Method for Making Anti-Explosion Breathable Cooked Tapioca Pearl Bag and Product Made by the Method

The present invention relates to a method for making a cooked tapioca pearl bag and a product made by the method.

In the early days, raw tapioca pearls are placed in a plastic bag. The consumer buys the raw tapioca pearls which are mixed with sugar or other additives and are heated and boiled in the water. Then, the consumer can eat the raw tapioca pearls after they are cooled.

Recently, raw tapioca pearls are cooked previously. Then, the cooked tapioca pearls and syrup are filled into a plastic bag by a manual labor. Then, the opening of the plastic bag is sealed by heat pressing. Then, the plastic bag is stored in the freezer. Thus, the user only needs to place the plastic bag into boiling water to thaw and soften the cooked tapioca pearls for eating. However, it is necessary to prepare and heat a pot of water, thereby wasting the time, and thereby causing inconvenience to the user. In addition, it is difficult to control the heating time optimally, so that the cooked tapioca pearls may not be thawed and softened completely when the heating time is not controlled properly, thereby affecting the taste of the cooked tapioca pearls.

The plastic bag containing the cooked tapioca pearls can be heated and thawed by a microwave oven. However, the temperature in the plastic bag is increased rapidly during the heating process, and the steam will produce a great pressure that easily causes explosion of the plastic bag, thereby causing danger to the user.

A conventional microwave package containing cooked tapioca pearls was disclosed in the applicant's Taiwan Patent No. M554901, and comprises multiple exhaust holes. Thus, when the microwave package is heated in a microwave oven, the high pressure steam is introduced outward from the exhaust holes to prevent the microwave package from being exploded. However, such a microwave package is filled by a manual labor and is then adhered by heat pressing, so that the filling speed is slow, and the filling amount of cooked tapioca pearls cannot be kept constant.

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a method for making an anti-explosion breathable cooked tapioca pearl bag and a product made by the method.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for making a cooked tapioca pearl bag, comprising placing a filling bag film and a breathable bag film on a bag making machine so that the filling bag film overlaps the breathable bag film, forming multiple vent holes in the breathable bag film, conveying the filling bag film and the breathable bag film to a die of the bag making machine, adhering an end edge of the filling bag film with an end edge of the breathable bag film and adhering a top and two sides of the end edge of the breathable bag film simultaneously, forming a breathable zone on a periphery of the breathable bag film around the vent holes, combining the filling bag film and the breathable bag film to form a tapioca pearl bag film, operating a filling machine to fold the tapioca pearl bag film right and left, adhering two sides of the tapioca pearl bag film by heat pressing so that the tapioca pearl bag film has a strip shape with a hollow interior, moving the tapioca pearl bag film to a first predetermined position, adhering and cutting a bottom of the tapioca pearl bag film so that the tapioca pearl bag film forms a U-shaped bag, automatically filling a predetermined amount of cooked tapioca pearl into the tapioca pearl bag film from a tapioca pearl filling tube, automatically filling a predetermined amount of syrup into the tapioca pearl bag film from a syrup tube, moving the tapioca pearl bag film to a second predetermined position, and adhering and cutting a top of the tapioca pearl bag film to form a final product of a cooked tapioca pearl bag. The vent holes are formed in the breathable bag film by punching and are equally spaced from each other. The end edge of the filling bag film and the end edge of the breathable bag film are adhered by heat pressing. The top and the two sides of the end edge of the breathable bag film are adhered by heat pressing. The breathable zone has a triangular shape. The bottom of the tapioca pearl bag film is adhered by heat pressing. The top of the tapioca pearl bag film is adhered by heat pressing. The final product of the cooked tapioca pearl bag has a periphery that is sealed closely.

In accordance with the present invention, there is further provided a cooked tapioca pearl bag comprising a filling bag film and a breathable bag film combined with the filling bag film. The filling bag film constructs a filling bag. The filling bag film has four end edges that are closed and sealed. The breathable bag film constructs a breathable bag. The breathable bag film is connected with an end face of the filling bag film. The breathable bag film has two sides and a top that are closed and sealed by heat pressing. The breathable bag film has a bottom connected to the filling bag film. The breathable bag film has a periphery formed with a breathable zone. The breathable zone has a bottom formed with an adhesive section by heat pressing. The breathable bag film is formed with multiple vent holes arranged in the breathable zone.

According to the primary advantages of the present invention, the method includes a series of procedures, including bag making, filling, adhering, sealing, and cutting, to make a cooked tapioca pearl bag so that the cooked tapioca pearl bag is produced automatically, thereby saving the cost of fabrication, and thereby preventing from incurring a sanitary problem.

According to another advantage of the present invention, the cooked tapioca pearl bag has explosion-proof and breathable functions by provision of the breathable bag film.

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings and initially to, a method for making a cooked tapioca pearl bag (or package or parcel) in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises placing a filling bag filmand a breathable bag filmon a bag making machineso that the filling bag filmoverlaps (or fits or superposes) the breathable bag film, forming multiple vent holesin the breathable bag film, conveying the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmto a dieof the bag making machine, adhering an end edgeof the filling bag filmwith an end edgeof the breathable bag filmand adhering a top and two sides of the end edgeof the breathable bag filmsimultaneously, forming a breathable zone(see) on a periphery of the breathable bag filmaround the vent holes, combining the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmto form a tapioca pearl bag film, operating a filling machineto fold the tapioca pearl bag filmright and left, adhering two sides of the tapioca pearl bag filmby heat pressing so that the tapioca pearl bag filmhas a strip shape with a hollow interior, moving the tapioca pearl bag filmto a first predetermined position, adhering and cutting a bottom of the tapioca pearl bag filmso that the tapioca pearl bag filmforms a U-shaped bag, automatically filling a predetermined amount of cooked tapioca pearl into the tapioca pearl bag filmfrom a tapioca pearl filling tube, automatically filling a predetermined amount of syrup into the tapioca pearl bag filmfrom a syrup tube, moving the tapioca pearl bag filmto a second predetermined position, and adhering and cutting a top of the tapioca pearl bag filmto form a final productof a cooked tapioca pearl bag.

The vent holesare formed in the breathable bag filmby punching and are equally spaced from each other. The end edgeof the filling bag filmand the end edgeof the breathable bag filmare adhered by heat pressing (or hot pressing) that is performed by a heat pressing device. The top and the two sides of the end edgeof the breathable bag filmare adhered by heat pressing. The breathable zonehas a triangular shape. The bottom of the tapioca pearl bag filmis adhered by heat pressing. The top of the tapioca pearl bag filmis adhered by heat pressing. The final productof the cooked tapioca pearl bag has a periphery that is sealed closely.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmare combined to form the tapioca pearl bag film, the tapioca pearl bag filmis rolled into a roll or directly cut into multiple bags.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the end edgeof the filling bag filmaligns with the end edgeof the breathable bag film. After the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmare conveyed to the dieof the bag making machine, the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmare adhered by heat pressing to form the tapioca pearl bag film, and the breathable zoneis formed on the breathable bag filmsimultaneously.

In practice, referring towith reference to, the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmare initially placed on the bag making machineas shown in. At this time, the filling bag filmhas a width more than that of the breathable bag film. When the bag making machineis started, the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmare pulled, and the bag making machineperforms an overlapping (or fitting or superposing) stepso that the filling bag filmoverlaps the breathable bag film, and the end edgeof the filling bag filmaligns with the end edgeof the breathable bag filmas shown in. When the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmare moved forward, the breathable bag filmis punched and formed with the vent holesby a punching deviceas shown in. Then, the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmare delivered to the dieof the bag making machineas shown in. Then, the upper part and the lower part of the dieare closed to perform a heat pressing process, so that the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmare combined together. At this time, the end edgeof the filling bag filmand the end edgeof the breathable bag filmare adhered by heat pressing as shown in, and the top and the two sides of the end edgeof the breathable bag filmare adhered by heat pressing simultaneously. It is noted that, the bottom of the end edgeof the breathable bag filmis not stuck.

At the same time, the periphery of the breathable bag filmis heat pressed by the dieand formed with the breathable zonearound the vent holes, and the breathable zoneis formed with an adhesive sectionby heat pressing. At this time, the vent holesare not connected to a space defined between the filling bag filmand the breathable bag film. After the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmare pressed by the die, the breathable bag filmwith the bottom that is not adhered will be lifted and correspond to the filling bag filmwith ends that are not adhered. Then, the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmare further moved and combined by heat pressing to form the tapioca pearl bag film. Subsequently, the tapioca pearl bag filmis rolled into a roll as shown in. Alternatively, the tapioca pearl bag filmis directly cut into multiple bags.

Then, the tapioca pearl bag filmis placed on the filling machine. When the filling machineis started, the tapioca pearl bag filmis moved forward and delivered to a printing deviceof the filling machineas shown in, so that the printing deviceprints an information, such as the manufacturing date, the expiration date or the like, on the tapioca pearl bag film. Then, the tapioca pearl bag filmis delivered to a folding deviceof the filling machineas shown in, so that the folding devicefolds the tapioca pearl bag filmright and left. Thus, the two sides of the tapioca pearl bag filmare folded from the center of the tapioca pearl bag film.

It is noted that, when the tapioca pearl bag filmis moved to the heat pressing device, the two sides of the tapioca pearl bag filmare adhered by hot pressing, so that the filling bag filmhas a strip shape, and the breathable bag filmalso has a strip shape and is located outside of the filling bag film. At the same time, the two sides of the tapioca pearl bag filmare stuck and sealed by heat pressing so that the tapioca pearl bag filmhas a strip shape with a hollow interior that is connected from top to down.

When the tapioca pearl bag filmis moved to the first predetermined position, the bottom of the tapioca pearl bag filmis stuck by heat pressing and cut so that the tapioca pearl bag filmforms a U-shaped bag whose three ends are sealed. Thus, the two sides and the bottom of the tapioca pearl bag filmare sealed, and only the top of the tapioca pearl bag filmis open.

It is noted that the tapioca pearl filling tubeand the syrup tubeare located at the first predetermined position of the tapioca pearl bag filmand extend into the tapioca pearl bag film. Then, the filling machineperforms a filling processon the tapioca pearl bag film. At this time, the tapioca pearl filling tubeautomatically feeds a predetermined amount of cooked tapioca pearl into the tapioca pearl bag film, and the syrup tubeautomatically feeds a predetermined amount of syrup into the tapioca pearl bag film.

Afterward, the tapioca pearl bag filmis moved successively and detached from the tapioca pearl filling tubeand the syrup tube. When the tapioca pearl bag filmis further moved to the second predetermined position, the filling machineperforms a cutting processon the tapioca pearl bag film, so that the top of the tapioca pearl bag filmis stuck by heat pressing and then cut from the center to form the final productof the cooked tapioca pearl bag. The above procedures are repeated so that multiple cooked tapioca pearl bags are produced. Then, the cooked tapioca pearl bags are gathered and conveyed to a freezer for storage.

Now, referring to, a cooked tapioca pearl bag comprises a filling bag filmand a breathable bag filmcombined with the filling bag film. The filling bag filmconstructs a filling bag for receiving a predetermined amount of cooked tapioca pearl and a predetermined amount of syrup. The filling bag filmhas four end edges that are adhered, closed, and sealed by heat pressing. The breathable bag filmconstructs a breathable bag. The breathable bag filmis connected with an end face of the filling bag film. The breathable bag filmhas two sides and a top that are closed and sealed by heat pressing. The breathable bag filmhas a bottom connected to the filling bag film. The breathable bag filmhas a periphery formed with a triangular breathable zonewhich is situated at the top of the breathable bag film. The breathable zonehas a bottom formed with an adhesive sectionby heat pressing. The breathable bag filmis formed with multiple vent holes(only one vent holeis shown) arranged in the breathable zone. It is noted that, the top of the breathable bag filmis adhered by heat pressing, and only the breathable zoneis not adhered. In addition, after the filling bag filmand the breathable bag filmare combined, the breathable bag filmis perpendicular to the breathable bag film. At this time, the bottom of the breathable bag filmis connected to the breathable bag film, and the top and the two sides of the breathable bag filmare closed.

In use, the cooked tapioca pearl bag is thrown into boiling water and is heated for a period of time. Thus, the cooked tapioca pearl bag can be opened for eating after it is thawed and softened. When the cooked tapioca pearl bag is heated in a microwave oven, the air is heated and expanded rapidly, and the moisture turns into water vapor, thereby producing great pressure. At this time, the steam and pressure generated in the cooked tapioca pearl bag will rush upward into the breathable bag film. When the pressure exceeds a determined limit, the adhesive sectionat the bottom of the breathable zoneis torn and broken, so that the pressured air flow is guided into the breathable zoneand drained outward through the vent holes, thereby preventing the filling bag filmfrom being exploded due to an excessive pressure.

Accordingly, the method of the present invention includes a series of procedures, including bag making, filling, adhering, sealing, and cutting, to make a cooked tapioca pearl bag so that the cooked tapioca pearl bag is produced automatically, thereby saving the cost of fabrication, and thereby preventing from incurring a sanitary problem. In addition, the cooked tapioca pearl bag has explosion-proof and breathable functions by provision of the breathable bag film.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the invention.