Sonotorode
AssigneeTetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
InventorsJurgen Abt, Steffen Polster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is described a sonotrode for sealing an opening device onto a hole of a packaging material destined to from a sealed package, comprising: a sealing surface adapted to cooperate with packaging material in order to seal the opening device to the packaging material; a cavity bounded by an opening of sealing surface and adapted to receive the opening device and a ring made in an elastomeric material, partially protruding inside the cavity, and adapted to center a first axis of the opening device on a second axis of the sonotrode.
Claims15
A sonotrode for sealing an opening device onto a hole of a packaging material destined to form a sealed package, comprising:
- a sealing surface adapted to cooperate with a said packaging material in order to seal said opening device to said packaging material;
- a cavity bounded by an opening of said sealing surface and adapted to receive said opening device;
- a ring of elastomeric material, partially protruding inside said cavity, and the ring comprising a wall configured in use to contact a portion of the opening device and to be elastically deformed to center a first axis of said opening device on a second axis of said sonotrode;
- the wall facing towards the second axis and being tapered, the wall that faces the second axis and that is tapered including, proceeding from the opening towards a side opposite the opening, a first portion and a second portion;
- the first portion of the wall being angled at a first angle with respect to the second axis;
- the second portion of the wall being angled at a second angle with respect to the second axis;
- and
- the first and second angles being different from one another.
A unit operable to apply an opening device onto packaging material destined to form a sealed package, the unit comprising:
- a sonotrode in combination with an anvil;
- the sonotrode and the anvil, during operation of the unit, being relatively movable with a portion of the packaging material positioned between the sonotrode and the anvil so that the sonotrode is on one side of the packaging material and the anvil is on an opposite side of the packaging material;
- the anvil gripping the opening device during the operation of the unit to move the opening device toward a through hole in the portion of the packaging material and to position the opening device in the through hole in the portion of the packaging material;
- the sonotrode comprising:
- a sealing surface adapted to cooperate with the packaging material when the opening device is positioned in the through hole in the portion of the packaging material to seal the opening device to the packaging material;
- a cavity bounded by an opening of the sealing surface and configured to receive the opening device positioned in the through hole in the portion of the packaging material;
- and
- a ring made of elastomeric material and protruding inside the cavity to contact the opening device when the opening device is received in the cavity and to center a first axis of the opening device on a second axis of the sonotrode.
A method of applying an opening device onto packaging material destined to form a sealed package, the method comprising:
- moving an opening device located on one side of the packaging material toward a through hole in the packaging material, the packaging material including an opposite side that is opposite the one side;
- positioning the opening device in the through hole in the packaging material so that a first part of the opening device projects beyond the opposite side of the packaging material and a second part of the opening device contacts the one side of the packaging material;
- moving a sonotrode toward the opposite side of the packaging material, the sonotrode comprising a cavity and a ring made of elastomeric material that protrudes inside the cavity;
- the moving of the sonotrode comprising moving the sonotrode to position the first part of the opening device in the cavity while the ring contacts the opening device and is deformed to center a first axis of the opening device on a second axis of the sonotrode;
- and
- operating the sonotrode while a sealing surface of the sonotrode is in contact with the second side of the packaging material to seal the second part of the opening device to the packaging material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.