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US 11,104,467 B2Granted
Hole cutter for thermoforming packaging machine and method of use
AssigneeUltraSource LLC
InventorEric Lee Burgess
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hole cutter is provided for a thermoforming packaging machine. The hole cutter uses a single actuator to move a row of film-cutting punches between extended and retracted positions for cutting holes and corresponding chads in a marginal film area of a web of thermoformed product packages.
Claims9
A horizontal form, fill and seal machine comprising:
- a package forming station configured to form a plurality of product receptacles in a bottom film and receive product therein;
- a sealing station downstream of the package forming station and configured to secure a top film to the bottom film along a peripheral margin of the product receptacles thereby forming a web of formed, filled and sealed product packages;
- and
- a hole cutting station downstream of the package forming station for cutting holes in a marginal film area of the web of formed, filled and sealed product packages, the hole cutting station including a hole cutter having:
- a rigid punch holder mounted in a frame for reciprocating movement between extended and retracted positions;
- a plurality of film-cutting punches mounted in and extending upwardly from the punch holder and having a cutting end projecting from the punch holder;
- a platen mounted above and in opposition to the punch holder and having at least one recess positioned in alignment with the film-cutting punches for receiving at least a portion of the cutting ends of the film-cutting punches when the rigid punch holder is elevated to the extended position;
- and
- an actuator coupled with the punch holder and operable to cause the reciprocating movement of the punch holder between the extended and retracted positions,
- wherein the web of formed, filled and sealed product packages extends horizontally between the rigid punch holder and the platen.
7 more elements
A method for cutting holes in a marginal film area of a web of formed, filled and sealed product packages in a horizontal form, fill and seal machine comprising the steps of:
- advancing a web of formed, filled and sealed product packages in a horizontal direction between a rigid punch holder and a platen of a hole cutter of the horizontal form, fill and seal machine in a cycle of stopped and advancing movement, the hole cutter comprising:
- the rigid punch holder mounted in a frame for reciprocating movement between extended and retracted positions;
- a plurality of film-cutting punches mounted in and extending upwardly from the punch holder and having a cutting end projecting from the punch holder;
- the platen mounted above and in opposition to the punch holder and having at least one recess positioned in alignment with the film-cutting punches for receiving at least a portion of the cutting ends of the film-cutting punches when the rigid punch holder is elevated to the extended position;
- and
- an actuator coupled with the punch holder and operable to cause the reciprocating movement of the punch holder between the extended and retracted positions;
- operating the actuator to reciprocate the rigid punch holder to the extended position when the web is stopped and to the retracted position when the web is advancing;
- and
- extending a portion of a tapered cutting end of each film-cutting punch through the marginal film area when the rigid punch holder is moved to the extended position to cause each film-cutting punch to cut in the marginal film area to create a hole and a corresponding chad, wherein the chad has an uncut portion along a circumference of the chad that causes the chad to remain attached to the marginal film area when the rigid punch holder is reciprocated to the retracted position.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.