Sealing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302429-B2
Application number	US-201313946343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2013
Priority date	Jan 29, 2010
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A sealing apparatus for sealing a travelling packaging film. The sealing apparatus includes a first actuator, a second actuator, a first seal member, a second seal member, a slide rail arrangement, and a linkage coupled to the slide rail arrangement and connecting each of the first and second actuators to the first and second seal member. The first and second sealing members are actuated toward and away from each other between a disengaged position and an engaged position for sealing the travelling packaging film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sealing apparatus adapted for sealing a traveling packaging film that is sealed while traveling along a traveling direction, the sealing apparatus comprising:
a first actuator and a second actuator independently controlled from each other;
a linkage driven by both the first and second actuators; and
a first seal member and a second seal member actuated toward and away from each other by the first and second actuators via the linkage, the first and second seal members actuated between a disengaged configuration and an engaged configuration for sealing the traveling packaging film, the first and second seal members movable with lateral displacement along the traveling direction by the first and second actuators when in the engaged configuration for a dwell type sealing operation, and movable with lateral displacement opposite the traveling direction by the first and second actuators when in the disengaged configuration and;
wherein the first and second seal members are actuated toward each other when the first and second actuators are driven with a first set of move profiles;
wherein the first and second seal members are actuated away from each other when the first and second actuators are driven with a second set of move profiles; and
wherein the first set of move profiles includes moving the first and second actuators toward each other, and wherein the second set of move profiles includes moving the first and second actuators away from each other.

2. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second actuators are each linear actuators wherein a linear position of each of the first and second linear actuators is independently controlled.

3. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the linkage comprises two symmetrical linkage arrangements each constructed from a plurality of pivotally coupled linkage members, wherein the first and second seal members have opposite ends, and wherein a portion of each of the symmetrical linkage arrangements is mounted to each opposite end of the first and second seal members.

4. The sealing apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a controller coupled to each of the first and second actuators; and
a computing device coupled to the controller;
wherein the computing device is configured to receive a plurality of motion profile parameters corresponding to motion profiles of the first and second seal members.

5. A sealing apparatus for sealing a traveling packaging film that is sealed while traveling along a traveling direction, the sealing apparatus comprising:
a first actuator and a second actuator;
a first seal member and a second seal member;
a slide rail arrangement; and
a linkage connecting each of the first and second actuators to the first and second seal members;
wherein the first and second seal members are actuated toward and away from each other between a disengaged position and an engaged position for sealing the traveling packaging film, the first and second seal members movable with lateral displacement along the traveling direction by the first and second actuators when in the engaged position for a dwell type sealing operation, and movable with lateral displacement opposite the traveling direction by the first and second actuators when in the disengaged position;
wherein the first actuator comprises a first coil slidable along the slide rail arrangement and the second actuator comprises a second coil slidable along the slide rail arrangement;
wherein a linear position of each of the first and second coils is independently controlled; and
wherein the first and second seal members are actuated toward each other when the first and second actuators are driven toward each other, and wherein the first and second seal members are actuated away from each other when the first and second actuators are driven away from each other.

6. The sealing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the linkage comprises two symmetrical linkage arrangements each constructed from a plurality of pivotally coupled linkage members, wherein the first and second seal members have opposite ends, and wherein a portion of each of the symmetrical linkage arrangements is mounted to each opposite end of the first and second seal members.

7. The sealing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the slide rail arrangement comprises a shaft assembly, the shaft assembly comprising a first guide shaft, a second guide shaft, and a magnetized shaft.

8. A sealing apparatus for sealing a traveling packaging film that is sealed while traveling along a traveling direction, the sealing apparatus comprising:
a first sealing bar and a second sealing bar each having opposite ends;
a first linkage and a second linkage each comprising a plurality of pivotally coupled linkage members, wherein each of the first linkage and second linkage has portions mounted to each of the opposite ends, respectively, of the first and second sealing bars;
a first linear slide and a second linear slide parallel to the first linear slide;
a first motor system having first and second actuators slidably coupled to the first linear slide and pivotally coupled to the first linkage, and a second motor system having first and second actuators slidably coupled to the second linear slide and pivotally coupled to the second linkage; and
wherein driving the first and second actuators of each of the first and second motor systems away from each other moves the first and second sealing bars away from each other; and
wherein driving the first and second actuators of each of the first and second motor systems toward each other moves the first and second sealing bars toward each other and toward an engaged position, the first and second sealing bars movable with lateral displacement along the traveling direction by the first and second motor systems when in the engaged position for a dwell type sealing operation.

9. The sealing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first linkage and the second linkage are symmetrical, and wherein the plurality of pivotally coupled linkage members of each of the first linkage and the second linkage form a closed area.

10. The sealing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first and second sealing bars are actuated toward and away from each other between a disengaged position and the engaged position for sealing the traveling packaging film.

11. The sealing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first and second actuators of each of the first and second actuator systems are separated by a first distance when the first and second sealing bars are in the engaged position and are separated by a second distance greater than the first distance when the first and second sealing bars are in the disengaged position.

12. The sealing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first linear slide and the second linear slide each comprise a first guide shaft, a second guide shaft, and a magnetized shaft.

13. The sealing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each of the first and second actuators of each of the first and second motor systems comprise a linear motor, and wherein a linear position of each of the linear motors is independently controlled.

14. The sealing apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a controller coupled to each of the plurality of linear motors, the controller configured to adjust the linear position of each of the plurality of linear motors.

15. The sealing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second actuators move linearly along a shaft assembly having a first guide shaft, a second guide shaft, and a magnetized shaft.

16. The sealing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each o

Assignees

• Bosch Packaging Technology Inc
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Ansinn Detlev D
• Meisner John

Classifications

• B29C66/8242

  Pneumatic or hydraulic drives (using fluid pressure directly acting on the parts to be joined B29C66/8266) · CPC title

• B29C66/8246

  Servomechanisms, e.g. servomotors · CPC title

• B65B51/303

  reciprocating along only one axis · CPC title

• B29C66/8244

  magnetically driven · CPC title

• B29C66/849 Primary

  Packaging machines · CPC title