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US 11,549,753 B2Granted
Laminar flow shrink oven
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsRobert C. Beesley, Mark Davidson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Heat shrink wrap product packaging oven or tunnel apparatus and processing methods are provided which incorporate or utilize airfoils in conjunction with hot air-providing side walls to desirably control impact of hot air onto a product wrapped with a tube of heat shrink wrap film and being conveyed on a conveyor thereby. In such heat shrink wrap product packaging apparatus and methods, such airfoils can be movable, e.g., rotatably moveable, relative to the side walls to vertically alter an air impact point onto the product.
Claims18
An apparatus for heat shrink wrap product packaging, the apparatus comprising:
- first and second opposed and spaced apart side wall assemblies, the first and second side wall assemblies defining a longitudinally extending product conveyance path therebetween, each of the side wall assemblies including an inner wall spaced apart from an outer wall and defining an enclosed air flow duct therebetween, each of the inner walls including an array of spaced apart air discharge openings direct towards and associated with the product conveyance path, the first and second side wall assemblies each including an airfoil element with a tapered edge, for air flow control from the air discharge openings in the respective inner wall, wherein the airfoil elements provide laminar air flow over the airfoil elements toward and across the tapered edge and to product along the conveyance path;
- at least one heater/blower assembly disposed in the apparatus and in heated air flow communication with the air flow duct of each of the side wall assemblies;
- a cover assembly disposed over and at least in part enclosing at least a section of the product conveyance path and at least a portion of the array of spaced apart air discharge openings directed towards and associated with the product conveyance path from the first and the second side wall assemblies;
- and
- a conveyor to move product along the conveyance path.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.