Apparatus for bag closure and sealing using heated air
AssigneeCoating Excellence International LLC
InventorsGary F. Sargin, Mark E. Jansen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for sealing a bag made of a polymeric material by applying heat activated layers on different portions of the bag, wherein the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer have respective heat activation temperatures below the softening point temperature of the polymeric material; creasing the bag along a fold line, applying heat at a temperature below the softening point temperature of the polymeric material to activate the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer to adhesive states after the bag has been filled with contents; and folding the bag to form an adhesive-to adhesive seal by contact between the heat activated first adhesive layer and the heat activated second adhesive layer.
Claims19
A machine for sealing a bag of the type including a flap which is sealed against a front-panel of the bag to close the bag, the flap and a portion of the front-panel to which the flap is sealed each including a portion coated with heat activated adhesive, the machine comprising:
- a bag sealing arrangement including,
- a hot air manifold including a hot-air input port, a first surface including a first set of openings through which hot air is directed to the flap and a second surface disposed at an angle greater than 10 b degrees to the first surface, and including a second set of openings through which hot air is directed to the portion of the front-panel to which the flap is sealed,
- a guide which guides the flap past the first set of openings while the front-panel is guided by the second set of openings, the guide being configured to fold and direct the flap against the front-panel to place the adhesive of the flap in contact with the adhesive of the front-panel, and
- a pressure applicator which forces the flap against the front-panel to facilitate adhesion of the flap to the front-panel;
- and
- a bag conveyor which engages the bag near the flap to convey an open bag into and through the bag sealing arrangement to facilitate the adherence of the flap to the front-panel by the bag sealing arrangement.
A machine for sealing a bag including a flap which is sealed against a panel of the bag to close the bag, the flap and a portion of the panel to which the flap is sealed each including a portion with heat activated adhesive, the machine comprising:
- a folder extending from a leading end to a trailing end, the folder including a portion configured to contact the flap as the bag moves past the folder in a direction from the leading end toward the trailing end, the portion extending downwardly in a direction from the leading end toward the trailing end;
- and
- a manifold including an inlet configured to receive a heated fluid, a back wall located proximate the panel as the bag moves past the manifold in the direction from the leading end of the folder toward the trailing end of the folder, the back wall including a plurality of apertures through which heated fluid is directed towards the panel, the manifold also including a top wall including a plurality of apertures through which heated fluid is directed toward the flap, the top wall including a portion extending downwardly in the direction of movement of the bag, the manifold being located lower than at least a portion of the folder, the portion of the top wall of the manifold extending downwardly being located between the leading end and the trailing end of the folder.
A machine for sealing a bag of the type including a flap which is sealed against a panel of the bag to close the bag, the flap and a portion of the panel to which the flap is sealed each including a portion coated with heat activated adhesive, the machine comprising:
- a folder including a tapered portion between a leading end and a trailing end tapering from a maximum height proximate the trailing and to a minimum height proximate the leading end, the folder configured to fold the flap over toward the panel;
- and
- a manifold including an interior chamber, an inlet through which the manifold is configured to receive heated fluid into the interior chamber, a top wall including a plurality of apertures through which heated fluid is dispensed from the manifold, the top wall including a first planar portion and a second portion extending at a non-zero angle from the first planar portion, the second portion being located below a portion of the tapered portion of the folder, the manifold also including a back wall including a plurality of apertures through which heated fluid is dispensed from the manifold toward a portion of the panel of the bag.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.