Method and apparatus for bag closure and sealing
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.
Claims21
A bag sealer configured to heat adhesives used to seal bags, the bags each including a front panel having a front surface and a rear panel having a flap configured to be folded over onto the front surface, the front surface and the flap each including an adhesive layer, the mechanism comprising:
- a first surface defining a first plurality of openings configured to direct hot air in a first direction toward the adhesive layers of the front surfaces of the bags;
- a second surface defining a second plurality of openings configured to direct hot air in a second direction toward the adhesive layers of the flaps of the bags, the second direction being generally perpendicular to the first direction, the first surface being generally perpendicular to the second surface;
- and
- an inlet duct defining a path for air to pass through the inlet duct to the first plurality of openings.
A method of sealing a bag having an open end, a front panel including a front adhesive layer and a back panel opposite the front panel, the back panel including a flap extending to a higher location than an upper peripheral edge of the front panel, the flap including a flap adhesive layer, the method comprising:
- directing hot air from a first surface defining a first plurality of openings in a first direction toward the front adhesive layer to activate the front adhesive layer;
- deflecting the flap downwardly toward the front panel;
- and
- directing hot air from a second surface defining a second plurality of openings in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction toward the flap adhesive layer to activate the flap adhesive layer;
- wherein the first surface is generally perpendicular to the second surface.
A bag sealer configured to apply hot air to a bag having an open end defined between a front panel and a rear panel, the front panel extending from an upper peripheral edge to a lower peripheral edge, the front panel including an adhesive layer and the rear panel including a fold line and a flap having an upper peripheral edge higher than the upper peripheral edge of the front panel and an adhesive layer higher than the upper peripheral edge of the front panel, the bag sealer comprising:
- a first dispenser including a first wall defining a first plurality of openings configured to direct hot air in a first direction at the adhesive layer of the front panel of the bag;
- a second dispenser including a second wall defining a second plurality of openings configured to direct hot air in a second direction, non-parallel with the first direction, at the adhesive layer of the flap of the bag, the first wall being generally perpendicular to the second wall;
- and
- a bag conveyor configured to move the bag past the first dispenser and the second dispenser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.