The present disclosure relates generally to the art of pouch and bag machines. More specifically, it relates to pouch and bag machines that use one or more sealing dies or seal bars to create seals.
There are many known stand up pouch machines, and this invention will be explained in the context of pouch machines such as the CMD® Stand-Up Pouch Machine® or that shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,976,946, 7,191,575 and 7,325,379, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference, and US Patent Publications US-20170232659, US-2014-0332138-A1 and US-2011-0207589-A1, each of which are also hereby incorporated by reference. One example of a prior art pouch machine with a zipper crush section includes an unwind or infeed section, followed by a forming or folding section, followed by a machine direction bottom seal and zipper flange sealing section, followed by a zipper crush section, followed by a side sealing section, followed by other processes such as cut off, hole punch, etc. The film is advanced and stopped, and each section operates on the portion of the film in that section. Then, when the operations are complete, the film is advanced, and each section again operates. When the film has completed the path through the machine each operations has been performed on the film, thus creating the pouch.
Pouch design have become complex, such as having any of a number of features, including closable zippers, easy open tear strings, product protecting venting, etc. These features are added with insert material or materials that are different than and/or have a different thickness than the pouch body or substrate material. Insert, as used herein, refers to a feature such as a closure (zipper, hook and loop, press to close, etc), a tear strip, a vent, plugs, valves, spouts, strips, etc. that are comprised of materials different than and/or have a different thickness than the materials comprising the pouch body or substrate.
Prior art pouch machine sealers typically included a sealing die that has the sealing surface thereon. Such prior art typically used seal dies or seal bars that are moved toward a film (or films) and use pressure and temperature to melt the film and form a seal. The sealing die is often attached to a die backing member. The sealing die can be affixed to the die backing member, such as with cap screws. However, it is sometimes desirable to change the sealing die, due to wear or to provide a different sealing profile. In such cases the entire sealer could be changed, but that can be costly and time consuming. Unscrewing the sealing die from the die backing member requires a tool and is time consuming. Some prior art machines have quick change sealing dies, that include a spring loaded L clip. Such clips are expensive. Once unclipped it can still be difficult to remove the sealing die.
Seal bars can extend in the machine directions or across the machine direction. Removing a seal bar that extends in the cross machine direction can be difficult because the bar is hot, lengthy (several feet or more, e.g.), and it is difficult to access the clips or screws holding the die in place. Some prior art designs require accessing the seal bar from upstream or downstream, which might require moving portions of the machines. Side access presents challenges because there is not an easy way to grab the hot bar, and the end opposite the end being grabbed is cantilevered and difficult to handle.
Thus, a seal bar that can be readily accessed and removed from the side is desired.
Seal dies are typically used with a mating bottom. The film is sealed between the mating members, for example with the die member above the film and the backing member below the film. The mating die and backing must be aligned for the seal to be properly formed. The location where the seals are to be formed is dictated by the layout of the pouches being made, and the location of the seals dictates the location of the sealing die and backing member.
When the pouches (or layouts) is changed, the location of the seals is also changed. Machine direction seal bars might be moved closer to or farther from the edge of the film, depending on the width of the pouches being made. Both the seal die and backing member must be moved to the same location to properly form the seal. Typical prior art systems provide one crank to move the top member, and another crank to move the bottom member. The machine operator moves turns each crank until both members are in the proper position.
However, the film is often between the top and bottom members, which makes alignment difficult. Also, the cranks used to adjust the position of the top and bottom members are often located where machine supports can obstruct the view of the sealing dies and backing members, making alignment even more difficult. Thus, prior art when changing the pouch layout prior art machines are often run, then the seal locations and quality is checked, then adjustments made to the seal and or backing location. The process is repeated until the sealing die and backing are properly aligned. This can be time consuming and waster film.
Accordingly, a pouch machine where adjusting top and bottom sealing members is not difficult is desirable.
According to a first aspect of the disclosure a pouch machine has at least one seal bar. The seal bar includes a base that is not removable and a removable sealing member that is held to the base using at least one easy release structure.
According to a second of the disclosure a pouch machine has at least one seal bar. The seal bar includes a top member and a mating bottom member. The top member is above a film and the bottom member is below the film. A seal is formed on the film where the top member and bottom member mate. A linkage connects the top member and the bottom member such that when an adjustment of the position of one of the top member and the bottom member in a plane parallel to the film is made, a like adjustment a second plane parallel to the film is made to the other of the top member and the bottom member.
The easy release structure is at least one of a spring, a clip and a dove tail in one alternative.
The removable sealing member is held to the base using a plurality of easy release structures in another alternative.
The plurality of easy release structures includes at least one of a spring, a clip and a dove tail in one embodiment.
The plurality of easy release structures include at least one spring, at least one clip and a at least one dove tail in various embodiments.
The removable sealing member fixedly receives a tool that can lift and remove the removable sealing member in one alternative.
The removable sealing member includes a threaded hole that threadedly receives a rod that can lift and remove the removable sealing member in another alternative.
The at least one seal bar is a cross direction or a machine direction seal bar in various embodiments.
The pouch machine also has a crank connected to the linkage, and turning the crank results in the adjustment of the position of the top member and the bottom member in one alternative.
The linkage includes at least one of a timing belt and a threaded rod in another alternative.
The pouch machine of claim 10, wherein the linkage includes both of the timing belt and the threaded rod in one embodiment.
Other principal features and advantages of will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following drawings, the detailed description and the appended claims.
Before explaining at least one embodiment in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Like reference numerals are used to indicate like components.
While the present disclosure will be illustrated with reference to a particular pouch machine and seal bar design, it should be understood at the outset that the easy to remove seal bar and adjustment of the seal bar location can also be implemented with other design and in other machines.
Generally, a quick change seal die for a pouch machine is disclosed, along with a tool used to make the change, and a mechanism and method to adjustment the top and bottom members used to form a seal to make pouches.
Referring now to
Infeed section 1102 receives a laminate (or partially formed pouches, tube material, or a mono layer material in other embodiments), and provides the laminate, unsealed pouches, or partially formed pouches, to sealing section 1104. Sealing section 1104 includes a platen sealer 108 and bar sealers 109 and operates to impart one or more seals, in the preferred embodiment, to the laminate, thereby forming, or partially forming, the sealed pouches. The invention will be described with respect to bar sealers, but could be used with a platen. Bar sealer, as used herein, refers to a seal bar having a dimension in the machine direction much greater than in the cross direction, or a dimension in the cross direction much greater than in the machine direction.
After the pouches are made they are received by outfeed section 106 for stacking, etc. Sealed pouch, as used herein, includes pouches that have all or some of the seals that form the pouch completed. Sealer, as used herein, is a portion of a sealing section that has one or more sealing surfaces on a sealing die held against or affixed to a die backing member, as well as linkages etc that cause the sealing surfaces to move toward and away from a sealing position, and a source of heat. Unsealed pouch, as used herein, includes a pouch, or material to be made into a pouch, that has at least one seal not yet formed, and can include pouches with one or more seals formed, or no seals formed.
Pouch machine 1100 operates consistently with the prior art, and in particular consistent with the PDI® 600SS pouch machine (shaped seal), and made by CMD™ Corp., except as set forth herein. Alternatives include a continuous motion machine and/or a shuttle machine.
Generally, sealing section 104 includes one or more sealing fixtures (bars or platens) that are brought downward into contact with the laminate or pouch, and impart a seal to the pouch. The preferred embodiment provides that the sealing fixtures move vertically. Alternative embodiments provide that sealing section 104 provides other functions, such as cooling, perforating, cutting, punching, etc. These functions may be performed solely, or in combination with other functions. Also, the sealing fixture can be top mounted (brought downward to make the seal), bottom mounted (moved upward to make the seal), or with two fixtures, one top mounted and the other bottom mounted (the two fixtures move together—one up and one down) to make the seal. Other embodiments provide for the movements to be other than horizontal and vertical.
Referring now to
Base 105 includes springs 106 which help hold (as will be described in more detail below) sealing member 102 in the desired position. Clips 108 also help to hold sealing member 102 in place. Clip refers to any protrusion on one member that serves to hold another member ion a desired location. Springs 106 and clip 108 can be any easy release structure that holds sealing member 102 to base 105. Easy release structure refers to some structure that hold objects together without require turning a bolt and without accessing the structure, such as a clip, spring, dove tail, etc. A clip that is held in place or released by the user moving a part is not an easy release structure because the user must access the structure to move the part.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Tenon 701 can be seen in greater detail in
Turning now to
Bolt hole 301 is used to help remove and insert sealing member 102 in place. To remove sealing member 102, a tool such as rod 1600 (
Inserting sealing member 102 in place simply entails reversing the process. To insert remove sealing member 102, rod 1600 (
Another aspect of this disclosure provides for adjusting both of a seal bar and mating backing (or one of two mating seal bars) on opposite sides of the film with a single mechanism, such their alignment is maintained. In other words, when one of the mating members is moved in a plane parallel to the film, the other mating member is moved in a like manner in a plane parallel to the film. This is accomplished through linkages such as timing belts.
Turning now to
Numerous modifications may be made to the present disclosure which still fall within the intended scope hereof. Thus, it should be apparent that there has been provided a method and apparatus for making pouches with easy adjusted seal bars and easily removed sealing members that fully satisfies the objectives and advantages set forth above. Although the disclosure has been described specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62647278 | Mar 2018 | US |