US 5,843,253 AGranted

Method and device for sealing a narrow tape to a heatsealable strip

AssigneeG.D.S.P.A.

InventorsEros Stivani, Fiorenzo Draghetti

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Abstract

The method and device for sealing a narrow tape to a strip of heatsealable material in cigarette packing machines, which produce packets of cigarettes protected by an external wrapper made of plastic which can be torn using the said tear tape; to avoid a thermal degradation in the sections of heatsealable strip adjacent to the sealing zone, the present invention envisages sealing the narrow tape to the strip by passing them through a sealing unit, in contact with one another, and joining them with an ultrasound sealer which directs the ultrasound to at least a zone in which the narrow tape and strip overlap; the intensity of the heatsealing action of the ultrasound is controlled and adjusted by elements which detect the feed speed of the narrow tape and strip.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method for sealing a narrow tape, having opposite longitudinal edges, to a heat-sealable strip which is broader than the tape, at a location which is spaced from both longitudinal edges of the strip, comprising the steps of:

feeding the narrow tape and the heat-sealable strip at a same speed longitudinally along respective paths which converge at a heat sealing station, so as to cause said narrow tape to facially engage the heat-sealable strip in said heat sealing station, with said narrow tape correctly positioned for being sealed in said sealing station to said heat-sealable strip;
in said sealing station, facially joining said narrow tape and said heat-sealable strip completely across the width of the narrow tape by applying ultrasonic energy thereto using an ultrasound sealer, at a zone where, as a result of convergence of said paths, said narrow tape overlaps and facially engages said heat-sealable strip, by directing ultrasound from said ultrasound sealer at said zone, to create a tape-bearing strip;
and
feeding the tape-bearing strip longitudinally thereof from the heat-sealing station.

1 more element

A device for sealing a narrow tape, having opposite longitudinal edges, to a heat-sealable strip which is broader than the tape, at a location which is spaced from both longitudinal edges of the strip, comprising the steps of:

a heat-sealing station;
an infeeding feeder arranged for feeding the narrow tape and the heat-sealable strip at a same speed longitudinally along respective paths which converge at said heat sealing station, so as to cause said narrow tape to facially engage the heat-sealable strip in said heat sealing station, with said narrow tape correctly positioned for being sealed in said sealing station to said heat-sealable strip;
in said sealing station, facially joining said narrow tape and said heat-sealable strip completely across the width of the narrow tape by applying ultrasonic energy thereto using an ultrasound sealer, at a zone where, as a result of convergence of said paths, said narrow tape overlaps and facially engages said heat-sealable strip, by directing ultrasound from said ultrasound sealer at said zone, and thereby causing said ultrasound energy to be applied in said zone with a width which is approximately equal in width to said narrow tape, to create a tape-bearing strip;
and
an out feeding feeder arranged for feeding the tape-bearing strip longitudinally thereof from the heat-sealing station.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.