Horizontal form-fill-and-seal machine with zipper attachment
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsArt Malin, Joel L. Johnson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a horizontal form-fill-and-seal (FFS) machine, a continuous length of packaging film is folded lengthwise over the consumer products to be packaged. The lateral edges of the packaging film are separately and independently aligned with one another by edge sensing and control devices. A zipper is fed between the aligned lateral edges of the packaging film. The lateral edges are sealed to one another, and the zipper sealed to the folded packaging film, by a pair of sealing sections, each of which includes a pair of parallel sealing devices. Side seals are produced by conventional means, which also separate completed packages from one another.
Claims9
A horizontal form-fill-and-seal (FFS) machine for packaging consumer products, said horizontal FFS machine comprising:
- means for providing a continuous length of packaging film having two lateral edges;
- means for placing said consumer products to be packaged at intervals along one half of said continuous length of packaging film;
- means for folding said continuous length of packaging film continuously down the center thereof and over upon said consumer products;
- device for aligning said lateral edges of said folder continuous length of packaging film with one another said device including means for sensing each of said lateral edges and means for adjusting the position of said lateral edges with respect to one another;
- means for feeding a zipper between said aligned lateral edges of said folded continuous length of packaging film proximal to said aligned lateral edges;
- means for sealing said aligned lateral edges of said folded continuous length of packaging film to one another opposite to said film fold;
- means for sealing said zipper to said folded continuous length of packaging film adjacent to said aligned edges;
- means for sealing said folded continuous length of packaging film crosswise at intervals between said consumer products to create individual packages;
- and means for separating said individual packages from one another.
A method for packaging consumer products on a horizontal form-fill-and-seal machine comprising;
- providing a continuous length of packaging film having two lateral edges;
- placing said consumer products to be packaged at intervals along one half of said continuous length of packaging film;
- folding said continuous length of packaging film continuously down the center thereof and over upon said consumer products;
- sensing said lateral edges;
- aligning said lateral edges of said folded continuous length of packaging film with one another;
- feeding a zipper between said aligned lateral edges of said folded continuous length of packaging film, proximal to said aligned lateral edges;
- sealing said aligned lateral edges of said folded continuous length of packaging film to one another;
- sealing said zipper to said folded continuous length of packaging film, adjacent to said aligned edges;
- sealing said folded continuous length of packaging film crosswise at intervals between said consumer products to create individual packages;
- and
- separating said individual packages from one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.