Method and apparatus for making reclosable plastic bags using a pre-applied slider-operated fastener
AssigneePactiv Corporation
InventorsWilliam Mark Dutt, Toby R. Thomas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for making reclosable plastic bags is provided. In the method and apparatus, a fastener is attached to a moving flat web of plastic film, preferably in the direction of web movement and near the center of the web. A plurality of sliders are mounted to the fastener either before or after the fastener is attached to the flat web, but prior to conveying the web to a FFS machine. The flat web, with the slider-operated fastener already attached thereto, is then conveyed to a vertical or horizontal FFS machine where the flat web is formed into bags, and the bags are successively filled and sealed.
Claims20
A method of making reclosable plastic bags, comprising:
- mounting a plurality of sliders to a continuous length of fastener by inserting said plurality of sliders through notches in said continuous length of fastener, said fastener including mating male and female profiles, each of said notches extending into said male and female profiles and having a length parallel to the lengths of the profiles that allows for insertion of one of said sliders;
- attaching the continuous length of fastener to a moving, unfolded flat web of plastic film;
- after mounting the sliders to the fastener and attaching the fastener to the moving, unfolded flat web, forming the web into successive bags including the step of folding the web;
- and
- successively filling and sealing the successive bags.
A method of making reclosable plastic bags, comprising:
- mounting a plurality of sliders to a continuous length of fastener by inserting said plurality of sliders through notches within said continuous length of fastener, said fastener including mating male and female profiles, each of said notches extending into said male and female profiles and having a length parallel to the lengths of the profiles that allows for insertion of one of said sliders;
- attaching the continuous length of fastener to a moving flat web of plastic film;
- and
- after mounting the sliders to the fastener and attaching the fastener to the moving flat web, conveying the web to a form-fill-seal machine where the web is formed into successive bags that are successively filled and sealed.
An apparatus for making reclosable plastic bags, comprising:
- means for mounting a plurality of sliders to a continuous length of fastener;
- means for attaching the continuous length of fastener to a moving, unfolded flat web of plastic film;
- means, located downstream from the mounting means and the attaching means, for forming the web into successive bags, said forming means including a folding board for folding said unfolded web, said forming means including a collar with an interior slot located with an outer periphery of the collar and a bag-forming tube encompassed by the collar, the web being drawn between the collar and the bag-forming tube, said forming means including means for sealing opposing longitudinal edges of the web to each other alongside the bag-forming tube so that the web is wrapped around the bag-forming tube, said forming means further including means for cross-sealing the web below the bag-forming tube;
- a folding plate extending into the interior slot from the bag-forming tube, the web and the fastener being drawn through the interior slot and around the folding plate to form a C-fold in the web, the fastener being located in the C-fold;
- and
- means for successively filling and sealing the successive bags.
A method of making reclosable plastic bags, comprising:
- mounting a plurality of sliders to a continuous length of fastener having first and second fins, said first and second fins each having a corresponding profile that are interlocked during said mounting, said mounting includes intermittently moving said continuous length of fastener and, while said continuous length of fastener is in a stoppage, locating one of said plurality of sliders in a notch, each of said notches extending into said profile and having a length that allows for the location of one of said sliders therein, said intermittent moving subsequent to said stoppages causing said sliders located in respective ones of said notches to be threaded onto said continuous length of fastener;
- after said mounting, attaching said first fin of said continuous length of fastener to a moving flat web of plastic film;
- and
- after mounting said sliders to the fastener and attaching said fastener to said moving flat web, conveying said web to a form-fill-seal machine where said web is formed into successive bags that are successively filled and sealed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.