US 4,355,494 AGranted

Reclosable bags, apparatus and method

AssigneeMinigrip, Inc.

InventorPaul A. Tilman

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided by which bag forming material is obtained by feeding sheet material (2) together with male and female closure elements (5, 6) to a nip between guide roller (3) and pressure rollers (9, 10) at which adhesive is applied from nozzles (11, 12). The resulting material assembly is fed by drive roller means (14, 15)to an accumulator (16) on a continuous basis and then intermittently over a forming shoulder (21) into a tubular form (22) while maintaining the closure elements (5, 6) at a predetermined distance apart before the forming shoulder (21) by means such as grooves (19) in guide roller (18) and locating the closure elements (5, 6) in predetermined positions facing each other downstream of the shaping shoulder by suitable means (23) which may include rotatable guide elements. The tubular form (22) is drawn through the apparatus by transverse reciprocating sealing bars (26) and a pilfer proof closure can be provided by vertical sealing bars (25).

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method including the steps of making and shaping a permanent assembly of bag making plastic sheet and separable and reclosable fastener strip into vertical upwardly opening tubular form adapted for gravitationally receiving bag filling contents in vertical form/fill/seal packaging;

and the successive steps of sealing lower end portions of the vertical tube into bag sections, effecting cyclical dwell and intermittent downward advancing of the tube by bag sections and severing the bag sections from the lower end of the tube;
the improvement consisting in supplying the bag making assembly to said tube forming step from a location adjacent to the location of said tube forming step, and comprising the steps of:
providing continuous length bag sheet material from a supply means;
providing continuous length separable fastener strip from a supply means;
continuously effecting joinder and securement of said sheet material and said fastener strip as derived from said supply means into a permanent assembly;
at a location downstream from said joinder and securement step uninterruptedly advancing said assembly toward said shaping step, while said successive steps of tube sealing, severing and cyclical dwell and intermittent advancing of the tube continue progressively;
and at a location intermediate said assembly advancing step and said tube shaping step, accumulating the uninterruptedly advancing assembly to compensate for dwells in the intermittent advance of the tube.

4 more elements

In apparatus including tube forming means for making and shaping a permanent assembly of bag making plastic sheet and separable and reclosable fastener strip into vertical upwardly opening tubular form adapted for gravitationally receiving bag filling contents in a vertical in a form/fill/seal packaging machine;

and means operative for successively sealing lower end portions of the tube into bag sections, and for effecting cyclical dwell and intermittent downward advancing of the tube by bag sections and for severing the bag sections from the lower end of the tube;
the improvement consisting in means located adjacent to said tube forming means for supplying the bag making assembly to said tube forming means, and comprising:
supply means for continuous length plastic sheet;
supply means for continuous length separable fastener strip;
means adapted for continuously effecting joinder and securement of said sheet and said fastener strip as derived from said supply means into a permanent assembly;
assembly guiding and advancing means located downstream from said joinder and securement means for uninterruptedly advancing said assembly toward said shaping means, and thereby uninterruptedly pulling said film and said fastener strip through said joinder and securement means, while said tube sealing, advancing and severing means intermittently cyclically advances said tube;
and means located intermediate said assembly guiding and advancing means and said tube making and shaping means for accumulating the uninterruptedly advancing assembly during dwells in the intermittent advance of said tube.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/173,755Filed 30 Jul 1980
Priority: GB 79273906 Aug 1979
Granted: 26 Oct 1982
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification31 codes

B65B 61/188
For making package-opening or unpacking elements: by applying or incorporating profile-strips, e.g. for reclosable bags
B29C 65/02
Joining or sealing of preformed parts , e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor: by heating, with or without pressure
B29C 65/18
By heating, with or without pressure: using heated tools
B29C 65/522
Characterised by the way of applying the adhesive: by spraying, e.g. by flame spraying