US 2019/0241297 A1Published application

Method and Apparatus for Sealing Film Bags

AssigneeFrito-Lay North America, Inc.

InventorFrank Mathew BRENKUS

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Abstract

An adjustable sealing apparatus and corresponding method of use is disclosed. The sealing apparatus has a variable range of motion programmed to accommodate multiple types of sealing motion, including the reciprocal motion and rotary motion. The proposed design uses two sealing jaw units with each sealing jaw unit located on opposing sides of a continuous layered film. Each sealing jaw unit has a sealing jaw coupled to a distal end of extendable linkages. The sealing jaws are extendable to allow the sealing surfaces to engage one another at a plurality of sealing locations along a plurality of sealing paths. Moreover a control unit is communicatively coupled to each of the sealing jaw units and controls movement of the sealing jaw units to engage one another at one or more of the plurality of sealing locations which enables sealing of the film to produce bags.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A sealing apparatus comprising:

a first sealing jaw unit mounted on a first side of a film path, wherein the first sealing jaw unit comprises a first sealing jaw coupled to a distal end of a first set of extendable linkages, and wherein the first sealing jaw has a first sealing surface;
a second sealing jaw unit mounted on an opposite side of the film path, wherein the second sealing jaw comprises a second sealing jaw coupled to a distal end of a second set of extendable linkages, wherein the second sealing jaw comprises a second sealing surface, and wherein the first sealing jaw and the second sealing jaw are extendable to allow the first sealing surface to engage the second sealing surface at each of a plurality of sealing locations using one of a plurality of sealing paths;
and
a control unit communicatively coupled to the first sealing jaw unit and the second sealing jaw unit, wherein the control unit controls movement of the first sealing jaw and the second sealing jaw to engage the first and the second sealing surfaces at one or more of the plurality of sealing locations using one of a plurality of sealing paths.

1 more element

A film sealing method comprising the steps of:

providing a first sealing jaw unit on a first side of a film path, wherein the first sealing jaw unit comprises a first sealing jaw coupled to a distal end of a first set of extendable linkages, and wherein the first sealing jaw has a first sealing surface;
providing a second sealing jaw unit on a second side of the film path, wherein the second sealing jaw comprises a second sealing jaw coupled to a distal end of a second set of extendable linkages, wherein the second sealing jaw comprises a second sealing surface, and wherein the first sealing jaw and the second sealing jaw are extendable to allow the first heated surface to engage the second heated surface at one of a plurality of sealing locations;
extending a film along a film path;
and
sealing the film between the first sealing jaw and the second sealing jaw at any one or more of a plurality of sealing locations;
determining a first sealing path for the first sealing jaw;
determining a second sealing path for the second sealing jaw, wherein movement of the first sealing jaw along the first sealing path and movement of the second sealing jaw along the second sealing path causes the first sealing jaw and the second sealing jaw to meet at any one or more of the plurality of sealing locations located along the film path;
sealing the film between the first sealing jaw and the second sealing jaw at any one or more of the plurality of sealing locations.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.