Vacuum packaging and sealing appliance with double seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10351279-B2
Application number	US-201615150034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2016
Priority date	Oct 21, 2011
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

An appliance for vacuum packaging and sealing a container, including: a vacuum motor assembly generating suction, a vacuum trough fluidly connected to the vacuum motor assembly, first and second heat sealing elements, and a microprocessor configured to control the vacuum motor assembly and the first and second heating elements in programmable sequences. One programmable sequence may include energizing the vacuum motor assembly to provide suction to the vacuum trough, energizing the first heat sealing element at a first predetermined temperature for a first predetermined time when a first predetermined vacuum level is reached in the vacuum trough, de-energizing the vacuum motor assembly after a third predetermined time has elapsed after the first heat sealing element has been de-energized, delaying a dwell time, and energizing the second heat sealing element at the expiration of the dwell time at a second predetermined temperature for a second predetermined time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An appliance for vacuum packaging and sealing a container, the container having at least one unsealed side, comprising:
a base;
a vacuum motor assembly generating suction, the vacuum motor assembly disposed in the base and further including;
a motor;
a pair of fan blades rotated by the motor, wherein the motor is sandwiched between the pair of fan blades;
a pair of vacuum pumps generating suction, each vacuum pump having a reciprocating member that is driven by rotation of one of the pair of fan blades through an offset crank arm;
wherein said vacuum motor assembly is configured to generate a cooling air flow within the base and further discharge heated air outside of the base;

a vacuum trough fluidly connected to the vacuum motor assembly;
a pressure transducer configured for measuring pressure in the vacuum trough;
a first heat sealing element disposed adjacent to the vacuum trough configured to heat seal the unsealed side of the container;
a second heat sealing element disposed between the first heat sealing element and the vacuum trough, said second heating element configured to heat seal the unsealed side of the container; and
a microprocessor configured to control the vacuum motor assembly and the first and second heating elements in programmable sequences, the programmable sequences including:
energizing the vacuum motor assembly to provide suction to the vacuum trough;

measuring pressure in the vacuum trough with the pressure transducer;
energizing the first heat sealing element at a first predetermined temperature for a first predetermined time when a first predetermined vacuum level is reached in the vacuum trough as measured by the pressure transducer;
de-energizing the vacuum motor assembly after a third predetermined time has elapsed after the first heat sealing element has been de-energized; and
energizing the second heat sealing element at a second predetermined temperature for a second predetermined time.

2. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first heat sealing element heat seals the container and forms a first seal a first predetermined distance from a top edge of the unsealed side of the container.

3. The appliance of claim 2 , wherein the second heat sealing element heat seals the container and forms a second seal a second predetermined distance from the first seal, said second seal being disposed between the first seal and the top edge of the unsealed container.

4. The appliance of claim 3 , wherein the second predetermined distance is in a range of two to three millimeters.

5. The appliance of claim 2 , wherein the first predetermined distance is in a range of twenty-five to thirty-eight millimeters.

6. The appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a roll storage compartment disposed in the base for storing a roll of container material wherein a section of container material is dispensed and cut to from the roll to partially form the container with the at least one unsealed side.

7. The appliance of claim 6 , further comprising a lid pivotally attached to the base and movable between open and closed positions, wherein when said lid is in the open position, the section of the container material is allowed to be dispensed and the unsealed side of the container to be inserted into the vacuum trough for heat sealing, and and wherein when said lid is in the closed position, the roll storage compartment is covered and the unsealed side of the container is held in the vacuum trough during heat sealing.

8. The appliance of claim 7 , further comprising a cutting device in the lid for cutting the section of container material from the roll when the lid is in the closed position.

9. An appliance for vacuum packaging and sealing a container, the container having at least one unsealed side, comprising:
a base;
a vacuum motor assembly disposed in the base generating suction, the motor assembly including:
a motor,
a pair of fan blades rotated by the motor, wherein the motor is sandwiched between the pair of fan blades;
a pair of vacuum pumps generating suction, each vacuum pump having a reciprocating member that is driven by rotation of one of the pair of fan blades through an offset crank arm; and
wherein said motor fan assembly is configured to generate a cooling air flow within the base and further discharge heated air outside of the base;

a vacuum sealing compartment formed in the base including a vacuum trough fluidly connected to the vacuum motor assembly;
a pressure transducer configured for measuring pressure in the vacuum trough;
a first heat sealing element disposed in the vacuum sealing compartment adjacent the vacuum trough configured to heat seal the unsealed side of the container;
a second heat sealing element disposed in the vacuum sealing compartment between the first heat sealing element and the vacuum trough, said second heating element configured to heat the unsealed side of the container; and
a microprocessor configured to control the vacuum motor assembly and first and second heating elements in programmable sequences, the programmable sequences including:
energizing the vacuum motor assembly to provide suction to the vacuum trough;
measuring pressure in the vacuum trough with the pressure transducer;
energizing the first heat sealing element at a first predetermined temperature for a first predetermined time when a first predetermined vacuum level is reached in the vacuum trough as measured by the pressure transducer;
de-energizing the vacuum motor assembly after a third predetermined time has elapsed after the first heat sealing element has been de-energized; and
energizing the second heat sealing element at a second predetermined temperature for a second predetermined time.

10. The appliance of claim 9 , wherein the first heat sealing element heat seals the container and forms a first seal a first predetermined distance from a top edge of the unsealed side of the container.

11. The appliance of claim 10 , wherein the second heat sealing element heat seals the container and forms a second seal a second predetermined distance from the first seal, said second seal being disposed between the first seal and the top edge of the unsealed container.

12. The appliance of claim 11 , wherein the second predetermined distance is in a range of two to three millimeters.

13. The appliance of claim 10 , wherein the first predetermined distance is in a range of twenty-five to thirty-eight millimeters.

Assignees

• Sunbeam Products Inc

Inventors

• Hammad Jamal F

Classifications

• F04B9/129

  having plural pumping chambers · CPC title

• B65B31/048 Primary

  specially adapted for wrappers or bags · CPC title

• B65B41/12

  Feeding webs from rolls · CPC title

• B65B31/024 Primary

  specially adapted for wrappers or bags (B65B31/021, B65B31/022 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65B51/10

  Applying or generating heat or pressure or combinations thereof {(welding of plastics per se B29C65/02; closing plastic tube ends in general B29C57/10)} · CPC title