Method and apparatus for making reclosable bags with fastener strips in a form fill and seal machine
AssigneeMinigrip, Inc.
InventorSteven Ausnit
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming a tube and bag from a supply of thin thermoplastic film with the film being formed into tubular shape about a filling tube with the edges of the film brought together and joined solely by a zipper strip having reclosable pressure interlocking members thereon with the zipper strip preferably heat sealed to the film and the zipper strip having a web between the pressure interlocking members which provides a tamper-evident juncture between the edges of the film so that the web must be severed for access to the interior of a bag formed from the film, and individual bags formed from the continuous tube by filling the tube through the filling tube and cross-seaming and cutting individual bags from the continuous film tube.
Claims19
The method of forming a vertical tubular form fill reclosable bag from a sheet of plastic film comprising the steps:
- continuously feeding a supply of thin thermoplastic film from a supply means;
- wrapping the film into tubular shape over a filling spout bringing the lateral edges of the film together in adjacent relationship to form a tube;
- feeding a continuous supply of plastic zipper strip having webs with first and second reclosable pressure interlocking members thereon into a space between said film edges;
- attaching the webs of said members to the film between said film edges so that said strip provides the sole means joining said edges and said strip provides a reopenable closure for a bag formed of said film;
- and
- wherein said interlocking members are joined by one of said webs and said one web must be separated for access to the interior of a bag formed by said film.
The method of forming a vertical tubular form fill reclosable bag from a sheet of plastic film comprising the steps:
- continuously feeding a supply of thin thermoplastic film from a supply means;
- wrapping the film into tubular shape over a filling spout bringing the lateral edges of the film together in adjacent relationship to form a tube;
- feeding a continuous supply of plastic zipper strip having webs with first and second reclosable pressure interlocking members thereon into a space between said film edges;
- attaching the webs of said members to the film between said film edges so that said strip provides the sole means joining said edges and said strip provides a reopenable closure for a bag formed of said film;
- wherein said interlocking members are joined by one of said webs and said one web must be separated for access to the interior of a bag formed by said film;
- and
- wherein said one web is located inwardly of said members so that the members are separated before separating said web for access to the interior of the bag.
An apparatus for forming a vertical tubular form fill reclosable bag from a sheet of plastic film comprising in combination:
- means for continuously feeding a supply of thermoplastic film to form a tube;
- a supply spout for vertically dropping contents into the tube;
- means guiding and wrapping said supply of film about the tube as the film moves downwardly;
- first guide means positioned relative to the spout for bringing the lateral edges of the film into adjacency;
- zipper feed means feeding first and second continuous zipper strips having webs with reclosable pressure interlocking members into a space between the film edges;
- attaching means joining the edges of the film to said webs of said interlocking members so that said members provide the sole means for joining said film edges and the members provide a reclosable closure for a bag formed of said film;
- and
- wherein said interlocking members are joined by a web portion connecting said webs which must be separated for access to the interior of a bag formed by the film.
An apparatus for forming a vertical tubular form fill reclosable bag from a sheet of plastic film comprising in combination:
- means for continuously feeding a supply of thermoplastic film to form a tube;
- a supply spout for vertically dropping contents into the tube;
- means guiding and wrapping said supply of film about the tube as the film moves downwardly;
- first guide means positioned relative to the spout for bringing the lateral edges of the film into adjacency;
- zipper feed means feeding first and second continuous zipper strips having webs with reclosable pressure interlocking members into a space between the film edges;
- attaching means joining the edges of the film to said webs of said interlocking members so that said members provide the sole means for joining said film edges and the members provide a reclosable closure for a bag formed of said film;
- wherein said interlocking members are joined by a web portion connecting said webs which must be separated for access to the interior of a bag formed by the film;
- and
- wherein said feed means positions said web portion inwardly of the interlocking members so that the interlocking members can be separated for access to the web.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.