Container forming apparatus and method
AssigneeArkmount Systems Inc.
InventorStefan Tobolka
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A container forming apparatus to form fluid filled containers from a tube of flexible packaging material includes a fluid delivery conduit to deliver fluid into the tube. A heat sealing mechanism receives the tube and forms spaced seals across the tube between which fluid is located. The seals are formed in a downstream to upstream succession and are non-orthogonal with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tube. Hydraulic equalization supports associated with the heat sealing mechanism support the tube indirections generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis adjacent the seals as the seal is formed.
Claims19
A method of forming fluid containers from an upright tube formed of flexible packaging material, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a heat sealing mechanism having upper and lower sealing clamps, each sealing clamp including a curved seal bar and a support;
- delivering fluid to said tube to fill at least a portion of said tube;
- forming first and second curved seals across said tube at vertically spaced locations between which fluid is located to define a fluid filled container, said curved seals being mirror images of one another about a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tube and defining opposite sides of a container having a wide main body and a narrow spout extending generally central from said main body, a lower one of said curved seals being formed across said tube prior to an upper one of said curved seals, each of said curved seals including a lower arm portion and an upper arm portion joined by a bridge;
- and
- during formation of each of said seals, supporting said tube below said upper arm portion at a location adjacent said lower arm portion to displace fluid in the tube upwardly and thereby equalize generally hydraulic forces across said tube adjacent said lower arm portion.
A container forming apparatus to form fluid filled containers from an upright tube formed of flexible packaging material, said apparatus comprising:
- a fluid delivery conduit to deliver fluid into said tube to fill at least a portion of said tube;
- a heat sealing mechanism receiving said tube and having upper and lower sealing clamps, each of said clamps including a curved heat sealing bar for forming vertically spaced, curved seals across said tube between which fluid is located to define a fluid filled container, said seals being mirror images of one another about a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tube and defining opposite sides of a container having a wide main body and a narrow spout extending generally centrally from said main body, a lower one of said curved seals being formed across said tube prior to an upper one of said curved seals, each of said curved seals including a lower arm portion and an upper arm portion joined by a bridge;
- and
- a support integral with each of said sealing clamps of said heat sealing mechanism, one of said supports acting on said tube during formation of the lower one of said curved seals and another of said supports acting on said tube during formation of the upper one of said curved seals, wherein during formation of each of said curved seals, the associated support supports said tube below said upper arm portion at a location adjacent said lower arm portion to displace fluid in the tube upwardly and thereby equalize generally the hydraulic column above said lower arm portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.