Method and apparatus for making and filling a bag

A method of fabricating and filling a bag having a snap zipper assembly comprising the steps of:

• ultra-sonically welding a pair of sidewardly spaced snap zipper half members to a planar base film, said snap zipper half members each having an intermeshing closure element located thereon, said snap zipper half members being formed of a first material, said base film being formed of a second material which is different from said first material of said snap zipper half members;
• forming said planar base film with said snap zipper half members welded thereto into a tubular configuration having a longitudinal axis;
• forming a first seal in said tubular configuration extending traversely of said longitudinal axis;
• filling a packed material into said tubular configuration wherein said packed material abuts said first seal;
• forming a second seal in said tubular configuration extending traversely of said longitudinal axis and at an interval of a predetermined distance along said longitudinal axis upstream from said first seal to enclose said packed material into the bag;
• forming a cut-out line on each said snap zipper half member before the step of forming said planar base film into said tubular configuration, each said cut-out line being formed at a position between said respective intermeshing closure element and an outer edge of said planar base film;
• and
• forming a channeled portion on each said snap zipper half member before the step of forming said planar base film into said tubular configuration, each said channeled portion being formed at a position between said respective cut-out line and said respective intermeshing closure element, said channeled portions permitting easier opening of the bag.

An apparatus for manufacturing a bag from a web of a planar base film and a web of a snap zipper assembly, the snap zipper assembly comprising a pair of sidewardly spaced snap zipper half members each having an interlocking closure element located thereon, the apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• a first ultrasonic welding station mounted on said frame, said first welding station including means for hot-welding the snap zipper assembly to the planar base film, means for forming a cut-out line on each snap zipper half member at a position between the respective interlocking closure element and an outer edge of the planar base film, and means for forming a channeled portion on each snap zipper half member at a position between said respective cut-out line and the respective interlocking closure element;
• a guide station mounted downstream of said first ultrasonic welding station, said guide station including means for forming the planar base film into a tubular configuration having a longitudinal axis, means for pressing the snap zipper half member closure elements into an interlocked engagement adjacent a longitudinal first edge thereof, and means for forming a longitudinal fold line in said tubular configuration along a longitudinal second edge thereof, said longitudinal second edge being parallel with and spaced transversely apart from said longitudinal first edge;
• a first sealing station mounted downstream of said guide station, said first sealing station including means for forming a first seal along said longitudinal first edge of said tubular configuration, said first seal extending parallel with said longitudinal first edge a distance equal to a predetermined bag width;
• a second ultrasonic welding station mounted at an interval equal to said predetermined bag width downstream from said first sealing station, said second welding station including means for hot-welding the interlocking closure elements to form a crushed portion on the snap zipper assembly, said crushed portion fixing the interlocking closure elements in said interlocked engagement;
• a second sealing station mounted at an interval equal to said predetermined bag width downstream from said second ultrasonic welding station, said second sealing station including means for forming a second seal extending traversely of said longitudinal axis, said second seal symmetrically traversing said crushed portion;
• and
• a drive means for intermittently advancing said tubular configuration a distance equal to said predetermined bag width.