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US 2018/0022490 A1Published application
Vacuum sealing system, apparatus, and method
AssigneeRoss Industries, Inc.
InventorsWilliam Lee Harrison, Andrew William Jones, David McAuley Alexander
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum sealing system includes a vacuum pump, a lower tool to hold one or more trays carrying product, an upper tool to seal a plastic film onto the one or more trays, the upper tool including at least one seal plate with a seal plate cavity and a vacuum clamp, the system also including a controller to control the vacuum pump, the lower tool, and the upper tool.
Claims20
A vacuum sealing system, comprising:
- a vacuum pump;
- a lower tool to hold one or more trays carrying product;
- an upper tool to seal a plastic film onto the one or more trays, the upper tool comprising:
- at least one seal plate, each seal plate comprising:
- a seal plate cavity;
- and
- a plurality of first holes to allow air to be drawn out of the seal plate cavity with the vacuum pump to draw the plastic film into the seal plate cavity, and to allow the seal plate cavity to be vented to equalize an air pressure therein with ambient air pressure;
- a vacuum clamp disposed around the seal plate, the vacuum clamp comprising:
- a groove to receive the plastic film;
- and
- a plurality of second holes to allow air to be drawn out of the groove with the vacuum pump and thereby hold the plastic film in the groove;
- and
- a controller to control the vacuum pump, the lower tool, and the upper tool.
10 more elements
A vacuum sealing apparatus, comprising:
- at least one seal plate, each seal plate comprising:
- a seal plate cavity;
- and
- a plurality of first holes to allow air to be drawn out of the seal plate cavity to draw a plastic film into the seal plate cavity, and to allow the seal plate cavity to be vented to equalize an air pressure therein with ambient air pressure;
- a vacuum clamp disposed around the seal plate, the vacuum clamp comprising:
- a groove to receive the plastic film;
- and
- a plurality of second holes to allow air to be drawn out of the groove and thereby hold the plastic film in the groove.
5 more elements
A method of vacuum sealing, the method comprising:
- moving one or more trays holding product into a packaging portion comprising an upper tool and a lower tool;
- forming a first vacuum in the upper tool to hold a plastic film;
- forming a second vacuum on a first side of the plastic film to draw the plastic film into one or more seal plate cavities over the one or more trays;
- strengthening the second vacuum to form a third vacuum on the first side of the plastic film;
- forming a fourth vacuum on a second side of the plastic film after forming the third vacuum, the second side of the plastic film being opposite from the first side of the plastic film;
- and
- releasing the third and fourth vacuums to force the plastic film onto the one or more trays.
4 more elements
A vacuum sealing system comprising:
- a lower tool to receive at least one tray carrying a product;
- and
- an upper tool including a seal plate cavity with a plurality of first holes therein to receive a vacuum to draw a plastic film into the seal plate cavity and a groove surrounding an outer perimeter of the seal plate cavity and including a plurality of second holes therein to receive a vacuum to draw the plastic film into the groove;
- wherein at least one of the lower tool and the upper tool moves toward the other tool to seal the plastic film to the at least one tray.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.