Safety electric sealer having a safety gate

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6573477
  • Patent Number
    6,573,477
  • Date Filed
    Monday, May 13, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 3, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
A safety electric sealer is disclosed for sealing polybags and the like, which includes a first arm body, an electric heating mechanism, a second arm body, and a safety gate. The electric heating mechanism is mounted in a receiving chamber within the first arm body. The safety gate is adapted for closing/opening the receiving chamber of the first arm body, keeping the electric heating mechanism blocked when the safety electric sealer not in action.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to an electric sealer and, more particularly, to a safety electric sealer, which has a safety gate that prevents touching of the heating mechanism accidentally.




2. Description of Related Art




A variety of electric sealers have been disclosed, and have appeared on the market. U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,123, entitled “ELECTRIC SEALER ENERGIZABLE BY INTERNAL BATTERY SET OR EXTERNAL AC ADAPTER shows an exemplar adapted for sealing polybags and the like. Conventional electric sealers are functional, however they tend to be triggered accidentally.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is the main object of the present invention to provide a safety electric sealer, which has provides a safety gate that prevents touching of the heating mechanism accidentally. It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety electric sealer, which has a safety switch that prevents triggering of the heating mechanism accidentally.




To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the safety electric sealer comprises a first arm body, an electric heating mechanism, a second arm body, and a safety gate. The first arm body has a receiving chamber. The electric heating mechanism is mounted in the receiving chamber of the first arm body, comprising a heating unit, and a control switch adapted for controlling on/off status of the heating unit and preventing triggering of the heating unit accidentally. The second arm body is pivoted to the first arm body. The safety gate is installed in the first arm body and adapted for closing/opening the receiving chamber. When the electric sealer not in action, the safety gate closes the receiving chamber of the first arm body, keeping the electric heating mechanism from touching accidentally. Further, safety lock means may be provided to prevent triggering of the electric heating mechanism accidentally.




Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an elevational view of a safety electric sealer according to the present invention.





FIG. 2

is an exploded view of the safety electric sealer according to the present invention.





FIG. 3

is an assembly view of the safety electric sealer according to the present invention.





FIG. 4

is a side view in section of the present invention showing the safety gate of the safety electric sealer closed.





FIG. 5

is a side view in section of the present invention showing the safety gate of the safety electric sealer opened.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




With reference to

FIG. 1

, a first arm body


10


, an electric heating mechanism


20


, a second arm body


30


, and a safety gate


40


.




The first arm body


10


comprises a substantially T-shaped receiving chamber


11


, and a heat insulation block


12


fixedly mounted within the receiving chamber


11


. The heat insulation block


12


can be made of ceramics, bakelite, heat insulation plastics, or any of a variety of materials that resists heat over 200° C.




The electric heating mechanism


20


is mounted in the receiving chamber


11


of the first arm body


10


, comprising a heating unit


21


and a control switch


22


. The heating unit


21


comprises an electric heating element


211


fixedly mounted on the heat insulation block


12


, a heat resisting covering


212


covered on the electric heating element


211


. The heat resisting covering


212


is made of Teflon. Teflon is heat resisting, and prevents adhering of molten plastics. Therefore, the heat resisting covering


212


well protects the electric heating element


211


. The control switch


22


has an external power cord


50


connected thereto and, is electrically connected to the electric heating element


211


. The control switch


22


is a press-button switch. Because the action and principle of the control switch


22


are well know to the people skilled in the art, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary.




The second arm body


30


is a substantially T-shaped member matching the first arm body


10


, comprising a pair of pivot holes


32


respectively pivoted to a pair of pivot rods


13


of the first arm body


10


, and a protruded portion


31


corresponding to the heating unit


21


of the electric heating mechanism


20


.




The safety gate


40


comprises a cover plate


41


and a shutter plate


42


. The cover plate


41


is fixedly fastened to the first arm body


10


to close the receiving chamber


11


, having an opening


411


corresponding to the heating unit


21


, and a track


412


. The shutter plate


42


is adapted for closing/opening the opening


411


, comprising a face panel


421


, an extension plate


422


, a pair of bevel guide plates


423


, and a pair of return springs


424


. The face panel


421


of the shutter plate


42


is movably positioned in the track


412


of the cover plate


41


.




Referring to

FIG. 3

, the second arm body


30


comprises two baffles


33


corresponding to the bevel guide plates


423


, and a pressure plate


34


corresponding to the button


221


of the control switch


22


.




Referring to FIG.


4


and

FIG. 3

again, when not in use, the return springs


424


force the shutter plate


42


forwards, causing the face panel


421


of the shutter plate


42


to close the opening


411


of the cover plate


41


, and therefore the electric heating mechanism


20


is blocked from touching. When in use, the first arm body


10


is turned toward the second arm body


30


, causing the bevel guide plates


423


of-the shutter plate


42


to touch the baffles


33


of the second arm body


30


respectively. When continuously employing pressure to the first arm body


10


toward the second arm body


30


, the bevel guide plates


423


are forced to move the shutter plate


42


backwards, thereby causing the face panel


421


of the shutter plate


42


to be opened from the opening


411


of the cover plate


41


.




Referring to

FIG. 5

, when the opening


411


opened, the protruded portion


31


of the second arm body


30


is inserted into the opening


411


and pressed on the heating unit


21


of the electric heating mechanism


20


. When the first arm body


10


and the second arm body


30


pressed against each other heavily at this time, the pressure plate


34


of the second arm body


30


imparts a pressure to the button


211


of the control switch


22


, thereby causing the heating unit


21


of the electric heating mechanism


20


to start heating and to further seal the polybag. When the external pressure disappeared after sealing, the spring power of the return springs


424


moves the shutter plate


42


forwards, thereby causing the face panel


421


of the shutter plate


42


to close the opening


411


again, and therefore the electric heating mechanism


20


is blocked again.




As indicated above, the safety gate of the safety electric sealer prevents touching of the electric heating mechanism accidentally. Further, the pres-button switch prevents triggering of the electric heating mechanism accidentally. Further, the present invention is practical in use because the safety gate and the safety press-button switch of the present invention are automatically operable.




A prototype of safety electric sealer has been constructed with the features of FIGS.


1


˜


5


. The safety electric sealer functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.




Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A safety electric sealer comprising:a first arm body, said first arm body comprising a receiving chamber; an electric heating mechanism mounted in the receiving chamber of said first arm body; a second arm body pivoted to said first arm body; and a safety gate installed in said first arm body and adapted for closing/opening said receiving chamber.
  • 2. The safety electric sealer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electric heating mechanism comprises a heating unit and a control switch adapted for controlling the operation of said heating unit.
  • 3. The safety electric sealer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said heating unit comprises an electric heating element, and a heat resisting covering covered on said electric heating element.
  • 4. The safety electric sealer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said safety gate comprises a cover plate, said cover plate having an opening corresponding to said heating unit of said electric heating mechanism, and a shutter plate adapted for closing/opening the opening of said cover plate.
  • 5. The safety electric sealer as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cover plate comprises a track; said shutter plate comprises a face panel movable with said shutter plate along said track to close/open said opening of said cover plate, an extension plate extended from said face panel, a pair of bevel guide plates protruded from said extension plate, and a pair of return springs connected to said bevel guide plates and adapted for supporting said face panel in closing said opening of said cover plate.
  • 6. The safety electric sealer as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second arm body comprises two baffles corresponding to the bevel guide plates of said shutter plate.
  • 7. The safety electric sealer as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second arm body comprises a protruded portion facing said heating unit of said electric heating mechanism.
  • 8. The safety electric sealer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second arm body comprises a pressure plate corresponding to said control switch.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Number Name Date Kind
3867226 Guido et al. Feb 1975 A
5142123 Chou Aug 1992 A
5854466 Chou Dec 1998 A
6040559 Chou Mar 2000 A
6064038 Chou et al. May 2000 A
6232579 Chou et al. May 2001 B1
6246027 Griffiths Jun 2001 B1
6326594 Chang et al. Dec 2001 B1
6335515 Chou et al. Jan 2002 B1