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US 10,569,475 B2Granted
IR tube sealer and methods sealing a tube
AssigneeSaint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation
InventorsBryan Cassiday, Anthony P. Pagliaro, Jr., Jason B. Chapman, Sridhar K. Siddhamalli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an IR tube sealing device and method of sealing a polymer tube with infrared energy. In particular embodiments, the IR tube sealing device can be a portable, hand-held device adapted to receive and compress a polymer tube, and produce and direct infrared energy toward the compressed polymer tube to quickly form a permanent aseptic seal.
Claims18
An IR polymer tube sealing apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- a. an IR lamp assembly;
- and
- b. a first contact plate and a second contact plate, wherein the first and second contact plates are adapted to reduce the distance between opposing side walls of a polymer tube;
- and
- c. a handle and a button positioned on the handle such that a user can hold the claimed apparatus and press the button at the same time with a single hand,
- wherein the apparatus is adapted to permanently weld together opposing sidewalls of a polymer tube and form an aseptic seal using the infrared radiation produced by the IR lamp assembly, wherein the first and second contact plates are configured to contact the polymer tube, and wherein at least one of the first contact plate or the second contact plate contains a seal region which allows infrared energy produced by the IR lamp assembly to substantially passes through at least one of the first contact plate or the second contact plate, wherein the IR polymer tube sealing apparatus is portable, wherein the IR lamp assembly comprises a first IR lamp assembly and a second IR lamp assembly, wherein the entire apparatus is hand-held, wherein the IR polymer tube sealing apparatus has a weight of less than about 10 lbs.
3 more elements
A IR polymer tube sealing apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a first IR lamp assembly and a first contact plate, wherein the first IR lamp assembly is adapted to produce infrared energy and is directed toward the contact plate;
- b. a second IR lamp assembly and a second contact plate, wherein the second IR lamp assembly is adapted to produce infrared energy and direct the infrared energy toward the second contact plate;
- and
- c. a handle and a button positioned on the handle such that a user can hold the claimed apparatus and press the button at the same time with a single hand, wherein the first and second IR lamp assemblies are disposed generally opposite each other;
- wherein the IR polymer tube sealing apparatus is adapted to receive and compress a polymer tube between the first and second contact plates;
- and
- wherein the IR polymer tube sealing apparatus is adapted to form a seal on the polymer tube through application of infrared energy toward the polymer tube, wherein the IR polymer tube sealing apparatus is portable, wherein the entire apparatus is hand-held, wherein the IR polymer tube sealing apparatus has a weight of less than about 10 lbs.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.