Heat seal bar assembly

A seal bar assembly of a heat sealing machine, the seal bar assembly comprising:

• a) a seal bar coupled to the machine with first, second and third connections, wherein the seal bar is movable between a raised position and a lowered position by the machine and wherein in the lowered position the seal bar is adapted to apply heat and pressure to materials being heat sealed together;
• b) the first connection adapted to maintain the seal bar at an at least relatively fixed location during heat sealing;
• c) the second connection adapted to allow a first side to side rocking motion of the seal bar along a central seal bar longitudinal axis while the seal bar is maintained at the at least relatively fixed location during heat sealing;
• and
• d) the third connection adapted to allow a second side to side rocking motion of the seal bar along a seal bar longitudinal axis, that is in a different direction from the first side to side rocking motion, while the seal bar is maintained at the at least relatively fixed location during heat sealing;
• wherein the first side to side rocking motion and the second side to side rocking motion enable an equal pressure, or at least a substantially equal pressure, to be applied by the seal bar to the materials being heat sealed together even where the materials being heat sealed together have an uneven surface or uneven density.

A heat seal bar assembly operable to have a rocking motion during a heat sealing process, the assembly comprising:

• a) a heat seal bar;
• b) a pair of cylinders;
• c) the heat seal bar coupled to a first of the cylinders with a first coupler having a first opening sized to receive a first pin, the first pin having a central longitudinal axis;
• d) the heat seal bar coupled to a second cylinder with a second coupler having a second opening sized to receive a second pin that can move side to side in the second coupler;
• and
• e) wherein the first coupler is operable to hold the heat seal bar in a relatively fixed position over an area to be heat sealed, and wherein the second coupler is operable to allow the seal bar to self-align during heat sealing and to pivot along a seal bar longitudinal axis.

A heat seal bar assembly operable to pivot along a seal bar lateral central axis during a heat sealing process, the assembly comprising:

• a) a heat seal bar;
• b) a first cylinder coupled to the heat seal bar with a coupler and with a first pin having a first pin axis;
• and
• c) a second cylinder coupled to the heat seal bar with the coupler and with a second pin having a second pin axis, the second pin operable to move in a side to side direction in the coupler and wherein movement of the second pin causes rotation of the first pin along the first axis and rocking of the heat seal bar assembly along a seal bar central lateral axis.

A seal bar assembly comprising:

• a) a main body having a top portion, a first end and a second end;
• b) a heating element assembly having an element portion and first and second end coupler portions that are integral with the element portion;
• and
• c) first and second reusable end caps;
• wherein the heating element assembly is coupled to the main body, wherein the element portion is positioned on the top portion of the main body, and the first coupler portion of the heating element is coupled to the first end of the main body between the first end cap and the first end of the main body, and wherein the second coupler of the heating element is coupled to the second end of the main body between the second end cap and the second end of the main body.

A seal bar assembly that can self-align during heat sealing, comprising:

• a seal bar;
• a first cylinder and a second cylinder;
• the seal bar coupled to the first cylinder with a first coupler that includes a first pin positioned through a pair of openings in a first pair of brackets, the first pin operable to rotate along a first central longitudinal pin axis;
• the seal bar coupled to the second cylinder with a second coupler that includes a second pin through a pair of second openings in a second pair of brackets, the second pair of openings having a diameter that is longer than a second pin diameter, the second pin operable to move in a substantially horizontal or left to right direction in the second openings;
• and
• wherein movement of the second pin in the second openings causes rotation of the first pin along the first pin longitudinal axis, which is operable to cause the seal bar to pivot along a central longitudinal seal bar axis.