Method and apparatus for heat shrinking film around a product
OwnerCharles J. Bennettinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for heat shrinking an envelope of heat shrinkable film into close conformity to a product enclosed within the film envelope includes a housing; a first assembly disposed within the housing for directed heated air to at least a first portion of the film envelope; a second assembly disposed with the housing and operable subsequent to the first assembly for directing heated water onto at least a second portion of the envelope, both causing the envelope to shrink into conformity with the product; an arrangement for drying the product after water has been applied thereto; and an arrangement for circulating the hot water into heat transfer relation with a moving stream of the hot air for enhanced water heating prior to its application to the product.
Claims18
Apparatus for heat shrinking an envelope of heat shrinkable film into close conformity to a product enclosed within the film envelope, said apparatus comprising, in combination, first means for heating air and directing heated air onto at least a first portion of the film envelope for causing that portion of the envelope to shrink into conformity with an adjacent first portion of the product, second means for heating water and directing heated water onto at least a second portion of the envelope for causing at least the second portion of the envelope to shrink into conformity with an adjacent second portion of the product, wherein said heated air is at a greater temperature than said heated water;
- and means for circulating said heated water into heat transfer relation with said heated air to elevate the temperature of the heated water.
A method for heat shrinking an envelope of heat shrinkable film into close conformity to a product enclosed within the film envelope, said method comprising the steps of:
- heating air and directing heated air onto at least a first portion of the film envelope for causing that portion of the envelope to shrink into conformity with an adjacent first portion of the product;
- heating water and directing heated water onto at least a second portion of the envelope for causing at least the second portion of the envelope to shrink into conformity with an adjacent second portion of the product, wherein said heated air is at a greater temperature than said heated water;
- and
- circulating said heated water into heat transfer relation with said heated air and thereby elevating the temperature of the heated water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.