Flexible jaws for vertical fill form and seal apparatus and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759556-B2
Application number	US-201615386888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Dec 21, 2016
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A vertical form fill and seal apparatus, for packaging particulates, includes a package sealing assembly that has opposed sealing jaws operatively coupled to each other by mechanical connection at a common pivot point. A first jaw actuator is mechanically coupled to the opposed sealing jaws to pivot the jaws in a controlled manner about the common pivot point. A second actuator is mechanically coupled to the package sealing assembly and is configured to impart controlled reciprocating motion to the package sealing assembly. A controller is configured to control the first actuator and to control the second actuator thereby causing the jaws to describe a preset locus of travel, allowing flexibility of type of bag being made without change-out of jaws. The packaging film may move continuously, or may optionally be controlled to move intermittently through the VFFS.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vertical form fill and seal apparatus for packaging a particulate product, the vertical form fill and seal apparatus mounted to a structural frame, the vertical form fill and seal apparatus comprising:
a package sealing assembly having sealing jaws comprising a first sealing jaw end and a second sealing jaw end opposed to the first;
a first jaw pivot bracket comprising two first scissor members coupled to each other to form a v-shape, the first sealing jaw end mounted at an upper end of one of the two first scissor members, and the second sealing jaw end mounted at an upper end of another of the two first scissor members, a lower end of one of the two first scissor members adjacent to and pivotably coupled to a lower end of the other of the two first scissor members at a common first pivot point located at a tip of the v-shape;
a second jaw pivot bracket comprising two second scissor members coupled to each other to form a v-shape, the first sealing jaw end mounted at an upper end of one of the two second scissor members, and the second sealing jaw end mounted at an upper end of another of the two second scissor members, a lower end of one of the two first scissor members adjacent to and pivotably coupled to a lower end of the other of the two first scissor members at a common second pivot point located at a tip of the v-shape, such that when scissor members of each respective jaw bracket pivot around their respective common pivot points, the first and second sealing jaws open and close;
a first actuator fixedly attached to the structural frame, the first actuator mechanically coupled to one of the jaw pivot brackets to controlledly pivot the scissor members thereof about the common pivot point;
a second actuator fixedly attached to the structural frame, the second actuator mechanically coupled to the package sealing assembly at the common first and second pivot points and configured to controlledly reciprocate the package sealing assembly up and down; and
a configurable controller controlling opening and closing of the sealing jaws by the first actuator and controlling the reciprocating by the second actuator thereby causing each of the opposed first and second jaw ends to describe a respective preset locus of travel, the controller pre-programmed with a plurality of loci accessible by an operator, each locus corresponding to a bag format to be formed on the apparatus;
whereby when in use, the first actuator operates the opposed sealing jaw ends to seal the package film transversely with the particulate product therein, while the opposed sealing jaw ends each follows its respective preset locus of travel.

2. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is driven by a servomotor controlled by the controller.

3. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second actuator is driven by a servomotor controlled by the controller.

4. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second actuator is driven by a servomotor controlled by the controller.

5. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator under control of the controller and wherein the second actuator is a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator under control of the controller.

6. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is mechanically coupled to the first jaw pivot bracket above the first common pivot point, and the first actuator is coupled to the second jaw pivot bracket below the first common pivot point.

7. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein during motion of each of the scissor members, the preset locus of the sealing jaw ends comprises a vertical velocity vector and a horizontal velocity vector.

8. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the preset locus of travel of each of the sealing jaw ends is a mirror image of the preset locus of travel of the other sealing jaw end.

9. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control both a velocity of the first actuator and a velocity of the second actuator, as well as an extent of linear displacement of the first actuator and an extent of linear displacement of the second actuator.

10. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a mass of the package sealing assembly is supported on the structural frame by the mounting of the first and second actuator to the structural frame.

11. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an additional first actuator, the additional first actuator coupled to the first jaw pivot bracket and to the second jaw pivot bracket.

12. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first actuator and the additional actuator are each driven by a separate servomotor, each servomotor controlled by the controller.

13. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a maximum horizontal displacement of a point at a tip of each of the opposed jaw ends, and a maximum range of vertical displacement of the jaw assembly, trace an envelope within which the controller is configured to operate the opposed jaw ends such that a locus of the points at the tips configures the vertical fill form and seal apparatus for a selected one of multiple types of packaging, without change out of the sealing jaw.

14. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the preset locus of travel of each of the opposed jaw ends is a mirror image of the preset elliptical locus of travel of the other jaw end, and a shape of the locus is preset by the controller based on a type of packaging to be formed on the vertical fill form and seal apparatus.

15. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein during operation, packaging film moves continuously through the apparatus, without intermittent stoppage, as the sealing jaws close to form a transverse seal in the packaging film.

16. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second actuator includes a belt and pulley arrangement driven by a servomotor.

17. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a pulley driven by the second actuator so that as the pulley is rotated in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, the package sealing assembly reciprocates.

18. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a drive rod rotated by a rotary driver, the drive rod rotating pivotable toggles in concert to urge the seal jaws to open and close.

19. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising another actuator, the first actuator driving one of the opposed seal jaw ends and the another actuator driving another of the opposed seal jaw ends.

20. The vertical form fill and seal apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising another actuator, the first actuator coupled to the first jaw pivot bracket above the first common pivot point, and driving the one opposed seal jaw end, and the another actuator coupled to the second jaw pivot bracket above the common first pivot point, and driving the another opposed seal jaw.

Assignees

• Frito Lay North America Inc
• Douglas Machine Inc

Inventors

• Bierschenk Patrick Joseph
• Brenkus Frank Mathew
• Gust Ronald M

Classifications

• B29C65/22

  Heated wire {resistive ribbon, resistive band or resistive strip (electrical insulating support therefor B29C66/81871)} · CPC title

• B29C66/8221

  Scissor or lever mechanisms, i.e. involving a pivot point · CPC title

• B65B9/213

  the web having intermittent motion (B65B9/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/84123

  of different height · CPC title

• B29C66/83543

  cooperating flying jaws · CPC title