Sustainable film pouch machine
AssigneeR.A. Jones & Co. Inc.
InventorsMilo M. Vaniglia, Robert M. Kalany
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pouch machine vertical sealer capable of fusing a pouch film web to form a plurality of spaced vertical seals along a length of the film web to form pouches. The pouch machine vertical sealer includes a sealer wheel rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation and defines a film web path about a periphery of the sealer wheel. The vertical sealer further includes a plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies spaced apart about the periphery of the sealer wheel. Each vertical sealer land assembly includes an impulse heater such that contact between the film web and each impulse heater of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies forms the spaced apart vertical seals along the length of the film web.
Claims21
A pouch machine vertical sealer capable of fusing a pouch film web to form a plurality of spaced vertical seals along a length of the film web, comprising:
- a sealer wheel rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation and defining a film web path about a periphery of the sealer wheel;
- a plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies spaced apart about the periphery of the sealer wheel and each comprising a heater;
- a plurality of rollers spaced apart about the periphery of the sealer wheel with at least one roller being located between each of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies;
- wherein each of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies is supported about the sealer wheel by a land housing for radially moving the respective vertical sealer land assembly between an operative position wherein the respective heater of the vertical sealer land assembly is in contact with the film web and a retracted position wherein the respective heater of the vertical sealer land assembly is spaced away from the film web in a radially inward direction toward the vertical axis of rotation of the sealer wheel, and
- wherein contact between the film web and the impulse heater of each of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies forms the spaced apart vertical seals along a length of the film web.
A method of fusing a pouch film web to form a plurality of vertical seals along a length of the film web to form pouches, comprising:
- providing a pouch machine vertical sealer having a sealer wheel rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation and defining a film web path about a periphery of the sealer wheel, a plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies spaced apart about the periphery of the sealer wheel and each comprising a heater, and a plurality of rollers spaced apart about the periphery of the sealer wheel with at least one roller being located between each of the plurality of vertical seal land assemblies;
- rotating the vertical sealer to entrain the film web around the sealer wheel;
- engaging the film web with the heater of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies and sealing the film web to form a vertical seal at the heater of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies;
- and
- reciprocating one of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies or the plurality of rollers radially outwardly and inwardly with respect to the other one of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies or the plurality of rollers to selectively create a space between the film web and the heater of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies.
A pouch machine vertical sealer capable of fusing a pouch film web to form a plurality of spaced vertical seals along a length of the film web, comprising:
- a sealer wheel rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation and defining a film web path about a periphery of the sealer wheel;
- a plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies spaced apart about the periphery of the sealer wheel and each comprising a heater;
- a plurality of rollers spaced apart about the periphery of the sealer wheel with at least one roller being located between each of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies;
- wherein each of the plurality of rollers is supported from the sealer wheel by a roller housing for radially moving the respective roller between an idle position wherein the respective roller is spaced away from the film web in a radially inward direction toward the vertical axis of rotation of the sealer wheel and an extended position wherein the respective roller is moved in a radially outward direction away from the vertical axis of rotation of the sealer wheel and in contact with the film web to support the film web away from the heater of each of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies, and
- wherein contact between the film web and the heater of each of the plurality of vertical sealer land assemblies forms the spaced apart vertical seals along a length of the film web.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.