초록 ▼

Improved form, fill, and seal machine for making aseptic sealed packages incorporating a plurality of sealing mechanisms mounted on a continuously advancing structure in a form, fill, and seal machine. Induction heating is used to longitudinally seal the edges of the web together to form a tube and

Improved form, fill, and seal machine for making aseptic sealed packages incorporating a plurality of sealing mechanisms mounted on a continuously advancing structure in a form, fill, and seal machine. Induction heating is used to longitudinally seal the edges of the web together to form a tube and to transversely seal the tube. A circuit means is used for controlling the electromagnetic energy source output to form longitudinal seals and transverse seals. The plurality of sealing mechanisms include a sealing jaw and an anvil jaw hinged together and adapted to pinch the tube therebetween at predetermined locations as the sealing mechanisms and web tubing advance. Each sealing jaw contains a transverse induction coil for transversely sealing the tube. Coupling and energization means select for forming a longitudinal seal segment or a transverse seal or both.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of forming aseptic packages from a supply of polyfoil web material in a form, fill, and seal machine including a device for scoring the web with score lines, a web sterilizing means, a sterile environment area, a tube forming section, a radio frequency power supply, a first induction coil c

A method of forming aseptic packages from a supply of polyfoil web material in a form, fill, and seal machine including a device for scoring the web with score lines, a web sterilizing means, a sterile environment area, a tube forming section, a radio frequency power supply, a first induction coil coupled to the power supply, a supply of product, a plurality of sealing mechanisms mounted on a cylindrical structure in a spaced apart relationship, each sealing mechanism being adapted for clamping a product filled tube transversely and having a transverse induction coil and means for coupling the transverse induction coil to the power supply, the cylindrical structure being rotated to bring, in succession, one sealing mechanism after the other in contact with the filled tube at a predetermined location to be transversely clamped and sealed, the distance between adjacent clamped sealing mechanisms corresponding to the areas between adjacent packages and a severing means, the method comprising: scoring the polyfoil web; sterilizing the product contacting layer of the polyfoil web immediately before and while passing the web through the tube forming section and into the sterile environment so that its edges overlap in opposition; longitudinally sealing the opposing web edges together to form a tube by energizing the first induction coil with the radio frequency power supply for a period of time sufficient to melt the opposing polyfoil layers so that they will fuse together and form a hermetic seal; filling the tube with a product; transversely clamping the filled tube with one of the plurality of sealing mechanisms; sealing the clamped tube transversely by energizing the transverse induction coil in the clamped sealing mechanism with the radio frequency power supply for a period of time sufficient to melt the opposing polyfoil layers in the transversely clamped area to fuse the thermoplastic layers together; maintaining the sealing mechanism clamped about the fused polyfoil while the transverse induction coil is not energized for a period of time to permit the polyfoil to cool and form a hermetic seal; and severing the tube in the seal area to sever a sealed package from the tube.