Modular sealing apparatus

A vacuum packaging machine comprising a vacuum chamber defined by a lid member and a cavity in a lower compartment, at least one modular sealing apparatus detachably coupled to at least one internal wall of the vacuum chamber, the at least one modular sealing apparatus comprising:

• a cap module comprising a central portion, wherein the central portion locates thereupon a heating wire, the heating wire is connected to an electrical power unit and is configured to heat up when supplied with electrical power through the electrical power unit;
• an actuation box, the cap module detachably coupled to the actuation box, wherein the actuation box is located below the cap module, the actuation box comprising an electrical drive unit, wherein, in use, the electrical drive unit is configured to cause the cap module to move upwards and against a counterpart attached to a roof of the lid member of the vacuum packaging machine, by activating an actuation member of the electrical drive unit;
• an interface module coupled to the actuation box, the interface module configured to detachably fasten the actuation box to the vacuum packaging machine, and enable supply of the electrical power to the actuation box from the vacuum packaging machine;
• and
• a sensor module comprising one or more sensors configured to sense at least one temperature value in an upper portion of the cap module,
• wherein the electrical power unit is configured to be supplied with the electrical power, from the actuation box, through a first contact member, and
• wherein the first contact member is encapsulated by a first upper sleeve and a first lower sleeve, one of the first upper sleeve and the first lower sleeve sockets the other, a first sealing ring is provided between the first upper sleeve and the first lower sleeve.

A method of operating a vacuum packaging machine, the vacuum packaging machine comprising a vacuum chamber defined by a lid member and a cavity in a lower compartment, at least one modular sealing apparatus detachably coupled to at least one internal wall of the vacuum chamber, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a machine control architecture of the vacuum packaging machine or a controller of the at least one modular sealing apparatus, a selection of melding time;
• supplying, by the machine control architecture or the controller, electrical power to one or more electrical drive units of the at least one modular sealing apparatus to push a cap module of the at least one modular sealing apparatus towards a counterpart attached to the lid member;
• supplying, by the machine control architecture or the controller, the electrical power to a heating wire of the at least one modular sealing apparatus;
• receiving, by the machine control architecture or the controller, a value of time elapsed from an internal clock;
• retracting, by the machine control architecture or the controller, the cap module by activating the one or more electrical drive units, when the received value of the time elapsed equals or exceeds the received selection of melding time;
• and
• stopping, by the machine control architecture or the controller, the supply of the electrical power to the heating wire.

A method of operating a vacuum packaging machine, the vacuum packaging machine comprising a vacuum chamber defined by a lid member and a cavity in a lower compartment, at least one modular sealing apparatus detachably coupled to at least one internal wall of the vacuum chamber, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a machine control architecture of the vacuum packaging machine or a controller of the at least one modular sealing apparatus, an input indicating a material of a packet to be packaged;
• determining, by the machine control architecture or the controller, a desired value of at least one melding parameter, based on the material of the packet;
• supplying, by the machine control architecture or the controller, electrical power to one or more electrical drive units of the at least one modular sealing apparatus to push a cap module of the at least one modular sealing apparatus towards a counterpart attached to the lid member:
• receiving, by the machine control architecture or the controller, at least one value corresponding to at least one of a contact force or a pressure between the cap module and the counterpart, from a sensor module of the at least one modular sealing apparatus;
• supplying, by the machine control architecture or the controller, the electrical power to a heating wire of the at least one modular sealing apparatus, after at least one of a desired contact force or a desired pressure has been achieved;
• receiving, by the machine control architecture or the controller, a value of the at least one melding parameter, from at least one of an internal clock or the sensor module of the at least one modular sealing apparatus;
• retracting, by the machine control architecture or the controller, the cap module by activating the one or electrical drive units, when the received value of the at least one melding parameter is identical or equivalent to the determined desired value of the at least one melding parameter;
• and
• stopping, by the machine control architecture or the controller, the supply of the electrical power to the heating wire.