IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0418118
(1982-09-14)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Moore, A. J.Stanley, H. M.Megley, R. B.
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
3 |
초록
▼
A method and apparatus is disclosed for packaging articles in two portions of film which are fed between outer and inner annular film clamping mechanisms with the outer clamping mechanism firmly clamping the film portions while stretching the film over the article. The inner annular clamping mechani
A method and apparatus is disclosed for packaging articles in two portions of film which are fed between outer and inner annular film clamping mechanisms with the outer clamping mechanism firmly clamping the film portions while stretching the film over the article. The inner annular clamping mechanism then clamps the periphery of the film portions together immediately inward of the seal area, and the outer clamps release the film allowing an annular hot knife to seal and sever the film portions in a relaxed area. A low inertia film drive system is also provided with the film supply rolls on one side of the clamping mechanisms being continuously driven while brush rolls on the other side of the clamping mechanisms are intermittently driven. The low inertia film drive system also includes components for assuring that the film is stressed longitudinally and transversely to remove wrinkles therefrom, and to assure that the film portions are sealed and severed in a completely relaxed area.
대표청구항
▼
1. An apparatus for packaging articles within thermal sealing film, comprising: means for capturing and firmly clamping first and second film portions between first and second outer pairs of film clamping annuluses, feed means for moving an article between said captured film portions, means for
1. An apparatus for packaging articles within thermal sealing film, comprising: means for capturing and firmly clamping first and second film portions between first and second outer pairs of film clamping annuluses, feed means for moving an article between said captured film portions, means for moving at least one of the first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses toward the other for physically deforming the film portions into the general shape of the article by stretching the film portions over the article, means defining inner clamping annuluses disposed inwardly of said outer annuluses for clamping the two film portions together at an inner film gripping plane and for providing an isolated annulus of film between said inner and outer clamping annuluses, means for releasing said first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses for removing tension from and relaxing said isolated annuluses of film, and means for sealing the two portions of film together in the relaxed isolated annulus of film for sealing the first and second film portions together in an untensioned portion of the film. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first and second film portions are strips of film, and wherein said sealing means also severs the captured portions of the film from the strips of film in said relaxed isolated annulus of film. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for clamping and thereafter releasing said first and second outer pairs of film clamping annuluses are selectively operated extensible and retractable power means bodily movable with said outer clamping annuluses, said power means being extended when stretching the captured film portions over the article for holding said film portions from slipping between said associated outer pairs of clamping annuluses, said power means being retracted prior to sealing the first and second portions of film together for releasing said outer annuluses allowing the isolated annuluses to become relaxed. 4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said extensible and retractable power means includes pneumatic pistons and cylinders. 5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first and second outer film clamping annuluses defining outer film gripping planes which are both offset on one side of the inner film gripping plane of said inner clamping annuluses for assuring that both film portions in the isolated annuluses are initially pulled in the same direction over one of the inner clamping surfaces for assuring that the portions of the two films when being sealed are parallel and flat at the seal area. 6. An apparatus for packaging articles within thermal sealing film, comprising: means for capturing and firmly clamping first and second film portions between first and second outer pairs of film clamping annuluses; feed means for moving an article between said captured film portions; means for moving at least one of the first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses toward the other for stretching the film portions over the article; means defining inner clamping annuluses disposed inwardly of said outer annuluses for clamping the two film portions together at an inner film gripping plane and for providing an isolated annulus of film between said inner and outer clamping annuluses; means for releasing said first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses for removing tension from and relaxing said isolated annulus of film; means for sealing the two portions of film together in the relaxed isolated annulus of film; and means defining an article catching assembly; said assembly comprising a pair of arms movable between an article catching position and an article releasing position, a pair of article catching wings pivoted to each arm with each pair of wings movable between a pivotally spread catching position and a parallel position, power means for moving said arms between said article catching position and said article releasing position, and control means for moving said wings when spread into article catching position to catch an article released from said feed means after said outer clamping annuluses have captured the pair of film portions and are spaced from each other, said wings and said captured film portions cooperating to retain the article in packaging position until said outer annuluses move toward each other to stretch the film portions about the article. 7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said pair of wings are moved into parallel position between said outer clamping annuluses in response to said outer annuluses completing their movement toward each other. 8. An apparatus according to claim 6 and additionally comprising an article centering disc disposed immediately adjacent one of said captured film portions to aid in stabilizing the article when it is fed into said pairs of wings. 9. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said article catching assembly is centered in the mid plane between said outer film clamping annuluses when in their inner positions. 10. In an apparatus for packaging articles between two thermal sealing film strips comprising the combination of means defining two pairs of outer clamping annuluses for firmly clamping one portion of each film strip, first means for moving said pairs of outer annuluses between a film clamping and a film releasing position; power means for moving said two pair of annuluses between a retracted position and an extended position with the film portions clamped therein and first engaging an article for physically stretching the film portions over the article for conforming the shape of the film to that of the article, means defining a first inner clamping annulus having an inner and an outer pair of thin resilient pressure resisting annular pads secured thereto defining a planar sealing surface for engaging one of said clamped film portions, means defining a second annular clamping annulus aligned with said inner resilient pad, means for establishing relative movement between said inner clamping annuluses for moving the inner annuluses together for clamping the film strips together between said second annulus and said inner resilient pad, said two outer pairs of clamping annuluses when disposed at the ends of their film stretching stroke both being positioned on the same side of said planar surface of said first inner clamping means for assuring that annular portions of both films lie flat against each other and against said planar surface, annular sealing and severing means, and means for urging said sealing and severing means into sealing engagement with the annular portions of the film backed by said outer resilient pad after said outer clamping annuluses have released the film portions for sealing and severing the film portions in a relaxed area of the film for providing a superior seal. 11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said sealing and severing means is a hot knife having an annular sealing tip with a cylindrical outer surface normal to said planar sealing surface, and having an arcuate inner sealing edge for forming a molten puddle of thermosealing material inwardly of said hot knife. 12. An apparatus for packaging an article in a stretchable container formed from two strips of thermal sealing film disposed on opposite sides of a reference plane comprising: means defining a first packaging head on one side of the reference plane having a pair of relatively movable outer clamping annuluses between which one strip of film is intermittently fed and having a single inner clamping annulus disposed on the same side of the reference plane; means defining a second packaging head on the other side of the reference plane having a pair of relatively movable outer clamping annuluses between which the other strip of film is intermittently fed and a second single inner clamping annulus disposed on said other side of the reference plane, said second packaging head including means defining an annular sealing means for sealing the two film strips about an article for forming a package, packaging head power means for moving said packaging heads toward each other for first clamping the first and second film strips between said associated pair of outer clamping annuluses and for thereafter physically stretching the captured portions of film over said article for conforming the shape of the film to that of the article, second power means for moving at least one of said single inner clamping annuluses into clamping engagement with said film strips, means for releasing said outer clamping annuluses for clamping engagement with said film for providing a relaxed area of said film strips, and means for moving said sealing means into sealing engagement with said relaxed area of said film strips to seal the strips and package the article. 13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said sealing means also severs the package from said film strips. 14. A method of packaging articles within stretchable film comprising the steps of: capturing and firmly clamping first and second film portions between first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses, moving an article between said captured film portions, stretching the film portions over the article by moving the first and second outer pairs of annuluses and captured film portions toward each other causing the film portions to first engage opposite sides of the article for physically stretching the film portions over the article for conforming the shape of the film to that of the article, clamping the first and second film portions together with inner clamping annuluses disposed inwardly of the outer annuluses for providing an annulus of film between said inner and outer annuluses, releasing the first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses for removing tension on the annulus of film for providing a relaxed annulus of film, and sealing the film portions together in the relaxed annulus for packaging the article. 15. A method according to claim 14 and additionally comprising the step of severing the packaged article from scrap portions of the film forming large holes therein. 16. A method according to claim 14 and additionally comprising the step of orienting the clamping surfaces of the outer pairs of clamping annuluses to one side of a sealing plane for assuring that both film portions to be sealed are contacting each other and lie flat in an annular sealing plane. 17. A method of packaging articles within stretchable film comprising the steps of: capturing and firmly clamping first and second film portions between first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses, moving an article between said captured film portions, stretching the film portions over the article by moving the first and second outer pairs of annuluses and captured film portions toward each other, clamping the first and second film portions together with the inner clamping annuluses disposed inwardly of the outer annuluses for providing an annulus of film between said inner and outer annuluses, releasing the first and second outer pairs of clamping annuluses for removing tension on the annulus of film for providing a relaxed annulus of film, sealing the film portions together in the relaxed annulus for packaging articles, severing the packaged article from scrap portions of the film forming large holes therein, said film portions being portions of two film strips unwound from a pair of supply rolls, continuously withdrawing the film strips longitudinally of the centerline thereof from said supply roll at a predetermined rate, terminating longitudinal movement of the film strips downstream of said captured portions while said portions are captured and are being sealed and severed to form a package and with said scrap portions of film having said large holes therein, accumulating a loop of film of each film strip upstream of said captured portions while the longitudinal movement downstream is terminated, intermittently advancing said downstream scrap portions of film by pulling said accumulated loops out until new portions of unsevered film are in position to be captured and the upstream and downstream portions are tensioned, draping the longitudinal side edges of the film portions of the edges of the outer clamping annuluses while advancing said film strips for stressing said film portions longitudinally and transversely thereby removing wrinkles from the portions of said film to be captured, and recapturing new portions of said film strips. 18. A method according to claim 17 and additionally comprising the steps of: longitudinally severing each scrap portion along the longitudinal centerline for dividing each scrap portion into equal halves, spreading the two halves of each scrap portion of film, and separately discharging each scrap half of film by vacuum. 19. A method according to claim 17 and additionally comprising the step of providing slack in said downstream scrap portions while said captured portions are being sealed and severed for further isolating the relaxed annulus of film from tension.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.