Programmable rotary vacuum packing machine
AssigneeAmcor Flexibles North America, Inc.
InventorAleksandr Yakovlevich Sornikov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A programmable rotary vacuum packing machine uses an array of shells on a rotating turntable as temporary vacuum chambers. for sealing each bag. Each shell has three groups of bidirectional pneumatic actuators. A computer controls separately addressable pneumatic valves upon the rotating turntable to determine some timings of the sequential vacuum packing process within each shell. Timing and intensity of heat sealing after application of pressure is also controlled. During operation, the machine accepts real-time process modifications according to bag type or contents characteristic so that any particular bag. as identified upstream or by the operator. receives a customized process.
Claims10
A rotary vacuum packing machine comprising:
- a first number of vertically openable and closable shells disposed as a radial array upon a rotatable turntable having a hub that rotates, when in use, about an axle;
- each shell of the vertically openable and closable shells is capable of forming a sealed chamber for evacuation and sealing purposes when lowered onto one of a second number of article carriers each mounted on a conveyor and carried around the turntable while holding an unsealed, bagged article for vacuum packing;
- each shell of the vertically openable and closable shells including groups of one or more actuators;
- each group of the one or more actuators having a function selected from a range including holding, perforating, cutting and sealing functions;
- wherein each group of the one or more actuators is controlled by separately addressable, electrically operated pneumatic valves mounted upon the rotatable hub and addressed through a communications network by a dedicated digital computer or a functional equivalent thereof so that, when in use, each shell of the vertically openable and closable shells is independently caused to carry out at least some steps of a sealing procedure at individually selected times.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.