Apparatus and method for filling oral nicotine dispensing system magazines

Abstract

An apparatus and method for filling a magazine with pouches. The methods may include (i) transferring a pouch, (ii) orienting the pouch, (iii) filling a magazine with the pouch, and (iv) capping the magazine. Optionally, the methods may additionally include one or more of (v) aggregating pouches, (vi) counting pouches, (vii) hydrating pouches, and / or (viii) loading a drive mechanism. The systems and apparatuses may include a conveyor belt, an orientation mechanism, a filling station, and a capping station. Optionally, the disclosed apparatuses and systems may include one or more of a pouch aggregator, a pouch counter, and / or a drive mechanism loading system.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILLING ORAL NICOTINE DISPENSING SYSTEMMAGAZINESCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 763,807, filed on February 26, 2025, and titled “APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILLING ORAL NICOTINE DISPENSING SYSTEM MAGAZINES,” and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 661,625, filed on June 19, 2024, and titled “ORAL NICOTINE DISPENSING SYSTEM,” both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] Oral nicotine products, i.e.. oral nicotine dosage forms, are gaining popularity as alternatives to traditional tobacco products and have been licensed as nicotine replacement therapies. Among these, nicotine pouch have enjoyed particular attention and success as an alternative nicotine delivery method having a significantly more desirable safety profile and reduced health risks, in comparison to traditional tobacco products. Conventionally, oral nicotine dosage forms such as nicotine pouch are stored in a can. Conventional cans have a base defining a cavity used to store oral nicotine dosage forms, e.g., nicotine pouch, topped by a lid. The dosage forms in a conventional can are loose - that is, they are not secured within the can or organized in any particular order. When a user wishes to access one or more of the oral nicotine dosage forms, the user removes the lid, picks up or tips the one or more dosage forms out of the can, and then replaces the lid on the can.

[0003] However, conventional cans may not provide a particularly secure means of storing oral nicotine dosage forms, such as pouch. For example, traditional cans do not have any type of user access control, locking mechanism, or authentication mechanism, meaning that any user may access the cans and the dosage forms inside. Further, once the lid is removed, the user may remove as many oral nicotine dosage forms as they like - or, even all of the dosage forms at once. This provides inadequate dose control for individuals as well as allows for unauthorized distribution to others, as well as uncontrolled social sharing. Finally, the traditional can may also be less desirable to an authorized user, since the lid removal required for access may allow for loss or dropping or dosage forms, microbial contamination or dosage forms, or loss of moisture, which may produce a shortened lifespan for the dosage forms and / or a less enjoyable experience for authorized users. Accordingly, concerns persist regarding traditional packaging systems for oral nicotine dosage forms, particularly withregards to unauthorized access to these oral nicotine dosage forms, e.g., by minors. As such, as the market and regulatory environment regarding oral nicotine dosage forms continue to evolve, there is a growing need for innovative dispensing solutions that can enhance safety, improve user experience, and provide better control over product access and usage.

[0004] In response, oral nicotine dispensing systems, such as those described in attorney docket number 128337-830972, U.S. Pat. App. Ser. No. 18 / 918,529, filed on October 17, 2024. titled “APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AN ORAL NICOTINE DISPENSING SYSTEM,’" which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Such systems may include a dispenser, a magazine containing a plurality of oral nicotine dosage forms, and may be capable of controlled dispensing of single dosage forms through a dispensing aperture, without removal of a lid, thereby solving many of the challenges associated with traditional cans.

[0005] However, such oral nicotine dispensing systems may present unique demands in the manufacturing and filling processes. In contrast to the “loose” dosage forms in traditional cans, in such dispensing systems, the oral nicotine dosage forms may be disposed in the magazine and / or the dispenser in a secured and / or ordered fashion, such that they may be advanced to the dispensing aperture by a drive mechanism. This may present a problem for traditional filling methods and systems. For example, as outlined in FIG. 1, atraditional pouch manufacturing method may involve: (i) providing a tubular web, (ii) filling the tubular with a formulation containing a nicotine active ingredient and an excipient, (iii) sealing the filled tubular web, (iv) cutting the sealed tubular web at the sealed portions to form pouch, and (v) ejecting the pouch to fill a container. In conventional systems, pouch are ejected in a “loose” fashion, into, e.g., a bucket or a can. As oral nicotine dispensing systems require organized and ordered filling of dosage forms in a particular configuration, such conventional manufacturing methods may provide inadequate or inefficient loading capabilities.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0006] Accordingly, provided herein are methods and apparatuses for ordered filling of oral nicotine dosage forms into magazines. The disclosed methods may include (i) transferring a pouch, (ii) orienting the pouch, (iii) filling a magazine with the pouch, and (iv) capping the magazine. Optionally, the disclosed methods may additionally include one or more of (v) aggregating pouches, (vi) counting pouches, (vii) hydrating pouches, and / or (viii) loading a drive mechanism. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the disclosed systems and apparatuses may include a conveyor belt, an orientation mechanism, a filling station, and a cappingstation. Optionally, the disclosed apparatuses and systems may include one or more of a pouch aggregator, a pouch counter, and / or a drive mechanism loading system.

[0007] A method for filling a magazine with a pouch may involve the following: First, a pouch is provided to a feed point and then transferred to a filling station using a first conveyor belt. Concurrently, a magazine, which comprises a cylindrical housing and multiple spokes forming compartments between them, is also provided to a feed point and transferred to the filling station via a second conveyor belt. Once at the filling station, the magazine is temporarily stopped, and a single compartment is aligned with a single pouch. The pouch is then moved from the first conveyor belt into that compartment. The magazine is indexed to present the next empty compartment, and the process repeats until each compartment is filled. After filling, the magazine is moved away from the station and a cap is secured to it.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first conveyor belt is positioned above the magazine, allowing pouches to be dropped into the compartments. The cap might involve fitting a base or closing an opening. In other configurations, the first conveyor belt runs level with the magazine, allowing pouches to be transferred through an open sidewall, where securing the cap may involve managing the sidewall.

[0009] Indexing of the magazine compartments can be achieved either by an internal mechanism or an external indexing tool, which might be a vacuum-based tool. The filled magazine may be replaced with an empty one, and alignment of compartments and pouches at the filling station can be assisted by a sensor system that may include devices like cameras or optical sensors.

[0010] An apparatus is described for automating this process, featuring a first conveyor belt for pouch transfer and a second for magazine transfer. It may include a sensor for alignment and an indexing mechanism for compartment rotation, which could be internal or a separate tool like a vacuum indexing tool. Additional mechanisms may ensure pouch orientation on the conveyor belt.

[0011] An alternative method for filling a magazine includes setting a predetermined number of pouches per package, providing these pouches to a feed point, and transferring them to a filling station via a conveyor belt. During this, pouches are oriented using either passive or active mechanisms. Pouches are aggregated in a receptacle to form a package which, when the correct number is reached, is transferred to the magazine using a robotic arm, and a cap is secured to complete the process.TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

[0012] As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a.” “an,” ■‘the” and the like include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, while reference may be made herein to quantitative measures, values, geometric relationships or the like, unless otherwise stated, any one or more if not all of these may be absolute or approximate to account for acceptable variations that may occur, such as those due to engineering tolerances or the like.

[0013] As used herein, “active ingredient” refers to a chemical component that is biologically active and is responsible for the intended therapeutic effects or desired outcomes of a formulation, such as a pharmaceutical product, agricultural product, personal care item, or stimulant product. As used herein, the “active ingredient” may comprise or consist of nicotine.

[0014] As used herein, “cylinder” refers to a three-dimensional geometric form that has two parallel circular bases connected by a curved sidewall at a fixed distance from the center of the bases.

[0015] As used herein, "excipient "refers to an inactive substance formulated alongside the active ingredient, serving as the vehicle or medium for active ingredient delivery. Excipients may help to stabilize, preserve, or enhance the absorption of the active ingredient, and can also improve product characteristics like taste, appearance, and consistency.

[0016] As used herein, “food grade” refers to a quality standard indicating that a material or substance is safe for use in direct contact with food products, meeting the regulations and requirements set by recognized food safety authorities. Food grade materials do not contain harmful chemicals or impurities that could contaminate or adversely affect human health when ingested.

[0017] As used herein, “formulation" refers to a specific mixture or composition including an active ingredient, such as nicotine, combined with excipients or carriers that aid in delivering the active component effectively, typically within a user-friendly product format.

[0018] As used herein, indexing is the movement of a machine or part of one from one predetermined position to another in order to carry out a sequence of operations.

[0019] Unless defined otherwise, as used herein, “length” refers to the longest dimension of an object. Unless defined otherwise, as used herein, “width” refers to the shorter dimension of an object, perpendicular to the length, and in the same plane as the largest surface of the object. Unless defined otherwise, as used herein, “thickness," or “height,” refers to the measurement of a dimension perpendicular to the length and width.

[0020] As used herein, ‘"loose” refers to a state or condition where elements, such as oral nicotine dosage forms, are not tightly constrained, bound, or fixed in position. As used herein, "loose" can refer to components that are not securely fastened, which may result in unwanted movement or vibrations.

[0021] As used herein, “oral nicotine dosage form" refers to a form or forms of nicotine delivery designed for administration through the oral cavity. These can include products such as nicotine pouches; films; lozenges; gummies; gum; oral pouch-less products (non- dissolvable and dissolvable); pearls; oral patches; nicotine-containing loose leaf, organic matter, or other natural or synthetic carrier substrate; oral nicotine pods, and tablets, which release nicotine to be absorbed through the mucous membranes in the mouth. As used herein, “oral nicotine dosage forms” do not include inhaled forms of nicotine delivery. According to some embodiments, the oral nicotine dosage forms disclosed herein do not include tobacco.

[0022] As used herein, “package” refers to a group of two or more pouches. As used herein, a package may or may not include an external container holding the package of pouches.

[0023] As used herein, “pouch" refers to a delivery system intended for oral use, in which a formulation is enclosed within a sealed web. Pouches for oral use may be any shape, such as square, oblong, cylindrical, circular, spherical, or parallelepiped, but are most commonly pillow-shaped or rectangular, with a longer length along an longitudinal axis and a shorter width transverse to the longitudinal axis. As used herein, “pouches” may include oral nicotine pouches or snus, in which the active ingredient is nicotine - either in the form of nicotine salts or processed tobacco. According to some embodiments, the pouches disclosed herein do not include tobacco. In the processes and apparatuses disclosed herein, “pouches” may be replaced by any other oral nicotine dosage form, or other oral nicotine dosage forms may be used in such processes and apparatuses in addition to pouches.

[0024] As used herein, “web” refers to a material configured to contain a formulation, such as an oral nicotine formulation, which allows for transfer or leaching of an active ingredient to a delivery site, such as the mouth, while retaining loose formulation material such as powders, carriers, cry stals, and other excipients. As used herein, a “web” may include a membrane, a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, a fleece, a film, a foil, a sheet, a muslin cloth, a cotton sachet, filter paper, or similar. Webs for oral use are typically liquid, i.e., saliva permeable, and are typically soft, flexible, and biocompatible.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act. the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced.

[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional process for pouch manufacturing, according to the prior art.

[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a process in accordance with some disclosed embodiments.

[0028] FIG. 3 A illustrates a transferring apparatus in accordance with one embodiment.

[0029] FIG. 3B illustrates a transferring apparatus in accordance with one embodiment.

[0030] FIG. 4A illustrates a transferring apparatus in accordance with one embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 4B illustrates a transferring apparatus in accordance with one embodiment.

[0032] FIG. 5A illustrates an orienting apparatus in accordance with one embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 5B illustrates an orienting apparatus in accordance with one embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 6 illustrates an orienting apparatus in accordance with one embodiment.

[0035] FIG. 7A illustrates an aggregation and / or counting apparatus in accordance with one embodiment.

[0036] FIG. 7B illustrates an aggregation and / or counting apparatus in accordance with one embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 7C illustrates an aggregation and / or counting apparatus in accordance with one embodiment.

[0038] FIG. 8 illustrates magazines in accordance with some exemplary embodiments.

[0039] FIG. 9 illustrates a magazine and dispenser in accordance with one embodiment..

[0040] FIG. 10A illustrates a magazine in accordance with one embodiment..

[0041] FIG. 10B illustrates a magazine and dispenser in accordance with one embodiment..

[0042] FIG. 11 A illustrates a filling apparatus and method in accordance with one embodiment..

[0043] FIG. 11B illustrates a filling apparatus and method in accordance with one embodiment..

[0044] FIG. 12 illustrates a filling apparatus and method in accordance with one embodiment..

[0045] FIG. 13 illustrates magazine in accordance with one embodiment..

[0046] FIG. 14 illustrates a filling apparatus and method in accordance with one embodiment..

[0047] FIG. 15 illustrates a magazine in accordance with one embodiment..

[0048] FIG. 16 illustrates a filling apparatus and method in accordance with one embodiment..

[0049] FIG. 17A illustrates a filling apparatus and method in accordance with one embodiment..

[0050] FIG. 17B illustrates a filling apparatus and method in accordance with one embodiment..

[0051] FIG. 18A illustrates an apparatus in accordance with one embodiment.

[0052] FIG. 18B illustrates a filling apparatus and method in accordance with one embodiment..

[0053] FIG. 19 illustrates a filling apparatus and method in accordance with one embodiment..

[0054] FIG. 20 illustrates a magazine in accordance with one embodiment..

[0055] FIG. 21 illustrates a filling apparatus and method in accordance with one embodiment..

[0056] FIG. 22 illustrates a computing device, in accordance with one disclosed embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to example implementations thereof. These example implementations are described so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Indeed, the disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein; rather, these implementations are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements.

[0058] The disclosed methods and apparatuses provide solutions for organized and ordered filling of dosage forms in a particular configuration, into magazines and magazine / dispenser systems. As shown in FIG. 1, conventionally, pouches such as oral nicotine pouches, were manufactured by a process 100 including providing a web having an elongated length and a width perpendicular to the elongated length and sealing, adhering, pressing, or otherwise attaching the elongated sides to one another to form a tubular web. Such traditional pouch manufacturing processes are typically automated, such that the web moves through the automated manufacturing system along a path of travel in a length direction. Accordingly, asthe tubular web is advanced through the automated manufacturing system, the tubular web 102 is subjected to a web filling process 106, in which it is filled with the desired formulation 104, such as an oral nicotine formulation, to produce a filled tubular web 108. The filled tubular web 108 is then subjected to a sealing process 110, in which the tubular web 102 is sealed along its width, in a direction transverse to the direction of travel, so as to create a sealed tubular web 112 having distinct compartments containing the formulation 104. Next, the sealed tubular web 112 is subjected to a cutting process 114, in which the compartments are cut into individual pouches 116. According to conventional processes, the pouches 116 are then simply ejected from the system into a receptacle such as a bucket, a bin, or similar. In some conventional systems, the pouches may be ejected into the cans, the filled cans ultimately being provided to consumers. However, even in such systems that allow for direct filling of cans as consumer packaging, the cans are still filled with loose pouches in an uncontrolled manner. Accordingly, such conventional filling systems may be inadequate for filling magazines and dispenser systems, which require pouches to be placed within the magazine in a specific and ordered configuration in order to engage with drive mechanisms which advance the pouches one-by-one to dispense them through a dispensing aperture.

[0059] Accordingly, provided herein are methods and apparatuses for ordered filling of oral nicotine dosage forms into magazines. The disclosed methods and apparatuses may replace the ejection or can filling step in traditional manufacturing systems, or may be added to conventional methods and systems 100, e.g., after the ejection step. As diagrammed in FIG. 2. the disclosed methods may include (i) transferring pouches 202, (ii) orienting pouches 204, (iii) filling a magazine with the pouches 206, and (iv) capping the magazine 208. Optionally, the disclosed methods may additionally include one or more of (v) aggregating pouches, (vi) counting pouches, (vii) hydrating pouches, and / or (viii) loading a drive mechanism. Any of the systems or methods disclosed herein may be duplicated in whole or in part, to simultaneously run multiple lines (e.g., 2 or more, 4 or more, 5 or more, or 20 or less. 15 or less, 10 or less, or 5 or less lines) in parallel, in order to increase system throughput. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the disclosed systems and apparatuses may include a conveyor belt, an orientation mechanism, a filling station, and a capping station. Optionally, the disclosed apparatuses and systems may include one or more of a pouch aggregator, a pouch counter, and / or a drive mechanism loading system.

[0060] Transferring

[0061] Initially, pouches may be transferred from their point of entry into the process and apparatus towards further processing blocks. According to some embodiments, the point of entry may be from the ejection point of a traditional pouch manufacturing process. Inaltemative embodiments, the point of entry may be separated in space and / or time from the ejection point of a conventional manufacturing process. For example, pouches may be manufactured, shipped or otherwise transported in bins, boxes, cans, or the like, to a magazine fdling facility, where they are then fed to the disclosed processes and apparatuses. According to a preferred embodiment, pouches may be fed directly into the disclosed processes and methods from the ejection point of a conventional manufacturing process for maximal efficiency.

[0062] According to some aspects, pouches may be transferred from point of entry or feed point by a conveyor, a vibratory feeder, or a combination therein. The conveyor may include at least one of a pendulum belt conveyor, a chain conveyor, a chain and sprocket conveyor, a roller conveyor, a belt conveyor, an incline conveyor, a scissor conveyor, a stairway conveyor, a tensionless conveyor, or any other suitable conveyor type. According to a preferred embodiment, the conveyor includes a conveyor belt. According to some embodiments, the conveyor belt may include a cleated conveyor belt, while in other embodiments, the conveyor belt may not include cleats. According to some aspects, the conveyor belt, or at least its top surface (i.e., the surface configured to contact the pouches), may be formed of a food grade material, such as rubber or plastic. According to some aspects, the conveyor belt may include surface irregularities adapted to increase friction between the conveying surface and the pouches. For example, the conveyor belt may include protrusions, ribs, ripples, ridges, serrations, or the like, along the surface configured to contact the pouches.

[0063] As disclosed herein, a conveyor belt may be elongated in its traveling direction and have a width perpendicular to the traveling direction. According to some aspects, the width of the conveyor belt may be sized to match at least one dimension of the pouch, e.g., the pouch's width, its length, or its thickness. For example, the width of the conveyor belt may be at least 1%, at least 2%, at least 5%, or at least 10% greater than the dimension of the pouch (i.e., its width, length, or thickness) configured to contact the conveyor belt. Similarly, the width of the conveyor belt may be no more than 15%, no more than 10%, no more than 5%, or no more than 2% greater than the same dimension of the pouch.

[0064] According to some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 3A-B, the conveyor belt 302 may be adapted to convey pouches 116 on their sides; that is, the pouch 116 contacts the conveyor belt along a thickness 304 dimension. In such embodiments, the width of the conveyor belt may be at least 1 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 4 mm, and no more than 8 mm, 6 mm, or 5 mm. According to some embodiments in which the pouches 116 are formed in a “pillow shape,” the width-side thicknesses 304a may differ from the length-side thickness304b. For example, the width-side thickness 304a may be smaller than the length-side thickness 304b.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 3A. in some embodiments, the conveyor belt 302 may be configured to convey the pouches 116 while contacting their width-side thickness 304a. Accordingly, the pouches 116 may be said to be standing vertically upright along the conveyor belt. In such embodiments, the width of the conveyor belt 302 may be at least 1 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 4 mm, and no more than 8 mm, 6 mm, or 5 mm. Such embodiments may be advantageous in that the conveyor belt 302 may maintain a small profile in the width direction and in that the vertical upright orientation of the pouches 116 is ideal for embodiments using gravity to drop pouches 116 into their correct positions in a magazine, in later processing steps. However, the upright orientation may present challenges in that pouches contact the conveyor belt along their smallest surface, resulting in minimal stability - i.e., the pouches in the vertically upright orientation may be prone to falling over, falling off the conveyor belt, or slipping along the belt due to a small contact area, resulting in smaller frictional forces between the pouch 116 and the conveyor belt 302 in relation to the weight of the pouch.

[0066] Still referring to FIG. 3 A, In order to address these challenges, in such embodiments, the conveyor belt assembly may optionally be provided with a guide 306 to stabilize the pouches in the vertically upright position. In order to do so, the guide 306 may contact the pouch 116 along at least one additional surface. For example, as depicted in FIG. 3A, the guide 306 may include first and second guide rails 306a, 306b which contact the pouches 116 along their largest faces, in a width direction. In some embodiments, the mechanism of transfer for the pouches 116 may be entirely, or mainly, driven by motion of the conveyor belt 302 and the frictional forces between the conveyor belt surface and the pouch. In such embodiments, the guide 306 may be stationary or may move along with the conveyor belt 302. However, in alternative or additional embodiments, the mechanism of transfer may be entirely, or mainly, driven by the motion of the guide 306 and the frictional forces between the guide 306 and the pouches 116. In such embodiments, the conveyor belt may be stationary or may move along with the guide 306. In such embodiments, the guide 306 (and / or first guide rails 306a) may apply pressure to the pouches 116 to grip and transfer them in the desired direction. In such embodiments, the guide 306 may also include surface irregularities along the contact surface with the pouches, in order to increase friction. For example, the guide 306 may include protrusions, ribs, ripples, ridges, serrations, or the like. The guide may include or be made of materials such as rubbers, silicone, a woven belt, aluminum, or steel. Embodiments in which the guide 306 provides the main mechanism for transfer may beparticularly advantageous where the pouches 116 are in the vertically upright position, given the small contact area with the conveyor belt in this position.

[0067] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 3B, the conveyor belt 302 may be configured to convey the pouches 116 while contacting their length-side thickness 304b. Accordingly, the pouches 116 may be said to be standing horizontally upright along the conveyor belt. In such embodiments, the width of the conveyor belt 302 may be at least 1 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 4 mm, and no more than 8 mm, no more than 6 mm, or no more than 5 mm. Such embodiments may be advantageous in that the conveyor belt 302 may maintain a small profile in both the width and height directions. Further, the horizontally upright orientation of the pouches 116 may have increased stability in comparison to vertically upright positioning, due to the increase in contact area between the pouch and conveyor belt. Horizontally upright pouches 116 may be less prone to falling forwards or backwards. Such horizontally upright orientation of the pouches 116 may be particularly advantageous to embodiments in which indexing magazine are being filled or in which pouches 116 are dropped into a chute for filling, in later processing steps. However, the horizontally upright orientation may still present some challenges in that pouches still contact the conveyor belt along one of their smallest surfaces and therefore may still be prone to falling over, falling off the conveyor belt, or slipping along the belt due to a smaller contact area. In order to address these challenges, the horizontalupright embodiment may be provided with a guide 306, incorporating some or all of the features and embodiments disclosed with respect to FIG. 3A.

[0068] Additionally, or alternatively, to the guide rails depicted in FIGS. 3A-B, the guide 306 may include flat or rectangular belts or strips. The guide 306 may also include or take the form of a belt, strip, rail, or line running along and contacting the opposing width-side thickness of the pouch, i.e.. the side not contacted by conveyor belt 302. The guide 306 may also include or take the form of traveling clips, pincers, clamps, vacuum or suction holders, and / or temporary adhesive members, such as pressure-sensitive adhesives.

[0069] According to some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 4A-B, the conveyor belt 302 may be adapted to convey pouches 116 on their faces; that is. the pouch 116 contacts the conveyor belt along the face of the pouch bounded by its length and width. In many cases, the pouches 116 may have a length greater than a width (although square or circular embodiments are included within the present disclosure).

[0070] As shown in FIG. 4A, in some embodiments, the conveyor belt 302 may be configured to convey the pouches 116 while contacting their faces, with the length of the pouch 116 oriented in the length direction (i.e., the traveling direction) of the conveyor belt302. Accordingly, the pouches 116 may be said to be lying flat length-wise along the conveyor belt. In such embodiments, the width of the conveyor belt 302 may be at least 0.2, at least 0.3 cm, at least 0.4 cm, and no more than 0.7 cm, 0.9 cm, or 1.0 cm. Such embodiments may be advantageous in that stability issues of the pouches are minimized - e.g., the pouches are less prone to falling forwards or backwards, or to slipping, due to the larger contact area. Further, the conveyor belt 302 may maintain a smaller profile in the height direction than upright embodiments and still have a smaller profile in the width direction in comparison to some alternative embodiments.

[0071] Still referring to FIG. 4A, while stability issues are minimized in such embodiments, in comparison to upright embodiments, the conveyor belt assembly may still be optionally provided with a guide 306. While the guide 306 may take any one or more of the forms and include any of the features disclosed herein, in flat embodiments such as those illustrated in FIGS. 4A-B. the guide 306 may preferably take the form of a lip. bumper, ridge, curb, or fence provided along the length edges of the conveyor belt. While in some cases, the guide 306 may run continuously along the length edges of conveyor belt 302, in alternative cases, the guide 306 may be non-continuous, such as for example, a series of raised blocks, tabs, rods, or other protrusions, disposed along the length of the conveyor belt 302. Accordingly, the guide 306 may contact the pouch 116 along a thickness dimension. In such embodiments, the guide 306 may have a height which is greater than 50%, greater than 70%, greater than 100% the thickness of the pouch 116, and / or a height which is 200% or less, 150% or less, 125% or less, or 100% or less of the thickness of the pouch. For example, as depicted in FIG. 4A. the guide 306 may include first and second guide bumpers 402a, 402b which may (intermittently or continuously) contact the pouches 116 along their length-side thickness 304b. Accordingly, the first and second guide bumpers 402a, 402b may have a height of at least 1 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 4 mm, and no more than 8 mm, no more than 6 mm, or no more than 5 mm. In flat embodiments, such as those depicted in FIGS. 4A-B, preferably the mechanism of transfer for the pouches 116 may be entirely, or mainly, driven by motion of the conveyor belt 302 and the frictional forces between the conveyor belt surface and the pouch. In such embodiments, the guide 306, e.g., the guide bumpers 402 may be stationary or may move along with the conveyor belt 302.

[0072] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 4B, the conveyor belt 302 may be configured to convey the pouches 116 while contacting their faces, with the width of the pouch 116 oriented in the length direction (i.e., the traveling direction) of the conveyor belt 302. Accordingly, the pouches 116 may be said to be lying flat width-wise along the conveyor belt. In such embodiments, the width of the conveyor belt 302 may be at least 0.80 cm, at least 1.0 cm, atleast 1.2 cm. and no more than 3.5 cm, no more than 3.7 cm, or no more than 3.9 cm. Such embodiments may be advantageous in that the conveyor belt 302 may maintain a small profile in the height direction. Further, stability issues of the pouches may be alleviated - e.g., the pouches are less prone to falling forwards or backwards, or to slipping, due to the larger contact area. Flat width-wise pouch orientation, such as depicted in FIG. 4B may additionally be advantageous in that these embodiment provide for easy pouch orientation, and may be ideal for delivering pouches to filling chutes or funnels in later processing steps. According to some embodiments, flat width-wise conveyor systems may be used to fill a non-indexing magazine directly, in the absence of a chute. Alternatively, in some embodiments, flat widthwise conveyor embodiments may be used to fill an indexing magazine oriented at 90 degrees, e.g, in a cylindrical magazine, where the central axis of the cylinder through its bases is oriented at 90 degrees with respect to a traveling direction of the conveyor belt. In order to assist with retention and orientation of the pouches 116, flat width-wise embodiments may still be provided with a guide 306, incorporating some or all of the features and embodiments previously disclosed herein, especially those described with respect to FIG. 4A.

[0073] Orienting

[0074] While the disclosed transferring processes and apparatus described above may, in some aspects, include guides 306 which assist with pouch orientation, the disclosed methods and apparatuses may additionally or alternatively contain other orientation mechanisms. The disclosed orientation mechanisms may include at least one of active or passive orientation mechanisms. Passive orientation mechanisms include, for example, stationary features which knock misoriented pouches back into a '‘pool” or force the pouches into the correct orientation. As used herein, the “pool” refers to a receptacle, bin, container, or other area outside of the disclosed process resulting in filling of oriented pouches in magazines. For example, according to some embodiments, pouches 116 may be knocked off a conveyor belt in an orientation stage of the process and into a bin positioned below or around the conveyor belt. The loose pouches received in the bin or otherwise in the pool may then be retrieved and recycled to the feed or entry point of the process, either manually or automatically. Conversely, active orientation mechanisms may be capable of recognizing pouches that are misoriented and take dynamic action (e.g., by a piston, air wave, moving arm, etc.) to either remove the pouch from the process or move it into the correct orientation.

[0075] As shown in FIGS. 5A-B, passive orientation mechanisms may include stationary features such as one or more of width or height constraints. As shown in the top-down view provided in FIG. 5A, a conveyor belt 302 may be provided with a width constraint 502 in the form of a block, rail, tab, rod, or other protrusion provided directly adjacent a length edge ofthe conveyor belt 302. Thus, when a pouch that is misoriented to extend past the bounds of the length edge of the conveyor belt 302, the width constraint 502 may force the protruding edge of the pouch back into the bounds of the conveyor belt edges. While in FIG. 5A, one width constraint 502 is depicted, the passive orientation mechanisms disclosed herein may include a plurality of width constraints. In some cases, the plurality of width constraints may include pairs of width constraints provided at opposite length edges of the conveyor belt 302, i.e., across the width of the conveyor belt 302. According to some embodiments, such each member of such pairs may be aligned with its mate, along a length of the conveyor belt. Alternatively or additionally, members of such pairs may be staggered (i.e., not aligned) along the length of the conveyor belt. Alternatively or additionally, the plurality of width constraints 502 may include two or more width constraints disposed along a single length edge of the conveyor belt 302, such as 10 width constraints or less, 5 width constraints or less, or 3 width constraints or less.

[0076] As shown in both FIGS. 5A-B, the disclosed passive orientation mechanisms may additionally or alternatively include a height constraint 504. As shown in the top-down view provided in FIG. 5A and the side view provided in FIG. 5B, the height constraint may be provided above the conveyor belt 302. so as to form a gap between the height constraint 504 and the conveyor belt 302 through which a properly oriented pouch may pass, but a misoriented pouch 116 may not. Height constraints 504 may be particularly advantageous in embodiments where the conveyor belt 302 is adapted for flat oriented pouches. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the gap formed between the conveyor belt 302 and the height constraint 504 may be less than the length and / or the width of the pouches 116, but greater than one or more of the length-side thickness 304b or the width-side thicknesses 304a. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 5A-B, a pouch which is incorrectly oriented upright may be either knocked flat or knocked off of the conveyor belt 302 into the pool, to be eventually re-fed to the entry point of the process. According to some aspects, the height constraint 504 may take the form of a block, rail, tab, rod, or other barrier provided above the conveyor belt 302. As shown in FIG. 5A, in some cases, the height constraint 504 may be angled (i.e., at an angle other than 90°) with respect to the traveling direction of the conveyor belt 302. Such an angled configuration may preferentially knock pouches 116 of the conveyor belt 302 into the pool and therefore may be advantageous in embodiments where this is desired so that misoriented pouches 116 can be re-fed to the process. In contrast, height constraints 504 which are not angled with respect to the conveyor belt 302 may be more prone to forcing misoriented pouches back into the correct orientation while remaining on the conveyor belt 302.

[0077] As exemplified in FIG. 6. active orientation mechanisms 600 may include a sensor 602 capable of recognizing pouches 116 that are misoriented and an actuator 604, capable of taking dynamic action (e.g., by a piston, air wave, moving arm, etc.) to either remove the misoriented pouch 116 from the process or move it into the correct orientation. The sensor 602 may include any suitable sensor, including for example, a camera, a laser, an optical sensor, or a load cell. The sensor 602 may be adapted to identify when a pouch misaligned. For example, as depicted in FIG. 6, the sensory 602 may be, e.g., a laser sensor placed at a predetermined height above the conveyor belt 302. According to some embodiments, the height of the sensor above the conveyor belt 302 may be less than the length and / or the width of the pouches 116. but greater than one or more of the length-side thickness 304b or the width-side thicknesses 304a. The sensor 602 may be adapted to detect when a portion of the pouch 116 has exceeded the predetermined height. When this is sensed, the actuator can be activated to either re-orient or reject the pouch by pushing it off the conveyor belt into the pool. According to some embodiments, the actuator may include a piston, an air blower, a moving arm, or similar. As exemplified in FIG. 6, the actuator may be a piston which moves from a recessed to a protruded position to push the pouch back into the correct orientation and / or into the pool, when the sensor 602 detects a misoriented pouch. As shown in FIG. 6, when the pouch has been reoriented, the piston (or other actuator) may then return to its original state.

[0078] Aggregating & Counting

[0079] According to some aspects, pouches 116 exiting the transferring block 202 and / or the orienting block 204 may enter directly into the filling block 206. However, in some aspects, an aggregating and / or a counting block may be provided prior to the filling block 206. According to some aspects, as shown in FIGS. 7A-C, an aggregation station may include a receptacle 702, such as a bin, slot, cavity, well, or the like, configured to receive two or more pouches 116, for example, 3 or more, 5 or more, 7 or more, or 8 or more, and 20 or less, 15 or less, 13 or less, 10 or less, 6 or less, 5 or less, or 4 or less. In some aspects, the conveyor belt 302 may feed the pouches 116 directly into receptacle 702. Alternatively, the conveyor belt 302 may feed the pouches 116 into the receptacle 702 indirectly through other apparatuses, such as a chute, a hopper, a funnel, or the like. According to some aspects, the receptacle 702 may be shaped to fit closely around the two or more pouches, in order to maintain a uniform orientation.

[0080] A pouch aggregation station may serve one or more functions. For example, a pouch aggregation station may be used to “buffer” and compensate for differences between transferring and / or orientation rate of pouches and the rate of filling of pouches intomagazines. For instance, if the transferring and / or orientation blocks are providing oriented pouches at a faster rate than the filling block is filling the pouches into magazines, an aggregation station may collect and hold pouches until the filling station is ready to accept them. In some aspects, this compensation mechanism may include periodically stopping the transferring mechanism, such as the conveyor belt, or may include a wall to block pouches from advancing. In some aspects, this compensation mechanism may include an aggregation station in which pouches are aggregated into packages containing predetermined number of pouches, which may then be advanced to the filling block 206 package-by-package.

[0081] Similarly, the pouch aggregation station may also serve the function of organizing pouches into packages having a predetermined number or pouches, in a set orientation, for ease of filling into a magazine. According to some embodiments where one package is designed to fill one magazine, or a set number of packages (e.g., 2, 3, or 4) is designed to fill one magazine, the aggregation station may include a pouch counter. The pouch counter may include a sensor capable of determining, either directly (i.e., counting individual pouches) or indirectly (e.g., sensing a weight of pouches), a number of pouches. According to some embodiments, the pouch counter may include one or more of an optical sensor, or a weight sensor. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, pouch 116 may be aggregated in receptacle 702 to form a package. A pouch counter 704 including an optical sensor capable of determining a distance from a surface may be used to determine when the receptacle 702 is full and the magazine is complete. Additionally, or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7B, the pouch counter 704 may include a weight sensor, which may detect when the receptacle 702 is full by sensing when it contains a predetermined weight of pouches. Finally, according to some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7C, the pouch counter 704 may include an optical sensor disposed above the conveyor belt 302, which may identify and “count” individual pouches, which may then drop into receptacle 702 directly after being counted.

[0082] According to some embodiments, a predetermined number of pouches per package may be set. Then, when the pouch counter 704 determines that the predetermined number of pouches has been reached, the receptacle may be replaced with another, the transferring mechanism may temporarily stop, and / or the conveyor belt 302 outlet for pouches may move to another location, e.g., another receptacle. Any and all embodiments of pouch counter 704 disclosed herein may equally be applied to directly fill pouches into magazines.

[0083] Filling

[0084] After the transferring, orienting, and optionally aggregating or counting blocks, the pouches 116 may enter a filling block to be filled into magazines. The configuration of thefilling block may be adapted to suit the particular shape and drive mechanism of the magazine to be filled. Magazines may be provided in various different shapes and configurations, e.g., for interaction with various different dispensers and drive mechanisms, as fully described in U.S. Pat. App. Ser. No. 18 / 918,529, filed on October 17, 2024, titled “APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AN ORAL NICOTINE DISPENSING SYSTEM." which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. At a high level, as illustrated in FIG. 8, magazines (and their related dispensers) may be provided in various different types including spring-loaded 802, circular or rotary 804, conveyor 806, or alternative ty pes 808, such as spiral, pill pack, blister, etc.

[0085] Filling - Spring-Loaded Magazines

[0086] Initially, magazines and the related dispensers may utilize a loaded spring to drive pouches to a dispensing aperture of the dispenser. Such spring loaded embodiments may either hold individual pouches or may hold a plurality of pouches in blister packs in a cartridge, with a spring-enabled base. According to some aspects, as illustrated in FIG. 9, a spring- loaded magazine and dispenser assembly 900 may include a magazine 902 and a dispenser 904.

[0087] As shown in cross-section in FIGS. 10A-B, the magazine 902 may have an outside housing 906 defining a storage cavi ty for containing pouches or other dosage forms, a loaded spring 1002. optionally a plate 1004. and an opening or aperture 908 from which a pouch 116 may be dispensed, the loaded spring 1002 configured to drive the pouches 116 towards the dispensing aperture 908, optionally using the plate 1004. Certain embodiments may include a door 910 covering the dispensing aperture 908, and / or a door opening mechanism 1006 such as a spring, a lock-and-key mechanism that enables the door 910 to open when it is inserted into a dispenser 904 (as shown in FIG. 10B), such as a magnet. According to some further embodiments, magazines 902 may additionally or alternatively include a battery such as a button or coil cell battery which may enable the magazine to power the dispenser 904.

[0088] Although the dispenser 904 and magazine 902 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10A-B have a generally rectangular cross-section, the disclosed spring-loaded magazines 902 and dispensers 904 may have any cross-sectional shape feasible, including for example, square, circular, oblong, triangular, or the like. Similarly, while the spring is configured to drive the pouches 116 towards the dispensing aperture 908. optionally using the plate 1004. the dispensing aperture may be disposed on any feasible location of the housing 906, including the top, sides, bottom, or similar.

[0089] In such spring-loaded embodiments, during the filling process, the spring 1002 and / or the spring and plate assembly may be removed from the magazine, or the spring 1002 and / or the spring 1002 and plate 1004 assembly may be secured with the spring in a compressed state by a holder, such as, e.g., a rubber band or a snap mechanism, such that no strain from the spring may act on the plate and / or no compression of the pouches being filled into the magazine exists. The spring 1002 may be secured by the holder via opening the magazine along a cross-section in the length-width plane as shown in FIG. 10A-B. Alternatively or additionally, the spring 1002 may be secured by the holder via an opening or removed panel in the sides, top, bottom, or any other face of the magazine. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 10A-B. during the filling process, the magazine may be opened along a length-width plane or divided into two halves along this plane, e g., in a ‘'clamshell” like configuration. In such embodiments, the separation of the magazine into two pieces may be a complete separation, or a small connecting strip or “hinge” may be provided connecting the two pieces. In such embodiments, the two pieces may be reunited and secured together at or near the end of the manufacturing process.

[0090] Further, during the filling process, magazines may be open for filling along the length-width plane as described above, or. they may be open along the top, the bottom, or the sides, to allow for insertion and filling of pouches 116. In some embodiments, an entire face of the magazine (i.e., the top, the bottom, a side, or a length-width face) may be removed, while in other embodiments, only a portion of a face may be removed or opened to form a window, aperture, opening, or the like for insertion of pouches 116. As described above, such opening may include complete removal of a face or a portion of a face, or the face or portion of the face may remain attached along a hinge, connecting strip, or seam. Regardless of its specific form, the filling opening may be closed at or near the end of the manufacturing process to provide a finished magazine.

[0091] According to some aspects, during the filling process, magazines may be arranged side-by-side on a tray or in a row along a conveyor belt, or along any of the transferring mechanisms disclosed herein. According to some embodiments, the transferring mechanism and / or conveyor belt may be a separate or additional transferring mechanism and / or conveyor belt from that used in the transferring process. According to some aspects, a feeding mechanism may exchange trays of empty magazines for filled ones, or the conveyor belt may move at a prespecified speed that allows empty magazines to be replenished after magazines are filled at a filling station.

[0092] According to some aspects, as shown in FIGS. 11A-B, according to some embodiments, the filling station may include a robotic arm 1102. According to someembodiments, the transferring and / or orientation blocks may provide the pouches 116 to the filling block via a conveyor belt 302. As exemplified in FIGS. 1 1 A-B, the conveyor belt 302 may provide the pouches 116 in a flat length- wise orientation. However, any orientation or conveyor belt configuration disclosed herein may also be used.

[0093] Still referring to FIGS. 11 A-B, the pouches 116 may be transferred from the conveyor belt 302 into a hopper or a receptacle 702. According to some aspects, the receptacle 702 may be configured to organize pouches 116 into packages. Accordingly, in some aspects, the filling process may include pre-selecting a desired number of pouches per package. In some embodiments, the receptacle may be configured to house only the desired number of pouches 116 per package. The receptacle may additionally or alternatively include a pouch counter 704 configured to determine when the receptacle 702 is full and / or when the desired number of pouches 116 to form a package is present in the receptacle 702. According to some embodiments, the receptacle 702 may include a passive or active orientation mechanism. For example, the receptacle 702 may be shaped so that the pouches are biased by gravity and / or geometry to have the desired orientation (e.g., such as a flat length-wise orientation as exemplified in FIGS. 11 A-B). As another example, the receptacle 702 may include a sensor 602 configured to determine if a pouch 116 is misoriented and an actuator 604 capable of realigning misoriented pouches, the actuator being triggered to take action when the sensor 602 identifies a misoriented pouch.

[0094] Referring to FIG. 11A, once a package having the desired number of pouches is aggregated (i.e., formed), a robotic arm 1102 may pick up the package. According to one exemplary embodiment, the receptacle 702 may have open slots 1104 along a face corresponding to either the length or the width of the pouches 116 in the package. The robotic arm 1102 may have at least to pincers 1106 or gripping arms which may extend along a thickness direction of the pouches 116 in the package and may grip the package via the slots 1104.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 11B, the robotic arm 1102 may pick up an entire package and transfer the package to an open, empty magazine 902 to fill it. before returning to the receptacle 702 to repeat this process. According to some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 11 A-B, the open magazines 902 may be provided to the filling station by a conveyor belt 302. According to some embodiments, the conveyor belt 302 may include guides 306 of any of the types disclosed herein to secure the magazines in the correct orientation. Further, the conveyor belt 302 may include dividers 1108, which may include bars, ridges, protrusions, walls, or the like, configured to separate the open magazines and maintain them at a uniform, pre-set distance from one another.

[0096] As exemplified in FIGS. 11 A-B. according to some embodiments, the magazines may be open along their top face (i.e., the face furthest from the spring 1002 in a completed magazine) or along their bottom face (i.e., the face closest to the spring 1002 in a completed magazine). In embodiments in which magazines are open and filled from their top face, a spring-loading process may be performed in which the holder may release the spring-loaded plate, the spring may then compress the pouches, then a cap may be placed onto the magazine and snapped in. The placement of the cap may be carried out by the same, or a simultaneously timed mechanism that releases the spring-loaded plate from its resting state to its released state. According to such embodiments, one action may both secures the magazine cap and load the spring. When the magazines are open and filled from their bottom face, the spring 1002 may not be present during the filling and may be inserted after the magazines are filled. In such embodiments, the spring 1002 may be inserted in an uncompressed state and the spring may be compressed and loaded when the bottom cap is applied. Alternatively, the spring may be inserted in a compressed stated and then released to load the spring against the pouches.

[0097] According to alternative embodiments, the filling station may include a hopper and a conveyor belt 302 provided with cavities. In such embodiments, the conveyor belt 302 may include a cavity shaped and sized to fit a single pouch. Initially, a hopper may dispense pouches onto the conveyor belt 302. Then, either an active or passive orientation mechanism may be used to push pouches into their conveyor belt cavities, the cavities each having a depth corresponding to a pouch thickness as disclosed herein, and a length and width corresponding to pouch length and width disclosed herein. The pouches within their respective conveyor belt cavities may then be transferred to a waiting magazine, disposed below the conveyor belt 302. As the pouch travels over the magazine 902, a hatch or trap door in the conveyor belt may open, allowing the pouch to drop into the magazine through its open face. Any of the disclosed pouch counters 704 may be used to determine when the magazine is full, and the magazine may then either be removed and replace with an empty magazine, or the magazines may continue to advance along a transferring mechanism, such as a conveyor belt, according to any suitable embodiment of such disclosed herein. In an exemplary' embodiment, the magazines filled by this method may be filled from the bottom face. Accordingly, once a magazine is filled, the spring assembly may be inserted prior to or along with capping.

[0098] According to still further embodiments, as exemplified in FIG. 12, pouches 116 may be fed from a transferring mechanism, such as a conveyor belt 302, the transferring mechanism lacking individual cavities for the pouches 116. For instance, as shown in FIG. 12, pouches 116 may be oriented on conveyor belt 302 in a flat width-wise manner and may be individually fed from the conveyor belt 302 into a magazine 902 via chute 1202, a hopper.or a funnel. While FIG. 12 depicts a width-wise flat pouch orientation, similar filling configurations may also be used with other orientations. In some embodiments, a chute 1202 may not be used and the pouches 116 may fall directly from the conveyor belt into the magazine 902. In some embodiments, the magazine 902 may be provided with any of the active or passive orientation mechanisms disclosed herein, to ensure that any pouches 116 which become misoriented during this process are realigned. According to some embodiments, the orientation mechanisms may include a shaking mechanism which may engage with the magazine to shake the pouches 116 into the desired orientation, e.g., flat. Passive orientation mechanisms may include ribs, protrusions, ridges, or similar inside the magazine which encourage the pouches to assume and retain the desired orientation.

[0099] Any of the disclosed pouch counters 704 may be used to determine when the magazine is full. According to an exemplary embodiment, the pouch counter may include an optical sensor 602 disposed at, or directly adjacent to, a point where the conveyor belt contacts, intersects with, or transfers pouches to the chute 1202, hopper, or funnel, or directly to the magazine. The sensor 602 may thereby sense and count pouches provided to the magazine and determine, optionally in conjunction with a computing device or a processor and memory, when the magazine is full. The magazine may then either be removed and replaced with an empty magazine, or the magazines may continue to advance along a transferring mechanism, such as a conveyor belt, according to any suitable embodiment of such disclosed herein. According to some embodiments, the pouch conveyor belt may stop when the magazine is full, until the magazine conveyor belt has advanced the magazines to provide an empty magazine to the filling location. Additionally or alternatively the desired number of pouches for filling the magazine (i.e., a package), may be placed along the pouch conveyor belt in close proximity7to one another, with a larger space in between packages, such that the larger space may provide time for the magazine to be replaced, assuming the pouch conveyor belt continues running at a constant rate. According to some embodiments, the filling process may include a tamping step, in which a press, an arm, a weight, or the like is used to push down pouches in a filled magazine and ensure their correct orientation. According to some embodiments, the magazine conveyor belt 302 may run perpendicular to the pouch conveyor belt while in alternative embodiments, the magazines may be provided on a rotating feed, such as, e.g., a conveyor belt that rotates away from the filling station after the magazine is deposited and / or filled at the filling station.

[0100] The filling configuration exemplified in FIG. 12 may be used to fill magazines from any side, including from the top or the bottom (or the sides, etc.). However, in a preferred embodiment, the filling configuration exemplified in FIG. 12 may7be used to fill pouchesfrom the bottom, with the spring assembly removed, as shown in FIG. 13. Accordingly, the spring 1002 may not be present during the filling and may be inserted after the magazines 902 are filled. In such embodiments, the spring 1002 may be inserted in an uncompressed state and the spring 1002 may be compressed and loaded when the bottom cap 1302 is applied. Alternatively, the spring 1002 may be inserted in a compressed state and then released to load the spring against the pouches. According to some embodiments, the spring assembly and the cap may be separate components. However, in alternative embodiments, e.g., used for bottom filling methods, the spring assembly and the cap may be one integrated component.

[0101] According to some alternative embodiments, filling may be performed through the top face, with the top face open. In such top filling methods, the spring assembly may be disposed in the magazine, i.e., nearer the bottom end than then top, during the filling. According to some embodiments, the spring 1002 may be secured in a compressed state by a holder during the filling, such that it does not place pressure on the pouches as they are being filled. In such embodiments, it may be possible to fill the magazine directly from a conveyor belt without the use of a robotic arm, guiding chute, funnel, hopper, or the like. In some alternative embodiments, the spring may not be secured or compressed during the filling process. In such embodiments, a robotic arm, guiding chute, funnel, hopper, or the like maybe more preferably used. According to some embodiments, the guiding chute, funnel, hopper, or the like may be provided at the filling location, while in alternative embodiments, it may travel along with a single magazine. In embodiments where the spring is not secured with a holder, a tamping step may be provided to compress and orient the filled pouches and to initially compress the spring. If the spring is uncompressed during filling, it may become compressed when the magazine is capped, as shown in FIG. 13. Alternatively, the disclosed processed may include a spring loading step, in which the holder is removed to load the spring against the filled pouches, prior or simultaneously to capping.

[0102] Further, according to some aspect, as shown in FIG. 14, the filling block disclosed herein may include a side filling method. For example, the magazine housing may be opened by dividing the magazine into first and second halves 1402, 1404. along a cross-section in a length-width plane. As disclosed herein, first and second halves may have equal thicknesses and sizes or non-equal thicknesses and sizes. As disclosed above, the separation into first and second halves 1402, 1404, may be a complete separation, or the halves may remain connected by a seam, hinge, or connecting line. The second half may be opened or removed, to provide a first half open along the length-width plane. Pouches 116 may then be loaded into the first half 1402 individually, one at a time, using any of the methods disclosed herein (i.e., conveyor belt, chute, etc.) or in packages using any of the methods disclosed herein (i.e., robotic arm.aggregation receptacle, etc.). According to some embodiments, the magazine may include alignment features within the housing, such as ribs, shelves, or trays. Then, the second half may be closed and / or replaced and secured to the first half by use of adhesives, heat treatment, a snapping or a latch mechanism, a tape, or (in the case of a metal housing) soldering, or any other suitable method. Finally, the spring 1002 may be inserted and the magazine may be capped and optionally, sprayed and / or loaded according to any of the disclosed methods.

[0103] According to some aspects, the hydration, capping, and / or loading blocks described herein may be provided and these steps performed at the same location, or directly in line with the filling methods described herein. However, in other embodiments, these later processing blocks may be provided further down the manufacturing line, e.g., after a bottleneck, or in a different location altogether.

[0104] Filling - Circular, Rotary, & Conveyor

[0105] Initially, magazines and the related dispensers may utilize circular, rotary, and / or conveyor mechanisms to drive pouches to a dispensing aperture of the dispenser. A more complete description of such magazines and dispensers may be found in U.S. Pat. App. Ser. No. 18 / 918,529, filed on October 17, 2024, titled “APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AN ORAL NICOTINE DISPENSING SYSTEM,'’ which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 15, a circular or rotary type magazine 902 may include a cylindrical housing 906, and, optionally, a wheel-spoke shape disposed within the housing, the spokes (not shown in FIG. 15) defining at least one compartment configured to hold a pouch 116 between adjacent spokes. The wheel-spoke shape may allow for the organization and alignment of multiple compartments around a central axis, facilitating the efficient storage and dispensing of the pouches through a dispensing aperture provided in the housing, as the wheel-spoke shape Spokes may either be fully vertical creating an environment in which the pouches 116 stand up. or spokes may be affixed at an angle such as 45 degrees, 40 degrees to 50 degrees, or 35 to 55 degrees, creating an environment in which pouches are laying at an angle.

[0107] Such circular or rotary magazines can be indexed via a rotational movement that allows for filling a predetermined number of slots after each rotation. For example, the magazine may index (twisting clockwise) one slot to expose a new slot that is open. Such rotation may be created by a motor and / or a set of gears. Along with mechanical components to index and to ensure proper positioning, feedback sensors, such as lasers and cameras, may also be included.

[0108] Still referring to FIG. 15. according to some disclosed embodiments, such rotary embodiments may be filled by an opening in one of the circular bases of the cylindrical (i.e., in the shape of a cylinder) housing. As disclosed above, the opening may constitute the entire base, or only a portion of it. As disclosed above, the opening may include a full removal of the base or a portion of it. or only a partial removal, leaving a hinge, seam, etc. According to some embodiments, one entire base of the cylinder may be removed and serve as a cap for the magazine. In such embodiments, the magazine could be filled by feeding individual pouches 116 into their individual compartments in the magazine, through the open base. This may be accomplished by using any one or more of the transferring, orienting, or filling mechanisms disclosed herein including, filling each compartment with one pouch provided from a conveyor belt, with or without cavities to contain pouches, either directly or by using a chute, a hopper, a funnel, or similar. According to some aspects, a pouch may be fed into a compartment, subsequently, the magazine or the spokes within the magazine may be rotated to provide an empty compartment to the filling location to accept the next pouch. Such rotation may be accomplished either via an external rotation mechanism or by the indexing mechanism of the magazine itself. In such embodiments, any of the pouch counters disclosed herein may be used to determine when a magazine is full. When the magazine is full, it may be advanced to one or more of hydration, capping, and or / loading blocks and another magazine may be provided in its place by any of the methods disclosed herein, e.g., by conveyor belt, tray, or similar.

[0109] According to alternative embodiments, such rotary embodiments may be filled by an opening in the curved surfaces (i.e., the circumferential surface) of the housing. As disclosed above, the opening may constitute the entire circumferential surface, or only a portion of it. As disclosed above, the opening may include a full removal of the circumferential surface or a portion of it, or only a partial removal. According to some embodiments, the entire circumferential wall of the cylinder may be removed. In such embodiments, the magazine could be filled by feeding individual pouches 116 into their individual compartments in the magazine, through the open sides. This may be accomplished by using any one or more of the transferring, orienting, or filling mechanisms disclosed herein including, filling each compartment with one pouch provided from a conveyor belt, with or without cavities to contain pouches, either directly or by using a chute, a hopper, a funnel, or similar. According to some aspects, a pouch may be fed into a compartment, subsequently, the magazine or the spokes within the magazine may be rotated to provide an empty compartment to the filling location to accept the next pouch. Such rotation may be accomplished either via an external rotation mechanism or by the indexing mechanism of the magazine itself. In suchembodiments, any of the pouch counters disclosed herein may be used to determine when a magazine is full. When the magazine is full, it may be advanced to one or more of hydration, capping, and or / loading blocks and another magazine may be provided in its place by any of the methods disclosed herein, e.g., by conveyor belt, tray, or similar. In such embodiments, the capping step may include fitting a circular wall around the circumference of the magazine, or closing a gap in the circumferential wall of the magazine.

[0110] According to alternative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 16, a conveyor belt type magazine may be filled. In a conveyor belt magazine, the magazine housing may include a vault, a conveyor belt 302 with attached trays 1602, and a pouch 116. The pouch 116 may be advanced by rotating the conveyor belt 302 which may hold the pouch on individual tray 1602.

[0111] According to some embodiments, the filling station may include a hopper a conveyor belt 302 provided with cavities. In such embodiments, the conveyor belt 302 may optionally include a cavity shaped and sized to fit a single pouch 116. Initially, a hopper may dispense pouches 116 onto the conveyor belt 302. Then, either an active or passive orientation mechanism may be used to push pouches 116 into their conveyor belt cavities, the cavities each having a depth corresponding to a pouch thickness as disclosed herein, and a length and width corresponding to pouch length and width disclosed herein. The pouches 116 within their respective conveyor belt cavities may then be transferred to a waiting magazine. The magazine 902 may be disposed such that the moving direction of its internal conveyor belt 302 is perpendicular to the moving direction of the pouch conveyor belt 302. The magazine 902 may have an opening 1604 positioned to allows access to each tray 1602 as the magazine indexes. Further, the magazine 902 may be disposed such that each tray 1602 is positioned level with or slightly below the conveyor belt 302, with access to the tray 1602 provided through the opening. As the pouch 116 travels towards and / or over the tray 1602, a hatch or trap door in the conveyor belt 302 may open, allowing the pouch 116 to drop onto the tray through the opening. Alternatively, the magazine be provided below the pouch conveyor belt such that the moving direction of the pouch conveyor belt and the moving direction of the tray conveyor belt are in opposing directions and a trap door may open to allow an individual pouch to drop into the magazine between two trays, via the opening.

[0112] Any of the disclosed pouch counters 704 may be used to determine when the magazine is full, and the magazine may then either be removed and replaced with an empty- magazine, or the magazines may continue to advance along a transferring mechanism, such as a conveyor belt, according to any suitable embodiment of such disclosed herein. Any sensor disclosed herein, including an optical sensor, a camera, optionally in combination with acomputing device, a processor, a memory, and / or an actuator may be used to align the pouch conveyor belt and the tray of the magazine as it indexes. Once a magazine is full, it may be capped by securing a cap to cover the opening 1604, by any of the methods disclosed herein, with a snap-on cap being preferred.

[0113] According to some aspects, the hydration, capping, and / or loading blocks described herein may be provided and these steps performed at the same location, or directly in line with the filling methods described herein. However, in other embodiments, these later processing blocks may be provided further down the manufacturing line, e.g., after a bottleneck, or in a different location altogether.

[0114] Filling - Indexing Magazines

[0115] In general, indexing magazines may have individual compartments adapted to hold a predetermined number of pouches, such as 1 pouch, 1-2 pouches, or 1-3 pouches. The magazine may be able to index by moving one compartment at a time into a dispensing or a filling position. During the filling processes disclosed herein, an indexing magazine may index by using its own internal indexing mechanisms (e.g., the same mechanisms used for dispensing in a finished magazine), or an external indexing tool may be used to index the magazine.

[0116] According to some aspects, a filling method for an indexing magazine may include a feeder. A feeder may include a slide, carousel, chute, column, or the like, which may use gravity to move pouches from a higher feed point to a lower ejection point. The feeder may be fed with pouches according to any of the methods disclosed herein, including via conveyor belt and vibratory feeder, and may be adapted to eject only a single pouch at a time. In order to do so, the feeder may be provided with a control gate, such as door, gate, fence, or lever at its lowest point (i.e., the ejection point). The control gate may only open long enough for one pouch at a time to pass through, driven by gravity.

[0117] According to some aspects, a magazine may be provided at or below the ejection point of the feeder mechanism, with a compartment aligned with the ejection point. Accordingly, the feeder may eject a single pouch (or as many pouches as the compartment is designed to hold) into the compartment. The control gate may then close while the magazine indexes to the next compartment, before restarting the process. Once the magazine is full, as determined by any of the devices or methods disclosed herein, the magazine may be advanced to hydrating, capping, and / or loading blocks by any suitable means, such as a moving tray, a conveyor belt, a robotic arm, or similar.

[0118] As shown in FIGS. 17A-B, according to some embodiments, multiple feeders 1704 may be used to simultaneously fill one or more, or in some cases, all of the compartments 1702, of the indexing magazine. In embodiments where all of the compartments 1702 are filled simultaneously, the magazine may not index during the filling process. For example, in a circular magazine having compartments 1702 formed between adjacent spokes, multiple feeders 1704 may be provided in a module, to correspond to the number of compartments 1702. As exemplified in FIGS. 17A-B, magazines 902 may be filled through an open base, as they advance along a conveyor belt 302. The conveyor belt 302 may advance the each magazine 902 to a filling station positioned below the feeder module. In order to ensure the magazines are correctly spaced and aligned, any one or more of the disclosed methods may be used, including guides, spacers, sensors, and active or passive orientation mechanisms. Any of the aforementioned methods and apparatus may be operated in conjunction with a computing device, a processor, and / or a memory. Once an empty magazine is in place at the filling station, the control gate 1706 may be opened, allowing one pouch 116 to drop into each compartment 1702. The control gate 1706 may then be closed, the filled magazine may advance to further processing blocks and be replaced by an empty magazine, upon which time the process may repeat. In addition to the control gate 1706, each feeder 1704 may be provided with a pouch retainer adapted to retain the second pouch 1712 from the ejection point 1708 in place while the control gate 1706 is opened. The pouch retainer may include a second control gate, placed at an interval from the ejection point 1708, the interval being equal to the relevant dimension of the pouch (depending on the dimension oriented in the gravitational direction) and a buffer of, e.g., 10%-15%, 10%-20%, or 10%-30%. According to some aspects, the control gates may open alternatively or sequentially. For example, the second control gate may be closed while the first control gate (i.e., at the ejection point) is open, in order to retain the second pouch 1712 while the first pouch 1710 is ejected. After the first pouch 1710 is ejected, the second control gate may then be opened. According to other embodiments, the first and second control gates may open and close simultaneously. Alternatively or additionally, the pouch retainer may include a retractable ledge, prong, clip, pincer, or similar which grabs or holds the second pouch 1712 while the first control gate is open.

[0119] According to some aspects, a filling mechanism for an indexing magazine may include a loose method. According to such methods, a pre-counted (using any of the counting and / or aggregating methods disclosed herein) number of pouches may be dumped loose into an open indexing magazine, e g., via a hopper, a funnel, and chute, or directly from a conveyor belt. In such embodiments, the magazine may be configured to only fit a single pouch percompartment. When pouches are added loose to the magazine, some pouches may immediately fall into a compartment while others may not. After the initial loose feed step, an orientation step may be performed in which the magazine is shaken, and / or a brush passes over a top or side surface of the compartments to knock misoriented pouches into a compartment. The orientation step may continue until all loose pouches have been assigned a compartment. This end result may be confirmed visually, either by a human operator, or by image recognition software used by a computing device, a processor, and / or a memory. Once the orientation step is complete, the magazine may be passed to hydration, capping, and / or loading blocks.

[0120] In another embodiment, the conveyor belt may feed the pouches through the loose method an adaptor tool. The adaptor tool may be configured to fit a single pouch per compartment in the adaptor tool. When pouches are added loose to the adaptor tool, some pouches may immediately fall into a compartment while others may not. After the initial loose feed step, an orientation step may be performed in which the adaptor tool is shaken, and / or a brush passes over a top or side surface of the compartments to knock misoriented pouches into a compartment. Once the result is confirmed, the adaptor tool may open a control gate that allows the pouches to be dropped into the magazine compartment through gravity via a chute. This method may be advantageous in that the pouches are oriented and counted in advance of being dropped into the magazines through the loose method, but more control may be exerted over the adaptor tool through shaking it or brushing it. Once the orientation step is complete, the magazine may be passed to hydration, capping, and / or loading blocks.

[0121] According to some aspects, as shown in FIGS. 18A-B, indexing magazines 902 may be indexed by an external indexing tool 1802 during filling. As shown in FIGS. 18A-B, magazines 902 may be advanced along a conveyor belt 302 to a filling station. As shown in FIGS. 18A-B, at the filling station, a conveyor belt 302 carrying pouches 116 may be provided at a perpendicular orientation to the conveyor belt 302 carrying the magazines 902. While the pouch conveyor belt may, in a preferred embodiment, be an upright pouch embodiment using guide rails, any conveyor belt / pouch configuration that is feasible may be used. As shown in FIG. 18A, according to some embodiments, the pouch conveyor belt may be provided level with the magazine. This may be advantageous in embodiments in which the magazines 902 are filled through the circumferential curved face (i.e., the side) of a cylindrical magazine. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 18B, the pouch conveyor belt may be provided above the magazine, such that pouches 116 may drop into the magazine through an open base. This embodiment may be preferable for a system in which cylindrical magazines are filled through an open base.

[0122] When the magazine reaches the filling station, an external indexing tool 1802 may engage with the magazine along its central axis. Optionally, in order to ensure the magazines are correctly spaced and aligned, any one or more of the disclosed methods may be used, including guides, spacers, sensors (e.g., an optical sensor and / or a camera), and active or passive orientation mechanisms. Any of the aforementioned methods and apparatus may be operated in conjunction with a computing device, a processor, and / or a memory. When the magazine is correctly aligned, the external indexing tool 1802 may engage with the magazine 902 via, e.g., a threaded engagement, locking protrusions, frictional forces via teeth or surface irregularities, clips or gripping arms, or the like. Via this engagement, the external indexing tool may be able to either rotate the entire magazine, or index by rotating the magazine's spokes. The pouch conveyor belt 302 then feeds individual pouches to individual compartments, as the external indexing tool 1802 indexes a full rotation to fill the magazine. The external indexing tool 1802 may rotate on a timer, which is set to correspond to the pouch spacing and transfer rate of the pouch conveyor belt 302. Alternatively, or additionally, the system may include a sensor 602 which may confirm that a pouch is in position in a compartment 1702, which would then trigger indexing to the next compartment. Once the magazine is full, the external indexing tool 1802 may release the magazine and the magazine may be passed to hydration, capping, and / or loading blocks.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 18B, the external indexing tool 1802 may be a vacuum indexing tool 1902. The vacuum indexing tool 1902 may engage with the magazine by vacuum suction. This may be advantageous in that vacuum indexing tools may require less tight tolerances to successfully engage with the magazines. Rather, the vacuum indexing tool 1902 merely needs to interfaces with a flat surface of the magazine or wheel-spoke structure, which can be accomplished from either above or below (i.e., either base of a cylindrical embodiment).

[0124] As shown in FIG. 19, instead of indexing a magazine itself, an indexing tool (e.g., a having a wheel-spoke structure, with compartments) with pouches in the same configuration as the magazine they would be placed into, nay be filled instead. Once the indexing tool is full, a vacuum indexing tool 1802 can then pick up the pouches in the correct configuration and place them into a waiting magazine. As soon as the vacuum indexing tool 1902 picks up the pouches, other pouches 116 can begin filling the indexing tool again. In another embodiment, the spokes are only found in the magazine 902 and a housing, i.e., sidewall) of the magazine may be provided with a temporary spoke filling tool. In that embodiment, the external indexing tool 1802 may pick up the housing and places it onto the magazine 902 spokes, and remove the temporary spokes. This method combines filling of the magazine andassembly of the magazine by placing the sidewall of the magazine onto the magazine spokes while simultaneously filling the compartments of the magazine.

[0125] Filling - Tear-Off Magazines

[0126] Initially, magazines and the related dispensers may utilize a tear-off pouch configuration. A more complete description of such magazines and dispensers may be found in U.S. Pat. App. Ser. No. 18 / 918,529, filed on October 17, 2024, titled ’ APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AN ORAL NICOTINE DISPENSING SYSTEM / ’ which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. However, in general, as shown in FIG. 20, a tear-off magazine 902 may include a housing 906, a cavity configured to hold a roll of connected pouches 116, and a dispensing aperture through which the pouches 116 may be dispensed.

[0127] In order to provide such tear-off pouches, the conventional pouch manufacturing line may not cut apart each pouch, e.g., 15-20 pouches may be provided still connected. Optionally, such pouch lines may be perforated at the connection point between pouches in order to provide for easier tearing. As shown in FIG. 21, these pouch lines may be rolled onto a spool 2102, until the end of a single pouch line is reached. Then, the rolled pouch line may be pushed into a magazine 902 open along, e.g., its largest face (although any other face may be similarly opened for filling). Alternatively, the spool 2102 may release the rolled pouch lines and a mechanism (e.g., a pin, clip, temporary adhesive, or the like) holds them in place. Then, the rolled and secured pouch line may be dropped into an empty magazine 902 through either a conveyor belt, a robotic arm, a gravity mechanism, or any other mechanism disclosed herein. The filled magazine may then be advanced to further processing steps including hydration and / or capping, in which the missing face of the magazine is secured to the remainder to close the magazine. According to some embodiments, the magazine may have alignment features that mirror the spool features and allow a targeted drop in. Magazines on the conveyor belt may be placed at an angle, such as 20 to 70 degrees, 30 to 60 degrees, 40 to 50 degrees, 42 to 47 degrees, or at about 45 degrees, in order to avoid the spool falling out due to gravity.

[0128] Initially, magazines and the related dispensers may utilize a helix configuration. A more complete description of such magazines and dispensers may be found in U.S. Pat. App. Ser. No. 18 / 918.529, filed on October 17, 2024, titled ’APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AN ORAL NICOTINE DISPENSING SYSTEM.” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. However, in general, as shown in FIG. 1, a helix magazine may include a housing, a cavity' configured to hold at least one screw-ty pe pouch elevator, and a dispensing aperture through which the pouches may be dispensed.

[0129] More specifically, the screw-type pouch elevator may contain a helical flange wrapping around a central shaft, the helical flange extending from one end to the opposing end (or partially from one end to the opposing end) of the central shaft, as in, e.g., a common screw. The flange may be of sufficient size to support and house a pouch. For example, the flange may extend from the central shaft a sufficient distance, i.e., radius, to correspond with at least one dimension of the pouch, depending on which dimension of the pouch is configured to contact and be supported by the flange. Accordingly, when the screw-type pouch elevator is rotated around the central shaft in a first direction, the pouches may be fed to a bottom end of the screw-type pouch elevator, supported by a flange and elevated towards the top end of the central shaft and therefore towards the top end of the magazine housing the pouch elevator. Pouches may be fed to the bottom end by any of the transferring, orienting, aggregating, and / or counting methods and apparatuses disclosed herein. The magazine may then be capped. Then, to dispense a pouch, the screw-type pouch elevator may be rotated in a second direction, allowing for a pouch to be lowered and eventually dropped through a dispensing aperture at a bottom end of the magazine.

[0130] Hydration

[0131] According to some aspects, the disclosed processes may include a hydration block, prior to capping of the magazines. It may be important to the user experience to provide hydrated oral nicotine dosage forms, such as pouches 116, rather than dry ones. Such hydration may be accomplished by spraying or misting a filled magazine with water prior to capping. Accordingly, a manufacturing line according to the present disclosure may include a spraying or misting nozzle between the filling and capping stations, adapted to delivery water into each filled magazine. After the hydration block, the magazine may be capped directly thereafter to retain moisture within the magazine. The hydration block may deliver enough water to maintain the moisture of pouches inside the magazine of at least 1%. 5%, 15%, 30%, and 45%, or more.

[0132] Water activity measures the amount of free water in the pouch, and a certain level of water activity makes it more likely for bacteria to grow in suitable conditions. The water activity scale can be measured from 0 to 1, whereby most bacteria start growing at 0.87, though it has been observed that some bacteria may grow7at w ater activity of 0.60. On the one hand, dispenser magazines may be optimally suited to prevent bacteria from being introduced during regular use, but on the other hand, it is preferable to have water activity under 0.60 for prevention of microbial contamination. Due to the more controlled environment of a magazine, water activities of 0.40 to 0.70, 0.50 to 0.80, 0.60 to 0.80, or even 0.60 to 0.90 may be produced by the hydration block. Water content can also be represented as a percentage ofweight of the pouch. For instance, the hydration block may produce a moist pouch having water contents of at least 25%, at least 30%, at least 35 %, or at least 40% and no more than 45%, no more than 40%, or no more than 35%.

[0133] The disclosed magazine and dispenser assemblies may be better able to retain moisture than, e.g., traditional oral nicotine cans, due to the fact that the magazine is not fully opened (i.e., allowing for drying and significant air flow) in order to provide a pouch to a user. Accordingly, the disclosed magazines may retain humidity levels within about 95%, 90%, or 85% of their original levels, during the duration of their use.

[0134] Capping

[0135] According to some aspects, the disclosed processes may include a capping process in which the filling opening in the magazine is closed. The capping process may depend upon the shape and configuration of the magazine and the filling process used. For example, in embodiments in which the magazine was opened along a length-width plane or in a “clam shell’" fashion, the capping block may include a closing of the separated sections, and optionally, securing them together by use of adhesives, heat treatment, shrink wrapping, a snapping or a latch mechanism, a tape, or (in the case of a metal housing) soldering.

[0136] In spring-loaded embodiments in which filling occurs with the bottom face open, the capping may include inserting the spring 1002 and / or the spring and plate assembly into the magazine once it is filled with pouches 116 and closing the bottom face by, e.g., adhesives, heat treatment, a press fit, a snapping or a latch mechanism, a tape, or (in the case of a metal housing) soldering, or by any other suitable method affixing a cap to the bottom face once the spring assembly is inserted. According to some embodiments, the spring assembly and the cap may be separate components. However, in alternative embodiments, e g., used for bottom filling methods, the spring assembly and the cap may be one integrated component. Alternatively, in embodiments in which the filling has occurred with the top face open, the spring 1002 may already be disposed inside the magazine and the capping may be carried out by securing a cap to the top of the magazine by one or more of adhesives, heat treatment, a press fit, a snapping or a latch mechanism, a tape, or (in the case of a metal housing) soldering. In such embodiments, the capping block may be followed by a loading process of the spring drive mechanism. For example, the holder may release the spring-loaded plate, the spring may then compresses the pouches, then the cap may be placed onto the magazine and snapped in. The placement of the cap may be carried out by the same, or a simultaneously timed mechanism that releases the spring-loaded plate from its resting state to its released state.According to such embodiments, one action may both secures the magazine cap and load the spring.

[0137] In a cylindrical embodiment, capping may be carried out by affixing a based or a portion of a base onto the cylinder by adhesives, heat treatment, a press fit, a snapping or a latch mechanism, a tape, or (in the case of a metal housing) soldering. Additionally, or alternatively, capping may include securing a circumferential wall, or a portion of one, around the magazine, including by any of the methods disclosed herein. In a conveyor belt type magazine, capping may include securing a cap to cover a filling opening by any of the aforementioned methods, with a snap-on cap being preferred.

[0138] Loading

[0139] According to some aspects, the disclosed processes may include a loading process in which the drive mechanism of the magazine is loaded (i.e., primed for action). In some cases, such as in spring-loaded embodiments, the loading process may include releasing the spring by, e g., removing the holder, such that the spring is released from its forcibly compressed state and may act to apply pressure to the package of pouches 116. This process may be carried out either before, after, or during the capping process, but may most typically be carried out during or after the capping process, once the pouches are secured within a closed magazine.

[0140] Computing

[0141] According to some embodiments, any one or more of the apparatuses and / or methods disclosed herein may include or be carried out using a computing device. A computing device includes a processor communicatively connected to a memory. The computing device may include any external device as described in this disclosure including an NFC reader, an RFID reader, an NFC chip, an RFID chip, a cellular phone, a smart phone, and the like. Further examples of a computing device include, but are not limited to, an electronic book reading device, a computer workstation, a terminal computer, a server computer, a handheld device (e.g., a tablet computer, a smartphone, etc ), a web appliance, a network router, a network switch, a network bridge, any machine capable of executing a sequence of instructions that specify an action to be taken by that machine, and any combinations thereof. In one example, a computing device may include and / or be included in a kiosk. The computing device may further include or refer to a microcontroller, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP) and / or system on a chip (SoC). Computing device may include, be included in, and / or communicate with a mobile device such as a mobile telephone or smartphone. Computing device may include a single computing device operating independently, or may include two or more computing device operating in concert, in parallel, sequentially or the like; two ormore computing devices may be included together in a single computing device or in two or more computing devices. Computing device may interface or communicate with one or more additional devices as described below in further detail via a network interface device.

[0142] A network interface device may be utilized for connecting computing device to one or more of a variety of networks, and one or more devices. Examples of a network interface device include, but are not limited to, a network interface card (e.g., a mobile network interface card, a LAN card), a modem, and any combination thereof. Examples of a network include, but are not limited to, a wide area network (e.g., the Internet, an enterprise network), a local area network (e.g., a network associated with an office, a building, a campus or other relatively small geographic space), a telephone network, a data network associated with a telephone / voice provider (e.g., a mobile communications provider data and / or voice network), a direct connection between two computing devices, and any combinations thereof. A network may employ a wired and / or a wireless mode of communication. In general, any network topology may be used. Information (e.g., data, software etc.) may be communicated to and / or from a computer and / or a computing device.

[0143] Computing device may include but is not limited to, for example, a computing device or cluster of computing devices in a first location and a second computing device or cluster of computing devices in a second location. Computing device may include one or more computing devices dedicated to data storage, security, distribution of traffic for load balancing, and the like. Computing device may distribute one or more computing tasks as described below across a plurality of computing devices of computing device, which may operate in parallel, in series, redundantly, or in any other manner used for distribution of tasks or memory between computing devices. Computing device may be implemented, as a nonlimiting example, using a “shared nothing” architecture.

[0144] The computing device may be designed and / or configured to perform any method, method step, or sequence of method steps in any embodiment described in this disclosure, in any order and with any degree of repetition. For instance, computing device may be configured to perform a single step or sequence repeatedly until a desired or commanded outcome is achieved; repetition of a step or a sequence of steps may be performed iteratively and / or recursively using outputs of previous repetitions as inputs to subsequent repetitions, aggregating inputs and / or outputs of repetitions to produce an aggregate result, reduction or decrement of one or more variables such as global variables, and / or division of a larger processing task into a set of iteratively addressed smaller processing tasks. Computing device may perform any step or sequence of steps as described in this disclosure in parallel, such as simultaneously and / or substantially simultaneously performing a step two or more times usingtwo or more parallel threads, processor cores, or the like; division of tasks between parallel threads and / or processes may be performed according to any protocol suitable for division of tasks between iterations. Persons skilled in the art, upon reviewing the entirety of this disclosure, will be aware of various ways in which steps, sequences of steps, processing tasks, and / or data may be subdivided, shared, or otherwise dealt with using iteration, recursion, and / or parallel processing.

[0145] It is to be noted that any one or more of the aspects and embodiments described herein may be conveniently implemented using one or more machines (e.g., one or more computing devices that are utilized as a user computing device for an electronic document, one or more server devices, such as a document server, etc.) programmed according to the teachings of the present specification, as will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the computer art. Appropriate software coding can readily be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the software art. Aspects and implementations discussed above employing software and / or software modules may also include appropriate hardware for assisting in the implementation of the machine executable instructions of the software and / or software module.

[0146] Such software may be a computer program product that employs a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable storage medium may be any medium that is capable of storing and / or encoding a sequence of instructions for execution by a machine (e.g.. a computing device) and that causes the machine to perform any one of the methodologies and / or embodiments described herein. Examples of a machine-readable storage medium include, but are not limited to, a magnetic disk, an optical disc (e.g., CD, CD-R, DVD, DVD- R, etc.), a magnetooptical disk, a read-only memory “ROM'’ device, a random access memory “RAM” device, a magnetic card, an optical card, a solid-state memory device, an EPROM, an EEPROM, and any combinations thereof. A machine-readable medium, as used herein, is intended to include a single medium as well as a collection of physically separate media, such as, for example, a collection of compact discs or one or more hard disk drives in combination with a computer memory. As used herein, a machine-readable storage medium does not include transitory forms of signal transmission.

[0147] Such software may also include information (e.g., data) carried as a data signal on a data carrier, such as a carrier wave. For example, machine-executable information may be included as a data-carrying signal embodied in a data carrier in which the signal encodes a sequence of instruction, or portion thereof, for execution by a machine (e.g., a computing device) and any related information (e.g., data structures and data) that causes the machine to perform any one of the methodologies and / or embodiments described herein.

[0148] FIG. 22 shows a diagrammatic representation of one embodiment of a computing device in the exemplary form of a computer system 2200 within which a set of instructions for causing a control system to perform any one or more of the aspects and / or methodologies of the present disclosure may be executed. It is also contemplated that multiple computing devices may be utilized to implement a specially configured set of instructions for causing one or more of the devices to perform any one or more of the aspects and / or methodologies of the present disclosure. Computer system 2200 includes a processor 2204 and a memory 2210 that communicate with each other, and with other components, via a bus 2202. Bus 2202 may include any of several types of bus structures including, but not limited to, a memory bus, a memory controller, a peripheral bus, a local bus, and any combinations thereof, using any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0149] Processor 2204 may include any suitable processor, such as without limitation a processor incorporating logical circuitry for performing arithmetic and logical operations, such as an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), which may be regulated with a state machine and directed by operational inputs from memory and / or sensors; processor 2204 may be organized according to Von Neumann and / or Harvard architecture as a non-limiting example. Processor 2204 may include, incorporate, and / or be incorporated in, without limitation, a microcontroller, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), Graphical Processing Unit (GPU), general purpose GPU, Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), analog or mixed signal processor, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), a floating point unit (FPU), system on module (SOM), and / or system on a chip (SoC) Memory 308 may include various components (e.g., machine-readable media) including, but not limited to, a random-access memory component, a read only component, and any combinations thereof. In one example, a basic input / output system 2214 (BIOS), including basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer system 2200. such as during start-up, may be stored in memory 2210. Memory' 2210 may also include (e.g., stored on one or more machine-readable media) instructions 2206 (e.g., software) embodying any one or more of the aspects and / or methodologies of the present disclosure. In another example, memory 2210 may further include any number of program modules including, but not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, program data, and any combinations thereof.

[0150] Computer system 2200 may also include a storage device 2222. Examples of a storage device (e.g., storage device 2222) include, but are not limited to, a hard disk drive, a magnetic disk drive, an optical disc drive in combination with an optical medium, a solid-state memory device, and any combinations thereof. Storage device 2222 may be connected to bus 2202 by an appropriate interface (not shown). Example interfaces include, but are not limited to, SCSI, advanced technology7attachment (ATA), serial ATA, universal serial bus (USB), IEEE 1394 (FIREWIRE), and any combinations thereof. In one example, storage device 2222 (or one or more components thereof) may be removably interfaced with computer system 2200 (e.g., via an external port connector (not shown)). Particularly, storage device 2222 and an associated machine-readable medium 2230 may provide nonvolatile and / or volatile storage of machine readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and / or other data for computer system 2200. In one example, software 2206 may reside, completely or partially, within machine-readable medium 2230. In another example, software instructions 2206 may reside, completely or partially, within processor 2204.

[0151] Computer system 2200 may also include an input device 2226. In one example, a user of computer system 2200 may enter commands and / or other information into computer system 2200 via input device 2226. Examples of an input device 2226 include, but are not limited to, an alpha-numeric input device (e.g., a keyboard), a pointing device, a joystick, a gamepad, an audio input device (e.g., a microphone, a voice response system, etc.), a cursor control device (e.g.. a mouse), a touchpad, an optical scanner, a video capture device (e.g., a still camera, a video camera), a touchscreen, and any combinations thereof. Input device 2226 may be interfaced to bus 2202 via any of a variety of interfaces (not shown) including, but not limited to, a serial interface, a parallel interface, a game port, a USB interface, a FIREWIRE interface, a direct interface to bus 2202, and any combinations thereof. Input device 2226 may include a touch screen interface that may be a part of or separate from display 2228, discussed further below. Input device 2226 may be utilized as a user selection device for selecting one or more graphical representations in a graphical interface as described above.

[0152] A user may also input commands and / or other information to computer system 2200 via storage device 324 (e.g., a removable disk drive, a flash drive, etc.) and / or network interface input device 2226. A network interface device, such as network interface device 340, may be utilized for connecting computer system 2200 to one or more of a variety of networks, such as network 344, and one or more remote devices 2220 connected thereto. Examples of a network interface device include, but are not limited to, a network interface card (e.g., a mobile network interface card, a LAN card), a modem, and any combination thereof. Examples of a network include, but are not limited to, a wide area network (e.g., the Internet, an enterprise network), a local area network (e.g., a network associated with an office, a building, a campus or other relatively small geographic space), a telephone netw ork.a data network associated with a telephone / voice provider (e.g., a mobile communications provider data and / or voice network), a direct connection between two computing devices, and any combinations thereof. A network, such as network 2218, may employ a wired and / or a wireless mode of communication. In general, any network topology may be used. Information (e.g., data, software 2206, etc.) may be communicated to and / or from computer system 2200 via network interface 2212.

[0153] Computer system 1900 may further include a video display adapter 2224 for communicating a displayable image to a display device, such as display 2228. Examples of a display 2228 include, but are not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a plasma display, a light emitting diode (LED) display, and any combinations thereof. Display adapter 2224 and display 2228 may be utilized in combination with processor 2204 to provide graphical representations of aspects of the present disclosure. In addition to a display device, computer system 2200 may include one or more other peripheral output devices including, but not limited to, an audio speaker, a printer, and any combinations thereof. Such peripheral output devices may be connected to bus 2202 via a peripheral interface 1808. Examples of a peripheral interface 1808 include, but are not limited to, a serial port, a USB connection, a FIREWIRE connection, a parallel connection, and any combinations thereof.

[0154] Dosage Forms

[0155] In some aspects, the disclosed apparatuses and methods may provide for filling magazines, containing dosage forms such as oral nicotine dosage forms. Any of the dosage forms disclosed herein may optionally be included along with, or replace, any of the references to ‘"pouches” according to the above disclosure. According to some embodiments, the dosage forms consist of oral nicotine dosage forms and the disclosed apparatuses, methods, and magazines do not include dosage forms other than oral nicotine dosage forms. According to some aspects, the disclosed oral nicotine dosage forms do not include ingested dosage forms such as pills, capsules, tablets, or the like, while according to other aspects ingested dosage forms may be included. In some embodiments, the oral nicotine dosage forms may comprise tobacco, while in alternative embodiments the oral nicotine dosage forms consist of tobacco-free oral nicotine dosage forms and the oral nicotine dosage forms do not contain tobacco. According to some aspects, the disclosed dosage forms include an active ingredient comprising or consisting of nicotine. While in some embodiments, the disclosed apparatuses, methods, and magazines may include dosage forms having an active ingredient including one or more of prescription pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals, pain killers, nutraceuticals, vitamins, homeopathics, or antioxidants, inaltemative embodiments, the disclosed apparatuses, methods, and magazines do not contain dosage forms including an active ingredient including one or more of prescription pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals, pain killers, nutraceuticals, vitamins, homeopathics, or antioxidants.

[0156] According to some embodiments, the disclosed apparatuses, methods, and magazines may include and / or relate to dosage forms including cannabinoids in addition to, or in place of nicotine. As used herein, cannabinoids include one or more of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CGB), cannabinol (CBN), terpenes, or any other natural or synthetic active ingredient found in or derived from the cannabis plant.

[0157] As described below, the devices, systems, and methods can provide several significant advantages and benefits over other devices, systems, and methods for magazines and dispensers, in particular magazines for containing pouches and oral nicotine dosage form, currently available in the art. However, the recited advantages are not meant to be limiting in any way, as one skilled in the art will appreciate that other advantages may also be realized upon practicing the present disclosure. It will be appreciated, moreover, that other applications for the disclosed cans are also possible and considered to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0158] Furthermore, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that changes can be made to the described embodiments while still obtaining the beneficial results. It will also be apparent that some of the advantages and benefits of the described embodiments can be obtained by selecting some of the features of the embodiments without utilizing other features, and that features from one embodiment may be combined with features from other embodiments in any appropriate combination. For example, any individual or collective features of method embodiments may be applied to apparatus, product or system embodiments, and vice versa. Accordingly, those who work in the art will recognize that many modifications and adaptations to the embodiments described are possible and may even be desirable in certain circumstances, and are a part of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is provided as an illustration of the principles of the embodiments and not in limitation thereof, since the scope of the invention is to be defined by the claims.LISTING OF DRAWING ELEMENTS100 Conventional pouch manufacturing process102 tubular webformulation web filling filled tubular web sealing sealed tubular web cutting pouch package filling routine block block block block conveyor belt thickness a width-side thicknessb length-side thickness guide a first guide rail b second guide rail guide bumper a first guide bumper02b second guide bumper 00 passive orientation mechanism 02 width constraint 04 height constraint 00 active orientation mechanism 02 sensor 04 actuator 06 piston 02 receptacle 04 pouch counter 02 spring-loaded 04 circular 06 conveyor808 alternative 00 magazine and dispenser assembly 02 magazine 04 dispenser906 housing908 aperture910 door1002 spring1004 plate1006 door opening mechanism1102 robotic arm1104 slot1106 pincer1108 divider1202 chute1302 cap1402 first half1404 second half1602 tray1604 opening1702 compartment1704 feeder1706 control gate1708 ejection point1710 first pouch1712 second pouch1802 external indexing tool1902 vacuum indexing tool1904 indexing tool2102 spool2200 computer system2202 bus2204 processor2206 instructions2208 peripheral interfaces2210 memory2212 network interface2214 input / output system2216 communicative connection2218 network2220 remote device2222 storage device2224 display adapter2226 input device2228 display2230 medium

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method for filling a magazine with a pouch, the method comprising: providing a pouch to a feed point; transferring the pouch from the feed point to a filling station, using a first conveyor belt; orienting the pouch using at least one of a passive orientation mechanism or an active orientation mechanism; providing a magazine to a feed point, the magazine having a outside housing defining a storage cavity adapted to receive the pouch; transferring the magazine to the filling station, using a second conveyor belt; filling the magazine at the filling station, by transferring the pouch from the first conveyor belt to the storage cavity, to produce a filled magazine; and securing a cap to the filled magazine.

2. The method of claim 1. further comprising setting a predetermined number of pouches per magazine, wherein the filling of the magazine includes repeatedly transferring the pouch from the first conveyor belt to the storage cavity until the predetermined number of pouches is disposed within the storage cavity.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising sensing, using a sensor, when the predetermined number of pouches is disposed w ithin the storage cavity and stopping the filling when the magazine has been filled with the predetermined number of pouches.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensing includes at least one of sensing a weight of the magazine, counting a number of pouches transferred to the storage cavity, or sensing a distance from a sensor to the pouches disposed within the storage cavity.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the stopping of the filling includes one or more of advancing the filled magazine past the filling station or stopping the first conveyor belt.

6. The method of claim 1. further comprising filling a plurality of magazines by advancing the filled magazine past the filling station and replacing the filled magazine with another magazine.

7. The method of claim 1. wherein the orienting includes orienting the pouch width-wise and flat on the conveyor belt.

8. The method of claim 1. wherein the transferring the pouch from the first conveyor belt to the storage cavity includes transferring the pouch via a chute.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the filling includes filling from a bottom side of the magazine and inserting a spring into the storage cavity before securing the cap to the magazine.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the spring is inserted in an uncompressed state and is compressed during the securing of the cap.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the spring is inserted in a compressed state and is released to apply pressure to the pouches simultaneously or before the securing of the cap.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the filling includes filling from a top side of the magazine and the magazine comprises a spring disposed within the storage cavity.

13. An apparatus for filling a magazine with a pouch, the apparatus comprising: a first conveyor belt configured to transfer the pouch from a feed point to a filling station; at least one of a passive orientation mechanism or an active orientation mechanism, configured to orient a misoriented pouch along the first conveyor belt; a second conveyor belt configured to transfer a magazine from a feed point to the filling station, the magazine having a outside housing defining a storage cavity adapted to receive the pouch; a chute, disposed at the filling station, configured to transfer the pouch from the first conveyor belt to the storage cavity.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first conveyor belt is disposed perpendicular to the second conveyor belt.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first conveyor belt has a width within the range of 1.2 cm to 3.5 cm.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first conveyor belt comprises a recess configured to receive the pouch.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the passive orientation mechanism includes at least one of a width constraint or a height constraint.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the active orientation mechanism includes a sensor and at least one of a piston, an air wave, or a moving arm.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the sensor includes one or more of a camera, a laser, an optical sensor, or a load cell.

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