pouch rack lid 146 may be transparent, and the base 142, the outer walls 144, the pouch rack lid 146, or combinations thereof may comprise through holes configured to enable liquids to flow into and out of the rack internal volume.

[0020] The hermeticity tester disclosed herein is capable of testing many sealed plastic pouches (e.g., from 8 to 48 sealed plastic pouches depending on the size) simultaneously while also providing for visual inspections to document leak location and leak severity for each of the leakers (i.e., sealed plastic pouches exhibiting a leak). The pouch rack of the hermeticity tester can reduce or eliminate the need for very large, expensive vacuum bubble tanks by more efficiently utilizing the volume inside the vacuum bubble tank. The pouch racks also may keep the sealed plastic pouches in predetermined locations for ease of tracking and may maintain the orientation of the sealed plastic pouches throughout the testing process. The pouch racks may allow for mixing types and sizes of pouches due to pouches staying in discrete locations. Further, by testing a full run of sealed plastic pouches simultaneously (e.g., a full run being 10-12 pouches),validation of new films, sealants, and fabrication parameters can be completed much more quickly, among other features.

[0021] In the drawings, the + / -Z direction of the coordinate axis generally corresponds to the vertical direction which is parallel to the direction of the gravitational force vector. The + / -X direction of the coordinate axis is perpendicular to the + / -Z axis and generally parallel to a front wall 118 of the vacuum bubble tank 110 (FIG. 1) and / or the front wall 150 of the pouch rack 140 (FIG. 3), and the + / -Y direction of the coordinate axis is perpendicular to the + / -Z axis and to the + / -X axis.

[0022] As used herein, the term "coupled" refers to a first component being connected to a second component either directly or indirectly, such as through one or more third components that coupled the first component to the second component. The term "coupled" includes rigidly or fixedly coupled, in which the first component and the second component are connected so that the two components are not moveable relative to one another. The term "coupled" also includes non- rigid coupling, in which the first component and the second component are coupled in a manner that allows one of the components to move relative to the other component. "Slidably coupled" refers to the first component directly or indirectly connected to the second component such that the first component may slide in at least one direction relative to the second component. "Rotationally coupled" refers to the first component directly or indirectly connected to the second component such that the first component may rotate relative to the second component, such as rotation about a pivot point.

[0023] As used herein, the term "transparent" refers to a material having greater than 90% transmission of light having wavelength in the visible spectrum (i.e., light having wavelength of from 370 nm to 700 nm).

[0024] As used herein, the term "leakers" refers to a sealed plastic pouch that exhibits a leak during hermeticity testing in the hermeticity tester, as evidenced by the release of gas bubbles from the sealed plastic pouch having the leak.

[0025] As used herein, the term "hermeticity" refers to a property of a sealed plastic pouch relating to a propensity of the sealed plastic pouch to exhibit air bubbles exiting the sealed plastic pouch when submerged in a liquid and subjected to a vacuum according to the testing methods in ASTM-D3078, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0026] Referring again to FIG. 1 , the hermeticity tester 100 comprises the vacuum bubble tank110 and the pouch rack 140 disposed within the internal volume 116 of the vacuum bubble tank 110. Referring now to FIG. 2, the vacuum bubble tank 110 may include a tank 112 and a tank lid 114, which together define the internal volume 116 of the vacuum bubble tank 110. The tank 112 may include a base, a front wall 118, a rear wall 120, and two side walls. In embodiments, the tank lid 114 may be coupled to the tank 112 by hinges. In embodiments, the tank lid 114 may be removable from the tank 112, such as by lifting off or sliding the tank lid 114 off of the tank 112. In embodiments, the tank lid 114 may be slidably coupled to or rotationally coupled to the tank 112. The tank 112 and the tank lid 114 may be constructed of transparent plastic to allow visual inspection of the sealed plastic pouches through the walls of the tank 112 and the tank lid 114 during hermeticity testing. The transparent plastic materials may include but are not limited to transparent acrylic, polycarbonate, or other transparent plastic materials. In embodiments, the tank 112 and tank lid 114 may be clear, meaning that the tank 112 and tank lid 114 are made of materials that are colorless, such as having no noticeable color or tint. The tank 112 may comprise transparent plastic sheets coupled together at the seams with a bonding agent, such as a solventbased adhesive or solvent-based cement which are non-soluble in water.

[0027] The vacuum bubble tank 110 may be configured to contain a liquid, such as water, an alcohol, or other solvent. The liquid may be added to the tank 112 through the top and removed through a drain valve in the base of the tank 112. The vacuum bubble tank 110 may be configured to hold a vacuum. In embodiments, the vacuum bubble tank 110 may be configured to hold a vacuum of up to 85 kilopascals (kPa or about 25 inches of Hg), such as from 10 kPa to 85 kPa, from 20 kPa to 85 kPa, from 40 kPa to 85 kPa, or from 40 kPa to 65 kPa, or from 60 kPa to 85 kPa. The vacuum bubble tank 110 may further include a vacuum pump 130 fluidly coupled to the internal volume 116 of the vacuum bubble tank 110. The vacuum pump 130 may be configured to pull a vacuum on the internal volume 116 of the vacuum bubble tank 110. The vacuum bubble tank 110 may have a vacuum gauge 132 on the tank lid 114, where the vacuum gauge 132 may be configured to measure the vacuum pressure within the vacuum bubble tank 110 during testing.

[0028] Referring again to FIG. 1, the hermeticity tester 100 further includes the pouch rack 140, which may be disposed within the internal volume 116 of the vacuum bubble tank 110. The pouch rack 140 may be partially or completely removable from the internal volume 116 of the vacuum bubble tank 110. The pouch rack 140 is detached from the vacuum bubble tank 110 sothat the pouch rack 140 may be removed from the vacuum bubble tank 110 to replace the sealed plastic pouches during hermeticity testing. Referring now to FIG. 3, the pouch rack 140 may include a base 142, outer walls 144 coupled to the base 142, and a pouch rack lid 146. The base 142, the outer walls 144, and the pouch rack lid 146 may define a rack internal volume. The pouch rack 140 may further include the plurality of dividers 160 disposed within the rack internal volume, where the plurality of dividers 160 partition the rack internal volume into a plurality of compartments 162. The pouch rack 140 may further comprise one or a plurality of floats 170 coupled to the base 142, one or a plurality of handles 180 coupled to end walls 154 of the pouch rack 140, one or a plurality of skids 190 attached to a front wall 150, or combinations thereof.

[0029] Referring again to FIG. 3, the outer walls 144 of the pouch rack 140 may include the front wall 150, a rear wall 152 on the opposite side from the front wall 150, and the two end walls 154 extending between the front wall 150 and the rear wall 152. The front wall 150, the rear wall 152, and the two end walls 154 may be rigidly coupled to the base 142 with a bonding agent, such as but not limited to a solvent-based adhesive or solvent-based cement. Each of the end walls 154 may be rigidly coupled to the front wall 150 and the rear wall 152 with a bonding agent, such as a solvent-based adhesive or solvent-based cement. The solvent-based adhesive and / or cement may be any solvent-based adhesive and / or cement that is not soluble in water. The base 142, the front wall 150, the rear wall 152, and the two end walls 154, when coupled together, may form a rectangular box having an opening at the top (i.e., top opening).

[0030] The pouch rack lid 146 may be configured to close off the top opening in the pouch rack 140. Closing off the top opening of the pouch rack 140 with the pouch rack lid 146 may maintain each of the sealed plastic pouches in its respective compartment 162 and prevent the sealed plastic pouches from floating out of the pouch rack 140 during testing. In embodiments, the pouch rack lid 146 may be removable from the top of the outer walls 144. In embodiments, the pouch rack lid 146 may be slidable between an open position and a closed position, such as by sliding the pouch rack lid 146 within channels or brackets (not shown) rigidly attached to the tops of two or more of the outer walls 144 of the pouch rack 140. The channels may further maintain the pouch rack lid 146 in the closed position during testing. In embodiments, the pouch rack lid 146 may be rotationally coupled to one of the outer walls 144 with one or a plurality of hinges (not shown) and may be rotatable about the hinges to open and close the pouch rack lid 146. In embodiments, the pouch rack 140 may include a mechanism for securing the pouch rack lid 146in the closed position during testing. Mechanisms for securing the pouch rack lid 146 in the closed position may include but are not limited to magnets, clips, latches, clamps, other securing device, or combinations thereof. In embodiments, the pouch rack lid 146 may be a two part lid, where each part may be transitioned to an open position independent of the other part.

[0031] The pouch rack lid 146 may be constructed of a transparent material to allow for visual inspection of the sealed plastic pouches during hermeticity testing to identify leakers and location and severity of the leaks. The transparent materials may allow the sealed plastic pouches and any bubbles escaping from the sealed plastic pouches to be clearly visible through the materials. In embodiments, the outer walls 144 and the pouch rack lid 146 may be constructed of the transparent material to further improve the ability to visually inspect the sealed plastic pouches during testing. In embodiments, the base 142, the outer walls 144, and the pouch rack lid 146 may be constructed of the transparent material. The transparent materials may include transparent plastics, such as but not limited to transparent acrylics, polycarbonates, or other transparent plastics. In embodiments, the transparent materials for the base 142, outer walls 144, and / or pouch rack lid 146 may also be clear, meaning that the transparent materials are colorless, such as having no noticeable color or tint.

[0032] As previously discussed, the pouch rack 140 may be removable from the vacuum bubble tank 110. Referring again to FIG. 3, the base 142, the outer walls 144, the pouch rack lid 146, or combinations thereof may comprise holes 156 extending through the base 142, outer walls 144, and / or pouch rack lid 146, where the holes are configured to enable liquids to flow into and out of the pouch rack internal volume. The holes in the base 142 and in the pouch rack lid 146 may enable ingress of the liquids (e.g., water) into the pouch rack internal volume while inserting the pouch rack 140 into the vacuum bubble tank 110 and may enable egress of the liquid from the pouch rack internal volume while removing the pouch rack 140 from the vacuum bubble tank 110. Since a portion of the holes 156 in the base 142 may be blocked by the floats 170, in embodiments, the outer walls 144 of the pouch rack 140 may also have holes 156 to allow ingress and egress of liquids while inserting and / or removing the pouch rack 140 from the vacuum bubble tank 110. The holes 156 in the outer walls 144 may make up for blockage of holes 156 in the base 142 by the floats 170. In embodiments, when the outer walls 144 include the holes 156, the holes 156 may be positioned near the bottom edge of the outer walls 144 proximate the base 142, which may allow ingress and egress of liquids without causing unnecessary impairment of the ability tovisually inspect the sealed plastic pouches through the outer walls 144 during hermeticity testing. In embodiments, the outer walls 144 may include holes 156 only in locations corresponding to compartments 162 having the holes 156 in the base 142 blocked by the floats 170.

[0033] Referring again to FIG. 3, the pouch rack 140 may comprise the dividers 160 disposed within the pouch rack internal volume. The dividers 160 may partition the pouch rack internal volume into the plurality of compartments 162. The dividers 160 may comprise a plurality of vertical sheets that are vertically oriented and extend between the base 142 and the pouch rack lid 146. The dividers 160 may extend between the front wall 150 and the rear wall 152 and between the two end walls 154 of the pouch rack 140. In embodiments, the dividers may be rigidly attached to the base 142, the outer walls 144, or both, such as attachment using a bonding agent (e.g., a solvent-based adhesive or cement). In embodiments, the dividers 160 may not be attached to the base 142 or outer walls 144, and instead may be detached and removable from the pouch rack 140.

[0034] In embodiments, the dividers 160 may be constructed of a transparent material, such as a transparent plastic materials. The transparent plastic materials may include but are not limited to transparent acrylics, polycarbonates, or other transparent plastic materials. In embodiments, the dividers 160 may be constructed of the same material used for the base 142, the outer walls 144, or both. In embodiments, the dividers 160 may not have any holes 156. Holes 156 in the dividers 160 may cause impairment of the visual inspection of the sealed plastic pouches in each of the compartments 162. Thus, the absence of holes 156 in the dividers 160 may improve visual inspection of the sealed plastic pouches in the compartments 162 during testing compared to embodiments in which the dividers 160 include holes 156.

[0035] The dividers 160 may partition the pouch rack internal volume into a number of compartments 162 greater than the number of sealed plastic pouches that can be tested in a vacuum bubble tank 110 without the pouch rack 140. In embodiments, the dividers 160 may partition the pouch rack internal volume into greater than or equal to 8 compartments 162, greater than or equal to 10 compartments, or even greater than or equal to 12 compartments. In embodiments, the pouch rack 140 may have from 8 to 48 compartments, such as from 8 to 36, from 8 to 24, from 8 to 16, from 10 to 48, from 10 to 36, from 10 to 24, from 10 to 16, from 12 to 48, from 12 to 36, from 12 to 24, or from 12 to 16 of the compartments 162. In embodiments, the pouch rack 140 may comprise the dividers 160 that partition the pouch rack internal volume into from 12 to 24 compartments 162.

[0036] Referring again to FIG. 3, the dividers 160 may be configured to form the compartments 162 having a specific size tuned to the size of the sealed plastic pouches to be hermetically tested. Different sets of dividers 160 may be installed in the pouch rack 140 to change the size of the compartments depending on the sizes of the sealed plastic pouches to be tested. The height H of the compartments 162 may be sufficient to accommodate the longest dimension of the sealed plastic pouches. The height H of the compartment 162 is the dimension of the compartment 162 in the + / -Z direction of the coordinate axis in FIG. 3. The height H of the compartment 162 may be the distance between the base 142 and the pouch rack lid 146. The height of the dividers 160 may be sufficient to prevent the sealed plastic pouches from migrating between compartments 162. In embodiments, the dividers 160 may have a height HD that is within 90% of the height H of the compartments 162 (i.e., the distance between the base 142 and the pouch rack lid 146 in the + / -Z direction of the coordinate axis in FIG. 3), such as within 95%, or within 98%, or within 99% of the height H of the compartments 162. The compartments 162 may have a length L sufficient to accommodate the second largest dimension of the sealed plastic pouches. The length L of the compartment 162 refers to the dimension of the compartment in the + / -Y direction of the coordinate axis in FIG. 3. In embodiments, the length L of the compartments 162 may be less than the longest dimension of the sealed plastic pouches to maintain the sealed plastic pouches in a consistent orientation and to reduce or prevent the sealed plastic pouches from rotating within the compartments 162 during hermeticity testing. The compartments 162 may have a width W sufficient to allow for expansion of the gases (e.g., air) within the sealed plastic pouches without limitation, but not so much that the pouches can flip over or sideways within the compartment 162. The width W of the compartments 162 refers to the dimension of the compartments 162 in the + / -X direction of the coordinate axis in FIG. 3.

[0037] The vertical sheets of the dividers 160 may provide a vertical barrier between each of the compartments 162 to maintain each of the sealed plastic pouches in its respective compartment 162 during the hermeticity testing. This makes more efficient use of the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110 to be able to test more samples per vacuum cycle of the vacuum bubble tank 110. Additionally, the dividers 160 may enable the sealed plastic pouches to all be arranged in the same orientation during hermeticity testing, which may enable a direct comparison to be made between different film structures, sealing methods / materials, and / or pouch designs. This feature may be particularly useful for pouches with a spout. Orienting the spout in the same direction may enable the hermeticity testing to be compared between different types of pouches(e.g., different with respect to film structure, sealing methods / materials, pouch design, etc.) due to the consistency in the orientation of the spout during the hermeticity testing.

[0038] Referring again to FIG 3, in embodiments, the pouch rack 140 may further include one or a plurality of the floats 170 coupled to a bottom surface of the base 142. The floats may be buoyant in the liquid (e.g., water) contained in the vacuum bubble tank 110 during testing. The floats 170 may cause the pouch rack 140 to automatically float up out of the liquid in the vacuum bubble tank 110 when the tank lid 114 is opened or removed from the vacuum bubble tank 110. The floats 170 may provide improved ergonomics by reducing or eliminating the need for a person to lift the pouch rack 140 out of the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110, as the liquid drains from the pouch rack 140 through the holes 156.

[0039] In embodiments, the floats 170 may comprise one or a plurality of foam blocks, where the foam blocks are constructed of a closed cell foam, such as but not limited to a closed cell polyurethane foam, a closed cell polyethylene foam, or a combination thereof. Referring again to FIG. 1, the total volume of the floats 170 may be sufficient to create sufficient buoyancy forces, when submerged in the liquid, to cause the pouch rack 140 to automatically float upwards (i.e., in the +Z direction of the coordinate axis in FIG. 1) out of the liquid when the tank lid 114 is opened or removed. The floats 170 may be evenly distributed over the bottom surface of the base 142 so that the pouch rack 140 rises evenly up out of the liquid, which may reduce contact between the pouch rack 140 and the interior surfaces of the vacuum bubble tank 110.

[0040] The floats 170 may be rigidly attached to the bottom surface of the base 142 of the pouch rack 140. The floats 170 may be rigidly attached to the base 142 using fasteners, such as but not limited to bolts and / or screws, or using a bonding agent, such as a solvent-based adhesive or cement. Other methods of attaching the floats 170 to the bottom surface of the base 142 are contemplated.

[0041] Referring again to FIG. 3, the pouch rack 140 may include handles 180 to facilitate installing and removing the pouch rack 140 from the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110. In embodiments, the pouch rack 140 may include two handles 180, each of which may be coupled to an outer surface of one of the two end walls 154 of the pouch rack 140. The two handles 180 may be configured to enable translation of the pouch rack 140 into and out of the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110. The handles 180 may be constructed from a durable and rigid material, such as but not limited to metals, rigid plastics, wood, carbon fiber, or compositematerials. In embodiments, the handles 180 may be constructed of carbon fdled nylon. The handles 180 may be rigidly attached to the outer walls 144 pouch rack 140, such as the end walls 154, using fasteners (e.g., stainless steel screws or bolts) or a bonding agent (e.g., solvent-based adhesive or cement).

[0042] Referring now to FIG. 4, each of the handles 180 may include a rear-facing surface 182 that faces generally toward the rear wall 152 of the pouch rack 140 (i.e., in the -Y direction of the coordinate axis in FIGS. 3 and 4). When the pouch rack 140 is placed in the vacuum bubble tank 110, the rear-facing surface 182 of the handles 180 may be facing in a direction towards hinges that rotatably couple the tank lid 114 to the tank 112. Referring again to FIG. 1, when the tank lid 114 of the vacuum bubble tank 110 is a hinged lid, the rear-facing surfaces 182 may be configured to contact the tank lid 114 of the vacuum bubble tank 110 during closure of the vacuum bubble tank 110. The contact between the tank lid 114 and the rear-facing surfaces 182 of the handles 180 may cause the tank lid 114 to submerge the pouch rack 140 in the liquid disposed in the vacuum bubble tank 110. In particular, contact between the tank lid 114 and the rear-facing surfaces 182 of the handles 180 may cause the tank lid 114 to exert a downward force (i.e., a force component in the -Z direction of the coordinate axis in FIG. 1) on the rear-facing surfaces 182 of the handles 180, which downward force may cause the pouch rack 140 to move downward into the liquid. The downward force may counteract the buoyancy forces created by the floats 170.

[0043] Referring again to FIG. 4, to facilitate the tank lid 114 producing a downward force on the pouch rack 140, the rear-facing surfaces 182 may have a convex curvature and may curve towards the front wall 150 of the pouch rack 140 with increasing vertical position. In other words, the rear-facing surface 182 may curve from a substantially vertical surface proximate the pouch rack lid 146 to a substantially horizontal surface providing the handle grip part of the handle 180. When the tank lid 114 of the vacuum bubble tank 110 rotates down, the tank lid 114 contacts the rear-facing surfaces 182 of the handles 180 at points of contact on each rear-facing surface 182. As the tank lid 114 is further rotated, the points of contact between the tank lid 114 and the rearfacing surfaces 182 travel along the convex curvature of the rear-facing surfaces 182, which causes the tank lid 114 to push the pouch rack 140 in the downward direction (i.e., the -Z direction of the coordinate axis in FIG. 4) into the liquid contained in the vacuum bubble tank 110.

[0044] The rear-facing surface 182 may have a radius of curvature rcsufficient to produce a downward force on the pouch rack 140 without pitching the pouch rack forward (i.e., causing thepouch rack 140 to tip over in the vacuum bubble tank 110). In embodiments, the rear-facing surface 182 may have a radius of curvature rcof from 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) to 3 inches (7.61 cm), such as from 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) to 2.5 inches (6.35 cm), or even from 1 inch (2.54 cm) to 2 inches (5.08 cm). When the radius of curvature rcis less than 0.5 inches (1.3 cm), contact between the tank lid 114 and the rear-facing surfaces 182 of the handles 180 may produce a horizontal force on the pouch rack 140, where the horizontal force may be sufficient to cause the pouch rack 140 to tip forward. This may cause the pouch rack 140 to contact the front wall 118 of the vacuum bubble tank 110 and may even cause the pouch rack 140 to rotate 90 degrees within the vacuum bubble tank 110 so that the front wall 150 of the pouch rack 140 faces downward (i.e., in the -Z direction of the coordinate axis in FIG. 4) and the pouch rack lid 146 faces towards the front of the vacuum bubble tank 110 (i.e., in the +Y direction of the coordinate axis in FIG. 4).

[0045] When the tank lid 114 pushes on the rear- facing surfaces 182 of the handles 180, a horizontal force (i.e., a force in the +Y direction of the coordinate axis in FIGS. 1, 3, 4) may be produced, which may cause the pouch rack 140 to move towards and contact the front wall 118 of the vacuum bubble tank 110. Over time, repeated impacts with the front wall 118 of the vacuum bubble tank 110 may cause scratches or damage to the front wall 118, which damage may accumulate and obscure the view through the front wall 118 of the vacuum bubble tank 110. Referring again to FIG. 3, in embodiments, the pouch rack 140 may include one or a plurality of skids 190 rigidly attached to a front surface 151 of the front wall 150 of the pouch rack 140. The skids 190 may be configured to reduce or prevent the front wall 150 of the pouch rack 140 from contacting or rubbing up against the front wall 118 of the vacuum bubble tank 110 while inserting and removing the pouch rack 140 from the vacuum bubble tank 110. The skids 190 may be rigidly attached to the front surface 151 of the front wall 150 of the pouch rack 140 so that the skids 190 disposed on a side of the pouch rack 140 facing away from the hinges of the tank lid 114. In embodiments, the skids 190 may be rigidly attached to the front wall 150 and to the rear wall 152 of the pouch rack 140. In embodiments, the skids 190 may also be attached to the end walls 154 of the pouch rack 140. The skids 190 may be rigidly attached to the outer walls 144 of the pouch rack 140 using fasteners (e.g., stainless steel screws or bolts) or a bonding agent (e.g., solventbased adhesive or cement).

[0046] The skids 190 may be constructed of a lubricious material having a coefficient of friction of less than or equal to 0.5, less than or equal to 0.4, or less than or equal to 0.3. Thelubricious materials for the skids 190 may be lubricious plastics, such as but not limited to acetal, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), other lubricious plastic, or combinations thereof. In embodiments, the skids 190 may be constructed of acetal or PTFE. The skids 190 may provide a lubricious contact point between the pouch rack 140 and the front wall 118 of the vacuum bubble tank 110 to reduce or prevent damage to the front wall 118 of the vacuum bubble tank 110.

[0047] As previously discussed, the dimensions of the pouch rack 140 and the dividers 160 within the pouch rack 140 may be selected to accommodate specific sizes of the sealed plastic pouches to be tested. Referring again to FIG. 3, the pouch rack 140 depicted may be configured to hold larger stand-up pouches, such as 1 liter stand-up pouches, which may have dimensions of about 7 inches by about 9 inches (about 18 cm by about 23 cm). Thus, for a pouch rack suitable for hermetically testing 1 liter stand-up pouches, the dividers 160 may partition the internal volume of the pouch rack 140 into the compartments having a height H of greater than 9 inches (e.g., >23 cm, such as from 23 cm to 50 cm), a length L of greater than about 7 inches and less than 9 inches (e.g., from 18 cm to less than 23 cm), and a width W sufficient to enable the gases in the 1 liter stand-up pouches to expand under vacuum without restriction.

[0048] Referring now to FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment of the pouch rack 140', which is configured to test smaller sealed plastic pouches having a volume less than 1 E, is schematically depicted. The pouch rack 140' may have any of the parts or features previously described for the pouch rack 140 in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 5, the pouch rack 140' may be configured to test smaller stand-up pouches and large and small pillow pouches. As such, the compartments 162 of the pouch rack 140' may have different dimensions compared to the pouch rack 140 in FIG. 3. The pouch rack 140' may also include the floats 170 and the handles 180 as previously described. In embodiments, the pouch rack 140' may not have the skids 190 on the front surface of the front wall 150. Since the pouch rack 140' has a height that is less than the height of the pouch rack 140 in FIG. 3, the pouch rack 140' has a lower center of gravity and, thus, less tendency to tip over into contact with the front wall of the vacuum bubble tank 110 when closing the tank lid 114 of the vacuum bubble tank 110. In embodiments, the pouch rack 140' may include the skids 190. Other sizes of the pouch rack 140, 140' and numbers of compartments 162 are contemplated for handling other sizes of sealed plastic pouches.

[0049] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the pouch rack 140' may have an alternative design for the handles 180. The handles 180 for pouch rack 140' may extend the handle grip above the pouchrack lid 146 in the +Z direction of the coordinate axis in FIGS. 5 and 6 in order to allow a person to easily grip the handles 180 from the top of the vacuum bubble tank 110. The handles 180 in FIGS. 5 and 6 may also have the rear-facing surface 182 that is convex and may have a curvature sufficient to enable the tank lid 114 to push the pouch rack 140' downward to submerge it in the liquid in the vacuum bubble tank 110 when the tank lid 114 is rotated into the closed position, as previously discussed herein.

[0050] Referring now to FIG. 7, in embodiments, the pouch rack 140 may include one or a plurality of sub-dividers 200 disposed in one or a plurality of the compartments 162 of the pouch rack 140. Each sub-divider 200 may be sized fit into one of the compartments 162 and divide the compartment 162 into a plurality of sub-compartments 164. As shown in FIG. 7, a sealed plastic pouch 102 may be placed in each of the sub-compartments 164. The sub-dividers 200 may enable an even greater number of sealed plastic pouches 102 to be tested simultaneously. Additionally, in embodiments, the sub-dividers 200 may be placed in a subset of the compartments 162 so that the internal volume of the pouch rack 140 may be partitioned into a plurality of the larger compartments 162 and a plurality of the smaller sub-compartments 164. This may enable testing of two different sizes of the sealed plastic pouches at the same time.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 8, each of the sub-dividers 200 may comprise a sub-divider base 202 and one or a plurality of vertical walls 204. The sub-divider base 202 may be generally horizontal (i.e., parallel to the X-Y plane of the coordinate axis of FIG. 8). The sub-divider base 202 may be parallel to the base 142 of the pouch rack 140. The vertical walls 204 may be perpendicular to the sub-divider base 202 and may extend upward from the surface of the sub-divider base 202 (i.e., in the +Z direction of the coordinate axis of FIG. 8). Each sub-divider 200 may have 1, 2, or more than 2 vertical walls 204 in order to partition one of the compartments 162 into 2, 3, or more than 3 sub-compartments 164. In embodiments, the sub-divider base 202, the vertical walls 204, or both of each sub-divider 200 may include holes 206, which may enable the liquid in the vacuum bubble tank 110 to flow into and out of each of the sub-compartments 164 when installing and removing the pouch rack 140 from the vacuum bubble tank 110.

[0052] In embodiments, the pouch rack 140 may include first sub-dividers disposed in a first subset of compartments 162 and a second set of sub-dividers disposed in a second subset of compartments 162, where the first set of sub-dividers is different from the second-set of subdividers with respect to the number of sub-compartments, size of sub-compartments, or both. Theuse of different sizes of sub-dividers may provide additional flexibility for testing different sizes of sealed plastic pouches simultaneously.

[0053] Referring again to FIG. 1, the hermeticity testers 100 disclosed herein may be used in a method of hermeticity testing and / or leak testing sealed packages, such as sealed plastic pouches. The testing procedure may include but is not limited to the standard test methods in ASTM D3078, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. For each design (i.e., for each combination of package design, fdm structure, sealing material, and / or sealing method), the sealed plastic pouches may be tested under a plurality of different conditions, such as 16 different conditions. For each condition, 10 to 12 of the sealed plastic pouches are tested to provide statistically relevant test results. Thus, for each design, 160 to 192 pouches may be tested to fully evaluate one combination of package design, fdm structure, seal material, sealing method, etc.

[0054] In a conventional vacuum bubble tank, 2-6 sealed plastic pouches can be tested at a time, depending on the size of the vacuum bubble tank, while still being able to identify the specific leakers and the location of each of the leaks, without confusion. Each test cycle in the vacuum bubble tank takes approximately 5 minutes per load at maximum efficiency, which time includes loading the sealed plastic pouches into the vacuum bubble tank, turning on the vacuum pump, reaching the target level of vacuum, evaluating the sealed plastic pouches for leaks, recording the data, reducing the vacuum, and removing the tested pouches from the vacuum bubble tank. Thus, to do 192 pouches in a conventional vacuum bubble tank at 4 pouches per run, it would take 48 cycles to accomplish the 192 pouches, which is equal to a total testing time (at 5 minutes per vacuum cycle) of 240 minutes, or about 4 hours.

[0055] For comparison, with the pouch rack 140 disclosed herein having 12 compartments 162, the total time would be only about 80 minutes (an hour and 10 minutes), which is a 66% reduction in the time required to complete a full assessment of a single design (i.e., combination of package design, fdm structure, sealing material, sealing method, etc).

[0056] Methods of hermetically testing a plurality of sealed plastic pouches using the hermeticity tester 100 disclosed herein are disclosed. Referring again to FIG. 1, the hermeticity tester 100 may include the vacuum bubble tank 110 and the pouch rack 140, each of which may have any of the features and / or characteristics previously discussed for the vacuum bubble tank 110 and pouch rack 140. The methods may include sealing each of the plurality of pouches to produce a plurality of sealed plastic pouches, and placing one of the plurality of sealed plasticpouches in each of the plurality of compartments 162 in the pouch rack 140. Placing the sealed plastic pouches in each of the compartments 162 may include opening the pouch rack lid 146 of the pouch rack 140 to allow the pouches to be placed inside the compartments 162. Referring to FIG. 7, in embodiments, the pouch rack 140 may comprise one or a plurality of the sub-dividers 200, and the methods may include placing a sealed plastic pouch 102 in each of the subcompartments 164 defined by the sub-dividers 200. The methods may include placing at least 8, at least 10, or at least 12 sealed plastic pouches 102 in the pouch rack 140, with one sealed plastic pouch 102 in each of the compartments 162 and / or sub-compartments 164. In embodiments, the methods may include placing a first type of the sealed plastic pouches in a first subset of compartments 162 and / or sub-compartments 164, and placing a second type of sealed plastic pouches in a second subset of compartments 162 and / or sub-compartments, where the second type of sealed plastic pouches is different from the first type of sealed plastic pouches with respect to size, design, film structure, sealing method, sealing materials, other characteristic, or combinations thereof.

[0057] Referring again to FIG. 1, once the pouch rack 140 is loaded with the sealed plastic pouches, the methods may include closing the pouch rack lid 146. Closing the pouch rack lid 146 may maintain the plurality of sealed plastic pouches in each of their respective compartments 162 and / or sub-compartments 164. In embodiments, closing the pouch rack lid 146 may include sliding the pouch rack lid 146 into channels attached to the tops of the outer walls 144 of the pouch rack 140, wherein the channels may maintain the pouch rack lid 146 in the closed position. In embodiments, closing the pouch rack lid 146 may include engaging a latching mechanism or a clamp to secure the pouch rack lid 146 in the closed position.

[0058] After closing the pouch rack lid 146, the methods disclosed herein may include placing the pouch rack 140 in the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110. The internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110 may contain a liquid, such as but not limited to water, an alcohol, or other solvent that is compatible with the sealed plastic pouches and does not damage the pouches. In embodiments, the methods may include introducing the liquid to the vacuum bubble tank 110 before placing the pouch rack 140 into the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110. With the liquid in the vacuum bubble tank 110, the floats 170 coupled to the bottom of the pouch rack 140 may cause the pouch rack 140 to float proximate the surface of the liquid, such that only a portion of the pouch rack 140 may be submerged in the liquid.

[0059] The methods may further include closing the tank lid 114 of the vacuum bubble tank 110, wherein closing the tank lid 114 submerges the pouch rack 140 and the plurality of sealed plastic pouches in the liquid contained within the vacuum bubble tank 110. As previously discussed, the closing the tank lid 114 may cause the tank lid 114 to contact the rear-facing surface 182 of the handles 180, which has a convex shape. The contact of the tank lid 114 with the rearfacing surfaces 182 along with the convex shape of the rear-facing surfaces 182 may cause the tank lid 114 to exert a downward force on the handle 180 of the pouch rack 140, which may move the pouch rack 140 downward into the liquid. Thus, closing the tank lid 114 may completely submerge the pouch rack 140 in the liquid contained within the vacuum bubble tank 110. In embodiments, closing the tank lid 114 may include latching the tank lid 114 in the closed position using clamps, latches, clips, magnets, or other closure mechanism.

[0060] After closing the tank lid 114, the methods disclosed herein may include drawing a vacuum on the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110, wherein drawing the vacuum on the internal volume may cause gases trapped inside each of the plurality of sealed plastic pouches to expand and escape through any leaks in the seals of the sealed plastic pouches. Drawing a vacuum on the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110 may include activating the vacuum pump 130 fluidly coupled to the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110, where the vacuum pump 130 evacuates air from the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank 110. The vacuum gauge 132 may indicate the degree of vacuum within the vacuum bubble tank 110 during testing. In embodiments, the sealed plastic pouches may be hermetically tested at a plurality of different levels of vacuum, such as but not limited to low vacuum (e.g., 12.5 ± 0.5 inches of Hg (about 42.3±1.7 kPa) as defined by ASTM D3078), medium vacuum (e.g., 18.5 ± 0.5 inches of Hg (62.6±1.7 kPa) as defined by ASTM D3078), and high vacuum (e.g., 24.5 ± 0.5 inches of Hg (81.3±1.7 kPa) as defined by ASTM D3078). Other levels of vacuum may also be tested. When the vacuum level in the vacuum bubble tank 110 reaches the testing vacuum level, gases (e.g., air) in the sealed plastic pouches expands and any leaks in the seals of the sealed plastic pouches will escape, resulting in a flow of gas bubbles out of the sealed plastic pouch.

[0061] The methods disclosed herein may further include identifying the presence and location of any leaks in any one of the plurality of sealed plastic pouches, where the presence and the location of each leak is indicated by the gas bubbles caused by gases trapped inside the sealed plastic pouches escaping through a defect in the seal of the sealed plastic pouch. The methods mayinclude recording the specific pouches exhibiting leaks (leakers) and the location of the leaks on each of the leakers.

[0062] Following identification of the presence and location of any leaks, the methods may include opening the tank lid 114, wherein upon opening the tank lid 114, the floats 170 coupled to the bottom surface of the base 142 of the pouch rack 140 may cause the pouch rack 140 to float upwards (i.e., in the +Z direction of the coordinate axis of FIG. 1) to the surface of the liquid. The liquid may drain out of at least a portion of the pouch rack 140 through the holes 156. The methods may include opening the pouch rack lid 146, removing the tested pouches and then inserting a new set of sealed plastic pouches into the compartments of the pouch rack 140 and repeating the method. The hermeticity tester 100 having the pouch rack 140 disposed in the vacuum bubble tank 110 may enable from 8 to 48 sealed plastic pouches, such as from 8 to 36, from 8 to 24, from 8 to 16, from 10 to 48, from 10 to 36, from 10 to 24, from 10 to 16, from 12 to 48, from 12 to 36, from 12 to 24, or from 12 to 16 sealed plastic pouches to be hermetically tested simultaneously, while still being able to identify the leakers and the location of each leak.

[0063] A first aspect of the present disclosure may be directed to a hermeticity tester that may comprise a vacuum bubble tank and a pouch rack. The vacuum bubble tank may comprise a tank and a tank lid defining an internal volume, wherein the tank, the tank lid, or both may be transparent. The vacuum bubble tank may be configured to contain a liquid and hold a vacuum. The pouch rack may be disposed within the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank. The pouch rack may comprise a base, outer walls coupled to the base, and a pouch rack lid, wherein the base, the outer walls, and the pouch rack lid may define a rack internal volume. The pouch rack may further include a plurality of dividers disposed within the rack internal volume and partitioning the rack internal volume into a plurality of compartments, wherein the pouch rack lid may be transparent and the base, the outer walls, the pouch rack lid, or combinations thereof may comprise through holes configured to enable liquids to flow into and out of the rack internal volume.

[0064] A second aspect of the present disclosure may include the first aspect, wherein the base, the outer walls, or both of the pouch rack may be transparent.

[0065] A third aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first or second aspects, wherein the pouch rack lid, the base, and the outer walls of the pouch rack may be constructed of transparent plastic.

[0066] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first through third aspects, wherein the plurality of dividers may partition the rack internal volume into at least 8 separate compartments, such as at least 10 compartments, at least 12 compartments, from 8 to 48 compartments, from 10 to 48 compartments, or from 12 to 36 compartments.

[0067] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first through fourth aspects, wherein the plurality of dividers may be constructed of a transparent plastic.

[0068] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first through fifth aspects, wherein the pouch rack may comprise one or a plurality of subdividers disposed in one or more of the compartments of the pouch rack. Each subdivider further may partition one of the compartments into a plurality of sub-compartments.

[0069] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first through sixth aspects, wherein the pouch rack may be removable from the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank.

[0070] An eighth aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first through seventh aspects, wherein the outer walls of the pouch rack may comprise a front wall, a rear wall, and two end walls extending between the front wall and the rear wall.

[0071] A ninth aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first through eighth aspects, wherein the pouch rack further may comprise two handles, each of which may be coupled to an outer surface of one of the two end walls of the pouch rack, wherein the two handles may be configured to enable translation of the pouch rack into and out of the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank.

[0072] A tenth aspect of the present disclosure may include the ninth aspect, wherein the two handles may be constructed of a rigid material.

[0073] An eleventh aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the ninth or tenth aspects, wherein each of the two handles may comprise a rear-facing surface that curves toward a front of the pouch rack, wherein the rear-facing surface may be configured to contact the tank lid during closure of the bubble vacuum tank, wherein contact between the tank lid and the rear-facing surface may cause the tank lid to submerge the pouch rack in a liquid disposed in the vacuum bubble tank.

[0074] A twelfth aspect of the present disclosure may include the eleventh aspect, wherein a radius of curvature of the rear-facing surface may be from 0.5 inches to 2.5 inches.

[0075] A thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first through twelfth aspects, wherein the pouch rack further may comprise one or more floats coupled to a bottom surface of the base, wherein the one or more floats may be buoyant in a liquid contained within the vacuum bubble tank, wherein the one or more floats may cause the pouch rack to float up out of the liquid in the vacuum bubble tank when the tank lid is opened.

[0076] A fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure may include the thirteenth aspect, wherein the one or more floats may comprise foam blocks constructed of a closed cell foam.

[0077] A fifteenth aspect of the present disclosure may include the fourteenth aspect, wherein the closed cell foam may comprise a closed cell polyurethane foam or a closed cell polypropylene foam.

[0078] A sixteenth aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first through fifteenth aspects, further comprising at least one skid rigidly attached to a front surface of the pouch rack, wherein the at least one skid may be configured to reduce or prevent a front wall of the pouch rack from rubbing against a front wall of the vacuum bubble tank while inserting and removing the pouch rack from the vacuum bubble tank.

[0079] A seventeenth aspect of the present disclosure may include the sixteenth aspect, wherein the at least one skid may be constructed of a lubricious material.

[0080] An eighteenth aspect of the present disclosure may include the seventeenth aspect, wherein the lubricious material may have a coefficient of friction of less than 0.5, less than or equal to 0.4, or less than or equal to 0.3.

[0081] A nineteenth aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the seventeenth or eighteenth aspects, wherein the lubricious material may comprise acetal, PTFE, or other lubricious material.

[0082] A twentieth aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first through nineteenth aspects, wherein the vacuum bubble tank may be configured to hold a vacuum of up to 25 inches of Hg (85 kPa), such as from 10 inches of Hg (33.8 kPa) to 25 inches of Hg (85 kPa).

[0083] A twenty-first aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first through twentieth aspects, further comprising a vacuum pump fluidly coupled to the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank.

[0084] A twenty-second aspect of the present disclosure may include any one of the first through twenty-first aspects and may be directed to a method of leak testing a plurality of pouches simultaneously using the hermeticity tester of any one of the first through twenty-first aspects. The method may comprise sealing each of the plurality of pouches; placing one of the plurality of pouches in each of the plurality of compartments in the pouch rack; closing the pouch rack lid, wherein closing the pouch rack lid may maintain the plurality of pouches in each of their respective compartments; placing the pouch rack in the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank, wherein the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank may contain a liquid; closing the lid of the vacuum bubble tank, wherein closing the lid may submerge the pouch rack and the plurality of pouches in the liquid; drawing a vacuum on the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank, wherein drawing the vacuum on the internal volume may cause gases trapped inside each of the plurality of pouches to expand and escape through any leaks in seals of the plurality of pouches; and identifying a presence and a location of a leak in any one of the plurality of pouches, wherein the presence and the location of each leak may be indicated by gas bubbles resulting from the gases escaping from a defect in the seals of the pouch.

[0085] A twenty-third aspect of the present disclosure may include the twenty-second aspect, further comprising after identifying any leaks, opening the tank lid, wherein upon opening the tank lid, one or more foam blocks coupled to a bottom surface of the base may cause the pouch rack to float to the surface of the liquid.

[0086] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Thus, it is intended that the specification cover the modifications and variations of the various embodiments described herein provided such modification and variations come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A hermeticity tester comprising: a vacuum bubble tank comprising a tank and a tank lid defining an internal volume, wherein the tank, the tank lid, or both are transparent, and the vacuum bubble tank is configured to contain a liquid and hold a vacuum; and a pouch rack disposed within the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank, wherein the pouch rack comprises: a base, outer walls coupled to the base, and a pouch rack lid, wherein the base, the outer walls, and the pouch rack lid define a rack internal volume; and a plurality of dividers disposed within the rack internal volume and partitioning the rack internal volume into a plurality of compartments, wherein: the pouch rack lid is transparent; and the base, the outer walls, the pouch rack lid, or combinations thereof comprise through holes configured to enable liquids to flow into and out of the rack internal volume.

2. The hermeticity tester of claim 1, wherein the base, the outer walls, or both of the pouch rack are transparent.

3. The hermeticity tester of either one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the pouch rack lid, the base, and the outer walls of the pouch rack are constructed of transparent plastic.

4. The hermeticity tester of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the plurality of dividers partition the rack internal volume into at least 8 separate compartments, such as at least 10 compartments, at least 12 compartments, from 8 to 48 compartments, from 10 to 48 compartments, or from 12 to 36 compartments.

5. The hermeticity tester of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the plurality of dividers are constructed of a transparent plastic.

6. The hermeticity tester of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the pouch rack comprises one or a plurality of subdividers disposed in one or more of the compartments of the pouch rack, each subdivider further partitioning one of the compartments into a plurality of sub-compartments.

7. The hermeticity tester of any one of claims 1-6, wherein: the outer walls of the pouch rack comprise a front wall, a rear wall, and two end walls extending between the front wall and the rear wall; and the pouch rack further comprises two handles, each of which is coupled to an outer surface of one of the two end walls of the pouch rack, wherein the two handles are configured to enable translation of the pouch rack into and out of the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank.

8. The hermeticity tester of claim 7, wherein each of the two handles comprise a rear-facing surface that curves toward a front of the pouch rack, wherein the rear-facing surface is configured to contact the tank lid during closure of the bubble vacuum tank, wherein contact between the tank lid and the rear-facing surface causes the tank lid to submerge the pouch rack in a liquid disposed in the vacuum bubble tank.

9. The hermeticity tester of claim 8, wherein a radius of curvature of the rear-facing surface is from 0.5 inches to 2.5 inches.

10. The hermeticity tester of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the pouch rack further comprises one or more floats coupled to a bottom surface of the base, wherein the one or more floats are buoyant in a liquid contained within the vacuum bubble tank, wherein the one or more floats causes the pouch rack to float up out of the liquid in the vacuum bubble tank when the tank lid is opened.

11. The hermeticity tester of claim 10, wherein the one or more floats comprise foam blocks constructed of a closed cell foam.

12. The hermeticity tester of any one of claims 1-11, further comprising at least one skid rigidly attached to a front surface of the pouch rack, wherein the at least one skid is configured toreduce or prevent a front wall of the pouch rack from rubbing against a front wall of the vacuum bubble tank while inserting and removing the pouch rack from the vacuum bubble tank.

13. The hermeticity tester of claim 12, wherein the at least one skid is constructed of a lubricious material having a coefficient of friction of less than 0.5, less than or equal to 0.4, or less than or equal to 0.3.

14. The hermeticity tester of any one of claims 1-13, further comprising a vacuum pump fluidly coupled to the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank.

15. A method of leak testing a plurality of pouches simultaneously using the hermeticity tester of any one of claims 1-14, the method comprising: sealing each of the plurality of pouches; placing one of the plurality of pouches in each of the plurality of compartments in the pouch rack; closing the pouch rack lid, wherein closing the pouch rack lid maintains the plurality of pouches in each of their respective compartments; placing the pouch rack in the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank, wherein the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank contains a liquid; closing the lid of the vacuum bubble tank, wherein closing the lid submerges the pouch rack and the plurality of pouches in the liquid; drawing a vacuum on the internal volume of the vacuum bubble tank, wherein drawing the vacuum on the internal volume may cause gases trapped inside each of the plurality of pouches to expand and escape through any leaks in seals of the plurality of pouches; and identifying a presence and a location of a leak in any one of the plurality of pouches, where the presence and the location of each leak is indicated by gas bubbles escaping from a defect in the seals of the pouch.

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