Heat sealer for synthetic resin bag

Details Heat sealer for synthetic resin bag Heat sealer for synthetic resin bag

1999-04-23

2001-10-16

Kim, Eugene (Department: 3721)

Package making

Closing packages and filled receptacles

By means adapted to engage outturned seam of package cover

C053S375900, C053S373900

Reexamination Certificate

active

06301859

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a heat sealer of a type capable of heat-sealing a sheet of a synthetic resin to form a bag and, more particularly, to horizontal and vertical sealing jaw assemblies for accomplishing horizontal and vertical seals, respectively.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art weighing and packaging system will first be discussed with reference to
FIG. 10
since the heat sealer to which the present invention pertains is generally employed in such weighing and packaging system. As shown in
FIG. 10
, the weighing and packaging system comprises a weighing apparatus
1
and a packaging machine
2
for successively packaging articles M, that are successively discharged from the weighing apparatus
1
, with a sheet of a synthetic resin by forming such resinous sheet into bags one for each article M. Each article M may be one or a quantity of edible or non-edible items, for example, potato chips, fruits, candies, vegetables, screws, nails, bolts or other things desired or required to be bagged.
The weighing apparatus
1
is of a design operable to perform a combinational weighing by weighing the article M and then discharging the article M of a predetermined weight onto the packaging machine
2
. This weighing apparatus
1
comprises a dispensing feeder
4
of a generally inverted conical shape for receiving articles M from a hopper
3
positioned thereabove and for dispensing the articles M towards an outer peripheral portion thereof, a plurality of vibratory feeders
5
disposed below the outer peripheral portion of the dispensing feeder
4
for receiving the respective articles M dispensed from the dispensing feeder
4
and subsequently transferring the articles M to a corresponding number of pool hoppers
6
positioned below the associated vibratory feeders
5
, weighing hoppers
7
positioned below the corresponding pool hoppers
6
for receiving the respective articles M and operatively coupled with corresponding weighing cells
8
for measuring respective weights of the articles M within the weighing hoppers
7
.
A control device
9
is of a design operable to select a combination of some or all of the weighing hoppers
7
which have measured the respective weight of the article M that falls within a predetermined weight tolerance, to cause respective gates of some or all of the weighing hoppers
7
so selected to open to allow the articles M to be discharged onto a collective discharge chute
10
, and then to open a timing hopper
11
, which is used to close a bottom opening of the collective discharge chute
10
, so that the article M can be discharged onto the packaging machine
2
at a predetermined timing.
The packaging machine
2
comprises a bag former
12
positioned below the tiring hopper
11
of the weighing apparatus
1
for folding the synthetic sheet S inwardly along a longitudinal center line thereof so as to bring opposite longitudinal side portions of the strip of synthetic sheet to overlap with each other, a pair of juxtaposed endless pull-down belts
13
and
13
positioned below the bag former
12
for pulling the folded sheet S downwards, a vertical heat-sealing means (not shown) for heat-sealing opposite longitudinal side edges of the folded sheet S together to thereby shape the folded sheet S into a tubular form, and horizontal heat-sealing means
14
positioned below the vertical heat-sealing means for forming a transverse seal in the tubular sheet S to complete a bag.
The horizontal heat-sealing means
14
referred to above includes a pair of transverse sealing jaws
15
and
15
spaced a distance from each other and positioned on respective sides of the path of travel of the tubular sheet S. The transverse sealing jaws
15
and
15
are drivingly connected with respective drive means
16
and
16
so that the transverse sealing jaws
15
and
15
can be turned in respective senses opposite to each other so as to depict a generally D-shaped orbit as shown by the arrow in FIG.
10
. More specifically, the drive means
16
and
16
are so drivingly synchronized with each other and also with the weighing apparatus
1
that starting from a top point PI at which the transverse sealing jaws
15
and
15
cooperate with each other to clamp the tubular sheet S, the transverse sealing jaws
15
and
15
can move downwards towards a bottom point P
2
while pressing the tubular sheet S, then separate at the bottom point P
2
away from each other and also from the tubular sheet S and finally swing backwards towards the top point P
1
. That portion of the tubular sheet S pressed by the transverse sealing jaws
15
and
15
is, during the downward movement of the transverse heat-sealing jaws
15
and
15
from the top point P
1
to the bottom point P
2
, heat-sealed. Reference numeral
17
represents a control device for controlling the drive means
16
in operative association with the operation of the weighing apparatus
1
. This type of the transverse heat-sealing means
14
is well known to those skilled in the art and is disclosed in, for example, the published International Application WO93/07058 and also in the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 62-235006.
Each of the transverse heat-sealing jaws
15
has such a cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG.
11
A and includes a generally U-shaped support block
18
made of, for example, stainless steel and adapted to be carried by the associated drive means
16
(
FIG. 10
) forming a part of a press mechanism, and upper and lower presser pieces
20
a
and
20
b
made of, for example, stainless steel and having respective upper and lower sheet contact faces
19
a
and
19
b
. The support block
18
is of one-piece construction including upper and lower connecting arms
21
positioned on respective upper and lower sides of the U-shaped cavity in the support block
18
, and the upper and lower presser pieces
20
a
and
20
b
are received within the U-shaped cavity in the support block
18
and are firmly connected to the respective upper and lower connecting arms
21
by means of set screws with the sheet contact faces
19
a
and
19
b
oriented in a direction away from the support block
18
. The upper and lower presser pieces
20
a
and
20
b
rigidly connected to the support block
18
in the manner described above are spaced a distance from each other to define a cutter groove
22
in which a cutter blade
30
for severing the tubular sheet S is accommodated.
The support block
18
is formed with upper and lower cylindrical heater chambers
23
a
and
23
b
in which respective upper and lower rod heaters
24
a
and
24
b
are snugly fitted. Each of the presser pieces
20
a
and
20
b
has a respective heat pipe hole
25
a
or
25
b
formed therein at a location adjacent the corresponding sheet contact face
19
a
or
19
b
so as to extend a full width (as measured in a direction perpendicular to the sheet of the drawing of
FIG. 11A
or widthwise of the tubular sheet S) of the respective presser piece
20
a
or
20
b
, in which hole
25
a
or
25
b
is accommodated a corresponding heat pipe
26
a
or
26
b
. A temperature sensor
28
comprising a thermocouple encased in an enclosure is accommodated within a single sensor hole
27
formed in the support block
18
at a location between the lower heater hole
23
b
in the support block
18
and the heat pipe hole
25
b
in the lower presser piece
20
b
and beneath the imaginary line connecting therebetween. It is to be noted that in the following description, characters “a” and “b” affixed to reference numerals used to denote respective upper and lower portions of each component part may not be used.
FIG. 11B
illustrates the pattern of distribution of temperature in one of the transverse heat-sealing jaws
15
measured at a portion thereof generally intermediate of the lengthwise direction thereof. It is to be noted that, in order for the illustrated transverse heat-sealing jaw
15
to be comparable with a counterpart (one of transverse heat-sealing jaws) embodyi

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