Package making – Gas filling and/or evacuating of receptacle and closing
Patent
1996-11-12
1999-08-17
Johnson, Linda
Package making
Gas filling and/or evacuating of receptacle and closing
53472, 533748, B65B 3102
Patent
active
059376147
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to bag sealing apparatus.
It is known to produce air bags, or air pillows, for use in packaging goods to protect them. Thus, a delicate article might be surrounded with air pillows in a cardboard box to protect it from damage during transport. It is known to make such air pillows from heat sealable plastics material and the bags are produced in a strip with each bag being heat sealed from the next. The known sealing method is unreliable however as the back pressure from air in the bag as it is being sealed tends to unseal the bag.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided bag sealing apparatus comprising a fluid source to pump fluid towards an opening in a bag, means for sealing the opening in the bag and means for clamping the bag downstream of the sealing means to reduce fluid back pressure.
In this way, as the bag is clamped downstream of the sealing means, the back pressure does not operate on the seal and a good seal can be reliably ensured. Also the quantity of fluid introduced into the bag can be closely controlled as fluid cannot escape past the clamping means during sealing.
The fluid source may be a source of compressed gas, preferably compressed air.
The sealing means may seal the bag in any suitable way, such as by adhesive or mechanical means, but preferably the sealing means comprises heat sealing means.
The clamping means may comprise a resilient member which is urged against the bag. The resiliency aids in providing a fluid tight seal. Preferably, the clamping means comprises two resilient clamping members arranged on opposite sides to clamp a bag between them.
Preferably, the clamping means is arranged to clamp the bag before the sealing means starts to seal the bag.
The clamping means and sealing means may be mounted separately, but in one embodiment, a clamping member of the clamping means and a sealing member of the sealing means are mounted together on a mounting member. Preferably, on the mounting member, the clamping member is resiliently mounted ahead of the sealing member so as to engage the bag before the sealing member. This ensures that the bag is clamped before the sealing operation commences. Preferably, a second mounting member is provided which mounts a second clamping member and/or a second sealing member. Conveniently, only one of the first and second mounting members is movable, but in another embodiment both of the first and second mounting members may be movable towards and away from each other. The or each mounting member is preferably moved pneumatically.
The fluid source may be arranged to pump fluid through a fluid supply pipe.
The apparatus may be arranged to operate in a cycle. The material for the bag may be provided as a strip which is advanced by advancing means through the apparatus.
The means for advancing the bag material may take any suitable form and preferably comprises two rollers side by side between which the material passes. Preferably, at least one of the rollers includes a circumferential recess and the recess or both recesses together receive the supply pipe.
The bag material may be in the form of two layers open at one side and the fluid supply pipe may extend between the layers through the open side. Means is preferably provided for sealing the open side.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for making a bag comprising means for advancing material for making a bag from a store, the material being in the form of two layers open at one side, a supply pipe extending between the layers through the open side and means for sealing the open side.
This arrangement allows the bag to be filled directly and without complication.
The material may be open at both sides but preferably is open on only one side. The open side of the material is preferably sealed upstream of the end of the supply pipe. The side sealing means may take any suitable form and may comprise heat sealing means. The side sealing means preferably comprises a member which is movable towards and away from the side of
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Watkins David Leonard
Watkins Wilfred Leonard
Browning Clifford W.
Johnson Linda
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