Method of and apparatus for sealing containers
OwnerTimothy J. Aldeninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The open end of a plastics bag or like container is sealed by inserting the open end into the mouth of a sealer which welds the plastics film by the application of heat and pressure. Upon detection of the presence of a bag in the mouth a control unit initiates a sealing cycle. The user has available a film selection switch, linked to the control unit, to enable different film materials to be sealed satisfactorily. The sealing pressure, the sealing temperature and the duration of the sealing action are parameters which affect the sealing. These are independently controllable and presettable to cater for different film materials. The choice of the switch setting causes the control unit to initiate a sealing cycle with appropriate values for each of these parameters.
Claims22
A method of sealing at least one opened end of a plastic container, said method comprises the steps of:
- (a) bringing a sealing element into contact with said plastic container's at least one opened end, said sealing element applying a specific amount of sealing heat and sealing pressure to effect a seal across at least a part of the width of said plastic container;
- (b) controlling said sealing pressure applied by said sealing element in dependence upon the physical and compositional nature of said plastic container to effect a seal across at least a part of the width of said plastic container's at least one opened end;
- and
- (c) independently controlling said sealing temperature and the sealing time in dependence on the physical and compositional nature of said plastic container.
Apparatus for sealing at least one opened end of a plastic container, comprising:
- (a) means defining a mouth for receiving said plastic container's at least one opened end;
- (b) sealing means displaceable to contact with said plastic container's at least one opened end, said sealing means applying a variable amount of sealing heat and sealing pressure to said plastic container's at least one opened end to effect a seal;
- (c) means to control said sealing pressure in dependence upon the physical and compositional nature of said plastic container;
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- (d) control means presetable in respect of said sealing temperature, sealing time and sealing pressure in dependence on the physical and compositional nature of said plastic container.
A method of sealing at least one opened end of a plastic container by utilizing a sealing apparatus comprising means defining a mouth for receiving said plastic container's at least one opened end, sealing means displaceable into contact with said plastic container's at least one opened end, said sealing means applying a variable amount of sealing heat and sealing pressure to said plastic container's at least one opened end to effect a seal, and means to control said sealing pressure in dependence upon the physical and compositional nature of said plastic container, said method comprises the steps of:
- (a) positioning said plastic container's at least one opened end into said sealing apparatus's mouth;
- (b) displacing said sealing apparatus's sealing means such that said sealing means comes into contact with said plastic container's at least one opened end;
- (c) controlling said sealing pressure applied by said sealing means in dependence upon the physical and compositional nature of said plastic container to effect a seal across at least a part of the width of said plastic container's at least one opened end;
- and
- (d) independently controlling said sealing temperature and the sealing time in dependence on the physical and compositional nature of said plastic container.
Apparatus for sealing at least one opened end of a plastic container comprising:
- (a) means defining a mouth for receiving said plastic container's at least one opened end;
- (b) sealing means displaceable into contact with said plastic container's at least one opened end, said sealing means applying a variable amount of sealing heat and sealing pressure to said plastic container's at least one opened end to effect a seal;
- (c) means to control said sealing pressure in dependence upon the physical and compositional nature of said plastic container;
- and
- (d) control means presetable in respect of said sealing temperature and sealing pressure in dependence on the physical and compositional nature of said plastic container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.