Bag sealing device

Abstract

Sealing device suitable for sealing bagging material containing, for example, produce, such as meat or poultry, to form a produce-containing bag having a seal at one or both ends, and being particularly adapted for cooking or defrosting the produce in a microwave oven. The device includes an ultrasonic sealing horn having a sealing surface, and a guide associated with the sealing horn for guiding material to be sealed into contact with the sealing horn. An anvil is provided for clamping the material against the sealing horn to facilitate the formation of a seal nugget upon actuation of the sealing horn. A bag clamp is pivotably mounted to the guide, and includes first and second spaced-apart arms. The first arm is abuttingly contactable with a clamp stop disposed adjacent one side of the sealing horn behind a plane containing the sealing surface of the sealing horn, and the second arm has a cut out portion which passes through the plane containing the sealing surface of the sealing horn upon pivotal movement of the bag clamp towards the sealing horn. In this way, the bag clamp, upon such pivotal movement, wraps the bagging material around the sealing horn to tighten the bagging material across the sealing surface of the sealing horn and thereby facilitate the formation of a good seal. A trigger is associated with the guide for actuating the sealing horn, anvil and bag clamp as the bagging material is moved along the guide into sealing position against the horn.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.