# US 2014/0150382 A1 · Sealing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150382 A1 - Document ID: US20140150382A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/233,454 - Filed: 2012-06-20 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-20 - Assignees: Fuji Impulse Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kazukuni Yamada; Kazuyoshi Tarumoto; Yasuo Hashimoto; Junichi Kawaguchi; Suguru Akiyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150382A1 ## CPC - B65B 51/10: Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof {(welding of plastics per se B29C65/02; closing plastic tube ends in general B29C57/10)} - B65B 31/06: the nozzle being arranged for insertion into, and withdrawal from, the mouth of a filled container and operating in conjunction with means for sealing the container mouth - B65B 51/146: {Closing bags} - B65B 57/02: responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) ## Abstract The present invention provides sealing device which is capable of a two-step holding operation with the use of a linear solenoid. The sealing device includes a stopping mechanism for stopping a movement of a movable part that forms the linear solenoid when the linear solenoid is driven at a predetermined midway point between a start point and an end point after the nozzle part has been moved from the waiting position to the stop position, and for releasing the movable part from a stop to allow the movable part to move again and reach the end point after the nozzle part has been returned from the stop position to the waiting position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sealing device, comprising: a pressure member having a pressure element for pressing a sealed portion of a sealed object; a heating member having a heating element for heating said sealed portion; a nozzle part arranged to be insertable into said sealed object from an opening in said sealed portion to suck out gas from inside of the sealed object or supply gas into the sealed object; a nozzle drive unit allowing said nozzle part to move between a waiting position and a stop position; a first linear solenoid for driving said pressure member such as to hold said sealed portion between said pressure member and said heating member; and a stopping mechanism for stopping a movement of a first movable part that forms the first linear solenoid when said first linear solenoid is driven at a predetermined midway point between a start point and an end point after said nozzle part has been moved from said waiting position to said stop position, and for releasing said first movable part from a stop to allow the first movable part to move again and reach said end point after said nozzle part has been returned from said stop position to said waiting position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein said pressure member includes an elastic pressing portion pressing a portion near said sealed portion, and said heating member includes an elastic receiving portion holding the portion near said sealed portion together with said elastic pressing portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein said stopping mechanism includes a pin that makes contact with a distal end portion of said first movable part of said first linear solenoid, and a pin moving mechanism that allows said pin to move in accordance with a movement of said first movable part and that stops said pin to stop the movement of said first movable part at said midway point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The sealing device according to claim 3, wherein said pin moving mechanism includes a spring arranged at an end different from one end of said pin that makes contact with the distal end portion of said first movable part. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The sealing device according to claim 3, wherein said pin moving mechanism includes a third linear solenoid having said pin as a movable part. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The sealing device according to claim 3, wherein said pin includes a first diameter part and a second diameter part that has a smaller diameter than the first diameter part, and said pin moving mechanism further includes an engagement portion that engages with said second diameter part of said pin. ### Claim 7 The sealing device according to claim wherein said stopping mechanism includes a slide part that makes contact with a plunger of said first movable part to stop the first movable part from moving. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein said stopping mechanism further includes a second linear solenoid arranged adjacent to said first linear solenoid; a pin secured at one end to a first movable part of said first linear solenoid and moving relative to said second linear solenoid inside a first bore that extends through a second movable part of the second linear solenoid; a midway positioning portion extended from the second movable part of said second linear solenoid toward the first movable part of said first linear solenoid and formed with a second bore continuing from said first bore; a lock part that engages with a recess of said pin formed at a different end from said one end of said pin to stop the pin from moving when a distal end portion of the first movable part of said first linear solenoid makes contact with the distal end portion of said midway positioning portion to stop the first movable part of the first linear solenoid at said midway point, and a lock release part that releases engagement of said recess by entering between said lock part and said pin when a second movable part of said second linear solenoid has moved with the first movable part of said first linear solenoid having moved to said end point. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sealing device according to claim 8, further comprising a solenoid controller that drives said first linear solenoid and said second linear solenoid to move said first movable part from said start point to said midway point and to stop said second movable part, so that said first movable part stops at said midway point, and to move said first movable part from said midway point to said end point and to move said second movable part in a moving direction of said first movable part, so that said first movable part is released from the stop and starts moving again to reach said end point. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The sealing device according to claim 9, wherein said solenoid controller stops power application to said first and second linear solenoids when said first movable part is pausing at said midway point. ### Claim 11 A method of sealing comprising the steps of: pressing a sealed portion of a sealed object using a pressure member having a pressure element; heating the sealed portion using a heating member having a heating element; removing gas from inside of the sealed object or supplying gas into the sealed object using a nozzle part which is insertable into the sealed object from an opening. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, which comprises a nozzle drive unit which allows the nozzle part to move between a waiting position and a stop position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein a first linear solenoid drives the pressure member to hold the sealed portion between the pressure member and the heating member. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising a stopping mechanism for stopping a movement of a first movable part that forms the first linear solenoid when the first linear solenoid is driven at a predetermined midway point between a start point and an end point after the nozzle part has moved from the waiting position to the stop position, and for releasing the first movable part from a stop to allow the first movable part to move again and to reach the end point after the nozzle part has been returned from the stop position to the waiting position.