Seal assembly for easy open pouch

An apparatus for making easy open seals in pouches made from a tubular pouch material, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a first seal bar, said first seal bar including a housing disposed in said seal bar for accommodating a means for cutting, the first seal bar operable in conjunction with a second seal bar for creating a heat seal in a flattened portion of the tubular pouch material;
• (b) a means for cutting, retractable housed within the first seal bar, the means for cutting comprising a main cutting blade having two ends, a first major surface and a second major surface, and a longitudinal axis, and a tear notch blade attached to said main cutting blade between the ends of the main cutting blade, said tear notch blade
• i) disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the main cutting blade, and
• ii) having a cutting edge, a first portion of which projects from the first major surface of the main cutting blade, and a second portion of which extends from the first portion and projects from the second major surface of the main cutting blade;
• (c) a means for holding the means for cutting in a recessed position within the first seal bar;
• (d) a second seal bar, said second seal bar including a guide passage conforming generally to the means for cutting;
• and
• (e) a means for advancing said means for cutting from the recessed position within the first seal bar, through the pouch material, and subsequently retracting said means for cutting from the pouch material, thereby severing the pouch material, and cutting a tear notch in an upper transverse seal of a first pouch, and a lower transverse seal of a second pouch.