Form, fill and seal method and apparatus for forming reclosable bags
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsArt Malin, Stanley Piotrowski, Michael McMahon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is disclosed for forming reclosable packages at a form, fill and seal (FFS) apparatus by advancing a film of package making material longitudinally to form a tube while guiding opposite longitudinal edges of the film into a fin. A zipper having interlocking members and an attached flange is fed into the fin by capturing external surfaces of the interlocking members within a first guide member positioned adjacent to said fin and feeding the flanges along opposite sides of a second guide member positioned within said fin. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.
Claims25
A method of forming reclosable packages comprising the steps of:
- advancing a film of package making material longitudinally to form a tube while guiding opposite longitudinal edges of said film into a fin;
- feeding a zipper into said fin, said zipper including a first profile and a second profile, each of said profiles having an interlocking member engageable with an interlocking member of the other profile and an attached flange;
- guiding said zipper into position relative to the fin by capturing external surfaces of said first and second profile interlocking members within a first guide member positioned adjacent to said fin.
A form, fill and seal apparatus for forming reclosable packaging comprising:
- a fill tube;
- a longitudinally moving web of package making film;
- a forming collar upstream of said fill tube for guiding said longitudinally moving web of package making film into a film tube disposed about said fill tube and guiding opposed edges of said film into a fin;
- a supply of zipper;
- a drive for feeding said zipper from said supply into said fin, said zipper including a first profile and a second profile, each of said profiles having an interlocking member engageable with the other profile and an attached flange;
- and,
- a first guide adjacent to said fin, said first guide having surfaces thereon extending parallel to said fill tube for capturing external surfaces of said first and second profile interlocking members.
An apparatus for forming reclosable packages comprising:
- means for advancing a film of package making material longitudinally to form a tube while guiding opposite longitudinal edges of said film into a fin;
- means for feeding a zipper into said fin, said zipper including a first profile and a second profile, each of said profiles having an interlocking member engageable with an interlocking member of the other profile and an attached flange;
- and
- means for guiding said zipper into position relative to the fin by capturing external surfaces of said first and second profile interlocking members within a first guide member positioned adjacent to said fin.
A reclosable package formed by steps of:
- advancing a film of package making material longitudinally to form a tube while guiding opposite longitudinal edges of said film into a fin;
- feeding a zipper into said fin, said zipper including a first profile and a second profile, each of said profiles having an interlocking member engageable with an interlocking member of the other profile and an attached flange;
- guiding said zipper into position relative to the fin by capturing external surfaces of said first and second profile interlocking members within a first guide member positioned adjacent to said fin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.