# US 8,770,249 B2 · Tear seal moveable ground jaw for a tubing sealer

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- Number: US 8,770,249 B2
- Document ID: US8770249B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/874,805
- Filed: 2007-10-18
- Published: 2009-04-23
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2007-10-18
- Assignees: Haemonetics Corporation
- Applicants: Tulsie P. Sumeer; Douglas F. Wright; Shilpin Shah
- Inventors: Tulsie P. Sumeer; Douglas F. Wright; Shilpin Shah
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770249B2

## CPC

- H05B 6/50: for monitoring or control
- B29C 65/04: Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding {, i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC}
- B29C 66/1122: {Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence)}
- B29C 66/4312: {for making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles, e.g. transversal seams}
- B29C 66/735: {characterised by the extensive physical properties of the parts to be joined}
- B29C 66/7352: {Thickness, e.g. very thin}
- B29C 66/81422: {being convex}
- B29C 66/81423: {being concave}
- B29C 66/8322: {Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis}
- B29C 66/8414: {of different diameter}
- B29C 66/8416: {of different thickness}
- B29C 66/857: {Medical tube welding machines}
- B29C 66/8614: {Tongs, pincers or scissors}
- B29C 66/919: {characterised by specific temperature, heat or thermal flux values or ranges (specific electrical resistance values B29C66/81262)}
- H05B 6/62: Apparatus for specific applications
- B29C 59/007: {Forming single grooves or ribs, e.g. tear lines, weak spots (by moulding B29C37/0057; folding lines B29C53/06; in metal articles B21D17/00; by cutting B26D3/08)}
- B29C 65/8246: {Pressure tests, e.g. hydrostatic pressure tests}
- B29C 66/81811: {of the welding jaws}
- B29C 66/81831: {of the welding jaws}
- B29C 66/8618: {being battery operated}
- B29C 66/949: {characterised by specific time values or ranges}
- B29C 2035/0861: {using radio frequency}
- B29L 2023/007: {Medical tubes other than catheters (catheters B29L2031/7542)}
- B29L 2031/7148: {Blood bags, medical bags}
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

Tubing sealers, whether hand held or desk mounted, heat seal liquid filled plastic tubing on command to develop sealed liquid filled easily separable segments serially attached to one another. The sealer generates a source of RF energy to heat seal the plastic tubing on placement of the tubing between a fixed jaw and a tubing compressing moveable ground jaw. The moveable ground jaw serves as a heat sink to dissipate heat and prevents a heat buildup during rapid repetitive operation of the sealer. The configuration of the moveable ground jaw coming in contact with the tubing primarily, but in combination with the degree of compression of the tubing and the RF power applied, controls both the integrity of the seal and the ease with which the sealed segments of tubing can be separated from one another.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An RF energized plastic tubing sealer for sealing plastic tubing placed intermediate a fixed jaw and movable ground jaw comprising in combination:
a movable ground jaw comprising:
a) a post;
b) a semi-cylindrical surface formed as part of said post that is interconnected at both ends to reversely curved troughs;
c) a pair of longerons extending from said post and engaged with the tubing sealer to permit rectilinear translation of said post relative to a fixed jaw, and
a fixed jaw mounted on the tubing sealer that includes a strip having a planar surface of electrically conductive material and wherein the longitudinal center of said semi-cylindrical surface of the moveable ground jaw is adjacent and aligned with the strip of the fixed jaw to urge focus of RF transmitted energy from the fixed jaw to the longitudinal area of the cylindrical surface of the moveable ground jaw physically closest to the strip.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tubing sealer as defined in claim 1 wherein said post includes a base cylindrical surface and one of said troughs being disposed on each side of base cylindrical surface interconnecting said base cylindrical surface with said semi-cylindrical surface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The tubing sealer as defined in claim 2 wherein the base cylindrical surface has a larger radius than the radius of the semi-cylindrical surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The tubing sealer as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said troughs have a surface that defines a part of a cylindrical surface.

### Claim 5

An RF energized tubing sealer for sealing plastic tubing placed intermediate a fixed jaw and a moveable ground jaw, said tubing sealer comprising in combination:
a) a source of RF energy for heating the tubing;
b) said fixed jaw including a strip having a planar surface for contacting the tubing to be sealed and for transmitting RF energy from said source of RF energy to said moveable ground jaw;
c) said moveable ground jaw including a post supporting a section of a cylindrical surface that is interconnected at both ends to reversely curved troughs, said cylindrical surface longitudinally aligned with and centered upon said strip for compressing the tubing placed between said fixed jaw and said moveable ground jaw and for receiving the RF energy transmitted from said strip; and
d) at least one rectilinearly translatable longeron supporting said post to reposition said cylindrical surface toward and away from said strip.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The tubing sealer as set forth in claim 5 wherein said post includes a base cylindrical surface and one of said troughs being disposed on each side of base cylindrical surface interconnecting said base cylindrical surface with said cylindrical surface.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The tubing sealer as set forth in claim 6 wherein each of said troughs have a surface that defines a part of a cylindrical surface.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The tubing sealer as set forth in claim 6 wherein the base cylindrical surface has a larger radius than the radius of the cylindrical surface.