Vacuum packing monitoring and control system
AssigneeSF Investments, Inc.
InventorsMichael Baker, Russell Martin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for monitoring the performance of a product vacuum packaging machine allows for a determination of the performance of platen and chamber combinations, especially in systems using multiple platens and chambers, and particularly where individual platens are used in combination with differing chambers during packaging operations.
Claims19
A monitoring system for a vacuum packaging machine, the vacuum packaging machine comprising a plurality of platens and chamber covers and a vacuum pump for pumping air from vacuum chambers formed from platens and chamber covers, the monitoring system comprising:
- a vacuum sensor being communicably connected with said vacuum chamber, said vacuum sensor measuring a pressure level in a vacuum chamber formed from one of the plurality of platens and chamber covers;
- a platen identifier identifying at least one platen being used to form a vacuum chamber to which said vacuum sensor is communicably connected;
- a chamber cover identifier identifying at least one chamber cover being used to form the vacuum chamber to which said vacuum sensor is communicably connected;
- and
- a controller system recording the vacuum achieved in the vacuum chamber for the at least one platen and chamber cover joined to form the vacuum chamber, wherein the controller system further recording information from the platen identifier and the chamber cover identifier identifying which of the at least one platen and the at least one chamber cover are joined to form the vacuum chamber, wherein differing combinations of platens and chamber covers are possible.
A vacuum packaging machine for vacuum packaging products, said vacuum packaging machine comprising:
- a plurality of platens;
- a plurality of chamber covers, said chamber covers being joined to said platens to form vacuum chambers and allowing differing combinations of platens and chamber covers to be associated, the vacuum chambers being able to be formed from differing combinations of platens and chamber covers;
- a vacuum source selectively connected to said vacuum chambers;
- a vacuum sensor selectively connected to said vacuum chambers;
- identifiers affixed to each platen and chamber cover associated with the vacuum packaging machine;
- and
- a controller system recording the vacuum achieved in said vacuum chambers when said vacuum source is selectively connected to said vacuum chambers, said controller system further recording information from the identifiers affixed to each platen and chamber cover identifying which platen and which chamber cover comprised the vacuum chamber when the vacuum achieved was recorded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.